Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or Rizzoli and Isles or their characters

It was near 11 at night before Amanda, Carisi, and Jesse had finally arrived at the hotel they would be staying at during their time in Boston. The small group had planned to get to their rooms around noon on that Friday, however the universe had different plans. The were meant to spend the afternoon mingling with some of his family before the big event tomorrow, to gently ease Amanda into the playful chaos that was his mothers family. Instead they spent the day at the bank trying to get Carisi a replacement debt card, for the one he had lost the day before as well as being stuck at the side of the road for a few hours as their front tire had popped nearly two hours outside of New York City.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all" Amanda had stated as soon as they checked in "I mean it seems like there were plenty of signs telling us to turn around" she laughed tiredly, being stuck on the road with a cranky baby was draining for all parties involved.

"Ah come on I know you don't believe in that type of stuff Rollins" Carisi quickly responded "besides, at least we will have our own room now and wont be sharing with my mom anymore"

"What?" the blonde asked, confusion evident on her face "where is your mom staying then, I don't mind finding my own room for Jesse and me, remember I was the extra person in the first place"

"Don't worry about it Amanda, mom called me when you where talking to the tow trunk guy" the male detective stated matter of factly "My aunt grabbed a hold of her and refused to have her stay anywhere else but with her, thus leaving us to our own devices" he continued as he began to put their luggage down as they walked into the hotel room.

Amanda took a good look around the room. She noticed two queen sized beds, a single night stand between them, the dresser with the flat screen tv hanging above it, and a small coat closet. The bathroom was directly to her right just as one would pass the door, with a shower, a separate tub, a toilet, and a sink all organized neatly in side. In all, the room was much nicer than she would have expected it to be, nicer than she would have gotten had she tried to find Jesse and her another room. "Well at least there are two beds here"

"Why? You afraid we would do something we shouldn't be doing if there's only one" Carisi said laughing as he flopped down on the bed nearest to the door

"Oh shut up Dom, I may have gotten pregnant by a one night stand" the blonde said in a joking manner, pretending to be offended "but I am not the type to jump into the sack with any man that comes my way, despite what any rumors would have you believe"

"I would never say or think anything like that Amanda" Dom said in a serious tone "and I would gladly kick the ass of anyone who says other wise" he finished, looking intensely into her eyes, as if he was just waiting for her to give him a list of names of people who may have told her as much in the past. 'Great job Amanda' the blonde thought to herself 'way to make a joking atmosphere serious in half a second'.

"No I was just joking" Amanda said waving her hand as if to swat a fly "just forget about it". Dom didn't want to drop this direction of their conversation, he wanted to tell her not to make light of her own self worth, but it was getting late and they both had a big day tomorrow.

"Well it's getting late anyhow, and we're supposed to meet everyone after breakfast at the park tomorrow around nine, but with my family that really means ten" Carisi laughed "goodnight Jesse" he said softly as he walked over to the sleeping baby and gave her a kiss goodnight on her forehead "goodnight Rollins" he turned to her and squeezed her shoulder before turning around and preparing for bed.

"Night Dom" Amanda answered, as she went to prepare for the night herself, sneaking glances at her partner as she worked.


It was easy to tell that the day was going to be a beautiful one. The sun was shinning but it did not hit the earth with the hot intensity it usually did back in Georgia. Amanda thought of the summers she had as a child back home running through the fields unsupervised with her sister, back when times were simpler: her father had not left them yet, her mother not a drunken mess, and her sister not the mentally unstable woman she was destined to become.

"Looks like were here" Carisi's voice startled her out of her thoughts. Amanda stepped out of their car and headed to the back seat to grab her daughter as Carisi walked to the trunk to grab Jesse diaper bag and the foldable chairs they would be using for the day. "Come on Rollins, you can't be that tired, Jesse slept like a baby all through the night, pick up the speed" the eager male detective happily stated practically bouncing on his feet.

"You know I never met a person so excited to go to a family function as you" the blonde responded while giving him a look that said 'I will walk at the speed I dam well please'.

