I'm back…been a while, but I tried my best to churn this one out…I hope my haste didn't compromise what I was trying to convey though. Any way…back on schedule, finally. I hope you all enjoy…until next week…Thanks again for reading…
Chapter 30- True
"Close your mouth Jane…you might catch a fly if you're not careful." Maura couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face as she watched Jane's reaction to the baseball suite they were standing in.
"I can't believe this Maura…it's huge." Jane looked around in awe as she gave Maura a sheepish smile. Her eyes traveled from one big screen television to another one before she stopped at the huge glass window overlooking the first base line.
"Let me show you something." Maura grinned as she pushed a button that caused the glass window to rise up allowing the room to extend out onto the balcony.
"Wow…" Jane let out a long exhale followed by a whistle as she stepped out onto the balcony.
"Well, I'm just glad that we can put it to good use. They offer it to my father every year, but this will be the first time we've had a reason to use it." Maura moved to stand behind Jane. She slipped her arms around Jane's waist before resting her chin on Jane's broad shoulders. "I'm so happy to be able to share this with you…and your family." She didn't mean for the last part to sound like an afterthought.
The words were accompanied by a soft sigh that fanned out across the back of Jane's neck causing her to shiver at its warmth. She turned her head slightly so Maura could place a gentle kiss on her cheek as she placed her hands upon the ones that were resting across her stomach.
"Thank you…" the words were almost a whisper as Jane struggled to find her voice. Threading her fingers with Maura's, Jane gave a gentle squeeze.
"If only we could have it all to ourselves my sweet Jane…" Maura said as she snuggled closer to Jane's tall frame. "I can think of a few things we could do to pass the time in-between outings…" She sighed again as she ran her mouth up Jane's long neck before taking an earlobe between her lips.
"I think you mean innings Muar." The feeling of a warm mouth enveloping her earlobe caused her to squirm in Maura's arms.
"Hmmm…whatever…" Maura continued to move her mouth over Jane's ear as her arms tightened their grip to keep Jane from moving away.
"Jesus…don't you guys ever stop?" Carly called out from the doorway.
The unexpected voice caused Jane to jump in surprise resulting in her hitting Maura under the chin with her shoulder.
"Ouch…" Maura reluctantly pulled away, cradling her chin in the palm of her hand.
"Shit Maura…I'm sorry. Are you hurt?" Jane turned around to take a better look at Maura, all the while glaring at Carly over Maura's shoulder.
"I'm fine." Maura tried to smile but the fact that she had bitten her tongue caused her to grimace. When Jane raised her eyebrows in question, Maura gave her a genuine smile. "Really…I'm fine."
"Leave them alone Carly, I seem to remember a time when we couldn't keep our hands off of each other." Ryan pushed past Carly to get a better look at the suite. "Damn…" She let out a low whistle as she looked around the large room that opened up to the balcony. "And on the first base line…I think I've died and gone to heaven."
"Speak for yourself." Carly wrapped her arms around Ryan's waist and twirled her around until Ryan wiggled out of her grasp to join Jane on the balcony. "Well that's an ego bruiser." She said as she pushed her long, dark hair away from her eyes to take in the room they were standing in. Seeing Ryan's wide eyes filled with wonder brought a smile to her face.
"I guess it's hard to compete with Fenway Park." Maura moved to stand next to Carly.
"Yeah, sorry about startling you guys." Carly watched Jane and Ryan excitedly pointing things out to each other as they leaned over the railing to see the field better.
"Yeah, no worries there." Maura couldn't help but chuckle at Jane and Ryan's overflowing excitement. "I do have a surprise that will make this…" She tipped her still aching chin towards the two figures standing out on the balcony to emphasize what she was going to say next. "Look tame." She tiled her head back so she could look up at Carly.
Carly raised a questioning eyebrow but before she could ask, they were interrupted by a young man in a navy blue blazer with the Red Sox logo embroidered on the breast pocket.
"Miss Isles…the arrangements you requested have been taken care of. If you and your friends would like to join me, we can begin the private tour." The young man said with a slight bow in Maura's direction. "My name is Stanley by the way and I will be taking care of you this afternoon."
