A/N: here we are guys. This is a little fluff with some loose ends being tied up in the mix. I'm so thankful for all of the reviews and kind words. You guys are an amazing group of people! Kudos to you and thank you for the inspiration. If you have a second, let me know what you think.
Approaching Maura's bedroom door with a glass of water and some pills, Angela Rizzoli shifted her cargo and wiped her hand on the apron she had found in Dr. Isles' kitchen before knocking lightly. She was still unsure about all of the details of what her two girls had been through and wasn't entirely sure she was ready to know but one thing she knew for certain; she wasn't ready to let her baby girl out of her sight for quite some time. Without a response, she quietly pushed the door open to take a peak. What she found left her speechless. Maura and Jane were tangled lovingly together with obvious care to the doctor's injured left leg. Angela couldn't seem to look away from Jane who was laid across her petite friend, her forehead smooth for once and peaceful in countenance, her bare arm draped possessively across the doctor's stomach. Angela had suspected there was more to their relationship than strictly friendship but Jane had always managed to evade her mother's probing and meddling. Padding softly over to the bed, she placed the medication and water on the doctor's side table and snapped the lamp off before once in her life quietly exiting the room with a large grin on her face. This was going to be fun.
Jane drifted into wakefulness with a stretch and a contented sigh, inhaling the scent that she would know anywhere with a smile. Her lips sought warm skin too close to be ignored, her tongue taking the slightest of tastes before she cracked her eyes open and leaned back a little to watch her love sleep. The look on the medical examiner's face was not the expected peaceful bliss but one of pain; her eyes rolling rapidly behind closed lids. Alarm flooded through the detective and she wondered briefly if she should wake the doctor before soft moans and trembling limbs made the decision for her. "Maur…Maura sweetie, wake up." Her voice was low and cracked from lack of use as she gently combed her fingers through silky tousled curls and joined their lips in a soft kiss. "Shhhh. Come on, it's okay. I've got you, baby. Wake up." Finally, hazel green eyes snapped open and Maura startled in Jane's embrace before calming at the sight, small hands pulling the detective closer and kissing her fiercely.
Breaking apart for air, her heart still racing the doctor blinked rapidly trying to banish the remnants of her nightmare from her mind while her fingers breached soft cotton and brushed along the expanse of Jane's back in an urgent need for skin and warmth. "Jane." Relief and fear laced into one syllable. "I… I'm sorry. It was…" she lowered her eyes. "It was a nightmare. I…" Now she blinked to prevent inevitable tears before she found a warm brown gaze, her voice quiet and breaking as she traced the smooth muscles at her disposal, memorizing the feel and silently naming each striation in her mind in an effort to calm the dread still pulling at the seams of her well being. "I couldn't get to you in time and she had… she had killed you… like she had Sean. There was so much blood and I couldn't stop her."
Hearing enough, Jane carefully rolled onto her back pulling the woman in her arms with her until Maura was draped comfortably on top of her along her left side, pillow still firmly protecting her bandaged calf. She smiled slightly as she felt the doctor's nose nuzzle into the crook of her neck and warm breath settle over her skin like a blanket. She continued to rake her fingers soothingly through soft fragrant hair as she murmured quietly. "Shhhh. It's okay. It didn't happen. I'm here. She's in lockup and is going to pay for what she did." She couldn't keep the anger out of her voice, her arms tightening around the medical examiner.
Maura allowed herself to drift in the comfort of their entanglement, getting her breathing under control while her hand found its way under the cotton tank top to the slightly raised scar that marred an otherwise perfect abdomen. Deft fingers traced the length with a reverent touch, a physical reminder that her detective was here… with her. Finally with her. They had already been through SO much and survived; they would get through this and heal again; stronger together than they were before.
