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Minor changes and mistakes corrected*

B.

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Disclaimer: I do not own anything from R&I, just the plot and OCs.

Megan's POV

"Lucas, come on. I told you to get up fifteen minutes ago. We're running late," Jane shouted. I looked at the clock on the nightstand, and the shiny red numbers showed it was half past seven in the morning. I groaned and stood, going towards the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and splashed cold water on my face before going out.

I left the room and heard Maura behind me. "Good morning, Megan. I didn't expect you to wake up this early. Though, I hoped Jane and the kids didn't wake you up", she said.

I was still more asleep than awake so I remained silent a bit longer than usual "Morning" I said, scratching my hair "I-I'm used to waking up early" I simply said.

"Well, we should head to the kitchen and have some breakfast, Jane is still trying to wake up and prepare the kids for school" she said, inviting me to come downstairs with her. I did as she told me and went down. Once again, I stood in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do.

"Sweetie, Why don't you make some tea while I brew some coffee for Jane, please?" she asked me, probably knowing I was unsure about what to do.

I nodded. "Sure," I said. I opened the drawer, took the kettle out, filled it with water, and put it to boil on the stove.

While Maura was brewing Jane's coffee, I was just sitting on one of the stools, silently waiting for the water in the kettle to boil. I heard someone coming into the kitchen, and then I saw Lily coming into the kitchen, she approached her mother and hugged her gently. "Good morning, baby", Maura said sweetly.

"Morning, Mommy," the little girl said in response.

The girl let go of her mother's embrace and walked towards the stools, but unexpectedly, she climbed onto the stool next to the one I was on and hugged me. "Morning, Meg," she said to me. I was surprised; I never really thought any of the kids would like me. After a few seconds of silence on my part I spoke "Morning, Lily" I simply said hugging the girl back. Maura was lovingly watching our interaction when I lifted my head up again. Not much later, the water in the kettle was boiling, and I stood from the stool and brewed the tea.

Jane and Lucas came down the stairs right after I gave Maura her mug and placed mine on the breakfast bar. "Lucas, please, don't run in the house," Jane called the boy who entered, sprinting into the kitchen.

"Lucas, what have Mama and I told you about running the house?" Maura said calmly but sternly, with her hands resting on her hip, to the kid, who regretfully looked at his mothers.

"I'm sorry, Mommy," the kid said to Maura and turned around to look at Jane. "Sorry, Mama," said the regretful boy.

"Go eat your breakfast, Love, but please, don't let this happen again, or there will be consequences," said Jane, her voice firm but calm at the same time. The boy obeyed, sat on the stool, and ate his cereal silently.

Jane went to Maura and kissed her. "Morning, baby," she said as Maura did the same seconds after

Jane grabbed her cup of coffee. "What are you doing up, sweetheart? Isn't it too early not to be going to school?" she joked.

I smiled. "Early riser, what can I say?" I shrugged, smirking and laughed softly, looking at Jane, who laughed as well

"How old are you again?" she asked and took a sip from her coffee

"Fifteen," I said, taking a sip from my own mug.

"Yeah, going thirty", she joked and smirked, again laughing just as I did.

Then Maura chimed in and slapped her arm playfully. "Oh! Jane, leave her alone. Take honey," she said, placing a plate with cold milk in it and a few options for healthy and not-so-healthy cereal in front of me. "Help yourself, darling," she said, smiling.

I served some cornflakes on my plate and ate them silently, just like the other kids, while Jane and Maura chatted about the day and what they had to do.

I was immersed in eating the cereal and wasn't really paying attention to what was happening around me until I felt soft pokes on my side and turned around, seeing that it was Lily who was poking my flank. "Meggie, can you braid my hair like yesterday, please?" the little girl pleaded.

I was surprised by the new nickname she gave me. "Sure, turn around," I told her, and she did as I said. She sat still, patiently waiting for me to end the braid on her blonde locks. "All done," I said

She turned around. "Thanks," she said and hugged me; I returned it and began eating my cereal again.

Jane looked at Maura with a big grin, who returned the smile. Jane looked at the watch and, noticing the time, told the kids to rush a bit because otherwise they'd be late for school. The three of them said their goodbyes and left through the front door, leaving Maura and me in the kitchen. I was washing the dishes, and Maura was by my side, drying them and putting them away.

