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 17

Jane watched her mother's eyes go wide with shock and felt she was squeezing Jane tightly by her side.

"She is alive, Ma." Jane whispered, leaning her head against her mother's, choking in her own tears. "Witness Protection had her. But she is alive…"

Angela shifted on Jane's arms and hugged her, sobbing quietly.

"For the past months I thought I had lost both of you, Jane. You looked so broken when you learned she was dead… When you went undercover… I though it was one of those dangerous suicidal missions… And now, having you both back… It is such a blessing…" Angela whispered.

"Can I join the group hug?" Maura asked sheepishly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, sitting in bed.

Angela shrieked and sat by Maura's side in bed, hugging her tightly. "Oh, honey, I missed you so very much…"

"Ma, be careful, she was shot, and she is still recovering."

Angela relaxed a bit her hold.

"Of course, what was I thinking?" Angela framed Maura's face lovingly. "Maura. You are back…" and kissed her forehead.

Jane sat by their side.

"Ma… nobody can know Maura is alive. She is Dory Selsi now, and she will establish herself in DC. There is still danger for her here in Boston. That is why I asked you to keep my visit only to family. Can we do that? Her life and safety depend on our discretion."

"Of course, Jane, I understand. I told your brothers you were still grieving and wanted a quiet reunion."

Then, she turned to Maura.

"It was incredibly generous of you to leave the house for me, Maura, but you know it is too much. Your things are the way you left, I could not bring myself to part with anything that was yours. I have been using the den as my room. The house is still yours, you know. Tommy and TJ moved to the guesthouse."

"It was the perfect arrangement, Angela, and I am glad that they executed my will. As Jane said, I will be in DC for my own safety, away from Boston. I will come visit often, though, and I will make sure Jane comes too, and it is great to know we will have always a safe harbor in your guest bedroom when we come to see you… And I am glad you kept my things, I plan on packing some of my clothes, shoes and books to take them to DC with me, and that way you can move to the master bedroom."

"Of course, honey. Do you need to sleep a bit longer?"

"No, I want to enjoy my family for as long as I can… It has been way too long..." Maura smiled softly, before groaning to move her legs out of the bed.

Angela looked at Jane, who just picked the canes and passed them to Maura, who stood on them and moved with practiced motion to the bathroom.

Jane hooked her arm with her mother's and brought her back to the kitchen.

"Will she always need the canes, baby?"

"It is most for balance now. She was on crutches dragging her feet when this nightmare began. And there is a good chance that in a few more months she won't need even the canes."

"Will you tell me what happened?"

"I will let her tell you, and I will be here to fill in the blanks." Jane kissed her mother's temple.

"You were not really undercover overseas, were you?" Angela asked suspicious.

"I might as well have been, Ma. For three weeks, I was lost in my own grief. When I learned she was alive, I had to go completely off-the-grid, in the middle of fucking nowhere. I had to fool WitSec to help her…"

Angela shook her head in disbelief.

"I am sorry I could not tell you before…"

"Don't be, baby. She is alive. She is well. And you are too. That is all that matters."

Maura joined them shortly in the kitchen, and they had a lively breakfast, Angela dotting her two daughters with everything they liked to eat, listening, asking questions, stealing hugs at any opportunity.

"Why don't you go upstairs to check the things you will need to take with you from your room, Maura? I will go talk to Tommy and TJ so they know what to expect when they come later. I will also call Frankie."

Maura smiled thankfully to Angela, and slowly made her way upstairs.

Jane stopped by the door of the master bedroom.

"Aren't you coming in?" Maura asked, confused.

"In a moment. I am just enjoying the fact that you are back. The last time I have been in this house, you were gone… And I could not stay here where everything was you, smelled like your subtle perfume, but you were gone…" Jane's voice trailed off and she shook her head, using that moment to try to erase that painful memory. Maura walked to her and hugged her tightly.

Jane found boxes on the basement, and helped Maura bag some of her clothes and shoes they could take on the car.

"We can take more things in another trip. Or they can bring them when they visit us in DC."

As they walked back down, Tommy, TJ, Nina and Frankie had just arrived and were stunned seeing Maura alive. Frankie and Tommy hugged her at the same time, TJ going for her legs.

"Hey, hey, you are going to make her fall!" Jane admonished, concerned for Maura's balance.

"We will carry her if we have to." Frankie and Tommy boasted, laughing, happily, relaxed. Maura was alive.

"Your sister did plenty of that…" Maura looked thankfully at Jane.

They sat and heard Maura and Jane surreal tale about the past few months.

Different pieces of the puzzle fell into place, and Frankie was able to fill them in with most of what had happened in Boston between the different mob groups. It had been a blood bath. Angela had taken TJ to play, so he was not hearing the gruesome details.

"Things have been quiet, Maura. But I understand and support your decision. Mob is an animal that never really disappears, someone always inherit the power and the grudges."

"Yes…" Maura sighed. "And the people who matter the most to me know I am alive now. It is all that matters."

"And we will keep your secret, Maura, you don't need to worry..."

"I know you will. Thank you… Thank you all… I am really sorry for what you have gone through thinking I was dead…"

"It was not like you could do anything about it, Maura. What matters is that you are alive, well, and, most importantly, safe."

They spend a good weekend with family, and left Boston immediately after Sunday's lunch, Jane's car packed with Maura's things, starting their long drive back to DC. Maybe in a few more months, they would feel safe enough to fly there instead.