See Ch1 for disclaimers etc…

Maura slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the bright light filtering in through her bedroom blinds. For a moment she stretched, wondering why she left them open in the first place and as she considered the intensity of the light she was mildly surprised she'd slept in as late as she had. The warm pull of sleep tugged at the edges of her consciousness and she closed her eyes, giving in to the languid feeling swirling over her.

Her eyes flew open at the distinctive crash and ping of metal against tile. Maura sat up, turned towards the door and caught sight of the bassinet. Jumping to her feet, the lazy start to the day plummeted to her toes. She'd forgotten about the baby. Maura anxiously peered into the baby's bed. Empty. She let out a sigh. Jane or Angela must have him.

Looking at the clock, she shrugged into her robe and quickly made her way into the bathroom, freshening up, noting that her reflection looked much less harried than yesterday. Maura pulled her robe a little tighter, slightly embarrassed that she'd slept through someone coming in and getting the baby. She took another hard look at herself. What if she slept through him crying? Maybe that was why someone came in and took him out.

For a moment Maura leaned against the vanity. Logically she knew it was ridiculous but she felt inadequate. Self conscious, unable to escape the thought that everyone could see the obvious but were not going to tell her.

Who was going to be truthful with her, the emotional wreck of a woman who was seconds away from death the day before that she had no business trying to take care of a baby? That she was the type of woman who chose to work in a world of hard stainless steel and bodily remnants of life rather than heal the living? Remind her that she was only comfortable there, interpreting that which was inanimate? Illustrate how her attempts to understand and live amid the animate were spectacular failures?

Maura rubbed a hand lightly along her pectoral muscles, feeling the lingering stiffness from where Dennis had held her as she struggled. She had welcomed that monster into her home. Shared with him parts of her past she offered few others. Let him push her to step outside the woman she had built herself into.

Trusted him.

Like a blind, romantic schoolgirl. This time her latest attempt at allowing someone close had cost lives. One of those lives was almost her own. Jane had to save her again. What did that say about her? How could a person unable to spot intrinsic evil guide another person through the world? She had no business believing that she could mother anyone and nobody around her was honest enough to tell her the truth.

She shut her eyes and took several deep breaths, stopping her thoughts. Truth or not it didn't change the fact there was a baby someplace in her house that she took responsibility for. She had lost the luxury of self doubt the minute she had locked herself in her bedroom with him. Maura steeled her shoulders and pulled her tattered confidence around her. Incompetency aside, she was not a woman that shirked her commitments.

Maura opened the bathroom door and realized her bedroom door was thumping against the wooden frame. Puzzled she watched it stop, heard a soft curse that made her smile before it started again.

Staring at Maura's closed door, Jane shifted the baby as much as she could and analyzed the full coffee cup. Using her foot to open the door was not going to work. She hadn't thought this whole idea through very well. No matter, she would just put the cup on the floor, open the door and then pick it up again. It wasn't going to be the grand entrance she'd imagined, but it was still personal coffee delivery. That had to count for something.

She was crouched, carefully putting down the steaming mug when the door opened and she was staring at a set of perfectly manicured toenails against the hardwood. Jane dragged her eyes up shapely calves and along blue silk until she found amused hazel eyes. Jane stood slowly, coffee cup in hand and gave an irritated huff at the hair that had fallen over half her face.

Maura bit the side of her lip, laughing a little at the sight of Jane blowing at her unruly curls, baby clutched under an arm like a football and a cup of coffee in her other hand. Unable to help herself she reached up and tucked the errant curls back behind Jane's ear. "Good morning."

"We wanted to bring you coffee" Jane shrugged the shoulder with the baby. "It was all his idea." She offered the cup of coffee. "But you were still supposed to be in bed and we forgot that we needed to bring an extra set of hands."

Jane watched as Maura studied her, smile still in place, head tilted slightly as she considered something. Finally Maura turned and walked back to the bed.

"So I was supposed to still be in bed?" Maura got back under the covers and pushed herself up against the headboard.

Nodding with a small smile, Jane walked in and handed her the coffee. "Yes, we were going to surprise you with coffee in bed before I had to go into work." She sat down, shifting the baby so he faced Maura. "Little man wants you to know he is fed, dry and ready for the morning."

"This is a very nice surprise. A dry, fed, baby and caffeine personally delivered. Who could ask for anything more? Thank you." Maura drifted a finger along the baby's face before dropping a hand to rub Jane's thigh. "I'm sorry that I slept through him this morning. You honestly could have woken me."

Jane noted that Maura wasn't looking at her, her gaze fixated on the highboy. "What are you talking about? You didn't sleep though him crying or anything."

