AN: This story came about from an idea I had while working on another much longer story. It didn't fit there but I liked it enough to write it up and let it stand on its own. I expect it to come in at 10 chapters, so from my perspective, it's a short story.

I own nothing but the plot and, since I don't have a beta at this time, any and all errors, grammatical or otherwise.

Jane pulled into an empty parking stall and turned off her car. Finding a spot in the parking lot of The Dirty Robber was actually a pretty lucky occurrence on a Friday night. Hopefully, it was an omen for the rest of the evening. She had been preparing for/putting off this night for what seemed like forever, and now that it was finally here, she could use all the luck she could get.

It had been six months since Casey had proposed to her, or more accurately, given her an ultimatum to marry him or else he would return to a war zone.

It had been six months since Jane had told him exactly what he could do with his ultimatum.

It had been six months since she had acknowledged to herself that her decision to turn down that ultimatum had as much to do with her lack of feelings for Colonel Casey Jones, as it did with her very real feelings for Dr. Maura Isles.

Jane had spent a considerable amount of time reflecting on those feelings for her friend over the last several months. Initially, she had been reluctant to admit to herself just how deeply she cared for the medical examiner. It had been even harder to accept that she was physically attracted to another woman, since she had never considered herself to be anything but completely straight. At first, she had tried to convince herself that it was only natural to be drawn to Maura; after all, the woman was breathtakingly beautiful, and quite frankly, the most amazing person Jane had ever met. As time had passed, though, Jane had realized that her feelings were more than just simple admiration for an attractive woman. Maura stirred feelings inside of her that no one, man or woman, had ever made her feel before. When they were together, Jane felt whole. The simple truth was that she was in love with the Maura Isles, and she had been for years.

Jane had decided nearly a month ago that she needed to talk to Maura about how she felt, and find out if there was any chance that Maura could possibly feel the same way about her someday. Unfortunately, every time she had managed to screw up her courage to talk to her friend, something had come along to screw up her plans. 'But not tonight,' she thought to herself as she stalked purposefully across the parking lot and opened the front door of The Dirty Robber. Korsak was spending the evening volunteering at an animal shelter. Frankie and Frost had gone out drinking with several old friends. She would finally have the chance to tell Maura how she felt without being interrupted. 'Tonight it's just Maura and me…and five guys."

Jane froze in the entryway of The Dirty Robber. She had expected to see Maura sitting alone in a booth at the back of the Robber. Instead, Maura was sitting at a table with her brother and her partner and three other men. Frankie and Frost were talking with two men she recognized as old friends of Frost's: Marcus, a detective for the NYPD, and his fiancé James, who was a Broadway playwright. Maura, meanwhile, was chatting animatedly with a man Jane had never seen before. 'What the hell is going on here?'

Frankie looked up and grinned when he caught sight of his sister. "Hey Janie," he called out as he waved his arm. "Over here."

Gritting her teeth as she fought to keep the annoyance she felt off her face, Jane approached the table. "I didn't expect to see you guys tonight," she said evenly.

"Nice to see you too, Jane," James said, a feigned look of hurt on his face.

Jane rolled her eyes. "How've you been James?" she asked, pasting a saccharin sweet smile on her lips.

"Very well, thank you," James replied, a teasing glint in his eyes. "You're looking great…really working that pant suit."

"Leave her alone," Marcus admonished his partner. "You do look great Jane. It's been too long."

"You're looking good too, Marcus," Jane said, this time with a genuine smile. "I can't believe you still haven't come to your senses and dumped this idiot though," she said, nodding towards James.

Marcus sighed and shrugged. "The heart wants what the heart wants."

"Plus I'm amazing in bed," James said.

Knowing that if given half the chance, James would happily describe in glorious detail all of the ways that he was "amazing in bed," Jane quickly turned to the man sitting beside Maura. "I don't think we've met."

Always the perfect hostess, even in The Dirty Robber, Maura immediately spoke up. "Jane, this is Alex. He's a friend of James," Maura said, gesturing to the man at her side.

"Don't hold that against me, though," Alex said genially, extending his hand in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you Jane."

