Chapter 12: Mama Bear Rizzoli
Jane: June, Present Day
Jane flinched slightly in response to the tapping on her nose. She opened her eyes to find Finn's face inches from her own.
"Are you sleeping, mama?" Finn whispered.
Jane chuckled lightly. "Well, not anymore," she replied with a smile.
"Is mommy sleeping?" Finn asked just as quietly as before. She looked down at Maura.
"Yeah, I think so," Jane said, glancing down at the women who was wrapped in her arms. They had fallen asleep in their embrace while lying on the couch.
"I finished my book," Finn said returning her attention to Jane, "but I don't know where the library books are."
"Oh, I don't think we have any more," Jane said.
"Can we go to the library?" Finn asked.
"Not this second," Jane said with a laugh. "But we can go after school one day this week."
"Tomorrow?"
"Possibly."
"I don't have anything to read."
"I find that hard to believe," Jane said. "What time is it, though?"
Finn stood up straight so that she could see the time on the oven in the kitchen. "2:37," she read.
"Oh, we should get ready for dinner," Jane said, rubbing her eyes. "Nonna will be here around 3." Jane gently shook Maura's shoulder. "Maur, wake up."
Maura opened her eyes, blinking up at Jane. "We fell asleep," she mumbled, stating the obvious. "Hi, sweetie," she said to Finn as she sat up.
"I finished my book," Finn told Maura, holding up the book in her hand.
"Good job," Maura said with a smile. "Did you like it?"
Finn nodded. "I want the next one. Mama said we could go to the library this week."
"That sounds fun," Maura replied as she tried to rub the sleep from her eyes.
Jane shifted so that she was sitting up with her feet on the ground. "Are Harper and Sophie awake?" Jane asked Finn.
"I dunno," Finn said.
"Ma's going to be here in 20 minutes," Jane said to Maura, gently placing her hand on Maura's forearm. "In case you want to freshen up or anything."
"Oh, yes," Maura said quickly as she stood up.
Jane reached out to tickle Finn and pulled the giggling little girl into her arms while Maura made her way upstairs.
"Jane," Maura said over the banister once she reached the second floor. "Sophie and Harper are definitely awake."
Jane could see that Maura was chuckling to herself so she could only imagine what the two little girls were doing in their room. "Okay, go get ready," Jane called back. "I'll get all the kids downstairs." Jane placed Finn back on her feet. "Let's go get your sisters," Jane said to Finn. Finn went running back upstairs and Jane followed her.
When Jane got to the second floor, Maura stuck her head out of her bedroom. "Jane, my makeup is still in your bathroom, can I…"
"Use the master bath?" Jane cut her off. "As long as you promise to stop asking!" she teased.
"Right, thank you," Maura said, smiling.
Jane opened the door to Harper and Sophie's bedroom to find the two girls on the floor surrounded by what looked like every single toy Harper owned.
"What are you guys doing?" Jane said exasperatedly but with a hint of laughter in her voice.
"Playing school," Sophie said excitedly as she pointed to the dolls and stuffed animals lined up on the floor.
Finn and Emma, who had finished reading and joined them in the hallway, both stuck their heads into Harper and Sophie's room.
"Ohhhh, you're gonna be in trouble!" Emma said, laughing. "You made a mess!"
"No!" Jane said quickly as she watched panic flash across Sophie's face. "You're not in trouble, but you will have to clean this up before bed. Right now, though, it's time to go downstairs. Nonna's going to be here soon."
Harper dashed out of the room, clearly unphased by the mess and Emma's comment, but Sophie stopped in front of Jane. "Were we bad?" she asked in a tiny voice.
Jane leaned down and picked up Sophie. "No, sweetie," she assured the little girl. "Emma was just teasing you guys. You didn't do anything wrong, okay?"
Sophie nodded, and Jane started giving her kisses all over her face until she was giggling. Jane placed Sophie back on her feet. "I'll help you guys clean it up later," she said as she followed all four kids downstairs, closing the door to the girls' bedroom behind her.
Not long after the five of them were downstairs, Maura joined Jane in the kitchen while the girls played hide and seek around the main floor.
"I love how they play together," Maura said with a smile.
"Yeah, they're good kids," Jane replied, her own smile matching Maura's.
"They are," Maura said. "But I'm still amazed at how well they've accepted Sophie and how fast Sophie has become comfortable with her sisters. Sophie's always gotten along well with other kids and even adults, but the bond she has developed with Emma, Finn, and especially Harper is beyond anything I've seen from her before. Usually, she has no problem playing with other kids for a while, but then she eventually gets bored and comes back to me asking 'what's next?' or 'can I do this or that?' She hasn't done that at all since we've been here. It's been two days, and it's like she just can't get enough. I don't know. Maybe I'm just seeing something I want to see."
