A/N: I didn't get all of what I had planned into this chapter but I guess that just means I'll have to put it into the next one. Okay, so here we have them interacting again. It isn't as happy and bright as some would like but bare in mind it is coming. Thank you so much for the lovely reviews and all the follows and favs.


"Jane?" Hazel eyes pop open and peer into brown ones.

"Yes?" Jane says still stroking the hair on the head that is lying in her lap.

It takes a few seconds for Maura to ask her next questions. "Jane, as in my imaginary friend? The one I had when I was younger, that Jane?"

A huge grin appearing on Jane's face, "That would be correct!"

Maura sits up too quickly and feeing a bit dizzy grabs her head to try and steady herself. "Oh no!" I must have hit my head when I fell." She runs her hands over her face and then around her whole head looking at them after. "No head or facial bleeding. For there to be any head trauma I would need to have bleeding or some other symptom or sign. I'm a little confused-"

"MAURA!" Jane interrupts the blonde, jarring Maura out of her thought process. "I am really here you didn't bang your head I caught you."

"Obviously I am hallucinating," she continues. "I will have to go to the emergency room for a scan, to know for sure what is wrong with me." She says out loud to herself. She stands and brushes herself off before bending down to grab Jo Friday's leash.

"I'm experiencing many signs to suggest I have a some kind of trauma to the brain. Maybe I had a stroke, which would explain the fainting, and from the fainting I received the head injury. In turn that would explain why I am seeing Jane." She tried reasoning with herself. "Yes, that would most likely be the explanation for all of this."

"Maura, you need to believe that I am real! I am actually here and not a figment of your imagination!" Jane tries to grab Maura's hand but before she can the blonde pulls away. Pleading with the woman in front of her she urges again, "Believe me Maura."

As she finishes speaking Jo Friday gives Jane a little yip from her spot on the ground. Almost as if giving Jane reassurance that she sees her. "Thank you." Jane looks down answering Jo's bark. And for a moment when she looks back up to Maura she thinks maybe Maura does believe her. But the blonde throws up both her hands screaming to the heavens, "I am crazy! I have gone mental!" The outburst garnering a few stares from the people nearby, causing Maura's face to redden in embarrassment.

She begins jogging as fast as Jo's little legs can go. Looking apprehensively over her shoulder to see if Jane is following. When she notices that Jane is indeed following and is not far behind, she franticly yells out, "You're not real, this isn't real. I'm dreaming and once I wake up I will be in my big comfy bed and all will be fine!"

Jane is quick on her feet as well with her response, "That isn't going to happen Maur." She says as she passes Maura and turns to run backwards.

"Yes it is Jane." She screeches as she bends over to pick up Jo and taking off at full speed. Jane turns to runs facing forward and is right on her heels and easily states, "We both know even on my worse day I can beat you so you might as well stop running from me."

Still Maura continues running. Almost fifteen minutes later Maura makes a sharp turn into a driveway and loses Jane who has continued running forward.

Not hearing Maura's heavy breathing anymore, Jane turns around and catches feet darting behind a bush in a driveway. Without even stopping, Jane pivots and in no time is running back in the direction she has come from.

Maura slams the door behind her before Jane has the chance to stop her. She falls back and slides her backside down the closed door. She lets go of Jo and rests her forehead on her knees.

"Not…real...wouldn't have…beat her." Maura sputters out between breaths.

"Maura?" Ian calls out from the kitchen. "What is going on?" He asks a little more perturbed than worried.

"Um…nothing. It's nothing." She unconvincingly yells back, hives forming on her chest.

Ian rounds the corner to see for himself what is happening in the entry way and as he does there is a knock.

"Who is here?" he asks. Maura stands and with her back still resting on the door, she holds out her arms to block Ian from answering.

"Wait…did you hear the knock?" She asks confused. "Yes, I heard the knock Maura." And before he can get out anything else, there is another knock. This time the knock is louder and more persistent. "I think all your neighbors heard that knock." And he pushes Maura out of the way to look out the peephole.

"What do you see?" Maura eagerly asks. Still looking through the hole Ian answers, "There is a very attractive, tall, dark haired woman standing outside your door."

"Really? Around my age? Wild hair? Wearing a grey t-shirt?" She further questions.

Pulling back and still squinting Ian says, "Yes, to all your questions. Do you know who she is?"

Not wanting to tell the truth but not being able to lie, Maura answers the best way she can, "Yes. I know her. She was a childhood friend and she is back in town. But I think it's best if we just leave everything in the past and not see each other."

A question pops into Ian's head and so he enthusiastically asks Maura, "A childhood friend? Does she know your friend Jane?"

She knew she shouldn't have talked so much about her imaginary friend Jane. At the time Ian never asked much about her only listening when Maura told him stories of the past.

"Actually, that is Jane." She reluctantly says.

"Well we should let her in!" and before she has the chance to oppose, her front door is being swung wide open.


"JANE!" Ian bellows as he grabs a very shocked jane and wraps her in a bear hug. "I've heard so much about you! Come in!"

Jane is standing in the foyer with her mouth agape. An Australian man hugging her has just pulled her into this house. And after looking around can only assume it is Maura's home.

