"Okay… Does anyone want to explain what's been going on while I was gone?!" Jane stood there stunned, both by the stinging in her face and in her eyes. Maura was married, this she already knew. But to a woman? Something had happened, somebody was playing a trick on her. This isn't what she expected. It some how seemed to change everything and nothing, all in the same moment.

"Janie… Are you alright?" Angela stepped forward concerned for her daughter. She placed a hand on the opposite cheek and gently rubbed Her thumb back and forth.

"Ma, I know I've been gone, but what is going on? Is Maura really married to that woman?"

"Jane, you have been gone for 9 months. We all had to move on with our lives and with our hurt. Maura took your death extremely hard and the only thing that has pulled that woman out of it was Laryssa."

Jane's face scrunched up at the mention of the other woman's name. Angela caught the look and lightly patted Jane's cheek to garner her attention.

"Jane! You listen to me. That woman loved you. More then you realized. You made a choice to disappear, to leave us all. That woman Maura married is a fantastic person and an even better wife. If you care at all for Maura, you would do well to check the attitude towards her wife!"

Jane stood there, looking at her family and closest friends. They all had smiles on their faces, excited to see her and hear about her life while she was away. Their eyes however told a different story. They still held sadness, confusion, and regret. Jane knew coming back wasn't going to be easy, but deep down, she had begun to convince herself that it wouldn't be as bad as she had imagined. She was wrong, and she internally berated herself again for the pain and hurt she had caused those closest to her. As their group moved towards the cars to head to the luncheon, Rebecca fell in step with Jane. She lightly bumped her shoulder and smiled when Jane caught her eye.

"Jane, we are heading over to Ma's. You're coming right?" Tommy asked as he searched her face for any hint of a sudden departure.

"Yeah Tommy. I'll be there."

"Janie, didn't I teach you any manners! Who is your friend?" Angela's eyes had been on the Marshal for some time now and the close proximity she had been keeping to Jane.

"Sorry Ma. This is Marshal Rebecca Johnson. She has been my capture the last 9 months." Jane smiled and turned to the Marshal, "Becks, this is my mother, Angela Rizzoli."

"Pleasure to meet you," Rebecca said as they shook hands.

Angela regarded the new woman guardedly. Something in her eye said she wasn't everything she seemed and the simple fact that she was the one who had whisked Jane away was enough to garner Angela's watchful eye.

They all followed one another to Their mothers home, or what use to be Maura's home.

"oh no…," Jane groaned as they pulled up in front of the house.

"What's wrong?" Becca asked front he passenger seat. Frankie and tommy leaned forward to hear what Jane had to say before they got out.

"Here goes round two."

Her passengers questioning eyes caused her to continue with her explanation.

"This is Maura's house. No doubt she will have more to say once we get inside."

"I'm sure it'll be…" but Rebecca never finished her reassurance.

"Not that you wouldn't deserve it." Came a mumbled response from the back seat.

Jane turned around and looked at her brothers. Neither admitted to saying it and neither apologized. Frankie shook his head and reached for the door as Tommy escaped on his side. Frankie paused with one foot out the door, "Maura hasn't lived here in a while. Ma rents it from Maur & Laryssa, so you are probably safe."

Frankie retreated into the house and a odd silence was left in the air. Jane sighed and leaned forward to repeatedly hit her head against the steering wheel. "What. Was. I. Thinking?" She said each time her head came into contact with the wheel.

"Jane... It's just a shock to them. They will get over it. Just give them time."

"Ma and my brothers will, and maybe Maura will some day, but she finds violence senseless and for her to hit me… It won't be anytime soon, if ever. I should have never gotten in that car with you all those months ago."

"Jane, you can't change the past. You did what you thought was right to protect those you love."

"Becca… I appreciate everything you are saying and doing, but it won't change or make any of this right."

