A/N: I'm going to be off line for a few days so I kicked this up just for you. My Muse was ecstatic about this chapter but were butting heads on a few others but we'll get it worked out this week I think.
Anyway, Better hold on, cause here we go…
Friday Evening,
Jane flopped back in the really comfortable chair in Rick's writing office. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she took in all the facts of what Kate had called "Jane's cold case".
For three months, no one she knew had had any kind of contact with Maura Isles. She hadn't spent as much time on it as she would have liked, primarily because she had been solving cases and making amends to her relationship with her family and friends. Frankie had come to town last week and brought some news about Angela and Cavanaugh getting married and Jane had already put her time off request so she could stand up in the wedding, hoping her mother wouldn't make her wear some frilly pink monstrosity.
Frankie had also brought an invitation for Maura, since the Rizzoli matriarch didn't have a forwarding address for the doctor. Jane picked up the envelope and frowned, "Like I know how to find her."
When she had called her mom to tell her that very thing, Angela had simply replied, "Janie, she loves you too. I know it. Nothing will separate you two for long."
Right, it's only been, what, 10 months? Jane thought.
The truth was it would be a simple matter for Jane to find Maura. Just put in her full name and birthdate into the Law Enforcement Information Network. Since LEIN had every driver's license in America as well as any criminal information uploaded into it, it would only be a few keystrokes.
But that was abusing her position and in truth, invading Maura's privacy. So the blond knew where Jane worked, and Jane swore that she would not actively seek her out like some kind of stalker.
So instead, she swiped Lanie's medical journals and bulletins for any papers Maura would write. Since the ME was a genius and had a strong tendency to post new articles monthly, it was only a matter of time. Right, like that's not creepy. Jane shook her head and shook out her hands, She'd missed her appointment with Liv on Thursday because she and Kate had worked over.
Liv, she thought of her friend who worked on the other side of the borough at the 15th. A detective like her but Olivia worked in the SVU, Jane shuttered at the job. Sex crimes were definitely not her line of investigations. How Liv could stand dealing with that kind of human depravity was still a mystery to Jane.
I should really give her a call, she thought. She hadn't had a chance to catch up with Liv since her promotion to the Commander of SVU on Monday. But if she and Alex are fighting again, god I don't want to be in that position.
Yeah, a single lesbian hanging out with a bisexual who's having relationship issues wouldn't be an issue to the very gay ADA she was dating who just so happened to hate Jane, with a passion.
Jane scoffed to herself and texted Liv. Hey, how's the new job? Alex excited for you?
It was a second before a reply came, ON THE JOB, TXT U L8R.
Jane sighed as she sat, so much for a distraction. She thought about heading up to the gym but fighting wasn't what she was really in the mood for so Jane set the journal down and headed for Alexis for some serous talking google.
She was sitting at the kitchen table with her homework spread around. Jane marveled at the mess that she knew the nineteen year old had meticulously placed in a specific order. She leaned over Alexis's shoulder to look at the massive collection of numbers that made up the little genius's calculus assignment. As she watched her solve a massive equation that took up half of the page, Jane couldn't help but feel inadequate. But putting on her best motherly act, Jane squeezed her shoulders.
"Nice job."
Alexis looked over at her, "You didn't get any of that, did you?"
Jane looked at her in indignation, "I'll have you know that I got accepted into BCU right after high school."
Alexis smiled, "So what part did you understand clearly?"
Jane bit her lip, "Solve the equation?"
Alexis laughed and hugged her around the waist, "It's okay, Aunt Jane. This is fifth year calculus and it confuses me too."
Jane jerked in disbelief, "Fifth year Calculus, your only in your first year of College!"
Rick came out of the bedroom with that stupid, cute smile again, "That's my girl. She's been taking college calculus as a freshman in high school."
Jane turned to him and gasped. Rick was clean shaven and dressed in a very expensive black Armani suit that was perfectly tailored to his masculine build. His hair had been carefully done and he looked amazing. This was not the attire of a man taking his fiancé out to a romantic dinner.
Jane regained her composure quickly, "You clean up good, Castle. Not ruggedly handsome but nice anyway."
He rubbed his hands over the suit jacket, "Sophistication and grace is what this rig is for but thank you Jane."
"You look great, Dad." Alexis said, "But why the Armani? I thought you were going to dinner."
"I didn't want to be under dressed." He said as he looked back to the door.
Alexis dropped her pencil and Jane almost collapsed before she made it to a chair as Beckett came out. Jane's hand covered her mouth in awe.
