So I came back from work and the first thing I did was lay on my bed, telling myself that I'd get up in a few minutes so that I could upload this for all of you to read. Lo and behold, I fall asleep instead and only wake the next morning to find that I had done nothing in the previous evening that I had wanted to do. *Face palm* So yes, it's a day or so late. :( Apologies for that.

Chapter 7

You see the surprise that flickers over his expression, watch as he masks it as he sits down with only a table separating the two of you. You hear the sounds of an invisible clock as time ticks by.

"I hear she's back."

If looks could kill, you're sure he would be dead by now.

Of that, you are sure.

And it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference to you. It wouldn't matter to you at all.

"Don't you dare touch her," you snarl. The level of vehemence and hate you angle towards him makes him raise his eyebrow in surprise. It's the same surprise that flows through you, but in the lead up to the months of her apparent 'death', with the utter loss and devastation you felt at the realization that she was gone, in the guilt you've had to grapple with after the way you acted towards her before she was shot, you know there's nothing you would not do to keep her safe. To keep her protected.

He holds his hands up, as if in surrender. Silence surrounds the two of you. You don't know what it is you're meant to say. You're starting to wonder if you should be here at all. All your therapist said was that it was perhaps time to face him. To deal with your demons. To put them to rest. But you're not sure which one to start with. He breaks the silence.

"Why are you here, Maura?"

You turn away to avoid his gaze, choosing instead to look at the white wash wall of the prison. "Hell, if I know," you mutter. But you do, and that in itself is a lie. You know by now, you should be feeling the onset of tell tale hives, but in a way your words are true. There are so many reasons that brought you here. You just don't know which one it is.

Closing your eyes as you take a moment to gather yourself. Jane's face comes to mind and you think of her sitting outside in the car. She had both driven you here and offered to come in with you. For support. To anyone else, they may seem like two different acts; for you, they're one and the same. They're both a signification of the unconditional and unwavering love she has for you, even in the face of the person who created pain between the two of you. You don't think you could have found a better person to stand beside, to call your equal.

You recall the way her arms wrapped round you as you stood staring at the prison bracing yourself, the sound of her raspy voice in your ear when she asked if you would her to come in with you, the way you trembled and shook at the thought of him being anywhere near her, how her arms tightened holding you closer and yours did the same as you burrowed deeper into her blazer, inhaling and taking comfort in the smell of lavender and sandalwood and something else that was uniquely Jane.

It grounds you.

And you remember.

Closure.

You came here for closure.

You turn back to meet his gaze.

"You said no women and children." His eyes don't give away a thing; there's not even a flicker. "There were other people who knew. So why her? Out of all the people you had pickings of, why her?"

He shrugged. "She's a cop," he said as if that explained everything. His explanation still hasn't changed. It still provides no further clarity.

"She's also my best friend, my confidant, the woman I love, my fiance," you hiss.

"Didn't stop you from taking sides though did it?" The words are spoken quietly but they're like a slap in the face. The volume in which they're spoken only adds to the pain you feel. But it's true. It's the one thing you can never take back. But god, how you wish you could.

"And yet, when the gavel struck, where was I?" you retaliate. He knows you've got him there. He knows you never turned up, never mind for the final verdict, but for the entire trial.

"Regardless, we are family..."

"You know nothing about family!" Your voice is shrill as you interrupt him. The guard in the corner eyes you warily and you take a deep breath to get a hold of yourself, clenching and unclenching your fists under the table. "You know nothing about family," you repeat as you gather control. "Family is not about blood or DNA. It's about love and commitment and honesty and being there and having the each other's back."

"I've been there," he countered, "I've had your back. I've been to every graduation, every recital, every performance. I've watched over you, protected you..."

"In the shadows!" God, the man was stubborn. "You may have given me life. But if you had been willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, to give up the job, the life you led, you would understand. And as for protection...you've never protected me," you scoff. "If you had truly cared, truly loved me, truly wanted to protect me, you would have let me go. As it is, every moment you spent in my life, watching over me, bringing me more and more into your world, protecting me, all you've done is put me further into danger."

It dawns on him then that your words are true. You see it in his eyes. But you also see the struggle behind them. To accept the truth, to accept your words, and to truly let you go. "Jane knows the meaning of family. She knows what it means to love, to protect. She's given me all I've ever wanted, needed. You touch her...you even go near her...I'll lose myself. And I won't hesitate to follow." Your words are implicit but you can see he understands. But you need to be sure. "I will not hesitate to protect her. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe, to make sure she knows she's loved. But if you...'destroy' her, you destroy me." His eyes widen as he sees the extent you're willing to follow through for the blue collar cop he once asked to look after you. It appears to only just occur to him that it works both ways. You take a deep breath before asking for the closure you know you need.

"If an inkling of anything you've ever felt for me is really love, then you need to let me go."

One beat. Two beats. Three beats, four.

"Back to your family."

Back to Constance and Richard Isles.

Back to the Rizzoli's: Tommy, Angela, Frankie.

Back to Jane.

"Yes." He slumps over in defeat, shoulders hunched, slouched over in the chair.

"Okay."

Urgh. I kinda struggled with this chapter but I hope I did it justice. Thanks for the reviews guys. Hope you're all having a good day. :)