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

"I don't remember the last time I went to the beach." Liz called excitedly from the back seat, as they began the drive to the Hamptons.

It was Saturday early morning, Liz' twelfth birthday.

Jane and Maura had woken her up with a little cupcake with a candle for her to blow, singing happy birthday. Her gift had been an iPad that Maura helped configure just like she had done with her computer for school. And a few days earlier they had asked if Liz would like to go to the beach to celebrate her birthday.

Liz had been hoping they would go to Boston, she couldn't wait to meet the rest of the family, but Jane had explained to her that there was some noise around the mob in Boston and that they would avoid any risk for now.

What Liz didn't know was that Jane and Maura had a plan. The Hamptons' house was the same they had rented for their wedding. But this time, it would host Liz' surprise birthday party and her introduction to the family. The others had driven Friday afternoon to there. Even Maura's parents had flown in to meet their granddaughter. And they were all in the rented house waiting for her.

The news of the adoption had come as a surprise to their families, since all of them had given up hope for grandchildren from Jane and Maura considering the danger still surrounding them and Maura's inability to lie. Fate had been on their side, in a way… Jane had called her mother to explain things, and Angela had been ecstatic with the news. Jane asked for her help to discreetly organize the family. Maura had talked to her parents and although she offered them a way out, proposing that Jane, Maura and Liz could always visit them in Europe soon to avoid them to be flying – old age was catching up with them – they both immediately were onboard to come and join the celebration.

"Is mom asleep?" Liz asked quietly, when she noticed Jane looking back at her through the rearview mirror on her aviator glasses.

Jane looked sideways, where Maura had her eyes closed, and her head lolling lightly sideways.

"She is… Why?"

Liz chuckled. "You didn't ask her to stop with the fun facts, although you explicitly told her as we were putting the things into the car that google-mouth was expressly forbidden…"

Jane chuckled in response. "I know…" then she looked again at the peaceful and beautiful profile of the woman she loved and who continued asleep by her side, before explaining to Liz. "I always teased her about her google-mouth, and I wouldn't change it now… But in the three weeks while I thought I had lost her, I would have given anything, Liz, and I mean anything, just to hear her voice again… So now, I don't let the torrent of facts drive me crazy, I focus instead on the sound of her voice, and it soothes my soul…"

"I wonder how does she know all of that… And how does she remember it all!"

"Your mom is a prodigy, Liz. I don't think even she knows how smart she really is. She knows a lot, and she loves to learn. And she learns fast. I know she has a genius IQ, but I don't know details because she always changes the subject when I try to probe. I don't think she enjoys the genius label too much…"

"I hope she can teach me more of all she knows…"

"Don't worry, baby, she will…" Jane smiled gently at Liz.

Jane, Maura and Liz arrived and went straight to the guest house, Liz basically running to the sea, Maura following her, shaking her head. Teenager? No. Just a kid.

Jane stored their bags, before calling her mother on the phone to make sure all was ready in the main house. It was.

"Would you like to walk in the house, and then we can get changed for you to enjoy the beach?" Jane asked, and nodded discreetly to Maura so she knew all was ready.

"Sure."

"We are going to use the guesthouse, that is smaller, but we want to show you the main house. It is where we got married."

"You got married here?"

"Yes. It needed to be discreet. So we had the few people who know about our secret here, and got married here. It was awesome!"

"Can you show me pictures?"

"Remind us when we are back in DC and we will!"

They walked to the main house. Jane pretended to have dropped her phone, and Maura handed Liz the key while she pretended to help Jane pick it up.

Liz unlocked the door and opened it, and the yells of SURPRISE and HAPPY BIRTHDAY were deafening. Liz stood there petrified for a moment, and Jane and Maura moved to back her up, while everyone began to sing Happy Birthday and they motioned Liz to blow the twelve candles on top of the beautifully decorated cake on the dining room table.

