Disclaimer: Rizzoli and Isles is the property of Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamero and TNT. I write for entertainment purposes, and absolutely no copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: Hello! I'm back again with Chapter 3, albeit much later than I should have been. In my defence, I've had unexpected houseguests and I was loopy enough on pain medication for my broken ankle as it was without being driven nuts by relatives as well lol. You'll understand more when you read this chapter, I just couldn't resist. I hope to at least get one more chapter up before Christmas, possibly two if the editing goes well. Please don't take that as concrete, but I'll do my very best. Either way, the story will get finished so don't worry about that :)

A big thank you goes out to everyone who reviewed the last two chapters, you've all been incredibly supportive and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart :)

Before we get started, I just want to mention that this chapter is long, but there's a little bit of everything in it so hopefully you'll all like it. And if anybody gets confused, I haven't messed up the date, this is a continuation of the same night on which the last chapter took place. Okay, I'll shut up rambling now lol.

I hope you enjoy the chapter :)

Chapter 3

Friday, December 21st

Jane yawned widely as she followed Maura into the bedroom and unclipped her gun from her belt. Dropping the magazine, she cleared the chamber and placed both items in separate drawers. Her shield went onto the nightstand beside her watch, her cell phone and her wallet. As she sat down on her side of the bed to remove her boots, she heard Maura humming in her vast closet and suddenly, all felt right with the world. It was all she'd ever really wanted, and their nightly routine had become such a huge part of her life, just like Maura, that she felt a sudden panicked stabbing in her chest at the thought of ever losing her.

Visions of every guy Maura had ever dated flipped through her mind in a slideshow that refused to stop, even when she desperately willed it to. Her mind kept coming back to Ian, wondering if he'd ever come back one day and realise exactly what he'd lost before deciding he wanted to stick around after all. The thought hit Jane deep in the pit of her stomach and made her realise exactly what she was facing. She knew Maura loved her, she had known for a while, and although Maura had been patient with her, she wouldn't or shouldn't wait forever and the thought of losing her to somebody else, when the chance she never thought she would get was staring her right in the face, was killing her. It was time to do something before she lost the woman she loved. Her mother, for once, had been completely right.

She stripped her clothes off, tossing them into the hamper as she strode into the bathroom to grab the first shower, knowing that Maura would be a while yet in choosing her outfit and shoes for the next day. As she turned the water on and stood back to adjust the controls, Maura appeared in the open doorway holding two dresses up against herself, eyebrow raised in question. One was a beige colour in a soft, silky material by a designer that Jane couldn't name if she tried, or a deep teal coloured dress that looked form fitting and tantalisingly low cut. She knew she was expected to choose and she already knew which one she would pick.

"Definitely teal. I love that colour on you, it really suits you. Brings out the colour of your eyes."

Maura beamed. "Thank you for the compliment, it was very dashing of you."

Jane rolled her eyes with a grin and began stripping off her underwear as Maura disappeared back into the closet. As she stepped under the hot spray, she sighed and rolled her neck to allow the stresses of the day to be soothed away by the pulsing of the water.

"What's on the agenda for tomorrow?" Maura asked as she entered the bathroom again and reached for her toothbrush before she squirted toothpaste on it.

Jane poured shower gel into her palm and began her routine. "I need to take a look over the Leah Williams case files, see if anything else pops up. Frost is set to interview her boyfriend in the morning, but I'm not convinced he's involved in it. I also need to work on finding out what the deal is with Chad Jefferson. Something is bugging me, I can't put my finger on it, but he's definitely hiding something. What about you?"

"I need to take a look at Leah's body again. During the autopsy, I noticed there was a mark on her thigh but it was very faint. Injuries will usually develop over several days, so I'm going to examine her again. I also have a case to autopsy in the morning for Detective Crowe, but that shouldn't take very long. If I get a chance, I'll look over the Jefferson case again, just to make doubly sure that I haven't missed anything."

"I doubt you've missed anything," Jane said as she turned in the shower to rinse herself off. "But thank you for going the extra mile on it, I really appreciate it."

"I know you do, and you're welcome." Maura smiled and realised she'd been holding her toothbrush and staring into space as she talked to Jane. "Are you still coming with me to pick up my parents from the airport tomorrow?"

"Definitely, unless I catch another case in the meantime. What time are they due in?"

"3pm," Maura said around a mouthful of toothpaste. "I should have my schedule cleared enough by then that I can take off for the rest of the day."

"I'll try my best to get home sometime before midnight, but I make no promises on that score."

Maura couldn't help smiling when Jane used the word 'home' in conjunction with her house, and her heart beat just a little faster at knowing she'd get to spend another night with Jane, even if they spent most of their nights together these days. It was all Maura had ever really wanted, the chance to be part of a real family and be with somebody she loved.

"I'll wait up for you like I usually do," Maura smiled at the thought of being tucked up in bed, waiting to be joined by Jane who would snuggle up to her the minute she crawled into bed after a long day at work.

"Thanks honey. Oh, before I forget," Jane stepped out of the shower and reached for her towel, just as Maura shed her clothes and climbed in. "If I can't make it, I'll get Frankie to go with you. If your parents are anything like you, they'll pack for every eventuality and you'll need help with the suitcases."

