Present
Early November
The Rizzoli's hovered through Maura's home trying to comfort her through a problem she thought she could deal with alone. As hard as they tried, neither of the Rizzoli brothers or matriarch could elicit a smile or semblance of peace from Maura. They could not get her out of the house or do anything for herself. All she managed to do was respond to the family, use the bathroom, and sleep. Angela had never seen Maura so despondent like this before, so she took it upon herself to take care of her.
Angela admitted it to anyone who would listen, Maura was her unofficial daughter after all she had done for and gone through with the Rizzoli clan, especially with Jane. She naturally empathized with Maura and hurt as much as she would had her own child gone through what Maura experienced. Not only did Angela use every last ounce of her own will to console her –even Frankie and Tommy would step in to jostle some sort of positive reaction. But they all knew who could get Maura out of this sad stupor; there really was only one person that could get through to Maura, no matter what strong emotion she was feeling. There was a problem with getting that one person to comfort Maura though: she refused to talk to or see the distraught woman. She only went to her mother's guest house and even getting her to stay for longer than twenty minutes was a rarity.
Jane Rizzoli did not want to see Maura Isles.
Everyone in the Rizzoli and Isles circle couldn't believe the events that took place since Ian Faulkner came back a few weeks ago. Everyone who knew what happened pitied the sweet Maura Isles for losing the two people she had considered irreplaceable in her life. Angela and her two sons encouraged Jane to speak with Maura, but the headstrong eldest daughter ignored and focused entirely on work. She let her cases devour her time and wouldn't allow anyone –not even her own partners and Lieutenant– to convince her to take a paid vacation, one that she really deserved.
Jane closed herself off to her family's demands that only meant to do her good so she too could heal and move on. She ignored her family's pleas to talk to Maura. Jane did not let anyone sway her decisions. She stayed away from Maura and, practically, everyone she knew.
That cold day in November, Angela once again attempted to speak to Maura. "You know, Jane isn't here to say it Maura, but she misses you." Angela took a seat on the edge of Maura's bed. She stared at the back of Maura's tangled tresses, "Jane really does miss you and I know you feel the same way," the older woman reached out to pat Maura's shoulder, "She's miserable without you Maura."
Maura pulled her duvet closer up to her chin and continued to stare out the window, "If that is the case Angela, if Jane cares that much for me, she would be here." Maura felt the warm hand from her shoulder move away, "We should have already apologized for our actions, been past this predicament and moved on..." Maura hiccupped as she felt a pain in her chest begin to rise, she choked back tears, "On your way out Angela, may you please draw the blinds and close the door?" Maura buried her face deep into the duvet. "I'm going back to sleep."
Angela got off the bed and went to the window Maura had just been staring out of, "Honey, why don't we go outside for a bit? It's been snowing for a few hours, we can take a stroll through the neighborhood."
She never kept track of time anymore –Maura didn't even keep track of what was going on around her. It was snowing? "Don't worry Angela," Maura looked up at the woman who had taken care of her for the past few weeks, "I'll be able to see it from the window."
Angela opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself. She turned back to the window and reached for the handle that closed the blinds. In the semi-darkness, Angela could make out the doctor's drawn face, closed eyes, and shuddered at how the liveliness that normally emanated from Maura no longer existed. She needed to do something.
Later the same day, Angela tried convincing Jane to see Maura again, with no results. After Angela finished "nagging" –as Jane so helpfully pointed out– her daughter turned back to the computer screen and passively replied, "Ma, I'm trying to solve a case here, I've got a ton of paperwork to do."
Her daughter could be rude when she was in a bad mood, Angela had dealt with that for well over 30-odd years, but at that moment, it irritated her more than it should have. "Look at me Jane." Angela waited as Jane continued typing. "Jane Clementine Rizzoli!" Angela slammed a hand against the table causing her daughter to jump back in shock, "Don't you dare," Angela pointed a finger at her, "...use that excuse on me again. Maura needs you now, and I sure as hell know that you need her too!" Angela took a step back and felt slightly guilty at the shock written all over Jane's face, she continued anyway, "I know that you two love each—"
Jane shook her head, "Ma, we do not—"
"Do not interrupt me." Angela crossed her arms, while Jane sat back in her chair, mirroring the same action, "Don't try to deny it because I know Jane. It took me awhile to get it, but I see it." Angela calmed down, placed her arms down and walked closer to her daughter's side, "You can finally have everything you want with Maura, but you're throwing it all away by refusing to speak to her."
That same rebellious and wilfulness expression showed on her face again. Jane stood up from her seat, glad that the bullpen was clearing out, "Look Ma, if you care that much for Maura," her voice cracked saying her name, "You stay and talk to her. Don't defend her when... when–" she flailed her arms, "When she decided all this." Jane grabbed her blazer and threw it over her shoulder. She pulled open a drawer and took out her phone and car keys, "And I don't know why everyone is hounding me to talk to Maura. She was part of all this too okay?"
She could hear the pain in Jane's hoarse voice, "Honey," Angela stepped in front of her, blocking her path, "Honey, I love you more than the world could know. All this pain and hatred that's festered between you two hasn't just affected you two." Angela ran her knuckles against Jane's cheek, "Everyone is beside themselves with worry."
"Okay, so Maura and I need to get along now so everyone feels better about themselves? Okay, got it." Jane rolled her eyes and tried to walk away again.
"No, no." Angela shook her head. She grabbed her daughter's shoulders, "I'm saying that we all know how much you two care for each other, and the... the animosity that's coming from the both of you," Angela looked up at her daughter and shook her a bit, "It's something we've never seen before. I came here to try to get you two back together, to clean this mess between you two. Maura's just as depressed and frustrated as you are Janie." Angela let go of her, "Maura's been through a lot since you left, and you have too. You two love each other too much to—"
Jane scoffed, "I only left because she made a choice!" She pointed at a wall, towards a woman who was miles away, "Maura wanted to marry Ian! She did it and I tried my best to stay, but I couldn't!" Jane shrugged, "I don't know how to go back there," she cleared her throat before continuing, "Now Ma, please. Just let me leave."
Angela moved out of her way, but she didn't let her go without saying, "Things aren't always what they seem Jane. That's why you have to go back! You need to know..." The brunette couldn't hear her mother anymore as the elevator doors shut in front of her.
She already knew. As hard as she fought against it, she really did want to see Maura and find out what happened. Why did Maura never come back the second time Ian came around, she didn't know. She knew Maura could continue to work even in her third trimester, so it was odd that she stayed away. She tried to visit Maura at the hospital too. By that time, however, too much had occurred between them already and as Jane explained to Angela: she did not know how to go back there. She could not go into that hospital and see her best friend. She did not know how to go back to Maura.
Jane walked to the parking garage, her mind wrapped and twisted around all that she knew, all that she tried to deny. And it was driving her mad. She wanted it all to end.
"Jane?" She was like a ghost in a heavy mist. "Jane!"
It took her a moment to realize who she was, but upon recognizing her, Jane waved at the approaching woman. Always bubbly and welcoming, and unusually friendly, the shorter woman hugged Jane.
"Do you hug everyone you meet?" Jane took a deep breath and laughed a little.
"It's always nice to see you, that's all." The shorter woman wrapped an arm around Jane's waist and pulled her along, "We need to catch up."
The perky voice and personality interrupted Jane's murky jumble of thoughts. She let the shorter woman lead the way and stuttered, "Um, okay. Sure."
