A/N: Thank you so very much for all your kind reviews! This chapter was one I wanted to keep writing. I had to cut out a lot of parts but I will put them in the next chapters as to explain more. I was getting off point and to keep this chapter going in the direction I needed it to I kept things out, let's hope I didn't cut too much.
After grabbing her bag from her house Maura climbs back into the drivers seat. Peeling off she heads in the direction on Ms. Rizzoli's house. It isn't until Maura parks, does Jane realize that she has not uttered one word since leaving the restaurant. She may have been lost in her own thoughts the whole time but she knows that she didn't tell Maura the directions to this house "How did you know how to get here?" Jane asks as they get out of the car. Walking up the door Maura step falters as she thinks about the question. "I don't know…I just drove."
"Come on, Lina needs us." Jane says ending any further conversation as she grabs Maura's hand. Walking through the door they both hear the mayhem that is happening before they see it. Underneath Jane's feet is Jo Friday barking in sync with Lina's cries of pain. As they enter the kitchen, Jane sees Tommy tripping over ice on the floor that he no doubt had spilled himself. Frankie in his uniform has his crime scene gloves on and Angela is barely holding Lina as she rocks her like a baby.
"What the hell is going on here?" Jane hollers over everybody. And almost immediately everyone in the room goes silent as Jane walks into the kitchen. Maura stands directly behind Jane as to not get in the way. "I have a doctor with me. So everyone needs to get out. EVERYONE!" The brunette screams as she sees her mom pointing to herself silently asking if Jane had meant her as well.
As Jane walks out with the rest of the Rizzoli's, Maura comes around Jane and walks over to the little girl slowly not wanting to frighten her. "Hi Lina. I want to take a look at your ouchie. May I?" And Lina smiles as she shakes her head up and down as she tries her tears. "You were with my momma?" Her words come out choked from crying.
Taking the little girls face in her hands, Maura answers, "Yes I was. We were having dinner." Grabbing a local anesthetic, Maura looks at Lina. "I'm going to put this on your cut, it's going to sting but then it will go numb. Do you know what numb is?"
With an open palm Lina swipes at the strands of hair in her face, "Yes. Are you going to give me stitches?"
"Yes, how did you know?" Maura asks as she applies the anesthetic to the cut. "I got stitches on my finger once. It wasn't bad." Sticking her finger out to the doctor, Lina shows her the little scar. Nodding Maura smiles and holds onto Lina's head.
As Maura begins to thread the absorbable sutures Lina calmly asks, "How's your turtle?" Maura laughs at how relaxed the little girl is. "Tortoise. And he's fine I just fed him some lettuce and strawberries before I went out with your mother."
"Momma was nervous about meeting you. She changed a bunch of times. I think she likes you." Maura feels her stomach drop at the girl's words. Putting away her tools the blonde replies, "I like her too she's a really nice person."
Pulling off her gloves Maura tosses them into the trashcan and the little girl smiles brightly at her. "I hope you come around more. Momma hasn't been this happy in forever. Even before daddy died overseas."
"Oh stinky." The words exit her mouth before she realizes what she has said. And that is when it happens, Maura's knees buckle and the memories flood her mind. Lonely nights without Casey. Lonely nights with Casey. Nights where she would come up with excuses to get away from him. Nights were she wanted him to keep her company. Nights of pure hatred at how her life ended up. Night of hurting from not being who she wanted to be. Wave after wave of memories surge forth, ranging from happy to heartbreaking ones.
Maura watches as the Rizzoli's come running into the kitchen. "We heard Lina and…" The brunette stops as she sees the blonde on the ground. Jane goes to help Maura up and Frankie comes to help as well. For the first time since entering the house Maura has the chance to look at everyone in the room. The Rizzoli's faces are the same as the one's in Jane Jones' memories. Jane Rizzoli's. Everyone and everything is the same. Same family. Same house.
It is all too much for Maura to take in. Too much for her to bare. Looking once more to Jane she reaches out to brace herself before her world fades to black.
As Maura comes to, Jane has her brothers take Maura upstairs to her old bedroom, as she stays behind to comfort her daughter. After checking up and making sure Lina was okay Jane heads to her childhood room.
"Hey." Jane calls out as she walks in. "How are you?"
Lying on the bed Maura tries to sit up but as the room spins she lays back down. "Better. It must have been all the excitement that got to me." The blonde says which isn't a lie.
"It's okay." Jane comes to sit on the bed next to where Maura lays. Reaching out her hand Jane brushes the hair out of the blonde's face before caressing her cheek. She doesn't even realize what she is doing until Maura places her hand over Jane's. "Your husband he was a soldier?" Maura asks as she points to a picture of a young Jane with a young Private Casey decked out in his Class B Uniform.
Not expecting this question, Jane takes a moment to regroup from the quick change in conversation. "Yes, that was my husband. We met when I was a lot younger, in school and we became best friends. That picture was taken when he graduated Basic Training." And as Jane finishes speaking flashes of images pop into Maura's mind and she has no doubt that Jane is remembering the same things as her.
"I'm sorry." Maura apologizes for both her lose and for asking the question. "Don't be." Jane says as she tugs her hand free of the blondes. "I don't like to dwell that much on losing him. I like to remember the fun times I had with my friend. I'm not sorry because I have those memories." And for Maura she knows what Jane's memories are of Casey and it makes her happy to know that Jane isn't hurting.
