Oh my god, guys! Thank you for the follows, favorites and reviews. You are the best!

But to be honest now I'm really nervous, cause I don't want disappoint you in any way. I'm gonna try to update as often as possible but my life is a little messy right now.

Make sure to check my other stories!

Happy reading.


The next morning, Maura found herself curled up on the arm chair. She didn't know how she managed to sleep in the most uncomfortable position ever. She opened her eyes and they quickly adjusted to the brightness of the hospital room. Maura looked down at her wrist watch and jumped out of the arm chair. She was late...again.

"Oh my, what they must be thinking of me?" Maura whispered to herself as she gathered her belongings.

Maura stopped at the edge of the bed and stared down at Frankie for a few seconds and smiled. Was she crazy for doing this? Should she just tell everybody the truth and move on with her life? But she couldn't. Not now, not after being this involved. Maura just shook her head and blew Frankie a kiss.

When she turned around, she found four pairs of eyes looking straight at her. Angela, Tommy, Frank Sr and Korsak.

"Maura, we didn't know you were here." Angela said, already pulling her into a hug.

"Hello." The doctor managed to say before Angela tightened the grip around her waist.

"Were you here all night?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, Yes I was. Apparently my body or my psyche finds the arm chair more comfortable than my own bed." Maura responded.

"You are just like me. I could always sleep anywhere." Angela said as she finally let go of Maura.

"Believe me, she has." Frank Sr mocked his wife and earned a cold stare.

"So how is Frankie?" Korsak said as he got closer to his friend's bed.

"Well, he is still not responding to any kind of stimuli but at least he is not that pale anymore." She smiled timidly.

They all gathered around the bed and nodded their heads positively, agreeing with what Maura had just said. A family like that is all she ever wanted. Not that she wasn't grateful for her own family, not at all. But she grew up way too fast. She had to take care of herself on her own at a very early age. Maura just wished that her family was as sweet and as loving as the Rizzolis.

"Well, I have to go. It was lovely to see you all again." Her voice came a little too formal for her liking, but she didn't do anything to fix it.

"Ma! Tell her." Tommy shook his hand in front of his mother's face. "Go on, tell her."

"We didn't get to celebrate Christmas, so, uh... We were wondering if you'd like to come and join us."

Maura never really celebrated Christmas. Her parents were always travelling around this time of the year and she would just stay in bed and watch every documentary that was on. They didn't even have a Christmas tree, and they didn't exchange presents as well.

"I would love to." Maura responded and Angela's eyes sparkled even more. "But I'm on call, so I can be dragged out of there any minute."

"That's fine, as long as you're coming." Tommy grinned and Angela turned to him, her mouth moving over the words "stop it". "Jane is going to be there." He added.

"Oh, right. You haven't met my Janie yet." It was Frank Sr's turn to talk.

"No, I haven't." Maura ran her fingers through her blonde tresses. They were tangled and frizzy and it was making Maura uncomfortable.

"She's gonna love you, I'm sure of it." Angela smiled and kissed Maura's cheeks. "You better go now, we don't want to keep you. Here." She handed a small piece of paper to Maura. "This is our address and our telephone, just in case."

Maura got the paper gently and put it in one of the compartments inside of her Birkin. She headed to the elevators once again and pressed the down arrow a couple of times, almost as if that action would get the elevator there faster. When she was ready to get in the ride, the male nurse's voice calling her name made her stop. He was holding a big box with Frankie's belongings, his keys, his wallet and his coat.

"Here are your husband's things..."

"He's not my husband!" Maura said a little too harsh but then smiled softly as she received the box from the nurse.

"I'm sorry, uh, your fiancée." He smiled back and disappeared around the corner.

Maura closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She didn't know for how long she would have to deal with this messy situation. How did she let herself get into this? She was the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, not some girl who couldn't get a hold of herself. She pressed the down arrow again, since the nurse made her lose her ride. She started taping her heel on the floor and considered taking the stairs.