We were silently cleaning up the kitchen when Maura's phone went off. "Dr Isles," she answered, and while the person at the other end of the line spoke, her face changed from relaxed and calm to stressed. "Ok, governor, I'll try to be there as soon as I can… sure, bye," she said and started to rub her forehead when she hung up the phone.

"Love, sorry, I have an unexpected meeting that I can't miss, unfortunately," she said regretfully.

"Maura, you don't need to stay here. I won't burn down the house or do a party. Promise," I said to her, trying to enlighten the mood. She laughed

"I'm sorry," she said lovingly, really sorry about it.

"Don't worry, I'll finish here", I said, starting to dry the dishes.

"Thank you, darling," she said and went upstairs. I remained alone in the kitchen, enjoying a bit of silence after a hectic morning. After a while Maura came down 'Why this woman always looks like she's going to a catwalk' I thought to myself looking at how stylish her outfit was.

"Megan, I'm leaving. Are you sure you don't want to come with me to the station and wait there? I really don't want to leave you here alone," she said, concerned, looking sadly at me.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine" I said

She sighed, "OK. Jane will be here at 3 p.m. if there's no case today… If there's anything, and I mean anything, call us!" she exclaimed emphatically.

"Yes, I have your number and I'll call if anything happens" I said starting to become annoyed.

"Fine" she said rubbing her forehead "There is food in the fridge, take whatever you like… oh! Please, be careful" she said and grabbed her purse.

"Yeah, I'll be," I said, officially annoyed and smiling hypocritically.

"Bye, love", she said, kissing my head and rushing out the door.

'Finally! Some peace and silence,' I thought. Seconds after thinking that I felt guilty, these people have just treated me like one of them. I shook my head and went to my room. Picking the book over my nightstand, I started to read the day away.

Around eleven thirty, I received a message from Jane. "Hey, Meg! Maura told me she had an unexpected meeting. How are you?" she asked in the text.

"All good, nothing out of order," I texted her back. I get it being two days, but I'm not a kid…That or they don't trust me," I said to myself, but I shook the thought out of my head immediately. I thought that was ridiculous; they were just trying to make me feel comfortable. This thought kept coming, as if unconsciously, I was trying not to like them. I just remitted to their actions and tried to forget the thoughts.

"I'm glad, sweetheart. I'll be home at 3 with Lily, and after that, Maura will pick Lucas up. See you. xo," she texted me.

"That's okay. See you then, xx," I replied, put my phone away, and continued reading my book.

Around half-past twelve I finished the book, and went to the playroom to play some piano but started to feel a little hungry not much after, around one thirty or so I went to the kitchen and made a cheese sandwich. I ate it in complete silence and tried to do something else until Jane came to the house.

I began to feel restless around two, so I just, without thinking, put on my running clothes and tied my shoes, preparing myself for a much-needed jogging session. I was so excited that finally I could do that that I didn't' even thought of asking for permission or even sending a text, I just left a note and closed the door behind me. I put my headphones on, and the music was as loud as I could stand. I began to run, wanting to just think about my pace and nothing else.

Jane's POV.

"Hey, babe," I answered the phone, knowing it was Maura who was calling.

"Hi, how are you?" she asked. I looked at the clock and saw it was time to pick Lily up.

"I'm fine. I'm about to pick Lily up and go home," I answered while putting on my jacket and taking the car keys.

"Great… have you talked to Megan?" she asked, her voice showing concern.

"I texted her a few hours ago. Why?" I said.

She sighed "I called her and she's not picking up the phone" Maura said sounding preoccupied.

I said my goodbyes to the team and started to head to the elevators. "Honey, she might be in the shower or the backyard. I'm sure she is fine," I said, trying to ease her worry.

"Yes, I'm probably overreacting. Please call me when you get home," she said.

"I'll sure do. Bye, baby, I love you," I exclaimed.

"I love you, too," she said and hung up the phone.

I got in the car and drove to Lily's school. Maura's words were ringing in my head, so I decided to call Megan, who didn't answer the phone. I was starting to worry when she didn't answer after three calls. I arrived at the school and looked for Lily. "Hi, baby girl," I said when I spotted her.