"Thank you Stanley…" Maura paused to look over her shoulder at Jane and Ryan who were now standing frozen to see what was coming next. "Shall we?"
"Are we really gonna get a private tour?" Jane couldn't contain the excitement in her voice as she took a step closer to Maura.
"Yes…I have made arrangements for us to have a tour as well as having a go at the field for a few minutes before people start to arrive." Maura gave Carly a sideways glance and a knowing wink. It didn't take long for the words to sink into both Jane and Ryan's brains as they both squealed with delight like a couple of five year olds.
"Oh my God Maura, I can't believe you did this." Jane pulled Maura into a hug before quickly releasing her. Grabbing Ryan by the hand, Jane pulled her towards the door. "Come on…"
Both Carly and Maura watched in surprise as Jane and Ryan disappeared out the door in a flurry of movement. Maura had a surprised look on her face as she looked towards the empty doorway.
"What?" Carly gave Maura a smug smile. "Your big genius brain didn't predict that?" She pointed in the direction their girlfriends had gone. Maura's only answer was the shrug of her shoulders. "Well, I guess we should join them before we lose them…" Carly bend her arm and offered her elbow to Maura. "Shall we?"
"We shall…" Maura smiled as she interlaced her arm through Carly's and allowed herself to be lead out the door.
"It smells incredible doesn't it?" Big, brown eyes implored from above as Maura lay back in the bright green grass in the middle of the outfield.
Maura knew they had approximately seven minutes before they had to high tail it out of there or get caught as the players started to make their way to the field for warm ups. She had tipped Stanley well to be allowed to spend a few minutes undisturbed on the field and by the look on Jane's face, it was worth every penny.
"It smells like grass Jane…" Maura smiled up at the beautiful face that hovered over her. "But yes…it does smell pretty good." Her stomach did a little flip as she remembered it was the way that Jane had smelled after football practice. It was something she found to be extremely arousing then and now.
"I think we should find a way to bottle it…I think it would make millions…" Jane's voice trailed off as she fell back into the grass next to Maura. She looked up at the light blue sky and quietly contemplated the fact that she was laying in the outfield of Fenway Park, surrounded by the sea of green grass that would soon play host to the first game of the season. Taking a deep breath, she turned on her side so she could look at Maura. When Maura didn't turn to look back at her, Jane gave her side a gentle poke to get her attention.
The tender touch to her mid-section drew Maura away from her thoughts causing her to roll over onto her side so she could give her attention to Jane. It wasn't the smile that took her breath away, but the look of complete adoration in Jane's eyes that had her struggling to breathe. She smiled at the unspoken words that passed between them as she felt herself being drawn into the depths of soft, amber brown that held her captivated. A sudden urge to close the distance between them and kiss the lips that seemed to be so far away at the moment almost overtook Maura's better judgement. Thankfully they were interrupted by Carly and Ryan as they chased each other around the outfield causing quite a distraction.
"Alright you two…" Carly called over her shoulder as she caught up to Ryan. "Quit making lovey-dovey eyes at each other…we need to head back before everyone gets here…" She scooped Ryan up into her arms and started to carry her off of the field. "Besides, Stanley is looking like he might be having a stroke."
Reaching out to touch Maura's cheek with her hand, Jane let the backs of her fingers graze the soft skin she found there. "Thank you…for this…" Jane struggled to speak as the depth of her gratitude threatened to render her speechless.
When Maura felt Jane's fingers brush against her cheek, she reached up to grab her hand before Jane could move away. Holding Jane's hand, she moved it to her lips to place a quick kiss on Jane's knuckles. "You're welcome my sweet Jane." She smiled at the show of appreciation in Jane's eyes and the shy smile she was now wearing on her face.
"There is no one I'd rather be here with." The sincerity in Jane's voice almost brought tears to Maura's eyes. As they stared into each other's eyes, Jane felt everything she thought was important in her life shift to push Maura to the forefront of her mind. "I love you…" She whispered as she gave Maura's hand a quick squeeze before letting go.
"Hey…I think we're gonna have to give Stanley CPR if you two don't move it…" Carly called out as she struggled to hold onto Ryan who was trying her best to break free of Carly's strong arms that were preventing her from running back out onto the field.
