As I walked out to my car, my phone rang, "Dr Isles." I spoke weary that my day was not yet over.
"Excuse me Dr. Isles, this is Nurse Thomas at Boston General." A sweet voice spoke on the other end.
"Yes Nurse Thomas, what can I do for you?"
"We have a Jane Rizzoli admitted her today."
My heart fluttered in my chest, "What is her prognosis?"
"She was brought in with severe bruising from an assault."
"Does she have any internal bleeding?" I adjust to being clinical, it was the only way I know I can process this moment and the new information.
"Just a minor concussion and some bruising on her ribs and jaw."
I take a moment and breath, trying to slow my heart rate, "Thank you Nurse Thomas."
"The Doctor will not allow her to drive herself home, and so we are contacting you to pick her up. A fact she seems annoyed with."
I smirked, "I am sorry Nurse Thomas but the Detective can be a handful."
"Oh? That explains the growl when the Doctor called her Miss."
"I will be there in 20 minutes, thank you Nurse Thomas." I hung up the phone and was struck with the thought, 'Thank God it wasn't worse.' Then my overactive mind ran to the worse. I played over what it would be like to get that call. Jane was a cop. This was a fact that came with the territory, that one day I could get THE phone call. Still it did not make it any easier to bear. I started crying. Hard sobs wracked my body. "Please!" I whispered to the air. The concept of God was never real for me, but in this moment I needed something to give me hope, "Please keep her safe. I could not bear to live in a world without her." After a few minutes I wiped my tears and drove to the hospital.
As I walked up to the Nurse's station to ask where Jane was at, I heard her raspy voice growling that she was just fine and to try and hold an officer of the law against her will was a felon. I altered my course to Jane's room I strode in with my head held high prepared for whatever Jane would look like. I walked in and Jane was fighting with the Nurse about bandaging her arm to support her ribs.
"Maura!" She exclaimed and then winced as she had taken too big a breath.
"Careful Jane!" I admonished.
"I'm fine! Nurse Ratchet here is trying to bind me up like some farm animal." She grumbled at the nurse.
I sighed and took the wrappings from the poor abused nurse, "Thank you, I can take it from here."
"Yes Dr. Isles." The nurse nodded gratefully.
"Jane try to sit up as straight as you can and hold your arm against your chest like this." I began wrapping her arm and chest, "This will help you not cause further damage to the tissues and muscles around your ribs to not create further damage to them."
As I wrapped Jane sat there in silence. She was studying me. I know she is doing this to understand me. I have been studying facial cues and gestures for a couple of years, but Jane is a natural. She looks at me and she just knows. I secured the end of the bandage and looked at her jaw, she was going to have a really ugly bruise. Someone tried to mar her beauty. I looked into her eyes, to see if they were dilated any, and they were somewhat. So I looked at her whole expression, she wasn't feeling discomfort, it was an open expression tinged with...lust? My heart began to speed up again, and while the shared attraction was still there, my hormones rose up with a torrent of tears. The moment Jane saw my eyes beginning to well up her expression changed to one of concern. A sob escaped my chest as I buried my face into her good shoulder. Her good hand came up and buried itself into my hair as kisses were placed on my temple.
Her raspy voice murmured in my ear, "It's going to be okay. Please Maur, don't cry. Please..."
"I'm... sssorrrry..." I sniffled, "I was just so scared. It was only for a second, but it was horrible."
"No, it's okay." she soothed down my hair calming my sobs, "It was just a really big guy with huge fists... you use that big brain of yours and you know that I will be just fine."
"But that's it Jane, next time he may not have fists."I pulled back enough to look into her eyes, "You are a hero Jane, to this city, your family, and to me!" Jane's eyes went as wide a saucers as she listened, "I know you love your job, and you are really good at it. I would never dream of asking you to stop doing the thing you love. You make a difference, and I would never ask you to deny this city that." I stopped realizing I was out of breath.
Jane's hand was gripping my shirt her shoulders were more tense under my hands, "But?"
I looked at her eyes and gave her a half smile, "But... could you just be a little safer while your being hero?" she released a breath with a chuckle, "Because at this rate I will have a head a gray hairs before Kate is a year old."
She gave me that charming Rizzoli grin and nodded, "Yeah, I will try not to be a daring hero until she's one. I'll take it down to just ordinary hero for a while."
We shared a smile and I wrapped my arms gently around her, "Thank you!"
I helped Jane back to my house and onto the couch, at which she grumbled about feeling stiff.
"I'm not surprised." I grinned at her furrowed brow.
"How is this going to work?" Jane looked up at me pitifully.
My heart fluttered in my chest, "What do you mean?" I was a little breathless.
