Rizzoli & Isles – I certainly don't own them. I give a lot of credit to the people that do and thank them for letting me mess about with them for a bit. The story and any original characters that might crop up belong to my addled little brain.

**Written for one very random feltknickers prompt (prompt revealed at end of the story) **

Beta work by the ever suffering sideadde, & the new to my world of beta insanity, living-on-borrowed-crime & charlietheCAG so we can get this thing posted quickly. It's long but I'd like it up by Christmas (at least this is the excuse I'm going with other that the truth of liking to torture betas;)).

Warning: I try to give accurate warnings. This is a mature reader fic. It's not going to be funny or fluffy but hopefully you'll see the humanity. If I've done my job right you'll run the gambit of emotion both in the story and perhaps, while in progress, at me the fic writer.

Those new to my writing, I usually write at a point they are in TV canon. This is going to include all that we have of S5. That means both our leads last relationships were/are with men.

The box was heavy and it wouldn't budge no matter how hard Jane shoved the vacuum at it. Stupid Christmas decorations shouldn't have been sitting there in the first place. Grunting she kicked it out of the way with her foot, growling when it moved less than an inch. This was exactly how her entire life went.

Slowly inching forward with way too much effort needed.

Jane grasped the cardboard side and shimmed it out of the way, cursing when part of the top ripped off in her hand. She looked at the piece of box before flinging it over her shoulder. Damn box should be empty right now, stowed back in the storage unit in the basement and the contents spread around her apartment in whatever fastidious order Maura thought fit.

It was their tradition. But so was murder.

And murder was a bitch of a boss and the hours sucked. Nights, weekends, holidays, people never had the decency to be homicidal on a nice regular 9-5 schedule.

So last Saturday she shouldn't have been surprised that Dispatch called, because this was how her life went. Nope, the minute Jane heard her phone ring and Maura's right after, she knew her decorations were going to be staying in the box. Never mind the fact it had already taken them two weeks to pencil in a day that was close enough to Christmas to decorate and they both were free from other obligations. It had been practically Christmas miracle.

Until her stupid phone rang.

On top of the fact she didn't get her decorations put up, the homicide was a double involving a kid. Right outside the Macy's in Downtown Crossing. Two nights before the giant tree lighting ceremony. Nothing makes a giant retail chain melt down quite like yellow tape blocking the front of their prize store in the middle of holiday shopping rush.

Angry retail giants always have the right friends in the right corner office but apparently it was BPD's fault their security camera had frozen ice droplets on the lens. Nina was working with crap for footage.

But angry retail giants also had plenty of pretty boys in prettier suits who managed to have Cavanaugh on speed dial. And perhaps her choice in language while the Mayor was in with Cavanaugh was not her best life decision but lack of sleep and dead ends were not exactly a good mix. She couldn't wave a magic wand and make the case close no matter what the Macy's would like to see running as a headline on the 6 o'clock news.

What was worse was Cavanaugh had been right, there was nothing they could do until Nina tweaked the video more or the boyfriend turned up. Maura's people were long since done, Jane had figured she'd interviewed half of Boston personally and the best lead they had, the missing fiancé, was exactly that. Missing.

With the box out of the way, Jane started the vacuum up again with a determined set to her shoulders. She might be staring at a dead end on her case, alone in her apartment except for a box of Christmas decorations and a dog, but clean floors she could control and that had to count for something.

Jane sighed. Clean floors had to count because what else was she going to do on this forced, little 24 hour break? She was certainly not hanging Christmas decorations she didn't want up in the first place. Not when she knew Maura would end up switching it all around later.

Jane could picture exactly how it would go. Maura would come over, try to ignore her decorating, but eventually she'd start to crack. First it would be shifting uncomfortably on the couch, then fiddling with her ring or her clothing and by the time Maura would start straightening up the junk mail on the coffee table Jane would know it was game over.

Maura would tell her some decoration would look better in some place Jane never would have considered, Jane would tell her to have at it and then 3 hours later everything would be in a new spot.

So waiting for Maura was logical.

Jane tried to let the repetitive motion of cleaning her floors wipe away the fact that since the moment murder trumped their decorating plans, Maura hadn't been free. Workload, she understood. Maura liked the fieldwork, but in addition to actually being a medical examiner, that whole Chief part of her title meant testifying, prepping for trials, managing her staff, signing off on reports and last week dealing with HR over an incident involving a tech, dry ice, balloons and the HAVAC system. Jane wasn't sure about the specifics but Maura had shook her head and left early that night.

