A/N: Behold, the next chapter. Things are going to take a twist but stick with me, I promise it will be worth the ride. Enjoy!

Their kisses got heated quickly, their pent up desires taking over each woman the instant Jane had said those three little words. Hands began exploring with abandon, desperate to feel bare flesh after being denied for so many years. Kisses were mixed with suckling and nibbles, lust driving each woman to leave her mark on the other. It was wild and hot.

However, the moment Maura went to slide her hands into Jane's underwear, the enormity of what she was about to do came crashing down on Jane. She immediately grabbed Maura's wrist harshly, stilling her descent into Jane's most private area. Maura yelped in pain and surprise at the strength of Jane's grip and Jane instantly let go but scrambled away from Maura, grabbing a pillow to hide her bare chest as she huddled in a corner like a frightened animal.

This was all too much. Yes, she had been enjoying things, more than enjoying really. Maura's touch was everything she ever wished it would be and if the moisture between her legs was any indication, her body craved that touch more than she ever imagined. But Jane couldn't shut her brain off. A woman, even though it was Maura, was about to touch her sacred center and Jane couldn't quiet the voice inside her head that kept telling her this was wrong.

Embarrassed now at what she had let happen, Jane did the thing she had promised herself she wouldn't do at the start of the night: she ran. Quickly gathering her scattered clothes, avoiding Maura's hurt eyes, Jane mumbled, "I'm sorry," as she flung herself out of the hut and ran, half naked to the door that led to the house. Jane heard Maura's fading sobs as she closed the door and made her way to the living room where she hurriedly got dressed and grabbed her keys and gun and left the house.

R&I

Maura was beyond despondent. After Jane had hurt her in the hut physically, she had been too stunned to speak as Jane fled with an urgency she hadn't ever seen before. It caused more than physical hurt though, her heart breaking as Jane ran away from their love. Maura was aware enough to think that maybe she had pushed Jane too far, too fast, but that did nothing to quell the pain that she felt when Jane apologized as she left her naked and vulnerable in the loving hut.

To add insult to injury, as she did have a bruise on her wrist from Jane's grip, Jane proceeded to avoid her for the next few days. Maura's texts went unanswered, her calls went straight to voicemail. Every time Maura entered a room at work, Jane immediately left it, finding some excuse to not share the same space as the doctor. Jane had also not been over to the house since that fateful night and Maura was realizing how much her home had felt fuller, warmer with Jane in it as it now returned to its cold, empty self without the detective's presence. Maura had cried herself to sleep every night of their separation, curling into herself to try to find warmth, her usual heat source being absent.

Their friends and colleagues attempted to ask what had happened between the two women but each held the answer closely, a secret that was only theirs to share, a burden that they were both carrying. It hurt. Maura hurt and Jane was the only one who could relieve it.

R&I

Jane avoided Maura for a week. It was the toughest week of her life. It was as if she had chosen to lop off half her body and thought she could still continue to survive. Maura was her air, her heart, and her love. It was only Jane's pride that kept her away from Maura for that long. She was embarrassed at her reaction and had no idea how to make things right with her doctor.

Jane knew she had hurt her, more than ever before, with her actions. She got several earfulls from her mother, Korsak, Frost, even Susie. They all knew that whatever was going on, it was on Jane to fix it, and they had each told her so in no uncertain terms to do just that. The problem was that Jane didn't know how. She had made such a mess that she had no idea how to clean it up.

It was after seven days of separation that Jane finally found some inspiration. The night after she had fled Maura's house, Jane had been in her cold, lonely apartment missing her doctor and had finally looked up what Maura had created in her yard. When she learned of the significance of the loving hut, Jane felt even more like an asshole for how she had handled herself that night. Maura really had gone through so much effort for them and Jane had almostly literally slapped her in the face. Jane had seen the bruising on Maura's wrist and it only served to make her feel guiltier about how she had treated the woman that she loved.

