Sex On The Beach by Rae D. Magdon

"Here's to Sex on the Beach!"

Jane gave Maura a surprised look. "Excuse me?"

The medical examiner held up her drink, tipping it in Jane's direction. From its appearance and distinctive color, Jane deduced (correctly) that it was, in fact, a Sex on the Beach. "For a Detective, you certainly aren't very observant today, Jane," Maura said lightly, taking a sip from her glass before setting it back in the cup holder attached to the arm of her beach chair. Of course Maura's beach chair would have fancy cup holders, Jane thought... and of course she would be drinking a Sex on the Beach when both of them were stressing about their relationships (or lack thereof).

"I'm on vacation," the detective mumbled, "I don't need to be observant."

Granted, it was only a two-day vacation, but still, Jane felt it was necessary. The months she had spent recuperating after being shot had not been restful at all. She had put in one full workweek so far after convincing the Captain to "reinstate" her off the record, and as much as she hated to admit it, she felt drained by Friday. Besides, she was still a little sore that Casey had left for Afghanistan again with a kiss and not much else.

"Observation skills don't just leave, Jane," Maura quipped. Then, feeling that she had said enough on the subject, she opened her book and flipped her Prada sunglasses down over her eyes to protect them from the sun's glare.

For reasons she didn't understand, Jane found herself using her aforementioned "observation skills" to observe Maura closely. Her normally pale skin was slightly pink from the sun despite the sunscreen she had slathered on repeatedly throughout the morning. The oils made her legs, arms, and stomach glisten, and somehow, her bikini made her breasts seem even larger than Jane was used to. Her sunglasses were large, but not large enough to swallow her whole face, and they allowed to Jane to study Maura's heart shaped face and full lips. She swallowed, trying to work some moisture into her dry throat. It had to be the salt air... but she felt her heart stutter as she watched Maura turned the pages of her... Shakespeare?

"Maur, why are you reading that? Don't people usually take light reading to the beach?"

The Medical Examiner looked up, not too irritated at the interruption. She knew Jane couldn't keep quiet for long, despite her occasional antisocial tendencies. "When I mentioned Shakespeare to you a week ago, I realized that I had not reviewed the Histories in a decade or so," she mentioned casually. "It was a problem that needed to be rectified."

"Taking your mind off of your guy problems, eh?" Jane said, trying to force her voice to stay cheerful and upbeat. "I'm glad you dumped Dr. 'How Are We Feeling Today'. He was no good for you."

Maura sighed and turned another page of Richard III. "Sadly, I agree with your conclusions. He had some pretty severe personality flaws..."

"To say the least," Jane muttered under her breath. "I don't know how I'm going to get him to sign off on my return to active duty."

"Don't worry about that now." Maura closed the thick volume she had cracked open, using her finger to save the place as she put a reassuring hand on Jane's arm. "You are a resourceful woman, Jane. Between the two of us, we'll find a way. By the way, since we are engaging in 'girl talk'..."

Jane couldn't stifle a laugh. "Girl talk? Us? We're the two least likely people on the planet to bother with 'girl talk'."

"Nonetheless... how has your mood been since Sgt. Major Jones' departure?" Maura inquired softly.

The detective paused, considering her answer carefully. "It made me think a lot," she said slowly. "Think about moments in your life where you have the chance to open a door. Do you walk through, or try to find another one?"

"A fairly common metaphor, but effective, I suppose. I do notice, however, that you failed to answer my question."

"It sucked," Jane admitted flatly. "He brought back some old feelings from high school." But the detective knew that was a lie. What bothered her about Casey Jones' return to Boston hadn't been the way he had left her. Instead, it had kicked her brain into overdrive. Jane Rizzoli - stubborn, independent, I-laugh-at-danger Jane Rizzoli - had been picturing strange things during her rare quiet moments. A house. Perhaps another dog to keep Jo Friday company... or a tortoise? Weekend movie nights. Sex, of course. Maybe even a few rugrats.

And she had come to the startling conclusion that she didn't want them with Casey. Not anymore, and maybe not ever.

Instead, the person who invaded those all too vivid dreams was sitting right next to her.

Jane had accepted the fact that she had a crush on Maura Isles a few weeks after they started working together, but she hadn't been overly concerned. After all, it wasn't that weird to admire a beautiful, intelligent woman, right? It was kind of like having a crush on your teacher... it would never happen in a million years, so it was mostly harmless.

