Jane looked at her girlfriend, naked and vulnerable and smiled at her. "Maura, I love you. I do and I want to prove that to you but this isn't the way to do it. I just can't do this now. If I do it now I would feel like I was taking advantage of you. I'm sorry Maura." Jane rolled off of her and curled on her side.

Maura didn't respond at first, she was shocked to hear this, shocked to see that Jane was backing off, trying to do the right thing. Maura was usually the one to back off at an inappropriate time but this time it was Jane saying the time wasn't right; that was nice to Maura because it made her see Jane in a different light. "Okay Jane, I understand." Maura turned on her side, facing away from Jane and attempted to go to sleep. Jane sighed, feeling guilty for stopping when she was the one that had started it in the first place. She wrapped her arm over Maura's bare torso and pulled her close, spooning her.

"I love you," she whispered against her neck as she laid her head against the blonde's. "I don't want to lose you."

Maura put her hands overtop Jane's and pulled it up around her breast, letting out a sigh of relief. "I love you too Jane, more and more every day." Maura held Jane's arm tight around her body as she fell asleep that night, feeling safe and happy for once. Things were far from out of the woods for the developing couple but Maura couldn't keep pushing Jane away, she longed for Jane's touch, to lie in her arms, to simply be close to the woman whom she had come to love with every fiber of her being.

Jane didn't sleep much that night, every time she closed her eyes all she saw was Maura walking out on her. She knew that if Maura did decide to walk out she would deserve it because she was the one holding them back from being what they could be. Jane had never been a woman of many emotions and she had certainly never been a woman to publically show what little emotions she did feel so this was hard for her; she knew what it was that Maura needed and she desperately wanted to give that to her but how could she sacrifice so much of herself in order to appease the woman she loved?

Cliff Hanger… sorry guys, I had to do it because I want to keep you interested and because I am still deciding where I want it to go from there. I think my fans will be pleased with where I take it. Reviews as always, are appreciated and welcomed! Chapter 8 will be up by the end of the night!