Author's note: thank you very much for all the reviews!

Chapter Twenty-One: A Major Change In Our Life

"What?! Oh, c'mon!" Margot shook her head in disbelief. She sat on the edge of Maura's desk and squinted her eyes at Jane. "What kind of difference does it make if Leo dumped me for a guy? He dumped me: period. It'd have been for a girl or a cat that it'd be the same for me. Why the fact it's Joshua makes a difference?"

Jane nonchalantly shrugged and leaned her head backwards. She closed her eyes. If there had been doubts at some point, it was now clear that she was a Rizzoli because she enjoyed this little fight of opinions a bit too much. The smirk that was playing on her lips completely betrayed it. Guilty pleasure at its best.

"Would it make a difference for you if Maura left you for a guy instead of a girl?" Margot crossed her arms against her chest but didn't wait for an answer. "It has to be an American thing... Ava told me exactly the same."

The last comment made Maura chuckle but before her wife's offended look, she decided to remain quiet and focused on the suede stilettos she was now cleaning. They were running late, anyway. It was not the best time for her to give her opinion about the conversation or else Jane would drive a bit too madly once they hit the road.

"Well everyone isn't as sex fluid as the French. As for Maura..." Jane briefly looked at her wife in her back and bit her lips. "Both would hurt me a lot more than I can probably even imagine." Her voice slightly broke. The conversation was taking her back to a time when she had had doubts – a lot of them – about her relationship with Maura. She had been scared to lose her, she did not get at all why the scientist had chosen her. "Maybe it's a pride thing. I'd hate it if anyone managed to steal Maura from me."

"I can assure you that it won't happen, Jane." Maura checked out the shoes one more time then held them out to her wife. "Here they are... Please, next time make sure to not spill yogurt on them barely five minutes before we have to leave." She trotted to her bag - grabbed it - then gave a satisfied nod. "Alright. Let's go."

Maura had just passed the door and left the house when Margot stood up and accidentally made a whole stack of papers fall down. She squatted to clean her mess but didn't put an end to her conversation with Jane.

"I'm sure Maura thinks just like me."

Stilettos: on.

Jane rolled her eyes at Margot's stubbornness and looked around for her purse. Where had she put it again? A car honked outside. It had to be Maura who was losing her patience.

"Of course Miss-Love-Is-Fluid would. But you're right. Maybe it's cultural, after all." Victory: she found her purse under one of the cusions of the couch and was about to walk to the door when she noticed that Margot had frozen, a sheet of paper in hand. Frown. "What's going on?"

"You..." Blank voice. Margot looked up, the confusion in her voice palpable as ever. "You're... You are pregnant...?"

...

Maura cast an embarrassed glance at Jane then shrugged at Margot. She grabbed her plastic tea cup but didn't bring it to her lips. She wasn't thirsty. The drink was more of a subterfuge than anything.

"We were waiting for the right moment to let people know about it. As long as nothing is sure, we prefer to not say anything. Do you understand?"

Margot slowly nodded. As soon as she had picked up from the floor the results of Jane's analysis, she had understood what was going on. More or less.

"I'm sorry, it was an accident. I didn't sneak around. I made a big stack of papers fall down and..." She bit her lips as a wave of remorse invaded her. "I didn't mean to read the paper. My eyes just landed on it and then it was too late."

Jane smiled at her with all the patience in the world then turned her head to look by the window of the small restaurant. They had finally made it earlier than planned and – after an awkward drive to Harvard – had decided to get a drink for a well needed face-to-face.

She knows.

The words were still resounded loud in her head. She had stepped in the car – looked at Maura – and let it all come out. Two words. Only two words. Maura hadn't replied – obviously shocked – and then they had driven off; Margot sitting in the backseat just as quiet and confused as them.

"I started the injections yesterday. It's all new." Jane let a nervous laugh escape. "It's a rather long process and the percentage of chances is very low."

"I didn't know that you wanted a child. When... Have you been talking about it for a while? A long while?"

The question caused Jane and Maura to look at each other and – against all expectations – they both burst out laughing. There was nothing dramatic about it anyway. Why did they have to take it all so seriously?

They would do just fine no matter the result. It was an adventure, a brand new one. An adventure they would go through together.

"We owe it to Leo's parents as a matter of fact." Maura's cheeks turned pink. Aware of her sudden blushing, she looked down at the table and concentrated on her tea. "We came up with a list. You know, a list of pros and cons. Three weeks ago, we decided to choose artificial insemination. So we both ran medical tests and it turned out that Jane had the best chances to get pregnant."

Maura hadn't taken the news badly. On the contrary. She had somehow felt relieved to know that it would be Jane who would go through it. She didn't see herself giving birth to a baby. Not yet.

She preferred to play the role of the supportive partner. It suited her better.

"Okay...?" Margot still seemed to be a bit shaken up by the news. She was happy – her eyes were glimmering of delight – but the way she had learned about the plan had taken her aback. "When... When is the insemination... I mean, when is it happening?"

"April." Jane grabbed Maura's hand and squeezed it tightly for moral support. Subconscious gesture but a desperately needed one. "It'd be a Christmas baby."

"Oh my God!" As half of the room turned towards her, Margot heavily blushed and waved her hand to apologize for her sudden outburst. She bent over the table for more intimacy. "I'm gonna be... I'm gonna be an aunt! A French aunt! Or whatever I could be for this baby. Maybe the godmother? Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god."

And then the tears.

"Why are you crying? Maura... Tissue please."

Maura obliged and held out a tissue to Margot who immediately tried to control the damage. She couldn't afford big – puffy – eyes. Not now. Within an hour, they would join Cailin – Hope – and pretty much everyone to celebrate Cailin's PhD. One more doctor in the family. It was a big day.

"Because it's huge news! You're gonna be moms. It's..." Shrug. Sob. "It's... It's big."

Alright. Fair. The argument made Jane giggle. She was going through a lot of emotions since the day they had taken their decision. Fear – enthusiasm – hope. Everything was getting mixed in an odd whirl of borderline feelings.

"Why, you don't think it's great?"

The question made them laugh. They knew that if it worked out, everyone in their entourage would have the same reaction as Margot. And they were thrilled themselves. Thrilled but cautious.

It was too early to clutch to some hopes.

"I guess we don't really realize it yet." Jane shrugged. Her shaking voice highlighted her uncertainty and emotion. "We started yesterday so it's nothing yet. It's just the beginning... But please, keep this for yourself for the moment. I mean, you shouldn't have even known. My bad... I left the paper somewhere in this big stack of papers when I should have put it out of reach. Don't say it to anyone."

Margot nodded right away.

"Oh... Sure, no problem. You can count on me. I can keep secrets." She finally took a sip of her tea - reassured - but suddenly frowned at Jane. "And if you need anything... I'm here. Maybe the day of the insemination or... Well, you know. If I can help one way or another... I'll be more than glad to do so."

Margot would probably never realize how much the words she pronounced that day meant to Jane and Maura. Perhaps it hadn't gone as they had planned but they were glad that the French girl had turned out to be the first one to know.

Margot held a special place in their heart. They were taking it as a sign.

"Take the muffin, Jane. You need to eat for two, now."

Margot pushed the pastry on the table but Jane shook her head. The gesture made her laugh though. It was sweet; a bit ridiculous but sweet.

"I'm not pregnant yet. There's no need to stuff me up like a goose."

Pout. Eyes squinted in disapproval. Margot's signature when she disagreed on a point. She shook her head – just as expected – and blatantly put the small plate in front of Jane.

"You still need strength to face your hormonal cocktail. The road is long... Take it. It's your favorite one, besides: double chocolate."