I truly hope this update finds you and your family safe and healthy, and that it brings you some joy in these uncertain times. I know I've fallen back to your reviews and support many, many times over these past few weeks and cannot begin to explain how much they mean to me. I really am so thankful for you all.

21 years ago

"Shh," Maura said in an almost pleading whisper.

Her eyes scanned the unaware crowd for any signs that they had been heard. It was unlikely, yet made her wary nonetheless. Her parents had made it clear she was to stay out of sight when they hosted events at their home, like the fundraising dinner unfolding in front of her. And she had always complied. But that was before Jane. Before she had been shown how to push the boundaries in ways kids did. However, now they were toeing the line more than she liked.

She gave a soft nudge into Jane's side with her elbow. "Jane, you're going to get us caught."

"Sorry," she managed through the fit of giggles that held her firmly in their grasp.

But the quiet didn't last long, as Jane's laugh once again began to fill the room, bringing a lightness to the space that always seemed so heavy and solemn. Her father's study. A spot they quickly discovered gave them an almost full view of all the rooms her parents used when hosting, while keeping them completely hidden. A perfect spot for people watching and playing one of their favorite games. Giving those people ridiculous back stories.

"It's just… it's just… Maura, that was such a good one," Jane finally managed to wheeze out, the giggles subsiding and her breath returning to normal.

The small worry disappeared from her face. A proud smile pulled at her cheeks, stretching up to meet her eyes. "Really?"

Jane looked back out to the subject of Maura's backstory and the laughter almost consumed her once again. She nodded with a large grin. One that always made Maura feel warm and accepted. Equal parts mischief and charm and excitement.

Maura beamed a warm smile back. The compliment meant more than she was sure Jane would ever realize. With a giddy buzz flooding her every sense, Maura turned back to look out towards the crowd once more, quickly locking eyes with one of her parent's guests. All the air in her lungs escaped in a sharp gasp and she pulled Jane down with her so they were no longer peering out over the top of her father's leather sofa.

Jane crinkled her eyes in confusion. "What?"

"The lady saw us."

Still uncertain of exactly what was going on, Jane went to look back over the couch, only to be pulled firmly back down.

"The lady that I made the story about" Maura started. "She saw us."

Jane nodded. They both stayed still and silent, listening for any approaching footsteps or voices. Anything that indicated they had actually been caught and were going to be scolded. But nothing came and eventually the quiet filled with their combined laughter once again. A mix of fragments from the backstory and the thrill of almost being caught. And by the time they finished, they were left gasping for breath with sore cheeks, both leaning back against the couch for support.

"Hey, Maura."

"Yeah?" she replied, turning just slightly so they were facing each other.

"I kind of have a surprise for you."

"You do?" Jane nodded in reply. "What is it?"

"You have to close your eyes first."

Maura narrowed her eyes. A playful skepticism washing over her face. Because she could only imagine what Jane had up her sleeve.

Jane let out a small chuckle, seemingly expecting exactly the reaction Maura gave her.

"C'mon, Maura. Trust me."

"Fine. But it better not be a toad," she replied as she closed her eyes, recalling the time Jane told her about how she had once surprised her younger brother Frankie with a toad she had found.

She laughed again. "It's not. Promise."

Her smile grew as she waited. The noise of rustling from Jane's bag across the room filled her with a giddy anticipation until she was certain she was going to explode. "Jane?"

Her question was met with a bit more rustling and then silence before she could feel Jane settle before her. Maura's heart ticked a little faster as Jane took her hand and gently placed an object in her palm.

"Okay. Open them."

The box teetered a few times, doing its best to balance on the unevenness of her hand. Her eyes remained locked on it. Small and unassuming. But Maura knew that it held something special. That whatever was inside was meaningful and treasured.

"What is it?" her question echoed the same from earlier.

Jane gave a casual shrug of her shoulders. Her smile wide and eyes sparkly. "You'll have to open it."

Her fingers wrapped around the box. It was light in her hand and for a split second all she wanted to do was give it a quick shake, something she had never before been compelled to do, always proper and controlled in any event she was given a gift. But sitting next to her best friend, a giddiness radiating off of the both of them, she couldn't help the small jiggle she gave it.