So on the seventh day of their separation, Jane finally realized what she needed to do. Clearly, Maura had engaged in several different mating rituals to draw Jane's attention to their more than platonic relationship. It had obviously worked until Jane ruined it. So now it was up to Jane to court Maura and, feeling a renewed sense of self, Jane resolved herself to get started.

R&I

Maura was a shell of herself after a week of no contact with Jane. It was like she didn't know how to live without the presence of her detective. It was quite unnerving for the doctor who had always been so fiercely independent, that is until she met one Detective Jane Rizzoli. Jane had changed everything for her. She had never known another person who could fit so seamlessly into her life, predicting her needs, and appreciating her intellect, despite the good natured ribbing she had to endure. Jane had shown her that she wasn't alone in the world and that she did belong, once she found the right person.

And that's why all this was that much harder. Her reason for belonging was gone and Maura was left adrift in the world worse than she had ever been before because now she had experienced what it was like to feel a part of it. But she wasn't truly alone this time. Frost, Korsak, Frankie, Susie, and even Angela had been there for her, trying their best to ease the pain that she was going through. They tried to cheer Maura up by berating Jane but Maura couldn't allow that, no matter how much Jane had hurt her. She was still her true love and Maura didn't want everyone they knew thinking so poorly of her. It was a tough place to be in, hating Jane and loving her in equal measure. No hate was too strong a word. It was more like extreme disappointment.

That is why Maura felt a tornado of emotions when she received a text from Jane a little over a week after that fateful night. The message was simple but it was like Maura had been blasted with fresh air after suffocating for days. It was welcome but also overwhelming. Maura wanted to yell and rage at Jane for ignoring her for so long but in the end, all Maura really wanted was Jane back.

Sexy detective: Maura, I know I don't deserve a minute of your time, but I would like for you to meet me at the Parkman Bandstand in Boston Common, Saturday at 10. I promise that I will make things up to you if you just give me a chance. I do love you. -Jane

As much as Maura struggled with her emotions, her anger battling hard against her love, she knew in the end that she would meet Jane, anywhere.

R&I

Saturday came quickly for both women, each with their own reasons to be filled with nerves. Jane knew this was her only chance to win back her love. Maura knew that this interaction would set the course of her relationship with Jane from this point forward. Each knew what their desired outcome would look like but they just didn't know if it was the same for the other woman.

Jane awoke early that morning so that she could prepare for her courting plan. She knew it wasn't much compared to all the trouble Maura had gone through for her but it was a start. Jane would promise to do all kinds of things if Maura would just let her. Gathering all her supplies and dressing in what she knew Maura liked to see her in, Jane set out for the Commons, determined to finally clean up her mess and open her heart to the woman she loved.

Maura was slow to wake up Saturday, having had trouble sleeping the night before. She could not shut off her brain long enough to get more than a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, her dreams ranging from blissful to nightmarish. The result was that Maura was lounging in her bed as the clock showed 8:30. It took several seconds for her brain to realize that if she didn't get up soon, she would be late to meet Jane, not having time to do her morning yoga, shower, and get herself ready for whatever Jane had planned. Her stomach turned, anticipation of what would greet her at the Commons making it very hard for Maura to even consider eating breakfast.

Maura did end up forcing herself out of bed and managed to get through a modified yoga workout that left her plenty of time to get ready and head to the large city park. The drive over proved to do nothing to ease her nerves, yoga only having put a minor dent in her anxiety. Maura tried to practice her breathing techniques while she drove but eventually abandoned those as well. She was just too keyed up to relax, needing to see Jane but also afraid of what she might say or do. Regardless, Maura needed Jane almost as much as air right now and so she parked her vehicle and steeled herself for their impending encounter.

When Maura came up to the street level from the parking garage and made her way around the tennis courts to the bandstand, tears immediately sprang to her eyes. The sight was nothing she had expected and her stomach was now a flutter with nerves for an entirely different reason. Jane was standing in the center of the bandstand that had been decorated with all of her favorite flowers: purple water lilies, yellow tulips, and ocean breeze orchids. Maura could smell the wonderful bouquet of the flowers as she drifted toward the the colorful sight before her.

