Chapter 10: Breakfast

Maura: June, Present Day

When Maura awoke to the feeling of someone holding her tight in an unfamiliar bedroom, her first instinct was to panic. Fortunately, it didn't take her long to remember where she was and whose arms were wrapped around her. She instantly relaxed, enjoying the feelings of safety and love that surrounded her.

Maura jumped in surprise when the bedroom door burst open loudly and unexpectedly. Instinctively, Jane's embrace tightened protectively around her until the noise that followed the kids into the room permeated her consciousness. She released her hold on Maura grumbling something under her breath that Maura couldn't understand. Maura shifted to sit up against the headboard as Harper and Sophie unsuccessfully tried to climb on the bed. Maura was about to move to help them, but she didn't have to. She watched as Harper awkwardly but successfully helped Sophie climb up. Finn and Emma had followed their younger sisters into the room – albeit, much more quietly – and Finn helped Harper up.

Sophie climbed directly into Maura's lap, just as she had for years back in Utah. Harper perched herself near the foot of the bed.

"Emma's grumpy," Finn stated as she climbed onto Jane's side of the bed and draped herself over Jane's legs. Emma quickly followed her and snuggled into Jane's lap as Jane joined Maura sitting against the headboard.

"Emma's always grumpy in the morning," Harper stated matter-of-factly, causing Maura and Sophie to giggle.

"Mmm," Emma half-heartedly protested as she buried her face into Jane's chest.

"Emma's not a morning person," Jane explained with a smile as she pulled Emma tight against her and leaned her check on the top of Emma's head.

"Just like her mama," Maura teased, reaching out to give Jane's forearm a gentle squeeze.

Jane laughed. "Yeah," she admitted. Her eyes sparkled and her dimples popped as she smiled at Maura. Jane's gaze warmed Maura from the inside, and Maura's heart swelled with love. She was happier in this moment than she had ever expected possible, even 24 hours ago. She knew they had a rocky road ahead of them, but right now, with the six of them enjoying each other's company on a lazy Sunday morning, she couldn't imagine ever being happier.

"Are we going to Target today?" Finn asked Jane, breaking Maura from her trance.

Jane laughed. "Not today," she said, and her comment was immediately met with a groan from Finn that was echoed by Harper. "You didn't let me finish. You're going to like what we have planned instead even more."

Finn and Harper instantly perked up, and Emma even sat up in Jane's lap. "What?" Finn asked excitedly.

"Nana and Grandpa are coming over for breakfast," Jane said with a chuckle, and Maura realized that she had been wrong. She could be happier than she had been only moments before because seeing the excitement on the girls' faces at the simple idea of seeing their grandparents – her parents – was just one more thing from the past 24 hours that had pleasantly amazed her.

She couldn't help but compare the girls' reactions to her own reaction years ago when her mother had visited Boston for her art installation and met Jane for the first time. Maura had nearly had a panic attack at the thought of her mother's impending visit, but she saw no anxiety in the kids' faces. She had always wanted to have a close relationship with her parents, and she and her mother had made a lot of progress in the years before she left Boston. They were much more comfortable with each other and their communication had strengthened significantly over the years, but the fact that her parents had made such an effort to connect with their grandchildren – most likely significantly aided by Jane – meant the world to her.

"Did you want to shower or anything this morning?" Jane asked Maura. "If you want, you can use the master bathroom while I help the girls get dressed and ready."

"You don't want me to use the guest bathroom?" Maura asked. "I don't want to invade your personal space."

"Okay, first of all, I have little kids, there's no such thing as personal space," Jane said teasingly. "Second, you're not going to want to try to shower and get ready in the kids' bathroom, which is the only other full bathroom. Seriously, I don't mind at all if you use this one," she said as she pointed to the ensuite bathroom.

