Author's note: thank you very much for all your reactions!

Chapter Twenty-One: Ten Years Old

"Lucie wants to wear makeup. Alba wants to go to the movies with a boy named Joshua." Maura restrained a sigh and forced a smile instead. Was she fooling anyone? Certainly not her mother, she knew it.

Sitting on the other side of the table, Constance crossed her legs and laughed lightly. "They are ten years old... At their age, you told me that you had had your first kiss."

The remark made the scientist blush. She had almost forgotten about it. For her, turning ten meant going to boarding school and taking distance with an already distant family.

"Anastasia, if I remember well. Did you know that she married a British politician? Bright career." Constance grabbed her glass of Brandy and made the alcohol turn around, its golden shades sliding on the transparent walls. "Who knows, perhaps Joshua will become an eminent neurosurgeon."

Really? Of all times, it was now that her mother decided to make a joke? Maura blinked and cast a glance at the restaurant room.

It was not that she minded about the makeup and the movie date but that made her feel old. Way too suddenly.

Although she should have known better right from the day Lucie had suggested she should wear a sport bra.

"Did they face... Other remarks regarding you and Jane?" Looking concerned, Constance frowned and slightly bent over the table.

They had chosen to let their friends and relatives know what had happened a few months earlier. It was too important to keep it private. They had talked to Lucie and Alba – a lot – and had managed to find the support of the head master and teachers as well.

That was when they had found out that Emily's father had asked for a divorce, leaving his wife for a man. Perhaps it had been an accumulation for the little girl and she had unleashed her verbal violence on Lucie for the twins' mothers reminding her of the reason why her own family was falling down into pieces.

"Not that I know of but it hasn't been easy. We weren't ready for that. Maybe we should have..."

Constance shook her head and interrupted her daughter right away. "Nobody is every ready to face this kind of situation. Don't feel guilty. You are a good mother and you are doing well. Don't forget this." The artist marked a pause, as if bothered by something. "However this makeup thing..."

Maura rolled her eyes – relaxed – and laughed lightly. "She can put on mascara at home on Sunday. We came to this agreement after long minutes of an intense debate. It isn't easy to face her, Lucie – as shy she is – finds excellent arguments every single time. She would be a terrific attorney."

Or a good makeup artist because the truth was that she really knew how put on mascara and apply nail varnish.

"How is Jane taking all these changes?" The amused smile that appeared on Constance's lips made clear that the question had been rhetorical and nothing else.

Maura rolled her eyes. "It is a nightmare..."

...

Pole in the snow, Maura turned around and squinted her eyes at the slope. Where was everybody? It had barely been ten minutes and she had already lost Jane and the twins. The day would be stressing to say the least.

On the verge to grab her cell phone to actually call her wife, the blonde sighed of relief as Lucie and Alba appeared in front of her. Their skiing skills had really improved these past few years. She was proud of them and happy to be able to spend the whole day with them instead of leaving both girls with an instructor.

"Where is Jane?" Taking her sunglasses off – wincing before the bright light reflecting on the pure snow – Maura looked at her daughters and shook her head. She had booked a table for lunch at 1.30pm and if they didn't speed up a little bit, they would be running late.

"She is on her way, eating a waffle." Lucie raised her hands in the air to take some distance with the words she had just pronunced.

In vain.

Maura rolled her eyes, exasperated. "I knew that we shouldn't have stopped by this cart. Of course she was going to buy one..."

And just as she finished her sentence, a snowboard stopped right in front of her nose. Too quickly. The abruptness of the stop splashing some snow right on the medical examiner's face.

"Jane!"

The brunette flashed a bright smile and captured her wife's lips for a stolen kiss. Pitiful attempt to get Maura a bit less angry.

Epic fail. The blonde snapped her partner on top of the head. "You taste of Nutella." Sigh. "Did you really need this waffle? Now?" The detective was worse than a child of ten and that was literal since Maura could easily compare with their daughters.

