So before we get started I just want to let you all know that I haven't forgotten about the Vanessa drama. It will come up again, I just have some other things planned before that!
This chapter is just a bit of a fluffy piece that I wanted to do mostly because I've got some angst coming up soon!
Hope you all will enjoy! - J
Chapter 18- Tommy
Two weeks later Jane woke up to a weight across her stomach. Thinking it was Maura, Jane smiled, stretching her arms out above her head before squinting her eyes open, surprised to find Amelia using her stomach as a pillow; the five-year-old's legs spread out across her mother. Chuckling, Jane ran her hand over the little blonde's hair, immediately making Amelia stir. Turning her head towards Jane, hazel eyes barely opened, Amelia giving the brunette a tired smile, before turning and hiding her face against Jane's stomach.
"Hey little Bug," Jane laughed softly, her fingers running through Amelia's hair. "When did you get in here?" She asked, not remembering the young girl coming into her and Maura's room the night before.
"Don't know," Amelia mumbled, keeping her face hidden, obviously still tired. "Had a bad dream."
"Aw my poor little Monkey," Jane cooed, rubbing Amelia's back. "Hey here. Come up here," she then said, reaching to place her hands under the little girl's arms, lifting her and placing her on top of her chest, her head resting just under Jane's chin. "I love you little one."
"Love you too," Amelia replied, tangling her fingers in Jane's hair as the brunette placed a kiss on top of her head. "Janie are there Monsters?" She then asked, her eyes still closed, lying still on tops of Jane, comforted by the brunette's steady breathing.
"No honey, there are no such thing as monsters," Jane told her, running her hand up and down the five-year-old's back, feeling a little like she was telling a lie, considering the things she had seen people do to each other in her career. "Is that what your dream was about? Monsters?"
"In my closet," Amelia nodded against Jane's chest. "And I heard a noise so I ran here to Mommy."
"Aw honey, it was just a dream," Jane assured her, hugging her tightly. "There's nothing to be afraid of in your room, I promise," she said. "But tonight how about I check every inch of it before you go to sleep. Okay? Does that sound good?"
"Yes please," Amelia replied, getting heavier against Jane, obviously struggling to stay awake. "You gottta work today?"
"Only if we get called in," Jane said, grateful for the possibility of a day off, hoping not to be called in, having not had a proper day off in over a week, missing her time with Amelia and Maura. "Go back to sleep now sweetie. I'll be here when you wake up," she then said, placing another kiss atop the blonde's head, feeling Maura shift beside her.
Turning towards her girlfriend, Maura had a smile on her face, indicating that she had been awake, listening to Jane's conversation with Amelia. "Hi," Maura whispered, reaching up to give Jane a soft kiss.
"Hi yourself," Jane smiled, her arms still wrapped around Amelia. "Sleep well?"
"Once I got Amelia resettled," Maura nodded, smiling at her once again sleeping daughter. "You were out cold. It was difficult to convince her not to wake you, though she did insist on using you as her pillow."
"I didn't mind," Jane shrugged before moving her right arm, wrapping it around Maura's shoulder. "I wanna spend all day just like this," she sighed; a deep, content sounding sigh.
"We can't spend all day in bed," Maura chuckled, moving her hand to Amelia's hair, brushing her fingers through blonde locks.
"Why not?" Jane asked, receiving a raised eyebrow from the blonde. "Come on Maur; pajama day, just the three of us. We can watch movies down in the family room if you would prefer, but let's just have a lazy day. Come on. I miss my girls," she begged, sticking her lip out in a pout for good measure.
Unable to resist, Maura laughed, shaking her head. "Okay," she agreed. "I guess that doesn't sound so bad. Let's get a bit more sleep though first okay? I must say I'm rather comfortable."
"Me too," Jane nodded, placing a kiss on Maura's forehead. "So comfortable….so perfect."
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Jane got her pajama day. An entire Sunday afternoon spent in a pile of pillows and blankets on the family room floor, watching movie after movie with Maura and Amelia, the couples' phones remaining, thankfully silent. Returning to work Monday morning, Jane didn't even complain that she had a pile of paperwork waiting for her on her desk, in such a blissful happiness, the Detective accepted her day of desk work, grateful to be able to return home at the end of the day where she knew her Mother would have an incredible dinner waiting.
