Title: Receiving
Disclaimer:
I do not own Rizzoli & Isles or these characters (darn it!) nor am I making any money off them (darn it!). No infringement intended.
Fandom:
Rizzoli & Isles
Pairing:
Jane/Maura
Rating:
M
Summary:
Jane's tired and wants to watch the baseball game to unwind. Maura has a better idea for unwinding. MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY PLEASE
Notes:
My third foray into Rizzoli & Isles! It's almost becoming a habit!


Receiving

Jane threw her head back on the couch and groaned. It was only the second inning and the Sox were already down three. This was just not their year.

At the sound, Maura looked up from her book, flicked an eye towards the television set and noted the score. She might not be an expert at baseball, but she knew enough that she could surmise the reason for Jane's mood. Knowing Jane as she did, she thought it probably best not to say anything, at least not yet, and so just shook her head slightly to herself and went back to her book.

However, it was only three or four minutes later that she heard a crack of the bat followed closely by a rather unladylike expletive from Jane. The M.E. looked up again and noted the other team had another point. Or run. Or whatever it was called. Regardless, Jane was not happy about it to say the least.

Maura decided it was time to intervene. She closed her book and set it aside, "Game not going well?"

"No," Jane grumbled dejectedly, taking a swig from the bottle of beer in her hand, slouching down further on the couch, and still looking at the TV.

Maura paused a moment, waiting for Jane to say something more. When she didn't Maura inquired further, "Are you going to keep watching it anyway?"

"Yes," Jane grumbled again, this time obstinately.

"Why?" Maura asked, genuinely curiously.

Jane let out a tired and somewhat disappointed sigh, "Because I've had a really long couple of days at work and I've been looking forward all day to coming home and doing nothing but sitting on this couch and watching this game," Jane took another swig of beer before finishing, again a little obstinately and a little stubbornly, "So that's what I'm going to do, damn it."

Maura was silent for a moment, considering her options. She knew that Jane did, for reasons not yet comprehendible to Maura, very much look forward to watching her baseball games and she knew she could very easily let Jane have the evening she'd been looking forward to (though Maura imagined this wasn't working out as Jane had hoped). Or...perhaps there was an alternative; something else that could help distract the detective and take her mind off work for a while. Yes, yes, something else, indeed.

The doctor remained silent another moment, stealing one more look at the TV before returning her eyes to Jane and asking quietly, "What if I gave you something else to look forward to?"

The tone in Maura's voice had Jane slowly turning her head towards the doctor and when she got fully turned she saw a very provocatively cocked eyebrow and just a hint of a smirk on her lover's face. Jane took one more swig while still eyeing the M.E. "Something else like what?" Jane asked after swallowing, though she knew what Maura was suggesting.

Maura played along, she scooted over from her spot on the couch so she was right up next to Jane. She reached a hand out and ran her fingers down the side of Jane's face, bringing her eyes down with them to briefly settle on Jane's lips before leaning in and capturing those lips in a slow soft kiss. It wasn't demanding, it wasn't hurried, it lingered and lasted, equal parts giving and taking, and left little doubt in Jane's mind what Maura was proposing. "Something like that," the doctor whispered when she finally pulled back.

Jane swallowed hard and licked her lips as she returned Maura's stare, then let her eyes wander down Maura's upper body, noting the snug fit of Maura's tank top, seeing the beginnings of the doctor's own arousal just starting to poke through the fabric, recognizing the corresponding jump in her own arousal, the slight increase in her own breathing as her eyes continued to wander and stare as she considered Maura's offer.

"Jane, sweetie?"

Jane's eyes shot back up to Maura's face, not sure how long she'd been ogling the doctor's breasts through her shirt, and the detective tried to hide her slight blush. But Jane's reactions were all Maura needed to see. They were answer enough.

"Come on," Maura said as she grabbed the remote to turn the TV off then exchanged the remote for one of Jane's hands, pulling the brunette up off the couch.

But when they were both standing, when Maura tried to lead Jane to the bedroom, Jane resisted, standing her ground. "Maura..." she began but then trailed off.

