Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rizzoli and Isles or Life as we Know It.
Live Laugh Love
- By MegannRosemary
One
She on a run when she got the call.
State police.
Tommy. Lydia.
Gone.
She was sinking down on the curb, her calves scraping against rough concrete. The small scrapes weren't enough to wake her from the fog.
"The baby?" She managed to ask.
Not in the car.
She was at the dry cleaners when she got the call.
Sniffling sobs came from the other end of the line.
She knew in an instant who it was. "Jane, what's wrong?"
"I need you."
"Where are you, I'll be right there."
"I… I don't know." Jane said bewilderedly.
"I'll find you, ok? Don't move."
"Don't leave me please." She pleaded.
"I'm right here Jane." She climbed into her car, juggling her dry cleaning bags and searching for the location of Jane's phone at the same time.
She was close, thank god.
"I'm on my way," Maura soothed.
She murmured words of reassurance as she drove, quite possibly breaking numerous traffic laws in her haste.
When she saw the tall skinny form, sitting on the curb with shoulders hunched, she careened to a stop and scrambled out the door.
"Jane," She called out softly as she turned off her phone.
The brunette picked herself up and threw herself into her friend's arms, sobbing heavily. "It's Tommy. He's dead. He and Lydia."
"The baby?" That lone thought managed to push past her shock.
"He's ok, he's with Ma." Jane's eyes shined with relief.
"How?" Maura managed to ask past the lump in her throat.
"Car accident."
"Oh Jane, I'm so sorry." She held the other woman close as if trying to absorb her pain. Her own tears fell freely, dampening Jane's shoulder.
"Let's go home sweetie." She guided Jane to the car, opening the door for her and helping her in, making sure she didn't hit her head on the roof.
She sank into the driver's seat, her mind wanting to shut down, but instead forced herself to put the car in gear and get them home.
They went straight to Angela in the guesthouse where they found her sitting on the couch, the phone still clutched in her hands.
TJ was in the playpen crying, tears streaming down his chubby cheeks.
"Oh Ma," Jane moved to her mother's side while Maura went to pick up the red-faced TJ.
"I was at the park Jane, I didn't have my phone. They left me a message to call. And…"
Maura rocked the boy back and forth, taking him to the window to distract him with the birds in the bird bath. His giggles soon filled the room, the child oblivious to the fact his parents were gone forever.
"I'm supposed to go and identify the body," Angela sobbed. "My baby, my baby boy."
"I'll go Ma, it's my job." Bile rose in the back of her throat at the thought of seeing her brother in that cold room, unable to escape the smell of death.
"He's my son," Angela shook her head.
They glanced at the baby.
"It's all right," Maura smiled softly through her own pain. "I'll stay here and watch TJ for you, whatever you need."
Angela fumbled on the ground for her purse and Jane led her to the door.
"Take my car," Maura pressed the keys into her hands. "Are you ok to drive?" Her own light eyes searched dark.
I'll be fine," Jane managed to reply, voice cracking but eyes dry and determined.
It was only when the car engine started a few minutes later, that Maura let herself breakdown, her tears running freely and her breath hitching.
Baby TJ put a tiny hand to her cheek, feeling the warm wet tracks and looking puzzled.
News travels fast, especially that of the tragic kind.
Soon after Angela and Jane returned, faces pale and eyes haunted, neighbours and friends began to ring the doorbell with an endless line of casseroles. Angela's fierce pride in being the perfect hostess shined beyond her aching heart. She was gracious and warm, thanking each person with a hug and a promise to try their dish.
Jane looked on with concern and discomfort, wringing her hands.
"Jane, it's good for her, " Maura came up beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "She needs to do this."
"But I just can't," She shrugged Maura away, "There's too many...too much... I need space." She disappeared out into the garden.
She let her go, she had to keep it together for all of the Rizzolis. Mother, daughter and baby boy.
