*Okay…so I figured that if I made the chapters shorter I could post more often. I hope I can keep up…thanks again for all of the reviews and of course for reading. As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts and speculations…

No Hard Feelings…

Chapter 6

Jane stood outside the office door of Dr. Constance Isles and let out a heavy sigh in anticipation of what waited for her on the other side. In an effort to stall, she studied the name inscribed on the small, square name plate. It was written in a modest font with no embellishments or unnecessary flourishes. Just bold, black lettering that stated a simple elegance and it struck her as odd. If memory served her correctly, Constance was anything but simple...elegant maybe, but definitely not simple. Strength and vitality were the words that Jane had come to associate with the Isles matriarch, not simple and understated. As she stared at the name plate before her, she couldn't stop herself from shaking her head in amusement at her own thoughts.

"Well, if it isn't Jane Rizzoli…" A quiet, yet familiar voice spoke from behind Jane drawing her attention away from her careful study.

"Constance…" Jane's voice was low but held an unassuming authority as she turned around to find a stern but thoughtful look directed her way.

"I see that you are on time…and for that I thank you." Constance gently pushed past Jane to open her office door.

Following Constance into the small but well-appointed office, Jane took in the abundance of book shelves filled to the brim with books. Along the opposite wall leaned several large unframed canvas' that Jane assumed belonged to Constance and directly in front of a picture window sat a mahogany desk. There was a sentimental feel about the room and again Jane was struck by how odd it seemed. Sentimental was another word that she would not use to describe Constance Isles and the thought caused her to smirk.

"I'm afraid you've caught me in a bit of a mess. I'll be heading to Paris next week…" Constance nodded towards the large canvases. "And I'll be taking those with me."

Jane didn't respond for a moment as she continued to look around, taking in the family pictures that littered the large desk, another surprise. Her countenance had been hard and calculating when she entered the room but when her eyes fell upon several pictures of Maura at various ages ranging from childhood to more recent she couldn't help but soften her expression. Her eyes moved from the pictures to watch Constance make her way around the desk to take a seat in the high-backed chair with a gentle sigh. It was the small sigh that had her almost regretting what she was about to do. Finally, after several minutes of silence, Jane sat down across from Constance.

"Do you want to tell me what you are doing here Jane?" Constance let out a puff of air as she fidgeted around her desk nervously. It had been years since she had seen Jane and having her reappear after so much time did not bode well in Constance's mind.

"Um, I go by Detective Rizzoli now…" Jane's jaw was clenched and her mouth set in a grim line. She wasn't sure why she had said what she had said, but something inside of her wanted the older woman to know.

"Oh…are you here in an official capacity?" Constance feigned alarm. She knew that Maura had taken the job as M.E. and that she and Jane were now working together on an almost daily basis. What she didn't know was why Jane was sitting in her office radiating nonchalance.

"No…not really." Jane shrugged her shoulders as she kept her gaze steady. The dark blue eyes that gazed back at her did not flinch under the scrutiny.

"Then…by all means Detective…please explain to me why you are…after all of these years…siting here in front of me with a somewhat smug attitude." Constance's eyes flickered with the seeds of anger directed towards the person who had hurt her daughter more than anyone she had known, herself included.

"I'm not here to be judged…" The dangerously low tone of Jane's voice indicated her impatience.

"Then let's cut to the chase shall we…what do you want?" Constance glared as Jane shifted her weight uncomfortably in her seat. It was the first sign that Jane felt nervous and it gave Constance the glimmer of authority she hoped to maintain during their conversation.

"I think you already know…" Jane let out a heavy sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. Watching Constance puzzle through several scenarios, she saw the exact moment realization dawned on the older woman.

Taking a shaky breath, Constance blinked a few times in surprise as it occurred to her why Jane was there. That fleeting moment of authority disappeared as dread settled in the pit of her stomach like a brick. "Paddy…" The name fell from her lips in a quiet whisper as if she feared saying it out loud would bring him to her door.

"Look, I'm sorry if I've come across as smug…but this isn't easy for me." Jane cleared her throat nervously. The ambush seemed to surprise Constance and the look of fear on her face deflated Jane's smug attitude instantly.

