Author's note: thank you very much for all the reviews and private messages (I will answer the private messages this weekend as I am a bit busy right now)

Chapter fifteen – The Rizzoli Way

"Where are Jane's sheet?"

Maura swallowed hard. She hadn't expected such question from Angela. It was a fair question though. She had asked Jane's mother to help her with the laundry because it was Tuesday and that she always changed bed sheet that day.

Angela simply wasn't supposed to know that Maura's sheet were Jane's. As a matter of fact, Jane hadn't slept in her own bedroom for over a month.

"I only washed mine. Jane... She doesn't like it when I wash her clothes. It is too personal."

Was it a lie? Maura pondered her question. She couldn't break into hives now. What would Angela think about her reaction? Of course she would come to conclusions that neither Jane nor Maura were ready to face.

"Then she won't be happy to know that you washed her bra." Angela grabbed the piece of lingerie and discreetly waved it. "You still can tell her you thought it was yours."

Maura shuddered. She would never wear such basic sport bra herself. What was Angela thinking? She paid a lot of attention to the type of lingerie she bought, to the quality of the product. Sadly Jane didn't. Five minutes at H&M and she was done with her lingerie shopping.

"She probably dropped it in the wrong basket. She has hers and I have mine but they are very close to each other on the floor. She has a tendency to throw her clothes. It... It might be it."

Maura lifted her chin. This detail wasn't a lie. It had already happened in the past. Jane hadn't cared much about it though. Maura grabbed the end of the sheet and waited for Angela to grab the other one. It was a very hot and sunny day. It wouldn't take long for the laundry to dry.

"Of course."

The lack of enthusiasm in Angela's voice didn't pass unnoticed. Maura's explanations hadn't convinced her the slightest bit. How had this even happened? Maura bit her lower lip. Everything had started so fine though. She had asked for some help and Angela had initiated a very casual chat.

Except there was nothing casual about her allusions now.

This was it. Jane's paranoia had ended up reaching her. After weeks of listening to Jane's crazy scenarios, Maura now thought exactly the same. Some sort of folie à deux. Yes, she had been contaminated.

They unfolded the rest of the laundry in silence. Once the patio succumbed to the sweet colors of bed sheet and clothes, Angela turned on her heels and began to walk towards the guesthouse. She stopped at the last minute – a hand on the door knob – and squinted her eyes. The words were burning her lips too much for her to keep it all inside.

"I just wish Jane understood it's all fine to me, to everyone. I just wish she could see that there's nothing bad in all of this. Absolutely nothing."

Maura swallowed hard. This wasn't paranoia. She had subconsciously guessed it right. The only thing was that she hadn't expected such bittersweet reaction from Angela.

It had taken her aback.

...

"Gosh my wife's gonna be mad. It's late and we're still on scene. "

The comment made Jane smile. She knew what her colleague meant. Working for the BPD didn't always match a family scheme. Skipping dinner because you were on a crime scene was almost written down in your contract.

She took her latex gloves off and started walking back towards the yellow tape with her colleagues. Frost and Korsak joined them. It was hot and humid. The asphalt seemed to melt under their shoes. The only thing Jane wanted was to have a shower and enjoy the AC of the Beacon Hill house.

"One more reason to marry a cop, Donoghan. Only a cop can understand a cop..." She spotted Maura by the corpse. "Or a medical examiner, of course."

Donoghan laughed and shook his head. He had been working with Jane for six years now. They knew each other very well and he had a lot of respect for her as well.

"I'll sleep on the couch. I'm kinda getting used to it anyway. That's part of the married life, Rizzoli. Although you must know about it by now. Being married means not getting any!"

All the guys burst out lauhing. Jane blinked and forced a smile. She had got the joke about the influence of a marriage on a couple's sexual life and the comparison to her unusual union to Maura but the last events made that the main lines of her relationship status had slightly changed.

And there she was, with a bruised ego because of her own lies.

"I'm getting some."

