Chapter Two

"Really Maura? Another one? This is more stuff than you brought to Paris, and we were going there for a month, not a weekend," complained Jane when Maura brought yet another bag out of the house and down the driveway towards the Prius.

Joining Jane near the open hatchback, Maura said, "Are you surprised? You know I don't travel light. I believe in being thorough. I don't want to forget anything."

"You know we're still going to be in Boston, right? If you need something we could always come home for an hour."

"I think I'll probably be too busy for that. Charles has lined up at least a dozen interviews for me." Maura passed Jane the bag and watched as she expertly found a place for it among the others already piled into the trunk. "I can't imagine what they're all going to ask me about. I hope the answers I've prepared will be sufficient."

"I'm sure you'll be fine even if they hit you with something you didn't prepare for. It's not like this is your first brush with the media, after all."

"That is true," agreed Maura. She'd had plenty of opportunities to address the masses, both in her tenure as the Chief Medical Examiner and her personal life as the daughter of a mob boss. Although human interaction wasn't her strong suit, she knew she was adept at giving noncommittal answers to tough questions if she was ever confronted with something she wasn't particularly interested in sharing.

"And remember," said Jane as she slammed the door of the tightly packed trunk shut, "if all else fails, you can just escape. All you need to do is pull one of these." She pointed off in another direction. "Look over there!"

When Maura turned her head to look, Jane quickly stepped in and pecked her on the cheek. Maura burst into laughter. "Oh my god, I can't believe I fell for that."

"Neither can I," said Jane, also laughing. She reached out to gather Maura into her arms and give her a proper kiss. "You're so cute and gullible."

"I wouldn't have fallen for it if I wasn't so nervous," said Maura defensively. "I'm not performing at my highest capacity."

"Maura," Jane said seriously, demanding Maura's full attention. "You. Have nothing. To worry about. Everything is fine, everything is going to be fine, and we are going to have a great time. We're gonna wear gorgeous dresses and you're going to get a shiny award that you definitely deserve, and then we're gonna get drunk on super pretentious champagne and spend the night in a fancy hotel doing unspeakable things to each other, and it's all going to be on someone else's dime. Honestly, what is there to be nervous about? You love doing all that shit, right?"

"I do indeed. Especially the unspeakable things part. In fact I wish I was doing them to you right now." Maura quirked an eyebrow suggestively, and Jane waggled hers in return.

"I basically always wish we were doing that. But you and I both know we have to head out."

"I know." But instead of pulling away from Jane, Maura tugged her closer for another long kiss. "Thank you for always calming me down. Do you realize I haven't had a single attack of hives since we told my mother about us?"

Jane blinked in surprise. No, she hadn't realized that. There had been definitely been hives when Constance had come to visit and they'd broken the news that they were a couple, but that had been nearly nine months ago. She tried to think if there had been any occasions where she'd seen Maura get that worked up since, but she came up empty. Not even the stress of all the recent publicity had seemed to cause Maura any significant emotional upheaval. "Wow," she said finally. "You're right. How is that possible?"

"It's because of you. You always seem to know exactly what to say and when to say it. It's always been that way to a certain extent, but it's become a lot more effective ever since we became lovers. Which makes sense if you think about it, because you're still my best friend now, but you're also a lot more. Studies have shown that love can make you feel tranquil and calm, and every day I love you more and more. Therefore, I haven't experienced enough anxiety to undo the psychological benefits of that love. In other words, you're so good for me that it's a wonder I ever managed to get through my days without being able to kiss you." And to prove her point she gave Jane another kiss, which was returned enthusiastically.

It went on for a while, to the point where Jane was about to suggest they ditch the conference and hole up in bed all weekend instead, but then a new voice floated to her ears and promptly grated like nails on a chalkboard. "Girls! Knock it off with that in the damn driveway!"

Angela was headed their way from the guesthouse. Reluctantly Jane separated from Maura and turned to greet her mother. "Sorry, Ma," she said unconvincingly.

"Honestly, do you want to give the whole neighborhood a show? And I'm not just saying that because of the lesbian thing," said Angela. "I'd complain about it if one of you was a man, too."

"Oh, good. You're an equal opportunity annoyance," said Jane.