"Why do I have the feeling that what you are about to tell me isn't going to be easy for me either?" As Constance spoke, her complexion paled. Deep down she had a feeling that Jane was about to stir up a hornet's nest that she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with but she also knew that it had only been a matter of time before it would happen. It seemed as if that time had come sooner than she had expected or rather sooner than she was ready to accept.

Jane gave her an apologetic smile as she shifted again in her seat again. She could feel her gun and badge at her hip pressing into her side making her painfully aware that they would be of no help to her in this situation. It was all up to her. "I guess I should start from the beginning…" Her voice trembled slightly under the realization of what she was about to do. She had expected to have this conversation with Maura but she also knew that before anything could be said she would have to talk to Constance. Maura's mother had just as much to lose as Jane and even though she did not need anyone's permission, she still wanted to give Constance the chance to prepare for the aftermath. Even though nothing was going to change her mind, having Constance on her side wouldn't hurt. Crossing her left leg over her right, she placed her hands on her lap and allowed the fingertips of her right hand to graze the hard leather of her holster. For some reason it comforted her to know it was there.

"Yes, I suppose the beginning is a good place to start…" Constance took notice of the way that Jane's fingers moved to touch her gun. She recognized the move for what it was, a means of comfort. To her, it was a strange thing to find comfort in. All she could do was give Jane an expectant look as she waited for her speak again.

"My Pop has a problem with gambling…has for years…" Jane started to say before her voice cracked slightly under the emotion she was trying desperately to control. "Um…sorry…this is harder that I thought it would be." She apologized when she saw shock register on Constance's face. "A few years ago…he got in some trouble…"

"How many years ago Jane?" Constance interrupted. She needed to hear Jane say the words even though she already knew the answer.

"Fifteen…" Jane dropped her eyes to her lap as her cheeks warmed with the shame she was feeling at having allowed Paddy to manipulate her all those years ago.

"I see…" Constance said when she saw Jane hesitate. "Go on…" She encouraged.

"I found out that there had been a contract taken out on him…he owed some really bad guys a lot of money and he wasn't making any attempt to pay them back." Jane reached up with her left hand to nervously rub the back of her neck. "I had to do something…so…" She paused as she brought her eyes back up to meet Constance's. "I went to the only person I thought could help. I went to Paddy…"

"Why didn't you come to me? I would have helped…" Constance started to say. Her voice was soft and filled with sadness.

"I don't know…pride maybe. I guess I wanted to do it on my own…I thought I could handle it, but I realized too late…I couldn't." Jane exhaled a long held breath. "Paddy agreed to pay my Pop's debt and get the contract cancelled. It took me seven years to pay that debt off but that wasn't the worst of it…" She paused to give Constance a moment to come to the conclusion she was reluctant to say out loud.

"He made you leave Maura…" Constance guessed. It was the truth that she saw in Jane's eyes that brought a wave of sorrow crashing down over her. "He was afraid his secret would get out…"

Jane gave a small nod as she looked back down at her lap not able to meet Constance's sad gaze. "I had to trade the life I could have had with Maura for my fathers." She laughed bitterly as she finally said the words. "I didn't have a choice..." When she finally looked back at Constance her eyes held a silent plea to understand.

"He is a cruel man Jane…I wish you would have come to me then." Constance sighed and then leaned over her desk so she was closer to Jane. "Is that why you've come to me today? Is your father in trouble again? Do you need my help?" The words came out in a rush.

"Yes my father is in trouble again and no one can help him now. He made his choice…he ran away leaving my Ma to fend for herself…" Jane's expression hardened at the thought that her father had abandoned her mother, leaving her with nothing to hold onto except the remnants of a thirty-four-year marriage. Things had changed between her and her father when she gave up Maura. She had always suspected he knew why, but he never acknowledged it if he did. All he did was hold out hope that she would find the right 'man' and settle down. Even though he had accepted her relationship with Maura when they were in high school, Jane knew he believed it was just a phase. She had never looked at him the same way after that fateful meeting with Paddy that changed her life.

"I'm sorry Jane…" Constance moved her hand in an effort to touch Jane but stopped suddenly. "But I still don't understand why you're here…"

"I went to see Paddy today…" If the admission surprised Constance she didn't show it. "I'm not that nineteen-year-old, scared kid anymore Constance…" Jane continued as she watched for a reaction. "I'm going to tell Maura…everything…I'm going to tell her what I should have told her fifteen years ago."

