The Next Chapter (A Rizzoli & Isles fanfiction)

13.

Paris was just a moment away now. The flight attendant had already announced that the plane would be landing soon and to say that Maura was excited was a total understatement. But something else was playing on her mind right now. She was worried about Jane after seeing her go through yet another nightmare. Would it ever end? Would Jane ever be able to sleep peacefully again? 

As the silence settled between the two of them, Maura turned to face Jane with a sympathetic smile on her face. If anyone knew what Jane was going through, it was Maura. She had her own fair share of troubles, including being kidnapped before. She had fought her own demons and battled through PTSD and nightmares of her own. 
"You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah... I'm okay. Let's just talk about something else."
"Okay..."
"So, what's up first? What boring museum are you dragging me to? Oh wait. Are you taking me shopping again? Because I don't think I can handle more shopping." Jane's eyes widened in horror, a smile spreading across her features. Jane was trying to brush off what had happened just now and pretend like everything was fine, but Maura knew her better than that. 

Whatever it was that Jane was going through, Maura knew it was impacting her life more than she was letting on. But she knew Jane better than anyone and she knew how defensive she could be. She was guarded and rightly so after everything that had happened to the detective. She knew better than to push Jane for answers right now. She would come clean about it all eventually. 
"No, no more shopping today. I promise." Maura laughed. "I thought we could head to the hotel and just relax for the night." Shrugging her shoulder, she glanced out the window to see the plane touching ground. "I heard the hotel has a pool."
"Oh, a pool? Sounds nice. We should check it out when we get to the hotel." 

As the plane came to a stop, Maura and Jane unbuckled their belts. Packing away her laptop and making sure their area was tidy, they both left the plane and made their way through the airport to collect their luggage. Their suitcases were two of the first ones to come past them, so they grabbed them and headed for the exit. 
"Wow, Maur'. We have a driver waiting for us! When did you do that?"
"I didn't." Maura chuckled and headed over to the driver who was holding a sign with 'RIZZOLI & ISLES' written in block capitals. The driver took their suitcases and loaded them into the trunk. 
"Who arranged this?" Jane's tone was laced with scepticism, like a true detective.
"A Frankie Rizzoli did, ma'am."
"Oh. Okay." Jane climbed into the back of the car alongside Maura and pulled her phone from her pocket. 

"What are you up to, Jane?"
"I'm just calling Frankie quickly." Jane dialled Frankie for a facetime just as the driver got in and pulled away from the airport. Frankie answered fairly quickly, along with Jo Friday who was licking his face. 
"Hey Jane! You got my gift?"
"Yeah, we did. Thanks, Frankie."
"I wanted to make sure you got to the hotel safely."
"You know I'm a cop, right? I know how to defend myself if I got into trouble."
"No, you're a cop in Boston, but you're in Paris now. Which means that you're just a tourist." With a smug look upon his face, Jane's brother moved Jo Friday out of the frame. "Hey, put Maura on for a sec." Jane obliged and passed the phone over to Maura.

By the time Maura had the phone, Frankie was laid on the floor next to Bass.
"Frankie, what are you doing?" Furrowing her brow, Maura tried to figure out what he was doing on the floor with a tortoise he was afraid of just hours ago. 
"Is this normal for him? He just stays like this for ages, then he disappears and I can't find him for a while. Then I went to get a beer and he's back like this again. Maur', he hasn't moved in like an hour." The genuine panic and concern laced through Frankie's tone was touching and hilarious at the same time. Bass was a tortoise. What was Frankie expecting? 
"That's what turtles do, Frankie!" Jane cut in, only to be glared at by Maura.
"Tortoise. How many times do I need to correct you?"
"I know he's a 'tortoise' but I love winding you up." Jane's smile curved into a smirk as she reached across the seat, taking Maura's hand in hers. 

The second their hands were linked together, silence settled again. Both of their gazes locked on each other and their smiles mirrored each other. This moment between them didn't last too long, as Frankie was desperate for answers. 
"Uhhh, Maura?"
Shaking herself back into the present situation, Maura shook her head, turning her attention back onto the screen. To her surprise, Jane's hand stayed gripping her own.
"Bass is fine. If you can't find him, he's probably just exploring the house. He likes to roam around. Just don't leave the front door open. He can't climb up things and it's not like he's exactly the quickest runaway. He's good company, but he's not very entertaining, I'm afraid." Maura couldn't help but laugh as she watched Frankie pet Bass's shell like he was a lethal predator. 
"Oh... So this is just what he does?"
"Yes. He's fine and so are you."
"Hmm, okay. I don't trust him still. Guess I'll just have to watch him carefully - make sure he doesn't get away from me."
"Yeah, you do that and whilst you do that," Jane reached across to grab the phone from Maura, finally letting go of her hand. "We'll be swimming in our hotel pool, in Paris. Have fun with your turtle."
"Tortoise!" As if on cue, Maura, Frankie and Jane all said that same correction that they had been fighting with for years. All three of them burst out laughing and the call came to an end.

Jane tucked her phone away in her pocket and then took Maura's hand again. Something just felt so right about this. It didn't matter how Maura had tried to spin it, something about these moments the two had been having recently just felt like it was meant to be. Maybe it didn't have to be so complicated. Maybe it could just be simple. Maura didn't have to have all the answers to this right now, did she? As long as they were both happy and neither of them were uncomfortable, what did it matter?

This was enough for Maura right now. She had been fighting these feelings for so long, unsure of what they meant but with everything that had happened between the two of them in their lives, this was the only thing that made sense. She was sure Jane felt that too, because occasionally, she would give Maura's hand a gentle squeeze. Even back in Boston, there were subtle signs that there was something more between the two of them. 

Jane's date that her mother set up went badly, and Jane turned up at the morgue in her dress, asking if she looked ridiculous. Maura told her she looked beautiful and she meant it, too. All those times they saved each other's lives, how protective they were of each other. That time when Jane jumped off a bridge to save a man's life and Maura had gotten so mad at her for not thinking about those who love her before she jumped. /She/ loved Jane and that day was the very moment that she first realised that their friendship might mean a little more to her than she thought. She loved Jane and losing her simply wasn't an option. 

"Here we are, ladies." The cab driver pulled to a stop outside the hotel and then grabbed their suitcases out the back of the car for them.
"Maur'? We're here." Jane's rough yet gentle tone snapped Maura back to reality and she got out the car, allowing Jane to let go of her hand. Then, together, they headed inside the hotel to check into their room.