Sorry it took so long. Everything has just been shitty, and everything I wrote didn't come out the way I wanted it to. Anyway, here's another chapter.
January
It's been three weeks since the fight with Maura's mother. The girls spent Christmas and New Year's together, and Maura's mother simply returned to Europe for new meetings.
Jane wanted to talk to Maura about it, but there never seemed to be time. She wanted to make time for it, but the blonde carefully avoided the subject, and their sport schedules didn't match at all. When Maura was at home, Jane had a soccer practice and this also happened the other way around. The time they spend together was either at school or during the weekends, and Jane didn't want to ruin the little time they had by making Maura cry over the fight with her mother.
Finally, it's Friday afternoon, and Jane knows that Maura won't be taking her pointe class tomorrow. She catches the blonde just after last period, when she sees her girlfriend talking to a friend from one of her classes.
"Hey," Jane says, slipping an arm around her girlfriend's waist.
"Oh hi," Maura says, smiling at the brunette. "I'm almost done. I was just explaining something."
"Sure," the brunette replies, unwrapping herself from Maura to give her some space. She listens to the girl asking something about a Spanish test, but Jane's eyes are focused on Maura. The blonde looks beautiful, just like always. Today she's wearing a skirt that stops just above her knees, and a soft pink sweater tucked into it.
"... in Spanish?" Jane barely catches the end of the girl's question.
"Um," Maura stops, biting her lip while thinking. "You'd probably say: 'No estoy satisfecho con lo que he logrado hasta ahora'. But you'd have to check that."
Jane's eyes widen, and her short, barely audible intake of breath does not go unnoticed by Maura. The blonde briefly grins at Jane before focusing on her friend again, but Jane keeps her eyes on her girlfriend.
That was hot.
It doesn't take too long for Maura to finish the conversation, and the girl walks towards the exit, wishing them a nice weekend.
"Hey. Why are you here?" the blonde asks, facing Jane.
The brunette pulls her girlfriend in for a kiss, and Maura casually leans her arms on Jane's shoulders, hands crossed behind her neck. They're lucky it's Friday afternoon, because most of the students have already gone home, so they won't get called out.
When they part, both of them are smiling.
"Can you come over tonight?" Jane asks, walking back into the hallway and motioning for the blonde to follow her.
"Yeah, sure. Why?" the blonde asks nervously.
"Maura, don't worry. Nothing's wrong. I'm not breaking up with you or anything, if that's what you're thinking," she says genuinely, taking the blonde's hand in hers. Maura feels herself calm down a little, and for the time being, that is enough.
"Sure. Is eight o'clock alright?"
...
As promised, Maura shows up at eight PM sharp. Jane has changed into a pair of sweatpants and a simple t-shirt, but she looks gorgeous as always. Maura greets Jane's mother, and they immediately get a bowl filled with cookies shoved into their hands. Maura loves being here.
"Tommy and Frankie were just going to watch a movie. Shall we join them first?" the brunette asks. Maura nods, and they join Jane's brothers on the couch. Angela shows up a few minutes later and sits down in one of the chairs, reading a magazine.
Halfway through the movie, Tommy comments on something the main character says, but Maura doesn't quite catch what it was because she's busy keeping up with the references and scientifically impossible things in the movie. She feels Jane's shoulders move in the way they do when she's annoyed.
"No shit Sherlock," the brunette says to her brother. It earns her a confused look from Maura, who is trying to figure out what that expression means. Jane laughs, and pulls her girlfriend closer to her. If Angela notices, she doesn't comment on it, but Jane is sure she already knows. Tommy can't keep anything for himself.
The movie finishes at ten, and Angela ushers the boys upstairs to their bedroom. Jane and Maura are left in the sitting room with just the two of them, and the blonde looks at her girlfriend, questioningly.
"Do you want to go upstairs as well?"
"Yeah," the brunette replies, "that's probably for the best. My mom is coming back in a few."
