So this is one of those stories that just popped into my head and I went along with it just for the fun and as usual, I liked the ending result. I'm at the hospital(which has Wi-Fi!) with my mom right now, she's okay, they just wanted to make sure her asthma was in order and she would've gotten out today but the doctor doesn't come back around until tomorrow morning and they decided to run some test today instead of last night. I personally think she's lying and she's staying for the hospital food because it is the bomb! Seriously, I almost stole her lunch and dinner. She's having a little too much fun here if you ask me...

"No."

The man raised an eyebrow at her as he brought the spoon of yogurt to his lips. Maura paused in wiping down her counter.

"No! I mean, we're friends. Best friends."

"Right…"

Maura averted her eyes, staring down at the counter that she decided to continue cleaning. The blond sitting across from her continued to eat his yogurt, occasionally shifting his green eyes to Maura.

"Of course I love her, but I don't-"

"Yes you do," he said.

"Richard!"

"Maura!" he mocked her tone, "Do you know the reason we never worked? Our marriage?"

Maura paused in her task again. He never told her why he divorced her. It was something she'd wanted to know since the day he came back home with his 'I don't want to hurt you' smile on his face and handed her the divorce papers.

"Why?"

Richard placed his spoon in his yogurt cup and set it down in front of them.

"Because, you are in love with her."

"What? That's ridiculous."

Maura knew she should probably be more angry at the fact that her eight year marriage was decimated because of the assumption that she was in love with her best friend, but she wasn't and it frustrated her because she didn't know why.

"No it's not."

"Yes it is, you divorced me because you thought that I was in love with Jane!"

"To correct your statement, which I'm going to take so much joy and amusement in, I divorced you because I know you are in love with Jane. Our son calls her 'mom' for heavens sake!"

"It was bound to happen eventually," Maura said, "Jane and I spend a lot of time together-"

"Ah-"

"Due to work," she cut him off, "and Maxwell loves Jane. He asked to spend time with her, I didn't tell him or force him to. Eventually he was going to start seeing her as a second mothering figure."

"And most mom's would be jealous of that," Richard said.

"I'm not most mom's."

"Don't I know it," he sighed, "Look, Maxwell adores Jane, I adore Jane, and I saw it, I still see it. I didn't want to be who you settled for because you were afraid to go after your number one pick."

"Jane is not-" Maura sighed in frustration. Sometimes she hated that she married a psychologist. He could always read her like a book even when she couldn't figure herself out. Now that she was being confronted with it she was starting to see just how true it was.

"Mommy!"

Maura turned to her six year old son running into the room with a Red Sox cap on his head.

"Yes, Maxwell."

"The Red Sox game is coming on tomorrow night, can I go to Mom's to watch it?"

Richard smirked at the opportunity that presented itself and spoke up.

"Max, buddy, you do know that Jane isn't your new mom right?"

The six year old looked at his father. He was the spitting image of Richard except with darker blond hair, almost brown, and Maura's hazel eyes.

"But aren't Jane and Mommy together?" he asked, glancing back at Maura for an answer.

"Well, they should be, but your Mommy's a big chicken," Richard explained.

He ignored Maura's frown.

"So Jane's not my new mom?"

"Not yet," Richard said, "but I don't think she'd have a problem with you calling her what you usually call her. Right, Maura?"

Maura forced a smile for Max, "No, she won't mind."

Maxwell grinned, "Awesome! So can I go?"

"Well, Jane normally goes to her parents to watch the game, it's gnocchi night, but if she's okay with it, I guess you can go."

"I'll call now!"

Max leaped over Bass on his way to the cordless phone leaving Richard and Maura alone again.

"I'm telling you, Maura, you should put yourself out there. You two would be good together."

She began cleaning the counter again ignoring her ex husband. She could hear the playfulness in his voice.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Always," she replied in a tone less harsh than she was aiming for. Instead it came out almost as playful.

"You know Jane's gonna say yes. She can't say no to that boy, not when he has your pout down pack."

Maura shifted her eyes up to Richard. He smiled in response. When he heard the sound of their son running back their way he pointed in that direction.

"She said I could come and she's picking me up at five!"

