Chapter 7

Jane was lying in the bed watching ESPN when Maura entered her room. "What ya got there?" Jane indicated the box Maura was carrying.

"It's something I've been working on and I hope you like it." She handed the box to Jane and watched her closely.

Jane opened the box and looked back and forth between the box and Maura. "How did you do this?" Jane asked as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"Mass General is part of a program that donates hair to the Cancer Foundation to make wigs for cancer patients. I had my friend Jan find out where they sent your hair and she went and bought it back for me, then took your picture to a friend of mine and he made the wig. Do you like it?"

"Come here." Jane reached out her hand to Maura. "Are you saying this is my own hair?" Maura just nodded. "I can't believe you went to all that trouble for me." She was freely crying now. "No one has ever done anything like this for me before. If I didn't love you before I would l love you after that." She laid the box aside and pulled Maura into an embrace.

"I just thought it would make it easier for you to go back to work if you could look somewhat like your old self." Maura whispered into her neck. She licked her neck and felt her breath hitch. She followed that with a kiss to her pulse point and was happy to feel that her heartbeat was beating as fast as her own. "I love your hair and I could not picture you looking any other way and I found it was within my power to make you look the same so I took the chance that you wouldn't mind."

"Is there anything that isn't within your power?" Jane hissed as Maura's lips traveled down her neck.

Maura's lips continued to explore Jane's neck and she found that she liked the way Jane smelled, even after 6 days of sponge baths, she had a smell that was all her own. "I'm sure there is but I haven't found it yet." Jane knew she wasn't boasting but stating fact. "You taste good."

"You feel good. I can't believe how you can turn me on with just a few kisses."

"Just wait until I get you home and you will see how good I can make you feel." Maura almost growled and Jane moaned.

"Damn Ma they're at it again." Frankie complained from the doorway. Maura pulled away from Jane and smiled at Angela and Frankie.

"Ma look what Maura got for me." She held up the wig proudly.

"It looks just like your own hair." He mother came up and took the wig out of her hand and inspected it.

"It is my own hair Ma. Maura had a friend of hers find it and buy it back then had another friend make it for me."

"Who did you have to buy it from?" She directed the question to Maura.

"The hospital donates hair to the Cancer Society so all I had to do is find out who they donated it to and make a nice donation and they were happy to let it go. I thought it would make her feel more comfortable if she looked more like herself." Maura smiled shyly at Angela.

Angela walked around so she was standing next to Maura. "I don't care what you did, in my book you are still the Maura I think of as a second daughter. I knew you would never turn your back on your friends and family."

Maura reached up and wiped a tear from her eye. "Thank you Angela. I hope you will all give me a chance to make up for the mistake I made."

"As far as I'm concerned you've already done that."

"Hey sis how ya doin?" Tommy came strolling into the room as if there was nothing wrong. Jane looked at his cut lip and knew he'd been out drinking and got in trouble. She sat back for the show when Maura started to leave Jane shook her head and pulled Maura to sit beside her on the bed.

"Tommy, where have you been all week? We expected you to be here for your family and what did you do, you ran out and from the looks of things you got into a fight and from the smell of you I guess you've been drinking. Didn't you learn when you ran over Father O'Malley? I guess not."

Tommy looked at Jane then Frankie and saw that he wasn't going to get any help from them, and from the way Jane had her arm around Maura he assumed Maura would side with Jane that didn't help his mood at all. He turned to his mother and knew he wasn't going to get out of this easily. "Ma I had a game that took me weeks to set up and the guys were already on their way to my apartment so I couldn't not be there. Then the game was raided, who knew high stakes poker games were illegal." Everyone in the room raised their hands, even Maura. "While I was in jail I got into a fight so they made me stay longer and they just let me out this morning."

"You left your sister's side for a poker game?" Angela walked up and hit him in the chest. "I can't believe you. Jane was in surgery again and you were playing poker?"

"No Ma by that time he was probably already in jail." Jane smiled from the bed and wrapped her arm tighter around Maura. "Don't ya think Frankie? Would it be safe to say he didn't make it through the night before they broke up his little party?"

"Yeah Jane that would probably be a safe assumption." He turned and smiled at Jane.

"Come on guys, this was my chance to make big money, I mean big money." Angela slapped him on the back of the head. Jane and Frankie had to stop themselves from laughing. For once their mother was seeing her baby for what he really was. A selfish asshole.

"So how much money did you make, apparently not enough for your bail?" Angela didn't hold back her anger at her youngest. "Why do you always have to be so self centered?"

"Ma I didn't get any of the money, the cops took it all as evidence. I wonder how much will really make it into evidence and not into some cops pocket." Frankie jumped at Tommy.

"No Frankie he's not worth it that will only back up what he believes about cops. We're all crooked right Tommy? We're all on the take. That's why I'm livin' such a lavish life.

"Yeah Frankie ya better listen to St. Jane, the perfect one. Don't you ever get tired of being compared to her Frankie? All our lives it's Jane this and Jane that. Why can't you be more like Jane. I am so tired of it. There is no way I can live up to perfect. So I guess being a screw up is the best I can do."

