A/N: Sorry for the delay in this story. I lost confidence in my writing for a while and couldn't finish what I've written for this story. So I worked on it for a bit and then got sidetracked so it took me a while to finish it. Anyway, just pretend it's the beginning of the month.
For those of you who haven't read "Mistletoe Mayhem" I suggest you do or else parts of this story might not make that much sense.
XXXXX
"So," Maura said, twirling a strand of Jane's hair, "I was thinking…"
"Aren't you always?"
Maura ignored her. "Why don't we spend New Year's eve at the cabin, just you and me?"
Jane smiled but then it faltered. "What if there's another avalanche?"
"Then we'll just have to use our body heat to keep warm." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"I'm serious Maura. It seemed like the avalanche was just no big deal, but it could have been bad."
"But it wasn't." Maura sat Jane down at a nearby chair and kneeled in front of her. "Look, if it'll make you feel any better I'll look for a different one, where there's no chance of that happening again."
"No, Maura." Jane said. "You already rented that one out. I just… I don't want you to be in any type of danger, that's all."
"Awww, Jane." She leaned down and pecked the detective's lips, not caring who in the precinct saw them.
"Look, I'd love to spend the weekend, just you and me in the cabin. But you know how the holidays can get. There's murders and suicides all over the place. We're lucky we didn't get any when we were gone but, still, Cavanaugh wasn't too happy about it after the fact. I doubt he'll let us go."
"Oh…" Maura looked down. "Okay." She began to tear up and sniffle.
Jane rolled her eyes. "I'll go talk to him, if it'll make you feel better."
Maura perked up. "That's all I ask."
"Yeah, yeah…" She said as she walked towards her boss's office. "I see how it is… All she has to do is sniffle and I'll do anything. God help me if that woman ever gets a cold." She mumbled under her breath on her way there.
She knocked on the doorframe of the open office.
"Rizzoli!" Cavanaugh said when he turned around and saw her. "What's up?"
"Uh… I want New Years off." She avoided eye contact with him, already knowing his answer. "Maura does too."
"You already took a few days off for Christmas without even telling me. What do you think the answer is?"
Jane just nodded. "I thought as much." She started back out the door.
"Rizzoli!" He called out to her, causing her to come back in.
She looked at him expectantly.
"That's it? You're not even gonna fight me? You sick or somethin'?"
Jane just smiled slightly. "No... to tell you the truth I'm not too thrilled about going where Maura wants to go."
His eyebrow quirked up in intrigue. "And where might this be?"
"Some cabin in Vermont. We went there for Christmas and it's paid for until the 23rd."
"Really?" He thought for a moment. "Alright… I'll give you this, Rizzoli. But maybe we can work it out so I can have a go at the cabin before then, since no one else will be using it I presume?"
"Uh…" she looked at him curiously. "Sure… I guess. I'll talk to Maura about it."
He nodded. "Have fun, Rizzoli."
Jane went back to her desk, seeing a smiling M.E. waiting for her.
"So?" Maura asked impatiently.
"Pack your bags." She answered unenthusiastically.
"Yay!" Maura jumped up and hugged Jane. Unused to dissecting human emotions as she was she didn't notice how much the woman in front of her was regretting the decision.
"So I think that if we leave Friday morning that will give us plenty of time to get there and possibly take a nap so we'll be alert and ready to stay up until midnight and celebrate the passing of the new year." She said after she pulled away from the hug. "What do you think?"
"Sounds… great!" It was hard to hide her sarcasm. She didn't really want to go. She'd rather just stay in with Maura and not have to go all the way over there. But she didn't want to hurt Maura's feelings either. "But there's a catch."
The other girl frowned. "What is it?"
"We have to let Cavanaugh use it one day."
"That's it?"Maura laughed. "You don't need to ask my permission, Jane. It was my present to you and your family. It's your decision who you want to share it with."
"Right."
Maura smiled. "I guess I should head back down to autopsy. That brain case isn't going to open itself!" She said a little too cheerily before skipping – actually skipping – over to the elevators.
Jane just shook her head at her… girlfriend? They hadn't actually talked about what they were to each other. They just got back from the cabin last night and were too tired and distracted with… other things… to discuss the wording.
In no time at all another call came in about a dead body found in the Charles River. More than likely another jumper.
XXXXX
Days blurred in the chaos of the holidays around Boston and soon it was time for the two to get ready to leave.
Soon, after dropping Joe Friday off with Marisa, Jane arrived at Maura's house the night before they were due to leave.
"Maura! We'll be gone for two and a half days! Why do you need three suitcases?" She yelled when she found the M.E. in her room.
