So, this was bugging me on the way home while riding the train from grad classes. I could continue it, though I haven't really decided. I was listening to the song Lips of an Angel by Hinder and that was the inspiration, so take it for what it is. All reviews and critique's are welcome as long as they are constructive. General Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, the characters are not mine, and no money has been made :) So, enjoy if you can. Thanks for reading. Oh BTW, all mistakes are my own! I apologize in advance! I did try to indent paragraphs but I couldn't for some reason. Really sorry its so blocky.
The vibration of her phone woke Jane from a heavy sleep. Carefully, she rolled away from the woman next to her and answered the offending object.
"Rizzoli." Her whispered voice rough and groggy.
"Jane?" A soft voice replied.
Jane sat up confused pulling the phone away from her ear to check the caller I.D. Jane heard what she thought was sniffling and a delicate sigh from the other end of the line.
"Jane, are you there?" the familiar voice asked.
"Ugh, yea. Hold on a second." Jane swung her long legs off the side of the bed running a hand through her tangled dark curls.
"Everything Okay?" A sleepy voice came from the form lying behind her.
"Yeah, yeah. Everything is fine. It's just work." Quietly she slid on her black boy shorts and white tank top. What could she want? It's been almost two years? Well, why don't you go find out dumbass?
"What time is it?" the sleepy voiced asked.
"Almost three. Go back to sleep. I just need to take care of this." Jane whispered
The detective quickly slid on her worn BPD hoodie and went into the living room quietly closing the bedroom door behind her. Flicking on the lamp near the couch, she sat down heavily her heart nearly beating out of her chest. With a deep breath she put the phone back to her ear.
"Maura? Are you Okay? What's wrong?" Deep concern colored her voice.
"I'm sorry I called so late. I just needed to hear your voice." Jane heard light sniffling and her stomach churned imagining what could be wrong.
"It's Okay. It's good to hear your voice again." I didn't think I would ever hear it again.
"Where is Garrett?" A hint of distaste in her voice didn't go unnoticed by the woman on the other end of the phone.
"Sleeping." Jane's heart dropped into her stomach. The thought of her Maura being with that man still stung.
"Why are you whispering Jane?" The voice was still soft but held a note of curiosity and hesitation. Deep down Maura knew she had no right to ask, but she simply could not help herself.
"Oh, well, I have someone here." Jane felt a rush of embarrassment. What the hell? Why should I feel embarrassed or wrong about this? I'm not doing anything wrong.
"Oh, I see. I'm sorry I bothered you then. I'll let you go." Jane thought she heard a tone of sadness in the M.E.'s words. Don't be absurd.
"No! I mean, no it's okay. It's fine." Please don't go. That's it Jane, show her how pathetic you really are practically begging her not to hang up. "Does your husband know you're talking to me and we aren't fighting or arguing over something?"
"No, no he doesn't know I have contacted you." Jane can hear just a hint of a smile, sad perhaps, but a smile never the less.
"So, why ARE you calling then?" The detective didn't want to push to the point that the doctor would retreat but was more than a little curious at what had prompted her to call.
"It's just as I said. I needed to hear your voice." Another deep sigh came across the line.
"You know you're going to break out in hives." Jane smiled as Maura gave a soft laugh. She had missed the banter that had come so easy for them.
"You know very well that I don't have much of an issue with that any longer." Jane could imagine the indignant look she would be receiving if the blonde had been standing in front of her.
"Maybe not, but I know when you're lying." Her voice dropped slightly to a more serious tone.
"Yes, you could always tell. It's one of the things that makes you such a successful detective and an amazing best friend." Maura's voiced the compliment in complete earnestness with a hint of dejection. The compliment caught Jane a bit off guard and caused her breath to hitch.
"Sooo?" Jane prompted.
"So, is it serious?" Jane scrunched her brows together in confusion at the turn of the conversation had taken, realizing she had been out maneuvered. She shook her head at her ex-best friends' successful attempt at avoiding her question.
"Is what serious?" The detective shifts uncomfortably on the couch and begins to rub her scarred palm along her thigh.
"The person who is there with you tonight. Is it serious." The question is asked as if she is almost afraid to hear the answer.
Jane immediately feels her defenses rise. What business is it of hers if it's serious or not? She has no right to ask! I offered Maura my heart and she rejected it and married HIM! She ran from me when all I wanted was to love her! Jane could feel her anger rise even higher. The engagement announcement had led to multiple painful and serious fights, nights of tears, and years of heartache that still lingered, but through it all she still loved the M.E. and couldn't bring herself to lie to her. A childish part of her though wanted too, just to spite her.
