There was a knock at the door, and Jane didn't look up from her frozen dinner she was carrying to the couch.

"Hope? Let yourself in. Did you get the latest book ARC? You must be so proud of her - you should tell her sometime, you know she has rejection sensitivity."

"I do," Maura said, closing the door behind her, and Jane's dinner fell to the floor. Maura was holding a few sheets of paper, and they fluttered to the floor as well once Jane strode across the room to pull Maura tight against her, holding her as though she'd never let her go, hands brushing across Maura's back as though to reassure herself that Maura was truly there. Maura's arms wrapped themselves around Jane out of instinct, holding her close, hands grasping the person she'd missed most. She let herself nuzzle in a little, the smell of Jane seeping out in a warm haze that felt like safety and home. Three years without this warm body, almost as familiar as her own, holding her with so much affection that it was almost overwhelming.

"You're home," Jane said, pulling back a little. "You got luggage?"

"Out in the taxi. I stopped by on my way to a hotel."

"I got a spare room," Jane said. "I woulda picked you up too. You've never seen my new place, huh?" Jane pulled back a little more, looked Maura over; her travel outfit was sensible but glamorous, and Jane pulled Maura back in for another hug, cradling the back of Maura's head carefully, remembering suddenly that her neck had once needed support like this when Jane held her too tight. "I'll get the taxi."

"I'll clean... This up... And order pizza?"

"Anchovies," Jane yelled through the open door. She came back shortly with the suitcases, carting them off to a room somewhere. "Gotta make the bed," Jane said, heading for a linen closet as Maura used the landline, Alfredo's number still memorised even though it was also saved to the phone's memory. Even though it had been three years since she'd used it, three years since she'd left. Three years without Alfredo's.

"The pizza will be here in twenty," Maura said, coming in to the room and helping make the bed; the sheets were fancier than the ones Jane used to use. Soft, silky. The comforter was a pale colour that Jane would have once dismissed as too easily stainable. "Is it ok? That I'm here?" Maura asked, putting a suitcase on a chair, opening it and pulling out some pajamas. It wasn't late, but it had been a long day.

"When you said hand delivered, I thought you were just going to get Hope to print it out at MEND. You know she'd have read it, but it's a long way to come to avoid embarrassment."

"But is it ok?" Maura asked, teeth worrying at her bottom lip. Jane stepped forward, taking Maura's biceps and staring her down.

"Mau, it's more than ok. It's amazing." Jane wrapped her arms around Maura again, rubbing her back. "Have you ever seen me attempt to tolerate someone?" Jane asked. "Does it look like this? If I didn't want you here, you wouldn't be here, you'd be on your way to a hotel, or Ma's house. It's ok that you're here. I want you here. Always have..." Jane pulled away. "Um, do you want a shower?" Jane asked, rubbing the back of her neck. "I know I do, after a flight."

Maura nodded, followed Jane through the space. It was nice, tastefully decorated, but there were still hockey sticks here and there, along with Jane's practice dummy. In the bathroom, Jane pointed out the spare towels. She opened a drawer and pulled out a bar of soap that Maura used to love and hadn't been able to get in France, putting it on the counter, smiling at Maura's stunned gaze at Jane remembering and stocking the soap she liked best.

"I'll just... uh... leave you to it," Jane said, closing the door behind her, and Maura sighed, staring at her face in the mirror. It had been little more than an impulse, booking the flight last night. And now here she was, in Jane's new apartment - except it wasn't new, Jane had been here for well over two years - about to shower, the offer to stay extended so immediately and expectantly that Maura hadn't realised what had happened until now. She was going to stay with Jane tonight, in Jane's new place, in a new bed Maura had never slept in, because Jane cared about her. Even with the weekly calls, Maura found it so easy to doubt herself, and by extension, doubt Jane. But Jane had been - oh god, Jane had been Jane, the Janeiest she'd ever been. Dropping her dinner, getting the bags and paying for the taxi, reassuring Maura the moment she looked insecure - it was Jane. It was Jane she'd come home to see, it was Jane she'd been missing. Jane, who had finally asked what her books were doing to them, what they were doing in her books. Jane, who knew - who had to know - that Maura was writing about them. It wasn't like she'd been subtle at all, from the cases to the names. It was almost fanfiction of their real life events; it was almost a memoir. Every time Jane had touched her was in those books, every time Maura's heart skipped when Jane looked at her. She hadn't expected it to be so often, or so blatant, or so popular. The books appeared to have struck a chord with her readers, and perhaps with Jane as well. The Chapter had been a big risk on Maura's part, and Maura didn't like to take risks. But Jane was worth a risk - or the Jane she'd had for three years, a face on a screen, a meme, an email - and she'd sent it as written. And Jane had questioned it, but she didn't seem upset, other than the nipples. It had been too hard to get them out of her head, even though she'd seen them rarely, every few months when Jane would insist on getting dressed in the car, or they'd be decontaminated, or Jane would forget Maura had been invited over. She'd never seen something so...

