A/N: Thank you guys so much for all the reviews. You are amazing. This chapter is way longer than the ones I normally write (over 6700 words!), simply because it needs to stand on its own. Let's just say that Constance makes an appearance, and things go .. not very well.

I love you all, and thank you so much for taking your time to read every chapter.


Maura, being a natural early riser, wakes up at 7:15AM the next day. She stretches before sitting up, and then she hears someone mumbling next to her. "Nooo, Maur, it's Saturday," the rough, deep voice can only belong to one person.

Jane? In my bed?

She sits, stunned, and the events of last night slowly come back to her.

Oh my god, I kissed her. She kissed me. Are we girlfriends? Is she okay with this? Or what-

"Stop that," the groggy voice mumbles. The covers next to her move, and Maura is finally met by two brown eyes.

"Stop what?" she asks, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"Thinking," a simple answer, but it has so much meaning. Maura doesn't reply, still overwhelmed.

"Come here," the voice says, and Maura can't do anything but oblige. She lies back down and curls up, close to the warm body next to her. A strong arm wraps around her and pulls her even closer, into the body that is so Jane. The brunette doesn't say anything, and her closed eyes indicate that she's still half asleep.

"I meant what I said last night, Jane. I love you," the blonde says softly.

"Mm," Jane mumbles. "I'd love you more if you let me sleep in."

The blonde chuckles. "Fine," she says. "But then you're helping me with breakfast."

Jane doesn't respond, and her breathing has already evened out, indicating that she has fallen back asleep. The blonde inwardly shakes her head, but doesn't mind laying like this at all. Against her expectations, she falls back asleep as well, in the arms of the girl she loves the most, and there is no more room for worries.

..

Maura has joined Jane, Frost and Audrey again during lunch. Frost and Audrey shared looks when Jane brought Maura back to their table, and the brunette is sure that one of them will start asking questions soon enough. Jane's behavior towards Maura has changed and the other way around as well, and that cannot have gone unnoticed by Jane's friends. The brunette doesn't yet reach for Maura's hand, but instead puts her hand on Maura's back or pulls her closer by her side. It feels good and natural, and Jane is sure she doesn't want anyone else.

Maura on her part looks at the brunette like she's the most beautiful thing in this world, which she is, and the blonde doesn't ever want to hide her feelings anymore. She sometimes catches Jane looking at her like that too, and she can't help but smile.

Today is the last day before Christmas break, and Frost and Audrey are already sitting at their table when they arrive.

Audrey shares a look with Frost, the look, when Jane briefly puts her hand on Maura's back.

"So when are you guys going to tell us?" she says when they sit down.

The brunette looks at Maura, terrified. "What do you mean?" she manages to say, looking back at her friends.

"Come on, Jane. It's not like we don't already know. Tell us," Frost says, already smiling.

Jane and Maura have talked about lots of things during the past few days, but they haven't discussed yet how they wanted to tell people. Jane nervously looks at Maura again, not sure what to say, but the blonde does.

"We talked last Friday and ... well, Jane is my girlfriend now," she says, blushing slightly. She nudges the brunette's shoulder, urging her to say something.

"Yeah, uh, that," Jane stammers. They haven't used the term 'girlfriend' before, but after hearing Maura say it, Jane is sure she has found her new favorite word.

"Well, you would be blind if you couldn't see that from the beginning," Frost says. "Congrats, girls. I'm glad you made up."

"Yeah, yeah, "Jane mumbles. "Shut it, Frost." She's not annoyed, she just doesn't know how to deal with the things she's feeling. After Audrey has congratulated them too, both friends mercifully let the subject go.

Although Jane didn't plan on telling their friends this quick, she's happy that things turned out this way. Not that she expected anything else, but it's just nice that her friends know and are happy for her. At least she can pull Maura closer to her without worrying about them.

The blonde looks at her and smiles, and Jane has to remind herself that this girl is now actually her girlfriend.

