RIZZOLI & ISLES

Release

cleo2584 and future_imp47

Title: Release

Author: cleo2584 and future_imp47

Fandom: Rizzoli & Isles

Pairing(s): Jane Rizzoli/Maura Isles

Rating: NC–17

Summary: It’s always been easy for Jane to deal with the job, with the chase in ways she’s used to, but something about being with Maura changes that.

A/N: A sequel to

…From a Beginning’s End

Interruptions

Once Realized…

Incidentals

Question of Confidence

Nocturne

Absent

Comforts

Full text also on AO3 http://archiveofourown.org/works/112608.

Release

cleo2584 and future_imp47

Chapter 1

Jane sipped her coffee—it needed more sugar—as Frost drove toward the ME’s office. She could feel Maura’s obvious pouting in the backseat of the cruiser, but she could also feel the tension that had been following all of them. Since they had confirmed their suspect was still on the streets, she’d insisted Maura have an escort to and from work, though the blonde still was resistant. It had taken Jane going to the lieutenant for a formal order. For his part, Barry ever the good partner, was aggressively ignoring whatever was going on between the two women.

She was doing her best to force down the coffee and figure out what she could say that wouldn’t result in the ride back to Maura’s at the end of the day even worse. But Jane was pretty set on the entire day being tense. They were just four blocks from Maura’s office when the radio crackled to life,

“All units in the vicinity of Albany and Washington streets: suspect sighted on foot…” Even as the description continued, both Jane and Frost’s phones rang in unison and she could feel Maura sitting forward.

“We’re close.” Jane could feel her adrenaline start to rise. Frost glanced over at her, silently asking if they should call another unit. They probably should –Maura was technically a civilian and with the threats…but the allure was too much. It was their case; he was their suspect.

“Just go.” Jane’s voice was steady, and Frost just nodded. In a moment, he was swerving the cruiser out of traffic, expertly navigating Boston’s narrow streets toward the last known sighting.

“There!” Jane pointed, catching a glimpse of the man’s back as it disappeared down an alley down the block.

“You sure?” Frost’s response was automatic, and he was already slowing by the curb.

“Yes.” Jane’s hand was already on the handle of the car door and the other un–holstering her gun. The street was narrow and the alley coated in thick snow, iced over from months of going un–plowed.

Just before Jane slammed the door behind her, she glanced at Maura, “Stay. There.” The look in her eyes was feverish, brought on by the weeks of anguish over the case and the suffering of too many victims. Before Maura could respond, Jane had turned and was running down the icy bricks of the sidewalk, skidding to a halt at the corner of the alley. There she paused a split second—back to the wall, weapon drawn preparing for whatever was next. Jane took a breath, and glanced around the corner. The figure was there, moving away from her.

“Stop! Police!” The second the words were out of her mouth, the man ran, not even looking back to see who was chasing him—he already knew.

“Shit.” Jane started after him. He had a good head start, but before he could reach the street again, he slipped, pitching forward on the ice. In a few seconds, Jane was on top of him. She was already reaching for the cuffs at the back of her belt when he sprung up, and she felt something hard hit her wrist—sending her weapon flying out of her hand, skidding across the snow. Instinctively, she brought her other hand up and slammed her fist as hard as she could against the man’s chin. His eyes connected with hers for a split second as his head snapped back and the fury there made Jane go cold.

Jane shook it off and lunged for her gun. The next instant she knew it was a mistake and felt something hard hit the back of her head. Her world spun, and she hit the ground, even as she heard footsteps approach from behind her in the snow.

How they knew the streets so well, Maura would never really know. She wouldn’t have guessed the way Frost turned would have gotten them where it did, but once he slipped out of the car, she was fast behind him, slipping in her heels, struggling for purchase on the icy brick. Her ankles were numb in the snow, but somehow, Frost didn’t hear her behind him. She knew adrenaline was to blame. Her own was coursing through her as her blood rushed in her ears. She skidded, falling forward to catch herself with the heels of her hands, pain shooting up her arms. But Maura was as quick as she possibly could be back to her feet. And that’s when she saw him looming there as Jane groaned in the snow. Her breath caught in her throat, threatening to close it with fear.

