She wakes up, feeling the urge to drink, immediately, before her brain can even process why she feels the need to drown her sorrows. She peels the covers back, and climbs out of the bed. She pads into the kitchen, and pours herself a glass. She skips the beer, pushes aside the tequila, and the whiskey. She reaches past the bottle of merlot, her fingers wrap around a bottle a bourbon. She pours the glass, she stares at it. This is only the second glass she's ever had in her life. She reaches for the glass. The glass nears her lips. Before she can taste the liquor suddenly it hits her. The reason, hits her like a freight train. Instead of meeting her lips, the glass is throttled towards the wall. It impacts the wall, and shatters into pieces.
She knocks on the door, but no one answers. She twists the handle of the door, and finds that it's unlocked. She pushes the door open, and steps inside. She looks into the apartment, and takes a step in. She finds the living room empty.
"Jane?" she calls out.
No one responds. She takes a few more steps, and the entire kitchen comes into view. Jane sits in the center of the floor, with her knees drawn to her chest. Her pajamas are still on, and her hair is pulled into a sloppy bun. She doesn't look up, as Maura enters the room.
"Don't step in glass," she warns flatly.
Maura looks to her right, and finds shards of glass, and a puddle of liquid on the floor. She moves towards Jane, taking care not to step in the broken glass. She squats on the ground, next to Jane.
"Are you ok?"
"No."
"Why aren't you at work?" she wonders.
"I just... can't deal with this case anymore. I can't..."
"It's ok."
"No, it's not ok, Maura. I made a huge mistake. I made the biggest decision of my life, without even considering the consequences. I screwed up. I can't take this back, and I don't know what I am supposed to do to fix it."
"One thing at a time."
"That's easy for you to say."
"What would you like me to say?"
"I want you to just tell me what you're thinking."
"Why did you do it in the first place?"
"I was young and stupid."
"Jane..." Maura trails off.
"What?" Jane snaps.
"If a man donated his sperm to a sperm bank, and later found out that he had a child, and then decided that he wanted that child, do you think he should have any right?"
"No," Jane shakes her head.
"Men leave sperm everywhere," Jane points out.
"What makes it different?"
"Women only have so many eggs."
"Jane, what makes you different? What makes it different, than a surrogate deciding that she wants the baby she's carried for nine months?"
"I don't know. I don't know what makes it different. I just know I made a mistake, and I want to take it back," she admits on the verge of tears.
"But you can't."
"I have a daughter. I have to do something. The technicalities don't matter, she's still my child. I..." Jane trails off, as the tears begin to fall.
"You what?"
"I never understood all of my mother's annoying qualities. Now they are starting to make sense. It doesn't matter how a child gets into this world. You love your child the instant that you find out about them. I can't take that back. It is an instant connection, and..." she wipes away tears.
"And what?"
"I'm scared, and confused, and I don't have a damn idea what I am supposed to do."
"You're asking me?"
Jane shrugs, "Who should I ask?"
Maura stands up, she reaches out for Jane. Jane pushes her hand away. She pushes herself off the floor.
"Come with me," Maura suggests.
"Where are you taking me?"
"I'm taking you to see the person you should ask."
Jane furrows her brow, but follows Maura. Maura walks into the bathroom.
"You have to pee first?" Jane raises an eyebrow.
"No," Maura shakes her head.
"I don't understand."
Maura points to the mirror, "Why don't you start, by asking her," she suggests.
Jane stares at her reflection in the mirror. She shakes her head.
"This isn't helping."
"What do you want me to do? I can't do anything to fix this. I can't do anything. You are the only one who can do anything."
Jane exhales, "I know, you're right."
"Good."
"Where are you going?"
"To work, which is probably where you should be going, too."
Maura leaves the apartment. Jane cleans up the mess in the kitchen, and then heads into the bedroom. She walks into the closet and grabs some clothes. She makes her way to the bathroom, and takes a quick shower.
Maura arrives at work only fifteen minutes after leaving Jane's apartment. She stops off in her office, to check her messages. She's nearly finished when her cell phone rings.
"Dr. Isles," she answers, "Yes, I'll be right there," she hangs up.
Her fingers dial a familiar number, furiously. After dialing it suddenly hits her that the person she is trying to reach is on speed dial. Before she can go much deeper into thought the party on the other line picks up.
Jane is drying her hair, when her cell rings. She flips off the hairdryer, and places it on the counter. She glances at the phone, checking the caller ID. She grabs the phone, and pulls it to her ear, after seeing who it is.
"Rizzoli," she answers, out of habit.
"Jane I need to talk to you"
"Can't it wait? I'll be there in a few."
"No, it' can't wait."
"Just let me finish getting my.."
Maura cuts her off, "James Gabriel was killed in prison."