Four words, three months, two choices, and one decision later, here she stood, Jane Rizzoli regretting all of it.
The four words started it all, "Unless I marry him." Four simple words that started this whole journey. Four words that lead her to where she was standing. Four simple words lead her to a bridal shop where she stood in a beautiful white wedding gown, while her mother and her best friend watched on crying, both for very different reasons.
It had been three months since she said those four words to Maura. Three months of the loudest silence between them. As soon as she let the words slide from her mouth and witnessed the pain pass over Maura's face she regret her decision. She wished she could go back and tell him no, tell him not to use the probability of death over his head to push her towards an answer she didn't want to give. Three months of an emptiness that left her heart aching and heavy.
Maura's hurt couldn't be hidden and she didn't try to stop the tears from slipping down her cheeks. "I should have told you sooner" it was a barely a whisper and so shaky that Jane barely heard it leave Maura's mouth. Jane embraced Maura's shrinking body in a tight hug as if to stop her from crumbling further into nothingness.
There were no other words shared between the two for the next week. The silence was broken one night as Jane sat in her apartment alone, another minute away from giving up and slipping into a beer induced haze, when Maura finally emerged. Her eyes were red and puffy and the day's makeup had long been washed away by her tears.
"Give me a chance, just let me-" Maura's words were rushed and they tumbled out of her mouth uneasily as she pushed past Jane and entered the small apartment. She stopped and took a breath and slowed down the flow of words "just let me talk. Please, just, listen."
Jane replied with a small nod and made work of opening a new bottle of wine she had purchased to share with Maura in celebration of her engagement. It felt odd in her hands as she watched the dark red liquid flow from the bottle into the clean glass.
"I should have told you sooner Jane. I should have confessed my feelings sooner. It isn't fair for you, and now you're marrying Casey." Maura passed slowly across the room as she spoke and gratefully grasped the wine glass presented to her. "I love you Jane."
"I know Maur." Jane took a small sip of the wine and let a small frown set across her lips.
"No, I don't think you understand, I am IN love with you." Maura's voice was pleading for recognition, any sort of recognition as Jane stayed silent and gently swirled the dark red liquid around in her glass. Just as Maura was about to break the silence Jane spoke up.
"Do you know why I picked this wine Maura?"
The question caught Maura off guard and her hesitation in reply allowed Jane to answer for her. "I bought it because it's my favorite wine. I've had better tasting wine, even my unsophisticated tongue can tell me that, but it's still good." She paused to take another sip but the same disappointed frown covered her face. "I like it so much because it was the first wine I shared with you. I originally-"
Maura let out a frustrated sigh, "Jane! What does this have to do with me being in love with y-"
"I bought it to share with you to celebrate the engagement but now it doesn't taste the same." She poured the remaining liquid down her sink and watched as it flowed down the drain. "It doesn't taste… alive anymore. It feels tainted and dull. It's just- not right anymore."
She walked closer to Maura and gently grasped her hands "Maura I have a confession to make too." she placed a small kiss on each of Maura's palms "I love you too, the same way you love me."
Maura broke into a soft cry as she embraced Jane. "Choose me."
Two choices, the options both underlined with their own complications. Two choices, and no matter what she chose someone would get hurt. Two choices but with only one true answer.
So here she was standing, draped in a beautiful white gown after four words, three months, two choices, and one very wrong decision later. The decision to save Casey's life at Maura's expense. Maura left that night in heavy tears after Jane told her she chose Casey to save his life and that no matter how much she loved her she wouldn't let him risk death. The two had eventually found their way back together and Maura agreed to stick by her side the whole way, no matter how much it hurt both of them.
Jane stood staring at her reflection of white, the bitter tang of tasteless wine in her mouth. Maura sat crying in the background as she watched her love slipping to another.
Four words, three months, two choices, and one very wrong decision later. She may have saved Casey, but she sacrificed herself and Maura instead.
AN: Thanks for reading! This was the short (super short now that I look at it) fic I entered for the weekly tumblr challenge! Week 22: Confessions. Everyone did a great job and I encourage you to read any others you see on , AO3, and even tumblr! Again, thanks for reading it is much appreciated!