So I'm not saying that there's a little influence from the Notebook in here – or even Pride and Prejudice, but there might be ;) If you haven't already guessed, I'm a movie person. There should also finally be some more…action in here for y'all. Enjoy!

Chapter 6

As they walked through the door of the restaurant that Jane couldn't pronounce the name of if she tried, she thought she might hyperventilate. This wasn't just a fancy place. This was like black-tie-white-gown-fork-on-the-left-absolutely-no-ketchup-ever-compliments-to-the-chef kind of place.

Help.

"Stop fidgeting," Maura said to her for the second time in 24 hours. Her sideways glance with a smile meant to comfort her was all Jane had to go on. If only Maura knew that she was about to go through an entire seven-course meal undercover with her boss and her colleague, both of whom had never, ever seen her in a dress. If Maura had been in her four-inch heeled shoes, she would have been fidgeting too. But when Jane looked down, she saw that Maura's shoes were at least five inches.

Really? At least they made her ass look killer.

And just when she was sufficiently flushed from that little observation, Jane looked up and noticed Korsak and Cavanaugh with their jaws on the table they were seated at. Jane rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Here we go…"

When the women approached the table, the men made a valiant effort to be polite and rise on their arrival, but Korsak had stumbled on the leg of the chair, nearly spilling the glass of water in front of him. Cavanaugh reached out to steady him but in doing so he reached in front of a passing waiter in white coattails. How he didn't end up wearing that strange looking soup, Jane would never know.

Somehow, they recovered in time to take Maura's outstretched hand into two firm handshakes. "Dr. Isles, so good to see you again," Cavanaugh said.

"I hope you got to rest up from our long, boring tour today," Korsak added.

"No trouble at all, I quite enjoyed the tour. Detective Korsak, Lieutenant Cavanaugh, this is Jane. She's a friend of mine." Maura noted that it was a little odd that she couldn't offer them her friend's last name, but somehow neither of the men seemed phased.

They stepped forward to shake Jane's hand as well, and Korsak made a real show out of giving Jane the up and down look. She quickly put a vice grip on his hand.

"Oooh! You sure have a strong handshake there, Jane," he said, cursing her with his eyes.

"So I've been told, sir," Jane said with just a tad bit of spite. These two were really going to get it later.

Cavanaugh had come around the table to pull Maura's chair out for her, but just as he did, Maura said, "If you'll all excuse me a moment, I'm going to the ladies room."

"Oh, yes, of course," Cavanaugh said in some overly polite voice she never knew he was capable of. As soon as Maura was out of earshot, Korsak let out a wolf whistle at Jane and the men began to cut up with snorts of laughter.

"Really?!" Jane exclaimed above the roar. "You two goons are the ones that got me into this mess and now you're laughing your asses off at me? Well that's just great. Thanks fellas."

"Janie," Korsak choked down his last few chuckles and wiped a tear from his eye with his napkin as he continued, "We're sorry. You look great. It's just we've uh…never seen you this dolled up, ya know?"

"Yeah, yeah. So how did it go today? Does she seem interested in the job?"

Korsak looked at Cavanaugh, handing the baton off to him. "She seemed very thrilled with the prospects, and she's even smarter than we thought, Jane."

"Prettier too," Korsak added. Jane fidgeted in her chair.

"She blew Pike out of the water down there today. Practically solved our current case for us just by pointing out a minor detail he hadn't noticed."

Korsak scoffed, "You should have seen the look on his face."

Jane wouldn't be surprised if she was beaming. Her reverie was broken when Cavanaugh locked eyes with her and said, "We can't afford let this one get away, Jane."

"I know," she replied reverently. She knew better than either of them ever would.

Just then, Jane felt a soft hand on her exposed shoulder. She shivered at Maura's gentle touch as the honey blonde settled back in her chair. Jane was grateful for the red wine in front of her.

~LT~

When the first course came and it wasn't salad, Jane started to panic. Ma had always taught her that the salad came first, and she always had to eat it no matter how much she hated it.

The guys had been making small talk with Maura when Jane whispered to her female counterpart, "When does the salad come?"

Maura smiled slightly at Jane's ignorance and whispered back, "The salad comes at the end of the meal."

What the hell kind of meal was this? Jane cursed under her breath. "But that's the fork I knew!"

Maura looked a little confused this time, and Jane realized she must look like a huge idiot. It was probably second nature to Maura to eat like this. Jane decided to keep quiet and attempt to hold her own. But when she attempted to dive in to the first course, she noticed the…food looked a little odd. A waiter came by to refill her wine glass, and Jane said without thinking, "Who ordered this?" She was gesturing to the tiny plate in front of her that was holding round shells of some sort.

