Hi everyone and welcome back!

I hope you like this chapter, I know it took me a long time to finish it but things in my country had been quite rough but here it is! Enjoy it!

Let me know your thoughts on the story. Every suggestion, comment, or review is very welcome!
If there's any grammar mistake, please let my know!

Thanks for all your support! Love you all

*Chapter revised for grammar

B. M. Adams
Xoxo...

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from R&I, just the plot and original characters.


December/24/2009

The whole Rizzoli family was at Jane and Maura's house, celebrating Christmas Eve together, there were just happy faces, smiles, and nice chats, and love filling up the air. The kids were playing with their Mama and uncle, Frost and Korsak were chatting in the leaving room and Maura and Angela were in the kitchen preparing and awesome and delicious dinner.

"Maura, honey, I think it's time to take the turkey out of the oven" Angela exclaimed, asking Maura to check on the turkey. Maura smiled and walked to the oven, she opened it and determine that it was fully cooked and perfectly done "Yes, it's ready" she said, taking it out

"Ok, that smells and looks a-ma-zing!" Frankie said, trying to steal a potato from the tray, receiving a playful slap on his hand from his mother "Don't you dare!" she said, looking wide-eyed at him

He immediately took his hand out of the tray "Ouch! What was that for?" he exclaimed unworthily. "Do not touch my potatoes" Angela said, looking sternly at him, making everybody laugh.

A few minutes after Lucas entered the kitchen and did the same his uncle tried to do, having success; he put the potato in his mouth, laughing mischievously knowing he got away with it. Frankie noticed it "How come you let him take the potato and I received a slap?" he said pouting.

"Because he is my baby" she simply said, not bothering herself to look up from the salad she was dressing. Lucas stuck out his tongue, making fun of his uncle and looking at him with a smirk just like his mama.

The younger Rizzoli was open-mouthed and eye-wide at this "Ok, I'm officially offended by you two" he said laughing, pointing at his mother and nephew.

"Grow up, broh!" Jane yelled from the leaving room. Once again making everybody laugh. Korsak got up from where he was sitting and palped his shoulder laughing, carrying his drink to the dinner table.

They all gather at the table and sat on their sits, Korsak was about to cut the turkey when Jane looked at Maura, almost asking for permission. Maura sighed nervously and nodded. Both women got up from their sits.

The brunette cleared her throat "before we start, Maura and I want to tell you something" she said nervously, rubbing her hands and her heart started to increase its rate "We were thinking on… Mmmm…We want to…to foster a child" she finally said, after struggling to say those words because of the nerves and fear of how her family will react to this.

Everybody remained silent for a few seconds but according to Jane and Maura, those were like an eternity. Finally, her mother stood up and clasped her hands in excitement, hugging them both tightly "Oh my god, I'm so happy" she exclaimed with emotionality.

"That's amazing, guys" Frankie said, kissing her head and squeezing Maura's arm.

Everyone congratulated the couple and the kids for the possible new addition to the family. The dinner was delicious and went awesomely smooth, everything went perfectly. After they finished dinner everyone helped to clean up and right after they gathered around the Christmas tree to share the gifts out.

Happiness, Love, and peace could be felt in the air, the kids were over their heads with the gifts they just received and Maura was chatting in the leaving room with Frankie, Korsak, and Frost while Jane and her mother were preparing the dessert in the kitchen.

"So, Janie, are you sure about this whole adoption thing?" Angela asked curiously, at her daughter's decision, something that she had never even mentioned before, not especially after last year's event.

Jane turned at her and averted her gaze from the pie she was serving on the plates "Yes, Ma, we are completely sure about our decision. The kids are aware, and they are pretty happy with it… Ma, we are happy with this and by the way is fostering, adoption it's a subsequent process" she said to her mother.

"Janie, I'm so happy for you. Don't get me wrong, honey, It's just that you never mentioned it and after… everything I didn't saw it coming" she said, worried that she had pestered her daughter by questioning her decisions.

