Okay, I seem to have ruffled some feathers by ending the story with Jane realizing it was all a dream while she was comatose. I get that you like happy endings. So, without any further ado, is Part 21-the last chapter.

Thanks to all who read and reviewed.

21

I hung up that last phone call with mixed feelings. I didn't intend to be abrupt with the nurse but I can't do this anymore. Jane is hurt again, shot in a robbery attempt. Jane was trying to play the hero once again, and again, she's paying the price.

I'm lying if I said I don't love Jane anymore. If anything I love her all the more because she tried to save an innocent bystander from serious injury or death. Trying to change things for the better is part of Jane's genetic makeup. Some people have that drive and it's magnified in Jane, particularly since she's a former homicide detective.

I can't do this anymore because I'm afraid I'll lose Jane permanently-she'll get killed helping someone, I'll get a call telling me I'm alone in this world. So when I walked away from Jane after she shot my biological father, I stayed away. Leaving was on my terms.

But the past several nights, after lying awake worrying about Jane and whether or not she'd pull through, I came to the simple conclusion that my life with Jane in it is worth living. My life without Jane isn't worth anything at all.

I phoned Frost this morning when I finally gave up trying to sleep. He works here for SFPD and we both had a few days off coming. He's picking me up and we're flying to Boston to see Jane. I packed in a hurry but this is one time I don't mind.

"Hello, Barry," I said when he pulled up in front of my home. He nodded, dropped my bag into the trunk of his car and held the door for me. He's always a gentleman.

"Any word?" he asked as we pulled out into traffic.

"Nothing further, no."

We arrived at the airport and Barry took care of me and the bags. He must have sensed how disorganized I seem. Now that we are headed to Boston to see Jane my feelings are starting to come out. We passed by a news stand inside the terminal and I wanted to fall apart when I saw the headline on the Boston Globe: "Former hero detective in critical condition." Barry took my elbow and steered me to check-in.

"Stiff upper lip, doc," he whispered in my ear and smiled engagingly. I opened my mouth to tell him you can't stiffen the upper lip, it doesn't have separate facial muscles with which to do that, but I'm tired. I let it go.

The flight was equally quiet. I wanted to sleep and tried but my mind was a whirlwind of remembrances-ending with my screaming at Jane at the warehouse to leave Paddy alone. We separated soon after, my sending Jane packing with as few words as possible. I left Boston not long after that; my realtor sold the house and my ties to the northeast were broken.

I tried to put Jane out of my mind but I was unsuccessful. Working hard as a medical examiner for SFPD helped keep her to the back of my mind and I was at least grateful for that. I haven't dated anyone since I left Boston. At first I was too hurt, then too angry and finally, too numb. I couldn't seem to care about much of anything, anymore.

Barry woke up when the landing announcement was made. We filed off the plane; he grabbed our luggage and hailed a cab. We went straight to the hospital. Barry parked our bags in the security office after identifying himself to the chief. I was already at the nurse's station in the ICU.

"Dr. Maura Isles, inquiring after Jane Rizzoli," I said to the nurse on duty. She raised her eyebrows a bit but didn't say anything.

"Are you family?"

"Yes, we both are," Barry said as he walked up to join me. The nurse looked from one of us to the other then rose.

"Follow me," she said and we did.

I'd like to say the shock of seeing Jane lying in a hospital bed with tubes and wires everywhere was minimal since I've seen her this way before, but it wasn't a small shock. It was huge. I began crying.

Jane turned and opened her eyes. They looked at me, dull and lifeless. I walked over to the bed and took her hand, hoping not to be rejected. She didn't react.

"Jane, we came to see you," I said softly.

"You're not here, Maura, even I know that now," Jane said.

"Yes, Barry and I are both here."

"No, you're not, you're just the medication talking."

I looked at the nurse who sighed and gestured for us to follow her out.

"Do you know what Jane meant?"

"Yes, I do. When she emerged from her coma she overheard a couple of the nurses mentioning your reaction to the phone calls from us asking if you wanted to make medical decisions for Ms. Rizzoli. Apparently she had quite a dream when she was comatose about the two of you. So now she thinks the medication is conjuring you up because she wants to see you."

I cringed when the nurse spoke of my reaction to that phone call. I knew what she meant.

"I'm sorry for my earlier rudeness," I said. The nurse's expression didn't change. As for Jane, I had a lot of making up to do. I returned to her room. I walked back up to her bedside.

"Jane I am here, you're not hallucinating." To my horror Jane began to cry.

"Yes you are a hallucination, M. I know you don't want to see me," she sobbed. I reached over and put my head on her head.

"Do you feel my hand, Jane? I know you do. I'm really here."

Jane's tears subsided somewhat and she looked at me suspiciously. She turned her face back to mine and I leaned down, kissing her forehead. When I straightened back up I noticed Jane's eyes were huge and staring. I smiled.

"Feel that?" I whispered.

"Why are you here? You told the nurses you didn't want to know anything about me," Jane barely managed to whisper back.

"I'm sorry, Jane, I should never have said that. I still love you; it shook me up knowing you were injured again. I tried to stay away to protect my heart."

"How do you know I love you or even care if you're here?"

"Because you wouldn't have reacted this way if you didn't care about me, Jane."

"I don't trust you, Maura."

"I know Jane. I have a lot to make up for."

"It won't be easy, Frankie's mad at you too."

"We can work on our relationship when you're better. For now I just want to sit with you and help take care of you."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Wait, Maura, one thing."

"Yes Jane."

"How do I know you're going to be content to be with me? I'm not a detective anymore."

"You're still the same Jane Rizzoli I fell in love with several years ago, Jane. You haven't changed."

"How do you know that?"

"Because you're here, in the hospital, injured because you tried to save another life even though you're no longer a cop. You're still the same loving, protective Jane Rizzoli I've always known."

"You threw me away, Maura."

"I can't remedy that in a conversation Jane. Are you willing to give me another try and let me make it up to you?"

Jane studied my face for a long moment. "Yes," she said simply. I sat down in the chair by her bed and held her hand as she went to sleep.

The End