Author Notes: Thanks to everyone who has read, etc. the last chapter. Sorry this one has taken a couple of days to get up. I was out Wednesday, then Thursday I was exhausted, then Friday I was out again and yesterday I was really busy. This is the problem with having a life, haha. I'd love to be able to just sit at home and write all day, every day.

Warning: there are multiple mentions of vomit, sorry!


"How long's it been going on?" Jane asked, falling into step beside Ashley.

Ashley turned to her, her eyebrows creased in the middle. "I thought you weren't going to ask."

"How can I not?"

"It's nothing."

Jane wrapped an arm around Ashley's shoulder and pulled her close as they walked. She glanced briefly behind her, at Rosetino, who smiled back.

She lowered her voice further. "Do you know that he's married?"

"Of course I know," Ashley said.

"Before or after?"

"I don't want to talk about this with you."

"Is it over?" Jane loosened her grip and returned to walking beside her. "Tell me it's over."

"It's over."

"Good."

Rosetino paced forwards, pushing his way between Ashley and Jane. He wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders. She squirmed under his touch. The scent of stale cigarette smoke lingered in the air. The thought of his hands all over her daughter made Jane more protective than she ever thought possible.

"Where are we going?" Jane asked. "I'm starving."

"Gotta make a pit stop," Rosetino said.

He dropped his arms and stepped in front of them, marching onwards until they turned a corner and entered a small industrial unit. Jane skimmed across the facilities, taking in everything she could see. A car sat outside a small, brick building. She took her phone from her pocket and absently started messaging Maura.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rosetino asked. He snatched her phone away.

"Give it back," Jane said, snarling. "I was sending a message to my man."

"Yeah?" He raised his eyebrows and glared at her. He searched through the messages on her phone, then tossed it back to her. "Keep your dirty messages to yourself."

She nodded and sent a brief message, containing the license plate, to Pierce, then promptly deleted it. Then she sent another message to Maura.

'Thinkin of u today babe, hope u had a gud night with ur hand.'

Rosetino disappeared into the building. Jane slipped her phone back into her pocket and folded her arms across her chest. She watched Ashley as she kept her focus on everything around her, her eyes danced around like seagulls carefully watching for someone to open up a picnic on a beach.

"Don't let him ruin your career," Jane said. "He's not worth it."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "I know what I'm doing."

"Do you?" Ashley turned away. "Just be careful, you can't always trust people."

After the vibration in Jane's pocket, she retrieved her phone and checked the message she received. Whilst reading it, she kept on eye firmly on Rosetino who had exited the building. He slipped a thick envelope into his back pocket and shook the hand of a man that Jane could only assume was the owner of the car. She smiled at the message.

'Get bk ere, not same wo u.'

"I said keep your dirty fucking messages to yourself," Rosetino said, throwing an arm around Ashley's shoulder.

"Your boyfriend's a fucking asshole," Jane said.

"Your mother's a dirty whore," he replied.

"Chaz," Ashley said, unravelling his arm from her shoulder. "Please don't say that about my mom."

"It's the truth, ain't it?" he asked, glancing at Jane.

She smirked. "I am a dirty whore, but I treat my man with respect. You better treat my kid that way or I'll grate your balls onto my Ma's famous spaghetti."

After breakfast, Jane returned to the apartment while Ashley and Rosetino were busy. She took the time alone to search the apartment for any clues she could find to Rosetino's involvement in the case.

"Hi, Pierce," she said, answering her cell phone. She balanced it between her ear and shoulder as she searched through a drawer. "I can't find anything, the apartment's pretty empty. Did you check the license plate?"

"Nothing new," he said. "The car's registered to Albert Frank. He's already known to the undercover team at the FBI. Don't forget to check inside the cistern."

"Always the last place I look," Jane said. She closed the drawer and walked into the bathroom. She put her phone on loud speaker and balanced it on the closed toilet as she lifted the cistern lid. She glanced into the water – nothing. She replaced the lid and ran a hand around the base. "I think I've got something."

"What is it?"

"Hold your horses," she said, pulling a passport out from the hiding spot. She opened it up. "I think you might want to check out a William Maurice Polk. Either he looks suspiciously like Rosetino or he's dead and being used as fake identification."

"Nice going, Rizzoli."

"I'll keep looking, I'll call you if I find anything."

