Chapter 4: Christmas Cookies

After dinner

Arthur was sitting in their bed reading, The Bully Pulpit, a book about presidents Roosevelt and Taft, when Constance joined him. Putting his book on the nightstand, he turned to his wife and said, "I like her – Maura's friend, Jane."

"Yes, I thought you would," Constance replied as she leaned against him, both sitting against the headboard. "She's a good match for Maura; Jane brings out the best in our daughter. She was the one who called me out on how I was treating Maura during my art installation in Boston a couple of years ago."

"I think this is the first person Maura has dated that I have actually liked," Arthur commented.

Constance laughed as she turned to look at her husband. "Arthur, they aren't romantically involved. At least not yet…" she added.

"What? Then why did you invite her for Christmas?" Arthur asked, confused. "And why would she come? Shouldn't she be spending the holiday with her own family?"

Constance laughed again. "Because they are in love with each other," Constance answered as though it was obvious, but Arthur just raised an eyebrow, so Constance continued. "Jane is Maura's best friend, and Maura is Jane's best friend. However, it was obvious to me when I first met Jane that there was something more between them. I actually thought at the time that they were dating but didn't want to tell me for whatever reason. I honestly wasn't sure why Maura would be afraid to tell us if she was dating Jane; it's not like we've ever disapproved of her dating whomever she wants – man or woman. Anyway, it wasn't until the next time I was in Boston – when I was hit by the car – that I realized they weren't actually dating. Jane was on a date with a man at the time. Maura thinks I don't pay attention to her, but I could tell that the fact that Jane was on a date with someone else really hurt her. Then there was the fight between the two of them that followed the shooting. The way they both overreacted to the situation made it clear to me that their feelings were mutual.

"I'm not entirely sure why they can't see it," Constance continued, "but I'm tired of waiting for them to figure it out. It's time for Maura to be happy, for both of them to be happy."

"What does that mean?" Arthur asked, skeptically.

"I'm determined that they will be together by the end of this trip. I'd love for them to figure it out by Christmas Eve," Constance said. "It would be wonderful to be able to introduce Jane to our friends and family as Maura's significant other, but I think that might be wishful thinking."

"Is that why we're are renovating those rooms?" Arthur asked, clearly catching on.

"Yes, I needed a reason to put them in the same room. I tried to fill the rooms with guests, but when that failed, I decided it was time to redecorate," Constance answered. Arthur just chuckled at his wife's antics. "Angela, Jane's mother, is on board. She – and apparently everyone else in Boston – agree that Maura and Jane should be together."

"What if you're wrong though?" Arthur questioned. He was glad that their relationship with Maura seemed to be improving, and he was thrilled that she was here for Christmas. "What if your plan backfires? Aren't you afraid Maura could lose Jane? And we could lose Maura?"

Constance shook her head, "No, I'm not worried about that. I'm certain of their feelings for each other, as is Angela. However, even if we're wrong, which we're not, Jane would never hurt Maura. Their friendship means too much to both of them." Constance paused before adding, "Which is good because if I did ruin their friendship, Maura would never forgive me."

Arthur looked at Constance for a few moments. "Well, in the two hours I spent in their company, it appeared to me that they were together. When I met Jane, I had the feeling that I was meeting my future daughter-in-law. I've never seen Maura interact with anyone like she does with Jane. I even had a fleeting thought that maybe they would get engaged while they were here."

"Oh!" Constance's eyes lit up. "They should get engaged while they're here."

"They're not even dating," Arthur said. "They can't get engaged yet."

"I think they've been dating for years; they just didn't know it, but I suppose you are right," Constance admitted. "I'm getting ahead of myself. However, if they wanted to, we would fully approve." Constance said the last sentence with a firm glare at her husband, causing Arthur to laugh again.

"Alright, alright," he said. "What exactly do you have planned to get them together?"

They sat in bed for a while talking more about Maura and Jane as well as about the days ahead with their extended family. Before turning out the light, Constance sent Angela a text: Arthur is on board.