Now, in addition to work, Jane had to be patient about Jack. Wonderful, non-serial killer Jack. Jack with the pro baseball player uncle. Jack with the precocious daughter with whom Maura got along perfectly. Jack, who apparently had an issue with conveniently misplacing his clothing around Maura's house. More than once. And no, Jane was pretty damn sure she didn't find it as funny as Maura did with each retelling.

The whole Jack-thing was getting a tiny bit sickening and frankly a little boring. Jane got it. She really did. Jack was smart. Jack liked classical books. Jack was a brilliant professor. They even had fabulous monkey sex. Maybe she should make Maura a banner so she'd understand that Jane was full on celebrating for her and then perhaps Maura would stop talking about him.

Jane carefully maneuvered the vacuum under her desk, eyes drawn to the photo of last year's softball team. Wistfully she moved it back to front and center and wondered if Maura was going to be able to join this year. Maybe in the spring the newness of the relationship would wear off and Maura would need a break from trying to make sure Jack had enough of her time.

Because right now that was top priority for Maura: time for all things Jack.

Making certain she met Jack for dinner. Making certain she went to his daughter's Science Fair and piano recital. Scraping whatever free time she'd had over the past two weeks since they caught this latest case to cook him enough late dinners and then subsequent breakfasts that Jane finally decided she'd be better off driving herself into work. Who really needed to start their day watching Jack parade around Maura's kitchen in a short robe?

Not her.

Reaching down, Jane pushed aside her coffee table to vacuum under it. She was happy for Maura. She really was. The woman deserved a break after Dennis Rockmond. She was glad that Maura could finally see what Jane kept trying to tell her. Aside from a few quirks that other people might not understand she was warm, wonderful and kinda perfect.

Jack seemed really crazy about Maura too. So that made him okay in Jane's book. It was probably understandable that he seemed a little intense about spending enough time with Maura. Jane could relate to that. Maura was the perfect person to spend time with.

Jane simply wished she didn't miss her so much. Maybe after the case she'd talk to Maura and see about making more of an effort to get together at work for lunch or something.

Just as she was about to finish the area in front of her couch, a small glint under the table caught her eye and Jane scooped the little bit of metal off the floor. The delicate filigree earring with inset amber certainly wasn't hers. Flipping the vacuum off Jane slumped down on her couch and watched the light play off the delicate swirls.

Maura had lost this the night Jane had struggled up the steps with the box of ornaments. The earrings were from a trip last spring to the Czech Republic and were one of a kind. Maura had been frantic. They'd searched and searched for the earring, but finally gave up. In the craziness of the call on the double homicide, Jane had forgotten her promise to look for it.

She chewed the edge of her thumb and stared out her window. The light outside was already waning. Sometimes she hated this time of year. Things seemed to be so dark and grey all the time. It was depressing. Jane glanced at the vacuum but her couch was more comfortable. She spotted her mobile phone on her end table. She should call and let Maura know she'd found the missing earring. But Maura had rushed out of work earlier, already upset she was too late to cook Jack this dinner she'd rambled on and on about over morning coffee.

In fact, Maura had barely stopped by to say goodnight as she rushed out, hurrying to pick up the take-out she'd finally had to order instead of cooking. There had been a hand brushing along her shoulder and folder dropped in her lap. Jane had watched her practically bounce out of the room with a smile thrown over her shoulder and sparkling eyes that narrowed just long enough to firmly remind her to get some rest.

It was only as Jane had watched her go that she realized it was a night off and with the case going full throttle, she didn't have plans. Usually that had never been too much of a problem. It never took much to convince Maura to go to dinner or out for a drink. Ever since Rockmond, if Maura had some obligation or event and was busy, she'd invite Jane along or meet her after. It had been a long time since Maura didn't find some way to include her when she asked.

It had been too easy to take it for granted. Now Jane realized she was always watching Maura run off to meet Jack.

Jack, who had managed to get boyfriend status. Jack who managed to keep Maura busy all the time. And happy. Maura seemed happy with Jack.

It was almost a compulsion Jane couldn't control. Her phone was in her hand without realizing what she wanted to do. By the time she'd keyed in her password she had managed to get her wits about her. She shouldn't call. Maura was busy. An earring wasn't important.

But a quick text couldn't hurt.