Jane softened her expression and posture "Ma, I know it's all so sudden, but we've thought about it enough and the kids, are happy and comfortable with this. We want this, Ma" she said smiling at her mother, going back to her task again.

Angela smiled at her and kissed the side of her head "I'm so proud of you, Janie" she said. Jane smiled sweetly in return. The brunette finished serving the pies and took a few plates to give them to her family in the leaving room. They kept on chatting and laughing until midnight. Long before the kids were put to bed. After finishing cleaning the kitchen and dining room both women went to their bedroom, preparing themselves to go to bed and into a well-deserved restful night.

"Well, everything went pretty good" Jane commented while she was putting her pajamas on.

From the bathroom the brunette heard a hum coming from her wife, who was brushing her teeth, she spilled on the sink and dried her hands and face "Yes, everything went perfect. I think everyone took the news pretty well" she said, referring to the way everyone congratulated them.

"I think so too, even though my Ma did question me about it" she said, she sat on the bed and let out a soft sight.

Maura approached and sat beside her putting an arm around her wife "Honey, it's just normal after such a new, we have to let them process this. And she might be the most affected, she's your mother, her job is to worry about you, and given that you have a family now, she worries about it too" Maura said in a reassuring and comforting voice while she rubbed soothing circles on Jane's back.

"Yes, you're right, as always" she said smirking at her wife and giving her a chaste kiss "So, talking about mother and families, when are you planning on telling your parents about this" she asked Maura, knowing that probably she hasn't even thought about it yet, given the relationship between the blond and her parents.

"That's a topic we'll have to figure out… you know my parents" she said with a hint of sadness and worry in her voice.

Jane looked at her and made her looked directly into her eyes "Babe, I can't find a single reason they won't approve our decision, they're already adoptive parents…of the most beautiful person on earth, if may I say" she said, trying to put her wife's worries away.

Maura smiled at her and leaned against her "Thanks my love… I know it's useless to worry, but what if they aren't ok with us adopting a kid instead of a baby? … I mean, I know that they nor being supportive won't stop us, but I will really like them to approve and support us" she said, not moving from Jane's shoulder.

The brunette kissed her head "You're right, that won't stop us, but I will love that everyone in the family was happy with this, I want this kid to be love and that he or she feel's all the love a family can give, I won't him or her to feel any rejection from no one" Jane stated, leaning her head against Maura's

"Of course not, this kid will be love just as much as our children and I won't let anybody say otherwise" Maura said, sweetly, but sternly, letting her wife know that she will fight for this child as she will fight for Lily or Lucas.

"You know, baby, you're the sweetest person alive" she said, looking at her wife on her shoulder and placing a kiss atop her head.

"I doubt that, but thanks, my love and you're not too far detective" she said raising her head from her lover's shoulder and winking at her. Jane kissed her until both ended up gasping for air, when they separated Jane looked at her wife perfect and breathtaking features "Merry Christmas, my love" she said, kissing her once again and keep on kissing for a while, both soaking in all their love.

"Babe, as much as I would like to spend the night making out with you, tomorrow we have to play Santa early and it almost 2 am" the blond said.

Jane caressed Maura's face "Ok, but you own me a make-out session, soon, babe" Jane said with her usual smirk.

"Of course, baby, believe me, it'll be soon" she said mischievously winking an eye at her. Snuggling on their bed, both fell asleep cuddling closely to each other, both women with a big smile on their faces.


