Author's Note - Wow. I must say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who read, favourited, and especially reviewed the first chapter. This story really originally was only meant to be a one-shot, as I'd even posted it labeled as 'Complete' lol. But, you all convinced me to make this into a longer series, and it was your lovely responses that is responsible for that~ =3

I really hope you all now enjoy the continuation of...

~Always My Protector~

"Maaa! Tomorrow is Maura's birthday, and I don't know what to get her!" Jane exclaimed to her mother, while clutching handfuls of her mother's shirt. Angela looked down with an amused smile at her daughter, then gently rested her hand on Jane's head, and soothingly stroked her fingers through silky, dark strands.

"Janie, you know that Maura will love absolutely anything you give her. She just likes spending time with you, her best friend. Especially since her parents are hardly ever around to keep her company," Angela tsked lightly under her breath in disapproval at how Maura's parents treated her.

"I know, Ma...but she's turning ten! That's a big year for her, and it should be special! I've got to think of something really great to give her," Jane worried her bottom lip as she released her hold on her mother, and wracked her brain desperately for the perfect gift.

Angela let out a soft chuckle, as she bent forward to place a soft kiss against her daughter's forehead. It was a testament to how deeply in thought her Janie was, that she didn't make her usual protesting complaints about her mother still giving her kisses, when she was a big eleven-year-old girl.

"By the way, what time will Maura's birthday party start tomorrow? I want to have you, Frankie, and Tommy all dressed nicely before we go over," Angela said.

A frown marred Jane's face, and she looked up at her mother with sad, dark-chocolate brown eyes.

"She's not having a birthday party. Her parent's trip to Paris is going to take longer than Maura thought, so they won't be back until after her birthday," Jane muttered with clenched fists, as equal parts sadness and anger warred within her, at the fact that her best friend's parents were essentially abandoning her.

Angela released a deep breath as she bit back the scathing remark against Maura's parents, and their 'parenting' that instantly leapt to her tongue at Jane's words. She would not talk badly about these people in front of her daughter, though that didn't mean she wouldn't lay into them later with her husband in the privacy of their bedroom.

"Well then, if her parents won't be there to throw their own daughter a birthday party, then we will celebrate Maura's birthday with her," Angela said with a wide grin towards her daughter, who looked up at her with bright, expectant eyes.

"Really, Ma! We can throw Maura a birthday party here?" Jane asked with growing excitement.

Angela's grin brightened as she nodded her head. Jane let out a loud whoop of joy, and fist pumped the air excitedly.

"I'll go over to Maura's place right now, and tell her the good news! Thanks, Ma!" Jane exclaimed happily, as she reached forward and gave her mother a quick, tight hug. She then turned and raced out of their apartment to head over to Maura's home.

Angela let an affectionate and indulgent smile touch on her lips, as she watched her daughter race off to Maura's place. She then decisively clapped her hands together, and began mentally preparing all the things she would need to throw a small, family birthday party.

~o~o~o~

"Maura, Maura! I have some great news! My mother said...that...wha...Maura...?" Jane's excited voice trailed off worriedly, as she burst into Maura's expensively-furnished bedroom, and saw her best friend curled up on her bed sniffling softly, with her face buried against her plush pillow.

"Maura..." Jane said again softly, as she moved quickly over to the bed, and knelt down on the thick carpet by Maura's side. She then reached out, and gently took one of Maura's smaller hands into her own. "Maura, please tell me what's wrong," Jane whispered in a concerned voice, as she gently stroked a bit of honey-blond hair behind her friend's ear.

Maura let out a soft sniffle as she turned her head towards her best friend, and Jane felt her heart clench at the reddened, puffy skin and eyes that met hers.

"Oh, Maura..." Jane whispered as she climbed up onto the bed, and gently took her best friend into her arms. A soft, wet hiccup escaped Maura's lips as she reached out and clutched the front of Jane's shirt, and buried her tear-streaked face against the soft skin of Jane's neck.

"They won't be here...for my birthday...I'm turning ten...and they won't be here Jane..." Maura hiccuped wetly into her friend's soft skin.

Jane's arms tightened reflexively around her hurting friend.

"I know, Maur...I know. And I'm really sorry. I wish I could make your parents see how much their actions hurt you," Jane said with clenched teeth to keep herself from saying anything truly insulting about Maura's parents. Jane knew that as much as her parent's neglect hurt her, Maura would never speak ill of them. She just wasn't that type of person.

Jane hugged Maura a little closer, and whispered softly into her ear, "I actually came over here to tell you something I hope will make you feel better. My mother and I...well, we want to throw you the birthday party you deserve. It'll be at my house and it'll only be us Rizzoli's and you, but since you're pretty much an honorary Rizzoli...I just...really want to do this for you, Maur. You're my best friend and I'd...do anything to see you happy and smiling again, instead of crying like this," Jane whispered haltingly. She wasn't very good with expressing her feelings usually but for Maura, especially when she was crying in her arms like this...Jane would practically move mountains to make her best friend happy again.

Another light sniffle slipped out, before Maura pushed back a bit from her friend's comforting embrace, and looked up into Jane's dark eyes with an expression of mild disbelief. "You and your Mom...want to throw me...a birthday party?" Maura asked in a soft, wondering voice. When Jane nodded her head yes the brightest, most beautiful smile Jane had ever seen spread across Maura's face, and the smaller girl threw herself back into Jane's arms.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, Jane. I didn't want to be alone on my birthday. I didn't want to be alone...thank you...so much," Maura whispered against Jane's neck, as silent tears of happiness slipped down her face.

