The Competition

"Maura, you know this is not fair, you have all that experience with a scalpel. You are much better at carving things up than me." Jane tried to tell her wife. They just got married. They have known each other for three years now and have tried to find things that they can do together as a couple that interested them both not just one of them.

"Jane, just think of it as something fun we can do together. You know we are always trying to find something we can do together as a couple."

Jane explained, "Maur, you are going to get so dirty. Pumpkin seeds are going to get all over you and everywhere no matter how hard you try to keep your work area clean."

"That is why we are doing this in the driveway instead of inside the house." Maura responded.

"Sure, so the whole neighborhood can see my wife out knife me with our pumpkins." Jane said with a frown.

Maura walked over an gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and then went back to her pumpkin and said, "Jane, I have permission from the homeowner's association. They understand that we are preparing for a pumpkin carving competition at BPD. They actually said to tell you 'good luck.' One of the member's friend invited them to the competition a few years ago and said it was very competitive. They had some excellent entries that year."

"That is not making me feel any better Maur. Maybe we should just concentrate on you winning the competition and not me. I mean I do okay but not 'Best in BPD' worthy. I can carve a pretty mean looking pumpkin though."

"Jane, I don't care if we win, I just want to participate. There are very few events that BPD has that I feel I can compete in. This is one I feel I can be good at. Besides Jane it is a team event but each participant has to be seen carving a pumpkin. My carving skills are above reproach and with your designs I think we can win." Maura said as she smiled at Jane and blew her a kiss. She knew if she went over there and kissed Jane she might forget about the pumpkin and continue to kiss Jane and she needed to practice. She had never carved a pumpkin before and the texture was different than carving a cadaver.

"Ya, maybe but my carving skills suck that is why I never enter this competition. I don't enter something I don't think I can win. You should know that about me by now." Jane said as she looked over at Maura and the masterpiece she was carving.

"I do know that about you and I do know that with the right partner you can win. I think I am the right partner for you to win this competition."

"You are the right partner for me to win any competition Maur." Jane winked at Maura as she continued to carve her pumpkin.

"Jane, that was sweet." Maura blushed as she smiled at Jane. "Would you like me to show you some carving techniques that they taught us in medical school?"

"Nah, I have been carving pumpkins for years, I think I got it. I am just not good at it. I am better at spicing up and baking the pumpkin seeds."

"I have never had baked pumpkin seeds. I have never had pumpkin seeds at all. Are they good?" Maura asked as she turned her pumpkin around for Jane to see. "Is this good?"

"Wait, you have never had pumpkin seeds. I really need to talk with Constance. Is there anything that a normal child has done that you have done?"

"I am not sure Jane, I only know what I did and according to you that is not normal so I would say I have missed out on all of what you call a normal childhood."

"Maur, that is a great looking pumpkin. I think you might just be able to win this thing." Jane said as she looked at the pumpkin with the Boston skyline carved into it.

"We, we can win this 'thing' as you call it." Maura corrected her.

"Okay fine we can win this competition. How many more are you going to carve? I think you have the idea." Jane looked out at the ten pumpkins that Maura had carved in the time she had only carved three.

"I do think I have my technique perfected. Shall we have lunch. The competition doesn't start until four this afternoon and it is 11:27 AM right now. We have time for lunch and maybe a short nap before we need to leave for the competition."

"By nap do you mean 'nap' or some 'adult alone' time?" Jane says as she raises her eyebrows in rapid succession and winks at Maura.

"I mean nap Jane. We can have alone adult time after we win the competition being as we have tomorrow off. I would like to try some baked pumpkin seeds. can we bake some today?"

"Sure, we have to wash the pumpkin seeds and remove all the pulp. Then we dry the seeds and season them and bake them for about 12 minutes. So, we can do that right now if you want."

"Sure, let's bake some pumpkin seeds. What kind of seasoning do you use?"

"I put some olive oil, garlic and a pinch of salt and paprika in the bowl with the seeds and toss them around so the seeds all get covered and then I lay them out on a greased cookie sheet and bake them for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees. They normally turn a light brown. I have to turn them once or twice during the baking process to make sure they brown evenly. You can season them with other things but that is what I like, or you can just bake them with no seasoning." Jane explained.

"That sounds interesting. How about you bake some of the seeds and I will make us a light lunch. I was thinking of sandwiches and a small salad." Jane crinkled up her nose when Maura said salad. She hates salad and Maura knows that but she keeps trying to get her to eat a salad. Jane keeps eating the salad because she wants to make Maura happy. She doesn't like it though and that is why she always makes a face when Maura mentions salad.

"Sounds great Maur. I will make a small batch of seasoned and unseasoned pumpkin seeds. You can let me know which way you like them and then I can bake up some more later." Jane said as she watched Maura gather the salad fixings. She still made a face at that. Her face changed when she saw her pull out the roast beef and cheeses, as she thought 'now that's what I am talking about, a nice roast beef sandwich.'