Jane sat back in her chair and crossed her arms as she watched Constance digest what she had said. She knew it would take a few minutes for Constance to come to terms with what she had just said but nothing was going to change her mind.

"You are going to tell her that Paddy Doyle is her father?" Constance's voice was a faint whisper.

All Jane could do was nod because words seemed trivial at this point. She watched a myriad of emotions play across Constance's face ranging from fear to anger to resignation.

"She's going to be angry…" Constance bristled as she sat up straighter in her chair. "At both of us...I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"I don't care what you're ready for…I need her to know the truth. I need her to know that I didn't just throw our love away on a whim…what we had meant something to me." Jane struggled to speak as her emotions overcame her. "It still does…" She choked out the last words.

"You still love her…" It was a statement not a question.

"I've never stopped…" Jane let out a heavy sigh as she pushed her hair over her shoulder and away from her face.

"Will you make me a promise Jane?" Constance asked. She waited patiently for Jane to think about it and only continued when Jane nodded. "No matter how angry she gets when she finds out about Paddy…don't give up on her. Just be there for her…be her punching bag, her shoulder to cry on…be her best friend until…" She paused as a slow smile came to her lips. "Until it's time to be more…just promise me that you won't walk away from her again not matter what the cost."

"That's an easy promise to make Constance…I thought…maybe…" Jane let out a breath of relief. She had been ready for a fight because she thought that maybe Constance was going to ask her to leave Maura alone.

"You thought I was going to ask you to walk away again, didn't you?" Constance raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I kinda did…" Jane sounded relieved. "You're taking this remarkably well…" She eyed Constance suspiciously. "Why aren't you angry with me?"

"I guess I'm just tired…" Constance let out a huff as her shoulders sagged under the weight of the prospect of what was to come. "I've kept this secret for thirty-three years. It's time she knew the truth."

"It is going to be tough Constance…Paddy has accepted the inevitable but he isn't happy about it." The seriousness in Jane's tone caused Constance to shiver.

"Don't mistake my acceptance for compliance Detective…I know he is a dangerous man and when you tell Maura it will present her with a whole new set of doors to choose from. I'm afraid for you both…" Another shiver ran through Constance's body and this time Jane noticed.

"I won't let anything happen to her…I promise…" Jane lifted her chin in a show of strength and defiance.

"Now that's a promise we both know you can't make…" Constance sadly shook her head. "But I believe you when you say it…"

Jane took a deep breath before she started to push up from her chair only stopping when the phone rang and Constance waved her back into her seat.

"Wait…I'll only just be a moment…" Constance directed Jane to sit back down before picking up the phone.

With a shrug of her shoulders, Jane sat back down prepared to wait until she was properly dismissed. It was only when she heard Constance's cheerful greeting that her eyebrows raised in surprise…Constance was talking to Maura.

"This is a pleasant surprise…" Constance smiled into the receiver. "Really…how is the job coming along?" She listened quietly to the answer before asking another. "Any regrets?" Again she listened but this time she looked at Jane and gave her a weak smile. "No…no…I don't think so. I suppose you just need to give it some time…" There was a touch of concern in the tone of her voice this time. "I'm sure she will explain everything when you see her…yes…I'm sure of it." The soft murmur of Maura's voice drifted from the phone just loud enough for Jane to hear. "Oh…a date…tonight…um…sure…you're right…it is time to get out and meet people…" She gave Jane an apologetic smile and decided she needed to end the conversation before Jane's head exploded. If the look on her face was any indication of what she was feeling, Constance could tell that Jane was doing her best to contain her anger. "Okay Honey…I'll see you before I leave…let's have dinner. I'm sure you'll have a lot to tell me by then…" This time she gave Jane a pointed look, hoping that Maura would still want to see her after her talk with Jane. "Bye…" Constance said before hanging the phone up and glancing at Jane who practically had steam coming from her ears.

"She has a date…?" Jane fumed.

"What do you expect Jane…? From what she told me you've all but disappeared the last few days without any word." Constance couldn't stop herself from sounding like she was chastising.

"She said she needed space…needed to process the idea of seeing me every day." Jane tried not to pout.

"Be that as it may…she is worried about you. She overheard you talking to Korsak about your family and she is worried…" Constance emphasized that last word so it would have an impact on Jane and it did.

"I guess I didn't think about it, but in my defense I didn't know she had overheard us." Jane tried to defend herself.

