A/N: Thanks again to the reviewers! I know a few of you felt like Jane was acting unfairly, so I wanted to make sure she got a chance to explain herself. I was planning to wrap up everything in this chapter, but Jane's apology took me in a slightly different direction than expected. Hope y'all enjoy!

Maura continued to stare at the door, completely at a loss. She had just been through the most horrific week of her entire life, but this moment seemed to sting harder than everything else. Despite the terrifying experiences she had faced dealing with the case, she knew she always had Jane by her side. Now she just felt completely at a loss.

Alone again.

She hadn't felt this way since she found out that Paddy was her father nearly four years ago. He certainly didn't provide her any familial comfort, but seeing Jane, Frost, and Korsak stick up and protect her made her feel like she was a part of a family after all.

Maura furiously stomped her foot against the pavement. Why was Jane behaving like a child? They talk about everything, so why was Jane hiding whatever was making her uncomfortable? And why is she taking it out on me?

Maura felt heat crawl up her chest and neck as her frustration turned into anger. Right as she was about to walk towards the bar to give Jane a piece of her mind, she found a tall, lanky figure hurtling towards her at full speed. Before she could even say anything, Maura was pushed backwards a few feet as Jane threw herself on top of her in an enormous hug.

"Jane-" she was cut off as she heard Jane muffled apologies against her neck. Maura, still clumsy on her feet from the alcohol, stumbled backwards again as she supported Jane's weight. Jane finally pulled back and threw her hair out of her face.

"Maura, I'm so sorry. I'm just... I'm frustrated with myself. And I'm taking it out on you. You just- I was so scared. Maura, you don't know how lucky we were that Cavanaugh confessed. You were so close to having to be sent away to Witness Protection. They would have taken you out of Boston and would never allow us to contact one another again."

Maura grabbed Jane's hands to stop her from wringing them. Maura realized she had been so naïve. She never considered where she would be had Cavanaugh not confessed and revealed the location of the other gang members. The thought of being ripped away from Boston, her job, her co-workers, Jane...

Jane took a deep breath and continued, "I can't imagine what work would be like with you, what life would be like without you. And then tonight... I just had this sudden panic that maybe I would experience what it was like to be without you even if you were still here in Boston. Maybe you'd just decide to leave Boston. Or leave work. Or leave me."

Jane shook her head and looked down at their hands, which were still clasped.

"I'm sorry. I know I was overreacting. Like I said, it's been a long few days," Jane smiled weakly and pulled away from Maura's grasp. "Listen, you should stay. Have a good time. I just need to think some things through. I just didn't want us to leave on a bad note."

Jane finally met Maura's eyes and raised her eyebrows, hoping Maura would accept her apology. She realized about two steps into the bar that she had been out of line. Her confession to Maura was true; she had felt all of the things she told her, but she knew it was more than that. She wasn't just upset about losing Maura, she was jealous. There was no way past it. And that was the reason she knew she needed to leave tonight. She needed to take the time to sort out her feelings. She needed to confront these emotions that she had been sweeping under the rug for far too long.

"Jane," Maura said, taking a step closer, not breaking eye contact, "take me home."

Jane swallowed thickly. Was there anything to think about?

"What? You can't leave the party. It's for you!"

"Jane. Take me home."

Jane began to rub her scars as she looked at Maura's determined face. It was clear there was no arguing with her.

"You're sure?"

"Jane. I don't have a house to go back to. I assumed I was sleeping at your place to begin with."

Jane blushed and smiled sheepishly. God she was such an idiot!

"Of course! Yeah, right. Ok, let's use these guys to get us back there," Jane said, mentioning to the two uniforms parked out front, "I don't think either of us should be driving right now."

Maura laughed and nodded. She walked with Jane to the police car, bumping into her twice, their fingers brushing up against one another. Jane held open the car door for Maura and slid in next to her. Despite the roomy backseat, she noticed Maura stayed close, their knees bumping together with every turn.

Jane fumbled with the keys as they stood outside Maura's door. Her sullen attitude had vanished at she and Maura stumbled up the steps to her apartment, laughing at their own ridiculousness. She walked in and dropped the keys, making her way to the fridge.

"Nightcap?"

"Probably not needed. I've already crossed the amount I would normally allow for myself."

"Ah come on Maura, you're not going to make me drink alone are you?"

Maura couldn't help but smirk off of Jane's smile. "I'm quite sure you should be drinking alone just so you can catch up."

"Oh ho!" Jane smiled as she poured herself a glass, "Look I'll put more in mine. Fair?"

"A reasonable compromise."

Jane handed her the glass and made her way to the sofa, "Besides, there's no cap on watching how much you drink once you're safely back home."

Maura smiled and joined Jane on the sofa. "Tell that to my head tomorrow morning."

"Wait!" Maura said, grabbing Jane's arm before she could take a sip, "we should cheers."

"To staying in Boston?"

"To the most stubborn person in the world apologizing?"

"Hey!" Jane pulled her glass away, "Not cheersing to that."

Maura smiled and leaned over, trying to clink Jane's glass. "Oh yes we are!"

Jane wrestled away, leaning backwards while trying to keep her glass from spilling, "Make me."

And just like that, the entire dynamic seemed to shift. Maura found herself with her body weight pressed upon Jane, who in her attempt to wriggle away was now lying flat against the couch. Neither of them said a word, but all Jane could hear was her heart pounding through her chest. She could see Maura's chest rising and falling as she took sharp breaths. The look in Maura's eyes was... dangerous. Jane felt her mouth go dry as Maura continued to look down at her, her focus unwavering.

A/N: Hope I did y'all proud. I felt like it was really important to show Jane's struggle, and I think getting angry would be her way to deal with the issues she wasn't confronting.