Maura nods and gets up, immediately followed by Jane. They make their way upstairs and into Jane's messy bedroom. The brunette closes the door behind them, locking it immediately. She doesn't want her mother to barge in on them.
"How can you even-" the blonde starts, but is cut off by a long, slow kiss.
"Shh," the brunette whispers against soft lips. "Don't be like my mother. I clean up when I want to."
Maura sighs, rolling her eyes. "You're incorrigible."
"I know," Jane replies with a smirk, eyeing her girlfriend's backside when Maura goes to stand in front of the mirror. The blonde pulls her hair tie out of her hair and takes Jane's hairbrush from her desk. The brunette sits down on her bed, perfectly content with simply watching her girlfriend.
The blonde puts her hair up again, wrapping the hair tie around her blonde curls.
"I want to talk to your mother," Jane suddenly says, and Maura stops dead, one hand still holding her ponytail.
"What? Why?" she says, eyes wide.
"Because of how she treats you, Maura. That's not normal, and I know you're hurting because of it. I won't have it any longer," Jane states.
Maura quickly finishes redoing her hair and walks over to the bed. "What do you mean?"
Jane clenches her jaw hard, something she does when it's hard to describe how she's feeling.
"You know what I mean, Maura," she replies, pulling the blonde's hand to get her to sit down.
Maura obeys, and curls her feet up underneath her. "But I don't trust her, Jane. I can't let you be with that woman, when I … I know what she's capable of. She can really hurt you, Jane, and I'm so afraid you're going to walk away from me, and …"
"I would never walk away just because your mother is a bitch to me, Maura," Jane says, and she means it. She leans in to kiss the blonde, who is still tense.
"I'll be okay. I promise. I'm just going to say some things to her, and then I'll simply walk away. I promise. And if you really don't want me to go, I'll call her instead of going, alright?" Brown eyes meet hazel ones that are filled with worry.
"But what if-" the blonde starts again, still unsure of what she should do.
"Maura, believe me. Please." Jane waits a few seconds before she presses her lips to Maura's again. Although Maura doesn't verbally say that it's okay, Jane feels the blonde relax more and more with each kiss she places on Maura's lips. When she reaches a particularly sensitive spot on Maura's neck, the blonde closes her eyes for just a second, only to open them again. Her pupils are slightly dilated, but her eyes are a little shiny with tears that she doesn't want to let fall. Jane reaches up to cup her girlfriend's cheek. "It's alright. It's okay, baby. Trust me. I love you."
Jane's soft voice, the sincerity and love that shines through in everything the brunette does for her makes Maura really cry now. She leans into her girlfriend and two strong arms immediately wrap around her.
"Can you just call her?" the blonde asks, voice soft. "I don't want you to go."
After a beat of silence, Jane replies.
"Okay, Maur. Anything for you."
..
Maura stays the night, of course, and she wakes up at three AM, needing to use the bathroom. She quietly steps out of Jane's bed, closing the covers again to keep her girlfriend warm. When she comes back into the room, Jane is mumbling in her sleep. The blonde smiles softly before closing the door behind her and walking to the bed on tiptoes. She slips back under the covers, facing Jane's backside, and she closes her eyes. She has almost fallen back asleep when the brunette's mumbling gets louder, and Maura can make out some words.
"No, please ….. my fault… no," Maura opens her eyes again, waiting. When the same words are repeated, she's quick to wrap one arm around her girlfriend. She pushes herself up a little to be able to whisper in Jane's ear. "Honey, it's alright. You're okay," the brunette quiets, almost as if she's listening. "Come here, Jay. Roll over," the blonde whispers. Jane obeys, even when sleeping, and rolls over into the blonde's arms. She immediately tucks her head into Maura's chest and her breathing slows down again. "Maur." A whisper, barely even there, telling Maura that Jane is still asleep, but somehow knows that Maura is there with her.
"Yes, honey. It's me. Go back to sleep, Jay. You're okay," the blonde whispers softly.
Within minutes, both girls are fast asleep in each other's arms.
..
