DISCLAIMER: I do not own this show, the books, or these characters. I only borrow them.

Chapter 23

Bright and early Sunday morning, the majority of the cleaning crew was standing in the middle of Frankie's living room. Various sizes of cardboard boxes, newspapers, trash bags, and packing tape were scattered around the room. Jane, Barry, Vincent, and Maura were all wearing t-shirts, jeans and tennis shoes in various levels of wear and tear. The girls both had their hair up: Jane in a ponytail and Maura in a twist. Angela was going to meet them to help out after mass this morning...she seemed to need the extra time for prayer and to light a candle before she would come and face this new hurdle of packing up her son's life. Frost and Korsak manhandled Jane over to the couch where she could sit and conduct the actions in the kitchen and living room. With that done, the group seemed to pause in confusion on where to start.

After a few moments of mentally twiddling their thumbs, Maura decided to start in the kitchen as it was less personal. "I'm assuming I should trash all the food stuff and box up the dishes for donation?" She had to bite her tongue before she mentioned that she was assuming the dishes weren't desired by the family as they were a mix and match collection of cutlery, hollowware, and flatware.

"Yeah, I've seen the dishes in his cupboards, and I know that Ma hated them. She wanted him to get a real set..." Her voice changed from amused to annoyed, "to try and impress a girl."

Maura thought his random dishes were endearing. Part of what she had admired about him was that he didn't mind going against the norm. She had been showing him the opposite side of against-the-norm with parts of how she was raised.

They worked in comfortable silence until Angela arrived. Maura placed all opened food in trash bags that Frost then took down to the dumpster. She placed any unopened food she found on the shelves in a box to take over to the food pantry. She wrapped the breakable dishes in newspapers and then put them in a box for Goodwill to pick up the next day. Frost took knick-knacks and books over to Jane to go through as she sat on the couch. Korsak decided to be as 'lazy' as Jane as he sat next to her boxing up the items that Jane knew for sure were to be donated.

Angela came in to the newly created mess of half packed boxes, a couple bags of trash to still go outside, and a stack of items teetering on the coffee table. She helped pick out the items that she wanted to stay in the family. Korsak packed up the other items added to the donation pile as Angela lovingly and carefully packed up the meaningful objects: pictures, a couple old western stories that he had as a kid and brought over to his apartment as he liked to reread them, paperwork, and some personal treasures including a baseball he caught when he was fourteen and went to a ball game with his father.

Soon the cupboards and refrigerator in the kitchen were cleared, the bookshelves and desk drawers from the living room were emptied out. Four boxes of objects with personal value that the family would be interested in, the computer, television, and gaming system were all that was being kept from those two rooms. Angela quickly cleaned the kitchen, and, after Korsak and Frost moved the big furniture to the walls, she ran his beat-up vacuum cleaner over the cleared carpet.

The group then moved over to the bedroom and bathroom. Jane decided to go through the closet as she was getting stiff from sitting for so long. She saw Frankie's spare uniform, slowly folded it, and placed it in a box to keep. She grabbed an old leather jacket that was hiding in the back of the closet, and his prized custom Boston Bruins jersey that Frankie had all but begged for Christmas '06, and added those to the keep box. The rest of the clothing Jane folded and placed in a clean trash bag to be donated. Without thinking she tried to reach the upper shelf to pull down the items there, but a sharp pain in her side reminded her why she was still on restrictive duty. If the pain wasn't enough to drag Jane out of the closet, Frost gently pulling her over to sit on the bed did the trick. She leaned against the headboard, trying not to frown for having to sit on the side lines again.

Angela was going through the dresser drawers. So far only an old comfortable sweat shirt that was her son's favorite was in the keep pile. She knew he had a BPD t-shirt that she was thinking of keeping, but she couldn't seem to find it in his dresser. Knowing Frankie though, that shirt could have ended up anywhere: left in a dryer downstairs, forgotten in a gym locker, or even used as a towel to clean up a mess if he didn't have one on hand. A tender grin spread across her face as she thought about her capricious son. She grabbed the sports t-shirts that were folded neatly and turned around to put those last few articles of clothing in the box to keep.

