The Four Rizzolis had all gathered at Maura's house for a family meal that Angela had decided was mandatory once a month. Maura was included in the family meal not just because it was her house that hosted the meal but also because she had become a part of the Rizzoli family over the years. Whenever a family event was arranged Maura was automatically included, there was never any hesitation from any of them to include her. Angela had cooked the majority of the meal but Maura had helped once she had finished work. Jane, Frankie and Tommy had given the kitchen a wide berth so they couldn't be roped into helping and instead had found a game on the TV to watch and yell at.
Once the food was ready they all sat down together to eat, a light banter filling the air between the three siblings. Maura had gotten used to the banter over the years. In the beginning she had been baffled by it and hadn't understood it. Now she understood it came from affection with the three of them. She hoped that one day she would be able to join in with the banter rather than just observe.
"The food is lovely, Ma," Frankie commented between mouthfuls.
"It wasn't just me that cooked, Maura helped too."
"Thanks, Maura." Tommy grinned at the blonde and earned himself a smile in return.
"I wish you three would learn to cook some more." Angela glared between her three children. She had tried to teach all three of them to cook when they were younger but it had been like pulling teeth and she had given up.
"What? I can cook," Jane protested. "I've been feeding myself all these years." Frankie snorted at her response which earned him a kick under the table. He grimaced but refrained from saying anything else for fear of another kick.
"Maura is the only one willing to help me in the kitchen." Angela shook her head in disappointment.
"Cause Maura is your favourite," Tommy pointed out before he turned to look between Jane and Frankie. "Should we be worried that Ma's favourite isn't even related to us?"
"Maura would be my favourite if I had to pick between you lot." Frankie gave a shrug and reached for another potato.
"Huh." Tommy looked at his brother in thought before he glanced at his sister who looked like she was ready to kill Frankie.
"Well, one of you marry Maura and then you would be my favourite," Angela commented as she took in the sight of her three children.
"Who would you pick out of us three to marry, Maura?" Tommy glanced at the doctor who had just placed her knife and fork down on her plate.
"Oh, I'm not sure I have all the right information to make an informed choice," Maura replied slowly as she pondered the question and looked at all three of them. She knew exactly who she would choose but she wasn't sure that they were an option, she was still trying to figure that out.
"Why would she marry a knucklehead like you, Tommy?" Jane grumbled and took a swig of her beer.
"Hey, I have just as good a chance as you and Frankie," he protested. "Just cause I ain't a cop don't mean I'm not a catch." Jane snorted and leaned back in her chair as she watched her youngest brother. "Tell you what, why don't we all take Maura out on a date and then she can choose which one of us she'd marry," Tommy challenged, ready to prove himself.
"Tommy, come on," Jane complained. "You can't make a decision from one date if you're going to marry someone."
"Are you scared of some competition? Scared Maura won't choose you?" Tommy teased and saw the anger flash in Jane's eyes. He knew how to get a reaction out of his sister.
"With you? No." Jane's nostrils flared as she leaned towards the table, her hands clenching. "But don't you think you should ask Maura if she even wants to go on a date with you?" Tommy leaned closer to the table as well and returned his sister's stare, the one he had learned from her growing up. Years ago by this point one of them would have thrown a punch by now but growing up had taught them to last a bit longer before they swung a fist.
"Oh for Christ sake," Angela grumbled and threw her napkin down onto the table and stood up. "Won't you guys ever grow up? I didn't literally mean one of you had to marry Maura. I can't believe it's created such an argument." She started to collect the plates ready to carry into the kitchen, wanting to get away from the argument she knew was going to happen.
"Maura," Tommy called and turned towards the blonde. "Will you go on a date with all of us to see who you would marry?" He was determined to beat his sister in something and he was sure he would be able to charm Maura better than Jane could.
"You don't have to," Jane's voice was softer as she turned to her friend. Maura looked between them and was at a loss of what to say. She could feel the tension in the room and didn't want to add to it but at the same time the thought of a date with each of them did sound nice. It would also give her a chance to find out if her choice was a choice.
"Will it stop you arguing if I say yes?" she finally replied.
"We're not arguing," Jane protested but Maura could hear the tension in her voice.
"Yeah, it's just a friendly competition." Tommy leaned back in his chair so Angela could take his plate. "See which Rizzoli you'd choose."
