Winter blew into Boston faster than Jane could ever remember. Of course, Jane was also more distracted than any years before, and not by a case or tragedy. No, she was completely enraptured by her fiancée, so much so that for the first time in her career, work took a back seat. It wasn't to say her job suffered or that she stopped protecting and helping those she was sworn to, but it no longer took up her entire focus.

When the workday ended, she looked forward to going home. She didn't want to think of the horrible things she saw and heard on an almost daily basis. She didn't want to spend extra and unnecessary time diving into cold cases that could wait until morning. Now she wanted to be present. Now she just wanted Maura Isles, and on most days, she couldn't believe that she had her.

Jane treasured each evening when she was able to come home to the doctor, often cooking dinner if she beat Jane home or sometimes finishing up work while she stood at the kitchen island, hair falling into her eyes, her heels kicked off and her skirt tight around her waist. Jane lingered a little longer when she entered on those days, stealing the extra seconds, the extra moments as if to convince herself it wasn't a dream. This was her life. This was her home.

"I hope takeout is okay tonight," Maura said as Jane came around the corner into the kitchen.

Maura hardly looked up from her work, having heard the front door close and keys jingle to indicate that Jane's arrival. The detective stood silently, taking a moment to lean against the kitchen entryway, trailing her eyes up and down Maura's body. The doctor was immersed in something on her laptop, reading glasses on the bridge of her nose. She looked up when she realized Jane hadn't responded. "What are you doing?"

"Just looking at you," Jane smiled.

Maura shook her head and chuckled gently. Jane slowly made her way over, her badge and gun still clipped to her belt. She tossed her jacket to the side and grabbed Maura into her arms, kissing her on the lips.

"How was your day?" Jane asked.

"Surprisingly slow," Maura replied.

"You could've fooled me with whatever you're working on," Jane told her.

She grabbed a beer out of the fridge, while Maura returned to her laptop. She had already poured herself a glass of wine and raised her eyebrows.

"I'm looking at wedding venues," Maura said. "I think we need to make some decisions if we're going to get married in the next year – or ever."

"Fenway Park," Jane blurted immediately.

Maura sighed. "I'm being serious."

"I am too," Jane replied.

"Jane, I could really use your help to plan this," Maura frowned. "I feel like you've been avoiding it for weeks now."

Jane took a slow sip of her beer. Maura wasn't wrong. It wasn't the first time the doctor tried to get her to sit down and start the wedding planning process. Each time Jane found an excuse, distracted Maura, or simply whined and promised to do it later.

"Is there a reason you don't want to do this?"

Maura's hurt eyes worked on Jane like they always did. The sergeant sighed and slipped into a seat at the kitchen island.

"It's not that I don't want to do this. I want nothing more than to marry you," Jane said. "I guess, I just never imagined my wedding. I thought maybe it was because I never truly saw someone I would ever want to marry. The truth is though, the white dress and the traditions and so many people– it's still hard for me to picture for myself."

The doctor tilted her head like she always did when trying to understand something, especially Jane. "What do you want then?"

"I want what you want. I don't want to take away your dream wedding," Jane assured.

"Jane, please tell me."

"Truthfully? I'd be happy just going to the courthouse, or eloping on a beach, or writing our vows on a post-it note like on that stupid show you make me watch."

"Grey's Anatomy."

"Yes, that one."

"It's very medically inaccurate," Maura admitted.

"So is every cop show on TV," Jane added.

Maura closed her laptop and raised her eyebrows at Jane. "I like your idea."

"You do?" Jane asked in surprise.

"Maybe not the post-it note, but a small, intimate wedding," Maura said.

Jane closed the space between them, wrapping Maura up in her arms while the doctor stared off in thought, caught up in her plans.

"I do loathe the idea of getting married in a courthouse. It's not very aesthetic or romantic," Maura pondered. "What if we got married here?"

"In this house?" Jane asked.

"In three weeks," Maura nodded.

Jane's eyes widened further. "Christmas?"

"New Year's Eve," Maura said.

"That's not very much time to plan," Jane replied.

"Well, we don't need very much time if we're having the wedding here, and our families will all be close by for the holiday," Maura reasoned. "I can't think of a better, more romantic way to start the New Year."

"Me neither," Jane smiled. "A real fresh start. We could definitely use one after this year."

"And we won't have to waste any more time."

Jane brought her mouth Maura's, losing herself in a gentle kiss, nearly shaking her head again at how lucky she felt. She couldn't believe how seamlessly Maura understood her or how she could be herself so easily with the doctor.

"Ma is going to flip," Jane chuckled when they ended their embrace.

"Oh, trust me, I'm aware," Maura smirked.

