I'm sorry this is so long. I didn't realize that I had such a story to tell! light trigger warning for mentions of abuse but nothing graphic at all. ill upload the epilogue tomorrow. I love reviews more than anything else.

This is part four of my four shot. I wrote an epilogue for it too! I'm sorry that this one is so long, I just could not stop writing it! :D

Part one | Part two | Part three

link to the whole songfic story is here

When Jane woke that next morning, she felt like death had stomped all over her body. Her limbs ached and her stomach burned with hunger. But, she was warm. She shifted slightly, turning over on her side. Jane was unsure of her surroundings, where was she?

A small sigh makes Jane look up and gasp. The view of the woman that had saved her (Maura?) was snoring lightly on the other side of the large bed. Slowly, the memories of the night before trickled back, and she finally understood where she was. Normally, Jane would feel very nervous about sharing her name with someone she had just met. But, the fact that Maura had saved her life gained her a little bit of trust. The blonde had also unloaded some emotional baggage onto her as well. It made Jane feel like a human again, to be talked to like someone with thoughts or feelings. Instead of being made to answer to a whistle, or a simple command.

A pleasant hum slipped out of the blonde's mouth and she turned over in her sleep and faced Jane. She really was a beautiful woman, in Jane's opinion. She had to consciously stop her hand from wandering over to Maura and brushing the soft downy curls away from her face. When the blonde sucked her bottom lip inside her mouth and smiled in her sleep, Jane's mind stopped. She forgot about all of her pain.

She forgot about the beatings, the rapes, the broken noses and crushed fingers. She forgot the feeling of red-hot pain in her hands, she forgot that she was an undesirable thing. The only thing she remembered was the one dimple on that gorgeous face. The temptation became too much and she stroked the blonde's face lightly. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and realized that this woman saved her life. She owed her the world. She wanted to stay in this warm bed with this gorgeous woman, but she needed to get up and stretch her muscles- and go pee.

Jane stood slowly, realizing that Maura had to undress her to get her into warm clothes and she blushed. She was ashamed of her broken body, and didn't like the fact that she was on display. Tiptoeing out of the room, Jane saw that Maura's son's room was already open, and she could hear a struggle going on in what she assumed was the kitchen. She took a moment to look at the white walls and all of the little pictures of the family. For all the trials and tribulations that Maura had admitted the night before, they sure did look happy. Finally, Jane wandered into the kitchen to see Maura's son standing on a chair, trying to reach a bowl in the top cupboard.

"Need some help?" Jane husked sleepily, throwing her hands out when the boy jumped as she startled him. He turned around slowly, he wasn't supposed to be on the chairs, but he was hungry and needed to be at school in a half hour. He also heard his mom crying last night, and didn't want to wake her up.

"Are..you…okay? I saw Momma put you in the tub last night. Your lips were blue" Hunter asked while getting down off the chair. When Jane reached up and grabbed the bowl, Hunter gasped at the red scars on the woman's hand. He glanced at the floor and tried not to cry. How could someone hurt her like that?

"Yeah kiddo. I just fell asleep outside, and it was too cold. Your Mom saved me though, and I feel better today. I'm starving though, is there enough cereal for me?" Jane asked with a smile. She saw the kid ogle her hands, and she was very thankful that he hadn't asked about them.

Hunter just nodded and pushed the milk towards her, she seemed nice enough. He poured himself some cereal and just ate quietly, swinging his legs to a beat in his head. Jane smiled at the boy- he really did look just like Maura.

"Sorry if last night was scary, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I'm Jane by the way, Jane Rizzoli." Jane whispered towards the remnants of her breakfast. She felt guilty for interrupting what seemed like a quiet family.

"I'm Hunter. It's okay Jane. Momma used to be a people doctor until he told her that she couldn't go outside anymore. But, she likes making people feel better, she told me that yesterday when we carried you. I'm just glad that you're okay Jane. Are you going to stay here?" Hunter was getting nervous, why hadn't his Momma come to drive him to school, they needed to leave soon.