"I have had unfortunate luck with Surgeons," Maura said, pulling Jane from her thoughts.

"I've had unfortunate luck with men in general," Jane responded without missing a beat. "Life would be simpler if we didn't have to date them."

"Have you considered lesbianism?"

Even though Maura was the one with the drink instead of her, Jane found herself choking and hacking. Maura shifted in her beach chair, looking concerned. "Are you all right? If your airway is closed, move your hands to your throat to let me know."

Jane coughed again, waving her away. "I'm fine," she wheezed. "You just... surprised me."

"Is it really so surprising? I thought we discussed this before - and are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah... gimme that..." Without asking politely, Jane reached for Maura's Sex On The Beach and took a long drink. It was smooth going down and made her face feel a little warmer than the sun. Fortunately, her choking had subsided enough to breathe and talk properly again. She was relieved when the sky darkened a few shades, offering her some relief from the heat.

"You're welcome," Maura said pointedly, although she tipped the brim of her sunglasses down and winked to let Jane know she wasn't serious.

Jane added a belated "thanks" before turning on Maura. "What on earth made you say that?"

The medical examiner shrugged. "It's a viable alternative." She offered Jane her drink again, but the detective shook her head and declined. "Homosexual behavior does permeate all cultures, after all, and although there is some stigma attached to labeling oneself as such, there are distinct advantages-"

"I'm not sure," Jane said nervously, startled that Maura's thoughts had so closely mirrored her own and desperately backpedaling. "What kind of advantages?"

"Understanding how the female body works," Maura said serenely. Jane couldn't be sure, but she thought she caught a glimpse of the honey blonde's lips twitching up in a small smirk.

Jane stared up at the sky, which was turning a strange stormy-gray color. "Think it'll rain?" she asked as the sun passed behind a cloud, casting them in deeper shadow.

"Possibly. Why are you so uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, Jane?"

Very uncomfortable, but unwilling to lie, Jane settled for a brief answer. "I'm not uncomfortable. I guess the word 'lesbian' puts me on the defense because some people at work assume things about me. Do you want to go swimming?"

Maura frowned at her.

"I'm not trying to escape the conversation, I promise! But this might be our only chance if it starts raining..."

The medical examiner conceded Jane's point. Flipping her sunglasses off of her face, she gave Jane a smile and a nod before tucking The Riverside Shakespeare securely in her beach back to protect it from the elements. "I'll race you to the ocean!" With a surprising amount of speed, Maura leapt out of her chair and careened toward the tide line, her small feet leaving deep prints behind in the damp sand.

Jane smiled and shook her head before following.

...

"My goodness, it's cold!" Maura said breathlessly, teeth chattering as she bobbed up and down on the waves. Jane doggy paddled beside her, trying to keep her eyes focused on Maura's face instead of her cleavage, which was just visible every time a wave dipped down. She could tell that Maura was cold. Her body had made a very... pointed declaration of the fact.

The detective aimed a light splash in Maura's direction, making sure not to hit her in the eyes. "I'm surprised you get your hair wet in the ocean, miss fancy pants."

"My parents took me every summer as a child... it brings back fond memories. It was some of the best quality time I spent with them." There was a trace of happiness mixed with nostalgia in Maura's voice, but Jane decided that she was mostly pleased that Maura was remembering her childhood fondly instead of worried.

"My parents made us visit our extended family in Brooklyn," Jane said. "Not my idea of the greatest summer vacation ever..."

"Jane, look!" Maura pointed in the distance, and at first Jane thought she was gesturing at a wheeling gull, releasing his call into the wind as he circled above the beach. Then, she noticed a large, dark gray cloud.

"Should we head in?" the brunette asked hesitantly, wiping away strands of hair that clung to her cheek and spitting out salt water as a wave hit the side of her face. "If that's a storm cloud, there could be lightning."

"There won't be lightning," Maura said confidently. "That's a Nimbostratus cloud, not a Cumulonimbus. The former is associated with low, constant threads of rain, while the latter -"

"You want to swim in the rain?" Jane was skeptical. She turned to glance at the beach, where several families were packing up their things and heading for their cars or hotels at a quick pace. Apparently, they had noticed the cloud as well.

Maura's grin was contagious, and Jane felt herself smiling even as the first drops of rain trickled down her forehead and into her eyes. "Why not? Our things are mostly put away... maybe it will be exciting."