"The lady did, Miss," he answered, nodding toward Maura.

Jane looked at Maura expectantly, but the blonde answered simply, "It's escargot – a delicacy in French cuisine."

"You mean snails?!" Jane cried as Korsak was slurping one down across the table. Jane winced and gave him the most disapproving look she could muster.

"Well, yes," Maura answered. By now, Jane could tell by her tone that Maura was headed straight for geek mode. "Helix pomatia, to be exact. Not all species of land snail are actually suitable for human consumption. Numerous archaeological findings in the Mediterranean regions suggest that people have been consuming snails for thousands of years. The Romans were particularly fond of them. You should really try one, Jane."

The young officer came to the sinking realization that she was incapable of saying no to those eyes. She looked back to her plate in dejection, her hand quivering as she picked up the tongs that you were apparently supposed to dismember the little guys with. Korsak began to talk again, and Jane was grateful that the table's attention would be distracted from her feeble attempt.

"Well Dr. Isles, there was one person I didn't get to introduce you to today that I just can't wait for you to meet," the detective said.

"Please, call me Maura. And who might that be, Detective Korsak?"

"She's the best young prospect we have for the open position in the bullpen – almost as sharp as you. Her name is Officer Rizzoli."

And that's when Jane's heart leapt into her throat, causing the tongs to slip and her snail to go flying through the air behind her. All eyes were on Jane, who felt a desperate need to break the silence. "Slippery little suckers…" she said sheepishly.

Maura covered her mouth, looking down and stifling a laugh as Korsak shook his head and Cavanaugh rested his head in his hands. Jane decided it was worth it just to see Maura smile.

A voice came from behind their table, and Jane turned to see the elderly waiter who reassured her, "It happens all the time!" She smiled and turned back, mortified that he was cleaning bits of snail from the floor because of her. At least now she didn't have to eat it. The plates from the appetizer course were already being cleared.

Maura had certainly been amused by Jane's antics, but she was eager to hear more about the mysterious Officer Rizzoli.

"Officer Rizzoli certainly sounds like someone I would enjoy working with," Maura said. "How long has she been at the precinct?"

"Oh hell, that girl has been hanging around since she was real young. She always knew she wanted to be on the force. I kinda took her under my wing, and once she made it through training at the Academy after high school, she told me she wouldn't stop until she made detective. You won't find a more ambitious, dedicated young woman anywhere."

Maura's eyes were glowing and Jane was sweating bullets. Why the hell was he doing this to her? Her poker face was good, but sheesh…this was torture.

"Wow – impressive!" Maura said with a smile. "So what do you think, Lieutenant? Is Officer Rizzoli the one for the job?"

Cavanaugh turned back and delivered his answer to Jane. "I certainly have my eye on her."

Korsak realized he might have said too much. "Well, regardless of the decision, I'll have to introduce you. You two are just about the same age, and I'm sure she could help you get used to things around here if you end up getting along."

"I'd like that very much," Maura said with the same twinkle in her eye.

So would I. Jane didn't realize she had been staring at Maura throughout that entire conversation until the honey blonde turned and winked at her as if to say she hadn't forgotten about her.

Jane made her way through the rest of the meal as carefully as possible. Maura and the guys had swapped stories from their college years and Jane had listened politely, admiring the sound of the other woman's voice. The conversation was finally at a lull when the dessert wine was served.

Korsak interrupted the clanking spoons to ask the million-dollar question. "So, Maura – what do you think? Could you see yourself living in good 'ol Boston again?"

"Our offer stands as long as you're willing to consider us," Cavanaugh added.

Maura's smile was sad as she was clearly under pressure. Jane frowned when she realized that Maura was seriously in conflict about her decision.

Finally the Doctor answered, "I promise to let you know my decision by the end of the week."

Korsak could sense the heavy mood, and he said in his best mobster voice, "Ah, the Doc plays hardball, eh?" When no one laughed, he pulled his napkin off his lap and feigned a cough.

Maura slipped into hostess mode, channeling her mother as she said, "Well, it was lovely having dinner with you both. I look forward to the rest of our week." She stood and Jane dropped her dessert spoon, wiping the chocolate residue from her mouth with the back of her hand before she had time to think the better of it. She followed the Maura's lead, standing up and brushing off her skirt.

"The pleasure is all ours, Dr. Isles. We look forward to seeing you again as well," Cavanaugh said in his sweet tone again. Jane wondered if he had made a list of polite phrases to practice in his bathroom mirror.

