A/N: This will be the last chapter before I head off for vacation. So you won't hear from me for the next week or so. If you're really dying to finish the story, it is completed on AO3 under the same name/author.
Jane wakes to Aarna's face, the woman is crouching in front of her.
'Agent Rizzoli,' Aarna whispers softly. Maura's hand shakes her shoulder gently. When their eyes meet, Aarna speaks softly to not wake the others, 'I just thought you would want to know Noemi is awake. She is very heavily medicated but her grandmother and the doctor are with her.'
Jane pushed herself in to a seated position. She rubbed her eyes, running a trembling and aching left hand through her hair. 'That's good Dhar.'
'I also wanted to apologise,' Aarna says looking at her feet, 'I should not have hit you.'
Jane chuckled, 'it was a good hit and if our roles were reversed I don't know that I wouldn't have done the same.' Jane looks at Maura sending a wry smile at her lover. Jane was keenly aware of how fierce she could be when Maura's safety was on the line.
Aarna shook her head, 'fear made me act rashly and unkindly to someone I consider a friend. It was unbecoming. I apologise.'
Jane blinked, patted Aarna's shoulder awkwardly, not unlike Korsack, and said gruffly, 'it's okay. No harm, no foul kid.'
Aarna nodded, accepting Jane's words for the moment, 'will you tell the others? I have to find coffee for a Nagi.'
Maura's face lit up and Jane knew she was about to google mouth whatever Aarna had just said but Jane beat her to it, 'yeah we'll wake the troops and send them home.' Maura pouted slightly at having been cutoff. Aarna nodded and hurried away. Jane let out a shaky breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. She looked over at Maura who was still pouting. Jane grinned, 'you're dying to tell me aren't you?' Maura nodded but kept her mouth closed. 'Alright, Maura, whats a Nagi?'
Maura beamed at her, 'its the female form of a Naga, a semi-divine mythical creature from folk tales all across South East Asia. It is commonly told as a snake creature though it can be depicted as fully snake, fully human or some combination thereof. They are often revered, thought to be powerful guardians both splendid and wonderful but also very dangerous to cross. What I don't understand is why there would be a Nagi with Noemi.' Maura frowned as if she was considering whether there might actually be a snake around.
Jane looked at her watch and then back at Maura, 'I'm guessing Noemi's grandmother arrived.'
'Oh,' Maura said a frown on her face, 'is she very frightening?'
'I'm guessing,' Jane says with a smile, 'she's a tad more imposing to our still closeted friends than she would be to us. Although,' Jane said considering, 'Noemi definitely came by her curtness honestly.' As Angela approached, Jane raised her voice and took on a teasing tone, 'besides matriarchs are always terrifying.'
Angela swatted at her, 'oh you.' It made Jane and Maura giggle.
'See?' Jane asks raising an eyebrow, 'she's a total noogie!'
Maura laughed, 'absolutely a Nagi.'
'What's a nagi?' Angela asks looking between the two laughing women. The question just made the pair laugh harder. Angela shook her head, 'I think you two have gotten a bit delirious.'
They're laughing seemed to rouse the room. Jane waved a hand at the concerned faces staring groggily at her. Jane gulped some air, willing herself to be calm. 'Noemi is awake and doing well. You all can go home now.'
A chorus of soft cheers filled the room and as quietly as the group had assembled, it disbanded until it was only Jane, Maura and Angela left.
'I'd like for you to go home too,' Maura says softly, 'perhaps Angela could drive you?' She takes Jane's hand in her own, rubbing softly with her thumb. 'Take a nap on a real bed, see the girls, take a shower.'
Jane frowns, 'what about you?'
'I'll stay until Aarna is ready to go or until you come back. I'd like to visit with Hope and Cailin anyways,' Maura says with a reassuring smile.
'You sure?' Jane asks. Maura nods. 'Okay,' Jane says standing and pressing a kiss to Maura's forehead, 'let me know if you need anything.'
'I will,' Maura says smiling back up at Jane, a hint of sadness on her voice, 'get some rest, love.'
Jane smiles back before following her Ma out to her car. Jane's asleep in the passenger seat before they've left the garage.
Maura waits until Aarna returns carrying a pair of coffee cups that did not appear to come from the cafeteria. She lets the woman know that she'd be downstairs with her family if Aarna needed anything before grabbing her things and heading down. An idea in the elevator prompts her to hit the ground floor rather than the second. A quick search on her phone and Maura finds Aarna's coffee spot. She orders three cinnamon rolls and three large coffees and doubles back to the hospital. Maura manages to let herself in to Cailin's room after a quick knock.
