A/N: Man, what a year. I've been working from home since March, but I still wasn't inspired to write. Until some of my Christmas playlist started playing, that is. I hope people like it, and I hope you have a very happy holiday.
Jane sighed as a miniature version of Mickey Mouse limped across the screen, the animated character admirably portraying Tiny Tim as he had since 1982. She usually loved this short little blast of holiday nostalgia, but without Maura here with her on the couch, it just wasn't the same. True, she had Jo and Thomas, and not only Jo and Thomas, but their two newest additions of Cagney and Lacey, both of whom were now curled up in tight little cat buns around Jo, but it still wasn't the same as having Maura.
Jane stroked Cagney's white back as she half-heartedly kept watching the TV. She and Maura hadn't intended on adopting the two kitten sisters; however, when they had moved into their house, a more thorough inspection of the backyard shed had uncovered two little yellow eyes. Those had belonged to Lacey, the mostly-black but speckled with orange tiny tortoiseshell kitten who despite her wee size had an outsized, booming meow that demanded food. Maura, ever the softy, had instantly headed to the store to buy kitten food, and when the demanded food was placed by the shed, it wasn't just Lacey who had emerged. A snow-white kitten, larger than Lacey by a lot but obviously shier, had tentatively come out with her. Two weeks later, after more food, some back scritches, a trip to the vet to get a checkup and microchips, and lots of purring, they had been formally adopted by Jane and Maura, and as was Jane's custom, she had named them after a cop show. Lacey was the perfect name for the brassy, smaller, darker tortie, and Cagney had been perfect for her much larger and ladylike snow-white sister.
Now, nearly 12 months later, both of the cats were cuddled in tight to Jo, who herself was cuddled into Jane. Jane sighed again. It was Christmas Eve; Maura was supposed to be cuddled into her other side, and they were supposed to be watching Mickey while being stuffed with capon. It was their tradition, a yearly replica of their first date, and they never missed it. But this year had been completely different and unexpected, and so instead of being by Jane's side, Maura was at the hospital, in a full containment suit, trying to help everyone she could.
It was true Maura's specialization was orthopedics, but not many people needed an orthopedist in the current medical climate, a medical degree was a medical degree, and Maura's vast knowledge about everything made her an ideal candidate to work in the ER in a temporary, emergency capacity. Except, as Jane and Maura discovered, it hadn't really been temporary, and Maura had been assigned to the ER for months. Because of her close proximity to the super sick, she had been staying in the guest house away from Jane, only coming near when she had enough time to thoroughly decontaminate. Jane hadn't really seen Maura for long periods of time in months, which had been emotionally manageable when Jane was teaching. Distance learning had been such a challenge and so time-consuming that Jane could focus on that, not the lack of Maura. But now the semester was over, and Jane was alone on her couch, watching Mickey with a herd of animals.
Jane sighed again, looking at her gift for Maura that was resting on the coffee table that Thomas was sleeping under. There had been a brief thought that Maura might be able to get some time off, and so Jane had prepped it and wrapped it, hoping that she would be able to give it. But, no, the surge had happened and all time off was cancelled, and so, her gift would have to wait. Jane picked it up and studied it, her melancholy growing that she wouldn't be able to give it to Maura, and she wouldn't be able to give it to her tonight. It was meant for tonight, and all of the special meaning that tonight held. Jane glared at the package some more, until a thought occurred to her. Maybe she didn't have to wait; maybe, just maybe, there might be a way to get Maura her gift tonight and make it that much more special in the process. Inspired, Jane carefully maneuvered her phone out of the pocket that Jo was sleeping on and texted Maura.
"Hey, Bella!" she typed. "Any chance you could take 15 minutes to collect some dinner from me at the front of the hospital? I can come any time you are free."
Jane stared at her phone for a bit, waiting and not knowing if/when Maura would answer her. To her delight, a message came through only a few minutes later. "I would love that, Jane," Maura had answered, "but I'm not scheduled for my break until 1AM."
"Sounds perfect to me," Jane typed back. It wouldn't be exactly tonight but it would be close enough, she decided.
"You usually go to bed by 10PM," Maura typed back, and Jane could hear her girlfriend's skepticism through the typing,
"It's Christmas Eve," Jane retorted with a smile emoji.
"Won't it be Christmas by the time you get here?" Maura pointed out, and again, Jane could almost hear the smirk in her typing.
"Close enough." Jane sent back, with a slight shake of her head.
"Well, if you are willing, then I think it would be lovely," Maura replied.
"Then it's a date, Bella," Jane texted, smiling when Maura sent a kiss emoji. She set down her phone and gently moved a disgruntled Jo, Cagney and Lacey. There was no more time for couch. Now she had plans and she had to make sure she got everything done.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Being the excellent doctor that she was, Maura maintained her focus on her patients even after Jane's unexpected text, but when she had a few seconds to think about other things, her mind automatically went to Jane and a smile broke out on her face. Jane had been wonderful over these past few months, doing whatever she could to make Maura's life easier, even though Maura knew that Jane was struggling with the challenge of her own job and its new reality of distance learning. It wasn't unheard of for Jane to bring food or coffee or something just to cheer Maura up, even if the treats had to be left in with check-in nurses. Sometimes Maura didn't even get to see her when Jane dropped off things, but her thoughtfulness and the sweet funny notes in the bags were always a lift to Maura's spirits. Glancing at the clock, Maura realized she only had a couple of hours to go, and her smile got wider as she continued her rounds.