The men made their way around the table and shook her hand again. Korsak shook Jane's hand again as well, forcing his boss to do the same. "Wonderful to meet you Riz – er, I mean Jane."

Jane had barely noticed the blunder, because when Cavanaugh shook her hand and exited the restaurant, he had left a slip of paper in her hand. While Maura was on the phone in the lobby, Jane snuck a peek at the note. It read:

Sink this deal, Rizzoli or else I'm giving your promotion to someone who can handle it.

~LT~

Jane had spent almost the entire limo ride back to the Four Seasons seething. How dare Cavanaugh try to pin her fate on this one totally sketchy deal. Where the fuck did he get off trying to dictate her life like this? What's more, she was pretty pissed at how he was just treating Maura as something to be won. At least Korsak was making genuine attempts to make Maura feel welcome. That was the thing about Korsak – even though he loved animals more than anything, he still treated people as they deserved to be treated. Like people. Cavanaugh was just a dick who only cared about himself. She wasn't sure she was ready to serve under his command. But hey, maybe she wouldn't have to worry about it after all.

The couple of glances she had stolen at Maura in the car had revealed that Jane wasn't the only one deep in thought. By the time they got back up to the suite, Jane had composed herself, wanting more than anything to find out what was up with Maura. They had retired to the balcony, removing only their stilettos. Jane was perched on the railing, while Maura sat in a patio chair, her demeanor still indicating that she was both bewildered and exhausted.

"So…" Jane was attempting to break the ice. " You didn't say much in the car. Thinking about dinner? I know I was a giant klutz. Sorry about that, Maur."

Maura managed a smile. "Oh Jane, you were perfect. Don't get down on yourself. I'm just…tired, I suppose. Long day."

Ah, Jane thought. She doesn't think I can handle business talk. Maybe I need to wake her up a bit. "Well, it's obvious how much they want you," Jane said.

Maura's eyes opened and her head snapped up in alert. "Excuse me?"

There we go. "Whoa, back up Maur. Point is, I think they liked you a lot, and I could tell that you and Detective Korsak really hit it off – you know, as potential colleagues."

Maura felt herself nod. She was relieved that there wasn't any heavy sexual tension at dinner that she hadn't picked up on. Her inner conflict was alleviated for the second time that night as she allowed her thoughts to drift back to Officer Rizzoli. With a wistful and curious gleam in her eye, she responded, "Yes, I do like Detective Korsak quite a lot. He's a very sweet man with a wealth of experience in his field. I was already aware of that from my research and my first visit today. But you know something Jane? I just can't seem to stop thinking about that Officer Rizzoli."

At the mention of her last name, Jane lost her grip on the stone railing and flailed to catch her balance. Maura gasped and jumped up, prepared to come to her aid just as Jane steadied herself and restored her grip.

"Oh my God, Jane! Are you all right?"

"Uh, yeah…yeah yeah totally fine. Just uh, lost my – So what about this Officer What's-Her-Nuts?"

Maura removed her hand from where it had been clutching near her heart and smoothed her skirt. As she answered, she reclaimed her seat. "Officer Rizzoli, Jane. She sounds…just incredible."

"Mm, yes, I'm sure she is…sounds pretty hot if you ask me." Jane said. She really, really hated talking herself up, but if this kept Maura around, so be it. But that didn't make her any more comfortable at the moment. Her heart must have been beating 100 miles per hour.

Maura was giggling. "Jane, it would be absolutely impossible for us to determine anything about her physical appearance from the description Detective Korsak gave…" Maura paused to look out over the railing and then snapped back almost immediately to look at Jane as she continued, "But what if she is physically attractive as well as talented and ambitious? Honestly, Jane I don't know if I'd be able to do my job well with someone like that around. And yet…I keep getting this strange feeling of comfort when I think of her. Like I somehow already know her – but obviously that's impossible."

Jane had been watching Maura in her dreamlike state, thinking that out above the city lights, she was the most beautiful thing she would ever see. "Nothing's impossible, Maura," she heard herself say.

"Yes, some people believe that I suppose. Anyway, the point isn't whether I like them or not. I never let myself get emotionally involved in business. I have to decide whether or not this is the best move for my career."

Jane decided she had said enough for the night, and it might be best to change the subject. "I know," she started, letting herself shift into creative mode. "Kit's always telling me, 'Don't get emotional when you turn tricks' – that's why no kissing. Too personal. Like what you're saying: Stay numb, don't get involved. When I'm with someone, I'm like a robot. I just do it."