"No, I don't think you are," Jane added. "They definitely get along really well. There will still be times when they get tired of each other or annoyed with each other, but that's just part of being sisters. I'm wondering if they will eventually start pairing off more instead of all four of them playing together. It didn't really happen when it was just the three of them. It was rare for Emma and Finn to do something without Harper unless it was during Harper's naptime. I'm guessing that will change though. I think Emma and Finn will do more just the two of them, and Harper and Sophie will do a lot just the two of them. That's not a bad thing – just something I've wondered about. Oh, did you happen to look in Harper and Sophie's room before you came down?"
"No, why?" Maura asked.
"It's a mess," Jane replied with a smile. "I'm honestly not sure how long they actually slept because they must have gotten every toy out that was in Harper's room. They had all the stuffed animals and dolls lined up to play 'school.'"
"Oh, no," Maura said, laughing.
"I told them they had to clean it up before bed, but I also told them I'd help," Jane continued. "Emma scared Sophie a little bit though with her teasing."
"What do you mean?"
"Emma told Harper and Sophie that they would be in trouble for making such a bit mess," Jane explained. "Harper ignored her, but Sophie was afraid they'd done something wrong. I told her that Emma was just teasing and that they hadn't done anything wrong. But I also told both her and Harper that they would have to clean it up. She seemed fine after that."
"Yeah, she's not used to teasing and sarcasm," Maura said. "She'll get used to it quickly though in this house."
"I can tell Emma and Finn to lay off the teasing if you think that would help," Jane said. "I don't think Harper really understands enough to change her behavior."
"I don't think you should," Maura replied. "She'll figure it out. I did."
Jane laughed. "True but not before I made you angry a few times," she admitted.
"I wouldn't say you made me angry," Maura said, laughing. "I just didn't understand that you were teasing in a playful way and not actually making fun of me." Maura shrugged. "Once I realized that it's how you show your love – I don't know – I guess I started to enjoy it. Sophie will figure it out too, and I think it's better if everyone just acts normally around her. She's more likely to notice if she's being treated differently."
"That's true," Jane said. "I didn't really think of it that way."
Maura and Jane were so lost in their conversation that they didn't hear the door open, and Angela walk in – at least not until Angela's ear-splitting scream and the crash of her bags hitting the floor drew everyone's attention.
Jane and Maura both turned to face Angela. They had lost track of time, so Jane hadn't thought to step outside to warn her mother like she did with Maura's parents this morning.
The three adults stood in silence for a few moments. Angela was staring directly at Maura as though she wasn't sure if what she was seeing was real. Her hands were shaking as she held them in front of her mouth and tears were pouring down her face as she tried to process what was in front of her.
Jane stepped around Maura, allowing her hand to brush comfortingly across the small of Maura's back. "Ma," Jane said gently, stepping in front of her mother. "Ma," Jane tried again. This time, Angela focused her attention on Jane, finally making eye contact, albeit only briefly. "Ma, I'm sorry, I meant to meet you in the driveway to tell you."
Angela's eyes shifted back and forth between Jane and Maura. Finally finding her voice, Angela asked shakily, "It's real? Maura's really here?"
Jane nodded. "Yeah, she's…" Jane started, but before she could say anything else, Angela pushed past Jane and enveloped Maura in a bone-crushing hug.
Maura froze slightly in her surprise at the abrupt move, but it didn't take her long to relax into the embrace. Angela was sobbing loudly on Maura's shoulder while silent tears streamed down Maura's face. Jane watched the two women holding onto each other, letting their actions speak the words they couldn't say.
Jane stepped around them to see the kids watching silently from the living room. "Come here, Sophie," she said gently. "I want to introduce you to someone."
Sophie hesitated and turned to look at Harper, who leaned over and whispered something into Sophie's ear. Jane had no idea what Harper had said, but it was enough for Sophie to walk over to Jane with Harper following close behind her. Jane was going to pick Sophie up to introduce her to Angela, but Harper clearly had other ideas. Before the girls got to Jane, Harper grabbed Sophie's hand and dragged her over to Angela. Harper tugged on Angela's shirt to get her attention, which finally caused Angela and Maura to break apart.
Both Angela and Maura turned their attention to Harper and Sophie, who was standing slightly behind Harper as close as she could to her new best friend.
"Nonna, this is…" Harper raised her hand to point at Sophie, but she didn't realize how close Sophie was standing to her, which meant that she accidently hit Sophie lightly on the face. Both girls instantly burst into giggles, cutting some of the tension in the room.
Since Harper and Sophie were now too distracted to continue introductions, Maura stepped in. "That's Sophie," she offered.
"Your daughter?" Angela asked, tears still evident in her voice.
"Yes," Maura said. "She's three as well."
With her giggles only partially under control, Harper added, "Sophie's our sister and my best friend. Sophie, this is our nonna."
