A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, I really enjoy reading them and appreciate constructive comments. I just wanted to quickly address one of the guest reviews: you are absolutely right, the last chapter felt a little disjointed to me as well. I was trying to squeeze in as much as possible and consequently the chapter didn't flow as well as I would have liked. I will try to do better in future :) additionally, I would also like to say that I know Maura and Jane are 'grown-up, independent women' and I never meant to do a disservice to the characters by portraying them as being anything less than that.

P.S. I know that it isn't Christmas yet but I really wanted to write this chapter! Nothing serious, heavy or dramatic... Just some good old Rizzoli family fun!

"Wake up, mommy! Wake up!"

I was stirred from my slumber by an enthusiastic whisper and a gentle tap on the shoulder. I reluctantly opened my eyes and found myself face-to-face with my unnaturally alert four-and-a-half-year-old. Her bright blue eyes were a stark contrast to the dullness of the room.

"Good morning Rosa. What time is it?" I whispered softly and offered her a bleary smile as I rubbed my eyes.

"I don't know, mommy, but it's snowing!"

"It is?" I muttered.

"Uh-huh! Can we go play outside now? Please mommy?" Rosa begged, excitement radiating from her.

It was very difficult to muster up any enthusiasm before sunrise, however, as I looked into those infinite pools of blue, it was much harder to say no and disappoint my daughter.

"Okay, sweetie. But you have to wrap up extra warm, okay?"

"Okay mommy! I'll be right back!"

Rosa leaned over to place a quick kiss upon my cheek and before I knew it, the little blonde blur had already whizzed out of the room. I let out a quiet chuckle before glancing over at the sleeping form beside me. Her raven ringlets were sprawled across her face, tickling her with each inhale and causing her nose to wrinkle. It was adorable to watch, and just when I thought she couldn't get any sweeter, a small, subtle smile leapt across her lips. Even while she slept, her beauty was mesmerising. I continued to watch in total awe and adoration as I contemplated waking her up. It seemed like such a cruel thing to do; she looked so peaceful and I knew that she must have been exhausted, but she would be so disappointed if Rosa and I went to play in the snow without her. I decided that waking Jane up now was the lesser of two evils… I could not have dealt with her whining and pouting all day because she'd missed out on all the fun!

"Hey, wake up beautiful." I whispered against her cheek.

As Jane began to stir, I planted a soft kiss in the corner of her mouth. Without opening her eyes, a dazzling smile danced across Jane's lips, a smile so warm it made my heart melt.

"Umm good morning." She yawned happily as her eyes fluttered open. "Why are we awake so early? Even the sun hasn't started its shift yet!"

"Well, a little bird told me that it's snowing and I thought maybe you'd want to come outside and play with us."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Jane grinned before pulling me in for another kiss.


"Come on mommy! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

"Not just yet, missy! You still have to put on your hat and gloves –"

"But mommy!"

"No buts. Go upstairs and grab your things and then I promise we can go outside and play."

"Fine." Rosa huffed as she ran back upstairs again.

"Remind you of anyone?" I chuckled, raising my eyebrows pointedly at Jane.

"Nope. I have no idea who you're talking about." Jane joked as she took a sip of coffee.

"You know, you've really rubbed off on her."

Jane set her mug down on the counter and looked up at me. Her chocolate brown orbs suddenly swirled with concern.

"Is that a good thing?"

"Absolutely. It's a wonderful thing." I stated emphatically.

I moved to stand behind the stool on which Jane was sitting and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. Jane relaxed into my embrace and I turned to kiss her cheek; her soft skin felt like silk brushing against my lips.

"What was that for?"

"To remind you that I love you and think you're awesome."

"I love you too, Maur. I think you're pretty awesome too. I mean, not as awesome as me, but you're pretty damn close!"

"Hey!" I chuckled and playfully slapped Jane's shoulder, feigning offence.

"Mommy, I'm ready!" Rosa chirped.

