A/N: I've never written a Christmas sonfic, so I figured now would be a good time to try. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, I hope you all enjoy this little story and your celebrations.

Song: "Mistletoe" by Colbie Caillat

She had broken up with her boyfriend of nearly six months just before Christmas.

It was cruel. Unusually cruel and cold for Maura Isles despite her 'Queen of the Dead' nickname. She would've never done such a thing, except she did. She felt cornered and stifled and torn in ways that were brand new and it had caused her to act out in the most unexpected way.

Jack Armstrong: kind, handsome, not a murderer, Jack. He was innocent in the whole situation and the catalyst at the same time. All he was trying to do was plan ahead for the holidays. All he wanted was a special slot just for him and maybe a brunch between the woman he had fallen quickly in love with and his teenage daughter. Their relationship was solid, passionate, and seemingly flourishing. But. But he wanted the night of Christmas Eve to be exclusively theirs, he even went as far as begging Maura to ask for the night off and tease her with a promises of lingerie and handcrafted desserts. Tempting? Yes. Would it happen? No. She answered his request immediately and her answer was heavy with finality. No.

Christmas Eve was the largest of all Rizzoli holiday celebrations. Hours of appetizers and quintessential Christmas movies were consumed before a dinner large enough to feed the American Army, Navy, and Marines was spread out along the doctor's impressive dining room table scape; a table decorated with delightful treasures Maura and Angela had handpicked together through the years. Jane Rizzoli struggled to understand her mother and best friend's obsession with decorations, but she never prevailed. No matter how smart the experienced detective was, she never could grasp the concept of ceramic reindeer and the hanging of mistletoe in just about every doorway of the house.

Maura sighed deeply, barely releasing the bone chilling loneliness she felt. After taking a small sip of her crisp, white wine, her eyes rose to the mocking bundle that was hanging from her doorway.

[Great. Fake plastic mistletoe. Wrap me in a great big bow and tear me apart.]

She couldn't miss Christmas Eve. The tradition lived on in every Rizzoli and she was finally part of that; part of a real family. Maura's thoughts went to Christmas as a child at the Isle's estate and a renewed shiver ran up her spine. She set her wineglass down on the small table in front of the couch with a little more force than necessary. The medical examiner ran her fingers through her thick, coppery waves and released another frustrated sigh. Her hazel eyes fell on the mantle above the fireplace. Flames roared within, the crackle of burning logs was the only sound filling the dark, still home.

Maura squinted as she looked at every photo, every item, and each decoration in the dim lighting. She inhaled deeply through her nose in an attempt to quell her rising emotions.

[It's Christmastime.]

Maura denied Jack Christmas morning and she would be on call the day after. It wasn't until he asked for the night before Christmas Eve did Maura finally realize what was happening, what was shaking inside her chest and running along her arms and into her fingertips.

"Jane and I finish up our wrapping that night..." The words were whispered between moist lips. Jane always stayed the night until Christmas morning...

"I'm sure she'll understand." His reply was met with an icy stare.

It wasn't that he had assumed Maura would just dismiss her annual tradition, it was the way he laughed her plans off. Treating them as if they were meaningless and could simply be pushed away.

Thoughts of the holidays, any day leading up to or following without Rizzoli traditions or Jane, just simply having Jane by her side, made Maura's heart feel as if it were on the brink of shattering.

There would be no choosing.

In this Maura Isles was unable to compromise.

A Christmas morning without Jane's bright smile wouldn't be Christmas.

So she ended her relationship, the first successful one she had managed in years, that evening with nothing more than the reasoning of that they'd never work. But it was the truth, it had to be, Maura hadn't suffered any of the usual reactions to uttering a false statement. No hives. No itching, or warmth, and not even a hint of dizziness. There wasn't even a tear shed. That meant one thing- she had known they wouldn't work from day one.

[So open up the floodgates.]

Maura stood abruptly and moved to poke at the fire violently. With all her might she tried to get lost in the embers that danced through the air, but she failed. She threw the heavy steel poker down and wiped her sweaty palms on her thighs, the denim warmed beneath her hot hands. The doctor fell back into her sofa with a huff. She adjusted her black T-shirt before staring blankly at her phone that lay lifeless beside her wineglass.

