Angela slowly climbed the steps leading to her daughter's apartment. Though Jane and Maura had managed to leave early, she had to stay until the very end. Fridays meant it was time to do the weekly, and very meticulous, cleaning of the kitchen.
She was tired, but she felt she needed to talk to Jane about a few things she'd decided on and what she'd found out about HR, and she wanted to do it face-to-face with both her daughter and her daughter's girlfriend. After taking time, she had finally decided where she stood regarding her daughter's relationship, and Angela felt it was also time to let Jane know.
She just hoped her church, or at least God, would understand.
"Jane, did you hear that?" Maura's voice was lazy as it echoed within in the warm, steamy confines of their bath.
"Hmm?" Jane's voice was equally lackadaisical. She shifted in the warm, semi-bubbly water as she wrapped her arms around the smaller frame laid against her.
The honey brunette gave an appreciative sigh. "I think someone is knocking on the door."
"Let them knock. I'm comfortable, and, if it's important, they'll call us." One sinewy hand ran lightly down a yoga toned torso. "You really want to mess up our comfy?"
Maura groaned. "No, not really, but the knocking is urgent, and our phones are elsewhere. Jane," with some reluctance, she sat up, "go see who it is. You know there are only a handful of people it might be at this time."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. I promise I'll be here when you get back," the doctor gave a dimpled grin. "Hear that? There it is again. Go see, please?"
With a grunt, Jane stood up and grabbed a towel. "Fine, but, when I get back, we're changing spots."
"Even better," came the reverberating answer as the detective left the warm comfort of her bathroom.
The door opened with a jerk, and Jane stood in the doorway in nothing but a towel, much to her mother's surprise. "Ma!" Her daughter squeaked in horror and jumped back slightly as the older woman walked into the apartment. "What are you doing here?"
"I came by because I have something to tell you, and," she gave the young woman a hard look, "I think it'd be nice if you'd put some clothes on first. Do you always answer the door in just a towel, or did you think I was Maura?"
"I… what? No! Maura's in the bathroom. I mean, we were… umm.. it's just that she told me to… crap," her daughter ran a hand through her hair as she glanced to the closed bathroom door. "Yeah, hold on a second, and I'll put something on. You, uh, you want to talk to Maura, too, or just me?"
"Both of you, if she's already here. That's why I came over here. Maura told me she was spending the night here, and she asked me to feed Bass." Angela began making a pot of coffee. "I'm sorry if I interrupted something."
"A bath," Jane said as she walked to the bathroom door and opened it a crack. "Sweetie, Ma's here, and she says she wants to talk to us."
Though muffled, Maura's voice was easily heard by the elder Rizzoli. "Clothes are in order, I take it?"
"I'm thinking so," the detective answered before turning to go into her bedroom.
Jane and Maura sat on one side of the small countertop while Angela sat on the other. After settling with their coffee, the older woman let out a long sigh before she began to speak.
Her words were slow and deliberate. It was clear she had put a lot of thought into what she was saying, and neither of the younger women was apt to interrupt her until the speech she had clearly planned was finished.
"I've been doing a lot of thinking," she said with a frown, eyes glued to the countertop. "You know this has been hard for me, and, before you start in about how this isn't about me, I know that. I mean, I kind of know that, but it is sort of about me. Your father and I raised you to be a good person, to do what was right, and that always included what the church taught us, even though we don't go like we should."
Not taking her eyes from the counter, she took a sip of her coffee. "So, when you told me about you and Maura," her eyes quickly flicked up to the doctor and then back down again, "I really had to ask myself if I'd done something wrong. What did I mess up that you didn't turn out like you were supposed to? But, like I said, I've been thinking about it, and I realized that maybe I didn't mess up."
Angela finally raised her gaze to meet her daughter's eyes. "I mean, just look at you. You've saved I don't know how many lives, you take care of all of us, you're always putting other people's needs before your own, you never ask for anything even when you probably should, and you don't do anything you do for praise or rewards. You do it because it's the right thing to do." She shrugged. "When you really think about it, you are exactly how your father and I raised you to be, and," she took in a deep breath, "if you're going to be sent to Hell for loving someone who clearly loves you as much as Maura does and who you clearly love as much as you do her even though you've done all these other really great, giving , amazing things, then maybe something's wrong, but it's not you or how you were raised."
