Hey guys, finally I have a new update for this story. I hope you'll like it. And thanks for the reviews and the following. Of course you are welcome to write a comment. Anyway, enjoy.
T73.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
After the last night Maura is feeling like a whole person again. She is a little confused when she wakes up alone in her bed, but as soon as she's smelling the fresh brewed coffee the confusion disappears again. She is aware of the fact that Jane has to be downstairs. That's why she gets up and put on her robe. "Good morning." She says with a smile as she enters the kitchen, but the smile disappears and she freezes when she sees Jane sitting at the dining table, studying the well-thumbed photo album.
Jane looks up with a serious expression and frowns. "Uh, I didn't mean to pry, but I was up early and I didn't want to wake you."
Maura grabs the photo album and holds it close to her chest. "So instead you went downstairs and invaded my privacy?" She shoots back.
"I invaded your privacy last night," Jane chuckles and then she realize that it was the wrong thing to say. She sighs heavily. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that without permission."
"No, you shouldn't." Maura agrees and put the photo album back in its place.
Jane is sighing heavily and gets up from her chair. She walks to the blonde doctor and wraps her arms from behind around Maura's middle. "I'm really sorry, Maura. It's your family's history. I should have asked you." She says and kisses the blonde's cheek. "I didn't make breakfast, though I figured out how to use your coffee maker."
Maura can't help the smile on her lips and sighs. "It's a start."
Jane chuckles and nestle her nose in the doctor's crook of her neck. "Can I ask you something?"
Maura nods and place her hands on the Italian's. "Of course you can, you don't need to ask."
Jane licks her lips and frowns as she search for the right words. "Um, you know, there's a reason why I am a detective. I do notice things that other people might miss."
Maura turns her head and furl her eyebrows. "So?"
Jane clears her throat and walks to the shelf in which the well-thumbed photo album is. "Well, I noticed that all those women in the pictures, they look pretty similar to you. They just look like you to be quite candid with you."
Maura's heart skips a beat. Just one moment of headlessness and her whole web of lies threatens to tumble down. She blinks a couple of times and she walks to the coffee maker. "To be exact, Jane, I do like them and not they like me. And yes, that's boon and bane of the Isles women."
Jane senses that the blonde is withholding something and crosses her arms over her chest. "But a one hundred percent match? I mean, they have the same eyes, they have the same hair. Hell, all of you have the same -"
"It's genetics, Jane." Maura cuts her off and she furrow her eyebrows. "Do I know why all Isles women are looking like clones? No, I have absolutely no idea."
Jane scrutinize the blonde's face and she's wondering why Maura is looking everywhere but at her, but she decides to drop the topic. For now. "All right. You know, after last night I feel impelled to introduce you to my family."
Maura is grinning and walks to the Italian, wrapping her arms around Jane's middle. "You feel impelled?"
Jane looks down at the smaller woman and let her arms dangle down at her sides. "Mm. Yeah, I always introduce the women to my family after I have slept with them."
Maura scoffs and kisses the detective's chin. "Just because we have had sex last, really mind-blowing sex, you don't have to introduce me to your family. I mean, we're seeing each other for barely a week and we don't know what -"
Jane has heard enough and silence the doctor with her lips.
Maura gasp surprised and she raises her eyebrows. She steps closer as her body starts to react again when the Italian deepens the kiss. She pulls away and licks her lips with closed eyed. "Jane, we have absolutely no time for that now."
"Why not," Jane asks with pursed lips.
Maura opens her eyes slowly and sighs heavily. "Because I have to get ready for work and this is my kitchen, it's unsanitary."
Jane starts smirking slyly. "You don't wanna know where else I already have had sex."
Maura rolls her eyes and chuckles. "I have to get ready for work now."
"Can I join you under the shower," Jane asks.
"No," Maura answers with a smile and Jane purse her lips again.
The Italian sighs heavily and glance at her watch. "Damn it, and damn it." She says . "I have to go anyway. I'll meet with my family tonight for dinner. Will you come?"
Maura is about to decline, but she's sighing when she sees the hopeful brown eyes. "I don't know what waits for me at work, Jane."
Jane grabs her jacket and her keys from the kitchen island. "Will you at least try it?"
Maura takes a moment and nods agreeing. "I will try."
Jane smiles satisfied and kisses the blonde before she's leaving. "Great. I'll send you the address of my mother's house."
