A/N: Hey… Not going to write much here… I'll meet you done the bottom and see if you still want to be my friend :)

Disclaimer: Don't own Rizzoli and Isles.

"Dean?"

"Hey Jane."

"What... What are you doing here?" Jane asked, fighting to gain her composure not wanting to see this man see her stumble. She pushed a mask of indifference onto her face, promising not to change it unless she wanted to show anger. Anger and indifference. They would be her only two emotions today.

Dean sighed. "Can I come in? We need to talk and I don't want to do this in your public hallway." Dean glanced at the door of Jane's neighbour, Mrs Duffy, who had moved in soon after Riley had left. She was a nice old lady, half-deaf though.

Jane glanced over her shoulder into her home. It was messy. It was personal. "Are you here for a case?"

Dean nodded. "I didn't want to just show up on Monday without talking to you."

Jane understood and appreciated the attempt to save her from experiencing this publicly... imagine what Crowe would be saying? "Mutual ground. Dirty Robber," Jane grunted.

Dean raised a brow, "They do coffee?"

"New owners made it very..." Maura-centric, Jane added silently. "Give me 10 minutes to change."

"Sure. I'll drive."

Across town.

Maura sat primly on her couch, dressed in her specially designed and slightly pricey yoga outfit. She had been expecting Jane to arrive half an hour ago and was starting to feel slightly anxious. Had Jane honestly forgotten about their plans? Maura had just assumed the text was a joke... more teasing just to get a rise out of the ME... Should Maura ring her?

Maura glanced at her watch again and pulled out her phone. Before she could dial Angela walked in.

"Morning sweetie. Want time is Janie picking you up? You two have a full 'girls day' today don't you."

Maura looked up at Angela with large full eyes, trying to keep pack her tears and insecurities.

"Maura? Honey, what's wrong?"

Of course mother could read her as well as daughter.

"It's nothing Angela," Maura tried, immediately feeling the itching that indicated Urticaria. Maura tried again, using honesty this time, "I was expecting Jane a while ago..."

"Maybe she is running late, you know my Janie," Angela smiled, sitting herself beside her surrogate daughter and placing a warm hand onto Maura's knee.

Maura nodded. "Perhaps. I don't like to guess. She did send me a message hinting that she had forgotten our plans for today-"

"She was probably teasing. She wouldn't forget you."

"You're right," Maura smiled and pulled her phone out, quickly pressing one on her speed dial. There was no answer. "If she were driving her Bluetooth would have..." Maura looked up at Angela's worried face and cut herself of. She knew how much Angela worried about her detective daughter. "I'll just go over to her apartment. We are too late for yoga but we will be able to make brunch still. I'll call you when I find her," Maura smiled warmly.

"Thank you honey," Angela said, patting Maura's knee again before moving to stand. "Enjoy your day."

Maura nodded and headed out to her Prius, taking her dress with her, she could change at Jane's.

Jane's apartment.

It was closer to half an hour later that she was locking her apartment door and heading downstairs and outside to where she had asked Dean to wait. She didn't know if Dean would be returning to her apartment at some point so she'd taken time to move everything into her bedroom... there was no way that he would be getting into that room.

Jane found Dean leaning against a rental car right outside her door. Without saying a word she slipped into the passenger seat. He quickly joined her and the two left, not even glancing at the car approaching the building in their rear-view mirror.

Maura parked, happy with her luck being able to locate a parking spot directing outside Jane's apartment. Maura grabbed her dress and quickly entered the building. She knocked on Jane's door and waited patiently. Nothing. She knocked again. Still nothing.

Frowning and trying to push all 'Jane could be in trouble' thoughts from her mind she reached for her key to Jane's apartment. Jane had given it to her for emergencies. What was more emergent that a missing best friend? Maura gave one more knock before sticking the key into the lock. Before she had the chance to turn the key she was interrupted by a voice behind her.

"Are you looking for Jane dear?"

Maura turned and smiled at Mrs Duffy, Jane's elderly neighbour. "Good morning Mrs Duffy. Yes I am, have you seen her today?"

"Oh hello Maura," Mrs Duffy replied warmly and recognising her neighbours constant companion. "A man came to collect her a while ago. I think it was a date. They made quite the couple."

Maura was stunned into silence. Jane had forgotten their plans. Jane had gone on a date without even telling her.

"Alright dear," Mrs Duffy continued, not even noticing Maura's broken face, "I'll see you soon," and she disappeared into her own apartment.

