Wow! Thank you all so much for the love and reviews. I'm taking this story one chapter at a time, though I do have a few ideas on where to take it in the long run. There will be fluff, angst, heartbreak, more fluff. Just stay tuned and enjoy.

:)

Never in her life had she been so happy and carefree. Maura Isles was always one that worried about everything. About what people thought. About what could happen if she made the wrong choice. About how much time she had left in the day or even on the planet. But not with Jane. Nurse Isles was a different animal when she was around the cowgirl. There was something different about Rizzoli that made her feel free. Perhaps it was because she was in a new place, or that she didn't have her daughter around to look up to her, but it was something to the whole situation. Something she was glad to be around.

Maura didn't feel judged like she does in Boston and Ian doesn't make things easier for her either. The man only showed kindness to their daughter Emma.

In the beginning, Ian was her prince charming. They had met at the hospital where Maura previously worked and fell in love. He was kind and loving even through their engagement. However, when they got married it was like a switch flipped. The surgeon became controlling and hateful. It was mostly verbal abuse. He only hit her once and that was only after Em was born. Though, there had been times the man came close to laying a hand on the blonde while she was pregnant but refrained due to the baby. Asking for a divorce was what caused the bruise across her cheek.

Given she never pressed charges on her ex husband, the custody agreement remained. Maura got her daughter for one week and Ian got her for the next. The little girl thought it was normal and didn't think anything of it. However, one day when Emma could comprehend, Maura would tell her everything.

This morning was complete bliss. She woke up to the feeling of Jane's body pressed up against her back and her strong arms wrapped around her. What really made her realize she wasn't dreaming was the faint, slow kisses the rider was placing on her shoulder and neck.

The sun came through the cracks of the wooden shutters of the loft. A couple lines of light had caressed Maura's golden hair, and Jane knew she could get used to waking up like this every single morning.

Feeling the blonde stir, "Good morning, beautiful." Jane whispered.

"Mm very good morning, indeed." Maura hummed and turned in Rizzoli's arms.

"Are you hungry?"

"After all the energy we spent last night, I'm famished."

Pressing a kiss to her lips, Jane squeezed her gingerly. "Frankie usually makes breakfast, so let's get dressed and meet them in the house."

Making their way across the yard, hand in hand, Tommy spotted them through the window and nudged his brother. "Dude, look!"

Both men peered through the kitchen window and grinned. "Damn, I have to admit Janie can pick em." Frank Jr noted with a shake of his head.

"I ain't never seen her smile so big. Not recently, anyway. I hate Maura has to go in a few days. I think it's gonna be hard on Jane." Tommy said right before the new couple came through the door. "Morning ladies." He smiled as soon as they rounded the corner into the kitchen/dining room.

"Morning guys." She walked Maura around to the table and pulled the chair out for her as Tommy and Frankie both started placing plates on the table.

"Ma ain't feeling too well this morning, so imma take this plate to her." The older brother said before heading off toward Angela's room.

The news deflated Jane's smile a bit. Guilt came over her. She was out having an amazing night last night while her mother laid in bed, cancer taking over even more than it had the day previous. How could she allow herself to live happily while her mother was dying. It wasn't fair. Maura's hand on her thigh seemed to break her from the trance she put herself in.

"You okay?" Came a whisper.

"Hm? Yeah.. I'm okay."

"Eh, she's sleeping again so I'll just put her food in the microwave for later." Frankie announced before doing just that, then grabbing his own plate and sitting down at the head of the table. "Tommy and I haveta go to town after breakfast, are ya gonna to be around for a bit, Janie?"

The Rizzoli sister looked from her plate to him and nodded. "Yeah, I'll be around for a couple hours. I got another ride at 3." As much that was on the line with the sponsors, Jane knew if she had to she would miss it just to stay by Angela's side.

R&I

"Soooo? You didn't come to the hotel last night." Misha grinned and bumped shoulders with Maura as they sat down for another seminar. "You gonna fill me in? Or you gonna let my wild imagination wander?"

Isles grinned and sat back in her plastic chair. "This time you can allow it to wander."

"Girl!" Immediately she pulled her friend into a tight side hug. Luckily the conference hadn't started yet. "Oh my lord. She was that good huh?"

"Jane is unbelieveable." Maura bit her lip as she looked down and tucked hair behind her ear. "If you like…" She looked to Nurse Ellis again, "We had discussed a double date tonight. She has a friend we'd like you to meet. His name is Barry Frost."

Misha's jaw dropped, "Seriously? Oh my gosh! Of course I'll go. I was looking through the roster yesterday and saw his picture. Mm-Mm, the man is quite fine."

"So that's a yes then?" Maura quipped.

0.o

In the shoot. Sitting on a half-ton animal. Unfocused.

Being unfocused in the arena could cause severe damage or even death to rider, bull, or anyone else within the area. Jane's mind was on her mother. Ever since breakfast, Angela's condition and time she had left on the face of the earth was in the forefront of the bull rider's thoughts.

Wrapping her fingers under the rope, she pulled it tight with her other hand. Jane moved up into the correct position and took a deep breath. She wasn't ready mentally but she nodded her head anyway.

It had happened in what seemed like slow motion. Busting out of the shoot, spinning, bucking, running, it was all like a movie going frame by frame. To the audience it was over in 5.7 seconds.

The dismount was sloppy as she was thrown off the beast's back and landed on her front. Jane's hands caught her body weight and she was able to push herself off the dirt and back on her feet quick enough to dodge sharp hooves. The rider sprinting to the fence to safety. She straddled the railing not even noticing the pats on the leg she was getting for a good job. Jane was looking up at the score board.

"Not as good as her more recent rides, but Jane Rizzoli is still in the top ten and moving on to the next round by the skin of her teeth!" The announcer called out over the crowd.

Slipping away, the brunette stripped herself of the vest and sat down in front of a stall to collect herself. Her wrist was hurting as she held it to her chest. "Shit…" Pressing her fingers against bone, Jane could tell it wasn't broken. Maybe sprained, but not broken. Like hell if she was going to the doctor or even complain to anyone about it. Last thing she needed was someone to call her weak or unfit to ride in a man's sport.

"Hey Rizzoli." Barry greeted before sitting down next to his best friend. "You're head wasn't in it that time. Everything okay?"

The man could read her like a book. Frost was someone Jane told everything too, someone she cried to and wasn't judged. Through the bull riding adventure to her mother's health, the cowboy was her rock when she needed a break from being strong.

"No. Ma didn't come out for breakfast again this morning. I don't think she has much longer with us, Bear."

"I know it's going to be tough to lose her, trust me I know, but the silver lining is that she won't be in pain anymore. You're Ma will be free from the sickness and fatigue. She'll get to watch over you and your brothers." Jane rested her head on his shoulder and then breathed a chuckle when he finished with, "Not to mention I'm sure Angela will haunt all our asses."

"That is very true." Taking a deep breath, sniffling, Jane grabbed her cell phone and grinned at the text. "Seems you have a fan, Frost." She showed him the answer from Maura.

"Hell yeah I'll go out with Barry Frost! Count me in! :D " Was the first text. "He's so sexy! OMG" Was the second and "Misha hijacked my phone, sorry. In case you couldn't tell, she's very willing to go on a double date tonight." and of course the third text was from Maura. "I guess you and I better get ready for our dates." Rizzoli chuckled and kissed her friend's cheek before getting up and dusting her jeans off, silently wincing at the pain in her wrist. "Let's go, Hot Stuff."

You know the drill.

;D