"Speaking of Frankie. You know, I've never seen a man go quite that purple in the face before without needing oxygen," Maura chuckled over the noise of the shower as she recalled the colour of Frankie's face as he'd laughed himself stupid after she and Jane had told him about Angela's antics earlier on that night.

Jane laughed in response as she wet her toothbrush under the faucet and applied toothpaste. "If you think that's bad, you should've been around when ma was discussing sex with Nonna Rizzoli."

"She didn't, did she?" Maura poured shampoo into the palm of her hand and began lathering it into her hair.

"She certainly did. I thought Pop was gonna have a stroke on the spot, especially when they got onto the subject of vibrators and how Carla Talluci had several. Then she set about telling my Nonna how Carla had bought a set of these vibrating love egg things, and wanted to try them out in public 'cause a friend of hers said it gave her an extra thrill. She then proceeded to tell my Nonna that after three noisy orgasms on the T, a paramedic crew who thought she was having a heart attack, and the threat of being arrested for public indecency when the cops found out she wasn't having a heart attack, that the crazy witch only went out and bought another set to give to my mother for her birthday," Jane smiled at the memory of her father exiting the house as if his ass was on fire, dragging her, Tommy and Frankie with him before she could actually find out what happened next. "I don't know if she ever got 'em but I know my Pop was twitchy around every gift she opened for a few years."

Maura practically cried with laughter as she leaned back against the shower wall, still only halfway through washing the shampoo out of her hair. "Knowing your mother, that doesn't surprise me."

Jane rinsed out her mouth into the basin before shaking her toothbrush free of water and placing it back in the cup. Unwrapping the towel from around her body, she reached for her underwear, slipping it on, followed by her sleep shorts.

"Ma has said and done all kinds of crazy shit over the years. Why do you think I don't talk about sex? I was mortified by more than half the stuff I heard as a teenager. My mother was avidly discussing sex long before Doctor Ruth showed up. I could never understand how somebody who claimed to be a good catholic could bring herself to talk so graphically about stuff like that. I mean, I never once claimed to be a good catholic, and yet, the minute I think of anything remotely sexy, I expect a nun to pop up and hit me between the eyes with a ruler. Once ma gets together with my Aunties, there's no stopping her. Never mind Fifty Shades of Gray, it's more like the whole damn paint chart."

Maura snickered and turned off the shower, opening the door and reaching for her towel just as Jane was about slip her t-shirt on. "Where did you get that bruise?"

Jane paused, uncaring that she was still topless and turned to Maura. "Which one?"

Maura began wrapping her towel around her body and then pointed to Jane's side. "That one on your ribs. It looks quite recent, what happened?"

Jane turned toward the mirror and marvelled at how she could be half naked in front of Maura and not be afraid of it. Nor did Maura standing beside her in nothing but a towel faze her anymore either. At one point, Jane wouldn't have allowed Maura, or anyone else, within a hundred feet of her when she was naked unless there were at least three layers of clothing and a locked door between them. Maura on the other hand, had never been shy about being naked around Jane, had never suffered the same self-consciousness as her friend but Jane knew that Maura didn't routinely trust just anybody around her when she was naked, and she had begun to realise over time that maybe she could trust Maura not to judge her body after all. Now, it wasn't unusual for them to undress in front of each other or shower while the other one was in the bathroom. They had a system: if the door was open, they were free to enter and move about at their own leisure, if the door was closed then privacy, and time and space was required. Like everything else in their relationship, it just was, and had become so much a part of the routine that neither of them had ever noticed. But Jane knew it was no longer enough, for either of them.

"I must've gotten it when arresting Daniel McNamara on Wednesday. He wouldn't keep still and he pushed me into the car as I was trying to restrain him."

Maura reached out gently and traced the bruise with a fingertip, watching as Jane closed her eyes and shivered slightly at the touch. A smile graced Maura's lips at the effect her touch had on Jane, and she placed the palm of her hand fully against the purple bruise. "Here, let me put some ointment on for you. It will bring the bruise out properly and take away the soreness."

Jane allowed Maura to fetch the ointment and rub it into her skin, with a touch so gentle that only for the fact she was watching Maura's every move in the mirror, she might not otherwise have felt it. When Maura was done, she touched her lips to Jane's right shoulder blade and tenderly left a kiss against the skin, feeling, rather than seeing the reaction she was causing in her best friend. As she moved away to return the ointment to the medicine cabinet, she saw a now fully clothed Jane come up behind her and reach for her shoulders, her long fingers slowly beginning to work the tension from her muscles.

"Thank you," Jane all but whispered, knowing she was thanking Maura for more than just the bruise cream.

It was thanks for forgiving her for being so cranky and short with her over the last few weeks. It was thanks for caring as much about her as she did, and it was also thanks for being so patient with her, for still wanting her as much as she did even though Jane hadn't always made it easy for her.

"Mmm, you're welcome," Maura breathed out, not caring how low her voice had become, or just how husky the edges of it were, being unapologetic for enjoying the touch of the woman she loved. "That feels so good."

"You're very tense," Jane said with a wicked grin, watching as a smile curled lazily around Maura's lips in the mirror, her eyes still closed.