Promptly at 12:45AM, Jane pulled into the hospital parking lot with her present and a home-cooked meal courtesy of her Ma in tow. Ma being Ma had cooked enough for a small army, but Jane knew that there were plenty of exhausted, hungry frontline workers that would be glad to share Maura's Italian feast. She put on her mask and gathered up her things, making her way to the big glass windows that lined the front of the hospital.
Maura broke out into a wide grin when she saw Jane coming around the corner, and her smile grew fond as she saw the enormous cardboard box Jane was carrying. If that was her dinner, it looked like Angela had been involved, and there was enough food to feed her whole staff. Maura noted there also seemed to be a big red bow peeking out of the top of the box, and her interest was piqued as to what it might be. Before she could really ponder, though, she saw Jane notice she was there, and the way Jane's whole face lit up on seeing made Maura forget all about the mysterious package. Even a mask couldn't stop that smile. Maura smiled back and blew a kiss.
Now grinning from ear-to-ear at seeing Maura, Jane made her way to the check-in desk and pointed at the beautiful doctor beaming at her from behind the window. "I know I can't go inside," she told the nurses, "but I'm here to drop off some Christmas cheer for her." She pointed at Maura, who waved to the nurses. Everyone in the hospital knew Dr. Isles, and most knew Jane, so the nurses just smiled behind their masks. Seeing the size of the box, the brawnier of the two of them took it from Jane, signaled the person on the other side to open the doors, and then took it inside to the waiting Maura.
When the nurse set it down, Maura's interest was instantly recaptured by not only the present, but also by the note that was attached to its top. "Please open the box with the bow and come to the window," the note politely requested. That was a request that Maura had no intention of refusing, so she plucked the wrapped box out of the bigger food box and carefully opened it. Peering in, she did a double take, thinking that she wasn't seeing what she was actually seeing. But when she pulled it out, her eyes had not deceived her; she was indeed looking at canned food. It was only when she turned the can and saw the word "cranberries" that she understood. She started laughing, and she looked out at Jane, who was now holding up a big posterboard with a message on it. "I'm so glad we both forgot the cranberries that year," Jane had written.
"Me too," Maura mouthed back.
Jane flipped the sign to reveal another message written on the back of the posterboard. "Open the can," it requested. Maura looked at Jane skeptically, but Jane just motioned with her hand, encouraging Maura to do as the posterboard asked. Maura hesitantly popped the top, looking down in surprise when she didn't see the red of jellied cranberries at the top. Jane mimed turning the can over and dumping its contents, so that's what Maura did, a small part of her apprehensive that she was going to end up with a handful of cranberry sauce.
Instead, what fell out into her hand made her mouth drop open, and she stood staring at a velvet ring box for several seconds before looking out the window in befuddlement at Jane, who now stood holding a new posterboard. "I wanted to do this at home tonight, because it's our anniversary, but this year has been nuts, so here goes," the first side read. Jane took a deep breath and flipped the posterboard. "Dr, Maura Isles, will you marry me?" the second side proposed.
Tears sprang completely unbidden to Maura's eyes as she looked at Jane with her posterboard and hopefully beseeching look. Looking around for something to use, she spied the discarded wrapping paper from her present. She picked it up and grabbed the marker from her sleeve, writing her reply as big as she could. "Yes, I would love to marry you, Jane Rizzoli," her wrapping paper answered back.
From behind her, clapping, yells and whistles broke out, and Maura whipped around in surprise to see a crowd of hospital staff behind her. The check-in nurses had surreptitiously alerted others of the food that had been delivered, and Angela's reputation was widespread in the hospital, so people had gathered in the hopes Dr. Isles would share. Most of them had seen the impromptu proposal, and as was the custom, they cheered when Dr. Isles said yes, welcoming the small moment of joy in what had been a bleak few months.
When that wrapping paper was held up with Maura's resounding yes, Jane let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. She knew Maura would say yes; in some ways this moment had felt predestined since Maura had run into her on the ski slope. But the world was decidedly not normal at the moment, and she had been somewhat, admittedly stupidly, afraid that Maura would say no. But she had said yes, making Jane the happiest woman in the world. With a smile so wide her face hurt, she held up her last posterboard. "I love you; now go eat Ma's good food and save the world!" it commanded lovingly.
From her place at the window, Maura smiled and made a show of opening the box, taking out the ring that had had a cranberry-shaped ruby in its center surrounded by diamonds and placing said ring on her finger. She blew one final kiss to Jane with a face as loving as it was happy before she picked up the food box to start sharing the bounty with her friends and colleagues. Jane smiled after her and gathered up her posterboards to leave for home and their pets, proud of Maura and beyond exhilarated that the woman she loved was now her wife-to-be.
The End.