Jane let out a small almost-laugh. "That's not going to help much. I made sure to pack it really good."

Maura tried once more, a little harder, but again all she could hear was a small amount of rustling from what she guessed was paper that Jane had used as filler.

"That may be, but it's kind of fun," she replied. Jane smiled back and scooted a little closer.

Maura leaned in, bringing the two of them even nearer and slowly removed the lid to peer inside. It took a moment to find the surprise, well hidden within crumpled newspaper, but eventually her fingers found it. A waxed piece of tan twine with a silver washer, the kind that are found stuck between nuts and bolts, hanging from the end. She brought the necklace closer, holding it carefully, more so than any expensive piece of jewelry she had ever worn, and she lost her breath.

Stamped along the bottom, perfectly center, sat a simple M + J.

She looked back up to find a blush had washed across Jane's cheeks.

"I thought maybe these could kind of be like our wedding rings. But we don't have to use them, I just thought…"

"Jane, I love them." She twirled it in her fingers and only then did it hit her. That normal washers wouldn't have their initials. She ran her fingers over the delicate engraving. "Did you do this?"

She nodded.

"I found everything in my Pop's workshop at home and he said he wasn't using them. And then I figured out how to get our initials on them. Took a few tries and a couple of band-aids," she joked, holding up the finger that was still bandaged up and gave it a little wiggle.

Maura pulled her gaze from those little letters. First focusing on Jane's hands and the cuts surely still under the neon green band-aid. And then finding her eyes. Wide and somewhat uncertain, waiting for her to say something. And for a while she stayed quiet. Because there were no words to express how much she treasured her best friend. How much it meant that Jane would do something like this for her.

"This is perfect," she managed. Their goofy grins matched one another. "Do you have one?"

"Yeah," Jane replied quickly, fishing into her back pocket to pull out one identical to what Maura held in her hand.

"Do you think it would be okay to start wearing them now?"

Jane's eyes softened, crinkling around the edges ever so slightly, and she gave a single nod.

"I think we can do whatever we want."

Maura smiled back and didn't wait a second longer before slipping the necklace onto her neck. She looked down to where it hung, resting against her chest, and she couldn't help but notice how perfectly close it sat to her heart. How it fit like nothing else before ever had. How that seemed to be the case with everything she shared with Jane. That they fit like two best friends should.

She wrapped her hand tight around it, her fingers once again feeling the faint groves of the engraving underneath. And the warmth that came from everything within the moment bubbled so large in her chest that she found herself leaning even closer to Jane, poised as if about to whisper a secret, until she quickly changed course and pressed a soft peck of kiss to Jane's cheek.

Instantly her cheeks went pink and worry flooded her eyes. Jane's hand shot to the spot where Maura's kiss had landed and they caught eyes, both slightly bewildered. But Jane's shock slowly dissipated. A look of mild wonderment took its place. The half-smile that appeared only made Maura's face feel hotter.

"Sorry," Maura whispered.

Jane lightly shook her head, fingers still pressed to the spot on her cheek. "It's alright."

Her words were just enough to settle them both. And they sat quiet for a bit. Eyes locked on one another. Fingers fidgeting with their "wedding bands". Both lost in the wonder of the entire night. Until they were each startled back into the reality they had escaped from.

"What are you two up to?" Vince's voice boomed in the room, alerting them to his presence moments before he stepped around the side of the couch to find them in their little spot.

Jane dropped her hand and Maura scooted a couple inches away. Both looking like deer caught in headlights.

"Nothing," Jane replied, so quick it only served to make them look like they were up to trouble.

Vince narrowed his eyes in well warranted skepticism. "Why don't I believe you?"

Again, Jane's quick and over exaggerated shrug did nothing to help, and Maura gave her a soft nudge in her side with her elbow. The move, one which Jane had taught her, just enough to jostle them both back to their normal behaviors. Vince gave a hearty laugh and shook his head a couple of times.

"Alright," he started again. "Well, Miss Isles, you better sneak back upstairs. It's almost time for bed. And you Miss Rizzoli, your father just finished up and is looking for you so the two of you can head home yourselves."

"Right," Jane said as she scooped up her backpack.

