A/N Just a reiteration, these characters and their rights belong to their respective, incredibly talented creators, as realised by the wonderful actors who bring them alive for our enjoyment. No copyright infringement is intended, but thank you for letting us work our own personal stories with them.

Dancing down Rodeo Drive Part 2

Maura's viewpoint

After lunch we headed out and made our way to the Two Rodeo shopping centre. It was the home of a number of quality retailers, in particular Versace and one of my favourites, Jimmy Choo.

I was really enjoying the day, Natalie was wonderful company; finally I had someone to go shopping with who liked it as much as I did. By this time, if she'd lasted this long, Jane would have been complaining and fidgeting and finding excuses to head off, but Natalie was happily strolling along with me, window shopping, browsing and trying things on.

We'd been to this shopping centre before, when we dragged both Anastasia and Jane here to visit the Agent Provocateur store and try on some lovely lingerie, I'd more than enjoyed that afternoon, wrapping Jane in satin and silk and lace and seeing her so feminine was one of my all-time favourite things, only bettered by getting to unwrap her in private.

As we strolled past the store, Natalie glanced in and looked back at me, a sly smile playing on her face.

"And what might that smile be for Ms Dearing" She smiled even wider.

"I'm remembering that day and what we bought. Ana looked lovely in that black lace corset, I love seeing her wear it, especially that day I asked her to wear it to work" I looked across at her in surprise.

"She did, when?" Natalie smiled an evil smile.

To last Thursday's senior officers meeting, I told her that her wearing it under her suit, with me knowing it was under there was an incredible turn on for me" I smiled, imagining trying to convince Jane to do that. Never happen.

"And she agreed to that?" Natalie shrugged gently.

"I told her that if she did, I'd make it worth her while, that I'd be very, very good to her that night as a thank you. She was so agreeable that she wore that suit's skirt as opposed to the pants she usually wears. I told her I liked the access it provided"

"Oh, that is naughty. So you sat there and imagined her…"

"Yep, it was torture all through the meeting and lunch later, by the time we got home I was so worked up I practically assaulted her against the back of the front door. We wound up in bed and had to get home delivery for dinner as neither of us felt like cooking"

I nodded slowly, wondering if I could convince Jane… Sadly I came to the conclusion she wouldn't agree, still too afraid of being feminine, even though only we two would know. It looked like it would only happen on what Jane likes to call our 'girly' nights.

"How did that fire engine red satin basque you were talking about work out?" I smiled rather sadly.

"I haven't had an occasion to convince her to wear it yet, perhaps the LAPD Ball might be a good chance" Natalie shook her head sadly.

"That's a shame; she'd look lovely, what's the problem?" I felt uncomfortable but I had to defend Jane's choices.

"You have to understand that Jane was the youngest female detective in Boston PD history, plus the first female Homicide detective. She always had to struggle to be accepted, to fit in. To do so she had to be better than the men just to be to be one of the boy's" Natalie nodded in understanding.

"In addition, she grew up with two brothers and had always been a tomboy, so she never really grew up feeling like a girl, being feminine, at best she was androgynous. Once she became a detective, she wanted to be seen as a detective, not as a beautiful woman, for fear of others either thinking she used her looks to get her job or being the object of others amorous attentions" Natalie laughed as we walked towards the welcoming site of Jimmy Choo's.

"Fat chance of that, she's striking and people notice her the moment she walks into a room. Mind you, I understand what you're saying. Ana has some of the same fears. She was afraid people would judge her as a woman, not as an agent" I pursed my lips at the foolishness of some people.

"It's a shame, however we cannot change things, we just have to deal with them as they are"

Wandering into Jimmy Choo's, I smiled at the oh so exquisite shoes on display, I love beautiful shoes, even if Jane swears I could pay off the national debt for the value of my collection.

I had been browsing their website and knew exactly what I was looking for, the Lauren pump, all metallic and flashing jewels. I thought it would be perfect for the Ball and wanted Natalie's opinion. She dresses well, even if her work attire is more corporate than I would choose and she always looks good.

