Chapter Text
TITLE: Up to the Challenge
AUTHOR: coolbyrne
RATING: T (mostly for language)
SUMMARY: Much to Jane’s chagrin, she and Maura enter a Survivor Challenge held by the BPD. (Established Rizzles.)
A/N: I absolutely love Les Stroud and always wanted to write a survival-type story with Jane and Maura, but nothing too drastic or dire! I’m in a job where “team building” is a big waste of time, and I thought that might fit the Rizzoli & Isles universe, too. As always, anything that sounds factual- particularly coming from Maura- has been researched. The rest is just for fun. Maura’s comment about being caught in a snowstorm is a reference to an earlier story I wrote, “The Long Way Round”. This story is set in my own R&I universe, where the relationship has already been established, with Season 1 parameters. (See “Bread and Butter” for the beginning of this relationship.) My thanks to RomanMachine/happycamper5/thenicecheese for the beta, and for being my choice in a survival challenge.
…..
Guided by freshly brewed aroma, Jane shuffled down the stairs and into the kitchen. Trading a kiss for a cup, she plopped down on the stool beside Maura. Her face was practically in her coffee, and Maura gently tilted up Jane’s chin.
“Good morning,” Maura smiled.
“Uh,” Jane grunted. “People say that, but they never tell me what’s so damn good about it.”
Folding her paper, Maura leaned over and whispered into her ear. “I don’t know about the morning, but last night was very good.”
A smug grin spread across her face. “Yeah, that was very good, wasn’t it?”
Maura squeezed a thigh that was peeking out from the folds of Jane’s terry cloth robe. “What would you like for breakfast? I’m afraid we’re all out of fruit.”
Jane cracked open an eye and caught the feigned look of innocence. With a low laugh, she said, “Did we use it all last night?”
“And the chocolate,” Maura lamented. “Which I suppose means I won’t have to make you chocolate pancakes, so, as you like to say, ‘win-win’.”
“Very funny. Whatever you’re having, I’m sure I’ll love.” Smiling with delight, Maura stood and walked to the refrigerator. Jane was about to take a sip of her coffee when she saw the paper on the table. “What’s this?”
Maura glanced over her shoulder. “The Wall Street Journal.”
“No, I mean this.” Jane lifted the paper and pulled out two single sheets.
“Oh, they’re the release forms for the survival challenge. Absolves the organizer of any lawsuits in the event of an accident. Standard legal procedure.”
Jane hadn’t heard anything beyond ‘survival challenge’. Holding up the forms, she said, “What? I told you I didn’t want to do this.”
“Oh no, you changed your mind. You told me so.”
Her eyes narrowed. “When exactly did I tell you so?”
“Last night,” Maura replied, preparing some yogurt. “You carried me upstairs and I mentioned how your strength and balance could be useful in the survival challenge. Then I asked if you’d thought about changing your mind. You gave a noise that seemed to be in agreement.”
“Mmmm-hmmm,” Jane hummed.
“Yes! Just like that.”
“Let me put it to you this way- you were in that Red Sox lingerie I bought you for Christmas, right?”
“Yes.”
“The one with the little logos here?” She made a circular motion around her breasts.
“Yes.”
“Sweetheart, you could have asked me to go to work with lipstick on my eyebrows and I would have said ‘yes’.”
Realization dawned in Maura’s eyes. “Oh.” She saw Jane’s nod of approval. “Ohhhh.” She brought the bowls over to the kitchen island and sat beside her. “So you don’t want to go.”
“No. It’s nothing but a weekend of the guys measuring their dicks. It’s never about survival for them. It’s about who’s the manliest.” Jane made air quotes and rolled her eyes.
Maura nodded. “Detective Crowe did say there was no chance of coming in last with two broads in the competition.” She, too, made air quotes.
“He said what?”
“He said there was-”
“I got that. He called us ‘broads’? What a prick.”
“Oh, it’s okay, Jane,” she replied, lifting a spoonful of yogurt to her lips. “He’s probably right. With me on the team…well, I know my track record in these kinds of events. It’s probably for the best.”
