Two weeks later

Maura

Maura felt her nerves get the better of her as she approached her best friends apartment. She wanted to tell Jane ever since she had hooked up with Barry about them but she and Barry had agreed to give their relationship some time before saying anything.

She knew Jane at least suspected something with thew both of them seperately if not suspecting they were a couple. She reached her friends door and rang the bell, waiting for a response.

She heard the muffled steps behind the wooden door and it then swung open to reveal her taller, black-haired best friend. Jane smiled when she saw it was Maura.

"Oh, hey Maura. Long time no see" she joked. Maura rolled her eyes and smiled

"Okay, I'm sorry. I've been busy lately with work and other things"

"Oh, I know" Jane interceded "Other things have taken up a lot of youre time"

Maura sighed dramatically "Would you stop. If it makes you fell any better, I was going to tell you what the 'other thing' was". Jane perked up at this and looked at Maura suspiciously

"Really?"

"Yes"

"What is it?" she said, not sure if she wanted to know.

Maura sighed "Im dating Barry Frost"

Jane looked at her in excitement and pointed to her accusingly "Ha! I knew it!" she yelled

"You did?"

Jane shrugged "Well, I wasn't one-hundred percent sure, but I was almost sure"

"Oh, well. Then I should have just told you"

"Why didn't you? I mean we're best friends, we tell each other everything" Jane asked

"I'm sorry. We just wanted to see how things went and see if we wanted to keep going before we told you and Vince. I mean it would be fairly awkward if we told you and then decided we didn't like each other". Jane nodded in understanding

"Anyway" Maura cut in again "Are you okay with this?"

"Yeah" Jane nodded " It's cool. I thought you two liked each other"

"So we're okay?" Maura asked and Jane smiled.

"Yeah we're okay" Jane said before reaching over and hugging Maura happily.

Maura was so happy that Jane was fine with all this, she had only wanted to be told the truth by her friend and Maura couldn't blame her. She would have wanted the same.

Barry

Barry had rushed home to get changed and later at around nine-thirty he arrived in the homicide unit where Vince was already sitting at his desk.

Barry took off his jacket and laid it on his chair before sitting down and leaning against the chair, stretching. When he sat back up he leaned over to Vince, who was looking at him curiously.

"Hey Vince" Barry said

"Yeah?" Korsack replied "What's up?"

"I know you and Jane were wondering why -" he said before being cut off by the loud bellowing of Jane as she greeted them good morning.

"Hello!" Jane shouted excitedly as she sat down at her wooden desk and grinned at Barry in a way that made him feel scared. He knew something was up and apparently Korsack noticed this.

"Jane, you okay?" Korsack offered

"I'm fine, Vince, you?". Korsack nodded "And you, Barry?" she emphasised his name making him frown.

He glared at her "Well. Before you interrupted I was going to tell Vince some news"

"I think I know what it is" Jane almost sang

"Really? why don't you tell then" Barry offered.

Jane nodded and sat up, looking at Barry then Korsack who still sat bemused and confuddled by their conversation in passing "Barry and Maura are dating" she said quickly

Vince looked at Barry in surprise and what also looked like a hint of pride and amusement "Nice work" he said patting the younger detective on the back.

Barry was now the one looking confused "Thanks?"

Korsack rolled his eyes "It's about time you two got together"

"What?" Barry said

"It was obvious you like her. You went down there practically everyday for 'therapy' " Korsack chuckled

"Hey that is actually therapy" Barry warned.

Just then Maura walked in and over to the three detectives and immediately Barry noted her look telling him that she knew something was up. He looked over to see Korsack smiling slightly.

"Why are you giving me that scary smile" she noted on Korsack's face and looked over to see the same expression on Jane's "That matches Jane's"

"They know..about us" Barry informed her

"Oh okay, so Jane told you she knew"

"How did you know Jane knew?"

"I told her" Maura said shrugging

"Maura!"

"She's my best friend, of course I told her" she defended and Jane nodded

"So you told Jane and no-one was going to tell me" Korsack groaned

"I was" Barry said exasperated

"Oh, so you can tell Vince and I can't tell Jane?" Maura argued

"Are you guys having your first fight?" Jane hollered and Maura shot her a deadly look which made Jane sink into her chair.

"STOP!" Korsack yelled "We all know now, and congratulations" he said gesturing to Barry and Maura

"Thank you" they said in unison.

"So, how long?" he said casually

Four months later

Maura

Maura felt drained and tired as she drove to in her expensive black Mercedes to a crime scene, situated on the edge of the park she and jane frequented when running. She saw the barrage of Medical Examiner vans, policed cars and tape and stopped her car, walking out and locking the car as she moved forward.

