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 45
The following two weeks were a sweet torture for them both. They spoke on video every day. But they missed each other terribly. How quickly they had become addicted to each other, and how hard it was to keep apart, even knowing it was for only two weeks.
Maura had noticed Jane had not asked for a timeframe – how long Maura would stay in DC. Jane just took it at face value. Maura would be there, and that was all that mattered to Jane. End of story.
Technically, Maura knew there were actually two experiments taking place for her…
And experiment number one was not even if she could be a full-time writer, she chuckled to herself.
It was if she – and Jane – could get used to cohabitate.
Of course, she would also be full-time writing during the day, while Jane was working in the Agency.
Maura had packed with the plan of not coming back to Boston for at least three full months. She calculated that it was not too short of a time where she would be able to compromise on certain things that were not good and confuse them to things she could live with. And it was not too long for things she could not compromise on and would need to be addressed.
But that meant she had four big bags to take with her.
It would be easier to check them in, but then it meant that for three months she would depend on Jane for a car. So she decided to do the same long drive Jane had done on her first time going to DC.
When Jane asked, Maura just used the argument of the car – she was not used of not having independence without her own car. Jane again never asked about the length of her stay.
Maura's last day as Chief Medical Examiner had been Wednesday – it was just the last day of the month.
Jane had tried to convince Maura to wait for the weekend, so Jane could fly to Boston Friday night, and drive with Maura back to DC on the weekend. But Maura couldn't wait one minute longer.
So they agreed on the plan for Maura to drive to DC on Thursday, arriving there late in the day.
Jane, on her end, could barely wait.
Jane had cleaned her apartment from top to bottom. She had reorganized her few possessions on a corner of the closet. She had organized her few toiletries on a corner of the bathroom counter. She had put her kitchen utensils in order. And she had done grocery shopping that Wednesday night to ensure there was fresh food that Maura enjoyed.
Jane looked like a kid waiting for Santa Claus. She came from work and parked on the visitor parking of her building. She would leave the inside parking spot for Maura when she arrived. Maura had kept her posted on her progress during the long drive, and she should arrive at any moment now.
When Maura's car turned the corner of the street, a smile spread on her face. Jane was waiting for her outside of the garage door, waving wildly with her long arms and with a wide grin spread on her chiseled face. Jane opened the garage door, motioning for Maura to go in, and walked to direct Maura to her reserved parking spot.
Maura had not yet turned the ignition off, and Jane was already opening the door, pulling her out of the car, and enveloping her in a tight hug, before cupping Maura's face and kissing her deeply.
"I missed you…" Maura whispered, her forehead against Jane's, when they broke the kiss to breathe.
"I missed you too…" Jane husked, kissing Maura again. "Let's get you settled. It was a long drive, and you must be exhausted." Jane offered, picking up the keys and moving around the car to open the trunk for the bags.
Maura retrieved her purse and a travel tote from the front in the meanwhile, and Jane had two bag handles in each hand.
She motioned Maura to go ahead of her to the elevator, and handed Maura the keys as they stepped out of the elevator, so Maura could open the door while Jane maneuvered the bags.
Maura smiled when the door opened. The apartment was organized as Maura had never seen it like in her few visits before. As she walked in, there was a big vase of flowers with a small, tented card.
Jane passed through her to take the bags to the bedroom, leaning forward just for a quick peck on her lips.
The card simply read: "Welcome home." In Jane's handwriting. It brought tears to Maura's eyes. Home: it was wherever Jane was…
Jane came back from the bedroom, and Maura pulled her down for a passionate kiss. Jane ran her hands gently over Maura's back, pressing the tired muscles from the long drive gently. Only then Maura realized how tired she really was.
When they broke the kiss, Jane offered gently.
"There is no bathtub in this apartment, I am sorry, I know a bath would be more helpful for your back. But why don't you take a shower and change into something comfortable while I order our food? And after dinner I promise to give you a massage to help with your back…"
"How could I say no to that proposal?"
Maura picked her travel tote, where she had put the things she would need for tonight. Her intention was to only unpack tomorrow, while Jane was at work, so she had her PJs and toiletries handy.
When she walked back, fresh from the shower and feeling more human, she saw Jane had arranged the table and opened a wine to breathe.
The door rang, and Jane walked back with Thai, plating their food and serving Maura first.
When Jane finally sat, she raised her glass towards Maura.
