A/N: WE'RE BACK, BITCHES! Did you miss us? We know you did. (;

We've been working on this story for a while now, and we really hope you love it! Please leave us reviews on what you think, how we could improve, or what you'd like to see in this story! We can't promise anything, but we love making our readers happy!

-R&K (:

Jane reached over and slapped the blaring alarm clock. "S'too early," she mumbled, shoving her face into the down pillow to block out the morning sun streaming through the windows. "Jus' a lil' more sleep…"

She felt a familiar weight press against her back and heard a chuckle. "We have to get up. We have so much to do today before Audrey's party." Maura ran her hand in circles across Jane's back. She smiled, pressing light kisses to the back of Jane's arm as she heard little feet thundering down the hallway toward their bedroom.

Audrey and Austin threw the door open, sprinted toward the bed, and catapulted themselves on top of it, crawling in between their moms. Audrey kicked the covers off and curled up to Jane, her pudgy little toddler fingers pushing a mass of dark curls back. "Momma," she whispered, before yelling, "WAKE UP! It's my birf-day!"

Jane cracked one eye open and was greeted by the most adorable dimpled grin, blonde curls bobbing back and forth as Audrey could barely contain her excitement. Austin was curled up next to Maura, his thumb stuck in his mouth, a mess of dark hair splayed over the pillow, serious brown eyes observing the scene before him. Jane pretended to snore loudly, prompting the kids to giggle.

Maura shushed them, and moved to sit up on the edge of the bed. "C'mon, guys. Let Momma sleep in."

Audrey pouted, her facial expressions all Maura, but the stubborn insistence all Jane. "But it's my birf-day."

"Birthday," Maura corrected gently as she pulled on her robe. Austin was hanging off her leg and Maura was clearly struggling to make it out of the bedroom. "Momma has worked a lot of overtime this week, so let's give her some time to wake up. I'll make pancakes?"

Audrey bounced off the bed and Austin detached himself from Maura's leg, both running down the stairs to the kitchen. Jane propped herself up on one arm, forcing herself to open her eyes. Maura was leaned up against the doorframe, hazel eyes intently watching her wife with an amused smirk on her face. "What time did you finally get home this morning?"

Jane flopped onto her back and exhaled loudly. "Around 2… but now that the case is behind us, I can focus all my attention and energy on my family this weekend," Jane smiled widely. "Give me 30 and I'll join you downstairs for breakfast."

Satisfied, Maura headed downstairs where she heard Angela already prepping breakfast; Audrey talking her ear off and no doubt Austin sitting back, simply taking it all in. Angela had already whipped up batter and was making her famous bunny pancakes.

"That's quite the guest list you have," Angela commented, pointing to the list of RSVP's marked off on the fridge.

"Fifteen kids, and I'm hoping only a few of the parents will stay. With the bouncy houses outside, I don't anticipate the kids being the issue." Maura stifled a laugh as she thought about how much she had grown since having met Jane, and how much she had loosened up since having Audrey. She ruffled Austin's dark hair, his thumb only removed as he shoveled bites of syrupy pancake in his mouth.

"I see Emma and Henry are on the list," Angela raised her eyebrows. "I didn't know Jane and Emma kept in touch after their move."

Maura sighed and had a seat at the breakfast bar. "Emma and Henry have moved back to Boston. I'm surprised Jane hasn't mentioned it. Emma starts back at the PD on Monday morning."

Angela plated a stack of pancakes and passed them on to Audrey who was listening intently to her Mom and Grandma. "Why? What happened in New York?"

"N-E-A-L left," Maura spelled, aware that little ears that hear, usually become little mouths that repeat. "She and Henry came home one afternoon to an empty apartment. Jane said she used pretty much every available resource she had at her disposal and still couldn't find him, so she found a creative way to get out of the lease, and the rest is history. Jane is so excited they're coming home. Also, now that Emma's moving here, I was hoping she and Regina would hit it off, honestly. They're both raising kids alone, working full time. To be honest, I don't know how either one of them are able to manage the hours they keep and still have any energy left over for Henry and Charlotte. Except for those few things, they're very different people in almost every way. Personally, I think those differences would bring them together. I think they'd be perfect for each other."