She taped the passport back under the cistern and ran a hand around the edge of the bath panel. To no avail. She continued her search in the kitchen, but found nothing more.

x

Being a medical examiner for most of her career, Maura had built up a tolerance for unusual and strong scents long ago. The few years since she left her position in favour of forensic psychiatry did nothing to bring her strength to its knees. She ran a hand across Toby's back and held the bowl under his face. His cheeks were stained with tears and vomit, his little hands clutched the bowl like his life depended on it. Once more he spilled his guts into it. Maura placed the bowl on the floor and wiped at his face with a damp cloth.

"You're doing so well," Maura said, lifting him into her arms and cradling him like a baby. He pushed his face against her shoulder, his shoulders shook as he sobbed.

"My tummy hurts."

"I know," Maura said, running a hand across the side of his head. "Try to get some sleep."

"I want Mama," he said, his mouth wet with tears and the cloth Maura wiped once more across his face. She lay him down on the bed beside her and held him close.

"I'll try and call her," Maura said. "But she's really busy with work. She'll be home tomorrow."

He coughed and spluttered. "I want her now."

"I know," Maura said, brushing his tears away. She picked up her cellphone and sat up in the bed. Toby crawled onto her lap and clung to her pyjamas - the third change of clothes she'd made since he started throwing up. There was no response, so she sent a quick message and waited.

Her lapse in attention came at the wrong moment as vomit covered her top, and most of what Toby was wearing. His cries worsened, his face bright red with pale strips of tears attempting to dry on his skin.

"You're okay," Maura whispered, lifting him off the bed and carrying him into the bathroom.

She stood him in the bath and pulled the shower head down. She turned on the water and ran it over him, then she stripped him down and did it once more. She sat him down and replaced the shower head. Then she stripped her own top and retrieved a nightgown from her drawers. She slipped it over her head and placed a pair of shorts on Toby.

"Let's get you to bed," she said. He wrapped his arms around her neck and his legs around her waist as she carried him into her bedroom. She lowered him onto the floor. "Let me get the dirty sheets off."

"No!" he screamed, clinging to her neck. She attempt to unravel his hands but to no avail.

"Okay."

Maura scooped him up again and placed him on the other end of the bed. She turned a sodden pillow over and rested it down with the clean side showing, her arms tucked around her son.

A few minutes later and his breathing evened out until he slipped into sleep. Maura stayed beside him, stroking his hair back from his face. He whimpered as he dozed, the tears still flowed down his cheeks.

"Shh," she whispered.

Her cellphone buzzed against the bedside table. Maura untangled herself from Toby's sleep filled body and carried it out into the hallway. She rested the phone against her ear.

"Jane, thank you for calling me back."

"What's wrong?" Jane asked. "You sound exhausted."

"Toby's been vomiting all afternoon. Between him and Maggie all I've done is create laundry. I just hope she doesn't catch whatever bug he's got."

"The poor little guy," Jane said. "Do you know what's wrong?"

"It's probably a bug. There's nothing to suggest otherwise. He really wants you."

"I'm sorry," Jane said, a note of regret in her voice. "I can't leave now."

"I know, I understand." Maura leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. Her mouth opened involuntarily. She covered it as she yawned. "It's so good to hear your voice."

"You too." Jane paused, a door opened and closed. She stayed silent for a moment. Maura listened, waited, too exhausted to ask her what was going on. "Sorry, nearly got caught."

"You should go."

"I don't want to," Jane said. "But I'll see you tomorrow."

"I love you," Maura said, barely hearing Jane's response as she dropped her hand to the floor.

She crawled across the carpet and through the bedroom door, too tired to stand up. She pulled herself up onto the bed and lay down beside Toby. His eyes were still closed and his face still pink and stained with tears. She counted her blessings and closed her eyes. Just as she drifted off the monitor sprang to life and Maura opened her eyes again. She lifted herself out of bed and went into the nursery to attend to the baby. She could sleep tomorrow.

x

Later that night, Jane lay on the couch, the bed sheets up around her shoulders as she stared out into the darkness. Her phone call with Maura left her wanting to be home. She hated seeing Toby sick, and the thought of Maura dealing with it alone wrenched at her heartstrings. She closed her eyes in the hope the darkness would help her eventually drift off. A door opened across the apartment. She froze. It could be Ashley, but she didn't want to risk moving in case it was Rosetino. When another door opened and closed, Jane gave up the breath she'd been holding. She could hear voices coming from one of the bedrooms.

"She needs to go," Rosetino said.

"She's my mom," Ashley said. "She won't be here for long."

"Frank's suspicious. He doesn't like seeing people he doesn't know. Do you know how long it took to build his trust? It was hard enough bringing you in. We don't need another complication. I placated the guy but if he sees her around there again, he's gonna be looking for someone's ass to beat. I can't protect you if she screws this up for us."

