Disclaimer: Not a damn thing is mine. I wrote most of this toward Christmas of 2016 and it never got finished and posted because I'm me and that always happens. So, 2 years later, here's this.

They hadn't spoken in a week. A fight had erupted between Jane and Maura about Jane's stubbornness and desire to close a case before Christmas, and Maura's inability to lie or sugarcoat. Jane said she didn't care about Maura's science and needed to just catch the killer; Maura froze Jane out and explained the incident to the prosecutor.

Both refused to acknowledge verbally what they felt inside: they were both acting like immature children and Jane needed to be less stubborn and apologize, Maura needed to apologize to Jane for ratting her out to the DA even though she had been obligated to do so. They also refused to verbally acknowledge that the lab results were needed to get the right suspect so they wouldn't hit a snag in court and lose the trial, or to have the real killer go free while a family mourned during the holiday and would never get justice.

During the week, they avoided each other, unless it was necessary to be in each other's presence. Korsak or Frankie would go down to see Maura, instead, or they would be present with Jane but they'd be the only ones to talk to Maura. Jane avoided Maura's home, as well, unless her mother specifically asked her to be there, and even then Jane ended up going around back to the guest house instead of the main house.

The people around them were stuck in the middle of this silent feud and tried to remain neutral or to subtly get them to talk. It didn't work.

But, it was Christmas Eve and both women were reaching a breaking point. They missed each other and wanted to talk, but were both too damn stubborn to give in and were at a loss as to how approach it. They'd had fights before and had finally worked things out then. It was the holidays and it wasn't the time of year for being angry with each other.

Maura was the one who decided to be the one to make the first move. She had finished the last bit of paperwork and made notes for the medical examiner that would be temping for her during the next couple days. With her current mood, she didn't feel like dealing with murder and dead bodies on Christmas. The temp, an assistant medical examiner, offered because he did not celebrate the holidays; Maura was grateful.

She grabbed her black wool pea coat and her purse and headed out, locking up and saying goodnight and a series of "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" to the remaining lab techs, precinct staff, and to the officers and detectives.

After leaving the precinct, Maura made her way through the snowy streets of Boston, making a pit stop at her Beacon Hill home to pick up her gifts for Jane, and then heading toward the brunette detective's Back Bay condo.

She had managed to find a free space to park and got herself and the gifts up to Jane's door in one trip. She set down the packages and knocked.

When there was no answer, Maura knocked again and pressed herself against the cool wood. "Jane, it's me. Please open up. I know we need to talk." When there was still no response from the other side, she leaned her head against the wood and placed her right hand flat against the surface. "I miss you," she spoke quietly.

After a moment, it became apparent that the door wasn't going to open. Maura pressed her ear to the door and didn't hear sound coming from the inside of Jane's home. She knew it was a couple hours before midnight and there was no way the detective was already asleep. And, knowing her very well, Maura knew that Jane would at least have her TV on something, even if it was on a low volume setting. She tried to peer in the peep hole and then tried to see if she could see light coming through the bottom of the door. It seemed dark.

She dug into her pocket for her phone and hit Jane's number and waited… it rang and rang and rang until it went to voicemail and Maura ended the call before it gave her a chance to leave a message.

Where was Jane? Maura was now at the point of desperation. She wanted to talk to Jane so bad and it seemed that the brunette was purposely ignoring her. It hurt. The physical pain of her best friend freezing her out almost had her just leaving the gifts there outside the door, running to her car, taking her home to the safe space of her bedroom where she would cry herself to sleep and then busy herself, pretending that it no longer affected her… when it was actually killing her.

But, Maura stood her ground. She wasn't going to allow her pain to force her into hiding, nor was she going to led Jane's stubbornness come between them any longer. The doctor reached in her purse and found the key to Jane's home.

