Maura leaned over the body of an oddly dressed person. The makeup was so heavy it caked to their skin like glue, and the corset was tied so tightly that it had to have been painful. There was a knife poking out of their chest. Maura personally found the fishnet stockings and feather boa distasteful and tacky, but she shook the thoughts from her mind, knowing that the victim's lack of fashion sense was unlikely the reason for the suspicious death. Maura pulled some form of identification tag from around the victim's neck and handed it to Frost.

"Her identification says her name is Annie Mositty. Perhaps you can use that," Maura said and Jane's eyebrows knit together as she glanced at the body with pursed lips.

"Let me see that ID." Jane reached out for the ID tag with the photo of the dead woman and she eyed Frost who held up his hands in surrender while shaking his head. Maura thought that the wordless communication between the partners was odd. "Maura, that's not their real name…"

"What? How could you possibly know that, Jane? You know I hate it when you make wild assumptions," Maura complained with a pout, which only deepened when Jane grinned at her.

"Listen… it's a drag name. Annie Mositty is this guy's drag queen name, Maur… he's a drag queen… get it? Annie Mositty… Animosity?" Jane explained patiently as Frost stifled his amusement.

"Oh! It means strong hostility," Maura defined the word and then closely studied the makeup on the person's face again. It was rather heavy, but the contours seemed feminine. It would explain the lack of breasts if this was a man who partook in drag, though she knew not all women had breasts. They were obviously passionate about drag based on the lack of body hair and likely plastic surgery.

"I can't believe shit like this still happens," Jane glared at the knife poking out of the drag queen's chest, but her eyes softened as they moved up to look into Annie's face.

"What, murder? It's kinda our whole job, Janie," Korsak chortled and a strange sadness fleeted over Jane's face, though she covered it with a clenched jaw.

"Hate crimes…" Frost corrected the older man. "My mom told me a kid dropped out of her class and filed a formal complaint against her after he saw her kissing her wife…" Frost bit and shook his head.

"We can't know that this was a hate crime until the investigation is complete," Maura said, trying to give her friends hope but they all remained gloomy.

"Look at her, Maur. It's clear someone had a 'strong hostility' towards her," Jane retaliated and Maura could tell Jane was struggling more than usual to keep her voice under control. It was raspier than usual but held more of a guttural edge.

"I don't get it," Korsak shrugged and everyone turned to look at him, "I mean, I was raised a Catholic and I had an average, nuclear family. I didn't know any gay people growing up but even I can see that it's just love. I don't get why anyone would have a problem with love. They're just… people. Who cares if he wants to wear feather boa? If it doesn't hurt anyone else I don't get why people get so angry about it."

"Fear, ignorance," Maura offered.

"Hate... power," Jane whispered venomously, and Maura was surprised by the rage she saw in her friend's eyes. "I'm gonna bring this ID to the drag spots around here… see if anyone recognizes her."

"We'll get whoever did it," Frost spoke resolutely to his partner and Jane nodded with a determined look; fierce, with furrowed brows and focused, analyzing eyes. It was the look Jane got when she was so tenacious in her pursuit that Maura was reminded of a predator on the prowl. It sent shivers down her spine that she worked hard to ignore. Jane walked from the scene and Maura stared after her, curious to know why Jane was reacting so strongly to this case. "I'll keep an eye on her today, Maura," Frost offered, pulling Maura from her thoughts. Maura wasn't sure how to respond so she simply nodded and Frost followed his partner, leaving Maura and Korsak to process the scene.


Two hours later, Maura was in the midst of her autopsy and Jane paced back and forth on the other side of the slab ranting.

"This guy won every drag competition in Boston for the last three months," Jane said, not for the first time. "I'm struggling with leads Maur, I need the cause of death. I need more to go on."

Maura was surprised to find that Jane wasn't making fun of her. Usually, Jane would stare pointedly at the stab wound and try to get Maura to admit that it was the cause of death before she'd finished the autopsy but today Jane just paced and ranted.

"You will have it in a minute, Jane," Maura tried to be patient. She could see something was bothering Jane beyond what was usual for an unsolved case. Jane fidgeted with her hands before running them both through her hair. "It seems to me that you have at least two leads. Why aren't you out with Frost or Korsak?"

