Jane crouched down behind the dumpster, the smell of filth assaulting her nostrils. She swallowed a gag, forcing herself to inhale though her mouth. She watched a pair of hooded teenagers scuttle past a few yards ahead of her post, her attention piquing for a moment as she craned her neck out from behind the giant trash dispenser. She kept her gun pressed up against her side, her finger already nudging the trigger. The two boys disappeared quickly into a neighboring ally, leaving Jane in stifling silence, with only the putrid stench to keep her company. She cursed quietly under her breath, her thighs beginning to ache.

She glanced up at the darkening sky, noting the thickening mass of clouds gathering overhead. She had told Maura she'd be home by six, but the encroaching blackness told her she'd already missed that deadline. With a disgruntled sigh, she remained squatted for another painstakingly long minute.

"Come on…" Her voice escaped her lips a low growl, laced with frustration. She closed her eyes, straining her ears in search for a noise she might have missed, but all she could only hear the rhythmic lapping of the waves as they splashed up against the docks.

The moon glowed from its perch behind the thickening rainclouds, and Jane, somewhat reluctantly, heaved her body in an erect position. She kicked a discarded soda can angrily into the base of the dumpster, listening to the sharp clang screech through the night. Keeping her gun planted against the side of her leg, she traversed the distance from her lookout to the car parked a few blocks down.

"Anything?" Frost lifted his head hopefully as Jane slid into the passenger seat, gulping in the fresh scent of leather that lingered in moderately new car. She tossed her walkie and gun onto the floor below her feet, grimacing as she turned to face her partner.

"Fucking nothing," she growled between her teeth, tucking a flyaway hair behind her ear as Frost turned the key in the ignition. "Yet again. This bastard sure likes to play games…" she trailed off, leaning her head against the window frame. She watched her breath fog the glass for a moment, her whole body quivering in vain irritation.

The loud vibration of her phone startled her.

"Third time Maura's called," Frost informed her. "Didn't mean to snoop, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't the station calling with something new." He picked up her cell from the cup holder, prodding the device in her direction.

"Third time?" Jane clarified, accepting the vibrating device. She was well aware that she was now arriving home much later than she had expected, but three missed calls were just enough to put Jane's mind into a state of mild panic.

She answered immediately. "Is Jenna okay?" It was reflex now; years of criticizing and resenting her own mother for her overprotective tendencies suddenly had Jane eating her own words

"She's walking, Jane," Maura's voice spilled into the receiver. She paused for a moment. "I thought you'd be home by now."

The panic subsided, but the news left Jane far from relieved. "Shit…" she trailed off, Maura's words only fueling her frustration. "Like really really walking?"

Perhaps she had only missed those first teetering steps (which, Jane reasoned with a small purse of her lips, was really not any less disappointing). Perhaps it had all just been a fluke and Jane would be present to witness her daughter's first confident, steady strides.

"She's taking her fifth lap around the coffee table."

Jane swore again.

Frost shifted in his seat, cocking his head in concern. Jane waved him away. "I'm on my way home now. And you've got those foamy thingies on the corners of the table right?"

"The edge protectors? Yes, Jane. I even scattered the throw pillows from the couch around the room to act as buffers. Though she is quite steady on her feet, surprisingly enough. She's been very dainty and careful with her footing."

Jane let out a small huff of frustration. "Mama?" she heard the heartbreakingly small voice inquire in the background. She pictured her small face, framed in golden curls, her large, hazel eyes wide as she spoke the simple word. Jane's stomach sank.

"Mama will be home soon, baby," Maura's voice was soft, with a hint of disappointment. Jane's hours were long and often less flexible than Maura's, hardly ideal for raising a child. She had never resented her job, but lately the unpredictability left her feeling more annoyed than satisfied.

"Thirty minutes," Jane promised. "Give her a kiss for me, okay?"

"Of course," Maura assured her. "We'll be waiting."

She slammed her phone back into the cup holder. Frost winced from the brutal treatment of the device. "So Jenna started walking, I gather?"

"Yeah, and I fucking missed it," Jane practically seethed. "And I could have been there, if it hadn't been for this damn fake lead…"

"Jane, you can't beat yourself up," Frost attempted to reason with her. "You're just doing your job. You can't put your life on hold just to be there every second – Jenna's got two amazing moms who are gonna give the world to her, while still doing what they love. Besides, I'm sure Jenna will be more than happy to put on an encore for you once you're home."

Jane chewed on her lower lip. "Yeah, but it sucks more than you think it will," she sighed, glad when they began to near the familiar landmarks of the city. "I used to make fun of all those moms who fawned over their kids and made the biggest deal out of this kind of stuff, but you start caring more than you think you will. I wanna be here for these moments. I love my job, Frost, you know I do. But it's a demanding profession, and I'm scared I'm gonna miss tons more 'firsts' because of it."

