Chapter 11

"So who is she?"

"Who's who, Ma?" Jane asked as she sat at the counter of the precinct cafe.

"The woman who is putting that smile on your face." Angela had stopped wiping down the counter and was staring intently at her oldest child.

Even with a massive grin spread across her face Jane said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play smart with me, missy." Angela pointed a stern finger at her, "You've been different these past few weeks and I have been letting it go because I have been so happy to see you happy. Now I am too excited that you seem to have found someone so I have to ask." The older woman placed her hand on top of Jane's, "Who is she?"

"Her name is Maura." Jane said as she grinned widely.

"Where did you meet her?" Her mother questioned.

Jane answered simply, "At a club."

"Huh, so something did come of all that partying you do." Angela smiled.

"Please, Ma, I hardly party anymore."

Angela ignored her comment and demanded, "You're bringing her on Sunday."

The detective was only slightly taken aback by what her mother had said, "She might be busy on Sunday, Ma. I know she works that night but I don't know what her plans are in the afternoon."

"Well tell her that she definitely has plans now. I want to meet the woman that has made my Janie so happy." She took her daughter's face in her hands, "And Janie, you are happy right?"

"More then ever, Ma." She beamed.

"Good, because you're bringing her on Sunday whether you like it or not."

Sunday afternoon Maura found herself in Jane's front seat wringing her hands nervously.

"It's going to be ok." Jane told her. She took Maura's left hand in her right while she drove. She kissed the back of her smooth hand, "They are going to love you!"

"I've never been brought home to meet the family before." Maura reminded her again. The dancer had been surprised when Jane invited her to meet her family. Jane had chuckled when she had told her about her mother's insistence.

"That's because you were never with the right person," Jane smiled.

"What if your mother doesn't like me?"

The detective eased the car in front of her old childhood home and killed the engine.

Jane shrugged, "How could she not? What's not to like?"

"I'm a stripper, Jane." Maura said point blank.

"So, are you nervous about telling her that? We don't have to tell her that if you don't want to?" The brunette said.

"Do you not want to tell her? Are you ashamed of what I do for a living?" Maura asked quickly.

"No! God no!" Jane told her. Was Jane happy about the fact that Maura was a stripper? Did she like the fact that men drooled over her girlfriend's body every night? No. But she sure as hell wasn't about to bring that up. She knew what she was getting in to when they started dating and knew that she just had to accept it. "We can tell my family anything that you want to tell them, ok?" She cupped Maura's cheek. "And if they don't like it then they will just have to get over it because I am not letting you go anywhere."

The dancer blushed at her girlfriend's words. She didn't know what to say so instead, she pressed their lips together. Jane smiled as the kiss broke, "Ready?"

"As ready as I will ever be."

"Hey Ma, we're here!" Jane called out as she came in through the front door holding Maura's hand.

She could hear her mother rushing eagerly from the kitchen, "Hello!" she cried as she came around the corner. She kissed Jane's cheek quickly before turning to Maura.

"It's so great to finally meet you Maura!" Angela exclaimed as she gathered her daughter's girlfriend in a hug.

Maura was slightly taken aback by the older woman's actions but returned the hug in kind, "It's wonderful to meet you Mrs. Rizzoli."

"Oh please, call me Angela. I have been looking forward to meeting the girl that has made my Janie so happy." She smiled, "Please, come in, come in."

Jane wrapped her arm tightly around Marua's waist as they walked further into the house.

"Your brothers are in the living room watching the game." Angela said as they entered the kitchen.

"Tommy is here?" Jane asked surprisedly.

"Of course he is, why wouldn't he be?" Angela gave Jane a glare that said, 'Don't be airing the family's dirty laundry.'

Jane ignored her mother's angry look and just said out loud, "Ma, Maura already knows that Tommy has been in jail."

"Jane!" Her mother said as she slapped her on the arm, "Why do you have to go talking about our family problems to everyone!"

The brunette rubbed the place on her arm that had been hit, "She's my girlfriend, Ma. I tell her everything."

"You'd think that we could keep some things a secret!"

"It's really ok, Angela," Maura tried to reassure her, "I don't think any less of your family or your son knowing about this."

"I'm sure you don't, sweetie, I just wish that Janie would keep her mouth shut every once and a while." She said as she shot her daughter another glare.

"Welp, the cat's out of the bag so you're just gonna have to make peace with it Ma."

Angela sighed, "Fine. Go set the table please? Maura can stay in here and keep me company, tell me about herself."

"I don't think so, Ma. I am not going to leave her alone in here 5 seconds after she meets you and suject her to your third degree. The boys are perfectly capable of getting off their asses to help set the table tonight." Jane said as she slipped her arm around Maura's waist in a slightly over protective gesture.

"Don't say things like that Jane, she's going to think I am crazy!" Angela said as she once again hit her daughter's arm.

"Yeah, Ma, and she's alost going to think that you're abusive if you keep that up!"

