It is the first week of January when Maura realises she doesn't want to stay away from Jane any longer.

With a canvas bag over her shoulder, Maura exited a small bakery and managed to walk just a few steps towards the Metro entrance when she felt something collide with her leg. And before Maura could look down to see what had hit her, the sound of a child's cry filled the air.

"Oh, ma chérie," Maura gasped as she dropped to her knees and began to check the small child over for injury. "Can you show me where it hurts?" she asked after confirming there was no blood or obvious injury.

The young girl pointed to her elbow.

"You're being very brave for having such a scary fall," Maura smiled as she looked at the girl's elbow, noticing only a barely there red mark and a small bit of pavement easily brushed from the skin. "And I'm a doctor, so I've seen a lot of patients," she added, winking at the girl.

Just as the girl giggled and wiped her tears, two women near enough to Maura's age swooped into the scene, one of them scooping the girl into their arms.

"Celeste, what have we told you about running off? You could be hurt!"

"But I found a doctor," the girl replied shyly. "You always say doctors are helpers."

"Dr. Maura Isles," Maura introduced as she rose to her feet and adjusted her shopping bag. "I left the shop and didn't see her, so I'm afraid we had a collision. But I performed a quick check and didn't see any cuts or injuries, other than a sore elbow."

"Amelia," the dark haired woman not holding the young girl introduced herself. "My wife is Clem, and you've already had the pleasure of meeting Celeste."

"It's short for Clementine," Celeste smiled as she looked over to Maura.

"You're not supposed to tell people that," the other woman stage whispered to her daughter.

Maura's eyes widened at hearing the name. Memories of teasing Jane for her unfortunate middle name and being on the receiving end of retaliatory teasing over her middle name started a barrage of Rizzoli family memories to fill Maura's mind.

Angela's constant use of all her children's middle names—including Maura's—when it was time to wash up for Sunday dinner or put their work phones down for just one weekend.

Jane begging Tommy to please give his son a normal middle name while Frankie encouraged his brother to name his future nephew after Guardian Chogokin.

The first time Maura signed off on a report and paused, wondering how the name Dr. Maura Rizzoli-Isles would sit on the signature line.

"It's a lovely name," Maura smiled as she pulled herself from her memories and smiled at the women and their daughter. "It's actually my best friend's middle name."

"Well, make sure to tell her how lucky she is it's only her middle name," the red head laughed.

"I will. And I do apologise. I didn't mean to run into your daughter, so please take my details in case she has been injured," Maura said as she reached into her bag to pull a business card from her wallet.

"That is absolutely not necessary," Amelia insisted. "Celeste has a lovely habit of running too far ahead and not looking where she's going. She has tripped and stumbled more times than we can count."

"She's a tough cookie," Clem added as she looked down at the grinning child. "Have you apologised to Dr. Isles?"

Burying her head into one of her mothers' neck, the small child shook her head no.

"Can you please say sorry for running into her?"

"Really, there's no need to-"

"Sorry I crashed into you," Celeste interrupted, lifting her head up to smile at Maura. "And thanks for being a helper doctor."

"You're very welcome."

"Thanks, and sorry, again," Amelia said to Maura as they watched her wife set Celeste back onto the ground, each woman taking a small hand in their own.

As Maura watched them walk away, Maura knew it was time.

"I think it's time."

"Okay," Lucy replied as she handed Maura her customary mug of tea before sitting in her chair and blowing the steam coming from her own mug. "Time for what, exactly?"

"To see Jane," Maura said. "To start thinking about and preparing for discharge and to return to my life in Boston."

"May I ask what brought this on?"

Maura smiled softly as she thought back to her encounter the day prior, the small child and her mother's happily holding hands as they made their way through the city.

"Yesterday I was out picking up some groceries and I quite literally ran into a young girl," Maura explained. "And watching both of her mothers interact with each other and with her, I just…"

"You just?"

"I realised I wanted that life," Maura admitted as she looked up at Lucy. "I want to be married to a woman I love and have a child who is as unruly as she is but at the same time loves to hold my hand while exploring the world. I want to walk down the aisle towards a brunette with wild curls and move into a house with a backyard and a swing-set that we can make entirely our own. I want to see Jane, and Susie, and Kent, and all the Rizzoli's. I want to live my life."

"That's wonderful to hear," Lucy smiled. "But wanting those things doesn't necessarily mean you're ready for them."

"But is does," Maura noted. "A few months ago, I couldn't contract for safety. I couldn't definitely say that I wanted to live and didn't think a future existed where my mental illness wasn't in control. But now…Now I know there's a future for me, and one where I am capable of coping and being happy and not limited by this diagnosis."

Lucy set her pen down and simply looked up at Maura and smiled.

"What?"

"I'm just very happy for you," Lucy smiled. "You have made immense progress while a patient here and I feel like, by embracing treatment and everything it entails, you have transformed. And that's something you should feel so proud of."

"It wasn't easy. I thought about checking myself out so many times my first few weeks."

"All the more reason to be proud of yourself. "

"But I still have a long way to go," Maura admitted. "Maybe I should-"

"Nope. Don't start doubting your decision. My official clinical opinion is that long way to go can be done from home," Lucy said. "I think if we sit down and get a game plan in place for returning to Boston, getting back to work, and what your support system will look like, we could potentially have you home by the end of next week."

"Really?"

"Really. You'll need to meet with our medical team, and provide proof that you have both a psychiatrist and therapist set up in Boston. We will also ask for proof of a meeting set up with your boss and a draft of a tentative return to work plan."

"That sounds entirely reasonable."

"It is," Lucy said. "But it's still a lot of work, and can sometimes be really hard for patients. And remember that discharge isn't guaranteed. We have to feel confident in your safety."

"Of course."

"And I have to be transparent: we've seen more than a few patients regress during their last week. Either because they realise they aren't as far along as they thought or because the reality of leaving causes harmful setbacks."

"I can imagine," Maura said softly, her face falling at the thought of moving backwards instead of forward.

"I have all the confidence in you and that you will be out of here in no time. I just have to make sure your expectations are realistic and you're prepared for any outcome."

"And I appreciate that."

"Good. Now, lets get you back to Jane."