Chapter 6

Angela and Ron were finishing the dishes. 10pm now. Jane stayed in her room, while Ron and Angela caught up. Jane was surfing through her phone when the lights flickered.

"Jane!" Angela called out. Lights flickered again. Then again. Then darkness. No humming of the refrigerator, no heat blowing through the vents, no t.v./cable. Nothing. Just the small light illuminating from Jane's phone. Jane sprung up, out from her room mumbling expletives from her mouth.

"SHIT! SHIT! DAMNIT!"

Ron bumped into Jane while in the tight small hallway.

"Oh, hi Jane."

"Hey, Ron. Ma ok?"

"Yes. She's getting candles and blankets. I'm going to get the flashlights."

"You know it's not the breakers, it's this damn snow." Jane stated for conversation.

"You're probably right. Snow must have piled up on the wires. It is getting heavier out there. Temperature is dropping."

"Jane...Jane, put your coat on and hat and gloves." Angela ordered.

"What? Why?" Jane bit back.

"You hafta check on Maura."

"ME?! Where's Jack?"

"He went to drop off Ally in New York. I didn't see his car out there. I don't think he's back. I tried calling her phone, no answer."

"Maybe his car is in the garage," Jane sarcastically interrupted.

Angela was now holding a lit candle in her grip and looked like someone from a horror movie. She startled Jane.

"WHOA MA! BE CAREFUL THERE!"

"Would'ya just GO! Do it for me. I worry about her."

Just then Ron appeared with the flashlights.

"Here, Jane take this Heavy Duty one. I bought this from the Home Depot for your mother, for situations like this. Happy it's come in handy. Takes like 4D batteries."

Jane reluctantly put on her winter gear and took the flashlight from Ron.

"4D's, huh?" As she felt the weight of the flashlight, she was reminded of her gun. She missed it. She missed all of it. Homicide Detective Jane Rizzoli was her superhero form. She embodied that roll. Now she was Jane, the teacher, not really a professor. Just Jane, the instructor. Jane with stories and experience. Solving crime...chasing criminals...putting the puzzle together...fighting for justice...nope. No more. She felt like that scene from Superman, when he entered that glass box and it zapped all his powers away. Only now, with this flashlight, she gained some, actually a little of them back. She was all set to walk the few steps over to Maura's. She could feel the sweat already cascading down the back of her neck, sliding down between her shoulder blades. Angela kissed her on the cheek and wished her good luck, like she was going out on some Shackleton expedition. With her Heavy Duty flashlight in hand, dressed for the polar vortex, Jane opened the door.

The brisk Arctic like wind slapped her face, the white almost frozen snow crunched below her boots. Jane looked back at her mother and Ron, but the door was already closed. That's a fine how ya doin' , Jane thought to herself. As she made her way to Maura's back door, she noticed ice was encasing the electrical wires. Icicles formed from the gutters and man...it was cold! Jane reached the back door and was about to dig out the key that her mother gave her after accepting Ron's flashlight. For the hell of it, she turned the doorknob and it immediately opened. Damn it, Maura! How many times have I've told you...SHIT WOMAN! Jane thought to herself. She closed the door behind her, locked it and proceeded to take off her boots, coat, hat, scarf and gloves. Power was out so no alarm. The house was cold and dark.

"Maura?" Jane called out as she made her way through the kitchen to check the living room.

"Maura?" Still nothing.

Jane swayed the flashlight from side to side, as it lit her path. First floor clear. No Maura. Jane aimed the light at the stairs leading up to the bedrooms, guest bathroom and master bathroom. The light gray carpeted stairs were soft under Jane's socked feet. When did she get this carpeted? Maura's more of a hardwood floor, throw rug, kinda girl. Must be a Jack thing. Oh man, Jack! What if he's up there? And she's up there? They're up there. There...like the bed there! Jane's inner monologue was going nuts! She came to a dead stop on the last stair. This is wrong. I shouldn't be here. We haven't talked in a year. Now I'm creeping around her house like some kind of stalker. No. Stop. This is your best friend, whom you love. You are doing a wellness check. Jane convinced herself, gathered enough courage and bravado and called out, "Maura...Maura...you up here? Yo, Maura?"

Maura wasn't really put off by the power going out. She had the candles glowing, providing light, the bathroom was warm from the steam, but she was bumbed out about the jets no longer running. She wasn't stressed but at peace. Then she heard that gruff gravelly voice of her best friend. Inquisitively Maura yelled out, "Jane? Jane...are you there?"