"You're Frankie's fiancée?" A man cleared his voice and Maura turned around, meeting his sweet eyes.

"Hm..okay..." She managed to say as she settled the box under her defined arm.

"I'm Detective Barry Frost. I work with Frankie down at the BPD." Frost smiled politely at the blonde doctor in front of him. "He is a great guy, but I'm sure you already know that." Maura stared blankly at him, hoping that he would just stop talking and leave her. "He had a tough year, with the accident and all."

Maura's annoyed look turned into a confused one. Accident? She didn't know about any accident. But then again, she didn't know Frankie at all.

"Accident?" Her voice faltered and she hated herself for that. Jesus, Maura, get a hold of yourself right now.

"Yeah, of course it was an accident. Did he tell you I did that on purpose? Oh, man. We were playing basketball and I had a pencil, I don't know why the heck I had but it was there, alright?

Maura listened carefully to the young detective as he went on and on about how he hadn't meant for it to happen and that it was't cool that Frankie was telling everybody that is was his fault. When he finally said goodbye and wished her a good day, she decided that is was a safer choice to just take the stairs.


It was 8:30 pm when Maura arrived at the Rizzolis' house. There was snow on the sidewalk so she had to be careful not to slip and fall, since she was wearing her favourite Jimmy Choo's. She was holding her delicate night purse in one hand and a beautiful bouquet composed of red and white roses and some green leaves -Christmas' colors- she got for Angela. She thought about getting the family some presents but decided against it. After all she barely knew them.

Maura noticed the Christmas's lights around the house and the decorations on the front lawn. She had never seen anything that amazing and lovely, it was absolutely beautiful. The doctor could feel warmth taking over her heart, even though it was 28.4 degrees outside. Korsak observed the blonde woman as she smiled widely.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Maura turned to the now familiar voice and nodded.

"It is indeed." Her beautiful and sweet smile was still on her face. "Hello, Vince."

"Hello, Maura." He kissed her cheek softly. "You made it, huh?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

"Keep me company for a while, will ya? Angela don't let me smoke inside the house." Vince started walking towards the house and Maura followed his steps. "Do you want one?" The older man offered.

"No, thank you. Smoking is terrible for you health. Tobacco smoke contains many dangerous chemicals and studies show that smokers are more likely to develop lung cancer."

"Wow." Korsak managed to say and stared at Maura.

"I'm terribly sorry, sometimes I can't control what comes out of my mouth."

"It's okay, doc. You're just looking after me, that's nice."

They sat down on the front steps, Maura rubbing her hands against each other to make sure that her fingers wouldn't freeze. They talked about everything and anything in a matter of minutes. Maura felt like she'd known him for years.

"Did you I was Frankie's godfather?" He asked all of a sudden.

"No, I didn't know that." Maura answered simply.

"You know, being a godfather is very important to the Catholics. It means you're practically part of the family."

"You're very lucky." Maura looked down, trying to hide the sadness on her face and in her voice. "It's important to have family around this time of year."

"Are you, uh- Are your parents with you?"

"Well, they're still alive if that's what you mean. But my family is not like this." She pointed to the front door. "They were, still are, very busy at Christmas's time, so we never really celebrated it."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Maura." He gave her a sympathetic smile.

"That's okay, I'm used to it." She finally looked back at him and smiled in return.

"My mother passed away last February."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Vince."

"Yeah, it was a rough time, but Frank and Angela got me through."

"Are you good friends?"

"The best!" He smiled

They sat there in silence for a while, feelings the cold wind and looking at the starless sky. Maura felt like everything was sadder in the winter time. There were no leaves on the trees, no colour, not warmth. To be honest she hated it.

"You know..." Korsak broke the silence. "The Rizzoli's took me as part of their family. I'd never let anyone hurt them."

Maura nodded and smiled softly. "Neither would I."

"I believe you wouldn't."