"Girls! Breakfast is ready!" Angela's voice pulls Maura out of her sleep. She blinks a couple of times, adjusting to the morning light that shines through Jane's curtains. She stretches, reaching out for the warm body that's supposed to be next to her. The sheets are still warm, but Jane isn't there.
The door opens and the brunette walks in, answering Maura's question. "Hey. I was taking a quick shower. I'm sorry, did my mother's yelling wake you?" The blonde nods, pushing herself up. "Yeah, but it's okay. You're up too, and I'm awake now."
Jane grabs a black sweater from her closet, pulling it over her head before leaning in to place a kiss on Maura's cheek. "Did you sleep okay?"
The blonde hesitates for a second, not knowing if she should tell the brunette about the nightmare she was clearly having. She wants to ask what it was about, what Jane was feeling, if she remembers. Instead, she goes with "Yeah. You?"
"Yeah, me too," the brunette says, opening her arms. "Can I have a hug?"
Maura steps into the arms that always make her feel safe, but puts one hand on Jane's chest, slightly pushing her back. "I don't know, can you?"
Jane sighs excessively, rolling her eyes. "My beautiful, lovely, sweet girlfriend who can't help but correct everyone's grammar, MAY I have a hug?"
The blonde smiles, wrapping both arms around the brunette, pulling her closer until they are flush against each other. "Yes. You may."
They manage to unwrap themselves after a minute when Angela calls again. "Yeah, yeah!" Jane shouts back, pulling Maura with her. "Come on. Before she comes up here and sees how messy my room is."
They descend the stairs, meeting Frankie at the bottom. He greets them before heading upstairs.
"Hey! Why is he allowed to go back up?" Jane says to her mother, giving her a kiss on her cheek.
"Tommy is already outside, and he wanted to go as well. So I figured he could go, and we could have a nice breakfast with just the three of us."
Ohh crap, Jane thinks. She definitely knows.
"Sure, Ma," the brunette replies, and follows her mother into the kitchen. The table has been set, and Maura takes her usual place next to Jane. Angela sits opposite of them, and takes a bite from her sandwich. "Good morning girls. Did the both of you sleep okay?"
Jane replies while Maura grabs the yogurt and fills their bowls. The blonde is just taking her first bite when Angela asks them a question.
"So are you girls dating now?"
Maura looks at Jane, unsure of what to say.
"Why would you think that?" the brunette asks, feigning ignorance.
"Janie. Everyone who stays the night sleeps on a mattress on the floor. Not next to you in your bed. Don't think I didn't notice that. No, I didn't come in when you were sleeping, but you usually come downstairs to ask me for extra sheets, and you haven't done that since Maura."
Jane and Maura are silent, not knowing how to reply to this.
"And way you girls look at each other, you'd be a fool if you didn't see that this goes way beyond friendship. To be honest, I'm not even surprised. And I found that I really don't mind, actually, because love is love, right? And Maura, you're welcome here all the time. But don't you ever think about hurting my daughter, okay?"
Before Maura can reply, Jane starts talking. "Ma, come on-" But the blonde holds up her hand, and Jane quiets.
"I would never, ever hurt Jane," she starts. "Not deliberately, at least. I will always be there for her and help her in every way I can. I promise you that."
Angela seems satisfied with this answer, because she smiles. "Okay, honey. And Jane, if you ever hurt this sweet girl,-"
"Ma! Enough for now, alright? As if I'd ever do that," Jane replies.
Jane's mother looks at Maura again. "See? That's the difference between you two. She's immediately agitated, and you're always polite."
Maura can't help but laugh, and she nudges Jane playfully. "I love you," she whispers under her breath, before she gets up to make tea for the both of them. She feels Jane's eyes on her, but she doesn't turn around.
"How about you take Maura out for dinner next weekend?" Angela asks Jane, and Maura does turn around now. She notices the brunette's face fall.
"Um," Jane starts, "The championship is next weekend. State Tournament, remember? I'll be gone the whole day."
Angela nods. "Oh, I forgot about that. Why don't you take Maura with you? I'm sure she'll love it."
