Ch.1

"Swish"

"Oh yeah! 10 - 7, little bro!" 9 year old Jane Rizzoli yelled out to her younger brother Frankie, clapping her hands together. Frankie, who was a year and a half younger than his sister was, stood there with his hands to his side and a defeated look on his face.

"Come on, Janie! Do you have to embarrass me in front of my friends all the time?" He sneered at her as he glanced over at his friend, Chris, who was sitting on the park bench, enjoying the warm Boston weather. Frankie wiped sweat from his forehead as he turned his head back to glare at his older sister, whose brunette hair was frizzed from the hot weather and pulled up in a loose ponytail. Frankie glanced down at his sister's wrist and realized the reason for her good game playing. A smirk arose on his face as he reached out and grabbed his sisters left arm. "Ha! You liar! You are wearing your lucky wrist band!"

"Shut up loser! It's not a 'lucky' wristband. Besides, I always wear it when I play basketball, and I still beat you! You just suck!" Jane declared as she snatched her arm back and picked up the basketball that came to a rest next to her. "It's your ball anyways, lame brain." She laughed as she tossed the basketball to him.

But he failed to catch it, as his eyes were trained on something, or rather someone, behind her. "Jane, look." He said nodding towards the direction he was staring.

Jane turned on her heel and, at first glance, didn't see what Frankie was staring at. Then she saw a small figure, standing behind the tall oak tree, watching them. Jane squinted her eyes against the suns rays to try to get a better look of the person, but it didn't quite help. "Hey!" Jane yelled out at the person. "What are you doing over there?"
The small figure emerged from the tree and started walking towards them. As the person got closer, Jane noticed that it was a small girl, possibly around her age, with long, honey blonde hair. The little girl was dressed in a simple purple blue summer dress. But what seemed odd to Jane was that she was wearing sneakers with her dress instead of dress shoes. "This is a weird one" Jane thought to herself. "Who are you and what are you doing? Why were you just standing over there watching us?" Jane questioned with her left hand on her hip, a habit she had when she demanded answers.

"I'm Maura. My mother and I just moved in the neighborhood. Mother walked me down here to play with you all." The tiny girl, named Maura, answered in a small voice.

"How did you know we were here?" Frankie finally spoke as he ran his fingers through his cropped brown hair.

"Well, I believe my mother I live next door to one of you. One of your mother's said that I should come down here and play with you guys. Get to know you better." Maura stated but then she turned to walk away. "But if you don't want to play with me that's fine."

Jane watched Maura start to leave and then realized it was hers and Frankie's mother who had told Maura to come to the park to play with them. If Maura were to go back to her home and tell her mom that they had not played with her, they would be in BIG trouble. "Wait! Of course we'll play with you!" Jane yelled to her.

"What? Janie!" Frankie pleaded.

"You wanted your dumb friend to play anyways. So now he can. He's on your team and she's on mine." She started to walk over towards Maura but Frankie's voice stopped her.

"But Janie,"

"Frankie, if we don't play with her, we won't be coming down here to play for the rest of the summer! So come on and stop being a jerk face!" Jane sneered at him, picking the dropped ball back up and tossing it to him before running off towards Maura.

Maura seemed surprised when Jane slowed from a run to a walk and stopped in front of her. "Really? I can play with you guys?"

Jane nodded her head yes then turned back towards the guys, not really looking at Maura. "Yeah, of course. It'll be you me versus my idiot brother Frankie, which is the one with the tube socks on and the Superman shirt, and his weird friend Chris with the funky shirt and weird looking hair."

"Okay, but I really must tell you-" Maura started but stopped when Jane ran back to the basketball court. Maura bit down on her bottom lip and walked towards the court as well.

"Alright, Frankie you Chris get ball first." Jane stated, looking at Chris, who was once again tying his shoes. She didn't understand why a person needed to tie then retie their shoes. "Later that same day." She groaned, throwing her head back in aggravation, causing Maura to laugh lightly. "I really don't understand the purpose of that." Jane whispered, to where only Maura could hear her. "Okay, so you can guard Chris and I'll get my brother, k?"

