CHAPTER 8

Jane and Maura walked into house holding hands followed by Frankie making jokes about them kissing. As they walk into the kitchen Angela was prepping the turkey. The anger, though still there, didn't surface the way Jane had expected. Instead, Jane's voice remained calm, controlled, as if the weight of her hurt had tempered her words.

Maura stood silently by Jane's side. Frankie walked to Angela and greeting her with a cheek kiss.

"Ma," Jane started, her voice low but steady. "I need to understand why you did it. Why you asked Casey to take Elle. Why you kept that a secret from me."

Angela stood in the kitchen, still wearing her apron, as if the conversation was somehow just another thing to handle before dinner. She didn't meet Jane's eyes at first, her hands working in mechanical motions, but she knew the time for hiding was over.

"Jane," Angela began, her voice tight but calm, "I only wanted what was best for you. You were putting everything you had into raising Elle. You were doing it all, but I could see how it was taking a toll on you, on your life. You all were getting too attached. Elle wasn't supposed to be here forever."

Jane's chest tightened, but she kept her voice even. "Ma, how could you say that? How could you just make that decision for me? Elle was my responsibility. You took that choice from me."

Angela's face softened with what Jane recognized as a mix of guilt and frustration, but she didn't back down. "It wasn't only your choice Jane. What about the rest of us? Frankie or Maura? baby TJ, what were going to say when he asked for her?"

Jane blinked back the sting of tears, fighting to keep her composure. "You didn't trust me. You didn't trust me to make the right choice for her or for me."

There was a long silence as Angela lowered her gaze, unable to meet her daughter's eyes.

"I love her, Ma. And when I found out that you had made that decision for me, it felt like you didn't believe in me at all." Jane's voice shook, but she held herself together. "Those months you told Casey to stay away, they changed everything."

Frankie, who had been standing with his arms crossed, finally spoke up. His voice was a mix of confusion and disbelief. "Ma, how could you do that? "

Angela flinched as Frankie's words hit her like a slap. For the first time, she seemed to truly grasp the depth of her actions.

"I thought I was doing the right thing," Angela said quietly. "I just wanted to protect you both. When TJ was born and I held him, I saw you holding Elle and realized that, she wasn't ours. Casey wasn't gonna stay away for long, I thought I rip the bandage sooner than later. He was still going to take her away from us."

Jane shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "Ma, you don't know that. I want to be mad at you but I need to save that energy to get Casey to somehow allow me to have a relationship with my daughter."

The tears finally started to fall from Jane's eyes. She wiped them away quickly, trying to regain her composure, but the pain was too raw.

Maura, who had been quietly standing by, finally spoke. "I think we all need time and space. Frankie you should take Angela. I don't think it's a good idea her being her… or the guesthouse."

Angela's shoulders slumped as the weight of Maura's words sunk in. "Maura…"

Frankie stepped forward, his voice firm. "Yeah, Ma let's go. I'll call you later Jane."

Jane just collapsed into Maura's arms and they just hug for some time. She doesn't know which pain hurts more, the physical one or the emotional.

…

It's a week after...

Jane and Maura arrived together. Casey arrived shortly after, his face hard, his posture rigid. When he saw Maura and Jane seated next to each other, their hands clasped, the blood drained from his face. A flash of hurt crossed his features before he masked it with anger.

"I don't understand," Casey said, his voice shaking slightly as he stood just inside the door, eyes fixed on their hands. "What are you two—dating now?"

Jane and Maura exchanged a quick glance, a silent understanding passing between them. But Jane knew that now wasn't the time to address this head-on. Not yet.

"Casey," Jane began slowly, trying to keep her voice steady, "We're here for Elle. This is about Elle."

Casey wasn't listening. His eyes remained glued to their intertwined fingers, his nostrils flaring. The silence in the room stretched on, thick with tension.

"Are you kidding me?" he exploded, his voice rising. "When we broke up, I sensed something. I knew it wasn't just about us. I knew Maura was in love with you, Jane. But you told me I was wrong. You told me it wasn't true."

Jane felt the air go still. Maura's face softened with understanding, but Jane's heart dropped into her stomach. She hadn't expected him to bring this up—not here, not now. But the truth, or at least Casey's perception of it, had always been a source of tension between them.

"Casey, that's not—" Jane began, but he cut her off.