Maura felt a rush of relief wash over her and she smiled at Jane. "I didn't?"

"No you didn't." Jane hoped Maura would let it drop at that.

Jane watched Maura sip at her coffee the corners of her eyes crinkling slightly, a slight v forming between her eyebrows. Shit. No such luck.

"If he wasn't fussy why did you come in?"

And there it was. A logical question that Jane couldn't answer. She'd been trying to all morning and she still had nothing.

How did she explain that she had been walking by the partially opened door this morning and found herself staring at Maura sleeping? That she'd crept into Maura's bedroom and watched her even breathing and thought about last night. About how gorgeous Maura had looked in that moment, sitting at the edge of her bed staring at the baby in her arms.

She couldn't tell Maura how she had fallen asleep thinking of that moment incessantly and woke up with the image burned in her brain. How she hadn't been able to stop herself from getting up and walking back by. Wasn't about to tell Maura she was still as gut wrenchingly lovely sleeping as she had been the night before and Jane didn't have a blasted clue what to do with that feeling.

Jane had felt guilty enough that when the baby stirred, infant grunts startled her so that she had literally jumped, feeling like a voyeur.

Hell, she kind of had been one and that was creepy. So no, really Maura needed to not push because Jane wasn't exactly sure what to say. Best she could offer was a shrug and a half truth.

"I wanted you to be able to rest this morning. I could see that he was waking up when I walked by so I came in and grabbed him." Jane watched the slight narrowing of hazel eyes and the intent stare over the rim of Maura's mug. Time to change the subject, and quickly. She grabbed Maura's knee through the duvet and shook it slightly. "So anyhow, it's a good thing that you're rested up because Korsak called me in. They need me for a few hours. Apparently he and Frost want me for a quick consult on some new case. You okay with hanging with his highness here by yourself? You want me to call and see if Ma can stay?" Jane steeled herself the minute Maura registered her words. Right on cue the eyes trained on her snapped fire. Maura hated her competency being questioned almost as much as she hated when Jane tried to have people watch over her.

Diversion completed.

Until the fire died as quickly as it flared and Maura was staring down into her coffee cup. "If you think that would be best."

Jane swallowed hard at the unexpected panic. What the hell? This was not Maura. "I don't think anything." She poked at Maura's knee again. "I didn't want to duck out of here and leave you with all the work." Still no detectable change and it still didn't make sense. Jane scooted up the bed a bit and reached out to tuck a small errant strand of Maura's hair back. "Hey, what is all this? What's wrong?"

Maura shook her head. She was not in the mood to hear hollow platitudes about her abilities or anything else. "I'm fine, just tired." That was true, she was. She looked up, saw Jane's concern and longed for Jane to give her an excuse to curl into her. Craved it. Instead Jane's hand rubbed lightly against hers.

Jane pulled the coffee mug gently out of Maura's hands and placed it on her nightstand. Maura was still staring at her with that particular wounded expression Jane couldn't take in the best of times, never mind where her head was right now. Instinct made the hair on her arms stand up and Jane wanted to hug Maura, touch her. It hummed along her skin, making her restless. Fidgeting her hands along the squirming infant, setting him again, Jane thanked god she had been called into the precinct. She needed to pull herself together, get her head where it belonged. "Do you want the baby or should I put him down to finish sleeping breakfast off in the bassinet?"

Maura held her arms out and Jane passed her the baby. "I think we'll rest here for a moment together and then go find your mother."

Jane started to protest and Maura cut her off. "Not because I think I need help. I happen to enjoy my morning conversations with your mother and I am certain that she'll want to play with the baby."

Jane snorted. "You are so weird. You actually enjoy conversations with my mother."

Maura shook her head slightly. "If I am so weird, what does that say about you? You keep saying I'm your best friend."

The laughter between them lightened the tension. Finally Jane managed to stop and she got to her feet, staring down at Maura who was still smiling up at her. "Alright, I have to go get ready." Jane realized she was about to bend down and kiss Maura's forehead goodbye. She took a quick step back. "I'll call and let you know what is going on."

Maura nodded while she watched Jane take another step and pause a moment, her face a confusing mix of messages. Finally she spun around and left, only to reappear in the doorway almost immediately.

"Oh and Maura?" Jane waited for Maura to look up from the baby. "You know what it says about me? The fact that I get to call you my best friend?"

When Maura shook her head and looked up at her expectantly Jane couldn't stop the ear to ear grin. "It says I am goddamn lucky."

Maura felt herself blush at the little wink Jane tossed at her before she disappeared.

Pushing through the bullpen door Jane was surprised to see only Korsak calmly typing at his computer. "You do realize I have a couple of days left before I have to be back in here? What was so important that I had to get in here?" Jane looked around the office, noticed that the computer monitor was black on Frost's desk. "Korsak, where's Frost?"