Megan's POV

It has been an awful day, very cloudy and freezing cold. I spent the whole day cooking the Christmas dinner or better yet opening cans for Christmas dinner and trying not to throw up at the smell of canned food. Christmas Eve it's supposed to be a special and happy day just like the rest of the holidays, but here it was just like any other day. The happiness that Christmas brought within wasn't there anymore, there were just sad faces and worn out places. The youngest kids still had the hope of some Christmas miracle, that maybe this year Santa would bring them gifts or a little more hope of finding someone that would really care about them, they always kept on writing letters that they gave to 'Miss Trunchbull' believing that she will send them to that old man, this just broke my heart, many of this kids had never had a real Christmas or even a gift. I haven't cried since the day I knew my family had died, but today I had this ripping feeling of falling apart for a while, cry, and grief a little more. I never liked hugs, but tonight I needed so badly a warm hug and a kiss at the top of my head from my mom, or just someone who hold my hand. Just a little love, that thing I had lost, and I was sure I'll never have again.

Finishing my chores for the day I went to take a shower, praying that there was still some hot water, I needed so badly a hot shower to at least, get some warmth from something. I opened the tab and gratefully there was some hot water left, I washed my hair as fast as I could, to not have to feel the cold water running down my body, I closed my eyes feeling the hot spray on my back, trying to imagine the warmth from my mother's hands on my back and my dad's hugs; I did for a short moment until the cold water brought me to reality again. Exiting the bathroom completely dressed and wet-haired I went to my room, looking for a warm sweater to battle the freezing air on the building with almost non-existent heat. I grabbed the sweater and while I was putting it on I saw my bag, I immediately felt the need to open it, to look at those few memories I could bring here. Kneeling in front of it I introduced the combination on the padlock and slide the zipper finding the pictures I took from the entrance of my old home, my dad's watch, Lisa's reliquary which inside had on one side a picture of our parents and on the other side a picture of us together, my mom's old pocketbook and some other things. Looking through the bag, at the bottom I found the little envelope Arthur, my parent's lawyer, had given me the first day I came here. I looked at it for a few seconds and after I opened it, inside there was a little, golden necklace, on its front, there was a silhouette of a virgin and on the back an inscription saying 'Hope and Love'. At first, I didn't understand but then I remembered my grandma saying those words to me when I was very little.

I put the bag back into the closet after I carefully put everything back inside, but the picture and the necklace, I put it on the bedside table and sat on the bed looking at the picture. A single, angry, and sad tear rolled down my cheek. I had never felt so lonely and hopeless in my life; I felt that there was nothing left to live for, nothing made sense.

I was sitting on my bed, my legs hugged to my chest, not expressions on my face, but a sad shimmer in my eyes and the redness around them from those spare tears that made its way and rolled down my cheeks. It was Christmas dinner, so I expected nobody to come in the room until Jannet came. She stood in front of me for a few seconds and she placed her hands on her hips.

"You don't get to be angry" she said a little too harshly at me, I was confused by her words and what she meant by them. "You don't have that right. You've been here for less than 2 weeks, you had a great life before, that's not common here, so raise yourself up and go downstairs, Darth Vader is waiting for us all to be there" she continued and I just could look even more confused at her. She came closer and sat on the bed "I get that you hate this place, all of us do! But beating yourself down isn't going to help… I'll show you something that can help you, later tonight" she said patting my knee and walking out of the room, leaving me completely puzzled.

Standing up, I went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on my face and looking in the mirror I noticed dark bags forming under my eyes, my skin was the whitest it has ever being, It was almost turning into a grey, sickish tone; my hair was overshadowing; I could not even recognize my own reflection on the mirror, I was driving myself on a self-destruction path and even though Jannet didn't know me she was right, I had a great life and for my own sake, I had to hold on to the only thing I had left, memories.

I left the bathroom and went downstairs, everyone was sitting at the table, including 'Miss Trunchbull' and the current social workers that used to be there, I was wondering why weren't they with their families, but I just put that question aside. I sat on my chair and after a few words from the Dean, which I had to say, were nice we all, we started to eat, after all it wasn't that bad, a little insipid but edible after all.

