You'll Never Walk Alone

by Typhoon73

Sequel of The List. This is about Jane's and Maura's twenty-two years old daughter Elizabeth aka Liz Rizzoli-Isles. They are going with her through her first years as a police officer and experience their daughter's first true love. It isn't that easy for the married couple, especially not for Jane.

8. Chapter 8

Liz is obviously exhausted and she wants to sleep the day away, but she can feel that someone is watching her and frowns before she opens her eyes. "Stop watching me, it's creepy."

Hanley chuckles and runs his hand over her cheek. "I never realized that you prefer to sleep on your stomach. And how cute you are when you are sleeping. Or when you sleeping clothed."

She groans and stretches her arms over her head, finally opening her eyes. "I can be a cute person."

"When you're sleeping." He snickers and winces as she hits him.

She turns on her back and smiles as he places an hand on her belly. "Is it wrong to say that this feels like we're married for twenty years?"

"You are such a mood killer sometimes." He laughs and shakes his head.

"I think I got that from my Ma." Liz replies and chuckles as she sees his confused eyes. "Good morning."

He kisses her and smiles broadly. "Good morning."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jane enters sleepily the kitchen and runs a hand through her hair. "Morning, Leslie." She freezes as soon as she notices that the wrong young woman is standing in the kitchen. She isn't quite sure she wanna know why she found her daughter's best friend in there and not the morning person that is named Elizabeth.

Maura greets the other woman too as she enters the kitchen in her robe and looks questioningly at her wife. "What is going on?" She asks with a hushed voice and the Italian shrugs.

"Morning," Liz says and stretches her arms with a good yawn.

"I have no idea what's going on." Jane whispers as she eyes the two women. She opens her mouth to say something, but backs away when Hanley comes into the kitchen too. "Whoa," she says out loud and furls her eyebrows. "Alright, this is beyond weird."

Liz is blinking a couple of times and notices how this must look like. "We didn't spend the night together." She pauses and points at her boyfriend and herself. "Well, se did, but not -"

"Okay," Jane is saying and closes her eyes. "Stop right there. As much as I love the fact that you have the candor of your mother, I don't wanna hear it."

Maura rolls her eyes and swats her wife's arm. "What is going on?"

"I was with Will -" Liz starts to explain.

Jane makes a circling motion with her hand. "Skip that part." She says and the other chuckles.

Liz looks long at her and smirks. "When I got a message from Leslie, saying that her ex-boyfriend discommode her after Leslie kicked him out of their apartment. Pat was trying to beat me, but I had Will as backup. I told Leslie that she can stay at our place for a couple of days."

"My goodness," Maura says shocked and frowns. "You okay, Leslie?"

The redhead nods approvingly. "Yes, just a little shaken."

Jane is in her cop mode already. "You wanna press any charges?"

Hanley starts to rub the knuckles of his right hand and smiles wryly. "I think he got the message."

Jane looks long at him and starts to smirk as she understand.

"Don't you dare being proud of beating a drunk person." Liz barks and everyone else is jumping. "You can get suspended because of that or worse, get fired."

"He tried to hit me in the face first." Hanley defenses himself with a high-pitched voice.

Liz gives him a shove. "Doesn't matter."

Jane watches the scenery and furls her brows. "When exactly did they got married?"

"I am not sure," Maura mumbles and is as confused as her wife.

"I hope I don't have to arrest them because they start a fistfight." Jane chuckles amused.

"Our daughter is a strong-willed woman." Maura states and looks at Jane.

The Italian is furrowing her eyebrows. "Whatever you are thinking I did, it wasn't me."

"Your daughter isn't yours?"

"What?" Liz, Leslie and Hanley asks in unison.

Jane smiles forced at them. "I love you, Lizzy" She laughs and her shoulders slump as her daughter is huffing. "No matter what I do, I always draw the short straw." She sighs heavily and throws her hands up. But then she makes a face and puts an hand on her chest.

Liz furls her eyebrows and tilts her head to the side. "You okay, Mama?"

Maura turns her head and her expression changes from amused to worried. She places an hand on her wife's arm and frowns. "You are a little pale, Jane."

Jane swallows hard and nods slowly. "I am fine, it's just heartburn."

