"Agent Rizzoli! They told us you might be dropping by."

"Good morning, sir. I was hoping to get a look around while I'm in town, if it isn't any trouble?"

"Of course not. I'll have Johnson here give you a tour and then we can talk in my office."

"Thank you, sir."

"Not to worry. No problem at all. Oh, and Rizzoli!"

"Sir?"

"We do hope you'll be joining us up here in Boston."

"I'm keeping my options open, sir."

"Yes. Well, when do you have to decide?"

"By the first of the year, sir."

"Excellent. I'll see you in my office, shortly."

"Yes, sir."

Jane feels as though she is flying. For the first time in years, she feels like she did all those times when she was a kid. The wind is whipping at her face, and the snow is getting in her nose and mouth. She should close her eyes, but she doesn't want to, doesn't want to miss anything. There are tears running down her cheeks, freezing before they hit her chin, but it's wonderful. She tugs the rope slightly, turning the front of her sled a bit to the left, steering around a mini-jump that some boys have constructed. She hasn't been sledding since TJ was small enough to sit on her lap. She opens her mouth and lets out a Whoop! of excitement and utter joy. This is how winter is meant to be enjoyed: braving the cold for the thrill of the hill. It is completely freeing.

She spent the morning at the FBI Boston Field Office, being led around by some underling agent and speaking with the interim Supervisory Chief. It was intense and somewhat stressful, but she has a better idea of what her duties would be if she were to take the position. She feels better prepared to make that decision. Not that she has any idea what the right choice would be. No idea at all. So, when Annie came by her mother's house that afternoon and begged Jane to join her and Maura in a sledding adventure, how could the agent refuse?

She wasn't sure how it would go, just her, the munchkin, and the woman she loved...loves? Has a past with, a history. The woman she basically jumped the night before in their old bedroom. The woman she spent the rest of the evening, through dessert and Christmas caroling and an impromptu game of charades, staring at, but not speaking to because she didn't know. She just didn't know.

Her mother had tried to corner her multiple times throughout the rest of the evening, but Jane always managed to get away, usually with some help from Korsak or her niece and nephew, for which she was extremely grateful. And she'd left early, leaving Frankie to drive their mother home after the party, pretending sleep when Angela poked her head into the guest bedroom. It was easier that way. She didn't know if the meddling woman had succeeded in getting anything out of Maura, but she doubted it. The honey blonde could be surprisingly close-mouthed when she wanted to be. Jane was still trying to process what had happened in that bedroom; she definitely wasn't ready to hash it out with her mother of all people.

She kissed Maura. Yelled at her, told her things Jane swore she would never share with anyone. She'd finally figured out, at least in part, what went wrong all those years ago. And then she'd kissed the medical examiner, and Maura had kissed her back. What. The. Hell. And, to top it all off, she'd told Maura about the new job offer. Shit.

So, she wasn't exactly confident in the plan for the afternoon when she learned that it was just going to be her, a six year old, Maura, and a sledding hill. But, so far, it had been surprisingly chill. Annie, completely oblivious to past events and the night before, did wonders for keeping both adults relaxed and laughing. She must have inherited that charm directly from Tommy, Jane mused.

With a whooshing spray of snow, Jane came to a stop at the base of the hill, Annie not far behind. "Winner!" Jane threw her hands up in the air in delight.

"You cheated," Annie pouted.

"Did not, munchkin. Guess you're just not used to racing the champ!" Jane couldn't help rubbing it in a bit even if the girl was only 6.

"Amie?" the girl said petulantly, turning to the honey blonde who was wrapped in a red pea coat, sitting on a nearby picnic table.

"Sorry, sweet girl, but I think Jay took that one," she and Jane exchanged a grin.

"Awww man."

"C'mon, nugget," Jane urged playfully. "Let's go again."

"Can we all go on this one?" her niece requested with a pout.

"Ooo, I don't know about that," Jane responded. "That'd be up to Amie," she gave the medical examiner an evil smirk.

"Do you think we would all be able to fit," Maura asked doubtfully, indicating the long green sled Jane had been using.

"Sure we would," Annie waved the question away, her little mind not really worried about measurements and space, but Maura still looked unsure. "One run. Please, please, please!"

Maura looked between the two girls, and finally nodded. "Yes!" Annie shouted, pumping a fist in the air and taking off for the top of the hill.