"I suggest you catch up with her so you can explain things." Constance said with a sad sigh knowing that things were about to change. She hoped it wouldn't affect her relationship with Maura and she hoped that Jane could garner Maura's forgiveness.

"A date…I can't believe she has a date…" Jane grumbled as she started to stand.

"Jane…?" Constance's voice was soft yet firm. "Remember your promises…" Even though she knew that Jane couldn't be held accountable for keeping them, Constance still needed Jane's affirmation that she would try.

With a curt nod Jane acknowledged what Constance had said as she moved towards the door. She stopped when Constance called out to her again. Without turning around, she tilted her head to indicate she was listening.

"Good luck, you've got your job cut out for you…but I'm rooting for you Detective." It was meant to encourage but there was an undercurrent of sadness to the statement.

As Jane left, the only thing on her mind was finding Maura and putting an end to her upcoming date.

As Jane sat behind the wheel of her car, it occurred to her that she had no idea where Maura lived. She quietly berated herself for not asking Constance when she had had the chance. The only thing she could do at this point was put in a call to Korsak and have him find out for her. Of course he would ask questions, but she didn't have much choice but suffer through his inquiries. She quietly contemplated the multitude of questions she would have to wade through and it occurred to her that Frost wouldn't put her through the same Spanish inquisition. With her mind made up, she pulled her cellphone from its case and hit the speed dial to link her to Frost.

"What's up?" Frost's smooth voice reached out to Jane. There was a calm way about him that always soothed her, it was one of the reasons they worked so well together. His ability to tame the tempest of emotions that boiled close to the surface reminded her of Maura and it brought a small smile to her face.

"Hey partner…I was wondering if you could do me a favor?" She tried to hide the desperate plea in her voice.

"Yeah…what ya need?" He asked. He had heard the slight tremor in her voice as she spoke and he knew he would do anything she asked.

"Could you get me Maura's address?" She asked.

If he was surprised by her request, there was no indication as he began typing into his computer. Jane waited patiently as she listened to the sound of his fingers moving over his keyboard. They were both quiet as he worked in silence trying to locate the information Jane had asked for. It only took a minute for him to find what he was looking for but instead of giving it to Jane right away, he took the opportunity to say what was on his mind.

"I've got it…but before I give it to you…" He cleared his throat nervously as he tried to phrase in his mind what he was going to say. "Look Jane…um…you need to make things right between you two…even if it just means being friends." His voice cracked slightly as he finished.

"I didn't know I had called Dear Abby…" Jane said not hiding the malice in her tone.

"Aw…come on Jane. She's been worried…and so have I…" He paused as he listened to her sigh. "We're more than just partners Jane…I'd like to think we're friends…"

"Look Frost…I've got a few things I need to take care of. It's not that I don't appreciate the concern, it's just that I really need to handle this on my own…" She tried to explain.

"I get it, really I do. Frankie told me about your dad…and everything." Frost's voice lowered so no one but Jane could hear.

She couldn't help but feel irritated that Frankie had told Frost but she supposed it was for the best. No one knew about Paddy, except Constance now and soon Maura would know. She didn't feel the need to explain anymore and she couldn't keep the impatience from her voice when she spoke again. "Could I please just have Maura's address…I really need to talk to her. I'm trying to make things right Frost…I just need to do it my way."

"'Kay…" He gave up on trying to counsel Jane and gave her the address. "I guess I should wish you good luck…that is if you're about to do what I think you're going to do."

"Yeah? What would that be…?" Jane asked as she jotted down the address in her small notebook.

"Well, I'd say that you are about to finally pull your head outta your ass and profess your undying love for her…or something like that." He chuckled at the attempt to lighten the mood.

"Yeah…or something like that…" Jane couldn't stop herself from smiling into the phone. "Thanks partner…I owe you one."

"Ah…and don't forget it." Frost tried to sound stern but only succeeded in sounding jovial.

"I have a feeling you won't let me…" She smirked as she hit the 'end' button on her phone. "And now…" She said out loud to herself as she started the ignition of the car with the twist of her wrist. "Off to find Maura." Putting the car in drive, she pulled away from the curb with the squeal of tires at her back. The urgency she felt in the pit of her stomach didn't help as she sped away from Constance on her way to a head on collision with Maura's heart. She just hoped she wasn't too late.