Maura isn't quite convinced, but she knows that the Italian would rather drop dead before she voluntarily goes to a hospital. She takes the coffee mug out of Jane's hand and puts it in the sink. "Okay, enough coffee for you."

Jane opens her mouth to reply something, but she shut it again as soon as she sees the blonde's glare.

Hanley chuckles but stops instantly as he sees his girlfriend's worried gaze. He places an hand on the small of her back. "What's wrong?" He whispers.

Liz blinks a couple of times and looks up at him. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Keep an I on my Ma when I am out on patrol."

"You think it's not only heartburn?"

"I don't know, but I know that Ma would never admit if she's not feeling well." Liz answers and has to force her tears back because something is telling her that Jane isn't telling the whole truth.

He nods slowly and frowns deeply. "Okay. Okay, I keep an eye on her."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maura is sitting down next to her daughter and rubs her back the way she knows that it's soothing Liz. She got to know very soon that her daughter likes the little park near the station. "Your Ma loves you, she would die for you."

The younger woman takes a deep breath and nods. "I know, but sometimes -"

"You think that you got the rudeness from Mama."

"Well, you are a kind person."

"You really wear your heart on your sleeve." Maura laughs and her heart drops as her daughter put her head on the doctor's shoulder. "But that can be a good thing, baby."

"It can ruin relationships, of friendships." Liz objects.

"Yes, it can. But those who really care about you, love you, they stay at your side.

"Hmm."

Maura looks at the face of her daughter. "Do you feel unloved?"

"No." Liz answers.

"Do you feel neglected?"

"Hell, no."

"Good," Maura says and kisses her daughter's forehead.

Liz takes a deep breath and frowns. "You ask Frankie to watch Ma?"

Maura licks her lips and nods slowly. She really did ask her brother-in-law to watch her wife after the incident of the morning. "Yes, I did."

"Do believe that it was heartburn?"

"I have to believe her, honey." Maura answers after second.

"You know, I always took it for granted that you and Ma are there, in my life." Liz admits and a tear is tickling down her cheek. "I mean, you are my mothers who raised me, who brought me to kindergarten and school, and went on vacation with me. But somehow it never occurred to me that one day the two of you won't be here anymore. I don't know, maybe I had the childish imagination that you will live forever. And now I'm feeling stupid, because I'm crying."

Maura laughs a little and looks with soft eyes at her daughter, taking Liz' face between her hands. She takes a deep breath and wipes the tear off with her thumb. "You are not stupid, Elizabeth, you are scared because your Ma isn't feeling well. Yes, some day we will pass away, but it's not today or tomorrow. Or anytime soon, sweetheart. You won't get rid of us so easily."

"Promise?" Liz asks and sniffles.

Maura has to smile broadly because right now a five year old Liz is sitting in front of her. "Scout's honor." She gasps surprised as she finds herself in a tight hug.

"I love you, Mom." Liz mumbles into her mother's hair and furrows her eyebrows.

Maura is still smiling and rubs Liz' back. "I love you too, baby."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Leslie looks long at Liz as they patrol through the downtown and sighs. "You okay?"

The younger Rizzoli turns the corners of her mouth downward and nods. "Could be better, but I'll make it through the day."

Leslie looks up at the gray sky and frowns. "It's gonna be a cold winter."

Liz is scoffing and shakes her head. "You are awful at small talk. What about you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am fine." Leslie answers and furls her brows as she sees the looks of some male pedestrians. "Jesus, I have to tell Will that he has to marry you quickly, or someone else will snatch you from him."

"Stop it." Liz is laughing and rolls her eyes. "Maybe they are checking you out because these guys are sensing that you are single again."

"Yeah, no." The redhead objects and laughs with the other woman. "They are undressing you with their eyes. And I don't mind it at all."

Liz smiles and arches an eyebrow. She knows that her best friend is telling the truth, there has never been a rivalry between them, and she is glad because of that. She had friendships in the past which did not end well because most of the boys in her grades were mostly attracted to her. "Do you think that there will be a slow day in the near future?"

Leslie is about to answer Liz' question when the brunette gets radio message that she should go to Mass Gen immediately. She can watch the color draining from Liz' face and is following her as Liz runs off the next second.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maura is standing in the hallway of the hospital and has wrapped her arms around her middle. I should have forced Jane to go to the hospital, she thinks and worries her bottom lip. I know that something like that can camouflage as heartburn. Why didn't I -

"Mom?" Liz makes herself present as she hurries down the hallway.

