Not a chapter that I'm fond of for some reason but oh well.
Here we go!
"Are you okay, Maura?" Angela asked rushing over to Maura when she and Jane appeared in the living room, their hands joined firmly. "I heard a crash from upstairs but Vince told me Jane was with you and I shouldn't crowd you. Are you okay, dear?"
"I'm fine, Angela," Maura confirmed as she sat down on the couch. "I tripped in my home office and bruised my shoulder muscle, I believe."
"Ice pack or heat?" Jane asked, not sure which would be appropriate in this situation for Maura's injury.
"Ice pack for now," Maura said as she looked up at Jane with soft eyes. "The heating pad I will use later once any inflammation has gone down."
Nodding, Jane went into Maura's kitchen and pulled an ice pack from Maura's freezer, meeting Korsak's eyes as he and Sean helped finish washing the dishes that didn't fit into the dishwasher.
"Everything okay?" he asked gently.
"They will be," Jane replied as she grabbed a dishtowel to wrap the ice pack in and walked back to the living room and sat down next to Maura. "I'll let you hold the ice pack to your shoulder," Jane said softly, avoiding Maura's gaze as she placed the cloth covered wrap in Maura's hand. She hadn't said anything but Maura knew to read between the lines. I don't want to hurt you.
"Thank you," Maura said as she leaned over to place a kiss to Jane's cheek, trying to silently reassure the detective. Please don't beat yourself up. I love you.
Angela began to ask Maura to tell her all about the date she and Jane had been on the previous night, gushing over how happy she was that her help with Maura's outfit was appreciated. Maura began to tell Angela about her and Jane's plan to have a picnic at a small park the next day and Angela began to tell Maura stories of picnics with the Rizzoli family from years past.
Jane sat rather silently, rolling her eyes or offering a comment or memory at the expected times but everyone could tell she was in her own person headspace miles away. The chatter finally slowed down and Angela announced she would be heading to the guest house to watch her favorite show, cuing everyone else to get up and leave as well.
After saying the proper goodbyes and promising to visit the station, Jane and Maura closed the front door and both sighed, thankful to finally be alone.
"Let's go to bed," Maura said as she reached for Jane's hand and laced their fingers together. Jane simply nodded and allowed Maura to slowly guide them to her bedroom. While some people would be unsettled by Jane's silence, Maura knew it was her way of sorting through her thoughts and arranging them in an organized manner.
Maura sat Jane down on the edge of the bed, kissing the crown of her head before pulling her dress over her head and draping it over the chair at her vanity. She turned back to face Jane and saw Jane's shadow had moved from sitting to standing, which Maura assumed meant Jane was also pulling her clothes off. Jane's shadow moved to a horizontal position on the bed and Maura walked to her side of the bed.
Maura lifted the covers and slid under them, turning to face Jane.
"What are you doing?" Maura asked when Jane reached for Maura to wrap her arms around the blonde's midsection.
"Um, getting ready to sleep?" Jane asked, unsure what Maura meant with her question.
"Turn around."
"What?"
"Turn around," Maura repeated. "After today do you really think you don't deserve a turn at being little spoon?"
"I dunno," Jane said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Roll over and I will be your big spoon," Maura said, her voice soft yet forceful.
Jane slowly rolled over and curled her body up, her tense body relaxing for the first time since Maura's fall when she felt Maura drape an arm over her middle and pull their bodies flush against each other.
"I love you," Maura whispered in Jane's ear.
"I love you, too," Jane replied.
"I love your sarcasm and sass," Maura said with a smile, "but how underneath that you're a big softie." She placed a kiss to Jane's shoulder blade and continued before Jane could interrupt. "I love your dedication to fighting bad guys and how you believe that the extra pickles and light lettuce on your burgers counts as a serving of greens. I love the way you call Bass a turtle and I love your scars," Maura continued as she found one of Jane's hands and rubbed the scar tissue at the center. "I love your hair and your smile and the way your nose scrunches up when I even mention the word kale," Maura said, pausing before adding something else. "You just scrunched your nose up, didn't you?"
"Yeah," Jane said with a gentle laugh.
"I could go on for hours but most of all, Jane, I love that you love me. That you have opened your home and your family and finally your heart to me. I love you, Jane Rizzoli, and I won't ever let you doubt that."