"Don't try to sell me that bullshit again, Jane. I know what I saw. You are not dragging my daughter into this."

The counselor, a calm and measured woman, interrupted the rising storm in the room. "Let's all take a seat," she suggested gently, her voice firm but not unkind. She gestured to the chairs, hoping to restore some sense of order to the situation. "We're here to discuss how to co-parent Elle. If we don't address the real issues, she's going to continue suffering."

But Casey wasn't ready to cooperate. He stood with his arms crossed, staring daggers at Jane and Maura. His eyes flicked between them, his face contorted with hurt and jealousy.

"I don't care about the damn co-parenting!" Casey snapped.

Maura shifted uncomfortably beside Jane, her usually composed demeanor faltering under the weight of Casey's anger.

"Casey," Jane said firmly, her voice calm but resolute, "Elle is acting up and that is a sign of a child suffering," she gestured between herself and Maura, "this isn't about us. It's about Elle. We need to figure this out, for her. I've been trying to do that from the beginning."

Casey's face softened for a moment, and he took a deep breath. "I am not angry at you." he admitted, his voice quieter. "I don't know how to just step in and be the father when I've been gone all this time. She resents me. And now this…" He waved a hand, a mix of disbelief and pain on his face.

Maura added softly, "She doesn't resent you. She is afraid and scared, like any of us. We want what's best for Elle. We've always wanted that. We can't keep fighting."

For a long moment, Casey stood there, staring down at Jane's hand on his arm. He was wrestling with his emotions.

The counselor, sensing a shift, leaned forward. "Dr. Isles, Det. Rizzoli and Lt. Col. Jones. We are here to talk about Elle's tantrums in class, the playground incident. Can we all sit down?"

...

Later that night.

As he glanced down at the clock, he saw it was past midnight. Casey sighed and rubbed his eyes, still lost in his thoughts. Then, suddenly, he heard it—a soft knock on the door.

"Elle?" he called, not sure if he imagined it or not.

A quiet voice came from the other side of the door. "I can't sleep."

Casey's heart dropped. He'd expected her to be asleep by now. Standing up, he opened the door to find Elle standing there in her pajamas, her little eyes wide and tired.

"Hey, Pup," he said softly, picking her up and walking back to his bed. "What's wrong? You should be asleep."

Elle looked up at him with a mixture of frustration and sadness. "I saw mom's car at the school today. Did they call you all because of the swing incident?"

"Something related," Casey said gently, his voice cracking slightly. "You don't need to worry yourself about it. I think you should apologize to Luke thou."

Elle didn't seem comforted by that answer. She shifted her weight on her elbow so she can face Casey, her small hands fidgeting with the hem of her pajamas. "Why do you not want me to see them anymore?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Casey's heart twisted. "It's not that I don't want you to see them, Elle. It's just... complicated." He took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "I just want you to be with me now. I'm your dad. I don't want you to get confused."

Elle looked at him, her brows furrowing as she tried to make sense of what he was saying. "But... Jane's my mom, right?" she asked, almost like she was trying to confirm something she already knew.

Casey froze, his chest tightening. He hadn't expected her to bring that up. He had been so adamant about keeping her away from Jane and Maura, but now, hearing her say that... it was hard to ignore the truth.

"Yes," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "She's your mom."

Elle looked down, her tiny fingers curling into her palms. "Daddy," Her voice trembled slightly. "Why are you mad at mom and Maura?"

Casey swallowed hard, fighting back the lump in his throat. "Elle, I'm not mad at them. I just... I was jealous seeing how happy you were with them and thought I could never be able to do that for you, and I didn't know how to handle everything. I made some bad choices, and I'm sorry."

Elle looked up at him, her eyes still full of concern, but something softer was there now—hope, maybe, or something else he couldn't quite name.

"I was also jealous of TJ," Elle said quietly. "mom said just because someone new comes along, it doesn't mean you get less love but we actually get more. Mom's heart grew 2 times to make space for TJ and me. I have 3 parents, so my heart had grew 3 times. I still love you, daddy. You make me happy too."

Casey's heart broke hearing that. She was just a little girl, trying to make sense of the grown-up mess he had created. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

"I love you too, pup," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. He got up and picked her up. "You are right. Come, lets take a drive."

Elle pulled back slightly and looked at him, her small hand reaching up to touch his cheek. " Where we going?"

