Chapter 1. "One Fan May Hide Another"

April 2013 - Los Angeles's Children Hospital

Another day. Another tough day in Maura Isles's daily life. She usually woke up at 6:30am and worked until 7pm. Then, she went back home, had dinner with her daughter, read her a story before taking her to bed, watched a documentary drinking a glass of wine, took a bath and went to sleep. Maura was a single mom. Some male surgeons had attempted to ask her out on a date many times, but never succeeded. She always refused their invitations, saying she had to take care of her daughter or she did not mix her personal life with her professional life. At lunch, she sat alone at her desk, eating a salad she brought from home. But this day, she accepted to go out at noon with one of her colleagues, Doctor Susie Chang, to try a brand new restaurant only two blocks away from the hospital.

"Maura... I'm worried about you and I'm not the only one... You are working too much and you are more and more stressed. You should take a break, and go have some fun for yourself."

"I don't have time to do that. My mother will retire next month..."

"It's not because you're gonna be the Head of the Isles Foundation in Boston that you have to sacrifice yourself, Maura."

"Look... not only I'm the Chief of Surgery here, but at the same time, I also have to: -manage my project to create new services to enlarge the Foundation's activities, -be ready to move out to Boston, -take care of Lorie's new school and by the way I have no idea which school to choose, and to respond to all these interview requests... When do you want me to take a break?"

"Take the weekend off! Just two days. I can take care of Lorie and you can... I don't know... go out and... have some fun without talking about medical stuff."

"I'm not in the mood for that..."

"Okay... So... Take your daughter somewhere! What does she love?"

"She loves soccer... and especially Jane Rizzoli", she said with a smile, "She's a big 'Rizzoli' fan".

"Really?"

"Yes... She wants me to buy all magazines when Jane Rizzoli is on the cover. There are three posters and lots of pictures on the walls of her bedroom. She knows a lot of things about her, and since I offered her the US jersey with 'Rizzoli' on the back for her birthday last year, she wanted to be called 'Lorizzo'...", she said, still smiling.

"The US soccer team will be at Disneyland on Saturday for a signing session before playing a charity match on Sunday against the UCLA team. You should go. My sister and my niece will be there."

"It's her dream to see her for real..."

"So take a break and make your little princess the happiest little girl in the world." Doctor Chang had a grin on her face.

"What?" Maura frowned.

"It's been a long time since I saw you smile Doctor Isles, plus you managed to talk five minutes without saying 'surgery', 'hospital' or 'foundation'."

Maura smiled back. "Okay, okay, you won. I'll take my weekend off and I'll go to Disneyland with Lorie. Where can I buy tickets for the match?"

"I'll call my sister this afternoon and I'll inform you then."

"Thank you... for everything, Susie. You're right, I need a break."

"You're welcome!"

"Okay... now that I beat my record of not talking about medicine, we should go back to the hospital...", she said, smiling.

"Six minutes and a half, Doctor. But I'm sure you'll beat your record this weekend."

Beverly Hills - Maura's house - Same day, 7:21pm

Maura lived in Beverly Hills. When Lorie was born, she hired a nanny, Francesca Capellini, 53, who was a friend of her adoptive mother. Sometimes, the Italian woman helped her clean her house, run errands, iron clothes or cook dinner.

Maura always came back home around 7pm to be sure to spend some quality time with her daughter. After parking her Aston Martin Vanquish in her garage, she opened the front door of her house.

"Hello, I'm back! Lorie, Mommy's home!"

"Good evening Maura!", she welcomed the doctor, a bit worried.

"Buona sera Francesca! Is everything okay?!"

"Well, everything was fine. Lorie was happy, everything went well at school, but when I came back from the kitchen with a glass of milk and her favorite cookies, she was sad..."

"Sad? What happened?"

"I don't know. She received her 'Sports Illustrated' 's new issue. She was reading it when I went to the kitchen. When I came back she was sad. She didn't want to eat or drink anything. She took her magazine, ran upstairs and went to her bedroom. I tried to talk to her. She told me she was fine and she wanted to be alone."

"Okay...", she sighed. "Thank you Francesca. I'm going to talk to her right now." The older woman nodded.

Maura went upstairs directly to her daughter's bedroom. Lorie was sitting on her bed, reading. The doctor knocked on the open door and came in. "Hey sweetie! How are you?"

Lorie Isles, or 'Lorizzo', did not exactly look like her mother. She had long curly black hair with hazel eyes. She was 6 years old and would turn 7 in May, but she was very intelligent for her age.