Maura turned back around to face the detective, a slight frown of confusion on her face at Jane's hesitation. When Jane didn't continue speaking, Maura prompted her, "What is it, Jane?"

Jane looked wearily into Maura's eyes, not sure what to say or at least not sure how to say it. "Maura, it's not that I don't want to... It's not. It's just that... It's... I'm..." she trailed off again.

Maura exhaled understandingly and took a gentle step forward, bringing their bodies close together, nearly flush. She took Jane's hands in each of her own and looked Jane in the eye, "You're tired," she finished the detective's statement for her.

Jane exhaled, her shoulders slumping somewhat dejectedly, "Yeah."

"'The tank's empty', I believe the saying goes," Maura continued.

Jane attempted a half hearted rueful chuckle, "Something like that."

Maura pressed on, "And you don't feel like you have a lot to give tonight."

Jane exhaled again but remained silent, not wanting to admit the truth of Maura's statement but at the same time relieved Maura knew and understood.

And Maura did. Jane's eyes, as they so often did, told her everything she needed to know. Sure, Maura might claim that she didn't understand Jane, but fact was, Maura often understood Jane far better than Jane understood herself.

This was one of those times. So the doctor gave Jane's hands a light squeeze as she started speaking, "Jane, I know you like being the strong one. And I know you like being giving. You always think of everyone else first, you always puteveryone else first, especially me. And I know you genuinely like doing that, that you think it's... chivalrous, perhaps. Shh, let me finish," Maura held up a hand when Jane tried to interrupt.

When Jane remained silent, Maura continued, "But, sweetie, it's okay to put yourselffirst sometimes. In fact, I want you to. I want you to put yourself first tonight. I want you to not worry about being chivalrous or giving back. I want you to..." Maura cast about briefly for the right words, finally settling on a very simple, "...to just let yourself receive; let yourself be selfish." The ME then reached up and placed her hand on Jane's cheek, "Can you do that for me? Can you let me do that for you?"

Jane let herself get lost in her lover's gaze. She knew her own expression probably showed her interest but probably also showed her skepticism. It wasn't like her to just sit back and not actively participate in whatever it was she's doing. But in Maura's eyes she saw such certainty, such surety, and such desire.

Maura saw the wheels turning in Jane's head and pushed, just a little harder, "Try? For me?"

With that, Jane's shoulder slumped marginally and she knew she'd never be able to say no, not that she'd ever been able to say no when it came to Maura. She blinked twice and nodded almost imperceptibly. Maura exhaled and smiled tenderly, caressing Jane's cheek one more time before retaking the detective's hand in her own and leading her down the hall to the bedroom.

When they got there the slow subtle seduction Maura had started in the living room with that first kiss and then her quiet requests, continued as the M.E. began to slowly help Jane undress. She wasn't at all rushed but she wasn't all that slow, either, effortlessly removing the detective's shirt, hands fluttering along newly revealed skin, head tilting forward to grace a collar bone with a fleeting kiss. Next, Maura lowered Jane's sweatpants, again sweeping fingers over skin, feather light touches, eyes dancing and openly appraising. Soon to follow were the detective's bra and finally her panties. The entire process was efficient yet sensuous; Maura somehow managing to effortlessly combine the seemingly opposing concepts, and in so doing, managing to also ease Jane further into relaxation.

Then with Jane naked and the detective finding herself actually enjoying the one way attentions from the beauty before her, Maura helped ease her down onto the bed, pulling the light blanket and sheets away and getting the detective settled and comfortable on her back, head resting on a pillow, with Maura, still dressed in light stretch pants and that wonderfully snug tank, straddling the detective's hips, sitting lightly on Jane's pelvis and thighs. Maura placed her hands on Jane's stomach as Jane rested hers lightly on Maura's knees, both women just staring at each other for a moment, silent and still, communicating and connecting, before Maura began to move her hands over Jane's body.

She tore her gaze away from the detective's then so she could look at the beautiful expanses and planes her hands were traveling over as they began moving slowly upward, her fingers playing across tanned skin and toned muscles, upward over slightly jutting ribs and further up to cup each of Jane's breasts, her thumbs brushing over nipples that were already drawing in on themselves and tightening.