The next weeks passed with a rush of activity. Maura took charge of ordering flowers and a cake, while Jane and Frankie were tasked with making the backyard accommodating to their small group of family and close friends. Jane couldn't help but tease Maura about being a bridezilla when she overheard her arguing with a florist about what bouquet arrangements were in season or when she demanded a rush be put on an order of champagne directly from France. While Jane opted for a simple white jumpsuit instead of a dress, Maura took Nina and Angela to meet Constance in New York City to find a custom designer gown. Despite the short notice, Maura unsurprisingly had a connection with the designer. While they may have been opting for a small, at-home wedding, Jane wasn't about to stop Maura from getting all her heart's desire.

The wedding and upcoming holidays took up so much focus that Jane almost lost track of what usually would've kept her up for days and occupied all her time after working hours. Her duties as sergeant were more administrative and intensive than she would've expected, diverting much of her attention away from simply investigating her own cases. That, coupled with Maura's apprehension, sent the Denton case falling through the cracks. With just a few days left before Christmas, Jane knew she was running out of time to keep it on her radar.

She went alone to the Everett Corporation. It was the one positive of being a sergeant. She got to call more of her own shots, even if it meant twice the paperwork.

The Everett Corporation was headquartered in a massive high rise in the heart of Boston. Jane was meeting with the company's CEO and the Everett family's oldest son. He'd been difficult to get a meeting with, especially since he wasn't technically under investigation for anything. With that in mind, Jane tried to keep herself composed and cool. She needed him to cooperate.

"Sergeant Rizzoli? Don will see you now," his secretary said.

Jane walked down the marble hallway that led to two massive double doors. The family owned the entire skyscraper – having built it themselves nearly 50 years ago – and Don Everett sat on the forty-second floor.

"Sergeant Rizzoli, nice to meet you," Don greeted.

He came around his mammoth desk to shake Jane's hand. He wore suit pants and a cashmere sweater. His dark hair was slicked back. A few hints of gray broke through, but his face was smooth, his dark eyes energetic, and his smile perfect. According to her notes he was in his early fifties, but he had the physique and prowess of a much younger man.

"Thank you so much for seeing me," Jane said. "You're a hard man to pin down."

"One of the qualms of running a company," Don smiled. "I hope you don't mind - my lawyer will be listening in."

Jane glanced over her shoulder to see a small, studious woman in the corner. Don took his place back behind his desk and Jane sat down.

"I hope you know you're not under investigation. I just had some questions about Terrence Parker and his activities here," she told him.

"Of course, of course. Just a formality on my part," he said. "Would you like coffee? Water? Tea?"

"I'm alright, thank you," Jane said.

She pulled out her small notebook of questions, doing her best to get a read on the man across from her. Don Everett didn't reveal much beyond the usual. He seemed like an average middle-aged business executive, probably on the verge of a midlife crisis with enough money to throw at whatever he wished. She imagined he was the type with trainers, nutritionists, and stylists on hand.

"So you've spent your entire career here?" Jane asked.

Don nodded. "More or less. I had a few internships during my summers at Harvard, but the family business called me home. My father made me work for it though," he explained. "I started on one of our construction sites, then worked my way up to senior accounts and then the C-Suite."

"And how long did you know Terrence Parker?"

"I'm not sure," Don sighed, looking to his lawyer as if she had the answer.

Jane raised her eyebrows. "He started as Chief Financial Officer around the same time you took over the company for your father. Were you involved in his hiring process?"

"Yes," Don nodded.

"And what did you think of him?"

"He was smart, brilliant with numbers, very by the book. He was also a Harvard man."

"So you trusted him?" Jane asked.

Don blinked and adjusted from his relaxed position in his seat to a straighter posture.

"What's this about?" Don asked.

"I think it should be obvious. Terrence was paying off a dirty cop who kidnapped a woman and killed two innocent police officers. Terrence also paid for Richard Keller's kids to go private school. And he cut checks to a prisoner who's behind bars for killing a young girl. All this money came from Everett Corps."

"Right, and I didn't know anything about it until you did," Don said. He glanced over at his lawyer again and Jane tried not to grit her teeth.

"You're the CEO of the company."

"I still don't know every single check that's cut. Do you know how many construction projects and real estate investments and hotels we have going up around Boston? Not just Boston but we're branching into Rhode Island," Don told her. "The whole point of having a CFO is he's watching our finances. He's the one approving all the checks."

"So he had free range to basically fund whatever he wanted and you wouldn't have known?" Jane asked.