She walked through the crowd of crime scene investigators and media until she passed a clearing of police tape and saw her two friends, Vince and Jane and her boyfriend of almost five months Barry Frost. As she moved closer and closer she smelled the smell of decaying flesh.

The smell which never before halted her suddenly became over-powering and she felt her stomach lurch and throat muscles contract in repulsion. She swallowed the bile that threatened to rise and walked forward to greet her friends.

"Hello" she said, diverting them from their conversation and walking past them to inspect the body

"Another young girl" Jane stated

"Same as the others" Korsack continued

Maura bent down beside the body. The victim was a young girl, early twenties. She was fully clothed and dressed in a jogging suit. her face was contorted and covered in blood as though from a heavy beating. Her neck was purple and bruised.

"Strangulation" Maura said, more to herself than the others surrounding her "Beaten, left in the park, no other obvious life-threatening injuries visable"

"Think it's the same guy?" Barry asked her solemnly

"I think so" she mused, glancing back at the body

"Oh so your guessing" Jane said, raising her eyebrows

"Well I can't be sure" Maura smirked "But it looks like the killer took the time to redress the victim after...attacking her"

Maura could feel the smell became over-powering again, causing the urge to throw up become uncontrollable and suddenly she sprung up and ran over to a nearby tree, and emptying the deposits of her stomach onto the ground. From further away the other three looked on in surprise as they heard the groaning from Maura as she was sick and linched at the noise.

Jane twisted her face "I'll go see if she's okay" she said walking over to her friend.

"Since when does the Doc get sick at crime scenes?" Korsack wondered before he and Frost followed Jane over to Maura.

"Hey Maura, you okay?"Barry soothed as Jane patted her back.

"Uh!" Maura groaned

"Are you sick or something?" Korsack asked

"Probably the flu or something" Maura offered "I mean it is winter"

Maura tilted her head and saw them nod slightly, believing her. She was glad, she didn't want them to know what she was really thinking.

"Look, I'll get the crime scene guys to pack up the body and put it in a freezer and you can get a look tomorrow morning" he said to Maura

"But-"

"No buts. You get some body'll still be there tomorrow" he said sternly

Maura nodded silently and soon she was herded back to her car and ordered to go home. They must have been worried somewhat to order her away from the scene. Although she had never been sick at a crime scene, or anywhere. She was rarely sick, she always took care of herself and they knew that.

Instead of going straight home Maura dropped by the drugstore and then made her way home. Thirty minuted later she sat silently on the couch and watched in shock as the small, white stick held in her hand displayed two little blue lines. She had proven what she feared. She was pregnant. She couldn't believe it. She suddenly felt very scared, for mant different reasons. Not only had she not felt she was ready to rear a child, how would Barry react? They had just started dating and a child was a few steps forward too many, too fast.

A child was a big responsability that required proper care and love, and Maura knew that her own childhood had been one to which had devoided her of the proper parent-child relationship she knew a child should have, because her parents were so involved in their own lives.

Maura didn't want to raise a child like she had been raised, it wasn't fair and she wasn't fit for motherhood. Maura knew she had to talk to someone, she picked up the phone and dialled the number she knew off-by-heart.

Jane

Jane had just entered her empty, Boston apartment. It was twelve-thirty in the morning and she was exhausted, and aggrivated and lonely. She thought back to earlier when Maura had strangely threw up at the crime scene.

Jane knew Maura kept herself in great physical condition. She ate right, exercised, got her vaccinations and she would most definately had her flu shot, so she couldn't have the flu. Just as she pondered this her cell phone rang, she groaned as she picked it up and looked at the caller id, it was Maura. She answered without a second thought.

"Hello, Maura?"

"Hello Jane" came Maura's shaky voice

"Are you alright?" said Jane worried at Maura's tone.

"Yes. K-kind of. Could I talk to you in person, it's really important. Can I come over?"

"Yeah, sure"

"Thanks, I'll be there soon"

"Okay, bye"

It was onlt fifteen minutes before she heard the ringing of the doorbell. Jane automatically checked the peep-hole and seeing it was Maura opened the door. As she did she immediately noticed the haggard appearance of her friend.

"Hey" said Maura with her still shaky and slightly hoarse voice

"Come in" Jane said. Maura quickly walked in and sat herself on the kitchen stool, sitting her bag on the table.

"What's the matter?" Jane questioned with genuine worry, her friend was acting very strangely.

Maura looked down at her feet and then back up at Jane and sighed "I'm...pregnant"

"Oh wow!" Jane said loudly, shocked at her friends revelation and then dropped her voice to a whisper so as not to startle her friend "You're pregnant". Maura nodded.

"When did you find out?"

"Tonight"

"Did you know before we were at the crime scene?" Jane questioned curiously

"No. what happened at the crime scene made me think about the possibility" Maura revealed to Jane "I mean, at first I thought it was the flu but I had my shot, so-"

"Okay, well that's great" said Jane genuinely happy for her friend but hesitated as she saw Maura's worried look "Is it great?"

