Chapter Four

Maura sat once more on the couch – upright, both knees together, palms placed genteelly on her knees. She watched as Jane paced, back and forth, back and forth, until she was sure that Jane would just drop through the cloud via the groove she was treading.

"Jane, do you think maybe you could sit down so we can discuss this?" she asked.

"Discuss it? Let me see," Jane said, coming to a halt and dragging her hands through her hair in order to tie it up. She growled when she realised she didn't have a hair tie, which was very annoying considering she left the house this morning with her hair in a ponytail. "We can either die and live eternally with a view of Omaha! Omaha, Maura, have you been to Omaha? Because trust me, you don't want to spend your eternal life overlooking Omaha!"

"I haven't, no…is it really that bad?"

"Omaha? Oh yeah, it's bad-"

"No, I mean, is falling in love with me really that bad?" Her head tilted and she frowned as she looked towards her friend. Jane moved quickly to sit beside her. "I mean if we got to go home and see everyone again, is it really that awful?"

"No, Maura, it's not that awful…" She reached for the doctor's hand and held it between her own. "I just…" Big hazel eyes stared up at her. Jane swallowed and found herself unable to tear her eyes away. "Do you think we could?"

Maura breathed deeply, searched the face of the best friend she had ever had. "If I am truly honest, Jane…I think I already do."

Jane closed her eyes and let her forehead drop against Maura's. "We are idiots, aren't we?" She felt Maura nod before she chuckled.

"It took dying for us to finally realise and admit it."

"Yeah, it did. If we go back, we won't remember this though, what if we're still idiots?" Jane sat back. Her hand cupped Maura's cheek and the doctor melted into it.

"I guess we will find out, won't we?" Looking into her eyes, Jane was overcome with the urgent need to kiss her.

"Maura, I'm just giving you the heads up, but…I'm going to…"

"Kiss me," she said, breathless and sexy. Jane nodded and with no further comment, brought their lips together. It was tentative and tender. She felt lightning shoot through her veins and heard thunder roar in her ears as the kiss naturally deepened. Her hands itched, and not because of the scar tissue, but because they wanted to explore the woman in every way possible.

"Well, will you look at that, I see you have finally worked it out?!" A voice they both recognised echoed through the room. Jane broke the kiss and closed her eyes. Was it possible?

"Frost?" she all but whispered against Maura's lips, not daring to think it was true.

"As I…don't live or breathe," he laughed. Jane turned slowly. The man who had been her partner and more than that, her friend, was standing just ten feet from her. "Jane, it's good to see you. Though I see you all the time, so I guess it's good to see me, huh?" He laughed again, his brown eyes sparkling. "You know, for the best detective I've ever known, you really are obtuse."

"Obtuse? Really?" She couldn't help but smile at him.

"Yeah, and you, Dr Isles." He moved forward until he stood right in front of them both. He shook his head, laughing at them. "You have to be the smartest woman I ever worked with…and look at the two of you, walking around with your eyes closed."

"Yeah, well it's good to see you too, Barold." Jane smiled and stood to throw her arms around him. He was solid; she'd half expected to fall straight through him.

"Miss me?"

"Every day," Jane admitted, her eyes misting over. She felt the fingertips of a soft hand slip into her own.

"It's good to see you, Barry," Maura added, the smile lighting up her face like it always did. Jane finally understood that she was completely smitten with her doctor.

"Well, the boss woman said I could pop in and say hi, but I have to get going now."

"What? No…stay. Come on, we haven't seen you in…"

"Jane, Jane, Jane, it's okay…you'll see me again. When it's time. For now, you need to go back and fall in love."

"I'm already in love." She blushed, feeling Maura's grip tighten.

"Jane, the entire universe can see that you and the Doc here are in love. Only you two idiots needed to die before you worked it out."

"He is right, Jane…we just said as much ourselves." Jane nodded at Maura's words, smiling at her lovingly.

The door behind Barry Frost opened. "Sup, Detective, Doctor Isles."

"Oh my goodness, Susie!" exclaimed Maura. She moved swiftly to cross the floor, her palms wrapping gently around the biceps of her trusted lab tech. "It's so good to see you, both of you," she repeated, looking back towards Barry.

"We can only stay for a minute. You'll be going back soon and you'll forget about this."

"How will we know to fall in love if we don't remember this?" Jane asked as they all stood together in a circle.

"When you go back, you won't remember this, but you'll have help," Barry said, still smiling at them.

"And if we don't work it out?"

"You've got a week," Susie replied. "If you fail to recognise your soulmate by then, we will meet you both here and show you to Cloud 42."

"Hey, we'll be neighbours, I'm in Cloud 44." Barry grinned.

"I'm in 56," Chang added.

"Omaha?" Jane groaned.

"Hey, count your blessings. Hugh Hefner got Cloud 69, Tulsa!" Frost chuckled.