Maura then circled those nipples with a finger once, twice, before drawing both hands back down, only barely tracing over Jane's skin as she did so, eliciting a slight shiver from the brunette. She lifted her eyes back to Jane's. "You're gorgeous," Maura stated, a trace of wonderment in her voice, but also of conviction; as though she were stating a fact, not an opinion.

Jane, as she often did, deflected the compliment, "And you're wearing too many clothes."

Maura smiled indulgently, bantering back, "You're not supposed to be worried about me or how I'm dressed, remember?"

Jane initially returned Maura's smile, but only briefly. For it soon faded into a more serious expression as her eyes flicked down first to Maura's lips, then lower, lingering before coming back up. "Please," she whispered, "At least your shirt."

Maura's smile became tender then, realizing that Jane didn't want Maura undressed so that Jane could touch her or try to pleasure her. Jane wanted Maura undressed for her own sake. So that the detective could see her and look at her and enjoy her. And with this realization, Maura didn't hesitate. She reached to the hem of her shirt, feeling Jane's hands tighten marginally on her thighs as she lifted her shirt up and off to reveal her stomach and chest and breasts to the woman below her.

After quickly discarding the shirt, she paused briefly and allowed Jane to drink her in, reveling in the tightening of Jane's jaw, the flexing of the detective's fingers, and the sharpening focus of the detective's gaze, the combined reactions making her feel wanted, making her feel confident.

But knowing she was only half way home with Jane, Maura didn't want to pause too long, didn't want to allow time for Jane to think too much or get any ideas. So with a small smile and a rhetorical, "Now, where was I?" she resumed what she had been doing before, lightly tracing her fingers up and down Jane's stomach and torso, brushing over her ribs, leaning marginally forward and pulling back as she did so, rotating her hips on Jane's pelvis, moving her upper body in counterpoint, giving Jane a bit of a show, a bit of a dance, indulging the detective a bit while at the same time indulging herself. Letting herself enjoy the warmth her fingers encountered, enjoy Jane's continued reactions, the small shivers, the slack jaw, the minute tightening of her abdominal muscles, and most especially enjoy how Jane's eyes remained locked on Maura's chest, tracking and traveling with the doctor's every movement.

Feeling even more emboldened, Maura then leaned further forward and pushed her hands up, curving and bending to fully cover the small mounds of flesh on Jane's chest, lightly massaging them, brushing her palm over the nipples, twirling the backs of her fingers over them, and letting her nails lightly scrape them. The reaction from Jane was immediate, the detective biting her lip and trying, almost successfully, to keep from arching her chest up into Maura's hands. Maura just smirked and answered her own rhetorical question. "Yes, yes I believe this is about where I was," she murmured.

Maura continued the gentle movements of her hips as she let her hands and fingers roam over Jane for long moments longer, exploring familiar territory, finding those sensitive spots she knew were there, both women enjoying the slow build, the quiet intimacy. After a time, however, Maura finally stilled atop Jane, halting her hips, bringing her hands to a stop on each of Jane's breasts, and pausing there, waiting for the detective to look up and meet her eyes. And when Jane did, a slight twinkle came to Maura's eye as she drew her hands off Jane's breasts and back down Jane's upper body, all the way down, eventually encountering and covering the detective's hands that were still resting on and lightly gripping Maura's knees and thighs.

She picked Jane's hands up then, lacing and intertwining their fingers before pulling both hands up further, kissing a knuckle or two on each, peering over them as she did so, never breaking eye contact with Jane. And the twinkle in her eyes only increased as did the intensity of her stare as she began slowly leaning forward again, this time taking each of Jane's hands with her, using her grip to pull them up and out and to the side, effectively pinning them to the mattress on each side of Jane's head.

Jane's breath caught as Maura, supported on hands and knees, just hovered above her, the tips of Maura's breasts just grazing her own, Maura's breath warm on Jane's lips, eyes boring into the detective with clarity, surety, and reassurance. Jane was not used to this position, physically or psychologically, but with the build up to this point, the promise of what was yet to come, and the confidence and love pouring from the woman before her, the detective was completely unable to deny her body's responses, the arousal, the enjoyment, the desire; wanting so badly in this moment not to touch Maura, but to have Maura touch her.