Korsak finished typing the final sentence on the report open in front of him and let out a sigh. He felt too old to deal with Jane this morning. "Frost is out with Frankie." He looked at the time on the corner of his monitor screen. "They should be on their way back by now so he'll be here in a couple of hours."

Jane stalked over and sat on the edge of Korsak's desk next to his computer mouse. "Why is my partner, who left me a cryptic, get your ass in here, message, out with my brother?"

"Frost is out with Frankie because Cavanaugh decided that I get to deal with you." Korsak glared over at the Lieutenant's closed door. "Apparently it's part of being senior management now. Personally I think he was chicken shit himself."

"What in the hell does that mean exactly?"

"It means your brother is a wimp and Frost owes me an entire night of drinks at the Robber." Korsak pushed back from his desk with a sigh, leaning back in his chair and looked at Jane long and hard. "What did you do to Frankie growing up anyhow? That boy ran out of here and didn't look back."

"We are not discussing my relationship with my little brother old man." Jane folded her arms over her chest.

Korsak rubbed his hand over his face. "See, that is where you are wrong Rizzoli. The whole point in you coming in is to discuss your little brother."

Jane's eyebrows shot up and she ran a hand through her hair. "I seriously had to come in today to talk about my relationship with Frankie?"

Korsak closed his eyes for a second. They did not pay him enough. The stripes were not worth it. "Wrong little brother."

Jane was on her feet in a flash. "What the fuck did Tommy do now?"

Maura peered at the color of the tea in the cups and decided to leave the infusers seeping for another minute. She looked over her kitchen island, enjoying the myriad expressions filtering over Angela's face as she played with the baby. It was not a stretch to imagine a younger version of her, reveling in an infant Jane the same way. Wistfully she wondered if her own mother had ever had such a moment with her.

She looked down and checked again. The amber tone was perfect and she pulled the infusers and placed them in the sink. Walking over to the couch she placed Angela's tea down on a waiting coaster and sat in the corner of the couch at the baby's head.

Angela smiled at the baby as Maura sat down. "Thanks honey. That is going to hit the spot." She grabbed the infant's feet with her hands and pumped his legs, laughing into his serious expression. "Maura, isn't he simply the most beautiful thing?" Angela bent down and kissed the soft soles of his feet before looking up and sharing a smile with Maura.

Maura rested a hand over his soft head as she took a sip of her drink. "So far he has been a lovely baby. He seems more alert today."

Angela used the fingers from one hand to rub his stomach as she picked up her own tea. "This stage passes so fast. Before you know it he'll be aware enough to keep you hopping." She took a long sip and started chuckling. "Though I swear to God himself that Jane was alert almost immediately, I should have known right away she'd give me grey hair before my time. Jane and Tommy, between the two of them I have earned my place in heaven. Frankie was different, a bit more like this little one. Though I think Frankie was born happy. He smiled before either of my other two. This little one is a solemn soul."

Maura continued to stroke the little head under her hand. "What was Jane like as a baby?"

"Janie? As a baby?" Angela looked off into the fireplace, lost for a moment. "Jane was full of personality from day one. I can remember walking through the supermarket when she was all of six weeks old and even then she engaged the world around her. Noticed every little thing. I should show you her infant photos. Big, dark eyes and a wrinkled forehead, she was so intent on figuring it all out. Sometimes I like to imagine the frown was from shoving her in a pink ruffled dress but that really was her personality."

Maura couldn't help the laughter. That sounded like Jane.

The two women shared a long smile before Angela continued. "She was serious, but, when she decided she liked what she saw? Oh she could make people fall at her little feet. I think it was her ability to stare and draw them in before she'd smile. I can't tell you how many people would stop me to remark on her." Angela shrugged a bit. "Right from the start there was always something about Jane."

Maura sipped at her tea. Angela had it correct. There was something about Jane. There was always something about Jane. Nobody past or present compared to Jane. No one else made her laugh quite like Jane. Challenged her intellect at every turn like Jane. Frustrated her daily like Jane.

Loved her quite like Jane.

A sigh escaped and glanced over at Angela who was looking at her, studying her, the expression familiar and Maura knew where Jane inherited that particular look from. For a split second she wondered again what mannerisms she had inherited from her biological parents and swallowed against the tightness in her throat, wishing she could control her reactions better. It was going to take time, logically Maura knew that. Someday she was going to be able to live with everything surrounding them. She had parents she loved and who loved her. She knew that. It might not be her childhood fantasy but she did have a family.

