AN: You guys following this story, reviewing and favouriting, omg! its amazing. thank you so much.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli and Isles

''Hey Frost. Jane hasn't left for lunch already has she?'', Casey made his way into the bullpen looking everywhere for his mrs.

''We were bugging her, apparently, so she went over to Angela's for lunch. You just missed her actually''

''Well that's ok then. Will just go and meet her there. Later then'', Casey left and headed for Angela's house. On his way he tried ringing Jane's phone three times but got no reply. It wasn't really like Jane to not pick her phone but he just figured Angela was hovering over her to the point of suffocation so she had not heard the call.

Jane's and Maura's eyes met for exactly three second before they both started moving. The move hadn't even registered to Maura until Jane had lifted her off the ground wrapping her in her strong long arms. Maura Isles melted into the touch with absolute ease. Her hands wrapped tightly around Jane's neck as Jane squeezed her even harder around the waist. None of them spoke a word. They remained hugging just like that, until Angela cleared her throat. Immediately Jane's fury surfaced.

Her words came out cold and scary, ''what did I make you promise Ma?''

''Jane, I kn-''

''NO Ma, I told you that the moment you hear anything about Maura you let. Me. Know immediately. How long has she been here Ma?'', Jane's voiced was raised the loudest it had ever been. She was still holding Maura by the waist with one hand as she glared at her mother angrily.

Angela was still trying to think of a response when Jane lifted up a finger to continue her rant. Making an educated guess, Maura realized that that moment was the best time to diffuse the bad air around them, ''Jane, don't.''

It was the way Maura said her name. It sounded like heaven to Jane's ears. The detective looked deep into Maura's eyes and couldn't resist pulling her into a similarly crushing hug. As the two woman held onto each other for dear life, Angela slipped away into the hallway. She had NEVER seen Jane's anger disappear with two simple words. She was a nosey mother and she knew it, so this occasion was one she wasn't going to allow herself to miss. She silently leaned against the wall watching as her daughter and best friend cried onto each other's shoulders. It was such a beautiful sight for any onlooker, even with the tears.

Reluctantly Jane finally broke away from Maura. Her phone was ringing for the third time since she'd felt Maura's body against her own. Looking apologetically at Maura she pulled her mobile out, glanced at the screen and slid it back in her holster. Maura wanted to ask, but there were much more pleasant things to say as opposed to 'why aren't you answering your phone?'

Jane looked back at Maura and finally spoke to her for the first time after her trip to hell and back, ''I missed you so much Maur, I'm so sorry''.

Her best friend had a funny habit of always apologizing to her even when it wasn't necessary. ''I should be apologizing. God Jane, I can't believe you're here. I never thought I'd get this chance again. Jane-''

She knew. Jane knew Maura was going to go right into it. She could see how scared the doctor was. It was as if she thought if she didn't say it that moment Jane would disappear without knowing she loved her as much. But Jane wasn't going to let her go down that road before she told her what her life in Boston had come to.

So Jane gently placed a finger to Maura's soft lips before she could complete her sentence. The sparks that ran between them were undeniable even to Angela who was eavesdropping from a distance. Jane strategically let her finger linger a few moments longer, before pulling Maura into her from the back of her head into another strong hug.

''There are some things I need to tell you'', Jane whispered against Maura's ear.

Maura was struggling. It was all a bit much for her. Jane was holding her head and basically trying to pull Maura into her as if to become one body. And then she was whispering into her ear with that deep, raspy, sexy voice. Maura didn't know what to do with herself as she clung onto Jane with all her might.

''I would like for you to tell me some things yes'', Maura whispered back.

They detangled from one another with a jump when the doorbell rang.

''Give me a second'', Jane said looking at Maura as she headed towards their interruption backwards.

Just what she fucking needed. Over the threshold stood her boyfriend Casey. She shut her eyes and shoot her head dejectedly as she sent a 'why now' prayer to God.

''What are you doing here?'', she asked when she noticed Casey was just staring at her, probably waiting to be let in.

''I just missed you at work. Frost said you headed here, thought I'd join you for lunch'', he didn't bother to wait for a reply and just maneuvered past Jane into the house. There he met for the first time the so called 'Doctor Isles'. He recognized her from the pictures with no questions. Clearly oblivious to the situation he hurriedly stretched out his hand politely to the woman who was supposed to be his girlfriend's best friend.

