From pyrocopwolf227: The delay is my fault everyone! Life have been throwing me curveballs ever since the beginning of February and HOPEFULLY will be "settling down" now after the end of June. I figured we should give ya'll a long chapter for the long delay and especially for your patience. *wink*
From Terri411: I just love how Jane doesn't know how attractive she really is. I just went with the flow.
credit author: sel1006 and their story "After Vegas" with Jane tossing the ball and Maura's intercept/scolding
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Chapter 20
Jane felt the lips on the back and side of her neck as she gradually awakened. She felt the long and soft exhale near her ear as the loving lips continued nuzzling the sailor's neck.
"M-Maur?" Jane's voice husked out, still heavy with sleep.
"Shh," the ginger blonde softly whispered as one of her hands brought the speech to text device into Jane's field of vision. "Shh," Maura whispered again as she spooned her body further into Jane's.
Try to lay still and let me love on you.
"Maur…" the brunette moaned, with a squirm, "we can't… not two weeks yet."
Another long exhale greeted Jane's neck and around her ear.
Let's just have a long and slow make out.
I'll be gentle, I promise.
"Maur…" Jane continued to protest only for it to die as her wife's lips captured a special area on her neck.
Again, just a slow, gentle make out.
Try and relax, my love.
The Navy Seal moaned again as she gradually turned in the doc's direction as her wife's kisses moved to Jane's temple and downward towards her cheek. Maura allowed Jane to settle upon her back and began easing her upper body on top of Jane's as their lips united in a long, thorough kiss. The Navy Seal's scarred, stiff hand came up the doc's back, pulling her more flush on top of her as their kisses eventually ceased for some much needed air.
"Aren't you gonna be late?" Jane's still sleepy voice husked as she caught a glimpse of one of their bedside clocks.
Maura's eyes lit up as she smiled. "I took this morning off," her lips read. "I'll go in after our appointment."
Jane managed a smile before Maura lowered her face and reunited their lips. The stronger hands pulled the ginger blonde's body further on top of the sailor's as their kisses continued at a leisurely pace.
The doc permitted Jane's hands to roam up and down her back while she kept hers primarily at her wife's sides. Maura certainly didn't want to cause a repeat by gripping the spec ops soldier's head. While Maura always enjoyed feeling Jane's hair during their make outs and lovemaking, it felt extremely peculiar to not bring her hands up to the brunette's head.
One of Jane's hands came up to her wife's neck while her opposite grasped Maura's mid back. Gently cradling the physician's neck, the Navy Seal flipped themselves over. Jane shyly grinned at Maura's mild surprise and slowly leaned in and rejoined their lips. Dr. Isles-Rizzoli softly moaned as Jane's face shifted to one side as their kissing continued. The doc's hands eventually came up and gripped the strong back as one of Jane's came up to her face. The honey blonde sighed out again as Jane's thumb softly stroked her cheek, eliciting further loving sensations.
Time evaporated away for the two women and the next thing Jane knew was a gentle shake on her shoulder. The dark brown eyes opened to discover Maura bent over her. Did I doze off? Jane wondered.
"Your phone is ringing," the doctor's lips read and handed her wife the device in question.
The Navy Seal grunted as she sluggishly sat up to activate the TTY application on her phone. Recognizing the phone number, Jane turned to her wife. "It's Captain Cavanaugh," the dark eyebrows rose. "I wonder what he's calling about?"
Maura simply nodded in acknowledgement and then signed out she was going to make some coffee. Jane returned her wife's nod and answered the phone.
In The Kitchen
Dr. Isles finished pouring two mugs with fresh, hot coffee when she turned around to discover Jane entering the kitchen dressed in her Navy blue camo uniform. To say it was a surprise was an understatement.
"Thanks!" Jane's voice rasped as she accepted a steaming mug of coffee.
"Does Captain Cavanaugh need to see you?" Jane read Maura's lips over the rim of her cup.
"Yeah," the Navy Seal replied after swallowing a gulp of coffee. "He needs to meet with the entire team in a couple hours. He's sending Grant to pick me up in around 30 minutes."
