A/N: I'm nowhere near a medical professional so if you could suspend reality while reading this I would greatly appreciate it. I don't know how I feel about this but let me know! Don't own R&I unfortunately
"Where is Jane?" Maura asked looking around her crowded house to see if her girlfriend had somehow slipped in without her noticing.
"I'm sure she'll be here soon dear." Constance patted her arm reassuringly in an attempt to calm her daughter down.
"She knew how important this was to me and she's been trying to get out of it for weeks. It's just like her to use work as an excuse." The blonde couldn't resist ranting and downed the remainder of her champagne before taking another from a passing waiter.
"Maura's gonna be so pissed." Jane panted out lying on the ground holding her stomach, "Fuck this hurts."
"Detective we need to go now." The paramedic told her looking at the Detective Frost for help.
"They're right Jane you need to go."
"Call her."
"Jane."
"Call her." Korsak dialed his phone and handed to the woman shaking his head as he looked at the other detective. Jane was stubborn on a good day but when she thought she would let Maura down there was no stopping her.
"Jane! Where are you?" Maura picked up her phone anxiously feeling relieved when she realized her girlfriend was indeed making an effort.
"Maur I...I can't make it." She bit back a scream of pain when she was being loaded into the ambulance.
"Of course you can't!" The ME snapped walking away from her mother to talk in private, "I don't know what I expected. I thought maybe, maybe you would see how important this is to me."
"I know it is Mmmm." She covered up her groan by stressing the first initial of her girlfriend's name, "I just…work…I just needed to say I love you."
"I love you too Jane. But I don't want to see you." She quickly ended the call missing a phone she could slam shut at times like this. Jane was skipping out on her first hosting duty as assistant chair of the Isles Foundation. Months of planning had gone in to tonight. Her mother had been astounded at what she had been able to put together and she wanted to share her pride with Jane but her girlfriend had let her down.
"Korsak do not let Frost stop his car at Maura's. She doesn't need to stress anymore than I know she already has." Korsak looked out of the back of the ambulance at the young detective with a fire in his eyes.
"You heard her."
"I'll meet you guys there." The ambulance pulled out lights flashing rushing away to the hospital. Frost climbed in to his cruiser with one destination in mind. Maura Isles' house. He would be damned if he would not let Maura know exactly where her girlfriend was. That Jane hadn't skipped out on her. More determined than ever he drove as fast as he could to the doctor's residence.
"Where's Jane?" Constance questioned approaching her obviously irritated daughter.
"Not coming."
"Did she say why?"
"Nothing other than work. Like that excuses her missing one of the most important nights of my life."
"Darling she is one of Boston's finest detectives. It's completely understandable. Her job doesn't have set hours."
"She gave me her word Mother. I thought that would mean something. I expect more from the woman I love."
"I'm sorry sweetheart but you'll work it out the way you always do." Her mother gently squeezed her hand giving her a small smile.
"I don't know if we will this time." The knock on the door broke them apart and Maura smoothed out invisible wrinkles before answering, "Detective Frost?"
"Dr. Maura Isles?" He was going to do this by the book. Professional all the way, inform Maura the way he would a wife of any other cop in this same situation. Detachment.
"Yes Detective it's me."
"Ma'am I am here to inform you that Detective Rizzoli was involved in a shooting tonight." The ME's face immediately paled, "She was shot in the stomach and was rushed immediately to Boston Memorial."
"Is she...how is she?"
"I think that the doctors could tell you more than me. I can take you if you'd like." Turning to look at her mother who looked as if she was fighting back tears she silently informed her she was leaving. When she was settled into the car she laid her shaking hands in her lap giving herself a moment before she asked the question on her mind.
"When she called me she was…"
"On her way to the hospital, she wouldn't even let her load up in the ambulance unless she called you first. Said she needed to say I love you one last time." Frost tried hard to leave out the anger in his voice but found it difficult the more he talked.
"I told her I didn't want to see her again." Maura finally broke out into a sob and the detective beside her couldn't resist reaching out and grabbing one of her hands, "I told her that! Oh God she told me she had to say I love you and I just acted like it was nothing! How could I have done that?"
