A/N: I'm back and this time there's no poetry. Thank you to everyone who supported me while writing this. Maybe I'll find time to continue it.
Outside Jane's Apartment
The light blonde doctor looked back at Frankie before knocking on Jane's door. Maura smiled, "That's cute," she thought, staring at her feet. "I dislike that I'm going to have to let him down." Maura opened the door and walked in, she's done it hundreds of times before, "Jane?" Her voice had a slight ring in the apartment. "Jane, what's wrong?" The curly haired detective sat near the kitchen with her laptop.
Coldly, Jane replied, "Come look."
Maura walked to the laptop as Jane got up and behind the counter. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw who sent it. Casey. "Oh," she whispered, the wheel quickly spinning in her head. "Jane." Her eyes slowly rose to meet Jane's fierce gaze.
"Damn it." Jane slammed her fist on the counter, tears filling her eyes. She held something in her left hand. "I can't do it, Maura. I can't leave my home, my job…" her gaze lowered, "I can't leave you." Jane looked back up and shook off the underlying thoughts. "Or Ma or whatever. I refuse to follow him around the world when my life is here."
Maura blushed and glanced down at Jane's hand. "What is that?" her voice slightly shook.
"It's…" Jane's tan hand shook as she tried forming the words. The faded pink scars ached as she clenched her fists. "I think I'm pregnant."
"Jane, are you sure?" Jane stood there, tall and strong, but the swirling emotions in her stomach were shown on her face.
She finally broke, "No, Maura. I'm not sure of anything. What if I am pregnant? What do I do?"
Maura walked around the counter and caught the slowly collapsing detective in a gentle hug. Jane set her head on Maura's shoulder and lightly cried. "I can't, Maura. I can't."
"Breathe." A small sob wracked Jane. Maura bit back the onslaught of words and feelings in her throat. "Tomorrow, Jane, how about you take a blood test? The test will read your level of hCG and will be more accurate." She felt a nudge move her shoulder. Maura closed her eyes and asked herself how a single man could nearly destroy her best friend. The woman by her side was not the same woman she met years ago. She felt the same about the detective, though, her faith never wavered when it came to Jane's skills and values.
"Let's go to bed, Maura." Jane grabbed the brilliant doctor's hand and headed towards the bedroom.
"Now Jane," Maura stopped dead in her tracks. "That's what started this in the first place." Jane looked back and saw she was deadly serious.
Jane shook her head. "To sleep, Maur. I need sleep."
"Oh!" Maura blushed. "Right, right. Of course." She waved off her embarrassment before pausing. "Are my pajamas still here?"
Jane sighed, the dull ache in her temples made it painful to smirk, "Yes, Maura."
"Jane." Through sluggish blinks and dark curls, the stressed Rizzoli woke up to find Maura standing over her with the pregnancy test box. "Jane, how old is this test?"
Jane clenched her pillow tighter before her mind allowed any thoughts to form. The smell of tea and perfume tickled her nose. "Um." It took willpower to think back that far. "I think I bought it…the first time."
"When we get back from my office, we're cleaning your entire apartment." Maura strolled out of the room, taking the box with her. Jo Friday yapped and followed on Maura's heels. Jane sat up, yawned, and headed towards the kitchen. Was the test really that old?
"Oh Maur, please tell me you didn't make your panda poop tea." Jane cringed at the light blond curls.
Maura turned around with a mug in her hand, offering it to Jane, "No, it's mint. Just drink."
With a shrug, she took the offered drink and nodded. "Let's do this."
Boston Morgue
"If I didn't like you, you'd be on the floor right now," Jane growled.
"Your medical professional must love you." Maura inserted the needle and attached the test tube.
"You are my medical professional." Jane smirked. With the number of times Maura fixed Jane up in a tight spot, Jane should be getting billed. Her attitude changed when she asked, "How are you going to write this off in the books?" Jane looked serious. She didn't want Maura getting in trouble on her account. Jane was fiercely protective of her best friend.
"A little crafty experimenting," Maura smirked. "Sit still." Jane grimaced and stopped tapping her fingers on the table. "If you are pregnant, when was conception?"
Jane bit her lip, the medical doctor side of Maura often took over the friend side. "Three weeks ago," she sighed and wiped her forehead with her free hand. "Right before he left."
"This will be the only necessary test, but I'd still recommend another one in two weeks." Maura put on her doctor face to show she was serious.
Jane frowned, "You know I don't like tests."
Maura glared and Jane got the idea. She could never say no to Maura because the trust between them was too deep. The excellent doctor only wanted the best for the daring detective. Life is never easy when it revolves around criminals.
Or love. She wasn't thinking about that now.
"Let's get lunch." Jane smiled, "We could go to that little Greek place you like."
"Will you eat your kale?" Maura smirked. She could not be won over with food.