Jane turns towards her girlfriend, who's putting their cups of tea on the table. "Would you? Frost and Frankie will be there too," she quickly adds. It's her way of saying you won't be alone and Maura understands.
"Yeah, I would love to," she replies, smiling. "Where is it?"
Jane shrugs. "No idea what the place is called. I only know that it's a 2,5 hour drive. Frost is driving, by the way."
Angela smiles, watching the girls interact. She couldn't be happier, seeing her daughter like this.
Maura is definitely a keeper.
...
...
"-...0985."
Maura is in the shower, and Jane knows she'll most likely have at least half an hour to talk to Constance. She had a couple ideas of what she wants to say, but now she's actually calling her, her mind is completely blank.
"Constance Isles."
"Hey, um, this is Jane Rizzoli. Don't hang up, okay? I have to talk to you."
"Ah, Jane Rizzoli. You're the girl who took Maura from me on Christmas Eve, right?"
"I did not take her. She went home with me because she wanted to," Jane replies, trying not to get angry already. "I'm calling you because I want to talk to you about Maura." Constance is silent, and Jane thinks she's going to hang up on her now.
"Fine, go ahead," Constance says, although her tone isn't friendly.
"Okay," Jane says nervously. "First I need to tell you that Maura is my girlfriend, she already was when we were at your place, but she didn't want to tell you because she didn't know how you'd react. So I'm telling you now, because you have to know."
It's silent on the other side of the line.
"I love Maura very much, and I'm the luckiest girl in the world because she wants to spend time with me. So I want to make her feel loved, because she hasn't felt loved in a very long time. And if you feel attacked, yes, this is directed towards you. I know Maura doesn't have a father anymore, which means you're the only person in her life she's biologically related to. You were supposed to be her hero growing up, but you were never there."
"You don't know what you're saying," Constance says. "I was there for her. She could call me if something was wrong, or if I hadn't arranged something-"
"No," Jane interrupts. "You see? She could call you. But were you able to physically hold her? Make her feel better just by being there?"
More silence.
"Maura misses you. She doesn't admit it, maybe she said it a couple of times when she was younger, but she misses you. And I can't imagine you're not missing her. Your daughter is a wonderful girl, and even if you don't approve of our relationship, I need you to be there for her more often. Please watch your child grow up while you still can. You've missed out on so many things already, please don't make yourself regret the things you've done. Or haven't done, really."
"I apologize for saying this, but I cannot accept this, Miss Rizzoli. I don't need you to tell me what to do," Constance says.
"Your child's birthday is in less than a month," Jane says, trying a different approach. "Tell me what your plans are for her. Do you even have any?"
"... not yet."
See, I got you there, Jane can't help but think.
"But I'm going to send her a birthday card, I think she'll appreciate that," Constance continues. "Anything else? I have work to do."
"How can you not understand that that's not what she wants?" Jane has to work hard to keep her voice down. "Maura doesn't want a fucking card in the mail with a quick 'happy birthday' scribbled onto it. She wants to see you. She wants you to be here and, I don't know, go to a fancy dinner with you or something. Whatever you guys do when you're together."
"I don't know!" Constance says, a little louder. "I don't know what she wants, okay? I see her a couple of times a year, and that's it! I was so angry at you during our dinner, because you seemed to have a better bond with my daughter than I do. I kept asking myself how a girl like y-" Maura's mother catches herself just in time. "You're different. Different than I expected to be, I mean. I had this image of you, a rough, reckless girl, who was going to take Maura away from me completely. But you're so gentle with her, and you seem to know what she wants without her telling you. I'm so ... jealous."
Jane is silent now, a look of utter confusion on her face.
"I don't even know my own daughter anymore," the slight tremble in Constance's voice betrays her emotions. Jane thinks she's going to continue, but it seems that Maura's mother is all done now.
"It's never too late to get to know her," Jane starts. "Just tell her this. She will understand, and she will be so happy because you're sharing this with her. I promise you that. She still loves you."
