So, I'm sure you're happy to receive an email notification that there's a 2nd chapter for this story. There's actually probably at least another 2 or 3. But don't quote on me on that. :)

This chapter is what it is. It's not very exciting, but I think it was kinda necessary to get where I want to go on the next one or two. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: if Rizzoli & Isles were mine, we all know this show would be on Showtime or HBO. Lesbihonest here. Really.

I decided I had no idea how to ask out a woman, and because to me Maura wasn't just any woman, I was doubly lost.

Ultimately I landed on the approach of listing her favorite things – or at least things I knew she liked – and going from there.

Flowers. My thought was, as a general rule, all women like flowers. Some have different meanings and I felt like Maura would know them. This meant that I'd have to do a little research on what they symbolized and decide what message I'd like to send to her. Annoying maybe, but doable and worth it because she'd know I'd spent time on it. Or she could just think I guess and lucked out. Either way, it was an option. Pick the perfect flowers and have them delivered with a note.

Fudge clusters. She tried stealing mine once when I received a gift basket. Not that I'd really cared about eating them, but they'd been sent to me, after all. At least I had learned she likes them.

Wine. Good god did this woman like wine, particularly red. The biggest problem was that a decent bottle would probably set me back more than I was comfortable with. It wasn't that she wasn't worth it, but I felt like an expensive bottle of wine seemed more appropriate for an anniversary or something.

Whoa. Getting ahead of myself.

It was way too early to think about any sort of anniversaries. We hadn't even had an official first date yet.

So out of the three options I'd come up with so far, only the flowers and fudge clusters seemed feasible.

The problem was, they both seemed too cliché for fancy Maura Isles, even if only used as a means of asking her out on a date. I wanted it to be memorable, or even just special. A way that was very much like our friendship.

Fuck! Why are women so complicated?!

Metaphorically throwing my hands up in the air – Metaphorically? Really, Rizzoli? Jesus, I've been around Maura too much – I decided that I'd go ask Ma. I knew it was a bad idea from the start, but it's not like I had any other woman in my life to ask.

Despite having a gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach, I walked downstairs to the station café. Luckily it was nearly empty, which was great because I didn't feel like anyone overhearing this.

"Ma! I got a question. And don't go reading into it. I'm just wondering," I started.

"Janie! Are you coming to me for advice? Oh, this I must hear," she replied, clearly excited, as she threw the cloth she was holding in her hand down on the table.

I couldn't quite tell if she was being serious or sarcastic, but I trudged on anyway. "Maaaaaa! I'm not asking for advice. I was just thinking about something and thought I'd ask."

She nodded her head encouragingly, "Mmhmm. Go on."

I took a breath. "If a man were going to ask you out on a date – hypothetically – how would you want him to do it?" I looked at her earnestly.

"Oh, I get it," she replied with a grin.

"Get what?" I asked, confused. Then it dawned on me. "Oh no. No no no. Stop right there. I told you not to read into this." I shook my head at her furiously.

"I'm not reading into it, Jane. I know you. And I'm glad to see you've finally woken up and pulled your head out of your ass." She smirked.

"What the hell, Ma? I haven't had my head up my ass!" I retorted, clenching my jaw.

"Yes you have. You both have. But I'm proud of you, baby. You deserve to be happy. You've worked so hard your whole life and eventually I knew you'd want to share it with someone. Of course, I didn't quite imagine this at first, but you should see the way you two look at each other. Janie, some people search their whole life and never find that kind of love."

I'm sure by the time she finished, I was completely red-faced, flushed with embarrassment. But lo and behold before I could even respond, none other than Maura strolled into the café, instantly concerned after quickly assessing my body language and facial expression.

"Jane?" She looked at me, then glanced at Ma. "Angela?" She asked hesitantly. "What's going on? Jane, why are you so flushed and tense? Was your mother talking about sex again?"

"I know, Maura," Ma replied calmly.

"Know what?" Maura said, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Say something! Anything! Before Ma does!

"She knows," I stuttered, "that, uh, me and you, that you and me are…well…whatever we are…" my voice trailed off.

"Oh. OH! I see. Well, we can't really be considered lovers, see as we haven't even kissed yet, much less engaged in sexual intercourse, and I'm not sure we could be considered 'dating each other,' as we haven't even technically been on a first date yet, but overall, I guess maybe you could consider me…" she babbled before her voice trailed off as she caught my frantic deer-in-headlights expression.

Maura swallowed hard. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said any of that." She looked at me apologetically.

I threw my hands up in the air, frustrated. Never again. I'm such an idiot for opening my big fat mouth. See? Regretting already. "That's just great, Maura. In telling Ma, you've essentially told all of BPD. And now I'm a walking stereotype." I started to walk away, but Maura stopped me by placing her hand on my forearm.

"Jane, wait. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tell her. I just…kind of assumed that since Angela said something about it, you'd just said something to her about us. Please don't be mad at me. Or your mother. It's not really that big of a deal…is it?" Her eyes were pleading with me.

Assumed? Since when did Maura assume?

I was about to voice this very thought when Ma butted in. "Hey girls. Remember me? Still standing here."

Maura quickly turned to Ma. "Angela, please. You cannot repeat this to anyone. I know you're probably ecstatic, but do this for Jane, as well as for me. We need time to figure 'us' out before everybody starts pestering us for information, okay? It may be the 21st century, but I, and Jane as well probably, would like to be sure of our relationship before we take such a huge skip."

I whispered to Maura out the side of my mouth. "Step, not skip. Huge step."

Maura merely looked at me and frowned.

Ma pulled both of us in and hugged us tight. "Of course. Anything for my girls."

When we both stepped back, I shot Maura a look in disbelief. She simply shrugged.

That was way too easy.