A/N: More coarse language this chapter.

After taking a moment to put on her game face Jane strolled down the stairs and froze in her tracks. She recognised the red haired woman standing directly in her line of sight.

For the love of God, just fucking shoot me now.

"This. Is. Not. Happening." Jane muttered under her breath before she turned on her heel and marched back up the stairs.

What the hell do I do now? Oh God, she's gonna kill me and revive me just to kill me again. Up yours life, seriously. Up. Yours. Did somebody say murder? Help me out here Lord, if ever it's a good time for a body to be discovered it's now! Come on, please… ring damnit!

"Jane?" Maura had followed her friend up the stairs when she had noticed her retreating form. "Are you alright?"

Jane looked sheepishly from the annoyingly quiet phone in her hand to the schooled features of Doctor Maura Isles. Naturally the doctor had to come out to play after she had pretty much just rejected Maura five minutes ago. Jane sighed sadly; she had well and truly ruined the evening before she had even seen Maura's mother. "I, uh…"

Oh God, I slept with Maura's mother… I'm so dead.

Maura studied Jane closely and was surprised to see not just guilt on her face but fear. Fear? She tilted her head sideways as she was wont to do from time to time when thinking. "You don't get to avoid dinner, just because things might be a little awkward. It's just me Jane, nothing has to change."

But, oh my God Maur… what the hell do I do? I can't not tell her… God I just need to get out of here.

Jane shrugged and looked back down at her phone. "I, uh, got a call. There's a body." It was official, she was a terrible liar.

Maura frowned. "Please do not lie to me Jane."

"You know what… fine. Fine!" Jane stalked past her best friend and down into the open planned kitchen and living room where she walked right up to Hope and stuck out her hand. "Detective Jane Rizzoli, nice to meet you."

Instant recognition flashed across Hope's face but she schooled her features, in a way that made Jane think that's where Maura must have inherited that ability from. Accepting the hand thrust before her she smiled softly, "Doctor Hope Martin, nice to meet you too detective."

Maura walked over to the two women taking position between them both. With nothing but her best Isles' smile she made the introductions a little less formal. "Jane this is my biological mother and Hope, Jane is my best friend. If you'll both take a seat at the dining table I will serve dinner."

"Sure," she led Hope over to the dining table and pulled out a seat for the mother of the woman she loved; the woman she had practically rejected out of some sense of honour. The mother she had spent doing many, many things she really wish she had not done with the night before. Not with Maura's mother. She walked around the table and sat down opposite the woman. This was an absolute disaster.

Maura slid the meals in front of both women before disappearing and reappearing with her own, sitting down at the head of the dining table, between Jane and Hope. She smiled politely and glanced towards her mother, "Thank you for joining us tonight."

Hope smiled brightly. It had been a shock when she had first been told by Maura that she was the biological daughter she believed dead; but now she just wanted the chance to get to know this accomplished woman she gave birth to. "Absolutely my pleasure Maura, thank you for having me."

While this conversation was going on Jane just stared down at her plate, of course it had to be fish. Fish for dinner. She sighed and stood up hastily, "I, uh, need a beer. Would you ladies like anything?"

Maura looked over at Jane mortified that she had forgotten to offer her guests refreshments. "Oh I'm sorry, there's a bottle of wine breathing on the island. If you could bring that and some glasses I would be most appreciative."

Jane nodded and did as she was told, eventually returning with a beer for herself, two glasses and the bottle of red. She poured the wine for both women before sitting back down and focusing on her dinner. She managed to spare a few short answers, bust mostly referred to her chewing as an excuse not to partake in too much conversation.

She nodded and smiled politely before eventually excusing herself to use the facilities. She really didn't know how Maura managed to be cordial around people she couldn't stand for an entire evening. Because this sinking feeling was doing Jane's head in and regardless the discretion Hope clearly exercised, it was overwhelming.

Returning from the bathroom Jane was so busy watching Hope and Maura interacting that she didn't watch where she was walking and found herself sprawling forwards having tripped over Bass. She landed with a thud. "Damnit," she cursed loudly.

Maura and Hope were both at her side a moment later and when Hope helped her up Jane couldn't help the flush that covered her face. It was too much being that close to a woman she had been intimate with the night before. She yanked her hand way a little quickly and had to look away when Maura shot her a questioning look. "It's nothin, I'm fine." She grouched before making her way back to the dining table.

The mother and daughter duo returned to the table and a few moments passed before Maura looked from Jane to Hope and back to Jane and then her eyes went wide and her eyebrows shot up when she muttered a single utterance, "Oh."

Jane cast a sideways glance at Maura and cursed the universe for Maura's stupid micro expression reading rubbish. She sighed and buried her face in her hands. "God, I'm so, so sorry Maur. I didn't know."

Hope at this juncture realised the conversation beneath the words and dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. "Well, this is awkward."

"Ya think?" Jane almost roared; sarcasm blatantly obvious. Her eyes however were firmly planted on Maura now. "Maura?"

Maura met Jane's gaze and shrugged. "Well I suppose it could be worse. Angela could be here."

"Oh geeze, thank the Lord for small mercies." Jane still wasn't sure where Maura's head was at and that worried her. It felt very much like Doctor Isles was still very much in the building and that when she left plain old Maura was going to be heartbroken.

"Who is Angela?"

"My mother; she lives in Maura's guesthouse. If she wasn't having dinner with Sean tonight she'd have been here and that would have redefined the meaning of the word awkward." Jane explained patiently, despite the ever increasing need to get Maura alone to talk about what had happened and what it meant.

"And," Maura seemed to muse out loud, "I am thankful you didn't kiss me earlier when I asked you to, Jane."

It was Jane's turn to look bug eyed, "Shit Maur, did you really have to mention that right now?" She paled under the fierceness that now burned in Maura's gaze. She raised her hands in a placating manner, "Okay, okay point taken."

Hope grimaced as she processed the conversation and the unspoken and realised that this situation was a lot more complicated than it was awkward. "I think it might be best if I go. Call me if you want to get together again Maura. I'm really sorry for this."

Jane shook her head and buried it in her hands again as she listened to Maura lead her mother out of the house. How she wished she could make a similar escape, but no, not after what transpired before this dinner. No, this was going to be one awful, awkward, painful conversation. She looked up when she felt Maura staring at her from across the room. She sighed and rose from her position; time to face the firing squad.

A/N: Okay, so maybe I need four chapters *shrugs* I haven't stopped laughing the entire time I have been writing this story, it's semi seriously written, but come on all, you know its pretty much tongue in cheek. ;) Thanks for reading and reviewing.