Author's Note: It's me again! Sorry it took so long. I was at a loss as to how this chapter should begin, and I'm still trying to figure out some school stuff. Anyway, I decided that even though this is the second part to Maura's tale of impressing Jane, I should write it in Angela's perspective for the majority. That, and I really liked the chapter title. ;)

Obviously, I do not own Rizzoli & Isles. I wish I did though. To cope with the feeling of emptiness that reality has given me, I write fanfiction. Therefore, I would greatly appreciate reviews. If you like my story, tell me. If you hate my story, tell me. I'm not picky. I know I make mistakes. It comes with the not editing. Point them out.

XOXO,

SLWF aka Nanny

PS. This story is being written for Melissa (carriewinatlife on Twitter). She said she wanted me to write a Rizzles fic, and I told her I would. I don't break promises. This chapter, however, is for Nicole (allamericangrl8 on Twitter) because she has really helped me understand that I should not be so full of myself. Also, Axl Rose, even though I shall refrain from using any Guns N' Roses songs in this story.

PPS. This chapter also isn't as fluffy as I thought it would be. I'm losing my humor, it seems. Also, Angela is hard to write. She's not shown so often in the show, and I can't channel her the way I do with Maura.

Angela Rizzoli was a mother. She was Jane's mother. And as such, she had some duties that needed to be fulfilled. The most important of these obligations, of course, was to make sure that her three children were happy and taken care of. Jane, her only daughter, was the oldest. She had to come first, whether she liked it or not. That was why Angela, with Maura trapped in her kitchen, was about to grill the young doctor on her feelings for her daughter. It did not matter to Angela that the person Jane chose to fall in love with happened to be a woman. Maura was a nice girl who would take care of Jane no matter what, and Angela had seen that firsthand after the shooting. Maura was always by Jane's side, although she was not sure Jane was aware of that fact. Plus, Maura was a doctor. She was literally everything Angela had ever hoped for in a mate for her lovely Jane, even more, if she was being honest. No, the only thing that made Angela upset about the pairing was that the two women seemed to be utterly clueless to their immense attraction, and as such, it went unnoticed by her for much too long.

If Angela had her way, Jane and Maura would be married by the end of the year. And she hoped to God that she had her way. Her children didn't call her "master manipulator" behind her back for nothing. Angela had game. She only wondered how much of a challenge Maura would be.

"So, dear," she began casually, demonstrating to the medical examiner the way to properly stir the sauce, "why are you going to the effort to make Jane a meal again? If I know my daughter, she'd be happy eating anything."

Maura was silent for a moment, and Angela slyly glanced in her direction to see a look of intense concentration on the doctor's face. Angela could admit that the look of accomplishment, once Maura figured out how to maneuver her wrist to keep the stirring up without straining herself, was a cute one. She wondered if Maura would have that same look once she convinced Jane to go out with her, because it would have to be Maura to make that first move. Jane, for all of her tough fearlessness, would never risk something she cherished, even if it meant gaining something better, like love. And her friendship with Maura was definitely something that Jane cherished.

"I just wanted to do something nice," Maura said, interrupting Angela's thoughts.

"Yeah, but," Angela began, "you could have made Janie anything. I swear, she is not a picky eater. Really, she isn't picky in anything. You've seen her clothes."

That statement brought a chuckle from the medical examiner, and Angela smiled. Yes, finally, she had gotten somewhere. It was hard trying to convince someone they loved her daughter if they were nothing but professional. If she could make Maura laugh, break down her work mode, she could start asking the questions that mattered. She just hoped that, what with Maura being so literal all of the time, she would not have to ask the questions directly.

Those fears, however, were quickly removed from her mind when she heard Maura say, almost under her breath, even though the statement was addressed to Angela, "I like what Jane wears. Although they're not fashionable, she looks good in them. Yes, she would look amazing in something a little more fitted, but Jane's clothes give her character."

