Author's note: thank you very much again for all your reviews! They brighten this gray winter.

December, 19th:

6pm

"Oh my God. This is so romantic!" Amelia bit her lower lip in pleasure and clapped her hands. She winked at Maura – then at the other girls of the orphanage – and shook her head. "If two girls could – biologically speaking – make babies together then you'd come back from this weekend preggo, I can tell you!"

"Oh, yes. Jane would totally make you a kid!" Grace nodded to rub it in.

Maura rolled her eyes. She had spent the last hour with the youngest children of the center and she was not particularly eager to spend the next one with intrusive teenage girls. At least the other ones didn't ask her anything regarding her private life and the semblance of relationship she was having with Jane. Although, who was to blame? She wasn't forced either to give in and tell them that they were about to go on a getaway together with Jane.

"Can we now focus on The Home For Little Wanderers Christmas show? It takes place within a few days now and we aren't ready at all. Hannah..." The medical examiner looked at a brunette. "Where have you put the decorations that the other group made for it, the other day?"

But the adolescent didn't reply and preferred to remain concentrated on the silver nail varnish that she had been applying for the past ten minutes. Maura sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Why are you so uptight? This isn't funny." Amelia pouted and crossed her arms against her chest. "First you don't want to share the details and now that. We're not 6, you know!"

Maura kept her eyes on the to-do list for the orphanage show. Not that she was pretending to have not heard what the teenager had said but she wanted to turn the page and forget herself that such a getaway implied a lot of things.

Starting with sharing a bed with Jane. As her girlfriend. Oddly, she didn't know how to prepare to it.

They hadn't slept together since the past Sunday. Their week schedule had really not played in their favor and any intimate moment had been postponed; even once they had somewhat made the status of their relationship clearer.

And if she had never been anxious before sex in the past, the forced wait was now weighing a lot on her shoulders. It was stressing. To an extent.

An odd, very odd extent.

"I don't ask you anything about your very own sexual life so I would appreciate it if you adopted the same behavior regarding mine." Maura paused – as if to make sure that the girls would get it – and cleared her voice to definitely turn the page over the conversation. "Now, why don't you show me – since this is the reason why I am here – the playlist you have chosen for the show?"

Silence.

The hour would be long. Very, very long.

...

8pm

"You hate them, don't you?"

Cup of coffee in hand – trying to warm herself up against Maura – Jane pouted at the question and hesitated. She focused on the blond girl who was standing in the middle of the group.

"I've never been into Christmas carols, let's face it."

The scientist giggled and planted a bold kiss on the Italian's cheek; her hand sliding on Jane's lower back to settle there.

They didn't even have an hour before the detective going back to the BPD for a large part of the night. Then – in the morning – Maura would pick her up and they would drive off - out of Boston - for the weekend. A few hours left in the madness of the city. They could handle it.

"Are you sure that you want me to pack tonight for you?"

Jane openly laughed at the question. Amused, she finally turned her head around and looked at the honey blonde who was holding her tight in the middle of the crowd. She raised an eyebrow as her smile let appear a dimple at the corner of her lips.

"You've been doing it for the past five years, Maura. I simply abdicate, this time. Besides, I didn't feel like going back home after the volunteering to fight the mad traffic and just... Throw a few stuff into the first bag I'd find. You'd have checked after me, admit it."

The scientist gasped but couldn't help smiling. It was true, she had to recognize it.

"Why maybe that wouldn't happen if you were able to properly pack the right things you do need once out of the city, Jane."

"Wait, what?!" The brunette shrugged and looked around for potential support except nobody on the sidewalk was paying attention to the current conversation she was having with Maura. "I'm old enough to know how to pack. Who do you think you are? Ma'?" She snorted and focused back there on the singers, mumbling to herself inaudible words.

"We always have to stop by the nearest store for you to buy whatever you forgot to bring along with you. Admit it!" Maura rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief.

Jane pouted.

"So. Not. True."

"Fine. Then go and pack. I swear that if – tomorrow – you ask me to stop by a convenient store for not having a toothbrush or whatever, you will hear from me."

Jane frowned – held back a chuckle – and nervously started dancing on her feet. Perhaps it was not the kind of challenge she should accept now; not after so many night shifts. She closed her eyes as if to concentrate better on finding the perfect excuse to not do so yet without admitting that Maura might have been right. Somehow.

"I don't have time. It's too late. Good thing the BPD's at the corner or else I'd be running late by now, you know. So... Pack whatever you want."

A smirk began to grow on Maura's lips but before she had a chance to say anything, Jane stopped her – a hand on her wrist – and snorted.

"You're just lucky, this time. Don't even dare to think that means I agree with what you said. Nope. Not even in your dreams." She cast a glance at her watch and sighed loudly. "I gotta go, now..."

Maura nodded but didn't let go of her grip. On the contrary, she subconsciously tightened it on the Italian's waist. She was feeling fine – there – listening to Christmas carols; cuddled against Jane. It was a sweet moment; something new, more intense. Why did it have to stop already? It was unfair.

"I could spend the night at the morgue, you know."

Jane shook her head and took a last sip of her coffee before reducing the plastic cup to pieces. She looked down at her feet – bit her lips – and smiled forcefully.

"Nah. One of us has to be fine enough to drive, tomorrow. Your driver snail pace should rock me to sleep, though." She made a step aside to avoid Maura's snap and chuckled. "Go have a rest, now. It isn't as if I don't have work waiting for me. Reports and reports and reports and reports. Work paper for the night... And if I'm done on time – if we're not called on a crime scene we don't lose to these twats at the FBI – then I might end up playing darts with the guys." She shrugged. "Could be worse."

Maura nodded and followed Jane a bit along the way but as she realized that they were approaching the BPD headquarters, she grabbed the Italian's sleeve to make her stop. The brunette obliged.

"Have a good night, then." Maura closed the distance between them and captured Jane's lips for a brief – almost invisible – kiss. She didn't want any of their colleagues to spot them. Not now. "See you tomorrow... I will bring donuts on the way."

Jane squinted her eyes and – hands in the pockets of her winter coat – she slowly shook her head in disbelief.

"Who are you? What have you done of Maura?"

This time, the medical examiner didn't miss her target and hit Jane right on her forearm. The Italian winced – falsely – in pain and bit her lower lip before motioning at the BPD just at the corner.

"I should go..." Her hoarse voice rose in the air, almost timidly. Reluctantly.

Maura nodded and watched Jane walk to the building. It had been a nice day from their breakfast at the Division One Cafe when she had let the brunette know about Angela's present to the carols out in the streets. For the very first time this year, Maura felt in peace; ready to celebrate the magic of such singular season she had rarely had a chance to embrace as a child.

Thanks to Jane and her family, she had got glimpses of it the past five years but something told her that the intensity would now be different. Everything looked sweeter; almost perfect. She was there – in love – and didn't hide it anymore.

"Good evening, Dr. Isles. I didn't know that you were still around."

At the call of her name, Maura made it back to reality – sweeping away her daydreams – and came to face Susie. She smiled; nonetheless taken aback by the remark.

"There are Christmas carols at the corner, up there. It is a bit of a tradition for Jane and I."

As her employee nodded – smiling brightly – the medical examiner wondered if she hadn't sounded a bit too enthusiastic when talking about Jane. She had never been good at keeping a secret.

Especially when it brought her such happiness.