"Really? I don't find it weird" Carisi answered as he slowed his pace to match hers as they walked into the large park "I mean I love my family, and we don't get to meet up like this very often anymore, so I take each occasion as something special" he stated truthfully "Don't get me wrong. Not every one that's going to be there is my favorite person in the world, in fact I don't get along with several of my relatives. But we're all family and will always be there for one another no matter what, right"

'I wish I understood' Amanda thought to herself while looking down at her daughter 'but for her sake I am willing to try'

"Look there they are" Carisi said excitedly as he points a few yards in front of them to the mass of people around dozens of chairs and tables. Amanda was taken aback by the sheer size of the group, there seemed to be more than one hundred people gathered in front of her. "I thought you said this was a family get together not a convention" the blonde states with shock evident in her voice. Dom simply laughs "I told you I came from a big family remember, my mom is the second oldest of seven siblings, and each of them had at least three children, not to mention that some of their cousins and families are here as well"

Amanda did not have time to respond to that new piece of information for they were already reaching the fringes of the family party and had gained the notice of several party goers. "Sonny" several people shouted at once "took you for ever to get here" an older man with gray hair stated as he grab 'Sonny' by the shoulders and messed up his hair while he gave him a kiss on the cheek. "and who is this beautiful woman you have here" the old man said as he reached for Amanda

"Uncle Joey, this is my co-worker Amanda" Dom said as he made the introductions "Amanda, my Uncle Joey, he is my moms older cousin" he explained.

"Amanda, how lovely to meet you" Uncle Joey said warmly as he kissed the blonde on the cheek and gave her a hug "my god Sonny, your daughter is beautiful, she takes after her mother completely, thank the lord" the older man said playfully as he cooed to the blonde baby in Amanda's arms "but why the hell didn't anyone tell me you finally had a baby, I would have made the lass a gift".

"Oh" Amanda began slightly, not knowing how to explain to the man that Jesse was not Carisi's child.

"Actually Uncle Joey, Jesse's not mine" the young detective cut in saving Amanda the explanation "Amanda's my co-worker from New York, but she's like family and thats why I brought her here"

"Well regardless of any official tittles, your here now and welcomed by Sonny, your part of the family" Uncle Joey said with ease moving the four of them further into the crowd.

The next several minutes passed much in the same way as their first encounter with one of Carisi's relatives. They would run to embrace the young man and quickly move onto Amanda and Jesse only to be confused by being corrected that Jesse wasn't his, but continuing to be friendly none the less. The blonde detective had been trained over many years to take in large amounts of information and be able to retain it for future use, but at the moment she was having a difficult time, the sheer number of people being paraded in front of her and offering them greeting was almost over whelming. She was absolutely unable to keep track at how everyone was related to each other, for somehow, she learned relations can be quite confusing.

"Look there's Ma" Carisi said over the introductions of a several new relatives "come on lets make our way over to her" Amanda gladly complied, anything to find some sense of balance in this mass of people.

"Ma, how was your trip here?" Dom asked as he approached his mother from behind giving her a kiss as he did so.

"Sonny!" Elizabeth answered happily as she notice her only son "it was full of traffic as usual. Amanda, honey I am so glad that you were able to make it here" the older woman stated with a grand smile "Where is my baby girl" she continued reaching her hands out to take Jesse from the blonde. Elizabeth cuddled and cooed the baby, as if the child was her very own. Jesse happily played along, giggling and laughing at the antics of her adopted grandmother.

"Sonny, Amanda, your finally here" came a voice from behind them. The pair turned to see Carisi's sister Belle walking towards them with Elle on her hip, followed by Teresa and Gina, the younger two Carisi sisters. The three women offer them greetings and kisses "So mom told me you two had a room to yourselves last night" Gina said with a suggestive voice. "Oh shut up Gina, be a little more mature" Teresa responded while playfully hitting her sister on the arm "Carisi's our brother you don't ask him that... you wait until he leaves and ask Amanda" she finished playfully.

"Ma!" Dom yells at his mother who was watching the whole scene unfold with a smile "tell them to stop"

"Come now girls, don't pick on your baby brother" Elizabeth scolded playfully, Carisi just looks on face flushed red and at a loss for words.

"Don't mind them" Belle states as she hands Elle over to Amanda for a moment to make her a bottle "They are just happy, since mom now has two babies to fuss over she is no longer pestering them about having children"

"Oh I don't mind" the blonde laughs "I actually like to see Dom rendered speechless for a moment, it gives the rest of us the chance to speak" the women laugh

"Oh my god, Sonny is that you" a shout was heard from several yards away "look how much you've changed, you shaved that hideous mustache" an older woman looking to be around the age of Elizabeth yelled as she finally reached him and shook the young detectives head from side to side

"Haha... yeah Auntie Ang, I know you always hated it" Carisi laughed as he gave the woman a hug and kiss

"Sonny my man" Another voice rang out

"Frankie" Carisi responded as the two men grabbed each others shoulders and play hit one another "congratulations on making it to detective, how'd you wheel your way through that one" he joked

"Haha, at least I didn't have to change precincts several times until I found one that liked me" Frankie said as he made a jab for Carisi's shoulder

"It may have taken me awhile to find the right one, but the station I work at now is the best dam precinct in the country" Carisi retorted to his cousins statement

"I would beg to differ" another voice wrung out and the two men stopped their rough housing "It can't be the best if the best detective isn't working there" a tall, thin woman with black hair exclaimed as she walked up to Carisi and put him in a head lock and started to give him a nookie.

