A/N I think you all should enjoy the next few chapters as things in the Isles family are about to come to a head. I will at the outset here apologize for what is truly my personal bad habit. If you haven't picked up on it in 21 chapters- you'll sure to see it here. I am the master of sentence fragments. Sorry. But it's how I talk and think and it appears it is how I also write. My junior high school English teachers are all rolling over in their graves- so I should at least note that I was taught better at some point in my life. But alas- my brain didn't retain it the right way. Enjoy- and as always reviews are appreciated.

Chapter 22

It had been a risky move and Jane was in no way sure it was the right thing to be trying to do. But, they were here and now she waited for Maura to do something. Anything other than just stare at the building. Flinch. Blink. Scream. Cry. Run. Something. Anything. Be patient, she thought to herself. Maybe this was too much too soon.

And then, something came. "How did you know where he lives?"

"You do seem to forget that I am a pretty good detective at the oddest times Maura."

"I guess I do."

And then nothing again.

And then something came again. "Is he home?"

"Right at this second? I don't know. But he is in town. So is your mother. He flies out for San Francisco on Monday morning."

Over the years Jane felt like she had become familiar with most of the looks that would come across Maura's face. The time they spent together gave Jane an insight into how Maura processed information, situations and even emotions. But in this moment, she could not read Maura at all. There was nothing. No way to tell if she had made a huge mistake or if she was on the right path. Give me something to work with here Maura.

Maura went to say something but stopped. Instead, she took Jane by the hand and headed towards the building. She paused only long enough to wait for the traffic signal to indicate that it was safe to cross the street. Jane, for her part, was now absolutely afraid to say a word in fear of stopping whatever plan Maura was hatching.

Maura paused outside the building. Jane could feel Maura's trembling from underneath the hand she was still holding. Slowly, Maura released Jane's hand and moved towards the front door of the building. She turned just enough to indicate to Jane that she should continue to follow her.

As they both approached the building, a doorman came from out of nowhere and started to pull the door open. He soon realized who was walking up the entry way.

"Why Dr. Isles! It is so good to see you!" was the emphatic greeting Maura received from the doorman. "This is an unexpected pleasure."

"Hello Charlie. How are you?" Jane was thrown by how calm and steady Maura's voice was when she greeted the doorman.

"Can't really complain. Wouldn't do me any good even if I did. How's my favorite doctor these days?"

"I'm just fine thank you. Charlie, this is my friend Jane. Jane, this is Charlie."

"Ma'am." Charlie greeted Jane with formality.

"Charlie," was all Jane threw out there.

"Charlie, are my parents home?"

"Well, your blessed Mother, and thank God she is recovering nicely from that terrible accident, is out right now. Had some appointment downtown. But your father is up in the suite. Should I announce you?"

"Uh, no. That won't be necessary. I think I'd like to surprise him."

Charlie nodded his approval. "That, Dr. Isles, sounds like a plan."

Maura walked forward and pulled Jane along. When they were completely into the lobby Maura turned and looked at Jane. The look on Maura's face was complete determination. Determined to do what, Jane was not sure.

Maura waved Charlie back over. "Charlie, will you do me a favor?"

"You name it Doc."

"I need to run up and speak with my father for a few minutes. Can you find Jane here a comfortable place to wait for me? Make sure she's not bothered?"

"Absolutely! Miss Jane, I have just the place for you to relax."

Jane was slower than Maura and it took her a second to catch up. Maura was going up but she was going up alone. "Can you give us just one second Charlie?"

"Oh, yes ma'am," said Charlie and he discreetly backed away.

"Are you sure?" This was the first time Jane had said anything directly to Maura since she had lead her to the building.

"It's now or never. Can you just wait down here for me?"

"Sure. " Jane took hold of Maura's hand one more time and squeezed it as encouragingly as she could. Turning to Charlie, "I'm all yours Charlie."

Charlie stepped forward and began to direct Jane deeper into the lobby. Jane's eyes, however, never left Maura. The last thing Jane saw before she let Charlie steer her completely around a corner was the elevator doors closing and Maura hitting a button.

"Charlie, is there any place where I can wait so I can still see the elevators. I don't want to make Dr. Isles have to come looking for me when she's ready to go."

