Jane yawned softly before taking another large sip of her coffee. Looking up at her partner and their Sergeant, she couldn't understand why they looked just as exhausted as she did. "I know why I'm exhausted, what's your excuse, Frost?" she chuckled as she rubbed her eyes gently. Jane had a cranky two year old at home who had been up all night with nightmares which in turn disrupted an annoyed four year old in the next room. Along with her exhausted wife Maura, Jane had gotten little sleep before the 5am call into work.
Frost simply smirked at his partner hoping his expression said it all. The young detective was making the most of his youth and lack of attachment to his advantage while he still could. Frost hoped to settle down one day with a family like Jane and Maura but he could wait a little longer especially after some of the horror stories he heard from his partner.
"Can we get back to the case please?" Korsak sighed softly before Frost verbally confirmed his facial expression.
"Just 'cause neither of you are getting any…"
Korsak threw the last of his blueberry muffin at the young detective hitting him square in the chest. Bursting into fits of laughter, Jane and Vince watched as Frost wiped the crumbs from his shirt groaning at the blueberry stains that had ruined his tie. Frost gave in and pulled up the files for their case on the screens in BRIC and returned to their case.
"So our victim, Lauren Hamilton used Joshua Cooper's Confectionary Company as a supplier, could she have received the cocaine as part of a shipment? Could it have been masked as confectioner's sugar? She discovered the drugs and this was his way to shut her up?" Frost mused as he, Jane and Korsak looked over the case files in front of them. They had been called in to investigate the murder of a young bakery owner found stabbed with her own cake knife. Her husband has discovered the body in the kitchen of the bakery after she didn't come home the night before. He was immediately ruled out as a suspect by his parents and three daughters who had been out ice skating together all night.
"I'll have CSRU go back down to the bakery and get samples of all the baking materials and test for traces of drugs" Korsak continued before picking up the phone. Dialling the crime lab, he was not met with the usual assistant they spoke to but a rather frantic Dr Isles "Ah Jane, you might want to take this"
"The lab techs giving you grief?" she chuckled as she took the phone and heard her wife's babbling on the other end "Woah Maura, honey slow down. What's happened?"
Maura took a deep breath to regain her composure before continuing "There's been a chicken pox outbreak at the day care and all the children are being sent home. I've already spoken to Angela and Stanley has called in sick so she can't take them and Tommy is still in New York with Lydia and TJ and Frankie is undercover"
"I can go get them" Jane chuckled finding her wife's out loud thinking rather endearing. Finding a solution that was best for all, she stressed at the thought of their daughter Ellisyn and son Nicholas not getting the proper care they deserved.
"Oh no, don't be silly. You have an important case"
"So do you" the detective chuckled "You're working the same case"
"I'm well aware of that Jane. I however have more freedom to pick them up from day care"
Sighing softly, Jane massaged her temple with her free hand. As much as she loved Maura, the medical examiner annoyed her like the day they met many years ago. Her little quirks and lack of social knowledge was cute but tiring at the same time. Maura continued to babble about the different possibilities for care of their two children until either woman could take the rest of the day off to take them home.
"Just pick Ellie and Nico up before either start to itch and bring them here. We will figure it out"
"A police department is hardly the place for young children like Ellisyn and Nicholas" Maura sighed softly "And it is unlikely for either of them to contract the virus after having chicken pox only a few months ago. While it is possible, they have built up the antibodies to fight the virus as well as vaccinations"
Taking a deep breath, Jane had to remember all the good reasons why she married the woman on the other end of the phone. She understood that the 'Google Mouth' was not something Maura could help but Jane really wished she could. Insisting Maura just brought their two children back to the precinct, Jane hung up the phone with a heavy sigh.
"Everything ok Jane?"
"The babbling and 'Google Mouth' get worse when she's stressed" the detective chuckled. Maura had always been a little high strung and could stress over issues quite easily. When Nicholas and Ellisyn came along that only multiplied. She worried about their health and what she could or should be doing for them as a doctor herself and she worried for their safety with every suspect Jane apprehended.