"Come on. I should get you home."
Hours after arriving at Angela's house; Maura, Jane and Lina finally climb into the car. Between Lina's injury and Maura fainting Jane's nerves are wracked from worry. She is tired and the stress she has that the blonde wont ever want to talk to her again sets in. Jane tenses with the stress and grips the steering wheel until her knuckles turn white.
Maura who has been silent since she exited the house looks over at Jane and sees her hands clamped firmly on the wheel. It's the stark contrast of white to pink that catches her eyes, the first time she has noticed the scars on Jane's hand. The picture of a man above her flashes into her head and her stomach flips and she becomes nauseous. It makes her release an agonizing groan.
Jane, who is fraught from worry, takes the sound the blonde has just made as confirmation of her thoughts. "Maura, I'm really sorry about tonight. I understand if my life is to chaotic for you."
"What?" Maura snaps her head up to look at the brunette. "No…no it's not I'm just tired and it was a lot to take in. I just got in to town and didn't sleep much. Don't worry about the fainting or about anything else. Given everything it was a nice night. I had dinner, conversation, a little nap, and I was able to practice my suturing skills." She jokes and it seems so unlike her to do as such but she feels at ease doing so.
Laughing, Jane smiles at the blonde. Raising her voice so her daughter could hear in the backseat Jane asks, "Well if that's the case we never got to dessert or that movie. I was going to do something with Lina tomorrow but I…we would love it if you could join us? Right Lina?"
"YEAH!" Lina screams when she hears her mom ask her. "Come on Maura!"
With all of the night's problems that were plaguing her melting away, Maura looks from Jane to Lina. "Okay." And both mother and daughter scream in unison, "Yay!"
Pulling up to the blonde's house Jane confirms once more, "Tomorrow? I'll call you and tell you the times in the morning?"
Standing with the car door open Maura nods her head, "Yes." As she closes the door she walks back to the back passenger door. Without one thought she waves at Lina before kissing her hand and placing it on the window.
It's late in the afternoon when Maura meets Jane and Lina outside the ice cream parlor next door to the movie theatre. As she walks up to Jane, Maura can't help but to think how stunning the woman is in her skinny jeans and skull t-shirt. Like the last time, she pulls Jane into a hug and kisses her cheek. Grinning when she feels the other woman kiss back.
"Hello Ms. Lina!" Maura bends down and hugs the little girl as well, and afterwards she checks her stitches. "Already looking better."
Walking in Jane holds the door for the other two. "Lina you want the same thing?" Vigorously shaking her head Lina answers, "Yes, Please."
"Okay, go grab us a table. While Maura and I wait in line. And remember…"
Not looking back Lina skips to the tables, "Don't talk to strangers." Maura laughs at the way the two of them interact. "Sometimes strangers are okay to talk to, I do remember that is how I first ran into you."
"Don't tell her that. I have to instill that strangers are dangerous." Jane smiles as she nudges the blonde with her shoulder. "So, last night when you were stitching Lina up my ma interrogated me about who you were."
"That's where you went off to, I was wondering. Well, what did you tell her?" Maura becomes very curious to Jane's answer. The brunette smirks, "I told her I ran into you a few times and that you cut people up and put them into freezers."
"JANE! You did not?" Maura playfully slaps Jane when she begins to laugh. "Okay, okay, I told her you were a brilliant doctor and a great person. One that I could see becoming my very close friend." Both women are beaming as they stare at each other.
The magical moment is broken when a woman with a whining kid taps Jane on her back. "They asked who's next." The lady says and it breaks their moment.
After getting the desserts they sit down with Lina and begin to eat their ice cream. The conversation is easy and Maura realizes that she has never in her life been this happy before. And Jane can't help but to think of how content she would be if she could do this every weekend with Maura and Lina.
Walking out of the movie theatre Jane turns on her phone and almost as soon as she does texts and voicemails begin to come in. When she notices that most are from both Frost and Korsak she excuses herself from Maura asking if she can keep an eye on Lina. When she is a good distance away she listens to one of the voicemails.
"Jane, we need you to come in ASAP. We found a body in the park it has similarities to…it has similarities to Hoyt. Jane I'm so—" And before she can hear Frost finish his sentence the voicemail ends.
She can't breath for a few moments as her world goes still. Focusing on inhaling air in and exhaling it out, Jane does not even notice Maura and Lina playing tag. As her panic dissipates she becomes aware that she needs to get Lina somewhere safe. Dialing her brother's number she makes her plan known when her brother answers.
Running up to the other two she looks at her daughter. "Lina, we have to go. I have to take you to Uncle Frankie's but we have to pick up Grandma and Uncle Tommy, so we have to hurry."
"Jane, what's wrong?" Maura asks when she notices the brunette's unease. "Jane tell me!"
"I can't right now but I will, I promise. Can I call you later?" Jane says as she lifts her daughter up and backs away from the blonde. "Yes. Call me please."
And with that Maura watches as Jane runs to her car while holding on tight to Lina.
I didn't put Maura's reaction after she left Jane and Lina that night but it will come. Right now Maura is just in the moment not understanding what it all means. Maura doesn't really have the time to think about what is happening and now Jane is going to need a place to go to, right? Thanks for reading!