Noemi is moved from the surgical ward Sunday afternoon. The combined forces of Noemi, Lola and Maura aren't enough to persuade Aarna to go home and take a proper rest. Even the promise of both Lola and Maura being on hand to help failed to sway her. Then Jane sweeps in, raises one eyebrow at her recruit and says 'you're done recruit. Go home.' Aarna snaps to attention, her spine stiffening, her face going blank. She blinks twice, frowns, opens her mouth to debate but Jane shakes her head and points her thumb over her shoulder, gesturing for the woman to get out. Aarna gulps, presses a kiss to Noemi's cheek and disappears with Maura's car keys. Lola laughs, Maura joining in after a moment. Noemi just gives Jane a grateful, quiet smile. Jane nods brusquely before settling in to a chair and opening a magazine and pretending to read it. Jane hadn't been expecting that to work at all. She was touched that Aarna had obeyed her and slightly embarrassed. Then Jane realised she had grabbed an obstetrics magazine and her blush deepened to the amusement of all three women.

Jane spent most of the next few days between their home in Boston and the hospital. She almost feels guilty about it on Tuesday when she comes home to find Maura and Angela moving like miniature whirlwinds about the house with dust rags and cleaning sprays, the dogs moping on their designated dog bed, clearly having been scolded for getting under foot. A turkey in a brine bag sat on the counter. When she brings it up later with Maura, she assures Jane that it is fine and indeed what Maura preferred. Jane had opened her mouth to argue but then Maura had kissed her until all of her retorts were forgotten in the silken feel of Maura moving against her.

Jane is dispatched first thing Wednesday morning to pick up Constance from the airport. Jane grumbles a bit but Maura just tells her that she's needed for 'preparations' and shoos Jane away. Jane learns first hand where Maura learned to pack from. Constance, who was visiting for a four day period, had just as many bags. More if you included her personal items. Jane had to resist rolling her eyes as she transferred the heavy bags in to the back of her Ma's car.

Constance, to her surprise, asks a multitude of questions about Jane, her health and happiness at the FBI. She asks after both Noemi and Aarna by name, showing a level of interest Jane had thought her incapable of from previous encounters. As they pulled in to the driveway, Constance turns to look at Jane. The older woman pats Jane's arm awkwardly, 'thank you for everything you do for my daughter. You make her so very happy and while I may struggle to show her, that is all I truly want for my daughter. Her happiness. You make her happy. You take care of her. You fight for her, protect her, protect the people she loves. I am honoured to have you as a part of my family Jane Rizzoli.' Constance smiles warmly at Jane.

'Wow,' Jane says her eyes wide, 'uh, I mean thank you Constance. I-' Jane's voice goes soft. She can't help it. Maura just does that to her, 'I love her very much.'

'Of that,' Constance said with an affectionate laugh, 'I am very much aware.'

Jane helped Constance bring in her bags. Lugging the heavy and likely very expensive things up the stairs and in to the guest bedroom. If last night's cleaning activities were a whirlwind, today was like a hurricane. Nina, Angela and Maura all moved around each other in an intricate pattern, their voices carrying the sound of holiday cheer, and perhaps a bit of bickering, to Jane's ears. Sitting in one corner of the living room was the equally dejected looking combination of Aarna and the dogs. Noemi had made Aarna promise not to arrive until after her first physical therapy appointment today. Aarna was bouncing Maura's car keys in her lap, her eyes trained on the clock, a grumpy look on her face. Boston was whining, her head alert watching the swirl of activity in the kitchen. Berry's head was on the floor, her eyes staring balefully up at Jane.

'Come on you three,' Jane says, 'let's go for a walk.' Aarna opens her mouth to argue but Jane just cuts her off, 'time won't move any faster just because you're glaring at Maura's clock. You might as well help me with these rascals.'

They bundle up and walk together to the dog park. 'How are things going with Lola? Any troubles?' Jane asks as she lets the dogs off leash.