'Maura!' Cailin says leaping from bed and rushing over to hug her. Maura manages to avoid squashing their breakfast with an awkward move, while still trying to squeeze her little sister tightly. Hope swoops in to save her, taking the coffee and pastries so Maura could return Cailin's hug more thoroughly.
'I'm so glad you're safe,' Maura whispers, clinging to her sister.
To Maura's surprise Cailin begins sobbing softly, 'I was so scared.'
Maura ran her fingers through Cailin's hair, struggling with her own tears, 'me too.' Maura pressed a kiss to Cailin's head, 'but you're safe now.' Hope had busied herself setting up their breakfast, wiped the tears off her own face. Maura met her eyes and smiled warmly at her. 'I brought cinnamon rolls,' Maura said softly.
Cailin chuckled, pulling away, 'you know cinnamon rolls aren't my favourite right?'
'They aren't?' Maura asks with a frown, 'I didn't realise… I can pick up something else.' Maura feels deflated.
Cailin smiles, 'it's okay. Even if they aren't my favourite, they'll always remind me of home.'
'Well,' Hope says almost apologetically, 'they are my favourite and thank you for the coffee.' She held up a coffee cup in cheers before drinking with a satisfying hum.
Cailin climbed in to bed, Hope settled in to the only chair and Maura is frozen for a moment, uncertain of where she belongs but Cailin pats the end of the bed with a look that Jane had called 'puppy dog eyes' which was anatomically impossible but did produce an endearing affect that Maura was loathe to refuse. Maura kicked off her heels and climbed on to the bed, folding her knees neatly beneath her and accepting her breakfast from Hope.
They eat in a comfortable silence. Maura isn't sure how much to press so she doesn't. Letting them come to their own terms with how much to share. 'Did Jane tell you what happened?' Cailin asks at last.
'Some,' Maura acknowledges. 'She said Paddy was there.' Maura looks at Hope whose eyes have grown wet. Her mother simply picks another piece of roll off, slipping it in to her mouth and chewing robotically. 'She said Russo shot him but…' Maura trails off recalling how angry she had gotten at Jane then. Maura blushes, 'she was prevented from sharing more.'
'Paddy had someone watching me the whole time, I guess,' Cailin says softly. 'He came first. I don't even know his name but he tried to save me. Russo shot him. I tried to save him but-' Cailin pauses taking a few gasping breaths, 'but I couldn't. Then Paddy showed up. They talked for a while.' A shadow of fear seems to pass over Cailin's face. Maura puts her hand on her sisters knee offering comfort. 'Russo wanted you Maur. He wanted to hurt you. Paddy said with him out of the way, he could have you. He told Russo to send me out to tie him up and let me go.'
'And Russo did?' Maura asks surprised, 'I suppose Paddy did offer him the one thing he wanted most.'
'I don't know. I didn't think it would work. I thought-' Cailin gulps hard and Maura recognises it now. Jane had the same shadow when she explained why she'd shot herself to save Frankie, like death passed over. 'Russo sent me out. I…' Cailin's voice grows timid, soft, 'I tied Paddy up. He told me to run. Shoved me. And I did. I shouldn't have.'
Maura squeezes Cailin's knee, 'you absolutely should have. Paddy knew what he was doing Cailin. Your safety was what mattered.'
'But Russo shot him. Killed him,' Cailin sobs softly. 'He killed your Dad. Ma's Paddy.'
'Paddy was already dying.' Maura says tersely, 'he was ill and pretending desperately otherwise. I didn't know him well but he probably would have preferred it this way.'
Hope cleared her throat, wiping at a tear with the back of her hand, 'your sisters right Cailin. Paddy was a fighter. I think he'd take a bullet to cancer every time.'
Cailin nods, her eyes still shimmering, 'I ran and then Mom and Jane were there. Mom says the agent who got shot shouted FBI but all I knew was Russo was running. Jane took off after him along with the other agents. Mom and I tried to help Paddy. Then Vince needed help because the agent, Noemi, was hurt. I helped him move her to the cabin and mom worked on her. I held Paddy's hand. I knew mom couldn't and I didn't want him to be alone.'
Maura gulped, grateful to know Paddy had not been alone in the end, 'that was very kind of you.'
