Chapter 3: Arrival

Friday, December 20

"Maura!" Jane yelled out as she let herself into her friend's house. She had already loaded her luggage into her mom's car since she would be driving them to the airport.

"I'm ready," Maura called from upstairs. "Would you mind coming up to help me carry my luggage downstairs?"

Jane rolled her eyes but started up the stairs. She entered Maura's room, taking in the numerous bags her friend had packed for their trip. "Oh my god, Maura, are you moving to Switzerland?"

Maura rolled her eyes. "We're going for nearly two weeks," she said. "And we have many different activities planned. I need to be prepared."

"You can't possibly need this much stuff," Jane complained as she started picking up the heavier items. They were able to get all of Maura's luggage downstairs and into the car in two trips. Jane wasn't sure how they were going to get all of this stuff on the plane. She wasn't even sure one person was allowed to bring this much stuff on the plane.

Once the car was loaded, Jane knocked on the guest house door. Angela answered right away. "Are you guys ready to go?"

"Yeah, we got everything in the car. Barely," Jane said.

Jane expected her mom to turn around to get her coat, but instead Angela pulled her into a big hug. "Ma, no, what are you doing?" Jane whined as she tried to pull away.

"I'm gonna miss my baby so much this Christmas," Angela said as she held on to her daughter. Finally, she let go. "This is the first Christmas I won't get to see you," Angela said with tears in her eyes, making Jane feel guilty. Angela instantly saw the guilt cross her daughter's face, so she added, "Don't get me wrong; I'm excited for you guys. I'm just going to miss you both."

"Alright, ma," Jane said, feeling uncomfortable. "Can we go now?"

"Yes," Angela said as she grabbed her purse and coat before locking the door behind her. They met Maura by the car and Angela took the woman who was like another daughter to her by surprise as she wrapped Maura in a big hug too. Jane just rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna miss you, sweetie."

Maura returned the hug, "We will miss you too. I'm sorry we won't be able to see you on Christmas, but we will make sure to call you."

"You better," Angela said. "Now let's get you girls to the airport."

Jane let Maura sit in front with her mom while she sat in the backseat next to the luggage that didn't fit in the trunk. Angela continued her goodbyes when they got to the airport, but Maura and Jane were able to check their baggage and get through security with plenty of time to get dinner before their flight.

Once they boarded their flight, Jane was impressed with the accommodations in first class. She might actually be able to sleep during this flight. After takeoff, Jane noticed that Maura couldn't settle and seemed distracted. "Are you okay?" she asked her friend.

Maura turned to Jane, "Yes, I'm just getting nervous."

"About flying?" Jane asked confused.

"No, about spending the holidays with my parents," Maura said. "I feel bad about missing your family's Christmas, and I feel even worse about making you miss your family's Christmas."

Jane chuckled, "Maur, you didn't make me do anything. I want to be here with you."

Maura smiled weakly. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I'm really glad you're coming with me."

Jane gave her friend an awkward side hug, but it was the best she could do in their positions with their seatbelts still on.

"Do you want to watch a movie together?" Maura eventually asked. "Maybe it will help us fall asleep."

"Sure," Jane said; she pulled her headphones from her pocket and plugged them into the TV in front of Maura. The TV had two headphone jacks so they could watch the movie together. They settled on The Polar Express since neither of them had seen it. After the movie, they laid down and tried to get comfortable to sleep. They chatted quietly for a while before they decided to really try to fall asleep. Maura fell asleep pretty quickly, but it took Jane a while to be able to sleep with so many people around. Eventually, though, she fell into a light sleep.

Saturday, December 21

Ding. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin our descent into Amsterdam Airport Schiphol," the flight attendant said over the intercom as the lights in the cabin turned on. "Please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position and all carry-on luggage is stowed under the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened. The crew is currently making their way around the cabin to pick up remaining cups and glasses. Thank you." The flight attendant then repeated the information in Dutch.

Jane stretched after she returned her seat to the upright position. She turned to smile at Maura who was making sure all of her things were properly stowed. "Have you been up long?" Jane asked her with a yawn.

Maura turned to Jane, returning her smile. "No, I woke up about 20 minutes ago," she replied as she slid her bag under the seat in front of her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than I usually do on a plane but it's still sleeping on a plane," Jane said with a laugh. "How 'bout you?"

Maura shrugged, "Pretty much the same."

"Are you excited that you're almost home?" Jane asked.

"Boston is home, but yes, I am looking forward to being at my parents' home," Maura said. "I always enjoyed our time together at this house, especially during the holidays. We spent almost every Christmas here while I was in boarding school."

