Disclaimer: Rizzoli and Isles and all associated characters belong to Tess Gerritsen and TNT. I am not making any money from writing about them.

A/N: Thanks for reading everyone. I hope this last super-long and fluffy chapter makes up for the delay in updating. Let's hope Bass got home OK after the finale, and that he is healthy for season 2! :-)

A Tortoise and His Girl(s)

Chapter 5

The next few days pretty much all went the same: Bass slept most of the day so he would be alert for Maura's return and her nightly update on Jane. He was glad to hear that Frankie was doing fine, but Jane had still not woken up.

Maura told Bass that Jane was still at risk for infection and she had a tube in her throat to help her breathe. The doctors had her heavily sedated so she wouldn't move around and irritate her stitches.

The long days had been taking a toll on Maura, Bass noticed. She came home late every night and even though she was exhausted from being at work and at the hospital all day, she always made sure Bass had fresh greens and water before fixing herself a glass of wine and something for her dinner.

Tonight Maura looked more tired than usual, thought Bass. She took her meal into the living room and sat on the floor to eat at the coffee table. As she leaned back on the couch, Bass slowly trundled into the room to sit close to her.

"Bass sweetie," Maura began, "Jane still hasn't woken up. She looks so fragile laying there..."

Bass poked his head out to catch every word. He couldn't wait for the news that Jane was awake but it wasn't happening yet. It had been a week since the shooting and the stress was wearing on Maura. She picked at her food and started talking again, her eyes filling with tears.

"Jane is always so strong and it kills me to see her lying there like that...so small and helpless."

Bass nodded in agreement. Jane was anything but helpless; he saw how she took charge in the morgue - looking up Frankie's medical procedure and prodding Maura into action, then bravely protecting Maura and Frankie as Bobby held them all at gunpoint.

Maura was reaching her breaking point. She pushed the table away and crumpled to floor sobbing, "I don't know what to do Bass! I feel so useless just sitting there watching her and waiting for her to wake up."

Bass understood exactly what she meant. He felt like he had been in that position all his life with Maura: sure he was always around to listen, but was that enough?

He learned from Maura's psychology research that there was a significant advantage for unconscious or comatose patients to simply have someone "there" for them, talking or reading to them or just holding their hand.

Bass knew Maura was doing all of those things for Jane and had brought in music and pictures for when she finally did wake up. Maura was doing everything right for Jane, but Bass realized he could do more for Maura right now.

He edged closer to Maura where she lay on the floor. She had one arm curled underneath her and her other hand stretched out on the floor. Bass stuck his neck out and rested his head on Maura's hand.

Maura opened her eyes and looked over at Bass when she felt the dry, leathery skin nuzzle her hand. She was stunned. In all their years together Bass had always shied away from any attempt to touch him, except on his shell. She looked into his eyes, "Thank you Bass, thank you for always being there for me."

Bass blinked in acknowledgement. Maura sat up and tilted her head, brows furrowed. Did Bass understand her? She knew tortoises were smart, but this? She tried again: "Are you worried about Jane too?" Another blink. "Do you miss Jane?" More blinks and a head bob from Bass.

Maura chuckled - wait until Jane heard about this. Jane always teased her about having a tortoise for a pet. Wouldn't she be surprised to find out that Bass was her new biggest fan.

XXXXX

Jane felt like she was floating...warm, and drifting on a cloud. OK, she knew she couldn't fly so what...what was going on and why did everything hurt?

She remembered a lot of yelling - her yelling at Frankie, at Maura...for what? "Think Jane..."

Frankie was lying on a table in the morgue with a syringe sticking out of his chest, Maura was running toward her outside, she was lying on the front steps of the precinct, her side felt like it was on fire...and it all came back.

Frankie was shot, Maura was panicking trying to help him breathe, Bobby had turned on them in the morgue, then pulled her outside.

All she could think to do to save Frankie and Maura was to get the gun away from Bobby but he was too strong. It took all of her strength to turn the gun back toward him, but also toward her stomach as she pulled the trigger.

Holy crap did that hurt, but she was still here...how long was she out anyway? She struggled to open her eyes and all she could see was...stuff.