They had a nice light lunch and Maura sampled the pumpkin seeds. she liked both so Jane said later she would make up more of both. They had 13 pumpkins that had been gutted already so she had plenty of seeds to bake. Just before 1 PM they laid down for a short nap before Maura's alarm would go off at 3 PM so they could get up and get ready for the competition.

They arrived at BPD at 3:45 PM and signed in for the competition. Some people complained right away that Maura shouldn't be able to enter as she carved up dead people for a living. Maura kindly told anybody that was mentioning it to her that there is a difference between carving a cadaver and a pumpkin. The textures are totally different and a cadaver is harder to carve and requires a deeper cut. Where a pumpkin can be ruin by a twitch of the hand as the texture is very different once you get through the tough exterior. The people simply walked away ignoring anything else she was going to say as they just shook their heads.

There were 25 teams competing this year. Jane and Maura were representing Homicide. The drug unit had snagged one of Maura's lab techs to be on their team. Maura knew that this person knew chemicals but she wasn't sure if they were adept with a scalpel. She would just have to see. She knew he was working on a degree in forensic science and that he was thinking of maybe becoming a medical examiner because they had talked once about it. Maura wasn't concerned she knew she was more than satisfactory with a scalpel and with Jane's designs she was feeling pretty confident.

At 4 PM all the teams were at their tables. Pumpkins had been issued and the MC was going over the rules. Each team member had to carve a pumpkin and the two pumpkins would be judged together for a combined score using a rubric that each team was given. The team with the highest combined score would win.

The rubric was pretty self-explanatory. There were four categories and you were rated 1-4 on each category, 1 being the lowest and 4 the highest. The four categories were: visual impact, creativity (originality), completeness and craftmanship. Craftsmanship would count double so there was a total of 20 points for each team member, so the team could have a total of 40 points. The team with the highest score would win. In the event of a tie. The teams that tied would have a second round of carving. If the score was still tied after the second carving, then it would be deemed a tie and all teams that tied would be considered the winners.

Jane was anxious she wanted to get the competition over with. She just wanted to get to the after party in her bedroom with her wife. That is all she wanted, to be naked in her bed with her wife. She didn't care about a pumpkin carving contest at BPD. She just wanted Maura. Maura wanted to do the contest though so she was doing the contest. She would do anything for Maura, well almost anything.

She smiled as she looked at her wife. Maura was smiling and enjoying the event. Maura knew she was exceptional at carving cadavers and she had been practicing with pumpkins because of the difference in texture. She wanted to win. Years spent with Jane had brought out a competitiveness in her. Jane was her partner in all aspects of her life and this was one aspect that they as a team could win and she wanted to be the BPD Pumpkin carving champion team. So many events that BPD planned she was not comfortable with but this was right up her alley and she wanted to win.

They had a two-hour time limit and each team member had to carve a pumpkin. The judges had to see each team member working on their own pumpkin. They could help each other but each one had to be the primary carver on a pumpkin. They both laid out the designs on their pumpkins. They carefully drew the pattern. Maura had several different size scalpels as the rules didn't say she couldn't use different sizes. They both cut the tops of their pumpkins and gutted the insides. They carefully placed the guts in a bowl knowing that they were being graded on cleanliness of the work area. That was part of the visual impact category. Jane and Maura had decided it would be easier to keep the area cleaned as they work rather than trying to clean it up after they finished. They wanted to be able to carve right up until the last minute. The points were in the details and the more details they could carve the higher their score would be.

Jane was sweating. Maura could see the sweat dripping from Jane's forehead. Maura paused what she was doing to reach over with a towel and wipe away the sweat from Jane's forehead. Jane smiled and said, "Thanks Maur." Maura smiled and went right back to what she was working on. Time was ticking away. They only had a few minutes left. Maura looked over at Jane's pumpkin and was amazed at what Jane had done. She smiled as she thought this pumpkin was the best that Jane had done so far. She looked at her pumpkin and realized she had a few more details to pull out before the timer dinged representing the end of the competition and that she would have to put her scalpel down.

Maura had practiced three times. Three two-hour limited carving sessions. Each time she got further in her creation. This was her last chance she was hoping that she would have enough detail to pull off a perfect score for her pumpkin. She knew Jane's pumpkin should get a minimum of 12 points. Jane's cut lines were not as perfect as Jane would have liked. Her hands didn't work as well as they use to for fine details since Hoyt had pinned her hands to the floor with scalpels years ago. Maura was just happy that Jane was not letting that stop her from participating in the event.

Maura knew she would have to massage Jane's hands later to relieve the pain that she was experiencing. Jane was a fighter though and she would fight through the pain for Maura because Maura wanted this. Because Maura wanted this Jane would do this. Jane would carve a pumpkin with her wife to prove that she loved her and would do almost anything for her. Maura loved that about Jane but she didn't like that she was causing her wife physical pain by making her participate in this competition.

There was twenty minutes left in the competition and Maura could tell that Jane was in pain. Maura stepped over to Jane and took her hands in hers and said, "Jane, we don't have to do this if this is too painful, we can stop. I don't want you to be in pain."

