A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate them so much. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Trigger warning: Jane will continue to have to PTSD for a bit.

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Chapter 12

Maura started telling Dr. Meyer about what had happened with Jane the evening before but stopped and asked, "Do you have any free time today that I might stop in and talk to you, face to face? I think it would be easier than talking to you over the phone."

"Let me check." said Dr. Meyer and Maura could hear the rustling of papers on the other end of the line before Dr. Meyer spoke. "Um, yes. Seems like I've had a few cancellations today, not unusual the day after a holiday. Would you be able to come in about an hour?"

"I'm sure I could. I have to see if my mother-in-law is free to stay with Jane and the children. If it's not okay, I will let you know. Thank you." Maura said and hung up the phone then quickly picked it back up and dialed Angela's number.

The phone rang four times and Maura was beginning to become nervous that Angela wasn't home. Finally, the woman answered.

"Maura, sweetie, what can I do for you?" Angela said.

"Um, are you going to be busy in about 45 minutes or so?" Maura asked.

"It's nothing I can't change. What's up?"

"I have an appointment in an hour and need someone to stay with Jane and the children and was wondering if you would be able to do it."

"Is everything alright? How is Janie this morning?"

"She's very weak and shaky. She's actually in bed. She is extremely tired, which I anticipated, and will probably sleep most of the day."

"Have the babies been fed?"

"Yes. Jane nursed Lucia but fell asleep before she could nurse Mario so I fed him a bottle of breast milk we had in the freezer. I'll fill you in on the rest when you get here. I need to get ready to leave."

"Okay sweetie. Let me finish getting ready myself and I'll be over."

Maura had no sooner hung up the phone when she heard whimpering coming from the bassinet. She hurried over to find Mario, wide-eyed and unhappy.

"What's wrong, little man?" she asked as she picked up her son and noticed a less than pleasant odor coming from him. "Aha...Mommy needs no other clues as to what's going on. Let's get you changed and smelling good for Grandma."

Maura cuddled the baby to her chest and moved to the changing table then laid him down, gently and began removing his soiled clothes.

"Wow Mario." Maura said when she removed his diaper, "You sure are going to give your uncles a run for their money in the smelly poo category."

She had finished cleaning him, diapering him and was just snapping the last snap on his fresh jammies when Angela quietly entered the house.

"How's Grandma's little boy today?" she asked as she shed her coat and walked over to gather the baby in her arms.

"He just had a large bowel movement and I just finished cleaning him so he should be good in that department for a while." Maura said.

"How's our little princess?" Angela asked as she clutched Mario to her chest and peeked in the bassinet at a sleeping Lucia.

"Lucia was changed before she went down for her nap after eating her breakfast. She should be good for a while."

"Where's Janie?"

"She's up in our room, asleep."

"What if the babies wake up and want fed? Should I wake her or do you have formula for them?" Angela asked.

"I put two bottles of frozen breast milk in the refrigerator that they can have and there is also lunch meat, cheese and the rest in there if you or Jane gets hungry. She hasn't eaten yet today and might want something when she wakes up again. There is also some cans of soup in the pantry if either of you would want that. You can always call me on my cell. I will only be about 10 minutes away if you need me to come home."

"Maura, honey, we'll be fine. You go and enjoy yourself. While you're out, why don't you go out to lunch and shop a but. You know, have some Maura time." Angela said as she wrapped her free arm around her daughter-in-law and kissed her on the cheek. "You have been working yourself into the ground. Relax a bit. We'll be fine."

Maura blinked back tears and returned the hug then said, "How did you know?"

"What? That you need a break?"

Maura nodded.

"Oh honey, a mother can tell. I might not be your mother but I could tell that you needed some me time. I know. I've been there myself."

"Thank you Angela but don't forget that you can call me if you need anything and I will come right home." Maura said as she kissed each of her children on their heads.

"Shoo." Angela said as she helped Maura into her coat and handed her her purse and opened the door.

Maura turned and waved at Angela before heading to her car and all the while was wondering if the incredible stress she was feeling was that evident or if her mother-in-law was just that perceptive.