"I can't argue with that," Angela said. "Anyway, like I was saying, Jane isn't very picky. You could have cooked her some of that Greek food you know how to make. Seriously, the only thing Jane is ever choosy about is a spouse. She just does not like the guys I try to set her up with. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if she likes women. Even though she assures me she doesn't. I think she might."

There, the seed was planted, and she didn't explicitly out Jane. The ball was now in Maura's court. However, Maura's move surprised Angela. Instead of going with the slam dunk of "Do you think she likes me?" which Angela, despite knowing she shouldn't, had hoped for, the doctor had thrown the ball out of bounds, stating rather simply, "I think the sauce is done."

After taking a moment to process her shock at the statement, Angela said, "Taste it." She took the stirring spoon from Maura and offered her some sauce.

"That's unsanitary," Maura protested, backing away. "The human mouth contains a plethora of bacteria that would contaminate this sauce, rendering it useless."

"That's how we do it," Angela insisted. "How else are you supposed to tell if it tastes good? Look, here, take this spoon. Just scoop a little in here, then try it. We'll wash the spoon afterwards, okay?"

Maura did as she was told, tasting the sauce. The look on her face as all of the different flavors were revealed on her palate was enough to tell Angela that the sauce was indeed finished. This made Angela a little sad, because the rest of the work would be done in no time and she still needed to dig deeper.

As Maura washed the sauce spoon off, Angela decided to switch tactics. "So, Maura, do you have anyone in your life right now? You know, are you seeing anyone?"

"No, not at the moment," Maura said, drying the freshly cleaned spoon off before setting it down on a towel that lay beside the stove. "I haven't seen anyone in that capacity since the incident with Giovanni."

Ah, yes, an opening! Angela had gone back to visit Giovanni to thank him for the wonderful work he did on her car, and he had informed her that her daughter batted for the other team. Of course, she didn't pay him any mind then, because surely Jane would have told her and there was no way she and Maura were together. And she was right, they weren't. She, surprisingly, had felt no need to confront either of the women about what she had heard from the mechanic, but now she just couldn't help herself from bringing it up.

"The thing where you and Jane told him you were dating?" she asked, innocently. "Jane told me he wasn't good enough for you, even though I know he's a good boy." Although she left off the fact that Jane sounded rather jealous when she had informed Angela that Maura seemed quite taken with Giovanni.

"Well, Jane was right," Maura said. "Giovanni and I had nothing in common. I thought that we would though. I mean, he grew up the same way Jane did, and I like Jane, so I just assumed we'd get along. I should not have guessed. I know that now. I never usually do, unless Jane wants me to and even then I do not like it, but for some reason, I just thought that Giovanni was a match for me."

Angela would admit in a court of law that she had not paid any attention to anything Maura said after she had admitted that she liked her daughter. She would also swear that her eyes physically bulged from their sockets. Maura liked Jane. That was what she had said. She liked Jane, and she thought that Giovanni would be similar to Jane, whom she liked.

Maura, for her part, could not decipher the look she now saw on Angela's face. She wished Jane was here. She could have explained it. Although if Jane was here, it would ruin the surprise and Maura so wanted to surprise Jane.

"Angela," she began, ignoring the look she could still not understand on the older woman's face, "I think we need to finish this up. Are the meatballs next?"

And so they were. Angela silently began to prepare the ingredients for the meatballs, knowing that Maura did not need any verbal instruction. She was right when she had said that Maura was a fast learner. Angela was still trying to process the information she had just received and figure out a way to ask Maura directly if she liked Jane in the way that she hoped she liked Jane.

The two made quick work of the meatballs, and the spaghetti noodles had already been prepared the night before, so eventually they were out of things to occupy themselves with. Neither of them minded the silence. It was comfortable, at least for Maura. For Angela it was necessary. She was still thinking. She thought she might be able to bring up Maura's confession casually, but she wasn't sure she wanted to try.

