Jane sat at the kitchen island and rubbed her throbbing temples, staring down at the steaming mug in front of her. She looked up the second she heard someone coming down the stairs and reached out for Maura when the former doctor rounded the corner.

Maura frowned a little but took the brunette's hand in her own and let herself be pulled to her wife, standing in between Jane's legs. She saw that something was bothering her and that Jane didn't find much sleep last night. She also knew this because she felt Jane tossing and turning and sighing. Maura took a deep breath and ran her fingers through Jane's hair. "Are you still stewing over Timothy's appearance?"

Jane looked up at her and furrowed her brows. "I don't like the fact that he knows where we are living and suddenly thinks that he has the right to be a part of our daughter's life. What has he done in the past for Liz?" She paused and shrugged. "Truth be told, without his … assistance we wouldn't have a daughter at all, but he was just a donor, a number. No more, no less."

"Would it have been okay for you if Tim would have shown interest in Liz when she was younger, still a child?"

The Italian's frown deepened and she shrugged. "Maybe not okay, but back then I could somehow understand it. And perhaps I'd have been okay if he'd have seen her every now and then, with our conditions. But he never made the effort to get in touch with Liz, and it seems like he knew about her back then."

"I wouldn't be so sure because he didn't even get in touch with us, Jane."

Jane nodded slowly and placed her hands on her wife's hips like she was trying to brace herself by the touch. "He was a sperm donor, Maura. I'm sure that he was aware of the fact that there are kids of him on the streets of Boston. If he doesn't have any ulterior motives, what does he want all of a sudden? I mean, he surely knows by now that our family isn't as poor as a church mouse. God knows how long he was lallygagging on our property."

Maura glanced long at the Italian and eased the creases on Jane's forehead. "But that's not the real reason that keeps your mind busy."

Jane didn't answer right away. Instead, she placed her cheek on her wife's belly and shook her head. "No, it isn't." She closed her eyes the second Maura ran her fingers through her hair once again.

"Tell me. What's bothering you, Jane?"

Jane was silent for a moment and heaved a sigh. "Do think that Ben hates us that much that he's even willed to kill our daughter, Maura? I mean, I'd understand if he'd go after me and would try to kill me after I snagged you from him. But why did he try to kill Liz? She wasn't even born when you left him. She doesn't know anything about him, besides the things we told her about Ben. And why trying to frame Liz?"

Maura closed her eyes as well and had to swallow hard. Since she got to know that her ex-husband probably was the mastermind behind all of this and that he probably even tried to kill her daughter. She also wondered what his hate for them was that big that he wouldn't stop at any point until he got to them. "Because he knows that she's our weak spot, Jane. And because he knows that either of us would die for each other. And because he knows that driving her away from us is also a punishment for us."

Jane glanced up at the doctor and the confusion was visible in her eyes. "But why?"

Maura licked her lips and raised her brows. "Because he and I never had what you and I have, Jane. Because he knows that I never loved him the way I love you. Because I never gave him the chance to have a family with me as you have."

"So, it's our fault," Jane asked and held her wife tighter. "It is, isn't it?" She didn't need to hear Maura confirming it, she knew that she was right and that even Maura was blaming herself for what their actions in the past had done to their daughter. "I wouldn't change anything, even if I'd know what consequences would be ahead of us."

The blonde heaved a sigh and shook her head. "Me neither, Jane."

"Does this make us selfish?"

"I'm afraid yes."

"Do you think that Liz can forgive us?"

Maura rounded the kitchen island after Jane released her and poured herself a cup of coffee. "If she finds out what all this is about, she's going to be mad, for a very long time but she'll come around. We just have to give her the space she needs."

"And are we going to tell her?"

"Yes."

"Great." Jane grumbled and sipped her already cold coffee, making a face. "But first she's going to explain why she hasn't mntioned that she was supposed for the FBI."

Maura straightened up and rolled her eyes when her wife still drank her cold coffee and wiggled her brows. "Perhaps she didn't mention it because all of us know that you are not very fond of the FBI, just like the IA."