"I don't know what I'm going to wear yet." She stated matter-of-factly.
"Of course." She smiled at Maura, not really expecting anything different from her.
"Where's your stuff?"
She pointed behind her. "The guest room." She figured Maura would know this by now. It's where she's been staying for months whenever she would sleep here, which was quite often.
"Jane." She stated with a tinge of disappointment in her voice. Sure they haven't slept together yet but she wanted to at least sleep next to the detective. She thought Jane wanted the same thing.
"What?"
"You don't want to sleep with me?"
Jane's face became red in an instant and she felt very hot all of a sudden. "Uh…" She found herself unable to speak.
After a few moments Maura understood why Jane was so flustered. "Oh, I didn't mean it like… I just meant… Like in the cabin." Her voice got quieter. "I like feeling your body next to mine."
Jane smiled, the tinge starting to slowly dissipate, as she went over to the M.E. and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I like feeling your body next to mine too." Her voice was flirty and she was dangerously close to the other girl's lips.
Maura tilted her head up so her lips could meet Jane's. They kissed slowly, like they had been doing a lot of these past few days. They just savored the feeling of their lips moving against the others and the feeling that it made swell up throughout the rest of their bodies.
Maura felt a scaly tap on her leg. She pulled back, brows furrowed in confusion until she looked down and saw an impatient Bass looking up at her.
"Oh, I'm sorry Bass." She pulled away. "I haven't gotten his dinner for him yet." She said to Jane as she left the room.
Jane just plopped down on the bed and sighed. She could have sworn she saw that damn turtle shoot her a look before they left. She knew he never liked her ever since he scared her the first time she saw him. But, seriously, who has a turtle walking around their house anyway?
She was still hesitant about going back to the cabin. Sure she wanted to spend these couple of days alone with Maura but they could do that if they stayed here. And they'd be a lot safer then too. She knew she was probably worrying for no reason but she didn't want anything to happen to Maura. Especially not now, that they've expressed their feelings to one another. Maua was the best thing to happen to her and she didn't want to lose that.
But on the plus side, if they went up there that would mean she'd be free of Bass for a few days.
Jane was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear Maura come in. She wasn't aware of the other girl's presence until she felt the bed sink under the added weight.
She kept her eyes closed and felt her hair get pushed out of her face. She could feel Maura looking at her. One of her eyes cracked open and looked towards the M.E. "It's kinda creepy when you stare."
Maura pushed Jane's shoulder lightly, knowing she was kidding.
As Jane's body shifted back to its previous position, Maura's hand slid across the detective's abs slowly. She began to trace patterns on the cloth covered stomach.
Jane breathed in sharply as her heart rate increased and her body heated up. She didn't think Maura knew the effect she had on her.
Maura's hand moved lazily. As much as she disliked sitting around and doing nothing she knew she could grow to love it if it consisted of doing this.
"I hope you don't mind," Maura started after she had just traced a heart around Jane's belly button, "but Bass is coming with us."
"What?" Jane sat up, causing Maura's hand to fall from her stomach into her lap. "What happened to 'just you and me'?"
"Jane, it's just Bass!" She looked at her curiously. "We've been alone together at your place when Joe Friday was around."
"Yes, but Joe knows by now to not bug us. And I'm pretty sure Bass doesn't like me." She looked out the door to see Bass glaring at her. "See!" She pointed. "He's giving me that – that look!"
"Jane," Maura sat up and pushed Jane's arm down to her side. "Is this about something deeper?"
"What?" She looked at Maura with a dumbfounded look. "How could this possibly be about something deeper?"
"Well… I don't know. Maybe you're jealous."
"Of a turtle!" Jane laughed.
Maura gave her a look. "Tortoise!"
"Does it matter?" She growled back, irritated.
"Of course it does! Bass is a Geochelone sulcata. He'll grow to be one of the third largest tortoises in the world! And I don't know how many times I have to tell you that turtles are water dwelling creatures while tortoises live on land! Bass wouldn't do well in wet conditions. It's important to know these things! I mean, what if something were to happen to me and you needed to take care of him? Not to mention that you have a Geochelone sulcata of your own. I hope you haven't been making him live in water!"
"I'm pretty sure that if something were to happen to you, Bass would be the last thing I'd be worrying about."
"As sweet as that is I don't want to stray from the topic at hand."
Jane sighed. "Yes I know that turtles and tortoises are different and that Bass and Watson are tortoises. I'm taking good care of him, I promise. I even bought a book about the Geocache Sulca's… and you know how much I love to read." She said this last part sarcastically to try and get her point across to Maura.