It doesn't seem real.

..

That same day, Jane meets Maura at their lockers after school. The blonde is just pulling a few books out of her locker, when a familiar scent makes her turn around. "Hey," she says, leaning into Jane's embrace. "Hey yourself," the brunette replies, letting go of her girlfriend to open her locker as well.

"Did you mind me telling them? At lunch, I mean?" the blonde asks.

"Of course not, Maur. I kinda freaked out for a second, so thank you for telling," Jane says honestly.

They stand in silence for a while, and Maura waits for the brunette to finish and grab her coat.

"Jane, will you come to my ballet performance? It's the day before Christmas Eve. We're doing the Nutcracker," Maura asks nervously.

"Of course!" Jane replies, not even thinking about saying no. "You can sleep at my place? Or do you have something else planned the next day?"

The blonde shakes her head. "Not the next day, but I hope my mother will be home during Christmas. I can at least stay over the 23rd, but the 24th probably not, if you were going to ask. Are you sure I won't wear out my welcome? I've been staying over so many times already."

"You can't wear out your welcome with my mother, Maur. She loves you, and you practically lived with us before, you know, our fight. You've been given the all access pass from the moment you walked into our house and properly introduced yourself to her."

Maura leans into Jane, and the brunette wraps an arm around her.

"I'd love to get an all access pass to you, Jane," Maura whispers in Jane's ear. The brunette pulls away, shocked by Maura's boldness. "Maura! Not here."

The blonde laughs, giving her girlfriend a little push. "Love you," she says, and those words never fail to make Jane smile.

"No, but I mean it Maur," the brunette continues, "No disrespect to my brother's friends, but you're the only one who's a proper house guest. You're always welcome to stay at my place, no matter what."

"Okay," she replies. "Can we text about when and where we'll meet? I need to be there a lot earlier though, so we'll have to discuss that."

"Sure Maur," the brunette says, swinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Are you going home too?"

"I'm going back to the library and work on a project. One of my advanced classes," she adds. "But I'll walk with you to the exit."

They walk together, but neither of them is brave enough to grab the other's hand. So they simply walk next to each other, chatting about their weekend plans. Maura is taking an extra pointe class, and Jane has a game. They round the corner and have almost arrived at the hardwood doors, when a little boy walks past them and greets them. "Hey Jane! Hi Maura," he says, and Jane says hi back.

Maura looks over her shoulder at the boy. "Should I know him? How does he know my name?" she asks, stunned.

Jane smiles, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend's waist and stopping her from walking further. "Of course he knows your name, Maur. You're with me," she replies, a cocky grin on her face. "Half of the school already knows your name. You're my girl now."

Maura looks at Jane adoringly, feeling her stomach tingle. "I love you," she says, repeating what she said minutes ago.

"I love you too," the brunette replies, placing a small kiss on her girlfriend's cheek. "See you, Maur." She turns around and opens the doors, throwing another smile over her shoulder before the doors fall closed and Maura can only see the top of Jane's head through the glass in the door.

She looks at brown curls being lifted up by the wind, before heading back into the hallway, towards the library.

..

Maura's performance is in the Orpheum Theatre downtown, and because it's so far away, Angela offers to drive them there. She even gives them money for a cab on their way back, and Jane takes it hesitantly, because she knows her mother's income and she doesn't want to waste any money. Her mother says it's okay.

It's a 30-minute drive to the theater, giving Jane's mother enough time to ask Maura all kinds of questions.

"So how many people are coming to the performance, Maura?" Angela asks, taking a right turn onto one of the main roads.

"The capacity of the Orpheum is 2700, but I'm not sure if it's completely sold out. This show is only once a year though, so it'd be weird if it didn't sell out," Maura says indifferently, as if performing in front of so many people is the most normal thing in the world. Jane looks at her, stunned, and Maura sees Angela's eyes get wide in the rear view mirror.