After a lazy morning in bed where Maura refused to let Jane be big spoon, the two women found themselves entering a small deli where they would pick out a lunch to bring with them to the park where they planned to sit in the spring sun for a picnic.
Both women had on dark jeans, though Jane wore a Red Sox t-shirt while Maura wore a lavender short sleeved silk blouse. Jane guided Maura into the deli, Maura holding lightly onto Jane's elbow as they maneuvered to the glass case where food was on display.
"They don't have kale," Jane said as she stood with Maura and perused the case. "But they do have a Greek salad that looks good as well as a Caesar. Or did you wanna get a sandwich?"
"A Greek salad sounds lovely," Maura smiled. "And I'll be sure to buy kale when we go to the grocery store to make up for not having it today," she added, imagining the face Jane was making at the thought.
"Oh, I just can't wait," Jane said as she began to move to the counter with Maura where an older gentleman stood with a smile on his face. "Guess that means I'll have to load up on the unhealthy stuff right now."
"Hi, ladies," the man greeted before Maura could chide Jane. "What'll it be?"
"Can we get a Greek salad and the Italian sub on wheat? And two bottles of water?" Jane asked the man, making a move to get her wallet but stopping when Maura placed a hand on her forearm.
"Let me get it," Maura said softly as she reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet, running her fingers over her credit cards before pulling one out and handing it to the man. "I keep them in a specific order so I can grab them in dark areas if needed," she said with a grin as she felt Jane staring at her.
"Ya know, polarized lenses might be a better option for you," the man said as he swiped Maura's card before handing it back to her.
"Pardon?" Maura asked, sliding her credit card back into the appropriate place.
"Oh, I just saw the way your friend was guiding you and thought you might be visually impaired," the man said. "So I suggested Ppolarized lenses for your sunglasses," he said as he pointed to the designer glasses Maura has pushed onto the top of her head upon entrance into the deli. "They aren't as stylish as those but they keep out a lot of the powerful rays that eye doctors say can strain eyes."
"I hadn't even thought of that," Maura said softly.
"My wife has been visually impaired for most of her life and lost all her vision about 8 years ago so I know a few things about vision loss," the man smiled. "I can give you the name of the place we get her sunglasses if you'd like. It's run by Lions so it's a real nice place."
"Lions?" Jane asked, not sure she understood what the man was saying.
"Lions Club International," the man said with pride. "We're the world's largest service organization with one of our pillars being improving the lives of those who are blind or visually impaired."
"I'm familiar with Lions Club," Maura said with a smile. "I just didn't know they had a presence in Boston," she added.
"Yep," the man replied. "The Boston City Lions just celebrated our 50th anniversary, actually. Here's my card," he added as he pulled a business card from his front shirt pocket and handed it to Jane with a smile. "We meet the first and third Monday of every month and the first meeting is a potluck where we all hang out and have fun before doing our business. So if you're ever in the mood for some good food and friendship, we'd love to have you."
"That sounds lovely," Maura said as she turned to face Jane. "We should see if Angela would like to join us when we visit," she suggested.
"We can bring family, right?" Jane asked the man.
"Of course! The more the merrier," he grinned. "I'm Greg, by the way," he said as he held his hand out to Jane.
"I'm Jane," she said as she shook his hand.
"Maura," the blonde said as she grasped Greg's hand and shook it.
"Here's your food," Greg said as he handed Jane a bag with their order. "But I'm totally serious when I say we'd love to have you ladies join us, even if only for a meeting or two."
"We would love to visit," Maura smiled as she resumed her grip on Jane's elbow and waved to the man before leaving the deli and beginning their walk to the park.
They arrived at the park just a few minutes later and Jane laid out a blanket on a hill near a pond where children had rolled up their pant legs and were wading in the water.
"We should have brought Joe Friday," Maura said as she sat cross legged on the blanket and inhaled the scent of springtime.
"I was thinking of picking her up tonight or tomorrow," Jane said as she pulled their lunch from the bag and handed Maura her salad. "I know she's still a trip hazard but I feel bad for leaving her with Korsak for so long. Even if she just came for a night or two to know that I haven't abandoned her," she finished with a laugh.
"We could pick her up tonight after grocery shopping?" Maura asked. "With the shadow perception I have I feel more confident that I wouldn't trip over her."
