A/N: First off thank you all for the fav, follows, and reviews! This one was a bit hard for me because I wanted to show that Jane loved Casey but was never in love with him. I wanted it to portray that Casey was the one hopelessly in love with Jane. That he didn't care about anything other than having Jane. Showing that Jane just wanted a friend to help her to hide from her hurt. Having her grieve but to show it was more for her daughter's loss of a father and her loss of a friend. It might seem as if Jane is being heartless but I wanted all of you to see her confusion. Maybe I just confused myself, who knows?
The morning light was beginning to find its way in from the open window. Peeking open her eyes Jane realizes that she has once again fallen asleep on the couch. Over the years the living room couch has become her second bed. Even before Casey had died she would spend the nights she felt alone either in Lina's room or on the sofa. With Casey gone on long TDY training and even longer deployments, Jane had found herself alone more often than not.
Last night as she lay on the couch she tried to figure out if she had ever truly been in love with Casey. As she thought more about it, Jane realized that Casey and her were together more for Lina than for themselves. She had always known Casey wasn't the love of her life but getting pregnant by him lead her to think marriage would be for the best. She loved him more as a friend than as her significant other. She thought with Lina and marriage it would turn into true romance, it never did, but that didn't lessen the pain when she learned of Casey's death.
Casey was her one true friend. He was there for her when she needed him the most. During high school, when her best friend Emily ditched her for Steve the quarterback. Casey was there to help pick up the broken pieces. Make her feel wanted. It was enough for her to have a comfortable relationship with him and it also helped with getting her mother off her back.
Hearing the pitter-patter of her daughter's feet brings her out of last nights thoughts. Even though she is accustomed to waking up to the sofa, Jane dreads the impending backache that came along from a night spent on it. Getting up she stretches out her muscles before heading to the kitchen to make coffee.
"Hey stinky. Did you sleep well?"
Hoisting herself onto the seat Lina huffs and nods her head to answer. Jane giggles as she sees herself in her daughter. They are so very similar not only by nature but also by nurture. "You want to go to breakfast or do you want cereal?"
"Both" Comes a garbled reply as the little girl rests her head on the table. "That's my girl." Jane laughs "What about cereal now and then after I run into work we can get an early lunch?"
"Okay."
Getting up to grab her daughter's breakfast she pauses before saying, "Last night I thought about it and I think it's time to add to our little family. So what about we swing by the pet store before we come home?"
And with that the little girl jumps up from the table and as she runs down the hall she screams out, "Grab the granola bars and let's get this show on the road." Laughing Jane begins to follow her daughter down the hall to get ready for the day.
"Sir." Jane says as she knocks on her lieutenant's open door. "Are you busy?"
Looking Lieutenant Sean Cavanaugh shakes his head as he waves the detective in. "No, just signing off on a few things. What brings you in Rizzoli? Don't you have your daughter today?"
Sitting down Jane gives a small smile as she speaks, "Yes sir, I have the little one today. She's running around here with Frankie."
Leaning back in his office chair the lieutenant gives Jane a knowing grin "Seeing that she is your daughter, I don't doubt Lina is begging your brother to take her to see the hardened criminals."
"I would put money on it." Sobering up she asks. "I was wondering if I could have tomorrow off? Maybe take some files and work from home?"
"I don't know Rizzoli. I gave you and Frost the day off to recoup from traveling, but to take another day. You have a good reason?"
"I…I have been thinking…that maybe now is a good time to switch my name on my drivers license back to my maiden name." Jane reluctantly says as she wrings her hands together.
"You know Rizzoli. I never got why you changed it in the first place? You gave your daughter your last name and demanded everyone call you Rizzoli at work. Hell, I wouldn't doubt you still have all your bank cards in your maiden name." Sean shakes his head in utter confusion.
Sitting there, Jane knows exactly why she never gave Lina Casey's last name. She made very viable excuses for her decision that Casey accepted. But in her heart she knew that she never wanted her daughter to be his. Jane changed her own last name thinking that it would show Casey that she was committed to him but she insisted everyone call her Rizzoli as if nothing had changed. Her reasoning was that the name Jane Jones sounded too fake and too much like a porn star to be a detective. With enough time passed, it seemed like the right thing to do, changing her license back to Rizzoli. It was time to move on.
Seeing Jane's internal struggle Sean quickly adds, "But what the hell do I care about your personal life." He shrugs his shoulder to make a point that he doesn't care. "Make sure to grab some work. I'm not granting you a vacation. It's a personal day, got it?"
Standing up Jane makes her way to the door. "Thanks sir, have a good day." Not bothering to look up from the paperwork on his desk, the lieutenant replies. "Yeah, Yeah. Close the door on your way out."