An intense feeling of gratitude seized her heart and mind and she was incredibly thankful that they hadn't waited any longer to express their feelings, they couldn't risk another day. Jane's job was obviously dangerous; a conclusion easily gleaned from the multiple scars that marked her body. Now, in light of recent events, it appeared that the doctor's unwanted connection to Boston's seedy underworld might prove equally as hazardous. At the risk of sounding like a cliché, she didn't want to waste any more time. Lifting up onto her forearms, she dragged her body carefully up her detective's long lean form until she could look down into curious brown eyes. Smiling she shifted most of her weight to her left, combing unruly curls away from smooth olive skin with her right. She could feel the sting of tears and the lump in her throat when strong hands slid under her t-shirt and grasped her waist, long fingers holding her close while calloused thumbs swiped back and forth. This woman was everything to her and she had never felt anything so consuming and so comforting all at once. Jane was her home and always would be. Smiling brightly, the doctor didn't miss the unspoken question on the detective's face so she answered the best way she knew how, her voice a hoarse whisper. "I love you, Jane. So much. For so long." Their lips found each other in a kiss that was languid in its beginning, a slow exploration of sliding tongues and taste as it built in passion without much effort. Maura pulled away, a sloppy smile on her face as she looked into sparkling dark chocolate eyes, her finger scraping across an exposed collar bone. "Mmmm. You are so good at that…"
Closing the distance again, the detective smiled into the kiss as she deepened it, her hands skimming up milky skin to tease the sides of the doctor's breasts that were pressed between them, her stomach twisting into a knot at the resulting moans. She knew they couldn't go too far with Maura sporting twenty-six stitches in her left leg not to mention her own second concussion but she'd be damned if she wouldn't push the envelope a little. She couldn't respectfully call herself a Rizzoli if she didn't try. Breathing in when the kiss ended, she looked up into dark hazel eyes, a smirk playing at her lips, her newly extracted hands tucking honey brown locks out of the way. "You can thank Marco Francetti for that." She waggled her brows for show. "We used to practice kissing behind the gym. Mmmmm. Quite the kisser that Marco." The pinch to her side was immediate and she wound her arms around the doctor preventing her from moving away, the resulting chuckle quickly dying and her raspy voice growing serious as she held the doctor's gaze, waiting for movement to cease before she spoke. "I love you too, Maura. I don't want to ever be without you. Never again. I'll do everything I can to keep us together and safe." Her grin was megawatt as she memorized the constellation of light freckles on flawless skin, not missing the pooling of tears in her love's eyes.
The clearing of a distinctive coarse voice at the door startled them both breaking the mood; dark brown eyes growing wide as they took in equally panicked hazel green, each so caught up in the moment that the elder Rizzoli had been forgotten. Jane's voice was a low whisper, gaze never wavering. "Maybe if we don't move, she'll go away?" Nevertheless, she didn't remove her arms that were holding Maura in place and keeping her from rolling away and disappearing under the covers in a mortified ball. The doctor wasn't typically the kind to shy away in any sexual situation but this was Jane's mother… a woman that she had developed a very close bond with in light of the detective's alleged death; a woman that was more of a mother to her than her own emotionally distant one. AND they hadn't exactly had the chance to discuss the new development in their relationship status. GOD! Closing her eyes, she buried her face in Jane's neck and took comfort when strong arms squeezed her closer.
Loud voice raspy and somewhat insulted, "What? You think I didn't know? I told you before that I would make a great detective. I always know what's gonna happen in the murder mysteries I read and you two are a lot less complicated than those... I mean, give me a break." Angela busied about the room picking up her daughter's shoes and discarded hoodie before facing the two girls, full hands on hips and a smirk that looked suspiciously like the detective's. She was SO enjoying this. She quirked a brow at the fact that Dr. Isles had managed to shift to Jane's side silently even though she was still held close by a long ropy arm and her skilled fingers rested lightly atop the comforter over Jane's stomach. The elder Rizzoli's grin grew as she first focused on Maura. "Come on…the way she went on and on about you the few times you weren't at family dinners…" Her hands got involved, waving about. "Not to mention the way you two look at each other all the time and well, you really can't keep your hands to yourself for more than five minutes… touching here…touching there." Her countenance softened at the flush visible on the medical examiner's face and her voice cracked as she turned to Jane, her face growing dark. "You didn't see her when we thought you were dead. I was…" Tears stung her eyes at the memory. "We were all so worried about her… not eating and pulling away… It was terrible."
Jane pulled Maura closer instinctively and placed a soft kiss to her temple not really caring that her mother was standing at the foot of the bed. In that moment, all that mattered was Maura and she couldn't care less who was watching.
