Hello all, This is just a one shot that crept its way into my head and wouldn't leave until I got it down on paper. Hope you enjoy. Reviews are always welcome.
I do not own Rizzoli and Isles, if I did the show would have ended a tad bit differently.
Maura stands at her kitchen island pouring her travel cup of coffee when Jane appears at the island next to her, she hadn't even heard her come in. The doctor looks up and smiles at the woman that stole her heart. Not that she would ever admit that out loud but it is nonetheless true. The gorgeous raven haired detective and the medical examiner have been best first for over four years now and Maura wouldn't do anything to put that relationship in danger. So she quietly pined for the detective and made sure their friendship stayed intact no matter what.
"Come on Maura you have to go you are going to be late." Jane says as she practically bounces around the kitchen.
"I am just making myself some coffee before we leave." Maura smiles, when the side door opens and in walks Angela. The doctor turns to greet the older Rizzoli. "Good morning Angela."
"Good morning, sweetheart. How did you sleep last night." Angela makes her way around the kitchen island and places a kiss on the side of Maura's head.
"I actually slept pretty well, thank you." She finishes securing the lid to her travel mug and has to stifle a giggle as Jane rolls her eyes at her mother.
"What you're not eating again this morning?" Angela asks as she seeing only coffee being prepared.
"No I am late enough as it is. But I'll grab something later." Maura says.
"Alright, if I don't see you up in the cafe I will bring you a quinoa wrap." Angela looks at the woman that has become like a daughter to her with worry in her eyes.
"Thank you that would be great. But we have to run." Maura says as she grabs her coffee and keys off the counter before heading towards the door.
"Have a good day sweetheart." Angela calls after Maura as she walks out the door.
It has been three months since the siege on BPD headquarters and Dr Maura Isles has been back only a week. She sits at her desk finishing up her latest autopsy reports on a mother and child killed by the husband. It was a pretty straight forward case. The wife had been cheating on the husband for years and he just found out he wasn't the little girls father and he lost it. The only saving grace is that he killed the little girl instantly with a bullet to the forehead. But the wife wasn't so lucky. He made her watch as he killed the little girl and then he proceeded to beat the wife nearly to death before strangling her with his bare hands. It didn't take long for them to track down the husband he didn't even make a fair attempt at running. He dumped his clothes in a gas station dumpster about half a mile from his house and he was sitting at the airport five hours later where the cops arrested him. A neighbor heard the screaming and yelling so the police were called to the scene pretty quickly.
It's Friday night which means it's movie night at her house. Maura had texted Jane earlier in the day to see if burgers from the Dirty Robber were okay but she hadn't heard back yet. She knew her best friend was busy it being her first week back too. Once she finished her report and sent it with one of the techs upstairs she closes her laptop and grabs her purse and keys and heads to the elevator.
Maura decides to stop off at the store before picking up their food. She could have sworn she had some of Jane's beer left in the bridge but this morning when she went to grab some juice she noticed she was out. It didn't take long at the store because Jane usually only wanted Blue Moon when she had her burger. The doctor grabbed as six pack and paid before heading to the Dirty Robber to pick up their dinner. She walks straight over to the bar and places an order for Jane's double bacon burger and a small single burger with no cheese for herself. She frowns when she pulls out her phone and sees she still hasn't gotten a text back from Jane. Maura tries not to let that worry her because she just saw Jane a few hours ago heading into the interrogation room. She feels a hand on her shoulder and her head whips around to see Detective Korsak standing next to her.
"Oh, hello Sergeant Detective, how are you this evening." Maura says with a smile.
"I'm doing okay, but what about you? How has your first week being back been?" Korsak takes a seat on the stool next to the doctor.
"It wasn't as bad as I would have thought. Although I do think even after I told him not to Dr Pike had been sitting in my chair." Maura's attention is pulled away from Detective Korsak when the bartender places her order in front of her. "Thank you so much." She hands the man a few bills and tells him to keep that change.
"Whoa, doc you finally getting your appetite back?" Korsak shakes his head at the two large containers of food sitting in front of the doctor.
"It's Friday night. You know Jane and I have a standing date night every Friday." She shakes her head and is taken aback by the look of worry on his face, but she pushed that aside and would ask him about it later because it is pushing 6:30 and she needs to get home before Jane gets there.
"Maura.." Korsak is cut off by the doctor.
"Look I have to run but I will talk to you Monday unless we get called in this weekend. Enjoy the rest of your evening." She smiles and grabs her take out and purse and heads to her blue Prius.
She puts the car in drive and heads off towards Beacon Hill. She has had just about enough of talk radio so she flips to a random station and is struck by the instrumentals playing softly. The song fills the car and the words float around Maura.
Playground school bell rings again
Rain clouds come to play again
Has no one told you she's not breathing?