Jane's mouth spread into a thin-lipped smile when she saw the admiring way that Alex was looking at Maura. He might be a friend of James, but it was clear that Alex did not share James's interest in men. Alex was obviously attracted to Maura, and the last thing Jane wanted at the moment was another competitor for the blonde's affections. She crossed her arms and stared him down for a few moments before speaking "And what do you do for a living, Alex?"

"I'm a professor of English literature at BCU," Alex replied, unaware of the detective's challenging gaze. "Maura and I were just discussing Chaucer's use of irony in the Canterbury Tales."

"Alex has several intriguing insights into The Pardoner's Tale," Maura said.

"It sounds fascinating," Jane said dismissively, the tone of her voice making it clear just how "unfascinating" she considered the topic to be.

"Sit down, Jane," Marcus said, gesturing at Frost to fill a mug for her. "We're just waiting for Stephen to get here and then we're heading out. I know he'd love to see you."

Jane considered the request for a moment and then reluctantly acquiesced and sat down in the empty chair beside Maura. Stephen was another one of Frost's friends. She had met him a couple of years ago, and the truth was that she genuinely liked him. The guys would be leaving shortly, and afterwards she would be able to speak with Maura in private. It was a short delay, nothing more.

"So where is Stephen?" she asked.

Frost began to reply but paused when his cell phone chirped, signaling an incoming text. He quickly pulled out his phone and retrieved the message. "Stephen is running late," he announced to the table. "He should be here in about 15 minutes and then we can go."

"So who's designated driver tonight?" Jane asked.

"No one," Frost replied. "We rented a limo so everyone can have fun."

"And no one is sober enough to remember anything incriminating tomorrow," Jane said with a smirk.

"That too," Frankie agreed.

"Since Stephen's running late, I say it's time for a bet," James said. He took a swig of his beer and then got up and walked to the bar.

Alex groaned loudly. "Well at least with only 15 minutes I can't lose too much money."

Frost shrugged. "You know he can't go an entire pub crawl without making a bar bet. At least this way he might get it out of his system."

"What's the problem with his bets?" Maura asked.

"He's too good at them," Marcus said. "He never loses."

James returned to the table and placed a glass filled with water and a single piece of ice in it on the table. He then dropped a long piece of thread next to the glass. "Get the piece of ice out using the thread and you get $20. If no one gets it out within five minutes, you all owe me $10 and we go another round." He looked over at Jane and Maura. "Don't worry ladies. You don't have to play."

"Thanks," Jane replied, clearly amused by the looks of dread on all of the other guys' faces.

"Actually, I'd like to try if you don't mind," Maura said.

Everyone at the table looked at Maura in surprise. "Sure," James said agreeably, "But if you can't do it you'll owe me $10 like everyone else."

"Of course." Maura said.

James shrugged affably and gestured towards the glass. The medical examiner paused to look around the room. After a moment, she caught sight of what she was looking for. "Jane, could you hand me that salt shaker," she asked, pointing to the table next to them.

Clearly confused, Jane reached over to grab the salt and the pepper and handed them to her friend. "Here you go."

Maura took the salt from the other woman. "I don't need the pepper."

"Yeah, but you're always telling me that you have to pass them together and I didn't want to get scolded," Jane replied.

Amusement flickered in the medical examiner's eyes as she looked at her friend. "I knew one day you'd learn proper manners." Turning back to the task at hand, she picked up the thread and placed it in the glass so that the end was lying across the piece of ice. She then carefully sprinkled salt on top of the ice.

James studied the medical examiner thoughtfully. "You've seen this trick before."

"Hmmm? Oh, no, I haven't. It's just simple logic."

"Simple logic?" Alex asked.

"Yes. Pure water freezes into ice at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but salt lowers the freezing point of water to below 32 degrees. Therefore adding salt directly to the ice cube lowers the melting point of the cube. The salt is in a thin layer, so it melts a thin layer on top of the ice cube, which as a result gets very cold. The melted water is located around the much colder ice cube, so it quickly refreezes around the string."

"Of course," Jane said dryly. "Simple logic."

Marla waited for 15 more seconds and then slowly picked up the thread, lifting the ice cube out of the glass. She handed it to James proudly. "For you."

The rest of the guys cheered loudly, partly to congratulate Maura, but mostly to razz James that he had been bested so quickly. James took it all in stride, however, obviously not too bothered by the fact that he had been beaten. He pulled out his wallet and extracted a $20 bill and offered it to Maura. "Congratulations."