Jane had to admit that Maura's playful, daring streak was... charming. She had never thought of Maura as charming before, but she couldn't deny it now. "Hey, it's your vacation, too... I might melt like the Wicked Witch of the West, but-"

"You are already in the ocean, and your body has not dissolved yet," Maura pointed out. Instead of criticizing her friend for being so literal, Jane only smiled.

"Come on," she said, paddling a few feet further out into the ocean. "The waves are picking up."

Maura let out a gleeful shout, lifting her arms up to the sky. Her toes barely skimmed the sand of the ocean floor as the waves bobbed her up and down. "Isn't this exhilarating?"

Jane was cold, and her muscles were starting to cramp, but Maura's glee was infectious. She shivered, sputtering as a large wave swelled higher than she expected and crashed over her head. The detective spat out seawater, shaking her wet hair back. She nearly jumped out of her skin when something soft brushed against her, but then she realized that Maura was right beside her, closer than she had expected. Her heart flew up and lodged in her throat when Maura's arm actually folded around her waist in an embrace, wet skin sliding against wet skin in the rocking ocean waves. "Are you cold?" Maura said, raising her voice a little to be heard above the wind.

No, Jane wasn't cold, but she was conflicted and very confused. She glanced nervously at the beach. Deserted. That was to be expected. The rain was coming down harder now, and no one sane was out in the water now...

No one sane... A flash of an image - Maura's hips rocking desperately against her hand as the muscles in her wrist flexed - convinced her that she was definitely insane. And Maura would agree that she was a certifiable nut job once Jane showed her what she was thinking in this very moment...

They kissed.

Neither was sure which of them initiated it, but soon they were devouring each other's lips as the rain continued to pelt their shoulders and hair, running down their faces and mingling with the ocean water. They only pulled apart to gasp for breath before diving in again.

For a brief moment, Jane wished she could hear the soft sound Maura released as she nibbled on the medical examiner's lip, but the sound of the water and wind and rain covered it up. But if this was where they were finally destined to come together, she would make the best of it. She slid a daring hand along Maura's sign just as the honey blonde, her hair made dark with the water it was holding, dove for Jane's throat and sucked sharply. "Aah, Jesus! What are we doing?" Jane said unsteadily as her hands began toying with the straps of Maura's bikini bottom, making sure to explore the surrounding territory as well. If she had read that kiss right, and she was sure that she had, Maura wouldn't tell her to stop. The thought was frightening and exhilarating, a little like swimming out in the ocean during a storm.

While Jane was warring with herself and doubting, Maura took the opportunity to flick one of Jane's top straps off her shoulder. Kissing her way from Jane's throat, she pulled the cup of her bikini top down, exposing the hardened tip of a breast to her lips. "Someone could see us," Jane murmured even as she curled her fingers in Maura's damp hair.

"Does it matter?"

No, it didn't, Jane decided as Maura's teeth grazed the excited point of her breast. She gripped the muscles of Maura's behind in her hands, squeezing automatically with each pull of the medical examiner's lips. Part of her could hardly believe this was happening, and her mind was racing to catch up with her body's reactions to Maura's touch.

Under the water, which was growing darker as it reflected the gray, cloudy sky, Maura's hand skimmed over Jane's thigh. The detective flinched, gasped, then pushed herself into the pressure, allowing Maura to cup between her legs. The entire experience was bordering on the surreal, but there was no way she could halt it now.

Jane threw one last, desperate glance in the direction of the beach, struggling to make it out through the rain even though they were closer to the shallows than they had been before. Not a soul in sight.

"Is this really happening? Right now? Here?" After all the shit we've been through with men this past week? After all the shit we've been through with each other the past several months?

"Right here. Right now," Maura whispered against her damp collarbone.

Jane found her own hands wandering beneath the waves, dipping beneath the elastic of Maura's bikini. Her fingertips traced back and forth, back and forth across her abdomen, trying to ignore the distracting way Maura was rubbing her through the material of her own swimsuit. When the medical examiner pleaded aloud, "touch me," Jane's doubts melted away and she practically tore off Maura's bottoms, desperate to touch, to join with her, to feel something.

Maura was so wet, so warm. Even in the salt water, Jane could tell that her friend and new lover was incredibly aroused. Part of her was sad that she couldn't taste what she was feeling, but maybe... maybe, if she was lucky, they would have a chance to explore that thought later. "It won't take much," Maura warned. "I've wanted this for a long time."

