This story has gotten more visitors than any of my other stories, since I started it, and it has more reviews than any of the others. I really wasn't expecting that kind of response when I started it, but I am beyond thrilled, and flattered, that it's garnered so much attention. Hearing from a several readers that this stories has helped change the way they think about transgender issues has to be the best compliment ever. Thank you. Really.

Jane woke up to the sounds of knocking and her cell phone ringing, the next morning. Rubbing her eyes, she grabbed for her phone and stumbled toward the door while she answered it. Hearing Maura through the phone and behind the door, she hung up without saying anything and unlocked the door. Not bothering to open it, she laid down on the couch and buried her head under a cushion.

When Maura knocked again, Jane uncovered her face just long enough to yell, "I unlocked it. Now, let me sleep."

Opening the door, Maura set her purse down and sat on the coffee table in front of Jane, pulling the cushion off her face. She stared silently until Jane finally opened her eyes. "Good, now go shower and get dressed. I'll make breakfast while you get ready. We're going shopping, then to lunch. You did agree to let me buy you a new shirt."

Groaning, Jane squeezed her eyes shut and slammed her head back into the couch a couple times, before opening her eyes to glare at Maura. "You just said this weekend, and you DIDN'T say you'd be showing up at the butt crack of dawn. If I'd known that, I never would've agreed. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Taking Jane's phone out of her hand, Maura checked the time. "It's 8:21 in the morning. If you worked, today, you'd already be awake and getting ready, so it's really not that early. The sun has been up for quite some time, so you could hardly call it dawn. Now, get up so you can get ready. We're going shopping, then to lunch. I thought we could invite Andre and Paul to lunch, if you don't mind."

Jane grabbed for another cushion, whimpering in protest when Maura took it before she could cover her head. "Come on, Maura. It's too early for this. Let me sleep. It's my day off, and I want to sleep in. You can stay here, or come back later, but I want to sleep. We can go shopping after lunch. I'll even get more than one shirt. I promise. Just let me sleep for a little longer."

Sighing, Maura put the cushions back on the couch. "Fine, but I will be holding you to that promise. Go back to bed, but I will be waking you up no later than ten. If you sleep much later than that, your sleep cycle will be impaired and you'll have a harder time getting to sleep at a reasonable time for work on Monday."

Getting up, Jane placed an absent-minded kiss on Maura's head and walked toward her room, waving over her shoulder. "You're the best. Make yourself at home. Goodnight."

Moving to sit on the couch, Maura gave a small shake or the head and leaned back with a sigh. After a couple minutes, she got up and found Jane's laptop sitting on the kitchen table. Starting it up, she looked through Jane's playlists before settling on one. Smiling when the music started, she looked around before deciding to start picking up some of the mess Jane always left behind her.

About an hour later, Jane woke up. Hearing music, she got out of bed and walked toward the living room. Seeing Maura dancing in place while she dusted around the TV, Jane leaned against the wall with a smile and watched.

Finishing with the TV, Maura turned around. Noticing Jane smiling and leaning against the wall, she smiled and kept dancing. Dusting the frames on a couple pictures, she decided she was done and threw the dust rag in with the rest of Jane's laundry.

Coming back, she pointed at the full coffee pot and turned down the volume on Jane's computer. Sitting down at the counter, she waited until Jane finished fixing her coffee and took the first sip. "I'm glad to see you more awake. If you don't mind, I can call Andre and invite them to lunch. Actually, if you get ready quickly, we can have a late brunch, instead."

Checking the time, Jane realized it was earlier than she thought, and shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind if you invite them. I like them both, and Paul and I have a discussion to finish. Do you realize he's a Yankees fan? I don't care if they DO live in New York, there's just no excuse for that. If he grew up in New York, then I could MAYBE excuse it, but he didn't. So, I'm gonna convince him the Yankees are crap and he should cheer for a good team. Give me a few to take a quick shower and get dressed, and I'll be ready to go. Oh, and we're eating at that diner with the greasy burgers you hate watching me eat, so don't bother trying to call it brunch."

When Maura's mouth opened to start a lecture, Jane's hand flew up and she gave her a look. "Remember, you SAID I could pick where we ate. I want a greasy burger, so that's where we're going. If you don't want to eat there, we don't have to go shopping. We can invite the guys to BRUNCH somewhere else, and I'll just grab a shirt the next time I buy milk."

