The next morning Jane stumbled her way to the kitchen. Coffee, she thought to herself as she yawned and flipped on the light before hitting the power button on the coffee maker.
Jane leaned against the counter and watched as the pot slowly filled. Last night had been one of the longest nights of her life. Sure she used to be awakened at all hours for work but to be awakened at all hours to a screaming child was completely different.
She and Maura had taken turns waking up with the baby. Who knew something so small could be so exhausting. Jane was sure they were supposed to sleep through the night after a few months old but apparently little Noelle hadn't gotten the memo.
The coffee maker began to drain the last drops into the pot when Jane heard Maura shuffle into the room.
"Morning Maur, the coffee is just finishing. Give me a sec and I'll get you a mug," Jane said, as she stood upright from her hunched position to grab a mug from the cupboard.
"You know Jane, you really shouldn't slouch like that. It's not good for your posture," Maura says as she stretches. Jane turned to glare at the other woman but her eyes were drawn a little lower than Maura's face. The silk top to Maura's pajamas rode up as Maura stretched her arms above her head and Jane's eyes were instantly drawn to the cream colored skin of her friend's stomach.
Her hands ached to touch the exposed skin that she had no doubt was softer than anything she had ever touched. Jane shook her head and cleared her throat before quickly turning back around to her task at hand. She filled a mug and handed it to Maura.
The blonde accepted the hot coffee with a smile. "I'm glad you didn't serve me instant," she remarked as she added her sugar and cream before taking a slow sip.
"Very funny. Honestly, I'm so tired you're lucky I didn't serve you draino," Jane remarked as she poured herself a cup.
Maura looked at the clock on the wall. "Noelle should be waking soon for a bottle. Jane, would you grab it from the fridge please?"
Jane did as asked and handed the bottle to Maura who heated some water on the stove before placing the bottle in it. Jane watched as a smile tugged at the edges of her lips. Maura will make an amazing mother someday she thought silently. Herself on the other hand was a different story.
"Why would anyone have more than one of those?" She remarked out loud, causing Maura to turn with a chuckle. She checked the temperature of the milk on her wrist before wiping it and setting it down on the counter.
"It wasn't that bad Jane."
"Wasn't that bad? I had to do the whole walking, rocking, shushing thing for two hours before she fell back to sleep at 2 AM. My arms are wrecked." Jane, not paying attention to what she was doing during her rant, grabbed the baby bottle and removed the top, shaking a few drops of its contents into her coffee and screwing the top back on.
"Why does something so small poop SO much? Or an even better question; how can something that small scream that loud? I think I went momentarily deaf in one ear."
"Um, Jane?" Maura said, trying to get Jane's attention but the brunette continued to rant.
"I don't know how anyone does this, hell I don't know how Tommy did it,much less ma with three of us."
"Jane." Maura tried again, this time succeeding in getting the other woman's attention.
"What Maur? Can't you see I'm ranting here," she said, taking a sip of her coffee.
"I can see that Jane but you should know you're drinking Suzie's breast milk," Maura said, looking at Jane's cup then to the bottle on the counter.
Jane quickly spit the contents back into her cup before running to the kitchen sink to rinse her mouth. "Jane! That's disgusting," Maura chastised with a chuckle.
"No, what's disgusting is ingesting someone's breast milk," Jane said, taking her cup and dumping it down the drain. Neither had noticed Tommy standing in the kitchen until he began to laugh.
"Rough night?" He asks with a grin.
"Gee Tommy, what was your first clue?" Jane said sarcastically as she fixed herself a fresh coffee, making sure to avoid her earlier mishap.
"Well for starters, you look like hell. Not you Maura, you always look perfect," he says, flashing his Rizzoli smile as he passes his sister to get a cup of coffee for himself. Jane smacked him in the back of the head and glared at him.
"And you put..." He didn't make it through his sentence when Jane smacked him again. "Shut it Tommy."
Maura chuckled at the two siblings. She loved having the Rizzoli family in her home. She couldn't remember what it was ever like to not have the loud, funny but loving Italians around.
"Not that I mind you in my home Tommy, I just have to ask. What are you doing here so early in the morning?"
