Stay Stay Stay

Jane ducked the flying glass and cringed outwardly, while internally she desperately retraced the night to discover how they ended up here with the ever composed Doctor Maura Isles hurling a wine glass in her direction. She grasped at calming words, "Maur, please…"

"Don't." Maura's voice chilled the detective to the bone; this was not her best friend. How the hell had they gotten here? It had been a night filled with revelations and laughter; discussions of solidarity, unwavering support and memories of fake fights with mimes. Really it had been a great night, so what the hell?

You nearly kissed her Rizzoli. You've upset the balance of your relationship. You freaked her out. You broke this.

It was true. A few too many beers and as they had fumbled with the keys to Maura's Beacon Hill home they had shared a moment. Jane had tucked an unruly section of blonde hair back behind the doctor's ears and had felt that magnetizing pull. She had pressed Maura up against the front door and allowed her eyes to flick from surprised hazel eyes to luscious lips and back to eyes that peered back anxiously. Reality had crashed its way back into Jane's thought process at that point and she had reached around and turned the key, opening the front door and guiding her friend inside.

Jane swallowed back her fear while wringing her hands nervously. She watched Maura as she paced anxiously and knew she had to try and fix this; she couldn't bare the thought of having upset the woman. "I shouldn't have… it doesn't have to change anything, okay? I mean, I won't… Hell I'm sorry Maura, please talk to me."

Maura stopped pacing and fixed Jane with the most withering glare. She was uncontrollably angry and she didn't know why. Jane had almost kissed her and while it had caused her great anxiety for a moment, she realised that she would have welcomed it. Worse than that, she longed for it; she had longed for it for the longest time. So why on earth was she so angry with the clearly confused Italian?

Oh, I'm angry because she didn't follow through, because this awful dance of will we or won't we continues on. Goodness, doesn't she know I feel it too? Doesn't she know I can't be the one to make the first move? I can't be the one to potentially destroy what we have. Gosh Jane, just kiss me for crying out loud.

Completely unable to voice her inner monologue Maura sighed and headed for the stairs, there was no more point to this. She needed to take some time out and gather her senses before she did some permanent damage to the most important relationship in her life.

Jane exhaled loudly, releasing pent up tension. It was not a good thing that Maura had gone to bed angry, not a good thing at all. She shuddered involuntarily at the last time they had truly fought and it sickened her to her stomach. She was a coward; she had known since that soul wrenching time between shooting Doyle and being forgiven that she was desperately in love with the doctor, but she had never consciously acted upon it until tonight.

Almost.

But Maura couldn't possibly feel anything romantic for her, could she? That reaction couldn't possibly have been from reciprocal feelings; no, she had messed up bad and Maura was now scared she was going to lose her best friend. That had to be it, Jane had surmised to herself. She would fix this, but first things first she cleaned up the glass that had shattered harmlessly against the wall behind her.

She had two choices at this point, she could stay or she could go home. Who was she kidding? This place was home, whether it was official or not, there was nowhere else she would rather be. So Jane made the only decision she could; she chose to stay.

The next morning Jane sauntered into the kitchen with an intense need for caffeine, a drip was preferred, but she was going to settle for instant from the tin she had hidden in Maura's pantry. Although as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes she noticed Maura sitting at the island reading the paper with a cup of coffee for herself and a larger mug filled with the freshly brewed nectar of the gods waiting for Jane.

"You stayed." Maura stated factually and then pushed the mug in Jane's direction.

Jane accepted the mug and wrapped her long dextrous fingers around the warmth and brought it to her mouth; savouring both the aroma and the delicate taste as it assaulted her tastebuds. This was better than her dreams of a caffeine drip. Finally she looked over at Maura and offered a sheepish grin, "Leave and miss this? I think not."

Maura cracked a small smile and folded the newspaper up, placing it to the side before sipping from her coffee, not removing her gaze from the detective. "I think we should talk about last night." In many ways it was the last thing she wanted to talk about, but her outburst had been ridiculous and Jane deserved some sort of explanation.

Jane cocked her head thoughtfully before a giant grin broke out on her face. She sat her mug down on the bench top and said, "Hold that thought." She raced to the front door where she grabbed her car keys that sat on the side table and shot out the door.

