Jane was late to the office the next morning after tossing and turning all night. She had never felt like her life was more fucked than it was right now, not even through all of the terror with Hoyt. Maura's friendship was the most important, steadfast thing she had in her life. To have it all taken away because of one night when they were both feeling vulnerable and out of control was more than she could handle. She knew she had to get to work, but she couldn't bear the thought of facing Maura after running out on her. She hoped that somehow they would both just forget it and move on like it never happened, but she knew she could never be so lucky.

"We've got a break," Korsak told Jane as she stepped off the elevator. "Where have you been? Gronan and his team nabbed Bonesucker last night while we were all sleeping."

"I wasn't sleeping," Jane grumbled.

"Look, I don't need to know what you were doing, but I do need you here now," he barked.

"I'm here, Korsak!" Jane growled back. "Jesus."

"Sorry," Korsak apologized. "I just want this case to be over. These bastards have taken out over a hundred women. This is bigger than Little T."

"I know," Jane put her hand on her former partner's shoulder. "Trust me, I know."

"Korsak, you wanted…" Maura stopped speaking when she saw Jane standing next to him.

"Do you have the prints from the shell casing we found at the scene?" Korsak asked.

"Here's a copy," Maura said flatly, offering him the folder before turning back towards the elevator.

"Morning, Maura," Jane practically whispered.

"It's twelve-thirty," Maura shot back without looking at her. "Good afternoon, Detective Rizzoli."

Jane watched as the elevator doors closed behind her. She bit her lip so hard it bled, then turned around and went back to her desk. She looked over at Frost, who had clearly seen the interaction, and sat there shaking his head.


As it turned out, the young woman they found dead near Fenway was the girlfriend of one of the newly-initiated gang members in the car with Bonesucker. When the recruit couldn't finish her off, Bonesucker shot both of them, taking the man's body and dumping him elsewhere, but leaving the girl behind. The print found on the casing tipped them off to who had at least loaded the gun, but not necessarily fired it. When he turned up dead, they were able to put all the pieces together and link him back to his girlfriend through friends who knew them both. Finally, Agent Gronan was able to use one of Rondo's connects to locate Bonesucker's second-in-command, who was willing to give him up.

Jane would have been much more thrilled with the outcome had she not felt like she was the worst person on earth. Gronan asked her out again to celebrate, but she declined, deciding instead to leave early for the day and visit a place she hadn't set foot in since she was a child.

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned," she began as she adjusted herself in the chair, the familiar smell of turpentine and musk filling her nose, bringing her back. "It's been…a very long time…since my last confession…"

She had to pause, her voice threatening to break.

"Whenever you're ready, dear," the elderly priest offered gently through the screen.

"I, uh…" she sniffed, wiping her tears. "I fell in love with someone I know I'm not supposed to love. I've tried everything to make it go away, but…it won't. And last night, I did something…let this person know, sort of, how I feel. But it can't happen."

"Why can't it happen?"

Jane was surprised at the response. She thought he would simply tell her what penance she needed to say and send her out.

"Um…it can't happen because….well, because we're two women," she finally confessed, figuring she had nothing to lose. "And I know the church's stance on it. Personally, I'm not against it, at all, it's just…"

She took a deep breath and folded her hands in front of her before continuing.

"All my life I've been called out on it. Told I was different, even called a dyke. It hurt, but I knew that deep down, on some level, it was true. I thought if I tried hard enough to make it go away, it would. And my Pop… well, he told me if I was, I'd better just not tell him, or anyone."

"I see," the priest offered tenderly.

"So here I am now, telling you," Jane laughed through her tears. "But as it turns out, my Pop's not the man we all thought he was either. He left my mom, tried to get their marriage of thirty years annulled so he could run off with a twenty-eight year old who just gave birth to my brother's child. So, you know what, Father? I guess what I don't understand is, why do I keep feeling so terrible about myself, when everyone else seems to have far worse skeletons in their closet than I do? All I ever did was love. Why is that wrong?"

"It isn't wrong to love, Jane," the priest chimed in.

"Excuse me?" Jane almost choked.