An accusatory finger pointed in the detective's direction below a slight glare. "You should be ashamed of yourself Jane Rizzoli, for putting her through that! You just about killed her!" Angela was on a roll. "We all suffered so much..." Tears fell as she took in the sight before her; Maura's posture stiffening at her careless words and hazel green eyes blazing. Damn. She needed to make this right. Taking a deep breath to center herself, she swiped at her tear streaked cheeks. "Anyways, that's all water under the bridge now right?" Her smile widened, a ping pong of emotions that would give an unaccustomed observer whiplash as she continued to busy about the spacious room. "You've found each other and figured things out and…" Her brows scrunched together. "It's not exactly the way I thought things would go but…you're so happy, baby." Her eyes found deep brown as a shaky hand rested over her heart. "That's all I ever wanted. And she's a doctor. Carla Tallucci is going to eat her heart out over that one and I just might supply the rusty spoon for the old hag. All her son Anthony could get was that big haired floozy that works in the tanning salon at the mall. The way she talks it, you'd think she was the next Miss America or somethin." Again, Angela bustled about picking things up before disappearing into the en suite bathroom, mumbling to herself as she went.
Watching her mother retreat, Jane focused on the woman in her arms, placing a light kiss to her lips and pulling her closer. "Maur. I'm so SO sorry for hurting you. If I could undo…" Swift fingers across her mouth stopped her speech and she found herself looking into very determined eyes.
"Jane, we both know that you didn't have any say in the various events that led us all to believe that you were dead." No matter how hard the doctor wanted to appear strong, she couldn't repress the shiver that shook her petite form as she flashed back to the exact moment when Frost had delivered the news. Swallowing hard, she swiped her hand across her forehead, a nervous habit to regain her composure. Finding dark eyes, her hands cupped an angular jaw to emphasize her point. "I don't blame you… for any of this." Her smile grew as she placed a gentle kiss to her tense detective, licking along the length of a stubborn bottom lip. "But I will be forever grateful that it brought us together."
Jane's answering smile was wide and for a moment, they forgot that they weren't alone again, their kisses sweeter with each passing minute. "Am I goin' to have to separate you two? No foolin' around while Maura has all of those stitches, Jane. Didn't I raise you any better than that? Jeez. You are actin' like a hormonal teenager. " Dark eyes crossed and a pink tongue stuck out behind Angela's back earning a slight chuckle and a swat to the detective's exposed shoulder as Maura put a little distance between them, wincing audibly when her bandaged calf dropped onto the mattress.
Jane's concern was immediate as she threw the cover off and gently lifted the doctor's leg while carefully placing the pillow underneath before tucking the duvet back around a slim waist. Deep chocolate eyes found thankful hazel green and their gaze held, a goofy smile forming on the detective's lips. "Come on, Maur. Let me know when you want to move and I'll help you. Okay? We've been over this."
Putting clothes away in the top drawer of an expensive armoire, the elder Rizzoli turned back to her two girls, hands on hips before gesturing to her daughter. "Janie, give Maura her pain pills. I brought them up earlier but you were both…um, asleep..." Furrowing her brows, she pursed her lips. "Why are you on opposite sides of the bed?" A knock on the outside door frame caused all three women to jump before Angela cut in, her hands flying in the air frenetic in motion. "Ooh. I almost forgot. Vince and Barry are here to see you. I told them to give me a minute before coming up."
"Oh my god Ma!" Yanking the covers up to both of their necks Jane glared daggers at her mother, her voice a dangerous growl. "MA! Maura isn't wearing pants. Wait. Neither am I, Ma. You can't let…"
Korsak's voice boomed over her own. "Hey, Janie…Doc. Look what the cat dragged in." Turning, he held the door open for Frost who was doing his best to maneuver on crutches, oblivious to the dirty looks exchanged between mother and daughter, his smile bright at seeing his partner and favorite medical examiner. Vince, however, was not so unaware and decided to play on the younger woman's discomfort taking a seat on the edge of the bed closest to her. His grin was sugary sweet as he reached out and put a hand on her leg through the layers of linens, shaking it back and forth slightly with a devilish look on his face. He batted his lashes for full effect. "So, Janie…how are you and the Doc doing?"
Maura started to answer but Jane quickly placed a scarred hand over her mouth, her glare never leaving the gloating man. "No. Nooo." Dark curls shook as deep chocolate eyes narrowed. "Just. No. No way. We are SO not doing this here in the bedroom so you two can put your little fantasies together for years to come." Waving the hand between them that wasn't restricting her girlfriend's speech; she added a spectacular glare for everyone involved. "GO! All of you. We'll meet you downstairs." Her eyes found the innocent looking caramel brown of Frost, her finger pointing to the hobbled man in a menacing way. "And you. Leave your phone on the dresser. No pictures wonder boy. I'm not falling for this 'aw shucks' I'm injured routine." Narrowed eyes flickered between the three who still lingered. "What are you waiting for? GO! Nooow. Um, please. We'll be down in a minute." Thankfully, they took the not so subtle hint and shuffled out of the room, the heavy door shutting behind them with a dull click.
