Summary: Jane starts collecting secrets.


Chapter Three

Jane opened the car door for Maura, always relishing an opportunity to be chivalrous and then waited patiently through Maura's need to adjust her collar and smooth out her casual short sleeved, button up burgundy coloured shirt, which probably cost more than any casual item should. They weren't going anywhere swanky, just meeting Gabby at Arnie's Bar & Grill, a restaurant on the outskirts of Prospect, one of Launceston's southern suburbs. Still Maura fussed, hands moving expertly to manage creases.

"Keep this up Maura and I'm going to start to think you're trying to start something before we even get inside." Jane said with a smirk and a wink.

Maura stepped back and took in the full look, the burgundy shirt paired with a nice pair of black pants and black shoes. Jane's hair was allowed to roam free, her curls spilling over her shoulders, framing her smirking face perfectly. Maura met Jane's devilish look with one of her own, "You would know if I was starting something, Constable."

Jane swallowed down the shot of arousal that threatened to run wild at the sass of her beloved. She cast a glance down at her outfit and with hands turned palm out she asked, "I look pretty darn good, can't say I'd blame you if you did."

Maura could have dressed casually, and perhaps by her standards she had, but the little black dress she wore with matching black heels, while covering all her assets, still didn't leave much to the imagination. For Jane it was part of the perils of dating such a bombshell of a woman with incredible tastes in clothing. If she hadn't found peace in her brain that morning with the fact she need not worry about Gabby as a romance rival she would have absolutely turned them around and taken them right home. But she had, and as she hooked arms with Maura and headed into the restaurant, she simply appreciated the beauty that was on her arm. As long as anyone else looked in a tasteful manner and didn't ogle like starved hyenas, Jane could handle it.

Jane was more than correct in her confidence, because as they joined Gabby's table, her Sergeant had barely batted an eyelid, simply finished her glass of Scotch and ordered another. Maura slid into the booth and Jane slid in beside her, almost annoyed that Gabby hadn't noticed how damn hot Maura was looking. Until she followed Gabby's eyes, which were elsewhere. Jane turned to look over to the bar and noticed a woman who looked to be an inch or two shorter than herself, with shoulder length straight black hair taking an order. Jane couldn't see her eyes, but her defining features included high cheekbones and a strong jawline, not entirely feminine, but not overly masculine either. Just defined. She held a sort of classical elegance and Gabby was staring, surreptitiously, but staring nonetheless.

Jane cleared her throat, "So anyway my head fell off and I sewed it back on with dental floss."

Maura turned wide eyed to Jane, because naturally she was paying attention. She held her tongue when she realised Jane had quirked an eyebrow and was staring at Gabby, who simply nodded and mumbled something unintelligible. She placed a hand on Jane's knee and leaned in closer, "I do believe she's distracted."

"No, really Maura? You don't say." Jane reached over and clicked her fingers in Gabby's line of sight. "Wilson, you're drooling."

Gabby turned her eyes onto Jane and then over towards Maura before returning her gaze to Jane. She chose to focus on Jane to show respect to their new found level of trust. It would be rude to stare at Maura, who couldn't help but dress up, even for a casual dinner with a friend. "When did you two get here?"

Jane grinned. "We've been here long enough to see you drooling over the bartender."

"Dilated pupils, lack of concentration, fixed focus, perhaps this bartender would make a perfect opportunity for you to explore the opportunities presented by your open relationship?" Maura asked, having long ago given up on convincing Gabby that an open relationship with how fierce her heart loved was a terrible idea. She had instead converted to encouraging Gabby to at least allow herself the freedom to explore the opportunities it did present. She may have been hoping deep down that it would help Gabby see reason and actually talk to Melissa about how unhappy she was, but if not, a night in the arms of another who only had eyes for her might at least help Gabby's self esteem.

"Maura!" Jane hissed under her breath.

"Oh you didn't know? Maura's tried to fix me up with practically every woman in Launceston." Gabby managed half a smile, mostly because she knew Maura's heart was in the right place. It just wasn't something that interested her, at any stage until now, and now was not going to happen. She swallowed nervously and added, "I'd let her this time, if it wasn't breaking any of the rules."