A brilliant smile of her own lit up Jane's face, as she returned Maura's hug eagerly.

Maura would have the greatest birthday ever. Jane decided right then and there that she would personally see to it.

~o~o~o~

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Maura! Happy birthday to you!" the loud, happy voices of the Rizzoli clan sang at the top of their lungs for the honey-blond, who stood grinning brightly before the delectable birthday cake Angela had made for her. Frank Rizzoli was absent as he'd gone out on a late-night job call, but his presence wasn't really missed as Maura mainly stayed around Jane, her mother, and her brothers whenever she came over to visit. And for this occasion, even little five-year-old Tommy had done his best to sing Happy Birthday for her, as he sat in the lap of his eight-year-old brother Frankie.

Jane was standing right beside her hazel-eyed friend, who had just blown out the ten candles on her cake. The present members of the Rizzoli clan happily clapped and cheered when all the candles were completely blown out. Jane then playfully nudged Maura's shoulder, and the two girls giggled happily. Slices of cake were handed out and eagerly gobbled up by the Rizzoli siblings, while Maura ate at more sedate pace. Once all the cake that could be stuffed into tummies was eaten, and cool refreshing juice drunk, all the kids gathered in the Rizzoli's living room around Angela, and excitedly waited for the older Rizzoli to start giving Maura her presents.

"Okay! This first one is from Frankie and Tommy," Angela said with a sweet smile at her two youngest children.

Frankie who was sitting beside Maura with Tommy still sitting contentedly in his lap, gave her a shy smile while Tommy gave her a gap-toothed grin.

Maura giggled lightly then with a soft, happy smile she reached forward and took the small, square gift from Angela's hands. She carefully began peeling away the wrapping paper, while Jane quietly pestered her to just "rip it open already", so she could give Maura her own gift. But Maura was savouring the feeling of opening a present, given to her by people who had taken her in as family, and treated her like one of their own. She gently shushed her best friend with a small, cute grin that instantly quieted Jane as something about Maura's smiles, when directed her way usually sent a strange, not-unpleasant feeling racing through her stomach.

Finally Maura separated the gift from the wrapping, and was presented with a picture frame. Within that picture frame was a square piece of paper with images drawn that made Maura's eyes water, as the feeling of belonging and warmth that this family always inspired in her, spread through her chest.

In obvious child-like scribbles, were the images of four stick figure children all standing under a brightly-coloured rainbow. One figure had golden, yellow crayon-coloured hair. Another had long, black crayon-coloured hair, and the last two smaller figures had short, black crayon-coloured hair. What appeared to be little butterflies were drawn into the sky surrounding the brightly-coloured rainbow.

Maura looked at the two young boys sitting next to her, and the feeling of them truly being her brothers washed over her. So, she quickly leaned over and gave them a each a tight hug. Frankie blushed lightly as he returned Maura's hug, and Tommy giggled happily as he wrapped his small arms around her neck.

Angela's gift to Maura was a cute photo album filled with pictures of Jane, her brothers, and Maura taken around the city, and during times at the Rizzoli home that included sleepovers, cake and cookie bake-offs, and general times spent together.

Finally, it was Jane's turn to give Maura her present, and the dark-haired girl picked up a small wrapped gift box that she'd kept hidden beside her. Then with a small, shy smile she reached forward and gently placed her gift in Maura's hands.

A tremulous smile came to Maura's lips as she held the gift box against her chest, that contained the present she quietly admitted to herself she looked forward the most to receiving. Being thrown a birthday party when she thought she wouldn't even have one, plus receiving gifts from three other people whom she had come to view as family, was already emotionally overwhelming for her. But there was just something...special...in Maura's heart and mind in receiving a gift from her best friend.

"Well, go on Maura...open it," Jane said with a soft, nervous smile. Maura returned the smile with a small nod, then proceeded to open her present. When she finally removed all the slightly haphazard wrapping...clear evidence that Jane had wrapped the gift herself instead of her mother...Maura's breath caught, and a sheen of tears brightened her eyes.

"Jane...it's so...it's beautiful...," Maura whispered, as she gently traced a finger over the soft fabric of her gift.

"Well, ya know...I've been working on this in art class for about a month now. I didn't really have a clear idea of what I'd do with it after, as you know how much I hate taking art," Jane said with a scrunched up nose, which Maura found absolutely adorable.

"It was really only yesterday after I went by your house, that the idea to give this to you came to me. I kind of stayed up all night...stitching your name into the fabric. The letters are a little crooked...and I pricked my fingers a few times with the sewing needle...but I got your name on there. I really hope you like it," Jane finished with the sweetest, most bashful smile Maura had ever seen on her best friend's face.

Maura reached down and gently pulled out the rainbow-coloured, beaded friendship bracelet Jane had stayed up all night personalizing for her. She then gently traced her fingers across the black thread that in slightly-jagged letters, spelled out her name.

~Maura~

Tears finally spilled free from her eyes, and she leaned over to wrap her small arms tightly around Jane's neck, and hugged her with every ounce of love and strength she had.

Jane returned the hug with a bright, happy grin on her face. She then broke out into laughter as first Tommy flung his tiny body onto her and Maura, then Frankie joined into the impromptu family group hug.

Angela quickly whipped out her camera, which she always carried around just for moments like these, and began gleefully snapping away.

Maura would soon have many new pictures to add to her new 'family' photo album.

AN - I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter~

Please review as you've seen that a lil review encouragement makes a big difference~ =3