Notes: Laid up in bed sick as a dog so why not post another fic chapter right? Feed me some review crack and maybe I'll start feeling better! In other notes, I've decided Tommy is a mean drunk, totally arbitrary, could have made him a funny drunk but I like angst and drama and mean drunks are always good for that.

CH 3: Punch Drunk

Jane sighed as she and Maura pulled up to her parents' house two days later for dinner. Frankie was standing out front his arms crossed tensely, jaw clenched and flexing.

Jane tapped her fingers on the steering wheel as she gave a nod to her brother; Frankie shook his head as a clear sign that things inside weren't going so well, "How much interaction did you have with Tommy at the hospital?" Jane asked, glancing at Maura.

"Not much, your mother introduced us, he wandered in and out a few times asked how you were and then left."

"Tommy's a selfish, reckless drunk. In and out of trouble and then one day he gets drunk gets behind the wheel and mows down a priest in a crosswalk. And the best part is Ma and Pop are oblivious to the fact that he really has a problem. Even after Tommy gets locked up they defend him…"

Maura rubbed Jane's shoulder for comfort, "Jane, he is their son…and your brother…"

"Yeah, and a lousy one on both counts. Let's just get this over with."

"Been drinking yet?" Jane asked Frankie as he turned to accompany them inside.

"Yep."

Tommy and Frank Sr. were occupied with the tv when they entered, beers in hand. Jane gave Tommy a wide berth and hauled Maura into the kitchen to help Angela with the meal. Jane selected the largest knife from the chopping block and started hacking angrily at the salad components laid out on one of the counters. Maura stood back, her hand over her mouth trying to stifle the laugh. Angela watched with momentary amusement until she realized one of two things was likely to transpire: one, they would be having pulverized salad mash with dinner, or two they wouldn't be having dinner at all for rushing Jane to the ER to reattach her fingers.

"Janie…honey…um…why don't you let Maura chop the salad, she might be a bit more deft with a cutting instrument."

Maura couldn't help but be fascinated by how the addition of Tommy altered the typical Rizzoli family dinner table dynamics. Conversation was restrained almost guarded. Jane and Frankie clearly avoided engaging Tommy at all. Angela's jokes and stories were more forced and Frank didn't say much at all. Tommy, however, in his growing state of inebriation filled the void with his own inane banter peppered with crass quips. If he was aware of Jane and Frankie's eyerolls he didn't let on. If Maura had to guess she almost sensed Tommy was…flirting with her. Have they not told him?

After dinner as Maura stood in the bathroom washing her hands she started to understand Jane and Frankie's frustration. Tommy really was nothing like them in personality, character or life aspiration. Though Jane was often irritated by her mother's antics she was in the end fiercely loyal to her family. Not only had Tommy ducked out of the hospital before Jane even regained consciousness he had not even asked how she was on upon seeing her for the first since. Maura exited the bathroom to find Tommy standing in the hallway propped up against the wall, slightly lilting from side to side.

Maura flashed an obligatory but brief courtesy smile as she started to make her way back to the living room but Tommy's arm flew out in front of her to the opposite wall blocking her path. The action caused Maura to gasp as she jumped. Tommy was leaning in close to her, his eyes glossy and pupils dilated from over-imbibing, his sour alcohol-laced breath filled the small space between. He's had more than just beer.

"Maura…" he slurred, "…nice to see ya again under better cir..circum…stances" he laughed as he finally got the word out.

Maura nodded, "Yes Tommy, nice to see you again I should really get back to the…"

Tommy stopped her again, "What's the rush? I though maybe we were making a connection over dinner." Tommy moved his free hand up to try and touch Maura's face. Maura tensed as she tried to pull away. She didn't need to try very hard. Two hands came slamming down on Tommy's shoulders from behind with a gutteral growl.

"Get your hands off my girlfriend!"

Jane's death grip gathered up wads of Tommy's shirt and dragged his balance-compromised body down the hallway before chucking him into the living room.

"Janie!" Angela and Frank Sr. exclaimed in near unison as all of the Rizzolis were now on their feet.

