The Next Chapter (A Rizzoli & Isles fanfiction)

1.

"This is not how I pictured the next chapter starting," the honey blonde gazed down at the tickets she held in her dainty hands. Even the idea of Jane coming to Paris with her made her heart flutter and race. She could not stop smiling and she was sure it made her look somewhat crazy, but goodbyes were so hard for her. She had previously told Jane that she could not drop her off at the airport because saying goodbye was too tough. Had it of been anyone else, she could probably do it, but this wasn't just a friend, this was her b e s t friend. She would be far too emotional and for the stubborn medical examiner to show her emotions -- well, that would make for great office gossip, wouldn't it? No, Maura would not allow it but now she didn't have to even think about that! Because Jane was coming with her.

"Maybe that's the beauty of it," the raven haired woman who was seated beside Maura responded in her usually calm tone. Maura could feel the eyes of the other woman burning into her as she spoke, could almost feel her smile that was sure to be on her face, just like the one that was on her own. Maura's eyes remained focused on the tickets. She just kept re-reading the tickets and ensuring that Jane had really done this. She had r e a l l y taken the time off work; she had taken a whole month off work just to be with Maura, in Paris. Uninterrupted, no worrying about if work was to call them in or not, because there was n o way they could call them in. They would be off to Paris, exploring the beautiful streets of the city, in total awe at all the magnificent and marvellous sites they could see. Yes, this really /was/ happening, Maura thought as the gesture of companionship finally sunk in.

Now the thoughts of Jane in Paris came rushing to Maura and began to flood her. She thought about how Jane dressed and acted and felt a small flush of pink hit her cheeks. Jane had no sense of fashion and she did not care about the finer details, like how the stitching was done on a dress or how a shoe was ever so delicately sculpted. No, Jane was a slob. She liked baggy sweatpants and greasy pizza and her old Boston Homicide Department t-shirt, whereas Maura loved clothes and not only did she adore the fashion, but she appreciated it too. Jane did not understand, but then Maura's mind wandered into a world of Jane's where she loved and appreciated football, but she herself could not understand a single thing that happened. Maura would have to find a way to be okay with Jane not quite grasping fashion, just like Jane was okay with her not at all understanding football. Yes, she could do this, she thought to herself with a reassuring nod of her head.

What was there to worry about really? It was the most romantic city to ever be discovered on this earth and no doubt they would be eating under moonlight and laughing until the sun had set anyway, so they would not have time to worry about Jane's unstylish and boyish way of dressing. They would be too busy sight seeing and exploring the world to worry about the way Jane butchered the French language and how she did not have the proper accent needed to grasp French. They would not have time to worry about anything other than having fun and sight seeing the world that Paris had to offer them.

With the worries of Jane's uncultured self temporarily removed from Maura's mind, it was now bringing in new thoughts, ones which she had pushed behind for so long now that she had almost forgotten they were there still, until Jane's words had hit her hard. 'Maybe that's the beauty of it' was what Jane had said and you know, maybe just this once, she was right. Maybe the beauty of starting this new chapter was that they had no idea what was to come next. They had no idea where this month would take them or how things would plan out, and despite the small sense of anxiety which settled upon the usually very organised medical examiner, she was open to trying this. She was open to just going with the flow -- well, she would just shuffle around the itinerary a little in order to make room for Jane on her plan and then, she would be okay with it. . .

But Jane's words. . .

They were still in her mind, playing around and round like a broken record. They were spoken truly and from the heart and were meant to hold a meaning of new beginnings and of true friendship, but sitting here, in this very moment by the woman's side made Maura think ever so differently. She was beginning to think in way she had not thought like before and it ran a shiver down her spine. Never allowing herself to overstep any mark, Maura had never thought about her best friend like this, but her words she spoke sounded like so much more than the intended. She sounded genuine but Maura was very good at reading people. She had seen the way Jane's eyes had glazed over with a shimmer of happy tears, had seen the ways the corners of her mouth tilted into that contagious smile she had and she had seen the genuine happiness she held. She meant more behind those words, didn't she? Or maybe Maura was delusional? The honey blonde might be very good at reading people, but she had n o idea what any of this meant.

Side by side, the medical examiner finally managed to draw her eyes away from the tickets and her thoughts away from Paris and Jane's cryptic message for just a second. She looked towards Jane, the woman who had become her lifeline, her family, her best friend, her everything and she could not help but to be happy. What was there really to be sad about? Nothing, really. What was there to be so deep in thought about? What was there to read into? Just stop over analysing things, Maura and enjoy the situation you are in right now, because once this moment has gone, you cannot get it.

"Oh this is exciting!" The honey blonde beamed a smile so bright that Jane could not miss it, even if she wasn't seated beside her. Her words had broken the comfortable silence which seemed to have settled between the two of them, but neither of them seemed to mind. They were both still in shock, both still wearing infectious smiles and giggling like schoolgirls do when they have their first crush. Or a sleepover, Maura. Shaking images of crushes from her mind, the blonde reached across Jane's lap and took her hand in her own. She was unsure, but to see Jane's hand moving directly to grasp Maura's back, she knew it was the right thing to do.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" With a sideways look, Jane's eyes stared deeply into the barriers Maura building. She gave the blonde's hand a soft squeeze and she grinned, teeth showing as she gently nudged Maura. Nudging her back, Maura forced her eyes away from Jane's and looked back down at the tickets she was still holding in her other hand. This was really happening, wasn't it? Sucking in a deep breath, Maura exhaled and laughed, the sound instantly filling the room and catching the ears of Jane who echoed Maura's laugh, the two now a nervous mess of giggles.

This is it, Maura thought. This is really happening and she could not be happier, but now the laughter was fading and the silence was taking over again, thoughts of Jane's wardrobe came flooding back. She knew she just could n o t let it go. She had to do something to make sure the raven haired female didn't embarrass her and the way to do that was to move their flights to a little later on and raid Jane's wardrobe. Maura knew it would not end there, though. She would no doubt have to drag Jane shopping and find her figure hugging clothes that perfectly shaped her body, not ones that hung loosely and did no justice to the figure Maura knew she had hidden.

"But Jane, we really d o have to do something about your wardrobe. I know you said you've packed already, but I cannot walk around with you in sweatpants all day." Shuffling to the end of the bed, Maura pulled her laptop out of a bag at the end and logged in, changing their flights to a later time.

"We'll just go in the morning."

A groan followed Maura's words. Of course, she had used the word 'morning' and 'shopping' all at once and now Jane was groaning.

"Jane, I won't take you anywhere! You can't go around Paris, the city of --"

"The city of love and light in my sweatpants, I know," Interrupting the blonde, Jane rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest, poking her tongue out in a childish manor which did make Maura chuckle.

"So, we best get some sleep. I'll be waking you at 7am so we can hit the shops as soon as they open." Flashing a smirk, Maura wriggled off the bed and put her laptop away, grabbing a change of clothes from another bag and flaunting her way into the bathroom to change for bed.

Tomorrow was a new day. It was a new beginning and a new chapter. They would shop, laugh, try on a lot of clothes, talk about their plans (Maura's plans) for Paris and bicker about Maura's choice in outfits for Jane. Yes, tomorrow was set to be a very good day indeed, as it ended in a flight to Paris, for a whole interrupted month of bliss, of quality time together.

As friends, Maura.

As friends. . .