She ran towards me "Hi, Mama" she said while hugging me.

"How was school today, baby?" I asked the girl in my arms.

"It was fun, Mama; I drew today," she said happily.

I smiled while putting her in her booster seat. "Well, you have to show me that picture when we get home," I said, smiling at her.

I was driving home, and Lily was chatting happily about her day in kindergarten. We arrived home, and I immediately called Megan, receiving no answer on her part. I started to be worried, not knowing where she was. I entered the kitchen and found a note on the kitchen counter. I opened it and read it.

'I went to jog; I'll be back soon. I didn't take my phone. Megan xo' I calmed down, knowing, at least, what she was doing and hoping she was okay. I was angry that she didn't even text us. We would have no problem leaving her.

I grabbed my phone and texted Maura, who was starting to be even more worried.

"She went to jog. Left a note, and her phone is in her room," the messages said.

"What should we do then?" she asked in her reply.

"I'll talk to her when she gets home, and we'll decide afterwards", I messaged back.

"Ok! Honey, I'll see you in a while. I'll pick Lucas up. Give Lily a kiss from me. Love you," she texted.

"Sure, love. I love you, too," I replied and put the phone back on the counter. I helped Lily get a change and put her down for a nap, waiting for Megan to arrive home.

I was on the couch going through some files when I heard the front door opening and then closing. The teenager went directly to the kitchen, grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and drank it in one big gulp.

"Good jogging session, huh?" I said, entering the kitchen.

"God!" she exclaimed, jumping from the startle. "You scared me."

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and waited a few seconds before speaking, making clear I wasn't happy about her behaviour. "I get you wanted some fresh air. I get that being inside here might be boring, but please, when you want to do things outside, let us know. We were worried sick," I said, making our priority clear and letting her know we were scared.

She sighed and placed the glass on the sink, looking apologetically at me. "I'm sorry. I thought you were at work, but I didn't want to bother you. I just...just needed to clear my mind," she said, hesitant about her words.

'Clear her mind? what does that even mean?' I thought to myself before speaking, mentally noting to comment on this with Maura later. "I get that, Megan, but you can't just go out without notifying us. What if something happened to you? How would you be able to communicate with us without your phone?" I was increasingly concerned now

She remained silent, looking sorry. I sighed deeply. "Please, next time, just call Maura or me. We just want to know you're safe and be aware in case of an emergency," I clarified.

"I'm sorry", she practically whispered. "I'll go get a shower", she apologised and left.'At least we know that she's a teenager and not the kid from the orphan,' I thought, letting out a soft laugh and going back to re-check those files.

An hour later, Lily came down the stairs rubbing her eyes. "Hey! Sleeping beauty, you had a good nap?" the girl nodded and climbed to my lap, sucking on her thumb. "Baby, what have mommy and mama told you about sucking your thumb?" I said, trying to remind her to break that habit.

"It isn't a big girl's habit", she answered sleepily.

I kissed the top of her head. "That's correct, baby!… Why don't we prepare some snacks? Mommy and Lucas should be here shortly," I said, encouraging her to wake up fully.

She nodded and climbed down from my lap, starting to walk towards the kitchen, indeed, not much after my son and wife entered the room.

"Hey, love," I said, softly kissing Maura's lips. "How's my little man doing?" I asked the boy who hugged me.

"Ok, nothing new," he answered and sat on one of the stools next to Lily.

"So, where's Megan?" she asked me.

I sighed and kept on chopping some fruit. "Hmm… She's been in her room since I talked to her a while ago," I told her.

"How did she take your talk?" she asked concerned.

I left what I was doing and looked at her. "I don't really know. She just stood there listening. She said she was sorry and left," I said. But she said something that intrigued me. She said she needed to 'clear her mind'," I said quizzically.

She narrowed her eyebrows and looked questioning at me. "Clear her mind?" she asked.

"Yeah, if you understand, let me know because I have no idea", I exclaimed.

She thought for a bit, "Why don't we talk to her after dinner? We can approach this then. I talked to the principal of the kids' school. She said that with Megan's academic records, it won't be any problem to enroll her next year. But she can attend the rest of the classes for the semester just to get used to the school and get to know her classmates," she explained.