[Tell me that you'll be late and tear me apart.]

When she closed her eyes Maura could still see the words, vivid in black and white, etched inside her eyelids.

-Caught a lead. No promises on making it in time for dinner. Start without me but save me a plate.-

Dinner was done, Jane's plate was cold, and Maura had never felt lonelier than she did in that moment. She never divulged to Jane the real reason why she had broken up with Jack, all she spared her best friend the same excuse she gave her ex. Despite the minor evasion, Jane consoled her best friend. The detective held Maura in an embrace that went on for longer than necessary and the ME soaked up the closeness for as long as she was allowed.

[Cause you say that, you say that things will be alright. But I've heard that, I've heard that so many times and I know that...]

But she was hoping, Maura was dreaming that maybe after a celebration with family and the magical high that only Christmas could bring she could confess to only ever needing Jane. She would tell Jane that although she was brooding, harsh, and often unpolished, she loved her. It would only ever truly work out with Jane Rizzoli, it practically already had.

Then she received Jane's message just as she was checking the cheesecake that was in the oven, and Christmas had deflated.

The mild Boston air did nothing but highlight the loss of holiday cheer as Maura opened her door to greet each guest in turn. Every smile she wore throughout the evening was strained and painful. Without Jane beside her, her shoulder bumping into her own, or the slight pressure of her strong hand against her thigh during a particularly riveting story left Maura empty.

[It's not Christmas if the snow don't fall. I'm still standing here three feet small.]

The honey blonde shook her head in an attempt to shake her melancholy. She felt silly. It was Christmas. A joyous occasion, one in which she was still surrounded by family and that was something not everyone had this time of year. She should feel lucky, happy even.

[Lose our troubles because after all, it's Christmastime.]

Her darkened eyes zeroed in on the wilting embers in the fireplace. The fire had died, leaving a chill in the room that matched the one in the ME's chest. Maura checked the time on her large-faced watched that dangled loosely on her feminine wrist. It was after midnight and suddenly her whirlpool bath was calling to her.

Methodically, Maura glided throughout the first floor of her Beacon Hill home and shut off the lights, checked the windows and the alarm, before moving to the Christmas tree and pulling its plug.

[It's Christmastime.]

When everything was black memories invaded Maura's mind. Christmases where her and Jane would watch bellowing carolers and walk along busy streets with their arms entwined under the rouse of keeping warm. How many times had she slipped on an icy sidewalk only to be caught by Jane? How many times had Jane slipped on a patch of ice only to bring the medical examiner crashing down with her? Every time they'd hold each other's gaze, neither getting lost in the lingering steam of mingling breaths. And every time they'd part, awkwardly, and step back with an odd new distance between them.

Those moments brought forth hope.

Those moments slapped Maura Isles with the bittersweet reality of her life.

[Cold icing on the walkways. Slip into the games we play. We're falling apart.]

Plunged into darkness, Maura moved about her home instinctually. Upstairs, to the right, she entered her bedroom and walked straight for the bathroom. She stripped along the way, not caring that her shirt, pants, and undergarments left a trail on the floor. There'd be time to cleanup, there's always time when you're alone.

The water was loud in the quiet room, the stream splashing against the bathtub echoed around the doctor. When she slid beneath the bubbly water the heat did little to phase her although her stomach muscles clenched at being submerged in heat. She closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples with her fingertips. Soothing, small circles accompanied controlled breaths. There wasn't one meditation technique that could erase the bitterness of the moment.

Maura would awake alone on Christmas morning.

[A great big house that's made out of gingerbread crumbles to the ground. We're falling apart.]

She took a deep breath and submerged herself fully beneath the water. All she wanted to do was shut out the silence with buzzing underwater stillness. Maura stayed beneath the surface until her lungs burned for oxygen. When she broke the surface and gasped for air, the burning in her lungs subsided but the burning in her heart remained. The one that Jane had caused. It was all the innocent brunette's fault.

