Disclaimer: I don't own anything Rizzoli & Isles.

It's Simple

-By MegannRosemary

"Where's Maura."

The two men exchanged glances, then Korsak replied, "She was here earlier and I don't think she's left yet…"

"Can I go now?" Jane touched the bandages at her wrists.

"We've got what we need, go on home." Korsak squeezed her shoulder before letting her leave, "I'm glad you're ok Jane."

Frost looked up from the computer, "Me too Jane."

"Thanks guys. I'll just go…"

She found Maura standing in the morgue, facing away from the door, fists clenched at her sides.

"Maura." Jane spoke softly, the name catching in her throat."

"Jane!" The blonde turned around quickly and ran to Jane. She stopped though, a short distance away. Her hands reached out but she pulled them back, instead bringing them to her own mouth as if she could somehow stop her next words. "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, I just couldn't see you like that. I-" She pressed her hand over her heart, massaging away the physical pain she felt.

"I didn't want you to see me like that…"

"I should have been there for you." Tears trickled down her cheeks.

"You were, I could feel you there, here, with me…" She bit her lip.

Maura stepped forward, closing the gap, and into Jane's now open arms.

Jane's chin rested in her hair, Maura resting her cheek over Jane's heart. She felt Jane relax into the hug, then her knees buckled and the sobs tore through her body. "Jane, you're ok, I'm here now." She lowered the taller woman to the floor as best she could and she held her friend, half on and half off her lap, as she sobbed.

"I…He was so….I couldn't…..The thought…There was…Why?" Jane tried to push her thoughts through her tears.

"Let it all out Jane, there now…" Maura rubbed a hand in gentle rhythmic circles on Jane's back, the other grasping Jane's hand and squeezing tightly in reassurance.

The tears finally stopped and Jane took several deep breaths before she spoke, "This floor is disgusting."

"The floor of this morgue is more than likely cleaner than any surface in your apartment."

Jane's face crumpled again and Maura added, cringing. "Or mine."

"Can we go there, please? I can't go back."

"Of course." Maura studied the other woman, searching the depths of her dark eyes for some light, some reassurance. She opened her mouth to ask, are you ok? But she knew the only answer possible was something she didn't want to hear. What Jane had experienced, Maura had experienced and it forged a painful connection between them. Would they be able to talk about it?

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. I want to forget it ever happened."

"Jane…" Maybe they would one day.

"Don't…." Jane pleaded.

"Ok, I won't say a word."

Jane pushed herself up from the floor, "We'll go home and relax a little like we would at the end of any difficult day."

"Ok." Maura looked up at the set face, "But you're going to have to help me up, my feet fell asleep."

Jane reached both hands down and pulled Maura to her feet and took a quick step closer. Looking down, she asked, a grin magnified in her features, "Isn't there some term for that?"

Maura resisted the urge to step back as the force pulling them together sizzled and crackled. "Yes, but you wouldn't understand."

Jane rolled her eyes and released on arm, breaking the tension, so that they could walk out to the car.

They drank, beer for Jane and wine for Maura, in attempt to blur the edges of reality.

They laughed, cracking jokes about luaus and Dr. Pike, to lighten the dark cloud above their heads.

The blanket shielded Jane from the eyes she could still feel on her.

But the laughter turned to tears again. Jane tried to stay strong, but the monstrous images tried to pull her back into the darkness. Jane wiped the tears away with the blanket, not able to face Maura.

Maura opened her arms, gesturing with her delicate hands, "Come here."

Jane shook her head but lay down anyways, her legs tangling with Maura's and her head resting on the other woman's shoulder.

They held each other for a long time, the tears washing away some of the pain, some of the memories.

Tears and time would heal them.

Maura traced her fingers from the small of Jane's back, down her arms to flit along the edge of the bandages. Fresh sobs wracked her body. "I felt so helpless…"

"Maura." Jane's voice was muffled in her current position.

"Yes."

Jane sighed, "We went through this, and it was you."

"Me what?"

"Who I thought about, in those last few minutes, the one person…. If I never saw you again…If you felt I was unclean…" Jane shivered as the memories tried to come back, tried to take her under again.

Maura stilled, the tears dissipating. "I wouldn't, I don't…"

"Really?" Jane felt such fresh relief, her body relaxing into Maura's, molding together perfectly.

She only nodded, her chin brushing Jane's curls.

Fingers danced and hands caressed in the primal need for physical contact after a traumatic experience. Jane couldn't think and she welcomed the empty brightness of her mind. The sensations pushed the memories aside and the real world faded as well.

A sudden clarity pushed suppressed thoughts to the surface, were allowed to escape.

Maura's silky voice floated through the light, bubbling up and out. "I realised something tonight, even with what happened or maybe because of what happened…"

"What?" Her response was automatic, she barely registered that she had said anything. But then she moved up a little so that she was staring down at Maura, able to look into her eyes. The friction their bodies made stopped them both for a few seconds, the bright clarity replaced with a fiery passion.

"I love-" Maura started.

"-you too." Jane finished.

A/N: Got a touch of writers block but the episode cured it :) I figured I would fill in a scene before the couch scene since people thought that Jane was too blasé about the whole thing. Let me know what your think : )

P.S. Heartbreaker is being beta-ed but In Sickness is going to have to wait a few days due to family obligations.