A relaxed Jane was someone Maura thought she knew, but Jane's mind was always active, always looking for something to solve, something to puzzle out. She put down mystery novels within the first few chapters, and turned off Bones after the first ad break. She switched off for baseball, football and hockey, but Maura could feel the itchiness within Jane, the urge to get her brain working.

Maura slid over a piece of paper that evening.

"What's this?"

"You'll figure it out."

There were two sentences on the paper. A quick mystery.

"It's not enough information, Mau," Jane complained.

"Perhaps you need to look a it from another angle?" Maura asked, happily perusing one of her medical journals.

Jane spent the evening pacing, hopping on the laptop next to Maura in bed, going over to the desk to check for codes, writing out each word backwards and forwards. She went on the internet again, then glared at Maura for a long moment before walking to the kitchenette and turning on the electric kettle. She held the scrap of paper over the steam, watching the letters come out on the paper.

"Smells like oranges," Jane said, copying out the words now they were visible.

"It's a primitive form of invisible ink," Maura said. "As well as the tasty snack we had for lunch."

"It was the butler," Jane said triumphantly, and Maura chuckled. "This was great, did you make it up yourself?"

"I saw your brain was missing having something to work on. Do you want another one tomorrow when we get back from the art gallery?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," Jane said, going back to the bed, tucking herself into Maura's side, lazily reading the journal, relaxed now she'd solved something. "You're so good to me."

"You want to do a scavenger hunt at the art gallery?" Maura asked.

"I'm not a kid, Mau," Jane objected, then paused. "But yes, yes I would."

"Your brain is always working, always looking for something, for a solution, for a puzzle. Be honest, you miss working."

"A little," Jane said, her hand resting on Maura's hip. "But I'm not bored, and I wouldn't change any single moment of this holiday with you."

"Oh, Jane," Maura said, touched, covering Jane's hand with her own. She leaned in to kiss her, but the laptop make the Skype noise with Angela's username, so she settled for a peck before answering the call.

"You look very cosy," Angela said, and Jane smiled contentedly.

"Jane has very good taste in hotels," Maura said, putting her journal down and tucking her arm around Jane. "How is everything?"

"Bass was sulking when you left, but once he realised Jo was staying he was fine. Jo is happy - no licking her paws, and Frankie comes around after work to walk her - I think she adds to his street appeal."

"I'm going to have trouble getting custody of my dog, aren't I?" Jane asked.

"Well, it's not like you need the help," Angela said. "You already bagged a girlfriend, you know Frankie needs some help."

"She didn't 'bag' me, Angela," Maura said. "If anything I bagged her. You know me, I'm very determined when I see something I want."

"Did you just call me something?" Jane asked, eyebrows raised as she turned to a chuckling Maura.

"Jane!" Angela said, her tone obvious. "Be nice to her," she added.

"I am nice to her, Ma! Tell her, Maura."

"She has been very nice to me, Angela," Maura said. "I thought it was going to be harder - your family is very close, I thought she was going to be lonely."

"Well, we do call every day, she doesn't have time to be lonely."

"I've got Maura, how could I be lonely?" Jane asked, pulling closer to Maura. Angela smiled.

"I'm glad you're having fun," Angela said. "I'll speak to you later, girls." Jane closed the laptop as Angela signed off.

"Are you lonely? Your team is like family, and your family is like an extra limb." Maura looked at Jane thoughtfully. "I know I miss them," Maura said. "But I'm also selfish enough to enjoy having you all to myself for a little while." She squeezed her arm around Jane.

"I do miss them, but the team sends me daily updates, and we do video calls often. And being alone with you - just us - is amazing. I have a full social life, and so do you, which is healthy. And missing the people in our life is natural, but we're allowed to be a little selfish when it comes to spending time together."

"You're sweet," Maura said, kissing the side of Jane's temple.

"I'm just trying to get some sugar," Jane said suggestively, pressing her mouth to the enticing freckles on Maura's neck.

Maura woke as Jane mumbled in her sleep. She tensed for a moment, until she heard something about Captain Glitterface. Just a dream. She stroked her fingers through Jane's tangled hair, pleased when she felt Jane smile against her chest, even in sleep.

Maura had been chasing love for decades - forever, really. Her parents had loved her absent-mindedly, when they remembered to. Men had expressed the sentiment, but it always felt shallow, like they'd preferred her body to her mind. And then Paddy Doyle - his love had been wholehearted and blindingly obvious and not always welcome. But it had been there, and it had been honest, and it made things complicated. And then Jane had words with Constance, and the facade of the poised woman had softened into someone who could hold her when she needed her, someone who would risk her life for her, and some of that had been Jane, and some of that had always been there. And Angela - Jane would have been more than enough, but Angela was the warm, affectionate mother she'd longed for. And then Hope and Cailin - Jane had basically bullied them into playing their cards as well. Arthur too - Maura had managed to do most of the work there, but it had been Jane who'd inspired her to do it, and Maura could see a glimpse of the awkward, alone person she'd used to be in him, had wondered if he'd have blossomed if he'd have found someone like Jane.

But Jane had never failed to make her feel loved. Jane had never failed to make her feel safe and loved, and after decades of feeling alone, basking in the warmth of that love felt like sitting in a window seat in autumn sunlight, the sun through the glass just warm enough to spark a glow.

Notes:

Thank you.

Considering a weekly upload for Medicine (flashback fic)