"Come on Jane" Carisi laughed out "two against one is hardly fare"

"well lucky for me Frankie doesn't really count for much then" Jane responded

"Alright you guys break it up before some real cops come and arrest you for disturbing the peace" Angela says as she walked into the impromptu mosh pit

"Come on Ma we are real cops" Frankie said in an almost whine

"And how are we disturbing the peace?" Jane added on

"Well you're disturbing my peace" the older Italian woman stated as she lightly smacked each one of them up side the head

Amanda watched the sequence of events with amusement. She couldn't help the pang of jealously that ran through her heart at the sight of her partner so at ease with his family, and how well they all get along. "Don't be too worried, this happens often when these three get together" a voice spoke softly to Amanda's right "I am Maura Isles by the way" the slim blonde doctor said as she reached her hand forward in a greeting

"I'm Amanda" the young detective answered back " and I would assume that like me you are also not related to the family"

Doctor Isles looked at her with amused surprise "yes, your right, but how did you come to that conclusion?"

"Well your the first person who I've met at this party that hasn't tried to hug or kiss me right off the bat" Amanda stated quickly

The doctor laughed at this remark "it almost sounds like your a detective as well, Amanda"

"She doesn't just sound like one, she is one" Carisi said as he entered their conversation. Proper introductions where then given all around.

Angela couldn't hold in her excitement any longer "oh so these are my new grand nieces" the Italian woman said as she reached for both baby girls "I wish my grandson could be here right now, but Tommy had to work in Delaware for a few weeks and his girl friend and Tommy Jr went with him"

"Wait Ma!" Jane interrupted "did you say two grand nieces? I thought Belle only had one daughter, Elle"

"Your right" Elizabeth answered for her older sister "This is Jesse" the woman said slightly raising the baby in her arms "she is Amanda's daughter". All eyes went to Amanda, and she didn't like the new found attention.

"Sonny" Jane looked at her cousin in disbelief "You got a woman pregnant and had a child without the family knowing until now!" The older detective looked at Amanda "especially one that looks like her?" Jane said again waving her hand at Amanda referencing the blonde's good looks "I am so sorry you ended up being stuck with him, if he steps out of line once don't be afraid to whack him around"

"Actually Jane, your wrong, Jesse isn't mine" Carisi said walking to stand next to Amanda

"She isn't" Frankie dead panned in a questioningly manner

"No" Amanda said speaking for herself "Dom is my partner at work, and well Jesse doesn't have anyone besides me to call as family so Elizabeth offered to become a sort of adopted grandmother" the blonde detective explained easily, she was getting used to it.

The Rizzoli family nodded their heads in understanding, also realizing the more subtle meaning to that statement. That Amanda also doesn't have a family to speak of. "Well that's a good enough explanation for me" Angela said as she took the child from her sister's arms "welcome to the family Jesse" the Italian woman sang as she kissed the baby on the cheek "and you too Amanda"

At this statement Amanda's cheeks began to turn pink. Seeing this Jane said softly "don't be too bashful, it happens more than you would think" she said as she jabbed her thumb towards Maura "She was practically adopted into our family years ago"

The blonde doctor laughed at the statement "its true, and no matter what you do from now on your going to be stuck with them"

"Hey, you make it sound like a bad thing" Jane said in a mock complaining voice

"I didn't say it was a bad thing" Maura said in a mater of factly tone "but it is the truth"

Amanda stood there with a soft smile on her face, she never in her life would have expected to be so welcomed into a family as she was being right now. For a brief second she taught this was the happiest moment of her life, save for the first time she held her baby girl.

A/N: I know its a little sappy at the end, but I just wanted to establish the connections they all have before I start kicking in the drama, and there will be drama trust me, the type where some characters will be put in mortal danger type. The next chapter will be finishing up the family reunion and the trip to Boston. Thanks for reading, tell me what you think :)