"And I love that you try." Maura says, rubbing Jane's hand. "But it's pronounced Geochelone sulcata." She leaned forward and pecked Jane on the lips before heading out of the room.
Jane followed her and found her in the kitchen.
"So… dinner?" Jane asked as she saw Maura browsing her cabinets for ideas.
"Any suggestions?"
"They serve nachos down at the Robber." She shrugged her shoulders, showing she didn't really care what they did.
Maura just shot her a look that said they weren't doing that.
"Pasta?"
Maura responded by gathering the necessary ingredients.
Jane went over to help.
"No." Maura said, grabbing the detective's shoulders and guiding her to the couch. "Sit." She pushed her to sit. "I want to cook for you."
Jane looked surprised but pleasantly so. She watched Maura as she set to the task of cooking, not even bothering with the TV. After a while, however, she spoke up. "Sure you don't want help, Maura?"
"I think can handle this." Maura said with a smile in her voice as she winked at the woman on the couch.
Jane got up quietly when she saw that the M.E. was currently focused on stirring the pot on the stove. She went up behind the other woman and moved her hair to the side before placing a soft kiss on the shoulder that Maura's sleeveless blouse so thankfully exposed.
"Mmmm." Jane let out when she wrapped her arms around Maura's waist and placed her chin on the M.E.'s shoulder. "Smells good." She placed a kiss on Maura's neck.
"Thanks." She kept stirring and then stopped. "Are you talking about me or the food?"
Jane smiled before placing a light kiss on the doctor's cheek. "Both."
Maura turned around and kiss Jane on the lips lightly. She pulled away and shooed Jane away. "Go sit back down! I'm almost done!"
"What's the matter, Maura? Am I distracting you?" She said playfully.
"Yes! Stay here any longer and our dinner will be burned." She patted Jane on her bottom. "Now go!"
Jane jumped in surprise and wanted to return the favor but a warning look from Maura made her think otherwise. She plopped back down on the couch and thought about how much her life has changed over the past couple of days. In the middle of her reminiscing she was called over to the table.
"Candles, Maura?" She cocked an eyebrow at the set up.
"It's for the ambiance. Candles are not just useful for their pleasant smell. They have been traditionally used for romantic settings for centuries. I just want to do this right."
Jane, noticing the upset look on Maura's face, cupped her cheek and spoke softly. "You are doing it perfectly. As long as you don't start doing some weird rituals or something, whatever you do is fine. You're here, that's all I need."
Maura leaned into the touch and closed her eyes briefly. "Thank you, Jane." She said when she opened her eyes.
"So, what are we eating?"
"Sit down and you'll find out."
Jane sat down and looked over at Maura curiously as she went back into the kitchen, coming back to the table soon carrying two bowls.
Maura placed a bowl in front of Jane before placing the other at her own setting.
"When are we going to go on an actual date, Jane?"
"Where is this coming from? Did you forget that we just got together a few days ago?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'm just a bit insecure about it. After the drama we had to go through to get to this point."
"How about this? We'll go back to the Wobbly Barn, just you and me."
Maura's nose scrunched up. "The Wobbly Barn, Jane? It's nice but not exactly – "
"I'll think of something. I promise. You'll get your date." She winked.
Maura smiled.
They ate their dinner, fettuccine alfredo, in semi-silence. The only words exchanged were Jane's praise of the meal and Maura thanking her. Their minds were both stuck on the next couple of days. They were both a little nervous. Maura was worried about what would inevitably happen when they're going to be alone together while Jane was worried about having Bass tag along.
After her last noodle was eaten, Jane watched Maura carefully as she was finishing up. As soon as she saw that Maura was done she leapt up and grabbed her bowl. "You cooked I'll clean!" She yelled behind her to Maura's protests.
Maura got up anyway. "You wash, I'll dry?" She smiled at the detective.
Jane laughed. "That your way of flirting?"
"Oh, Jane. If I was flirting, you'd know it." She winked at her before bumping Jane's hip with her own.
They finished the dishes quickly with only a little incident involving bubbles. They went to the couch and sat down. Maura curled up against Jane's chest.
Jane wrapped her arm around the doctor, resting her hand on Maura's waist.
"What god awful time are you waking me up at tomorrow?" Jane asked.
"Well, we don't have to leave that early but I thought we'd go to yo-"
"No! No yoga! I don't care that I get to see you in those tight little…" Her sentence drifted off when the image of Maura in her yoga clothes appeared in her mind for a brief second before she shook her head. "Can't we just do yoga here?"
