Thanks for the reviews guys. Didn't mean to leave you all waiting as long as I have for this. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.
Chapter 12
The only sound in the overly-clean-smelling hospital room were the beeping of the machines that Jane was hooked up to, that she'd been hooked up to for the last 34 hours. Maura's gaze was fixed on the machines, ready to take note of any change. For everyone else in the room their gaze was fixed on Jane. The small room was heaving with people. Gabriel was sat by Jane's bedside, holding her hand in his own. Angela Rizzoli sat cradling her sleeping granddaughter; Frankie was sat next to her.
Detective Frost was leant by the window, looking out into the snowy Boston sky and Korsak was sat in a far corner. He was watching, silently waiting for his ex-partner to wake up, thinking about how he would give anything to hear her sarcasm right now.
They were all startled when one of the machines began to beep a little louder. "What is that?" Korsak asked.
Maura stood up and looked down at Jane, she saw her eyes flutter.
"Is she ok?" Frost asked as he and Korsak both moved over to Jane's bed side.
"Jane, cane you hear me? Sweetie, it's Maura. Talk to me." Maura said.
They all smiled as Jane began mumbling something.
"Jane." Gabriel whispered to her as he brushed her hair back off her face.
"Jane, can you hear me?" Maura asked.
"Yeah, and you're like the worst wake-up alarm ever." she snapped.
Maura just laughed, happy to have the Jane she knew and loved back.
"Janie, your daughter wants to say hi to you." Angela said as she stood over her.
Jane finally opened her eyes fully. The harsh light in the room hurt them and she had to close them and slowly let the adjust. When they finally did she saw all the people who mattered to her in her life gathered around her.
She noticed the wrapped up bundle in her mothers arms and reached out for it, knowing it was her baby. She tried to push herself up but winced and lurched forward in pain. Maura and Gabriel helped her sit up, Maura fixing some pillows behind her.
Once she was comfy and okay Angela placed the baby into her arms. Jane looked down at her, and as tears welled up in her eyes, instantly fell in love with the tiny baby looking up at her. "She's so perfect!" Jane said, struggling not to cry.
"She looks just like you did when you were born." Angela told her, smiling down at her daughter and granddaughter. "Hey Regina, that's your mommy!" Angela said in a baby voice.
"Wait, Ma', what did you just call her?" Jane asked.
"Regina…" Angela said a little sheepishly.
"As in grandma Regina!" Jane said.
"She kinda looks like her!" Angela protested.
"Yeah and she kinda looks like Korsak: red cheeked and pissed off, but I'm not about to name her after him!" Jane argued. "No offence, Korsak." she added, smiling at her friend.
Korsak raised his hand up and waved it off with a smile. They all turned to face the door when a nurse walked in. "You're awake, that's great!" she said as she walked over to Jane.
"Yay!" Jane mock cheered, kinda wishing she was still out of it, until she looked down at her baby who continued to look up at her; a slight look of confusion on her face. "Yes, your hair will be as unruly." Jane told her as she stroked her daughters tiny curls, surprised by the thick head of hair she already had.
"I think it would be best if everyone left so you could try feeding her." the nurse began.
"Gone." Frankie said as he walked over to the door. "Love you, sis!" he shouted without looking back.
"You too!" Jane shouted to him as he walked out of the room.
Korsak walked over to Jane and leant down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It's great to have you back." he whispered to her.
"Thanks." Jane whispered back before he walked over to the door, only for Frost to walk over to Jane and playfully punch her in the shoulder. "You saved me from being stuck with him as a partner. Thanks. It's really good to have you back." he said to her.
"Thanks, partner." she said to him with a smile.
Jane looked up at her mother waiting for her to go. "Oh please, Jane I was there the day you discovered you had boobs."
"Ma' please!" Jane shrieked, her cheeks burning red with embarrassment, something she would never get used to at the hands of her mother.
"Fine! I only breast-fed three children, what would I know." she said before she leant down and planted a big kiss on Jane's cheek. "I love you!" she told Jane before she then kissed the baby. "Love you too, Regina."
"Ma', her name is not Regina!" Jane called as Angela walked out.
She turned to face Gabriel and shook her head, "Mother's….can't live with em…wouldn't be here without em." she said.
"I'm just glad you're back here ok." he said to her. "Both of you." he said as he stroked his daughters head with one finger. He smiled at Jane and said, "We'll talk later." before he followed the others out.
Jane turned to look at Maura who was smiling at her. "You know the name Regina means queenly."
"Don't give the kid ideas." Jane said to her.
"I think it suits her." she said. "It's pretty and its unique, like Maura." she said with a smile.
"My grandma Regina was a drunk…and not a happy one. We used to have to stay stood up when we went to visit, and we couldn't speak unless we were spoken to…'Kids are meant to be seen, not heard.' Ha!" Jane said, doing her best impression of her great-grandma. "I don't want her to be a drunk." she said as she smiled at her baby.
"I'm pretty sure she won't be a drunk, Jane." Maura laughed.
