A/N: Hi there, since these chapters can't be genre rated individually, let me just say that...this chapter sort of has a sad ending. So, there's no need to read it.


She looks down, and backs up.

She knows that she knows; that's it's time, that it's inevitable; that it's time, to say goodbye.
The band around her finger, displayed on the autopsy table, evident for Maura Isles to see.

She had looked down, sorry.

She had looked back up, thinking to herself, maybe.


She looks ahead, but slowly, she looks down.

She sees it first in the look she sends; she sees it next in that wedding band.
It's time, it's now; it's time to say goodbye to Jane Rizzoli.

She had looked ahead, hopeful.

She had then looked down, knowing, and accepting.


"I can't say no and have him go back there. Risking his life in the war zone," her voice soft, "And he wouldn't take anything but yes…" Jane holds onto the table between them, a body, separating them - a body and a man.

"It is the morally right thing to do," her tone of cool indifference, "You're a good person Jane, and Jane Jones has a nice ring to it," Maura forces herself to smile; she manages but, a brief smile.

"I would have liked Jane Isles," she asserts, "I would have liked that very much." She reaches across the table. Her hand finds Maura's.

Her hand holds onto Jane's.

"Maybe…" she pushes aside the autopsy table, she removes the distance, "Maybe if we got Korsak or somebody, to talk to him. To tell Casey that he still has Elsie. Maybe, maybe— maybe…" she can remove the body on the autopsy table, but the man remains, "Maybe…"

"You love him, and he needs you with him," she gives Jane's hand a gentle squeeze, "It's the morally right thing to do," she smiles at her, "I would have liked Maura Rizzoli too."

"I do lo—"

"Don't." Maura takes back her hand. "Please…don't."

"I never said it back," her hand hovers in between them, "When you said it that night…to me." Jane regrets.

"It's him you love, it's him you can't say no to, and it's him you'll walk down the aisle to," she recites, for herself and for Jane, "You dated him before, you dated him again, you're dating him now, you're meant to be," she fights back the bitterness of bile. Her heart is aching, hurting; the muscles are contracting vigorously and she can't breathe. Maura looks up and holds her smile. "You're going to marry him Jane, because you love him."

She does, she will, but she loves her too. She does, she does, she does love Maura too. But he'll die, if I choose her. "Okay." She relents.

"I have to go now Jane," she distracts herself by removing her gloves, "I'll see you back at work," Maura smiles, "After your honeymoon."

Your smile doesn't reach your eyes, Maura. She notices. "I'll see you back at work Maura," Jane sends her own smile, "We'll still be partners."

"Best friends forever," she keeps the sadness away from the memory, "You're my best friend Jane," she removes her labcoat, "Thank you for that." Maura musters a warm smile, and turns to go. She heads to her office, in time for her tears to fall, unnoticed.

But still known. "For life," Jane says to the figure looking over the desk, hand to her head, fingers wiping at her eyes; Maura weeping in the office. "Lifelong best friends, for life." She takes comfort in the memory.

She looks at the ring, "I love him, but I love you more Maura," she steps through the morgue doors, "I love you so much, so much more," Jane leaves the precinct by the back doors, "But choosing him, is the morally right thing to do."

Maura turns in time, to watch as Jane walks away.


"I'm sorry," they utter.

An apology sent, from her to her and her to her; same message, different senders but respective recipients.

"I'm sorry that our love, isn't more."


She looks ahead, she looks first away, but then back again.

"Good morning," they both say.

"It's our first day together Mau—"

"How was the honeymoon?"

They hold their cordial smiles, and try, to not break their coffee mugs.

"It was, alright."

"I'll send Susie up with the test results." Maura starts to walk away.

"How was…you've got new shoes," Jane catches up.

"Detective—Jones," she looks back, "I'm going down," she looks away, "You're going up," she looks ahead, "We aren't going the same way," Maura forces herself to say.

"I know," the elevator dings, "I'll wait for Susie, Doctor Isles," the elevator shuts.

Jane weakly waves.


A/N: Hi there, thank you, for the time~
Anyway, this gif set was from missmaclay and, if you're reading this, thank you for reading the story too - unless, you really like my a/n(s). Hahaha.
Thank you, for the time=)