"That's almost three thousand! Aren't you nervous, honey?" Angela asks.

The blonde shrugs, and pulls Jane's arm over her head to lean on her shoulder. "Not really," she says. "Just excited."

The blonde closes her eyes, leaning her head on Jane's shoulder and listening to her girlfriend humming along with the radio.

Maura has one last run-through, meaning Jane has to wait for an hour and a half before the doors open. The brunette is excited, and since she doesn't know anything about ballet, it won't matter what the blonde does. She will love it anyway.

Finally, the doors open, and Jane walks to her chair on the third row. The theater fills up really quickly, and when Jane looks behind her right before the lights dim, she wonders how the blonde can't be nervous. Maura isn't socially awkward, but she's not an outgoing person either, and she usually keeps to herself when she doesn't know people. Jane is already proud of her for doing this.

Then, the curtains open and the show begins.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we friendly ask you to switch off your mobile phones and any other devices that could be used as …"

..

Maura is backstage, looking one of the monitors that show the dancers on stage. Right now, two of her classmates are performing a duet, and she know she is due in two minutes. She has already done a couple of dances and duets, but this is her first solo, and it's also the end of the performance. Although she's a little nervous now, her stomach tingles with excitement. This is the moment she loves the most, standing backstage right before going on stage, knowing that you're performing a solo in front of hundreds, maybe thousands of people. Many others will only feel nervous, but she loves everything about it. They have been working towards this performance since September, and she's already proud of everyone for pulling this off. All the work they put in it, all the late and long practices they've had, it's incredible that everyone is now here and still standing.

"20 seconds," the guy behind her says, and she steps behind the black curtain, taking a deep breath.

This is it.

"10."

I'm not going to mess up. I got this.

"Ready? Go."

She begins on pointe, and slowly feels the warmth of the spotlights as they focus on her. She knows her combination so well that she doesn't even have to think about it anymore, and she practically flies over the stage.

Because of the bright light, Maura can only see the first row, but she doesn't actually focus on the people. She focuses on dancing, feeling, on not just doing the combination without any type of emotion. This is her sport. This is her thing, and she wants to be the best at it.

She is the best.

With that thought, she goes into her last twenty seconds of her solo, managing to do fifteen fouetté's before finishing with a triple turn going into her last pose. The music quiets, and the audience is holding its breath. Then she bows gracefully, and the room almost explodes. Everyone is up on their feet, clapping loudly. She doesn't get to see much of it though, because the curtain already falls. She knows that one of the guys from her class is now walking up behind her, followed by everybody else, so they can form a long line before the curtains open again.

The lights in the theater have been switched on, and Maura can see that everybody is still up on their feet. Maura finally sees her girlfriend, also standing and clapping loudly, shiny eyes from unshed tears. Because Maura's one of the main characters in the play, she gets her own, 'private' bow, and the blonde hears a loud whistle that can only belong to the brunette. She can't help but smile, and she waves at the audience one last time before the curtain falls again.

..

..

"You did so well. You're so beautiful," Jane says for the hundredth time that evening, when they're in the cab on their way home. Maura is holding the rose Jane gave her, and she cannot be happier.

"You've covered that," Maura says, smiling. She leans in and places a kiss on Jane's cheek. "Thank you for coming."

"You're so beautiful," the brunette repeats, putting her arm around her girlfriend.

The blonde laughs again and puts her head on Jane's shoulder, listening to the song the cab driver just put on. It's almost midnight, meaning there is almost no traffic, and their ride is way too quick for Maura, who is perfectly comfortable next to her girlfriend.

When they arrive at Jane's house, Maura has almost fallen asleep, but the cold December winds outside wake her up again. It's blissfully quiet while she waits for Jane to open the front door. Everyone has already gone to bed, and Maura takes this opportunity to pull her girlfriend in for a long kiss that leaves them both a little hazy. Jane smiles before locking the door behind them, and they make their way upstairs.