Maura looked up flustered "Yeah, it is . but.."

"But?"

"What if I screw this up?"

"Uh!" Jane said rolling her eyes

"I mean I didn't exactly have the most rewarding childhood to pass on to my kid and what if Barry freaks out and doesn't want to be part of the babies life and I have to raise her alone-"

"Stop!" Jane yelled to Maura who went quiet "You're freaking out. Look, I don't know Barry as well as I like to think I do. But he doesn't seem the type to walk away and he wants a family"

"He does?" Maura said

"Yeah, he told me, not long ago actually. I can't speak for him, so you're just gonna have to tell him and see what he says. Also, you thinking you're not going to be a good mother..is crap. You want this kid, I can tell. I mean you're calling it a her and you knowing the mistakes from your childhood means you wont repeat them and your good with babies like when you were the kangaroo hold volunteer" Jane blurted out truthly to Maura. Maura paused, taking in the information Jane had volunteered to her and then smiled lightly.

"What do I do?" she asked

"Tell Frost, like tomorrow"

Maura nodded and tiredly rested her head on the counter.

"Tired?" Jane smirked. Maura nodded again

"Wanna stay over?" Jane mused and Maura nodded for the final time.

Following day

The next day Jane woke up to a curious smell, was that bacon she thought weirdly. She made her way to the kitchen and saw that Maura was already up and bouncing about the kitchin are, making what was in fact bacon, and other things.

"Maura? making bacon?" Jane exclaimed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Mm, hm" Maura chirped "I really felt like having bacon and eggs today" she said, piling some onto a plate and sliding it over to Jane.

"You don't eat bacon, too much fat you say"

"I really wanted some"

Jane smirked as she remembered why Maura came here last night "Cravings?". Maura rolled her eyes.

"How do you feel?" Jane said, hanging the topic to the recent important issue. Jane saw Maura inhale deeply and sigh, giving a small smile afterwards.

"Good...better" she assured her friend "Thank you for calming me down and letting me stay here, I know I can be very-"

"No problem" Jane cut her off "You would've done the same. Hell, you have" she laughed and bit off a mouthful of bacon she had lifted off her plate. "Wow! this is good"

"Thank you" Maura replied, before pausing and then looking up at Jane "I'm going to tell Barry today. Tonight" she corrected

"Yeah?" came Jane's muffled voice from a mouthful of food.

Maura shook her head and laughed "Please don't speak with your mouth full, it's very unsanitary". Now Jane rolled her eyes, Maura hadn't completely changed in four months.

"Your telling Frost tonight, you ready?" Jane said, swallowing her food.

"Yes" she replied "I have booked an appointment at the doctors tomorrow and I'll tell him that-tell him the news and then" she sighed "I'll tell I've made the appointment to confirm it and he can come if he wants"

"The appointment's to confirm you're pregnant. Didn't you have, like three positive pregnancy tests" Jane questioned

"Well, yes. But the packaging alone with those tests can mess with your mind" Maura commented and Jane coughed on her food from laughter. Maura began to pat her on the back.

"Alright I better go home and get changed"

"Alright, see ya later" Jane yelled as Maura closed the front door of Jane's apartment.

Maura

After leaving Jane's, it hadn't taken long for Maura to get changed and make her way to Boston P.D. and to her office. The body of the unidentified young woman sat ready on the table for Maura to perform the autopsy.

Beside the body sat a chart of infomation that accompanied every body. The chart was thin, all the information collected was the blood type and written physical description of the woman. It told Maura that the woman was a twenty-three year old female with an O-positive blood type, she had dark brown hair, brown eyes, her height was 5 ft, 3 in. Maura saw and noted that the womans clothes were sitting in an evidence bag to the side.

Maura text Jane and told her she was beginning the autopsy with her assistant who she had saw when she first arrived. Ten minutes later, Maura had started the autopsy and her assisatnt was beside her observing when Jane, Korsack and rost entered the room, Barry looked at her briefly with a smile on his face.

Maura smiled back and swallowed hard, the sickening sense was beginning to resurface again as she took in the smell of stale, frozen flesh.

"Hey Maura, we miss anything?" Korsack started as he moved to stant beside her.

"No" she replied "Just started"

"Shall I take blood samples now, for testing?" her colleague offered

"Yes please" Maura said politely and turned to the detectives "I've took an x-ray and it appears quite obviously that strangulation was the main cause of death. She has several broken ribs and blunt force trauma to the head by an unidentified object, most likely from kicking"

"Oh!" Jane bellowed "Guessing again are we?". This remark earned Jane a playful glare from her best friend.