"You need to do whatever it is that'll make you happy." Jane's words echoed along with the sound of water droplets falling from her hair into the tub. Maura could still feel the detective's warm breath as she whispered into her ear as she held her tightly. "It'll be alright."

[But you said that, you said that things would be alright. But I've heard that, I've heard that so many times and I know that...]

The temperature in the bathroom as well as the tub had dropped. Maura stood, wiped herself dry, and wrapped herself in the fluffiest towel from her linen closet before starting her lotion routine. Each stroke of her palms across her pale skin was slow, methodical in distributing expensive lotions evenly. As she lost herself to the monotonous task, Maura's tired eyes locked on the stars she could see from her bathroom window. The skies were clear but what was inside was nothing but a storm.

[It's not Christmas if the snow don't fall. I'm still standing her three feet small. Lose our troubles because after all it's Christmastime.]

After completing the necessary steps of applying lotion and then blow drying her hair, Maura walked into her bedroom naked. The cool air that wrapped itself around her body caused her feet to move quickly to her dresser in search of pajamas. She fingered the collar of Jane's worn flannel pajama set, the one she wore every Christmas, before choosing the silk negligee that was folded beside it.

Maura's exhausted body fell to the mattress with a lifeless thud. Subconsciously, her left hand sought out a body that wasn't lying beside her.

[And I've been waiting for you to come. And it's hard cause I feel so alone. And I just want you to come home.]

Even in her partial slumber Maura was acutely aware of her empty home, of her longing for Jane, and the way she'd always make her biggest decision with the brunette in mind. Her dreams were the one place where it all worked out. Where the loneliest of the Isles fell asleep without a partner only to be awoken by their sudden arrival. Maura's imagination ran wild with the thought of hearing Jane's key in the door and her heavy boots against the hardwood floors and everything would seem right in that moment because the woman she loved more than any other person was finally home. Jane would finally be there to thaw the frigid loneliness that overtook her heart.

[Waiting for you to come. And it's hard cause I feel so alone. And I just want you to come home.]

Maura jolted awake and checked the angry red numbers of her alarm clock. Just after three in the morning and she felt more tired than before her fitful sleep. She wasn't sure what woke her but as she smacked her dry lips together she decided to take advantage of the situation and get a glass of water. White wine had a tendency to dehydrate her and drinking close to a full bottle herself only served to remind Maura of this, painfully. Her feet dropped to the floor and carried her to her bedroom door.

Hazel eyes were barely open as she searched for a cold knob and swung the door open. From deep down a large yawn twisted her features, clamping her eyes shut and screwing her face. Mouth wide open, a small groan escaped and she stepped forward into the hallway only to bump into a warm body. The groan turned to a startled yelp and suddenly two chilled hands were gripping her bare shoulders.

"Maura, it's just me." The gravelly voice whispered.

"Jane?" Maura gripped at her chest and became aware of her pounding heart and state of undress. She crossed her arms over her breasts, trying to cover hard nipples that were only covered by thin silk. "What are you doing here?" The question was abrupt and if Maura noticed the slight hurt that flashed in Jane's dark eyes she didn't mention it.

"I just got off and I came right over." An awkward tension settled on the detective's shoulders and her surroundings become painfully clear in the darkness. The two women were standing within inches of each other, more of Maura's skin was on display than she was accustom to seeing, and Jane's assumptions of the evening had been incorrect.

"I'm sorry," the apology was lost in a whisper. "I thought you'd expect-" Jane took a step back and sighed at her sudden apprehension. "We always spend Christmas Eve night together. I tried to be as quiet as possible, I didn't mean to wake you."

The fog had finally started to lift from Maura's head. Wine, late night hours, and being scared half to death wouldn't help anyone think clearly. She reached out and grasped Jane's forearm, her thumb running along the soft skin of the brunette's inner wrist.

A tousled head shook. "It's okay, really." Gently, slowly, she pulled Jane towards her and wrapped her arms around a lean waist. Her suit still held a hint of the scent unique to the precinct. Maura held Jane tightly. "I'm glad you're here."