Maura appeared to be doing the math, cycling through all the rules in her big brain. Jane being intuitive as she was butted in with, "An ex girlfriend?"

Gabby simply nodded and accepted her latest glass of Scotch from the waitress who brought it over. She frowned suddenly and glanced back up to Jane, "It's okay that I drink this in front of you, right?"

"Absolutely not, now all I want is whiskey." Jane deadpanned.

Gabby took a sip of her Scotch and grinned, "Who knew, I could actually like Jane Rizzoli?"

Maura's hand shot up like she was in school, causing Jane to shake her head and groan. "I knew!" Maura's tone was laced with a serious dose of 'I told you so'.

Jane turned in the booth a little just to take in the cuteness of Maura's innocent looking features, betrayed by her very smug looking eyes. "Who knew Doctor Isles was such a smug genius?"

After sharing a brief look, Gabby and Jane both half raised their hands and broke down in raucous laughter when Maura had pouted at them. It had only just occurred to the quirky genius that bringing Jane and Gabby onto the same side put her at jeopardy of being a more regular target of their wits. She gulped nervously and picked up the wine menu, anything to avoid the mirthful gazes of her two favourite people, who she thought might just be enjoying their new found friendship a little too much.

"Wilson," a male voice boomed out. The owner of the voice drew closer and stood at the end of the booth looking from Gabby to Jane and Maura and back again. "With friends," he added, a little chipper for Jane's liking.

Gabby slipped out of the booth and gave the man a quick hug. He was a couple inches taller than Gabby and was sandy haired, with sparkling blue eyes. Even under his suit, Jane could tell that he was built. Gabby looked from him to her friends and said, "Detective Alec Morris, this is Constable Jane Rizzoli and Doctor Maura Isles."

Alec proffered his hand for Jane to shake, which she did. His handshake was firm but not overbearing. "Nice to meet you both," he said graciously before turning his eyes back to Gabby. "It's been a minute. How'd you go with the test?"

"You know I aced it," Gabby confirmed with a grin. "Did you want to join us? Assuming of course Jane and Maura don't mind."

Alec waved her off. "No I am just following up on some leads, just saw you and thought I would check if all the study paid off. Guess we're just waiting on Dyson to retire before we get the band back together."

He smiled broadly, it reached his eyes but there was a trace of something behind them that left Jane feeling a bit off. She suspected it was just the realisation that Gabby must have passed her detective's exam and was now waiting on a spot to open up. She cast her gaze sideways at Maura, suddenly feeling guilty, as if she might end up usurping Gabby for that position. She swallowed thickly and in that moment wished she could take a mouthful of Gabby's Scotch.

She found herself hoping Detective Dyson disappeared into the wilderness well and truly before her year of patrol was up, so that there was no way Maura's side deal impacted her friendship with Gabby. Jane could handle the thought of Gabby being pissed with her, their budding work partnership was temporary, but Maura's friendship could be damaged if Gabby didn't react well to the backroom deal agreed upon by the Tasmanian Police Service's top brass. Maura appeared oblivious to the implications, but then she probably already knew that Gabby had taken the test and had come to terms with what that may mean. Jane wasn't unfamiliar with the uncomfortable feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach, but it was the first time she felt the weight of a potentially explosive secret weighing her down since the last days of her relationship with Melissa. Jane absolutely hated having to hide something else and it made her excuse herself to find the bathroom.

Alec watched her go and asked, "Was it something I said?"


Each tick of the hand on the clock struck a nerve within Melissa. She sat on the couch, stabbing at her cold dinner. Gabby should have well and truly been home, and she hadn't texted or called, not even to ask her to take care of Charlie. It shouldn't have been that big a deal, but it was. It felt like a huge deal. Giving up on eating the dinner she had prepared she pushed herself up and off the coach and carried the plate into the kitchen. She scraped the cold vegetables and chicken into the rubbish bin, not even interested in storing them for later. She had gone to great effort to prepare dinner for them both, and Gabby hadn't even called. Melissa took a little more care with Gabby's meal, removing it from the oven, double checking the foil was wrapped tightly around the plate and then put it in the fridge. Her girlfriend could eat it when she got home, if she were hungry, and if she actually did come home.

