Maura's heels clacked as she paced in front of her couch. She held her phone in her hand, clutched it really, and tried to decide what to do. She looked at the last text she had from Jane. It was from over four hours ago and said, HEY, I'M. That was it. No other texts. No other messages. Maura had tried to call Jane back a hundred times and gotten nothing but voicemail. She ran her hand through her caramel locks and bit her lower lip.
On one hand, there was no reason to panic. It's not like she had to know where Jane was at every second of every day. On the other hand, Jane had a bad habit of getting hauled into the vans of creepy murderers and then getting nearly murdered herself. Well, "habit" wasn't really a fair word to use, Maura chastised herself as her brain whirled. Homicide detectives have dangerous jobs. They find themselves in dangerous situations, surrounded by dangerous people. It's not because of habit or fault, it's because that's their job. Maybe Jane had been texting her when she needed to suddenly put her phone in her pocket and chase a suspect. Maybe her battery had died. No. Jane would never let her battery die.
Maura sighed. None of this back and forth in her brain was making her feel any better. She dialed Jane's number again. Straight to voicemail. Was her phone off? Why would Jane's phone be off? Jane's phone was never off. Ever. Maura glanced at the clock in the kitchen.
9:32 pm.
She should just put on some comfortable clothes, have a glass of wine and relax. If Jane was still coming over for dinner and a movie, she'd be here soon. Maura took a deep breath and tried to calm her pounding heart. She could at least text Frost. Or Korsak.
Maura's text to Frost was immediately answered.
JANE Qing WITNESS. SHOULD BE DONE SOON.
Maura's relief swept over her in such a great rush she threw herself on the couch, losing a shoe in the process.
Thank God she whispered to herself, then she chuckled, closing her eyes, leaning her head over the back the couch. She took a deep breath and felt ridiculous that she'd been so worried.
Another text beeped. Maura's hazel eyes flew open.
Frost again. I LEFT HER AN HOUR AGO, BUT THE GUY WAS A TALKER. IT MIGHT BE A WHILE.
Maura's mouth went dry, the smile wiped from her lips.
SO YOU'RE NOT AT THE STATION WITH HER? She texted back.
NO. Frost texted. SHE WAS QUESTIONING HIM ON SCENE. DOWN ON DELANY STREET.
Maura was incredulous. YOU LEFT HER ALONE ON DELANY STREET?!
She didn't care if Frost wondered why the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was giving him the third degree about his partner. He knew Jane and Maura were friends. He knew what Jane had been through over the years – and what Maura had seen Jane go through. She was asking these questions because she was worried about Jane. About her friend. Her best friend. That was all.
Maura's phone beeped again and her breath caught in her throat. Jane!
SHE'S A BAD ASS COP, DR. ISLES. SHE WAS JUST FINISHING UP.
Just Frost again. And still no help.
Maura stood, hopped on one foot as she put her other shoe back on, grabbed her purse and keys and headed for the front door. She'd go find Jane herself. She'd figure out why the detective's phone wasn't working. She'd give Jane the crime rate statistics for Delany Street after dark. She'd-
The front door opened as Maura's hand went for the knob. She took a step back and gasped, surprised to have the door pushed in on her like that.
There, haloed in the porch light, was Jane. Her dark hair fell down past the shoulders of her suit jacket. Her royal blue shirt had a little spot of ketchup from the cheeseburger she'd had at lunch with Maura in the Division One Café. She was safe and alive and beautiful as ever.
Jane smiled, flashing her dimples.
"Maura! Where are you going? I thought we were going to—"
But Jane was interrupted by Maura dropping her keys and purse to the floor and launching herself at her best friend. She grabbed Jane in a tight hug and felt embarrassing tears flood her eyes.
"I was so worried about you," Maura murmured into Jane's neck. "I was so afraid something had happened."
Jane put her hands gently on Maura's shoulders, releasing herself from Maura's tight embrace. She pushed the smaller woman back a few steps so Jane could walk into the foyer. She shut the door behind her - with her foot - without ever taking her hands off her friend's shoulders. Her eyes never left Maura's tear streaked face.