"Ok, that's great," I said. After finishing chopping the fruit, Maura, the kids, and I had a nice conversation about our day. When we finished, I helped Lucas with his homework, and Maura prepared dinner while Lily sat on the stools, painting a picture.

When everything was ready, we all gathered in the kitchen. Megan was really quiet, more so than she usually is. Her face seemed distressed and almost scared.

We finished dinner and let the kid go to play for a while before going to sleep. Usually, Megan helps in the kitchen, putting the dishes away and cleaning the table. We tried to start a conversation, but she just answered with monosyllables. Maura looked at me, and we both silently agreed to talk to her before going to bed. The teenage girl left the room when she finished helping. She just said goodnight and went to her room.

Maura and I went to our room and started to change before talking to Megan. "So, what are we going to say?" I asked her while I was folding some clothes on the bed.

"Well, I think we should start telling her that we aren't angry at her, just concerned and that we should tell her and ask permission before doing those things. Afterwards, we can start with the school thing," she answered from the bathroom, where she was brushing her hair.

"Ok," I simply answered and folded the rest of the clothes, waiting for Maura to be ready. When she came out of the bathroom, we both went to Megan's room and knocked on the door, waiting for her to open.

We heard a soft 'come in' from inside, and we entered the room. The girl was looking at us nervously; she was on the bed, crossed legs, listening to music. Maura was the first to move towards the girl. She sat on the bed opposite Megan, who took her headphones off. I stood behind Maura.

"Megan, we wanted to tell you that we aren't angry for this afternoon's incident, we know you didn't do it out of disrespect but out of wanting an outlet. We just want you to know that we would like to be informed of these things beforehand, ok?" Maura said calmly but firmly, making our point clear.

"Not because we don't trust you, we do trust you, but because we want you to be safe," I chimed in.

Megan nodded vehemently. "Sure," the girl answered, almost whispering.

"I'm glad we cleared that out. The other thing we wanted to talk to you about is that I had a conversation with the kids' principal, and he told me that with your academic records, it wouldn't be a problem for you to be enrolled in their school next semester. Also, she said that you could go starting next week to see the dynamics of the classes and meet some of your classmates," Maura enthusiastically said.

The girl showed a small, relieved smile. "Cool," she just said.

We both smiled. "Well, we should all head to bed; it has been an eventful day", Maua said and moved from the bed, walking towards the door. "Goodnight, sweetie" she finished and left the room, leaving the girl and me.

"So, Meg", I started, not really knowing what to say but knowing I should talk to her. "You said something that left me thinking this afternoon." I looked at her, and she looked puzzled at me. "Mmm… you said that you needed to clear your mind? What's wrong?" I asked.

She looked at the window and bit her lower lip. She then looked at me again "I just… I just wanted to…to stop thinking" she softly said.

I nodded and understood what she meant. The girl was overwhelmed and needed to let out what she was carrying. This conversation wasn't over; Maura and I needed to address her thoughts and emotions to be sure she was handling them correctly.

"I get that, honey. And jogging is a great outlet. I do it sometimes, too. But please, if you need to talk or anything at all, look for us, okay?" I assured her, continuing after Megan nodded. "Also, when you want to go out, no matter the reason, ask first. As Maura said before, we just want to be sure that you're safe and sound." I finished.

"I won't do it again, promise," she said, pursing her lips.

"Thank you for understanding. That and because next time, you are probably going to be grounded for a while." I smiled and approached her. "Good night," I said, planting a kiss atop her head.

"Night," the girl answered, placing her headphones on her ears again.

I left the room, closed the door behind me, and walked to mine and Maura's room.

"You address the 'clear my mind' thing?" Maura asked me.

"Yeah, I think she's feeling a lot of things that she doesn't understand yet," I said, concerned about Megan.

Maura took her glasses off and placed her book on the nightstand. "I can believe that. She has gone through a lot lately and needs time to process it all," she explained.

"I think so, but I just want to help her," I said heartfeltly.

"I know, baby, I do too. If she doesn't come to us soon, we will go to her," she said softly and kissed my lips chastely. "Goodnight, my Love", she said and turned the light of her nightstand off.

"Night, Baby", I said and did the same, getting comfortable under the bed and spooning my wife from behind.

Please leave your comments and reviews; they mean a great deal!

B.

Xoxo...