Jane smiled at Maura before turning to look out the window as they approached the Amsterdam airport. "I've always wanted to visit Amsterdam," Jane told Maura.

"It's a beautiful city and the Netherlands is a beautiful country. Maybe one day soon we can come back and actually spend time here," Maura said.

"I'd like that," Jane said. "I'm also looking forward to visiting Switzerland. I've never been. Obviously, you already knew that; I don't know why I said that," Jane rambled.

Maura laughed, "It's okay. You're probably just tired."

Jane continued to watch out the window as they landed. Once they began taxiing to the terminal, the flight attendant said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Local time is 6:42am Central European Time and the local temperature is 5 degrees Celsius." The flight attendant continued providing instructions for the remainder of their flight in both English and Dutch.

After they deplaned, Maura and Jane remained relatively quiet as they went through customs. Once they were finally done with the process, Maura asked, "Do you want to find out gate? Then we can find somewhere to have breakfast before our next flight."

"Sure," Jane said. It was still the middle of the night in Boston, so she felt a bit out of it. She couldn't wait to get to Maura's parents' house and take a nap.

A little over an hour later, they were on their flight from Amsterdam to Zurich. The flight lasted about an hour and a half. Jane managed to fall asleep again, but Maura was starting to get nervous about seeing her parents. She appreciated that her mother was making an effort to improve their relationship, and it had been improving over the past couple of years. Still, she wasn't completely comfortable around them yet. Even after all these years, she hadn't been able to let go of her desperate desire for their approval. Before she knew it, they were landing in Zurich. She moved on autopilot as they deplaned and found the baggage claim.

"Are you okay?" Jane asked. "You've been really quiet."

Maura smiled. Of course, Jane noticed. "I'm just a bit tired," she said as they waited for their bags.

Jane knew there was more to it, but she decided to accept Maura's answer for now. If she had to guess, she thought Maura was still nervous about seeing her parents and about returning to one of her childhood homes after all these years. They hadn't talked about it after Maura's brief comment at the beginning of their flight last night, but that didn't mean it wasn't still on her mind. "Okay, well just remember I'm here if you need me," Jane said, and Maura appreciated that Jane was offering her support without forcing the issue. "And yeah, I'm tired too. I can't wait to take a nap when…"

"No," Maura nearly shouted, cutting Jane off. "We can't nap. We need to stay awake to help our bodies adjust to the new time zone. If we nap, the jet lag will be a lot worse."

"Seriously?" Jane whined. "Not even a short nap?"

Maura shook her head. "No, we need to wait until tonight, but we can go to bed early if necessary," she said. "Besides, I am sure my mother has plans for us this afternoon."

Jane wanted to complain about this too, but she decided Maura didn't need to worry about her and seeing her parents. She couldn't help but ask, "Will we have any free time during this trip? Or do you and your parents have the entire trip planned out?"

Maura smiled. She recognized that Jane was holding back her complaints. "We will have some obligations, but I asked mother to allow us time to ourselves, as well as time to visit some of the local areas.

"Cool," Jane said. "I'd really like to see some of Switzerland while we're here."

"We will," Maura said. "We'll probably go to the local city of Schwyz a few times, but I am hoping we can spend a day in Zurich and possibly a day in Geneva. Geneva is about three and a half hours from my parents' home, so we can decide if it's actually worth the trip."

"Sounds good to me," Jane said. "Oh, here come the bags. Why don't you stay here, and I'll bring the bags to you as they come?"

"Okay," Maura replied. Maura pulled out her phone while Jane was getting the bags. Her mother had sent her information on where to meet the car that would drive them to her parent's home. Once Jane had collected all of their bags, they quickly made their way to the car. The driver was easy to find. He was very polite and helpful as he loaded their things into the trunk.

Once they were on the road, Jane asked, "How far is your parents' place from here?"

"Depending on traffic, it can take 45 minutes to an hour to get there," Maura replied. They sat in comfortable silence as they drove, both women watching out the window. Jane couldn't believe how beautiful this country was, and Maura was surprised by how much she had missed this as she took in the familiar sights along the drive.

Eventually, they turned onto a long driveway. About halfway up the drive, there was a gate; the driver clearly had a remote that opened the gate, and they were able to drive right through. Jane's eyes widened as she saw the house they were approaching. She quickly turned to look at Maura as she said, "Okay, we need to work on your vocabulary." Maura's face scrunched adorably in confusion. "This is not a house. This is a mansion…no, an estate. This is an estate," Jane said.