''You must be Maura. I'm Casey, Jane's boyfriend. It's lovely to meet you''. Oh dear. He had to say it all at once. Who can blame him anyway? When you're dating Jane Rizzoli, you kind of want everyone to know. And besides, she's was just her best friend right? WRONG!

Maura's legs were giving in and she felt like she was going to throw up or faint. Angela who had been quietly watching took the opportunity to intervene. Casey still had his hand stretched out to Maura when she fell heavily onto the couch and let her head fall into her hands.

''Maybe we should go for lunch together'', Angela demand, leaving no room for argument. She grabbed Casey by the arm and pulled him to the door shutting it firmly behind them. She owed to it Jane, after breaking her promise and all. Besides, she much preferred things to roll over as smoothly as can be.

The house was washed over by complete silence. The semi prepared lunch long abandoned. Jane was standing at a distance watching Maura trying to figure out her next course of action. Maura was sitting, looking as fragile as ever. Jane had never hated herself the way she did in that moment.

''That's what I wanted to talk to you about'', she started tentatively. She knew she was walking on thin ice, and one mistake would be the end of her.

''Are you living with him?'', boy did Maura start with the hardest questions!

''Maura, just let me explain properly please.''

''What I did was wrong'', she lifted her head now so she could look at Jane's face. Jane was stunned to see she was not crying. Maybe the tears would have been better, she thought to herself. ''the way I left was awful. No one deserved that, especially you. And I'm sorry for that''. She paused, trying to pick her words carefully. The worst thing Jane could do now was to interrupt her, so she waited and listened. ''for that reason alone, I will give you two choices. Pick wisely''

''Anything Maura. Please just promise you won't walk away, please'', Jane, the less emotionally sensitive of the two, was the one near weeping now.

''I can't promise that. Sorry''.

''Ok, give me the choices then''

''You can either explain everything that's going on, or you can answer my questions. If you explain to me I am going to trust that you will tell me everything I am missing here, so I am not going to ask you anything afterwards. And you will only have one chance to explain,'' she emphasized the 'one'. And I can't promise I will not leave''.

Jane wished she was in the life or death situation where a person was holding a gun to her head. Anything would have been much better that the two options she had just been given. Both of them seemed like a lost cause to her. There was no way she could imagine the situation could get any better.

She took a deep breath, walked over to Maura and knelt before her. Maura made no effort to run so she slowly took the woman's hand into her own and kissed the back lightly.

''There is nothing I can say that will reflect how sorry I am, and how much I wronged you. What I wrote in that letter to you, I meant every single word. You meant the world to me, and I love you so much. I messed up big time, and I will live to regret it'', she pulled Maura's hand to her heart and pressed it there. She waited for Maura to meet her gaze before continuing, ''that's where you belong. Don't ever be fooled into thinking anyone can ever take your place. The space you occupy there is big, and will always be yours – always''. She kissed her hand again, ''do you trust that I will never lie to you?''

Maura didn't have to think about that, ''yes''

''Then you can ask me anything you want to''

Maura pulled her hand from Jane's because she knew the answers to her questions were not going to go alongside hand holding.

''Are you living with him?''

''Yes''

''For how long?''

''A little over a month''

''How long have you been dating?''

''Since December. Two months''. It was starting to sound like an interrogation. When Maura said 'ask you questions', Jane should have known Maura meant 'ask you questions' for sure. Not some kind of one sided conversation.

''How long have you been sleeping with him?'', Maura faltered a little at the question. This is the one thing she really didn't want to hear, but she needed to know.

''Once'', Jane shamefully answered.

''I said how long have you been sleeping with him?''

''I slept with him only once Maura?''

''Jane-''

''You said you trusted me Maura. And you know I wouldn't lie to you. You asked me a question and I answered you truthfully. It only happened once''.

''I think we're done here'', Maura lifted up her hands as she pulled herself off the couch. Jane was still kneeling and took a second longer to catch up because of the cramp that had started in her leg.

