Title: My Sundown

Category: TV Shows » Rizzoli & Isles
Author: Alwaysbringback-up
Language: English, Rating: Rated: M
Genre: Drama/Angst/Friendship

Chapter 5: Be Gentle With Me

Pairing: Jane/Maura

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the R&I universe. All characters belong to Janet Tamaro. I promise that my writing is done purely for recreational purposes only. No ill harm is intended.

A/N: Thanks to all of those that reviewed! Sorry it's been a while since I've updated. Hopefully, this long, juicy chapter will make up for it! I was in the hospital several days with a severe infection, but I'm doing better now.

Several hours later, Jane awoke to find herself enveloped in gentle rays of sunlight. The beams cast a warm orange glow on Jane's eyelids. She stirred, making the lengthy transition between a serene dream-like state and what she knew now to be cold harsh reality. Jane didn't want to get up. In fact, she just wanted to bury herself under the covers and sleep all day. But a part of her knew she couldn't stay like this. She had to face up to things. Jane only wished that she had some caffeine. Mainly, she wished for some coffee to sharpen her senses. Jane's head currently felt a continuous throbbing ache, like someone was drumming on the inside of her skull. Her stomach felt hollowed out, painfully so. And her legs felt like someone had replaced them with lead. Still, nothing could stop Jane's mouth from watering slightly as she thought about coffee. Jane spent a long minute trying to decide if she wanted coffee and breakfast bad enough to get out of bed. Normally, there was no hesitation, and Jane would go bounding downstairs to the kitchen. However, this morning Jane found that he was in the midst of one of those rare occasions when she would rather spend buried under the protection of the covers. If only the covers could truly protect her from reality. Jane let out a groan, not wanting to have to face what she knew was coming. IAB would be calling any time now. They would demand a meeting. They would reprimand her for leaving the hospital without talking to them first. With a sleepy groan and a gruff sigh, Jane turned away from the windows rolled onto her side. Knowing what lie in store for her, only made her want to bury herself deeper. She wanted to hide. Jane squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that she might be fortunate enough to fall back into sleep. Her hope was that in sleep, she might be able to escape from all of the things that seemed to be pulling her apart.

Despite her best efforts not to think about those things, however, Jane let her mind wander, and she unknowingly fixated upon them. Jane knew that there would be little chance of her returning to his previous dream of Maura and paradise. Jane tossed and turned for the next ten minutes or so, but finally gave up fighting and settled on her back. Jane threw his forearm over his eyes, letting his breathing even out.

Then her phone started going off on the nightstand.

"No," Jane groaned, willing it to stop ringing as she rolled over and reached for the phone. She pulled it off of the nightstand, and glanced at the caller ID. It was Cavanaugh.

With a trembling hand, she flipped open the phone and held it to her ear.

"Rizzoli," she answered, her voice scratchy from dis-use.

"It's Cavanaugh," he said preemptively.

"Yeah, boss," Jane replied, "I saw the ID." She sighed. "What is it?"

"IAB is here, and they want to talk to you," he announced. "I've stalled them for as long as I can."

"Did you tell them that I had a concussion and I'm under doctor's orders to rest," Jane asked him.

"Yes," Cavanaugh replied. "To be honest, I think they would have been more lenient if you had stayed at the hospital, but as it is, I can't stall them any longer." He paused. "You need to come in and give a statement."

"Okay…Okay," Jane rasped, "I'll see what I can do. I trust they can wait an hour?"

"Maybe," Cavanaugh replied, "But don't keep them waiting any longer than that, Jane. I wouldn't want to see them take it out on you later."

"Yes, sir," Jane nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Rizzoli," he replied. Jane flipped her phone shut and sat up on the edge of the bed. She lifted her hands to her face and gingerly rubbed her eyes to see if she could relieve the pressure that seemed to be behind them.

Slowly, she stood from the bed and walked down the hall to the guest bedroom, where all of her clothes were.

When Maura walked back into her room to check on Jane, the raven haired beauty was no where to be found. Maura checked the master bath, but it was empty. Then she heard a noise from down the hall, in the guest room. She went to investigate.

