Hello Everyone, thank you for all of your reviews, follows, and favorites, as always I truly appreciate them. You are all so awesome and I thank you for staying with me :) I didn't want to leave you so long with a cliff hanger so here is chapter 18. Any grammatical mistakes are mine and I apologize in advance.

Saturday, March 12th 1983

Gia trudged up the walkway to the door of the Isles residence, the walk lasted less than thirty seconds but felt like an eternity. She put the key in the door and turned it slowly. She walked through the entrance with uncertainty.

Constance was sitting in the living room with the police.

"Where have you been?"

Maura was startled awake. She recognized the voice, but the tone was unfamiliar, it was angry and upset. Gia didn't even realize Maura was awake until she felt the little girl cling to her with great strength. Gia was caught off guard and was speechless.

"You put my daughter down this instant."

Gia did as Constance ordered but it was harder than expected as Maura initially refused to let go, it wasn't until she quietly whispered in Maura's ear "It'll be okay, Peanut" that the little girl finally parted from her nanny.

"Maura, go upstairs."

"No," the little girl said defiantly trying to hold back tears.

Gia turned to Maura and spoke softly. "You need to listen to your mother, Maura."

Maura was confused, but obeyed Gia. She walked slowly up the steps turning back after every few, to look at Gia, who looked back at her reassuringly. When she reached the top she quickly ran down the back staircase thankful that her ballet lessons made her light on her feet. She sat on the back steps and listened.

Meanwhile everyone waited for Maura to go upstairs before anyone continued.

"Do you want us to remove her from the premises ma'am," the younger of the two cops asked.

Gia was in a quiet panic at this point, she could feel her heart beating faster and her hands becoming sweaty. She was unable to make eye contact with anyone and just stood as still as a statue in the foyer, trying not to break down.

Constance turned to the cops, "I'd like to speak with her privately, would you mind waiting outside."

"No problem, just call us if you need us," the older cop said.

As the two exited, one patted Gia down to make sure she didn't have any weapons, to ensure Constance and Maura's safety. Gia felt both offended that anyone would imply that she'd hurt anyone and humiliated for being treated like a criminal.

When the door closed behind the second cop, Constance went into attack mode.

"So where did you take my daughter, I had police all over Boston, so I know you weren't here."

Gia unable to make eye contact with Constance, responded in a low but audible voice, "Philadelphia."

"You took my daughter... Out of state... Without my permission, just who do you think you are?

Silence

"Well... Answer me," Constance snarled.

Silence

Gia wanted to go back at Constance, she wanted to attack her verbally for being a bad mother, but couldn't bring herself to do it. She didn't want to risk the possibility of Maura hearing. No matter what Gia thought of Constance, Maura didn't need to hear anyone bad mouth her mother.

Constance continued, "I should have you arrested for what you've done. I'm not going to though. Maura doesn't need to see that not to mention my neighbors. You last check is on the table by the door. Do not attempt to contact Maura, or I will have you arrested. Let yourself out."

Gia turned to leave and then stopped suddenly. She needed to say something that Constance needed to hear. She walked slowly towards the woman, who in turn was surprised as Gia barely spoke a word this entire time.

Gia spoke in a voice low enough for Constance to hear but not Maura.

"A fair warning to you Mrs. Isles, that little girl of yours is an incredibly special gift. She has this amazing heart, and she's so smart. All she wants is for you to notice her, to be proud of her, and love her. Don't waste your time doing other things and take the time to enjoy her, she won't be little forever. She should be the most important thing in your life, and I want you to realize it before it is too late. She could be taken away from you in a moment, and you don't even realize. You need to change things now or you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Gia was completely sincere in her statements, but Constance didn't take it that way.

"How dare you speak to me that way, get out of my house now, before I change my mind and have you arrested."

Gia left without taking her check.

As she exited the Isles residence she watched as the cops kept an eye on her as she made her way to her car.

Suddenly she heard the front door slam and little footsteps stomp against concrete. She knew it was Maura but couldn't turn around to face her.

The younger cop, spotting Maura, started to open the door to get out of the car but the older cop stopped him. "She's harmless, let's let them have their goodbyes."