"Okay, one date," Maura agreed, which earned a cheer from Tommy who smirked across the table at Jane. If looks could kill Tommy would be six feet under by now.
"This weekend," Frankie started, wanting to ease the tension between Tommy and Jane. He already knew exactly who was going to win this. He wasn't sure why he was bothering but he thought he might as well give it a try. "We'll each take you for a date. We have to plan it ourselves, no extra help and we don't tell each other what we are doing."
"Fine," Jane replied and took a long swig of her beer. "You can go first Tommy, then Frankie then me." They all agreed and the conversation was dropped but the tension in the air was still there. Jane and Tommy gave each other a wide berth for the rest of the evening while Angela and Tommy tried to find neutral ground. In the end Tommy headed out early, followed by Frankie and then Angela. Jane was the last Rizzoli to leave that night. It was only when Jane was the last one left did the air seem to lift and for the first time Maura thought she'd had a glimpse of what it was like for the three Rizzolis growing up.
"Hey, you okay?" Maura asked softly and placed her hand on Jane's arm as she grabbed her jacket ready to leave.
"Yeah," the brunette let out a sigh, "Tommy is just an ass at times. You really don't have to do this, you know." Her expression softened as she looked down at her friend.
"I know." The blonde nodded. "I just didn't want to have to call the police on you tonight because you murdered Tommy in my house."
Jane gave a lopsided smile at Maura's humour. "I'm sorry, he just knows how to push my buttons. He always has. I'll see you tomorrow, Maur."
"Night, Jane." The doctor watched her friend leave and as she closed the door she found herself wondering how the dates would go with each Rizzoli. Would she still choose the same person? Would one of them surprise her? Would this ruin her relationship with the Rizzolis?
—
Tommy was the first one to take her out on a date on Thursday night. As Maura opened the front door she was greeted with a bouquet of flowers that he proudly held out to her. She accepted the flowers with thanks and carried them into the kitchen where she put them in a vase until she had time to prepare them properly.
"So, I've booked us a table at this Italian restaurant that I found and then I thought we could go see a movie?" Tommy shoved his hands into his pockets nervously as he took in Maura's outfit. She was wearing a fitted green, knee length dress that probably cost more than he made in two months. He suddenly felt very in over his head on this date. She wasn't like anyone he had dated before and he was starting to question if what he had planned would be enough for her.
"That sounds lovely." Maura smiled back at him and reached for her purse.
The restaurant that Tommy had chosen made lovely food and the talk was easy flowing between them. There were no awkward silences and they found that they did have more common interests than they had realised. After the meal they headed towards the movie theatre where Tommy bought the tickets and a bag of popcorn for them to share. He had chosen an action movie and while it wasn't terrible, it certainly wouldn't have been a movie that Maura would have chosen. However, it was nice to listen to Tommy talk about things he thought were cool in the movie and how he wished he could do some of the stunts. Tommy Rizzoli had a carefree air to life.
—
Frankie was her date the next night. He turned up in a smart suit, a bright smile with a box of chocolates.
"Wow, you look lovely," he commented on seeing her midnight blue dress. Jane was right, Maura always looked like she was about to walk a runway. "There's an event at the museum I managed to get us tickets for tonight." He held out his arm for Maura as they walked to his car where he opened the door for her to get in.
Once they had arrived at the museum Frankie had begun to look out of his comfort zone. His knowledge on the artwork was very limited and he looked at most pieces with a puzzled look on his face. Maura felt a little sad at knowing that she was enjoying the event more than Frankie was. It was clear he had chosen something that Maura would enjoy and not himself. While it was clear he had taken Maura into consideration when planning the date, she had wanted him to enjoy the date as well. He was polite and listened to everything Maura told him about the different paintings and made sure she always had a drink and a canopy when they came around. The middle Rizzoli looked relieved as they left the museum hours later and Maura wished he had enjoyed the evening as much as she had.
–
Saturday night was Jane's turn at a date and Maura had been instructed not to dress up for their date. The blonde had ditched the dress she had been planning on wearing for a pair of trousers and a blouse. She didn't look too 'dressed up' as Jane would call her.
"Maur, that is dressed up," Jane complained as soon as she saw her friend. "I said casual."