"Please, have you seen who she's related to."
Maura just smiled and gave her friend a hug. "I'll leave you two alone. Want me to come back when you're done?" she asked.
"Yeah." Jane told her.
Maura nodded and stroked the babies head and walked out.
"That's a lots of visitors." the nurse said.
"I think my Ma' counts as at least five visitors."
"I like her." the nurse said. "She's been here the whole time you have, watching over the both of you." she told her.
Jane smiled, she loved her mother no matter how much she complained about her. "Sounds like her." she said as she pulled her hospital gown down slightly so that her baby could latch onto her breast.
After a few moments of nothing the baby seemed to become a little agitated, as did Jane. "Why doesn't she want to feed?" Jane asked.
"Just give her a minute." the nurse said.
"Oh my god, she doesn't like my boobs!" Jane cried after a minutes longer with still no results. She immediately felt like crying, and when the baby began to, she almost did.
"Want some advice?" Angela Rizzoli asked from where she stood by the door.
Jane hadn't heard her come in but she was glad she did. "Mom." she cried, 'Yes'.
Angela walked over to her with a smile on her face. "Calm down, Janie or she'll sense it." she told her.
The nurse, seeing she wasn't needed, smiled and stepped out.
"Just give her a minute, Jane, this isn't a race." Angela told her.
Jane remained calm and waited and then finally the baby latched on. Jane looked at Angela with a proud smile. "Told you." Angela said, "I'm an expert."
"Thanks, Ma'" Jane said as Angela sat down on the bed next to her. Jane snuggled up against her, suddenly aware just how much she had missed her mother. Angela smiled and wrapped her arm around Jane's shoulder. Three generations of Rizzoli together.
~0~0~0~0~
Maura walked into Jane's room sometime later to find her sat on the bed, holding her now sleeping daughter. Jane looked up to see her friend and said, "Isn't she just the cutest?"
"She's beautiful." Maura said as she walked over to Jane's bed and climbed up on it and sat next to her, looking down at the baby, but her hand resting on Jane's arm. "How are you feeling?" she asked her.
"I'm good." Jane said. "Thanks to you." she said, turning to face her.
"Please, all I did was get abducted and cut your stomach open." Maura stated modestly.
Jane laughed but said, "No. You saved my life and you saved hers. There's no one better I can think of, who I trust more, to be her God-mother." she said looking at the bruises Maura had sustained trying to protect her and her unborn baby.
Maura looked at her and smiled, "Really?" she asked.
Jane nodded. "Yeah." she said one hundred and ten percent positive.
Maura smiled, nodded and said, "I accept. God knows she'll need someone to teach her about fashion."
Jane laughed then said, "As her god-mother, I do have a favour to ask you?"
"I'd knew there'd be a catch."
"I'm breaking outta this place tomorrow and I'm gonna need someone to stay with me."
"You need to stay here longer for observation." Maura told her.
"All I want is my own apartment and my own things and Regina right there with me."
Maura knew what she meant. "I would be delighted to stay with you." she said.
"Thank you." she said resting her head on Maura's shoulder.
"No problem." Maura replied, resting her head on Jane's. "So you've settled on then name Regina?" she asked.
"Yeah, you were right, it suits her." Jane said.
They sat there in silence for a moment. Both of them looked up when there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Jane shouted.
When Maura saw who it was she jumped down off the bed. "I'll see you soon." she said to Jane then giving the baby a quick kiss on the head before she tip-toed out past Gabriel who stood by the door.
As soon as she was gone Gabriel shut the door. He slowly walked over to the bed and asked, "How is she?" he asked looking down at his sleeping daughter.
"She's good now. She was hungry, wolfed down more than she weighs." Jane laughed.
"Got her Momma's appetitive." he joked.
Jane smiled at him and nodded. "It's better than some of the habits she could have inherited from me."
"I don't know, I think everything about you is pretty great." he said as he stood at the foot of the bed.
Jane didn't know how to respond to what he had just said so changing the subject she asked, "Do you wanna hold her?"
Gabriel nodded and took hold of the baby, knowing that she had purposely changed the subject. He held his daughter, gazing down at her, taking in every little thing about her even though he had already took the time to memorize her whilst Jane had been out of it. He suddenly realised he didn't want to miss out on the chance to be a father to her, but also the chance to be there for Jane. He needed and wanted them both in his life.
"How is this going to work?" he asked.
Jane just looked at him and shook her head. Right now she couldn't imagine the baby being out of her sight for even a second so she wasn't up for discussing shared custody arrangements. "Gabriel, I know we need to discuss this, but right now…."
"We don't have to discuss this if you let me be a part of your life. I know after you and I slept together we sort of lost touch but that didn't mean that I had just used you or that I didn't care for you…"
"I know." Jane said. "I just have to get used to the idea of being a mother right now, and after everything we went through with Hoyt I just want to make sure I'm the best mother I can be to her."
"So you don't want to be with me?" he said sadly.
