AN: I may leave this as incomplete, I have another chapter in mind, but it's literally 19 Years Later (when little Jake goes to Hogwarts... I'm only kidding.) and I don't know if anyone wants to read that.

Sunday dinner was in full swing. Though this was a rare occasion when the entire family was present, Maura and Jane's home in Cambridge was bursting at the seams with the mass of bodies and people present. Every room was filled with a person or more, the sheer volume of the love and joviality that filled it was sure to be a nuisance complaint to BPD if it had been after ten p.m.. They didn't all fit in dining room anymore, so the guys had set up the garden tables that Maura had purchased when the number of her nieces and nephews had reached eight, so they could sit in the comfortable spring evening and Ron, Vince, and Arthur could take turns manning the grill. There was a pool and space enough for everyone to live and breathe freely without being cloistered.

They had bought the larger house three years ago, when they first applied to adopt a child. Maura and Jane had both wanted a large yard for any children that would come to them. Though neither of them mentioned it, the first time that they were called suddenly to the hospital, some young woman having chosen them to be the parents to her baby, and returning back to the large space empty handed and broken hearted, they both hated the house. It had grown on them since then, realizing that while they may not have children of their own, they had their siblings children over often enough that the space was rarely ever empty. And when it was just the two of them, they had made it their own and while it was spatially empty, it didn't feel that way.

The children had a room all to their own, though the "room" was practically the whole basement minus the laundry room and the utility closet. It was a large, open space filled with toys and couches and two sets of bunk beds, as well having an entertainment center that Maura wasn't sure what exactly it did, but TJ had assured her that it was "beyond cool" so she made sure that she had an IT available to come to her house to fix it if she couldn't get ahold of Nina and they had the children. Maura rarely ventured to that area of the house because while the children tried, it was often the messiest room in the house, but she didn't mind. They had included it in the photo album they had presented to the adoption agency for the woman who were giving up their children.

One of the photos that was included was of the eight nieces and nephews; TJ, the oldest and the protector of the group kneeling in the middle was holding Cailin's infant son Matthew. TJ's sisters, from Tommy and his wife Christine, Michelle and Angie, were on either side of TJ and were both looking at something other than the camera. Frankie and Nina's oldest son Barry was standing to the side, his twin brothers Frankie and Scott hanging on to his arms, while their little sister Amanda cling to TJ's leg. It was as haphazard a photo as the Rizzoli children were, and while Maura would have preferred to have one where they were all smiling, that was a feat that was beyond even the best photographers.

She had compromised by including hand written or drawn notes and pictures from the children alongside their school or pictures taken especially for this project. While Jane said the angelic posed pictures presented a falsehood of the insanity that was eight Rizzoli children, Maura loved the school photos so much she had the five of whom were in school framed and placed along the mantle, even though TJ frowned at his every time he came in the house.

She was happy now. While at times the thoughts that she was missing something from her life, her own child, overwhelmed her to the point of tears, she felt happy. She was once again apart from the joviality of the afternoon holding a sleeping infant in her arms and watching her family. Christine, Nina, Kiki and Angela were in the kitchen, the feat of cooking for so many too much for Angela to handle. Tommy and Arthur were with her in the living room, though they were quietly playing a game of chess. Her father had taken to Tommy instantly when the youngest Rizzoli son had bested him in a game of chess, and this was a ritual that they repeated every time that Arthur was in town for Sunday dinner. Cailin and her husband Mark, were sitting on the floor playing with Amanda. Ron, Frankie, Vince, and Jane were in the pool with the rest of the children, while Hope and Constance played lifeguard.

Her heart was full, holding baby Matthew and watching the odd pieces of her family interact with each other.

Her phone began ringing next to her, and Tommy seeing that she couldn't quite reach it got up to hand her the device. Speaking quietly, and from habit she said "Isles."

"Is this Dr. Maura Isles?" The unfamiliar voice asked on the other end of the line.

"Yes, this is she."

"Hello Dr. Isles, my name is Helen Harper, I am a social worker at Boston Mass and I'm calling to inform you that a young lady had chosen you and your wife to adopt her child." Maura's heart stopped. The last time they had received this call the mother had changed her mind before they had made it to the hospital. They left broken hearted and devastated at the loss. It had taken them a year to put their names back on the list and in the rotation at the adoption agency. It had taken them 674 days to call this time. Maura wasn't sure that that had been enough time for her heart to heal.

"Hello? Dr. Isles?" Maura hadn't realized that she had been silent.

"Yes, sorry I'm here. How much time do we have?" She asked. She could feel her heart rate increase as she motioned for Tommy to take Matthew so she could stand and go get Jane.

"She's just gone into labour, so if you and your wife are here within two hours, that should be enough time to meet your child."

"We will be there, ask for you?"

"Yes, that would be wonderful, see you then."

Maura disconnected the call and looked at Tommy and Arthur, both of who were looking at her with confusion on their faces. She opened and shut her mouth, not able to come up with the words to say. The whole family had cried when they didn't come home with a baby the last time, so she and Jane had decided that they would wait until they brought home the child before informing them this time. Though the mother still had 30 days to change her mind after signing he parental rights away, bringing the baby through their door would be better.

