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ladyriot · 1 year

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Jane/Maura tension in Jane waiting for Maura to give up on her...

I'm literally writing this post because I had a dream last night of scrolling tumblr and reading Jane Rizzoli character analysis from an episode that doesn't exist. So, in terms of real character analysis... have this.

I've made a little post about my absolute favourite ship dynamic and I really want to situate Jane within it. To me, Jane is a character that has some major commitment issues (that are also somehow abandonment issues) and this fear that people will give up on her, but especially Maura. At one point in the early seasons, Jane and Maura have a conversation that reveals Jane doesn't like to be disappointed.

And I truly think this is a key aspect of her early characterization. She hates being disappointed and yet it seems like part of her constantly expects to be. If she has something good, she doesn't get to keep it right? And this thinking extends significantly into her early interactions with Maura. I'm going for the first three seasons here, because it's what I have notes on, but it honestly probably extends past that. So here's Jane terrified of Maura giving up on her as a key element of her narrative conflict with Maura.

I'll start at the very beginning. The pilot features the first little kernel of this fear when Jane shows up at Maura's after Hoyt escapes. Gabriel Dean shows up at Maura's door and Jane's insecurity flares because they seem to both like him, but instead of pure jealousy in a romantic sense...

There's also a sense that Maura will inevitably get him, not her. And very little trust in the ability of their friendship to survive them both liking the same man. Jane argues with Maura about her secrecy in this episode out of this fear when she has to go to Quantico, but she's sympathetic here because we can see how much insecurity and fear undercuts her actions. She expects Maura to give up on her with the choice of Dean and Dean on her with the choice of Maura.

This seems like a central current of the first half of season one, especially with the thread laid down in 1x04 pulled into 1x05 with Garrett Fairfield. Jane is framed as insecure about her station. When there's a murder at BCU, it brings up a lot about Jane's limited post-secondary education. She tells Maura about how the BCU campus inspires her, but also makes her potentially regretful.

This becomes even more central when Jane sees Maura with the Brahmins and class comes even further into play. At the scene, Jane wants to question the Fairfields, but Maura is resistant.

Look at Jane's face. She looks like she's just been horribly betrayed. And it culminates into this argument at autopsy.

This compounds on that insecurity about not having a college education by pairing it up with wealth and social power. These things all become a wedge between Jane and Maura because, like Korsak suggests, Jane is afraid that Maura's allegiance is to those ideals rather than to her.

This fear of Maura giving up on her clearly extends beyond wealth and education because it also comes into Jane's interactions with Maura around Tommy. Jane essentially begs Maura not to sleep with her brother, whose mind Maura finds attractive, and then says Tommy's not the only Rizzoli "with a beautiful mind." So perhaps there's an element of romantic jealousy more clearly oriented towards Maura creeping in. But when they have friction over Tommy's arrest, these fears are once again aparent. When Maura doesn't risk a prison sentence and the loss of her medical licence (you know, things you would definitely risk for just a friend) to warn Jane about Tommy's arrest, Jane goes off about how Maura didn't trust her to protect her. And how she should've protected Jane too.

She almost insinuates that they're not friends or that their friendship is tenuous because Maura won't devote herself entirely to Jane's loyalty no matter the personal cost simply because Jane already has invested loyalty into Maura. The reciprocity's unequal, though, which becomes clear when Jane shoots Paddy. At first, it's just fear that her friend will be mad at her because she shot her father.

See the insecurity in it? The humanity, the clarity she was emotionally connected to Maura despite having just hurt her? It turns.

Jane rushes to Maura because she's afraid Maura will turn her over to the IAD and tells her that if their friendship ever mattered, she would be careful about her words. She is so afraid of Maura giving up on her, and so sure she'll do it, that she doesn't even see her own irony here. She wanted Maura to trust her to protect her. But even she can't trust people that way.

When you put all these moments together, you can understand that a lot of Jane's early seasons moments of anger were actually just insecurity and fear turned outwards. And another thing is that, most of the time, Maura acts kindly and reassuringly in response. Or is at least willing to apologize for her responding anger. Other than with the Paddy experience, which took a while, Maura has reasserted her allegiance to Jane almost immediately, found ways to make up for hurting her. Like...

This fear of Jane's definitely isn't limited to the above examples. Consider:

Ian Faulkner and how Jane treated Maura when he was around

The facial expression and apology Jane gives Maura when her father causes a scene in her home

The bridge jump and the scene afterward in which Jane calls herself "hard to love"

I really feel like the disappearance of this fear is a major part of what makes Jane feel so different in those weird last seasons. She's afraid of losing Maura to violence, sure, but I think this fear of not being good enough to keep her vanishes. And maybe there's sense to be made of it. Maybe Maura has, in some way, proven herself not to be the kind of person who would discard someone else. Maybe Jane has finally put her through enough trials. But that kernel of insecurity driving her early angry moments with Maura is what humanizes her instead of making her out to be cruel. As the show goes on, she feels more and more cruel. At least to me. And I think this is partially why.

P.S. Maura has this fear too, which is what allowed it to feel balanced in the beginning.

#rizzoli and isles #jane rizzoli #rizzles #character study #again because i love it #if you see a mistake in this post no you didn't #this part of Jane reminds me SO much of Tasha Zapata of Blindspot

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anthrofreshtodeath · 10 months

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11. picking a leaf/flower petal out of their hair, or brushing dirt off of their face

Maura climbing trees and a leaf is in her hair ☺️

or Jane covered in flower petals when a perp hits her with a bouquet 🤭

It's summer; I couldn't resist! 🥎

___

“Bring me in, kid!” Jane shouted from her place around the second base bag. She crouched, bent her knees as she danced, threatening a steal against Marty White, the Drug Control Unit’s burly pitcher. She pinched the brim of her red hat in the Saturday summer sun for some added protection over her Oakley sunglasses. It was hot out.

Homicide was down 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh, the final inning, and this was for the BPD trophy, the title, the bragging rights. The trophy itself, a dinky little thing from the local party supply place, was hallowed hardware at the department despite its humble appearance.

And Maura, the batter at the plate with two outs, knew Jane wanted it. Lusted after it, craved it. It would mean all the more, too, given that the two teams got to invite family and friends to spectate - dozens of people shouted, clapped, and conversed around her, and she could hear Angela Rizzoli cheering her on from about halfway up the metal bleachers.

Maura’s palms sweated.

Jane, Jane looked like a ballplayer out there. She’d hit a ringing double to right field with one out, but then Korsak had flied out just beyond third base and now, Maura, Frankie’s replacement because of his big toe injury, needed to be a hero. For Boston Homicide, for poor Frankie, for her own pride - Jane had actually asked her to play! - and, for Jane. Maura hoped she looked at least a little like a ball player, cobbling together her knowledge of collision theory, launch angle, and wrist mechanics to appear as hitterish as possible - Jane’s word, not hers. “I’ll try!” she shouted back, voice tense and high. Jane smirked, and nodded one time.

