"Give Maura my love."
"I will, Frankie, thanks!"
"I love you, Frankie!" Angela called out to him as he ran towards the exit.
"I love you too, Ma!"
...
Jane and Angela slowly made their way back to Maura's room. Angela insisted on carrying both of the bags even though Jane thought they were too heavy for her.
"What do you think I did when you kids were little? I was lugging your crap all over creation! Besides, look at you. If anyone needs help carrying things right now, it's you!"
Angela laughed and used her free hand to push Jane slightly. Just enough so as to not knock her off balance.
Maura's heart soared as she heard the familiar bickering coming down the hallway. She was in no condition for visitors but Angela was family at this point.
"Knock, knock!" Jane said, peeking her head into the room before entering.
"I'm sorry but I have a rogue bagboy with me," Jane said as she gave Maura a sympathetic smile. She knew full well that there was no way Angela was not getting into that room so she thought it best that she and Maura just accept it now.
"Maura, honey!"
Angela came through the door carrying two large bags but quickly threw them on a chair. She ran to Maura and leaned down to place a gentle, motherly kiss on her forehead.
"Be careful of her head, Ma!"
"I'm not hurting her! I'm sorry, Maura. Are you alright?"
"Yes, Angela. I'm fine. Thank you for coming," Maura said with as much of a smile as she could manage.
Maura looked frail and exhausted and it broke Angela's heart. She wished she could give her one of her signature hugs and just take all her pain away.
Angela had accepted Maura as one of her own a long time ago but it still baffled Maura to this day. She never had a family unit as strong as the Rizzoli's. Sure, they had their challenges but they always came out of them stronger and the fact that they welcomed her in with open arms always made her grateful. Maura probably won't even tell her parents she was here. She wouldn't want to worry them or make them feel obligated to leave whatever foreign country they were vacationing to at the moment.
"Of course, Sweetheart. I'm here for you, always."
She padded Maura on the cheek and gave her a warm smile.
"Are either of you girls hungry?"
"Starving," Jane said, rubbing her stomach dramatically.
"I'm not sure I could keep anything down but I am hungry," Maura said quietly.
"Oh, I'll be right back then! The nice boy at the check in desk in the emergency room let me put my gnocchi in the fridge," she said as she was already moving towards the door. "It was a big hit with the staff but I made sure they saved enough for you two!"
"Thanks, Ma!" Jane yelled, as her mother disappeared through the door frame.
"Brought you this," Jane said, moving the bag over to Maura's bed.
"Well actually...my mother brought you this but I don't mind taking the credit," she said with a smirk.
"Jane," Maura said while grabbing her arm.
"Please don't feel guilty."
"Maur."
"Please let me finish. Before I could even remember what happened, I knew that I was safe because of you. Whether that be because you saved me or because you're just here with me. I trust that you will keep me safe whether I'm aware of it or not and I just want to thank you, Jane. I probably wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you."
"I sent you to the hospital...and you're thanking me?"
"Jane, please. I know you feel guilty for me hitting my head but that was an accident. I'd much rather have a concussion than not be able to go to work tomorrow, or not be able to have another bite of your mother's delicious gnocchi, or not be able to just to sit on the couch with you and watch the game, that I'm not interested in at all, while you yell at the players who can't see or hear you," Maura paused to chuckle at that thought. "I want you to know that I'm ok and that you did the right thing."
Jane could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at Maura. She felt that strange feeling in her stomach again that she couldn't quite explain. She had always felt something when she was around Maura, and when she wasn't around Maura, and when she thought about Maura. She had felt it for as long as she could remember but this was different. She couldn't put a finger on it so instead, she chose to ignore it and distract herself with an inappropriately timed joke.
"You can't go to work tomorrow anyway," she joked, gesturing to Maura lying in her hospital bed.
Maura rolled up the breakfast menu that the Nurse had given her earlier and used it to swat Jane's arm.
"Jane!" Maura said laughing. "I told you not to make me laugh!"
Jane just shrugged her shoulders and looked at Maura. Again, this feeling crept its way into her stomach. Butterflies. Like she was 15 again. Oh shi...