Once she let herself inside the cold apartment, Maura turned on the lights and turned the thermostat up to warm up the emptiness. After setting her purse down on the couch and hanging up her coat, she moved to the Christmas tree that sat next to the TV. Jane had had to move her sofa and coffee table back a bit to allow space in front of the tree.

She switched the lights on and then placed her gifts for Jane under it. She moved to turn on some soft Christmas music and went to make some hot cocoa or coffee, but ended up pouring herself some red wine and then went and sat by the tree.

After taking a sip of the wine, she set the glass down on the coffee table and turned back around to stare at the green polyvinyl chloride decoration that was supposed to replace a real Fraser fir. Jane had hung scented sticks, which were supposed to mimic the scent of the tree, amongst the mismatched ornaments and multicolored lights.

When they were still talking, Maura had helped assemble the artificial tree and inquired about a theme – the one at her home was elegantly decked out in white and gold – but Jane had insisted on her tradition. Family ornaments that her mother had given her, some childhood ones, and random colorful ornaments she had purchased at various stores. Jane nearly had strung up white lights but Maura, having just as much as she could take with the chaos, warned Jane that if she insisted on mismatched colorful ornaments, she'd have to use the multicolored lights. Maura smiled fondly as she remembered how Jane had pouted and huffed but had strung up the colorful lights before happily placing her ornaments on. Afterward, Maura had made them both mugs of hot cocoa – something that brought Jane to a state of bliss.

Every Christmas since she and Jane had become friends, they had spent the holiday together. The Rizzoli family Christmas vastly differed from an Isles Christmas. Her parents either attended or threw a Christmas party within the week before 25th, and it was often a lavish affair. As a small child, she didn't always get to attend the party or stay up past her bedtime to see the party come to an end. During the early years, there was a man dressed as Santa Claus who gave out presents to the younger kids in attendance. The gifts varied from specially-made ornaments, or money or a check to be placed in a fund for the future, or allowance-type cash they could spend next they were taken shopping, or it was a some sort of toy that corresponded to their particular age group – i.e., a teddy bear for the little ones, a book, or something educational. At their home, there was a giant Christmas tree – always with an elegant color scheme – and there would be many gifts under the tree come Christmas morning. As Maura grew up, the number of presents dwindled, but the magic of the holiday remained, even if the atmosphere became more subdued. But, there was one constant during every Christmas: it was often quiet. Yes, little Maura would squeal over toys or become a little talkative at the dinner table, but as years passed, it was just a quiet room where the only sound was the clanging of silverware against dishes and the sound of classical or jazzy holiday music.

Adult Maura had carried some of those traditions with her. And then the Rizzolis came into her life. Maura imagined that even if little Jane was girly, the noise level in the Rizzoli house would still be at an unheard of decibel given that she had two little brothers. But, Jane was just as loud even as an adult, and the excitement over Christmas never diminished over the years. Maura's quiet Christmases were bombarded with loud adult children and a matriarch who had learned how to magnify her voice to wrangle her raucous children into settling down.

In all honesty, Maura did not miss her quiet Christmases. She loved the sound of Angela shouting to her adult children, trying to get them to listen to her, or ordering them to help out with cleaning wrapping paper or setting the table for dinner or assisting her with preparing the dinner. She loved the sound of Tommy and Frankie and even Jane acting like little kids over even the most grown-up of gifts. One of them often bought some sort of prank toy for another sibling and then they'd end up playing with it.

Despite their loudness, they came together as a family and would enjoy a nice calm Christmas dinner together. It was a very loving environment and Maura was more than happy that she was honored to be a part of it.

The Rizzoli Family Christmas at Maura's was still going to happen, even if the Christmas morning tradition had changed. Tommy had little T.J. and wanted to spend the child's Christmas morning in the quiet of his own place before bringing him over to see the rest of his family and more presents at Maura's. So, instead of a morning filled with chaos and frenzied unwrapping in Maura's living room, the family got to sleep in a bit or eat a quiet breakfast. Angela was still going to get up early and prepare and probably make a big breakfast or brunch for them when they all arrived. Frankie would probably arrive mid-morning. Jane would probably sleep in an extra hour before her childlike excitement over getting presents overcame her and she had to rush over.

