Flameout – Chapter 16
They didn't make it out the door before Maura noticed the mistletoe hanging above the front door. She stopped suddenly and caused Jane to bump into her. "Maur, why did you stop?" Jane asked she felt bad for bumping into Maura. "You made me bump into you." Jane continued as Maura turned to face her.
Maura bumped her hip into Jane's and said, "There is a mistletoe and we cannot break the tradition." Jane looked up and sure enough there was a mistletoe.
"Frost, I am going to kill him. He must have hung that up when he was here earlier." Jane replied mocking being upset with Frost. Maura could tell Jane really wasn't upset.
"I rather like it, now kiss me." Maura demanded as she stood on her toes so she could be closer to Jane's lips.
"Still so bossy." Jane laughed as she took Maura into her arms and kissed her passionately. If this continued, they wouldn't make it to Maura's for quite some time. When Maura needed to breathe, she stepped back and pulled Jane the rest of the way out of the door. Jane locked the door and they walked to the elevator hand in hand.
As they rode the elevator down to the garage Jane wrapped her arms around Maura so that her front was against Maura's back. Maura smiled and leaned back into Jane. She enjoyed being in Jane's company. She was happy that they had several more hours to spend together.
Jane had looked at the weather report and decided to drive the mustang. Maura couldn't believe how loud it was. Jane had modified the exhaust and the mustang had a very throaty roar. It didn't take them long to drive to Maura's. When they arrived at Maura's, Jane quickly turned the car off and jumped out so she could open Maura's door for her.
Maura smiled and took Jane's offered hand and walked together hand-in-hand to the front door. Maura pulled out the key and unlocked the front door. Jane followed Maura in and Maura gave her a quick tour of her house.
"Wow, Maur, you house is impressive, I love it." Jane informed her. She wasn't quite sure what she had expected but knowing that Maura just arrived, she was surprised that the house was so well put together already.
"Thank you, Jane. What would you like to drink?" Maura offered as they made their way into the kitchen. It was too early for alcohol so they each had a bottle of water. Maura was very inquisitive and had a slew of questions to ask Jane. She wanted to get to know her better.
They made their way over to the sofa and as soon as they sat down Maura asked Jane, "how did you became a fighter pilot and police officer?" Jane then remembered about the conversation she had with her parents after Mr. Smith's funeral and told Maura all about it.
Mr. Smith, as Jane knew him, passed away six months after he sold her the mustang. At his funeral which Jane's presence was requested by his lawyer, Jane met some of the members of his Air Force unit. She found out that Mr. Smith, was Colonel Jayson Charles Smith, a decorated World War II fighter pilot. He was known to his friends as 'Jay' or 'JC.' At his next pilots' association meeting he had told some of the members about Jane and how she wanted to be a fighter pilot as well as a police officer.
At his funeral one of the members of the pilot association handed Jane an envelope. She didn't know the individual but he introduced himself as Colonel Jonathan Jordan an officer with the New York Air National Guard. She shook his hand and he told her to call him when she was ready. "Ready for what?" She asked.
He smiled and said, "read the information in the envelope and then call me. I am looking forward to hearing from you, the sooner the better young lady. You will be seventeen soon and that is the perfect age."
"Perfect age for what?"
"Read the information and call me." He said as he walked out of the reception room. Jane didn't know anyone at the reception after the funeral so she left. As soon as she got home, she opened up the envelope. She couldn't believe what she found inside. "Pop, you gotta see this."
Frank Sr. came over to the table where Jane was sitting and she passed him the paperwork. "What is this, Janie?"
"If I am reading this paperwork correctly, it is an all-expenses paid voucher for all classwork and instructional time to become a private pilot as well as all the information I need to know to join the Air Force and become an F-16 fighter pilot with the New York Air National Guard. Plus, a full ride scholarship for a four-year college degree in criminology at BCU."
"Where did this come from Janie?" Frank Sr. asked, he was curious as to who would give his daughter this much money to provide these services for her.
"I was handed the envelope at Mr. Smith's funeral today by an officer with the NY Air National Guard."
"You must have made quite the impression on Mr. Smith, Janie." Jane's mother, Angela, stated as she sat down next to her husband to look over the papers.
"He was a friendly person who liked when I came over with the mustang and took him places. Sometimes he just wanted me to drive him to the park. We would sit in the car with the windows down and just talk and watch the people. He always asked what I had done to the mustang so far. Towards the end of his life, he just wanted me to read to him. He had quite the collection of aviation books and he used to tell me about the aircraft that he had flown."
"That was nice that you had spent so much time with him." Angela offered.