"Oh, I couldn't take your money," Maura said, holding up her hands in refusal.

"Take it," James said with a laugh. "I'd have taken your money if you'd lost."

"Alright, if you insist," Maura said, obviously not entirely comfortable with the situation. Jane knew that Maura hadn't been interested in winning a bet. The medical examiner had simply been piqued by the scientific principle that she suspected lay at the bottom of the trick and had wanted to confirm that she was correct in her assumption. It was, as far as Jane was concerned, just one more thing that made Maura Isles absolutely endearing.

"An appreciation for classic literature and a keen understanding of science," Alex said admiringly. "You are quite the combination, Maura."

The medical examiner looked over at Alex and smiled modestly. "I hardly think I'm anything special."

"Don't sell yourself short, Maura," Jane said, as she did everything in her power not to react to Alex's interest in her friend. "Anyone who can beat James is worthy of all the praise they can get."

Marcus bumped his fiancé with his shoulder teasingly. "I don't remember the last time I saw you lose a bar bet."

James pushed Marcus away with a laugh. "What can I say? I'm used to all you 'Gilligans.' I didn't realize we had a 'Professor' here tonight."

Maura frowned slightly and shook her head. "Actually, James, I'm a doctor, not a professor."

Jane smiled when she saw James' befuddled expression and placed her hand on Maura's shoulder to get her attention. "It's a joke, Maura," she explained patiently. "Gilligan and the Professor were characters on a TV show."

"Oh," Maura said, her cheeks coloring slightly in embarrassment. "I've never seen it."

Jane's smile broadened. "It's ok. It wasn't exactly highbrow entertainment."

"Look, Stephen should be here in ten minutes or so and then we're leaving," Marcus pointed out, "So why don't we just play a drinking game until he gets here?"

"Sounds good."

"I'm in"

"Why not," Jane said with a shrug. She could stand to play nice with the boys for awhile longer, as long as she knew she would have Maura to herself in the end.

Maura frowned. "I don't understand. What's the point of a drinking game?"

"The point is to make everyone drink," Frankie replied.

"But we're already drinking. Why do we need to play a game to keep doing what we're already doing?"

Jane grinned at her friend. "Because it's fun. Come on, Maura. Give it a shot. It's just for ten minutes."

"Alright," Maura agreed, although it was clear she didn't see the point. "What game?"

Marcus thought for a moment. "How about, 'I Never'."

Everyone nodded in agreement and refilled their mugs of beer. "What are the rules?" Maura asked.

"It's simple," Jane said. "Someone says something that they've never done and if anyone else has done it, then they have to drink."

"And what if no one else has done it?"

"Then the person who made the 'I never' statement has to take a drink."

"Ok, I think I've got it," Maura said.

"Why don't you start, Maura?" Frost said.

"Hmmm, alright." Maura thought for a few moments. "I have never arrested anyone."

Maura smiled proudly, obviously thinking that she had come up with the perfect thing to say. Instead, she received blank, someone confused looks from all of the others at the table. "What's wrong?"

Jane hesitated for a moment before replying. "That's not really the kind of 'I never' statement you're supposed to make, Maura."

"I don't understand? I thought the point was to say something that I had never done that others had and they would then have to drink."

"You are. It's just…" Jane trailed off and looked over at her brother and Frost for help.

"You aren't really supposed to say things that you absolutely know for sure about people to try to get them to drink," Frankie tried to explain. "You should say things that you think others have probably done."

"So I'm supposed to guess?"

"Not guess exactly," Jane said, as her mouth twitched with amusement. It was obvious that even when playing a game, guessing was not something that appealed to the medical examiner. "The point of the game is to learn things about other people you wouldn't otherwise learn."

Maura's brow drew downward in puzzlement. "I thought you said the point was to make everyone drink."

Jane lost the fight and grinned openly at her friend's confusion. "It is, but the point of this particular drinking game is also to learn things about other people."

"And if possible, to learn embarrassing things about other people," James interjected.

Maura sighed. "I'm sorry. I've never played a drinking game before."

Marcus laughed loudly. "There you go. That's perfect." He took a drink from his glass, and a moment later, everyone else did the same as Maura's words registered with them.