"Hmm." Maura thought about it for a moment and then looked up at Jane. "No. I think we'd both be too distracted to get the full benefit of a yoga session."
"Well then go without me." She said looking down into the hazel depths in front of her.
Maura sighed and shifted herself to face forward once again.
"I can miss yoga tomorrow." Maura stated after minutes of contemplation.
Jane smiled smugly in victory.
A few comfortable minutes passed in silence before Maura spoke up. "What would you normally do tomorrow night?"
Jane shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe sit on my couch with a couple beers and watch the ball drop in New York City. Or do the same at the Robber. Why? What would you be doing?"
"It depends on which invitation I accept. I got ten this year. I was actually considering the governor's party. But that was before Christmas."
Jane frowned. "I don't want you to miss out on something just to spend the night with me."
"It was my idea to do this, Jane." She laughed. "Besides, I'd rather spend it with you." She cuddled in closer to the detective, who smiled at the feeling.
They laid there in silence, just enjoying being there together. Maura fell asleep to the sound of the heartbeat beneath her and Jane fell asleep not too long after.
XXXXX
"Jane? Jane wake up." Maura said softly, stroking the hand that was still on her waist.
Said woman's eyes opened slowly. She smiled when she saw Maura grinning up at her. "I can't wait to wake up every morning to your beautiful smile." She said before she leaned down and kissed the M.E. tenderly.
"Mmm." Maura moaned into the kiss before pulling away regretfully. "What time is it?"
"Time for another kiss?" Jane said hopefully, already leaning in for another.
Maura appeased her and closed the distance. This kiss was a little more passionate than the last and it was harder to pull away. Eventually Jane moved her head back, breaking the kiss.
"I guess we should probably get up." Jane said reluctantly.
Maura stood up and smoothed out her clothes after she stretched.
"So, who's first?" Jane asked.
"First for what?"
"For a shower. You only have the one, right?"
"Yes." Maura nodded. "We could take one together."
"What!"
"Well, you know, it will save time and water."
"Oh you know as well as I do that it will not save time or water."
"What do you mean?"
"Really, Maura?" Jane looked at her with an are-you-serious look. "We'll be in there together. Naked."
"I know." Maura smiled and then moved closer to Jane. "I was kidding."
"Since when do you kid?"
"Since when have I been so much in love?"
"Touché."
Maura let out a little laugh. "I'll take one first." She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on the detective's lips before heading into her room.
Jane watched her go, visions from their previous conversation not yet leaving her head. "No." She shook her head of them. "They'll be plenty of time for that at the cabin."
Bass looked up and scowled at Jane. Not if I have anything to do about it, he thought maliciously.
Jane felt him staring at her and glared back. "I'm warning you, turtle," she said purposefully as an insult. "Stay out of my way this weekend. Or I'll be having turtle soup for dinner."
Bass looked up at her with a haughty smirk. A lot she knows. He'd make a much better Bife de Tartaruga. Not that he wanted to be eaten, of course.
Jane just glowered at him a bit longer. When she thought he got the message she went into the kitchen to get some breakfast.
XXXXX
"Hey! You made breakfast!" Maura noticed delightfully when she stepped into the kitchen.
"Yeah, I was hungry so I figured I'd make some for you too." Jane shrugged. It was no big deal.
"Eggs and toast." She observed. "How… simple."
"Thanks." Jane said sarcastically.
"No! I just mean – It's lovely, Jane." She kissed her on the cheek before she grabbed her plate and sat down at the table.
Jane just smiled at Maura before leaving the room to take a shower.
XXXXX
"Do we have everything?" Jane asked several hours later as they looked in the trunk of her car, where all their bags were.
"I think so, yes." Maura said. She peered into the back seat. "Are you sure Bass will be okay back there?"
"He'll be fine." Jane waved it off. "He's got a hard shell."
"I suppose." Maura said, still slightly worried. "Just drive carefully, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just get in." She said, opening her own door and sliding into the driver's side. She started the car as soon as Maura was buckled in and they drove off.
They drove in silence for a while, talking every once in a while about things that cross their mind. About halfway there, Jane decided to ask Maura something that had been on her mind for a while. "What are we, Maura?" She asked after she changed lanes on the highway.
"Um… Homo sapiens sapiens, the only non-extinct species in our genus."
"No," Jane laughed, "I mean us." She paused for a moment and spoke again when Maura didn't respond. "Can I call you my girlfriend?"
"Why wouldn't you?"
"I don't know. Maybe you'd have some reason why we wouldn't or something."
