Please read Ch 1 for disclaimers…

Jane jumped when Maura backed off suddenly with her dinner plate in hand. A mysterious expression flickered over her features before Maura turned away to head over to the sink. Jane took a quick breath in and rubbed her hands against her thighs as she stared at Maura's back while the other woman started washing pans and plates.

Outside the window over Jane's sink the sky was a deep red hue over and between the buildings. Maura rinsed the sauce pan in her hand, mentally counting off the seconds until Jane's voice carried over the sound of the running water.

"But what about my question?"

Without bothering to turn around, Maura held up the dishtowel and waited until it was tugged out of her hand. "I'm going to run out of room in the dish drainer before I finish washing all of this."

Jane took the offered pan and started drying. "I would have cleaned up, you did all the cooking."

"I know." Maura focused on scrubbing the sauté pan in her hands. "But I don't mind."

Jane pulled the next pan out of Maura's hands to dry it as they stood shoulder to shoulder. "Are you ever going to answer my question?"

Glancing at Jane out of the corner of her eye, Maura caught Jane doing the same and they both chuckled. She rinsed the plates and leaned over to put them in the dishwasher. "Couch or kitchen?"

"This is going to be Dr. Isles-level-10-complicated-as-fuck type answer isn't it?" Jane sighed when Maura wouldn't even look up at her. "Couch. Do I need a beer for this?"

Straightening back up, Maura rubbed Jane's bicep as she reached around her to rescue her remaining wine. "If it was an easy answer you never would have needed to ask me in the first place." She left Jane standing at the sink as she made her way out of the kitchen.

Maura was already curled up against the arm of the couch by the time Jane finished wiping down the counters. With a sigh Jane sat down on the opposite end, legs sprawled out between them, waiting.

Maura shifted so she could face Jane, "Not drinking?"

Jane shrugged. "You're taking so long to answer I figure I'm about to get diagnosed with some weird disease or social disorder. So ergo, I'm going to need my full wits about me, so no."

Chuckling Maura ran a finger along the rim of her wine glass. "Would you please relax?"

"I will after you tell me that I'm crazy and I'm going to be the cover model for the BPDs next annual "Babes in Blue" calendar."

"Is that what you want?"She had been teasing but when Jane blushed and didn't deny it immediately, Maura couldn't help but probe a little deeper. "You could be you know. I bet it would be a top seller."

"What? Wait, back up. No!" Jane shook her head rapidly, trying to get a handle on the conversation. "I was kidding. There is no such calendar." She leaned her head against the couch and when she dared to glance at Maura she could see the laughter in the hazel eyes. "And you knew that, didn't you?" She covered her eyes. "Can we please stay on topic?"

At Jane's dramatic gesture Maura chuckled and let it go. "Earlier you brought up Bonnie Evans. Why do you think that Officer Evans is never called a dyke even though she identifies as lesbian?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, that's easy. You've met Bonnie. Who would ever think she was a lesbian just by looking at her? She kind of reminds me of a suburban soccer mom in a cop suit. Uses makeup every day, her nails are always some random shade of pink and she wears that birthstone mom necklace from her kids. Not even the uniform utility belt can hide all that."

Maura nodded "But she works in law enforcement and, unlike you, she's even in uniform, but nobody assumes she's gay."

Exasperated Jane tossed up her hands. "But that's my point! She goes home to a wife every night but nobody seems to call her a dyke. But me," She pointed to her chest. "I'm not even gay and I get shit like that all the time. Even Korsak and Frost wanted to call me butch for fucks sake."

Maura took a small sip of her wine as she fully started to understand the situation. "Detective Frost meant it as a compliment. He was quite proud of your prowess."

Jane let out a long sigh and her voice was soft. "I know. I get that, but why did they both think I was butch?" She chewed at her bottom lip. "I try to remember to wear lipstick some of the time. I even keep it in the cruiser."

Reaching down with her free hand to rub the top of Jane's foot, Maura thought about changing course but she had promised an honest answer. "And as you pointed out Officer Evans also uses cosmetics and again, she is in a uniform that even you object to wearing, because has a very masculine cut. I believe you said it makes you look like a man."

Growling Jane yanked her foot away, drawing her knee up to her chest. "You are making me tired and I'm not even drinking. Is there a point here?"

Shaking her head, Maura closed her eyes. Always the hard way. "I was demonstrating that your assumption from earlier that your wardrobe was to blame for your current conflict of identity is erroneous. Both you and Officer Evans work in law enforcement. Both of you interact with the public and your colleagues on a regular basis. Officer Evans has greater wardrobe restrictions than you do, yet most people, including yourself, evaluate her expression of gender as more traditionally feminine. As such she apparently avoids the word dyke when used in a derogatory manner indicating a woman who adopts a masculine persona, appearance and gender role."

Jane dropped her forehead against her knee. "Why do I feel like we're talking in circles with the addition of bigger words?" She sighed loudly, dramatically as she looked up. "This is why I asked you if I looked like a dyke in the first place." She searched Maura's face for a hint of an answer. "So if you're trying to say it's not my clothes that are the problem then what the hell is?"

With a last sip of wine Maura put the glass down on the end table and moved to the middle of the couch. Patting Jane's legs she pulled both calves onto her lap. "Why do you assume that this is an issue or a problem?" Jane simply raised an eyebrow. "Fine if we're assuming this is a reason for distress..." She clasped both of Jane's legs with her hands. "You have to promise to work with me and listen without getting upset."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"No, promise me." Maura shook the legs in her grasp.

Jane took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay." She again tried to get a hint out of the solemn expression looking back at her. "I promise."

Maura tightened her grip on Jane's calves and stared intently into her eyes.

"Jane, have you ever paid attention to how you behave around me?"