Aarna shakes her head, rubbing her hands together for warmth, 'she's visibly uncomfortable with any kind of affection but I haven't decided if that is her age, her culture, or her religious beliefs. But she hasn't said or done anything particularly offensive. To be honest Jane, I expected her to disown Noemi.'

'Because of her faith?' Jane asks, fishing around for poop bags. Aarna nods. Jane shrugs, 'people will surprise you sometimes. Especially in matters of the heart. Love makes us do strange things, like picking up the shit of the dogs you didn't want in eco friendly bags that cost more than a designated poop bag should.'

Aarna laughs, 'or like hitting your friend at the hospital?'

Jane barks out a laugh too, 'yeah. Exactly like that. It was a good hit by the way.'

'Thanks?' Aarna asks with a grin.

'Anytime. But actually, don't hit me again. I'm getting too old for that,' Jane says with a dimpled smile of her own. 'How are things with your family?'

'They're well. My Mata wants me to bring Noemi home to meet them,' Aarna says shyly.

'That's a big step,' Jane says with a teasing tone, 'are you going to do it?'

'I'd be open to it,' Aarna says, 'if we have time after we're assigned. I'll admit, I am frightened of what comes next.'

'What do you mean?' Jane asks, her eyes reading Aarna's face.

Aarna sighs, shifting from foot to foot. Jane isn't sure whether it is discomfort or the cold causing it. When Aarna speaks it's with a shy sort of smile, 'Noemi and I said I love you for the first time this weekend. It was wonderful. And terrifying. We aren't established like you and Maura are. I don't know if we could survive long distance. Even if we really want to.'

'You think Maura and I are established?' Jane asks, somewhat surprised by the description.

'You seem to be. You've bought a house together, adopted dogs, your families spend the holidays together,' Aarna says her eyebrow arching slightly in confusion.

'Yeah but that's because we've been friends forever, not because we've been dating for forever,' Jane says chuckling.

'Oh,' Aarna says, 'I didn't realise. I just assumed.'

'It took us, well, me mostly, a really long time to figure out how I felt,' Jane admits, 'the dating thing is recent.'

Aarna frowns, 'oh. When's your anniversary then?'

Jane chuckles wryly, 'you know Aarna? I honestly don't know. I should probably ask her before I accidentally miss it and mess it all up.'

Aarna's head tilts sideways, 'how can you not know your own anniversary? Do you mean you forgot?'

Jane shrugs, reaching down to pet Berry's head, 'nah. I don't know when what we were became what we are, it happened in bits and pieces. Maura kind of just decided we were in a committed relationship at some point and I just….' Jane trails off.

'You were so smitten you just went along with it?' Aarna teases.

A red heat in her cheeks tells Jane she is blushing, 'basically, yeah, but I believe we were talking about your love life, not mine.'

'If you have advice, I'm all ears,' Aarna offers, stuffing her hands in to her pockets while stomping her feet.

'Live in the moment, Dhar,' Jane says not unkindly, her eyes watching Boston flip snow in to the air with her nose before trying to catch it in her mouth, an absolutely ridiculous looking feat. 'You just got to the I love you stage. Bask in that. Enjoy it. You can't change the future by worrying about it. Even if you end up stationed apart, it doesn't make that station permanent. You'll figure it out together or I'll come out there and kick both of your asses.'

Aarna laughed, her shoulders loosening for the first time that morning, 'deal, Rizzoli, deal.' It takes the pair of them a while to wrangle Boston back in but Aarna doesn't seem all that bothered by it. She looked calmer, more at ease. Not that it stopped her from climbing directly into the car and heading to the hospital as soon as they hit the driveway, not even bothering to help Jane take the dogs in. Jane didn't mind much, after all, Jane was just as eager to see Maura. Jane finds her swirling a glass of wine, mid conversation with Constance and Jane can't help but wrapping her up in a hug from behind, letting Maura's body warm her back up. And given that Maura didn't even so much as skip a word while speaking with her mother, Jane assumed Maura didn't either.