As Maura began to recover her faculties, she noticed that Jane had laid out a wonderful spread on a picnic blanket, flutes of champagne were next to several plates containing various cheeses, meats, and olives. Maura could see a basket of bread nearby. Maura took this all in, still not having made eye contact with Jane, too afraid to see what the woman who had shattered her heart more than seven days ago would look like.

Jane, for her part, was ecstatic that Maura had even shown up, so afraid that she had done irreparable damage to the relationship she was hoping to grow and nurture into so much more. If she was being honest, she was also very nervous about what she was about to reveal to Maura, knowing that the only way to win her love back was to lay herself bare, exposing all of her fears and insecurities so that Maura could make an informed choice about where they were headed if she chose to forgive Jane.

Finally after a prolonged silence, Maura looking everywhere but Jane and Jane's eyes focused solely on Maura, the pair finally met each other's gaze. Both their mouths fell open into an O shape at what they saw. Jane saw the tears that were streaming down Maura's face and wanted to immediately rush forward and take away the pain that had caused them. Maura saw the sorrow in Jane's eyes that was accompanied by pure love and devotion of her best friend. It was the most vulnerable Maura had ever seen Jane and it was breathtaking.

Jane could only resist her urge for only so long before her feet were moving without her permission and she soon found herself standing right in front of the still shell-shocked ME. She wanted to scoop the smaller woman up in her arms and apologize for everything she had put her doctor through this last week and a half but Jane knew she hadn't earned the right to touch Maura yet. So Jane just stood there, within arms reach, trying to convey how sorry she was through her eyes.

Maura seemed to understand because she reached out first and ran fingers along Jane's jaw, rubbing gently at the clenched muscles she found there, Jane struggling to control herself. Maura's tears had subsided but her eyes were still glassy with unshed tears. The sight broke Jane's heart even more, Maura looking so devastatingly beautiful even with tear stained cheeks.

"Jane," Maura finally spoke, softly, not wanting to break whatever trance they were in but needing to address what all this meant. "This is beautiful."

Jane felt a great deal of her tension melt at those words but also from the reassuring touch on her face. Maura looked at her so intensely that Jane knew it was her turn to speak, to clear things up so that the couple could be just that, a couple. Jane wanted that more than anything else in the world right now and so she stepped back, taking the hand that was caressing her face and began to guide Maura to her picnic paradise.

"It pales in comparison to you Maur, but it was the least I could do to start making amends for how I've treated you this last week," Jane rasped out as the two women settled down on the blanket, Jane not having let go of Maura's hand, enjoying the warmth and weight of it that she had been missing for these last 174 hours, not that she had been counting or anything.

Maura blushed a bit at Jane's compliment but she still felt unsteady, not comfortable yet as to what all this meant. She squeezed Jane's hand in response and looked at her detective questioningly, encouraging her to go on, needing to hear what the hell happened that night.

Jane took a deep breath, looking down at their joined hands, before she looked up and held Maura's gaze as she began the most important speech of her life.

"Maur, I am so, so sorry. I know that the words are not enough, neither is this picnic. I know that. But, I had to start somewhere, proving to you that I love you, that I appreciate you, and that I will do whatever it takes to earn back your trust. I was so shitty to you and I understand if you can't forgive me, but if you will just give me a chance, no matter how small it is, I promise I won't let you down again." Jane was crying by the end of her statement, the importance of what she said overwhelming her. Again, Maura was surprised to see her detective this way and her heart ached to make it all better.

However, there was still a part of Maura that was broken from Jane's rejection, not just that fateful night, but then the subsequent days after. Maura withdrew her hand from Jane's grasp, seeing the pained look in her detective's eyes at the action, but needing to break the contact to say what she had to say before they could even try to repair what they had started.

Jane felt like her heart was breaking as Maura took her hand away. She wasn't looking at Jane again and so Jane feared the worst. She should have known that her actions were just too severe to smooth over with a picnic in the park. Maura deserved so much more. Jane began to internally berate herself and the tears were flowing freely now down her face.