Angela's reply made her smile: Team Rizzoli-Isles! Or should it be Isles-Rizzoli?

Constance: Rizzoli-Isles flows better.

Angela: GO TEAM RIZZOLI-ISLES!

Sunday, December 22

Maura slowly began to wake up. She was incredibly warm and comfortable. She was hoping sleep would pull her back under for at least a little longer since her alarm hadn't gone off yet. Maura wondered for a second what had woken her up, but then she realized that she was sleeping curled into Jane with her head on Jane's chest. Jane had her hand running through Maura's hair. Since Maura was a light sleeper, especially away from home, this is probably what woke her up, but she didn't mind. In fact, she loved the feeling. After enjoying the sensation for a few minutes, she shifted so that she could face Jane. "Good morning, Jane," she whispered.

Jane smiled. "Good morning," she said quietly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Sorry, I used you as a pillow," Maura replied.

"I didn't mind," Jane said.

"What time is it?" Maura asked.

Jane leaned over to look at her phone before answering, "7:15am. We're meeting your parents at 8 for breakfast, right?"

"Yes," Maura said.

"What else are we doing today?" Jane asked.

"We can do whatever you want for most of the day," Maura replied. "I don't have anything planned. We will just have to be ready for dinner by 4pm because that is when family starts arriving."

"Would you prefer to go out or stay here?"

"If you would like to go out, we can do that, but I think I have a slight preference for staying here," Maura said.

Jane thought for a moment before she asked, "Can we bake Christmas cookies?"

"Um, I'm not sure anyone other than the chefs have made cookies here, but I don't see why we couldn't," Maura said.

"We should ask your mom to join us," Jane said.

"Oh, I don't know if she'd like that," Maura said. "She's never been someone who enjoyed cooking or baking."

Jane shrugged, "It's not about the baking. It's about the two of you spending time together." Maura was quiet for a few moments, so Jane continued, "We could at least ask her. She can always say no. She may have plans anyway, but I don't think it would hurt to invite her."

"Okay," Maura said, still a bit skeptical. She hoped her mother would say yes though. She liked the idea of doing something so simple with her mom. They never did those kinds of things when Maura was a child. Her mother had never offered, and she had never asked.

At five to eight, Maura and Jane headed back to the family dining room to meet Maura's parents for breakfast. As they were finishing breakfast, Jane nudged Maura.

Getting the hint, Maura took a deep breath, then asked, "Mother, Jane and I were thinking about making Christmas cookies today."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful. The kitchen should have everything you need," Constance said.

"Yes," Maura paused. "Would you like to join us?"

"I would love to!" Constance replied with a smile. "I don't want to intrude on your time together, though."

"No intrusion," Jane said. "We'd love for you to join us. You're welcome too, Arthur."

"Thank you, but I think I'll let you girls have your fun," Arthur said. "I'll definitely sample the final products though."

"Deal," Jane said.

Turning around, Constance called to William, "William, we'd like to bake cookies this today. Would it be possible for someone in the kitchen to pull out the necessary ingredients and supplies?"

"Of course, ma'am," William replied, politely. "Do you have a preferred type of cookie you would like to make?"

Constance turned to look at Maura and Jane. Maura just shrugged, but Jane asked, "Can we make more than one kind?"

"I don't see why not," Constance said.

"I'd suggest sugar cookies, some sort of chocolate cookies, and gingerbread cookies," Jane replied.

"Those sound good to me. Maura?" Constance asked.

"Yes, I agree," Maura said.

"I will talk to the kitchen staff," William said.

"Thank you, William," Constance said. Turning back to her family, Constance added, "Wonderful. Thank you for suggesting this. I'm really looking forward to making cookies with you girls."

Jane glanced over to see a huge bright smile on Maura's face. "We are too," Maura said.

William returned not long after to let them know that the kitchen staff had recipes for all three types of cookies and would pull the required ingredients and supplies. However, they needed until approximately 10am to get everything together while staying on schedule for tonight's dinner.

