Disclaimer: I don't own, I rent.
As always: lyrics – flashbacks – present day.
A/N: To Ts: I just wanted to say thank you for being such a loyal reviewer! Also, I actually really love your idea about Jane wearing Maura's ring, had I not already basically written the final chapter, I might actually use that idea! I think you'll like where I'm going with it though! And don't worry, all your questions will be answered within the next few chapters. :)
Chapter Nine
"Enchanted"
September 2007
There I was again tonight, forcing laughter, faking smiles
Same old, tired, lonely place
Walls of insincerity, shifting eyes and vacancies
Vanished when I saw your face
It was my second day back in Boston and already I was being forced to attend one of my parents' charity functions. I tried to explain to them that I simply wouldn't have time to go to a party tonight, the boxes have barely been unpacked and I was hoping to have tonight and tomorrow to get settled in before starting work Monday morning.
My parents had other plans.
Not even two minutes into the phone call, mother was already giving me the guilt trip.
"It's been so long since you've been to one of our events, Maura."
"It would mean so much to have you there since your father and I can't be there."
"There will be so many young men there I would love for you to meet."
In the end, it was just easier to give in and agree to attending. Not even bothering to buy a new dress, I grabbed my go to LBD from my closet and freshened up my hair and makeup. Climbing in my Lexus, I sighed wishing I had somewhere better to be going tonight.
Just as I suspected, the party was filled with my parents' friends and their children, most of whom were married with kids of their own by now, but somehow each couple with a single son seemed to find me and tell me about how "accomplished" their offspring was.
I didn't really care.
I wasn't here looking for a husband. I already had one of those, and look where that got me, sad and alone.
As some accountant and his parents were boring me, a flash of dark black hair caught my eye across the room. I watched as the brunette introduced a woman to the man next to her, when the two started talking, she slipped away, glancing over her shoulder to see if they noticed.
They hadn't.
I couldn't help but smile to myself. Now this was someone who probably wouldn't be driving me crazy with their life story and list of accomplishments right now.
I had to meet her.
All I can say is
It was enchanting to meet you
I caught her eyes as she glanced around the room and she stopped mid-step to look at me. My heart stopped.
I realized my heart didn't actually stop or I would, in fact, be dead right now, but something about this girl made my thoughts all jumbled and made me think in hyperbole. I never did that.
But here I was talking about how my heart stopped beating and how I couldn't breathe.
And still, she stared.
Luckily, the man I was talking to, though I couldn't remember his name, seemed to reach the end of his latest story. I politely excused myself and began walking toward the striking brunette across the room.
Your eyes whispered have we met
Across the room, your silhouette starts to make it's way to me
When she saw me coming she made her way toward me and met me in the middle next two a couple empty tables. She was even more beautiful up close.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare, you just caught my eye" the girl explained once I was in earshot. I smiled back and glanced to the floor, suddenly feeling rather nervous.
"It's okay, I was just watching you at the bar. Was that your date?"
"Oh, yeah. My Ma set me up but the guy was a total dud. Thought I might try and find someone a bit more interesting to talk to. Or at least take advantage of the open bar. You up for the challenge?"
"The interesting conversation or taking advantage of the bar?"
She laughed and though I thought it must be impossible, she actually looked even more gorgeous doing so.
"Let's start with the talking."
The playful conversation starts
Counter all your quick remarks
Like passing notes in secrecy
"You wanna play a game?" she asked me, eyes lighting up, though I was a little nervous as to exactly what she could be referring to.
"What kind of game?"
"Whenever I get stuck at one of these types of things, I like to watch everyone and try and figure out what their story is."
"Well that could certainly be interesting. What about those two?" I suggested, pointing to an older man with a much younger woman on his arm.
"Oh, that's too easy. Classic gold-digger. She wants his money; he wants to be able to say he's with a woman in her twenties. Give me a hard one."
I glanced around the room trying to find the most interesting looking couple. Finally, I spotted an older woman dressed in a simple black dress and the most ridiculous hat I had ever seen. Next to her was a man around the same age in a faint pinstripe suit with a boutonniere that matched the woman's hat.
"Yes! Now that's a challenge. It's either one of two things. They could have been married for fifty years and he is just so whipped by now that he doesn't want to offend her not only by insulting her hat, but refusing to wear that hideous thing pinned to his suit."
We both laughed and she took a long drink from her beer. "What's the other option?"
"He is secretly gay and actually likes that ugly hat."
We laughed even harder at that comment. We continued around the room taking turns with each couple we found. Before we knew it, we had covered nearly everyone in the room and I had barely noticed that it had been over three hours since we started talking and it was now almost midnight.
