AN: The characters I am misusing for my story, does not belong to me.
Any feedback – good or bad – will be appreciated.
Maura angrily taps her foot while waiting on the elevator. When it finally arrives she slips in and presses the basement button. Unexpectedly Jane slips in as the doors close. The ride back to the precinct was done in an icy silence and Maura expected Jane to go steam at her desk. Apparently Jane has decided to fight and not flight.
Maura decided to accompany Jane on the interview. She just knew that her intervention would be required. Jane practically attacked the suspect from the start. Some of the detectives poorly disguised accusations was bordering libel. Maura had to cut the interview short, although she would be waiting a very long time for gratitude from Jane Rizzoli.
When the doors pinged open, Maura marches to her office – almost shovelling Jane inside before slamming the door shut.
"Don't you ever interrupt my interview again, Dr. Isles." Jane fumes.
"If you act like a professional, Rizzoli, it would not be necessary to interrupt you." Maura spat back. "I am ashamed to be associated with you – that is not how Boston's detective's operate."
"Oh and since when is the Medical Examiner capable to be a detective?" Jane asks sarcastically.
"It is not rocket science to be a detective, Rizzoli." Maura is purposely omitting Jane's title because she believes that Jane was not acting like a detective.
"You KNOW that the spouse is always the first suspect." Jane yells.
"That may be the case, but whenever the suspect, witness or even a distant family member is wealthy, you always have to show that they are at your mercy. It is a power game for you, Jane. You do not care about conduct or even fairness as long as you can humiliate the rich. That is not how my detectives operate and it is definitely below you." Maura's eyes are blazing into Jane.
Jane gives her a hard glare. "And you always have to protect your fellow rich bastards and bitches. Well, you know what, Maura? Fuck you! Fuck you all!"
With that Jane turns around to leave the ME's office.
"Jane!" Maura calls, but there is no hesitation as Jane reaches for the door. "Jane Clementine Rizzoli, come back this instant."
Jane stops and turns around slowly.
"In this institution, Dr. Isles, you are in service of the detectives and not the other way around. I am sorry, Madam, but I am not your toy." Jane curtsies and then runs up the stairs.
Maura slams her door for the second time that afternoon. Her team is not used to her yelling or slamming doors. They make sure to check every step, verify every result and try to blend into the background.
Maura takes a few minutes to calm herself before addressing the reports and paperwork needing her signature. She tries to stay focussed, but her mind keeps wandering. She is furious with Jane. For the first time Maura can understand how you can commit murder in anger. She only tried to protect Jane from herself. She doesn't appreciate being on the receiving end of a tongue lashing or being swore at. Every single time where so called rich people are involved, they end up fighting. Korsak once said that Jane hates people that are entitled. Maura does not understand why. She can't understand how Jane could judge people only on their balance sheet. This always lead to the nagging question if she is only tolerated by the detective?
Yet, Maura knows that Jane was not the only one giving hurtful comments. She saw the hurt in the detective's eyes just before she condemned all the "rich bastards and bitches". Maura herself went for the kill by saying that it does not require a high intelligence to be a detective. She also attacked Jane's character. She will have to make amends, once she can look at Jane without an overwhelming urge to hit her.
Finally the paperwork is completed and Maura turns to her email. There is an untitled email from Jane and Maura works through all the other emails before opening that. It is very short and to the point.
"I am so, so sorry."
Maura frowns before hitting reply, the anger in her rising again.
"That's it? I deserve more than that, Jane. In person."
She hits send and wait for 30 minutes in vain for a reply. With a shrug Maura gets up and go to the microscope in the lab. She can just as well finish her samples while she waits on a certain detective to get over her bad temper.
Maura get engrossed in her work, but still manages to feel Jane presence in the laboratory. She takes a deep breath and turns around. She sees the yellow roses in Jane's hands, an indication that the brunette has read her email.
"I am sorry, Maura." Jane whispers eyes downcast. "So fucking sorry."
"I meant an explanation, Jane. Not a token of apology. Keep your roses." Maura says, much harsher than intended.
"I know." Jane drops the flowers in the trash can at the door. "I just did not want to make it sound like I am excusing myself."
"Jane." Maura sighs; she doesn't want to start another fight.
For the first time Jane rises her eyes and Maura see the tell tale red puffiness that comes from prolonged crying.
"Awwww, Jane, come here." Maura stands with outstretched arms inviting Jane for a comforting hug.
Jane steps back, shaking her head vigorously.
Maura walks around the counter. She takes both Jane's hands in her own, squeezing them gently. "I am sorry too." She says softly. "So fucking sorry."
That gets a small smile from Jane. Maura release her hands and gives her upper arm a quick pat before rescuing the flowers from the trash.
"Did you know that yellow roses symbolises friendship?" Maura asks trying to calm her nerves.
Jane gives a short chuckle and Maura knows that it is no accident that she got that particular roses.
"Let's talk in my office." Maura smiles and lead the way.