"Come on then, little one! Let's go and build a snowman!"

"Oh god… Please don't start singing!" Jane whined.

I knelt down and Rosa ran towards me, leaping into my open arms. We exchanged a knowing look and began singing 'Do You Wanna Build a Snowman' from Frozen. Jane scowled and feigned annoyance but she had a certain glint in her eyes that made it quite clear that she loved it really.

"Come on, you dork! You too, Rosa!" Jane chuckled as she ruffled Rosa's hair. "Let's go see what Jack Frost brought us!"

Jane made a beeline for the door and Rosa wriggled in my arms. I carefully lowered her to the ground and adjusted her scarf. I felt the material slipping through my fingers and released my grip.

"Aunt Jane! Wait for me!" Rosa cried as she chased after Jane.

I leaned against the doorframe and watched the two of them playing together, content to observe and revel in their laughter. It was such a beautiful sight to witness and it convinced me that I was the luckiest person in the world. I have a beautiful daughter, the most incredible girlfriend, and a wonderful life. It doesn't get any better than that.

Jane and Rosa engaged in a snowball fight and hilarity ensued. I'm not entirely sure who started it but both competitors were taking it very seriously. I couldn't help but giggle when Jane crouched down to make a snowball and Rosa hit her straight in the back of the head. The snow slipped down the back of her neck and inside her coat, causing Jane to shimmy and shake like Beacon Hill's very own Baryshnikov.

"Nice moves, Rizzoli!" I cheered.

Jane glared at me before throwing a snowball in my direction. I leapt out of the way, dodging the snowball (much to Jane's dismay). Rosa carried on pelting Jane whilst I knelt down to scoop up some snow and pack it tightly into a ball. Once I was satisfied with my perfectly formed snowball, I quickly jumped to my feet and turned to face the girls again. Before I could take my aim, Jane swooped down and picked up Rosa, using her as a human shield.

"Come on, Maur! Hit me!" Jane goaded.

"Yeah, you can do it, mommy! Hit her!"

I held back for a moment and tried to estimate the best trajectory, however, this proved difficult as the target kept moving! In the end, I just bowled the ball and covered my eyes as soon as I felt it leave my hand.

"Ew yuck! Right in the mouth!" Jane shrieked.

Rosa hurtled towards me, giggling as she threw her little arms around my neck.

"I knew you could do it, mommy! You're the best!" Rosa exclaimed happily.

"No, you're the best!" I beamed as I light tapped Rosa on the nose, eliciting another giggle.

"Mommy, can we build a snowman now?"

I studied Rosa's face for a moment; her cheeks were rosy and her nose was red. As much as I wanted to build a snowman with her, I knew that we had been outside long enough and I didn't want to risk her getting sick just before Christmas.

"Not right now, baby. I promise that we will build a snowman later but right now, I think we should go inside and make some waffles! What do you say?"

"Okay, mommy… But only if we can put chocolate chips in them!"

"Deal." I agreed as I shook Rosa's hand.

"Aunt Jane! We're making chocolate chip waffles!"

"I heard, buddy! Good call on the chocolate chips, by the way! Your mommy would never let me have chocolate chips, even if I asked really nicely."

"That's because I'm her favourite!"

"Nah-uh. Tell her, Maur!"

"I love you both. Very much. Now you'd better march your butts into that kitchen before I change my mind about the chocolate chips!"

"Yes sir!" Jane saluted before taking Rosa's hand and leading her into the house.

There was nothing in the world that I loved more than seeing my two favourite people, my girls, laughing and playing together.


"Okay, so how about we all snug up and watch a movie before the Brady Bunch arrive."

"The Brady Bunch?" Rosa questioned, her brow knitting in confusion.

"Aunt Jane was just making a joke, sweetie. She means Nanny Angela, Uncle Frankie, Uncle Tommy, Aunt Lydia, and TJ."

"Ah." Rosa nodded in understanding. "Can we watch Frozen?"