"This is the most casual thing I own," Maura defended herself as she reached for her jacket, noticing how the brunette was in skinny jeans and a t-shirt that hugged her figure.
"Of course it is," Jane rolled her eyes and held the front door open for the doctor. Even in casual wear Maura looked amazing. Jane never looked as put together as the blonde.
"So, where are we going?" Maura asked once Jane had started driving.
"Oh, I just thought we'd go for a walk along the river and then try that new sushi place that has opened down there. You mentioned it the other week and I checked out the menu, looks good." Jane gave a small shrug before she pressed some buttons on the car radio for music. "There's also that ice cream parlour there I thought we could go to afterwards."
"You mean that you can go to afterwards." Maura smirked, knowing her friend's eating habit. Jane just grinned back in response and continued to drive them.
The brunette found a parking space by the river before they got out and began a slow walk along the path. They fell into a comfortable silence as they just enjoyed the walk. It was rare that they just got to enjoy a walk. They were either on their way to a crime scene or to interrogate a suspect, rarely did they just walk.
"Oh, wait, this is supposed to be a date!" Jane suddenly grabbed Maura's hand and linked their arms together. "I'm supposed to be all romantic." Maura laughed at her friend and nudged her slightly with her shoulder. "Dates are romantic," the brunette protested with a smile. "Well, they are when it's with someone you like." She looked down at Maura and noticed how her eyes twinkled in the dark light. Sometimes Jane felt her breath catch at just how beautiful the doctor was. She often wondered how she had got to be so lucky that they were friends. Maura smiled softly and leaned into Jane's side as they continued their walk towards the sushi restaurant.
"Oh god, this is good," Jane commented between her mouthfuls of sushi. "Try it." She scooped up a salmon nigiri roll between her chopsticks and held it out to Maura who opened her mouth to let Jane feed her.
"That is good," the blonde agreed as she swallowed. "Thank you for bringing me here."
Jane gave a small shrug. "We'd have come here eventually anyway. You always somehow manage to convince me to try these places with you." She tilted her head slightly as she studied her friend with a smile. Maura smiled back as she realised just how right Jane was. Even if it was something that Jane wasn't interested in she would always accompany Maura to wherever she wanted to go. Of course Jane would complain about being there but she would listen to Maura intently whenever she explained something and she always looked like she had enjoyed herself by the end of the evening.
They ended up sharing the food that they had ordered, occasionally holding food out for the other to try while they talked about the events of the week, even though they spent most of their time together they never ran out of things to talk about.
Jane placed a hand on the small of Maura's back as they exited the sushi restaurant and began the short walk to the ice cream parlour. They both ordered three scoops and sat down at a table by the window. Jane tried to swirl Maura's ice cream when she wasn't paying attention which caused both women to laugh.
"I don't understand why you won't swirl it."
"And I don't understand why you do. My way means I get to taste each flavour."
"But the combination of the flavours is what makes it." Jane reached out her spoon again but Maura quickly pulled her ice cream away with a laugh. "Shall we go back to yours to watch a movie?" Jane suggested once they had both finished. "Your pick."
"Will you complain the whole time?" Maura asked as they left the ice cream parlor and began the walk to the car.
"No," Jane lied with a grin before she let out a small shiver. The air had become colder since they had been inside and she wrapped an arm around Maura to pull her close. Instantly the blonde wrapped an arm around Jane as well so their sides were pressed together. They walked together, enjoying the moment and to anyone looking, it looked exactly like they were on a date.
Forty minutes later they both sat side by side on Maura's sofa after having changed into sweats. Jane had a bottle of beer in her hand and Maura had a glass of wine. They had their feet propped up on the coffee table and one of Jane's hands rested on Maura's thigh. Maura was scrolling through the movies trying to decide on one that they would both enjoy while Jane just watched her quietly.
"So, have you decided who you would marry out of the three of us?" the brunette asked quietly.
Maura stopped her scrolling and turned her head to look at her friend. She had forgotten that they were technically on a date for her to decide which Rizzoli she would marry. "I know who I would marry out of the three of you, yes."
"Who did you decide?" Jane began to fidget with the label of her beer bottle as she waited for the answer.
"Who do you think I would marry?" Maura asked curiously.