That was why Maura had stopped to pick up some of Jane's gifts and bring them to her so, if all went well and they were speaking again, Jane wouldn't have to wait to open presents.

That was the plan. And now, Maura was sitting there on the floor of Jane's home, alone and listening to quiet Christmas music, wishing her best friend would come home so they could reconcile. It was getting later and later and the doctor was growing tired but she wanted to stay awake to see if Jane finally called back or came home… whichever happened first.

Jane was in a bad mood. She had been in a bad mood for the better part of the last week, but now since she had decided to venture out and do some last minute Christmas shopping, her mood had worsened. Bad traffic of fellow last minute shoppers or people waiting until the last minute to travel to wherever they were spending the holiday. She had already slipped on ice and had been pushed out of the way by some rude woman trying to get the last toy left in a display.

She wasn't sure which was worse: being home alone in the quiet and brooding over her damaged relationship with her best friend or being out here with rude customers and slow drivers and slippery walkways.

Nothing was going right. This week should've been filled with excitement and happiness and preparing for what was essential a Rizzoli-Isles family Christmas. But, now she and Maura weren't speaking. And, despite the tension, she'd be at the doctor's house in the morning, probably at her mother's insistence. It would be awkward and uncomfortable.

Jane did miss her best friend and wanted to talk to her, but couldn't figure out how to approach it. Plus, her stubbornness was biding her time, hoping Maura would make the first move.

While she waited, Jane bustled through random stores, not really buying anything. As it crept closer to midnight and more places were closing up for the night, Jane made her way outside again. Her car was parked down a ways and she needed to sit before she precariously made her way across the slick sidewalks back to the vehicle.

Jane had been sitting on a nearby bench for maybe about five minutes, her gifts sitting securely next to her, when a man dressed as Santa Claus approached her.

"May I sit here?" he asked. Jane looked up at him and the costume, covered a small cynical smirk with a courteous smile and nodded. "Thank you," he responded to her non-verbal consent and sat at the other end of the small bench. "So, how's your holiday going?" Jane looked at him, thought about it for a minute, and answered with a heavy sigh, which seemed to ring clear to the festive stranger. "Yeah, I understand. Holidays are stressful, much like life. But, eventually things will be okay. Everything will work out eventually."

"I hope so," Jane stated glumly and fought back the tears that threatened to spill on her cold cheeks. She missed Maura, so much.

"It will. No matter the reason behind what you're feeling right now, it's only temporary. Time passes and it will get resolved or you work through it," 'Santa' explained.

Jane regarded him for a moment and wondered who this guy was. It couldn't be, could it? She was an adult and Santa wasn't real; maybe he was just relaying a statement that one would say to cheer someone up. And, let's face it, she probably looked as mad and upset as she felt.

'Santa' noticed his attempt at engaging the woman next to him in conversation wasn't working all that well. So, he tried another route. "So, do you know what you want for Christmas?"

Jane, exasperated as hell, placed her hands on her knees and looked at the man. "Listen, I know you're trying to make small talk or something, but with all due respect, I'd rather be left alone. I don't really want to talk… or, at least, you are not the person I want to be talking to right now." This night was just getting worse for her. "I'm not a child and I don't need to be coddled by someone pretending to be Santa Claus okay? No offense."

"It felt like offense was implied," he shot back and received a narrowed glare from fiery brown eyes that almost had him fleeing. This woman's temper was something to fear. Still, he prevailed to try and soften her up before she left. "Fine, but at least humor me before you make your way home. What do you want for Christmas?"