"Hey, you! What about the sled?" Jane called after her retreating figure.

"Last one there's a rotten egg," was all she received in return, so she scowled good naturedly and picked up the lead rope, tugging the green toboggan behind her up the slope, Maura trailing behind.

Once at the top, Annie plopped down happily in the front while Jane held the sled steady. "After you," she indicated and Maura sat gingerly down behind the girl, Annie sitting almost completely in her lap. Jane took a deep breath. This was about get to a little awkward. She took a seat behind Maura, holding them in place with her hands in the snow. Her legs were sticking out to the sides of the sled, and, seemingly without thinking about it, Maura reached out and pulled them around herself, holding them tightly to her body. Jane started a little at the sudden contact, but didn't pull away.

"Are we ready?" she asked instead, throwing her voice forward so Annie could hear her over the wind.

"Ready!" Annie called gayly back.

"Here we go then," and Jane started pushing them forward, over the lip of the hill. They hung there for a moment, suspended on the cusp and then the sled plunged forward and they were falling, flying, gliding along over the snow. Jane could hear Annie laughing up front, but Maura was silent. Her grip on Jane's legs tightened. Jane let out a yell of enthusiasm, and automatically wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist for stability. They whipped past a straggling line of kids making their ways up the hill, causing them to become a blur. Jane saw the bump right before they hit it, and her muscles tightened reflexively in preparation for impact.

"Bail!" Annie shouted, but it was too late; the sled was already skidding out of control, dumping them all unceremoniously into the snow.

Jane tumbled end over end, snow filling her mouth, her mittens, and going down the back of her coat. When she finally thumped to a stop with an "Oomph," she laid still for a moment, taking stock. No missing pieces, everything seemed to be in working order. It was then that she realized that she was resting on something soft and squishy and warm. She turned her head slightly and was met with a head of blonde curls. She raised herself up on her forearms to find that Maura had broken her fall.

"Maur?" she asked worriedly.

Thankfully, the doctor turned her head and met Jane's gaze. "Hey," she said softly.

Jane let out an uncharacteristic giggle, suddenly reminded that they were pressed front to front, no space separating them, and she felt heat rush to her cheeks.

"You okay?"

The doctor nodded and then moaned a bit. "I may have hit my head on impact. Perhaps whiplash," she suggested.

"Let me see," Jane pulled off a mitten with her teeth and then reached to the back of Maura's skull, feeling gently for any bumps. "Nada," Jane said. "You're still in one piece."

"Thank you," Maura breathed.

Jane found herself staring at the doctor's lips. She jerked her eyes upward, back to meet Maura's hazel ones, which she could have sworn were not normally that dark.

"Thank you," Jane emphasized, "for breaking my fall."

"Any time," the blonde responded.

Jane was going to kiss her. Unless she got her ass up and put some space between the two of them immediately. She wasn't going to be able to control herself, not when Maura was staring at her almost hungrily. Would that be such a bad thing? she wondered idly. They'd kissed the night before. And it had been...great. So would it be such a terrible thing to just lean forward, close that slight distance between the two of them, take Maura's lips in her own? She reached forward and brushed a stray strand of hair off the doctor's forehead. Yes. Yes, it definitely would. Jane scrambled off the smaller woman, but stayed close enough to help Maura sit up if she needed it.

"You guys okay?" Came Annie's high pitched voice from further down the hill.

"Yes, we're alright, honey!" Maura called back, turning to look back at Jane. "Are you okay?"

"Me?" Jane asked, trying to ignore the fact that Maura's eyes still hadn't returned to their normal color. "Yeah, I'm good." In order to prove her point, she stood and brushed herself off, reaching out a hand to help Maura up when she was finished. The snow was clinging to the doctor's coat and hat, and her hair was a tangled mass of wet snow and ice crystals. She looked lovely, and Jane had to hold in a sigh.

They were staring at one another again. "I'm cold!" Annie shouted.

"Hot chocolate?" Jane asked Maura hopefully, and the doctor nodded in agreement. "Should we call it a day, kiddo? How's hot cocoa sound?" Jane loudly asked her niece, making her way down the slippery slope, retrieving the sled from where it had landed.

"Yummy!" Annie agreed, leading the way back towards the car, leaving the two adults to trail in her wake.

