"Continuing Dates"
Individual vignettes/stories per chapter following the events of "Blind Date To Remember" and "Promise of Dates To Come."
Chapter 1: "Not A Moment Too Soon."
Inspired by the Tim McGraw song: "Not A Moment Too Soon"
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Maura Isles-Rizzoli gently rubbed her son's back before laying him in the baby bed. The honey blonde softly leaned against the rail, simply watching Barry peacefully sleeping. The doctor wished she could easily slip into the oblivion of blissful ignorance as the infant could.
A fully belly and go to sleep, Maura thought as she softly stroked Barry's dark hair. Simply go to sleep and not remember anything.
All day, Dr. Isles-Rizzoli felt on edge and occasionally paranoid. Per her colleague, Susie Wong: "Extremely on guard!" when Maura had jumped with a slight shriek when Susie had brought her a cup of coffee to her office.
Despite her friend's polite inquiry, Maura could not understand why she was feeling and reacting the way she was. Until she noticed the small desk calendar. The physician couldn't help a shudder as she rested her forehead in a hand. How could she have forgotten about this time period?
One of the most stressful events that led into one of the happiest things of my life. Dr. Isles-Rizzoli huffed another sigh as she had leaned back into the desk chair.
Flashback:
"Maura."
She screamed as Ian's face appeared between the front seats. The car jerked as her foot came off the brake in shock.
"Quiet!" He flashed a gun. "I'll use this."
She checked the rearview mirror, wondering if Jane could see Ian wedged into the well between the front and rear passenger seats. "What're you doing?"
"Taking back what's mine!" he snarled. "It's green," he added when the light changed. "Drive." He pressed the gun into her side.
She started forward through the intersection, staying just under the speed limit as she tried to think. Ian had found her after she'd moved last month and he knew the area as well as she did.
She changed lanes. She might be able to drive to a police station before he realized what she was up to.
"Quit screwing around!" Ian yelled.
"The light's red." She slowed down to make sure and stopped. "Get out of here now, while you can!"
"I have the gun," he snarled. "I give the orders here! Drive straight to your apartment!" he demanded. "By the way, I saw you kissing that dyke bitch and you'll pay for that!"
Maura couldn't let Ian get away with this. Though it scratched her pride, she begged. "Ian, please."
"That's better, Maura. Hurry it up now." He said smugly.
Flashback continued:
Stepping out of the shadows, Jane kept her gun lowered and tucked behind her back. "Maura!" she called out, striding forward. "Glad I caught you." She smiled for effect.
Startled, Maura's ex froze, but she dashed towards Jane. "Jane! What a surprise."
"Yeah, I lost my phone," she said. "Thought maybe—"
Jane's improvisation was cut short by a gunshot. A chunk of grass near her feet exploded. "That's your only warning!" Ian's voice shrilled. He aimed his gun at Maura. "Now get out of here!" He shouted at the Navy Seal.
Maura shifted toward Jane.
"Don't move," Ian snapped. "We're not done here."
Maura raised her hands. "I'm not moving, Ian." She finally said timidly. "But we are done," she said. Her calm and resolute wordsinfuriated her ex.
"No." He started around the car. "You're mine!"
"Nice way to make your point," Jane said, clinging to her fraying composure.
"Shut up," Ian snarled. "I made one mistake and—"
"Nearly tore my arm off," Maura finished for him, continuing to shift away from Ian.
"I've apologized a thousand times for that!"
End of Flashback:
A low thump brought Maura out of her thoughts. Briefly confused, the honey blonde quickly glanced around the room before looking back down in the baby bed. Seeing her son sleeping peacefully, Maura gracefully leaned in and kissed Little Barry's cheek before turning out the light.
Another thump greeted the physician's ears as she approached the stairs. Maura smiled as she caught a glimpse of Bass ambling by at the bottom of the stairs. There was music playing along with possible humming among the sounds of dishes being washed.
Slightly puzzled, Maura wondered at the music being played. Sounds like a form of Country… Western, the blonde descended the stairs and headed for the kitchen. I cannot recall Jane ever listening to country music, but then she listens to all types.