"Lemme just shoot Korsak a text seeing if he's cool parting with her," Jane laughed as she pulled her phone out and texted Korsak to ask if he would be home later that day and if he could bear to part with Joe. She set her phone on the blanket next to her and began to eat her sandwich, both women eating in comfortable silence. As much as the two women loved their witty banter, they enjoyed the fact they could sit in silence comfortably.
"Would it hurt your shoulder if I scoot a bit closer and maybe put an arm around you?" Jane asked, uncertain as to the level of pain Maura felt in the shoulder she had hurt in her fall.
For her answer, Maura moved her body towards Jane's voice, smiling when their arms brushed which prompted Jane to drape an arm over Maura's shoulders.
"This is nice," Maura said softly as she listened to the young children splashing in the pond. "This must be the park Greg was telling us that the Lions meet at," she added.
"I'm pretty sure it is," Jane agreed as she ran her fingers up and down Maura's shoulder. "I think the pavilion on the other side of the pond has the same emblem on it as his business card."
"I would like to go to one of their meetings," Maura said, uncertain if Jane felt the same. "But if you don't want to join me I could see if Angela would be my sighted guide," she added quickly.
"I'd like to go," Jane smiled.
"Really?" Maura asked, turning her head to face Jane.
"Yeah," Jane laughed, seeing the excitement on Maura's face. "And I'm sure ma would like to come. We could even have her teach us to make cannoli."
Maura quickly pressed her lips to Jane's, excited that Jane would be joining her in visiting the club as well as the thought that she would finally learn to make Angela's cannoli. She pulled away and placed a softer kiss to Jane's lips before resting her head on Jane's shoulder, a smile on her face.
"So…" Jane said after a minute of silence.
"Yes?" Maura asked, noticing the hesitation in Jane's voice.
"I was wondering if you'd talked to your mother lately," Jane said.
"I have not," Maura admitted. "She and my father were scheduled to return from a week in Ghana on Thursday and I did not want to call them right after their return to tell them about my blindness. I did not want to add undue stress to their lives."
"Well, its Monday," Jane stated. "I'm not gonna tell you what to do but it might be worth it to call Mama Isles," she said as she kissed the side of Maura's head. "In case your vision doesn't come back it might be less of a shock to tell them now versus when we get the news its permanent. Plus you could let them know that we finally came to our senses and got together," she added.
"Perhaps I'll call them tomorrow afternoon," Maura said. "It will be evening their time so I should be able to catch them."
"Hey, you don't have to call them if you don't wanna," Jane reminded her. "I just thought I'd ask if you had."
"I really should," Maura said. "What time is it?" she asked, hoping for a change of subject.
"Almost 1," Jane replied as she checked her watch. "Did you wanna head home to drop off the blanket before heading to my place and the grocery store?" They planned to restock Maura's fridge and pantry as well as stop at Jane's apartment to check her mail and pick up more clothes for Jane to wear.
"Sure," Maura smiled as she allowed Jane to stand first before helping her up and gathering their picnic supplies, offering her elbow once she did to guide Maura back to her home.
"I'm going to hop in the shower," Maura announced after she and Jane had finished putting their groceries away. "If you'd like we can start cooking dinner when I'm out."
"Sounds like a plan," Jane smiled as she walked over to Maura and placed her hands on Maura's hips. "I'll take Joe for a walk so she calms down," she added as Joe danced around the women's feet in hopes of getting one of the all-natural treats Maura often offered the dog.
"Or you could let her out into the back yard and join me in the shower," Maura suggested as she pressed her body against Jane's with a smirk. She would never force Jane to do what she felt uncomfortable doing and still did not plan on having sex until Saturday but she desperately wanted to prove to Jane that she harbored no hard feelings to the detective from what she had heart the day before.
"If I showered with you, I don't think we'd ever leave," Jane smiled as she ran her hands up and down Maura's sides, a shiver of delight running through the blonde.
"That's true," she said as she placed a kiss to Jane's neck, moving her lips up the strong jaw until reaching awaiting lip. Tongues danced with each other before Jane pulled away breathless.
"Go shower," Jane said. "The sooner we get you clean means the sooner we get dinner."
"Oh, Jane," Maura smiled. "I had no idea you were so excited to try the kale recipe tonight," she added with a smirk.
