A/N - Thanks again for the reviews, favourites and follows much appreciated..


Chapter 9

Jane opened her eyes in a blind panic and sat straight up she looked around at her surroundings. Wiping the tears from her eyes she stared aimlessly into space. The dream she just awoke from seemed so vivid.

She was tied to a wooden chair. Her hands bound to the arms of the chair and her mouth gagged. She could see Maura lying on a couch nearby. She knew it was the apartment of Marie Jamissen. She could see two figures but not their faces and she didn't need to she knew exactly who they were. She pleaded with them to let Maura go, but they laughed. She struggled but it was to no prevail.

Maura.. She had to get to Maura. She again struggled to get her hands free but she couldn't. Her shoulders slumped forward as she realised Maura was lying unconscious on the couch.

It was like the dream had transpired into a different scene. She was now standing in the morgue of the Boston Police Department. She was looking at Maura's cold lifeless body. She looked around frantically for help…there was nobody...tears streamed down her face as she felt Maura disappear from her line of sight..… And just like that she was awake.

Jane wiped her eyes drying the tears. In her dream Maura had been murdered. She knew she hadn't seen her being killed but she knew Maura was dead. She couldn't understand why she'd had this dream perhaps subconsciously she'd felt like she'd lost Maura..She didn't really know. Jane leant over to the bedside table and picked up her phone. Glancing at the screen, she looked at the time. Half past eleven. Sighing deeply to herself, she threw back the covers and walked over to the window. In one swift move she pulled back the curtains allowing the sunlight to flood the room. She grabbed the fluffy white towel from the back of the armchair and padded across the plush carpet to the bathroom. The sound of the shower softly humming filled the room soon after.

Twenty minutes later Jane exited the lobby of the hotel. She stood on the footpath outside of the hotel for a few moments taking in exceptional beautiful sunny autumn day. Jane crossed the road and walked into the small coffee shop. Minutes later she exited with a coffee in hand. She carried on down the road and turned the corner. She didn't really have a clue where she was going but she felt she needed to explore London.

Jane wasn't one for the tourist buses that she saw frequently flying around the small narrow London streets. She opted to look at her guide book and explore London by foot. She felt that this was the only way to really get to know the city properly.

She'd seen quite a lot in the few hours she'd walked around London and she genuinely marvelled at the history of the places she'd seen. In the beautiful sunshine she was starting too really like London. Perhaps her comments to Maura about London were in retrospect naïve. She decided to make a conscious effort to start taking holidays outside of Boston and explore the world a little bit more. A fleeting thought of moving somewhere bigger than Boston filled her thoughts but was soon dismissed. Boston was her home and she really did love that city.

Walking down the 'Mall' she took in the turning colours of the leaves on the trees. Her gentle pace slowed as she turned and slowly looked back at Buckingham Palace in the distance. It truly was a remarkable building. She smiled to herself as she turned back away and continued on her way.

Five minutes later she arrived at Admiralty Arch. She had caught up to a group of tourists who were busily posing for photographs beside the Arch. She silently breezed pass them and continued onto Trafalgar Square.

Seeing a large column in front of her she referred to her guidebook. "Nelson's Column". She read the brief paragraph in the book. In that moment she wished Maura was with her. She was sure the honey blonde would have given her some much more information on the subject matter.

Noticing the National Gallery that overlooked Trafalgar Square. She felt this was one place she should at least explore. She skilfully weaved her way through the many crowds of tourists and stood fleetingly before the large stone stairs before she climbed them one by one. As she reached the top she joined the queue that was slowly making their way inside.

As she strolled around taking in the sight of all the painting, she occasionally stop at a painting she liked. Refer to her reference guidebook and then carry onto the next. In a way she now understood Maura's appreciate for art. Well the less Contempary pieces anyway.

As she causally strolled from each large room to the next she soon found a smaller room that seemed tucked out of the way. Almost forgotten in a sense. She sat down on the small stone bench which seemed to be strategically placed in the centre of the room. Her eyes were drawn to a large portrait which adorned the far wall. She was intrigued by its beauty. She leant forward slightly, her eyes capturing each individual brush stroke of figure. In that moment an overwhelming sense of awe ran through her veins. She finally understood what Maura had meant of being in admiration of man's accomplishments. She took a deep satisfying breath as she wiped the tear from her eye. She stood and turned away from the portrait. She looked over to the doorway and noticed Maura standing just inside the door.

