Happy Sunday everyone…thanks for reading.
Love and Forgiveness
When the doorbell rang announcing Liam's arrival, Maura wasn't sure she had the energy to face him. Unfortunately, it was now or never. The time had come for her to peel back the layers to reveal the truth, she just hoped that Jane would forgive her. She hadn't lied. Not really. But not disclosing everything when she had expected Jane to was coming back to haunt her. And as she made her way to the front door, she felt as if she was reliving the nightmare of almost losing Jane all over again.
"Punctual, as usual." She said as she opened the door. Even though her tone was bitter, she wasn't unfriendly.
"Not being on time could cost lives in my line of work." Liam handed Maura a bottle of bourbon as she stepped aside to let him in. "A little liquid courage." He said with a wry smile.
Taking the bottle, Maura appraised the familiar label and nodded her approval. "Thanks…" She held it up and watched the amber liquid glow against the porch light before shutting the door. "I'll pour us a drink." She said as she waved him towards the kitchen.
Silence followed them to the empty kitchen and Maura busied herself finding the whisky glasses as Liam took a seat at the countertop bar. He watched her with a sad smile as she lined up the glasses before opening the freezer door to pull the ice out.
"Still take it over the rocks?" She twisted the top off the bottle and waited for his answer. When she got his nod, she held the bottle under her nose and inhaled the scent of oak. She smiled at the familiarity of the smell that would always remind her of her father.
"He was a Kentucky man, thru -n-thru." Liam said when he saw the wistful expression on Maura's face.
Maura dropped a few ice cubes in the glasses and the sound echoed in the almost empty kitchen. "Sorry, but I don't have any whisky stones."
"Ice is fine." He leaned on the counter to watch as she poured several fingers of the amber liquid into each glass.
"Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked was always his favorite. It was always a treat since you can only get it at the distillery." Maura slid the glass over to Liam.
"Let's just say I know somebody who knows somebody." He smirked. "How about we toast…" holding up his glass, he waited until Maura did the same. "Peanut butter…"
"And jelly…" Maura smiled as she clinked her glass to his. It was her father's favorite toast and it always made her laugh. She saw Liam's knowing smile as they both took their first sip. He held her gaze over the rim of his glass before setting it down. "I forgot how good this is." The warm tingling sensation that started on her tongue, spread down her throat and into her chest causing her to cough.
"Been awhile, huh?" Liam took another sip and watched her over the rim of his glass.
"I haven't had it since he passed away." Maura followed his lead and took another drink, except this time, she savored it.
"Where's Jane?" He asked as he swirled his drink around causing the ice to shift with a resonating clang against the crystal glass.
Before Maura could answer the question, Jane appeared. "I'm right here."
Twisting in his seat to get a better look at the woman he had yet to officially meet, Liam nodded. A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between them all before he turned back to Maura. Lifting his glass, he drank what was left before setting it down again. "I'll take a refill, please." He said.
"I'll have one as well." Jane said from where she was standing across the room. "I think we should go sit in the living room. It'll be more comfortable." She held up the arm still in the sling before turning to leave Liam and Maura both staring after her.
Maura looked down at her glass, then back up to the empty space where Jane had stood. She struggled with the thought that perhaps Jane shouldn't be drinking with her medication. It also hadn't gone unnoticed that Jane had tasted of beer when they kissed earlier, and she couldn't help but worry.
"Whatever you're thinking, put it aside. She deserves to have a drink with us." Liam said interrupting Maura's train of thought.
"I don't know…it might not be a good idea with her medication." She continued to worry.
"She'll be fine, Maura. It's just one drink." He said taking the bottle and pouring himself another drink.
Maura refrained from telling him that she thought Jane had already been drinking, but she realized she was one to talk having had three vodka tonics on the plane along with the mimosa, but she didn't count that. She nodded at his expectant look and grabbed another glass, filling it with ice and bourbon before following him into the living room.
Jane sat back and quietly waited for her drink. She didn't expect Maura or the man she had yet to meet to follow her right away. Her nerves were on edge and even though she rarely drank bourbon, tonight she thought it might be a good idea. And knowing Maura as well as she did, it was probably an exceptional bottle.
It hadn't made her feel good to walk away from Maura and leave her alone earlier, but she needed some time to process. Everything that had happened that awful day was a fuzzy blur and there were gaps in her memory she had yet to fill. The only true thing she did remember was saying goodbye to Maura in the hospital, leaving her with that uncertain look on her face and not being able to make it go away.