"I wonder whose fault that is." It wasn't a question, the statement being wholly based in fact; the fact being that she'd been suffering from rampant sexual frustration for months and Jane was entirely the cause of it.

"This time around, it's my mother," Jane said as they both laughed, and she continued to knead the muscles in Maura's neck. "I thought I was fine with the situation, until Ma opened her mouth and made me realise why we'd been arguing in the first place. The minute she said it, I started feeling crazy. I don't know if that's because of my reaction to you, or whether there's just some inbuilt biological function that makes me go nuts when I just have to concede the point that perhaps Ma is right, no matter how much that goes against the grain, or how self-righteously obnoxious she's going to be about it when I'm forced to admit it."

"So, you were fine about arguing with me then?" Maura teased, the tension of the last few weeks leaving her body in a rush, leaving her with muscles that felt as if they were made of warm honey. "Mmmm that thing you're doing with your hand there, keep doing it. It feels so good."

"I wasn't fine arguing with you," Jane said, leaning down to press her lips against the back of Maura's neck. "I hated every minute of it. I just didn't know why I was doing it. Does that feel better?"

"Much, thank you," Maura opened her eyes, now heavily lidded as they shined a deeper shade of green than the warm hazel they usually were.

"You're very welcome, Doctor Isles," Jane replied, as she reached around Maura and pulled her closer, the bare skin of her shoulders feeling wonderful underneath her hands. "Why don't you dry your hair, while I make you some tea?"

"You're spoiling me tonight," Maura shivered slightly as a warm breath ghosted across her neck, Jane's hand lightly stroking the freckled skin of her chest just below her collarbone in a way that was wholly arousing and so sweetly comforting at the same time.

"I want to spoil you every night." Jane tightened her hold on Maura and placed another gentle kiss against her neck. "I won't be long. When I get back, I'd like to talk to you."

"You're talking to me now," Maura's eyes flashed again, teasing just as she had done several moments before.

"That can soon be rectified, and next time, I might not speak to you for a week, Maura," Jane said, suddenly lifting a giggling Maura off her feet as she placed a noisy kiss against her chest. Then, as she put her down, she cheekily slapped Maura's rear end and winked at her before leaving the room.

"Are you okay?" Jane asked with concern, looking up from her book as she noticed that Maura was limping slightly as she crossed the room to get into bed.

"Muscles keep cramping out in my leg. I really need to stretch them out properly, give them a good workout." Maura climbed into bed in a blue silk nightdress that was sleeveless and dipped low in the front, causing Jane's heartbeat to ratchet up a notch when she got a good look at toned thighs as Maura kneeled on the bed to climb into it. "I should probably run a few miles in the morning."

"Lie back, and let me help with that," Jane said, crawling to the foot of the bed and getting comfortable before she took Maura's right leg in her hands.

Maura luxuriated in the feeling of silk against her body while Jane's hands touched the soft, smooth skin of her leg. "You really do have magic hands."

Jane grinned, knowing that Maura might soon appreciate her magic hands elsewhere. "I spent so much time with the school physio after being injured, that if he hadn't been gay, people might have started believing we were having an affair."

Maura shook her head with a laugh and reached for her tea, sipping in contentment as Jane kneaded her muscles and she heard a sudden clicking against the windows. "Sounds like hail."

"They did say the weather was going to turn bad for the holidays. Supposed to turn to snow by lunchtime tomorrow, apparently."

"Doesn't look like I'll get my run in the morning."

Jane laughed and worked her hands down Maura's calf muscle towards her foot to massage it. "That's because you can't be bothered getting your ass out of bed. I find it funny that for someone who appears to be so chirpy in the mornings, that you actually hate getting up early. And to think the amount of times you've kicked me out of bed and made me do something healthy when we could have stayed where we were and had much more fun."

"I kicked you out of bed so we didn't," Maura said with a knowing smile, pleased when Jane responded to it with a smile of her own.

"Yeah, I guess that was logical. Did I mention I hate it when you're logical?"

Maura chuckled throatily and took another sip of her tea before returning the cup to the nightstand. "You'd have run a mile back then, and I probably would have too."

"You're right. It seemed to matter back then that we didn't step over the line. I don't even know where the line is anymore and I wouldn't give a fuck if I sprinted over it, never mind crossed it."

Maura was taken aback that Jane was talking quite so readily, especially about this. "Was this what you wanted to talk to me about?"

Jane nodded and glanced up at her quickly with dark eyes as she massaged Maura's instep, marvelling at the small but powerful muscles. "I never realised you had such strong legs. I can feel how powerful the muscles are in your feet just by touching them. Must be wearing those fifty inch heels that does it. It must be painful, though."

Maura nodded as she appreciated the warm tingling sensation that washed over her. "Sometimes, it can be, especially after a long day. But if you get a comfortable pair of heels, then you're fine."

"Does wonders for your legs though, not to mention your ass." Jane winked at the blonde, who smiled lasciviously at her from where she lay back against the pillows, looking so beautiful that Jane knew that even capturing the moment with a camera would never fully do her justice. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Maura lifted her head from the pillow and looked anxiously at Jane, knowing that whenever Jane started apologising, there was usually something she was torturing herself for.

