East of Wishing by shallow-seas-we-sail

After breaking up with Casey, Jane takes off to Ethiopia to find Maura with nothing but
a toothbrush, a book bag and the clothes on her back. Based on a feltknickers
headcanon. Complete
Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance/Adventure - J. Rizzoli, M. Isles - Chapters: 4 -
Words: 12,571 - Reviews: 100 - Favs: 172 - Follows: 204 - Updated: May 8, 2014 -
Published: Feb 21, 2014 - Status: Complete - id: 10131251

A/N: Based on Feltknickers headcanon around and the s4 finale "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" that
goes a little something like this: Jane decides to marry Casey, and Maura gets fed up with Jane doing stupid
shit, so she goes off to Ethiopia before the wedding. Season 5 picks up with them separated, Jane getting
ready to marry, Maura working with Ian in Ethiopia. Jane is miserable without her best friend. Maura is
miserable without hers. She's feeling homesick and on a particularly difficult day Jane appears in the sparse
'hospital', filthy from two days of travel, carrying nothing but a backpack with a change of clothes and a
toothbrush she bought at the airport

My little interpretation of this. Probably a two/three shot. Thanks to Felt for trusting me to take this little
headcanon for a ride.

Jane licked her lips and pushed further into the mattress. She was letting herself
become lost. She was letting herself sink and drown into her fantasy.

Her hand moved lower and her fingers wound through blonde hair. Her eyes screwed
shut and her hips rolled forward.

Blonde and copper, wisps of caramel and honey tickled her thighs. It reminded her of
summer fading into fall. It reminded of something sweet.

Jane's mind filled with image after image. They flooded her. She was immersed. She had
never let herself become so completely surrounded by her desire. It was forbidden and
made fire race under her skin. She was alive. She felt electric. Her heart drummed in
her chest and a familiar sensation began to twist pleasantly in her stomach. Something
that had only been obtainable in stolen moments alone.

But she was far from alone.

Jane could feel herself rising. She wanted to float away and take every hidden and
stolen thought with her, lock it away and keep it only for herself.

Because it was all she had.

But her back was bowing and the feeling building inside her was threatening to erupt
and spread itself out over her body, into every crack and crevice and a single name had
perched itself in back of her throat, begging to be called out.

Jane's hand flew to her mouth in a desperate attempt to silence herself. The metal that
had become a recent fixture there collided with her teeth and the sound of a single sob
lingered in the room as the moment disappeared.

Soft, flowing curves returned to hard, rough lines. The hands at her thighs were
calloused and held her possessively. The coarse hair that accompanied each kiss made
her want to crawl out of skin.
It was gone - every thought of belonging and of being complete slipped away and Jane
couldn't bring them back.

Not with this body above hers.

Not with his labored breath in her ear.

A sensation filled Jane. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She wanted to
be transparent. She wanted to disappear.

And she realized she had never felt more empty.

"Ma'am?"

Jane snaps her head up from the view she had of her shoes.

"Is that all?"

Jane blinks away the memory and looks up at the cashier in front of her.

"Huh?"

The woman behind the counter rolls her eyes and motions to Jane's hands with her
head, "Just the toothbrush?"

"Wha.. oh, yeah." Jane slips her hand into her pocket and throws a five on the counter.

She doesn't wait for change or care about the mumbled 'bitch' that floats in the air
behind her as makes her way across the terminal. She remembers why she hates
airports. They are too loud, too fast and if one more person runs into her she is
convinced she may get hauled off by the TSA.

Instead, she takes refuge in a small airport bar. Jane glances at her watch and then
back up to her gate. She has twenty minutes before boarding. It is just enough time a
beer.

She orders two and finishes them in ten minutes. She pays and the buzz hits her as she
migrates her way across the terminal. She hands the agent her ticket and passport and
doesn't acknowledge the sweet smile or wishes for safe travel she is given.

Once on the plane, Jane shrugs off her book bag and shoves it under her seat before
sitting down. She pulls her phone from her pocket and types out and sends a quick text
to her mother to let her know she has boarded and her finger lingers over the power
button.

Jane worries her bottom lip and opens back up a new text and types out three simple
words and sends it to a number that has given her no response for the past four days.

Sighing, Jane pushes back into her seat and turns off her phone as the the seat belt
sign above her flashes on and there is movement in the cabin. Flight attendants go
through exits and emergency protocol but it is just droning background noise to Jane.
She looks out the window as the plane begins moving down the tarmac and briefly
wonders what it would take to push open that emergency door at 36,000 feet, because
she has no goddamn idea what she is doing.
The thought passes quickly as the plane gains speed and lifts off and Jane shuts her
eyes as the pressure builds in her head.

And she knows sleep will be elusive just as much here as it had been back home.

She closed her eyes and braced herself against the counter in her kitchen. Her head fell
forward and she exhaled a shaky breath just as Casey's arms circled her waist.

"Good morning, love."

Jane's brow furrowed and a flash of pain moved across her face.

Having him here was physically paining her. He was too close. His proximity used to
give her butterflies, but now it makes her stomach turn and she wanted to run to the
one place she couldn't go to.

Maura was gone.

And she just wanted him gone.

Jane turned in his arms and rolled her shoulders, side stepping out of his embrace. She
wrapped her arm securely around her chest and gripped her bicep tightly.

She became fixated on the tiles on the floor. Little intricate patterns that she had never
noticed before. Fractals that moved seamlessly throughout from one corner to the next.

It was all the same. It was repetitive. It was expected.

It made something in Jane's chest tighten. It made the muscles in her jaw clench and
her teeth grind.

"What's wrong?" He sounded genuinely concerned.

Jane had to contain the urge to roll her eyes.

"This." Jane motioned between them barely with her index finger. Her voice was small.

Casey took a step forward and Jane stepped back.

"You don't want this?" Casey finally asked.

Jane closed her eyes and immediately saw Maura. The feeling in her chest grew tighter.
Maura was walking away and crying. She was pouring her heart out and Jane had stood
there like an idiot and instead of saying all the confessions that had burned at at the
back of her throat, she just let her leave.

So no, she didn't. She didn't want Casey or his stupid ring that was too big. It twisted
and turned around her finger. The diamond dug into her palm and it hurt.

Maura was beautiful and gone and everything hurt.

"No, Casey. I don't want this."

"Then why did you say yes?"

Jane opened her eyes then. She bit back and swallowed all the reasons why before they
could leave her mouth.

'Because you left me no choice.'

'Because I didn't want you to go back and get blown into a million idiot pieces.'

And she knew Casey wasn't a bad guy, just an idiot because he thought she loved being
taken care of. He thought she loved the flowers and the surprise drop-ins and the
romance.

He was just an idiot for thinking she could love him back because that was exactly what
she let him think.

"Jane?" He was trying to keep his temper in check and Jane was sure all those little
pieces of Casey's broken heart would not look the same as the tiles on her kitchen
floor. She didn't want to clean that up.

But here she was.

She wanted to say, 'Because I don't love you. Your ring doesn't fit and I'm not some
invalid that can't clean out her own fridge. I can't handle your pity parties and be
someone who I'm not. I don't want to change. I can't be me, be yours and be hers.'

Jane swallowed hard, because that was it. He couldn't have her heart because it had
been somewhere else all along and now it was half away across the world.

"Because I thought I could give you something you wanted, but can't when I know I
don't want the same thing." The words came out stronger than Jane expected them to,
and with determination she found her footing and walked past Casey and opened her
front door.