Of course, there had been questions and an inquiry, something Ryan and Korsak had coached her through. The story they came up seemed to appease the higher up's or perhaps it was merely the fact that Patty had finally turned over the evidence they needed for their RICO case. At this point she wasn't sure either way. It wasn't that the story was far off from the truth but being told that Sean had fled back to Ireland hadn't felt quite right. Maybe tonight, she would finally find out the truth.
She could hear the soft murmurs of a hushed conversation taking place in the other room and she smiled as she thought that Maura was probably grappling with the idea of letting her drink while taking her medication, but it wasn't an issue. Of course, Maura wouldn't know that she had stopped taking the pain killers because she hadn't liked the way they made her feel, especially while she was alone. There was a slight sense of satisfaction at making Maura worry and it made her chuckle. She couldn't help but wonder if Maura would bring the drink or not. She hoped so because the longer she sat alone in the living room, the more she needed it.
The soft glow coming from the kitchen was extinguished just before Maura and her guest appeared. Maura's expression was unreadable, but the exhaustion was evident in the dark circles that smudged the tender skin under her eyes.
'She looks as tired as I feel.' Jane thought. She took the glass Maura offered with an appreciative nod and got a small, if not slightly pained smile in return. Then she turned her eyes to the tall, slender, dark haired man with eyes so blue they could pass for crystal. "I believe you have me at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I don't know yours." She said peering over at him, her dark eyes filled with uncertain curiosity.
"Would you care to make the introductions?" He tipped his glass towards Maura before taking a long drink.
Clearing her throat nervously, Maura nodded. "Jane, this is Liam McGrath." She said waving her hand in his direction. "He was my father's head of security while he traveled abroad…and his best friend."
"Head of security, huh?" Jane brought her glass up to her lips and took a sip. She couldn't stop herself from wincing as a burning sensation slid down her throat and settled in her stomach.
"Let's just say I have special skills that qualify me for the job." He winked knowingly at her.
"And those special skills…" Jane coughed to put out the fire in her belly. "Did they help you save my life?" The burning sensation settled into a comfortable warmth that spread throughout her body.
"Do you want me to tell her or do you?" Liam glanced at Maura.
"I'll start and then you can fill in the blanks." Maura gave Jane an apologetic smile. "You see, I've known Liam here…well…pretty much my whole life. There isn't anyone I trust more than him…" she paused and looked Jane in the eyes. "Except you."
"I'm glad you still feel like you can trust me, all things considered." Jane said rather coolly, regretting it immediately.
"Fair enough." Maura let out a sigh, her shoulders dropping slightly. "As I was saying…Liam has special skills that kept my father safe on his many trips to war torn countries. And he saved his life countless times in those travels. People didn't always take kindly to having a foreign doctor come along and change the status quo. It was a dangerous job and he risked his life on a daily basis."
"Okay, makes sense." Jane balanced her glass on the arm of the chair she was sitting in. The amber liquid was making her feel better as a calm wave gently washed over her. "But what does this have to do with me?"
"Well, when the situation with Sean started to get out of control…" Maura started to say but was interrupted by Jane.
"It was under control." Jane couldn't contain her impatience as she spoke through clenched teeth.
Holding up her hand, Maura tried to appease the rising temper she sensed coming her way. "Be that as it may…I felt we needed some help."
"So, you hired a mercenary without telling me?" Jane sat up straight and looked from Maura to Liam then back at Maura again daring her to argue.
"It might appear that way…on the surface." Maura hastily tried to explain. "But in essence, I asked a friend to look out for us."
"You mean look out for me." Jane crossed her arms defensively, causing the ice cubes in her glass to shift around with a clink.
"How about we quit dancing along the edge here." Liam spoke up, garnering an impatient huff from Jane and exasperated sigh from Maura. "We all know you're not a rule follower, especially when it comes to her safety." He pointed at Maura. "She did what she thought was best under the circumstances. I'm not saying it was right or wrong, but I do know I made a promise to her father to watch over her and by default…well…that includes you."
"Okay…so all promises aside…why keep it from me?" Jane asked Maura who could only shrug her shoulders.
"Because you're stubborn and have a hero complex." Liam said as he ran his fingers along the rim of his glass. "I should know…"
"I thought you wouldn't accept his help." Maura said, her voice just above a whisper.
"Well, I guess we'll never know." It was another attempt to make Maura feel bad, but instead it caused Liam to bite back at Jane's comment.
"Then let's settle it. Would you have accepted my help?" He looked her in the eyes, his intense stare daring her to lie.