Mind you, with her looks and figure that wasn't that hard. I had spent some time checking her out while we had been trying on dresses and I was firmly of the opinion that Anastasia was a very lucky woman. Natalie had a lovely slim figure, long legs that were almost as good as Jane's and a bosom that, while not quite as large as mine, was certainly enticing.

When you added her thick blonde hair and stunning looks, she was quite the prize. Best of all, she was my friend and I counted myself very lucky to have her be so.

The sales person wandered over, taking us in, probably thinking we were just looking, until she spotted the heels I was wearing and realised they were Vamp strap sandals from the current collection. The change in her demeanour was quite amusing, as she stepped forward with a bright smile.

"Ladies, can I help you?"

"Yes please, I would like to look at a pump, the Lauren design, in a size six" As she scurried away, Natalie leaned in to me.

"Maura am I mistaken or is that Sharon Raydor sitting over there trying on shoes, the brunette facing away from us?" I looked up, scanning the room before settling on a set of auburn locks.

"I can't tell from this angle, if she looks up…" Suddenly the woman's head came up, smiling as an assistant handed her a fuchsia pump with the most amazing detail and what must have been a four or five inch heel; it was Sharon.

""It is, should we say hello?" Natalie flashed me a quick smile, before striding over as I followed.

"If you step on someone with that heel Sharon Raydor, I'm sure FID will have to investigate an assault with a deadly weapon" Sharon's head spun in surprise, before catching us both standing there. Looking surprised for a moment, she recovered almost instantly, standing and offering her hand to us both with a smile.

"Natalie, Maura, lovely to see you. I was just indulging a fancy. These shoes are far too extravagant and impractical for work"

I looked down to see her feet encased in Choo's, her left in the fuchsia heel, the other in a classic aqua pointy toed pump with a similar heel. Two other pairs of equally indulgent heels sat on the floor near where she was sitting. We were interrupted by the assistant returning with a set of leopard print pumps that I eyed appreciatively.

"Pardon me Sharon, here is the Archer in a half size smaller" Sharon turned and smiled. Thank you Emily, I'll be there in a minute"

I smiled, on a first name basis with the staff? Sharon must shop here more often than you might think.

"What brings you here ladies?" I smiled, nodding at the display.

"I'm looking for something for the Ball; I take it you are as well?" She nodded.

"I make an appearance each year, this year I'll be on Major Crime's table" I frowned.

"I expect that I will be as well, doesn't FID have a table?" She smiled slightly.

"No, my team pass on the night; it's not the warmest of welcomes for them. As a senior officer I have to attend so Major Crimes have been kind enough to let me join them. That is unless I want to sit at Chief Pope's table" We all pulled faces at that idea. "Brenda and her team have been kind enough to take in a stray" Natalie stared at Sharon, obviously unhappy at what she was hearing.

"I had no idea that things were that unpleasant Sharon, I'm sorry. I might ask if Brenda will let Ana and I join her table as well. That is if you don't mind?" Sharon blinked, obviously surprised.

"Mind, of course not, it's Brenda's table but I'm sure she would love to have you there, especially given how closely you've both worked with them on the sniper case" Natalie smiled.

"Excellent, then it's settled, I'll talk to Brenda tomorrow" Sharon looked confused.

"Oh, you're seeing her tomorrow?" Nat smiled happily.

"Yep, she's coming over for Sunday lunch" Sharon face wore a thoughtful look.

"I'm pleased, she doesn't get out as much as she should and spends too much time wrapped up in cases. How did you convince her to come over?" Natalie grinned.

"I invited her over, gave her the address and told her that if she wasn't there on time I'd send Ana to arrest her for missing her cooking, which is a serious crime, given how good she is in the kitchen" Sharon smiled happily.

"Excellent, I'm sure she'll have a great time" Seeing an opportunity I leapt in.

"I'm pleased you think it's such a good idea Sharon, as Jane and I were planning on inviting you over for dinner sometime soon as well" Sharon look surprised again, which made me think that being head of FID must be a more unpleasant position than I'd ever imagined.

"I couldn't impose Maura, but thank you for the offer…" I smiled; giving her that shoulder shimmy thing that Jane claims is one of my more charming weapons.