"Not a chance." Jane laughed.
Maura pulled the needle out and pressed a wad of gauze to Jane's arm. "Fine, but I have paperwork that needs to get done when we get back."
"Of course, of course." Jane couldn't help her goofy smile.
Lunch was…pleasant, Maura supposed. The fish was fresh with a hint of lemon. No wine today. The paperwork she had put off all week finally needed to be done. It wasn't like her to put off her duties but Jane had her in a tizzy. With the constant back and forth of Jane's decision to marry that man, Maura was worried. Losing Jane didn't just mean losing her best friend, it meant losing her world. How could she expect to go back to being "Dr. Death", the woman who spoke to dead people when live ones scared her? Jane improved that. Jane transformed Maura and helped her find the life in people. The weight of her work was lifted by Jane. The Rizzolis were her family and losing Jane meant losing Angela, Tommy, and…Frankie. Poor Frankie, his loss of ego and increase of desire to reproduce left him trying to acquire Maura's interest as a potential partner. It was cute, but not returned.
"Dr. Isles?"
Maura jumped at the sudden sound. "Yes, Susie?" The lab assistant appeared in her usual blue lab coat. She seemed different today, a little brighter.
"The results came back on the test you ordered this morning." Her eyes curiously glanced at the papers, but was quickly covered with a polite grin.
"Thank you, Susie," Maura flashed a sincere smile at her. "Page Detective Rizzoli for me, please." She dabbed her forehead with the back of her hand.
"Right away." Susie shuffled out the door as Maura took a look at the papers in her hand. She decided to wait until Jane was here to determine the conclusion of the results.
Maura's Office
"Your human chronic gonadotropin hormone is at 3 milli-international units per milliliter." Maura spoke quickly, without expression.
"Maura, what does that mean?" Jane asked anxiously. She never understood Maura's need for clinical terms.
"You're not pregnant, Jane. The test you took last night was expired, causing a false positive result. Everything is okay. You'll take another test in two weeks to be…" Jane cut Maura off with a strong hug.
"Thank you, Maura." Maura gasped and sank into the hug.
"This isn't over, Jane. I've been worried about your behavior for some time. You're getting reckless."
Jane pulled back, reacting defensively, and looked Maura straight in the eyes. "Is now the best time?"
"Now is the only time, Jane!" Maura took a step back and met the vicious gaze. All of the emotions and stress she kept hidden flooded to the surface. "You have set me aside long enough! With everything I've been through, everything we've done, you can't keep tossing me away!" Tears started to trickle down Maura's face. "What happened if you married him? What would have happened if you left me?" Maura covered her face with her hands, thinking she sounded selfish. Jane stepped forward to touch her arm but Maura jolted back. With renewed power, she continued, "One day you will see just how much you mean to me." With that statement finally said aloud, Maura grabbed her coat and darted out of her office.
Jane stood in the middle of the empty room feeling like she was kicked in the stomach. Did she really hurt Maura that much? What was she thinking? How did she ever think she could leave Maura for… what? Marriage? She should've known he would never give up his job. How was she blindsided by him? Better yet, why didn't Maura say something?
Jane pulled her car keys out of her pocket and started for the journey home. There was no use chasing after Maura. They both needed time to think.
Maura's Home
The rain poured hard and fast as Jane ran from her car to the door. She was wet and tired but anxious. She pounded on the door with the side of her fist. "Maura!" She paused, reconsidering her idea before resuming. "Maura answer the door! I have to tell you something." Her voice was panicked and strained. She had jumped out of bed and into the car without thinking. She knew what to say and needed to fix this. "Maura!"
The door gently opened as the sleepy doctor rubbed her eyes. "Jane, I just fell asleep… and you're in pajamas."
"Maura," Jane stood outside in her white cotton pajamas, afraid to move, "I'm sorry."
"What?" Maura's heart skipped a beat, as it usually did in Jane's presence. She didn't expect a confession at three in the morning. Thinking again, she didn't know what to expect.
"I'm sorry and I love you. You've been the only person who has been with me every step of the way and I almost lost you over some stupid beard. I want to fix this."
"Oh, Jane." Maura stepped forward. Jane held her back.
"No, Maura. I really love you. I tried telling myself that Casey was good for me, but I can't fight these feelings." Jane felt like she was rambling, but she wanted Maura to understand. "I don't know if you feel the same or not but I'm sorry and I never want to hurt you ever again. You mean everything to me."
Maura let Jane's words sink in before saying anything. "I don't know if showing up on my doorstep in the middle of the night is the way to win me over, but we can give it a try." Maura hugged Jane and let out a small yawn, "Can we go back to sleep?"
Jane laughed as a tear slid down her cheek. "Of course." She didn't know what she was doing but with Maura by her side, nothing could go wrong.