"Any fingerprints?" Barry asked

"Just sent off samples to be run through the system, we'll know soon if there's a match" Maura informed. Barry nodded. Maura stood back and watched as her assistant took out a needle and inserted it into the woman's arm and pulled the plastic nozzle back. She saw the needle fill with the crimson-red liquid and a fresh wave of nausa and light-headedness overcame her. She felt herself begin to sway and her vision begin to blur.

Everone saw Maura gaze up at the ceiling and sway awkwardly on her feet

"Maura?" korsack called sternly to her. She ignored his call and tried to focus on balancing on her feet. She could feel herself failing miserably and then she felt herself fll backwards, unable to stop. Her vision completely faded to black and she felt a warm hand on her back before she fell unconscious.

Vince

Korsack had watched as Maura expertly rattled off the findings of the woman's body lying on the cold, steel table in front of them. He quietly stood beside Maura and from his viewpoint knew almost immediately something was not right.

He could see that Maura, usually poised and elegant on her feet was swaying unsteadily and shifting her weight from each foot. he also noticed small beads of condensation forming on her forehead and her eyes constantly shifting to the ceiling and back. He thought about asking her if she was fine, but he didn't want to interrupt her.

He just assumed she was still feeling unwell from the night before. Soon she was very unsteady and everyone was now looking at her worriedly

"Maura?" he eventually asked her. Ignoring him she fell back and Korsack on instinct reached out to stop her from falling. He placed his left hand on her back and the right around her waist and gently laid her down on the floor.

"Maura!" he heard Barry yell as he flew around the table and kneeled down protectively over her head. His hands were placed on each side of her head.

"Is she alright?" he said rapidly

Korsack glanced at him and gave him a knowing look "She just fainted, calm down". Korsack looked over to Jane who was knelt down as well and was biting her lip. He knew the look on her face was one of when she was hiding something and gave everything away.

"Jane?" do you know why she fainted?". Jane nodded and looked down at the ground.

The assistant bent down "I can take a blood sample" she suggested

"Sure" Korsack agreed, hoping it would put Frost's mmind at ease a little.

"Okay" the assistant continued and Korsack and Frost lifted Maura and placed her on a lab table.

Barry

Frost couldn't believe it as he looked down at Maura's unconscious form. She was pregnant. With his child. He felt as though his mind was numb from shock and he couldn't form any new thoughts. Maura had been unconscious for almost forty minutes and he had been told no less than five minutes ago that she was pregnant.

He felt the watchful eyes of Jane and Vince on him, analysing him. Careful of his reaction. He felt himself begin to relax slightly and process the situation.

"Frost?" he heard Korsack murmer

"Hmm"

"You okay?" he asked

"You haven't talked in like five minutes" Jane continued

Barry looked up at Jane suddenly curious "Did you know?" he said bluntly. At this Jane stammered and began to fidget "W-well she, she might have mentioned it" Jane said, trailing off at the end.

Barry felt a little anger rise up at this "For how long?"

"Last night. I swear". He felt a little better with the last answer.

"She only found out last night...and she was kinda freaking out and, we're best friends" Jane intervened

"Are you okay,Frost?" Korsack grunted

"Yeah"

"Yes?"

"Yeah" he assured "I mean it's very fast but-"

"Whew!" he heard Jane say "That's great cause she was freaking out about your reaction... she wants the baby as well". Barry smiled, relieved. Maura wanted a baby too.

Just as he thought this he heard a grumble from Maura, who was slowly moving aout on the table where she lay.

Korsack looked from Maura to Barry "We'll give you some time" he said as he ushered Jane out of the room. Barry walked over to Maura and she opened her eyes

"Barry?...what happened?" she groaned. He bent down and with his right hand stroked her hair "You just fainted" he whispered

"Oh boy" she whined and slowly sat up on the table.

"I know about the baby" he said suddenly and she froze in place

"What?" she croaked

"I know" he repeated and smiled

"You do. How?"

"Blood test". Maura nodded and looked down solemnly.

"I know you told Jane first, and I get it. You're... BFF's" he said smiling

"I was going to tell you tonight" she said quickly

"I know now and it was a big surprise"

"A bad one?" Maura asked

"No, a really good one" he said calmly. As he did he literally saw all the worry and tension leaving Maura's body and she began to relax.

"Oh thank god" she sighed and he pulled her into hug, holding her for ages until she pulled away again

"So we're having a baby?"

"We're having a baby" he said happily and they laughed excitedly until Jane and Korsack walked in. korsack walked over to Maura and handed her a bar of chocolate before pulling her into a hug as well

"Congratulations" he said

"Thank you" she replied and he pulled away and surprisingly to Barry pulled him into a hug as well. Korsack leaned into Barry's ear "Look after her" he said sternly.

"I will" Barry replied confidently and pulled away to see Maura and Jane giggling and talking happily to one another.