The blonde is still grateful for Jane's huge bed, because that gives them the freedom of sleeping together without anyone wondering why. Nobody in this house knows that she and Jane are together, and if Jane wants to keep it this way for a while, Maura is okay with that.

She sits down on Jane's bed, completely exhausted. She dropped her dance bag on the floor a second ago, but decides against keeping it there, so she pulls it closer with her feet until it's in her reach. She opens it, pulling out some costumes and basic leotards and folds them neatly into a pile, while Jane is looking through her closet for something to sleep in.

She's done quickly and looks up, just when Jane pulls her sweatshirt over her head, revealing a black sports bra. Maura's soft, barely audible intake of breath makes the brunette turn around, meeting dark hazel eyes. This is the first time Maura sees her like this, because she undressed in Maura's bathroom the time she slept over, and apparently the blonde likes her like this.

"You okay there, Maur?"

The blonde swallows, eyes focused on Jane's abs. They shift upwards, over Jane's ribs, up to her sports bra, her collarbones, her lips and finally, her eyes. "Uhh, yeah," she stammers, quickly averting her gaze.

"Sure?" Jane says teasingly, not having failed to notice Maura's response to her current state of undress. The blonde nods, not giving a vocal answer this time.

"You know, I think I'll just change in the bathroom," Jane says with a smug smile on her face. Maura is about to protest, but she thinks that this is probably for the best. She knows she won't be able to control herself if her girlfriend undresses here.

"That's probably a good idea," she responds, getting up before pulling her shirt over her head as well, showing off the toned body of a professional dancer. Now it's Jane's turn to let her gaze wander over the dancer's body, smug smile already disappearing.

"What?" Maura asks, pretending not to know what Jane is feeling. "I thought you were going to change in the bathroom."

"Yeah, yeah, I was," the brunette mumbles, quickly turning around and heading towards the door.

When they're finally in bed together, Jane can't help but mention again how beautiful the blonde looked. She holds her girlfriend close, incredibly grateful that this girl wants to date her. That she now has the opportunity to kiss this girl whenever she wants, and to be able to hold her like this.

A comfortable silence falls between them, and Jane thinks Maura must have fallen asleep. She was exhausted, and who wouldn't be after such a performance.

Suddenly, the blonde talks. "Do you want to come with me to my house tomorrow? My mother and I will have dinner together because it's Christmas Eve, and I want you to meet her. I want her to meet you."

The brunette waits a second before replying. "Are you sure?"

She feels Maura nod against her.

"Okay," Jane replies hesitantly. She's already nervous, but most of all scared of what that woman is going to think of her.

"Only if you want to, Jane. I wouldn't-" the blonde starts, but Jane interrupts her.

"Of course. Anything for you, Maur."

That answer makes Maura's heart melt, and she pulls Jane in for a kiss.

Just because she can.

..

..

Constance's flight arrives at 4:30PM, so Maura and Jane have the whole house to themselves for the day. They decide to watch a movie and start early with preparing dinner, because Maura wants to have everything ready before her mother arrives.

The blonde wills herself to not look nervous, but the closer it comes to six, the more nervous she gets. When she reaches over to the cupboard to grab three glasses, her trembling hands give her away.

"Maura. It's going to be okay. No matter what happens, I love you, okay?" Jane says, hoping to sound reassuring.

The blonde tries to believe it, but is not so sure when she thinks of her mother's words when she sent Maura off to public school.

I hope you will meet some of your own kind, Maura.

She is sure her mother won't see what she sees in Jane. The brunette is kind, smart and talented, but her mother will only see her background and her clothes: money.

And she knows that she is right when she looks at her mother's face when Jane puts her hand out for Constance to shake. Her mother is not pleased with the type of person Maura has chosen to be friends with. The brunette pretends not to notice, and friendly smiles at Maura's mother before following her to the dining room.