Maura groans and buries her face in her hands as soon as the front door closes. She's asking herself what the hell she was thinking when she agreed to meet Jane's family. She hasn't met the families of her pervious lovers since ages. There was always the risk that she had dated their fathers or grandfathers. "Oh, God." She whispers to herself as she walks up the stairs.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Maura is joining Emma and Caroline in the cafeteria and stares at her tuna sandwich.
Emma glance at the blonde doctor and furls her eyebrows. "Jesus, what crawled up your ass and died?"
Maura looks back at her and frowns. "What?"
"You're looking like one of your patients just died." Caroline states and chews in her food. "Did actually one of your patients die?"
"No!" Maura answers emphatically and shakes her head. "It's just -" She sighs and shrugs. "Jane wants me to meet her family tonight."
"So?" Emma asks and shrugs as well, taking a bite of her salad.
Caroline rolls her eyes and scowls at the other woman. "You ate afraid that you might dated her father, aren't you?"
"Oh," Emma breathes and she raises her eyebrows.
Maura takes a deep breath and raises an shoulder briefly. "There is a reason why I refused to meet my partner's parents. I mean, this morning we already had a nodus."
Emma is pricking up her ears. "This morning? Does that mean that Jane stayed the night?"
Maura sips her water and nods with a frown.
"And? Has something else happened then just a slumber party?"
Maura can't help the smirk that breaks free, but she rolls her eyes.
"For heaven's sake," Caroline says a little louder and glares once again at Emma. "we really need to get you a man. Why are you hell-bent on Maura's sex life?"
Maura tilts curiously her head to the side and looks at Emma. "That's a really good question."
Emma shrugs and sips her coke. "I've never met a woman in ... her age."
Maura scoffs and looks disbelievingly at her friend.
Caroline stats to laugh amused and shakes her head. "And what makes you think that her sex life is different to yours or mine?"
"I don't know. She can crow with a lot more experience than I have, and you are married," Emma retort and Maura chokes on her sandwich.
Caroline slowly close her eyes. "Oh,God," she whispers and glance at Maura. "So, tell us about this Jane."
Maura can't help the smile and takes a deep breath. "She's awesome. Jane tries to make everyone believe that she is really tough, but deep down she has a soft spot. She's attractive, well-educated, suavely. She's perfect."
Emma is about to open her mouth, but doesn't say anything when Caroline raises an hand.
"Stop when you are about to ask how Jane is in bed." The other blonde warns.
Maura lowers her eyes and chuckles.
Emma archs an brow and grins at Caroline. "No, Dr. Know-it-all. I was about to ask what Jane is doing for a living."
Caroline smirks and nods disbelievingly.
Maura chuckles again and licks her lips, leaning back in her chair. "She's a Homicide Detective."
"Oh," Caroline simply state.
"Sexy," Emma adds and flinch when someone kicks her shin.
She clears her throat and glares at Caroline. "So, what was the nodus about this morning?"
"You two remember the photo album Caroline has thumbed through when you were at my place the last time?"
"Yes," the two women say in unison.
"Well, Jane was awake before me and when I came down in the kitchen she was looking at the same photo album."
Emma stops chewing and her eyebrows shoot up high.
Caroline leans forward and frowns. "You mean the album with the really old pictures of you?"
Maura nods slowly to answer the question.
"How can leave stuff like this unattended?" Emma hisses.
Maura furrows her eyebrows and shrugs. "I didn't thought that Jane would snoop around while I was still sleeping."
"She's a god damn cop, Maura." Emma says a little louder. "That's what cops do to make sure that they don't date a psychopath or junkie."
"I know that, Emma." Maura hisses through clenched teeth.
Caroline closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Okay, let's calm down. How did you explain the pictures to Jane?"
"Genetic predisposition." Maura answers bashfully.
"Oh, boy." Caroline sighs heavily.
Maura's glaring at her. "What? Should I have say to her These women look like me because they are me? What do you think she would have react about it? The pictures are from World War I and World War II, and even older, Caroline."
Emma licks thoughtfully her lips. "Did she buy it?"
Maura sighs heavily. "I think so," she rolls her eyes. "I hope so."
Caroline is rubbing the bridge of her nose and frowns. "When should you meet her family?"
"Tonight after work," Maura answers bluntly.
Emma spits her coke back in her glass and glance with big eyes at the blonde. "Are you serious?"
Maura shrugs with a shy smile.
"Jeez," Caroline states as surprised as Emma looks. "You guys are quite fast. The two of you met when? Monday?"
Maura tucks in her chin and clears her throat. "Yes," she mumbles.
