Author Note: Thanks everyone - it's great that you're all still here. I know this one is proving a long one, I don't usually write fics that go on this long. I'm enjoying it again, now I've thrown a bit more angst in there with Jane's injury, haha. I probably won't be updating Slide today, as I haven't finished the next chapter, and I am busy for most of the day tomorrow. But maybe tomorrow evening, UK time. I can't believe I'm down to two fics. I'm feeling a little lost, like I need to be writing more, haha.

"You're going to stay here until it's time for bed, okay?" Maura said, tucking a blanket around Jane's stomach. She hesitated, resting her hand across her bump for a moment longer than was usually necessary.

"But I'm bored," Jane said, leaning her head back. She winced, then groaned. "I can't do anything without it hurting."

"You're lucky your dislocation didn't include a break, and there's no signs of concussion. If you'd broken your humerus or scaphoid, I dread to think how long it would have taken for you to get back in physical form. You really need to stop thinking you're Wonder Woman and start realising that you're pregnant."

"Wonder Woman can be pregnant."

"Yes, she can." Maura sighed, sitting down at the end of the couch. She stroked her hand along Jane's leg. "But even Wonder Woman would know she has limits. The babies need to come first."

"I know. You don't need to tell me."

"There's leftover ragu in the fridge, would you like me to heat it up?"

"Yes, please," she said, sitting up taller. She winced again, sitting back against the pillow once more. "Can I have a beer as well?"

Maura stood up and patted her leg. "Not when you're taking pain relief."

"It's not even that strong."

"It's the strongest dose you can have. Besides, it's better for the babies that you don't drink alcohol, and better for the pain medication, too."

"Not alcohol-alcohol," Jane said. "The non-alcoholic stuff. There's barely anything in it, Maura, it'd take about fifty bottles to match one regular one."

"I'm not willing to risk a decrease in effectiveness of your medication, especially not when you're already in so much pain. That being so, given that you're now in need of rest and recovery, it's better that you stick to water."

"Water?"

"I don't think caffeine is a good idea, either, and since you don't drink tea."

"I'll drink some tea."

"You'll actually drink it?" Maura asked. "Not just sniff at it, sip it, then tell me it smells disgusting, and you want coffee, again?"

She rolled her eyes. "Water's fine."

x

Maura peered out the window as she refilled Jane's glass and carried it over to the couch. She sat on a chair opposite and watched her, as Jane ate her spaghetti. It hurt to see her in so much pain. Being medically trained, she felt helpless. She should have been able to do something, but the injury would just have to play out.

"Your mother appears to be pacing outside the door," Maura said.

"What's she doing out there?" Jane turned quickly, screamed, then groaned. She tossed her fork onto her plate. "I am fucking stupid."

"No," Maura said, kneeling on the floor in front of her. She gripped her hands. "You're not stupid. A little careless with your own safety maybe, but your reasoning makes sense to me."

"I wish it made sense to me." She pressed her palm against her eyes. "I should have realised I could end up like this."

"Why would you? You chase criminals frequently. You're rarely hurt, least not seriously."

"You were right, Maura."

Trailing her palm across her cheek and cupping it in her hand, Maura smiled. "I don't care to be right. All that matters is your health, and the health of our children."

Jane sighed. She covered the back of Maura's hand, then pulled them both away. Turning her head toward the back door, slowly, she raised her voice. "Ma, get in here."

The door opened a fraction. Angela pushed her head through the gap and glanced into the room. With a wave of her arm, Angela followed Jane's instruction and walked over.

"What the hell did you do?" she asked, shaking her head. Angela stepped backward, her lips pressed together. "I mean, are you okay?"

"I was stupid," Jane said. "I know."

"Damn right you were stupid."

"Angela!" Maura shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I'm right. You can't deny it." She perched on the edge of the couch. "Janie, you could have been killed, or the babies could have been killed. You have to look after yourself."

"I know." She breathed in slowly, fighting the desire to cry out for a hug from her mother. "I'm sorry we've been so mad at you."