And after one more moment, just a breath, that's exactly what Maura did, closing the remaining centimeters between them and sensuously sliding parted lips across Jane's, back and forth and back and forth, little more than bushing them together. She then opened her mouth further and with just another slight movement, finally pulled Jane into a genuine kiss, nipping and massaging the detective's bottle lip between her own before moving to Jane's top lip, running her tongue along Jane's teeth, moving and meshing and melding their mouths together over and over, a small whimper soon escaping Jane, and any doubts or uncertainties that might have been remaining fled the detective's mind completely, because, good lord, could Maura kiss!

Neither was exactly sure how long it went on, but it was long enough for both to get lost in it and long enough to make both of them ache for more. So acting off that ache, Maura finally pulled back to once again stare deeply into the eyes of her amazingly complacent lover, a lover whose breathing was now elevated, eyes fully dilated, and with desire written all over her face.

It was desire Maura completely understood, completely loved seeing there, and completely wanted to satisfy.

So, with one final squeeze of Jane's hands, one final reminder that they were to stay where they were, Maura closed her eyes and leaned back in.

She kissed Jane again, but more briefly this time, before relinquishing both the detective's mouth and her hands. Maura moved her lips to Jane's cheek and jaw and neck, smiling through her kisses as Jane automatically turned her head to accommodate and welcome Maura's attentions, Maura wondering if Jane even realized she did so. The doctor then drew her hands down Jane's arms bracing herself again just above the detective, latching her mouth on to a spot just above Jane's collar bone and sucking. Both women knew it would leave a mark.

Jane moaned.

Maura smiled once more at the sound and moved on, slowly backing down Jane's body, leaving wet lingering open mouthed kisses as she went, one on the detective's clavicle, another on her sternum, the side of one breast, finally reaching out and slowly licking a full circumference around one of Jane's puckered areola with the tip of her tongue before capturing the nipple fully in her mouth, licking, flicking, sucking, exciting, and at the same time, bringing her other hand down and in to play with Jane's other breast.

Jane let out another moan, her chest rising into Maura's mouth, her hips beginning to undulate under Maura, her hands flexing open and closed at the sides of her head, the doctor's slow but purposeful movements, her seduction, the warmth of her tongue, the kneading of her hand, all of it working, working to perfection. Jane wouldn't have expected it, didn't think she would have reacted quite this way, but the slow simmer that had already begun to build between her legs was transforming into a burn and an ache, and god, she wanted, she needed Maura to touch her!

Maura could sense Jane's growing need, but she didn't let on or give in, keeping her pace slow, taking her time with Jane's breasts just as she had with Jane's neck, playing with the pliable flesh and their dusky peaks, tweaking them further, sucking, nipping, continuing to rotate her own hips as best she could on Jane's thighs, sensing even more in the counterpoint movement of Jane's pelvis, the detective's increasing desire.

But when she heard Jane moan yet again, felt and saw Jane arch in response to a firm pinch by Maura to one of the detective's nipples, the doctor decided it was time to take it one step further. She readjusted herself, shifting most of her weight to one side, then lifting her head so she could look at Jane, she brought her hand down off Jane's breast and down further, dragging it past Jane's navel and short coarse hair, reaching down almost between her own legs, turning her hand forward and curving her fingers inward. And with just one split second hesitation, finally, finally, FINALLY, brought those fingers into contact with Jane's heat.

Jane knew what had been coming, knew the contact was imminent, but her hips pushed forward of their own accord at the actual first touch, her body instinctively reacting, and also instinctively and immediately wanting more. "Maura..." she plead, barely a whisper, the only thought in her head and the only coherence word she could form.

