Author's Note: Hey all! How are you doing? I hope you enjoy this next Rizzoli and Isles story I have for you. This story is based off of the song "Lego House" by Ed Sheeran, so I have to give him credit for the story title. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
NOTE: This takes place a month or so after Season 4, Episode Two. This is kind of my take on what happens when Maura finds out that Casey is leaving again.
Disclaimer: I owe the title credits to Mr. Sheeran.
"Janey… Would you eat something, please?" Mrs. Rizzoli knitted her eyebrows together worriedly at her already thin daughter.
Jane pushed the meat around on her plate, which was unusual. By now, she was usually scarfing down seconds of her mother's beer-battered filet mignon. "I'm not hungry, Ma. I'll save it for tomorrow," she replied. Her voice was hollow, and she walked to the fridge, carelessly pushing the plate inside to join a stash of old dinners that she had "saved for tomorrow."
Frankie looked down and pretended to be busy with his meal, and Tommy stood up. "It's getting late… I'm gonna head back to Lydia's and put TJ to bed. Night, Frankie. Night, Ma. Night… Jane." He bowed out of the apartment with his young son, leaving Mrs. Rizzoli, Frankie, and a disheveled Jane behind.
"Has Maura said anything?" Mrs. Rizzoli tried cautiously, keeping her eyes on her plate as Jane shuffled around the kitchen, two ice cold beers clasped together between her feeble fingers.
Jane leaned over heavily on the counter and shook her head, even though Angela couldn't see her. "No, she hasn't. I'm heading to bed," she muttered, avoiding the wandering eyes of her Ma and Frankie.
Mrs. Rizzoli stood up. "Well, I'm heading back to her place in a few- do you want me to leave a message?"
Jane whipped around suddenly and stared Angela dead in the eye. "Don't you dare, Ma." She continued to her room, the perspiration of the beers dripping onto the floor. It left a trail of water on the linoleum leading from the kitchen to Jane's bedroom.
Mrs. Rizzoli looked longingly after her and sighed. "Oh Janey…" she whispered quietly.
Frankie took his dish to the sink and spoke as he rinsed it off. "Ma, don't get me wrong- I love coming over to Jane's place when she's barely showered and having dinner with her when she doesn't bother to say a word to anybody- but how exactly is this going to help her?"
"Don't talk like that. Your sister just lost her love interest and her best friend. She needs to know that we're here for her," Angela explained.
Frankie rolled his eyes. "Casey basically showed her his new… ding-dong, then up and left her. I don't get why Maura's mad- it's not even Jane's fault."
"Francesco, stop that!" Mrs. Rizzoli cried, disgusted at the thought that Jane would actually sleep with that Casey character. She never did like him.
He shrugged. "Look, Ma, all I'm saying is why can't Maura be here instead of us? We all know that the only person who can help her is Maura."
Mrs. Rizzoli sighed. "I know, baby." She ran her hand down the back of Frankie's hair, smoothing down his curls as she had when he was younger. "But, Maura's upset too- she's got a lot going on, and no matter how intelligent and organized she is, she just has too much on her plate and isn't quite sure how to juggle it all," she explained.
Frankie rolled his eyes. "That doesn't even make sense. Casey is completely irrelevant to Maura, unless…" His eyes grew wide.
Mrs. Rizzoli walked over to him quickly and placed a hand on his forearm. "Unless what, Frankie? Unless what?" she prodded.
"Unless Maura has… Feelings. For Jane, I mean," he replied, thinking it over in his mind.
A shiver ran down Angela's spine. She was shocked. Maura and Jane? Together? That can't be right… "I mean, I guess that would be the only logical explanation, but come on. The girls are best friends- they're inseparable! Do you really think…?" she led on.
Frankie shrugged again. "It's possible, Ma. I mean, Jane's not exactly a catch, but-"
"Frankie!" Angela swatted his bicep. "You know what, go on home. I'm heading back to Maura's in a minute."
Frankie leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Night, Ma," he waved, walking out the door. "See you tomorrow."
Angela quietly made her way to Jane's room and strained to hear if anything was happening. On the other side, she could hear muffled sobs. She pressed her lips together and rested her head on the door for a moment before leaving the apartment.
Once she heard her mother leave, Jane shuffled out of bed and to her door, where she locked it, then onto the couch, on which she curled up with a pillow.
A framed picture of her and Maura on Korsak's birthday caught her eye, resting on the coffee table in front of her. She leaned over and picked it up, her tears splashing onto the glass sheet that protected the precious photograph inside. Maura's arms were wrapped around Jane's waist, and Jane's lips were pressed to Maura's cheek for the spontaneous photograph.