Jane believed in her.

Maura shook off the blush that thought gave her, and focused her attention on Marty White’s throwing arm. By the way his shoulder slotted, she could tell how hard he would throw, where the ball would end up, and this ball, given the laws of physics, should run right over the plate, big and slow and fat.

All Maura had to do was hit it.

She pulled her hands close to allow the barrel maximum time through the zone, something Jane had taught her, and schwak!

The ball screamed through the air about seven feet off the ground the entire time, and rolled all the way to the left field wall. “Ah ha!” Maura shouted, holding the just-too-big red helmet over her head as she sprinted to the first base bag. “Go go go go go!” she yelled to Jane, whose back she watched all the way to the plate.

Jane jumped onto that plate, and screamed. “Let’s go!” she released into the atmosphere, crossing her clenched fists. Once she was sure Jane made it safely, Maura realized that the left fielder had bobbled the ball.

She could run for days. All the way home.

She could win the game.

“Hustle hustle hustle!” came Jane’s voice over the din of jeers and cheers of the brothers and sisters and parents and beer drinkers. Maura blocked everything else out but that voice, that voice and the huffing of her own labored breath as she chugged toward third base.

Maura rounded it, and oh no.

The ball squibbed in from the outfield, and Maura watched it, just a foot or so ahead of her - it was going to beat her. She heard Jane in her head, this time as an inner coach. Bowl ‘em over, Maura. Make him hold the ball if he wants to tag you.

Maura made the decision then - diminutive DCU detective Steven Garcia guarded the plate just as the ball rolled into his glove, and though his defense had a sterling reputation, Maura felt she could take him. So, she lowered her right shoulder, jumped just as she got to home, and boom.

She shoved, he fell, and the bounce of her belly on the dirt, of her head just by the white of the plate, knocked her silly. Blackout.

When she came to, blinking slowly to banish the blur, a figure hunched over her as her helmet still spun and rattled against the backstop. That figure was brushing dirt off her cheek with a thumb.

That figure was Jane. Smiling, cloud-nine-living Jane.

“D… did I make it?” Maura growned. Ambient sounds returned to her slowly, but Jane’s words were clear, even if they were slow, quiet, conscientious of Maura’s altered state.

“Sure did,” said Jane. “Knocked the ball right out of his glove, Pete Rose. Trophy’s comin’ home with us.”

“Home?” croaked Maura, letting Jane pull her up to her feet. “Well…” started Jane, just in time for the rest of the team to mob wobbly Maura at the plate. Well, Maura and Jane, because Jane wrapped both arms around Maura’s waist so she could withstand the friendly onslaught. “Bar first! Then home! Time to celebrate you!”

#otp prompts june 2023 #rizzoli and isles #lauren writes rizzoli and isles fanfiction #some softball fun #halos just took the first two of four from the rangers LFG

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ducky-moo · 1 year

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Let Me Take Care of You

fandom: rizzoli & isles

pairing: frankie rizzoli x fem!reader

genre: angst, fluff

TRIGGER WARNINGS: SA, abduction, PTSD

word count: 1, 349

"You need someone to take care of you." Frankie finally said.

"I- huh?" You questioned, taken aback as you lifted your head from its place on the back of your chair.

"Look at you, Y/n, you look like you haven't slept in weeks. You can't even keep your eyes open at work," your partner continued, gesturing to the dark circles under your eyes, which you were presently rubbing at.

"I do not-"

"He's right, you know. Wood is long gone, but you still appear to be exhibiting symptoms of insomnia, likely due to the severe post traumatic stress disorder that...you're...experiencing..." Chief Medical Examiner Maura Isles' voice began to trail off at the look you shot her way.

"Oh, so you'll talk to Maura about it, but you won't talk to your own partner."

"Well, no, she didn't say anything to me, I just assumed that since-"

"Since what? Since I was held hostage in my own home? Since I was drugged? Since I was beaten, since I was raped, since I was tied down to my own bed? What did you assume, Maura?"

"Y/n, Y/n, she didn't mean anything by it, come on." Frankie tried to calm you down.

"No, I'm tired of people tiptoeing around me and- and Maura hiding behind fancy words and- I'm not broken, Maura-

"Post traumatic stress disorder is very common, it doesn't mean-"

"No- stop, just stop! I can't- I can't deal with all the pity and sympathy and medical mumbo-jumbo crap today- I can't. I can't." You started gathering your things.

"Woah, hey, what's going on in here?" Jane asked as she entered the room, Korsak and Frost trailing behind her.

"Nothing- I just- I was just leaving. I feel sick, I'm taking the rest of the day off." You mumbled, moving to rush past her.

"Y/n, wait-" Frankie reached out to grab your elbow, in reaction to which you let out a scream and stumbled forward in your efforts to pull yourself away. You stumbled right into Frost, who grabbed your shoulders to steady you.

"Careful," he said, promptly releasing you to avoid any further hysterics.

"I'm fine," you muttered, then escaped before you could embarrass yourself any further.

"What the hell just happened?" Jane asked, looking between her brother and her friend.

"Did you guys try talking to her?" Frost asked as he made his way to his desk.

"A swing," Frankie motioned like he was swinging a baseball bat.

"And a miss. Something I said seemed to upset her." Maura finished.

"Pretty sure that 'something' was the blunt diagnosis you threw at her." Frankie countered, shaking his head.

"Didn't she already know? I thought she was seeing someone for it." Maura said, surprised.

"She was," Frankie started, "she quit going after two sessions."

"What? Why would she do that?"

"Because she's in denial." Angela said as she entered the room.

"What're you doin up here, ma?" Jane asked.

"I came to ask someone to go check on Y/n." she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ma, she just left. I'm sure she's fine, she just needs to cool off." Jane disagreed, shaking her head.

"She didn't look too good, and I've got a real bad feeling. Come on, kids, please? Just go see if she's doing okay."

"Bad feeling? What kind of bad feeling?" Maura asked, stepping closer to Angela.

"The motherly kind. Frankie, she's your partner. Shouldn't you check on her?"

"Alright, alright, I'll head over to her place." Frankie finally gave in, standing and shrugging his coat back on.

"Ohhh, thank you honey." Angela grabbed his face and kissed his cheek, in response to which he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Y/n?" Frankie called out as he opened the door to your apartment. He shoved his keys back in his pocket, and was startled when he was greeted by the barrel of your gun aimed at him. "Woah, woah, hey, it's just me!" He exclaimed, raising his hands. You were standing in front of your couch, your gun clutched tight in your hand as you stared blankly at your partner.

"Frankie? How- how did you-?" You didn't lower your gun. You just stared at him as he slowly stepped closer to you.

"You gave me a key, remember? It's okay, you're safe. I'm not here to hurt you." It was hard for him to see you like this. You were clearly exhausted, and looked borderline strung out. The trauma from what had happened to you hadn't faded since the day it happened. For neither one of you.