Jane’s heart sank at Maura’s words, until she caught Maura glancing up then looking away. “Ah ha!” she exclaimed. “I am so on to you.”
“I don’t know what-”
“Uh huh. ‘Oh, it’s okay, Jane’,” she repeated, fluttering her eyes. “I’ll hand it to you, you’re good.” She kissed Maura’s temple, and softened her teasing. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than spend a weekend alone with you. But, not in the middle of Douglas State Park worrying about when Crowe’s going to set the place on fire.”
Maura couldn’t help but smile. “I concede your point.”
Jane pulled her in softly for a kiss, humming at the contact. “I’m going to get ready for work. Why don’t you think of something else you want to do this weekend? I promise I’ll keep my whining to a minimum.”
Maura smiled again and kissed Jane before shooing her off to the bedroom.
…..
“Hey, Rizzoli,” Crowe shouted when she entered the bullpen. “I heard they’re offering a consolation prize for comin’ in last in the survival challenge. I’ll be sure to tell them to make it in pink.”
A wiry man in the corner snickered, “Do they make tampons in pink?”
The two detectives fist-bumped each other and snorted. Jane glowered but ignored their taunts. Slipping into her seat, she started her computer and checked her mail. Of course, the men wouldn’t give up so easily.
“Ozzie, did you see the rules let you bring one extra item off the list?”
“Yeah,” his partner replied loudly. “I’m bringin’ a case of beer!”
They fist-bumped again before Crowe said, “Maybe Dr. Isles should bring some glue. Breakin’ a nail would be a horrible emergency.”
Jane didn’t flinch and they didn’t relent.
“You gonna even try to finish the survival contest or are you just gonna pitch a tent and make out with your girlfriend?”
Vanoss snickered, “Her girlfriend makes me pitch a tent!”
Before Jane had a chance to break, Cavanaugh’s door slammed open, and the lieutenant stepped out, a picture of calm. “Aren’t you two assholes done for the day? Or are you fuckin’ around on the city’s dime?”
Crowe jumped to his feet. “We were just finishing up, Lieu.”
“Yeah, well, consider yourself finished.” His gaze was a steely one. “You two are also finished talkin’ shit about Dr. Isles and Rizzoli’s relationship with her, got it? I hear another disrespectful word outta your mouth, and I’ll see to it that her girlfriend puts any and all future test results at the bottom of the considerable pile of work she does for us. Are we clear?”
The partners were smart enough to simply nod and slink out of the room. Jane didn’t even bother looking at them. Instead, she directed her attention to Cavanaugh. With an appreciative smile, she said, “Thanks, boss.”
“Don’t mention it, Rizzoli. Just do us all a favour – don’t finish last in the contest.”
“Don’t worry, sir. We won’t.” Cavanaugh nodded and returned to his office. Jane sighed, stood, and made her way to the elevator.
…..
“Do you have those forms?”
Maura looked up from her paperwork. “A bit more specific?”
“The forms for the survival thing,” Jane replied, dropping into a nearby chair.
Her face lit up. “You’ve changed your mind?”
Jane shrugged. “Well, not ‘changed my mind’ exactly. Cavanaugh just assumed we were doing it.” She heard how her words sounded and blushed. “The survival thing, I mean. Doing the survival thing. I don’t think he’s the type of guy who wants to hear how it ‘makes an ass out of u and me’.” Maura nodded in agreement. “So… here I am. Yay.”
Maura clicked her mouse several times until a soft whir of her printer started. She reached back for the forms and scribbled her name at the bottom of one. With an exaggerated drop of her shoulders, Jane stood and walked to the desk.
“I’m going to trust all this legalese is up front.”
“It is,” Maura replied. “It spells out their liability in the event of an accident or emergency.”
“Which I’m guessing is ‘zero’.”
“For all intents and purposes, yes.”