"Ya, occasionally some of his aviation buddies came by and he asked if I would get them some cookies and drinks. If I had a job to do with pop, he would tell me to have fun and come see him tomorrow if I was able. He was a nice man. I am glad you let me spend time with him. I think it meant a great deal to him. He loved to talk about flying and what it meant to him. That made me want to fly that much more. I wanted to experience some of what he was telling me about."
"It sounds like he might have been a little lonely and took an interest in your love of the mustang and desire to learn to fly and wanting to be a police officer." Frank Sr. stated.
"Yes, we didn't talk too much about me becoming a police officer because he didn't know anything about that. He knew about the mustang and planes though. He had model airplanes around his living room and my favorite one was the P-51 Mustang. He told me that he once flew a P-51 Mustang." Jane had been playing with the P-51 when he told her about flying the P-51.
"When the Ford Mustang came out, he told himself he was going to get one and he waited until the 1969 model came out and purchased it for a little over three thousand dollars. It was the first car he had ever paid all cash for. He didn't need it but he wanted it so he bought it."
"Well, this was awfully nice of him to provide this gift to you and you should call Colonel Jordan and get the wheels turning if you really want to learn to fly." Frank Sr. stated and Angela nodded in agreement.
"I started flying lessons the next week. My senior year in high school, I applied and was accepted at BCU where I majored in Criminology. I joined the Air National Guard first as a security police officer until I finished my degree and then I applied to flight school. While waiting for a flight school date, I completed the police academy."
Maura reflected, "Meeting Mr. Smith seemed to have had quite the impact on your life."
"Yes, I was pleased that I was able to spend so much time with him before he died. What drew you to become a doctor?"
Maura smiled, "I love science and early on I was fascinated with finding out why things perished. I know you know most people dissect frogs in class but I wanted to find out what caused the frog to die."
"Did little Maura think that the frogs were murdered so that we could dissect them for our science project?" Jane smiled at Maura wondering what was like as a child. She was fascinated with the adult Maura. She wished she would have known little Maura.
"Harmful animal use in education has raised ethical and environmental concerns for decades. Some education institutions are using an online method of dissecting frogs in high school biology classes. So yes, at a young age I wondered by what means the frogs had come to be specimens for our dissection."
"So, you have always been a science nerd?"
"Yes, I guess you could say that. I didn't have friends. No one understood me, not even my adoptive parents, they tried. however, they did not know how to communicate with me. I read a great deal. I often sat and read in my father's study while he sat at his desk and read. I enjoyed spending this time with him. It was quiet but he shared some of his favorite books with me. At a young age, I was able to read well above my age. I skipped grades and graduated high school early."
"Did you ever try to find your biological parents?"
"No, I wasn't interested in finding out why my biological parents gave me up. It took me years in therapy to come to the conclusion that some people are not people persons. My therapist said I shouldn't worry about whether people like me or not. Eventually, someone will come along that will like me for who I am and not try and change me. Sam, Amelia and Nina are prime examples of that. They didn't try to change me, they liked me as I am."
"I like you as you are as well." Jane said as she pulled Maura in for a long and passionate kiss. When they broke for air, Jane continued, "You have fascinated me since I first laid eyes on you. Sure, at first it was your outer beauty, but now it is your inner beauty. You are one remarkable woman, Doctor Maura Isles. I am happy that you are interested in getting to know me better, both as a friend and as hopefully a romantic partner."
"Both ways suite me, friend and romantic partner. How would you like it if we packed a picnic basket and went to the park for lunch?"
"That sounds great. Would this be our second date?"
Maura thought for a moment and then replied, "Yes, a nice picnic in the park sounds like a perfect second date." Several minutes later, Jane held the picnic basket in one hand and Maura's hand in the other. Maura led Jane to her favorite bench and they sat and enjoyed their lunch. When they finished eating, Jane pulled out a blanket from the bottom of the basket and spread it out on the ground beside the bench. She was happy that Maura was wearing pants instead of a dress like she normally wore.
They sat on the blanket and eventually ended up cuddled up as they watched a few children play in the playground. "Do Charlie and Bella play here?"
"Yes, they love playing in the park. For the last few months, they have been trying to convince me that we should get a dog. I am not sure how I feel about that."
"Why does getting a dog concern you?"
"I had to hire someone to help me take care of them, how am I going to add taking care of an animal to the mix?"
"Dogs have been known to teach children responsibility. We tried to convince my parents when we were little but our situation was different. My parents were struggling to put food on the table so a 'no' from them was understood. My parents didn't like sharing our financial woes with us but they needed for us to understand that they wanted us to have that experience, however the need was greater to have food on the table. That in itself was a life lesson for us. I had a small dog when I was a homicide detective. Korsak gave her to me, I often felt guilty because she spent a great deal of time at my apartment alone because of the hours I worked. As a family we saw to her needs and my mother or my brothers would go to my apartment and take her for walks."