"Mmmm. I forgot to tell you Maur. Tommy offered to come by this morning to help finish the tree. I guess with all the excitement last night it slipped my mind."
Maura waved her hand. "That's perfectly fine Jane, and Tommy, thank you for all the help you have been giving us these last few days."
Tommy shrugged with a smile. "Ah, it's alright, you don't have to thank me. That's what family is for." Tommy glanced at his watch. "I know you two are new to this whole parenting stuff but you might want to head up and get a shower and whatever else you ladies do in the morning. If this baby is anything like TJ was she will probably be waking up soon and then all bets are off on any of that, at least until nap time."
Jane smiled at her younger brother. He sure had changed since TJ came around. She couldn't be any more proud of him.
"You're probably right," Maura remarked as she took one last sip of coffee before standing and making her way over to the sink. As she passed behind Jane a second time to retrieve the bottle she let her hand slide across the brunette's lower back before disappearing upstairs.
"Breathe Janie," Tommy said softly with a grin. Jane exhaled the breath she had been holding since she felt Maura's hand on her back.
"Still gonna deny it huh?" He says, bumping his shoulder against his sister's.
Jane drained the last of her coffee. "Can it. Not a word, you got it?" Jane says seriously. Tommy holds up his hands in surrender.
"There's cereal in the cabinet and bagels in the fridge. Help yourself, but if you make a mess you better clean it," she says with a smile before heading up to her room to shower. Tommy stood alone in the kitchen. He shook his head and smiled before deciding to make pancakes for the two new additions to parenthood.
It was probably an hour later, just after Jane had dried her hair, she heard Noelle beginning to fuss. She knew if she didn't get to it that slight fussiness would turn into a shrill scream. She was just about to head that way when she realized the fussing had stopped.
She quietly made her way down the hall and watched Maura holding the little girl, softly singing to her as she gave her her bottle. Jane smiled as she watched. It was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.
"I was meaning to ask you Maur, aren't these things supposed to sleep through the night after like three months old or so? I think this one may be defective."
Maura dropped her jaw as she reached towards the dresser and picked up a stuffed animal and threw it at Jane. It nailed her in the stomach before dropping to the floor.
"Hey! What was that for?" Jane asked with a laugh.
"She is not a thing Jane Clementine Rizzoli! She is a beautiful, sweet, adorable baby."
"Oh yeah, you should have seen that sweet adorable baby this morning when she blew her poop right out of her diaper. I'm not sure how that was even possible." Jane grinned and Maura laughed at the picture of Jane dealing with a diaper blow out. She wished she had been up to see that one.
"To answer your question, she should sleep through the night but here she is in a house with two strangers and what routine she probably had is no more. She will probably be fussy for a few days."
"Oh jeez. I'll look forward to it," Jane said sarcastically as she walked over and kissed the little girl on the head. "You're lucky you're so cute."
"We should probably get downstairs and get something to eat ourselves," Maura said. "I'm also going to put her in the high chair and see how we do with some bananas. Pured of course."
"W,w,w,what?"
Maura laughed yet again at the look on Jane's face.
"Can you do that?"
"Feed her? Well, yeah. It's illegal not to."
"Don't be a smart ass. You know what I mean. I thought she was a breast baby."
"Yes Jane but she's almost a year old. Babies start eating solids at around four to six months."
"Then why were you freaking out about her not taking a bottle?"
Maura shook her head at how little Jane really knew about babies. "She needs both Jane. Some solid food should help her sleep better tonight. That may have been why she was fussy last night."
Maura made her way out of the room and started down the stairs.
"Wait! You mean to tell me you could have fed her some of that baby food stuff last night and she would have slept?"
"Yes, it probably would have helped but I needed to see how she adjusted to Suzie's breast milk."
Jane just stood there for a moment staring behind Maura as she kept walking.
"I'm going to kill you Maur. Three hours! I was up with her for three hours!"
"Yeah well, if I fed her baby food and she also didn't react well to Suzie's milk a diaper blow out would have been the least of your worries. Here. Make yourself useful," Maura says, passing the baby to Jane before making her way to the kitchen.
Jane looked down at the tot who was grinning from ear to ear.