Hello, I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to
Hello
If I smile and don't believe
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream
Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken
Hello, I'm the lie living for you so you can hide
Don't cry
Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping
Hello, I'm still here
All that's left of yesterday
Maura moves through the Boston streets on autopilot and arrives at her house and breathes a sigh of relief when she pulls into her driveway and Jane's car isn't there yet. She is thankful she should have just enough time to run upstairs and change into something more comfortable. Once inside she puts the beer in the fridge and the takeout containers on the kitchen island and makes her way to her room. She throws on a pair of yoga pants and a flowing scoop neck burgundy tee. She heads back downstairs to see Jane leaning over the island counter nursing a beer.
"Hey, I didn't hear you come in." Maura beams as she makes her way to the fridge to grab a bottle of wine. "I text you earlier to see if burgers were okay but I never heard back so I ordered them anyway I hope that's okay.
"I will never turn down a good burger Maura you know that." Jane says smiling.
"I figured as much. So eat and then watch a movie or eat while we watch?" The doctor pours herself a glass of wine.
"Eat while we watch please, I'm starving." Jane stands up from her hunched position against the counter and stretches.
"You are hardly starving Jane. But I get your point, go get on the couch and I'll bring the food over." Maura grabs her wine and the two take out containers and heads into the living room. She sets Jane's double bacon burger down on the coffee table and places her takeout container in her lap.
"So what are we going to watch tonight? Another documentary?" Jane asks as she leans back against the couch.
"No we don't need to watch a documentary, besides I picked last time and pick our food tonight so you pick what we watch." Maura takes a small bite of her burger.
"I was just giving you a hard time Maura I really don't care what we watch. Why not watch that documentary we were going to watch a few months ago. The one about the cute red pandas." Jane shifts on the couch stretching out still nursing her beer.
"Ailurus fulgens, I completely forgot I had recorded that. Are you sure?" After only her second bite of her burger Maura was already full. She sets her takeout container on the coffee table and grabs her wine and the remote.
"Ailurus fungus what?" Jane says with goofy grin.
"Ailurus fulgens, it's the scientific name for the red panda." Maura just shakes her head and laughs. God that smile, what I wouldn't give to be able to see that smile everyday for the rest of my life. Maura thinks quietly to herself.
They easily fall into a comfortable silence as the documentary begins. Not long into the film and Maura's second bottle of wine she grabs a pillow and rests it against Jane's side and gets comfortable for the remainder of the evening. Long after the credits have finished Maura wakes up and looks up at her best friend.
"Why did you let me fall asleep Jane?" Maura says through a yawn.
"Because you need sleep. I know you have been having a hard time sleeping lately so when you fall asleep next to me I couldn't bring myself to wake you." Jane just shrugs. "I am really going to need you to take better care of yourself Maura. You are always the first one to tell me that I need sleep and proper nutrition. And as of late you haven't been worrying about those things for yourself at all."
"Jane I'm fine, I was just having a hard time after the siege is all. And it's our first week back at work. I promise I will do better." Maura's brow furrows as she listens to Jane's words. She hasn't been taking the best care of herself lately but it makes her heart swell to know her best friend cared enough to even notice.
"Maura I need you to be okay. Please promise me you'll try." Jane's hand ghost over the top of Maura's arm causing the hairs to stand on edge.
"I promise. How about we watch another movie. Now that that little nap is over I am not so tired." Maura shivers as the almost contact.
"Alright nothing too girly though." Jane laughs and settles back against the couch.
"You have been wanting me to watch Star Wars so I recorded them a few weeks ago we can watch that if you'd like." Maura rearranges her pillows and settles back down and puts on the first movie.
She actually enjoyed the first movie so Maura decided she'd watch the second. At some point she must have fallen asleep again because she can feel someone gently shaking her shoulder and calling her name.
"Jane?" Maura asks sleepily.
"No, sweetheart it's not Jane. Did you fall asleep on the couch again?" Angela tucks a strand of hair behind the doctor's ear.
"Yeah I guess I did. I must have fallen asleep during the second movie." Maura sits up and stretches. She doesn't see Jane but she figures she must have gotten up to use the restroom.
"I talked to Vince yesterday he said he ran into you at the Dirty Robber. Looks like you got your dinner but you didn't hardly eat a thing. And I talked to Susie and she said the wrap I sent down for you you didn't eat either." Angela sits on the couch next to Maura taking the doctor's hands in her own. "God, Maura your hands are like ice."
"You are starting to sound like Jane. And I have poor circulation is all." She withdraws her hands from the Rizzoli matriarchs.
"Sweetheart, I have some running to do today would you care to join me?" Angela asks.
"Sure, anywhere in particular you needed to go?" Maura says through another yawn.
"No just need to see a few things." Angela wrings her hands nervously as she watches the doctor.