"Should I reschedule our appointment?" Maura signed out, concealing her worry.
Jane shook her head as she took another drink. "No, no. Captain Cavanaugh assured me that this meeting should be finished in enough time for me to meet you at the clinic."
Maura nodded, secretly relieved that they wouldn't have to reschedule or for Jane to miss it. A muffled buzz sounded simultaneously with the doorbell as Jane was finishing the remains of her coffee. The doctor watched as her wife removed her phone from a pocket.
"Whoa," the Navy Seal spoke. "Joe must've already been on his way over here when the captain called."
Dr. Isles-Rizzoli managed to smile as the brunette reached for her wife. "See you after a while?" Jane returned with a smile of her own.
"I can't wait," Maura brought her hands up to grasp Jane's uniform front as the two women kissed.
The OBGYN Clinic
Maura was sitting in the waiting area for Jane to meet her at the doctor's office. She hoped that she wouldn't be late or miss this appointment entirely. They were supposed to find out the sex of their baby, and she knew Jane especially wouldn't want to miss this one.
Just as the nurse opened the door and about to call her name, Jane came running in, still wearing her Navy Working Uniform. Maura could hear many of the women that were waiting gasping at the sight of her wife. She smiled. Jane did look damned good in her Navy uniforms!
"Am I late?" She asked a bit too loudly while taking down the pins all long haired women had to wear in the military, letting her curly hair flow down her muscular back. Maura knew that Jane was quite a beautiful woman, but her wife never showed it or even thought of it. The women in the room were sure obvious to that fact though.
"No, my love. Nurse Regina just called me back, shall we?" She said taking her wife's hand and leading her to the open door where Regina stood waiting for them, being the envy of just about every woman, and man in the room.
"Nice get up, Mrs. Rizzoli-Isles. Looking hot there! Got all the women in this office staring!" The nurse stated, making sure Jane could read her lips as she led them to Room 5. Jane cheeks turned bright red from the comment and Maura laughed at her embarrassed wife. Jane was never able to take a compliment like that.
"Well Dr. Rizzoli-Isles, I need to get your vitals and the doctor will be in to see you shortly. We're learning the sex of your baby today, correct?" The nurse asked.
"Yes, yes we are." Jane answered, helping Maura get settled on the hospital table, and the nurse started taking her blood pressure. After she was done, she informed them the doctor would be in in a bit and left the two women alone.
"How did it go with the meeting?" Maura signed out after getting comfortable, and then placing a sweet kiss to her wife's lips. Everyone on Jane's team had to be there. Her wife hadn't been looking forward to it, but she went.
"It was fine… still a little weird without Frost and Copper." Jane said sadly, resting her head on Maura's shoulder while rubbing the pregnant belly. Maura could tell that it was still hard on Jane. Barry was her best friend, who always had Jane's back, and Cooper was the little sister Jane never had. They both will be dearly missed. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door as Dr. Thompson's head of blonde hair peeked around the door.
"Are you guys ready for me?" The blonde asked, before she walked into the room. Maura kissed her wife on the forehead before touching Jane's back to let her know the doctor was in the room. She stood as she saw Dr. Thompson walk over to the ultrasound machine and getting it ready. "How are we doing today?" She signed out to the couple.
"Everything is fine." Maura answered, and then turned to Jane.
"And you Jane? Are you doing okay?" The Doctor signed out. She got a feeling the Seal was a little down as she watched Maura comforting her. Dr. Thompson then noticed the brunette was in her Navy blues camo uniform.
"I'm good. Had a short meeting at the base, but everything's good. Thanks for asking." Jane said, placing a sweet kiss to the back of her wife's hand she held.
Dr. Thompson turned and signed out, "good," and nodded her head. "I just need to take some measurements and then we can get started." She procured the bottle of gel. "Maura, will you please lift up your blouse?" She asked getting ready to apply the EcoVue gel to the stretched and tight, yet still smooth skin. Maura complied in raising her blouse up just under her bra and pulling her stretchy denim down under her round belly.
