When she awoke, Jane was still sleeping beneath her. Maura was loathe to leave the warm safety of her arms but she needed to think, and it was impossible to do that with Jane surrounding her.
Eventually, she pried herself out of the warm bed and padded down the hall. She made coffee and wrapped a sweater around herself and sat on the balcony off the kitchen, her thoughts jumbled.
She wanted nothing more than to rush back into the bedroom, to run her lips and hands over every inch of Jane's body. She knew Jane didn't trust her, had reasons for that, but Maura was so overwhelmingly in love with Jane that it was difficult to process rationally.
At this point, she wasn't sure what they were doing.
Was Jane going to stay in Paris for a while? Was she expecting Maura to come back to Boston? To her old job?
If she went back, would she and Jane be colleagues? Friends? Lovers?
Would Jane ever trust her again? How long would it take?
In her gut, Maura knew she wouldn't be going back to Boston. Not right now, not like this. She wasn't ready.
Maura wanted to ask Jane about everything but she wasn't sure how, or what her questions should be exactly. She knew that if Jane were touching her, she wouldn't be able to formulate much of anything in the way of rational thoughts.
Maura was startled from her thoughts when Jane appeared in the doorway onto the balcony, rubbing her eyes wearily.
"Hey," she greeted, her voice gravelly from sleep. "How long have you been out here?"
"An hour," Maura replied. "I didn't want to wake you."
Jane shuffled back and forth from foot to foot.
"Have a seat," Maura offered, indicating the chair opposite hers at the small table. "Would you like some coffee?"
"I can get it," Jane resisted.
"Please," Maura stood. "Let me."
Nodding, Jane sat down. Maura disappeared and returned a moment later with a steaming mug in her hand. She set it on the table between them, resuming her seat.
"Thanks," Jane took a long, grateful sip of the warm beverage.
Maura looked out at the waking city, acutely aware of Jane's eyes on her.
"Can you stay?" Maura asked without turning to look at Jane.
"For a few days," Jane nodded.
"I'm glad," Maura breathed.
"You're not coming back," Jane whispered. "Are you?"
"I'm-" Maura began to lie, to say she planned to return, but Jane put a hand on hers. "No. Not right now anyways."
Jane removed her hand, wrapping it back around her coffee mug. Maura could sense the tension growing between them.
"I have to pick something up today," she asserted. "Will you come with me?"
Nodding, Jane drank from her mug.
"I'll be ready in an hour," Maura told her. "Make yourself at home."
Slipping inside, Maura tried to hold back tears she hadn't expected. In the shower, she let them fall freely, trying to cleanse her soul as she cleaned her body.
She ran through her morning routine with a precise efficiency but her hands shook and her heart pounded. She could hear Jane rustling around in one of the guest bedrooms.
When Maura made her way back into the kitchen almost exactly an hour later their coffee mugs were washed, the balcony doors closed and locked. Jane was reading a book in Maura's favorite chair, and she silently bemoaned that she would never again be able to sit there without picturing Jane.
"I'm ready," Maura asserted, and Jane looked up, her eyes skating over Maura's form.
Maura had put on a flowing crimson dress, and she admitted to herself that it was mostly in the hope of having Jane react. But the way Jane's eyes darkened, her lips parted, her book fell heavily into her lap- it was more than Maura could have imagined.
"Ok," Jane stood, placing her book on the table next to the brown leather armchair.
They donned their coats and Maura led them out of the apartment, Jane's warm presence beside her keeping her on a razor's edge.
Maura worried that their entire day would be characterized by this charged awkwardness but Jane… Jane managed to put it aside and Maura was helpless to resist.
They walked through Paris together and the city changed for Maura. She pointed things out to Jane- her favorite restaurant, café, museum, street corner.
At lunch, Maura laughed and it startled her. She had forgotten the sound of her own happiness.
They fell into their old ways but it took effort, and the strain of it showed as the day wore on. The silences grew, the looks lingered, the conversation stalled.
But it was Jane.
Jane.