"That's great, Max. It's getting late though, you should go to bed."

"I'll be there to tuck you in in a minute bud," Richard said.

Max nodded and headed towards his room. Richard smirked.

"And just so you know, I didn't plant the idea in his head that you and Jane were together. He automatically assumed because of how much time you spend together and how much you talk about her. He also appreciates the limitations of the public display of affection you two use though he says you could stay in the same house and hug each other more at least. He doesn't want to see his mom and step mom all mushy and lovey dovey. He said it was also gross when we did it."

Maura watched Richard leave then leaned forward on the counter. She hated feelings. They were always complicated. She grabbed the spoon from the cup of yogurt and took a bite.

Maxwell waited anxiously by the front door. A habit he had developed whenever he knew Jane was coming over. One time he found out Jane was coming over early in the morning and so he would be the first to see her he camped out by the door with his pillow and a blanket. It fascinated Maura sometimes how much her son loved Jane. Maybe it was because she herself loved Jane so much as well.

She watched him adjust his Red Sox cap on his head and check his Scooby Doo watch, yet another thing Jane turned Max onto. At exactly 4:59 he heard footsteps and keys jingling. After a while Jane started using her emergency key whenever she came over and Max was there.

As soon as the brunette opened the door a six year old was immediately hugging her leg.

"Hey, Max, you ready to go?" Jane asked.

"Yep, let's go, I want to get there before the game starts."

"Alright, Maura, you coming?"

"Um, no. I have paperwork to do, and I'm not really a sports fanatic. You two have fun."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Maura came over and kissed Max on the cheek, "Have fun and be nice for Jane and her family, okay?"

"I will."

"Alright."

"I will have him back to you as soon as the game is over. Ma's been on another one of her rants about me and a stable relationship again."

Maura smiled, "You can take your time."

"Nope, Max will be back here within the time it takes to eat, watch the game and drive from my mother's place to here," Jane replied, "I won't have it any other way."

"Can we stop for ice-cream on the way back?" Max asked.

"And send you back to your mommy all hyper?" Jane questioned, "Sure!"

"Jane," Maura scolded.

"Come on, Max, bye Maura."

"Jane, no toppings," Maura demanded.

"Sprinkles, gummy bears, chocolate drizzle, got it, Maura!"

Maura folded her arms across her chest, "Jane."

"Three toppings?" Jane asked.

Maura shook her head, "Two."

"Deal."

"Mom?"

Jane remembered when Max first called her mom. It freaked her out a little. Not because he was calling her mom, but because she enjoyed that he was. She didn't want Maura to feel as if she were stepping on her toes or anything but when she turned to Maura, the blonde was smiling back, nodding. It was as if Maura was happy that her child was calling another woman mom.

Of course them being best friends probably also had something to do with it, but for a split second Jane found herself wondering if Maura could possibly feel the same way Jane felt. She shook the feeling off immediately back then because Maura was married to Richard and they loved each other, so Maura couldn't possibly love Jane. Right?

"Yeah, Max?"

"Daddy said that you and Mommy aren't together because Mommy's a big chicken. Is that true?"

Jane suddenly felt as if she couldn't breathe, "What?"

"Daddy said you and Mommy aren't together because Mommy's a big chicken… Is that true?"

Jane gulped, "Um, in what way is you Mommy a chicken?"

"A big chicken," Maxwell corrected, "and I didn't hear what they were saying, but Daddy has told me before that you and Mommy have a special bond but Mommy is too afraid to tell you how she feels and somethin' about her feelings and a box buried deep, deep, deep down. I don't know, but how come if Mommy likes you she won't say so?"

"Uh…"

Jane was at a complete loss for words. Did Maura really like her in that way? Richard had told Jane on countless occasions that even though he had filed for the divorce that he wasn't the issue, there was something that Maura needed.

"So you're saying that even though you filed for the divorce, you don't want to divorce her?"

"I don't."

"Then why are you breaking Maura's heart?"

"I'm not breaking Maura's heart, I'm just… stopping her from using me as a shield." he explained.