"Yeah bud, I am. Your Momma told me to stay here a week so I can get healthy again. You keep looking down the hall for her, should I wake her up for you?" Jane asked as she stood and rinsed her bowl out in the sink.

"Well, I don't wanna wake her up, but I have school. I mean, I'm all ready to go but she's usually up by now." Hunter said quietly as he sat down to put his boots on.

Jane just nodded and padded down the carpeted hallway again. When she reached the bedroom again, she stopped right in her tracks. There was Maura looking like an angel. Her pajama top had ridden up slightly, showing off gentle curves. The blankets had been kicked onto the floor, making the blonde gravitate towards the warm spot on the bed. Jane was actually speechless for a minute- she'd never had this reaction towards someone she'd known for less than a day.

The brunette shook her head to clear her thoughts and entered the room, sitting softly on the side she was just sleeping on. She placed a warm hand on Maura's bare shoulder and whispered the blonde's name quietly. After a few rounds of this, Maura inhaled deeply and opened her eyes slowly. Jane looked like an angel, bathed in light over her. She looked much healthier than the night before.

"Hey sleepyhead, Hunter is in the kitchen waiting for you to drive him to school, okay?" Jane whispered to the blonde, who was still waking up.

Maura suddenly sat up and jumped off of the bed with a terrified look. Maybe they could stop for breakfast or something.

"Oh goodness, we're going to be so late, I didn't even feed him!" Maura cried, throwing on a grey hoodie and some yoga pants. She stepped into her boots and jumped around the bedroom looking for a hair tie.

"I fed him, he's okay. We had some cereal while you slept. I'm sorry if I shouldn't have. I can go shopp-" Jane was cut off as Maura shot her a grateful look.

"Oh thank you. I must have forgotten to turn my phone alarm on. Do you want to drive with us? I don't want you to think that we are holding you here." Maura asked the brunette who just shook her head. She was exhausted and just wanted to sleep but not before showering. She hadn't had a proper shower in…well…almost a decade.

"No thanks, do you care if I use your shower and just go back to bed? I really feel like sleeping now that I ate something." Jane walked with Maura back out to the kitchen, where Hunter sat nervously swinging his legs.

"Sure Jane, thanks so much. I'll be back in a little bit, but don't worry- I'll stay out of your way" Maura said quickly as she exited the house with her son. With a final wave, Jane made her way back into the bedroom. Now she had to try and get 9 years of filth and grime off of her skin.

"So, I see that you met Jane, buddy. Was she nice to you?" Maura snuck a peek at her son in the back seat. He looked nervous and kept playing with the strings of his winter coat. Hunter smiled and nodded, still avoiding Maura's glances.

"What's wrong, baby boy? Are you not feeling well?" They came to a stop in front of the school, Maura unbuckling herself so she could face her son. Hunter just blushed and shook his head, he looked up at his Momma with big hazel eyes and asked a question that made Maura's heart stop.

"Did she make you cry? We can move again if you want. I was nice because she got me breakfast, but if she made you cry I'll protect you." His chin quivered at the thought of anyone making his mother cry, she'd done that more than enough in his lifetime.

Maura couldn't help but burst into tears at the loyalty that son showed. She knew that he was the only person on this Earth who loved her wholly, no matter what. The face that child had, being her sole source of support for almost his entire life, made her heart full. She climbed into the backseat and gathered her son in the biggest hug that she could manage. Hunter just clung to his mother, he hated to see her cry.

When Maura's tears finally subsided, she took her son's hands in hers and held them in her lap. When her voice was finally strong enough to speak, she tried her best to comfort the boy.

"I'm sorry that you had to hear that, son. I- I just have a lot in common with her and we just talked about some hurtful things. I haven't spoken of your father to anyone, and she understands. You know when you just have to cry about something to make yourself feel better?" when her son nodded, Maura continued, "Well, that's what we did. She listened to me, and she's just a stranger. But, it felt good to talk about it. I promise next time, buddy, that I won't be so loud and I'll make sure to tell you that I'm okay." Maura rubbed his flushed cheeks and kissed his forehead. "Okay, kiddo, are we okay?"