The next morning, Jane expects to find Aarna gone and Maura somewhere in the kitchen Instead, she found Angela in the kitchen ushering the pouting young woman from task to task, Constance in the living room entertaining Frankie and Nina who had arrived early, and Maura missing entirely.

Jane frowns, texting Maura quickly, 'Hey Maur! Where'd you get off to? I'd have gone to the store for you if you needed something.'

Maura's response was quick but annoyingly vague, 'It's a surprise. See you soon! Xo'

Jane shakes her head and decides she ought to save Aarna from being her mother's workhorse. 'Hey Ma. Aarna. Can I help?' Jane rolls up her sleeves, washes her hands in the kitchen sink, and dries them. Aarna is peeling potatoes and Jane jumps in there. 'What time are you headed for the hospital?'

Aarna sighs, 'Maura wasn't sure how long she'd need the car for. I asked her to take me but she said she didn't have time.'

'Oh,' Jane says, 'well you could always take Ma's car.'

'No she can't,' Angela says from somewhere behind them, 'I left it at Ron's last night.'

'Okaaaay,' Jane says, 'then maybe Frankie and Nina's.'

'Nope,' Angela repeats, 'they're on call.'

'Come on Ma,' Jane whines, 'it's Thanksgiving and Noemi is all alone in the hospital. There's gotta be something we can do. Surely someone can give her a ride or something.'

'There's plenty you can do,' Angela says cheerfully, swooping between the pair of them and depositing a load of vegetables, 'chop the veggies and wait for Maura to get back. It will pass the time more quickly.' Then in a surprising display of affection, Angela presses a kiss to both girls cheeks before moving back to whatever she was doing.

Jane sends Aarna an apologetic look before dragging over the celery to chop. Aarna shrugs and starts on the carrots and if her chopping sounded especially agitated Jane didn't really blame her. Just as Jane thinks there could not be any more food in the world left for the pair of them to chop, Jane hears the door open. Boston and Berry bark happily at the door, their yips telling Jane it was most likely Maura walking in. A hushed greeting affirms that suspicion. The thing that makes Aarna drop her knife, missing Jane's foot by centimetres, is the next voice that greets them.

'Honey,' Noemi calls, 'I'm home.'

Aarna bursts in to tears, her body frozen in place as Maura, Noemi and Lola come slowly in to view. One look at her mother's pleased face and Jane knows she was in on it too. Noemi manages to wrap herself somewhat impressively around Aarna's sobbing form even with just the single arm while the others retreat to give the pair space.

'Is she allowed to leave the hospital?' Jane whispers at Maura.

Maura is beaming, absolutely pleased with herself for managing to surprise both Aarna and Jane. 'She has been signed in to my care and is under strict orders to return if she feels unwell in the slightest. I thought she should get to spend Thanksgiving with her family.'

'Doctor Isles,' Jane grins, 'that was very sneaky of you.' Jane presses a kiss to Maura's cheek, 'and very sweet.' Maura rests her head on Jane's shoulder, her gaze trained on the two women huddled in the kitchen, a smile on her face.


It isn't long before Maura's house is full. Bursting at the seams with the sounds of family, new and old, and festive cheer.

Tommy and Frankie have commandeered the television in the media room to watch the pregame. TJ had riled up Boston in to a game of chase that had all the adults jumping aside at a moments notice. Vince had enticed Constance in to a conversation about the differences between European and American wines that had devolved in to a somewhat tipsy alcohol comparison game. Kiki, Nina and Angela stood around the kitchen island, responding to timers and food crises without pausing their conversation. Hope and Lola stood chatting quietly in a doorway between the living room and the kitchen, their eyes repeatedly going over their respective children. On one couch, Noemi had fallen asleep with her head in Aarna's lap, her pain killers making it difficult to stay awake. Aarna, exhausted from nights spent sleeping in a chair, was sleeping with her head propped up on an elbow and her other hand buried gently in Noemi's hair as if she'd fallen asleep mid stroke. Berry lay on Aarna's feet, an adorable red guardian for the pair of them. In the other corner of the room, Cailin sat with Sofia Walsh the pair talking animatedly. Jane and Maura flit from group to group, Jane refilling wine glasses and Maura water, their orbits never straying far from one another with plenty of opportunity for soft touches and tender words.