A hand reached out to slap Jane's arm quicker than she could dodge. "How dare you speak to your mother like that!"

"Sorry, Ma," repeated Jane, but it was undermined by her laughter.

"I didn't realize you were here, Angela," said Maura diplomatically, ignoring their antics. "I thought you were working this morning."

Gracefully accepting the subject change, Angela explained, "I took a later shift. I wanted to have a chance to say goodbye and good luck and congratulations before you left." She threw her arms around Maura, hugging her tightly. "I'm so proud of you, Maura. You go out there and knock 'em dead!"

Maura returned the hug and said, "Thank you." But that was all she could say because she was feeling a little choked up, just as she always did whenever Angela was particularly maternal towards her. She still wasn't accustomed to hearing someone she thought of as a mother express such simple sentiments as "I'm proud of you."

Not long after that Jane and Maura bid farewell to Angela and headed off into the city towards the convention center on the opposite end of Boston. They made slow progress through streets crowded with morning commuters. As they sat in traffic Maura mentally went over some of her prepared answers for possible interview questions. She knew they would ask about her career as a medical examiner, her opinions on some of the subjects she wrote about in her book, her writing process and experience, and her thoughts on the phenomenal response to her novel.

And they were also going to ask about Jane.

As soon as Maura had started venturing out into the limelight, they both knew it was only a matter of time before they couldn't avoid it anymore. This conference, they agreed, was the best opportunity to get ahead of the rumors. The book was dedicated to Jane, Jane was her date to the event, and she was planning to thank Jane profusely and specifically in her acceptance speech. There was no way around it: After this weekend, everyone would know for sure that Dr. Maura Isles, the Chief Medical Examiner of Massachusetts and author of Forensic Instinct, was in a romantic relationship with a woman.

It wasn't necessarily that Maura wanted everyone to know, but she certainly had no intention of hiding it either. And Jane agreed that it was the best thing to do. If they didn't come out of the closet now, then they would be shoved out later. At least this way they would get to pick the time and manner of their coming out.

If she were being honest with herself, Maura felt a little out of her depth about it. She'd spent her entire life except the last year believing herself to be strictly heterosexual. If she'd never met Jane, she supposed she still would be. But the fact of the matter was that she was in a long-term, committed relationship with another woman, and for that reason people were going to label her as a lesbian. Even Angela had done it mere moments ago outside her house, and Angela knew damn well that Maura had been with plenty of men. The label didn't bother her, but she wasn't exactly comfortable with it either. She felt unqualified for it. She didn't know the first thing about being a lesbian, aside from how to love a woman. On that, at least, she was an expert.

As though reading her thoughts, Jane reached over to take her hand and asked, "You ready for the whole world to stick its nose in our business?"

Maura considered the question carefully. Was she ready for this? She looked down at her hand linked with Jane's, thinking about how Jane had given up her career in the FBI just to come back to Boston and be with her. And now Maura was dragging their relationship out into the open for anyone to see. Jane had told her that she didn't care one bit what anyone thought of her. If people wanted to call her a lesbian, she was fine with that. All she cared about in all this was Maura. All she wanted was for Maura to be happy. And what would make Maura happy is to be with Jane, and to not have to hide how she felt about her. The least she could do to honor Jane's sacrifice was live her life as fearlessly as Jane lived hers. Why should she care what anyone else thought? Jane loved her, and she loved Jane. That was the only thing that mattered. So she squeezed Jane's hand and replied, "Absolutely."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. If the alternative to not letting people into our business is having to hide how important you are to me, then there's simply no question as to which route I'd rather take." She raised Jane's hand up to her lips and kissed the back of it. "What about you? Are you having any reservations?"

Jane shook her head. "No. We've got nothing to hide. We're just two people who love each other, right? Why should we be scared or ashamed of letting people know that? Screw anyone who's got a problem with it. I'll beat them up."

"Please don't beat anyone up," said Maura quickly.

"I'm sorry, but I can't commit to that right now. I promise I'll try not to beat anyone up."

With a sigh, Maura said, "I suppose that'll have to do for now."