Hunter just smiled and kissed his Momma's head in return. He was glad that he didn't have to be mean to Jane, he really liked her.

"Yeah, we're fine. I'm going to go in now. Mrs. R is very strict about time." Hunter grabbed his book bag and opened the door. He waved goodbye to Maura, who climbed back into the front seat and shifted into drive. She drove home in a happy mood- the fierce loyalty of her son and the kind words from Jane made Maura feel so loved, despite only knowing the brunette for a day.

Jane stepped of the shower and wrapped a lush towel around her body. She had washed herself almost raw, but she felt better than she had in a decade. The warm spray had taken a lot of residual self-loathing down the drain with dirt and grime. Her hair felt softer than it ever had, and she'd been reluctant to use Maura's brushes, so her hair was hanging in damp curls around her face. She felt so at ease that she didn't even hear Maura walk into her bedroom.

Jane strolled out of the shower, and jumped when she saw Maura casually throw her sweatshirt over the edge of a chair, leaving the blonde in a sports bra and yoga pants. Jane's jaw dropped and the sight and quickly turned around to try and save face.

Maura gasped as she saw the tall and lean woman in just one of her dark red towels. She didn't know much about Jane, but she now knew that red was definitely her color. She hadn't really thought of Jane as a human since she'd found her in the bar, she'd been a patient in Maura's mind. But, seeing the long tan legs and gorgeous black hair made the blonde realize that this woman was a bombshell.

"I-I'm so sorry Jane, just let me grab a shirt and I'll leave you in peace. If you'd like, I'll be on the porch, watching the snow. I-I, I mean, I'll- I'll just be out there, sorry again" Maura stuttered as she pulled a shirt on without even looking at what it said and ran out of the bedroom. Once she'd gotten into the kitchen she filled her kettle and started some tea for the both of them.

Maura paced around the kitchen waiting for the kettle to sound when she realized that there was two bowls and two spoons in the drying rack inside the sink. The thought of Jane and her son sharing breakfast together kind of scared her- she'd eaten with her son every morning since they'd moved to Iowa, and she'd broken that now. But, at least he didn't have to eat alone. Plus, Jane ate something- that was a good sign too. Maura poured two cups of tea, grabbed some grapes from the fridge, and went to sit on the couch. She didn't know if Jane would join her, but she figured that maybe she would let Jane talk about her past today. Maura curled up under the fleece blanket and stretched out. Soon, she would starting working again, and wouldn't have this much free time on her hands. She closed her eyes and let her muscles relax, the sounds of the storm outside made her drowsy.

Jane poked her head it and saw Maura almost napping. The smile on the blonde's face made Jane mirror the action. It was a becoming a proven fact that Maura's smile was contagious.

"Maura, I'm sorry to wake you up. But, do you have any clothes that I can borrow? I kinda- yeah, mine aren't usable" Jane whispered.

"Yeah, grab anything, I don't mind" Maura said with a smile. Jane was welcome to anything in her home honestly, including her heart.

Maura blushed deeply and grinned madly at that thought. She had no idea where that feeling came from, but she didn't mind it at all. It was actually kind of refreshing for Maura to feel something, even if it was just a fluttering crush that was passing by. Maura settled back into her spot for a few minutes, until a cold pair of hands lifted her bare feet and slid in beside her.

Maura cracked an eye and saw Jane wearing a pair of pajama pants and a tank top. She placed Maura's feet into her lap and smiled down at the blonde. Maura jumped at the cold touch but relaxed when she saw the tension drip off of the brunette. Jane threw her head back and inhaled deeply.

Maura lifted her feet from the cozy lap and sat up, facing Jane. She spread the blanket out so they could both be warm.

