I apologize profusely for the delay. In the last week, I've moved, received notification of being waitlisted for grad school (about which I am devastated), and had a terrible week at work, so I haven't had nearly as much time to write to stay two chapters ahead. I do hope you'll forgive me.

You deserve some fluff after such heavy stuff. :)


The next morning before the kids woke up, Maura snuck into Jane's bedroom, closing the door behind her, and crawled underneath the covers behind Jane. She turned on her side and pressed the front of her body against the back of Jane's, wrapping her arm around the young brunette's waist. The movements immediately awakened Jane, who then groaned and turned over to lie on her back.

"Good morning, Jane," Maura crooned softly in Jane's right ear. "Let's do something fun today with the children."

"Mm," Jane grunted.

"Wake up," Maura murmured before gently nipping Jane's ear lobe.

Jane grunted again.

"Not a morning person, I see," Maura teased.

Jane mumbled, eyes still closed, "Too early for cheer. No more talking."

Smirking, Maura slipped her hand from around Jane's waist to cup the young woman between her legs, over her sleep shorts. "Is it too early for this, too?"

"No," the brunette replied, opening her eyes before grimacing briefly, "But I gotta pee."

Maura rolled over onto her back with a groan. "Well that's romantic, Jane."

"Is that sarcasm I detect? Did you just use sarcasm on me?!"

"I may have been practicing. Do you approve?"

Quirking up an eyebrow, Jane replied, "Not if you're going to use it on me!"

"Go to the bathroom, Jane," Maura told her, smiling.

Jane turned her head to look at her alarm clock. It was only 7:10am. Turning back to Maura, she complained, "You woke me up at 7?!"

The doctor quickly smiled, "I thought perhaps you might like to take a shower with me before the children wake up."

Biting her lip, Jane responded, "Raincheck?"

"I'm sorry?" Maura replied, confused.

"A raincheck. Something you can 'cash in' on at a later date or time, for some reason or another," Jane explained.

"Oh."

"It's just that if I'm going to have shower sex with such a beautiful woman, I want to be able to take my time and satisfy her completely." Jane grinned as her words registered with Maura. Her expression then turned nervous as she confessed in a whisper, "Plus I don't want to rush my first shower sex anyway."

Hazel eyes widened. "You've never had sex in the shower before?"

"Nope."

Maura smirked. "I've found shower sex to be either really good, or really unpleasant."

"Well then, we'll just have to make sure it's good, won't we?"

"I'm sure with you, it will be incredible." Maura leaned forward and kissed Jane softly on the lips, before dragging her teeth over Jane's bottom lip as she pulled away. "I'm going to take a shower now, all alone in my own bathroom." She pouted slightly for emphasis. Then her tone became more seductive. "I guess I'll just have to touch myself and pretend that it's you."

Jane playfully shoved the other woman away, though she was blushing. "Get out of here and stop trying to guilt me into doing dirty things with you right now."

Maura grinned.

"Where are we going, by the way?" Jane asked as she climbed out of bed.

"I was thinking the aquarium would be nice. The children haven't been in awhile."

A smile broke out over Jane's face. "I haven't been to the aquarium since I was like 8."

"Is that okay, then?" Light concern flashed over Maura's features.

Jane turned around and faced Maura again, standing at the edge of the bed. She raised her left hand and curled her index finger a few times, indicating for Maura to come closer.

Quickly Maura slid over to the edge of the bed. "Yes?"

Leaning in closer to the older woman's face, Jane cupped her jaw and whispered, "It sounds wonderful, Maura."

Green-tinged golden eyes lit up as Maura smiled.


"Mama, look!" Samantha screeched, thrusting out her arm to point up into the large tank before them. "It's a sea turtle!"

"Yes, love, that's a Chelonia mydas, commonly known as a green sea turtle."

Jane looked at Samantha, who just stared up confused at her mother. "If I remember right from when I was a kid, her name is Myrtle. Go say hi, Sam!" Standing a few feet away from the children, the brunette then turned to Maura. "Jesus, do you know the scientific name of all these fish?" Jane asked incredulously.

"Green sea turtles aren't fish, Jane," the honey blonde chided.

Jane's brow knitted in frustration as she frowned. "You know what I mean, Maura."

"I do seem to know an unusual amount of scientific names, but I suppose it's simply because I enjoy learning them, and it's my philosophy about life that if one has the capability and resources to learn about a subject, one should do so."

"You're like a human Wikipedia."

"Actually, Wikipedia is frequently incorrect. Very little is rigorously peer-reviewed. That's a poor comparison to the depth and breadth of my knowledge and I'm a little offended."

While Samantha and Ethan pressed themselves up against the tank glass to observe all of the fish, Jane leaned in close to Maura to whisper in her ear. "If there weren't people around, especially the children, I would kiss you right now."

Maura turned her head toward Jane, a faint blush evident on her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip briefly before a shy smile graced her face. "Why?"