Jane looked away from him and swirled her bourbon around her glass. She couldn't stop the smirk that crossed her lips before looking up at him with an answer on the tip of her tongue. "No, probably not." It was the truth, at least it had been before. Now, she would never do anything to put herself or Maura in danger again. "But I recognize my mistake and have paid for it." Her eyes traveled to Maura's silently asking her if she was done being punished.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you he was following you, but I'm not sorry I asked him to." Maura's voice grew stronger with her conviction. "You would have died if he hadn't been there."
"I know." Jane looked down again and nodded. "And in retrospect…I suppose you did the right thing." When her gaze found Maura's again, her expression was softer and filled with understanding. "I probably would have done the same if the tables were turned."
"I'm sure you have some questions. What do you want to know?" Liam decided to move the conversation forward.
"Um…" Jane frowned as she tried to remember what had happened. "First things first…please tell me the son of a bitch is dead."
"He is." It was all Liam needed to say. Letting out a heavy sigh of relief, Jane visibly relaxed. "We had to come up with a story for how you came to be shot by him. Even though you did get three shots off after he hit you in the chest, there wasn't much evidence except the possibility of superficial wounds on his part, so we went with that. It would have opened a whole new can of worms if they had a body…that wasn't shot by you."
"So, you convinced Ryan that Sean left with his tail tucked between his legs…" Jane mused aloud as she tried to understand.
"It was Ryan's idea. Everything...it was all her. She knew the higher ups needed Paddy and in order to make that happen, well…they needed to accept whatever story we came up with. This one got the least amount of resistance. It didn't hurt that you resigned." Liam said as he finished his drink.
"Yeah, well…" Jane started to say but stopped when Maura set her glass down with a thud.
"You resigned?" Maura blinked a few times as Liam's words sank in. "You quit homicide?"
"I guess you aren't the only one who has new prospects on the horizon." Jane tried to smile but the look on Maura's face caused her to frown.
"I left so I wouldn't ask you to quit because it was what I wanted. I was afraid you'd resent me for the rest of our lives together…all these weeks away just so I wouldn't burden you with that one request and you go and do it anyways…without telling me?" Maura was shaking her head as she leaned forward to catch her breath.
"Need I remind you that you handed in your resignation and still haven't told me." Jane tried to counter.
"But you love homicide. It defines you…I can't believe you quit!" Maura's voice was trembling as she dropped her head in her hands. "So much wasted time, all because I was afraid to ask you to choose between me and your job."
"Look, Maur…" Jane's tone softened. "I didn't quit for you. I quit for us…for our family." She set her glass down on the table, suddenly feeling a little sick. "Actually, I took a job at the academy. I'm going to be a teacher. It's what I want."
"But you've dreamed of working homicide since we were kids. Won't you miss it?" Maura's eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"Sure, but I'll miss the guys mostly. Frankie is gonna take my place so not much will change for Frost and Korsak." She tried to joke. "But Maura, I lived my dream of being a homicide detective…and now…well, my dreams have changed."
Nodding her understanding, Maura wiped at the tears running down her cheeks with the backs of her hands. She couldn't believe what she was hearing as a combination of fear and excitement filled her heart. The fear was for Jane's resentment she hoped would never come and the excitement was for the new path their lives were about to take. As she sat quietly, contemplating what Jane had said, she could feel two sets of eyes watching her with concern and she tried to smile. "Um…" she looked down at the two empty glasses sitting in front of her. "I think I need another drink. Another for you?" The question was directed at Liam, garnering a nod in response.
As Jane watched Maura leave without looking back, she had the urge to make things right. It was true that she had decided on her own to quit, but it had to be that way. Having Maura ask her to give up her job would have left scars, deeper than the ones she already had. And it was then that she realized why Maura had to leave. She got up to follow but stopped when Liam shook his head.
"What?" She asked as she watched Maura disappear into the kitchen.
"Leave her be." He continued to look at her. "I'm sorry…I didn't know you hadn't told her yet. I figured you would have told her before I got here." He gave her an apologetic shrug of his shoulders.
"We didn't have time." Jane said, but it hadn't crossed her mind as one of the first things to do when she saw Maura again. "I guess I had other things on my mind."
"And I interrupted them…didn't I?" He tried not to smirk. "How 'bout I forgo that last drink and leave you two alone. But first, do you have any more questions for me?"
"Tell me, did you have a laser sight?" She asked, a pensive expression on her face.
Leaning back, he was quiet for a minute. He nodded and rubbed his eyes before answering. "You saw it didn't you? That's why you hesitated."
