A/N This story is rated M for a reason, this chapter being one of them.
This chapter contains depictions of consenting adults doing what consenting adults do when they feel like it, so if sexual content isn't your thing, please skip that part and move on.
Intersecting Lines Book 3
100 The Wrap Up
Los Angeles Malibu
Olivia's viewpoint
The weekend was coming to a close and had been great; everyone had stayed here yesterday and overnight, either lazing round the pool or accompanying Alex and the others when they went shopping.
We'd not really been able to really comfortably let them go out into LA on their own, given all that had happened, I knew we had to eventually accept that they'd be okay, but that was still some time off in the future. I know both Jane and Ana had struggled with not being there when Maura and Nat had taken a quick trip to Boston during the week; it was something we just had to work on getting used to though, no matter how much we didn't like it. Now though they'd headed home to get set for the coming week, leaving Al and I comfortably sprawled on lounges' downstairs after a last swim, overlooking the yard and the Pacific Ocean spread out beyond as the sun almost touched the water. It was a sight I still marvelled at, even after all this time.
"I forgot to mention I got a text from Casey" At Alex's voice I looked up and smiled.
"Cool, how is she?" Al smiled gently.
"She's fine, but I get she's kinda worried about us, so she's asked if it's okay if she comes on out the weekend after next?" I nodded, Casey was a good prosecutor and a better friend, she and Alex had worked really well together and Casey was one of the few things Al truly missed about New York.
"That'd be great; I'd like to see her and I know you would too" At my reply Al smiled happily.
"I'll let her know that it's all good"
"Like I was going to say no Angel" I got a gentle smile and a nod before she replied.
"I know, but we're a team, we do things and make decisions together" We exchanged fond smiles before a thought hit me…weekend after next…
"Oh god!" I exclaimed, getting a curious look from Alex.
"What?"
"That's Club Night weekend" Alex smiled and gave a one-shoulder shrug.
"That's not a problem; we'll get her dressed up and she can tag along with us, I mean Kate and Lauren did"
"That was little black dress night, not Club night, that's something completely different. Besides Aisling would take one look at Casey and lick her lips" I pointed out. The wicked smirk that crossed Alex's lips told me she liked that idea, even before she spoke.
"Yeah, that'd be fun to watch"
"Talk about throwing her in the deep end" I waved a finger at her. "You're cruel, you know that right?"
"Casey's a big girl and besides, she can handle herself, it'll do her good to broaden her horizons" She shrugged, unconcerned. "They're both red heads, I'm sure they'll find lots in common" I shook my head.
"Casey is about as far removed from Aisling as it's possible to get and still be the same gender"
"It'll do Casey good, make a new friend, I'm sure Aisling won't mind" Alex snarked.
"You do recall that Casey is straight right?" I reminded her, drawing a happy smile.
"Of course, that just makes it even more fun" At the look on my face she burst out laughing, making me wave a finger her way again.
"You're bad" Her laugh subsided into a wicked smile.
"And you like me just like that" I smiled, a little fondly.
"Guilty as charged Counsellor" Her smile turned a little hungry even as she levered herself up off the lounge and walked over to me. She tossed a long, shapely leg over the lounge and lowered herself into my lap, both of my knees automatically coming up to support her back as she settled, I looked up at her, smiling happily, the two of us here right now was pretty much perfect.
"Oh good, lets discuss sentencing then" The laughter was as obvious in her voice as the love in her eyes even as she lifted her hands behind her neck, untying the strings of her bikini and letting it fall away, to my obvious appreciation. Anything I was going to say was lost as she bent down and we kissed, long and deeply.
Los Angeles the Miracle Mile
Anastasia's viewpoint
We were lying on the couches in our living area, both of us happily relaxed and a little weary after a weekend of hanging out together. I get some people might not understand how we could all spend a weekend together less than two weeks after getting back from a couple of weeks living together back at the farm, but our relationship with the others, it wasn't a friendship, it was way more than that, more like family. Spending time together wasn't an issue; it was essential, not a burden but a blessing, one we all needed.