Maura glanced to the bathroom before looking around at the kids surrounding them. The kids appeared to be riveted by their conversation, which amused her. Maura nodded. "Thank you, if you really don't mind, I'd appreciate that," Maura said. Old habits died hard, and she wanted to look her best to see her parents for the first time in years, even if it didn't matter to her in the same way it used to.

"Really, I don't mind," Jane said. "Just let me pee and brush my teeth. I'll finish getting ready after you're done – or at least after the kids are ready." Jane lifted Emma off her lap, setting her on her feet on the ground. "Okay, can the four of you go start getting ready? Emma and Finn, please brush your teeth. Harper and Sophie, I'll help you guys, but if you didn't before you came in here, please use the bathroom. I'll meet you all in a second."

Finn, Emma, and Harper immediately complied. Sophie glanced to Maura for permission – or at least affirmation – first, which Maura gave in the form of a nod. Maura helped Sophie off the bed, and the little girl ran after her sisters. Maura smiled to herself when she noticed that Harper had stopped to wait for Sophie to catch up.

"I'm just going to get my clothes," Maura told Jane as she got out of bed as well. "I'll be right back."

Maura returned a few minutes later to find Jane brushing her teeth, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. When she finished, Jane showed Maura where everything she needed was.

As she started to close the bathroom door behind her, Jane paused and turned back to Maura. "If there's anything else you need, just look for it," she said. "I mean, you can ask too, but don't feel like you need permission. I know it's not home yet, but I want you to be comfortable here – I want it to feel like home for you guys. Plus, there's literally nothing weird to find," she added with a smirk as she closed the door without waiting for Maura to respond.

Maura smiled to herself as she got in the shower. It occurred to her that this was probably the first time ever that she had been able to take a shower without having to worry if Sophie was occupied or if she would stay asleep. Not that she minded; Sophie was an easy kid, but it still felt like another thing in the long line of changes. It was probably more about having someone else in her life that she trusted to care for her kid as opposed to being able to shower uninterrupted.

Maura had always felt slightly guilty at how much she sheltered Sophie. She had known she couldn't keep Sophie from getting to know other adults as she got older, but at three she was still at an age where Maura was enough for her. That couldn't last forever though, but Maura had been too scared to get close to anyone in Utah. This meant that Sophie didn't really get close to anyone either. Maura knew that she wouldn't survive getting as close to someone new in Utah as she had with Jane only to have to leave them again if they had been relocated – something that had been a more likely outcome than being able to leave the program.

A little over an hour later, Maura walked downstairs, ready for the day, to find Jane and the girls setting the table in what could only be described as semi-organized chaos. She stopped to watch them for a few moments before making her presence known. She wondered if this is what Jane's house was always like – if this is what her daughters had been able to grow up in – or if the level of energy and love was heightened by her and Sophie's presence. Even though she was happy that she and especially Sophie had been so well received, she personally hoped it was the former. She hoped that life was like this every day, or at least most of the time. The truth was, even though she had primarily left the girls with Jane because she feared for their safety, she had also wanted this life for them. She had wanted them to grow up with a large – possibly somewhat crazy – family that openly showed their love. Jane appeared to have met and far exceeded those expectations.

"Mommy!" Sophie said excitedly as she ran over to Maura. "Look! I'm wearing Harper's dress!"

Maura lowered herself so that she was Sophie's height. Smiling, she said, "You look very cute. Did you thank Harper for letting you borrow her clothes?"

Sophie nodded and reached out her little hands to cup Maura's cheeks. Maura loved the look of pure joy that sparkled in her daughter's eyes. Sophie looked happy, so incredibly happy, and Maura was so grateful for that. It was a testament to Sophie's resilience that even though she had moments of uncertainty and anxiety, she had mostly taken this major life change in stride with little to no complaints.

"Yes, I said thank you, but Jane said that Harper and I could share whatever we wanted to," Sophie explained, her excitement threatening to make her burst.

"I wanna sit between Nana and Sophie," Harper said to Jane, causing Maura and Sophie to turn their attention back to the rest of the family.