Melissa opened the backdoor and found Charlie waiting, he cocked his head at her and then nuzzled her leg before wandering over to his food bowl and looking up at her expectantly. He scarfed down the kibble and lapped up some water before once again looking up at Melissa who had just stood there after taking care of him. She sighed, "I guess I should walk you now huh?"

Charlie took off like a bat out of hell into the back yard, waiting by the garden shed. He understood what the term 'walk' meant. Melissa followed him into the yard and just stood for a moment, looking at the dog she knew had been her replacement. Gabby loved Charlie, the fact he had been named after Gabby's Father was all she needed to know to understand that. She loved Charlie too, and he seemed content enough with her, sometimes sneaking up on her for affection, much like in the early hours of the morning when Gabby had exhibited the worst timing ever.

Melissa sighed and retrieved the leash from the shed and clipped it onto Charlie's collar. The young exuberant German Shepherd was racing her out of the yard and down the street. She didn't have the patience to run with him so she tugged on his leash and let him know that he needed to cool his heels, the dog slowed and started walking side by side, just barely containing his excitement, before creeping a little further forward and settling into a good leading pace that Melissa accepted.

She couldn't help but wonder what Gabby was doing. It felt so strange for her to not have come home, and she wondered if her girlfriend had finally succumbed to a one night stand. It would make perfect sense if Gabby had that she'd follow every single rule that had been set out, and in some ways, not knowing felt a Hell of a lot worse than coming home to find her with another woman. At least that's what she figured, because not knowing, that was driving her nuts and she had never had the other experience, not yet anyway. Had she really pushed Gabby so far away that she would actually dip her toe into the open aspect of their relationship?

"Oh Charlie," she muttered, "Why does this hurt me so much?"

Charlie's ears pricked at his name but he kept his nose down, sniffing out a particularly interesting smell. Melissa just sighed recognising she was probably losing her mind talking to a dog that was most definitely not going to talk back. Still there was something comforting about having something to do, she felt like she understood the importance of Gabby's evening routine more under the circumstances. Though it only caused her more worry, it felt really wrong that she hadn't at least asked her to take care of Charlie. What if she had been out herself? She sighed, they needed to work on their communication. Charlie most definitely should not be getting caught in the crossfire.

Melissa knew what she really needed to do was sit down with Gabby and end the open aspect of their relationship. She needed to sit down with her girlfriend and try to explain what was going on in her head. Explain how the memories of that night haunt her so vividly she can barely breath. Explain that she feels like she is drowning and that the only thing that has helped at all is mindless physical connections with random strangers. Melissa knew she had to say all of that and more. She had to get help, because Gabby was meant to be her life raft and all she was doing by sleeping around was poking holes in it, slowly sinking them both.


After a few minutes recomposing herself Jane found her way out of the bathroom and immediately noticed that Alec had disappeared and Gabby was at the bar talking to her ex. She sighed, thinking that Gabby might just be playing with fire. Her phone rang as she approached the booth and she checked Caller ID, it was Kelly, again. Twice in one day. "Hey Maura, I have to take this outside. I'll be right back."

Jane answered the phone on her way out the door, "Hey Kel, didn't think I'd be hearing from you again."

"Hi Jane." Kelly greeted, pausing for a moment before adding, "I didn't exactly react the best the last time we spoke, I get that."

That was an understatement, but Jane recognised that the situation was tenuous for all involved. "Well I'm sure you didn't expect me to side with Gabby. Nothing's changed there Kel, you should know that."

Kelly let out a sad chuckle. "She's your fiancée's best friend, I should have seen it coming and been more understanding. Ain't nothin' in this world getting between you and your lady. Not even your friends."

Jane paced away from where she had been standing, curiosity keeping her jittery. Kelly couldn't possibly just be calling out of the blue six months later to repair their friendship. Could she? "Don't get me wrong Kel, I hated that it impacted us like that, but I do get it. You care about Missy."

"I love her," Kelly corrected. "It was true then and it's true now."

