A/N: Prepare yourselves. Rizzles are coming. Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli & Isles.

xxx

When Maura woke up the next morning, she found herself pulled tightly next to Jane with a strong pair of arms wrapped around her. She thought about getting up to make coffee, but instead decided on sleeping in a little longer. She had never felt so cared for. She found herself comparing Jane to Jack as she lightly caressed Jane's forearm with her index finger.

Jane actually did a lot of things Jack did for her. She held open doors, she carried her bags, she always put Maura first. Maura always believed love could be found in the little things. But she perceived each of their behaviors differently despite their similarities. To her, it seemed that Jack did those things because it was expected of him. But with Jane, she knew it was just a part of who she was. Early on in their friendship, Maura detected that there were a handful of people in Jane's life that she could really say she cared for; but when she loved, she loved deeply and purely. Therefore, the little things she did for Maura were second-nature. She never had to think about it like Jack did.

Carefully, Maura rolled over so that she was then facing Jane. She knew Jane was a heavy sleeper when they slept together. She had a lot of interrupted nights to make up for, and that manifested when Maura was by her side through the night. Jane began to snore softly, and Maura had to fight back her laughter. She studied Jane's features. It was a rare sight to see her in such a relaxed state. The sunlight shone through the blinds and illuminated Jane's sharp features. Maura always thought Jane was gorgeous, but in this light, she thought she was the most beautiful version of herself. She continued to study every minute detail of Jane's face as she slept. She noticed the rapid eye movement behind her eyelids and knew she must be dreaming something. Whatever it was, she was just happy it wasn't about Hoyt. The corner of Jane's mouth began to curve up into a slight smile, causing Maura to do the same. She wrapped her own arms around Jane's waist and buried her head in Jane's chest, taking in a deep breath of lavender. Her eyelashes gently brushed the bare skin on Jane's chest, causing her to stir.

"Mmmm... Maura?" Jane lifted her head off the pillow and tried through squinted eyes to see if her best friend was awake.

"Yes, Jane?"

"You okay?"

"I'm perfect."

"Well me too, except for that damn sun coming through the window." Reluctantly, she got up from the bed to turn the blinds before plopping back down on her stomach so that her face was buried in a pillow next to Maura.

"Jane Rizzoli, it is 9:00 in the morning! I had no idea we slept that late."

"Well hey, most people loose track of time when they're around me all night." Jane raised her head to give Maura a wicked grin and a wink.

Maura threw her head back to laugh as she got up from the bed, slapping Jane on the arm in the process. "Don't flatter yourself!" Jane always liked to see the playful side of Maura.

The two made their way to the kitchen and began cooking breakfast together. As Jane was pouring herself a cup of instant coffee, she asked Maura if she had any big plans for the day since it was the 4th of July.

"Well the only person I would have plans with is pouring herself a disgusting cup of instant coffee because she's too impatient to make real coffee. So you tell me, Jane. Do I have plans today?"

"Don't knock it till you try it, Maur. And since that's the case, yes. You do. You're coming with me to Ma's for a barbecue. Frankie, Tommy, Lydia, and TJ will be there. It'll be fun. Then we'll watch the fireworks tonight. How's that sound?"

Maura was smiling from ear to ear. "It sounds lovely, Jane."

xxx

When they arrived at Angela's, Frankie and Tommy were already playing basketball in the driveway. As soon as Jane stepped out of the car, she heard Frankie lining up the new teams.

"I call Jane! Maura, you playing?"

"Well, I'm not really dressed appropriately for a game of basketball, but if Jane or Angela would be kind enough to lend me some clothes and tennis shoes, I'd be happy to join!"

"Perfect - Tommy, you got Maura."

Tommy's eyes grew wide, "Oh I can definitely deal with that!"

Jane cut her eyes at Tommy as she and Maura walked onto the porch. "Heard that little brother. Keep your damn hands to yourself. And for Christ's sake, your wife and child are right inside the house. Grow up, already."

Maura had already let herself in the house and had greeted Angela by the time Jane caught up. "Jane Clementine Rizzoli! You are-"

"Only five minutes later than I said I was gonna be, Ma. Is Pop grilling out back?"

