A/N: Happy New Year everyone. I ground out this chapter for all of you so please enjoy.
"Jane, Maura?" Angela called as she walked through Maura's front door. In her arms she balanced two large brown paper bags, she used her hip to close the door behind her. Having just left work on New Year's Eve, Angela had stopped to pick up a few essential items before returning home for their little celebration.
"In the kitchen Ma," Jane's voice called from down the hallway. Angela entered the kitchen and put the bags on the counter.
"What do ya have there Ma?" Jane eyed the bags suspiciously.
"Just some essential," Angela smiled as she pulled a bottle of champagne out of one bag and then reached into the other. She pulled out brightly colored and sparkly party hats and various types of noise makers.
"Really?" Jane crossed her arms over her chest as Maura entered the room. Jane was about to say that all of this stuff was unnecessary, cheesy, and dumb. But then she saw the look on Maura's face as the blond neared the kitchen counter, it was a look of utter fascination and joy. Jane quickly found that she could not say a single thing to put a damper on this moment.
"Oooooo," Maura's sounds of interest were followed by the doctor adorning her head with a pink glittered cone shaped party hat. Jane rolled her eyes and glared at her mother as Maura looked through the party trinkets.
"Here Jane," Maura held out a purple glittered top hat. Jane looked from the hat up to Maura, and nearly burst out laughing. Maura had slipped on a pair of giant glasses in the shape of the coming year. Jane took the hat from Maura's hand and stifled a snicker that threatened to escape her lips. Even Angela had to cover her mouth to stop from laughing. Jane put the hat on her head, she felt it squeezing her head with her black curls being squished against her head. Jane tilted the hat back so that it sat at the very edge of her crown.
"Oh you two look adorable," Angela cooed. "Let me grab my camera."
"Ma don't," Jane tried to stop her mother, but Angela was already out the door. Jane put her face in her hand and groaned. She didn't look up until she felt a pair of hands slip around her waist. She met Maura's eyes through those ridiculous glasses and could not hold back her laugh.
"What's so funny?" Maura asked.
"You," Jane breathed before leaning in and placing a kiss on Maura's cheek. Angela returned with her digital camera, and snapped a few pictures of the couple as they prepared for the New Year. Maura had invited the Rizzoli clan to spend the holiday at her house, but Frankie caught the nightshift, and Tommy had decided to go out with friends.
"You'll never guess who I heard from today," Angela said as sat down on the couch.
"Who?" Jane brought over a tray of cheese and crackers, prepared by Maura, to the coffee table.
"Your cousin Beth."
"What'd she have to say?" Jane worked to avoid Bass as Jo Friday ran around her feet, hoping that some food would fall to the ground. Jane placed the tray on the table then scooped Jo up into her arms before sitting down on the couch.
"She just wanted to know how you two were doing. She said that she's seen the biggest change in Lia since Christmas."
"Really?" Maura inquired as she joined the mother and daughter pair on the couch.
"Oh yeah," Angela waved her arm through the air as she spoke. "Ever since she met you she's been spouting off facts like no one's business."
"Wow," Jane sighed and looked to Maura, the doctor looking a bit confused. "Maur, Lia doesn't really talk. She's so shy and quiet, I can count the number of words I've heard her say on my hands."
"Oh," Maura suddenly grasped the significance of this change. Silence hung in the air for just a moment, as with Angela around the silence could not last long.
"Beth also wanted to know if we wanted to do Gnocci Night at her house some time," Angela turned to Jane just as the tall brunette groaned and put her head on Maura's shoulder.
"Great, we have to go to family events now," Jane looked up to Maura.
"We'd love to," Maura directed her response passed Jane to Angela. Jane stood up from the couch and walked back to the kitchen. "Where are you going?"
"It's almost midnight, I'm getting the champagne," Jane picked up the bottle from the counter and brought it out back to open it.
"You know our schedules aren't exactly reliable, but I'll see what I can do," Maura nodded to Angela. Jane came back in and quickly brought the champagne into the kitchen.
"Good thing I went outside, that thing shot at least twenty feet straight up," Jane exclaimed as she poured three glasses. She wrapped her fingers around the three glasses and carefully brought them into the living room. Maura and Angela took their glasses just as the countdown started. Maura pushed her New Year's glasses up on her nose, and held multiple noisemakers in the hand that wasn't already holding the champagne glass. The three women watched the screen closely as the ball dropped in New York City and millions of people counted down the seconds of the year.
"Five, four, three, two, one, Happy New Year!" Maura popped a small horn into her mouth and blew as she spun another noisemaker around in her hand. Jane sipped the champagne and watched Jo Friday dash out of the room. Once Angela had put down her champagne glass she grabbed Jane and pulled her down to place a kiss on her cheek. Jane rolled her eyes and then looked to Maura.
"Kiss her," Angela pushed Jane towards Maura.
"Ma," Jane clenched her teeth and glared at her mother. Then she turned and gave Maura a quick peck on the cheek. "There, happy?"
"Booo," Angela shook her head.
"Come on Ma, what do ya want?"
"Kiss her," Angela repeated more adamantly.
"Ma, we're gonna kiss in front of you, it's weird," Jane shook her head.
"Jane," Maura spoke just loud enough to be heard over the cheering from the T.V.
"What?" Jane turned around and suddenly felt Maura's lips on her own. Maura had jumped up and wrapped her arms around Jane's neck. The kiss lasted longer than Jane would have preferred considering that Angela was right there. But eventually Maura pulled back, and wearing the pink sparkly hat and goofy glasses she smiled up at Jane.
"Happy New Year."
A/N: So that's the end everyone. Review please and it won't be too long before I crank out another Rizzles fic.