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 54

The editors had smartly picked a venue where the press conference could take place before the book signing, without them having to move buildings, what was practical in a city with crazy traffic like New York.

And they had respected Maura's request for a more informal setting for the journalists and her, what made much easier for her to walk with her arm looped around Jane's.

The journalists were dazzled when the stunning couple walked into the room. The photographers knew immediately they were going to have a field day – there could possibly be no angle where they would look bad.

Jane gentlemanly made sure Maura was well accommodated, with a glass of water at hand, before she settled herself by her side.

"Thank you for coming. I hope you don't mind my preference for a more informal setting…" Maura spoke gently.

"Oh no, this is perfect… Tell us how your first book came to be, Dr. Isles."

That was easy, Jane thought. She saw Maura relax a bit, as she began sharing the tale of having started writing as a post-traumatic exercise, and finding herself enthralled by the possibility of weaving mystery fiction using her accumulated experience in the field.

Jane was always surprised by how brilliant Maura sounded, and Jane knew those journalists could see it too.

They continued asking questions related to the book, and to the science behind the crime, and to the procedures. All those Jane knew were piece of cake for Maura, she dominated the subject, and over time Jane knew Maura could make any of that super interesting.

"And how much being the daughter of a mobster influences your writing?"

Jane didn't need to look at Maura to know she was caught completely off-guard.

In her most sympathetic tone, Jane interjected.

"Oh, Maura, darling, you should explain to them, in lay terms, the fascinating research that DNA does not influence behavior, environment does…" And then Jane turned to the journalists. "She just learned about her father when she was thirty-five. Before that and after that, she had always THE best environment, being adopted as a newborn baby by the Isles… Academy, culture, refined tastes, that is for sure her only influence, and it does show in her writing."

Jane knew there was likely no such specific research per se – because the topic was obvious enough – and she knew Maura would panic if she had to invent about it, but Jane's bet was that the journalist didn't know, and would be thrown off by the answer. She was right, the journalist lost interest in that line of conversation and went back to discuss the book.

They were almost finishing the interview, and except for one other situation where a journalist used and euphemism and Jane had to interject to suggest Maura which story to tell to help her connect the dots, Jane had minimum interference.

"So we should say to your fans you are taken, Dr. Isles?" the lady asked.

Jane saw Maura frown and realized Maura had not gotten the meaning of the euphemism.

"After the plethora of interesting topics you all covered today, I am sure such a mundane topic won't even fit the context of your articles…" Jane offered, again, with her dazzling smile, disarming the journalists.

When they asked if they could take pictures, Jane motioned: "Oh, no, she is the Agatha Christie, that is who you want to focus your lenses on!"

The flashes went out all around Maura, and Jane knew she would look fabulous. The editors entered to walk the journalists out, and Maura thanked and greeted each one of them as they left.

Jane closed the door behind the last one, before approaching Maura.

"You did fantastic!"

Maura exhaled. "Do you think so? I am so glad you were here, there were a few occasions I really felt completely lost."

"Maura, you dominated the entire time. You did great!"

"Well, I felt very protected when you jumped in to save me from the Paddy Doyle trap… And how you deflected their focus on the fact we are together… And all of that without even growling at them… I am officially impressed!" Maura teased.

"Yeah… I thought that threatening them like I would do with a perp would not go well in the printed page…" Jane chuckled.

The editors came back to take them to the main room, where the book signing would take place. They offered an honor table to Jane, but she politely thanked them and declined the offer, preferring to be slightly behind Maura, closer to a flower arrangement, where she would not be in the middle of the people who wanted to get an autograph, but from where she could observe unencumbered if Maura was okay or if she needed anything.

Jane knew that this was overwhelming for Maura, and Jane wanted to make sure she was comfortable.

Jane shouldn't have feared. The line was long, but people were really eager to have a chance to get an autograph – a lot of them had acquired their copy of the book a few days before, when it first hit the shelves, and had already been hooked to Maura's compelling writing. People were praising and incentivizing her to write more.

Jane asked one of the assistants for something she needed, and they brought it to her.

When the line was over, and the organizers were walking the last people out of the room to finish the event, Jane approached the table Maura had been signing books at.

Maura had already closed the fountain pens she had been using, and she flushed when she noticed someone else was in line.

"Oh, I am so sorry, I didn't realize there was someone else wait…" she raised her eyes, to meet Jane's wide grin.

"Hello, Dr. Isles, I almost missed you... Would you be so kind to autograph a copy of the book for me?" Jane asked, trying to keep in character.

Jane's heart swelled at the 1000-megawatt smile Maura gave her.

"It will be my pleasure." Maura picked up the book Jane was holding, the one the assistant had handed her a few minutes earlier, and opened it on the dedication page. "Who should I dedicate it to?" Maura asked, keeping in character herself.

"The name is Jane…"

Jane was always mesmerized by Maura's beautiful calligraphy, and she had been observing that despite the long line, Maura had made a point of keeping it neat.

Maura smiled while she wrote, Jane unable to read upside down, before closing the book, and standing up to hand it back to Jane.

"Here you go, Jane. I am glad you caught me before I left." Jane picked up the book, and felt Maura's delicate hand touching hers a tad longer than was necessary to hand her the book.

"Thank you, Dr. Isles… May I be so bold… What if I was interested in more than an autograph?" Jane asked, teasingly, their hands still touching.

Maura looked at her appreciatively. "What would you have in mind, Jane?"

"Hmmm… A very nice dinner, some relaxing drinks, maybe a night cap in your apartment?" Jane whispered.

"I would love that…" Maura whispered back, and Jane didn't miss the shiver that ran through her skin.

Their little exchange was interrupted by the editors.

"The night was a terrific success, Dr. Isles. We will be looking forward for your lawyers to contact us about the details on the tv series, movie and merchandising contracts."

"Thank you, I appreciate all that you have done so far." Maura shook their hands, before walking from behind the table, taking the arm Jane gentlemanly offered her, and heading out of the building.