"And where do you live, Jane?" One of the first questions asked during their three-course meal.

"In Roxbury, ma'am," the brunette replies. Maura looks at her mother nervously. She sees the crease in her mother's eyebrows, and Maura is sure she could write down exactly what Constance is thinking.

The median household income is 36% lower than the national average.

The overall crime rate is 29% higher than the national average.

The unemployment rate is twice the national average.

"Oh, okay. And you go to the same school as Maura?" Constance asks, and Maura knows she's simply trying to be polite. At least she has the decency to pretend.

Jane replies in the affirmative, and successfully changes the subject to her sport, soccer. The thing she is familiar with and confident about, and Maura is in awe of the girl sitting next to her. Jane, who still has trouble trusting her, is willing to sit through this awful dinner. For her.

Somehow the brunette manages to keep the conversation going, and even asks Constance what she does for a job. Constance asks Maura how her dance is going, and the blonde shows her a video of her performance.

"Well darling, that looks really impressive," her mother says, and if Jane is surprised by the lack of enthusiasm in this response, she doesn't let it show.

Maura wishes, for one second, that her mother could be a bit more like Angela. At least Jane's mother shows that she's proud of her daughter.

Dinner is finally over, and Jane gets up to take the plates to the kitchen, immediately followed by Maura. The blonde desperately wants to kiss the brunette and plead her to stay, and to please believe her when she says that she is nothing like her mother. She hates herself for thinking that this was a good thing to do. Not because of Jane, but because of her mother, because Maura knows what she's like. And she is so sorry for doing this to her girlfriend. For making her sit through this awful dinner on Christmas Eve, but most of all because she knows how this will make Jane feel. She'd hoped that her mother had changed somehow.

She hasn't.

But Maura cannot say any of this because they're in the kitchen, and her mother will hear everything. Jane gives her a reassuring smile, but Maura can't find the will to smile back. When Jane is in the hallway, putting on her coat, she can hear Constance talking to Maura.

"I thought I did the right thing by sending you to public school. Although I certainly hoped you'd make some friends, I'm displeased to hear that you've chosen to spend time with this girl and her friends," her mother says, and Maura cannot think straight anymore. She knows that Jane is right outside, and although her mother won't care if the brunette hears this, probably wants the brunette to hear this, Maura can only see the brunette walking out on her. Leaving her.

"The girl is called Jane, mother," she says harshly. If Jane can hear this, she'll know that Maura is different. Nothing like her mother. "And you cannot come home after months, only to tell me that I cannot spend time with the girl I love. Whom, excuse you, hasn't even met you although I've known her since the start of this school year."

Before Constance can respond, the brunette re-enters the room. Maura can tell from the look on her face that Jane heard everything, and she expects the brunette to walk right out, but the complete opposite happens. The brunette walks up to her and puts her hand on Maura's back.

"Are you okay?" Jane asks, rubbing gently.

The blonde nods, but both girls know that it isn't true.

"You can stay at my place again if you want to," Jane offers, completely ignoring Constance's presence. She hates seeing her girlfriend so sad, and she despises the woman who has made her girlfriend feel this way.

"She's not going anywhere. You're staying here, Maura. It's Christmas tomorrow," her mother says.

Both Jane and Maura are silent, not knowing how to respond to this. It's Maura who finds her voice first.

"I'm staying with the person who really loves me, mother. And I hope you know that means I won't be staying here tonight," with that, Maura turns around, heading for the hallway with Jane on her heels.

Constance doesn't have a response to that, but follows the girls into the hallway. Before she can say anything, Jane talks. "Look, woman," her tone is not polite, but she doesn't want it to be. "Maura hasn't told me much about you, but how you're treating her right now is not okay. This girl, your daughter, was terrified of what you'd think of me. Not because she doesn't love me, but because I'm not a girl with class, or a girl from a rich neighborhood. I told her that it would be okay, but after tonight you should think twice before you open your mouth."