His eyes fell. His exit was unceremonious and he turned, floating in the doorway,
stopping just short of the hall.

Jane turned her hand over and the ring easily slipped off her finger. She caught and
pinched it between her finger and thumb.

"Here."

Casey shook his head, "Keep it."

Sighing, Jane reached out and took his hand and turned it over, placing the ring gently
into his palm.

"I can't do that, and you know it."

Casey closed his hand. He gave a short nod before turning and making his way down
the hall.

"Stay safe." Jane called out from her doorway.

He only raised his hand as a goodbye as he disappeared down the stairs.

Hydration comes in the form of $9 Bud Lights, occasionally she chews on ice chips.
Mostly Jane is scribbling on the back of the napkins she gets with each of her over
priced, watered down beers.

She tries to be clever. She tries to write every witty, loving and heartfelt thing she plans
to say when she sees Maura, but it all comes out is crooked lines and it's damn near
illegible. A small pile of discarded napkins grows in the empty seat beside her. She can
feel the familiar sting as tears begin to well up. She presses her forehead against the
window and all Jane can see below her is the distant blue of the ocean in the fading
light.

She is outrunning the sun. Stars begin to peek through the dark canvas that arches and
meets at the horizon. She can just make out the slight curve of the earth below her and
readies herself for the uncertainty looming ahead.

She has big ideas up here. Great heights she wants to believe give her an advantage to
everything that is so small below her.

But it could all fail and every unread, clever line she scribbled down won't mean a damn
thing because Jane can't seem to string together the three words that she needs to say.

They twist up inside of her and get caught in the back of her throat and settles like
cement.

The fear that surrounds her is that she may never have or know Maura again; the sound
of her laugh or be graced with her touch.

'Or the feeling of her against your lips.'

She ran half way around the world to get away.

Sighing, Jane closes her eyes.

She can feel warmth trail down her cheek.

And she can taste salt.

A/N: wow. over 100+ follows for ONE CHAPTER. You guys just.. whoa. Well, here is
the second half with the introduction of Maura's POV. This will wrap up after one more
chapter and will bounce back and forth between Jane and Maura's POV from here on
out. This also references some of last nights episode (just dialogue wise) Flashbacks are
in italics. I've always had the song 'Say Something' playing in my head (and in the
background) while writing this. If you haven't heard that, go listen to it and cry your
face off, okay? You all are awesome and thank you for reading and for your feedback!

A small green light flashes on her phone. Maura catches it in the corner of her eye and
she knows who the message is from even before she opens it. They have all been the
same.

I miss you.
I miss you.
I miss you.
For three days and each time it reads differently to Maura.

Sadness.
Desperation.
Atonement.

And today's will be no different. She will read Jane's message and begin her response
before giving up, because she simply has nothing left to say. Maura had let it all out -
years of pent up frustration for every ounce of love that had clung to every fiber of her
being. She let out and watched as it fell, withered away and was left abandoned at
Jane's feet.

And she misses Jane so much that it makes the the muscle in her chest ache. She wants
to tell Jane how she is doing - how she is saving small, fragile lives and how she isn't
scared of the living here because the gratitude she has seen in so many eyes makes her
not afraid.

Everything is so decidedly human.

She picks up her phone and wills herself to sit up. The cot creaks as she shifts and sits
with her back against the wall. Her thumb slides across the screen and she forgets to
breathe.

Only one word has changed and Maura isn't sure how many times she re-reads the
message, only that the tears in her eyes eventually make it impossible.

And it isn't fair. She curses and tosses her phone to end of the cot. Jane isn't being fair.
Sadness and anger well up inside of Maura because Jane Rizzoli is monstrous. She
burns bright and the distance she has put between them is inconsequential. Maura can't
escape her. Jane is everywhere and has designated a corner of Maura's heart just for
herself.

The ache in her chest seeps out into the spaces between her ribs. She cries for the
third night in a row until she exhausts herself and the only sound that fills her head is
the sound of heart and the whispered clicks of her eyes as she tries to blink away her
tears.

Thunder sounds in the distance as sleep finally takes hold.

Turbulence makes Jane's stomach drop and she surges forward in her seat. The pile of
napkins beside her defy gravity as the plane drops and Jane's grip of the armrests
becomes white knuckled.

The captains static filled voice comes over the speakers and Jane looks out the
window. They are moving through clouds and she can barely see the wing. Her mind
circles morbid scenarios as the plane banks left and the cabin shakes.

Quickly Jane gathers the napkins beside her and pulls her book bag out from under her
seat. She unzips and shoves the mass of paper into a side pocket.

She closes her eyes and hugs her bag to her chest. If she is goes down with this plane
maybe they can at least find the bag in her arms - maybe the notes there will find their
way to Maura.
Maybe she will have time to scribble out one last line before they collide with the
earth.

The pen on her tray table falls and rolls off down the aisle as plane drops again.
Someone shouts. Jane expects oxygen masks to appear.

Then suddenly it is calm and she can hear gears whiz and whirl to life. The plane begins
its descent. Jane opens her eyes and can't tell if it is rain on the windows or if her own
tears that have gotten in the way.

The sky is grey and the air smells of earth and electricity. Thunder booms above Jane
as she steps out into 'arrivals' area. Her hand slips into her pocket and she pulls out a
worn post-it note.

'Nekemte.'

She steps to the curb and puts her hand out, but each taxi she attempts to wave down
passes her by. She rubs her eyes and tries to shake the James Cameron movie marathon
that played for twelve hours out of her head and stomps her foot as another taxi drives
pass her.

After ten minutes the rain is falling so hard that her shoes have soaked through and
Jane realizes she doesn't have another pair of socks. Her hands ball into fists and she
resists the urge to scream. A gentle tap on her shoulder only adds to her frustration.

"Ma'am?"

Jane spins on her heels and she glares into the face of the person who is fucking stupid
enough to cross the line into her personal space.

"Where do you need to go?" He speaks slowly. His accent is thick.

Jane looks him over. He is young. No older than 17 she guesses. He isn't wearing a shirt
and his cargo shorts are muddy. He swallows hard then forces a brilliant, white smile at
Jane.

"Nekemte. I need to get to the hospital there."

His face twists with concern. "Are you okay?"

Jane shakes her head, "Yeah. I just.. can you get me there?"

The young boy straightens his back and nods his head proudly.

"Yes. Two hundred American dollars."

Jane's eyebrow arches, "Really? Two hundred?"

The boy nods again and looks around him, "No other taxi will take you in weather like
this. I can get you there."

Dark eyes narrow and Jane studies him for a moment before pulling her wallet from her
back pocket.
"What's your name, kid?" Her fingers brush over two crisp bills before pulling them out
and handing them over.

"Akeem." He takes the bills and shoves them into his pocket and smiles. He turns and
waves his hand for Jane to follow, "This way."

Jane lifts her shoulder and adjusts the strap of her bag, "Lead the way, Akeem."

The boy makes good on his promise and they pull up to the hospital three hours later.
Jane is impressed and a bit surprised they hadn't lose a wheel. Akeem had shown quite
a talent for hitting every pot hole in the road. The ache in Jane's head amplifies as the
car comes to a stop. The rain has let up and now falls as a steady drizzle.

Stepping out of the car and into the dark, Jane gives the boy a tight smile and a short
wave.

"I hope you are okay, ma'am."

