A/N: This is the first collaborative story by x8xKrazee . Benson. Fanx8x & darkemberdagger. We hope you like it. Please read and review.
Disclaimer: We only own the fic. (C) x8xKrazee. Benson. Fanx8x & darkemberdagger.
It was terrible. A complete mess. An utter disaster. Maura's genius mind was having difficulty understanding the horrifying message her work computer was displaying. She read it over and over but still the meaning was evading her.
Due to popular demand, the size 7 Louboutin boots you would like to purchase are unavailable. We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience.
Maura had been busier than usual these past weeks. But so had everyone in homicide. There had been autopsies to perform and reports to fill out, and as Chief Medical Examiner she had employees to watch over. She had been working hard, and she was repaid in not being able to purchase the boots she wanted to wear to the charity event that was coming up. The charity event that Jane had actually agreed to accompany her to. Normally, Maura would not have expected Jane to say yes, but the doctor noticed that the detective had become much more accommodating to Maura's needs. They went to lunch at places that had healthier menus. They were going to yoga twice a week. Jane had even agreed to let Maura taker her shopping for a new outfit for the charity event. Maura knew that Jane was doing these things to make Maura happy, and that made the Maura love the detective even more.
Stop it Maura, don't have those kinds of thoughts. Jane is your friend. Maura knew she was in love with her best friend. She had been denying it, but logically she knew that when you try to deny something, you are really just acknowledging its existence. So she had faced the fact that Jane Rizzoli had her heart, and wouldn't be giving it back. The most infuriating part was that she had no idea if Jane felt the same way. There were indications that she did: the constant touching, the overly long eye contact, which a lot of the time is initiated by Jane, but it still was not enough to go on. Maura Isles was a woman of science, and she needed proof before she took a chance and told Jane how she really feels. It would either be the best thing to happen to her, or the worst. Her best friend would become her lover, or would push her away.
Her inconclusive evidence is part of the reason Maura was upset that she could not get the boots she wanted. There was only one time before that she had worn boots at work. She wore them with a work appropriate dress of course, but when she walked into the bullpen and Jane first saw her, Maura saw the look in her eyes. It was not one of welcome, or of amusement, but one of hunger. They shared their moments of eye contact, and Jane's eyes traveled downwards. Maura was fairly sure Jane had just given her a once over, and was delighted. Especially when she noticed Jane swallow by the time her eyes reached the boots. Then when Maura went to stand next to Jane and point out something in the autopsy report, she heard Jane's breath hitch and noticed a slight flush in her tan complexion. Barely able to contain a wide smile, she quickly confirmed her lunch plans with Jane and walked back down to the morgue. From that point, Maura knew she would have to wear boots again, preferably someplace that was just her and Jane and where she could wear a sexier dress: one that was low cut and showed a little more leg. Taking one last glance at her computer and scowling, she closed the window and got to work on the awaiting autopsy report. Maura knew that she and Jane were meant to be together. She just couldn't wait until Jane knew it too.
Jane loved Maura Isles. She really did. She had been attracted to the ME since she first saw her, but when they took the time to get to know each other, Jane knew that the feelings she had for Maura were more than friendly. Maura was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman Jane had ever seen. She was generous, kind, had a big heart, and had managed to keep a sense of innocence in their dark careers that demanded they lose it. And Maura's intelligence was a topic Jane did not even know where to start on. She was a genius, literally.
Maura was an angel that spent her time with unworthy humans. Jane didn't know when she had become this sappy, lovesick puppy that would do anything for Maura even before she asked, but she had. And it was working against the Boston native, tough as hell badass detective image she had worked hard for. She had never been to a salad bar in her life, but had gone there more times than she could remember since it became on of Maura's favorite lunchtime places. She hated yoga yet she was in classes twice a week, avoiding all contact with Jorge and trying to keep Brock away from Maura. That's one of the reasons she tried to never miss a yoga class. And then the unthinkable happened. She agreed to go to another Puke event, and she let Maura buy her clothes. If Maura didn't known Jane was in love with her before, she should definitely know it now.
Jane knows that Maura has her wrapped around her perfectly manicured finger, even if Maura doesn't. Which is why no matter how badly Jane does not want to do something Maura suggests, all it takes for her to do it is one look. One look from Maura that gets into Jane's soul and leaves an everlasting impression. One look that says "I'll be so happy if you do this" and Jane has already started doing it. Because Jane would do anything to make Maura happy. Anything to see that smile that Maura only gives to Jane. Anything to let Maura know how much she means to her. Because Maura means everything to the grumpy homicide detective. There is not a thing Jane wouldn't do if it kept Maura safe. Nothing that could stop her from protecting Maura.