Kate was wearing a gorgeous little black dress from Versace that hugged her every curve like it was made to show them. It draped her body to just below mid-thigh, and complimented the woman's long, shapely legs. She turned on six inch stilettoes in a fashionable turn. Jane's mouth went dry as Kate revealed the open back that started at the bodice that cupped her breasts perfectly. A strap on either side about an inch wide wrapped her shoulders tightly into the dress without hiding the defined muscles on either side but in fact highlighted them. Although the bodice carefully shown Kate's breasts her cleavage was eloquently concealed. The same could not be said about her back.
The open back ran from just the outside of said assets and revealed a great deal of Kate's ribs before dipping back and finally coming to a close sharply at hip level. Kate's sniper scar was clearly visible although the shot she had taken in the warehouse that still sported stiches was not. Jane had to pry her eyes away from her friend's rear, which was clearly on display in that tightly tailored dress.
The dress didn't cling. It hugged her toned and shapely backside. Just as it did every other part of her. Jane forced her eyes up to her friend's head not wanting to embarrass herself with her ogling.
Kate's hair had been pulled loosely to her head with the exception of a few locks that were curled and left to drape. The remainder of her long chestnut hair had been curled to fan out stylishly around the back of her head without detracting from her neckline. Her makeup was perfect in every way, not creating Kate's beauty, just highlighting the natural features of her beautiful face.
Kate's eyes showed satisfaction and amusement as she met Jane's nervous ones, Thank you Jane.
Jane groaned softly, she'd been caught.
Alexis regained her voice, "Oh my god. You look beautiful." She got up and hugged Kate tightly.
Kate smiled and hugged her back, "Thank you, sweetheart."
Rick smiled smugly, "I still feel underdressed."
Jane snorted, "Boy, the whole world is underdressed next to her."
He slipped his arm around Kate's waist, "True, but she's all mine."
An elbow in the stomach from Kate was the response.
"Ow, what was that for?" He griped as he rubbed his stomach.
"Just keeping you honest, Castle." She said. Her face revealed her amusement.
The look Kate shot Jane told her that she had been looking for a reason to do that all day. Jane smiled at the thought, Kate waiting, on the prowl just to give Rick an elbow. It wasn't hurtful, just an affectionate, and for Kate satisfying, way to keep Rick from letting his ego get away from him.
"Would you be a gentleman for a minute and get my coat?" she asked.
He nodded and moved to the coat closet. Kate came up to Jane and bent over to kiss her friend sweetly on the cheek. A hand on the shoulder reinforced Kate's earlier message of gratitude at Jane's obvious interest. Jane knew Kate had taken it as a compliment that she looked amazing, which she did and it was a compliment.
Kate straightened as Rick came over with the matching coat for the dress. He held it open for her as she stepped into it. She stared into his eyes with lust as she ran her fingers down his jawline.
Rick's pulse sped up at her look and her touch. She was going to mess with him all night long. He grinned as he slipped on his own coat. He enjoyed this game as much as she did.
"Shall we?" He held up his arm in a gentlemanly fashion as Kate retrieved her clutch from the table. She took the offered arm and waved good bye and they headed out the door.
Jane had just finished cleaning up the kitchen after dinner when her phone started ringing from the table. Alexis picked it up while Jane was washing her hands.
"It's Angela." She said with a smile. "Voicemail or speaker phone?"
"If I don't answer it she'll think I ran away again so pick it up." She growled.
Alexis hit the button, "Detective Rizzoli's office, Alexis Castle speaking."
Jane rolled her eyes again.
"Hello Alexis Castle." The phone blared, "Is my Janie around?"
"I'm here Ma." She said from the sink.
"Janie, I was calling to let you know that were going to have Christmas as Sean's house this year."
"Ma, it's not even Thanksgiving yet." She groaned, "And he's my old boss. Couldn't you at least let me get used to this before we start in on the whole Sean's house thing?"
"Janie, I live with the man." Angela said, "and I'm getting married to him."
She looked to Alexis, "Don't remind me."
"We'll you're going to be my maid of honor, Jane. The least thing you can do is be nice about it."
"Yeah, well, I'll work around it, then." Jane wiped her hands on a towel and remembered her google research, "Oh, and before I forget, I have several flight options that put me in Boston the day before Thanksgiving so I need to know when you can pick me up from the airport."
"Did you find Maura, Jane?"
A blank look came over Jane, "No, Ma. I haven't."
"JANE CLEMENTINE RIZZOLI! Don't you dare come home without Maura! You hear me?!"
Jane stared at the phone with her mouth open, speechless. Alexis stared at Jane.
"Are you kidding me?" she said.
"Do I sound like I'm kidding?" She yelled, "I mean it Jane, not without Maura and that's final!"
"MA!" Jane shouted back, "You want me to look all over the world for her? She's probably in Mali with Ian!"
"Oh believe me, she's not with Ian." She said, "He won't be back around since she broke his nose."
"What!" Jane leaned over the table, "When did she break his nose!"