"No!" Jane and I chorused.

We had only just watched Frozen last night, and a dozen other times before that! I love my daughter, and I would do almost anything for her, but there is no way I could make it through the whole movie again so soon!

"Hey Rosa, have you seen Hook?" Jane asked.

"No. What is it?"

"No?! It's one of my all-time favourite movies! It's about Peter Pan when he grows up."

"But – but Peter Pan lives in Neverland and you never grow up in Neverland!"

"Well, Peter Pan left Neverland –"

"But why would he want to do that? There are mermaids and fairies in Neverland!"

"You have point there; mermaids and fairies are pretty awesome, but if you watch the movie, you'll see that we have some awesome things on Earth too!"

"More awesome than fairies?"

"Press play and you'll find out!"

"Jane? This isn't scary is it?" I whispered as I pulled Jane aside.

"Aww, it's okay, Maur. I'll be your cuddle buddy if you get scared!"

"It wasn't me I was worried about, Jane!"

"So, you don't want me to be your cuddle buddy then?" Jane asked with a smirk.

"No, I didn't say that! I was simply asking if this film is suitable for children."

"I'm sure Rosa will be fine. Just the other day, you let her watch a film where the protagonist's wife was brutally murdered in an attack that left his baby son disabled. Then the son got kidnapped and held hostage by a creepy dentist. The poor dad had to cross the ocean to find him and his only companion was a woman with amnesia!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Finding Nemo!"

"Oh. It doesn't sound very child-friendly when you put it like that."

"See! Even Disney does dark and twisty! Don't even get me started on Bambi…"

We snuggled up on the couch, with Rosa nestled in between us. Thankfully, as Jane had anticipated, Rosa was absolutely fine with the movie. It was the perfect movie to watch on Christmas Eve. Just as the end credits started to roll, the Rizzoli matriarch and the rest of her clan burst through the front door. They were all bearing gifts and Rosa took it upon herself to organise the presents under the tree (and rattle each one to try and guess its contents)! After all of the presents and suitcases had been brought inside, Angela and Lydia began making eggnog and the rest of us went outside to play in the snow again.

Tommy, Frankie and TJ decided to have a contest to see who could roll their snowball the furthest. After deciding that it was too easy, Frankie proposed the idea of having some sort of track with different sections; each section was worth a certain number of points, and if the snowball went outside of the track, you scored no points. It was a pretty clever idea and it certainly kept them entertained for a while.

"Mommy, please can we build our snowman now?"

"Of course we can, Rosa. Why don't you ask Aunt Jane if she'd like to help us?"

"Aunt Jane, would you like to build a snowman with us?"

"Sure, buddy. I would love to."

"Yay! Aunt Jane, you can make the bottom part because it's the biggest and you're the biggest! Mommy, you make the middle bit because you're in the middle, and I'll make the head because I'm the littlest!" Rosa ordered.

"Now who does she sound like?!"

"Still you!" I exclaimed, earning myself a snowball in the face.

"Hey!" I chuckled and Jane just shrugged smugly in response.

Jane knelt down beside me and we got straight to work, carefully rolling our snowballs to the correct sizes. We both knew that if Rosa was anything like me, which she was, then she'd be over to inspect our handiwork before we could assemble the snowman. Luckily we were granted the seal of approval.

"Good job!" Rosa applauded.

Jane helped me lift my snowball on top of hers, and then I lifted Rosa up so that she could place her snowball on top of mine. It was a lovely family bonding exercise and it helped Rosa to understand the benefits of teamwork.

"Aunt Jane, what should we use for the eyes and the mouth?"

"What about these little pebbles, buddy?"

"Thank you, Aunt Jane! They're perfect! We can use them for the buttons as well!"

"No problem! Need a boost?" Jane asked before lifting Rosa up onto her shoulders.

"Did you know that the largest documented snowman, well, snow-woman, was 122 feet and 1 inch tall?" I informed. "It's lucky ours isn't that tall, otherwise we'd need a really tall ladder to decorate the face!"

