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

Chapter Twenty-Six: A Comedy Of Errors

Jane tried to turn her head around but winced in pain. Why did fate always have to go against her at some point? Yes, Maura had warned her but it hadn't lasted three hours either. She shouldn't even be sore right now.

You're getting old, Rizzoli. Accept it. Next time stick to safer positions. You're not in your twenties anymore. This is over. Over. Capisce?

One slightly kinky yoga session and she was stuck on the couch, unable to move around. It was sad. Really sad.

She grabbed one of the chocolate bars she had put on the coffee table and began to chew on it while watching absentmindedly a pointless lifetime movie on television.

She had called in sick in the morning after a desperate effort to roll on her side and grab her phone to dial the BPD. Maura had left earlier, called on a crime scene. Jane had been alone to deal with a rather excruciating pain that had made her moan so loud that Jo Friday had rushed to her to check what was going on.

Of course, Bass hadn't bothered.

The bitch.

She could have been dying on the kitchen floor that the tortoise wouldn't have moved an inch. Jane snorted. If this wasn't the proof that he didn't like her then she was the Queen of England.

"Oh no."

A large bit of the chocolate bar missed her mouth and landed on the floor, probably by her feet but she was not in condition to look down and go for it. Zen. Deep breath. No panic.

"Hey, Bass! Come over here and eat it." Jane tried to smile as she spotted the tortoise somewhere on her left but the pain only managed to make her look like a mad woman which scared Bass who just walked away. Growl. "Damn he's really worth nothing."

Doorbell.

"Ha!"

It had to be Frost. Her colleague had promised to stop by around noon to fill her in with the latest details of the case they were working on. A gruesome series of murders in Chinatown, mafia related.

Jane clenched her teeth to prevent herself from screaming in pain and stood up. She slowly made her way to the door. The bell rang again. Damn, why were people so much in a hurry?

"Hi, come in. I was havin' KitKat lunch. Do you..." Wrong interlocutor. Jane squinted her eyes at the woman who was standing in front of her; a notebook in her hand. In her early thirties. "May I help you?"

"Meredith Baxter, from A Roof For Children." The social worker held out a hand. Frown. Confusion before Jane's absence of reaction. "The adoption agency?"

"Oh!"

Oh. Jane bit the inside of her cheek. Yes, fate had really decided to mess with her this morning. She motioned the woman to walk in.

"Come on... I mean, come in!" Nervous laugh. Complete fail. Jane closed the door and tried to act as normally as she could in spite of her back pain. "Would you like some coffee or maybe tea?"

The chocolate bar, Rizzoli. There's chocolate bar on the floor. Don't tell her to go to the living-room now. Don't do that.

"A tea would be nice, thank you. I showed up at the BPD but one of your colleagues told me you were home on a day off. Don't be worried, it is just a very random visit. I had planned on starting with your workplace but it's okay if I visit your house first."

Yeah totally okay... NOT. Damn damn damn damn.

Jane led the woman straight to the kitchen and hurried as much as she could to the television to turn it off. Jo Friday trotted to her.

Excellent. If Bass was too much of a diet freak to approach the chocolate bar on the floor, her dog however would have no issue whatsoever to eat it. She gently pushed her towards the couch. In vain though. Jo Friday took it as a sign to start playing. Ugh.

"What a lovely neighborhood you're living in. And what a lovely house too. Do you have a patio or a backyard?"

Jane turned her head a bit too fast. She swallowed hard as the pain reminded her to slow down a bit.

"A patio but with many plants and a couple of trees. My mother actually lives in the guest house. It is really..." She tried to push Jo Friday towards the chocolate bar again. "It is really great because it is the best way for us to have our family around. We love having Sunday lunches with the family..."

The dog finally turned around and spotted the chocolate bar. A second of hesitation. Jane squinted her eyes at it. It was not chocolate but the biscuit part of the bar. Jo could eat it.