"In Mali," her voice was confused, "I told you this already, Jane."
"No you didn't." she shouted, "I'd have remembered that, especially since she got mad when I did it."
"Janie, she was sober when she did it." A pause, "I thought I told you this when you called me after you met with Frankie."
Jane sat down and tried to get the phone off of speaker but Alexis grabbed it and sat next to her, Jane eyed her and realized Alexis wanted to hear about it too.
"Tell me everything." She said.
A huff over the phone, "Ian had been trying to seduce her the whole time they were in Mali and Maura was having none of it. I guess he's used to being kind of rough with her so he picked her up and held her against the wall and kissed her, she said that she kneed him in the balls."
Jane interrupted her, "Teenager present, Ma!"
Alexis glared at her in Rizzoli fashion. Jane smiled at it.
"Oh, sorry honey, I forgot you were there."
"It's alright," Alexis said.
"Keep going, Ma." Jane said.
"Okay, so she knees him in the… groin. And he lets her go and she knocks him right in the nose with the back of her elbow."
Jane could picture Maura performing the move with perfect clarity. After all, Jane had taught it to her.
"She tells him to keep all his body parts to himself and that his advances are unwelcome. Once the hospital was up and running, she came home without him."
Jane stared at the phone in disbelief, "She's not with Ian?"
"Oh heavens, no Janie. She came back seven weeks early to get back to you."
Jane's sighed heavily, "And I was gone."
"And you were gone. She looked for you, Janie. I think there's something there."
"Yeah, but not from Maura." She said sharply, "Now that I'm out, you want to play match maker with women instead of men."
"Jane, she came back for YOU! I told her what you said on the front lawn and she broke down right then. You were gone and she chased you down to New York to talk to you. There's something there. A mother knows these things."
"Ma! If she wanted to see me she would have come back by now. It's been over two months since she came to the station."
"Jane Clem.."
"Stop saying that, Ma! You know it's true."
"I know she's in New York, Jane."
"Oh yeah, how?"
Alexis got a look on her face and Jane caught it, Guilt.
"Because I know both of my girls and nothing can keep you two apart for long."
"It's been ten months Ma, think that qualifies as long."
"Jane I don't care if you have to break every law in the book, don't you dare come home without Maura Isles." There was a click and the beep signaling the call had ended.
Jane looked to Alexis, "What?"
Alexis schooled her face, "Haven't you done a LEIN search on her?"
"First off, that would be invading her privacy. Second I can get wrote up for that and I'm saving my write-ups for the jerks who tell the dyke jokes. Third, Captain Gates still doesn't like me and would love to kick me out of Homicide for something like that. And fourth, quit changing the subject and tell me what that guilty look was for."
Alexis looked away, "Do you still love her?"
"Yes and you know that." Jane's eyes narrowed and she leaned into her menacingly, "Why?"
"If you knew where she was, would you go to her?" She turned and Jane gasped at the tears threatening to fall.
"Yeah," She snapped her fingers, "like that."
Alexis got up and stood tall, a single tear slid down her cheek. "Then I guess I should give her back to you."
Jane smirked, "Got Maura Isles in your back pocket, do ya?"
Alexis reached in to her back pocked and pulled a business card out and held it up, Jane took it but didn't stop staring into those blue eyes.
"Yeah, actually I do." She said guiltily
Jane broke the hold and turned to look at the card.
Crisp clean letters spelled out her greatest wish.
Icahn school of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital
Manhattan, New York, NY.
Dr. Maura Isles MD.
Professor of Biology and Forensic Pathology.
Jane stared in disbelief before glancing up at Alexis.
Her voice was tinged with sadness and barely above a whisper, "When… How… Why did you…" Jane struggled to sit down, clutching the card like a vise.
"She came to Columbia U to fill in for Professor Stokes three days ago." Her voice quivering, "I got her card after I talked to her. I wanted to tell you but I needed to know if she even cared about you."
Jane grabbed her by the shoulders, "Three days? God, Alexis. Why would you keep that from me?"
Alexis's tears broke loose and she started bawling, "Because I love you and I couldn't let you go through all of that again if she didn't love you, too. I love you Aunt Jane and I won't let her hurt you again. I don't want to see you like that ever again."
Jane pulled her into a fierce hug, "Oh Alexis. I understand but you should have let me make that call. It's my job to protect you not the other way around."
"Your wrong." She said as she buried her face into Jane's curls, "it's mine to protect you, too. That's what family does. We look out for each other."
Jane patted her back as she held the young girl. She whispered quietly in her ear, "Thank you. I'll never forget it. Thank you for looking out for me." She hugged her even tighter.
A:N, so I recapped chapter 1 and realized that Kate hasn't been on the level with Jane, going to be fireworks next chapter, Beckett VS Rizzoli.