Arthur left after finishing breakfast, but the three women stayed and chatted while drinking coffee. A little before 10am, William told them that everything was set up in the family kitchen, which was a smaller kitchen that was infrequently used. The kitchen staff would be working in the main kitchen to prepare for tonight's dinner, but they were available if Constance, Maura, and Jane needed anything.

When they got to the family kitchen, Jane noticed that there was also a steaming pot of coffee waiting for them. "Man, I like this service," Jane commented, making both Constance and Maura laugh.

After pouring all three of them a cup of coffee, Jane pulled out the recipes the chefs had left for them. Maura was reading over her shoulder, while Constance waited for them to decide which cookie they would bake first.

"Okay," Maura said. "The sugar cookie dough needs to sit in the refrigerator for two hours, the chocolate sugar cookie dough needs to sit in the refrigerator for one hour, and the gingerbread dough needs to rest at room temperature for at least two hours but can sit up to eight hours. We should make the gingerbread dough first, followed by the sugar cookie dough, then finally the chocolate sugar cookie dough. All of the doughs can rest while we have lunch; then we can bake them this afternoon. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good to me," Jane said not wanting to admit that she hadn't really retained what Maura said. She knew Maura would figure out the best way to do this.

"I agree," Constance added. All three of them pulled on aprons and set to work.

"Jane!" Maura exclaimed. "Did you even read the instructions?" she asked in exasperation.

"What?" Jane questioned.

"You're not supposed to add the molasses until after the butter, sugar, and egg are well blended."

"I don't think it really matters," Jane said. "It'll all get mixed together in the end."

"Of course, it matters," Maura said, walking over to Jane. "The instructions specifically separate the two steps."

Jane rolled her eyes but acquiesced. "Fine," she said as she began blending the butter, sugar, and egg."

Constance just stood back and watched their interactions. They really did bicker like a married couple.

When the gingerbread dough was ready, they divided the dough in half (exactly, half – Maura measured) as recommended in the recipe and wrapped the dough in plastic to sit for a few hours.

They made the sugar cookie dough and chocolate sugar cookie dough, as well. It hadn't taken all that long to make the three doughs, so it wasn't yet lunch time. The three of them sat at the small table in the family kitchen with a fresh cup of coffee.

"How is work?" Constance asked both Maura and Jane.

"It's alright," Jane answered. "Luckily, we were able to close our latest case before we left. I hate having open cases while I'm out of town. I know Maura does too."

Maura nodded, "Yes, I agree, and our case closure rate was extremely high this year."

"You make a good team," Constance said.

Maura blushed, but said, "Yes, we do."

Deciding to take a risk, Constance asked, "Are either of you seeing anyone?"

"No," both Maura and Jane replied.

"Is there anyone you're interested in?" Constance pressed.

Maura turned beet red. She couldn't lie, but she also couldn't tell her mother that she was interested in Jane, especially with Jane right there. Jane noticed Maura's discomfort, but she misinterpreted it. She thought that Maura must be interested in a guy back home, but that she didn't want to tell her mother about him yet.

Jane didn't want to tell the truth either, but she was more adept at lying. "No, nothing on the horizon," she said. Maybe this wasn't even really a lie. Yes, there was someone she was interested in – Maura – but that would never be a possibility, so really nothing was on the horizon.

Finally, Maura formulated an answer that also wasn't exactly a lie. "I don't foresee any romantic relationships in my near future," she said.

Both Jane and Constance recognized the evasion of the real question, but neither pushed it. Maura breathed a sigh of relief when the conversation turned to updates on Jane's family.

They ended up eating sandwiches for lunch at the kitchen table so that they could get back to baking quickly.

Once the dough was ready, Maura began spreading flour on the counter in three places so that they could each roll out their own dough. The kitchen staff had brought cookie cutters in fun Christmas shapes, so they had fun cutting out various different shapes and placing them on the cookie sheets. They had enough baking sheets that they were able to arrange the next batch of cookies as each batch was baking. It turned into quite an efficient assembly line thanks to Maura. While the cookies were baking, they made the icing. They were able to make icing in a lot of different colors. The icing was ready just as the first batch of cookies cooled enough to be frosted. They had a blast decorating their cookies with icing, sprinkles, and other candies the staff had left for them.