"Sheesh. Being a single mom with three adult kids was difficult enough," Angela admitted. "I can't imagine raising little ones alone."

Maura looked back between Austin and Audrey, sticky with pancake syrup from forehead to chin. She chuckled and thanked her lucky stars for Jane and Angela.

Regina Mills pressed the doorbell, a chime sounded, and she withdrew her hand and placed in back on the shoulder of the small child standing in front of her. The front door flew open, an exuberant Audrey flung her little body forward, and Regina laughed at the two little girls hugging one another tightly. Charlotte looked up at her mom with imploring brown eyes, and Regina nodded. Charlotte and Audrey tore through the house and out the side door, and Maura's eyes lit up when Regina walked into the living room.

Maura and Regina embraced tightly, both murmuring their excitement at seeing one another socially for a change. Angela stepped aside from the island in the kitchen and wrapped Regina up in a mama-bear hug, effectively knocking the wind out of her lungs.

"It's been too long!" Angela scolded, holding Regina by her elbows. Regina smiled shyly, and Angela placed her hand on the younger woman's cheek. "How are you?"

"Staying busy," she remarked quietly, knowing that lying to Angela Rizzoli held a fate as certain as death.

Jane popped her head from around the corner, winking at Regina, and nodding to Angela to take her place. Jane wrapped Regina up, telling her how much the girls had missed one another, and by extension, how much she and Maura had missed her. Regina's eyes shone with tears. It's been just her and Charlotte for some time now, and it felt good to be missed.

She gathered herself together quickly, silently admonishing herself that she had been on the verge of tears, and at a child's birthday party, nonetheless. Jane's arms wrapped around her, Jane's lips finding purchase on her temple. It wasn't often that Regina let anyone invade her personal space, but Jane and Maura were like sisters to her, and she had forgotten how nice it felt to be hugged.

"So," Jane began, "I have a friend coming to the party that I'd like for you to meet." Jane smiled sheepishly, and Regina rolled her eyes.

"Are you really trying to set me up at your daughter's birthday party?" Regina hissed, continuing to keep a plastered smile on her face so as not to draw attention from the other parents.

Jane smirked, "Well… She works with me, or, uh, erm- will work with me. She's really nice, Regina. And she's, well, she's been through a lot. I think you have a lot in common. Or, um, could…" Jane sighed deeply. "Maura, can I get a little help over here?"

Maura looked quite relieved to have her conversation disturbed and made a beeline for Jane and Regina. Anyone else would wither under the glare Regina was giving her, but Maura held her own, and it was one of the reasons she and Regina had become such good friends. Maura refused to let Regina intimidate her.

"I can't believe you two-" Regina started, "and another cop, at that. Have you lost-" Regina scolded before being interrupted by Maura.

"It's not like we're asking you to get married. It isn't going to kill you to have friends other than us," Maura encouraged, and Regina had to hold back a laugh, considering the source.

About that time, the front door opened, and in blew a little brown-haired tornado with an infectious grin, holding balloons and a big wrapped present. He dropped the present, the balloons floating to the ceiling, and wrapped his little spindly body around Jane's leg. Jane bent over and picked him up and Maura leaned over and ruffled his hair. "Henry, it is so good to see you again!" Maura smiled warmly at him. He returned the smile and then buried his face in Jane's hair.

Regina was about to inquire as to whom dropped a child off at a birthday party without accompanying them, when she heard a very stern voice from the foyer, "Henry Swan! You are in big trouble, little man." Regina's eyebrows rose to her hairline, and she excused herself to go check on Charlotte, but not before she let her eyes roam over the lithe form of the flustered woman with long blonde curls.