"Frost is talking to other queens trying to see if there's any bad blood in the contestants and Korsak is looking into any recent fights between the clubs and hate groups in the area… they uh, they said I should stay and wait for the lab results." Jane shrugged. It was unlike her to take a back seat in the investigation. Something must really be bothering Jane for her to be so willing to let her teammates take the lead. Maura doubled her efforts to get Jane what she needed.

"Cause of death is exsanguination due to a puncture wound to the aorta," Maura declared and Jane stared at her with her impatient 'really?' face. Maura decided to rephrase. "He was stabbed to death... The victim would have experienced near-immediate unconsciousness… it would have been painful but not for very long." Maura decided to try to comfort Jane and knew she did the right thing when Jane clenched her jaw and nodded a silent 'thank you.'

"I'll uh, I'll let his family know that when we tell them…" Jane choked over her words more than she normally did before clearing her throat and swaying on her heels.

"Jane," Maura called after Jane tried to walk away. She waited until Jane turned back to look at her. "This case seems to be affecting you strongly. I'm here if you'd like to talk about it." Maura was glad when her words caused a small smile to appear, though Jane's eyes were still sad and fearful.

"I know, Maur," Jane whispered before she left the morgue again. Maura returned to her work, hoping to find something helpful so that Jane could get whatever closure she needed. Maura was frustrated and grumbled when she could get nothing further from the body but a single text from Jane a couple of hours later eased her woes.

Jane: Got him.

Maura cleaned up her work area and made her way upstairs to the bullpen only to find Frost sitting alone. Several thick manilla folders crowded his desk and he rested his head on the tall stack closest to him.

"Hello, detective Frost." Maura smiled warmly.

"Hey, doctor Isles. You looking for Jane?" He asked.

"Yes, she said you've caught whoever the attacker was?"

Frost nodded slowly, biting his lip with a furrowed brow. Maura sat in Jane's chair, feeling that there was more he wanted to say.

"Drag queen named One Hit Wanda kept coming in second place to Annie. Stupid motive if you ask me, but ten minutes in interrogation with Jane had him crying." Frost's sad smile replaced the winning grin he would normally wear after closing a case. Maura, wanting to understand and being the direct person that she was, simply asked what was on her mind.

"Are you particularly bothered by this case because your mother is a lesbian?" Frost surprised her by chuckling before he sobered again.

"Yeah. I mean, it just makes me so angry to know that my mom's at risk just because of who she loves," he paused to shake his head. "Like she doesn't experience enough prejudice just for being a strong, black woman, she has to worry about this too? She doesn't deserve it. It pisses me off that I can't protect her from it, you know? Man, you're blunt."

"Sorry." Maura tried to apologize for missing some social cue but he waved her off.

"Nah, it's refreshing. It's nice to have people to talk to who don't shy away from it, you know?"

"I suppose so…" Maura said before she tilted her head to the side, debating whether she should ask Frost for his input about what had been bothering her all day. "Why would Jane be so upset about this case? We've dealt with more brutal attacks than this. I don't understand." Maura didn't like it when she couldn't understand. Frost looked at her the same way Susie had days before when she'd asked for the criminalist's opinion on her research; the look that said they knew something she didn't. She didn't like that very much either.

"I guess it's personal for her, too." He shrugged.

"How so? The only people from the LGBTQ community that Jane knows - that she's aware of - are your mother and her wife."

"Yeah, and you," Frost gently reasoned. It felt as if all the blood in her body froze before starting up again at twice the normal rate and temperature.

"How could she know? I've never said anything about my sexuality to her," Maura questioned and Frost smiled at her.

"She's known you like men and women since you guys went undercover at Merch all those years ago. Told me she'd kick my ass if I said anything to you about it, but I'm not about to keep a secret from someone who can't lie, so…" he trailed off and Maura studied him as she processed the new information.

"So she's angry because she thought it was a hate crime and she's protective of me?" Maura asked, not understanding why Jane wouldn't bring it up, or why Jane hadn't asked about her sexuality.

"I think that's part of it. There's more but she wouldn't tell me anything else. I think she needs to talk to someone about whatever it is that's bothering her, though," he admitted.