Maura walked briskly down the hall, pushed her way into the guest bedroom, and saw the light on in the closet.

"Jane?" she called as she stepped further into the room. "Jane, is that you?"

"Yeah," Jane replied, "I'm in the closet." Maura walked into the closet and froze.

Jane was halfway dressed, wearing a sports bra and some pants.

"Jane, what are you doing?" she asked with her hands on her hips. "You're supposed to be resting!" Jane didn't stop rifling through her shirts, trying to find one that would be easier for her to put on.

"Jane," Maura's voice was a little firmer. "You have a concussion. You've been vomiting. You need to be in bed." Jane said nothing. "I'm serious, Jane! Get back in bed."

"I can't," Jane said in exasperation as she turned around to face Maura. "Cavanaugh called. And IAB has demanded a meeting. I have to be there in an hour."

"Can't they wait?" Maura asked softly. "I mean…don't they know what you've been through?"

"Heh," Jane let out a humorless laugh. "Trust me, Maur. IAB waits for no one. They don't care."

"But that's absurd!" Maura exclaimed. "You have a concussion. A broken rib."

"Three officers died, Maura, and two little girls died," Jane listed. "They have no reason to care for my level of comfort. They have to make sure that I handled everything correctly. Maur, if I don't meet with them, I could lose my badge." Maura frowned.

"It's okay, Maur," Jane said calmly. "It's just a meeting. I just have to go through my version of events, and tell them exactly what I remember seeing. It won't take long. I promise."

"Are you sure?" Maura asked, "Because I could call them and…"

"Maura, no!" Jane said forcefully. "No, okay?" Jane said gently this time. "It'll be fine."

"Do you want me to drive you? I have some work I could catch up on while you're in the meeting."

"That would be great, Maur," Jane smiled graciously. "Thank you." Maura smiled in return, reveling in how right it felt to be there with one another.

"Hey, Maur," Jane said softly. "Maur," she tried again.

"Hmm?"

"This is sorta awkward, but do you have a clean button up shirt that I could borrow?" Jane asked softly. "My ribs sort of hurt and I just want something comfortable. Something easy to slip in and out of."

"Are you sure you don't want to just go dressed like that?" Maura asked while drinking in the sight of her beautiful best friend. "Cause that outfit has my stamp of approval." Jane let out a groan.

"I'm practically naked, Maura," Jane pointed out with a laugh.

"I know," Maura replied.

"Who would have know that perfectly uptight Dr. Maura Isles had a kinkier perverted side."

"Well, now you know," Maura teased, her hips curving into a smile.

"So…?"

"I've got just the thing!" Maura announced as she disappeared. Presumably, she went to her own closet and returned with a button down blouse. It wasn't silk like all of her nice ones, which was good because Jane would have turned those down on principle, just because of just how nice (and expensive) they were.

"It's perfect, Maura," Jane announced with a quick peck of Maura's lips. "Thank you."

"Here," the honey brunette announced as she slipped the article off of the hanger it was on. "Let me help you."

"All right," Jane agreed, "But no funny business. I have very little time before I have to be at the station."

Maura was good as she helped Jane into the article of clothing. Jane was forced to hold her breath several times as the woman's hands grazed her skin. Maura took her time doing up the buttons, one by one. When she was finally finished, the M.E. leant forwards and husked into Jane's ear.

"You look sexy in my shirt, detective," Maura breathed. "Maybe you'll let me take it off of you later too?"

"Sure I will," Jane smiled. She quickly reached up, wrapped her hand around the back of Maura's neck and tugged the shorter woman towards her, giving the honey brunette a long, deep, sensuous kiss. When the kiss broke, both of them were a little breathless. "That's just a little promise of what's to come later," Jane whispered. "Come on," Jane said softly, "We've got to go."

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Jane was starting to feel a little funny as they sat her down in an interrogation room.

"Good Afternoon, Detective Rizzoli," a man in a blue suit, with a matching deep blue tie, greeted her as she sat down. "I'm agent Donnahue, this is Agent Coulter, and we're here to get your version of events for September 28th, 2013."