Maura was frozen in place, her genius mind moving a mile a minute. She could barely get a handle on her thoughts, she felt both numb and broken. Two thoughts were the loudest. Jane wasn't there. Jane was on a date.

Maura used her key to enter the apartment, telling herself it was to change into her dress but fully aware that she wanted to be positive that Jane wasn't hiding somewhere, waiting to jump out and declare this all one of her horrible jokes.

No Jane. Maura changed quickly. She took a second, looking in the mirror, to call back her years of social etiquette to place an uncaring and calm look on her face. This was the face of the Queen of the Dead. The Queen of the Dead didn't care that her best friend had just crushed her heart beneath her fashion homicide boots.

At the Dirty Robber.

Jane had slid into her usual booth while Casey went to order the coffees. He hadn't given any hint of the case he would be working during the drive. Actually, there had barely been any talking except for the occasional direction from Jane. Dean may have been here before but he would never know the roads like a Boston cop.

Soon Dean was joining her in the booth with the two coffees. "These any good?"

Jane shrugged, not feeling the need to form an actual reply considering he could just take a sip and see for himself.

"So..." he started. "How have you been?"

Jane frowned. "Brilliant."

Dean sighed. "Jane I'm trying here."

"What do you want me to say Dean? It's great to see you. Every time you come into town you bring problems with you and seem to give run after the damage is done. What's it gonna be this time?"

"I'm sorry that we met during Hoyt... maybe if we didn't then you wouldn't associate me with him."

"Hoyt's dead. Didn't you hear?"

"I heard."

"Good. It's not him I associate you with."

"Doyle?"

"What do you think?"

"I made a mistake Jane, one that almost cost me my job and definitely cost me you. I had no clue that Doyle would be walking into an undercover operation, if I did then I would have contacted you."

"That's easy to say now. Why are you here Dean?"

"I have a case. My partner and I will be at BPD on Monday and I didn't want things to be... uncomfortable."

"What case?"

"I can't say."

Jane nodded. She understood that the FBI was all about 'need to know'. That didn't mean she had to like it. "Fine. It won't be uncomfortable. Unless of course this case directly affects me in which case you can shove your 'need to know' bullshit."

Dean smiled and leaned backwards. "Your lieutenant will be deciding how much to tell you on Monday. Now... how about some lunch?"

Maura had gone to brunch by herself. It was a strange experience. Years ago she would always attend brunch alone. Years ago she was doing everything alone. How was it possible that after a few years and friendship with Jane that she had forgotten what that was like. She had grown to accustomed to having a person that she found it very difficult to even pretend to enjoy having a meal by herself. She felt lonely. She felt small. She felt like that little girl that sat high in her room with a book while she watched her school... colleagues playing without her, while her parents went to events without her, while her nanny and butler went to their own warm homes without her. And now Jane had gone without her. Maura was cursed to be alone. The last few years had been a nice reprieve, a glimpse into while all those other people were always smiling and enjoying themselves.

Maura sighed deeply and headed to her fitting appointment... alone.

Meanwhile...

After Dean's apology and Jane's semi-acceptance she had found herself actually enjoying the lunch and drinks after. Dean had quite a few colourful work stories and Jane was enjoying the game of trying to beat him with her own. Of course Dean always came down on the by the book side of the law enforcement in her story while she skirted with danger which made her stories better, in her opinion. Soon it was late in the afternoon, the bar was becoming crowded and Dean was hinting that they should be going.

"Thanks for giving me a chance," Dean said honestly as they made their way to his car.

"Yeah well thanks for not making this happen at work."

Dean shrugged and looked at his watch. "Looks like I've taken your whole day, sorry about that. Hope I didn't make you cancel any plans."

Jane froze. Literally froze. She felt her heart stop, her legs stopped, her breathing stopped, her brain stopped.

"Jane?" Dean frowned when he noticed Jane was no longer beside him. "Hey, you OK?" He reached an arm out and touched Jane's arm, causing her to jump back to life, fully in panic mode.

"Fuck," Jane screamed loudly, pulling her hands through her hair. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"Jane?"

"I need to- I need a- car!" Jane was glancing all around her.

"Need a lift?"

Jane nodded and ran to Dean's rental, almost pulling the handle off the car in her attempt to get in before he had the chance to unlock it.

Jane was pulling the door open while the car was still moving, feet on the group before Dean had actually parked. Jane ran straight at the door, banging it hard with her fist.

"Maura!" She yelled out.

Quickly, but not quickly enough in Jane's liking, the door was opened to reveal Angela.

Why is Maura never behind doors when I want her to be?, Jane thought.