Some of Sophie's shyness returned, but she gave Angela a small wave as she moved closer to a still giggling Harper.
Jane saw Maura's smile grow out of the corner of her eye when Harper called Sophie her best friend. Deciding not to push Sophie's comfort level, Jane suggested, "Okay, why don't you guys go continue playing hide and seek, or you can play with your toys in your room, if you want."
"Yeah, let's play school!" Harper said excitedly to Sophie, who nodded vigorously, and without further ado, they ran upstairs.
Angela returned her attention to Maura. "How…what…where…" Angela stuttered before her tears overwhelmed her again, and she pulled Maura back into a hug.
Releasing Maura, Angela turned on Jane. "Why didn't you tell me Maura was coming home?" she asked accusingly, giving Jane a light slap on the wrist.
"No, Angela," Maura interrupted. "She didn't know. Please don't be mad at Jane. If there's anyone you should be mad at, it's me."
"Oh, honey," Angela cooed as she grasped Maura's face between her hands. "I'm not angry. I'm just so glad you're home. We've missed you so much." Angela released her hold on Maura's face but moved to grasp her hands. "Am I allowed to ask where you have been?"
"Yes," Maura started. "I want to tell you everything, but would it be okay if I just gave you the basics right now. Then, I can tell everyone the full story later once the rest of the family is here? I'm not sure I can go through it twice."
"Of course, sweetie," Angela said as she gave Maura's hands a reassuring squeeze.
"Why don't we sit?" Maura offered, gesturing to the chairs at the kitchen island.
Angela nodded before taking one of the seats. Maura took the seat next to her and opened her mouth to start talking, but Jane stopped her. "Hold on," Jane said quietly, tilting her head in the direction of the living room where Emma and Finn were still listening.
"Oh," Maura said quietly when she realized the girls were still in the room.
Jane walked over to the couch. "Why don't you guys go play with your sisters upstairs?" she suggested.
Finn got up intending to comply, but Emma crossed her arms in front of her chest and plastered an epic pout on her face. "I want to hear," she said firmly.
"No, mommy and I need to talk to nonna," Jane said to the girls. "If you have more questions, we can talk before bed, okay? And we will answer anything you want to know."
Emma huffed but gave in when she realized that arguing with Jane was only going to lead to trouble. "Fine," she said, and she and Finn went upstairs.
Jane waited until they were in Harper and Sophie's room, and the door was closed behind them before she returned to the kitchen. She stood on the other side of the island facing her mother and Maura.
Jane watched as Maura took a deep breath before facing Angela. Jane couldn't help but marvel at the strength her best friend had shown through all of this. She'd had to tell her story over and over since she got home, and still, she continued to be open with each family member she saw. Jane was pretty sure that if she were the one in Maura's place, she'd be hiding in a ball in the corner of the room. Just seeing her best friend again after seven years was overwhelming for Jane, and Maura was seeing nearly every important person in her life after not having seen anyone for seven years.
Jane returned her attention to the conversation when Maura started talking. "I was in the witness protection program," she said. "I'll share more about the specifics of the case when everyone is here, but for now, you should know that I am no longer in danger, which is why I was able to come home."
"Did you know?" Angela asked Jane.
"I didn't know any of the specifics, but I did know she was in witsec," Jane admitted. "The FBI ended up telling me when I wouldn't stop searching for her. They refused to tell me anything else for Maura's safety."
"Ultimately, it was for all of your safety, as well," Maura added. "To be honest, if only my safety was at stake, I probably would have stayed in Boston."
At Maura's admission, Jane caught Maura's gaze in her own, and it broke her heart. She could see the pain the years away from her family and friends had caused Maura. Jane knew that what Maura was saying was the truth, but Jane wouldn't have been able to handle it if that had happened. There was little she hated more than seeing Maura upset or in danger.
Maura was the first to break their eye contact as she turned back to Angela. "I've been in Utah for most of the time I've been gone," she said. "Sophie was born there."
"The kids know?" Angela choked out.
"They know that they're sisters, if that's what you're asking," Jane said. "But they don't know the details, and we don't want them to know until they're older."
"Sophie didn't know about Emma and Finn before we got here," Maura explained. "But so far, all four kids seem to be handling everything well."
"When did you get back to Boston?" Angela asked.
"We arrived in Boston in the early evening on Friday, but we came here, to Jane's, yesterday morning," Maura said.
"We decided it was probably better to tell family in person rather than over the phone," Jane explained. "We had Constance and Arthur over this morning, and you guys were already coming tonight."
