A/N: Howdy. As an avid Rizzles reader, I'm really excited to finally have something of my own in this fandom. If you've seen my profile, you know that I don't write much any more, so this story is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you. I had it in my head after seeing 4x04 "Killer in High Heels" and I just went for it (you really should really see the ep before your read the fic, so that this doesn't spoil anything and/or so you have context, but I suppose you can survive without it). This is also my first time writing sex/smut on here (notice the rating), which may also come as a surprise since it's a majority of what I read.

I want to take a moment to thank my awesome beta RilesPatrickMurphy, who refuses to let up on me and knows all the right buttons to push so that I produce something semi-awesome. RilesPatrickMurphy doesn't write on here very much anymore either (a reader just like me) which makes us retirees kindred spirits.

Finally, Disclaimer: Don't own Jane, Maura, or the show. Janet and her people do. Not to say that this stops me from wishing that Maura was mine on a nightly basis. Just saying.

Enjoy!

Immersion Therapy

Several days had passed since Maura was released from state custody for the murder of Bryan Adams and though at work she appeared to be keeping it together, Maura's internal healing was progressing just as slowly as the facial bruising that she was still nursing. Her new case was long and unrelenting: the young girl, Penelope Slaton, right in front of her on the autopsy table was no older than ten and brutally killed. Maura noticed rope burns on her wrists, which made her cringe instinctively.

As Maura forced herself to turn around and take deep breaths to keep any irrational tears from escaping, she heard the door to the morgue swing open behind her.

"Hey, day's over, let's get out of here," Jane said, "Whattare you up for? Straight home or a drink at the new Robber?"

Maura spun around to face Jane before she could sense Maura's fragility and wore a strained smile. "How about we do drinks at home? Get the best of both worlds? We should have some more wine on the rack," she mused.

"Sounds good by me," Jane replied.

When the two arrived at Maura's Beacon Hill home it was with a particular shade of exhaustion painted across their faces. Maura unlocked the door, set her keys on a small bureau in the living room, and plopped onto the couch to remove her heels. After her, Jane set down her gun, badge, and cuffs, sighing, "Maur, I think I'm gonna hit the shower, then I'm all yours okay?"

"That's fine," Maura answered in a dreamlike tone as she stared ahead at a patch of nothing at the wall, "I'll pour us some merlot for when you get out."

Jane reemerged in the living room not twenty minutes later, hair damp and in nothing but the silk black robe that Maura gifted to her when Jane first started making consistent overnight visits. The robe, which Maura had noted was from Paris, fell perfectly on Jane. It was soft and feminine, simple and classy, without taking away the detective's edge; and the fact that it was short enough to make a gorgeous spectacle out of Jane's forever-long, tan legs was a perk that Maura enjoyed and frequently verbalized. However, tonight none of this seemed to matter to Maura who looked as though she had not moved a muscle since Jane left the room.

Jane walked up behind the couch, noticing Maura's inertness and posed, "What, no wine?"

Maura gave no response.

"Maura, are you okay? Have you been sitting there like that since I left?" Jane was concerned as she approached her lover.

After a second-long silence Maura began nonchalantly, "Did you know that the first mention of handcuffs actually appeared in Greek mythology, as the poet Virgil recounted the story of Proteus who was detained for selfishly withholding all of his knowledge? And even so, records state that handcuffs were all made of animal hide up until The Bronze Age when sturdy metal finally became available."

"I'm not sure what you're trying to tell me here, Maur." Jane's voice equally revealed her confusion and her love for the doctor. Jane took her place beside Maura on the couch.

"I..I don't know Jane. Never mind. It's nothing, forget about it."

"Not a chance. I know better than that. Every time you give a whole wikispeech, there's always something behind it. You're trying to prove a point, or tell me off, or deflect, or…" her voice trailed off in sympathy.

"I," Maura's voice shook ever so slightly and a tear made its way down her cheek, "I, just…I'm experiencing a mild phobia that's all," she rushed, attempting to brush Jane off.

"Of what? What's got you so afraid?"

Silence. Maura's gaze was fixed on the bureau as she attempted to 'say' without doing any actual saying. After all, it was a stupid thing to be afraid of. Jane handled handcuffs all of the time and she never experienced any adverse reactions. She wouldn't get it.

Jane's "Oh," was barely audible before the sound of her understanding sent Maura into tears that were now beyond her control.

"It was horrible, Jane!" she sobbed, "I felt like an animal, with my hands behind my back like that. And you, and Frost and Korsak. It was utterly mortifying. And not to mention painful. They were tight, and they hurt, and now I have even more bruises to add to my collection!" Maura couldn't control her hysteria.

Jane tried to interject, but Maura gave her no room. "And after stripping me like that in the interrogation room. In front of my colleagues, Jane, for everyone and anyone to see!"

"Maura, believe me, I tried to be gentle, I tried to make it as painless as possible for you. You know I'll do anything to protect you," Jane reasoned.