Maura entered the kitchen, slightly fidgeting and hugging herself as she struggled to keep the events of years ago from entering the forefront of her mind again. The hazel eyes sought focus and her gaze landed upon the near black, long and wild curly hair hanging down past the strong shoulders. The Navy Seal's back was facing Maura as Jane was washing the dishes from dinner. Her wife had stopped humming as another song began playing on the radio speaker.
That doesn't sound like normal country music, the doctor thought as she approached the island counter as the singer began.
"I was standing at the end of my rainbow,
With nowhere to go and no pot of gold in sight.
All my wishes were way too much to hope for,
But when I saw you, I knew I'd seen the light.
"And not a moment too soon, without a minute to spare…"
Images of Maura's physical therapy popped into her thoughts unbidden. The extreme self-isolation and walls she had erected in hopes of keeping the friendly, sociable people out.
"…you touched my heart, when I didn't have a prayer.
In my darkest hour, with my world filled with gloom,
Your sweet love saved me, not a moment too soon..."
Dark, yet very warm brown eyes captured Maura's as the honey blonde found herself wrapping her arms around the stronger, taller woman. The spec ops soldier's arms gently enwrapped her in return as the doctor found herself practically clinging to Jane as the memories of her extremely painful physical therapy sessions continued to replay in her mind.
Flashback:
"Whoever set this up is missing an opportunity!" Jane could feel her brain going numb as she started another set of "slow and steady" heel slides, pushing through the pain in her knee.
"Oh?" Maura barely spared Jane a glance. She was too busy trying to pull a 2lb weight band toward her, her left shoulder protesting badly, but she did it. Once she accomplished it, she let it go with a smile.
"Patients here should get a coupon for a free drink at a nearby bar to drown the pain when each session is over." Jane said breathless while continuing her heel slides. Her right knee was protesting for her to stop, but she wouldn't, not in front of this beautiful woman.
Maura rolled her eyes and returned to her band pulls, wincing a little as the movement tested her shoulder again. "Do you really think that would be wise with the pain meds I'm sure you're taking?" she managed in reply.
It took Jane longer than she liked to catch her breath as she sat up between sets. "I don't… t-take those th…things." She panted out. "So, what do you say? Want to help me do the market research?" She asked hopefully, giving off her her best smile with dimples and all.
Maura looked her way and raised her eyebrows. She was pretty cute, "No, thanks." She stated and walked over to the weight set, starting off with a 5lb weight that she couldn't lift. Her shoulder just wouldn't let it happen.
Jane had seen the pain register across Maura's lovely face, but could tell she was determined to lift that damn weight. After many tries, Maura set the light weight back down, shaking her head while wiping the tears and sweat from her face.
The sailor walked over to her. "Hey, you'll get there. Don't push yourself so hard." She said worriedly, gently placing a hand on Maura's uninjured arm.
Maura huffed holding her injured shoulder and simply nodded at Jane before she walked off to find her physical therapist. Jane watched as he had her lay out on the table while he stretched out Mara's injured shoulder. The honey blonde yelped in pain and tears ran down the side of her face, disappearing into her hair.
End of Flashback:
"I used to think that love would never find me,
And the one who cares was lost somewhere in time.
But when you found me, I knew I'd found forever.
You rescued me just before I crossed the line…"
Despite the few tears escaping her closed eyes, Maura couldn't help a smile as she remembered all of Jane Rizzoli's attempts to break through all of Maura Isles' barriers of her self imposed isolation and her preconceived notions of special operations military personnel. The young doctor had most certainly didn't make it easy for the sailor to get through. As the Navy Seal once observed when they seriously started their relationship after the terror of Ian Faulkner inflicted during their blind date, (well more of a blind date on Maura's end of things); Maura was similar to her tortoise, Bass.
"Maura," Jane gently held the doc's hands as they managed one of the honey blonde's bursts of anxiety. "Bass doesn't hide within, inside his shell all the time."
The hazel green eyes sharply beheld Jane's in surprise.
"Baby, like Bass, you have to eventually stick your neck out." Jane briefly looked down at their joined hands. "Believe me, I understand how difficult it is to recover from such things… and unlearn habits, but please know I'm here for you."
Maura squeezed her eyes shut tighter along with her arms around her wife.
"…And not a moment too soon, without a minute to spare.
You touched my heart, when I didn't have a prayer…"
Flashback:
Her ex started shouting again, his hard words and voice abrasive against her ear. When he moved the gun away from her head to aim it at the police, she made her move, stomping hard on the top of his foot with her heels.