"It's an invitation, so it couldn't possibly be an imposition Sharon. Are you free for dinner tomorrow? I love to cook, especially for new friends" I could see Sharon caught between desire and reticence. Seeing it Natalie smiled.

"Ana and I can attest to Maura's skills in the kitchen, she's a fantastic cook, go on Sharon, you won't regret it" Desire won out.

"That would be wonderful Maura, thank you for the invitation. I'd love to. Perhaps I might be able to return the favour, invite both of you, plus your partners, to dinner at my place. No one calls my cooking superb, except my kids, but at least I haven't poisoned anyone yet" Natalie laughed, as I smiled.

"You just don't want to have to investigate yourself, assault and botulism" I waved at her accumulated shoes.

"We interrupted you Sharon, please continue. That looks lovely on you" She looked down.

"Thank you, I don't really have a dress to match it, but the colour and style is lovely. Mind you, if I buy them I'm sure it will become my new favourite and then I will want to wear it to the Ball, which means a new dress too"

"Yes, I have a few dresses, but I wanted to try a particular set for the ball, one which should go with pretty much anything. I turned to find the original salesperson standing there with the Lauren pumps in a box.

Putting my shopping bags to one side I took the box and sat to change shoes while Sharon tried on various shoes. Natalie chewed her lips for a moment.

"I might give the girls a call and tell them they have to amuse themselves for a while longer"

"Please tell Jane that Sharon's coming to dinner tomorrow night"

That taken care of, we sat back and started some serious shopping, with sales assistants coming and going in a stream, as we tried on a rainbow of colours and styles. Even Natalie, who had been a little reluctant, ended up getting in the swing of it. By the time we walked out to get a coffee, I had three new pairs to add to my collection, Sharon and Natalie one pair each.

I'd been surprised when Natalie bought the same fuchsia style that Sharon had been trying, however she explained that she could match it with a belt she had that was very similar shade and wear it with dressy jeans. Sharon went with the Archer leopard print, stating she had a matching clutch she could team it with and she could wear it with a dark chocolate gown for the Ball.

We made our way to a nearby café and enjoyed coffees and an indulgent lemon cheesecake muffin so big we could split it three ways and still have enough, while we gossiped about the people at work.

I could see that Sharon had relaxed enough to have a good time which made me smile, it was obvious that her job was a very lonely one, somewhat estranged from the rest of the force. I made a mental note to try and build a friendship with her, it was patently obvious that with the exception of Chief Johnson she wasn't close to pretty well anyone outside her team.

Finally we split up, with Sharon heading home and Natalie and I walking back to have a look at a few gowns we had earmarked for a second look.

We tried on a few, but most didn't make the cut the second time.

I was sitting waiting for Natalie to emerge wearing a red Versace, when her voice floated out over the partition.

"You were saying earlier that you were different and that you caused you troubles with guys. Did that affect your relationships with girlfriends too?" When I didn't reply her head popped up. "Maura, are you ok?" Reluctantly I spoke.

"I'm alright Natalie; I didn't have all that many friends before I went to work at Boston Police, most of my true friends date from then"

"How so, you're lovely, smart, warm, you're a wonderful person. Why didn't people see that?"

I was reluctant to delve into my miserable background. Natalie was so warm and outgoing that she probably made friends without even thinking about it, I could imagine her as the cheerleader at school, the homecoming queen, her beauty and personality would have made it all so easy for her. She probably couldn't understand my problem and wonder why I was weird.

Lost in thought, I was startled at movement right in front of me, looking up to see Natalie, dressed in nothing more than bra and briefs, kneeling in front of me, right there in the middle of the store.

"What's wrong Maura, did I say something wrong?"

"It's not you Natalie; I just didn't have any friends when I was younger" She looked at me, concern flooding her features, before laying her hand on mine.

"Maura, whatever happened then is the past, you're a stunningly beautiful woman who does a difficult, vital job well. People are drawn to you; I see it all the time. Ana and I are proud to be your friends"

I smiled sadly at her, realising that they only knew me now, not before Jane, they probably wouldn't have liked me then.