"Yeah," Jane said sarcastically. "Totally excited to try your pasta with peppers and kale," she said. "What I meant was that the sooner we eat dinner means the sooner we can go make out on the couch."
"Only if you eat a full serving of the pasta plus at least five forkfuls of kale salad," Maura said.
"You drive a hard bargain, Doctor Isles," Jane groaned as she imagined the kale she would soon be eating. "But I guess I can agree to that."
Maura smiled as she slipped out from Jane's grasp and stuck her arm out, wiggling her fingers expectantly.
"Shake on it," Maura said after Jane didn't grasp her hand. "That you will eat a full serving of the pepper and kale pasta as well as five forkfuls of kale salad and only after you do so will we move to the couch for other activities."
"The things I do for you," Jane sighed as she shook Maura's hand in mock formality before the blonde turned to walk towards her bedroom and shower.
Shaking her head, Jane bent down to pet Joe's head after the dog had jumped up to gain the detective's attention. The dog looked up at Jane with eager eyes and Jane sighed, raising to her full height and grabbing Joe's leash. She clipped it to Joe's collar and opened Maura's front door, the evening sun only just beginning its decline.
Jane walked Joe around the block twice, smiling as the small dog attempted to climb trees after squirrels or befriend other dogs who they passed. When they reached Maura's home, Joe immediately bounded up the stairs and sat in front of the door, cocking her head at Jane when the brunette didn't run up the stairs with the same level of excitement as the dog.
"Goof," Jane muttered to the dog as she entered Maura's house and let Joe off her leash, watching the dog immediately scurry off to the living room. Jane followed her, sitting down on the couch and patting the cushion next to her encouraging Joe to come next to her.
"Alright, Joe Friday," Jane said as she rubbed the dog's exposed belly. "I need you to be on your best behavior while you're here. Your Mama Maura had an accident and can't see a whole lot so you can't flop down in front of her when you want a belly rub or run around her feet while she walks. I already made her fall and hurt herself—hey, don't give me that look. I didn't do it on purpose," Jane spoke to Joe. "So you can't be like me and hurt Mama Maura, okay?"
"Actually, Joe," Maura said as she made her presence known and entered the living room, using the shadow perception she had to walk around to the other side of the couch and sit on the other end with Joe in between her and Jane. "Your mommy didn't make me fall. I tripped over my own feet," she said as Joe now propped her two front paws on Maura's thigh while the other two were still on the couch. "So don't let her tell you that she hurt me because that isn't the truth."
"Didn't know you were standing there," Jane said as she watched Maura petting her dog and felt a surge of happiness fill her at the thought that maybe she and Maura could spend the rest of their lives like this.
"I can be sneaky when I wanna be," Maura replied, laughing as Joe jumped from the couch and her paws clicked rapidly against her hardwood floors as she scurried around the house.
"Did you wanna get dinner started?" Jane asked, slightly embarrassed that Maura had heard her talking to her dog.
"Jane," Maura said as she scooted over to sit next to Jane and take the brunette's hands in her own. "Please stop beating yourself up over what happened yesterday. Yes, it hurt to hear you say those things and yes I tripped but please…I need you to open up to me about your feelings so that we don't have anything like yesterday happen again. So we can grow and keep this relationship going. Because I want you and I to stay together."
"I want that, too," Jane said softly. "I really, really do."
"Glad we're on the same page," Maura chuckled. "So tell me what you're feeling?"
"Well, at the moment I'm feeling like maybe dinner can wait for 10 minutes and I can maybe cash in on my end of our bargain early," Jane admitted with a smirk.
"Oh, really?" Maura asked.
"Yeah," Jane laughed.
For a response, Maura placed her hand at the nape of Jane's neck and pulled the detective towards her, their mouths meeting fiercely and passionately. Maura slowly leaned back until she was on her back, never breaking the kiss as she pulled Jane's body on top of her's and prayed she could erase Jane's pain from the previous day with her lips.
The next afternoon Maura found herself sitting at her kitchen table alone. Jane had taken Joe out for a run that she promised she would keep brief. Maura's hands fiddled with her cellphone, knowing she needed to call her parents yet still feeling nervous every time she did so. Taking a deep breath, Maura picked up her phone and, using the voice command, prompted her phone to dial her parent's house.
"Bonjour?"
"Bonjour, mere," Maura said, her voice calm and hiding her nerves.