"Um… What?" Maura said. But she was a bit late, because the game already started. She ran over towards Chris and started flinging her arms around, not quite sure what to do. When Frankie passed the ball to Chris, Chris easily whipped past her and made the basket.

"Yeah bro! That was awesome!" Frankie exclaimed as he and Chris high-fived.

"Shut up, Frankie! I could do that in my sleep." Jane said walking over towards Maura, who was honestly a bit scared. "What the heck? I thought you could play basketball?"

"Well- I- I was trying- to tell you that- Well- I never really played before." Maura stammered, and then gave Jane a shy smile.

"You've got to be kidding me." Jane huffed under her breath and glanced back at her brother and his friend who were a little overly excited about making a basket. Seriously, she could do that with her eyes closed and a hand tied behind her back. Jane rubbed her temples and took in a deep breath. "Okay, look. When they have ball. You cannot let them get past you and get to the basket. Frankie can't shoot far from the basket, not even if his life depended on it. And I'm sure weirdo kid can't neither. So just keep them from the basket and we'll be cool." Jane said and was about to turn to go back to center court when Maura grabbed her arm.

"Wait. What if I get the ball?" Maura asked, sounding rather nervous.

"Well, if you get it, then just shoot it." Jane replied as if it were obvious.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure how, or even if I could make it." Maura said in a disheartened voice.

Jane sighed heavily and put her hands on Maura's shoulders. "Look, like my basketball coach always tells me-" Jane started but was cut off by Maura.

"You're on a basketball team?" Maura asked rather excitedly./

"Yeah, girl's basketball team at my school, but that's not the point. Coach always says to believe in yourself and you can do anything. If you don't make it the first few times, it's no big deal. Just guard weirdo, k?" Jane said lightly shaking Maura's shoulders.

"Okay. I think I'm ready now." Maura replied with a determined nod.

"Good. Then let's do this!" Jane said cheerfully as she ran to center court.

"You ain't got no chance big sis." Frankie said as he tossed the ball to Jane.

"Yeah, that's what you think, freak show." Jane said as she started to dribble the ball. She fake stepped to the left before passing the ball to Maura, who was shocked to get the ball. "Just shoot it!" Jane encouraged her. So Maura did, but she missed. Luckily, Jane was able to rebound the ball then bring it back to center court. "It's alright Maura!" Jane called out as Frankie laughed.

"Yeah right! She'll never make a basket! You'll never win with her on your team!" Frankie laughed, but was soon silenced as Jane ran off towards the basket, then passed it back to Maura, who shot the ball, and this time, it bounced off them back off the rim and into the net.

"Yes!" Maura exclaimed happily.
"

Yeah, she'll totally never make a basket Frankie." Jane said sarcastically. "Good job, Maur!" Jane yelled to Maura, smiling. I didn't think she could do it, but she did. Jane thought to herself.

24 minutes later, Maura Jane were in the lead with 11 - 10. They just needed one more point and they would win the game. The two girls were situated on the park bench on their side of the court, sweat dripping off of them. "So what's the plan?" Maura asked, taking a big gulp of water.

"Well, I think that… We should fake it and make it seem like I'm gonna take the last shot. Frankie knows I always take the game shot, so he'll believe I will this time, too." Jane explained while nodding her head.

"He'll believe that you will, so you won't be taking it?" Maura asked, her hazel eyes filled with nervousness as she realized what Jane was saying. "You want me to?" Maura said a little loudly.

"Shh! Not too loud. I don't want them hearing our plan. But yes, I want you to take the last shot." Jane said, smiling at Maura, who was still filled with nervousness.

"But what if I miss it?"

"You won't." Jane smiled at her and rubbed her shoulders then stood up to walk off to center court again.

Maura took a deep breath, then another drink of water. You can do this, Maura! Don't let your friend, or this girl who seems like your friend, down! Maura thought to herself. She had never had a real friend before. They all thought that she was weird and they would never play with her. But Jane was different, and she was nice. She didn't want to lose the one friend that she had made. So Maura pushed herself up off the park bench, walked over towards where Jane was, and stood in position.

