Disclaimer: All recognizable Rizzoli & Isles characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners including, but not limited to Tess Gerritsen. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No financial gain is associated with the publishing of this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Prior to this week's new episode airing, there was a marathon on TNT and I caught "Phoenix Rising" (5x10) again. The final scene of that episode begged for a post-ep piece. You know the scene, Jane and Maura waiting up for Angela who had gone dancing. They're sitting on the couch after Maura had given Jane her going away present of "luggage" and they practically snuggle under a blanket. You know the one. Here is my humble attempt at extending that wonderful scene. –dkc

Waiting Up

Sitting on the couch, Jane set aside the practical, though in jest, gift of commercial strength bags to carry her things home in. She leaned back against the couch and ran her hand through her wild hair. They might as well settle in while they awaited the return of Angela who had, of all things, gone dancing.

"Should we order a pizza? We might be waiting up for awhile," Maura said.

"No, you don't have to, I'm sure you're exhausted," Jane sighed at the thought of waiting up for her mother alone on her final night of staying with her best friend.

"You know, I doubt I could sleep, either," Maura settled in next to Jane, pulling the white blanket over her lap.

The two women were sitting shoulder to shoulder, Jane leaning a bit against the doctor, the blanket partially over her, too. Maura subtly placed one hand under the blanket, resting it on Jane's thigh. Her eyes never left the television Jane had turned on.

"What time is it now?" Jane attempted to use the obnoxious question and her stiffly folded arms to hide any outward response to the touch of Maura's hand on her under the blanket.

"9:36," Maura answered.

"What time do we start calling hospitals?" Jane's voice dropped a bit.

"Not 'til later," there was a hint of something mischievous in Maura's voice. "After 10, 10:05."

"Raising my mother is a lot harder than I thought," Jane quipped.

At this Maura smiled. Both women were staring ahead at the television, but neither had any idea what was on. All that existed was the two of them.

Jane turned her head to the side to look at the quiet doctor, but her gaze was drawn away by the slit allowing a deep plunge at Maura's neckline. As Maura sat, her right breast was slightly exposed to Jane. Ample cleavage gave way to the hint of lace that barely covered a rosy nipple.

Sensing Jane's eyes on her and feeling the electricity flowing between them, Maura's hand began teasing Jane's thigh. She stifled a smirk when she noticed Jane squeeze her thighs together.

"You know," Maura spoke softly. "You could stay."

Jane lifted her eyes from the doctor's chest to her beautiful, questioning eyes.

"I didn't plan on going home tonight," Jane said.

"I meant you could stay for however long," Maura smiled. "You spend most of your time here as it is."

Keeping her arms folded, Jane's hand that was closer to Maura reached under the blanket to still the doctor's wandering hand. Her brown eyes were dark in the subdued light of the living room.

"Ma doesn't know," Jane spoke the words that needn't be said between the two women who had been growing closer and closer for months, no longer only best friends, as if it had ever been that simple in the first place.

"We could tell her," Maura was nothing but supportive.

Had it been the baby that allowed them to finally be honest about what they were to one another? The time Jane had spent with Maura, Maura doting over her as she recovered from the assault on she and Tasha and the loss of the baby, had been what they both needed. This time together made way for necessary and long awaited steps in their relationship.

"Jane?" Maura whispered.

The doctor's free hand came up to cup Jane's face. She looked at the detective with nothing but love and affection.

Their lips came together suddenly in a fiery kiss. As the kiss deepened into a sloppy portrayal of desire, Jane turning her body toward the doctor, Maura's hand slipped between Jane's thighs. She didn't move her hand any higher.

Maura had lost count of how many times they had kissed on this very couch. The first time was a simple, chaste kiss. It had been a goodnight kiss. This kiss was nothing at all like that kiss. It was anything but chaste. But the kissing had never progressed to more than exploratory hands. Of course, it had all begun only weeks before Jane lost the baby and since then Maura would never have asked for more from Jane. She was too happy to have this part of their new relationship.

Pulling back, the brunette had a purely lustful look on her face.

"Come here," Jane rasped.

Following Jane's request perfectly, the doctor flipped the blanket away, pulled up her dress, exposing bare thighs and climbed atop the detective's lap. Straddling Jane, she resumed the kiss before Jane could catch her breath at the sight of Maura's legs, both of her hands now tangling in beautiful dark curls.

Something Maura had found in previous make out sessions on this couch was how Jane's hands were uniquely strong and gentle at the same time. As the brunette's scarred hands reached around to pull Maura closer, the woman on top moaned at the dueling sensation of those gentle hands as they grazed the backs of her thighs and then gripped, with some show of strength, her backside.