"Jane, I-I never truly thanked you for last night. I don't know If you realized it, but I've never- ever talked about my husband like that. You changed my life last night, and for that I am forever grateful." Maura smiled warmly and placed her hand over Jane's, squeezing slightly in a silent show of gratitude. "Just so you know, you're always welcome to talk to me too.

"Uh yeah- about that. I don't like talking about it..not yet at least. But, uh, thank you for the offer. I guess I should thank you for saving my life. I don't have any memories from the past few days other than being cold and hungry" Jane stared outside, watching snow pile up higher. She realized that she could have still been out there, freezing to death- losing a little life with every breath. She owed Maura her life, even if it didn't mean much.

"I'm glad I found you, you're such a strong person" Maura scooted a bit closer to the brunette. "Is this okay? I know you were bound and I don't want to intrude on your boundaries" Maura's other hand crept up the back of the couch.

Jane nodded and brought her legs to her chest. She spun sideways so she faced Maura and tried her best not to cry.

"I'm sorry if I brought back bad memories, Maur. I can leave soon if you want" Jane blushed at her nickname for the blonde.

Maura's heart jumped at the new name, and she beamed. "No, that isn't necessary. But, if you don't want to sleep in my bed tonight, that's understandable."

"I-i kind of missed sleeping next to someone. Besides, you make me feel safe Maura. How is it that someone that I've known for only a day, makes me feel so safe and protected?" Jane thought out loud. She felt very vulnerable in that moment and Maura picked up on it quickly.

"I am not one for hugging, but would you like one?" Maura said, opening her arms. Jane smirked and leaned into the embrace, setting her head on cotton covered shoulder. She looked down and started to laugh so hard, she was turning red. She honestly hadn't laughed this hard in more than a decade. Maura just looked at her incredulously, thinking she'd been insulted.

"What is so funny? Do I hug badly?" Maura demanded with a trace of hurt in her voice. Jane was still laughing too hard to speak so in lieu of words, she simply pointed to the blonde's t shirt, which she realized she never look at before putting it on.

There, in a retro white font read: I hot moms"

Maura also burst into laughter at the ridiculous shirt. She thought about how she had bought that for Garrett when she found out she was pregnant with Hunter. Surprisingly enough, the memory didn't trigger and negative feelings inside. It surely wasn't pleasant when he tossed it aside and sneered, but Maura didn't feel anxious or scared. She could only think of how beautiful the brunette looked with tears streaming down her face and rosy cheeks from laughing so hard.

The sight itself made Maura's chest burst with happiness. Jane looked angelic in the beauty of the winter storm and cradling tea, while also sharing a tiny throw blanket. The blonde took a deep breath and Jane turned her head and looked right into hazel eyes.

Maura felt her body being pulled by an invisible force. She made eye contact with Jane, letting their foreheads touch. Jane's chocolate eyes beckoned Maura with just a smoldering glance, making Maura lean forward and ghost her mouth across the chapped lips of the woman in front of her. Their noses bumped as they shared the most intimate moment either woman had ever experienced.

Jane drew back, afraid. She didn't even know this woman and she had nearly kissed her. What was she- a broken old detective with non-functioning hands, doing trying to kiss a beautiful woman with problems of her own?

Maura sat back and trailed her lips with her fingers, blazing the path that Jane had almost taken. Was she really about to kiss a stranger- what she that damaged?

They stared at each other, astonished, for a few more minutes until Jane spoke up:

"Don't kiss me if you're never going to do it again."

Maura just nodded, thinking it over. She stood up and shivered at the loss of the heat from the blanket.

"I need to go pick up Hunter. Would you like to go with- I have good locks." Maura offered, opening the door to the house. She grabbed the discarded tea cups and threw away the half eaten grapes. When she bent over the counter to put the dishes In the sink, she heard Jane clear her throat. Maura turned around to ask what Jane needed when she felt a pair of warm, lips on hers. Maura's heart jumped, didn't Jane just ask her not to kiss her unless she meant it?