“Jane!” she called, causing Frost’s head to snap back from where he was creeping forward. The perp turned back swiftly too, startled. But his expression quickly changed and horror froze Maura in place when she saw the smile that came to his face as he turned fully away from Jane and took a step toward her.

A new chill went through Jane when Maura’s voice cut through the blackness. She stirred, gathering her senses with an even greater sense of urgency. She could see his back turned to her now as he advanced on Maura. Jane scrambled, and her fingers closed on her gun. She looked up and saw him reach for something in his coat. She saw a flash of metal, and before Jane could think, her finger closed on the trigger– the shot echoed through the alley, and the man collapsed, clutching his right leg.

Her vision blurred as she stood, but Jane shook herself, pushing it away. Frost was already moving in and reaching for his cuffs, but Jane gave him a look, and he paused, picking up the suspect’s gun instead from where it had been dropped in the snow. Roughly, Jane hauled the groaning man’s hands from his leg, and twisted them behind his back, and the cuffs clicked closed. Finally, she stood. Her hands were bloody, and now they started to shake for the first time. “Frost, call an ambulance.” The Jane still stared at the man at her feet—he didn’t deserve it, but life wasn’t always fair.

The sound of the shot brought Maura out of her stupor and the rest seemed to have happened too slowly or too quickly—she couldn’t quite place which. Her legs were now numb with cold as she forced them move forward. “You’re bleeding,” she said,” carefully reaching up to part Jane’s now matted hair. “It’s probably a superficial cut, but you could have a concussion.” The words were automatic. She was doing what she knew. Fear couldn’t take that way from her. But her voice was more urgent than calm; the permutations of what could have happened were chilling.

Maura knew the ambulance was on the way, but she had to do her duty as a doctor––a doctor first, then a woman…a scared, worried woman. She knelt in the snow, avoiding the perp’s dark eyes as she examined the wound in his leg. “Clean entry an exit,” she said methodically. “The blood loss should not be too substantial before the paramedics arrive.” She could hear the sirens. She wanted to get away, to take Jane someplace safer, to be someplace safer herself, even though the threat was writhing in front of her.

They were close to the hospital, and before Jane had time to answer, the paramedics were making their way down the alley. She nodded, recognizing several of them. Jane turned to Frost, “Go with them, keep an eye on this guy?” She could feel Maura shift beside her, but cut her off before she could say anything else, “I’m fine. I should get you to your office.” The cold was closing in now, and Jane could feel the pain in her head and wrist start to break through. She started to the cruiser as the ambulance pulled away and slid in as Maura got in next to her.

“What?” Maura turned toward her and took her arm with numb fingers before she could pull away from the curb. “No, you’ve…Jane, you’ve probably got a concussion.” Maura’s protests were weaker than she would have liked them to be. She was cold. She was holding back tears of relief, of worry.

Jane pulled out onto the road, driving the few blocks to the ME’s office, “I’m fine. You’re a doctor anyway, I’ll even let you look me over.” She let a hint of a smile cross her lips, “Just don’t tell anyone, this one’s mine and I’m damn well not gonna let anyone else take the credit for it.” Jane parked the car, and reached for the back of her head, breath hissing lightly when she felt the cut. “Bastard doesn’t get to do this to me unless I can be the one to tell the city he’s off the streets.”

Maura’s lips thinned into a straight line, but she knew that tone. She knew it was useless to argue…and she was too tired for it anyway. She simply waved Jane inside, ushering her quickly to her office, where she pulled on gloves. She wondered if Jane was being entirely literal when she referred to what he had done to her; she wondered if her own turmoil meant anything to that statement. “Be still,” she said as she rounded Jane and parted her hair, looking at the cut. Maura frowned as she stepped away to a small sink. She caught herself in the mirror––circles under her eyes, pale cheeks––but she dismissed that as she went back to Jane, where she began to clean the wound as best she could. “You’ll have to pull your hair up or wear a hat until you can wash it, but…I’ll need to give you a stitch first…two, I think.” She moved away, methodically gathering the things she needed.

Jane nodded. The wound was stinging now more than before, but the rest of her was starting to uncoil– relaxing finally in the heat of the office. She didn’t question Maura– trusting her implicitly, mind already thinking ahead to what would come next. “Okay, yes…thank you.”

