Full disclaimers in Chapter 1

ALERT: If you have not watched the show yet, there might be spoilers.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Rizzoli & Isles nor any of the characters from the show. I am writing this purely for entertainment, not profit. Rizzoli and Isles are property of Tess Gerritsen and TNT.

I am not a native English speaker, and I don't have a beta. So all mistakes are 100% mine.

Enough of disclaimers and warnings – read at your own risk. Reviews are always welcome!

Season 3 – Episode 15 – "No More Drama in My Life"

Jane had no idea how long she had been there standing side by side with Maura.

They were both exhausted, dusty, dirty, but at least temporarily relieved, immediate tragedy have been averted.

Jane was not sure when her hand and Maura's had found each other and intertwined, but here they were. Grounding each other.

Jane had almost jumped when Maura put a hand on her shoulder. Maura was trembling when she had leant her side against Jane.

The sound of falling debris shook them.

"We need to get everyone out of here, now!"

Jane saw Frankie walking away with Angela, and looking back over his shoulder to make sure Jane was coming.

Jane tugged on Maura's hand, and they practiced a tired jog to get off the perimeter of danger.

"There are still patients to triage."

"I think you've saved enough lives for a day, Maura. You are shaking."

"And you are jumpy."

"Yeah, I think we both need to go home."

They drove in silence to Maura's house. Angela was there with TJ, and Frankie had gone to the hospital to check on Tommy.

Jane entered for a shower in the guest bathroom, and Maura went upstairs to use the master bathroom.

When they were back in the living room, Angela was leaving with a sleeping TJ to the guesthouse, satisfied to confirm they both were in one piece.

Jane opened the fridge, picking a beer.

"Wine for you?"

"No, I am good."

Jane sipped her beer, while picking the kettle.

"What are you doing?"

"If not wine, at least tea. You were shaking."

"I am fine now."

"How was your conversation with Casey?"

Jane sighed.

"He will go ahead with the surgery, Maura."

"He can't, Jane."

"I… I can understand why he is doing it… I… I would likely do the same if I was in his place…" Jane admitted.

"What do you mean? Why? I explained you the risks…"

Jane closed her eyes, shaking her head sadly.

"He… He can't feel… hmmm… it… any longer… He… He has been depending on a catheter…"

Maura exhaled, her mouth forming a silent "oh", understanding.

"He told me it is his choice. And he will be okay, or he won't, but it is his choice."

"Fair enough, I guess. But still tragic..." Maura squeezed Jane's forearm to offer her support.

"I thought I saw Hope walking away from the scene. Had she come with other doctors?"

"Yes."

"You were leading the effort. Did she talk to you?"

"Yes."

Jane handed her the fragrant mug, that Maura gladly accepted with a trembling hand, but the warm liquid and the warmth of the mug seemed to steady her.

"Will you tell me about it? I hope she did not give you trouble for speaking your mind to her before."

"I hated stopping being nice."

"Maura, you are not a cyborg. You are human. You are entitled to have feelings, to not be nice all the time. Besides, the situation kind of called for that. We actually never talked about what you told her."

"I told her… that I had this... this stupid little-girl fantasy... that when I met her, she would be... everything that she is. But she would want me. She would be very happy to know that I was alive." Maura spoke, in a very small voice.

Jane could only imagine the level of rejection that meant to Maura, and that had been simmering for months now, since Hope and Cailin had left her house after the bad confrontation.

This was not a rejection like Casey's. It was a whole new dimension of rejection, and Jane ached for Maura.

"And then I told her that I knew what I should do, give my kidney to save her daughter… But I told her I was her daughter too. When she said she knew she had no right to ask me, I just confirmed that she hadn't, and ask her to leave."

"I know you felt upset for your reaction, Maura. But cut yourself some slack… if you were not feeling like you were, I would be actually surprised… your reaction was just normal."

"Yeah… But then, seeing you and your family with TJ, and then with Tommy, it downed on me…"

"What?"

"The reason why I went into a tunnel under a collapsed building with you was because I knew how you would feel if you had any chance, as slim as it was, to save your brother, and not taken it."

"God, I could not tell my mother that my brother was dead. Of course I didn't think at that moment that by doing what I did, she might have to face the reality that both my brother and her two daughters – you and I – were dead too. She would have killed me if I was not already dead. I should not have taken you with me. I should have made you show me how to use the thermal scanner so I could go myself."

"You should not have gone in the first place, Jane. But if you needed to go, there was no way I was letting you go in there alone. Or that I would have left you alone there when you asked me to go back."

Jane nodded, touched and thankful.

"And then I knew that I had way more than a slim chance to save my half-sister, and I knew how I would feel if I did not take it."

Jane looked at her, lovingly and understanding.

"I told Hope I want to help Cailin. She said she knew what Cailing had told me, but I told her we all say and do stupid things. I hope she understood that also meant the way I treated her when she was in the morgue earlier. And then I told her that I will have Boston General's transplant unit arrange everything."

"You are the kindest and most selfless person I know, no doubt about it."

"I just made she promise me that Cailin wouldn't ever know."

"Did she?"

"She did… And then… she hugged me, Jane." Maura raised eyes welled in tears to Jane.

That was huge. Maura's mother had hugged her. Jane could again only begin to imagine how Maura felt.

Jane looked softly at Maura, hoping that maybe that hug could have helped even a little bit with a lifetime of rejection.

"She hugged me, and then she left. That was when I went for you."

"So you really have more than one reason to be shaken up today. Triaging life or death patients, going underneath a collapsing building with me, deciding to donate your kidney. Being hugged by your biological mother after she is aware she is your biological mother. Really, it was just another day at the office…"

They both chuckled.

"Listen, Maura. Hope will be focused on Cailin, and if she keeps her promise of Cailin not knowing about you being the donor, it means she will not be able to be close to you for the transplant."

"That is a given."

"The same way you would not let me go into that tunnel alone, or leave me behind… I will not leave you alone in this, neither will I leave you behind. I will be with you every step of the way. Between me and Ma, we will make sure you have all you need during this process of you donating your kidney."

Maura was touched, but her practical self-sufficient side still tried to take over.

"It is a simple procedure, Jane, you don't need to worry."

"It was a simple procedure to teach me how to use the thermal scanner. And still you did it yourself. Please, Maura, don't shut us out. I told you once and I will tell you again. The Doyles and the Martins might have their doubts about wanting you, but the Rizzoli's want you very, very much."

Maura nodded, touched, smiling back at Jane.