The spaghetti and meatballs were finally finished, and Maura was ready to go home, having learned everything she had come over to learn.

"Okay, I think I should go now," she said. "Thank you for everything, Angela. I had fun."

"I did too, dear," Angela said, not ready to let Maura out of her sight yet. "Let's take this over to your house. I know it'll keep until Friday night, and that way you won't have to cook any more. Besides, I'm not going to eat this all."

"No, thank you," Maura said. "You should have it. Really, I can manage on my own."

"I insist," Angela stated with a tone of finality. "I'll tell Janie that you cooked it all by yourself if she asks."

This seemed to melt Maura's resolve. She agreed to take the meal home, and Angela insisted that she help take it to her house. That way she could spend a little more time with the doctor.

Bearing pots and pans full of homemade Italian food, the two entered Maura's house. Once everything was put away in the kitchen, Angela looked around, taking in her surroundings. She knew that occasionally the doctor would add another piece of décor to her already nice home. However, the new addition that Angela saw this time shocked her.

"Maura, what is that?" Angela asked, gesturing in the direction of the living room.

"It's a tent," Maura stated proudly, obviously seeing nothing out of place.

"But why is it in your living room?" Angela asked, clearly puzzled.

"For Jane," was the reply she received. "She said something a while ago about forts and since I cannot actually build a fort inside my home, I decided that a tent would have to do. Do you think she'll like it?"

"Um," Angela began, "yeah, I guess. But, dear, this isn't the kind of fort that Jane was talking about."

At this, Maura looked like she was about to cry. Angela, however, quickly recovered. "It's great though! Honestly, I think Jane will love it."

To hell with being subtle. Maura needs directness. Angela thought.

"If this isn't what Jane was referring to," Maura said, clearly trying to hold back tears, "then I don't see why she would like it."

"Like I said before," Angela said, "Jane isn't picky. She'll be pleased that you went through the effort of buying and setting up a tent for her. Why did you buy and set up a tent for her, anyway?"

"I thought she would like it," Maura said, still sniffling but not crying. "She's always talking about these forts she, Frankie, and Tommy used to play in when they were children. I thought it might be fun."

"Oh, well, dear," Angela said, "I can help you build a fort if you want to. I mean, this tent is great. It's much better than anything we ever camped in, but if you want the kind of fort that Jane was talking about, I can help. Lord knows I was the one to take down most of them."

Maura just nodded at Angela's words. She very much wanted to build Jane the fort of her childhood, and if Angela had the knowledge that she lacked, all she could do was accept the help.

"Okay, first," Angela said, "we need to take this tent down."

The two women did, in fact, disassemble the tent. Working together, it was done quickly. And now they were standing in the empty living room, assessing the space they had to utilize for the best possibly fort.

"How much do you like your chairs?" Angela asked, already making her way to the dining room.

Quickly explaining to Maura, who seemed lost, how to build a fort, Angela situated the four dining room chairs in front of the couch.

"Okay," she began, "now we need pillows, sheets, and blankets."

"I'll be right back," Maura said, sounding almost giddy with excitement.

In the few minutes that Maura was gone, Angela decided that she would just ask the girl if she liked her daughter. Point-blank. If she said no, Angela would brush it off. If she said yes, well, she wasn't sure what she'd do then. Probably jump up and down with excitement.

Maura entered the living room, her arms full of various sheets and blankets, several throw pillows on top of the already large pile. She set the items down on the couch, and looked to Angela for instruction. It was really adorable.

"Now," Angela said, "we take the pillows and put them on the floor. It's good that you have carpet. It's soft and we won't need to put a blanket down."

Angela demonstrated to Maura what she should do with the pillows, and Maura quickly had all of the pillows laid out exactly side by side. There were enough to cover the amount of floor the chairs permitted.

"Next, we drape the sheets over the chairs, like so," Angela said, again showing Maura what to do before Maura took over. It really was best to let the child shape the fort how they wanted to.

