It was quarter to five on Halloween. Maura was finishing up an autopsy report when Tommy Rizzoli came rushing into her office with a little lion resting on his hip. Not a real lion, of course, but there was TJ, almost two years old now, dressed in a ridiculously adorable lion costume. His painted on whiskers moving slightly with each little grin.

"Tommy?" Maura asked, slightly confused, "What are you doing here?" she asked as she rose from her chair and walked over to the two, giving TJ a quick little tummy tickle, "Well aren't you just the cutest little thing." TJ grinned and tucked his head into his dad's neck. Even two year old little boys couldn't escape the flustered feelings caused by the one and only Dr. Isles.

"Aw gee, thanks Maura, but I thought we talked about this, the whole 'I don't want to compromise my friendship with Jane' bit. Or is that your way of playing hard to get, huh?" Tommy asked with a grin.

Maura, who normally was never at a loss for words was, well, at a loss for words. The look of utter confusion on her face must have given her away and Tommy's cocky grin quickly faded, "Oh, right, you meant TJ!" he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Ha, um right, so anyway..."

Choosing not to make this any more uncomfortable than it already was, Maura chose to pretend that entire exchange did not happen, "You looked like you were in a hurry coming in here? Is there a particular reason you came to see me?"

"Oh! Right, yeah, um, well the thing is, it's Halloween and uh it's TJ's first time that he can actually participate in trick-or-treating, you know now that he's walking and all, anyway, it's my week with him and normally I would just call Lydia, but I don't want to give her another reason to fight for custody, and well I can't get out of my shift tonight and I can't miss another one or I'll they'll fire me and I just, I was wondering if you could take TJ for the night, you know, for trick-or-treating. I'll pick 'em up tomorrow morning and, well, can you?"

It took Maura a minute to sort through everything Tommy had just told her, getting to the point was clearly not his strong suit. "Tommy, I'm flattered that you would ask me, but I really don't think that's a good idea. I have no experience with trick-or-treating, let alone taking care of a child for the entire night. Why don't you ask Angela? I'm sure she would be thrilled, or even Jane? Frankie? I really don't think I'm the wisest choi-"

"Please Maura? I gotta be at work in a half hour and Ma's busy preparing all the treats and decorations for the BPD kids party and Frankie's working tonight and I can't seem to find Jane anywhere, can you just, please take him? I'll make it up to I promise, I don't want to be a bad dad and let TJ or Lydia down, I just don't what else to do. Please, Maura?"

Maura had no idea what to do. She didn't want Tommy to get in trouble with Lydia or make him feel like a bad father, but this is something she just could not do.

She was about to politely decline when little TJ pulled his head out from Tommy's neck and shouted "Pees mo-wa, pees!" He giggled.

Maura couldn't breathe. So she nodded.

"Ah, really?! Thanks Maura!" Tommy shouted as he quickly handed TJ over to Maura. "I'll go grab his car seat and overnight bag and leave it up in the cafe, but I gotta run! Thanks again, Maura. I'll pick him up in the morning!" He said over his shoulder as he ran out of her office.

Before Maura could even think to respond and ask the million questions she had, he was gone. She stood in the middle of her office, mouth open, with a squirmy little lion in her arms.

Maura felt like she might faint.

After calming down enough and giving herself a mental pep talk on how she was perfectly capable of taking a two year old trick-or-treating, she made her way up to the BPD lobby, just as Jane strutted through the front entrance.

"Oh thank god," Maura muttered to herself as she ran up to the detective, "Oh Jane, thank god you're here."

"Hey Maur, uh what are you doing with my nephew?"

"Tommy asked me to take him trick-or-treating because he couldn't miss work and Frankie's on patrol and Angela is working the party tonight and oh god, Jane I'm so glad I found you so you can take him," she began handing over TJ before Jane abruptly stopped her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. First of all, I'm so sorry my dumb brother sprung this on you so last minute, and second of all look at how cute this little lion is, hi buddy!" she cooed at TJ, before turning back to face Maura, "I wish I could take him, Maur, but I'm on duty."

"But there's no new homicide and we just closed the last case and, and," the panic was starting to return, "Jane I can't do this! I'm not good with kids, I don't know a thing about trick-or-treating, I never did it as a child and can TJ even have candy yet? What if he chokes? Or gets scared? Or starts crying? Jane I can't do this! You have to take him, please! Or at least come with me?"

Maura looked absolutely desperate and terrified at the thought of taking TJ out by herself. Jane couldn't help but smile at the usually composed Maura Isles.

"Maur, I'm sorry, really I am. But since it's Halloween, all the cops who don't have kids take the extra shifts of patrolling the neighborhoods, making sure all the little trick-or-treaters are safe."

"Jane, please?" she asked while shifting TJ to her other hip, he was clearly getting antsy. "I really can't do this by myself, I don't even have a costume!"

"You'll be fine Maura. I have total faith in you. Look, I'll try to get the shift over in your neighborhood, ok?"

Maura just nodded.

"And for the costume, ah, well, let's see... OH! perfect, the lion, the bit- I mean, witch for making you take her nephew trick-or-treating" she said pointing to herself, "and the wardrobe" pointing to Maura, who, as usual, was dressed beautifully. "Perfect."