Angela hugged Mario a bit tighter and kissed his downy head before saying to him, "Come on little man, let's go check on your sister then sneak upstairs and check on your Mama.

Mario let out a contented sigh in reply which brought a huge grin to Angela's face.

Lucia was sound asleep, arms above her head and mouth working as if she were suckling when her grandmother and brother went to check on her. "So much like your Mama." Angela whispered to her granddaughter as she reached out and stroked the baby's soft cheek.

They climbed the stairs and Angela quietly opened Jane and Maura's bedroom door a crack so she could look in on her own sleeping daughter. She almost laughed out loud when she looked at Jane and saw her on her back with her arms over her head, exactly like Lucia. The only difference is Jane's mouth was hanging open slightly and she was snoring softly. Angela closed the door and went back downstairs to sit on the couch and watch some TV while she held her now sleeping grandson.

A short ways across town, Maura was pulling into the parking lot of the building that housed Dr. Meyer and his staff. The lot was practically bare but it was the day after a holiday and most offices were closed so Maura had no trouble finding a place to park. She shifted the car into park and turned off the engine then sat there for a few moments, collecting her thoughts before grabbing her purse from the passenger's seat and opening the door.

She entered the building and paced back and forth in front of the elevators before deciding it was time to press the up button and face her own fears by talking with Dr. Meyer. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Maura took a deep breath and pressed the button for the 5th floor. The ride up was swift and the car stopped at no other floor, thus Maura needed to get herself together quicker than she had anticipated.

She approached the office door and reached out a shaking hand to grasp the shiny brass handle. She slowly twisted it and entered only to find Dr. Meyer, himself, sitting at the receptionists desk.

"Oh." Maura said in surprise.

Dr. Meyer chuckled. "I gave Holly the day off to do some Black Friday shopping. Sorry if I startled you. Please come in, Dr. Rizzoli, and we can head into my office and talk."

Maura nodded then turned to shut the door while letting out a slow, cleansing breath. She then put on her best smile and turned back and said, "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Dr. Meyer. Thank you."

The doctor opened the door to his office and motioned for Maura to enter then he entered and closed the door behind them.

"Would you care for some coffee or tea or water?" he asked.

"No...no thank you. I'm fine." said Maura as she looked around the room and wondered where she should sit.

"Please, sit anywhere you would like." Dr. Meyer said soothingly.

Maura chose a wing-backed chair near the window and sat. Dr. Meyer took the one opposite her.

"Now." he began, "tell me what has been going on with you and your wife since the birth of your baby."

"Actually it's babies." Maura corrected.

"Twins? Wow. You didn't mention that you were expecting twins."

"We didn't know. Mario, our son, was hiding our daughter, Lucia, behind him. We didn't know about her until I delivered Mario and Jane insisted she needed to push again and out came Lucia."

"You delivered the children? How exciting."

"It was actually terrifying. Jane went into labor at a crime scene in the middle of a snowstorm and I had to deliver them in the back of the morgue van."

"Now that's a story to tell them when they get older."

Maura nodded and smiled.

"What else has been happening and what lead up to the events of last evening? You said Jane had a breakdown?"

Maura took a deep breath then blew it out before she went into the story of Jane ending up in the hospital and everything else that went on up to last evening.

"Sounds like you have had one stressful event after another happening. Is Jane better, physically, now?" Dr. Meyer asked.

"Oh, she's much better. We see Dr. Bateman on Monday for her four week checkup. Physically, Jane is great, not counting last night and today."

"How are you holding up?" Dr, Meyer asked.

"I'm...holding...up..." Maura let her sentence trail off as tears clogged her throat.

"Go on, Maura. Tell me what is really going on with you."

Maura nodded and wiped at her eyes but the tears that threatened to fall were now cascading down her cheeks.

"The truth is...I'm not holding up well at all." Maura sobbed as she took the tissue being handed to her by the doctor. "Thank you."

"Please, continue when you are ready and stop whenever you feel the need to."

Maura nodded and wiped her eyes then her nose and continued.