"Me too, kid." Apprehension edges into her voice as she makes her way up the gravel
path. The fence that surrounds the hospital twists in the stone it is embedded in.
Cracks and trails of rust run across the rocks. Paint peels from the entrance sign and
the security lights sway in the wind. The sight is bleak and Jane can feel the sting of
bile rise in the back of her throat as she stops walking.

This is all such a bad idea.

Her eyes burn. She is exhausted and droplets of rain gather speed and race from her
scalp and down the back of her neck. She can feel knots begin to form in her stomach
as she wills her legs to move. Jane licks her lips as she gets closer to the doors. Rain
and sweat.

In her head she pictures Maura standing in the hall, waiting for her expectantly. She
pushes in the doors and steps into the dim lobby lights. There are hardly signs of life
aside from a nurse pushing by her with an empty wheel chair.

There is no Maura rushing into her arms and the wind howls outside.

A shaky breath escapes Jane as a firm grip takes hold around her bicep and pulls her
quickly around the corner and out of the hall. She barely has time to register it before
she is colliding with someone's chest.

"Jane?" The accent is familiar and Jane looks up, "What are you doing here?"

It's Ian. Jane swallows hard. She hasn't thought this far ahead and when she opens her
mouth to speak she must look like swallowing air because she can't find the words and
Ian's face twists up in confusion and anticipation. It seems to be a recurring theme in
her life at the moment. She purses her lips and searches her brain for an answer.

"I needed to see Maura." Jane mumbles, her eyes becoming downcast.

Ian's grip loosens and he rubs his hand up and down Jane's arm reassuringly. He lets
out a heavy sigh.

"I'm not sure if that is the best idea." He finally concedes.

And Jane isn't sure if it is a cry or a laugh, but it catches in the back of her throat and
tumbles out of her mouth. A stab of pain moves through her chest and she can't think of
anything that will fill in the empty space left behind there.

"Yeah, I get it." Jane rubs the back of her neck

"She hasn't stopped talking about you."

Jane smiles and feels lighter for moment when and glances up at Ian. His eyes are kind
and hint at understanding. There is hope.

"About how shitty of a friend I am?" She sniffs and looks away, her eyes landing back
on the hospital doors. She dismisses the thought of fleeing that had been dancing
around in the back of her head.

Ian chuckles, "Not is so many words. Mostly how much she loves you."

The words make Jane's heart pound madly in her chest and Ian takes a step back,
studying her. His eyes hint at more and before Jane can ask he is offering her his arm,
"You look ragged. Here, come with me."

Jane waves off his offer and he shrugs as he turns and makes his way down the hall.
"You are a big part of her life." He says over his shoulder.

'And she is the love of my life.' The words rattle around in Jane's head and make her
feel warm and a little terrified.

They stop in front of a worn door that Ian unlocks and pushes open. He extends his
arm and Jane walks by him.

"Wow, you guys spare no expense, huh?" Jane taps her shoe against an uneven metal
desk in the center of the room. Drawers are missing and there is a scattering of papers
across the top of it. The file cabinet and book shelf that line either side of the wall are
in disarray.

"None. Maura and I actually share the space." Ian smiles as he flips up the light switch
and closes the door behind him.

Jane's eyes widen. "Maura parks herself behind this thing?" She grips the side of the
desk and rattles it. "She couldn't import that mahogany piece she keeps in her study?"

Ian's hands disappear into his pockets and he rocks back on his feet. "She is so much
more than all of that. She adds a class here all her own that can light up a room." He
reaches up and taps the naked bulb hanging from the ceiling.

"I know." Jane bites her lip and her finger trails across the chipped and rusty edge of
the desk.

The soft hum of electricity fills in the spaces and silence between them.

"I was surprised to hear from her. She told she wanted to take a leave of absence from
the department and come back out here with me. I will admit, at first I was ecstatic at
the idea of getting her back." Ian says stepping forward.

Jane's eyes cut to his and he smiles. She can feel jealousy flare up inside her.
"But I quickly realized she wasn't here for me." He turns and leans against the desk
beside Jane and crosses his arms. "She was here because of you."

Jane lets go of the breath she doesn't know she's holding.

"I hurt her." Jane shakes her head. "I was an ass and so stupid-.."

"I think she called you the most clueless detective she has ever met." Ian says with a
smirk.

The small laugh that rumbles around in Jane's chest is quickly silenced by the door
opening. It sends a bolt up Jane's spine and she fumbles to stand up straight. Her arms
fall to her sides as Maura steps into the room.

Jane's heart drums wildly in her chest and all those clever lines become a haze as they
fly out of her head.

Looking up from the file in her hand, Maura's eyes grow wide and she steps back. She
floats in the doorway, glancing back and forth between Ian and Jane.

The light above Jane's head begins to fracture. Star bursts of color flicker and dance in
front of her eyes. She vaguely wonders if this is what it's like trace a constellation - all
of those far off, dusty balls of light coming together to form something beautiful.

Jane swallows hard and tries to focus on Maura's face. Her eyes trail from the her lips
to her eyes and Maura looks so, so lost. She is drifting further away until she finally
becomes a pinpoint - a distant star that Jane simply cannot hold.

The earth shifts beneath Jane. It rises up and swallows her into a cold darkness.

Maura didn't like it, the way Jane displayed her hand. She pressed her palm into the
island in her small kitchen and flicked her left wrist out casually.

"I said yes." The corners of Jane's lips turned up into a small smile. The sight made
Maura's stomach knot and she narrowed her eyes as she looked down at Jane's hand.
Her eyes trailed over a waning scar and settled on a simple gold band. It was a princess
cut.

Maura titled her head. She always envisioned platinum complimenting Jane's skin tone -
something with sapphires set into the band. Deep and blue, like the veins that ran
through Maura and pumped Jane in them. She had secretly played out the fantasy
multiple times - browsing designer bouquets online and customizing her order. She
would stare proudly at it before she closed the browser, allowing the dream disappear
into the ether.

She did not like this gaudy diamond.

When she looked up at Jane, she was being studied.

"I'm supposed to get all giddy and girly and you're supposed to squeal over it."

Maura shook her head and blinked, "Why would I squeal over a colorless crystalline
form of pure carbon?" Her tone was laced with indifference.
"You're not happy for me?"

Maura remained silent.

Jane's hand dropped as she took Maura's into her own and laced their fingers. Maura
brought their intertwined hands up. Her thumb dipped into the valleys between Jane's
knuckles and brushed over the ring.

It was too big. Casey didn't even know her size.

"You're a seven." Maura said quietly.

A snort of laughter escaped Jane, "I am. How'd you know?"

Maura shrugged, "This is too big for you."

"I can get it fitted."

Jane's fingers tightened around her own, and Maura felt trapped.

"You have to admit, it's pretty."

Glancing down, Maura forced a smile as she pulled her hand out of their embrace, "So!
You're leaving? Do you see yourself as a General's wife?" Maura glanced around the
kitchen and averted her eyes. She couldn't look at Jane.

Her fingers trailed absently over the cool granite of the counter.

"Wha-? No."

"Casey is going to retire then?"

Jane chewed at her bottom lip, "I don't know."

Something rose in Maura's chest. It felt like anger. It was a myriad emotions mixed with
years of frustration - stolen looks or a touch that lingered too long. It was the
electricity she felt when Jane moved close to her in her sleep and wrapped her arm
around her waist.

It was like being set on fire.