"You hurt me, Jane. I literally showed you all of myself and you ran away. And then you kept me away. I chased you Jane, for so long. I can't keep doing that, letting you break me over and over again like that." Maura was now sobbing as well, and she could only imagine what they must look like to the passersby that were milling around the park. Luckily, it was still early so the park wasn't completely bustling as it would be on such a beautiful day.

Jane looked up at Maura with tear stained cheeks and red puffy eyes and nodded, almost as if admitting defeat. Maura watched this and felt what was left of her heart break. How could they even have a friendship after this? Maura felt herself getting angry at Jane, angry that she wasn't willing to fight for them.

As Maura was getting ready to let Jane feel the strength of her anger, the look on Jane's face morphed from defeat to resolve. Maura immediately recognized it as the look her detective got when the toughest case was beating her down and she was gearing up to bring justice to their victim. It was a look that Maura had never seen directed at her and at that moment, her anger was stifled inside.

"I don't want to run anymore," Jane stated resolutely, determination clear in her voice as it was painted across her face. "Or, if I do, I want to run to you, to your arms, to your home, to your bed. I know I hurt you Maura, and I will never forgive myself for that." Jane eyes dropped down to Maura's wrist, indicating that she meant more than the emotional pain she had caused the doctor. Maura had already forgiven her for that, recognizing that Jane had reacted purely out of instinct, not intending to bruise her so badly.

"I will spend the rest of my life making it up to Maur, if you will let me. I love you and I want to be with you, more than anything." Maura had never seen Jane be so earnest and it gave her pause to consider if they could get back on track to where they had been before the various chain of events that had occurred.

"I don't doubt that, Jane, but you still have not told me why you ran. I need to understand that before I can possibly consider anything else." Maura was not going to budge on this point. If they were to salvage their relationship, it would be with all the cards out on the table so that each woman knew exactly what they were getting into.

Jane dipped her head at Maura's words and Maura saw her jaw working hard again, almost as if she was chewing on her next words. It caused Maura to hold her breath in anticipation, afraid that the reason for Jane's rejection was because of her, something that she suspected but hoped wasn't the case.

"I got scared." At Maura's snort, Jane looked up with a flush on her cheeks and dipped her head again. "Yes, I know that part was obvious. Let me just get this out, please Maur, it's really hard for me." Maura tipped her head in acknowledgment and resolved not to react until Jane had explained thoroughly.

"Before you Maur, I had never wanted another woman. I had never even looked at another woman in a sexual way. And then you came storming into my life, with your beautiful brain and your tight dresses that showed off your gorgeous body." Jane licked her lips and Maura felt her core clench. Even now, the two women could ignite their desire for each other despite how high their emotions were running.

"Suddenly, I was thinking about all these things that I had been told my whole life were wrong. Not that I believed them, I'm not homophobic, I hope you know that. I just never thought they were for me. And there you were, at every turn, making me consider something I never saw for myself. I can't deny myself any longer. I crave you, Maur. My body, my heart, my mind. I need you."

Maura was once again dumbfounded, especially with the way Jane was looking at her right now. It was like she hung the stars in the sky but also like she wanted to tear her apart limb from limb. It caused so many conflicting emotions within her but Maura held firm. Jane still hadn't explained why she ran. If she felt all these things, why reject Maura when she was just about to get everything she wanted?

Maura's questions must have been like a marquee across her face because Jane swallowed hard and looked over Maura's shoulder as she said the next part.

"When you took me into the hut, I was nervous. My body wanted you so much but my mind wouldn't stop telling me that it was wrong. But then you touched me, and I touched you, and I knew I needed to feel more of you. I thought I could go through with it. But when your hand went-, I just couldn't, I-I-." Jane covered her face with hands and sobbed. It was like she was reliving what happened in the hut here in the bandstand and Maura allowed her cold exterior to melt a bit as she pulled Jane into her arms.

