Wednesday morning came with a vengeance.

Storm clouds bathed Boston in a bleak, dreary, gray tone.

Jane woke first only to find her daughter had already climbed out from the bed. Honing in on her mom ear, Jane could hear the faint sounds of cartoons filtering in from the living room.

Perfect, Jane thought, Distracted for at least an hour.

Cartoons had been a recent obsession for Hayley Mae and were helpful in the mornings when Jane needed a little extra sleep, or in the evenings when she needed to get some cleaning done without a small body underfoot.

But this particular morning, cartoons gave Jane a little longer to bask in the warmth of the arm draped low across her waist and the solid body molded to her back.

This was different than the last two times they had slept in the same bed. Normally, Jane was the one to spoon her bedmate. At least when it came to Emily. Yet, Jane was feeling pretty content being the little spoon to Maura. She slowly turned her body in Maura's arm and shuffled down a little to be face to face with the blonde.

Green eyes opened slowly and blinked a few times before a small smile grew on Maura's lips. "Morning." She sighed

"That it is." The brunette smirked, "I can't believe I slept the whole night. Hay is usually a tosser turner."

"Maybe it's my calming presence." Maura smiled just a little wider as she snuggled into Jane's body.

"Maybe it is. I know how well I sleep when you're here."

A rather un-Maura like snort came from the blonde, "Charmer." She mumbled

xxx

xxx

The two women were soon roused from the dozing state they'd fallen into by a curious six-year-old.

"Momma…" she poked Jane's shoulder

"Yah baby?" Jane turned just enough to take in her daughter's face

"What are we doin today?"

xxx

xxx

xxx

Within the next hour, all three of them had bathed, broken their fast and were out the door for the Museum of Science. When they walked in the door, Jane went to buy them tickets, but Maura said she'd take care of it. She stepped out of earshot and up to the ticket booth. After a few words, Maura was walking back with three wristbands, all yellow, and made of rubber instead of the normal paper-like bands Jane was used to.

As Maura helped hang a smaller one on Hayley Mae's jacket, Jane's eye caught the wristbands of another group.

Purple.

Her eyes scanned the lobby to another group, and they were putting on purple bands as well.

"Why are ours yellow?" she asked

Maura did her best to not make eye contact as she fiddled with Hayley Mae's collar, "Uh, well, it means we can access any exhibit."

Jane looked up at the pricing board and read each day pass one could purchase. Each pass only allowed you to access up to five of the seven special exhibits in a day. There was another pass for members, but didn't state what it entailed, "Oh, are you a member or something?"

"Something like that." Maura mumbled.

Before Jane could ask another question, especially one Maura wasn't ready to explain yet, a staff member lead them to an exhibit at the back of the museum. Since the museum had just opened for the day, most groups hadn't made their way to the back yet, giving the three an opportunity to see the prime material in a rather quiet setting.

Seeing Maura's hesitance, Jane dropped the subject for a while and let herself be immersed in the things around her.

Hayley Mae quickly became engrossed in the exhibits, and Maura prattled on excitedly about everything they stopped by. Whatever Maura had to say, Hayley Mae hung on her every word and soaked it all in; even asking questions.

Once they hit the Geometry in Art exhibit that Maura had mentioned, Hayley Mae was ecstatic. She listened carefully as the instructor taught them about geometric shapes and how they can be used in art and architecture. The two women found a bench close by and watched as Hayley Mae delved into the paints and canvas in front of her.

"Maur?" Jane couldn't wait any longer. Maura had acted weird about the wristbands and she wanted to know why.

"Yes, Jane?"

"I know it's not a big deal, but you never answered me about the wristbands. And it feels…it feels like you're hiding something. I just want you to know, that whatever it is, you can tell me."

"Jane."

"It can't be that bad, Maura. It's a museum. It's not like it's a front for the mafia that's run by your secret birth father, is it?" Jane chuckled

Maura, despite herself, laughed at the absurdity, "No. My secret birth father is not a mob boss. It's just…have you heard of the Isles Foundation?"

"No, should I have?"

Maura shook her head, "Not necessarily."