"Jane made me like that Natalie. Without her love and support and her pushing and encouragement, I wouldn't be the person I am today. She gives me the confidence to be who I am today. I used to be a nerd, with almost no social skills. Intelligent but not smart"

"Hey none of that, you're still the smartest person in the room, any room" I smiled at her words.

"Jane made me confident enough to be outgoing and to overcome my lack of social skills. Before that, through most of my time at university, the only social interaction I had with others was of a sexual nature. Men found me attractive and I went along with it, mostly to avoid being alone, but it never lasted, I was too weird for them beyond the sex" I could feel my eyes starting to tear up.

Natalie leaned in and enfolded me in her arms.

"Hey, that's long past; you're a gorgeous woman who's attracted a beautiful woman who loves you completely, so no tears, ok?" I nodded. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a salesperson waking towards us, but at a harsh glance from Natalie she froze, before turning away.

"Hey, the same thing happened with me. I wasn't the person I am now, before Ana walked into my life and made me a better person. I was a lightweight, drifting along, happy to not really do anything with any meaning or responsibility. Trying to be worthy of Ana made me want to change, to become a better person" She shrugged.

"I might not have liked who you were before Jane changed you and you might not have liked me before Ana changed me for the better, but we're who we are now, and were friends" She squeezed me tightly to her and I felt her lips kiss me gently on my forehead before she leaned back.

"I'd better get dressed and we should get out of here before that salesperson calls the cops to report a near-naked madwoman molesting customers in her store" I had to giggle at her words, which was probably the whole idea.

"Probably a good idea"

Making a quick exit we made our way to the last store we had to go back to.

A shimmering green floor length Ellie Saab that had caught our eye as it appeared on a monitor showing the original catwalk presentation when we there the first time.

The model had hair similar to mine and we had both admired the look of it. The store didn't have my size in stock, but had arranged to have one in my size brought over from another outlet, which I appreciated.

I tried it on, while Natalie waited expectantly for me to emerge. Checking myself in the mirror I thought I looked good, but one look at her face convinced me that it was coming home with me.

"Stunning Maura, that's the dress for the ball. No doubt about it" I swished up and down, admiring the fall of the train and the shine of the material. "I'm almost afraid to ask but do you have shoes to match?" I laughed happily at her cautious expression.

Yes, I have a gorgeous set of Laboutine's that I've not worn often. They will go perfectly with this dress or I could wear those Lauren pumps I just bought, they will look just as good"

"As you've just bought them, I'd go with the new ones"

I twirled again, admiring its fall.

"You know Natalie; you're a very bad influence on me" She look up at me, a smile half hidden.

"Me! How? I'm not the one holding your credit card at gunpoint saying buy this dress or the card gets it" I smiled happily back at her.

"No, but if I was out with Jane, she would have convinced me to finish up hours ago, and I would never have ended up with either this dress or the shoes, or even the opals from this morning" Her smile blossomed.

"Well, we were having too much fun to stop" I walked over to sit next to Natalie on the lounge in the dressing room.

"I'd really prefer to be doing this with Jane; I wish she liked doing this more. She will come with me but it's only as a favour and it's not her favourite thing, so I don't push her often" Natalie nodded.

"I know, it's not as bad with Ana but it's still not her favourite thing either" I looked down, hoping the next words didn't make me sound dreadfully needy.

"I'm sure you would really rather be shopping with Anastasia, the way I would with Jane, but I'm really, really glad that I have a shopping buddy" Hearing no reply, I slowly looked up, to find Natalie smiling softly at me. Without a word she reached out and wrapped me in a hug, rubbing my back and just holding me for a moment, before leaning back.

"Maura, I'm so happy to have a girlfriend I can talk to, go shopping with, or get all girly with. Ana's wonderful for me and I'm sure that Jane is perfect for you, but you and I, we're good for each other"

"You have no idea how much fun I've had today, thank you Natalie"

"Hey, thank you for letting me hang with you"

"Well, I suppose I should get out of this and we should head home"

"Probably, see how much trouble the girls have got up to without us"

"They're probably thinking exactly the same thing"