At first there was silence, the two women considering each other. Jane let go of her backpack. It fell to the floor with a sharp thud.

"Jane?" Maura's voice was low but in the room it felt like it was a thunderous roar.

"Maura.."

The honey blonde walked slowly and deeper into the room, her eyes never leaving Jane's. They stood just a few feet apart.

"Jane..what are you doing here…" Maura's confusion was apparent by the expression on her face.

"I came to London to be with you..." Jane answered as her eyes darted over Maura's body.

"No I mean, why here.." Maura asked again.

Jane looked around the room, she realised what Maura was saying "Maura I never said I didn't like museums or galleries. It was that I never understood the importance…well until now. I'm finding them to be somewhat inspirational." Jane paused as she looked back to the painting she just admired "Take this painting for instance, it's amazing you can see each individual brush stroke, the expression on the figure is laced with sadness yet the description of the painting in the book pens it as "Human Triumph" I guess the artist was trying to say that with every triumph there is a sense of sadness that one feels when they realise how little they understand about human nature." Jane looked back to Maura who was standing dumbfounded.

"How profound Jane.." Maura said as she looked to the painting and back to Jane.

Jane placed the guide book on the stone bench. She looked up at Maura "I've missed you." her voice was low and raspy.

Maura's expression melted; Jane had this ability to cause Maura to go weak with just her voice. "I've missed you too Jane.."

Jane took a step forward and grabbed Maura's hand "Maura, I'm totally in love with you...I haven't stopped thinking about you from the moment we broke up…is there a chance…for us..." Jane asked her voice was shaky.

Maura didn't say a word. She silently rose on her tip toes and capture Jane's lips with one movement. Maura's hands found Jane's. She entwined hers with Jane's. She felt the engagement ring rubbing against her fingers.

Leaning back from the embrace Jane looked at her ring, she noticed that Maura wasn't wearing hers. Maura picked up on the sense of sadness in Jane's eyes when she realised the ring was missing from her finger. She let go of Jane and pulled at the neck of her cashmere jumper exposing a gold necklace. The engagement ring was looped next to the small pendent. Jane's eyes lit up as she took hold of the ring and ran it through her fingers. Maura reached around to the back of her neck and unclasped the necklace letting it slip from her neck. She threaded the ring off the chain and slipped it back on her finger as she looked up at Jane who was smiling with a sense of satisfaction.

"Jane, we have more than a chance…it's a certainty…I fled because I had this fear that one day you would leave like everyone else in my life, my parents didn't want me, my adoptive family have no time for me and every relationship I've ever had hasn't lasted. I had this unsubstantiated idea that now that we were in a committed relationship it was only a matter of time before I'd have my heart broken once again. I couldn't allow myself to be hurt like that and I suppose in a way I was saving you from heartbreak as well...I have this underlying feeling I don't deserve to be loved." Maura's pent up insecurities were finally released. She breathed deeply as she felt the weight of the world being released from her soul.

Jane glanced away to gather her thoughts, she looked back at Maura and took each hand in her own. "Maura you deserve to be loved like everybody else and in a way possibly more so. You've had such a solitary childhood and I can understand your insecurities but that was in the past. Surely even you realise that your life isn't like that now. You have my mother, my brother's, Korsak and Frost and most importantly you have Me! None of us have ever treated you as if you didn't exist; my family have shown you nothing but what it means to be loved."

Maura's eyes were filled with tears. Jane wiped them away with her fingers and embraced Maura once again.

"Maura Dorothea Isles, I love you more than you can ever imagine….I love you just the way you are. Including all of your insecurities. To me you are the most complex person I'm ever going to meet; but that's what makes me love you more as each day passes…" Maura took a hold of Jane's hand; the simple contact seemed like a long time coming for Jane. She gripped tightly around Maura's nimble hands and led her from the room. She looked for an exit. Spotting a sign in the distance she strode confidently towards it with Maura in toe. As they reached the exit both noticed it was now raining. Maura momentarily stopped pulling Jane to an abrupt stop making her turn to Maura. Jane's face conveying a sense of confusion.