Vince followed right behind her, ready to escort her to the front door. Maura watched them go, palm against her chest, covering the silver metal ring.

"Jane," she called out, just as they were about to exit the study. Jane turned and Maura gave a soft smile. "Thank you."

She smiled back. "Night, Maura."

Present Day

She wasn't sure how long she had been standing across the street staring at the small hardware store. Jane's Hardware and Repair. Much longer than socially acceptable she was sure. And frankly, she was surprised someone hadn't called to report her as some sort of suspicious person.

But that didn't really matter anymore. What mattered was she finally forced her feet to move and now stood mere steps from the door. A well balanced mix of anxiety and anticipation had her nerves causing shivers. Shivers that left goosebumps over her shoulders and a weight in her chest. Because even with all the thoughts of what seeing Jane would be like after all this time, all she could come back to were the papers that sat heavy in her purse. Heavy in her mind. And heavy atop her heart. But she forced herself to take a deep steadying breath as her hand fell to the door handle and she pushed it open.

The jingle of a bell over her head caused her to startle, taking in a swift, sharp breath. But a calm settled over her almost immediately after. The store flooded her with its smell. Saw dust and metal shavings and almost completely hidden under those, the subtle hint of linen. The same soft scent Jane's clothes had always smelled of when they were kids.

Maura's eyes wandered over the store. It was somehow overwhelmingly cluttered and yet charmingly cozy. A perfect embodiment of the Rizzoli's. A warmth built in her chest as she moved further into the store. Her eyes no longer wandering, but rather searching. And she stopped in her tracks as the person she sought came around from behind a display.

"Can I help…" Jane started, trailing off before she could finish. Her mind went completely blank. Her whole body practically short circuited. Unable to stop how quickly her jaw dropped or how wide her eyes grew. Because there before her was the one person she thought she would never see again. "Maura?"

Maura's smile was hesitant and reserved as she took a few steps closer.

"Jane. Hi."

"Hi... um, wow. Hi." A deep scarlet blush swept over her cheeks upon her fumbling. The words not anywhere near what she wanted to say. Nowhere close to what she imagined she would say if ever given the chance.

In that moment Maura chastised herself for not calling. For not letting Jane know she was coming. This wasn't something she should have sprung on her. But then a calm broke through the shock. She watched as a soft but elated smile pulled at Jane's lips and a flash of joy ran across her eyes. And that sight alone was worth everything.

"Sorry," Jane said with a shake of her head. "It's just I didn't think… never mind. It's so great to see you Maura. Are you here for something?" She motioned broadly to the entire store.

"Umm, no. I'm not." Her words hung there for a moment. Jane waiting for her to continue and she scrambled to find what she needed to say. Because for the life of her she still hadn't been able to find the right words to explain the entire situation. She cleared her throat. "Actually, I was hoping to talk you."

Jane tilted her head ever so slightly. Curiosity piqued.

"Really? What about?"

"Well…" Maura started before a shout of 'excuse me' from across the store jostled them both out of the little bubble they had been in.

Jane shot her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. I'll be right back."

"Of course."

As Jane walked away, Maura glanced over her shoulder to find Jane too had turned back. Their eyes meeting for a brief moment. A look that Maura was quick to untangle. Part disbelief. Part wariness. One from the fact that she was standing in her store. The other, Maura assumed, from the thought that if she were gone too long, she would disappear again. And she wished she could ease it away. That she was there to speak with her for anything other than what she was there for.

It only took a few awkward seconds rooted near the entry before she began to wander around the quaint store, stopping every so often to look at a particularly interesting power tool, until she found herself at a back corner. A spot clear of shelves and supplies. Instead occupied by a small workbench and a wall of framed pictures. Some old. Some new. All of them of people the Rizzoli clan held dear. Aunts, uncles, siblings, friends.

A smile spread over her face as she looked over them all. Stopping every so often when she came across a face she recognized. She kept the memories of all of them close. Knowing how warm each of them had been to her. How welcoming and kind and loud and wonderful they all were. How she wished her own family had been back then.