The only downside was that while we'd been joined at times by Andrea, Mikki and Amy and by Brenda and Sharon, we all felt the absence of Rick and Kate. They may be our 'weird' straight friends, but we loved them dearly and missed them terribly.
"Uh oh" I looked up at Nat's voice, looking over to where she was looking at her tablet.
"What's up?" She looked up at me.
"You spoke to Lauren when everything happened right?" I nodded, her sister had been the first person I'd called, given Peter and Christie had been in Africa at the time.
"Yeah, called her when you were gone, and again when we got you back, why?"
"She found out we were all at the farm, apparently she's been talking to mom and well…she's pissed that we didn't tell her" I nodded.
"Let me guess, she would have come out?"
"In a heartbeat apparently, she's not very happy with either of us right now" I nodded, already trying to work out how to soothe Lauren's ruffled feathers. A sudden thought made me smile.
"I bet you she's just pissed that she didn't get to hang out with Kate some more" We exchanged a smile, Lauren's affection, well drooling lust if we were being completely honest, for Kate was a little private joke between us, even if it was completely understandable. Nat nodded.
"Yeah, probably a good thing she wasn't there, that may have got a little awkward" I snorted out loud at her massive understatement.
"Only a little?"
"Okay, a lot" She smiled for a second before looking over at me.
"What do we do to make Lauren happy though?" I thought about it.
"Get Kate to sleep with her?" I suggested facetiously, suddenly finding myself on the receiving end of a filthy look from Nat, making me hold up my hands to ward her off. "Kidding, honest. Maybe we could go and visit her in DC?" Nat nodded at that.
"Maybe, I mean we gave her a bad scare and I guess she just wants to see we're both okay. Yeah, we should go see her soon" I smiled.
"That sounds like a plan to me" I got a happy smile and nod.
"I'll let her know we'll visit as soon as we can get a weekend away" I nodded again, already looking forward to it, before something occurred to me.
"Are we going to be staying at her place?" Nat looked my way and nodded, obviously puzzled.
"I guess so, why?" I nodded, my mind turning to other matters.
"Oh, it's just that she's in a one bedroom place, so we'll be sleeping with her" Nat looked at me, puzzled.
"So, it'll be like Christmas at home" I looked over at her.
"It means no fun stuff that night" Her mouth opened then closed abruptly.
"Oh yeah" She thought about it. "I suppose we could stay at a hotel, Lauren wouldn't like it though"
"Or we could take care of all that before we head out there" I saw the slow smile spread.
"Excellent idea Tsarina, maybe we should look into that" I smiled at her words and the tone behind them.
"Soon"
"Very soon" she said as her smile widened and she rose from the couch. "In fact, no time like the present" I levered myself up as well.
"Blondie, I like the way you think" She reached out and took my hand, favouring me with an absolutely sinful smile then led me to the bedroom.
New York City Lennox Hill
Kate's viewpoint
I'd been on call this weekend, given I'd been absent for weeks in LA and then on the farm I couldn't really complain about it. We'd had two bodies already drop but neither was anything special, one was a drug dealer dead from a drive by, probably a squabble over turf, the other a domestic dispute turned violent, open and shut really. This time though, the third call out, was something very different. I'd been in the precinct, writing up the domestic violence killing report when the call had come through, summoning me down to an apartment complex on East 69th.
Now I looked around the bedroom, touching nothing as I took it all in. The victim, an attractive single brunette woman in her thirties, had been killed in her own upscale apartment, her body horribly mutilated by her killer. Her legs had been amputated and casually tossed off to one side, her arms were splayed out, like the hands of a clock, with the left arm amputated at the elbow to make a shorter 'hour hand' while a range of items from throughout the house had been used to set up the hours of a clock face around where she had been placed in the centre of her queen-sized and now blood-soaked bed.
The arms had been placed to point at what looked like 11.45, making me frown, what was so important about that time? I turned to our M.E., Laney Parish, who was making notes on her tablet.
"Laney…" She looked my way with a raised eyebrow. "11.45 wouldn't tie in to time of death would it?" She shook her head.