Or it might be worse if the woman changed her mind, Maura didn't know which would be worse.

Without saying anything to her confused brother and father, she just walked through the house and by her family. She could tell they were all giving her strange looks, but she couldn't seem to rearrange her face into something other than it was. She crouched by the side of the pool, 21 pairs of eyes on her and silent as she beckoned Jane over with a look.

When Jane was near enough to lift herself partway out of the pool, Maura whispered, "A social worker just called," she could hear Jane swallow thickly at that, "she said there is a woman who has chosen us."

"Is she sure? The woman?" The trepidation and fear in Jane's voice matched the whirling emotions in Maura's chest.

"I didn't ask, Jane." She had been afraid to.

"How long?"

"Two hours."

"I'll go get dressed."

Maura stepped back so Jane could lift herself out of the pool fully, the silence and eyes of their family a heavy weight on her shoulders. When she was out of the pool, Maura watched as Jane scanned their family, all of who were now outside looking at them. "Tell them, I'll grab the car seat and get the car ready. Meet me out front in ten minutes."

Maura just nodded and Jane ran into the house.

Taking a deep breath she looked at her family. All of them. Even the children seemed to understand that something was happening, even if they didn't understand what was making the adults quiet and tense.

"We just got a call from a social worker-"

She had been prepared to say more, but all the adults gasped and moved towards her, stony looks on their faces. In the background Scott asked "what's a social worker," which did nothing to ease the tension in the backyard.

It was Ron that spoke up, "We'll clean up and go." Every one nodded and made to move away.

"No!" She almost shouted in panic. Because the last day that had started with a similar call came in the middle of the night. If their family had been here, it would have been easier to come home. Before Maura met Jane, even before they were married, Maura had gotten used to having people around, found that she craved them. Even if it was just knowing that Angela was across the courtyard in her old Beacon Hill home, she hadn't been alone in years. If the mother changed her mind, Maura knew she would need them to surround her.

"Please stay, everyone. Have dinner, play in the pool, watch the game. We shouldn't be longer than a few hours... ei-either way." She hated that she stuttered, but they all remembered as well as she did.

"Of course, sweetheart," Angela, Hope, and Constance said.

"Call us when you know," Nina, Christine, and Kiki said.

"Good luck," said all the men.

"What's a social worker?" Asked Scott again.

Maura simply nodded and stopped to grab her purse and Jane's wallet and phone from the front hall, closing the door behind her. She could hear the overlapping voices of her family, their voices tense and hushed.