"I have no problem calling you my girlfriend, Jane." She reached over and put her hand on Jane's whose was on the gear stick. "Or my partner, or my romantic companion, or my lover, or – "
"Okay, okay, I get it." Jane laughed. "Though technically you can't call me your lover yet."
A pink tint washed over Maura's face at the word 'yet'. "What about you, Jane? Do you have any fears about us?"
"No." She said firmly as she smiled over at the M.E. "Though I don't know what some of my extended family will say about it." She saw a brief flash of worry pass over Maura's face. "Not that I'm not proud to call you that. I am! Very proud!" She was beaming at the thought of it. "And as cheesy as it sounds, I wanna shout it from the rooftops!" She shook her head. "I can't believe I just said that. God, Maura, I've never felt this way about someone before. That's the only thing that scares me."
"You're scared of your feelings?" Maura asked, slightly confused at what Jane had said.
Jane shook her head. "Not exactly. I'm scared of how intense they are. You mean everything to me. I'm just so beyond happy when I'm with you and the thought of you gone is…" She had to stop, as the thought made it a little difficult to speak.
Maura smiled at the detective, tears of her own starting to form at the edges of her eyes. "That's really sweet Jane." She caressed the scar on Jane's hand. "And I feel the same way."
Jane just smiled and concentrated on driving. The rest of the drive was silent but comfortable.
"We should probably unload and then go pick up food." Jane suggested when they parked. They got out and Jane opened the trunk.
"Good idea Jane. You get the bags and I'll get Bass inside."
"Yeah, you get the turtle." She said bitterly, low enough so Maura couldn't hear her. She grabbed two of the bags and heaved them inside before coming back out and getting the other two.
XXXXX
"Hey! Jane, Maura, good to have you back!" Michal, the owner of the general store said when he saw them enter the building. "Where are the others?" They had made an impression on him when they were last there. Well, really, Angela made an impression on him. She was friendly and very chatty.
"Back in Boston. We're here for New Years without them." Maura answered.
"Cool, cool." He nodded. "Can I help you with anything?"
"No, we're just getting some food for the next couple of days. It's kind of a romantic getaway." Maura smiled.
Both of his eyebrows shot up. "Romantic? You mean, you two?" He pointed in between them.
"Yeah, she's my girlfriend," Jane wrapped an arm around the doctor, "got a problem with it?"
"No, no, not at all." He backed up a bit, slightly terrified of the detective. "It's just that last time you guys didn't really seem to be too happy with each other."
"It was just a misunderstanding of sorts. We worked it out." Maura responded cheerfully, placing a hand on the one Jane had around her waist.
"Glad to hear it!" He smiled at them and then headed back behind the cash register. "Well if you need anything feel free to holler."
They just nodded and went about their business, gathering snacks, drinks, and actual food. It wasn't long until they got everything that they thought they needed for the weekend and checked out, said goodbye to Michal, and went back to the cabin.
XXXXX
After putting everything away, they settled in next to each other on the master bed. The drive there and the trip to the general store tired them out so they were ready for a nap. It didn't take very long for sleep to reach the both of them.
Jane woke up to a thud. She kept her eyes closed but groaned at the thought of another avalanche. Peeking open an eye, she sighed in relief as she saw moonlight shining through the window. "Maura." She shifted, jostling the M.E. awake from her slumber. "Something made a thud. I think it was Bass."
Maura got up at the thought of Bass being injured and went downstairs, leaving Jane behind, who grabbed Maura's share of the blanket and sunk back into bed as she tried to fall back asleep.
"Bass? Are you okay?" Maura asked before she spotted the reptile and heaved a sigh of relief. A book had just fallen down, nearly missing him. "Aww, this must have scared you. Here, let me get that." She picked up the book and replaced it on the shelf.
If Bass could yell, he would have. It took him nearly two hours of bumping into that bookcase to make one of them fall and Maura made his efforts futile in just a few seconds. And now worse, he had a headache. He grumbled. Somehow, he knew, this was Jane's fault and she was going to pay for it.
Maura went back upstairs and saw Jane curled up on the bed. She smiled and watched her sleep for a moment before she moved to wake her. "Jane." She placed a kiss on her lips. "I think you should wake up. It's already seven." She kissed her again, only longer this time. She pulled away when she felt Jane kissing back.
"Hey!" Jane complained. "I wasn't finished." She grabbed Maura's arm and dragged her back down into the bed. She wrapped her arms around Maura as she kissed her again, deeper this time, and they didn't get out of bed until seven-thirty.