With confidence and boldness, Jane bolted through the bathroom door, blinding Maura with her mega flashlight yelling back, "Are you ok? What are you...OH...SHIT...SHIT...I'm so sorry!" Jane tried to cover her eyes as she saw her friend soaking in the tub. The light from the flashlight reflected off the mirrors causing more light and a scuffle in the bathroom. Maura hovered her hand above her eyes in attempt to shield them, as she splished and splashed within the water. Soap bubbles dripping from the sides of the tub submerging the floor. Candles now falling in the water. Maura's relaxing serene moment of bliss...over.

Jane, appearing like the great musician, Stevie Wonder, tried to look anywhere but at her naked best friend.

Both women screaming at each other now.

"Jane turn off the light!"

"Wait...what?!"

"Turn the flashlight off...or move it...I can't see! All I see are spots!"

"Oh, sorry...sorry...yah, but the power's out. How ya gonna see your way outta the tub in the dark? You might fall. Break your neck. I'm not gonna cut your leg again!"

Maura smiled in reminiscing, then started laughing, at the sight of Jane. So many memories.

"Maura, are you ok? Shit, you already hit your head. Is that why you're laughing?"

"No. Could you please hand me my towel?"

Jane tilted the flashlight towards the floor, as to not to blind Maura, and handed Maura her towel.

Maura stood up from the water, soap bubbles cascading from her body. She took the towel from Jane and wrapped it around her torso, appearing sexy as ever.

"You can look now, I'm covered, Jane."

"Yeah...barely."

"Jane," Maura let out in the tone that she used on Jane back in their working colleague days.

Maura stepped up to Jane and embraced her with a welcoming hug.

Jane stood stiff. Not minding getting a little wet.

"Welcome home Jane," Maura ghosted into Jane's ear. Jane could feel Maura's lips just a feather like touch over the shell of her ear.

"Fuck!" Jane shouted as she dropped the flashlight.

Maura released the hug, now at an arm's length between them, Maura asked, "I'm sorry, I beg your pardon?"

Jane grabbed her foot in pain.

"I dropped the fuck'n flashlight on my foot! God...it hurts!"

"Calm down. Language Jane. Will you ever change?" Maura said with a smile but Jane couldn't see it.

Jane found the toilet seat, lid was down, so she sat, taking off her sock to assess the damage. With a Rizzoli smirk Jane replied, "No...why would I change? Maybe professions and choice of location, but the packaging is the original."

Flirting. A year of no contact and now we're flirting? This thought came to both of them.

Jane winced when Maura knelt down and gently grabbed her foot for inspection.

"Give me the light, let me look at it."

"Watch out, that thing is deadly! 4 D batteries...sure Ron! I think it was a ploy to take me out!"

"I hardly think Ron was trying to kill you."

"Maybe not, but slow me down."

Maura delicately assessed Jane's foot and concluded that nothing was broken.

"It's just bruised. May want to soak it in cold water, wrap it tight to relieve the swelling, but you'll live."

"You don't sound so cheerful, doc? Are you trying to off me too, to get to my extensive baseball memorabilia?" Jane added playfully.

"Oh yes, that Boston Red Sox's jersey you wear to bed, to the games and on your days off...has that certain...musk, shall I say?"

"You never minded my "musk" before."

Maura looked up at Jane from her angle on the floor and stared into those coffee brown eyes. She placed her hand on Jane's knee. Jane stared back down into hazel green eyes, that sparkled like seafoam green. Light shining from the bathroom floor from the deadly weapon encouraged the spell between the women...once colleagues...always best friends...and now.

"Jane, what are we doing?" Maura asked.

At first Jane didn't know how to respond. The heat from Maura's hand and the vision of Maura in a towel was clouding her brain. Should I continue to flirt? Give an honest answer or just bend down and kiss her? All these options buzzed through Jane's mind. So, she went with the following; "You're taking care of my injured foot. Thanks, by the way and the welcome home."

What the fuck was that Rizzoli?! Blew it...AGAIN!

Maura proceeded to get up and make way to her bedroom.

Jane, left sitting on the toilet, felt cold.

A/N: Once again thank you for your reviews, criticism and words of encouragement. Though some chapters may be short, I took that criticism as if to say, I really enjoy your story and would like to indulge in more...so from something negative brewed something positive. Also, I have no beta so mistakes are mine. I hope you take this journey with me and remember love is love!