"It's ok, Angela," Maura chuckled, "I know that Jane is just being protective." She gave Jane a loving smile as Jane kissed her forehead.

"Well," Angela said, "I haven't seen a look like that on my Janie's face in a long time so I think I am gonna like you already." She didn't give either of the ladies time to respond before she went to the doorway that separated the kitchen from the living room and dining room. "Boys! Dinner is ready! Come help set the table."

"Come on, Ma!" and "The game was just getting good!" were some of the whiny responses that came from the couch.

"Shut it off! Now!" She turned back to the kitchen with a sigh, "Those boys, I swear to God. Do you have siblings, Maura?"

"No, I don't. Sometimes I wish that I did though."

"Trust me, it's not all that it's cracked up to be." Jane smirked.

As if to prove her point, both of her brothers entered the kitchen as they continued to whine about having to help set the table. "Ma, why do we have to do this?" "Yeah, Ma, it's Janie's job."

"Oh my goodness, you would think that both of you were 4 years old again. Your sister has a guest – and you are both being very rude to her at the moment, by the way, she's gonna think I raised you without any manors – so you have to help out for once and set the table. But before you do, be gentlmen and introduce yourselves to your sister's girlfriend."

Both men turned for the first time to acknowledge the other two women in the room.

"Woah," was all the Tommy could say while Frankie stuttered out a, "Hello." Neither one of them were expecting a woman as gorgeous as Maura.

Angela reached over and smacked Tommy on the back of the head while Jane smacked Frankie. They were eached knocked out of their trances. Frankie stepped forward and introduced himself and Tommy followed suit. Jane didn't appreciate the leering look in her youngest brother's eye as he shook Maura's hand.

"Plate. Napkins. Silverware. Now." Angela said as she ushered her sons out of the room.

"Alright, this was a bad idea." Jane said as the boys left the room, "I did not bring you here to be drooled all over by my brothers. I am so sorry. We can go."

Maura placed a well manicured finger over Jane's lips, "It's ok. I have dealt with worse."

She took Jane's sigh as one of defeat and removed her finger but the brunette began speaking again, "I know but this is..." Again, she was cut off by a finger to on her lips.

Angela smiled as she watched the exchange between the two, "You can kiss her ya know." She said really more to Jane then to Maura.

The detective immediately turned her head towards her mother, "Really, Ma? Do you ha..."

The honey blonde cut her off a third time but this time she did it by taking Jane by the chin and bringing their lips together. Jane was tense for the first second and then gave in and reveled in the feeling of her girlfriend's lips upon her own. She placed her hands on Maura's hips and pulled her closer; both were careful not to take the kiss too far. It was over almost as quickly as it started as Maura pulled away from her girlfriend and looked at the eldest Rizzoli.

"What can I help you care to the dining table, Angela?"

It didn't take much time for them to get settled around the dinner table. Angela came right out of the gate and asked the one question that both women were hoping to avoid, "So, Maura, what do you do?"

The honey blonde paused for a moment, she chewed her food a little longer then she usually did in order to come up with an answer she was confortable with, "I'm a dancer." She stated simply.

"Oh, wow, that's wonderful. Where do you dance?" Angela asked innocently.

Maura paused and Jane stepped in, "For a little company downtown. They do a lot of contemporary work."

"Do you make good money do that?"

"Ma!" Jane sighed.

Angela shrugged, "What? It's an honest question."

"Better then you would think," was all that Maura said.

Dinner continued as Angela asked more questions about Maura's family and childhood – some of which is answered fully and others in which she twisted or left out some minor details. Tommy and Frankie attempted to embarrass Jane by sharing stories of their childhood but Jane then shot back with a story that was equally if not more embarrassing then theirs. The detective just couldn't get over the look that Tommy had in his eyes anytime he looked at Maura. It was almost as bad as any sleeze bag in the club.

"Who wants dessert?" Angela asked as their plates became empty.

"Oh, Angela you didn't have to go to all that trouble!" Maura exclaimed.

"It's not trouble," Frankie told her, "It's just Sunday dinner!"

"Well, please let me help you clear the table." The dancer said as she stood up and began to gather empty plates.

"Maura, you don't have to do that." Angela said as she tried to encourage her guest to stay in her seat."

"Please, I insist." She said as she carried as arm full of dishes into the kitchen.

"She's here less then 2 hours and is already more helpful then any of you." Their mother said as she pointed to all three of her children.

Angela disappeared into the other room with the rest of the china that was on the table.

"Way to go, Janie!" Frankie exclaimed as soon as both women were gone.

"Yeah, she's pretty great huh?" Jane smiled.

"You bagged a stripper! I never knew you had in it you, Sis!" Tommy laughed.

Jane snapped at him, "What did you say?"

