Ten years old

"Come on, strike the pose!"

Maura bent over the armchair – rested her forearms on her daughter's shoulders – and smiled at Jane as the brunette settled the cam to take a picture. After weeks of debate and a religious search work to find the perfect place, both women had finally booked an appointment for Aly to get her ears pierced.

If they hadn't thought about it themselves in the first place and their daughter had had to ask, they had agreed immediately. After all, it was something rather classic and at ten years old, Aly was old enough to take care of the earrings.

The place has to comply with strict hygienic rules, though.

Jane had nodded at Maura's statement yet hoping that her wife would manage to overcome the idea she would never find a place as neat as a hospital in spite of everything and there they were, now; in one of the last spots that had opened downtown.

If the detective had to be honest, it looked more like a hype lounge than a place where people came to get their ears pierced, from the uncluttered style to the underground music being played. But if Maura had assumed it was the safest spot in Boston for it then Jane didn't have much to say. Considering how her partner was a bacteria freak, she couldn't but trust her on it.

"Okay, now pull your hair up. I want to see your ears."

Aly was ecstatic and – bursting out laughing – she did as asked so Jane could take a picture of her ears before they got pierced. They were in a light mood. Maura was beaming while her wife's smile echoed their daughter's and the excitement of the three of them was visible enough. The act in itself wasn't any big deal but somehow, they felt like celebrating it.

"By the way, I have booked a table at Grotto so I hope that you are both hungry."

Aly's jaw dropped. For a few seconds, she remained still; slightly looking at Maura in disbelief. It was her favorite Italian restaurant on Beacon Hill but they only went there on special occasions. As a tiny shriek escaped from her throat, she grabbed the honey blonde by the neck and hugged her tight.

"Oh my god, I love you!"

Something warmed up in Maura's heart, an odd sensation that had appeared at her daughter's birth and she had a hard time to describe properly. At times, she thought about the conversations she had shared with her own mother during Jane's pregnancy when dealing with her sterility had been tough, harsh. It was more evident, now. And Constance was right: Aly had fixed her, somehow.

A man in his thirties approached and – all smile – put new latex gloves on. Discreetly, Maura reached Jane and grabbed her forearm before murmuring in her ear.

"He is kind of cute, isn't he?"

The question elicited a smirk on the brunette's lips. Making a face, she turned around and stared at her wife in fake disbelief.

"Why, if you want me to leave you with him, you just have to ask, Maur'!"

The medical examiner laughed quietly and planted a delicate kiss on Jane's cheek who – in all honesty – had to recognize that her partner was right. The employee was quite good-looking.

"Hey, Aly. How are you doing? My name is James and I will be the one to pierce your ears. You're not scared, are you? It doesn't hurt, just a little pinch."

As James turned around to grab his material, Aly did as well – looked at her mothers – and let the words slide in silence on her lips.

"He is cute!"

The exclamation only managed to make Jane moan and repressing the urge to roll her eyes, she simply bent over to diss at Maura.

"Way to choose the right place, really."

...

Now

As Jane's lips left her neck to trace a path of kisses down her chest, Maura closed her eyes and took a deep breath; abandoning herself to the sensation her wife's flesh on hers brought to her body. Out of an old automatism, her fingers slid in the brunette's hair to push her closer. She would never grow tired of it. The way Jane's hands roamed over her skin, the way her lips captured every single inch of her body. She wished it never stopped and for the rest of her life, she would remain on the edge of this powerful feeling she lost control to little by little.

Jane reached her lower stomach and in anticipation, Maura spread her legs; her thigh caressing rather suggestively her wife's sides. As the detective darted her tongue on her pelvis, the blonde arched her back and sighed loudly only to realize what her partner was actually doing. Slightly breathless – her hair a mess and her cheeks pink – the medical examiner leaned up on her elbows to look down at Jane.

"You are obsessed with it, aren't you?"

