Chapter 1

"Maura, come on! We need to go! We need to be at the adoption center in twenty minutes!" Jane called from the bottom of the stairs to her wife in the upstairs bathroom.

"I'm almost ready!"

"Yeah right, that's what you said twenty minutes ago." Jane mumbled as she walked upstairs. She saw her wife standing in front of the mirror, fixing her hair with a curling iron and some hairspray. "You look great, Maura."

Maura looked at her wife and smiled before turning back to the mirror. "I just want to make a good first impression." She said softly.

Jane walked over to the doctor and wrapped her long arms around Maura's waist, hugging her from behind, searching eye contact in the mirror. "You will. You're too amazing to make a bad first impression."

Maura smiled and rested her head against Jane's cheek, taking a deep breath. "What if she doesn't like me?" She whispered.

Jane tightened her arms around her wife's waist. "There's no reason not to like you. I'm sure she'll like you."

Maura turned in their embrace to kiss her detective. "I hope so."

Jane smiled and playfully patted her wife's bottom. "Now c'mon, are you ready?"

"Yes. Let's go." Maura grabbed her purse and followed Jane outside to her car.

Jane got behind the wheel and started the car, heading towards the adoption center. They had agreed to foster a 14-year old girl named Riley. Up until now, they had only seen pictures of her. Her file said she had been through a lot. Her mother passed away when she was only 3 years old. She was raised by her father and had no other siblings. Her father was addicted to drugs and got involved in a bad drug deal. He shot a guy and was now in prison.

Riley had been in two different foster homes, but none of them had worked out. She ran away from the first one and was kicked out of the second one. Jane knew it wouldn't be easy to take in the girl, but she knew they wanted to. She and Maura wanted to give this girl a home and a family.

Jane parked the car in front of the adoption center and turned off the engine. "Ready?" She asked her wife, softly squeezing her upper leg.

Maura nodded and leaned in for a quick kiss. They walked into the building, holding hands, both nervous about finally meeting Riley.

"Hi Maura, Jane." Riley's social worker, Lauren, walked over to the two women and shook their hands. "Are you ready to meet her?"

"As ready as we'll ever be." Jane said with a nervous smile.

They followed Lauren into her office and saw Riley sitting on the couch on the left.

"Hey Riley." Jane said softly, walking over to the girl. "I'm Jane Rizzoli." She wasn't sure what to do, afraid that a hug would be too much so she went for a handshake.

"My name is Maura Isles, Jane's wife." Maura did the same, looking at the girl with warm eyes.

"I'm Riley. Riley Fisher."

They had seen Riley in pictures, but Jane felt an immediate affection as she finally met the girl in real life. She was tiny and she looked tired with dark circles under blue, piercing eyes. Her brown hair was straight and long, tied up in a ponytail.

"Please, sit down." Lauren guided Jane and Maura to sit down on the chairs opposite of the couch while the social worker herself sat next to Riley. "Why don't you tell something about yourselves?" She asked the couple.

Jane looked at Maura and saw that her wife was looking at Riley with an insecure look. She reached over to grab the doctor's hand and squeezed it softly. "Well, I'm a homicide detective and Maura's a medical examiner. We both work at the Boston police department and we've been married for over a year now. We dated for almost two years before that and we've been best friends since we started working together."

Jane paused, looking for a reaction coming from the girl sitting opposite them, but she saw nothing. She was just looking at them with a blank expression and her arms crossed.

She continued. "Ehm, we knew we wanted to have kids. We thought about adoption, about surrogacy, sperm donors… But eventually we felt best with being a foster parent. We want to give someone who needs it a home and a family. So, that's how we got here."

"We can't wait to get to know you and offer you the safety and the home you deserve." Maura said, warmth showing in her soft eyes. "We both have busy schedules but we can cut down on our hours so we have plenty of time for you."

The corners of Riley's mouth curled up in a slight smile, but her eyes didn't participate.

"Riley, can you tell Jane and Maura something about yourself?" Lauren asked.

Riley sighed. She had probably been through this a few times before, Jane thought. "I'm 14. I was supposed to start high school a few months ago but... things got in the way. I've been in two foster homes but it didn't work out. And that's it I think. I'm not very interesting." She chuckled but didn't show happiness.

Jane and Maura knew she ran away from the first family because they didn't have any attention for her since she was just one of the seven kids. After that she was placed in a foster home as an only child, but she had a few drinks at a party once and the parents kicked her out.

"I'm sure that's not true." Maura said kindly. "I'm sure you're very interesting. What do you like to do? Do you have hobbies?"

Riley shrugged. "I don't know. I used to play the piano but my dad couldn't afford the lessons anymore. And then we had to sell the piano so I really haven't played in a long time."

"I'm sorry about that." Maura said softly. "Jane used to play the piano too."

