Um, hi? Having finished The Nanny, I'm trying to go back through and wrap up other fics...such as this one, which I forgot was the first R&I fic I ever posted!
Since it's been so long since I've written for this fic, my writing has obviously evolved, as has my understanding of the characters. I hope none of that messes up the flow of the fic, though I'm afraid it has. Forgive me if so, and let me know how I could possibly fix it to make it flow better.
I hope you enjoy this very long-awaited update.
The click-clack of heels reverberated through the quiet, mostly empty room.
I knew immediately that it was Maura.
"Hi," she said quietly as she approached me at my desk, her hand sliding across my upper back to rest on the opposite side. "Are you close to finishing? Or could you at least take a break for to have dinner with me?"
Turning my head, I looked up at her and smiled. "Give me 20 minutes and I'm all yours for the rest of the night."
The phrasing of my statement caused Maura to smirk.
I frowned.
Her expression immediately sobered. "Sorry," she murmured.
With a deep breath, I replied, "No, I'm sorry. It's fine. It's not like anybody around us is paying attention." I glanced over at Korsak's desk, rolling my eyes at him smiling at his computer screen. Cat videos again again, without a doubt. I briefly glanced toward Frost, who was absorbed by something on his computer screen.
"Would you like to go out somewhere, or would you rather we cook?" She took a short step back to look at me properly.
I smiled at her use of the word we. "Your choice."
"Well, I was thinking of cooking tofu and-"
"Nope. Stop. Your choice of whether we go out or not," I interrupted. "What we eat is my choice."
It was she who frowned this time.
"You made me eat healthy stuff for breakfast, so I get to choose dinner," I replied, satisfied with my argument.
"You also ate pancakes and syrup with high fructose corn syrup with the healthy stuff." She crossed her arms over her chest. "What did you have for lunch?"
I grinned at her sheepishly.
"Jane…" Her shoulders dropped.
I was prepared for a tongue lashing - and not of the pleasant kind.
"Um, some noodles?"
She sighed. "The ones in the styrofoam cups?"
"No…" I shook my head but winced.
Hazel eyes widened in disbelief. "I told you to stop eating those. They have over 1500 milligrams of salt in each serving, which is more than 60 percent of your daily intake!"
Several heads turned our way at the volume of her voice, including Frost, who finally looked up from his computer.
"I was hungry and I didn't have time to go out and get anything," I replied defensively in a low voice, glancing around the room.
Her next words came out considerably lower. "I would've brought you something, or you could've had your mother bring something up from the cafe."
I shrugged.
A loving look crossed her face. "I really wish you wouldn't eat things like that. Is it so unreasonable that I want my gir-" Maura stopped speaking immediately and swallowed hard before she quickly corrected herself. "My best friend to be healthy and live a longer life?"
I quirked an eyebrow at her slip-up. "No, it's not," I replied quietly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Korsak rise from his desk chair and head toward us. "And we'll talk about that word later." Quickly I turned my head to look at my colleague.
With a timid smile, she turned to face him as well, though she still stood within inches of me.
"I'm givin' up for tonight," Korsak announced to us. "I've been staring so long at that screen, I'm goin' cross-eyed."
"Man," I said, "must be hard watchin' all those cat videos." Frost chuckled right along with me.
Maura looked down at me and frowned, tilting her head.
"Smartass," Korsak said with a roll of his eyes.
"So you're not denying that you were just watchin' cat videos on YouTube?" I grinned at Korsak before looking at my lover fully.
"You should wrap things up for the night," he said, ignoring my question. He looked toward Frost. "You too, kid."
"I'm working on a few leads, but I don't think they'll take much longer," Frost said.
"Yeah, I'm almost finished too," I replied. "No worries."
"Alright, have a good night!" he said, turning on his heel to leave.
"Goodnight," Frost, Maura, and I said in unison before Maura turned back to me.
"Your place or mine?"
I snorted. "You think I've got ingredients for any kind of dinner stocked at my place?"
With a sigh, she merely said, "Okay, I'll see you at my place in about 45 minutes?"
"Make it an hour and I'll stop at the store for the ingredients for dinner that you don't have."
Hazel eyes narrowed at me. "What's for dinner?"
"Homemade pizza?" It was half-question, half-statement.
Her mouth twitched as she thought for a moment before she nodded, clearly accepting my choice. "I have all the ingredients for the dough. I'll start on it as soon as I get home. Could you pick up some mushrooms? You know which ones I like. Oh, and the organic sauce we always use. I forgot to buy another after the last time."
"Yeah, sure. Sounds good." I looked up at her and gave her a small smile. Almost involuntarily, my right hand rose and lightly caressed just behind her knee. For several moments we simply stared at each other.