XXXXX
After a nice dinner and chat about various subjects, they sat down comfortably next to each other on the couch, wine in hand. The clock read 11:59. They watched as the seconds hand clicked past the fifteen second mark, and then the thirty second mark.
"A toast?" Maura held up her glass of wine. Jane followed suit. "To the new year, and what that may bring to us."
Jane's eyebrow quirked up as she was expecting some long, drawn out speech. Their glasses clinked together as the second hand hit the forty-five second mark.
Maura leaned forward and put her glass down on the table before grabbing Jane's glass and doing the same.
"Five." Maura said, intertwining her fingers with Jane's.
"Four." Jane said, rubbing her thumb along the back of Maura's hand.
"Three." Maura whispered, leaning in closer, eyes darkening with desire.
"Two." Jane's breath tickled the M.E.'s lips.
"O-"
Jane leaned forward and captured Maura's lips in a kiss.
Maura's free hand went up and tangled up in Jane's hair while Jane moved her hand over to caress Maura's waist before she rested it on her back and pushed the M.E. in closer.
Heart rates increased and breathing turned ragged as they continued to kiss. Hands roamed and pressed firmly against skin, as they tried to get themselves even closer to one another.
Eventually they knew they could not stay on the couch much longer. They traveled to the bedroom, the one they shared just a few days ago, in a rush. Jane was pushing Maura backwards as they helped to shed each other's clothes. Shirts were the first things to go, and they were flung and forgotten instantly. Jane almost tripped over Bass, who was rushing – as much as a tortoise could rush – from his spot to try and stop them but he was too late, as they reached the bedroom and closed the door before he could really do anything. He sighed in defeat and shuffled back to the kitchen.
XXXXX
They spent the next morning, and part of the afternoon, in bed before showering together.
Jane got finished dressing first and headed downstairs. She stuck her tongue out at Bass, knowing she was the victor in whatever battle they were in, before grabbing something to eat out of the fridge.
About fifteen minutes passed before Maura came downstairs and made a beeline to the fridge to get Bass his food. Jane didn't really care, she knew she's won. She was just glad turtles couldn't open doors.
"Oh, I made us reservations for tonight for our first official date."
"When did you do that?"
"While you were getting dressed. God, I can't believe it took you twenty minutes to pick out something to wear."
Maura laughed. "Twenty minutes is nothing. I'll probably take longer tonight." She took a premade sandwich out of the fridge and sat down next to Jane to eat.
Jane finished shortly thereafter, not really having that much left when Maura sat down and decided to take a look around outside.
Snow crunched under her boots as she explored. Not too far away from their cabin, she spotted a sled, seemingly abandoned. Since they were on a hill she thought it would be a good idea to grab it and take it back. She perched it against the side of the building before going back outside.
"Maura! I found a sled!" Jane beamed, proud of her findings.
"Ancient Egyptians used sleds made of cedar to make the transportation of granite blocks easier. It's amazing, when you think about it, that they were able to build the Great Pyramid, a structure 481 feet tall, in around twenty years."
"Yeah, just… when you're done eating come out here, we're gonna play in the snow." Jane said and then went back outside to look for the perfect hill for them to go down.
After a little while of searching she found a hill that was not too far away with no trees to block the downward path. As luck would have it that was also when Maura stepped out into the winter wonderland.
Maura pulled her jacket in tighter, though it didn't help much with the cold. "Jane! It's pretty cold out here!"
"Well then, come 'ere." Jane moved her finger in a 'come hither' motion.
Maura couldn't resist. She made her way over to the taller woman and into the awaiting arms.
Jane rubbed Maura's back and then pulled away. "We're gonna sled!" She had an excited look on her face that Maura didn't really want to spoil.
"Alright." The doctor conceded. She was led to the hill that Jane had found and they trudged to the top.
Jane sat down. "Okay, now, sit behind me."
Maura hesitated but did as she was told.
Jane reached around behind her and grabbed Maura's hands before wrapping them around her own waist. "Hold on tight." She said before she moved her feet off the ground, making the sled slide forward and down the hill.
They zoomed down the hill, frosty snow spraying to either side of them as the sled continued along its path. When they got reached the bottom their sled hit a slight bump, turning them over, making them into a snowy, giggly mess.
"That was… exhilarating!" Maura exclaimed as she sat up.
"Don't tell me you've never been on a sled before." She reached over and ran her fingers through removed Maura's hair, removing some snow.
"Traditional horse-drawn ones, yes. But never anything like that."
Jane smiled over at the snow covered doctor. "Wanna go again?"
They took a few more trips, eventually tiring of the walk up.
"That was fun, Jane. I'm glad I tried it. We'll have to do this again some time." Maura said as she started walking back to the cabin.