“I should be thanking you,” Maura said quietly, pausing before she began to stitch. She could feel Jane’s flesh, warm under her fingers, and for a moment, she was overwhelmed with relief that they were both there, alive.

Jane pulled in a breath when Maura started, digging her fingers into the arms of the chair. Maura was precise and efficient, but the sensation was still intense. She closed her eyes for a moment, “You should have stayed in the car.” Despite the admonishment in her words, Jane’s voice was soft– she had no interest in placing blame, or really revisiting the moment so soon.

There was nothing Maura could find to say. She knew that she should have stayed in the car. She else knew that if she hadn’t, there was a chance something more dire might have happened to Jane. There were so many possibilities that came to endings that overwhelmed what tentative resolutions Jane and Maura had reached between themselves. “There,” she said as she stepped back, lingering behind Jane uncertainly.

Jane relaxed for a moment before standing. Her wrist still hurt, but it moved well enough, just a sprain and a few bruises – nothing a few Tylenol wouldn’t take care of. She looked at Maura, and finally let out a breath, a light smile of relief starting to grow. “I should go back and clean things up at the unit.” She didn’t want to leave Maura’s quiet office for the chaos waiting outside, but it had to happen sooner or later. “But can I see you tonight?” They’d been spending almost every night together, though there had been little energy for more than survival. Jane was ready to feel human again.

A soft, genuine smile came to Maura’s face as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ears. She was beginning to feel unbelievably tired now, but warmth was creeping back into her at the promise of a return to more normal days. “You’re my ride home, remember?"

Chapter 2

As Maura unlocked the door and disarmed the alarm, she smiled to herself, realizing how quickly she had come to take for granted that Jane was right behind her, arming the alarm again as she was hanging up their coats. But that evening, she was calmer, her body less wound with tension. The sun had been setting in the falling snow on their way to her home, and she had been able to enjoy it. She was not free of tension, however, but this one was different, pleasant. She and Jane could finally relax, enjoy each other.

“I should open champagne,” Maura said as she made her way into the kitchen. There was a bottle in the back of the fridge; she couldn’t deny indulging once in a while, and it was habit to keep a bottle for just that. This time, however, it was warranted. As she went about uncorking the bottle and pouring its contents into flutes, her eyes kept straying to Jane, watching her, appreciating her, waking desires, urges that had been present but muted by fear. “To…” She shook her head, laughing, her fingers brushing Jane’s as she handed her the glass, “to being done with it.”

Jane should have felt calm, or tired, by the long day and the weeks before it. Instead, something in her started to rise as she nodded in agreement and took more than a polite sip of the drink. Maura’s taste was, as always, perfect and Jane watched some color start to return to the other woman’s cheeks. She just watched her for a few long moments, eyes lingering on fingers, the fit of her clothes. The brunette could feel long pushed back desires closing in and the blood start to color her own cheeks.

As she fingered the stem of her glass, Maura shifted out of her heels, steeping onto the cool floor and gently nudging them aside. The rising color in Jane’s cheeks immediately caught her attention. For so many days, they had both been wan with dark circles underneath their eyes. But neither of them had had enough champagne yet for flushes like that. “I…” Maura shook her head as she thought of that morning, of the way Jane unflinchingly did what she had to do. “I don’t even know how to thank you. These past few weeks have been…so tiring…and so tense…”

Shifting, Jane was almost surprised at the force of the thoughts that crossed her mind then. Her adrenaline hadn’t faded entirely from the chase, and the sting in her scalp was a constant reminder—keeping her just slightly on edge. “Agreed.” Jane set down her glass, and stepped closer.

“It was so hard to actually get any work done…” Maura ran the tips of her fingers over the heel of her hand where she had scraped it falling when she ran after Jane. The memories of the morning were beginning to be fuzzy, but the feelings were still so acute. And then there was Jane’s proximity, despite her fatigue, despite her sore muscles, it woke something in her, and she found herself smiling, moving closer. “But I’m glad to wrap this one up…just…” She shook her head and sighed softly as she ran her hand down Jane’s arm, simply making sure she was real.