Her snort didn't have the expected effect. She had hoped to sound superior and in control of the situation when the exact opposite had actually happened. All her colleagues turned around to stare at her in disbelief.

The BPD was a small family. Everyone knew it when a cop started dating someone. It wasn't something you couldn't keep for yourself for a long time.

And for everyone, Jane Rizzoli-Isles was single in spite of her wedding band. As a matter of fact, her ring probably played an important role in all of this. What kind of guy wanted to date a married woman? And what would happen if it became serious? Everyone had understood that Jane had pt all of this in parenthesis the day she had accepted Maura's deal.

"What?" Frankie scratched his noise. Perhaps he shouldn't have asked – after all he was talking to his sister and it wasn't the kind of details he wanted to know about her life – but her remark had left him very confused. "From whom?"

Jane swallowed hard. She had talked too much to stop now. Her heart was beating fast – her mouth was dry – and her hands were moist. The hot temperatures didn't help her to cool down. She cast a brief glance at the media a few feet away and clenched her fists.

"From my wife."

It is only when she took her latex gloves off and that she looked up anew that Maura realized every single officer and detective from the little group she had approached were now staring at her with intensity. She forced a smile, a nervous one.

"Did I do something wrong?"

...

I know. I sort of screwed it and I only said it because they had bruised my ego but... Argh! We couldn't keep it up for too long anyway. They'd have guessed at some point. What can I say? It's the Rizzoli way: completely tactless, absolutely not prepared. A complete mess.

Maura didn't like it. She didn't take it bad – sorry, badly – but it wasn't the way she'd imagined it to go. You know how she is. She likes to organize stuff. I ruined the fun for her. I blurted it out in the most unexpected way ever. What was I supposed to do? Set up a party at home or at the BPD then grab a mic to say that our marriage was kinda... You know... A real one now? Nah. That's not me. Our private life's nobody's business. I just made things clear – on a crime scene – but I'd have said no to a party. Seriously...

I don't regret it. You'd have seen Maura's face. It was priceless. She had caught back on our little group and she was totally unaware of what we were talking about. Then suddenly she looks up only to face like ten guys who stare at her in surprise. She's always lost in her thoughts on a crime scene. I'm sure she hadn't heard me say anything.

Of course people reacted positively. Yeah there were some "I knew it" or "it was just a matter of time" but it was just a nice way to tease us. I think we're lucky. We never gotta face disapprovals or anything.

See, this is when you get that reality has little to do with movies. I outed us by accident in the most ridiculous way ever. There were no big words, no big feelings involved. I just blurted it out because that's how I rule. I'm a tactless little idiot.

Maura didn't leave me so I guess she wasn't too angry with it either. She just told me that she'd be in charge of the next announcement because it'd be a lot safer this way. Let's face it, she's right about that. I completely lost it that day but – if you ask me – I kinda think it's funny. Who would have thought it'd happen like that? Who would have thought I'd break the news about your mother and I on a crime scene? Maybe it wasn't intentional but my 'coming out' was very creative.

Maura didn't tell me right away about the comment my mother had made when in the patio dealing with the bed sheet. She only confessed it when ma' winked and told us we'd save on money now because we wouldn't need so much laundry. It was at the Division One Cafe, a couple of hours after I'd made it somewhat clear that Maura and I had reached another level in our relationship.

So... You see... If you ever have to make a special announcement to us one day then I can tell you that it'll take a lot for us to be surprised and all. Knowing you, I'm sure you'll go all classic. You're just like Maura for this kind of things. Might be better though. Being impulsive doesn't make life very easy, believe me.

Six weeks. We had managed to keep our relationship secret for six weeks. It's a long time when you get to spend your days with friends and relatives. People always stop by home yet nobody ever walked in on us in a compromising situation. I mean – okay, you did – but the fact Maura and I were more than just friends was already clear by then.

It's always been clear for you.

It's the Rizzoli way: we never hid anything from you. We always gotta be sincere. It paid off. You're the best young adult I ever got to know so far. The Rizzoli way is a hit, let's face it. Rizzoli-Isles, sorry.