"Oh sure, I have just the spot for you. Now, can I get you something to drink? Eat? Read? Anything?"

"No, Charlie, I'm fine thank you."

"It's no trouble Miss Jane. Doctor Isles will be upset with me if I don't take care of you."

"Really Charlie, I'm fine. Just make sure I get a good view of the lobby and the elevator and I'll tell Dr. Isles you pampered me the whole time I was in your care."

That produced an ear to ear grin on Charlie's face. "Deal. Right this way."

Jane situated herself in a chair facing the elevators and felt herself virtually hold her breath. She could do nothing but wait now.

The elevator stopped and Maura stepped out. She was shocked that Jane had found where her parents stayed when in New York. She hadn't expected Jane to push her in this direction. But, as she stood looking at the outside of the building, something Jane had said to her that morning came flooding back.

"Listen to me. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be cared for and have people in your life who love you. What you don't deserve is what Phillip is trying to do to you. You have to fight for what you want."

"I fight."

"You are fighting all the wrong things. You are fighting me. You are fighting the people who care about you instead of fighting back against the man that has hurt you. You are just letting him walk all over you and your reaction is to run from the ones with whom you should be seeking shelter."

"I'm not letting him walk all over me."

"Maura, you didn't even put up a fight with him. You signed the papers. You have let him just win."

"Don't give in that quickly. Don't just give up. There are things I'm sure you want and need to say to him. Don't just make this all neat and clean. That's letting him have what he wants. Fight this, Maura."

"Jane, you didn't see the look in his eyes or hear the tone of his voice. He has made his decision."

"So what! Maybe his mind is made up. Maybe you can't change it. But you haven't even tried. You are just conceding that he is right, that you deserve to be thrown out of a life that is yours. All I'm saying is that you shouldn't just throw that away without even trying to fight for it. If he won't change his stance, at least you won't spend the rest of your life wondering whether or not you could have said or done something to make him change his mind.

"Or maybe if you talk to him you'll decide that what he did was wrong and cruel and that you want him out of your life. But then, this separation will be because it's what you want not something that he just did to you. I don't have the answers about this Maura. This ultimately comes down to you and him but I foresee nothing but continued heartache and regret for you if you just resign yourself to this without at least trying to speak to him again."

Jane had been right. She hadn't even tried to fight back. She never got more than two or three words out before her father walked out the door like the entire matter was settled. And she had just signed the dissolution paperwork because it was expected by him that she would do just that.

As she had stood in front the building staring up that the home that honestly didn't carry many loving memories for her, she realized she was better than all of this. She was a good person and she deserved much better than she had been given in life from her parents. She deserved to loved and cared for and be shown affection.

It dawned on her that she was already loved and cared for by a remarkable family. Her family. Jane, Angela, Frankie, Tommy, Vince, Barry. That was her family. If her father, and even her mother for that matter, couldn't find the love in their hearts to stand by her when times were tough then she didn't need them. She had people in her life that no longer let her stand alone.

The Rizzoli clan hadn't run from her or judged her when it came to light who her biological father was. In fact, one, or quite possibly all three as Maura had at one time suspected, of them had gone against all the ethical, legal and moral codes they had lived by and had communicated with a killer in order to try to protect her. Korsak, Frost or Jane had made that call to Doyle. And although it used to cause her heartache and pain, thinking about it now Maura realized that action had come from love and that made her feel so supported and protected. It was a realization she hadn't ever experience before in her life. But she had now and she knew she was forever changed because of it.

Changed in a good way. Changed in the sense that she would no longer find distant and cold interactions with her family acceptable. Changed in the sense that she wanted the Hurricane in her life and all that it entailed. Changed in the sense that she was now willing to finally see that not only should she want it but that she deserved to settle for nothing less than unconditional love.

The strength she pulled from knowing that no matter what she was no longer alone made her want to confront her father. In that moment, she no longer doubted who she was. She no longer doubted her life or how things had turned out. In that moment downstairs, she was just Maura and she was completely comfortable with who that person was.

She stepped up to the door and knocked. It was time to introduce her father to his only daughter for maybe the one and only time he would get the pleasure of seeing her again.