"I love my wife and my children more than I have ever loved anything else. I just get so tired having to do so much then I feel guilty because I feel like I'm being selfish and selfish just isn't who I am." Maura paused for breath and to remove a fresh wave of tears that flowed down her cheeks.

"When you say you have to do so much, what do you mean?"

"I mean getting up 4 or 5 times a night to feed and change the babies then when they are sleeping, Jane has nightmares and I'm awakened by those. I'm just so tired. I only want to sleep and can't. Am I a bad person for wishing I could go to a hotel and stay for a few days just to get some sleep?"

"No Maura. I think you are just a new mother, a mother of twins I might add, that has an ill spouse. You are not being selfish at all. When do you get some you time?"

Maura sniffed and looked up at him through bloodshot eyes and said quietly, "Never."

"Is there anyone that you trust to come and stay at the house with Jane and the children so you can go out and have a bit of alone time once or twice a week?"

"M-my mother-in-law said something about that today. It was like she could read my mind and knew I needed a break." Maura was silent for a moment before her eyes opened wide with terror and she said, "Oh god. I hope she isn't thinking that I don't want Jane and the babies anymore. She told me to leave and not come back for a few hours. Oh god..."

Maura began looking frantically around the room.

"Maura." Dr. Meyer said in a stern but gentle voice.

Maura didn't answer but continued to look around the room.

"Maura." he said a bit louder this time and caught her attention. "What are you looking for?"

"I need my coat. I need my cell phone so I can call Angela and tell her that I want my family and that I will be home in about 15 minutes."

"Maura. Settle down. I'm sure your mother-in-law is not thinking that at all. She knows what you and Jane have been going through, even before the birth. She is just offering to stay with them for a while so you can go out and recharge your batteries."

Maura nodded yes but the look in her eyes told the doctor that she didn't believe him one bit.

"Here's an idea. Why don't you call Angela and see how things are going at home. If you aren't satisfied with her answer, go home and check out what's going on for yourself. If you are satisfied that things are as she says, stay a bit more and we can continue to talk. Okay?"

Maura thought about what he said for a few moments then shook her head and Dr. Meyer went out to the waiting room and retrieved Maura's coat for her.

Maura flashed him a thank you smile then quickly dialed Angela's cell number. It rang twice before she picked it up.

"Hi Maura, honey. How is your afternoon to yourself going?"

"Angela, is everything alright there?" Maura asked, voice trembling.

"Sure honey, everything is fine. Are you alright? Your voice sounds a bit hoarse."

"I-I'm alright. I was just wondering about Jane and the children."

"Janie woke up and I helped her to the bathroom then down here onto the couch where I gave her a turkey sandwich and some hot tea and she's sleeping again. The children have been fed, changed, and are laying on that bright mat you got them with the Disney characters on it. I was just about to put them back into their bassinet. Are you sure you're alright, Maura?"

"Yes, Angela. I am sure. Thank you. When Jane wakes up again, ask her what she wants for dinner then please text me so I can stop and get it."

"Sure sweetie. Have fun, be safe, and I love you."

"I love you too Angela. Kiss the babies for me." Maura hung up and looked much calmer than she had only 5 minutes ago.

"Feel better?" Dr. Meyer asked.

"Yes. Thank you and I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"For freaking out on you. For not believing you."

"It's alright Maura. That was minor compared to some things that happen in here. Why do you think the décor is always changing?"

"Oh? Oh...I see." said Maura.

"Now, would you like to continue our talk?"

"Yes. I believe I would I am feeling so much better but I also need to make an appointment for Jane. I think she needs to talk with you also. I'm afraid she is suffering from PTSD."

"From what you told me thus far, I do believe I agree with you Dr. Rizzoli. Let's schedule her appointment then you and I can continue our talk."

Maura smiled and nodded her agreement and the two doctors walked into the waiting room to schedule Jane's appointment.

"You know what, Dr. Meyer?"

"What's that, Dr. Rizzoli?"

"I think I could use that cup of coffee now."

"Coming right up." He said.