Maura furrowed her brows thoughtfully; she hoped that Jane was going to return. Moments later her wish was granted as she watched Jane return with an addition to her grey BPD sweatshirt and sweatpants. She raised a curious eyebrow in questioning.

Jane laughed from behind her softball catcher's mask, "Okay let's talk."

"Aside from preventing you drinking your coffee, does that mask have any practical use in this situation Jane?" Maura asked dryly.

Jane nodded enthusiastically; the sole point was to make Maura feel at ease and a prop was extra fun in this instance. "I need to protect myself from flying glassware, or any other such kitchen utensil I may find hurled in my direction." She paused for a moment and followed through with, "Although you throw like a girl Maura."

Maura felt all apprehension leave her body. Of course things would be okay; Jane wouldn't let it be any other way. Still the woman had, she believed, made fun of her ability to throw. A devious grin tugged at her lips as she reached over to the fruit bowl and grabbed an orange. She tossed it from hand to hand as she stood from her stool and moved around the island so that she had Jane clear in her sights.

Jane backed up playfully as she watched the doctor almost stalk her with that orange and devious smile. Oh boy she was in for it now, if Maura could aim straight and throw with any real force, which Jane was banking on being a no. The orange smashed into the catcher's mask and the impact caused it to split open and send juice flying into her eyes. "God damnit Maura; really?" The deep belly laughter that followed belied the seriousness she had tried to convey.

Maura was by Jane's side in an instant, tugging the mask away from her head and surveying the damage. "I can honestly say that I do believe you will live." She smacked away the hand that was trying to rub the eyes with the offending liquid stinging them. "Rubbing won't help, just blink rapidly."

Jane's laughter subsided and she clenched her hands into fists by her side; Maura was standing so close to her and she had to bite back this sudden desire to kiss her friend. Why the hell did she have to look so gorgeous all the damn time? She took an involuntary step back, her body recognising the need for distance.

"Jane?" Maura had noticed the backwards step and felt the tension in the room dial up several notches. She silently cursed herself for allowing Jane to lighten the mood too much.

Jane ran a hand through her dark unruly curls and focused on her breathing; she could do this, she could have the conversation that might change everything. "I'm sorry I tried to kiss you last night Maur," she blurted out hurriedly. "Clearly it made you uncomfortable and I know it must seem like it's gonna mess our friendship up, but it doesn't have to k?"

"Jane…" Maura tried to find the words, but they trailed out as she watched her best friend fidget uncomfortably under her gaze.

"I, uh… I think I should go." Flight mode activated. She hurriedly marched past Maura and was just opening the front door when she felt delicate fingers wrap around her wrist and tug at her forcing her to turn around and stare into teary hazel eyes.

Her heart ached for the pain she was clearly causing her best friend. She reached out and wiped the tears away, allowing her palm to cup the soft cheek as she lost herself in the eyes silently pleading her to stay. Her gaze averted to her palm when she felt Maura lean into it; that was something she hadn't expected. She brought her other hand up to the doctor's tear stained face and cupped her other cheek. Emotion choked in her throat as she tried to express with words her heart's desire. "Maur… God… I just…"

It was apparent their relationship had already changed. If she didn't seize the moment now Maura realised she might just lose it all as Jane retreated into her cocoon of protection. She wrapped a hand around Jane's waist and used the other to pull her into a tender kiss, which quickly escalated into a deep probing passionate embrace ending when Jane inadvertently backed her into the hall wall. She stared back at hopeful dark brown orbs and whispered, "Stay."

"Are you sure?" Jane managed to husk out through the heaving of her chest and attempts to get her breath back.

Maura nodded timidly.

"Because you were pretty mad last night; you threw stuff at me Maura." Her tone was neither angry nor accusatory; she just wanted to be sure that this wasn't Maura acquiescing to something she wanted out of fear of losing their friendship. "You're not gonna lose me Maur. You don't have to give me anything you don't want to."

"I know." Maura said softly, still formulating what she wanted to say to Jane to convince her that this was something she wanted as much as the detective so clearly did.

Jane brought her forehead to rest against Maura's, closed her eyes and whispered, "So tell me what's going on in that big brain of yours then."

Painfully aware of her rising arousal and her intense need to verbalise her feelings Maura came to the conclusion that staying pressed against a wall by Jane was not conducive to conversation. Before anything else could happen, they had to talk and with this in mind she placed her hand in Jane's and tugged her towards the couch. "Sit," she commanded gently.