"You don't know?" Maura erupted, "That's it. You just don't know?! God Jane, are you
that thick?"

Jane's eyes widened and her jaw fell slack, "Wha-"

"Tell me you're that oblivious. Tell me that you never saw me in front of you all this
time and I'll stop now."

The look that stapled itself to Jane's face told Maura all she needed to know. She had
crossed line they had been avoiding for years.

"God." Maura scoffed and closed her eyes. She pressed the heels of her palms against
her head, "I'm an idiot to think that you would do something.. that you would act on any
of this." Her hands fell to her sides. She felt utterly defeated.
"Jane, for years I have waited patiently for you to-... sort all of this out-." Maura's hand
pressed against her chest. She wanted to protect her heart, "But all you've done is hurt
me - in the most subtle ways. And I had convinced myself you would come down in
some perfect moment and say every word I needed to hear and this would set itself
right. But it hasn't and clearly it won't."

Tears stung her eyes but Maura pushed forward - the confessions poured out of her.
Her chest heaved and she struggled to fight back the want to choke on her words and
cry out instead.

"But being this close to you now devastates me." Something shattered in her chest as
the words left her mouth, "Because you are a reminder of what I will never have."

Tears that lingered at their edge finally fell and Maura pushed her hand into the
counter to brace herself as a sob ripped through her.

She could see Jane reaching out for her and Maura knew if Jane touched her she would
fall apart. She struggled to find her voice.

"Don't touch me!"

Maura took a step back and pulled a quivering lip between her teeth, "I can't have you
touch me." She needed distance. She needed to breath. She shook her head.

And then she laughed. It wasn't familiar to her. It was desperate and broken.

"Are you going to say anything?" Maura asked incredulously.

Jane stared at her.

"Say something!"

Jane's movement was a blur and Maura found herself with strong arms wrapped around
her waist. They pulled her in quickly and close. Lips and teeth collided. A hand moved
up her spine and tangled into the hair at the base of her neck. Jane's tongue darted
across her bottom lip and Maura devoured the moan that followed when Jane kissed
her deeply.

An ache shot through her and warmth settled into the pit of her stomach. It made
Maura burn bright and she wanted so much more.

She pressed her hands against Jane's chest and pushed herself away. Jane grunted and
stumbled back into the counter as Maura backed up to the door and opened it.

"Don't go." Jane's words came out strangled.

Maura shook her head as she turned quickly and stepped into the hall. She didn't close
the door as she ran for the stairs.

Her name echoed behind her.

"Maura."
The sound of her name jars Maura from her thoughts. She gathers Jane's hand and
cradles it between her own. The IV in Jane's vein settles just below her bare ring finger.
Maura brushes over the vacancy with the pad of her thumb.

She remains silent as she perches herself on the edge of Jane's cot.

Pain flashes across the features of Jane's face. She has been sleeping for almost 16
hours and gone through two bags of saline. She had been dehydrated and exhausted.

Jane's eyes struggle to open before closing tightly again. Maura can see tears pushing
to the corner of her eyes. They trail down and disappear into her hairline.

She leans forward and presses her lips to Jane's cheek. She brings her hand up and her
fingertips smooth over the fine hairs at her temple. Maura wants to tell her that she is
here and that she hasn't left her side.

She wants to say she would never leave - the way Jane had promised her years ago.

But silence is all she can convey and words escape her as her own tears race with
Jane's, becoming lost in obsidian hair.

AN: I am so sorry for the delay getting this up. Work, impending baby, LIFE. I want to
say this is done, but I maybe kinda have a final chapter floating around in my head to
wrap this up back in Boston. We'll see. All the kudos to Feltknickers for putting up with
me and my delays and rambling apologizes for not being more timely with this. She's a
pal.

Maura taps the end of the pen between her teeth as she reads over the file setting on
her lap.

She emanates a soft hum as she flips the page.

Jane lies stock still.

But Maura knows she is listening.

"You're awake."

Jane cracks open an eye and peeks over at Maura. She intently continues to read the
file in front of her.

"How did you-"

"You were making a fist." Maura flips her hand over and points with her pen.

Jane eases her fingers and her nails pull back from her palms. She stretches out her
hand, and IV tape pulls at her skin. She wipes her hands across her face before pushing
herself up. She pulls in her knees and hugs them to her chest. She glances out the
window above her. Drops of rain race down it.

"How are you feeling?"

Maura still isn't looking at her.

Jane shrugs, "Okay. Hungry."

Maura's eyes stay fixed on the on the folder in her lap, "The nurse should be returning
soon with lunch." She licks her lips and lets go of the corners of pinched paper she has
been slowly flipping through. She watches them settle and can hear her blood pumping
rapidly in her ears.

"How did you find me?" Maura folds her hands politely over the file and looks at Jane.

Jane rests her head against her knees and studies Maura. Dark circles tug underneath
red eyes. Exhaustion and sadness are etched into her features.

They make her appear hard.

But really, Maura just looks defeated.

"Good morning to you, too." Jane tries for humor

"It's four in the afternoon, actually."

And falls flat. Her eyes grow wide and her head snaps up, "How long have I been
asleep!?"

"A little over sixteen hours. You fainted."

Jane blinks hard and her eyes dart around the room trying to remember. She had been
with Ian when Maura had came in. Her stomach lurches at the memory.

"How did you find me, Jane?" She asks again, firmly. Maura's voice jars Jane and she
shakes her head of the memory.

"Susie." She answers quietly.

Maura sits back in her chair, "She promised me she wouldn't tell-"

"She talked. I have a gun, remember?"

Hazel eyes narrow, "Jane."

"Maura."

Their chastising tones match. She can imagine Jane spending a day stalking behind
Susie in the lab until she cracked and poured out information.

"Why did you come here then?"

Jane's eyes widen and she stares at Maura as if it is the most obvious thing in the
world, "Why wouldn't I?"

Maura's eyes flicker down to Jane's hand and then back up, holding steady with a dark
gaze.

Jane wrings her hands together. Her thumb pushes hard into the scar of her palm and
she pulls at her ring finger. "Casey and I.. we aren't together. I.." Jane forces herself to
sit a bit straighter in an attempt to catch her fleeing reserve, "I broke up with him."
"And you thought if you did that and came out here we would be together?" Maura's
words bite back and Jane searches her brain for a response.

Because that was the plan.

Jane swallows hard and she absently pulls at the edge of the sheet covering her.

Right?

"Maura, I-"

The door pushes open and Jane flinches. A nurse walks in carrying a tray and Maura
stands quickly, breaking their stare. She thanks the woman and quickly dismisses her.
She sets the tray at the end of Jane's cot.

"You should eat."

Jane waves off the idea, "I've lost my appetite." Her hands run through tangled hair
before she drops them back into her lap. She pulls at the medical tape on the back of
her hand and fidgets with her IV.

"Let me." Maura says, moving around the cot and kneeling beside Jane. She surrenders
her hand. A sharp breath catches in Jane's throat and she bites her lip as she watches
Maura pull the needle free of the vein that owns her heart.

The gentle brush of a thumb wipes away the small rising point of blood and Jane's
hands deceive her before her brain can catch up. She captures Maura's hand between
her own.

"I came for you." She says quietly.

When she looks up, Maura's face is expressionless. Jane searches her eyes for a safe
place, but gold and green flicker with confusion.

