'Maura!" Jane called up the stairs with over exaggerated patience, 'let's go!'
Maura ignored Jane's interruption and focused on her shoes. Finding the right pair to go with her outfits was proving difficult and it was unlikely that Jane would permit her to bring multiple boxes of shoes. Maura considered a pair of black suede flats. None of her outfits had black as a base. She put the shoes back in her closet. 'One down, seven to go,' Maura spoke quietly to Boston. Boston for her part flopped at Maura's feet looking for belly rubs.
'Seriously Maura!' Jane called from the bottom of the stairs. 'If you aren't in the car in five minutes, I'm leaving without you!'
Maura shook her head. Jane looked at a pair of nude heels. She didn't necessarily need to wear heels on this trip but they were so cute. Maura sighed and set those aside too. Perhaps it was the small piece of Jane inside her but she decided to opt for comfort over looks.
'Maura!' Jane whined at the door behind her. 'You still aren't packed?'
Maura gave Jane what she hoped was a winning smile, 'that's not true. I'm just finishing up.'
Jane huffed, reaching down a hand to scratch Berry's ears. 'Maura you have a whole other closet in Boston! You could literally bring nothing and still be fine.'
Maura considered this for a moment, 'I do have those new Blahniks.'
'Yeah, the new blah-blahs,' Jane closed her suitcase, 'and some of those Lou Buttons. So everything will be fine.'
'Blahniks and Louboutins,' Maura said following Jane out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
'Exactly,' Jane replied, 'so all you need is whatever you want to wear in the car. Boston, Berry, let's load up!'
Maura opened the door and let Jane and the dogs race to the car. Maura did a final walk through of the house, ensuring lights were unplugged and windows and doors were locked. She locked the front door and walked to the car. Eight hours was a long drive but Maura didn't mind as long as Jane was there.
Jane closed the trunk and climbed into the drivers seat. She grinned at Maura, 'roadtrip time!'
Jane stretched at a gas stop outside of Boston's city limits. They had made decent time, at least, they had made decent time when Jane was driving. They would make it to Beacon Hill in time for dinner. Jane shook out her limbs and considered her family. She had missed them greatly. Talking to them on the phone just wasn't the same as seeing them. She knew TJ had lost a front tooth but it wasn't the same not being there to help him slam the door to take it out. She knew Frankie and Nina were mid-wedding planning but actually she was okay with not being roped in to help with that one. Korsack sounded happy with his life as a bar owner and Kiki sounded even happier to have him home for most days. Then there was Ma. Jane worried the most about her mother. Her mother who tried so hard to protect her kid from the bad things in life. Jane couldn't be there to see that her mother was okay.
Maura spotted Jane from inside the store, frowning. Maura paid for her purchases quickly and walked to Jane's side. She slipped her bag in to the front seat and walked to Jane's side. She slipped a hand casually around Jane's waist, pulling her in for a side hug. 'A dollar for your thoughts?'
'It's a penny for your thoughts Maura,' Jane replied leaning in to the hug.
'I know,' Maura said with a smile, 'but I'd pay far more than a penny to hear your thoughts.'
That made Jane chuckle. 'You're going to inflate the market.' Maura shrugged and waited for Jane to speak. 'I'm excited to see everyone but... I feel like I missed so much. And it worries me.'
'What worries you?'
'I worry about all of them. Is Tommy staying out of trouble? Is Frankie being smart in the field? Is Korsack happy in his retiree world?' Jane chewed thoughtfully on her lip. 'Is Ma okay?'
Maura held Jane a little closer, 'that makes sense Jane.'
'Do you think we made a mistake moving?'
Maura considered this. Maura worried about their people sometimes too. Wondered if Cailin was doing well in her classes. Wondered if Hope was doing okay knowing she had help lock up the love of her life. Wondered if Kent was managing the political aspects of the job alright. But then Maura thought about Jane. Jane who had struggled with nightmares and PTSD for almost as long as Maura had known her in Boston, who now slept peacefully most nights. Jane who used to sleep on her couch in a bullet proof vest, gun in hand who hadn't donned a vest in ages and only fired her weapon at the range. 'No, we didn't.' Maura replied evenly. 'It was a hard decision but I love my work at the clinic. I love having time to write.' Maura hesitated, 'I love knowing we are both safe.'
Jane sighed, her shoulders sagging. 'I love knowing that too. No crazy gunmen, no delusional kidnappers or deadly dates. And I love my work with the recruits. Knowing I'm helping them to become good agents, helping them to value the work of police officers. I know it's critically important work. But I feel... guilty?'
'For leaving?' Maura asked. Jane hummed non-committally. 'I do too, sometimes.'
'You do?'
Maura nodded, 'and then I remind myself that all those people want what is best for us. They want us safe and happy and that helps.'
'Yeah, they do,' Jane muttered. Lacking anything else to say, Maura pressed in on her tippy toes and placed a gentle lingering kiss on Jane's cheek. Jane closed her eyes and savored the moment. When Maura pulled away Jane took a deep breath, steeling herself. 'What should we tell them about us?'
'About our lives together?' Maura asked clarifying.
'Yeah,' Jane asked. She wasn't sure she was ready for some big coming out conversation.
'I was planning on telling them about my clinic work and about my publication date. And of course, about our girls. I imagine they'll want to know about your recruits, your work.'
Jane nodded, 'you know Ma's going to ask about Davies.'
Maura tried not to tense up, she tried to feign a casual shrug. 'She will.'
'What do I say about him?'
'The truth?' Maura ventured, 'that it simply didn't work in Virginia.'
'I can hear her already,' Jane rolled her eyes and mimicked her mother's tone 'oh Janie, why do you have to chase all the nice men away? Why do you have to be so intimidating and picky? Why can't you just choose one and start making me grandbabies already?'
Maura chuckled at Jane's words, 'she would hardly be so crude.'
Jane smiled, 'maybe not but the point is the same. She wants me settled, married, and reproducing.'
'She wants you to be happy,' Maura chided softly.
'She wants me to be her kind of happy,' Jane rebutted, 'like I can't be happy with you and our dogs if there isn't a man and babies involved.'
Maura blushed, 'so tell her we're happy together.'
'Yeah?' Jane asked, glancing at Maura from the side of her eyes, 'we are happy together?'
Maura smiled affectionately at Jane, 'yes, Jane, we are happy.'
'And we don't need no stinking men?'
Maura laughed, 'exactly.'
Jane considered this for a moment then shook her head. 'Keep in mind this woman tried to set me up with Giovanni to get some grandbabies. Telling her we're happy and here's your grand-pups isn't going to be enough.'
'They would have been remarkably beautiful babies,' Maura said with a giggle.
Jane chuckled, 'with the intelligence levels of a chimpanzee.'
'Chimpanzee's are actually quite intelligent. Obviously, measuring intelligence is incredibly hard. Some even question if humans are smart enough to evaluate intelligence in others but by most accounts chimpanzees rival the intelligence of most young children. So that was actually an accurate assessment.' Maura said with a grin.
'Alright,' Jane rolled her eyes again, 'how about with the intelligence levels of a rock.'
Maura laughed, 'dumb as a rock?'
'That's Giovanni.' They both chuckled. Jane finished pumping the gas, extracting the hose from the car. They took their seats, Maura driving and Jane snacking.
'I think,' Maura began, 'you should just tell your mother what you want out of your life.'
Jane wrinkled her nose, 'but I have what I want.'
Maura smiled, pleased that Jane felt the same way she did, 'so tell her that too.'
Jane didn't reply. Instead she took Maura's hand in her own. Angela might never understand Jane's happiness but Jane knew she'd recognize it when she saw it.