Maura blushed. She didn't know what to say. She hadn't lied to Jane – this was her parents' home – but she hadn't exactly been honest either. She was nervous that if she had been honest about the size of her parents' home, Jane wouldn't have come. This probably wasn't fair to Jane; money was rarely an issue between them, but Jane hadn't really seen the full extent of her parents' wealth. Maura's home in Boston was nothing compared to many of the other properties she and her parents owned, and Jane's experience with this lifestyle was primarily limited to fundraising events and the ill-fated encounter with the Fairfields when Adam Fairfield was murdered. That encounter had led to one of their first real fights.

Luckily, Jane didn't seem to expect a comment from Maura. She returned to looking out the window. Eventually, she commented again, "This place is really beautiful."

Not long after, they pulled up to a circular drive, and the car stopped in front of the house. Maura and Jane both got out of the car just as Constance came out the front door.

"Darling, you're here," Constance said as she pulled Maura into a hug before giving her the customary kiss on each cheek. Maura was pleasantly surprised by this greeting. She mother never hugged her, especially not as a greeting, but she liked it.

"Hello, mother," Maura said as she returned the hug.

Constance quickly turned to Jane and once again pulled the woman into a hug, which surprised both Maura (even more than her own hug) and Jane. Maura had to hide a laugh behind her hand at the look on Jane's face. "Hello, Jane. I'm so glad you could make it," Constance said as she stepped back.

Jane smiled. Even though the hug was a little uncomfortable, she recognized and appreciated the effort Constance was making. "Hi, Constance," she said. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Of course," Constance replied with a wave of her hand as though to indicate it was nothing. "How were your flights?" she asked both women as she led them inside.

"I don't think I'm a fan of red-eyes, but otherwise they were good," Jane answered. "Plus, you can't beat first class."

Constance laughed. "To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of red-eyes either," she admitted, making Maura smile. "However, in this case, since I wasn't the one flying, I'm glad you both are here early in the day so that we can spend some time together. Why don't I show you both to your room? You can freshen up and settle in; then, maybe we can meet for lunch in the family dining room?" Constance asked hopefully.

"That sounds wonderful, mother," Maura replied.

"Wonderful!" Constance said. Then noticing that Jane was looking around for their bags, she said, "The butler is already bringing your bags to your room."

"Oh, okay, thank you," Jane said.

"Follow me," Constance said as she led Maura and Jane up the main staircase in the foyer to the second floor.

Jane couldn't help looking around as they walked upstairs. She had only seen homes like this in the movies. She wondered how big the place actually was and how many rooms there were. She was so lost in thought, taking everything in, that she almost ran into Constance when she stopped in front of a door.

Constance turned to Maura and Jane. She was suddenly nervous about what she was about to say. It wasn't exactly a lie, but she had had to work hard to make sure enough people would stay at the house at some point over the next two weeks to make it somewhat true. Even then, she had to start renovation on two rooms that she couldn't fill. "I've set you both up in this room," she started, and she instantly saw Maura's eyes widen in surprise. Of course, with all the rooms they had, Maura had expected them to be in separate rooms. Despite this, Constance continued, "We will have so many guests staying for the holidays that we won't have enough rooms on the 23rd and 24th for you to each have your own rooms. If you'd prefer, I can have one of you moved to another room tonight and tomorrow night and then again after the holidays, but I thought you might prefer to not have to move. I assume you don't mind sharing a room."

"No, of course not," Maura replied. "We don't mind sharing a room, and I think you're right that we'd prefer not to move," Maura said, turning to Jane for confirmation.

"Yeah, I agree," Jane said. To be honest, she had assumed on some level that they would be sharing a room. It wasn't something she had thought a lot about and maybe if she had, she would have thought Maura's parents' house would have enough rooms for them to have their own. However, since her experience traveling to other peoples' homes was limited primarily to her own family, she was accustomed to most people having to share a room when visiting family. Also, she came on this trip to spend time with Maura. They'd be able to spend a lot more time together if they were in the same room.

"Thank you," Constance said. "Do you want to meet in the family dining room at 1pm?"

Maura looked at her watch. That gave them just under an hour, which should be enough time, and she was already starting to feel hungry, meaning Jane was probably already 'starving.'

"That sounds like a good plan. Thank you, mother," Maura said, leaning forward to give her mother another hug. This eased some of Constance's concerns that she had upset Maura by having them share a room.

"Thank you, Constance," Jane added as she followed Maura into the room.

"Holy crap!" Jane exclaimed once the door was closed and she had a chance to look around. "I think this is the nicest room I have ever stayed in."