"For not being brave enough to do this sooner. A while ago, it mattered that I kept my distance. I was scared I'd lose my best friend, scared of what everyone would think when they found out how I felt about you. And I never truly believed you felt the same. I spent so long looking at the reasons that you could never feel something for me, that I missed all of the reasons why you did."

"So you've always known how I felt?"

"I don't think I've always known, I was probably too self-absorbed in worrying about how I felt to notice that you felt anything beyond friendship for me at all," Jane said honestly, knowing that at times, she could be oblivious to everything around her if her mind was on other things. "But I've known for a while, I've known for sure since we got close again after I shot Paddy. I suspected a few times over the years that maybe you felt more for me, but I told myself it was wishful thinking, that you'd never had a best friend before and you're a very affectionate person by nature when somebody gets to know you. I thought most times I was imagining it, until that night I had to cut into your leg and we got close again. That was when I realised how you felt, you still trusted me so much, I could see how you felt about me in your eyes, and a lot of things began making sense."

Maura shook her head with a smile. "You definitely weren't imagining it, but back then, I was busy trying to hide it. After Paddy and all of the fallout, I realised I missed you so much that I couldn't hide my feelings for you anymore and nor did I really want to. I realised how you felt about me the same night, when you saved my leg even though you were terrified. You stood guard over me and held me, and I knew then just how deeply your feelings ran. You still wanted to protect me, even after we hurt each other."

"Why didn't you say something?" Jane's tone was curious, and not in the slightest bit accusatory.

"The same reason you didn't say anything. We had to learn to be friends again, to get back to where we were before we could start moving forward. It took time, our friendship wasn't repaired overnight and it took us a little while to admit we still trusted each other even though it scared us."

Jane nodded, agreeing with Maura's viewpoint. "After we got close again, I think that I became content with how things were between us, because I never thought we'd have that back. I was scared I'd lose you and I was willing to keep what we had because it was so much more than I believed we'd get back and I didn't want to rock the boat."

"So what changed?" It was Maura's turn to become curious as she absentmindedly stroked Jane's thigh with the foot Jane wasn't currently massaging.

"I realised that even after all that we'd been through, we found our way back to each other and managed to build our relationship back up into something that was even more solid than before. That was when I knew that you and I could survive almost anything and what we had was no longer enough, because I wanted more and more of you. You were driving me crazy, you still do. You only have to look at me a certain way, or move across a room the way you do, so gracefully that it looks as if your limbs are made of fluid and I'm completely lost. I had spent so long fantasising about touching you, that when I realised I could, I was no longer able to keep my distance. Every touch or every smile, every breath you took threatened to steal mine and all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around you and kiss you. But I couldn't, I was too scared."

"Why are you so afraid of me, Jane?" Maura's voice was low, gently questioning.

"I'm not afraid of you, sweetheart, never that. I was afraid of me." Jane marvelled at the reaction that being honest with Maura after so long was causing in her. She had had never felt so light before, realising that she was no longer weighed down with secrets, because there was no need for them anymore.

"How so?"

"I feel so much for you that sometimes, I can't contain it. I was afraid that if I let it all free, and I hurt you again the way I hurt you over Paddy that I'd never forgive myself for causing you any pain. Nobody knows better than I about what you've been through and how vulnerable you can be and yet you still open yourself up to me. I didn't want to damage you."

"I'm a lot stronger than I look, Jane," Maura said quietly, realising for the first time just how deeply Jane's devotion to her ran.

"I know, but I was worried that I wasn't. You know how I get, I push people away and I hurt them by holding them at arm's length. I was afraid that if I opened myself up completely, that I'd be too weak to cope with the sheer intensity of it all. It took me a while to come to terms with allowing myself to open up to my feelings and put my trust in you completely. I wanted to tell you how I felt, that I knew you felt the same way for me too, but there was never a right time. There was always a case or a family crisis getting in the way, and I didn't realise I had become so frustrated with everything that I ended up snapping at you every five minutes. When ma said what she did tonight, it suddenly made me realise that she was right and I'd screwed up. I was thinking tonight of how much it scared that someday you might have gotten tired of waiting for me, and somebody else would succeed where I'd failed. I can't do it anymore, Maura. Everything I want to tell you feels like it's always going to fall short of how completely breathtakingly amazing you really are, but I want you, Maura, and I'm not afraid anymore." Jane pulled Maura's leg toward her, and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of her ankle.

"It's already perfect because it's you, Jane. We're here and there's nothing standing between us anymore." Maura said, her voice barely above a whisper as her emotions rose to the surface and showed how sincere she was by the look gracing her beautiful features.

Jane grinned suddenly, the dimples that Maura could never resist showing on her cheeks, as she placed Maura's leg on the bed and slowly crawled towards her, on her hands and knees. Maura's eyes darkened noticeably as Jane hovered over her and then gently lay down, her body half covering Maura's.

"I love you, Maura Isles, and you're perfect."

Maura reached out, her hands cradling Jane's face gently as she gazed into dark chocolate brown eyes filled full of longing and desire, full of the love she had been able to see for a while, but until now had never been able to hold with both her hands and her heart.

"And I love you, Jane. So much more than you know," Maura said, her eyes shining with happy tears. "And I'm glad that you took your time."