Maura stared, in confusion, clearly not understanding the reference.

"Look, Maur, just take him home, go to a few houses around your neighborhood and call it a night, ok? Job done. I'll try to be there for some of the trick-or-treating, but if I can't swing it, I'll be sure to stop by later - you shouldn't have to be on baby duty by yourself overnight, ok? Plan?"

Maura hesitantly shook her head, "Fine."

"You'll be great Maura. I promise you. I'll see you later. Bye TJ, be good for auntie Maura ok little peanut?"

"Mo-wa peeeee!" he yelled.

Laughing, Jane said one final 'good luck' as Maura headed towards the exit.

When Maura finally made it home after struggling with hooking up the car seat and making sure TJ was completely safe and secure in her Prius, kids and their parents were already roaming the streets, running from house to house with buckets in hand.

Squealing from the backseat, TJ was clearly ready to get out and see what the other kids were doing. Being as young as he was, there was no way he could comprehend what the meaning of Halloween was, but he was no doubt excited to be pulled out of the car seat and join the excitement.

Taking a deep breath and reciting Jane's words of encouragement over and over again her head, Maura pulled little TJ out from the car.

Setting him down in the entry way, Maura quickly shed her heels, and went with a more practical pair of flats. TJ danced in a circle while uttering little incoherent phrases. He really was adorable.

After checking her phone once more and still seeing no message from Jane, she gave up hope of her joining and braced herself for solo trick-or-treating. "You can do this Maura." she said to herself.

"Alright little lion, are you reading to go?"

"Raaaaawr!"

"I'll take that as a yes." she said as she tucked her cell phone into her pocket and reached for TJ's hand, "Let's go."

After successfully making it to the first house, Maura realized this might not be so bad after all. In fact, it was kind of fun. Holding TJ's hand and kneeling down next to him at each door, trying to prompt him to say "Trick-or-treat," which usually came out as "tr-er-treeeee!" or a giggle instead.

"Oh well isn't he the sweetest little thing!" was uttered more than once by moms handing out candy, "What a precious little boy you have." Maura couldn't bring herself to correct them.

As the two made their way to the 10th house or so, the sky had gotten considerably darker, but Maura kept going from house to house in the hopes that Jane would eventually join them. Halfway up the sidewalk leading to another house, Maura's phone started ringing. Noting that there were three other little ones, about the same age as TJ, and two other parents accompanying them, Maura let TJ wobble up to the door with the group as she stood just a few feet away, checking her phone in the hopes that it was Jane. Glancing down at her phone, an unknown number flashed across the screen, ignoring it, she slipped it back into her pocket just as TJ happily ran/wobbled back to her with a giant grin on his face.

He was almost by Maura's side when a group of older kids dressed in scary costumes ran past him, shouting and yelling, "Boo!" The smile on his face was instantly gone and his little bucket of candy fell to the sidewalk. There was a moment of silent panic before he burst out crying. A sound that made Maura's heartbreak. Rushing over and kneeling beside him, pulling him into a tight embrace, Maura rubbed soothingly up and down is fuzzy back, whispering, "It's ok sweetie, you're alright." Saying anything that would get him to stop crying. "Oh honey."

Hearing running footsteps behind her, Maura tightened her hold on TJ and without looking behind her, yelled "No please, you've already scared him enough." She flinched as a hand touched her shoulder, causing to her to look, "Jane?"

"Hey," Jane said as she smiled at Maura and kneeled down beside the two, "Hey little buddy, you're ok." At seeing his aunt, TJ's cries stopped and he reached out towards Jane. She pulled him into her arms as she stood up. Maura picked up the spilled bucket of candy and looked at Jane.

"How did you find us?" Maura asked as she reached over to TJ's cheek and wiped the remaining tears, smudging his little whiskers in the process.

"I, uh, I was kinda following you both, from a distance anyway. They assigned me to this neighborhood and I was going to tell you, I swear, but, when I saw the two of you holding hands and walking from house to house, you looked so at ease. I wanted to let you enjoy it. You looked so natural, Maura." Jane said, blushing a little as the words left her mouth.

Maura tried to feign anger, but she couldn't. All she managed to respond with was, "Really?"

Jane smiled. Maura asked with such a sincerity in her voice that it made her a little sad to think Maura was that doubtful that she could be good at this.

"Really."

"I don't know, I mean, look at what just happened, I check my phone for two seconds and next thing I know he's crying. I couldn't even protect him from rude little teenagers." Maura sighed, looking away.

"You had no idea what those kids were gonna do, Maur. And that doesn't matter, you were by his side in a second, comforting him. You're so good with him. I watched both of you the entire night and I don't think I've ever seen you so happy, so in your element... outside of a crime scene that is." Laughing, Jane adjusted TJ on her hip and reached out to tilt Maura's chin so she would look at her.

"I'm serious Maur. You're going to be a wonderful mommy," she said as she removed her hand from Maura's chin and placed it gently on Maura's slightly rounded belly.

Leaning in close, Jane whispered in Maura's ear, "I can't wait to be mommies with you," before lightly kissing her cheek.