Maura couldn't seem to wrap her mind around walking the city streets with Jane by her side. They walked aimlessly for hours until Maura remembered the reason for their errand.
The art gallery was intimate, elegant.
The painting was one Maura had seen upon arriving in Paris and known she would purchase. Now, she was nervous to reveal it to Jane.
Jane waited patiently while Maura spoke in French with the artist. The woman's eyes travelled to Jane's figure and something lit in her gaze. She offered Maura a slightly lower price than they had agreed upon but Maura was insistent.
When the painting was brought out, Maura was glad it was wrapped, concealed.
Jane carried it without asking, carefully grasping the handle on the crate.
They returned to the apartment to drop it off and Maura excused herself to her bedroom. She needed a minute away from Jane, away with her own thoughts.
Jane seemed to understand and she returned to her book, waiting patiently.
When Maura returned, Jane was making two cups of tea. They chatted and moved carefully in the small space, relearning each other's movements.
Maura cooked dinner in the apartment and they did their best to function, to be friends. The strain drove Maura to turn in early, and without discussion Jane made herself comfortable in a guest bedroom down the hall.
The next few days passed like a dream, in a haze of soft touches and strained silence and surprising laughter. They walked the streets of Paris together, re-familiarizing themselves with each other, only this time there was a newness to it, an intimacy that surpassed the friendship they'd had before.
They didn't discuss Maura's time in Africa, her secret dealings with Ian, the way she pushed them all away. They didn't talk about Jane fighting for Maura, or her subsequent fighting with her. They didn't broach the topic of the nearly palpable love between them or what would happen to it now, or in the near future.
The night before Jane's departure, Maura was nervous, petrified. When Jane went home in the morning, everything would change again.
The magical little world they had created in Paris would vanish.
If Maura returned to Boston, they wouldn't be able to simply pick up where they left off. Everything had been irreparably broken, and put together in a different way.
They'd come back to the apartment in the mid-afternoon to relax and get dressed. They decided to eat dinner at Maura's favorite Parisian bistro.
Overwhelmed with a desire to ask Jane not to leave, Maura excused herself to her bedroom as soon as they returned to the apartment.
Jane gave her the space she so desperately needed, and it reminded Maura again how attuned the other woman was to her thoughts, her needs.
Maura emerged fifteen minutes later, nervously twisting her hands. Night was falling and Maura wasn't sure what to say. She had exhausted her small talk, and while Jane could fill silences with stories of Frost and Korsak, of Frankie and Angela, Maura had nothing to ramble on about.
"Hi," Maura greeted anxiously.
"Hey," Jane's lips lifted slightly.
"I um-" Maura stalled.
"Come here," Jane extended a hand.
Hesitantly, Maura accepted the hand. Jane pulled Maura into her lap, settled her against her lanky frame, and returned to her book.
Maura sighed breathlessly and closed her eyes.
They sat, Jane reading, for almost an hour. The silence was broken when Maura's stomach rumbled.
Jane chuckled and put her book down.
"Hungry?" she teased.
Maura flushed and hid her face.
"Come on," Jane urged Maura to stand. "Let's get some dinner."
They showered and dressed, and Maura's breath caught in her throat when Jane reappeared.
In mocha slacks and an emerald, cashmere sweater, Jane looked breathtaking. Her hair was drying in wild waves around her face, she looked sensual and casual. The intimate look in her eyes as she appraised Maura's body made the doctor's heart pound, and if she were someone else entirely, Maura would have suggested they skip dinner.
Instead, she swallowed harshly.
"You look lovely, Jane," she breathed.
Jane blushed but didn't avert her gaze.
"Nothing compared to how gorgeous you are," she returned, and Maura couldn't deny the thrill she felt at Jane's words, her heated gaze.
They walked down the street to the small, intimate restaurant that Maura frequented. The meal was eaten mostly in quiet, the charged silence a reminder of what they both knew so acutely- this was the end of something.
After dinner, Maura began walking in the direction of the apartment but Jane used her hand to softly pull Maura the opposite way.
"Let's walk," she suggested, not releasing Maura's hand, her eyes pleading.
