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Angela's had it!
“I've had it with you Jane Clementine Rizzoli!!”, Angela threw the clothes she'd been folding into the basket.
“What?!”, Jane looked up from her laptop, not hiding any confusion. Her mother had been a little strange all day. But then again, when wasn't she? The curlyhead knew that something was off though, but if her mother wanted to talk about it then she would. Just as, if she wanted to take care of Janes laundry; she would. No matter how much Jane groaned about. And no matter how often she told the woman that she was a grown up who was perfectly capable of washing when she felt that it was time. Much like she did the cleaning up of her place.
But Angela didn't listen.
“You're the one who forced herself onto my laundry! I didn't ask you to do … this”, she pointed at the basket filled with freshly washed and folded clothes, “I still had enough clean stuff for work!”
“This isn't what I am talking about!”, the older one glared.
Jane shoved the laptop on her couch-table to put her full attention on her birth-giver.
“What's the problem then?!” She was certain that she hadn't done anything wrong or upsetting in the last 48 hours, so there was no reason to complain for anyone.
“Do you know, that Theresa's daughter is getting married?!”
Not this again. “Ellee?”
“Yes! ELLEE! You know her. And you know what she's like.”, Angela picked up the T-Shirt she had previously tossed and folded it, “She's the last one of my friends daughters to get married. And I was SURE that she wouldn't even get there.”
Jane rolled her eyes. “Come on Ma, I know she's … odd. But she's not... well someone would eventually love her! Her parents do. So someone else would too, at some point.”
“That's not the point!” Angela put her hands into her hips. “Do you even know how hard it is not to say anything? And not to brag? Just because I respect your boundaries?!”
Jane was completely confused now. What on earth was her mother talking about. And when had she ever respected her boundaries?
“I want to brag too, Jane! My friend's NEVER shut up about their daughters husbands. They're all oh so perfect, even though we all know that Pete has a drinking problem.”, she rolled her eyes, “But none of them could live up to what I'd have to tell.”
“What the hell are you talking about?!”, Jane was pretty sure that there was no one her mother could brag about to her friends. This didn't make any sense. Surely the Detective would know if she was in a relationship.
“I've kept my mouth shut for over three years, now. And I think I deserve some credit for that.”, she let out a breath and then set down next to Jane. “Janie.. you know I only want you to be happy..”
“I don't feel very happy right now-”
“But please. It's okay. And it is obvious enough. You can play with open cards, Janie. You don't need to pretend that it is a secret. I am sure Maura feels the same way. Just think about what you're doing to that poor girl, keeping her from talking!”
Okay. What?
“What?!”
“Janie, please. I can only take so many secrets. And Ellee? This is really pushing it.”, she said matter of factly.
“What do you mean 'Maura feels the same way'? Same way as who? You? And what secret are you talking about!!”
The look Angela gave her said more than a thousand words. And ever so slowly Jane started to put the pieces together.
“Wait-”, this couldn't seriously be her point. Could it? “Ma...”
“Yes?”
“You...”, she starred, “You think that... “
“I know that-”, corrected Angela.
“I have a secret relationship with some guy and Maura knows but I am keeping her mouth shut??”
Angela looked at her the same way that he used to when Jane was a little kid and lied about stealing Tommy's cookies, but their Ma knew that she had taken it.
“Don't look at me like that! This is your theory!”
“It is too late for lies, Janie! I've known for almost four years that you and Maura are more than just friends!!”, she waved her finger reproachfully around.
Janes mouth went dry. “What-”, she almost chocked on the word.
“I am sure that everyone else knows as well by now, Janie. You didn't do a very good with keeping it a secret. But I was patient and let you have your time... But this is pushing it, love. If at least I could kick all my friends and their stupid sons-in-law's behinds and let them know that my daughter is with the Chief medical examiner of Massachusetts who is way more beautiful than these idiots are handsome!”
“Ma...”, Jane was at a complete loss of words. She had absolutely no idea what to answer. Had her mother really been thinking that she was dating Maura for more than three years?
