*Here we go…Hope you enjoy…And I hope everyone had a good holiday.

Future of Promises

Chapter 3- I wanna be your friend again…

Light streamed into the bullpen from the windows above Jane and Frosts desks weaving a crisscross pattern for Jane to pace in and out of. Her hair, now out of the ponytail, hung loosely around her shoulders in a mass of unruly curls. She pushed some stray locks behind her ear as she continued to pace back and forth much to the dismay of both Frost and Korsak who recognized the signs of the beginnings of a full blown Rizzoli tantrum.

"What the hell is taking her so long?" She stopped only long enough to glare at Korsak who gave her a shrug in response. "It's been four hours and we still haven't heard anything." The pacing began again, this time the sound of her boots on the tiled floor echoed. It was long past five and the crowd of detectives that usually filled the spaces around the bullpen had thinned to almost none.

"Come on Jane…let the Doc do her job." Frost tried to placate his partner knowing that it was a futile attempt at best. He realized too late when she stopped her incessant pacing giving him a look that caused him to cringe.

"It's a cut and dry murder-suicide Frost. How much time does she need to put that down on paper so we can move on to more important things?" She growled at him. "I think she's just trying to piss me off."

"So what if she is?" Frankie stepped in front of Jane forcing her to look at him. He had just gotten off duty and changed when he decided to check on things. What he found was his sister stalking around the bullpen like a caged panther, one ready to strike at the first person to look at her funny.

"Well, then I would be sorry to have to say that it's mighty unprofessional if that's the case…" Korsak chimed in. "But I don't believe that's the case." He practically ducked at the angry look that Jane shot his way. "Look…there was something funny about that murder scene. It almost seemed staged…" he paused to raise his eyebrow questioningly at Jane. "You feel it too…don't you. That's what really has you so tied up…isn't it?"

Shoving her hands into her pockets, Jane looked down at her feet and shrugged. What Korsak said was true, she had felt the same thing as she continued to go over the scene in her mind as she waited for Maura's report. The thing that bothered her the most was that she had jumped to an unfounded conclusion in front of the new M.E. and it made her feel foolish.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that when Dr. Isles finishes, she will have come to the same conclusion." Korsak sighed. "And here I thought we'd get a weekend off…" His voice trailed off sadly.

"Whatever…" Jane grumbled as she threw herself down into her desk chair with an over dramatic flourish.

"Thank God!" Frost declared when Jane finally sat down. "You were making me dizzy with all of that pacing…" He rolled his eyes at her when she frowned in response.

"Those are some pretty good lookin' black eyes you're sporting there sis…" Frankie leaned against her desk and looked down at her.

"No thanks to you…and today of all days…" Her voice trailed off as she reached up to touch a tender spot under her left eye.

"Did you put ice on it like Maura told you?" He asked as he reached over to place a finger under her chin so he could tilt her head back to get a better look at the damage he felt sorry to have been responsible for.

"Don't…" Jane jerked her head away from him. "And yes…I did." She leaned back further in her chair so she would be safely out of his reach.

"Hey…" Korsak said sternly in Jane's direction. "Whatever this is…" He said as he waved his hands in the air as he continued. "It needs to stop. You need to find some way to deal with the fact that you and Maura are…or were…whatever you want to call it. I've been married and divorced four times and I don't act like an asshole every time I run into one of my ex's."

"You don't have to work with them…" Jane huffed as she crossed her arms. "And I'm not acting like an asshole…" Her voice trailed off when three sets of eyes rolled in response to her declaration.

"I don't get it Jane…what's the big deal? She's the best M.E. in Boston and we're lucky to have her working with us. Can't you just swallow your pride and figure out a way to get over this? Who knows, maybe you'll even become friends again." Frost ventured to ask.

Jane couldn't stop herself from shuddering at the reality that it wasn't her pride that was causing her act this way, but the guilt she had carried within her over the last fifteen years. No one could know the weight she bared as a nineteen year old kid facing a decision that would change her life forever. A decision she resented having to make in the first place. With a dramatic sigh, she threw her head back and brought her fingers up to her temples to rub away the headache that was beginning to bloom.

"Jane…give it time." Frankie knelt down next to her chair. "There's a lot of history between you and Maura, and most of it unresolved." He tried to reassure her.