"Why I was hungry! Skiing is one way to exercize and... Well, it makes me hungry. But hey, aren't we losing time right now? I thought a table was waiting for us." Big mistake. By the stare Maura shot her, Jane understood right away how she should have remained quiet instead.

"You go first. So we make sure we won't lose you again. The slopes are packed, today. Don't stop without telling us..."

Because the last thing Jane wanted to face during their vacation was an argument with Maura, the brunette obliged and sped up to make it on time to the restaurant. It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue - not a single cloud around - and the temperatures warm enough to enjoy a meal on the terrace in spite of the altitude.

"Aren't we supposed to be on the French side of Switzerland? Why do people speak German?" Focused on her stick plunged into the cheese fondue, the detective raised an eyebrow at her wife; waiting for an explanation. It was the first time they went skiing in Europe but not her first trip to Switzerland. Maura's father still spent some time teaching there and owned a cabin in Château-d'OEx.

"Yes and no... The slopes on your right are the German side of the country and the ones on your left the French ones." With the same precision as if she were practicing an autopsy, Maura raised a big stick with bread and cheese at its end and smiled of satisfaction before biting into it.

Jane nodded, not knowing what to add. They had arrived two days earlier and she was still a tad jet-lagged in spite of her numerous travels to Europe. If she kept on eating that much, they would need to rent a helicopter to bring her back to the cabin because she wouldn't wake up from her nap.

"I like it here. Can we move to Switzerland permanently?"

Alba's question might have been innocent, its consequences certainly didn't turn out to be. Maura widened her eyes in panic, knowing beforehand what kind of reation this would stir up in Jane. As planned, the Italian scoffed and let go of her fondue stick.

"Are you insinuating that you don't like Boston?" This was outrageous. The Rizzolis loved Boston. Period. Jane cast a glance around, suddenly relieved that her mother wasn't there with them. Angela would have taken it quite bad.

"No...?" Sensing that something was wrong, Alba looked desperately at Maura for some help. She knew better than to go on Jane's nerves. Even by accident. "It's just that... It's lovely, here."

"And Massachusetts isn't, maybe?" Jeez, calm down, Riz'. She can have her opinions, dammit. This isn't a Bostonian dictatorship. "Wouldn't you miss your friends if you lived here?" Now this was a good argument. Satisfied, Jane settled further on her seat and smirked at her daughter.

In vain.

Alba shrugged and bit into a piece of bread covered with cheese. "I would make new ones and still see the ones I have in Boston during the summer or something. No big deal!"

"Do you know that there is a nice hiking trail just at the corner of..."

But Maura's attempt to lighten up the tense atmosphere fell flat as Jane raised a hand up in the air just to make her stop talking. "Save your hiking trail for later. We're having a serious talk with Al' right now."

The honey blonde rolled her eyes. Fantastic. Way to spend a nice day with her family enjoying the Swiss landscape and ski slopes. She did like Boston a lot herself but still, Jane's patriotism didn't always show up at the best moment.

"Oh, I am sure you are, honey. And believe me, you will have all the time in the world to discuss it. Day... And night, if you keep it up this way." Maura smiled, the insinuation being explicit enough. Or at least she hoped so.

One, two, three.

Jane scoffed, hissed between clenched teeth. "Really? You're menacing me over..." And quiet. Their daughters were at the table. It was obviously not the best time to discuss their sexual life.

Yet Maura nodded, looking rather detached and blasé. "Exactly."

You're whipped, Riz'. Taken aback, Jane turned back to Alba and blinked.

Soon enough, the twins would complain about she and Maura alluding to their couple life but for the moment, they were still rather fine with it. Not paying much attention to it. The calm before the storm, obviously.

Pouting, the detective locked her eyes with her daughter's. Sweet tone: on. "As much as it would be hard for me and Maura to find a job here, I have to agree with you: it is a beautiful country." But it's not Boston. Jane swallowed back her comment and sighed in silence. So much for diplomacy. So much for a sex strike threat.