#lessgeeking-morescience

The Rules: Rule 1: Always post the rules. Rule 2: Answer the questions the person who tagged you asked and write 11 new ones. Rule 3: Tag 11 New People and link them to the post. Rule 4: let people know you tagged them

1.       What is a good thing today? Shared a laugh with the woman at work that I have a massive crush on. 2.       What isn’t? Been missing the Gold Coast all day 'cos last night I dreamt I was still there. 3.       The last song you listened to? Twilight Galaxy (acoustic version) by Metric 4.       What is your first favorite food you remember you had as a kid? Mushrooms. I've disliked them for years, though. Must've eaten them too much as a kid. 5.       Did you walk first or talk first or don’ t you know? I think I probably talked first? I was a fat blob of a baby who never wanted to leave the comfort of my pram, so I assume I would've talked first. I'd have to ask mum. 6.       If you could choose to have a job and you’d immediately have it, which would it be? Author/novelist/writer of some kind. 7.       Which year was the best in your life so far? That's...a tough question. Maybe 2012? Xena con in LA. Started uni and was super excited about it. Made some good friends. 8.       Are you in love? With myself, yes. 9.       What’s your favorite name for a girl? Freja (pronounced 'Freya'). 10.   And for a boy? I've always kinda liked the name Oscar. But I've recently met a guy at work whose name is Dragan which sounds like Dragon. Might be my new favourite. 11.   What is the most annoying book you had to read? Madame Bovary. It bored me to tears. I never finished it, just skimmed the bits I needed for a uni assignment.

Questions:

1. What's your favourite animated movie? 2. Did you eat anything yummy today? What was it? 3. Do you have a favourite myth or legend (from Greek/Roman/Norse/whatever mythology)? What is it? 4. If you could be any fictional character, who would you be (and what is this person from)? 5. If you could date any fictional character, who would it be (and where are they from)? 6. Do you have an artistic outlet? What is it? 7. What's a song that you find therapeutic/relaxing/calming? 8. What's a song you can't help but sing along to when you hear it, even if you're in a situation where it's entirely inappropriate to do so? 9. Who is your favourite Avenger (if any) and why? 10. Do you enjoy British comedy? If yes, feel free to give details. 11. What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

The door slowly opened, and a little head full of dark curls popped. The 4 year-old boy looked at the bed and, making sure they were asleep, hold the door open so his twin, who was carrying their baby sister, could stumble inside and put the little girl on the bed, where she happily crawled to her moms.

"Ma..ma" The baby climbed on Maura’s back and patted her face with her tiny hands, who picked her daughter up and put her in between them. "Hello baby!", she grinned and kissed the little girl face who giggled and patted her face more.

Jane tickled her daughter, passed a hand through the soft golden locks, and sit up to look at her sons, standing at the end of the bed in their respectively red and green pajamas, their curls all messy. The second she opened her mouth, one of them, who looked like he was about to explode, jumped on the bed.

"Mama, Santa came!’ he yelled, bouncing on his knees, "There are presents everywhere downstairs and it’s written our names on it and one of them is HUGE and it has MY name on it and maybe it’s my big boy bike and…"

"But Max we said we wouldn’t jump before we gave them!" Zach interrupted his brother, looking devastated. "You promised you wouldn’t!"

The little boy in red stopped jumping and looked horrified for a second, before hurriedly getting off the bed. “I’m sorry I’m sorry, I forgot. I’m excited and Anna was on the bed too and I’m sorry.” He quickly kissed his brother’s cheek and grinned at him. “Do you forgive me now?”

His twin tried to look mad for another second but couldn’t help but grin back. “Yes!” Then, he solemnly turned to the bed, and Jane smiled, sensing the “Maura part” of the boys ready to come out.

"So we wanted to give you flowers, because flowers are pretty and you are pretty and you are girls and girls like flowers, I read it in a book!" Zachary started, his brother nodding next to him. "But flowers are sleeping because it’s cold outside, and so we couldn’t have them. Did you know the bears were sleepy when it’s cold too? I read it in my books about animals! And they eat a lot and then they go to their house and then they sleep for really long and they don’t get cold…"

Knowing it was time to stop him before they wouldn’t be able to, Jane asked : “What about the flowers then?”

The boys looked at each other, confused, for a second, before Maximilian shook himself out of his bear-induced mind and took the piece of paper out of his brother’s hand. “So we drew them!” he yelled excitedly, holding the drawing over his head.

The little boy in green nodded proudly. “Max did the sun and the grass and I did the flower! I copied it from Mommy’s book! But it was a long name I couldn’t read it right…”

"And we brought Anna too but not downstairs because it’s dangerous and she can’t draw pretty things anyway," Max added. "But then we picked her up and I carried her all the way here!"