The blonde wipes the tears off her cheek before she turns to face her daughter. She can see that the young woman is beyond scared and she tells herself that she has to buck up her ideas.

Liz is expecting the worse and panic is spreading through her body. "Mom, what happened?"

"Your mother had a coronary." Maura whispers and sobs when she is in her daughter's arms.

Liz swallows hard and hates herself that he gut feeling wasn't wrong this morning. "How bad?"

"I don't know yet." Maura whispers and shakes her head. "I was talking to her as we were about to leave for lunch and in the next moment she was holding her chest and slumped to the ground."

"It was a good thing that you were with her."

"I hope so."

They turn as soon as they hear their name and look at a lean, male doctor.

"How is my mother," Liz asks instantly.

"Cranky." He answers and earns a chuckle. "It was a mild coronary. Did Sergeant Rizzoli show some symptoms?"

Maura nods approvingly and takes a deep breath. "Yes, this morning. My wife said that she was feeling uncomfortable and that she has heartburn. I should have known better and bring her here instantly."

"Mom, you know what Ma thinks about hospitals." Liz says and looks back at the man with a frown. "Can I see her?"

"Yes, but no stress." He says with a nod.

"I check on her and the two of you can discuss the next treatment." Liz suggests and opens the room door as Maura nods approvingly.

Jane turns her head and heaves a sigh when she looks into the worried face of her daughter. "Don't look so worried, kid."

Liz smiles a little. "How are you feeling, Mama?"

"Awful, but it'll be better when I get outta here." Jane answers and licks her lips.

"I don't think that you're going anyway today." Liz replies and takes Jane's hand in her own.

Jane makes an annoyed face and frowns. "It was just a little heart attack."

"Exactly, it was a heart attack , Ma." The younger woman agrees with furrowed brows. "You are staying here as long as the doctors tell you."

"I am too old to argue with you." Jane states and squeezes Liz' hand.

"You are not old."

"Yes, I am."

Liz smiles and studies her mother's face. "You scared Mom and me."

"I'm sure I also scared Frankie and Hanley." The Italian says with a laugh. "Shit, I even scared myself."

Liz nods approvingly and kisses Jane's hand, and her shoulders start to shake all of a sudden.

Jane furrows her eyebrows and cups her daughter's cheek with her hand. "Hey, it's all right, I'm still here, Lizzy. Neither Mom nor you will get rid of me so easily. I am back on my feet in a couple of days. Baby, look at me." She says softly as the younger woman keeps her eyes closed. "Elizabeth, open your pretty eyes." She smiles as Liz is doing so and shrugs. "See, I am still here. In a week, I am as fit as a fiddle again. You won't get rid of me."

"I thought that you are gone as I got the radio message," Liz whispers.

"So you were already planning my service," Jane asks skeptically.

Liz rolls her eyes. "Ma."

"Hey, look at that. There is the smile I love so much." Jane says softly and looks at her wife who is standing at the door. "Come here, Maura."

Maura takes a deep breath and walks over to the Italian. "Don't do that again." She says before she gives Jane a peck on the lips.

"I try, it wasn't that much fun." Jane is promising.

Maura is smiling broadly and her daughter scoffs.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Liz is laying on her left side in her bed and stares ahead, not moving an inch. She has her hands tucked under her head and frowns.

Hanley is staring back at her and doesn't move as well. He wants to, but he doesn't touch her at all. "How's your Ma?" He asks with an hushed voice.

"Okay. She has to stay over night in hospital, Mom stays with her." She whispers back.

"How are you?"

"Scared."

"Understandable." He states and furls his eyebrows. "Why are we whispering?"

A smile is tugging on Liz lips and she shrugs. "I don't know. Thank you for staying with me. I don't want to be alone tonight."

"No need to thank me for that." Hanley says with normal voice and runs his hand over her side. "Who took your shift?"

"Leslie," she answers as she skids closer to him and he nods approvingly. "I have to thank her for that too."

"I'm sure that you don't need too."

"Still." She replies and follows the contours of his face with her eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

He smiles a little and runs his hand along her jaw. "How beautiful you are."

