She left Maura at her apartment that afternoon and drove to the BPD alone. Cavanaugh had told her to steer clear until Monday, but Jane knew her mother was going to be there for her afternoon shift and she had to, at the very least, apologize to her. Growing up in her house taught Jane that the worst thing to do when Angela was upset was to let her stew in silence, and to leave her alone with something like this hanging over her head…

Jane shook her head to clear her thoughts and flexed her hands against the steering wheel. She was on thin ice already and this was too important. She never should have sent her mother away in the first place.

Pulling up to the great stone building, Jane realized that the last time she had been this anxious before setting foot in the Boston Police Department was the day she took her detective's exam. No amount of deep breathing or relaxing thoughts were going to calm her nerves—it was better to just rip the bandage off and get it over with. She threw her car into park and got out, striding towards the front doors as if she belonged there.

Through the glass walls of the café, Jane saw her mother packing up. Her stomach squeezed as she slowly pushed her way inside the door and started to walk to the counter. Angela was putting her apron in her bag when she spotted Jane, freezing the detective in her tracks. A smile barely hinted the corner of Jane's mouth and Angela's expression immediately hardened. The older woman turned her eyes downward and began to hasten her movements, stuffing the apron into her bag and zipping it up with more fervor than necessary as Jane attempted to approach her.

"Ma…"

Angela didn't look up as she swung her purse over her shoulder and made her way out from behind the counter. Jane's heart was in her throat as she followed her mother out the back of the café and through the lobby. "Ma."

Pushing open the front doors with a sort of finality, Angela jogged down the steps of the BPD and had already started down the sidewalk when Jane came outside herself. "Ma, please…"

No response. Jane jumped down the steps two at a time and landed on the concrete, her legs almost giving out under her when she did. At the sight of her mother's retreating back, almost all her energy seeped out of her, tears filling her eyes as she tried to swallow the feeling of despair rising in her chest. This can't be the end. It can't end like this. The world was starting to spin around her and she couldn't think clearly at all—it was all she could do to remain standing. Wiping her nose, Jane breathed out a sob and gathered herself. "Ma!" she croaked desperately.

The break in Jane's voice stopped Angela in her tracks. She whirled around, expression hard as stone, and stared at her daughter. "What?" she barked.

"Please…" Weakly but as carefully if she was approaching a deer in the woods, Jane took a couple of steps forward. "Please, Ma, just let me explain—"

"Explain what?" Angela snapped. "You made it pretty clear this morning that you didn't want to explain anything to me."

Jane swallowed hard and drew closer. "I was angry," she said, "And I was upset, and I am so, so sorry I acted the way I did. I do want to talk to you, Ma, if we could just—"

"What's there to talk about?" Angela interrupted again, her face contorting in anger. "Your lover?" She spat the word at Jane like it was poison. "All the sinful things you've done with her? I had quite enough of that when you were dating men, and now—"

"I haven't done anything with Maura!"

"Oh really, Jane? Nothing? You're just in love with her and that's all there is to it. A woman."

A woman. The word landed like a stone in Jane's stomach and as it sank, Angela did nothing but glare at her. The detective was aware of the looks they were getting from people passing them on the sidewalk, but she was paralyzed. She had messed up. She had dropped a bomb on Angela's head in the heat of the moment and selfishly sent her away to process this enormous change on her own because Jane was afraid of the consequences…these consequences…and now Maura was nothing more than a woman in Angela's eyes. Someone leading her daughter away from the life she was supposed to live. The good life. The right life. And Jane blew it up in her mother's face.

Without breaking eye contact, Angela shook her head slowly. "All those years thinking you were just being difficult," she said quietly. "You really had me fooled."

"I fooled myself too, Ma, I didn't plan this," Jane replied, tears glistening on her cheeks. "I'm so sorry."

The older woman stared at her for a long time. She seemed to take her time studying in the tears on her daughter's face and the desperation in her eyes and after several moments, she finally looked away. "I need to think."

Jane was taken aback by her abruptness and her eyebrows furrowed as Angela once again turned her back. "Ma—"

"I said I need to think, Janie!" Angela snapped over her shoulder, and resumed her rapid walk down the street.

Jane watched as Angela moved away, unsure of what to feel. A tugging sensation in the back of her mind compelled her to let the conversation end there; her mother's unconscious use of her nickname had caused the tiniest spark of hope to ignite and she wasn't going to risk losing that by calling her back. Let her think. Maybe the next time you talk, you won't screw up royally again, you unbearably stupid idiot. Wiping away the wetness on her face, Jane came back into focus and realized some people were still watching her cautiously. She frowned heavily.

"Can I do something for you?"

The small group dispersed instantly and she started for her car, glad her hard Rizzoli resolve was returning. Looking down at her trembling hands, she was suddenly overwhelmed by thoughts of Maura and exactly what she was fighting for, what was making all of this worth it. Maura. Jane closed her fists and quickened her pace. Her ties with Angela and Frankie may be hanging on by a thread, but Jane knew she was always going to have family. Maura was her family. They were going to figure this out and they were going to do it together.

Jane couldn't wait to get home to her.

A/N: Well, here we are again! A year and a half since I last updated this story. I owe you all five hundred and fifty apologies for the outrageous delay. I've said it before and I'll say it again: no matter what happens or how long it takes, I am not going to leave this story unfinished. It's my pride and joy and I am so, so grateful for anybody who has stuck with me for this incredible amount of time. To new readers, welcome! I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far. As always, reviews are appreciated. Let me know if my writing has improved in my time away! I'll see you all again soon.