When Frankie passed the ball to Jane, Jane immediately tried to take off running towards the goal, but Frankie Chris were both guarding her. So she threw the ball over their heads, in hopes that Maura would get it. Maura caught the ball and was about to make the shot when she felt someone push her from behind, causing her to collide, face first, with the goalpost.

:Oh my God, Maura!" Jane yelled and ran towards her friend. "You idiot Frankie, what were you thinking!" She yelled punched Frankie in the chest.

"You always win Jane!" Frankie yelled back in her, choking back the tears from the pain in his chest where Jane had punched him.

"Maura, you okay?" Jane asked as she approached her. When Maura didn't respond, Jane became worried. "Maura?" Jane said again, turning her towards her, seeing the tears streaming down Maura's face and the blood on her shirt from her nose. "Oh my God, Maura." Jane said worriedly, then rushed to the bench to grab her towel that she always brought with her to wipe the sweat from her head. "Here, put this on your nose and tilt your head back." Jane said, knowing all too well that Maura had a broken nose. She had her nose broken before, coincidentally by Frankie, and remembered her mother telling her to keep her head back to help stop the blood.

"Jane-" Maura started, pain evident in her voice.

"Shh, you'll be okay Maura. Let's just get you back home, k?" Jane said, throwing a glare at Frankie as she helped Maura walk towards the bench to get their stuff.

"Jane." Maura said again, making Jane look at her. "Are you mad at me?"

"What? Good God no!" Jane laughed and shook her head. "Why in the world would I be mad at you?"

"Because you didn't win like you always do." Maura said sadly./p

Jane let out a sad laugh. "I could care less about that right now, Maura. We really need to get you home though to get that nose checked out." Jane said, walking with Maura beside her. "And you, Frankie! You're going to be in deep trouble when you get home!"

"You gonna tell Ma on me, Janie? I'll tell her about all the stuff you did!" Frankie challenged.

"Oh, I won't have to tell her anything when she sees Maura's face, you asshole." Jane cursed at him, causing Frankie's jaw to drop. Jane had never cussed before a day in her life, mostly for fear of what her mother would do to her if she ever found out she cussed.

About 15 minutes later, Jane walked up to her home and opened the door with her right hand, somewhat struggled to open it, since she was left handed and did everything with that hand. But seeing as how she was currently helping Maura keep the cloth on her nose, she hand to work with her right hand instead.

"Janie! Frankie, you home?" Jane's mother, Angela, called out from the kitchen. When she walked out into the living room, her mouth dropped. "Oh my God, Jane what happened?"

"We played basketball, and Frankie was tired of losing. So, he took it out on her like the as- jerk he is." Jane said, catching herself before she called Frankie an asshole again.

"Oh sweetie, are you alright?" Angela asked Maura, pulling the towel away to view Maura's nose.

"The pain isn't as bad as it was, and I believe the bleeding stopped." Maura answered, wiping her tear-stained eyes again.

"I'm going to go get your mother so she can take to you the doctor so they can fix that, honey. Jane, tell Frankie I want him home emnow." /emAngela said, giving Jane a look that told her that Frankie was indeed in deep trouble when he gets home.

Maura sighed heavily then looked over at Jane. "Thanks for letting me play with you though, Jane."

Jane just shrugged her shoulders and rubbed her head. "What are friends for?"

Maura's eyes lit up and she smiled at Jane. "So we're friends?"

"Ha-ha. Yeah, we're friends." Jane smiled and looked down at her feet.

"Jane?"

"Yeah?" Jane said, looking back at Maura.

"Thanks for being my friend." Maura replied, giving her a crooked smile.
"Always." Jane promised as she smiled back at her.

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So this is my first Rizzoli and Isles story. As you can tell it is AU (Alternate Universe, for those who are like me and didn't know what it means until now lol)

Please feel free to review and/or favorite!=)