Jane felt Maura's warmth and sank into it, resting her head against Maura's shoulder as her body was racked with sobs. She couldn't really articulate what that feeling had been when Maura had tried to touch her in her most intimate place. Jane had tried to explore her reaction over the last week but everytime she did, it was if there was a stone wall that her mind had erected to save her from that trauma.

"Shh, Jane, it's ok. I'm here, we are here, it's ok," Maura soothed, stroking the mane of raven curls that she loved. Her own heart was in disarray. Her action, even if it was consensual, had caused her strong detective to dissolve into sobs that were still this strong more than seven days after the event. Maura couldn't help feeling guilty.

Eventually, Jane quieted and nuzzled into Maura's embrace, her lips resting against Maura's strong pulse, reassuring her that Maura was in fact there with her, comforting her. She began to realize that Maura was quietly crying as her tears were beginning to penetrate Jane's thick hair. Pulling back, Jane met Maura's eyes and saw the anguish there. Suddenly, Jane realized what her confession must have sounded like and now it was her turn to comfort the doctor, whispering reassuring words to her.

"Maur, no, no, no, it wasn't your fault. I should have said something. There was no way you could have known. I was really, really into it. I promise you, you did nothing wrong." Jane's words came out like the water from a pipe that had just burst, rushing quickly to fill whatever available space there was. She wrapped Maura in her arms, pressing the smaller woman's head into her chest. Maura returned the embrace tightly. Jane looked up to see several people staring at them and she shot them her best detective glare and the pooled crowd quickly dispersed.

"But it was my fault. I rushed you," Maura whispered against her chest, Jane feeling the words more than hearing them. Jane rocked them slightly while she kissed the top of Maura's blonde head.

"No, I wanted you Maura. That morning in the shop, who knows how far I would have gone. All I could think about was tearing those clothes off of you and making you mine right there in the dressing room." Jane voice had grown thick with desire at the memory of that day. It had served as a tormenting fantasy for Jane this past week, popping up in her dreams, her subconscious clearly obsessed with that image.

"I would have let you," Maura murmured, causing Jane to chuckle. Maura had relived that moment many times as well and it still turned her on incredibly.

"Glad we have that figured out," Jane teased, pressing another kiss to Maura's head. Maura pulled back a bit and turned her lips up at Jane, pouting. Jane chuckled again, and shaking her head slightly at her doctor's antics, leaned down to capture the awaiting lips in a nice, slow kiss. They both sighed into it and held each other as the pair reestablished their connection. Jane didn't let it get too heated, remembering all the prying eyes that were around them.

Maura broke first, and sitting back, looked at Jane with a mixture of emotions. Jane fidgeted a bit, not knowing what was coming next. Maura held her gaze for a few more tense seconds before she broke out into a beautiful smile, dimples on full display. Jane felt her breath catch and thanked all the gods in the world that that smile was directed at her.

"I love you too, Jane. I wasn't given the opportunity to say that to you in person before." Maura looked at Jane shyly and Jane realized she had denied her love this right when she had sent so many mixed messages that all important night. She had declared her love and then immediately given in to her base desires, not allowing Maura to say more than a word at a time as she kissed her with all the pent up passion she had.

Before Jane could apologize, Maura raised her hand and motioned to their surroundings. "Let's just enjoy the fruits of your labor. Besides, I have suddenly worked up an appetite." Maura winked flirtatiously at Jane and began to pile her plate with the various different items that Jane had laid out for them. Jane felt for the first time all week that maybe, just maybe, she hadn't ruined the best thing in her life.

"Yeah, Maur, whatever you want. I'm not going anywhere," Jane said smiling shyly at Maura. And she meant it. It would take an act of god to make Jane ever leave Maura again.

A/N: I hope you all don't hate me. I feel like Jane's hesitation to being with a woman for the first time isn't always explored so this is my version of that. Rizzles is always end game but as I said when I started this story, it is a slow burn. :-) Let me know what you thought, even if you are mad at me ;-)