Jane hears Constance sigh, as if she's trying to get a grip on her emotions. It seems that she's successful, because her voice sounds calmer now.
"I underestimated you, Jane. I'm sorry."
Although this answer is again not something Jane expected, she smiles.
"Look, I know that it's four months away, but will you come to Maura's graduation?" she asks.
"I will see what I can do," Maura's mother starts. "I'm not sure if I have anything planned, but-"
Jane interrupts her. "Hold on. Do you understand what I'm talking about? This is exactly what I mean. I just asked you to be there for Maura, for your daughter, and you said that you 'will see what you can do'."
Constance is silent.
"I want you to be there for Maura. She wants you to be there too. So whether it is today, next week or in four months, please make sure that you're there. Maura will love it." There is a silence, and Jane can only hope that Constance understands now.
"Okay, Jane. I will be there."
..
..
A 2,5 hour drive doesn't seem long at all when you're in the car with Jane Rizzoli. She's constantly nagging Frost and Frankie, singing along with the radio, talking to Audrey about soccer, and talking to Maura about anything else. The blonde is sitting in the back, next to Jane, who's in the middle. Audrey is on the other side of Jane, and Frost and Frankie are in the front.
The blonde notices that none of her friends have talked about Ryleigh's sudden disappearance. She doesn't want to ask someone right now, because there's no way it'll be good for the atmosphere in the car. So she leaves it for now, but makes a mental note to talk about it with Frost later.
"Oh hey! Turn it up!" Jane yells, pointing towards the radio. "I love this song!"
Frankie turns around in his seat. "Again? What about the last fifteen ones?"
The brunette leans forward and smacks him on his shoulder. "Shut it."
Maura pulls her girlfriend back. "Be nice," she warns. Jane turns towards her, a smug smile on her face. "I'm always nice." She leans in and places a quick kiss on the blonde's lips before singing along with the song on the radio.
"I'm starting with the man in the mirror"
Jane looks at the guys expectantly, and they join her immediately.
"I'm asking him to change his ways"
Maura recognizes the song but doesn't know the lyrics, so she simply watches them with a smile on her face. Jane is using her hands to kind of dance along, and the sight of Maura's girlfriend, a soccer player, trying to dance while sitting in a car, makes Maura laugh out loud.
The brunette looks at Maura affectionately for a few seconds, before she joins Audrey again in the next chorus.
The song is over way too quickly, and Frost turns the radio down again. Maura slips her hand into Jane's, and everyone is quiet for a while, recovering from yet another spontaneous sing-along session.
"Jane?" Maura asks after a few minutes.
"Mm?"
"What am I supposed to do for my birthday? Should I have everyone over, or should we just go somewhere together? I don't know."
"It's your birthday. You can choose," Jane replies.
"But that's the point. I don't know. I've never really celebrated my birthday with friends."
If that thought doesn't break your heart, I don't know what will, the brunette thinks.
"Maur. Everything's fine, as long as you like it. If you want to be with me, that's fine. If you want to invite Frost and Audrey and the girls from ballet, that's fine."
In reality, Jane already has plans for Maura's birthday. Frost and Audrey know what those plans are, and Jane's lucky for having friends that are really good at keeping their mouth shut. Frankie turns around in his chair again. "Hey, what about me?"
"You're not invited," Jane says, smiling at Maura, because she knows the blonde will comment on this. "I knoooow," she says, right before Maura starts speaking. "Frankie, Maura would like to inform you that if she's going to celebrate her birthday, you're allowed to come." She turns towards her girlfriend. "Happy?"
Maura rolls her eyes, but nods. "I'll think about it."
..
When they arrive at the stadium, Jane and Audrey have to go and meet their teammates. The brunette gives Maura a kiss that last slightly longer than she planned to, but she can't help it. "Good luck," Maura whispers against the brunette's lips. "Win the game for me."
Jane smiles before turning around, throwing an "I love you" over her shoulder before she disappears into the building.
The blonde feels a hand on her upper arm. "Missing her already?" Frost jokes. "Come on, let's get some drinks."