Before they could say anything else, the front door opened and a very excited Angela came out to greet them. She was incredibly happy to see both of them right there. Now her Christmas was just a little bit more perfect.

"Come inside, you two, is freezing out here." The older woman said and they both did as told. "Carla Tolucci made her eggnog." She added as she entered back in the house. Maura gave her the flowers and earned a bone crushing hug and a thank you.

"Word to wise:" said Vince "Drink soda." He winked and followed Angela to the kitchen.

Maura chuckled and made her way to the living room. Everybody stopped talking when the blonde approached them and they all said excited hello's. Maura received lots of hugs and kisses and her heart just melted to the ground. She was feeling incredibly loved that night and that was everything she always wished for.

...

The medical examiner sat on the sofa, between Angela and Tommy. The ladder was feeling incredibly comfortable and he was loving the fact that he was incredibly close to the beautiful blonde. The three of them were looking at an old family album and Angela was telling every little detail of those memories to Maura. The young woman was already feeling like she was part of the family.

"Who is this?" Maura asked, pointing as a tall dark haired girl next to Frankie. They were covered in mud and their knees were scraped but they both looked very happy and satisfied.

"That's Jane. Our older sister who was supposed to be here tonight." Tommy answered.

"Stop it, Tommy. She said she would try to be, but she got a case last minute." Angela sighed. She hated her daughter's job. She hated that her little girl put herself in the line of danger every single day and she hated that she couldn't be more with her own family. Mama Rizzoli got up and reached for her camera on the coffee table.

"Maura, Tommy, say cheese!"

They both smiled their best smiles as Angela took the picture. It looked lovely and she was so thrilled to put it on the new album she had been working on.

"Now everyone please, around the tree!"

Frank Sr got up from his chair with a not so please look on his face. Tommy and Maura got up from the couch as well as Carla Tolucci and her young daughter. Vince stood next to Maura and Angela programmed the camera to take the picture itself.

They all hugged each other and laughed and smiled. Like one big happy family.

"Okay, okay. Enough with that, Ang. It's time for the presents." Frank Sr said, a wrapped package already in his hands.

Maura sat on the floor next to the coffee table and watched as the family exchanged their gifts. The all squealed in happiness when they got the things they were hoping to get and they all released a big sigh when it was what they expected. Part of her wanted to just tell them the truth, but the other wanted to enjoy just a little bit more that noisy and sweet little family.

"To Maura, From Santa."

Angela's voice snapped Maura out of her trance and the blonde smiled at the wrapped gift. She said a shy thank you and took her time to unwrap the red and green paper. Now she felt bad for not giving anything back. When she finally saw her gift, she smiled as wide as ever. It was a knitted green sweater with a huge white letter "M" in the middle of it.

...

"Shit!" Jane Rizzoli accidentally kicked the wooden door as she entered her parent's house. It was the middle of the night and she was more than pissed. She hated to work on holiday and specially on Christmas. Jane could only imagine how mad her mom was. That was the second time they held her back at precinct on a big family event.

"Hey Janie, you finally made it." Tommy said, standing at the kitchen's door.

"Yeah, well better late than never, right?" She smirked and walked over to the kitchen to hug her youngest brother. "Merry Christmas, Tommy."

"Merry Christmas, Janie." He said as he hugged the slim figure.

"I bought you some gifs but I left them at my apartment. You guys cans swing by later and get them." Her voice was a little too loud.

"Shh, don't be so loud."

"Did you just shushed me?" Jane narrowed her eyes. No one shushes Jane Rizzoli.

Tommy pointed towards the living room, where Maura laid asleep on the couch. Jane arched her brows and turned to look at his brother again.

"Can you please take your girlfriend upstairs, Tommy?" Jane slapped the back of his head and giggled silently.

"She's not my girlfriend." Tommy shook his head. I wish. "He's Frankie's fiancée."

"She's Frankie's WHAT?"