"I didn't bring an umbrella" Maura smiled awkwardly to Jane.

"Nor did I.." Jane shrugged as she pulled the collar of her coat up and did the same to Maura's.

Maura smiled shyly as she held the lapels of her jacket close together.

"You ready to brave the rain?" Jane said as she captured Maura's lips. The kiss lingered for what felt like an eternity.

"….kissing in the rain.." Maura said as she touched her lips.

Jane looked at the honey blonde in confusion but she quickly realised what Maura was referencing too.

"Exactly…kissing in the rain...there's something…special.." Jane voice trailed off as she clasped Maura's hand tightly in her own.

They cantered down the stairs and around the side of the building. Jane trying to find a bit of shelter. At the traffic lights the disappeared down the entrance of the tube station.

Exiting a little time later at Piccadilly Station the rain was still beating down hard. They darted through the crowds of shoppers and rested briefly under an awning of a café. The brunette turned to Maura, her hair plastered to her face. Jane simpered slightly as she pushed some of the loose strands of blonde hair behind Maura's ear.

"You look like a drowned rat." Jane chortled.

"I could say the same about you.." Maura said as she pushed back a loose curl from Jane's face.

Jane looked at her reflection in the shop window. Frowning she tried in vain to tuck the curl behind her ear but soon gave up hope.

Maura clutched Jane's hand tightly as they continued to weave through the crowds of people. Slipping down a side street they soon made it to Jane's Hotel.

Jane pushed open the door to her hotel room and stood aside letting Maura enter first. The honey blonde walked through to the small lounge area of the room, she placed her handbag down on the small oak coffee table. She turned to see Jane closing the door behind her. She disappeared into the bathroom but returned almost instantly with two fluffy white towels. She handed one to Maura.

Jane dropped her backpack next to the bed, she started to undress letting her wet clothes pile up in a crumpled heap by her feet. She glanced at Maura who was sitting in one of the armchairs. Maura rubbed the towel over her wet hair as she looked over to Jane who was standing with the towel wrapped around her slender frame. Jane picked up her loose fitting yoga trousers and BDP Athletics Dept t-shirt and slipped them on quickly. Maura stood and started to take her clothes off. The towel simultaneously found its way around Maura's naked body.

Opening the wardrobe, Jane picked out a pair of pyjama shorts and another loose fitting t-shirt; she handed it to Maura who immediately slipped them on. Jane moved back to the bed, she pulled back the covers and slipped underneath them. She was feeling cold. Maura continued to stand by the armchair, she wasn't sure if she should join Jane or not. Eventually she perched herself on the edge of the armchair.

"So…" Maura said hesitantly.

"Buttons…" Jane responded as she pulled the covers up over her shoulders.

Maura smiled slightly as she fiddled with the hem of the t-shirt, she pulled a loose thread.

"Maura, answer me this..." Jane said as she sat up in the bed. "Did you plan all of this…"

Maura looked directly at Jane "No..." her voice was soft.

Jane shook her head slightly "So all of this is because of the fear that I will one day leave you like everyone else in your life has done in the past. Why couldn't you have just told me this in the first place in Boston? All of this could have been avoided."

Jane waited for an answer.

Maura looked away to gather her thoughts "Jane you're right, I should have just told you how I was feeling in Boston…this I know now and I regret the decisions I've made since. They haven't been fair to you at all."

"You're right it hasn't been fair to me…but I forgive you…" Jane answered softly.

"I've been a coward.." Maura's voice was hesitate.

Jane's eyes narrowed "we both have really. From the very first moment we decided to start this relationship.."

Maura nodded slightly, she understood what Jane meant. "A new start?"

Jane nodded with a smile. Maura stood and walked over to the bed, she sat down on the edge and took a hold of Jane's hands. Jane looked from her hand to Maura's eyes.

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli… I love you. You are my best friend, my soul mate, my definite." Maura said as she kissed Jane's hand.