The pair returned to the booth Jane nodded thanks to the guys when they passed and sat down.
"Maura, honey, are you alright?"
"Yes I'm okay now thank you Jen,"
"Can you please maybe tell me what that was about?"
"Umm... well the guy that walked in here, he thinks that Jane and I are a couple"
"Oh...?"
"Yes, umm...well whenever he sees us he frequently propositions us for a very common male fantasy"
"So a three way?" Sarah asked Jane nodded yes as her answer.
"Why would he do that?" Jen asked
"Well I may have gone out with him once and that was a disaster and he's so sweet that I didn't have the heart to tell him I didn't want to see him again and that I was in all honesty repulsed by him."
"What was so repulsing about him? Well other than obvious reasons." Sarah asked quite intrigued.
Jane started chuckling while Maura began blushing at the thought; again Maura didn't have the comfort level with this woman to answer but with one look knew that Jane would again come to her rescue. So still laughing Jane said "He wanted to lick her face" and soon after the other two joined in the hilarity.
The night progressed on and the four became rather comfortable, and Maura's unease around Sarah began to disappear and the two of them even had a chance to speak alone without Jane and Jen as they had both gone to the bar to check the score of the game and get the next round.
"So..." Sarah started "you seem really good for Jen."
"Thank you"
"You're welcome. So umm I was wondering what's going on with Jane?" After seeing a quizzical look on Maura's face she continued "is she seeing anyone right now?"
"Jane oh no, she just ended her previous relationship exactly 6 weeks ago"
"Oh? What happened? If it's okay if I ask."
"Well as Jane put it to me, 'she was bat shit crazy' and Jane had simply had enough of her antics"
"Oh?"
"Yes why do you ask?"
"Oh, well... it's just... umm well...she seems, oh forget it"
"Do you like her? I've noticed you are paying a lot of attention to her even though she has been rather quiet the last little bit."
"Well I do find her attractive, and funny, and she seems to be quite amazing."
"Oh, she is."
"So I couldn't really help over hearing that she said that you were a terrific bedmate, is that an assumption on her part or something she would know from experience?"
"Oh" Maura felt the blush running up her chest again "well her and I may have made love a few times in the past."
"Have you guys ever dated?"
"Not officially, I mean people at work think we are, they think that just because we both date and love women, and that we are best friends, means that we are clearly hooking up all the time and we're together."
"Well I'm a little confused then, what are you guys?"
"We're best friends"
"Yeah but you just said that you guys have hooked up. I mean I've hooked up with Jen before and in fact we met at a party and hooked up and then we became best friends after we tried dating for like a month and we just didn't work out that way."
"Well the thing is, when we have hooked up in the past the first time was because we both needed to feel something after a particularly trying night I felt bad that's how Jane had to spend that birthday, the second time was my fault we had gone dancing because I had just been dumped by a man who I saved and I had had entirely too much to drink that night, and the third time was just very natural need to have the chemicals from sex released. We've only hooked up 3 times and all were when we were both feeling the need for sexual release, and as a doctor I just cannot simply ignore what my body tells me. But we've never slept together while either of us was with someone, and we've talked about it and agreed that those were all independent events and they haven't impacted our friendship and we both believe that we are better to stay as friends than to engage in a relationship that could potentially cost us our friendship. So I guess you could say that we're friends with benefits."
"Okay, umm that's interesting, does Jen know this?"
"Some of it"
"Okay, umm well do you think that Jane would be interested in me?"
"Oh yes I very much do. And I already happen to know that she is. I would however advise that you wait for her to ask you out though. As I've noticed that she has a tendency to be the one doing the chasing as it were, and also I'm not entirely sure she's over her ex and I would surely hate for you to be a rebound."
"Thanks, you know I really do like you, and I hope that we can become friends as well"
"I would like that too"
The night slowly came to a close a little while after they finished the last round. Jane drove Maura home then the next week Maura suggested to Jen that they should invite Sarah and Jane to join them for dinner, as the meeting at the bar aside from the beginning and the whole hiding situation, had gone rather well. Jen was reluctant at first, but then Maura pouted a little and she agreed. They decided to have it a little barbeque and a fire at Jen's house the following week. For Maura it was going to be a full on set up now that she had felt that Jane had sufficiently moved on. For Jen it was a chance to get to make her girlfriend happy and hang out with her best friend and hopefully get to know more about Jane as she really hadn't learned much about her and she really wanted to be friends with her for Maura's sake.
