Author's Note: I realize that this isn't the (possibly?) long awaited sequel to 'Heart of the Matter,' however, I hope this is a good enough consolation prize. I am working on the sequel though, I promise, I've just been overwhelmingly busy and life hasn't really been too kind to me lately (read as: my dad passed away unexpectedly a few months ago) so I really did not want to just throw a sequel out there with less than my best effort. Anyway, this can either be a stand alone or can be developed into a multi-chapter story. I haven't really decided, so, any input on that would be kindly appreciated!
Disclaimer: I do not own Jane, Maura, or anything else that can be found to be a derivative of their characters and/or the basic fictionalization of Rizzoli & Isles; all of which are owned by either Tess Gerritsen and/or TNT. Furthermore, I am not using any of this for profit now nor in the future and as such, only intend for this to constitute fair use where appropriate.
A Heart Like Mine
Present Day::Jane
Her heart was pounding, much harder than it should have been after the mile long sprint through the train station. She was physically fit, active, every single day. She jogged every morning. Okay, most mornings. And spent three out of seven days a week boxing with the heavy bag in the basement of the precinct. Sundays were Yoga and sometimes Pilates (but only if a certain honey-blonde batted her eyes and pouted). Though, to be fair, she wasn't out of breath; the only problem was the jack hammering in her chest. And if she was being completely honest with herself, it probably was only 1% due to the sprinting and 99% due to the previously mentioned honey-blonde. And wasn't the point of being here to be 'completely honest,' anyway?
Jane's eyes scanned the crowd as she slowed to a jog, carefully maneuvering around the pedestrians. Her palms were so sweaty that when she rubbed them together the slick heat made her matching scars itch. Maura would definitely have some overly complicated explanation for what she just begrudgingly acknowledged were nerves. She shook her hands out to her sides before resuming use of her above-average height to see over the heads of most of the people around her.
She nervously checked the watch on her wrist. 5:01 p.m. Jane was close enough now to be able to clearly see the faces of the people exiting the rail car. If it had followed the schedule, the train should have come in at 4:46 p.m., meaning she had likely missed fifteen minutes worth of people already. She knew her chances were slim standing there in Penn Station having been too late to beat the train in. Not for lack of effort though. She'd made it from Boston to New York in record time and felt lucky she hadn't been pulled over at any point in the nearly four hours she'd been averaging at least twenty miles over the limit.
Jane ran a hand through her unruly curls and rubbed her eyes. Come on. She paced back and forth, her eyes rotating between the two train doors still open. The pacing was a nervous tick that did little to soothe the anxious energy she felt coming out of her skin. It was worse than having to watch the Sox attempting to beat the Yankees by one run in the final inning. Jane averted her eyes to the few other people still waiting. The bald man three feet away was starting to stare. Great, now other people were beginning to think she was crazy. Jane made herself stop pacing and settled for tapping her foot incessantly instead. Maybe she could flash her badge to get on the train and search instead of standing here for all eternity. Even if eternity in this case had only been about five minutes. She still didn't even know what she was doing here.
When Jane heard that Maura had left, gone to interview for the open Chief Medical Examiner position in Manhattan, her heart felt like it had stopped. And somewhere between the hyperventilating and cursing she realized that it would never start again unless she went after her. Jane knew she couldn't let Maura go, couldn't let her walk out of her life, even if Jane didn't really know what that meant entirely. She wasn't sure what she wanted Maura to be, aside from wanting her to be wherever Jane was. She'd spent the last four hours loudly arguing with herself in the car and now that she was here, knowing that at any moment Maura could emerge, Jane still had no idea what to say when she saw her.
Her stomach was in her throat the moment she saw the pink high heel step onto the platform. Or the contents of her stomach at least. And if there was actually anything in her stomach Jane was pretty sure it would have just come out of her mouth. Her heart hammered in her ears. Maybe this was a horrible idea. Shit. She watched as Maura's figure came into view, pulling a small carry-on suitcase behind her. Jane rubbed her sweaty palms flat against her jeans as her eyes traveled up from Maura's shoes to rest on her face. Jane had always known Maura to be pretty, and maybe it was the adrenalin talking, but she'd never seen her best friend look more strikingly beautiful than she did in this moment. She watched Maura's eyes flick around her surroundings, quickly finding her bearings, before she started in Jane's direction.
And when the honey-blonde's piercing green eyes finally found her own, it made Jane's mouth go dry and she had to force herself to breathe. In the back of her mind Jane knew she should start walking now, meet her halfway, not stand there like a brick pillar. But she couldn't force her legs to move, couldn't will her feet to do anything but stick like glue to the concrete. Until Maura stopped in her tracks. Jane could see the confusion in her eyes, the hurt, the surprise. She could see the green orbs start to water. And then Jane found the strength. Putting one foot in front of the other, she quickly closed the distance until she was close enough to smell the faint perfume unique only to Maura.
"Jane?" Maura's voice was broken and barely above a whisper.
And it finally came to her that she did know what to say. Exactly what she should have said hours ago, or months ago, maybe even years ago. Jane bit her lip and offered a pained smile, looking into Maura's watering eyes.
"You were right." Jane managed to mumble, clearing her throat.
"Yeah?" She could tell Maura was quickly losing the battle to keep herself composed in public.
"I should have been chasing you." Jane reached out, letting her hand brush down Maura's arm before using both hands to find Maura's small fingers and latch on. "And trying to prove...that you are all that matters to me. And I should have just told you everything that I've been keeping inside of me."
Jane inched closer, feeling empowered by the captive attention and the fact that Maura was still standing listening to her. "And I hope that I can still make you believe...that what we have is all we'll ever need."
She watched a tear slide down Maura's cheek. If Jane hadn't been paying close enough attention she would have missed the barely noticeable nod Maura had given her. She broke into a wide grin, her heart aching with a feeling she hadn't allowed herself to fully appreciate until this moment. She watched as Maura bit her own lip, obviously trying not to break into a dimple-producing smile but ultimately failing.
Jane dropped one of Maura's hands to thread her own through the soft honey-blonde locks. "I'm going to kiss you now."
The nod she received from Maura this time was definitely noticeable and she grinned wider as she leaned in, brushing her lips softly against Maura's. Jane felt Maura slide into the embrace as she finally let their lips fully lock together. Her heart hammered now with the realization that she had finally made the exact right decision and also at the prospect of a new future with the beautiful woman in her arms.
AN: I hope this was okay as it is my first time writing from Jane's perspective (I relate much better to Maura, if Maura were a person), so I hope my Jane wasn't too far off!
Disclaimer #2: Yes, the last few-ish Jane lines (the really sappy ones) do come from "All We'd Ever Need" by Lady Antebellum, which is exactly what happens when you listen to music while writing :) No infringement intended, nor am I using it for profit.