Hello, readers :) Since I got such a wonderful response after just one chapter, I'm turning this into a series. Thank you so much to the people who reviewed, and please continue to do so, I love to hear from you. And thanks for everyone who took the time to read these chapters, I really hope you like it. All mistakes are mine and I apologise profusely. Enjoy :)
"Casey?" asked Jane as she spoke into the mouthpiece of her phone.
"Hey, Jane, how's my favourite wife?" Jane rolled her eyes at the usual banter. She was not in the mood today.
"Not now, Case," she sighed, a tinge of sharpness in her tone. Casey perked up immediately. Something was up.
"Is something wrong? Is it Maura?" he asked, sounding concerned. "Is she alright?"
"She woke up," Jane replied flatly, running a hand through her hair.
"That's great, Jane!" said Casey, knowing how much Jane had been worrying. "Wait, what's the bad news?"
"I'm in my car outside the hospital. I... I can't go in," she said quietly, tapping the wheel with her fingers, eyeing the entrance to the hospital anxiously as people milled around in the sunlight.
"Is it that bad? What's wrong with her?"
"She... She's lost almost all of her memories for the past four years."
"Oh, Jane," sighed Casey sympathetically.
"She doesn't remember me-" Jane was cut off mid-sentence as she heard another voice invading their conversation.
"Wait a second." Jane clenched her fist in anger as she heard voices on the other end of the phone. Casey was still at work. As a general, he was relocated, and Jane only saw him every now and then. Marriage was supposed to be perfect. This was far from it. She waited impatiently for the obviously more important conversation to end.
"Sorry Jane, I have to go. I'll call you back as soon as I can, okay?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever," sighed Jane, pulling the phone away from her ear.
"Wait, Jane-"
But Jane hung up, hurling the phone into the passenger seat where it bounced against the door with a clunk. Jane punched the steering wheel, her anger and frustration reaching its peak. Why did this have to happen?
Maura stood up from the bed, standing in the comfortable clothes Jane had brought her. It felt a lot better than that horrible gown she had been confined to. A warm shower had made her feel fresh and human again, and her hair was washed and brushed to its beautifully normal state again, shiny and smooth. She admired Jane's choice of clothes for her - she must really know her, as Maura's taste was particularly delicate and well thought out. Jane had picked perfectly. Ensuring her blue shirt was rolled up elegantly at the elbows, and her skinny jeans - she would have normally gone for a skirt, but the jeans looked even better - looked alright, she stood from the bed just as Jane Rizzoli entered the room.
"Hey Maura," she said with a broad smile. For a moment, she had forgotten what had happened and just gone back to normal, just for that split second. Now she felt an overwhelming weight crushing her heart when Maura looked up, and politely smiled at her. This wasn't Jane's smile. This wasn't the smile she saw in the mornings when she dropped by Maura's, or when she went down to see her in the lab. This was not the beautiful, genuinely happy smile that graced the blonde's face when she strolled into the bullpen with a piece of evidence or a scientific test result. Jane saw the smile that Maura wore when she had met someone in passing and was trying to remember their details.
"Detective Rizzoli," she smiled, before seeming to realise herself. "Uhm, Jane," she added, trying to make the detective feel better. It didn't seem to work, but Jane shrugged it off. "Can I help you with something?"
"I was going to give you a lift home, if you want. Since, well, your car isn't here and getting a bus or taxi would be ridiculous since you're-"
"Thank you, Jane," she replied sincerely, trying to spare the woman the embarrassment of rambling aimlessly.
"Good. So, you ready to go?" asked Jane. She looked as if she had just come from work, her blue shirt covered by trousers and a black jacket. They were slightly creased, upon closer inspection.
"Yes, lead the way," she smiled, trying her best to put the detective at ease. She seemed nice enough, if a little abrupt and blunt. And she had let the woman into her home, and she remembered to feed Bass, for crying out loud. Nobody remembered to feed Bass, in her experience.
She followed the detective, picking up her bag that Jane had brought. With all her make-up in it, for which she was eternally grateful. Her heels clacked against the floor as she followed the tall woman through the doorway. Jane stopped and held the door open for her. Maura thanked her cordially as she passed by. She was glad that she had a friend like Jane. She hoped she could remember soon. She knew it was possible after her accident – the details of which she still hadn't cemented in her head yet. She may have been in a bit of a daze when it was explained to her. But Jane had been the one to find her, she remembered the doctor telling her that part. Jane walked comfortably by her side, their pace perfectly matched.
"So how're you feeling?" asked Jane as she started the car. She glanced to Maura, who had quirked an eyebrow after placing her bag on the floor, her head tilted slightly.
"Your engine is ticking," stated Maura suddenly, a look of concentration on her far as she listened keenly.
"You pointed that out last month," smiled Jane, her tone slipping ever so slightly into what Maura could only describe as melancholia.
"Oh," replied Maura, settling back in her seat, looking out of the front window. "I'm guessing I explained what it was too?"
"For about fifteen minutes," laughed Jane. Maura was silent for a moment. Jane automatically switched on the radio. A rock song that Maura didn't recognise came blaring out of the speakers, and Maura couldn't help herself when she reached out and switched it to a classical radio station. It was completely instinctive, she didn't know why she did it. Jane looked scandalised for a moment before switching it back. They continued to have this mini war for the next few minutes before Maura switched the whole thing off, settling the argument. She eyed Jane carefully, noticing the amused grin on her face.
"What's so funny?" she asked with a small laugh herself.
"Nothing. Just reminded me of something."
"Oh," said Maura, unsure of what to say. She opted to say nothing.
"Maura, we missed you!" This cry took Maura completely by surprise as soon as she opened her front door. She was soon engulfed in a warm hug and she froze.
"Ma, she can't remember!" Jane hissed through gritted teeth. The woman let go of Maura and stepped back, glaring at her daughter.
"A hug always helps! Ou could do with one too," she commented, holdif her arms up.
"Ma! I told you I'm not a hugger!" she said, wriggling out of her mother's arms. Maura looked around her home. It was different to how she remembered it, but still recognisable as her own.
"Hey, Maura?" came another voice. Maura turned towards the kitchen, placing her bag down on the coffee table next to the sofa. Sitting at the table was a young woman, late-teens by Maura's reckoning, with brown hair.
"Hello," said Maura awkwardly. Se noticed that Jane had appeared at her side while her mother walked over to this girl.
"Can you remember us?" she asked quietly, putting an arm around the younger girl.
"I'm sorry, I can't," Maura replied with a look of earnest apology on her face.
"Wow, this is going to be a long story," sighed Jane.
"So you're my sister?" asked Maura incredulously looking at this 'Cailin'.
"Half-sister, technically," the girl replied.
"And I found my birth mother?"
"Yes, her name's Hope. Your biological father is Paddy Doyle."
"The mobster," confirmed Jane.
"And you have my kidney," she asked, pointing to Cailin, who nodded.
"Mum's going to be here in a while, she had a surgery she couldn't get out of," said Cailin."But I can call her and tell her not to, if you like-"
"No, it's fine, I'm just a bit... Overwhelmed," said Maura quietly. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Angela standing offering her a cup of tea. Maura took it gratefully.
"Maur, your adoptive mother is coming over too. She heard about your accident and visited you when she could while you were in hospital."
"Really?" asked Maura.
"Yeah, she was worried."
"She visited me?" she asked, incredulously. "More than once? But we were-"
"Yes! You made up with her, she saved your life!"
"Oh my God, I can't remember any of it!" cried Maura, leaning against the kitchen table on her elbows, holding her head in her hands. She did not like the lack of control in this situation. Everything was a surprise to her.