Maura reached up and gave a frustrated swipe at the tears. She didn't want to cry. She wasn't a crier. "Your phone kept going straight to voicemail, and it's getting late, and I just kept thinking about those times when something bad had happ-"
"Hey," Jane said softly, taking a hand off Maura's shoulder and wiping away a tear from her friend's soft cheek. "I'm fine. I just dropped my phone in the stupid sink earlier today." Jane smiled again, and Maura felt something unwind inside of her. "I was texting you when it happened, too. So, technically, it's your fault my phone is broken."
Maura gave a little laugh-sob. "That is absolutely not my fault."
Jane tilted her head to the side and leaned in closer to Maura's face. She was grinning still, her dimples making her look girlish and happy. Her hands were back on Maura's shoulders. "Yes. It. Is. Your. Fault."
Maura leaned forward, closing the small space between them, and kissed Jane. It was a soft kiss, a light kiss, if it had been on purpose it could have been called tentative. But it wasn't on purpose, it was just her body taking over, her subconscious pushing something new to the surface.
After only a few seconds, Maura's eyes flew open. She didn't even realize she'd closed them. Her lips were still on Jane's and when she lifted her eyes she saw that Jane was staring at her – a look of surprise and confusion and… something else… skating across her face.
Maura pulled back quickly and clasped her hands over her mouth. Her thoughts, in order were 1) Jane's lips are so, so soft. 2) What have I done? What have I done? 3) I think I've wanted to do that for a long time, but not like this. Not this way.
Jane still hadn't said anything, was still standing in the foyer, staring at Maura. Her face was unreadable, no longer smiling. Maura was only a few feet away, facing Jane with her hands over her mouth. They could hear the clock ticking in the kitchen.
"Maur," Jane started, but Maura took one hand away from her mouth and held it up in a stop gesture. She shook her head. She didn't want Jane to say anything. She, in fact, wanted to fall through a hole in the floor, smack her head, come down with amnesia, and forget this whole night had happened.
Maura turned away from Jane and faced the small table where she usually kept her purse and keys. She gripped the edge of the table and looked at herself in the mirror that hung above it. Get it together, she told herself. This isn't the end of the world. It can't be. Sometimes people accidentally kiss their best friends, right?
She looked at the shiny wood finish of the table, gulped some air, and then back up to the mirror. She could see her red-rimmed eyes, her heaving, panicked chest, and Jane standing behind her. Jane glowing in the soft overhead light. The expression on Jane's face tender.
In the reflection Maura saw Jane coming closer to her. Then, behind her, she felt her friend's arms encircle her waist. Jane leaned her chin on Maura's shoulder and they watched each other in the mirror.
"It's OK, Maura." Jane said softly, her husky voice going even deeper as she spoke just above a whisper. "It's been a long day."
Maura turned her face ever so slightly so that her cheek brushed against Jane's. She felt a jolt run through her body, electrifying and intoxicating. Maura closed her eyes and then opened them slowly, not moving her cheek from Jane's. She could smell sweet sweat and coffee and the faint scent of lavender. She could feel Jane's breasts pressed up against her back. She could feel them rising and falling as Jane's breathing rate increased.
Maura's eyes moved back to the mirror. She saw that Jane's eyes were closed now. Both their breathing was quick, almost panting, and yet they stood perfectly motionless. Jane's arms were still around Maura's waist. The only sound other than their breathing, the clock still ticking in the kitchen.
In the mirror, Maura saw Jane open her eyes. They stared at one another for a long moment before Jane's arms began to very, very slowly loosen around Maura's waist. She didn't let go, though. She ran one hand lightly across the silk shirt covering Maura's stomach. Her other hand slid to Maura's hip and ran up and down the swell of her thigh slowly, carefully.
Maura's breath hitched in her throat. What exactly was happening here?
The two women continued to stare at each other in the mirror, neither daring to say a word. Jane's right hand began to untuck Maura's shirt, meticulously pulling it up and out of where it was neatly tucked into Maura's skirt.
