Chapter 3: Motherhood

A/N: I know you're confused, especially about what happened, but also about who's who. This is intentional (sorry), I promise you'll know soon. This chapter will start to make some things clearer, but there will still be a LOT you don't know.

Jane: March, Six years ago

Jane knocked on Cavanaugh's door.

"Come in," she heard him call. She took a deep breath to calm herself before stepping into the office.

"Lieutenant," she said by way of greeting.

"Rizzoli?" he said, confusion evident in his voice as he looked up from his paperwork. "I thought you called in sick."

"I did, um, that's why I'm here, actually," Jane said, her panic rising quickly. "Well, okay, this is hard…um…"

"Breathe, Rizzoli," Cavanaugh said, concerned by Jane's demeanor. He had never seen her so…nervous? anxious? off-centered? just off?

"Sorry, sir," Jane said before taking another deep breath. "I'm actually here to offer my resignation, effective immediately."

Surprise was evident on her boss's face. "Sit," Cavanaugh said, gesturing to the seat across his desk. "Can we talk about this?"

"Yes, but I'm not going to change my mind," Jane said. "I'll explain, but my decision is non-negotiable."

"What's going on, Jane?" he asked, and Jane noticed the switch to her first name instead of the usual "Rizzoli."

"I'm…well…I'm a mother, now." Jane said. Okay, maybe that was an awkward way to start.

"You're pregnant?" he asked. He knew he wasn't supposed to ask his subordinate – or anyone at work – that question, but he was too concerned about Jane to care at the moment.

"No," she said slowly.

"I don't understand."

"I know," Jane admitted. "It's complicated and confusing and I haven't figured out how to tell people yet. I haven't even told Ma yet. I literally came right from the hospital to here."

"Is Angela okay?" he asked quickly, clearly only hearing the words Ma and hospital.

"Yeah, yeah, this has nothing to do with ma. Well, not really. I guess it will technically affect everyone in my family, but…anyway, no one is hurt or anything like that." Jane paused to take a deep breath, deciding she just needed to bite the bullet and get the words out. "Maura had twins and left them in my custody," she said all in one breath.

Cavanaugh stared at her in shocked silence. Of everything Jane could have possibly said to him, that would have been his last guess – actually, no it wouldn't have even been one of his guesses.

"You know where Dr. Isles is?" he asked.

"No," Jane said simply. "I just got a call from the hospital this morning. That's why I called in sick. They told me that Maura had given birth yesterday and had signed over legal and custodial guardianship rights to me. I tried to get them to let me see her, but she was already gone before they called me. I went up to the hospital. I just finished going through all the paperwork with the lawyer and the hospital. Then, I got to meet them." At this point, a soft smile tugged at her lips because despite everything – despite missing Maura, despite the circumstances – she had instantly fallen in love with the two baby girls left in her care. "I get to take them home tomorrow," she continued. "I can't in good conscience put my life on the line every day if I'm their only parent."

Cavanaugh sighed. He hated to lose his best detective but having lost his own wife and child to the job, he couldn't say he didn't understand her decision. "We could figure out a desk job for you, something that wouldn't put you in danger," he offered, not quite willing to let her go just yet.

"Thanks," Jane replied. "But, at least for now, I just want to parent. Maura also left money to support the girls. Don't get me wrong, I would take care of them no matter what; she didn't pay me to take them. However, it does give me the freedom to parent the way I want to."

Cavanaugh nodded. "Alright, I guess I'll start the paperwork," he said resignedly. "You'll have to come back to sign it, probably next week, but for now, go buy a shit-ton of baby stuff."

Jane smiled. "Thanks, boss. Can you keep this to yourself for now? Obviously, everyone is going to find out quickly, but I'd like to be able to tell my family first."

"Of course," he assured her. "I'll even wait a couple of days to start the paperwork if you want. You can just use sick time for now. That way, it won't get out before you're ready."

"Thank you," Jane said gratefully. "Okay, now I have to go tell Ma that she has two new grandbabies." Jane stood up and started walking to the door before Cavanaugh stopped her.

"Jane, what are their names?" he asked.