He took a seat on Jane's sofa and sipped on his beer. Jane sat down beside him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Maura… she loves me, I know she does and I love her, but… she doesn't love me the way that she…" he sighed, choosing not to finish his sentence.

"Richard, come on, what's wrong?"

"Look, Maura needs something that I can't give her. She can't have what she wants and needs if I'm there shielding her from it and she'll never go for it if we're together so for her happiness, I'm divorcing her."

"Maura's not happy. She's miserable."

"I know, but in time, everything will be so much clearer. She'll come to see it too, hopefully. I can't be second. I refuse to be what she settled for when what she wants is right in front of her but she's to afraid to go after it."

Jane frowned, "Is this about some other guy?"

"No, it's not another guy, it's just… it's not for me to say. When Maura's sees it, hopefully she'll say something, but Jane, you have to know and believe me when I say I am doing this for Maura. So she can be happy. I didn't cheat, she didn't cheat, I'm not angry, I just… I want Maura to be happy and I think that if the shoe were on the other foot, she'd do the same."

Jane barely paid attention to the game as she went over that conversation in her head repeatedly. Was she who Richard was talking about. Maura was using Richard to shield herself from wanting Jane? If so, why? Did Maura not want to love her, was she afraid to get shot down or hurt?

"Janie? Are you okay?"

Jane turned to her mother, taking the dish she was being handed to dry.

"Yeah, I was just thinking."

"About what?" Angela asked.

"Something Richard told me."

"You mean Maura's ex husband? What did he say? He's not trying to date you is he? Oh, Jane, I know I want you to be in a relationship but with your best friends ex husband-"

"Ma, no!"

Angela sighed in relief, "Oh thank, God."

Jane rolled her eyes, "Can I ask you a question, Ma?"

"Sure Jane, you can ask me anything, you know that."

Jane nibbled on her lower lip, "Um, do you think that Maura loves me?"

"What? Jane, of course. Why would you ask such a silly question-"

"No, Ma, I mean… do you think she has feelings for me?"

Angela's eyes widened, for a moment, then she appeared to be in thought.

"Well… I wouldn't be surprised if she did. What brought this up? What did Richard say?"

"The day after he filed for divorce, Maura begged me to talk to him and find out why, because he wouldn't tell her. I invited him over and he told me that Maura was using him as a shield, that he was who she settled for because she was too afraid to go after what was right in front of her."

Jane continued once she noticed her mother's expecting look, "Then on the ride over here, Max asked me if it was true what Richard said about Mommy being a big chicken being the reason for her and I not being together."

Angela chuckled, "What did you say?"

"I asked in what was his Mommy being a chicken and he said that his dad told him that Maura's too afraid to tell me how she feels and she buries her feeling for me… or something along those lines. I mean, if Maura loves me, why won't she just tell me? What's she so afraid of?"

"Rejection," Angela stated simply, "Think about it Jane, her husband divorced her and she never knew why, and the girl she's in love with doesn't exactly have the best commitment record."

"Hey!"

"It's true, Janie. People easily fall in love but it's hard to fall out. Maura just doesn't want you to reject her. She has to work with you, you're her best friend and you know that though she's so sweet, bless her heart, she doesn't have many friends. She doesn't want to lose you, Janie. You rejecting her could break her heart way more than her being divorced. And from the sound of it, you're the cause of that marriage ending."

"Gee, Ma, thanks for pointing that out."

"You're welcome," she replied smugly, "but it's better that it ended the way it did instead of further down the line. Had Richard not seen that Maura loved you and Maura stopped hiding from her feelings. You all avoided a disaster."

Jane nodded, "Yeah."

"Yeah," Angela agreed "and a bonus, I get a grandchild out of this!"

"Ma!"

After the game ended, Red Sox winning, Jane took Maxwell out for ice-cream. They were sitting at a booth in the back of the parlor, Jane eating a cup of rocky road and Maxwell eating lemon custard with caramel and crumbled Oreo's.

"You really think your mommy likes me?" Jane asked.

He gave her Maura's smirk, "No, I think she loves you. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe since your mommy's a big chicken, I'd make the first move? What do you think?"

"I think you should take her out to dinner first."

"My thoughts exactly," Jane said, "but your Mommy's pretty stubborn."

