Chapter 1

No one could prepare Jane for the flood of raw emotions that came with her father's announcement that he had cancer. She was angry and she was scared, but most importantly, she was disappointed in him. She hadn't a clue how to reign in these feelings. She was a brilliant detective, capable of solving some of the toughest of mysteries, but she couldn't even figure out why she felt the way she did regarding her father.

She took a swig of her cool beer and sighed heavily. Her mind was playing over the events that happened earlier at Maura's. Jane had acted like a total ass to her. She knew it too. Maura was just trying to comfort her, but she felt way too vulnerable at the moment to be comforted. True, Maura was the only person whom she felt she could open up to, but she just wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to reveal those feelings that resided in the deepest crevices of her soul. She just wasn't ready.

Her phone buzzed lightly on her hip. She retrieved it, squinting at the overwhelming light of the screen. Her head hurt badly. Was it stress or something else? She sighed when she saw that it was a text from Maura.

"Are you still upset with me?" Maura's text read.

Jane smiled and ran her fingers through her hair. "Maybe…" She answered back.

She really wasn't upset, just…

Sad…

No, not sad. Frustrated maybe.

"I can't apologize if you don't tell me what I did to upset you?"

Jane placed the phone down on the coffee table and lay back against the couch. Her head was spinning with thoughts of her father. How could this happen? Why now?

She fought back tears as they threatened to flood out of her eyes. Her heart swelled up inside of her chest, choking her breath as she struggled to breathe. She took a deep breath, reaching over to retrieve her phone.

"I'm not upset. I just needed some time." A minute rolled by.

"Time for?"

Jane shook her head. She didn't want to be alone. She wanted Maura to be there with her, but she didn't want to be a burden. She knew she was just losing a grip on her emotions. She was daddy's girl after all…

"I'm sorry ab earlier, Maur."

"It's quite alright."

"No…"

Jane felt her heart rising further into her throat. She couldn't trust these new raw emotions that she presently felt. She felt like screaming, yelling at the top of her lungs, so loud that her voice would reach even the tallest of mountains. But even if she tried, her voice had been weakened by this deep, excruciating internal pain. Nothing she felt could ease it at the moment.

"No what?" Maura asked.

Jane looked at her message screen for a few moments. Not sure how to compose her request. She didn't want to sound needy, or idiotic, but she really needed her friend right now. She didn't want to be alone tonight. She wanted someone to help her shoulder this pain that threatened to crush her heart. She slowly began to compose her text.

"Would you like some company, Jane?" Maura chimed in before she had a chance to finish writing her text.

Jane nodded briskly, and then chuckled to herself, thinking how absolutely absurd it was that she was nodding…as if Maura could see her.

"Yes I would… Very much." Jane sighed. There, she did it. She put herself out there. She'd just hoped to God that Maura wouldn't think she was a needy fool.

"Okay, sit tight. I'll be there shortly."

Jane's head was pounding in her skull. She felt like shit. She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. Soon Maura would be here and she would be in the presence of the one person who could make sense of her confusing and complicated emotions. Maura was so good at explaining things.

Jane exhaled again. Yes, Maura would help…

The next thing she realized, there was a light tapping on the door. She recognized this signature knock. She'd finally arrived. Jane wasn't even cognizant of how much time had passed. All she knew was her heart instantly felt a bit lighter now knowing that Maura was on the other end of the door.

She got up and went to the door, opening it slowly. A few long seconds later, she beheld the most beautiful creation in the universe. Jane stared at her for a while, temporarily paralyzed by the sight of her friend. She'd often wondered why just the sight of Maura Isles made her heart flutter…

Maura flashed a disarming smile Jane's way and stepped closer.

"May I come in?" her voice was calm and soothing. It took just seconds for her request to float off her lips and envelop Jane's heart.

"Uh, yeah…" Jane said stepping aside. "I'm sorry. Come on in." She watched her pass by her and after she was safely inside, Jane shut the door behind her and locked it.

Maura removed her jacket and made herself at home on the couch. She patted the cushion next to her, beckoning Jane to sit. Jane obeyed and sat quietly.

Jane's eyes fell into her lap. Just having Maura there was enough to flood her with emotion. She swallowed hard, trying to keep herself composed. She glanced over at Maura, who was gazing upon her with such love and concern it nearly made her heart rip in two.

"I don't know what's wrong with me." Jane sighed.

Maura reached and tucked a stray curl behind Jane's ear. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jane nodded. "I just don't know where to begin."

Maura nodded in agreement and cleared her throat. She was careful to choose her words carefully as she stroked Jane's soft hair. "Is it about your father?" She asked so softly that Jane's heart quivered inside.

Jane bit her lip and nodded briskly.

"I know this isn't easy for you. This is a shock… Prostate cancer is on the rise among men his age…" Maura started to go on about the facts about cancer, but she thought better of it. She knew that Jane needed love and compassion right now, not facts.

Jane whimpered a bit and lowered her head into her hands. Maura just wanted to kick herself. She inhaled deeply and wrapped her arms around Jane, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"I'm so sorry," she sighed as she pressed her lips against the side of Jane's face. Her lips quivered with emotion as she felt her own heart breaking for her friend. "What can I do?"

Jane didn't answer she just wept silently in Maura's arms, ashamed of letting Maura see her in such a vulnerable state. She just rested her head on her bosom as Maura stroked her hair gently, caressing away her pain.

"Don't leave, please." Jane finally said. Her voice was weak, full of fatigue. "Will you stay with me?"

Maura nodded. "Of course I will." She said as she leaned back onto the couch, pulling Jane into her embrace again. She waited for Jane to settle into the position, with her head placed right over Maura's heart, securely wrapped in her arms.

"Are you comfortable?" Maura whispered.

Jane nodded sleepily. "Yes."

"Good." She kissed the top of Jane's head and sighed contently.

"Thank you." Jane whispered.

"For what?"

Jane sniffled a few times, forcing back her tears. Maura could tell Jane was hurting. She just hoped that she could be of some comfort to her, however she could.

"Thank you for being here for me."

Maura nodded and pressed her lips into the top of Jane's head, gently inhaling the scent of her hair into her nostrils. "That's what friends are for." She sighed and pulled the blanket over them, "Now let's get some sleep, okay?"

Jane wrapped her arms underneath Maura as Maura embraced her tighter. After a moment, their breaths became synchronized and they began to fall asleep. Neither one said anything else to each other. They each were alone to their own thoughts; and their thoughts were on each other, wondering what the other was thinking and feeling.

Before Jane had succumbed to the clutch of slumber, she recognized that the pain she felt had somewhat subsided. It was still there, but it was noticeably less intense. Maura had become her security blanket, draping her with love and compassion, and giving her the needed warmth and protection in order to deal with her pain.

She sighed heavily before drifting off. It wasn't a sigh of dread, but one of relief and contentment