Fic: Cops And Robbers (Jane/Maura)
Title: Cops And Robbers
Rating: PG
Fandom: Rizzoli and Isles
Pairing: Maura Isles/Jane Rizzoli
Spoilers: none
Summary: The Rizzolis have a BBQ. Mindless plot ensues.
Disclaimer: You know the drill.
It was something she had managed to miss almost entirely. Her privileged but decidedly lonesome childhood- an endless source of that which could easily be bought- had always lacked and lagged in human warmth and attention she’d never known she so desperately longed for.
Cops And Robbers.
That was the name of the game and as Maura sprinted across the soft carpet of grass, the summer wind hot on her bare heels and the wonderful scent of a fired up grill not far behind, she narrowly managed to escape the evil clutches of one of Jane’s youngest cousins. The chase left her both thrilled and tired in equal measure.
With the looming air of freedom, unbeknownst to her, she found herself straight in the arms of a very excitable Jane; straight in the arms of the enemy. Out of character, Maura felt herself overcome with a sense of belonging and let out a sweet, surprised burst of a giggle.
Jane was a glorious sight indeed: kitted out in a baggy black t-shirt and shorts, tracks of war paint smudged high on her cheekbones, hair a tangled mess as unruly strands fought their way out of her ponytail.
Jane, with her endless smile and playful eyes, grasping Maura around the waist, yelling ‘Gotcha!’ and ‘Man down, team!’, much to the delight of her little cousins and neighbors, boys and girls racing around and wreaking havoc on the Rizzolis’ poor back yard- they’d been mindful of the flowerbed, Angela’s fourth child.
Jane. Her Jane. A big kid. Her hero. Maura disregarded the fact that Jane was a robber and she quite clearly was not. She quickly came to realise that she liked this, seeing Jane so free of obligation, so completely consumed by the joys of everyday life, surrounded by family and sunlight and a lazy Sunday afternoon.
She did try, futile as it was, to wrestle her way out of Jane’s merciless grip. It only made Jane laugh harder as she called out for back-up, quickly joined by Maggie and Noah who latched onto Maura’s hands, keeping her firmly rooted in her spot. When Jane let go to move away, their eyes met (Jane could pick Maura out in a sea of people) and Maura couldn’t stem down the steady swell of pride and adoration for this tornado of a woman.
“My work here is done kiddos. Take her away!” Jane threw a wink over her shoulder, not oblivious to the way Maura looked at her, beaming, swooning.
“Janie, you gonna stand there all day or you gonna lend a hand? How many times do I gotta tell you? I gotta do everything around here?” Angela called out from her natural habitat by the barbeque, flipping over burgers and rolling over sausages as Frank Sr. and the neighbours clinked bottles, debating the latest Red Sox defeat.
Joe Friday yipped endlessly beside them, weaving in and out and sniffing sneakers and sandals, waiting with bated breath for the moment Angella accidentally dropped a sausage.
Jane had all the intention of helping out. After all, it had been her idea to have a family gathering of sorts, to touch base, ‘nothin’ big Ma, a couple’a beers’ or somethin’’. Needless to say, Angela had almost gone into cardiac arrest at her daughter's changing view on family relations.
Nothing big and several beers had escalated into inviting half the street over for late lunch. Angela did nothing if not with an air of achievement and an underlying drive for competition.
Mere hours ago, she had been teetering on the edge of a breakdown, fussing over Frankie as she watched him vacuum the living room. “I’m a hostess! It’s what I do Janie. Now go get the buns,” she’d patted Jane’s arm, ushering her out the front door as she threw the car keys at her.
Now, well, now Jane was torn between Maura, the vision of her playing with the kids- it had surprised them both how naturally she took to the role. She looked happy and breathtaking, her summer dress billowing just beneath her knees, the straps delicate on her sun-kissed shoulders, hair half-up as it fell across her slender back. That and the incandescent picture of her mother, sweating over the grill in her attempt to juggle her drink and the arduous task of burning the peppers to perfection.
But a choice had to be made.
“Five more minutes Ma!” Jane swallowed down her rising fear, acutely aware that there would be hell to pay later. She turned back, greeted by the sight of a stack of bodies in the middle of the yard. As she walked closer, wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her arm, she found Maura at the bottom of the pile-up, struggling to stave off the onslaught of tickles from Jane’s cousins and the neighbors’ grandchildren. Cops and robbers alike, took it upon themselves to playfully torture Jane’s new friend.
