Till Death Do Us Part
Part 18
Rizzoli and Isles are the property of TNT and Tess Gerritson. I am just borrowing them for some fun. I appreciate all of the support I have been getting in reviews. Please review often. It encourages the Bard.
"What were you thinking Jane? How could you think…?" Maura was yelling at Jane. The worried fear punctuating each word aimed at Jane. The nurses had gotten her settled back in the bed right after the incident. The doctor had sedated her almost immediately worried that the stress would do more harm than good. Now 24 hours later the overwhelming fear and worry bled through Maura's carefully constructed wall. Jane's vitals were good and the doctor had woken the detective. Jane had seen Maura's face when she woke and knew she was in for it. She wasn't supposed to have left her bed earlier when she was in Rebecca's room, but she had been so worried about her friend. Now awake, Jane faced her fiancé's full fury.
"Maura, please understand. I just wanted to check on her. You were gone. I didn't think anyone would notice me gone from my room. I'm sorry I fell asleep there. I am not sorry though that I tried to stop Joey from killing her." Maura let out a strangled groan and moved away from the bed toward the door. Her hand had just reached for the handle when a soft whimper came from Jane. "Don't! Maura please…stay!" Maura's head came to rest on the door.
"I'm scared Jane." Maura's soft response caused a chill in Jane. "I'm scared that I'm never going to get to spend my life with you." Maura turned letting go of the handle and leaned back against the door. "Hoyt, his apprentice, shooting yourself, dirty cops…" Maura's head came up and looked Jane in the eyes. Jane saw all the weariness and pain she had caused this young woman since she met her. "Patty Doyle, Rebecca, and all of this…I need to know you're going to come home to me at night." Jane took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"If you have any doubts about marrying me Maura, then you had better wait. I don't want you to regret what we have together." Maura's eyes ignited with fury suddenly.
"Oh No detective you don't get to run and hide. I am most certainly going to marry you Jane. I am completely and wholly in love with you." Maura now stalked toward the bed as Jane tried to slink even lower beneath the covers. Maura leaned over very closely holding all of Jane's attention and pulling back the covers she was trying to hide beneath. "I want to know you are going to come home to me Jane. I need to know you are going to make every effort to make it back to our home, to my arms, and to our love." Jane could hear her heart beating loudly. For just a moment the lyrics to Florence and the Machine's Drumming Song, Louder than Sirens, Louder than bells, Sweeter than Hell, Hotter than Hell came ringing through her mind as she looked at Maura. "So Jane, I need to know that you will make every effort to come home to my love. I want to know you will not take stupid risks that could separate us for all time." The intensity of Maura's gaze told Jane there could be no compromise on this point if they were to remain together. Jane reached forward softly tracing Maura's face remembering all those times with Maura and all those moments without her in her life. She remembered what it had felt like to finally have found someone who understood her and loved her for who she was not what she could become for them. She then thought about the months of estrangement after the shooting of Patty Doyle. No, she could never go back to what she was before Maura had entered her life. She had been forever altered by this quirky, intelligent, and beautiful woman not because Maura wanted her to change, but because she, Detective Jane Rizzoli had wanted to change for Doctor Maura Isles. God, she loved this woman.
"I promise Maura Isles that I will try not to take stupid risks. I will make every effort to come home to you and your love at night." Jane gently tugged Maura closer. "On this I pledge my life to you. I love you Maura." Jane pulled the doctor the rest of the way to her kissing her softly. "I promise," Jane whispered softly as Maura finally released the pent up tears and worry sobbing softly into Jane's shoulder as the detective comforted Maura the best she could.
Elsewhere in the Hospital…
In ICU Edward watched the monitors count the beeps of Rebecca's heart. The nearby ventilator that was helping her breath rose and fell with precision. The bullet had entered her side, nicked the edge of her lung, and exited out her back. It was close the doctors had said. She would be in the hospital a couple of weeks and then it would take time to recover. Edward had informed the board of Rebecca's situation when she had made it through surgery. Jameson had made sure there would be no threat to Rebecca's empire while she was recouping. Now Edward waited for Rebecca to recover enough to wake. The doctor's would be in later to remove the ventilator. Then slowly wake the sleeping woman. All of this had given Edward a lot of time to think. Things were gonna change and Rebecca was going to have to accept it. The sliding door to Rebecca's ICU room alerted Edward to Korsak's arrival.