Jane waited until Maura caught up with her. "Sorry we tipped," she apologized shyly.

"Oh it wasn't your fault, Jane. The speed at which we were traveling and the angle at which we hit that bump necessitated a change in velocity. It just so happened that we were unfortunately ejected."

Jane laughed. "Right. Okay, Doc."

Maura smiled back at her.

It felt good to tease Maura again without feeling guilty or mean. It felt ... normal.

They stopped off at a little coffee shop down the road and Jane ran in to grab them all hot cocoas, then Maura drove them back to Angela's house. Jane peered out the car window as they pulled up. It was starting to get dark, and the Christmas lights on all the houses were being turned on. Jane noticed Angela's car in the driveway. The woman must have left the café early in order to get the house ready for the third Rizzoli family dinner in a row.

"Thanks for the hot chocolate and sledding, Amie!" Annie called from the backseat, as she hopped out into the snow bank.

"You're welcome!" Maura called back, laughing as the young girl took off for the warm house. "See you on Wednesday!"

"Yeah, thanks," Jane agreed with her niece.

"Of course," Maura nodded.

"Are you coming in?" Jane indicated the house.

"I don't know," Maura frowned thoughtfully.

"C'mon," Jane waggled her eyebrows, "Another Rizzoli family dinner. How could you refuse?"

Maura laughed and shrugged. "I should head home."

Jane glanced out the window, "Oh. Okay." She was strangely disappointed, but she didn't know how to tell Maura, or if she was even allowed to.

"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" Maura asked suddenly.

"Eleven, I think," Jane said, eager for a reason to keep the conversation going. "Why? Are you - are you thinking about coming to see me off?" she tried to say it offhandedly.

"I have to work," the medical examiner looked disappointed.

"Oh. Right," Jane felt the same.

"Well, I-"

"Have you decided? About the job?" Maura cut her off.

Jane fiddled with her hands, "No, not really. I stopped by this morning, but I haven't told my mother yet. I'm not sure if I will."

"Oh?"

"I mean, if I don't take it, what's the point in getting her hopes up. Right?"

"I suppose," the blonde didn't sound all that convinced.

"It's a big decision," Jane hastened to add. "I'm just trying to think through it."

"Right."

It was awkward now. Tense.

"So...dinner?" Jane asked, trying to break the tension.

"I-" but just then, Maura's cell phone rang. She lifted it to her ear with an apologetic frown in Jane's direction. "Dr. Isles? Yes, of course. I'll be there shortly. Yes. Thank you." She hung up.

"Duty calls?" Jane asked, trying to inject nonchalance into her tone.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Jane."

The agent waved her off, "Don't be. I get it." She opened the door and stepped out into the gathering darkness, needing to distance herself from the medical examiner. "Well, thanks for the afternoon. I had fun."

"Me, too," Maura responded, giving the brunette a small smile. "So, I'll see you..." It was almost a question.

"I'll see you around," Jane decided was the safest response.

"Happy holidays, Jane."

"You too, Maur. Drive safe."

"Safely," Maura corrected and then she put a hand over her mouth in embarrassment, but Jane merely grinned at her.

"Safely," she agreed, and then she was slamming the door and stepping back onto the curb and giving a wave as Maura's Prius disappeared down the street. Her hand dropped back to her side as the blue car turned the corner. She felt strangely melancholy all of a sudden, almost as if she had just missed something, an unknown possibility had slipped out of her grasp before she realized it was even there in the first place. It was a strange sensation, and it almost makes her want to cry, but she doesn't really understand why. Sighing, she turns and trudges towards the house. Only one more night and then she's heading back to Virginia, back to work and her empty apartment, away from the Boston snow, and her loud, overbearing family, away from a certain blonde ME.

The entire vacation has felt somewhat surreal. Coming back after being away for so long, but everything just kind of picking up where it left off. It was strange the way that happened, Jane mused. You could be gone from a place for months, years even, you could daydream about it and ache to be back there, you could imagine just the way it was and all the possible ways it could have changed. And then, suddenly, you're back and it's as if you never left and all that time you spent missing home just seems to disappear. Kids grow up, addresses change, your favorite coffee shop closes, but it still feels like home, like you never went away in the first place. She doesn't understand it, and she can't really fathom heading back to her job now. She can remember what it felt like to be there, to aways be working, to be lonely, but it was a distant memory, far removed from what she has been experiencing over the past several days. It shocked her how easy it had been to fall back into her old life.