"Protect me? How could you possibly protect me while you haul me out like merchandise in those…those things!" wailed Maura, as she pointed an unsteady finger to where the cuffs sat.

Jane wrapped her arms around Maura and pulled her in close against her chest. Maura attempted to pull away but Jane's firm embrace refused to let her squirm for very long, and Maura was forced to let her sobs diffuse into Jane's body.

"Hey, hey now, shhh, shhh, shhh," Jane comforted Maura, wrapping her tightly with one arm and lifted the other to gentle smooth her lover's flawless, honey-gold locks.

They stayed like that for nearly half an hour before Maura's cries dissolved into irrepressible whimpers. Once they encountered a few minutes of silence, Jane drew Maura away from her just enough to cradle Maura's face with her hands and wipe away the excess tears. Jane placed a soft kiss on Maura's lips before asking earnestly, "Do you trust me, Maura?"

Those few simple words were enough to catch Maura off guard. In light of the recent events, Maura's emotions had been all over the place. She felt betrayed, and hurt, even though she knew that Jane hadn't done anything intentional to harm her. She was overwrought with guilt, in spite of the fact that she couldn't quite place what she was supposed to feel guilty about. But underneath all of that turmoil, it was obvious: Maura couldn't help but trust Jane. She trusted Jane with her whole heart and, often enough, with her safety and wellbeing too; what else was left?

At the last second, Maura cleared her throat and managed to utter, "Of course I do Jane."

"Okay," Jane affirmed, "then I'd like to try something. Go wait for me in the bedroom. I'll be right in, all right?"

Maura, who had very little fight left in her, only nodded and obeyed her girlfriend wordlessly. When Jane was sure that Maura was situated in the other room, she rose off the couch, releasing a sigh, and made her way to the bureau for her handcuffs, undoubtedly thinking to herself: gosh, here goes nothing.

Jane entered the bedroom, sat beside Maura atop their light aqua bedspread and held out the handcuffs so that they were plainly in view. "Maura, I'd like for you to reach out and touch the cuffs, okay?" she cautiously instructed.

"No, Jane, I can't. I just can't," she began to panic.

"It's okay, Maur, it's just me, nothing bad is going to happen to you. Just…try and reach out and run your fingers over them, okay?"

Maura hovered a shaky hand over Jane's palms in which the handcuffs lay. She slowly lowered it just so, so that her fingertips met the cold metal for a few moments as she swiped them along the curve of one cuff.

"Good job, Maura," Jane reassured, "that wasn't too bad, right?"

Maura swallowed hard and shook her head.

"Good. Ready for the next step?" A calm silence from Maura was Jane's sign to continue. Jane extended her palms towards Maura and said, "This time your whole hands, okay? I want you to put your hands in mine by laying them over the handcuffs. Do you think you can do that for me?"

"Y-yes." Maura reached both her hands out this time slowly brought them together with Jane's. Maura's palms struggled to register two sensations at once: the harsh cool of the metal against her palms juxtaposed with the soft heat of Jane's hands clasped together with her own. Her hands fluttered slightly, but Jane was steady and created clear breathing patterns for Maura to follow, so Maura did not rush to pull away. Once the metal finally warmed up and Maura seemed a bit less startled than before, Jane released her grasp and withdrew the cuffs along with her.

"Very good, babe. Now for this next part, I'm going to need to follow each of my instructions very carefully and do exactly as I say. Do you understand?"

Maura nodded affirmative.

"If for any reason you begin to feel too scared or unsafe, I want you to say the word 'potato.'"

"Potato?" Maura questioned, sounding closest to her usual demeanor than she had all evening, "You mean, like a spud? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't know Maura," Jane rolled her eyes with the slightest hint of impatience at the doctor's constant curiosity, "It was just the first thing I could think of. It's meant to stand out of the situation so that if anything goes wrong—"

"Jane, I know what a safeword is."

"Okay then, hush." Putting an end to the banter, Jane continued tenderly, "From this point forward, you will only speak when spoken to, and you will be sure to respond using my name. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Jane."

"Good. Now once I pull back the covers, lay flat on your back in the center of the bed and lift your arms up for me."

Maura did as she was told. Jane hovered over her lover and with a click click click fastened the first cuff around Maura's right wrist, making certain that it was neither too loose nor too tight. Maura shuddered visibly beneath her. With another click click click Maura's left wrist was secured, leaving her thoroughly attached to the center bedpost that ran up her headboard.

"Is this okay?" asked Jane.

Maura nodded compulsively. "Excuse me?" Jane raised her eyebrow.

"Yes, Jane, I'm fine." Jane hoped to soon ease the worry present in Maura's tone.

"Much better," Jane purred.

Once Maura was in place, Jane began to pull Maura's off-white blouse from where it was tucked in to her chocolate-colored slacks. Maura's eyes closed at the feeling of the soft fabric slowly grazing over her stomach. Jane undid the buttons one by one until Maura was exposed to the cool bedroom air. She placed a line of very intentional kisses down Maura's front, beginning with her collarbone, working a special kiss in between Maura's breasts, and eventually concluding beneath her naval.

