Hey, guys. Finally I have an update for this story as well. I hope you'll like it, and that it'll answer some of your questions.
And I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas time.
So, enjoy this little chapter.
T73.
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Jane is standing with a unreadable face at her car and is breathing heavily.
It's not enough that her best friend has seen right through her. No, now they also have to deal with a double murder.
The Italian blinks a couple of times when the headlights are blinding her. She growls low when she spots Ben's silver Dodge .
She pushes herself off of her own car and arches an brow as he and Maura get out of the Dodge. "Are you joining us tonight, Benny?"
He's smiling at her. "Yes, I wanna get my own impression."
Jane lowers her eyebrows when Maura is scowling at her.
She hates that she have had introduced him to Maura because even just in a simple shirt, a jeans and a black leather jacket he is still good looking.
She really has to come to terms with the fact that she has missed her chance.
She's lifting the yellow police tape and frowns deeply. "I just have to get used to the fact that you are around the crime scene, Ben. That's all."
"Yeah, me too. I mean, normally I only see the crime scenes only on photographs and read about them in your reports. I am new to this."
Maura is clearing her throat because she can see that the detective is about to reply something snarly.
"Is there something that I should consider, Detective?" Ben asks and frowns slightly.
"Besides not throwing up," Jane asks back as she leads the way to the abandoned cottage. "Dr. Isles does not like it when one of us is contaminating her crime scene. I hope you have a better stomach than Detective Frost."
Ben is smiling at her and arches an eyebrow. He already has heard about Frost's issue with corpses. "I have an reliable stomach. Not every guy that isn't white is squeamish, Detective Rizzoli. I can guarantee that my dinner is staying where it should be."
Jane chuckles and leads the way into cottage. "That's good to know. Anyway, it looks like the same MO. Black dress, the body is arranged -"
"She's also strangled?" Ben asks as the Italian is trailing off, and he can see that she's glancing at his wife.
He knows that the ME is very stuck to the procedures of their work and he clears his throat. "I mean, what about the flowers?"
"Convallaria majalis," Maura mumbles and crouch down next to the new body."
"Yes, these." Ben replies and is scratching the back of his neck.
Jane fuels her eyebrows. "They are there too." She pauses and sighs heavily. "I mean, why does the murderer always leave lily of the valley in the victim's hands? Do they have a special meaning, or what?"
Maura is looking up and frowns a little.
Jane knows that expression all to well. It tells her that Maura starts to sputter a lot of fun facts any second, of that her head is about to explore. "Care to share?"
Maura looks long at the dead woman and shakes her head. "It's nothing."
"That is not your It is nothing-face, Maura." The detective replies and furrows her brows. "That's your I have a hunch-face, Doctor."
Ben drops his chin to his chest to hide his amused smile.
Frost and Korsak are chuckling when the blonde is glaring at her friend. "You know that I am not guessing, Jane. And I may have an idea why the murderer is doing that, but I won't tell that by know."
"Fine," the detective huffs but smiles.
Korsak rolls his eyes and walks over to the DA, looking at him. "However, it looks like the prep has called in the murder himself. Operations got a call with the exact coordinates where we can find his next victim. But they couldn't track the caller's phone."
"Why not," Ben asks and frowns.
"The call was made with an burner phone." Jane answers his question and glance down at the ME.
Suddenly, she notices that something at Maura has changed.
Suddenly, she's noticing that the blonde is glowing. That Maura has that kind of glow that someone has after -
Jane turns her attention to her antagonist and shudders.
She's clenching her teeth and pats his shoulder almost violently. "Congratulations, Counselor." She says and can't hide the undertone. "You just caught your first case of serial killing. That's going to work for your reputation."
Frost looks up from his tablet as he hears the sarcasm dripping from the Italian's voice and Korsak's jaw almost hit the ground.
Ben is watching Jane leaving the crime scene again and then he glance at his wife. "Doesn't we call it a serial killing just after three murders?"
Maura is blinking a couple of times and frowns.
She knows exactly that the Italian has noticed that Ben and she had been intimate before the have been called to the crime. That's why she doesn't say anything and just raises her eyebrows.
She can feel her cheeks reddening and looks back down at the body, licking her lips.
Frost is understanding and sighs heavily before he follows the Italian.
Korsak is raising his eyebrows high and points at the dead woman. "This, Counselor, this is just the beginning." He grumbles, put off his gloves and follows the two other detectives out of the cottage.