"Not this time, note," Jane said. "You can sit by Sophie, but mommy gets to sit by Nana, okay?"

"But…" Harper tried, crossing her arms in front of her chest, a pout on her face so reminiscent of Jane that Maura had to hide her laughter.

"No," Jane said firmly, her tone clearly indicating that Harper would be wise not to continue arguing. "You are sitting between Sophie and Em."

"Fine," Harper grumbled.

As the girls returned their attention to setting the table, Maura turned to Jane. "Did you call her note?" she asked, her face scrunched in confusion.

Jane laughed openly. "Yeah, sometimes I forget that that's a weird nickname," she admitted.

"How…where?" Maura stuttered.

"Because I love to sing and dance!" Harper excitedly explained to Maura, but this didn't really clarify anything. "I'm note, like music note," Harper continued.

Maura raised an eyebrow at Jane, who looked like she was trying not to fall over from laughing so hard.

"Mama has nicknames for everyone," Emma piped up. "I'm bean," she said pointing herself, "like jumping bean, and Finn is bug, like love bug."

"I want a nitname," Sophie said, whipping her head back and forth between Maura and Jane.

"It's called a nickname, sweetie," Maura said, emphasizing the 'ck' sound in the word 'nickname.'

"Can I have one?" Sophie asked, turning to Jane, who had finally gotten her laughter under control.

"Absolutely!" Jane said. "But let's come up with it after breakfast, okay?"

Sophie nodded excitedly.

"Alright, I really need to change," Jane said to no one in particular. "I think everything is ready." She smiled at Maura as she left the room and went upstairs to get dressed.

The girls had moved to the living room, so Maura was left alone – or as alone as one could be in a house with six people. It was at that moment that the full weight of the moment finally hit her. She had spent so much time worrying about Jane, Emma, and Finn's reactions that she hadn't put much thought into everyone else's. She took a step to the side and leaned against the wall between the entryway and the dining room. She closed her eyes and tried to regulate her breathing in an attempt to stymie the panic attack threatening to overtake her. She wasn't sure how long she had been standing there practicing her meditative breathing when she felt a hand on her arm. She opened her eyes to find Jane next to her, fully ready for the day.

"Are you okay?" Jane asked, concern evident in her voice as she tried to be quiet so the girls wouldn't overhear their conversation.

"Just nervous," Maura said quietly. "But I'm okay."

"Come'ere," Jane said as she opened her arms to give Maura a hug. Maura quickly stepped into her embrace, returning her hug in equal measure. "It's going to be okay," Jane said into her hair while they were still holding each other.

Maura nodded against Jane's shoulder before pulling out of the hug.

Jane met Maura's eyes. "Really, Maur," she said. "You know I would never say something's going to be okay if I don't know it will, and I can't promise that everything going forward will be okay. What I can say is that this next part – seeing you parents, the rest of our family for the first time in years – this part is going to be okay.

Maura nodded as she brought her hands to her face in an attempt to wipe the oncoming tears away before they could fall. Jane pulled Maura back into a hug. "They love, the girls love you, and I love you," Jane said into her hair again. "That's what really matters."

"Thank you," Maura said thickly as they separated.

Jane: June, Present Day

As she let go of Maura, Jane noticed the car turning onto their street through the window out of the corner of her eye. She looked back to Maura, and her heart broke at the fear and uncertainty she still saw in her friend's face.

Making a split-second decision, Jane said as she grasped Maura's shoulders with her hands, "Why don't I go talk to them first? I can tell them you're here, then bring them inside." Jane hadn't really planned to offer this, but she wanted this moment to go well. It's not that she thought Maura's parents would be upset, but if she could do something to make it a little bit easier on everyone involved, she had to try.

Maura nodded. Jane pulled Maura forward, leaving a soft kiss on her forehead before turning and walking quickly towards the front door.

Jane was able to head off Constance and Arthur before they started up the front walk.

"Hi, Jane," Constance greeted happily.

