next chapter will be the last chapter i do believe so thanks for sticking with me xx i will post the original prompt sent to me too so u can see where this came from x

and yes I like cliffhangers so sue me (no don't!) I can't help it! It comes from writing scripts and needing them to keep people watching I'm sorry I know people get annoyed with me but its a useful tool when I can only write so much per day as I have a full time job and have now started rehearsals in the evening too x

Maura looked into Jane's deep chocolate eyes and for the first time in what felt like forever she felt completely calm and centred. Their tightly linked fingers gave her little butterflies in her stomach and she smiled affectionately at the detective. The mention of Doyle, however, flooded the memories back into her brain and she could feel the darkness clutching at her again. She shook her head as hard as she could "I don't care."

Jane's smile weakened as she saw the fear return to those hazel eyes and she would have given anything to banish all those thoughts and feelings from Maura's mind. All she wanted to do was wrap her arms around her and protect her from everything. She didn't want to upset her anymore after what she had been through today but Jane knew all too well that if Doyle died and Maura didn't get that one last chance to see him she'd regret it for the rest of her life. "You don't mean that."

Maura tried to scowl at her best friend as she moved her free hand to cover up her burning chest as she spoke. "I do."

"I don't need to see the hives to know you're lying Maur." Jane smiled affectionately at the medical examiner who was trying her hardest to look annoyed with her but still wouldn't loose her hand.

"I don't care." Maura looked away from those chocolate eyes and felt herself welling up "My parents abandoned me."

Jane sighed deeply as she saw the emotion welling up inside Maura and felt her own tears begging to be let loose. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the crumpled photograph and pressed it into Maura's hand. "Paddy wanted to protect you, they'd have killed you if they knew you were alive."

Maura shook her head and closed her eyes against Jane's words.

"You'll regret it if you don't see him Maur...especially if he..." Jane couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence partly due to the overwhelming emotion she felt as Maura opened her eyes and looked so fragile and scared, and partly because if Doyle died...it would be her fault. I would have killed her father.

Maura took a deep breath before she looked at the crumpled object Jane had handed to her, as if it were going to uncurl and bite her. She couldn't help but let her tears cascade down her face as she stared at a photograph of a woman who looked disarmingly familiar holding a tiny baby. "Is this..." she couldn't bring herself to say the words, to allow herself to hope.

"Hope." Jane's voice was thick with emotion as she Maura let go of her hand for the first time and stroked the woman in the photograph's face.

"Hope?" Maura was taken back to the warehouse as Doyle lay on the ground struggling to speak. Hope. Maura looked up at Jane questioningly "How?"

"Doyle gave it to me, when he gave me the address of the warehouse. Told me to save you."

Maura took another look at the photograph and then nodded resolutely "Let's go."

The room was full of bleeping machines and fussing nurses as they waited to gain access. Once the staff had stabilised Doyle they made room for Jane to wheel Maura into the room; her being too weak to walk for the moment. Jane turned to leave once she had placed Maura next to the bed but she turned as Maura's hand reached out to grab her own. Jane looked at her questioningly.

"Stay." It was halfway between a command and a question but Maura couldn't have her leave now, not after everything she had done for her, and also because Maura wasn't sure if she was strong enough to face this alone.

Doyle hurt everywhere it seemed. There had been so many different problems due to the initial gunshot wound and then also the fall had complicated his injuries. So many internal bleeds it felt like every time he started to recover another one would send him reeling into surgery again. He had fought as hard as he could with the hospital staff to get Rizzoli in here, he needed to tell her everything, just in case...

"Doyle?" Jane lightly placed a hand on his leg to rouse him.

"Rizzoli?" Her voice cut through the pain and reminded him of the last thing he heard before the last time he blacked out. Maura. His eyes flew open and he blinked hard a few times to truly understand what he was seeing. Maura. "Maura?"

"Yes." Maura was so overwhelmed by all the different feelings she had in that moment it was all she could manage to say. It wasn't until Paddy began to sob softly that the anger toward him melted away into compassion. She let go of Jane's hand and gently held his big rough one.

Paddy was so relieved at seeing Maura awake and safe that he was lost for words. He did all he could manage which was to nod at the detective who stood by his daughter's side.

Doyle nodded at her and Jane returned the gesture knowing full well what he was trying to convey. She placed a soft hand on Maura's shoulder letting her know that she was right next to her.

Maura couldn't find the words to ask him all the questions she had so instead she replaced her hand with the crumpled photograph and gave him a moment to look at it.

Looking at Hope holding their tiny daughter brought back all the conflicting emotions he had all that time ago. He was so happy and proud looking at his baby girl and yet there was always the nagging worry that if anyone found out about her she could be killed without a second thought, without mercy. As he looked at Hope's happy smiling face in the picture he felt the guilt stab him in the chest and he began to hyperventilate.

Maura shot out of her wheelchair ignoring the reeling inside her head and secured the oxygen mask over Doyle's face. "Keep breathing. Oxygen. Deep. Slow." Even though her throat was screaming in pain at the effort it took to talk she had to help.

Jane couldn't help but smile as she helped Maura ease back down into the wheelchair. She just can't help herself.

Once he had calmed down and his breathing had returned to normal Paddy let a wry smile peek at the corner of his mouth as he looked into those big hazel eyes he often saw in his dreams. "You...should...be...a...doctor."

The words from their past made Maura smile in surprise. She expected there to be anger and hurt when she saw him but somehow she felt at peace sitting with him like she had somehow already forgiven him.

Jane watched the two smile at one another and had never been prouder. She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Constance in the doorway. Her eyes were red raw from crying and she was shaking uncontrollably. Jane moved to comfort her but Constance shook her head furiously before shuffling away again. Jane felt her heart go out to her, she didn't know the full story behind what had happened all that time ago but she could see the guilt lying heavy within Constance and she hoped that the scene in that room might help to relieve some of that.

Paddy turned his attention back to the photograph and he turned it over before looking at Jane and waving his finger in the air. She looked momentarily confused until she caught on and handed him a pen. He steadied his hand as much as possible before he touched ink to paper and scribbled something down before grasping Maura's hand and pushing the photo back into it. He didn't say a word, he wasn't sure if he could, but as she looked at the back of the photo and looked back to him with wet eyes he knew he didn't have to say a word.

Hope Martin.