Frost cleared his throat, breaking the near-magic of our moment.
Immediately I jerked my hand away from Maura and felt the heat of a blush on my cheeks. He no doubt saw our intimate exchange, even though he probably couldn't see where I'd had my hand.
"I'll see you soon," Maura said as she turned to leave.
I noticed a faint blush on her cheeks too, and despite my better judgment, I couldn't help but watch her leave.
Once Maura had left the bullpen, Frost quirked up an eyebrow at me. "You two finally a thing?"
"What?" My head whipped around to look at him. I swallowed hard.
"Oh c'mon. You could've cut the sexual tension with a knife just now," he commented. "And I couldn't actually see it, but I'm pretty sure you were just touching the back of her knee. That's pretty intimate behavior."
"We're not," I started to say, then my shoulders slumped in defeat. "Okay, yeah, stuff happened."
"Good stuff or really good stuff?" He grinned.
My cheeks flushed again in embarrassment. "That's none of your business."
"Damn. Must've been really, really good stuff if it makes badass Jane Rizzoli turn that red."
"Don't you have work to finish?" I asked snarkily.
This was not a conversation I wanted to have with him, or with anyone for that matter.
"Hey, I'm just teasin'. Sorry," he apologized. "I'm happy for you, I really am. You and Maura are good together and you balance each other out."
"Thanks," I replied, giving him a half smile. "Alright, lemme finish up this report so I can get outta here."
"Yeah, don't keep the old lady waitin'." He grinned.
I snatched a pencil from my desktop pencil cup and threw it at him. "Can it."
He just laughed.
Grocery bag in my right hand, I reached for the doorknob with the other, half expecting it to be unlocked. Well, at least she started listening to me, I thought when the knob didn't turn. I fished my keys from my pocket to unlock the door.
Once inside, the distinct scent of freshly made dough welcomed me, along with the scent of herbs. My lover, however, was nowhere to be found.
"Maura, I'm here!" I announced loudly. As I was setting the groceries on the kitchen island, she rounded the corner from the hallway.
"You didn't have to yell so loudly. I was only just down the hall in the laundry room." She approached me with a smile.
"Well how was I supposed to know that?" I retorted, leaning in for a kiss when she got close enough to me. "Hi. Thank you for keeping the door locked."
"Hi," she murmured against my lips. She pulled back and smiled. "Of course. We've got some time since the dough is rising for a bit. Would you like to watch the news? Or SportsCenter?"
I shook my head and smiled. "Nah, I can check all that stuff online."
Her hand came to rest on my breastbone. "Well, I can think of one thing we could do…"A light brown eyebrow lifted suggestively as her fingers began drawing circles.
"Yeah? And what's that?" With a smirk I placed my hands on her hips and guided her backwards to press up against the counter by the sink. Her arms wrapped loosely around my waist.
"Well, it involves some close contact between us, our lips, maybe our hands."
Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to the freckle on her neck. She hummed in approval.
"It'll release serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin, as well as reduce blood pressure."
"I'm all about that," I murmured against her neck. "Staying healthy is important."
"Mmhmm," she hummed again. "It's very important."
"And I suppose it wouldn't hurt to add on to our activities from this morning," I continued, slowly slipping my hand under the hem of the t-shirt she'd changed into. Her skin was so soft underneath my hand. Higher and higher my hand went, grazing her belly button before my fingertips finally came to rest against the underside of a bare breast. "No bra, huh?" I pulled back and looked at her with a smirk.
With a brief shake of her head, she softly replied, "Didn't see the point. You've seen them up close and personal now."
God, I love this woman.
"Good enough reason for me." I pressed my lips to hers again and a mix of a moan and whimper sounded in her throat when I shifted my weight to bring my thigh between her legs. Instead of grinding against it as I expected her to, she broke our kiss and brought her hands behind her. As she lifted herself up, my hands moved quickly to her hips to help her onto the counter. The height of the counter only made her a few inches taller me. When her lips claimed mine again, she wrapped her arms around my neck and I couldn't help but smile into our kiss. "Ya know," I murmured against her lips before I pulled back to look at her. "If I thought we wouldn't be interrupted, I'd absolutely want to fool around right now."
"Who said we couldn't?"
One eyebrow raised I replied, "Uh, my mother's tendency to interrupt at the worst times?"
"It wouldn't be the first time I've been interrupted," she said with a mischievous grin. "It's a bit thrilling though, don't you think? The chance you might be interrupted?"
"Not really." I frowned.
"Oh. Well that's okay." She smiled at me. "We could just go upstairs," she suggested.
Stepping back, I held my hand out for her to hold onto while she hopped down off the counter. "Lead the way," I said, my hand still holding hers.