"Hey Mommy. I'm fine...", she said, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, but still looking at her magazine.

Maura frowned. She went to her bed and sat next to her. "What are you reading? What is it about?"

Lorie showed her the cover of the magazine.

"Oh!", she said, enthusiastically. Her first reaction was to be happy for her daughter when she saw that it was Jane Rizzoli on the cover, but "Oh...", the title stopped her immediately from saying anything else: 'Last season for Rizzoli'.

"I won't see her anymore on TV, Mommy... She won't play anymore... I'm going to miss her so much", she said, between sobs.

Maura sighed and cuddled her daughter. "Shhh sweetie...", she said, looking at her to wipe her tears away with her thumb. "Did she say why or what was she going to do?"

"She will retire in September 'cause she wants to manage her soccer academy."

"You know... If you like Jane Rizzoli..."

"I love her, Mommy!" she cut her off.

"Okay, so... if you love her, you have to respect her choice. It's her life. I'm sure she's healthy, so if she wants to stop her career, this decision belongs to her."

"But I'll never see her again, Mommy..."

"Look, first she said she'd retire in September. We're in April, so you'll still have a lot of matches to watch. And then... tell me what would you say to her if you saw her?" she asked her with a smile.

"If I see her... I'll tell her I love her, and that she's the greatest player in the world, and... and... and when I grow up I want to be like her."

"You want to be a professional soccer player?"

"Yes Mommy! I want to be a Rizzoli!", she confirmed, seriously.

Maura started laughing. "You want to be a Rizzoli huh? Not an Isles?"

"I'm already an Isles. I want to be a Rizzoli too."

The doctor leaned forward and kissed her on the head. "Okay, so you know what? What do you think about telling her what you've just said to me on Saturday?"

Lorie looked at her, trying to understand her last words.

"I lost you huh?", Maura said, with a smile. "Jane Rizzoli and the US soccer team will be at Disneyland on Saturday for a signing session. So, you'll be able to ask her for an autograph. What do you think about it?"

"For real?", the little girl almost shouted.

"Yes, of course, for real. I took the weekend off, so I won't have to go to work on Saturday", the doctor smiled.

"I'm gonna see Jane Rizzoli for real and get an autograph?"

"Yes sweetie!"

"YEEAAHHHHHHHH...", she said, with arms up in victory as if she had scored the winning goal in the final game of the World Cup. And then, she threw herself in the arms of her mother. "Thank you Mommy, I love you", she said, hugging her tightly.

"I love you too, sweetie."

"Mommy?"

"Yes sweetheart"

"Can I wear my 'Rizzoli' jersey to see Jane?"

"Yes, of course you can. Well, just take it off, I'm going to wash it now."

Beverly Hills - Maura's house - Saturday, 10:00am

"Okay so... Scooby-Doo sport bottle water?"

"Checked!"

"Rain coats ponchos?"

"Checked!"

"Favorite cookies?"

"Checked!"

"Salad sandwiches?"

"Checked!"

"Multivitamins Fruit Juice?"

"Checked!"

"Sunglasses?"

"Checked!"

"Winnie the Pooh cap?"

"On my head, Mommy!"

"Okay great!"

"Can I put the backpack on the car now?"

"Yes, you can."

"Okay!... Oh noooo!", Lorie started panicking, running upstairs.

"Slow down sweetie! I already told you to never run in the house."

"It's an emergency Doctor, I forgot my drawing for Jane in my bedroom".

"An emergency uh?!... Haha good try Lorizzo, but it doesn't change anything."

"Sorryyy Mommy!..."

Anaheim - Disneyland - Saturday afternoon

Going to Disneyland on Saturday was already a challenge, but going to Disneyland when the US soccer team was officially doing a signing session was a nightmare. Maura finally found a parking space but it was already 1:25pm.

When they arrived to the entrance, there were so many people that she tried desperately to reach a hostess.

"Lorie, don't let go my hand okay?"

"Okay Mommy!"

"Excuse-me... Miss... Excuse-me!"

"Good afternoon Madam, welcome to Disneyland!"

"Thank you... Good afternoon to you too! Can you tell me where the signing session with the US soccer team takes place please?"

"Inside the Paradise Pier Hotel." The hostess opened a map. "You have to follow the Disneyland Drive, it's here."

"Okay thank you."