Jane's head thumped against the headboard as her hand fell from the doctor's mouth, turning to find hazel green watching her expectantly. "Do you feel like going downstairs?" Long fingers stroked through honey brown locks as she studied the tired look on the medical examiner's face with obvious worry. A small hand came up to thread their fingers together, the tangle landing in Maura's lap briefly, her smile wan but sincere as she watched the detective exit the comfort of their bed and slip on a worn pair of sweat pants.
"I'm okay, Jane." Noting the dubious look, she clarified. "I'm hurting. A great deal but I would enjoy getting to spend time with our friends after all they've done for us. Will you help me down the stairs? You know I'm terribly uncoordinated on these crutches." Well-manicured brows furrowed as she thought about her state of undress. "I don't have anything to put on that won't…" She hissed in a quick breath as she manipulated her bandaged leg over the side of the bed.
Jane was at her side in an instant replacing the doctor's hands with her own as she lowered a delicate foot to the floor. "Hey." Dipping her head she caught hazel green eyes as she cupped Maura's jaw. "Will you please take it easy and let me help you Doctor I-can-do-it-myself? And you say I'm the stubborn one." Smiling, she lovingly draped pale wrists around her neck as her arms reached around a slender waist and gently lifted them into a standing position. "Are you okay here?" A mischievous smile crossed her face and she tried to hide it. "I think I have something that you can wear."
Manicured brows furrowed again as Maura watched the lanky detective cross to the bottom drawer of her armoire where she kept spare clothes for sleep overs and impromptu runs. Spying the offering, her thin nose wrinkled and a small whine passed her lips. "Jaaane. Those don't even match this shirt." Hearty laughter filled the room as the detective knelt at the medical examiner's feet, helping her into the Celtics green basketball shorts that grazed skinned knees on the petite woman but were loose enough not to exacerbate either of her bandages. Looking down with general and undisguised distaste, Maura frowned. "I look ridiculous, Jane."
Standing to her full height, long fingers plucked at the edge of the grey BPD t-shirt that was stuck in the elastic waist band, Jane's smile growing. "You look pretty damn hot if you ask me." Waggling her brows for emphasis, she placed a chaste kiss on the tip of the doctor's nose while gathering the cool aluminum of the crutches in her left hand. "You look cute. Trust me."
Dark brows knitted together as Jane watched Maura prop herself up and take a few tentative steps, the pain evident on her face before finally waving her hands in the air to accentuate her displeasure, arms crossed her chest, an angular clenched jaw shaking back and forth. "No. Uh uh. I don't like this, Maur. I'm not sure you need to be out of bed. I'm gonna go tell them that we'll have to do this another time." Turning to leave, the detective was stopped by a quick grip on her wrist.
"Jane." Sweet. Loving. Patient. When worried eyes locked onto hazel green, the doctor pulled her closer and kissed her lips. "I'm just stiff from lack of movement. I just took my pain meds so it will get better." A dark look passed over the medical examiner's face. "Although… they tend to make me drowsy. Please don't let me fall asleep at the dinner table. That would be incredibly rude… not to mention a direct affront to Angela's cooking." She smiled as dark eyes rolled and a familiar smirk took up residence on her detective's face.
They both stood at the top of the stairs eyeing the flight as if it were the most treacherous black diamond slope, moguls included and they were blue level skiers. Jane worried her bottom lip before forming a plan. "Okay. I've got this." Reaching for the crutches, she hunched down a bit ignoring the flare in her side and guided Maura's arm over her shoulder as her own wrapped protectively around the doctor's waist. "We'll do this like a three legged race." Noting the look of utter incomprehension, she smiled. "Step with your right leg and when it comes time to move with your left, I'll bare your weight. Get it? It's like between the two of us, we have three legs?" Still. Nothing. "Okay. Nevermind. Just let me carry the load on your left step okay? I'll be like your own personal crutch."
After much effort the two made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen where Frost and Korsak were drinking beers at the kitchen island while Angela busied about finishing up with dinner. "Okay, you two. Help me set the table. Well… maybe not you Barry. You might drop something and God knows Doctor Isles' china is probably worth more than my house." Jane couldn't help her laughter, tossing the now stripped of all photos and video phone to her partner. She lowered Maura into a seat in the dining room and grabbed her own beer, helping her mother move things to the spacious reclaimed wood table before taking her seat next to the doctor, their fingers twining together before resting lightly atop the doctor's thigh.