Jane, Frost and Korsak returned to the files in front of them as they continued to investigate the murder of the young wife and mother. As they searched every possible connection between the victim and the possible suspects, the trio weren't getting much closer to finding the killer. When Maura called again, Jane welcome the distraction of seeing her children in the hope it freshened her mind. The detective made her way down to the foyer of the precinct and smiled brightly at the sight of her beautiful wife and children together.
"Mama!" Four year old Nicholas beamed as he spotted Jane and raced toward her. Scooping her son up into her arms, she hugged him close. Biologically Jane's, Nicholas Francesco Rizzoli-Isles or Nico as he was commonly known was a Rizzoli boy through and through. With perfect olive skin and tight black curls upon his head, Nico was a rough and tumble little boy who dreamed of catching bad guys just like his Mama. Some of that fighting spirit may have also come from his father Lt. Colonel Casey Jones who was serving in Afghanistan aiding soldiers with PTSD.
Jane Rizzoli experienced a very confusing time some years ago when her feelings for her high school sweetheart Casey Jones conflicted with those she had for her best friend Dr Maura Isles. Despite the nights she spent with Casey and their history, it soon became apparent that the young detective's heart lie with the doctor. Casey remained close with Jane throughout the pregnancy and was her shoulder to lean on as she struggled to determine her identity and decipher the feelings she had for Maura.
The biggest supporter of their marriage some 18 months after Nicholas was born, Casey wanted nothing more than to see his friends happy. When the time came for the Rizzoli-Isles family to discuss welcoming another member into the family, he donated his sperm and fathered Maura's biological daughter, two year old Ellisyn Clementine Rizzoli-Isles. Casey didn't want to be a full time father especially with his continued commitment to his fellow soldiers in the war-zone but he helped wherever it was needed. Casey supported his two children and visited every time he was home on leave. Nico and Ellie were in the best possible hands with the two most loving mothers a child could possibly ask for.
"Molly said that the day care will be closed down for a couple days til they can decontaminate everything" Maura began "While the virus is commonly contracted through direct contact with an individual within a seven day period surrounding the onset of a rash, sodium hypochlorite effectively kills the bacteria in a given environment"
"So a good scrub down with bleach and everything will be safe again" Jane chuckled. She loved making her wife glare when she dumbed down the dictionary worthy explanation of a situation. "It's ok, I have a few personal days I can use once we close this Hamilton case"
"And what are we going to do for the rest of the day?" she sighed softly as she adjusted Ellisyn on her hip. The quiet little girl with soft sandy brown curls that matched her mother's, clutched her tight. She was exhausted from her restless night and constant disruption through the day making her crankier than before.
"I'm sure Nico can help me catch this bad guy. Ellie would probably love a nap in her Mommy's office downstairs"
"He can't contribute to the investigation Jane, he's four…" Maura began and was met with a glare from her wife. Jane returned the stern expressions to her wife when a joke or sarcastic comment doesn't quite register with the genius doctor. "If by contribute, you mean giving him a cupcake, don't. I sent the CSRU team back to the bakery and they found some traces of drugs but I can't confirm it until I have run the necessary tests"
"No cupcakes" Jane chuckled and stepped forward to press a soft kiss to her wife's temple in the hope to calm her. The doctor took a deep breath and stopped her feet shifting as she felt her wife's gesture. As much as a simple tough from Jane helped her anxiety, Maura couldn't help but stress a little about her children and their care. "The kids will be fine here today. Nico and I will come down a little while later for lunch with our favourite girls. Relax"
"Relax, Jane?"
"Yes, relax Maura" she smiled "Use your gravity flip thing or just take a nap with Ellie. Take a minute to relax a little. You're stressed and as exhausted as the kids"
Maura shrugged but couldn't verbally deny that she felt as tired as her daughter looked. "Thank you Jane" the doctor smiled and pulled her wife and son into a gentle embrace with her free hand. Pressing a soft kiss to Jane's lips, Maura then kissed her son's forehead with a smile. "Be on your best behaviour upstairs please Nicholas. Your Mama has a tough case to solve"
"Ok Mommy" Nico smiled brightly. He loved nothing more than to spend time with Jane watching her work. He admired her and her bad guy catching abilities. Jane and Nico bid Maura and Ellisyn farewell before making their way upstairs to the Homicide office.