This point seemed to irritate Don who clasped his hands together on his desk. He leaned forward, his gaze tearing into Jane's. She didn't flinch, leveling at him so intensely that she clenched her fists under the table. Her mind momentarily flashed to Maura that day in the cabin. To Officer Emily Owens dying. To Vince Korsak losing his job. She couldn't let the lead slips away. It drove her to find answers.

"Did Terrence ever act strangely to you?"

"No."

"Do you know if he was cheating on his wife? Or that he was interested in underage girls?"

"No."

"Were you close with him?" Jane asked.

"No. We were colleagues, yes. I didn't know he was depressed, and I certainly didn't know about the money he was doling out to criminals," Don explained. "It's bad enough the company is getting dragged through the mud over this. Terrence was a sick man, but I didn't know anything about what he was doing outside of these walls."

"What about Richard Keller?"

"The dirty cop? What about him?"

"Did you know him?"

"No."

"He went to St. Francis High School too," Jane revealed. She looked down at her notes. "He was in your brother Simon's class."

Don's throat bobbed as he swallowed. He shook his head and leaned back in his large office chair. "I don't know him."

"Does Simon?"

"Doubtful," Don answered. "But I guess you'd have to talk to him."

"And Simon is in politics. City Council, correct?"

"Yes."

"That must be an advantage for the company," Jane muttered.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're hinting at," Don replied.

"Oh, I just mean when you're building on the city like a kid with Legos, it probably helps to have your personal city councilor there to clear up any zoning issues," Jane raised an eyebrow.

"Are you suggesting my brother is compromised?"

"No," Jane said. "Sorry, I suppose I've just been living in Boston too long. It's changed a lot since I was a kid."

Don pursed his lips together and gave a hearty sigh.

"Well, I'm afraid that's all the time I have Sergeant," he said, standing from his seat. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

Jane stood, though her blood was boiling, and she fought the urge to demand more answers. She reminded herself to play it cool. She had more avenues for answers, or at least she'd be damned if she didn't find them.

"Thanks for your time," she said, her voice extra raspy.

"If you come again, make sure you have something, huh?" Don sneered.

Jane glared at Don and his quiet lawyer before making her way toward the exit.

"Happy Holidays," he called after her.

The conversation weighed heavy on Jane as she stared at the sparkling Christmas lights that glowed on the tree she had picked out with Maura. It was their first as a couple. They decorated it with lights and ornaments – well, Jane placed ornaments and Maura moved them to more "appropriate spots." Jane didn't mind of course. She loved seeing the childlike delight in Maura's eyes. She loved seeing the doctor content and happy in a way that she hadn't gotten to experience as a young girl.

"Are you going to tell me how it went today?" Maura asked.

She curled up on the couch next to Jane, running a gentle hand through her dark hair. The sergeant sighed.

"Not great," Jane muttered. "Don Everett was a stone wall and an ass. No new information on Terrence or Keller. He said he didn't know anything about the money and that he didn't know Terrence outside of work."

"Well, even if he was involved it's not like he would be forthcoming," Maura pointed out.

"True," Jane nodded. "I just feel like I'm about to hit another dead end."

"You'll find a way. You always do," Maura whispered.

She studied Jane closely, her olive eyes flicking over the woman's somber features. This was the Jane she first fell in love with. The determined, often serious and persistent detective that didn't rest until she finished the job. Maura could see her wrestle with her thoughts. Jane had made an effort to pull back. The doctor could see that and appreciated it fully. The nightmares had eased up and lately Maura could sleep through the night without the terror of flashbacks.

"I have a present for you," Maura announced.

Jane watched as her fiancée got up from the couch to grab a small gift from underneath the tree.

"It's a little early, don't you think?" Jane asked.

"Well, tomorrow is Christmas Eve and we'll be inundated by your family and my mother. And with Constance staying here until the wedding I have no doubt there will be a severe shortage of privacy," Maura reasoned. "Besides, it's just something small."

Jane smiled and accepted the perfectly wrapped package. The lights were low, and the fire crackled in the silence. She slowly peeled back the paper and then opened the small wooden box. A worn, round, gold locket caught the light. Or at least Jane thought it was a locket. When she clicked the button at the top, it opened to reveal a compass. The gold back was engraved with simple words that made Jane's eyes sting with unexpected emotion:

May you always find your way back home to me.

With All My Love,

Maura

"We've been pulled apart so many times, whether by our own volition or the nature of our work. It's made me afraid to lose you," Maura said gently. "But I've learned over and over again since Paris that my trepidation isn't worth missing out on what I want most, and that's always been you, Jane Rizzoli."

A single tear rolled down Jane's cheek as she reached out and held her future wife's hand.

"I can't keep you safe all the time – just like you can't protect me from the world."