"Funny, that's what she calls you."

Jane stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled.

"She also says you're childish."

Jane gasped, "I'm debating making the first move now."

Maxwell laughed, then suddenly smiled, "You know what you should do, Mom?"

"What?"

"You should trick Mommy."

Jane could practically hear the wheels turning in the blond's head. She smirked.

"What have you got in mind?"

Maura looked up from her book at the sound of her front door opening. She heard Max shout that they were back and climbed out of bed to greet them.

"Hey, M," Jane greeted, "Brought you ice-cream, Max said you would like strawberry and I took the liberty of adding a chocolate sprinkles. Not a lot, though."

"Thanks."

Maura graciously accepted the bag in Jane's hand.

"Yeah, the game was great, Red Sox won and Uncle Frankie said he's gonna show me how to bat."

"That sounds dangerous," Maura said with immediate concern.

Jane laughed, and Maxwell pouted.

"I'm going to bed now before you start talking about safety."

"But-"

"Love you both," Maxwell said, giving Jane a wink before heading to his room.

Jane turned to Maura once Max was gone. Maura glared questioningly at her.

"Did he just wink at you?"

"No. I didn't notice anything," Jane lied, "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you."

Maura took her container of ice-cream out the bag and headed to the couch. She hummed in response to Jane and removed the lid. Jane took a seat beside her.

"Yeah, I need your advice on what to wear for a date."

Maura almost choked on her first bite, "What?"

"I said I need your advice on what to wear-"

"No, I heard you," Maura interrupted.

Maura wasn't sure she could take hearing Jane repeat the word date. As in a date with someone who wasn't her.

"Where do the two of you plan on going?" Maura asked.

"To this nice French restaurant that just opened downtown."

Maura loved French food and she'd been dying to go to the restaurant she just didn't have anyone to go with. Now Jane was going on a date to the new French restaurant with someone who wasn't Maura. Maura took another bite of ice-cream as she tried to ignore the feeling of her heart shattering.

"I'm sure I could find you something to wear, we could go shopping."

Maura avoided looking at Jane, opting to stare down at her ice cream.

"That would be great, I really want this date to go well," Jane told her, "I really like this girl."

Maura felt those pieces of her heart break into pieces. It was another girl. At least if it were a guy Maura could adjust to the fact Jane would never be with her because of her sexual preference but it was another girl. A woman. Female. Maura forced a smile.

"Really? A woman? She must be special… if you want to go shopping for her."

"Yeah, she is."

"Anyone I know?"

"Yeah, you do as a matter a fact."

Great, now Maura knew she'd definitely be seeing this girl and Jane around, they may even invite her to hang out or double date. As much of a good friend as Maura was, she didn't think she could sit and watch Jane with some other woman. Maura loved Jane and it took Jane fawning over someone else to see that, admit to that. Now she may have lost her chance.

"Wh-what's she like?"

"She's smart, funny, beautiful, a bit awkward but in a cute sort of way."

Maura placed her cup down on the coffee table, suddenly not in the mood to eat. She forced herself to look at Jane and smile.

"I'm really happy for you, Jane."

Jane smiled, "Thanks, Maura."

They sat in silence for a while.

"So we need to go shopping for that dress before Wednesday, that's when I made the reservations." Jane informed her as she stood up to leave.

Maura stood as well and nodded, following Jane to the front door.

"Of course."

"Great."

Jane opened the door but instead of leaving turned back around.

"Oh, Maura?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll pick you up at 7:00 Wednesday."

She leaned forward and kissed Maura's lips, placing her hands on the sides of Maura's face. When she finally felt Maura start to kiss her back she broke the kiss and gave the blonde a wink.

"See you at work, you big chicken."

"B- bye," Maura stuttered.

Maura leaned against the front door and sank to the floor at the sound of Jane's raspy chuckle on the other side. She saw Bass slowly making his way towards her and smiled.

"Bass, I'm going out with Jane Wednesday night," she said in awe.

The tortoise paused in it's movements and Maura could've sworn he winked in reply.

So ready for Christmas... The smell, the music, the food, the atmosphere... I love Christmas!