"Jane, it's gonna be fine," Frost turned to pointedly make eye contact as they neared a stoplight. "Jenna knows you love her. Maura knows you care. Sure, there are gonna be frustrating moments, but you're doing this right, okay?"

Jane nodded, letting her tense body meld against the seat, willing her muscles to loosen. They were silent for the remainder of the ride, as Jane kept her gaze out the window, watching the familiar city buzz by. Frost gave her a reassuring pat on the arm and a smile as he pulled up in front of the Rizzoli-Isles residence, followed by a silent nod. She cracked a tiny smile in return.

The lights were dimmed as Jane entered the kitchen. She left her holster on the island counter, nudging it toward the center, far from Jenna's reach. She stepped quietly into the living room, finding Maura on the couch with Jenna nestled snuggly under the crook of her neck, her thumb pressed firmly between her lips. Maura hummed softly, a soothing, nameless tune, offering Jane a small smile as she entered her field of vision. Jane planted herself carefully on the couch next to the pair, the frustration from her grueling day dissipating rather quickly.

"I was going to have her stay up for you, but the exertion from her exciting evening seems to have exhausted her," Maura spoke softly, her fingers lacing lightly through Jenna's perfect ringlets.

Jane watched Jenna's back rise and fall gently. "I'm sorry I wasn't here."

"I'm sorry if I overreacted – or made you feel badly for not being here," Maura offered an apology of her own. "All these moments just happen so overwhelmingly fast, and-"

"Don't be sorry," Jane cut her off, letting Maura knew that she understood - that she hated the idea of missing out on each of these milestones just as much as Maura did. "I wanted to be here, too," she answered with a small sigh. "I can take her," Jane offered after a moment, scooting closer to Maura. Maura nodded, lifting Jenna with as little disturbance as she could manage.

Jenna shifted, letting out a tiny breath as she nuzzled herself up against Jane, her breathing immediately falling back into it's steady rhythm. Jane stood, swaying lightly as she kept her daughter pressed against her.

"I love you, baby girl," she whispered, her lips against Jenna's ear. She fit so perfectly in Jane's arms, leaving Jane with a melancholy knot in her stomach as she held her soft weight against her body, wondering how long she'd fit just this well.

XXX

It was a strange memory to surface to, and one that left Jane's throat feeling tight as her eyes fluttered open. Ironically enough, it was Jenna's face that hovered over hers as she blinked a few times, bringing her bleary eyes into focus as the brightness of the stark room settled around her. Her body was too numb to ache just yet, but the mild sensation she had regained sent the memories of her botched bike ride spiraling back, and she knew that the pain would not be absent for long.

"Baby girl," she whispered hoarsely, a smile dancing on her chapped lips. "What're you doing here?"

Jenna, for the first time in the memorable past, did not protest as Jane uttered the infantile pet name. "Well, nearly getting yourself killed warrants some concern. I flew in this afternoon," Jenna answered her, a sarcastic, lilting tone to her words, though she almost immediately nestled her hand into Jane's limp one, the contact warm and comforting. "Cody's here, too."

Her tall son lumbered into view, giving her a half smile as took his place beside his sister. "Hey, Ma. You feeling okay?"

A dry laugh bubbled in Jane's throat. "I don' think I can feel anything right now, to be hones'," her words were cracked and slurred. She did not have nearly enough moisture in her mouth to he holding a conversation, and her head spun wildly as she attempted to gain coherency in her drug induced state.

"Would you like some water?" Jenna offered, removing her hand from Jane's. She disappeared from Jane's line of vision for a brief moment, before returning with a plastic cup adorned with a bendy straw.

Jane nodded, feeling helpless as Jenna lowered the straw to her lips. She lifted her neck only a fraction of an inch, her head pulsing painfully as she attempted to support the weight. Jenna waited patiently as Jane slurped cool beverage, the water immediately soothing her parched throat. She nodded against the straw when she was finished, feeling a bit tingly as the water rushed through her system.

"Better?" Jenna asked her.

Jane nodded. "Now I can properly whine about your haircut."

Jenna's hand flew to her bob, fingering the short strands. Beside her, Cody let out a barking laugh. "See, I told you it looked awful."

"Not awful. It's just not you," Jane muttered, taking a glance up at her daughter again, frowning a little.

Jenna let out an indignant tut, her retort escaping her mouth quickly. "Just because I don't look like—" She stopped herself just in time, turning her face away, the unspoken words hanging thickly in the air.

Just because I don't look like her anymore, Jane finished the phrase silently, her stomach now unbearably tight.

