Our First Christmas

"Maura, seriously?!" Jane yells as she enters the living room to see presents taking up almost half the room.

"Stop yelling, the children are asleep."

"I thought you said you did a little Christmas shopping without me?" Jane raised an eyebrow, "There has to be over a hundred gifts under the tree and there's still a bunch more in the garage."

Maura looked at the gifts under the tree and shrugged, "It isn't that much, Jane. The boys deserve it."

"I know they do but what happened to not spoilin' them?" Jane asked with a laugh.

It was Christmas Eve, tomorrow was the first Christmas the newly expanded Rizzoli-Isles family would spend together. Angela, Tommy, TJ, Lydia, and Frankie would be there first thing in the morning to open gifts with the newest members of the family, Brady and Michael. The boys were 4 years old and their adoption had been finalized just 3 weeks earlier even though they had been with Jane and Maura for about 8 months.

The detective and doctor had been married for 2 years, Jane hadn't wanted to get pregnant after she miscarried Casey's child years ago and Maura had always wanted to adopt. When the adoption agency had called about 9 months ago, they had told the women about a little girl whose parents had died in a car accident; she was 10 and seemed to have no other family. Maura and Jane were thrilled, they went through with the home visit and all the other hoops that are to be jumped through, only for an aunt no one knew about to pop into the picture. It was that day, when Jane and Maura had gone to the agency to find out about the little girl, that the twin boys were in the office.

Their eyes had been glued to the women from the minute they walked through the door. As they were leaving, one of the boys walked right up to Maura and asked, "You my mommy?"

Maura turned to her wife with tears in her eyes, just as she was about to speak, the other boy tapped Maura on the hip and repeated his brother's questions. Both women swore they felt their hearts break instantly.

"They were taken from their parents about a year ago. They were abused horribly and they've been in 3 or 4 different foster homes." The social worker spoke as she picked up one the boys.

"They can't be much older than three. Why so many homes?" Jane asked with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"We tried placing them with families that have had other children, we thought it would be good for them, but they apparently get jealous or something. They hit and bite. After all that, it's hard to find a home that's willing to work with them."

"Jane, I cannot walk out of this office knowing these boys will probably be stuck in group homes or foster families for the rest of their lives. They need attention from parents who have no other children. They need love and affection."

Jane looked at her wife who was now holding Michael, his head full of jet black hair nestled safely in Maura's neck, and then back at the social worker who was holding Brady, the boy was reaching for Jane. Maura was right, they couldn't leave this office not knowing what would happen to these two beautiful boys.

"I think you can stop looking for a home for them, Teresa, because I think these munchkins would fit right in at our house."

Jane was pulled from her thoughts with a soft kiss on the cheek from Maura; she'd been staring at the lights on the tree and hadn't realized she was in a daze.

"Did you hear a thing I just said?"

"Uh… nope."

Maura laughed, "I said I'm allowed to spoil them. I'm assuming it's their first real Christmas, any family that would hurt their children the way Brady and Michael were hurt couldn't have been too concerned about things like Christmas."

"I know. You meant well." Jane gave her wife a quick kiss, "Well let's get the rest of the presents from the garage and call it a night. Ma's probably gunna be here early to start breakfast for everyone."

"Mommy?"

Maura just barely heard the whisper from Michael, she wasn't even sure it was real until she felt a little hand brushing the hair out of her face.

"Mommy? What's all the stuffs in the livin' woom?"

Maura smiled at her son, she found it adorable that the boy couldn't pronounce his R's, "Santa came, baby. He brought you and Brady presents."

"Santa?" The little boy tilted his head in confusion.

"Yes, baby. Remember Mama and I told you about Santa?"

Maura originally hadn't wanted to lie to her children about Santa but she knew how well rounded Jane and her brothers were and they had all believed in Santa. Besides, she thought Brady and Michael deserved to be little kids and believe in things even if she knew they weren't real.

"The fat guy in the wed suit, right Mommy?"

The doctor nodded with a smile before picking up Michael and placing him on the bed between herself and Jane, "Why don't you wake up Mama and tell her Santa came?"

Michael smiled and jumped on Jane's midsection, earning an "oomph" noise followed by a groan.

"Mikey, bud, chill out."

"Mama, Santa came!"

Jane sat bolt upright, "Well what are we waiting for?! Let's go get Brady!"

Maura didn't even have time to laugh before Jane and Michael were running out the master bedroom door and down the hall screaming Brady's name. Instead of following Jane and Michael to get Brady, Maura headed downstairs towards the smell of coffee and bacon. Jane was right, it was only 6:30 in the morning and Angela was already there making breakfast.

"Morning, Angela." Maura spoke as she sat at the kitchen island.

"Maura, will you ever call me 'Ma' like the rest of my kids?" Angela laughed, "You've been family for a long time and married to my daughter for almost three years now."

"I know," Maura smiled, "You are the closest thing I've ever really had to a mother but it still seems very informal to call you 'Ma'."

"MOMMY SANTA CAME!"

Angela and Maura both turned as Jane, Michael and Brady screamed.

"Yes, we see!" Maura picked up Brady, "Why don't we eat something and wait for your uncles and Aunt Lydia and TJ then we can open presents together?"

"Ok, Mommy." Both boys spoke in unison.

Just as everyone was sitting down to eat, the rest of the family came bustling in the front door. All shivering and covered in white from the fresh snow that was falling. Hugs and kisses were shared as the large dining room table became filled with family and food. The entire Beacon Hill home was filled with laughter as stories of Christmases past were shared and jokes were told.

Once everyone had their fill of breakfast, the children became antsy to open gifts.

"Nana, can we open our presents now?" TJ asked with a sweet smile.

"You bet kiddo. Just let Auntie Janie and Auntie Maura get the boys cleaned up a little bit," Angela let out a small laugh as the twins were covered in syrup from their bunny pancakes.

After a quick bath and change of clothes for Brady and Michael, everyone gathers in the living room to open their Christmas presents. Most of the presents under the tree are for the children but there are a few in between for the adults.

The gifts are all passed around so everyone has a pile in front of them, Rizzoli tradition, before they're all opened. Brady and Michael seem just a little confused as to what is happening. They watch TJ opening his gifts without even touching their own.

"Hey guys, what's wrong?" Jane places a hand on each boys' shoulder.

"What we supposed to do, Mama?" Brady asks looking up at Jane.

Maura seems a bit concerned, "You just pick up a present and pull all the paper off. Whatever is inside, you get to keep. See the pile with the police cars and fire trucks on the paper? That's all your gifts, Brady. Michael's is wrapped in paper with the construction trucks on them."

Michael grabs a gift from his pile and sits it on his lap, "Like this, Mommy?"

He starts ripping open the side of the gift before his brother yells out, "Michael, no! Don't rip it, you'll get powed."

Michael instantly drops the gift and starts apologizing.

"Whoa, no. Mikey, Brady, you guys aren't even gunna get powed again. Ok? Never. I promise." Jane explains as she hears a soft sniffle from Maura, "We love you guys and we'd never hurt you. No one in this room would. Right?"

Everyone in the room quickly answers with a "Yes" or a "Right". TJ, who's almost 7, drops his gifts to sit next to his cousins.

"I can help you guys open your gifts if you want." Michael and Brady both nod and move closer to their cousin, "I don't have brothers or sisters but you guys are my cousins and if anyone ever hurts you again, I'll kick their butts!"