Jane looked into Maura's eyes and said, "Maur, it is fine. I told you I would do this and I am going to do this. Let's win this competition. I need to do this for me, for us, to prove that he is not winning. He is not ever gonna take anything away from me again. Please Maur!" Jane blinked a few times and Maura gave Jane a quick kiss on the lips and released her hands and walked back over to her pumpkin and looked back and said, "Okay, lets win this competition."

Maura went back to finishing the last details on her pumpkin. She was hoping to score at least 15 points on her pumpkin. She thought as a team they could pull a solid 27 points but was secretly hoping for more. Jane's pumpkin looked better than Maura had thought it would so maybe they could get into the 30s. She would just have to wait and see.

The timer rang and all contestants were told to raise their hands and stop working. Maura and Jane raised their hands. Jane's hands were shaking she stepped back from her pumpkin and dropped her scalpel. Maura went over to her side immediately after she placed her scalpel down. There was a chair a few feet away and Maura walked Jane over to the chair and had her sit down. She was worried about Jane. Korsak stepped over to make sure Jane was okay. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just a little light headed. I think the degree of concentration and holding the scalpel so tight for so long just got the best of me. A few minutes in this chair and I should be fine. Maura kneeled down beside her. Korsak went and got a damp washcloth and handed it to Maura. Maura immediately wiped Jane's forehead.

The judges were walking around scoring the pumpkins. One of the rules was that you had to be at your pumpkin when it was scored. As they approached Jane and Maura's pumpkins Maura helped Jane up so they could walk back over to their pumpkins. Maura didn't want to spend all this time and then lose because they were a few feet away. She would take the chair if she had to. Their pumpkins were going to be scored. Jane said she was fine to walk over to their pumpkins. Korsak followed with the folding chair just in case. He didn't want Jane to pass out.

The judges finished scoring their pumpkins and walked away. Korsak sat the folding chair right beside Jane and she sat back down. Maura took out her rubric and did a self-evaluation of what she thought their scores would be. She tried to think like the judges would think. She looked at her pumpkin first. For visual impact, she scored herself a 4. She was left in awe. She thought it looked fantastic. For creativity (originality) she scored herself a 4. She felt the pattern that Jane designed for her was flawless and it deserved a 4. For completeness, she scored herself a 4. She felt she used her space well and the carving was complete. For craftmanship, she scored herself a 3. She could have done a better job in a few areas. So, she scored herself a 15, then she remembered that craftmanship was worth double so she added in the extra 3 points for a total of 18, VI=4, C(O)=4, C=4, C=3+3 for a total of 18.

Now she looked at Jane's pumpkin. For visual impact, she scored Jane a 3. She felt it was wonderful and that Jane had done a nice job but it didn't leave her in awe. She thought it looked fantastic though and for knowing how hard Jane worked on it she would love to give her a 4. For creativity (originality) she scored Jane a 4. She felt the pattern that Jane designed for them was fantastic and very original. For completeness, she scored Jane a 4. She felt that Jane used her space well and the carving was complete. For craftmanship, she scored Jane a 3. She felt that Jane's pumpkin was carved well and was just a little messy which is why it did not get a 4. So overall she scored Jane's pumpkin a 17, VI=3, C(O)=4, C=4, C=3+3 for a total of 17.

With this observation Maura felt that 35 was a great total for the two pumpkins. She was hoping that her calculations were accurate. She would love a perfect score but she was trying to be realistic. She knew their pumpkins weren't perfect. It would be about ten more minutes before they knew what the judges had decided.

Jane was looking better. She had lost a little color in her face and that had returned now. That please Maura. Maura went over and shared her self-evaluation results with Jane. Jane thought that they were pretty spot on. She liked that Maura only scored a one-point difference between the two even though she felt that Maura's pumpkin was perfect and that she was being too hard on herself. Maura was always hard on herself though.

The judges were done, they were ready to announce the winner. The head judge took the mic and said that he would announce the third-place winner first. In third place representing the HQ staff was Penny Nelson and Shea Bentley. Maura was happy for these two ladies. Penny was the Chief's secretary and Shea was his executive officer. They kept the Chief where he needed to be when he needed to be there. The Chief knew he would be lost without these two women.

Second place was awarded to the Drug unit. Detective Riley Cooper and Lab Tech Greg Acosta. First place was awarded to the team from Homicide, Detective Jane Rizzoli and Dr. Maura Isles. Riley frowned she thought she might be able to beat Jane and Maura by teaming up with Greg. Maura gave Jane the biggest kiss forgetting for a moment that they were in front of the whole police department. Jane hugged her wife and they went up to receive their trophy. Maura was so happy. Jane loved when Maura was happy. She could endure a few hours of pain in her hands to see that smile on her wife's face. She knew Maura would make the pain go away later and then they could celebrate as Jane loved to celebrate by being naked in her bed with her wife. Yes, Jane would endure this pain to receive that reward any day of the week.