"I still don't understand it, but," she pushed her hand across the small space between herself and the two women to rest it atop her daughter's where it rested atop Maura's, "I love you both, and, if you're happy, then I'm happy."
"Ma, I… I don't know what to say," Jane rolled her eyes back to keep the tears from falling.
Maura didn't bother. Instead, she wiped them away with her free hand. "Thank you, Angela."
"But, I didn't come here just to make us all emotional," the elder Rizzoli said, voice lighter as she pulled her hand away, "I've been busy. I've got some information on that HR leak."
Jane's demeanor quickly changed from emotional to protective. "You didn't do anything dangerous, did you?"
Angela gave her daughter a hard look before relaying her conversation with the two uniformed officers. "So, you're looking for a Catholic female in HR that's very religious and friends with both of those uniformed officers," she finished.
"Well, that narrows it down, kind of," Jane rolled her eyes. "This is Boston, Ma, over half the population is Catholic and female."
"Though not exactly true," Maura cut in before either Rizzoli could continue, "However, for sake of brevity, I'll spare you the accurate numbers. But I doubt very many Catholic females working in our HR department are also friendly with these two officers. I am, however, concerned they may actually place a complaint about us. That could mean any number of things from a reprimand to a demand that you and I not work together, Jane."
"Won't happen. I've got Cavanaugh running scared, but a reprimand might happen, and I'd rather not have to deal with more sensitivity training." Brown eyes rolled at the thought. "God, I don't want to go through that again." She shook her head. "Ma, I'm glad you managed to find something out. Thank you for that, but let me and Maura think it over before you do anything else, okay? We have to be careful about what we do with this or it could get messy."
"You want me to let them keep thinking that I'm against you two?" Angela finished her coffee, picked up all three mugs, and took them to the sink to wash them. "It might help."
"I think you should just keep doing what you're doing, yeah. The more people that think you're a safe zone, the more likely they are to talk around you about us when they're eating. The only problem I can think of is Frankie," Jane winced. "He sort of took the news like you did, and we still don't know where he stands."
"You let me deal with Frankie," her mother said as she rinsed the mugs.
Maura frowned at the threat in the older woman's voice. "Angela, please don't coerce him. We'd much rather everyone do as they are comfortable than to be forced to accept us. Forced acceptance isn't really acceptance at all, and…"
"I'm just going to tell him what I told you two. Trust me, Maura, I understand that no one can force you to deal with something like this. You have to deal with it on your own, but Frankie's a good boy, and he listens to me. It can't hurt to at least tell him where I've decided to stand on it."
The doctor nodded. "Thank you again, Angela. I know this won't be easy."
"Nothing worth having is ever easy," she answered as she picked up her purse. "I'm going home to feed Bass. Want me to take Jo so you two can have a quiet weekend here?"
"You don't mind?" Jane asked as she stood up to walk her mother to the door.
"Mind taking care of my grandpup and grandtortoise? Never!" With a smile on her face, Angela took Jo's leash and called the little dog to her. Jo happily bounded up to her and wiggled impatiently as the leash was attached to her collar. "Don't worry, the grandkids and I will be fine. You two have a good weekend, and I'll see you Monday." She leaned up to kiss her daughter's cheek. "See you Sunday evening, Maura," she called out before leaving the apartment, Jo in tow.
"She never stops surprising me," Jane said quietly as she locked the door.
"Your mother is an amazing woman," Maura said as she slid from the stool. "Are you tired?"
"Yeah, let's go to bed. I think I might be a little clingy." The dark haired brunette followed behind the doctor, turning out lights on the way. "Things are about to get messy, Maura."
"I suspect you may be right," the doctor said as she slid into bed. "But I feel we have a strong network of support."
Jane lay down and wrapped around the smaller woman, fingers winding into the fabric of Maura's shirt. "You think we'll be fine?"
"Eventually," came the quiet answer.