As Jane, Maura and Frost sat at the Dirty Robber at the same table, each had very different thoughts going through their mind; and none of them were thinking about the clown case they successfully solved that day.
Frost was still trying to come to terms with the fact that his girlfriend would be leaving… and the fact that it was something Maura had said to her that made her want to leave. To be fair, he knew he couldn't really blame Maura. Honestly, he was convinced that Maura's advice was really meant for someone else… Not that he would ever interfere with Jane and Maura's friendship. Deep down, he also knew that leaving was her own decision, and that it was a great opportunity for her. The only question was… should he follow her?
Jane's misery was much harder for others to recognise, because she insisted on always putting on a brave face, or making jokes to hide her true feelings. Casey had left so abruptly, giving them little opportunity to discuss what the next step in the relationship should be. If indeed, it should continue to be a relationship at all. She had no doubt that she loved Casey. The problem was, she knew she didn't love him enough to give up her job in order to be with him. Deep down, she also knew that if either of them were to give up their career, they would only end up breaking up anyway, and it will have all been for nothing.
Maura sat across from Jane torn. While on the surface, it was apparent that she was very sorry to have caused Frost so much pain, what she was really trying to cope with was how close she came (or thought she came) to losing her best friend. What also troubled her was the magnitude of her feelings. Yes, it was normal to feel upset at the thought of her best friend no longer living in the same city. What she struggled to understand was why seeing the ring on Jane's finger made her heart ache more fiercely than she had ever experienced. She compared it to the end of her relationship with Ian, whom she had once dubbed the love of her life, and she realised that the pain did not compare at all. She realised that if Jane left to be with Casey, her heart would break, and she wasn't sure it would ever heal.
As Jane and Maura stood outside the Dirty Robber watching Frost drive off in a cab, they turned to each other and began talking at the same time.
"Jane, I'm..."…"So do you…"
They looked at each other and smiled, before Maura insisted with a short nod that Jane continue.
"I was just going to ask if you wanted to continue this at mine. I know I probably won't be very good company, but…" Jane let the sentence trail off as she searched Maura's face for an answer.
Maura hesitated to answer as she searched Jane's eyes. She realised not long after meeting Jane that Jane's eyes always held the truth about her emotions. There weren't many people who could see past the fake smile and the casual demeanour that Jane paraded around. Indeed, there weren't many that really tried. But Maura was someone who did. She knew that if she looked into Jane's eyes, there's nothing shecould really hide from her.
"I'll drive," Maura finally replied. "You've had too much to drink."
Maura began to walk towards her car, followed by Jane who was right on her heels in no time.
"Urgh, I had three beers," Jane whined as she pulled into step with Maura. "Hardly constitutes as 'too much to drink'."
"Too much to drink to legally operate a vehicle, Jane," Maura chided.
"Fine, but you will have to drop me back in the morning," Jane conceded as they turned the corner towards Maura's car.