"Yes, and Maura don't worry we thought you might come with Janie, so we've got a turkey burger for you since I know you eat a lot healthier than Jane."

"Thanks very thoughtful of you, Angela. Thank you."

Jane had already disappeared to find TJ. Maura followed the sound of her voice as Jane cooed while she held the baby. He was getting a little bigger now, and would turn one soon. Maura entered the living room as Jane was sitting down on the couch, holding TJ up and blowing on his belly to make him laugh hysterically. She joined them on the couch.

"You know, Jane, for someone who doesn't want children, you're very good with them. I'd even say you're maternal."

Jane shot her friend a look. "No wonder my mother likes you so much. You wanna hold him? My arms are killing me. I don't know what they're feeding this kid, but I think they need to slow down."

Maura took TJ from her and sat him in her lap, readjusting his shirt that Jane had wrinkled. "Jane, he's actually a healthy weight for a child his age. Maybe you should just work out more."

Jane laughed, "Maura Isles, I don't know what has gotten into you today, but I love it." They remained in silence for a few moments before Jane spoke again.

"Maura you're gonna make a great mom one day."

Angela reappeared from the kitchen and requested their help with the side dishes. Maura handed TJ back to Lydia and followed Jane. Angela asked Maura to help with the salad and Jane to help with the twice baked potatoes. As Jane reached across Angela to grab a spoon, her mother noticed there was something missing.

"Jane," she tried speaking softly so that only Jane would be able to hear her, "why aren't you wearing your engagement ring? Is everything alright with Alex?"

Jane sighed and considered for a moment how she should answer the question. She had been playing everything up to Angela like her relationship with Alex was continuing without a hitch, but she didn't feel like putting up any fronts today.

"Everything hasn't been fine since she got back, Ma. I just didn't feel like wearing it today. We've got a lot of things we need to work out."

"Well are you still going through with the wedding?" Angela's voice was now back to its normal volume, and Maura's eyes shot up at the question, waiting to see how Jane would react. This had been something that she wondered for a while, and Jane was always honest at expressing her doubts. But this time the question was asked, Maura had a pang of hope that Jane would offer a final and definitive 'no.' The fact that she hoped for that made her feel guilty for wishing such a thing when it came to Jane, but mostly she wondered why she could hope for such a thing in the first place.

Jane looked down at the potatoes in front of her and began to play with her hands. "You're not going to, are you?" Angela pressed on. Jane finally looked up, but her eyes landed on Maura instead of her mother. "I don't think I am." Her voice was barely above a whisper. As their eyes met each other, Maura felt a flood of emotions come over her. Oh no. I'm in love with Jane Rizzoli.

"Well does Alex even know that you're planning not to marry her?" There was no telling Angela Rizzoli to calm down in situations like this. She wanted answers, and she was determined to get them.

"No, Ma. I'm gonna tell her when she gets back. Feels a little harsh to do it over the phone while she's gotta put on a good face for her future employers over the next few days."

Maura hadn't heard any of the conversation that continued between Jane and her mother. Her mind was racing as her hands continued chopping lettuce. In hindsight, maybe she should have put the knife down for a minute.

"Dammit!" Angela and Jane whirled around to face Maura.

"Oh, but I can't say it? That's just not fair." Maura glared at Jane.

Angela immediately grabbed a paper towel and handed it to Maura to stop the bleeding. It was only a small cut, but it bled for what seemed like forever. Jane put her hand on the small of Maura's back and led her to the bathroom so she could clean up. She helped Maura rinse the blood off her finger, clean the cut, and put a bandage on it. When Jane finished wrapping the bandage around Maura's thin finger, she placed a quick and soft kiss on it.

"There. All better." Maura blushed at the gesture, and looked shyly at the floor. "Maur, you okay? I saw you kinda zone out in there. Did I say something? Ugh, did Ma say something?"

"No, no Jane, it's nothing like that. I just...You helped me realize something." She really hated herself for not being able to lie in that moment. Jane silently waited for her to elaborate. "I don't think I want to be with Jack anymore."