"Let me guess, your parents are super rich and donate to lots of charities and museums." Jane gestured to the room around them.

"Well, yes."

"And let me take another guess. Because of that, you've got some lifetime free pass to this museum?"

"In a sense." Maura shrugged, "I'm on the museum board, well, the Foundation is on the board. Since Mother and Father are living between England and New York these days, I'm the closest representative."

"That's awesome. And thanks for the cool passes too."

Maura gave her a skeptical look, "You're not weirded out?"

"Why would I be?"

"Because, usually, when people find out about my parents and family wealth, people are intimidated and either try to become my best friend, or shy away from me."

"Well, I kinda figured we were already best friends…" Jane smirked

Maura rolled her eyes, "You know what I mean."

"And Maura, you are not your parents. Sure, it's cool that you're on the board of a kick ass museum, and that apparently your family is wealthy, but that doesn't magically change who you are."

"And you're not upset? For me not telling you?"

Jane shrugged, "Maura, there's plenty of stuff you don't know about me yet. Plenty of stuff that I'm sure you'll be freaked out by. But that's kinda the point of getting to know each other and developing a relationship. You learn about each other, you share parts of your life, you learn to trust the other person, and you share things when you're comfortable sharing them. I don't expect you to tell me every single thing about yourself right this moment, or this afternoon or even tomorrow. And I hope you're not expecting me to share all my deep dark secrets right off the bat either. We've got time to get to know each other." Jane leaned over and bumped her shoulder with Maura's.

Maura smiled, suddenly at peace with Jane's little speech, "Okay."

Jane turned back to watch her daughter, feeling suddenly bold enough to put an around Maura's shoulders. Maura snuggled closer into Jane's body as they watched Hayley Mae paint again.

Maura noticed that instead of following the rest of the class follow the instructor, Hayley Mae blurred her lines and mixed her colors. The session was basically a lesson in paint by numbers, and Hayley Mae was creating something much more beautiful than the others. It caused Maura to wonder if she had taken any art classes, which then made Maura wonder where Hayley Mae went to school.

"Jane, where does your daughter go to school?"

"She's homeschooled."

Maura's head whipped around. She'd never seen schoolwork or textbooks laid out in Jane's house.

"That's why Ma takes her in the mornings."

"Your mother is teaching her?"

"Yeah. Two years ago, almost? When I was looking to enroll her in preschool, she was put through all these tests to determine where she'd go, and she came out with really high test scores. She showed a high aptitude in art, language and dexterity. On the flip side, they said she showed signs of ADD, and they recommended she be homeschooled or put in a private school where she could get hands on, one-on-one tutoring."

"Oh."

"I couldn't afford private school back then, not that I can now either, and I didn't have time to homeschool her either. But Ma jumped at the chance to help. She wanted to be more active with her own life, and be more active in Hay's life, so I let her."

"That's so amazing; that she would be willing to do something like that."

"Yeah, it's awesome. And Hay really soaks it all in. Her test scores are really good and she's moving really fast through her curriculum. Ma's actually been adding subjects to challenge her. Right before Christmas Break, she introduced Italian. Hay doesn't use it except in the lessons. I don't think she cares much for it, but Ma says she's got a pretty good handle on it."

Maura looked back to Hayley Mae again, this time with new eyes.

"I don't know how long I'll homeschool her. I might try to get her into a school in the next couple of years, but I don't know. She likes being with Ma so far. And it's all easy for Ma, cause it comes with very detailed notes and guidelines. And there's online teachers who are always on call to help.

From a more experienced eye like Maura's, Hayley's painting showed a lot of promise and creativity.

"I think she'll be a great artist someday." Maura mused.

"I do too. I don't know a lot about art, but sometimes she hands me things that are just too good for a six-year-old, you know?"

xxx

xxx

When the art session was done, the three made their way to the food court and grabbed a quick bite to eat before visiting a few more exhibits. Shortly after lunch, Hayley Mae grew tired and both Maura and Jane took turns carrying her through the last few exhibits.

Just as the clock hit three, Jane's phone buzzed with a call from her mother, asking when they were coming over. They decided to call it quits with the museum and drove across town to the Rizzoli household.