Jane watched as her mother carefully went through all the articles of clothing in the dresser. For a split second, Jane thought her mom might be making sure there was no dust on any of the clothes she put in the donation bag, but then had that eureka moment, "Looking for grandma's ring?" At her mom's nod, Jane added, "Maybe he gave it to her...you did say he mentioned it was getting serious."

Angela came over to the bed and sat partially on the bed with her left foot still resting on the floor. "But if it was that serious, why wouldn't she have come forward at the funeral? We could have cried and laughed together."

"Maybe she wasn't as serious as he was, and kept the ring for the money," Jane thought out loud.

Maura again took the least personal location in the clean up and so was in the bathroom. Being only 25 feet or so from Jane and her mother, she couldn't help but over hear their not so whispered words. She didn't know whether to be angry or saddened by what she heard, and it took all of her effort to not walk into the bedroom and wrench open the nightstand drawer. However she could not bite her tongue; she just hoped she didn't sound as aggravated as she felt. "Maybe she thought you had enough to deal with and so she didn't want to burden you with her sorrow too."

"That's one hazard of being a cop, Maura, after awhile you learn that there is no such thing as a nice guy."

With that damning statement all the women went quiet as their minds took them in various directions: Maura was wondering what they might think if she would ever tell and knowing that she couldn't; Angela was still wishing that she could have talked to the girl to learn more about her Frankie as the man and not just as the kid that she often pictured; Jane thought that even the cops weren't always the 'good guys' as she placed her hands over the bandages on her abdomen.

Maura went back to trashing all the open containers of personal hygiene items and over-the-counter medications from the shower and the cabinets. Her confusing emotions causing her to toss them in with more force than necessary. Even if she wanted to tell them now it wouldn't work, and what for? So they could be stoic and quiet in their grief together as that was the only way she knew how to grieve around others.

Not wanting to leave the room, as she thought someone might notice that something was wrong, Maura started wiping down the bathroom after she deposited the trash bag out of the door. She knew that someone took care of it soon after as she heard the clinking and rattling of all the bottles again as it was picked up. She was running out of ways to continue to hide in the small room when she finally heard an elated Angela let everyone around, probably including in the next apartment also, know that she had found the sought after ring. She waited another ten minutes to make sure that her face didn't show anything but a blank mask.

She must not have done such a good job of it though as right when she came through the door Jane commented that her eyes were teary. "Allergies...dust...did Frankie ever clean?" Maura didn't see it as an outright lie. Frankie rarely cleaned up. Often he just tossed stuff in the closets when he knew she was coming over, but he tried to be a little better at it after a basketball attacked her when she went to hang up her coat once. Plus she was allergic...to emotions; they even gave her similar symptoms: running nose, red and watery eyes, and the need to use way too many tissues. She didn't wait for an answer but started grabbing the painted prints and pictures of the family off the wall.

The rest of the bedroom was packed up over the next half hour. Angela and Jane went back out into the living room to sit on the repositioned couch so that the men could again move the furniture against the walls letting the majority of the room at least be vacuumed. As the bed was the only thing that really needed moved, Frost grabbed the top mattress and started moving it against the side wall. Korsak flipped up the box spring so he could move it, but was frozen in his tracks by what was now visible. He hurried forward to grab the item, not even thinking about the fact that the box spring would fall back. He did think about it when the weight hit him, even if it was soft for the most part and that Frost soon grabbed it off of him and set it by the mattress.

"What are you doing?" Frost was wondering how Korsak seemingly became pinned under by the box spring.

"I saw something and I wanted to get a closer look...it was a dust bunny."

Frost just rolled his eyes and grabbed the slats.

