Guys. I'm so sorry. Like really, really sorry. I was in one of those stages where writing just didn't feel right, and I didn't want to give you shitty material. But now, here I am in the middle of audition time and of course now the mood strikes me. So, here goes. Enjoy the angst that is Chapter 8.

Chapter 8

The buzzer split the mild summer air as Constance Isles peered out from under her gigantic hat to scan the crowd. So far, there was no sign of Maura at the match, and her daughter's absence was trying her patience. It was downright rude of her to lie, but it was even more silly to avoid taking part in any proper social life. She nudged her husband beside her and he took that as his cue to rise from the stands and follow. Surely Maura would be here somewhere.

~LT~

"What if someone recognizes me, Maur?"

"Don't worry, Jane. These people don't spend too much time down at Laurel's… and if they did, they'd never risk giving themselves away to single you out."

"You did."

"Yes, but I'm not risking anything." Maura smirked as she straightened the belt on Jane's dress, and Jane caught her drift. Yet she wondered why if Maura didn't care about what these people thought of her would she still go to the trouble to attend ridiculous events like this excessively formal polo match.

Maura interrupted her inner conflict when she reminded her once again, "Don't fidget, and smile." The doctor smacked her lightly on the ass for good measure, and Jane flashed the corniest smile she could muster. Maura just shook her head as the walked together to join the crowd. She wondered how someone so stubborn could be so charming.

A group of three women up ahead of them near the stands was clearly whispering about Jane and Maura as they approached. Jane could already feel her jaw clenching. She couldn't believe she let Maura talk her into putting on a motherfucking sunhat for these types of bitches. Jane let her swearing slip out under her breath when it became apparent that Maura was going to speak to them. They did their thing and Jane stood off to the side, attempting to ignore it all.

Maura placed her hand on Jane's arm and brought her focus back. "Jane, this is Emily, Miranda, and Serena. They were all my sisters at BCU."

Jane wanted to hurl. The women could obviously tell she didn't belong here, and even Maura seemed oblivious to their judgments of both Jane's presence and Maura's lifestyle. She would have more than likely said something out of line if a familiar face had not appeared in that very moment.

"Jane, Maura! How's it goin? Glad I finally found you."

Jane watched Maura's face light up before she answered, "Detective Korsak! How wonderful to see you. Are you enjoying the match?"

"Sure! Can't say I've ever been to one before, but I sure do love horses. Had some when I was a kid in fact. Thanks again for the ticket, Dr. Isles."

Jane was still giving him her incredulous why do you keep showing up in my life face when it finally occurred to the detective that he was interrupting their previous engagement with the snobby sisters.

"Oh, sorry ladies. Didn't mean to interrupt your conversation. I'll head on back to my seat now."

Maura cut him off, placing her hand on his arm. "Don't be silly, Vince. Come with me and I'll show you the stables. The training processes for polo horses are really quite fascinating."

Korsak was off like a kid on his way to the candy store, and Jane was unclear if she was supposed to follow or stay behind to endure an unpleasant conversation. She turned back briefly and met their glaring faces. She inhaled to excuse herself to attend to her headlights that she didn't actually leave on when Serena spoke up. "So, you're the flavor of the month…"

Jane raised her eyebrows in shock. Was it really that obvious that Jane and Maura were together? Miranda was laughing, but Emily took on a pitying look and pulled the delirious Jane aside. "Don't mind Serena," she said. "She's just being testy. Maura was always voted our most eligible sister – everyone is still trying to land her."

Jane's response occurred to her before she even had time to consider it rationally. "Well, I'm not trying to land her," the raven-headed officer quipped. "I'm just using her for sex."

With that, Jane strutted off to find Maura and Korsak, leaving behind a very dumbfounded and yet slightly impressed Emily.

~LT~

Maura had just finished giving Korsak a tour of the stables as well as a lengthy description of a horse's genetic makeup when they returned to watch the rest of the match. The detective changed the subject and decided do a little bit of fishing.

"You know somethin, Doc? Your friend Jane seems like a very sweet girl. Where'd you find her?"

Maura could feel herself blush as she smiled and looked down at her pointy-toed Louboutins. She knew all too well how sweet Jane was, but apparently other people were just as in tune with how special she was.

As she peered back up still smiling at the expectant detective, she queried, "Off the record?"

"Oh, of course."

"976-BABE." Maura was innocently smirking and Korsak was genuinely surprised that she made such a joke. Yet, it made him like her all the more. In fact, he could easily see her sitting with them at the Robber, talking and cutting up with the gang into the small hours of the morning. Suddenly, he understood that was exactly the kind of relationship Jane needed.