Jane was quiet for a few moments as she pondered the question. "Frankie. He's the most level headed, he has a good heart. You're way out of Tommy's league and I'm just… well, I'm me." She gave a small shrug and dropped her gaze down to her lap.
"You shouldn't put yourself down so much." Maura took hold of Jane's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You're the Rizzoli I'd marry," she spoke softly.
"What?" Jane's head snapped up in shock. It had not been the answer she had expected. It was the answer that she had found herself hoping for but it was not the answer that she thought Maura would give. "Why?"
"As lovely as the dates were with your brothers, they were both trying to impress me. Your date was about the both of us enjoying time together. It was just us. It was comfortable. I enjoy spending time with you, Jane. We understand each other. We know each other."
"But, I didn't really try," the brunette protested weakly. It was true, she hadn't put much thought into their date, knowing she would never be able to live up to the dates Maura was used to.
"That's what made it perfect. It was us. This is us." She gestured to the two of them sitting on the sofa. "Sometimes I don't think you realise just how much you mean to me, Jane." Maura absently ran her thumb over Jane's knuckles as their hands still lay on her thigh. Jane was silent as she processed everything that Maura had said.
"You'd marry me, huh?" Jane finally asked. "You're sure about that?"
"Yes, Jane, even with all your quirks I'd still marry you."
"Good." Jane leaned forward to put her beer bottle down on the coffee table before she cupped the doctor's face and gently kissed her. Maura let out a surprised 'oh' as their lips connected before she let herself melt into the kiss. "Did my brothers kiss you good night?" Jane asked quietly once the need for air had become too much.
"No," Maura breathed, "only you."
"Good, I'd hate to have to punch one of them for kissing my future wife." Jane wrapped her arms around Maura's waist and pulled her onto her lap before she fused their lips together once more. The blonde let out a contented sigh and ran her hands through the dark curls, something she had wanted to do for a long time.
"Is this the end of our first date?" Maura asked as she rested her forehead against Jane's, her hands resting on the detective's shoulders.
"It never has to end," Jane whispered and ran her hands over Maura's back. Maura smiled and stood up from Jane's lap, holding her hands out to the brunette. She led them up the stairs and into her bedroom, the movie completely forgotten.
—
"Hmm, this smells good." Jane wrapped her arms around Maura's waist from behind and rested her chin on the blonde's shoulder as she watched her cook the next morning. She nuzzled her nose into Maura's neck and left a trail of kisses, earning her a content smile in return.
"There's fresh coffee too." Maura gestured to her coffee machine.
"I could get used to this." Jane slowly pulled back before she grabbed herself a mug from the cupboard to pour herself some coffee.
"Morning," Angela called brightly as she opened the door and walked into the kitchen. "Oh, that smells delicious, Maura," she commented as she reached for a mug and joined Jane at the coffee machine who just frowned at her mother.
"Why are you here so early?"
"What? I'm a busy woman," Angela teased her daughter before two more voices floated into the house and Frankie and Tommy appeared.
"Why are you two here?" Jane waved a hand at them before she sipped her coffee.
"We wanted to find out who Maura would pick but I guess we have our answer." Tommy's shoulder sagged a little as he took in the sight of Maura and Jane both in their pyjamas.
"Come on, it was never a contest." Frankie nudged his little brother. "Maura was always going to choose Jane."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jane frowned and put her cup down on the side. Maura chuckled quietly and reached for some plates.
"I mean we've all seen the two of you, no one stands a chance against you, Janie. You two just connect." Frankie gave a shrug. "Come on, Tommy, let's go get breakfast and leave these two alone." Tommy just gave a grumble as he followed his brother out of the house. Jane continued to frown in puzzlement and looked from Maura to Angela who both just smiled.
"They could have been more tactful in their way of getting the two of you together but at least it worked." Angela put her empty coffee cup into the dishwasher before she turned to leave. "Have a good day, girls."
"Did we get set up?" Jane asked in bewilderment. "By my brothers?"
"I think we did." Maura laughed and held a plate out towards the brunette.
"I can't believe it," Jane grumbled as they both sat down with their breakfast.
"We should thank them though." Maura reached a hand out and took hold of Jane's. "It did work."
"Yeah, we should." Jane let out a sigh and squeezed the blonde's hand before she gently pulled her closer to kiss her. "I could really get used to this."