But as she continued, she froze, eyes locked on a photo right in the middle. One that included her. She and Jane as kids, no older than 9 or 10. Maura reached out her hand, fingers grazing over the rough grains of the wood frame, before they settled gently atop the glass. And then she saw it, hear heart jumping to her throat, her hand quickly moving to her chest. To where it had hung for so long.

In the picture, the two of them stood side by side, Jane's arm wrapped around her shoulders. Cheeky grins on both of their faces. Each of them wearing their washer wedding rings. Her hand balled into a fist as she wished she could grip onto it like she had so many times in the past. She had worn it for ages. Worn it until it was worn out, recalling how devastated she had been when she discovered the twine had broken and it slipped off her neck without her realizing. Lost forever.

"I see you've found my favorite place in the store."

Maura jumped at the sudden comment, swiveling quickly to find one of Jane's trademark Rizzoli grins.

"Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to startle you."

She nodded back as Jane moved closer, so they were standing side by side, just like the picture.

Jane pointed to their photo. "Do you remember that?"

Maura's smile grew and she nodded. "Of course I do." And as she stood there, Jane by her side and memories of the past bright and vivid, she couldn't help the joke that slipped out. "I mean, with the bangs you had back then, how could I not."

Jane stared at her for a moment, temporarily stunned, before she burst into laughter. One that Maura recognized. A little deeper, perhaps raspier than when they were kids, but just as light and good. And after a few seconds, Maura joined in. Because it was entirely true. Both of them remembering when Angela had tried to cut Jane's hair and the awful result that became of it.

"That's all you remember?"

"Of course not, but it is quite difficult to forget."

Jane pulled her eyes from the wall. Her gaze a mix of question and nostalgia. Apprehensive and wanting. And Maura understood it all. Could read everything. And yet the distance between them made her feel as though they were strangers. Time had changed certain things. But not everything. Not the fact that they had been married all these years.

Jane broke eye contact first.

"I know you said you wanted to talk and I'm about to close the store for lunch so, would you like to get a cup of coffee?"

"I'd love that."

Maura watched as Jane tore away the tops of the sugar packets, pouring them all into her coffee, and she couldn't stop the grin that formed.

"I see some things never change."

Jane looked up, her forehead slightly creased with confusion, and Maura found her breath suddenly stolen. The kind of stolen only Jane had ever caused.

"What's that?"

Maura pointed to the steaming cup. "Your sweet tooth seems unchanged."

Jane smiled back, quick and fleeting before she took a sip. The cup hung at her lips, her eyes never leaving Maura's. And she could see all the thoughts running through Jane's head. Hoping that they were similar thoughts to her own.

"What?"

"Nothing," Jane replied with a shake of her head, finally setting the coffee down. "It's just really great to see you."

Maura nodded without saying a word. Completely understanding what Jane meant. Because it had dawned on her during their walk over to the small coffee shop, that this was the most relaxed and herself she had been since she could remember. Maybe since they were kids. An ease that now she could see only came with Jane.

"To be honest," Jane continued. "I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again. Well, besides some picture in the New York Times about how you're going to save the world or something."

Maura's smile faltered. Fell into an almost half grimace. Regret flooded her chest. Because if she were honest too, she felt the same. And then the reason they were seeing each other again, the papers in her purse, made her change the direction of their conversation quickly.

"You're store is lovely. I've never been in a hardware store that had so much warmth to it. How long have you had it?"

"Just a couple of years. Pop and I had a handyman company for a while, but when he retired I decided to expand the business a bit. And the store is what it turned into."

"And you like it?"

She watched as a sparkle gleamed in Jane's eye. "Yeah, I really do. There's something about helping everybody that walks in there, or going to a site to do a repair… it's just really rewarding. I feel like I'm contributing to something in a small way."

"It sounds perfect."

"Okay, now your turn. Tell me what the brilliant Maura Isles has been up to."

Her mind raced for a moment, trying to settle on something to start with because suddenly there was so much she wanted to share. She wanted Jane to once again know every detail there was, just as they were all those years ago. But finally her logical brain caught up, focusing her jumbled thoughts on the larger aspects of her life. The details could wait. After all, she couldn't be certain they would see each other again once they had signed the papers.

"Well," she started. "I became a doctor."