Go for it, dammit. I won't yell at you for that. C'mon, Jo Friday. You can do it. Go!

Victory. Relieved, Jane turned around and smiled as warmly as she could at the social worker. She walked back to the kitchen and proceeded to brew some tea with a terrible nonchalance. She was in her pj's - hadn't bothered to shower - and she was convinced her hair could have passed for a Jackson Five homage.

"The visit consists in a tour of the house, am I right?"

Meredith nodded. At least she looked nice and Jane didn't have to worry too much about it. Maura always made sure the house was impeccable and it was.

Besides, with TJ and Maddie coming from time to time, everything was ready to welcome newborns and toddlers.

"Sorry if I interrupted your... Lunch?" The social worker cast a glance at the coffee table and raised an eyebrow."

Shit. Nothing to worry about when it came to Maura but for Jane, it was another story. What kind of parent was she supposed to be if she fed herself of chocolate bars for lunch?

"Yeah well... Nah, not really. I woke up a bit late so I ski-..." Skipping breakfast was not really what could be seen as a better excuse. Not at all. "I'm a big chocolate fan. Don't tell my wife. She does not let processed food pass the door of this house. These bars are... A bit of a guilty pleasure, I'm afraid. You know, once in a while."

"I perfectly understand. Don't be worried. By the look of your kitchen, I can say that you don't get to eat a lot of junk food. I have to say that... Oh my god. What is that?"

Jane followed the woman's gaze – as much as she could considering her back pain – and rolled her eyes. Bass had just made an entrance in the kitchen by bumping his head against the fridge.

"This is Bass, our tortoise. Or better said, Maura's tortoise. It's quiet – slow – and inoffensive. This is just his way to say he's hungry. My nephew loves him. When he was younger, we used to make him take a little ride around the kitchen on the shell."

Meredith laughed. She seemed taken aback but not offended nor scared. Jane definitely understood. The first time she had met Bass, she had been quite surprised as well.

"He doesn't bite?"

Jane grabbed a leaf and put it down on the floor, in Bass' plate. She carefully patted his back for a better effect. The tortoise approached and began to chew on the green leaf.

"Oh no...! It's a... A nice tortoise. Very patient, especially with children who are always curious. It's not every day they have the chance to approach one!"

Door bell. Again. It had to be Frost. Bad timing. Jane poured some tea in a mug – held it out to the social worker – then excused herself. She literally ran to the door but froze when opening it. What now?

Why, fate? Why?

"Hi! I forgot my keys here last night." Margot stormed in – dropped her bag on the floor – and cast a glance at Jane. She had spent the night at Cailin's. "I'm starving. Have you had lunch already?"

Before Jane had a chance to stop her, the French girl started walking towards the kitchen; her face turned towards Jane.

"How's your neck? Unless it's your back...? I forgot. You'd know better than to go wild with Maura in the yoga room. You gotta keep the dirty kinky stuff for the bedroom. Hahaha! Oh c'mon, there is no need to make this face, Jane. Maura told me about it. I met her by accident on the street. She had blood everywhere. Looks like the crime scene she went to was particularly gross... Ew... At least I did not walk in on you going at it, this time! See my dear mothers have sex is not on my bucket list."

Jane turned livid.

Of course Margot hadn't noticed the way she had quietly – desperately – tried to make her stop talking. Of course the young girl had talked loudly. Of course the social worker had heard everything.

Of course.

Dammit.

Margot turned around and jumped with surprise as she came to face the woman. Hand on her heart.

"Oh boy. Sorry, I hadn't seen you. I'm Margot." She held out her hand to shake her interlocutor's.

"Meredith Baxter, social worker from A Roof For Children; the adoption agency...?" The uncertain tone of her voice betrayed her utter confusion.

"Oh." Margot blinked, suddenly realizing the delicacy of the situation before her rather loud and oh so unappropriate entrance. "Nice... Nice to meet you...?"

Jane made a face. So much for calling in sick.