Even though Maura knew this was all part of Jane's job, something about that last statement was a little off-putting. She gave Jane a slightly disapproving look and wondered if that's all last night had meant to her.

Jane caught on. "I mean…except with you!" Shit. When are you going to stop letting Kit possess you and start being yourself?

Maura gave an approving nod and said, "Oh, of course not with me…" They were both smiling now. Perhaps Jane was just trying to sound impressive. But then again, how could she really afford to emotionally invest herself in this business?

Jane wanted to find a way out of Awkwardville and spend some time having fun with Maura. So, she decided it was time for a proposal. "Hey, tell ya what?" Jane had hopped off the rail and walked toward the honey blonde in the chair who had just lifted her head to give Jane her attention. "Let's watch old movies all night long and veg out in front of the TV!"

"Veg out?" Maura wondered what vegetables could possibly have to do with a night spent in front of the television.

"Yeah, it's an expression, Maur. You know, be still like vegetables; lay like broccoli." Maura still looked totally lost, and Jane couldn't blame her. It had been a pretty weird explanation. "Anyway, my Ma and I used to do it all the time. So what do you say, Doc?"

There was Maura's sad smile again. She wanted to let herself relax and be with Jane tonight, but she just couldn't forget the huge, life-changing decision that had to be made. If she made the wrong one, would her life be filled with this deep, hollow feeling forever?

Maura stood and looked down at the gorgeous brunette as she answered, "I'll tell you what, I have some work to do tonight, but we'll do 'broccoli' tomorrow, okay?"

She touched her index finger lightly to Jane's cheek before barely cupping her chin and walking away.

Jane couldn't help but feel rejected, but she still wanted to make sure Maura was okay. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going downstairs for a while." Maura was slipping back into her heels and grabbing her key. Without another word, she was gone.

Jane decided to do what she always did when she felt completely alone. She went to the bar, grabbed a cold beer, and settled in to the couch. She wondered if she'd spend the rest of her life drinking away the loneliness - the relentless deep and hollow feeling.

~LT~

"Did you say marriage license?"

Jane could swear she heard Maura's voice. Why was she asking her about marriage? But Jane wasn't alarmed. She was happy – perfectly and incandescently happy. Suddenly they were standing at Fenway park over the pitcher's mound, and Maura was staring back into her eyes expectantly. The words came out of Jane's mouth involuntarily as if they were the most natural words she'd ever spoken.

"I do." There was Maura's beautiful smile. But suddenly there was a splash of water on her arm, and then everything went dark. Was it raining?

That's when Jane realized that her dream wedding was in fact just a dream, and the water she felt was actually just the rest of her beer dribbling all over her arm.

Great. As she surveyed the damage and brushed off the spatter, the glow of the TV was barely visible through her tired eyes. That's when she realized that the voice she heard hadn't belonged to Maura – it was Audrey Hepburn. Jane had left it tuned in to Turner Classic Movies when she didn't find any interesting games on. She vaguely remembered watching this movie once with Ma, but she didn't remember what it was about. She thought maybe Cary Grant was in it, but it didn't matter now. The credits were rolling and Maura was still gone.

Jane let out a heavy sigh and got up off the couch to stretch. She should probably just put on her PJs and call it a night. Maura obviously didn't feel like spending time with her.

Standing in the bedroom, Jane realized she didn't really have anything to wear to bed. She moseyed over to the closet and took a peek at Maura's selection. Jesus. How did one woman own this many clothes? And this was just to last her a week. Maura would laugh if she saw the contents of Jane's closet.

She sifted through until she found a black negligee hanging in the back. This would have to do. She peeled the dress off and threw it over a chair. Slipping on the negligee, she realized that it was only going to reach about mid-thigh on her if that. Staring in the full-length mirror next to the closet, she scoffed at the sight. The silky garment was barely covering her ass. Jane shook her head and grabbed the white fuzzy bathrobe again. Securing it loosely around her middle, she turned around to look at the empty bed. She wasn't ready to face it quite yet, so she went back toward the bar for a nightcap. But in the middle of the main room, she stopped mid-stride as something caught her eye.

The baby grand piano had always been there, but Jane had never really seen it until now. She approached the beautiful instrument slowly, running her long, thin fingers over the keys. She couldn't remember the last time she had actually felt the urge to play, but something had just overcome her; stopped her in her tracks. The feeling continued to envelop her, washing over her like a flame as she took her seat on the bench. She closed her eyes, and suddenly her fingers were in position. Then, after nearly fifteen years, Jane began to play.

~LT~

Maura took a pull from her third glass of wine, finishing it off.

"Could I get you anymore, Miss Isles?" the bartender inquired.