They continued to talk as they laid on the blanket and watched the children play. When the bulk of the children left, they decided to leave as well. They packed up their belongings and walked hand-in-hand back to Maura's house. "Is this the end of our second date?" Jane shyly asked.
"No, I thought we might go to a museum or watch another movie. I wanted you to have the choice."
"Oh well, how about a movie. We can go to a museum on another day."
"So, you are pretty confident that I will want to see you on another day."
Jane smiled and said, "Yeah, I am. I think you like me and want to spend time with me."
"You are correct, Captain Rizzoli. I wish I could say detective, so that I could say, 'you are pretty perceptive detective.'"
"Technically, I am still a detective so you could say detective if you wish."
"I wish!"
"Alrighty then, I am 'detective' and you are 'doctor' or 'doc' for short."
"If you can shorten my name to 'Maur,' can I shorten yours to 'J'?
"I don't see why not." This time it was Maura pulling Jane in for a heated kiss. She just couldn't keep her hands or lips off of Jane. She wanted to have a physical connection to her as much as possible. She wasn't ready for a sexual connection yet but a small physical connection was a must. She was having problems controlling her desire to touch Jane. Luckily for her Jane felt the same way.
They had lost all track of time and as they were making out on the couch, they heard a key in the front door. The scrambled and stood up and adjusted their clothing. Maura knew it was Skye and the children. She looked at her watch, it was 5:58 PM. She knew the children would be home by six. The children were excited when they saw Jane. Charlie immediately hugged her as Jane rose to greet the children.
"Captain Rizzoli, you are here!" Bella shouted.
"Yes, Bella. I said if you came to Boston, I wanted to see you, so here I am." Jane told Bella as Bella hugged her tight.
As soon as Bella stepped back Charlie stepped in to hug her. "You are so tall," he said, having only seen Jane in the hospital bed in Syracuse.
"Yes, I am. I am 5' 10" without heels. When I put my boots on, I am 6 foot even."
"You are taller than our mommy," Bella added as Jane stood next to a much shorter Maura.
"Yes, I have a good five inches on her." Jane replied as she pulled Maura in for a sideways hug, demonstrating the difference in their height. They stayed close standing side by side before everyone sat down.
Skye smiled at Maura, knowing how big of a crush Maura had on Jane. "So, what have you two been up to?" Skye asked as she looked back to Maura.
Maura smiled back at her and told her that, "We went on a picnic to the park and we were just talking and catching up."
"I will start on dinner." Skye replied as she left the living room and headed to the kitchen.
Charlie then asked, "Mommy is Captain Rizzoli staying for dinner?" Maura looked at Jane who shrugged her shoulders. She really didn't want to intrude on Maura's time with the children but she also wanted to get to know them better. Afterall, they were a package deal, Maura and her two children.
"Jane, if you would like to join us, you are more than welcome to."
How could Jane refuse when both children gave her their best version of puppy dog eyes. "With looks like that how can I refuse. I would love to join you." Both children clapped and Maura gave Jane the biggest smile she had seen yet.
"I guess I should have asked Skye if there is enough food for another person."
Skye who had heard the entire conversation replied without being asked, "There will be plenty of food Maura, don't worry. Jane, I hope you like sloppy joes as that is what the children wanted for dinner tonight."
"I do, although I must say I haven't had a sloppy joe in quite some time."
Charlie then asked Jane, "Would you like to see my collection of model airplanes. I have a few F-16s like yours. Mommy, helped me get stickers to make one look just like your new F-16."
"Wait, you have seen my new F-16? I haven't even seen it yet."
"Yes, Ace and his family took us out to see it before we moved here. He thought that I would enjoy seeing it as well as all the other F-16s on base."
"Wow, he didn't tell me that he had done that."
"I think he wanted for me to be able to share that with you. Would you like to see the pictures of it?"
Charlie, Bella and Jane spent the next half an hour looking at the models and all of the pictures from Jane's unit. "What is that beside my name?" Jane asked as she looked at a close pic of the entrance to the aircraft.
"That is a one and only CSI approved emblem."
"CSI?"
"Charles Samuel Isles, that's me. I approved the plane. Ace and I went over it with a fine-toothed comb. He had several inspection checklists and we spend over an hour making sure everything was correct on the aircraft. I had told him that I wanted to make sure your next plane was worthy of you and he arranged for me and my family to be at the inspection when it arrived. The first time I saw it, it hadn't been painted yet, it was naked. He brought me back before the final acceptance of the plane, after it had been numbered and painted. Ace said he is jealous because you have a newer aircraft then he does. You have the first of the new Block 70/72 fighters to be given to Syracuse."