Your face shifted at his words, and your grip on the gun loosened. Frankie took the opportunity to take the gun from your hands and place it down on the coffee table. He barely had time to catch you before you collapsed into a sobbing mess.

"Its okay, its okay, I've got you." He reassured you.

For a moment, you were of the mind to resist. But as you pulled in a deep, sobbing breath, the familiar scent of your partner's cologne reminded you that 'yes, you're safe'. So you allowed it. For the first time since the incident, you allowed your emotions to flow from you freely.

And Frankie was grateful. He was grateful that as he pulled you down onto the couch, you chose to curl into him rather than push him away, and that as he lifted a hand to stroke your hair, you chose to hold onto him tighter instead of recoil in fear. For a while, there was nothing to be heard but the harrowing sound of months of pent-up trauma, and Frankie's voice as he softly whispered sweet nothings to you.

Once you had finally begun to settle down, he spoke up. "Is that my shirt?" He asked, tugging on the sleeve of the baggy old t-shirt that was definitely way too big to be yours. You let out a wet, snot-filled giggle at the question, and smiled for what felt to you like the first time in ages.

"Y-yeah. I-I stole it. A wh-while ago." You admitted. You looked up at hime, and were greeted by his sweet brown eyes and puppy-dog smile.

"I know ya did, honey." He chuckled, kissing your head. "Wouldn't be much of a detective if I didn't." You let out a quiet hum and sniffled loudly, swiping at your face with your arm. "Oh, don't do that," he chided you, then pulled himself off the couch. You let out a quiet mewl of protest, which he acknowledged by turning to look at you and smirking lightly.

"I'm comin' back, hold your horses. I can't let you soak in your own snot though." He chuckled as he grabbed a dish towel from its hanger and ran it under the sink. After wringing out the water, he returned to you, sinking back down onto your couch. He wiped all the evidence of your meltdown from your face, then simply looked at you for a moment. Pink began to creep up your neck and onto your cheeks.

"Let me take care of you." Frankie said. There was determination in his voice, along with a hint of pleading. Your face flickered with doubt.

"Frankie-"

"No, listen. I mean it, Y/n. The good, the bad, the ugly, all of it. Let me take care of you. I know- I know its asking for a lot, but...Please, I just-" He couldn't finish- only hold his breath as he waited. Instead of giving him an answer, you took the towel from his hands and set it down next to your gun on the coffee table. You stared at those two heavily symbolic objects for a minute, then chuckled softly to yourself. "What, what're you laughin' at?" Frankie asked.

"Okay." Your voice was barely above a whisper.

"Okay? Okay what?"

"You can try."

"I can- I can try?"

"Don't make me take it back."

Frankie pulled you back into him, and you were once again enveloped by his warm arms and familiar scent. "Please don't take it back."

#rizzoli and isles #frankie rizzoli x reader #frankie rizzoli

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ruroken77 · 1 year

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ya know what i wanna see? a Rumbelle/OUAT Rizzoli & Isles crossover, only with Gold instead of Weaver in place of Korsak (if only because Gold actually has a family where Weaver doesn’t, kinda like Korsak with Melody and his stepson). Emma might make a good fit for Jane, if only because she also has a little brother, the only difference would be that she doesn’t lose Henry when she’s still pregnant with him (so Jane in the books rather than Angie Harmon, at least in that respect, the rest would still be Angie).

#once upon a time #rumbelle #rizzoli & isles

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data2364 · 4 years

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Bruce McGill as Sergeant Detective Vince Korsak 2011 in Rizzoli & Isles “He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother”

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2021845/

#Star Trek #StarTrek Voyager #Babylon 5 #MacGyver #Bruce McGill #Vince Korsak #Rizzoli & Isles #Angie Harmon #Jane Rizzoli #Jack Dalton #He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother #Unter Verdacht #Captain Braxton #Relativity #Zeitschiff Relativity

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hobbitingryffindor · 3 years

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Don’t respond after 9 pm

So I've never written fanfic before, but apparently, I'm pissed at Jane. Please be kind, but also let me know if I should continue. I have a few other rules and scenes in mind. I have no idea if this will grow into anything more. Constructive feedback would be great.

___

Maura was ruminating. It was never good when she couldn’t get through her Saturday morning yoga session, but these days, it was becoming the norm. So after she finished her cup of tea, she locked herself in her yoga room, rolled out her yoga mat, and settled in with herself.

She had rules. They were new, and it was hard to keep to them some days, but they were there because she knew better. She knows she deserves more. She may not have had an attentive family growing up, but she knows her worth, or at least she’s gotten better at reminding herself. She knows what they have goes beyond friendship. She also knows it will never be more. Jane just keeps holding back the final piece of the puzzle. She could resign herself to a lifetime of this sexually charged and emotionally mediocre but never fulfilling relationship OR she could take a step back from Jane and a step forward for herself. But last night she forgot. She forgot the first rule she put in place almost a month ago.

1 - Don’t respond to Jane after 9 pm

Recognizing the anxious feeling that started in her chest, she told herself that it was a slip-up and it wouldn’t happen again. But she couldn’t help but grab her phone and reread last night’s messages.

10:36: J - Hey, you still up?

10:42: M - Just finished Bass’ enrichment and heading up to bed.

It had been such a simple response, it just floated out of her fingertips. She was so used to just always responding to Jane.

10:43: J- Enrichment? You can just say that you were in the sandbox hiding food for Bass to find.

10:44: M- Fine yes, I was reading his namesake’s new foreword in “Skeletal biology and bioarchaeology of the Northwestern Plains” while bass dug up the cactus leaves and strawberries I hid in his sandbox.

10:44: J- You make my night of watching the Sox lose seem like an exciting night

10:45: M- What can I say? We love to party over here.

10:45: J- I don’t know when it started, but you’ve gotten really good at sarcasm

10:46: M- You must be rubbing off on me ;-)

As Maura reread that line, she couldn’t help but cringe a little. She really couldn’t stop herself from going there last night, it was yet another small slip up, that showed how their friendship was always a little more than friendship.

10:59: J- I feel like I haven’t seen you at all this week, is the morgue backlogged?

11:04: M- It’s no busier than usual. Actually a little less so without a murder yet this month.

11:04: J- Give it time, Boston can’t go more than 2 weeks without a new murder. Have you been in court on other cases this week? I went to see if you could grab lunch a few times and I never caught you.

11:05: M- We must have just missed each other, I did lunch out of the office a few times.

11:07: J- You going to fancy places without me now?

11:09: M - Really Jane, any place that doesn’t allow jeans, you label as fancy. But no, a friend from my residency, Erica, did a few guest lectures at BCU. I caught one of her lectures and we had lunch a few times.

11:09: J- I see how it is, replacing me with other genii.

