As usual, the character's aren't mine, please don't sue me!

"Honey, I'm trying to do what's best for you! Why are you acting like I've just shot your dog?" Angela Rizzoli stood at her daughter's kitchen sink washing the dishes from their dinner. "What's so wrong with James? He's a nice guy."

"Ma, I can't do this right now, okay? The past couple of weeks have been really hard for me, and I really… I just want to stay in my comfort zone for a little bit. Is that too much to ask?" Jane turned away from the sympathetic look her mother was giving her to put the food away in the fridge.

"I'm sorry, Jane. I just worry about you, and I think you'd be safer if you had someone to come home to." He mother dried her hands and began to help Jane with the food.

"Look," Jane stepped away from her mother. "Even if I did have someone, they'd be in as much danger as I am." She frowned. "Maybe even worse. I mean, look what happened to Frankie. Hoyt… He's not going to stop, Ma. He's just going to keep coming after me and the people I care about until one of us is dead." She wrapped her arms around herself. "Why would I want to drag anyone else into that? That just doesn't make any sense."

Angela closed the door to the fridge and turned to face Jane. She was proud of her strong and intelligent daughter. She only wanted what was best for her, and she was worried that Jane seemed so alone. She deserved someone to take care of her and to love her as Angela knew Jane was more than worthy of being loved.

"I don't want to make anyone else worry about me." Jane sat down at the table. "I don't want to worry about anyone else." She signed heavily and gently rubbed at her temples. "I'm all worried out."

"I know things are hard right now, but it will get better. You have to believe that, Jane." Angela sat down across from her. "Sweetie, I just want you to have something like I have with your father."

"I don't think that's going to happen, Ma. My life is too dangerous for that, and I can't imagine anyone wanting to deal with it even if I was willing to let them."

"Somebody will come along and surprise you. You'll find excuses to be around each other as much as possible. They make you laugh, and you won't know why. They'll take care of you regardless of how hard you push them away. They'll be there for you, and you realize you'd do anything," She reached over and gave her daughter's hand a gentle squeeze, "Anything to make them happy. You know they'd do the same for you. Their presence makes you feel calm. You know when you're around them that, no matter what's going on out there," she motioned with her head toward the door, "that you can handle it because you're with each other. They make you feel…" She searched for the right word. She wanted her daughter to understand what it was she wanted so much for Jane to have in her life.

"Safe." Jane finished Angela's sentence for her.

"Yes, exactly. They make you feel safe." She smiled gently at her daughter. "One of these days, you're going to find someone that you can confide in that makes you feel safe, and all this fuss you're making about not wanting to let anyone else in because it's not safe for them won't matter because they'll be there anyway. That's how you'll know."

There was a knock at the door.

"It's okay, Ma. I got it." Jane motioned for her mother to stay put as she answered the door.

"Hi Jane," Maura smiled at her. "I thought I'd come by with some strawberries for your tortoise. I assume you haven't fed him anything fresh since the last time I brought something by for him?"

Jane smiled and let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "You'd be right." She stepped aside to allow the blonde to enter.

"Hello, Mrs. Rizzoli." Maura glanced from Angela to Jane. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

"Ma was just telling me that I need to find someone to take care of me like Pop takes care of her." Jane took the strawberries from Maura's hand. She rolled her eyes.

"I think Maura would agree with me here. Don't you think Jane deserves to be loved?"

Maura frowned as she tried to figure out the best way to answer the question. "Yes, of course. But, I believe Jane has people to take care of her even if they are not of any romantic interest to her."

"Thanks, I think." Jane popped the berries into the fridge and then leaned against the closed door.

"Well, its true, Jane. I clearly don't know what was said prior to my arrival, so I cannot presume to follow what your mother was trying to tell you…"

"She gave me a brief description of what I should be looking for."

"I thought it was a very good description, thank you very much."

"Yeah, Ma," Jane shook her head.

"Okay, is there someone that already fits the description that your Mother has given you?" Maura took the seat Jane had been in a moment before.

"Yeah, that's a good question." Angela gave Maura a little pat on the arm. "That's a great idea, Maura. Why didn't I think of that?"