"I'm injured and your pregnant! Sounds like the beginning of a joke! I just don't know the punch line!" She grinned but then winced.
"Well at least your humor is still intact." I smiled down at her, "Would you like some of the pain medication they sent home with you?"
"You're the Doc! I will go by your order!" she grumbled again.
"Well as a professional and your friend, I say you should take some. It will help you rest, and rest is how your body will mend the fastest." I went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water and her medication from my purse.
"You are such a good friend and an even better professional. I will accept your orders of medication and rest." She reached for the medication but I drew my hand back, "Maur? What? Are you going to hold my meds hostage?"
"No I am just curious," I turned my head looking at her puzzled, "Why are you not fighting me on this?"
"Do you want me to fight with you?"
"No, you just usually make me go 3 rounds with you of verbal sparring until you cave and take the medication just so I will leave you alone. What's going on? How hard did he hit you?" I looked at her eyes again
"Maur I am fine! I am just doing as you asked and trying to give you less gray hairs." she smiled up at me.
"Very well. I am still keeping an eye on you." I handed her the medicine and water bottle, "Drink the whole thing."
"Yes Doc!" She drained the whole thing, "Do you want to see under my tongue?"
"No I trust you." I smiled as I walked back to the kitchen, "I am ordering out for dinner, what would you like?"
"Anything deep-fried and covered in butter!" She called from her place on the couch turning on the TV. Hopeless!
Jane stretched out on the couch trying to relax and I went into the kitchen to call out for the pizza I knew she liked. I happened to look out the window to see Angela pull up with another woman in her car. I called back over my shoulder, "Your mom's here and it looks like she has a friend."
"Shit!" I heard Jane growl from the couch.
"Language Jane!" I was surprised by the cursing.
"I forgot! My Nana is arriving today!" Jane struggled to get off the couch.
"Jane what are you doing?"
"Standing up... well failing to; give me a hand Maur."
"You need to rest Jane, I am sure your grandmother would understand." I hissed back as I could hear Angelia and her mother coming up to the door.
"I will be damned if she sees me as an invalid."
"You are an invalid!" I reached down to assist her against my better judgment.
"Yeah, but she doesn't know that!" Jane groaned as she stood.
"Knock knock!" Angelia stated as she walked in, "Maura? Janie?"
"In the living room!" I called back, I didn't want to leave Jane's side.
"Hey you guys guess who I ha... OH MY GOD JANE WHAT HAPPENED?!" Angela was horrified and Jane's grandmother looked equally as shocked.
"It looks far worse than it is Ma. Hello Nana." Jane waved as she hobbled over to her grandmother to give her a hug.
"I don't believe you! Maura?" Angela looked at me.
But before I could answer Jane whined, "Ma? You don't believe me?"
"You do tend to omit information when you aren't feeling well Jane." She scowled at me and I responded with an arched eyebrow.
"Fine! I got a little bruised from a perp when I caught him. Nothing broken just a bruised face, bruised ribs, and a bruised ego." She gave her Nana a half smile, "But I am in the most capable pair of medical hands. Nana I would like for you to meet my best friend Dr. Maura Isles. Maura this is my Nana Rosalind Milano."
"Hello Ms Milano, it is lovely to meet you." I extended my hand.
"Please!" the thick Italian voice purred as two warm hands encased mine, "Call me Rosa! I see you are with child! What a blessing! Boy or girl?"
"Girls." I smiled down into familiar dark eyes.
"I am sure she will be as lovely as her mother! When are you due?"
"In three weeks."
"Well you look wonderful! Where is the father?"
There was an uncomfortable silence from Jane and her mother. "Well, he was a young man I met in Italy one very romantic evening. He's a brilliant artist but not really the sort who likes to commit to anyone. He is already married to his work." I offered as a polite explanation of my one night stand.
"Oh you don't need to tell me about Italian men. My country is full of them!" We all shared a laugh, "They think they are the world's greatest lovers, and well... they are!"
"MA!" Angela shocked gave a very Jane like exclamation.
"Oh hush girl! I am a woman full of life! I refuse to act like a corpse until they put me in the ground!" Rosa waved her daughter off.
"Oh God MA!" Angela turned beat red as she left the room for the kitchen.
"Get ready Maura! Your children will have you be a nun out of cloister if you let them! But you are like me. I can tell! Fire in your blood in and outside of the bedroom." I blushed, "Wouldn't you say so Jane?"
"I don't think I could speak as an authority Nana on um... what ah... Maura is... well ya know... like." Jane's face was scarlet. A small part of me pitied Jane being asked such a question by her Catholic Grandmother, but another part of me was both pleased and aroused because now Jane was really thinking about what I was like in the bedroom.