They pulled up to the front of the hotel and got out. Some staff members immediately swarmed the car and began helping Jane load their luggage onto a cart. Meanwhile, Maura had caught sight of her publicist Charles waiting outside the building, talking on his Bluetooth headset and poking a tablet. When he noticed Maura he ended the call and went to give her a hug. It was sheer coincidence that Maura had managed to hire the gayest man in Boston to manage her writing career. He was tall, handsome, well-built, and he had a killer smile. He was also organized and sharp, and he was exactly what Maura needed in this moment of her life.

"Dr. Styles," he said jovially, holding Maura at arm's length to take in her fashionable outfit with an approving eye. "You look fabulous as always."

"Thank you, Charles," she replied modestly as Jane came over to join them. Since Charles had only met her once, Maura said, "You remember my partner Jane?"

"How could I forget?" He ignored Jane's outstretched hand and went in for a hug with her, too. Maura hid her laughter behind her hand, knowing how annoyed that would make Jane. "So, are you two ready to storm the gay beaches?"

"Ready as we'll ever be," replied Maura, wrapping an arm around Jane's waist.

"Good," said Charles. "Don't worry about a thing, alright? Even if there's backlash at first, I think ultimately it's the best idea."

Jane asked, "Are you thinking there's gonna be backlash?"

Charles waggled his hand in the air. "Maybe a little. But nothing to your face, I'd bet. I don't know if your experience has been different, but I've found most people really don't care if you're gay or straight these days. It's gotten a lot better over the last decade, anyway."

"If you say so," said Jane. "Can't say it's something I've really paid very much attention to, so I'll have to take your word for it."

A confused look came over Charles's handsome face. "But… Aren't you queer? I mean, you're with a woman so you're not totally straight, right?"

Shrugging, Jane answered, "Maura's the only woman I've ever wanted to be with, so gay things have never been a part of my life before."

She could have laughed at how utterly lost he looked. It looked like he had ten thousand questions he wanted to ask, but couldn't quite settle on one. "I'm going to need to hear more about this," he said, "but later. Maura, we need to go over your schedule. Do you have time?"

"Sure. Jane, why don't you get us checked in and settled and I'll meet you upstairs, alright?"

"No need to check in, I did that for you," interrupted Charles. He handed Jane a magnetic keycard. "You're on the top floor, suite A. Best room the hotel, of course."

Grinning, Jane took the card. "Of course," she repeated. "Nothing but the best for Dr. Maura Styles. See you in a bit." She leaned down and stole a quick kiss from Maura before striding off into the building.

Charles watched her go, openly appreciating her confident swagger. "If I was ever gonna pick a woman, I'd go with her. She's really hot. I mean, like, really, really hot," he said, and Maura laughed.

"I wholeheartedly agree."

"How long have you two been a thing?"

"I suppose that would depend on how you define a 'thing.' She was my completely platonic best friend for ten years prior to becoming my lover, which happened a little over a year ago."

Looking enticed, Charles put his hands on his hips. "Dish, girl," he said. "That is way too fucking cute and I need to hear the whole damn story now."

"Stop it, Charles," Maura chided him affectionately. "Don't we have work to do?"

"Boo," said Charles, pouting. "You're no fun. Fine, yes, we have work to do. Let's sit at the bar and go over this. It shouldn't take long."

Without further complaint, he shifted easily into business mode and over the next fifteen minutes they went through the schedule for the entire conference. It would start that afternoon with a meet and greet, followed by panel discussions, writing workshops, vendor booths and various other conference activities, almost none of which Maura would be able to attend as she had several interviews lined up that day. The following day would be more panels and presentations, which would conclude with a dinner and the award ceremony in the evening. Then the last day of the convention would contain more panels. There were a total of three panels on which Maura would actually be sitting that weekend. The conference organizers had asked her to be a panelist on the Forensic Science discussion, as well as the panel on writing strong female characters. And her own book was the topic of the third panel, where she would do a reading and answer questions from fans. On Sunday Maura had a large section of time blocked out for book signing. And spaced all throughout the entire weekend were interviews with news organizations, book reviewers, and literature columnists for various print and online media. Maura was exhausted just looking at all the things she had to do.

"I sure hope Jane can find something to entertain herself with, because I'll be too busy to do it for her," said Maura.

