Oops, I Did It Again – Chapter 19
A few days had passed since the had been outed by Angela at Jane's apartment. Jane and Maura continued working together. Maura was secretly happy that the case had not been solved yet. She hated that another five people had lost their lives while the team searched for the serial killer though. Dr. Pike was still being an ass to her and everyone at the precinct. It pissed Jane off more than Maura because Jane was furious at the way he treated Maura. Maura deserved to be shown respect and Dr. Pike was not respecting her.
After work they came back to Maura's house each night. After the incident with Angela, they didn't want to take any chances by going back to Jane's apartment. It was Sunday, the day of the Rizzoli Family dinner. Jane had promised her mother that she would attend and bring Maura. She was nervous. Maura was slightly nervous as well. Jane hadn't been to a family dinner since she started dating Maura. She made excuses each week saying that she was working on a high-profile case and had very little time off. It wasn't a total lie, she was working on a high-profile case and she did have little time off. But that was now, that didn't account for the entire time she had been seeing Maura.
"Jane, if you don't want to do this we don't have to go." Maura tried telling Jane. She didn't like seeing Jane so nervous.
"No, I plan on you being in my life for a long time so it is time to rip the band-aid off and deal with my family."
"What does ripping the band-aid off have to do with your family?" Maura asked a little confused at the comment.
"It is just a saying Maur, it is time to deal with the issue. At work some of our coworkers know about us and accept us. It is time to see how my family will deal with us. Just remember no matter what happens with them. I'm going home with you tonight. It is just a matter of whether we get to eat dinner with them or not."
"So, you plan on telling them before dinner?" Maura questioned.
"Yes, as soon as everyone is there. If they are not accepting of the fact that we are a couple, we will leave." Jane replied.
"Okay. Shall we depart?" Maura asked.
Jane didn't say anything she just grabbed Maura's hand and led her to the front door. Maura reached and grabbed her purse and jacket as she followed Jane's lead. Once they got in the car and buckled up, Jane turned and told Maura, "I love you Maura, thank you for agreeing to go to my family dinner with me. I know my mother is forcing the issue, but it would have happened eventually."
"Like I told you Jane, I love you and I will support you." They kissed for a short time and then Jane started the car and started their drive to Revere, to Jane's childhood home. Twenty minutes later they pulled up and parked outside of the house.
Jane held Maura's hand and they just sat there for a few minutes not saying a word. Then Jane released Maura's hand so she could get out of the car. She walked around the car and opened Maura's door. "Shall we m'lady?" Jane said as she smiled at Maura. Maura smiled back and took Jane's offered hand. Jane helped her out of the car and then as they walked up to the house she reached over and took Maura's hand and interlaced their fingers. Jane squeezed her hand as she knocked on the front door. Jane had no idea what would happen next, she just prayed that her family was going to be understanding and accepting. She loved Maura and she wanted them to love her as well.
Angela answered the door because she knew it would be Jane and Maura as everyone else was already in the house. "Why did you ring the doorbell? You could have just walked in like you normally would."
"I felt as though I should knock today, that's all." Jane replied.
"Janie, why are you so nervous. We are family. I like Maura and I have come to terms with you dating a woman. Give them a chance."
Jane and Maura entered the house still holding hands. Jane's father, Frank, and her two brothers, Frankie and Tommy were sitting in the living room watching ESPN. The Rizzoli men didn't even flinch knowing that someone had rang the doorbell, they knew Angela would handle it.
Jane was a little hesitant entering the house. Once she noticed that her Pop and brothers weren't paying attention she felt at ease. She squeezed Maura's hand and they continued into the house. They followed Angela into the kitchen and they continued to talk as Angela removed their dinner from the oven. She asked Jane if she would prep the garlic bread and ask Maura if she could cut up some celery and tomatos to put on the salad.
As soon as Jane put the garlic bread in the oven, she turned and kissed Maura. Her
pops walked into the kitchen, "Hey Ang, how long …" Frank paused as he noticed Jane kissing another young lady. "Janie, what the hell are you doing kissing that woman?"
Jane froze, she didn't mean to be kissing Maura at that moment, she just did it out of reflex, she loved kissing Maura and showing her affection.
"Pop, this is my girlfriend, Maura." Jane attempted to explain.
"I don't care who she is, why were you kissing her? The Church said it is a sin to be in a same-sex relationship. You were brought up Catholic, you know better!" Frank exclaimed.
Jane grabbed Maura's hand and started heading towards the front door. "Jane and Maura stop. Frank, let me explain," Angela said as she stood between Frank and her daughter. Meanwhile both Frankie and Tommy came to see what all the commotion was about. They didn't even know that Jane was there. Let alone that she brought a friend with her. They noticed Jane holding the friend's hand.
"It's okay Ma, I knew this was a mistake, Maura and I will leave now." Jane said as she continued to lead Maura towards the front door.