"Wh-where are you going," Maura asked timidly.

Gia didn't respond as tears streamed down her face, "just keep going, turning around will only make it worse for both of you," she thought.

Maura didn't accept Gia's attempt to avoid her, she grabbed the young woman's arm and asked again, this time more firmly, "Where are you going?"

Gia finally turned around, "I'm going away, Maura, and you need to go back inside."

"Away? But where? Can I come too?"

"No, Maura you can't come."

"Why not?"

"Because you have to stay here."

"But I want to go with you."

"Well you can't," Gia said harshly out of frustration as an attempt to turn the little girl away from her. Gia then turned her back to Maura and continued her walk to her car.

Maura was taken aback by Gia's tone, but recovered quickly firing back in anger. "You're nothing but a promise breaker."

This stopped Gia in her tracks. She turned back to Maura and softened her expression realizing how unfair her previous tone and words were, but Maura was furious.

The little girl looked Gia in the eyes, reached into her pocket and grabbed the glass and metal heart that had been in her coat pocket since the train ride and threw it on the ground at Gia's feet.

CRASH

The glass and metal heart shattered. Both girls froze, standing there for several seconds before Gia instinctively bent down to gather the bent metal and broken glass, putting the pieces in her pocket. The broken glass cut Gia's hands causing her to bleed but she didn't seem to notice. Maura continued to stand there in shock, surprised by her own actions. She watched as Gia cried while picking up the mess she had cause wondering if the tears were a result of the physical pain of glass cutting her skin or the emotional pain she had caused by breaking it. Her musings were broken when she felt Gia grab her hands. Her eyes immediately fell on the blood that was now spotted all over her white gloves, Gia's blood. Maura felt guilty.

"Maura," Gia said as she shook her grasp of the little girl's hands. This got Maura's attention and she made direct eye contact with Gia. "I need you to do something for me," Gia pleaded, "I need you to promise me that you will continue to always march to the beat of your own drum... Because no one in this world is your kind of wonderful." With those parting words Gia left. Maura knelt in the snow of the front yard watching the person she loved most in the world drive away.

Soon after Constance called her back inside. Maura rushed through the door paying no attention to her mother. She ran to her room, threw herself on the bed, and cried herself to sleep.

/

Gia drove away but didn't want to go home. By some miracle she managed to get to Hope's house almost getting into three accidents, her normal caution severely diminished by her emotional state.

When she was about to put the key into the door, Hope opened it and welcomed Gia inside. She knew something horrible must have happened.

"Oh, Gianna," Hope said sympathetically pulling her friend into a hug. Gia completely broke down in Hope's arms and the doctor remained strong supporting Gia's weight when her knees became weak.

When the hug broke Hope noticed the several tiny cuts on Gia's hands. "What happened to you Gianna, who did this to you?"

"I... Can't... Talk about it... Right now." Gia managed to get out through sobs.

Hope accepted Gia's need to calm down first and guided her to the kitchen table to tend to her wounds. She inspected Gia's hands. "This looks like glass."

Gia just nodded.

The doctor grabbed a pair of tweezers and gently removed the tiny shards of glass from her friend's palms, placing them on a paper towel. When she finished, she cleaned Gia's hands, put antibacterial ointment on them and dressed them. "There we go, all better," she smiled at Gia and got up to throw the paper towel with the shards of glass away.

"No don't," Gia protest.

Hope turned back to her friend confused. Gia took the napkin from Hope with her newly wrapped paws and placed the napkin in the same coat pocket as the other shards of glass.

"Sorry, I need them," Gia stated wiping her face with the sleeve of her coat.

"Very well, Gianna. Please take your coat off, if you're staying, you are staying right?"

"Yes, Dr. Martin," Gia said as she took off her coat.

"Good, because I wasn't about to let you go home in you're present state."

Gia smiled at Hope, the only person she had now, "Thank you, Hope for letting me stay, wrapping my hands, and being my friend."

"Always, Gianna," Hope smiled back.

So how are we all doing? Don't worry it's not over yet, we've got some chapters to go. Reviews are welcome as always. Be well and have a splendid day.