Jane smirked as if she had won something and Maura couldn't help her intrigue.

"What?"

"I always knew that's what you would do."

"You did not," she was quick to protest. "And if you did, I suppose all those medical books I read as a kid were probably a pretty good clue."

Jane shook her head. "No, I knew before we actually became friends."

"What?! Jane, there's no way you knew that," she protested.

"Yes I did," she repeated. "From that very first time we met in your parent's kitchen. When I had the hiccups and you told me that the reason for the 'hic' sound is because our vocal cords close suddenly, I knew right then."

Maura narrowed her eyes playfully, eventually taking a sip of coffee. "Maybe you should have become a police detective instead."

"There's still time, you never know," she joked back, the feeling of comfort from earlier in Jane's store coming back to them both. "Okay then Dr. Isles, what else? What kind of medicine do you practice?"

"Oh," was all she managed at first as her mind traveled to Angela. How she had never told anyone the Rizzoli matriarch was the reason she had gone into oncology in the first place. How she had wished everything turned out differently all those years ago. And it certainly wasn't the time now either. She gave a quick shake of her head. "I don't really practice medicine anymore. Now I oversee everything about the Isles' Foundation. The closest I've come to medicine since moving back to Boston is through my own charity."

She didn't miss how Jane's jaw clenched at the mention of the Isles Foundation. And she couldn't blame her. Looking back Constance had been awful, she knew that even as a kid. And it pained her now that she still had as much control over her as she did.

But that anger was quickly shaken away.

"Well, I'll bet you are an exceptional doctor and if you ever went back to practicing, any patient would be lucky to have you."

If possible, she was certain her heart would have skipped a beat at the compliment. It was the first one in ages she truly felt was genuine. And in that moment she realized how right she was earlier when she said some things never change. Because one of them was Jane Rizzoli's belief in her no matter what. And it felt like nothing else in the world.

They each let the conversation fall to a lull for a moment, both taking sips of their coffees, each soaking in all that was happening. The unexpected ease of it all.

As the lull stretched, Maura watched Jane. Doing her best to figure out her mannerisms, her expressions, everything that had once been second nature. Trying to determine what had stayed the same and what had changed. And that was when she caught her. Intently staring at a man near the door, thoughts racing across her eyes, and she knew. And as if she knew she had been made, Jane turned her attention back to her.

"Were you just…?" she half pointed to the man.

Jane furrowed her brow. "What?"

"Oh don't play coy, you were completely giving that person a backstory. I know you were."

Jane waited a moment before finally confessing. "Fine. Yes I was."

Maura tilted her head, remembering how wonderful it was to play that game together. "You still play it?"

"Sometimes."

"It seems like a lifetime ago that we did that together, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Jane agreed. "It does."

Jane dropped her head, her stare falling to the now almost empty cup, as she gave it a quick swirl. And that was when she saw it. The small scar on Jane's right pointer finger. So faint you'd miss it if you didn't know it was there. The one that had been under that neon green bandage all those years before.

Without thinking, her left hand reached out. But her fingers only grazed over Jane's scar, the contact between them like a fire licked them both. Hot and intense and it spread wild up her arm. She knew Jane felt it too. Too electric not to have been.

But as quickly as Maura was to pull away, Jane was even faster, and caught her hand, holding it for a moment. The spark against their skin faded, cooling into something softer. Something Maura wished she could explain, but any attempt she might have made was washed away by Jane's faltering smile. Her gaze fully falling upon the diamond engagement ring.

Their hands fell apart, quick and unceremoniously. And instantly Maura missed the contact.

"Congratulations." Maura didn't miss the strained smile on Jane's face or how her shoulders tensed. But Jane continued. "How long have you been married?"

She dropped her head. Everything suddenly felt as though it were rushing back. Her engagement to Garrett. Her marriage to Jane. The divorce papers waiting to be signed in her purse. And to make it all the more complicated, everything that had flooded back to the surface since she and Jane reconnected. She shook her head once and looked back up.

"I'm not married… yet. I'm not married yet. Just engaged." She took a deep breath, releasing it in a sigh before continuing. "Which is actually what I wanted to speak with you about."

Jane scooted a little closer, her face filled with obvious confusion.