She leaned back on the couch, cradling the frame in her arms. She wanted to talk to Maura- more than anything, but she couldn't bring herself to speak to her. Moments at work were tense and awkward, and aside from the standard relaying of information of the case, no additional words were exchanged between the two.
As much as she tried to deny it, Jane knew in her heart of hearts that she had royally fucked up. She constantly pushed away the fact that she had hurt Maura with her own stupidity, and she kept convincing herself that it wasn't her fault. In reality, Jane realized that she had taken Maura's already fragile heart, set it gently on the ground, and stomped it to pieces.
It's not like she knew Casey was going to leave again, right? That must count for something…
Stop making excuses, she thought to herself. She rested her head on the arm of the couch and drifted into a light sleep, the frame still clutched in her hands.
Meanwhile, at Maura's apartment, Bass the tortoise was slowly-but threateningly- backing Mrs. Rizzoli into a corner.
"Uh, Maura?" Angela called from the kitchen, about ready to hop up on the counter.
"Yes? What's wrong?" Maura emerged from her bedroom. The moment she laid eyes on the sigh in front of her, she began to laugh. "Oh, Angela, just step around him! You'll be fine," she assured Mrs. Rizzoli.
Angela raised an eyebrow but stepped over Bass nonetheless. After a few moments passed, despite Jane's warning, Mrs. Rizzoli struck up a conversation with Maura. "How've you been lately, Maura? I noticed that you've been a little down-in-the-dumps. Is everything okay?"
Maura wet her lips and looked down. Moments later, she replied. "Yeah, everything's been… great! Um, just fine. The cases have just been heavy- not to mention the workload-"
"Hives," Mrs. Rizzoli stated matter-of-factly.
Maura quite resembled a deer in headlights. "W-what?" She began to helplessly scratch at her throat.
Mrs. Rizzoli smirked. "You get hives when you lie. Jane told me."
"Jane… How is Jane doing, anyway?" Maura asked curiously, rubbing her neck.
Angela let out a sigh. "You know… Let's keep this on the down low," she whispered, "but she's been feeling a little out of it lately."
Maura's face immediately molded into a concerned pout, and her eyebrows furrowed. "Well, what do you mean by that?"
"She's just not as involved lately. Loss of interest, more withdrawn, not eating as frequently…" Angela led on suggestively.
"Oh no… Those are all telltale signs of depression!" Maura commented. Suddenly, she realized, "Did I do this?"
Angela shrugged. "What she did wasn't the best decision, but what hurt her the most is that you abandoned her when she needed you most."
Maura sighed and blew hair out of her face. "You are not making this any better," she remarked.
Angela threw her hands up. "I'm just saying, Maura. She's let go of Casey now. But she needs you," she pressed.
"It's bad, isn't it?" Maura gnawed on her bottom lip. She continued pacing around the island nervously.
Angela shrugged. "Listen, all I'm saying is that I think you girls need to talk about this. Nothing good is going to come from ignoring each other. And, I'm not saying that you need to go back to being best friends right this second- but it might be a good idea to at least be civil with each other," the older woman offered.
Maura stopped moving and took Angela's words into consideration for a few moments. "I guess you're right, Angela. Oh, but what am I meant to say? What if she doesn't even want to have anything to do with me anymore?"
Angela ran up to Maura and took her hands. "She does, Maura! She really does. I can see it in her eyes. I can see it in yours, too. She misses you, and I know you miss her too. So, just… go on and talk to her, wouldn't you?"
Maura nodded with a determined look on her face. "I'll be back later tonight, most likely." She gathered her things and was about to step out the door, but she noticed Angela's confused look.
"Wh-you're going right now?" Angela asked, bewildered. "Maura, honey, it's ten thirty at night."
"I know. But if I'm going to do this, I need to do it now," she said firmly. With that, Maura disappeared behind the closing door.
As Maura drove to Jane's apartment, Jane still remained laying on the couch. Her head was pounding, and oddly enough, so was her heart.
She missed Maura- God damn, did she miss that woman. She longed to be wrapped up in every part of Maura and relish in the love and care she received.
As she waded in self-loathing, an ambiguous knock on the door startled her into falling off the couch in surprise, causing a loud thud.
"Shit," she muttered, scrambling to answer the door. Without even giving a look through the peephole, Jane answered the door with a wide smile on her face, ready to lend the neighbor her vacuum.
"Jane…" Maura's voice was apologetic and slow, "We need to talk."
Author's Note: So? How did you like it? I would love it if you left a review or two for me. I'd appreciate it! Let me know how I did, and hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. Cheers! -P