As they finished the last batch, Jane decided that she had behaved for long enough. She found the red icing and got it ready in her hand. "Hey, Maur," she called, causing her friend to turn around to see what she wanted. Right when she turned around, Jane squirted a red dollop of icing right on the tip of her nose.

Maura gasped, but Jane just laughed. "Hi, Rudolph," she said.

Constance burst into laughter at the look on her daughter's face.

"Mother, don't encourage her!" Maura exclaimed with indignation, but Constance just kept laughing. This spurred Jane on, and she added more dollops of icing all over Maura's face. Deciding Constance wasn't going to get upset about the mess, she grabbed another color and added dollops of icing on each of Constance's cheeks. "Jane!" Maura tried to admonish Jane, but she failed miserably at sounding angry since she too was now laughing hysterically. Instead, she decided to grab her own bag of icing and began adding icing to Jane's face, but Jane was ready for her.

Constance wiped the icing off her face. She didn't join the icing fight – that was a little too far outside her comfort zone – but she loved watching Jane and Maura have fun. She even took a few candid pictures surreptitiously. Eventually, they gave up and put down their icing. Jane pulled Maura sideways into a big hug a placed a kiss on her cheek, forgetting that Constance was still there. Realizing what she had done, Jane blushed and released Maura. She looked around; they had made quite a mess.

Maura was still laughing as she said, "We made a huge mess! Look at us." She looked over to her mother to see that she was laughing, too.

"Stand together," Constance told them. "Let me take some pictures. You both look adorable and a bit ridiculous." Both Maura and Jane laughed but put their arms around each other for the pictures.

Jane waved towards Constance, "Come over here. We need to get one with all three of us." Since her arm was longest, Jane took the phone and held it out to take a few selfies of them. Then she turned and said, "Smile!" as she took a few pictures of Maura and Constance together.

Handing the phone back to Constance, she said, "Can you text those to me?" Looking around, she added, "We should clean up." They were able to get the kitchen relatively clean despite the mess they had made. Even though one of the kitchen staff members who had stopped by said they would clean the kitchen, Jane didn't want to leave any extra work for the staff if she could help it. They did have to leave the cookies sitting out so that the icing could dry and agreed to let the staff store the cookies for them. Constance took one of each back to Arthur, and Maura and Jane returned to their room to shower and get ready for the rest of the family to arrive.

"Thank you for suggesting that, Jane," Maura said as they entered their room. "I had so much fun."

"Me too," Jane said. "I'm so glad your mother joined us too."

"Yes, I am too. I think she enjoyed herself, as well," Maura replied.

"I'm glad," Jane replied.

They both took off their outer clothes, taking care not to get any of the remaining frosting on the furniture. They then took turns showering and getting ready.

Back in their suite, Constance handed Arthur the cookies. "I brought you samples," she said.

Arthur looked up. "Thank you," he said. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yes, we had a wonderful time," she replied. "I wish I had done more things like that with Maura when she was a child," she added sadly.

"We can't change the past," Arthur said. "But we can work on being around more for her future."

Constance nodded.

"These are very good," Arthur said as he tried the cookies.

They talked for a few more minutes before Constance decided to get ready for the evening. Before heading to her dressing room, she text a few of the pictures of Maura and Jane to Angela. She especially loved the candid ones she was able to take while they were goofing around. She also sent all the pictures to Maura and Jane. After witnessing their interactions today, Constance was even more sure of her plan to get them together. She had never seen her daughter so happy. She was also sure that Maura's embarrassment over her question about being interested in anyone was because she didn't want to say she had feelings for Jane.

A/N: I'm guessing someone will comment that Constance and Arthur are OOC in this story, but I think neither of them were in the series enough to have much of a "canon" personality. Regardless, the point of this story is to show a positive side to Maura's adoptive family while still recognizing that they've had a difficult past. Plus, I want fluff and happiness for the holidays.