Jane falls silent for a second, letting her words sink in.

"You can insult me all you want, you can despise me for who I am and where I come from. I'm a big girl and I can handle that. But the second you're going to insult Maura for her choice of friends, it's over. I hope you realize that you just made her Christmas Eve a lot worse by doing that, but I doubt you even know what your daughter looks like when she's crying. You haven't been there for her enough to see that. But I will be here to look after her, unlike you."

The last part is a dig, but Maura's mother doesn't follow up on it. Jane turns around to face her girlfriend, who's just wiping a tear away.

"Jane," Constance tries once again, desperately wanting Maura to stay, although her responses are causing the exact opposite, "My daughter is old enough to take care of herself. She has done that for a long time already, and she doesn't need you to look after her. She's independent enough."

The brunette turns around, slowly, trying not to let this woman get the best of her. "No, you've made Maura independent enough because you were never there for her. And I won't let that go on any longer. Maura deserves better, she deserves someone who looks after her. And if her own mother can't do that, then I will. Goodbye, Constance."

With those words, Jane gives Maura a little push towards the door, urging the blonde to walk out.

..

Angela is just switching off the lights in the house when the girls enter. "Ma, it's just me and Maura," Jane whispers, not wanting to scare her mother. "Maura and I," the blonde can't help but correct, and Jane rolls her eyes.

Her mother is in the kitchen, and Jane peeks around the corner. "Maura is staying over again, Ma." Her mother looks at her, confused. "But I thought you were- Honey! What happened to you?" Jane turns around and sees that Maura is standing behind her, red rimmed eyes from crying. Jane shakes her head at her mother and motions for Maura to go upstairs. "I'll be right there," she says, giving the blonde a little nudge towards the stairs. When she's sure Maura is gone, Jane tells her mother what happened. Her mother listens, not interrupting once, and sighs when Jane is finished. "Oh, Jane. You did the right thing by taking her back here. You're really kind to her, you know that? I'm happy you have such a close friend now."

You should know what kind of 'friend' she is, Ma.

"Yeah. Well, I'm going to check up on her now. G'night," Jane says, waiting for her mother to respond before walking up the stairs.

The blonde is sitting on her bed, cross-legged, a distant look in her eyes. She doesn't notice Jane coming in, but when Jane says her name for the fourth time, she finally looks up. The brunette sees various emotions follow each other up in hazel eyes.

Confusion. Sadness. Fear.

Before any of them can open their mouth, Maura starts crying again. Not the silent crying where tears roll down your cheeks and you don't make a sound, but the real crying, where you're gasping for air and feel like you're going to pass out. The brunette quickly walks towards her girlfriend and loops her arms under Maura's, pulling her up and holding her close, whispering soothingly in her ear.

Jane can only hope that her mother has the decency to leave them alone, and to keep her brothers away from here.

It takes the blonde ten whole minutes to finish crying, but when she does, she feels a little better. "I'm sorry I ruined your Christmas Eve, Jane," Maura says quietly, looking at her girlfriend.

"Maura. Do you really think I care about that?" Jane replies, pushing the blonde's hair out of her eyes. Her girlfriend shrugs, not answering. "Despite my trust issues, I couldn't watch her hurt you like that. I love you, Maura, and I want to protect you."

Without warning, the blonde presses her lips against Jane's, making warmth spread all throughout their bodies. Although Jane desperately wants to talk about what happened, she lets Maura do what she wants, anything to make her feel better.

They find themselves on the bed only a few seconds after the first kiss, and Maura tries to pull Jane's shirt up. The brunette stops her and pulls back to look into hazel eyes, questioningly.

"Maur. Can I ask you something?"

Her girlfriend nods, placing another kiss on already slightly swollen lips.

"Where is your father in this entire story?"

