A/N: There are parts of this chapter that I really like and parts of this chapter that I feel like I could just not get right. It's definitely not the best chapter I've written, but I think it does tell a decent story.
As always I do not own Rizzoli and Isles.
It was Thursday morning and Jane and Maura were at Jane's apartment packing up the last of her stuff. They were tackling her bedroom today; the rest of her things had either been moved over to Maura's already or had been sold or donated.
Jane was sitting on the floor, back against the wall as Maura rummaged through her closet. They had decided to clean it out so they didn't have to move clothes that Jane was never going to wear. And Maura saw it as an opportunity to pick out Jane's outfit for her high school reunion.
Jane had received a RSVP for the reunion a couple months ago. Maura had spotted it and practically begged Jane to go. Maura, of course, wanted to use this as an opportunity to see what a co-ed high school was like. And she liked the idea of seeing where Jane spent her formative years.
"Voila" Maura said as she popped out of the closet holding a purple dress with flutter sleeves.
Jane scrunched her face up the put her head in her hands as if to hide from it.
"What? Don't make that face. It's cute." Maura said.
Jane looked up at her girlfriend. "If you're playing mahjong."
"So why'd you buy it?" Maura asked.
"Cause it was half off. Donations pile." Jane directed.
Maura placed the dress in the growing pile of clothes to be donated and then took a seat on the floor next to Jane.
"You know at this point you're not gonna have any clothes to bring over to our place." Maura said. She placed her hand on Jane's arm and leaned her head against Jane's shoulder.
Jane chuckled. "I really don't think you'd have a problem with that."
"Hmmm, no. But I would have a problem with you showing up naked to your reunion."
"I really hate that you talked me into going." Jane whined.
"It'll be fun."
"Maybe for you. You get to play scientist – study a co-ed high school because you got locked up in an all-girls school."
"Yes, there is some truth to that. But, I also to get to learn more about you. Which is why I really want to go."
"It's a good thing I love you." Jane placed a kiss to the top of Maura's head. "Or I would be avoiding this thing like the plague."
"You know there are three reasons that people avoid their high school reunions."
"Yeah. One, they hated high school. Two, they hated everybody in high school." Jane paused to think. "What's the third one?"
"Embarrassment over getting fat. Then there's fear of running into your ex or you're an abject failure. Why are you trying so desperately to avoid?"
"Abject failure." Jane said quietly.
"Jane…"
"I'm not married, have no kids, no south end brownstone."
"Okay, so maybe you don't have those things. But you are a very successful detective with the Boston police department and you have a very smart, very beautiful girlfriend."
"Yeah? Where's she at?"
Maura playfully smacked Jane's arm. Jane retaliated by kissing Maura.
"No, I know. It's just a room full of people who don't know the real me. You know, I spent all of high school pretending to be straight to fit my parents' ideal of 'normal'. Now I'm authentically me and I have my dream job and my dream girlfriend and I don't know if anyone is gonna accept me. I wasn't exactly popular in high school. Throw lesbian on top of that and…" Jane trailed off.
"It doesn't matter what they think, Jane. All that matters is that you're happy. And I think you're happy."
Jane looked Maura in the eyes and said, "Yeah, I am. I'm very happy."
"Then let's go Saturday night and show everyone how happy you are."
"Show you off? The smartest, prettiest woman I know. I guess I wouldn't miss that opportunity."
Jane gave Maura another kiss.
"Okay, let's finish this up and get home. I am so ready to say goodbye to this place." Jane said as she stood up. She grabbed Maura's hand and pulled her up from the floor.
...
Jane and Maura walked in to a neatly decorated high school gym. Blue banners with the school name on it were hung around the room. Tables were adorned with blue tablecloths. A bulletin board of old pictures stood at the back of the room. Loud, upbeat music was blasting from the speakers. It was definitely a reunion.
Jane still couldn't believe Maura had talked her into this, but here they were, standing in the name tag line at her reunion.
"Okay, see? Co-ed high school. You happy now? Let's go." Jane said as she turned to leave.
Maura grabbed her arm to stop her. "Oh, no, you are not getting off that easily."
"Jane!" a voice called from across the room. Giovanni came waltzing over.
Jane turned back around and plastered a fake smile on her face. "Giovanni, hello."
The last time Jane and Maura had seen Giovanni, Maura had to go on a date with him because no one knew she was seeing Jane. When Giovanni thought Maura was his forever girl, Jane and Maura had to come clean and tell him they were dating. Jane hated that the first person to find out they were a couple was Giovanni.
"You two are still, uh..." Giovanni started.
