Please read this note first! I made a few changes in chapter 3 to fit some new ideas I had that made more sense to the story. Nothing crazy or detrimental to the story line. Doesn't actually change the story line at all.

1. Just a minor change in Frankie's line of work. I realized that Frankie is younger than Jane and Jane is 23. So, there's a good chance he's not old enough to even be out of the academy yet. He's now in college.
2. Also, I changed the fact that Hayley Mae is in preschool and bumped her up to kindergarten. It'll be addressed in a coming chapter.
3. I don't actually know how med school and residency works. My knowledge comes from TV shows and light googling. So, don't be all like… girl, that's not how it works. Okay. I am the farthest thing from a medical professional that there is.
4. That should be it.
With that said, I've pumped out a lot of content for this story the past few days, and I think I have an actual structure to it now. There's some good stuff coming!

It wasn't too much later that Angela let herself into her daughter's house, bearing a few cartons of fresh berries she'd picked up on her way over. She handed them to the blonde with a smile, "I know you like healthier foods, so I picked these up on my way over. You can put them on top of your pancakes."

"Thank you, Angela. I love berries."

Jane pulled the first batch of pancakes off the griddle and called to them all, "Ready!"

Hayley Mae came bounding into the kitchen, still clad in pajamas, and clambered up onto a stool at the island. Maura tucked a tea towel into the girl's shirt and Jane put a plate of two pancakes in front of her.

"Syrup?" Maura asked, handing the bottle over

"Let me do it!" Hayley Mae squealed with glee

Surprisingly, the girl only squeezed a small glob onto the very middle of her pile.

Maura sat down next to her, along with Angela and they were all soon munching away happily.

Jane watched her daughter snarf down pancake after pancake and just knew that she'd never get her daughter down for the nap she had been planning on.

"Maybe we should go to the park this afternoon…"

Hayley Mae whipped her head around to her mother, syrup dripping to her chin, "YAS! Park!"

The matriarch snorted at her granddaughter and turned to Maura. The blonde was daintily dragging a small piece of her pancake in the syrup with dreamy eyes. Angela turned to her daughter, who was giving her a 'not now' kind of look. She rolled her eyes but relented.

"Mor…you come to the park with us?" Hayley Mae had stuffed another piece of pancake in her mouth and was speaking around it.

The blonde smiled, "I would love to. Although, I do need to run home and change first; perhaps take a shower as well."

Jane nodded, "I can text you the address of the park; you could meet us there."

"Perfect."

Angela butted in, "So, Maura, do you have any plans for break?"

"Besides some reading and possibly getting ahead in my work, I do not."

"Well, Janie is off work for the week, maybe you two should hang out."

Jane snorted, "Thanks ma, I can make my own playdates." A blush played on her cheeks as she said the word 'dates'.

Hayley looked up from her pancakes, "Mor, are you out of school like Momma?"

"I am."

Little brown eyes widened dramatically, "Let's have a sleepover! Like last night!"

The blonde looked up at Jane questioningly. Jane laughed at her daughter's excitement and shrugged with a half-smile that Maura found to be highly attractive, "Yeah, why not? Maybe pack a bag and stay for a few days. We're just gonna lounge around in our pajamas all week, have dinner at Ma's, maybe go see a couple of movies."

"I would love to spend a few days here." Her smile was bright and conveyed the warm, wonderful feelings growing in her stomach. Even if she had had plans for the week, they'd have been canceled immediately in favor of spending more time with Jane and Hayley Mae.

"Yay!" the six-year-old screamed, "We can build a fort! Momma can we build a fort?"

Jane grimaced at the squealing, "Hey, Black Canary, tone down the super-sonic. We can build a fort, but we will use inside voices, right?"

"Yes!" the little girl rolled her eyes just like her mother but let out a giggle at the end.

As they entered the park a few hours later, Jane and Angela hung back a little as Hayley Mae dragged Maura towards the swings. She climbed up into the swing and the med student pushed her gently, and not too high.

"Emily came by this morning." Jane sighed, sipping at her hot coffee. The snow had been melting the last few days, but the wind that morning was keeping the temperature below freezing.