"I'm sorry" Jane said when they separated. "I just couldn't help it, I know it's-" Jane was cut off by Maura's lips on hers. The blonde wove her hands into Jane's hair whereas Jane's hands found their niche on Maura's hips. They stayed that way until Maura grabbed her keys out of her pocket. Hunter was still at school and she needed to go.

"Will you join me please? I would enjoy the company and Hunter seems to have taken a liking to you." Maura slipped her coat on, she handed her spare one to Jane, who wriggled into the small pea coat. The arms were too short and the collar was too itchy, but it would work for now. They silently left- both thinking hard about what they had just done. They were both hurt and vulnerable, a volatile combination. But they could also be each other's safe place, in times when they were weak. This wasn't a decision that could be made overnight.

They drove silently, Maura's thumb rubbing small circles on Jane's hand. The brunette just watched the scenery fly by. She didn't recognize any of this, how far had she travelled?

They arrived at the school 2 minutes late. Hunter bolted out of the front doors, making a beeline for the Prius. He turned and waved at his teacher who had stood with him after class. Mrs. R watched Hunter climb into the backseat with his…mothers? She recognized Maura from conferences but the second one looked strangely familiar. Well, she did need glasses but refused to get them. If there was something Mrs. R hated more than not being able to see, it was those contacts that people pushed her to try. So, in spite of everyone, she just did neither. The world was much nicer when you could only see parts of it. She shrugged and walked back to her classroom slowly, taking her time to look at the art projects that her class had hung on the wall.

They were given markers, crayons, and colored pencils to draw out how their first day of school felt. Little Susie had drawn a lot of little cats and captioned it "I like cats better than school" Mrs. R laughed out loud at that one. Most of them were general statements like: Fine, boring, cool, or long. But, little Hunter had drawn three figures, one of them was pink- maybe his mother? The other was smaller with a mop of blonde hair- which she guessed was him. But, there was also a figure laying on what she assumed was snow? It was a woman, drawn in all blue, with crazy black hair, and red spots on her hands. Was that the woman who had shown up with Hunter's mother? Maybe she would talk to him about it, why was she blue? The teacher just shook her head and continued down the hall to her classroom, wondering if she really was meant for Iowa

"Jane!" Hunter yelled happily, clamoring into the backseat. He buckled himself and looked at this mother. He wanted to say something to thank the woman, but he didn't want to speak out of turn. His Momma had always told him that there is a place and time for every question, and to think about how it would make the other people feel.

"Hey kiddo, I'm sorry if we were late to pick you up. Your Momma is hard to get off the the porch, but I managed it." Jane winked at the grinning boy. His expression became one of deep thought and he looked at his shoes, mumbling something to himself. Finally, after just a moment, he looked back up at Jane.

"Thanks Jane, for helping Momma. I know she liked to talk to you, even if she cried." Hunter quickly looked back down in case he had said the wrong thing.

"Oh. Um" Jane's voice cracked at the sudden onslaught of emotion that his confession had caused. The love and fierce loyalty that he had for his mother made Jane so proud- even if she had only known him a short time, she knew that he was going to grow up and be a good guy. "Thank half-pint, I know that I loved talking to her too."

Maura smiled from the driver's seat, and pulled away from the curb. Maura was silent on the way home, but not because she was sad. She just loved listening to Jane talk to Hunter about a plethora of things. By the time that they pulled into the driveway, the two were talking rapidly about what sports they liked. Jane wasn't really well-versed about who was on what team now, but she did still know the rules of the game- something that hadn't changed in the near-decade she'd been gone.

They scrambled into the warm house, and discarded their coats and boots. Maura started to get the things out for dinner, when Jane's hand fell on her- insisting that she cease her actions.

"Hey, how about I cook for you? You did save my life, and I owe you that much" Jane said with a shrug, it had been too long since she'd cooked for anyone. It reminded her of her mother, wherever she and the rest of the Rizzoli family were.