"But I have to warn you there are already hundreds of people there, waiting outside."

"Oh fu... truck! Thank you...", she sighed.

"Have a nice day!"

Anaheim - Disneyland - Paradise Pier Hotel - Four hours later

"Mommy, I see Jane! Look! Here! It's Jane!"

"Where?"

"Look! Over there!"

"Oh yes..."

"But we're still too far from her, Mommy. What time is it?"

"5:50pm sweetie!"

"Hurry... hurry up...", Lorie said to nobody. "People don't move anymore, Mommy. Do we still have to wait behind them?"

"Yes, we do. These people arrived here before us."

"It's not fair! Jane is my heroine. They don't care about her."

"How do you know that?"

"They don't wear her jersey. I do." Maura smiled lightly. Her daughter was very observant for her age. "What time is it now?"

The doctor sighed. "5:53pm"

"The signing session stops at 6, Mommy."

"I know sweetheart, but we really can't do anything right now but to wait."

"Yes, I know. But we're still too far."

Maura hoped the session would last a bit longer than expected. She knew it would be impossible for them to reach the table on time.

It was 6pm. They were at fifteen feet away from the table where all the US soccer team was sat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we're very sorry but it's 6pm now. The signing session is over. The US soccer team has a training session tonight and has to go back to their hotel now. Please use the front door to go back to the parks", announced one of the guards.

"NOOOOO! JAANNEEE! JANE RIZZOLIII! JAANNNEEE PLEASE JANNEEE!", Lorie shouted out, looking at the soccer player to get her attention in vain. Maura knelt down beside her. Her daughter burst into tears and threw herself in her arms. Her sorrow was so deep that she could not stop sobbing.

"Shhh sweetie! Don't worry I'm sure you'll meet her before she retires... Shhh baby girl..." The doctor stroked her back until her sobbing ceased.

Jane Rizzoli had heard a little voice shouted out her name desperately. She had turned around to find out whom it belonged to, and saw a mini-Rizzoli turning her back to seek refuge in the arms of a blonde woman. 'Rizzoli' was written on the back of her jersey and it broke her heart. "Oh gosh, I hate this...", she said to herself.

"But I wanted to give her my drawing, Mommy." Lorie was inconsolable.

"I know sweetheart, I know... I'm sorry... But I'm sure you'll see her soon, baby girl... Sshhh sweetie... Calm down...", Maura said, kissing her on the top of her head. Lorie cuddled her mother tightly in return.

"Sir! Please!" Jane called out to a bodyguard who was not far from the table. "Please, can you tell this little girl wearing the US jersey with my name written on the back to come see me?"

"I'm sorry, I have to stay here."

"Look! I have to leave in five minutes. She's just here at fifteen feet away from us. She called me and I guess she's crying because she couldn't meet me. So, help me make one of my little fans happy tonight, tell her please..."

"Okay", he sighed.

"Thanks a lot!"

"Hey miss...", the bodyguard said to Maura and Lorie.

"Sorry sir, I know, we're going to leave", the doctor replied, standing up.

"Little miss, Jane Rizzoli asked for me to tell you she wanted to meet you. Follow me please".

Surprised, Lorie looked from her mother to Jane, who was waving at her. "Mommy?"

"Let's follow him sweetie. I guess Jane Rizzoli heard you call her name", she said with a smile.

"Hey kiddo!"

"Hi Jane!", she said, shyly, wiping her tears away from her cheeks.

"Hey, don't cry sweetie."

"I so wanted to see you, I made a drawing for you... Here... It's for you...", she said, giving it to her.

"Wow thank you so much... Is it me here?"

"Yes, it's you. And over there, in the stands, it's me and the blonde woman is Mommy."

Jane looked up at Maura. "I guess it's you. Hello!", she said, with a smile.

"Hello!", she smiled back.

"So what's your name?", she asked the little brunette.

"Lorie Isles, but you can call me 'Lorizzo'"

"And how old are you?"

"I'm 6 years old, but I'll turn 7 next month, and I'm in Grade 1."

Jane took one of her cards and signed it, "Wow... So Lorizzo huh?", she said, smiling.

"Yes, I want to be a Rizzoli girl like you."

"Oh... A Rizzoli girl like me?", she said, trying to keep a straight face and not laugh.

"Yes, 'cause I love you, and you're the greatest soccer player of the world and... and I want to be a professional soccer player like you."