Reading this for a second time feels like a needle in her chest, last night it paralyzed her, she didn’t know how to respond. She wasn’t replacing Jane, per se. This was also the point last night where she realized her mistake in responding to Jane’s late text. Even now, she still isn’t sure she handled it correctly.

11:18: J- Any plans for tomorrow?

11:20 M- While genii is correct, you can just say geniuses, you don’t have to try so hard. And, no I’m not replacing you. I was planning on browsing Newbury St in the afternoon.

11:21 J- Great, so I’ll pick you up at 2, I’ll carry the bags and then we can hit up Eataly for dinner? We haven’t been there in a while.

11:25 M- That’s okay Jane, I know you don’t enjoy my long shopping ventures, you don’t have to come. And I’ve got dinner plans, I’m sorry. But I’ll see you Sunday night for dinner.

After that, it was radio silence from Jane. Even after all these years, all the social cues Jane’s helped her learn, she still doesn’t know how to read the silence. Last night she was torn. She wanted to hang out with Jane but didn’t. Now she had to live with rejecting Jane’s plans, and what felt like a rejection of Jane herself.

That’s what brought her here, meditating as the sun was rising, or trying to anyway. Maura shook herself out and realized she was going to need a little help this morning clearing her mind. So she opened up the Calm app and resigned herself to a guided meditation. Maura went through the motions of her day, finishing off with an overzealous stop at Diane Von Furstenberg’s on Newbury just because. She still hadn’t heard from Jane and was trying to tell herself it was okay, they were okay, they were just both adjusting to this new normal. Maura hadn’t figured out what this new normal was supposed to be, but she knew she was unhappy with how Jane and she were a couple in every way, except in the way that mattered. Their friendship was unhealthy as it was. If they were only going to be friends, Maura was going to start making space in her life for other friends and possibly a lover or two. She can’t pinpoint when it happened, but her very active and healthy sex life seemed to slowly dry up the closer she and Jane got.

______________

Dressed in her new Midi dress, and a brand new pair of St. Laurent sandals, she waived to Angela across the courtyard as she headed off to meet Erica. Driving to the Chart House, she couldn’t help but reflect and acknowledge that Eric’s timing was creating a good distraction for her. She and Erica had done their residencies together, they hadn’t been best of friends, but she was always warm to Maura and tried to include Maura in her social circle. A few years after Maura moved to Boston, she reached out when she landed in Providence doing a Post Doc Fellowship at Brown. They’d do dinner a few times a year, trade interesting journal articles, nothing special, but it was nice to have a friend outside of BPD. When BCU invited Erica to guest lecture for the week, Maura decided she’d just drop in on the first lecture, which led to a couple of lunches earlier in the week, and a celebration dinner as Erica was just offered a tenure track faculty position starting in the fall. Pulling up to the valet station, she decided that this was just what she needed to expand her social circle a bit. She’d enjoy her evening, celebrate Erica’s new position and enjoy the late spring evening.

______________

Like clockwork on Sunday around noontime, the Rizzoli’s started to filter into her home. Angela always led the parade, bringing groceries and starting the prep process. Over the next couple of hours Jane, her brothers, little TJ, Frost, Korsak, Kiki, and even Susie sometimes would wander in and fill her house. When she invited Angela to live in the guest house almost 4 years ago, she never thought it was going to be permanent, nor did she think she’d enjoy having her there as much as she does. For all of Angela’s meddling and snooping in Jane’s life, she’d been nothing but respectful of Maura’s boundaries and privacy. Maura treasured how their patchwork family considered her house their gathering place, when it was full, it felt like the warm home she yearned for as a child. The amazing dinners, even if sometimes unhealthy, were a vehicle for that love and inclusion Maura had spent over 30 years searching for. She’d found it with Jane and her family, but she still craves more. She wants more than a patchwork family, she wants her own family.

As Maura was finishing up working in the garden beds Tommy and TJ arrived. By the time she’d entered the kitchen freshly showered and ready for Angela to put her to work, she saw Jane and Frankie had joined Tommy in watching a basketball game. Maura greeted everyone while looking at the TV, she noticed no one was wearing a green jersey so she knew Boston wasn’t playing, which usually boded well for her couch and rugs. TJ was in his high chair feeding himself some plain pasta while Angela sang to him. Maura and Angela quickly fell into their rhythm with this week’s batch of Ragu simmering on the stove. By the time the lasagna was in the oven, Frost, Korsak, and Kiki had arrived and, Angela and Maura joined the gang in the living room to snack on some arancini before dinner.

While Maura and Angela always cooked, the most relaxing part of Sunday dinners was when Jane and Maura cleaned up. Never fail the boys would head out not long after dessert and the games were over. And Jane in her way of appreciating her mother would kick her back to the guest house for an early night, while she took charge of cleaning up the kitchen.

“Another glass of wine while you work?” Jane asked Maura while grabbing the bottle

Maura just put her glass in front of Jane while nodding for more. The pots and pans were washed, the dishwasher had already started its cycle and Jane and Maura were moving to the living room to straighten up before settling in to catch up on their week. Normally all this happened with a comfortable level of conversation between them, but tonight, there was a little more silence than usual. With blankets folded and the remote located, they settled into the couch, each sitting against an arm, facing each other.

“You know mom asked me how your date went last night, I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone” Jane started.

“It wasn’t a date, I told you I was going to dinner with Erica, she’s just accepted an offer at BCU.”

“No, you said you had lunch with Erica” with a slight hint of annoyance that only Maura could pick up on. “I didn’t know you guys were doing dinner, I thought you might have been hiding a new boyfriend from me”

“No, no new boyfriend Jane. Although that would be nice or maybe a girlfriend, I haven’t dated a woman since I first moved to Boston”

Jane nodded, her eyes a little bigger than normal, sometimes Maura could swear Jane forgot she was pansexual.

“What about you? You seeing anyone new?” Maura asked, mostly to take the heat off of her. She didn’t know what was worse, talking about her lackluster dating life or trying to appear supportive of Jane's dating life when all she wanted was to be the person dating Jane.

“No, although Frost mentioned his old college roommate is single. I can’t believe I’m even entertaining the idea of letting him set me up.”

“You should at least meet him, if Frost is setting you up, I’m sure he’s a good man.” Maura grinned through a fake smile.

“I don’t know” Jane responded, Maura saw the walls going up “ I don’t want to talk about dating. Is Erica going to move to Boston? You know you’ve never introduced us, are you scared I’ll embarrass you?” Jane half-joked, changing the topic.

“No Jane, you have to stop with the self-deprecating humor, you know I’m not embarrassed by you. And yes, she needs to finish teaching a summer seminar at Brown, and then she’ll move up here.” The next words fell out of her mouth as soon as they occurred to her “I should see if she wants to come to next Sunday’s dinner.” Seeing Jane’s small annoyance grow into jealously, she redirected. “She can meet everyone, but please don’t interrogate her for college stories. You already know I was weird and awkward, you don’t need more things to tease me about!”