"Surprise, honey! This is your crazy family now…" Jane offered, crouching by Liz side, after she had blown the candles, taking in the huge smile and surprised expression on Liz' face. Liz hugged Jane tightly, and Maura came next.

Angela was the first one to approach them.

"I am your Nonna Angela, Liz. Happy birthday, baby, and welcome to the family!" Angela enveloped her in a bear hug, that Liz returned.

"Can I also call you Nonna?" Liz asked shyly.

"Of course, I would not have it any other way!"

"Nice to meet you, Nonna!"

Angela moved to hug Jane and Maura tightly. She was so very much happy for them both...

"We are also your grandparents, Liz. I am Constance, and this is Arthur." Constance approached, slowly, followed by Arthur.

"Mom taught me that in French we say Grandmére and Grandpére." Liz offered shyly, testing the waters, looking at Maura. Everyone's hearts melted watching Liz calling Maura 'mom'.

"What are very long words…" Arthur said, with sympathy. "You can go for Mémé and Pépé with the same effect." And Maura was surprised by the sweetness in the tone of voice of her parents.

"I like the sound of that…" Liz smiled, and kissed Constance and Arthur's cheeks.

"Happy Birthday, Liz!" they both offered, affectionately, before they moved to hug Maura and Jane.

"I am your coolest uncle, Tommy. Happy Birthday!" Tommy jumped ahead, making Liz chuckle at Frankie's reaction right behind Tommy, rolling his eyes just like her mom usually did.

Liz hugged him, and Frankie followed behind, while Tommy moved to hug and kiss Jane and Maura.

"Happy Birthday, Liz! I am the uncle born in the middle, Frankie." Frankie teased, chuckling. "And this is your Aunt Nina. And your cousins, Enrico and Giovana."

Liz hugged Frankie, kissed Nina, and was completely melted cooing Enrico and Giovana. Jane and Maura got closer to say hello to Frankie, Nina, and the twins.

"I heard I have another cousin too, where is him?" Liz finally looked around.

TJ had been distracted playing a videogame.

"Hi, Liz, I am TJ! Happy Birthday!" They shook hands, before TJ ran to hug and kiss Maura, and to fake-fist-fight with Jane.

"Are we going to eat the cake?" Maura asked, clapping her hands excitedly.

"You need to be the one cutting it and making a wish, Liz. That is how the family tradition of the Rizzoli's go." Jane explained.

"And you need to cut it from bottoms up for the wish to become true…" Angela added, to which Liz looked at her without understanding.

Angela approached, gave her the spatula, and then held her hand to show her what she meant.

"Oh, I see!"

"So go ahead and make your wish, and then you can make the first cut on the cake. After that, we will slice it to serve everyone."

Liz squeezed her eyes shut while thinking about her wish, and then she moved the spatula bottoms up.

"Like this?" she asked, alternating her eyes expectantly between Angela and Jane.

"That is it." Angela took the spatula gently, and with practice she began slicing the cake and serving it on the plates.

Liz picked the first two slices Angela had cut, and walked directly to where Jane and Maura were observing her.

"The same way you have the tradition of making a wish and cutting the cake, we had the tradition of the first slices being to the most important people for me…" Liz offered, shyly, handing them the cake.

Jane and Maura exchanged touched glances, putting their cake plates aside, and advanced to smooch and hug Liz, making her chuckle.

"Ma, I am officially turning into you, smooching Liz!" Jane mentioned when she saw Angela observing them lovingly.

Angela approached them, and took her sweet time smooching Liz herself, but instead of squirming as Jane would do, Liz reveled on it.

"That is what mothers do, Jane. They smooch." Then Angela turned to Liz. "Nonnas too, Liz. Your mamma here squirms like a weasel when I smooch her – and she did so even since she was little!"

"Well, Nonna, I don't mind. I enjoy being smooched…" Liz replied, with a shy smile.

"You will have plenty of that here…"