"Yeah, years ago. I don't even think I can get a proper sound out of that thing anymore." Jane said, smirking. She saw Riley suppressing a giggle.

"What else?" Maura urged the girl to go on.

Riley shrugged again. "I really don't know. I've been busy trying to survive in the foster system lately. Doesn't leave much time for hobbies. Except for watching TV."

Jane felt a sting of pain in her chest. A 14-year old girl shouldn't have to go through what Riley had been through.

Lauren sensed the uneasiness in the room. "Do you have any questions for Jane and Maura, Riley?" She asked.

Riley looked up at the couple sitting in the chairs, still holding hands. "Why would you want to take me in?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Jane said determined. "I don't see any reasons not to."

"I'm a reject and a runaway. For most people that's all the reason they need."

"Not for us. You deserve a home, just like everyone else. You deserve a loving family, no conditions."

Maura squeezed Jane's hand and as she looked over Jane saw tears shimmering in the doctor's eyes.

"Riley, I promise we are more than happy to take you in." The doctor said.

Riley looked at Maura. Jane saw concern and hesitation in the girl's eyes. Lauren had told hem Riley didn't trust people easily, which wasn't odd given the things she had been through. It would take time and effort to win Riley's trust, but she knew they were up for the challenge.

"She's right." Jane confirmed. "And you know, if Maura lies, she breaks out in hives so you know she's telling the truth. Same with keeping promises."

"Is that true?" Riley looked at Maura, her eyes finally showing a smile.

"Urticaria. Yes it is."

Riley let out a soft laugh. "That must be a bummer."

"Not for me." Jane laughed.

The ice was broken and they continued to talk for a while. Jane and Maura told Riley about their lives, their jobs and their relationship and Riley listened, a little more at ease now.

After a while, Lauren had to put an end to their conversation. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid we have to go now." Jane and Maura weren't allowed to take Riley home yet. They had a week to make a final decision, after that they had to schedule another meeting to deal with some official papers and business and if everything turned out to be okay, they could take her home.

"Where are you staying in the meantime?" Jane asked as everybody got up.

"Here at the adoption center with a bunch of other kids who are between homes right now." Riley replied.

Jane hummed. "What's that like?"

"It sucks. But I'll survive." Riley shrugged and smiled.

Maura walked over and pulled the girl in for a warm hug, a little hesitant at first but when she felt Riley accepting the hug she gripped her tightly. She leaned back, her hands resting on the girl's upper arms. "We have to take a week to make a final decision, but I don't think it'll be very hard." The blonde said with a smile before she looked at her wife.

Jane walked over and wrapped Riley in her arms the same way her wife did a few moments ago. "Stay safe." She whispered.

Riley nodded shyly. "Thanks. See you later." She said softly as she walked outside of the office.

"We have an appointment next week, Wednesday afternoon?" Maura confirmed with the social worker.

"Yes. You can call it off if you want to; you're not obligated to anything yet. We'll have to make a final decision in a week." Lauren said, looking through her papers. "So I'll see you two then?"

Jane nodded and shook Lauren's hand. "Thank you. See you next week."

They drove back home in silence, both lost in their thoughts. Jane opened the front door of what was once Maura's house, but had been their home for over two years now. Jane threw the car keys on the counter, took off her jacket and sat on the couch, sighing deeply.

"What are you thinking, Jane?" Maura sat down next to her wife, rubbing her arm.

"It's not fair that a 14-year old girl has to live like that. It's not fair that she's been kicked out of a foster home. Who would kick a 14-year old girl out for making a mistake? That's so stupid." Jane felt anger burning in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't believe these people. The people of the first foster home, who couldn't even bring up the energy to look after her and the people of the second foster home who were just assholes, in her opinion.

"The world isn't fair." Maura stated simply, brushing Jane's hair back.

Jane looked at her wife and saw warm love in sparkling, hazel eyes. "Sometimes it is. I mean, you agreed to marry me."

Maura smiled and pressed her lips against Jane's. "I love you. I can't wait to start a family with you."

"I love you too. We're gonna take her in, aren't we?" Jane asked, still not completely sure if they were on the same page.

"If you ask me, yes. She'll probably cause some trouble and it will take a lot of time and energy to earn her trust, but I think she's one hundred percent worth it."

Jane smiled, knowing her wife would be amazing at all this. "I agree." She kissed Maura's temple. "We'll be a great family. And you'll be a great mom."

Maura smiled and turned to look at her wife with an adoring look in her eyes. "Foster mom. Her father still has legal guardianship. It'll take a lot of paperwork and fuss before we can call ourselves mothers."

Jane shrugged. "I'm ready to take on that journey."

Maura wrapped her arms around the brunette and kissed Jane's neck. "Me too." She whispered. "Me too."