Even seeing Maura again hadn't been as terrible as she'd been imagining. Sure, it had been hard, and confusing as hell, what with the kissing and everything. But they'd talked...and yelled...and seemed to have reached some sort of truce. And that was great. It felt good to set some of those old hurts to rest. At the same time, however, seeing the ME again had reawakened feelings and emotions that Jane had been struggling to bury for ten years. Feelings that she had sworn she no longer possessed. Attractions and desires that she had satiated with random sexual encounters with faceless, nameless people so that they wouldn't consume her. But that were now resurfacing and threatening to drive her just a little bit crazy. It was time to go south again, she decided. Maura was muddling her brain, causing her to think insane thoughts, to want things, a life, that she couldn't have.

Yes, Jane squared her shoulders and straightened her spine, it was time to head back. But she couldn't silence the little voice in her head that was disappointed that Maura had been called to a crime scene, that was crying for Jane to ask the doctor to come to the airport tomorrow, just so she could see her one last time.

She tried to keep her mind off the hazel eyes and blonde hair. All through dinner she tried. Tommy had to keep nudging her whenever her mother asked her a question, because she was so lost in her thoughts. In her daydreams. In her own head. Frankie was giving her strange looks and even Lydia seemed to notice that something was off with the agent.

"Are you alright, Janie?" Angela Rizzoli asked her daughter after her other two children had gone home, taking her grandkids with them. They were doing the dishes again: Angela washing, Jane drying. "Jane?" she prompted when the younger woman didn't respond right away.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine, ma."

Her mother gave her a searching look. "I'm sorry Maura couldn't come to dinner. She said she got called into work."

"Maura? What?" Jane almost dropped the plate she was holding. "No, I get it. It's cool. I don't care."

"Right," for some reason Angela didn't sound convinced. But, she decided to drop it. "I'm so sorry you couldn't stay longer. Three days is hardly enough."

"Gotta get back, ma."

"I know that. I just miss having you here."

Jane gave her mother a rare one-armed hug. "I know, me too." She debated about bringing up the job offer, but chose not to. Like she'd told Maura earlier, it was better that her mother not get her hopes up only to be disappointed later on. She surveyed their work and then heaved a sigh. "I think I'm going to go up to bed," she said, glancing at the clock. "Gotta get up early tomorrow morning to catch my flight."

"Alright," her mother nodded. "Want me to wake you up? Frankie said he'd come over and go with us."

"Sure. Thanks, ma," she kissed her mom on the cheek and headed for the stairs. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Janie."

"Night."

"I love you!"

Normally, Jane wouldn't answer. It wasn't that she didn't love her mother, she just didn't express it very often, but tonight, she smiled over her shoulder, "Love you, too."

It was fully dark when she jerked awake. She glanced over at the clock. Three AM. Why was she suddenly up at 3 AM. She hadn't had a nightmare. Wait, there it was again, a noise from outside, and - was that her phone? Groaning, Jane sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, shivering when her bare feet made contact with the cold wood floor.

She grabbed her phone off the dresser. 1 new text message. It's from a number that her phone doesn't recognize, but she does. She's had it memorized for years, even after she deleted it from her contacts list.

Can you come outside? it says. And there's that noise again, the sound of snow crunching underfoot out on the porch.

Jane pulls a sweatshirt on over her old Red Sox sleep shirt and opens the bedroom door. She makes her way downstairs quietly, skipping the seventh step because it squeaks. She flipps on the porch light, runs a long fingered hand through her sleep-mussed curls, grips the knob tightly, and opens the front door. Dr. Maura Isles is standing in front of her in nothing but flannel pajamas and boots, her cheeks are red from the cold and her eyes are shining in the Christmas lights.

