A/N: This chapter ran really long but I hope you enjoy it. I don't do fluff very well and this chapter is as sappy as well, sap. So, you've been warned. Also please read the additional Authors notes at the end of the chapter.

Before Jane could even say anything her cellphone rang, "Son of a bitch." She grumbled as she grabbed it off the coffee table.

"Jane, oh thank god you and Maura are okay. I was so worried." Angela's frantic voice came over the phone. "I'm going to have Frankie drive me over."

"No Ma, we're fine." Jane said as she rolled her eyes. Frankie must have told her what happened; nothing could be kept from Angela for too long. "Please, don't come over tonight."

Angela continued to talk on the phone and Jane was getting frustrated by the minute. "Ma, thank you for calling but it's really late and we're really tired." She said as she looked over at Maura.

"Ok Janie." Angela said, "I'll come by later after you've rested." She said and finally hung up.

Maura smiled at Jane, "She just worries about you."

"She always worries about me." Jane said as put her phone back on the coffee table.

Jane looked at Maura and took one of her hands and held it, "I'm not very good at this." Jane said quietly.

Maura gave Jane's hand a squeeze to encourage her to go on.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is…" Jane started to say then her phone buzzed again. She stifled a curse and answered it. "Rizzoli."

"Hey Jane, I just wanted to give you a quick update." Frost said over the phone.

"Let me put you on speaker so Maura can hear." She said and hit the button on her phone.

"So listen to this, Ryan Flynn was Derek Murphy's father but Derek's mother never put Flynn on the birth certificate. Later when Derek was 13 Flynn showed up and tried reconnecting with his son but Derek felt like his father abandoned him." Frost said and Jane could hear him shuffling papers and clicking on his keyboard.

"So Derek kept his distant from his father and then he joined the Army right out of high school and served 2 years before being Dishonorable Discharged." Frost told her.

"Why was he Dishonorable Discharged?" Jane asked.

"He was convicted of killing an innocent villager while stationed overseas; he spent 2 years in jail before he was released." Korsak said as he took over the phone call.

"Murphy claims it was self-defense but there were witnesses that said otherwise." Korsak told her.

"He somehow fell onto hard times and ended up being pulled into Doyle's world by a friend he knew in the Army." Frost said taking his phone back from Korsak. "The guy was actually Flynn's first victim, Cord Sullivan."

"Murphy's dad tried many times to get in contact with his son over the years but his son always refused any contact. Eventually Flynn found Paddy Doyle and threatened him about his son when he found out his son was working for Doyle." Frost said.

"So Nino had no idea who this kid was when he killed him?" Jane asked.

"Murphy was just a pawn to incite a war between the Irish and the Italian mobs." Frost told her.

"So why blame Doyle or Maura for that?" Jane asked.

"Circumstances, is my guess." Frost said, "By working for Doyle, Flynn's son got killed and because Dr. Isles is Paddy Doyle's only living child, maybe he thought it was only fair that he lose his daughter the way he lost his son." Frost tried explaining.

Jane sighed, "We'll never really know the answer."

"Barry, how did you find out about the trouble the father and son were having?" Maura asked.

"Well it turns out that Flynn has a half-sister in New York. I managed to track her down and call her, I asked about her brother and nephew and she told me the story." Frost said.

"She's flying down in a few days to get her brother's body released for burial." Frost told her.

"Is that all?" Jane said kind of abruptly and Maura gave her a look.

"Uh yeah for now, yeah that's all." Frost said.

"Thanks Frost." Jane said, "I'll talk to you tomorrow." They hung up and Jane turned her phone off and tossed it on the coffee table.

She took in a deep breath then turned on the couch so she was facing Maura. "Let's try this again, shall we?" Jane said with a smile as she took Maura's hand in hers again.

"You asked why I protect you." Jane said looking at their hands. "It's a whole bunch of reasons I guess."

"Such as?" Maura asked hoping Jane would look at her.

Jane shrugged, "I know we flirt a lot, I know we make jokes about each other." Jane said to her, "And I thought, Well that's what best friends do, they flirt , they joke, the sleep in each other's beds' but things shifted between us, I mean at least for me they did, it became…" Jane trailed off.

"It became what?" Maura asked.

"It became something more." Jane said, "I just want you to know that, it's not because I've been watching over you these last few days either." She said. "I mean yeah, it brought out something in me, but it was something that was already there. Something I've wanted for a while." Jane looked down at their hands again to hide the blush that crept up her face.

Maura put a hand to Jane's cheek, "Why didn't you just say something?"

"Aw come on Maura, I'm not good with the emotional stuff, you know that." Jane said looking at her.

"You're good at expressing your emotions in a sexual way." Maura said to her smiling.

Jane snorted a bit, "Yeah well if you haven't figure it out yet, I'm more of a 'take action' kind of person."