Maura breathed deeply through her own body's reaction to Jane's response, dipping her fingers down to find and gather the detective's plentiful wetness, then drawing them back up and down again to spread and distribute that wetness, swirling and circling her fingers around and over Jane repeatedly, but not actually pushing in, just continuing to massage up and down the length of Jane's pussy, playing only briefly at the bottom, stopping just short of the top, rubbing everywhere except the two places Jane wanted her to rub the most, continuing to move sensuously above the detective, watching her face, watching her body, watching her want.

And my God, it was beautiful.

Jane tilted and rotated her hips as best she could, encouraging Maura, helping her, trying to draw the doctor's fingers in a little deeper or a little higher, trying to get just that little bit more contact, but Maura's legs on either side of her stymied and limited her movement. She groaned in frustration.

When Maura heard that groan, and when she felt the pressure on her own legs from Jane's, felt the detective pressing up and trying to press out, trying to spread her legs to give Maura better access, Maura just smiled again to herself. And knowing exactly what Jane was asking for, exactly what she wanted, Maura used one elbow to brace herself as she continued the contact with Jane's center while straightened her legs out behind her, gracefully sliding off and to the side of Jane's body, settling on the mattress next to Jane, her head level with Jane's chest.

It was a position she took full advantage of.

Still propped on one elbow at Jane's side, Maura tilted her head up so she could watch Jane's reaction as she positioned her fingers at Jane's entrance, hearing Jane's breath catching, hearing a softly issued, "Please," from the detective. And unlike moments before, this time Maura didn't hesitate to bury her fingers in Jane, pushing into her with one long smooth stroke.

Jane cried out softly, her brow furrowing, her head turning to the side, her back arching slightly, her mouth falling open at the sensation of two fingers sliding into her, filling her, stretching her. And she bit her lip in an effort to contain a second soft cry when she felt those fingers pull out then push in again.

Maura just smiled again and lowered herself completely, her lips going back to Jane's breast, pulling the already well loved nipple back into her mouth as her fingers set up a steady rhythm, moving with and against and in and out of Jane's body, sliding easily, moving slickly, her palm making occasional contact with the top of Jane's sex, simultaneously satisfying and igniting it.

And Maura was just settling in when she felt one of Jane's hands threading through her hair. She looked up once more just in time to see Jane, eyes closed, head still tipped to the side, reaching her other hand upwards to grab the headboard. She then looked down to see and feel Jane's legs spread further apart, the request, the desire, the openness, the supplication, the astounding supplication, all of it obvious.

The trust and relinquishing Maura knew that represented...God, it was so... so heart warming and so endearing and yet so... so incredibly sexy and such a fucking turn on all that the same time and Maura had to fight to contain her own moan.

But not wanting to lose any momentum and to get herself back under control, she refocused and set back to work in earnest. She thrust into Jane more steadily and with more purpose, three or four firm full strokes then, curling her fingers forward, she'd slowly draw them out as she pressed up, dragging them against Jane's top wall, followed again by three or four more purposeful strokes, establishing a pattern, all the while laving Jane's nipple with her tongue, making long slow love to Jane's open and ever accepting body, draping a leg over her, pressing a breast against her as best she could, giving as much contact as she could, giving as much attention as she could, giving as much pleasure as she could.

Jane's body began rocking and writhing to Maura's rhythm, one hand threading through dark blonde tresses, the other gripping and starting to pull on the headboard, hair fanned out around her own head, hips both working with and in counterpoint to Maura's fingers, soft sounds of pleasure and encouragement and growing need coming steadily now from the detective's throat.

Sounds that only increased when Maura soon put her thumb to work, as well. Her coordination wasn't perfect, but it was good enough, sliding up through Jane's folds with each stoke in, trying, aiming, hoping that the pad of her thumb would pass by or against or over Jane's clit, bringing a slight jerk from the detective's body and a slightly louder gasp whenever it did, the added stimulation raising Jane's arousal step by step, flick by flick, with each entrance and withdrawal and with each push and pull and fleeting encounter.

And Maura could feel it increase, feel it build, and knew the signs within her lover. So though she was just as happy to continue making love to Jane, to move in her and over her and against her, she also knew she had drawn this out long enough; that Jane had done and been everything Maura could have hoped for and more and that it was time to give in and give back. So she began to concentrate less on the movements and rhythm of her fingers in and out of Jane and more on the movements and track of her thumb. Ensuring it hit and circled Jane's clit repeatedly, ensuring it passed directly over it every time, exciting it and Jane, pleasuring it and Jane, and pushing it and Jane that much higher, that much closer with each small thrust.