Having only been working on paperwork herself, Maura managed to finish her work for the day at the same time as Jane, the couple meeting in the lobby before heading out to Maura's car, the blonde easily handing the keys over to Jane to drive. Though Jane knew Maura was still feeling some insecurities from her encounter with Vanessa a couple weeks before, Jane was pleased to see that the blonde had, for the most part, returned to her old self; loving the happiness she could see in the blonde's hazel eyes. Both excited for a family dinner, the couple drove home in relative silence, simply enjoying the time together as they held hands over the center console, Jane absentmindedly rubbing circles on the back of Maura's hand.
Arriving at their Beacon Hill home, the pair made their way into the house hand in hand, smiles on their faces, freezing on the spot only when they noticed a man sitting at the kitchen island with Amelia; the little girl laughing rather animatedly.
"What the…." Jane exclaimed, gaining the attention of the pair at the island, both of whom turned towards the sound, making Jane gasp as she realized who was currently sitting with Amelia. "Tommy? Oh…oh my God! Tommy!"
Practically running towards her youngest brother, Jane was immediately embraced in a big hug. "Hey Sis," Tommy greeted, holding his sister tightly.
"I…what are you…why didn't you tell me you were getting out?" Jane finally said, pulling back from Tommy and playfully shoving him in the shoulder. "What the hel…heck!" She said, glancing at Amelia who had run over to greet her mother.
"Mommy, Tommy is Janie's brother," Amelia told her excitedly. "He just got here and he's gonna teach me chess!"
"Oh he is, is he?" Maura smiled, kissing her daughter's cheek before turning her attention towards the youngest Rizzoli, knowing she probably looked nervous.
"So you're the famous Maura huh?" Tommy said, the famous Rizzoli smirk on his face. "I've heard a lot about you in my letters from this one," he gestured towards Jane. "Mia here has also been praising both of you since I got here. Ma just ran over to the guesthouse to get a few things by the way. I hope you don't mind me keepin' an eye on Mia, Maura."
"Oh no that's fine, thank you Tommy," Maura smiled, putting Amelia back down on the floor before moving closer to her girlfriend's brother. "It's nice to finally meet you."
"You too," Tommy grinned. "It's nice to finally meet the woman who's been making my big sister so happy….well the woman and the little girl," he said, having heard all about Amelia from both Jane and Angela. "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was getting out Janie. I asked Ma to keep it to herself. I wanted to surprise you and Frankie. Where is he by the way? I thought he'd be over."
"Last I heard he was picking up a shift tonight," Jane shrugged. "He didn't know there was a Rizzoli reunion going on! Man it is good to see you little Brother. You look good," she then said, pulling him in for another hug, which was soon interrupted by some pulling at the bottom of her shirt. "Hey Little Bug, I'm sorry I forgot to get my Mia hugs," she said, lifting the little blonde up, the five-year-old immediately wrapping her arms around her neck. "Did you have a good day at school little one?"
"It was fun," Amelia nodded with a smile. "Janie, Tommy said he never saw you for a long time," she said, sitting on the brunette's hip, watching her with big, questioning eyes. "How come you never saw him? He's your brother like Frankie right?"
"He is," Jane nodded; sharing looks with both Maura and Tommy, not sure how to explain the fact that her brother had been in prison to the young girl. "But you know what Bug, Tommy has been away for a while and we haven't been able to see him," she said, smiling at her brother. "But I am so glad to have him back."
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"Maura's hot," Tommy said later that night as Jane joined him on the couch, handing him a bottle of water before punching him in the arm, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, smokin'."
"Yeah, yeah," Jane shook her head with a laugh. "Sorry to disappoint you bud but she's taken.'
"I know," Tommy shrugged. "I'm just saying. She seems crazy smart too. I mean I didn't even really understand half of what she was sayin' at dinner."
Dinner had been a feast, Angela, excited by her son's return, preparing all her youngest child's favourite foods. Feeling slightly nervous by the new presence at the table, Maura was overly chatty, not quite knowing what kind of questions to ask the youngest Rizzoli and overcompensating by talking about herself. Amelia had really taken to Tommy, and had insisted on sitting next to him all through dinner and dragging him off to play as soon as they finished eating. It wasn't until Maura had announced that it was time for bath and bed that Jane was finally able to get some time alone with her brother, as Angela had retreated to the guesthouse.
"She's a genius," Jane nodded, smiling as she thought about how often she struggled to understand what her girlfriend was talking about. "I honestly don't think I've ever met anyone as smart as her, and it's hard to keep up most of the time. God only knows what she's doing with me."