They sat for a minute staring at each other and Jane shifted closer to Maura, "I'm not sure where this is going to lead." Jane said to her.

"This what?" Maura asked.

"This," Jane said motioning a hand between them, "This thing we have going on."

"What is it you think we have going on?" Maura asked.

Jane sighed, she knew Maura wasn't this dense, she knew that Maura just wanted her to say the words but what if she did; what if she finally told Maura how she feels and Maura didn't feel the same way. Jane knew she was being ridiculous because on some level Maura had to feel the same way unless she just liked having casual sex with her best friend when danger loomed.

"Jane, just say what it is you want to say." Maura said searching her eyes, hoping the answer would be there, but Jane looked away.

"I can't do it." Jane said embarrassed. She got up from the couch and paced, needing a bit of distance between the two of them.

"I just fought a man trying to kill me to get to you and yet, I can't just tell you how I feel." Jane said mumbling to herself. "Why?" Jane said looking helplessly at Maura.

"Jane, come and sit back down." Maura said to her putting a hand out to her. Jane took it and sighed heavily as she sat back down on the couch with Maura.

"Close your eyes." Maura told her and Jane gave her a funny look.

Maura reached out and covered Jane's eyes with her hand "Close them." She commanded.

"Ok, they're closed." Jane said feeling ridiculous.

Maura removed her hand and saw that Jane's eyes were indeed closed.

"In your mind, what do you see?" Maura asked.

"You." Jane said and a small smile crept across Jane's face, "I see you."

Maura smiled too, "What does that mean to you?"

With her eyes still closed Jane said, "It means I can't stop thinking about you, I close my eyes and there you are, in my thoughts all the time. I want you, I want to hold you, kiss you, and keep you safe."

Jane slowly opened her eyes, she looked deeply into Maura's eyes, and "It means that I love you."

Maura was almost shocked to hear Jane say the words. She knew the feelings were there but to actually hear Jane say the words, yes it was quite a surprise. Maura looked down at their hands; she played with Jane's fingers.

"Ok, well I guess by your silence," Jane said her feelings hurt, she stood up, "You apparently don't feel the same way."

"Stop." Maura said grabbing Jane by the wrist and pulling her back onto the couch in front of her. Maura searched Jane's eyes, "Jane, I never expected you to say you loved me."

"Well what did you expect?" Jane asked, "Because honestly I don't just run around risking my life for everybody I know Maura. You had to know on some level. I mean, seriously, I don't act this stupid for just anybody."

Maura laughed a little. Jane looked away, she didn't know if Maura was laughing at her or what but it was frustrating her.

Maura scooted closer to Jane and cupped her face gently; she looked from Jane's lips, to her eyes, she softly brushed a strand of Jane's wild hair from her face. "Jane." She said quietly and Jane looked Maura in the eyes, "I love you too."

Jane smiled at her, a good as she could with her busted lip. "You do?"

It was Maura's turn to blush, "Yes, I do."

Jane smiled again, "Kiss me."

Maura leaned in to give Jane a kiss, but Jane leaned back a little, and Maura looked confused, "Slowly." Jane said.

Maura smiled and did just that, she kissed Jane slowly, and for the first time since all this started she felt completely safe.

Maura pulled away first, "You should really let me check on your injuries." Maura said to her.

"I'm sorry did I miss something?" Jane asked, looking confused, "We just confessed our love for one another and you want to check my injuries?"

"Yes." Maura said standing up, "I think the lighting in your bedroom is perfect." Maura said as she turned on her heels and headed towards Jane's bedroom.

Jane sat on the couch with a 'Huh?' look on her face till it dawned on her; Maura looked back at Jane, "Oh there it is." Maura said when she realized Jane finally got her meaning.

Jane went into her bedroom to see Maura standing by the bed. "Take your shirt off."

"I don't know, I think might need a little help." Jane said and Maura went over to her.

She grabbed the hem of Jane's Boston Red Sox t-shirt and gently pulled it up and over Jane's head. Maura admired Jane's body, aside from the bruise that was forming on her left side, she was perfect.

Maura turned Jane to the side, moved Jane's left arm out of the way and ran a hand along Jane's ribs. It sent a shiver through Jane and she closed her eyes.

Maura took a step and was now standing directly behind Jane. She started at Jane's shoulders and ran her hands down and all over Jane's back. "Any pain?" Maura asked pressing up against Jane's back to whisper in her ear.

Jane sighed, "Just a little sore."

Maura took Jane by the hand and led her over to the bed. "Sit down please." Maura said and Jane sat down at the end of the bed. Maura took Jane's face in her hands and tilted her head back just a little. She leaned in real close and looked at Jane's bottom lip before she gave Jane the smallest kiss. "Any pain there?" Maura asked.