The two went inside and time seemed to fly by as they listened to the happenings of Boston over the last 9 months. One o'clock rolled around and Jane and Rebecca said their good byes and headed towards their hotel. Luckily tomorrow was a Saturday and they had all been instructed to take the weekend off. Sean wanted them fresh faced and ready to hit the case with everything they had come Monday morning.

Angela insisted that they come back the next day and stay with them instead of in some hotel, but Jane had to decline. The threat to her was still unknown and she wouldn't put her mother in danger. So as they each climbed into their own beds almost an hour later, Jane signed. She was glad they had opted for separate, adjoining rooms. She needed to be alone.

She shifted back and forth for the next hour unable to sleep as her brain raced every which way. Maura was married. To a woman. Jane internally berated herself for never telling Maura how she felt. But that small voice in the back of her head kept telling her that obviously Maura was into woman and she never pursued Jane or even hinted at feelings for her. Clearly Maura didn't feel the same way. Jane dissected herself for hours that night. How had she failed to remember her best friends fiancés last name? Was she so wrapped up in herself that she failed to recognize such a small detail? She knew she hadn't cared when Maura had introduced them because it had dashed Jane's hopes again, but was she so obtuse that she hadn't cared to remember? Why hadn't Maura felt the same way? They'd been friends for years and had always been closer then Jane had been with anyone. As she laid there pondering, flashes of times Jane had neglected Maura's feelings, teased her about her passions, hadn't let Maura in when the world went black and all the other times she'd not been the best of friend to her paraded across her brain. How had she really thought that they even had a possibility of a future when she'd clearly been taking her for granted all these years? Jane shook her head as she felt the pain and hurt of all the things lost and freshly discovered hit her. It was then that she cried. A soul crumbling cry that tore at the corners of her heart as she curled into a ball, letting everything out.

Hours after the tears had dried, Jane fell into a deep dreamless sleep. Her next awareness was the sun streaking across her face. Her head hurt, her eyes were swollen and light sensitive and she felt a heaviness in the very core of her. She breathed a heavy sigh and rolled over to escape the sun. She knew she needed to get up and face the consequences of her choices and deal with returning to her life, but she couldn't find the motivation to get out of bed. She closed her eyes and slept until late evening when she was awakened by the smells of garlic. 'Wait…. Garlic? Ma!'

The thought was enough to rouse her from her slumber.

"Janie! Oh good, you're awake!"

"Ma, what are you doing here?" Jane rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"No one heard from you all day. I began to worry, but when I came by your marshal said you were sleeping so I decided to make you some dinner and come back by."

Jane looked at her mom. Tears started to form and she quickly climbed out of bed to embrace her mother. "Ma, I'm so, so sorry. I have missed you and I am so sorry I put you through all of this." She hugged her mother tighter when she felt the tears stream down her cheeks. She sighed and stepped back but kept her hands on her mothers shoulders.

"Oh Jane…" She placed a hand on her cheek and whipped a tear away. "It's okay now. All that matters is that you are back and safe."

"Ma, don't. Please don't do that. Hold me accountable. Be mad, upset, something!" Jane stepped back from her mothers reach.

"Jane, I am angry! I was devastated when we thought you had died. I carried that with me every day. The day we buried you was one of the worst in my life. But the day I looked up and saw your face was one of the best. I am still angry that you ran from your problems and that we all went through the pain of losing you. But Sean and I talked last night and he pointed out that now that you are back, none of us will take a single day with you for granted. We know what it's like to live without you, and it's not something I want to experience again in this life time. I love you Jane. Don't ever forget that."

Jane whipped at the tears on her cheek and hugged her mother again.

"Thanks Ma. I love you too."

They moved from their embrace as Jane's stomach growled.

"Well isn't it a good thing I came prepared?!"

The women laughed and they sat down at the small hotel table and ate.

"Jane, I really wish you'd come stay with us. You can stay in the guesthouse!"

"Ma, I don't know what kind of threat this guy posses and I can't put you in his line of sight. I appreciate the offer. Honestly."