"Nope, based on lividity and rigor, the vic was killed early this morning, sometime between 3 and 5 am I'd guess" I mentally noted that, remembering Maura's aversion to guessing, even as Laney qualified that. "Of course I can't confirm that until I get the vic back to the lab" I nodded at that, that was just like Maura and Laney was nothing if not meticulous; I looked out to the living room where Espo and Ryan were talking to the victim's sister, watched over by a EMT. She'd come over for a morning run and breakfast with her sister, when no one had answered her knock, she'd used her own key to get in and found the vic, her screams had alarmed the neighbours who'd come running, then called 911.
I was about to say something when I saw movement at the door, Castle giving his name to the cop checking people in and out of the crime scene. He nodded to the cop then carefully entered, carrying two take out cups of coffee with him. He looked round, taking in everything before he saw me and headed my way. He nodded to Laney.
"Morning Laney" She looked up from her tablet and nodded back.
"Morning Castle" He walked over and handed me one of the cups, I knew it'd be made just the way I liked, something my first sip confirmed.
"Beckett" He turned to look over the scene and winced, though I didn't miss how his eyes were rapidly moving over everything, pausing for a moment on the discarded legs before moving back to the bed and its gruesome 'clock'
"Well that's…different" He looked back to me and I could see the curiosity in his eyes. "What do we have?" He'd come so far since those first days working together, I suppressed a smile; this wasn't really a smiling matter, seeing him do the same before I started to fill him in on what we knew.
It was just another normal, horrible, day at the office, but having him there made it a little more bearable.
Los Angeles Silver Lake
Brenda's viewpoint
I carefully stood to one side of Sharon, she was sitting in one of our high backed chairs, nude, her hands securely held behind her back in our fur-lined cuffs, her hair in a braid down her back and her ankles carefully tied to the legs of the chair, keeping her securely seated. I'd tied her there, blindfolded, then walked away loudly, heels clicking on the parquetry flooring, returning in bare feet so she didn't know I was close, keeping my breathing quiet so she had no idea I was standing right behind her left shoulder, a glass full of ice cubes in my hand as I waited; as I knew it would the waiting got to her.
"I know your there Brenda" I smiled but said nothing. "Brenda…?" She became a little more agitated, calling out for me; the loss of her vision driving her to rely on her other senses even as I waited, heightening the tension. Finally I decided to put her out of her misery, carefully retrieving one of the ice cubes.
"Brendaaaaahhhh!" The sudden application of the ice to her nipple was enough of a shock to draw a little scream out of her. She had grown used to so little stimulation that the sudden application of overstimulation must have felt like an electric shock. I smiled carefully and moved quietly around, bending over to take the abused nipple into my warm mouth, feeling it's chill through my tongue, even as I applied the ice to its twin. "Oh god, ohhhh gooddd"
I smiled to myself but said nothing, instead slowly running the ice cube along her skin, up her chest and throat, before applying it like lipstick to her lips, seeing them part and her head follow me as she tried to take it into her mouth. I let her lick and suck at it for a second before pulling it away, slowly trailing it over her heated flesh, down to her breasts, circling both nipples but not touching them, even as her body arced for my touch, before slowly moving lower, I could tell by her sudden hitch in her breath as she realised what I was going to do, or what she thought I would, anyway.
"Oh god Brenda…" She squirmed as I circled her belly button with the cube before delving lower; tying her ankles to the chairs legs had the planned benefit of preventing her from being able to close her thighs completely. I could hear the low moan that escaped her as I drew the cube lower and lower, her body unconsciously arcing in the chair as I did, making me lean in, breathing softly into her ear.
"You know where it's going Sharon, and there's not a thing you can do to stop it, is there?" Her lower lip was caught between her teeth as she shook her head a little, her attention focussed on the hyper-stimulation from the ice. I smiled and stepped back, then moved round, dropping to my knees in front of her I placed the glass of ice safely to one side then pushed her knees apart, the better to see my destination, smiling to see she was already desperate for my touch, the signs of arousal unmistakable.
Carefully I brought the ice lower down her belly, even as Sharon started to writhe unconsciously, making me smile even more, before I moved the ice down to her clit, turning aside at the last moment to tease her.
