A/N: Merry Christmas everyone. Sorry this is late but I was kind of busy today for obvious reasons.

Angela was the first Rizzoli through the door, quickly followed by Frankie and Tommy, then by Jane and Maura. The moment she walked through the threshold Maura felt the gaze of many eyes fall upon her. A brief moment of anxiety hit her, only to be ushered away by Jane. As Tommy and Frankie deposited the many presents under the Christmas tree detective held onto Maura's hand and led her through the crowded living room to the kitchen. Amongst the women standing in the kitchen, stood one woman in particular whom the others gathered around. She was a tiny old woman, standing 5'1 at best. Her hair was completely gray, and most likely had been for a long time. Large thick glasses sat in front of dark eyes, her skin harshly wrinkled, she still had a smile on her face that put Maura slightly at ease. Angela greeted her mother first, bringing over Frankie, then Tommy, speaking rapidly in Italian. The old woman nodded and hugged each of her grandsons as she welcomed them in her native tongue. It was only after Tommy had moved aside and darted out of the kitchen that Jane dared to approach the family matriarch.

"Ciao Nonna. Buon Natale," Jane leaned forward and hugged her grandmother, still holding onto Maura's hand, she pulled the other woman forward. "Questa รจ la mia fidanzata, il dottor Maura Isles," Jane said as she gestured to Maura. Maura, suddenly very nervous, figited with her fingers before she opened her mouth.

"E 'molto bello conoscerti, Buon Natale," Maura smiled as Jane looked on, shocked. Maura pulled a bottle of wine out of her large bag and handed it to Nonna Bonatelli. The matriarch looked to Angela, then Jane, then back to Maura. She extended her arms and pulled Maura down into a hug as she began babbling in Italian. When Maura was released from Nonna's grasp she moved next to Jane. "What did she say?"

"When did you learn to speak Italian?" Jane asked in a hushed voice.

"I thought knowing a few phrases would be useful today," Maura smirked proudly, though she still wondered what Nonna had said to her.

"You are amazing," Jane stared at Maura, once again be reminded what a genius her girlfriend and left almost speechless. At that moment Angela leaned towards them.

"My mother says thank you for the wine. And that your Italian needs work, but she appreciates the effort," Angela nodded at Maura as Jane stood up from leaning against the counter. Even though things had gone almost perfectly with Nonna, Maura's full acceptance into the family was far from complete. As Angela opened the wine and began pouring glasses with Nonna, the aunts seemed to close in around Maura and Jane if if they were lionesses corning prey. Jane instinctively took Maura's hand in hers, though she did not move to stand in front of the doctor. While Jane wanted desperately to protect Maura from the interrogation about to come, it would only give the older women more fodder to play with.

"So...Maura," Jane's Aunt Sophie began as she looked Maura up and down. Maura felt her breath halt in her chest as the woman spoke. Sophie was only a few years younger than Angela, they had the same skin tone and bright eyes. Though Sophie's hair was much darker and she wore much more make up than Maura had ever seen Angela wear. "We've heard alot about you," Sophie took a glass of wine from Angela then turned back to Maura. "All good of course, I'm just surprised this is the first time we've met you." Maura's mouth opened, but before she could say anything Jane reached between her and Sophie to take a glass of wine from her mother. Jane handed it to Maura and gave her a quick nod before leaning back on the counter. With that extra moment to compose herself, Maura now met Sophie's eyes.

"I usually spend my holidays working, but Jane invited me and I couldn't turn her down," Maura smiled and looked to Jane, the tall detective felt her heart turn to mush under the M.E.'s stare. A conversation ensued, though Jane barely heard a word of it as her eyes only saw Maura.

"Jane," Aunt Rose, Tony's wife, brought Jane out of her dreaming state. "Where have you been hiding with this one?"

"The morgue," Jane stated flatly. She held out as long as she could but soon a smile broke out across her face and the group of women laughed.

"Why was that funny?" Maura whispered to Jane. Jane raised an eyebrow to Maura as she sipped at the beer she had been handed. Jane watched the different expressions play across Maura's face as the genius worked out the situation. "Its an unexpected juxtaposition isn't it, the truth of our work and your aunt's jest at our sudden appearance," Maura uttered softly as she glanced at the group of women. As they began to talk amongst themselves they didn't seem to notice Maura's whispers to Jane.

"You've got it," Jane nodded and continued to drink her beer. Maura smiled as she felt Jane slip an arm around her waist. Maura leaned into Jane just as Nonna shouted over the chattering women and waved her hands at them. Jane immediately jumped across the kitchen and nodded at Nonna. "Alright I'm going." Jane reached out and took Maura's hand, pulling her out of the kitchen as quickly as she could.

"Did we do something wrong?" Maura asked as Jane led them into the living room.

"Wrong?" Jane looked at Maura curiously. "No, no. Nonna always kicks me and the cousins out when ma and my aunts get cooking."

"The cousins and I," Maura corrected. Jane rolled her eyes as they settled down on the couch. Across the living room was a tiny bar where a number of the uncles and older cousins were gathered. Other various relatives were scattered across the house. The elder women in the kitchen, uncles and cousins drinking and chatting in the living room, watching basketball in the family room, and small groups of children running through out the house, each and everyone of them with dark hair and olive skin. A little girl, looking to be about five years old, strode into the living room alone. She made a beeline through the adults to her mother, and climbed up onto the older woman's lap. The girl stared at Jane and Maura but the second that Maura looked at the girl, the young brunette buried her face in her mother's shoulder. Upon seeing this Jane and the girls mother laughed.

"She's still shy I see," Jane smirked.

"Oh yeah," The woman nodded before looking to her daughter. "Lia, can you say hello to cousin Jane?" To this Lia lifted her head from her mother's shoulder to look at Jane and Maura for a second before turning away. Jane laughed again as Maura looked, remembering when she had acted similarly when she was Lia's age.

"Maura, this is my cousin Beth, and her daughter Lia," Jane motioned between Maura and her cousin. "Beth this is my...Maura," Jane paused ever so slightly upon Maura's introduction. She wasn't quite used to calling Maura her girlfriend, at least not in front of other people. With Lia still on her lap, Beth leaned forward and shook Maura's hand.

"It's very nice to meet you," Maura smiled as she shook Beth's hand, noticing the striking resemblance between the two cousins.

"You too," Beth leaned back into her chair, holding onto Lia with one arm and holding a glass of wine in her other hand. Lia picked her head up and turned around on her mother's lap. Her silvery dress twisting and hindering her movements. She looked at Jane and gave the detective a half smile.

"Hi," Jane and Maura could barely hear Lia's soft voice through the bustling noise of the room. Lia lifted her arm as her eyes drifted to Maura. Her fingers curled and uncurled in her attempt to wave at the new stranger. Maura did not even attempt to fight the bright smile that spread across her face. She waved back to Lia as she whispered,

"Hi," and Jane looked on proudly.

A/N: This was part 1 of Christmas by the way. I wanted to get it up before the end of actual Christmas. Part 2 should be up in a couple of hours, fingers crossed. Also remember to review.