"Does that feel good?" Jane inquired.

Maura managed to let out a breathy "Yes, Jane" in response. Maura was still hyperaware of the cuffs that kept her bound to the top of the bed and their harsh, uncomfortable grasp against her wrists. However, with Jane's slow predation over her body, a sense of arousal crept over Maura and began to distract her from any other consciousness.

Jane shucked Maura's slacks in two swift motions and before either one of them could process it, Maura was nearly nude, her aroma filling the space around them.

"Mmmm," a pleased Jane expressed before eagerly kissing and nipping on Maura's inner thigh. Maura bit her bottom lip and turn her head in order to keep herself in order.

Jane noticed Maura's squirming, a combination of the small fear she still harbored and the sweet stimulation that she could barely resist. Jane spoke softly but firmly to her, "Maura, I need you to understand something," Jane paused to make sure she had Maura's attention, "You may not be in control here," another pause, "but you, are not helpless."

She waited to make sure Maura processed her words. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Jane, I understand."

"Tell me, Maura," Jane persisted, "Say 'I am not helpless.'"

"I am not helpless, Jane." Maura asserted rather convincingly.

"Good." Jane responded, "Now I'm going to fuck you until you believe it."

At that Maura let out a reactive moan and Jane went back to her place between Maura's thighs where she finally yanked off Maura's elegant thong underwear and revealed Maura's achingly wet and handsome pussy.

At the sight, Jane came forward, dipped her tongue inside Maura, drew out the wetness and flicked Maura's clit deliberately. Maura trembled and the cuffs rattled. Against her wrists, against each other, against the bedpost, the noise of the cuffs was background music, cheering on Jane's spectacular performance.

"MmmmMaura, you are absolutely delicious," said Jane as she made her way back up and extracted a long kiss from her lover, intent that she, too, taste her juices. Jane broke the kiss to see a smooth smile smeared across Maura's face. She wasted no time before reaching her hand into each cup of Maura's bra, uncovering each of her breasts in turn. She took a breast into her mouth and began to suck attentively, only releasing somewhat so that she could swirl her tongue around the nipple: an act that drove Maura wild with desire.

Maura began to writhe madly beneath Jane, but Jane endured without distraction. Only when she was ready, did she move to pay the other breast equal attention. She sucked harder and more determined than before, feeling her own arousal throbbing through her core. At this point Maura's wetness undeniably pooled in between her legs, spilling over onto the sheets surrounding her. When Maura's heavy breaths neared on pants, Jane asked playfully, "Do you think you're ready for me?"

"Yes-yes-yes Jane," Maura's voice hit a low register that was only heard in moments of deep ecstasy. Jane smirked at the thought.

Jane ceased working Maura's breasts and slipped two fingers cleanly inside Maura. Maura's walls were slick with her fluids, giving Jane no problem whatsoever as she thrust her fingers in and out repeatedly. Maura's hips began to buck upwards rhythmically in attempt to meet Jane's fingers. Jane curled her fingers into Maura, reaching the soft spongy spot at her center.

"Ohhh Jane," Maura reacted.

Partly to reprimand Maura for speaking out of turn, fully knowing that she couldn't quite control it at this point, and partly to excite her further, Jane tenderly grabbed Maura's ass cheek with her free hand. Maura let out a high-pitched yelp.

"Is there something you need?" Jane coaxed.

"Yes, Jane, please, I need to…" her voice trailed off.

"Hmm?" Jane pursued.

"I need you, Jane, I'm almost there. Please help…" she gasped for air as another one of Jane's thrusts made it its way into her.

"Come for me, sweetheart, show me. Show me how beautiful you are." Maura's body answered Jane's call, as her feet pushed her further off the mattress and into Jane's fingers several times swiftly before she felt a rush through her self that manifested in the most guttural moan.

Maura's worn out body dropped back onto the mattress below her and she convulsed a few times with the aftershocks. When she was finally still, Jane slowly removed her fingers, her hand covered in more of Maura than she had even expected, she wiped her hand off and reached for the handcuff keys that were beside her on the nightstand. Jane released Maura from one cuff and then another. Maura wiggled free and smiled with sexy delight before Jane turned to her with cuffs and keys in hand and said, "Please put these over there on the dresser, would you, and then come right back here to me."

This time, if Maura hesitated, it went by unnoticed. She took the handcuffs and keys from Jane and placed them on the dresser. Before returning to the bed she shrugged off her blouse that was just barely hanging on the hinges of her shoulders and she unclasped the bra that she was only half wearing. Jane caught a full frontal glance at Maura before she climbed back into the bed: she was exquisite.

Maura faced Jane and wasted no time before curling up into Jane's arms. "There you go," said Jane welcoming her closer, "I have you. And nothing's gonna harm you so long as I'm around. I promise, okay?" Maura nodded. She felt small, contained, dependent, yet safe and certainly not helpless. In fact, as odd as it was, she felt kind of strong.