A/N Here is the fourth chapter of this story. Thank you all for your comments and feedback! Have fun reading it and please let me know what you think!

Chapter 4

After parking her car in front of the Boston Police Department, Jane walked into the cafe to get herself a cup of coffee. When she saw her mother, she greeted her and walked right towards the coffee machine. Pouring the hot liquid in a cup and sealing it with a lid, she turned back around to continue her way towards the elevators.

Striding into the bullpen she put the coffee on her desk, hung her jacket over the chair and sat down. She thought back to the way Maura looked in that really tight dress she borrowed from her. The way every curve of her body was accentuated by it. At the crime scene, she had a really hard time focusing on the death body instead of Maura's when she sat kneeling down next to it.

While Jane was lost in her thoughts, Korsak was taping the victim's picture to the board while talking to her about the case. When she got a text from Maura saying that she found something on the body that she was examining, Jane woke up from all the fantasies of her best friend swirling through her head. She stood up and while walking towards the elevators, told Korsak she was heading down to see what Maura got on their victim. Korsak stood in the bullpen with a lost look on his face, knowing she hadn't heard a word he said to her from the moment she entered. When the elevator signaled that it was in the basement, it opened it's doors to let her out. Walking in to the morgue, she saw Maura bend over the body.

"So Maur, what do you have for me?" she asked with a smile on her face, she only shared with her. Maura changed into some scrubs she wore to do autopsies, instead of the dress she borrowed from Jane this morning.

"Well Jane, you where right. It was a nine mm bullet. I'm not comfortable saying it was the cause of death, because I haven't finished my autopsy yet, but I will tell you that the victim is male, 23 years old and fingerprint analyses concluded that his name is Keith Richards." Maura said.

"Okay, that's good! Thanks Maura!" she said before turning around to head back upstairs and look into Keith Richards. Hoping that maybe they could find a motive of a suspect.

Jane, Korsak and Frost investigated every angle of the case, but even with all the forensic evidence they got from Maura and the autopsy report, they could not get a solid lead. After two weeks they found some new evidence and a witness that could identify the suspect. By the time they had enough against him to build a case that would hold up in court, they arrested him for the murder of Keith Richards. It took Jane only a few hours of interrogation to get a confession of the guy.

Going down to the morgue to invite Maura for drinks at the robber, Jane saw that she was still working in her office. Standing in the doorway Jane knocked at the open door, to let Maura know that there was somebody there. When she looked up Jane smiled. "Hi Maura, would you like to come with us to the Robber so we can celebrate that we finally solved this case?" she asked with hope in her voice.

"I would love to Jane! Let me finish this piece of paperwork I've been working on and than we can drive together." she said, while Jane walked towards the couch in her office. Thinking it might take a while for the doctor to finish her paperwork, she sat down with her hands in her lap. After waiting a few minutes, fidgeting with her hands and contemplating her thoughts, Jane heard Maura close her laptop. Maura stood up from her desk to take her jacket and purse so they could go.

They drove to the bar in Jane's car and when she parked it Jane got out of the car and opened Maura's door for her. "Thank you Jane!" Maura said with a smile playing at her lips. Jane put her hand on Maura's lower back, guiding them towards the door. She held it open for Maura to walk in and followed after her. When they where inside they could see their friends sitting at their regular booth. Jane pointed Maura towards the them, while she walked to the bar to get their drinks.

She order a red wine for Maura and a beer for herself. The bartender put the drinks in front of her. When she paid and took them, she walked to the table where her friends where sitting. Putting the drinks down, she slided in alongside Maura. Realizing that she was sitting really close to her friend, Jane wanted to scoot a little further away. Maura put a hand on her arm, telling her it was fine and she returned the smile Maura was giving her and she mingled in the conversation at the table.

A few drinks and a lot of laughs later it was time to go home. It was getting pretty late and tomorrow they would have to get back to work. She slided out of the booth and stood beside the table, putting her hand out for Maura to take. She took Jane's hand in hers and stood up from the booth she was sitting in. They said their goodbyes and walked out off the bar, towards Jane's car.