"Wow, I didn't realize it had gotten so late. I should really be going, I have a lot I need to get done tomorrow," I explained to her, a look of regret on my face.
She returned the sad look and sighed a bit. "At least let me walk you out."
This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you
She escorted me to the valet and I handed the young man my ticket. As he walked away to go find my car, I glanced up at her and she was smiling at me.
"Thank you. For saving my evening. I was right, I did find someone much more interesting to talk to."
I blushed at her comment and twirled my ring around my finger. "You know, you never told me your name."
"Isn't it more fun this way, though? It's like our own little fairytale. You can be Cinderella, you're much more girly than me. I'll be the prince."
"But if you gave me your number, we could do this again sometime."
"If it's meant to be, we will find each other."
With that, she gave me one last smile and walked back into the party and I got in my car. I had no idea who she was, but I did know I wouldn't be forgetting about her any time soon.
The lingering question kept me up
Two AM, who do you love
I wonder till I'm wide awake
Lying in bed that night, I was wide-awake. I knew I needed to get some rest or I would never be able to finish unpacking and getting settled in before work on Monday, but sleep just would not come.
I couldn't get my mind off the mystery woman.
Part of me had wanted to follow her back into that party, if I was never going to see her again, I wanted it to last a little longer, but I wasn't lying when I said I had a lot to do tomorrow. And she was right, if it was meant to be, fate would take its course.
Listen to me.
Fate? I don't even believe in fate! What has this woman done to me?
There was no doubt she was quite possibly the most interesting person I had ever met, especially at a charity dinner. Something about her was so enticing, I could have talked to her all night long and never gotten tired of her voice.
That voice!
I am positive she had the sexiest voice I had ever heard. She could have been reciting the encyclopedia and it would have been interesting.
What am I thinking?!
The encyclopedia is interesting, whether she was reading it or not.
She has definitely done something to me.
And now I'm pacing back and forth
Wishing you were at my door
I'd open up and you would say
It was enchanting to meet you
Eventually I realized sleep would not come tonight, so I decided to get out of bed and do something productive. I headed downstairs to my office and began alphabetizing my books.
The task was relatively mindless and I found my mind drifting to a million different ways I could run into the brunette.
We could be eating at the same restaurant.
She could be at another charity function.
Same coffee house.
Chance meeting on a crowded street.
The list went on and on until I had thought of nearly every scenario in every location in Boston. After my office was unpacked, the kitchen was organized and my shoeboxes were arranged by designer, I settled on the couch in front of a documentary.
I must have dozed off because I the next thing I knew it was dark outside so I made sure Bass was fed, then headed back up to my bedroom for a shower and hopefully a little more sleep.
I better meet that woman again soon or I might never get any sleep again.
And this is me praying that this was the very first page
Not where the story line ends
My thoughts will echo your name
Until I see you again
I desperately tried to calm my nerves as I walked up the steps of the Boston Police station Monday morning. It was my first day on the job, I just got in from San Francisco last week and I couldn't be happier to be back in Boston. Even if I never saw the mystery girl again, this city still seemed to have so much to offer.
The last time I was here I was graduating from Boston Cambridge University and on my way to Johns Hopkins Medical School. I had always loved it here, especially on a beautiful fall day as this one.
A few officers in the main lobby wished me hello as I walked in and I politely responded to each. Maybe I could actually make a few friends here, unlike in San Francisco. Even though there were a few others I talked to at work, no one would ever invite me out for drinks or dinner with them, even though I know they went out nearly every weekend.
I turned toward the elevators to make my way downstairs to the morgue. Just before the doors clothes, I saw a hand reach in push them apart again.
My heart stopped.
"Hey" she said quietly, a grin on her face.
"Hi!" I said a little too quickly. I felt the blush creeping up my cheeks and shifted my eyes toward the floor. I felt like I was burning under her gaze, like she was staring right into my soul.
"Don't take this the wrong way, because believe me, I'm stoked to see you, but what are you doing here?"
"Oh, I work here. I'm the new Chief M.E."
"Dr. Maura Isles" she stated with a knowing smile.
"That's me." I replied. I'm sure I was grinning like an idiot, but I didn't really care. She was actually here, standing in front of me, the one woman I hadn't been able to stop thinking about for two days.
"Detective Jane Rizzoli" she answered me. "Homicide. Looks like we'll be spending a lot of time together. Think you can handle it?"
I smiled back at her and nodded.
Oh yes, I could handle that.
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
A/N: I'm kind of in love with this chapter and how they met, so I hope you guys liked it! Also, this was the last "flashback" chapter, everything else after this will be post-breakup and my little story will be wrapping up in another 3 chapters. Next up: how Jane got that diamond ring on her finger. Please review and let me know what you think!