He yelped in pain and his grip on her loosened enough for Maura to twist away. She tripped, dropped to her hands and knees and crawled, only to feel Ian's grip on her ankle, his fingers digging in as he tried dragging her back.
She kicked and struggled against him until suddenly she was free and scrambled up to the cool, damp grass well away from the parking lot.
Voices ricocheted all around her, too many to sort out. Watching, she realized Ian had let her go because Jane had tackled him and punched him twice in the face. The police soon had Ian in cuffs and were taking notes as Jane talked.
She should get up and add her statement to Jane's. She couldn't muster the energy though; her body was in shock. She just needed another minute to catch her breath.
"That was a nice move," Jane said, approaching slowly.
She looked up into her beautiful face and felt tears threatening to spill over. "Thanks," Maura muttered.
"You've scraped your knees," Jane pointed out, watching while blood ran down her pale legs.
"Worth it," Maura laughed.
Together they watched the police load Ian none too gently into the back of a cruiser, hitting his head before shoving him in the car.
"I'm hungry. You want a pizza?" Jane asked as the once car drove away.
A laugh sputtered out of her before she could stifle it. Jane slipped her arms around her shoulders and she burrowed into the offered comfort as they waited for the officer to take Maura's statement. Jane's fingers gently stroking the soft, honey blonde hair.
"Thanks," she repeated, reveling in the simple joy of being alive.
With her.
Flashback End:
Maura's mind briefly flashed back to the sensation of Ian's arms holding her hostage against the police. However, a flash of purple and the gentle soothing fingers stroking the soft, honey blonde hair broke the feeling.
Opening her eyes, Maura noticed the Navy Seal was actually wearing the same long sleeve; button up purple shirt the brunette had worn that fateful night. Even though Maura didn't care for the style and method of rolled up sleeves, this time the doc actually found herself not minding it.
In fact, sleeves rolled up at the wrists actually suits Jane. The physician found herself thinking. A whiff of dishwashing soap caught Maura's nose as Jane's hand reached up towards the honey blonde hair once more. And it makes sense due to her washing the dishes.
Jane Rizzoli had turned from the sink after placing the final plate into the drying rack to discover her wife standing by the island counter as the familiar, old country song began playing. The Navy Seal immediately recognized what was described as the: "thousand yard stare." Jane didn't need any explanation as to what was causing it, even if Susie hadn't called her earlier prior to Dr. Isles-Rizzoli returning home earlier that day.
The sailor would never forget the very first moment she had laid eyes on the honey blonde, hazel eye beauty. Even with the sling cradling the arm of Maura's then recovering shoulder, the mere sight of Maura Isles took Jane Rizzoli's breath away.
Flashback:
At the physical therapy gym, sweating through the pain and strain of rehabbing a partial torn ACL, Jane's heart had stopped in her chest.
Walking over to the light weight sets that sat along the far wall of mirrors stood a gorgeous honey blonde who stole Jane's breath away. Along with her whom the Navy Seal believed to be her physical therapist, helped the young woman to adjust her sling supporting her injured shoulder, so she could begin.
This woman wore snug, formfitting leggings, and a graphic tank top showing off her stunning figure. However, it was the haunted sea-green eyes with just a hint of gold that caught Jane's attention.
She instinctively knew this lovely creature had gone through something, and she wanted to know who had hurt her. Jane didn't realize she had been spacing out, staring in the woman's direction until she finally focused and seen the woman smile at her, then looked away shyly.
Again, Jane's heart skipped a beat and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She hadn't felt this way since she was sixteen and had the biggest crush on Valerie Cooper, the head cheerleader of Boston High, with a nice rack. But Valerie was now NOTHING when compared to this woman!
Jane wanted, no needed to know who this woman was. There was just something about her that Jane wanted to protect. The Navy Seal limped over to the leg curl machine and adjusted the machine for her specific height before sitting down. Only thing she hadn't adjusted was the weight before starting this exercise, and it put greater stress on the knee, causing pain to shoot up her patella.
Jane legs dropped the machine with a loud plop and a series of colorful words came out of her mouth. Well of course the beautiful lady heard and saw it all happen. She walked over to Jane to assist; clearly seeing her in pain from holding her knee.
