Day 3 of their road trip started with Jane waking up to the delicious feeling of Maura snuggling into her. A feeling of comfort and warmth she could definitely get used to, she decided while mumbling a good morning.
"Good Morning, Jane." Maura replied wide awake. "How did you sleep?" the doc added, smiling into the brunette's neck.
"Great!" Jane replied, smiling too while pulling Maura's hand which was resting around her waist up to her mouth to leave a gentle kiss on it.
"Studies have shown that when sharing a bed with a partner the sleep is much better." The doc stated. "Oh yeah?" Jane still smiled. "Well, I can only agree to that." She turned around and looked at Maura who popped her head onto her elbow.
"Jane?" the doc asked kind of shyly.
"Yes, Maur?"
"I was thinking that you could move into the main house with Marcella. We could change one of the guestrooms into hers. Do you think that it would be okay for you?"
Jane caught hazel eyes which were sparkling. "I'd love that." Jane said honestly.
"Yes?"
"Yes!" the brunette replied and lifted her right hand to caress Maura's cheeks.
"And you really think that I can do that? I mean raising a child? What if I destroy her or leave her with a trauma?" Maura asked in a small voice. Jane sighed and moved her body closer to hers.
"You won't, believe me. You are good with her. You can do it!" the brunette replied with a smile. How could Maura even think such thing she wondered. Maura of all people who was so caring and loving. The doc nodded and Jane felt how she wasn't convinced. But it would come. Once they were living together, Maura would see how good she was for the toddler and how much the toddler loved her.
Maura, reading her thoughts nodded slightly. "We should get you some breakfast. Your stomach is rumbling again." She chuckled. Jane pulled the blondes head down for a kiss. "Not without a good morning kiss." She mumbled before their soft lips touched.
"I love you Maur. And I'm serious. It will be fine." She said after parting their lips again.
"I love you too Jane." The doc replied and nuzzled her head one more time into the neck before moving away from the brunette.
They were still good in time. If they wanted, they could be home the same day. But none of them felt like it. They dragged out the journey for some fun time alone, with taking a lot of breaks. Mostly at points with nice views. Lunch took two hours and was taken at a nice diner where Jane ordered burger and fries.
By now she had gotten used to Maura's rambling about the fat in her food and then stealing her fries. It made her chuckle all the time. She didn't mind sharing her food, but always declined Maura's offer to get some salad in exchange.
The dynamic between them became clearer and clearer and Jane felt very comfortable with the doc. When Maura had asked her to move in with her this morning, she had been a bit overwhelmed. But her gut had told her that it would be okay. Now that she was watching amused how Maura stole another fry from her plate, she knew that it had been the right decision.
They spent most of the afternoon in a comfortable silence, just clinging to their thoughts and watching how with the miles also the climate changed. Angela had told Jane that it was getting really cold. Thanksgiving was around the corner.
She had invited her and Maura for their traditional family dinner, which had pleased Maura. The blonde loved her family, and they loved her. Life was perfect she thought with a smile when pulling into the parking lot of another hotel. Their last night before returning to reality she thought and read on Maura's face that she thought the same.
"When will you start at BPD?" she asked once they settled into the bed after dinner.
Maura was just distributing some heavenly smelling cream on her hand and glanced up.
"In ten days. I asked for a few days to get settled. Do you think that you could take another week off?"
"Uhm, Cavanaugh will send me to the hospital for a check-up. I never came by myself to ask for some days off." Jane chuckled. "But I'm willing to try." Their eyes met and Maura who was done with her nightly routine benched down to kiss her. Janes arms were crossed behind her neck and she was all relaxed. She gave a humming sound of appreciation.
Maura lifted the covers and slid under them and Jane began scooting closer so that their bodies met in the middle of the bed. "Do you want to come out at the precinct?" Jane asked and turned to gauge Maura's reaction to her question.
"I don't know. Do you?" she replied. The room was dark now and Jane shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe."
"We don't have to decide it now though, do we?" Maura asked and Jane smiled. She rolled to her side and wrapped her arms around the blonde. "No. Not at all." She said calmly.
R&I
The last part of their journey went well. Both were happy but silent. There was some processing going on in Janes brain. And she guessed in Maura's too. "Maybe I should stay at the guest house tonight with Marcella." Jane said shortly before turning into the driveway of the doc's house.
To their surprise Janes family was awaiting them under a huge banner which read: Welcome home Maura and Jane!
Angela was holding Marcella in her arms and obviously told the toddler to wave. The girl did so with a huge smile. Her smile widened when seeing that Maura was back. But the blonde was too mesmerized and touched by the Rizzoli families doing to take it all in at a time. She shot Jane a surprised glance.
"For me?" she asked with a thin voice and on the verge of tears. Her thumb pointed towards her chest. "Told you. They have already adopted you." Jane smiled and her heart swelled at her family's kindness.
