Author's note: I hope you will enjoy this story - as usual, daily updates and reviews more than appreciated.

Part One – La famiglia*

Chapter One:

Wax slid down the red candlestick as slowly as a longing kiss before freezing in a white silence for the eternity. Captivated by the abstract form, Maura went to touch it but Jane's warning made her suddenly give up on the idea.

"You're going to burn yourself."

The softness of Jane's tone of voice appeased Maura. She remained quiet for long seconds, as if she needed time to bury her nagging desire to brush the tear of wax that had embraced the edge of the tablecloth, and only smiled back at her friend once a sentiment of well-being passed underneath her pale skin.

"It's a lovely restaurant." She glanced at the room, too furtively to really pay attention to the details though. "I like it very much, thank you for inviting me."

Jane didn't answer back. She focused on her glass of wine instead and made the purple liquid twirl between her hands. Her gesture caught Maura's attention then gathered in a corner of her head along with the dozen of unusual details she had previously noticed.

Jane wasn't particularly at ease. She looked nervous, on the verge of confessing whatever was eating her up. Of course Maura could have been a lot more direct but she didn't feel like confronting her friend for she didn't know the nature of Jane's discomfort.

Thus she had decided to remain on a safter path made of subtlety and delicate smiles that she hoped to be auspicious and warm.

"These antipasti were delicious." Maura folded her napkin. Slowly, quietly. She then rested her chin on top of her hands to look Jane in the eye. "It's a very popular Italian restaurant. It got excellent reviews..."

"Yet it's nothing compared to Russo's."

Maura focused on an invisible point and squinted her eyes in an effort of concentration. The relief that had come along with Jane's decision to put an end to her awkward silence had turned out to be shamefully brief as she – Maura – now found herself in the incapacity to agree with her friend for she didn't know the restaurant Jane had mentioned.

"Russo's? I have never heard about it. Is it a new restaurant in town?"

An ounce of discomfort rose within Maura's question. A socialite like her was supposed to know about this kind of things. Had her job been too demanding lately that she had missed the new place-to-be? Even her mother, who had paid her a visit the month before, hadn't mentioned it.

Jane's sudden hesitation didn't reassure Maura the slightest bit. On the contrary. It only managed to make her heart beat faster and her hands get moist. Did her current clueless state of mind make her sound like an idiot?

Yet she had honestly never heard about Russo's before.

"Oh... Not really, no." Jane took a sip of wine. It was strong and the alcohol burned her throat as she gulped it down. "It's actually been runnin' for a while. I'm sure you'd love it." She paused. "You know what? Let's go there like... On May, 6th."

On May, 6th?

If Maura's patience was dangerously reaching its limits, she didn't let it show. A sincere smile played on her lips as she leaned over the table to pick up a couple of grissini. She honestly didn't understand Jane's current behavior and the hints her friend dropped here and there weren't enough for the situation to make sense. The puzzle remained incomplete.

Maura took a deep breath and tried to gather all the pieces of information she had so far: the restaurant was too chic for a down-to-earth person like Jane and the way she kept on beating about the bush was quite telling too, just like the precise date she had just suggested.

"Where is it located? Beacon Hill? The South End?" Jane was right on a point though: Maura was always eager to discover new places and new cuisines. "Back Bay?"

"Howard Beach, Queens."

Maura blinked with disbelief. Queens? Her hazel eyes fixed upon her friend's empty glass of wine. Jane hadn't drunk too quickly nor too much yet it was certainly the only reason why she would suggest Maura a trip to Queens. Or else she had definitely lost her mind.

Maura discreetly frowned as confusion invaded her.

Perhaps Jane was snowed under work. She had been investigating two cases at the same time, after all. The last few weeks had been stress inducing for her and Maura was glad to see that she had finally decided to slow down a bit tonight.

Was it too late though?

"Queens like in the New York City borough?" Maura's eyes went from right to left in a desperate attempt to find an explanation to Jane's incomprehensible remark. "Not... Not Manhattan?"

