Author's Note: There will be an epilogue!
XxXxX
The UPS man delivered the envelope with a smile. "Doesn't feel like a body part or organ, Dr. Isles."
Though his quip was slightly facetious, Maura couldn't deny he often delivered the most unusual packages. Signing for the mail, she thanked him and waited until he left before looking at the envelope. Her eyebrows pressed together when she saw no return address. Erring on the side of caution, she slipped gloves onto her hands and reached for her letter opener. With a careful slice, she cut through the seal and gently dumped the contents onto the desk.
She burst out laughing.
Her concern was for naught, because though she had received many unsavory things in the past from even more unsavory people who tried to prevent her from helping the police, this was not one of those times. Far from it. Spilled across her desk were 2 tickets and a note. She peeled off the gloves before unfolding the crisp white paper. The letterhead was from a very high-priced hotel in Washington, a fact for which the writer immediately apologized.
Feels cheap to be using the hotel stationery but it was the only thing I could McGyver, the note began, much to Maura confusion.
I know it's short notice but I guess we shouldn't be surprised. So far, everything about us has been random and quick. Hopefully that won't always be the case. (I almost started over because that sounded dirty but you know what? I'm leaving it.)
Maura felt her cheeks burn.
So there's 2 tickets for tonight, unless the UPS guy stole them! In that case, dust this for prints and send it off to Agent Traore. She'd like that.
The burn got hotter.
I was only going to send you 1, partly because I don't want you to bring anyone and partly because I could get a lot of money for it, but it's not fair to ask you to go alone. I guess. It's up to you. But we split the money if you end up selling it.
For the 2nd time since receiving the envelope, she laughed out loud.
I'm really looking forward to seeing you again, Maura.
-J.
She ran her finger along the edge of the paper and smiled. "So am I," she whispered.
XxXxX
Having been to the arena once already with Caillin, Maura found it much easier to weave her way through the crowd to her seat at the front. She felt somewhat guilty for deciding to come alone, leaving the second ticket on the counter at home, but she knew this wasn't just a concert; it was the start of something more that she needed to face on her own. The thought made her nervous, but the potential made her brave.
She silently apologized to the opening act for missing their show, having thought a later arrival wouldn't make the wait seem so long. Ten songs into Lindy's set list, Maura began contemplating time dilation. If her previous Lindy Keane concert experience taught her anything, there were still 10 songs to go and 3 encores. She knew it was impossible based on her current position in the universe, but the idea of time slowing down seemed to be more than a theory. She tried to pass the time by scanning the stage for a sign of Jane, but she searched in vain. She thought she caught a glimpse of Tiny, but nothing more.
All good things to those who wait, she told herself as Lindy broke into song #11.
XxXxX
"I'm always thankful to get the chance to do the things I love," Lindy told the crowd. "But it's even better when I get to do those things in front of my hometown. I love you, Boston!" The crowd roared its love right back. "Now, I know what you're all expecting, and I'm going to get to that soon, but before I leave you with 'Well-worn Boots', I've got one more for you. Y'all might have heard me sing it on the radio." The crowd roared again. "I can't think of a better bunch of people to share it with tonight. But first, I've got to have a piano player." Thousands of fans volunteered, much to Lindy's delight. "All of you can play piano, huh? Well, I'm grateful for the help, but I kinda have someone in mind." She turned to the side of the stage. "Jane Rizzoli, get out here."
Jane had been prowling the venue all night, trying to forget this would be her last night, trying to shake off the nerves that this would be her first real night with Maura. She had just arrived at the stage when she got the call-out. She looked across the hardwood to Tiny. "What the fuck's she doing?" she growled into her headset.
"Dunno," he replied, the laughter in his voice doing nothing to quell her annoyance.
She waved Lindy off, but it was too late. The crowd was expecting her, and the lighting operator swung a spotlight to the side of the stage. She was caught. Refusing to smile, she stalked towards Lindy who was pretending not to notice her discomfort. She made it halfway across the stage when Lindy stepped to the side and gestured towards the grand piano.
"You promised," Jane hissed.
"I promised to not sing it 'tonight. Or tomorrow. Or the show after that'," she quoted. "That covered 3 nights. This is 4." Turning to the crowd, Lindy beamed. "Don't let her serious face fool you- she wrote this song for someone very special, and I feel privileged to be able to sing it." She slid the guitar strap over her shoulder, and when Jane begrudgingly gave a nod, the two instruments began as one.