Driving to Maura's house in silence, Maura was looking out the window and Jane was trying to focus on the road. It had started to rain and it was pouring from the sky. When they finally made it to Maura's house, Maura turned sideways to look at Jane. "Jane, would you like to come inside? Maybe it's better if you didn't drive home, with all the rain coming down. I have some spare clothes of yours in the guest bedroom." she said.

"Yeah, sure. I'm pretty tired anyway." Jane answered before shutting down her car and turning towards the back seat. She pulled out an umbrella and gave it to Maura. "Here, so you don't get wet and ruin that dress of yours." she said with a smirk on her face, knowing all to well how valuable her dresses where to Maura.

Maura thanked her for the gesture and opened her car door and the umbrella before getting out. When she was on her way to her front door, Jane quickly got out herself and ran towards the house, where her friend was waiting for her in the door opening. Walking inside, Jane pulled of her booths and went to the fridge in the kitchen to get herself a beer before going to bed. Maura joined her and took a glass from the cupboard to fill it with water. They both drank in silence, looking at each other, with smiles on their faces. Finishing their drinks, they walked upstairs. Jane stood in front of the guest bedrooms door, looking at Maura. "Goodnight Jane." Maura said.

"Goodnight Maur." Jane replied. She opened the door and went inside. Seeing Maura walk to her own bedroom before closing the door. Jane found some pajamas in the closet and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change. Turning off the lights of the bathroom, she walked towards the bed. Pulling down the covers, she laid down settling for the night. It was dark in the bedroom and she felt really tired. Not having a good night of sleep since the case started, she hoped that tonight she could get the rest that she so desperately needed. Closing her eyes, she could not fall asleep. Al she could think about was Maura, what else.

Ever since Jane realized she had feeling for her best friend, she could not stop thinking about her. Everything she did or said was burned into her memory. For example, the way Maura smiled when Jane opened the car door for her when they where at the parking lot of the Dirty Robber. Maura even had a twinkle in her eyes, but Jane could not imagine that this was the first time someone opened a car door for her. Her dates probably would have and if they didn't they where idiots. A woman like Maura should be spoiled and feel like a queen.

Jane had no idea how long she could hide her feelings anymore. She was afraid to mess things up. What if she told Maura how she felt and she didn't feel the same way. Or what if, in some random parallel universe, she did and Jane screwed everything up by being, let's face it, herself. She worked all the time, always said the wrong things and when things or people got close she turned and ran away. She could not do that to Maura. She had to be sure about her feelings before telling her. Knowing for sure that these feelings where no random phase she was going through.

And what if she told her and she felt the same. How would their friends and family react. For example her mother. She was catholic and would never approve of this relationship. Knowing her mother loved her and wanted her to be happy, but rather with a man than a woman. Would her mother ever speak to her when she was in a relation with Maura or any woman for that matter. That last thought startled Jane. Was she gay? She never felt anything for a woman, but the way she felt now, she never felt for a man or for anyone in that matter. Fighting against the labels her whole life, Jane did not know the answer to that question.

It wasn't the fact that Maura was a woman that got her attention, but the fact who that woman was. A kind, loving and funny person that understood everything about her and could read her like a book. Whenever something was bothering her, Maura knew it. But she also knew to not push the problem. Jane would tell her when she was ready to. Maybe she wasn't in love with the woman Maura was, but with the person. Love isn't black and white. Maybe she was in the gray area of love. The person kind and not the label.

Thinking about all the guys Maura dated since they where friends, Jane realized that non of them where good enough. Some pushed her around or only dated her so they had a change of sleeping with her. Feeling like none of the men that Maura had dated treated her with the respect and love she deserved. She didn't know if she deserved her, but she would do anything to make her happy.

