Hi there! Here I am again with an AUish story about this special badass couple. Jane is a detective right after her first encounter with Hoyt and Maura is a mysterious psychiatrist Jane really wants to get to know. Tag along for their ride together in this new adventure.

Their thoughts are in Italics.

Disclaimer: The characters belong to TNT, Janet Tamaro and especially Tess Gerritsen. I only own the idea of the story.

I hope you like it Enjoy! :) And be kind with your reviews, I'm just doing this for fun.

I can't believe that Cavanaugh has made me go to a shrink. Maybe I had a bad run with the worst animal I've ever met, but that doesn't make me a nutcase, for God's sake!

Jane enters the hall of her new psychiatrist and announces her name to the receptionist. The woman invites her to take a seat while she waits and Jane complies. After about then minutes, the door to the doctor's office opens and a patient exits with tears in his eyes.

This must be a hell of a doctor, Jane thinks. Right then, the receptionist invites Jane to enter the office and she accepts reluctantly. What Jane wasn't expecting was to see a gorgeous woman waiting for her on the other side of a beautiful wooden desk. She stands up and offers a hand to the stunned detective.

"Hello Jane. My name is Maura. How can I help you?"

Her voice, her eyes, her hair. Oh my God, this woman is a goddess!

"Mmmm... Oh, sorry, I got distracted. Hi. I just... Well, let's cut to the chase, I'm here because my boss made me come." Jane fidgets with her aching hands.

"Sit down please. I see. Did something happen in your work that he forced you to attend a session with me?"

"Well... Let's say that my job is all about the worst trash you can find on the streets and sometimes it gets out of hand."

"Can you be more specific?"

"I can but I don't want to. Doc, you and I know that this is a waste of time. You won't solve my problems and I won't magically believe in you shrinks, so why don't you sign a paper that says that I complied so I can go back to work?"

"Because Jane, things don't work that way. First of all, you need to open up to me, at least a little bit so I can understand what those problems you mentioned are. Second of all, because we 'shrinks' as you call us, despite of what you think of us, exist to help other people and believe or not, sometimes a stranger is the best person to listen to us. A fresh look can help us see things differently and maybe even face challenges and fears better."

"Look doc, no disrespect, but I'm not about to open up my heart and mind to some stranger that doesn't know me at all. I don't work that way and I hope you understand."

"I understand that some people are reluctant to take that step because it's not an easy one. But it's also a brave one and by the looks of it, you seem to be brave woman. Am I wrong?"

Man! How stubborn can this woman be! Let it go already!

Jane stands up and offers her hand again to the doctor but she doesn't reciprocate. Before she can leave, the detective asks:

"Are you mad at me? Because I didn't mean to be rude, honestly. It's just that I'm very reserved and making me come here wasn't the best way to help me. But it's been nice talking to you."

"Jane, sit down, please. We have fifty minutes left and you don't have to leave on these terms. We can talk about anything you want, it doesn't have to be work related if you don't want to."

After a few seconds of hesitation, Jane can't resist the offer and sits down again. There's something about the woman that attracts her like a moth to a flame. In order to brake the ice a little, she decides to make a joke:

"Did you study a Major in stubbornness? Because you must have excelled, for sure."

They both smile. The doctor is pleased that Jane decides to stay.

"Well, my job is to listen and be persuasive. I'm glad that I succeeded for now with you."

She smiles politely and Jane finds that expression adorable. Her hands ache like hell but she can't stop rubbing them.

Shit, what is this woman doing to me, come on! I'm straight! Or am I? Oh, shut up, Jane! And say something smart.

"Yes, you have. For now." Not very creative. Good job, smartass.

Jane winks at the doctor and Maura is surprised. Since the awkwardness is beginning to settle, the doc lets her patient take the lead in the conversation.

"So, what do you want to talk about, Jane?"

"Is this the moment where I have to talk about my childhood and all the traumas my parents caused me? Because you won't find anything there, believe me."

"If you want to talk about that time I'll be delighted to listen. How was your childhood? Your family? Do you have siblings?"