Maura cast a rueful look at Jane, as the detective put down her drink. "So I just revealed something embarrassing?"

Jane shook her head and placed her hand lightly on the blonde's knee. "Naw, you revealed something adorable."

Maura smiled. "Thanks, that's definitely better."

Jane felt a warm glow flow through her at the sight of Maura beaming at her, and for a moment, she even managed to forget about the fact that they were sitting at a table with five other people. It was ridiculous to feel so much joy from such a simple thing, but she couldn't help herself. Being with Maura made her happy; it was as plain and simple as that, and when Maura was gazing at her with such genuine affection in her eyes, Jane knew that there was nothing else in the world that she needed to feel complete. She wanted this closeness; this feeling of belonging with someone; this feeling of Maura belonging with her

The moment between the two women was broken when Marcus cleared his throat. "Jane, you're next."

Giving herself a mental shake to clear her head, the detective said the first thing that popped into her mind. "I've never been to Canada or Mexico."

Maura, James, Frost, and Alex all took a drink. "Nice," Marcus said.

"Thanks," Jane said. "Your turn, Frost."

Frost thought for a few moments. "I've never gone fishing."

Marcus immediately took a drink. Maura began to take a drink, then paused.

Jane tilted her head to the side. "You've gone fishing?"

"I'm not certain. It depends on what exactly the phrase 'gone fishing' means. I have never actually engaged in the activity itself, but I have accompanied my father on his deep sea ocean fishing excursions…"

The detective gestured for Maura to take a drink. "Close enough."

As the ME took a sip of her wine, Frost turned to Frankie. "You're up."

"Hmmm…I've never ridden a horse," Frankie said.

This time there was no delay on Maura's part. An unconscious smile tugged at Jane's lips as she watched her friend take another drink. Although she wasn't aware of Maura ever having been on a horse since they had known each other, riding horses had probably been a frequent part of the medical examiner's life when she had been growing up. Jane could just imagine a teenaged Maura impeccably dressed in her riding outfit, racing around a perfectly manicured course.

"Your turn, James," Frost said.

"I've never been on a cruise."

For a few moments, everyone at the table looked around at everyone else, before realizing that nobody was taking a drink.

"No one?" James asked, obviously disappointed.

"Apparently not," Marcus said. "Drink up."

James grimaced but did as instructed.

Marcus waited until his partner was finished before speaking. "I've never been in a car accident."

Jane hesitated for a moment, not because she was unsure whether or not the statement applied to her, but because she remembered how clearly it did. She had been in a car accident with Maura while investigating a suspect, and Maura had been seriously injured in the crash. At the time, the two had been fighting for weeks. They had reached a point where they were barely able to exchange a civil word with one another, and it had begun to appear to everyone as if their friendship might not be able to survive the pain and hurt they had each inflicted upon one another. When faced with the prospect of losing the best friend she had ever had, however, Jane had finally come to her senses. She had moved past the anger and hurt she had felt and risked her own life to save Maura's. It had been, in the end, the only decision she could have made.

Jane caught Maura's eye and saw that the ME was obviously remembering the circumstances of their car accident as well. Maura covered the hand Jane was resting on her leg with her own and gave it an affectionate squeeze. Jane tipped her glass towards her friend in a silent toast and felt warmth radiating through her chest when Maura responded in kind. Both women then took a drink.

"I've never seen Titanic," Alex said.

Everyone but Maura and Alex immediately took a drink. Alex smiled and leaned towards Maura, placing his hand lightly on the back of her shoulder. "I thought for certain you would have seen that with a boyfriend," he said, his voice low and smooth.

Jane's eyes narrowed when she saw Alex touch her friend. While the gesture itself wasn't overly forward, there was no mistaking the expression on Alex's features. It was becoming quite clear just how much he desired the ME, and Jane suspected that it would take very little encouragement on the blonde's part to get him to abandon his friends and spend the evening, and the night, with Maura instead.

Abruptly, Jane pulled her hand from Maura's grasp and shifted slightly away from her friend. She sensed Maura turning to look at her, but she kept her attention firmly fixed on the mug of beer sitting in front of her. She had watched this happen so often that she had long since lost count of the number of times that an accomplished, good looking man had caught the attention of her friend. The truth of the matter was that Alex, a professor of English literature at a major university, was exactly the type of man she would expect to appeal to someone like Maura Isles. The detective couldn't blame her friend for responding to her newest admirer, but that didn't mean it didn't still hurt like hell to watch it happen right in front of her once again.