"So where would you like me to start?" Jane asked.

"How about we start with your assignment," Donnahue suggested.

"Okay," Jane cleared her throat, set her hands on the table, and started wringing them. "Well…uhm…I… We had three teenage girl's who witnessed a murder involving the Colombian drug cartel, and Detective Martinez, asked the BPD to take charge of protecting the witnesses until they could be processed into witness protection."

"And how do you fit into that, exactly?" he asked. "I mean…you're not in Martinez's unit."

"I was asked by Derek Collinsworth to take his spot. You see, his wife was having a baby, and I couldn't say no. I mean… It's not like I had anything going anyways, and I cared about those girls. Besides…contrary to what you believe we were working with narcotics throughout the whole investigation. They meant a lot to us too."

"Okay," Coulter replied. "So what happened? Why weren't you there?"

"I left with one of the girls, Elizabeth, to get food for the other girls," Jane explained. "You see, I promised them the best cheeseburgers on this side of the Mississippi, because I thought it would make things a little better for them… Even if it was just for a few minutes. And when I got back, everything seemed fine."

"How long were you gone?" Donnahue asked, after scribbling in his notebook.

"We left at 8:37 and got back at 8:52," Jane replied. "So…exactly fifteen minutes."

"And nothing seemed amiss when you got back to the motel?"

"No," Jane shook her head. "Everything was quiet."

"So what happened when you got there?"

"I got a phone call, declined it, put it back in my pocket and got out of the car," Jane answered. Jane took a deep breath. "We were at the bottom of the stairs when I suddenly got a bad feeling."

"A bad feeling?" Coulter repeated.

"Yeah," Jane shrugged. "it happens."

"So it wasn't something you noticed?" Donnahue asked.

"I don't know," Jane replied. "I guess that maybe it was because it felt too quiet, you know?" Jane cleared her throat. "You know, motels always have all sorts of noise and arguments and what not. But walking down past some of the rooms, it was too quiet. So, I stopped, I gave my keys to Elizabeth and I told her to go back to the car, get inside, lock the doors, and hide."

"And then?"

"Then I headed up the stairs," Jane replied. "I received a call, and answered it. It was Dr. Isles, our forensic pathologist calling. She and I were having a brief conversation when I heard the first shot." Jane was about to continue when a raised hand cut her off.

"How long was your 'brief' conversation with Dr. Isles?" Coulter asked.

"What does that matter?" Jane retorted. "The second I heard the shot I told her to call Korsak and Frost for help, and I lost the connection."

"How long, detective?" Coulter pressed.

"I don't know. Thirty seconds?"

"Wrong. The conversation was over 2 and a half minutes long," he replied. "Now, was the call work related, or was it personal."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Jane asked.

"If you thought something was wrong, why did you stop to take a call? You could have radioed for help yourself."

"I didn't realize anything was wrong until I heard the shot!" Jane suddenly shouted, earning raised brows from the two detectives interviewing her. "You think I haven't thought about the time I wasted? About how maybe I could have saved the life of one of those officers with that time? Believe me! I know, okay?"

"What happened when you heard the shots?"

"I sprinted down the hall, checked the officers outside-they were both dead- and kicked open the door. There was a man outside standing over another officer. He lifted the gun, saw me, and so I jumped out of the way, using the wall for cover. He fired at me, and I returned fire."

"How many shots did you fire?"

"Three." She took a deep breath. When they didn't ask any more questions she continued. "Well, three outside. One inside."

"One of the bullets hit the man, and he went down. I went inside."

"Even though, Dr. Isles told you not to?" Donnahue asked.

"I had to," Jane said vehemently. "If there was even the smallest chance that I could save those girls, I had to go in there." Jane swallowed. "So I cleared the first room, peered into the second. I saw the girls. They'd both been shot. I took the proper stance, entered the room. Maybe I was a little too eager, because I didn't swing around far enough. I was in a hurry to get to the girls and I missed the guy hiding behind the door. He attacked. We fought, rather brutally, I might add." She related a blow by blow of the fight; "I wound up with his hands around my throat. I managed to get hold of the lamp, hit him in the head, and he went down. Unfortunately, because he'd struck me with the ashtray, I succumbed to unconsciousness, and by the time I came to again. He was gone."