"Hi, Constance. Hi, Arthur," Jane said quickly as she stopped in front of them. "Um…" she paused, unsure of where to start.

"Is everything okay?" Constance asked with concern.

Jane clasped her hands in front of her and began rubbing at her scars unconsciously. Her palms were sweaty – okay, maybe she was more nervous than she had expected for this moment. Jane took a deep breath. "Yeah, so I invited you to breakfast for a reason," Jane said shakily. "I mean, we love when you come over. I just…I…"

"Jane, what's wrong?" Constance asked again.

"No, it's good," Jane said nervously. "It's a good thing…it's just…sorry, this is harder than I thought it would be." Seeing the concern on Constance and Arthur's faces didn't make this conversation any easier, but she could tell she was making it worse by stalling. "Okay, so um, Maura's here," she said quickly, pausing to let her words sink in.

Constance and Arthur both appeared to be frozen in place in their shock.

"Uh, okay, so I know this is kinda a shock," Jane continued when she realized they weren't going to say anything. Her arms were now swinging awkwardly at her side as she tried to release some of the nervous energy in her body. "I just…I mean, we didn't really know the best way to tell you. It didn't really seem appropriate to tell you over the phone, but I also realized that walking in today and seeing your daughter after seven years without any warning may be a little…I don't know." Jane trailed off awkwardly, hoping beyond hope that one of them would have some kind of reaction.

Constance opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally glancing at Arthur and choking out, "When?"

"Yesterday," Jane said. "Well, technically, she got back to Boston on Friday, but she came here yesterday. Also, you're the first to know other than me and the girls. Well, and Kent, but that was an accident." She was rambling now, and she knew it. "Uh, there's more…"

Jane saw Arthur's eyebrows rise further towards his hairline, but neither of them said anything.

"She has another daughter. Sophie, she's three – just a few months younger than Harper," Jane said. "Do you want to come in and see them?"

The question finally seemed to break both Constance and Arthur from their trances. "She's okay?" Constance asked as tears started rolling down her cheeks without her knowledge. "She's here?"

Jane nodded. "Yeah, I mean, she's been through a lot, and I'll let her tell you about it, but she's okay considering everything," she said gently. "You should come in."

Finally, Constance nodded and took a wobbly step towards the front door. Jane walked next to her in silence with Arthur not far behind them.

"We are actually having breakfast, too," Jane said as they walked up the front walk. "But I cheated and ordered delivery. It'll be here around 10:30."

Neither Constance nor Arthur acknowledged Jane's comment, but Jane didn't care. She opened the front door and stepped aside to let them enter. Three over-excited girls came running into the entry way. Harper jumped into Constance's arms for a hug the instant she was through the door while Emma and Finn both gave Arthur and then Constance a hug. Jane was glad that they greeted the girls normally despite their obvious anxiety.

When they heard Maura's heels entering the entryway, though, they both stopped and looked at her.

"Mommy's here!" Harper exclaimed excitedly as she pointed at Maura, who was holding Sophie in her arms and had paused a few yards away from them. Harper's comment may have been unnecessary, but her excitement broke some of the tension in the room and seemed to pull Constance from her own thoughts.

Constance quickly stepped around Harper and walked straight to Maura. Maura leaned forward slightly, clearly expecting the usual polite but distant greeting of a kiss on each cheek, but Constance instantly wrapped her arms around her daughter and granddaughter.

Jane watched the reunion. Both women were crying uncontrollably as they held onto each other, but Sophie looked slightly alarmed. Jane stepped towards them, whispering, "Come here, Soph," as she held out her arms to the little girl. Sophie allowed Jane to lift her from Maura's arms, but she turned to watch her mother as Maura wrapped her now free arm around Constance as they held each other tighter.

After a few minutes, Arthur stepped forward and gently placed his hand on Maura's back. Maura finally released her mother and turned to give her father a hug. It didn't last as long, but it was just as genuine and filled with love as her hug with Constance.