"I should go talk to her. Show her that I'm okay." Maura stood from the desk but Frost stopped her with his words.

"It doesn't bother her, you know. She's not like, homophobic or anything. I think she just didn't want to push you about your sexuality because you never brought it up yourself," he explained before he took a sip of his coffee. Maura grinned at him.

"Of course. If she was homophobic she probably wouldn't sleep with me so often," Maura reasoned aloud and Frost spewed the coffee that had previously been in his mouth all over the carpet of the room, down his suit, and splattered across his array of folders. He coughed and looked up at Maura in shock. Only then did she realize the implications of her claim. "Oh! No, I just meant- we haven't- I didn't mean sexual intercourse, I meant that we sleep together. Oh, God. I meant that we often experience the stages of the sleep cycle in unison while we occupy the same space, frequently a bed, though sometimes a couch is involved, not purposely of course, but-"

"It's cool, Maura, I get it. You can stop." Frost wiped the front of his suit and raised a hand to stop her anxious rambling.

"Thank you," Maura muttered in embarrassment and took a deep breath. She cursed popular colloquialisms and her inability to understand or remember them. "I'm just going to, um… I'm going to go talk to Jane. Do you know where she is?" Maura asked, desperate for a reason to leave the awkward encounter. Frost pointed to the hallway that led to the interrogation rooms and Maura nodded to him with a smile before she left. She could have sworn she heard him quietly laughing but she didn't dare turn around to check. She'd embarrassed herself enough.


She found Jane sitting on one of the benches that lined the hall outside of the interrogation rooms. Jane's knee was bouncing and she chewed the corner of her thumb; a nervous tick Jane had that indicated a particularly strong stressor and she stares at the wall opposite her with glazed eyes. Maura sat quietly on the bench beside Jane and offered a small smile. She tried not to think about how the chipping black paint from the bench might stick to her skirt as she waited until Jane broke the silence.

"You were right. It wasn't a hate crime," Jane finally offered after she slumped into the wall behind them and rubbed her hands on her thighs.

"Yes, I spoke to detective Frost on my way to find you. He explained what happened… he said that…" Maura trailed off, not knowing how to bring up the conversation of Jane's emotions or even if she should.

"What did he say?"

"Well, I asked him if he knew why you seem so… perturbed," Maura settled on a word she found appropriate and Jane chuckled at it.

"Perturbed? Really, Maura?" Jane rolled her eyes but smiled.

"Yes, perturbed. A feeling of anxiety or unsettlement," Maura defined so that Jane could follow her logic.

"Don't ever change," Jane spoke in a strange voice that was both serious and teasing.

"I have to change, Jane, I have no choice in the matter."

"Goof." Jane nudged Maura's side before her face became pensive again. "It's good that there was a real motive… no matter how stupid and petty it was."

Maura considered the words and thought back to her conversation with Frost.

"You're glad that it wasn't a hate crime."

"Yeah, I guess so," Jane admitted with a shrug. "Is that bad? I know it doesn't make Annie any less dead but… it's nice to know that blind hate didn't kill this guy, you know?"

"It's not bad. I understand, Jane." Maura pulled one of Jane's fidgeting hands off her thighs and laced their fingers together. She was pleased when Jane didn't pull away. "Would you like to tell me why this case had you so perturbed?" Maura figured that even though she knew at least a part of why Jane was upset, she should still give her friend the chance to talk about it on her own. After all, Jane had provided the same courtesy with Maura's sexuality.

"Nah, it's done. Let's go out to eat. You pick the place." Maura knew Jane was trying to distract her but she let it happen.

"Really?" Maura couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice and Jane laughed.

"Yeah. Even if it's some stuffy place full of rich people where I have to wear a dumb dress." Jane squeezed Maura's hand and Maura beamed at her.

"I know just the place!" Maura exclaimed before she pulled Jane to her feet and led them out of the building, holding hands all the while. Most of the people who looked up at them seemed to not even notice or care that their fingers were laced together, and Jane even ignored the surprised glances a handful of people threw their way. They held hands until they walked out of the front door where Kitty Vansen and her cameraman stood. He quickly snapped a picture of the two women holding hands and Jane tugged herself from Maura's grasp as if she'd been burned as the flash of the camera faded.