Maura laughed as she watched Jane explore the room. She followed Jane to the large picture window. She stood next to her friend as they both looked out the window.

"This view is gorgeous," Jane said.

Maura turned to look at Jane. "Yes, it is," she whispered, referring both to the view of the property and surrounding mountains and to her friend standing next to her.

Finally, Jane turned around. "Would you mind if I took a quick shower?" Jane asked.

"Of course not," Maura replied. "I think I'll unpack while you shower. Then I might rinse off as well."

"Do you want to go first?" Jane asked.

"No, you go," Maura said. "I'm not going to wash my hair, so I'll be quick."

Before going to her suitcase to get her bathroom stuff, Jane pulled Maura into a hug. "Thank you for inviting me," she whispered into Maura's hair.

"Thank you for coming," Maura whispered back.

Once Jane was in the bathroom, Maura sat on the edge of the bed. She had found her mother's explanation of why they were sharing a room odd. It's not that she minded. In fact, she preferred sharing a room with Jane. She just hadn't expected it. There were a lot of rooms in the house, and while some family did usually stay overnight during the holidays, she had never known every room to be used. Perhaps even more uncharacteristic was the fact that her mother had invited Jane and then had not given Jane her own room. Eventually, Maura decided she was too tired to decipher her mother's actions and she needed to unpack. She just finished hanging the last of her clothes and storing her suitcases under the bed when Jane emerged from the bathroom.

"Is this okay?" Jane asked nervously, waving her hand in front of her clothes.

Maura smiled. It meant a lot to her that Jane was trying. "It's perfect," Maura said. She walked over and gave Jane a gently kiss on the cheek. She quickly turned back to the bed to pick up her stuff for the bathroom so that Jane wouldn't see her blush. She wasn't sure why she had done that. Sure, they had both provided physical comfort to the other after traumatic events or especially stressful cases, but they never kissed each other, even on the cheek. She had turned too quickly to see Jane's blush, as well.

Maura hurried into the bathroom. Jane decided she should unpack, too. Since she had brought a lot less than Maura – but still way more than she thought she needed – it didn't take her long to finish. She knew that if she sat on the bed to wait for Maura, she would fall asleep, so she grabbed her phone to text her mother and sat down on the couch.

Jane: Hey, ma. Just wanted to let you know that Maura and I arrived at Maura's parents' house. Maura is currently in the shower. Then we are going to meet Constance for lunch.

Angela surprised Jane by responding instantly. Jane had assumed she would still be asleep. Angela: I'm so glad my babies made it safely. Is the house beautiful?

Jane: OMG, it's amazing. Seriously, you would not believe this house. It's not even really a house. It's more like an estate. It's huge.

After sending the message, Jane stood up to take a picture of the view from their room, which she then sent to her mom.

Jane: This is the view from our room.

Angela: WOW! That is breathtaking.

Jane: I know, right?

Angela: Sorry. I have to go. I'm working at the café today. Send lots of pictures!

Jane: On a Saturday?

Angela: Took some extra shifts for the holidays.

Jane: Alright. Have a good day. We'll send pics.

Angela: Love you both. Have fun!

Maura came out of the bathroom not long after Jane finished texting her mom. Jane stood up and walked over to sit on the end of the bed.

Maura put the finishing touches on her outfit and slid her feet into her heels before turning to Jane. "Are you ready to meet my mother for lunch?"

"Yep," Jane said. Standing up, she added, "I text Ma to let her know we arrived."

"Oh, good, thank you," Maura said, leading the way to the door. Jane followed Maura down the hall to a second staircase. "I'll give you a tour of the house after lunch if you'd like," Maura said as they reached the first floor.

"That sounds good," Jane replied. "I think I may still need a map."

"You'll get the hang of it," Maura told her. The entered the family dining room to find Constance already seated. The two seats across from her were set, so Maura and Jane took those seats.

"Did you have enough time to get settled?" Constance asked them.

"Yes," Maura replied. "Thank you."

"I hope it's okay, but I asked the chef to make Chicken Caesar salads for lunch," Constance said. Turning to Jane she added, "If you'd like something different, please don't hesitate to ask. Most days, you'll be able to order just about anything you want, but since it was just the three of us and we're having a rather late lunch, I tried to make it easier." Maura knew this, which is why she addressed Jane specifically. She hoped that Jane would become comfortable to ask for what she wanted or needed quickly.

Jane shook her head, "Chicken Caesar salad sounds good. Thank you."

Constance smiled.

"Has father arrived yet?" Maura asked.