"Maur, what-"

But Jane is cut off when Maura's cold lips find hers. The kiss is questioning, pleading. The blonde is seeking permission. Jane doesn't respond immediately, her sleep addled brain taking a moment to remind her that yes, she is awake. This is not a dream. And then she is kissing Maura back. It isn't hard and fast like the day before, instead soft, hesitant, cautionary. Jane can still taste the mint from Maura's toothpaste. She can feel the cold, but it is merely an annoyance. The doctor is shivering though in just her pajamas, so Jane steps backward, leading her into the house and pulling the door closed behind them, never once breaking their kiss. She bumps into the stair railing, and almost trips on the first step. The blonde disengages to take a breath, and Jane takes the opportunity to turn, her hand finding the doctor's cold one, and lead them up the steps, and towards the guest bedroom. She listens closely for any sign that her mother has been alerted to their visitor; the house is still.

The lights are still off, and Maura is trailing closely behind her. Neither woman speaks. Jane feels like she is sleepwalking, like any moment she'll wake up alone in her bed, and this will all have simply been another dream. But, she doesn't, and when the bedroom door shuts behind them, Maura is immediately back in her arms. They are kissing gently, longingly. Jane is allowing herself the time to become reacquainted with Maura's unique taste, with the way they seem to fit so perfectly together, the way their movements are practically synchronized. She pulls away for air.

"Okay?" Maura asks so quietly Jane almost misses it.

"Yes," and then her lips find Maura's pulse point and she is sucking gently, eliciting a gasp from the blonde that sends a shiver up Jane's spine. She feels her own heart rate increase in response. Maura tugs on her curls, and Jane returns to eye level.

The doctor walks them forwards until Jane's knees hit the bed and she sits automatically. Before she really knows what's happening, they are lying in bed together, and Maura has her hands wrapped in Jane's hair, her leg between Jane's, pressing on her center, where she can feel her own arousal pooling. And then she can no longer think, simply feel, because she is kissing Maura, and Maura is kissing her back, and she feels like she is dreaming, but she isn't and it's all too wonderful for words.

Jane is running her hands along Maura's back, familiarizing herself with the doctor's new curves, loving the way her touch causes Maura to squirm slightly in delight. She reaches the hem of Maura's pajama top, pauses, and then slips beneath the fabric. Her cold hands in contact with the doctor's warm skin is intoxicating. She runs her hands lightly up Maura's back, tugging the shirt along with her. And finally, Maura shifts so that Jane can pull it up, and over her head, depositing it carelessly over the edge of the bed, reattaching their lips as soon as possible. Jane can't help the moan that escapes her when Maura's bare front presses down onto her.

The doctor begins to untangle her hands from Jane's hair, and to make her slow way down Jane's torso, but Jane suddenly freezes and grabs the ME's hands in her own. Maura stops her descent, waits a moment, and then presses a light kiss on Jane's lips, her cheek, beside her ear. "I've got you," she whispers. And, after another beat, Jane releases her hands in understanding. Maura continues to whisper after that, I've got you, Trust me, I'm here. Sweet nothings that Jane doesn't really register, but it isn't the words that are important, simply the message. Whatever they are about to do, Maura isn't going to let Jane fall. She isn't one of the faceless 'others.' She is here, and now, and she is not going to leave the agent floundering behind.

It becomes a dance, one which they seemed to have choreographed so many years ago. They are a bit out of practice, certain movements are hesitant, uncertain, but the other is quick to redirect, to assist. They are not harried or rushed. They take their time. Relearning the steps as they go, finding the places where they fit together, becoming seamless. As perfect as you can get.

When Maura takes Jane's erect nipple in her mouth, the brunette holds in a groan of satisfaction. And Jane draws a symphony along Maura's exposed skin, as they shed their pants, and finally, the last layer of clothing separating them from one another. They hiss in unison as they feel one another for the first time. It is new. But it is also achingly familiar.

Maura places her hand gently on Jane's thigh and gives a light push, encouraging the agent to open for her. Jane doesn't think, she merely does as the doctor has silently asked, spreading herself trustingly. Maura runs a single finger through Jane's folds, soaking in the agent's arousal. It is gentle. Loving. Jane gasps as Maura first makes contact with her sensitive bundle of nerves, the doctor quickly finding a rhythm that has Jane moving in sync. When she slips a single finger inside, Jane can already feel her walls beginning to clench. It has been so long. So long since anyone was this gentle with her, since anyone has touched her in this way, has been inside her, and she can feel herself teetering on the edge. Maura pulls her finger halfway out, and then slips a second digit inside and thrusts gently. She pulls out again, and slides deeper inside, stroking Jane's walls gently. Jane is struggling, attempting to reign in the need coursing through her.