"Well, we just came to get a statement about the murder of popular local drag queen, Annie Mositty, but it seems I'm in luck." Kitty's already exuberant voice was even more so at having caught them holding hands and, sensing how uncomfortable Jane was, Maura stepped in front of her.

"The case is solved and we are no longer on the clock. If you wish for more information about the case, feel free to wait for the lieutenant's public announcement. Anything beyond that is quite frankly none of your business. If you'll excuse us," Maura spoke in a quipped, yet polite tone that most people shied away from. She tugged on the elbow of Jane's blazer to indicate that Jane should follow her but didn't dare grab Jane's hand. Kitty didn't seem to understand that she had been dismissed and followed them down the street asking questions until they reached Maura's car.

"Exactly how long have you and detective Rizzoli been an item? Why have you kept your relationship a secret from the public? Are you ashamed to be dating someone of such a lower class than the Isles family?" Maura stopped at the last question. She wanted to turn around and defend Jane but she also knew that it was exactly the rise Kitty was trying to get out of her. She looked from Janes clenched to Jane's face, seeking some sort of indication of what she ought to do. Jane shook her head in the negative, the movement so slight that Maura was sure nobody else would have been able to catch it. Maura studied Jane's eyes and was surprised to see rare, genuine fear in them. Instead of turning around to address the rude woman, Maura simply opened the passenger door to her car and waited for Jane to be settled before closing her safely inside the vehicle. Maura made sure that both the camera and the microphone weren't focused on her before she stepped into Kitty's personal space.

"If you talk to us about this again, I will use every resource I have to sue you for harassment and make sure that you will never be allowed to do another news report... I have a lot of resources, Kitty," Maura warned and only backed away when she saw a small spark of fear in the blue eyes before her. Maura moved to the driver's side door and was pleased to see Kitty pulling her cameraman to the side and speaking to him in a hushed, panicked tone.

"Jesus, Maur, what the hell did you say to her?" Jane asked once Maura started the car.

"I informed her that I didn't appreciate her harassing us and that I had the means to get her fired if she continued," Maura reasoned in a calm tone as she ignored Jane's raised eyebrows.

"You threatened her?" Jane asked in bewilderment.

"No…" Maura argued but began to panic slightly as she thought about it. She looked over to Jane with wide eyes before focusing on the road, though her breath began to quicken. "No, I don't think I threatened her. I simply warned her… a threat is an intention to inflict injury, damage, or hostility in retribution to something… I don't want to hurt her physically, I just... Oh God, Jane, did I threaten her?"

"No." Jane waved off her worry with forced casualness, and Maura waited for the reasoning before she could either calm down or start hyperventilating. "No, you were just standing up for a friend, right?"

"Yes, I suppose so… but-"

"No, no 'but.' You weren't threatening Kitty, you were defending me. Focus on that part so you don't faint and get us killed, please?" Jane reasoned and indicated to the road ahead of them.

"Right, I was defending you." Maura agreed with a nod, finally able to calm down because of Jane's rationalization. Perhaps calming music would help them both relax. Maura hit the play button on the console and ignored Jane's defeated sigh as Yo-Yo Ma's rendition of Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major started to play.

"I can defend myself, you know," Jane muttered playfully after some time had passed.

"Yes, I know you can, Jane, but you shouldn't always have to," Maura argued. "You protect people all the time. You save me from bad guys, you yell at Crowe when he's being, well, an ass... You ground me when I panic. You deserve to be protected too, Jane. You don't have to do everything by yourself. It's okay to lean on people. I want to take care of you, too." This truth helped to distract Maura from her internal debate about whether or not she'd threatened Kitty, and the words were things she wanted Jane to hear anyway.

Jane sat in silence as Maura drove to Jane's side of town. Maura glanced over every so often to see Jane was deep in thought, lip bitten and eyes cast out of the window. The glow of streetlights flashed over them as they drove, bathing them in a tide of orange. It was rare to see Jane so pensive. Rarer to see Jane both still and quiet at the same time. Even in the emotionally charged atmosphere, Jane was beautiful. The deep focus of Janes's face and the controlled stillness of her body were betrayed by her dark, lively eyes. Those eyes spoke so many things that Maura couldn't dare hope to read them all. She saw confusion, yearning, hope, and fear. Above all of it she saw the look that she could never quite place; the look Jane only had around Maura, the one Maura had only ever gotten from Jane. The look she always wanted to see but didn't know how to create.