Maura is silent for a while, thinking about what her answer will be. "I don't know him," she simply states, not knowing what to say otherwise. She feels her girlfriend lean into her, one hand resting on her hip.

"How come you never met him?" Jane breathes against her neck, making her shiver.

Maura knows that she will have to get used to this, the serious conversations in between kisses.

"I .." she has to take a minute to regroup herself when Jane presses a kiss exactly on her pulse point. "He died before I was born. He was a criminal, and I don't know much about him except that his death was something criminal-related."

"Don't you want to know more?" the brunette asks.

Maura shakes her head, failing to find words because Jane's hand has slipped underneath her shirt.

"Please, Jane," she breathes, urging her girlfriend to get even closer. "Moo," Jane manages to get out, pulling away from Maura's lips. She knows what the blonde wants, and although she wants it too, something is holding her back.

"Not tonight, Maur. Not after the fight with you mother. Not when I'm still trying to fully trust you again. I just want to hold you, and not go further," the brunette says, and the blonde loves her for being so honest.

"Isn't it better if I'll take a mattress and sleep on the floor then?" Maura offers. "Because I'm not quite sure we can handle... you know. And maybe we'll both sleep better that way," she adds.

Jane looks at her, smiling. "If you're saying that because you're afraid I can't handle my desires, let me tell you something. I shower with girls multiple times a week, Maura. Don't think I can't keep my hands to myself," she says, making the blonde laugh. "Besides, I sleep better with you next to me."

"Me too, actually," the blonde confesses, looking into the eyes of her girlfriend.

"Then why did you ask-" Jane starts, but is once again interrupted by the blonde's lips.

When they part, the brunette's eyes are a little darker than they were before. She pulls her girlfriend closer against her, loving the way she smells. She is amazed by how natural this already feels, even though this is only their second night together.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jane asks gently, meaning about Maura's past, and her mother, and of course the fight they had.

"No," Maura replies. "Not right now."

"Okay," Jane says softly. "But we're talking about it later. We have to."

..

..

The next morning, Jane is the first to wake up. The blonde is still fast asleep next to her, and she looks so peaceful. The brunette takes her time watching her girlfriend sleep, until the blonde starts to stir. Jane tucks a strand of blonde hair behind Maura's ear, and presses a soft kiss to her cheek. "Morning, beautiful."

Sleepy hazel eyes meet hers. "Good morning."

The brunette leans in to kiss her girlfriend, who pushes her away just before their lips touch.

"I'm not kissing you until you get rid of that morning breath," Maura says groggily, scrunching her nose.

"Pssh," Jane makes a face. "You don't smell that good either, but do you hear me complaining?" She sticks out her tongue, letting Maura know that she's joking before heading over to her closet, grabbing some clothes. Maura hears the bathroom door close and turns around in Jane's bed, pulling the covers over her head.

Jane comes out of the bathroom wearing a zip-up hoodie that's halfway open, exposing her body from her collarbone down to her abs. She's wearing a different sports bra than two days ago, and Maura is sure she has never seen anything so beautiful in her life. Although she saw Jane like this barely 48 hours ago, she's sure she will never get tired of this sight. Jane's athletic body is absolutely stunning.

Jane opens her curtains, and Maura jumps when Jane calls out. "Snow! Maur, look!" she says, already running out of the room. "Frankie! Tommy! Look outside!"

The door next to Jane's room flies open and few muffled words of excitement are heard. Before Maura knows what's happening, Jane comes running back into the room. "Maur!" she says again, and the blonde looks up at her, amused by her girlfriend's enthusiasm. "Yes, Jane."

The brunette holds out her hands for Maura to take, and she pulls her girlfriend out of her bed. She wraps her arms around the silky nightgown Maura is wearing, and places a kiss near the blonde's ear. "Come play with me," she says, and her morning voice makes Maura melt. She pulls back, looking into brown eyes. "You're adorable," she can't help but say when she looks at Jane's face, still full of excitement. Jane spins her around so she can look out the window, and the brunette rests her chin on Maura's shoulder. "Look," her gravelly voice is right by Maura's ear. The blonde looks outside, at big, white flakes which are falling down at rapid speed. She calculates that there will at least be a few inches of snow within half an hour.

