Angela Rizzoli loved every inch of her life. She had three amazing children and a loving husband and her own home, which she always kept neat and tidy and full of wonderful smells from the food she would cook.
Sunday night was always family night. The kids would come around for dinner and dessert and leave with full bellies and groans as Angela nagged them about being safe and calling her more often through the week. Truth was. Angela felt lonely. Her husband, Frank, still had the family business to run as neither of his sons, Frankie and Tommy, didn't want to take over it. So he was gone throughout the day and would come home and demand dinner from his wife who wanted to talk and know how his day was.
Jane, the eldest and the only girl of her siblings, envied her parents. She hoped one day, in the far future she hoped to have a marriage like her parents have. But one Sunday dinner was about to change her mind.
"Okay Ma, thanks for dinner. You really out did yourself tonight" Jane said as she headed for the door.
"You still coming over to catch the Sox game tomorrow night?" he father asked.
"Of course. I will be here" she pulled on her jacket, kissed her mother on the cheek and went out to her waiting brother Frankie who was already out and waiting in the car. Angela waved goodbye as she closed the door and headed into the kitchen to start on the dishes. Frank came in and was standing behind her, looking at her.
"What was that about?" he asked in a flat tone. Her whole body tensed. She knew that tone.
"What was what about?" she asked not daring to turn around.
"Look at me when I speak to you" he raised his voice. Angela put down the cloth and turned off the water and turned around to face him.
"What was Frankie talking about you getting a job? Your job is to take care of this house and me" he said as he took a step closer to her.
"Wait Frankie go back. I left my phone on the counter" Jane said just before they turned down the street.
"Jane you really are annoying sometimes" Frankie sighed as he turned the car around and drove back to their parent's house. He pulled into their drive way and Jane got out.
"I will be five minutes tops" she said as she ran to the door and went inside.
"It's just me, forgot my…" she paused when she heard a chilling noise. Her mother crying and whimpering.
"Do you want to embarrass me?" she heard her father bellow. Jane ran into the kitchen and froze at what she saw. Her Mother slumped down on the kitchen floor and her father standing over her, getting ready to hit her again.
"What the hell are you doing?" Jane cried out causing them to both look at her.
"Jane, leave now" Frank ordered. Jane dropped her phone and walked over to him.
"No. What the hell are you doing? Get away from her" she said as she walked forward. Frank went to step towards Angela again, who coward waiting for the impact, but Jane stepped in and pushed her father back.
"You lay one more hand on her and I will arrest you and beat the crap out of you" she yelled.
Frankie was getting impatient in the car. He decided to go in and see what was taking her so long. When he got in there, Angela was getting up off the floor. Her lip was split and her cheek red. He looked at Jane, pointing a finger Frank and he lost it. He pushed past Jane and lunged at Frank.
"You bastard. What the hell has she done to you to deserve that" he yelled as he punched Frank in the face sending him to the ground. Once Jane got her bearings she grabbed Frankie and restrained him.
"I am ashamed to call you my father" Frankie yelled still struggling against his sister.
"Frankie calm down. Call Korsak and Frost from my phone and get them to come over here as soon as they can" she told him calming. When he finally stopped fighting her he nodded. She let him go and he grabbed her mobile and made the call. She turned to her father.
"You are not getting away with this. You stay there or so help you god, I will let Frankie beat the crap out of you" she threatened. He didn't say anything as he stood up. Jane went to check on Angela, who was now seated at the table, silently sobbing to herself. Jane walked over to her and place a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump a little.
"Ma it's just me. It's okay. It's all going to be okay" she said as she kneeled down in front of her mother. Angela shook her head.
" I am so sorry" she cried. Jane wrapped her arms around her mother and let her cry it out. Jane heard two cars pull up with a screech of the tires and she knew who it was. Frost and Korsak both entered.
"Jane?" Korsak called out.
"In here" she replied. They both walked towards her and stopped when they saw Angela.
"What the hell happened?" Korsak said, disgusted.