Jane took the bait “Ohhhh, I didn’t even think of that! I wonder if she’s got pictures!!

Maura just rolled her eyes, relieved that the tension was broken. She really did want Jane and everyone else to accept Erica, she remembered what it was like moving back to Boston and not having anyone. The rest of the night passed quickly, Maura kept the topics to mostly work or Boston politics. Jane could rant about local politics for hours and it didn’t put Maura at risk of gazing at Jane like she wanted to take her upstairs. A little before 11, Jane sighed and made her excuses about getting back to Jo before she relieved herself on the rug again. Pre-rules Maura might have made some comment about how much wine Jane had and how she should stay the night. Post-rules Maura kept her mouth shut. As Maura locked the door behind Jane, she couldn’t help but hope that just maybe, with some delicate balancing, she’d be able to move on from Jane and keep her as a friend.

________

Later that week Maura found herself at the Robber with the whole group, even Susie joined them. Maura was finding her new footing and it felt nice, it gave her a boost of confidence. Jane no longer acted as her interpreter when Frost made a joke, Korsak no longer felt the need to censor his dirty jokes and Susie actually had a pretty foul mouth once she had a few drinks. More than ever she noticed how breaking down her walls, allowed others to break their own down around her. She didn’t feel like Queen of the Dead anymore, she was Maura. As the night stretched on the table shuffled around a bit, Korsak left to meet Kiki, Frankie and Nina joined, Susie went home and Frost tried his luck with a pretty blonde at the bar.

Maura didn’t even notice how slowly Jane crept to her, close enough that her side was against Maura and her arm draped behind Maura across the back of the booth. But she did notice when the vibe between Jane and her started to mirror that of Frankie and Nina, right down to Jane ordering Maura another drink before checking with her. Maura and Jane were a couple, they couldn’t help it. The small touches, the laughing into each other’s sides, even the stolen glances. It no longer felt like hanging out, it felt like they were on a double date. It was too much for Maura, she excused herself to the bathroom to regroup. Looking at herself in the mirror, she scolded herself. She had to get out of there, she needed more distance. How could she possibly have her own relationship if she always ended up with Jane?

“I didn’t realize how late it had was,” Maura said marching up to the booth. “I’m going to head home. I’ll see you all in the morning? Those cultures should be ready by 10, I’ll page you when I have the report ready.” All of a sudden Maura infused a formalness into the air that wasn’t there before. Frankie raised his eyebrows but said nothing. It was weird for Maura to leave without Jane, or at least inviting Jane back to her house.

“I’ll leave with you” Jane started to get up.

“Oh no, that’s fine, I’m parked just across the street. I’ll be fine, stay, enjoy the rest of your beer” Maura responded with a slightly stern note. Jane nodded, “Party pooper, leaving me with these love doves” gesturing to Frankie and Nina, while they responded with mock offense. As Maura walked away, she didn’t see Frankie lean in and whisper to Jane.

Once Maura settled into bed for the evening she decided it was time for her to get out there. Even if it meant her joining one of those annoying dating sites. It was better to be trying than pining. Last week Erica had suggested How About We, it was worth at least signing up. She decided that it couldn’t hurt more than she was already hurting. While she hadn’t opened up to Erica about how frustrated she was with her’s and Jane’s relationship, she had expressed a desire to get out there more and Erica had offered a few bits of advice. If she couldn’t go to Jane about this, it was nice to at least have another friend to commiserate with about dating. As soon as she completed her profile, her phone beeped and a notification popped up on the screen.

11:17 PM

Jane Rizzoli

You awake?

Clicking her screen off, Maura put her phone on her nightstand and turned over for what would be a very uncomfortable night’s sleep.

#rizzoli and isles #rizzoli & isles #fanfic #Fanfiction #rizzles #rizzles fic #jane rizzoli #maura isles

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orangejuicetoast42 · 3 years

Text

Noceda and Blight Pt. 2

Time for more info-dumping.

First things first they all live in Bonesborough, California. I’m not sure why I was so set on it being in California, but it just works so I’m going with it. The Betas work at the Bonesborough Police Department or the BPD (see what I did there), while the Cannons attend Hexside High School.

I don’t really like the name Winona for beta Willow. It’s not a bad name, I just feel like it doesn’t fit her. So in this Au her name is Weslia, though most call her Wes besides her sister Willow and people she has just met. Wes is Lucia’s partner and has been for the past two years. Over this time they have become pretty good friends and tend to hang out along with Amelia when their off duty. As I said she has her sister Willow, who still lives with their dads, stays over with Wes sometimes on the weekends. Their dads own the local plant nursery where Willow and occasionally Wes help out. They are also in charge of the maintenance of the park because one of the dads is on the city counsel.

I decided to have Beta Gus in this au, so his name is Alexzander and has just recently moved to the area along with his younger brother Gus and their father, Perry. Alex has just been transferred to the BPD to be their newest homicide detective and crime scene analyst. So he is basically this world’s Barry Frost, though they only share the technological know-how and the aversion to dead bodies. Perry quit his old job because he want to make the move with Alex and knew how upset Gus would be without his big brother around. He lucked out by getting the job of being the Bonesborough Channel 10 news reporter. Of course that means Alex has to watch what he says around his dad, not that he thinks Perry with leak anything but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

The character I had the hardest time find a role for was Lilith. I at first was gonna have her work with Eda at the Creaky Owl, but after a while I felt she was better off being the sergeant detective of the homicide unit. Course she and Eda still have a good relationship and spent time together when they can. Lilith is kind of like Korsak, like being Lucia’s partner before Wes and being one of the oldest detectives in the department, though she is very by the book.

Lastly, there’s Belos. I wanted him to be a foil to Lucia like Charles Hoyt was to Jane. Though rather than being a serial killer, he is the kingpin of a city wide drug ring and he is responsible for the deaths of dozens. Most who have heard of him know him as the Emperor, but his real name is Belvedere Crowne. Lucia has only come face to face with him once back when she was still in the drug unit and their encounter was one of the few times she actually feared for her life.

That’s it for now, though I have to say that this is probably one of my favorite Au’s to create characters for. Also you can read part one here.

#the owl house #TOH #beta toh #rizzoli and isles au #human au #sibling au

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soprano193 · 4 years

Text

Not a Couple

Chapter 5

Frankie:

There were benefits to being the first to arrive at the Dirty Robber. Most important, of course, was seat selection. Jane preferred the back table, with room for chairs to be added as more people joined them. Maura was more fond of the booths, their proximity leading to more intimate conversations. That was the last thing Frankie wanted. He was partial to the bar. The bartender was always there when he wanted a refill, the conversation flowed with ease, and he could smell the food being cooked in the kitchen.

Frankie chose a seat right in the middle, and draped his jacket over the seat directly to his left. As his friends arrived, they would save more seats, slowly taking the bar over and intimidating pair and single patrons, relegating them to the tables. Frankie signaled the bartender and rested his head on his hand, allowing the tension to leave his body as he slouched.