Jane stood up, ready to end this conversation and needing peace and quiet. She grabbed her bags and faced the rotund man still sitting on that cold bench. "Fine…," she sighed, "What do I want for Christmas? I want to talk to my best friend again. I want to find someone who loves me the way I am; someone I love in return… someone I can spend my life with… have a family with. And, I would like to go home now and find peace and everything I've ever wanted underneath my Christmas tree. Happy?"

The man nodded. "I hope you get your wish. Now, I'll stop talking and let you be on your way."

"Thank you," Jane replied and started to walk away.

"Merry Christmas, Jane," he stated.

Jane turned back momentarily to look at him, deciding to not be rude to the strange man. "Merry Christmas, Santa." Without waiting for any sort of response back, she made her way – carefully – back to her car.

Jane finally arrived at her condo, fifteen minutes before midnight. She made sure her car was secure before heading inside the building and up to her door. She just wanted to relax and think. Tomorrow would be chaotic and with the tension with Maura, things would be awkward. Jane even considered getting her in a room somewhere and quietly talking.

But, all she wanted was to go to bed.

And then she opened the door and her plans were derailed. The lights on the tree cast a warm glow over the apartment and the sounds of classic Christmas songs played quietly on the radio and a glass sat on the coffee table, barely an inch of red wine remaining. And, then there was Maura. Literally curled up almost underneath the tree, her knees bent, her left arm tucked against her chest and her right arm bent to form a makeshift cushion for her head. Asleep.

Every bit of frustration or anger or stress that had been eating at her for the past week melted in that moment.

Maura had probably come over to talk to her and when she didn't find Jane, she had stayed anyway and must've been too tired to wait for Jane to return home.

Jane quietly shut and locked the door and pretty much tiptoed her way to her bedroom. She set the bags on the floor by her dresser and changed out of her coat and work clothes and put on a white tank top, followed by an old sweater, sweat pants and a pair of light blue fuzzy socks. She grabbed a blanket and a couple pillows and moved back into the living room where Maura was still snoozing peacefully.

The brunette made her way over to her and quietly got down on the floor. A wood floor was not a very comfortable place to take a nap, but she wouldn't dare disturb Maura's slumber. Jane took a moment and drained the rest of the wine glass before setting it back down. Ever so carefully, she lifted up the arm holding Maura's head and placed one pillow underneath. Then she placed the second pillow next to it and moved to lie down facing Maura. Jane then moved the blanket to cover both of them.

And as she stared happily at her best friend, she noticed a few strands of blonde hair had fallen in front of that beautiful face, so she reached up and tucked the silky strands behind Maura's ear. Before she could move her hand away, Maura woke, fluttering her eyes open. Jane watched nervously as the blonde's hazel eyes appeared and attempted to focus back to consciousness.

"Jane?" came a soft sound from her mouth.

"Hey," the brunette replied just as quietly as she smiled adoringly at her friend.

Maura's beautiful eyes darted around the room, taking in her surroundings. "I fell asleep."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"No, I… I came over and you weren't here… so I sat down and looked at your tree while I waited for you to come home." She moved backward to look up at the tree behind her, allowing Jane's hand to fall from her face. "I think I was facing the tree before; I must've rolled over…"

Jane tucked her fallen hand next to her body and watched as Maura attempted to acclimate herself to the present.

Suddenly, Maura rolled back to face Jane, now aware of where she was and who she was with. "Hi."

That made Jane giggle. "Hi." But, Maura's face remained serious so Jane let the humor die down before mirroring her friend's expression.

"I'm sorry, Jane. I know I wasn't wrong to tell the prosecutor because I wanted to make sure we got the right suspect with physical proof so that family could hopefully see justice but… I'm sorry I made you mad and I'm sorry I was… I said some things I shouldn't have. And, I'm sorry. I don't want to fight with you anymore. I don't want to go a week without talking to you ever again. I miss you," Maura explained, barely able to hold back the few tears that gathered at her eyes.