"Give them another week, then they're already engaged." Emma jokes and Caroline chuckles.
Maura pinch her side with an serious expression, but then she starts to laugh.
Caroline still chuckles amused. "And are you going?"
Maura pops a French fries in her mouth and shrugs. "I'm still hoping that a complicated case comes in."
Emma's and Maura's pager start beeping in the same time and the brunette looks at hers. "Maybe you're lucky today. Come on, Dr. Isles."
Maura takes another bite from her sandwich before she gets up to her feet.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Luck wasn't on Maura's side today, quite on the contrary. After the colorably emergency, which turned out to be a really bad stomach bug, left again the day became really slow.
That's why she's standing now with her Prius in Jane's parents driveway, but doesn't move an inch.
She flinch when someone knocks on the window of the driver's door and turns her head, spotting a frowning Italian.
Maura has to chuckle and unbuckles her seatbelt.
Jane smirks triumphantly and opens the door. "What are you waiting for, Dr. Isles?"
Maura opens and closes her mouth again and sighs heavily. "I just arrive. I'm sorry."
Jane sticks out her hand and smiles softly. "I can promise you my family isn't that bad. You don't have to worry."
Maura gets her purse from the passenger's seat and takes Jane's hand, getting out of her car. "It's just ... What if your mom and dad don't like me?"
Jane pulls the smaller woman into her arms and caress Maura's cheek with her thumb. "My Ma will love you and don't give a damn about what my dad thinks."
Maura looks questioningly at the brunette.
Jane can see the question in hazel eyes and shrugs. "My parents got divorced three years ago. Since then I barely know where he is."
Maura nods slightly and links their hands.
She is relieved because of the news, but she feels bad in the same time. "I'm sorry about that."
Jane huffs and furrow her eyebrows. "It was the best that way. They just fought." She pauses and looks down. "Come on, lets get inside. We can share sad family stories another time."
Maura smiles a little and takes a deep breath. "Does your mother know that you're bringing a guest?"
Jane opens the front door and freezes with a frown. "Um ... No."
"Jane," the doctor hiss. "you can't bring a guest with you without telling your mother. What if we are too many people?"
The detective looks long at the blonde and snorts before she enters the house. "This is the proof that you don't know my mother. She cooks enough to feed the whole neighborhood." She frowns and rolls her eyes. "Hey, Ma."
"Jane, is that you?" Booms a voice through the entire house. "To whom are you talking?"
Jane rolls her eyes and Maura chuckles amused.
The Italian asks herself who else her mother was expecting when her mother knows that she's gonna be the last at their family dinners. "Yeah, Ma, it's me. I brought an extra guest. I hope that's okay."
"Of course it is, honey ... Unless it is this hideous woman you brought with you the last time."
Jane furrows her eyebrows as she looks at the doctor. "That's my mother."
Maura scoffs and follows the Italian through the hallway.
They round the corner and Maura can see a modest but really nice living room.
An older woman, who stands in the open kitchen, wipes her hands in a kitchen towel and beams at the blonde doctor.
Jane is warning her mother with her gaze and takes a deep breath. "Ma, let me introduce you to Maura Isles." She looks at Maura and archs an eyebrow. " Maura, that's my mother."
Maura smiles broadly at the older woman and sticks her hand out. "It's really nice to meet you, Mrs. Rizzoli."
"Please, call me Angela." Angela replies.
Maura nods once with a smile. "Likewise, please call me Maura."
Angela looks long at her daughter . "See, that's what I mean when I talk about manners, Jane."
Jane rolls her eyes and walks to the couch where two men are sitting, watching TV. "And these two knuckleheads are my brothers Frankie and Tommy."
Frankie raises an hand. "Hey."
"You're a knucklehead yourself." Tommy mumbles to his sister
"Nice to meet you two as well," Maura chuckles.
The two men turn their heads and their eyebrows shoot up.
"Hey," they say in unison.
Jane's shoulders slump and she place a hand on the small of Maura's back. "This is my family. Do you wanna something to drink?"
Maura smiles at the Italian. "Yes, please."
"All right, let me see what we have that I could offer you," Jane replies and walks to the fridge.
She furrows her eyebrows as she spots the bottle of white wine in it. "Hey, Ma. I didn't know that you became a wine lover."
Angela glance briefly at Jane before she returns her attention back on her task. "Uh ... Your aunt came by and brought it with her. She was at a wine testing and bought a couple of bottles."
