It happened the same way every time. Jane never learned and Angela never listened.

Like poking a large bear, Angela efficiently pushed all of Jane's buttons in a way that only the interfering, overbearing matriarch could accomplish. She meant well, but that only seemed to make it worse for Jane somehow.

She jabbed mercilessly at the grizzly younger Rizzoli and then wondered aloud at what on earth could have angered her only daughter so much. Her lack of self-awareness always managed to hit on Jane's last nerve, causing her temper to skyrocket.

Angela recoiled at Jane's resulting outburst, as if the unreasonably grouchy bear had just verbally pawed her across the face. Jane hated herself for doing it almost as much as she hated that her mother couldn't just leave well alone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It was Monday morning and it had happened again, at work of all places.

She shouldn't have blown up at her Ma like that in the middle of the café but the woman just didn't know when to quit. Not content with nagging all weekend about the very handsome new Human Resources Manager who'd be perfect for her, Angela had started in again before Jane had even put creamer in her first coffee of the day. Their raised voices and animated hand gestures had drawn the attention of a crowd, but after suffering the showdown for several minutes it was the tearful break in Jane's own voice that had finally forced her to flee.

Avoiding the confines of the elevator, her cheeks burning with residual embarrassment, the detective trudged slowly up the stairwell.
Time and again, Jane pleaded with Angela to stay out of her personal life but it was pointless. Jane's inability to verbalise her romantic aspirations was fairly standard but her burgeoning tears were new. Angela had succeeded in pushing her just that little bit further this time.

She paused on the landing between flights and regarded her lacklustre and lukewarm drink with sadness. What was the point of any of it? Even her appetite for her coffee was gone. If only she'd met Maura at Boston Joe's on the way in… She would have avoided the scene in the café, she'd have a far superior cup of coffee in hand right now, and she'd damn well want to drink it.

Sighing heavily, she took another second to pull herself together, breathing deeply and stuffing her emotions back down. It hurt to confine them but the dull ache that resulted in her chest was something she had gotten used to. She was almost ready to head for the bullpen when she heard Angela calling her name.

Jane's pulse quickened and her ire returned in an instant. She didn't want to feel this way but her control was fast slipping away; she felt like an ounce more provocation might make her explode. Skipping up the stairs two at a time, Jane cleared the last few flights quickly and quietly, ignoring her mother's plaintive calls for her to come back and talk.

The detective was free and clear right up until her toe caught the very last riser. She face-planted onto the landing, grazing her chin on the concrete and crushing her coffee cup underneath her.

"Ooompf. OW, SHIT!"

Angela panicked, "Jane! Jane? Are you okay?"

Her mother's hurried footsteps climbed closer as the detective groaned and picked herself up. Her neck and chest were wet, her white button-up shirt ruined by a dripping, brown stain. She shook moisture from her hands and kicked the squashed cardboard cup against the wall. "Goddammit."

Jane was hunched over, standing in a puddle and holding her jaw when Angela rounded the bottom of the final flight of stairs. "What happened?!" she screeched, setting Jane's teeth on edge. "You're bleeding!"

Jane batted her mother's hands away from her face and mumbled, "I'm fine."

"How on earth…?" Angela breathed, pulling at the placket of Jane's shirt with her fingers. "Look at the state of you!"

Batting again more forcefully and taking a step back, Jane bit, "Will you stop! I said I'm fine."

Feeling the sting from Jane's tone, Angela snapped, "What's gotten into you today?"

"What's gotten –?" Jane shook her head and laughed bitterly. She was dangerously close to saying something she would likely regret. It seemed better to bite her tongue before anger took over but she couldn't contain a low growl. She turned and swung open the stairwell door, hiding her screwed up face from view before grinding out, "I tripped. No big deal."

Angela followed as the detective stalked into the bullpen, "Serves you right for running away from your mother."

Jane unclipped her soggy cellphone from its holster and slammed it down on her desk. "What are you doing following me up here anyway? Shouldn't you be in the café serving that terrible coffee?" She knew she sounded like a petulant teenager but she didn't care.

With her hands on her hips, Angela snipped, "I'm not confined to the café, y'know. I can access almost every part of this building."

Jane sat down at her desk and scoffed spitefully. "Yeah, well… Access can be revoked." The thinly-veiled threat paired with a single raised eyebrow didn't deter the sassy older woman.

Angela didn't care who was listening and looked around at several detectives, including a wide-eyed Vince Korsak, as she ranted, "Oh really? And then where would you be without me and my mobile muffin cart, huh? Starving, that's what. Little Miss 'I haven't got time for breakfast'."

Jane couldn't take much more. It was one thing to belittle her at home, or in Maura's home, but it was entirely different doing it in front of her colleagues. She wanted this over, or for the floor to open up and swallow her, whichever came first. "That's right. I'm a busy woman. So why don't you go back downstairs. I have work to do."

"No!"

Jane was livid. "Get out!"

"No. Not until you tell me what that was all about before?"

"THAT…" she spat, unable to control the ferocity of her response. Now she was the one who didn't care who could hear them. She'd reached her absolute limit. "That was about you getting on my case, again, for being single, it was about you treating me like crap, because I don't have a ring on my finger and a man on my arm. That was about you trying to dictate my love life by setting me up with every single guy you come across!"

"But Jane, it wouldn't hurt to -"

Jane had heard this same argument over and over again. "No, it wouldn't hurt… to go on a date, to see what might happen. But that's just it, Ma… I don't want to find out! So you just need to stop."

"But -"

"But nothing." It felt good to stand up for herself, even if she figured Angela would take no notice and start back up again in a week's time. She jabbed an index finger onto the desk as she spoke, "I. Don't. Need you. To set me. Up. Again!"

Angela stood quietly beside Barry's desk, holding her daughter's steely gaze.

Jane thought that might have been the end of it and after a second or two she turned away to start working.

But Angela didn't leave. Instead the woman just breathed a deep, weary sigh and thrust her pleading hands once more toward her daughter. "I just don't understand, Jane. I want you to be happy, why is that so hard to -"

"BECAUSE I LOVE MAURA!" Jane yelled, shoving her chair backwards as she stood, plunging the room into silence. Defeated and broken, Jane tears came easily as her voice wavered. "I love Maura, okay… I'm in love with her."

"Oh…" Angela's eyes were glassy and she reached out again. "Honey -"

Jane sniffled and backed away. "Don't, Ma."

Everything was so clear now. No wonder Jane was upset. How had she not seen it? Angela took a step forward. "I didn't – I didn't know."

Angela didn't know because Jane hadn't told her, but to the detective that was almost entirely beside the point. Jane hadn't told anyone, hadn't intended to ever admit it. Still furious and burning three shades of red, Jane snatched her car keys from her desk drawer and made to leave. At least with a ruined shirt and a bloody chin she had a valid reason for running away again. No one needed to see her like this. She could cry in private and bring her humiliation to an end.

Everyone in the bullpen was staring at her as she turned abruptly and froze. Everyone including the Medical Examiner, who was stood just inside the doorway, holding a large cup of coffee adorned with Jane's name, silent tears rolling down her face.