Notes: Thanks everyone for your comments so far
CH2: Ruffian
Maura rested her cheek on Jane's chest, the soothing ticking of her heart an organic metronome keeping time, its excited rhythm reverberating in her throat. She took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of Jane, perspiration mingling with the spicy tones of Christian Dior's Addict. Perfection. Her hand wandered around Jane's slick chest, tracing the contours of her collarbone, down her side to linger over the area she once grasped in a crimson covered panic trying to hold Jane's life inside. She lifted her head to kiss Jane on the neck. I hope this feeling of utter tranquility when I'm in her arms never fades.
Jane's long arm snaked down Maura's back, she let her fingers drag back and forth on the bare skin, tracing Mara's spine from between her shoulder blades down past the small of her back to the sensitive little patch of skin that made Maura shiver when Jane teased it. She kissed Maura on the top of the head as she processed some of the other implications of going back to work. She had promised Maura that nothing about their relationship embarrassed her, hell, she'd even told her parents less than a week after they had expressed their feelings for one another. Work is different. As a female homicide detective she was used to the ribbing and derogatory remarks, but Maura wouldn't be. The thought of snide remarks and jokes being made at Maura's expense caused her body to tense.
Maura felt it and lifted herself up placing her hand on Jane's face, "What's wrong?"
"I…I was thinking about us…being together and what that means for being back at work."
"We're both professionals Jane, I have no doubt that we'll be able to perform all of our work duties just the same as before."
Jane sighed, "No, I know that. That's not it."
Maura sat up and adjusted to face Jane, she let her hand run over Jane's toned abs, "Then…what?"
The sight of Maura nude hadn't ceased to be breathtaking yet, she hoped it never would. She smiled as she let her hand caress lightly over Maura's chest before taking hold of her arm and urging her to lie back down. Maura complied but propped herself up on her elbow so that she could look Jane in the face.
"I'm gonna have to tell the guys…about us. Because sooner or later, probably sooner because knowing Korsak after a week back on the job he'll have some damn welcome back party planned at the Robber…totally as an excuse to buy beer and junk food…" they both laughed, "…and when we're there I'm gonna want to touch you and be close to you and I don't want when they're all drunk to be when they find out so I should probably tell them before…but I…I just don't know."
Maura looked at Jane sympathetically, "But Frost and Korsak are your friends, you don't really think this will change your relationship with them?"
"No, I don't. Not them. And I'm not really even worried what the rest of the unit might say…to me. I'm…Maura I'm used to the comments, the jabs, the jokes, it comes with the territory. But, I'm worried that as word spreads…and believe me, it will, that some of the guys may give you a hard time."
Maura couldn't help the small giggle that started to come out and when Jane wrinkled up her face in response Maura threw her hand up to her mouth to try and contain it.
"You're…laughing?"
"Oh, Jane, are you worried about having to protect my honor?" She giggled again, "That is so chivalrous!" Maura leaned down and placed a thankful kiss on Jane's lips.
Jane rolled her eyes, "Well…not your 'honor' so to speak I just don't want anyone teasing you, I don't want you to get your feelings hurt."
Maura smiled, "Jane, I've been teased my whole life. Growing up, kids even adults once I was in college and med school could be downright cruel. I got used to it. I toughened up. If any of the officers give me a hard time, I can handle it. And if it gets out of hand, I'll be sure to let you know, and I'm sure you can handle it."
"Maura I appreciate your…uh, confidence and all. But you damn near broke down in tears when I cracked on those spandex leotards you made us run the freaking marathon in."
Maura paused; she ran a finger down the bridge of Jane's nose and over her lips and then lightly grasped her chin to turn her face all the way to her. For all Jane's bravado in her everyday life there was an innate tenderness to her character. Maura felt like no one she'd been in a relationship with before had ever given so much of their true self to her. This is what it feels like to belong to someone without being possessed.
"That's because I care what you say, I care what you think. Other people that I don't love…their words don't matter to me" As soon as she said the words…love…she froze, her eyes wide. Did I just tell her I love her for the first time?
Jane shifted and wrapped her hand around the back of Maura's head, weaving it through her hair to caress the soft skin of the nape of her neck and hold her down in case she tried to bolt, "Maura, did you just sort of say you love me?"
Maura could feel her skin flushing with heat, I did, she nodded, "That…wasn't how I intended to say it for the first time. But, I do…I love you." Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest, the adrenaline and anticipation making her light-headed, "You don't have to say it just because I did…I don't want you to say it because you think you have to."