"Me?" Angela shrugged. "I deserved it."

"That may be so," Jane said, reaching out a hand. Angela took it, and squeezed Jane's fingers. "But it doesn't mean we shouldn't have forgiven you sooner. I know you love us, and that's why you do the things you do."

"I should never have told anyone else about your pregnancy." She turned to Maura, who had moved to the chair beside the couch. "I shouldn't have shared your secret. It wasn't my news, and I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Angela," Maura said. "It's not okay that you did it, but it's okay now. As Jane said, we know how much you care."

"What can I do?" She picked up Jane's mostly empty plate. "You done?"

She nodded. "Thanks, Ma."

x

Screaming woke her with a start. Jane stared around the bed, frantic, her shoulder searing with pain. Maura flicked on a lamp, her eyes as wide as Jane's. It was only when she reached her arms around Jane's good shoulder that she realised the sound had from her own mouth. Her breathing became a struggle, each laboured breath fought to function.

"It's okay," Maura said, cupping her cheeks.

"It hurts." Tears streamed down her face coating Maura's hands. She leaned forward against her, her heart sped along with the increase in breaths. "Are the babies okay?"

"Shh, you need to lower your heart rate," Maura said. "Try to breath normally."

"It's too hard," she gasped. "The babies."

"The babies are fine, Jane."

"No, no they're not." Pushing through the pain in her shoulder, she gripped Maura's camisole, tugging the fabric as she stared into her eyes. Begging her for help. "I think there's something wrong."

"Okay." Maura wrapped her fingers around Jane's wrists and removed her hands away from her clothing. She slid her legs over the edge of the bed.

Jane grappled with her, desperate for something to hold onto. "Don't go, where are you going?"

"I'm going to change, then I'm going to take you to the hospital."

She rolled onto her back. The darkness surrounded her, suffocating her. Her shoulder still hurt. Her whole body tingled with feelings she couldn't quite put into words. Maura slipped a hand around her good arm. She sat up.

"Are you ready?"

Nodding, Jane slipped off the edge of the bed and stood up. She hooked her arm around Maura's back and walked slowly toward the bedroom door. In the hallway, the moon shone through the window, shrouding them in a bright white light.

"What's going on?" Cailin asked, standing in her doorway.

"Jane's not feeling very well," Maura said. "I'm going to take her to the hospital."

She rubbed at her eyes. "I'll drive."

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely, you should look after Jane." She disappeared back into her bedroom, returning with a trench coat in hand.

In the back of the car, Jane leaned against Maura, her hands wrapped around whichever bit of skin she could reach. She sunk into her embrace. She felt a little sick, like her stomach was going to churn up at any second and force the spaghetti and ragu sauce out of her. Old tears dried on her skin. She whimpered, still fighting the need for a decent breath.

"You're going to be okay," Maura whispered, placing kisses across the side of her head. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere."

"We should have brought snacks," Cailin said. "Why did you let Jane come out in sandals? Should I call Angela when we get there to bring her some shoes?"

"Cailin," Maura said, her voice soft against Jane's ear.

"I should probably call Korsak, let him know Jane won't be in work…she wasn't gonna be anyway, was she? Then I should call Kent to let him know that we won't be in."

"Cailin, it's okay."

"No, it's not," she said, gripping the steering wheel. "There's things that we need to do."

"Not right now there isn't." Maura untangled herself from Jane long enough to reach her hand out and give Cailin's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Thank you for your concerns, but let's not jump the gun."

"Why do I feel sick?" Jane asked.

Maura leaned against the seat. Jane settled back against her side, relishing in the warmth of her embrace. "There could be any number of reasons."

"Is it the babies?"

"Hopefully it's normal pregnancy nausea, or your medication."

"But what if it's not?"

"It's two thirty in the morning, you're in pain because of your shoulder, and your hormones are all over the place. There are many possible reasons."

"I hope so," she said, nuzzling her face against Maura's jacket. "Thank you for taking me to the hospital."

x

"Everything is A-OK," Doctor Baldwin said.

