authors note One more chapter 2015. Hope you like it. Please leave some comments with your thoughts.

30 minutes delayed even Korsak had made it to the house in Beacon Hill, accompanied by a little squirrel which probably hadn't made enough savings for the winter and surely now would get to stay at the Sergeants place until spring would come to Boston and would repace cold wind with colorful flowers. When Vince entered the house he already had fixed a leash for the malnourished little creature. Between several attempts to let tell everyone how needed he was by his new friend the extended Rizzoli-clan even got to know how dramatic the rescue had occurred and how he managed to get the leash for the squirrel on christmasday. While Angela coddled it nearly as much as TJ, Maura became more and more quiet and made some distance between her and her guests.

It had already gotten one hour since everyone was supposed to be here and still no Jane in sight. Even her texts to her had remained unanswered. The usual reason, an murder called in, seemed totally unlikely since she wasn't on call today. By every minute going by Maura felt panic rising in her a little bit more. Even if her best friend didn't embrace the alternative handing out of presents and grumbled about her family being how they were, Maura knew that Jane never would skip the opportunity of presents and a day off with her closest friends and family. Reassuring herself that everyone else still was crowded around the unexpected guest, the Doctor took the stairs to her bedroom to make the most important call for the day. She couldn't imagine what could raise more anxiety than a missing Jane. Her best friend, Jane, missing never ended good. Chains and knives started to infiltrate her thoughts. This was irrational! This wasn't her, nothing in the past weeks indicated any threat to the detective. And even if there was some villain on her way home last night - Jane was very capabel to defend herself. So this was why she had to calm down right now, take a Ujjayi breath, hear what her friend had to say and neither alert the police-employees downstairs nor file a missing person. This was going to be fine. She probably just didn't hear her alarm.

It rang

and rang

and rang

no answer from the other side of the line. Now it wasn't possible to remain somewhat calm any longer. Nervously the doctor started walking upp and down in her bedroom. If anybody asked why she wrote this one last text she wouldn't be able to explain, Jane obviously was not able to answer her phone and whoever was with her would be warned by the text if he or she read it. But somehow it wrote it by itself, Maura barely realized the words showing up on the display before she hit the send-button. She also hardly had time to read it afterwards since her ringtone shrilled within a few seconds.

"Why would you file a missing person on me?" "Are you alright?" it sounded simultaneously from both mobiles.

"Why would you?"

"Missing person reports document someone being concerned about an other persons well-being insecurity about where that third person is located and fear that something bad might have happened. Reporting someone as missing allows the authorities to investigate." The juridical answer left i moment of silence behind. Janes comprehension of legal effects had never been affected so she had no idea what to respond to these well-known facts. Partly she felt insulted about the fact of getting an explanation about things she worked with on a daily basis, partly she couldn't help but being amused by Mauras literality.

"So you are okay?" the literal one in this call asked cautiously. She wasn't sure Jane had even heard her question a few seconds ago and the silence had started feeling awkward. She was almost sure that nothing severe had occurred by the sound of her best friends voice but she needed to hear it from her. She needed a reassurance, something that reduced her acute tachycardia and hypertension.

The answer of "Sure" wasn't satisfying at all.

"Then why aren't you here? Why didn't you answer my texts? You can't do that! Are you mad at me or something? Or why got I ignored?"

Jane was glad her swallowing hard was nearly inaudible. It probably didn't make it through the telephoneline. "Sorry, I didn't realize it was getting so late, and my mobile was set on silent mode. I didn't mean to worry you."

It hurt to lie to Maura but it was the only way right now. Never would she be able to tell anybody what had happened this christmasmorning. This incident scared her. Ever since she woke up Jane was frightened of herself. If memories only could be deleted like a flash-drive or burned like a paper. But they were captured inside her head. Without any option to get out. The last few hours Jane had been struggling with her mental fight-or-flight desires. She wanted to squeeze this incident in the tiniest box in her mind and put that one as far back behind all other things up there as possible, but at the same time she wanted to talk, there was a part of her that understood talking was the only way to get it out of her system. These were mutually exclusive. And then: who could she talk to? Her mother? No way! She wouldn't be able to keep quiet on this for 5 minutes. Her brother was no-one to talk about such private things with. And Maura, the one she told everything? This was the very first time Jane felt Maura was least of all to know. There are things that are too personal even between inseparable best friends, if you don't want everything to crush. In any case, this was too big vor a tiny box, it rather had the size of timesquare screen.

"Jane?! Hello?! Are you still there?" She must have been deep in her thoughts. What did Maura say?

"Yes sure."

"So you will be here within the next 30 minutes?"

"Maura, I... have you all a nice christmasday. I'm not in the right mood." A wave of confusion rushed through Maura. She didn't understand Janes behavior at all.

"What is that supposed to mean? It's Christmas! This day is mend to be spend with your family. Why are you hiding things from me? I don't know what happened to you last night, but studies show that being alone is not the most effective coping strategy. Come!" The last word was harder than she mend it to be. It almost sounded as an order. But Maura couldn't help herself right now, this was a very confusing situation. Jane barely missed any opportunity to come over, particularly when some time already had been set up, and very exceptionally when her nephew was there. It hurt she would just cancel, without even saying anything.

Maura hung up.

Jane listened to the beeping phone for a few moments. This was awful. But better than any other option. Right now she needed time to get back on track, by herself. She was too embarrassed to ever let anyone else know about these past hours.

A key was put into the ignition.

A city was flying by outside of the windows.