The door bell ringing surprises Maura. They weren't expecting any additional guests. TJ runs to answer it, Boston hot on his heels. The boy opens the door and Boston barks warningly, 'who are you?'

'Is, uh, Doctor Isles or Agent Rizzoli here?' an unfortunately familiar voice speaks.

'Auntie Maura!' TJ calls just as Maura reaches the door, the boy diving behind her legs. Maura places a protective hand over his head and greets Agent Dean. 'Dean?'

'Doctor Isles,' Dean replies steadily, 'sorry for scaring your… nephew? I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving and let you know that Jane is no longer a subject of investigation in Paddy Doyle's escape.'

Maura raises an eyebrow, 'your higher ups are dropping the case?'

Dean blushes, 'it seems that Jane's recent actions have had a positive effect for the FBI at a time when the agency as a whole is being questioned for its role in the 2016 election. Given that and as we have found no lines of communication between Agent Rizzoli and Doyle, my superiors believe it is in the agency's best interest to move forward. That press conference was a smart call.' Dean smiled then. 'I'm glad everything worked out for the two of you.' Dean turns to walk away.

'Agent Dean?' Maura calls after him, stopping him, 'what about the academy?'

Dean shrugs, 'not my department but from what I hear, there's a recruit nominated for special commendation for going above and beyond in the call of duty. Can't imagine they'd reward the recruit and punish the instructor.'

'Thank you Agent Dean,' Maura says with a smile, 'and Happy Thanksgiving.' Maura closes the door and looks down at the boy behind her legs.

'Is Auntie Janie in trouble?' TJ asks, his eyes wide and brimming with tears.

'Quite the opposite,' Maura says swooping TJ up despite his weight, 'she's a hero. She saved someone's life.'

'Miss Cailin's?' TJ asks softly, his fingers playing with Maura's necklace.

'That's right,' Maura says, pressing a kiss to the boys cheek.

'That's good cause I like Miss Cailin. She's my favourite kid sitter because she doesn't call me a baby.' TJ replies steadily, his brow furrowing in frustration. 'I'm not a baby.'

Maura laughs, 'no you are not. I used to be able to hold you in one hand and now look at you! You're so big, I can hardly pick you up at all.'

TJ beams, 'that's right. I'm big and strong just like my daddy!'

'Just like,' Maura affirms. Then she whispers in a conspiratorial tone, 'do you know who forgot how big and strong you are?'

'Who?' TJ tries to whisper back, his little voice coming out louder than he means it to.

'Your Auntie Janie.' Maura says with a grin, 'should we go tackle her to remind her?'

'Will you help me? Auntie Janie is fast.' TJ says, emphasising the fast.

Maura grins, 'absolutely. Let's go get her.'

Jane dodges TJ's initial attack, of course his yelling 'I'm going to get you Auntie Janie,' with his hands up and his teeth bared probably gave her fair warning. Jane is not expecting the second one in which Maura collides with her from behind wrapping her in fast hug before pulling Jane's arms up to give TJ prime tickling space.

'Betrayal!' Jane squeals, trying to catch her breath. Maura presses a quick kiss to Jane's cheek. 'Oh it's on now,' Jane says struggling against Maura, 'you two had better run.'

Maura looks at TJ, beaming, and yells 'run!' She lets go of Jane and takes off after TJ, laughing as Jane and Boston chase after them through the house.

The chase ends in a heaping pile on the floor, Maura having switched sides to help tickle TJ breathless. As they lay on the hallway floor, catching their breath, Maura can't help but to look at Jane over TJ's head and see their future. Chasing their children, tickling their children. And judging from the soft way Jane smiles back at Maura, Maura thinks that Jane might be having the same thought. Maura lays her head back on the floor, tucking the happy thought away for now. Maybe their house wasn't quite full yet afterall.