Whoa. This one got away from me a little bit. Let me know what y'all think.
When Angela returned home in the early evening, she found the girls still on the couch. Jane put a finger to her lips, indicating the sleeping patient, and Mrs. Rizzoli nodded.
"I thought I'd make some dinner," she whispered.
"Something light," Jane said. "She's hardly eaten anything."
"Alright," Angela smiled at the picture before her, Maura curled up, Jane at the other end of the couch, watching over her friend. She wondered how long they'd been positioned that way, well aware that her daughter normally struggled with sitting still for anything much longer than an hour. Maura appeared to be the exception to that rule.
"Thanks, Ma," Jane said gratefully.
"I'll be out in a bit!" Angela headed for the kitchen, stopping to give Bass a pat on the shell as she passed.
She brought out two bowls of split pea soup an hour later. Neither woman appeared to have moved. "You'd better wake her up, Janie, otherwise she won't sleep tonight," the cook ordered, setting down a bowl in front of each of her daughters.
"Ma? What is that?" Jane asked, more than a little grossed out. "It looks like puke."
Angela slapped her grown child gently on the side of the head. "It's bland, so it won't upset Maura's stomach. Plus, it's healthy. Vegetables."
"Well, I'm not sick. Do I seriously have to eat it, too?"
Angela glared at the brunette. "Is that I how raised you? Whining over a decent, home-cooked meal made with love an-an-and affection?" she successfully slapped Jane again, as the detective tried to squirm away.
Jane had the decency to look slightly apologetic, not wanting to set her mother off.
"Now. Wake up Maura. It tastes better while it's warm," she bustled off, back to the kitchen.
Jane shifted on the couch, leaning over so she could reach the ME's shoulder, kind of impressed Maura had managed to sleep through their little spat in the first place. "Maur. Maur, wake up. Ma made us soup. Really...gross looking soup," she glanced at the green lumpy substance as if it were about to jump out of the bowl and bite her. "Maura," she said again and the doctor shifted under her hand. J
"Don't wanna get up," she mumbled into the pillow.
"C'mon," Jane coached. "Let's get some dinner into you and then it can be bedtime. Officially."
"The movie," Maura disagreed, rubbing her eyes.
Jane grinned. Sleepy Maura was cute. Wait. What? Shit. "We can finish our marathon another day. Now, sit up. You gotta eat. We don't want Ma in here shoving it down our throats."
"How long did I sleep?" Maura asked, surveying the soup as she would a sample in her lab. "I didn't even hear your mother get in."
"I know. Impressive. You'll have to teach me how you do that," Jane took a mouthful and made a face. "Although, she was uncharacteristically quiet."
Maura giggled at Jane's expression and then made her own puckered face when she took her first bite. The soup wasn't bad, just not...tasteful. Maura was thankful that she was no longer as nauseous as earlier however.
Mrs. Rizzoli came in several minutes later, glancing pointedly at the two empty bowls with a satisfied smile. "Maura, dear, how are you feeling?" she asked, laying a hand on the grown woman's forehead as if she were still merely a child. "Hmm..still a bit warm."
"I'm feeling much better. Thank you so much for dinner, Angela. The soup was very, em, nourishing."
Jane snorted, but assumed an innocent front when her mother stared her way.
"Did Jane took good enough care of you today? You know, I offered to stay, but she insisted."
"Ma," Jane hissed.
"What?" her mother asked.
"Jane was very attentive," Maura affirmed, glancing over at her friend who was still glaring daggers at her mother and gave her a small smile. Jane smiled back. "I'm afraid I wasn't a very interesting patient, however. All I seem able to do is sleep."
"It's fine," Jane mumbled. Suddenly the lanky detective stood and stretched, working out her stiff muscles. "Well," she said, "I guess I'll be heading out now that you've eaten and Ma's here."
Maura's face fell. She'd been hoping Jane would at least stay until she was asleep. She'd slept so soundly all afternoon and knew it was due in part to the other woman's comforting presence. "You're leaving?"
"I, yeah," Jane ran her hand through her tangled curls, not sure what Maura's reaction indicated. "I figured you'd want to be getting to bed soon. Get another good night's sleep before work tomorrow and everything."
"Oh, well, yes. I suppose."
Inside, Jane felt disappointed that Maura hadn't asked her to stay like she'd done the night before. It was selfish and strange and she wasn't comfortable trying to understand why exactly it felt so horrible to be leaving, but she refused to stay unless the doctor asked. She didn't want to overstay her welcome.
Angela was watching the two girls interact with a curious expression on her face. "Jane," she interjected, and both women turned to look at her. "Why don't you stay? At least until Maura gets to sleep. I as hoping to head home myself. I've had such a long day at the café, you know."
