DISCLAIMER: Rizzoli & Isles and its characters are the property of Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro and TNT television network.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Consider this a missing scene – it picks up right at the end of the episode with Jane and Maura at the spa in their mud baths. This one is for GGF. It was her idea, I just expounded on it. :-)
SPOILERS: This is an extension of Episode 2-2 "Living Proof"
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
FEEDBACK: To sunsetwriter[at]mindspring.com
When the Moment is Right…
By sunsetwriter
"I can't believe you're throwing dirt at me!" Jane said indignantly, turning her head as another small blob of mud sailed past her nose.
"It's clay. From Utah. And it's not like you're not already covered in it," Maura said with a smile.
Jane gave a shrug with her eyebrows and said, "True, but still…"
Maura smiled again as she tossed another blob Jane's way.
"Hey!" the detective protested again as the blob landed on her cheek and slid slowly down the side of her face.
Maura laughed. "Well, stop shushing me."
"You shushed me first!"
"And, if I recall correctly, and you know I do, you didn't like it either."
Jane rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, you needed shushing. And now I have mud on the only part of my body not already covered in mud," Jane huffed.
"Clay. You must not have thought this was so bad, or you wouldn't have come back here with me," Maura said with a curious expression.
Jane gave another eyebrow shrug and tilted her head a little. "I guess sitting in a dirt bath is better than running a marathon or twisting me into a pretzel in yoga class."
Maura frowned. "Are you saying you don't like spending time with me?"
"No! I'm here, aren't I? Sitting in dirt." Seeing Maura about to correct her again, she quickly said, "Clay. From Utah."
Satisfied with Jane's response, Maura settled her head back on the edge of the tub and closed her eyes again. A few moments later, her quiet meditation was once again interrupted by Jane's voice.
"This reminds me of that stupid Viagra commercial."
Raising her head and opening her eyes, Maura looked confused by Jane's statement. "Excuse me?"
"You know, the one with the two bathtubs."
Comprehension set in after a moment and Maura replied, "Cialis."
"What?" Jane asked with a frown.
"The ad you're referring to is for Cialis, not Viagra," Maura stated in her matter-of-fact tone.
"Whatever," Jane replied with an eye roll. "Isn't it supposed to help you have sex?"
"It's for erectile dysfunction, yes," Maura answered.
"Then why are they in two tubs? Wouldn't it be easier to get a little somethin' somethin' going if they were in the same tub?"
Maura smiled and looked curiously at Jane again. "Are you asking me to join you over there?"
"What? No!" Jane said quickly. "It's just the two tubs and all made me think- You know what? Nevermind."
"Are you implying that you might need a little help?" Maura asked, seemingly concerned.
"Help with what?"
"Well, not with erectile dysfunction, obviously, but if you're suffering from low libido or diminished-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jane interrupted. "Nothing's diminished over here except the presence of a suitable partner right now."
Maura smiled. "Jane, you know a partner is not absolutely necessary to satisfy your needs."
Jane frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Maura smiled a little wider and wiggled her fingers, which had been resting on the side of her tub.
Jane's jaw dropped and she look appalled. "Oh no, we are not having this conversation." She put her head back and closed her eyes. "Not having it."
"But, Jane, it's a perfectly natural, normal-"
Jane shook her head from side to side. "La la la la la. I can't hear you…" she said in a sing-songy voice.
"Well, I am a doctor. I could always help you out if needed," Maura said as she leaned her head back again.
Jane's eyes flew open and her head shot forward as she gaped in Maura's direction.
Not noticing Jane's reaction, Maura continued. "Of course, the drugs targeting females are fairly new, so I would certainly want to do some research before I wrote you a prescription, but the offer stands."
Jane almost laughed in relief. "So, you meant… you would write me a prescription…"
"Of course," Maura said lifting her head again. When she saw Jane's face, she asked, "What did you think I meant?"
Jane quirked her eyebrows and looked pointedly at Maura's fingers, while gesturing toward them with her head. "You know…"
Comprehension once again set in on Maura's face. "Oh!" Then she smiled as her curiosity got the best of her. "Is that something you would like?" she asked, in what Jane was certain she was imagining to be a rather suggestive tone.
Jane's eyebrows, continuing to be her major form of expression given her current position, almost hit her hairline. "Is that something you would do?"
"Are you propositioning me?" Maura asked, and Jane realized that she had definitely lowered her voice.
"Are you offering?" Jane asked, surprising herself with her own flirtatious voice.
Maura smiled. "Answering a question with a question is a common avoidance technique. You know that right?"
"All I said was this reminded me of a stupid commercial and all of sudden we're having this conversation?"
Maura continued to smile. "Changing the subject – another avoidance technique."
Jane rolled her eyes and then reclined her head back against the tub again. "I thought we were meditating."
Maura mirrored Jane's position in her own tub, but continued to smile. "If you need to meditate to find your answer, just take your time. I'll be here. Like the Cialis slogan says, 'when the moment is right…'"
Jane couldn't help but chuckle as she cracked one eye open and glanced over at Maura. "Well, I'm not the only one who answered a question with a question, so there."
Maura nodded slightly. "That's true. Maybe we both have something to meditate about."
Jane opened her other eye and raised her head, looking directly at Maura now. The doctor remained reclined with her eyes closed, but Jane couldn't help but notice that she continued to smile. "Maybe we do," Jane replied as she continued to watch the doctor curiously.
As Jane began to contemplate all the new thoughts about Maura that had begun an assault on her brain, her eyes drifted down to the tops of Maura's breasts, visible just above the mud that was covering the rest of her body. After a moment, she became vaguely aware that Maura had raised her head again and was looking her way – obviously amused.
Jane snapped her eyes back to Maura's face and said, "What?"
Maura smiled demurely. "I thought you were meditating."
Jane reclined her head again and closed her eyes as she began to smile. "Oh, I am."
FADE TO BLACK