Circles: Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Jane rolled her beer bottle against the worn wood of the table. Back and forth. Round and round. Lost in thought. Missing her friend.

So lost in thought, in fact, that it was the only alcohol she had had on this Friday night.

Korsak and Frost were arguing and playing darts. Korsak at least knew to give Jane some space. Frost kept running over like a mother hen with bread or water or more beer.

Jane did not notice the two guys who had tried to get her to dance or the woman eyeing her from the bar. She was worried about her friend and the strain her actions on the day of the shooting had put on their friendship, if not their professional relationship.

Round and round. The grooves of the table causing the bottle to bump along creating a rolling sound like a wagon wheel.

Jane kept thinking she should grow a backbone and just apologize. Maura might have one of the best and brightest brains in the country, but when it came to friends and people, Maura had basic needs and Jane hoped that Maura mostly just wanted an apology. Jane knew that was not near enough for what she had put Maura through.

"May I join you?" a familiar, but long unheard voice quietly spoke from behind Jane's shoulder.

Jane turned so fast that she almost dropped the beer bottle on the floor. She quickly got up while trying to save the bottle from its horrible demise, "Yes, please?" Jane finally spoke as she settled the beer bottle back in her hands.

She moved to gently escort Maura to the seat across from her, she did not hear Maura catch her breath at Jane's courtesy.

"Are you having a party?" Maura quipped as she eyes fell on the untouched and unopened beer bottles.

Jane gave a small chuckle, "No trying to escape mom," she finished angling her head towards Frost.

Maura couldn't help a small smile as she sat back.

The waiter came back once they were both settled.

"Can I get you two anything else?" He had his pad and pen at the ready.

"Have you eaten?" Maura inquired with a quirk of her eyebrow at Jane.

Jane raised an eyebrow back for a second and then resigned herself to her fate and shock her head.

"Jane!"

Jane looked a bit sheepish and quickly gave their order to the waiter. "I'll have a double cheese burger. She'll have a Cobb salad. And an order of cheese fries for the table. Oh, and…" Jane looked at Maura for confirmation. She nodded… "Two cold beers for the table."

"Would you like me to take those away?" The waiter indicated the beer bottles on the table.

"Could you take them over to those gentlemen, please?" Jane pointed at Korsak and Frost across the room.

The waiter nodded, grabbed the beers off the table, and rushed away to put their order in.

There was silence, but it was not wholly uncomfortable. They both looked at one another, seeming to reacquaint themselves with one another.

Jane could out look anyone, but today, right now was not about her. She wasn't the one who had been hiding like a turtle (or tortoise depending).

Jane skirted the easy question, the friend question. Her eyes flicking from Maura to her beer bottle. Back and forth.

"I've missed you."

Maura started a little, looking up to catch Jane's eye and then looking over at the bar.

"It took me days to stop seeing you on the ground. The blood. Your life." Maura chose not to, for once, start with pleasantries.

Jane began to peal the label on her beer giving herself a second to think.

"I can't promise that I won't get hurt again." She looked up from under her lashes.

She heard Maura whimper a little, in the back of her throat. Jane placed one of her hands between them just in case Maura needed the support.

"I'm a cop," she continued. "I'll never be anything but that. I may go on a trip or two to Europe, might even enjoy a cup of tea some day, but I'll always be a cop, in this city. It's who I am."

She saw Maura put her hand to her heart. Jane suspected she was trying not to cry.

"What I can promise you is that, I will never do anything like that again. Ever."

Seconds passed by.

Maura finally moved her eyes from the bar to Jane's. Jane felt her own heart start to pound. It felt as if Maura was looking into her soul and simultaneously trying to slap it and see into it.

A fierce growl came from Jane. "I. Promise."

Maura finally gave a slight nod and moved one of her hands to rest on Jane's, right over her scars.

"I don't need anything more than that. I would never change you for anything."

Jane looked up from their hands, "I wouldn't change you either."

"Here you are ladies," the waiter stated as he arrived with their food and cold beers.

Jane immediately went for the beer and cheese fries. Maura couldn't help the smile that graced her face.

They both ate in a comfortable silence.

