Author's note: thank you very much for the reviews, messages and nominations for the Fanfic Awards; the last point was completely unexpected.

Chapter eight: The Beacon Hill Couple

"How can someone be scared of that? It's an old movie, the special effects are lame!"

Maura didn't give importance to the remark – even less to the snort that followed it – and remained focused on the television screen. She plunged a hand in the salad bowl that she had squeezed in on the couch between her and Jane and grabbed some popcorn.

Will you stop gorging yourself on junk food, Isles? What is your goal, exactly? Put on 20lbs before Christmas?

Angry with herself, she began to slowly chew the popcorn and tried to ignore the bitter taste her conscience had added to it. Yes, she was putting on weight. It was true.

Hopefully this phase will stop soon. You cannot go on like this forever.

"People'd be so surprised if they knew you like the Bela Lugosi movies. You don't fit the genre, it's weird. Or not. Wait..." Jane made a face as if suddenly bothered by her own comment. "Maybe... Maybe not. You cut open dead people, after all. It's quite gore too."

Maura rolled her eyes but didn't say a word. She grabbed a bottle of beer and held it out to Jane so she could finally watch the movie in peace.

The Black Cat, by E.G. Ulmer. A 1934 masterpiece for the B movie it was. And she knew that it was scaring. That was even the exact reason why Jane did not stop talking. Basic human reaction. She simply would never admit it.

"Look at this, it's comple-... Haaaaaa!" Jane jumped with surprise and hit the salad bowl with her arm. Popcorn flew all around. "The hell was that?" She sat up and pulled on the blanket Maura had brought down from their bedroom to settle in each other's arms on the couch. "Oh boy."

Jo Friday poked her head – stared at her owner as if she had lost her mind – then finally jumped off the couch to choose an armchair instead. Safer option. Nobody would jump nor sream from there.

"Jane! Look what you have done..." Maura pouted. "There is popcorn everywhere, now."

Movie: on pause. Lights: on. Maura sat up too and looked at the damage all around. Popcorn was now floating in her glass of wine; the rest was spilled all over the couch – the floor – and the table. Talkative Jane had been replaced by quiet Jane, the evil twin who was aware of her part of responsibility in this mess.

Maura turned her head around to look at her wife. She smirked; hands on her hips. Eyeroll. The classic Maura combo when she was about to use sarcasm.

"Good thing the movie wasn't scary enough for you... I wonder how you would have reacted if it had frightened you."

Jane pursed her lips – shrugged – and stood up before walking to the kitchen. Needless to say that she now had to clean it up.

"Whatever." Inaudible whisper.

Or not.

"I heard you!"

...

Maura cast a very last look at her reflection in the mirror and closed her eyes. Deep breath. Another one. One – two – three. She had always known that her relaxation classes would pay off one day. It was a no-brainer.

Now she just had to prove it to Jane.

Okay, let's do this.

She turned around and walked back into the living-room. Jane was in full chat with Ava. Alex was testing the light for the photoshoot like the professional he was not. Maura nervously smiled at him as they exchanged an accidental look.

She hadn't expected something like that.

When Jane had let her know that Margot had booked them an interview to talk about their couple and their so-called life as parents for an LGBT publication, Maura had simply assumed that it would be a very random little newspaper of some sort.

Sadly it wasn't.

The publication could be found pretty much everywhere in the city, starting with gay bars and local associations. Oh, and at the BPD since it had decided to develop a gay friendly image for the past year.

Way to change her opinion on how the media used to follow her a bit too much as the chief medical examiner of the state. At least by then, none of the journalists wrote something about her personal – and fake – life.

"Ok. We're gonna start with the interview and then we'll do the pics. Don't pay attention to Alex... He may take a few shots while we're talking." Ava smiled and motioned Maura the couch so she could sit next to Jane. "Are we ready?"

Maura sat next to Jane and grabbed her hand for support. She was ready. She and Jane had worked on it for the last three days and she knew what she had to say. Besides, she had filled online Ava's questionnaire so many points had already been answered.