Nodding, Maura allowed herself to be led down the street. They walked along the river, and when Maura shivered, Jane wrapped her arm around Maura's shoulders, pulling her close as they walked.
"When you come back," Jane began. When, Maura noted- not if. "I'll be waiting."
Maura swallowed harshly.
"And right now?" she asked hesitantly.
"I'm waiting," Jane said.
"For what?" Maura pressed.
Jane stopped, turning to face Maura. She put a little distance between them, and Maura braced herself.
"You to forgive me," Jane shrugged.
"Forgive you?" Maura's brow furrowed. It wasn't what she was expecting at all. "For what?"
"For not fighting," Jane said. "For giving in, giving up. You deserved better. That's why I came here, Maura. To show you that I mean what I said- I'd do anything for you. For a while there, I… I know I didn't do right by you, you needed me and I wasn't there for you but I was hurt and confused. I thought you didn't want me around anymore, so I pulled away. It was selfish, and it hurt you and I'm sorry. I'm here now, I'll always be here."
Maura looked at Jane, felt like she was seeing her for the first time.
"I'm in love with you, Maura," Jane continued, her voice a low rumble. "I should have told you sooner, should have told you every fuckin' day, but I didn't know how. I was afraid- of losing you, of having you, of all of it. I'm still afraid, but if I can fly all the way to Paris just to see you, I should be able to tell you the reason. So there it is, the real reason I'm here: I'm in love with you."
Jane didn't flinch, didn't shy away. She stood straight, met Maura's gaze head-on.
She was laid bare.
Right there on the corner of Boulevard St. Germain and Rue Saint Jacques, she was giving Maura everything- the whole truth.
It was terrifying.
"I'm," Maura's voice wavered, she swallowed, tried again. "I'm in love with you too, Jane."
Jane's smile was sudden, brilliant, blinding.
Maura hadn't seen it in ages, and she couldn't help her own shier smile in response. The joy on Jane's face was intoxicating, a heady cocktail that Maura drank in greedily.
"You're in love with me…" Jane breathed incredulously.
"Yes," Maura nodded. "I'm… I love you."
Jane stepped forwards, cupping Maura's face in her hands, and pressed their lips together. Maura was startled but she responded rapidly, kissing Jane back with a passion that rapidly took over both of them.
With a last peck of Maura's lips, Jane stepped back.
"Maura," she breathed raggedly.
Maura tried to step forwards again, to taste Jane's lips once more, but Jane stood firm.
"What are you waiting for?" Maura asked, confusion edging into her voice.
"Forgiveness," Jane replied.
"I forgive you," Maura said immediately, once more trying to kiss Jane.
"I know," Jane forced Maura to meet her eyes with just the intensity of her gaze. "I'm waiting for you to forgive yourself."
Maura's brow furrowed and it took a minute for Jane's words to process.
She was right.
Maura hadn't forgiven herself.
Not for lying, for running, for hiding, for any of it.
Her eyes welled with tears and her love for Jane grew impossibly deeper. Jane's soft look was full of tenderness, concern, love.
"I just," Maura began, biting back a sob.
"I told you," Jane rumbled. "I'll wait."
"I'm so sick of waiting," Maura whispered, pulling Jane's body flush with hers. "I've been waiting my whole life, Jane. I just want you- the rest of it will come in time."
"Maura I don't know if I can," Jane hesitated, struggling with the truth. "I don't know if I can do this tonight and then leave you in the morning. If you don't come back, it'll kill me."
If, this time. Not when.
Maura could sense the trepidation in Jane, could feel the insecurity radiating out of the normally brash, bold woman. It cut her deeply to realize that she had put that fear in Jane's eyes, in her heart.
"I love you Jane," Maura whispered. "I may have some things to figure out but that will not change. Let me show you, tonight."
Jane searched Maura's gaze for a long minute, and Maura tried not to flinch, shift, or shutter her emotions from the piercing scrutiny.
Finally, Jane deflated. The resignation was palpable.
"I'm sick of waiting too," she sighed.