Angela rolled her eyes, "And what did she want?"

"It was a sore attempt at getting me again. She made the excuse that she wanted to help Hay put her bike together. But I shut her down."

"Good for you. What did you say?"

The librarian blushed as she thought over her earlier encounter, "Just that I was tired of her games and I could see through it all."

"Good."

They sat on a nearby bench, their eyes focused on Maura and Hayley playing.

"I also might have basically told her I was in love with Maura."

Angela's head whipped around; a look of hope in her eyes, "What?"

Jane shrugged, "It just came out…I didn't mean for it to. But I told her that I could see a future with Maura and not with her. It just felt so…freeing. To say it out loud, you know?"

"Well, good for you baby." Angela patted her daughter's leg, "I'm happy you're accepting this."

"Yeah. And Maura heard me say it all."

"Oh good." Angela smiled, not really hearing what Jane said. After a moment, the words sunk in and her eyes widened comically, "What?!"

Jane smirked.

"What did Maura say?"

"She was very Maura about it. She basically said she reciprocated the feelings and that she was interested in exploring said feelings with me."

Angela clapped her gloved hands together with a squeal.

"Ma!" Jane groaned, "Please don't make a big deal about this."

Before Angela's pout could set in, Jane interrupted, "No! Don't get all pouty. I just want to take things slow and let things happen naturally, okay? I don't want to rush it."

"Oh Janie, sometimes you're just…"

"A stick in the mud, I know ma." Jane cut her off, "And yeah. This time, I'll admit it. I am being a stick in the mud. But I want this to work, and it won't if you meddle too much. She's skittish, and I've already had to deal with her running. Please don't add on top of that."

Angela sat back in her seat, slightly disappointed.

Jane took her mother's hand, "I will tell you every single detail about everything ever if you can just not stick your nose in it and let me do this my way."

The older woman's eyes softened a moment before her finger raised to point at her daughter with authority, "You betta not mess this up. She's perfect."

"I know ma."

"She's perfect for you and for my granddaughter."

"I know." Jane smiled, her eyes landing on Maura across the park. Maura was chasing her daughter around the jungle gym, each wearing big smiles, "I'm going to try really hard not to mess it up. I promise."

As the sun started to set in the early afternoon, the foursome made their way to the little coffee shop across from the park. Angela had promised them all hot chocolate. When they stepped inside, Angela took their orders and offered to wait in line while they found a table.

"So." Maura started as she helped Hayley Mae from her jacket, "What can I expect from a Rizzoli Spring Break?"

Jane smiled, "Well, lots of sleeping in, for sure. A lot of cartoons and movies. Maybe we can build a fort and make a little movie nest one day."

"Movie nest?" She never heard of such a thing

"Yeah, you take all the pillows and cushions from the house and build a little pillow nest to lie in while you watch movies."

"That sounds like it could be fun."

"Have you never made a pillow fort before?"

The blonde shrugged, "Not that I remember."

"No sleepovers in the Isles' Household?" Jane joked

"No. Friends were few and far between, especially since we travelled so much when I was young. And after that, I was in a competitive boarding school. There was not much room for friends there."

Jane smiled softly, "Well, we'll definitely make a fort over break then."

At Maura's bright smile, Angela finally rejoined them with a carrier of drinks. Hayley Mae eagerly took her drink and sat cross-legged in her chair. Jane had pulled out a few coloring sheets and a box of crayons and the girl was already almost done with one page.

"So Maura." Angela started, "I know you guys talked about this week, but if you're not busy, I'd love to have you over for dinner again."

Maura perked up at that, "I would love to! My only plans are to hang out with them."

Jane turned to her mother, "Wednesday maybe? Then maybe Friday if you're up for it."

"That's good with me." Angela shrugged.

Jane turned back to the med student and they both smiled warmly at each other; missing the knowing smile Angela was giving them both.

If they weren't married or even living together by the end of the year, she'd have something to say about that.

It was a couple hours later, long after Hayley Mae had gone to bed, that Jane started to really think about what she was getting herself into.