"Thanks for having my back, Maura." Jane eventually grinned at her and Maura smiled back as she pulled up to Jane's apartment complex.

"That's what we do," Maura responded easily, sensing that nothing else needed to be said. "We can go to a stuffy restaurant filled with rich people some other time… I'd rather order in, drink beer, and watch you yell at the baseball players on your television who cannot hear you."

Jane chuckled and reached across the console to pull Maura into a tight hug. Maura returned it without question and squeezed Jane tightly back. The hug was long and sweet, and it told Maura everything Jane couldn't say out loud. The hug told Maura that Jane appreciated the protection offered, and Maura snuggled into it, burying her face in the crook of Jane's neck and breathing her in. Jane pulled back and cupped one of Maura's cheeks as they smiled at each other.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Jane spoke in a voice of quiet disbelief, as if saying it any louder might somehow ruin it.

"I thought you said I was weird," Maura tease. Jane chuckled with a shake of her head.

"They aren't mutually exclusive." Jane shrugged before pushing her door open.

"You listened when I was talking about probability theory?" Maura asked in surprise. Jane had seemed awfully interested in her burger when Maura had explained it weeks ago. Jane smirked and held the door to her building open.

"Maura, how many times do I have to tell you that I always listen to you? I might not know what the hell you're talking about half the time, but I do try to keep up." They continued their conversation through the soft yellow halls and up the stairs of Jane's building.

"You keep up just fine. You're one of the smartest people I know," Maura complimented as she pulled out the key to Jane's apartment and unlocked the door for them both.

"Maura, most of the people you know are cadavers," Jane deadpanned and Maura laughed. Maura always appreciated Jane's ability to ease tensions. Jane could change the atmosphere in a room with the drop of a hat and Maura marveled at it. Maura enjoyed the fact that she and Jane had just shared yet another deep, emotional connection after their altercation with Kitty, but they were still able to act the way they always had. No matter what happened, they could always find solace in each other and sit together in Jane's living room to watch baseball.

"Aren't the Red Sox playing tonight? Frankie told me earlier that you have an over/under bet with him. I suggest over," Maura offered.

"I thought you didn't gamble unless you were sure you could win," Jane teased.

"Well, I'm not technically the one betting. I'm simply using the data I've learned from you and my own research to make an informed estimate of the statistical outcome so that I can converse with you about it and possibly be of assistance," Maura explained as they walked to Jane's bedroom.

"You did special research so you could talk to me about baseball?" Jane raised her eyebrows in surprise but Maura couldn't understand why.

"Of course. It seems only fair. I share my interests with you even though you aren't always passionate about them. You put in the effort to learn and I am returning the favor." Maura shrugged and was pleased to see a dimple make an appearance on Jane's face.

"Alright, I'll text Frankie and tell him I'm picking over." Jane grinned. "You want to shower while I walk Jo? I don't think you have clean pajamas here but you can wear some of my sweats if you want."

Maura opened her mouth to protest but Jane held up a finger and raised a warning eyebrow before she continued, "I know the polyester isn't breathable and last time you got itchy, but I used fabric softener this time, so do you wanna wear my clothes or do you wanna sleep next to me naked?"

"I um…" Maura swallowed audibly at the image and her cheeks grew warm. "I uh. Yes."

"Yes?" Jane asked as she pulled two pairs of sweats and a couple of shirts out of a drawer.

"Yes," Maura repeated, hoping Jane would just assume she was saying yes to the clothes.

"Yes to the sweats." Jane nodded and Maura didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry. "Here, these will fit. I'll go order from that Chinese place you like and it should get here by the time you're done with your ridiculously long bathroom routine." Jane waved to the washroom and Maura nodded before she took the offered sweatpants and BPD T-shirt. She was glad she still had her purse with her because it allowed her to write a new entry.