"Come on…let me go…Jane and Maura are still out there…" Ryan tried to fight her way out of Carly's tight grip.
"I guess we better go…" Jane sighed sadly as she sat up. "I don't know how much longer Carly can contain Ryan." She gave Maura a crooked smile as she turned to look over her shoulder.
"'Kay…" Maura exhaled as she pushed herself up from the ground. "But I am glad I don't have to chase you around like Carly had to with Ryan."
"That's just cuz you wouldn't be able to catch me…" Jane winked as she took off out of Maura's reach.
As Maura stood in the middle of the outfield, all she could do was shake her head as Jane streaked past her. It was only when Ryan broke free from Carly's hold that Maura found herself laughing uncontrollably at their antics as they ran back and forth daring her to stop them. By the time Carly had corralled them both, Maura was practically in tears from laughing so hard as she followed them off of the field.
A huge smile filled Maura's face as a steady stream of Rizzoli's filed into the suite at Fenway Park followed by both of her parents. She was giddy with anticipation at the idea of spending the day with her mother and father, joined by the entire Rizzoli clan. It was a rare occurrence for Maura to spend a day with one of her parents, let alone both of them. But it was the sheer pleasure of having spent time with Jane exploring Fenway Park before everyone had arrived that had her walking on cloud nine.
"That was a wonderful thing you did for Jane today." Angela stepped up next to Maura. "She hasn't stopped talking about it."
"I know how important this is to her." Maura leaned closer to Angela when she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder.
"Yeah…well…" Angela started but was interrupted by Jane.
"Hey Ma…where's Pop…I gotta tell him about the tour…" Jane bounced around from one foot to the other.
"Oh…he stopped to talk to some old friend I think." Angela tried not to let Jane's constant movement make her dizzy.
"'Kay…" Jane bounded towards the door to find her father.
Angela and Maura looked at each other, then Jane, than back at each other before laughing. Their hysterics caught the attention of Constance who was moving about the room introducing herself to the Rizzoli extended family that seemed to be taking up every inch of the once spacious suite. She couldn't help but feel a stab of pain as she watched the familiarity that Maura seemed to being sharing with Jane's mother whom she had yet to meet face to face.
It didn't take Jane long to locate her father as she slipped out into the hallway where the crowds were starting to gather. Her eyes traveled around, not finding him at first but when she heard his voice she turned to meet a hard hazel-green glare directed towards her. She recognized the color and intensity immediately as a sickening feeling overcame her. Her father had his back to her, but she had a clear view of the man he was talking to and it was Paddy Doyle. His hard eyes sized her up for a fraction of a second before giving her the slightest nod of acknowledgement.
Frank sensed something was happening behind him that had drawn Paddy's attention away from their conversation so he looked over his shoulder to see Jane standing stock still looking quite pale. "Hey, that's my daughter Jane…she's probably been sent out here to look for me." He gave Paddy an apologetic smile.
"Nice kid…I've met her a few times." Paddy's eyes never left Jane's as he spoke.
"Yeah…I like to think so." Frank was starting to become uncomfortable by the way that Paddy was sizing Jane up. "I didn't know you had met her though."
Paddy looked at Frank and smiled before giving him a pat on the back. "Don't worry Frank, it was mere chance. I'm not looking to recruit, especially the daughter of a friend."
"Hmmm…I guess you learned that lesson…" Frank spoke without thinking.
"Yeah…well…I'll let that one slide this time." Paddy gave Frank a hard look before giving the same one to Jane. "Stay outta trouble old man…" He said as he turned to leave.
As Frank watched Paddy walk away, he felt something deep in his gut twist into a knot. There was something about the way he was looking at Jane that had left Frank wondering if something more might be happening. He cautiously glanced over his shoulder to look at Jane before turning to face her. He was glad to see that some of her color had returned, but she still looked slightly stunned.
"Is there something I need to know?" He eyed her suspiciously as she shifted uncomfortably.
"Nah Pop…Paddy and I have an understanding about Maura…" She looked away, feeling the slight pang of guilt move through her like the wave of nausea that had preceded it. The look of surprise on his face warranted an explanation so Jane continued. "He and I agreed that I would never take Maura back to Flynn's place." She let out a long exhale as the words of a half-truth slipped past her lips. She wasn't really lying, at least that is what she told herself.