Jane's eyes were closed, her head tilted back, she smiled, "Mmm, no."

When Jane opened her eyes she saw that Maura hand quickly removed her shirt and pants and was standing in front of her in nothing but her bra and panties.

Jane stood up and quickly kicked her shoes off and stripped off her pants.

"Lay down on the bed." Maura said to Jane, "Face down please."

Jane tilted her head, "Face down?"

"Just do it." Maura told her and Jane complied.

Jane could feel Maura getting on the bed but didn't know what was going on till she felt Maura straddle her and sit on her butt. Jane twisted her head to see Maura sitting on her. "Just relax. It's ok, I promise." Maura told her and Jane put her head down.

Jane knew she probably shouldn't have been surprised at how powerful and strong Maura's hands were as she massaged Jane's shoulders but she had this wonderful feeling of 'that hurts but feels so good' buzzing through her body as Maura continued to touch and massage all the way down her back.

What started off as a slow sensual massage turned into something more. It was careful and slow, to avoid aggravating Jane's injuries but it was definitely more and something they both wanted.

Later as they were lying in Jane's bed naked and snuggled up together Jane looked at Maura, "Maybe next time you'll listen to me when I tell you you're not safe and that you need to be careful." Jane said as she wrapped an arm around Maura.

"As long as you're still around to watch over me, I don't think I will." Maura laughed as she gave Jane a gentle squeeze.

A week later, the case with Ryan Flynn was completely wrapped up and everything was back to normal, as normal as anything can be working at the Boston Police Department.

Jane and Maura were still getting used to the shift in their relationship; others seemed to accept it a lot quicker.

"What is this?" Jane asked as she saw a gift bag sitting on her desk.

"Oh it's just a little something from me and Frost." Korsak said sitting at his desk finishing up paper work. "You know a 'job well done on keeping Dr. Isles safe' kind of thing."

Jane looked over at her partner, "Go ahead and open it." Frost told her.

Jane reached into the bag and pulled out a grey t-shirt, on the front in black letters it read: Property of the BPD Chief Medical Examiner.

Jane flipped the shirt to look at the back then flipped it back to the front, "I think you guys missed a word." Jane said showing them the shirt.

They smiled at her, "No we didn't." Korsak said with a laugh.

"Uh thanks guys." Jane said putting the shirt back into the bag.

"Are you ready to go?" Maura said walking up next to her.

"Sure." Jane said grabbing the gift bag off her desk. "See you guys tomorrow." Jane said to Korsak and Frost before Jane and Maura headed for the elevators.

Jane and Maura went back to Maura's house. Jane put her bag down on the kitchen counter and went to grab a beer. "Would you like some wine?" Jane asked Maura.

"Yes, that sounds good." Maura said, "I'm going to go upstairs and change."

Jane poured Maura a glass of red wine, put the rest of the bottle back in the fridge then popped the cap off her beer. She carried both drinks out into the living room.

Jane put Maura's wine down on the coffee table then flopped herself down on the couch with her beer.

Maura came back downstairs and sat down next to Jane. She leaned forward to get her wine. "What are you wearing?" Jane asked Maura looking at the gray t-shirt and yoga pants she changed into.

"Oh the shirt was a gift." Maura said to Jane as she took a sip of wine.

"Let me see." Jane said to her putting her beer down on the coffee table. Maura stood up in front of Jane and proudly displayed her t-shirt. On the front, , much like the shirt she received from Korsak and Frost in black letters it read: Property of the Boston Police Department, then in smaller letters under that it read, Detective Jane Rizzoli Division.

Jane laughed, "Let me guess, you got this from Korsak and Frost."

"Yes, they gave it to me yesterday." Maura said then tilted her head, "What's so funny? And how did you know they gave it to me?"

Jane got up from the couch and went back to the kitchen and pulled out the shirt from her bag. She held it up in front of her. "Because they gave this one to me."

She could see Maura reading it, and then Maura smiled when she got the little joke.

"Will you put it on?" Maura asked and without hesitation Jane took of her jacket and unbuttoned her shirt and took it off.

She put the shirt Korsak and Frost gave her on and smoothed it out, "How's that?" Jane asked.

"Perfect." Maura said then sat back down on the couch and beckoned for Jane who came and sat down with her. Maura put her head on Jane's shoulder, and cuddled into her "Just perfect." She whispered.

A/N: I took a really long time trying to figure out an ending to this story that I could be happy with. I agonized over it, changed it, rewrote it, added more to it but it still felt a little too clipped. Something clicked in my brain and I started to write a different ending. So if you like this ending, then by all means you can stop right here and not read the 10th chapter. But if you want to consider the 10th chapter an alternate ending them go ahead and read it.

Side note: For those wondering, Office is the word Jane thinks they left off of her t-shirt.