"Trust me," Maura's honeyed voice reaches her through the haze surrounding her. "I'm here, Jay."

It is enough, Jane relaxes, and immediately, she is pushed over the edge, thrown into the abyss. She clenches tightly around Maura's fingers and throws her head back, stifling the scream that is trying to make its way out of her tightly pressed lips. It feels as though it lasts forever, wave after wave of pleasure pulsing through her, until finally, she relaxes back onto the bed, conscious once again of Maura's body pressed against hers, of the kisses Maura is laying gently across her cheeks, her nose, her lips. And it is then that she realizes she is crying, silent tears running down her face, and Maura is kissing them away, holding her tightly in her arms.

Jane spends several moments collecting herself, letting her heart rate return to normal as Maura continues her loving ministrations. When she feels strong enough, she flips them suddenly, pinning Maura beneath her. She stares into hazel eyes, more a deep forest green now, and kisses Maura softly, then begins to make her way down the doctor's perfect body, pressing wet kisses as she goes, tracing a single nipple, and then the other on her way. She can practically feel the blonde vibrating with need, with want, as she parts the blonde's silky folds with one hand and places her other on Maura's stomach, holding her steady. She glances up once more and meets Maura's gaze with her own. The doctor's eyes are pleading with her to appease her desire, and Jane acquiesces, running her tongue lightly over the doctor's clit, causing Maura to jerk at the motion.

The taste of Maura fills her, consumes her, the heady scent of the doctor's arousal is all around her. She takes her time. Running her tongue gently over Maura's stimulated center, enjoying the way the doctor is straining upwards, searching for more contact, more pressure. Happily, Jane complies. And then, she takes Maura's clit completely in her mouth and begins to suck, eliciting a series of moans from above her. She slips two fingers into the ME's center, pushing deeper with each thrust, searching out that one spot which she knows undo the doctor. She finds it suddenly, and Maura tightens around her, her long legs snapping around Jane's head, freezing her in place. She waits for the orgasm to pass, before sliding her fingers gently from the doctor and making her way back up to Maura. Once there, she licks her fingers clean, a new wave of arousal shooting through her at Maura's taste on her tongue.

Their lips find one another once more, working each other into another state of readiness, of desire. Jane feels as though she is both coming undone and being place back together in Maura's strong arms that night, pushing and pulling, and pushing and pulling. Finding her way out of the darkness and into the light that is the doctor's skillful fingers and beating heart. She loses track of how many times Maura has caused her to skyrocket into ecstasy, of how many times she claims the doctor as hers. It isn't important. She doesn't care that her mother is just down the hall, that it has been ten long years since the two of them have shared a bed, let alone their bodies with one another, that they have a history, a painful one. She doesn't care about any of that. All she cares about is the feeling of Maura writhing beneath her, of Maura's hot breath on her cheek as she comes, of Maura's perfect lips, and the way they have shifted from two bodies, into one, one beginning where the other ends, without difficulty or confusion. There is no pain, no hurt, simply tenderness, caring. She never wants the sun to rise again if it means staying in that bed with with Dr. Maura Isles kissing her over and over again, reassuring her, loving her. She never wants it to end.

But, eventually, exhaustion takes over. Sleep finds them. Jane feels herself drifting off, her lips pressed to Maura's forehead, the blanket thrown over them haphazardly, one of Maura's legs between her own, the doctor's hand on her shoulder, the other around her waist, breathing together, in and out, in and out. Her last thought, as she loses consciousness, is that this is the happiest she has ever been.

It is Maura's phone that jerks them awake. There is only a hint of pink shining through the window, indicating that dawn is on its way. They haven't been asleep for more than an hour. Maura scrabbles for her phone, finally finding it beside the bed on the floor where it must have fallen out of her pajama pocket.

"Dr. Isles," she answers sleepily, but immediately jerks upright at the voice on the other end, pulling the sheet up around herself and shivering in the cool morning air. "I see. No, I can come in. Of course. I understand. Yes. See you soon." She ends the call and stares down at the figure who has fallen back to sleep already. Jane's hair is splayed out on the pillow, her pale face turned towards the doctor. Maura runs a finger down her cheek, and Jane shifts, the blanket falling down, uncovering a bare shoulder.