"You two are teaming up against me aren't you?" The baby responded with a gurgly laugh.
"Yeah. That's what I thought. The joke's on her. Your next poop diaper belongs to Maura."
"Hey Janie! I made you and Maura some pancakes," she heard Tommy call out from the kitchen.
"Do you want some pancakes Noelle?" Jane asked.
"She's too young for pancakes Jane!" She heard Maura respond from the kitchen. Before Jane could answer Maura continued on. "And don't you even think about giving that baby maple syrup."
"You can have pancakes can't you? You got any teeth in there?"
Jane put her finger in the baby's mouth and felt around.
"I feel a few teefers in there. Maura doesn't know what she's talking about does she? Noelle wants some pancakes."
"I said no Jane!" Maura said again.
"She has teeth though Maura! I feel them."
Maura laughed as she came around the corner. "That doesn't mean she is ready to eat pancakes. She's still pretty young. Those teeth you are feeling may also be another part of the reason she was so fussy last night and could also account for the diaper mishap you had. She's probably teething. Put her in the high chair and give her one of the teething biscuits I bought yesterday."
"Teething biscuit? She's not a dog."
"They're cookies."
"Wait, you won't let me give her a pancake but you, the queen of health, is telling me to give her a cookie?"
"It's a special cookie made specifically for teething. It will dissolve. It will help her gums feel better. I also bought a teething ring that I'll put in the freezer."
Jane walked over and put the baby in the high chair sighing while doing so. "You don't have kids Maur and you were an only child. How do you know all this stuff?"
"I'm a doctor Jane. Remember?"
"Maybe I'm not cut out to be a mother." Jane sat down at the table and it was only then that Maura realized she was looking a little defeated.
"Hey, if I hurt your feelings Jane, I didn't mean to. Don't say that. I happen to think you're going to make an incredible mother some day."
"She's right, you know." Jane looked up at the sound of Tommy's voice. He walked over and sat a plate of pancakes in front of her. He sat another plate across from her for Maura.
"You've been an incredible aunt to TJ over the last five years. You've baby sat plenty of times and he came back in one piece," Tommy joked.
"You two eat. I'll grab a teething biscuit for the little there and a jar of baby food. Any particular one Maura?"
Maura nodded. "I was going to try bananas this morning. Try something different each time until we get a feel for what she likes."
Tommy nodded. "OK. I'll feed her. You two enjoy your breakfast. You've had a long night."
Jane and Maura sat talking while they ate breakfast and Tommy sat down in front of Noelle and opened the jar of baby food. He spooned some of the strained bananas onto a spoon and put it in her mouth and she immediately spit it back out and it splattered right in the middle of Tommy's forehead.
Jane laughed so hard she almost choked on her pancake.
"Well, there's your answer Maur. She doesn't like bananas. Next suggestion?"
"Hmmmm. Maybe try the apple oatmeal."
"Um, Maur, all be it for me to argue with a doctor, but wouldn't apples make her little poop problem worse? Trust me, the kid doesn't need any help."
Suddenly Jane had a moment of realization. "Wait, how do we know Suzie's breast milk isn't what caused that problem? You said you wanted to see how she did and that huge poop blow out would indicate she did not, I repeat, did not respond well.
"Hmmm," Maura said as she stood from the table, her mouth still full of pancakes. She held her finger up to indicate just a minute.
"If it was a problem with the milk I think she would throw it up; however, what you're saying isn't outside the realm of possibility.."
She made her way to the kitchen and opened a drawer, pulling out an ear thermometer before walking over and checking the baby's temperature. It was one hundred. "She has a slight temperature. I stand with my original diagnosis. She's teething. Look in the fridge and grab some yogurt Tommy. That should fill her little belly and help her tummy feel better."
Tommy nodded as he stood and went to the refrigerator and began to feed Noelle so Jane and Maura could finish their breakfast.
Jane would look over at the tiny child and her brother every now and again. Tommy would scoop a bit of yogurt on a spoon before making different sounds like a boat or an airplane, holding the spoon just high enough that Noelle could still follow it with her eyes. She would smile and giggle before Tommy would swoop back down, landing the spoon in her mouth. Of course that was automatically followed by tiny hands.
