Author's Note: SURPRISE! Yes, I've come back to this story. I was in a bad writer's block place for a while but I'm writing again. Enjoy!

9

"But Honey, I just don't understand what happened between you two. I thought you were so completely solid. I used to envy you both, your friendship was so amazing."

Jane was sitting on the couch in her pajamas, slouched down with her arms folded. "Ma, it was a long flight from Sydney and I'm tired. Can we please not do this now?" She scowled. "In fact, can we please not do this EVER?!"

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli! You do not dismiss your mother like that! I'm trying to understand and help you!" Angela Rizzoli wagged a finger at her daugher, who nodded and sighed like a scolded puppy.

"Sorry, Ma. I'm just… I spent a year trying to get her out of my damn system! And I come back and it's like I never left!"

"Out of your system?" Angela sat next to her, placing a gentle hand on her knee and rubbing lightly. "Are you saying.. Janie… that you and Maura… broke up?"

The detective sighed again and scratched her cheek, pushing her hair back behind her ears. "You can't break up from something that never started," she murmured.

"Are you in love with her?" The older woman waited as a gamut of emotions crossed Jane's face. She guessed that her daughter hadn't been prepared for that question.

"Yeeeaaahhhh… that's complicated," the detective replied. She got up and went to the refridgerator, returning a moment later with two bottles of water and some strawberries. Then she took a breath and spent the following hour telling Angela everything that had happened, from the night Maura had kissed her, all the way to the present, when she'd come back from Australia to find out that the doctor had moved across the country to the east coast. "I hadn't intended on staying in Australia for so long, to be honest," she concluded. "But it's absolutely fantastic and I really loved it over there."

"Wow," Angela murmured. "I had no idea. I thought this was just another argument you two had that got out of control. You poor things. It must have been so hard for both of you. Maura just wasn't the same after you left."

"Neither was I," Jane replied, shaking her head. "It's like I've lost a part of me."

Lieutenant Rizzoli set the photograph of her mother back, gently, into its spot on her desk. "I miss you, Ma. I wish you could be here to see Maura and I talking again," she said, softly.

..

Cam slipped her last piece of clothing into her bag and zipped it shut. "She's really hot and she must be six feet tall."

"Not quite but almost," Maura replied with a smile. "Seems like you like her."

"I do, very much. She's fun." The teenager picked her bag up and slung it over her shoulder. "Ready to go?"

Maura smiled and moved to her daughter. She gently grasped her chin and kissed her forehead. "Tell me…" she smiled. "When did you grow up and how did I miss it?"

"You didn't miss it, Mom," Cam replied. "You were right there for it but you're the best Mom in the world and just let it happen."

The doctor grabbed her suitcase and grinned. "Let's get going, Kid."

..

It was late. Cam had long since gone to bed, leaving her mother sitting in the living room on the couch with her friend. It really amazed Maura how easily she and Jane had fallen back into their old routine. They'd spent the evening telling Cam stories about cases they'd worked on, people they'd worked with and the best and worst of times in their lives.

Jane had started to cry when she talked about her brother, Frankie, and what had happened to him. It felt natural for Maura to hug her and not let go for the longest time. The teenager had taken that as her cue to leave them alone.

"She's a great kid," Jane murmured softly as she circled her thumb around the mouth of her beer bottle. She had a cushion tucked into the crook of her arm and it took Maura back many years to the many nights they'd spent tucked up together. It wasn't the same sofa. In fact, Jane's condo looked nothing like the doctor remembered.

"Thanks." The blonde sighed. "I wish you'd seen her as a baby."

"Me too," Jane ran her hand through her hair and tucked it behind her ears. "I'm so so sorry, Maura."

The doctor nodded. "We were both at fault. We were both scared and confused. And now we both have regrets."

"I would have had even more regrets if I'd let you go back to California without spending time with you."

"But I do have to go back," the doctor replied softly. "I have responsibilities…"

"I know," the Lieutenant nodded. "But every moment is precious. I learned that the hard way. I just don't want to waste a single moment with you. I just got you back."

Maura smiled and cupped her friend's cheeks in trembling hands. "Jane…" she said, looking into dark eyes. "I'm not going to waste any more time. I've never loved anyone else the way I love you." Jane blinked and her bottom lip started to quiver. Maura sucked in a breath. "Was that… too much? Am I moving too fast?"

And then eager lips were crushing against hers and loving fingers were running through her hair, guiding her closer. The kiss went on and on as two decades of love and longing emerged and only ended when they were both crying. "I love you too, Maura. In case you didn't get that."

They both laughed then and Maura moved into the lieutenant's arms, snuggling against her and closing her eyes at the familiar scent of perfume, shampoo and Jane.

And that was how Cam found them the next morning. Deeply asleep and clinging to each other. "Oh c'mon," she whispered. "You didn't even get her into bed, Mom?" But she smiled as she leaned against the door. "Guess I'll go get us breakfast." The young blonde slipped out the door and headed for the bagel shop nearby.

..

"Thanks for taking some time off," Maura said as she strolled hand in hand with her taller friend.