All I want, Jane thought on her way down to the morgue for a late lunch, is to keep my Maura happy and safe. If I can do that, then maybe it won't hurt so much not to be with her.
"You ready for lunch?" Jane asked upon walking into the morgue. Maura looked up from her computer, and smiled that special smile reserved for Jane.
"Of course. Let me just-." Maura was cut off as Jane's phone rang with Frost's ring tone. Her heart dropped as Jane sighed in annoyance.
"Dammit. Just when we-." Jane was interrupted by Maura's work ring tone. They answered their phones, and moments later hung up. Jane looked at Maura and smiled. "My car or yours?"
Jane was looking around the crime scene when she suddenly heard Maura gasp. She rushed over to her and squatted down beside her. "Maura, what is it?" asked Jane, concerned.
"I... I know this man, Jane," she whispered, her voice was very shaky. It was like she was afraid of this murdered man.
"Where do you know him, Maura?" Jane looked over the man again; she had never seen him before. "Maura?" she asked again when Maura didn't response. She noticed that Maura's hands were shaking as she tried to continue her job.
Maura took a few slow deep breaths before speaking softly. "I've noticed him so many times in the last few weeks. I could swear that he was following me."
Hearing that, Jane was fuming. "What?" she screeched. "Why the Hell didn't you tell me, Maura? He could have hurt you!" she yelled at her friend. She had to admit that she was more worried then angry at Maura. She just wished that Maura had told her instead of ignoring the matter.
Maura suddenly took up and glared at Jane. "I can't tell you everything, Jane. You are not my babysitter. I can take care of myself. He didn't hurt me... Although-"
"Although what?" Jane badgered her. She wanted all the details and she wasn't going to let it go anytime soon.
"Jane, please." begged Maura. She couldn't handle her best friend doing this to her. She did not need this right now and it was not appropriate here. Jane took a few deep breaths and turned around, walking away before she did something else she would regret. "Okay, take him to the morgue," Maura told her assistants before taking a deep breath then rushing to look for Jane.
"You looking for Rizzoli, Doc?" a familiar deep voice stopped her.
She turned around to find Vince Korsak, Jane's ex partner. Nodding, she answered, "Yeah, where did she go?"
"She got a phone call and headed back to the station. Why?" he asked, "What's wrong?"
Maura sighed, "Nothing. Is there a uniformed officer that could give me a lift back? Jane drove me here."
"Sure." Korsak, replied and looked for a uniformed officer to take her back. He found Frankie in the living room of the house. "Frankie, could you take the doc back to the station?" he asked.
"Yes, sir, Detective Korsak," Jane's little brother, Officer Frank Rizzoli Junior, replied.
When Maura walked into the Homicide Bullpen back at the police precinct, she found Jane sitting at her desk, working on the computer. She could just about the feel the heat of anger running off of the detective. Jane Rizzoli was fuming, and Maura doubted that it still had something to do with her hiding the fact that she was being stalked. Maura could bet her week's pay check that something else had happened in the short amount of time that Jane had left the crime scene. Something to make her probably the worst person to talk to right now. But Maura wasn't going to just walk away. She wasn't scared of Jane Rizzoli: she knew the real Jane Angela Rizzoli. The one that was rarely seen in public. The kind, caring, quiet side of her. The gentle Jane Rizzoli.
Maura approached Jane curiously despite not being afraid of her, she just didn't want to startle her or upset her more. "Jane?" she called softly.
Hearing her name called, Jane stopped her furious typing in an instant and turned to face her best friend. "Yes, Maura?"
"Come down to the morgue with me, please?" she asked. She hoped that Jane would come but she really didn't think that she would.
"Is there a reason for me to?" asked Jane, nonchalantly. She was feeling very anti-social at that particular moment.
Maura pushed some stray hair back behind her ear and sat on the chair beside Jane's desk. "I need... I need to talk to you, Jane," she whispered, rubbing her hands together nervously.
"About what?" Jane asked, coolly. "You didn't want to tell me anything before... What if that man had hurt you, Maura?" she hissed, trying to keep quiet so that people didn't over hear their conversation.
"And I'm sorry about that," apologized Maura. "Please, could we talk?" she asked again, finally looking into Jane's eyes.
Leaning her head back, Jane groaned. "Please, could we talk about this later?" she retorted.