"Honey, please…" Her pleas made me smile a little wider, before drawing a hiss from her as I drew the ice across her lips; she shifted in the chair, caught between sensation and pain, before I moved the ice up and settled it over her clit. "Oh god!" Her hips jerked involuntarily as I moved the ice back and forward over her clit, alternating between overstimulation and relief, before I removed the now partly melted ice.
Her breathing was loud and harsh in the quiet room, even as I grabbed a fresh piece of ice from the glass, carefully moving it closer, before slowly but firmly pushing it inside her pussy.
Her response was part-scream, part-moan, her hips rocketing off the seat as I pushed it deep inside, devolving into a babbling, incoherent noise as she writhed, even as I applied my mouth to her nipples, driving her closer to a massive orgasm, Sharon was so responsive, she was a treasure, one I'd never, ever take for granted.
Now though I had her at my mercy and set about making the most of it, we'd not had the chance to do this for weeks and now I had a lot of catching up to do, something I set to with gusto, being appropriately rewarded for my efforts with her breathy moans.
"Oh yes…Brenda…please…"
I knew I'd pay for this, next time it'd be me on the receiving end and a Sharon out for payback was nothing if not wickedly inventive, a thought that filled me with trepidation, anticipation and excitement in equal measure.
I smiled to myself at the thought and redoubled my efforts.
Los Angeles Westwood
Jane's viewpoint
We were sitting in the lounge room at home, a few of the lights were on but the room was slightly dim as we just rested, Jo was asleep on the couch between us as we enjoyed a drink and some quiet time.
I placed my beer on the low table in front of me and sighed.
"It's good to be home" At that Maura nodded slowly.
"That it certainly is" she said as she sipped her wine before placing it on the table. "I thoroughly enjoyed this weekend though" I nodded, it had been good to chill out with everyone, especially as both Maura and Nat had been in Boston for two days earlier in the week, getting things sorted out there. Our home was LA now, Boston would always be where we grew up but here was our home now, with our friends. Ma had been overjoyed to see them both, embraced them like her long-lost daughters, naturally she'd grumbled that I wasn't there with them and then proceeded to stuff them full of her cooking, telling them all the while they needed 'some meat on your bones, you're both too skinny'.
Maura had been happy to see all her former colleagues and the opportunity to get them out from under that idiot Pike's inept control had been particularly appreciated. She'd tried to break the news as politely as possible but he'd started to get angry, telling her she had no authority to have him fired, right up till Maura had dropped the signed letter from the Governor informing him that his services were terminated, effective immediately. He'd started to get agitated, his voice rising, until two staff members had intervened and explained that he was being asked to leave, immediately. When he'd truculently demanded to know what they'd do if he didn't they'd pointed towards the large security guard standing by the door watching like a hawk, telling him that if he didn't leave voluntarily, he'd leave involuntarily, but either way he was leaving. He'd left, in a huff, but he'd left.
We sat there for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet and just being together, before Maura nodded across at the dining room table, now partially covered by a large collection of neatly-stacked envelopes.
"I'm pleased with the work done on the invitations, Florence and her team have done an exceptional job"
I nodded, they sure had, each invitation hand-written in beautiful copperplate, something that was a joy to read, unlike the chicken scratching's that now passed for my attempts to write legibly. My handwriting had never been anything to write home about to begin with and after years of mostly using a computer, or scribbling hurried notes in a small notebook, well it was as bad as any doctor's scrawl now.
"Yeah, they look good, real good" I chuckled as a thought came to me. "I'd like to be a fly on the wall when some of them get opened, Ma's especially" Maura smiled as she replied.
"I have arranged for them all to be delivered by courier simultaneously, it will be fascinating to see who responds first" I returned her smile.
"My money's on Sharon and Brenda, after all I work with Brenda" Maura tipped her head to regard me.
"I would not be so certain Jane; after all it is Angela we are talking about. I am certain she will be on the phone to either you, or possibly me, the first possible instant after opening the letter" I thought about that then nodded slowly.
"Oh yeah"
"With the invitations done and dispatched, there remain a significant number of other things to finalise in the next few months" At her comment I raised an eyebrow.
"Oh. Like…?" Maura smiled indulgently at me, knowing I was teasing her.
