Author's note: thank you very much for all the reviews, I really appreciate them.

Chapter Thirteen: How To Find Maura Cute

Rocked by the music – humming along – Maura closed her eyes and let the landscape disappear from her sight. It had snowed during the night, enough to cover the fields and the trees. Something about winter brought peace to her soul. The city seemed quieter by then, its noise stifled.

Everything pure, so pure.

"I like when you do that, when you sing."

Jane's remark pushed her to open back her eyes. She turned her head around and looked at her lover who was driving.

A timid smile played on the Italian's lips, echoing the shade of pink on her cheeks. The confession had come from nowhere but had warmed up Maura right away. She made a face, a bit unsure.

"I sing very badly. You are definitely the first one who tells me such thing."

Jane shrugged but repressed the desire to look at Maura. The roads were icy, too dangerous for such lack of attention. She knew way too well how a second could make a life tip over. She had seen it at work, in her early years when she wasn't a homicide detective yet and was sent to car crash scenes. She had learned quite quickly.

"You're not that bad on Norah Jones..."

Touched – and slightly amused – Maura leaned over to plant a delicate kiss on Jane's cheek. It was a strange sensation to suddenly find themselves alone in the car. Nobody had been able to come along as they had used the backseats for their dresses. Four days in a row with at least ten people around – at home – and suddenly a lonely drive. It came at the right time.

The lack of intimacy was starting to weight on them. Added to the stress of the wedding, it was not relaxing.

"Do you realize that – when we drive back to Boston on this exact same road on Sunday evening – we will be married? This is the strangest thought I have ever had." Maura's dreamy voice rose in the air as she stared a bit absendmindedly at the landscape speeding past through the window of the car.

"Strangest but nicest as well, I hope!"

The blonde laughed in silence and nodded. They had a couple of hours for themselves in Harvard – to check the last details – before their respective families to arrive. All of a sudden, she felt the need to have more. More time with Jane, more time for their couple.

"Do you think – at times – about what our life would be if we hadn't gone to Scotland?"

The medical examiner's question seemed to float in the car – somewhere above Norah Jones' voice – as Jane didn't reply immediately. The first buildings of Harvard appeared in the distance, covered of a delicate layer of white. Maura took a deep breath. There they were.

"All the time." The brunette frowned as if to hold back better a few tears. She couldn't help it. For some reason, such thought made her emotional. "All the things I would have missed..."

Maura smiled, closed back her eyes.

"I know. Talk about the delicacy of life..."

...

Everything was ready for the pre-wedding dinner that would take place in the evening. The tables – all of them – were already set up and the chef they had hired had arrived earlier in the morning. As much as none of them wanted to say anything – out of superstition – they had to recognize that the relative peace of the previous month seemed to have embraced them back and now everything was going smooth; perfect. Just as it should be.

Exit the issues with Jane's car – the water heater – and the caterer's last-minute change of plans. The wedding was on its way, slowly but surely.

"Dr. Fredericks!" Maura walked enthusiastically towards the professor as she saw him a bit further down the path she had taken with Jane through the quiet campus. "How are you? I am so happy to see you again. Please accept my apologies for such long silence. Work has been quite intense and... Well... I had to face some unexpected plans as well."

The man gladly accepted Maura's hug, smiling back in return.

"Unexpected plans? Nothing too serious, I hope! Harvard surely miss you. It was a pleasure to have a chance to work with you this summer."

As Jane reached the two of them, Maura passed her arm around the brunette's and laughed away the professor's question.

"Oh no. I mean, it is serious but in a good way. I am getting married tomorrow, here. With Jane." A smile of pride lit up her features; the kind of ones she had always assumed made her pass for an idiot but she couldn't help it. "Jane, this is Dr. Fredericks. You hadn't had a chance to meet this summer. Dr., this is Jane. My future wife..."

If the man got taken aback by the news, he didn't show it the slightest bit and warmly shook Jane's hand; his gesture echoing his grin.

"Why congratulations. Are you homicide detective Jane Rizzoli? I must admit that when we got to know that the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth would join us here, we looked a bit on line for information and I think I saw you in a couple of newspapers... Most of journalists seem to say that you are a brilliant detective!"

Jane cracked a smile as much as such kind of compliments always made her feel uncomfortable. If she loved her job, she had a hard time with the way media followed her around. Out of the BPD, it was tough to talk about investigations and the quality of her actions. She didn't know how to face all this.

"I am, indeed. And nice to meet you. Maura talked a lot about you."

That wasn't entirely true but still, Jane remembered how one of her partner's students had mentioned him. As a matter of fact, rumor had it that he and Maura might have been in a relationship. No need to allude to this now, though. Jane didn't always show tact but something told her that it was better to remain quiet this time around.

"Are you in a hurry? If not, let's go have a coffee. I know a nice little cafe right at the corner. So you are getting married in Harvard?"

Maura nodded and cast a brief glance at Jane. The brunette seemed to enjoy the professor's presence as much as she did. Unless it was just curiosity. The scientist wasn't sure how to interpret the smile on her partner's lips.

"Exactly. My father made it possible. We really wanted this place and not any another one." She turned to the Italian. "Would you like a coffee, honey?"

Taken aback by the pet name – Maura rarely gave into it in public – Jane nodded. They actually had some time as everything for the dinner was ready, up and running. The walk through the campus in the middle of winter was nice but the temperatures very low and she wouldn't have said no to some warmer place and a hot drink.

"Sure, let's go!"

Dr. Fredericks nodded before pointing at a building in his back.

"Perfect. Just give me five minutes to drop these books by my office. I will be right back."

Jane and Maura nodded, looking at him turn around and walk to the large – imposing – building in front of them. A few students had gathered by the steps, not really bothered by the snow that was now falling hard. As the profesor passed the large doors, Jane turned to Maura and squinted her eyes.

"So this is Dr. Fredericks? The Dr. Fredericks?"

The medical examiner frowned – confused – and shrugged before rubbing her hands together as the cold made her shiver slightly.

"... Yes ...?"

Jane chuckled and looked down as if to calm down; to repress the desire to burst out laughing. She shook her head, bit her lips in disbelief.

"The Dr. Fredericks people thought you were having an affair with?"

"Oh!" Maura smiled, suddenly understanding what Jane was talking about. She plunged her hands in the pockets of her coat – looked at the large building in front of her – then nodded. "Well yes. It is him, indeed."

Jane snorted.

"He could be your father! What were the students thinking? I mean, he looks as old as Tuppence... Who I can hardly picture out being with you in such way."

"That is because Tuppence is my uncle and one rarely dates a relative, am I wrong?" Maura took a deep breath and plunged one of her hands in Jane's own coat pockets to hold her lover's hand tight. "He is a remarkable professor, a very passionate and interesting colleague as well. I share his enthusiasm over forensics. I suppose it is the reason why students assumed that we might have been a bit more than just... That..."

"But he's twice your age, Maur'! Isn't he married?"

The scientist shrugged. Obviously, she didn't know much about his private life. They hadn't talked about such thing back in the summer time.

"I have no idea... But if I am certain of one thing, Jane – and that as much as I am in love with you – it is that love has no age."