Jane smiled. "Emma Angela and Finley Grace," she said.

"Congratulations, Jane," Cavanaugh offered before she let herself out.

Twenty minutes later, Jane knocked on her mother's door.

Angela opened the door, surprised to see her daughter standing on the other side. "Janie, I wasn't expecting you. Why aren't you at work?" she asked, concerned.

"Hey, yeah, I know," Jane said, clearly stalling. "I, um, I need to talk to you."

"What's wrong?" Angela asked quickly.

"No, it's good," Jane assured her. "Well, it's complicated, but ultimately – I don't know – but I think it's good." Jane let a small smile creep onto her face before continuing, "Can I come in? This won't be a short conversation."

"Of course," Angela replied, stepping back to allow Jane to enter.

Jane took a deep breath before stepping into her mother's house. She stood just across the threshold, wringing her hands nervously and looking anywhere but at her mother.

"Janie, what's going on?" Angela asked gently. Her daughter's body language was making her nervous despite the fact that Jane said this was a good thing.

"Let's sit down," Jane said.

"Okay, but then stop stalling," Angela said as they sat down on the couch.

"Um, okay, so I got a call from the hospital today," Jane started nervously.

"What! What happened? Who's hurt? Is it Frankie? Nina?" Angela exclaimed loudly, cutting Jane off in the process.

"Ma!" Jane snapped, her annoyance overriding her nervousness. "Frankie and Nina are fine. Everyone's fine. Please just let me get this out. If you interrupt, I'm leaving."

Angela mimed zipping her lips closed, and Jane rolled her eyes. "Okay, so I got a call from the hospital today. Maura…"

"You heard from Maura?!" Angela interrupted.

"Ma!" Jane said, gritting her teeth in annoyance. "No, I did not hear from Maura, but Maura gave birth to twins." Jane paused as she tried to calm herself before continuing, "She left them in my custody."

Angela's eyes were as wide as saucers, and her mouth hung open in shock.

"Uh…okay…now you can say something…" Jane said, her nervousness returning.

"I don't understand," Angela said so quietly that Jane barely heard her.

Jane sighed. "I know, and before you ask, no, I don't know where Maura is or why she's gone." Jane started worrying the scars on her hands as she continued, "But she's asked me to take care of them. I-I-I…well, I'm going to do it, of course. I'm going to love them as my own – actually, I already do. I…uh…I know it's weird but…Ma, I need you to be okay with this…"

Angela smiled softly at her daughter. "Jane, of course I will support you, and I will love…wait, did you say them?"

"Oh, yeah, they're twins. Identical twin girls."

"I will love them as my grandchildren; they are my grandchildren and they would be whether it's you or Maura raising them," Angela assured Jane. "It's just a lot to wrap my head around. I mean, what are you going to do? You can't raise twins in your tiny apartment. You have nothing you need for a baby, let alone two. What about work?"

Jane held her hand up to stop her mother's tirade. "Ma, please stop," Jane said, closing her eyes for a moment. "I don't have everything figured out. I literally just found this out. It's not like I knew Maura was pregnant. If she was pregnant before she disappeared, she may not have even known, but I definitely didn't know. She very well may have gotten pregnant after she disappeared – I did the math. She left money, though, too. Like a lot of money. I-I really hope she didn't think she needed to give me money to take them or to love them, but since she did…I don't know. I feel weird about taking it and using it, but at least for now, I've quit my job. I can't put my life on the line if I'm all they have. I mean, I know you and everyone in the family would take care of them, but…"

"I get it, Jane, and to be honest, I'm really proud of you," Angela said, pulling her daughter in for a hug.

"Thanks, Ma," Jane said. "As for my apartment, it'll be fine for now. We'll figure something else out eventually, but they're a day old, so the apartment will be fine. In terms of baby stuff, well, that's part of why I'm here. I was hoping you'd help me. Like, would you go with me to the store? Make sure I get what I need?" Jane's voice trembled a little as she asked her mother for help. It's not that she didn't think her mother would help her – of course, she would – she just wasn't yet comfortable with asking for help. She knew she'd have to accept help now, though. Her mother was at least the easiest place to start.