"Yes, I have two brothers. I am the eldest and we are a blue-collar Italian family, so my parents are pretty conservative. Being the only girl made it a little more difficult for me to make a living for myself because my parents always wanted a conventional life for me. You know, husband, children, all that stuff."

"So, you had to fight to become a policewoman."

"Actually, I'm a detective now. But yes, I had to fight my ass off... Oh, sorry for my language."

Jane was a bit ashamed. She was dealing with a very classy woman and she was being an idiot. How else could she screw up?

"Don't apologize for being yourself, Jane. Express yourself as you like, I'm not here to judge, I'm just here to listen to you."

"Ok, thanks. I feel that I had to struggle more than my brothers to become who I wanted to be only because I was a girl. And becoming a cop didn't help things either."

"Was it hard for your parents to accept that you were joining the force?"

"It was a bombshell, especially for my father. The first day in the police academy, when I came home, my father wouldn't talk to me. My mother begged me crying to desist and my brothers grilled me about the experience. So yeah, it was hard. But days went by and they all got used to seeing me talking about the new things I was learning. Eventually they became proud of me and they all assisted to my graduation ceremony. So everything worked out in the end. I guess you just need patience, perseverance and strength to make a path for yourself. "

"That's nice, Jane. What about you? Are you proud of yourself?"

"Not really. Being a cop, I've learned that pride doesn't get you anywhere and it's better to go day by day because you don't know if you'll survive to see the next day. So I'm not proud but driven, I guess."

"That's something we all should apply to our lives. Carpe diem, as they say."

"Right, carpe...whatever."

"Diem. It means 'Enjoy every day' and we should. All of us, because life is precious and we don't understand its value until it's too late."

"Right. Anyway, being a woman in the police is not easy either. You have to prove twice all your skills to be as respected as your male colleagues and sometimes it's very taxing."

"Being a woman is not easy anywhere, but a place like the police force must be a specially hostile environment to the female employees."

"Yes it is. But working hard and showing that you are capable of handling anything that comes your way helps you gain respect. I know of a couple of male colleagues that won't ever be rude again with me. I'm guessing that they have regained feeling in their private area by now."

Jane smiles and Maura laughs a little. That's the best sound that could reach Jane's ears and makes her day. How charming can this doctor be? She thinks.

"What about you, doc? How is your family? Is it as awful as mine?"

"For what I've heard, your family is not awful. Do you really think so?"

"Nah, it was just a way of making conversation. But seriously, what about you?"

"I'm sorry, Jane, but we are not here to talk about me. This session is intended to make you comfortable and let you get used to seeing me. I hope you feel better about talking to me."

Damn, this is gonna be a tough cookie. I'll find the way to get to know you, doctor Maura Isles.

"I'm afraid that your time is up. Will I see you in a next appointment, Jane?"

"Will you give me the thumbs up to get back to my job today?"

"That's not possible, you know that. Give it time, I promise you that you'll feel better talking with me."

As if. Well, screw it, I'll be a good girl and come here as long as she tells me to. She's nice and being on leave I have nothing better to do.

"Ok, count me in for the next session. Do you know long will it take for you to discharge me?"

"It will depend on your progress. It's all up to you, but I'm confident that it won't take long. You are a strong and smart woman and together we can make this work. See you soon, Jane."

They shake hands and Jane feels something she hadn't felt before. Some tingling in her guts, she feels her blood running through her veins and is left speechless by the amazing doctor she has now discovered. Just to say something before exiting, she only manages to mumble:

"See you, doc."

During that day, Jane couldn't stop thinking about Maura. There was something mesmerizing about her. Maybe it was her class, or her demeanor or even her calm presence. Either way, the detective needed to see her again. And soon. When the night arrived, the usual nightmare struck her again. Hoyt had her pinned down to the floor, the pain and fear were excruciating and she felt completely helpless. But then something changed: there was a voice telling her to wake up. That soothing voice was telling her to calm down, that she was safe in her own bedroom and that she only needed to open her eyes to get back to reality. So she did. And there she was, in her own bedroom, alone and safe. Jane was amazed. She remembered every single detail of her last dream and knew who that voice belonged to: Maura. Without even intending to, the doctor had began healing her, even if it was just in dreams. In the next session, Jane would tell her. Or maybe not.