We all helped to clean and went to our respective room right after, I was tired and just wanted to sleep, because tomorrow was Christmas and our gift was to sleep in, not a gift exactly, but something in the end. I laid on the bed and I slept until someone shook my shoulder "Megan… Meg!" a voiced whisper on my ear and afterward another shook made me awake.

"Wh-what" I said in a sleepy voice and barely awake, I sat on the bed and I found Jannet looking at me "What the hell? What time is it?" I asked, my voice came out on a raspy tone, making it sound a little harsh

"It's 1 am. C'mon, get dress, we are leaving" she said naturally. I went wide-eyed, confused by what she'd said.

"What do you mean by 'leaving'?" I said, trying to understand her words and intentions

She rolled her eyes "We'll be back before anyone noticed that we're gone, take it as going for fresh air" she said, trying to soothe my surprise.

"Are you nuts? If they find out we're going to be royally screwed" I said, going back to sleep, covering myself completely with the cover.

"C'mon, don't be such a baby, I've done this like a thousand times, and I haven't been caught… get up! We'll go wherever you want… come on I need to get out, I'm going crazy in here!" he said, shaking my arm once again.

I let out a sigh and looked at her "wherever I want?" I said looking for confirmation; she nodded with half a smile on her face. I reluctantly got out of bed and grabbed a sweater and my jacket "Better not get us caught" I said to her, she laughed softly and gestured at me to follow her. We sneaked out of our room and went downstairs; we got to the back of the kitchen to where the basement door was.

"That door is closed, you know that, right?" I said sarcastically, pointing at it.

She laughed and in less than a minute she opened it saying 'Told you' with her look. "Ok, you're good" I said and she smirked back; walking to the basement, following her, she guided me to a little window that she opened, she went out of the window first and helped me to get out, I was worry and a little scared, but happy and adventurous at the same time.

"So…where do you wanna go?" she asked with her hand on her jacket's pockets.

I looked at her with soft eyes and starter to walk, knowing exactly where I wanted to be on a freezing cold, Christmas early morning. We walked for an hour or so and arrived at Mount Auburn Cemetery, where Arthur had told me the burial will be at.

"A cemetery? Ok, I'm officially scared" the girl said to me, raising an eyebrow not exactly knowing why I made her walk for an hour to bring her to a graveyard

I swallow hard and looked at her "Here is where my family was buried" I said in a plain voice.

We walked around for a while looking for their graves, Jannet and I separated to cover more ground in less time. After a short 15 minutes, she screamed my name and let me know that she had found the tombstones.

She was looking at the 3 graves, and I stood at her side. I could distinguish the names on the stone,

George Ainsworth. Father, son, colleague, friend… October/26/1961 – December/10/2009

Victoria Ainsworth. Mother, daughter, colleague, friend… December/29/1965 – December/10/2009

Lisa Ainsworth. Daughter, sister, friend… August/17/1988 – December/10/2009

Three bare and simple gravestones, I was angry that I couldn't make them justice, they deserved so much more than that, there were not enough words. I felt tears forming at the corners of my eyes "I would've done so much more" I said barely audible.

Jannet looked at me and put a hand on my shoulder; she pursed her lips and nodded. "You haven't say it, but I know you really miss them and I knew you needed this, even though we are risking and freezing our asses out here" she made me laugh and with that I leaned my head on her shoulder, not averting my gaze from the stones.

After a short while of being there just sitting in the grass, Jannet stood up "Ok, it's time to go, we have a long way back and we have the exact time" she said, offering me her hand to stand up. I stood up with her help and gave a last look at where my family was now resting and cross oneself before walk away.

We repeated the process to get back inside and went back to our room, when I put my head on the pillow my heart finally deceased it hard pounding, a product of the nerves. "Thanks" I simply said to Jannet who just waved at me.

I laid awake for a while, thinking about how I could keep on going, and just one thing came to my mind, my family. "Merry Christmas, Mommy. Merry Christmas, Daddy. Merry Christmas, Sis" I said to myself, falling asleep right after