Forgiven (Rizzoli and Isles)

Chapter 5

"Where do these go?" I asked Maura.

"At this point, Jane, just toss all my shoes in one box and load the box onto the moving truck."

I gaped at her. 

"Maura, do you realize what you just said? Your shoes are going to be all jumbled up in this box. You'll have to dig through it to find a matching pair."

"I know, Jane. Just do it, please? The truck was supposed to leave two hours ago. I'm not normally this behind schedule."

"Maybe if you hadn't stayed in bed so long, you wouldn't be so behind." I quipped.

"That was not my fault! Rob wouldn't let me get up."

"Sure, blame the boyfriend." I joked.

"It was my fault." Rob said, coming in Maura's room and planting a kiss on her lips. "I told them to leave. I can take everything else in my truck."

Maura smiled at him. 

"Oh, you didn't have to do that. I don't expect you to drive 2,984 miles to get the rest of my belongings to me. You're going to get on a plane. I'll pay to have someone else bring my stuff to our new home."

"I can't believe you're actually moving to LA." I told Maura.

"Neither can I." She replied.

"Hey, Rob? Can Maura and I have a few minutes alone?" I asked him.

"Sure, Jane." He said as he walked out of the bedroom.

"You aren't taking the big furniture?" I asked.

"No, I'm not selling the house. Cailin will be moving in here the day I leave for California. For the next two days I'll be staying with Constance. Emily, Tony, and Zoey already left. Tony decided to join the Army and goes to basic training in two weeks."

"How's Em taking it?"

"Not very well. Did you know they got married?"

"What? When?" I asked.

"Two days ago. They went to the Justice of the Peace and signed a marriage certificate. Why they're in such a rush makes no sense to me."

"Maybe she's pregnant again?" I guessed.

"Please, don't assume Jane."

We were quiet for a few moments.

"I'll miss you, Jane." She admitted.

"I'll miss you too." I said.

"At least we will only be approximately two hours away from each other."

I laughed and took her in my arms. "I love you, Maura."

"I love you too. More than words can say."

------------------------

A few days later, Maura asked to have lunch with me.

"Are you leaving for San Diego tonight?" She asked.

I nodded.

"So we'll meet at my new house in a couple days then?" She asked with a laugh.

I laughed too. "I'm not quite sure Melissa would like that. Who knows what might happen."

Her laughter died down and her smile faded.

"May I ask you something?"

"Only if I can ask you something." I said.

"When we slept together that night... Were you and Melissa a couple?"

"No. We weren't, but we had talked about it. Were you and Rob, you know, a couple when we..."

She shook her head vehemently.

"We've been off and on. I wasn't quite sure moving on was the right option, until now. You made it perfectly clear that we were over when you walked into the autopsy room with Melissa."

"Maura, we don't-"

"I know, Jane. We don't work. I've heard it before. We used to work."

"Before we got married." I said.

My mother came over and sat a to-go coffee in front of Maura.

"I know you started drinking it after the divorce. It's black, decaf. Here's the pack of cigarettes you left at the counter, too." Ma said.

"Thank you, Ang- Mrs. Korsak?" Maura said.

"Not 'Mrs' yet. You're welcome, sweetie. Give me a call sometime, alright?"

Maura nodded.

"Since when did you start smoking?" I asked angrily.

"I don't actually smoke them, Jane."

"Then why do you have them?" I asked.

"Why do you have a piano if you don't play? Why do you wear your wedding band around your neck when you aren't married?"

"They remind me of the good parts of my past." I grumbled, pulling on the chain my wedding band dangles from.

"These cigarettes remind me of my future. I know that smoking one cigarette will take nine years off my life. I have way too much to live for. I carry them around so that I don't do anything stupid. See, you put the killing thing between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do it's killing."

"That's the dumbest concept I've ever heard."

"...but it works. That last part, I read it in a book."

I shook my head.

"Hurry and finish eating. The guys wanted me to bring you upstairs for a visit."

"I'm finished." she said, and pushed her salad away.

Standing and walking toward the elevators, Maura smiled at the security guard and entered the elevator. I followed, but was stopped by security.

"Let me see that badge, Rizzoli."

"C'mon, Chuck! You know who I am!"

"Sorry, Rizz. Just doing my job."

"No, you're being an ass. You didn't ask Maura for an ID or a badge. She doesn't even work here anymore!"

"She's the governor's girlfriend, Jane."

"Oh, I didn't realize we were playing politics." I said, showing him my badge and walking to the elevator.

-------------------

"What the hell is going on up here?" I asked stepping out of the elevator.

"Maura and Frankie are teaching me how to salsa!" Vince said.

I looked over at Maura moving her hips in front of my brother. They were both laughing and talking to each other.

"Frankie, get out of the way. You aren't doing it right!" I said..

He nodded and walked over to me.

"You think you can do better?" He asked.

"I know I can do better, little brother." I said with a smile walking toward Maura."My ex-wife made me go to classes."

I offered my hand to her and she took it. We continued dancing for the duration of the song. She moved her hips to the beat and her footwork was impeccable.

"See, those classes paid off." Maura said, breathing heavily.

"Why are you so out of breath?" I asked her.

She smiled. "Perhaps it is because of all those cigarettes I haven't been smoking."

I laughed and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"Life won't be the same without you, Honeybee."