Maura gently pulls her hands free and pushes herself up on the edge of the cot. She
stands and takes a step back to the seat behind her. She wants to shield herself. She
wants to erect walls and make Jane come to her.

She wants to scream.

And she wants to run and be found all over again.

She wants the truth, but doesn't want the scars; and she isn't sure she can have the
lasting marks etch themselves into the walls that surround her heart because this is all
she wants.

And it terrifies her.

Buzzing at her hip brings back Maura from her thoughts and she pulls at the pager at
the waistband of her scrubs.

"I'm needed in the ER."

Jane nods weakly as she watches Maura stand and move towards the door.
"We can talk later. There is a shower through the door behind you. Your bag is in
there.." Maura's grip becomes tighter on the knob and she hesitates, "I'm glad you're
here, Jane."

And Jane can barely contain flip her stomach does or the smile that pulls at her lips.
She glances down and wiggles her toes underneath the sheet, nodding.

When the door shuts, Jane tosses back the covers and stands. She stretches and
glances down at the tray perched at the end of her cot. She tries to decipher the food,
but it is a palette colors on a pancake. Jane scrunches her nose and moves it to a small
side table. She decides it is better to wait and ask Maura as she walks back to the
shower.

A neat pile of toiletries had been laid out along with her clothes and Jane can't help but
smirk at Maura's consideration. She twists the knobs in the shower and steam begins to
fill the room.

Jane suddenly feels a childlike giddiness peak and flutter madly in her chest as she
picks up her toothbrush.

She resists the urge to sing into the bristly head.

Jane wipes the steam from the mirror and studies herself. She runs her hands nervously
over her face before picking up her faded Sox shirt and slipping it over her head. She
pulls her hair back into a messy ponytail before putting back each item that had been
laid out for her.

She has finally found all the words to make these miles disappear.

Voices leave her hand hovering over a small bottle of shampoo. She strains to listen
and takes a step back, opening the door. A flash of heat moves under Jane's skin. There
is an argument unfolding in the hallway. She can't understand what is being said, men
are talking over each other. It is aggressive and one voice in particular, Maura's voice,
makes adrenaline course through her veins and sends her body into action.

Jane moves quickly through the room. Pulling open the door she hesitates in the
hallway, listening for the voices to lead her in the right direction. She takes off in a
sprint and turns the corner sharply, running into the back of someone. Jane steps back
as he turns. He is armed and muscle memory sends Jane's hand to her unarmed hip.

Her timing is off and she can't deflect the hand that tangles into her hair and sends the
side of her face into the wall. The pain is acute and she can feel warmth trickle down
the side of her face as he presses against her with all of his weight. Jane grits her teeth
and brings her knee up swiftly into this groin. The soldier stumbles back, hunched over
and cradling himself with one hand while his other reaches for the gun at his hip.

"Jane!"

Maura appears in front of her, pushing her back, but Jane's eyes are burning to the
soldier behind her. He has his gun raised, and Jane quickly pulls Maura behind her.

He is shouting nonsense at her - stalking towards her. Jane doesn't understand him, but
she doesn't need to. She can feel Maura tugging at the belt loops of her cargo shorts,
pulling her back from the fight her body is tensing for.
"Jane, let me speak to him." Maura keeps her tone modulated and she can feel Jane
ease her hands back. Fingertips brush against the tops of her thighs as Jane lowers her
mounting defense, but she is determined to remain a shield.

Maura raises her hand and begins to step around Jane and speaks directly to the
soldier. Her words are rushed and incoherent to Jane. He stops and Maura glances up
at Jane quickly. Blood runs from a cut near her temple at her brow. Jane's eyes flicker
between her and the soldier and Maura catches the subtle nod she gives her.

"Go back to the room and wait for me there." Maura says calmly, resting her hand on
Jane's shoulder. The muscles in Jane's jaw tighten and set. The commotion has brought
nurses scurrying from around the corners of the halls to attend to the curious patients
who have started to gather in their doorways.

"What's going on?" Quick footsteps echo down the hall along with Ian's voice.

His eyes grow wide when he notices the blood on Jane's face, "What happened?"

"These assholes-"

"These men-" Maura cuts into Jane's words with authority, "brought in an injured
soldier. A nurse had refused them our service and I was trying to explain that we refuse
no one here, not even militia."

Ian nods, "I'll take care of them and the nurse. Take Jane back."

Maura grips Jane's forearm and leads her around the corner, back to their room.

"Maura, I'm sorry." Heat pricks at the back of Jane's neck as Maura pushes open the
door.

"What was that, Jane?!" Maura pinches the bridge of her nose and takes in a deep
breath, trying to calm her nerves. Her frustration wins out and she turns abruptly and
slams the door, "You could have been shot!"

"I was trying to protect you!" Jane erupts.

"I had everything under control. You made the situation dangerous."

Jane opens her mouth to speak, but quickly finds her has no words. She turns on her
heels and disappears in the bathroom. She snatches up her book bag off the floor and
unzips the side pocket, pulling out a handful of napkins. Jane wipes them angrily over
her cheek and brow.

"Jane." Maura steps into the bathroom and rests her hand on Jane's bicep as she raises
her other and brushes her thumb gently over her temple, examining the cut, "You're
going to need stitches."

Jane presses the handful of napkins against her brow. She licks her lips and turns,
leaning against the sink. Maura gives her a sad smile, "Come here. Sit."

She follows and perches herself on the edge of her cot as Maura kneels and slides a
first aid kit from under it.

"I know you were only trying to protect me, but you need to trust that I can take care
of myself. Especially here." Maura removes a small suturing kit and sets it beside Jane.
"Is that why you came here? To protect yourself?" Jane asks, dropping her hand from
her face. Maura tears open a small alcohol pad.

"This is going to sting." Maura says hesitantly. She brushes the pad over the cut and
Jane bites back the hiss of pain trying to escape from her.

"Yes. That is part of the reason why I came." Maura trails the pad down Jane's cheek,
wiping away blood.

"What is the other reason?"

Maura sighs and tucks the pad back into packaging. Pushing herself up, she picks up
the suturing kit and sets it in her lap as she sits beside Jane.

"I didn't want to be hurt anymore." She says removing a pair of latex gloves and putting
them on.

Jane worries her bottom lip as she looks down at her fidgeting hands, "That wasn't my
intention."

"I know that it wasn't, but here we are."

Jane takes in a wavering breath. She winches as the needle pierces her skin.

"Sorry." Maura ties and cuts the stitch quickly, "One more."

"S'ok." Jane says between her teeth.

Maura ties off the final stitch and drops her hands, removing her gloves. She closes the
suturing kit and sets it beside her and turns her attention back to Jane.

"You can't always protect me, and I can't always save you. I can't always put you back
together, Jane."

"Then don't."

Maura's eyes flicker with confusion, "I don't understan-.."

A mirth of laughter escapes Jane as she shakes her head. She gathers Maura's hands
into her own, "Don't you get it? I fell apart when I fell for you."

Maura's lips purse into a thin line and she looks down at their intertwined hands in her
lap, "Then why did you say yes? If you knew how-.." The want to cry out settles in the
back of Maura's throat and tears sting her eyes, ".. how I felt. How you felt, even."

Jane takes in a steadying breath, "Because you do this."

Gently, Jane takes Maura by the wrist and guides her, pressing her palm against her
chest. Jane's heart drums madly in the confines of her ribs.