"Why is that?" Jane swallowed heavily, knowing that they were both sitting on the precipice and were about to drag each other over it into freefall.

"Because you needed to work it out in your own time and that's exactly what I wanted you to do. I could have pounced on you any number of times, but the truth was I wasn't ready either. Sooner or later, everybody I love leaves me. I hated to think that one day my fear of losing you would come between us. I knew I ran the risk of losing you to somebody else, but I knew that I couldn't risk getting too close too quickly. When I backed off, you came closer. When I ran, you chased me, and when I stood still, you were right there beside me. It took time for me to trust that you wouldn't leave me, not because I mistrusted you but because I didn't see a reason anybody would really truly want me. Gradually, I realised that my fear was irrational; you proved that by not giving up on me when I pushed you away and got angry with you after Paddy was shot. We not only made it back, but we ended up stronger than ever."

"We've always been a team, you and I. We work together, we rely on each other."

"We do, and I wasn't used to that. Nobody ever stuck around for me, Jane. Nobody cared about the real me; nobody looked closer than the surface. But you, you were different and I knew five minutes after meeting you that you were special. I have always loved you, but when I found the strength to let you love me back, I learned how to like myself in the process and suddenly all of my fears melted away. While you took the time to become stronger, I was too. The last thing I ever wanted was for you to get close to me and for me to screw it up because of my insecurities. The last thing I ever wanted was to cause you any pain. I'd rather die than hurt you. Like you said, the time was just never right and then it was, but we didn't realise it. It took your mother giving us both a metaphorical kick up the rear end to make us see what was happening. Finally though, we're on the same page at last."

"We are," Jane nodded. "So you better warn anybody who gets within a hundred feet of you that I carry a gun and I'm not afraid to use it on them."

Maura chuckled lightly and threaded her arms around Jane's neck, pulling the brunette closer. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll let you tell Agent Thompson exactly why I'm not interested in him."

"Really?" Jane's smile was wide, her dimples still on full show.

"Really," Maura nodded, feeling a sudden rush of arousal coursing through her veins as Jane shifted the entire length of her body closer.

"Good, because there's really only one way to say that I'm head over heels in love with you, and you're all mine." Jane leaned forward, claiming ownership of Maura's lips at last. Both women moaned at the sudden contact, an electrical charge in the air at suddenly coming together in a tangle of arms, legs and lips.

Maura suddenly found herself deliciously lightheaded, as if she were floating on air, her entire body tingling at the way Jane's mouth moved against her own. Her eyes had closed of their own accord, and she felt herself lose control of limbs as they shook back and forth with arousal, and the sheer relief of years of pent up frustration at finally being able to kiss Jane, when she had spent so many nights in bed, fantasising about their lips touching in so many ways that it would leave her soaking wet and aching for release. A deep throbbing sensation began in the pit of Maura's stomach, travelling down to pulse between her legs, and then radiate outwards through her entire body as Jane latched onto her tongue, sucking it gently as her hands wandered to places they had always dreamed about.

Jane felt her slick warmth soaking through her panties, and groaned when the simple act of moving slightly caused enough pressure to create the kind of friction her body was crying out for. Jane knew that Maura was in a similar state, when she began to grind her hips against hers and as much as she wanted it to continue, she really wanted them to take their time. At least give themselves twenty-four hours to get used to the idea of being together when it had taken them so long to get there and they both needed to process it a little. As much as she was desperate to reach for the hem of Maura's nightgown and kiss her way down toned thighs that were shuddering with her need for release, before tasting her arousal, she knew she needed to slow down.

"Mmmm you feel so good," Maura breathed out, arching into Jane's body as her teeth nipped at Maura's earlobe. "Oh god."

"Not quite, but I'm sure I could take you to heaven a time or two," Jane said, wondering how long it would take her to realise that the teasing had started up again, because Maura wasn't paying attention to anything right at that moment except her hands.

"Really?" Maura raised an eyebrow at one of the worst lines she'd ever heard, especially right in the middle of enjoying what Jane was doing to her. "And you call me socially awkward."

Jane rolled her eyes and used another classic line. "I didn't realise that when I found Ms. Right, her first name was going to be Always."

Maura groaned out loud this time. "If you're trying to cool down my libido, it won't work."

"If I told you that you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?" Jane grinned, still enjoying teasing Maura immensely.

"I was trying to! If you don't stop teasing me, you'll never get to find out what's on the other side of this nightgown." Maura was frustrated again, but she knew why Jane was trying to slow them both down, they couldn't jump from best friends to lovers in the space of a couple of hours; they needed time to adjust first.

"Maybe I could just kiss you a little longer." Jane relented and moved back in for another round

"I win," Maura said triumphantly as she locked lips with Jane, and kissed her for all she was worth.

Jane smiled softly in the dark as she held Maura in her arms, the warmth of her body tightly pressed against her, the way it was always meant to be. She lay in the dark, listening to the weather raging outside the bedroom window and was content to enjoy the time they spent softly caressing each other instead of sleeping as had been their intention. It had been a little difficult to sleep though, when the main focus was their desire to asphyxiate each other with passionate kisses to the point of oxygen deprivation and tunnel vision.