By the time Jane and Maura had finished their breakfast, Noelle was on her last bite.
Jane couldn't help but snort with laughter as her brother clapped his hands together and said "all done" in a tone she had never heard him use before. "What was that?" She asked with a grin. Tommy shrugged.
"Just a bit of encouragement. I used to do it all the time with TJ. I learned early on with him that if you can make eating a little more exciting for them, nine out of ten they will finish all of their food every time."
"Well listen to you, all grown up," Jane remarked with a smile before making her way back over to the yogurt covered baby. "As for you little miss," she says giving Noelle's little tummy a tickle. "How about we get you cleaned up." She remarks as she lifts the baby from the highchair.
In that short time Maura had disappeared from the kitchen only to return with her phone in hand. "Jane, I know you planned to help Tommy finish the tree but I have a few emails to return and a few calls to make for work. Do you think you can handle her for a bit?"
Jane looked at Maura then Tommy who nodded in encouragement. "Sure Maur. I'm just going to take her upstairs and get her cleaned up. Isn't that right stinker?" She says smiling down at the child in her arms.
Noelle let out a sequel and a giggle. "Well you heard the boss. We are all good here Maur. Go take care of business," Jane said, with a little more confidence than before. Maura smiled before heading into her office.
"Sorry Tommy, looks like you're going to have to get started without me."
Tommy waves off his sister's comment. "Don't worry about it Janie, I can handle stringing up a few Christmas lights. I mean you two kinda have your hands full and could use the extra help. I'll just get the kitchen cleaned up and then get started."
Jane smiled before walking over and giving her brother a quick one arm hug. "I know Maura already said it but thanks for all your help little brother."
"I told you Janie, it's no big deal. Now, you might wanna get her cleaned up before she wipes her slobbery yogurt on ya." He laughed when Jane scrunched her face in disgust as she looked down at the baby.
"Tommy's right kiddo, you're a mess," she remarked as she walked away talking nonsense and baby gibberish to the small child.
Maura was just getting settled behind her computer when the baby monitor lit up indicating that it was picking up noise within the child's room.
Turning the sound up a little, Maura continued with her work opening and reading her emails. She smiled when she heard the giggles of the little girl but it was Jane's voice that caught her attention.
"Geez kid, you even got yogurt in your hair," she heard Jane say in a tone that Jane had used when TJ was a baby.
"That's okay though. I make messes when I eat too. Just ask Maura."
Maura couldn't help but laugh at Jane's remark. It was true though, Jane did make a mess most of the time. She listened with a smile as Jane continued to talk to Noelle about the plans she made for them leading up to Christmas.
"We are going to make holiday cookies tonight. Maura doesn't know it yet, I guess I wanted it to be a surprise but hearing it out loud it sounds kind of lame doesn't it?" Noelle gurgled and squealed.
"Well, when you say it like that it doesn't sound all that bad. Although you will have to eat one of your biscuit things since we don't want to upset your little belly." Maura was smiling so hard her face began to hurt. Jane may not realize it yet but she had a way with children of all ages, and would in fact be an amazing mom some day. Sure she didn't know all things baby but she was a fast learner.
Maura reached and turned the volume a little louder as Jane continued.
"Oh and we are going to watch Christmas classics. Like Rudolph and Charlie Brown's Christmas but my favorite thing is going to the Boston Commons. Every year they light up this huge tree and shoot off fireworks. Maura and I haven't been able to go over the years with work and all so this will be her first time." Jane paused for a moment as she had finally found the wipes and a clean set of clothes.
"I guess now that I think about it, it will be your first time going too." Jane looked down at the baby who was kicking her feet. "You have no idea what I'm saying do you?" She remarked with a laugh.
Hearing her cell vibrate, Maura turned the sound back down on the monitor and answered.
Meanwhile back in the baby's room Jane was getting ready to clean up Noelle.
"Alright little miss, now these wipes are going to be a little cold but I promise I'll go quickly." When the wipe touched the child's skin she let out a grunt followed by a screech.
Jane knew from last night that a wail was to follow the screech and she wasn't wrong.