Jane pushed straight past her mother and into the lounge room. Her eyes scanned that room, the kitchen and the dining room. "Maura!" She yelled again, moving to head up the stairs.

Angela stood in her path.

"Ma, where's Maura?"

"Gone."

Jane stopped and looked at her mother, feeling herself calming down slightly. She was still panicking but she had regained a sense of reality, even if her blood went cold at her mother's tone. "Gone?"

"You didn't turn up. She went to your apartment. Your neighbour told her that you were on a date-"

"It wasn't a date Ma."

"She called me so that I wouldn't panic-"

"Why would you panic?"

"Because I walked in and found one of my daughters almost crying on the couch because the other daughter was missing."

Jane looked down at the carpet, overwhelmed with guilt.

"She told me that she was going shopping and she'd be home later."

"Later? Ma this can't wait, I need to find her."

"You're right," Angela agreed. Without another word Angela returned to the kitchen, not giving her daughter any comfort. Right now her Janie had made a mistake and there was nothing that Angela could do to fix it, if it could even be fixed.

Jane pulled her car to a stop outside of the downtown arts cinema. Dean had driven her home to collect her car and she'd spent the last hour driving to all of Maura's favourite boutiques before remembering the French movie that Maura had been planning to see today.

Jane quickly purchased an overly expensive ticket and ran straight into the theatre. She saw Maura's honey hair straight away... it helped that Maura was literally the only person in the room. Jane began to move silently towards her friend, hoping to get as close as possible before Maura noticed she was there.

Her detective stealth mode must have been broken because Maura's tear covered face whipped to her as soon as she reached Maura's isles.

"Maur-"

"Don't Jane."

Jane quickly moved into a seat one over from Maura. "I'm so-"

"I don't want to hear it Jane," Maura said in a cold and detached voice.

"Maur-" Jane reached a hand across the empty seat towards her friend.

"Don't touch me!" Maura yelled.

And just like that they were both transported to three years ago when Maura had said almost those exact same words in that exact same tone after Jane had made a different mistake and hurt her friend. She was always hurting Maura.

"I need you to leave Jane," Maura whispered, sounding broken.

Jane shook her head, she would not be leaving her best friend like this. "Please listen to me."

Maura didn't move so Jane took that as permission to continue.

"Dean showed up-"

"Agent Dean?"

"Yeah."

"You stood me up for a date with Agent Dean?"

Jane had never seen Maura so vulnerable. She didn't know what to say. "It wasn't a date... he has a case and he wanted to talk to me so that it wouldn't be awkward on Monday. I am so sorry Maura, can you forgive me?"

Maura stared ahead at the screen, tears falling silently down her face. She was still so beautiful. "I appreciate that you let me be your friend, that you let me spend time with your family and that you let me spend time with you but-"

"Let you? Maura, I love spending time with you. My family loves spending time with you."

"Then why didn't you want to spend today with me? Was it because the activities weren't to your liking? I offered to change but you said it was fine because we-"

"Always do want I want," Jane finished. Jane reached for Maura hand again, only to have Maura tense and moved another seat away. "I DO LOVE spending time with you. I DO. I just saw Dean and... forgot. There is no other excuse, no other reason. Just plain stupid forgetfulness."

"I've been looking forward to today for months."

Jane nodded. She knew. God she knew. She had been looking forward to it to. Now she could only sit in silence as she saw her best friend break. It had been a week of mistakes, a week of her using and hurting her best friend. She could see in Maura's eyes that there was no forgiveness for this one. She had pushed in too far and Maura had fallen into her insecurities. So she had no choice but to just listen as the next words came from her friend.

"I need time Jane. I need distance. I need you to leave."

Jane could read between the lines and knew her friend was asking for more than just time and distance in this moment. "How long?"

"Until it stops hurt-," Maura's voice croaked and she stopped speaking. "I have some thinking to do and I need to do it alone."

Jane nodded and stood. There were no words, no fighting to be done to change this. "I'll wait Maura. I'll be there when you're ready. I promise."

Maura didn't move her eyes from the screen. Jane began to leave.

"Jane?" Maura whispered, just loud enough that Jane heard. "Monday..."

Jane knew what she was asking. "I'll be there. As a colleague or as a friend. You choose."

Maura nodded once and Jane left.

A/N: So… that's where I was heading :) We are one week down. 7 weeks away from Jane being fired. Hope you're still with me after this! Dean isn't in this as a love interest so don't worry about that! Jane has some apologising to do and don't worry, she comes through :) Thanks again to all the reviews, favourites and follows! I appreciate every single one of you so much!

End chapter 5.