"Maura, I Googled it, and I am having one tomorrow morning!" Jane's voice carried with ease, announcing her arrival and piquing Frankie's interest.

The Doctor followed close behind, her honey hair flat from the rain. "Jane, you shouldn't get medical advice from Google. At least wait until your appointment on Monday."

"Don't make me wait until Monday, Maur, I have a headache now." Jane whined, shrugging off her wet jacket to save a seat. She sat at her brother's right, tapping the seat next to her for her friend to sit. "I need the caffeine boost."

This, along with so many other things, explained Jane's mood as of late. They had all been on edge after Frost's death, not sleeping, jumpy, out of sorts. Frankie couldn't imagine how his day would be without his morning cup of joe. "Why aren't you drinking caffeine, Jane?" Frankie asked, pulling his bottle of Busweiser closer to him.

"Can't sleep"

"Restless Leg Syndrome."

They answered in sync, as usual. But Maura's response made Jane whip her head around to face her best friend, her eyebrows pulled together in confusion as she mouthed words Frankie wasn't meant to hear. Maura blinked back at Jane in response, her mouth agape as she searched the detective's face.

"Yes. I haven't been sleeping because my legs won't rest. Maura told me that it might be caffeine, so I stopped drinking it." Jane's eyes searched his face, her face twisted as she tried to make her explanation make sense, but Maura's pained expression behind her told him it wasn't true. His sister turned back to face her best friend, her tone slightly harsh. "But I Googled it, and one cup of coffee should be fine for my legs."

Frankie held back a laugh. "You know, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He played with the condensation on the side of his beer bottle as Jane shot him an apologetic look. Ignoring that, he instead focused his attention on the Doctor. "How are you doing, Maura?"

The Doctor flushed, her hands on the bar clenching and unclenching. "Good. Well, not good. But fine, you know, as fine as I can feel I guess. However fine is supposed to feel, that's how I am."

Jane's head fell to her hands as she listened, her groans audible. "You can just say, 'fine,' Maur, like normal people."

"I know." She took a breath. "I need to use the ladies room." The blonde pushed away from the bar, leaving her small purse on the table. "Excuse me."

As she made her way towards the back of the building, Jane gestured for the bartender. "Can I get a glass of wine for her, please? And just a water for me?" She turned her head towards her brother while the bartender prepared her order. "About how long do you think it will be for you two to start acting like normal human beings?"

"She told you?" His mind flashed back to their shared kiss, the impulsive one in Jane's hallway.

"Of course she told me," Jane pulled her glass toward her as she spoke, "and it wasn't easy to pull it out of her, either. What were you thinking?"

Frankie shrugged, his voice climbing in pitch. "I don't know! That she was pretty, and really smart, and Ma already likes her so we have that going for us! But then it happened and…" He flicked his fingers in the air, letting his shoulders fall, "nothing."

"Did you tell her that?" His sister's eyes were wide, but kind, her face soft with concern.

Korsak's gruff voice on the other side of him made him turn. "Tell her what?"

Taking a deep breath, Frankie looked ahead as he answered both questions. "Yes, I told Maura that the kiss meant nothing, that she was like a sister to me."

"You kissed Maura?" Korsak coughed out laughter as he plopped his wallet on the counter.

"Could everyone drop it? If we don't make it a big deal, things will go back to normal quicker." He held his hands up in surrender as he spoke, Korsak still chuckling next to him.

"God, I hope so." Jane laughed before taking a sip of her water. "Because this awkwardness is painful to watch."

Almost on cue, the Doctor returned to the table. "Who ordered the wine?"

Jane pushed it toward her friend. "I did. You're welcome."

"You're not drinking tonight, Jane?" Korsak asked the question Frankie hadn't, leaning forward so he could see his partner.

Jane's face tightened as she turned to face him. "No. It's my restless legs. That makes me designated driver tonight."

Maura gave out a yelp of excitement. "Does this mean I can have a second glass of wine?"

Jane laughed. "Oh, living dangerously, I see."

"Danger is my middle name." Her voice lowered as she brought her glass to her mouth, taking a sip as she raised her eyebrows seductively.

This made Jane laugh through her nose, a genuine smile on her face. "Yes, Maura Dorthea Danger Isles. It has a great ring to it."

"Dorthea?" Korsak began to chuckle, bringing his beer to his lips, and Frankie couldn't help but follow along.

Maura's voice was difficult to hear over the two of them. "It means, 'God's gift'." She shrugged off the laughter with a sip of her wine, her hand reaching for a menu to read.

Jane, on the other hand, was more forceful. "Knock it off, before I tell everyone your middle names." She fixed her gaze on Frankie first, then Korsak, before turning to look at the menu with Maura. Of course, she knew Frankie's, but he had no idea she knew Korsak's, too. Frankie shared a glance with the older officer, Korsak's blue eyes wide as he slowly shook his head from side to side. He swallowed what was left of his laughter with a swig of his beer.

"Maur, stop eating the plants!" His sister's voice cut through the room, drawing his eyes to Maura. She had a mischievous smile on her face, a small green leaf poised between her fingers which were raised to her mouth.

"I'm not eating it this time, just smelling." The Doctor held it out towards Jane. "Smell."

Jane took a moment, her eyes closed, nose scrunched up in disgust, before leaning in to take the bait. As she sniffed, her shoulders and face relaxed, "Minty." She pushed herself back slightly, grabbing the leaf and glancing at the menu in the doctor's other hand. "You know, I wish this place would stop changing so much. Every time I figure out what I like, there's a new menu."

Frankie reached for a menu over by Korsak, his eyes scanning the scratched text in the dark room. "I got this burger the other night when I came with Tommy. Sauteed mushrooms and onions, with some gravy I think. It wasn't bad. Definitely spring for the sweet potato fries. They're the perfect combo of sweet and salty."

"Thanks for the suggestion." Before she could look for the burger, she pulled away from Maura, her voice taking a stern tone as she faced her friend. "Speaking of Tommy! Should I be developing a complex, Dr. Isles?"

Hazel eyes narrowed as Maura tried to figure out where Jane was going. "A complex about what?"

"Why am I the only Rizzoli sibling you haven't kissed?" Korsak practically spat his drink out at his partner's question, and coughed as he choked on his laughter.

For a moment, it seemed as if the question Jane asked had rendered Maura speechless. But she soon began to giggle, her eyes wide as she raked them up and down Jane's body. "Never say never, Detective. Enough of these and you might be next." She punctuated her sentence with a sip of her drink.

Jane reached for the wine, her hand touching Maura's where the stem met the glass. "That's enough for you tonight."

"But you told me I can have two! Jane!" Maura's eyes grew wide as she gently tugged her drink back, the hint of a smile on her pouty face.

"Fine," Jane relented, letting go of the wine glass, "but you better keep your hands to yourself on the ride home."

"No promises."

