When Maura awoke, she found herself alone in Jane's bed. She reached her hands across the expanse of rumpled sheets, arching her back and stretching her entire body. A smile slid across her face as she recalled the final hours of the previous night. The thought brought a blush to her cheek. Her chest expanded with a slow inhalation as she delighted in the scents of Jane.
Maura had always had a difficult time maneuvering interpersonal relationships, for though she had never had a difficulty finding a lover, successfully navigating the rest of it had always eluded her, until now. In Jane, she had a friend, confidant, moral equal, and as of last night, a lover.
Maura got out of bed and found Jane's discarded tee shirt in the corner. She raised it over her head and after slipping into the soft folds, pattered barefoot into the living room.
Standing in the kitchen at the sink, Maura found Jane sipping coffee and reading the morning edition of The Globe. Maura was a little surprised to see her in her running clothes, apparently having already completed her workout.
"Morning Doc," Jane said brightly.
"You were up early," Maura commented with a sly smile, thinking of all the sexual energy Jane must have been working off. She watched Jane in the kitchen, standing so calmly, reading the paper, it must have been a very good run.
"I didn't want to wake you; you were sleeping so soundly," Jane replied, still intent on the morning news.
"Did you at least sleep well?" Maura asked, in what she hoped was a low and knowing tone. She crossed the room and stepped close to her detective. "Any dreams?"
"Slept like a rock," was the reply in the same bright and indistinguishable tone.
Maura placed her hand in the small of Jane's back, hoping to draw her attention away from her reading. "Glad to hear it."
Jane obliged her by looking up and smiling, "And you?"
Jane's tone perplexed Maura. It was not at all what she would have expected from Jane after last night. Truth be told, she was hoping for more of the smoldering passion that had been flowing so freely last night, not this cheery, post-workout Jane.
"I slept well too, " Maura said slowly, as if trying to figure out what was going on. She stepped closer and lifted her face up to meet Jane's, pursing her lips to receive a kiss.
Jane retained her hold on both coffee mug and paper as she leaned over and kissed Maura's cheek. "Good, because I know I can thrash around a bit."
Maura was momentarily wrong footed. She was not one to guess at anything, but hypothesizing she could do, and this was not at all how she had thought this morning would go. Of course she had been worried that things would not be the same, but it had never occurred to her to be worried that they would not change at all.
Jane saw the look of puzzlement on Maura's face, and for a quick instant she wanted to drop everything in her hands and take the Doctor into her arms. But then her rational mind interjected and told her to stick with the plan she had figured out on her morning run. Don't make the first move, act like nothing happened until Maura takes the initiative. That way Jane would know for sure if last night was something that Maura wanted, or wanted to forget about. Jane did not want anything to jeopardize her relationship with Maura and if that meant denying her feelings, then so be it. If last night meant the same to Maura as it did to Jane then surely Maura would say something, and then they could pick up where they left off. But if Maura had been taking pity on Jane, or allowed herself to be taken advantage of because of the tenor of the preceding day's events, well, then Jane was not going to perpetuate either of those scenarios.
"I picked up sfogliatelles at Parziale's. I know how much you like them after a hard case, I think this one qualifies, don't you?" Jane smiled and only relinquished her hold on the paper to take up the pastry box that was emblazoned with the logo from Maura's favorite Italian Bakery.
Jane held out the heavily laden box by the red and white string binding it closed. She hoped that Maura would take the box out of her hand, put it on the counter, and tell her what a fool she was being. She prayed that Maura would chide her for her insolence and slip her arms around Jane's waist, inducing her to return to the bedroom.
Maura quickly reconsidered all of the facts, including the new data that Jane's behavior was presenting, and tried to delineate the appropriate course to chart. "This is Jane's way of coping," Maura though, "With the Hoyt revelations, the traumatic nature of the events, and yes, even with what had transpired between them." The last thing Maura wanted was to push Jane over the edge, even if it meant ignoring her own needs. As much as it hurt, Maura would have to do the right thing for her friend, and hope that they would get back to the place they had found the night before. The place where there were no barriers between them, where words were unnecessary and Hoyt had no jurisdiction.
Maura took the box and placed it on the counter. She slipped her hand around Jane's waist and pulled her away from the counter.
"You're blocking the utensil drawer," Maura chided, as she opened the drawer and took out a pair of scissors.