"Ahh…sure! Do you want any help or would you prefer to be left alone?" Maura saw the sadness in Jane's eyes when she spoke of how long it had been since she had cooked for anyone. She hadn't thought about where Jane was before her abduction. Did she have a family, a husband…a wife? Warm lips on her cheek brought her out of her frantic thoughts. Jane brought her hand to Maura's cheek and brushed her thumb over the rosy skin.

"I like to cook alone, but you can keep me company if you'd like." Jane whispered to the blonde, who nodded slowly in return. She held up a finger, and turned towards the living room where Hunter had set up his homework on the coffee table.

"Hey kiddo, I'll be in here with Jane if you need any help, okay?"

Hunter turned to look at his Momma and nodded. She looked so happy right now with Jane standing next to her, that Hunter wasn't even sure if she'd ever been that happy before. He couldn't help but like Jane, and he knew that before her week here was up, that she would like him too. Maybe he could convince her to stay longer than a week. But, he needed to focus on his homework first. He was supposed to write a story about a time where he felt scared, so he wrote about when his Momma found Jane. He hoped that Mrs. R would enjoy it, because it was true.

Maura winked at her son and yelped when Jane lifted the blonde and set her on a counter next to the sink.

"You stay there- let the Italian Stallion run this kitchen!" Jane sang is mock bravado. Maura just gave her a warning glance, and Jane mock pouted. Goodness, the girl was gorgeous; Maura didn't even have the heart to lecture Jane about not roughhousing until her broken body had time to heal. Maura had never had someone be this tender and spontaneous with her, it was refreshing actually.

Maura sat cross-legged on the counter as Jane putted around the kitchen. In 24 hours Maura had: found a woman in the barn, thrown her in a bathtub, slept in the same bed as her, woken up with her, and kissed her. It seemed that maybe fate was giving her gift after all of the hell that she'd endured. Maybe, just maybe, Jane felt the same way.

"Penny?" Jane asked the pensive blonde, who was staring at her intently. Maura just shook her head, the honey blonde waves bouncing back and forth.

"I'm sorry Jane. I'm just still kind of thrown that I've only known you for 24 hours and you've already changed my life. I don't believe in fate, rather I'm a fan of cause and effect, but I think that maybe we were destined to meet. We are both broken, Jane, but I feel like I could heal if you were here with me. Do-do you feel it too?" Maura grabbed Jane's hand and pressed the calloused and scarred palm against her heart. The symbolism of the gesture made Jane's eyes mist a little bit. Jane grabbed onto the front of Maura's shirt, over her heart, and pulled her into the sweetest kiss she'd ever received. She lifted Maura off the counter and spun them in a circle in the kitchen. The brunette felt her heart beat faster and faster until she thought that her heart would explode in happiness. Maura had her hands tangled around the mane of black hair, while her legs wrapped around Jane's thin frame. Eventually, Jane set Maura down on the kitchen table and the kissed hurriedly again. Tears were streaming down their faces, mixing and making their faces slippery as they bared their souls to each other. Maura jumped down and hugged Jane close to her body. They trembled and they steadied each other, as they heard a small cough.

Hunter stood there and watched his Momma hug Jane as hard as she could. He didn't really understand what he had walked into, but his mother had never smiled that brightly before, and he couldn't wait to see her smile like that all of the time. He approached the two women, who were opening their embrace a bit, just big enough to let him in. He smiled and felt so loved when two sets of lips kissed each side of his face and he blushed furiously when Jane ruffled his hair lovingly.

"C'mon half pint, let's cook your Momma a perfect dinner, okay?" Jane bent down and make eye contact with Maura's son. He smiled and whispered to Jane

"Can we have spaghetti please?"

Jane and Maura burst into a fit of giggles as they nodded in unison. Even if the reality of their situation hadn't quite sunk in yet, they were gonna enjoy this night.