Maura just wished it didn't hurt so badly. Why did it have to hurt? For a moment she wished Jane was here just so she could ask that question out loud. Knowing who they were but that she wouldn't have a relationship with them was raw. Paddy complicated her life and more importantly, Jane's life, in inescapable ways. Hope's rejection, however understandable psychologically was empty, bleak and aching. She had always fought finding out after her original search on college had lead to the dead end of a closed adoption, deciding to move on from the pain.

But here she was again, confronted by the skeletons in her closet and hoping to spare the infant under her hand a similar fate. Everything in life was so illogical and confusing as it was. At the very least she would provide him as many answers as she could and understand when he was upset if she couldn't.

"It will be okay honey. It's all going to work out the way it's supposed to."

The words were soft and Maura snapped her eyes away. When she dared to look back Angela radiated a quiet compassion, not letting her escape. Jane got her intuition about people from Angela too. Maura stood up quickly. "I'm going to refresh my tea a bit with some hot water, would you like the same?"

Angela gave a soft sigh and shook her head. "I'm good." She watched Maura's retreat back to the kitchen, observed the way she poured the hot water, her posture tense, her features sharp. Whatever was bothering Maura, was enough that she was in full withdrawal mode and Angela knew it. She also knew that when Maura was like this the only person that could get her to talk was Jane, so for now she would let it be.

Of course the same could be said when Jane was in a full blown temper, like the other night when Lydia had left this little soul on Maura's front steps. Angela reached down to kiss at the wrinkles rippling his forehead as he intently studied the light bouncing off the back of the couch. That night, the minute Maura had walked off hurt and upset Jane had deflated into a brittle shell, every emotion instantly gone except for the one driving her to go find Maura and fix it. Jane did that for no one else.

Angela rubbed the baby's stomach again, shaking her head slightly. Her daughter, loud, fiercely independent, determined to plow a path of her own choosing through the world, yielded to no one. Never had. Not when she was the size of the baby looking back at Angela and certainly not now as a grown woman. Until Maura. All it took the other night to be perfectly willing change her entire life was the simple thought it would make Maura happy. Maura counted in ways that Angela wasn't sure Jane realized. Angela herself, even living here, hadn't realized the extent of it until all the pieces fit together.

Her daughter and Maura, watching them was always confusing but these past few days, against the backdrop of caring for an infant, the puzzle was becoming a plausible picture. One that she had considered before briefly and ultimately dismissed between Casey and Dennis. Until now. Now it was the obvious conclusion.

Maura's phone rang on the coffee table and she quickly made her way over and looked at the screen with a small smile. By the time she said hello, her smile genuine, unconscious affection curling the corners of her eyes, Angela knew who it was. Jane. Jane and Maura, conspicuous and evident, always right there in front of her.

It wasn't something Angela thought she was ready for. Wasn't sure you could be ready for, but when all was said and done, she was intelligent to realize it was going to come to a head one way or another. It was unavoidable. Life was like that. She took a deep breath. In the end she meant what she said to Maura. It was going to be okay.

By the time Maura hung up the affection was replaced with confusion. She looked at Angela. "That was Jane. She asked if we would be able to come down to the station."

Angela picked up the baby with a small frown. "She wants both of us to come down?"

Maura chewed against her lower lip. "Yes. Both of us. With the baby."

"To the station? Did she tell you why?" Angela watched Maura stare off into her living room. She seemed to be regulating her breathing, both hands clasped lightly in her lap. Finally she turned back to Angela, looking directly at the baby in her arms.

The words were hard to push out of her mouth. Maura tried to remind herself that this was expected. This was what she had hoped for, if only to spare the baby the pain of the unknown. No matter what, no matter the outcome, at least he would grow up with answers. The rest of it, what she now had to tell Angela was another issue entirely.

Maura braced herself as she sat down next to Angela. She touched the back of the baby's head. Conceptually she thought she should offer Angela comfort but thinking about how or what she should do made the next words even more difficult to say. She dropped her hand back into her lap.

Finally Maura pulled her eyes up from her hands and looked at Angela.

Tentatively, she reached her fingertips out and touched Angela's elbow. "Tommy was arrested last night in Chicopee."

A/N – Thank you to everyone for the reviews & brain check….. I wasn't used to this story where I'd have so many almost instant "hits" but no response… even on Run where I got my ass handed to me privately and in reviews I was able to get feet under me with the audience response….good or bad reviews… they give direction… this thing was walking off a cliff of white noise. A few chapter of almost no response I got a bit nervous. As long as I'm not writing that story that people are too polite to tell the writer "yo. Idiot. Wake up. Hellz no." I'll just do my job and we'll see what everyone thinks in the end :) Again… thanks… big girl boots firmly back in place.