A/N: Hey everyone. So I took a little break from this story. I thought it might be somewhat hard in the wake of Lee's death for people to read about Frost being so injured, so I'm trying to figure out where to go from here. But if there's still support for this story, I'd like to know, and I'd definitely be willing to continue it.

This chapter is short, (revolving solely around Maura and Jane) but I hope everyone enjoys it!


They get a flat tire. One second they're traveling along smoothly, the next Jane is fighting to stay on the road. She pulls over, trying to take deep breaths because she knows how to change a car tire. She always has spares, it's going to be fine. But as soon as she looks at Maura to check on her, all that reasoning fades away. Maura looks worse. Her hand lies limply on the seat, she is no longer tossing and turning-or moving at all for that matter.

Then Jane does something that's very uncharacteristic for her, but she's just so tired and this is Maura. This is Maura.

She panics. She thinks of all the worse case scenarios. What if she's completely unconscious now, maybe in some kind of coma? Oh god, what if something is seriously wrong with her and they can't fix her and why the hell didn't she call an ambulance instead of being so controlling and stubborn and just driving Maura herself.

Jane rushes over to Maura's side of the car without even thinking, as she dials 911 for an ambulance. She's not going to waste time changing a tire while Maura could possibly be…she didn't want to think about it. She couldn't handle a world without Maura.

Someone picks up and she tells them words she doesn't register. The only thing she remembers is "Hurry". She keeps telling them to hurry. Her throat is all clogged, and thick and hard to push words past and she knows it's because she is going to cry any second. The tears are coming, they are coming from some deep place in her chest that aches and aches and she just wants it all to stop. She hates this night, this place. She wants a different time.

She wants Maura awake next to her—laughing, touching her arm. If she could just feel Maura's caress right now, Jane would melt. In the seconds after she hangs up the phone and bends over to check Maura out, many images flash before Jane's eyes—all things she wishes would be happening instead of being stranded on the side of the road, unable to reach a hospital where her one friend lies and another needs to get to.

Jane kneels down on the pavement grasping onto Maura's arm as she's overpowered by the images in her mind's eye.

Maura lying next to Jane in bed, holding her hand and chasing the nightmares away. Maura jogging in front of Jane, turning around to smile back at her and encourage her on. Maura doing an autopsy, serious, her brow furrowed. Maura sipping wine and laughing at something Jane said, her eyes alight. Maura in a stunning cocktail dress, slipping her arm through Jane's as they walk into a room like...like a couple. What.

Maura cooking her breakfast in the morning, talking with her over coffee, all of Jane's bad dreams and memories melting away. Safety.

Maura is safety.

And warmth—a vague memory of lying with her head on Maura's chest. It must be from after Jane shot herself.

And love—Maura kissing her forehead, her cheek. She doesn't recall where this was at all. Oh, wait. This was on the way to the hospital, after she shot herself. On the day of blood. Why hadn't she remembered this until now? God, it was so sweet. The touch of Maura's lips to her skin was like….she couldn't describe it, but it had felt better than anything. Now she remembers that she had been fading and fast, everything grey and blurry, when she had felt Maura's kiss. And then everything was brighter again and she held on. She held on to Maura's hand and didn't let go until they wheeled her off to surgery.

Now, Jane feels a strong urge to do the same for Maura, do what she had once done for Jane. She hopes it will work the same miracle, though she doesn't see how she will have that same effect on Maura.

The tears come to the surface now. It's all she can think of to do, so she leans forward and presses her lips to Maura's forehead. It's very warm, and Jane can't tell if she feels like her lips are burning because of how feverish Maura is or because her lips have met Maura's skin. She can't help herself, and plants another kiss just below Maura's eye.

At this, Maura breathes in and seems to almost sigh. It's shallow, but it's there and Jane's heart pumps a little faster. Dare she hope that this is working? She strokes Maura's hair back. She's thinking of days spent with Maura, years, a whole lifetime. Images of a life with Maura run through her head—similar to now, but with more touching and loving and… at first, Jane draws back from Maura, stunned as she sees them kiss each other in her mind's eye. But she becomes aware of a pull towards Maura like a comet drawn to the earth by its gravitational pull, getting closer and closer, afraid to break that boundary, but knowing it will be amazing.

She kisses Maura softly, gently, but it feels like falling, like tumbling faster and faster towards earth, burning bright, brighter than ever before—sizzling, on fire.

And before she knows it, Jane is staring right into those eyes she would give anything to see awake and open again. And there they are. Those beautiful, ever-changing eyes.

"Jane," Maura breathes, and Jane can only nod, grinning and smoothing Maura's hair back.

Maura closes her eyes, seemingly leaning into the touch.

"Do that again," she whispers, and Jane can't help but laugh with relief.