"Jane, why were you called back here? Why are you sitting at your desk?" Maura changed the subject.
"I'm being ordered to speak to the shrink before going back into the field," Jane whispered her reply.
"Why? Do you want to talk about it down in the morgue?" Maura asked, standing up. She looked around the room. Finding no-one around, she reached out for Jane to take her hand.
Jane furrowed her brow, wondering if she should or shouldn't take the offered hand. Finally she sighed and took it, letting Maura help her up.
"Come on, honey, let's talk," Maura said as they headed to the elevator, to go down to the morgue to chat privately.
They had a lot of talking to do.
As soon as they reached the morgue, Jane wasted no time asking Maura her question. "Why didn't you tell me that you were being followed?" Maura was slightly taken aback at her suddenness, but answered anyways.
"Well, I didn't know for sure that I was being followed. It could have just been several chance encounters that-" when she saw Jane rolling her eyes, she moved on. "I didn't want to tell you I was being followed in case I actually wasn't being followed. It would start a needless investigation and would waste everyone's time."
"Maura," Jane said in a frustrated tone, "if you have been seeing the same man over and over again, how could you think that's a fluke? And who the hell cares if it wastes anyone's time? I don't." Off Maura's look at her inconclusive evidence, Jane changed tactics. "Fine. Why didn't you tell me that you might be being followed?"
"I-I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily." Maura couldn't tell her the real reason, so she went with part of it since she lacked the ability to lie, unfortunately.
Jane didn't seem pleased with her answer. "That's it? That's why you risked your life?" Jane was getting angry again. "To save me some unnecessary worrying? For peace of mind? I worry about you anyways, Maura." And you're always on my mind "Telling me that someone had been following you for-." Jane stopped and narrowed her eyes as an obvious question occurred to her, one she should have asked before. "Maura, how long do you think the man that is currently occupying space in your morgue has been following you?" Jane wasn't sure she wanted to hear to the answer, and she was proved right when she heard it.
Maura blushed. "Oh it's... It's difficult to be sure. Perhaps, maybe three weeks." Maura mumble the last two words, but Jane heard anyway. She exhaled in anger.
"Three weeks? Three whole weeks? Maura, what the hell!" Jane was furious. Three fucking weeks. Three weeks that Maura was being followed and didn't say anything. Three weeks she could have been hurt, with Jane powerless to stop it. Or worse, three weeks during which time the woman she loved more than anything could have been kil- she stopped. Jane was not entertaining that thought for a second. "What if something happened to you? Dammit Maura, why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you almost left me!" Maura yelled. She had seen that Jane was getting angrier the more she thought about it, but Maura had her reasons too. Maura's eyes were filling with tears and she angrily wiped them away.
Jane was shocked. And confused. Normally when she saw tears in Maura's eyes, she would wrap her up in a tight hug, telling her it would be okay and silently vowing to find out who had hurt Maura so she could hurt them. But Maura's answer had totally thrown her off. "What?"
"You almost left me, Jane," Maura acted composed on the outside, but inside she was panicking. She really hadn't meant to yell that. She took a calming breath and began. "You almost died, Jane," The tears were starting again, like they normally did when ever she thought about how close she came to losing the woman she secretly loved. "You took such a stupid risk and almost died because of it. And I realized then that the woman who means so much to me," Everything to me "I could have lost you. And then I would have lost the only person in the world that I could go to for anything. I… I was too dependent on you because I always thought you would be there. And when you almost weren't… I thought I needed to start depending on myself again." The tears were back full force and this time Jane did take Maura into her arms, a few tears in her own eyes. She whispered little nothings into Maura's ear as she cried, her face buried in Jane's neck.
"Sweetie, look at me," Maura sniffed then looked up at Jane while she wrapped her arms around the detective's middle. Jane cupped Maura's face in her hands. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? I am…I am so sorry about that day, Maura. It was a panic induced move, and something that I swear to you I will never again. Maura," she wiped away the doctor's tears with her thumbs, "you can depend on me. I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be there for you."
Maura nodded. "I know. You are always there for me. And I know you won't do anything like that ever again, for any reason whatsoever." She gave Jane a hard look, just daring her to say something. After a moment, her eyes softened. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I won't do that again." She gave Jane the smile that only Jane ever got, and was delighted when she smiled in return. Jane laid a kiss upon the doctor's forehead, and only after she pulled back did they realize how tangled together they were. They blushed and took a step back.
"So are you going to tell me why you have to go see the precinct psychologist?" Maura asked.