"Every time I am around you, my heart beats so loudly it is in the only thing I can hear."
Jane's eyes flutter and close, "And when I close my eyes it is the only thing I can focus
on. Everything turns into chaos."
When Jane opens her eyes, Maura is staring back at her. Wet trails of tears streak and
race down her cheeks.

"When I was with Casey, the only sound I ever heard was silence. That was me settling
because this.." She presses Maura's hand harder into her chest, "this is you, and it made
too much sense. It terrified me, but you are the only thing that has ever made sense,
Maura. And I'm sorry I couldn't say it that to you. I'm sorry I made you run. I should
have told you.."

Maura shakes her head, "Jane-.."

"I love you." Jane says in a staccato breath before cupping Maura's face and pressing a
gentle kiss to her lips. Maura's hand holds steady at her chest, feeling each trembling
beat of Jane's heart. Her fingers tangle into her shirt and pull her closer, the broken
pieces of her own heart suddenly setting themselves back together and into something
whole.

Pulling back, Maura's searching eyes find Jane's. They are warm and ache to be
forgiven. She has never felt safer looking out into the dark.

"How do you do that?" Jane asks, her knuckles brushing down Maura's cheeks in unison,
capturing tears along their way.

"Do what?"

"Be so damn beautiful."

A small bubble of laughter rumbles in the back of Maura throat as she brings Jane's
hands to her chest, "I'm crying."

Jane smiles as she leans forward and presses a quick kiss to the tip of Maura's nose,
"You're still beautiful."

Jane's hand moves from Maura's lap and encircles her waist, pulling at her hip. Scooting
closer, Maura rests her head at Jane's shoulder and nuzzles herself into the crook of her
neck, breathing her in.

Glancing down, she notices the bloodied napkins and Jane's scribbled words.

"What is this?" Maura asks. She unfolds the napkin and smooths it over Jane's thigh.

Jane grits her teeth, "Poetry."

Maura leans back slightly and glances up at Jane. Her expression is pained.

"You write poetry?"

"Not well. Especially not on a plane and sorta drunk."

Maura exhales a snort of laughter and begins to read leaving, Jane's heart to hammer
wildly in her chest.

If you were pulled below

I'd open the earth and map hell
To bring you something sweet
And if you were to rise above
I'd earn righteous wings and lay siege to heaven's gates
To lay roses at your feet.

But if it is rest that you craved

I would offer you my chest
To watch over your dreams as you slept

A new wave of tears begin to well up in Maura's eyes as she leans back and looks at
Jane.

"Who knew you were such a poet?"

Jane rolls her eyes, "It's not any good and no one. No one can ever kno-."

She is silenced with a kiss and a halfhearted groan of protest vibrates against Maura
lips along with a smile, "Who knew you were such a muse?"

Silence envelops them and incessant raindrops continue to fall outside.

"What do you hear?" Maura ask quietly, lowering her head and pressing a warm kiss to
Jane's neck.

"Your heart."

Maura smiles and snuggles in closer.

She doesn't mind if it rains in heaven everyday.

A/N: final chapter! thank you for your patience and sticking with this story!

"What did you say to him?" Jane asked quietly into a caramel hairline.

"Hmm?" Maura adjusted herself on the cot they shared. Their bodies naturally slotted
into place and Maura reveled in the curves and warmth of Jane pressed against her.
She lifted her head from Jane's chest and her nose pressed against the underside of the
brunettes jaw. She placed a chaste kiss there, "Who?"

"The soldier."

Maura pressed another kiss to the pulse point at Jane's neck. She felt it flutter and
quicken beneath her lips, "I told him you were unstable."

Jane snorted, and the arm wrapped around Maura moved. Fingers trailed over her
shoulder, down her arm and up again. It was a sensation that Maura immediately found
comfort in.

"You told him I was crazy." Jane's accusatory tone was playful.

Maura shrugged, "In so many words. You came all the way here on a whim. To some
that could be considered crazy."

"Do you think it is?"

Maura pursed her lips in thought for a moment, "Maybe. It is a bit outside the realm of
normal."

Jane's embrace tightened around her, pulling Maura close and then easing her onto her
back as she rolled them over. Dark tresses fell around Maura's face, shielding them from
all but each other. She peered up at the devious smirk tugging at the corner of Jane's
mouth.

"You're outside realm of normal." Jane murmured, "It's one of the things I love about
you."

Fingertips moved from Maura's shoulder and across her collarbone while a hand moved
down her side and rested at her hip. Maura watched dark eyes flicker down to her lips
and unconsciously licked her own. Jane lowered her head and warmth coiled low in
Maura's stomach. Her breath hitched when teeth nipped and grazed her bottom lip.

"I am, you know." Jane's words cascaded over Maura's lips and she raised her head only
for Jane to back away with a grin.

"You're what?" Maura asked tilting her head, frustrated.

"Crazy."

Maura rolled her eyes, "You're no-"

"For you I am." Jane interrupted, pressing her finger to Maura's lips, "Certifiably insane.
I would have followed you anywhere. You could have gone to the moon and I would
have learned to fly. You are worth keeping, Maura. I would have been crazy not to
come."

Maura kissed the retreating finger at her lips and Jane smiled as her hand fell away and
trailed across Maura's cheek. Jane shifted her weight, her thigh pressing tightly
between Maura's legs as her hand wrapped around the cots bar beside blondes head.

Maura swallowed away the moan threatening to escape from the back of her throat.

"Don't tell anyone I said that." Jane mumbled, her lips brushing the corner of Maura's
mouth.

"Oh, I'm a vault." Maura pressed her hand to chest and covered her heart.

Lips descended on to Maura's; tentative at first before deepened. Maura pulled gently
at the collar of Jane's shirt and she rolled her hips forward, pressing into Jane's thigh.
An approving moan rumbled against her lips. Hands trailed down the sides of Jane's
body and around the swell of her breasts before twisting around the belt loops of her
shorts and tugging her waist forward.

She untangled her hands and moved from Jane's waist to the hem of her shirt, and
disappeared underneath it. They ran across the smooth small of Jane's back and she felt
the muscles that contracted with each roll of her hips.

She broke off from the frenzied kiss when Jane's hand moved from her hip and pulled at
the knot of her scrub pants.

"Wait.."
Jane's movements froze, "I.. I'm sorry. I wanted to.." She bit at her bottom lip in
embarrassment, "I'm not sure what I'm doing."

Maura brought a hand to Jane's face, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear.
Her other stayed firmly at Jane's back, refusing a retreat should she try one.

"No, no. I want you to, it's just I don't think here is the place." She said reassuringly.
Maura tangled her hand into the hair at the base of Jane's neck and gently guided her
down into a soft kiss. Words she had repeated to herself on lonely nights begged to fall
from her lips.

"I lo-"

The sound of the door clicking propelled Maura up from a warm embrace, causing Jane
to roll land on her side. Ian entered the room and Maura ran her hands through her
hair.

"Just me." He said, winking, "But you should really lock the door, you don't know who-"

"I know." Maura waved her hands. Ian raised his own in mock defense and nodded,
moving on from the subject.

Dropping her hands to her lap, Maura looked over her shoulder, Jane gave her a weak
smile as she tucked one hand under her head.

"I'm sorry," Maura said, shaking her head, "I left you on the floor alone. Is everything
okay?"

Ian waved off the comment as Jane's hand moved under Maura's scrub top. Strong
fingers kneaded into the tension on either side of her spinal column. A small wave of
relief flooded her.