"You are?" Though Jane tried to keep her hands from indulging in bare skin, there was just too much within her reach to be successful in her attempt to desist. Maura's bare back was warm and therapeutic against her stiff hands.

"Very much so." The response was honest and immediate. "You're freezing." Maura barely held back a shiver at the chill Jane carried with her.

"The temperature dropped and it just started to snow." The taller woman buried her nose into fragrant hair as she spoke. An indulgence like this would normally make her feel guilty, but the darkness shrouded her in courage. She felt and heard the medical examiner smile brightly against her neck.

[It's not Christmas if the snow don't fall. I'm still standing here three feet small. Lose our troubles because after all, it's Christmastime.]

Despite her obvious glee at the weather report, Jane could still feel an odd tension rolling throughout her best friend's body.

"Is everything alright?" Jane pulled back enough to look down into Maura's eyes and open face. There was sadness among the subtle lines that crinkled between her brows. The rough pad of Jane's right thumb traced that spot and she mused aloud, "Are you thinking about Jack?"

"What?" In a moment Maura would have to analyze later, she couldn't figure out why she would be thinking about Jack. And then she remembered. "Oh." She shook her head and lowered her gaze, feeling an unexpected swell of vulnerability in the moment. "No." She counted to ten before looking into Jane's near onyx eyes once more.

[It's not Christmas if the snow don't fall. I'm still standing here three feet small. Lose our troubles because after all, it's Christmastime.]

The softness looking back at Maura caused the doctor's breath to catch.

"I was missing you." She confessed into the dark before she could stop herself. Maura was accustom to being lonely, but one pre-Christmas night without Jane was something she never wanted to experience again.

It was a risk but the words seemed innocent enough, they carried such little implications that Maura's nerves remained settled in the silence.

Jane didn't respond, she simply wrapped her friend in an embrace once again and swayed them back and forth, gently at first and then with an abrupt force that elicited a girlish giggle from the blonde.

[It's Christmastime again and all your friends, all your friends are smiling.]

A moist pair of lips landed on a dimpled cheek. Maura's eyes closed tightly as she relished the sensation. If she hadn't realized how deep her love for her best friend ran before then, that moment would've solidified just how in love she was with Jane Rizzoli. Another kiss landed on the opposite cheek before Jane leaned back and smiled down at the ME. A long index finger pointed towards the ceiling.

Maura hadn't noticed how they wound up in the doorway to the bedroom, or that it was one of the many entryways that had been graced with a bundle of mistletoe.

"It only seemed right." Jane rasped out, her brilliant smile lit up the hallway.

In a swift motion Maura's delicate fingers were tangled in inky curls and she pulled the detective close. Their lips met with force, a hint of pain radiated through a plump lower lip but that didn't keep Maura from moving her mouth against Jane's.

Jane was hesitant at first, a war was being fought in her mind between melting into the sensations the simple kiss ignited throughout her body and rationally thinking about what was going on.

Call it Christmas magic or blame it on years of pent up attraction, Jane dropped her hands to womanly hips and brought the blonde's body flush against her own. A deep moan rushed against Maura's lips at the feel of soft curves running along her lithe body.

Before the kiss could escalate, Maura pulled back breathlessly. A smile stretched her swollen lips.

"It only seemed right." Maura echoed Jane's sentiment and entwined their fingers. She pulled slightly, signaling for Jane to follow her back into her bedroom. When she was met resistance a slight shiver of panic ran through her chest. Jane's grin warmed it immediately.

"I don't think there's any mistletoe in there." A dark brow raised playfully. Jane bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at Maura's expression.

Maura wasn't as tall as Jane, but yoga and years of jogging had strengthen her thighs and calves impressively. She leapt slightly and pulled the plastic bundle of berries and leaves from its small hook. She held it above her head and narrowed her eyes at the surprised detective. Step by step she backed into her bedroom, Jane followed obediently.

"Problem solved." A husky laugh followed Jane's words as she closed the bedroom door behind them.

[It's Christmastime.]