Title: The Rizzoli Family Christmas
Rating: G
Summary: The story of each Rizzoli family Christmas, and how Maura gets involved in each one.
Disclaimer: not mine, never will be, boo hoo
Authors note: So I am possibly going to be late for work because I could NOT STOP TYPING so I really really hope someone enjoys this! :-P Typed very quickly, so excuse any timeline errors or typos or whatever, kay? Kay. :-D
The first year, it was rather awkward.
"So, uh..." Jane fidgeted, scratching her fingernail on the corner of Maura's desk. "What are you doing for Christmas this year?"
"I suppose just the usual," Maura replied, smiling at Jane. She'd only just started getting to know her properly in the last four months, and so far, she liked her.
"Which is...?"
"Oh. Well, my parents are holidaying in Europe at the moment, as they do every holiday season, so they will call me early on Christmas morning at around 7am. They have already sent over my gifts. I open them before the phone call comes, so that I can discuss the gifts with them, and they can tell me their thoughts about the gifts I sent them."
Jane frowned at her. "They go to Europe every year at Christmas? Without you?" Maura nodded but didn't seem inclined to speak so Jane shook her head and continued, "So... what do you do for the rest of the day then? Do you go over to a relative's house or something?"
Maura half shrugged. "I don't do much for the rest of the day. I have no other relatives nearby, or at least none that would think to extend an invitation my way, so I generally just spend the day reading a book in front of the heater."
"That doesn't sound very Christmassy."
"I enjoy it."
"Oh. Well, then I guess you won't like what I was about to offer you then."
Maura tilted her head on the side. "What?"
"I was going to ask... you know, if you didn't have any other plans... if you'd like to come spend Christmas with the Rizzoli's."
Maura gaped. "Really?"
"Really," Jane smiled, then hastened to continue, "I mean, it's really lame. Like, my mother always cooks way too much food, and she drinks sherry as she's cooking so by the time we get there she's pretty drunk and gives us about a thousand sloppy kisses each. And my father is always just on the sofa watching a TiVo'd game of some kind, and he and Ma get in an argument cause she always puts the potato peels in the sink and the sink gets backed up. And Frankie and I play indoor basketball and he always beats me and one of us gets hurt but it's always my fault, and Tommy blasts Christmas songs way too loud and sings along... badly! So I understand if you say no, but..."
"I'd love to!"
"Wha... you would?"
"Yes, please!" Maura smiled hugely, and Jane returned the grin whole heartedly.
"Alright. I'll, uh... I'll pick you up from your place at 10:00am, okay?"
"Okay," Maura agreed readily, and Jane turned to go, turning back when Maura called her name. "Oh and Jane? Thank you."
Jane felt her gaze soften. "You're welcome, Maur."
The second year, it was a little less awkward. Emphasis on the 'little'.
"So, your Christmas plans the same this year?" Maura asked casually. Perhaps a tad too casually: a faint red blotchiness started appearing on her chest that she quickly tried to hide.
"You mean the Crazy Rizzoli Christmas Special? Yeah. Can't see that changing anytime soon."
"Ah." Maura busied herself stacking up papers randomly on her desk. "It was fun last year."
"Which was the best part, the part where Pop started yelling at Ma for putting potato peels in the sink again, where Frankie gave me a black eye during our game and Ma yelled at me, or when Tommy sang so loudly and so off key that the neighbours threatened to come over with their chainsaw to shut him up?"
Maura huffed out a laugh and shook her head. "The best part was when we all held hands as we sat down together and thanked God for bringing us a loving family."
"You're not Catholic."
"I can still enjoy the sentiment, Jane."
Jane smiled fondly. "How about when Ma started questioning you about your love life?"
"Hmm. Well, that I could have done without."
Jane laughed. "You and me both. I'm so sick of the grandchildren question. When will you give me grandchildren, Janie?" Jane mimicked her mother, watching as Maura laughed.
"She cares about you, Jane. She just wants you to be happy."
"Why can't she understand that I'm happy as I am? I don't need a guy. Or babies either, for that matter."
Maura bit her lip and said nothing for a moment. Finally, "I had lots of fun though," quietly.
"Maura?" Jane asked hesitantly. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes," Maura replied, but her answer was soft and unsure.
"You can talk to me, you know."
"I just..." Maura looked up at Jane briefly, then laughed mirthlessly and shook her head, "it's just going to be hard going back to my regular Christmas routine this year."
"Oh," Jane said, feeling a sick swoop in her stomach. "So you're not coming over this year then?"
"I... I haven't been invited."
"You need to be invited?"
"I... it is the traditional and polite thing to do. I don't usually just turn up places without prior consent."
Jane put her head on the side. "You know it's just me, Maura. You can ask me."
Maura took a deep breath. "Can I come over to your place on Christmas day?"
"Of course you can."
The third year, it had become somewhat routine.
"You're coming over Christmas day, right?"
"Am I invited?" Maura asked, lifting her head from the report she was working on and tilting her head. Jane rolled her eyes.
"Maura."
"Jane?"
"Of course you're invited."
"Then I will be there."
