Disclaimer: The characters belong to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro and TNT. I do not own them but merely enjoy messing around in their lives. I make no profit from this.
Chapter Thirteen
Maura finalized the arrangements to lease an apartment at The Plaza in New York City. She checked her list of what items to take, what to put in storage. Maura was considering selling her home and making a complete break in her ties to Boston.
Let's see, I've weeded through my books and donated those I no longer want. The rest will go in storage, the furniture in storage, my clothes to The Plaza…Maura looked around her living room and the various knick knacks and photos on the shelves. She marked all of those for storage. Her condominium apartment at The Plaza would look bare she knew, but she didn't want any reminders of her life in Boston.
Jane. The one reminder she didn't want flooded her mind. She goes into storage in my heart and my mind, Maura firmly told herself. After her meltdown the other evening Maura decided to finalize her plans for the move. Since then she'd been too busy to worry about anything other than what to do with her possessions, and the house.
Maura looked around the room one more time. She hated to part with the house, but decided she didn't want to keep reminders of her relationship with Jane any longer. And the house had many reminders. Maura's thoughts slipped back in time.
"Jane!" Maura screamed. They barely made it into Maura's home before Jane slammed her up against the door, kissing her with a passion that rolled heat through Maura's body. Jane was on her knees in a flash, hiking up Maura's skirt and showing Maura how much Jane desired her and missed her through the day.
Yes, images like that, Maura thought. Even after so many years she remembered vividly her life with Jane before the shooting.
Jane cradled her head in her hands. Despite sleeping for thirteen straight hours she still felt exhausted. She dragged herself out of bed, wrapped a robe around her thin frame and went in search of coffee. She noted the time and realized the kids and Joey had been in and out, enjoying their evening and night while Jane slept. Just as Jane was about to enter the kitchen she heard a knock on the door. Opening the door to a man standing there, saying "Jane Rizzoli Grant?" Jane nodded. The man dropped a paper into her hand, said, "You've been served" and disappeared down the street.
Jane looked at the paper in shock. Joey was officially suing her for divorce. The coffee forgotten Jane sat down on the couch and read the summons. Jane was to answer her husband's request for a divorce within thirty days, to contest the action or not. Jane knew there would be no contest. She wanted the divorce, not Joey. She turned to the next page and gasped.
Joey wanted her to vacate the premises of their home within three days. What the hell, Joey? You're kicking me out of our house? What about Angelo and Caitlyn? Jane thought. She turned to the last page and understood where Joey was coming from. He was suing for full custody of both minor children and accusing Jane of being an unfit mother. Rage roiled through her.
"Over my dead body," Jane said through clenched teeth. She headed for the shower she knew she desperately needed. After that, work. Then, she'd find her own divorce attorney and contest Joey's allegations.
Joey stood at the window in his office, staring out at the view of Fenway Park. He thought it fitting that his soon to be ex-wife had been served divorce papers in her robe. Maura was probably keeping the bed warm, Joey thought. He'd been disgusted when he found out Jane went to Australia to see Maura. His rage is what dictated his desire to have full custody of the children. He didn't want Jane and Maura to have any say in how his children were raised.
Jane walked into her office and almost groaned at the stack of paperwork sitting in her inbox. Her secretary walked in behind her, a cup of coffee in her hand.
"Here you are, Detective Sgt. You're probably in need of caffeine," she smiled at Jane. Jane smiled her thanks then called Anna back into her office.
"I have a quick question, Anna. Has Mr. Grant ever asked you to keep anything from me? Anything at all?" Anna squirmed for a moment.
"Just that phone message from Maura Isles, that's all. When Vince Korsak stopped in the day before he left on vacation he gave Joey a newspaper article to give to you. It was the one describing Dr. Isles' return to Boston. Mr. Grant asked me to destroy it and make sure you never found about it."
"Thank you, Anna, I appreciate your openness. Just so you know Mr. Grant and I are divorcing. I'm going to try and keep it out of the precinct but since I'm here so much, things might get a little messy."
"Understood, Detective Sgt. I am sorry, I should have told you, but you were busy with that case…" Anna's voice trailed off.
"No worries, Anna. I understand."
Jane returned to the mess on her desk. After several hours of weeding through the mess she sat up and rolled her shoulders to relax them.
"If I had a nickel for every time I used to see you do that when your desk was in the bullpen, I don't think I'd be hurting for money," a familiar voice spoke from the doorway. Jane looked up to see Maura standing there.
"Maura! What a nice surprise. What are you doing here?" Jane asked.
"I came by to drop off some journals and notebooks I kept when I was medical examiner here, Jane. I didn't need them anymore and I didn't want to toss them." Maura sat down. "I must admit, after our last conversation in Australia, I didn't think you'd be this nice to me," Maura admitted. Jane sat on the corner of her desk, across from Maura.
"After what I've put you through these last years, and everything recently, I didn't think I had the right to be anything but nice." Jane wanted to add "charming" but she didn't think Maura would agree.
"Cleaning out some of your books?" Jane asked. Maura started to speak, then hesitated.
"You're moving to New York," Jane said flatly. Maura nodded.
"I think it's for the best, Jane. I've taken an apartment at The Plaza. I may sell my home."
"No," Jane said. Her eyes almost filled with tears at the thought of Maura selling her wonderful home.
"Too many memories and reminders of what was and won't be again," Maura said quietly. Jane looked down at her hands and nodded.
"I understand. You won't be returning either."
"Once in awhile, probably, for some of the Boston Pops concerts, things like that, but Boston won't be my home anymore, Jane."
Once upon a time I thought you were my home, Jane thought but didn't voice it.
"When do you leave?"
"Next week. I've been going through some of my things to see what gets kept, moved or stored. I brought you a few things, Jane. They were in the bottom of my closet. I forgot I had them," Maura said, offering a shopping bag of clothes to Jane.
"Clothes I kept at your place," she said.
"Yes. I must admit, I wore them sometimes when you first left." Maura didn't want to say how many nights she cried herself to sleep, dressed in Jane's shirts or sweats. The Boston Homicide softball shirt was her favorite. It was buried at the bottom of the bag.
"Maura, I meant what I said. I love you. I'd like to start dating again, see where it takes us."
"I know, Jane, but what if you back out again? I won't get through it again, Jane. I nearly didn't this last time," she whispered. She couldn't look at Jane. Jane's heart seized for a moment at Maura's admission. She'd give anything to be able to go back in time and change things. Angelo and Caitlyn could have been their children, not hers and Joey's.
"Well, I got some good news this morning," Jane said sarcastically.
"Oh?"
"Joey is suing me for divorce, he wants me out of the house in three days, and has filed for full custody."
"Jane, I'm so sorry. If you need anything you let me know," Maura said.
"Thanks, Maura, that's really sweet of you."
"Sweet, nothing, you deserve those children. They don't need to grow up around Joey," Maura replied. Jane stared at her. Maura stared back.
"I guess I'd better be going," Maura said. She started to turn and leave but stopped. She stared at Jane another moment and stepped forward.
Before either woman knew what was happening Maura wrapped her hands in Jane's hair and captured Jane's lips in a searing kiss. After a moment Jane's hands snaked around Maura's waist and her lips responded to Maura. When neither woman could breathe they broke apart.
"What the hell, Maura?" Jane asked confusion evident on her face.
TBC