"Stop it." She demands with a slight blush.

He chuckles amused. "But you are. I still remember how many admirer you had when I met you for the first time. I think you didn't have to pay for a single coffee that day."

"No," she states with a sly smile and shoves her index finger into his chest. "But I picked this admirer. I mean you were pretty obstinately."

"I just wanted to get to know you."

"You wanted to buy me a coffee, even though I had one in my hand." She laughs and rolls on her back.

Hanley laughs as well and shrugs. "Well, my obstinacy did work out, didn't it?"

Liz bites her bottom lip and nods approvingly, tugging on his shirt until he is hovering over her. "It did." She says as her hands roam over his back and she frowns deeply. "How did you handle it when your Dad died?"

He takes a deep breath and shrugs. "Not very well in the first place. I was only fifteen when he was shot. I smoked, I drank until my uncle caught me and set me straight again. But you don't have to worry about that, Liz. Jane's gonna be okay again."

"I never thought that my parents could die." She croaks and forces her tear back.

He sighs loudly and kisses her gently. "We, the children, never think about that possibility, and it's okay. Just as much it is okay to be scared about it, or to cry. I am not gonna judge you because you're crying, Lizzy."

The younger woman looks long at him and takes a deep breath. "Can you stop being such a nice guy?"

"No," he laughs and hums as she pulls his head down. He kisses her once more and raises his eyebrows as she deepens the kiss.

Liz moans and starts to pull his shirt up. I really could use some distraction, she is thinking and is getting impatient. She groans disapprovingly as Hanley stops her all lf a sudden. "What's wrong?"

He shakes his head. "You're not gonna use me as a distraction."

"What -" She asks and furrows her brows. "Don't you want me?"

"Oh, want you." He answers and chuckles briefly. "God, I want you very much, but your Ma had a heart attack and is in hospital."

Liz swallows hard and pushes him off her. "I know that, thank you." She barks and gets out of the bed. "You don't have to remind me."

Hanley is up no time and grabs her at the wrist as she is about to leave the room. He pulls Liz back and furls his eyebrows tears streaming down her face. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Elizabeth."

"I know." She whispers and clutches at him as he pulls her in a hug.

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes as he holds her tight. "I am here for you."

She simply nods and allows her tears to flow.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A couple of days later, Jane is about to turn of the TV and the lights and furls her eyebrows when she hears the sound of boots coming from the stairway. "Are going to Hanley?" She asks and turns her head.

"His name is William, and no." Liz answers grumpily and walks to the fridge to get herself a bottle of water. Since the night he saw her crying she has avoided him.

Jane gets up to her feet as she sees her daughter wearing her uniform. "You're going to work?"

"I have graveyard shift," the younger woman answers and takes a swig from the bottle.

"No, you are avoiding Hanley." The Sergeant states and crosses her arms over her chest. "And you are boot-faced all day, and usually Mr. Nice Guy too. What happened?"

Liz is clenching her teeth and nods to the coffee table on which her Ma's notes are laying. "Is that your definition of slowing down?" She asks as she put her hair into a ponytail, grabbing her hat from the kitchen island.

"Elizabeth Rizzoli-Isles," Jane says louder and glares at her daughter.

"He saw me crying, alright." Liz says as loud as the Italian. "The day you were in hospital he saw me cry."

The older Rizzoli shrugs unimpressed. "So?"

Liz scoffs humorlessly and looks at her watch. "I have to go."

"Is a emotionally moment worth a break up with a man who is obviously madly in love with you? And you are in love with Will." Jane throws out and it makes her daughter stop walking. "Your Mom saw me crying a dozen times, especially when she was pregnant with you. And she never held it against me. To you want to break up with us too, because we have seen you crying as well."

"I wish I could break up with you right now." Liz whispers under her breath and turns around. "Yes."

Jane has to suppress her chuckle and lowers her eyebrows. "Really?"

Liz takes a deep breath and looks at her watch. "I really have to go, Ma."

"This conversation isn't over." Jane says louder and looks up at the stairs.

Maura runs sleepily her hand through her hair. "What is going on?"

Jane sighs heavily and switches off the light. "Our daughter is about to make a big mistake." She says and frowns. "Come on, let's go to bed."