Maura smiled fondly at the boys and dropped a kiss on the baby’s head, who was now chewing on her fist. “That’s really good, pumpkins. How about we get a kiss now?”

The boys looked gleefully at each other before jumping on the bed, then on their moms to get their morning cuddles. A few minutes later, the boy in red wiggled his way out of Maura’s arms and looked at her with eyes identical to the love of her life’s ones.

"Mommy, can we go and open now?" he asked sweetly.

"Please?", his brother added, still laying with his head on Jane’s chest.

Jane smiled at them. “Right after you, monsters.” She laughed at the synchronized joyful laugh the boys let out as they jumped off the bed. “And don’t run down the stairs!” she added just before they crossed the threshold.

"NO, MAMA" Jane heard, right before the sound of little feet running down the stairs.

She smiled to herself and looked beside her, where her wife was lovely staring at the now asleep baby. Jane felt her grin widen, and warmth spread through her chest.

There’s no way this Christmas can get better, she thought before getting up to join her sons.

Once again, Merry Christmas to all of you !

Maura had tried to get into the spirit of things while she was at university, even going so far as to put up a tiny tree in her dorm room and attend festive drinks with her classmates. Rather than making her feel part of things at long last, it had only served to remind her of how alone she truly was, even surrounded by peers and with the handsome Garratt Fairfield madly in love with her. That night, laying next to him while he snored and drunk on mulled wine, she had stifled her dejected tears with the pillow and vowed to feign indifference when Christmas approached from then on.

The first time Jane Rizzoli had found out about Maura's distaste for Christmas, she had called her a grinch. Christmas was a big deal in the Rizzoli household; they had family dinners, went ice skating and attended Midnight Mass. For the first time in almost twenty years, Maura had yearned to be a part of things. It wasn't until three years later, when their friendship had reached a level of closeness that Maura found as frightening as she did comforting, that she finally told Jane the truth. True to form Jane had reacted with mild outrage, as she often did when Maura mentioned her parents. With Jane's mother, Angela, living in Maura's guesthouse and the Rizzoli's frequent visitors, it had seemed only logical for Jane to talk Maura into letting them show her how Christmas should be spent. Maura had hesitated, unsure whether it would bring only heartache, but a glance at Jane's pleading expression had sealed it.

Come December, the Rizzoli's decorated Maura's house; stringing icicle lights next to real icicles on her porch and erecting a massive tree in her living room. Maura had gasped when she'd seen it and blinked back tears when she had seen the mismatched decorations, evidently accumulated over decades of Rizzoli Christmases. Angela, who was always cooking something, had taken to baking in Maura's huge kitchen, ensuring that her house smelt like cookies and ginger for the whole of December. Finally Christmas Eve arrived and for the first time since her childhood, Maura felt excited for the morning. Jane stayed over, choosing to share Maura's bed rather than sleep in the guest bedroom, something that didn't go unnoticed by either woman.

Maura woke late the following morning, blinking against the lull of more sleep and left hand searching under her covers for Jane. When it found her forearm, Maura heard a throaty chuckle and she turned over to see Jane, propped up on her elbow and smiling at her softly. They had lain there a while longer, silently revelling in how at ease they were, before Jane had smelt bacon and dragged Maura out of bed. In the kitchen Angela, clad in red tartan pyjamas and a snowflake patterned apron, greeted them with breakfast and a hug. Jane, it seemed, had never grown out of her eagerness to open her presents and was already over by the tree eyeing the brightly wrapped parcels. Maura smiled into her coffee cup as Angela rolled her eyes and told her daughter to wait for her brothers. Luckily for Jane, she didn't have to wait long. Frankie, Tommy, Lydia and baby TJ bundled through Maura's doorway just before ten, still wearing their own pyjamas under thick coats. Finally, they all grouped around the tree sipping coffee and allowed Jane to dole out the presents. Maura watched fondly as the Rizzoli's helped TJ open his gifts first, he wasn't quite a year old so he didn't really know what was going on but he giggled and squealed happily as he played with the wrapping paper. Angela, had her camera out, videoing the whole thing. Finally they came to TJ's last present, and Jane handed it over to Tommy. Maura knew what it was but she gasped in surprise when Tommy spoke to his son.

'Look TJ, this one's from Auntie Maura!'

Maura felt her heart swell with happiness and struggled to keep herself from crying as the Rizzoli's smiled at her, Angela grasping her shaking hand affectionately. Jane couldn't stop grinning at her and Maura thought that right then - with her curly hair wild, pyjamas rumpled from sleep and surrounded torn wrapping paper - Jane had never looked more beautiful.