Chapter 21

Maura watched as Jane closed all of the curtains that she loved to have opened because she bought the house because of the amount of light that came in. Jane turned around and looked at the sad look on Maura's face. She walked over and wrapped her arms around her. "It's only temporary sweetie. As soon as that asshole is behind bars again we'll let the sunshine in again. We can even put in a bigger window if you want more sun." She lifted Maura's face up with her hand. "This will all be over soon ok? But right now I need to teach you a few things." She walked over to her bag and pulled out her spare gun. She checked the safety then handed it to Maura. "It's not as big as my own gun but it will get the job done." She walked around behind her and wrapped her arms around her to show her how to hold it. "Stretch your arms out straight but don't lock them. Keep them lose but be ready for the kick. Just aim at the chest and pull the trigger slowly." Jane leaned down and kissed Maura's neck, then licked the spot.

Maura turned around in Jane's arms and kissed her thoroughly then spoke in a sweet voice. "It won't be his chest I'll be aiming at." She looked down at Jane's crotch then back up at Jane. "If you get my drift."

"Ouch! I'm so glad I'm on your good side again. That's a hard spot to hit so aim a little lower because the kick will bring your shot up." She smiled at Maura then took the gun away from her and loaded it the made sure the safety was on and handed it back to Maura. "Get used to the feel of it in your hand." She turned Maura around again and placed her hands on the gun then took her thumb and placed it on the safety. "All you have to do is flick this up with your thumb and it's ready to shoot. Practice taking the safety off until it feels natural." Jane watched her until she turned and smiled at Jane as her thumb expertly flicked the switch back and forth. Jane then took the gun away and placed it on the coffee table then sat Maura down next to her. "Practice picking it up and flicking the safety at the same time. You being right handed it would be best to have it lying with the safety down so that when you pick it up the safety is right there. Now try it a few times." Jane watched again as Maura practiced. She was glad Maura was taking this seriously and listening to her very intently. "I want this to go where ever you go in the house. Tomorrow we can go out and get you a permit and maybe go to the range and let you fire it a few times so you can feel what the kick feels like. I hope you never have to shoot it but I want you to be ready if you do.

"Jane what if I can't?" Maura looked up at Jane with the saddest eyes and it broke Jane's heart that she had a part in putting it there.

"Let's hope it doesn't come down to that. I plan on being there with you and hope you won't have to. If I'm not in the same room you scream like bloody murder and I'll be there in a heartbeat."

"There's no way you can get from one spot to another in a heartbeat Jane. Be realistic." Maura picked up the gun again and pointed it at a make believe target.

"There's my badass girlfriend. God you're sexy when you do that." Jane walked over and kissed her neck.

"God I hope we catch this jerk quick because I don't know how much of this I can stand. I'm glad you guys are back together again but can you confine it to the bedroom?" Frankie complained with a good natured smile on his face as he walked out of the kitchen.

Maura turned in Jane's arms and smiled at Frankie but held Jane's arms around her waist. "I'm sorry if this is cramping your style Frankie. Did I get that right?" She looked over her shoulder at Jane and she and Frankie laughed.

"Yeah Maura ya got it right but you can't cramp the style unless someone has a style and Frankie has no style." She deflected the pillow Frankie threw at her.

Maura loved moments like this with the Rizzoli family. Even under duress they could still joke and play with each other and she felt fortunate that they made her a part of it.

Frankie pulled out a stack of photos and set them down on the coffee table. "That's the whole team. Korsak sent them over for you, Maura and Ma to look through." Frankie looked up as their mother walked in wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "Ma come on over and look through these pictures. They are pictures Korsak took just today because we wanted recent pictures of the complete team."

"For someone who refuses to join the 21st Century when it comes to electronics he didn't do half bad with these pictures." Jane said as she sat down next to Maura and picked up one of the pictures. "Kinney, I like him, we went through the academy together."

"We had so many volunteers, Cavanaugh had to turn guys away." Frankie looked at Maura from the chair he was sitting in. "And here you thought the cops didn't like you. We had so many beat cops coming in it was like you were a movie star or somebody. They do like you Maura."

Maura looked around the room at three of the most important people in her life and was overwhelmed by what Frankie told her and she reached out with a shaky hand to take Jane's hand.

"Hell look at her, who wouldn't want to guard her all day long. I've even caught you checking out her ass a time or two Frankie." Jane looked at her brother with a mock angry look.

Frankie blushed and looked around the room filled with women. "Who wouldn't? What time does the inside cop come on? It better be a man because this being outnumbered by women sucks." He reached for the remote and turned the TV on and ignored them. "She does have a nice ass though." He mumbled under his breath.

"Thank you for the compliment Frankie and thank you for giving up your free time to help take care of me." Maura walked over and kissed is cheek.