Maura felt her heart clench and her entire body became acutely aware of Jane's body pressing against her own.
She stepped back, laced her fingers through Jane's, and guided them back to her apartment. Jane's steps were sure and confident but Maura could sense her nervousness, knew it perfectly mirrored her own.
Inside, they hung their coats, slipped off their shoes, the space and silence growing exponentially between them in the private, quiet home.
Feeling suddenly suffocated, Maura moved over and opened the balcony door. She stood there, wondering if Jane had changed her mind, if she should say something…
Jane was moving around behind her and soft music filled the room. It put Maura at ease somewhat, the soft strains of Sia's voice swirling around her.
She felt Jane behind her, her breath catching when Jane's arms slid around her waist.
Maura melted back against Jane, putting her arms over Jane's around her hips. Jane pressed a kiss to Maura's neck, pulled her hair aside to run her lips up her throat. Maura craned her neck to the side to give Jane unrestricted access to her soft flesh.
"Jane," Maura breathed.
The feel of Jane against her, the enormity of what they were doing, it was overwhelming. Maura tightened her grip on Jane's arm where it wrapped around her waist, clenching her eyes tightly closed.
"I dream about this," Jane rasped, her hand moving under the hem of Maura's top to reverently stroke her skin. "Any minute now I'll wake up."
Maura wrapped an arm backwards to clutch at Jane's hip.
Jane tentatively smoothed a hand upwards, the movement of her fingers making Maura dizzy. They swayed softly to the music.
Maura wanted to give Jane an out. Wanted to say, we don't have to. She couldn't find the words though.
She needed this.
Needed Jane.
Turning, she wrapped her arms around Jane's taller, more muscled frame. Jane's arms encircled her effortlessly, their lips meeting softly.
The touch was hesitant, despite the kisses they had shared before. This was different, and they were both acutely aware of the shift.
The trepidation couldn't last though, not when Maura met Jane's lips and swore she could taste the sorrow on them. Not when Jane's hands were on her hips, their bodies rocking softly against each other.
She trailed her tongue across the seam of Jane's lips, hungrily snaking inside when Jane opened her mouth. Their tongues met, stroked, and Maura moaned.
"Jane," she breathed desperately, Jane's lips trailing fire across her jaw, down her neck.
Jane ran her hands down to Maura's thighs, grabbing them and encouraging Maura to wrap her legs around Jane's waist. Jane carried Maura towards the master bedroom, Maura's frenzied kisses distracting her along the way.
Jane deposited Maura on the floor next to the bed. Maura would have sworn she felt physical pain when Jane pulled back, but it abated when Jane stripped off her sweater, stepped out of her slacks, leaving her in a simple black lingerie set. Maura watched, her eyes darkening to a haunting, endless green.
Stepping forwards again, Jane put a hand on the hem of Maura's top. Maura allowed Jane to pull the garment off, removing her bra and tossing it aside as well.
"God you're beautiful," Jane sighed, skimming her palms up from Maura's hips to her breasts.
Maura's eyes fluttered closed, her breath leaving in a rush as Jane's palms rasped against her sensitive skin.
"I've always," Jane's voice was stilted, haunting. "I always wondered. You're more… you just…"
Opening her eyes, Maura was surprised at what she saw. Jane was standing right in front of her, hands on Maura's breasts, but her eyes were closed, her head bowed. She was biting her lip, her chest rising and falling raggedly.
"Come back," Maura coaxed, running her hands across Jane's bare hips.
"I'm here," Jane sighed, shaking her head slightly. "I'm here."
Not knowing what else to say, Maura pressed her lips to Jane's again. When she couldn't breathe, could barely think, she pulled back and ran her lips down Jane's throat, across her collarbone, kissed the top of each lace-encased breast.
She coaxed Jane out of her bra and Maura had to grit her teeth against the desire that flooded here when she did.
Reverently, Maura cupped Jane's breasts, reveling in the smooth, fullness and the way it tugged something deep in her gut.
