The cool morning breeze brushed across the exposed skin of Maura Isles's back as she lay stretched across the bed and on top of Jane Rizzoli. The bed sheets were mostly on the floor, the top sheet haphazardly pulled halfway up the two women. The brunette lay on her back, her left arm wrapped possessively around the smaller woman's waist and her right thrown over her eyes to block out the rising sunlight as it fell through the large double window behind the bed.

For a time, they both lay there allowing themselves to stay in that space between sleeping and awake as they listened to the sounds of the ocean outside and enjoyed the feeling of closeness and warmth the other provided.

The peacefulness of the moment was dreamlike, and Maura was hesitant to open her eyes.

What if it was, in fact, all a dream? No, that's not possible. My body aches in ways that it never has before. The sensation is not terribly unpleasant, though. A nice reminder… Also, I've never slept nude before, and I am most definitely nude. She flexed her right hand slightly, squeezing Jane's left thigh as she did so. Jane is also most definitely nude. She smiled. I wonder if she'll always feel this wonderful to touch?

"Good morning, my little ME." Jane's voice was still scratchy with sleep, but Maura could hear the smile she was certain was on the brunette's lips, "How'd you sleep?" She placed a kiss on the crown of blonde hair before her.

"Mmmm… well, thank you," Maura opened her eyes to the smile she had, seconds before, been picturing in her mind. "And you?"

"Can't complain." She giggled. A giggle? From Jane. Amazing… and very cute. "How do you feel?"

Maura shifted as she thought through her answer. "Drowsy, slightly sore from using muscles groups that I'm unaccustomed to working, a little chilled from the morning air, happy," she tilted her head to kiss the detective's neck. "Oh, Jane, you have a… what was it you called that type of contusion?… a hickey. Yes, you have a hickey."

The brunette laughed as she reached down the side of the bed to pull up a blanket. After wrapping them both in it and resettling, she responded with an air of amusement, "Well, you were a little eager last night." Oh no, I hurt her… "But, I'm not complaining." Oh good. " Besides, you have one, too." What?

"Jane, really?" The reprimand in the blonde's voice was countered by the smirk on her face.

"Are you really complaining?"

"No, not really." I like being marked by you.

"Didn't think so." Jane began to run light patterns across Maura's back. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I have no regrets."

"Would you tell me if you did?"

"Of course. You know I don't lie well. But, Jane, I truly don't. I was ready. I'm glad you were, too. What changed?"

"I did." Jane leaned her head back against the pillows, closing her eyes as she continued. "You know how much I hate being a stereotype," Loathe would be a more accurate description. "But, I've been working through that with John, and, you know, I realized that it doesn't really matter if I'm a stereotype or not as long as I'm happy with what I'm doing and how my life is going. Right?" She opened her eyes, looking down at Maura for a response.

"Yes, I would agree with that."

"I didn't want to be a Uhaul lesbian." At the doctor's questioning look, she explained, "Meaning we go out on a handful of dates and then are suddenly sharing joint custody of a dog and living together. But, we sort of did that anyway."

"To be fair, you had Joe before you moved in, and the shooting did expedite our living arrangements." Absentmindedly, Maura ran her fingers lightly over the scar on the detective's abdomen from the incident. "Though we did spend most all of our spare time in each other's homes prior to that."

"Yeah, I realized that as I was talking to John about everything. I was also worried about both of us having to deal with the fall out at the station with people in the precinct. It was hard enough being the first female detective in homicide without having to also be the first openly homosexual detective in homicide, and they gave you shit already for you just being you. I really didn't want to add to anything you were having to put up with."

"When I first started working for the Boston medical examiner's office, many people told me you were, in fact, a lesbian. It wasn't until I had interacted with you a few times that I realized they were incorrect, as far as you, yourself, were concerned. As for myself, I've grown accustomed to people's direct and indirect cruelties. I can manage."

"Yeah, I figured that out. It's hard for me to not want to protect you all the time. But, I know that I can't, and I know that you can take care of yourself. You did sit in my apartment for half a night with my loaded piece pointed at the door so I could sleep. I'm learning to give you more credit." I would do it again in a heartbeat. I want to protect you, too. "I'm also realizing that it doesn't matter if I was or wasn't a lesbian, they were still going to give me shit about it, so I might as well just do what's right for me."

"Yes, I would also agree with that." Maura stopped running her fingers over the new scar and wrapped her hand gently over it and around Jane's side, pulling in closer to the other woman. "I'm glad you did."

"Me, too. It took a little while, but I figured out that none of it was about anyone else but me and my hang ups. Once that seeped into my head, I realized that all I had to do was be okay with me… all of me and everything that's happened to me," she held her free hand up, displaying the scars there, "and then I could be with you."

"And you're okay?"

"I'm pretty close. I still have my moments; I always will. I realize that now, too. But, I don't have the problems like I used to. I know how to work through it now. I think I'm pretty much there. I'm sorry it took me so long."

Maura gave Jane her best reassuring smile. "It's okay, Jane. I'm not certain I completely understand, but I'm glad you're feeling better." She kissed the exposed skin closest to her.

"Thank you… for everything." The brunette kissed Maura's forehead. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"So are you… and, I'm delighted it was you, Jane. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather it have been."

"Why didn't you call us when you got there, wherever there is?" Angela's voice sounded through Jane's cell phone.

"Ma, its seven thirty in the morning. You couldn't wait?" Her daughter rolled her eyes as she snuggled back down in the warm blankets only realizing after she'd gotten comfortable that Maura wasn't there. "Maura?"

"What?" Angela's voice was full of confusion. "It's 1:30! Why are you calling me Maura?"

Jane groaned. "There's a six hour time difference, Ma, and Maura's missing. I'm not calling you Maura."

"Six hours! Where are you? What do you mean she's missing?"

"Hawaii, and she's not in bed. I need to go find her. Can I call you back?"

"Jane Rizzoli, you can't take five minutes to talk to me before you go running off to your girlfriend? I mean, come on, I know you're on vacation, but you see her all the time!"

Under her breath, Jane replied, "Not like this."

"What?"

"Fine, Ma, fine… what?"

"You don't have to be mean about it!"

"Ma." The warning in her voice said it all. Jane was seconds away from hanging up.

"Okay, I was just worried. You never called. You're really in Hawaii?"

"I'm sorry. I would have called when I woke up today. We were busy… settling last night, and, yeah, I'm really in Hawaii."

"Oh, what island? Is it the main one? I hear it's beautiful there. Is it as pretty as the movies show?"

"I'm not sure what the name of the island is, but it's not the main one. It's one of the smaller one's in the chain, and, yeah, it's really pretty here. Ma, look, I promise to take lots of pictures and call you and bring you something back, but I really need to go. I've got to find Maura, okay?"

"Okay… okay… I get it. You two girls have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do. You give your girl a kiss for me. Love you both. Bye, sweetie."

"Love you, too. Bye, Ma."

Jane tossed the phone on the night stand and slowly stood up, stretching. She grabbed the nightgown she wore the night before, pulling it on over her tasseled hair as she padded through the house. Sounds from one of the bathrooms told her where Maura was. She smiled. The blonde was humming something light and airy. Jane heard the faucet turn on, and she assumed Maura was about to take a shower.

With a smirk, she hurried to the other bathroom to run through her morning routine.