Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Summary: Maura confesses a delicate secret, catching Jane off guard. Jane has a secret of her own, but it seems she should have gone with her heart instead of her head, because things fall apart from there. Will they fix what's broken or will things go from bad to worse? Angst within, but I promise a happy ending. Mini series.

A/N: I promise, I'm still working on my other stories, just had a little idea bugging me.

Confessions

There they were, siting on Maura's living room sofa, like they had so many times before, Maura with her glass of wine, Jane with her bottle of beer. They were laughing and smiling, the way they did every time they got together like this, just enjoying each other's company. But something was different tonight. Maura was quiet, reserved. She tried to hide her troubled thoughts, but Jane knew her too well.

"You deal with Dr. Pike a lot today?" Jane said, taking a slow sip of her beer. She watched Maura out of the corner of her eye, wondering if she would have to be blunt before the doctor would tell her what was so clearly bothering her.

"No…" Maura said with a soft sigh. She shook her head a bit and blinked, looking at Jane as if she had been lost in a daydream. "No, thankfully he wasn't around today."

Jane paused mid-sip and glanced over at Maura, frowning at her. Apparently she was going to have to be a little less subtle with her questions. "What's up Doc?"

The detective's sudden change in tone finally caught the doctor's attention. She looked at the brunette out of the corner of her eye with a half smile, half frown. Maura had a feeling Jane was mocking her, but, of course, she didn't know the reference.

"Are you quoting pop culture again?" Maura said, frowning at her with a fake irritation. "You know I don't like it when you do that."

"And I don't like it when you correct my grammar, that doesn't stop you!" Jane said, hitting playfully at Maura's shoulder.

Maura smiled and sighed softly again. She didn't really mind it when Jane purposefully made references she didn't understand. It gave Jane the chance to outsmart her every once in a while. And that smile Jane got when she stumped the doctor, it was priceless. Maura didn't know it, but Jane didn't really mind Maura correcting her—at least not that much.

"Hey…" Jane said, her tone growing soft with concern, "talk to me, Maur."

"It's nothing." Maura said, shaking her head. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest at even the thought of speaking of her current dilemma. No, this was one thing she absolutely could not share. To do so would risk far too much.

Jane frowned at Maura suspiciously. Lately, their evenings together had grown quiet and subdued. Jane had noticed Maura becoming not only emotionally, but physically distant from her. At first Jane had thought she was just imagining things. But now, as the doctor sat almost on the opposite side of the couch, her lips pressed firmly together in silence and her hazel eyes quite purposefully avoiding Jane's, she started to wonder if maybe she had done something to upset Maura.

"Maura, please?" Jane said, placing a hand on Maura's arm.

Maura could not help but immediately withdraw. She missed Jane's caring touch so much, but lately the way that it made her heart flutter, she did not know if she could control herself.

"I'm sorry, Jane." Maura apologized immediately, she could see the hurt in Jane's coffee brown eyes. The last thing Maura wanted was to cause Jane any pain at all. In fact, that was what she had been trying to avoid in the first place.

Maura's eyes grew moist and she turned her face away from Jane. She did not want her friend to see her cry. She tried to take a deep breath to calm her nerves, but she only ended up hitching her breath and choking back a muffled sob.

"God, Maura!" Jane said, reaching out for the honey blond. But she stopped short, her hands a mere inches from Maura. Jane did not want to upset her even more by touching her again. She felt completely helpless sitting there next to Maura, unable to comfort her.

"Please," Jane pleaded, "tell me what's wrong. You can tell me anything, Maura. You know that, right?"

"I…" Maura choked. She tried not to look Jane in the eyes; if she did she would surely lose her nerve. "Jane I…I love you."

"Oh, Maura…" Jane said, a confused laugh audible in her tone. "You know I love you too. Don't you? Maura, you're my best friend."

"No…" Maura said looking up into Jane's russet eyes, hoping beyond hope she could find in them what she so desperately longed for, "Jane…I'm… in love with you."

Jane stared at her, completely aghast. She gulped and blinked at Maura several times. Out of all the things Jane imagined Maura was upset about, she had never considered anything like this. Maura was into men. She had never expressed interest in women, no less in her. Where had this come from?

"Jane…" Maura whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Please say something."

"I…" Jane searched frantically for the right response. "Maura I… I don't know what to say."

"Say you love me too… please say you love me too." Maura whispered. She did not want to beg, but she had so suddenly put her heart out on her sleeve, she could not stand to see it crushed so completely.

"Maura… I…" Jane said, her face the picture of sympathy, "I do love you…I just… I can't… not in that way."

"I'm sorry," Maura said, burying her face in her hands, "I never should have…"

"Maur…" Jane said, placing a hand delicately on the doctor's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"No," Maura said standing up suddenly and wiping the tears from her face. "I'm sorry, I never should have said anything. I knew telling you would only ruin everything."

"Maura, you haven't ruined anything." Jane said, standing up, trying to put her arms around the honey blond.

"No!" Maura said angrily. Her tears were spent. Now she was just angry with herself for thinking Jane could possibly feel anything more for her than friendship.

"Please Maura!" Jane called after the honey blond as she dashed off.

But Maura could take it no longer. She went to her room, locked the door and fell into her bed. New sorrow erupted out of her as she hit the pillows, the ones that smelled just like Jane. She buried her face in them, and cried.

Jane pleaded at Maura's door for nearly an hour, but she never stirred. The only sound that came from within was the quiet sound of Maura's sobs. The sound broke Jane's heart so much that finally she relented.

"You don't understand." Jane whispered to the door before she left. "I love you so much… so much it hurts. But I can't… I don't know how to be with… Maur… I would just ruin everything."

To Be Continued