"Jane, come on!" A voice calls out from the hallway. "We're already- Hey, Maura. What are you doing here?" It's Frankie, and Jane is really happy that she pulled her hands away from Maura's waist just in time, because her brother is now standing in the doorway.

"What does it look like she's doing here? She stayed the night, you idiot," she says, motioning for him to move out of her room. "We'll be there in five. Make sure you and Tommy have warm clothes on! It's cold out."

..

Maura has never participated in a snow fight, and this is visible when they go outside and a snowball is flying towards them at full speed. Jane ducks just in time, but the snow ball hits Maura on her head, making her hair white immediately.

"Jane!" Frankie's voice makes her look to her left, and that gives Tommy the chance to hit her full in the face with a hand full of snow. Jane sputters, trying to get as much snow out of her face as quick as possible.

When most of it has gone, she throws her head back, laughing loudly. "You asswipe! I'm going to make you pay for it!"

Both Tommy and Frankie run away, further into the street. Jane turns to look at her girlfriend, who is looking at her affectionately.

"I love it when you laugh like that, Jane," the blonde says, honestly.

The brunette can't help but lean in and kiss her, ignoring her brother's looks. When they part, Jane sees Tommy open his mouth, but Frankie silences him.

She sees Frankie's mouth move over a few words she can't make out, except girlfriend and leave them be. This tells her that he doesn't care, thus accepts it, and Tommy does too, apparently. She will deal with her mother later today.

So Jane leans in and kisses Maura again, catching a snowball that Frankie throws at them when the boys come closer. "You're done!" she shrieks, pulling away from Maura and running after them. The blonde follows, not quite knowing what to do. She manages to duck just in time when Frankie throws another one, directed at her, and Jane hits him full in the face with another.

She laughs, and runs down the street with Jane, not caring about her cold hands.

When Jane is distracted by Tommy, who slips on the sidewalk and takes Frankie with him, Maura throws a snowball towards Jane, and it hits her on her shoulder. The brunette looks back, surprised, and a smug smile appears on her lips.

"You know what this means, don't you?" she says, and quickly walks towards her girlfriend. The blonde turns and starts running, yelling "Jane! I didn't mean it!" when Jane tries to tackle her. She stops running at the end of the street, completely out of breath, and Jane stops too, but she's still coming closer. Maura closer her eyes, but shrieks when she feels cold hands slip under her shirt, tickling her side.

"No! I'm sorry!" she squirms, trying to get out of the brunette's grip.

Jane doesn't stop, leaning into her ear. "What did you say? I didn't quite catch it."

"I'm sorry!" The blonde yells again, and her girlfriend finally stops tickling her, pulling back to look at her girlfriend.

Hazel eyes, red cheeks from the cold wind, tousled hair.

"You're beautiful."

God, that smile. She'll keep saying this forever if it means she'll get to see that smile.

After an hour of running around and throwing each other in the snow, they decide to go inside. Everything is cold and Maura cannot feel her toes anymore. Angela has made warm chocolate with marshmallows, and everyone is excited.

Jane and Maura sit together on the couch, Frankie and Tommy on the floor next to the TV.

Jane's marshmallows have melted and she's fishing them out of the hot chocolate with her spoon. She looks over at her girlfriend, who's just eating the marshmallows.

"Maur, you're supposed to put them in there," she says, smiling.

"But what if I like it like this?" the blonde counters, eyes twinkling playfully. The brunette doesn't have an answer to that, way too in love with Maura's eyes to even think about a response.

"Merry Christmas, Jane," the blonde says, leaning into her girlfriend's side.

"Merry Christmas, beautiful."