"Wow, Mommy! Can we make ours bigger?"

"Maybe next year, buddy!" Jane chuckled as she put Rosa down again.

"Okay." Rosa sighed sadly.

"Hey, cheer up, buddy! We still need to find this big guy a nose!"

"And a hat! Oh we could give him a…" I began excitedly, however, Rosa had already scampered away. "Scarf as well."

Jane wrapped her arm around me and affectionately nuzzled into my side. It was clear she was trying to stifle a laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked, meeting her russet brown eyes.

"She really is turning into me, isn't she?!"

"Yes. She certainly has your mannerisms."

"With your brains and good looks!" Suddenly Jane's expression grew serious as she reached an epiphany. "Oh boy… We're in big trouble!"


After dinner, Jane took the children upstairs to Rosa's bedroom and settled them down so that she could read them a story. Rosa and TJ huddled into Jane and she lovingly drew them closer by wrapping an arm around each of them. TJ handed Jane a copy of the Grinch and she began to read.

"'And they're hanging up stockings!' He snarled with a sneer. 'Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!' Then he growled, with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming, 'I MUST find some way to stop Christmas from coming!'" Jane read aloud, ensuring she used her very best Grinch voice.

Rosa and TJ were euphoric; they erupted into fits of giggles every time Jane got into character. It was such a pleasure to watch Jane engaging with them. It was evident that Jane loved her nephew; whenever she mentioned his name, her whole face would light up and her eyes would smile from her cheeks. It was heart-warming to see that the aunt-nephew relationship had weathered the storm and was seemingly unaffected by Jane's absence. It was plain to see how much Jane loved Rosa too. The pair shared a remarkable bond, one unlike any other. When Rosa was a baby, Jane was the only one who could soothe her and get her to go back to sleep in the middle of the night.

"I'm failing!"

"You're not failing. She's a baby, Maur. Babies are supposed to cry!"

"She hates me!"

"Now you're just being silly! Of course she doesn't hate you."

"I am fraught, Jane! I have tried everything; nursing, rocking, endless shushing! You name it, I've tried it! I'm telling you, she hates me!" I exclaimed, completely and utterly exasperated.

"Come on. Hand her over. Auntie Jane needs to have a word with her favourite niece."

I carefully deposited Rosa in Jane's open arms and took a step back.

"Hey little miss grumpy-pants! Are you giving your mommy a hard time?" Jane cooed.

Instantly, Rosa stopped fussing. It was almost like Jane had found a secret off-switch. She made it look so easy. She was a natural. Rosa gazed up at her with big baby blues as Jane continued to gently sway from side to side and whisper in dulcet tones. Within minutes, Rosa had fallen asleep.

They have always had this special connection and it has only strengthened with time. Rosa may refer to Jane as 'Aunt Jane', but she is so much more than that. Always has been. Always will be.

I quietly slipped away and re-joined the other adults in the living room. They appeared to be in the middle of a game of Pictionary. Frankie and Tommy on one team, Angela and Lydia on the other. Boys versus girls.

"Come on Lydia! Think!" Angela yelled.

"I'm trying! This is a hard one."

"Bat!"

"Nice work, Frankie!" Tommy Cheered.

"I still don't see it." Lydia stated, tilting her head as she studied the sketch.

"What do you mean you don't see it?! It's right there! Look, there are the wings and there are the fangs. See? It's a bat." Angela explained as she pointed to the different parts.

"Wait, I've just realised something… it's a bat."

"What- what did you think a bat was before?!"

"You know, like a baseball bat. Maybe you should have drawn a baseball bat instead, Angela." Lydia smiled sweetly.

"Ooh I give up!" Angela huffed as she poured herself another glass of eggnog.

"I'm surprised they haven't killed each other yet!" Jane joked as she snuck up behind me.

"Well, the night is young!" I chuckled before placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Listen up everyone! I hope you don't mind but I decided to get everyone one big communal gift."