"Well she loves you that much's for sure," Tommy said, having seen the way the blonde had looked at his sister all through dinner. "You two seem really happy. I'm really happy for you Janie," he added, receiving a big smile in reply. "And that kid. She's something else!"
"She's amazing," Jane grinned, shaking her head in amusement. "I'm pretty sure she's had me wrapped around her little finger since day one. She's such a doll. Looks like she's working her magic on you pretty fast too," she laughed, already able to tell that Tommy was getting attached.
"She's a cute kid," Tommy shrugged, the pair falling silent, both leaning back into the couch as they watched the TV for a few moments.
"So what's the plan little brother?" Jane finally asked breaking the silence, asking the question she'd been holding in since she got home. "I know you just got out, but you need a plan. I love you, and Maura and I are willing to help out but you know you can't stay here with Ma forever. Maura's already done enough for our family."
"Don't worry Janie, I'll be outta here as soon as I can," Tommy assured her. "I'm going job hunting tomorrow I swear. I'm gonna get my act together Janie I promise. You gotta believe me."
"I do Tommy, I do," Jane told him, reaching out and squeezing his hand. "You've got a second chance and I know you're not going to mess it up," she said, knowing neither she nor Frankie would let her brother screw up again. "I'm here for you. I hope you know that."
"I know Janie," Tommy nodded.
"Good," Jane smiled, throwing her arm over her brother's shoulder. "Man, it's good to have you back little brother," she then sighed. "Really good."
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"You look happy," Maura said as Jane lay down next to her in bed later that night, the blonde having decided to read in bed while Jane enjoyed some time with her brother. "Did you have a nice talk with your brother?"
"Yeah, I really think he's gonna be okay," Jane replied, leaning back against her pillows, feeling both content and relaxed. "He's pretty set on getting his act together, which is good because there's no way in hell I'm letting him get himself in trouble again."
"I'm sure he's going to do well for himself," Maura nodded, knowing that Jane could be forceful when she needed to be, especially when she cared about something so deeply. "You know, you don't talk about him much, Tommy I mean," she then said, voicing something she had been thinking about most of the night. "I mean you told me he got himself in trouble, but you never really told me much else. You've barely ever brought him up since I've known you."
"Tommy used to be such a good kid," Jane said, rubbing the scars on her palm as she began to talk. "He used to follow me and Frankie around all the time. He always wanted to do whatever we did and what not," she explained. "Sometime when he was in high school he started hanging out with the wrong kids. He was always out getting into some kind of trouble and then he started drinking," she sighed, grateful when Maura reached over to pull her hands apart. "He ran a priest down at a crosswalk while he was drunk. That's why he got locked up. I don't talk about it much because…well I guess I've always kind of blamed myself."
"What? How could you blame yourself? That's ridiculous," Maura told her, massaging the scars on her hands, effectively soothing the brunette. "You didn't make Tommy do what he did Jane."
"No but I didn't stop him either," Jane shook her head. "He's my little brother. I should have been looking out for him. I should have got him help, made sure he stayed out of trouble. I should have done something."
"Jane there's nothing you could have done," Maura replied, hating to see her girlfriend beating herself up about something she couldn't have controlled. "You can't blame yourself for Tommy's mistakes. You're not his keeper. It's not your responsibility to keep tabs on him," she told her. "Don't beat yourself up about this. You're a good person, and you're an amazing sister, don't doubt that."
"Thanks," Jane smiled, leaning forward and capturing the blonde's lips in a kiss. "And thank you for being so great about all this…my family I mean. Letting my Mom live here, letting Tommy stay for a bit…it means a lot to me. I hope you know that."
"I love you Jane," Maura said, brushing brunette curls behind her girlfriend's ear. "I love your family. There's nothing I wouldn't do for any of you."
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"Mommy?" Amelia cocked her head to the side, looking at her Mother who was engrossed in a Medical journal across the family room from the little girl.
Jane, who had a rough day at work, had retreated to Maura's yoga room where they had recently installed a punching bag, needing to blow off some steam while Maura and Amelia spent some time in the family room before bedtime.
"Yes sweetie?" Maura replied, not looking up from the article she was reading.
"Do you have brothers like Janie?" Amelia asked curiously, Maura finally looking up to find her daughter's face scrunched up as if she was thinking rather hard.
"No honey, I'm an only child," Maura told her, not entirely sure where this question was coming from. "I don't have any siblings like Janie. No brothers or sisters."
"How come?"