"What was his description?"

"He was big, roughly 6 foot 3, 240 pounds, lots of muscle. He had brown hair with a bit of a receding hair line, brown eyes, a bit of a beard. He had a tattoo of a panther on his neck… I can't remember much else. He was umm… wearing all black. He certainly knew like he looked how to fight. And judging by the loss of life, he knew how to handle a gun too."

"Did you tell anyone where you were going that night?" Donnahue asked. "Did you tell anyone where the girls were staying?"

"Are you kidding me?" Jane asked incredulously. "This isn't my first rodeo. I'm not that stupid. I would never…"

"It's a simple question detective. Yes or No."

"No."

"Did you tell Maura Isles when you were on the phone with her?"

"What?! No!" Jane had no idea what Maura had to do with it. Then she remembered Paddy Doyle.

"No, I didn't tell, Maura," Jane snapped. "And frankly I'm pissed off by what you just insinuated. Maura Isles has nothing to do with Paddy Doyle. She distanced herself from him a long time ago. In fact, she was instrumental in putting him in prison. Even if the Colombians had hired the Irish Mob to help them eliminate those three witnesses, Maura never would have had anything to do with it."

"So you claim," Coulter replied skeptically. "Here's the thing, detective," Coulter said finally. "One of the police working on the detail had to have shared the girls' location."

"No. No way," Jane growled, "None of the guys would have said so much as a single word. And I didn't either." Then. "Are we done here?"

"Frankly, I think that you should be suspended without pay," Coulter said finally, "You exercised poor judgment. You left the other detective's without a senior officer, and left the premises. You went inside without waiting for back up, failed to clear the room, and failed to apprehend the suspect."

"Sir," Jane tried, but he interrupted.

"You'll be placed on desk duty for now," he announced.

"But I can help catch this guy!" Jane protested.

"Leave it alone detective!" he ordered harshly. "Just be glad you're not suspended right now." Jane opened her mouth to say something, but he didn't give her the chance. "We're finished."

Jane stood up, walked to the door, yanked it open, walked through it, and slammed it shut behind her.

She was shaking with anger as she walked to her desk to collect her things. Then without stopping she headed for the elevator.

"Janie!" Frankie shouted as he chased after her. "Janie," he said again as he fell into step beside her. "What happened? What did they say?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Jane gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Come on, Jane," he said softly, "It couldn't have gone that badly."

"Heh," Jane shook her head. "Yeah. Right."

Jane suddenly stopped as she felt Frankie's hand gently come to rest on her shoulder.

"You have no idea, Frankie," Jane sighed dejectedly. "They said I exercised poor judgment. They think that I should be suspended."

"What?" Frankie sounded shocked. "Why? You did what you had to."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Jane said as she spun and headed for the elevator.

"Janie, wait! Where are you going?!" Frankie shouted after her; he was worried about his sister.

"To hit something!" Jane shouted back.

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Frankie looked bewildered for a long moment as Jane disappeared. He was really worried about Jane's state of mind. There was only one person that came to mind. If anyone could help Jane, it would be Maura.

Frankie made his way to the morgue, and knocked on the door to Maura's office.

"Come in!" Maura's muffled voice answered from the other side of her door. Frankie pushed open the door and walked inside. He had to fight the smile that was tugging his lips at how adorable Maura looked. She was hunched over paperwork, wriggling her pen between her fingers, as she read something. She had glasses perched on her nose, but she quickly slipped them off when she looked up and saw the figure standing on the opposite side of her desk.

"You look lovely today, Maura," Frankie said softly.

"Thanks," Maura smiled, her dimples made her look even more adorable. "What can I do for you, detective?"

"Maura," Frankie laughed. "For goodness sakes, call me Frankie." Maura looked momentarily conflicted as her nose wrinkled.

