Author's note: thank you very much, one more time, for all your reactions. A pleasure!

December, 21st:

9.30am

This time around, they weren't facing the wall in front of them – in silence – but were focused on each other's gaze instead; a peaceful smile on their lips.

They had woken up in the same bed like a week earlier but the situation couldn't be more different. There was no awkwardness, no doubt. Nothing that could weaken their already precarious self-confidence over a fact that took completely took them aback.

They simply took it as it come. Maybe with a bit of perplexity but wasn't life supposed to bring up surprises, at times? Sweet ones as well. Just like this one.

Maura approached a hand from Jane's cheek and pulled away a couple of dark curls from the Italian' s face. The gesture made her laugh quietly. She bit her lips, swallowed hard. It was the most perfect morning she had ever lived; the most surreal one as well. She still had a hard time believing that all this was happening and had the feeling that it would not - in spite of the years - belong to logic one day.

"Had you ever slept with women before?" Maura blushed and looked down before the boldness of the question. She hadn't meant to sound intrusive but her curiosity had won over the rest.

Jane froze – for a few seconds – before taking a deep breath. She shook her head, cleared her voice nervously and tried to focus on a point somewhere in the distance.

"No..." Her hoarse voice died in a whispered confession. Avoiding the honey blonde's gaze, she let a rather loud sigh pass her lips before talking again; moving slightly in bed. "How about you?"

It was a strange way to bring up a couple of things. Huddled against each other – under a very warm blanket – while the crackling of the fireplace carried the minutes away in a perfect silence.

They did not even look at each other properly, now. Perhaps it was easier that way. Some confessions were tougher than others.

"Yes, I had." Maura frowned and pursed her lips; not really angry with herself but frustrated to an extent nonetheless. She forced herself to look at Jane properly, wrinkled her nose. "Are you mad at me?"

The brunette raised a surprised eyebrow. She didn't seem to understand the question, even less its fairness. Leaning up on her elbow, she frowned at the scientist; shook her head.

"What do you mean?"

Maura shrugged and rolled on her back to stare at the ceiling. She put an arm behind her head for support and folded up her legs as hesitation seemed to suddenly invaded her. Perhaps, she shouldn't have asked. She had thought that it was the best thing to do but she might have been wrong about that.

"I never told you about this..."

This time, Jane properly sat up in bed and cast a quick glance at the blonde before shrugging. She had guessed – somehow – that Maura already had experience with women when they had reached this level of intimacy themselves. The scientist hadn't looked as hesitant as her. Nervous – yes – but not as timid in her actions.

Although apparently, her lack of experience hadn't hit the medical examiner since she had asked. It might not have been that evident either.

"You don't have to tell me everything and... And it's not something easy to say. I know this for a fact."

The last statement troubled Maura. Jane had just told her that she had never slept with women yet the insinuation made a second before tended to go in the other direction.

"I thought you never had..."

The detective rose a hand in the air to interrupt her partner. She ran her tongue over her lips before focusing on a pine tree through the window. Snow had covered its branches that were now shining under the bright sun of December. It was beautiful; unique.

"Just because I hadn't done it doesn't mean that I hadn't wanted to." Eager to not remain of the topic for too long – the allusion bringing back memories of a time she preferred to forgot – Jane decided to dare and ask properly the question that had been tormenting her since Maura had kissed her there on the ice rink. "Do you... I don't understand. When did you..." It wasn't easy, she didn't know how to bring it up. "Why didn't you say anything, earlier? I... Why did you remain quiet about... This?"

Anxious, Maura followed with her eyes the vague gesture of Jane's hand as the brunette motioned at the bed; at them. The question wasn't surprising in itself. She knew that it would have to come up at some point. She simply had imagined that she would be the one asking – out of cowardice – for not having to reply herself.

What was happening now only proved – one more time – that she didn't have a hold over life.

"It seemed crazy to think that it could be mutual." Her shaking voice melted in a nervous laugh; the bitterness of years of silence floating away, little by little.

A latent pain vanishing – at last – replaced by hopes that had now ceased to seem ridiculous to her eyes.

...

2.30pm

"Stop caressing the dog and come to sit, now." Growing in impatience, Maura rolled her eyes as her partner didn't seem to pay attention to what she had just said. She stomped her foot. Fists clenched. "Jane! Hurry up, now!"

"Yeah, yeah..." The brunette stood up and walked to the sled before shooting a brief smile at Paul – the owner of the dogs – who was politely waiting on a side. She turned to Maura and settled next to her before hissing between clenched teeth. "I was just making sure to be the dogs' buddy."

The truth was that she had witnessed a first group leave on a sled and she had realized that it was going rather fast. But there was no way that she would recognize she might have been feeling a bit of apprehension over it. Jane Rizzoli wasn't scared of dog sled rides. This was not how it worked out.

How could she even be apprehensive while she loved racing cars? It didn't make much sense, apart from the fact that she wouldn't be in control this time around.

And she didn't like that.

"Have you ever done that?"

Busy checking her surroundings before the imminent departure, Maura shook her head at the Italian and smiled brightly.

She certainly didn't seem anxious at all before the perspective of being dragged by dogs up and down a snowy mountain.

"No! It is a first. I wanted to do it in Lapland but we unfortunately had lacked time for it."

"You went there? Who were you hoping to meet? Santa?" But before she had a chance to laugh at her own joke, Jane gasped and leaned over Maura. "Holly crap, didn't you hear what Paul said? No hand outside the sled! You wanna kills us all or what?"

The honey blonde frowned and looked with perplexity at her partner. She blinked, let a few seconds pass by.

"We haven't left yet, Jane. It is all fine." Yet too late. All of a sudden, a smirk began to play on her lips as reality appeared clearer and clearer before her eyes. "Would we be scared, detective?"

Jane snorted and settled back on her side of the sled. She crossed her arms against her chest then looked straight in front of her. Stubbornly.

"I. Am. Not..."

She didn't have time to finish her sentence. Without any warning from Paul – or one she had missed – Jane found herself going at a very high speed on the snow; so close to the ground.

For a couple of seconds, she remained still; too surprised by the sudden movement. And then she felt Maura's arm pass under hers to hold her tight.

The sensations were unique. The wind was icy against her cheeks but the world of snow speeding past all around was one of the most beautiful sceneries she had ever seen. Speechless, she started relaxing and finally enjoyed the abandon to the dogs; the smell of pine woods and the sound of the sled sliding on the snow.

"Forget the pictures, we're going too fast. They'd be blurry."

Maura made a face but nodded nonetheless at the remark. Anyway, they would stop when making it to the Chesterfield Gorge. By then, they would have a chance to take pictures of the sled as well as of the dogs.

The road wasn't too bumpy. Soon, the speed rocked them peacefully and while she was about to ask Jane something, the honey blonde felt her partner's head settle on her shoulder before a pair of arms passing around her waist to hold her tight.

Maura smiled – brightly – and took a deep breath while looking straight in front of her at the mountains opening to them; revealing its stunning secrets.

"Promise me we'll do it again." The Italian's hoarse voice barely made it to Maura's ear.

The sound of the sled on the snow was not discreet at all and made it hard to hold a conversation. But she nonetheless got Jane's words before nodding at them with determination.

"I do." Her answer rose in the air, embraced by the comforting idea she might have been alluding to a lot more than the sled ride in the end. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath. A bright smile playing on her lips, lighting up her features. "I do."