"Hey you're family, it's what we Rizzoli's do for each other." Jane watched the emotions flit across Maura's face and then watched it settle with a brilliant smile. Frankie had no idea what he just did but Jane knew how much it meant to Maura to feel a part of this family. Dysfunctional as it may be it's still a warm and loving family and like it or not Maura was stuck with us. "So I see Jane has showed you her spare piece, wait that's not what I meant."

"You two never really think before you speak do you?" Angela came up behind Frankie and lightly slapped him on the back of his head. "You have no idea how many times Jane's had put her foot in it without speaking."

"Put her foot in what?" Maura looked between the three in front of her with a confused look on her face.

"When people say something that means…forget it, it's too hard to explain right now. Frankie I want to take Maura to the firing range tomorrow can you set it up? I want you there too ok? Here are a couple of rules we need to abide by until we catch Ian. No takeout, Ma and Maura go nowhere alone and make sure there is one black and white with you at all times as backup, and Frankie make sure you know the cop. I got Maura covered, don't say a word, either of you." Maura looked at Frankie and Angela and couldn't understand why they were smiling. "Ma, Frankie will bring you to and from work every day." She turned to Frankie. "You're Ma's shadow until this is over. I know this is going to be very restricting but I do not want to give him a way to get to me or Maura and using my family would be one way to do it." She turned to Maura and took her hands. "He knows how much my family means to you and I don't think he would hesitate to use them to get to you." She stood up and started pacing back and forth in front of the fire place. "Frankie have I missed anything? Can you think of anything else I need to do?"

"I think you have everything covered." He looked pointedly at Maura then back at Jane. "And I mean everything."

Jane couldn't help but smile at her brother. "Ok now that you got that out of your system can we get serious? Do we need to take shifts or can we rely on the cars outside?"

"I think we can sleep, we need to if we're going to be effective. The guys outside know the consequences so I don't think we have to worry about them not doing their job. So maybe we should just get comfortable and settle in for the night."

"I need to get some clothes from the guesthouse." Angela started walking towards the backdoor.

"Ma! Stop! Didn't you hear a thing I just said? You can't go out there alone." Jane stood there looking at her mother as if she just grew a second head. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm not stupid Jane, I figured Frankie would follow me."

"No Ma it doesn't work that way. Frankie will call one of the patrols and they will watch as he checks the house then comes back here for you. Do you understand that?"

Angela saw how serious Jane was and fir the first time she thought she understood the gravity of the situation. She walked back to Jane and put her arms around her. "I'm sorry Jane, I promise I will do as you ask."

"Thanks Ma. Frankie find out who is on patrol tonight and give him a heads up that you're heading over to the guesthouse then do a walk through and come get Ma, then you two get your butts back here ok?"

Frankie stood up and talked into his microphone and walked towards the back door. He checked both directions then ran across the back yard to the guesthouse. He was back in a few minutes and grabbed Angela's hand. "Come on Ma let's see how fast you can run." Frankie took off and Jane and Maura heard Angela yelp as she ran across the yard.

"She's not very quiet is she?" Jane turned to Maura and had to laugh at the smile on her face.

"No Ma never was the quiet type. I'm sorry we're invading your house but I wasn't able to help you the first time I'm gonna make damn sure I do it this time."

Maura stood up and took Jane's face in her hands. "Jane you did nothing wrong, I don't blame you for anything that happened. It was Ian, all Ian. Yes I blamed you at first, I was so angry and I wanted to blame someone. I blamed Ian but when I couldn't find you is was so easy to blame you because it was convenient. But it was wrong, you were hurt and you did nothing wrong so there is no reason to blame you. Stop blaming yourself, please."

Jane could only stand there and look at her. "You don't blame me? You really don't?" Jane could not believe what Maura was saying. "How could you not?"

"Let's sit down ok? Jane I love you, more now than I did before. I stopped blaming you when I came to the realization that you could not have stopped Ian from taking me. He said it himself, he waited until he knew for sure you were gone before he came after me. He watched for a couple of days to make sure you weren't coming back then chose a time when my defenses were down and then came for me. When he knocked on the door I thought it was you and I didn't look, I just opened the door and he grabbed me. You could not have stopped it."

"I could have been here and he wouldn't have come for you. If I hadn't taken off he would not have gotten to you." Jane tried to convince Maura.

"You could not be with me 24 hours a day, you didn't know what he was going to do. You thought I chose him over you so why would you think he would attack me. Stop blaming yourself ok?"

"I'll try. It may take me awhile but I will try. Thank you. I love you Maura." She leaned over and kissed her gently.

"I love you too Jane."

Ian stood behind the house across the street and watched Jane's brother run across the backyard then run back and return with his mother. "So they're checking and double checking. At least I've got them paranoid." He watched the patrol car park in front of the guesthouse and realized he was going to have to take drastic measures. "So it looks like I'm going to have to take out that bitch Rizzoli if I want to get to Maura."