"She's about as useless as a cat and a tin opener." Ashley paused. Jane covered her mouth as laughter threatened to escape. "She won't screw up. I'll find her a motel or something."

"You'd better do."

Silence followed and Jane closed her eyes again. She thought about Maura, hopefully tucked up in bed with Toby. She imagined herself climbing in beside them both and wrapping her arms around her family. The thought tugged at the corners of her mouth. It was quickly replaced by an incessant groan coming from the bedroom. She pulled the pillow tightly around her ears. The last thing she wanted to hear – more so given the situation – was her daughter being pleasured by a man who was not suitable for her. It was made even worse by the knowledge she had about him. It took every ounce of her strength not to barge in there and drag Ashley out. What she wouldn't give to be able to punch him in the face.

A short while later, a guttural sound filled the apartment and it was all over with. A couple of minutes later the bedroom door opened and closed, followed by Ashley's. Jane turned over on the couch, her eyes fixed on the wooden door. All she wanted to do was protect her daughter but she knew the only way she could do that was by continuing with her job.

x

The next morning Maura fell into Jane's arms the second she arrived home. She was exhausted. She'd barely slept the night before. Tears trailed down her cheeks, thankful for Jane's presence. She clung to Jane like Toby had clung to her for most of the night.

"How's Toby?" Jane asked. She ran a hand across Maura's hair and kissed the side of her head. "Hey, it's okay."

She pawed at her cheeks. "He's been asleep for a while."

"Poor little guy."

"I think he's probably got most of it up," Maura said, still tangled up in Jane's arms. "I'm hoping its just twenty-four hours."

"I've missed you." Jane brushed her lips against Maura's. "You should get some sleep. I'll look after Toby."

"Maggie's been down for a while, she'll be up soon." Maura stepped back.

An overwhelming wave of sickness shrouded her and she covered her mouth. She sprinted towards the bathroom where she emptied the contents of her stomach. Jane followed and stood in the doorway. Maura wiped her face, pushing her sodden hair from her cheeks.

"I don't think it was Maggie you needed to worry about," Jane said, pulling her hair back and rubbing her shoulders. Maura sat back on her knees and Jane wrapped her arms around her, forming a chair. Maura closed her eyes and rested herself against Jane. "I don't want to leave you alone like this, but I can't risk getting sick."

"You're leaving?" Maura asked, opening her eyes again.

Jane ran a hand across her forehead. "Not yet, but I'm going to call Ma, see if she can come and help. I'll get her to pick up some formula on the way."

"No formula," Maura said, she groaned, her stomach ached and she felt like she was about to be sick again.

"Just in case you can't express," Jane said, rubbing her back as she bent over the toilet bowl again. "You need to get well, don't worry about a thing. Ma's got an immune system made of steel, the amount of times she nursed all three of us, and Pop, without catching it too."

"That you know of."

Maura clung to the toilet bowl as Jane untangled herself. She longed for her touch again, until her stomach contracted and she was too distracted to notice her absence.

x

Jane closed the bedroom door, leaving Maura tucked up in a nice clean bed with a bowl and a bottle of water. She sneaked back to Toby's bedroom where he continued to sleep in a fresh pair of shorts. She kissed him on the cheek and closed his door too. She piled up the dirty laundry and put on a load. She hoped her mother would arrive soon. She had to get back to work.

The baby monitor sprang to life and Jane stood in the kitchen, frozen on the spot. She stared down at the countertop, her eyes fixed on the pattern. She gasped for breath, her chest ached with every shallow breath.

"Ma's here," Angela shouted as she entered the house. Jane turned around, her voice a distant sound that barely penetrated the bubble surrounding her. "First things first I'll get Maggie, you put the groceries away."

The hand on her shoulder pulled her out. Jane rubbed her eyes. She thought she'd moved past the fog. The last few days were fine. Angela disappeared upstairs and she could hear her talking to Maggie. Jane followed her mother's instructions and emptied the bags she'd carried in. Then she took a bottle of expressed milk from the refrigerator and warmed it up.

"I think Maggie's hungry," Angela said, carrying her down to the kitchen. Once the microwave beeped, Jane checked the milk and handed it over.

"I have to go," she said.

Angela slipped the nib of the bottle into Maggie's mouth, and she began to feed. "I thought you didn't need to leave til two."

"Got a call," Jane said, picking up her cellphone from the counter.

"Alright," Angela said. "I'll see you later. Don't worry, I'll take good care of them."

"I don't doubt it," Jane said, kissing Angela on the cheek before rushing out the door.