"No, no it's not serious." Jane leaned her head on the back of the couch and closed her dark eyes.
"Oh, okay." Was that a hint of relief? The detective decided to ignore it and allow Maura to continue. "Garrett is drinking again." Jane sat up immediately alert.
"Are you alright? Did he hurt you again? I swear to God Maura if he…" Jane had stood and begun to pace restlessly back and forth in the small room.
"No, no Jane I swear I'm fine. I think maybe I got a little frightened." Jane blew out a breath and reclaimed her seat. She saw Maura's face tear stained and bruised from his prior binge drinking habit, before rehab. That had been one of the last times she had seen Maura. Just the memories of that night caused tears to come to the Italians eyes, hear soul to ache, and her arms long to hold the woman she once thought might have been hers.
"Jane? Are you still there?" The voice quickly pulled Jane from her tortured memories.
"Yea, yea. I'm here." She rubbed at her tired eyes.
"Jane? Are you coming back to bed?" Maura could hear a voice ask faintly. Jane rolled her eyes and shook her head slowly.
"Yea, just a few more minutes Syd." A part of her feeling very conflicted at the moment torn between the woman in her bed and the one she had on the phone.
Sydney Lawrence, the woman wo was now laying in Janes bed as a Forensic Psychologist that occasionally assisted the BPD. After Maura had left, Jane had done all she could to move on and Sydney seemed just up her alley. She was beautiful, wickedly smart, honey-blonde, only her eyes were a deep green and not the beautiful hazel of Maura's.
Their relationship was one of easy and very little commitment, each allowed to date others if they were so inclined. In reality, they were really little more than casual acquaintances with occasional benefits. The arrangement suited Jane just fine. At the start Jane had thought she was learning to live without Maura, without her heart. In truth, she had only, albeit unintentionally, replaced the medical examiner with a generic version.
Sydney was wonderful but Jane couldn't help but compare the two. It was like comparing a diamond and a lump of coal. The coal (Sydney) had potential to be something great, but the diamond (Maura) shown so brightly inside and out that Jane was constantly blinded.
"Well, I should let you go. I know you have to work tomorrow." I don't want to let you go.
"Yea, I do." I don't want you to go.
"I've missed you Jane." Jane could hear the gentle doctors voice and a slight catch in her words.
"Yea, me too. I mean I've missed you too." What the hell is going on?
"Jane?" Maura's voice trembled slightly
"Yea?" Jane answered interestedly
"There is one thing I wanted to tell you." The M.E. is practically whispering now.
"Okay, what is it?" Curiosity coloring her voice.
"I'm divorcing Garrett." Although her voice was still a whisper it was filled with a sense of determination.
"Oh." Jane was stunned into silence her sent reeling.
"Okay. I'm going to go. Goodnight Jane." Jane attempted to stop her. "No, wait Maura!" Jane tried but realized that the other end of the line had already gone dead. What the hell was that? What does it mean? Am I supposed to do something? Damnit!
Jane hated felling off balance, but for three weeks that's where she found herself. Everyone at BPD tried to keep their distance from the cantankerous and snapping detective. Even Korsak only interacted with her when necessary and her family had tried to give her space to workout whatever it was that was eating at the woman.
Jane laid in her bed starring up at her white sterile ceiling. She had to find a way to forget about the phone call, about Maura. It had seemed like only minutes had passed since she had slipped into an uncomfortable sleep when she heard the loud dinging of her doorbell. What the hell? Glancing at her phone staring as the number 2:30 flashed back at her. The bell rang again as she rolled out of bed pulling on her routine black boy shorts and white tank top. Standing as she retrieved her gun from its drawer and made her way to the front door. Clicking on the front porch light she looked through the peep hole and quickly set her gun on the side table while unlocking the door.
"Maura?" she stared in confusion at the woman standing in front of her.
"Hello, Jane." Maura clasped her hands in front of her and stared down at her shoes, feeling a bit sheepish and shy. Jane looked around outside still thoroughly confused expecting to see someone else but Maura was alone and at her feet sat two luggage bags.
"May I come in?" It was one of the few times Jane had ever seen the woman before her seem unsure around her.
"Sure, come in." Jane quickly regrouped and remembered her manners grabbing one of the bags and shut the door quietly behind them.
THE END
(or is it?)