"Jay."

"Mmm."

"Jay, I have to go," this causes the agent to open one chocolatey brown eye in consternation.

Maura leans down and presses a kiss to the side of her head, and at that, Jane forces herself awake, yawning and frowning simultaneously.

She wants to ask what last night meant, where they should go from here. But her brain is hazy with sleep, and isn't cooperating.

"I don't regret it," Maura seems to read her mind. "Not in the slightest. It was perfect," and she goes to kiss the agent again, only this time, Jane turns her head at the last moment so their lips meet.

"I'm leaving today," she gets out.

"I know." Maura nods.

"But the job offer..."

The doctor hesitates, an internal battle playing out across her delicate features. "You need to decide what's best for you," she settles on. "Last night...I-I wasn't exactly thinking straight. And I don't regret it!" She hastens to repeat. "But, it doesn't have to be-that is- it doesn't have to mean-"

Jane's heart falls down into her stomach. Maura is giving her an out. Them an out. They can pretend like last night didn't happen. Like it was just some crazy accident between two people who used to love each other. Used to. Is that still true, Jane wonders. Used to. She studies the doctor, Maura is biting her lip, looking nervous. Jane doesn't know what to do. What to say. It's too much, too soon. She is overwhelmed, and so she does the only thing she can think of. She nods. "Right."

Maura looks a bit crestfallen, or maybe that is simply the agent's mind playing tricks on her. The doctor slides out of bed though and begins pulling on her pajamas. Jane watches her dress silently. She should stop her, pull the doctor back into bed, kiss her again, beg Maura to come to the airport to see her off. But she doesn't. Instead, she lets Maura slip her boots on without interrupting, she accepts the kiss that Maura places on her cheek and the quick hand hold they exchange.

"Have a good flight," Maura says, and Jane nods, attempting normalcy. "I'm glad you came. For Christmas. I'm glad," and she nods again, unable to form words. "So, I'll see you...?" Jane wishes she knew what answer to give, how to respond, what she wants to say, but she doesn't, so instead, she nods for a third time.

She gives the doctor an encouraging smile when Maura pauses on the threshold and looks back into the bedroom. A smile that she hopes says, "It's alright. I understand. Go." And it seems to work, because, before she really knows what is happening, Maura has slipped out of the room and is gone, leaving behind a woman who is once again feeling lost.

Jane waits until she hears the front door open and close again, shakes her head to clear it, and stands, stretching out her sore muscles. No point in going back to sleep now. She heads for the bathroom, hoping a hot shower will calm her, will ground her. Last night is almost a blur, a terrifying, wonderful blur. They made love. Maura touched her, she saw her, and Jane let her. They were together, for a few hours at least, they regained what they had lost. But, she doesn't know if it was merely some weird cosmic joke. A last hurrah. A final goodbye. What does it mean? What does she want it to mean. She doesn't know.

They drop her off at the airport several hours later. Her mother. Frankie. Annie and TJ. They hug her goodbye, and her mother presses several tearful kisses to her cheek, which Jane doesn't have to heart to shake off. Annie begs her for something 'cool' from the FBI, and Jane promises to send a package as soon as she is able.

"We'll see you soon?" Angela asks, but Jane can only shrug. They don't know about the job offer. She can't tell them. Not until she makes a decision. And then, only if it is a specific decision. But first, she needs to get away. Away from her mother. Away from her niece, who is quite possibly the cutest thing in the world, and away from Maura. Especially Maura. She can't think when Maura is around her, is filling her mind and her heart and her person. She needs space. This decision must be rational, logic, thought out, not hasty and impetuous as so many of her choices are. So she shrugs and her mother pats her cheek understandingly.

One last round of hugs. "Bye, Ma. Brother," she slaps Frankie on the shoulder. "Take care. TJ," she gives the teenager a sarcastic smirk, "Stay out of trouble," and she is rewarded with a half smile. Good enough. "C'mere, munchkin," and she sweeps her niece into her arms. "You be good now, ya hear," she plays and Annie giggles in response. "Can you do me a favor?" the six year old nods enthusiastically. "Look after Amie for me, alright?" Jane asks quietly enough that no one else can hear. "Take her sledding once and awhile. Think you can do that for me?"

"Sure, Auntie Jay!" Annie agrees happily.