Jane brought her hand back up and used the pad of her thumb to wipe the tears away. "You're not the only one that's sorry, okay. I should know better. We need proof to catch a killer and making shit up to arrest someone won't fly in court and would get not only me, but also my squad in trouble. Cavanaugh would kill me for doing something so stupid. I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm sorry I got mad at you for doing what was right. I should've waited for real evidence to come in. I missed you, too, Maura."

Maura smiled and they stared at each other for a moment, relishing in the finality of their freeze out. Neither questioned the rationality behind their simultaneous next move, neither cared. Both women leaned closer to each other, hesitantly slow, and pressed their lips together softly.

Somewhere in the back of Jane's brain, she registered that she – a woman – was kissing her best friend – who was also a woman. But, that wasn't what set alarm bells off in her head. A memory came flooding back to her.

I want to talk to my best friend again.

I want to find someone who loves me…

I would like to go home now and find peace and everything I've ever wanted underneath my Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas, Jane.

Jane pulled back and bolted up into a sitting position. "My wish came true," she exclaimed, sounding more confused than elated.

Maura, still reeling from the kiss, moved to sit up and face Jane. She felt something electric happen between them when they kissed and was disappointed it had ended so abruptly. Yes, she had kissed her best friend and they were both women, but it felt amazing and perfect and right.

Initially, she thought Jane was dejecting her or disgusted by the kiss and that's why she had pushed away, but Jane was sitting there in some sort of shock.

"Jane, what's wrong? What do you mean your wish came true?"

The brunette looked at her. "I never told him my name. Not once during our conversation did I say my name. He asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said I wanted to talk to you again, and that I wanted to find love, and I… I wanted to go home and find everything I wanted underneath my tree. And he said he hoped my wish came true and wished me a Merry Christmas and he knew my name. And I came home and you were here under my tree. We're talking and we kissed and…" She stopped her rapid-quick rambling and looked Maura square in the eyes and said with pure seriousness, "Maura, Santa is real!"

Maura was trying to take in everything Jane was saying and sort out what had happened. And, in all honesty, that was the last thing she'd ever expect to hear from Jane… at least when not in the company of children. It was clear that something had happened. Jane had chatted with someone – 'Santa' – and she expressed some feelings. One of them was to be on speaking terms with her. That made Maura happy because that's what she wanted too. The next one was about finding love, and Jane brought up the kiss… that was something that needed to be discussed. And all Jane wanted was to come home and find what she wanted underneath her Christmas tree. If she "got her wish," then that would mean she wanted Maura.

The whole Santa thing, though… "Jane, Santa isn't real. It was a man dressed as the overweight mythical children's character."

"But, he knew my name and I told what I wanted for Christmas and he said he hoped my wish came true and it did. You're here with me. My wish came true."

"Maybe he was a cop dressed as Santa for something – helping out a store or he came from a party. Maybe he's been someplace you frequent. Maybe he's a former cop," Maura offered.

"You're speculating," Jane countered.

"I'd rather speculate on more reasonable possibilities than say definitively that a commercial, child-friendly adaptation of a real Greek bishop out of Turkey chatted with you before you came home."

Jane refused to relent. She got her wish and, while Maura's suggestions of the man being someone she had probably met before, she was dead set on believing it was Santa Claus who granted it for her. "Nope. It was Santa. He's real because I asked him for you, and that's exactly what I got."

Maura gazed lovingly at her friend. This was the last thing she expected to happen when she decided to end their fight and came over to Jane's home. And, while unexpected, it made her happy beyond belief. She never figured kissing her best friend would feel this way, despite the fact that it could permanently affect their friendship. And right now, she wanted to kiss her again and again.

As if reading her mind, Jane reached a hand to Maura's face and pulled her closer and pressed their lips together once again. As Maura's tongue gained entry to Jane's mouth and get acquainted with her tongue, the detective started to lean them back onto the floor and pillows.

"Ow, ow!" the blonde responded and pushed them back up to a sitting position and separated from Jane. "The floor is too painful."