"Oh Tommy, you shouldn't have." I smiled, knowing that he and Lydia were still in the midst of some financial troubles.

"Yeah, you should have bought us one each!" Frankie joked.

"Francesco Rizzoli! You be nice to your baby brother! Thank you Tommy, that is very sweet of you. You know Christmas is tomorrow though, right?"

"Of course, ma! I'm not stupid! I just thought we could have some fun tonight!"

"Oh god! What did you buy?!"

"Don't worry, Jane. It's not dirty!" He chuckled as he handed her the bag. "Go on! Open it!"

"Ah, Murder Mysteries…" Jane read the box.

"Doesn't that sound fun?!"

"Sure… if you don't do this kind of thing for a living!" Jane retorted.

"I think it's a great idea, Tommy." Angela added, forcing a smile.

"Oh look, it says here that you have to dress up in the proper costumes." Jane sighed, feigning disappointment.

"Don't worry, I packed all of the costumes in one of the suitcases!" Tommy exclaimed as he rushed to the guestroom.

"Oh goody." Jane replied sarcastically.

"Come on, Jane. It'll be fun." I smiled, gently bumping my shoulder against hers.


"Hello everyone, I'm Lady Elizabeth Duncan." Lydia introduced herself in character. "I have some terrible news to share with you all. I have just found my husband, Lord Theodore Duncan, murdered."

Lydia began to snigger to herself and we all just stared at her in confusion.

"Sorry, it's just – this is really fun!" She exclaimed.

"This is your idea of fun?!" Jane whined as she gestured to her outfit.

I couldn't help but laugh. Jane was dressed in scruffy clothes, her hair was backcombed, and she had two of her teeth blacked out. She had drawn the short straw and was cast as 'Stinky Stan', the gardener.

"Alright Stinky Stan! Let's just get back to the game." Frankie ordered.

"Are you supposed to be a police officer, Frankie?" Lydia asked.

"Um, yeah." Frankie scoffed.

He was wearing an old-fashioned police uniform including the hat. His character was hardly ambiguous.

"I'm Gary the Gangster. I've been busy fightin' and stealin' and – and all that other stuff gangsters do! Well, well! Who is this fine specimen?" Tommy asked as he gazed in my direction.

Jane smacked him round the back of the head.

"Knock it off, Janie! I was just reading the card!"

"Yeah, right!"

"I'm serious! I'm a married man now, I only have eyes for Lydia!"

Jane continued to scowl at Tommy, so I thought I'd better formally introduce myself before things snowballed into a full-blown fistfight.

"Hello boys, Miss Violet's the name." I flirted and observed how everyone's eyes trailed down my dress.

I was really pleased with my costume. It was a beautiful violet-coloured dress that accentuated my silhouette. It was infinitely better than Stinky Stan's ripped flannel shirt and stained pants.

"And I'm the maid… not that anyone cares!" Angela huffed as she glared at me.

Either she was really good at getting into character or she was jealous of the fact that my costume was more flattering than hers. Either way, I didn't really appreciate being on the receiving end of one of her famous death-glares.

"So, Lady Duncan, how did you discover your husband's body?" Frankie inquired, getting the ball rolling.

"It was awful. I was lying in my bed when suddenly I heard a manslaughter coming from the hallway."

"You heard a what now?!" Jane queried.

Lydia checked her card again before re-reading her last statement.

"Sorry, I got that a bit wrong, didn't I?"

"You think?!"

"Please continue, Lady Duncan."

"Suddenly I heard a man's laughter – not manslaughter – coming from the hallway. I went outside and that's when I saw Gary the Gangster standing over my poor husband's dead body!"

Lydia turned her attention to Tommy and she furrowed her brow for a moment. Suddenly, a look of amusement washed across her face.

"Oh! It was you that killed him!" She exclaimed before offering herself a round of applause. "That was super fun! Can we play again?"

