DISCLAIMER: I do not own Rizzoli & Isles nor any of the characters from the show. I am writing this purely for entertainment, not profit. Rizzoli and Isles are property of Tess Gerritsen and TNT.
Please find the full disclaimers in the beginning of Chapter 1.
Chapter 10
Jane opened her eyes, surprised by the cold light of the winter dawn filtering through the curtains of her bedroom.
She was warm and comfortable, in bed. But she didn't recall coming to bed. She didn't remember having slept this peacefully for months, now. Since her mother's death.
Last she recalled, she had been in the living room… She sighed, closing her eyes. Once again, she had not been brave enough to do what she knew had to be done.
But when she inhaled deeply, a familiar scent invaded her nose. Maura. Maura's perfume. It was not possible, but Jane felt that as a gift. Jane opened her eyes, and was surprised to find honey blond tresses tucked underneath her chin. Was it possible that Maura was here?
Jane raised the covers, and saw that Maura was wearing one of Jane's oversized sweatshirts and sweatpants, her legs intertwined with Jane's, curled into Jane's front, and deeply asleep.
Jane covered them again, snuggling closer to Maura. She didn't want to think. No matter how Maura had come to be in her home, Jane would take it as a sign, as an unexpected and undeserved Christmas gift.
And Jane slumbered back to sleep.
(…)
"Don't, Jane. Please, don't." Angela's voice echoed on Jane's ears.
"Ma?" Jane's voice was urgent as she turned her head, trying to find where the voice was coming from, momentarily pausing the move of the knife on her wrist.
"Don't do it…" Angela's ethereal voice pleaded.
"I am sorry, Ma…"
"You have nothing to be sorry about, baby. But you will be sorry if you do this…"
(…)
Maura woke up to Jane whimpering. She was dreaming. Maura was still not sure if it was a nightmare or a dream. Maura swiftly moved higher in bed, cradled Jane's head to her chest, squeezed Jane tightly in her arms, and whispered softly by Jane's ear.
"It is alright, Jane, you are home, you are safe…"
And Jane sobbed. Sobbed like Maura had not seen Jane sob since all the loss and grief of Angela's death had fallen over them. And Maura let herself cry too, not trying to shoosh Jane, but joining her. That was a shared loss. A shared grief. Maura just kept running her hand comfortingly up and down Jane's back under covers.
A long while later, Jane's heartfelt sobs turned into soft sniffling.
Maura knew they needed to talk. But she realized nothing in her life ever before felt so right as this, being here with Jane.
Maura kissed the top of Jane's head, and Jane turned her face up to look at Maura. Maura leaned forward to kiss Jane's forehead, her temple, and proceeded to gently and softly kiss away Jane's tears from Jane's cheeks.
And without a second thought, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Maura moved to kiss Jane's lips.
Jane froze for a fraction of a second, but then melted in Maura's kiss, her world righting itself all of a sudden, as if a peaceful calm washed over her and life made sense again.
Maura, from her end, surprised herself and was about to pull back when Jane froze. But when she felt Jane respond, pressing into her, Maura relaxed and leaned in, deepening the kiss. She felt flooded by a feeling of intimacy resulting from love and friendship colliding.
"You are really here…" Jane whispered softly, when they broke the kiss what seemed an eternity later.
"Merry Christmas, Jane…" Maura blushed under the loving gaze Jane bathed her with.
"Merry Christmas, Maura…" Jane replied gently. "When did you arrive?"
"A bit over 2AM…" Maura was running her fingers gently through Jane's unruly curls. "My flight got snowed in, so I was very delayed… You were sleeping seating on the floor of your living room. I managed to get you here without waking you up, but I had to borrow a sweater and sweatpants to sleep on, since unpacking would be too noisy."
Jane held on to her sweater on Maura's. "You are always welcome to my clothes."
Maura's eyes searched the clock on the wall. "It is late… We should get up and try to find something to eat. I am starving… I didn't eat, planning on having dinner with you…"
Jane blushed, and sighed.
"Can I offer you an apple, until we can get out?" Jane sat in the bed, her hands trying to smooth out her wild curls.
"You can…" Maura smiled. "And we need to talk…" Maura moved her legs from under the covers, to stand and move to the kitchen.
Jane followed her, and Maura extended a hand with a washed apple to Jane, while she bit into the other one.
"I am not hungry." Jane tried.
Maura shook her head. "You will eat this apple. Don't make me force you to…" Maura determined, a serious tone in her voice.
Jane sighed, and bit on the apple.
"All of it, Jane." Maura insisted, as she herself worked on her apple.
Only after she saw Jane eating the entire fruit Maura motioned Jane to sit in the sofa.
"I was not expecting you…" Jane began.
"That is the concept of a surprise visit… Do you have to go to work today on your confidential assignment?" Maura inquired, her hazel eyes boring into Jane's.
Jane had the decency to blush, deviating her eyes from Maura's, and shaking her head no.
"That is what I thought." Maura concluded, but not dwelling on it. She reached for her purse, and picked a folder from inside it.
"But I came also because I needed your help with a case…"
"A case?" Jane knotted her eyebrows.
Maura picked a couple of pages, and handed them to Jane.
"Since this is on your extra-official capacity, the names are stricken-through to avoid breaking protocol." Maura explained, handing Jane the pages.
Jane scanned the pages. One was a toxicologic report – that clearly indicated the person was under the influence of alcohol, in a heavy dosage, by the way. The other pages were reports appraising vehicle maintenance. Again, it was clear cut, there were so many irregularities that there was no way the vehicle would have responded properly. And the combination of that toxicologic report and that maintenance log was obviously a recipe for tragedy.
"There does not seem to be anything disputable here, Maura. This spells out a recipe for disaster. No brainer."
"It is so obvious that I needed a second pair of eyes. Would you agree, looking at this, that we have a clear perp and conviction?"
"This would make the day of any DA. Piece of cake." Jane handed the pages back to Maura, who placed them back into the folder, before facing Jane.
"No doubts, right?" Maura insisted.
"None. Guilty. Case closed."
Maura moved forward, taking Jane's two hands in hers, and approaching her face dangerously from Jane's.
"I am glad to hear. Because this was also the conclusion of the jury. The driver will spend the rest of his life in prison. And the company who owns the fleet paid a hefty sum."
"So why the need for a second pair of eyes?" Jane asked, puzzled.
"Because… This is the man who was driving the truck that hit Ron and your mother's car. And this was the truck he was driving."