"No, I'm not going to start picking apart my friends just to make you two happy."

"Come on, honey, just try to answer the question." Angela shrugged. "What can it hurt? Besides, you know you can trust us."

"Maura, I can trust." She glared at her mother who only gave her a pleading look in return. "Okay, fine." She threw her hands up in defeat and plopped down in a different chair at the table. "I don't even know…"

The three sat in silence for a few moments, Jane and her mother thinking about the people in Jane's life that might fit the description from earlier and Maura waiting patiently. Jane broke the silence with a small gasp.

"Who is he?" Her mother was practically giddy.

"No." Jane replied. Her eyes were huge, and she stared at the floor as if she could will herself to fall through it.

"Come on, Jane. If you tell us, maybe we can figure out a way to get you two together!"

"No, Ma. I mean it. No."

"Jane, it's alright. We promise not to judge you." Maura reached out to place a reassuring hand on Jane's arm, but Jane flinched away. Angela watched as Maura's face tried unsuccessfully to hide the hurt that small movement caused.

"Oh," she breathed as she watched her daughter. "Sweetie, you know your father and I love you no matter what."

"What?" Jane's head shot up. "What are you talking about? Where did that come from?"

"I think you're going to have to be a little honest with yourself before you can be happy, sweetie. But, I understand, and I won't pressure you on this one." Angela stood and made her way toward the door. "I'll leave you two alone. Have a good night. It was good seeing you, Dr. Isles. Love you, Janie."

"Bye, Ma."

"Good night, Mrs. Rizzoli."

The two women watched the door close.

"Jane, what just happened?"

Jane sighed. She took a moment to grab a beer out of the fridge and pour a glass of wine for Maura.

"I think my mother just read my mind."

"You know, that is a scientific impossibility? Although there have been some case studies done on paranormal activity and extra sensory perception, there has never been anything concrete to make any rational argument that such things actually exist."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Jane took a sip of her beer as she tried to block out what she had just realized about herself.

"What did your mother tell you… about the person that would be a good mate for you?"

"She said they would make me feel safe and that they'd be there regardless of how unsafe my life was." She shrugged. "It's just talk, though, you know?"

"But, there is someone?" Maura gave Jane a questioning look.

"Maybe."

"Do I know them?"

"Does it matter?"

Maura scowled at Jane. "Why do you always push me away when I'm only trying to help you?"

"Why do you insist on being there when I'm trying to push you away?"

"You know, I'm not going anywhere, Jane. Just because you think it would be safer for me to not be in your life doesn't give you the right to force me out of it. I can make my own decisions, my own choices, and I choose to be here with you."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why? Why, Maura, would you want to be around me when it's so clearly dangerous?" Jane leaned forward in her chair and put her face in her hands.

"Because I care about you."

"That's not good enough."

"Because you need someone with you that doesn't drive you crazy like your mother does."

"Still not good enough."

"Because you make me feel safe."

Jane sat up and looked at the blonde across from her.

"What did you say?"

"I said… I said you make me feel safe."

She wasn't ready to deal with this yet, but there it was anyway.

She looked around the room and noticed the bag by the doorway. Without another word, she walked over to pick it up as she double checked the locks on her door. As she made her way back to the kitchen, she turned off the lights.

"Maura," she sighed again. "I'm not ready to do this right now. But, maybe soon. It's after midnight; do you want to crash here tonight instead of trying to drive home?"

"If that's okay with you?"

"That's always okay with me."

She walked into the bedroom and placed the bag at the end of her bed. She gave a weak smile as she heard Maura pad into the room behind her.

"Jane, what can't you do now?"

Jane crawled into bed and leaned back against the head board. "I can't deal with myself right now. It's just too much. Can we… can we just go to bed?"

"I don't understand, Jane."

"That thing I told you about what Ma said? Who fits that description for you?"

"You do." Maura blinked. "Oh," the moment dawning on her. "Oh, Jane, I… well, I've never…"

"Tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes, that might be best. I'm just going to go change. I'll be back in a moment."

"Okay."