The words were just out of the doctor's mouth when Jane took the wine glass and pushed it well past Frankie, so it sat in front of her partner. She began waving down the bartender, her arm outstretched as Maura tried to pull it back. "Excuse me, you're gonna have to cut her off."

"Jane!" The two women laughed as the bartender gave them a knowing smile before turning back to his other customers. Frankie had to push himself back from the bar as Jane reached past him to return her friend's beverage. Frankie watched as Jane dropped her shoulder allowing herself to move in closer to Maura while they studied the menu. They fit together like the space was meant to be occupied by them, and them alone.

You and Maura, you don't match. His younger brother had woven his fingers together to illustrate his point, but they had been interrupted before that could finish their conversation. He'd never admit to Tommy that he had been right. Maura was like his sister, the kiss had been weird. They didn't match. She didn't match with Jane, either. Jane's brash demeanor was met with Maura's tact. The tough persona that helped Jane beat him in wrestling matches was complimented by Maura's compassion. Jane's charisma helped break Maura out of her shell. No, they didn't match. But their differences complimented each other perfectly.

"It's too bad Maura's not a guy."

It took Korsak a while to figure out what the younger Rizzoli was talking about. He caught on eventually, watching as the two women had their own conversation unaware of the room around them. "Does that matter?"

Frankie was surprised to see the judgement in the older man's eyes. "Of course not!" It came out louder than he wanted, and he had to check to make sure his sister didn't know they were talking about her. When Jane hadn't flinched, he continued, in hushed tones. "Jane's just only liked guys, you know? If Maura was a guy, they'd be perfect together."

"Or maybe they'd still just be friends. Maybe nothing would be different." The Sergeant looked past Frankie at his partner, and flashed a knowing smile. "But I always thought there was something more between them." He laughed at the amused look Frankie shot him, pausing for a moment to take a sip of his drink. "Frost told me to look at it like a spectrum. His mother dated men exclusively until she met Robin. He said their love blossomed slowly. That's how I think it will go with those two."

Frankie sat for a moment with those words, trying to ignore that feeling of loss. It would have been nice to have these types of conversations with Frost. "So, Frost saw something there too." Korsak nodded in the affirmative. "How late am I to this party?"

The older cop chuckled, shaking his head. "Years."

"You didn't think to fill me in?"

"You would have figured it out. I'll give you credit where credit is due, I always thought you'd be shocked when they told you."

This made Frankie laugh. "I'm not that clueless."

Korsak pointed down the end of the bar, where a young woman with loose red curls turned her head to look away. "That girl has been checking you out all night long."

"She's all the way down there! How do you expect me to notice her?" Frankie stole another peek, the woman's face obscured as she played on her phone.

A raspy voice spoke up from his right. "Are you talking about the girl who's been checking you out? Took you long enough." His sister laughed along with Maura, who was flagging down the bartender. For a moment, Frankie worried she would be upset about his conversation with Korsak, but the fact that she wasn't berating him just proved that she hadn't been paying much attention either. "Frankie wouldn't know romance if it bit him in the ass."

Frankie turned to the older man, taking care to keep his voice low. "Hypocrite much?" Korsak could only laugh, his shoulders heaving as he shook his head.

The bartender finally made his way down towards Maura, white towel grasped in his hand. "We're going to share an order if the sweet potato fries."

"Also, She needs another glass of wine. And send a drink down to the woman who's been checking my brother out."

The bartender smiled as he wrote it all down. "The redhead?"

Frankie threw his hands up in annoyance. "Him too?"

This made everyone at their end of the bar laugh, making Frankie's cheeks flush. Through it all, Jane encouraged him, pushing him off the stool and urging him to go talk to her. "She's cute! Go have fun. Just remember, you owe me."

"Alright, alright." He gathered his jacket and left cash on the bar top for his beer. "Thanks, Janie." As he squeezed her arm before heading toward the redhead waiting for him, he wondered how he could repay his sister. He glanced at Maura. The Doctor was looking at her friend, a soft smile on her lips. Someday, somehow, he would give Jane the nudge she needed.

#rizzoli and isles #rizzles #rizzles fanfic #my fic #not a couple

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ao3feed-rizzles · 4 years

Text

Pistols & Petticoats

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2VwuptC

by oceans_blue8

The year is 1869, and Sheriff Jane Rizzoli has a lot on her plate. Between wrangling her loose cannon of a brother and fending off the constant stream of suitors her mother keeps sending her way, she's hardly had time to deal with her most pressing problem: the disappearance of several young women in Echo Station, the town she's supposed to protect. Enter Dr. Maura Isles, the new town physician fresh out of medical school in Boston. Though Maura and Jane seem to be opposites in every possible way, the two quickly forge an intimate partnership that has all sorts of rumors flying... Could Maura be the key to solving Echo Station's mysterious disappearances? And will Maura and Jane ever admit to themselves that they want to be more than just colleagues? A (semi-historically accurate) Wild West AU.

Words: 4735, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Rizzoli & Isles

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F

Characters: Jane Rizzoli, Maura Isles, Angela Rizzoli, Frankie Rizzoli Jr., Vince Korsak, Barry Frost, Patrick Doyle, Charles Hoyt, Tommy Rizzoli

Relationships: Maura Isles/Jane Rizzoli, Maura Isles & Jane Rizzoli

Additional Tags: Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Wild West AU, Fluff, Mystery, Smut, Mutual Pining, Lesbian Relationship, in which jane is a sheriff, and maura is the town doc, and they fall in love because how could they not, these two are so gay for each other

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2VwuptC

#ao3feed #rizzles #rizzoli and isles

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anthrofreshtodeath · 11 months

Note

1 and 18!

Let's do 1, since we did 18 already! baseball (softball) ahead.

___

“Hey hey hey, uh uh!” Jane shouts, waving her bottle out at Korsak who stands in the shortstop position, the amber sloshing against the orange of another summer sunset in Boston. “We’re playin’ DCU next week. You gotta be at least ten feet to your right when Hemphill comes up.”

She’s next to Maura, loose from being about three beers in and leaning her left hand on the knob of her Marucci bat while it stands in the dirt behind home plate. Jane isn’t really a Corona drinker, but again, it is summer, and Maura loves to watch the wedge of lime bob up and down in the liquid like Jane’s voice box when she laughs.

Maura leans on her own bat, mirroring Jane as best she can, and Jane turns to her, she pushes closer - barrels tipping toward each other. She’s a few beers in, too, just happy to be invited, honestly. Finally. And how best to repay Jane for including her? Some good old-fashioned ribbing - Jane’s favorite. “Are you sure practice for a beer league game should be this intense?” Maura asks as she chuckles.

Jane scoffs. Their pinkies brush. Even though Jane’s is in a batting glove, it's electric. “Listen, new kid. Question my process when we start losin’, a’right?”