"It looks worse than it is," Charles promised her. "There are a lot of interviews, but they will be short. Everyone knows you're going to be stretched thin this weekend. And the panels are on a strict schedule so there's no chance of them running long. What you see is what you'll get. You will be busy, obviously, but I think it's not only manageable, but it'll also be great publicity and excellent for your career. You're going to sell a lot of books this weekend."

"I'm sure you're right," said Maura dryly. Her publisher had told her they had shipped no fewer than three thousand copies of her book to the convention center to sell in their booth, and they were fully expecting to leave with none. The thought was staggering. Maura still couldn't believe all this was happening. She'd never expected her novel to be so beloved. She'd really only written it for her own pleasure and had been surprised when she'd even managed to get it published. But now everything was different. Now she was the recipient of the Mystery Writer's Society Book of the Year award.

Once she'd finished with Charles she headed upstairs to get changed. She found Jane sprawled out on the sofa in the living area of their hotel room. "Check this shit out, Maur," she said gleefully. "Our hotel room has two rooms! Talk about swanky!"

Her childlike glee and wonder quickly banished all Maura's stress and dread over the coming weekend. Just as she'd been doing for months now, Jane helped keep her emotions from boiling over to the point of an attack of hives. She laughed and said, "Yes, the most expensive suites often do. This is your first time in a hotel room like this, I'm assuming?"

"Yeah," replied Jane. "This place is great." She hopped up from the couch and grabbed Maura's hand, pulling her around the room. "Look, we have a little kitchenette over here with an oven and a fridge, although I have no idea why since everyone probably just orders room service. But it's nice to know that if we decide we want to heat up some frozen pizza or something, we have the technology. And come look at the bedroom!" The tour continued, Maura following her excited lover through the doorway. "This bed, Maura. This bed!" She collapsed onto the enormous bed, spreading her arms and legs out wide. "Come feel how soft it is."

Rather than get on the mattress, Maura climbed directly on top of Jane and laid on her, instead. "You're right," she teased, settling her head on Jane's chest. "Very, very soft. A bit lumpy though."

Jane laughed. "You're doing it wrong, sweetie. See?" She expertly flipped Maura so that she was on her back with Jane hovering over her. "Soft, right?"

Raising herself up a bit, Maura captured Jane's lips in a sweet, affectionate kiss. "The softest," she murmured.

"You're so bad," said Jane. "That's not what I meant and you know it. Are you even excited about this swanky place?"

"I'm excited that you're excited," replied Maura. "I love seeing you like this."

This earned Maura another kiss and a smile. "You haven't even seen the best part," she said afterwards, running her fingertips along Maura's face.

"Show me."

Jane climbed off Maura and led her to a large sliding glass door. It opened up to a balcony which overlooked the entire city of Boston. They both stood still for a moment, taking in the view in silence. "Pretty cool, right?" said Jane in a hushed voice.

"Very," agreed Maura. She had to admit, this was nice. Boston was her home, and though she'd spent a lot of time in Paris and Venice and many other more objectively and classically beautiful cities, she'd never loved a place the way she loved Boston. This was where she'd found her family, her happiness, her life, and above all, her heart. Seeing it sprawled out before her was unexpectedly emotional, and she cuddled closer to Jane as a result. "It's perfect," she said.

"You're perfect," countered Jane before pulling her into a warm embrace. For a long moment they simply held each other, listening to the sounds of the city below them. Eventually Jane said, "I forgot to mention that the shower has two heads, and one of them is removable." She pulled back enough that Maura could see her waggle her eyebrows suggestively. "What do you say we start getting ready a little early, huh?"

"I'd say that's the best idea I've heard all day," replied Maura, greatly intrigued and already picturing exactly what Jane had in mind.

Later, once they'd fully tested the capabilities of the shower head, she and Jane got dressed and rode the elevator to the banquet hall where all the most prestigious attendees of the conference were gathered to mingle before the activities began and the place became packed with mystery novel fans.

The two of them paused outside the doors, each taking a deep breath. "Here we go," said Jane, gripping Maura's hand tightly.

"Let's do it," replied Maura, squeezing back.

They entered the banquet hall together, still hand-in-hand.