A/N-I'm done with school for a month! Which means you get this update, and will probably be getting more regular updates for awhile, hopefully until it's finished! I might even write an unbearably fluffy Christmas oneshot, because I have been know to do that when I'm feeling overpowered by the Christmas spirit ;)
I don't own either of these crazy kids or anything related to R&I. I do, however, own an impressive collection of souvenir pencils...
Jane had never been a morning person. She liked to go to bed late and sleep even later on her days off, and not even Maura's suggestion that Jane maintain a regular sleeping schedule even on days off had done anything to change that.
For that reason, Jane was surprised when she woke and looked at the alarm clock to see that it was only 7:53 am. It wasn't the light coming in through the window, because the curtains were pretty much pulled shut. It wasn't too hot or too cold, Jane thought vaguely as she closed her eyes and pulled the sheet up over her shoulder. She was perfectly comfortable, and yet she was up at an unreasonably early hour when she could have spent at least an hour or two longer in bed with Maura.
Speaking of which, Jane decided to roll over and snuggle against Maura. That would surely make her comfortable enough to fall asleep in short order. But all Jane felt when she rested her arm on Maura's side of the bed was a pillow and cool sheets.
Jane opened her eyes and looked at the pillow, as if to make sure she wasn't just imagining things. Jane sighed and rolled back over on her back, her eyes still closed. So it was going to be that kind of thing for Maura. That must have been why she stopped things from going further, because she planned to slip out of bed in the middle of the night and try to act like nothing happened. Jane didn't know why she'd expected any different, especially not with how their relationship started on vacation. It'd been stupid to think that they could have a remotely functional relationship come out of those circumstances.
Jane opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling and let her hand fall heavily on the mattress next to her.
"Oh, good, you're awake," Maura's voice came from the other side of the room, by Jane's dresser. "I have a minor wardrobe issue."
Jane sat up quickly and looked in Maura's direction. The woman was still wearing just a bra and underwear and stood by Jane's open dresser, which held an assortment of shirts and pantsuits. Maura hadn't done anything with her hair, so it still had the sexy, tousled look it had when they'd fallen asleep.
Jane couldn't help breaking out in a huge smile. Not only was Maura still there, but making herself very much at home in Jane's bedroom. Apparently she was comfortable enough to walk around nearly naked, and that gave Jane a little extra happiness, because it reminded Jane of how damn lucky she was to have that woman with her sexy body, minor wardrobe issues and all.
"What are you smiling at?" Maura asked. Although she still looked distressed at whatever wardrobe malfunction was plaguing her, Maura offered Jane a small, bemused smile.
"Nothing," Jane said, pushing the hair out of her face with one and patting the spot in bed next to her. "C'mere and tell me all about your wardrobe woes."
"Pleasing as your alliteration is, that kind of distraction will not help matters," Maura said, though she was moving towards the bed.
"But I'm such a good listener," Jane said as Maura rested on her side of the bed with her body turned towards Jane.
"Yes, but being in bed with you in our current state of undress can only make matters worse," Maura said. "I don't have any unwrinkled clothing to wear, and I'd really rather my undergarments stay intact."
Jane slide down so that she was lying on her side facing Maura. She ran a finger down the side of Maura's arm and enjoyed the level of distraction it drove Maura to. Maura would have probably gone on much longer about wrinkled clothes, one of her most frequently professed pet peeves. Instead she just ended her brief monologue with an exaggerated sigh.
"Life must be so very difficult for you," Jane said, leaning over to kiss Maura soundly, a kiss that Maura returned with equal enthusiasm. "Guess you'll just have to stay the way you are. Unless, of course, you want to take everything else off. Just to make sure it doesn't get ruined, of course."
"Oh, yes, of course. And would be the only reason you would suggest something like that?" Maura asked teasingly.
"Well, I mean, there are some fringe benefits," Jane said, grinning into another, longer kiss. She shifted her body so that she was fully on top of Maura with her leg rested between Maura's legs. That particular move, Jane discovered, had the benefit of both giving Jane even more skin on skin contact and getting a soft, sexy sigh out of Maura.
"You see, this is exactly what I knew would happen," Maura said, before pulling Jane down for another kiss. "I'm very easily distracted by you."
Jane did not bother to respond, opting instead to kiss Maura before the other woman could refocus on her wardrobe dilemma. It worked, and Maura was so receptive that she had Jane on her back in one, quick motion. Maura might have been smaller than Jane, but she was deceptively strong and flexible when the situation called for it. Jane allowed Maura to take the dominant position even though she normally didn't like to give up the control, at least not with anyone else. But for Jane there was something so hot about being on her back looking up at Maura, feeling the weight of Maura's body pressed against hers, resting her hands on Maura's hips, pressing her closer. Jane wouldn't even think to change their position for a second, not when Maura was kissing in the way she was, a combination of light, teasing kisses with the hard, passionate ones.
Jane was so thoroughly enjoying herself that she didn't even here the door to her apartment open. Or the heavy, quick footsteps across the apartment toward her door. She only vaguely registered the sound of her door opening as background noise. And she only pulled away from Maura when she her someone speaking.
"Jane Clementine Rizzoli! How many times do I have to tell you to answer your-
Angela stopped short in the doorway the moment she registered the scene in front of her.
