A/N Just a thought, set S3Ep1 during the 'cat fight'
I only own my imagination and I'm not even sure about that. Enjoy
They were trading petty retorts, neither willing to back down. They both knew it was ridiculous but it just kept snowballing, something had to give,no-one expected that something to be Jane…
"I always return the thing I borrow!" came Maura's taut reply.
Suddenly with no warning Jane deflates, "What about my heart?" The quietness of the statement seems almost a whisper after the previous raised voices.
Maura freezes, not knowing if she heard correctly, she dared not turn to look at her friend scared what she would see, all she could do was hope, "Jane?"
The quiet looms as Jane realises what she just said and who she'd said it in front off, she spins to face Pike, her glare enough to send him running. Quietly closing the door to Maura's office Jane takes a deep breath before addresses her friend. "Maura?" nothing, "Please look at me." Maura silently turns and waits for Jane to continue. Taking another minute to get her thoughts in order, "You said you always return things, the problem is that you have my heart, you always have, you can't just give that back." After a slight pause to catch her breath Jane finishes, "I wouldn't want you to."
Exhausted all of a sudden Jane collapses onto the couch watching for some sort of reaction from Maura.
"I never asked for it?" Maura says quietly as she goes to sit at her desk, needing a barrier from Jane.
"I know, and I never meant to give it," laughing nervously Jane continues, "I didn't even realise I had to be honest. Not until now at least."
"I don't know what to say." Maura honestly is at a loss in that moment but then one of the reasons for their fight comes to mind, "What about Gabriel?"There is no accusation in the question, just the need to understand.
It's a fair point Jane thinks but what to say, "Like I said, I didn't realise until now that my heart truly belongs to you. Dean was, I don't know what he was." she took another minute to think. "I think more than anything he was a distraction from the loneliness of the night."
Maura nods she can relate to that, she's felt it more than once at the end of the evening, when Jane has gone back to her apartment, the quiet engulfing her.
They sit in silence for a while before the quiet gets too much for Jane, "I'm sorry Maur, I'm sorry you think I would betray you, I'm sorry that I hurt you and i'm sorry if this is too much, I never meant to…." Jane trails off as Maura comes out from behind her desk to sit beside her.
"Shush, don't be sorry, I should be sorry, I don't know why I defended him like that and then I couldn't let it go." she paused as she took Janes hands in her own to anchor herself as much as to show comfort. "Finally, thank you."
"What for?"
"For giving me your heart, I know I can't give it back but that's OK as you've already got mine." Maura smiles her eyes glistening.
Jane gives her a watery smiles, "So we're friends again?"
"No!" comes Maura's blunt answer but before Jane can react Maura cups her cheek and tentatively kisses her before resting their foreheads together.
Then as if on cue there is a light wrap at the door and Susie peeks her head around, "Is everything alright, we were a little worried about you two?"
Laughing gently it is Maura who answers, "We're fine Susie, I'll be out in a moment." turning back to Jane, "We better get back to work, I'll get rid of Pike and take over your case."
Jane smiles at that, "Thank you." She leans in to kiss Maura again before they have to go.
"Will you come over after work and we can talk about this properly?"
"Sure, now come on I wanna see you kick Pike's ass" They kiss one more time before they leave Maura's office to face the rest of the world.