Jane looked up at him, she wanted to say yes, she really did. She did want to be with him and for the rest of her life, but she had to remember what it was like to be the strong and independent Jane Rizzoli now. Unable to say the words she just shook her head.
Gabriel just nodded, knowing he had to accept her answer.
~0~0~0~0~
Three days later.
Back in the comfort of her own apartment, Jane watched and smiled as Maura stood rocking the baby to sleep. Jane had fed her and Maura had offered to wind her and Jane had been happy to let her friend get her daughter off to sleep whilst she rested on the couch.
Jane continued watching as Maura gazed down at the baby in her arms who fought against impending sleep with all her might. Jane had to laugh when she worked out the song Maura was softly singing to her daughter.
"With the leg bone connected to the knee bone. The knee bones connected to the thigh bone. The thigh bones connected to the… What?" Maura asked, looking up at Jane who was staring at her with a slightly disapproving look.
"You're gonna turn my kid into a science geek aren't you?" Jane replied.
"No." Maura said with a sheepish smile before she lifted the baby up so she could place a soft kiss on her head. She took the time to take in the scent of lavender baby shampoo. "Oh, nothing beats the smell of babies."
"If you love the way she smells so much I hereby announce that you can change all her diapers until she is potty trained." Jane said as she stood up, wincing at the mild discomfort it cause her healing body.
"I mean the baby powder smell." Maura said.
"It is a pretty good smell." Jane said as she stood next to Maura, only so she could stroke her daughters dark curls. She was unable to resist the urge to place a soft kiss on her forehead, she too taking in the smell of her shampoo, smiling as she did so.
Maura smiled and handed the now sleeping baby over to her mother. Jane happily accepted her and noted how snug her baby felt in her arms, her body heat radiating though her tiny onesie. Jane could only look down lovingly at her, a proud smile on her face.
"I'm gonna make you something to eat." Maura whispered to Jane as she passed by her.
"You made me eat something like two hours ago." Jane complained.
"You heard what your dietician said, 'small meals often.'" Maura said as she began preparing a meal for Jane.
"Tell that to my Ma', she made me eat two "small"bowls of Gnocchi in tomato-chorizo sauce and a bowl of lamb spaghetti.. My mothers idea of a small portion is double a fully grown mans average portion. I'm stuffed, I won't need to eat for a week."
"Not even a slice of tiramisu. Your mother made it." Maura said with an encouraging smile.
Jane's eyes lit up upon seeing her mothers speciality dessert. "My Ma' really made that?" she checked.
Maura simply nodded. "Dropped it off when you was having a nap with Regina."
"I suppose I could manage a "small"piece." Jane said with a smile.
"Is that a Rizzoli "small"or a normal small?"
"Just cut me a piece." Jane chuckled as she gently rocked her daughter.
Maura stood watching her, smiling. She was so happy to have her friend back, to see her back on the road to recovery. Possibly what made her most happy was to see Jane playing the role of mother. She was so natural at it.
~0~0~0~0~
Both Maura and Jane stood looking down into the crib where the baby lay softly snoring. "Goodnight, Regina" Jane said as she stroked her daughters stomach.
"Are you not frightened of her becoming a drunk with a name like that?" Maura joked.
"It's kinda really grown on me." Jane told her.
"I think its perfect." Maura replied.
Jane playfully nudged her and continued looking at her sleeping baby. "Her middle name is better." Jane said.
"What is it?" Maura asked.
"Its Maura." Jane told her. "After her God-mother."
Maura felt tears instantly begin to well up in her eyes.
"Come on," Jane said to her, "I'm so tired I could sleep for a week."
They had both lay down on Jane's bed and it hadn't taken long for the pair of them to fall fast asleep. It was sometime later and Regina crying that woke them both up. Jane put her hand over her face and sighed, "I love that child but I have got to get some sort of remote control for her." she said.
Maura just laughed, "Want me to go see to her?" she offered.
"I would love you too, but she wants feeding." Jane said knowingly.
"That's remarkable how quickly you've learnt what her different cries mean." Maura said.
Jane glared at her, "My breasts told me." she said.
Maura looked at her confused.
"They're about to explode!" Jane told her.
Understanding, Maura lay back down as Jane pushed herself out of bed. She walked out of her room. "Okay, baby, Momma cow is on her way, udders and all." Jane said grabbing her breasts.
Maura laughed and knowing she couldn't help in anyway, settled back down in bed and began to drift back off to sleep.
Jane walked into the nursery and flicked on the switch. She walked over to the crib only to feel her heart skip a beat when she saw Regina wasn't in it. "Say hi to Mommy," she heard a voice say behind her .
She spun around to face Hoyt, only to be jabbed in the shoulder with a taser. The pain scorched through her body until she crumpled to the floor. Hoyt stood over her, rocking Regina who lay in his arms. "Time to finish what I started, Jane." he told her as he glared down at her.
TBC
You all knew Hoyt was coming back to finish what he had started and here it is!
I got the name from the Rizzoli and Isle's book and the meaning behind the name.
Thanks for reading. Please review.