'Jane, Nina and Frankie came back with Russo in the squad car,' Cailin sighs heavily, 'I wish she'd killed him. I wish she'd shot that bastard.'
Maura squeezes softly, 'I do as well but that wouldn't be justice and it certainly wouldn't be Jane.'
'Seems pretty just to me,' Hope mutters darkly forcing both of her children to look at her in surprise. Hope blushed and looked away. Maura and Cailin looked back at each other, a giggle erupting between them at their mother's expense. Maura realises that might just be a first for them.
'Will Noemi be okay?' Cailin asks, a look of guilt crossing her face, 'I don't think I could stand knowing someone else died trying to help me.'
'None of this is your fault, Cailin,' Maura says firmly, 'but yes she will. She's awake upstairs and with her family. Jane and the others went home to catch up on some sleep but Jane will be back later.'
'Good,' Cailin says with a smile, 'I wanted to thank her again.' Maura smiled back and patted Cailin's leg.
'How was your final?' Maura asks, remembering that Cailin had just finished those when Russo took her.
'Good,' Cailin says with a smile, 'really good.' She doesn't elaborate but her cheeks seem to glow a rosy red. 'I'm just glad he didn't grab me in the middle of finals,' Cailin says with a shudder.
Maura shuddered too, 'that would be so disruptive.' Hope let out a choked sound, hiding what appeared to be a smile behind her hand.
'What?!' Maura and Cailin ask simultaneously.
Hope shakes her head, giggling slightly, 'you're just both so alike.'
'Well,' Cailin says with a grin at Maura, 'we do share a mother.'
Hope's eyes go wide, paling slightly. 'You, um,' Hope coughs slightly, 'you share a father as well.'
'What?' Cailin shouts. Maura merely turns her head in surprise at her mother. Maura had expected as much, of course. What surprised Maura was that Hope was sharing it at all.
'You knew?' Hope asks a look of confusion and fear on her face. 'The kidney match?'
Maura shrugged, 'statistically speaking it was the only logical outcome. Not that it matters. She, you, Cailin, would be my sister no matter whose genetics we did or did not share.'
'That's sweet,' Cailin says with a smile to Maura, then she rounded on Hope yelling, 'but what the hell mom?!'
Hope sighed, 'Paddy was never part of my plan. He came and went as he pleased. When we conceived Maura, he told me what his father would do if he ever found out about her. So we decided to hide her. Paddy decided to take that a step further. Try as I might, I could never quite let him go. He was the father of my first born, my first love. When he came to me for help, I couldn't deny him. I never could. When we conceived you Cailin, I knew what was at risk. I suppose in some ways I did the same thing with you that he did for Maura. I hid you away from him to protect you from the life he lived. I met and married a man I did not love, I kept your birth father a secret. When you were born, your father adopted you. Agreed to raise you.'
'Yeah,' Cailin says with a snort, 'until you two divorced and he left without a word.'
Hope flinched, 'he loved you Cailin, he just had his own issues.'
'Sure mom,' Cailin said bitterly, 'that's why I haven't heard from him in years, even when I was dying.'
Maura stood, slipping her heels back on, 'I should let you two talk.'
Maura pressed in to Cailin's space and pressed a kiss to her forehead, 'call me later if you want to talk. I love you.'
'Love you too,' Cailin says grumpily, 'even if you didn't tell me.'
Maura was surprised by the words, though she wasn't hurt by it, 'I assumed you'd figure it out after a few more pre-med classes, it was only logical.' Cailin shook her head but Maura saw the barest hint of a smile.
Hope followed Maura out, 'I'm sorry for springing this on you.'
Maura took in her mother's nervous stance, the way she wrung her hands and chewed her lower lip. 'As I said, I already knew and it made no difference to me. She is and always will be my family.' Maura stepped in to hug her mother. 'I love you mother. I am sorry for what happened.'
Hope squeezed her back, 'none of this is your fault baby girl.'
Maura felt her eyes grow wet, 'I am not certain I believe that but I appreciate you saying so.'
'I love you Maura,' Hope says as she pulls back. Upon seeing tears in Maura's eyes she pressed back in, pressing a kiss to Maura's forehead, 'and I'll keep saying this isn't your fault until you believe me.'
'Thank you,' Maura whispers, 'I love you too. Good luck in there.'
Hope rolls her eyes, 'phew. Thank you, I'm going to need it.'
'You can call me too,' Maura offers tentatively, 'if you need me.'