"Oh honey, I know, I know it's cold. I'm hurrying little one," she said as she quickly changed Noelle's diaper and redressed her. By the end she was in a full crying fit.
Jane scooped the baby into her arms and wrapped her in a warm blanket before clearing away the dirty clothes and diaper. She walked over to the rocking chair and placed Noelle on her chest.
She rocked slowly as she patted Noelle's bottom. "Shhh, it's okay sweetie. We're all done," Jane said as continued her movements. Realizing the rocking and patting wasn't working how she thought, she began to hum. The humming wasn't any tune to any particular song, it was just something Jane remembered her ma doing for TJ when he was fussy.
As Noelle's cries began to calm Jane spoke softly. "I know you don't know us very well and it's an unfamiliar place but I promise you little one, your mama is out there somewhere and she loves you very much. Maura and I will find her sweetie. I promise." Jane placed a soft kiss and the baby's forehead as she resumed rocking.
About an hour had passed since Maura turned the sound down on the monitor. Curious, she turned it back up. Not hearing anything she stood to go check it out.
Making her way upstairs Maura's heart melted at the sight. There was Jane sound asleep in the rocker, her arms nestled tightly around the baby whose head rested on the brunette's chest and was also sound asleep.
As she went to tip toe out she stubbed her toe on the bed that had been moved to the middle of the room to make room for the crib. Without thinking, she let out a string of expletives that didn't often come from her mouth.
Jane jumped at the sudden rude awakening, her sudden jerky movements waking up Noelle who immediately began to shriek.
Maura shot Jane an apologetic look. "Sorry." She reached out her arms to take the screaming baby. This was her fault after all. Jane let Maura take the baby without argument before stretching.
"Are you OK?" She asks over the high decibel screams coming from the baby.
Maura nods. "I'm going to have to move that bed to storage. It's in the way now."
Maura gently jiggled Noelle on her hip. "We never gave you a teething biscuit did we. I bet that would make you feel better. Come on. Let's go."
Maura took off to go downstairs, Jane protesting behind her.
"Hey! I just got her cleaned up not too long ago!"
Maura chuckled. "That comes with the territory Jane."
She got Noelle situated into the high chair and gave her the teething biscuit that was still sitting on the table untouched from that morning.
Noelle went quiet as she went to town on the teething biscuit, her blue eyes lighting up in surprise."
That made Jane laugh. "Oh kiddo, that's just your first taste of a whole world of yummy food. Just you wait. Auntie Maura has to work at the clinic in the morning and while she's gone I'll show you what I'm talking about."
Maura shook her head at Jane's antics.
"What?" Jane asks innocently. "You know what would help that teething thing? Chocolate ice cream."
"She is way too young to start a sugar addiction. I'll meet you in the middle and agree to give her some natural fruit popsicles."
"Now Dr. Google, you know fruit makes sugar right?"
"Not hardly in the same category Jane. Nice try," Maura says with a grin. "Like I said, natural fruit popsicles. Take it or leave it."
Jane looked over at Noelle who was going to town on her teething cookie. "What do you think kiddo? Is it a deal?" Noelle gurgled loudly and smiled.
"She says that is an acceptable compromise for now."
Maura knew Jane wasn't really going to give the baby sugar. She cared as much as Maura about being careful with what they gave her. The baby monitor had given her away. That was Jane though. She was always a jokester. It was one of the things Maura loved about her. Love, there it was again.
"Hello, earth to Maura." Maura realized she'd been staring into space lost in her thoughts. It was a good thing Jane couldn't read her thoughts. Her cheeks reddened at the mere thought. I hope Jane doesn't notice. Pull it together Maura, she chastised herself silently.
"I asked what you want for lunch? I was thinking I would make us some lunch and if you're not too busy, we can bake some cookies or something," Jane said casually. Lunch, cookie baking, that wasn't a date was it? Did it sound like a date? Smooth Jane. Real smooth.
"You aren't going to help Tommy finish the tree?"
Shit. Jane hadn't thought about Tommy. He had said he was good though, hadn't he?
Before she could answer, Maura continued.
"If he doesn't mind finishing it up, I was kind of wondering if you would mind helping me get that bed out of Noelle's room and take it to storage. It's in the way. Then on the way home we can stop somewhere and get take out and come home and bake cookies."
