Maura woke up about an hour, alone, sheets cold beside her. Slipping out of bed and dressing in a t-shirt and lounge pants, she went downstairs in search of Jane. The house lights were out with the only light being the blue-gray of dusk as it filtered through the windows.

"Jane?" Maura asked. "Are you here?"

"I'm here." came the familiar voice from the floor, somewhere in the vicinity of the couch.

"Why are you sitting on the floor and why are you sitting in the dark?"

"Um. I guess I didn't realize it was getting dark."

"What have you been doing? Why didn't you waken me?"

"I don't know. I guess I just needed some time alone. I needed some time to think."

"Were you thinking about what happened earlier?" asked the blonde as she sat on the floor beside the brunette.

"Ha! More like what didn't happen." said Jane, disgusted.

"I told you, Jane. It's alright."

"But we haven't had sex in almost three months!"

"I'll admit that it has been difficult but I'm willing to wait for as long as it takes for you to be comfortable having sex again."

"I know you are. That's why I needed to think." She set her untouched mug of peppermint tea on the coffee table with a thunk. She took both of Maura's hands in hers and said "I think I want to see that friend of yours."

"Which friend would that be?"

"That hypnosis, shrinky friend of yours. The one who will put me under and make me remember everything that happened."

"Oh. You mean Dr. Meyer, the forensic psychologist."

"That's the one."

"Are you sure you want to go through that? Relive the event, I mean."

"No. I don't but I think that's the only way I'm going to be able to move on, um, sexually." Jane blushed but it was too dark for Maura to notice.

"How about I try and set up a session for you tomorrow, after work?"

"The sooner the better."

"Good. Come on. Let's get something to eat. I'm starving. Are you hungry?"

"I think I could eat but I'm not sure if junior will allow me or not." Jane said with a slight laugh.

Maura got up and turned on lights as she headed for the kitchen. She turned to ask Jane what she'd like for supper and noticed she wasn't behind her. Confused and concerned, she headed back into the living area and said "Are you alright?"

"I'm not sure." Jane said as she winced and held her lower stomach. "I went to get up and got a pain right here." She showed Maura the spot.

Concerned, Maura asked "Are you still having it?"

"No. It went away shortly after it began. I guess it caught me off guard. Maybe I sat here too long. Do you think you could help me up?"

Maura helped Jane to her feet, watching her with the eyes of a trained medical professional all the while. "Any more pains?"

"No. Just that one time. Weird."

"You were probably experiencing a muscle pain that is associated with your expanding uterus."

"God Maura. Must we talk about this before we eat. I already have enough trouble keeping things down."

"I was just letting you know that you could, from time to time, experience sensations like that as your uterus grows and your abdominal muscles stretch to accommodate the needs of a growing fetus."

Realizing that Maura was only trying to help, Jane said "I see. Thanks. Do you think that's all it was?"

"I think but if you're concerned, we can go to the hospital and have you checked out."

"No. I feel fine. Let's eat."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning they awoke to the alarm clock buzzing away at 6am.

Maura rolled onto her side to face Jane as Jane threw her arms over her head and stretched.

"Oh my god!" said Maura, eyes popping.

"What?" asked Jane.

"Look!" said Maura as she pointed to Jane's stomach. "You popped!"

"I what?" asked Jane, looking at the newly rounded mound on her abdomen that, only yesterday, had been flat.

"You popped!"

"Will you please stop saying that?"

"That must have been why you had that pain last night." said Maura excitedly.

"Great!" moaned Jane. "Now I'm going to have to tell everyone."

"Not necessarily." said Maura, cogs turning. "I think , with a strategic wardrobe, we'll be able to hide it a bit longer."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Come on. Let's take a shower." said Maura with a twinkle in her eye. She loved it when they showered together and she couldn't wait to wash Jane's newly formed baby bump.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Maura endured Jane's whining about her clothes not fitting from the time they got out of the shower and Jane discovered that her pants wouldn't button until they entered the BPD building. She complained because her shirt wasn't tucked in and again because her pants wouldn't button but most of all, she complained because her bras were too little. This last part didn't bother Maura in the least. She liked Jane's new chest. Finally, even with the distraction of Jane's new boobs, Maura had enough and tactfully told Jane to stop whining and that they would go shopping for some new clothes after work.

This thrilled Jane, who normally had an aversion to clothes shopping, until she remembered and said "What about my appointment with Dr. Shrinky-thing?"

Maura rolled her eyes and asked "Do you mean Dr. Meyer?"

"Yah, him. What about that?"

"I haven't talked with him yet but if he can see you today we'll go and see him then go shopping after that, if you're up to it."

Jane shrugged and said "Ok but call me as soon as you talk to him."

"I will." promised Maura.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Dr. Meyer was able to see Jane at 2pm. Maura left work early, citing the need to take Jane to her doctor's appointment and pointing out that Jane was not yet cleared to drive. Maura waited for the hive to appear but they didn't because this, technically, was not a lie.

They rode in silence, Jane fidgeting the whole time.

When they finally arrived at his office, Maura said to Jane "You know it's not too late to cancel the appointment. We can reschedule another day, if you want."

"As much as I don't want to do this, Maura, I have to. This might be the only way I can get this monkey off my back. The only way we will be able to move ahead with our lives. I'm doing this as much for you as I'm doing it for me. I love you, Maura Dorothea Isles, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Maura, taken back by Jane's rare expression of love, grasped the brunette's hand and said "I love you too, Jane Clementine Rizzoli, and I also want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Smiling, Jane said "Did we just propose to each other?"

Maura thought a minute and said "Yes. I think we did." Her smile equaling that of Jane's.

They kissed each other, right there in the parking lot, with a kiss that let the other know their bond was sealed forever. The kiss didn't seem long enough to either woman but they knew they had something pressing to do. Something that neither wanted to but knew was necessary.

Pulling back from Maura with reluctance, Jane said, eyes glistening, "Knowing that you're mine for the rest of my life, makes what I'm about to do seem bearable. Let's do this thing."

They walked hand in hand across the lot and into the building with hearts and confidences renewed and demons, they were determined to tackle.