Rizzoli and Isles

Jump then Fall

Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of this story. Rizzoli and Isles belongs to Tess Gerritsent and TNT. I own only the story you are reading.

Maura Isles had been through hell throughout her entire life. She had never had a real family until Jane Rizzoli came into her life and now she just couldn't imagine life without her. Recently, Maura thought she would know exactly what it was like to live life without Jane after a dirty cop took Jane hostage; Jane's solution to the situation was to shoot him through her own body. Maura had been terrified that Jane was going to die but somehow she had pulled through and now she was staying at Jane's, taking care of her.

Maura felt very different about Jane since her near death experience; she was realizing that her love for Jane went far beyond friendship. Jane was a hard person to read and understand; Maura had no idea if Jane would return those feelings. She couldn't imagine telling Jane the truth and her not feeling the same way; it would absolutely devastate her.

"Maura!" Jane called from the bedroom, pulling her from her thoughts. She appeared in the Detective's doorway seconds later. "Hey doc! When's lunch? I'm starved!"

Maura smiled. "Well we can't have that now, can we? What would you like to eat?"

Jane shrugged. "Something edible," she said, her usual banter of sarcasm shining through in her tone.

"Cute," Maura said with a sigh.

"How about a beer and some chips and dip?" Jane said, grinning as she knew Maura would hate the idea of her eating junk.

Maura rolled her eyes. "I don't know how you arteries aren't clogged with all the crap you eat on a daily basis!" Jane smiled. Maura's need for healthy eating and perfection amused her. Jane often wondered how a person of Maura's high caliber was friends with a person like Jane who go through life with little stress and taking everything as it came.

Jane loved Maura though; she was the one person that Jane could always depend on. Maura was the one constant in her life other than her brother Frankie. On the flip side of that, Maura was a problem for Jane. Her feelings for Maura had grown stronger recently and it scared her; she had never felt like this about another woman and she knew feeling this way would only get her in trouble.

She worked in a station full of guys; she knew that giving her relationship with Maura a chance at something more would only make their lives hell. She could only begin to imagine what Frost and Korsak would say to this and she didn't want to se Maura put through that either; she did the only thing she could do and she buried those feelings for Maura deep inside her.

While Jane ate her sad excuse of a lunch, Maura vacuumed, walked Joe-Friday and did the dishes, leaving Jane to watch the Celtics and yell obscenities at the television.

Maura knew in her heart that she could never be happy if she didn't make the jump! She had to just get it out there and chance losing Jane forever. With her feeling of courage, Maura marched back to Jane's room. "I need to talk to you," she said simply.

"What's up doc?" Jane asked, seeing the look in her eyes and knowing she was about to break Maura's heart.

"Jane, I'm in love with you," she said, her breath caught in her throat as she waited for Jane to respond. Maura felt the tears swell in her throat, recognizing the look on Jane's face instantly.

"Maura," she began with an exasperated sigh. "I can't; I just can't go down that road with you." Jane was on the brink of tears, knowing her words were destroying the woman. She didn't know what to say or how to make it better but what she did know was she was going to lose Maura forever. "Maura…." She trailed off, not knowing what to say as the red head walked out of the room.

Jane was too tired and too weak to go after her but she knew she could talk to Maura later; Maura wouldn't leave her.