Shaking her head, she tried to remember why she hesitated, but it wasn't the red dot that appeared out of nowhere. "I don't know why I hesitated." She said with a frown. "But I don't think it was your fault."
"I had him in my sight. I should have pulled the trigger when I had the chance." He crossed his arms.
"I did too, but for some reason…" She shook her head again to clear her thoughts. "I don't know what happened. Everything is a bit fuzzy." Shrugging her shoulders, she ran her fingers through her hair and let out a heavy sigh. Liam was quiet for a minute, giving Jane the chance to contemplate her memories from that day. "What happened to Sean?" She finally asked the question she really wanted to know the answer to.
"I sent his body back to his brother." Liam watched Jane carefully as he spoke. "It's over now. Seamus agreed to leave you and Maura out of everything as long as I made sure he got his brother back. Of course, his beef with Paddy is another story."
"Paddy…" Jane said the name with a measure of disdain.
"Look, I know what happened between you two. I know how he used you, but Paddy got you to the hospital in time. I'm not asking you to forgive him but at least call the score even. He's given up his freedom to give you and Maura some peace in your life."
"I know, that's what pisses me off. I want to hate him, but I can't." She ground out through clinched teeth.
"I think Ryan pulled a good deal for him getting him minimum security in exchange for what he knows. Of course, he refused to implicate the Russians and the Irish but that still leaves a bag full of bad guys taking the fall."
"It's enough for the higher ups so I guess it should be enough for me."
"But it's not enough, is it?" Liam wondered aloud.
"I just want some sort of reassurance that Maura and I won't have to look over our shoulders for the rest of our lives." She let out a frustrated huff.
"You have it." He looked her in the eyes, the steel blue holding steady. "You have my promise that no harm will ever come to you or your family. You took two bullets and lived to tell about it. The Irish and the Russians respect you for what you did and as long as you leave them to conduct their business without any interference, they consider the case closed. You can do that, can't you?"
"If you had asked me three weeks ago, I would have said 'hell no', but now…" Jane let out a heavy breath. "Yes…I can. That's one of the reasons I decided I needed to quit. Too much of a temptation to be a hero, but I'm not willing to take that chance again."
Liam smiled and reached out to shake Jane's hand. "Good to hear." He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "One thing you need to know though, before I go. We're family now and I will always have your back…no matter what. Don't hesitate to call if you need my help."
"Thanks Liam." She repeated the name in her head, liking the way it sounded. "Do those special skills you have include babysitting?" The smirk she gave him caused him to laugh heartily.
"Everything is negotiable." He said with a smile. "Please tell Maura I'll talk to her later. And Jane…" he said as he turned to leave. "Go easy on her…she loves you more than life itself."
"The sentiment is mutual." Jane smiled as she watched him leave. With a final wave, he stepped through the front door and closed it behind him finally leaving her alone with Maura to do what she had wanted to do the minute she realized Maura was home.
Maura stood at the kitchen sink, looking out the window at the soft glow of light coming from the cottage where Angela now lived. She smiled to herself as she thought the older woman was probably having a hard time staying away. The note she had left Angela earlier asked that her and Jane be given some time alone to talk and sort things out and it appeared that her request was being followed.
The day she had laid out her plan to her mother and Angela, she had expected to get some resistance, but Angela's unwavering support had surprised her. It was no secret that Angela worried about Jane and hated that she put her life on the line everyday she went to work. Maura also knew how much Angela wanted to ask Jane to quit because it was something she had wanted to do since the day Jane joined the BPD. They both agreed that the best thing to do was let Jane make the decision on her own, but Maura hadn't expected it to happen so soon and with such little resistance. The resistance she did face was from her mother who thought it wasn't the right time to leave. But Maura's stubborn streak made it impossible for Constance to talk her out of the decision to take some time to herself. But now she was unsure about it. Maybe she had acted in haste and in hindsight, maybe she should have listened to her mother.
Shaking her head to dispel the uncertain thoughts threatening to make her cry again, she gripped the counter and took a deep breath. 'No…' she thought to herself. 'Jane needed to do this on her own and if I had stayed…' a heavy sigh followed when she didn't finish the thought. A strong arm wrapping around her waist brought Maura to the here and now and the feeling of soft, warm lips against the side of her neck caused her to shiver.
"Can we please just stop hurting each other?" Jane whispered against the crook of Maura's neck.
"I'm not sure, but we can certainly try." Maura leaned into the body pressed against hers.
"How about if I promise to try every day?"