When his back was turned, Korsak hurried over to a watchful Maura and pushed the black, lacy bra into her hands as he whispered with a wide grin, "I think you lost something." He was greatly amused as he watched a blush color her cheeks while she quickly pushed the article of clothing into her pants pocket.

Frost turned back to see Korsak farther from the bed and turned a confused gaze on his current partner. Then he started taking the bed apart and moving the disassembled pieces, a bit annoyed that Korsak was not helping with the bed at all...but he was an old man, maybe he was getting tired. That thought brightened his outlook on the situation.

At Frost's questioning gaze, Korsak just said, "Huge dust bunny...very frightening...I'm not sure anyone ever cleaned under the bed." He snickered in Maura's direction.

Frost glanced at the floor that was moments ago blocked by the mattress but could see nothing of what Korsak saw. "Man, what are you talking about?"

"It was so big it must have jumped away. But I swear I saw it. It was the cutest little black thing, all bunched up and hiding...must have been scared away."

"Get your eyes checked...or your mental capacities," Frost shook his head against the oddity that was known as Detective Vincent Korsak. He walked out of the room to give Angela the all clear as she would not relinquish control of the vacuum cleaner to anyone.

Before Angela could come into the room, Maura turned to gaze straight up at Korsak, gave him the best seething glare she could after all that had gone on today, and then stomped on his foot before she turned and huffed out of the room.

Even in pain, Korsak laughed so hard he snorted. The things he put up with to help a friend: first a bump to the head and then a sore foot. He waited until she had turned to leave the room before he jumped on one foot for a few steps. Even being petite, she could pack a punch...or stomp. He was just grateful that she was not wearing her usual heels. He did not relish the idea of a stiletto piercing through his foot.

Soon the group slowly started to disperse from the now empty apartment. It might still have boxes and furniture to be picked up the next day, but it was empty of all the warmth and personality that Frankie had imbued the place with. Maura watched as Korsak and Frost each grabbed the last of the heavy boxes and started to lug them to the now waiting 'Rizzoli and Son's' truck. Angela grabbed up her purse, a box with breakable trinkets, and, after a quick 360ยบ of the living room in which she silently said goodbye once more to her son, headed out to her own vehicle. She was looking forward to the peaceful ride home so that she could sort her thoughts and maybe even have a personal one-way conversation with Frankie.

Maura knew that Jane still needed to stop by the landlord's apartment before they left so she offered to take the very light weight box that the group thought would be okay for Jane to carry out to the car. "You go on and give the landlord the keys, and I'll meet you at the car." If by chance the landlord met them in the hallway as they were leaving, Maura could use the box as a personal shield. She wouldn't even care about it being a tripping hazard to have a box in her face; she would prefer to face plant on the sidewalk before she would like the landlord to point out who she really was to Jane.

Jane knocked on the wood door with a crude 'manager' sign taped to it. She tried to smile at the man, but she could not bring herself to even give a staged smile at this point. "Here's the key for 304, and the mailbox key. You wife said one of you would be able to open the door when Goodwill comes to collect the furniture and boxes when they come tomorrow, right?"

He took the key, "It's the least we can do for all you do for us. So how's the family doing?...I made it to the funeral. Was watching from the back since I got there late, so I didn't get a chance to see you, but I was really touched with what you and your Ma said...Frankie was a good man."

"Yes, he was, and we're hanging in there." Jane was finally able to find a tiny smile to convey her thanks for the kind words, but that smile fell off at his next statement that hit her like a punch to the gut, and that was saying a lot considering that would really hurt currently with her healing wounds.

"I already got the spare key yesterday from his girlfriend, so if I need anything else I'll give you a call. But we should be all set."

It took all of Jane's restraint to not grab the man by the shirt collar as she exclaimed, "You know her! What's her name?"