Ian closed the door behind him and he leaned back against it, "Everything is fine. What
I wanted to talk to you about was going back to Boston." He said, taking a step
forward, "I have everything under control here. You're under no obligation to stay"

Maura worried her bottom lip before speaking, "Thank you, Ian. I will consider it."

Jane's fingers stilled on her back and pulled away.

Ian smiled and nodded as he stepped back towards the door, "I'm just going to lock
this."

Maura forced a smile as the door closed. She looked back over her shoulder at Jane.

She was staring intently at the ceiling, fingers drumming against her stomach. Maura
turned and laid back down, curling into the body beside her. She rested her hand over
Jane's, stilling the anxious movement and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I had planned on staying a month."

Jane swallowed hard and turned her head away.

"Do you need more time?" Jane asked weaky, "I just showed up and expected.. I
assumed.." She wiped her hand across her face, "I'm an idiot." She finished quietly.
Pushing up on her elbow, Maura looked down. Jane's features had fallen. Vulnerability
seeped from each worried line that had etched itself into her brow and around her eyes.

Maura's voice became firm, "Jane, look at me."

When dark eyes found her own and the tears that were perched there spilled over.
Maura reached out tentatively and captured each one.

"I don't need time, Jane, but I do need you to trust me."

Jane nodded and turned, burying her face into Maura's neck. A sad smile spread across
Maura's face, and she dipped her head, pressing a kiss into Jane's hair.

"You have me, unequivocally so. I would be staying to help the people that need it. Not
to stay away from you."

Jane nodded again, "I know."

"Okay." Maura smiled. She pressed a reassuring kiss to her temple as her finger
followed the line of Jane's jaw. She pressed gently up and Jane raised her head,
allowing their lips to meet in a slow kiss.

"I'll come home to you." Maura whispered, the words falling somewhere between a
promise and a prayer.

The flicker of city lights dance off the cabin window as the plane begins its descent.

Jane had left two weeks ago, but not before stubbornly refusing. She had attempted to
extend her stay by laying out ideas for a security detail at the hospital. Maura reminded
her that she would be of greater use in Boston, rather than recycling the same two
outfits chasing down bad guys in the African heat.

The weeks that followed at the hospital had been uneventful. Emails with Jane
throughout the day and midnight video chats made her yearn for the stability of her city
and the world waiting to be built with a person there.

"It's not weird for you?" Maura asked laying down.

"You went sideways.." Jane said, waving her hand at the camera of her laptop. Maura
smiled and sat back up.

"Better?"

"Better.. and yeah, it kinda is, but it means something different now."

"How?"

"Because this meant he was gone. It was always a relief." Jane shrugged her shoulders,
"I would wish for him to stay wherever the hell he was so that I would have an excuse
to end it."

Maura pursed her lips and nodded.

"But when I see you..." Jane smiled and leaned in, her image becoming blurred. She sat
back on her couch with a beer in her hand, "I get excited, because I know it is one day
closer to having you here, and that's what I want."

"I want that too." Maura said. She felt like the smile on her face was a permanent
fixture.

Her phone screen flickered, "M... ura.. an.. yo.. ear me-"

Maura stood quickly and raised her phone to the window, desperately searching for
signal.

"Jane?" Broken images flashed across Maura's phone and words pressed down on her
tongue.

"I love you." She said quietly, lowering herself back to the cot just as the screen went
black.

Eager excitement bubbles in Maura's chest as the plane touches down on the tarmac.
She quickly pulls her phone from her pocket and turns it on, anxiously tapping it against
her palm.

A notification sounds. It is an email from Jane.

Sorry for being MIA most of the day. You been pretty busy too? Hunched over files
here still. Frost thinks if he wishes hard enough the decaf will give him caffeinated
powers. He is a lost cause . Hoping to be out of here in the next hour. Skype when I get
home? Should make it about 8am your time.

Miss you xo

Maura glances up at the time in the corner of her phone. It is a little after midnight.
She can be at Jane's before 1am. She taps the edge of her phone against her worrying
lip before smiling.

I'd love to see you when you get home.

I'll be back before you know it.

I miss you more.

Maura sends the message quickly and exits out of her email. The plane idles at the gate
as she scrolls through her contacts and begins a new text.

Susie is circling the the airport loop for the third time when her phone buzzes.

On my way to get my luggage, meet you outside in 10. Gate B.

A smile crosses Susie's face as she pulls into the arrivals gate and parks at the curb.
She picks up her phone and swipes her finger across the screen, and taps out a
response.

Waiting!
She scrolls up through an exchange of texts until she comes across a picture sent to
her a little over two weeks ago.

The caption under it is one of gratitude; a simple 'thank you'. It is of a beaming Dr.
Isles and Jane, whose lips are firmly pressed against her smiling superiors cheek. Susie
had sat and excitedly read each text of Jane's arrival, subsequent fainting, her injury and
the talk that followed. She could feel Dr. Isles's giddiness and shared in it with her an
ocean away. She had even conceded graciously when she received a text forgiving her
for telling an insufferable Jane where she had gone.

A small smile tugs at the corner of Susie's lips as she sets her phone into the center
console.

It was a little after 3am and Susie ran her fourth red light. She had made record time
between the airport and Charlestown. Now turning down side streets she brought the
car to a crawl as she came closer to Tremont street and to the familiar brownstones
that lined it.

Her body buzzed with anger. She hadn't protested when Dr. Isles had called her crying,
she had only listened. It had actually become quite a common exchange, especially
where Jane was involved. Calls often turned into late night visits with wine and a
shoulder to cry on. Susie did her best to remain open and receptive - playing devils
advocate and dispensing reassuring advice.

Until tonight. She had protested, pleaded even, but had been met with an unfaltering
Maura Isles.

And Susie had relented. She had taken Dr. Isles to the airport with a single suitcase, a
goodbye and the promise not to tell Jane where she had gone.

A promise that Susie quickly made point to break once she was back on the highway.

Now a block from Jane's home, she pulled out her phone and quickly scrolled through
her contacts, and before she could second guess herself, called Jane.

"Rizzoli." Came a gruff voice, cutting through sleep.

"Come outside." Susie said through her teeth.

"Huh?"

The line became muffled and Susie could make out the deep timbre of a mans voice.

She rolled her eyes as she turned off the car and stepped out. She began walking up
the block.

"Chang, what the hell?"

"We need to talk. I'm about to be in front of your building, Jane."

"We're on a first name basis now? It's 3 in the morning."

Susie paused on the sidewalk. She scanned the brownstones before walking over to
Jane's cruiser. She leaned against, casually.

"It's about Maura, and we are." She said pointedly and hung up the phone.
Moments later the front door was opening. Jane stepped out onto the landing and
quickly made her way down the steps. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her chest,
keeping her robe closed. Susie pushed off the cruiser and strode with determination
towards the worried brunette.

"What's wrong?! Is Maura oka-"

"You're an asshole." Susie said, pointing her finger viciously.

Jane stopped in her tracks. Anger replaced worry, and her brow pointed downward with
it.

"Excuse you?"

Susie swallowed hard. An apology pushed against her lips, but she shook her head.

"You heard me."

"And you must be suicidal to show up on my doorstep to tell me that." Jane said taking
a step forward.

"Maura left." Susie said evenly.

Jane flinched at the words, "What do you mean she left?"

"She left the state! She left the damn country!"

Jane's eyes widened.