XxXxX
Maura stood transfixed. She had no idea of the song Lindy was referring to, though she was certain if Caillin had been standing at her side, she would. She also had no idea Jane was musically inclined. And she definitely didn't know how much she missed the brunette until she watched her stroll to the piano. Jane struck the same image she had the first time they met all those nights ago: dark hair pulled into a ponytail that revealed a serious countenance, a no-nonsense grey suit that was more business than it was fashion. But it was this very sameness that drew Maura gaze. There was something compelling about Jane that didn't need styling or clothing or disguise. She was who she was, there for all to see. The honesty was magnetic.
Maura gave her head a small shake. The song had begun, and her attention returned to the moment. Words spilled from Lindy's mouth like a gentle rain, soft and heartfelt as the piano created the staircase to the chorus. Maura watched Jane's hands tap a musical Morse code along the ivory keys. She swallowed the lump in her throat at the thought of what those hands had gone through.
It's just me
Wanting it all behind me
But letting the past define me
Hoping you'll come and find me
It's just me
It's just you
It's just us
The words seeped into her chest and curled around her heart. 'Letting the past define me'. She knew those were her words to Jane on the balcony that night, spoken as a gentle caution against living with her ghosts. The fact Jane had remembered them, too… she drew in a shaking breath and smiled.
At that moment, she made eye contact with Jane.
XxXxX
Her fingers stumbled over the E chord, but she figured no one would notice. She had gone the entire concert not looking at the seats she had offered Maura. Despite her own personal life, she still had a job to do and knew it would only distract her to know Maura was in the crowd. But now, hearing the words she had written being sung so honestly by Lindy, she couldn't help but look up from her seat.
She found Maura immediately.
And just like that, the weeks disappeared and nothing was left but now. Maura's smile was wide and bright, full of hope and promise. The chorus came around again, and this time, she sang along, low enough to not be heard by the microphone, but loud enough in her heart that she felt she was singing from the rooftops.
XxXxX
Lindy did indeed end the concert with 'Well-worn Boots', though for Maura, Lindy could have sung the BCU fight song and she wouldn't have noticed. She wasn't one to use much imagery in her vocabulary, but she wondered if this was what people meant by 'walking on cloud nine'. Her lightheadedness certainly didn't make it seem like she was grounded.
The house lights went up and the crowd began to disperse. When the curtain had come down, she had lost track of Jane. Having been part of the after-concert before, she knew there were a hundred small jobs that needed to get done behind the scenes. For a moment, she felt a bit lost until she saw a familiar face on the stage.
"Mr. Tiny!" she called out.
The big man looked around for the source of the humorous moniker. "Hey!" he shouted, seeing her at last. He waved her over, and when she hesitated, he gestured harder. "C'mon!"
She weaved through the barricade until she looked up at him. When he held out his hand to help her up, she laughed.
"You are not pulling me on to the stage!"
"Aren't I?" He wiggled his eyebrows and his fingers.
Glancing around, she threw caution to the wind, placing her hand in his. "Oh!" she exclaimed as he pulled her up with ease.
He looked her over. "Okay?"
Maura was about to reply when she was interrupted by a playful voice.
"Stage invaders, hey, Tiny?"
"They come in all sizes," he replied with a grin. He watched the silent interaction between the women. "I'll leave you to figure out what to do with this one." He walked past Jane and winked. "You got this."
Though there were still crew members and fans milling about, both Maura and Jane stood as if they were the only two people in the place. At last, Maura broke the comfortable silence.
"So… what are you going to do with this one?"
The possibilities seemed endless and not entirely without a sly suggestiveness. Jane laughed out loud.
"Depends," she said. "Do you have a good reason for jumping the stage?"
"I came here to find you."
The double-meaning of the words weren't lost on Jane, and in three long strides, she had Maura in her arms.
Hidden behind the curtain at the side of the stage, Lindy and Tiny watched the reunion unfold. The singer beamed.
"Look at her!"
"Look at them," Tiny corrected.
"Yeah," she whispered. "I'm gonna miss her."
"What? You still got me."
Lindy put her arm around him and hugged him tightly. "I sure do."
"Now, what's this I heard about you paying me double?"
Her head snapped around to the pair. "Jane!"
XxXxX