Haunted Hallways

Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli and Isles, not for profit. They are owned by Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, Warner Brothers, and TNT.

Note: In this story, Jane and Maura are in a pre-existing relationship, that began a little while after the shooting. I am toying with the idea of a third chapter, parts are written, but do you guys want to see a third chapter?

Jane had just finished putting on her favorite worn Red Sox tee and grey sweatpants after a long, relaxing shower, when Chopin's "Funeral March" shattered the silence of her apartment. Jane hopped over Jo, who had been sleeping at the foot of her bed, and skidded into the living room to pick up her phone.

"Hey Maur…" Jane said, wondering why Maura was calling her. She knew Maura was supposed to be spending her evening with Constance. When Jane heard the whimpered reply, she instantly knew something was terribly wrong. She hadn't heard Maura this upset since the Ian fiasco. That bastard. Jane listened carefully, trying to decipher what Maura was saying through the sobs. Jane thought she could hear the words 'Mother,' 'accident,' 'surgery,' and 'Mass. Gen.' Jane struggled to throw on her BPD sweatshirt, grab her keys, and toe on a pair of running shoes that had previously been sitting haphazardly next to the door, all at the same time.

"Sweetie...Maur, honey, I'll be right there, I'm on my way," Jane panted out as she raced down the stairs from her apartment to her car on the street. "Do you want me to stay on the line until I get there?" Jane heard a muffled 'no' and began to realize how bad the situation must be when Maura didn't launch into stats and studies about the danger of using a cell phone while operating a car.

After hurriedly parking her car and running into the hospital, Jane bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, her heart pounding as she silently urged the elevator to rise faster, pointedly ignoring the annoyed glances aimed at her. She needed to get to her girlfriend and comfort her.

Feeling Maura claw at her back as she collapsed into her solid body, her tears dampening her neck and sweatshirt, broke Jane's heart. The rest of her resolve shattering when she heard Maura sob that they hadn't let her into the ambulance. Jane, while she hadn't had first-hand knowledge of the hell that the shooting had put Maura through, she had heard from her Ma about the entire ordeal that had occurred while she was unconscious - how Maura hadn't been allowed in the ambulance and how she had completely broken down. Jane vividly remembered the conversation.

A slow beeping stabbed at Jane's consciousness, and she could feel pressure along her left arm, a comforting, warm weight. With a groan, Jane struggled to open her eyes and was met with the vision of her Ma jumping up from the chair she had been sitting in to her right.

"Baby, it's so good to see your eyes," Angela whispered as she softly placed her hand on Jane's forearm. Jane rolled her head to the left, towards the warm weight and saw that Maura had entangled her left arm and hand with Maura's right, Maura's head resting against her shoulder, and her free arm resting lightly on Jane's forearm. As Jane shifted a little, Maura groaned softly and tightened her grip, but didn't wake.

"Don't disturb her Janie, she is finally sleeping after all the grief you put all of us through," Angela whispered angrily. Jane opened her mouth to start to say something, but Angela shushed her.

"No you listen, and you listen good. She has been through hell. They wouldn't let her in the ambulance with you, they literally had to drag her off of you. She lost it Janie, she refused to be around anyone while you were in surgery. It was such a relief when the doctor came out to tell us that you had survived the surgery, we were all in tears. I went to find Maura to tell her. When I finally found her, hugging herself in some deserted hallway, she took one look at my face and assumed the worst. Janie, it was horrible, she burst into tears and wouldn't let me touch her. She just kept repeating 'no' and backing herself into an alcove. I was finally able to tell her that you had survived the surgery and had been moved to a room - Janie, she hasn't left your side once, and that was three days ago. That girl loves you; you are her world." By this time tears were streaming down the sides of Jane's face and as she looked back over at Maura, she saw that she was indeed wearing the same red dress she had been wearing the day of the shooting.

"Ma...I'm, I'm so sorry, it was stupid, I know," Jane croaked out as she clumsily lifted her right arm to push the hair that had fallen into Maura's face behind her ear.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to. I wasn't the one who had to watch her...her best friend shoot herself," Angela whispered as she retook her seat by Jane, cupping the side of Jane's head and rubbing her thumb back and forth across Jane's temple. Jane's eyes began to droop and flutter with sleep.

"Go to sleep baby, you'll have plenty of time to tell her how you feel when you wake up," cooed Angela as Jane fell back asleep, her head rolling to rest against Maura's crown.

Jane knew she was seeing something akin to that now. The immense guilt that had consumed Jane in the months after the shooting washed over her and she squeezed her girlfriend closer to her.

"I'm so sorry," Jane mumbled into Maura's hair. Maura took a cleansing breath and nodded, shivering a little in the air conditioned air of the hospital. Jane noticed and disentangled herself in order to pull off her sweatshirt and help Maura slip it on before kissing Maura softly.

"Let's go get these scrapes looked at and then check to see if there is any news on your mother," Jane offered. Maura nodded before molding herself into Jane's side as Jane protectively wrapped her arm around her and led her out of the deserted hallway.