"Frankie," Maura said softly. "I'm trying to keep things professional. Given that you've shown a romantic interest in me, I just want to make sure I… It's just that…I don't want to give you the wrong idea about us."

"You want to keep your personal life separate from work," Frankie stated calmly. "That's fine. I mean…so do I." Then. "But, I would like it if you would let me take you out some time."

Maura sighed. She looked pained, and Frankie felt like someone punched him in the gut.

"Frankie," Maura said as warmly as she could. "I care about you a lot, you know that. But I truly think about you as a brother, and not as anything more."

"I…just…" Frankie gave up trying.

"I'm sorry, Frankie," Maura apologized, "I really am."

"I can't say it doesn't hurt," Frankie said finally. "But I understand. You don't want to put Jane in an awkward position. After all, she's your best friend and things would be sort of awkward if we started dating." Maura closed her eyes. She'd been trying to postpone this moment for as long as possible. But it was time to come clean.

"About that," Maura exhaled. "There's actually something that I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Frankie asked, although a part of him was scared to ask that question.

"I've been harboring feelings for your sister for quite some time," Maura admitted. "And several weeks ago, I finally told her how I felt. That's…actually what our fight was about."

"W-what?" Frankie's voice cracked. "Are you serious?"

"You think I would lie about something like this?" Maura said softly. "I love her, Frankie. I…I'm in love with your sister. And…and I think she's in love with me too."

"I can't believe this!" Frankie threw up his hands. "So what the hell was that between us then, huh?" Then. "Did it mean anything to you at all?"

"Frankie…Please," Maura said as calmly as she could manage while being yelled at.

"I can't!" he shouted, his jaw clenching. "I can't, Maura." Frankie reached up to run a hand over his jaw. "I need to go," Frankie said, as he couldn't stand the pain any longer. "Look, I came down here to tell you that Jane's meeting with IAB is over, and I think something is wrong. But, of course, she wouldn't talk to me about any of it…." Then. "I just thought you'd want to know. You can probably find her in the gym." Without another word, Frankie rushed from the room and disappeared.

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One. One two. Punch. Jab. Upper cut. One two.

"Son of a bitch," Jane muttered, punching the bag over and over and over again. Sweat collected all over her body. Trails of sweat streaked down her temples, dripping from her jaw. The air on the back of her neck felt cool as the hair at the nape of her neck became drenched. She could vaguely feel the dampness collecting on the small of Her back, effectively soaking through her white tank. Her breath came in rasps as she hit the bag again and again in the dim light of the wreck room. Her muscles swelled under the extension of her limbs, leaving the skin taught over it. She could see ripples shoot through each arm with each impact of the bag. Her hands were numb, and she gritted her jaw against the tingling in her hands. She closed her eyes and imagined how good it would feel to beat the killer that she'd encountered to a bloody pulp. If she had her way, Jane would strike him until she stopped moving. She wanted him to beg for mercy, but once again, all she could do was imagine. After all, she had to get it all out. It was never enough. She could stand here, punching the life out of the lifeless bag for the rest of her life, and it still wouldn't be enough. It was times like this when she wondered why she was still doing what she was doing? What is the point in fighting a battle you can never win? The answer was simple, but frankly, it only made her angrier. Someone had to fight the fight. Someone had to take down the bad guys.

She couldn't blame anyone else. After all, it had been her dream to be a detective for as long as she could imagine. She chose this life for herself, and therefore, only had herself to blame. She just wishes that it didn't hurt so much. The fact was, she needed a vacation. Badly. She needed to get away from the job, before she lost it.

"I'm no failure," Jane muttered aloud. "Damn it all. But I'm no failure. I made a mistake…"

One. One two. Side swipe. Left jab. Left jab again. Her breathing was uneven now, under the exertion. She'd been going at it for nearly 50 minutes non-stop. Her legs shook underneath her own weight as she took a step forwards and then back. A shiver worked its way up her spine and her body quavered slightly. Her hair was soaked through now, as was her tank top. She opened her eyes, hitting the bag once more.