Ben is furling his eyebrows and points over his shoulder with a thumb. "Have I said or done something that them off?"
The ME takes a deep breath and gets up to her feet. "They are cops, Ben. They doesn't really like it when a third authority is keeping a sharp eye on them."
And I don't like it either, she thinks and put off her gloves.
Ben nods slowly to himself and looks in the direction in which the police officers have disappeared, sighing heavily,
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Jane is standing in the autopsy room and has her arms crossed over her chest, her face is unreadable. "I hope we didn't wake the two of you when you go called to the crime scene." She grumbles and drags her eyes to the ME. "Or have you been in bed without sleeping."
Maura lifts her head and turns it to the Italian.
They already have had danced this little tango in the past, but today it is different.
Today, she is a married woman and she does know that her best friend is in love with her.
And that changes so many things, and that's why she has the opinion that the Italian has no right to act like she is right now.
Maura has given Jane so many signs that she felt more than just platonic friendship, and now the time was over.
Jane has no right to act like an eight-year-old. "Don't you think that your current behavior is more than inappropriate, Jane? You don't have the right to act like a little child just because Ben and I -" She pauses and licks her lips. "Sometimes a married couple does have sex. And you don't have to judge about it just because Ben and I get intimate sometimes."
Jane curls her eyebrows and shrugs. "I am not judging you because of that."
Maura huffs and turns her attention back to her work.
Jane sighs heavily and walks over to her friend. "What is the matter, Maura? I mean the real matter. In the past something like that didn't bother you. Quite on the contrary, you always have played along, but now it turns out that you are not less prude than me? Uh-uh, not buying that. It has never bugged you when I teased you about that."
Maura rolls her eyes and looks again at the detective. "You are right, Jane. Back then it didn't bothered me. But I also didn't know that you are in love with me. And back then, I wasn't a married woman, Jane. But right now you are asking me about my husband's and my sex life."
Jane glances long at the blonde and shrugs. "So? It never bothered you tell me about, even though I rather I put knitting needles in my ears before I hear about that."
"That's what I mean," Maura says, pull off her gloves and walks towards her office.
Jane sighs loudly and she slowly loses her patience as she follows Maura into her office. "What's different now, Maura? Why is it such a big deal, huh?" She asks louder and watch the ME closing the door. "What has changed so much, huh? Is it because now you know how I am feeling about you? Don't worry, I know that it won't happen. If you are true to yourself -" She stops herself and presses her lips together.
She steps closer to Maura and looks angrily at her best friend, and raise an clenched fist. "If you are true to yourself then you always knew that I am feeling more for you than just friendship.
Every single time when you presented your new boyfriend of the month to me I was dying, and I swear to God, Maura, I never hated myself more than the day when I introduced you to Ben" She steps closer to Maura and furrows her brows, tipping at her chest. "I was supposed to have what Ben is having now, Maura. I was working hard for it, for your trust, your love. But you've chosen Ben over me and that's okay now, I can handle it. I can handle it now."
Maura is looking long at her friend and swallows hard, shaking her head briefly.
She doesn't know what she should say to that.
She was hoping for so long to hear those words from the Italian's mouth, but not just after her wedding with Benjamin Payton.
She isn't really sure what she was hoping for.
Jane is scrutinizing the ME and frowns a little. "You was hoping that I would keep you from your wedding, weren't you?" She says and steps even closer. "But I unfortunately kept my trap shut, perhaps for far too long. But I won't deny my feelings anymore, Maura. I am too tired for that now. And I didn't say a word because I was afraid that I could lose you as my friend, and I rather give up my love for you than to lose you at all. I know that my heart is gonna heal when you'll reject me, but I also know that it would kill me when you wouldn't be a part of my life anymore." She shakes her head and blinks her tears back. "I got a taste how it would feel like after I shot Paddy and it tore me apart. You make me whole, Maura. And now I am hating myself for telling you that, because you're going to hate me for real."
Maura is closing her eyes and swallows hard. She can feel the tears burning behind her lids, but she won't and can't allow them to flow, she just can't.