"With bells on?" Jane teased, and Maura looked confused.
"I... I have Christmas earrings with bells on them, will that suffice? I apologize Jane, is this some family tradition I was not aware of?"
"It's a saying, Maura."
"Oh," Maura flushed a light pink and Jane grinned at her.
"Pick you up around 10, yeah?"
"Okay," Maura agreed, a smile lighting up her face and displaying her dimples prominently.
"Good. I look forward to it."
The fourth year, Jane didn't even have to ask before Maura was making the plans to have Christmas at her place.
"Sorry, Jane, I'm almost ready!" Maura said, opening the door to Jane at 9:00am and immediately racing away again.
"What have you been doing?" Jane asked, stomping her feet to get rid of the snow before coming inside and slowly starting to remove her various layers of clothing
"My mother got me a book about common insect and arachnid life forms. It is very interesting reading and I lost track of the time."
"Eww," Jane shuddered as she glanced at the open book on the table. "I think that would give me nightmares."
Maura came back out, hopping on one foot as she pulled on her stylish high heeled boot. "Oh no, Jane, it is so interesting to know how each insect corresponds with the environment and what amazing effects each has on the ecosystem."
"Uh huh," Jane nodded, reaching out a hand to hold Maura steady as she pulled on the other snow boot. "How on earth can you walk in heels?"
"These are very comfortable, Jane!"
"I'm sure. Alright... what are we doing first?"
"Maybe you can set the table?" Maura replied, glancing around the house as she finally got the shoe on and lowered her foot. Her hand remained on Jane's shoulder as she did so.
"You looking forward to the craziness of the Rizzoli's gatecrashing your place? They haven't improved since Pop left, you know."
"I look forward to it every year, Jane."
The fifth year, it was TJ's first Christmas and the first year Lydia joined them, and Maura found she had a new Christmas tradition suddenly: a phone call from Hope.
"Wait," Jane pulled up in front of Maura's house. She heard a few items of their recent shopping expedition go rolling around in the back of the car and ignored it temporarily, "She called you? Hope? She called you?"
"Yes."
"Why?" Jane asked, dumbfounded.
"She... I guess she wanted to wish me a merry Christmas."
"You guess? Doctor Maura Isles," Jane said, putting the back of her hand on Maura's forehead, "are you feeling okay?"
Maura simply quirked an eyebrow in response. She was well and truly used to Jane's sarcasm by now. "I assure you I'm feeling fine. I have to admit to feeling a little bit shocked however."
"I'll say. This is the woman who couldn't even pick up the phone and say thank you when you gave her daughter an organ."
"She did thank me eventually, though." Jane mumbled under her breath and Maura turned to her questioningly. "Sorry, I missed that. What did you just say?"
"Nothing." Jane got out of the car and headed around to the back, opening the trunk to start pulling out bags of groceries. She waited until Maura joined her before speaking, "So what did she say?"
"Simply that she hoped I had a merry Christmas."
"So... she didn't even invite you to celebrate Christmas with her and Cailin?"
"No..." Maura replied hesitantly.
"She doesn't deserve you in her life," Jane huffed.
"Jane..." Maura started with a sigh and Jane turned to her, dropping the groceries unceremoniously back into the trunk.
"No, Maura! No! There should be no more excuses made for her. She is..."
"Brilliant? Intelligent?" Maura asked sadly, and Jane shook her head.
"She's not nearly as wonderful as you." Maura lifted her gaze to Jane's as Jane reached out to wipe the tear that spilled onto one cheek. "You are kind, generous and sweet, and you haven't an evil bone in your body. She can't handle you. You are too good for her."
"I'm not, Jane, I..."
"Maura, stop." Jane raised a hand and Maura stopped mid sentence, staring into Jane's eyes. "You are. Okay? You are. You are the most amazing person I know. And..." she huffed quietly, looking down and linking both her hands with Maura's, "and I don't know what I'd do without you."
Maura took in a deep shaky breath and Jane lifted her eyes to Maura's once more. Her hands tightened around Maura's as Maura licked her lips unconsciously, her gaze darting down to Jane's lips. Jane felt herself leaning closer.
"Jane! Maura! Are you guys back yet? We have to finish wrapping the gifts and get the food ready before Lydia and TJ get..." Angela trailed off, staring between Maura and Jane, who were standing mere inches away from each other. "Sorry," she apologized slowly.
"That's fine Ma. Help us bring this stuff in?" Jane said, grabbing some bags and depositing them in front of her mother.
"Okay..." Angela agreed, but took her time gathering up the bags, waiting until Jane was nearly at her side before straightening up again. "Jane?" she asked quietly, but Jane shook her head.
"Never mind, Ma. Never mind."
Angela shot a look over her shoulder at Maura. "She's a good girl, you know."
Jane held the door open for her mother and smiled. "I know."
The sixth Christmas was the one that changed everything.
"Rizzoli family tradition!" Angela sang, twirling the plate of fortune cookies over her head with a relish before offering it to each family member.
"Yeah, which reminds me, how did we get a Chinese cookie as part of our family traditions?" Jane asked with a laugh.