Just then, an outstanding play took place out on the field, and the crowd burst into applause. Vince shouted, "Yeah!" and Maura said, "Well done!" and the new voice beside them bellowed an echo, "WELL DONE!" followed by three embarrassingly loud howling "WHOOPS."

The detective and the doctor turned slowly to find the object of their suspicions standing beside them. Neither of them could say how long Jane had been standing there, but now everyone in and around the stands was fully aware of her presence.

Maura was smirking in awe and amusement, and Vince still had his mouth hanging wide open in disbelief when he broke the silence. "I think I'll just head on back to my seat for the rest of the match. Jane. Maura."

"Yeah, good to see you too, Detective." Jane hoped he could hear the choice words hidden in her tone when she turned back to find Maura still smirking at her. "What?! I thought this was supposed to be a sporting event."

"It is, but polo match is a little bit more subdued than say a basketball or ice hockey game. Think of it as more like a golf tournament."

"Yawn. Tell me again why we're here?"

"Business, Jane."

"Business mingling?"

Maura glared devilishly into Jane's eyes and Jane caught the message. She was just about to daydream about the night with Maura ahead of her when an extremely self-important voice filled the air behind her with Maura's name. The next thing she knew, a dark-haired woman had attached herself to the honey blonde and was giving her a peck on the cheek. If Jane hadn't heard Maura mutter the word "Mother," the officer would have already been fully engaged in a fist fight.

The woman, apparently Maura's mother, turned around and took in the sight of Jane, explicitly judging her from head to toe and yet keeping her mouth pressed into a straight line. "And who might this…fine young woman be?"

Now Jane was really about to pounce.

Maura could sense the hostility, and knew she only had a little bit of time to step in. "Mother, this is my friend Jane from the precinct. She's a detective."

How Jane didn't faint right then and there, she'll never know. It was a clever excuse, and yet it hit so close to home that it was painful. Did Maura somehow know? She couldn't. There was no way. Unless this whole thing was just a clever scheme to get Jane to accept herself and start dating nice women like Maura… Wait, what? In any case, she was grateful that her time at the Academy had left her with a killer poker face.

"Oh! You've befriended another forensic enthusiast - how wonderful," said Constance.

Jane held out her hand and gave Constance a rigid handshake. "Pleasure," she managed. "Although I wouldn't say I'm enthusiastic about death, Mrs. Isles. Just about bringing justice to the families of Boston who have lost so much."

"I see. Well Jane, it always is a pleasure meeting one of Maura's girls. Now Maura, I must find your father. He dropped off somewhere near the bar…"

Both of the women had gone comatose at Constance's jab. If Maura's mother didn't know for sure about her daughter's sexual preferences, she certainly picked a painfully apropos joke. Very few people rendered Jane Rizzoli speechless, but somehow this woman had managed. Jane just didn't understand how someone so close to Maura could be that self-centered, haughty and rude. The officer felt it best she not say anything for fear of offending Maura.

"Well," Maura finally said with a sigh, "Now you've met my mother. May I ask what was your first impression?"

Maura's tone almost invited sarcasm, so Jane gladly obliged. "You could freeze ice on that woman's ass."

Maura giggled. "We'll try that later," she quipped. She was so glad Jane wasn't letting Constance's nonsense get to her.

"Yikes…" Jane said. "Well, if we are going to be doing a bit of dirty work later, I think I'd like to have a drink. How about you, Doc?"

"I'd love a glass of the featured wine – thank you Jane."

They shared a short but warm look just before Jane walked toward a cocktail waitress she saw a few yards off near a tree just in front of the stables. She was struggling to double time it in these heels because the short redhead only had two glasses left of her tray which she was attempting to pass off to an interested couple beside her.

Jane was closing in and she said, "Excuse me!" in her authoritative voice she usually reserved for the job, but she really needed this drink. Just as she got close enough to awkwardly tap the waitress on the shoulder, the couple had snagged the wineglasses and started off in the other direction. The waitress turned and Jane was face-to-face with the redhead that shed hadn't expected to be quite this gorgeous.

"Hi, what can I do for you?"

"Uh…yeah, um I was just going to take those last two drinks off your hands but looks like someone already did, so I'll just go to the bar."

"Oh so sorry about that. I can barely keep them on the tray today…but no worries, I can go grab those for you."

"Oh no it's really okay, I can just – "

The redhead reached for Jane's arm to prevent her from leaving and locked eyes with the tall brunette. "Please, I insist Miss…?"

"….Jane."

"Well, Jane, you sit tight and let me do my job. I'll see you when I come back with your drink."

