A.N. Sorry about the delay guys, here's the next chapter.

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. - Buddha

Chapter Twenty Eight - Not a Creature is Stirring

At the beginning of December, Maura found a house that she loved. She begged Jane to come and view the property with her. Jane reluctantly agreed. She knew she would only be imagining herself living there with Maura again if she helped pick the place but she was still incapable of saying no to her.

She did agree that the house was fantastic though. It had the guest house that Maura wanted for her Mother and a courtyard that had lots of different coloured rose bushes. The house itself had three large bedrooms and two and a half bath rooms. It had a large open plan room downstairs that had the living room, kitchen and dining area. There was a laundry room off the kitchen and a large room that Maura was going to use as a home office near the front door. Jane had to admit that the house was stunning, even as the completely bare shell she saw. A week later, Maura had sent in the decorators and the place was ready to be moved into.

Jane got Frankie, Korsak and Frost to help with the heavy lifting and Angela made them all dinner in Maura's new kitchen, all the while exclaiming about how fantastic the appliances were and how much space there was. When the guys left that evening, they had all the furniture moved in and Maura had started on her clothes. It was well past midnight when Jane dragged her away from organising her wardrobe to go to bed.

"I'm so glad we're not working tomorrow." Jane yawned as she slipped into her side of the bed and turned to face Maura. "You have far too much stuff Princess."

"I did say I'd be happy to hire movers but you insisted and then coerced Frankie, Frost and Korsak into helping." Maura replied as she too got into bed.

Jane smiled and closed her eyes. "I'm just teasing Maur."

"I know." Maura said. She took a few minutes to study Jane's face and then leaned back to turn the bedside light off. "Goodnight Janey." She sighed as Jane reached to pull her closer.

"Night Princess."

A few days before Christmas, Jane was sat at her desk in the squad room when her phone rang. She didn't recognise the number so she picked it up.

"Rizzoli." She answered as she leant back in her chair.

"Jane? Hi it's Christina."

Jane paused. She hadn't heard from her cousin since she had pulled out of going to her evening party for her wedding. "Hey how are you?" She asked, speaking carefully, trying to judge where this conversation was going.

"I'm great. I wanted to call to give you the news." Christina almost simpered. Jane knew what was coming but the sound of heels clipping over the floors towards her distracted her from her annoyance long enough for her to look around a smile at Maura, who was carrying her bag and a case file.

"Oh yeah? Hang on a sec." She told Christina and then looked questioningly at Maura who handed her the case file. She covered her mic, knowing that it wouldn't stop the sound completely but would dull it. "The Henderson case?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, the autopsy conclusively showed he died from a blow to the head." Maura advised.

Jane smirked, "I believe I did tell you that the golf club lying by him, covered in his blood and the gaping wound on his skull might have had something to do with his death." She teased.

"It was a reddish brown substance at the time, Jane, and you know I don't jump to conclusions. It might have been blood but how did I know that it was one hundred percent his blood?"

"Riiiight." Jane drawled.

Maura huffed. "Lunch?" She asked.

"Sure one minute." She said and uncovered the mic. "Sorry Christina, your big news?" She said and she saw Maura's eyebrows rise at the name of the person she saw speaking to.

"Who was that?" She asked sharply.

This time it was Jane's eyebrows that rose. "It was Maura." She said simply looking up at her friend.

"What is she doing there?" Christina spat.

Jane was starting to get annoyed now. "She works here."

"I thought she was some sort of doctor, not a detective."

"She is a doctor, she's the Chief Medical Examiner." Jane told her, unable to stop the pride of her friend's achievements seeping into her voice.

"That is not a real doctor, they don't ..."

Jane cut her cousin off. "Maura is extremely successful, why don't you just tell me your news so I can say I'm happy for you and you can tell our Ma's that you did the good cousin bit and told me your news in person."

There was a pause. "I'm pregnant. It's a girl. I'm due in April."

"Congratulations. I'm sure she'll be adorable. Pass on my best to Paul." Jane replied, automatically.

"Thank you. I'll see you at Christmas." And with that Christina hung up and Jane dropped her head to the desk.

Maura sat down in the chair next to Jane and ran her hand through Jane's hair. "Are you alright?" She asked quietly.

"Christina's pregnant." Jane said, her voice a little mumbled.

"Yes but why did she ask about me?" She asked.

Jane sat up, taking Maura's hand in hers. "I have no idea. You know Christina. If it's not me she's angry with, it's you. Has been that way since she first met you." Jane sighed.

"I thought she would be better now. Granted I haven't seen or heard from her in a decade."