She knew she would do anything for her, even give her life to save hers. And that feeling meant so much more that words could ever describe. Thinking back to the time before Jane realized her feelings for Maura, she noticed all the lingering touched and eye contact. All the moments she spend with her. After a disaster date or when Maura talked her in to doing yoga. Only Maura could make her do things she didn't want to. She just had to flash that smile of hers or look at Jane with those puppy dog eyes and she was sold. She would anything she asked her. With those thoughts Jane knew her feelings towards Maura where serious and not some phase. She made up her mind and decided she was going to tell Maura about her feelings. Their friendship was strong enough to survive when Maura did not feel the same way. They would talk about it, forget it ever happened and move on with their life's. With that last thought in her mind she fell a sleep in a peaceful dream about her gorgeous friend.

The next morning she woke up to someone knocking at her door. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and brushing a hand through her hair she heard someone talking on the other side. "Jane? Jane, are you awake? We need to get ready for work!" she heard Maura say, her voice muffled by the door between them.

"Yeah Maur! I'm awake. Just let me get a shower and I'll meet you in the kitchen." Jane said, conforming she was awake.

Dressed and ready for work Jane walked into the kitchen, where Maura was standing beside her special complicated coffee machine. She was making herself a cup of coffee porn, but Jane had no patience waiting for it, so she walked towards a cupboard and opened it. She stood on her toes to reach the top shelf and get her instant coffee. When Maura looked around and saw what Jane was caring in her hands she looked shocked at the detective.

"Jane! How does instant coffee get into my cupboards?" Maura asked shocked with the discovery. Crossing her arms and looking serious at Jane, she waited for an answer.

"Come on, Maur. You coffee porn takes to long and all I want is some coffee. I snuck it in here one day and put it on the highest shelve so you wouldn't find it." Jane said with a pout on her face. "I don't see what the problem is here, Maur. I'm not asking you to drink it, now do I?" she asked her.

Hearing Jane's response, Maura had to hold back a laugh. She could see Jane sneak in through the back door with a can of instant coffee under her arm, walking silently towards one of the cupboards and standing on her toes to put it on the highest shelf so she wouldn't find it. "Fine Jane! But I don't understand how you can be so impatient!" she responded.

After they both finished their cups of coffee they collected their belongings and made their way towards Jane's car to drive to work. When they entered the Boston Police Department and stood in front of the elevators they separated and both went their own ways.

A few hours later, Jane sat behind her desk. It was a slow day, so she had to finish the paperwork of the Richards case. Her mind went back to last night when she decided to tell Maura about the feelings she was having for her. Maybe it was time to gather her courage and rip the band aid off. Standing from her desk the took her jacket from her chair and put it on. Korsak looked at her with question in his eyes. "Rizzoli, where you're going? Gonna grab us a cup of coffee?" he said with a smile on his face.

"Ha you wish! I'm going down to the morgue. I've been staring at that screen for way to long and need a break." she threw in his direction before walking out of the bullpen towards the elevators.

When she entered Maura's office she saw that she was talking on the phone. She had a smile on her face and was pacing behind her desk. "Of course I would like to have dinner with you! Saturday sounds perfect. You can pick me up at 8." she said before saying goodbye to the person she was talking to and hanging up the phone.

Jane felt her heart break and her stomach clench. She wasn't expecting this when she came down here. How the hell was she going to tell Maura about her feelings when she just planned a date! "So, hot date?" Jane asked, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Yes! His name is Jason and he is a really great guy, Jane!" Maura said with an even bigger smile on her face.

"Where did you even met this guy, Maur?" Jane asked, trying to keep her jealousy at bay.

"I met him a few weeks ago when I went for coffee at Boston Joe's. He was standing in line behind me and started a conversation. Eventually we drank our coffee together and he asked for my phone number. He is very intelligent and handsome I might add." Maura said, still smiling brightly.

Jane just stood there. She couldn't think of something to say that sounded nice, so she decided is was better to say nothing at all. Maura felt there was something bothering Jane, but she didn't dare to ask. "Well Maura, I hope you'll have fun on your date." Jane said before turning around and leaving a stunned Maura behind.

"Jane?" she tried, but Jane was already gone before she had time to asked her was she was doing in the morgue.