They talked all throughout dinner, and well into the night. Maura and Jane planned on going shopping for better fitting clothes for Jane. Hunter, was solidifying the verbal part of his report, and wondered if he could bring Jane is for show and tell on Friday. Jane had told the boy that she would think about it. She technically still didn't know where she had come from, or how long she had been gone. She didn't want to think about wherever her family was, or if they had still wanted to look for her.

They had put Hunter to bed, and shared a bottle of wine afterwards. They spoke of the future, and how they both did not want a sexual relationship in the near future. Maura was still nervous about her broken body, and the thought of intimacy alone, made Jane spiral into a panic. For now, they would stay exactly how they were.

However that night had Jane slowly remembering her journey from her captor's house, which threw her into a panic attack while she slept. Maura had woken up and tried her best to console the woman, who seemed to settle back down when Maura had taken the brunette's hand and placed in over her heart, like she done before dinner.

When Jane woke the next morning, she had felt like she'd run a marathon the day previous. She knew that she had overdone it yesterday, so she was paying for it today. She wouldn't take any of it back though. Maura had seen her turmoil and offered many solutions ranging from an asprin all the way to a massage. Trusting the former doctor, Jane had accepted all of the offers.

They had driven Hunter to school in their pajamas, too cozy to change into anything else. But, Maura had insisted on getting dolled up to go into town. Jane was uncomfortable- Maura was a much different size than her so all of her pants would be too short, and none of her shirts would cover Jane's torso.

So, Maura had decided that it was acceptable for Jane to go with her to the store in her fleece pants. Everyone else did it, this one time wouldn't hurt. Maura had given Jane a pair of old snow boots and that same too-small coat. Needless to say, Jane felt a little out of place in a the store, and was grateful when they had gathered what they needed quickly and left.

Now, they were sitting back on Maura's bed, just lying next to each other. Their hands were slowly rubbing circles on each other, while their legs occasionally brushed. Jane had donned a simple pair of Jeans and a white v-neck. She had also gotten some basic toiletries and undergarments. She was almost completely dependent on the woman next to her, and the guilt was manifesting itself.

"Hey, Maur, you know that I can't really pay you back right now. But, I w-" Jane was silenced by Maura's finger on her lips.

"I know Jane. How could you? I pulled you out of a barn nearly 40 hours ago. Don't worry about it okay? You've repaid me in ways that you'll never know. Let's go pick up Hunter, maybe we can order pizza?" Maura asked lovingly.

"I'm going assume that by "order pizza" you mean, let me make you a real Italian pizza? Otherwise, that's just mean" Jane smirked as she stood up and stretched her achy joints.

Maura just laughed and stood up and mimicked Jane's stretches. She grabbed onto Jane's arm and they bumped arms and waltzed into the kitchen, drunk on love. They saw that it was nearing time to pick Hunter up, so they decided to just leave a bit early. Maura felt strong enough to enter the building, so long as she had Jane by her side. When they got into the car, Maura asked Jane if she was okay with it.

"Hey, Jane. Will you do me a favor?" Maura started and continued as Jane nodded, "I generally am uncomfortable with large quantities of people, so I haven't visited Hunter's classroom or even been inside the school. When we registered him, they said that parents often sit in for the some of the class, to show their support and to meet their teachers and fellow students. I know that you might not want to, but will you go inside with me? I-you make me feel like I can conquer all of this fear, and I want to try." Maura explained as they made the familiar drive.

Jane thought for a moment, before nodding. "Sure", she said, nodding a bit harder to show her approval. She wasn't really upset about sitting around with a bunch of children, she really only had an aversion to being alone in public.

When they arrived at the school, they parked in the visitor lot instead of just idling near the door. Maura's hands were shaking, so Jane grabbed one and held it close. Maura relaxed and realized that it was just a school, and that no one is inside wanted to hurt her. Hunter's room was room 102, Grade: 1 room: #2. They walked down the hallway and looked at all of the art projects hanging on the wall. Jane spotted Hunter's and tugged Maura over to it.

