What About This?

They had been becoming distant, the days would pass and they only carried on actual conversations at work and in front of kids and other people of the sort. Maura couldn't pinpoint where exactly it had gone wrong and she honestly didn't want it to be this way, but Jane hadn't been trying for so long. Too long and she was starting to think things could never change.

The past 10 years had been the best years either of them had had. They met, fell in love, dated, got married, moved to the suburbs, had three kids, and done so much more. Now, though, it was unraveling and Maura didn't know how to stop it or why it even happened.

She remembered the day when Jane had suggested for the kids sake that Maura go work at a practice rather than at the BPD. Bridgette was two and Shay was 3 months old, Maura had just come back from maternity leave. Maura had been getting job offers left and right from all the other doctors in town having heard of an opportunity now that she was a mother. Of course Maura took Jane's advice and gladly accepted an offer from Dr.Sang to work with him at his practice.

"Jane?" Maura rolled over in bed to look at her.

"Hey Maur," Jane quietly slipped into bed, "I didn't mean to wake you,"

"You didn't, I was waiting for you. I wanted to talk."

"Of course, I should have known."

Maura sat up and turned on the lamp, "You are working all these late nights still. Don't you miss our girls, me, doing things as a family? You know there are other jobs available at the station and they all want you."

"Do we seriously have to do this right now?"

"When else would you like to? At the dinners you never show up to? The school functions I'm at alone? The recitals and games you miss."

"Ok," Jane sighed, "good points."

They continued to talk for awhile and the conversation only resulted in both of them going to bed angry.

Their alarm went off at 7 am as it always did and Maura got up first and went downstairs to make breakfast. Jane got up next, took a shower, and then woke up the kids.

"Bridgette, time to get up," Jane pulled the covers off of her and noticed a wrist brace on Bridgette's left hand.

"Momma!" Bridgette woke up immediately and hugged Jane.

"Bridge, what happened to your wrist?" Jane asked as she walked down the hall with Bridgette to wake up Shay and Rachel.

"You know momma, I sprained it at tap class on Monday. Shay get up," Bridgette started to jump on Shay's bed.

"Right," Jane nodded even though she had no memory of the event.

Next they got Rachel and went downstairs for breakfast. Without the kids there breakfast would have been extremely tense. Jane and Maura barely looked at one another and when they did it was only to shoot accusatory glances as the kids happily chatted.

Jane left first and then later Maura took Bridgette to the bus stop with Shay and Rachel in tow. Maura went along with her morning routine and then took Shay and Rachel to preschool before going to the office.

"Janey, what's wrong?" Angela asked as Jane sat in the cafe sulking.

"Nothing ma," she tried to dismiss her wanting to be left alone.

"You can't lie to your mother spill," she sat down across from Jane.

"We're fighting," she said plainly.

"Who, you and Maura? Why? What did you do?" Angela glared at her knowing it was most likely Jane who was messing things up.

"Yeah Maura and I. Why do you assume it was me who did something? Can the virtuous Maura do no wrong?"

"No, but if Maura had done something wrong she would have called me asking for help. So..." Angela was waiting.

"She's mad because I'm always working, I never see the kids, I miss so much and she wants me to change jobs."

"Well why won't you? She changed jobs for you and the kids. You do miss a lot and I'm sure she is tired of always being nervous, wondering if today is the last day she sees you alive. You're job is dangerous, Janey, you know that better than anyone and Maura knows, too. You have three kids and they love you. What would they and Maura do without you."

"You don't think I know that? It feels like Rachel doesn't even recognize me and did you know Bridgette sprained her wrist at tap class? I didn't even know she took tap. What other job could I do? I'm no where near as versatile as Maura." Jane let out a defeated sigh, "Maura and I hardly look at each other these days and I hate it."

"Don't doubt yourself, sweety. You can do so much and I'm sure Maura is hating it just as much as you are. Rachel knows who you are and yes I knew Bridgette was taking tap. Do you see what you're missing. When I watch the girls all I hear from Shay is that she misses you and wishes you were home all the time like mommy." Angela grabbed her hands trying to comfort her.

"Really?"

"Really."

"I gotta go. Thanks ma," Jane quickly left to go to the captain's office.

Jane talked to the captain and asked him if she could be transferred somewhere with less time demand. He agreed and told her she would be moved by the end of the week. Then she left to go tell Maura and hopefully end this tension between them.

"Oh hello Mrs.Rizzoli, Maura is with a patient, but she will be done soon if you want to wait," Sydney the office's assistant told Jane.

"Yeah thanks Syd," Jane went down the hall to Maura's office and took a seat. A few minutes later and Maura distractedly walked into her office clearly not noticing Jane as she read over some papers on her clipboard. She slowly pulled away from her notes,

"Oh Jane... are we really going to do this here?"

"No just listen, please."

"Ok."

"So I talked to my mom and I get what you want. You're worried about me, you want me to be around more, til death do us part and you don't want that to be any sooner than it has to. The girls miss me and so do you and I miss you all, too. I was just being stubborn and I was scared, I'm not like you; you're versatile and experienced and I'm just a detective. I talked to the captain and he is switching me to a less demanding job and I will be around more. I'm not always the best at things like this. I love you so much and I don't know where I would be without you. I love our girls and I will be around more, I promise."

"Really? Jane I'm so happy and proud of you. The girls will be so happy to have you around more. I love you, too." Maura kissed Jane and all the tension between them these past few months disappeared.