DISCLAIMER: I do not own Rizzoli & Isles nor any of the characters from the show. I am writing this purely for entertainment, not profit. Rizzoli and Isles are property of Tess Gerritsen and TNT.

Full disclaimers on Chapter 1

Chapter 22

Jane woke up slowly. She was so comfortable that it felt really hard to drag he conscious back to reality. And when she peeked one eye opened, she realized she was in Maura's house, in Maura's bed to be very specific. And that she was alone in bed.

She stretched slowly, enjoying the sensations of her body reacting to a very late night of repeated love making.

Jane heard the soft rustle of water from the ensuite bathroom, and looked over the bedtable where both their phones were laying side by side. Jane peeked at the hour – it was late, very late. But it was a lazy Saturday, that Jane intended to enjoy thoroughly with Maura.

She then noticed the same number on the top of both screens. Who would have contacted both she and Maura?

Jane unlocked her phone, and realized it was the PT, congratulating her on the achievement (she had sent a thankful note to him as soon as she had learned she had been officially reinstated after her positive results in the requalification tests), and kind of wrapping their treatment.

But then Jane furrowed her brows. Why would the same number of the PT also be writing to Maura? Her curiosity got the best out of her, and hearing the water still going in the bathroom, she spied the notification. It read: "Treatment is over, and the last payment due was sent to you. It was great doing business with you."

Jane sighed, and felt the tears prickling the back of her eyes. In a rush, the memory of her conversation in a waiting room came to her. The famous PT that treated the most famous and affluent athletes really didn't do pro bono.

Maura came out of the bathroom, her body barely clad in a silk robe, as she toweled dried her hair.

"Good morning… I tried not to wake you up…" she offered with a happy smile as she leaned forward to peck Jane's lips.

Jane grasped her wrist, and made her sit by Jane's side, passing an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her tightly.

"Good morning… Care to tell me why my PT was messaging both you and I?..." Jane inquired. She had made a point to keep Maura under her arm, to avoid her having a chance to escape.

"What do you mean?" Maura asked, her voice catching, panic coloring her voice. It had been so hard to get to where they finally were, she didn't want to go any step back right now.

Jane put the two phones side by side, the notifications on top from the PT.

Maura exhaled. She could not lie.

"Please, don't be mad…" It was an honest ask.

Jane felt Maura's body tensing, as if she was trying to get smaller under Jane's arm.

"Mad? Why would I be mad, Maura? If I am guessing correctly, you were the one behind the surprising pro bono offer that man made me. It is thanks to your thoughtfulness and endless generosity that I am not crippled any longer…" Jane kissed the top of Maura's head, and squeezed her tightly against Jane.

"I didn't mention what I was doing to you…"

"You didn't." Jane sighed. "But in retrospect, I would never have accepted it if I knew…"

Maura squeezed Jane back.

"When were you going to tell me?" Jane inquired, softly.

"I would never have told you." Maura replied quietly, swallowing hard. It was the truth.

"Why?"

Maura sighed. "Because there was no need for you to know. It does not make any difference."

"But it does, doesn't it? It is just one more proof, as if I needed any, that you never let go of me."

"You were always my partner, Jane. I didn't stop caring for you even while we were apart." Maura stated, matter-of-fatedly.

"But I was not always yours. In this past year, I behaved as anything but your partner. I went out of my way to keep you at a distance. I am really sorry, Maura. I was very lost… I never stopped caring for you, and I honestly thought that by cutting you off, by keeping you afar, I was protecting you, preventing you from being dragged into my darkness…"

"I had a good idea about why you were acting the way you were acting, Jane. I would never hold it against you. Neither me nor anyone else will ever know how hard these past months were for you. They were hard on me due to not being allowed to be close to you. But you were the one facing hell alone."

"I was facing hell, that I will not deny. But I was never really alone, was I?" Jane smiled gently at Maura, and hugged her tightly to herself.

(…)

"Do you really have to go?" Maura asked, pouting.

It was Sunday and they had just had a very late brunch. They had spent every hour together since Friday night, and it had been pure bliss.

"I do, but you are more than welcome to join me. On Friday, when I shared the news with my family about requalifying, Ma insisted it was more than high time for me to rejoin the Rizzoli's Sunday Dinners… I haven't been to one since… Well, since this nightmare started… So you could join me… if you are ready to be introduced to them as my girlfriend…"

Maura smiled at Jane.

"I promise I will join you and finally meet your family properly, as your girlfriend… But not today… They deserve to have you to themselves just like I did have you entirely to myself since Friday night." Maura kissed Jane lightly. "Will I see you tomorrow at work?"

"Of course… Me, and my new partner Frost."

"How… how did Vince handle that?"

Jane sighed. "Not really well. He took a few days vacation the day Frost started last week."

That explained Maura having noticed Vince's absence from the precinct the past few days.

"Are you sure this is fair with Vince?" Maura tried, quietly.

"I am sure Vince will feel safer with someone he knows can get his back…"

"And this new partner?"

"He is young… But he seems good."

"I will likely see him in the morgue with you soon?"

Jane chuckled. "I doubt it… He seems allergic to gore…"

"Allergic to g… But how will he be handling homicides?" Maura asked, surprised.

"I am sure he will get used to it… See you tomorrow, then?" Jane asked, kissing Maura deeply.

"Tomorrow, my love."

(The end. This cuts to the beginning of Episode 1 of the series… Now potentially to be reimagined with them both already as an established couple!)