Maura is sobbing. Maura is sobbing and Jane doesn't know why or what she can do about it. Okay, so yes, she'd gotten a tiny bit injured at work today, but the bullet barely grazed her shoulder. It was a superficial wound at best and definitely did not require this amount of emotional damage.
The doctor is leaning against her counter, head resting on the cabinet with her arms wrapped around herself, and the tears just don't seem to stop. Jane moves closer to her and hesitantly places her arm around Maura's shoulders.
Jane doesn't do well with crying.
"Maura, I'm sorry I got hurt, okay? I'll try harder -" but she cuts off at the sudden movement of Maura whirling around.
"Don't you dare, Jane Clementine Rizzoli! Don't you fucking dare!" The doctor spits out the words, eyes ablaze. Jane freezes in place from the tone of voice, but mostly from the swear. Maura jabs her with a finger, "You keep getting hurt because of me, okay, and I won't let it happen any longer." She leaves Jane in the kitchen, stomping toward the door.
In the seconds it takes Jane to figure out that Maura is in fact blaming herself and leaving, she's sprinting for the door, pressing her body against it so Maura can't escape.
Maura slaps at Jane's shoulders to get her to move and then she's not slapping, she's just hitting the detective over and over again across the abdomen. She's not inflicting damage, but the tears are coming harder than ever and Jane just wraps her arms around the doctor, taking the abuse.
"Let me leave, Jane," she begs as she writhes in Jane's arms.
"Never," Jane promises and then the fight flies from the pathologist and her knees give out. Together they sink to the floor, Jane cradling Maura in her arms. "Honey, it's not your fault-" but that's as far as she gets before words are spurting from Maura's mouth.
"But it is my fault, Jane! If I wasn't Doyle's daughter, you wouldn't be kidnapped and tortured and put in harm's way over and over again. If I was just strong enough to walk away from you, maybe you'd be able to walk away without as many war wounds. Maybe you'd be able to have a life with someone who deserves you." Maura shakes her head and wipes away the last of her tears. "No, Jane. This is entirely my fault because of who I am. And I won't let you suffer for it any more." She struggles to be free of the detective's arms again, but they aren't letting go.
Jane is stunned; shocked, even. There's no other way to describe it. "Maur." She can tell the doctor is about to interrupt. She places a finger over her lips and then tilts her chin so their eyes are forced to meet. "Maura Dorothea Isles. This is not your fault. You are not Doyle's daughter. You are an Isles, always have been. And I would be in every single situation you've seen me in no matter what. Because I am a cop, Maur, and this is what I do. I get put into difficult situations and then I have to get out of them." Jane places a light kiss to her hair. "You make me want to get out of those situations. You're passionate and loving and so endearing, Maur. You make everyone fall in love with you a little more every day. Your smile makes me feel like I can do anything. And yes, you're a genius and you're brilliant and I love that you can tell me at least a hundred different facts about ancient Mesopotamia."
Maura snuffles before quietly murmuring, "Only a hundred and thirteen." Jane can't help the breathless laugh that escapes her lips.
"Maura, you are amazing. You're my best friend and my girlfriend and, quite frankly, you're my soul mate. Okay? I see us growing old together. I see you and me with rings and love for the rest of our days. I see that with you, no one else. You are so unique and so special, Maur. You just need to realize that you deserve so much more; you deserve everything. And I wish I could give it to you, but I can't. All I can do is vow that I will love you with all of my heart, no matter what, until the day that they put me in the ground."
Maura can't look away from the earnest expression on Jane's face. She truly means every word, the doctor realizes with a start. "Jane." She sees her open her mouth to interrupt and now it's her turn to silence her partner. "Jane, being with me shouldn't mean you have to be constantly injured and in the hospital."
In true Rizzoli style, Jane shrugs it off. "Maur, when are you finally going to believe me? All the stuff with Hoyt, with Doyle, with Bianchi... I survived all of that and then I got to come home to you."
The tears may have stopped five minutes earlier, but now they're back with a vengeance. With a content sigh, Jane leans down to nestle into Maura's neck.
"You're worth everything I've been through."