Jane caught Maura’s hand by the wrist, turning it too look briefly at the scratches on her palm. At that, her thoughts finally boiled over, and she lost them entirely. “It’s done. For us anyway.” She had had to turn Jennings over to the rest—the judges and the lawyers—and that process was always too slow for her. Jane found she needed something more fulfilling and concrete. Her pulse rushed, and before she could stop herself, she was closing her fingers on Maura’s wrist, and pushing her back against the counter. She managed to just barely register a flash of surprise in the blonde’s eyes before she was kissing her forcefully.

Moments like these were not uncommon, not for Maura, but she gasped at the force behind Jane’s touch, behind the kisses, and the sound of surprise she made was swallowed by them. There was no hesitation where Jane had hesitated before, where she had taken time to question, to let her thoughts spin until Maura could easily push her, take her, force her to concentrate. But this was different; Maura knew immediately. Now she was questioning. She had never seen Jane like this, especially after this type of case. “Jane,” she gasped when they had to pull away. “Jane, I…” But she couldn’t find the right words, and her tone…the desperation almost surprised her, and Maura realized that Jane still had her fingers clenched around her wrist.

Maura’s hesitation only just registered in Jane’s mind, but the blonde’s tone was so heated already that it only drove her on. Soon, Jane’s was moving her lips down Maura’s neck, laying short, hot kisses as they went. Her grip tightened, and Jane twisted Maura’s arm behind her back, using it to tug her closer. There had been other nights like this, before Maura—after a long chase where Jane had found herself staring into the bottom of a bottle of tequila, or indiscriminately letting some other officer take her home, sometimes both. This time, however, she didn’t think the next day would be so heavy with regret.

“Jane,” Maura moaned again, pressing into her. She pressed her legs together tightly as she pushed her hips forward. “We should…” She ended with a soft, almost desperate moan. Maura didn’t care if they got to the bedroom, didn’t care if Jane had something else in mind. She wasn’t sure what was going on in the brunette’s mind, and she wasn’t sure if she should try to fight it. But as she flexed under Jane’s grip, Jane only pushed her harder, and Maura couldn’t deny the distinct thrill in that.

“Shhh..” Jane could hear Maura start to breathe harder, but she wasn’t pulling away. That she’d never been so bold with the blonde crossed her mind, but so many emotions were pushing her on, and Jane dropped her free hand to start tugging Maura’s skirt up over her hips.

With her free hand, Maura slipped her fingers underneath Jane’s belt, pulling her closer across a distance that was already minute. She had never been shy about taking her pleasure, about subtly directing Jane to it, but now Maura was testing, pushing just a little to see what Jane really meant by her actions. She kissed underneath her ear, nipping at it before Jane moved on, lips moving over some other part of her skin.

Jane groaned, letting her last reservations slip as she felt Maura’s fingers brush against her skin. Her voice dropped dangerously, and she breathed against Maura’s neck, “Mmmn..I want you.” She didn’t wait for a reply, but caught the hand that was at her waist, and spun Maura around. The next moment she was marching her out of the kitchen, stopping partway to the living room to force the blonde face–first against the wall. On instinct, Jane reached for the set of cuffs still in their place on her belt.

The sound Maura made started as a surprised squeal and quickly became a soft, guttural moan. “I…” she gasped. I want you to…just like this…. But Maura couldn’t say it, couldn’t force the words out because she was moaning desperately. Her eyes went wide when she heard the distinct clatter of the cuffs. This wasn’t something she had done, had ever considered doing. She liked to fight, to push, to be restrained underneath the weight of a body. But Jane had other ideas, and it was clear that she wouldn’t be stopped.

Jane felt Maura tense, and paused part way through the practiced action, fingers clicking the metal around the blonde’s slender wrist. She held the other poised to close, and leaned in closer, “Yes?” Jane could barely get the word out through her fast breathing, and if Maura stopped this now, she wasn’t sure what she would do.

“I want you too,” Maura said quickly, breathlessly. The cuff was cool against her wrist, and that thrilled her more than she thought anything else that night could. “Jane…” She moaned, pressing herself into the wall, waiting. “Please…”

The instant Maura finished, the other cuff clicked firmly closed, and Jane spun Maura back around. “Shit…” Jane muttered under her breath. She needed release so badly, and Maura’s easy compliance had done nothing to ease her want. Jane kissed Maura fiercely, reaching for her own belt, tugging it off, unzipping her pants, and pushing Maura down firmly.