She couldn't look at him for fear that her emotions may overwhelm her so she just nodded as she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to push back the tears that threatened to fall. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself as she fought the overwhelming feeling of sadness and loss that had washed over her the moment she had laid on eyes on Maura earlier that day.

"I'm gonna head over to see Ma and Pop…seems like there's something goin' on that she needs to talk to me about." He gave her knee a gentle pat. "Did she call you?"

"Yeah, but I had to let it go to voice mail…" Jane leaned forward to pick up her cell phone that was blinking, indicating she had a message. "Keep me posted. We gotta hang around here until Maura finishes her report."

"'Kay…I'll call ya later." Frankie stood and smiled over at Frost. "Hit me up if you need a wingman this weekend…if you ever get outta here that is..." He gave a quick wave as he turned to leave.

"See ya Frankie…" Frost waved back as Frankie disappeared around the corner.

Before anyone could say anything else, the phone on Korsak's desk started to ring causing all eyes to fall on the offending object. Taking a deep breath, Korsak reached across the mess of papers that lay scattered around to answer the phone. "Korsak here…" He said into the receiver. "Uh-huh…alright, someone will be right down." As he said those last words, his eyes fell upon Jane who still appeared to be sulking. Hanging up the phone, he made a decision that would broker no arguments. "Jane…go down to the morgue and get the paperwork from Dr. Isles."

"What?" Jane shot out of her chair with a sudden burst of energy she didn't realize she had. "Send Frost…" She pointed to Frost who just smirked at her and shook his head.

"Nope…" Frost leaned back and crossed his arms as he glared at her. "You need to take one for the team. The sooner you get over this, the sooner we can all get back to normal."

"Are you serious?" She turned her attention to Korsak.

"As a heart attack…" He too leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, imitating Frost. "There's no better time than right now." The sad smile he gave her had Jane heaving a heavy sigh in resignation. "It's time to move past this Jane…"

"Easy for you to say…" She mumbled as she stalked away towards the elevators. "You owe me a beer." She shot over her shoulder as she stepped into the elevator before pressing the basement button.

Korsak leaned over so he could watch Jane leave. He couldn't help but smile at her last words as she disappeared into the elevator. "If this works, I'll buy you a six pack."

"There's a lot of history there Korsak…" Frost gave the older man a concerned look. "I'd have never thought Jane would walk away from Maura the way she did. If you had seen them together then…" He paused as he thought back to the time he had spent with Jane and Maura when they were just kids. "I don't know…something must've happened, I mean…something big, because it changed Jane."

Korsak studied the sad look on Frosts face as he contemplated what to say. He had known Jane almost her whole life and even though she was his best detective, something had always been missing. He hoped that that something had finally walked back into her life for good.

"Damn Korsak…" Jane grumbled as she stepped off of the elevator in the basement. Even though the cinderblock hallway was dimly lit, she could see that the door to the autopsy lab was open and there was a light on. She couldn't help but wonder if Maura had been in there working this whole time. With each step closer she took, she could feel her legs getting heavier and heavier. For a brief moment, she thought about turning around and telling Korsak she wasn't going to do it but then the sound of soft humming carried to her. It was a sound she recognized and her stomach tightened with anxiety at the memory it evoked. Stopping halfway to her destination, she placed her hands on the wall and leaned, dropping her head as the image of her and Maura sitting under a tree having a picnic on a summer afternoon filled her mind. She could almost feel Maura running her fingers through her hair as they lay against each other allowing the sun to warm their skin, not a care in the world. Maura had been humming then, the same soft tune she was humming now at the end of the hall and the gentle melody reached into Jane causing her heart to ache with the innocence of a time long gone. Taking a deep breath, she did her best to swallow down all of the hurt, anger, and guilt that threatened to overwhelm her. Instead, she allowed the sound of Maura's voice to lull her into a peaceful state of mind. She couldn't stop herself from marveling at the fact that only one person had ever been able to calm the tempest of emotions that Jane fought to control and that one person was waiting for her at the end of the hall. It was then that she realized what she needed to do if she ever hoped for Maura to forgive her…she needed to tell the truth.

With her new revelation at the forefront of her mind, Jane finished the journey down the hall to find herself standing in the doorway watching Maura as she worked. Black scrubs, a black cap, and black latex gloves rounded out Maura's ensemble, a far cry from the look of earlier that day. She was even wearing tennis shoes, having replaced her high heels for something more comfortable. The sight before her caused Jane to smile and a longing swept through her so strong that it almost took her breath away. She continued to watch Maura, whose head was bent as she tied off the last stitches of her 'Y' incision. So lost in her thoughts of observation, Jane didn't notice when Maura stiffened slightly and stopped humming.