"Oh…okay. I suppose that is a good agreement…seeing as the last time you were there, Maura got hurt." He looked her up and down trying to gage the sincerity in her voice. "I can't say I disagree…" He smiled when he felt that he had gotten the truth from Jane. Still he didn't like the hard way that Paddy had been looking at her. Any time Paddy was involved, things got complicated and people got hurt. He could never forget what his brother Anthony had gone through when they thought they may have lost Carly to the depths of local gangs…or the Irish mob as was the case.
"Um….Pop…I wanted to tell you about the private tour of the park that Maura set up for me, Carly and Ryan." Jane tried to bury the feeling of guilt that was nibbling at the corners of her mind.
"Yeah? How was it?" He asked as he wrapped his arm around Jane's shoulders pulling her closer to him.
"It was awesome Pop…we got to see the locker rooms, press box, batting cages...and we even got to go out onto the field for a few minutes." Jane suddenly felt lighter as she started to fill her dad in on wonderful thing that Maura had done for them.
"You got to go down onto the field?" He stopped their forward movement towards the suite so he could look at her. His eyes were wide with wonder as he took in her story. "Is the grass as great as they say it is?"
"It smelled so good…clean and fresh with just a hint of dirt. And when I touched it…" Jane rolled her eyes as she remembered the experience. "It was like velvet…the only thing I can think of that is softer is Maura…" She started to say when Frank cleared his throat.
"Um…I get the picture." Frank gave her an embarrassed smile.
"Yeah, well…um…it was really great." Jane tried to push down the blush that was attempting to make its way up her neck.
"I'm real happy for you Jane…" Frank pulled her closer as they stepped through the door of the suite together. "Wowee…this place is incredible." His eyes swept over the room as he tried to take everything he was seeing.
"That it is…" Jane couldn't help but chuckle at her father's reaction. "There is all the food you could want over there…" Jane pointed at a table along the back wall where food was spread out as far as the eye could see. "And over there is the bar." Frank couldn't contain the grin that threatened to split his face as he followed where Jane was pointing next. "And there are TV's all around, places to sit and…" She turned her father around so he could see the field past the balcony that was open to the room. "That…"
"Damn…" He hissed the word through clenched teeth as his eyes roamed over the view before him. "I must be dreaming."
"Nah…because then Marylyn Monroe would be here instead of me." Maura's father said as he reached to shake Frank's hand.
"Bill, it's good to see you…" Frank took Bill's hand in his own, giving it a firm shake before letting go.
"It's good to see you as well. I hear you've had quite a morning Jane." Bill turned his attention to Jane who gave him a questioning look because she was trying to figure out who Marylyn Monroe was. "Um…I thought that Maura arranged a private tour for you…" He looked confused.
"Oh…yeah. Thanks for doing that Dr. Isles." Jane gave him a huge smile.
"Jane, please call me Bill. I am afraid I will spend all day looking over my shoulder for my wife if you continue to call me Dr. Isles." He laughed as he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, giving it a firm but gentle squeeze.
"Um…I'll try." Jane's smile turned slightly shy as she tried to consider what it would be like to address Maura's father by his name.
"Did I hear someone call for Dr. Isles?" Constance asked as she came up behind her husband.
"See Jane…she's the Dr. in the family." Bill took a step to the side to make room for Constance.
"You must be Jane's father." Constance turned her attention to the tall dark haired man who had the same eyes as Jane.
"Yes…I'm Frank, Frank Rizzoli. It's nice to finally meet you." He reached out to shake her hand.
Constance looked down at Franks hand as if she wasn't quite sure what to do with it, but as if it were a fleeting thought she took it firmly in her own and shook. "Yes it is nice to meet you as well." Constance smiled warmly.
"Have you met my wife Angela yet?" Frank looked around to see if he could find her. Although Constance had a warm smile on her face, there was something about her that made him nervous.
"No, I have not had that pleasure as of yet." Constance said, her smile tightening slightly as the image of Maura talking to Angela returned.