"Oh you Americans!" Rosa scoffed as she passed by Jane, "You're so easily embarrassed by love!"
"Love and sex are not the same thing!"
"Why not?'
"What? NO! Because... well... I don't know! Maura?" Jane looked at me with pleading eyes.
"I am in agreement with Rosa on this one Jane."
"Aha!" Rosa exclaimed her victory.
"They are not the same thing Maura!" Jane growled and slurred her speech.
"Jane you need to lay down, your meds are kicking in." Rosa and I ushered Jane to lay back down.
"Tell me, why do you have sex?"
"To fill a need."
"See! You admit they aren't the same thing!"
"Not always, but it is really nice when they are." I smiled down at Jane's drowsy expression and kissed her forehead.
Nana POV
This young woman, vibrant and full of life, beyond just being with child, had so much love to give. I wondered if my Granddaughter knew. Knew how much this generous heart loved her. Probably not. She is a stubborn as my daughter. But I watched the exchange between them as Maura tucked Jane in and kissed her forehead. As Maura attended Jane I went to find my Angela. "I like her." I declared. "Yeah she is a sweet girl."
"No! I like her for our Jane!"
"What?" Angela turned on the spot.
But Maura walked in and stopped Angela from continuing, "Angela I have had a long day and as you can probably guess a stressful afternoon. I am going to lay down before dinner. Wake me when its ready." She stopped before leaving the kitchen, "Rosa you are most welcome to make yourself at home." Then she left up the stair way.
As soon as we heard her footstep fade out of the hall Angela pounced, "What do you mean Ma?"
"Don't tell me you can't see it!" I shot back.
"Of course I can see it! I'm not blind! I am surprised you see it!"
"Why? I am old not stupid! It seems those two are blind."
"No just Jane."
"Jane? Our Jane? Why am I not surprised."
"Poor Maura has been so patient with her. I don't know what Jane's hang-up is."
"Probably afraid of rejection."
"From who?"
"Us! Maura. God maybe. Who can say."
"Janie knows we love her no matter what!"
"Oh really? That fool who is your ex-husband annulled your marriage making you a whore and her and her brothers bastards!"
"Ma!"
"Don't Ma me! Our children learn from us. How does someone walk away from their family like that?"
"Jane would never!"
"Jane is not unsure of herself!" I waited for the light to come on in Angela's mind, "And now this child, who has a father... Wherever he is... it is a question for Jane. How could it not be." Angela was getting ingredients out on the counter, "What are you making?"
"A salad to go with the lasagna I made last night."
"Would you like some help with that?"
"Of course Ma."
We stood quietly together cutting up vegetables, "I'm sorry." I said to my daughter who was uncharacteristically quiet, "I did not mean to call you a whore. You are and have always been a daughter that I was proud of. And if that fool cannot see the wonderful family that he is walking away from then he is the one that will carry the sin."
"Thanks Ma." Angela smiled softly, "I just wish that it didn't hurt my kids. What he did to me is one thing, but to think he would ever do this to his children... I never in a million years thought it possible."
"He was selfish and thought of himself before his family. But your kids, our kids... They are not like that. And I am willing to bet that because of his choices they never will do something that would hurt their children like this. Even Jane and this Maura. She will stand by her and that child no matter what. There won't be a thing she won't try to give that baby or Maura. This woman may be a wealthy doctor but there are some things that money can't buy and that is where our Janie has an abundance to give!"
"If only she would pull her head from her rear!" Angela grumbled.
"You can't rush a perfect sauce my angel! Let it simmer and blend naturally, it will be ready when it's ready."
"Well this dinner is ready, go get Maura. I think we can let Jane rest a little longer."
I walked up the stairs, its plain walls would be perfect for family pictures. At the top of the stairs there was a hall and I assumed the door at the end of the hall was Maura's bedroom. I tapped the door and found Maura, clothes changed, laying on her side supported by pillows, fast asleep. I remembered my final weeks of my pregnancy, how tired I felt. I walked over to the bed's edge and sat down, Maura stirred but didn't wake. I rubbed her lower back, "Maura, wake up."
She mumbled and said, "Five more minutes Jane."
I chuckled, "Oh no my dear, this is Rosa, Jane's grandmother."
Still with her eyes closed, "Sorry, I thought you were Jane."
"I will take the complement. I have a beautiful granddaughter. Well not today, but give her some time and she will once again be flawless."
Maura smiled in her sleep as she snuggled a pillow, "Bruises cannot diminish her beauty."
"No." I gave a knowing smile, "They will not. Nor for you, I think will it ever." She hummed into her pillow with a smile. It seemed such a shame to wake her from her slumber, as she seemed to be dreaming such sweet dreams. So I left her there to rest, the food can wait.