"Of course!" Angela exclaimed, her face lighting up in excitement. "And can I meet them? Where are they? When do you get them?"

"Oh my god with the questions!" Jane huffed, but this time her annoyance was feigned. "They're still at the hospital. They can't come home until tomorrow, but all the legal stuff is worked out. I spent hours with the hospital's and Maura's lawyers. But yes, we can stop to see them. We won't be able to stay long though, but since they come home tomorrow, I think you'll get your fill soon enough."

"What are their names?" Angela asked.

"Finley Grace and…" Jane paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "Emma Angela. Also, their last name will be Rizzoli. I actually wanted to do Rizzoli-Isles, but the lawyer said I couldn't do that. I don't really know why. I didn't think the US had restrictions on naming, but whatever. Grace is Maura's grandmother's name, so there's at least that."

"Those are beautiful names, Jane," Angela said with tears in her eyes. "I'm honored."

Jane offered Angela a small smile.

Her excitement returning, Angela asked, "So, should we go shopping?"

Jane laughed at her mother's excitement. "Yes, but I think I should call Constance first," Jane said.

"And Hope," Angela reminded Jane.

"Yeah, I should," Jane said. "Then, maybe I can tell Frankie, Nina, Tommy, Korsak, and Kiki tonight."

Angela became serious again for a moment. "Jane, I'm really proud of you," she said gently. "I know this is hard. I know how much you miss Maura. I will help you with anything you need, and you know your brothers will too."

"Thanks, Ma," Jane said softly.

Jane: June, Present Day

"I think we're sisters," Finn said to Sophie before turning to look at Jane for confirmation.

Jane sighed and purposely avoided making eye contact with Maura. This was probably something she should let Maura answer, but she couldn't get herself to avoid answering the question. She had long ago committed to never lying to the girls about where they came from.

"Yes," Jane said simply, hoping that that would be enough for now. "But that doesn't mean you can't be friends."

"Okay," Finn said, shifting her gaze back to Sophie.

"I'll be your friend," Harper added, never one to be left out of a conversation.

Sophie squealed in excitement. Jane laughed before addressing Sophie again, "Sophie, do you like dolls?"

"Yes!" Sophie said, nodding her head enthusiastically.

"Um, if it's okay with your mom, maybe Finn and Harper will show you their dolls," Jane offered, finally looking up at Maura. When Sophie looked back at Maura for permission, Maura nodded and tried to give her daughter a reassuring smile, but she wasn't sure she was successful.

Sophie instantly squirmed out of Jane's arms, and Harper started pulling her towards the stairs with Finn trailing behind nervously.

"Sophie, shoes," Maura called out weakly in an attempt to remind her daughter to take off her shoes, but Sophie either didn't hear her or ignored her in her excitement to play with Harper and Finn.

Jane stood up and looked at Maura. She shook her head. "It's okay, just let them go," she said. "Don't make me wait any longer," she added as she opened her arms to Maura. Without hesitation, Maura stepped into Jane's embrace, burying her face in Jane's curls, and breathing in the familiar scent of her best friend.

Jane wasn't surprised when she felt Maura's body shaking with sobs in her arms, her tears soaking through her t-shirt. Jane stood there holding her best friend tight as tears leaked out of her own eyes.

They probably would have stood like that forever had it not been for the cat trying to sneak out the open front door. Jane released Maura to grab the cat and shut the front door. Once the door was shut, Jane held up the cat for Maura to see. With a smile, she told Maura, "This is Olaf," before setting the cat back on the floor. "I'm sure you can guess where that name came from."

Maura smiled weakly and unsuccessfully tried to wipe the tears from her face. They looked at each other awkwardly for a few seconds, neither one knowing what to say.

"Um, do you want to come in for coffee?" Jane asked nervously.

Maura nodded, not yet trusting her voice.

Jane started to lead Maura towards the kitchen, but when she turned to tell Maura something, she realized that Maura wasn't following her. She was still standing frozen in the entryway, looking terrified.

Jane walked back towards Maura. "Are you okay?" she asked gently. "I mean…okay, maybe that was a stupid question, but I mean…"

"Sister," Maura choked out, the single word getting stuck in her throat.