"Really okay?" Jane asked, turning to Maura. "'Cause I still feel weird."

She smiled and brushed her blonde hair back behind her ear. "Your bloods came back clear; your heart rate has dropped back to a comfortable level. I'm a little concerned about the amount of pain you're in."

Jane shook her head. "I didn't take anything before I went to sleep."

"You didn't?" Maura asked.

"No," Jane sighed. "I was gonna but then I got into a comfortable position. I think I fell asleep."

"I'll get you something now," Doctor Baldwin said. "If I'd known this earlier I could have given you something sooner."

"I forgot."

"Stacey," she said, turning to the nurse beside her. "Can you get Miss Rizzoli six hundred and fifty milligrams of acetaminophen IV, please."

Maura squeezed Jane's hand. "Doctor, do you know what caused Jane to feel the way she felt?"

"It's difficult to say," she said. "Jane, what actually happened when you started feeling unwell?"

"I was asleep, I don't know."

"She woke up screaming," Maura said.

"My shoulder hurt, a lot. I felt like my chest was getting really tight, and all I could think about was the babies and if they were okay."

Doctor Baldwin smiled and placed her tablet computer on the table at the foot of the bed. "Did you feel any actual pain in your abdomen?"

"I don't know," Jane said, looking at Maura, her eyes downturned. "I didn't make this up."

"Nobody thinks you did," Maura said, resting a hand on her good shoulder.

"It is possible," Doctor Baldwin said. "That you were dreaming."

"This wasn't a dream. It felt so real."

Maura rubbed her neck. "Dreams become more vivid during pregnancy."

"This wasn't a dream!"

"During pregnancy the body goes through a lot of changes." Doctor Baldwin returned her file to the end of her bed. "It's normal to have vivid dreams and even nightmares during this time. It can be frightening, especially if you're not used to having such strong dreams."

"I've had strong dreams," Jane said. "This was not a strong dream."

"It's not always easy to remember." Maura gripped her hand. "Sometimes we don't remember details about what we dream, more the emotions that manifest themselves."

"But I felt it," Jane said. "I felt sick, and in pain, and it was everywhere."

"I appreciate that this was a frightening experience for you." Doctor Baldwin smiled. "We can't find anything medically wrong with you or the babies, aside from your previous injury. It's possible that with the shoulder, and your pregnancy, that your body went into a panic when you woke up in such pain. When Stacey comes back she'll put in the IV pain medication and hopefully you'll be able to go home in a few hours. If you need anything, the nurses will be around."

She picked up her tablet and carried it out of the room. Maura squeezed her hand tightly, but it didn't settle Jane's concerns. "I didn't dream it."

"I know you think you didn't," Maura said, stroking her cheek. "You're in pain, and you're upset. The only thing that matters is that the babies, and you, are okay."

"Yeah." She slouched down in the bed, wincing with every movement of her arm. "Where's Cailin?"

"She's in the waiting room. I'll go and update her when they're putting in the IV."

Jane sighed. "Great, more needles."

x

Resting the tray on one arm, Jane walked through the bedroom door. She moved slowly, careful not to spill the small pot of coffee or the glasses of juice, whilst being careful to keep her injured shoulder immobile.

"What are you doing, Jane?" Maura asked, climbing out of bed. She rushed across the room and took the tray off her arm, her mouth agape.

"Thanks," Jane said, perching on the end of the bed. "Don't look so worried. I'd have managed."

"I'm sure you would." Maura raised her eyebrows. "You're stubborn like that. How did you get it all the way upstairs?"

"I would say difficultly," Jane said, massaging her lower arm. "But Cailin brought it up, I only carried it through the door."

Placing the tray on the bed, Maura sat down beside her and pushed Jane's hand aside. She pushed Jane's skin with her thumb, massaging her arm slowly. "Are you getting cramps again?"

"Just a twitch, I guess."