The Italian is frowning deeply and takes another step forward. "And after I had the guts to tell you how I feel about you, you announced your engagement. And I told myself to shut up for the rest of my life, but you know how I can be, Maura. Sometimes it just burst out of me. And then I am the idiot out of the crazy, stupid romantic comedy who makes a fool out of herself because I am exposing myself right now. And I have to admit, I was never more grateful that the audience is dead." She sighs heavily and her shoulders slump.
She licks her lips and shakes her head. Just a couple of days ago her life was more than fine. She hasn't doubt her life or her marriage until now.
She knows that a stopgap isn't a nice or a respectful job, but Ben was never something more.
She haven't had planned to fall in love with him or to marry him, but she realized that Jane would take forever, and she wasn't willing to wait that amount of time. She just needed a real relationship, and Ben is giving her exactly that. A partner that she could touch, kiss and feel when she needed it, and Ben is such a partner.
And all of a sudden Jane want to be such a person too.
Maura's head starts to buzz and she glance into dark brown orbs, and she can see all the love, hope and longing in them. "I love you, Jane." She chokes out and a tear is rolling down her cheek.
She isn't crying because she's feeling guilty. She is crying because she finally relieved.
She is relieved that she can finally say that out loud what she is feeling deep down in her heart, that she is in love with the detective.
Jane's heart is leaping in her chest as soon as Maura's words start to make sense to her. When her brain process the meaning of those words, and now she's standing there like thunderstruck.
She is in a blink at Maura's side and steps into the ME's personal space.
She places her index finger under the blonde's chin and lift it carefully up, then she is bending her own head and hesitates for the tiniest of a second .
She is looking into hazel eyes which are mirroring the smaller woman's anticipation.
Then, Jane is closing the last gap and kisses Maura gently.
She sighs in relief when Maura is kissing her back instantly and steps even closer as the ME whimpers.
She hasn't expected that the blonde's lips would be that soft and moans when Maura deepens the kiss.
Maura whimpers again as Jane doesn't break the kiss and wraps her arms around the Italian's neck.
A warmth is spreading through her whole body and she knows that this is how it's supposed to be, her hands are roaming over Jane's back.
Jane pulls away with a small smile because she knows perfectly fine where this would go if they wouldn't stop right now, and leans her forehead against Maura's. "And what are we going to do now?"
Maura closes her eyes briefly and licks her lips. She knows what the brunette means.
They are in a very precarious situation now and that someone's heart is going to break, and that's why she doesn't have an answer right now.
She shakes her head and sighs heavily. "I don't know what happens now, Jane."
Jane is clenching her teeth and nods once.
She isn't surprised that Maura doesn't have an answer, she doesn't have one either.
And it is too soon to ask for an decision right now, to be an asshole right now.
She's going to give the doctor all the time that she needs.
Jane takes a deep breath and kisses Maura once more. The kiss is short this time, and gentle, and she smiles when she pulls away again. "I can get used to that."
Maura is smiling broadly at the taller woman and licks her lips. "I should go back to work, Jane."
Jane clears her throat, but she doesn't move an inch. "Yeah, I probably should go back to work too."
The ME chuckles and gives Jane another peck on the lips. "Can I come by later?"
Jane's eyes are lightening up and she smiles wryly. "Yes, I would like that very much. But you also could come up and confirm that the latest victim was killed on the same way like Jill Masterson."
The doctor rolls her eyes, but doesn't move away either. She enjoys the feeling of being held by Jane Rizzoli way too much, and the Italian's hands on her hips. "Jane -"
"Right." Jane says and takes a step backwards. "Back to work," she says and tries to make her way to the office door, but she is bumping into Maura's desk like a lovestruck teenager.
Maura laughs amused and shakes her head.
She always has loved the clumsiness of the Italian, but of course she will never say that out loud.
As soon as Jane is out of her sight it hit her hard. The fact that she is a married woman who is madly in love with her best friend, and who has kissed Jane back without hesitance.
She closes her eyes again and swallows hard.
All of a sudden, she is realizing that she is holding three fragile hearts in her hands. Three hearts and she has to decide which one she is going to break.
"Oh, God." She whispers and walks to the door that leads to the autopsy room.
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Frost is looking up as soon as he hears the familiar footsteps of Jane and he furls his eyebrows when he sees the extra swagger when the Italian enters the bullpen.
He decently looks at Korsak and nods slightly in her direction.
The older man glances at his former partner and furls his eyebrows as well. He also can see the change in Jane's body language.