Jane's eyebrows knitted in confusion. Then, remembering the conversation at the front door with Finn and Sophie, she deflated a bit. "Oh, you didn't want me to tell them?" she asked, her anxiety rising. "I'm sorry. I know that should have been your choice, but I couldn't lie to her. I just…"

But Maura shook her head. "No, it's not…it's not that. It's…she had a sister?" she stuttered.

Jane wasn't following Maura's question at all. Trying her best to figure out what Maura was trying to say, she offered, "They have another sister?"

"Twins," Maura tried again. "I…they were…she was…I left…" Maura was overcome with tears and couldn't continue, but Jane finally caught on.

Feeling a rush of guilt for leaving Maura wondering and worried, Jane stepped back towards her best friend and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"She's fine. She's great. They both are," she said quickly. "I'm so sorry I didn't make sure you knew right away. She's just upstairs reading, which is what Finn was supposed to be doing too, by the way. Her name's Emma." Releasing Maura, she added, "I'll get them. Hold on."

"No, wait, please," Maura said quickly. "I need a minute. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Jane said gently. "Come on, I'll make you coffee." She gently placed her hand on the small of Maura's back, guiding her to the kitchen. She pulled out one of the island chairs for Maura to sit, which Maura took gratefully.

Jane moved around the kitchen, making coffee. "It's not instant, I promise," Jane teased in an attempt to lessen some of the tension and anxiety filling the room. "In fact, you kinda ruined me. I actually buy good coffee now. I mean, probably not as good as what you buy, but definitely infinitely better than what I used to drink." Maura gave Jane a small smile as Jane pushed the bag of coffee beans across the counter for her to see. Maura took the bag, reading the label mostly as a method of distraction.

Jane let Maura have a few moments to sit in silence knowing she probably needed time to gather her thoughts. A few minutes later, Jane placed a hot steaming cup of coffee in front of Maura, made just the way she liked it – or at least how she used to like it.

"Thank you," Maura said; her voice was barely above a whisper yet the emotions swirling behind the words were loud and clear.

"Mama?" a little voice called from the second level.

Jane moved from the kitchen to the living area. Their house was a modern open-concept house, so the landing for the second floor looked over the living area. Emma was standing on the landing, looking over the railing, and calling for Jane. Usually, Jane didn't allow the kids to yell from one floor to the other, but for now, she decided to let it go.

"Yeah, bean, what's up?" Jane asked gently, even though she was pretty sure she knew what Emma was going to ask her.

"Uh…um, Finn says mommy's here and Sophie's our sister?" Emma said, her voice rising at the end indicating her comment was more of a question than a statement.

"Yes, sweetie," Jane said. "Finn is correct."

Emma continued to stare over the railing at Jane. Jane didn't say anything, letting her daughter process the information in her own way.

From where she was standing, Emma couldn't really see Maura in the kitchen, but Maura was able to hear the entire conversation. Jane had to stop herself from looking over to Maura, deciding it was more important to keep her attention on Emma at the moment.

Emma huffed in annoyance, offering nothing more than an "okay."

Without another word, Emma turned and walked back to the bedroom where her sisters were still playing. Jane let her go. Emma was very much like Jane; she needed time to process emotionally difficult things before she knew how to proceed. Honestly, Jane was happy that Emma at least didn't explode – she also had Jane's reactive personality.

When the door shut behind Emma, Jane finally looked back to the kitchen to see Maura watching her. As Jane walked back to the kitchen, Maura asked nervously, "That's it?"

Jane shrugged. "For now," she said. "They'll have questions and reactions and whatever else, but they need time to process."

"She sounded a bit annoyed," Maura said quietly, unsure what that meant, but she was surprised when Jane actually laughed.

"She doesn't know how to react to what's happening. Her annoyance was entirely about the fact that her sister knew something before she did," Jane explained with a smirk.

"How do you know?"

Jane shrugged again. "Because I know my kids…er, the kids…our kids…" Jane trailed off, the last part so quiet she wasn't even sure Maura heard her. She could recognize the awkwardness of the moment.