It was Jane's turn to roll her eyes and she lowered the mug again, getting up from her chair. "Just because I don't come to terms with FEDS and IA officers it doesn't mean that I wouldn't be more than proud of Liz, Maura. I mean, it's a big deal and I really like to know why she didn't take the offer." She turned her head the moment the front door got opened and ignored the warningly look of the former ME, saying out loud, "Speaking of the devil."

Puck just ran into her direction and nearly knocked her over by jumping at her. Jane grinned widely and scratched him between the ears.

Liz was about to put her coat off when she rounded the corner and frowned a little. "What have I done this time?"

Adam grunted in amusement and was glad that they stopped first at Maura's before they'd pick up their son. "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad. Jane isn't trying to kill you in jig time." He grunted the second he felt an elbow thrust into his stomach. "Okay," he gasped and cleared his throat, Maura rolled her eyes once again.

Liz ignored both of them and looked directly at the older Italian. "Okay, what's up?"

Jane shrugged and turned the corners of her mouth downward. "I just wondered why you didn't tell us that the FBI wanted you to work for them."

Adam's eyebrows shot up. "You were supposed to do what?"

Liz ignored his question and groaned. "Eddie can't zip it, can she?"

Maura braced herself on the countertop and looked long at her daughter. "Why didn't you tell us about it?"

"Because it's no big deal."

"Oh, it sure is, kid." Jane countered and the eyes of Liz shot to her. "And don't even think about to soft-pedal it."

Maura handed Adam a cup of coffee and frowned at him. "She didn't tell you about it, too?"

He took the mug and shook his head. "No."

Liz licked her lips and furrowed her brows. "Because it was bad timing when they came to me and offered me a job, Ma. Maybe, if nothing of all of this would have happened, I'd get the same offer, I might have said yes. No, I am sure of it because it means that all of you had been a great teacher, in your very own ways. I learned so much from each of you, and that's what called the FEDS attention to myself. But I didn't know for how long I'd stay in San Diego and the knowledge that someone was after I didn't help either. That's something you don't write into your CV."

"Of course not." Maura agreed and wiggled her brows when the two brunettes looked at her. "So, you gave away a great opportunity."

Liz took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. As I already said, I didn't know for how long I'd stay in San Diego or if I would ever get my life back, or for how long -" She trailed off and looked long at her husband. "For now I'd stay alive before I'd be screwed. I mean, somehow, I knew that it would be just a matter of time until they would get me." She looked down at her dog who was suddenly sitting at her feet and took a deep breath. "And as we all know, they came damn close to killing me."

Jane clenched her jaw and her fists as well but didn't say a word because she knew that her daughter was right and that there was no way to downplay it.

Maura swallowed hard and licked her lips, closing her eyes for a moment before she walked around the kitchen island and pulled her daughter into a hug without a second thought. She expected that Liz would try to wriggle out of it but smiled when the younger woman returned the hug. "Now you're safe, Elizabeth." She whispered into her daughter's ear and a tear ran down Liz' cheek. "Now you don't have to run anymore."

"Yeah," Jane agreed with a grim face. "Now a bunch of cops has your back who happens to be your family." She said and stepped closer. She pulled Liz' into a tight hug the second her wife let go of the young woman and said into her ear. "And nobody's messing with the Rizzoli family."

Liz broke the hug and nodded, wiping the tear off her cheek. She looked at each of them and then she suddenly started to laugh for no reason, shaking her head.

Jane smirked but frowned. "is there anything else we should know about? A new husband?"

"Hey." Adam objected seriously and the former ME chuckled.

"A love child?"

Maura laughed heartily when she saw the look of her son-in-law.

Liz grinned amused and nodded slowly. "Yes, I have some. Actually, a whole football team."

"Wait, what," Adam asked after he choked on his coffee and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I was just kidding." Liz laughed amused. She took a deep breath and glanced in the direction of the stairs. "Where's Eddie? She's actually an early bird."