Jane sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Melissa had turned into a real heartbreaker, and everyone was being sunk in her wake. "It's not on me to comment on how you feel. You feel how you feel, but you have to know she's in love with Gabby." Although Jane had to wonder, she sure knew what Melissa proclaimed, but the more time she spent with Gabby, the more she questioned how anyone could do that to someone they love.

"I don't think it's as clear cut as you think it is Jane." Kelly may have only had a brief conversation with Melissa once in six months, but that conversation left her feeling insanely confident. "We had something real before…"

The silence between them was real as Kelly struggled to verbalise the trauma she too had been privy to and her own unique trauma of having nearly killed someone she loved. Finally she said, "I'm coming to Launceston Jane, and I know I ghosted our friendship after that day, but I'm hoping we can return to it and I'm hoping you'll let me stay with you and Maura."

It would have been easy to assume that Kelly was just wanting to use her for a launching pad, but Jane knew Kelly had the means to afford a hotel room, and that asking to stay was as much about their friendship as for other more nefarious reasons. Gabby being in the restaurant with Maura left Jane feeling chilled. She liked Kelly, she wanted her friendship back, the woman had seen her through a dark period and she only felt it fair to repay that, but Maura wasn't going to like it and Gabby, oh Gabby would make her life a living Hell. "I have to run it by Maura."

"I understand. Regardless, I hope we can catch up and mend some fences."

"I do too. When are you flying out and how long are you looking to stay for?" Jane figured she should gather appropriate intel before going to Maura with the request.

"Yeah about that," Kelly felt a little sheepish, but she was determined to fight for her heart's desire. "I'm getting on a plane later today."

Jane shook her head and marvelled at the shrewdness. "Right well, depending on when you arrive I may not be able to pick you up or anything, on the job nine to five this week."

"I'll make my own way into the city. I've been there before, I know the drill. Just let me know what Maura says and one way or another I'll see you in a couple of days."

Gabby was absolutely going to murder her, of that Jane had no doubt. "Alright Kel, see you then. I've gotta get back, I'm out to dinner with Maura and Gabby."

Kelly was surprised by that. "Jane, are you and Gabby buddy buddy now?"

"Something like that," Jane had to admit.

"Are you going to mention I'm coming?"

"Hell no. I don't have a death wish. I'm hoping I can talk some sense into you before you make a mess of all of this."

"See you soon Jane."

The call ended and Jane just stood in the parking lot scratching her head. She felt like Count von Count, one secret ha ha ha, two secrets ha ha ha. Only it wasn't funny and it was giving her a headache.

Back inside Gabby sipped on her Scotch, watching her ex quite overtly. "Andy," she eventually said, choosing the play on her ex's surname to be annoying. "How you been doin'?"

Alexis Anderson, the owner of Arnie's Bar & Grill, finished wiping down the bar and turned to look at Gabby. Her grey eyes that bordered on silver in the moonlight, capable of such tenderness and compassion, were also inclined to go icy at any moment, and upon hearing the nickname she despised, they were simply glacial. "I have a name, you know. One I actually go by."

"Fine." Gabby huffed, "Alex, How you been doin'?"

Alexis' smile was almost predatory in nature. Leaning forward on the bar top, her eyebrows danced with curiosity. "Since when did you care to know?"

Staring into the hauntingly beautiful eyes of her ex as she licked her lips in a deliberately devilish way sent a bolt of arousal straight to Gabby's core. Alexis knew exactly what she was doing, just as Gabby knew it was a power trip for her ex. Physical attraction and desire had never been an issue in their relationship, it was everything else that went along with it. It was the Melissa of it all. Gabby brought her Scotch glass to her lips and looked over the brim, "Just being sociable."

"Nothing to do with the trouble in paradise then?" Alexis pouted in a delectable way, deliberately playing on Gabby's affections. "Because I've seen your woman in here Gabby, and she hasn't been leaving alone."

Alexis' words were intended to be deliberately revealing, but Gabby didn't flinch because she was more than aware. The mention of Melissa did however kill the mood. Gabby's eyes darkened and she leaned forward until their faces were almost touching, "Leave her out of your games, Andy."

Gabby finished her Scotch, slammed the glass down and retreated back to the booth where she found Jane and Maura canoodling like only happy lovers did. She groaned, "Come on guys, all of this fresh puppy eyed lovey dovey crap is not what I need right now."