She smirks a little and pretends that she hasn't noticed the staring of the two me . She places an hand on her right hip and furrows her brows. "Do we know the name of the new victim?"
Frost is clearing his throat and turns his monitor around. "Yes, we do. Her name is Nancy Dorn, twenty-five."
Jane lowers her chin and grits her teeth. "Let me guess, she was reported as missing too."
Korsak looks over the rim of his glasses and nods approvingly, then he is holding up three fingers. "Yes, she was missing for three months. Nancy was reported as missing by her best friend Viola Bower."
"Lets bring her in and have a little chat with Miss Viola Bower," the Italian states and furls her eyebrows when the two men are exchanging a glance. "What?"
Frost is getting up and walks to the glass board, pins Nancy Dorn's photo on it and frowns. "We can't … unless you wanna make a séance." He pins an printed newspaper clipping next to the photo. "Viola Bower died in a car accident just one week after she has reported Nancy as missing. She was on her way back home from Baltimore. She didn't even make it out of Baltimore.
The ME's office of Maryland declared the accident as drug-related."
Jane stares absentmindedly ahead and purses her lips. "Baltimore," she mumbles to herself and gets her phone from its holder.
She starts to dial a number and holds the device to her ear, running an hand through her hair.
Korsak looks questioningly at the Italian and furls his eyebrows. "What are you doing?"
She is chewing on the inside of her cheek and glance at him.
She isn't exactly in the mood for making that call, but it's their best shoot right now. "I am going to ask someone for a favor who is coming from Baltimore." She raises her eyebrows high and smiles her best faked smile. "Hey, Ben. It's me, Jane."
The two men are groaning in the same time and she rolls annoyed her eyes.
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Maura is walking with a glass of red wine in one hand and a beer in the other over to Jane's couch and slips out of her heels before she sits down next to the Italian, tucking her feet underneath her.
She hands Jane the beer and sips her wine. "So, are you going to tell me why you have called Ben and asked him to request a file from the Maryland Medical Examiner's office?"
Jane is about to sip her drink, but then she stops dead and frowns as soon as the question hits her ears. "Is there anything that the two of you don't share?"
She sighs heavily as Maura chuckles and sips her beer. "Ben is the only one who has connections to Baltimore, Maura. And he is still talking to me … inevitably."
Maura smiles broadly. "Is the case leading to Baltimore?"
"Right now it looks like that, yeah." The detective replies and let her eyes roam unashamed over the ME's body. "But … are you really here to talk about the case … And Ben?"
Maura is shifting in her seat and shakes her head with a smirk, putting her glass on the coffee table.
She hikes a little the hem of her dress up and straddles Jane's hips. "I don't wanna talk about one of these things, Jane."
Jane's free hand find its way to the ME's back automatically and she arches an eyebrow. "Now, I like that kind of idea. And the sight from down here isn't bad at all."
Maura places her arms on each side of the detective's head and bends her head down. "I already have heard that, Jane, but hearing it from you is like the very first time."
Jane starts smirking and put the bottle on the end table, and both of her hands end up on the blonde's back.
Maura smiles seductively and then she closes the last gap between their lips. She moans deeply as Jane is deepening the kiss instantly and when her hands roam over the ME's back and up to her shoulder blades.
She's starting to roll her hips so she can get some friction.
Jane pulls away as soon as her hands are finding their way back to Maura's hips and frowns with a smile, because Maura is keeping her eyes closed.
"Maura," she says softly. "Maura, open your pretty eyes for me. I promise that I won't disappear."
Her smile grows even bigger as hazel eyes are meeting her own, and she caresses the doctor's cheek with her thumb. "Maura, there is nothing between my legs that you could stimulate by rolling your hips." She pauses and shrugs. "Well, nothing that you are used to."
Maura frowns and blushes before she is swatting the detective's shoulder.
Jane is laughing amused and shakes her head as she sees her usually so open-minded friend so flustered. "It's all right, Maura. We don't have to do this tonight. We can take all the time that you need."
Maura looks long at the other woman and is licking her lips. "Yes, we have to because you are -"
"Almost hairless," Jane asks and furrows her brows with a smile.
Maura rolls her eyes and kisses the Italian tenderly. She puts every single feeling that she has for the detective into the miss and hopes that Jane understands the message.
Jane hums approvingly and runs her hands over Maura's bare thighs, telling the blonde that she has got the message loud and clear.