Angela nodded absently as she took in everything Maura and Jane had told her. Jane could tell that her mother couldn't figure out what to ask next, so she decided to give her and Maura a few moments. She remembered the bags her mother had dropped when she saw Maura for the first time. She moved Angela's purse to the island and started unpacking the bag that held the ingredients for tonight's dinner. Jane was glad to find that Angela had packed everything in plastic containers, so nothing was disrupted – it could have been a disastrous mess had everything been in glass containers. Luckily, Angela had premade everything, so Jane turned on the stove to warm up the sauce and cook the gnocchi. She also quickly set both the dining room table and the kitchen table. Usually, she would have the girls help, but she wanted to give Maura and Angela a few more minutes of privacy.
Even though she was getting things ready for dinner, Jane could hear Maura and Angela's conversation.
"Are…are you okay?" Angela asked shakily.
Maura nodded. "Being away from everyone, from my family, has been incredibly hard. I was very nervous before coming home because I didn't know what to expect, but it's been so much better than I could have ever hoped. Jane has made everything so easy; she's been amazing," Maura said with a glance at Jane. Jane felt herself blush at Maura's words, but she continued doing what she was doing, pretending that she wasn't really listening.
"She's missed you," Angela said genuinely.
Maura teared up slightly. "I missed her too, more than I ever thought possible," she admitted. "I've missed all of you."
"We missed you, too," Angela said as she leaned forward to give Maura another hug. "I love you so much, sweetie."
"I love you, too," Maura whispered as they moved back to their own chairs.
"Are the girls like you imagined them to be?" Angela asked. This question got Jane's attention since it was something they hadn't really talked about.
"Oh my god, they are so much more amazing that I ever could have imagined," Maura said as tears returned to her eyes. "They're beautiful, inside and out. They look completely different than I expected, though."
"Really?" Jane asked, surprised.
"Yes," Maura said with a nod. "For the past few years, I've basically imagined them as older versions of Sophie, and even before Sophie, I suppose I pictured them looking somewhat like what I looked like as a child."
"But they do look like you," Jane said, confusion evident in her voice.
"Honestly, they look more like you, which I know isn't technically possible," Maura said. "But since their biological father looked like he could have been your brother, it's not altogether surprising."
Angela laughed. "I do think that you get told that Emma and Finn look like you more often than you get told that Harper looks like you," Angela admitted.
"It's the curly hair and brown eyes," Jane said. "But their faces are all Maura."
"I can definitely see Maura in them, but I do understand why people think they look like you too," Angela said. "Harper on the other hand looks nothing like you."
Jane laughed. "I know," Jane said. "She's a mirror image of her biological father."
"And there's no denying that Sophie is your daughter," Angela said to Maura. "She's your mini-me."
"She may look like me, but her personality is opposite in every way," Maura said with a laugh.
"Really?" Jane said again. "She seems so much like you, though."
"Oh yes," Maura said. "She doesn't have any of my social awkwardness. She's very outgoing. She's been a little more shy than usual this weekend when meeting people, but I think that has more to do with all the changes in her life than her personality."
"Yeah, she wasn't really shy with me or the girls," Jane said, remembering how Sophie threw herself into Jane's arms when they first arrived and ran off with Harper and Finn without any hesitation.
"The kids are getting along well, though?" Angela asked.
"Yes, very, but I don't want to see Harper and Sophie's room right now," Jane said, laughing.
"Oh, are you living here?" Angela asked Maura, clearly noticing that Jane called the room Harper and Sophie's.
"Oh, um, yes," Maura said nervously, glancing at Jane.
"It makes the most sense," Jane said somewhat defensively. "The girls are sisters after all."
"I absolutely agree," Angela said quickly. "I just wasn't expecting it."
"I did rent an apartment before moving here, which is where we stayed Friday night, but it wasn't a good fit," Maura explained, "so Jane offered that we could stay here. Sophie is sharing a room with Harper and I'm staying in the guest room."
Jane couldn't quite read the skeptical look on her mother's face, so she decided to address Maura instead. "Except you're not a guest, so you can call it your room," Jane teased, making Maura smile. "It's nearly 4pm," Jane said, looking at the clock. "We should get the girls back downstairs."
"I can get them," Maura offered, standing up. "I kind of want to see what they've done to the room." She chuckled lightly as she made her way upstairs.
Angela turned back to Jane and asked quietly, "How are you doing with all this?"
"I'm happy she's home," Jane said honestly. "I'm happy that both of them are here."
Angela nodded. She knew Jane was feeling a lot more than she was letting on, but she also knew that that pushing Jane would only cause her to shut down. They both turned when they heard the kids and Maura coming back downstairs, but Angela quickly looked back at Jane. She watched her daughter watch her family, and Angela could tell that Jane still loved Maura every bit as much as she did the day Maura disappeared.
A/N: I was originally going to have Rizzoli Sunday dinner all in one chapter, but it was getting really long, so I split it into two chapters. Part 2 will pick up with everyone else arriving!