"Ian, please. Just give me a second." Maura says as she draws back, straightening her blouse and jumping down from the counter.
She paces, debating her internal thoughts about what she should do next. "I need to go. When I come back, please be gone. We have no future and if I may be honest, I don't want one with you anymore." Maura grabs her car keys, leaving through the front door before she changes her mind.
Ian stares after her, completely shocked. He rubs the short hair on his head, feeling the outlines of his buzz cut. Scoffing, he leaves and walks out of both Maura's house and her life.
Maura gathers herself once her car door is closed and her seatbelt fastened. She holds her steering wheel, crying as she leans her head against her arms. The tears don't last long though, as she quickly dabs at them before pulling off in search of Jane. She drives to the local high school, as she knows there were several baseball fields that Jane would come to during a rough day. Maura scans the fields, hoping to see her detective at one of them.
Jane is surprised to see Maura. She looks out of place, her cobalt blue stilettos contrasting the dirt below her and she knows it must be killing Maura inside to have to put her favorite pair of Jimmy Choos through this. Maura's wearing a satin, cream-colored blouse and a pair of black slacks, as casual as this fashion-forward woman would allow herself to be on a Saturday morning. Jane laughs to herself, rolling her eyes as she watches the woman brush away at the same sunflower shells with a look of horror and disgust.
"Paris fashion week is that way, ma'am," Jane says as she points behind Maura. Her joke seems to put Maura a bit to ease as she settles in next to Jane.
"How is your back not in pain from leaning against these bleachers all the time, Jane?" Maura questions as she rubs at her lower back.
Jane shrugs, giving the metal below them a solid pat. "You spend every weekend watching your little brother play in those fields, you get used to it."
Maura smiles at the image of little Frankie in his baseball gear and throwing a ball toward home plate as Jane cheers him on. They sit in silence for a while, enjoying the way the sun warmed them up. Maura feels the onset of hives and begins itching at her throat while Jane shoots her a knowing look. Jane decides to let Maura take the lead as she remains quiet, knowing Maura hated awkward silences.
"He kissed me," Maura says as she plays with her hands.
Jane feels a strong sense of disappointment at this but isn't surprised in the slightest.
"Hm." Jane leans forward with her elbows on her knees so Maura is unable to read her expression. "He kissed you, yet you're here sitting on a cold bench with me. Did he have to leave again, Maura?"
Maura seems hurt by this comment, but she admits that Jane has some basis behind this statement, as Ian's hold over her was evident to both of them.
"No", she whispered.
This catches Jane's attention, as she had been expecting Maura to cry and tell her all about how Ian had jumped on another plane while leaving the honey blonde in the dust. Janes sits back, this time turning her body to face the other woman. She puts her left arm on the bleacher, inches away from Maura's back. Maura's small frame would have been easy to hold if she stretched her arm, but Jane waited for Maura to finish before she initiated any contact.
"What happened, Maura? You can talk to me," Jane coaxes with a gentle tone.
As Maura continues to hesitate, Jane straightens up and her tone shifts as her anxiety, anger, and protectiveness come to the surface. "Did he hurt you?"
Maura shakes her head. "No, nothing of the sort. He kissed me and I didn't know how to react. It was like my entire body froze up. I was stuck between participating in old habits and finally breaking free from this sad cycle that I keep repeating with him."
Despite her jealousy and irritation at Ian, Jane feels saddened to know how deeply Maura was hurt over the years.
She places a supportive hand over Maura's arm. "No matter what happened, I'm really proud of you, Maur. It takes a lot to walk away from someone like that." Jane thinks about Casey and how she decided to reject his marriage proposal. Some nights, she still woke up in a panic, wondering if she made the wrong decision. That may have been her only chance to ever get married and give her ma those adorable grandkids that she always ranted about. Even though she knew deep down that she wasn't in love with Casey the way he wanted her to be, she knew that she loved him and would have cared for him. With Maura in the picture, she would have never been able to fully offer her heart to him. Or anyone, for that matter.
Maura must have been thinking about Casey too, as she returns the support and holds Jane's hands. "I'm proud of you too."
She puts her head on Jane's shoulder, feeling the weight of Jane's head as she leans her head down. Maura continues, wanting to finish before her logic got the better of her and prevented her from confessing her feelings to Jane.
"I had a great deal of time to think while I was tied up, Jane. A lot of time to self-reflect and think about what it is that I wanted. I was looking death in the face, not knowing if I would make it out of that situation alive."
She has Jane's full attention now, as Jane turns to face her fully. "I thought about how unfulfilled I felt in some areas of my life. Specifically regarding the romantic aspects," Maura admits.
A look of sympathy crosses Jane's face as she says, "Aw, Maura. You are so beautiful and kind and smart. You'll find someone who loves you the way you deserved to be loved." In her head, Jane kicks herself at the missed opportunity, knowing that she was the one who loved Maura like that.