"Oh come on, Jane, the pause that you both took when Ma asked what she did, 'a contemporary dancer'? It's obvious to anyone but Ma that you both just didn't wanna tell her what kind of dancer she really is. I bet she's a real money maker! She's fucking hot now and I can only imagine what she would look like up on a stage. I'd love to see those fucking spetacular ti..."

As Tommy had been ranting and raving he didn't see the steam coming out of his sister's ears, and he didn't notice how quickly she had risen to come around the table and shut him up before her fist connected with his face.

The commotion brought Angela and Maura back into the dining room.

"What happened?" Angela exclaimed loudly as she looked around the room and saw blood pouring from her youngest's nose, her eldest shaking her injured hand and her middle child attempting to shrug innocently.

Tommy was about to tell their mother what really happened when he saw the death glare coming from his sister's eyes. "Nothing, Ma, I was being an asshole. I totally deserved it."

The angry look on her daughter's face told her that Tommy was at least telling the truth about that, "Well get into the bathroom before you drip blood all over my carpet. I will bring you some ice."

Tommy mumbled angrily as she schelped off to the bathroom, Angela in tow with an ice pack, Frankie decided to stay out of all the drama and took up residence on the couch once again, while Maura lead Jane into the kitchen to ice Jane's swelling hand.

"Thank you for defending my honor." Maura smiled as she kissed her girlfriend's bruised knuckles.

"How did you...?"

"There could only be one topic of conversation this evening that would cause you to throw a punch at your brother." Maura smirked.

"He figured out that you're a stripper." Jane told her point blank but she cut her off before she could respond, "But don't worry, he's not going to say anything if he knows what's good for him – and I think that possibly broken nose that I just gave him is the only lesson he will need."

"Well, thank you for taking care of me." The honey blonde said as she wrapped her arms around Jane's waist and nuzzled into the crook of her neck.

Jane happily returned the embrace and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, "We should get going. We have to get to work."

"Yeah, I guess you are right." Maura sighed.

"Boy you really did a number on him, Janie." Angela announced her presense in the kitchen. "He won't tell me what he said to make you do that but it must be bad if he doesn't want to tell me about it."

"Don't worry, Ma. I am sure that I took care of it and it won't happen again. But, I am not so sad to say that after all of this excitement, we've got to go."

"Already? But we didn't get to have dessert!"

"I am sure it's lovely, Angela, and I promise that next time we will make it happen but I am sorry to say that we do need to get going."

"Yup, I told you that Maura has to work tonight." As soon as the words left Jane's mouth she regretted them. Why did she bring up her job again?

"You've got a show tonight? I'd love to see one some time!" The older woman told her excitedly.

"It's just a rehearsal." Maura replied smoothly, "We don't really have any public performances on the calender at the moment. We're in development right now."

"Oh, well let me know!" She smiled.

"We definitely will!" Jane told her quickly.

Angela walked them to the door where hugs and kisses were exchanged before the detective and the dancer left the house.

"Oh, God, what a night." Jane sighed as she climbed into the driver's seat.

"I think you're family is wonderful." Maura told her as she took her right hand in both of hers as they pulled away from the curb.

"Both of my brothers are idiots – especially Tommy as you can see – and my mother some times borders on psychotic."

"She just loves you, wants to see you happy."

"Well, I am happy." Jane told her as she brought Maura's hand to her lips, "Happier then I have ever been in my life."

Maura leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "Me too."

"She loves you by the way." Jane said.

"How do you know?"

"She told me." Jane stated simply, "When she hugged me at the door she said, 'She's a keeper Janie, don't let her get away.' I told her that I don't intend to."

The dancer smiled and kissed her cheek once more.

It wasn't long before Jane was easing her car in front of Maura's apartment building. The honey blonde took off her seat belt and was surprised when Jane didn't cut the engine and do the same, "Aren't you coming up?"

"No," Jane said quietly, "I need to meet you at the club."

"Is something wrong?" she was confused by Jane's sudden change in demeanor.

The detective fumbled, "No, well, kind of...well, you need to get ready and I don't really want to be around for that...can't be around for that. So, you go upstairs and do what you need to do and I will see you there."

"Ok." The honey blonde said glumly.

Jane could see the pain in her girlfriend's eyes as she turned to get out of the car, "Hang on a sec." Without turning the car off, the brunette quickly slipped out her side and walked around to open the door for Maura. She held her hand out of her and helped her out of the vehicle. As soon as the car door was closed she pressed the smaller woman up against it and kissed her passionately. Both women were breathless when Jane finally pulled away,

"I will see you at the club." She smiled before climbing back the car and driving away.

Despite all of the ridiculous things that had happened that evening and inspite of the reassuring kisses, as Maura walked up the stairs to her apartment she couldn't help but feel like the biggest screw up of them all.

Not the happy ending to the chapter you were hoping for huh? I know you all hate the drug use, it will come to an end eventually I promise...but not before it causes a few more issues. Hope you enjoyed meeting the family though! Lemme know!