Maura sighed against the pressure of Jane's lips as they moved higher to the spot under her ear that made her knees go weak. "I'd say that's all I could ever ask for."
"Good." Jane closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against Maura's. "But promise me one thing."
"Anything…" Maura said on a shaky breath.
"Don't ever leave me again. I don't think I could survive it."
Turning around in the circle of Jane's arm, Maura settled against the counter so she could look at Jane. With shaky hands, she framed Jane's face and looked her in the eyes. "I promise."
Jane dropped her forehead to Maura's and let out a heavy breath. "I'm so sorry for what I put you through." Tears filled her eyes as she lifted her right hand to run her fingers through Maura's honey-blonde hair. "I missed you so much." Her voice was barely a whisper as she struggled to speak.
"I'm sorry too." Maura wiped at the tears running down Jane's cheeks. "I think it's time for us to put everything behind us for good." She smiled when Jane nodded in agreement. "And I think the best way to do that is to go get our daughter this weekend and bring her home."
Pulling back so she could see Maura's face, Jane couldn't help but look confused and surprised. "Really?" She said with a wide, yet tentative grin.
"Really. The paper work came through. She's officially a Rizzoli-Isles." Maura hesitated and bit her lip.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just that…" Maura worried her lip a moment longer before speaking again. "I want to be a Rizzoli-Isles too."
The way Maura pouted made Jane laugh as she pulled their bodies closer in a hug. "That's why we're getting married. We're still getting married…right?"
"I have a proposal…" Maura giggled at her choice of words. Jane raised a questioning eyebrow and waited patiently for Maura to continue. "Let's get married this weekend."
"Are you serious?" Jane dropped her hand from Maura's hip and took a step back to appraise just how serious she was.
"As a heart attack." Maura reached for Jane's hand. "I don't want to wait anymore. In fact, I considered asking you to elope with me, but I don't think our families would forgive us, so…lets pick up Valley and then get married."
"We could go to Niagara Falls." Jane couldn't contain her excitement.
"Actually, I have an idea." Maura had a sly smile on her face. "I took the liberty of making a few phone calls and we can get married at Fenway Park this Saturday and then stay for the game."
"At home plate?" The giddiness in Jane's voice echoed around them.
Nodding, Maura grinned wide when Jane scooped her up and hugged her tight. "Is that a yes?"
"Yes, yes, yes…" Jane chanted as she buried her face in Maura's silky hair. But then she pulled back, a look of concern on her face. "Um…what about the family? What will we tell them?"
"We'll tell them to be there at five o'clock sharp. The game starts at seven." Maura had a smug smirk on her face at the realization that all of her plans were coming together. "We need to keep it small though. I was able to get the suite, so we can watch the game together."
"You already made the plans?" Jane looked surprised when Maura nodded. "But what if I said no?"
"Let's just say I took a chance and rolled the dice."
"I guess we need to let our Mom's know." Jane laughed because there wasn't a universe where she would ever say no.
"And your brothers, Barry and Vince too." Maura finished off the guest list.
"I told Frankie and Frost about Valley." Jane moved to lean against the counter next to Maura. "And they are so excited. It's kinda cute, actually."
"I'm sorry I wasn't here." Leaning against Jane's tall frame, Maura let out a heavy sigh.
"It's okay." Jane shrugged. "Now that the cat…so to speak…is out of the bag, all we have left to do is get ready for our happily ever after."
"What do you say we start getting Valley's room ready tomorrow?" Maura gave Jane's shoulder a gentle nudge.
"I'd say that I can't wait." Turning again so she was facing Maura, Jane held on tight.
"Um…Jane…" Maura stuttered as she peered over Jane's shoulder. "I think we have company."
"What?" Jane spun around to find Angela with her nose pressed against the back-door window, an anxious look on her face. She rolled her eyes dramatically and shook her head. "And here I thought we might get some alone time…foiled again."
"You let her in and I'll make some tea." Maura turned to gather some mugs from the kitchen cabinet.
"Make sure it's the panda poop one. It's her favorite." Jane said as she moved across the room to let her mother in.
"Jane…?" Maura called out causing Jane to stop and look at her. "I'm sorry I left."
"You're home now and that's all that matters." Jane's smile was genuine and full of love. "And we're getting married this weekend!"
The love and forgiveness that passed between them made Maura's heart soar. It was in that moment that she knew without a shadow of a doubt that everything would be okay. They still had a lot to talk about and decisions needed to be made but they would do it together. And now, the promise of tomorrow was endless, and Maura had every intention of making sure it stayed that way.