A sleepover meant at least a full day, if not two of hanging out with Maura constantly. And with all the things they had talked about doing, it sounded like it would be more than one night. Part of her was ecstatic about the possibility of waking up with Maura again, wrapped in her arms, or vice versa.

But the other part of her was terrified that Maura would wake up and realize that Jane didn't have much to offer. She was young, had a 6 year old, and a job that would keep her in one place for a long time. Maura was young and just finishing med school and had the means to travel the world and had traveled the world.

Jane was just a girl who got pregnant in high school and lucked out with getting scholarships and a decent job.

Then something else hit her.

She'd be spending at least one or two nights in the same bed as Maura.

Holy…

Maybe Maura wouldn't want to sleep in the same bed.

Maybe Maura would want to sleep by herself.

Jane would have to either sleep on the couch or with her daughter. She had slept with Hayley Mae in the small bed before. It wouldn't be horrible but sleeping with Maura was a much better idea.

Before she could spiral any further, she got her phone, dialed Maura's number and held it to her face with her shoulder as she picked up their dirty dishes from dinner.

When Maura answered with a cheery hello!, Jane chickened out and came up with something else to talk about, "So I realized that I never asked what you wanted to do over break."

"I'm perfectly content with doing everything on your list, Jane." Maura pulled her second load of laundry from the dryer and dumped it into the basket.

"I know…but, if Hayley Mae has her way, we'll stay home the whole week. So, seriously, come up with some ideas."

"Well, there is an exhibit at the Museum of Science that I think Hayley might like."

"Perfect." Jane smiled, "What else?"

"We could go to the Public Garden and spend an afternoon."

"Awesome. Anything else?"

"Off the top of my head, no. I'll get back to you with more ideas." Maura dropped her laundry basket on her bed and threw her phone down on the bed after hitting the speakerphone function.

"Ok, so…"

"Yes, Jane?"

"So, I had another reason for calling tonight, actually."

"Okay…?"

"Well, here's the thing. I know the last time was last minute and I didn't give you much of an option, but I feel like you're going to be staying for a little bit longer this time, so I want you to have more of a choice and I don't want to pressure you, and I'll totally come up with another option if you hate it."

"Jane." The blonde cut off her friend, "Just ask."

"Are you into the idea of sharing a bed with me?"

Her stomach clenched. She hadn't considered that. Though, waking up to Jane's warm body against her back that morning had been quite nice.

"Maur? If you're totally against the idea, I can bunk with Hay…"

"No!" Maura cut her off, "Um, no." The blonde's heart was racing, "No, I don't mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. We can share. It was…quite nice, this morning."

Jane blushed. She tried with all her might to remember what it felt like to have Maura's warm body in her arms. "Yeah. It was."

"Do you think Hayley will be sleeping with us each night."

Each night, Jane thought, she's thinking multiple nights too. "Yeah, at least once. But, um…if you want. I can kick her out one night so its uh…" Jane kicked herself, she never felt so much like a teenager as she did at that moment, "You know…just us."

"I would like that." Maura softly responded.

Jane imagined she could hear a smile in Maura's voice. "Me too."

They sat there quietly for a few seconds.

Maura's mind started to race about what she would need to pack for the week while Jane's mind took a dirtier turn and thought about what Maura wore as pajamas…

"Well." Jane shook the thoughts from her head, "Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"What time do you want to come over?"

"Whenever I am welcome."

Jane smirked, "Maur, you're always welcome. Hell, you can come over right now if you wanted to."

Maura chuckled, "How about I bring breakfast in the morning? From that diner down the street from your house?"

"That sounds perfect. Then we can talk about what we want to do."

Maura's heart leapt into her throat and she tried her best to not sound as breathless as she felt, "I can't wait to get to know you better, Jane."

Jane's whole body filled with adoration at this woman, "Me too."

"Good night Jane."

"Good night, Maur."

Hey, sorry for the delay. I didn't want to post this chapter for awhile because I didn't know how to re-upload a previous chapter that I revised. But here it is friends.

Hey come follow me on tumblr if you want... chef-of-the-frontier