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

December, 16th:

2pm

"Would you like a muffin?"

Maura shook her head and made a face as she looked at the small cakes. She waved her mug instead and took a bill of twenty out of her wallet. Seeing that her interlocutor was nonetheless expecting a full oral answer, she forced herself.

"I go on a gluten-free diet before the holidays. Thank you nonetheless." She smiled at Angela and added something she hoped nicer. "Just trying to be cautious."

The Italian nodded but didn't seem convinced. Frowning, she leaned against the counter and tilted her head on a side as if trying to read through the blonde.

"You look tired. Is everything alright?"

Maura nodded a bit too quickly. She had spent a few hours with Jane's mother the day before at her place not doing much; just talking about Christmas and a present the matriarch wanted to get for her daughter. She had remained somewhat vague on it but had required Maura's opinion on the matter.

Meanwhile, the medical examiner's cell phone hadn't rung a single time.

She had gone to bed early, not daring to send a text message to Jane. She had rushed into things too many times already to ruin it now. The brunette might need time, anyway.

And if she followed that implicit scheme of relationships, the detective was now the one who had to make a step; no matter in which direction.

She - Maura - had to remain quiet. Ready.

Running a hand through her hair, the honey blonde shrugged and let a heavy sigh pass her lips. She didn't feel like talking. As a matter of fact, she had almost called to take a day off but then she had realized that turning around in circles at home was not any better than being at work so she had not given in; dragging herself instead to the BPD.

"You haven't had breakfast with Jane, this morning." Angela's voice wasn't full of reproach but of a rather evident uncertainty nonetheless.

"Oh err..." Maura cast a glance at the Division One Cafe, hoping to find something relevant to say. In vain. "We don't necessarily have breakfast together every morning!"

Which was true. Although since Jane had worked late at night the day before, she might not even be in the building already. She had probably got a day off. As far as Maura knew, her unit had not been called on any crime scene this week so there was no reason for the brunette to still be around after a night shift.

Angela pursed her lips and squinted her eyes at her daughter's friend.

"Sure." Her voice betrayed her lack of certainty.

But their conversation got interrupted suddenly as someone called the medical examiner from the other side of the room.

"Dr. Isles?"

Ignoring Angela's reply, Maura turned around and walked to Lieutenant Cavanaugh leaving her cell and mug on the counter. The place was empty. It was not as if someone were about to steal all of her belongings. Even less since the place was always full of cops and so close to the BPD headquarters.

For long seconds, the matriarch observed Maura and Jane's boss talk. When she made sure that they were focused enough on their conversation, she grabbed the scientist's cell phone and typed a text – a brief one – before sending the message to Jane. She immediately let go of the device and smiled at the honey blonde as she came back to the counter to retrieve her things.

"Maura... Now I think about it... Would you mind getting me these German pastries at the Christmas Market, after work? You know, the ones you bought last year... They should have them around 6pm. I am craving them with Christmas tea!"

Belongings in hand, the medical examiner nodded; nonetheless a bit surprised by the request.

"Oh, of course. I will get them for you, Angela."

...

5.50pm

The Christmas market was crowded. Shopping bags in hand, Maura tried to make her way through the crowd. She had left her office an hour earlier but hadn't bought half of what was on her list yet. She was running late - losing patience - and mumbling between clenched teeth her sudden dislike of society.

"I will get a tall cup, thank you."

In need of a break, she stopped by a mulled wine stand and let the cinnamon smell go to her head. Even the Christmas tunes in the background were getting on her nerves when she usually enjoyed them, to Jane's highest despair.

Jane.

The scientist pouted at nobody but herself.

Perhaps that was the reason why she felt out of place. The brunette wasn't there with her while it was almost traditional for them to walk to the Christmas market together.

Maura made a face. Everything had changed since Sunday. Absolutely everything, like in her biggest nightmare.

Cup in hand, she resumed her walking towards the small German stand. If she wasn't wrong, it was at the end of the main alley; right by an ice fountain. Not too far from a waffle house.

"Oh, I am sorry..." Too busy looking at her feet, she bumped into someone a bit abruptly; her mulled wine menacing to get spilled all over the place. She cast a glance at the person she had hit and froze. "Jane?!"

The brunette was standing right in front of her. Hands in her pockets. The worst of all was that she didn't seem to be surprised to find her there at all.

Long seconds passed by during which none of them moved nor talked. It was the first time they did face each other without any excuse to run away. The first time since that Sunday when many things had changed. Many, many things. Their whole life, maybe.

All around them, people kept on walking. Music kept on blaring. In a word, the whole world kept on turning as if unaware of Jane and Maura's incapacity to even move an inch.

Or so.

All of a sudden, Jane made a step towards the honey blonde – frowned – and swallowed hard. She cupped her friend's face and swept away the poor distance remaining between their lips. She kissed her. Deeply, fully. Right there among the crowd of shoppers.

It took Maura several seconds to fully react, to fully understand what was happening. When she felt Jane's knee brush hers, reality hit her back and she finally responded to the kiss with abandon. Just the same she had got carried away by on Sunday.

She let her hand slide on the brunette's waist then clutched to it tightly. As tightly as she could, as if to make sure that it wasn't just a dream. One that would turn bitter once she woke up.

The touch – finally intimate and warm – sent a shiver down her spine. Her quiet gasp died in Jane's mouth as her smile echoed the brunette's. They broke apart only to lose themselves in each other's eyes.

Jane's hands slowly took their distance with Maura's face as they travelled down the scientist's body instead. They settled on her waist comfortably. She smirked and pointed at the plastic cup the scientist was still holding.

"How dare you to have mulled wine without me?"

The question made Maura burst out laughing. She had expected a long monologue of some sort, a pale imitation of a Greek tragedy confession scene. Instead, Jane had stuck back to reality as soon as possible. And she loved it.

They had time to talk, if they needed to talk at all. For the moment, they just had to stop all these pointless wonders that brought up nothing but pain and ridiculous doubts. Weakening feelings in need of being taken care of.

Maura took a deep breath and swept all this away as she grabbed her friend's hand – her lover's hand, to be more exact – and locked her eyes back with hers; still halfway between the uncertainty of a blurry reality and the possibility of it not being anything but a dream for lacking words and complicated schemes.

"What if for once we shared it?"

Jane raised a playful eyebrow and cast a glance at the cup that Maura had miraculously not spilled; even during their kiss. She grabbed it and took a sip, leaving the scientist holding her shopping bags that were hanging on her wrists.

She made a face.

"It lacks sugar."

Eyeroll. The medical examiner snapped her forearm and shook her head; chin up in defiance. Her cheeks were pink because of the cold; her eyes glimmering of hope. An imperceptible smile - serene - lighting up brightly her features.

"You know that you need to lower your intake of sugar now if you don't want to face health issues within the next few years, Jane. I cannot believe that you are still unable to reason yourself about this..."

Back to life, to the normality of their days. Within a second.

They walked towards the German stand hand in hand, bickering as if nothing special had happened. Unless it was simply meant to be, therefore the fluidity – as sudden as it was – of their interactions.

In all honesty, Maura would have not thought that it would be that easy; even less after a day made of uncertainty. Yet there she was, walking with Jane after the brunette had kissed her in public.

Without the slightest ambiguity.

At least now Maura knew what Jane wanted. She had made the necessary step, the one that had to come from her to confirm her desires. The honey blonde wasn't sure to understand why she wanted this – with her – but for the moment, she couldn't care less about all this. The only thing she could see was Jane's smile and – truth to be told – she hadn't seen the dectective so happy in a very long time.