Dinner was a comfortable and light hearted mixture of catching up and telling stories, the good natured ribbing that takes place among really close friends. Plates cleared and food put away, the group settled into the spacious den, the doctor on the sofa with her outstretched legs supported by Jane's lap and a pillow, a tan scarred hand resting lightly atop her knee. Frost and Korsak took the overstuffed chairs opposite and Angela decided to call it a night, retreating to the guest bedroom on the other side of the dining room with Maura's reassurance that she would take over the duty of waking the patient at precise intervals.
Hating to break the mood, Korsak scrubbed his goatee and caught Jane's gaze, his blue eyes darting toward the doctor before settling again on his former partner. "Um. I don't know any other way to say this other than to come right out with it. Linda Rhodes is dead. She died in lockup… shiv to the heart."
Maura's gasp was immediate as she moved to stand, throwing her legs onto the floor without thinking, the radiating pain dulled by the horror that her biological father was no doubt behind yet another killing in her name; dulled but none the less excruciating. "Oh… GOD!" Her knees buckled and Jane was there to catch her, gently lowering her back onto the sofa, eyes wide with concern as long fingers combed through her hair and dark eyes searched her face. Again it was as if they were the only two people in the house…the world even. Blinking back against the sting of tears, the doctor dug down deep in her resolve. She needed answers. Smiling tiredly, her fingers found the soft, smooth skin at the nape of Jane's neck, tracing lightly over a knobby bone…C6 or C7… her eyes silently speaking. I can do this. She noticed that Korsak and Frost were on their feet, distress clear in their posture and she smiled for them, doing her best to defuse the situation. "I'm okay. Please. Sit… Really." After a moment, Frost complied but Vince left the room before returning with a manila envelope in his hands, his face somber as he sunk into the plush upholstery.
Again, blue eyes darted to his former partner as Korsak decided how best to share newly acquired information. With Jane, it was always balls to the wall and straight up, no beating around the bush but this inadvertently involved Maura and that fact produced an unpredictable response. Clearing his throat, he passed the file over to the two women, eyes flicking to Frost who returned the glance, leaning forward in his chair with his hands resting over his thighs.
Jane's brows furrowed as she poured over the reports and pictures, her quick mind connecting dots that most would take days to find. There had been another mob assassination the previous evening when she and Maura had both been hospitalized. She chewed on the corner of her thumb, worry gnawing in the pit of her stomach as she flipped through some pictures that had been taken by a bank camera in the vicinity of the crime. It was grainy and the man clearly knew that it was there; his face obscured in shadow. It was the rest of the photo that stole her breath and made her heart rate spike. His right hand was held up in clear view of the lens, a black circle drawn in the palm; a match to her own scars. Dark curls shook as her eyes traveled over the file again, passing some sheets to the doctor who leaned heavily against her and was reading over her shoulder. "This makes no sense, Korsak. If Linda was 'the German' then who is this man and how is the bomb signature identical to the one from my apartment?" She didn't want to know what her brain was telling her... it was so much easier not to know. Anger erupted from within and she steadied Maura against the cushions before shooting to her feet, her blood pressure doubling with the stitch in her side. A scarred hand found its way to rest above her injured ribs as the other pointed furiously at her former partner. "IS SHE in danger, Vince? Why the fuck didn't you say anything before now?" She couldn't seem to help her raised voice.
Cool fingers against the back of her knee gave her pause. "Jane." Reassuring. Asking for patience. "Please sit. I'm sure there is more to this and Vince has something to add." When fiery dark eyes met hazel green, Maura didn't miss the flared nostrils or the flush in olive skin; the rapid rise and fall of the detective's chest, the intensity of her stare. The doctor's heart clenched as she witnessed the overprotective, overbearing Jane Rizzoli that she had fallen in love with and her demure smile widened slightly. "Please."
Shit. Taking a second to think, Jane rolled her eyes and took her place on the sofa next to Maura, her arm automatically finding its way around the petite woman as she pulled her closer. Her gaze fixed on Korsak as she frowned. "Okay… Vince. Tell me the rest." She didn't look down but she smiled slightly at the feel of a small warm hand on her thigh. She wasn't about to give these guys fodder for the next millennium. Quirking a dark brow, she all but begged the senior detective to talk. "Well?"