"If you moan like that," Jane had released plump, champagne-tasting lips to trail kisses along Maura's throat. "I will not be able to resist removing your dress entirely," she spoke between kisses.

"Would that be such a terrible occurrence?" Maura's dimple was showing as she coyly smiled.

Jane's face took on a tone of seriousness. She knew, as did Maura, that in all of their relationships with other people, men, really, sex had been had or at least was on the table by now. This was not like any of those relationships, though. This was the single most important, meaningful and significant relationship either of them had had in their adult lives. And the recent loss of the baby further complicated things.

Maura read Jane's face perfectly.

"We don't have to until you're ready," Maura spoke with sincerity.

Jane's hands left Maura's lace-covered backside to frame the doctor's concerned face.

"I've been ready for weeks," Jane admitted. "Emotionally and mentally, you know."

It was no surprise to Dr. Isles that Jane's body wasn't yet ready to resume sexual activity. It wasn't unusual for a woman's body to need time. She understood.

When Maura nodded, Jane shook her head knowing immediately that the doctor had presumed incorrectly.

"I'm ready," Jane whispered in the most sensual tone Maura had ever heard come from her mouth. "Completely."

The furious kissing that had started their encounter may well have continued, but a sweet, slow motion kiss took its place now. While Jane's hands remained on Maura's cheeks, Maura place her hands first on Jane's bony hips then up her muscular abs until she came to cup Jane's breasts over her t-shirt.

"God," Jane groaned into the doctor's open mouth.

Pleased with Jane's reaction, Maura followed a similar path down the woman's torso with one hand until she reached Jane's pants. She untucked the shirt on one side and used the opening to sneak in an exacting hand. Jane took in a fast breath as Maura's hand rose up her bare skin and came to palm Jane. The satin bra was the only thing between Maura's hand and Jane's breast, but even that bra could not hide the arousal-caused hardening beneath it.

Jane pulled Maura's face as close as possible to press her own tongue as deep into the doctor's mouth as she could. They were so engrossed in the kiss that they hadn't heard a noise outside.

"Girls! I'm home!" the side door in the kitchen swung open, revealing a primped up Angela Rizzoli.

Both women froze. Neither woman had any idea how to get out of this predicament with no small amount of embarrassment or explaining.

"Oh!" Angela's hand went over her mouth and her eyes grew wide.

Maura didn't dare look over the couch in Angela's direction and instead looked to Jane for help. Jane was biting her lip, a deep blush on her face. She quickly placed her hands on the back of Maura's thighs to help the doctor dismount without exposing herself. In the position she was in on Jane's lap, her cleavage was already exposed to Angela who had luckily stayed on the other side of the room.

"I…um…" Angela was speechless for the first time in recent memory. "I'm tired from dancing. I'll see you in the morning."

She turned without saying anything else and exited the same door she had made her sudden appearance through.

"Oh, my god," Maura spoke first, collapsing forward so her face was essentially hiding against Jane's neck.

For her part, Jane didn't say a word. Her hands remained clinging to the hem at the back of Maura's dress. And her face remained bright red. She was a woman pushing forty and had just had her mother walk in on her. Walk in on her making out with her best friend, who, in case it required pointing out, was a woman.

Before Jane could formulate a response, the side door flew open again.

"I hope I will see you both in the morning. Goodnight, my girls."

And the door closed once again behind her.

"I think your counsel to lock the door would have suited us well tonight," Maura mumbled against Jane's neck.

"Maybe. I was far too distracted to notice the possible sound of a key in the lock," Jane's voice finally broke its silence.

"Aside from the shock of it, she seemed rather okay with this," Maura didn't go to move.

"I think it's safe to assume she knows," Jane smirked.

This made Maura snicker until she broke out into a full belly laugh.

"I'm glad you find this hilarious."

The detective grabbed for Maura's side, tickling and teasing her. Her arm wrapped around to grab one of the legs that had remained straddling her until she was able to pull it across her and bring the honey-haired M.E. into a seated position in her lap. Legs now spread out on the couch; Maura did her best with Jane's assistance to pull her dress down over her legs.

With the dress pulled down, she settled into the brunette's lap, finally looking at Jane and the fading blush on her face. The detective was embarrassed, but there was not a hint of shame on her face.

"Why don't we go upstairs and get you out of this dress?" Jane's words were strangely confident given what had happened.

"Head on up, I'll lock the door."

Rising from Jane's lap, smoothing the wrinkles of her dress, Maura walked toward the side door to lock it, but Jane's voice on the stairs stopped her.

"It's a bit late for that lock!" Jane hollered.

Maura found herself chuckling as she clicked the lock and shut off the downstairs lights before making her way toward the stairs to join Jane.

-finis-