"You can't stay here for months until you get back on your feet. And if he's a threat to us all, he already knows who I am and where I am. You staying closer could actually keep me safer."

Jane smiled. She knew this was a subject that eventually her mother would win no matter what.

"Okay Ma. I'll move in tomorrow. But Rebecca will have to come too."

"Okay. There is plenty of room for two. So are you two…"

"Ma! God, no. I mean for a minute it seemed like maybe but I wasn't in a place for that. We are just friends."

Angela just looked at Jane with skeptical eyes.

"Look at me all you want. There isn't anything else to tell Ma."

"Okay Janie."

Angela cleaned up after them and left for the night making Jane promise to come over as soon as she checked out tomorrow to get settled and help with Sunday dinner.

Jane climbed back into bed after her mother left and again laid there for hours just thinking.

Maura hadn't said a word as they drove home from the funeral the day before. She'd stared out the window and quietly wiped at her tears of frustration. They'd arrived home and she had gone straight to her study, closing the door.

Laryssa knew to leave her to her thoughts so she set about making dinner. Her mind raced all over from the events of today. She had never seen Maura act that way. She wondered if any of them had known she was still alive. Korsak seemed to be the only one not completely shocked by seeing Jane present at the funeral which made her wonder how many of them knew. Laryssa wonder how Maura felt not being included in the group of people who knew. She shook her head as she knew if things were reversed, she would have been as angry, if not more so. Laryssa finished dinner and put it in the oven to keep warm as she headed to the study door.

"Babe, dinner is ready." She called as she knocked softly. "Can I come in?"

"Yes."

Laryssa entered and noticed the lights were out and the blinds closed shrouding the room in darkness. She approached Maura, who's back was turned as she stood in front of her desk, leaned over, palms flat on the desk. She was breathing raggedly which meant she was either crying or catching her breath after having cried hard. She walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around her slender waist. She nuzzled her nose behind her ear and kissed her softly.

"You know I love you don't you?" Laryssa could feel Maura release some tension as she leaned back into the embrace. Maura's head laid against Laryssa's shoulder and she sighed.

"I love you too Lys."

"How are you holding up?" Laryssa asked softly as Maura turned in her arms coming face to face with her wife.

"I'm alright. I was in shock. I can't believe she's been alive this whole time. I can't believe she let us think she was dead.

We buried and mourned her. How selfish can one person be?!" Laryssa felt Maura tense up as her anger began to surface.

"I can't even imagine what you are feeling right now, but you know I'm here for you. Even if it's only to listen. You don't have to shut yourself away and try to take this all on alone."

Maura looked into Laryssa's eyes and for the first time since that morning, she smiled.

"I don't know how I got so lucky." Maura kissed her trying to convey her love for this woman who always knew just what to say to make her feel loved.

"I know exactly what you mean!" Laryssa smiled and winked at her.

Laryssa grabbed her wife's hand and led her to the kitchen where she served up dinner and the two enjoyed light conversation. After they had eaten and the dishes were taken care of they moved to the couch where Maura curled up into Laryssa's side.

"I just don't understand why she did it."

Laryssa knew what she was talking about but wanted Maura to continue letting it out. She just let Maura continue in her thoughts, sitting quietly holding her.

"She never thought of how it would affect us all. And then to just pop back up. Like nothing had happened…" Maura let her sentence trail off as she got lost in a thought.

Laryssa sat back and listened as she worked through the random thoughts as they came and went about the selfish detective who had upset everyone's lives with her disappearing/reappearing act. She knew Maura was upset. She could feel the tension radiating off of her as she laid snuggled into her side.

After a while Maura fell silent and Laryssa looked down. Maura had fallen into a peaceful sleep and Laryssa didn't have the heart to wake her. She grabbed the blanket behind them on the back of the couch and covered them up before falling asleep.

Across town

His phone beeped indicating a text message.

The Detective is alive.