Jane knew better than to ask for forgiveness. Maura was hurt, rightfully so. They hadn't spoken in over a week. Not that the detective had expected there to be any conversation at all between them, Maura had looked at her with so much disgust, like she was a monster. The conversation she'd had a year ago when Maura had been afraid she was similar to Hoyt replayed in her mind. She now felt like the monster she'd always saw her own personal boogey man as.

"Jane."

"Constance!" The brunette jumped out of the chair she sat in by the hospital bed. She had stayed every night after Maura left to ensure that her best friend's mother would not be alone. Before today Constance had yet to wake up when she was there.

"There's no need for such behavior dear. I'm not upset that you're here and I'm not going to kick you out. If I hadn't wanted you here I would have kicked you out a week ago."

"You knew I was here?"

"Of course I did."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. Besides you've been going through a very difficult time lately."

"I should go. You have my number if you need anything."

"Jane don't leave yet."

"I have no right to be here." Maura stopped outside the room upon hearing her mother talking to Jane. Jane was there? What possible reason did she have to be in that room? Deciding that she had no desire to see the detective she waited outside to instead hear what it was that she had to say.

"Why don't you?"

"Because Maura would not appreciate me being here and I wouldn't blame her. I killed her father."

"Her father is halfway across the world. The man that gave her up for adoption, who made her is dead. There is a difference."

"Not in Maura's eyes. I broke her heart. You didn't see her face after I shot him. You didn't see the hate, the disgust, the disappointment in her eyes." Jane rubbed her eyes in an attempt to make the tears less noticeable, "I hurt her and my one goal in life was to be the one that never did that to her. To be the one person that didn't fuck up and let her down. I don't expect forgiveness any time soon Constance."

"Jane…"

"I'm gonna go." Turning toward the door the Italian began to walk out by stopped upon hearing the question Maura's mother asked

"Why did you shoot him?"

"Because he had a gun and my cop instincts took over. I shot without thinking."

"Do you normally stop and consider whether or not to fire at an armed mobster that just shot a federal agent?"

"No."

"How do you think Maura would have reacted if the roles had been reversed? If it had been you on her table in the morgue instead of Patrick Doyle?"

Maura heard the question and realized she hadn't considered the thought in the past week. What would she have done if Doyle had killed Jane? How could she have handled having a life without Jane in it? The brunette, although she had hurt her more than she ever thought imaginable, was a permanent fixture in her life. No if Patrick Doyle had killed Jane in the warehouse there would be no forgiveness.

"She would forgive him." The Medical Examiner's mouth fell open at the words that had just escaped her best friend's mouth, "She would forgive him because he is her father…was her father. Doyle held the key to what she wanted to know about her biological mother. I'm just her best friend…I was. There's a difference between the two."

"You honestly believe that Jane? That if Patrick had killed you that night, Maura could have just forgiven him?"

"Yes." Taking another step Constance's voice stopped her again

"You figured it out a week ago didn't you?"

"Figured what out?"

"That you're in love with my daughter. To be a decorated detective it's a bit surprising that it took you so long to come to terms with that."

The blonde in the hall resisted the urge to storm in there and stop her mother from embarrassing Jane with these completely ridiculous assumptions. There was no way that Detective Jane Rizzoli was in love with her, there was no way.

"Looking back I think I always knew. Yes I'm in love with her but she'll never know. Feel better soon." Maura watched Jane as she exited the room heading the opposite direction from where she was standing. Finally gaining her composure she entered the hospital room still in shock. Constance stared at her daughter waiting for her to say something about the conversation she had just over heard outside the door. When nothing came from the blonde's mouth her mother took it upon herself to begin the discussion.

"Now will the two of you please stop being so stubborn?"

"I'm sorry Mother, what did you say?"

"I know you were outside the door and I know you heard everything that Jane said to me. She admitted she was in love with you Maura. I know that's what you've been waiting for. That's why you didn't give Byron a chance, Tommy, even when Ian returned you couldn't commit to him fully." Her mother chose to ignore her wince at the mention of Maura's failed relationships, "It's not in your imagination Maura. She's admitted to me and to herself that she's in love with you. Now all you have to do is follow."

"I'm scared. I'm so scared."

"Scared of what darling? You know she feels the same way."

"When you asked her what would happen if she had ended up on my table…the thought of that made me sick to my stomach. Any life without Jane in it isn't a life worth living."

"Then don't you think not telling her the truth would be counterproductive? It doesn't matter if the two of you get a year, or four, or a lifetime. At least you would have had a life with one another."

"Mom…"

"Besides she'll make a wonderful daughter-in-law one day. Just like Angela said you would make one for her."

"The two of you have been discussing this?"

"I wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one who saw it. I'm not. Maura, I am healing just fine. Go to her. Go to Jane." Leaning down to kiss her mother's cheek she murmured a thank you before walking out the door and heading toward the elevators Jane had just went to moments before.

Jane had yet to get into her car. She braced herself on the hood doubled over her eyes closed as the confession she had just made to her best friend's mother really started to sink in. She had finally said it out loud for the first time. She was in love with Maura Isles.

"Jane, you're still here." Taking a deep breath she turned around to face her best friend for the first time in a week

"I'm sorry for being in her room Maura. I overstepped when I stayed with her."

"No you didn't. You were just trying to take care of me the only way you knew how. Giving me space but still being just around the corner in case I needed you. Well not literally around the corner of course because that would mean you would have had to follow me around for the past week." The blonde expected to see and exasperated look on her best friend's face but surprisingly did not find one, "Jane I need to tell you something."

"I understand you not wanting to see my anymore. I'll ask for a transfer if that'll make your life easier."

"That's not what I was going to say. I was outside my mother's door earlier. I heard what you said to her Jane," The detective automatically looked at her in fear and Maura responded by taking a step toward her, "I heard every word you said."

"Every word?" Jane swallowed hard at the implication Maura had in fact heard everything she said to Constance just minutes ago

"Did you mean them Jane? Did you mean it when you told my mother the way that you felt about me?"

"Are you asking if I'm in love with you Maura?"

"That's what I'm asking, yes."

"Doctor Maura Isles, I am completely and utterly head over hills in love with you. I have been since the day you walked onto a crime scene wearing the ridiculously skin tight dress and those impractical high heels. It took me years to realize it. To realize why no man was ever good enough, why I was content to live alone as long as you were there. Why I hated Ian and Tommy to an extent. They had a chance with you when I subconsciously wanted one myself."

"You killed my father Jane."

"I know." She looked down to the ground unable to see the rejection in Maura's eyes she knew was there.

"But when my mother asked what I would have done if it had been you on my table it made me realize something. I wanted Patrick Doyle alive so he could give me answers, to maybe understand him a little bit more. There's the biggest difference between who I would be able to live without more. I wanted him alive but I need you alive. I need to know you're there for me. I need you because I love you Jane," The brunette's head jerked up at that, "Because I'm in love with you."

"You are?"

"Absolutely."

"So where do we stand now?"

"I still need time to move past this Jane."

"I understand."

"But with you as my girlfriend it would make it a lot easier."

"Yeah?"

"Yes." Maura smiled for the first time since the incident had taken place a week ago when she was wrapped in her best friend's arms