Blackness was all she saw. Blackness and the conscious thought of how much she ached all over. Smoke. She could smell smoke. And oh God, she felt pain…pain everywhere.

"Jane?" Maura managed to get out between coughs.

There was no answer.

Maura slowly brought her head around to Jane's face. Thank God they were both wearing seat belts. Maura started to lean toward Jane when she heard the clanking of the metal gears and the grinding of her car on something.

What though?

Maura looked out her window and in all the darkness that surrounded them she noticed cliff below…the cliff that seemed to be directly under her car. 'What are we on?' She wondered trying to see but without moving too much.

"Maura?" Jane mumbled opening her eyes slowly.

"Don't…don't move," Maura said slowly reaching over and taking Jane's.

"What happened?" Jane asked touching her head.

"Someone hit us from behind…I…Can you reach my cell phone?"

"Yeah," Jane answered grabbing the phone and handing it slowly to Maura. Quickly Maura dialed 9-1-1.

"Chief ME Maura Isles. I've got two people in a hit and run accident off Rt 6. Our car has been hit over the guardrail we're near…" Maura tried to get a mental picture. Ten minutes. East. She'd pulled over. "We should be near Miller's cliff. I…I think we're almost at it," Maura hesitated not wanting to look down again. "Yes…I don't know." The pain in Maura's chest became overwhelming but she couldn't worry about that. "Hello? Hello?"

"What?" Jane asked trying to search out her own cell but failing.

"The phone's dead."

"What did they say?"

"They said to wait…they'd be on their way."

Wait.

Wait.

"Jane?"

"Yeah?"

Maura began to cry, "I'm so sorry…" Jane held Maura's hand, trying to move as little as possible.

"Maura honey this is my fault do you hear me? I should never have picked a fight. I was having a bad day," Jane began her rant. "I did this. I'm sorry." She paused. "I'm also sorry for that ass-hole who hit us because when I find him I'm going to not only personally lock him up I'm going to hire the biggest, maddest mother fucker to make his life hell for the next 15-20 years."

"I never should have pulled the car over," Maura said coughing. Her chest felt so heavy.

"Is that blood?" Jane craned her head looking down at Maura's hand. "You're coughing up blood!" Jane felt her panic shine through.

"No…" Maura shook her head. She knew it was a lie, and she didn't lie, but just this once; for Jane's sake she'd make this one acceptation. Jane and Maura both screamed when they heard the metal screeching against the rail as the car jolted. "Come on!" Jane yelled. "Like this year hasn't been shitty enough for us! Give us a break!"

"Jane who are you talking too?" Maura wheezed.

"God," Jane answered. "Maura, the blood. What do I do? How can I help?"

"It's okay, just hold tight," Maura said locking eyes with Jane. She didn't know how long she had, and given the amount of blood she was seeing she feared the worse.

"I don't want to die Maura. I don't want you to die."

"That makes two of us," Maura smiled as best as she could.

"I…I love you," Jane said looking down her side. The windshield in front of her was broken. She was pretty sure if she threw a rock she might be able to hear the splash of the lake below.

"What?" Maura asked.

"I…I can't have something happen to us without me telling you how I feel," Jane said looking so deep into Maura's heart she could touch it. "And I know I'm a chicken shit for waiting so long to tell you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of this."

"Jane…you've got great timing…" Maura said heavily, speaking becoming more difficult as he lungs filled with blood. "Couldn't you save the declaration of love for after we get saved?"

"Would that be better?" Jane asked nervously. They could hear sirens in the background.

"Yeah…" Maura nodded trying to get a grip on what was happening. She was in a car with Jane. She might die. Jane said she loved her. Jane. Jane loved her. Her Jane. "Jane I…"

"Hold on ladies," called voices from above.

"Okay!" Jane shouted back. She looked at Maura who appeared as scared as she was. "My friends really hurt! Make sure the EMT's are ready for her. She's coughing blood!"

"Jane...Jane I love you too."

"I thought we were waiting for that?" Jane asked raising an eyebrow turning her attention fully back to the woman she loved.

"If…If I have..." gasp "... to die Jane Rizzoli…" Maura took a breath, "it's your eyes... I want to..." gasp "... be looking into."

"Maura stay with me," Jane said shifting her weight, damn the car. Damn the drop. If she lost Maura, she may as well fall. Maura's eyes closed slowly. "Damn you Maura open your eyes!" Jane unclasped her belt. "Maura!"

xxxxxx

"Jim!" One of the paramedics called out to the other, "she bleeding!"

"Maura" Jane screamed and reached out for her friend.

"Ms., please stand back….let us help your friend," the second paramedic said.

"Shit we've got a punctured lung here. Major respiratory distress. Minor arrest," he moved around Jane. Her heart beats speeding," he grabbed a needle.

"What can I do?" Jane asked feeling helpless.

"Stay back please," he asked removing gauze. "We need to try to stabilize her before we got the Mass General. Her breathing was usually rapid but now it's slowing," he listened to Maura's chest. "crackles and wheezing," he shouted to the driver. "You need to step on it. She'll could code at any moment." He drew blood and then inserted something clear.

"Hang on Maur, please hang on."

xxxxxxxxxx

Hours later, Jane sat beside the bed of Maura who was still asleep. Frost, Frankie, Angela and Vince had come and gone. Now it was just Jane and Maura again. "Jane?" Maura spoke softly.

"Hey," Jane smiled, kissing her hand. "God Maura, what you do for attention," Jane winked.

"How long?" Maura asked again feeling the pain in her side.

"Just over a day. I was so worried about you," Jane whispered. "Never do that to me again and I promise you I'll never shoot myself again."

"You already promised me that," Maura looked at her. She noticed the large gash. "Your head?"

"Just a small cut. No stitches required," Jane answered. "Thank God you're okay and awake," Jane said feeling her brave front began to dissolve as tears began washing down her face. "I was so worried."

"Shhh," Maura said softly. "I'm okay. We're…" Maura paused. "Are we okay?"

"Definitely," Jane said softly leaning down and kissing Maura's cheek.

"So…I didn't imagine or dream anything that happened tonight?" Maura asked almost as though she doubted her thoughts and memories.

"Nope. All real…and all very much true. I do love you Maura Isles. You're stuck with me," Jane smiled touching her forehead to Maura's.

"I love you too."

FIN

Xxxxxxxxxx

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