Fic: After the Race
Okay. I caved to my newfound Rizzoli & Isles addiction and wrote a fic. I haven't written anything like this in years, but I think there are a few places I got the characters' voices right.
Constructive criticism?
Title: After the Race
Author: ever_rational
Rating: PG/K+
Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli & Isles or The Boondock Saints. No infringement is intended.
Summary: After Born to Run, Jane tries to make up for her crankiness with Maura.
A/N: Thanks to jessicalm88 for pushing me to write this.
With the race over, the murders solved, and the rapist locked away, Jane and Maura indulged Angela’s invitation to spend the rest of the evening at their house. Jane’s mother boasted the new recipes she wanted to try, and after such an exhausting day, the two runners were more than willing to leave the cooking to someone else. Moments after coming through the door, they headed upstairs to Jane’s childhood bedroom to change.
“Wow, you weren’t kidding about the pink canopy!”
Jane groaned. “Yeah, when I was 14 and wanted to try out for softball and soccer, my mother put it up as a ‘surprise’ when I came home from school. I threw a fit until she threatened to take my cleats away.”
“Well, I think it’s beautiful,” Maura laughed, clearly envisioning her friend as a gawky adolescent.
“C’mon,” Jane said abruptly. She guided Maura by the elbow to the small bathroom down the hall. “Take your shoes and socks off. I’ll fill up the tub so you can soak your feet.” She plugged the drain and turned on the hot water, and then turned to the cabinet. “Mom’s got some of that aromatherapy stuff in here. Do you want to use some of that?” Before Maura could reply, Jane continued. “Here it is, it’s lavender or something,” and she dumped some into the slowly filling basin. Next, she sat Maura down on the edge of the tub and rolled up the legs of the lounge pants she had changed into.
“Jane? Jane, what are you-“
“Take as much time as you need. I know you said your feet were hurting before the race, from those weird sock things you had on, so they must be killing you now.”
“Ja-“
“I’ll be downstairs when you get done.” And with that, she was out the door.
Maura stared after her curiously, but ultimately swung her legs over the ledge and eased her feet into the warm, soothing water. Jane was right-her feet DID hurt.
Around twenty minutes later, Maura padded down the stairs, heading toward the sound of her friend arguing with her brother. The moment Jane spotted her in the entryway she ceased the squabble and slid down the couch to make room for her.
“Come sit with us, Maura, we’re watching The Boondock Saints. Are your feet feeling better?” She fluffed the pillow at the end of the sofa, positioning it so it would rest behind Maura’s back.
“They are, yes, thank you. The lavender bath salt was particularly refreshing.”
“Lavender bath salt?” Frankie Jr. interjected incredulously. “Janie used that stuff mom keeps under the counter? How do you even know what that stuff is?”
“How do YOU even know what that stuff is?” she argued back.
“Mom’s been trying to get you to try that aromatherapy crap of hers for years!”
Maura sat, amused, while Jane’s cheeks colored with embarrassment.
“Whatever, Frankie.” He got up to go find their father and she turned to the other female quickly. “Are you all right? Can I get you anything to drink while mom finishes up dinner?”
“No thanks, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You got enough to drink after the race?”
“All right, Jane, what’s going on?”
“What do you mean?” she asked innocently.
“Ever since we finished the marathon, you’ve been…uncharacteristically accommodating. The foot soak, the lavender, the pillow fluffing, the continuous inquiries regarding my comfort and wellbeing…”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Jane mumbled.
“Yes, you do. Now tell me why,” she insisted.
Jane was quiet for a few moments, staring down at her hands, while Maura awaited her response. After a few false starts, she finally said quietly, “I was really stressed out and short and snappy and cranky today, and I realized I kept taking it out on you. I just wanted to make it up to you.”
A gentle smile crossed Maura’s face. She reached over and grasped Jane’s hand and replied in the same soft tone, “Thank you, but you know, you could have just apologized.”
Jane met her eyes quickly, gauging her sincerity. “I’m sorry, Maura. I should have been nicer to you today.”