Unable to resist, Maura leaned forward and captured a nipple between her lips, grazing it lightly with her teeth. Jane jerked and grabbed the back of Maura's head roughly.
"God," she exhaled harshly.
They continued to undress and explore, and Maura used every ounce of her self-control to slow down, to commit every single detail to memory.
It was nearly impossible, with the way Jane's need rolled off her in waves, crashing over Maura with a force that her own body echoed.
When they were both naked, Maura urged Jane to lie down on the bed and rested her own smaller frame against her. The contact was searing, and Maura knew she'd never be free of Jane now.
The touch of their naked bodies was imprinting Jane upon her very soul, leaving an indelible mark.
Maura slid down Jane's body until she was resting between her legs. She closed her eyes against the heady rush of desire that shot through her like an electric current. Rasping her palms up Jane's thighs, she moved ever closer to Jane's center.
"Maura," Jane pleaded with her voice, her eyes.
Understanding, Maura leaned down and stroked through Jane's folds with a firm touch of her tongue. Jane exhaled raggedly, her hands fisting in the sheets.
"You taste so good," Maura sighed. "I could never get enough."
Using her lips and tongue, Maura brought Jane to the peak of pleasure. Just before pushing her over, she reached up and laced their fingers together.
When Jane came, she breathed Maura's name into the room like it was her dying word. She trembled and clutched at Maura, pulling her up to lie across her as she shook with the force of her orgasm.
Jane held her close for endless minutes, her breath coming in sawing, gasping pants. Maura's desire threatened to consume her but she held it at bay.
Her mind raced.
This was where she belonged.
Here, in Jane's arms.
For the rest of their lives.
Forever.
And yet in the morning, Jane would be gone.
"I love you," Maura said, burying her face in the crook of Jane's neck.
Jane's hands began a slow exploration of Maura's body. She rolled them so that she was looming over Maura.
"I love you too," she replied, kissing her way down Maura's body.
Her hands were everywhere. The scent of her was overwhelming. She kissed and licked Maura's smooth skin, her touch intoxicating.
Maura couldn't seem to catch her breath, couldn't think.
Jane surrounded her, using her fingers and lips and tongue to bring Maura to the brink of insanity and with a few practiced touches she pushed her over the precipice.
As her orgasm subsided, Maura pulled Jane close. She wrapped her arms tightly around her, tangled their legs together. She didn't try to stop herself from crying when she felt tears pricking behind her eyelids.
She sobbed softly, trembling in Jane's arms.
They made love for hours, inextricably entwined in Maura's expensive sheets. Maura kissed every inch of Jane's body, mapping the planes and contours of her lover and searing them into her memory.
"Just in case," she whispered into the dark, Jane's body shivering under her soft touch. "Just in case I…"
"Don't," Jane growled, her eyes seeking out Maura's. "Don't say it."
Maura responded by nipping harshly at Jane's collar, knowing it would leave a mark that would take days to fade.
It only seemed fair, after all, since the marks Jane left on her, while not visible to the naked eye, would last forever.
Maura drifted off sometime around 3 a.m. When she awoke the sun was peeking through the clouds and the space beside her was empty and cold.
Scanning, she saw Jane on the small patio. Jane was naked, her arms braced on the railing, the first rays of sun illuminating her body with a gentle radiance that made Maura's breath catch.
It took her a moment to realize that Jane was crying.
Stunned, Maura didn't know what to do. She watched for a moment, mesmerized by the way Jane's body shook softly, her hands tight against the wrought iron bar she clutched.
Silently, Maura padded over and wrapped her arms around Jane from behind, pressing a soft kiss to her bare skin.
Jane's head bowed, her weight sagging against Maura. Maura leaned her forehead against Jane's shoulder.
They stood naked on the small balcony overlooking Paris until the sun had risen fully and Jane's breathing evened out.
Finally, Jane pulled away, moved through the bedroom and disappeared down the hallway. Maura shivered as the cool morning air assaulted her but also as she realized that Jane wasn't just sad.
Jane was angry.
Sliding a robe around herself, Maura put her hair in a clip and put a pot of coffee on. She could hear Jane rustling in the guest bedroom, packing Maura assumed.
Always the hostess, Maura set out some fruit and pastries, a cup of coffee for Jane. Too upset to eat, Maura sipped a cup of coffee before making her way back to shower.
As she showered, she cried.
Jane was one room away and already Maura missed her so badly it hurt.
The ache in her chest at Jane's impending departure was more acute than all the sorrow she felt upon arriving in Paris.
When Maura emerged, showered and dressed, Jane was again reading in the oversized leather armchair. The sorrow rolling off her was palpable.
She was wearing dark jeans, her white oxford rolled up to reveal her forearms. Her bag was sitting by the door, her jacket slung haphazardly across it.
Maura stood in the entryway to the room watching her for endless moments, trying to soak everything about her in. Jane was gorgeous, absolutely breathtaking. The sadness radiating out of her made Maura want to wrap her arms around Jane and never let go.
She reminded herself that she was the cause of that sorrow and it made her heart ache exponentially more.
Jane looked up finally, meeting Maura's eyes.
Maura couldn't breathe, couldn't move.
She'd never seen anyone look so devastated, so torn.
Wordlessly, Jane stood and made her way across the room. She tucked her book into her bag and shrugged her coat on. She picked up her bag and looked at Maura with a mired, tangled expression.
Maura had intended to go to the airport, to drop Jane off properly, but she could see now that wasn't what Jane wanted.
So this was goodbye.
It occurred to Maura that neither of them had spoken since the sun rose. She was desperate to hear Jane's voice but terrified of what she'd say.
The silence was safer.
Maura wanted to kiss Jane, to have one last press of her lips before everything changed, but she didn't know how to break the veil of anger and sorrow Jane had pulled around herself.
Something urged her forwards anyways. Hesitantly, she moved until she was inches away from Jane, their bodies almost touching. Jane's breathing shifted, her eyes darkened.
Leaning up, Maura pressed her lips to Jane's. For a moment, Jane was immobile. Then she abruptly dropped her bag and crushed her body against Maura's, kissing her with a ferocity that almost scared Maura, might have terrified her if it wasn't matched by her own raging passion.
They kissed, tongues clashing, hands gripping tightly, chests heaving, for long minutes before Jane pulled back. Both women were gasping for air.
Jane's dark, sorrowful eyes called to something deep within Maura but she allowed Jane to step away, pick up her bag.
Jane licked her lips, looked poised to say something, but she grabbed the doorknob in silence. She met Maura's eyes again, took a step towards her, but stopped herself.
Maura closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. When she opened her eyes, Jane was gone.
A tear slipped down Maura's cheek, then another. She cried for what felt like an eternity, hoping desperately that Jane would come back but knowing she wouldn't.
It was up to Maura now.
She was petrified.
For five days she didn't leave the flat. She couldn't sleep in her own bed, now that it smelled like Jane. She used one of the remote guest bedrooms, as far from the master suite as possible.
A week after Jane's departure, Maura noticed the picture she'd bought. The corner of the paper was pulled back.
Jane had looked at it.
Maura's heart clenched.
She unwrapped the painting carefully, tossing the brown paper aside. The canvas haunted her. Stepping back, she appraised the painting.
It was in muted tones, a bold tableau of two women, wrapped in each other's arms. One of them uncannily resembled Jane. The other woman's face was obscured. It was only a painting, but Maura swore she could tell how deeply in love the two imaginary women were.
Something shifted inside her.
She could have that, she could have a love so strong people could see it. Or she could give up on Jane, on herself.
Maura called Angela that night.
"Hello?" the curious voice greeted her.
"Angela?" Maura felt suddenly shy. "It's Maura."
"Maura!" Angela gushed, warmth filling the line. "How are you sweetie?"
"I'm alright," Maura demurred. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Angela replied. "Are you coming home soon? Jane said that she saw you but wouldn't tell me anything about the trip. Are you angry at her? What did she do now?"