"Janie, don't leave, let's talk about this like adults." Angela pleaded with her daughter. She didn't want Jane and Maura to leave.
"Let them leave." Frank said as he looked at his wife. "You knew about this and you let her bring her into this house?"
Angela turned towards Frank and said, "Yes, Frank I knew about Maura. I knew that she is dating our daughter and that Jane is very happy. I have never seen her so happy as when she is with Maura. Please at least take the time to meet Maura and get to know her before you pass judgement on them and their relationship."
Tommy walked into the kitchen area and said, "Wait! Janie has a hot girlfriend?" Tommy added his two cents into the conversation. "That's cool, Pa can't they stay so we can get to meet her?"
"Tommy, this is Janie's girlfriend Maura. Please be nice. Janie hasn't been at dinner for months and I would like for them to enjoy their time with us. If you insult Maura they might leave." Angela informed her youngest son.
"It already looks like they are leaving. I have no issue with Jane having a girlfriend. Hello Maura." Tommy said as he walked over and extended his hand to Maura.
Maura looked at Jane and Jane nodded as Maura shook Tommy's hand. "It's so nice to meet you, Tommy." Maura said as Frankie then approached Maura.
"Hello, I am Frankie. It is nice to meet you, Maura." Frankie said as he too offered his hand for Maura to shake.
With everyone in the kitchen area, Angela gave them each something to take out to the table to get everyone out of her kitchen. Once everyone was out of the kitchen, she took the garlic bread out of the oven and placed the cut up pieces in a serving dish.
Dinner was very quiet. The family was enjoying the lasagna and garlic bread and nobody was saying anything. They were just looking around the table. Jane was holding Maura's hand under the table. About fifteen minutes later Frank decided he would start asking questions. "So, Maura what do you do for a living?" Frank's demeanor was pleasant so Maura replied.
"I am presently working on contract with BPD as a medical examiner." Maura was a little nervous as she answered him. She smiled because she loved being a medical examiner and working at BPD was great because she got to work with Jane every day.
Frank gave a very small smile, "Oh, so you are a doctor?" Frank thought maybe this isn't such a bad thing. Let me ask some more questions and see what happens.
"Yes, I am. I hold multiple medical degrees but forensic science is my chosen field of study." Maura smiled at this because she was proud of her line of work. She felt being a medical examiner allowed her to speak for the dead and help the detectives solve the case of how the person died.
"Where did you go to school?" Frankie asked.
"I went to BCU and then Harvard. I did my residency in New York City and then spent two years with Doctors Without Borders. During that time, I was in Ethiopia and Kenya."
"That's cool." Frankie replied. "How did you end up back in Boston?"
"I spent three years in San Francisco after working with Doctors Without Borders and then decided to come home to Boston several months after my wife died." Maura said sadly.
"You were married?" Tommy asked surprised.
"Yes, for five years, until she was killed in a car accident."
Frank continued his line of questioning. "How did you meet our Janie?"
"Guys, what's with all the questions? Can't we let Maura finish her dinner?" Jane intervened, she could see that Maura was getting emotional and she felt as though Maura had answered enough questions.
"I'm just trying to get to know your girlfriend, Janie. I thought I was being polite." Frank, Sr. replied.
"You are pop, but she needs time to eat. She is going to be around so you can ask her more questions later." Jane smiled and squeezed Maura's thigh as she spoke to her father. Jane wasn't sure how her father was really feeling about her dating Maura. She could tell that her brothers didn't care, they were cool with it.
Maybe in time her father would lighten up a little and be okay with the fact that she was dating Maura. If not, she wouldn't come around the house. She would just have her mother and brothers over to her apartment or Maura's house. She wanted to have her family in her life and she didn't really want to choose between them and Maura.
Because if she told herself the truth, she would choose Maura. She loved her family but she would always choose Maura. She loved Maura and she had never experienced the type of feelings that she had for Maura before. She was in love. She decided she enjoyed being in love. She would be in a relationship with Maura for as long as Maura was willing, hopefully for a lifetime.
Dinner had been too much for both Jane and Maura and they left before dessert. Angela had packed up some leftovers and given them some cannolis for them to enjoy later. They said their goodbyes and went back to Maura's house so they could relax and recover from the emotional toll that the dinner had taken on them.
When they arrived at Maura's house, they put the leftovers in the refrigerator and then Jane asked if Maura would like to take a bath with her. Maura said yes. "Okay, I will go upstairs and get the bath ready."
"Okay, I will grab a beer for you and a glass of wine for myself and then come upstairs." Maura stated as Jane went upstairs. Jane wanted to relax in the hot bubble filled tub with her favorite girl cuddled up to her. This is how Jane wanted to spend all of her evenings. Tomorrow they would be back at work trying to solve their current case.