The fatigue was actually doing her some favors. Her mind was getting tired, numb, and it was easing her racing thoughts somewhat. She and her conscience needed the break. Jane wanted to feel nothing, which is precisely why she was currently trying so hard to force her own body- her own mind-into submission. Her shoulders throbbed with the effort of each punch. Her head started to loll on her shoulders. Sometimes she'd tire herself out so very much that the fatigue took precedence over everything else.

By the time she finished, the only thoughts she'd have would be of her aching limbs and body. She'd think about how she could just lay down and sleep forever, and she wouldn't bother to think of anything else. It was her way of beating the system, and she had to do it every so often in order to keep her sanity. Jane's shoulders tensed as she sensed two eyes on her back. She hadn't heard anyone walk in, but then again, it was hard to hear everything over her own loud labored breathing and the sound of her fists connecting with the bag. Jane glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see her brother. She was stunned when her eyes met the twinkling hazel eyes of her best friend, the very person she'd been hoping to avoid. Still, she couldn't look away. Maura was ineffably beautiful. So god damned beautiful that it made her dizzy. And so she just stared.

"Jane," she heard Maura say faintly. "Jane! Look out!" Jane vaguely wondered what the hell Maura could be talking about when she felt something heavy slam into her, effectively knocking her off of her feet. Jane was sent to the floor. Hard.

'Oh,' Jane thought to herself as she hit the floor. 'So that's what she was talking about.'

"Fuck!" Jane hissed as her ears were left ringing. She was splayed out on the mat, too tired and too winded to move. She just laid there for a long moment, looking up at the ceiling in a daze.

"Jane?" Maura was sprinting over, worry evident in her voice. The blonde doctor sprinted over. Jane still hadn't moved. Then, slowly, Jane started to sit up, the muscles in her midsection straining with the effort. Maura tried not to notice the way Jane's body shimmered appealingly with sweat. "You okay?" Maura asked as she helped Jane sit up the rest of the way. She made a point to glance into Jane's eyes.

"Ugh," Jane groaned. "I think my pride just took more of a beating than anything else," Jane groused.

"Aww," Maura said softly. "You don't have to worry about impressing me, Jane."

"I take it Frankie told you to come," Jane's voice filled the room. Her heartbeat whooshing through her ears, made it hard for her to hear Maura's reply.

"I wanted to check on you, actually," Maura swallowed. "You promised you would keep me posted, Jane, and then you didn't call. What's worse is that you've been ignoring my phone calls." Maura looked sad. "And yes," Maura said softly, "If you must know, Frankie came to see me, because he's worried about you." Maura sighed. "He told me what happened with IAB."

"Then you also know it didn't go well," Jane said simply. Maura nodded.

"Did they suspend you?"

"Why? Do you think they should have," Jane asked.

"No!" Maura answered after some hesitation. "Of course not."

"You're lying," Jane said hoarsely, as she pushed herself up off the floor. She gave a pointed look at the punching bag (more like a glare really), and walked over to pick up her water bottle. She picked it up and squirted some of the heavenly cold water into her mouth. "Maybe you should just go," Jane said, trying to hide the hurt that Maura's reply had caused.

"I'm not lying, Jane," Maura said persistently, following after Jane.

"Stop, Maura," Jane said out of frustration, "I can practically hear your brain working from here."

"I'm sorry," Maura said sarcastically, "Am I not allowed to worry about my girlfriend anymore?"

"That was sarcasm," Jane said bitterly. "You can not use sarcasm against me."

"Apparently," Maura said angrily. "I'm not allowed to do anything!"

"You just did it again!" Jane said incredulously.

"Yeah?" Maura's brow rose on her forehead. "Well, I guess you're going to have to learn to deal with it."

"You're not helping," Jane bit out, though her voice wavered with her own strained emotion. "So feel free to go, Maura."

"No." The defiant word caused Jane to turn around, Her eyes opening wide as her jaw fell open.

"I'm sorry," Jane nearly hissed out. "I don't think I heard you correctly. What did you just say?" Jane inquired angrily.