"Good." Warm smile. "So, first of all... How did the two of you meet?"

Easy one. As planned, Jane let Maura answer. She could explain it without lying nor making up any detail whatsoever. This question belonged to a zero danger category.

"At The One Division Cafe that is located in the same building as the BPD. I... Ahem..." Maura's cheeks succumbed to a delicate shade of pink. "I mistook her for a prostitute." Nervous laugh.

Silence.

Ava raised an eyebrow in disbelief and barely hid a mock of incomprehension. Were Jane and Maura making fun of her?

"I beg your pardon...?"

Jane and Maura laughed. They loved people's reaction before their story. It was so expected. The scientist folded her legs under herself – relaxing a bit – and cast a very brief glance at Alex who was taking a few shots.

"Jane was going as an undercover which was a piece of information I hadn't been given at the time. The rest... The rest is relatively classic. We began to cross each other a lot more in the building then once she made it to the homicide unit, we got to work together and – thus – spend a lot of time together."

Ava nodded.

She still looked a bit taken aback but then she could hardly say that Jane and Maura were a very random couple; even less random parents. She had seen them on the campus site with Margot. They were a bit excentrical. Between Jane's overprotectiveness and Maura's obsession for safe sex, she didn't know what to think about them.

"Okay... And did Jane tell you right away that she had a daughter?"

Maura felt her wife tighten her grip on her hand.

Candie time.

She bent over the coffee table and picked one of the chocolates they had previously offered Ava and Alex then took her time to unfold it.

"As much as I don't work for the BPD, my office happens to be in the same building so there are some things one can hardly ignore... Children being one of them. Christmas, family days... We do organize a lot of events that require the presence of... Ahem... Of family members."

"I never hid the fact I had a kid. Why would I? Have you seen Margot? Yes – I know – when she was a child she was a bit strange... I mean, do you know many children who are convinced to be E.T.?" Pause. Satisfied nod before Ava's lack of reaction. "Exactly. But she's... She makes me so proud... That little odd one is a sweetheart." And grin.

There was no way Jane would not use this so-called interview to win another battle in the war that opposed her to Margot.

However, she hadn't assumed that Maura would give it a try as well. It was a rather stressing situation for her and she first and foremost needed to focus on her choice of words to not break into hives.

But against all expectations, Jane felt how her wife started sitting closer to her and soon let her hand play with her hair as she often did when they shared a bath together. Alex and Ava ignored such detail – and it was all fine – but the fact Maura dared to do it proved that she was relaxed enough and in control.

"This is very true. Margot is an adorable young adult. We missed her a lot when she went back to France but now that she is in Boston again, there is not a single day that passes by within me to check whether she is fine." Maura bent over the table and locked her eyes in her interlocutor's. She winked. "I follow every single one of her moves." Pause. Back to Jane. "Will you bring me a couple of waffles, sweetheart? You know, the ones you baked this morning."

Jane repressed the desire to make a comment about the chocolate Maura had just eaten – it was not the best moment to piss her off – and obliged. As a matter of fact, she had baked a ton of cakes and cookies to keep alive what she now called the MRS, aka Mamma Rizzoli Spirit; a simple principle based on stuffing the guests as if they hadn't eaten for the last five years.

Ava took advantage of the small break to cast a glance at the room. She gave Maura an appreciative nod.

"It's a beautiful house you have."

"Thank you! I have always loved Beacon Hill so when this house went on the market, I jumped on the occasion. I am glad to call it home for Jane and I." A peaceful smile lit up Maura's features.

How good it felt to embrace a moment of sincerity among all these lies.

Jane brought back the waffles and put the plate down on the coffee table. She offered one to Ava – then to Alex – and settled back in Maura's arms.

Maybe Margot wasn't their daughter – maybe pretending the opposite was wrong – but Jane still thought that they had deserved their status as "couple of the month" because their feelings were true and their story as perfect as one could hope for.