It wasn't normally in her personality to just do as commanded, she was very independent after all, but this was Maura and this was important. She sat and watched intently as Maura stood before her, hands clasped together. "Okay, I'm sitting. So spill?" Patience however, was never going to be one of her virtues.

"I'm terribly sorry for my behaviour last night. I'm still mortified I threw that glass at you; I was just so… frustrated. I know it seemed like I was angry, and in reality I was, so angry Jane." She paused, standing was not going to work for this conversation, but she didn't want to sit right next to Jane either, hands would wander, mouths too, she had no doubt.

So Maura sat on the edge of the coffee table and leaned forward, entirely aware of the gaping mouth her uncharacteristic behaviour had caused. "I was angry with the entire situation and I think myself, because all I wanted was to be kissing you and even though I had evidence to suggest it would be welcomed if I made the first move… I am so scared of losing what we have right now Jane. I've never felt more at home with another person."

Jane shifted forward and clasped her hands over Maura's in her lap. "I'm sorry that you had to feel that; but damn Maur you sure made the first move this morning."

Maura chuckled briefly before training her features back into a more neutral state. "You were running from me Jane, I felt like I had no choice. I realised I had to face my fears or maybe I would lose you altogether." She had to look away when she saw the hurt look in Jane's eyes at the implication.

"No, Maura. No. Yeah I run, I know that is something I do when emotions get scary for me, but I just wanted to give you time to process. I thought this was not something you could possibly want from me…"

"Why wouldn't I want it all with you Jane? You make me laugh like no one before you; you're always doing things that make you uncomfortable just to see me smile or because I ask; you go shopping with me Jane!"

Jane laughed and gave a gentle squeeze of the hands beneath hers, "Because I wanted to give you whatever you needed from me. If that meant being your pack mule, so be it. Do you not know what you have done for me?"

While the doctor clearly knew she did many things for Jane, she wanted to hear the words from her detective. Yes, her detective, that was the one thing she planned to make very clear by the end of their discussion. She shook her head gently in the negative.

"You calm my inner demons because you took the time to really get to know me; you know my fears, my hopes and I think now you might just have an inkling of my dreams. They all centre on you Maur, around us. I realised a long time ago that no matter how low I got, you wouldn't leave. You have seen the best of me and the worst of me and you're still here. I know you will always be here…"

"You can't possibly know that Jane." Maura admonished, even though deep down in her own soul she knew it to be true.

Jane shot her a knowing look, "I know it scares you to acknowledge such an absolute. I know people have always left you broken, but not me Maur. Never me." Tears found their way down her cheeks, and while normally she would brush them away, not wanting Maura to see the deepest depths of her emotions, this time she wanted them known. "Quite frankly I realised a long time ago that I'd like to hang out with you for the rest of my life."

Maura beamed with joy. "Jane…"

"Come on Maur, I think I am all tapped out of sap."

Maura laughed and dropped to her knees in front of Jane, scooting in between the detective's lanky limbs. She pulled her woman in for a soft love filled kiss before pulling back and looking at her mischievously, "You're not going to turn into some sort of serial killer if I date you, are you?"

Jane guffawed before planting numerous tender kisses on the top of Maura's head. "Well if I do, you can cover my tracks, mmk?"

It wasn't the literal meaning that warmed her heart; it was the underlying promise of being in this together that sealed the deal for the medical examiner. Jane was in this for the long haul. "I love you Jane."

"I love you too Maur." She felt like she was going to float away with the happiness that soared through her body. She only regretted not saying something sooner, as she realised now that it had been obvious all along they were made for one another. "Now that we've covered my sap quota for the year, can we get to the making out?" She asked with a cheeky grin.

Right on cue both their phones rang. Jane groaned and Maura chuckled as she retrieved their phones, handing Jane hers.

"Rizzoli."

"Isles."

~END~

A/N: This was inspired by two things, a facebook competition asking for the first scene(s) from 6x01 and from listening to the Taylor Swift song Stay Stay Stay. Thank you in advance to all who read, review, favourite or follow (although this is just a one shot heh heh). Please keep your feedback kind or constructive. Consider this an early season 6 present from me to you. :)