Jane grabs the bottle and a beer for herself. "I'm sure that she bought a couple of boxes." She replies and her brothers chuckle.
Maura press her lips together and tuck in her chin.
Angela is glaring at her sly smiling daughter.
She takes a deep breath and shakes her head. "So, how did the two of you met?"
Maura accepts the glass of wine and smiles at Jane. "Um ... We met at work."
"Your work at the BPD, too?" Angela asks surprised. "I never saw you at the station."
Jane sees the confused look of Maura and steps next to her. "Uh ... Ma runs the Division One Café in the station."
"Oh," Maura says as she understands and shakes her head. "No. No, Jane and I don't work together. We met as Jane came to my workplace because police business. I am a doctor in Mass Gen."
"I knew you look quite familiar to me. " Frankie states as he walks to the fridge. "You're working in the ER, aren't you?"
Maura takes a swig of her wine and nods.
"A doctor," Angela asks delightful. "That's much better than a peeler."
Jane squints at the ceiling and groans. "For heaven's sake, Ma. How many times do I have to tell you that? Paige wasn't a peeler. She was a bartender in a strip club."
"And that makes it so much better?" Angela shoots back.
Jane purses her lips and shrugs. "No," she mumbles.
"I really liked that chic that worked in Hooters." Tommy states.
Jane shoots him a glare and growls low. "Yeah, I know. And she liked you too, didn't she?"
Tommy ducks his head.
Maura furrows her eyebrows.
Jane glance long at her. "Where not that kind of siblings who share their past lovers."
"I didn't know that Kelly was with you that time," Tommy says and shrugs.
"I introduced her to you the night before, Tommy." Jane replies a little louder.
"I ... didn't pay attention."
"You don't say!"
Angela growls frustrated. "The two of you, knock it off."
"I barely started." Jane growls back and shoves a fork full of lasagna into her mouth.
Maura wipes her mouth with a cloth napkin and smiles. "Angela, I have to tell you that this lasagna is delicious."
Angela beams at her and sips her beer. "Thank you, Maura. This is a old family recipe. My mother taught it me and my grandmother taught it my mother. And my great grandmother - -"
"I think Maura got the meaning of a old family recipe, Ma." Jane cuts her mother off.
The matriarch rolls her eyes and sighs. "So Maura, are you from Boston?"
Maura looks briefly at Jane. "Um ... No, I'm not from Boston."
"And where are you from?"
"She's from Kilkenny, Ma." Jane jumps in.
Maura laughs lightly when she sees the confused expression of Angela. "It's a small city in the south-east part of Ireland."
Tommy and Frankie share a look and Jane shakes decently her head.
Angela's eyes become unfocused. "That remembers me of an old story that your grandmother always told me," she says and her children groan in unison.
Maura smiles so she can hide her confusion.
Jane leans forward and furrows her eyebrows. "It is just a story, Ma. You don't even know if it is a true story."
"Why would my ... family would make up such a story, Jane?" Angela asks her daughter now.
"That would explain why all of our relationships end up in tragedies," Jane answers carefully. "And I'm pretty sure that Maura isn't in some myth from the crazy Rizzoli family history."
"No." Maura says excited and looks at the older woman. "I mean, yes, I would love to hear a story from your family."
"Really?" Jane whines and her brothers groan again.
Angela starts to beam again.
"Maura, this is just a cheap copy of Romeo and Juliet." Jane states.
Angela huffs and swats her daughter's hand.
Jane flinch and shakes . "Ow!"
"This young, beautiful woman wants to hear the story, Jane." Angela retorts and smiles at the blonde.
"Then start already," Tommy whines and throw his hands up.
Angela rolls her eyes and turns her whole body to Maura. "The roots of my family lies in Italy. In Toscana to be exact."
"Boring," Tommy yawns.
Jane glares at him and her facial muscles twitch. "Shut it, or we'll sit here all night." She hisses through clenched teeth.
Angela ignores all of her children. "My ancestors were simple workers on a - - -"
"Is that why you married a simple plumber?" Jane throws in.
"Why are you allowed to interrupt her and I am not?" Tommy complains.
She looks at him with big eyes. "Because I'm the oldest ... and prettier than you."
He snorts in disapproval and crosses his arms over his chest.
"Would both of you knock it off?" Frankie says louder and scowl at both of them. "I like to sleep in my own bed tonight."
Angela is thanking him with a nod. "Where did I stop? Right, they were simple workers on a winery in Toscana. They were winegrowers. The estate was owned by a mean British old man. He and his son didn't treat their employees decent.