The whole week Maura was looking forward to it and the night had come. She had spent that morning at Jen's helping her prepare the food and everything for that night. In the afternoon however she spent with Jane. They went shopping and Maura was insistent that Jane wear the new outfit she got to dinner and casually slipped in that Sarah had asked about her. Maura's ability to play match maker could rival that of the actual god of love. Her ways were subtle but the message was clear. And as Jane had asked about Sarah prior to even meeting her and several times since, and Maura was just telling her about their conversation now, Maura's intentions were not lost on her. When it was time to leave for Jen's Jane followed Maura in her car, as the chances of Maura staying the night were high as she had been doing so every other night that week.
While they were out shopping Jane had picked up some beer for her and a bottle of wine as a gift but basically knew that it would be Maura and Sarah drinking it.
As the night progressed Jane had stayed rather close to Sarah and Sarah stayed close to Jane. While they were eating Jane had noticed that Sarah had goose bumps and was beginning to get cold so while the two had gone to the kitchen with the plates and stuff from the table that they insisted on clearing, Jane came up behind Sarah who was rinsing things in the sink, and put her hands on the counter one on either side of Sarah, "you look like you're starting to get cold out there, perhaps you should put on a sweater" Jane practically whispered into the ear that was tickled by faint feeling of Jane's breath as she spoke.
"I didn't bring one, it was supposed to be warm." Sarah said while drying her hands and turning around to face Jane.
"Well then, I would like you to take mine, I don't want you to be cold."
"I couldn't then you would be"
"I'll be fine and besides I'm not cold" they stood there staring at each other in such close proximity until they heard someone nearing the kitchen at which Sarah turned around and continued rinsing and Jane moved to the dishwasher to load it, before Maura walked in with a knowing smile that neither saw as they refused to look at whomever it was that interrupted them.
Maura spoke a few words then left to go back outside. Once all the dishes had been rinsed and Sarah's hands were dry, she ran her hand across Jane's back while Jane was bent over loading the dishwasher much like Sarah had that night at the bar in the bathroom. The touch was light but enough pressure not to go unnoticed. Sarah had been wiping the counters when Jane had finished loading the dishwasher, so after shutting it she walked over to Sarah and snatched the towel hanging on her shoulder so she could dry her hands. Once that was complete she draped it back over Sarah's shoulder and placed her hand on the small of the blonde's back "I'll just go get that sweater for you"
After they were finished cleaning the kitchen Jane draped the sweater over Sarah's shoulders and they shared a look before going back outside to join Jen and Maura who were sitting together in a chair by a nice fire. Jane had taken not of the large red cooler that was between her and the couple as she sat down. Maura looked up at her then down to the cooler lifted the lid, pulled out a beer, and handed it to Jane, before asking if Sarah wanted anything. The four sat there talking enjoying the relaxing fire and the friendly banter that continued. At about ten Sarah had said that she had to go despite the protests from the other's she removed the sweater and placed it over the arm of Jane's chair and whispering thanks and placing a chaste kiss on the detectives cheek, before leaving. Jane stayed for a few more minutes after that and said her thanks and goodbyes to Jen and allowed Maura to walk her out. Once out the front door she put on the sweater she was carrying and shoved her hands in the pockets, but noticing something in the left hand pocket. She decided to wait until she was home to look at it. But once she arrived home she realized how tired she was and passed out in bed.
Maura also had to leave despite both hers and Jen's wanting her to stay, but Bass needed to be fed and she was on call tonight and needed to have clean clothes in the even she did get called.
Sure enough at 4:30 am she got a call from Jane that they had a case and she was needed. After examining the body at the scene and allowing it to be taken back to the morgue. Her and Jane agreed to meet up for the autopsy, Maura would prepare and process the body while Jane and the guys began their investigation and Jane would prepare the coffee that would be needed during the autopsy to keep them going, well her, Maura would have to drink hers after.