"My father is what happened" Frankie said as he joined them. Frost looked at him.
"Serious?" he never thought this would happen to the Rizzoli family. Frankie nodded.
"He is in the lounge room. We want you two to handle it while we take Ma down to the station and get her statement and photograph her" he explained. They both nodded and went to the lounge room, picked Frank up from the couch. He put up a little bit of a fight, but they eventually got him out. Once it was all clear, Jane helped her mother up.
"Come one Ma. We have to take you to the station. I will call Maura and get her to come in and check you out" Jane said as she stood up, pulling Angela with her.
"Janie I don't want too many people to know" she said.
"Of course Ma. No one else will know. I promise" Jane helped her shaken mother out to the car while Frankie grabbed her bag and keys and followed them out.
When they arrived at the station and escorted Angela up to the bullpen, Jane sat her down at her own desk.
"Frankie, go get her some water" she said softly. He nodded, put his mother's bag on the desk and grabbed her a small cup of water.
"Okay Ma. Korsak and Frost are dealing with pop. I am going to get Frankie to write up the report and you need to sign it agreeing to press charges okay?" she asks. Angela nods.
"Okay" she says in a small voice. Frankie went to go set up everything while Jane pulled over another chair and sat in front of her mother. She had seemed to calm down a little bit.
"Ma, this wasn't the first time was it?" she asked softly. Angela shook her head and took a deep breath.
"The first time was when Frankie moved out" she shuddered at the memory.
"God Ma. Why didn't you tell me? All these years" Jane shook her head.
"I thought it would stop. It was just a slap. But then months later it happened again. It wasn't all the time. Just, when he got really angry and let it out on me" she looked at Jane with tears in her eyes. Jane felt like she was going to be sick. She had dealt with so many of these cases and she had no idea it was happening in her family.
"He isn't going to get away with this" she said as she took Angela's hands in her own. She gave a small smile.
"I appreciate what you and Frankie are doing for me honey, but you can't turn your back on your father. No matter what he was done" she said. Jane was a little shocked at this.
"He has been beating my mother for years, all the while teaching his sons to treat women with respect. I am not going to show him any sign of respect. Right now I want to hurt him" Jane said trying to contain her anger and disgust. Now she was rethinking her idea of the marriage she longed for.
"Ma, what happened? Frankie called me" Tommy said as he rushed into the bullpen. Jane stood up and let Tommy take her seat. Angela gave him a small smile.
"I am fine honey" she lied.
"Ma, tell that to your face" he gently reach out and ran a thumb over her cheek.
"Did pop hit you again?" he asked.
"Again? Tommy you knew about this and didn't tell me or Frankie?" Jane asked, in disbelief. Tommy was the baby of the family and Angela still treated him that one.
"Well not for a while. Last time was when I was 17. I saw him slap her but never saw anything like that again. I thought that was it" he explained.
"You still should have told me. God I want to kick his ass right now" Jane started pacing the bullpen.
"I am fine. It will heal and your father and I will get a divorce. I will get a restraining order, or whatever they are called" Angela said. Knowing she had her children by her side made her feel stronger and able to stand up to her abusive husband. There was a small part of her that loved him, but there was a greater part of her that was afraid of him.
Frankie came back with the appropriate paper work. With help from both Jane and Frankie, Angela filled it out in as much detail as she possibly could. She signed where it was needed. They just needed to wait for Maura to examine her and take the appropriate pictures to go with the case.
"So sorry I am late. I thought I had misplaced my camera, but then I remembered I decided to keep it here in my office where it is safer" Maura said as she breezed into the bullpen. She faltered when she saw Angela.
"Oh my gosh. Angela. Did Frank do that?" she asked in disbelief.
"Maur, please. Can you just check her out and take the pictures. I want to get her home" Jane said. Maura looked at all the Rizzoli's and nodded. She had never seen them so quiet or shaken up. She walked over to Angela and put her bag down.
"I am sorry this happened to you Angela. You are the sweetest woman I know. Now do you have a headache or any dizziness?" she asked as she gently examined Angela's cheek. Angela shook her head no.