"Detective Rizzoli…" Maura said without turning around. She didn't need to turn around to know that Jane was standing in the doorway, leaning her hip against the frame quietly watching.

"Maura please…" Jane's voice held a plea that caused Maura to grip the autopsy table and drop her shoulders in a defeated way. But it didn't last long and Jane watched in surprise as Maura stood tall and straight before turning around to face her.

"Don't…don't you dare do this now Jane. I deserve better…" The anger in Maura's voice caused Jane to shrink back slightly. "We will talk…but not here…not now over the dead body of a stranger." Maura tried to soften her tone when she caught a glimpse of pain in Jane's eyes. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to reach out and touch the bruising that was beginning to form under Jane's eyes in an effort to sooth away the pain but just as quickly the moment passed. In an attempt to steel her resolve, Maura pushed her feelings aside and reminded herself yet again why she had built a wall around her heart.

"Do you think maybe we could go get some coffee sometime and talk?" Jane tried a different approach.

"Um…no…I don't think so…at least not anytime soon." Maura had a sad expression on her face. It nearly broke Jane's heart when she saw Maura bite down on her lower lip which was a sure sign of her uncertainty. "I need to get used to this…" She paused as her gaze dropped to her hands which she had begun to wring in an uncharacteristic way. "I need to get used to seeing you every day…working with you."

The explanation was weak at best, but Jane accepted it for what it was, an opportunity for Maura to process the changes they both were experiencing. "Okay…I can respect that, but I hope we can get past this…maybe work on being friends again."

"I don't need friends Jane…I never have…" Maura's voice trailed off as she reached up to pull the cap off of her head. Her long, honey blonde hair tumbled down around her shoulders in soft waves just the way that Jane had remember from so long ago. "I have the report right here…" She said as she pulled off her latex gloves before reaching over to pick up the file.

Jane watched as Maura removed her gloves with a snap, dropping them on the table beside her as she reached for the file. Her eyes followed the movement of the hands she had come to know so well. As a shiver ran through her body, she spied something on the inside of Maura's left wrist that had her moving across the room in several quick strides. Catching Maura's hand before she could reach the file, Jane turned it over but didn't look down at it yet. As she stared into the hazel-green she had allowed herself to get lost in so many times before she saw something different that caused her to pull back slightly. There was no longer warmth or love looking back at her, just a cold professionalism that caused her chest to ache. It wasn't until she felt Maura trying to pull away from her that she realized how tightly she was holding on, but she didn't relinquish her hold just yet.

"Let me see…" Jane pleaded softly as her eye's dropped to look at Maura's wrist. What she saw caused her to gasp and Maura to try to desperately pull away from her touch. "You kept your promise…" She couldn't stop herself from running her fingers over the tattoo on Maura's wrist.

"I did…" Maura sighed as she finally succeeded in pulling away from Jane. She watched with curiosity as Jane pulled her right sleeve up to reveal a brown leather cuff bracelet that was around her wrist and then she unsnapped it. Maura couldn't stop herself from touching the tattoo that was almost identical to her own. "You did too…" Her voice was soft as she held up her wrist alongside Jane's to compare.

"I know I broke a lot of promises Maura…but this one…I just couldn't…" Jane tried to smile as she watched Maura trace the infinity symbol that matched her own. The only difference between the two symbols was that Maura's was intertwined with a heart and Jane's wasn't.

"I didn't think you would remember." Maura finally looked up into Jane's dark eyes.

"How could I forget?" We spent weeks arguing over what tattoo to pick before settling on this one. When?" Jane touched the permanent symbol again.

"After I graduated from Medical school…just like we agreed. You?" Maura suddenly pulled her arm away, not able to endure the feeling of Jane's fingers touching her anymore.

"The night I graduated from the Academy." Jane sighed when she realized they had met their threshold for the moment.

"I usually keep it covered…" Maura tried to busy herself by picking up the file Jane had come to get.

"Yeah…me too…but not because I don't want to remember." Jane felt she needed to explain.

"Here are the preliminary results from the autopsies." Maura quickly changed the subject as she thrust the file into Jane's hands.