"How is she?" The young woman looked pale and fragile. It reminded Korsak of those weeks of Jane's recovery from the shooting.
"Doctor said she will recover to fight another day." Edward wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked up at Korsak. "How's Jane?"
"She will be fine. She's getting a tongue lashing from Maura right now." Korsak had been outside the door accidentally over hearing the exchange between Jane and Maura. In Korsak's mind it had been way overdue. Jane took too many risks. In fact, Korsak was sure that Jane had not told Maura about the recent disagreement between Cavanaugh and Jane about the same subject. If Maura had known that Cavanaugh had started to question Jane's ability to stay out of trouble and injury this argument would have occurred much earlier. Cavanaugh had told Jane that if she was injured in the line of duty one more time she would be required to attend weekly therapy sessions for a year.
"Huh, I bet it's a good one." Edward chuckled. He then sobered a little looking at Rebecca. "Rebecca's been getting into and out of trouble since I've known her. One thing is for sure life will never be boring with her by my side if she will have me." Korsak squeezed the man's shoulder. He understood very clearly. He may be divorced, but his many wives had provided him with memories for two or three lifetimes. Most of those memories were good ones."
"I'm going down to check on the girls. Can I bring you something to drink or eat?" Edward shook his head no. He went back to his silent vigil next to Rebecca holding her hand, gently running his finger back and forth across her palm. Korsak watched one last time and left.
"Ya know Rebecca I remember the first time I met you. You were so angry at everything and everyone. You had just lost Wendy. I remember I wanted to take you into a hug and tell you everything was going to be okay. You were so beautiful, still are. I just wanted to protect you. When your father had told me what you went through I just couldn't believe you were so strong. You amazed me. I knew right then and there I wanted to be at your side even if you never knew I loved you." Edward leaned forward kissing Rebecca's hand softly as soft tears leaked from his eyes. "Men aren't supposed to cry, but I remember once you said that was hogwash. Men who cried weren't showing weakness, they were showing a greater inner strength than any other. I figured you would know considering how much you have been through." Suddenly, Rebecca's hand gripped Edwards. Edward's head jerked up to find a very awake Rebecca looking at him. Her eyes showed confusion, but not panic. Edward got up and leaned close to her face. "You're in ICU. You were shot in the side and it nicked your lung, but you're going to be fine." Edward pushed the button for the nurse. Rebecca's eyes asked a question. "Jane's fine. She and Maura are downstairs in a room. Maura's giving her a tongue lashing." Rebecca's eyes suddenly changed to show she was sorry. "I know. I'll tell her. I'll save your tongue lashing until you're out of here." The nurse entered and was surprised to see Rebecca awake.
"Well, I see you're going to ignore the doctor's orders. I'll let him know you are awake." The nurse checked the monitors and made some notations. She then exited the room. Edward looked back down at Rebecca kissing her forehead.
"I love you Rebecca Anderson." Rebecca gripped his hand twice.
Two weeks later, the Anderson Ranch…
"Rebecca where are you? Jane? Where have you run off too?" The sounds of Edward and Maura's voices rang out across the ranch house. The two women in question were sitting in the backyard below a great oak tree. Both were sitting on loungers that had been placed there for a reception. Quilts covered the two and drinks sat on the stand nearby, two shots of bourbon and two beers with sweat running down the sides. The two women looked at each other, downed the shots of bourbon and then began drinking the beers.
"They are going to find us soon." Jane said softly to Rebecca. The rancher looked at the detective as both smirked. The spring weather had been a God send since they had been allowed back to the ranch to recoup. Rebecca had spent the last week in the hospital catching up on business, retaining a new doctor on Dr. Isle's recommendation, and finding out about the case.
"Yeah, but it was worth it. We can't have them think they have us too trained." Jane chuckled along with Rebecca as beer bottles clinked in agreement. "So, when does your mother arrive?" Jane groaned and leaned back to gaze up through the bare branched of the oak to the blue sky.
"Tomorrow. You really didn't have to fly everyone down for the wedding Rebecca." Jane said, though she was thankful Rebecca had done all the arrangements and transported everyone. The nearby town would have a full load of people and benefit from the monetary influx. Jane and Maura's family and partners would stay on the ranch. Maura and Jane would be wed in the grotto three days from now.
