Waking up in the arms of a lover could put a smile on anyone's face. Waking up in the arms of Maura Isles, though, was approximately twenty million and seventeen times better. Approximately. So when Jane woke up on a dreary, rainy Chicago morning with no lover- no Maura Isles- lying next to her, she was not smiling. In fact, she was starting to tear up as she flashed back to the night before.
"Jane, please. Can't you see this is what I need? I've been hoping for an opening like this since before I graduated."
"But, Maur. Can't you find something closer to home? I mean, I know my 'home' is just this crappy little apartment, but that's only until I finish college. It's just until I get a job at the precinct," Jane pleaded, grabbing Maura's hands and staring into her eyes. "Maura, I can't… I don't… I… I don't want you to move to the other side of the country for a lousy ME job that you could easily get right here in Chicago."
"Jane. Listen. It's not the other side of the country. It's Boston. And, no, Jane, I can't easily get the job here. I've tried. I've tried for a long time. I don't want to leave you, Jane. I don't want to leave you because I love you." Maura looked at Jane, and Jane could see nothing but sincerity in her eyes.
"Then don't, Maura. Don't leave me. I can help you look for a job. I know I've been busy with school, but I only have two years, Maur. Then I'll get a job at the station, and we can get you a job somewhere until then," Jane waved her hands around as she spoke, as if gesturing at the future were playing out in front of her.
"Jane. I know this is hard, and I know neither of us want me to leave, but I have to. They need me, and I need this job," Tears started to fall from Maura's eyes as she reminded herself that this is what she needed to do. "My flight leaves at ten tonight, Jane, and there is no one I want to take me to the airport more than you. Please don't be mad at me. I love you."
"I love you, too, Maur. I just- why?" Jane asked, tears of her own starting to fall.
"Jane." Maura whispered the word as though it was the explanation for everything, and in some ways it was.
Over twelve hours and five beers later, and Jane still didn't understand just why, exactly, Maura had left. So when her best friend, Barry Frost, brought her another beer, she just shook her head.
"No, Frost. No more."
"Aww, c'mon Rizzoli," He prodded.
"Nope. I can't Frost. Maura promised to call me when she got settled into her house or whatever. I can't miss it, and I'm definitely not going to be too drunk to remember it." She explained.
"So she's really serious about this Boston thing, huh?" He questioned.
"Guess so," Jane sighed. "I just don't understand why. We were doing great and then she says, 'Oh, by the way, I've been offered a job and my parents already bought me a house, so I'm leaving.'" Jane gestured lazily into the air as she spoke.
"Her parents bought her a house?! That must be nice." After a few quiet moments of contemplation, he continued, "Guess they really wanted her to take the job. Get her out of the grasp of Heartbreak Rizzoli."
"Listen, Frost," Jane's tone switched from soft in pitiful to stone-hard, leaving no room for argument, "I'm not 'Heartbreak Rizzoli' anymore. I've changed."
Frost snorted.
"Seriously. I was waiting for the right time to give her this." With a sigh, Jane threw a small black velvet box on the table.
Frost leaned over, picked up the box and opened it. Inside it held the most beautiful ring he had ever seen in his entire life. There were carats upon carats of diamonds set in a soft silver band.
"Shit, Rizzoli. She really had you."
"You haven't even seen the rest of it. Look at the inside."
Frost turned the ring so the light could shine on the inside of the band. There was something printed on it, but for the life of him, he couldn't tell what.
"Ummm… Jane?"
"What?" She asked, obviously agitated.
"I don't know if it's me or the alcohol, but this doesn't look like English," Frost said with a slight laugh.
"It's not the alcohol, partner. I had it written in Serbian. It translates to 'I'd follow you anywhere.'" She explained.
"Serrrrbian?" Frost asked, drawing out the word to show his confusion.
"Maura learned it in college, or high school, or somewhere. I don't know. I just know she spoke it when we… well, y'know."
"I knew they said you were good Rizzoli, but you had her speaking in tongues?! Damn!"
"You're just jealous because you can't even get them to scream in English." Jane shot back.
"Seriously, Jane? Why didn't you just giver her this? She wouldn't have left."
"Exactly. She said she needed to do this. How could I stop her. What kind of person would that make me, Frost. This was her dream job," Jane choked out the last part, barely managing to stop her tears.
"She has no idea how much you love her, does she?" He asked, sobered by the new information.
"Guess not," Jane let out a pitiful laugh.
The two sat in a comfortable silence for a long minute, thinking. Jane thought about what the future could've held, and Frost about how much his best friend gave up for love. Jane had really grown up since meeting Maura.
Finally, Frost spoke up, "Look, Jane. I love you, but I have to get home at some point. Y'know. We do have classes tomorrow."
"Yeah, bud. I get it." Jane hopped up and threw Frost his coat.
"You know she loved you, right?" He asked, swing his coat around his shoulders.
"Yeah. I know."