"Maura, darling," Constance said when she recognized her daughter's voice. "How lovely it is to hear your voice! You father and I were not expecting a call from you. This is a pleasant surprise."
"Are you not available to talk?" Maura asked, not sure if she wanted her parents to be busy or not.
"Your father is on a call right now with some colleagues but I am reading the article you had published recently on the ethics associated with medical examiners," Constance said as she took her reading glasses off and placed them on the desk she was reading at. "It is quite intriguing, my dear. You continuously make your father and I so proud."
"Really?" Maura asked, unable to mask the shock in her voice at her mother's emotional statement.
"Of course," her mother said. "Your father and I might not have shown you that much growing up and we do regret that. But we are so proud of the work you do, both in your academic publishings and your work with the Boston Police Department. Just the other day I overheard your father bragging about you to an old college friend."
"Thank you so much, mother," Maura said, her throat suddenly feeling tighter. "I do try to make you proud."
"I am sorry you ever doubted our pride in your," Constance said sadly. "I will try to be better for you," she added. "But do tell me—what is your reason for calling? Is everything okay?"
Maura inhaled deeply and decided she would start with her good news before telling her bad news.
"Jane and I are together, mother," Maura stated simply.
"Oh, you are?" Constance asked, surprising Maura with her excitement. "Maura, darling, I am so happy for you. I know how close you and Jane have become and how deeply you both care for each other."
"It has only been about 4 or 5 days," Maura stated. "But I've never loved someone as much as I love Jane. It might have overwhelmed me at one point but now it excites me. The prospect of spending forever with her," Maura said as she imagined growing old with Jane at her side.
"Do tell me, dear. What was it that pushed you two to come to your senses?"
"I had a small accident in the lab," Maura said as she remembered the feeling of stupidity that she felt when she realized her vision loss was her fault. "The sap of a poisonous plant came into contact with my eye and I lost my vision on Wednesday evening."
"Oh, my Maura," Constance breathed, the pain her daughter must be feeling causing her chest to constrict. "What have the doctors said?"
"They said there was a chance I would get my sight back but also a chance it might be permanent. I awoke yesterday to shadow perception, which leaves me hopeful that with the eye drops Jane helps me put in three times a day, I will soon have full vision back."
"How can your father and I help you?" Constance asked.
"I am not sure," Maura said honestly, smiling as she heard Jane enter the house and immediately fill up a glass with water. "Jane has been absolutely incredible in acting as my sighted guide," she told her mother, listening as Jane's footsteps grew closer and stopped just behind her, a hand coming out to rest on Maura's shoulder.
"Is she there now?" Constance asked, hearing the smile in her daughter's voice.
"She just walked into the house," Maura replied. "Would you like to speak to her?"
Jane's hand tightened on Maura's shoulder and Maura couldn't help but chuckle as she handed her phone up to Jane. Relaxing her hand, Jane took the phone and pressed it to her ear.
"Hi, Constance," Jane said into the phone.
"Hello, Jane," Constance said warmly. "I know that we have not had the smoothest of paths but I would like to tell you how thrilled I am that Maura has someone like you to love her."
"Thank you, ma'am," Jane said. "I'm thrilled that Maura lets me love her. And that she loves me."
"I have no doubt that you and Maura will be together for quite some time," Constance smiled.
"I certainly hope so," Jane agreed.
"Which is why I would like to welcome you into the Isles family," Constance said. "In person," she added. "Either by arranging for you and Maura to take some time to come to visit my husband and I or by arranging for us to come to Boston."
"I think that sounds like a plan," Jane smiled. "And I know Maura would love it, too."
"Fabulous," Constance said as she relaxed into her chair. "We will be in touch."
"I look forward to it."
"Goodbye, Jane," Constance said. "Please let me speak to Maura so I can properly tell her goodbye, as well."
"It was lovely speaking to you, Constance," Jane said with sincerity before handing the phone to Maura and kissing the crown of her head gently.
I'm not fond of this chapter but I promise that the next chapters will be better.
I just had to include Lions Club International in this story. Lions Club changed my father's life in such a wonderful way and everyone in my family—mom, dad, brother, sister, aunt, and myself—are all Lions. My dad was president of his club last year while I served as president of mine last year. So it's a family affair. Please PM me if you'd like to know more about Lions Clubs!