"Together? Yes." Jane said as she pulled Maura close. Maura reached down and laced her fingers with Jane's. "Yes, we are very much together." Jane had a sparkle in her eyes as she said that.
"It's nice that you two are still together. The longest relationship I ever had was 34 days – well 35 if you count break up sex." Giovanni said.
"We'll count that." Maura jumped in quickly.
Giovanni was then distracted by Maria Korkman. He said goodbye to Jane and Maura and walked off to talk with his latest lady friend.
"Well that was..." Maura started.
"Awkward?" Jane replied.
"Yes." Maura chuckled.
Jane squeezed Maura's hand as she looked around the room. She wasn't looking for anyone or anything in particular. She was more scanning to see if anyone had noticed she was holding Maura's hand. It was during her read of the room that her eyes landed on one of her high school nemeses, as Maura called them.
"Reason number 4 that people hate high school reunions – mean girl Debbie Nichols." Jane whispered to Maura as she nodded in Debbie's direction.
"Mm. Relational aggression typical of adolescent females. But she's long past that." Maura said.
"Oh my god. Jane Rizzoli" Debbie said as she approached Jane and Maura. "But it's probably not Rizzoli now. It's Mrs..."
"It's actually Detective Jane Rizzoli. There's no 'Mrs.'." Jane replied.
"Oh, well, you will find someone someday." Debbie patronized.
"She has. We just aren't married." Maura jumped in. She placed her unoccupied hand out for Debbie to shake. "Dr. Maura Isles."
Debbie shook Maura's hand. Jane had gone stiff. She hadn't been expecting Maura to introduce herself like that. Although she should have expected it; Maura wasn't always the most tactful person.
"So, you two are..." Debbie inquired.
"Yes." Maura replied simply. She then squeezed Jane's hand to bring her back to reality.
"Uh, how about you, Debbie? Are you married?" Jane asked.
"I'm Mrs. Eddie Tibbet now." Debbie replied as she turned around to acknowledge Eddie, who was making his way over.
"You married Eddie Tibbet?" Jane said, shocked.
"Hey, Jane" Eddie said as he joined the group.
"Hey, Eddie. Look at you – in a suit!"
"I know. Can you believe it? Me and Eddie." Debbie gushed.
"Oh, you mean because you were a part of the mean girls clique?" Maura asked.
Jane shot a Maura a look – one that said 'please stop talking', but Maura missed it. She was too busy 'studying' a typical high school social structure.
"Eddie, now, what clique were you a part of?" Maura continued.
"The computer geek clique." Eddie replied.
"Oh, me too. I'm a science geek." Maura enthusiastically said.
Jane jumped in before Maura could do any more scientific research. "Okay, well, this was nice, but we should probably get moving. Don't want to keep the name tag line held up." Jane handed a name tag to Maura.
Eddie and Debbie waved goodbye and headed back to their seats as Jane and Maura moved deeper into the room.
"God this is more awkward than I could have ever imagined." Jane whispered to Maura.
"It's fine, Jane. It's sort of fun, actually." Maura said. "Oh! I've always wanted to go to a high school reunion with a punch bowl."
Jane let Maura lead the way. They headed over to get punch and Jane went back to scoping out her surroundings.
"Okay, let's go." Jane said as soon as her eyes landed on her ex best friend.
"I'm getting punch." Maura protested. Jane rolled her eyes at her girlfriend.
"Okay, look. Purple dress. Big boobs."
"Is that your bete noir?" Maura asked as she continued to pour punch into her cup.
"If that means former BFF, yes. That would be Emily."
"The one that dumped you in the 8th grade?"
"Well, who would need me when you could get any guy on the planet with those things?"
"Jane!" Emily called from across the room. Jane spun away from Maura to see Emily was heading over with her husband, Steve. She quickly plastered on a smile.
"Steve, Emily, hi." Jane greeted.
"It's been too long." Emily said as she pulled Jane in for an awkward hug.
"I hear it's Detective Rizzoli these days." Steve said.
"Yeah, yeah it is." Jane hesitated for a second before saying, "Um, this is my... my girlfriend, Dr. Maura Isles."
"Girlfriend?" Emily asked.
"Yes. She is also a colleague. She's the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth." Jane bragged.
"Wow. That is impressive. You two must be quite the power couple." Emily said.
"We have solved numerous cases together and have earned recognition in local newspapers for our work." Maura boasted.
"You know, I always knew. Ever since you asked me to that dance in seventh grade. I was going to ask you about it, but you seemed so sad after your parents wouldn't let you go. So, I dropped it. I'm glad you were able to finally embrace yourself."