"Oh, um, okay sure."

Maura glanced to her purse hanging on the chair beside her. Thoughts of what lay inside making the air around them thick and heavy. Nothing like how everything had been minutes earlier. Her heart beat hard against her chest as she looked back and found Jane's eyes.

"I'm not really sure how to say this," her voice faltered and she cleared her throat. "But, during all of our wedding preparations and planning, Garrett and I, came across a situation that… well, that requires you."

Her mouth fell open and closed a couple of times, eyebrows remaining knit together. And Maura understood the confusion. It had only been a couple of days since she too had a similar expression on her own face.

"Me?"

Maura nodded.

"It's… it's just," she tried to get the words out. All she needed to do was to blurt out 'I can't get married because I already am to you'.

But her voice stayed silent. Because she couldn't shake the feeling that if she said that, if Jane knew and signed the papers, that they would go back to the semi-strangers they'd become. Only this time permanently. And she didn't want that to happen. Not after the wonder of an afternoon she just had.

She sat a little straighter, her mind scrambling to find a different reason. To find a half-truth she could skate by on. Something that wouldn't cause her to break out in hives from a lie. Something that gave her more time with Jane. And then, like a beacon in the dark, the conversation she and Garrett had a couple of weeks prior, one of the few planning meetings he actually attended, came racing back.

"We've decided on an outdoor wedding. Something along the back edge of the estate." She stopped for a second, hit with her own nostalgia as she watched the flicker of recognition spring to Jane's eyes. That back edge had been their area. "Garret, and his mother, and my mother, they all believe that we need to have a custom platform-arbor structure made to fit the grandeur of what this event is going to become.

"And I know that it might not be exactly what you do, but I thought of you, and the fort we made as kids and all the things you fixed as we grew up." Her hand flinched as if to reach out, but with a mighty effort it she kept from doing so. "I know it's a lot to ask, and we'd certainly pay you…"

"Maura, Maura, just slow down a minute."

Jane stared at her, gaze heavy. Inspecting. Maura could feel the heat reaching from her chest and up through her neck under the intensity. Certain Jane could see right through her flimsy excuse. But then it was gone in a flash. The mild skepticism gone, warranted confusion taking over. Jane rubbed the back of her neck a couple of times.

"You're saying you want to hire me? To build a platform where you can exchange your vows?"

"Yes, Jane. I am."

Jane leaned back, creating a few more inches of space between them. As if that were all she needed to understand the sudden, unexpected turn their conversation had taken. "That's really what this is all about?

Maura could see the disappointment on Jane's face. Could feel it deep in her chest. Disappointment and guilt and uncertainty. But she managed a nod.

"Alright." Jane agreed after a few tense moments of silence.

"Really?"

"Yeah, anything to… to help you out for your big day." She answered. And Maura couldn't help but wonder if Jane's first thoughts were something more along the lines of 'anything to spend more time together'

The small unease that had settled between them began to dissipate. The natural warmth they shared finding its way back. Until Maura's phone buzzed on the table. A text from Garrett. And once again everything faltered. She swiped it from the table and stuffed into her jacket without reading it, but she knew Jane had seen. Knew it was the thing that fully crashed reality back into them both.

Jane stood, giving a quick glance to her watch. "I really should be getting back to the store."

"Of course," Maura replied, standing to meet her.

Without realizing she took a couple of steps towards Jane, as if being pulled by unknown forces, until they were closer than they had been all day. And in that shared space, Jane found her brain failing once again. Just as it had when Maura first showed up in her store. The temporary fritz both utterly mortifying and wonderfully electrifying.

"Right," she found her voice. "So, I'll just get started on some plans and maybe we can get together next week to go over them?"

A buzz moved through Maura at the idea of seeing Jane once more. "That sounds great."

"Great." Jane stumbled a couple of steps back. Enough to break the charge between them.

Maura gave her one last smile. A goodbye grin she had seen so many times when they were younger. It left an unwelcome taste in the back of her throat as she realized it was the first time she had seen it as an adult. But she easily swallowed it down. She would see it again. Many more times if she hoped hard enough.

"Bye, Jane."

"See you soon, Maura."