The three of them get a milkshake (even though it's nearly freezing outside) and a hot dog before climbing up a few stairs, towards their seats. There are about ten rows of plastic chairs on their side of the field, and another ten opposite of them. It's already busier than Maura expected it to be, and she feels a little nervous for Jane.
They talk about different things, until the first players are making their way onto the field for the warming-up. Frankie and Frost start yelling when they recognize a few girls from Jane's team, but Maura waits with yelling until she sees Jane. The brunette makes her way onto the field, jogging with one of her teammates, her brown hair up in a high ponytail. Her usual wild curls have been tamed with hairspray and bobby pins.
"Jane!" Frost shouts. "Up here!"
The brunette comes to a stop, and turns around. Her teammate points towards the spot they're sitting, and Jane spots them immediately. She waves before smiling in a way that tells Maura it's meant for her. They all wave back until Jane turns back around, making her way towards the rest of her team.
Maura watches her girlfriend, looking at how she's interacting with everyone. She seems so at ease, even though she knows there are hundreds of people watching them. Frost and Frankie are talking about a movie they've seen, but Maura is too distracted by Jane to join the conversation.
Jane's team, all in red outfits, are doing their warming-up. They start off with simple jogging, some sprints and stretches. Their goalkeeper is already in her goal, doing her own warming-up. When Maura looks at Jane again, the brunette is laughing, pulling a girl up who tripped over her own feet.
God, her smile.
It doesn't take long before the referee makes his way onto the field and Jane, since she's the team captain, makes her way over to the center circle. She shakes hands with her opponent and the referee before choosing who gets to start the game. The opponent wins, and Jane nods friendly before walking towards her place on the field. She yells at two girls to get into position, and the referee blows his whistle.
The game begins, and the stadium erupts in cheers and yells, like 'come on!' and 'let's go girls!'
Maura feels Frankie's eyes on her, so she looks at him. "You're nervous, aren't you?" he says. His eyes are the same as Jane's, and they tell her that he isn't mocking her, but that this a genuine question. She nods, smiling briefly.
"That's completely normal, you know. I've been going to her games for years now, and the big ones still make me nervous. But she's going to kill it," he says. She smiles, thankful for him understanding her, and they both focus on the game again.
The first 45 minutes go by without a goal, although both teams come close to scoring a couple of times. Right before half time, Jane gets tackled, just when she has the chance to score. Maura, Frost and Frankie all stand up from their chairs, shouting "Hey!" "What the hell!", "That's a foul, man!". The referee blows on his whistle, but it's only to indicate that the first 45 minutes have passed. Frankie grumbles, mumbling something about the referee being stupid. He offers to get them some chocolate milk, because the milkshake in combination with the cold wind hasn't been ideal for their body temperature.
When Frankie has gone, Maura turns to look at Frost.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, of course," he replies.
"Do you still think about what happened with Ryleigh?"
He looks at her, surprised by the random question. "No, not really anymore. Why are you asking?"
Maura hesitates. "Well, when I first met her, Jane told me that Ryleigh was her best friend. And then they suddenly part ways, and never see each other again. I can't imagine that Jane isn't hurting because of that. Has Jane ever talked about her with you?" she asks, observing her friend.
Frost shakes his head. "Nah. But you know how she is with feelings. If you want to know what she's thinking, you should probably be the one to ask her. I think she'll tell you the truth. Jane and I have this weird thing going on that I don't ask her about something I know she doesn't want to talk about, but if she starts the conversation, I'll always listen to her. I do ask her how she's doing, of course, but I don't know if she's always telling the truth."
"Mm. Okay," Maura replies. "Thank you. You're a good friend, you know that?"
Frost looks away, blushing slightly. He doesn't know how to respond to this, but he doesn't have to, because Frankie comes back with their drinks.
"Here you go," he says, handing them the chocolate milk. It's very warm against Maura's cold hands. She should've brought gloves, but she didn't expect it to be so cold. It doesn't take long before her hands are a little warmer again, and her fingers feel less numb. She reminds herself to put her hands in her pockets during the second half.