The room looked like one of those shows on Discovery where someone has been in a coma for 20 years. There were balloons, flowers, stuffed animals everywhere, and a bunch of pictures on the dresser next to her: her parents, her and Frankie in their softball gear, Jo Friday, Frost and Korsak half in the bag and best of friends at the last Christmas party, her smiling with Maura in their team P.U.K.E running outfits, and...Bass. Jane laughed to herself - leave it to Maura to include Bass. She felt a little guilty for teasing Maura about her choice of pets. Bass wasn't all that bad, just a little...non-traditional.

Jane's eyes settled back to the picture of her and Frankie. Ohmygod. Frankie! Is he OK?

Jane started to panic, but she could hardly move because of the drugs, and she couldn't speak because of that damn tube in her throat. She felt someone holding her hand and strained to see who it was...a dark head resting on the edge of the bed...Frankie! He was alive! Jane squeezed his hand with as much strength as she could muster.

It was enough to jolt him out of his sleep, his face breaking out into the biggest smile Jane had ever seen as his wide eyes met hers. "Janie! Janie you're awake!" Frankie bent down to press a kiss to her forehead then ran out of the room calling for his parents and the doctors.

"Maura...please be safe too..." was Jane's last thought before she sank back into an exhausted sleep.

XXXXX

"Bass! Bass - she's awake! Jane's awake and she's going to be OK!" Maura called out as she hung up the phone. Bass was so excited, he grinned from ear to ear and shuffled happily as Maura bent down to pat his back. "I have to get to the hospital."

By the time Maura got to the hospital, Frost and Korsak were already there. Korsak had his phone out, disabling the camera sounds because he had just found the mother lode of blackmail material and didn't want to ruin it.

Jane was sound asleep with her arm wrapped around a giant stuffed turtle. Or was it a tortoise? Korsak didn't care; he just had to snap a couple of pictures before Jane woke up.

"Man, Jane is going to wring your neck when she finds out you took those pictures," Frost warned him.

"You let me worry about that," said Korsak. "Besides, you're just jealous because you didn't think of it first." Frost smirked as he imagined the look on Jane's face if she saw her picture with the turtle as Korsak's ringtone ID for her, or on her computer wallpaper when she got back to work.

Maura shooed them out of Jane's room but couldn't help but smile as she saw Jane hugging the stuffed turtle. She had picked it up the other day at the toy store and couldn't resist leaving it in the bed with Jane.

She pulled up a chair and took Jane's free hand in her own, then she leaned forward to run her other hand through Jane's thick hair. "Jane? Jane, it's me. Wake up, honey, for me? Please?" she whispered into Jane's ear.

Jane felt a warm hand in her own and heard someone calling her name. Maura? She slowly opened her eyes and saw a beady black eye staring back at her. What the hell?

"M-Maura? Is that you? What is this thing on me?"

"Jane! Welcome back - oh, it's so good to see you awake. I missed you so much, " Maura said, her eyes glistening with tears. She kissed Jane on the cheek then held the turtle out so Jane could see it. "This is from Bass - he was very worried about you."

"Wh-what?" Jane was still groggy from all of the medication and her voice was rough from having a tube in her throat for the last week. "Come on Maura, he's a tortoise!"

But Maura was insistent. "Jane, I'm convinced that Bass was really concerned for you."

Jane looked at her skeptically so Maura continued. "Every day I'd come home and tell Bass about my day...like I always do. It's been scientifically proven that people who talk to their pets or even their plants have much lower stress levels than people with no pets or..." She stopped when she saw Jane roll her eyes and weakly wave her hand in her usual "get to the point" motion.

Maura finished by saying, "every time I mentioned you, Bass would become more alert and would look up or nod or blink, so I had to test my theory."

"Annnd...?" Jane said expectantly. She was still a little out of it and needed the short version from Maura before she fell asleep again.

"Well...what I did was...oh Jane, I felt like I was teasing him, but I'd start talking about something else and randomly say 'Jane' and sure enough, he'd perk up and look at me, or bob his head, or shuffle his feet...he definitely knows you Jane, and honestly, I don't know what I would have done without him these last few days."