"Then the blankets," Angela said.

"Wouldn't it be best to put the blankets first?" asked Maura. "They are heavier."

"Whatever you want," Angela shrugged, starting to remove the sheets.

"No," Maura quickly said, replacing the corner of the sheet that Angela had begun to take up. "Let's do it this way."

Once the blankets were draped over the sheets, the fort was complete. It was a masterpiece. The chair backs were high enough that the roof of the fort was big enough for Jane and Maura to sit under it without slouching. The chairs were far enough apart that the two women could lay down comfortably.

"This is much better, Maura," Angela said, voicing her opinion of the fort. "I think Jane will like it. Don't you?"

"Yes," Maura responded from inside the fort. "It's very cozy."

How'd she get in there without me seeing her? Angela mentally asked herself.

Squatting down, the older woman looked at the doctor. "You having fun in there?"

"Very much so," Maura answered. "I never built one of these before. It's rather nice."

"Much better than a tent, right?" asked Angela, chuckling a little.

"Oh, yes," Maura said. "It's much more comfortable than the tent was."

"Not to mention oddly romantic," Angela said, deciding that now was the time to broach the subject. Maura didn't seem nearly as strong and short-tempered as Jane, but she didn't want to take her chances. With the girl tucked away in the fort, Angela supposed she was safe.

Maura was puzzled by the statement, however. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know," Angela said, gesturing to the fort, "it's very intimate, and thoughtful."

"But this wasn't supposed to be romantic," Maura said, still clearly confused. "It was just supposed to be nice."

"And it is nice," Angela said. "Very nice. Making dinner and building a fort for Jane is incredibly nice, Maura. It just makes me wonder."

"Wonder what?" Maura asked.

"If you like Jane," Angela answered simply. "You know, romantically."

That caused Maura to remain silent. Angela wasn't sure if the silence was caused by the doctor thinking over the proposed situation, wondering if she did like Jane that way, or if the doctor was embarrassed to be found out. She decided to ask.

"So, Maura," she began, gently, "do you like Jane? It's totally fine if you do. You and Jane would be perfect together. No one she's ever brought home has tried to learn anything about her the way you have. You've even gone to the effort of making her favorite meal and building her a fort out of your very expensive sheets and blankets."

"I don't know," was the answer that Angela received. Well, at least it wasn't a "no."

"Okay, well," Angela said, feeling she had suddenly overstayed her welcome, "I'm going to go. Thanks for keeping an old lady company. I had fun today."

Angela was out the door in no time, wondering if Maura would come to the same conclusion that she had, given time alone to mull the idea over in her head.

Maura remained in the fort, even after Angela had left her house. She was doing what she did best. She was thinking, analyzing. She had always known that she and Jane were close. She had just assumed that was because they were friends, best friends even. She had never had a best friend before, and she was not aware of the interactions that best friends shared. The things she and Jane did for each other seemed perfectly normal.

Yes, Maura had entertained thoughts of a romantic relationship with women before. After all, she knew that sexuality was fluid, and even more so in women. She had even entertained thoughts of being romantically involved with Jane, but she had attributed those thoughts to the fact that she was around Jane so often. But with the question from Angela, posed so directly, sounding so certain, Maura had to wonder.

Jane was everything to Maura, even Maura could admit that. Jane was her protector, her safe spot, her best friend, and she would do anything to keep it that way. She would even learn how to cook spaghetti and meatballs from scratch and build a fort for Jane to impress her. Yes, that was what she was doing. She was trying to impress Jane, like an animal. She had not realized it before, but now that she was thinking about it, she was obviously trying to show Jane that she could provide for her, shelter her. She had, for all intents and purposes, built Jane a nest. But did that mean that Maura liked Jane? That she loved Jane? All signs pointed to yes. The question, however, was if Maura was okay with loving Jane.