Later that afternoon, the lawyer arrived amongst the long procession of condolence offering acquaintances.
He was young, with messy hair and a Skrillex t-shirt. He looked more like one of Tommy's friends than his lawyer, but that was to be expected from the youngest Rizzoli.
Without waiting for an invitation, the man, introduced as Jonny Moore, grabbed a beer from the fridge and dumped his leather backpack on the kitchen counter. "Alright ladies and gentleman, have a seat."
He glanced around, his eyes lighting on Maura, ¨You the sister or the friend?¨
¨I´m just a friend,¨ The blonde sidestepped quickly, "I'll just get Jane."
The other woman sat on the bench, eyes shut and knees drawn to her chest. She looked every bit a little girl. "Jane," Maura called softly, "Tommy's lawyer is here. He needs you inside."
The brunette let her friend pull her up and guide her by the elbow into the house. Once inside however, she stopped and stared at the intruder, "That's the lawyer, yeah right."
"Jane!" Her mother scolded, "Don't make this more difficult than it already is."
Jane and Maura sank onto the stools, hands clasped between them, while Frankie stood beside his mother, supporting her.
"Sorry Ma," But she studied the man with suspicion. Wrinkling her nose, she asked, "How long have you been my brother's lawyer?"
He ignored her apparent disgust and replied, "Since the Strawberry incident, he wasn't about to let anybody take his son from him." The young man pulled two wrinkled envelopes and a coffee stained document from the bag and laid them on the table in front of him.
"So, " He began, taking a swig of beer, "I'm not so good at this will business. It's not usually my thing but Tommy asked me to and I couldn't say no."
It was Frankie's turn, he scoffed, "Is it even legal?"
The teenager look was masked by steely power, "It is."
The middle Rizzoli put his hands up in apology, "No offence bro."
"Offence taken." He glanced at the paper before him, "So, should I begin or I can throw this in my compost heap?"
Maura spoke softly, "Please continue, Mr. Moore."
"Cool. So…" He began to read, "Ma, I'm sorry about the jail thing. You can have all the stuff you want from my apartment. I have a few personal things I've held on to despite the years and you'll probably want them. Actually, I'm sorry for stealing grandma's martini set. Any of TJ's pictures and memories are yours for safe keeping too. Bye Ma, I'll miss your lasagna."
Silent sobs wracked the oldest Rizzoli, she clutched at the counter with white knuckles as Frankie gripped her tightly.
"Frankie…" The man began. "I leave you my beer bottle collection, hold on to it because it might be worth millions one day. You can have my leather jacket too, it might come handy in your new undercover operations. Congrats big bro. I'm sorry I stole your baseball card collection, I guess you can have it back now too. Don't forget to show TJ ok?" Johnny looked up, "Got it?"
The middle Rizzoli cleared his throat to speak past the tears strangling his throat, "That's it?"
"Yeah," The lawyer glared, clearly not a fan. "Here, for you two." He handed Jane and Maura the envelopes, his features softening sympathetically, "You can read them after ok?"
Maura interrupted politely, "There must be some mistake, I… I'm not part of the family."
"There's no mistake. Are you ready?" He looked from the brunette to the blonde and back again.
Jane gripped Maura's hand even more tightly. "Yeah, go on."
"TJ, my boy. I want you Jane, and Maura to raise him for me. Jane you need to move into Maura's house, you and the boy. Sorry Maura, I didn't ask you first but you're so nice and all I figured you wouldn't say no, plus Jane spends all her time there anyways. You guys can all live in that big fancy house and have a family. I know you both love my son as much as I do and that you'll take good care of him. Thanks. "
Jane.
Maura.
TJ.
A family.
The two women stared at the man in growing silence.
A/N: I got this idea some four months ago and I've been plugging away the story for a few months. It's the first time I've written a multi-chapter fic start to finish before posting so I'm a little excited for this one. I'll be editing and posting about once a week. I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading :)