AN: Sorry this took a while. (That's if anyone even noticed) Life's being crazy, won't be able to write anything for a while so I just wanted to finish this. Thanks for reading and as always, would love to hear what you think.

Chapter 2

Despite all of the day's frantic hustling, the incident with Maura early in the morning has barely vacated Jane's mind. However difficult it has been, she has had no choice but to compartmentalize, try and forget about Maura believing that Jane could question both her judgment and integrity. All because of a time in their history she believed they had moved on from but instead continues to threaten the solidity of their relationship.

She has attempted to talk and apologize to Maura but the Medical Examiner had been steadfast in her replies, each time telling Jane that there are more important things for them to focus on right now.

Jane would have disagreed had it not been for her desire not to incite her best friend any more than she already has. Sure, this case is up there in significance and consequence. But definitely not more than her relationship with Maura.

Not even close.

Thus, Jane finds herself taking another harried breath as she prepares to make a trip down to the morgue. One more effort to make things right with her best friend.

Their relationship has been making strides, perhaps even moving beyond the platonic realm. She has felt a lot closer to Maura in recent months, both emotionally and physically. Gone were the hesitant touches and reluctant sharing of emotions and feelings. She has started her days and ended her nights at Maura's more than she has at her own place. Hugs, hands on elbows, arms around shoulders and waists, sleepovers after exhausting work days that end with them sharing a bed have become commonplace. Like something has been simmering just underneath the surface, waiting to boil over.

And now this. This morning blindsided her. They had been fine, at least she had thought so, until this morning. She blames herself and all the pushing and nudging she had done all night, applying pressure on Maura who must have already been feeling so much pressure just from being the daughter about to help convict her mob boss father. She faults herself for being insensitive. She had good intentions but as she's wont to do, she had gone overboard and overstepped boundaries.

And now she has to try and set things right or…

She could not, would not, even imagine what she would do in the event the consequences of her mistakes turn out to be irreversible.

When she gets to Maura's office, she knocks and then walks right in, thinking it best to act normally, not overthink and be too on edge.

Maura looks up from her laptop, acknowledging her with a quick nod before quickly resuming typing.

"Hey," Jane greets her, fighting nerves she's not used to. Not much daunts her. The thought of being the reason for Maura's unhappiness, unfortunately, is one of them. Right at the top of her list.

"Hi. Is there anything you need me to do, Jane?" Though not overtly hostile, Maura's formal tone and the implication of her question unnerve the detective.

"Uh, no. I just…" Jane trails off, swallowing thickly, "I just wanted to check in on you, see if you've been able to rest after uh...after a long night last night." Jane taps a finger on Maura's desk, shifting her weight on each foot nervously. She forces herself to keep her eyes on Maura, willing the blonde to look up and see the sincere sentiment in her eyes. She has no doubt the doctor would soften up a bit when she sees how much she regrets her actions and how much this little misunderstanding is affecting her. But Maura refuses to, as if sensing Jane's intent, continuing to type on her laptop.

"I'm feeling fine, thank you for asking, Jane. But I am also extremely busy. I have to finish this report and then I intend to go back to the morgue to finish the third autopsy." Maura does gift Jane with a quick glance, merely looking in her direction without establishing eye contact.

Jane takes a deep breath, exhaling in an extended and heavy puff. "Look, Maur. I'm sorry about last night. It wasn't my intention to push you too much, much less doubt your integrity. I know you'll never half-ass anything," she pauses, mumbling a quick apology about the crude choice of words, "regardless of who's involved in the case. I just...I hate being the cause of you being upset or...or unhappy."

Maura's head snaps up in attention, finally awarding Jane a direct gaze. "You think you are the reason I'm unhappy?" she asks Jane with a slight frown.

"You're obviously upset with me, Maur. And rightfully so," Jane replies quietly, holding Maura's gaze as she smiles grimly at the blonde.

"I am," Maura confirms, causing Jane to wince at her directness which is nothing unusual, actually one of the doctor's more endearing traits. Just a tad unnerving in the current situation. "But to think that you are the sole reason for my unhappiness, is a tad presumptuous, don't you think? Considering everything else that's happening, I have plenty of current and potential circumstances to be unhappy about. I'm sorry but…" Maura stops abruptly, obviously deciding whether to voice the rest of her thoughts. Ultimately, her penchant for truth-telling prevails. "I'm sorry but not everything is about you, Jane," she finishes, holding Jane's gaze for a fleeting second before redirecting her gaze to her laptop.

Jane's jaw clenches tightly from a mixed stew of emotions - hurt, anguish, regret.

If you're conflicted, Doctor, I won't ask you to help investigate this.

AUSA King's words to Maura after she had asked for confirmation that they would be seeking the death penalty for Paddy Doyle quickly flashes through Jane's mind. She should have realized that Maura had to have already been bothered by the prospect of everyone questioning her commitment to convicting Doyle if only because of their familial connection.

Curtailing her instinct to be on the defensive, Jane instead nods, needing time to clear the lump in her throat. Maura's words had hurt, for sure. And she knows her best friend is aware of this, judging by the quick, almost repentant glance she discreetly shoots Jane's way.

"Of course, Maur. You don't have to tell me that, I know there's a lot about this case that's not easy for you. I'm sorry I haven't been more sensitive," Jane offers quietly.

She watches Maura sigh, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, her gaze landing once again on Jane once they open. "Not everything is about me either, Jane. Can we put off this conversation for another time? Please?" Maura asks, for the first time lacking bite in her tone. "We have less than 24 hours to come up with something to help King convict Paddy. Let's focus on that."

Jane nods, realizing the wisdom of Maura's words. It, however, does not make it any easier to turn around and leave knowing the gap between them remains in place.

Still, she does. She leaves after giving Maura a quiet but unequivocal "Ok, we'll talk when this case is over."

As tempting as it is to head straight for Maura's place, Jane holds herself back. The case against Paddy had gone well, with the combination of Hope's testimony and all the evidence they have managed to gather all but sealing his fate.

Jane had been relieved but her very next thought after hearing the good news from King had been about Maura. Not solely about having that talk to clear the air but also about seeking her out to offer whatever comfort Maura would be willing to take from her. Paddy Doyle is still, after all, Maura's father.

And she had just been a big part in assuring he'd be locked up for a long time.

So she sends her a text after a couple of unanswered calls, not receiving a reply to it either. Against her better judgment, she calls Angela to check if Maura's actually home. Susie had informed her that the ME had left a little earlier than usual, endorsing whatever work was left to be finished to the assistant.

Angela confirms that the light in the main house had indeed been on a while earlier indicating Maura was home. With uncharacteristic hesitation, Angela had also asked if everything was ok. The older Rizzoli knew her stubbornly self-reliant daughter wouldn't have called her, instead of Maura herself, if everything between the two women had been fine.

Jane gives her mother an unintelligible, mumbled excuse, quickly hanging up before she gets deluged with more questions.

Her right hand combs through her curls almost violently before pushing the heel of her palm between her brows. She's had a throbbing headache all day.

Highly likely from Maura-related anxiety and distress.

Her frustration after a third unanswered text comes to a boil, leading to her sending a fourth one without thinking.

I know you're home, Maura. We really need to talk, this is killing me. I do still have a key and can get in to your house, you know.

Picking up her keys, Jane quickly dons her blazer as she says a quick goodbye to Korsak and Frost. Before she even leaves the building, her phone chimes. Her heart thuds louder when she sees notification of a text from Maura, half-expecting a confirmation that she would be home and waiting for her.

Don't, please.

The two simple words stop her dead in her tracks, like a punch in the gut. Tears swell in her eyes, borne out of frustration and torment. She can't believe how stubborn Maura's being. She begins to type a response informing Maura that she will nevertheless be at her house in less than hour and they will talk.

But when she rereads the text, the plea in those two words get to her, her frustration quickly redirected to herself. How could she continue to be insensitive and disregard Maura's wishes?

The typed text erased and discarded, Jane makes the difficult decision to stop pushing and leave Maura alone. For now.

As soon as she lowers herself onto the driver's seat, she feels the weight of her anxiety envelop her and finds herself crying. A few hard slams of her palm against the steering wheel unloads but a small portion of the weight she carries.

Her hands furiously wipe at her now moist eyes, the throbbing in her head now a full-blown hammer striking the walls of her skull. She makes a quick decision. Instead of the doctor's house, she drives toward the Dirty Robber.

If Maura wouldn't listen to her, maybe a few bottles of beer would.

What Jane hadn't known was that Maura had not consciously gone on to ignore her texts and calls. She had just been exhausted, physically and emotionally drained.

The case has taken its toll on the doctor. At the end of the day spent mostly in court, listening to testimony after testimony practically ensuring Paddy's conviction, she had felt like a marathon runner at the finish line. Relieved but utterly weary. When Jane started calling and sending her texts, she had not replied simply because she had no energy to. For once, she had not been too concerned about being selfish or inconsiderate.

She had just wanted to relax, forget for a moment.

She had wanted space, a moment to herself where she didn't feel like all eyes were on her, watching her actions, her reactions, her emotions.

If Jane had just shown up, she would have let her in, maybe even welcomed her presence. But when she received that last text from the detective practically threatening to barge in, something had snapped in her.

Again.

The feeling of Jane crowding her, pushing her relentlessly, insisting on getting her way returned and overwhelmed her. So she replied, hoping two words would suffice to abort Jane's plans.

She hadn't heard from her since. And Jane had not shown up either.

Now, she feels an inexplicable morsel of disappointment, mixed in with relief that Jane had actually respected her wishes.

After an extended soak in her tub, Maura decides to head straight to bed after quickly checking her phone, only half-willing to acknowledge wanting to hear from Jane. She may have been and still be upset with her but she cannot deny needing - wanting - to be comforted by her best friend.

Slipping under the warmth of her sheets, she stares at her phone and the disappointing lack of anything from Jane.

And that's when the tears come. A rush of emotion, a culmination of all the stresses and anxieties from Paddy's case, and now this discord with Jane.

There is discord with herself, too.

Half of her wants Jane here, next to her in her bed as they have come to find themselves more and more lately after the more difficult cases, her best friend's arms around her, comforting her. Or hers around Jane, whichever scenario satisfied their yearning better.

While the other half of her still reels from what she has perceived, however inaccurately or irrationally, as Jane's lack of trust and confidence in her ability to distance herself emotionally from Paddy and convicting him of his crimes.

Maura literally cries herself to sleep, hoping a few dormant hours would allow her body and mind much needed rest and, more importantly, rid her of residual feelings of resentment toward the person she has come to accept is most important to her, Jane.

Hours later, she's not sure how many, just that it's not enough, she finds herself roused by Angela's loud voice coming from the direction of her front door.

"Jane what in heaven's name are you doing out here?"

Angela's voice penetrates her sleep-addled senses, pushing her to instinctively roll out of bed towards the front door, slightly frustrated by the disturbance but too concerned not to check. Especially at the mention of Jane's name.

Maura opens the door, finding Jane trying zealously to shush her mother.

She can't help but notice the detective appears to be wearing the same clothes from yesterday, her brain recollecting the other woman's brief visit to her office. When Jane turns, finally noticing the woman standing at the door, Maura's eyes are immediately drawn toward Jane's bloodshot ones.

Their gazes lock, each reflecting the uncertainty, the questions, the remorse in the other's.

"Don't shush me, Jane Clementine Rizzoli!" Angela scolds with a finger pointed toward her daughter, oblivious to the moment between the two. "Have you been sitting out here all night? Do you realize how dangerous that is and that you can get sick?"

Jane breaks their stare regretfully, head dropping to her chest, the very image of surrendering to exhaustion and weariness. "I'm a cop, Ma, remember?" she replies weakly. "And not now. Please?"

The lack of punch in Jane's tone appears to penetrate Angela's motherly preoccupations. "Ok," she relents, "But you better get your butt in the house right now," she pauses, acknowledging Maura with a look, "or...get in your car and go home." She keeps her eyes on the other woman she considers a second daughter, gazing at her with eyes both questioning and sympathetic.

Maura nods briefly, unable to keep her eyes off of the taller brunette. She has to try hard to keep her fingers to herself, away from the curtain of wayward curls concealing Jane's face from her. She barely registers Angela turning to leave after giving both her and Jane a quick hug.

"Jane..."

Head down, hands folded meekly in front of her, Jane refuses to look up. Her voice when she speaks is at once raspy and timid, breaking. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Maura. Have I ruined everything again? I am so so sorry."

Maura's eyes widen, hearing the desperation and anguish in Jane's voice and then watching her shoulders begin to shake almost violently.

Her own tears begin to fall as she steps over the threshold and wraps her arms around Jane who, almost immediately, begins to cry and tremble even more.

"Goodness, you're freezing, Jane!" Maura exclaims as one of her hands connects with Jane's neck. She, however, does not think to get the brunette inside, instead wrapping her arms tighter around the still shaking form and using her hands to rub warmth wherever she can reach. Jane's back, around her sides, her arms.

"I'm sorry, Maur," Jane implores quietly, mouth pressed against Maura's head. "I just wanted...needed to talk to you."

"We'll talk, Jane. We will, I promise. But first, let's go inside." Maura slowly unwraps her arms from around the brunette, sliding one hand down to grasp Jane's.