Jane gaped at her mother. Angela Rizzoli was a well-spring of energy. There was no way she was seriously begging off nursing duty. She lived for the day that she got to fuss over any of her children, and that included the ME.
Angela was looking pointedly at Jane and Maura looked at her, too, amused to see Jane's mouth opening and closing like a fish out of a water. The detective was actually at a loss for words. "Sure," she let out an explosive breath. "I can stay. I guess. But only if it's okay with you?" she turned to Maura a question written all over her face.
"Yes, please," Maura said, trying not to sound overenthusiastic at getting what she wanted.
"Let me just call Frankie and ask him to let Jo out then."
"Oh! I already asked him, Janie," Angela looked slightly embarrassed.
"Ma," Jane managed to both whine and threaten with a single word.
Maura covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile. The Rizzoli's were definitely back.
"I'll just get these dishes out of the way for you and then I'll be in the guest house if you need anything. I'm glad you're feeling better, Maura," she patted Maura's knee and made her exit.
There was an awkward pause while Jane glared after her mother.
"I think I'll go get ready for bed then. It's hard to believe, but my body still feels tired. My white blood cell count must still be low," Maura broke the silence.
"Sorry about that," Jane apologized. "I don't have to stay if you don't want me to. My mother tends to put her nose in where it doesn't belong. You're looking much better and I know you'd be fine on your own."
Maura felt as though she had a momentary panic attack at Jane's words. Fighting down her rising anxiety, "I want you to stay," she affirmed. "Please."
"Well, alright," the detective was still unsure.
Maura stood quickly, too quickly after having laid in the same position for most of the day, and she stumbled forward as the dizziness caught her. Luckily Jane's reflexes kicked in and she grabbed for the doctor automatically before she could run into the coffee table.
"Maura?" she asked.
Maura couldn't think, couldn't get her lips to move to form the reassurance Jane needed. She could hardly breathe past the darkness in her head.
"Maura?" Jane tried after several moments, trying not to let her nervousness show in her voice. "Should I get Ma? Maur?" She had managed to ease the smaller woman back onto the sofa. Why wasn't Maura answering?
Taking deep breathes, the blackness was fading, light reentering her visual spectrum little by little, the pressure on her chest decreasing. "No," she licked her lips and tried again, "Don't call your mother."
When she was confident that could see and move freely again without setting off a rush of dizziness or causing her head to split, Maura looked at Jane. The detective was staring at her, worry plastered all over her face. In that moment, Maura had no trouble reading the other woman's body language; Jane was petrified.
"Maura," she whispered.
"I'm alright," the doctor attempted to sound reassuring, knowing it was true, but not to what extent. "I'm fine now." Jane was now staring at her arm where Maura's hand was clamped tightly. Maura forced herself to let go, to tell her fingers to relax their grip. "Jane," the shaky strength in her voice forced Jane to meet her gaze. "It was simply a headrush," Maura didn't feel the need to alarm Jane further by describing what, exactly, had just occurred.
"But, but you looked like you were about to faint. Your face went all pale and you didn't answer. I said your name and you didn't answer!" Jane could feel herself acting crazy, almost hysterical, but she couldn't stop, couldn't understand why Maura looked so calm, so at ease. "I should get, Ma!" Jane tried to stand, but Maura latched onto her again. The simple contact helped Jane to calm down, to refocus and get a grip. Maura was here, talking, holding on. Whatever had just happened seemed to have passed. But what the hell had just happened?
"Jane," she was serious. "I stood up too quickly and all of the blood rushed to my head due to the change in position. I am alright now," Maura needed Jane to believe her. "I promise. Alright?" I'm okay now."
Jane relaxed then and pulled the blonde into an unexpected embrace. Maura stiffened and then leaned into the brunette's thin frame. Her heart rate increased, but she automatically felt safer, more in control of herself in Jane's arms. She didn't want the detective to let go, but when Jane seemed certain Maura wasn't about to keel over, she pulled away.
The detective was embarrassed by her rash action. It had felt like the only sane thing to do in that moment, the only way to reassure herself that Maura was fine and still breathing, all in one piece.
Maura touched Jane lightly on the arm to draw her out of her thoughts, "Will you help me upstairs?" she would be fine by herself probably, but it would be easier with Jane to lean on. She also knew the continued contact would help to ease both of their minds, and being useful would make Jane feel more comfortable with the situation.
Maura had been surprised by the intensity of the near-blackout. She'd never had one quite so paralyzing. She could hear Jane when the brunette called her name, but it was as if Maura was underwater and unable to respond. They always increased the intensity of her headache for several hours afterward, but this was still negatively affecting her vision and depth perception. She needed her bed.