And push Jane it did. At just the first confident precise pass of Maura's thumb over her very essence, Jane's body immediately recognized the change and the detective's ass tightened and pushed up into the new sensation as one leg began to quiver slightly, Jane's breath catching, and catching again with each brush of Maura's thumb. God she was getting so close, she knew she was getting so close, it had been building since the living room, slowly and steadily, with each perfectly played note and seduction, and now she was being pushed ever higher, ever closer, by Maura's careful and heavy and determined and unrelenting circling over her clit. Oh, god; god, Maura! So. Close!

But...though she knew, very much knew the end was not far off, and though she very much welcomed that ultimate end, she didn't want it to come just yet, not quite yet, not like this, there was one more thing she wanted, one more request she hoped Maura would understand. She tightened her grip on Maura's hair then tightened even further and gave a little tug, lifting Maura's head away, getting the doctor's attention.

Maura looked up, slightly confused.

"Please," Jane looked down at the concerned face of her lover with hooded and dilated eyes, "Please, I want to kiss you," she panted out between ever more labored breaths, "I want to be kissing you," was all she could manage by way of explanation.

But it was enough. It was a request Maura didunderstand and one she was more than willing to fulfill.

The M.E. broke contact with Jane's body so she could scoot upwards, bringing herself even with the detective, propping herself up on her elbow again at Jane's side, holding herself up, looking down at her lover, one of the detective's hands still wrapped around the headboard, the other still threaded through Maura's hair, the two women just staring at each other, silent understanding, silent acknowledgement, silent emotions passing between them.

Maura then reach down and reestablished contact with Jane body, sliding her fingers past the shock of dark hair covering Jane's sex and letting two fingers slide back into Jane's heat and directly over Jane's exposed clit.

Jane bit her lip as her eyes, those soulful bottomless eyes, once again expressed everything Maura needed to know, pleading with her, wanting her, needing her. And Maura happily obliged. She leaned down and once more captured Jane's lips in a kiss, sliding her tongue into Jane's mouth as she slid her fingers through and over Jane's sex, rubbing the detective's clit with tenderness and conviction, circling and pressing, giving and giving again.

And all of it driving Jane right to a brink she knew she couldn't come back from. She tried to keep up with the kiss, tried to reciprocate, but her body was primed and Maura knew just how to push it and play it, the doctor's fingers finding and keeping just the right rhythm, hitting just the right spots, and knowing just the right pressure. It had been building for too longer, it was too strong, too undeniable, and Jane simply couldn't hold out any longer.

When it hit it hit quietly but it hit hard, far harder than either one of them would have expected. The detective's eyes slamming shut and her face contorting into what could have been an expression of tremendous pain but which Maura knew was anything but, Jane's mouth falling open and soft soundless screams leaving her mouth with each passing wave, the detectives leg muscles tightening and surging, her toes fluttering, feet kicking, upper body shaking and trembling against Maura who just kept moving, kept watching, kept giving, completely in the moment with Jane and completely in awe of this woman before her.

But when Jane's face and muscles became more lax, when her upper body slumped, Maura slowed her movements, and finally stopped. She slowly extracted her hand from Jane's heat and began to just slowly move it over the detective's abdomen. She propped herself back up on her elbow, continuing her light ministrations while patiently and contentedly waiting for Jane; watching the detective's beautiful face, feeling her chest rise and fall beside her, listening as previously labored breathing began to return to normal.

Finally, after several minutes passed and Jane's body had relaxed and the flush had begun to fade, and when the defective's face had taken on a look of utter peace, Maura spoke quietly, stilling running one hand gently over the skin of Jane's torso, "That looked like it was a good one."

Jane could hear the lightness and slight teasing quality in Maura's voice and in her words but she was too sated and content to care or be embarrassed about the truth in Maura's statement. A small smile curled her lips and she sighed blissfully, "It was." The detective swallowed then and though she didn't open her eyes, she did start to stir as her voice scratched out, "But I need to get up now."