Sure, her best friend has said it herself; 'best friends can be very gay'. But that they seemed that gay? Angela must be imagining things. Yes. She was just making this up.
“This is a joke right?”
“Do I look like I am joking???”
“No...”, Jane couldn't take her eyes off her mother.
“Then why do you ask?”, the look her daughter was giving her concerned Angela a little, “Are you alright?”
“No?”
“I am sorry to be pushing you...”, she took the Cops hands softly into her own, “But it's okay, Janie. Please tell me that you didn't keep it a secret because of me? Because you thought I wouldn't be accepting. I only want you to be happy, no matter who it's with. And Maura is perfect. More importantly; she is perfect for you, dear.”
She smiles at her child, full of love, and brushed a lock out of her face. “I see the way you two always look at each other. The little touches”, she chuckled, “Aaaaall these sleepovers. Cooking dinner together at all times. I swear I didn't even spend as much time with your father when we were still married, as you and Maura do. And you never ever get sick of each other. A lot of people should take you lovebirds as an example!”
Maura and her. Maura. And her. Maura. And Jane. Maura. Jane. Maura and Jane.
Jane could physically feel the penny drop.
Angela was right! They did all these things. They went on dates all the same. Drinking. Eating out. (*cough* what no) They just never saw it as a date... But there were those little touches. Some very softly. On the other ones shoulder, arm, waist, face. Some more playfully. Just jokes. The way Maura squeaked when Jane's hand cheekily met her ass.
“Oh god”, Jane breathed.
She had sabotaged every possible relationship she could have had since at least four years. Maura only went on so many first dates. Never a second. Jane never even met anyone she went on a date with. Were those dinners even real? And Jane always made fun of her dates. While Maura never liked any of the guys Jane presented to her.
And being completely honest, there have been dreams. Dreams that Jane just put off as normal and then ignored.
She swallowed.
“What?”, Angela asked concerned.
“I- ...I have to go!”, Jane breathed and got up, looking like she's just seen a ghost.
“But we're having a conversation here!”, it was too late, Jane was in her jacket and out of the doors within seconds.
She ran down the stairs to her car. The speed limit didn't matter and she hardly payed attention to to the street. She knew the way by heart.
Once Jane reached the door, she felt out of breath. Her hair was messy and she had forgotten that she was only in a T-Shirt and Pj's when she left.
The door swung open and Janes heart dropped. She let out a breath that she didn't knew she had been holding. “Maura...”
“Jane?”, her friend blinked in confusion, “What- Are you okay, Jane?”
Jane took a deep breath and just went for it. Not spending another thought on it. She couldn't stop herself. Something inside her had been broken. Some wall was suddenly gone and in pieces.
Maura was caught of guard and didn't know what happened until she felt the taller ones lips on her own. The shock wore off quickly and she relaxed under the tight hands on her waist, easing into the kiss. She moved her lips just a little. Kissing her best friend back.
Jane slowly pulled away after a few seconds and carefully opened her eyes, afraid of looking at Maura's faces.
Maura's cheeks were flushed bright pink. But of course her hair was still perfect and her right dress didn't show as much as a single wrinkle. She was absolute perfection.
“This took you a little longer than expected-... ”she whispered a bit out of breath and Jane couldn't help but laugh breathlessly.
“Seriously”, she asked, her eyes filled with live again. Maura grinned and Jane chuckled as she put her hands back on the smaller one, pulling the caramel haired doctor closer.
This time they looked at each other before the kiss. Soft smiles were exchanged. How on earth had Jane been able to keep from doing this for so long? How did she not realise how much she wanted Maura. That Maura just waited for her to realize it?!
The next kiss was softer. Slower. More sure of what they were doing. It lasted a longer as well, but ended rather abruptly when a passenger made them realize that they still stood in the door frame of Maura's front door.
Surely Angela wouldn't mind if Jane came home late today. Or not at all.
“You know, my mom thinks we've been dating for four years.”, smirked Jane laying half atop of Maura who chuckled softly, playing with Janes hair.
“I know.”, she shrugged with her usual smile decorating those full lips.