"I can try," Jane sniffled.

"I know you'll continue to," Maura chuckled. "I hope when you carry this compass with you, no matter how bad things get, you'll remember to get yourself home. You'll remember to come back to me."

Jane brushed a piece of blonde hair away from Maura's face and cupped the side of her cheek. She pulled in a breath, regaining her composure through her tears.

"I'll always come back home to you," Jane said. She dabbed at the damp corner of her eyes and shook her head. "How do you always do this to me? I swear I never used to cry until I met you. You've made me mush inside."

"The feeling is mutual, trust me," Maura replied, sniffling before kissing Jane.

"Well, I have a gift for you too," Jane told her.

She crouched under their immaculate Christmas tree and pulled out a poorly wrapped gift. It was taped at strange angles and the paper crinkled at the corners. Maura nearly giggled and Jane rolled her eyes.

"Don't say a word, I know the wrap job is bad," she grumbled.

Maura eagerly tore into the gift, pulling out a long jewelry box.

"It's not a necklace…" Jane said.

The doctor's brow quirked with intrigue before she opened the box. Maura pulled out a marbled fountain pen with gold trim, and her gaze brightened with delight.

"Jane, it's beautiful," she smiled.

"It's an antique. The person I got it from says it's over a hundred years old," Jane explained. "I know it's not much. I thought it could be your something old before our wedding. Every writer needs a good pen. I know you haven't been writing much lately."

"Not since Paris," Maura replied.

"Well, you're talented. You're talented at everything you do. I thought this could be some inspiration," Jane said. "Maybe one day you'll write our story."

"It's perfect, thank you," Maura pecked her lips. Jane leaned into the kiss, her arms looping around Maura's waist before she brought her down to the couch. The sergeant stretched her strong body on top of Maura's, her mouth working gently down the doctor's jaw and neck.

"Merry Christmas, Maura," Jane whispered.

…30 years later…

The house felt empty without Alexandra. Bigger even. Maura Isles-Rizzoli decided to ride out the wave of loneliness in her study. It's where she always ended up during the last twelve years without Jane.

Years ago, after all the kids left home for college, she dove more intensely into her work than ever before. It placated her for a time. Practicing medicine again, teaching, and volunteering brought her a sense of purpose. Still, as the snow continued to fall outside and Rosalind slept at her feet, Maura couldn't bring herself to grade papers or work on her latest piece for the New England Journal of Medicine.

She thought to call Nina. Despite her decade of silence with Frankie, she kept in touch with Nina who unfortunately danced in the place of middleman between them. Maura knew too much time had passed and she should forgive her brother-in-law. Seeing him help Alexandra move brought her surprising warmth. She picked up her phone and then put it back down.

She wasn't ready quite yet. Part of her still clung to the notion that Frankie could've stopped it that night. Frankie could've kept Jane from putting herself in harms way. She would still be there, missing their adult children just as much as she was, but they would've had each other. She knew in her absence Jane would've wanted Maura and Frankie to stay close. Sometimes, she could even hear her wife's voice in her head: "He wouldn't have been able to stop me, Maur. You know that."

Maura sat blankly, until her gaze landed on the fountain pen proudly on display at the front of her desk. Her heart panged when she remembered Jane giving it to her thirty years ago. She could still see her magnetic brown eyes and warm smile near the fire and Christmas lights.

"Maybe one day you'll write our story."

More painfully, Jane's compass sat next to the pen. Maura squeezed her eyes shut and pulled in a calming breath. She hadn't written in decades. The years passed by quickly and between work and raising children and simply enjoying their family, Maura never found the time to sit down and return to her writing. Now in the silence of the house, with the pen and compass staring across from her, the urge to act struck like lightening.

She opened a blank document and fastidiously placed her fingers on the keys. The words came organically, like they'd been locked away in her since the beginning. Maura typed with authority, her path suddenly clearer than it'd been in years.

Jane Rizzoli was coming back home. Back to Boston. Back to Boston in the middle of summer.

Author's Note:

Thanks so much to everyone who is still reading after a very long delay. I drummed up some passion for this story and will continue as long as possible in hopes of completing it. For anyone who has been around for the ride awhile now, that last line is the one that kicks off Jane's story from Chapter 1 ;) Up next - Jane and & Maura's wedding. I'm still going to be shifting timelines quite a bit (again, This Is Us is big inspiration as far as format goes for this one). Some chapters will be all Jane and Maura in the past and some will include AJ and the next generation (and old Maura, Frankie, etc...) working on the Denton case and toward closure for their old wounds surrounding Jane's death. All reviews and feedback are appreciated ~ SJK