Maura flattened her hand on Jane's stomach and applied just a tiny bit of pressure in an attempt to still Jane as she asked, "Why do you have to get up?"

"Because if I don't..." Jane, in fact, did stop moving then, her muscles going lax again even as she finished, "I'm going to fall asleep."

Maura leaned down and placed a light kiss just under one of Jane's closed eyes, "And what's wrong with that?"

"It's cliché," Jane slurred slightly.

Maura chuckled to herself, "It's fine," she assured.

"But it's only eight o'clock," Jane valiantly battled on, trying to stay awake, trying to find reasons why she should stay awake, though she was no longer physically struggling, her body sinking even deeper into the mattress.

"And?" Maura prompted, now running a finger lightly down the side of Jane's face, the tender caress further lulling Jane to rest.

"And my body will think it's a nap and wake up in three hours." Jane responded, the words not really articulated very well, but Maura got the idea. "Then what?"

The doctor leaned down and placed another kiss on Jane's cheek and then another on the side of Jane's lips as her hand wandered down to lightly cup one of Jane's breasts and as she whispered, "Then I'll make love to you again until to fall back asleep."

Jane's eyebrows rose at that, it was the closest she could come to opening her eyes and looking at Maura to see if she was serious.

Maura smiled at the failed attempt. "I promise," she whispered, "So let yourself go," Maura gently instructed again. Jane opened her mouth but Maura moved quickly and covered it with two fingers, preventing the detective from speaking, "Don't ask me if I'm sure," she said quietly, "It's okay."

Jane knew she couldn't hold out any longer, Maura's soft caresses and soft words, and the fact that, once again, Maura seemed to know the detective better than she knew herself, were claiming her way too fast. She exhaled, the week, the day, the evening, Maura, all of it catching up to her. All fight, all energy gone. "So this is you in charge, huh?" she mumbled, clearly half asleep now and no longer really fighting it.

Maura chuckled again and the unexpected statement and once more traced a tender finger down the side of Jane's face, "No, this isn't me in charge."

Jane raised an eyebrow again, the most she could muster.

Maura answered her unspoken question, "This is just you-not-in-charge," Maura brushed her thumb across Jane's lips, "If you're really curious, sometime I'll show you me-in-charge."

That was enough to get Jane to actually crack an eye open and look briefly at her lover before her eyes rolled back slightly and fell shut again, her brain hoping it would remember to follow up on that statement when she had more energy to process it. But for the time being all she could respond with was a lame, "Okay."

They both fell silent again and Maura thought Jane had drifted off but was proved wrong when the detective murmured, "Maur?"

"Yes, Jane?" Maura whispered from right next to her.

"Love you," Jane mumbled.

Maura smiled. "I love you, too," she responded and placed a last kiss on the side of Jane's mouth.

Jane nodded slightly and then finally, fully, fell into slumber.

Maura watched her sleep for several minutes, the detective's face so peaceful when she wasn't battling inner demons and secrets and memories and responsibilities. The doctor then reached down and pulled the sheet up over Jane before going to retrieve first her shirt, then her book from the living room, turning lights off and locking the front door as she returned to the bedroom to crawl back into bed next to Jane. She read for a while, maybe an hour or so, occasionally glancing down at the woman sleeping beside her, smiling without even knowing it each time she did, before closing her book and setting it on the nightstand. She turned off the light and snuggled in close to the warm body next to her, easily and quickly falling asleep herself.

It was four hours later, rather than the three Jane had predicted that she woke up, unintentionally but not unhappily waking the lightly snoozing Maura when she rolled over. And, as promised, with just a few quiet words between them, Maura made love to Jane again.

Though, actually, it was more mutual this time, and more mutually pleasing. And though neither woman's release was as strong or as intense as Jane's had been earlier, they were just as deeply satisfying in other ways and on other levels.

And when it was over, when they were finished, they both fell asleep again, tangled in each other's limbs, neither one waking again until their alarms went off later that morning.