Maura felt the cool silk pulling up over her abdomen. She felt Jane's fingers lightly touch the bare skin under her shirt. Maura didn't want to move. She didn't want to do anything that might make this stop. Whatever was happening here was making her feel things she'd never felt in her whole life. Her body was on fire. Jane's fingers were leaving trails of heat as they slowly slid across Maura's belly. When Jane's palm rested against Maura's bare stomach, it was all Maura could do to not groan out loud.
Jane's other hand slid up from Maura's hip and under her shirt, too. Jane ran the tops of her fingers up Maura's side, over her rib cage, stopping just centimeters under Maura's bra. Maura felt her back arch ever so slightly, her body knowing what it wanted before she was ready to admit that's what she wanted, too.
Jane's thumb skimmed between the bottom of Maura's bra and the soft skin underneath. One pass, two passes, three passes, each time her thumb rising a little higher under the elastic, until it very softly grazed the underside of Maura's left breast.
Maura swallowed. Hard.
The two women continued to stare at each other in the mirror as Jane's other hand rose higher under Maura's shirt. Her palm slid from Maura's belly up until the thumb on her right hand was mimicking the thumb on her left hand. Both barely under the elastic of Maura's bra, both barely grazing the underside of Maura's breasts.
Maura felt heat and throbbing between her legs. She wanted to grind against Jane, to throw her hands behind her and grab Jane's lovely, lovely ass. But she didn't want Jane to stop this torturous tease. She didn't want to move or speak or make any noise that would put a halt to this slow, incredibly arousing exploration.
Was this really happening? Could it be? After all these years of being the best of friends, after sharing long glances, and jokes about being an old married couple, and butt slaps and kisses on the tops of each other's heads… was all that leading to this? Had they both known it but not wanted to admit it? Had they both already admitted it but been afraid to act on it?
Maura's thoughts flew from her head as both of Jane's thumbs reached into her bra, swirling over Maura's hardened nipples as her other fingers cupped Maura's breasts so gently.
This time Maura couldn't contain the groan that slid from her lips. She closed her eyes, tried to remember to breathe, opened them again and saw Jane still staring at her in the mirror. Jane's eyes were nearly black, her tongue licking her bottom lip. The reflection of Jane's hands moving under Maura's shirt drove Maura to a near breaking point of arousal. She didn't want Jane to be this gentle, and so Maura pressed her own hands on top of Jane's. She pushed her breasts into Jane's palms. She tossed her head back onto Jane's shoulder.
And then… then it was on.
Jane's hands were out of Maura's shirt, but only so Maura could whip around to face Jane. Jane yanked Maura' shirt over her head, and Maura flicked the clasp of her bra, letting it hit the tiled floor. And then Jane roughly pushed Maura back against the table, burying her face in Maura's breasts, licking and kissing and moaning and squeezing until Maura's head flew back. Before she could stop herself, Mauramoaned, "Oh, Jane. Oh, my God."
Jane stopped for a moment so that she could shrug off her suit jacket. She also took off her detective's belt and gun, sliding them across the floor and into a side hallway. Maura sat up straighter and reached for Jane's shirt, tugging it out of her pants and quickly over her head. Jane yanked off her sports bra and then was back on Maura, consuming her, worshipping her, kissing her breasts, sucking her nipples, running her hands down Maura's thighs. And Maura… her non-stop mind had been stopped, halted completely in its tracks. Her hands were in Jane's hair, then her fingers were raking down Jane's back. Maura lifted herself onto the table so she could grab Jane with her legs and pull her close. As she opened her legs to wrap them around Jane, they both heard the seams of her tight skirt rip. Maura could care less. Her burning, wet sex was pressed up against Jane's pants, grinding as Jane was all over her, a flurry and frenzy of movements.
Maura felt herself lifted into the air as Jane picked her up, Maura's legs tightening around Jane's waist.
"I think we're going to break your table," Jane murmured, carrying Maura to the couch.
Maura laughed that laugh of hers. The one that floated up from deep down inside and melted anyone within a five-mile radius. "If we keep going like this, we might break the couch, too."