Just when we'd gotten halfway down the hallway, a voice called out, "Girls!"
I stopped dead in my tracks, shoulders dropping, head tipped backwards, and let out a groan. "Seriously?" I muttered.
Hands breaking apart, Maura turned to face me with a look of disappointment that mirrored my own. "At least we left the kitchen before she walked in on us," my lover offered in a quiet voice, clearly afraid of my reaction to her statement.
"Maybe if we just tiptoe upstairs and hide in your closet," I whispered, "she'll go away." After a beat, I added, "Well, maybe not the closet."
She bit her lip to try and hide a smile at the double entendre.
Footsteps got closer to us. "Maura! Jane!"
Ma was only around the corner.
Immediately I grabbed Maura's hand and pulled her with me to the laundry room as quick as I could.
"What are you doing?" she whispered, eyes wide.
"You can't lie." To me, it was explanation enough, but I could tell it wasn't to her. I made a note to explain after my mother left.
"Yeah, Ma, stop yelling! We're only in the laundry room," I called out as I turned around to leave the laundry room and walk back to the kitchen.
"Well how was I supposed to know that?" my mother shot back, finally appearing in the hallway.
"Like mother, like daughter," I heard Maura murmur behind me.
With a brief pause in my step, I looked back at Maura, eyes narrowed. She merely smiled innocently at me.
"You girls makin' pizza for dinner?"
"Yes," Maura said behind me as we all continued onward into the kitchen. "Would you like to join us?"
"Just save me a slice if you'd like, since yours is always so good. I don't want to interrupt your dinner date, so I'll just head back over to the guest house."
"Maaaaa," I replied with a groan. "We aren't having a dinner date."
"Well, a dinner date, by definition, doesn't necessarily have to be romantic, though that's usually the connotation," Maura said. "But dates also typically have more advanced notice, whereas dinner together tonight was relatively last minute. We only planned this about an hour ago."
I sighed.
"No need to justify or explain anything to me, Maura," my mother said with a smile. "You two have dinner together all the time."
"That's true," Maura agreed.
"Okay. Bye, Ma!" I rolled my eyes.
"Oh, Angela!" Maura exclaimed as Ma turned to leave. "You came in. Did you need something?"
Ma smiled. "It isn't really important. We can talk later."
"Are you sure?"
I'd never more wanted a chance to give my best friend a metaphorical kick under the table than I did in that moment.
"Yes, I'm sure." She turned back around and walked to the side yard door. As she left, she called out a goodnight to us.
"Are you sure?" I mocked Maura's last words.
"Jane," she chastised me. "Just because you want to have some alone time with me doesn't mean I'm going to be rude to your mother, especially if she's going to one day be my mother-in-" Her mouth snapped shut. Hazel eyes widened.
With a smirk at her across the kitchen island, I nonchalantly slid onto a bar chair. Elbows propped on the counter, fingers clasped together, I said, "That's the second slip-up you've had tonight. First you almost calmed me your girlfriend and now you're talkin' about Ma being your mother-in-law."
The blush that spread across Maura's face made her even more beautiful. She looked down, clearly self-conscious, both of her words and of me calling her out on it.
Making her feel bad about it was never my intent. "So am I?" I asked quietly. "Am I your girlfriend?"
"Well, I know it's quite early in our relationship, but based on everything so far, it seems that that's where we're headed." Her look became hesitant. "Isn't it?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I replied, hands held up in front of me. "There will not be any U-Hauling here." When I saw fear flash in her eyes, I continued, "I'm kidding. Kinda. At least about the U-Hauling part. Let's give moving in together some time."
She visibly relaxed.
"Come here." My voice was quiet, soothing. When she made it around the kitchen island, I swiveled around a little in the chair, knees parted, and reached out to pull her toward me. With my arms wrapped loosely around her waist, I said, "You know that I don't do relationships, mostly because none of them have ever seemed worth the effort. But you...I'd do anything it takes to make this work. You are…" I paused, trying to find the right words for how I felt. "You're my other half, Maura. My better half, I should say. You make me a better person."
A small smile graced her lips.
"I don't know what I'd do without you," I confessed, letting all of my emotions show. "And I don't ever want to find out."
"I don't either," she told me softly.
"Maybe one day, if you play your cards right, you can call Ma your mother-in-law." I smirked, pulling her in closer. "But we've got lots to do before that happens."
"What card game are we playing?" she asked me with a twinkle in her eye, leaning back a little to look at me better. "I have to make sure I know the rules."
"Let's make up our own game and figure out the rules as we go along," I replied.
"Okay," she agreed, leaning toward me again. She closed the distance between our lips, and just before hers met mine, she murmured, "As long as the rules are fair."