Jane loved seeing her tiny wife pregnant with her child. It never seemed to amaze her when looking at Maura's big, round stomach heavy with their baby, just how much she loved this woman, and for the special gift that she was giving her. Jane never thought in a million years that this would be her life right now. She had a beautiful, sweet wife with a child on the way and a second chance at life. She had started processing the survivor's guilt in keeping her therapy appointments with Dr. Emma and talking through her problems. Now however, she just had to continue to pray that her hearing would come back full and strong. Jane felt Maura jump a bit, returning her focus back to her pregnant wife.
"Sorry, Maura. I know the gel is cold." Jane read the doc's lips as she placed the transducer with a similar appearance to a microphone on Maura's belly. She turned on the monitor moving the probe around to get every angle while clicking on the buttons on the machine. There wasn't much to see on the monitor, only lines and numbers, then she moved the probe to just under Maura's belly button and a tiny head appeared. The doctor hit a few more buttons and a line went from that head to tiny feet.
Jane could see the baby waving its arms and stretching out its legs as if trying to get comfortable in a tight spot. She was in utter amazement looking at this tiny human being she and Maura created. She didn't realize tears were falling down her face, until Maura wiped them away. The ginger blonde also had wet cheeks.
"Well, everything's looking good." Dr. Thompson turned and spoke, so that Jane could read her lips. "Maura, you're at the 19 weeks mark, your baby is the size of a juicy mango, weighing in at 8 oz., and 6 in. Their lungs are developing, with the main airways (called bronchioles) are beginning to form this week." Dr. Thompson explained while facing them. "Maura, you may be able to feel the baby move for the first time this week, but don't panic if you don't. You will soon, the both of you." She finished, moving the probe around to get a better look at the baby. Hitting a switch, Maura smiled, and Jane realized her wife was hearing the baby's heart beat. She envied that, wishing she could hear it too.
"We are wanting to learn the sex of the baby today, right?" The doctor signed out. Both Maura and Jane nodded silently. Again she moved the probe just under Maura's belly button and Maura gasped holding on to Jane's hand tightly. "Looks like your baby will cooperate with us today. Maura, would you like to do the honors?" She chuckled, knowing that the Doctor has already seen the sex of their baby.
Maura turned to Jane as she gazed down at her crying wife. "We ar- we are having a boy." She said, watching Jane look back at the monitor. Dr. Thompson had circled the area around the baby's reproductive system and wrote on top of the screen "BOY!" in big blue letters. Wow! We're having a baby boy! Jane's mind was running wild, and she already couldn't wait to meet her son for the first time.
Dr. Thompson was wiping the gel from Maura's belly and telling her about her next appointment in three weeks, when Jane came to her senses and helped her wife to sit up. "Jane, Nurse Regina will have the print out of this sonogram for you. Maura is in her 5th month of her pregnancy. Only 4 months left to go guys!" Dr. Thompson stated, before bidding the couple good-bye, it was almost time for her next appointment.
Nurse Regina brought out the sonogram pictures and handed them to Jane and passed Maura her next appointment card along with her new prescription for prenatal vitamins. Jane just couldn't take her eyes off of the image of her son. Maura walked over to her and they walked out the clinic together. Jane walked Maura to her car, kissed her good bye and I'll see you at home, before crossing the street getting into her own car. Before starting the car, she placed one of the sonogram pictures on the visor and then drove off, heading for home.
Beacon Hill
"…I could be dealing with the loss of an
arm. Or a leg. Or both if not all as some
veterans have!"
Jane sighed as she set the pen down and sat back within the desk chair. Why is this so hard? The Navy Seal pinched against her closed eyes. I kept a diary when I was a kid and this shouldn't be no different. The brunette huffed out another sigh as she sat forward to reread the words she had written. It looks more like an itemized list instead of actual journaling.
The brunette rubbed her eyes again as she reached for a nearby almost hard rubber ball with her right hand. The nearly stiff fingers wrapped around the ball and Jane Rizzoli sat back again as she worked the ball within her hand, periodically squeezing it.
"An advantage to being a lefty," the sailor muttered as she tossed the ball up and caught it. "I can still write with an undamaged hand."