Noelle's room. She called it Noelle's room. Jane wanted to say Maura was getting too close to this. She wanted to say she was setting herself up to be hurt. Who was she kidding though. She was already falling in with this little one herself, middle of the night screaming and all.
"That sounds like a plan but we need to be careful how much we are utilizing Tommy. He's gonna hang this over my head when he wants something."
Maura laughed. "Well, go ask Tommy if it is OK before we just take off."
Jane nods as she walks to the living room and grabs her coat. "Is the baby going with us?"
"No. Tommy is going to keep her up there with him on the roof."
" OK smart elick. I meant, were we going to call someone to sit with her but seeing as most people still don't even know we have her I guess we can just bundle her up good and take her with us. By the way, you may be joking Maur but there's a time I could have seen Tommy doing that."
Jane could hear Maura laughing all the way in the kitchen as she made her way outside and up to the top of the roof.
"Hey, how's it going T?" She looked at him with a huge Rizzoli grin spread across her face. Tommy eyed her suspiciously.
"OK Janie. What is it you want now?"
"Well, Maura wanted me to take that bed down out of the baby's room and take it to storage. Then we were going to swing by somewhere and pick up some lunch and bake some cookies when we get back. You said you're good right? I'll buy you some food, " Jane suggests hopefully.
"You're the Rizzoli that can be fought with food Janie," Tommy points out with a laugh. "You know, I sure am putting in a lot of work on this big ass tree that is supposed to be for YOUR girlfriend."
"OK, one, she's not my girlfriend. We've been over this. Two, what's your price?"
"Watch TJ tomorrow evening so Lydia and I can go Christmas shopping," Tommy quickly countered.
Jane didn't hesitate. "Done. It's a deal. I'd hug you but I don't want to distract you and we both fall off the roof. Thanks T," Jane says as she carefully makes her way back to the ladder.
The afternoon flew by. Lunch was great even with a baby in tow. However, baking cookies was a completely different story. Not only had a complete mess been made of the kitchen but Jane learned the hard way that baby's are deceptively strong when they have a hold of something they want. Try as Jane may, she couldn't get Noelle to relinquish her hold on that cookie. In her career with Boston PD she had tackled some of the roughest, toughest criminals yet she was out strengthened by a not even one year old.
She was glad Tommy wasn't around to see that or he would have never let her live it down.
So of course Noelle had her very first Christmas cookie. When she had taken that first bite her little eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.
"So it begins," Maura said as she shook her head.
The rest of the afternoon and going into the evening Jane returned to the roof to help Tommy. After Maura got Noelle fed and put to bed, she went and put on her jacket. It was getting late and she wanted to make sure they were OK up there.
"Are you two OK? I put you a couple of dinner plates in the kitchen. It's still warm if you come down soon."
"Just a few more minutes, Maur. Don't come out yet. It's a surprise. In fact, can you plug in the lights on the inside portion?"
"Sure Jane," Maura said with a chuckle. Maura went back inside and got that done. It was only a few minutes later she heard the shuffling on the roof as Jane and Tommy made their way down.
"Thank goodness," Maura exclaimed as they walked in the door. "I didn't take my jacket off and I'm starting to feel roasty."
"Come on! Come on! Come on!" Jane said, giddy like a child on Christmas morning. She all of a sudden stopped, causing Maura to plow right into her.
"Jane!"
"Sorry. Here, it's a surprise. I'm going to cover your eyes." Jane took her place behind Maura covering her eyes, which was met with an eye roll and smirk from Tommy.
Between the two of them they led Maura out to the front yard.
"OK. Open your eyes in three, two, one."
Jane removed her hands and Maura gasped. Not only was the huge elegant tree lit up in all its glory, on the top of the tree was the biggest Christmas star Maura had ever seen. It shined so bright and lit up the front yard as if it was daylight.
"Oh my! It's amazing! I can't believe this Jane! It's perfect. You really outdid yourself."
"Ahem." Tommy cleared his throat.
"Oh, sorry Tommy. You too."
Maura pulled Jane into a huge embrace, hugging her tightly.
"This is turning out to be the best Christmas ever."