A/N - The story isn't even in it's second chapter and I've got the haters coming out to play. I must be doing something right. To everyone who's favorited or alerted, thanks.


The sun had long since set into dusk as Jane and Maura watched the Pilgrims continue their six game losing streak on the brunette's small television in her even smaller apartment. As much as Maura would have preferred spending the rest of the evening at her own home, she acknowledged Jane's want to have one last hurrah in her bachelorette pad.

Jane had decided to move in with Maura officially following their announcement party and for one Maura was glad that her girlfriend wanted to move so fast with their relationship. They had been in neutral for some time now; it was time to speed things up a little.

Given the quickly approaching date of the party and Jane's own issues with proper organization, most of Jane's belongings had already been carefully moved to Maura's place with little problem. After dealing with a never-ending assortment of lesbian jokes involving U-Hauls, they had managed to decide what was necessary and what was extraneous which Jane had insisted on making extremely time-consuming. No matter how much logic she threw at her, Jane kept insisting on bringing random things that there was no room for, such as her ratty couch. Bass's bedroom had become a reluctant stowaway location for Jane's boxing dummy and other athletic gear – Jane still couldn't believe Bass had his own room for some reason – but there was no rhyme or reason to finding room for a fifty year old couch. They had each refused to budge on the couch's future home so the large musty mothball covered mass of lumpiness was forced to stay in the apartment with a few remaining items until a decision could be reached.

Maura was glad that they had decided to leave the couch here for a while longer because it gave them a place to cuddle that wasn't the floor or the bed. To Jane, as long as there was a soft place to put her head and a blanket to hog, she was happy as an oyster. Besides the couch and the bed, the only things still remaining in the apartment were the boxes of kitchenware, a couple of their clothes, and the television. Soon even this would be gone, replaced with someone else's memoirs and dreams. And I can't wait.

"Maubie, you done eating the sashimi? I'll trade you some of my California rolls for your leftovers. I'm not feeling the crab tonight. The Pilgrims embarrassing themselves always ruins my appetite." Jane hung her head in shame before trying to grab the slivers of sashimi off of Maura's tray, earning her a hard poke in the ribs. "Oww, you poked me in the scar tissue…That was kind of mean. You need to learn how to share."

Maura raised an eyebrow at Jane's flirtatious tone, the mood quickly moving toward something far less innocent. She welcomed the distraction given everything that had occurred with Elias earlier. "Will you teach me?" she asked, moving back against the couch in expectation. Her want for sashimi forgotten, Jane placed her half-empty tray on the table to pursue the beautiful woman waiting for her.

"I do owe you for spending a small fortune on that dress," she muttered against Maura's neck, flicking her playful tongue to taste the minute beads of sweat beginning to form, "but you did leave me trapped in a room with the Queen of the Queens so I think we're about even. Maybe," her hands reached lower to methodically unbutton each individual golden button on Maura's charmeuse blouse, "I should just let you figure out the importance of sharing for yourself."

Maura frowned, grabbing Jane by her shirt, stilling her movements. "What did Eric say to you anyway?"

Jane sighed. "He asked if I was seeing anyone of the female variety because I," her voice rose to an exaggerated facsimile of the shopping assistant's voice, "'gave off a gay vibe.' Do you think I give off a gay vibe? I'm not exactly walking around in rainbow Birkenstocks proclaiming my love for softball and 'The L Word' reruns."

"Honey?" Maura asked softly as her mind again returned to the auburn haired man that had been haunting, plaguing her with his image.

"Hmm?"

"Promise me…," Maura whimpered, shuddering with tears that threatened to fall. "Promise me you'll never leave me. Please…tell me you love me."

Slightly taken aback at her girlfriend's sudden display of emotion, Jane smiled with glassy eyes. "They'll have to pry my dead hands away," she pleaded, wanting desperately to convince the unconvinced blonde. "I love you with all of my heart, my entire being. Nothing could ever change that, ever."

"I love you too. Always, forever, endlessly," she chanted in a whispered prayer, needing to hear the words from her own lips.

A choked moan rose from Maura's throat, echoing through the small apartment. Jane silenced the cry with her lips, suppressing her own insecurities with love she was all too ready to give. The meeting of their bodies brought the unfamiliar taste of avacado comingled with the sweet familiarity of reconnecting. Their tongues dueled against each other but, unlike their usual battles, Maura submitted readily. Tonight, Maura did not want to fight; she wanted to give in and forget. With shaking hands, Jane released her from the blouse and as the long brown locks descended, Maura quickly got her wish.