Jane was already in their car, the car seat already installed in the back.

~~~a dream is a wish your heart makes~~~

They had driven in silence the whole way to the hospital, desperation filling the car. It should be a happy moment, a joyful moment, but all there was was fear. Bad fear. There wasn't fear of becoming parents, they knew they would be fantastic parents. The fear was that they would have to return home as only aunts. They loved being aunts, had chosen their home to be the best aunts possible, had done everything they could to be the best aunts to eight wonderful nieces and nephews. But they wanted to be mothers as well. Their family deserved another grandchild, another cousin, another Rizzoli.

But the fear that that wouldn't happen was palpable in the car. It was suffocating. So they rode in silence, hands clasped on Jane's knee as she drove, slower than she would normally drive, to the hospital.

Jane could feel her hands shake as she unhooked the infant carrier, could feel Maura's hand tremble as she gripped Jane's arm. Could feel the way that her heart rasped out a staccato beat against her lungs that struggled to bring in adequate air.

They checked in at the administration desk, checked in with Helen Harper on the maternity floor, deposited their infant carrier on the floor in the waiting room with fathers and other happy families. They clung to each other in fear and desperation, a grey storm in a sunshine filled sea.

Finally Helen returned, "Jane. Maura. Would you guys like to meet your son?"

"Son," Jane whispered, a puff of air that no one heard.

Jane watched as Maura only nodded and they clung even more tightly to each other as they followed Helen to a room at the end of the hall. It was empty except for two chairs, hospital pink and worn. The infant carrier was deposited on the floor again, while they waited.

Jane would not be able to tell you how long they waited, but eventually a nurse came in behind Helen, a small blue wrapped bundle in her arms. The nurse looked between them, Jane knew she was trying to decide who would hold him first, and while they both gestured to each other, Jane was a bit faster and was able to step back so Maura was closer to the nurse. As the baby was transferred to Maura's arms, Jane knelt by her chair and wrapped her arms around Maura and the baby.

Jane had never seen a more perfect thing in her entire life. His skin was soft and creamy white, tinged with pink. His downy mouth was pulled tight in a frown, and she honestly couldn't blame him. A shock of feather soft dark blond hair stuck out of his knit hat. She could only stare at him. Finally looking up she could see that Maura was crying, making no noise as she rocked the baby.

"The mother would like to speak to one of you, if you're willing." Helen whispered, never having left her post by the door watching them.

Catching Maura's eye, Jane nodded. She knew that not getting to even see the first baby broke Maura more than it broke her. She was devastated, having lost a different baby what felt like a lifetime ago, so she had been minutely prepared for it. Maura had lost that baby too, but Jane also suspected that Maura had an easier time of letting that baby go than she did. Not to say that Maura was heartless, because that would have been a lie and a painful one at that, but it was different for her. She would have been Aunt Maura to that baby, now that she was going to be Mom it was a different kind of hurt.

Gently kissing Maura's head, she left her wife with the baby - she wasn't calling him her son until, well until he was - and followed Helen while another nurse took Helen's post inside the room, standard procedure to ensure that prospective adoptive parents couldn't steal newborn infants.

Walking into the room, there was a solitary bed with an impossibly young girl in it. She couldn't have been older than TJ who was 16. Jane stopped a few inches from the foot of the bed and just looked at the young girl and waited, fear stealing her voice.

"You're the cop right? The other one, your wife, she's a doctor? Where is she?" The girl asked, the Boston Italian accent colouring her words. This girl grew up in the north end like Jane.

"Yeah, she's with the baby right now." Her words came out quiet and choked.

"Why did you come, instead of her?"

Jane blew out a breath, "She needed a minute to be a mom. This has hap-," She had to swallow down the tears that were threatening to break free, "This has happened before. We didn't even get to see that baby... she... I can't do it again if you-"

"I ain't gonna change my mind."

A selfish flare of hope burned bright within Jane's chest making it difficult to breathe, and a single tear escaped.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I ain't got a home. When I got pregnant my mom kicked me out, said she didn't need another mouth to feed. I been living on the streets ya know, no place for a baby."

"No place for a kid like you either."

All she got in response was a grunt.

"How am I gonna raise a baby, can't even pay this hospital bill, can't buy food or clothes or nothing."

"We'll pay the hospital bill."

"Hey, Ms. Harper, you got that paper for me to sign?"

Helen came forward, pulling papers from her briefcase and giving them to the girl. As she was signing the adoption forms, panic filled Jane again "Can she do that, she's just a kid."

"I'm 18, I know what I'm doing."

Jane could see the words "closed adoption," "no contact," "waive parental rights," as the girl just signed or initial where Helen indicated. The adoption agency they went through avoided names, so in instances of closed adoptions no one could contact each other. While Jane and Maura had agreed that they would make themselves available if the birth mother wanted to see her child.

When the papers were safely back in Helen's briefcase Jane just looked at the girl again, her face a mask of resolve and determination, but she was steadfastly not looking at Jane. "Go back to your wife cop, go see your son."

Jane could only nod, the rest of her tears finally spilling. She had a son.

She practically ran back to Maura and their son. Her son.

Maura was still silently rocking the baby, but now she was talking to him, whispering facts about the solar system to him, even using the correct terms and words that Jane didn't understand. Kneeling beside her again, she wrapped her arms around her wife and son, her family, and kissed Maura on the cheek.

"Is he ours Jane?"

"Yes Maur', he's our son."

Maura broken down into sobs then, as did Jane.

~~~värgen är lång~~~

When her tears had finally calmed down, Jane called her mother to tell her the good news. She could hear the cheers from the rest of their family, and promises to remain there until they returned home with the baby. Before they were allowed to leave they had to sign paperwork for the adoption agency, the state, the hospital, choose a name for their son, and sign more forms for the hospital to forward the birth mother's stay to the adoption agency so that Maura and Jane could pay for it.

All in all they had missed four hours of Sunday Night dinner, but as Jane pulled into the driveway she could see that none of them had left, the cars on the street were in the exact same places they had been when they left for the hospital.

Jane opened the backdoor for Maura, and left the carrier from its place in the back seat, her hands steady and sure as she carried her son into their house. They didn't make it past the threshold of the front door before their entire family, minus the youngest children who were all probably asleep as it was now after eight, met them. Jane held up her hand as Maura lifted the baby from the carrier to hold them off so they could make the introduction.

"Everyone, we would like you to meet our son, Jacob Arthur Rizzoli." Jane said to the room, Maura's face a beaming smile at her father who had gasped and begun to cry.

"Jake, this is your family."

Dr. Arthur Isles was the first family member to get to hold the new baby, his first actual grandchild. While the other Rizzoli children called him Doctor Grandpa, having a grandchild of his own was something else entirely. Baby Jake was then passed to Constance, where Arthur hugged Jane and Maura to him still crying.

After everyone had gotten a look at the new baby or got to hold him for a minute, gathered their own children and left, Maura and Jane were left alone with their son. They sat together on their bed; the bassinet lay forgotten in the corner of their room. Maura was holding him to her bare chest, sitting between Jane's legs and resting against her chest. His small face was nestled just above her breast, nursing on a bottle of breast milk they had gotten from the donor clinic at the hospital. Jane's arms were wrapped around Maura, one hand entwined with Maura's under Jake's back, the other splayed across her abdomen.

"Sing us a song Jane," Maura whispered, leaning down to press a soft kiss to their son's forehead.

"What do you want me to sing Maur'?"

"Anything you want Jane."

And so Jane sang.