Clearing his throat again, Korsak's gaze darted to Frost before he continued. "Um…Okay. So I got a call from Paddy Doyle to go along with all of this." His beefy hands gestured to the files and photos. "It seems that Rhodes wasn't the German… well she was German but it was just a coincidence that she used to get herself and Sean cozied up with the real thing. They agreed to pick up a few shipments of ammonium nitrate for services rendered, the red herring over the trail." He gave Jane a knowing look. Blowing up my apartment. Killing Maura. "Seems our crazy resident bad guy doctor…" Maura flinched at those words only to be rewarded by a tightened embrace. She was finding it more and more difficult to concentrate on the ongoing conversation and knew that her inability to keep up was a direct result of the pain medication she had taken earlier. Shaking her head roughly, she picked up where Korsak left off. "…was trying to position O'Malley as the next Paddy Doyle until she got the idea that it would hurt Doyle more to ice the Doc." He cringed at his own words and mouthed an 'I'm sorry.'
Jane's head was pounding and she could feel Maura melting into her side, knowing without looking that the pain meds she had taken earlier were finally pulling her under against her will based on the occasional twitch and jerk against the fight of slumber, her valiant effort to stay awake and aware. Placing her lips against the doctor's temple, she murmured softly. "Don't fight it sweetie. I know you are tired and hurting. I'll fill you in later, I promise. Love you." She couldn't help her smile as she looked down into half-mast glassy eyes that were doing their best to remain open, finally fluttering closed as soft curls nestled against her shoulder and a small hand found its spot against her waist. Satisfied that the medical examiner was finally resting,Jane's attention returned to her former partner as her left hand stroked absentmindedly across lightly freckled skin, her hoarse voice lowered. "Korsak. If the German is out there…" His upturned palm stopped her speech.
"Jane." Fatigued blue eyes took in the sight of his former partner and protégé and he couldn't continue right away. He had never seen her look so content. After the Hoyt attack, something had definitely changed in the vibrant, outgoing rookie. She was more withdrawn and acerbic, looking for the bad in everything, eschewing anything good and working non-stop to the detriment of her own well-being. He smiled tiredly, his voice lowering to match. "Doyle says the German isn't a threat any more. He goes where the money is and he didn't get paid so… he's moved on. To kill more mob guys I might add so…hey… win/win." Lifting his chin toward the woman now ensconced within tanned arms, "She's safe. He never knew her identity…she was just a mark." Dark blue locked with deep brown, a small smile playing at his lips. "You've got some time off." He couldn't help himself as bushy brows waggled. "Use it wisely."
Barry's laughter joined the fray. "Yeah, Jane. Get your shit together and take the Doc somewhere nice where people aren't trying to kill you. I swear I didn't raise you right." Shaking his head, his gaze leveled with his partner's. "I get you this far… What? You need me to write you a playbook? Cause I know how to please the ladies." His wide, toothy grin compelled Jane to launch a nearby throw pillow at him accompanied by her darkest glare which he managed to duck just barely… the pillow, not the glare. "Damn. You need to get laid, Rizzoli."
Dark chocolate eyes rolled then narrowed at both of her partners before a shit eating grin spread across her face. "Wouldn't you two like to know." Standing carefully, she managed to gingerly scoop Maura up into her arms regardless of the dull pain in her side before whispering to the two gawking men with a wink. "Show yourselves out." Her voice was low and sincere as she glanced over her shoulder. "Thanks, guys. Really." She swallowed against the lump in her throat. "I mean it. I owe you one."
She had to bite down against the threat of laughter at Frost's parting shot as he struggled to his feet, smile betraying the meaning behind his actual words. "One? Oh hells no Rizzoli. I took a bullet in the leg for you two." His grin turned into full blown teeth. "I'm thinking coffee and donuts for the next six months… Ooooorrr." His brow crooked, "I would settle for watching you plant one on the Doc for like…" He smacked his lips. "…twenty seconds. Oh. With tongue."
Typically, Jane would castrate any man smug enough to make such a request but this was Frost. It had become somewhat of a daily challenge to one up the other in their verbal sparring and she was well equipped to rise to the occasion. Turning quietly, she adjusted the sleeping woman in her arms before giving the younger detective a smoldering look punctuated by a blown kiss. "Ten seconds and two months of coffee. No donuts. You're getting fat." Satisfied by Korsak's explosive laughter she turned and walked away with a smile on her face; thankful for the small quasi-family they had become.