"That's two drinks, actually." The girl smirked and nodded as she took off for the bar. Jane was used to being hit on – in bars, on the job, or at the supermarket – but here? And by a woman who was more blatantly flirting than any woman had ever flirted with her? It was weird, to say the least, but Jane had to admit that she enjoyed the attention a little. Everyone else here treated her like a low-life. Yet, she felt bad leading the girl on. Jane would have to come up with an excuse to bow out of the conversation before the waitress came back – hopefully with two drinks.

~LT~

Maura had watched a few minutes of the match before deciding to check her email on her phone to pass the time until Jane returned. She hadn't realized until now how much she actually needed a drink as well, and was growing impatient. She put her phone away in her purse and started to scan the crowd for Jane.

She found her standing alone near the stables. For the first time, Maura really took in just how breathtakingly beautiful her lover was. Those long, tanned calves were the result of tireless sculpting and a very fortunate dip into the genetic pool. Maura could stare at them all afternoon – but another pair of feet broke her concentration. A cocktail waitress had approached Jane carrying two glasses of wine, and the brunette had smiled back at her with a knowing expression.

That's odd, Maura thought. Does Jane somehow know her?

The pair continued to chat for some time, and Maura found herself growing jealous. She shifted her weight and crossed her arms, watching the redheaded woman like a hawk. Finally, Jane made a gesture that indicated she had to be going. Looking somewhat dejected, the waitress reached into her apron and grabbed a card that she then tucked under the belt in Jane's dress.

Blood rushed to Maura's cheeks, but just then someone stepped into her immediate view and she was unable to see Jane's reaction to the waitress's advances.

"Maura darling I just couldn't seem to find your father anywhere, but I did run into a few of your classmates who are just as concerned as I about the people you seem to be hanging around with lately. Now, I would understand if it was only occasionally, but –"

"Mother." Constance paid no heed to her daughter's interjections and continued to babble on.

"– surely you must know what people must think when all you do is hang around with inferior – "

"Mother…"

" – not to mention you haven't dated a single man since the University. I understand this…lovely Italian woman is a friend of yours, but she simply won't attract the kind of men you deserve! I'm just looking out for your best – "

"MOTHER! Jane is not just a friend, okay? I'm…helping her."

"Oh for God's sake, Maura. What could she possibly need someone like you for besides freeloading off your money and good name?"

"Jane is a reformed prostitute, mother. She's gotten out of a very bad situation and is pursuing her dream of becoming a detective and she asked for my help in creating her new image. Does that satisfy your relentless prying?"

Maura endured a frightening pause during which Constance stared and her with her hand over her mouth. And then, she laughed.

"Dear God!" she sputtered, "An Isles befriending some bargain-basement streetwalker! Maura, you must be out of your mind…is this your idea of a horrible joke?"

"I'm sorry I told you," Maura muttered beneath the sickening sound of her mother's laughter. The honey blonde scampered away to find Jane, but then she remembered the waitress and realized she didn't feel like speaking to anyone at all. She headed for the stables, and her impending tears prevented her from noticing that Jane was returning with the drinks that very moment.

"Oh, hello Constance. Have you seen Maura? She was supposed to be waiting for me here."

Constance was just clearing her throat to recover from her fit of laughter, and was just coming to the realization that getting rid of Maura's project might be easier than she had expected.

"Jane! Just the person I was hoping to see."

"You…were?"

"Of course, dear! Maura told me the truth about you – and I just wanted to tell you not to worry. Your secret is safe with me."

She nudged Jane's arm with her bony elbow and the officer's heart plummeted into her empty stomach.

"She…told you?"

"Of course. My daughter tells me everything. Now, I was wondering – do you also do parties? My nephew is getting married this fall, and I'm sure he'd love a good bachelor soiree. Perhaps you could give him your number?"

"Yeah, perhaps." Jane said through gritted teeth. She couldn't stand here any longer or she was going to punch Maura's mother in the face. "See ya Mrs. Isles." With that, she stalked off toward the car to wait, leaving the glasses of wine on a very confused male waiter's tray. If her phone had been with her, she would have called for a cab. She was sick of taking shit from these people.

From behind the stables, a much more calm and collected Maura noticed Jane heading for the car lot. She followed, confused and concerned, realizing she never should have left Jane to fend for herself out there.

~LT~

When they returned to the hotel suite, Jane flung the door, nearly taking Maura out. They hadn't said a word the whole way home apart from their initial dialogue of – "What happened, Jane?" and "Just drive."

Maura had spent the whole way back coming up with different horrible things that could have happened, and Jane had spent it seething. She couldn't believe that Maura would stoop to her mother's level, and she wasn't about to spend one more minute with someone who would.

Standing in the foyer, Maura gave it one last desperate plea, "Jane, please just tell me what happened."

Jane stopped her pacing abruptly and turned to interrogate Maura. "Why'd you have to get me all dressed up, huh?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why the hell did you have to get me dressed up?!"