"No thank you, I'm almost finished here."

"Of course, Miss."

The Doctor was chewing nervously on the end of her pen. Every time she tried to put it down on the hotel stationary, she froze. Different permutations of "Dear Ian, As much as I'd really love to help you…" or, "Ian, Our time together at BCU was lovely, but…" rolled on a loop through her clouded brain.

She sighed and placed her forehead in her hand. She could feel her furrowed brow and made a mental note about age lines. What was wrong with her? She knew that she wanted to stay here and be a Medical Examiner in Boston. Even after the first day she knew this was where she belonged, but why couldn't she make it official? What was holding her back?

Then she thought of Jane. She wasn't being fair to her, leaving her in the dark about all of this; employing her and then expecting her to keep her distance. Maura wanted to tell her about everything, but she'd have to find the right time. Right now, she just needed to be there for her new…friend in general. It had been terribly rude of her to leave Jane alone in the suite.

Maura may have told herself that she was tossing the stationary and returning to her room to be polite, but really there was something drawing her back. A force that she couldn't quite explain – and Maura wasn't used to not having an answer.

She was completely thrown when she exited the elevator and stepped into the private hallway. Was that -

Someone was playing the piano in the suite. Maura slid the card key into the door and turned the handle, completely unsure of what to expect, but desperate to find out.

~LT~

Jane had never played this passionately in her life. Her Nonna had taught her the basics long ago, but Jane had been a prodigy. Music was something that came naturally to her. She rarely had to practice to achieve proficiency in each of her lessons, and it wasn't long before she was playing famous pieces with multiple movements in her recitals. Nonna had been moved to tears the time that Jane had played the first piece she composed herself. That was the piece she was playing now, and she couldn't have stopped if she wanted to.

That's when she felt a presence beside her. Jane jumped and stopped playing abruptly when she finally noticed Maura standing there watching.

"I didn't know you played," the Doctor said with a wry smile, her adoration filling up the still air around them.

Jane looked down at the keys abashedly and husked, "I only play for strangers." Now she was looking back at Maura. God, she was just so breathtakingly beautiful. She had to turn away for fear that she might start crying – something that Jane Rizzoli just didn't do. She tensed only slightly when she felt a soft pair of hands atop her shoulders. Maura's lips pressed gently against her neck, and pull away only for a moment as the woman behind her whispered, "Don't stop."

Jane was breathless. She doubted she could have played to save her life, so instead she turned and answered, "Do people always do what you tell them to?"

There they were, locked in a touch-free embrace. Hazel melded with chocolate, and Maura's heat was ever closer to Jane and her fluttering heart with each passing second. Or were they minutes? Hours? Who could tell? But Jane was suddenly aware that she had been backed against the piano when the keys clanged just behind her. If she didn't back up further, Maura was going to kiss her, and for some reason that thought was utterly terrifying.

All Maura wanted was to kiss her. To finally become one with the woman she had fallen so hard for, and Jane was still playing hard to get. What more did she want? She had given her a place to stay. New clothes – she had even given Jane her friendship – but apparently a kiss was still too much to ask. In her anger, Maura felt herself undo the tie on Jane's robe, running her hands over the hooker's silk-clad hips as if she were her possession. Out of nowhere, Maura jolted into action, her dominant hand gripping Jane's upper thigh, her other hand just below the woman's other knee. Maura had just successfully lifted and set Jane atop the baby grand, and she didn't intend to stop there.

At this point, Jane was so turned on that Maura's surprising strength didn't even phase her. She looked deep into Maura's eyes and answering her own question, she whispered, "I guess so."

When Maura tried once again to kiss Jane only to be met with rejection, she decided to take control. If Jane didn't want to be kissed – so be it. But she was going to receive Maura's love one way or another.

The young officer felt more like a hooker than she ever had as Maura laid her out across the slick black surface. She wanted nothing more than to be taken wholly and completely by Dr. Isles. She surrendered her body to her unlike she had ever done for any prior lover. The open hand that slid from the valley between her breasts, over her ribcage, down her tightly arched abs, and into her aching core left a trail of pure ecstasy behind. Maura was pumping hard, steady, and appropriately in rhythm, but Jane could hardly fathom how deep she was. In this moment, she existed purely for Maura's pleasure, and she could want for nothing else in this world. Keys were still clanking out discordant melodies, barely muffling Jane's desperate sighs. Beneath her tightly closed eyes, just as the heat was about to engulf her, Jane recalled the last long look in Maura's eyes. Fear had been masquerading with anger – but only Maura knew that losing Jane was the only thing she feared.