" I am not wearing a dress! You can't make me ma!" Jane yelled as she stomped up the stairs and into her small messy bedroom. "Jane Clementine Rizzoli, DON'T YOU DARE RAISE YOUR VOICE AT ME!" Angela reprimanded her eldest child while she followed . She stopped at the door to see Jane sprawled across her twin size bed with her face in her pillow. "Janie, please don't be like this. You look beautiful in that dress. Can't you just do this for me?" Angela spoke softly and slowly approached her hot headed daughter. When Jane didn't react to Angela when she sat at the edge of her bed she decided it was safe for her to continue to talk. "I don't understand why you don't like dresses." It wasn't just dresses Jane didn't like, she didn't want to associate herself with anything girly. Jane has two younger brothers and most of her cousins are boys. She grew up playing football and basketball. Always wrestling and rough housing. She always thought wearing dresses and skirts just simply got in her way when she was hanging with her family. She never took much interest in makeup or jewelry either, a waste of time and money she always thought. "Janie please? Just for one night?" Angela pushed and Jane sighed dramatically and rolled over to look at her mother. She noticed how tired her mom seemed and started to wonder if she ever found the time to rest. "Ugh alright… I'll wear the dress." Angela squealed in excitement, which caused Jane to instantly roll her eyes. "BUT, I'm wearing my converse." Angela threw her hands up in frustration but stood up to leave and give her daughter some privacy to change. " Choose your battles Angela, Choose your battles." She reminded herself.
Tonight is the annual "Winter Wonderland Dance'' that the Boston Harbor Hotel hosts. It was founded by The Youth Group that's funded by Boston PD to encourage kids to stay off the streets and be able to hang out with others in safe, fun environments. Though the youth group has many other activities and learning opportunities. Winter Wonderland was their most popular event that they hosted every year. Every teen in Boston went. No matter what school they attended, public or private. It was a night for everyone to have fun and meet new people. This year would be Jane's first year attending the dance. She never had much interest in going before, but ever since her mother had gotten a job at the coffee shop that's in the Boston PD building Jane and her brothers have been visiting her there a lot more after school. They were exposed to the youth group more and their group leader Detective Korsack was a man she bonded with quickly. She decided she'd check the place out and Angela couldn't be more excited with this news.
"Janie, please try to have fun tonight. You look beautiful." Angela smiled and put the car in park. She reached her hand out and started to try to tame her daughter's wild mane of black curls. "Maa, stop!" Jane swatted her away and unbuckled her seat belt. "Alright, I'll come back around 11 to pick you up." Angela said as she glanced at the clock to see it was 7 pm. "Okay, bye Ma." Jane hopped out the car quickly before her mother could nag her about anything else and she ran up the stairs into the lobby. She went to check in her coat before she went into the grand ballroom. The room was already filled with boys and girls who were dressed in such nice formal attire. She looked around nervously, she didn't see anyone she really knew. Her best friend Barry thought this dance just wasn't his thing and declined her invitation to tag along. She spotted the buffet and made her way to it. She might as well take advantage of this event by eating all the best cooked food that was being served here. Jane grabbed the biggest plate option and started to stack her plate with everything she saw in sight.
"Whoa slow down there, you can come back up for more food after." the unknown voice laughed and Jane turned around to see a girl with lemon blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. "Hey, I'm Emma… I like your hightops." she smiled and pointed at Jane's black hightops. Jane got a better look at Emma once she was able to refocus. She had a short blue, fitted dress on with the same black high tops that she was wearing. But Emma's were a lot more worn out. "Thanks, I like yours too. Great taste you have." Jane joked and caused Emma to chuckle. There was an awkward silence before Jane realized she forgot to introduce herself. "Oh crap I'm sorry. I'm Jane Rizzoli." They shook each other's hands and Emma tilted her head. "Wait Rizzoli… I've read that last name before." "Oh you must've seen my dad's plumbing store down on Main Street. Rizzoli's Plumbing Co.?" Jane said proudly, her father has always been one of her biggest role models. He worked so hard and owned his own business. "Oh yeah! Totally, I used to live with a foster family that lived above your father's store." Jane nodded. "Oh cool." Jane figured she had enough on her plate and looked back up at Emma. "Can I sit at your table? If you have any space. I don't really know anyone here." The blonde smiled and started to walk in the direction of where she was seated. "It's totally okay that you don't know anyone. That's the whole point of this dance right? To meet new people? This is actually my first time coming." Emma then pointed at the seat across from her. Jane placed her plate down and sat in her seat.
The music started to get louder and the lights started to dim. "What brings you here then?" Jane asked before stuffing her face with pasta. "Oh, I'm here with my girlfriend. She practically dragged me here." The brunette looked up and took a sip of her water. "Girlfriend?" she asked curiously. "Yeah, we actually just made a year today. What a perfect way for us to celebrate to go out and party right? At least that is what Regina had said anyway." Emma said distractedly as she started to scan the room that was now packed with dancing teens. "There she is! In the maroon dress and the long black hair?" Jane tried to follow Emma's finger to where she was pointing but she couldn't see the girlfriend in question. "Um, I don't see her." All she saw was a large group and kids all talking and taking out their phones to take pictures. Emma got up and grabbed Jane by the wrist. "Come, I'll introduce you. She's literally the girl that's in the middle of that group talking to everyone." Jane had no time to react before she was being pulled onto the dance floor. Jane saw the fourteen year old girl with her long black hair just how Emma described talking to the group that was listening to her intently. "Gina… Gina!" Emma called out as they approached her. The black haired girl turned around and her smile instantly grew at the sight of Emma. "Gina, I wanna introduce my new friend Jane." Regina raised an eyebrow and looked at Jane up and down, examining the teen in front of her. Which made Jane shift in her standing position feeling a little uncomfortable at the sudden attention. "Hmm, nice to meet you. Jane…?" Regina waited for her to reply. "Oh, um Rizzoli. Jane Rizzoli." Emma nudged her girlfriend and almost seemed to be reminding her to be nice because then Regina gave Jane a genuine smile. "Well Miss Rizzoli, my name is Regina Mills. Though my girlfriend is really the only one that calls me Gina." Jane nodded and wondered how Emma could've gotten with Regina. She seemed more uptight and gave off more of an icy vibe very opposite from Emma's warm and welcoming spirit. Regina's attention changed to someone that was behind Jane. Regina's expression turned ice cold as she walked up to a group of girls that were laughing and opening up their phones pointed to someone that Jane couldn't see right away.