Jane pressed one last soft kiss to Maura's lips before turning back to Gabby and shrugging with a smug grin across her face. "I'm sorry, I thought you were too busy flirting with your ex."

Gabby stared at Jane, realising that having her as a friend could potentially be more irritating than as an enemy. She then glanced at Maura who shot her a knowing look, a look that said that flirting with her ex wasn't going to fix her relationship issues. "Ancient history, I was just being polite. We should order, I'm famished."


"We both agree Gabby's playing a dangerous game right?" Jane asked, as she brushed her teeth.

Maura nodded at the eyes that tracked her via the bathroom mirror. She was too busy flossing to speak.

"Can't say I blame her though, and I don't think I need to tell you that's saying something." Jane was always Team Missy when it came to anything in their friends' relationship, but it was hard to stay on that team when she worked side by side with Gabby and saw the impact. Jane paused for a moment to stare at Maura's reflection in the mirror, it happened to her a lot, just realising that she was in love with the greatest woman on the planet.

"You're doing it again Jane," Maura teased, having finished with the floss.

Jane spat the paste out and rinsed her mouth out. "Can't help it. Have you seen you, Maur?"

Maura snaked an arm around Jane's waist and leaned into her for a brief hug. "The feeling's mutual, love."

Jane grinned, and stood there like an idiot. She had to run after Maura once she had snapped out of her love daze. She couldn't help but slide across the hardwood floors in her socks, playing the air guitar to enter the bedroom. She was feeling on top of the world, it had ended up being a pretty decent night of food and socialising, she had even managed to forget about the secrets she had harboured.

"So who was it that called earlier?" Maura's question brought reality crashing back into Jane's brain.

Jane groaned. "It was Kelly."

Maura's eyes lit up with surprise. She knew Jane had missed that friendship. "What did she want?" Maura asked, fluffing her pillows.

"About that," Jane started, a sheepish look on her face. "She was wondering if she could crash here?"

"Absolutely not." Maura responded firmly.

"Oh come on Maura, she's coming to Launceston anyway and just wants a chance to rekindle the friendship."

"She's had six months to do that, Jane." Maura was not Kelly's biggest fan, mostly out of solidarity with Gabby, but more recently because of how her decision to end her friendship with Jane had affected her fiancée.

"Please?" Jane wasn't adverse to begging, mostly because she wanted Kelly where she could keep an eye on her. "She'll be in town in a couple of days."

Maura climbed into bed and made herself comfortable sitting up, propped up by pillows. She wanted to read a little before she went to sleep. "That's very short notice. Why is she coming to Launceston?"

Jane ran both hands through her curls and mumbled, "She thinks she can win Missy back."

Maura's eyes narrowed disapprovingly. "Jane," she warned, this was something they needed to stay away from.

Jane threw her hands up in the air, her Italian heritage getting the better of her. "I know alright! Why do you think I want her to stay here? So I can talk her out of this lunacy. Missy doesn't need to be ambushed, and if Gabby see's Kelly she'll kill her."

"Jane, stop being so hyperbolic. It's true Gabby doesn't like Kelly, with understandable reason, but she isn't homicidal."

"Kelly was the one that accidentally shot Missy." It wasn't that they hadn't discussed this possibility in the past, but it was that Jane's certainty confirmed it as fact for Maura to consider. "She will absolutely lose it if she sees Kel, but I couldn't talk her out of coming. So all I have left to be a good friend to all of them is to try and talk her out of this. It's a flippin' mess." Jane finished with a huff, slipping into bed.

Maura reached out and entwined Jane's closest hand with her own. She squeezed softly to calm her fiancée, whose empathy was threatening to cause a mini spiral. "Kelly may stay with us," she offered, understanding that Jane was correct in her assessment.

Jane brought Maura's hand to her lips and kissed it softly. She still had two secrets to keep from Gabby, but at least this decision eased some of the burden she felt, because at least she had the chance to do damage control. "Thanks Maur."


A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reading and reviewing etc. Just wanted to let you know it might be a few weeks before the next chapter, got somethings going on I need to process.