The spec ops soldier's therapist was currently encouraging Jane Rizzoli to journal and to find more positive methods of thinking. While the Navy Seal originally believed the notion of positive thinking as flowery, fantasy style of thinking, not at all grounded in reality. However, it surprised Jane at how positive thinking could just as be realistic as "typical" realistic thinking tended to be.
Maura is the most positive thinker of the Rizzoli-Isles family… Jane's thoughts trailed off as she continued to toss the ball up and eventually catching it. If any of us is to be the primary positive thinker around here, it's her.
Jane sighed again as she moved to the bed. This has got to be the slowest 2 weeks on record! The brunette huffed out as she struggled to not mentally dwell on the make out this morning while alternating between tightening her grip on the ball and tossing it up in the air.
"Hopefully this ball will help my grip improve!" The Navy Seal mumbled as she reclined back against the bed pillows. Jane tossed the ball back into the air, nearly reaching the ceiling. The brunette cringed slightly as she recalled Maura's disapproving face of her wife bouncing the ball off the ceiling a couple days prior.
However, the consternation didn't linger as the spec ops soldier continued tossing the ball up, coming close to bouncing off the ceiling several more times. What harm could a near hard rubber ball do bouncing off the ceiling? If it were marks, then cleaning or repainting wouldn't be a big deal to Jane.
A hand suddenly reached out and intercepted the ball as it traveled downward towards Jane's open hands."How many times have I told you to NOT bounce the ball off the ceiling?" Maura's lips spoke as her hazel green eyes sternly held Jane's.
The Navy Seal huffed a full body sigh. "Have there been any deaths caused by boredom?"
Maura's face softened briefly. "Not to my knowledge, but something tells me you're far too tough to die from that."
"Great!" Jane rolled her eyes in added sarcasm.
The physician sat upon the edge of the bed after setting the ball on Jane's bedside table. "Here," she signed before leaning down towards her bag. "Perhaps this might help alleviate your boredom." Maura signed out after handing Jane a paperback book.
"Really?"
"I remember finding this among my dad's books when I was a child," Dr. Isles signed. "I found the story interesting when I read it back then. When I saw it at the used bookstore, I thought you might find it intriguing as well."
"An immortal soldier…" Jane's voice trailed off as she continued reading the back cover. "That does sound intriguing," the brown eyes looked up into Maura's. "But it also sounds like a form of hell."
"It's actually the very first book in a series of books following the soldier's life through the centuries." Maura signed out prior to standing up and putting her bag away in its usual place.
"I wondered why the author's name sounded familiar." Jane sat up, continuing to study the back cover. "We've had a few encounters with the Green Berets and it's because of them I'm familiar with the 'Ballad of the Green Beret.'"
Maura only smiled in response. She remembered studying about the author more in depth after reading several books of the series. She strongly hoped her wife would find the book compelling having been written by an actual military veteran.
"You're not going to start it?" the honey blonde signed out after changing her clothes.
"Not yet," the Navy Seal grinned. "Let me help out with dinner."
During Dinner
Jane and Maura exchanged smiles after the doctor passed a dish to the brunette. Ever since the Navy Seal's hearing became impaired, they mostly spent meals together in silence. Even though they often had the speech to text device set near Jane's usual place at the table, both women often found themselves content to dine non-verbally. Speaking only with facial expressions with an occasional single-handed sign. However, even sign language was just as rare as using the speech to text device.
Perhaps we might end up being able to read each other's thoughts before my hearing returns. Jane thought as she set her glass back down on the table. If my hearing returns… which isn't to be negative. It's a realistic scenario… it can go either way…
A gentle shake on Jane's shoulder brought her out of her thoughts. Looking up, she discovered Maura standing with a phone in her hand. "Captain Cavanaugh," Maura's lips read.
Jane discovered the TTY app already activated and called out. "Hello, Captain."
"Evening Rizzoli." The Navy Seal officer's words displayed on the phone's screen. "How have you been doing?"
Jane smiled. "The same as this morning, the best I'm trying to be." She ran a hand through her hair. "And still waiting for my ears to work again."
Maura heard Cavanaugh's voice chuckle through the phone's speaker. She signed out to her wife of it.
