Being an Isles

Jane released a couple of curses when her phone went off. Silently of course, Maura will have her hide if their month old baby's innocent ears picked that up. Strictly speaking Jane was on leave. She was using this time to get her family settled into their new home and just too spent time with them. However, being on leave did never stop the BPD from calling if they wanted you. Personal and vacation time is irrelevant when there was monsters free roaming the streets.

"Rizzoli!" she barked into the phone.

"Janie." Frankie's voice was apologetic. "We have a situation."

"Oh no!" Jane groaned, trying to remember where she put her badge away. A new home, meant new locations for everything. She was still getting used to the new setup.

"Mrs. Isles is here. She is insisting that she want to see you."

Jane frowned: "Mrs. Isles? Like in Constance Isles, Maura's mother?"

"Yes."

Thank the heavens. This was not a work call. Unless . . . "Frankie, is she okay? Did something happen?"

"No! I don't think so." Frankie tried to calm his sister. "I think it is kinda personal."

"You think?" Jane rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just sent her over, Frankie? Or let a uni bring her over?" Jane was now annoyed. Really? How difficult can it be? If the woman wanted the see her, she could just come to the house.

"Janie, she doesn't want to go to your house. She either wants to see you or leave an envelope for your attention. She seems pissed."

Jane sighed. Nothing will get resolved with her staying at home. "I am coming." She hanged up, knowing that Frankie would keep Constance at the precinct until she show up.

Jane went to where Maura was nursing their baby, biting her bottom lip like she normally do when she is thinking or worried. This situation is peculiar to say the least. Constance Isles was a strange woman on many levels, but surely she would like to meet her only grandchild? She did profoundly congratulated the new parents after Laura was born.

"Maur, did you let your mother know that you are pregnant?"

Maura looked up amazed. This question was out of nowhere. "Which one?"

"Your real mother, Maura." Jane huffed. "Constance."

"Oh! Yes, I have. I did phone her once the pregnancy was confirmed and she did sent flowers to the hospital after Laura's birth. Why?"

Jane shrugged. "Apparently she is waiting at the precinct to see me and she is apparently not happy. Any clue what I have done to piss her off?"

Maura twisted her ring in thought. When she looked up to respond, Jane cut her off. "Only something in particular, Maura. Not a long list from breathing all the way to not farting lavender."

Maura chuckled and lifted Laura to burp her. "Your badge is in the middle drawer of your wardrobe. You will need it to enter the station."

It did not take Jane long to get to the precinct. She found Constance waiting in the foyer. From afar it was not possible to tell her mood, she was sitting upright, studying something on her lap. Her form appeared to be rigid, but that was the result of her perfect posture. Even relaxed the Isles women never slumped. Jane approached her cautiously, not sure how she should handle the situation.

"Constance? Hello!" Jane decided that she couldn't go wrong with a greeting.

"Good day, Sergeant Rizzoli." Constance greeted stiffly. Well, perhaps Jane could greet the woman wrongly after all. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

"We are always available for you, Mrs. Isles. Would you not prefer to rather come to our house? It would be more comfortable there and we will have more privacy."

"No, thank you Sergeant. I would prefer to conduct our business here."

Jane frowned, but the foyer was not the place to talk to her mother-in-law. There would also be too many prying eyes in the café. She therefore accompanied Constance inside and prayed that there would be a boardroom available for their use. Maura's office would be ideal, but as she was on leave, the office was now being used by the temporary medical examiner.

As Jane entered the bull pen, Frankie just waved to the boardroom. A clear indication that the room was available for her use. Jane led the older woman there and awkwardly offered her coffee. It was declined as if Jane was offering her arsenic. Frankie was right. Something was clearly up with Constance Isles.

Constance opened the envelope in front of her and separate the papers into two piles in front of her.

"We have some business to conclude today, Sergeant Rizzoli." She announced.

Jane nodded – albeit confused – and seated her across from Constance. Business, especially those that involved paperwork, was Maura's side of things.

"Perhaps you should rather discuss this with Maura." Jane suggested gently.

"Maura is busy." Constance snapped. "And this involves you directly, not Maura."

Jane's eyes nearly popped out. Constance was by all means assertive, but definitely not aggressive. Something was definitely up.