"She left you!" Susie shouted.

Jane's mouth hung open and she blinked vacantly.

"I fucked up." She exhaled in a shaky breath and dropped her head.

"Yeah, you did." Susie said and reached out. Her hand hovered in the space between
them and she carried the complex feeling of wanting to comfort and strangle the
detective at the same time.

Jane shifted on her feet, "So you know then, huh?"

"Anyone with eyes knows." Susie quipped, reaching into her pocket and retrieving a
pen. She pulled gently at Jane's hand, "Here." Susie pressed the pen into Jane's palm
and neat penmanship flowed across and over a crescent infliction, "This the town she is
going to. There is a hospital there. She just boarded the plane an hour ago."

Jane pulled back her hand and held it in a tight fist against her chest, "Thank you."

Susie's pursed her lips and nodded into the heavy silence that followed.

"Is everything okay, Jane?" Casey asked from behind them. His head peeked out the
front door.

The muscles in Susie's jaw tightened as she looked over Jane's shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah." Jane said quickly raising her head and wiping away a stray tear "Just a
work thing."

Casey gave a short wave and disappeared back into the building.

"Fix this." Susie said through her teeth as she turned on her heels to walk away.

Jane grasped her wrist, "Wait.." The word died out once they passed Jane's lips. Weak
and defeated. Susie looked down at her restricted hand and then back up at Jane.

"I don't want.. he can't see me like this." Jane wiped angrily at her cheek, catching any
stray tears she could. Even in the streetlights, Susie could make out lines of anxiety and
worry in Jane's features. The sight reminded her of the broken image of Maura
disappearing through the airport doors.

"Do I look okay?" Jane asked, her hands disappearing into the pockets of her robe.

Susie tilted her head and shook it, pulling her hand away from Jane.

"No." She said honestly, "But you never do without her beside you."

"Welcome back, Dr. Isles!" Susie chirps happily, stepping out of the car.

Maura tilts her head as she lets go of the suitcases handle, "Maura."

Susie smiles sheepishly and flips her hand past her head forgetfully. She reaches around
Maura and rolls the suitcase towards her. She picks it up and places it in the trunk.

"I bet Jane is ecstatic that you're back!" Susie says as she closes the trunk and circles
the car.

Maura smiles as she opens the passenger door and gets in. She glances down to her
watch, it is ten minutes to one. She folds her hands in her lap as Susie slips into the
drivers seat.

She can feel herself being studied and glances at Susie. Her friend gapes and pokes her
in the shoulder and Maura sways slightly.

"You didn't tell her you're back!"

"No, I.." Maura twirls the ring on her finger nervously, "I wanted to surprise her."

She glances down at her lap and cold worry moves through her. Flashes of Casey
showing up on Jane's doorstep move in rapid succession in her mind.

"Oh god. Am I being presumptuous?" Maura's voice hitches and she looks at Susie wide
eyed.

Susie bites her lip for a moment then shakes her head, "No. Was it presumptuous for
her to show up in Ethiopia?"
Maura opens her mouth to speak, but Susie quickly cuts her off, "Okay, yes a little, but
you wouldn't have had it any other way." Susie smiles and rests her hand on Maura's
knee, "She will be thrilled to see you. Maybe she'll even faint again."

A snort of laughter escapes Maura and she rests her hand on top of Susie's.

"Thank you, Susie, for everything."

Susie shrugs nonchalantly and squeezes Maura's hand reassuringly before shifting the
car into drive.

"To Charlestown then?"

Maura gives a short nod and a small seed of pride takes root somewhere deep in
Susie's chest.

Maura looks up at the brownstone as a light turns on in Jane's living room and she can
feel her pulse quicken. The handle of her suitcase is slick in her hand as she lifts it up
onto the landing. Her reaches out and her fingers flex in front of the entry way door.
Maura finds herself fixed her she stands.

She closes her eyes and counts the number of steps to Jane. She knows the floors and
has walked the halls. The beat of her heart quickens at each arrival and aches at each
departure.

'Twenty steps until you reach her hall then fifteen until you are at her door.'

The person behind it is the same. Jane bellows the same rich laugh and provides safety
and warmth. Her kiss lingers somewhere between tender and possessive. Maura pulls
her bottom lip between her teeth and smiles. Jane is fire and sharp edges. She is
broken and imperfect and Maura finds herself only love her more.

Taking a deep breath, Maura pushes the door open. She counts to 20 and then starts
again. 15 steps and she is peering at the gold plated '12' of Jane's apartment door. Her
heart pounds madly against the bone and cartilage confines of her chest.

The sound the emanates from her coat pocket is deafening and Maura quickly grabs her
phone, fumbling it in her hands. Suddenly there are too many buttons and Jane's face
lights up the screen.

Maura declines the call and curses inwardly at herself when she hears movement on the
other side of the door.

She steps back as the door opens and glances down at her phone before clenching it
tightly to her chest.

It is 1:02, of course Jane would be calling.

Dark eyes peek around the edge of the door and widen in surprise. Maura gives a weak
wave as the door swings open. She would find the look on Jane's face downright
adorable if she could remember how to breathe.

"Holy shi-.. You're here." Jane waves her hands in a flourish before pressing them
against her chest.
Maura opens her mouth to speak. She can feel her lips twitch to form words, but the
sounds don't escape. She moves instead, capturing Jane's face in her hands and kissing
her. Strong arms move around her waist and Jane's hands press into the small of her
back, pulling Maura in, enveloping her.

"I love you." Maura says breathlessly between kisses. She can feel Jane smile against
her lips as the hold around her tightens and her feet leave the ground.

"You're real, right?" Jane asks quietly, pressing her forehead against Maura's.

Maura nods and closes her eyes as Jane's lips press against hers again.

"I'm so sorry, Jane."

"Don't be." Jane cranes her neck back, smiling as she lowers the woman in her arms and
Maura is sure she is still floating even though her feet have been firmly planted back on
the ground.

"I shouldn't have waited, I should have told sooner."

Jane shakes her head, "Hey, hey, I heard you. I know."

"I should have told you when you were in Ethiopia. God, I heard myself saying the
words for years and-"

"I've known for years." Jane says, taking Maura's hand in her own and stepping back,
"C'mere."

Maura lets herself be guided into the apartment and warm lips press to the back of her
hand as she passes Jane. Dark eyes flicker up to her own as Jane steps back to the
hallway and rolls in the suitcase. The door shuts behind them with a soft click.

Arms wrap around Maura's waist and her eyes flutter shut for a moment. Jane's form
presses into her back and the warmth of Jane's cheek rests against her own, "You told
me right there." Jane says, dipping her head towards the kitchen.

Deft fingers move down the length of Maura's jacket, pushing away each button and lips
press against the side of her neck, "I should had told you then. I should had said it
back."

Jane tugs gently at the jackets collar and Maura rolls her shoulders back, allowing Jane
to slip it off and toss it over the back of the couch.

"Say it."

Jane hums happily and her hands rest at Maura's hips.

"I love you." She says softly. Warmth breaks out under Maura's skin as Jane's breath
tickles at the shell of her ear.

Resting her hands atop of Jane's, Maura pulls them slowly around her, swaying in the
embrace they provide. Jane's words repeat like a mantra in her head.

"And I love you." The words sail past her lips with ease.
She can feel Jane nod and the smile that spreads across her lips as she presses kiss to
the soft spot behind her ear.

"Welcome home."