Jane looked around the room. Emma, Finn, and Harper were silently standing off to the side their full attention on the scene unfolding in front of them, and Sophie was still in her arms. This moment couldn't have gone better in Jane's opinion, and for that, she was incredibly grateful.

Maura wiped her eyes. When she spoke, you could still hear the tears in her words, but you could also hear the happiness. She cleared her throat. "This is Sophie," she said as she held out her arms to take Sophie back from Jane. "Sophie, these are your grandparents, my parents," she said gently to Sophie. Sophie waved shyly while maintaining a tight grip on Maura with her other hand.

"Hello, Sophie. It's lovely to meet you," Constance said directly to the little girl.

Sophie buried her face against Maura's shoulder in response. Maura brought her hand up and rubbed comforting circles on her back.

"I'm sorry," Maura said. "She's met a lot of people over the past…"

"You don't need to apologize," Constance quickly cut her off. "I completely understand."

Maura gave Constance a watery smile as she nodded.

Harper apparently decided that this was her chance to insert herself into the conversation. "Sophie! Sophie! Sophie!" she said excitedly, coming to stand between Constance and Maura and looking up at Sophie. Sophie looked down to meet her eyes. "Nana is the best colorer in the world!" she said emphatically. "She'll color with us whenever we want."

Jane couldn't help the snort that escaped at Harper's words, but despite her status as a world-renowned artist, Constance looked pretty pleased as being described as the best colorer in the world. Harper's words had the added effect of making Sophie smile. Sophie wiggled out of Maura's arms in an attempt to get down to Harper's level, so Maura set her back on the ground and returned her attention to her parents. Jane watched as Harper and Sophie began whispering to each other, sharing some secret Jane wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Let's move into the dining room," Jane suggested. "And I'll get drinks. Constance? Arthur?"

"I'll have coffee," Constance said.

"If you have tea, I'd like that," Arthur said. "But you don't have to make a pot just for me."

"I made coffee and tea – well, I heated water. I'll bring you the tea bags, so you can choose," Jane said. "Maur, what about you?"

"Coffee would be wonderful," Maura said. "Thank you, Jane."

When Jane turned to head to the kitchen, Emma called after her. "Mama, I want…" she started.

"Hold your horses," Jane replied. "Let me get the grown-ups' drinks first. I can't carry everything."

"M'kay, sorry," Emma said quickly.

Jane leaned over to plant a kiss on Emma's head as she walked by in a non-verbal acknowledgement of her apology.

Jane returned a few minutes later with the coffee and tea. All four girls wanted milk, so that was easy, and after bringing their milks to the table, she took her seat to Arthur's left. Arthur was at the head of the table. Constance was sitting across from Jane, on Arthur's right. Maura sat next to her mother with Sophie on her other side. Harper was sitting at the other end of the table, directly across from Arthur, which made Jane roll her eyes. Harper loved to be the center of attention, so it was only fitting that she too was at the head of the table. Emma and Finn sat between Harper and Jane, with Finn just to Jane's left. Jane momentarily thought about telling Emma and Finn to switch since Emma was right-handed and Finn was left-handed, but she decided to let it go when she realized that Finn probably wanted the security of sitting next to her.

Not long after Jane had taken her seat, the doorbell rang. Jane brought the packaged food to the kitchen and set it out.

"Okay, I didn't think through how to best serve the food when I ordered, so if everyone's okay with it, we'll just do buffet style," Jane said to the room at large as she stood between the kitchen and dining room. "Come get it while it's hot!"

Maura: June, Present Day

Maura watched as everyone stood from the table at the same time and followed each other into the kitchen. She trailed behind, bringing up the end of the line. She watched in awe as Emma, Finn, and Harper naturally paired up with an adult to help them fill their plates. The sight made Maura wonder how many times they had done something like this. There didn't seem to be much discussion as Constance helped Harper fill her plate, and Jane and Arthur each helped one of the twins.