Jane nodded, but signed the sheet without a second glance. “You’re responsible for the packs, and making sure I don’t run into poison ivy.”
Maura stepped around her desk and wrapped her arms around Jane’s waist. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while,” she whispered slyly.
“Mmmmm,” Jane replied. “You’d better buy more fruit. And chocolate. A lot of it.”
…..
“I’m tempted to say I’ve never seen a sorrier bunch, but that would be a lie.” A stocky man with a military haircut stood tall amongst the crowd. The morning was cool, but he wore a simple black T-shirt and cargo pants without complaint. “The Drug Unit from last weekend looked worse.” This got a few chuckles from the group and he smiled. “I’m Malcolm Winchester, and I’m the guy who’s going to make sure no one dies out here.”
Frankie leaned into Frost. “If that’s not an Army name, I don’t know what is.”
“Rizzoli!”
“Yes, sir,” both siblings replied immediately.
He looked down at his list. “Didn’t know there were two of you. I meant Whispering Wendy over there.” He jerked his chin in Frankie’s direction. “The things I’m about to tell you could save your life. Unless you wanna keep talkin’.”
“No,” the younger Rizzoli said, dipping his head. “Sorry.”
“Okay. You’re all here as part of a team building exercise determined to be beneficial by your respective departments. The rules are simple: we give you GPS systems and shove you off into the woods, where it’s up to you to get to the predetermined finish line before 3 PM tomorrow. Optimally, you should be able to make it to the finish by noon. If you’re not back by 3, we’ll send a rescue team in to find you, and you can live with the ribbing at work for the rest of your career. We’ll set you off at 10-minute staggered intervals so you don’t all end up piggy-backing each other, and we knock the 10 minutes off at the end for every team except the first one. Make sense?” Everyone nodded. “You were all given a list of five things absolutely necessary to bring for the overnight excursion. A tent, a space blanket, a fire starter, water purification tablets, and a multi-tool. You were also given a list of things that were optional, though I would think food was a little more than ‘optional’. You also get to bring one item that wasn’t on either list, if you choose to do so.” The group nodded again and he continued. “Before we get started, I’m going to go through all your bags, just to make sure no one’s sneaking something in that will give an advantage.”
He called up teams two at a time, and his searches were quick, methodical, and thorough. He nodded at some items and grimaced at others, but otherwise said nothing. Then he called up the last two teams, and smirked when he saw Crowe and Vanoss saunter up, their backpacks nearly bursting at the seams.
“You know,” the organizer said as he picked through their bags, “the items on that second list were optional. You didn’t have to bring all of them.”
Crowe shrugged. “Can never be too careful.”
“And you’re going to be okay carrying this around for the next 24 to 30 hours?”
“No problem. I tested it around the house. I think I can handle it.” Crowe looked smugly at Jane and Maura’s bags.
Winchester noted the tent, the blanket, and the water purification drops. “Where’s your fire starter and your multi-tool?”
“Right here.” Crowe pulled the two items from his pockets.
“The reason I list it as a ‘firestarter’ rather than ‘matches’, or ‘flint stone’ or ‘striker’ is because I’m always interested in what people will bring.” He held up Crowe’s offering. “A lighter, huh?” Glancing up at the sky, he mused, “Hope it doesn’t get too windy.” He turned his attention to the Swiss Army knife. “I do the same with the ‘multi-tool’,” he said, “because there are so many options available.” He hefted it in his hand, marvelling at the weight. “That’s got to be half a pound. How many tools does this have?”
“Thirty one.”
“Uh-huh.” He pulled one out. “You plan on catching any fish during your time here, Mr. Crowe?” Seeing the look of confusion on the man’s face, Winchester explained, “It’s a fish scaler. To go along with this, which is the fish hook gorger. I didn’t see a means in which to catch fish in your bag. Though,” he reached into one of the many pockets, “I did find a snare kit. Maybe it’ll all work together somehow. And your one optional item?”
“The inflatable pillow. My partner brought a 6-pack.”