Nicholas and Ellisyn Rizzoli-Isles were two very loved children amongst all those who worked Homicide in the Boston Police Department. Any child of a police officer was protected a little more than other children but these two were special. Not only were they now the very spoilt grandchildren of Lt. Cavanaugh after he married Angela not long before Ellisyn was born, they were the god-children of Korsak, Frost and Frankie. They had a whole police department making sure they were always safe and happy.
"Uncle Frankie!" Nico gasped as he spotted his Uncle by Jane's desk. Wiggling out of his mother's arms, the four year old raced over to Frankie. The young detective pulled his favourite nephew into his arms and flung him over his shoulder. He let the little boy dangle by his feet giggling madly.
"Frankie please put my son down before you drop him. We know how a couple drops onto the head as a child affected you. I wouldn't like to repeat that with Nico" Jane sighed as she pulled her son down and set him on his feet. She loved to see her brother and how he interacts with her children but Jane didn't expect to see Frankie for another few weeks. Promoted amongst the Drug Unit, Frankie had been working a case out of Boston College. His taskforce had been closing in on a group of students dealing homemade synthetic drugs that had had fatal side effects.
"Oh ha ha, Jane. Very funny"
"What are you even doing here and how the hell did you get that?" she asked as she inspected the patched up gash above her brother's right eye. He should have been out working his case not back at base. The only reason anyone is called out of an operation is if the case is solved or something goes wrong. By the look of Frankie's face and neck, something went wrong.
"What's Nico doing out of day care? Is Ellie here too?" Frankie asked, trying to change the subject. He didn't need a lecture from Jane of all people about what had happened out on the streets.
"Don't change the subject Frankie" the older Rizzoli snapped.
Frankie sighed softly and pulled away from Jane's grasp on his chin from where she was inspecting his injuries. He suggest to Nico to annoy his Uncle Frosty for a little while. "Alright, alright…. I got made"
"You what?"
"Don't start, Jane" he groaned softly "Hamilton screwed up a buy and the ring leader made us both. We arrested him but it's going to be hell trying to get any information out of him. Daddy's high end lawyer won't let us near him"
Jane shook her head. While it wasn't Frankie's fault, Jane knew her brother was smarter than that. Jane would never admit it but she was so incredibly proud of the detective Frankie had become. She always knew he had it in him but Frankie had already surpassed many of his sister's expectations. "You'll just have to figure a way to get around it"
"I don't know if I can…"
"Of course you can. You will find a way" she smiled assuring Frankie that he would take down this kid. Frankie was smart and a damn good detective, Jane had no doubt he could do it.
Frankie nodded with a weak smile, thanking his sister for her support. "It's going to be a long day" he sighed "Now can I change the subject? Why is Nico here? Is everything ok? Is Ellie alright?"
"Everything is fine. The day care just had to send the kids home before they all got chicken pox. Ellie is downstairs with Maura til we solve this one particular case. I'm just about to ask Sean for a couple personal days til we get the all clear"
"I would have expected Ma to be here spoiling them beyond belief"
"She couldn't get away, Stanley is being an ass"
"Mama said a bad word!" Nico burst as he raced back to his mother. At four, he was at the stage where he questioned or alerted them of everything. Ellisyn on the other hand was simply repeating everything she heard including any curse word Jane might say. Jane was getting better but the occasional slip up occurred. Maura had been adamant about pointing out the curse words to teach both Nico and Ellie not to say them.
"I know, I'm sorry bud" she chuckled as she scooped Nico up into her arms gently. Resting him on her hips, she apologised once again.
"What happened to you, Uncle Frankie? How'd you get hurt?"
"I got into a fight with a bad man. A bad man I need to go deal with" Frankie sighed softly. He needed to start interrogating his suspect but didn't particularly want to. It was going to be a long, tough day he wasn't all that excited to begin. With a pat on the shoulder from Jane and a fist bump from Nico, Frankie made his way through to interrogation.
"Why did Uncle Frankie fight with a bad man?" Nico asked curiously as Jane carried him back to her desk. Sitting down, she was glad there were no pictures of her crime scene on her desk. "Do you have to fight bad men too, Mama?"
"Sometimes"
"Then why does he have all those con…contu… I don't remember the word Mommy uses for boo boo's" Nico stuttered trying to think of the word. Maura couldn't turn off Google mouth even around Nico who did his best to learn all the big words.
