Leaving and Staying

"Casey," Jane said, taking a step back from the door in surprise. "What are you...are you alright?" She looked him up and down. He sat in a wheelchair outside her door glaring up at him.

"Yea, yea. I'm fine. No thanks to you," he scoffed.

Jane felt a little stab of guilt, of pain, but also anger. Her defenses went up and she scowled at him.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice softening. "That was a little harsh. It's just that...well, I thought you'd be around when I woke up from surgery. Maybe that was stupid to assume-"

Jane sighed, rubbing at her scars. "Look Casey, I'm sorry, I..." she looked back into Maura's house, searching for the person who always seemed to calm her. "Well, Maura had her surgery too, for donating her kidney, and well..there were a few complications in the healing process. I needed to be here for her. I did leave you a voicemail and sent you flowers, did you get 'em? Honestly, I thought I'd hear from you sooner."

For a moment, Casey just sat there closing his eyes, and appearing like he was trying to regulate his breathing. "Jane," he said his voice a little harsh. "I just thought, I thought...well I did this surgery so we could be together. And," he said looking down, "It didn't work completely. But I gave it a shot. I gave it a shot for us."

Jane didn't know what to say. She felt pity for Casey, a bit of guilt, but also confusion. She had a feeling she didn't like where this was going. When Casey talked in soft, controlled tones it was worse than when he was yelling.

"I put my life on the line, Jane. And you're not even beside me when I wake up?"

Jane eyes widened in shock. "Casey," she sputtered. "Maura needed me and I-"

"I needed you, Jane!"

For a second at the sight of Casey in a wheelchair, his voice so desperate, Jane could feel tears prick at the side of her eyes. She had loved this man, she. Wait. Had loved. When had it become past tense?

"I need you!" He jabbed at his chest. "Maura had a little itty bitty surgery compared to me! She's completely fine. Jesus Christ, what does she need-bed rest? Wow, big deal, she-"

At that, something inside Jane snapped. "Shut the hell up, Casey. You don't know what you're talking about! Maura got an infection from the surgery, she was in the hospital for way longer than expected, and she's in much more pain than she should be because of it and right now I need to be-you know what, no!" Jane threw her hands up in frustration.

"I don't need to explain this to you! I needed to be here for Maura and I was! She's my first priority, alright? Always!" She stood there after her rant, completely out of breath, panting.

The truth of her words sunk in for both of them. Casey eyes appeared to be on fire. There was no love that Jane could see in his eyes when he looked at her. Just anger. She shuddered.

"Have a nice life with Maura then Jane," he practically spat at her, then turned around and headed away down the sidewalk.

Jane watched Casey go for a bit, expecting to feel some kind of guilt, but she didn't. She just felt an overwhelming urge to see Maura. She slammed the door and turned around to find Maura looking at her, struggling to hold herself up against the kitchen counter.

Jane ran to her. "Maur, what are you doing out of bed?" Gently, she wrapped an arm around her waist and began moving Maura slowly back towards the bedroom. "You know you're supposed to be on bed rest for at least the next couple of days. God, for being a doctor, you are the worst at listening to medical advice."

When Maura didn't laugh, she looked down a little bit concerned. Maura was staring up at her, tears in her eyes.

Jane halted in her tracks. "Maur!" she cried, keeping one arm on her friend's waist to hold her up, cupping her cheek with the other and catching a falling tear. "What's the matter? Are you in pain, honey?"

Immediately she was moving into action again, determined to get Maura back in bed and get her more of her pain medication. But Maura caught Jane's wrist.

"I'm your first priory?" She said, her voice low and full with emotion.

Jane took an automatic step back. In her concern about Maura being out of bed, she hadn't stopped to think that Maura had come to the kitchen when she heard Casey and her arguing. She must have caught at least the end of their conversation-when she called Maura her first priority...well, it was true.

"Well, yeah. You are."

Maura grinned so wide, and it automatically made a strange, but wonderful warmth flow throughout Jane's body.

She bent down and kissed Maura's forehead, acting on impulse. She lingered there and when she pulled away she saw that Maura's eyes were closed, and she was softly smiling.

She slowly opened them and her eyes seemed...different in a way-good different.

She held Maura's gaze. "I'll always take care of you, alright?"

"And I'll do the same for you, Jane Rizzoli," Maura said sincerely, as she took Jane's hand in hers.

This was super spontaneous. But anyway, let me know what you think. It'd be much appreciated :)