The rest of the group exchanged looks of confusion. Of course, the game wasn't over. It had barely even begun.

"You know what, Lydia? I think I'll read the next bit." Frankie smiled softly as he prised the card out of her hands.

"I slammed the bedroom door and locked it. I could feel my heart fluttering beneath my… nightie." Frankie paused for a moment, cringing at the thought.

"All I could think was I wish my darling Teddy were alive to hold me in his loving arms and kiss me with his soft and tender lips."

Everyone burst out laughing and Frankie slumped back into his chair, his cheeks turning a deep shade of scarlet.

"And Frankie will be reading more extracts from his diary tomorrow." Jane announced jokingly.

"So, what's going on, Gangster Gary?" Angela asked, shifting the conversation.

"It wasn't me what done it!" Tommy replied huskily, clearly trying to sound menacing like his character. "I was lyin' in bed when I smelt a whiff of sweet perfume! When I opened the door, do you know who I saw?" Tommy paused for suspense.

"Well, it wasn't me, was it?! Cause I stink of horse poop!" Jane expressed with a scowl, clearly referring to the gardener's use of manure.

"No. No, it wasn't you, Stinky Stan. It was someone in a mask, holding a dagger. Suddenly, they lifted the dagger and plunged it into Lord Duncan's chest. A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the manor." Tommy added dramatically as he re-enacted the scene.

"Mommy, I had a bad dream." Rosa emerged in tears, startling us from our game.

"It's okay, sweetie." I soothed as I scooped her up into my arms and peppered her with kisses.

I carried Rosa back upstairs and she snuggled her face into the crook of my neck. I carefully placed her on the bed and pulled the duvet back so that she could get comfortable.

"Mommy?" Rosa whispered quietly, trying not to wake TJ (who was fast asleep on a mattress on the floor). "Why are you all dressed in silly clothes?"

"Because we're playing a game. Uncle Tommy thought it would be fun."

"Oh. Can I play? I love playing dress up!"

"I know you do, sweetie, but it's past your bedtime. We can play lots of games together tomorrow."

"Okay. Mommy? Can you check for monsters?" Rosa begged fearfully, tugging the duvet up to her face.

"Okay, sweetie, but I promise you that there aren't any monsters in here."

"But you haven't checked yet! You need to check!"

I leaned over and kissed Rosa's forehead before humouring her and checking for monsters in the closet, under the bed, and even behind the curtains.

"All clear. This is a monster-free zone." I smiled. "Do you think you'll be able to go back to sleep now?"

Rosa nodded slightly. It was clear that she was still frightened, but she was trying to put on a brave face.

"Do you mind if I stay with you for a while?" I asked, gesturing for Rosa to scoot over for me. "I get scared sometimes too, Rosa."

"But you're a grown-up. Grown-ups aren't supposed to get scared."

"Do you want to know a secret?" Rosa nodded. "Everyone gets scared from time to time. Even grown-ups. But I promise that I will always protect you, Rosa. I won't let anything bad happen to you, okay?"

"Okay. I love you mommy." Rosa yawned.

"I love you too, sweet girl." I kissed Rosa's forehead and smoothed a soft curl away from her face.

Rosa nestled into me and once I was certain she was sleeping soundly, I placed another delicate kiss upon her forehead before silently leaving the room.

I made my way back into the living room to see everyone crowding around a broken wine glass.

"Come on then! Get a brush and clean it up, you lazy little –" Lydia instructed Angela.

"Excuse me?!"

"You heard me! You're the maid… That is what I pay you for!"

I watched the anger bubble up inside Angela as she muttered some profanities under her breath. Clearly Lydia forgot that we were taking a short break from the game.

"This is so much fun, isn't it?" She beamed happily.

"Yes. Yes, it is." Jane replied sarcastically. "Is Rosa alright?"

"She's fine, Jane. Shall we continue?" I asked as I settled on the couch.