"You heard me," Maura said quietly, "I said that I'm not going anywhere." Maura took another step forwards, invading Jane's personal space. "I'm your girlfriend and I'm worried about you." And just like that, everything in the room stopped.

"Did you… Did you just call me your girlfriend?" Jane's wide brown eyes shimmered.

"Do I need to say it again?" Jane shrugged.

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli," Maura spoke quietly, "Would you be my girlfriend?"

"Do you really want to be with a messed up person like me?"

"Yes," Maura replied.

Maura swallowed, tears building in her own eyes as she realized how awful and defeated Jane truly looked. Her heart clenched as she saw the bruising on Jane's body, bruising that she hadn't noticed in the darkness. Jane had deep tissue bruises of purple, red, and blue on her shoulder, neck, and ribcage. "Jane," she could scarcely breath as her hand reached out to touch her, "What the hell happened? Haven't you been putting ice on it like you're supposed to?" Jane only took a step back, trying to elude her touch.

"You know what happened," Jane grumbled. "I got my ass kicked by a freaking ninja assassin." Okay so that wasn't really the truth. Jane just hoped Maura stopped asking her questions that made her remember. "That's what happened. But I'm fine now. Seriously, Maura, you should just go. I'm fine."

Maura was surprised Jane still had any fight left in her body. It seemed like they'd both already given everything they had to the job. Jane had already given everything she had to Maura.

"Don't act like you're fine!" Maura yelled out of frustration. "Jane, you're not fine."

"You're right!" Jane shouted throwing up her arms. "What else do you want me to say?! IAB ripped me apart, and I'm pissed!"

"There," Maura said pointedly. "Was that really so hard?"

"I just don't want you to hurt like this any more by yourself," Maura breathed aloud and Jane did all she could to stay quiet. She swallowed, feeling her stomach churning relentlessly. It was amazing what her mere presence could do to her. "I know about the nightmares."

"Maura," Jane's head bowed ever so slightly. Maura knew that Jane's pride made it hard for her to admit when something was too much. "I need to…"

"Shh, Jane," Maura's voice was soft as she brushed her hand across Jane's cheek, and then settled her hand on Jane's shoulders. Jane's strong shoulders tensed under the touch, "Hey, it's okay. You can stop now. I'm here." Maura took a deep breath. "I'm here as a friend. Just tell me what you need. Tell me what can I do to make things better?"

"I need a hug from my best friend," Jane took a step forwards, placing her forehead on Maura's shoulder. Instinctively, Maura's arms wrapped tightly around Jane, holding her against her in a vice grip. God, she loved this woman. All she could think of was how amazing Jane was. If she could, she would have stayed there forever, just cradling the strong relentless woman in her arms. She was surprised when Jane's shoulders immediately relaxed and the detective held her too. Maura closed her eyes as she listened to Jane inhale her comforting scent. She could scarcely breath as Jane pulled back to face her. A gruesome bruise dotted the woman's, strong, and defined jaw. Maura let out sigh, reaching up to touch it ever so lightly. "Oh, Jane," she said sadly. Maura leaned forwards, placing a gentle kiss to the corner of Jane's mouth. A look of shock swept across Jane's face as she realized what had just happened. Maura could tell that Jane was taken aback by her forwardness. Jane squeezed her own eyes shut for a long moment as Maura, took a step forwards and repeated the gesture. This time the intent could not be mistaken as she deepened it. Jane moaned into her mouth as Maura rather enthusiastically shoved her up against the nearby wall, and slid her hands under Jane's shirt.

"Jane," Maura panted as Jane pulled Maura's thighs upwards. Maura moaned again as Jane pushed her lean, hard, midsection against the juncture of Maura's legs. The moans just kept coming as Maura locked her legs tightly around Jane's waist and ran her fingers through Jane's damp tousled locks. Jane kissed her way down Maura's neck to her clavicle, nibbling aggressively along the way. It was almost so pleasurable that it was painful.