"Welcome home…"
Maura clinched glasses with her, a touched grin on her face.
They ate as Maura told of her drive along the day, talking animatedly as it was their normal.
Once they were done, Jane didn't let Maura help.
"Not tonight. You are tired." Jane explained, quickly putting everything on the dishwasher and storing the left-over wine.
She pulled Maura with her to the sofa, turning on the tv on whatever channel, the sound too low for them to really watch it.
"I know I cannot offer you a massage on a full stomach… So we wait for a bit while enjoying each other's company?"
"Sounds like a plan…" Maura cuddled against Jane.
Jane explained quietly to Maura the little adjustments she had made – she had moved her office desk from the bedroom to the living room, so Maura could write from there – and at the same time they would have more space on the bedroom. And that Maura could move it around as she felt more appropriate and conducive for her writing.
"You didn't need to move anything because of me, Jane."
"I wanted to, Maura. I want you to be comfortable here."
"I am comfortable here." Maura replied, nesting further into Jane's body, and Jane held her tightly, burying her face in Maura's tresses.
"God, how much I missed you…" Jane mumbled in Maura's neck, her lips gently kissing the warm skin there. Maura moved slightly, exposing more skin to allow Jane's access, her breathing hitching at the soft caresses of Jane's lips.
Maura was lost in Jane's gentle ministrations. That was one surprising thing about Jane. Looking at her, people didn't expect her to be gentle. But she could be exceptionally gentle. Maura knew because she had been in the receiving end of such gentleness for more times than it was possible to count. It allowed Maura to turn off thinking, and just feel. And so she felt when they were kissing again, and only because air became a necessity and she needed to break the kiss, panting lightly and smiling at Jane.
She went to move, and could not hold back a groan. Her back was killing her, she had to admit it.
"Enough time elapsed for a massage now, Dr. Isles?" Jane inquired.
Maura checked her watch. "Yes…"
Jane stood up, and gently helped Maura to her feet.
They got ready for bed, brushing their teeth and lowering the lights, leaving only the bedside lamp on.
Jane picked up a massage oil bottle, put it on her bedtable, and sat with her back against the headboard, patting the space in front of her for Maura to sit. Maura groaned again when she sat down.
Jane tugged on the hem of Maura's PJs, and Maura looked over her shoulder, an eyebrow lifted.
Jane chuckled: "Strictly for massage purposes, I promise!" Jane made the scouts sign.
Maura removed the top of her PJ, placing it by her side on the bed, and then bunched her hair in a bun to tie it out of Jane's way. Jane had poured a bit of massaging oil on her hands, and rubbed them to warm it, before she moved to Maura's neck.
Jane's strong fingers first worked the chords on Maura's nape, Maura humming in pleasure at the relaxing sensation. Jane moved to the top of Maura's shoulders, where most of the tension was sitting after such a long drive. Jane gently but firmly worked out tense muscles, Maura whimpering softly, until Jane felt them relaxed under her hands.
"Am I hurting you?"
Maura just shook her head no.
Jane moved to massage the muscles contracted around Maura's spine. First she moved sideways, stretching the muscles purposefully, and then she moved vertically right around Maura's spine, to complete the relaxation. Maura sighed contentedly, leaning forward.
When Jane finished, she planted a kiss on top of Maura's naked scapula.
"Better?"
"Hmm hmm…" Maura agreed, her body mushy.
Jane crossed her arms in front of Maura's waist, pulling Maura to lay back against Jane's front while Jane kissed the soft spot behind Maura's ear.
It was only when Jane opened her eyes that she remembered Maura was naked from the waist up.
"Sorry." Jane stuttered, reaching with one hand for Maura's PJ top to hand it to her.
"I am not sorry." Maura turned a little to kiss Jane on the lips, and pulled her PJ top over her head to dress back up again, undoing her improvised bun in the process, while the blush spread through Jane's face.
"You are gorgeous." Jane swallowed hard, one hand still splayed on Maura's abdomen.
Now clothed, Maura turned sideways to kiss Jane properly.
"Not more gorgeous than you…" Maura buried her face on Jane's neck.
Jane moved to lay both of them down, Maura comfortably half on top of her. Jane kept caressing Maura's hair lightly, and in seconds she felt Maura's compassed breathing against her neck. Satisfied Maura was asleep, Jane relaxed and slumbered into sleep herself.