Jane pulls into the parking spot at the pet store and her daughter doesn't even wait until the car is stopped before she unbuckles herself. Seeing this, Jane has half the nerve to tell her daughter to buckle herself back up because they wouldn't be going in. But she sees her daughter's excitement and it's so damn contagious. So she settles for a scolding instead.
"What have I told you about your seatbelt?" She asks in a nicer voice then in the past. "You said it isn't supposed to come off until the car is stopped."
"Was the car stopped before you unbuckled it?"
Her daughter fearing she is about to be spanked or worse not allowed to get a pet puts on her best sorry face and answers, "No."
Jane knows that trick and now understands why her mother had let her off the hook so many times when she herself were little, "I will let it slide this time but the next time you do it, I will whip ya."
Hopping out of the car her daughter tries to hide her excitement with her sad face. "Yes ma'am."
As they enter the store her daughter takes off for the fluffiest pets first.
"What about this one?" Lina asks as she points to the bunny sleeping in a corner. And before Jane can answer the little girl takes off to the back of the store to the reptile tanks.
As she catches up to her she sees a woman talking to her daughter. "That is a great question!" Jane hears the woman begin as she stands behind her and Lina. "It is a turtle. Turtles live in water, where as tortoises dwell better on land. I have a tortoise, his name is Bass, when I first got him he was as big as that turtle right there." She says pointing to the small turtle in the water tank. "But now he is almost as big as you." The woman says as her daughter looks at the woman with great admiration.
Out of the corner of Lina's eye she notices her mother watching them. The smile falls and she steps back from the woman. "I'm sorry mama. She looked pretty and not mean." She says and a little tear falls from her eyes. "I know I did two bad things, running away and talking to strangers but she is having a baby, see? She asks as she points to the woman's belly. "There aren't bad people who are pregnant."
Turning around the woman looks in Jane's direction. And to Jane she is the most beautiful woman she has ever seen in her life. If she wasn't at such a loss for words she would tell her daughter it was okay, that she was not mad.
"Sorry." The blonde speaks up. "I didn't mean to upset you or to overstep." She smiles warmly before adding. "She asked a question and it was just so instinctual to answer." The blonde's smile fades when Jane doesn't respond. Fearing she has indeed overstepped a line, the blonde begins to worry.
"It's…okay. I was…worried…scared me a bit when I lost sight of her." She lies to cover herself and the fact that the woman has left her speechless.
The smile reappears on the blondes face, "She's really cute." And Jane finally smiles back, "Thanks."
"Well, I better get going. You both have a great day." And Jane watches as the blonde walks away. Not paying attention to her daughter who is tugging on her pant leg. "Mama I see a cute little puppy over there can we get it?"
"Sure." Jane absentmindedly says before realizing what her daughter has just asked. "Shhhhhhhit!" she slowly says as her daughter's eyes grow large and her mouth hangs open. "You cursed." Her daughter whispers to her.
Whispering back Jane replies. "Let's go get you that puppy but only if you never repeat that word?"
"OKAY!" Lina yells as she runs over to the wiry haired dog. "I want this one!"
Maura gets into her car and starts the engine to head across the street to her ex-husband's place of business. The trip to the pet store was supposed to calm her unease but the run in with that woman was unnerving in itself. Only adding to the anxious feeling she had from waiting to deal with her ex.
It takes Maura a few minutes to park and head into the building. When she does she walks right up to the new receptionist. Thinking to herself that there is no doubt in her mind that her ex-husband has slept with this one as well.
"Maura Isles, I'm here to see Garrett Fairfield." She coldly states. After waiting a couple of moments, the receptionist tells her to head into Garrett's office.
"Maura." Garrett greets the blonde. "I see your pregnancy has done great things for you." He says and Maura knows exactly what he means. "Garrett, I would appreciate for those kind of comments to be kept to yourself."
"I signed the papers." He quickly states as he hands them over to Maura. "It's what you asked for. The account is setup so when she reaches eighteen her college will be paid for."
Nodding Maura looks at him, "You know that the money isn't an issue? I could pay for her schooling. The reason I'm doing this is because you want nothing to do with he. I want my girl to know that you did something for her. It's the principal."
"I know." He smirks at her. "It's the same reason I made you come to Boston. I could have easily sent them to your lawyer in New York, but it was to show you that I still have control over you. It's the principal." He says the last part mockingly before pressing the call button on his phone. "Can you show Ms. Isles out?"
Without a word she stands and heads to the door. She would love nothing more than to react to his bitterness but she knows that's what Garrett was striving for. As the door opens she turns once more to smile at her ex-husband. As the door closes behind her she does not get to see the anger on Garrett's face before he stands and kicks over his trashcan.
So there it is. Jane and Maura's paths have crossed. YAY! The first of many! Next chapter should follow up with Maura after her accident. I wanted to show a little back-story and character growth. I was going to do it in flashbacks but I really didn't want to do it that way. Hope you enjoyed.