"Yeah…" Jane said a ways behind her. She was bent over, gathering up some snow.
"Who knew that such a simple device could be so much – " Her sentence got cut short by a cold hard 'thwap'. She reached up to the side of her head and pulled away snow. She looked up, confused as there was no tree above her. She jumped back and shrieked as another one hit her in the back. She turned around and saw the culprit: Jane was making another snowball.
"Jane!"
"What? C'mon, it's fun!" She threw another one, which Maura dodged.
Maura bent down and begun shaping snow into balls, throwing one at the detective once she formed it. She missed.
"That the best you got, Isles?" Jane teased, nailing Maura on the leg with another one.
Maura grabbed the sled and put it on its side, essentially making a barrier. She made a couple snowballs before sitting up and throwing, her aim more precise this time.
The snowball fight went on for several more minutes until Jane called a truce, not having any protection of her own.
"You cheat, you know that Maura?" Jane said as they walked back to the cabin.
"What!" Maura sounded appalled. "I do not!"
"Sure you don't. Then what was that move with the sled?" She looked over at Maura with a smirk, not really caring about the 'cheating'. She just liked teasing the doctor.
"That was… I thought – That wasn't allowed?"
"In a regulation game, no." Jane said with a laugh and then put her arm around the shivering M.E. "I'm kidding, Maura. C'mon, let's go get ready for dinner. I know you'll need all the time you can get."
Maura just swatted at the detective and let out a laugh.
XXXXX
They pulled into a parking lot of a ski resort. Jane got out of the car quickly and ran to Maura's side, opening the door and extending her hand. She just smiled at Maura's perplexed look.
They went inside and entered another door that was a few yards into the building. The atmosphere changed dramatically. There wasn't anyone in ski jackets in here; instead they were all in dress jackets.
Jane went up to a podium. "Hi. I have a reservation for Rizzoli."
The woman smiled before jotting down something on a piece of paper. "It'll be a few minutes."
Jane nodded and went back to Maura. She wrapped her arms around her and swayed along to the music that could be barely heard above the various chatter.
"Maura!" A deep voice boomed over the noise of the restaurant crowd.
Maura unwrapped Jane's arms from around herself and widened the gap between them as she turned to the voice.
"What are you doing here?" He asked when he made his way to them and pulled her into a big hug.
Jane suppressed her desire to pull him away.
"Lucas!" She sounded surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I asked you first." He grinned at her playfully, wagging his finger in front of their faces.
She smiled. "I came here to celebrate the new year. We're in a cabin not too far away."
"We?" He looked around and saw Jane glaring daggers at him. "Oh, hello! Who is this?"
"This is Jane Rizzoli! My, uh… friend."
Jane's face fell from jealousy to dismay. She didn't even try to hide it. Who was this guy?
"It's nice to meet you, Jane." He stuck out his hand for her to shake.
She shook his hand weakly, still confused about Maura's previous statement. They had talked about this and Maura said that she didn't have any sort of insecurities about being with a woman.
"I have to get going, Maura. Maybe we can catch up sometime before the next reunion?"
"Yeah, that'd be great." She smiled at him.
"I thought you couldn't lie." Jane growled when he left.
"I can't. Technically we are friends, even though we qualify as something more."
"Oh, well thanks. Now I feel so much better." Sarcasm dripped from every word.
"Jane, I'm sorry. I know we just – but he's my cousin and he likes to gossip. I didn't want my parents finding out until I can tell them myself."
Jane's gaze softened and she opened her mouth to speak.
"Rizzoli, party of two?" They looked over to see the same woman from before looking at them, two menus in hand. They went over there and followed her to their table.
On the way Maura's hand hesitated. She reached it over to try and grab a hold of Jane's but decided not to, unsure of Jane's mindset at the moment.
They were seated near the fireplace, the warm flames flickering, adding to the romantic feel of the room.
"A waiter will be right with you." She smiled and handed them their menus.
"Maura, it's okay." She said when she saw the worried look on her girlfriend's face. "Really." She reached over and held out her hand, suggesting Maura give her hers, which she did. Jane rubbed her thumb soothingly against the skin of the doctor's hand. "You can take as long as you need to to tell them. I'll be here for you no matter what you do."
"I want to tell them," Maura said, "I just haven't had the chance to. I think it would be best to do something like that in person. You know, when they meet you."
That thought made Jane nervous. But before she could comment on it, their waiter showed up.
"Can I start you out with something to drink? Appetizers?"
"We'll take two glasses of the Terre de Trinci." Maura said, knowing that Jane didn't really know how to order in places like these.