She knew that Maura had been craving for a family like this all her life. Of course, she had had money and a chauffeur and the best schools. But no one to hug her. When Jane hugged her mother, Maura stood in her driveway, glancing at the banner.
"Thank you!" Jane whispered to her mother who smiled. "I know she's not your girlfriend, but she's a nice woman. She deserves it." Angela simply said. Now that Jane had finally convinced Angela that they weren't together, they actually were.
Jane bit her lip. If she corrected her mother now, they risked of being outed by her at the precinct. Chocolate brown eyes studied her girlfriend who was standing in the driveway like being struck by a lightning bolt. Jane wanted to tell Angela but finally decided against it. She knew her mother would be happy. She also knew that this was what her mother was hoping for. But if conscious or not, Angela would end up bragging with their relationship around her colleagues.
Therefore, she kept her mouth shut and watched Angela hug Maura as if she were her own daughter. Marcella who was in her arms now just said: "Mommy." And pointed with her finger to the doc as if Jane didn't know that Maura was there.
"Yes, baby. Mommy is home. Did you miss her?" she left a gentle kiss on the toddler cheek and Marcella giggled. "Yes. Miss mommy." She stated. "Mommy home." She repeated Janes words with a pensive look and then laughed.
"Yes. Mommy is home." Being emerged in talking to the girl she didn't notice Maura walking up to them. Only when the docs hand gently touched her shoulder she snapped out of the focus.
"Hey." She said with a smile and Maura said "Hi."
Marcella was already spreading her arms and Maura took her into an embrace without hesitation. "Mommy." Marcella said with a happy smile. "Mommy home."
"Yes, baby. Mommy is home." Maura said with a tear stricken voice, gauging Janes reaction. The brunette just smiled gently at her little family feeling as if she was the luckiest person in the world. She quickly placed a kiss on Maura's and then on Marcellas cheek and left them for a bit of alone time. With a few strides she was in the house where her mother was working in the kitchen.
She was sure that Maura wouldn't mind the intruders and silently grabbed a knife to help Angela chop some vegetables. "How was the road trip?" Angela asked while working on the meat.
"Nice. We had a lot of fun." Jane chuckled, recalling all the laughs they had shared.
"She is good for you. I have never seen you so happy." Angela noted. "I like her and feel sad that she's so touched by our welcome party. She must have had a cold childhood."
Jane glanced out of the window to see Maura rocking the toddler and talking to her. Marcella was pleased.
"I mean its normal to do such thing. How can someone raise a kid without hugging it or doing nice things?" Angela rambled on.
"I don't know ma. But you changed her life. And I love you for it." Jane stated, feeling her own emotions going into overdrive. She even put the knife onto the cutting board to hug her mother who was perplexed. "Are you ill or something? Is there something I need to know? Are you going to die?" Angela gasped under the fierce hug.
Jane laughed and let go of her. "No, I just felt like it." She said and winked. Her mother looked at her as if she was a different person. "Who are you and what have you done to my daughter?" she shrieked, and Jane laughed amused.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't get used to it. Must be the long drive." Jane tried to play it down.
"Ooooooor, you're so happy because you are a couple now." Angela wistfully noted. Jane who had just taken the knife back of the cutting board paused and hitched a breath.
"I knew it, Jane Rizzoli. I knew it!" her mother triumphantly exclaimed. The matriarch rushed to Jane for another hug. "I'm so happy for both of you!" she exclaimed and Frankie who walked into the kitchen looked puzzled. "For who?" he asked curiously while snatching an apple.
"Marcella and me." Jane quickly intervened before Angela could spill the beans.
Angela nodded. "Don't worry Jane. I will keep my mouth shut. But do me a favor and don't wait too long to spread the news because I'm dying to shout out my happiness."
Maura entered the kitchen holding Marcellas hands. The toddler was walking towards them with her ever-smiling face. "Hey." Jane said, feeling stupid. Hadn't she greeted Maura before?
"Hi." Maura said, her cheeks all red. The brunette felt her mother's eyes on them.
"Uhm, why don't you tell your brothers to make themselves useful by bringing the boxes from the van into the house?" Angela interrupted their mesmerized staring. When none of them reacted, or at least not as fast as the matriarch wanted them too, Angela took things into her own hand, ordering Frankie and Tommy to go and fetch the boxes.
Jane chuckled and shook her head. Maura left the kitchen to explain the boys where to put each box. The van was empty in no time and when dinner was served, they were all chatting in the typical Rizzoli manner. Jane mingling into the loud discussion which evolved about crime, murder, cars and games.
Despite being busy discussing matters with her brothers, Jane felt Maura's eyes on hers. When she turned at one point, she found her girlfriend bearing an amused face. But most of all she found softness and love.
Tommy and Frankie offered to play with Marcella after dinner. And when her mother stated that she would take care of the dishes, she gave Jane a meaningful glance. The brunette immediately understood and took Maura by the hand. "Lets go for a walk. Looks like we've got another hour off or so." She whispered to the blonde's ear.