"Can I get five minutes to run upstairs and change?" Maura asks as she stands from the couch.
"Sure, I'll go grab my purse and meet you by the car." Angela stands and walks out the side door.
Maura heads to her room to throw on a pair of dark tight fitting jeans and a cream sweater. She makes her way downstairs and Jane is standing in the living room with her back turned to the doctor.
"Where were you? You mother just woke me up. I thought you left without saying goodbye." Maura says as she walks towards the door. "Nevermind you are here now. Your mother has a few errands to runs and wants us to come with."
"I would never leave you without saying goodbye, you should know that by now. I really think she would like to spend the day with you Maura." Jane says softly as she walks over to the smaller woman.
"Please, Jane." Maura begs. "I promise I will make it up to you. I will let you order pizza and we can watch the baseball game tonight if you just promise to stay with me. Please?"
"Okay, Maura I'll stay with you." Jane says as she follow the doctor out the door.
Maura and Jane make their way over to Angela's car. Maura is just about to get into the back when Angela appears around the corner.
"You aren't going to sit in the front seat?" Angela asks with a confused look.
"I always sit in the back." Maura says and she looks over to Jane in as much confusion as Angela is in. Both girls shrug and Maura waits until Jane is in the backseat before shutting the door.
They mainly rode in silence until Maura couldn't take Jane's knee bobbing anymore and she flipped on the radio. The doctor smiles when she hears the familiar instrumentals that she heard the night before.
Playground school bell rings again
Rain clouds come to play again
Has no one told you she's not breathing?
Hello, I am your mind giving you someone to talk to
Hello
If I smile and don't believe
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream
Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken
Hello, I am the lie living for you so you can hide
Don't cry
Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping
Hello, I'm still here
All that's left of yesterday
Maura hums along to the song but stops when she sees that Angela just turn off into the Mt Benedict Cemetery. Maura's mouth drops open and she rubs her hands nervously against her jeans.
"Angela?" Maura ask with fear in her voice.
"Sweetheart, it's okay." Angela reaches over and grabs one of Maura's now trembling hands.
Maura chews on her bottom lip nervously. She doesn't understand what is happening or why Angela brought her to the cemetery. Maura stare blankly ahead as Angela navigates her way through the small roads between the graves. She puts the car in park and lets go of the doctor's hand. Maura jumps in her seat when Angela closes her door snapping her out of her haze.
"No, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening. No." Maura chants.
Angela goes around to the passenger side of the car and opens the door and kneels next to Maura. It hurts her heart to see the woman that is like a daughter to her so completely out of touch with reality. And she feel ashamed of herself for letting it go on this long. She knew the doctor was struggling to cope but she didn't know it was this bad.
"Maura, come with me. I need to show you something. Please." Angela says softly to the doctor. She takes one of Maura's hands and helps her out of the car.
Maura shakes her head as Angela helps her from the car and leads her through a row of headstone. Her eyes are wide and filled with unshed tears. She turns her head back around to see Jane still sitting in the back seat. Why isn't she coming with me? She promised. Angela stops them about ten headstones into the third row and wraps her arm around Maura's shoulder.
"Sweetheart, they placed Janie's stone yesterday." Angela says softly.
"No, no, no, no." Maura shakes her head and refuses to look down. This isn't happening, it's not real. Jane is waiting for me in the car.
"Shhh, Maura. It's okay. It's been three months and we are all trying our best to move on. But sweetie you can't keep torturing yourself like this. Vince told me you said you were having movie night with Jane last night. Janie is gone Maura I know it's hard to except but she is gone. She loved you so much and she wouldn't want to see you like this." Angela rubs Maura's back as she talks softly trying to get her remaining daughter to finally accept reality.
Tears stream down Maura's cheeks and her knees start to quake as everything that has happened over the last three months come flooding back her. Jane and Frankie coming down to the morgue. Having to try and keep Frankie alive long enough for real help to arrive. Bobby pulling the gun on Jane and using her as a human shield. Jane face when she realized she needed to not fight against it so she could get Frankie the help he needed. And Maura running out after Jane and Bobby. Bursting through the doors too late because Jane had already put the gun to her own stomach and pulled the trigger. Maura remembers running over to Jane and applying pressure to her wound but there is just so much blood and she can't put enough pressure on both the entrance and exit wounds at the same time. She remember pleading with Jane to stay with her. And Jane saying she would always stay with Maura no matter what because she loved her. That she would remain in her heart and mind forever because they were destined to be together. And then she remembers sitting in the surgery waiting room for five hours before the surgeon came out to say they did everything they could but Jane didn't make it.
"NO! JANE!" A blood curdling scream rips through Maura as she falls to her knees in front of the gravestone marked Jane Rizzoli Dedicate Detective Loving Daughter and Sister Loyal Friend.