Jane, initially concerned over Maura's painful cries, chuckled in agreement. She nodded in the direction of her couch and Maura murmured an affirmative.

Once the brunette stood up, she reached out a hand for Maura, who graciously took it, smiling up at Jane. She was pulled up to a standing position and followed Jane to the couch. Jane was the first to sit down and fully expected Maura to take a seat right next to her. Instead, the doctor stood in front of her and hiked up the skirt of her dress a little.

"Maura, what're you-" She attempted to ask when the blonde climbed up on the couch, placing one knee on each side of Jane's body, straddling her. Yet again on this night, Jane was pleased with the turn of events. Once Maura was settled, she placed her hands firmly on the blonde's waist.

Maura settled her hands around Jane's neck and smiled contently. "Much better."

"Definitely," Jane replied and they resumed making out like teenagers. Jane could taste the remnants of the red wine on that sweet, delicious, and talented tongue.

Maura could taste red wine – she had noticed her glass had been empty and couldn't remember if she had finished it or maybe Jane had taken the rest. But, there was another flavor mixing with the wine… something minty. She pulled back. "Did you have a breath mint or some gum before waking me up?"

"Huh?" Jane was confused and desperately wanted to continue her exploration of Maura's mouth. It was her favorite craving and needed more.

"Your mouth tastes minty, Jane" Maura replied.

"Oh, um…" the brunette began. "I was eating a candy cane while I was doing some last minute shopping. One of those small candy canes like you get from Santa when you were a kid and went to sit on his lap and tell him what you wanted for Christmas." She indicated with her fingers, the size of the mini candy canes. "Those little things."

"Did Santa give you one when you told him what you wanted for Christmas?" Maura asked, mocking her friend's encounter with the man that was definitely someone Jane knew and not a mythical children's character. Jane's fingers, back on her waist, gave a little pinch and she jumped.

"No," Jane answered, drawing out the word. "He didn't give me any candy canes," she pouted. "I took one that was in a little bucket by the cash register at one of the stores."

"You stole a candy cane?"

"No, Maura, I didn't steal it. They were free and were meant for kids. It was late and there were only a few left, so I took one. The cashier didn't mind." She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Now, can we get back to what we were doing?" She used her hands to pull the blonde closer.

Maura melted into Jane and sighed. "Yes." And their lips and tongues met again.

Jane's hands left Maura's waist, moving down toward her thighs. They slipped under the hem of the dress, caressing the soft silky skin they found there, before continuing their journey up and then toward Maura's backside and started to knead the skin there. Maura's response was a moan and her hips starting to gyrate slowly against Jane.

They were in uncharted territory at that moment. Just moments ago, they were friends who weren't even speaking to each other and now, they were making out like horny teenagers on Jane's couch with Maura grinding on her. Jane had never been with a woman and wasn't sure of what to do if this escalated, but she was so intoxicated by the beautiful woman on top of her that she didn't honestly care. She wanted Maura in every way possible.

Maura had been with a couple women in her lifetime and she find Jane quite attractive, but had never risked it because it might've ruined their friendship. And, what they were doing right now was a big risk on both their parts and would require a conversation… at a later time. At the moment, she was consumed by Jane and preferred it that way.

Maura pulled away for just a moment, to take a breath before resuming their activity. But, as she went to take in air, she let out an audible yawn that caused them both to stop moving and start giggling. She rested her forehead against Jane's.

"Am I boring you?" Jane teased.

"No," she answered and failed to stifle another yawn.

Jane moved her head away and looked at the clock. It was already well after midnight and it had been a long day. While they didn't have to be up real early this Christmas, they would have to be up and heading to Maura's home early enough to prepare for the annual Rizzoli-Isles Christmas festivities. Despite the heat currently pooling between her legs, Jane knew they needed rest. "It's late and we need to sleep."