Jane's laugh echoed on Maura's flesh and sent a shiver down her spine, making her swallow hard. Her dark eyes snapped back up and never breaking eye-contact with her wife, she let her tongue follow the figure she knew by heart. Maura bit her lower lip but a moan nonetheless escaped her lips.

An hour later, both women headed down to the kitchen only to be welcomed by the smell of pancakes and bacon. Aly placed two plates on the counter, poured fresh orange juice in glasses.

"Good morning, you two."

If there was one thing that the teenager had inherited from Maura, it was her incapacity to pretend and lie. Almost stopping halfway as she sat down on the stool, Jane cast a brief glance at her wife and took a deep breath. It was too early to face whatever plan Aly had in head.

"What do you want?"

For a few seconds Aly pretended to look vaguely surprised but knowing better, she abdicated and rolled her eyes while placing pancakes in her mothers' respective plates.

"As you both know, Lucy's sweet sixteen is coming soon and her mother has agreed on her getting... A tattoo. May I have one too?"

At the mention of their daughter's best friend's name, Maura cast a brief glance at Jane. Of course, the detective had told her about Lucy's sexual orientation and even if surprised at first, the honey blonde had to recognize that she found it rather amusing; although most of all sweet that the teenager didn't seem to have any issue to deal with it openly. Jane snorted at Aly's question and taking a mouthful of pancake, she rose a dubious eyebrow.

"And I want one million dollar. The answer is no. Next question, Al'."

Hope melted into incomprehension on the young girl's face. She pouted, crossed her arms on her chest as she adopted her best offended expression.

"Oh come on, why? At least I did ask you before and didn't do it in your back. You should be pleased with that."

Jane nodded yet hoping in silence that their daughter didn't really consider the second option she had mentioned.

"As much as I do appreciate you to talk to us about it before, you know what I think about tattoos. I'm sorry but it's a no-go."

Aly was about to add something when Maura's voice resounded low as if the medical examiner were lost in her daydreams.

"You seem to appreciate mine, though."

The comment got welcomed by a heavy silence. Shocked – surprised – the teenager looked at Maura in disbelief while Jane landed reproachful eyes on her partner. All of a sudden, the honey blonde blushed and stared down at her plate. The comment had slipped through her lips.

"You have a tattoo, mom? Where? I've seen you in a bikini and I nev-... Wait, never mind. I prefer not to know. But does that mean you're okay with me getting one?"

Maura shrugged matter-of-factly. She took a sip of her orange juice and focused on her daughter. There was no way she could look at Jane for the moment. Her little mishap would owe her long hours of cold and dark gazes.

"I am, indeed. Although not before you turn eighteen. You are way too young for a tattoo, Aly. It is the kind of decision you can hardly come back on once it is done. Besides, I don't see why we should agree on such a point right now. I mean, what have you done lately to deserve it? You got drunk – I know you learned your lesson but still – and your grades are still barely average when you used to be an excellent student which by the way reminds me that from now on I will check your homework every day. So no, for the moment you won't get anything close to a tattoo. Deal with it."

If Jane had also told her about Matthew being apparently out of the picture, Maura hadn't mentioned it yet to their daughter. After all, Aly didn't have to confess everything. As long as she knew she could do so when she felt like to then – and in spite of everything – the medical examiner had to accept the idea. Although if it explained the grades and the situation didn't improve, Jane and her would have to change and force a conversation one way or another.

Aly sighed yet nodded and sat at the counter to eat her own pancakes.

"Okay that's a deal but in the meantime, I'd like to know why and how you ended up with a tattoo. And what is it? A name? A symbol?"

Jane giggled, almost choking on her bacon and eggs.

"Your mother is a wild smartass, Aly. Maur' is the only person on Earth who goes all rock'n roll for a tattoo while in London yet to get inked a quote in ancient Greek."

Abandoning her fork and knife in her plate, Jane turned around – caressed Maura's hair tenderly – then planted a soft kiss on her temple.

"And that's why I love you, babe. Never change. Please."