"I have no desire whatsoever to work at the moment. The station will take care of itself for a few days. Besides, I left Frost in charge. I'm grooming him to take over when I retire." Jane rubbed her thumb over Maura's knuckles. She almost couldn't believe that the blonde doctor was here with her.

Maura chuckled. "Retire. That's a word I NEVER thought I'd hear out of your mouth." She squeezed Jane's hand gently. "Have you been thinking about it?"

"Yeah… for a while now." The dark woman tapped her cane on the ground a little. "Things are getting… stiff. I'm not far away from sixty-five, Maura, and I've had more injuries over the years than I care to admit. Had the brains rattled a few times. My hearing is decreased on my left side and my hands and hip ache like a mother when it's cold… I dunno. I'm just starting to feel old."

Maura's free hand tucked into the crook of Jane's arm and she leaned against her slightly, mindful of her weak hip. "I call it maturity. Jane you barely have any grey. Besides, you're most definitely a MILF."

That made the lieutenant burst into laughter. "Maura!" she exclaimed.

"Or maybe that should be a DILF, since you don't have any children."

"DILF?"

"Detective… I'd love… to fuck," the doctor replied, locking eyes with her friend and making her swallow.

"Ummm… I… ummm… home?"

"Home," Maura agreed.

..

"Jesus…" Jane groaned, trembling as Maura moved back up her body to rest against her. They were both damp with sweat and the sheets were a tangled mess at the bottom of the bed. The lieutenant gently kissed her lover's lips and ran her fingers through her hair. "Maura… that was…"

"Overdue," the doctor replied with a chuckle and Jane laughed as she hugged the smaller woman as close as she could. "God, I love you, Jane."

"I love you too, Maura." She ran her hands over goose bumped flesh and then pulled the sheets back up to cover them. "You know, I've been thinking. You'll be leaving in a few days and, frankly, I have no clue what I'd do without you again so…"

"I already booked you a plane ticket." Maura beamed that grin of hers that made Jane melt like butter. "You're not mad are you?"

The lieutenant just hugged her closer and rolled them over so she could pepper kisses all over the doctor's face. "I couldn't be happier."

Just then a voice sounded from outside the closed door. "I guess I have a room to myself now. Eh?!"

Jane threw a shoe at the door. "Not if you don't survive til bed time, Kid!"

Maura just laughed as Cam scuttled away with a yelp.

..

"So... you're ok with this?" Maura asked, as she gently stroked her daughter's hair.

"Ok with it? Mom, I couldn't be happier. Jane is so awesome." Cam bounced excitedly in her seat. "How long is she coming for?"

"Well," the doctor shrugged slightly. "She'll come back with us for a couple of weeks. Then she'll have to come back here and wrap stuff up."

"What about her condo?"

"I'm renting it out," Jane interjected as she entered the living room. She was towelling her thick hair after having had a nice hot shower. Her muscles were aching from her bed sports with Maura. Those muscles hadn't been used in a while.

Cam nodded and then her face turned serious. "You guys, I'm so completely delighted for you… but you're not moving too fast, are you?"

"Honey," Jane replied. "When your get to our age, nothing moves too fast except time! We ain't no spring chickens no more!"

"I know," the girl replied. "I just want to be sure that you're not rushing into something you might regret later."

"Baby girl," Maura assured, looking her daughter right in the eyes. "The only thing I regret is not doing this years ago."

"It's settled then!" Cam hugged Jane and Maura in turn. "I'm thrilled. Hey Jane, do you like the ocean?"

"I love the ocean," the detective replied with a happy smiled.

"Cool. Our house is right on the beach. Do you like to go surfing?"

Jane laughed and ruffled the girl's hair. "Kid, I haven't even owned a bathing suit in fifteen years!"

Maura wrapped an arm around her lover's waist. "We're going to have to rectify that as soon as possible."

"We'll see," the lieutenant sighed. "I'm not exactly pin up material anymore, Maura."

"Are you kidding?!" the doctor and her daughter said at the same time.

Cam held up her hands in mock surrender when her mother scowled at her. "Sorry, sorry. But hell, she IS gorgeous. Ok, I need to call Shane."

Jane smiled as Cam scuttled into her bedroom. "She's a fantastic kid, Maura. She's a credit to you. What does she want to do after school?"

The blonde smiled and took a seat on the couch next to her lover. "She has no clue and I love that. I never understand parents who expect their child to have their life's plan mapped out at age 16. Cam will be going back to high school as a senior this year. She'll have plenty of time to think about what she wants. Maybe she should take a year and just travel before college? I don't know. I just truly want her to be happy."

The lieutenant grinned. "You're such a cool Mom. I always knew you'd be great but you've surpassed even my expectations."

"I learned from my parents' mistakes. I gave her attention and cooked for her and attended her school recitals and events. I sewed Halloween costumes and took her trick-or-treating. I gave her the childhood that I would have wished for," Maura murmured.

Jane leaned closer and kissed Maura, stroking her cheek with gentle fingers. "I love you. I wish Cam could have been ours."

And with a chuckle, the doctor winked. "She's completely fallen for your charms just like I did. She's already yours."

Maura sat forward, reaching for the phone. "Chinese?"

Jane's eyes twinkled. "You read my mind."