Maura was not exactly an unwilling participant. Despite feeling incredibly hot, she welcomed it all, poking the small boy by her side and smiling when he buried his face against her arm. He had to be the littlest one. He was her favourite.
Frankie was also somewhat in the middle of it all, trying to pluck the children off, picking them up under his arms and spinning them around as they kicked and punched. They were in hysterics by the time he was done with them, giving the boys noogies and chasing the girls until they’d all fallen about in an exhausted heap.
It wouldn’t be long before Frankie was going after them all with the water guns.
And Maura was there, still on the ground with the little boy, letting him look at her bracelet as he touched gentle, clumsy fingers to it.
“Ah, I see you’ve met Danny boy,” Jane grinned, “the Dannytron, Dan-wise, Danish, the Dannynator,” she lowered her voice until it was almost menacing. Danny instantly looked up at her, eyes widening as Jane bent down and scooped him up, blowing raspberries into the side of his neck. He tried to bat her away.
He can’t have been older than three. Maura could tell by his deciduous teeth.
She analysed the pair of them, taking careful note of the way Jane softened her tone, how she pushed the boy’s hair back and tenderly adjusted his collar. It made her stomach flutter. She stood up to brush grass off her dress.
“His shoe is undone,” she said quietly, pointed and Jane nodded, holding him in her arms so Maura could tie the laces. The teamwork brought about great fear for Jane, but also determination and a steadfast look to the future.
Angela Rizzoli shook her head. “Janie, for the love of God-”
Jane rolled her eyes, watching Danny toddle off as soon as he was put down and briefly pressing her lips to the side of Maura’s head, “Alright, alright, jeez Ma, I’m comin’,” she laughed, catching Maura’s hand with her own to lead her back to the house.
It was only then that Maura noticed the sweet imperfection of it all: the wonky basketball hoop as it dangled precariously from the back of the house, the deflated ball tumbling between Joe’s little paws and then wheezing as Joe bit into it, the skewed fence and unfinished birdhouse. It really was all beautiful.
“Get the lemonade from inside will ya? Fridge, top shelf. Try not to spill any. In fact, let Maura-”
“Yes ma’am,” Jane playfully saluted her mother, Maura right behind her as they made their way inside, a welcome refuge from the heat.
Maura sighed.
“This is nice.”
“Yeah?”
“Very much so,” Maura watched the way Jane commanded the kitchen, much akin to a bull in a china shop. Nevertheless, Jane found the jug of lemonade and took out several bottles of beer to go with it.
She thrust the pitcher at Maura, “Here, suits you more,” she smirked as Maura gave her a knowing look. “I’ll handle the beers…for Pops, y’know?”
Jane was a good person. She was kind. It was the initial thing that had drawn Maura to her. Aside from her boyish good looks and headstrong stance on the world, Jane had a good heart and Maura loved her for it.
She placed the lemonade on the counter, stepping into Jane’s personal space. It dawned on her, just how great Jane looked all dishevelled, dirty, care-free. “Your family is wonderful.”
The reply was a raised eyebrow and one very confused expression. “What?”
“I know you may not see it but,” Maura cupped Jane’s face, “your mother is an incredible woman. And Frank? I can see why Frankie looks up to him so much. And you?”
Jane groaned. “Don’t. Come on Maur, don’t do it.”
“You Detective,” Maura touched Jane’s lips, “they raised you, didn’t they? They did a pretty phenomenal job.”
“Well, Doctor Isles,” she laughed, “you sure know what to say to a girl, don’t you? I guess I’m meant to come up with somethin’ like, ‘Aw shucks, I may be the robber here but you stole my heart Maur’, right?”
It was cliché. It was sweet. It was delivered with just the right amount of sarcasm so Maura knew that on some other level, Jane did in fact mean it.
“The lemonade will get warm Jane.”
Jane grinned, leaning in and sneaking a brief kiss to the corner of Maura’s mouth, “You know you’re always welcome here. You're my family.”
Maura nodded, swallowing her sudden urge to cry. Instead, she led Jane out of the kitchen, wincing as the sun hit them once again.
“And Jane?”
“Huh?”
“You're mine too.”