"So, why don't you tell us exactly what you saw yesterday afternoon?" Frankie directed his question towards Lydia.

"Um, I saw a guy in a hotdog suit handing out flyers –" Lydia began.

"In the game, Lydia! You need to read what it says on the card, honey." Tommy gently informed.

"Oh! You meant what Lady Duncan saw yesterday!" She picked up the card and started to read from it. "I was surprised to see Stinky Stan talking with my husband. Lord Duncan shouted at Stinky Stan and fired him on the spot! He told him that if he didn't get off our property, he would call the police. Stinky Stan promised never to return."

"So why did you return, Stan?" I queried.

"I came to pick up my gardening tools. I left them in the shed." Jane read aloud.

"Do you think he was harbouring a grudge?" I asked Lydia.

"I don't know. He didn't show me his tools... Do gardeners use grudges?"

"Oh my god! This is painful!" Jane muttered.

"Right, where were we?"

"I think it's time we heard your alibi, Miss Violet." Angela stated sternly.


After a long night of fun and games, Jane and I were finally alone in our bedroom. As much as I love the Rizzolis, I was in desperate need of some peace and quiet. Fortunately, I found my sanctuary in the bed I shared with the woman I love. Jane opened her arms and I scooted into her embrace. I rested my head over Jane's beating heart and allowed the gentle flutter to soothe me. Jane ran her fingers through my hair and I felt pure contentment wash over me.

"So, it was Lady Duncan all along." I sighed. "Who'd have guessed?"

"Not Lydia, that's for sure!" Jane joked, causing us both to laugh.

"I love you Jane, and I hope that there will be many more Christmas Eves like this one."

Jane furrowed her brow.

"Okay, maybe not exactly like this one! I just meant that it has been wonderful to be surrounded by a real family. Our family. I've never really experienced that before." I clarified.

"You know what I want? I want to celebrate every Christmas with you and our kids. To start our own little family traditions and stuff."

"Kids? Plural? You – you want to have children?" I spluttered.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, however, Jane's heartbeat remained steady.

"Sure, someday. Don't you want to have another one?" Jane answered my question with ease.

It was almost as if she was asking me if I wanted a cup of coffee or tea. Like it was the easiest choice in the world.

"I don't know, I hadn't really thought about it." I lied.

There had been moments where I caught a glimpse of a curly-haired boy running through the house, leaving muddy footprints everywhere. Or of a mini-Jane practicing ballet in the living room. But they were just daydreams, they weren't serious thoughts or action plans. The chances of being able to conceive and turn those dreams into a reality were very slim at our age.

"So, think about it then." Jane smiled. "Goodnight Maur." Jane turned to place a soft kiss against my cheek.

My brain shifted into overdrive. All of these thoughts and ideas swarmed my head. Next steps. Sperm donors. IVF. Failed attempts. Miscarriage. Baby. Baby. Baby. It kept coming back to the baby. That sweet new baby scent, those ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes, the soft tufts of hair sprouting from its head. I wanted that again. I wanted to experience it all with Jane. I wanted us to have it all.

"Jane? I'm in. I'm all in." I whispered.

Jane let out a soft snore. Of course she had already fallen asleep. Just typical. She dropped a bombshell on me, causing my mind to race at a mile a minute, and she just fell asleep. Just like that.


A/N: Okay, so that was 'Snowfall'. A few of you asked for some lighter, funnier chapters and I hope this one delivered. The prompt for this chapter was 'Jane and Maura playing murder mysteries'. If there is a particular plot or idea that you want to suggest, please do review or pm me and I will incorporate it into a future chapter.

Also, what do you think of the whole baby idea? Should they have another baby? Should Jane or Maura carry the baby? What about adoption? I need genders, names and any other ideas you can think of! Don't worry, there's still a long way to go before the baby making actually starts... Just testing the water and giving you all time to have your say!

N.B. The next chapter, 'A Thousand Chrysanthemums' will be up in a few days. Expect something big to happen between Jane and Maura!