Jane smiled, a glint in her brown eyes she sat up easing Maura back down to the bed and hovering over her, "You seem to be making all the first moves in this relationship."
Jane closed the gap between them pressing her lips to Maura's, tasting her, relishing her. She let her lips slide tantalizingly down to Maura's ear and kissed the delicate area under her ear and around her jaw line.
She stopped and let her breath lap in short waves like small ripples across Maura's cheek before she brushed some stray hair from Maura's face, "I love you too."
Jane and Maura approached the front of the Boston PD headquarters. The air was palpable with tension and expectation; it had substance, a murky and chewy density like being surrounded by wet sand. Everything looked just as it had before the shooting. Even as they passed the spot on the sidewalk Jane marveled at how…clean it was. No sign, no trace, not a mark, not a blemish. She felt a phantom twinge in her side, her blood could be washed off the concrete but the memory couldn't be wiped from her mind nor the scars smoothed from her body.
They paused in front of the elevators. Maura glanced around to be sure they were alone before she took Jane's hand and smiled.
"The last time we were here…" Jane started to say.
"Was the last time, and this is now" Maura finished.
Jane nodded, "Lunch then?"
Jane walked into the unit to thunderous applause and a standing ovation. She could see the batch of Welcome Back balloons rising off her desk behind Frost and Korsak. All the attention was disconcerting; Jane didn't like it. Hugs and pats on the back. A dozen donuts, from Korsak no doubt, seeing as how three of them had already been eaten. Someone had brought her a cactus and put it on her desk. What the fuck?
"I thought flowers were the customary welcome back botanical?" Jane snorted.
"Botanical? You been hanging around Dr. Isles too much" Korsak said as he took another bite of a powder covered jelly-filled donut, the white sugar dusting his chin and tie.
Hanging around with Dr. Isles…yeah, something like that.
"The cactus is from me Rizzoli…" Detective Crowe called out, "…cause just like you, you can't kill the fuckers." Everyone had a good raucous laugh.
Someone started in with "Speech, speech, speech…" and soon everyone chanting it.
Jane rolled her eyes, "Jesus Christ, does no one do work around here anymore…"
"My thoughts exactly…" came the voice of Lt. Cavanaugh from behind her causing the unit to scatter back to their files and desks. "Save the speech for when the Commissioner pins a fucking medal to your chest." He handed her an envelope with the Police Commissioner's seal.
"Medal? You gotta be kidding me?" Jane tore the envelope open and started to read. Oh for Christ's sake, all I want to do is go back to work, try to put all this behind me and now they're going to trot me out in front of the whole damn force like some prize fuckin' show pony…again.
"Yeah, a medal Rizzoli, for…bravery…in the line of duty. Apparently my suggestion of a medal for unnecessary stupidity wasn't taken seriously."
Jane laughed under her breath, Cavanaugh was a salty piece of work with a distinctly difficult to read sense of humor. He was equally as likely to be serious as he was to be joking.
Cavanaugh left and Frost approached her, "Jane, it is good to have you back partner."
"Thanks…it's good to be back" She pushed Crowe's cactus to the back of the desk.
"Now, do me a damn favor and get your piece back, because if I have to stay partnered with Korsak much longer they'll be sending me to the force shrink…or lock up" Frost snagged a donut before he headed back to his desk.
Jane and Maura stood in line at Panera eyeing the menu.
"Oh, Frankie called, he's gonna join us…speak of the devil…" Jane waved her hand in the air to catch her brother's attention as he stood in the doorway scanning the busy café.
"Hey Janie, Maura…look we got a problem…"
Janie looked at her little brother skeptically; he tended to have a flare for the dramatic.
"Tommy's back in town…" Frankie said, a serious look of concern on his face.
"Jesus, life just gets better and better" Jane rolled her eyes. Tommy. "Maura, I think you should do a DNA profile on our brother, as the years go by I have more and more doubts as to our relation."
Maura raised an eyebrow and gave a half smile, "Where did he go? He was only at the hospital for two days after the shooting."
"Friends in New York…" Frankie answered, "…and now he's back, and he wants to move in with Ma and Pop, expects Pop to give him a job."
"No, hell no. They can't let him move in. He'll use them and bleed them dry and you and I will never hear the end of it" Jane growled. Welcome Back, Rizzoli.