"'Kay…what did you find?" The sudden change of subject caused Jane to retreat as she took a step away from Maura.

"Well, it is definitely a murder…not a suicide." Maura reached up to casually run her fingers through her hair to push it away from her face. The move did not go unnoticed by Jane who wished she was the one running her fingers through the silky locks she had once known so well.

"Care to explain?" Jane casually leaned against the autopsy table as she flipped through the file.

"The victim was left handed. Who ever staged the suicide didn't know that. The residue from the gun that he supposedly killed himself with was found on his right hand." Maura explained feeling more comfortable as the conversation shifted to work.

"How do you know he was left handed?" Jane asked as she raised a questioning eyebrow at Maura.

"Well, he has callouses on his left hand, he is wearing his watch on his right arm…" She gave Jane a small smirk before continuing. "And if that doesn't convince you, the golf clubs he supposedly used to bludgeon his wife with were left handed as well."

"So you're speculating." Jane mused aloud without looking up as she continued to study the file.

"I do not speculate detective…" Maura bristled. "I spoke with his son and confirmed what I already knew."

"Back to detective are we?" Jane looked up from the file, a crooked grin on her face. "Sorry…" She sighed when Maura frowned at her. "So we've got a double homicide to deal with?"

"Yes…it would appear so." Maura crossed her arms in an effort to put a barrier between her and the body heat that she could feel emanating from Jane.

"I guess I'd better rally the troops. We've got a long weekend ahead of us." Jane closed the file and slipped it under her arm.

"I'll be here if you need me. I plan on working through the weekend as well." Maura gave a slight shrug as Jane turned to leave but stopped and slowly turned back around to look at her.

"So does that mean there isn't anyone waiting for you at home?" It was a bold question but one that Jane needed answered.

"No…there isn't." Maura shook her head. "There hasn't been for a long time. But I like it better that way…"

"Maura I'm sorry…" Jane started to say but stopped when Maura held up her hand.

"Please…don't…not now." Maura followed Jane to the door. "Our time will come Jane…just not yet. I need some time to get used to this." She waved her hand between them to indicate what she was talking about.

"We'll be in the bullpen if you find anything else…" Jane said as she turned towards the elevators.

"You'll be the first to know." Maura answered back as she headed in the opposite direction towards her office. It took everything in her not to look back because she knew Jane was expecting it. The conflict that raged within her heart was slowly tearing her apart and she needed space, time to think. The memory of Jane at nineteen was a far cry from the mature woman that she had become. Even though Jane's chiseled features gave her a more handsome appearance, it did not take away from her beauty and very feminine curves that stood out in her tailored suit. The suit had been the first thing that Maura noticed. Gone were the ripped jeans and t-shirts that Maura remembered, only to be replaced with a more refined, professional look. It was a look that only accentuated Jane's androgyny further, making her nearly impossible to resist. That small flutter in the pit of her stomach caused Maura to panic as she stepped into the safety of her office but as she reached up to close the door, she caught a glimpse of the small tattoo that matched the one on Jane's wrist. A sudden warmth spread throughout her body at the memory of the promise they made to each other all those years before. She couldn't stop herself from leaning out of the doorway to see if Jane was still in the hall. Her heart caught in her throat at the sight of the tall, lean woman standing in the elevator, hands clasped in front of her and head down as if in deep thought. Maura surmised that Jane was just as beautiful now as she had been fifteen years ago, maybe more so. As she continued to watch, Jane suddenly looked up meeting her eyes and gave her a small but sad smile. Maura did the only thing she could, she smiled back before retreating into the safety of her office once more.

Jane had hesitated before looking over her shoulder at Maura's retreating figure, hoping that she would look back one more time but when she didn't Jane tried not to feel the disappointment that settled in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't until she was standing in the elevator, waiting for the doors to close that she saw Maura peek her head out from her office and wave. The smile on her face was genuine, but cautious and it made Jane's heart soar at the possibilities of what the future held for them. When the doors closed, she thought about the tattoo Maura had on her wrist. The infinity symbol intertwined with a heart was the perfect design for Maura since she still held Jane's heart, even after all these years. Jane hoped that one day she would add the same heart to her own tattoo but she knew she would have to wait until Maura was willing to give it back. With a heavy sigh, Jane resigned herself to the fact that they had a long, hard road ahead of them but she knew it would be worth it in the end if she could just prove to Maura that she would never walk away from her again.