"I'm sorry," Jane spoke dryly. "It's just going to take some getting used to." She reached for Jenna's hand again, though Jenna waited a moment before accepting the gesture.

Before the exchange could become sour, a nurse entered the room, taking her post beside Jane's bed, a disgustingly chipper smile lining her face. "I'm just going to take her vitals now," she spoke cheerily. "You two are welcome to wait here if you'd still like to visit."

"Actually, Nonna and Uncle Frankie are out in the waiting room, and since they only want two of us back at time, they're probably getting anxious to come see you - if that's alright with you, Ma," Jenna rubbed the back of Jane's hand gently with her thumb.

"Ah, shit, Ma's here? And Frankie, too?" Jane let out an audible groan, sinking deeper into the mattress. Her head began to pound harder.

"Nonna would be there with an ambulance if you stubbed your toe, Ma," Cody reminded her gently.

Jane clamped her eyes shut. "Send them back," she grumbled through her teeth. "But if I 'fall asleep' before they get here, don't blame me."

XXX

Feeling a bit miffed, but more so guilty, Jenna followed Cody back out to the waiting room.

Tommy had rejoined his family and had managed to cajole his anxious (and quite stubborn) mother into a seated position, as she was quite taken with whatever he had displayed on the screen of his phone.

"How is she?" Frankie stepped toward the pair, his voice holding a hint of concern.

"Pretty good, actually," Jenna answered with confidence. "She's a bit woozy, but she's already cracking jokes like her good ol' self." Relief fully flooded Jenna as she listened to her own words. "The nurse says they won't know for sure how her spinal function is going to be until the anesthesia fully wears off, but they're hopeful. They're checking her vitals now, but two more of you can go back in a minute," Jenna repeated the nurse's orders.

"You two go," Tommy looked up from his phone, nodding toward his mother and his brother.

Angela did not need to be told twice, rising from the chair as fast as she could manage, despite her aching hip. Frankie stepped by her side, offering her an arm as she steadied herself "You sure you're okay with us going first, Tommy?"

"Yeah, go ahead," Tommy waved them on. "It'll give me a minute to catch up with my niece and nephew anyway." He winked in Jenna and Cody's direction, as the two settled themselves back into the vinyl chairs.

"Tommy, make sure you show Jenna those pictures of Olivia," Angela spoke before they began their trek down the hall, referring to TJ's eight-week-old baby. Jenna bit her tongue, anticipating the phrase that followed. "It's about time you started giving me some great-grandbabies, too, you know."

"Let me work on that whole getting married thing first, okay, Nonna?" Jenna repeated her mantra, trying her best to keep her tone pleasant.

"I can't believe that young man hasn't asked you yet," she shook her head in disappointment as she rounded the corner with Frankie.

Jenna knitted her eyebrows together in frustration. However, she took a brief, sideways glance at Tommy's phone, grimacing as her eyes were assaulted by a chubby bundle of pink. "Cute," she muttered dutifully.

Tommy only laughed. "Rest assured, you're not the first one she's done this to. She was on your Ma's case for years - I'm pretty sure you owe your conception to your grandma's continual prodding."

Jenna rolled her eyes. Cody snorted.

"Speaking of your mothers - when was the last time either of you called your mom?" Tommy pointedly eyed the two siblings.

All at once, Cody sunk deeper into his chair, avoiding eye contact. Jenna chewed innocently on her lower lip. Tommy's eyes remained relentless.

"It wouldn't make any difference to call," Jenna finally blurted, letting out a tiny huff. "She hardly ever answers, and when she does, she's always in the middle of some incredibly crucial correspondance, or deciphering data, or whatever. It's not like you can even have a real conversation with her anymore."

Tommy let out a heavy sigh, hardly having a valid refute.

"I assume she's not coming then," Jenna finally spoke, her eyes softer now as she found Tommy's.

"Highly doubt it," he confirmed. "You guys staying with her?"

Jenna shrugged. "I hadn't really thought much about it, to be honest, but it seems like the logical place to go. You aren't planning on going back to school tonight, are you, Cody?" she turned to face her brother.

He shook his head in confirmation. "Yeah, we'll be staying at Mom's place."

Tommy was quiet again for a minute. "Make sure she eats, okay?" He paused again, both Jenna and Cody's faces a bit anxious from the simple request. An uncomfortable sensation settled in Jenna's stomach. She had been aware that neither of her mothers had taken to their single, independent lives very well, but she hadn't taken the time to notice just much the two women had deteriorated over the past few years. Her body pulsed with an overwhelming sense of guilt.

Tommy took in another breath, his concern apparent in his tone. "I know she's got her own thing going now - but maybe you two can bring out a small piece of the Maura we've always loved."

A/N: Reviews are always lovely and much appreciated :)