Jane slumps down in one of the visitors chairs while Maura arranges the flowers in a vase. When she is done, she takes the other visitor's chair.
"Jane, I am sorry that my careless comments hurt you." Maura starts when she can't tolerate the silence any longer.
"Don't be." Jane shrugs. "I did deserve that."
"Jane . . . please don't say it. You will never deserve to be hurt."
"But – "
"No buts Jane, you don't deserve hurt."
"Neither do you." Jane answers and then throws her head back while pinching her nose. "I owe you an explanation." Jane sighs. "I know it is no excuse and it will probably not make any sense to you. I know that I was unprofessional, disrespectful and unfair. You have every right to reprimand me for that."
Maura pats Jane's knee, waiting for her to explain.
"You remember that I told you that I got into BCU?" Jane asks.
Maura nods. It was after a murder at the campus, when Jane expressed some regrets on not going to college. She admitted getting entrance to BCU but said she declined it because her parents would never been able to afford the tuition.
"Well, I never told you the whole story." Jane confesses.
"Tell me now, Jane. " Maura softly encourages.
"You know I went to a Catholic school. It was – is – a very good school with both very rich and very poor students. We were somewhere in the middle; meaning that we were not receiving food parcels, yet never gave huge donations.
People find it hard to believe, but I was a straight A student. I was also a very good music student. Unfortunately I only catch onto sports as a senior student when I was trying to shed some weight. When we applied for college, we also applied for the Buckingham bursary. It was a full scholarship for tertiary education and a fairly prestigious award. It was given by the alumni of the school. I really deserved that award and nothing would have stopped me from studying if I received it. However, on the recommendation from the council, it went to Rebecca Smith. One of trust fund kids. Her family could have afforded to send her to college over and over again, she had no need for the bursary – yet she entered because of the prestige attached to it. And won."
"It was a bursary for excellence and not for needy students?" Maura asks, trying to clarify the issue for herself.
"Yes. However that involved a shitload of money that would have made my dreams true."
"Jane, don't get mad. I am just trying to understand. If it was opened for everybody you can't hold it against her and people like her if she won." Maura tries to reason.
"I said that you would not understand, Maura." Jane said frustrated.
"Jane, please . . ." Maura pleads and Jane forces herself to relax.
"I'm sorry, but I am still trying to explain. It is not that she won, but more on why she have won. I always scored higher than her in any test. I was always on call whenever the school needed a pianist. I was an athlete and she was a cheerleader. I – as a person – meant more to the school than she. However a family and family funds weighs more than merit. I actually went to the vice principal to try to understand what went wrong. Do you know what he have told me? Apparently the school owned a lot of gratitude to her family for all their contributions over the years. He also told me that –" Jane chokes a bit " – that she is more capable of making a success of further education. Girls like me always get knocked up and don't amount to anything."
"He did not!" Maura exclaims shocked.
"Yes, he did. In that many words. I was still a virgin at that point and ironically Rebecca was not. The nerve! You know what she told me? 'Nice try, Jane, but girls like you don't belong with us.'"
"That is not true, Jane."
"That is what she told me. So I joined the academy."
"But Jane, surely there was other scholarships –"
"Yes, but either it was for the needy or it was a small award that would not really help. " Jane sighed.
"If you really wanted to –" Maura tries to be reasonable.
"Yeah, I could have got me a pimp and pay for tuition." Jane reverted back to sarcasm.
"That is not what I getting at." Maura huffs.
Jane sighed deeply. "I know, Maura. And I am sorry. But that showed me that a blue collar Italian would never be welcomed in the professional ranks. The rich is entitled to that, the really poor can be pitied into it, but the in betweens should stay in between. I was disheartened."
"Jane, it shouldn't be that way. It is not like that. It is a crying shame that you did not go out to prove them wrong. " Maura takes a breath and then ask something she wondered about since the BCU case. "What did you want to study?"
"Doesn't matter." Jane gets up, putting up a very brave smile. "No use crying over spilled milk. Besides, not every rocket scientist can be a detective, but this detective can well be a rocket scientist." She jokes and Maura can't help to chuckle a bit.
"One of the best detectives at it as well." Maura winks.
"Well, I need to go solve a case involving the filthy rich." Jane smiles, heading for the door. "You know, do my gumshoe thing."
Maura gets up as well. "Pizza tonight?"
"Sure thing." Jane calls over her shoulder.
"Jane?" Maura calls as Jane leaves the office.
"Yeah?" she asks as she pops her head smiling around the door.
"If I ever made you feel inferior or acted as a rich brat, I do apologize. It was not my intention."
"Ahwww, Maura." Jane said surprised, turning around and giving the Medical Examiner a tight hug. "You, my dear friend, are one of the kindest, most endearing people I have ever met. I will lose a bursary to you any day. Without acting like a blue collar brat." She releases the woman and stand back. "Thanks for the chat."
With that she disappears again. And Maura reflects on the puzzle called Jane Rizzoli.