Winchester blinked, but rather than reply, he turned his attention to Maura’s bag. “And where’s your fire starter and multi-tool?”
Maura produced a ferro rod and a small Swiss Army knife.
“The Soldier Knife. Very nice. Very light. Almost a third the amount of tools than Mr. Crowe’s, though. Think you’ll be okay?”
She suspected the question was a facetious one, but she replied anyway. “It is standard issue for the Swiss Armed Forces. I think it will suffice.”
He smiled. “Good choice on the ferro rod, too. And your optional item?”
“Makeup pads,” she announced proudly, oblivious to the laughter from Crowe and his partner, and the incredulous looks of everyone else. “Jane’s is Neosporin.”
The military man said, “There’s Neosporin in the first aid kit we supply.”
“I was concerned it might be the newer cream-based version.”
He held up the small pads and looked at Maura with a newfound appreciation. Nodding, he said, “I see what you’re doing.”
“Yeah, removing her makeup,” Crowe snorted.
In unison, Jane and Winchester snapped, “Hey!” Seeing Maura place a gentle hand on Jane’s arm, he looked from one to the other and smiled. “Ah.” Without further comment, he reached into the box that was at his feet and held up three items. “First aid kit with the barest components: a triangle bandage, a cold pack, some pain killers, a few bandaids, and a tube of Neosporin. Cream.” He winked at Maura. “A map to give you an idea of the lay of the land. Not waterproof, so don’t get it wet. And finally, a GPS system that shows you where you are and where your competitors are. Works like a compass and doubles as an emergency contact.” He held up the device. “Keep in mind, depending on where you are, it could take up to an hour to get to you, so you may have to rely on the goodness of your competitors. Let it be known right now – if you hear the emergency call, you are under no obligation to help. But I will not be impressed.”
Frost spoke up for the first time. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but there are some ‘competitors’ here who would be the last people I’d help.”
Winchester conceded the point. “Understood. The decision is entirely up to you and your partner. And that’s what this is really about – making decisions with someone else and working together. Finishing first is great, but what you learn about yourself is the most important thing. Are there any questions?”
“All right,” he said. “There are five teams and I just randomly drew names to determine the order in which you’ll go.” He looked at his clipboard. “Weaver and Spodnowski, you’re first, followed by Crowe and Vanoss, then Rizzoli and Frost. Capstein and Johnson will go fourth, and last, but certainly not least, Isles and Rizzoli. The entrance to the forest is marked by those two red ribbons, 30 yards apart. You can go in anywhere between those markers. You two ready?” he asked the first team.
The two men nodded and hoisted their packs onto their backs. Weaver acknowledged the group. “Good luck, gentlemen. And ladies.” His smile was genuine and he gave a small salute before turning to his partner. “Let’s do this!”
Winchester set his watch and raised his hand. “Ready… go!”
They watched as each team disappeared into the thick brush, 10 minutes apart. As they stood waiting for their turn, Winchester said, “You’re the only female team in the 25 that were entered. I don’t wanna put any pressure on you ladies, but I bet my friends 50 bucks you’d finish in the top 5 overall.”
Jane groaned. “Yeah, no pressure.”
Maura tilted her head and asked, “You hadn’t even met us yet. Why would you feel that confident?”
“I’ve been doing this a long time,” he answered. “Most guys go in there,” he gestured towards the bush, “and fuckin’ go! They are gung-ho and all they can think about is makin’ time. And that’s not always what this is about. This is a challenge not just of the body, but of the mind; staying calm when you come up to a chasm you can’t cross and have to double-back for a mile. Not panicking when you drop the map into the water. Knowing when to settle down for the night, even if it’s still light. Guys are reactionary. Women are thinkers. Thinkin’ will save a lot of time, believe me. Out of the 25 teams, I guarantee at least 6 won’t make it. You’re only the second department and we had to rescue 2 for the Drug Unit.”
Jane’s eyes lit up. “Tell me one of them was Martinez.”
Winchester chuckled. “I do recall a Martinez being one, yes.”