"I noticed that," Jane grumbled and placed her mug in the sink. "I nearly beat the crap out of her when I came down earlier and found her sitting on the couch, only the reading light on. She was just as surprised as me when I nearly knocked said reading light over her head."

"You didn't do that."

"I thought she was an intruder."

"An intruder who breaks into your house, sits down on the couch and reads a book," Adam asked skeptically and Liz pointed at him.

"Hey," Jane replied louder with a frown. "It was dark and I am older, my eyes aren't as good as they were twenty years ago."

Liz scoffed and Adam raised his hands in surrender. "So, where's Eddie now?"

"She said she wanted to go back to her hotel and get a shower. She'll give you a call later."

"Did you write this down," Maura asked and smirked the second Jane scowled at her. "You brought up your age."

"You're not getting any younger, too." The Italian hissed through clenched teeth but her wife chuckled.

Liz grinned and walked over to her husband. "I really can watch this for hours."

He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, it's so much better than any reality show. Sometimes I came here and watched them battering for hours. And it's for free."

Liz smirked and wiggled her brows.

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Leslie is sitting at her desk and turns around the moment she feels a well-known present, smiling broadly as soon as she sees Liz standing behind her, holding two paper cups in her hand. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The other woman smiles broadly and enters the command center. "Can't I pay my friend a visit?"

Leslie takes one up the cups and quirks an eyebrow. "You never came down to Operations. What are you doing here, Liz?"

The brunette huffs and places her elbows on her knees as soon as she sits down on a free chair, frowning. "I need you to do me a favor, Leslie." She closes her eyes when the redhead looks skeptically at her. Liz rolls her eyes and her frown deepens. "I know, I owe you a lot and I am not in the position to ask for more, but every time I think about my next step I understand that I need your help because you are way better with computers than I am."

Leslie is about to take a sip of her coffee but stops dead. "I know that I am better with computers than you are. You are really good, Liz, but at some things, I have to be better than you."

Liz smirked mischievously and knew that her friend has taken the bait.

"You know what I need from you, Rizzoli."

The smirk disappeared from Liz' face again and she was scratching the back of her head. "Here's the problem. I need you to hack into the computer on the ground, Leslie. I don't know how much data you can get if you do it from Boston."

"What does on the ground mean?"

"San Diego."

"I have a son and a husband who are waiting for me at home, Liz." Leslie hisses through clenched teeth and furls her brows.

"They'll survive a week without you."

"You have no idea."

Liz straightened up again and chuckled with a nod. "Oh, yeah. I have an idea."

Leslie rolled her eyes and chuckled as well. "Why don't you ask Adam for this?" The smirk reappeared on her face the second she saw the glint in Liz' eyes. "The good old days."

The brunette nodded slowly with a broad smile. "The good old days. Can I count on you?"

"You don't have to ask me twice." The other woman replied and leaned back in her chair. "Whose computer are we going to hack?"

"Ben Payton's."

The redhead choked on her coffee and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Are you kidding me?"

Liz shook her head and got back up to her feet. "Nope, I'm dead serious. We're taking the offensive now. I'm sick and tired of playing hide and seek, Leslie."

Leslie nodded slowly and furrowed her brows. "It's about time, sister."

"You're in?"

"You can bet."

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Adam came into the kitchen and groaned loudly. "That little monster is finally sleeping." He said and wiped his hands in his sweats. "I really have no clue what is wrong with him these days."

Liz turned her head and smirks. "Why?"

"Our son asked for you to put him to bed even though he refuses it thirty minutes ago." He paused and frowned. "Have you hit your head hard against something and got a concussion?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

He took the beer from her hand and sipped it. "You know that we don't need Leslie for our next step, right?"

"I need her there." Liz replied and took her beer back. "She and Chaz were the only persons I really trusted when all of this started." She sees his hurt look and pulls him closer at the cord of his sweats. "Hey, don't look like that. You were the one who put me behind bars, that was not really encouraging."

"I was only following orders." He whined and frowned when she pulled him even closer.

She ran her hands underneath his shirt and smiled softly. "I am only saying that I trust Leslie and Chaz and that I need you as my back up. And you have some glib reply when you have to distract Ben when push comes to shove."