"No, no," Maura halted Angela's words. "I'm not… Jane didn't do anything wrong. It's me. I- we're… it's me."
"What are you talking about honey?" Angela's confusion was clear. Maura didn't blame her- she wasn't making much sense at the moment.
"After everything I did," Maura began. "Jane forgave me."
"That's what you do when you love someone," Angela suggested gently. "You can't forgive her?"
"No!" Maura exclaimed. "It's not that. I'm having trouble forgiving myself. I uh, I want to be with Jane."
"Yes!" Angela gushed, interrupting. "Sweetie I'm so happy for you!"
"Thank you," Maura blushed, glad Angela couldn't see it. "I'm not quite sure how to do that though."
"Well I think you should start by coming back from Paris," Angela offered. "Don't you think?"
"Yes," Maura agreed. "That's actually why I called. I was hoping you might pick me up from the airport."
Maura didn't need a ride- she could hire a town car, take a taxi, have her Prius delivered even. Angela was aware of that.
But this was the only thing Maura could think of to show that she wanted to bring her friends back into her life. Relying on them, learning to lean on them, admitting to wanting their help- it seemed like a good place to start.
"Of course!" Angela replied.
Maura gave her the details, and listened for a moment as Angela rattled on about how excited she was.
A day later, Maura touched down at Logan airport, more nervous than she could remember being in weeks, years. Her life was about to begin.
When she got off the plane, gathering her Gucci carryon and heading out to find Angela, she wondered again what Jane would say when she saw her.
They hadn't spoken since Jane left Paris, and Maura hadn't told Jane she was coming back today. Angela had promised to keep it a secret, although Maura doubted her ability to keep that promise.
The truth was, Maura didn't quite know what to say to Jane or how Jane would greet her after their time in Paris.
Maura was sure of what she wanted now, knew it with a bone-deep certainty that almost frightened her.
She wanted Jane.
No matter the cost, the effort, the time it took- she wanted to be with Jane for the rest of her life.
Scanning the crowded airport, Maura looked for Angela, flipping open her phone to call her. A man bumped into her and Maura looked up, startled, murmuring an apology that died in her throat.
"What's up Doc?" Korsak's soft voice greeted her.
Maura smiled widely, hugging him abruptly. He hugged her back, chuckling softly.
"Good to see you too," he laughed.
"Where's Angela?" Maura asked. She saw Frost out of the corner of her eye. And Frankie. And Angela.
And then everything in the airport, the city, the world, faded away.
Jane.
Looking nervous, her eyes dark and tumultuous even from a distance, Jane was there.
Maura's breath caught. She was immobile.
But it didn't matter- Jane was approaching her with determined, confident steps.
Instead of stopping at a respectable distance, Jane crushed her body against Maura's, kissing her breathless. For a moment, Maura froze.
They were in public, surrounded by strangers and colleagues and…
And Jane was kissing her, holding her, and nothing seemed to matter in that moment.
She heard Frankie wolf-whistle and pulled back, blushing. Jane didn't back away, her hand possessively gripping Maura's hip.
"Welcome home," she breathed.
Maura closed her eyes against the swell of emotion building inside her. The others stepped forwards in turn, hugging and smiling. They gathered Maura's luggage and loaded into their respective cars and only when Maura was alone in the passenger seat of Jane's sedan did she realize how badly she'd missed them all.
Jane drove them to her own apartment, a charged silence in the car. As soon as they were inside, the door barely closed behind them, Jane pinned Maura against the door and kissed her fiercely.
Jane's hands stole under Maura's shirt to skim warm, smooth flesh. Her lips and tongue drove Maura insane, forcing Maura to grab Jane's lapels and hold on for dear life.
"I missed you," Jane rasped, punctuating her words with another quick peck to Maura's lips.
"I missed you too," Maura replied.
Looking at Jane, things didn't seem so confusing, so hopeless. It felt like things would work themselves out, and that no matter how much they fought or argued she would always be able to find safety and love in Jane's arms.
And then Maura felt it, the tangled mire of emotions cleared like a bride's veil being lifted for a kiss.
She was home.