"Well, for one thing, the clothing was appropriate for the occasion."

Now Jane was practically in Maura's face. "No Maura – I mean why if you were going to tell everyone that I'm a hooker could I not just wear my own clothes?"

Now Maura knew what had happened, and she knew she had to act fast to fix it. How was it that she always ended fixing her mother's messes? " – I did not – "

"That way I could at least be prepared when someone like your mother confronts me about my personal life." Jane stomped off into the bedroom with Maura following, not letting her have the last word.

"Jane I am not happy at all with her for saying that or doing that, but she is my mother. She's just paranoid…that I'll end up with someone of inferior social standing."

Jane stopped in her tracks, determined to know where Maura stood. She turned around to face her again. "Should she be paranoid?"

This was the million-dollar question for Maura. All of her life she was faced with the choice between her own happiness and placating her mother. "I don't know, Jane."

"You don't know." That's all Jane needed to hear. She set about packing her things. No job was worth getting treated like something lower than shit.

"Jane, please listen. All I can say right now is I'm sorry. I mean it. I wish I could take back every word she ever said to you."

"Yeah? Well I'm sorry I ever met you. I'm sorry I ever got into your stupid car!"

That one hit Maura hard. Her next words came out without even thinking – something Maura Isles never allowed herself to do. "As if you had so many more appealing options."

Standing in the doorway, Jane was shaking, the unfamiliar feeling of tears stinging her eyes. "I've never had someone make me feel as cheap as you have today."

Then the door was firmly closed, and both of the women were alone.

Maura grasped at her mouth and felt her own tears flow. She couldn't believe what she had done.

Out in the hall, Jane was frantically pushing the elevator button muttering "Come on!" and plotting her move to a bigger city where she could completely immerse herself in work and never have to put up with social bullshit again.

Then she felt the soft hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't prepared to answer questions about us. It never clicked with me that my mother would see us together. Please, Jane. I don't want you to go."

"Why?" she responded flatly.

"I realized something about you – about us – today when I saw you talking to that cocktail waitress. I saw how she looked at you. I didn't like it."

"We were just talking."

"I didn't like it."

Jane looked up for the first time and saw desperation in the tear-smudged eyes. Did Maura love her? Or was she just lonely? No one had ever looked at Jane that way before. No one had ever begged her to stay. And after a fight like this, Jane had never found herself wanting to give in…until now.

When the elevator showed up, they watched the doors open and close again.

"You hurt me," said the brunette.

"Yes." Maura was breathless.

"Don't do it again."

Maura nodded to indicate that she wouldn't, and with that the blonde broke down. Jane could do nothing but grasp her tightly in her arms in the middle of the hallway.

~LT~

"When I was in grade school, Ma used to call me a bum magnet," Jane was lying on the bed on her side, confiding in Maura for the first time as she faced her. "If there was some loser bully within a 50 mile radius, I'd sniff him out and show him who was boss…that always kind of impressed the ladies."

Maura giggled, loving every minute of Jane's stories, her cheek caressing the soft linens.

"So," Jane continued, "I started off wanting to be cop, actually. You had it pretty close."

Maura's face lit up. "No way! Really?"

"Yeah, maybe you should be the detective." Maura kept smiling, dying to hear more about the woman she was almost certain she had fallen in love with.

This was the part Jane hated. She had enjoyed telling Maura true stories of her childhood, but she couldn't go any further without breaking her cover. It hurt so much to lie to her, and she wondered if she'd ever get the chance to tell her the truth.

Yet, she continued, "Anyways, I just couldn't see making my poor dad pay for all that school, ya know? We didn't have the money to send me to the Academy. So I did some odd jobs here and there – worked at couple of fast food places, parked cars at wrestling…but I couldn't make the rent. I was too ashamed to go home. That's when I met Kit. She was turning tricks and made it sound so great. So I just did it. It sucked, but after a while I got some regulars."

Maura frowned slightly, but tried not to let her true feelings show.

Jane found herself needing to fill the silence. "It's not like anyone plans this – it's no one's childhood dream."

Maura's heart couldn't stay silent any longer, "You could be so much more."

Jane remembered then all the discouragement she'd ever gotten about following her dreams. The teachers, the other kids, her mother, immature male officers, Cavanaugh...sometimes it was all too much.

"When people put you down enough, you start to believe it," Jane said.

Maura let her hand drift across the surface of the sheet to find Jane's, grasping it in her own. "I think," the doctor whispered, "You are a bright, and very special woman."

Jane looked down, feeling guiltier than she ever remembered. "The bad stuff is easier to believe."

Jane rolled over to hide her tears, and Maura came closer, cuddling her as the big spoon and letting her thumb drift softly over Jane's hand until they drifted off to sleep.