"I'm afraid I never really watched many movies before the last few years." The ME leaned into the detective fondly, causing Alex's hand to slide off of her. "Jane has been doing a good job of catching me up on the movies I've missed, but we haven't gotten to Titanic yet."

"We won't be getting there at all," Jane grumbled. She wanted to return Maura's show of affection by leaning back into the medical examiner, but her thoughts were too consumed with images of Maura and Alex together to do so. "That was three hours of my life I can't get back. I'm not watching it again."

"Your turn, Maura," Frankie said.

Maura thought for a few moments. "I've never been bowling."

Everyone immediately took a drink. "You're doing good, Maura." Jane said approvingly. She forcefully reminded herself that Alex would be leaving soon and then she'd have Maura to herself. "That's twice now you've gotten everyone to drink."

A shy, proud smile appeared on Maura's lips in response to Jane's compliment, and Jane felt her heart skip a beat at the sight. She knew it was foolish to react to such a small thing, but the truth was that she would do anything to see Maura smile, to know that she had done something to make her friend happy.

"It's your turn Janie," Frankie said.

Jane considered what to say. She was somewhat relieved that so far, everyone had kept things fairly low-key for a game of "I Never." She didn't intend to be the one to change that, especially with Maura sitting beside her. "I've never played soccer," she finally said.

Frost, Alex, and Maura all immediately took a drink. Jane arched an eyebrow as she studied her friend. "You played soccer?"

"A few times in boarding school, until it was determined that I was completely inept and no one wanted me on their team anymore."

Jane frowned. Maura had tried to keep her tone light when she answered, but the detective knew her friend well enough that she could see that the memory of past childhood rejections still stung the medical examiner. Jane leaned in to speak directly into the ME's ear. "Hey, it's a stupid sport anyway," she said. "And no matter what, you're always welcome on my team."

There was faint glint of humor in Maura's eyes as she responded. "Even when you're playing softball?"

A wave of happiness mixed with another emotion that Jane knew better to dwell on at that moment rushed through her when she saw Maura respond to her words. Reminding herself that they were not alone, Jane forced herself to remain still and not move in closer to her friend. "Yeah, even then."

"I've never met a famous athlete," Frost said, putting an end to the moment that the two women were sharing.

Jane turned away from her friend to take a drink, noting as she did that Frankie and Alex were drinking as well.

Maura cocked her head to the side curiously. "Who did you meet?"

"Ted Williams," Jane replied. "My dad took us to an autograph signing when we were kids."

"That must have been exciting."

Jane regarded her friend with amusement. "You have no idea who Ted Williams is, do you?"

"Of course I do. He played left field for the Red Sox for 19 years, although they weren't consecutive years because he took three years off to serve in World War II. He had a lifetime batting average of .344 and was the last man to hit over .400 in a season."

Jane's jaw dropped open when she heard Maura rattle off facts about Ted Williams like a long-time Red Sox fan. "How do you know that?"

Maura shrugged, an impish grin tugging at her lips. "I have a friend who loves the Red Sox. I thought I should learn more about them."

Alex once again touched Maura's shoulder. "I met David Beckham," he said, obviously trying to spark Maura's interest.

"I'm sorry, who is that?" Maura asked.

"David Beckham," Alex repeated, as if the name alone should answer her question. "I met him back when he played for Manchester United."

"They're an English soccer team," Frost supplied helpfully.

Jane leaned close to speak directly into Maura's ear. "Oh, soccer."

A soft giggle slipped past Maura's lips, before she managed to carefully school her features into a semblance of composure. She turned to face Alex. "I'm sure that must have been very exciting for you," she said politely.

"It was." Alex enthused. "I'd be happy to tell you about it sometime."

"I'd love to hear all about it," Maura replied with a small nod.

Jane clenched and unclenched her right hand under the table several times, as she fought off visions of using said fist to punch Alex right in the middle of his annoying, smiling face. "Your turn, Frankie," she said curtly.

"Alright," her brother said. "I have never gotten so drunk that I swore off a particular type of alcohol."