Maura manages a small laugh. "I think that I have already found that person, thankfully."
Jane isn't sure if this is a hint or if Maura is referencing someone else. Either way, she remains hesitant, considering how recently Maura had been dating other people. Maura finds confidence in the way that Jane is looking at her now, her eyes full of love and perhaps a touch of panic.
"I've found that person, Jane. I'm just wondering when they're going to be brave enough."
Jane searches Maura's eyes and time freezes in place as the sounds around them fade. All that mattered right now was the stunning woman in front of her. She isn't sure if she heard Maura correctly or if this was some dream. Jane knows that Maura deserved to know the truth about how she felt about her, but she was not sure how to put all of her affection into words.
"I'm sorry", she says as she stands up. "I'm just not ready yet." Jane falters as she takes her next step, knowing that if she walks away, she may be losing Maura. Despite her heart screaming at her to stay, to profess her love, to be honest with Maura, she just can't. With each step away, she feels her heart breaking.
The train from New York City to Boston took approximately 4 and a half hours. Well, 4 hours and 23 minutes, to be exact. Except it was more like 4 hours and 26 minutes since the conductor struggled to find seats for some of the passengers on this over-booked train. The Amtrak was the perfect option for Sarah and Olivia, as their tickets could be purchased in cash. The Moynihan Train Hall was always packed and with a new hair color and a baseball cap on, they looked just like every other passenger. Sarah hoisted the rolling luggage above them, placing it into the overhead compartment before settling down to sit next to Olivia. Olivia always chose the window seat as she enjoyed looking at the scenery pass by while she let her mind roam free. Sarah puts her headphones into her ears, hitting play on her music while she turns away from Olivia, ready for a long nap.
Olivia thinks about Maura, and how she had actually begun to feel for the woman. Maura Isles was a charming, accomplished, and likable woman. She only wished that this woman wasn't the most important person on this Earth to Jane, their intended target. Sarah was hell-bent on carrying out her manifesto as they traveled throughout the country, killing whomever Sarah felt a calling towards. She knew that Sarah was a bit too delusional, driven by her warped sense of religion and penchant for Latin phrases. However, she had fallen for this woman years ago and has been an active participant in their killing spree ever since.
Jane Rizzoli presented as a significant threat, as she was a sharp-witted, aggressive, tenacious, and incredibly observant detective. Sarah had discovered who Jane was one day while watching her speak to the media. Her obsession only grew, to the point where the two women had begun to plot how they could kill the one closest to the detective.
It was Sarah's idea to rent the unit in the apartment complex across from Jane's so they could keep an eye on the detective's whereabouts and patterns of behavior. They waited 7 months for the unit directly across from Jane to open up, as the previous tenant suddenly relocated. The women had moved in, observing and taking meticulous notes on when the detective was home, who came around, and how Jane behaved. Olivia had gotten to know the older woman, who she assumed to be Jane's mother, and a man who looked like the male version of Jane. Maura was the one who visited the most often and on the nights she spent the night, Olivia watched as they curled up against each other. At first, she had thought that Maura was Jane's girlfriend, but the more she watched, the more she realized that the two were not officially together.
One occasion, Jane had brought back a man dressed in uniform and the two had slept together with the lights off. Another time, Jane had returned home with a woman, but the woman left soon after the deed was done. She had seen the woman leave in a taxi as Rizzoli walked over to her couch, staring blankly at the television until she fell asleep. When a vacant unit became available in Jane's apartment complex, Sarah had sent Olivia to become her new neighbor in order to be even closer to the woman. With an intimate knowledge of Jane's patterns, she was able to try to predict when the woman would leave and enter her apartment. Olivia began timing her exit to when she expected Jane to return home from work and ran into her a few times, introducing herself. Jane's schedule was challenging though, as the detective worked long hours and often did not return home for days. Whether she spent those days at the police department or at Maura's, Olivia did not know.
What she did know was that Jane was scheduled to receive an award tomorrow night. Another shiny piece of metal for Jane to add to her vast collection, showcasing her bravery and dedication to the people of Boston. The award was related to a case that had happened a few years ago, where Jane had thrown herself in harm's way in order to protect a young girl. She had gotten hit by a car in the process, leaving her bed-bound for months and with three broken ribs, as well as a fractured femur. Olivia wondered how Maura had reacted upon hearing the news, as she could only imagine how exhausted Maura must be from the constant life threats that Jane seemed to find herself in.
Perhaps that was why the two women were not together, Olivia thinks, as Jane Rizzoli was far too driven to protect those whom she did not even know. She knew Maura meant everything to Jane, but she also knew that the detective sometimes acted on impulse instead of reasoning. Either way, she was grateful for the foolish detective, as her heroism had earned Oliva and Sarah another chance to hurt Jane.
Tomorrow night, at City Hall. 8 PM.
Jane would receive the award, and then she would see Maura for the last time before Sarah made her repent for all of her sins.