"I don't want to move; I like it here," Maura stated softly, already fighting off the sleep threatening to overtake her. The part of her brain that was still coherent knew Jane was right, but she just wanted to stay wrapped around the brunette forever.

"I do, too, but we have to. I can find you something to sleep in."

"Or I could just sleep naked," Maura quipped.

The detective groaned and her head fell back against the couch. The image of Maura Isles naked in her bed sending heat down to an already scorching and wet place. It was a new but exciting feeling. "You are going to kill me."

"I would never," Maura replied, feigning shock while simultaneously taking Jane's statement literally and teasing her. "I just like messing with you, and now, with this" she indicated to them both "new development, I have found a new way to tease you. You're so easy." She smiled mischievously.

As retaliation, Jane used one hand to dig into the skin of Maura's ass while the other traveled lower, a finger slipping slightly under the fabric of her panties. She didn't go too far and kept the finger barely an inch away from the hot and wet skin she was near. Maura's breath hitched and she closed her eyes, waiting for that first touch. It never came. "So are you." She slid her finger out and moved both hands to Maura's waist, outside of the dress.

Maura was sleepy but when she opened her eyes to glare at Jane, there was fire burning there. "In the morning, I'm going to wake you up early and make you pay for that," she growled and moved to get off of her friend.

Jane stood up as well. "Next time, don't call me easy. Now, let's go find you something to wear so we can go to sleep." She ushered Maura toward the bedroom.

Once in the bedroom, Jane found a pair of soft pajama pants that Maura had actually purchased for her some time back and an extra-large t-shirt she used to clean things in. When Maura started stripping for her, Jane ducked into the bathroom to brush her teeth and get a drink of water. That was when she started to plan her attack against the blonde; she would wake up earlier and begin her preemptive strike on Maura's body.

Maura, seeing Jane flee, laughed and changed out of her dress and into the outfit her friend had provided. The pants, having been meant for someone Jane's height, swallowed her legs and feet and she had to lift them up a bit to move around. Maura removed her bra and made sure to set it – and her discarded panties – on a little, neat pile that Jane was certain to notice when she came back in the room. The t-shirt, like the pants, swallowed her. The "short" sleeves reached past her elbows. Well, at least she'd be warm.

Jane vacated the bathroom and found Maura dressed. As the woman passed by her to use the bathroom herself, Jane glanced down and noticed Maura's dressed folded neatly on the little comfy chair that sat next to the closet door. On top of the dress was her lingerie, panties included. She smiled; yes, she was definitely getting up earlier to retaliate.

She slipped into bed and got comfortable.

When Maura emerged, she saw Jane already in bed but still awake. She crawled in on her side and pulled the blanket into a suitable position. She shut off the remaining light in the room – the little table lamp on the nightstand on her side of the bed – and turned to face Jane. "Goodnight, Jane."

"Goodnight, Maura," Jane replied, scooching closer and closing her eyes.

"One last thing," Maura began, her eyes already closed. "That wasn't the real Santa."

The brunette's eyes shot open. "Yes, it was."

"No, it wasn't."

"Yes, it was. It was Santa and he gave me you for Christmas."

"I was already here. I gave you me for Christmas. And, no he wasn't."

Jane reached a hand out and palmed one of Maura's breasts and located a nipple before lightly pinching it.

Maura batted Jane's hand away. "Stop that. I'm going to get you in the morning."

"Not if I get you first."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Go to sleep, Jane."

"You go to sleep, Maura."

"Shh," Maura whispered, sleep nearly overtaking her and her eyes drifted shut.

Jane, feeling sleep creep closer, closed her eyes and let her hand intertwine with the hand Maura used to bat hers away. "Santa is real," she whispered.

"No, he isn't," was Maura's last response.

Jane mouthed the words "Is, too" before she finally drifted off.

There was originally supposed to be more to this story. It was supposed to go into Christmas day, I think, and maybe some time after that... I don't remember. So, as I was trying to finish it before Christmas, I just decided to end it at this point.