Characters are not mine!

I'm so sorry for the delay. I had finals, so for the last 2 weeks I had basically no time to write.
This chapter is a really short one, I hope you like it anyway.

The doorbell rang and Angela went to open it.

"Are you really fine?" Maura asked, still stroking Jane's cheek. How could that little hand comfort her this much? Warmth seemed to slip from the doctor's fingers right into her, travelling through her body.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" She leaned into Maura's touch. It was hard for her to admit, but on days like this she depended on her co worker, friend, fiancée or whatever they were. She didn't really care. "I think I need you." The blonde smiled warmly and nodded. She knew it wasn't easy for Jane to talk about her weaknesses, even though she didn't see the brunette's admission as such.

"I love you." She brought Jane's face in for a quick peck before they were interrupted by the other Rizzolis.

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The evening went better than expected.

Maura's house was filled with laughter and joy, something they hadn't experienced in years. There had always been some sort of fights or misunderstandings that ended in such. Tommy had always managed to the push Jane to the edge and sometimes beyond, Jane's and Angela's opinions on seemingly everything collided more than once each time and Frankie stood between all of them, not enjoying himself either.

Even Jane had a good time, enjoying the good sides of her family. Tommy kept his mouth shut except for some witty comments directed at his brother, but Frankie pushed back every time. Angela didn't talk about Jane's state, instead she observed her girls closely. Jane had practically told her they were dating, and like every mother, she wanted to know if her daughters were taken good care of.

Maura clearly seemed to be happy, too. Of course she liked having the Rizzolis over at hers,but she loved seeing Jane smiling and joking with her brothers. Yet she was feeling comforted by the thought of her friend staying for the night, not quite sure what to make of the dramatical rises and falls of Jane's mood lately. Jane herself had told her her mood dropped after feeling well, so she wanted to be there for the brunette just in case.

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Once everybody had left and the kitchen had been cleaned up, Jane and Maura changed for bed and laid down, leaving enough space between them to be able to look at each other. The laughter and overall feeling of happiness faded quickly, pushed away by seriousness.

"What a day." Jane sighed while pushing her hair back. Maura reached out for the detective's hand. She waited until her eyes met Jane's. "You've had some serious ups and downs today. I'm worried about you." The brunette turned her head towards the ceiling, escaping the blonde's stare.

The ME waited patiently for Jane to sort out her thoughts. She had been put under enough pressure for the day, maybe even for the week.

"They scare me" Jane whispered after a few minutes. "They scare me because I have no control over how I feel." Her face suddenly tensed up, wrinkling the skin between her eyebrows. "Ma told me to just choose to be happy."
Maura's jaw clenched. Jane was immensely lucky to have the family she had, Angela's love was almost too much to take, but she really didn't have a sense for her daughters needs and feelings.

"I mean I shouldn't be mad at her... If she had told me 2 years ago that she had trouble getting through the day, I would have most likely said the same." She turned back to the blonde still holding her hand.
"But it hurts." Maura added. Jane raised up, finding stability on her elbow.

"Why do you know so much about how I feel? You always know what to say." Now it was Maura who looked away. "Growing up without friends - and parents who mostly cared about their careers is not a good experience. Mother told me to smile regularly, so the other children would like me better."

Jane scooted closer to the blonde, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman. The thought of a child or teenage Maura sitting in her room alone, buried in books made her incredibly sad.

"Seems like we both have really shitty lives." The blonde turned around in Jane's arms, pressing her face in the crook of the brunette's neck. After placing several kisses there, she backed up a little bit so she could speak. "Let's try to make the best out of it."

With that they fell into a dreamless sleep.

AN: I hope you can forgive me.
Have a nice week and take care!