"Ma…don't even!" Jane pointed at her mother as she yelled.

Maura's soft hand settled on the small of Jane's back, "Jane…it's…"

Jane spun around placing her hand on Maura's face, in the exact place Tommy had been reaching for, "Are you ok, did he hurt you?"

Maura glanced with embarrassment at the Rizzolis who were all watching the scene unfold, though Frankie had moved over in a seeming show of solidarity to stand with Jane, "I'm fine, he's drunk, he didn't touch me" she almost whispered.

Tommy had hoisted himself to his feet and was laughing hysterically.

"Wait…wait…" Tommy could barely get the words out for the laughter, "…did you say girlfriend? Like…girlfriend, girlfriend?" Tommy staggered towards Jane as he said it.

Jane scanned her family's faces with a look of question. No one told him?

She looked back at Tommy, anger and disdain boiling behind her eyes.

He straightened himself up, "I always new you were a fucking dyke, sis. Ha! And a hot piece of lipstick dyke ass you landed, bang it while you can before she comes to her senses and realizes you're not half the man you think you are…"

Tommy didn't even have time to get out the laugh his joke conjured within himself as Jane's left fist connected with all the force she could muster square in his mouth sending Tommy reeling and crashing back to the floor.

Everyone stood momentarily in stunned silence. The blow was sobering for Tommy who writhed on the floor clutching his mouth before removing his hands to sputter out a mouthful of blood…and a tooth, "FUCK Jane!"

"Way to go sis!" Frankie said with genuine encouragement.

"Frankie!" Angela chastised.

"What! He put his hands on Maura and you heard what he said. If Jane wouldn't have socked him I would have."

Angela was kneeling down in front of her bleeding son trying to check his injury, "He's drunk, you know he doesn't mean it."

Jane merely stood there, rigid, fist still clenched the deafening sound of her heaving breath as she kept her eyes glued on Tommy. Right, he doesn't mean it, because Tommy does no wrong.

Maura noticed the blood dripping from Jane's knuckles and reached out delicately taking her hand and peeling back her balled-up fingers, "Come to the bathroom; let me look at your hand."

Maura ran cold water over the cut where Jane's fist had connected with one of her brother's teeth. She massaged the sinewy hand making sure to rinse the blood out from between the long fingers. Jane's stoic demeanor was finally broken by the sting of the soapy water that Maura washed into the cut.

"Sorry…" Maura said sympathetically, "…but the mouth is filled with bacteria and cuts from punching someone in the mouth are particularly prone to infection." She dabbed at Jane's wet hand with a clean washcloth and placed a band-aid over the puncture.

"You're sure he didn't touch you? Just tell me if he so much as put a finger on you."

Maura raised Jane's hand and lightly pressed her lips to the band-aid before moving the palm of Jane's hand to her cheek while stroking her wrist, "He didn't." Maura pulled Jane into her arms rubbing her back and clearing her hair out of her face so she could place a loving kiss on her temple. Jane exhaled letting her body relax into Maura's form. She nuzzled Maura's neck, felt the heat radiating off of it from the commotion of the after dinner shenanigans. Her tongue flicked out to taste Maura's neck before placing a deep kiss on it.

"Hmmm" Maura giggled, "You know, your brother was right about one thing…you're not half the man you think you are."

Jane pulled out of Maura's arms to hold her gaze with a skeptical look of Oh?

Maura moved towards her pressing their bodies together as she looked at Jane with a humorous grin, "But, you're all the woman I need."

Jane snorted, "Maur have you been listening to bad country music while I'm not around?"

"Certainly not, though based on my knowledge of stereotypical characterizations of the often depressingly down on your luck yet humorously penned tunes of the genre, tonight's turn of events might be suitable fodder for such a song."

Jane guffawed at the notion and then laid a passionate kiss on her girlfriend's lips, she pulled back and added, "Maybe, we'll call it Dyke Family Brawl…perhaps Reba will sing it at next year's CMAs."

"It's your call" Maura said with a wink.