"Jane?" Maura wondered if now would be the right time to approach something that was on her mind, especially given the fact that Jane was so mellow.

"Hmm?"

"Why does your mother need non-alcoholic Limoncello?"

"Because my cousin Antonio drinks it by the boat load and does a striptease before placing a certain part of his anatomy in the punchbowl as his party piece. Why?"

"Just wondering," Maura said casually, rubbing her hand in soothing circles over Jane's abs.

"Oh okay." Jane sighed softly and enjoyed the feel of Maura's hands on her skin until a very large light bulb suddenly pinged inside her head. "Limoncello? Why woul... Maura!"

"What?" She asked, blinking in the harsh light of the lamp as Jane clicked it on. "Although, I've never really understood how anybody could drink more than a little of it, as it's very sweet. Did you know that authentic Limoncello is made with grain alcohol? Traditionally it is made from Sorrento lemons, but more common lemons such as the Eureka lemon will make satisfactory Limoncello. It is also good for use in desserts. I remember once dining in this wonderful little Trattoria in Venice and..."

"Maura."

"Yes?"

"What have you done?" Jane turned on her side, hovering above the woman she loved more than life itself, who was looking a little guilty.

"Done?" Maura knew that the longer she could hold off, and manoeuvre toward the subject slowly, the less chance she'd have of getting hives and Jane going through the roof.

"Yes, what have you done? There's no point grinning at me like that, Maura. As much as I love you and want to..." Jane broke off with a moan and covered Maura's mouth with a passionate kiss that left them both breathless. "Damn, I never get tired of that. Where was I?"

"Kissing me senseless," Maura said seductively, knowing that while Jane was kissing her, she wasn't quizzing her about anything, which made it easier to think of ways to channel the conversation in the right direction, although being as addicted to Jane's lips as Maura was, it didn't make the thought process easy. "Please, carry on."

"Oh, nooo," Jane shook her head. "Nice try nerdy pants, but no. What have you done?"

"I didn't do anything."

"Maura, when you and my mother get together, it's a dead cert that either one, or both, will be planning something. What have you done? And why don't I already know about it? And what is Ma's role in all this? You may as well tell me because if you don't, there won't be any sex for you this side of Christmas."

"You want to make love to me?" Maura's smile was already practically bordering on sex as Jane felt Maura's hips begin rocking against hers. She already knew Jane wanted to make love to her; she just wanted to hear her say how much.

"Of course I want to make love to you, you're my girlfriend. I love you. And you're in a nightgown that makes your boobs look huge so yeah, I want to love you senseless."

"How romantic," Maura rolled her eyes with a grin. "Chop chop, then. Don't let me stop you, detective."

"I'm not having sex with you tonight, we've been through this." Jane was resolute, there was no way whatsoever. Not even if Maura did a striptease, covered herself in chocolate and whistled the theme tune to Kojak.

Maura pouted, trying to look the right side of completely innocent as she tried to hold in a giggle. "But why?"

"I am not having sex with you on the night my mother ordered us to. That's just too weird, and I never do as I'm told. It's against my philosophy." Jane shook her head, she still wasn't doing it, although she may just about waver if the striptease and chocolate were suddenly offered.

"What is your philosophy?"

"They may force you to give into something in the end, but don't make it easy for the bastards. I intend to make my mother work for it," Jane chuckled evilly. "And, if you persist in tempting me like this, I might just make you work for it too, you minx."

"What about groping? Is that against your philosophy?" Maura hedged her bets and almost choked with laughter when she reached for Jane's shorts and had her hand slapped away.

"In principle, no. But again, not tonight because that would mean I am doing as I'm told in addressing the sexual tension to stop us arguing and that will never happen. Keep off the family jewels, please. My panties are a no-go zone, like you come near me and I'll bite you, and then I'll cuff you to the rail in your closet and leave you there. That's just the way it works."

"I thought it was only guys who had family jewels?" Maura wondered if she'd misunderstood another colloquialism.

"I'm the only one in our family with serious balls, metaphorically speaking." Jane knew they were getting off the subject, but that was typical with Maura. "Just keep your mitts to yourself, anyway. You're not getting laid until tomorrow at the earliest, and by the way, don't think that by trying to divert me that I'll forget what the hell ma needs unleaded Limoncello for."

Maura tried to smile, the same smile she'd used on Jane that one time she had presented her with chocolate that contained gold flakes. But had to finally concede that it wasn't working. "Okay, okay. She needs it for Christmas Eve."

"What for? We usually don't bother with Limoncello. We get stuck into the eggnog and a litre of bourbon. Limoncello is for big girls blouses," Jane said, not adding that it also made her throw up quicker than Bourbon so there was no point drinking it if all she was going to do was deposit it down the plumbing ten minutes after she'd swallowed it.

"Well, your mother might just have invited a few people over..."

"Maura, who the hell did she invite?" Jane was now in complete panic mode. She'd had too much experience of her mother's Christmas parties to know that if it was all allowed to go ahead that come Christmas morning, Maura would either find herself with alcohol poisoning or wake up in the kitchen sink holding an inflatable sheep and half a pepperoni pizza. And there was that other time Jane had woken up behind the sofa with a hangover on Christmas morning one year, not realising until she'd crawled out with one half of her hair plastered flat, and the other half plastered to her face, that the parish priest had stopped by to wish them all a merry Christmas.