"She's been better than she was when we were kids but she's still a co ..." Jane started but at Maura's glare she changed her words. "... a ... not very nice person." She finished lamely.

"Well I have to admit that I had thought she would have been pregnant last year, right after her wedding." Maura mused.

"Aunt Julia told Ma that Paul had insisted on waiting a year after they were married before they tried for kids." Jane told her.

"She didn't wait long then, did she?" Maura said thoughtfully. "Anyway I'm hungry and I'm sure you are too. How about we go to the diner?"

"Maura Isles suggesting we eat at a greasy spoon? What is the world coming to?" She joked as she stood up and grabbed her jacket.

"I am merely craving some curly fries." Maura told her as she followed, "I do intend on having my usual salad with them."

"Wow Maur. Salad makes the curly fries so much healthier." Jane rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"Healthier than the burger you will no doubt be getting with yours." Maura replied.

They bickered all the way to lunch and all the way back to the precinct.

Christmas Eve saw Maura receiving a call from her mother.

"Hello mother." Maura answered her phone as she saw her mother's number flash up on the screen. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Maura dear. How is your new house?" She asked.

Maura happily told her about the colour scheme and the decorations not to mention the fact that the guest house was now all finished and all the furniture had been moved in. Unknowingly, Maura mentioned all the choices that Jane had somehow managed to make about the house and Constance had high hopes that maybe Jane and Maura had finally admitted their feelings to each other.

"So how is Jane?" She asked after Maura had finished telling her that she was also buying a new car and was going for a hybrid this time.

"Jane's great. I'm due at her apartment this evening and then we'll head to the Rizzoli's for Christmas Day." Maura replied brightly.

"Is Mrs Rizzoli cooking again?" She asked.

"Yes, Angela loves to cook for the big family occasions." Maura smiled, remembering some such occasions.

"Have you thought anymore about our last discussion about Jane?" Constance probed.

"I ..." Maura started, "I have been observing her behaviour when she thinks I'm not looking and I believe you might be right but I've also come to the conclusion that I do not think that Jane will ever act on those feelings."

"Then why don't you act for her?" Constance asked.

"From my observations, I believe her reasons are that she values our friendship too much to rush it and she is also afraid of adding another reason to make her life difficult with her colleagues." Maura listed.

"That's a very neat list Maura but it's a pile of rubbish!" Constance exclaimed.

"Mother!"

"I'm sorry Maura but it's true, answer me a question ... Do you love Jane?"

"Yes." Maura replied without hesitation.

"As more than friends?" Constance prodded.

"... I can honestly say she's the only person that I've ever truly felt this way about."

"Dear, you're always honest." Constance laughed. "And do you think she feels that way about you?"

"You know I don't guess."

"Make an informed decision."

"I honestly don't know, I know she loves me as a friend and it seems she loves me romantically ... I just ..."

"It's ok to be scared about how things may turn out."

"I can't lose Jane, Mother." Maura sighed.

"So if she gets married and you don't see her anywhere near as much as you do now, that's not sort of like losing her?"

"I can deal with that, if Jane found someone she loved enough for her to marry, I would be happy for her and I'd still be in her life." Maura replied, pig-headedly.

"But wouldn't you prefer to be the one marrying her and you be the one who she shares her life with?"

For a brief moment, images Maura had never allowed herself to consider flooded her mind. They were walking down an isle, both dressed in white and she could see her mother and Angela in floods of happy tears. She was lying in her bed with Jane beside her with and she had a swollen belly and Jane was talking to their unborn child as she smiled. Jane was chasing two children around the living room, catching them both in her arms and spinning them around. She and Jane were sat together, arms around each other during a Christmas holiday, watching older kids rip into their presents, joy written over their faces.

Maura blinked and the images vanished as quickly as they arrived. "Please ... please can we talk about something else? ... How's father?"

Constance took pity on her daughter and described their recent visit to Singapore to guest lecture and that they were heading to the Alps for New Year.

Later that night, after watching several Christmas movies at Jane's, they were settling down to sleep but all Maura could think about were her thoughts of what life could be like with Jane. She closed her eyes as Jane's arms wrapped around her and she allowed herself to think about the images her mind had conjured earlier that day. She knew now that she didn't want just a relationship with Jane, she wanted everything with Jane. Marriage, kids, a life together. She shivered at the thought that it might never happen and Jane's arms tightened around her.

"You ok?" She mumbled, half asleep.

"Yes I'm fine Janey, sleep." She whispered softly. Jane relaxed and gave into the pull of sleep and Maura joined her not long after.