Experiment Five: Hand Holding 2.0

Data and Analysis: Jane seemed to be fine with holding my hand throughout our entire walk inside the BPD. I noted the usual blush that tends to spread across her cheeks when I lace our fingers together and she ignored the few curious glances we got from some colleagues. Most people in the building didn't seem surprised to see me pulling her by the hand; they seemed to think it commonplace, though I hadn't held Jane's hand at work like that before.

Jane only became uncomfortable when we were surprised by Kitty and her cameraman. Was Jane embarrassed to be caught on camera? Perhaps she is fine with public displays of affection but not when someone is being nosey about it. Oddly, she was fine to hold my hand everywhere except in front of the camera. The same people have the ability to see the act, some during and some later through an image, but I fail to see the difference. Perhaps she was just surprised.

P.s. I should ask her how she feels about it but I'm afraid she'll say she doesn't like holding my hand.

Maura looked at the entry in confusion as she bit her lip. It read more like a diary entry than scientific research, but she supposed that where emotions were involved boundaries would be crossed. Jane was messy, as were Maura's feelings for her. But Jane made Maura okay with being messy so she continued with her next entry.

Experiment Six: Being Protective

Data and Analysis: I have never considered myself a particularly protective person. Caring maybe, but not protective in the way that Jane so naturally is. Though now that I think about it, I never had a reason to be. Jane gives me a reason to be. I'm beginning to feel a powerful urge to ensure her safety and I must admit that I am quite enjoying the results. So far, both times I stood up for Jane and defended her against something I found threatening, she's reacted very pleasantly. The first time she opened up emotionally and this time she embraced me physically. Whether she's conscious of it or not, she is rewarding me for being her protector.

P.s. This is similar to mating behaviour.

P.p.s. God, I desire mating behaviour.

Maura laughed at her post-post-scriptum before she returned her journal to the safety of her purse and continued with her nighttime routine. She now had the opportunity to verify that she also had an unusual abundance of personal items in Jane's bathroom. A second set of her (admittedly many) face creams sat on the counter. A mirror image of her shampoo and conditioner was in the shower. She had her own special toothpaste and her own drawer. As Maura showered she entertained the notion that she already was in an intimate relationship with Jane; that she had been for months. Years, even. The only thing that was lacking was sex. With a mischievous smile, Maura decided that she ought to use the opportunities presented to her and begin phase two of her research. She'd all but confirmed Jane's emotional dependency and had only to test their physical boundaries… and maybe break a few.

If Maura Isles was an expert in two things, those two things would be human anatomy and fashion. Both interested her separately but Maura knew that when she combined her two favourite interests the results could be quite advantageous for her. Maura knew that her body was objectively desirable. She was symmetrical and her hourglass figure; her breast to waist to hip ratio, often left people who were attracted to women especially attracted to her. Maura knew the effect her anatomy had on people and she knew how to take advantage of that. Alone, that was already enough to get most of her suitors into bed, but adding her expertise of fashion to the mix left people drooling. Yes, she could say that, it had happened on more than one occasion. Maura wasn't blind to the jaws that dropped when she wore a particularly tight skirt or a low cut blouse. She used fashion to accentuate her anatomy and the results were, statistically speaking, quite positive.

She dried off and smirked down at the plain sweats Jane had given her, determined to use the plain polyester and cotton to test whether or not Jane desired her, too. Maura pulled the T-shirt over her head and grinned slyly. Due to Jane's thinner and taller body type, the shirt was rather tight around the abundance of Maura's chest and accentuated her curves nicely. Mixed with the chipped white writing 'Property of the BPD' emblazoned on the shirt, Maura thought her chances of creating a reaction in Jane was quite high.

Happy with the result, Maura slipped the sweatpants up her legs and over the curve of her waist, rolling the waistband to leave a small strip of stomach exposed. If Jane commented Maura could say that rolling the pants in this way kept the pants from hanging too loosely around her feet. It was technically true, though that wasn't why she did it. Maura elected to towel dry her hair but leave it damp. She assessed herself in the mirror and had to breathe deeply to control the devilish smirk that had taken up residence on her face. This outfit accentuated her anatomy just as well as lingerie did and she was more than pleased. She left the bathroom and put her clothes and purse in Jane's bedroom before she followed the smell of food to the living room.

