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Maura burst into the hospital room, her eyes wide until they landed on Jane sitting on the bed, the doctor bandaging up her shoulder. Her eyes instantly took inventory of Jane, noticing that the brunette hadn’t left out any details of her injuries during her phone call to Maura, which was rare for Jane.
“Jane,” Maura breathed as she took a step closer, the frustration and anger with the brunette rising once her worry had subsided. “What were you thinking?” Maura demanded, Jane wincing at her tone. “Jane, we’ve talked about this. You can’t just barrel into these kinds of situations without thinking.” Maura pinched the bridge of her nose as she took a deep breath. “I am not going to be the one to call your mother because you’ve managed to kill yourself one of these days.”
The doctor’s lips twitched into a smile as she listened to Maura telling Jane off for her reckless actions while chasing down a suspect. The loud and stubborn detective that had been brought into her care was suddenly quiet under Maura’s gaze and sharp tone.
“At least today I can tell her that you’re still alive, just about in one piece,” Maura mumbled as she pulled her phone from her bag to message Angela.
“You should listen to your wife, detective.” The doctor smiled as she finished her bandage. “I’m releasing you into her care.” Maura’s eyes widened at the doctor’s assumption of their relationship and opened her mouth to correct her when she noticed Jane’s grin.
“She’s about the only one I listen to.” Jane slowly pushed herself off the bed and turned towards Maura. “Come on, let’s get back to work.”
“You, Jane Rizzoli, are going straight home to rest.” Maura pointed an accusatory finger at the brunette.
Jane chuckled and reached her good arm out to wrap around Maura’s waist, guiding her towards the door. “I’m kidding, Maur, kidding.” Maura shook her head as they made their way out of the hospital together.
That was the first time that Maura was mistaken for Jane’s wife at the hospital and no one was corrected, if anything, Jane was highly amused at the assumption. Maura shouldn’t have been surprised that the next time Jane was in hospital, they called her as Jane’s wife. She couldn’t figure out whether it was the hospital assuming again or if Jane had told them this time. Either way, Jane was going along with it and Maura had no idea how to broach the subject.
That was how each of Jane’s hospital visits went, Maura was referred to as Jane’s wife and she was sure on their last visit that it was written in Jane’s folder.
Maura Isles - wife.
It had even spilled over into their personal life. Frankie, Frost and Korsak had overheard the hospital calling Maura Jane’s wife on the last visit so even they had started to refer to her as Jane’s wife. Once again, Jane never put a stop to it and Maura didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t that she didn’t like being called Jane’s wife, it was just a lie and she couldn’t lie.
Then Jane called her, her wife once and it hit differently.
Maura had been berating Jane for her food choices once again. Jane had just rolled her eyes as she shoved another fry into her mouth, listening to Maura. A waitress approached their table with some drinks, smiling as she listened to Maura’s talk on healthy eating. Jane caught the waitress’ eye and grinned.
“She just wants her wife to live longer.” Jane gave a small shrug before her gaze met Maura’s and they both froze for a moment as they realised what Jane had called her. Jane was the first to break the moment, picking up another fry and popping it into her mouth, a silent dare for Maura to continue. Maura merely sighed and stabbed her fork into her salad, her heart beating faster after hearing Jane call her, her wife.
Jane began to slip the word into conversation more when they were alone, often rolling her eyes and calling Maura, wife. Maura’s heart would always beat faster each time and she was sure Jane’s lips would twitch into a smile.
Maura had never really considered the seriousness of pretending to be Jane’s wife, especially at the hospital, until Jane had shot herself and Maura was now the one in charge of medical decisions while Jane was unconscious. It never should have been her job. Angela was right there with her but the doctor had looked to Maura for an answer. Maura had turned to the older Rizzoli, feeling the weight of what had seemed like a harmless lie, unsure how to get out of it now it had turned serious.
“You know her best, Maura.” Angela had gently squeezed her hand, giving the blonde permission to make the decision.
Maura sat next to Jane’s bed, holding her hand as she waited for her to wake up. She couldn’t do it anymore, she couldn’t keep pretending to be Jane’s wife. She hadn’t realised just how much hope it had built up inside of her. She and Jane had always been close, always been there for each other, but Maura had never realised just how much she needed Jane in her life. Being referred to as Jane’s wife but not actually being it was slowly killing her inside when she knew that one day Jane would be someone else’s wife.
Maura waited until Jane had fully gained consciousness and had an understanding of her situation before she brought the subject up. She knew this wasn’t the best place or time but she couldn’t do it anymore, especially if she had to make another decision while Jane was in hospital.
“Jane, I can’t keep pretending to be your wife. It’s too much. I’m not your wife, I’m just your friend. We have to tell the hospital.” Maura watched as Jane shifted her position on the bed and winced. She knew how terrible her friend must be feeling and this would surely add to it.
“Then marry me,” Jane grumbled as she tried to find a painless position. Maura blinked at the brunette’s words but before she had a chance to reply, Angela burst into the room, happy to see her daughter awake.
Maura didn’t bring it up again for the rest of the visit, not with Angela in the room. Jane’s mood was dropping the longer Angela hovered over her and Maura knew her friend well enough to know that when she was in one of moods, talking about anything was not useful.
As Angela and Maura stood to leave, Jane reached a hand out and grasped hold of the blonde’s wrist, pulling her back. “You didn’t answer me earlier.”
Maura glanced down at Jane’s hand before into her dark eyes. “You didn’t ask, you told me. Get some rest.” Maura turned and left the hospital room, seeing Angela’s curious look out of the corner of her eye.
Maura wasn’t referred to as Jane’s wife for the rest of her hospital stay, or when she was allowed to go home. Of course, Maura took her back to her house to recover. There were too many stairs at Jane’s apartment for her to climb right away and Maura could keep an eye on her. Jane had sent Maura back to work after a week, already getting cranky with being stuck at home.
Maura felt both relieved and disappointed that she was no longer referred to as Jane’s wife. There was no longer the pressure of lying anymore but gone was the warmth that would spread throughout her body whenever she was referred to as Jane’s wife.
Maura was surprised to arrive home and find the house in darkness. Usually Jane had all the lights on so that the blonde didn’t arrive home in the dark. Her lips curled into a frown, her first thought that something had happened to Jane during the day. She was surprised to find the house illuminated by candles and Jane nervously stood in the middle. Maura had never seen Jane look so nervous before.
“Maur,” Jane cleared her throat as the blonde walked closer, her face full of confusion. “I would be down on one knee but I’m not sure I’d get back up again. I made a mistake telling you in the hospital rather than asking you. Actually, I should have asked you a while ago. I shouldn't have let us pretend all this time, it should have been real. Maura, I want to tell people that you are my wife because you are my wife. Maura, will you marry me?” Jane opened the box that was clasped in her hands, watching as Maura gasped, her gaze landing on the ring. Jane held her breath as she waited for Maura’s answer. It wasn’t until Maura had told her that she wanted to stop pretending that Jane had realised just how much she wanted it to be true, how good it felt calling Maura her wife.
“Oh, Jane,” Maura whispered as she looked up at the brunette’s face. She thought she would never again be called Jane Rizzoli’s wife. “Of course I will.” Jane’s face broke out into a huge grin as she pulled the blonde closer to kiss her before she slipped the ring onto Maura’s finger.
The next time Maura was called Jane’s wife in hospital, they both had a ring on their finger and Maura was holding Jane’s hand as the brunette pushed their baby into the world. This time she was Jane’s wife, there was no lying, there was just them.