In that time the brothers Bellini, Beppo and Jacopo Mazzini worked for them, just like their only sister Bice."
Maura stops breathing as she hears the names and tries to swallow the lump in her throat. She knows those names all too well.
She asks herself if this woman really knows her life story.
Jane notice that Maura got a little pale and furls her eyebrows.
"One day they got a female visitor from - - -" Angela says and frowns a little. "I think the young lady was from England ... Or was it Scotland?"
Ireland, Maura yells inside her head. I came from Ireland to Italy.
Angela waves her hand like she's chasing a fly away and sips her beer. "Doesn't matter. Well, that lady came to the winery to marry the son of the owner, but she wasn't interested in the young man. Especially because of his behavior. So she always sneaked out of the master house when she got the opportunity. One day, Jacopo was working in the vineyards and spotted a lost woman.
My mother said that Jacopo fell in love with her instantly, but he didn't want to seem perky so he gave her all the time she needed.
When they were sitting in the vineyards a couple of days later, Jacopo felt brave enough to kiss her for the very first time.
Maura closes briefly her eyes and she can see that memory in front of her eyes.
She and Jacopo really were sitting in the vineyards and enjoined the view when he suddenly leaned in and lifted her chin with his index finger up.
He searched her eyes and asked silently for permission in the same time.
She granted permission when her eyes dropped to his lips.
Maura still can feel his lips and the beard stubble as she caressed his cheek with her hand during their first kiss.
Jane leans in a little. "You okay?" She whispers.
Maura's eyes snap open and she force herself to smile.
She tries to ignore the shiver that is cursing through her body when she feels Jane's breath caressing her skin.
"I thought that you fell asleep," Jane whispers with a smile that melt Maura's heart.
The doctor rolls her eyes and her eyes flutter when Jane kisses her cheek.
She smiles again and intertwine their hands under the table.
Angela doesn't seem to notice their interactions and takes a deep breath.
"You see where the problem is, Ma?" Frankie asks and furl his eyebrows. "You're saying that this woman came from England and Jacopo was Italian. How did they communicate? With sign language?"
Maura clears her throat and meets his eyes. "In the 18th century it was thoroughly common that wealthy families hired a private teachers for their sons or daughters before they were sent away fro their homes.
Mostly, those teachers came from the country to which the children were sent off later." She swallows hard when she looks into perplex faces. "I ... I ... I read a lot and that's what is written in history books."
"All right," Jane chuckles and furrow her eyebrows. "Relax, Maura."
Angela chuckles as well and squeeze Maura's hand briefly. "Anyway, their love was like a forbidden fruit and after the owner of the winery found out about it he send Jacopo's love away again.
Jacopo followed her and tried to find her again, but it was in vain.
He never got married or felt in love again. He also had no children and died in the age of thirty-five. My mother said that Jacopo Mazzini died because of a broken heart."
Maura's heart is breaking in this moment. In this version are a couple of mistakes, but for the most part she just heard the most painful time in her life.
She gets up from her chair and hides her face behind a curtain of her. "Would you excuse me please. I have to use your bathroom."
Angela opens confused her mouth and frowns.
Jane is just as confused as her mother and furl her eyebrows. "Maura?"
Maura hurries upstairs and locks the bathroom door behind her before a bitter sob escape from her throat.
She buries her face in her hands and her whole body starts shaking.
All those long years she died to know what had happened to Jacopo and now she has the answer, but she feels nothing more than deep sorrow.
She was so right with the speculation that he died when they turned thirty-five.
She wince when someone is knocking at the door.
"Maura, are you okay in there," Jane asks worriedly through the door.
Maura close her eyes and takes a deep breath to compose herself again. "Yes, Jane. I just need a minute."
Jane mumbles something that Maura can't understand.
The blonde looks in the mirror to check her appearance and is kinda relieved that she hasn't shed a tear.
She probably has cried so many times because of him so there are no tears left anymore.
Maura takes a deep breath and nods to herself before she leaves the bathroom again.
She enters the kitchen again and looks nervously at the Rizzoli matriarch. "Um ... where can I find Jane?"
Angela looks briefly at her and frowns slightly. "She said that she is on the back patio. Do you wanna have another glass of wine, honey?"
Maura smiles a little. "Yes, please."
Angela chuckles and refills Maura's glass.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I stop right here because if I don't the chapter becomes way too long. The next chapter will start right here, with Jane sitting on the patio. I hope you liked this update.