"Um, I can't say with any certainty," Maura said, and it was true. Angela had rattled off so many names that she was unable to keep count or remember with any certainty which names were mentioned.

"Oh, Christ! Maura, we're picking your parents up from the airport in," Jane leaned over her to look at the clock, and then turned her attention back to the blonde, "fifteen hours. And you're telling me that my mother's planned a hoedown?"

"She did ask, and I did say it was okay. I thought it was a great idea." Maura noticed the wild look in her girlfriend's eyes and began panicking that she'd agreed to something terrifying.

"Maura, you have no idea what you've just done. You've unleashed hell, a Rizzoli shaped hell. Not to mention a bunch of Alessi's who are like a carbon copy of my mother only with bigger mouths and less inhibitions, which quite frankly is virtually fucking impossible but somehow it's a reality. I dunno what Kinsey would have made of it or Freud for that matter but I suspect it would have made them look like prudes in comparison."

"I didn't know Alessi was your mother's maiden name." Maura pondered on how far Angela could trace her lineage back, wondering which part of Italy Jane's ancestors were from.

"Maura, focus. Your parents will be here tomorrow, my mother has invited my entire family tree, which will no doubt include the dead relatives, too, if I know my mother. She probably dug a few of 'em up to make up the numbers."

Maura snorted with laughter. "Jane, does it really matter? She's been so down about Christmas since your father left, and I wanted to make her happy. Besides, now that we're together, I want to meet your family, I should meet them. I don't want them to think I couldn't be bothered to introduce myself to them."

"You don't meet my family; you get absorbed and taken over by them. There isn't a single one of them who isn't bat-shit crazy. They could drink the Sam Adams brewery dry in an hour and if you're short of food, they will start chowing down on the furniture. You better make sure Bass is locked away with his lettuce, too, because somebody will cover him in Thousand Island dressing and munch the fuck out of him."

Maura began laughing again, knowing that Jane had a tendency to be a little dramatic as far as her family were concerned. "Relax, its fine. I like the idea of them here for Christmas Eve. I want them to know that they're a part of my family as much as I am of yours. That means opening my house to them, just like I did for you, your mom and your brothers."

"But Maura," Jane whined as she snuggled up to Maura and laced their fingers together as she took hold of the blonde's hand. "What will your parents think? I mean, we don't all move in the same social circle."

"Good," Maura said with conviction. "They need to mix with real people once in a while, not the boring stuff-shirts they usually mix with. I'm sure it will be fine, but if they don't like it, then they know where the door is. I'm not going to apologise to anyone for agreeing to invite your family, Jane, I have no need to."

"You haven't even told them about us yet. What if you decided to do that over Christmas? They might be shocked by it, the last thing they'll need is five hundred of my relatives arriving on the doorstep to add to the proceedings." Jane didn't want to make a bad impression, didn't want her relationship with Maura wrecked before it had even started.

"I really don't think they'll take it badly. And what do you mean if? I'll tell them as soon as they get here. I refuse to hide you, or my feelings for you over Christmas. That's not how this is going to work. We're all going to be one big family now, and everyone will just have to deal with that."

Jane couldn't help feeling proud of Maura, not only was she willing to tell her parents, but she was willing to put up with the chance of being traumatised for life by her relatives. "Even if Uncle Salvatore accepts his invitation?"

"Who is Uncle Salvatore?" Maura was fairly certain Angela had mentioned that name, but couldn't be a hundred percent and it didn't seem wise to mention it now to Jane, who was still looking slightly horrified if the twitch in her eye was anything to go by.

"God knows, but Ma reckons we're related somewhere along the line, although I've never been able to figure it out. But he uh...he has bad gas. Like he literally farts his way around the room. Don't get stuck near him, or you'll lose an eyeball. This one time, we were stuck in his car on the way to my cousin Abi's wedding, and I swear to god, he dropped one that was so bad that Tommy's vision has never been the same since. The electric windows didn't work, neither did the air conditioning and Tommy was sitting in the front seat right next to him. Poor dude's eyes had started to water and he desperately wanted some fresh air but we were doing like sixty-five on the interstate and he just had to hold on until it wore off. I've never seen somebody quite so tempted to hurl themselves from a moving vehicle before. He eventually staggered from the car looking like he was gonna puke for a week. I've seen people in better shape when they've been doused in pepper spray. It wasn't much better for me, either. Sal was gnawin' on beef jerky at the time and it took me six weeks before I could stomach eating a hamburger again. Poor Frankie though, I think he had it the worst. He was suffering from a hangover and hurled into his overnight bag, twice. He's never touched Jagermeister since."

Maura laughed loudly, the thought of the three Rizzoli siblings trapped in a car with a man suffering from a chronic gas problem was comical in the extremes. "Anyone else you need to warn me about?"

"If I did that, we'd be here all night. I'll give you quick run-down before the shindig, you'll need it fresh in your mind."

"So, we do we do between now and then?" Maura asked coyly, knowing exactly what she wanted as she slipped her hands under Jane's shirt and ran her nails down the detective's back, slowly.