"Ah shit, Gina don't-" Emma couldn't finish her sentence and decided to just follow her girlfriend who was quickly pushing her way through the crowd. Jane followed not wanting to be left alone on the dance floor. "I will have you girls easily escorted out of here as fast as I can snap my fingers. How dare you try to make fun of her, you obviously have no respect for yourselves. Now shoo!" Regina said sternly before swatting the girls aways. Jane watched as Regina and Emma approached a girl with beautiful strawberry blonde hair who currently had her head down on the table. Regina's face had softened once again, and started to rub the girl's back. Jane noticed the change of expression she had when it came to the girl. Almost the same as she had for her girlfriend. Emma looked toward Jane's direction and gestured to her to come over. Jane walked up slowly and noticed the girl was shaking, refusing to pick her head up. "Sweetie please let's take you to the bathroom to freshen you up." Regina said, sounding defeated, nothing seemed to persuade her friend to pick her head up. Regina stood up and looked at Emma for help. But when the blonde shook her head, also not knowing what to do, Jane walked up to her. Before Regina had time to react Jane kneeled on to the floor to get close to the girl and started to speak softly into her ear. " hey um, don't know what's really going on here. But I don't want you to miss out on this fun night. If you lift your head up you could watch me embarrass myself as I try to dance the dougie?" The unfamiliar voice made the honey blonde slowly look up, though it was just enough for Jane to see her large hazel eyes. "Who are you?" her voice was shaky, obviously showing Jane that she was crying. "I'm uh, a friend of Emma's. Listen I know you don't know me but I really hate to see someone feeling down. Especially when we're at a wicked place like this." When Jane didn't get a response she decided the next best thing to do was to completely embarrass herself to get this stranger to laugh.
"Hey! Check me out! Is this how you dougie?" Jane started to obnoxiously throw her arms around not really giving them any direction. Emma joined in and Regina started to laugh at how ridiculous they looked. At the sound of Regina's laugh the girl looked at the sight of her bestfriend's girlfriend and this new girl making a complete fool out of themselves. The honey blonde wiped her cheeks. Jane looked and shouted. "AH I got you to look up!" She excitedly said. The honey blonde laughed and shook her head. " Hi, I'm Jane." the brunette stuck her hand out. "Maura Isles" there it is, a name that goes with that beautiful voice Jane thought. "Maura Dear, why don't we take a trip to the bathroom to get you freshened up." Regina said, guiding her friend to stand up. "Alright, I'm sorry for this." Maura said softly, her cheeks getting red by her sudden embarrassment. Regina hushed her and linked arms with her and started to walk out the ballroom. With Emma and Jane following close.
"You shouldn't let them see you like this Maura." Regina said softly as she opened her purse and started to take out her makeup. Jane watched closely as Regina skillfully reapplied Maura's make up. Maura scoffed and looked down at the floor. "By tomorrow all of Boston will know, and by the time we get back to school on Monday everyone will stare." Emma sat on the countertop next to Maura and gave her a little nudge. "C'mon Maur, it's not like he raised you." Maura glared at Emma. "No, but the news reporters tonight seemed to have conveniently forgotten that part." Emma sighed, not knowing what to say next. "Look up." Regina ordered, adding mascara. " Jane, have you heard about my biological father?" she shook her head, staying quiet. "My birth father, he's um." Maura fell silent. "Paddy Doyle." Regina said distractedly, then stretched her lips out wanting Maura to mimic so she could apply lipstick. "Whoa wait, Paddy Doyle as in Boston's biggest Irish mobster?" Jane blurted out, her eyes widening at the realization. "Mhm, he was arrested last week. Though I'm not sure how it was revealed that I was his birth daughter." Maura sighed, none of this made sense, why would the connection to her even matter. "Ugh, it's a bunch of stupidity. It's nonsense and we shouldn't waste any more time on 's simply a sperm donor. A stranger. There's no relation to you besides DNA." Regina closed her purse and nodded in approval of her work. "Yeah, Gina will defend you when you go to school and if any of those kids need some lessons to learn, Jane and I can handle them. Right Jane?" Emma asked, hopping off the counter and putting her arm around Jane's shoulders. Maura made eye contact with her waiting for an answer. "Yeah of course." Maura smiled and Jane blushed.
Jane had spent the rest of the night with the girls. Dancing, eating, chatting. Jane found out that Regina and Maura are freshmen at Cathedral Private High School. How Emma jumps around foster homes and currently she's in a group home. This is the first time Jane actually hung out with girls and enjoyed herself. She was glad she came out tonight, she was happy she met them. The night was coming to an end and Angela was already outside. This was the best Friday night and she was already counting the days until she could see them again.