Author's note: Thank you so much for the follows, favorites and reviews. I am truly gratified that people are reading this. My reviewers are all asking for longer chapters. I have 4 kids at home doing online school, so frequent updates or longer chapters are possible, not both. Which do you all prefer?
Angela excitedly reached forward to the laptop and connected the call. Then both women looked at the screen with varying degrees of confusion and amusement. At first Maura wasn't sure what she was looking at as all she saw was a gray blurry blob. As the picture of Jane's sweatpant clad butt came into focus Angela gave a shocked gasp and Maura tried unsuccessfully to stifle her giggles.
"Ow! Dammit! Frosty no! Leave that alone! Bad dog, I said no!" Jane exclaimed.
Jane was bent over doing something off screen on the floor in front of her. Excited yips and barks could be heard coming from Frosty along with frustrated growls from Jane. Suddenly, Jane lurched forward and grabbed Frosty by the scruff of his neck. She stood up and walked a few feet and deposited him into his dog bed. "You stay here you mutt!"
At this point, Angela was sitting on the couch with her mouth hanging open in astonishment and Maura's giggles had turned into outright peals of laughter. Jane stomped back towards the computer with a look of irritation on her face. "Maura, I can hear you, you know?"
That statement caused Maura's laughter to increase even more. Angela concluded she had enough of this nonsense and decided to get the bottom of this. "Jane Clementine Rizzoli you leave poor Maura alone! What on earth is going on there? Why did our call begin with your backside to the computer screen? Honestly, sometimes you act like TJ."
Jane ran her hand through her hair in exasperation. "Ma! Just give me a minute to finish cleaning up this mess and then we can talk about what happened. Maura that should give you a minute to compose yourself. How much wine have you had tonight?"
"I will have you know this is my second glass of wine". Maura huffed out in annoyance.
Jane silently moved her mouth mocking Maura's words as she picked up a sopping wet towel and a clearly empty beer bottle and left the room with them.
As Jane strode determinedly about her apartment Maura muttered to Angela "she questions how much I had to drink when she clearly spilled her beer."
"I can still hear you!" Jane immediately retorted.
Jane flopped down onto her couch, set a fresh beer on her coffee table and called Frosty to join her. Once she and the little dog were settled comfortably she began to explain what had just occurred. " I was doing a kickboxing workout with my dummy when I realized I was running a little late for our call. After a quick shower I grabbed and opened a beer and initiated the call. Then this little devil dog tripped me as I was trying to sit down and I dropped the beer. I grabbed a towel to clean up the mess and Frosty kept trying to lick up the beer faster than i could clean. Yes Maura, I know alcohol is bad for dogs." Jane exclaimed before Maura could say anything.
Jane continued, "so anyway as I was saying before Maura interrupted me, I was cleaning up the mess. Frosty kept nipping at my hands while trying to get to the beer. That is why I plopped him in his bed before finishing. I swear the last three weeks with this dog have not been boring. I have caught myself almost calling him Barold when he is really naughty."
When Jane had falsely accused Maura of interrupting her Maura had to hold back a retort. By the end of Jane's tirade she could only gaze fondly at the computer screen.
Angela chastised her daughter. "Oh Janie, blaming your messes on a poor innocent puppy. I am sure Frosty didn't mean to trip you. I remember when you used to blame your tripping on Bass. Maybe you need some less ridiculous shoes, those clunky boots are so big it is no wonder you trip all the time."
Maura sensed an argument was imminent and decided to head it off. "Jane, when does the next session of classes begin at the academy? Do you know what you will be teaching?"
Jane looked uncomfortable at Maura's question and began to shift around on her couch. "Um, yeah, about that. Classes begin in two weeks. I don't know what I will be teaching yet because I haven't committed to teaching again."
Maura briefly struggled to understand the confusing rush of words her friend expelled. Suddenly, a flash of comprehension dawned on both Maura and Angela at the same time. As Angela opened her mouth to squawk at her daughter, Maura placed a gentle hand on her arm, silencing her. "Jane, what do you mean you haven't committed to teaching again? What do you plan on doing? Will you be staying in Washington?"
Jane replied "I don't know that I have fully thought it out yet. I do know that I can't keep living this way. Frosty has really helped with the isolation but he just isn't enough. I miss Boston and I miss all of you. If I came home I don't know where I would live, or where I would work. Ugh it is such a mess!"
Maura and Angela looked at each other with hopeful expressions. With a nod at the younger woman Angela sat back so that Maura could take the lead in the conversation. "Jane we love you. I love you. Of course you can come home, you will live here with us. Or at least you will once you complete a quarantine. I know there are many jobs you can get here in Boston. But if you come home I really want you to take some time to consider your options and not just accept the first thing that becomes available. Don't worry about money for a little while. Just let me take care of you. Please Jane, we miss you as much as you miss us."
Jane replied slowly, "I don't know, Maur. You have already taken in most of my family, it really isn't fair for me to ask you to take in one more."
Maura interrupted before Jane could say anything else. "First of all, you didn't ask me to take you in, I offered. Secondly, you aren't just 'one' more, you are Jane Rizzoli, my best friend and just as you have been lost without us, I have been lost without my best friend. Jane, please come home. At least promise me you will consider it."
Just as Jane opened her mouth to agree to think about Maura's offer a loud tone interrupted their conversation. Jane got up and walked to a table in her entryway. She picked up her FBI phone and her eyes widened as she read something on the screen. Jane immediately opened a closet and took out a duffel bag and then used a key to unlock a drawer on the table. From the drawer, she took out her firearm and FBI badge on a metal chain. She strode back over to her computer screen to speak with Maura and her mother. Jane placed her badge around her neck as she began speaking. "Maura I promise to think about it. Now I have to go. The FBI is calling for all local personnel with field experience to immediately assemble in Bethesda, Maryland. No other details are available. I love you guys."
Suddenly, the computer screen went blank as Jane disconnected the call. Maura spoke to the blank screen "please be careful, don't do anything to endanger yourself."
Angela stood up and grabbed the remote for the television. "Come on Maura, let's see if we can figure out what Janie is going to respond to."
Angela turned on the television and flipped to one of the major networks just in time to see breaking news flash across the screen. Both women gasped as they saw what was happening in Bethesda, Maryland at Walter Reed Medical Center.
A well dressed news anchor was sitting at a large desk. "Breaking news, a crowd of several hundred armed civilians are inside Walter Reed Medical Center. They are demanding that the doses of Covid-19 vaccine that are stored there be immediately released to the public. The armed civilians have threatened to take hostages. No known group is claiming responsibility for these events. Now let's go to Brian Cooper who is reporting live from Bethesda. Brian tell us what you are seeing."
Reporter Brian Cooper was standing behind some barriers near WRMC. There was a heavy law enforcement presence bustling behind him. "Thank you Anne. So far all I can report is that there are large numbers of both military and FBI personnel amassing behind me. The mood seems relatively calm and determined. It has been mostly quiet from inside the building behind me. Occasionally, medical personnel and patients have been self evacuating out of the main entrance to the left of that FBI vehicle."
Angela picked up the remote and muted the tv leaving it on so the two women could see any changes to the situation. Both Maura and Angela sat in a contemplative silence for several minutes. Finally, Angela stood and began walking to the kitchen. "Tea or Coffee?" She inquired.
Maura responded "Coffee, please."
It was going to be a long night.