"I have never compared you to Jane. I always treated each one of you individually and let you do your own thing even when I didn't agree with your choices." She turned and looked at Jane and Frankie then back at Tommy. "You more than anyone should know that. I visited you in prison whenever I could, I planned that party for you, even though you didn't show up. I've always been there for you."

"Jane I think I'm going to leave." Maura whispered to Jane. Maura tried very hard to feel sorry for Tommy, she really did like him, but who would leave Jane to attend a card game?

"Oh no, you're a part of this family now, so you get the good, the bad and the ugly. This is the ugly, but it's nothing new to us." Jane leaned over to kiss Maura on the cheek and whispered. "This is a regular occurrence in the Rizzoli household, although this is the first time we've had one at a hospital. Tommy usually wins by using his charm and wit on Ma but I don't think it's going to work this time. He stepped in it big time."

"Stepped in what?" Maura whispered back to Jane.

"Oh my little innocent one, he stepped in the shit and now it's hitting the fan. Don't try to figure that one out it will only hurt that gigantic brain of yours." Jane smiled at the confused look on Maura's face.

"My brain is the same size as yours I just use more of it than you do." She looked at Jane's smiling eyes. "Oh you were playing with me weren't you?" Jane nodded. "He does know you're not perfect doesn't he?" This time it was Maura's turn to smile at Jane. Jane gave her a mock shocked look.

"Ma I just can't do it anymore. I'm not Jane and I'm not Frankie. I make mistakes, and I will admit this was one of the worst ones yet, but there will be more, nobody's perfect."

"Don't say it Jane." Maura quickly put her hand over Jane's mouth to keep her from making a smart remark. She removed her hand slowly.

"But he said I was perfect." Jane whispered close to Maura's ear. Maura had to hold back the laugh that was bubbling to the surface and she almost lost it when she looked up at Frankie who appeared to be thinking the same thing Jane was.

"Oh Tommy I never expected perfection from the three of you, if I had I would be a broken bitter woman." Maura gave Jane a look that said 'don't say it'. "All I expected was for all of you to do your best and be happy."

"I am doing my best and for the most part I'm happy but sometimes I fall back into old habits because it's so easy. And my friends don't look down on me like you guys do." He looked at Jane and Frankie.

"What do you expect Tommy. Jane and I are cops and when you do something stupid and get yourself thrown in jail what are we supposed to do? Do expect us to bail you out? We can't Tommy, we can't show favoritism."

"That's right Frankie everything by the book, that's the only way. Everything is black and white to you isn't it? Are there no gray areas?"

"Sure there are but you've crossed the line too many times for us to see it as anything but black and white. You know right from wrong and you make your own choices. How many times did Jane take the fall for something you and I did as kids? Ma still blames Jane me for becoming a cop and screwing up my life but what she won't accept is that I love what I do, almost as much as Jane does. What we do is good Tommy."

"Yeah you keep scum like me off the street. And I know how many times Jane got me out of a jam growing up. Maybe you shouldn't have."

"Tommy you are not scum. I've seen a side to you that you don't let out very often and it's good. You don't have to prove anything to anyone except yourself. Yeah sometimes you're a big time screw up but so am I. Hell I shot myself, can't screw up any better than that can you? I walked into a closed in area without a backup and ended up with these." She held up her hands so he could see the scars. "And let me tell you they are a constant reminder of how wrong that move was. You don't have to be a screw up Tommy, you've got potential, use it."

"What the hell am I supposed to do work at McDonalds?" He sneered at her.

"If that's what it takes to get your foot in the door then take that step. Find something you like to do and do it good, but keep it legal ok?" She gave him her best smirk.

"I can't deal with this right now." He turned to leave the room but Angela grabbed his arm.

"Let him go Ma. I think he's got some thinking to do." Angela let go of his arm and he slowly walked out of the room. "He'll be ok, just give him time. I think we got through to him this time, just be patient. Now everybody get out of my room because this talk has worn me out." She waved to her mother and brother to tell them things are fine they both turned and left the room without arguing. "Maura I would love for you to stay but you look like you're ready to fall over from exhaustion. Besides I bet you're dying to take a long hot bath. Go home and pamper yourself for a couple of hours, get some sleep then come back and we can talk."

Maura carefully pulled Jane into a hug. "You are a very special woman Jane Rizzoli and I love you. I will see you in a couple of hours."

"I love you too but I don't want to see you until after it gets dark." She held her hand up to stop her protests. "Take one of your marathon baths, use that lavender stuff, I love the way it makes you smell. Then I want you to sleep for at least 5 hours, maybe more. I'm not going anywhere, I'll be here when you get back. Besides there's a Sox game on today and that will keep me occupied. Now that I'm not hooked up to that ventilator maybe they'll let me take a shower or something."

"I can help you with that."

"Oh I know you can and you will when I get out of here and I plan on helping you right back. Now go home and pamper yourself." Maura leaned over and gave Jane a deep and passionate kiss that she hoped would keep Jane thinking about her until she came back. "See, now picture us doing that in the shower. Now get out of here." She gently pushed Maura away from her.

"I'll see you soon enjoy the game." When she got to the door she turned and gave Jane a bright smile and waved.