Somehow she managed to get herself and Maura back upstairs and into the sanctuary of the doctor's expansive if not freezing cold bedroom. As gently as she could, she lowered her precious cargo onto the mattress grateful that the covers were already thrown back before standing upright and stretching, her hand rubbing against the pinch of pain in her side. In spite of it all, she couldn't help but drink in the doctor's beauty…even in sleep and mismatched clothing there was something utterly breath-taking about Maura Isles. A long finger tucked a honey gold strand away from the sleeping woman's face. "God, I love you." God. When did I become such a sap?
Carefully, she scooted the her love to the middle of the bed making sure to prop up an injured leg before pulling the Celtics shorts slowly down toned legs in an effort not to awaken the medical examiner. Satisfied with her work, Jane shed her own and climbed into the bed, pulling the cocoon of outrageously expensive linens and down fabrics up over and around them. Rolling over, she snuggled against the doctor's side and wrapped her in a protective embrace of arms and legs. Taking in a deep breath, she nuzzled into the doctor's neck and smiled as she understood the draw…the warmth and familiar scent were almost overwhelming in the way they swept through her entire body and sparked a dozen memories that flashed through her mind in rapid succession. She smiled against fragrant flesh and placed a comforting kiss against a steady pulse that left her with a calm sense of belonging. "Mmmm. I love you Maura Isles." She breathed into the night before sleep pulled her under.
A few hours later, Maura awoke to the unobtrusive sounds of her zen alarm clock feeling enormously content at the comfortable weight of her detective draped so completely over her body; long arms and legs holding her close as if she might never let go. The doctor smiled at the thought and stretched slightly; wincing a bit at the sting in her lower leg but too caught up in the fragrance that was uniquely Jane filling her senses to give it much care. As irrational as it seemed, and she would certainly never admit it to anyone, she finally felt like she could associate with less intelligent people who had expressed a desire to remain in a certain moment indefinitely, as ridiculous as such a notion was. A slow smile spread across her face as her fingers traced light patterns across a toned back. Okay. So. If she had a choice to pick a moment in time to be stuck in, this one might rate highly on her list. The scientist scrunched her nose and frowned at her own conjecture.
A gravely rumble resonated against her neck and brought the doctor out of her musings. "Make that stupid gong noise stop now…pleeease." Maura was beginning to love a whining Jane Rizzoli. In these rare instances, she could envision this strong, iron-willed woman as a child; open to the world and ready to make her mark, dark hair flying and all elbows and skinned knees. Reaching over to the nightstand, she silenced the quiet sounds.
When a warm nose caressed the soft skin below her ear, the doctor lost all thought and swallowed hard. A scarred hand at her waist snaked under her t-shirt and slowly traced exotic patterns over toned abs leaving the medical examiner somewhat breathless with anticipation, her eyes fluttering shut. "Jane." Reverent need.
If she had to be awakened ever so often thanks to her second concussion, the detective decided that it was prudent to use her time wisely. Dropping open mouthed kisses along the doctor's elegant throat and collar bone she couldn't help the need for more. She had tried once before and failed but the pain from her injuries was lessening with each passing day. Rolling on top of Maura, she paused at the sting in her side and schooled herself to catch her breath, propping up on her elbows carrying most of her weight on her left, placement mindful of an injured leg. Looking down into sparkling hazel green, she grinned at the feel of warm hands trailing under her t-shirt and across the bare skin of her back before resting against her shoulders. God. It seemed a million thoughts assaulted the detective's mind at once as their gaze held; a prominent one taking the forefront. She wanted this woman forever. Blinking back the sting in her eyes, she joined their lips and started the slow, sensuous tangle that left them both gasping in the end. "I love you Maura." Eyes still closed against the onslaught of emotions, she found waiting lips on instinct, prolonging the kiss before breaking away, warm lips and tongue playing along the smooth skin of the doctor's neck.
"God, Jane." The doctor's uninjured leg hooked around the detective's narrow waist while nimble fingers clawed at a smooth back, willing her closer. "If you…" Her voice came out breathy and light. "If you…god..." An undoctorly groan pushed through her lips as Maura tried her best to finish the sentence, forgetting her resolve with each second as Jane's hand found her breast and talented lips latched onto her racing pulse point. "If you keep doing that…oh god I... don't think we'll be able to stop." Even as the responsible words left her mouth, the medical examiner's actions proved a contradiction; one hand winding into dark locks as the other slipped under the detective's underwear to palm and knead her firm ass.
