The sadness in Maura's voice tortured Jane in her dreams. It made her weight her options. But she couldn't think of how this could go down well if she let Maura know the truth. And seeing as Maura wasn't into her… Well, friendship would be good. But what if Paddy had kept up his surveillance of her. Jane knew that he had always kept an eye on his daughter. She saw no way how this should work out without putting herself or Lucy into danger.

Hence, she called an Uber for Clementine when it was time for her to return home to her family. Maura couldn't pick her up because she didn't want her to know the address of the place she lived. Who knew? Maybe Maura would get the idea to drop in one day to thank her for taking care of Clementine while she had been away.

Jane quickly closed her eyes as tears welled up, when she thought about how much she missed her friend. Hearing Mauras voice had been so unreal at first. But then the brunette had allowed herself to accept the feelings and memories that had come with them. When Jane opened her eyes again, she saw the Uber disappear around the corner and sighed.

Glad that Clementine had gotten home safe, Jane and Lucy spent a silent evening on the couch. It was their first alone time in months and the last weeks had taken their toll on both of them. Jane spent a lot of restless nights over the summer. Clementine saw them a lot and spent a lot of time with Lucy as their relationship bloomed.

Jane never asked Clementine about her family or Maura or anything. But the blonde girl kept giving them information which made made both feel more connected to their family and less alone. Frankie recovered completely and the sadness about Jane's loss weakened again. Everything returned to normal as the days went bye and summer started to turn into autumn.

R&I

And then it happened one day. Jane was grocery shopping in the nearby supermarket, in her male identity, when someone bumped into her as she was reading the ingredients of some convenience meal. She glanced up and found a pair of piercing hazel eyes staring into hers. "Excuse me I didn't…" Maura stopped talking, stopped breathing and Jane froze.

She watched the hazel eyes blink: once, twice, three times. Her heart was beating fast and loud as she tried a reassuring smile towards the doc before Maura fainted in front of her.

"Shit!" She exclaimed and licked her lips. Since knowing that Maura lived in the same town, Jane had began using her male identity more often, hoping to be unrecognizable to Maura if they crossed paths. It was clear that her plan hadn't worked out. She knew that Maura had recognized her. The most reasonable thing would be to run she thought. But the supermarket was empty, and no one was there to help Maura. Hence, she knelt next to the blonde and lifted her up.

The clerk looked bored when she carried Maura out into her car. As if this happened frequently. Jane wouldn't complain though. She drove off with the doc slowly awaking on the passenger's side. "What…?" Maura asked, and Jane's heart pounded hard. She turned her head and Maura fainted again. Jane kept checking if they were being followed as they sped through the nightly streets. But she couldn't see anything suspicious.

Jane was aware that she should never have done that. But the instinct to save Maura had always been so much stronger. She brought the doc into her flat and caught Lucy's glance, thinking that her girl might faint as well.

"Ma?" Lucy asked and Jane shook her head, desperate. "She bumped into me and fainted. I couldn't leave her there … helpless…" Jane explained, and Lucy's eyes began to gleam. "I'm going to get some water and a wet towel." Her girl stated and turned on her heel while Jane gently let Maura's limp body down onto her couch.

She went to her bedroom to change out of her clothes and get rid of the fake beard. When she returned, she heard Maura's voice talking to Lucy. "Where am i? What happened?" Jane froze in the hallway and listened.

Lucy's voice was soothing. "My mum found you in the supermarket." Then Jane heard a heart tearing scream. "Your mum?" She was about to move again when she heard Lucy's soft voice. "Yes, my mum. I guess you know who I'm talking about by seeing my face."

"It's impossible." Maura gasped. "Why can't I wake up from this nightmare?"

"Maybe it isn't a nightmare but real?" Lucy stated slowly. "I wish it was, but I don't think so. Jane is dead!" Maura yelled like a wounded animal.

Jane walked around the corner and wanted to say that she wasn't, but Maura was faster pointing her finger towards Jane and yelling: "YOU!"

The brunette stopped in her tracks. "Maur." She spoke but ducked when Maura grabbed the lamp next to the sofa and threw it after her. It crashed against the wall, bursting into thousand pieces. "Hey!" Jane said warningly, lifting a hand to calm Maura down.

"I thought you were dead!" Maura yelled and Jane huffed. "I would very much like to…" the rest of the sentence got lost when Jane almost got hit by the book she had been reading.

Lucy watched them fascinated and Jane almost expected her to take pictures of the fight. With a few quick strides she was next to Maura and grabbed her hand by the wrist when the doc wanted to throw her mobile after her.

"I would very much like to explain if you wouldn't talk and hit me all the time with things." She explained and Maura scoffed. "You lied to me!" she said accusingly. "Well, I did. And I had a reason which is…" she got pushed away by the petite who was stronger than one would think. Maura sat up on the couch, still glaring at Jane who sat down on the coffee table.