He wondered at the odd glint in Jane's eyes but assumed a sad tear, "No clue...she only visited, so I didn't need to add her to the lease or anything...Sorry, I'm really bad with names unless they're a tenant." He could tell that it meant a lot to Frankie's sister and so he tried to at least describe her. "Yesterday she was wearing jeans and a BPD t-shirt, carrying a duffle bag...Um, she's brunette, it was in a messy ponytail...and she's skinny, but I mainly noticed the red, puffy eyes."

"Thanks, that was a lot of help," she wished. The description was better than many she had at a crime scene though...and at least she didn't get the contradicting description like some gave, 'He was tall, but not too tall'...'muscular, in a scrawny kind of way.' Those were always interesting witness statements to try and interpret. But she just knew it was a cop. She wished she could go back to work already as she wanted to work on matching the basic description to an officer...and then confront her. She couldn't believe that she just missed her. One day too late to find any incriminating evidence to use to track her down as he said she had a duffel bag with her. She couldn't help but wondering if that bag was just one more thing she stole from her brother, besides his heart, but at least Grandma's Ring was out of her clutches. "Let me know if you need me to sign anything or need anything later."

"Will do. Get well soon."

She planned to...she had some ass kicking to do in the near future.

Jane was even more abrasive than usual when she got in the passenger seat of Maura's black Lexus. She was still not allowed to drive because, if there was a major accident, the steering wheel in her healing gut would probably be fatal, so Maura was playing chauffeur. She mumbled under her breath, "That little bitch."

Oh this will be a pleasant ride. Maura wished one of the others were still around so she could pass Jane over to someone else and just go home. She had a horrible stomachache at the moment...it felt like there was a lead weight pressing against her. She hoped that not asking Jane who she was talking about would make her silently fume. But Jane was too keyed up for that.

"Do you know what I found out from the landlord?" Jane asked as she fastened her seat belt.

Oh, God. "Nope."

"One day...I missed figuring out this mystery by one...damn...day! I'd ask you to hold me back when I learn who she it, but at this point I think it would take both Frost and Korsak to make sure I don't need your services."

Maura started driving toward Angela and Frank's house. She just stared at the road and worked on making sure that neither of them would need an ME's services that night. She stopped at a red light and looked over to see Jane clenching her fists in anger.

Jane noticed Maura looking at her hand but assumed she was glancing at the new adornment. She had put it on earlier thinking it would be a safer way to transport it home than loose in a purse or pocket. She uncurled her fist and moved her hand so Maura could get a better view. "It was my Grandmother's. Pretty, huh?"

I knew that. "Yep." She didn't realize that she said it in an annoyed tone. She turned her eyes back on the road as the car behind her honked to let her know the light had turned green.

A tense silence descended on the pair until Jane finally decided she needed noise after the depressing day of packing up her brother's life. "You're going to come in for dinner, right? I know Ma and Pop would really like you to join us...I know Frost and Korsak are planning to stay for a few."

"I really need to get home and go to bed. I need to catch up with the work I missed on Friday."

"I'm surprised you need to make up time as you're in the morgue so much. Even then, though, you only have to make up a partial day since you left my parent's place at noon. So an hour can't be too bad, can it?"

"There's still lots of paperwork from the numerous bodies that came through last week, especially after so many came in from the pile-up." She hadn't seen how much work had been completed since Thursday when she left, but she knew with the backlog that there would still be a lot more to finish. "I should not have even missed as much work as I did." She sounded peeved, but she was more angry at herself for the twisted truth she was using to try and get out of being social over dinner.

"Sorry that you felt you had to check up on me,"Jane's tone was just as biting as the one she heard from Maura.

"It wasn't just checking up on you that delayed me, there was also you calling the morgue to tell them I wasn't going in rather than just waking me up." Maura tried not to cringe at those heated words, as she had really been touched by her friend's thoughtfulness two days ago.

"Well EXCUSE me for trying to be a friend." After all the arguments in her parent's house, either between her parents or her Ma and herself, she knew that the emotions were just getting confused as she pushed her sadness to the side by embracing her anger, but it was already done and she was out for blood. "I was only hoping for a few moments for you to do the same after this really shitty day." She turned her piercing gaze out the side window.