Angela absolutely fawned over her granddaughter's painting while Jane gave Maura a tour of the house. The last time she'd been over, there hadn't been a good segue to a tour.

Maura saw the den that had been turned into a classroom/art room for Hayley Mae. There was a little desk by the big windows. Next to the desk was a long table with various art supplies that were scattered atop a pile of crayon, pencil, and pen drawings. On another wall was a bookcase filled with children's books and textbooks. In one corner was a desk where she figured Angela sat during the day, watching over the beautiful mind at work.

After the den, they came into what Jane called the Family Room. It was a large room at the back of the house with a large TV, two couches and a recliner. Along the wall were dozens of pictures and trophies from over the years. Apparently, each of the Rizzoli children were gifted in sports.

They made their way up the stairs and Maura was shown Jane's old bedroom. It was filled, wall to wall with books and posters of famous cityscapes and buildings. The bed was stuffed against a wall, right up against the window.

"It looks like you never left." Maura mused

"Yeah. Ma let's Hay come up here an take a nap or do some reading if she gets tired of the den."

"Was this the room you and Hayley Mae lived in when she was born?"

Jane smiled, "Not, that's actually upstairs."

"Upstairs? I thought we were upstairs."

In lieu of an answer, Jane pulled the blonde along and up another stairway behind a door. It opened into a large attic-turned-apartment. There was even a bathroom complete with a shower.

"Apparently, before I was born, ma and pop were having money troubles, so pop's idea to fix things was to turn this into an apartment and rent it out. They only had one tenant, my uncle, for like, six months. He moved out when I was born. So, when I got pregnant, Ma cleaned and moved things around and let me live up here."

The room was open and large, and the ceilings were slanted from the roof. But there was a large window on the back of the house that overlooked the yard. A few bookshelves were spread around. A crib sat in one corner and a twin bed in another.

"She wanted me close, but she wanted me to grow up a little, and be more independent, I guess."

Maura walked over to the crib, "I can't believe she was ever this small." She mused as she picked up a stray onesie that had been balled up in the corner of the crib.

"I know. I try to pick her up still, and I can't believe she used to fit in one arm."

Maura turned with a smile, "You made a pretty gorgeous baby, Jane."

"I know." The librarian smiled smugly, "She's pretty great."

They moment was interrupted by Angela calling them down for dinner.

Jane just chuckled and grabbed Maura's hand again, leading her back through the house.

When they came down, they found Hayley Mae setting the table, piece by piece, fork by fork. Jane turned to her mother with a confused smile.

Angela lifted her hands in surrender, "Don't ask me. She asked if she could."

"What's wrong?" Maura asked, not understanding

"She's never set the table on her own before." Jane laugh, "But hey, that means I don't have to anymore!"

Dinner was another Italian dish: chicken carbonara. Again, Maura was blown away by how delicious it was. When Angela asked how the museum was, the youngest in the room quickly took over the conversation with an excited enthusiasm. At one point, she got distracted by the garlic bread and Maura could finally get a word in, "Angela, if you're interested, I have a friend who runs a gallery downtown. She often tutors young artists. I'm sure I could get her to give Hayley Mae a class now and then; give you an afternoon free."

Angela spared a quick look to her daughter for confirmation before nodding, "that would be wonderful, thank you."

Later that evening, after Jane had scooped her daughter off her mother's couch, they finally made their way back to Jane's house. The little girl went right to bed without a peep and Jane and Maura made their own way to bed.

As they lay quietly, facing each other, neither was asleep, but neither had anything to talk about. Maura couldn't help but think back to all the pictures and trophies in the house.

"Jane." She whispered

"Yeah." The brunette sighed

"Would you tell me about your brothers?"

Jane moved her head to get a better look at the woman who was looking up at her, "Yeah. What do you want to now?"

"Where are they? And what do they do?"

"Well." Jane took a deep breath and though, "Frankie is twenty-one. He's a junior at UCLA and was recruited out of high school for their baseball team. He's majoring in Criminal Justice, but he's been slotted for the majors when he graduates."