"Oh, I figured since she was here before me…" Franks voice trailed off before he continued. "You see I stopped to talk to a friend I haven't seen in a while…really more of an acquaintance…anyway, I just stopped off for a sec to talk with Paddy before Jane here found me to bring me along."
The change was subtle, so subtle that even Bill hadn't seen it but Jane had. The look that passed over Constance's face in a mere fraction of a second had said it all. Jane recognized the fear and anxiety she saw cloud over Constance's now darkening eyes and she knew she needed to move her father along until she had the chance to talk with Constance alone.
At the mention of that name, the one that haunted Constance in the deep recesses of her mind, she could feel herself release Franks hand quickly as if she were being burned. When both men gave her a questioning look she waved her hands about as if to shoo their questioning eyes away. "I have to go the restroom…if you'll excuse me." She said as she pushed past Jane.
When Constance pushed past Jane, her face was tight with fear, anger, and unease. The look she had given Jane as she passed her gave away everything she was trying to hide and what scared her the most was that she had seen the recognition on Jane's face.
Jane's eyes followed Constance as she headed towards the door and she realized that this might be her chance to talk to the woman alone.
"I'm not sure that is the way to the bathroom…" Bill mused as he watched his wife leave. He wasn't really sure what had just happened but he decided to leave her to alone as he had learned long ago that when it came to Constance it was best to let her work things out on her own. But he still couldn't stop himself from frowning in confusion at what had just happened.
"I'll see what's up." Jane said as she quickly followed Constance leaving both Bill and Frank looking bewildered as they watched her leave.
Constance closed the door and leaned against the outside wall. Taking a few slow, deep breaths in an attempt to slow her rapidly beating heart made her feel slightly dizzy, or perhaps it was the mention of that name. She had expected to have a moment to herself so she could calm down before going back to the crowded suite, but Jane had other ideas as she slipped from the doorway to stand next the older woman. Neither said anything for a minute as they both tried to gather their thoughts.
As the silence began to grow uncomfortable, Jane turned to look at Constance before speaking. She could see the strain etched across the older woman's face as her brow creased in deep thought. "Is it true?" Jane asked as she studied Constance's profile for any sign that she understood the question.
The question took Constance by surprise as she looked down at her feet. She took a step away from Jane as if putting some distance between them would somehow protect her from having to answer. When she found the courage to look at Jane, she was greeted by intense, dark eyes that captivated her momentarily. Even though she could see that Jane already knew the answer to her most guarded secret, she couldn't help but plead ignorance. "What are you asking me Jane?" Constance's voice was wary with uncertainty. When Jane raised a dark eyebrow in question, Constance sighed deeply before answering. "It's true…"
"When was the last time you saw him?" Jane inquired quietly. The change in Constance's demeanor had answered her question long before her words, so she decided to go on with her questions. Even though Jane could see that it was making Constance uncomfortable, she needed some answers.
Silence was followed by a slight shrug of the shoulders as Constance struggled to find her voice. She couldn't find the words to explain that she hadn't laid eyes on Paddy since the day he handed Maura over to her when she was a few days old. It had been followed by the warning that no one was ever to know the truth, not even her husband.
And image of hazel-green eyes came to mind as Jane recalled seeing Paddy earlier. The cold, hard stare was nothing like the warmth and love she saw when she looked into Maura's eyes. It made her physically sick to think that Paddy and Maura shared any similarities. "They have the same color eyes…" Jane started to explain but stopped when she heard a sharp intake of breath come from Constance.
"Does she know?" Constance choked as she tried to hold back a sob.
Jane shook her head and reached out to take Constance's hand in her own. "She'll never find out from me…I promise." She gave the older woman's hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
"I've carried this secret with me for seventeen years Jane…no one knows…not even Bill." Constance looked away as tears filled her eyes.
"I'm sorry Dr. Isles…" Jane attempted to reassure but stopped when Constance held up her hand.
"You may call me Constance, I believe you have earned that privilege." Constance tried to smile.
"Um…yeah…okay…I'll try." Jane still wasn't sure she could call Maura's stoic mother by her name.
"Jane…we have to protect her…" Constance suddenly turned very serious.
