Forgiven (Rizzoli and Isles)

Chapter 21

A/N: Hey guys! Last chapter! Happy Reading!

I have awoken in the bed of one Jane Clementine Rizzoli and I couldn't be any happier.

This morning though, she wasn't next to me.

I walked downstairs to find my daughter, Scott, Zoey, and a very sleepy TJ at the table and Jane in the kitchen making bunny shaped pancakes.

"What are you doing?" I asked Jane.

"It's Saturday. Ma and Korsak would keep TJ at their house on the weekends and on Saturdays she would make her bunny shaped pancakes."

"Oh, well, where's Vince?"

"On his way. TJ called him this morning. Ma didn't tell me that TJ called him Grandpa Korsak." Jane said with a chuckle.

I stood on my tiptoes to give Jane a peck on the cheek before going to sit at the table.

"Maimeo! Hold me!" Zoey screamed.

"Zoey, that wasn't very nice of you. You are being very bossy this morning. Why don't you ask Maimeo to hold you instead of telling her to." Emily spoke calmly.

"Gramma, please hold me!" Zoey pleaded.

I smiled and lifted her out of her high chair.

"Oh my goodness! I didn't notice this yesterday, but your hair is getting dark like your daddy's."

Zoey made a face.

"My daddy left us. What if he doesn't come back maimeo?"

"That's his loss. If your daddy doesn't come back, someone else might take his place." I looked at Scott then brought my face closer to Zoey's head and whispered in her ear. "Maybe Scott will take his place?"

Zoey jumped back and grinned at me.

"I would love that!" She said.

I smiled and nodded at her. She pushed my hair off my right shoulder before resting her head on it. She wrapped her right arm around my neck and played with my hair as I sat down.

Vince walked in the house then and TJ ran to him.

"Grandpa!"

"Hey, little buddy!" Vince said as he scooped TJ up into a hug. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too! Aunt Jane is making pancakes like Nana used to!"

Vince nodded and patted TJ's behind while simultaneously telling him to go sit down.

He shot me a look and nodded for me to come over to him.

I stood and gave Zoey to Scott.

"Hello, Vince."

"Hey, Maura." He said. "I didn't want to say anything yesterday, because it was Emily's birthday, but today is different."

I nodded. He continued.

"Jane is like a daughter to me, and I don't like seeing her hurt. You hurt her Maura. You broke her. As much as I love seeing you two together again, I don't want my girl to get hurt anymore. Don't hurt her again. I love you, and care about you too, and if she ever hurts you I'll be here, but don't break my baby again. She can't handle it."

"I won't. I've learned my lesson. I can't live my life without her in it, and I don't want to." I replied.

"Good."

"I'm sorry. I really am."

"Don't apologize to me, Maura. Have you apologized to Jane?"

"Of course I have!"

He looked at me.

"Jane is afraid it'll happen again. Show her and prove to her that it won't."

I sighed. "How?"

"You are an intelligent young woman. You'll think of something."

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After breakfast, Scott and Emily took TJ and Zoey to the park, Vince went to the cemetery to visit Angela's grave, like he does every week, leaving Jane and I at home to relax.

She had turned on the history channel. We were cuddling on the couch.

"Jane?"

"What, babe?" She asked, looking at me.

I looked up and kissed her chin.

"You know I love you, right? That I'll never make the same mistakes I made again?"

"Of course I do, Maur." Jane said pulling me closer. "Where did that come from? I thought we were back to normal."

"We are. I just don't want you to think that I'm going to hurt you again, because I won't."

"I don't think that Maura. People make mistakes. You made mistakes and I made mistakes. We're only human."

"I know I just....I hurt you so bad. How can we just pick up where we left off? How can we pretend that it didn't happen?"

"Maura, I have forgiven you. Yeah, it happened, and yeah, it hurt, but I know that your apology was sincere and I know that you love me. We are meant to be together. I love you."

I smiled at her.

"Jane, you deserve everything in the universe. You deserve a fresh start, and I want to give that to you."

I stood up.

"I'd like to start over. From the beginning...and I don't want us to end where we did before. I don't want us to end at all."

Jane stared at me for a moment then stood up in front of me and stuck her hand out.

"I'm detective Jane Rizzoli. Boston PD."

I smiled then grasped her hand.

"Maura Isles, Former Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Current Pathology Professor at Boston Cambridge University."

"Do you believe in forgiveness?"

I nodded.

"Do you want to be my friend?" Jane asked me.

"Oh, Jane Rizzoli. I want to be so much more than that!"

She giggled and pulled me to her.

"Me too." She whispered, then kissed me.

"The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward."

FOURTH STORY: COMING SOON