"Thank you." Jane replied shyly. A blush had popped up on her cheeks and she hoped no one noticed.
"Well, we have to go man the hospitality table, but it was really good to see you, Jane. And it was very nice to meet you, Maura." Emily said.
Emily and Steve left to attend to their duties. Maura turned to Jane.
"You never told me that the Emily you asked to the dance was your best friend Emily." Maura said.
"Didn't seem important." Jane shrugged.
"Clearly you have a history of being attracted to your best friend." Maura smiled.
"Well, you're the only best friend I fell in love with. The only best friend I ever plan on falling in love with." Jane leaned in for a kiss, but was interrupted when she heard her name.
"Jane Rizzoli?! You came to one of our reunions. I heard you might."
"Kate. Hi." Jane said as she straightened up and turned around to face one her old nemeses.
"Look at that body. You definitely didn't have kids, did you?" Kate said.
"Well, I rescued a dog once. Does that count?" Jane joked.
"I have three. With Rory. Two boys and a little girl. I never did see you as the mom type. I don't know why I'm so surprised." Kate said.
"Oh, Jane is the mom type. She's very maternal." Maura jumped in to defend her girlfriend.
"And you are?" Kate questioned.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Kate Graham, this is Dr. Maura Isles, my girlfriend." Jane introduced.
"Girlfriend?" Kate said as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked Maura and Jane up and down. "Hmmm. I heard the rumors about you in high school. Stupidly I never believed them."
Jane had had enough. She could tell that Kate was judging them and she had no desire to stay in the conversation.
"Okay, well, this was nice. But, I have to get Dr. Isles home. She has a big surgery in the morning. Bye, Kate." Jane grabbed Maura's hand and started to guide her towards the exit.
"Jane, I don't perform surgery." Maura said, very confused by what just happened.
"You cut people open, it's the same thing." Jane said.
"I cut open dead people."
"I don't need Kate knowing that. Let's just go. Please." Jane was desperate to leave.
"Okay." Maura conceded.
Maura could tell that something was bothering Jane, but she knew better than to bring it up in a public place. She'd see if she could talk with Jane once they arrived home.
...
Jane opened the front door and immediately kicked her heels off.
"How did that improve the quality of my life?" she asked.
Maura chuckled as she also removed her shoes.
"No, seriously, was that whole experience supposed to make me miss high school? Because all it did was remind me why I spent every day trying to get out. Everyone is just so fake."
Jane headed over to kitchen. She opened the fridge and pulled out a cold beer for herself. Then she grabbed a bottle of wine and a glass for Maura. She set them on the island as Maura took a seat on one of the stools.
"I thought Emily was very sincere." Maura said.
Jane popped the cap off her beer and took a swig. "She's about the only one." Jane took another sip then poured Maura a generous glass of wine.
"You know there was a time when Emily was my favorite person. She always had my back. Always looked out for me." Jane leaned her arms on the counter next to Maura.
"And then you asked her out." Maura whispered.
"Yeah. She acted different after that. But, it wasn't until, like, a year later that she got new, more popular friends and she shut me out." Jane took another drink of her beer.
Maura placed her hand on top of Jane's.
"I can't believe she knew this whole time. God I hope she wasn't the one that started that rumor about me." Jane said.
"I heard Kate mention the rumor but I didn't want to pry." Maura murmured.
"Just something stupid. You know 'oh Jane's a butch, be careful she might hit on you.' Frankie nearly got expelled beating a kid up over it."
"Why did you never tell me these things?" Maura probed.
"You tell me every single thing that ever happened to you in high school?" Jane asked.
"No, I suppose not."
"It was a long time ago. A different life. I definitely prefer to live in the present where I have you."
Jane looked at Maura with sparkly eyes. Maura shifted her eyes from looking down at the counter to looking a Jane.
"Thank you for indulging me and going tonight. Even if you hated it." Maura said.
"I didn't totally hate it. I liked having the prettiest woman in the room by my side." Jane smiled a goofy smile.
"Funny, I was going to say the same about you." Maura replied. She took a sip of her wine and then gazed at Jane longingly. Jane knew exactly what Maura wanted.
"What do you say we get out these clothes?" Jane leaned in and gave Maura a bruising kiss. She snaked her hands around to Maura's back and pulled her impossibly closer. Jane placed her hands under Maura's thighs and hoisted her up. Maura moaned into Jane's mouth as she wrapped her arms around Jane's neck. Jane quickly, but steadily, carried Maura up to their room.