"Nope." Jane shook her head. "Howard Beach, Queens. A great place, really."

Maura sat up straight and made an effort to smile in spite of the incongruous idea. She didn't want to sound unpleasant but Queens was not on her wishlist for a getaway. Manhattan and Brooklyn were always an option but not a middle-class residential borough like Queens.

"How about a double? We try Russo's in Queens and book a hotel in Staten Island. Who knows, maybe we could start a trend?"

Sarcasm was a foreign concept to Maura's world but, proud of her unusual boldness, she burst out laughing and waited for Jane to join her along. In vain. As a matter of fact and against all expectations, the exact opposite happened: Jane pointed an index finger to Maura and nodded with great enthusiasm.

"Now that's an idea."

Maura immediately sobered up. She had had enough of this very strange little game. Jane had something in mind and she now needed to be honest.

"Spill the bean, Jane. Come on."

"The beans. It's 'spill the beans'."

Maura's hazel eyes widened as she raised both her hands to apologize. These common phrases didn't belong to her daily vocabulary. Thus she always used them wrongly.

"Well... Spill them! Why are you being so mysterious, Jane? What kind of plan do you have in mind, exactly?"

Mysterious and strange; on a seduction mission therefore the Italian restaurant instead of a casual pub like the Dirty Robber. It all made sense now in Maura's head. Jane was asking for a favor; or at least in theory because she actually wasn't going anywhere at all for now.

Jane began to play with her napkin but ended up abdicating rather quickly. Her traits became distorted under the weight of a strong embarrassment. She had to let the words come out, and now.

"It's Gina's wedding and I don't wanna show up alone." Her inaudible murmur got swept away by a long and loud sigh. "Gina's my cousin. She's the daughter of Roberta and Francesco, my mother's sister. They all live in Staten Island."

The rush of adrenalin Maura had felt stopped rather abruptly. She wouldn't let her disappointment show but she had hoped for a more significant reason to Jane's singular behavior. Who planned such evening just to ask a third party to attend a wedding?

She observed the plate the waiter had just brought and tried to find something relevant to say to her friend. Perhaps she – Maura – misunderstood the importance of the moment which would explain Jane's complicated plot.

"They think I'm a spinster."

Jane's additional remark only got Maura to laugh lightly. Jane was nothing but a spinster or if she happened to be one then she was a very modern version of it. It was ridiculous.

"You're not... Don't be so dramatic. It's perfectly fine to not be married at forty-years-old, nowadays. Besides, I'm thirty-nine-years old so what are they going to say about me?"

"Not when you're Italian-American. It's a tragedy for my family, believe me." Jane took a sip of water then shrugged as she suddenly remembered Maura's question. "Oh, they'll think you're a spinster too." She ignored the expression of horror that showed on her friend's face and went on. "You have no idea what you'll have to face if you ever accept to come to Staten Island with me. It's the Rizzoli's we're talking about. They're loud, and distrustful... And loud."

A playful smirk appeared just at the corner of Maura's lips. She took a sip of wine and looked her friend in the eye.

"You've already said it." She carefully set back her glass down on the table and ran her tongue over her lips. "Listen... You can count on me: I'll come with you. Of course, I will! I'm your friend, Jane." Maura's fingers brushed the back of Jane's hand as she went to hold it tightly. Comfortingly. "You didn't have to... Literally buy me."

"Oh yes, I had." Jane laid sorry eyes on her friend. She shook her head then let a long sigh pass her lips. "Even ma' looks discreet compared to them. It's..."

A smile of empathy lit up Maura's features. She didn't believe a word of what Jane was saying. It couldn't be possible. Her friend was simply exaggerating, as she often did.

"Oh, please... It's just a wedding." Maura shook her head with disbelief before a peaceful laugh to pass her lips. "What could possibly go wrong?"

Jane snorted and picked up her fork with a more or less controlled frustration. She stared at her penne for long seconds and only spoke again once the wave of bitterness that had hit her started going away.

"Everything."

...

*La famiglia: the family