Sighing and closing her mouth, Maura ignored Jane's triumphant grin and shooed her toward her room.

Once she heard the shower turn on, she got her phone out of her purse and called Andre. Happy they didn't have plans, she invited them to lunch and gave directions to the diner. Realizing she still had several minutes before Jane was ready, she washed their coffee mugs and spent the rest of the time browsing the Internet on Jane's laptop.

A little under an hour later, they arrived at the diner to find Andre and Paul already sitting at a booth. Sitting down, they exchanged greetings. When the waitress came to their table, they ordered drinks and Jane tried to convince everyone to order a burger. Paul agreed easily, but Maura and Andre insisted on something healthier. When their food came, Jane and Paul shared a knowing look as they took the first bites of their burgers.

After a couple minutes, they started discussing plans for the day, and what sights the guys should see while they were in town. When Maura told them she was taking Jane shopping, Paul sat up a little straighter.

Noticing his interest, Jane groaned quietly. "Please tell me you're not a fashion designer, or something. That's just way too cliché, and I might have to judge you.

Laughing, he shook his head. "No, I've never had an interest in fashion design. My degree is in finance. I work for a small import-export business. I did, however, perform in drag one summer. It's been years, but it gave me an eye for women's fashion."

Doing a double-take, Jane pushed her plate far enough away that she could rest her arms on the table. "Oh, this I gotta hear. You were a drag queen?"

Shooting a quick look at Maura, he relaxed when she looked curious, and not upset or uncomfortable. "It was the summer after I graduated high school. I was bored, and had no interest in spending all my time partying. A friend of mine performed, and suggested I give it a try. He got me an audition and helped me prepare. It was fun, and gave me something to do. Even though I didn't perform more than once or twice a week, I spent the rest of the time working on costumes and routines. It's not something I'd consider doing for long, but it was fun for a few months."

Maura nodded. "I've known some drag performers, both kings and queens, and enjoyed talking with them. Contrary to what many seem to believe, not all drag performers are transgender. From my experience, more drag kings are, than drag queens. I never did quite understand why those who are transgender are still considered to be performing in drag."

When the guys looked at her, Jane gave a hopeless shrug. "Don't look at me, I've never even seen a drag show. I don't even know what a drag king is, but I'm gonna guess it's a woman who dresses as a man."

Finding no help from Andre, Paul sighed and looked around before lowering his voice. "I hope I didn't upset you, Maura. If I did, I'm sorry."

Waving her hand, she smiled. "I'm not upset. Drag performers, like all performers, merely take on a persona and wear costumes to suit. Historically, all performers were men. It was seen as vulgar for women to perform in front of an audience, so any female characters were typically performed either by prepubescent boys, or were portrayed as unattractive and matronly. Andre will tell you that plays, in high school, always involved female parts being plays by boys. If I had any acting ability, at all, I might have enjoyed participating."

Andre chuckled. "I don't think the younger boys enjoyed being made to wear dresses until their voices changed."

Letting out a sigh, Paul sat back in his seat with a smile. "I went to an all boys school, so I can understand that. We didn't have plays, but we did have a choir. We did some songs that, traditionally, are performed by mixed choirs, and usually it was the younger boys who sang the female parts."

Seeing a chance to change the subject, Jane spoke up. "Maura said you're thinking about starting a family? Are you planning to adopt, or use a surrogate?"

Choosing to ignore the abruptness of the topic, they shared a smile. Squeezing Paul's hand, Andre turned back to Jane. "Yes, we decided it was time to have kids. That's part of why we moved, here. Paul wants his parents to be a part of our kids' lives. When a job opened up at the New York office, he took it. It's not Chicago, but it's closer than England."

Jane nodded, before looking at him with slight confusion. "Don't you want your family to be a part of their lives, too?"

He shrugged and shook his head. "I don't really have any family I'm close to. My father died when I was fairly young, and my mother never wanted children. Father wanted a son, so she agreed. As soon as I was born, she refused to be pregnant again. I have an older sister, but we barely know each other. Mother insisted we go to boarding school from the beginning, so we only saw each other on breaks. I haven't seen or spoken to either of them in years."

Jane smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject."

Andre just shrugged again. "Nothing to be sorry for. It's the way my family has always been. I don't have many memories of my father and the only time my sister and I really saw our mother was at events when she wanted to show what a good mother she was. There was never anything to miss or be upset over."

Seeing the look Maura and Andre shared, Jane rolled her eyes. "Do all kids in boarding school have crappy families?"