"Contusions?" Jane chuckled and was met with a bright smile and enthusiastic nod from her son. She loved that Nicholas was trying to learn from Maura but some words were still too big for a four year old. "That's why I have Uncle Frosty. He helps Mama with all the bad guys"
"Is that all I'm good for?" Frost chuckled from the other side of the desk.
"I can't say anything more unless you've got some more information on who killed Lauren Hamilton" she smirked "Has the lab sent back the results of the baking materials?"
"They have, it came back positive for cocaine as well as two other synthetic drugs and on a hunch I got them to compare the sample to what Frankie brought in from the arrest this morning" Frost smiled as he flipped his computer screen around for Jane to look at. Assessing the results, she noticed the two samples showed a high percentage of similarities. Joshua Cooper was connected with the entitled college kid Frankie was interrogating which could mean a break for both their cases. Frost collected all the files and took it to Frankie hoping they could strike a deal with the college kid in exchange for information. Jane set Nico up next to her with a colouring book and crayons while she continued to sift through the case looking for any clues. She seemed to swap roles with her partner for the day, letting him do a lot of the running around between suspects and leads while she stayed at her desk searching through the electronic files.
XXXXX
"Mama?" Nico spoke up softly as he poked his head into BRIC. Korsak quickly minimised any crime scene photos so the four year old wasn't scarred for life. Nicholas had been sitting out at Jane's desk for the last hour or so as she worked on the case with Frost and Korsak "Mama, are we going to see Mommy and Ellie?"
Jane looked down at her watch and realised they were late to meet Maura and Ellisyn. They had been so close to having solid proof that Joshua Cooper organised the killing of Lauren Hamilton. Not murdering the young mother himself, Joshua's younger brother Henry stabbed her. They were ready to bring both brothers in and Jane really wanted to make this arrest.
"Korsak and I can bring them in if you want, Jane" Frost offered although he knew how much Jane wanted to get these guys. He admired his partner's passion and commitment to each case and the determination to see each through to the end.
"No, this is my case" she insisted as she pulled her son up into her arms. Brushing his curls back from his forehead, she placed a soft kiss on her temple "Mama has to go catch two more bad guys then we can all go home, eat pizza and watch superhero movies. How does that sound, bud?"
"Sounds awesome but Mommy doesn't like pizza much and Ellie hates superhero movies" the four year old pouted. That little boy had Jane's classic frown/pout combination mastered at such a young age. He knew he convey so much with just one look.
"We'll get Mommy that seafood pasta she likes and we'll throw a Disney movie in the mix before Ellie's bedtime" she chuckled. Jane had learnt quickly that she needed a solution for everything especially with an inquisitive boy like Nicholas by her side.
"Can I come catch the bad guy with you?" Nico asked hopefully even though he knew the answer. Turning to Frost and Korsak, he put on his best puppy dog eyes to try and soften them. As powerful as the pout, Nico could get just about anything he wanted or get away with just about anything with one jut of his bottom lip. No doubt he had inherited it from his mother and she did her best to fight it.
"Not this time" Jane spoke up before the melted Frost or Korsak could say otherwise. They adored that little boy and would easily give him the world if he asked for it. "I'm sure your Mom has something more exciting for you to do downstairs"
"Mama, I want to come with you"
"Not gonna happen"
"Meanie" Nico pouted
"You'll survive" Jane chuckled as she turned to her partner herself "I'll meet you at the car"
Jane didn't like choosing her work over her family but sometimes she needed to see a case through. Lauren Hamilton was brutally murdered by the Cooper Brother's and as a young mother herself, Jane couldn't imagine what Lauren's three daughters were going through. Jane never wanted Nicholas or Ellisyn to ever have to know that kind of loss especially at such a young age. The young detective wanted to see the Cooper Brother's get the justice they deserve for taking a mother away from her little girls.
XXXXX
Jane balanced two tubs of ice-cream on top of the already unstable stack of pizza boxes and take out containers as she entered her Boston home. Holding it out in front of her she hoped the sight and aroma would distract her wife and kids from how late she was. Promising to be back after lunch, Jane got caught up interrogating the Cooper Brother's before the youngest brother Henry finally caved and gave them a full confession.
