Author's note: thank you everyone for all the reviews, I really appreciate them!
Chapter Five: From Punta Cana To Boston
And gasp. Not as discreet as she had hoped since Maura turned around and frowned at her wondering what was going on.
"It's... Err... Nothing! Doing just fine. It's... It's not even a little cold. Nope!" Dancing on her feet and already dreading the mini-wave that was coming, Jane smiled timidly at Maura and splashed some water on her arms.
Or so.
She mostly aimed – accidentally – at a little girl who was passing by and couldn't help but gasp again as the ocean brushed her mid-thigh.
Maura burst out laughing. "Why detective... Do we find the ocean a bit too cold?" And smirk.
Jane shrugged away the question and made a big step forward. Huge mistake. The water was - indeed – cold. No, scratch that. It was icy. Not for everyone, though. Maura was swimming, moving around rather happily.
And amused, very amused by the whole scene.
"Splash some on your nape, your arms and your stomach... But don't wait for your skin to dry and warm in the sun. The more you wait, the more complicated."
Like she didn't know that. As a matter of fact and as far as she could remember, Jane had always hated the ocean for this reason. As a child, her brothers used to make fun of her because it took her ages to finally enter the waters. And she had lost count of how many times they had splashed water to her while she was not psychologically ready.
Speaking of which... Maura made a dangerous step – or at least the Italian saw it like that – towards her. Jane raised her hand to stop her and shook her head. "No. Don't even think about doing that, Maur'. I mean it."
The honey blonde burst out laughing – stood up – and rolled her eyes; hands on her hips. "I was not about to splash water at you, Jane. I am not five. Let me help you... Come on, give me your hand. I promise I won't throw you in the water. You know I can't lie, don't you?"
Timid nod. After long seconds of what-ifs, the brunette gave in and extended her arm. Maura grabbed her shaking hand and pressed it reassuringly.
"We will go one step after another. Slowly... Carefully..."
Another timid nod welcomed Maura's words.
The situation was slightly unexpected if the scientist had to be honest. She hadn't assumed that – when coming to the beach – Jane would turn into a chicken as she would put a foot there in the ocean. But knowing better than to mock her wife, Maura held her promise and – step by step – led the brunette a bit further.
"Yes... Like that... Exactly... You are doing fantastic."
Jane sighed – rolled her eyes – and hissed. "There is really no need for you to talk to me as if I were three, though. It is humiliating, Maura!"
The honey blond took the remark rather badly and looked down. "I am just trying to help... I didn't know you had difficulties to enter the water. I mean, in Punta Cana you did very well."
"That was the Caribbean Sea, Maura. Not the freaking Atlantic Ocean!"
They had one day off together this week. Only one. And before the high temperatures of the city, they had assumed that the fresh air of the coast would be perfect. Needless to say Maura now understood why Jane had seemed so reluctant in the first place.
"You know, we can also stay on the beach. We don't need to go swimming. I will order us a cocktail and that's it. What do you think?"
Gasp. What, again? Obviously, she had offended Jane. One more time. While the only thing she had wanted in the first place was to please her and make her comfortable enough.
"Jane Rizzoli-Isles never renounces. Deal with it." And with the ambition she usually put in her cases, the Italian plunged head first into the water before reappearing in a shriek and an old dance that somewhat reminded Maura of an Irish jig.
"So... How do you find it?"
One. Two. Three. Maura's smirk didn't even have time to appear properly on her lips that her wife had already confirmed her doubts.
"Icy. Bring on the Mojito. I'm ready." And on these words, the brunette stepped out of the water, going back to her bath towel.
…
"It is pretty much... The size of this peanut you are about to eat."
Jane frowned – looked at the peanut – and decided to put it back on the table as she smiled – somewhere between timidly and discomfort – at Guadalupe who gulped down her glass of water way too enthusiastically. It would be another story with Maura when she was pregnant. The honey blonde did like her glass of Merlot every day. Her glass or two, actually.
"How did she tell you about it?" Yes. Excellent. Just stop the peanut talk and focus back on reality. You're the best, Riz'.
Lisa looked at Guadalupe and giggled. They had had to cancel their lunch a couple of weeks earlier and it was the first time they met again since Mabel Smith's new trial. At least life had adopted a lighter tone, this time around. A sweeter one as well.
"I found a pregnancy test on the table while coming back from the gallery one evening... She surely surprised me. There was no note, nothing. Just the test. There, on the table." Ecstatic – giggling like a school girl – the art dealer made a gesture to accompany her words, pointing out at an invisible spot in front of her.
"That's sweet..." Jane forced a smile. This was something that she wouldn't get with Maura. Right from the start, she would know about the insemination. There would be no surprise.
"I hope it's a boy. I can picture us out with a boy. A boy named Diego."
Baby names. Would they ever talk about it themselves? Why of course, Riz'! Your child won't be nameless! Idiot... Discreetly enough, the brunette cast a glance at Maura sitting by her side. She had been very quiet for the last minutes. Too much to Jane's taste. But as she turned around, the detective's fears vanished. The honey blonde smiled tenderly at Lisa and Guadalupe, still holding the ultra-sound picture of whatever was the size of that peanut Jane couldn't eat.
"Diego is a beautiful name... And... Err... How about your wedding? Is everything ready?"
Guadalupe nodded. "Yes, finally! It wasn't easy because we've been very busy these past few weeks. I had a few commands for some paintings and Lisa has just signed a contract with an upcoming artist. Lots of work."
Jane and Maura had been busy as well but it was slightly more complicated to talk about their respective jobs. A couple of hours before, the detective had been on a gruesome scene while the scientist was inspecting stomach contents. It was not that they didn't want to talk about it but people rarely felt like hearing anything regarding forensics.
"Too bad you aren't getting married in Punta Cana. I wouldn't say no to a few days off..."
Guadalupe laughed at Maura's remark and took what looked like a brochure from the pocket of her jacket.
"Speaking of The Dominican Republic, Beacon Hill has just launched a pottery club. Might be time for you to improve your skills, Jane! What have you done with the ashtray?"
The brunette swallowed hard and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Well... Isn't it nice from you to remind us how I suck at it... The ashtray... Well, actually I don't know. Maur', what have you done with the ashtray?"
Sipping on her glass of Merlot, the honey blonde frowned. "I gave it to your mother, telling her that a local artist had made it. She found it to be rather experimental but interesting. It is now on the coffee table of her living-room area."
Jane choked. "You did not..."
"Oh yes, I did. I could have kept it but somehow I guess it has its place in the guest house... Where, you know... People can't really see it."
Lisa laughed lightly. "So... Are you signing up for these Beacon Hill pottery classes? Does that mean we have a chance to get our very own ashtray by Jane-the-local-artist?"
The detective smirked – cast an amused gaze at Maura – and rolled her eyes without adding anything. Punta Cana, Boston... No matter the distance, some things would never change.
"Something tells me I'll pass, this time."
The medical examiner nodded at her wife's comment. "Yes. I have just signed us up for merengue classes, anyway."
Jane chocked on her drink and looked in disbelief at Maura. "What?!"