Maura sat at her desk. The morgue was quiet and dark. There were no new cases and tiny snowflakes fell outside in the late afternoon light. Her chin in her hand she thought about what the holidays meant to her. Normally she worked because since she had no family, others could then be with theirs.

But this year things had been different, there was Jane and being with Jane and near her and it made Maura jumbled up inside in a way she didn't quite understand. It made her want things she hadn't known to want before. Jane had bullied her into a tree and decorations at her house and even a red bow for Bass. They had both laughed so hard tears had streamed down their faces at that one. Especially since Joe Friday had been jumping back and forth around Bass until Bass had just pulled his head in. She was chuckling to herself again when her phone rang beside her.

Absently she picked it up, "Dr. Isles."

"Maura? This is Angela Rizzoli," the distinct voice of Jane's mother comes over the phone.

"Yes, this is Maura, Mrs. Rizzoli. Merry Christmas, is everything OK?" Maura answers, her eyebrows rising in concern.

"Oh, yes, yes, everything is fine. And call me Angela. The thing is, do you have plans for the holidays?"

"Well…" Maura stuttered. "I'm on call tonight and then I may try to meet up with my parents on Christmas." She finishes a bit flustered.

"OK, that does it then. Please come and spend the holidays with us. I will not take no for an answer."

"Oh, Mrs. Rizzoli, no, that is OK, I don't want to be any trouble. I will be fine. Jane and I have plans for the weekend. I'll be OK." Maura says quietly.

"Maura, please call me Angela. Now Jane asked me to call because she knew you would say that. Listen, sweetie, Jane is going to come down to your office pretty soon and she is going to ask you to spend the holidays with us, your real family, the Rizzolis and you should tell her yes and hug her and kiss her and come along with her."

Maura was having a hard time trying to process all these feelings inside her chest and what Jane's mom was saying. "Well, why does Jane think I will say no if she asks me?" Maura stutters into the phone a moment later. She can hear Angela sigh.

"My, both you girls are so stubborn. She would've asked and you would've said the same thing you said to me, 'I don't want to trouble you, I will be fine' and then Jane would have lost her steam and let you be and come over the house and been miserable without you. So when she comes just say yes and we will see you later." Angela finishes in a rush knowing she is cutting it close, knowing Jane is on her way down to the morgue probably as they speak.

"But Angela…" Maura tries to start.

"No buts, hug her and kiss her and then come along. There will be lots of food and it will be loud and warm and Christmassy. You'll love it. OK?"

Still trying to work through all the complex feelings she is having she says, "OK," on a whisper.

"OK." Angels says more gently. "Maura it will all work itself out, you know? It will be lovely to have you for Christmas, hopefully the first of many. See you later then?"

Her chest threatening to burst she is equal parts apprehensive and hopeful, "Yes, I think I will be seeing you later."

"Bye then."

"Good bye, Angela."

She had just clicked her phone off and set it down beside her when she heard the familiar footsteps of her best friend. Soon Jane appeared in the doorway looking beautiful in a way Maura knew Jane didn't realize. Her long brown hair was loose around her shoulders, a red scarf wrapped around her neck, her black overcoat buttoned up. Her hands were shoved in her pockets.

"Hey, maid of milking, what are you up to?" Jane asked with a smirk.

Maura couldn't help but snort, over the last week Jane had taken to calling her various nicknames from the Twelve Days of Christmas. Jane thought it was hilarious and Maura was slightly amused until they were at a crime scene and Jane called her a French hen. She had to ask her then to refrain from calling her the ridiculous names in public.

"Oh, my little turtle dove, not much. Are you done for the day?" Maura asks with a smile in her voice.

"Why yes I am, my swan-a-swimming, can you be done for the day?" Jane says as she takes a step further into Maura's office. Her voice drops, "I want you to come home with me for the holidays."

Maura's smile grows bigger as she stands and walks around her desk, "Oh, Jane I think I would love to, that is if it won't be too much trouble."

Jane walks further into the office. "It will not be too much trouble, sugarplum. In fact let me help you with your coat, I have an early Christmas gift for you." Jane says playfully. She stands and waits for Maura to close out of her computer and pack up her bag. Jane takes Maura's long navy coat from the hook by the door and hands it to her.

"Oh? What is it?" Maura asks as she buttons her coat and digs in her pockets for her gloves.

Jane pulls another red scarf from the deep pockets of her own coat and wraps it gently around Maura's neck, carefully pulling her brown locks out from underneath it, letting the soft hair drift through her fingers. Maura can't help the grin on her face as she brings her hands to Jane's waist, her fingers playing with the pockets on Jane's coat.

"I love it. Thank you Jane, for everything." Maura whispers as she continues to hold Jane's brown-eyed gaze.

"You're welcome." Jane says quietly as she moves to wrap her arms around Maura's neck. She feels Maura's arms snake around her waist and they give in, sinking into the embrace on a sigh. Maura stands on her tiptoes so her face, her nose are in Jane's neck. They hold onto each other tightly for many moments.

Maura pulls back first and looks once again into Jane's dark brown eyes. She thinks back to what Angela said and thinks for once to let her heart go first and then her head. She leans closer, Jane's hands come back to hold Maura's face in both her hands.

"Yes, Maura?" Jane asks.

Maura nods and closes the distance, their lips touching lightly and then more firmly, warm lips and tongues tangle as they give into the first kiss, the one they have been both dreaming of, wanting, afraid to ask for.

Both pulling back, Jane finally finds her voice. She squeezes Maura tightly and releases her, "lets get to ma's, you know she'll be mad if we are late."

Maura nods, her emotions too close to the surface, words fail her.

Jane hooks her fingers under Maura's chin, "We OK?"

Maura nods again, not being able to help the small sniffle. "I'm, we're very much OK. You know I just don't do well with feelings. And this is a lot, overwhelming all at once."

"Well, Maura we have plenty of time to figure it out. OK?" Jane murmurs into her ear, enveloping the smaller woman into another hug because she can't help herself.

She can feel Maura nod against her cheek.

"Ready for Christmas with the Rizzoli's?" Jane asks, stepping back and rubbing her hands together.

Maura takes a deep breath, smiles, and tightens the scarf around her own neck. She then reaches up to straighten Jane's scarf, leaves a small kiss on her lips, then another until she also steps back.

"Yes, ready for Christmas." She picks up her bag; Jane reaches for her hand and they head out into the snowflakes.