''Maur'', she tried to pull her back. It looked like one of those cheesy scenes from a love movie.

''Is it too much to ask to just have some time to myself Jane. Is it?''

''No'', Jane shook her head. ''but I will be here. I am not going anywhere'', she added sternly.

Maura placed her feet one in front of the other taking herself to the room she had spent the night. Once inside she shut the door – a little too loudly, and threw herself back into the blankets. That's when the tears began.

Jane had helplessly watched the woman she loved walk away from her filled with so much pain. She couldn't bare it. Jane wished she had talked to Casey two days ago after her chat with Frankie. She wished she had moved out there and then. In fact, she wished that stupid Valentine's Day hadn't even happened. Then maybe she wouldn't have slept with Casey. She had survived it so long, and yet she now missed with just a few days. ''I should never have done this. I should have followed my heart right from the start''. She hated herself, she hated Casey, she hated her mother, she hated those guys that had kidnapped her, she hated everything.

Hating was going to do her no good though, and she knew it. The pacing she had been engaged in served absolutely no purpose. The wall she wanted to punch so hard was just going to cause damage to the house and pain to her fist. Action. You need to do something Rizzoli. You can't let her down this time. You have to fix this, and fast.

After the little boost in confidence she had just given herself she pull out her phone and dialled Frost.

''Jane, what's up'', he answered

''I can't come back in today Frost, can you cover for me''. Her voice was filled with tears and sounded strangled coming out.

''Is everything ok Jane?''. He was worried and Korsak and already moved to the younger detectives desk.

''Not really no. Maura's back''

There was a light whistle, and a long silence. Korsak was the only one that could be heard asking ''what did she say, what did she say?''

''I got it Jane. Take as much time as you need''

''I'm going to need something much more effective than time''

''I know, it'll be ok huh.''

''Thanks'', and she hung up.

Frost relayed the information to a shocked Korsak. They both knew this was not going to go down well with the love triangle. Their only hope was that their two ladies would make it out alive. They had nothing against Casey Jones, but it was no secret (despite what Jane thought) to them that the two women had strong romantic feeling towards each other.

Jane sat in the living room for a whole two minutes before deciding she would face Maura. The circumstances were less than ideal, but Jane wouldn't let Maura isolate herself and remain in misery if she could help it.

When two knocks went unanswered, Jane slowly opened the door with great caution. Her heart broke all over again as she looked at Maura lying on the bed. She was crying and the sounds Jane heard pained her deeply. It wasn't the loud hysterical cry that most people needed time to release. It also wasn't the silent tears running down the cheeks. It was a different cry. One you would expect from a defeated person. From a person who has gone through all manner of crying and just has no clue what to do with herself anymore. It was the crying that left no room for argument or choices or understanding. Maura was just plain defeated. She didn't look like someone who was ready to start yelling or voicing her hurt. She didn't at all seem like a woman who had a choice, and she clearly lacked understanding of the reasons why things were the way they were.

Jane took a deep breath after deducing that Maura was not going to send her away. She pulled her shoes off and threw her jacket on the chair before walking to the bed. Maura was sleeping on the edge with her body turned towards the vacant side of the bed. When she made no move to shoo Jane away, the detective climbed over her and lay on her side facing the grieving doctor. Maura looked at her then immediately torn her eyes off of her. Jane saw nothing but pain, and it brought new tears to her eyes. She pulled one of Maura's clasped hands and brought it to her lips of another kiss. After long quiet moments, Jane finally spoke.

''I missed you so much. Right now, and for the rest of my life, I will do whatever it takes to keep you by my side. I love you Maura.''

''Then why did you go back to him?''. The one question she didn't have a decent answer for. The reason she knew, but voicing it just sounded plain stupid. But if she was going to look like an idiot in front of Maura, it had to be while telling the truth.

''I was lonely, and I needed a friend and Casey was there. Ma was so happy, so everything just happened.''

''How long have you been back Jane?''

''Since June last year''

Maura was surprised because for some reason she had assumed Jane had been back recently. ''I didn't know you had been around that long'', she stated. ''my attorney only informed me the day before yesterday. Said you had been giving him a hard time''.

Jane smiled a little, ''I tried to find you. I admit, I gave up too easily. I thought you would never want to come back to Boston and I was so confused and…I donno''.

