”Here goes nothing.” She sighed, causing Joe Friday to look up from the couch at the sound of her owners voice, her head tilting comically to one side.

”You’ll tell me if I look absolutely ridiculous, right?” she asked the scruffy dog who only whined before settling back down on the cushion and drifting back to sleep as her owner marched towards the bedroom, box firmly under her arm.

Jane pulled the lid open with her eyes crunched closed. Opening one, then the other, she was surprised to see normal clothes contained inside. The part of her that had imagined a leopard print bikini was stunned into silence as she pulled blue dress pants from the box and held them up, expecting to see the ass missing. Holding them up against herself, she smiled.

”Not too bad!”

The long white tailcoat was decorated delicately with gold piping and bright gold buttons. Holding it against herself, she stared at her reflection, a delicate frown wrinkling otherwise perfect features. Laying the jacket carefully on the bed, Jane tossed her towel into the hamper and stepped into simple underwear before pulling the pants slowly up her long legs, convinced they would come up short. When they didn’t, her frown deepened. Someone had clearly gone to a lot of effort to ensure this whole event went perfectly and she couldn’t help but wonder if, somehow Maura was behind it. It was too clean, too perfect. For a party as complex as a ’secret santa’ party, someone had to be pulling some pretty big strings. Shaking the thought from her mind, she threw a white vest on before reaching for the jacket and finding, once again, that it was a perfect fit.

Turning her attention back to the box, she removed another smaller box and set it carefully on her dresser before removing the red satin sash and slipping it over her shoulder, smoothing it out and rubbing almost proudly at the ’medal’ that adorned the shoulder.

”Every bit the Prince Charming.” She smiled.

Jane ran her hands through her hair one final time before she stepped into her boots and headed out the door, scratching Joe affectionately before leaving.

-/-

Doctor Maura Isles, her mask accentuating already magnetic hazel eyes, literally stopped everyone in their tracks as she elegantly made her way into the ballroom, less of a walk, more a glide, one that came from many years of both dance and being taught to walk like a lady.