"This looks wonderful," Maura said, letting go of her arm and pouring herself some coffee. Jane stared at her longingly. "I hope you're not expecting some too."

She picked up the other mug and held it up. "Please, Maura."

"No."

"You really need to start giving me answers, it's been three days and my shoulder is feeling a little better. Why can't I have coffee?"

"It doesn't matter how much better your shoulder is feeling, the pain relief you're on has caffeine in it. Besides, it's better for the babies that you stay off caffeine."

"Should probably give some to Cailin then," Jane said. "Do I at least get to drink your orange juice?"

"I think that's a fair compromise." Maura picked up her mug and sipped it on her way toward the door. "Cailin, would you like some coffee?"

A moment later, Cailin appeared in the doorway, with a smile across her face. "Did you say coffee?"

"We have a spare mug; would you like to join us?"

She nodded and walked around the bed, climbing onto one side. Maura scooched up beside her, with Jane sitting on her other side. She reached for the tray and laid it down on her lap.

"This is weird," Jane said.

Maura frowned. "How so?"

"The plan was breakfast in bed with my girlfriend, and now it's breakfast in bed with my girlfriend and her sister."

Cailin rolled her eyes and snatched a piece of toast from the plate. "I can leave you to it, if you'd prefer."

"Nah, it's fine." She pulled a pancake off a small stack and ate it like a cookie. "You make great pancakes."

"Thank you."

"Perhaps now would be a good time to discuss with Cailin what we were discussing last night, Jane?"

She chewed and swallowed. "Sure. You can do it."

"Do what?" Cailin asked, her eyebrows creased together

"Cailin," Maura said. "Having you here for the past few weeks has been, well, it's been wonderful. I never realised how much I would value having you in my life again. I know the reason is still difficult, but I think, no, I know, that Hope would be very proud and happy that you're here."

"I think so too," Cailin said, running her fingertip across the bottom of her eyelid.

"We'd be really honoured if you would consider being the twins Godmother."

"Yes!" She wrapped her arms tightly around Maura and kissed her cheek. "Of course I would. I'm the one who's honoured, that you'd want me to be influential in your children's lives."

"You already are," Maura said, cupping her cheek. "When you go back to Oxford, I really want them to continue to get to know you. It's really important to me that their Aunt Cailin will always be part of their lives."

She slipped off the bed and wiped at her face. Maura returned her hand to her lap. Cailin lowered her gaze.

Jane sat upright, her eyes tightened. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Maura asked, glancing at Jane.

"Cailin?"

She shook her head. "I didn't want to ask, especially given everything that's happening. You're expecting the twins, you're really busy with work."

Maura gasped. "Do you want to go home? To Oxford?"

"No." She smiled. "Quite the opposite. I just don't wanna be an imposition."

"You would never be an imposition, Cailin."

Scrunching up her nose, she smiled again. "Maybe, I wondered if, you might consider having a house guest on a more permanent basis."

"You'd like to stay."

"If you'll have me."

"You're welcome for as long as you wish to be here," Maura said, climbing off the bed and scooping her up into her arms. She rested her head on her shoulder. A couple of tears slipped down her face and fell from her chin. "All I've ever wanted is a family, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to have you in my life."

"Me too!" Jane shouted, from her spot on the bed. "I'd come over there and hug you myself but I don't think I can do the hugging thing right now."

Cailin cupped Maura's cheeks and stepped back, just enough to see Jane. "I love you guys."

"We love you too, don't we Jane?"

She rolled her eyes briefly. "We do."

"Who wants more pancakes?"

"There's plenty," Maura said, turning around.

Jane pressed her lips together and stared across the room toward the en-suite, a half-eaten pancake in hand. Her eyes trailed back to Maura, who stood with her hands on her hips. She shrugged. "The babies made me eat them."

"All of them?"

"There were only four."

"You're going to end up with gestational diabetes if you're not careful."

"Never," Jane said. "I could live off sugar."

"I'd really rather you didn't."

"I'll make some more," Cailin said, picking up the empty plate and heading toward the door.