Her knees hit the floor too hard, and Maura winced, but she made no sound of complaint. Instead she flicked her eyes up to Jane’s as she tested the cuffs, knowing their strength would be beyond her own. And the way Jane’s eyes were dark, clouded with desire that was more intense than anything Maura had seen before. She breathed in her scent as she lowered her eyes and leaned forward, delicately pressing her mouth between Jane’s legs and nipping at her clit, teasing. Jane’s breath came sharply, then she groaned at the light touches. She wasn’t in control enough to wait for Maura to ease into the request, and instead gripped a handful of Maura’s hair to press her closer.

As she moaned into Jane, Maura found herself clenching and unclenching her fingers. She wanted to press them into the brunette, to feel just how wet she was, and she made a soft sound of frustration as she started to lick her more firmly, circling Jane’s clit with her tongue. The long fingers in her hair held it tightly where pricks of pain radiated out along her scalp. But Maura didn’t mind that; she couldn’t deny that Jane suddenly being so bold, so demanding—when it was usually she who demanded—was pushing her own desire to the point of pain.

“Mm…yes” Jane’s eyes were closed, and she held Maura’s mouth against her. Just a few more moments was all she could stand, and her breath caught in the back of her throat, finally giving way to a long release. She panted, letting go of Maura’s hair to brace herself on the wall in front of her.

Maura whimpered into Jane, tasting her, pushing her through it. She knew Jane’s body. She knew when she was finished, how quickly she could be ready again. She could hear each of Jane’s breath and feel her pulse. But Maura didn’t stop. She strained against the cuffs as she continued to lick, pushing against Jane. Part of her wanted to see what Jane would do, to see if the brunette would give in, and part of her simply didn’t want to stop.

When she finally came back to herself, Jane groaned. The touch was almost too intense now, and she knew Maura was enjoying it. She shook herself, and stepped back a pace, watching Maura’s posture– noting how she was subtly rubbing her legs together. Jane calmly re–fastened her pants, but let her belt clatter onto the floor. What release she had gained a moment earlier now didn’t seem like enough with Maura there wanting so obviously. Jane’s eyes darkened, and she moved in to press Maura flat on the ground, allowing just enough slack to accommodate her hands still bound behind her.

Maura’s lips parted and she drew in a silent, shuddering breath. Her eyes met Jane’s, and she couldn’t look away, she couldn’t find her own breath. Blood rushed in her ears when she saw them darkened by desire, unclouded with uncertainty. And in that moment, Maura knew that she could keep pushing, but Jane wouldn’t break. She pressed her legs together tightly, squirming, awkward and not caring what it looked like.

Jane leaned over Maura, taking a moment to bite at her neck, leaving behind a growing red mark on her skin. Then she abruptly shifted, moving back and catching the squirming blonde by the ankles. Without pausing, Jane yanked her forward, forcing her skirt up over her hips. She only barely stopped herself from ripping off the bit of lace and silk Maura still wore under it, dragging it off roughly instead.

A yelp escaped Maura’s lips at the treatment, and it quickly ended in a deep moan. She squirmed as the handcuffs bit into her wrists and back, as Jane’s rough touches marked her skin. She couldn’t deny her own arousal. Her thighs were wet with it. “Jane,” she moaned, begging, knowing she was begging for Jane to continue rather than to stop.

Jane didn’t answer, but descended on Maura again, forcing her legs apart, and pushing her fingers between them. Her hips held the blonde in place, and she closed her eyes– groaning when she felt how wet Maura was already. The brunette wasn’t thinking about anything else– just the sensations of the moment, and instinct guiding her on.

There was something in each touch that that spoke of hubris, of the cockiness that Jane wore every day as she went about her job. She let herself be vulnerable with Maura, but now…now Jane was simply letting herself go, letting herself revel in a victory that had been long and hard in winning. Maura arched into the touch, moaning loudly, seeking Jane’s lips with her own.