"You are using me as a kind of distraction. I'm sure that he'd rather jump on you if you are distracting him instead of me."

She's rolled her eyes but smirked. "I'm not sure you'd agree with the way I'd distract him, Adam."

Adam grinned but the next second he turned his nose up. "I didn't need that picture in my head."

Liz chuckled and sipped her beer. "Me neither."

"He's old."

"You are not what I'd call young either."

"He's much older than me. And what does that supposed to mean anyway?"

She smiled and took another swig from her beer. "It means that were way younger when I got to know you. And yet, you haven't changed that much." She was wishing that she could shove those words back into her mouth because Adam quirked an eyebrow.

Puck was lying in his bed and his head snapped up the moment he senses the change of atmosphere. It seems like the Belgian shepherd was ready to attack her at any moment if necessary, licking his muzzle.

Adam rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Well, it appears that you are still as stubborn as a mule and that you hate to ask for help even though you know that you need it. And the thing is that you know that you need help but you just can't pocket your pride."

Liz let the words sink in and pressed her lips together, sighing heavily. "I thought those are qualities you love about me."

He smiled softly at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I do. I really do, but sometimes those qualities also can be very frustrating. I mean -" He stopped and shook his head. "I mean, instead of telling me that someone was coming after you, you left without a note instead. I wondered if I wasn't a good husband, if I pushed my limits too hard and that you couldn't take it anymore. Instead of telling me that you were working for Winters in San Diego you kept pushing me away. Instead of telling me that you had nothing to do with the murder you kept -"

"Whoa," She cut him off and got up to her feet, walking to the fridge to get a new beer. "stop right there, Laverty. I told you more than once that I am innocent and that someone is framing me, but you didn't listen to me. For you, I was guilty because I was found beside a dead body and a badly beaten up Chaz. It was clear for you that I cut my wrists to escape justice."

"That's not true." Adam countered and leaned with his hip against the kitchen island. "I told you more than once that I was just doing my job and I won't apologize for that. And you weren't really cooperating with us. Arresting you gave me plenty of sleepless nights. Knowing that you are in Boston and I couldn't be with you gave me plenty of sleepless nights. I was working 24/7 to figure out what happened that night and you did not answer any of those questions."

"Perhaps that's because I couldn't remember." The brunette shot back and her face darkened.

Adam prick up his ears and he tilted his head a little. "Do you remember now? Do you remember what happened the night Danielson got killed?"

Liz was clenching her jaw and closed her eyes for the split of a second, knowing that it was about time to tell him what she remembered, or what she thought to remember. She shook her head now. "I'm not sure, Adam. I'm not sure what's real and what's not. Hell, I'm not even sure if this, right now is real."

"Liz -" He said softly but shut his mouth the moment she shot him a glare.

She took a moment before she continued, "I'm not sure that I am not still in the hospital, drugged to the eyeballs and strapped to my bed. I am not sure if any of this isn't just in my head to shut me out from reality, Adam." She pauses for a second. "I have dreams, Adam. I have dreams that I am still in the hospital and that you think that I killed Danielson and that you and Frankie are about to convict me of murder. These dreams feel so real, and this life right now feels more like a dream. So, it's very hard for me to tell what is real and what's not."

Adam blinked a couple of times and took his time before he replies. "I can hit you in the head to show you that this is the very reality." He smirked because that statement made his wife laugh out loud, shrugging. "Or I can pinch you hard."

She smirked now too and took a swig from the fresh beer. "Sometimes it'd be really necessary."

He nodded slowly. "Are you going to tell me what you remember, or what you think you remember?"

Liz took a deep breath and shook her head. "Not tonight. Tonight, I only want to sit down on the couch, I want you to hold me and not to think about anything else than the here and now."

He smiled softly and reached out for her hand and she took it, following him to the living room. "Yeah, sounds good to me. We have enough time to talk about work anyway."

Liz sighed and nodded. "Yes, we have."

I really hope we do, she thought to herself but keeps her mouth shut.