"That's a good girl," she sets the little one back on her own two feet and takes in the people splayed around her. "Well, I'd better get going."

"Alright. You stay safe," her mother orders.

"Will do, Ma."

"Call me when you land."

"Okay."

"And do something fun for the New Year."

"Yes, Ma."

"I love you!"

Jane waves over her shoulder to acknowledge her mother and steps into line at security. When she looks back, her family has disappeared, melting back into the crowd thronging Boston Logan. Just like that, she is alone again.

The flight passes smoothly, and soon, she is touching down in Quantico, Virginia, grabbing her bag from baggage claim, and getting her car out of long-term parking. She heads into work first, unwilling to return to her dark apartment right away, but thankful that the office is quiet still. It's late by the time she leaves. Several hours have passed while she caught up on emails and old paperwork, but she drags herself reluctantly to her car and makes the quick drive to her apartment.

Her key turns in the lock and she slips inside, dropping her bags by the door and sighing. There are still several unpacked boxes sitting in the living room, even though she's lived in this particular place for the past five years. It's nice. Small, but nice. But she hasn't felt the need to really move in, settle down.

She makes her way over to the fridge, navigating in the dimness by memory, and peers inside, the bright light spilling out onto the linoleum. An expired gallon of milk, a moldy cucumber, and a six pack of beer greet her. Right, she meant to go to the store on her way home. Shit. She pulls out a beer and heads for the couch, kicking her boots off and throwing her feet up onto the small table. The cool liquid slides easily down her throat, but she barely notices. She is playing with the label, peeling it off in fits and starts more than drinking it, her mind preoccupied with other things: Boston, her family, the job, Maura.

Jane is only halfway through the bottle by the time it has reached room temperature, so she rises from her sprawled position and shuffles back into the kitchen, pouring the alcohol down the sink and pulling a fresh one out of the refrigerator. Four hours later, the table is littered with pieces of beer label, empty bottles sit forlornly in the kitchen, a new one, warming, unforgotten in her hand while Jane mulls over her situation. She shifts, and sets the beer in her hand down for the first time with a definitive movement. She's decided. Finally.

And just then, there is a knocking on the door, which jolts her out of her reverie. She stands and heads for it, pulling it open without checking the peep hole. It's like deja vu, except this time, the woman in front of her speaks first and hurriedly, as if she is afraid that the agent will slam the door in her face. "I had to come because - well, I - I want you to take the job in Boston. Or not. I guess it doesn't really matter. Even if you stay here, even if you don't come home, because Boston is your home, I can't stand - that is, after last night - after the last ten years... Please. I understand if you don't want to, if you believe that opportunity has passed. But, I can't-can't lose you again. So I got on a flight as soon as I could. I came straight down. I don't want to be alone any longer. I don't want to feel afraid. To drive you away again. I'm sorry, Jay. I'm so sorry. And perhaps it wouldn't work. It's been quite a long time; people change. Their characters are shaped by events around them and perhaps we have grown in different ways, different directions. But, I just-jus-"

Jane cut off her nervous rambling by pressing a light kiss to her lips. "I'm taking the job."

"You are?" Maura breathed out.

"I am." And then Jane pulled her inside and kissed her again, fiercely, determinedly, and she smiled into it, her insides glowing with happiness. This was right. It was the correct decision. They wouldn't be able to just keep doing this, making out, making love, without talking. But, for now, the fact that the doctor was there, that she'd come, was enough. It was more than enough. They had a lot to discuss, a lot to decide, but they could move forward. They had a second chance. The opportunity to try again, and Jane wasn't going to waste it. It was, quite possibly, the most promising and wonderful Christmas present she had ever received, and she didn't intend on letting the woman in her arms slip away again. They would try, and it would be hard and challenging. But they would try, and hopefully it would be enough. God, she hoped so. She really did.

AN: Merry Christmas, y'all. I wanted to wrap this puppy up for good, and I hope you aren't disappointed. It got a little stunted there at the end, but I never imagined that it'd be quite this long. I'll go back and edit after the hubbub of the holiday dies down, but I wanted to post as soon as possible. I so so so appreciate all of the reviews and follows that it received. Thank you so much for your interest and support. There will be a final epilogue posted later today. Enjoy the holiday, and I hope y'all are spending it with good friends and family! Love.