"Wow."

"Yeah, he's got a killer arm, and a good eye for the field. They wanted him as a pitcher, but he loves catching. He likes having his eyes on all the action."

"And the other one?"

"Tommy." Jane's voice carried a certain tone to it.

Maura sensed there was some pain associated with her other brother, "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to."

"No, you're bound to find out sometime. He's…he's in juvie."

"Oh."

"He picked up alcoholism from our dad's side of the family. Got into some trouble. He was sixteen when he got his third DUI. He had his license revoked a week after he passed the test. He kept taking his friends' cars. When he got his third DUI, he actually hit a guy in the crosswalk. Tommy was trashed. It only took the judge, like, thirty seconds to send him off to juvie."

"I'm sorry, Jane."

"I'm not." Jane looked down at her, "I mean, I'm sorry he's messed up, but I'm glad he's in there. I so hope that he gets straightened out, you know? I love him with my whole heart, but when he got sent away, I was so relieved. I knew he'd be safer behind bars."

"I can understand that…when is he to be released?"

"When he turns 18, next summer, if he's been good. He'll be on a super strict probation for like, a year. Then if he's good, it'll be less strict probation for a year, then he's clear."

"Do you think he'll make it?"

"I really hope so. He's a good kid. But alcohol ruined him."

Maura hesitated with her next question, "Jane?"

"You wanna know what happened with my dad?"

"Not if it's not a comfortable topic. I don't need to know. Actually, never mind. You've already shared so much of yourself today."

"No, it's okay." Jane took a deep breath, "Pop died right before Hay was born. He had been an alcoholic my whole life, but he kept a pretty good cover on it. He had a plumbing company, and I think the stress of having three kids really did him in. When I got pregnant…" the brunette paused, and Maura took the respite to pull the other woman closer, to give comfort as much as she could, "When I got pregnant." She started again, "he stopped drinking. I think he saw how much he was hurting himself and his future. He worked more, and he felt better, but in the end, his liver was too far gone. And with a history of alcoholism…"

"You're booted off any transplant list."

"Yeah. He went into liver failure a few weeks before she was born. He didn't last long." Jane's voice trailed off. He sighed and took another breath, "Anyhow." She sniffed, "His long-time partner bought out his share of the company, got Ma pretty well set up. Frankie isn't going to be a plumber, and I highly doubt Tommy has the mental stamina for something like that. But, Johnny kept the name, Rizzoli & Sons. He didn't feel right changing it."

They lay quietly a moment before Maura whispered, "Thank you for telling me, Jane."

She could feel Jane half-heartedly shrug, "Yeah, anytime. Anything else you want to know?"

"Maybe another time. I feel like I've pried into your life enough for one day." She paused, "Anything you want to know about me?"

Jane thought, "Well, since we're talking about family…what are your parents like?"

Maura smiled, "My father is a History professor at Oxford. He started there when I went to boarding school in fifth grade. My mother is a semi-retired artist that runs a few different galleries across Europe."

"Brothers or sisters?"

"Not that I know of."

"Right…adopted."

"Correct."

"What kind of history does your dad focus in?"

"Everything, really. He could be talking about civil wars in Africa one minute, and then be on the industrial age in China the next. His mind is a vast warehouse of knowledge."

"That's cool."

"I think you two would get along. He has quite the extensive library."

"Is this like a Beauty and the Beat thing, and when I meet him, he's going to show me this massive library?"

"What?"

"Beauty and Beast? Disney movie based off a French novel?"

"I don't know what that is."

"Oh my god." Jane scoffed. "We need to add that to our watch list this week."

"Maura chuckled, "I think I've watched more TV and movies this week, than I have my entire life."

Jane smiled sheepishly, "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, I like what we watch. I just didn't have the opportunity to watch much when I was growing up, unless it was a documentary."

"Well, don't worry. Hay and I will educate you."

"Perfect." Maura chuckled, "I was worried I wouldn't find the right tutor.

Jane smirked, "Oh girl. You've got quite the educational feat ahead of you."

Maura felt warmth blossom in her chest, "I very much look forward to it."