"Actually," Maura piped up, taking her cookie off the plate, "while fortune cookies are generally served as a dessert in many Chinese restaurants, they are actually absent in China itself. The origins behind the cookies are unclear, but some believe that it they come from immigrant groups in California. Fortune cookies are commonly summarised as being 'introduced by the Japanese, popularised by the Chinese, but ultimately consumed by Americans'."
"And of course you would know this," Jane smiled fondly and Maura grinned back, a faint flush appearing high on her cheeks.
"Alright! Everyone break open your cookies and read your fortunes!" Angela crowed, and the room was filled with the sound of snapping cookies.
"Live life, be happy," Frankie smiled.
"Remember the small joys," Tommy said, and reached out to ruffle his son's hair.
"You are stronger than you give yourself credit for," Angela read out and smiled proudly.
"I got a weird one," Jane complained.
"Read it!"
"Come on, Jane, it can't be that weird."
"What's it say?"
Jane huffed, looking around the room. "Fine. It says 'Don't miss the forest for the trees. Sometimes what you've been looking for is right in front of you'."
"Huh, that is weird," Tommy agreed.
"Bit longer than usual, too," Frankie said, suspiciously eying their mother.
"What?" Angela asked, then gestured to Maura. "Read yours, honey."
"'Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. Sometimes other people are scared too'."
"That's a weird one too! Ma!" Jane said, looking at her mother with raised eyebrows.
"What? It was all random, I swear!"
"So how come they," Jane gestured at her brothers and Lydia, "all got random generic ones, and Maura and I got weird, long, specific ones?"
"Luck of the draw, I guess."
"Luck of the draw, honestly Ma!"
"Yes, honestly! God, what do you take me for! Some kind of person who sticks their nose in where it doesn't belong...?"
"A buttinski, you mean? Yeah, Ma, that's exactly what I take you for."
"Jane..." Maura whispered quietly, and Jane shot one final glare at her mother before falling back into her seat.
"I swear..." she mumbled under her breath and Maura chuckled, reaching out to hold Jane's hand.
Shortly afterwards, Maura excused herself from the festivities. Jane looked around for her.
"Have you seen Maura?" she finally asked Frankie and he nodded.
"Yeah, she's outside."
"What?" Jane gasped, "God, she'll catch her death out there! I'll go find her."
Frankie simply nodded and smiled, watching as Jane sprinted out of the room, grabbing two big winter coats along the way.
Jane found Maura sitting on the door step, looking up at the sky.
"Hey."
"Hi," Maura replied, starting slightly when Jane draped the coat over her shoulders. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. What are you doing out here?"
"Thinking," Maura replied softly, watching as Jane settled herself down next to her, then resumed gazing up at the sky. "The stars are beautiful tonight."
"Yes, they are," Jane agreed, looking up at them and smiling happily as Maura's hand slipped inside hers. After a few minutes of content silence, she asked, "What were you thinking about?"
"Christmas."
"What about Christmas?" Jane asked, turning to look at Maura's profile.
"About how much my Christmases have changed since meeting you. I... I didn't appreciate what I was missing out on before. Now I know... I'm scared to ever go back to how it was."
"Who said you ever have to go back?" Jane asked, squeezing Maura's hand.
There was silence for a few minutes. "I was thinking about what my fortune cookie said."
"About asking for what you want?"
"Yes."
Jane was quiet, studying Maura's face. She turned to look back at the stars. "So ask."
"I'm scared." It was spoken so quietly that Jane almost didn't catch it.
"Maybe I'm scared too," Jane whispered back.
"Please don't be," Maura pleaded, turning to Jane, and Jane sighed.
"I can't help it."
"Then..." Maura gasped in a big breath of air, "let me help you."
Jane looked down at her hands. "Okay." She felt Maura's hand leave her own and instantly she mourned the loss of contact, but then Maura's hands were on her face, turning her head gently to face Maura's.
"I feel like a scared teenager again," Maura giggled, and Jane laughed, her gaze lifting to meet Maura's. The laughter died as quickly as it started as Jane studied Maura's face. There were small flecks of snows in Maura's eyelashes and her cheeks were flushed pink with the cold. She had never looked more beautiful. "I want you, Jane," Maura whispered.
"You have me."
"Good." Suddenly, with no further preamble, Maura's and Jane's lips were joined in a sweet kiss. Jane ran her hands up and down Maura's back, while Maura buried her hands inside Jane's coat, sweetly exploring Jane's mouth the whole time.
"WAHOOOOOO!" Jane and Maura separated quickly, and Jane glanced over her shoulder to see the whole Rizzoli clan standing in the window, peeking out at them, grinning wildly.
"Wow, really? You actually enjoy this?" Jane asked, gesturing at her giddily celebrating family.
"More and more every year," Maura smiled, and curled up by Jane's side.
Jane smiled up at the stars and supposed that Rizzoli family Christmases weren't that bad after all.
END
Please review cause that way if I'm late for work I can at least be happy while I feel guilty :-P Again, typed very quickly so if you notice any glaring errors, feel free to point them out, otherwise... meh. :-)