"Wow, thank you for sharing this with me. I can't wait to see my plane next month when I go back to Syracuse for my drill weekend. I haven't been to Syracuse since you saw me last in the hospital. I had to go through physical therapy and learn to walk again."
"I am so sorry, Captain Rizzoli."
"Please call me Jane."
"Okay, Jane."
"Jane, will you sit by me at the dinner table?" Bella asked before Charlie.
Charlie looked sad, "I wanted her to sit by me."
Maura had walked to Charlie's room to tell them that it was time to eat and had overheard that both children wanted Jane to sit by them, "Children how about you each sit by Jane. Is that okay with you Jane?" Jane was a little disappointed because she wanted to sit next to Maura.
"Jane, I will sit across from you. Skye already stated that she is not staying for dinner. Her boyfriend has requested her presence for a movie night." Maura knew that she would be able to reach Jane's feet from under the table and thus she would still be able to have physical contact with her during dinner and her children wouldn't even know it.
"Okay, well Charlie and Bella shall we join your mother for dinner?" Jane asked as she grabbed one of their hands so that they could go to the dinner table.
"Yes," they said in unison. They all couldn't walk through the bedroom door at the same time so Jane let the children go and then she followed. It looked almost as if the children were pulling Jane along. Maura walked beside Jane being careful not to collide with Bella as they walked.
The dinner was already set up and ready to eat. Skye had already left so it was just the four of them. "Skye asked me to tell you good night and that she would pick you up from school tomorrow while I am at work. I will be home by dinner time."
Charlie, "Can Jane come over for dinner tomorrow night?"
Jane looked at Maura and then replied, "We will see Charlie, sometimes I will not get off of work at the same time as your mother."
"Oh, okay." He said as he picked up his sloppy joe that his mother had just put on his plate.
Jane freaked out a little when Maura put a scoop of salad on her plate and she saw the broccoli peeking out. She asked Maura, "What is this?' Jane asked as cringed.
"Jane, a little bit of vegetables won't kill you. This is a honey mustang broccoli crunch salad. The children love it." Jane looked at the children to verify that they did in fact like the salad. Both children smiled at her so she smiled and ate a bite. The smile Maura gave her was worth the feeling of having yucky broccoli in her mouth.
The four enjoyed a nice dinner with slight conversation. Maura asked the children to go clean up and get ready for bed. Charlie liked to take showers and no longer required assistance. Bella liked to take a bath and still needed a little assistance getting the bath ready. She loved to use her mother's big tub.
Maura excused herself while she tended to Bella and her bath. "Jane, feel free to turn on the TV and catch up on your sporting events like I know you love to do." She winked at Jane as she and Bella went upstairs. Charlie was more than likely half way done with his shower already. The young man didn't mess around, he got in, cleaned himself up and got out. He liked to have reading time before it was officially bed time.
The children joined Jane and Maura downstairs when they were finished getting ready for bed. At 8 PM sharp, Maura rose and told the children, "Okay, say goodnight to Jane. It is bed time." She gave each of the children a hug and a kiss and then Jane did the same. The children both said goodnight to Jane and headed up to their bedrooms.
"Your children are so polite." Jane mentioned after they had sat back down on the couch. "You have done a wonderful job with them."
"Thank you. I have tried the best I could to be a great mother for them. I didn't have much of a role model in that department so I read quite a bit about being a parent before Charlie was born. It was easier for me with Bella because I learned so much with Charlie. When Sam died, I didn't know what I was going to do and then Skye … well Skye stepped up and offer to help me out. She has been such a blessing for me and the children. I don't know how I would have dealt with everything if Skye hadn't volunteered to help me out."
"She seems to love the children."
"She does, she loves them as if they were her little brother and sister and then love her the same. She had devoted the last seven years of her life to us and we appreciate it. I know I paid her but that just doesn't seem to be enough for all that she had done for us. Can I ask a favor?"
"Sure, anything you want?"
"I want to continue to kiss you. I will start work tomorrow and I don't know how my day is going to go. I would like to spend the rest of our time together tonight kissing you."
No more words were needed, Jane took Maura in her arms and kissed her. She continued kissing her until almost 11 PM. "I think I should go and let you get some sleep. I want to see you again. Please let me know when I can see you and the children again." Jane said as she stood to prepare to leave.
Maura stood up and took Jane's hand as they walked to the door. "As far as I am concerned you can come over whenever you would like. I guess this marks the end of our second date." Maura kissed Jane and a few minutes later, Jane walked out the front door with a huge smile on her face. She had an unlimited pass to visit Maura and the children and that pleased her. She reminded herself 'baby steps, baby steps.' This was one huge baby step. Maura and the children wanted to continue seeing her.