Jane lets herself be led, allowing her hand to squeeze Maura's the entire time it takes for them to walk into the house. To her surprise, Maura keeps walking, bypassing the living room and instead heading for her bedroom. She stops when they get inside the bathroom, gently backing Jane up against the sink.

"Were you just sitting outside the whole night?" Maura helps Jane take her blazer off. Between the centralized heat and the blonde's proximity, Jane feels significantly warmer now.

"No I...I got here I don't know, maybe around two. I couldn't sleep but I didn't want to wake you so I figured I'd wait in my car," Jane admits sheepishly, embarrassed by her actions. "I was also a bit too...buzzed so I figured I'd wait it out in my car. I knew you'd be up before 6 and when you weren't I...I couldn't bring myself to knock or call or something." Jane halts, getting a bit lost in her story when she feels Maura's fingers reaching inside her waistband to pull her shirt out. "What are you doing?"

"You have a key." Maura halts her actions, having already succeeded in untucking Jane's shirt, and looks up at Jane, ignoring the brunette's question. "You should have used it. You know I wouldn't have minded."

They stare at each other for a few beats. "I didn't know that." She does not need to explain her reply to Maura. The doctor knows this goes back to her two-word text.

The blonde sighs, one hand perching on the sink right next to Jane's hip, leaving their bodies even closer. "Jane, I'm sorry. I just needed space, a little breathing room, yesterday." Maura's free hand reaches up to Jane's cheek. "You are always welcome to use your key to get in. It's your key to use anytime. No exceptions. Ok?"

"Even when we're fighting or you're mad at me?" The questions chips off some of the tension between them, eliciting a small smile from each one.

"Even then. And even when you're mad at me."

"I'm sorry." This time, Jane initiates the contact, most of her trepidation gone. Her left hand rests lightly on a robe-covered hip, one of her fingers tapping against the soft fabric.

"I'm sorry, too, Jane." Maura's hand moves from the sink to Jane's waist, thumb grazing over the thin material of Jane's shirt. "I know I'd hurt you with my words. I hadn't meant to. I have just been feeling so much pressure to prove that I could be objective and do everything I can to convict Paddy. I just didn't expect to feel it from you, too."

"I know that. I was just too stupid and too focused on getting Paddy locked up to realize I was being insensitive. And then yesterday, when you still refused to talk, I just...I'm sorry I kept pushing."

Maura nods, acknowledging the apology. "I needed space, Jane. I was hurt. But I was also grieving."

Jane exhales roughly, inwardly reprimanding herself. She slides her hand from Maura's hip all the way around the blonde's waist, pulling the doctor against her. "But if I hadn't fucked up, you would have let me comfort you," she laments, mouth pressed against Maura's hair. "I wanted to comfort you and I couldn't. Instead, I added to your pain."

Maura returns the hug, embracing Jane fully. "And I wanted you to, Jane. I was hoping you'd show up and when you didn't, I was too stubborn to ask."

The confession suffuses Jane with warmth. They rest weary bodies against each other, both content for the moment to seek the comfort they had denied themselves.

And then, almost as an afterthought, Jane asks, "You know why I had been pushing you though, right?" She goes on to explain her actions, not waiting for a reply. "I just didn't want you to have any reason to doubt yourself, to doubt that you had done everything within your power to help convict him in case...things didn't go our way and he walks away free. I know you, Maura. You'd go through everything you'd done, tell yourself you might have missed something. I just wanted you to not have any reason to do that and I ended up pushing too hard and I...I almost ended up ruining the best thing in my life."

Jane folds herself around the smaller woman, nuzzling her face against Maura's neck as the latter reaches up to wind her arms around Jane's shoulders and back.

And everything that's been building up in recent weeks, maybe even months or years, comes back to them. The line they'd been toeing appearing so much closer. They feel their toes at the very edge, only this time approaching confidently and with purpose.

If only one of them would step up do it, cross the line.

They both do.

Maura turns her head just enough to press her lips close to Jane's ear before sliding down, resting over a strong jaw.

Jane, feeling warm lips against her skin, tightens her grip around Maura, her mouth finding its way toward the doctor's neck, kissing the scar that reminds her how she had almost lost her once before. Never again.

Their mouths eventually find each other, fusing with such relief and joy. They kiss each other for a long time, lips landing in many places, kissing away guilt and remorse and sins now forgotten and absolved. With this, their first kiss after what has felt like an eternity of waiting, they finally come clean.

-FIN-