Disoriented from a deep sleep, Jane's eyes fluttered open, her mind gradually awakening to the realization that she was running late as she caught a glimpse of the clock on her bedside table.
"Shit!" She remarked, shooting up like a rocket, cursing when she stepped on one of her daughter's toys in her rush.
"Ouch! Damn it! I've got to teach that kid to put away her toys."
Looking around, Angie didn't pick up her bad habits from anyone other than her own mother.
Jane's room was disarrayed, garments thrown everywhere in her earlier quest to decide what she wanted to wear.
She had laid down on her bed and decided to rest her eyes for just a few minutes when she had fallen asleep.
Jane's phone began to ring from somewhere under the mountain of clothes covering her bed.
"Crap! Where is it?" She said aloud. Finally finding it, Maura's name and picture illuminated the screen. She was going to hear about it now.
Maura was a stickler for punctuality, one of the many ways she and Jane were complete opposites.
However, she and Maura had proven the age-old rule that opposites attract. Well, most of the time anyway.
"Hey Maur," Jane said as she answered the phone, putting it to her ear as she looked through her pile of clothes from earlier.
"Are you ready love?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm ready," Jane lied.
"Good. I'm here. I'm just pulling up now."
The phone went silent.
"Jane? Are you still there?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm here."
"Jane Rizzoli. You lied."
Was there an echo?
Jane looked up to see her girlfriend standing in the doorway of her bedroom, Joe Friday promptly standing next to her.
"Some guard dog you are." Jane said, sticking her tongue at Joe who barked.
"Jane, you're still in your pajamas! What was the point of the babysitter picking up Angie early this afternoon if you didn't bother to get ready! You still haven't showered!"
"Sorry Maur. I fell asleep. I'll be ready to go in ten. I swear."
"Jane, we don't have ten minutes," Maura replied, her tone laced with mild exasperation.
"The party starts in less than an hour, and I promised everyone you'd be there on time. You've worked so hard for this promotion, and we need to celebrate properly."
"I know, Maura!" Jane exclaimed, her voice fraught with frustration.
"I just couldn't find anything to wear. Your mom insisted on that fancy smancy hotel ballroom. Why couldn't we do it at The Dirty Robber?"
The dirty robber was a local bar that Boston PD officers frequented.
"Then I could wear jeans and a tshirt. Your mom is so extra."
"Jane, stop. She just wanted you to have a special night."
"I know but I have nothing to wear," Jane said again, her voice rising an octave like a whining kid.
"And you wonder where Angie gets that from."
Maura shook her head as she stepped farther into Jane's bedroom of chaos. With a playful roll of her eyes, she laughed.
"Jane, you're a detective. You should be able to find something in this mess."
A pout formed on Jane's lips, but a glimmer of a smile played at the corners of her mouth, realizing that Maura's gentle ribbing was precisely what she needed to ease her racing thoughts.
Together, they rummaged through the disarrayed garments, pulling out various outfits and holding them up for consideration.
Laughter and opinions filled the room as they gradually narrowed down the choices, each piece discarded with growing certainty until a final selection emerged.
"Who knew Jane Rizzoli had so many clothes?"
"Ha ha, very funny." Jane remarked, sticking her tongue at her girlfriend.
"Real mature Jane." Maura said with a laugh as she steered Jane towards the bathroom.
"Go shower, quickly! If you hurry, we might still arrive on time." She added checking her watch.
Showering in what seemed like record time Jane stood before the bathroom mirror now dressed in a stylish black dress that accentuated her curves, her hair neatly styled in an updo.
Maura stood beside her, skillfully applying a touch of makeup to emphasize Jane's natural features.
"Really? Makeup?" Jane complained but stayed still while Maura finished.
"There you go detective," Maura remarked, her voice filled with genuine love and admiration.
"You look amazing."
Jane smiled as she took in their reflection in the mirror.
"I clean up pretty good, don't I?" She said as she turned and wrapped her arms around Maura's waist.
"Well. You clean up pretty well and yes you do although I will say that even though you look amazing in this dress, I still find you ridiculously sexy in sweats and tee-shirt." Maura remarked in a flirtatious tone.
"Is that so?" Jane replied, mere inches from Maura's lips.
"Mhmm," was all Maura managed before the slight distance was closed.
Maura broke the passionate kiss before things could go any further.
She chuckled as she touched up her lipstick, looking at Jane in the mirror who wore a pout.
"There will be more time for that later. We have to go now before we are extremely late."
Sighing, Jane gave in.
"Alright, fine. Let's go."
Maura rolled her eyes as she followed the brunette out.