"Of course, the wedding dresses, well dress really given you will be wearing a suit, plus the dresses for Alex and Natalie and the suits for Olivia and Anastasia. Then there are the flowers, the cake, decorations, table settings, the music, the order of service, the order of ceremony and reception, the celebrant…" I butted in.
"I wonder if the Judge travels…" Maura let a frown cross her face for a second then smiled happily.
"That would be wonderful, regrettably however I do not think he is allowed to officiate outside Wyoming" she sighed "Unfortunate really" I nodded.
"Yeah, he'd be good" Maura smiled, took up her glass and sipped it for a moment, then replacing it and continuing.
"We have to consider the bouquet, the caterers and their menus; do we have a formal wedding banquet dinner or something more informal? Then there are the bachelor and bachelorette parties, where will they be and what will be the entertainment?" She shook her head at me. "So many things to do and so little time Jane, only six months" I tried to reassure her that she was stressing out.
"That's plenty of time Maura" She shook her head at me.
"No it most assuredly is not" She chewed her lip for a moment. "Perhaps we should consider hiring a wedding planner?" I sat back and retrieved my beer, kinda amused by this mini melt down, to Maura's obvious dismay. "Jane, you obviously do not appreciate just how much there is to do, we have so much to plan" I shook my head.
"No" At my interruption she frowned, then asked.
"What exactly do you mean by no?"
"No" I smiled. "The only thing I want to talk about tonight is where we're going for our honeymoon"
"Oh" She paused then rallied. "Well do you have a preference?" I nodded happily.
"Somewhere hot, so you're not wearing much" She nodded as I continued. "Somewhere near the water so when you are wearing something it's a bikini" At that she started to smile, obviously she liked where I was going with this. "And finally somewhere very, very private, so you won't have to wear that bikini all that much" Her smile widened as she glanced at me from the corner of her eye.
"That is quite a specific list of criteria you have there Jane" I nodded.
"Yep, and did I tell you private, because it has to be very private" She nodded, playing along with me.
"Naturally that is important" I nodded.
"Not just us but for our neighbours; it has to be private so we don't have to worry about anyone complaining about your screams for four weeks" The look on her face was sheer shock.
"Four weeks?" I nodded slowly, letting a smile out.
"Yep, I figure after the last few years we need plenty of time to ourselves so four weeks it is" Maura was obviously still dealing with the thought of the two of us, not wearing much of all for four weeks.
"But Jane…four weeks?" My smile turning into a grin, Maura was such a conscientious workaholic that she had probably been thinking of only two at most.
"Yep, I want you to come back from it totally…utterly… exhausted" She sat back and regarded me for a while, then let a sly smile out.
"That sounds like the most important part of the planning process, we should give that all due consideration"
"And plenty of practice" He smile widened.
"Practice is important too" I put my beer down and stretched.
"Perhaps we should start soon" She looked at me and smiled with a gleam in her eye.
"How soon are you thinking of?" I stood and held my hand out to her.
"No time like the present" She nodded once and reached for my hand and I helped her up as she spoke, an undertone of arousal in her voice, that sound already setting my nerves tingling.
"I do believe the saying is practice makes perfect" I happily grinned at her before leaning in for a kiss, the response I got set my body alight, even after all this time I hungered for her, deep down I knew I always would.
I stepped back and smiled down at her, seeing the same love in her eyes that I knew she saw in mine as I spoke.
"I think you're pretty near perfect right now, but practice doesn't hurt, does it?" She smiled slyly and nodded as she replied.
"Not at all"
With that I led her towards the bedroom and the rest of our lives together.
A/N Hi everyone, thank you for staying with me through to the end of this ongoing story of Jane and Maura's lives together.
So with this traumatic chapter past them where too now what's next for them and their friends and family?
There will be a Book 4, after all they have a wedding to plan, guests to invite and crimes to solve on the way. There will also be more 'Possession and Passion' and 'Drabbles' chapters and possibly one or two side bar stories on the way.
Thanks for sticking with me so far and I hope you will stay with me as we bring this long and involved story to a hopefully satisfactory conclusion.
Mike