"You didn't know doc."
"But I should have." Pulling in to the fire lane the ME climbed out of the car and rushed through the doors running in to a group of police officers in the waiting room, "Where is she?"
"They've put her in a room. They're getting an OR ready as we speak." Lieutenant Cavanaugh spoke up from a chair beside her
Maura turned around looking for someone to lead her to her girlfriend, "Excuse me I need to see Detective Rizzoli immediately. I'm her girlfriend."
"Dr. Isles?"
"Yes."
"She's been asking for you. Right this way." The nurse led her down a hallway and into a room where Korsak sat beside the brunette hooked up to machines. Walking in the room she quickly took Vince's spot holding her hand and kissing the back of it.
"Jane sweetheart I'm here, I'm here and I'm so sorry." The tears rolled down her face, "If I had known, if I had known I would have said things differently I would have told you how much I love you. I told you I never wanted to see you again but I was just so angry…I said it in the heat of the moment I never meant."
Feeling a squeeze the doctor looked up and she was met by a pair of dark brown eyes. Eyes that held so much love and forgiveness for her that it took Maura's breath away. The doctor wanted to sob uncontrollably when she saw that Jane wasn't mad at her. She looked at her the way she always did.
"Detective we're ready for you." Nurses came into the room ready to take the brunette away. Reluctantly Maura let go of her hand whispering promises that she wouldn't leave and she loved her. As she was rolled out of the room Jane held up her hand as much as she could, three fingers up, signaling I love you.
When Maura made her way out into the waiting room she was surprised to see her mother sitting there with two cups of coffee. Taking the seat next to her she accepted the warm drink taking a cautious sip.
"How is she?"
"She…she looked strong. Depending on what they see during surgery dictates what they'll do next."
"Angela said you're her power of attorney so you'll know everything first."
"Mother how could I have acted the way I did?"
"Honey you couldn't have known that she was calling you to..." Constance stopped talking once she realized how the rest of that sentence would end
"You can say it Mom. She was calling…she was calling to say goodbye." The sob the ripped through her caused her mother to wrap her arms tightly around her daughter. She slowly began to rock her back and forth whispering soothing words in her ear.
"Maura, Jane is the strongest person that I know. She's going to be alright."
"I just love her so much. I keep replaying the conversation in my head and I can hear how I talked to her. If I had known it was going to be the last time I…"
"Maura!" Constance stopped her, "It is not going to be the last time. Jane is going to be alright and you will have PLENTY of time to tell her how sorry you are and how much you love her."
Feeling Maura nod against her Constance held her in her arms until she finally cried herself to sleep. She didn't know what she would do if Maura lost Jane and after giving her such a guarantee she was worried that she had lied to her daughter. Closing her eyes she sent up a silent prayer.
RIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRI RIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRI RIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRI RIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRI
"Rizzoli family." Maura felt like it had been days that she had waited but in actuality she knew it had only been a few hours. Pulling away from her mother she stood wiping her face of any stray tears or make-up.
"I'm her girlfriend." Her voice was a betrayal of how torn-up she was no matter how hard she tried to hide in her appearance.
"It was touch and go but she pulled through." The doctor informed them and Maura could literally feel the weight off her shoulders, "She's a tough woman. You should be able to see her soon."
Thanking him without even realized she had done so Maura turned to look at the group she was in the waiting room with sending them all a smile. Everyone had felt the pain of something happening to Jane. She held them all together, made them a family. And now that she was going to be okay, all seemed right with the world. Frankie was the first to get up and hug her followed by Tommy and then Angela who kissed her cheek before heading to the cafeteria.
It was some sort of strange tradition, started when the children were younger. At the hospital (Jane and the boys had been typical residents of the facility even then) after good news the ones not in the hospital bed would venture down to the cafeteria to spend time together. Maura had been introduced to the tradition early in her friendship with the detective and if there weren't so many people in the waiting room she would have joined them. Korsak sent her a wink as he stepped outside to make a few phone calls while Lieutenant Cavanaugh and Crowe stood talking to a few uniforms.