Few minutes later he took a deep breath before stepping out of the car, careful not to wake Elle as he takes her out of her car seat. As he approached the front door, he hesitated for just a moment before knocking.

The door creaked open a few minutes later, and Jane stood there, her eyes wide with surprise. She was dressed in pajamas, her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, and she had clearly just woke up.

"Casey?" Jane asked, blinking at him in disbelief. She glanced down at the small bundle in his arms. "What's going on? Is she okay?"

"She will be," Casey said quietly, his voice hoarse. His eyes softened as he looked at her, but the weight of the situation was clear. "I know earlier things got out of hands but I want to make it work."

Jane's brow furrowed, she didn't quite understand what he meant, but she could tell this was serious. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Without another word, Casey gently placed Elle into Jane's arms, his heart heavy. "You can have Christmas and I'll have New years," he said, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "I hope we can all come up with a good co-parenting plan... after the holiday. But for now, I just thought it was best that she be with you. As much as she needs her dad, she needs her moms too."

Jane stood there, holding Elle in her arms, not fully processing what was happening. Her heart ached seeing the little girl—her "daughter,"—so peacefully sleeping in her embrace. But the words Casey had said were still sinking in.

"I don't... I don't understand," Jane said, looking up at Casey. "You're... leaving her with me again?"

"I'm not leaving, Jane," Casey said quietly, his voice filled with an emotion she wasn't used to hearing from him. "I just... I'm trying to do what's right. I need time to figure things out with Elle, with you, with all of us. After holidays, we'll talk. I promise."

Before Jane could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. Maura appeared in the doorway, her eyes scanning the scene in confusion.

"Is everything okay?" Maura asked, her voice concerned as she see Jane holding Elle, her face a mix of shock and surprise.

Jane, still in a daze, nodded slowly but didn't say anything. She looked down at Elle, the small girl now stirring slightly in her arms, but still lost in the depths of sleep.

Maura stepped closer, her eyes softening as she looked at Elle in Jane's arms.

"We didn't start the right way," Casey said, his voice cracking just slightly. He felt torn. A part of him wanted to keep Elle with him, but another part of him knew this was the right choice. "But she's your daughter too, Jane. I can't take that away from her. Not anymore."

There was a long pause as Jane stood there, holding Elle, her mind racing with all the emotions she had bottled up over the past few weeks.

She finally looked up at Casey, her expression softening. "Okay," she said quietly, her voice steady, though still filled with emotion. "After holidays, we'll figure this out. But for now... thank you. For bringing her back to us."

Casey nodded, his shoulders slumping in relief. Maura stepped forward, her tone gentle but reassuring. "Thank you."

As Casey turned to leave, he glanced back at the doorway one last time. With Elle still sleeping peacefully in her arms, Jane gently brushed a strand of hair from the little girl's face. "It's gonna be okay," she whispered, her voice full of determination. "Mommy got you."

As they lay in bed, Jane glanced over at Maura, who was staring at the ceiling, a small smile on her face.

"Can you believe this?" Jane whispered, trying not to disturb Elle, who was curled up under the covers. "She's here, Maura."

"I know," Maura said softly, turning her head to meet Jane's eyes. "It's hard to wrap my mind around it. But... it feels right. Doesn't it?"

Jane smiled, brushing a lock of Elle's hair away from her face. "Yeah, If I am dreaming don't wake me up. I love it here."

Maura chuckled quietly. "My whole body is awake."

Jane turned to Maura, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Maura said, her voice suddenly becoming more mischievous, "She is really out. Maybe we can,... celebrate."

Jane blinked a few times, caught off guard by Maura's suggestion. "Maura, are you—are you really suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

Maura nodded with a feigned seriousness. "Perhaps a little trip to the guest room? Just a quick-"

"Maura!" Jane interrupted with a laugh. "It's the middle of the night, and we just got our daughter back. You want to go to the guest room?"

Maura's smile widened. "We could work off some of this adrenaline... and, you know, an orgasm is proven to release Prolactin hormone which regulates sleep."

Jane laughed, shaking her head. "We're not having sex, Maura.'"

"Jane," Maura said with a playful shrug. "I don't want to go solo. Especially knowing that you are just across the hallway. 30min?"

Jane rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Go to sleep, Maura."