"I believe the surgery is going to be successful," the words displayed. "It's tough when non mission related patience is involved."
Jane and Maura exchanged familiar smiles at the captain's words. If anyone could understand, it would be a fellow Navy Seal.
"…was curious if there could be any time convenient for me to stop by this week? I have several things that I believe is best to be delivered in person."
The brunette looked up when Dr. Isles immediately began signing out. Jane grinned at her wife's communication and eventually nodded in agreement. "Maura's suggested and I agree that you should come over and have dinner. How does tomorrow evening sound?"
The honey blonde conveyed to the Navy Seal of her commanding officer laughing again.
"Sounds good, Rizzoli. You've always bragged over Dr. Isles' cooking the past few years so I doubt I'll be disappointed."
Maura blushed and gave her wife a shy smile.
Jane likewise chuckled. "I doubt you'll be disappointed, sir. Thank you for calling."
"See you tomorrow, Rizzoli."
"Thank you, sir." The spec ops soldier pressed the end call button and closed down the TTY app. "That's interesting," she looked up at her wife.
"How so?" Maura's lips read.
"That he should come over and deliver something in person. I mean, what could it be that he couldn't have conveyed earlier today?"
"Could it be something regarding the emergency deployment?" Maura hesitantly signed.
Jane shook her head. "No, that was all resolved in the meeting today, under the appropriate security measures."
Maura briefly fidgeted with her silverware as she considered what it could be that Captain Cavanaugh wanted to see Jane about as well as what to prepare meal wise. Could Jane possibly know his favorite foods?
"…wonder if he's going to present a Purple Heart medal?" The brunette's words nearly whispered.
"Your tone indicates you don't want it," Maura signed out. "Are you opposed to receiving any medals earned?"
The sailor huffed out a full body sigh after slumping back into her chair. "I shouldn't receive a medal for being injured," Jane loudly exhaled again. "And I didn't accomplish anything heroic or extraordinary… hell, I had to be rescued along with the rest of the Seal Team." The vulnerable brown eyes hesitantly met the doc's. "I literally didn't know if it was a friend or foe touching me just before I lost consciousness…"
Maura reached out and took her wife's hand almost anxiously. Jane's hand carefully tightened her grip as she took several deep breaths while processing the memories of the explosion and the events just prior to it. The honey blonde desperately wished she could take away the Navy Seal's pain along with being able to understand. It was always as if she was on the outside, looking in regarding Jane Rizzoli's work.
However, I knew that from the beginning when I started considering a life with Jane. Maura thought while tracing her thumb over the raised scar tissue of her wife's right hand.
"Again," Jane's voice rasped, "I did nothing heroic or extraordinary… I just…" the brunette shrugged. "I… I survived. Survival is part of the duty of every member of the Armed Forces, not just Navy Seals."
Maura could only nod. The physician could easily see and even understand Jane's point-of-view. However, Maura Isles-Rizzoli believed her wife's survival was miraculous and wouldn't be convinced otherwise. "Is it possible to refuse a medal?" the doctor signed out.
Jane couldn't help smiling at her wife's question. "No, not really."
Maura opened her mouth only for Jane to suddenly resume.
"Even if it were a Purple Heart," the brunette twisted a strand of her hair with her opposite hand. "Something tells me that it's gotta be something more than that. The captain could've easily given it to me earlier today if it were only a medal. No, it's something else… something bigger."
"What could it possibly be?" Maura's words displayed on the speech to text device. "You haven't been medically cleared for active duty… and it's not entirely clear if you can resume full Navy Seal duties."
Jane nodded and even though her mouth was closed, Maura could tell the brunette was clenching her teeth. The spec ops soldier wasn't very fond of mysteries and doctor felt likewise.
The sailor huffed out another sigh and released the strand of hair she had been twisting. "Looks like we'll just have to wait and see," Jane stated with a mild growling tone.
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A/N: The book Maura gives Jane is an actual series written by the actual author (and veteran) of "The Ballad of The Green Berets." The book series is called "Casca." Note: books are somewhat hard to find and are high priced online.