"Oh gosh, are you okay?" she asked in an apologetically concerned voice.
That's what I get for trying to show off "mommy," Jane thought clenching her jaw in pain. "Yeah, got a little ahead of myself!" The spec ops soldier hissed while flexing out her injured knee for several long moments and eventually both women started chuckling.
"Hi, I'm Chief Petty Officer Jane Rizzoli," she informed her, holding out her hand that wasn't rubbing her injured knee.
"Dr. Maura Isles, nice to met you." The woman spoke in a small, but calm voice, extending her uninjured hand out to Jane, who gladly shook it with a smile.
"So… what're you in for?" Jane asked cautiously, while using a cold compress to ice down her knee to reduce the swelling.
"Torn rotator cuff," Maura answered while rubbing her still very sore right shoulder, looking away from Jane.
"Well, that sucks," Jane frowned at the honey blonde's vulnerability. "I have a partially torn ACL… playing basketball."
Maura made a face, to which the Navy Seal laughed.
"Yeah, you would think as many missions I've been on, I would've gotten hurt there, but no…" Jane giggled, trying to lighten the mood. "One silly backyard basketball game with my little brother in our mother's driveway and I got injured."
Both women laughed at this, Maura more so because it was nothing dealing withsecret missions, and Jane from the fond memory. "You want to go grab a coffee after we're done here?" Jane asked in a hopeful tone.
She could see Dr. Isles thinking it over, but somehow knew she would decline this time. "Not today, I'm afraid." Maura decided to be truthful with Jane, even though she couldn't lie if her life depended on it. "I'm in a bit of pain and just want to go home."
She could see the hope fade asJane's shoulders drooped, but she was just not in the mood to be wooed by some beautiful, sexy Chief Petty Officer, knowing this would go nowhere.
She had made it her known mission never to date anybody in the Military, man or woman, Air Force, Marine, Special Forces, even Navy Seals. She just wanted a normal relationship with a regular non-crazy person. So she thought.
Flashback End:
It had not escaped Jane Rizzoli's notice of the particular dates of the current month to know that it was the anniversary she had arranged a blind date with Dr. Maura Isles, now Isles-Rizzoli, her wife.
Wife… the Senior Chief Petty Officer paused after she filed several papers into the secured filing cabinet drawer. Even after all of the years and trials of life, sometimes Jane Rizzoli couldn't believe the beautiful doctor was her spouse. …and the mother of our child.
The dark eyes turned to behold the framed picture of Maura holding little baby Barry on the desk over her shoulder. "How did I get so lucky?"
"…And not a moment too soon.
Without a minute to spare.
You touched my heart,
When I didn't have a prayer…"
"You touched my heart," Maura found herself saying aloud as she unconsciously pressed an ear into Jane's chest, hearing the strong heart beat. "When I didn't have a prayer…"
Jane released a long exhale as she pulled her wife's head further into her chest and rested her chin on top of the soft hair. "In my darkest hour with my world filled with gloom." The Navy Seal started speaking before slightly pulling away in order to view the hazel ones. "Your sweet love saved me, not a moment too soon."
The doctor's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and the sailor nodded as the coffee dark eyes conveyed the resolved affirmation. "How could I have saved you?" Maura's words practically whispered.
The spec ops soldier's face softened with a subtle, lopsided grin before gently pulling her wife into another embrace. "When I was injured and deaf," the husky voice whispered, "and seeing Barry and Riley. You never gave up on me… when you had… had, every right to leave.
"And you were pregnant to boot." Jane added after pulling away again in order to see the glistening, hazel eyes. "I'm still in awe at times…" the brunette rasped as her face looked downwards, "that you toughed… endured that whole time… and didn't… didn't leave me."
A few tears escaped Maura's eyes as she leaned back into her wife to which the Navy Seal's arms tightened around the doctor. "Kind of like those paw print magnets saying: 'Who Rescued Who?'" Maura thought aloud only to smile at the vibration of Jane's laugh against her ear.
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Hi everyone, we are back with another story, this story "Continuing Dates..." are individual vignettes and are being written when we get an inspiration to write... seat of the pants approach. We would love to hear the reviewers ideas on what they would like to read here, hope you enjoyed it. Terri411 and Pyrocopwolf227..