Jane was sitting on top of one of the currently unoccupied and thoroughly sanitized exam tables, watching Maura dissect, weigh and replace every organ. The conversation began about the case and as they had nothing yet to bring it back up the topic switched to the BBQ the night before. Jane told her about what had happened in the kitchen and then remembered about the thing in her pocket which she had totally forgotten about. When Jane had gotten the call at 4 that there was a body she showered and then jumped into some black slacks and button up but grabbed the sweater on the way out the door. Jane put her coffee down and reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper, with five letters and 10 numbers on it.
She smiled when she saw it and held it up for Maura to see too. "What should I do Maur? Should I wait until like tomorrow or something, or do I call her now?"
"Well it's roughly 7 am now seems a little early. So maybe when we have lunch or you could call her after work and ask her out for a drink. She's obviously into you."
"Yeah and I'm into her too. What should I say?"
"I don't know ask her out have a drink take her out to dinner, show her the Rizzoli charm, it has yet to fail."
"I don't want her to think I'm just looking for someone to fuck"
"I hardly think that's what she's thinking she's not a one night stand kind of girl so obviously she wouldn't have given you her number"
"Yeah, that makes sense. God it's been like a year since I've had to do this, it feels odd, and I don't remember feeling this nervous before."
"yes well before you hooked up and formed a relationship after that and she turned out as so eloquently put it to be "Bat shit crazy" so maybe this time get to know her a little more, I mean you guys have already hung out and gotten to know each other a little."
"Yeah but that was in a group setting you know, that's different." Then her phone buzzed and played out frost's ringtone, "Rizzoli, okay be right up" putting the phone away "sorry I have to go up frost thinks he's got something, finish this talk at lunch?"
"Of course I'll let you know if I find anything."
They all worked hard on their case Maura not finding anything physically wrong to determine a cause of death sent off a series of tox screens and labs. At lunch the two met up in Maura's office with sandwiches from the cafe. After talking about it a bit more Maura dared Jane to call her now and ask her out to dinner, and Jane not being one to back down did it. It wasn't until the phone was ringing that she realized what Maura had done and glared and the smirking doctor. She was about to say something to Maura when a very young groggy voice answered "Hello?"
"Hi?" Jane asked "Umm can I please speak with Sarah?"
"Who is it sweetie?" Jane heard in the background
"I don't know" she said to the voice in the background and then asking Jane "Who are you?"
"Sweetie that is not how we talk to people on the phone. Please give it to me."
"Sorry"
"Hello?"
"Hi uh... Sarah?"
"Yes? Who's calling?"
"Umm it's Jane."
"Oh, crap" she mumbled "umm hi Jane how are you?"
"I'm alright, is this a bad time to be calling?"
"Not usually but today it is"
"Would you rather I call you later?"
"Umm no it's okay can you just give me a couple minutes though, I just have to put her back to bed"
"Umm okay?"
Jane covered the mouth piece and began answering the questioning look on her friends face.
"She has a kid? You never said anything about that." Jane mouthed
"I'm sorry I didn't know, but you like kids you can't just not give her a chance because she has a kid." Maura whispered back with an apologetic look. It wasn't that Jane didn't like or didn't want kids but it was something that she always thought she and whomever she's with would do together not her walking into a pre-existing family with all their baggage.
"Hi, sorry about that, my niece was kicked out of pre-school today because she's come down with the flu."
"Oh umm that's nice you babysitting your niece?"
"Well kind of, I share custody of my niece with her mother."
"Huh?"
"Umm, what did you call for?"
"Oh, I found your number in my pocket this morning, and I was going to ask if you wanted to have dinner tonight but you're probably busy"
"Oh umm I'm not actually, my mother was coming over to sit with Katelyn tonight so I could do some errands and stuff so I don't think she'd mind spending more time with her. What did you have in mind?"
"Oh, great then, I was thinking maybe...Sister Sorel's at like 6?"
"That sounds great, I'll see you then"
"Ok see you then" Jane smiled as she hung up the phone and turned to Maura.
"So looks like someone has a date tonight" Maura stated
"Yeah I'm a little confused though"
"Why?"
"She said something about sharing custody of her niece with the kid's mothers?"
"Oh I had no idea about that."
"That's fine Maur; it's not a big deal. I'll maybe just ask her about it later?"
"Yeah that sounds like a good idea."
The pair went back to work after that and even though they had yet to get anywhere with the case Jane left at 5 to prepare for her date.