They both shrugged. Maura tilted her head and thought for a couple moments. "Aside from the few students whose families live close enough for them to visit on the weekends, it's probably safe to say that most students in boarding schools see their families only on holidays and visits. Of those students, it's likely that a fair number are at boarding school because their parents have no desire to spend time with them. There are, of course, the few who retained good relationships with their families through letters and the occasional phone call, but they are probably the vast minority."

Leaning into Maura's side, Jane sighed. "That's sad. Ma drives me nuts, but I couldn't imagine her not being there all the time. Why even have kids if you're just going to have someone else raise them? When I have kids, I'm not shipping them off so I only see them a couple times a year. I'm glad Paul's family will be a part of your kids' lives, Andre. Family's important, and kids should know they're loved."

Smiling, Andre kissed Paul's cheek. "Paul's family is great. Even living in England, they tried to visit at least once a year. We've already talked about maybe moving closer to Chicago, someday. For now, though, our jobs are keeping us in New York. I can work pretty much anywhere, but Paul would have to find a new job that probably wouldn't pay as much."

Maura studied Jane while Andre talked. Finally giving into her curiosity when he was done. "You've never mentioned having children, before, Jane. I didn't realize it was something you wanted."

Nodding when the waitress came to refill their coffee, Jane shrugged. "It's not something I really ever felt the need to talk about. I've always figured I'd have kids someday, when I found the right person. If Ma ever heard me say that, she'd be out grabbing every mildly attractive and successful man off the street and throwing them at me, so I tend not to talk about it. Can you imagine the way Frost and Korsak would react to the idea of me being a mother? I'd probably be finding baby stuff in my desk for months. I always just figured I'd find someone I wanted kids with, THEN talk about it with them. What about you? Do you want kids? I know you can't have them, but you could always adopt."

Sighing, Maura looked around and then at their empty plates before sitting up a little straighter and scooting toward the end of the booth. "The lunch rush is beginning. If you're done, and don't mind, why don't we go somewhere else to talk? There's a dog park not too far from here where we could sit."

Exchanging looks, the other three nodded and got up. Paying, they left and started walking toward the park.

Changing the topic, slightly, Maura addressed Andre. "So, you never said if you were planning to use a surrogate or adopt."

Accepting the temporary change, he nodded. "For now, we're looking at adoption. If we use a surrogate, we'd like it to be someone who'd like to remain in the child's life, at least on some level. We don't want to ask a woman to just give us her child and never see it again. Until we meet someone we're comfortable with on that level, adoption is our only option. We don't want them to feel like we're keeping anything from them."

Maura nodded, leading them toward a picnic table in a fairly empty area of the park. "That makes sense. While I have questions about my biological parents, I've never felt like my adoptive parents were keeping the answers from me."

Looking at her sharply, Jane gave her head a slight shake. "That's right, you're adopted. I forgot about that. Have you ever thought of trying to find your biological parents?"

Shaking her head, Maura gave a sad smile. "I used to daydream about meeting, them when I was younger. I thought that maybe they would understand what I was feeling. Once I realized what I was feeling, I realized that trying to find them wasn't an option. I can't contact someone and explain that I'm the baby they gave up for adoption. If the parents who raised me can't understand, then I can't expect the ones who couldn't, or didn't want to, to understand."

Andre placed his hand over hers to get her attention. "Anyone would be lucky to know you, but I can understand why you don't want to find them. I can't imagine how hard that conversation would be. Explaining who you are would be hard enough, without having to explain everything else, too. Do you see yourself ever wanting to adopt?"

Looking around, Maura made sure there was no one within earshot before answering. "It's a possibility, but not my only option. If I end up with a man, then adoption is almost a certainty. If I end up with a woman, then we'll have the option of having a biological child. I've always wanted children. I always knew it wouldn't be possible for me to become pregnant, but I wanted to retain the option of having biological children, so I had sperm frozen before my surgery."

Jane looked at her for a moment before giving a quick shake of her head. "It is really weird to think of words like 'sperm' applying to you. I'm glad you have that option, though. You'd be an amazing mom, and you'd never not accept your kids for whoever they turn out to be. You'd have to work on lying to be able to convince your kids Santa and the Easter Bunny are real, though. Mommy hyperventilating and passing out would be a dead giveaway."