“Ha!” she snorted.
“Now,” he said, all business once more, “don’t get too confident. Stay calm and stay together, and I think you’ll do all right.” He checked his watch. “You’ve got 30 seconds.”
They slipped the bags over their shoulders and took some last minute deep breaths. Jane glanced over to Maura, who had her eyes closed as if in quiet meditation. There was something in her composure that gave Jane a burst of confidence and energy. When Maura’s eyes opened, they looked at each other and Jane nodded. With conviction, she said, “We are not letting Mr. Winchester lose 50 bucks.” She held out her fist, and was proud when Maura bumped it with her own. Winchester counted down from five. “Let’s go!”
…..
Though the sun had yet to reach its highest point, Jane felt the heat on the back of her neck, and was thankful for Maura’s insistence that they both bring hats. The detective glanced down at Maura’s feet and chuckled.
“I love your boots.”
Maura looked down. “I wanted a good pair of hiking boots but was worried a new pair would cause blisters. Your mother very generously offered me hers.” She fidgeted. “They feel wonderful and it’s only taken me the morning to get used to the…”
“Shared germs?” Jane supplied helpfully.
Maura’s nose wrinkled. “Yes.”
“I saw you spray an entire can of disinfectant into them. You’ll be fine. Now,” she said, unfolding the map, “what’s our best option?”
“You know the GPS works the same as a map?”
“Yeah, but I like to see it all laid out.”
Maura accepted Jane’s reasoning and moved closer. “It looks like there are two clear options- this one appears to be the easier route, following the Richmond stream. But it’s also the longer route. Or, we can take the one that runs along the McGrayson Ridge. It’s shorter, but the terrain is more difficult.”
“Hmmm.” Jane pondered over the choices. “What do you think General Winchester would do?”
“Oh, according to the literature that came with the forms, he’s only a Sergeant-Major.”
Jane tried to hide her smile, to no avail. “So, what would Sergeant-Major Winchester do?”
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Maura said, “Slow and steady wins the race.”
“Nothing worth doing is easy.”
Maura raised her eyebrow at Jane’s counter. “I would have thought you’d want to take the easiest route. I know your heart’s not really in this.”
Jane pressed a kiss against Maura’s forehead. “I’m in this for you, which means my heart’s in there somewhere.” Her self-deprecating shrug was no match for Maura’s blinding smile. “Besides, that’s the quickest route. So I’ve got extra motivation.”
Maura threw her arms around Jane’s neck and squeezed tightly. The brunette pretended to protest with melodramatic choking sounds, but Maura held fast. “I love you,” she whispered into her ear.
She had promised herself in the early stages of their relationship to never take those words for granted. So, pushing aside her sarcasm and her eye rolls, she pulled back and said, “I love you, too.” They shared a moment under the warm, blue sky before Jane finally said, “Would you like to lead the way, Livingstone?”
…..
The terrain was steep and rocky, even though their steps were careful, the duo were making good time. The sun had started its descent on the other side of noon when Maura found a flat area for them to rest. As they took off their bags and sat down on a fallen log, Maura dug into the packs and took out a couple of items.
“We have the water purification drops, but, well, we’re not near any water yet,” she said. “So I made sure to bring a few bottles.”
“According to the map, there’s a water source on the other side of this hill. How long do you think it’ll take us to get there?”
Maura handed Jane the water and a protein bar. “I think the distance on the map is deceptive. It may look like we should get there before the end of the day, but in reality, it might not be until the morning.”
Jane nodded. “So we’ll be careful with what we have. No problem.” She took a small sip from the bottle.
“There was no limitation on food, so I brought some fruit.” Jane snickered and Maura’s mouth twitched. “There’s a container of grapes in both packs. Those will help, too.”
“These things only make me want to drink more.” Jane shot a look at the protein bar in her hand and grimaced.
“The problem with survival food is its dryness,” Maura conceded. “But I’ve got a treat for you later.”
“Is it a protein bar covered in chocolate?” Jane beamed facetiously.