Maura’s smile widened and she wrapped her friend in a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered in her ear, just as Angela bellowed from the kitchen that dinner was ready.
*hides*
Constructive criticism?
Title: After the Race
Author: ever_rational
Rating: PG/K+
Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli & Isles or The Boondock Saints. No infringement is intended.
Summary: After Born to Run, Jane tries to make up for her crankiness with Maura.
A/N: Thanks to jessicalm88 for pushing me to write this.
With the race over, the murders solved, and the rapist locked away, Jane and Maura indulged Angela’s invitation to spend the rest of the evening at their house. Jane’s mother boasted the new recipes she wanted to try, and after such an exhausting day, the two runners were more than willing to leave the cooking to someone else. Moments after coming through the door, they headed upstairs to Jane’s childhood bedroom to change.
“Wow, you weren’t kidding about the pink canopy!”
Jane groaned. “Yeah, when I was 14 and wanted to try out for softball and soccer, my mother put it up as a ‘surprise’ when I came home from school. I threw a fit until she threatened to take my cleats away.”
“Well, I think it’s beautiful,” Maura laughed, clearly envisioning her friend as a gawky adolescent.
“C’mon,” Jane said abruptly. She guided Maura by the elbow to the small bathroom down the hall. “Take your shoes and socks off. I’ll fill up the tub so you can soak your feet.” She plugged the drain and turned on the hot water, and then turned to the cabinet. “Mom’s got some of that aromatherapy stuff in here. Do you want to use some of that?” Before Maura could reply, Jane continued. “Here it is, it’s lavender or something,” and she dumped some into the slowly filling basin. Next, she sat Maura down on the edge of the tub and rolled up the legs of the lounge pants she had changed into.
“Jane? Jane, what are you-“
“Take as much time as you need. I know you said your feet were hurting before the race, from those weird sock things you had on, so they must be killing you now.”
“Ja-“
“I’ll be downstairs when you get done.” And with that, she was out the door.
Maura stared after her curiously, but ultimately swung her legs over the ledge and eased her feet into the warm, soothing water. Jane was right-her feet DID hurt.
Around twenty minutes later, Maura padded down the stairs, heading toward the sound of her friend arguing with her brother. The moment Jane spotted her in the entryway she ceased the squabble and slid down the couch to make room for her.
“Come sit with us, Maura, we’re watching The Boondock Saints. Are your feet feeling better?” She fluffed the pillow at the end of the sofa, positioning it so it would rest behind Maura’s back.
“They are, yes, thank you. The lavender bath salt was particularly refreshing.”
“Lavender bath salt?” Frankie Jr. interjected incredulously. “Janie used that stuff mom keeps under the counter? How do you even know what that stuff is?”
“How do YOU even know what that stuff is?” she argued back.
“Mom’s been trying to get you to try that aromatherapy crap of hers for years!”
Maura sat, amused, while Jane’s cheeks colored with embarrassment.
“Whatever, Frankie.” He got up to go find their father and she turned to the other female quickly. “Are you all right? Can I get you anything to drink while mom finishes up dinner?”
“No thanks, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You got enough to drink after the race?”
“All right, Jane, what’s going on?”
“What do you mean?” she asked innocently.
“Ever since we finished the marathon, you’ve been…uncharacteristically accommodating. The foot soak, the lavender, the pillow fluffing, the continuous inquiries regarding my comfort and wellbeing…”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Jane mumbled.
“Yes, you do. Now tell me why,” she insisted.
Jane was quiet for a few moments, staring down at her hands, while Maura awaited her response. After a few false starts, she finally said quietly, “I was really stressed out and short and snappy and cranky today, and I realized I kept taking it out on you. I just wanted to make it up to you.”
A gentle smile crossed Maura’s face. She reached over and grasped Jane’s hand and replied in the same soft tone, “Thank you, but you know, you could have just apologized.”
Jane met her eyes quickly, gauging her sincerity. “I’m sorry, Maura. I should have been nicer to you today.”
Maura’s smile widened and she wrapped her friend in a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered in her ear, just as Angela bellowed from the kitchen that dinner was ready.
*hides*