"Paddy Doyle has…" Maura was already wrestling Jane down before Jane could finish the sentence. They suddenly heard the doorbell ring, and Jane heard Lucy say in the hallway "God, good you're here, you're mum is going to kill mine."

Both looked up when the girls padded into the living room where Maura was laying on top of Jane, her fist high in the air, ready to crash onto the brunette while the other one was firm around Jane's neck.

Jane was so sick of her life. Of Paddy Doyle and everybody else who had made her life a living hell. "Come on Maur. You want to hit me. Go on." She whispered but the doc just glanced at the girls who were holding hands.

"You owe me an explanation Jane, and let it be a good one!" she scoffed and climbed of the brunette who made a choking noise reaching with her hand to her neck. Grateful that Maura must be too shy to hit her in front of their kids she took a deep breath.

"Thank you!" she spat. And added a "Finally!"

She sat back up and watched Maura slump onto the couch next to her. "So, your dear father ordered my death. Just in case you didn't notice: he doesn't like me! I was sent to witness protection and I didn't want to endanger anyone of you so I stayed in my hideout. And this is where I would still be if you had been more careful and not bumped into me at the supermarket."

Maura glanced at her with narrowed eyes. "That's your excuse?" she asked. "And you still didn't tell me about that!" she pointed to the girls who were still holding hands, looking feared and amused at the same time.

"Yes. Oh. Your daughter is at the same dorm as mine. Its love, I guess. Aren't they sweet?"

Jane felt the fist and heard her nose break. This wasn't how she had imagined meeting Maura again. Not at all. She felt the blood trickling down her face and took a deep breath while Clementine yelled "Muuuuuum!"

"Why does everybody know but me?" Maura demanded to know, and Jane shrugged.

"Because Paddy Doyle is your father? And he's watching you? Maur, I have a daughter I want to keep safe!"

Maura gave her a long glare and huffed. "Here, let me take a look." She mumbled after a few moments of silence and sent one of the girls to fetch some ice. Her hand pushed up the brunette's chin to have a closer look at the nose.

"Ouch!" Jane mumbled when Maura touched it. Maura didn't respond but shifted to get into a better position to push the bone into its place. "This is going to hurt." She warned like she had done the first time she had helped Jane with her broken nose. It seemed to be a long time ago, but Jane remembered the day vividly and braced herself.

She flinched when the doc pushed the bone back. "I'm sorry." Maura said nonchalantly and Jane didn't know if it was for breaking the nose or causing her much more pain by rectifying it.

Hence, she stayed silent and glared at the doc. "I get that you're angry Maura. Believe me: I'm not happy with the situation either. But you can't just break my nose." Jane put the ice onto the bridge where it hurt.

"So, you have been stalking me?" Maura was still up for a fight and Jane sighed. "Can't we just start over? Can't we just say: Hi, it's good to see you again. I missed you?"

Clementine sat down next to her mum and Lucy next to Jane. Maura seemed to ponder the question. "Why didn't you come to me Jane?" Maura's voice was softer now. "I was pregnant Maur. I didn't want to lose the kid. He would have found me if I had come to you." Jane replied calmly.

"And now? You brought me to your home." There was silence in which fear and anxiety came over the four of them.

"It was a mistake. But I couldn't resist on helping you." Jane said warily, rubbing her temples.

"I could have talked to him." Maura stated.

"He wouldn't have listened, and you know that." Maura knew and glanced at her hands. Her phone rang. She picked up with a sigh. "Harold. I can't talk right now. I have to work." She listened to the other end and nodded. "Clementine is with a friend. I know where she is. Its fine."

Maura ended the call and gauged Jane's reaction. Then she looked at Lucy who held Janes free hand. "What a mess!" Maura said and shook her head. "You have no idea…" she didn't finish the sentence and Jane saw tears in her eyes. "Believe me, I have an idea." Jane mumbled her reply. And she knew indeed how much she had missed Maura and how much Maura had probably missed her.

The women sent the girls to Lucy's room so that they could talk in private. They waited until they heard the door close shut. Maura bent forwards to Jane who was sitting on the coffee table after quickly fetching a drink, facing Maura. She's going to kiss me. Either that or slap me again, Jane thought as gentle hands reached out to cup her face. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing until she felt Maura's nose touch hers and their lips touch tentatively. She didn't pull away, feeling the soft lips on hers like a dream come true.

"Maur." She pleaded gently and the blonde understood, parting her lips to let Janes tongue into her mouth. Their first kiss was soft and they sighed when they broke apart, their foreheads resting together.

"I'm sorry." Maura sounded honest now and Jane smiled. "Guess I deserved it."

"No, you didn't. None of this was your fault." Maura whispered. "And you're right, he wouldn't have listened to me. He even admitted that he was going to shoot you in the warehouse."

"I'm sorry." Jane was the one apologizing now. Maura grunted. "You did nothing wrong Jane." There was a pause. "And I'm so glad that you're alive." Maura's voice almost broke.