"Jane Rizzoli, isn't it? I thought that was you. I'd recognize that deep voice anywhere."

"Uh," Jane started to panic. "Isn't this supposed to be anonymous?"

"Don't worry. I won't say anything," he spoke softly. "I've known you since you were a little girl. You were never afraid to be exactly who you are. Why start now?"

"Uh," she sniffed again, thinking. "I've always been afraid, Father."

"That's not the Jane Rizzoli I remember," he shook his head. "The Jane I remember was fearless. Strong. Happy."

"I guess it's been a long time."

"As far as I'm concerned, it's not a sin to be happy, to be who you are, love who you love."

Jane was baffled.

"Did I walk into the right church?"

"You're in Massachussetts," he laughed. "And times have changed, my dear. Some of us have opened our hearts and minds. That's what the Lord really wants."

"Thank you, Father," she replied, still in a bit of shock.

"Anytime, Jane. Tell your mother I said hello. It killed me to sign the annulment papers. Angela's a good woman."

"Yes, she is, Father," Jane sniffed, smiling. "Thank you. I'll tell her."

For the first time in her life, Jane felt renewed and invigorated as she walked out of church. She still wasn't sure how she felt about religion, but she was thankful for the kindness she'd found unexpectedly, and very thankful, for the first time in a long time, that she was born and raised in Boston.


"Hi, Ma," Jane greeted her as she walked into the guest house. She looked around for Maura, but didn't see her.

"Hi, Jane," Angela looked up as her daughter joined her on the couch where she was feeding Nico.

"How is he?"

"Good, good," she smiled widely. "So good. Right, my little man?"

Jane smiled down at the tiny face. He looked very happy indeed.

"Where's Maura?"

"In her room," Angela sighed. "Still sulking I think."

"Ma," Jane swallowed, gathering all of her strength. "I have to tell you something, but… I'm really afraid of what you'll say."

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli," Angela admonished. "You know you can tell me anything and I will always love you, no matter what."

"Good," Jane shook her head, doing her best to hold back tears, but failing. "Because…what I have to tell you is…"

"What is it, baby?"

"I'm in love with Maura, Ma."

"I know, honey," Angela told her calmly.

"What?" Jane pulled away a little, shocked. "You do?"

"Sure, I do. I'm not as unworldly as everyone thinks," she sniffed. "And she's in love with you too."

Jane's eyes shot wide open.

"She is?"

"Of course she is. I may not completely understand it, but I know enough to know that it's happening. At first I thought it was just you who had a crush on her, like you did with Ginny Ribese in the second grade."

Jane couldn't help but laugh through her tears, even as she rolled her eyes.

"But then I started noticing the way Maura looks at you, how upset she got when you didn't come home the other night," Angela continued. "I didn't say anything 'cause I didn't think it was my place. And besides, I don't know anything about two women getting together. So I kept my mouth shut."

"Ma," Jane choked up, laying a hand on her mother's shoulder. "You know more about love than anyone I know. Can you just forget the 'two women' part and focus on 'two people' who love each other?"

Angela finished feeding Nico, putting down the bottle and placing him back in his bouncy chair on the floor.

"You know what, Jane?" Angela said, turning to her daughter. "You're very smart. You've learned more from me than I thought."

"I love you, Ma," Jane hugged her mother tightly, and Angela hugged back even harder. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Angela laughed. "But you better go make things right with her. I don't know what you did, but she's very upset."

Jane sighed.

"I don't know what to say. I've thought about it a million times, and I still don't know what..."

"Just tell her how you feel," Angela recommended. "Tell her you love her. End of story."

"I wish it was that simple."

"Maybe it is that simple," Angela argued. "Why does everything always have to be complicated?"

Jane laughed again, shaking her head, kissing her mother on the cheek.

"You're a genius, Ma."

"I love you, Janey!" Angela called after her as she left. "Go get your woman. And try not to slam each other up against anything this time."

Jane froze as she held the door open, looking back at her mother, horrified.

"What? It's an old house. The walls are thin."

Jane rolled her eyes and left the guest house, taking a deep breath and hoping her mother was right about the girl next door.