They both fell silent, their eyes looking anywhere but at each other.

After anxiously spending a few minutes moving around her kitchen trying to find something to do with her hands, Jane finally broke the silence, "Uh, I'm not sure what your plans are for today. You probably have other people you need to see…" Jane trailed off. She didn't want to assume Maura had set aside the whole day to see them; she had plenty of other people she hadn't seen in years. On the other hand, she couldn't imagine Maura not wanting to spend the whole day getting to know her daughters – they are amazing, after all.

"We don't…" Maura said slowly. "Honestly, I wasn't sure if you would be here or if we would need to come back later. I also…I…I wasn't sure if you'd even let me in…"

Jane bit her lip, unsure of how to respond. "We have a lot to talk about," she said finally. "I'm not saying everything is going to work out. I don't…I didn't…I don't even know where you've been or what happened, but I'll always let you in the door – I'll always at least hear you out."

Tears returned to Maura's eyes at Jane's words. She was feeling extremely overwhelmed, so she was grateful when Jane changed the subject.

Aware that the girls would be asking for lunch soon and not willing to have this initial conversation in front of them, Jane turned to more practical matters. "Well, do you guys want to at least stay for lunch? Then, maybe the kids can watch a movie and we can talk?"

Maura nodded, still trying to contain her tears.

"Is there anything Sophie can't or won't eat?" Jane asked.

Maura took a deep breath. "No, she's a pretty good eater, and she doesn't have any allergies," Maura said, her voice still shaking somewhat.

"I had been planning on making quesadillas with chicken and tomatoes because the chicken and tomatoes are already cut up. Also, we need to go grocery shopping, so we don't have a ton of options."

"Sophie will like that," Maura said.

Jane nodded and started making lunch. They were both silent, lost in their own thoughts, while Jane was preparing the quesadillas and adding fresh carrots and cucumbers to four kids' plates and two regular plates. Just as she finished setting the plates on the table, she heard the upstairs door open. Harper called from the landing, "Mama, we're hungry."

"Well, good because lunch is ready," she said. Maura stood up from the island as four sets of little feet hurried down the stairs. Harper went straight to the table, a very excited Sophie on her heels. Harper took her usual seat and told Sophie to sit next to her.

Finn and Emma were a lot slower to come down. When Jane saw them, her heart broke. Emma's face was red and blotchy with tears coating her cheeks, indicating that she had been crying for quite some time. Jane hated that she had been upstairs crying and hadn't called for Jane. Jane also hated herself for not immediately checking on the girls after Maura and Sophie showed up. Finn wasn't crying, but her face showed her distress, nonetheless.

Jane opened her mouth, intending to comfort Emma and suggest the three of them – Jane, Emma, and Finn – talk alone. Emma was faster though.

Her face screwed up in anger, she looked directly at Maura and yelled, "I DON'T WANT TO LIVE WITH YOU! YOU'RE NOT MY MOM!"

Finn's face telegraphed her shock at her sister's outburst, and Jane knew hers probably didn't look much different. Before Jane could react, Emma turned on her heel and ran up the stairs. Finn made eye contact with Jane for half a second before following her sister back to their bedroom and slamming the door behind them. At the same time, Maura turned tail and ran out the front door, leaving Jane, Harper, and Sophie in shock in the kitchen.

A/N: I apologize if I don't use the correct legal terms for custody and parental rights. Please just go with it. The basic idea is what's important. If you know the correct terms, feel free to let me know and I'll change them.

Also, I am NOT saying that a cop cannot be a wonderful amazing single parent. They absolutely can be. Please don't take it that way when Jane says she doesn't want to put her life on the line if she is the only parent of the girls. This is just Jane's decision and rational in this story.

This story will deal with issues of family and emotional trauma, but it will not include topics of rape and/or sexual assault. I always want/need to know that before reading a story, so I wanted to make that clear.

Okay, one more warning. We're about to get into the bulk of the story. This will include situations where you all will be like "that was too easy," but there will also be times you want to scream at me (like I'm guess you want to do right now…SORRY). Just know there will be a lot of ups and downs, but it will have a happy ending.