"Because you're a genius, and even though you know it, you don't share your knowledge to show off to people. You just want others to learn, too," Jane explained softly before leaning in to whisper in the older woman's ear again. "Plus I find it really sexy when you get all Wikipedia on me."

"I'm really not sure I like being referred to as Wikipedia, but do keep the other part of your thought in mind for later when we're alone," Maura replied with a smirk.

"Jane!" Ethan cried out in excitement, running up to the two and grabbing Jane's hand to pull her toward the tank. "Check out this eel! Do you know the name of it like Mama does?"

"Hm, 'fraid not, little man," Jane replied, before turning to look back at the older woman.

Maura swallowed hard as she looked at Ethan and Jane standing in front of the large aquarium, Ethan still gripping the brunette's hand. Samantha was standing on Ethan's other side, and she then looked back at Maura as well. A familiar sensation in her throat, indicating the urge to cry, suddenly made its presence known. Seeing Jane standing there with her children made Maura aware that this was the first time she'd truly felt happy since she realized her husband no longer wanted her. Jane looked at her with a concerned expression, one that Maura interpreted as asking whether or not she was okay, and Maura gave her a small smile before nodding. "Gymnothorax funebris," Maura spouted out easily, approaching the three of them in front of the tank. "Otherwise known as a green moray eel."

Pressing an index finger against the glass, Jane pointed at another fish. "What's that one?"

"Oooh!" Samantha squealed, tugging on her mother's hand. "It's pointy!"

"Longspined porcupinefish. Diodon holocanthus," the blonde doctor replied, looking down at her daughter with a smile. "It puffs up when it feels threatened or is attacked."

"Is it poisonous?" Ethan inquired, glancing up at Maura.

"It does have toxins that can be dangerous to humans if it is being cooked for human consumption," Maura commented. "But I believe it is more often used in Chinese medicine than for food."

Jane smirked, and out of the corner of her mouth, replied, "See? Wikipedia."

Maura turned her head slightly to look at her young companion. The corner of her mouth twitched upwards. A feeling of peace settled inside her chest and she silently welcomed the sensation with gratitude.

The rest of their time at the aquarium, Maura found herself fighting the urge to reach over and intertwine her fingers with Jane's as they walked through the exhibits with the children. Ethan and Samantha would almost always stay slightly ahead of the adults, excitedly approaching every new animal habitat. Ethan would immediately stand in front of the informative plaque and recite it to his little sister. When Maura and Jane would finally come to stand with them, the blonde doctor told them all yet another fun fact about one of the animals.

Many times Maura caught Jane looking at her with an odd expression, and when their eyes met, the young woman blushed and looked away. She made a mental note to herself to ask Jane about it later when they could be alone together.

When the four of them arrived at the shark and ray touch tank, Ethan instantly began trying to interact with the creatures, but Jane noticed Samantha merely stood there at the edge, looking down intimidated and almost frightened at the swimming animals before her.

As Maura and Ethan were reaching their hands into the water to touch a shark that was passing slowly by, the older woman listened attentively to the exchange between Jane and her daughter.

"Sam," Jane said softly. "Don't you wanna touch one?"

Small, fearful eyes peered up at the young brunette. "I don't want it to bite me!"

"Aww, kiddo, it won't. See how Mama and Ethan are touching one right now?" Jane replied, pointing at their hands underneath the surface. "Let's do it, too. Want me to put my hand on top of yours and show you?"

"Okay," Samantha agreed hesitantly. "Promise you won't let it bite me though?"

Jane smiled. "Promise."

Gently she grabbed Samantha's hand and, both of them leaning forward, slowly lowered their hands together into the water. Jane then guided their hands toward a shark that was about to swim by. The little girl let out a short squeal before she giggled, looking up at Jane.

Maura had removed her hand from the water and her head was turned slightly toward her daughter and Jane, observing them together. Both had wide grins plastered on their faces as Jane finally let go of Samantha's hand, the little girl now reaching out eagerly to touch the sharks by herself, just as Jane had showed her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jane noticed Maura looking at her, and curious, she turned her head to meet Maura's gaze fully.

Silently Maura moved to stand on Jane's left side, both children still on Jane's right, still reaching their hands into the cool, salty water to let their fingertips touch the animals. The honey blonde leaned in close, her breath hot on Jane's ear, her words so low that there was no danger of anyone around them overhearing. "I know what I'm about to say is incredibly inappropriate, but right now I cannot seem to help myself," Maura prefaced. "There's something about seeing you interact like this with my children that is particularly arousing for me today, and tonight I would love nothing more than to show you just how much."

The older woman then nonchalantly returned to Jane's right side, standing behind the children and reaching with them into the water, as if she had not at all been whispering suggestive comments into Jane's ear only seconds before.

Now red-faced, Jane just stood there, frozen and looking at Maura, who continued to act completely normal. She breathed out in disbelief and finally shook her head, trying to regain her composure. For a few moments she wondered if she hadn't in fact imagined the whole thing, but as the children moved further down the tank edge to try and touch a stingray, Maura looked up at her and smirked, also raising an eyebrow, before following Ethan and Samantha.


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