Rolling her eyes, Maura smiled at her. "I'd never try. I don't see the benefit of lying to a child and telling them that a stranger essentially spies on them and then breaks into their home with the intention of leaving behind gifts. I would not subject my children to psychological scarring for my own amusement."

Mouth hanging open, Jane stared at her in shock. "But, it's Santa Claus. There's nothing scarring about Santa Claus. You sit on his lap and write him a letter to tell him what you want for Christmas."

Arching an eyebrow, Maura stared at her for a moment. "You find nothing potentially damaging about letting a child sit on a stranger's lap and tell them secrets? Why would you need to both sit on his lap AND write him a letter, especially if he did possess the ability to watch your every move all year? Shouldn't he already know what gifts you want?"

Staring at her blankly, she finally turned to the guys for help. "Come on, you have to help me. Tell her Santa doesn't scar children."

Chuckling, Andre raised both hands. "I didn't believe in Santa, growing up. Gifts were delivered to us by the nanny and opened in our rooms. My mother wanted us to know exactly where they came from."

When Jane turned to him, Paul laughed and shook his head. "I can't help you, either. I'm Jewish."

Gaping at all of them, Jane finally gave up and crossed her arms with a frustrated huff. "Fine, I'm out numbered. I still say Santa doesn't scar children, though. I believed in Santa, and I turned out fine."

Placing a hand on Jane's elbow, Maura smiled at her indulgently. "Yes, you turned out very well, but that doesn't mean that there aren't potentially damaging elements of the Santa mythology. After all, one is led to believe that spying, breaking and entering, and passing judgement on others is not only acceptable, but desired. Those are not socially acceptable actions, and I fail to see the wisdom in promoting them in children's stories."

Sighing, Jane shook her head. "When you put it like that, I can almost see your point. Almost. That doesn't mean I don't want my kids believing in Santa, though. Santa is magic, and there's nothing bad about believing in magic."

Maura grinned and sat up a little straighter. "Actually, many Christian denominations condemn the belief in and practice of magic as signs of devil worship. The Salem Witch Trials punished those who were believed to practice magic. Witch hunts throughout Europe did the same. In some cultures, the belief in and practice of magic is still a punishable offense."

Rolling her eyes, Jane gave her a disbelieving look. "Really? You're going to lump Santa in with devil worship and witch hunts?"

They were interrupted by Paul's laughter. When they turned to stare at him, he kept chuckling. "You guys are better than the movies. Do you even have any idea how you ended up on this topic?"

Mouth opening and closing a couple times, Jane shook her head. Maura thought for a moment before giving a single nod. "We were talking about the methods behind me potentially having children. Jane said I would make a good mother, then suggested I learn to lie so I could convince my children of the existence of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Then we ended up discussing the advisability of teaching to children to believe in Santa, which led to the mention of magic."

Shaking his head, Andre joined Paul in his chuckling. "I told you. Women remember EVERYTHING! I hope you two never really fight, or you're in trouble, Jane."

Jane rubbed a hand over her face with a groan. "Thanks, I already knew that. I don't think Maura forgets anything. Ever. It's great at work, not so much when I'm trying to make a point, though."

Noticing the time, Maura tapped Jane's arm. "I really hate to leave, but Jane and I need to go shopping. She agreed to go today, and I know she'll find some excuse not to go if we don't go today. You can come to my place for dinner, tomorrow, however. If you don't have plans, of course."

Groaning, Jane rolled her eyes. "Come on, you haven't seen Andre in forever. Isn't catching up with an old friend more important than buying me a new shirt. I told you, I'll just grab one later. If I hadn't scared you, you wouldn't have ruined my shirt, so it's really my fault. Since it's my fault, it wouldn't be right for you to replace it."

Looking at them, Andre decided to interrupt. "How did you ruin Jane's shirt?"

Shooting Jane a smug look, she turned back to Andre. "I was cleaning and too preoccupied to notice Jane had entered the morgue. When she startled me, I threw the scrub brush I was using at her, which resulted in a large bleached area on the front of her shirt. I insisted on replacing it, since it's my fault it was ruined, and she agreed to go shopping with me this weekend. This morning, when I let her go back to sleep, she agreed to let me get her more than one shirt. Getting her to agree to go shopping is hard enough. I can't remember the last time she agreed to do more than replace a ruined item."

Grinning, Jane sat up straighter. "Hah. You just said it. I agreed to go shopping this weekend. We can go tomorrow. I'm having fun and I don't want to leave just because you think I need more clothes. They should really be insulted that you're in such a hurry to leave."