"Look, I know what kind of man Paddy is. I grew up hearing rumors about him and his organization. I didn't learn the truth until he attempted to recruit my cousin…" Jane's voice trailed off.
As if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders, Constance stood up a little taller. She turned her head to meet Jane eye to eye and was surprised to see anger there.
"He's a dangerous man…I know that." Jane tried to tame her temper as the implication that she couldn't or wouldn't protect Maura sank in. "I would die before I let Paddy or any of his lackeys hurt Maura." The words came out as a growl.
"I believe you Jane." Constance reached up and patted Jane on the cheek. "But I expect this will have to be the last time we talk about this."
"Yes…" Jane gave a definitive nod. She looked into the dark, stormy blue eyes that were trying to gain some insight about what she was thinking and she smiled. "Consider it forgotten."
"Agreed." Constance couldn't help the small smile that crept across her mouth as she suddenly felt a connection to Jane. She had been wary of the dark haired, brooding teenager that she had met eight months ago, but in an instant things had changed between them. Constance was trusting Jane with her most guarded secret and it scared her to death. Only time would tell if Jane was as chivalrous as Maura made her out to be.
"You know I love her…" Jane suddenly felt the urge to say the words. "I will always do what's best to protect Maura…no matter what."
"Well, it seems as if we have something in common." Constance tried to smile but the effort was almost too much as her face tightened under the strain and a grimace appeared instead. "What say you introduce me to your mother…I am looking forward to finally meeting her."
As the tension of the moment slowly drained away, Jane gave a small nod before letting go of Constance's arm to open the door to the suite. As she stepped back to allow the older woman to enter first, she felt an uneasy feeling that they were being watch crept up her spine. When she looked over her shoulder she didn't see anything unusual, but as she followed Constance through the door she couldn't shake the eerie feeling that it had been Paddy watching them.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you…" Constance held out her hand for Angela to take.
Shaking her head, Angela wrapped a very surprised Constance up in a warm hug. "We'll have none of that…we're practically family." She squeezed hard before releasing the slightly flustered woman from her hold. "And yes, it is wonderful to finally meet you too." Pulling back, she couldn't stop herself from chuckling at the blush that had tinged Constance's cheeks.
"Um…yes…" Constance stuttered slightly. She was feeling overwhelmed by the warmth that had emanated from Jane's mother. It had instantly calmed her once frazzled nerves and she suddenly realized why Maura had been drawn to Angela when they had first arrived. "Have you met my husband Bill yet?" With the tilt of her head, she indicated where Bill was standing having a conversation with both Frank and Anthony.
"Nope…" Angela's hazel eyes danced with merriment as she smiled up at Constance. She was happy to finally be able to put a face to the voice she had heard over the phone many times before. Although the woman held herself with a stiffness as she had approached Angela, it had melted away the instant Angela hugged her. Angela hadn't been sure she was going to like Maura's mother based on what she had heard from both Maura and Jane, but as she watched the flustered movements and the shy smile Constance was giving her she realized that maybe she could like this woman.
Soft, warm hazels eyes looked up at Constance causing her to smile shyly back. Even though the color was completely different than Jane's, there was a spark of something almost magnetic that was identical to the spark in Jane's eyes. Constance felt an instant kinship with the smaller woman who was looking up at her with a mixture of warmth and curiosity.
"Well then…shall we? There is no telling when he will make it for another visit…" Constance smiled as she led Angela towards the small group of talking men.
Maura had stepped back when she saw her mother approaching her and Angela to allow the two women a moment of privacy upon their first meeting. She had seen her mother's stiffness, something she was very familiar with. When Angela hugged her mother, Maura couldn't help but wince. Her mother wasn't one for hugging or touching so when Constance relaxed into the hug Angela was giving, Maura couldn't hide the surprised expression that came over her.
"What's up?" Carly asked as she bumped her shoulder against Maura.
"Um…my mother is letting Angela hug her…and she seems to be enjoying it." Maura answered as she continued to watch. She almost gasped at the flustered look on her mother's face as she watched a light blush bloom across the older woman's cheeks.
"Yeah? Aunt Angela has a way with people. How's the saying go? She's never met a stranger." Carly smiled as she watched Angela and Constance chatting.