''So you moved on….I get it''

''NO! That's not it Maura. Please don't say it like that''

''How should I say it then?'', she reasoned.

Jane was silent. It was a good question, and she had not response.

''Where have you been Maura? And what have you been doing?''

''You lost the right to ask me that question the second you started a relationship with Casey''

''You're my best friend too Maura''

''You lost that the moment you got into bed with him''

Jane started crying. Maura was right and Jane didn't know how to make things better.

''I think I should go back''.

Before Jane could say anything Angela was knocking at the door. ''Can I come in?'', she bellowed.

Both women made no attempts to move. They were still lying face to face with a safe 15"s separating them. ''Can I come in?'', Angela called again – impatiently.

She had tried and failed to get Casey to back off for just a little while, whilst the girls talked. The most she had managed was to get him to drive a few blocks before he pulled a tantrum displaying his best toddler behaviour and demanding to go back to Jane. The longer Angela had tried to keep him away the more curious he had become. He couldn't understand why Maura had failed to shake his hand when he greeted her, and why she looked so distraught. So he wanted to get to the bottom of it and had driven himself and Angela back to the house stating he wanted to speak with his girlfriend.

After one last attempt at trying to explain to Casey that the two friends just needed some time to sort things out, Casey told Angela he would wait in the car for Jane to come and tell him herself. So here Angela was, trying to get Jane and Maura to let her in.

''Ma, can it wait? This is really not the time'', she tried not to yell.

''I know honey, just a word I promise''.

''Give me a minute I'm coming out''.

She took Maura's hand again, ''I'm not leaving. I'm coming back just now. Is that alright?''

Maura took a while to answer. She was looking for something in Jane's eye along the lines of deceit, but she saw only sincerity and hurt. Jane waited patiently, with no regards to her waiting mother. It was after Maura nodded that she stood to leave. Her mother was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed.

''What do you want?'', short and straight to the point.

''Casey won't go until he talks to you. He is waiting in the car''.

Jane needn't hear more, she was already on her way outside stopping by the door to put on a pair of her mother's snow boots. Casey watched her as she stomped towards his window. ''I'm spending the night here. I need to talk to Maura''. It was a statement that said 'don't waste your breath convincing me otherwise', and Casey knew Jane well enough to not bother going down that path, but he ignored his rational mind.

''It's the afternoon Jane. Won't you be done talking by night time? I hardly see the need to spend the night here''

''If there is one time you do not want to argue with me, it would be now. Please just go for now''.

''Jane….what is really going on here?

''Nothing is going on.'', she emphasized each word, '' Maura's here and I need to talk to her, and it's going to take a while''. She had already been away from Maura too long for her liking so she was now making her way back. Casey called out an ''I'll call you'' to her retreating form before she closed the front door once inside.

It was freezing outside and she was visibly shaking as it was. Angela offered her a cup of coffee that she refused without even thinking. Her mind was set on the woman in the other room so she really had no time for anything else.

She softly knocked on the door as she let herself in. Maura had now sunk into the bed and covered her whole body with the blanket leaving only her head. It looked like someone who was trying to hide and never be seen again.

''Can I join you…again?'', she politely asked.

Maura was crying a little harder this time. She had heard Jane step outside presumably going to speak with Casey. That had stirred up things within her she never thought existed. When Jane heard her cries she jumped inside the blanket onto the position she had been laying on before the interruption. She couldn't keep the distance she had maintain before, when seeing Maura in the state she was in. She moved herself closer and pulled Maura's head to her chest, holding her tightly in place. Maura grabbed a handful of Jane's shirt and cried against Jane body.

The doctor finally let all her tears out. The joy from seeing her long lost friend. The pain she had endured after being told Jane was no longer alive. The bitter loneliness of a foreign land and empty life. The relief of being held so tightly by Jane. The overflowing love she had for her best friend. And the pain of learning that said friend was now in a relationship with someone else. She let it all out. And for the first time she had someone to hold on to. Jane had also joined her in the medley of tears until Maura started to recover.

''I think I should go back'', she weakly said again.

AN : Will Jane let her out of her sight? Hhhmmmm.