"Mama!" Ellisyn squealed as she jumped off the couch and raced toward Jane. A different child to the one Jane saw earlier that day, Ellie hugged her mother's legs tight as soon as she set the food on the counter. Picking Ellisyn up and sitting her on the counter with a smile, Jane kissed her forehead gently.
"At least someone doesn't hate me for being late" Jane chuckled as she pulled her daughter into her arms and carried her toward the couch where Maura and Nico were settled under a quilt together.
"None of us could hate you, Jane" Maura smiled as she rested her hand over Jane's that now lay on her shoulder. Maura understood Jane's work and that sometimes closing cases took time. She could never argue with Jane about each case because more often than not Maura was working the same one. She knew what the victims suffered and what sick scum Jane captured with every case. There was no way she could hate her wife for just protecting their city and their family.
"I bought extra ice-cream to apologise all the same" the detective chuckled "And the pasta from Enzo's that you like"
"The one with the scallops and white wine jus?" Maura gasped with a smile. Her wife knew the way to her heart was through one of her favourite meals. It would match perfectly to the wine she had chilled in the refrigerator. Standing up off the couch, she led Nicholas into the kitchen behind Jane and Ellisyn. Serving out dinner to everyone, Maura then poured herself a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The young family broke the Isles family rule and all cuddled up on the couch with their meals. Starting off with a classic Disney movie, the family loved nothing more than spending time together like this.
"Were you expecting someone, Jane?" Maura asked as the doorbell echoed through their home toward the end of the movie. Shaking her head, Jane shifted a snoozing Nicholas off her lap and stood up. Making her way to the door, she did not expect what was on the other side.
Jane opened the door and was met with two Army soldiers dressed in formal uniform "Can I help you?"
"We're looking for Jane Rizzoli" the Lieutenant spoke up before Jane acknowledged that she was who they were after "We're very sorry to inform you that there has been a fatal accident involving Lieutenant Colonel Casey Jones. His convoy was involved in a roadside bombing attack, there were no survivors"
Jane broke down in tears before the young soldier could give her any more information. Clutching the door frame, Jane used all her strength not to collapse into a heap right there. Every time Casey left for another tour, she feared receiving this news. Casey was her best friend, the father of her children and the last man she would ever fall in love with. To never be able to see him was tearing her apart.
Maura raced to the door at the sound of her wife's sobbing. She knew from the second she saw the two soldiers at the door that Casey had died. Pulling Jane into her arms, she held her tight knowing the pain she was feeling. While Maura wasn't as close to Casey, he was the reason they had their two beautiful children and she was forever grateful for that gift. The two soldiers relayed the information to Maura about the return of Casey's body, the service and the notification of his death to his parents. There was no way Jane could give this kind of news to Casey's parents so she was thankful that the soldiers were scheduled to do it. The soldiers apologised once again for their loss before leaving the family to grieve.
Jane continued to sob into her wife's shoulder as the realisation that Casey was dead washed over her like a tsunami. She never wanted to think of life without him and now she had to.
"Mama?" Nico spoke up softly as he and Ellisyn peeked from behind the wall into the front hall. Making their way over to their mothers, neither let go of the others hand. They had never seen their mother in such a state before and the little boy and girl were worried. Jane stood up at the sound of her son's voice despite another wave of grief wash over her. Her children would now grow up without a father. Casey wasn't a full time father but he was the best he could be to those two children. He loved them more than life itself and did everything he could to make sure they lived the best life they could.
Kneeling down as she wiped the tears from her eyes, Jane held her arms out to her children. Nicholas and Ellisyn raced into her arms and hugged her tight hoping to comfort their mother. Jane kissed both their foreheads gently as she sniffed back tears.
"Mama, what's wrong?" Ellie asked softly once Jane had put them at arm's length. Feeling Maura's hand squeeze her shoulder, Jane knew she had to tell her children what was going on even if they couldn't quite understand.
"You guys remember how your Dad is… was an Army man and he went away to help protect us?" Jane began and a sniff. Nico nodded knowing that his Dad was over in the war helping make their country safe, Ellisyn nodded as well understanding as well as she could for a two year old. "He was in an accident and he's not coming home"
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