Jane groaned as her fingers probed through Maura's slick heat, but what really excited her was the medical examiner's confession. Maybe her thoughts weren't so crazy after all.

"Did I make you this wet?" Jane asked softly, almost shyly, but desperate for Maura to answer the question. Maura paused for a moment to enjoy a particularly nice stroke of Jane's dexterous fingers before using her own hands to pull Jane's swimsuit out of the way.

"Yes. It's a common occurrence." Maura sounded almost as shy as Jane, but her voice was quivering with excitement, and Jane realized for the first time that she might not be the only one who had experienced doubts.

Jane frowned, beginning to withdraw her fingers and all to aware of the sounds Maura was making. "Are you s-"

"Yes! It's too late to stop now... touch me... inside, Jane."

Maura wasted no time showing the detective exactly what she wanted, dipping two of her own fingers between Jane's lips and positioning them at her opening. She eased in slowly, so incredibly slowly, and Jane's hips jerked unsteadily. She almost lost her balance, but Maura steadied her at the last minute by pulling close.

"I need you to touch me," Maura whimpered, hoping that her example would encourage Jane to continue.

Jane slid her fingers home firmly, but not too harshly, using one at first, then two as Maura's thighs parted for her. It was difficult for her to concentrate on pleasing Maura when the medical examiner's second and third fingers were working her into a frenzy, and the thumb rolling over her from above made the muscles in her legs and stomach twitch with each pass, but she tried her best to keep up.

To the detective, it almost felt like her first time all over again. There was a little fumbling, a few sharp pants. Both of them were shaking, partially from the cold and partially from excitement tinged with the fear of discovery. The first few thrusts were hesitant, but as Jane gained confidence, she urged one of Maura's legs to hook around her waist and hold on. She redoubled her efforts, trying valiantly to ignore the fingers working frantically between her own legs.

"Together?" she found herself asking, too wrapped up in pleasure and Maura to care that her voice sounded weak. The rain continued to pour down, drenching them almost as much as the ocean, but they kissed through it, barely stopping to breathe.

"Together," Maura panted against Jane's mouth. "I like that."

Jane's stomach muscles tightened in preparation and she tilted her pelvis forward, searching for more just as her thumb landed directly on Maura's point. The contact was enough to send Maura spinning down, and Jane felt herself flying over the edge with her. Together. Before the shooting, she and Maura had done almost everything together anyway, and during the past week, they had been getting back on track. It felt unbelievably... right... that they were sharing this too.

Fighting the instinct to keep thrusting inside of Maura like a woman possessed, Jane gently removed her hand when the felt the medical examiner flinch. Maura followed suit, making Jane groan at the acute feeling of loss. "I don't want to... but we're..."

Jane was suddenly aware of how uncomfortable her body felt. Her eyes were stinging. Her skin was wrinkled and pruned. She had a few bruises and bite marks on her. She was absolutely freezing.

She wouldn't have changed a damn thing.

"Perhaps we should continue this..."

"-Inside?" Jane said, finishing Maura's thought for her. Her new lover gave her an uncharacteristically sweet smile and gazed at Jane from beneath lowered eyelids. She nodded. "I can't believe we did that."

Maura nodded again. As if on cue, the sun broke through the clouds again in such an unbearably cheesy moment that both of them burst into giggles. Even though they were pressed tight together, every time their eyes met, they started laughing even harder. The rain faded to a drizzle, and then stopped, leaving the sky a darker, fuzzier blue than it had been before the storm.

"I feel like I'm in a movie..."

"Or a dream," Jane suggested. "This kind of stuff just doesn't happen in real life."

"You make me belong."

That statement caused Jane to give Maura a quizzical look. "Belong where?"

"Take your pick," Maura said, reluctantly adjusting Jane's top to fit back over her breasts. She would have to conduct a more thorough examination later. "In the world. At work. Among people. With you... That's why I love you, Jane Rizzoli. You make me belong. Just like the sun belongs back out right now."

"You've got Casey beat," Jane blurted out before she could stop herself. "He called me a scary soft-shelled crab."

Instead of being angry or jealous, Maura was merely amused. "Your favorite physician called me 'merely a pathologist'."

"You're not merely anything," Jane insisted. "You're..." Mine, Jane hoped. She gently released Maura, but searched for her hand beneath the water and clutched it tight. "Come on," she said, gesturing towards the beach and the hissing waves that crashed over the sand. "Let's head back in."