"Yes, Angela does have a special gift." Maura sighed. "Hey…do you think we should tell them about our ballet date?" She nodded towards Ryan and Jane who were surrounded by Jane's cousins cheering for something that was happening on the field.
"What…and spoil their fun?" Carly raised an eyebrow and then smiled when she caught Ryan's eye. Bending her finger and moving it back and forth, Carly indicated that she wanted Ryan to come over to where she and Maura were standing. When Ryan pointed at herself in question, Carly started to laugh as she nodded and pointed to both her and Jane.
"Absolutely…" Maura couldn't help but laugh as well as she watched the interaction between Carly and Ryan and then Jane as Ryan dragged her away from the excitement.
"You rang…" Ryan smiled up at Carly, her green eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Yep…" Carly wrapped an arm around Ryan's waist to keep her from escaping.
"I'm not sure why, but something tells me that you two have something up your sleeves." Jane moved to stand behind Maura.
"Well…Carly and I have decided what ballet you and Ryan will be taking us to as payment for the bet we made at the batting cages." Maura said as she reached back to grab Jane's hands to bring them around her waist.
"I was hoping that you'd forgotten about that." Jane groaned as she rested her chin on top of Maura's soft honey-blonde hair.
"Nope, can't say that I would ever forget having a chance to see this one in a dress." Carly winked over at Jane and Maura as she squeezed Ryan.
"You suck…" Ryan tried to move away from Carly but found the arm holding her was much too strong to budge. "You know I don't like wearing dresses."
"Not even for me?" Carly gave a pout as she looked down at her girlfriend.
Wide, sky blue eyes filled with love and affection captured Ryan, breaking her resolve. "Damn…you don't play fair…" She sighed as she watched a playful twinkle light up Carly's face. "So what's it gonna be?"
"Well…it seems as if the Boston Ballet will be celebrating thirty years with a special gala that I so happen to have four tickets to. They will be premiering Twyla Tharp's 'Waterbaby Bagatelles'. It is a piece specifically choreographed for the Boston Ballet…" Maura couldn't contain her excitement as she started to ramble.
"So when does this shindig take place?" Jane asked as she gave Maura a gentle squeeze.
"On April 30th…" Maura sighed at the warm feeling of having Jane holding her.
"Okay, okay…we lost the bet so I guess we have to pay up." Ryan shrugged her shoulders in defeat.
"I can think of a better way to pay up…" Jane whispered into Maura's ear, earning her a gentle poke in the ribs from Maura's elbow.
Carly rolled her eyes as she watched the exchange between Maura and Jane. She was startled when her father moved to place himself between her and Ryan.
"I overheard the bad news…" Anthony wrapped his arms around both Ryan and Carly. He was greeted by a look of confusion so he went on to explain. "The ballet…" He smiled down at Ryan. "Brutal…I feel your pain."
Reaching up to pat Anthony on the hand that was resting on her shoulder, Ryan started to laugh. "Well you know how it is…I find it nearly impossible to resist the charm of a Rizzoli woman." She winked over at Carly who was turning a bright pink.
Anthony cleared his throat nervously as his face turned the same shade of pink as Carly's, but then he smiled and nodded in the affirmative. "How 'bout we get back to watching the game." He said as he placed the Boston Red Sox cap he was wearing on Ryan's head. With a gentle tug, he pulled it over her eyes in a playful manner as he lead both women away towards the balcony so they could watch what was happening on the field.
"I thought your Uncle was a Yankee's fan." Maura mused.
"Yeah, well they lost the Thanksgiving day football game so he had to wear Red Sox stuff today." Jane couldn't help herself from snuggling closer to Maura. "Thanks to you…" She started to say but was interrupted by a loud cheer from across the room.
Maura could see the longing in Jane's eyes as she looked over to see what the cheering was about. Leaning back into Jane, she took one more moment to savor the feeling of Jane holding her before she moved from Jane's arms.
"Shall we join our family…?" Maura looked up and smiled.
"Absolutely…" Jane leaned down to place a quick kiss on Maura's lips. "Lead the way beautiful…" She said as she let Maura take her hand and pull her into the circle of their combined families.