Maura recognized the interruption a split second before Jane had, and moved with impressive speed off of Jane and onto her side of the bed. Jane sat bolt upright directly in front of Maura in hopes that Angela would not have the wherewithal to recognize Maura from the cruise. Even if she'd intended to tell her mother about Maura at some point, Jane did not think this particularly humiliating moment would be ideal.
The situation was so absurdly, ridiculously awkward that, for a split second, Jane was one hundred percent sure that it had to be a dream. No way, not a few hours after actually acting on the sexual tension with Maura, was Jane's mother standing in her bedroom having walked in when Jane was pretty sure she'd been about ten seconds from getting Maura's panties off.
That particular bit of wishful thinking was cut short when Angela spoke again.
"Jane, I'd like to speak with you," Angela said, then added decisively before leaving the room. "Now, please."
Jane sat perfectly still for a moment, looking at the spot where her mother had been standing as she tried to wrap her mind around what had just transpired. After a few seconds, Jane sighed, got up, and grabbed her robe from a hook on the back of her bedroom door. She pulled the robe and tied it tightly around her waist.
She gave Maura a quick kiss and put on what she hoped resembled a smile. Maura did the same and rested her hand on Jane's shoulder in a show of support, probably because it was all so bizarre that she had no idea what to say.
"I'll be right back," Jane said with that same forced smile, though she wasn't sure if that was true, given her mother's tendency to get carried away when she got on a roll.
Jane then headed directly out to the living room where her mother was surely waiting.
After Jane left the room, Maura remained sitting on the bed. She sat with knees pulled up in front of her and rested her chin on her knees. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but she wanted to think, and slightly uncomfortable positions tended to allow her to stay alert enough for critical thought. That was the very reason she had a hard, metal chair in her morgue for observers instead of the plush one that the last ME had left.
All that aside, Maura wasn't sure what to make of what had transpired in the thirty minutes since she had realized that Jane was awake. There were elements to their conversation entirely unrelated to Angela that puzzled Maura.
First there was Jane's face when she realized that Maura was in the room. It'd been a nice, wonderful even, to have someone so happy to see her, but it wasn't just the smile that Maura noticed. She'd noted in Jane's micro-expression that Maura's continued presence in the room came as a genuine surprise. Had Jane assumed that Maura would leave without saying goodbye? Unless she'd badly misread the previous night's events, Maura could not make much sense of why Jane would think that.
It wasn't something that Maura was overly concerned about, a minor curiosity in what was otherwise a very pleasant morning after experience leading up to Angela's appearance. Maura loved that Jane had managed to alleviate Maura's wardrobe concerns in a way that was teasing without being belittling or mean.
Which reminded Maura of the fact that her minor wardrobe problem was now a major one if she had any hope of leaving the apartment to give Jane and her mother some privacy, which she really, really wanted to do. Even if she wanted to wear the wrinkled shirt from the previous night, Maura couldn't get it without walking by Mrs. Rizzoli in nothing but her undergarments. Jane had taken the only robe in the room, and it would be very obvious, given Jane's distinctive style of dress, if Maura decided to wear Jane's clothing home. Maura suspected Angela might not take too kindly to that either, given the fact that it was a visual reminder of the fact that Maura had been nearly naked in Jane's bed with her tongue in Jane's mouth.
So she was stuck in Jane's room, sitting on Jane's bed trying to make up her mind on how to process Angela and her demeanor. Angela had been angry when she first entered the room, but Mrs. Rizzoli had shown sudden restraint when it became clear what she and Jane were doing.
What was not at all clear though was whether or not Angela recognized Maura. The whole encounter had lasted only about twenty seconds maximum, and Maura guessed she'd only been in full view of Angela for about two or three of those seconds before Jane sat in front of her.
Had Angela been sober on their first meeting, Maura thought she would have made the connection without issue. Particularly if their second meeting had occurred in a less compromising position. The fact that the situation was highly unexpected and unusual could have briefly slowed Angela's ability to process all the information the scene presented.
Maura sighed, hoping that her well-reasoned conclusion was not clouded by wishful thinking. For something to do, she got up to look in Jane's closet again, sliding a few more hangers over until she came across the black dress Millie had sold them. Then an idea struck her. This dress was so unlike anything Jane would normally wear that Mrs. Rizzoli would never be the wiser. Of course, it would be a bit tighter around the chest and a little longer than intended, but the dress would do just right for the brief span of time she needed order to get by Angela.
Maura carefully slipped the dress of its hanger and started to step into it. Just as soon as she was dressed and presentable, Maura would stand by the door and wait until she could determine an ideal time to leave. She could have just as easily stayed hiding in Jane's room, but the lack of activity, the sense that she was, more or less, trapped, made Maura uneasy. So she'd make her great escape as soon as possible.
A/N-So, what are we thinking, folks? Like it? Hate it? Do you think Angela recognized Maura?
Sorry that it's shortish, but this was going to be part of an uber-chapter that just will not wrap up, so I had to make the cut somewhere :)
I appreciate everyone and anyone who sticks with this fic even after my month long mini-hiatus from fic writing! Reviews, like the holiday break, make me very, very happy!