"The first matter is merely a formality. The Isles Foundation is setting up a trust fund for Laura." Constance stopped any protest from Jane by raising her hand. "It is not up for discussion, Sergeant. We thought it appropriate that her parents should be the trustees. Hence we need your signatures. If you can take it to Maura and return it to Franklin when you both signed it."

Jane grit her teeth. The very idea that one of her children will be a trust fund brat. However, she should have expected this. The Isles family is filthy rich and their heirs always had trust funds. At least they would be able to control the trust – they could raise their daughter not to become a snotty, entitled brat. Laura Jane will work for what she wants from life or Jane will die forcing her in being an responsible person.

"Thank you – I guess." Jane mumbled. Dammit. She may not really have a choice, but she still do not like it.

Constance shrugged. "Of course, Sergeant Rizzoli."

"For crying out loud!" Jane stump her foot. "Drop the formalities. You know very well that my name is Jane. Think you can use it?"

Constance glared at Jane disapprovingly. "No." Constance took the trust papers, placed them in an envelope and passed it over to Jane.

"Sergeant Rizzoli, you have been married to my daughter now for a few years. This is something that we had to do a long time ago, but my husband had reservations. However, considering that you are now a parent to our grandchild, this matter cannot be ignored any longer. You must become a board member of the Isles Foundation."

Jane jumped up offended. "What? No! Absolutely not."

"You are an Isles!" Constance retorted. "It is your duty!"

"Like hell it is." Jane hissed. "Look, Mrs Isles, I understand that you feel that you had an obligation to offer a board seat to me, but rest assured that your duty is done. I have no interest in the Isles Foundation, the board or your filthy money."

Constance hit her open palm on the table. "Your distain is really uncalled for, Sergeant?"

"And so are yours, Ma'am. It is adamant that you never liked me. Today you have treated me like your enemy or the dirt on the soles on your feet. Just to put me on your precious fucking board? I did not ask for it, I did not insist on it and I definitely don't want it – yet you resent me that you offered that?"

Constance stood up and fixed her steely gaze on Jane. "That has nothing to do with the board."

Jane laughed bitterly. "Oh! I see. You just came here with that attitude because it is a Tuesday."

Constance eyes practically blazed. "You always fucking judge me. You think that the Rizzoli's are the certified standards on all mothers. That you can never make a mistake. Well, it was not like you were around when Maura was a child. Do you know how it feels if you want to comfort your only child and she fights you? How she will always cut open her toys or become totally obsessed with something on television? No, you have no clue. I have tried. I may not have met your standards, but I definitely did try to raise Maura with the best of my abilities."

Constance had to shut up for a moment to take a breath. When she continued, her voice was softer but full of emotion. "We bought her a puppy one day when she was 9. One day the nanny called me and told me Maura killed the puppy and was cutting it open. I took her to a psychologist about this odd behaviour. He told me that she is a sociopath. The nanny and my husband concurred, but I preferred to believe my little girl."

Jane had to swallow before she could utter a word. "What did Maura say happened?"

Constance smirked slightly. "That the puppy died and that she wanted to see why. I tried to break the cycle, to let her be more normal. I was petrified. I had to send her away?"

Jane's eyes became hard. "What? Were you afraid that she will kill you in your sleep?"

"No. I was afraid that I may break her. I was scared of what her father may do. I sent Maura away for her own good. To Europe where I could keep an eye on her. She was eager to go, I thought that I was helping her. I was trying to protect her." Constance angrily wiped at the rebellious tears that escaped. "You don't know how it was." She whispered as she turned her back to Jane.

"You know that I am married to her, right?" Jane asked gently. "I know how it is. I know when I need to sit with her until she is ready to accept a hug. I know how to give her space when she is studying something new. And I would not have been able to do my job if Maura did not open things to see what went wrong. It is not just biological things, you know, but everything." Jane added the last sentence in an attempt to lighten the mood.

It fell flat. "What are you saying? That Maura would have been fine if she was raised by a Rizzoli?" Constance sobbed.

Jane walked to the older woman and turned her around. She gently lifted her face that they could look each other in the eye. "No. Constance, let us not beat around the bush. It is not like you are eligible for the best mum ever reward. However, I never doubted that you truly love Maura and that she loves you. That is what is important."