"Maura I just need to apologize." Frost approached her nervously and she sighed at his words.
"No you don't Barry."
"Yeah I do. I was upset about Jane."
"Which I completely understand," The doctor interrupted but it didn't stop him from continuing on with his thought.
"It's not an excuse though. Jane would kick my ass if she knew how I talked to you. I was just upset because I knew she was and you were the easiest target."
"Barry I was the cause of her being upset and what type of partner would you be if you didn't put her first? I am not upset with you in any form."
"You're not?"
"No I'm not." He hesitated before speaking again.
"Are you going to tell Jane?"
"No I don't think I am." When the detective began to walk away she stopped him with a hand on his arm, "Thank you for telling me, I can almost guarantee that Jane asked you not to."
"I just thought you deserved to know."
She gave him a tentative hug. The two of them usually didn't display any form of affection with one another but Maura was getting better with social cues and she hoped she hadn't misread this one. When she felt him hug her back she smiled in relief. Jane would be so proud of her. Beginning to let her go he kissed her on the side of the head.
"Love you Doc."
"I love you too Barry." He walked toward Korsak after leaving her with a smile.
"Dr. Isles would you like to see your girlfriend?" A nurse approached her with a grin as she saw the way Maura's eyes lit up.
Entering the room she noticed that Jane was already awake and was looking at her with a tired smile. Sitting down on the side of the bed she let her face fall in her hands and began to sob again. She had thought she had cried all she possibly could but upon seeing that Jane was fine it happened again.
"I must look like a mess." She choked out not looking up until she felt a scarred hand on her face.
"Beautiful." Her voice was scratchy, deeper than normal because of the tube that had been in it. But the sound of her talking still sent shivers down Maura's spine. Giving her a drink of water to give herself some time Maura braced herself for the speech and the response following it.
"Jane you can't even imagine how sorry I am. I…I was more worried about a party then I was about you. I love you and I want to see you every day for the rest of my life. If you'll let me I'll spend the remainder of my years trying to make up the unforgivable to you."
Seeing Jane shake her head she felt all the air in her lungs go out. Jane wouldn't forgive her. She loved her but she didn't want her anymore. The emotion she saw in her girlfriend's eyes earlier must not have been forgiveness and compassion but pity and disregard. She was going to lose the best thing in her life because of one mistake (albeit as big as it was).
"Stop." She cleared her throat, "It's okay and I still love you."
"It is not okay and I won't let you try to convince me that you aren't at least a little upset with me."
"You're the smartest person I know Maura but even you're not a psychic. You didn't know what happened tonight and I could kick Barry's ass for telling you."
"I didn't think you'd want me to know. Why?"
"Because I know how hard you worked on it Doc." She grimaced when a sharp pain hit her, reminding her that she really needed to buzz for some pain meds once she calmed Maura down, "You didn't spend all that time deciding between champagnes for no reason."
"Oh Jane."
"You left your party for me."
"Of course."
"There ya go then. You didn't put your party ahead of me. As soon as you knew I needed you that party was forgotten about."
"I love you so much."
"Love you too. Okay now?"
"Yes. I'm going to stop being so emotional and making you console me when you're the one who was just stabbed and rushed in to surgery."
"I don't mind. Taking care of you is the best thing in the world. But I could really use a pain pill."
"Oh! Jane I even forgot about that! I am the worst girlfriend ever." Reaching over so she could press the button she looked over to Jane to see that her eyes were no longer focused on her girlfriend's face but one of the detective's favorite parts of her. She couldn't help but laugh, "Jane!"
"Hm?"
"You just got out of surgery for a gunshot wound and you're already staring at my cleavage?"
"Well yeah I just got out of surgery I'm not dead."
Leaning in Maura smiled widely against her girlfriend's mouth. There was something about Jane even in the direst situations that made her feel light.
"After you've recuperated I hope you'll be prepared for all of the attention you'll be receiving."
"Do we get to play Doctor again?" Jane's eyes lit up comically looking like a child who had unwrapped the most important gift on Christmas night.
"I think you'll especially enjoy the sponge bath."