"Ohh god, that feels good," Jane said, arching into Maura's touch.

"You want to give that kissing thing another go?" Maura asked, wiggling her eyebrows hopefully.

Jane pulled the smaller woman into her arms, and immediately slid under Maura's nightgown to cup the curve of her rear end with her hands. "You're not wearing any underwear."

"No," Maura shook her head, watching as the implication washed over Jane. "Want me to put some on? I wouldn't want to tempt you."

"The way I feel Maura, I'd quite happily ban you from ever being dressed again," she said, pulling Maura close and crashing their lips together as she felt the blonde's arms wrapping around her tightly.

Maura leaned back breathlessly into her pillow the minute Jane released her mouth and struggled to catch her breath. They grinned at each other stupidly, still curled around each other as they snuggled back down again.

Maura decided to change the subject and take Jane's mind off her mother's party plans. "That reminds me. You know how we were saying the other night that we needed a hobby that would keep us occupied and not fighting with each other?"

"Mhmm, any ideas?" Jane asked, her lips gravitating towards Maura's chest, kissing the dusting of freckles there.

"Yes. It's very much like the activity you're engaged in now, you just keep moving further south," Maura said, suddenly squealing with laughter when Jane jumped up and sat astride her, resting her hands on either side of the doctor's head.

"Maura Isles! Are you still trying to seduce me?"

"No." Maura shook her head and grinned up seductively at Jane, pursing her lips in such a way that there was no mistaking what was on her mind. "If I were, you wouldn't still be wearing pants. Although that can very quickly be resolved."

"You can have a lot of fun while you're still fully clothed, you know." Jane winked down at Maura, almost passing out on the spot when Maura opened her legs and pulled Jane to settle between them as she lay over her. "Have I ever told you how stunningly beautiful you really are?"

"You might have mentioned it, but never as sincerely as that." Maura felt her heart swell with love, and knew there and then that she wanted to spend the rest of her life like this, with Jane.

Jane's reply was huskier than usual, "Oh I meant it, Maura. I just wasn't lying on top of the sexiest woman I've ever known."

"Including Dana Delaney?" Maura asked, knowing that Jane could never watch re-runs of China Beach without trying to hide the fact that she was lusting over her.

"Including her," Jane said, going pink around the ears at being caught out on an old teenage TV crush. "I'm seeing a pattern here. She was a nurse and you're a doctor. Do I have some kind of medical fetish?"

"You do spend more time at Mass. General than the head trauma surgeon," Maura laughed as Jane raised an eyebrow at her. "Should I be worried that you're going to ask me to wear my scrubs and my lab coat in the bedroom?"

"Damn it, Maura," Jane growled as a bolt of arousal shot through her. "Yes."

Maura howled with laughter as Jane turned the colour of beetroot. "You were right; you do have a medical fetish."

"Shut up. You know, you missed out Kathleen Turner, Kelly McGillis, Kim Basinger and..." Jane paused when Maura shot her a murderous look.

"I'm beginning to think you have a blonde fetish, too. Was that all you did in your teens? Lust after celebrities? I never knew you were so sex obsessed."

"Oh yeah," Jane grinned, thinking back fondly to her teenage years and the rampant hormones flooding through her body. "I grew out of it eventually. Until I spotted you wearing your scrubs and lab coat for the first time and then it was like being a teenager all over again."

"I'll wear my scrubs and my lab coat if you wear your uniform." It was Maura's turn to look slightly flushed as she took in the dreamy look on Jane's face. "I've pictured you in it ever since you got your award. I'm not just talking about the uniform either, I want everything. The hat, the duty belt, gun, handcuffs, you name it."

"Patrol car," Jane deadpanned as Maura pinched her on the hip in retaliation. "Are you into role play?"

Maura seriously considered the question. "It isn't something I've ever tried. Although as part of a fulfilling sex life, it could be fun. Keep things spiced up a little if we were both willing. Have you ever tried it?"

"I can honestly say I haven't, although it has always intrigued me, if I'm being really honest."

"Really?" Maura looked quite surprised at Jane's revelation. "Well that's an unexpected surprise. I wasn't sure you'd be open to experimentation."

"I'm open to trying things I've never done before with you, I trust you enough to let you find out where my boundaries are. So long as it's just between the two of us."

"Threesomes don't appeal to me. They never have, so you don't ever have to worry," Maura said, trying to put Jane's mind at rest. "I don't want to share you with anyone else."

"I feel exactly the same. Besides, sex for me was always bad enough with one guy, so why make it worse and try it with two," Jane said with a grin as Maura snorted with laughter. "But, if it was you and Dana Delaney..."

Maura looked scandalised and flipped them over so she was the one sitting astride Jane this time. "If I thought you were serious, I'd kick you out of bed."

Jane giggled and then her features softened into a warm smile as she pulled Maura to lie against her and gently caressed her back. "I wouldn't look twice at her, or anyone else for that matter. It's you, Maura, it's always been you."

Well, there we have it for this chapter. I hope you liked it, and I'd love it if you sent me a review to let me know what you thought, but again as always, I'll appreciate you taking the time to read even if you don't send me a review. Thank you very much! :)