James, Frost, and Jane all picked up their beers. "Rum," James said before taking a drink.

"Tequila" Frost and Jane groaned, and then toasted each other before taking their required drinks.

"Do I want to know?" Maura asked.

"I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to," Jane replied.

James put down his mug. "I've never been to a nude beach,"

Jane groaned inwardly. Leave it to James to be the one who started in with that kind of thing. Before she could say anything, though, she saw Maura raise her glass and take a drink.

"Seriously?" Jane asked.

Maura shrugged. "They're very popular in France."

Jane started to respond, but frowned when she noticed that Alex had also taken a drink and was now regarding Maura with renewed attention. "Have you been to Cap d'Agde?" he asked, in his deep-timbered voice. "It's one of my favorite spots."

Jane felt a bolt of pure jealous rage arc through her. Her jaw tightened with the effort it was taking to restrain herself and calmly sit beside Maura. She desperately wanted to physically confront Alex and tell him to back the hell off, but she knew that she had no right to do so. He wasn't actually doing anything wrong. After all, as far as everyone at the table was concerned, Maura was completely available.

A thoughtful expression appeared on Maura's features "Yes, I have, and you're right, it's lovely. Do you go there often?"

"Not as often as I'd like. What about you?"

"As nice as Cap d'Agde is, I've always been more partial to the beaches in Saint-Tropez."

"I've never been to Saint-Tropez. Perhaps it's time to expand my horizons."

"I'm sure you would love it there," Maura agreed. "It's much more private and secluded."

"Soooo I guess it's my turn," Marcus said. "I have never mooned anyone."

James, Frankie, and Frost all took drinks.

"'Mooned' someone?" Maura asked, not understanding the term.

"Yeah, mooned someone," Jane replied shortly. Hearing the edge in her voice and knowing that Maura wouldn't hesitate to question her about it, Jane forced herself to relax before continuing. "Dropped your pants and showed someone your butt."

Maura frowned for a moment, while she considered Jane's response. "Oh, you mean as part of a sexual encounter or a method of indicating a desire to–"

"No!" Jane said immediately, desperate to cut her friend off before she could continue. "It's a stupid prank…more like a way of taunting someone else."

"Oh," Maura said thoughtfully, before shaking her head. "No, I've never done that."

Jane's brow drew downward slightly. "Does that mean you;ve…no…forget it…I do not want to know the answer to that question."

"What question is that?" Maura asked teasingly.

"It's your turn, Alex" Jane said, deliberately ignoring her friend.

"I have never used an online dating service to find a date," Alex said

As Marcus took a drink, Maura looked at her friend expectantly. "You too, Jane."

"What? I've never used the internet to look for a date."

"Yes, you did. Remember the case where the woman was killed outside of Merch—"

"That was part of an undercover murder investigation, Maura. And besides, I wasn't even the one who set up the profile."

"Did you get lots of hits, Jane?" James asked with a wicked grin. "Mmm mmm mmm. I bet the ladies were all over that when they saw your profile. Just had to get themselves some Jane."

"Shut up, James" Jane replied as she rolled her eyes. "Fine, if it will end this conversation, I'll drink." She took a sip from her beer and then set the mug back down. "Happy?" she asked Maura.

"I'm not unhappy," the medical examiner replied cheekily. Her face scrunched up in thought for a few seconds while she considered what to say next. "I have never engaged in a make-out session in the back seat of a car."

Everyone else at the table took a drink.

Jane looked the medical examiner over speculatively. "You've been to a nude beach, but you've never made out in the back seat of a car?"

"Not in the back seat, no," Maura a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Jane carefully considered her next move. The game had taken a turn and was obviously headed where every game of "I Never" inevitably ended up. She knew that even though the statements in the game were becoming a bit more risqué, it was doubtful that anything would be said that would be embarrassing to Maura. After all, frank conversations about sex never bothered the blonde woman, so it was unlikely that she would be offended by anything that anyone else said. This left Jane in a very interesting position. She desperately wanted to know if Maura could be interested in her as more than just a friend. Jane had been unwilling to explicitly raise the issue in the past for fear of finding out that Maura did not in fact share her feelings. But perhaps she could use the game to safely push the issue a bit.