Seeing only amused looks from the men, she shook her head. "If the boutique had Sunday hours, then I would be happy to go tomorrow. Since they don't, we need to go before they close, today. I'm sure Andre and Paul aren't offended by my desire to get you some clothing that flatters your figure."

When she looked at them, both men just shook their heads and smiled. Sighing in defeat, Jane slumped to let her arms rest on the table. "Fine. You win. Just remember what I said about flowers and pink. If you're going to be buying me clothes, they're going to be ones I'd actually wear. Which means plain colors. If I show up to a crime scene wearing some girly top, I'll never hear the end of it."

Paul looked over Jane's slumped figure. "Does this boutique cater to those with long limbs and torsos? Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like she buys tops at least one size too big so that they'll be long enough. If she had the money, or inclination, to have them tailored, it wouldn't such a big deal. It makes more sense to buy clothing the fits, if possible, though."

Looking down at herself, Jane pulled at the hem of her shirt. "This IS the size that fits. Any smaller and I'd end up looking like my clothes shrank. Just because I don't wear tight shirts, doesn't mean they don't fit me."

Giving Paul a grateful look, Maura sighed. "Really, Jane, Paul is just saying what I've been telling you for years. If Paul, who has only seen you in two outfits, can see it, then why can't you? And, really, the red top hardly counts since it's one of your few tops that actually fits you the way it should. Surely it must mean something if someone who just met you can see it."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Fine. I buy clothes a little too big because the ones that aren't are too short on me. It's been that way for as long as I can remember. At least I can wear pants without them ending mid-shin, like they did when I was little. I don't see what the big deal is. I can't afford the clothes made for tall women, and it's not like mine are so big they're falling off me. My shirts are just loose and I wear a belt with my pants."

Nodding, Maura smiled. "The boutique I'm taking you to should have at least tops that will fit you, if not pants. They're very reasonably priced, and I think you'll like their selection. You may even decide to shop there, again."

Having a quick conversation, Andre nodded to Paul. "If you'd like, we can come with you. Andre doesn't know much about women's fashion, but we can at least offer an unbiased opinion. Sometimes it's easier to believe something when it doesn't come from a close friend. I doubt we'll be the first gay men to be in there."

Smiling, Maura stood and waited for the others to follow her. "They sell men's clothing, too, so you won't be at all out of place. As I told Jane yesterday, they specialize primarily in business attire. It's been quite some time since I last shopped with a man, and I'll admit to missing their honest opinions. Jane tells me I look good in everything, no matter how ill-fitting the cut or pattern is. It'll be nice to get an objective opinion, for once."

Looking at Maura out of the corner of her eye, Jane hid a faint blush behind her hair. "You do look good in everything. I don't think I've ever seen you not look like you just came from a photo shoot. Even in gym clothes, you look like something out of an ad."

Catching Maura's eye, Andre raised one eyebrow and nodded toward Jane. She gave a subtle shake of her head and stopped at her car.

After getting quick directions, Paul follow Maura's car into traffic, watching the women inside talk. "How can they not see it? Did you notice that Jane never once said she was looking for a man? She talked about finding 'someone' to have kids with."

Sighing, Andre leaned back in his seat. "I noticed that, too. Maura won't say anything to her, though. She's convinced herself that Jane is straight and couldn't possible want to be with her, and she's afraid to risk saying anything."

Paul grinned at him. "Then we'll just have to get Jane to say something. I don't know what's holding her back, but I plan to try to find out. She obviously knows Maura is attracted to women, so she's probably just afraid of being rejected. You keep Maura busy, and I'll have little talk with Jane. Maybe I can talk some sense into her. They already act like more of a married couple than we do, and they haven't even kissed."

Reaching for Paul's hand, Andre smiled at him. "I don't think either one of them realized they were arguing about how they'd raise raise their children, even though they were both thinking it. Just be careful when you talk to Jane, I have a feeling she doesn't like to be told what to do. They're good for each other, they just need to admit it to each other."

Squeezing Andre's hand, Paul outlined a quick plan before they pulled up in front of the boutique.

A/N: *evil laugh* I'm just gonna leave that there for a bit. Who knew lunch could be so eventful?

Today is Christmas, so I felt it only appropriate that they talk about Santa Claus (who, if you really think about it, isn't the best role model).

Feedback is great. I like hearing what you thought about a chapter, and ideas on what might/should happen.