Maura hated that she couldn't tell them apart. She knew it was unrealistic for her to be able to tell identical twins apart so soon after meeting them – okay, well not meeting them, but seeing them as grown children for the first time – but that didn't make her feel much better. She decided she needed to pay attention when they were spoken to and match up something they were wearing with their name each day until she learned how to tell them apart for real. Jane seemed to be able to tell them apart without any issues, but she couldn't tell if her parents were the same way, or if they just avoided using their names.

"Mommy, will you help me?" Sophie's voice cut through Maura's thoughts.

"Of course, baby," Maura replied with a smile.

Maura helped Sophie fill her plate before she went back to make a plate of her own and returned to the table. Maura was very pleased with how everything had gone so far this morning. The greeting her parents gave her was much warmer than she had expected. They hadn't asked any questions yet, but Maura suspected that had more to do with the fact that the kids were still in the room than anything else. Sophie was mostly ignoring her parents, but Maura was okay with that as long as she wasn't upset. Right now, Maura thought that Sophie's happiness and comfort was what was most important. Beyond that, she wanted to prioritize Sophie's relationships with her sisters and Jane before they worried too much about her relationship with the rest of the family.

Maura mostly listened as Jane and her parents conversed. After a while, Maura got the feeling that her parents didn't really know what to say to her, but in all honesty, she was relieved by that.

After everyone had finished eating, Emma and Finn brought everyone's dishes to the kitchen while Jane refilled the adults' coffees and tea. "Why don't you guys watch a movie?" Jane said to the girls as she sat back down at the table.

"Really?" Emma asked quickly.

"Yeah, the adults need some time to talk," Jane said.

"Yay!" Emma said excitedly as she led the four girls into the family room.

Once the girls were out of earshot, Constance laughed. "I don't think I've ever heard you say that sentence," she teased Jane.

"What sentence?" Maura asked. Nothing about what Jane had just said seemed unusual to her.

"Suggesting they watch a movie," Constance replied.

Jane laughed. "I'm kinda glad you said that because I'm pretty sure Maura thinks I just put them in front of the TV 24/7," Jane quipped.

"I don't think that," Maura countered.

"I know, but they have watched a lot of TV yesterday and today, so it would be a reasonable assumption to think that I let them watch TV often," Jane replied.

Maura shrugged. "It's not like anything about the past two days has been normal," she said.

"True," Jane conceded.

"Well, I can promise you that Jane does not let them watch unlimited amounts of TV," Arthur added.

Maura shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She knew they were all prolonging this relatively benign conversation in order to avoid the difficult conversation they needed to have. Maura took a deep breath and decided to dive right in. "I know you probably have a lot of questions," she said slowly, "but maybe it's easier if I at least start with some of the most relevant information."

Constance and Arthur both nodded as they and Jane turned their attention to Maura.

"Okay, well, I've been in the witness protection program for almost seven years," Maura said. "However, there is no longer a threat to my life, so I was unenrolled from the program. I'm not sure what the exact word is for leaving the program in that manner, but unenrolled gets the point across. Anyway, because I was no longer in danger, I was given the option to leave the program in one of two ways. I could keep my new identity and remain in my new location, essentially, I could continue to live my new life, just no longer in the program. The other option was to return to my old identity, but I was on my own if I wanted to move, including moving back to Boston."

"Where were you living?" Arthur asked.

"A little outside of Salt Lake City, Utah," Maura replied. "I wasn't placed in Utah until after the case for which I was testifying was over, so I was in Maine for the first year and a half."

"You're safe now, though?" Constance asked nervously.

"Yes," Maura assured her. "I was a key witness in the reco trial against Marco Salvagio."

"Is that a name we should know?" Constance asked.

"He was the leader of the Italian mafia in Boston," Jane explained. "Most long-term Boston residents would probably know the name, but since you didn't live here for years, I'm not surprised you don't know the name."