"Yes, he arrived on Thursday, but he had to take a couple of calls today," Constance said. "He'll have dinner with us, and I made him promise not to work the entire time you're here. Today is the only day he has meetings. We both hope to be able to spend time with you while you are here. We understand of course that you want time to show Jane around though, so we won't take up all your time."

Maura smiled, but it was Jane that replied. "Thanks, Constance. I would love for Maura to show me around, and of course I always love spending one-on-one time with her, but we're both here to spend time with you and Arthur. I'm sure the three of you would like some time to yourselves too, so I can entertain myself sometimes."

"That's not necessary, Jane," Constance said. "You're family, too. We invited you here; we want to get to know you better, too."

"Thank you, mother," Maura said quietly, but she was saved from having to say more by the arrival of their lunch.

The three of them chatted through the rest of lunch, updating each other on their lives. After lunch, Maura gave Jane a tour of the house. Eventually, they ended up in the drawing room where they played a few games of chess. Jane rarely gave in to playing chess with Maura; she said Maura was a sore loser, which was probably a little bit true since Maura wasn't used to losing. They were a good match for each other though, and they managed to play three games throughout the afternoon. Jane came out on top, winning two games to Maura's one win.

After the third game, they set the chess board back up for the next players. Maura stretched before saying to Jane, "Do you want to go back to the room before dinner?"

Jane shrugged, "That's fine with me, but I don't need to if you don't want to go back. Honestly, I'm good either way."

Maura smiled at her friend. She could tell by the tone of Jane's voice that she was exhausted but trying really hard not to complain. "Why don't we head back to the family dining room instead? It's not quite dinner time, but I'll text my mother. Maybe she will want to join us for a glass of wine before dinner," Maura suggested.

"Sounds good," Jane said, standing up. They made their way back to the dining room where they were greeted by a member of the wait staff.

"Could we have a glass of wine?" Maura asked. "Whatever you think will pair best with dinner?"

"Of course," the waiter replied. "Would you also like a cheese and charcuterie board?"

"That would be wonderful," Maura said. "Thank you."

Maura and Jane took the same seats they had sat in for lunch. Both were feeling the exhaustion of the day, so they sat in comfortable silence until Constance entered the room. They both stood up to greet her before returning to their seats. Just as they sat down, the waiter returned with their wine and snacks. "Could I get you a glass of wine, Mrs. Isles?" the waiter asked.

"Thank you, William. That would be wonderful," Constance replied. "I'll have the same thing Maura and Jane are having."

They fell into easy conversation as they sat there. After a while, Constance started telling them about the upcoming plans. "John and Catherine and Florence and William are both arriving tomorrow. John and Mary and their kids and Sarah and Mark and their kids are also arriving tomorrow. Elizabeth, Adaliza, Margaret, Joseph, and their families are all arriving on Monday. Robert and Alice aren't coming. I believe they are visiting Alice's family this year."

"I'm looking forward to seeing everyone," Maura said.

"I'm going to need a cheat sheet," Jane commented, making both Maura and Constance laugh.

Arthur walked in while they were still laughing, "I'm missing all the fun."

All three women looked towards the door. "Hello, dear," Constance greeted her husband.

Maura stood up to say hello to her father and Jane followed suit. Once everyone was settled at the table again, the waiter brought Arthur his drink – apparently, the wait staff already knew what Arthur would want since they never asked him – and refilled Maura, Jane, and Constance's wine glasses. The conversation continued to flow easily throughout the evening. Since they were eating at a leisurely pace, dinner took almost two hours. By this point, Jane was nearly falling asleep at the table. Maura and Jane bade goodnight to Maura's parents before retreating to their room. They got ready for bed in near silence, both of them falling asleep almost instantly when their heads hit the pillow.

A/N: I totally made up Maura's family tree, but here it is for reference. Maura and Jane are assumed to be 37 since this is 2013.

Constance is the oldest of three. She has one brother John, who is married to Catherine and has four kids, and one sister Florence, who is married to William and has three kids.

John & Catherine's kids (spouse listed second):

John (42) & Mary – Emily (16), John (12), Timothy/Timmy (10)

Elizabeth (39) & Phillip – Phillip/Phil (8), Claire (5), & Elizabeth is pregnant

Sarah (35) & Mark – Elizabeth/Beth (6), Charles/Charlie (2)

Robert (32) & Alice – Vera (3)

Florence & William's kids (spouse listed second):

Adeliza (41) & Ben – Ida (20), Theadora/Thea (10), Benjamin/Benji (7), Samuel/Sam (4)

Margaret (38) & James – Noah (10), Lucas (6), Oliver (3)

Joseph (30)