Jane only indulged the kiss for a moment, then pulled away to bite along Maura’s jawline. She pressed harder, adding another finger inside of the blonde. She was breathing fast, moaning under her breath, “Mmmn…I want to hear you come for me…” That she’d never demanded anything of the sort from Maura before didn’t have time to cross Jane’s mind.

“I…yes…” Maura had never wanted to comply with anyone more than she did in that moment. “I want to…I want…harder, please…” she whimpered, knowing full well that Jane could and might refused, and that in itself thrilled her.

Jane was in no place to stop, and growled lowly at the request. She forced harder, pressing her hip against her own hand with each thrust. She was starting to sweat with the exertion, and Maura’s skin felt hot, flushed under her.

Each time Jane pushed into her, the cuffs bit into Maura’s back, she clenched her fists, wanting to hold Jane’s hips, to wind Jane’s hair around her fingertips. She wanted to push just as hard as Jane was pushing, but the helplessness, to her surprise, was pushing her close to the edge, and finally she cried out as her body tensed and shook with her climax.

At the noise, Jane let go of her own tension, out a long breath. It took her several more moments, however, to come back to herself enough to pull her hand away. She lay across the blonde, trying to clear her mind– almost at a loss for her own actions. Immediately, she moved, rolling Maura over far enough to quickly remove the cuffs from her wrists. Jane started, seeing the angry marks they left on her skin. That was enough to shatter her earlier drive, and she sat back, stunned at the realization. “God…Maura…I…”

Maura rolled her wrists, luxuriating in how free they felt, but she heard something like doubt creeping into Jane’s voice, and she knew that after such a long month, after such a long day and the way Jane had reacted to it, that could mean she would crash, that what they were having there would disappear. She only hesitating for a moment, considering what might be best for her, for Jane. But in the end, what she wanted won out, and Maura immediately pushed her hands into Jane’s hair, careful not to push into the cut she had stitched earlier that day and kissed her desperately, with desire that was growing again and quickly. She hoped it reassured Jane, hoped it pushed her back into the mindset she had walked in with that night. And Maura hoped she could take a little more than her fill. Just thinking of how it had begun, how quickly Jane had taken control was making Maura quickly ready again. “You’re amazing,” she rasped, voice thick, finishing Jane’s sentence for her.

Jane didn’t have time to think further before Maura stole her breath, forcing the thoughts of what she had just done from her mind. She kissed Maura back with just as much force, moaning as she started dragging Maura back up from the floor.

“Take me to bed,” Maura moaned. “Take me…” She didn’t care if it was really to bed, or the sofa, or the kitchen counter…it didn’t matter. But there was no demand in her voice, only need as she pressed herself into Jane and began to kiss her neck, sucking lightly at each spot until she nipped underneath her earlobe.

Jane finally managed to smile. She had needed the force to drive away the day, but now could feel a different need building. She was ready to do just what Maura asked– take her to bed and stay there until the morning…maybe longer. That it was still early in the evening didn’t matter, and Jane moaned, wrapping Maura around her and taking a deep breath as she lifted the blonde and started to make her way to the bedroom.

Chapter 3

The moment she became aware that she was conscious, Maura didn’t have to open her eyes to know it was later than she usually slept. But she immediately felt Jane warm underneath her, one of her arms wrapped tightly around Maura’s waist. She shifted and a pleasant soreness radiated through her limbs.

“Mmm,” she murmured quietly as she kissed Jane’s neck softly, half in an effort not to really wake her.

Jane opened one eye at a time, blinking in the sunlight streaming through the windows. Maura’s weight across her felt good, and she was far too content to move yet. “Hey, morning.”

“Morning,” Maura whispered, smiling as Jane’s eyes cleared of sleep. She moved slowly off of her, pulling the brunette on top of her and wrapping her arms around her loosely. She didn’t ask for more than that and simply luxuriated in the feel of Jane’s warm skin, the tickle of her curls as they fell. “Though…judging from the relative position of the shadows…mmm, it’s near noon,” she murmured. “I could make brunch.”

Jane kissed Maura quietly, pausing as she saw the bruises now quite visible on her wrists. She tried to push it away, to trust in Maura’s tone, her touch. The brunette let out a long breath, and ran her hands over Maura’s sides. “You could.” She kissed her more deeply, “but maybe in a little while.”

~ ~ ~