"Oh, Maur. I hope this doesn't have anything to do with me breaking things off with Alex."

"Well not directly, no. I-I'm glad you have realized that you deserve more than what she gives you. And I think I've come to see that I deserve better than what Jack can give me as well." And I know we deserve each other, and I hope you feel that too.

Jane pulled her into a loving hug, and Maura melted into the embrace. Jane placed another soft kiss on the her forehead, and she was thankful another blush was covered by her face being buried in Jane's chest. "Look, Maur, I just want you to be happy. You deserve the absolute best that anyone could give you. If it isn't Jack, it isn't Jack. But whoever you end up with better be prepared to offer you the world, because that's what you're worth." Jane felt her t-shirt become hot and damp. She pulled back to see Maura's eyes filled with tears. Her first thought was that she said something to upset her, and she started to apologize. Maura shook her head and placed her hand on Jane's arm to stop her from saying anything else.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Jane. That's the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me." Another tear fell from her cheek. Jane reached up to wipe it away with her thumb.

"I'll tell ya that every day for the rest of our lives if I need to," and both of them knew Jane was being completely serious. "But just to be clear - am I shooting Jack, or not?" Maura began to laugh. She would always be amazed at how Jane could sense when she needed a laugh, or to be reassured, or to be told she was worth it.

"No, Jane. You are not shooting him." She smiled despite the serious tone of her voice.

"Damn. I mean, uh.. shoot! Nope that's a poor choice of words. Darn it! There we go." Maura laughed even harder as she shook her head at Jane. "I'll let you get cleaned up, Maur. The food should be almost done. Just come out whenever you're ready." She gave Maura one more soft smile before she exited the bathroom.

The rest of the evening went on as expected. TJ was passed around a lot, mostly between Maura and Jane. The boys, Jane, and their father watched the Sox game while Maura mentally calculated her estimates for how fast and at what angle the batter would need to swing in order to get a hit off Clay Buchholz. Angela looked on happily as her family argued over who was the best home run hitter in the league. Mostly, she paid attention to how Maura and Jane interacted with each other. She took in how Jane draped her arm over the couch behind Maura, and how Maura snuck glances at Jane throughout the game. She was happy that Jane finally found a friend, but she couldn't help but wonder if they were a little more than that. She knew Jane would never cheat on Alex no matter how bad things were, but she couldn't deny there had to be something behind the way they looked at each other. Her opportunity to ask Jane about their relationship presented itself in the form of Jane walking towards the kitchen to get another beer.

"Janie.."

"If I tell you 'no, you cannot ask me,' will it make a difference?"

"You know me better than that."

Jane huffed, and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Out with it, then."

"Does the reason you're not marrying Alex have anything to do with Maura?"

"What?" Jane was genuinely surprised by the question, and considered the various feelings she had been having about Maura lately, she became a little defensive. "No, Ma. I can't believe you would even say that. Why would you ask me that?"

"Janie, I'm not blind. I see how you two look at each other. There's something there. It's always been difficult for me to tell how you feel about someone, but I can tell you that girl in there loves you. And I don't know if you feel the same way about her, but I think maybe you do because I've never seen you this happy. The past three years have been so hard on you, Janie. You deserve someone who cares about you as much as Maura does."

Jane sighed and sounded defeated. "Look, Ma, it's not like I haven't thought about it. But she has a boyfriend. I mean, she told me tonight that she's gonna dump him, but she's only ever been with guys. Don't really think I have a shot there. And she'd never like me like that anyway. She's better than me."

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli, I don't ever wanna hear you say that again." Her words were quiet enough that she couldn't be heard from the living room, but stern enough for Jane to get her point. "I know I wasn't always the most supportive mother to you. And I know it took me a lot longer to be okay with you liking women than I'd like to admit. But there's something special between you two. Just promise me you're gonna keep her around. Girlfriend or not, she makes you happier than anybody else you've ever been with."

"I'm gonna do my best, Ma." She gave her mother a smile before heading back to reclaim her seat on the sofa beside Maura.