Stop. Stop. Stop? The haze of arousal slowly lifted as Jane's brain processed the words that had just been spoken. Maura. Hurt. Stitches. SHIT! Twin heartbeats hammered and thumped between them as the detective slowly lifted her head, reluctantly removing her hand from under soft cotton before using it to swipe a few curls away from flushed skin, resting their foreheads together. She could feel the rapid puffs of Maura's warm moist breath against her sensitive skin and it made it that much harder to calm the intense need she felt for this woman. Dark black eyes opened and studied the doctor with a smile as cool fingers traced tiny circles in the small of her back. She shook her head and rolled her eyes before returning her gaze to confused hazel. "Damn, Maura. Ma IS right. I can't keep my hands off of you."
The medical examiner's chuckle was soft as she squeezed a narrow waist, dropping the leg that held them together softly to the mattress while trying to get control of her breathing. "You will never find me complaining about that fact. Quite the contrary as I'm sure you could tell by my verbal cues." Her voice was low and sultry as she scraped well manicured nails over the detective's shoulders to tickle straining triceps. "God, Jane. What you do to me…I can't even explain it and you know that is difficult for me." Maura struggled to find the words as her eyes searched chocolate brown. "It's more than being under the influence of a substance… it's this…deep... this deep... affinity… this visceral connection I feel to you far beyond our sexual chemistry." The medical examiner's smile turned a bit wicked as she caught Jane's lips in a searing kiss, nipping her chin for good measure when they broke apart. "Although, admittedly, the sexual tension that I feel with just one look, one word in your incredibly sexy voice or the slightest touch from you is…" Heavy lids slid closed. "MMmm. Off the charts amazing."
Jane rolled to her side with a groan in hopes that the less skin on skin contact she had with her delicious bed partner the better she would be able to think. "Wow, Maur. NOT making this any easier. When do those stitches come out exactly?" She scrubbed her hand over her face as she awaited an answer settling carefully back into the doctor's side, a silent mantra of 'Look but don't touch' running on a loop and doing her best to picture Vince Korsak in a tutu.
"Hmmm. Maura pondered the question, chewing on her bottom lip as her right hand casually smoothed up and down Jane's back. "I believe that if all goes well and I keep the incision clean and dry, barring any unforeseen complications… seven to ten days."
The detective had to resist pumping her fist in the air as she leaned up and propped her head on her hand after placing a gentle kiss to the doctor's cheek, a plan clearly forming in her sparkling eyes. Tracing a long finger across swollen lips, she grinned. "And we have the next three and a half weeks off for medical leave right? How would you feel about taking a trip back to the beach with me Doctor Isles? Just you and me, a private beach, sun and good food. Lots and LOTS of hot steamy naked sweaty mind blowing sex." Her leer earned her a swat to the shoulder. "Hey!" She captured the offending hand and brought it to her lips, her voice dipping low. "I'm just saying that a really smart person told me once that having sex aids in the process of healing, boosts your immunity or something. I'm just trying to be a good friend." Her pout was spectacular in scope.
Maura couldn't resist. She pulled those pouty lips between her own and kissed the detective heartily. "I would love to return to the beach with you, Detective. But tell me…was this 'smart person' an actual genius because that is very sound advice you know. Sexual intercourse releases…mmph." Cut off by swift lips, the doctor melted into the embrace and almost missed her detective's response.
"Well. She's kind of a dumb genius. You know... shallow end of the pool. " Maura was becoming stealth like in her well placed pinches. "Ow, shit, Maur!" Jane couldn't maintain her ire if she wanted. Maura's laughter was definitely one of the most beautiful sounds she had ever heard. Snuggling in close, she dropped a kiss on warm freckled skin before nuzzling into the sweet smelling crook of the doctor's neck, her arm draped back in place. "Soooo. Stitches out and then we hit the beach? Sounds like a plan to me." Her sleepy voice sing songed a little higher. "Roadtrip… I get to be Thelma."
Maura hummed in the darkness, her hold tightening as she snuggled closer, her voice rich with sleep. "Uhmuh. I'm Thelma." A smile crossed her face even as sleep pulled her deeper, breathing in with a contented sigh.
So there it is guys. If you've been reading along with me, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know so I can respond. I have had a great time writing this and am SO humbled by you guys. Take care!