Jane took her time savoring the burger and the company.

The evening kept going as they went to play darts, Jane was shocked Maura was not better at the game, but she had no issues showing her how to play, they had a few more drinks.

Jane had to admit, it felt good to have the relationships in her life be more on track.

"No…no…no Maura you have to hold the darts like this…" Jane tried not to laugh at Maura's dainty hold on the darts.

...

Over the next few weeks, work went as back to normal as it could, but more importantly Jane felt that things were smoothing out between her and Maura.

They bantered again. They went to lunch again. Heck, Maura was even bringing lab results back to her desk.

Jane was catching up on paperwork. She hated it, but when it was slow it had to be done. As time ticked by, her thoughts wandered back to Maura. Jane couldn't help a nagging feeling in the back of her skull. It felt, to her, like Maura was holding back, keeping her distance, getting ready to punch her, something.

Jane looked at her watch, down at her paperwork, back at her watch and sighed.

"Frost I'm heading to lunch." Jane practically bolted out of her chair.

Frost merely nodded and kept starring at the files he was poring over.

Jane burst out of the precinct and just kept walking. She hated this feeling, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Whispers up her back. Jane liked knowing the world around her like the aching knots of scar tissue on her hands.

Jane's foot was tapping as she waited in line for her Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. Her favorite. It was definitely needed today.

She was already to her favorite booth before she even heard the voice speaking to her.

"Jane!" The voice was breathless, like it had been chasing her. Maybe it had.

She looked up, her mouth full of food. Suddenly she didn't feel so fidgety. Suddenly she didn't feel so lost. So on edge.

Jane practically leaped out of her chair, "Maura…"

Jane wrapped the slightly shorter woman in a hug.

Jane felt Maura hesitate but then she clung to Jane just as hard.

A few moments later Jane pulled away, asking as if nothing had happened and mouth still full, "Do you want something to eat?"

Maura looked down at Jane's plate and back to Jane. "I'll have whatever you are having."

Jane nodded and got back in line indicating that Maura should sit down.

Minutes later Jane was back; "I got you the same, but put the mayo and dressings on the side." Jane bustled with the food for Maura a moment or two and then sat back down.

Jane couldn't help looking at Maura as she prepared her sandwich to her liking.

"So…" Jane started and then stopped, rubbing the back of her neck, a little nervous.

Maura finished preparing her sandwich and ate a few fries like Jane wasn't sitting there fumbling over herself.

"I…Maura…I…" Jane huffed a bit then took a deep breath.

Jane dunked her sandwich in some extra mayo, "I think we should try dating." Jane was never the type to beat around the bush once she made up her mind about something.

Every piece of Maura froze, but eventually her eyes met Jane's. She could see that Jane was nervous and about ready to sprint out of the restaurant.

Maura reached and put her hand firmly on Jane's arm. "I agree."

It was that simple.

All the whispers settled down, the crawling feeling dissipated.

Jane nodded and dug back into her sandwich.

...

"How many did you make?" Maura had rushed down the stairs, in her robe, due to the hooting and hollering.

Jane was jumping up and down, "I did it Jo. Ha! Woooo!"

She turned when she heard Maura. She rushed over to her, kissing her deeply and wrapping her arms around Maura's very nude waist.

"I promised Ryan, I'd make ten balloon dogs for his birthday party, " Jane gasped as she reluctantly pulled away from Maura's lips.

"That looks like more than ten," Maura murmured near Jane's ear as she looked around the entirely full living room.

Jane waggled her eyebrows, "I also learned how to make giraffes." Maura raised an eyebrow. "What, I couldn't resist," Jane grinned.

Maura just giggled.

"What?"

"I was thinking, I can't resist you." Maura whispered as her hands weaved through Jane's long hair.

Jane started to raise her eyebrow and almost said something sarcastic, but she looked down at Maura and she couldn't resist her either.

Jane leaned down and kissed her deeply and started to push her back toward the stairs. She knew her mother wouldn't bring Ryan over for hours and she intended to make use of this valuable time.

Sometimes it paid to have a party all ready the day before it happened. "You better take that robe off," Jane huffed as she followed an escaping Maura up the stairs.