Once it was finally dark enough to see fireworks, everyone but Jane and Maura headed outside to light sparklers and sit around the fire pit. Jane led Maura up to her old bedroom. The walls were covered in sports posters, and the bed sheets were navy blue. Maura stood still as she took in the space where Jane Rizzoli grew up. She walked over to a shelf that held several trophies. "Wow, Jane. You were an MVP in three different sports?"

Jane was standing next to her bedroom window, trying to loosen its sticky locks. "Yeah, I used to be kind of a big deal." Maura smiled and turned towards Jane.

"You're still a big deal."

Just then Jane successfully jerked the locks loose, and opened the window. She raised her leg to step out of it.

"Jane! What are you doing?"

"You wanted to see fireworks! Come on. I used to sneak out by crawling out of this window and hopping off the roof. It isn't that big of a drop on the other side of the house. I come out here every year to sit on the roof and watch the fireworks."

Maura hesitated only for a moment, but Jane still noticed. She proceeded to climb completely out the window and hold her hands out towards Maura who was still standing inside. "Come on, I got you. I promise not to shove you off the side." She gave Maura a mischievous grin before she felt a smaller pair of hands grab onto her own. She helped Maura through the window, and sat so that if anyone was going to fall off, it would be herself. Just as they situated themselves with their backs leaning against the house, the first firework exploded in the sky.

"Jane, it's beautiful up here." Maura's eyes were fixated on the sky, but Jane's studied the woman beside of her, taking in how her face looked illuminated by the different colors.

"I've never brought anybody up here before you."

"Well, I'm honored to be your guest."

Fireworks continued to explode above them. Jane started to fidget with her hands. She wanted to use this opportunity of having Maura alone to gauge the boundaries of their relationship. Angela's words had been ringing in her mind from the moment they landed on her ears.

"Hey, Maur can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Does it bother you, what people say about us at the precinct?"

"You mean that you and I are a couple?"

"Yeah.."

"Well it certainly doesn't bother me that they believe you and I are together. I think you're the finest detective in all of Massachusetts. You're incredibly intelligent, you always know how to make me laugh, and not to mention how gorgeous you are." Jane was beginning to blush. "What bothers me is that they think you would stoop so low to cheat on your current fiancee. They should know you are a woman of incredible integrity. Why do you ask?"

"Uh.. no reason. I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable. Can I ask you something else?"

"Of course."

"Have you ever been with a woman before?"

"Yes."

Jane swore her jaw hit the floor when Maura answered. "What? Really?"

"Sure! I dated a woman for about a year while I was in college."

"What happened.. I mean, if I can ask?"

"You can ask me anything, Jane. She got back together with her ex. There were no hard feelings. We both understood that it would have made her happier than being with me. I suspected it would happen anyway."

"Well she's still an idiot. Why have you never mentioned this to me before?"

"I just assumed you knew I was attracted to people for who they are individually as opposed to a specific gender. I wasn't trying to keep that from you, Jane. I hope you know that."

"Maur, it's fine, I promise. I'm just.. surprised is all." Jane was relieved, but just as she started to speak again, a loud popping sound only six inches from her nearly scared her off the roof. She stood up with impressive balance on the roof and looked around to find the source of the firecracker that had just been thrown at her. Her angry eyes landed on Tommy who stood below her with a satisfied grin on his face.

"Hey, Janie. Sorry to interrupt your makeout session." With that, he ran back around to the other side of the house.

"Tommy! We were not- Ugh! I'm gonna kick your ass!"

Maura was sure the whole neighborhood could hear her, but she laughed at the absurdity of the situation. Even though they fought all the time, she wished she had siblings to share those moments with. She was grateful that she had been accepted as part of the Rizzoli family. Jane had already climbed back inside the window, and was holding her hands out again to assist Maura. Once she was safely inside the house, Jane slammed the window shut and locked it before she bolted down the stairs to get her revenge on Tommy. Maura sat down on Jane's bed and laughed as she listened to the sounds of the Tommy pleading for Jane to let him go while Frankie laughed hysterically.

I am so in love with Jane Rizzoli.