"Thank you for taking care of my family." Jane whispered and Maura shook her head. "It's the family you gave me Jane. It's my family as well."

"I know. But I think that you are great for keeping up with the nutballs without me." She rolled her eyes to try a joke. It worked and Maura laughed before slapping her arm slightly.

"If you have to go back to witness protection, we are coming with you!" the doc said, and Jane hitched a breath. "It's not fun Maur. You must give up everything. Everything including your… husband." Jane sighed.

"Do I have to kiss you again Jane? Don't you know what I meant when kissing you?" Maura sounded annoyed. Jane chuckled. "I know what it means. But you can still love your husband. He's been there for you all these years after all."

"I got pregnant and married him because this is what people in my family do Jane. I don't love him. Not nearly as much as I love you."

Jane sighed and took Maura's hand. "I'll call the marshal tomorrow. Please think about your decision. If you want to come, you're more than welcome. But if you're not ready…" she didn't want to think about the other option herself.

Then they heard a loud explosion in front of Janes door and jumped. "What the fuck?!" Jane yelled, running towards the door. Maura was far too shocked to scold her for her language. The brunette ripped the door open to see one of the agents smiling at her while putting his gun away. Paddy Doyle was leaning against the wall, bleeding out of his arm. His gun laying a bit further apart on the floor.

"We hope we didn't interrupt your romantic get together. But Mr. Doyle was going to interrupt it anyways." The agent joked and handcuffed the old man. Jane glanced at him and saw that he recognized that he had lost. He huffed. "Congratulation's detective Rizzoli. You won." He said and Jane knew that he meant it. A good gangster knew when he had lost. And Paddy Doyle was going away for good. Jane had been informed that he had an incurable cancer. But they had expected him to die a few months ago. She had trusted him to life forever.

Now he was a pathetic man on the floor looking up at her. "At least you will take good care of my Maura." He whispered before fainting. By the time the paramedics arrived he was gone. Maura had reached for his pulse. But there was none. She had tried to help him, telling him that he couldn't go so easily after destroying so many life's for so many years. But he took the easy way out.

Jane couldn't believe that he was gone. One of the agents mixed them a strong drink as they sat on the couch. "Congratulation's detective Rizzoli. Looks a lot like you are getting your life back." He muttered but Jane shook her head. She couldn't wrap her mind around it. She was shocked. Paddy Doyle had been on her doorstep, the moment she had found contact with Maura. If she hadn't joined the witness protection program, he would have killed her earlier and Lucy would have lost her.

Maura was rubbing over her back looking equally shocked. Jane took a huge sip, feeling the warmth of the alcohol spread through her body. "He probably thought that I wasn't good enough for you." She joked and no one laughed. "Okay, not funny." Jane shrugged.

Lucy and Clementine had been driven to Maura's husband. Jane thought about finally being able to see her mother and her family again. She hoped that her family didn't throw things at her and that they wouldn't hate her when she explained why she had taken these decisions. Angela would surely be delighted to find out that she had a 18 year old granddaughter. And she would spoil her merciless. Her long fingers pulled through her hair. First, she needed to clear things up with Maura though.

The doc who had closed the gap between them and pushed them over the unnerving line of friendship was studying her in silence. She wanted Maura with every piece of herself. She wanted to be with the doc. And it looked a lot as if Maura had the same wish to board a relationship with Jane. Jane didn't doubt that they would work as a couple. There would be fights but most of all good times and a lot of love. She loved Maura more than herself. The only person she loved more was her daughter. And she wasn't ashamed to admit it. Maura would understand.

They exchanged a weary smile and occasionally sipped on their drinks. The agent asked her if she wanted to go back to her old life. Jane nodded automatically. The threat was gone. She hoped for a few silent days with Maura before flying home to Boston. She absentmindedly peeked at the belongings she had left with the marshals when going into hideout. Her old passport, her watch, her old phone. Someone had given them back to her a few minutes ago. And now they were laying on the table, waiting for Jane to touch them.

She felt touched that someone had gone to fetch them at the office so that she didn't have to wait to become Jane Rizzoli again. She was free. They shook her hand and promised to take care of Lucy's papers and to proceed them to Jane the next day. It all went so fast, but all Jane could think off was that Maura was married. This seemed to be the last obstacle on her way to happiness.

"We are already living in separation. We didn't work as a couple for obvious reasons." Maura silently explained at Janes glance to her ring finger. The ring had gone. "I did my duty and kept the family together for Clementine's sake. But when she went to college, I took some decisions. I'm 40. I'm still young. I can start over with someone I really love. Isn't that beautiful?" the doc smiled, and Jane nodded. "Yeah. I like that idea." Maura nudged her. "Finally." She said and Jane chuckled. "Yes, finally!" She mumbled, still unable to believe that it was real. "I've been waiting for so long." Jane said sadly.

Maura nodded. "Me too Jane." Their hands slipped into each other and their fingers entwined. Jane moved over to the couch and into Maura's arms.