Maura shook her head. She was here to shower, and have dinner with an old friend. She was here to discuss her book signing and her contract with her publisher, and her latest book. She undressed slowly, turning the taps carefully until the temperature and pressure was adequate. There was a distinct smell and taste to the Boston municipal water, one her Beacon Hill filtration system removed entirely. But it reminded Maura of crashing out at Jane's, in the same bed, showering the next day and smelling of Boston and lavender. The soap - oh god, the soap Jane had bought and left in her bathroom exclusively for Maura - there was no other reason for Jane to have this soap, to look so pleased when Maura saw it - she'd missed the smell of it and the texture. She'd missed being home.

Jane's taste in towels had improved too - this one felt thicker than a sheet of paper and was softer than sandpaper. If Maura hadn't been kept abreast of Jane's life, she'd have wondered who Jane was trying to impress. Her pajamas were familiar - she'd packed her favourite, a soft, creamy green satin that complimented both Maura's skin and eyes. She eyed herself in the mirror, putting her jewelry back on for now. She looked the same - a little older, but her biological parents had aged well, and so had she. Jane had looked - Jane had been a sight to behold. The videocalls didn't do her justice at all. Maura had forgotten how her cheeks dimpled when viewed from the side, how tapered her chin was, how thick her hair was, how soft her hands were, how warm her hugs were. She met her eyes and nodded. She was in Jane's home. She shouldn't make Jane uncomfortable. She should wait until Jane brought up The Chapter. She came out of the bathroom with her travel outfit, tucking it away into a travel bag, pulling out her phone and adding an American SIM card she'd purchased at the airport - she needed cell service but she mostly used apps for contact now, since it was easier. Jane watched Maura, leaning against the open door, her eyes impossibly soft when Maura finally looked up to meet them.

There was a knock at the door and Jane turned away to answer the door, to grab the pizzas. The moment was over, but Maura was shaken to her core. She'd felt so bold, writing those books, those moments, and three years without one had dropped her defenses. How else could she react, when Jane looked at her like she was something precious?

"You got the taxi and the pizza, let me got you back," Maura said, businesslike.

"It's fine," Jane waved her hand. "You flew here, I'm ahead, monetarily.

"And you're sure it's ok if I stay?" Maura asked one more time, afraid she'd missed a cue and that she was unwelcome.

"Of course it is, Mau. I wouldn't have asked you to stay if it wasn't." Jane went to the fridge, pulled out a beer. "Wine?"

"You have wine?"

"You rubbed off on me," Jane said, then remembered The Chapter, blushed and tipping her head back to gulp at her beer. "Here," Jane pointed to a mini fridge of white wines. "Take your pick."

"It's pizza, I just came from France, I think I'd rather a beer." Maura's shoulder jostled Jane's. "You rubbed off on me too." Jane handed Maura a beer wordlessly, heading for the couch.

Notes:

I've been trying to do one shots because I enjoy them more, but I wrote this one at 4am and when I got up the next day and read it (don't post things at 4am folks) there was more so now there is more. I forget what it's like because I haven't read any fanfic since maybe 2012 but I forget that other people don't know how it's supposed to go? And that there's waiting?

So please be patient. Again, I don't own this, I don't profit from this, I don't have any obligation to write this other than wanting to know how it ends for myself, so please be patient and please be kind.

I feel like The Chapter needs to be capitalised.