"You know buddy, if you want to be a Rizzoli girl like me, first you have to work hard, and then you have to wear a 'Red Sox' cap like the one I'm wearing right now. A Rizzoli girl like me doesn't wear a 'Winnie The Pooh' cap."

"Oh... I... I don't have a 'Red Sox' cap", she said, sadly, taking off her cap and looking down at her feet.

"That's not a problem! You can have mine!", she said, taking off her own cap. She ran a hand through her long black curls and put her cap on Lorie's head.

Her eyes were wide open with tears, dropping her jaw in sudden surprise. "But... but what about you?"

"Don't worry, I have another one in my sport bag!", she said, with a smile.

Lorie grinned at her. "Mommy, look at me! I'm a real Rizzoli girl now!", she said, giving her 'Winnie The Pooh' cap back to Maura.

"Sweetie, what do you say to Jane Rizzoli?"

"Oh sorry..." and then, she ran under the table.

"Hey hey hey, Lorie where are you going?", her mom shouted.

"Thank you very much Jane, I love you..." The little girl wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

"I'm really sorry, I... She always listens to me. She never does that...", Maura felt embarrassed and blushed a little.

"Don't worry, it's cute! I don't mind really...", she said, sitting the little girl on her lap.

"Well... thank you very much for everything. It's really nice of you."

"You're welcome. Your daughter broke my heart when I saw her crying". Suddenly, she frowned staring at the doctor. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Sorry?"

"Huh... I'm sorry... It's just that... I'm sure I've already seen you somewhere."

"Oh... Well... You might have... if you read medical magazines, yes..."

"Mommy is the greatest doctor on Earth!" Lorie exclaimed, grinning at Jane.

"Doctor...", Jane said to herself, trying to remember.

"It's Doctor Isles actually. Doctor Maura Isles."

"That's it, yes! Doctor Isles from the Isles Foundation in Boston, that's right?!..." Maura nodded. "I knew it. You're on the cover of the last issue of 'Doctormag'. I read your interview last week."

Maura's eyes were wide open in surprise. "You read 'Doctormag'?"

"Well no... But sometimes... yes. Actually my Ma subscribed to this mag and to 'My Family Doctor' as well".

"Oh! Your mother's a doctor?!"

"Huh... Noo... She was a... restaurant waitress, and now she babysits my nephew and some other kids. But she always wanted to have a doctor in the family, so I guess she thought that maybe reading doctors' magazines would help bring a doctor among us one day."

"Oh...", Maura smiled lightly.

"She's one of your fans by the way."

"Really?"

"Yes, she is... When she read your last interview about the Foundation, she was really..."

"Sorry! Rizzo, we have to go now", her teammate, Abby Wambach, cut her off.

"Oh.. Uh... Okay I-I'm coming!", she replied. She bit her lip, first looking away and then looking back at Maura. "Uh... Are you gonna see the match tomorrow?"

"Oh unfortunately no, we aren't... I tried to buy some tickets on the Internet, but they were all sold out.

"How many tickets do you want? Two... hmm... three?"

"Two. For Lorie and I."

"Okay, wait!" Jane opened her sport bag, put the little brunette's drawing inside, took her second 'Red Sox' cap, and pulled an envelope out of the large pocket. "I have two VIP tickets for the match tomorrow, including the big dinner with the team, organizers and sponsors. You'll be seated in the official areas with my Ma. My bros can't come, so if you're interested, they're yours!"

"A-Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am, Doctor. They're yours! My Ma will be more than happy to meet you", she said, giving her the envelope.

"Mommy, we're gonna see the match tomorrow?" Lorie asked, very excited.

"Yes, sweetie.", Maura answered her daughter. "Jane, I don't know how to thank you. It's... That's very generous of you."

"You're welcome. Well... I gotta go! I see you two tomorrow!", she said, putting her cap on her head and her bag on her shoulder.

"See you tomorrow Rizzo!", Lorie replied, with a big smile on her face, so proud with Jane's 'Red Sox' cap on her head.

"Drive safe back home!" Jane added, before exiting the hotel through the back door.

"Some day my prince will come, Some day I'll find my love, And how thrilling that moment will be, When the prince of my dreams comes to me."

"Oh Mommy, it's Snow White's song! Can we go visit the Sleeping Beauty's Castle before leaving please?"

Maura caught herself looking at the spot where the soccer player had disappeared. "Uh... yes, sure we can. Okay let's go!"

"Yee-haawww!", the little exclaimed, jumping for joy.

To be continued...