"Alright, I'll be right back with that." He said after he jotted down the drink order and waited a moment in case they said anything else. He walked away from the table and exited through a side door.
"That will go fantastically with the duck."
"Duck?" Jane's eyebrow quirked up. She's never had duck before. She wasn't quite sure she ever wanted duck. Unless duck-boats count. She'd eat them if that meant she could hunt those annoying things down.
"Mmm-hmm. I hear the duck here is exquisite."
"How do you -? You didn't even know where we were going."
"I did research on dining establishments within a fifty mile radius of our cabin before we left."
"Of course you did." Jane looked amused. "But duck, Maura? Can't I just have a burger or something? I'm sure the wine will go just fine with that."
Maura shook her head. "They don't serve burgers here. You'll like it, trust me."
He returned with the wine and filled up their water glasses with ice cold water.
"Are you ready to order?"
Maura nodded her head. "The seared duck breast, for both of us."
He nodded. "I'll just go put that order in."
They talked until the food got there and Jane looked at it, poking it with her fork tentatively.
"Jane," Maura scolded, "don't play with your food." She picked up her own fork and glanced over at Jane. "And you're using the wrong fork."
"It's a fork, Maura. Does it matter?"
"Yes! You're using the salad fork. The other one is your dinner fork."
Jane sighed before swapping out the forks. "Happy now?" She huffed out in mock indignation.
"Jane, I don't want you to be angry with me."
The detective looked up at the doctor with an amused look on her face. "I'm not mad at you, Maura. I just don't get the whole fork thing."
"Then I guess I'm gonna have to teach you."
Jane looked up in slight alarm. "You know, I've gotten this far in life without knowing, I'm sure I'll be fine."
"Not if you're dating me you won't be. And you're especially not going to meet my parents without knowing these things."
"What? Is there gonna be a pop quiz?" Jane laughed before using her correct fork to bring a piece of the duck up to her mouth. She tasted it and deemed it to not be that bad.
"Jane, I'm serious! I want you to make a good impression."
"And I do too, but can't we worry about this when we get home?"
"I suppose."
They ate in silence for a few minutes, sending coy glances at the other every once in a while. Maura smiled before she moved her foot under the table to run up the length of Jane's leg.
Bam. Jane jumped, hitting the table with her knee. "Ow. What was – "
"I'm sorry, Jane. I was just trying to… I don't even know." She shook her head and moved her foot back to her side of the table.
Jane just smiled. "You have to go slow." She reached her foot under the table and found Maura's calf. "Like this." She dragged the tip of her foot up the shapely leg slowly, causing the doctor to shiver.
Maura smiled shyly over at her. "Like this?" She copied Jane's actions.
Jane inhaled sharply and nodded, unable to speak.
They decided to just get the check and head back to the cabin.
XXXXX
They couldn't even make it inside before they started kissing. Jane tried to get the key in the lock and, with the distraction of Maura's lips, it took her several attempts to get it in there and turn it.
Maura pushed Jane backwards into the house, who immediately fell backwards and landed on her back. "Jane!" The doctor yelled, looking over at the fallen woman. "Bass! Are you okay?" Maura leaned over the reptile and checked his shell for any defects.
"Is he okay?" Jane grumbled sarcastically. "I'm the one who tripped over him!" She rubbed her elbow. "I bet he did that on purpose."
Bass just sneered at Jane. He heard the car pull into the driveway and moved as fast as he could towards the door. He was lucky it took them so long to open the door or else he wouldn't have been able to trip the taller woman. And Maura even pushed her! He was definitely winning, he thought smugly.
"Jane." Maura shifted her focus to the detective on the ground when her assessment of Bass was finished. She helped her up. "Are you injured?"
"I'm fine." Jane sighed, glaring down at Bass. "No thanks to that turtle." She heard Maura sigh and begin to speak. "Tortoise, I know."
Maura just smiled and reached over to run her finger under the rim of Jane's collar. "Why don't we take this upstairs?" Her voice was low and her tone was suggestive.
Jane didn't have any disagreements.
XXXXX
The next morning played out similarly to the previous one, only, after feeding Bass, Maura went back to bed and put herself into Jane's arms.
"I'm surprised to find that I actually don't want to go back to work tomorrow." Maura said.
"You actually like work?" Jane laughed, already knowing the answer.
"I enjoy the challenges my vocation provides." Maura responded, playing with Jane's fingers.
"So it doesn't have to do anything with the fact that I'm there." Jane teased.
"That's a bonus." Maura smiled and kissed the detective.