"All right. I have never been skinny dipping," Jane said. It wasn't the statement she really wanted to try out, but she wasn't ready just yet to roll the dice and see if she was right about Maura's past.

"'Skinny-dipping'?" Maura asked.

"Gone swimming without any clothes on," Jane clarified.

Maura calmly took a drink of her wine, as Alex, James, and Marcus all took drinks as well.

Jane fought back the urge to imagine a naked Maura Isles going for a swim with no clothes on. "I figured you would have gone swimming at the nude beach."

"That was one of the times I 'skinny-dipped,'" Maura agreed, smiling when she saw Jane's eyes widen noticeably in response to her statement. She looked over at Frost. "I believe it's your turn."

"Yeah, uhm, well…" Frost paused for a moment. "Ok, I've never given someone a fake phone number."

Jane and James both took drinks.

"I don't understand," Maura said. "Why would you give someone a fake phone number?"

"To get rid of them," James and Jane said simultaneously, and then grinned at each other.

"I've never lied to someone about my sexual orientation to avoid sex," Frankie said.

James grimaced and then took a drink while Marcus laughed. "You could have just told that guy 'no'."

"I tried. He was just way to into me to give up."

"Drink up," Jane said, motioning towards Maura's glass.

"What are you talking about? You know I don't lie."

"What about Giovanni?"

"I…that…that wasn't a lie," Maura said nervously, noticing that everyone was now looking at her.

"You told him we were lovers to get out of seeing him anymore and having to have sex with him."

"I…somewhat implied it, and he assumed that–"

"Close enough," Jane said. "I drank for Merch, so you drink for Giovanni."

Realizing it would serve no point to argue, Maura did as instructed.

"So Giovanni thinks you two are lesbians?" Frankie asked.

"It's a long story, but yeah. Why?" Jane asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Frankie shrugged. "Just finally understand some of the comments he's made the last couple of years about the two of you."

"Alright, my turn," James said. "I have never watched girl on girl porn."

All of the other guys at the table, including Marcus, took a drink.

Alex looked at Marcus in surprise. "I wouldn't have guessed that."

"I suppose everyone is curious when they're young. My serious lack of interest was the point I realized I had to be gay," Marcus said ruefully. "And since it's now my turn…I have never had sex with someone whose last name I didn't know."

James and Frost both took drinks.

"Seriously?" Jane demanded, looking at Frost.

"In my defense, I thought I knew her last name but I was wrong."

"It's your turn, Alex," Jane said, not wanting to hear anything more about her partner's sex life.

"I have never had sex outside."

Marcus and James smiled at each other, clearly remembering a particular event, and then took a drink. Maura smiled at the obvious affection the two had for each other, and then took a drink as well.

"Why am I not surprised?" Jane asked with a smirk.

"Sexual activities conducted outside can be quite…invigorating."

"Hmmm, so another way to 'expand my horizons'," Alex said teasingly, leaning in slightly closer to Maura as he spoke.

Maura laughed lightly. "I suppose that's another 'to do' for the next time you're in France."

Jane opened her mouth to make a sarcastic remark, then closed it again when she thought better of it. She drew in a deep breath and then let it out again. "It's your turn," she said, pointing to Maura.

"I have never had anyone walk in on me while I was engaged in sexual activities."

Once again, Marcus and James smiled at each other before taking a drink. A few moments later, Frankie and Frost both sheepishly took drinks too.

"I definitely don't want to know," Jane muttered.

Everyone at the table turned to look at Jane, waiting to hear what she would say. The detective carefully considered her options. Time was running out on the game, and there was no guarantee that she would get another chance. If she was going to do this, it was now or never.

Jane took a deep breath. "I've never kissed a girl," she said.

Frankie, Frost, and Alex all immediately took a drink, but all eyes were on Marcus. After a moment, he held up his hands and shook his head. "Nope, the video was enough to convince me."

James sighed and took a drink.

"What?" Frost exclaimed. "You told me you knew you were gay when you were five."

"I did," James said. "But one night in college I got drunk and decided to see if there was something I was missing and it just happened."

Alex laughed. "Well you know, lots of people experiment in college."

As the rest of the table teased James, Jane kept a close watch out of the corner of her eye on Maura. The medical examiner had gone very still when Jane had made her statement, and Jane had no idea as to what was going through her friend's head. Suddenly, Maura picked up her glass and took the last sip of wine from her glass, and then quickly placed the glass back down on the table.