Janr had a smile on her face. "Really?" she asked. Now she felt bad again about her initial reaction to Bass. And you know, it was the same as her talking to Jo Friday and teaching her words and commands. Jo knew what Jane meant when she said "walk" or "go for a ride" or "Maura's coming over," so why should it be any different with Bass?

"Well, uh, tell him thanks for thinking about me and that I'm feeling much better," Jane said to Maura.

"You can tell him yourself when you get out of here," said Maura, "now get some rest. We'll talk more tomorrow."

"Maura, will you stay with me for a while?" asked Jane. "I...I was so scared about Frankie...and you...and I'm so glad you're both OK."

"Of course I will Jane, " said Maura, taking her hand again. She went back to stroking Jane's hair and gently massaging her scalp.

"Mmm...that's nice," said Jane. Her breathing deepened almost immediately as she fell back to sleep.

Maura pulled her chair closer and tightened her grip on Jane's hand as she rested her head next to Jane. They had a lot to talk about, but for now Maura was content to rest, with her best friend alive and safe by her side.

XXXXX

It was two more weeks before Jane was released from the hospital and another week before she was able to get out of her apartment. Right now she was on her way over to Maura's with a peace offering for Bass: the biggest, reddest strawberries she could find at the farmer's market. Jane had no idea what else Bass ate, but she did a little research online and learned that tortoises had a mostly greens and vegetable diet. She figured she had all her bases covered by also bringing spinach, kale, and "spring mix," which Jane thought looked like it was picked from the side of the road.

Maura let her in and they headed toward the kitchen. "Bass, someone's here to see you!" called Maura. Bass looked out and his eyes widened when he saw Jane - safe and sound.

"Uh...hi Bass," said Jain uncertainly. She didn't know what to expect. Jo Friday went crazy when Jane greeted her when she got home, but Bass...Jane wasn't sure what he would do.

Bass immediately broke into his open-mouthed grin and shuffled happily as Jane approached.

"Go ahead Jane, give him one of the berries," prompted Maura.

Jane squatted down and held out a strawberry. Bass eagerly took it from her hand, devouring every bit. Jane grinned - he loved treats as much as Jo Friday! Jane cleared her throat and wouldn't you know it, Bass looked up at her expectantly, blinking his bright eyes.

"Bass," Jane began, "I'm sorry I scared you the last time I was here. I've never seen a giant tortoise before except on TV, so I hope we can be friends."

Jane swore Bass nodded his head, so she went on, "I know how much Maura cares for you and I'm so glad she had you looking out for her when I was in the hospital. Thanks buddy." Then she reached out and tentatively stroked his shell. It was smooth, with ridges from the many growth layers accumulated over Bass' lifetime.

Bass was in heaven. Not only did he have delicious strawberries, but he had a warm and safe home with his beloved Maura, and now he and Jane had finally become friends. He grinned up at Jane again and she fed him another berry.

Jane straightened up and saw Maura smiling at her. "Now was that so hard?" she asked Jane.

"No," said Jane defensively, "it just took me a while to think of a tortoise as...you know...a pet."

"Well, at least you've finally come around," said Maura, handing her a beer. They went into the living room and sat on the couch. Bass eventually followed, settling down at the end of the couch so he could keep an eye on his girls.

Jane and Maura talked long into the night, about the shooting, saving Frankie, and Jane's long recovery. Finally Jane stretched and said, "I'm so tired but I don't want to move."

"Me either," said Maura, settling into the corner of the couch and stretching her legs along the back. She pulled Jane close to lie back against her. "Maura - I'll crush you!"

"Shh, Jane, you're fine. Just relax." Maura dropped her hand and found Bass right there, so she rested her hand on his shell.

Jane fell asleep in a matter of minutes, and eventually her hand fell from her side and toward the floor. She woke up for a moment when she felt Maura's soft hand under hers, along with something else...something hard and pointy. She smiled as she realized Bass was there with them.

She moved her hand so it was partially covering Maura's, but also remained in contact with Bass. She sighed and went back to sleep.

Bass was thrilled when he felt Jane leave her hand on his shell. After their rocky start he knew Jane accepted him and would always protect him, just like she did Maura and everyone else she loved.