Maura felt horrible for letting her emotions get out of hand. She couldn't deny Jane the friend she needed today as Maura remembered how hard it was yesterday when she left Frankie's place as his girl. She was about to apologize and let Jane know she would go in for a couple hours of pizza and conversation, but Jane was still seething.

Jane whipped her head around toward Maura to continue her hurtful jab, "What crawled up your ass and took up residence anyway?"

Maura knew that Jane wasn't talking about any intestinal parasites like Enterobius vermicularis, Giardia lamblia, Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanus, or Entamoeba histolytica which were some common intestinal parasites in the United States that could cause various health issues. If the tone of the conversation wasn't so explosive Maura would have thrown out that fact, but she somehow knew to keep quiet.

Jane went back to staring out the window in silence. Today was horrible as it left Jane wishing that her brother was still around...and now even hoping that her friend was still around in there somewhere.

Maura pulled behind Angela's car in the driveway as she already saw both the 'Rizzoli and Son's' truck and Frost's vehicle parked in front of the house. She noticed that Korsak's beat up car was parked across the street. She kept a tight grip on the steering wheel just as she was trying to keep a tight grip on her emotions. She could see movement through the living room curtains, but she was not quite ready to leave the usual sanctuary of her car...not that it was working so well that night. She needed a breather before she would deal with more people. She closed her eyes to take a few deep breathes, and heard the passenger side door open and close as Jane got out of the vehicle...or so she thought until a timid whisper reached her ear.

"Look...I didn't mean what I said. I seem to be lashing out a lot and quickly lately, just ask my Ma. When she finally came in Frankie's room to make me get up and do something, I sarcastically responded that she should be happy I wasn't pushing to go back to work so I couldn't get shot." She heard Maura's slight gasp and knew that she understood how hurtful those words would have been to her mother.

Maura wanted to apologize too, but thought it was more important to keep the conversation on emotions going even if she did loath them. She turned toward Jane to ask, "Have you thought about seeing the precinct psychologist?" She hoped she was not starting another argument with that line.

"I hate shrinks."

"You know you'll have to see him eventually?"

Jane glared over, but at least her anger this time was directed more at said shrink and the situation that made her need to see one. "I hate it when you're right."

Maura couldn't let that one go...plus she wanted to get back to their normal banter so she would know they would be alright, "You must hate it a lot then."

Seeing the smirk on Maura's face, Jane nudged her in the shoulder. There was still a bit of tension in the air, but they knew it would all be back to normal before too long. "And shouldn't I say that to you as you always wait for proof to make a conclusion...that I usually already called correctly." Jane could tell from the face Maura was making that she didn't really like that idea, "Okay, even then." The disgruntled look was less prominent, but was still there. "Mauraaaa."

"Okay, even."

Jane couldn't help laughing at the 'if I have to' pout that she was graced with before Maura opened her door and stepped out.

For the next few hours, the six individuals ate pizza and told stories. Soon, however, the lot of them were yawning, and three of them weren't as lucky as the others to just have to drag themselves upstairs before they fell asleep. Maura was the first to leave, but they all knew that she had farther to go so it was understandable. She went to give Jane a light hug when she stood up to leave and was about to say sorry for earlier, but Jane stopped her.

"Let's just leave it at 'it was a hard day.' We both spoke without thinking. It happens...nothing to be sorry for."

Maura knew there was a lot to be sorry for, but nothing she could put into words so she just nodded, said her good-byes to those still hanging around chatting and watching the nightly news, and finally left. She needed her space for awhile. She had no clue how else to keep functioning but to show her emotions only in the privacy of her car or bedroom.

AN: Oi, even bribes don't work lol...thanks for those who take the time, thought I'd at least put this up for you guys for the effort. Then back to the regularly scheduled program.