"It's the least I could do. I have something for you and Maura." Rebecca reached under her quilt pulling out an envelope. She handed it across to Jane slightly pulling her stitches. Rebecca grimaced even as Jane set her beer down.
"You okay?" Jane's concerned voice causing her to look over at the detective. She nodded, but didn't say anything. Jane waited a second and then went back to the large envelope Rebecca had given her. She had worried when Jake had helped them sneak out of the ranch house to the back yard that it would be too much for her friend, but it had been such a nice day that Jane hadn't argued. Jane peeled back the flap of the envelope and pulled out the papers. "Rebecca are you crazy? This is your father's." A key dropped out in Jane's lap. Jane picked it up fingering the key.
"Jane, he is dead. I'll never use it. I've had it kept up for a long time. You and Maura need a place to run to when life gets overwhelming. It's a wedding gift." Jane stared unbelieving at the deed for a three bedroom, two bath cabin in Brattleboro, Vermont. "I had it remodeled last year. It's a small enough town and far away enough that no one will find it if you have to hide away. I have already had it transferred into your and Maura's name. It's fully stocked for you two to go on honeymoon after the wedding. I figured Texas was getting to be a little too exciting for you both." Rebecca took a long draw on her beer. She closed her eyes as she swallowed leaning back. She let the alcohol take control of her thoughts. She took one longer draw emptying the beer and setting the bottle on the nearby table. She looked through the branches of the oak thinking of all that had happened in the last month or so.
"Rebecca? Are you sure you're okay?" Jane's worried voice asked.
"Yeah, just tired and sore. I think I'm going to take a nap. Enjoy your beer Jane, before Maura finds us." Rebecca drifted into sleep as the detective watched over her. Jane was concerned about the melancholies that Rebecca had fallen into since they returned to the ranch. Jane drank the last sip of her beer. She had just reached down to get another beer from the cooler sitting in front of the stand when she heard the back door open. She looked up to find Maura and Edward looking directly toward her and Rebecca. "Oh boy" Jane looked over at Rebecca who was sleeping, no help there.
"Jane, what are you drinking?" Maura's voiced called as she walked with Edward to where Rebecca and Jane laid in the loungers.
"Ummm, beer? No?" The detective sighed. Maura came and sat on the edge of the lounger. She put her finger to Jane's lips as she pointed over at Edward. He had knelt down next to Rebecca. Edward gently shook Rebecca awake causing her to smile.
"Hey, found us huh?" She glanced over at Maura and Jane.
"Yeah, ummm Rebecca I have something to ask you." Rebecca noticed Edward was very serious. She had feared this since their return to the ranch. Edward had finally had enough. He wanted out. She briefly closed her eyes and armored her soul. She opened them up ready for what she believed was coming. Edward noticed the guarded look and cool mask settle into place and for a second it threw him.
"Umm, you know we have been together as friends for a long time. You know I care about you…a lot…I…" Maura and Jane smiled watching Edward hunt for words. "Rebecca, would you marry me?" Rebecca was stunned. Edward held out a platinum ring with a beautiful diamond on in the center. It took Rebecca a few moments and then she nodded allowing Edward to slip the ring on her finger. She felt his arms wrap around her and hug her gently. Rebecca burst into tears at that moment. "Shhh, Rebecca it's okay. It's okay. What's wrong?"
"Thought you were gonna leave me." Rebecca sniffed looking away toward the ranch house.
"Hey, I'm not leaving. You couldn't get rid of me." Rebecca hugged Edward as Jake brought out a bottle of Champaign.
"So, a double wedding! This is going to be great!" Jane said as Maura kissed her softly. Edward kissed Rebecca softly. When they broke apart he looked over at Maura.
"I believe we need to keep these two under watch until the wedding to make sure they don't do anything that could cause it to be cancelled." Maura nodded as Jane and Rebecca looked at each other.
"Oh boy!" The two ladies said as their fiancé's eyed them. Jake's laughter as he passed the champaign around could be heard across the ranch.
One more chapter to go with a much anticipated wedding ceremony for our girls. I hope this will hold you all until next weekend.