It took every ounce of training that Jane had as a detective to remain calm and not give away the fact that she had just observed Maura "confessing" that she had kissed a girl at some point in her past. She knew instinctively that Maura hadn't simply kissed a young friend at a slumber party because she had been required to by a game of "Spin the Bottle," or "Truth or Dare," nor had the kiss been the result of a night of drinking with girlfriends that meant nothing other than they couldn't hold their liquor. If it had, Maura would have taken her drink openly and shrugged it off the way that James was now dismissing his own "youthful mistake." Maura had kissed a girl because she had wanted to, and Jane strongly suspected it had not been a one-time event.

"Stephen!" James suddenly shouted.

Jane, along with everyone else at the table, looked up to see a tall blond man walking towards them with a huge smile on his face. As he reached their table, he immediately zeroed in on Jane, who stood up to hug him.

"You're looking good, Jane."

"You too, Stephen," Jane replied as she stepped back from his embrace.

"And who is this?" Stephen asked, turning his attention to Maura.

Jane placed her hand on the ME's shoulder. "This is Maura, my best friend."

Maura rose to her feet and extended her hand to the newcomer. "It's a pleasure to meet you Stephen."

Stephen took her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Maura. So," he said looking back and forth between the two women as the men at the table began to stand up as well. "Are you ladies joining us?"

"Definitely not," Jane said with a laugh. "You guys go have your fun."

"You sure? I could be a great wingman for you, Jane. See if we could find Mr. Right for you, or at least, Mr. Right Now."

Jane began to respond, but paused when she saw that Maura had stepped away and was talking with Alex. The two were far enough away that she couldn't hear what they were saying over the noise of the bar, but she was willing to bet that Alex was asking the ME out on a date. She felt a small wave of relief wash over her when she saw Maura shake her head, causing a look of disappointment to appear on Alex's features. As the medical examiner continued to speak, however, she saw Alex's expression slowly change, growing more and more hopeful with each passing moment, until he finally nodded, smiled broadly, and pulled out what appeared to be a business card to hand to the medical examiner.

"Jane?" Stephen asked. "How about it?"

Giving herself a mental shake, Jane turned back to face Stephen. "Not tonight. I have other plans."

"Alright, your loss. So," Stephen said, looking around at the other guys. "Everyone ready to go?"

"Yes we are," James said immediately. He downed his beer, grabbed his coat, and then began walking quickly for the door.

"What was that about?" Stephen asked.

Marcus laughed and then finished the rest of his beer. "We'll tell you in the limo. Night ladies," he said, nodding towards Jane and Maura before starting towards the door. The rest of the guys quickly followed Marcus's lead, and a few moments later, Jane and Maura found themselves alone.

After a few seconds passed, Maura looked at Jane with a bemused expression on her face. "Well…that was not what I was expecting when I walked in here looking for you tonight."

Jane nodded in agreement, and then looked down at their table. "Looks like you need a refill," she said, her voice betraying none of her thoughts.

Maura's cheeks colored slightly. "Oh, yes, it appears I do."

Jane glanced around for a moment and then gestured towards a small booth near the back of the bar. "Let's sit over there. I'll get us drinks and meet you there."

The ME nodded and without another word turned and walked over to the booth that Jane had indicated. The detective watched her friend walk away, and then crossed over to the bar. As she ordered a beer for herself and a glass of wine for Maura, Jane carefully considered what she wanted do next.

Jane had come to the bar that night with the intention of trying to find out if Maura could possibly have feelings for her and be interested in her in the same way that she was interested in Maura. She was now reasonably confident that at some point, Maura had been capable of being attracted to another woman. However, Jane had no idea if that capacity for attraction was something that had only existed in Maura's past, or if it still remained a part of who she was. Even more concerning, she wasn't certain if Maura was interested in Alex and was planning on seeing him again in the future, or if Maura had just been being her usual polite self when she accepted his card because she hadn't wanted to shoot him down with all of his friends around.

The bartender returned with her order, interrupting Jane's musings. She paid for the drinks, picked them up, drew in a deep breath, and finally turned around. Her decision was made. Her path was clear. By the end of the night, she would know where she stood with Dr. Maura Isles.