Exactly fifteen minutes later, both teams return to the field. Maura can image the exact look in Jane's eyes, fierce and passionate. Her girlfriend gives a teammate an high five before saying something to her, and then returns to her position.
The referee blows on his whistle, indicating that the game is continuing. The first 40 minutes are the exact same as the first half; both teams get multiple chances, but no one actually scores a goal.
"What happens if it stays 0-0?" Maura asks Frankie.
"Then they'll have to play for another 15 minutes," he answers. "This is the finale, so someone has to win."
Maura looks at the digital clock that's displayed above the goals.
2 minutes left.
Audrey blocks a ball that otherwise would have to be blocked by the goalkeeper, and she dribbles forward. Audrey passes the ball to a mid fielder, but it has too much speed. Luckily, the girl is a fast runner, and manages to be on time to catch the ball. It doesn't go over the sideline entirely, so Jane's teammate gets away with it and manages to dribble past two girls of the other team before passing the ball to Jane. The brunette picks up speed, and rushes past a defender before shooting the ball towards the goal. The goalkeeper jumps towards the left corner and manages to touch the ball with her fingertips, but it's not enough to stop it from flying into the upper left corner of the goal.
Their entire side of the stadium is immediately on their feet, cheering loudly, and Jane is immediately surrounded by all of her teammates in a group hug. The referee blows on his whistle again, indicating that the game is over, and that they've won. Music starts and confetti falls all around them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for the state champions of this year: the girls from Fenway High School in Boston!"
Maura, Frost and Frankie are up on their feet as well, almost in a trance, because all of this happened so fast. When the teams have shaken hands with each other, Jane's team runs towards the tribunes where their supporters are, waving and clapping. The brunette has a smile on her face, and looks towards the spot her friends are sitting. She kisses the tips of her fingers before putting them up in the air, making eye contact with Maura. The blonde repeats Jane's motion, tears of joy and excitement threatening to spill over. Then Audrey comes out of nowhere and jumps on the brunette's back, resulting in them almost tumbling over.
The brunette laughs again, and Maura's heart jumps. Her girlfriend turns back around, and joins her teammates again in their celebration.
..
..
They wait at the exit of the building, and Maura's stomach tingles with the excitement that comes with seeing Jane. She hears the brunette's voice before she actually sees her. Her girlfriend is the fourth to come out of the building, hair still wet from her shower, and she's speaking loudly with one of her teammates.
"Yeah, that girl on the left? With the red hair?" Maura hears Jane say.
"She had no idea what she was doing!" One of the girls reply.
The brunette looks up and immediately spots them. She gives a few girls a quick hug and says goodbye before jogging towards them.
"Hey champion!" Frankie says, slapping his sister on her back. "Nice goal, Jay," Frost says. "You're the hero of the day. Hell, of the year even." Jane fist bumps him before looking at Maura, who is teary-eyed again. Frost looks at Jane, and then at Frankie, who is already looking at him.
"We'll see you girls in the car in a few, okay?"
Jane gives them a thankful smile, and pulls her girlfriend into her arms. "Hey," she whispers in Maura's ear. The blonde smiles into Jane's shoulder, her girlfriend's scent combined with soap from her shower makes her feel at home again. She pulls back slightly to be able to kiss Jane.
A few of Jane's teammates yell at them encouragingly, Maura hears someone yell "Get it, Jane!"
Neither one of them replies, both too lost in their own world together. "We won," Jane mumbles against soft lips, that immediately curl up into a smile.
"I'm so proud of you," Maura whispers. "You did so well. You're amazing."
Jane pulls back to look into hazel eyes that are full of adoration. "I'm glad you liked it."
"I loved it," Maura says, putting her arms around Jane. "I love you." Those words never fail to make the brunette smile. "I love you too, Maur."
After a few seconds of just looking into each other's eyes, Jane breaks the silence.
"Come on, let's go to the car. We're going home."