That only made Constance cried harder. "Then why would you not invite me to the baby shower? Why am I not invited to meet my grandchild?"

Jane pulled Constance in an embrace. The woman was crying too hard to be listening to anything Jane may have to say. She only spoke when the hard sobbing ceased.

"There was not a baby shower. Laura kind of caught us of guard. And both my brother and I suggested that you can come to our house." Jane explained gently.

"Yes, you would tolerate me there. However, you did not invite me."

Jane pushed the older woman back a bit.

"I don't understand where you are coming from. Please tell me what is really on your mind?"

Constance looked down dejectedly. "Your mother and even Maura's biological mother is posting pictures of the baby on social media all the time. Obviously they been invited. It hurts. I know that I don't deserve to be in Laura's live, but it still hurts."

Jane shook her head sadly and rubbed Constance shoulders in a smoothing manner. "Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups. You are so wrong. We never invited anybody. As a matter of fact, until Laura was born, Ma was banned from the house. She apologised and we have accepted her apology. She tries to visit regularly. Constance, we will never invite you over. If you insist, I will give you a written open invitation in 5 minutes. But you don't need it. Family is always welcome – they don't need invitations. You are family."

"Am I family, Jane? Even with Maura building a relationship with her biological mother?" Constance asked uncertainly.

"You are family." Jane said resolutely. "Maura hope to establish a close friendship with Hope, but currently she is only an acquaintance. An acquaintance that is expected to make an appointment ahead of time and who are denied when it is not convenient. You are Maura's mother."

Constance tried to clean herself up with a tissue. Jane chuckled and showed her to the restroom. As Jane was the only female on the floor, the restroom was mostly only used by her. When Constance came back, she was fully recovered and ready for business. It was like the emotional breakdown never happened.

"Jane, we would like you to become a board member of the Isles Foundation."

Jane rolled her eyes. "I don't know anything about boards. The Isles Foundation would be better off without me." She smiled. "Thank you, but no thank you."

Constance just pushed the papers over to Jane. "All the members of the Isles family is board members. It is not negotiable . . . Daughter. Just sign the damn papers. I will teach you everything that you need to know."

Jane folded her arms and raised her eyebrow. However, she was defeated and she knew it. "Alright!" she huffed and signed where the tags indicated her to sign without reading the document. "You win, Mother."

Constance smirked and gather the papers back in her envelope. "It is really a long overdue privilege to welcome you to the Isles foundation, Jane."

Jane just shrugged. "Are you ready to meet your grandchild?"

R&I

It took them a while to get back to the triple decker. Jane insisted that Constance should stay a few days at least. Constance then had to check out of the hotel and let her assistant know about her change of plans. When they arrived home, Maura was busy nursing Maura again. Jane led her mother-in-law to the master bedroom. She was eager to introduce her daughter who she missed immensely the few hours that she was gone.

"I don't want to intrude." Constance hesitated outside the door.

"You are her mother, Constance. You have seen her at her worst and at her best. Just get your ass in there already." Jane said impatiently.

Constance shot her a glare. In defiance she knocked on the door and waited to be acknowledged. Jane rolled her eyes. Some things will never change.

"Mother." Maura greeted her gladly. As far as Maura was concerned, nursing was natural. She was not ashamed for doing that, but was worried that her mother might not approved.

Jane walked pass Constance to greet her wife and child – thereby calming Maura significantly. She then stood back to allow Constance to do the same.

"Hello, darling." She kissed Maura's cheeks. She then placed a gentle kiss on the baby's silky black hair.

Maura was elated by this unexpected gesture. Normally burping was Jane's job, one that she did not care to share. However, she did not think twice before she handed Laura to her grandmother when she was done drinking.

Constance was in heaven.

And it did not occur to Jane to mind.

AN: I know. This is the worst chapter of the series. I wanted a confrontation between Jane and Constance, but one that would cement their relationship for the better. It also make sense that Jane should join the management of the Isles Foundation sooner or later. After their marriage, Jane became an Isles in the same way that Maura became a Rizzoli. I think it is only fair that Jane take on some responsibility as an Isles.