"It's already here? That was fast," she commented to gain Jane's attention. She stopped beside the couch and carefully assessed as Jane turned from the television to reply. Whatever words Jane had ready got caught in Jane's throat as her eyes widened at Maura's outfit. Jane's eyes flashed down to the skin she'd left exposed on her stomach, slowly making their way up Maura's torso to take in the way the shirt clung to Maura's breasts. Maura worked to keep a straight face as Jane subconsciously licked her lips before she swallowed loudly. Maura stood in silence at the arm of the couch and let Jane look. The hunger in Jane's eyes left trails of fire across Maura's body and she had one important thought before Jane finally responded: I should not have forgone undergarments.

"Uhh… yeah… the food." Jane finally tore her eyes from Maura's body and Maura said nothing about the ogling, both because she liked it and because she didn't want to push Jane too quickly. She did enjoy the furious blush that overtook Jane's face. Maura liked that she could make Jane blush; she hadn't seen anyone else do it before. "The food. Yes. I uh, the owner owed me a favor so I asked him to rush it." Jane shrugged and Maura smiled as she sat on the couch next to Jane, just a tad closer than she normally would.

"That's nice. So, are we winning?" Maura pointed to the screen and used her peripheral vision to see that Jane continued to eye Maura's midriff for a moment before pulling her gaze away to look at the screen.

"Winning? Oh! Yes, we're winning. Looks like Frankie's losing our bet. Wait, we? You a Red Sox girl now?" Jane teased and Maura tried not to squirm at the low raspiness of Jane's voice. She covered the shiver that ran down her spine by reaching for the takeout boxes and handing one to Jane before she dug in.

"Yes. As I said before, our relationship thrives on equality. I drag you to yoga, you convert me into a beer-drinking, Red Sox groupie, and we both benefit from personal growth," Maura reasoned, hoping that seeing a hot blonde talk about baseball would get Jane going. She wasn't disappointed.

"You're the perfect woman," Jane stated wistfully.

"Oh darn," Maura spoke after she dropped some sauce down the front of her shirt. It had been an accident, but far be it from Maura to miss an opportunity. "I'm sorry, Jane. I know how much you like this shirt." Maura used her finger to wipe up as much of the sauce as she could and then licked it off of the aforementioned finger. Jane's eyes followed the finger and she let out a long exhale and cleared her throat before responding.

"That's - ahem - that's okay Maur, it was an accident," Jane waved off. "You can keep the shirt, it looks… it looks good on you." Jane's face was redder than Maura had ever seen it and as Jane turned from her to look at the screen, Maura was sure she heard Jane mutter something akin to 'holy fuck.'

Pleased with her first attempt to assess Jane's sexuality, Maura decided to let it go for now. She and Jane ate in peace, Maura complimented her choice of beer, and she smiled every time Jane shouted something at one of the players. Maura knew that even if her research was changing their relationship, she'd still be able to enjoy time with Jane like this. Simply being with Jane and enjoying each other's company, occasionally engaging in an easy banter and marveling in the comfortable simplicity of it all. It was one thing that Maura treasured due to her inability to experience it with anyone else.

"Get your head outta your ass and get the fucking ball! Gah! It's like he's never held a glove before!" Jane yelled at the screen, using her whole body to express her rage. Maura took a moment to consider how expressive Jane was in all of her emotions. How Jane was passionate about everything she did, from taking care of Jo, playing sports, to following leads in a case. Everything Jane did, she gave her all in and was frequently hell-bent on being the very best. Maura bit her bottom lip as she wondered if that tenacity, that passion, would extend to the bedroom as well. She shuddered as a tingle made its way down her spine and settled low in her stomach. In her effort to arouse Jane, she had aroused herself as well and her thoughts of how Jane would treat her sexually did nothing to calm her.

"You cold? Come here." Jane motioned for Maura to lean against her and as Maura took in Jane's tight tanktop, she knew she was playing with proverbial fire. She scooted closer to Jane, who drew a blanket across them both before she settled her arm across Maura's shoulders. Maura let her head rest in the crook of Jane's neck and then they each went back to focusing on the game. Or trying to focus in Maura's case. She could feel the heat of Jane's skin and felt how hard both of their hearts were beating, so she knew that they were both at least a little bit distracted. One thing was certain; she could get used to this.