Maura sputters because she’s still thinking about the little dance of phalanges Jane seems dead set on not acknowledging. “I- I…”

“You…?” teases Jane, and shit, there it is again. “Watch Korsak wheeze when he breaks for this ground ball,” she whispers, right as knuckles rub on knuckles. Quick, but obvious. “Frankie! You’re up! This is as close to homicide as your ass is gonna get!”

Does she know? Should Maura not know? Maura knows. Maura feels it and bone on bone sends little flint sparks all the way to between her legs. But Jane’s not looking at her, Jane’s looking at her brother and taking a generous gulp of alcohol. But then, Jane speaks again. This time whispery, intimate. “You comin’ to the Robber after this?”

Maura blushes and indulges in a happy, sweet smile. Jane isn’t looking, might as well. “You’re going to go drink more after this?” She asks, recovering from her prior nervousness. She nods over to the open cooler over by the entrance to the empty park bleachers, clear bottlenecks sticking out just above a sea of ice.

“I’ll get an Uber,” Jane explains, tugging her voice down like she’s a little guilty. “But I’m only goin’ if you do.” Then, she pushes up to stand straight, heading toward the plate.

Maura blinks rapidly until Jane’s statement sinks in. Then she startles, and follows. “Wait, Jane! You’re only going out with your friends if I go?”

Jane tugs her sleeve up on her left shoulder just before she steps in the faded box. She refuses to glance Maura’s way, but now she’s smiling, too. “I’m going wherever you go tonight. Now let me get my work in, yeah?”

#rizzoli and isles #lauren writes rizzoli and isles fanfiction #otp prompts june 2023

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marjaystuff · 4 years

Text

Elise Cooper Interviews Tess Gerritsen

Internationally known best-selling author Tess Gerritsen sat down and spoke about her accomplishments, interests, current affairs, and her Rizzoli & Isles series of books. She is acclaimed for her compelling characters and riveting plots.

Thank you for doing this.

Elise Cooper: You are a jack of all trades, having written books in multiple genres?

Tess Gerritsen: I like to try something different. I have written stand-alones and series. In writing stand-alones I am able to change the subject matter and the setting. Sometimes I leave the series to try something different and then return back to it. I have written romance, suspense, crime thrillers, medical thrillers, paranormal, historical, and science fiction. My last book, The Shape of Night, is a stand-alone. My next book will be book thirteen in the Rizzoli & Isles series, which brings back a happy familiarity to me.

EC: You are circling back to a Rizzoli & Isles book?

TG: Yes, as we speak. I am ready to go back to the girls again. It will probably come out in late 2021. The plot will highlight Jane’s mom, Angela, as a middle age sleuth. She is in her sixties and see things going on in her neighborhood, very much a busy body. Meanwhile, Jane and Maura are investigating a murder. It is still a Jane and Maura book, with 1/3 of it devoted to Angela. It will take place right after the pandemic, after a vaccine.

EC: Going back in time, how did you get the idea for these fabulous women crime fighters?

TG: I never expected it to turn into a series of twelve novels. It started off as a story about detective Jane Rizzoli. After I finished the first book, The Surgeon, I wanted to know more about her so I wrote the second book, The Apprentice, which introduced Dr. Maura Isles. Then I wanted to know more about Maura so I wrote the third book, The Sinner. It became a continuation of wanting to know more about my characters, where they would go next, and how their lives changed. Before I knew it, I had a series. The Apprentice was the book the TV series started off with.

EC: Did you have a major input with the TV series episodes?

TG: The producer was really nice and invited me to be part of the writing team. But I had book deadlines and I consider writing books as my primary job. Besides The Apprentice there was also a short story, John Doe, that an episode was also based upon. With all the other episodes they did the writing, coming up with certain changes from the novels.

EC: What are some of the changes?

TG: The biggest change was the relationship between Jane and Maura. In my books, they are colleagues that slowly become friends. In the TV show they start off right away being best friends. The producer, who happens to be a man, told me that the audience would want a female duo. In the books, Jane is married with a daughter, while the TV series focused entirely on the female friendship. There would be no getting married, because it would take away from the girls’ relationship. What I did in the books is to have them slowly become friends. By book thirteen, they would risk their lives for each other.

EC: Were you happy with the casting choices?

TG: Angie Harmon is perfectly matched to the book Jane. She is the kind of person I can imagine Jane to be, although Angie Harmon is beautiful and Jane Rizzoli is ordinary looking. Both book Jane and TV show Jane are hell raisers and risk takers. The big deviation is Maura Isles. In the novels I imagined Maura as a Goth-like character, looking more like Catherine Zeta-Jones. In the TV show they went with a beautiful blonde, Sasha Alexander. The other change is that “book Maura” is a bit Aspergerian in nature, more of a loner. Yet both book and TV show Maura are highly intelligent, very logical, and very much a scientist. The show runner told me I had written the female version of Captain Kirk, Jane, and Mr. Spock, Maura.

EC: Are you more like Maura or Jane?

TG: There is some of me in Maura. Jane is not me at all, but is like every female cop I interviewed, tough and smart. When I was writing Maura, I put a lot of myself in her. We believe in science and logic, drive the same car, drink the same wine, both play classical music on the piano, and are trivia experts.

EC: What about the secondary characters like Jane’s brother Frankie, and her partner, Korsak?

TG: In the book, Frankie is Jane’s brother, but is really annoying as he tries to boss her around. In the TV show he is really sweet. In the novels, Korsak is a retired cop who falls in love with Angela. I love his character.

EC: Since you write police procedurals can you weigh in on your feelings about the police?

TG: I tweeted about this issue not too long ago. I had a hard time writing for a couple of weeks right after the George Floyd murder. I write cops as heroes and wanted to reflect reality in the series. My cops are all good and do the right thing. In the upcoming book thirteen, Jane and her collogues are still good cops. But there will also be a scene that shows what it is like to be a suspect. Jane is questioning a black teenager as a person of interest. I hope to show what does the boy think, what does his mother think, and what are they afraid of. I know a lot of good cops and never had a bad experience with the police, but for a certain part of the population the police can be frightening. I think we need more Janes as cops, more professional and well trained.

EC: Can you give a shout out about your latest, The Shape of Night?

TG: It is a take-off on Gothic novels that I used to love when I was younger. They have a young innocent heroine, a scary secretive house, and a forbidden hero. I moved the elements around a bit. The heroine is not so innocent, the house is still scary, and the hero may or may not be alive. There is a little bit of the “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” with some murder.

EC: What do you do when you are not writing?

TG: I am an amateur fiddler. I love to garden and cook. In the new Rizzoli & Isles book I had Maura perform a Mozart Concerto in an amateur orchestra. I had to learn the piece myself, because I wanted to learn what complications she would face. I also made a documentary with my son. Why is pork a forbidden food for some religions? The film searches for the ancient roots of the pig taboo with numerous people interviewed. I love mysteries whether in history or on the page. The title is “Magnificent Beast” and the link is https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11289514/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 .

THANK YOU!!

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