"Marco was killed a few years ago in prison," Maura continued, "but there were still remaining family members in Boston. However, approximately one month ago, the last remaining family member was killed. Well, not technically, I suppose." Maura paused. "It will probably get out that I was the witness in the Salvagio case," Maura said. "However, there's something else you should know, but that I would prefer you keep private. Jane knows, and I plan to tell her immediate family, but…"

"Maur, I think they get it," Jane said gently in an attempt to slow Maura's rambling.

Maura nodded. She lifted her hands from their place on her lap to sit on the table where her fingers fidgeted with the corner of the placement. "Marco Salvagio is Emma and Finn's biological father," she said as she watched her parents' faces for their reactions.

"Oh," Arthur said slowly.

"Were you…um…" Constance stuttered uncharacteristically.

"No," Maura said quickly. "The encounter was consensual. It might not have been my best decision, but I can never regret…" Maura trailed off as she turned to look in the direction of the living room where the kids were watching a movie.

Constance covered Maura's fidgeting hands with one of her own. "We understand," she said kindly. "And we love Emma and Finn no matter how they came into this world, but I am so glad you weren't raped."

"Me, too," Maura said awkwardly. Then, deciding she needed to direct the conversation back to the original topic. "Anyway, I overheard some vital information and reported it to the FBI. I was immediately placed under protection. I found out I was pregnant…well, I found out on my 40th birthday. I feared for the girls' safety. I thought they would be safer away from me. Witsec would have protected them, but leaving them with Jane, it felt significantly safer for them."

"You made the best decision you could with the information that you had at the time," Constance said. "No one can fault you for that. And if it helps, if they couldn't be with you, you couldn't have picked anyone better to love and care for them."

Maura glanced at Jane, who had instantly turned bright red and was staring at her lap in order to avoid making eye contact with anyone else at the table. Maura smiled as she returned her attention to her mother. She nodded. "I had moments of doubt about leaving them, but I never doubted choosing Jane," Maura said. "And being back has only made that clearer." Maura reached out her foot to gently tap Jane's leg. She smiled at Jane – a smile Jane returned – when Jane finally looked up, but she didn't press her friend further.

"I had actually wondered if you were in witness protection," Arthur said unexpectedly.

"What?" Jane and Constance asked simultaneously.

Arthur glanced between his wife and pseudo daughter-in-law before returning his attention to Maura. "I never shared my suspicions with anyone, including your mother, but it seemed the only logical option," he said. "In particular, when Jane stopped looking for you almost overnight, I knew she must know something."

"Oh," Jane said, surprised. "I didn't realize…you never said anything."

"There were times I wanted to ask, I have to admit," Arthur said. "But if there was one thing that I knew about you, Jane, it was that you would do anything to keep Maura safe. I couldn't bring myself to make that harder for you just so that I would feel better."

"Thank you," Jane said quietly.

"I didn't actually know that Jane knew," Maura said. "I was told that no one could know."

"I still want to know what idiots were convinced that I wouldn't look for you," Jane said, turning her attention to Maura.

Constance laughed. "I have to say, I agree with Jane on that point," she said.

The rest of the visit passed quickly, and Maura truly enjoyed being able to spend that time with her parents. They didn't push her for any information, which she appreciated. Instead, they let her tell them what she wanted when she wanted. She knew there were some things that would need to be addressed eventually, but for now, everyone was happy to be back together.

A/N: I can't remember if I already said this, but in this story, we're ignoring Arthur's cheating from canon. Here, he's a loving but socially awkward and distant dad and husband much in the same way as Constance was. If anyone was wondering, I'm also ignoring Susie's death (because I like writing Susie) and Maura's random ex-husband (because that was the weirdest storyline ever and was only mentioned in one episode).

Also, I honestly expected a little more angst by this point, but alas, the characters have shown me otherwise. Sometimes, I feel like I have zero control over what I write. That's not to say there won't be difficult moments ahead, but apparently the characters will decide that for me. 😉