With a playful look of reproach, Maura ignored the jibe and collected their things. “I’m worried about rain, so we should aim for the top of the hill before settling down for the night.”
Jane froze, backpack half on and half off. “Rain?” She looked up. “There’s not a cloud in the sky.”
“I made sure to check the meteorologist’s report for the next 48 hours before we left this morning.”
Jane smiled and nodded knowingly. “Of course you did. How long do you think we’ve got?”
“It’s not supposed to reach us until the evening, but we’ll need to be set up and have enough dry wood for the night.”
“We should probably pick up some rocks, too.” She saw Maura’s look and replied, “Hey, I went camping as a kid. You need the rocks to contain the fire. That much I remember.”
They started up the hill once more, mindful of their steps. “What else do you remember about your camping years?” Maura asked.
“I remember the time Tommy found a skunk.”
“Oh, no.”
“Yeah,” Jane chuckled. “He was always good with animals, even as a kid. He got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Somewhere between the shack and the tents, he picked up this little baby skunk. He thought it was a cat with a big tail. I don’t think he was older than 5 or 6.”
Maura stumbled over a root and Jane quickly tugged her back by her jeans. Wiping her brow with the back of her forearm, Maura took a breath before continuing. “What happened next?”
“He brought it back to show Ma and Pop. Opened the tent and snuck in.”
“You didn’t hear him?”
“No. The kids had one tent and Ma and Pop had their own. Me and Frankie got to witness this from a safe distance.” Maura smiled, and Jane continued. “All we hear is this blood-curdling scream and then the tent starts shaking. Ma is freaking out. I mean, losing it. She’s trying to run to the door but Tommy’s standing there, proud as a peacock. ‘Can I keep it?’” Jane mimicked. “And, of course, the skunk reacts the only way a skunk can react to a crazy woman.”
“Oh, no,” Maura said again.
“Yep. Tail up, all over Tommy. I had the sense to lock-zip our door, because sure enough, the next thing I know, Pop is shaking our tent, yelling, ‘Janie! Open this door or you’re grounded!’ I yelled back, ‘Pop, I can smell you from here!’”
Maura chuckled and bent down to pick up some sticks. “The tent’s enclosed space would have ensured they all took the brunt of the spray.”
“And that’s why the Rizzolis’ Summer of ’91 Camping Trip was cut short. Me and Frankie rode the whole way home with our heads sticking out the windows.”
Maura’s laugh was long and loud. “Oh, I can just see you two.”
The incline was getting increasingly steeper as they ascended, so they were quiet for a long time; the only sound was their laboured breathing and the shifting of ground under their feet. They worked wordlessly but in tandem, picking up a stick or a stone here and there as they made their way up to the top. Once there, Maura consulted the map.
“We should walk in that direction for a short while,” she suggested. “According to the map, it will give us a slightly easier descent and will get us to the narrowest part of the stream.”
Jane nodded. “Might as well do it now while we have the light. And I see a decent crop of rocks and trees over there. Will make a good windbreak once we set up camp.” She saw Maura’s expression of delight and made a face. “Please. All this stuff you’ve got going on?” She gestured to their bags and the bundle of twigs in Maura’s hand. “You got that from your Les Stroud book. The one I bought you for Christmas.”
Maura kissed the tip of Jane’s nose. “If you hadn’t mentioned him when we got stuck in that snowstorm, I would have never known.”
Oh, I see,” Jane drawled. “So in the end, it’s really my fault we’re out here in the middle of nowhere instead of watching the Pats.”
Swatting her arm, Maura scoffed. “No. The Pats don’t play on Saturday.”
Jane scowled, but her eyes held warmth. “How long do you think it will take to get there?”
Maura shielded her eyes from the sun and gauged the distance. “Depending on the terrain, I can’t imagine it should take us more than 30 minutes.”
“Great,” Jane replied. “I can’t wait to sit down and take these boots off. And see how far back Crowe and Vanoss are!”
…..