"Well because my parents didn't have any other kids," Maura replied, closing her article and moving to sit closer to her daughter, feeling like she was about to have an important conversation. "Grandma and Grandpa adopted me when I was just a baby, and they decided not to have any other kids, so it was just me growing up. That's why you don't have any Aunts or Uncles."
"What does adopted mean?" Amelia then asked, watching her Mother with wide, curious eyes, ever the inquisitive little girl.
"Adopted means that my Mother didn't give birth to me," Maura explained, knowing she needed to explain this in a way that her young daughter would understand. "The people who gave birth to me couldn't keep me so Grandma and Grandpa decided to instead since they didn't have any other children," she continued, silently wondering why exactly her parents had decided to adopt considering the amount of time they were unable to spend with her when she was young. "They didn't adopt any other children either so that's why I don't have any brothers like Jane does."
"Oh…okay," Amelia nodded, seeming to accept this explanation, turning her attention back to her dolls for a few minutes. Thinking that was the end of that, Maura had moved to get up, freezing when Amelia once again asked a question. "Will I ever have any brothers or sisters?"
"Oh um well…" Maura stumbled over her words, not expecting the conversation to turn this way, feeling immediately flustered. "Well I um…I suppose it's possible that you could have a brother or sister some day. But…well…I'm not really sure honey. For you to have a brother or sister I would have to have another baby, or perhaps adopt, and that's not really something I've really thought about enough. It's a really big decision."
"You don't want a Baby Mommy?" Amelia questioned, innocently, neither she nor Maura hearing Jane coming down the stairs.
"Well it's not that I don't want a Baby honey," Maura replied, moving to sit down on the floor with the five-year-old. "I would love to be able to give you a little brother or sister some day, but there are a lot of things to think about before that happens. It's a very big, important decision, do you understand?"
"I think so," Amelia nodded, biting her lip. "But I think you should have a baby Mommy. I want brothers like Janie."
"I'll keep that in mind," Maura laughed, pulling her daughter into her lap just as Jane made herself known, coming around the corner.
"Hey kiddo you almost ready for story time?" Jane asked, the smile on her face not revealing whether or not she had overheard Maura and Amelia's conversation, the older blonde looking rather worried. "Why don't you run up and get ready and I'll be there in a few minutes?" She asked, having promised she would read a chapter of Harry Potter with Amelia before bed.
"Okay!" Amelia replied, quickly jumping to her feet, forgetting all about her conversation with her Mother at the prospect of story time. "Mommy are you coming too?"
"I'll be right up sweetheart," Maura nodded, pulling the little blonde in for a kiss before letting her go, watching as she bounded out of the room; her footsteps heard running up the stairs.
Raising an eyebrow, Jane simply smirked at Maura, barely holding back her laughter as Maura quickly attempted to avoid her gaze. "So you want another baby huh?"
"Oh gosh Jane, you weren't supposed to hear that," Maura blushed, hiding her face in her hands as her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
"I wasn't?" Jane questioned, moving forward and kneeling down in front of her girlfriend. "Is there something you'd like to tell me? You planning on ditching me and having babies with someone else?"
"What? No! Of course not!" Maura quickly denied, before realizing that the brunette was teasing her. "I just meant that you weren't supposed to hear that right now," she huffed. "Amelia was just curious and well you know I can't lie. It's far to early for us to be talking about babies."
"Says who?" Jane asked, sounding slightly offended. "I'm pretty sure we can talk about whatever we want, whenever we want. Last time I checked we're the only people in this relationship…well besides Mia, but she already told you her feelings on the matter. It's okay to admit you want a baby Maur. I'm not going to run away."
"I just…it's just that…" Maura struggled to find the right words.
"It's okay Maur," Jane chuckled, pulling the blonde in for a hug. "If it makes you feel better I think another little Maura running around here sounds wonderful," she said, smiling as Maura hid her face in her neck, placing a small kiss against her throat. "I don't mean anytime soon. I mean I think we should keep doing what we're doing, enjoying life with you, me and Mia but I think one day another baby would be nice."
"Really?" Maura mumbled, still hiding her face but sounding surprised.
"Really," Jane nodded, pulling herself away in order to place a kiss on the blonde's forehead, giving her a reassuring smile. "But how about we table this conversation for a later day huh? Does that sound okay to you?"
"That sounds more than okay," Maura smiled, giving the brunette a kiss before pulling them both to their feet, knowing Amelia was likely to be getting impatient as they headed for the stairs. "But Jane?" She stopped before they reached the stairs, turning towards her girlfriend. "When I think about having another baby, I envisioned a little you not me. I want a little Jane."