They stared at it like it was a masterpiece. Well, for them- it was. Even if Jane was blue and Hunter's hair looked more like ramen, it was beautiful. They stood there for a long while, just holding hands and staring at the picture. They both jumped when the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. The duo swiveled around to face the door. Suddenly, kids just poured out of the room, Hunter included. When his gaze landed on his mother and Jane, he lit up and jumped around. It was refreshing to see him act like the (almost) seven year old that he was, instead of being so serious.

Mrs. R shooed the rest of the kids out of her room. She looked up to see Hunter talking to who she assumed were his parents. Her vision was still blurry, so she begrudgingly put on her glasses that hung around her neck.

When the brunette's face came into view, Mrs. R gasped and dropped everything she was holding. Her mouth moved, sounding out words that didn't quite make it out. There, hugging one of her students was her daughter- Jane Rizzoli.

"J-Janie?!" Mrs. Rizzoli cried out, looking like a deer in headlights. Jane whipped around and let out a yelp and the teacher came crashing into her. She panicked at tried to scramble away until she smelled the smell that brought back so many memories.

"MA?!" tears poured out of Jane's eyes as she sunk into the embrace of the mother than she hadn't seen in nearly a decade. "H-H-Why- how are you here?" Jane stumbled over the basic words.

"I came here Janie- to look for you! You were last spotted here seven years ago! So, I've been searching for you ever since!" Angela cried, kissing Jane's cheeks over and over. She threw a glance at Maura, who was holding her son's hand, looking at them wide wide, scared eyes.

"Is that who's in the picture Hunter? Is that Jane?" Angela asked, the pieces all falling into place. Hunter just nodded, like he did when he was scared, and gripped his Momma's hand even tighter. "Thank you, I'm Angela Rizzoli, or Mrs. R. for short" She stuck her hand out to shake Maura's- the least that she could do.

Angela smiled through the tears and ushered them all back into her classroom. They talked for a few hours. Angela had to stop herself a few times to compose herself and make sure that Jane was alive and here, right in front of her.

Jane had gone home with Angela that night, to talk about what had become of her family and life. Maura and Hunter went home, still shell shocked by the events of today. They went to bed early; Hunter snuggled up to his mother, in the spot that Jane had just slept in earlier. They both fell asleep quickly, saddened that Jane didn't come home with them but happier that she had found some family.

Three a.m. rolled around a knock at Maura's door made her jump. She threw on a robe, and grabbed the baseball bat that she kept in her bedroom. How did he find her? She'd been gone for almost a year, why now? Where was Jane? Should she tell Hunter to go hide?

"Maura- Maura I see you in there, let me in!" Jane's voice whispered loudly. Maura felt so relieved that she nearly fainted. She unlocked the front door as Jane hurried into the room. She clung to Maura and sunk to the floor.

"They left Maura, they left my Ma because she wouldn't stop looking for me. They JUST LEFT HER" Jane cried out, clutching at the blonde. Maura sat down in the kitchen with her. She let the brunette cry on her until her sobs morphed into hiccups.

"Hey, pretty girl, we'll be your family. We will. Your mother can come to dinner and we can all laugh and drink wine. Hunter can talk about school, and we can-"

"Jane?" Hunter padded into the kitchen and looked at the woman with scared eyes. The screams and cried from the kitchen had woken him up. When he saw that his Momma was gone, he had bolted out of the bedroom to protect his mother, until he saw the familiar form on the floor with Maura.

"J-Jane, are you crying 'cause Momma helped you out too?" Hunter asked, remembering their talk the day before.

Jane smiled through the tears and just patted the spot on her lap, where the small boy gingerly sat. Jane brought the mother and son into an embrace. The love radiating from the two made the pain of the news she's received earlier, dull a tiny bit. That's where they sat for the whole night, curled up with Jane on the kitchen floor. They loved each other as hard as they could, opening their damaged hearts to let it all in, even for just a little bit.