Jane hadn't moved, so Maura made as if to stand and the other woman rose fluidly next to her, gripping Maura's hand and elbow, steadying her, holding firm. Maura was undeniably grateful for Jane Rizzoli's ability to quickly wrap her head around any situation and take control, as the taller woman led her slowly out of the living room and upstairs. Jane didn't comment when Maura gripped the railing so tightly her knuckles turned white, or when they paused on the twelfth step so the doctor could catch her breath.
Maura moved to her bed and sat down with a sigh. She looked on with bemusement as Jane disappeared into her closet and didn't reappear for a full three minutes.
When she came out, she looked shell-shocked. "It's like an entire mall in there," she joked, attempting in her way to lighten the mood. When Maura gave a soft laugh in response, some of the excess tension dissipated from the detective's tightly wound frame. Jane turned away as the doctor slipped quickly into pajamas, trying not to picture a half-naked Maura behind her. Trying not to wonder when those images had started making an appearance in her brain. Trying to write it off as her body's coping mechanism. Try to, oh hell, get a grip, Rizzoli, she ordered herself.
Maura managed the short walk to the bathroom and sped through her nightly routine, craving the comforts of her bed and sleep. When she came out, flipping the bedroom light off behind her, Jane was still standing in the same place. Maura crawled into bed and rested her head on the down pillows, relieved to no longer be upright, letting the bed take her weight.
"Well, um, goodnight, then," Jane said awkwardly. She didn't really know what to say. She wanted to ask again and make sure the ME was okay, but she figured Maura would simply brush the question off.
The clock only read 8:30 pm, but Maura knew she would be fast asleep by the time the top of the hour hit. She was also aware that Jane was still worried after the incident downstairs. She didn't want their day, their first day after their reconciliation of sorts, their first day starting over, to end on such a strange note.
So, before the detective could leave, Maura called for her, "Can you come here?" she patted the bed next to her and Jane climbed up hesitantly. It was one thing to share the bed when Maura was fast asleep, another entirely when they were both awake. Maura rested her hand on Jane's, pleased when the detective didn't pull away.
"Will you stay with me again tonight?" she asked softly. "Please. I know it would make me feel better, and then you wouldn't have to worry."
"Maura, you're not, you're not okay," Jane whispered. "What happened downstairs - "
"Was an accident," Maura was quick to cut in. "I told you. And I'm alright now. It was probably a way for my body to communicate to me that I'm not fully well yet." It wasn't a complete lie. "Another night of sleep with help," Maura glanced up Jane from under heavy lids, unsure whether to push or hold off. But she needed the detective. "Will you stay? I'll sleep better, knowing you're here."
The confession seemed to do the trick, because even as Jane opened her mouth to argue, she bit it back, seeing how tired the blonde was and how truthful she was being. Seeing how exhausted the ME looked, still pale and drawn from earlier, she gave in. It's not as though she hadn't been hoping to hear those words leave Maura's lips anyway. She had slept much better in the doctor's bed the night before than she had for the past month. Maura was one of the few people that Jane was willing to give in to, to cave for. And Jane felt as if the two were still in some sort of bubble after their conversation yesterday. A good, apologetic bubble. Once she returned to her own apartment, she was afraid it would turn to all have been a dream. She wanted to stay in the bubble for as long as possible.
"Alright. Let me get the lights downstairs and change."
"And you'll sleep here, not the guest room," Maura clarified.
Jane nodded. "Yes."
The detective turned off all the lights on the first floor and then changed into some of her pajamas in the guest bathroom, slipping into the flannel shorts and Red Sox t-shirt happily, and brushing her teeth with the toothbrush she'd left there so many months ago. It made sense for the two to have clothes and things at the other's place, in case a late night working on a case or simply hanging out trapped them there overnight. Jane was thankful Maura hadn't thrown her stuff away after their fight.
She shut Maura's bedroom door quietly behind her and flicked off the light, tiptoeing over to what had become her side of the bed, unsure if the doctor had already drifted off. She climbed in keeping a solid space of empty mattress between the ME and herself. Maura opened one eye and peeked up at her. "Are you sure you're okay?" Jane whispered.
Maura answered with her eyes closed, "I just need another night's sleep."
Several moments of silence went by until Jane was started out of her state of half-sleep, "Thank you for staying, Jane."
"Sure," Jane rolled on her side to face the other woman. "Anytime."
Maura reached out a hand tentatively and Jane met her in the middle, squeezing to let the blonde know that it was okay.
"I'm so sorry, Jane," she wasn't sure if she was apologizing for almost passing out for the whole entire thing.
"Me, too, Maur. Me, too."
And that was how sleep found the two women: facing one another, hands clasped between the space dividing them, tethering them to one another, to solid ground.