Maura pulled back, taking a few steps away from Jane. "You what?"

Another groan escaped Jane's throat as she pinched her fingers to the bridge of her nose. Eyes closed, body language fully indicating how shut off she was to the world, she answered. "I said that's all I want to do." Dropping her hand, she looked at the woman before her. "If we're both… if we're the same in that way and we know it, things could get messy."

"Messy how?" The doctor crossed her arms, one elegant finger tapping lightly against the arm below it.

"Just messy. I like how we are right now, Maur. What if… what if we did something and it messed everything up?"

Understanding struck the doctor. "You'll always be my friend, Jane."

"But, if we started acting on our feelings… I mean, if we actually, you know… I just… this is hard." With a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head, Jane walked out of the kitchen, past Maura, and to the sofa. She threw herself down, laying on it, her left arm resting across her eyes. "Let's just pretend like we never had this talk, okay?"

In a steady, measured stride, Maura made her way to the sofa. She stopped beside the reclined brunette and simply looked down at her. "No, I think not."

"Of course not," Jane grumbled, more to herself than the woman hovering above her.

"Jane, we should talk about this."

"No," the brunette sat up, centering herself on the sofa. "No, Maura, there's nothing to talk about. I have a thing for you. You have a thing for me. We have a thing for each other. We work together. We spend all our free time together. Everyone thinks we're dating…"

"Why aren't we?" Maura tilted her head to the side, a movement indicative of contemplation for the doctor.

"What?" Jane's head snapped around to look at the blonde.

"You've just listed several good reasons why we should be dating. Why aren't we?"

"Because, Maura, I. Am. Not. A. Lesbian."

In what should have been but wasn't an overly proper move, Maura seated herself beside Jane. She kept to the front of the cushions, legs crossed at the ankles, and her hands in her lap. "Perhaps you're bisexual?"

"Oh, man, see… this is why I don't want to talk about this. I'm not bi or gay. I'm straight, okay? Strictly dickly." Jane stood in a rush.

"If you're attracted to me and 'some women', then you're not straight, strictly speaking, Jane." Maura tried to hide her amusement at the pun she'd just made.

"My parents would have a fit. The squad would have more ammo on me. I can't be more different, Maura. I'm different enough as it is." Jane ran a hand through her hair. It was a gesture Maura had seen many times before. Jane was frustrated and scared.

"I don't believe it would be as disastrous as you may think." Maura stood to meet Jane's gaze head on. "You really don't want to give this a try now that we both know where the other stands?"

The detective licked her lips as she stared at the doctor. "Honestly, I don't know what I want."

"Do you want me?" The words coming from Maura were foreign to her. In all her years, she'd never been so bold. But, she had learned that Jane's presence tended to embolden her.

Jane's voice was barely a whisper. "Yeah, I do."

"Then why worry about what other people think? In the end, the only thing that matters is what we think about each other." Maura closed the distance between them, reaching a hand up to place it on the brunette's face. "Jane, can we at least try?"

"What if…"

"I don't like phrases that start with what if."

"Okay, let's assume that…"

"That's not any better."

The doctor leaned forward, and, this time, Jane did not lean away. Tentatively, Maura laid the gentlest of kisses on Jane's trembling lips. It took a moment, but Jane responded, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman's waist. Pulling away, Jane smiled. "That's a lot better than I thought it would be."

"Oh?" Maura gave her dimpled smile, eyes lighting up with hope. "So, you've thought about this?"

"A lot." Jane bent forward, kissing the blonde in her arms soundly, before continuing her train of thought. "This isn't going to be easy, Maur. I've never dated a woman."

"Nor have I."

"They're going to give us all kinds of hell at the station."

"We will survive."

"Ma is going to start in on marriage in a week's time, assuming she lives through the shock."

"We will ignore it."

"You're pretty sure of yourself, Dr. Isles." Jane smiled back.

"No, Detective. I'm very certain of us. I have plenty of evidence to indicate that we are both strong willed enough to work through any issues others may have with us being in a romantic pairing."

"I see." The taller woman's eyebrow shot up in amusement. "You've been collecting data, have you?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Of course." Jane rolled her eyes. "What else does it tell you?"

"I believe," Maura pulled back, grabbing Jane's hand, and leading them back to the sofa, "That we should fully explore more of these new interactions so I may add to my data collection before I give you an answer."

"Are you asking me for a make out session?" Jane's smile became a smirk.

"I'm not asking." Maura pushed Jane down on the sofa and quickly followed, leaning into the other woman. "I believe I'm initiating."

"Awesome."