"Did you hit your head at all?" she continued to ask as she looked at the cut lip.
"No. Just the cheek and lip" she said softly. Maura nodded.
"Well I think it's all just superficial. Keep icing the cheek though. You don't want it to swell up even more" Maura gave her a small smile. Angela nodded.
"Thank you Maura. I appreciate you coming down here" she tried to give her a small smile. Maura took one of her hands and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Now I have to take a photograph of your cheek and lip. And I also have to ask if there are any bruises on any other part of your body. I need to take photographs of those too" Maura said as she stood up and grabbed her camera. Angela looked at her three children and sighed. She couldn't hide it now. They all knew.
"My, my lower back" she said softly. Jane started pacing again shaking her head. Angela sat up and lifted her shirt up a little revealing a green bruise. Only about a few days old and was starting to heal.
"Jesus. What did he do?" Tommy asked disgusted.
"He pushed me. I fell into the bench" she explained. Maura grabbed the camera and took three shots of it.
"Done with that one Angela" she said and Angela put her shirt down and turned around to face Maura. She took more photos of her face and that was it.
"I will go get these printed out so they can go with the report. This will all be over soon Angela" she said giving her arm a slight squeeze. Maura picked up her bag, but before she left she walked over to Jane.
"She is fine. She is strong, just like you" she said before leaving down to her office. Once Maura was gone Jane came over to her mother.
"I can't believe you didn't tell any of us. With a bruise like that it isn't like you couldn't back it up" she said, her voice hoarse.
"Jane, give her some space" Frankie said with a sigh. He could see this was way too much for her. Jane looked at her mother who was close to tears again. She sighed.
"Look I'm sorry okay. I just, I want to protect you and none of us can do that if you don't talk to us" she wrapped her arms around her mother in a big hug.
"I'm sorry" Angela cried as she hugged Jane back. Frankie and Tommy walked over and joined in on the hug.
"It will be fine Ma" Frankie said rubbing her back. Once Angela had calmed down again, Jane offered to take her home. At first she was reluctant but when Frankie and Tommy agreed to go to her house and pack her an overnight bag, she couldn't say no.
Jane opened her front door and let her mother in first.
"You can have my bed Ma. I don't mind taking the couch" she said, leaving the door open for Tommy and Frankie who would be up soon.
"I can't do that too you honey. I don't think I could sleep tonight anyway" she said with a sigh.
Hours later Jane was sitting up in her bed, while her mother slept soundly cuddling up to her. She wasn't much of a cuddler, especially with her mother. But with what Angela had been going through, she couldn't object. She watched her sleep, gently stroking her hair like Angela used to do when she had bad dreams. She couldn't believe how quickly her world could be turned upside down. Her idol had ruined her trust. She had all this hatred and sadness in her and she didn't know whether if she wanted to cry or shoot someone. How could anyone hurt her mother like her father had. It made her feel nauseas.
She closed her eyes and slumped down so she was finally laying down and tried to sleep.
Jane was up, showered and dressed before Angela was even awake. Jane thought it would a nice idea to make some coffee and breakfast for her mother, just like she had done so many times for her.
"Ma, breakfast is ready" she called out as she placed the plate of toast on the counter with a cup of coffee, just the way her mother liked it.
"Ma" she called out again. She heard the floor creak, an indicator that her mother was finally up.
"I heard you the first time" she grumbled as she walked out rubbing her eyes. She sat up on the stool and took a big sip of her coffee.
"Thank you" she finally said. Jane smiled.
"Well you have made me breakfast many times after a break up" she smiled as she sipped her own coffee. She checked the time and almost chocked.
"Geeze I'm late" she quickly grabbed her jacket and kissed Angela on the cheek.
"Make yourself at home. I will see you later" she said quickly as she headed out the door. Angela sighed as she finished her coffee. She looked around at the empty little apartment and sighed. She then looked at the toast on her plate. She got off the stool and went back to bed, pulling the covers over her and falling asleep.