"Yeah…um…I don't like to be hugged so that took me off guard a bit…who are you?" Jane abrasively asks.

A bit bothered by the question Ian quickly conceals his crushed ego, "Oh, Maura's never mentioned me in any of your conversations?"

Knowing that she hit a nerve with this Ian, Jane provokes him further, "Well, I haven't talked to Maura in quite some time but no, you have never come up in our conversations." Jane says barely able to keep the grin off her face.

Looking at Maura, but speaking to Jane, Ian nods and replies, "Are you sure? I've known her for close to ten years and I find it hard to believe she hasn't said a thing about me but she can talk for days on end about you." He finishes giving the blonde an annoyed smile.

Beaming with pride Jane begins to ask, "Real-" but before she can finish Maura loudly blurts out. "A FRIEND," noticing she said this much too loud she speaks again in a softer but still frantic voice. "My friend…this is just my friend, Ian."

To Maura this isn't a lie; they both haven't discussed where they stand in each other's life. So Maura repeats what Ian had said to her a while back when trying to define their relationship.

An angry Ian glares at Maura before turning to Jane, "It was…nice meeting you Jane but I must be leaving now. I have plenty of errands to run before I leave the country. Maybe I'll see you around." Ian says stepping around Jane and grabbing his bags. The same bags he didn't get a chance to unpack the night before.

"Maura, I'll be calling you later tonight. Hopefully, you are not too busy to answer my call." And with that Ian shuts the door behind him.


"So…who was he?" Jane inquires as she follows Maura into the kitchen.

"No one that should concern you." Maura replies as she picks up a cup of coffee she assumes was Ian's and takes a drink.

"You aren't going to offer me anything? I remember that you had more manners." Jane teases the blonde.

"Can you? I mean…I guess since you're really here you can." Although Maura isn't one for guessing, she does, realizing she isn't sure of much anymore.

"Here." She hands over a cup of coffee as she heads to the refrigerator. She returns with cream and sugar. Setting them in front of Jane, she coldly states, "I don't know how you like it. You know, since you left me before we were old enough to drink it?"

"Maura I di-" Jane starts to explain but the other woman cuts her off.

"Why are you here Jane?" Maura asks. "Why did you come back? Why did you follow me home? Why now?" her questions come without warmth she is clinical and deliberate. And the image of Constance pops into the brunette's head.

Jane knows Maura is covering up, she knows she has to be delicate with her answers and not push the blonde farther than she is willing to go.

"I honestly don't know what I am doing here Maur. I asked to leave my job as being a best friend. I'm on my first assignment. I was told that I would know when it was time, that I would get a pull." Jane looks longingly at Maura and continues, "The only pull I got was to go to the park and that's when I saw you. But it's gone now and I have no clue what to do."

Maura nods taking in what Jane has said. "Well, it was nice seeing you Jane but I have to go to work. I'm already late and I still have to get ready. I will show you out.

Maura ushers Jane towards the front door and as they both reach it Jane decides to ask one more question to stall, "What is your job? I bet you're the best at what you do, huh?"

Reaching for the door handle Maura answers, "I'm the Chief Medical Examiner at the Boston Police Department. And I feel sufficed enough to say, since I am the Chief, I a most likely the best at what I do." Opening the door she gives Jane a curt smile and waits for Jane's exit.

Jane speaks again still trying to delay leaving, "I see those worms and frogs were just the beginning of the dissecting." She awkwardly laughs.

Not bothering to answer Jane's comment, Maura slowly lifts her chin as well as her eyebrows, before slowly bringing both back down and glancing out the open door.

Jane isn't stupid she knows Maura is blowing her off, but she is desperate for the blonde's forgiveness and also her help. "Maur, I know I hurt you but I need your help. I have no where to go and I have no money." Jane hates that she has to ask for help. It makes her feel weak and so she jokes, "I almost jumped in a dumpster we passed as I chased you back here because I smelled something that could have been food."

"Please?" she pleads.

Jane watches as the blonde raises her hands and rubs her face letting out a loud and dramatic breath. "AHHHHHHH!" she groans through her hands that still lay over her face. Maura lets out a muffled, "Fine." She lowers her hands and with the side of her foot she lightly kicks the door closed. "You can stay and eat as I get ready. I'll call into work and tell them I am going to be late, that something unforeseeable has happened and I'll be in after lunch. On my way into work I will drop you off at a hotel and pay for a few nights."

An ecstatic Jane lunges forward and pulls Maura into a hug. Jumping up and down, Jane happily squeals. Not caring that Maura is trying to pull away. Because as she is hugging Maura she can see the twinkle in the blonde's eyes as she bites her lips to stop from smiling. And that lets Jane know that they both are different now, but she still has a place in Maura's heart.


I know that Maura was a little bit witchy, but I wanted her to question why Jane is back now. Also, to show that after Jane left she has put up some walls. Walls that our Jane is going to have to break down. And that will be happening in the next chapter, which should be up tomorrow and at the latest Friday. And now that I am done for the day I must ask, Guess what day it is? WINE WEDNESDAY! Cheers to you all!