DISCLAIMER: I do not own Rizzoli & Isles nor any of the characters from the show. I am writing this purely for entertainment, not profit. Rizzoli and Isles are property of Tess Gerritsen and TNT.

Please find the full disclaimers in the beginning of Chapter 1.

Chapter 16

Jane flew back to DC four days later. Maura was sleeping in a ground level room, spending her entire days in a state-of-the-art rehab clinic – under the name of Dory Selsi – and Constance and Arthur were spoiling her rotten every evening.

Jane left under the promise Maura made of calling her every day and keeping her updated.

Jane landed Sunday afternoon in DC, and prepared herself mentally to show up to the Agency. She knew there was a high likelihood of having lost her job, but she didn't regret anything, it had been worth every minute to get Maura back safe and sound.

She was waiting in the chair outside her boss' office when he arrived to work on that Monday morning.

"Rizzoli! After I spoke to Agent Dean a few weeks back, I was waiting to hear from you, but not to see you this early."

"I apologize for leaving the way I did, Sir." Jane replied, unsure of exactly what Dean had told her superior.

"Dean explained me the situation, Rizzoli. I have friends I served with that are like family to me. I am really sorry for your loss. You should have taken a regular leave for bereavement, you didn't need to forego your pay."

"I was too overwhelmed to handle the bureaucracy of a regular leave sir. The unpaid leave was the simplest and quickest path, I was really messed up…"

"I understand… Well, you let me know when you feel recovered enough to resume your job, Rizzoli."

"I am back, Sir. I believe I have grieved long enough."

"In that case, let's review your class schedule."

And simply like that, Jane was back to active duty.

During the following three months, Jane resumed her routine, teaching classes all day long. She told her family she was back from the overseas undercover assignment and that soon she would go visit them.

They all had been worried sick about her, but she just said that the intense assignment had been a welcome distraction to handle the whole situation. She didn't want to lie to them any more than necessary. She even had a few phone calls and video calls, so they were satisfied to see she was indeed alive and in a single piece. Angela specially had been sure that her undercover assignment was one of those kamikaze missions, a dangerous job assigned to someone that would not mind losing her life, so she felt relieved seeing Jane at least on the screen.

In the meanwhile, Maura spoke to Jane every day – they video chatted, talked on the phone, texted. Maura had evolved to not needing the crutches, and only depending on canes now mostly for her balance, and even that should go away with a couple more months. And her hands were functional, although she knew she would never again be compared to a plastic surgeon, or a neurosurgeon, or a cardiac surgeon for her precision. She had gone through a minor cosmetic procedure to smooth out the scarring on her neck. Considering all that could have happened, Maura knew she had been blessedly lucky with that outcome.

"I am flying back to DC tomorrow evening, Jane!"

"But what about rehab?" Jane asked.

"I am as good as I am going to get, for now. I will continue with regular PT twice a week in DC for any other marginal improvement I might gain, specially ditching the canes. For all purposes I am recovering from a motorcycle accident." Maura admitted.

"I will go pick you up at the airport, send me the details of your flight." Jane asked, excited with the anticipation of having Maura around again.

Jane picked her at the airport. She lifted Maura from the floor carefully, and swirled around with her before placing her down again. Maura's hair had grown to about two inches, covering the scars on the back of her head. And the short hair made her look extremely young. She was looking much better, and healthier, than the last time Jane had seen her face to face, what was an immense relief.

Maura had arrived with two bags instead of one, containing all the shopping Constance had made for her. Maura was using the canes now, but Jane could see it was much more for balance than for support, as much as that while she was pushing the cart with her bags, the cart worked as her balance and the canes were on the cart.

They chatted animatedly on the drive back to Jane's apartment, ordering delivery on their way in. It was the end of day on a Thursday.

"And the pain?" Jane asked, after they had finished eating and Jane had brought wine to Maura and a beer for herself.

"It is under control, Jane. It will likely always be there, like with your hands, but now I understand you better, it is reaching a point where it does not bother me most of the time."

Jane smiled gently at her.

"I have given it enough thought, Jane, and for now I will remain as Dory Selsi. Dean's recommendation that I establish myself in DC makes sense…"

Jane nodded, knowing that was likely the most immediate safe path.

"But I want to go see your family… Do you think we could drive there this weekend?"

"They have been badgering me about going there, they have not seen me since your… death…" Jane hesitated.

"It will be a shock for them to know I am alive…" Maura added.

"It will be a good shock, though. Just like it was with your parents. And we will need to educate them about keeping it quiet."

Jane picked her phone and texted her mother.

"Ma… I miss you all… I am planning on driving to see you tomorrow – will arrive late at night… Is the alarm code still the same? I am not in the mood for big parties with a lot of people, please. But I want to see you, Frankie and Nina, Tommy and TJ. Just family… Could we do that?"

"Of course, baby. Yes, the alarm code is the same. I will leave the guest bedroom prepared for you."

"If we leave immediately after my last class at 3PM, we should get there between 10-11PM or a bit later with a few stops on the way."

"Sounds like a plan."

The drive was uneventful, but they hit a ton of traffic, being a Friday night, and ended up arriving at Angela almost 1AM. The house was dark and quiet. Jane disarmed the alarm and rearmed it, signaled Maura for silence, and they quickly made their way to the guest bedroom, closing the door behind them.

Angela had left a note on top of the pillows.

"Can't wait to see you tomorrow morning, baby. Lov, Ma."

Maura and Jane quickly got into bed, exhausted from the road trip.

Jane was super anxious, and she was up very early on Saturday. She got up, without waking Maura up, and moved to the kitchen when her mother came from upstairs.

"Sweetheart!" Angela cried, hugging Jane tightly to her. "It is so good to see you, Jane!" Angela could not hold back her tears. For a few months she had wondered if she had lost two daughters instead of only one when Maura had been murdered. Angela had been sure Jane's undercover assignment was one of those super dangerous almost suicidal missions from which Jane would not come back alive.

"I missed you too, Ma…" Jane replied, for a change not squirming out of Angela's embrace.

"Do you want some coffee?" Angela offered, preparing to move into the kitchen.

But Jane knew she needed to come clean and stop her family suffering. They all loved Maura. They all had grieved. They needed to know the good news.

"In a few, Ma. First, there is something I need to show you." Jane said, taking her mother's hand and making her follow Jane to the guest bedroom.

Angela chuckled. "You look like when you were little and had a surprise for me."

"I kind of do…" Jane said, opening the door and passing an arm around her mother's shoulders, anticipating the shock her mom would have when seeing Maura asleep in bed.