"I want you," Jane husked into Maura's ear, Her tongue darting out to glaze her earlobe. Maura took a deep breath, her mind growing warm and fuzzy. Jane smelled heavily of sweat, and stale perfume. Her musky scent, and the scent of arousal that was lingering between the two of them made her desperate for more.

"I'm all yours," Maura replied, stealing a deep kiss from Jane. Jane grunted as Maura hands found the hem of her tank and pulled it upwards over her head. The skin underneath glistened under a thin sheen of sweat. Maura began to steal tastes of Jane, whose skin was laced heavily with salt. Jane stumbled sideways, tripping over something that sent them both to the mat. Jane grunted as the ground came up to meet them. Maura, however, didn't miss a beat. She quickly straddled Jane's lap, grinding down on her. Jane moaned appreciatively, feeling the heat at the apex of her thighs, while Maura groaned at the feeling of Jane's abs straining against the fabric between them.

"This isn't exactly how I imagined it," Jane admitted as She rolled, before quickly pining Maura to the mat. "This," She smiled as her hands pinned Maura to the mat beneath her. "Is more like it."

"Mmm," Maura moaned softly. "That's hot," she smiled, a truly disarming smile, "But I like to be on top." The air was forced out of Maura's lungs as she made a quick flourish of her body, using her weight to dislodge her pinned upper body. Jane grunted as she was splayed on her back once again.

"Wow," Jane breathed, looking up into her eyes as she held Her there. She stole a kiss from her, pointedly. "You've been holding out on me."

"Oh," Maura husked in her ear as she reached for her shorts, "You haven't seen anything yet." She smiled mischievously, "You going to fight me this time, or are you going to let me have my wicked way with you?"

"You want me that badly?" Jane teased. "Oh how far we fall…"

"Jane," Maura paused. "I told Frankie."

"Y-You did?" Jane looked suddenly serious. "When?"

"About an hour ago," Maura replied. "He was a bit shocked. I dare say he took it a bit harder than I thought he would. I think he hates me, now. And I can't say I blame him."

"Hey," Jane's voice was suddenly soft and sympathetic. "He'll come around, Maura. You'll see."

"You think so?" Maura's eyes shimmered.

"I know so," Jane said reassuringly as she lifted Maura's hand to her lips and kissed it.

"I was thinking…"

"Yeah?" Jane teased. "That's new." Maura playfully shoved Jane's shoulder, causing them both to laugh.

"What if you and I took a few days off, and went out of town?" Maura asked. "Before I came down here, I checked with Cavanaugh and he said that you had over 140 days of vacation saved."

"But what about you," Jane asked worriedly, "You always have so much work to do, and I don't want to cause you to fall behind."

"Jane, I can manage things over phone and email," Maura reassured her.

"If you're sure," Jane said softly. "Then okay…"

"Good, because I already booked us a place at a resort on Lake Champlain in Vermont," Maura said with a smile. "They have something for everyone, and I like it because it's a green complex. We won't be leaving any sort of carbon footprint. Plus, the scenery is to die for."

"When do we leave?" Jane asked, looking amused.

"First thing tomorrow," Maura replied. "I thought that you could go home, pack, then stay with me tonight, and we'll leave from my house in the morning."

"What about Joe and Bass?" Jane asked.

"Your Mom said that she would watch them for us, while we're gone," Maura answered.

"Wow. Sounds like you've taken care of everything," Jane laughed. Maura suddenly looked sheepish.

"Oh god," she breathed, "I'm sorry. Does…Does it all sound all right to you?"

"Are you kidding me?" Jane replied, while looking deep into Maura hazel eyes, "It's perfect, Maur. Wait a minute…my ma… does she know?"

"No," Maura shook her head. "She just thinks we're going as friends." Jane nodded and let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay…" Jane nodded, "Well, I'll go home and pack then."

"I'll see you soon then," Maura said as she slowly climbed off of Jane and helped the brunette stand up.

"Okay, love," Jane smiled, before pulling Maura in for a goodbye kiss to tide her over for a few hours.

A/N: Okay, so that's it for now! An update will come soon! Please review!

The next chapter is going to be one hell of a ride! Muah...hah...hah