There was silence after detective Louis had left them. Jane was leaning against the sink, studying Maura who was proceeding calmly with the autopsy. There was something soothing in watching her working Jane thought. There was something soothing in general when being around the doc.

When Maura lifted her head to look at her, Jane hitched a silent breath. The hazel eyes were sparkling, but yet she could see how tired Maura was. She felt sorry for her, knowing how it felt when the workload ate up all your spare time and sleep.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" she asked but Maura tilted her head. "No, unless you know how to perform autopsies and write Medical reports." She chuckled. "But thank you for asking."

Jane nodded into her cup as she took the last sip of the now cold coffee. She threw the cup into a dustbin next to sink, ignoring the only biohazard sign wistfully and padded back to the stell table.

"How long are you going to stay?" Maura asked silently. The music had subsided and no one had hit the play button again. "Dunno." The tall brunette shrugged.

"Marcella?" the blonde asked while reaching for the sewing needle on a nearby table.

"Is with Ma. God she missed you when you were gone." Jane growled and caught another glance from her friend. "I missed you too." Jane said in a low voice despite them being alone and smiled.

"I've been standing here in this morgue for the last two weeks working my uhm.. you know what I mean." Maura said and rolled her head to relax her neck. Jane who assumed that this was meant as an excuse why she hadn't been able to thing of her when Maura spoke up again. "But I've been thinking a lot about you too." Words spoken calmly made Janes heart jump again.

"Really?" she asked in disbelieve, cringing about how it could be taken the wrong way. But Maura just grinned and said: "Yes, Jane. Really."

Jane swallowed before asking the next question. "Does it make you want to run?"

Gloved hands paused and the needle was in midair when Maura made a pensive face. Jane was biting her lips. She was nervous somehow. A no would mean that the doc harboured no feelings. Why did she have to do that all the time she wondered? Why did she always have to question if somebody liked her?

"Yes." Mauras voice was barely audible now as she spoke the one word Jane had hoped to hear. But now that it was out she didn't know what to do.

"Are you going to run?" her voice was a bit darker than usual. The room was completely silent apart for their talk.

Maura made another stitch. "Where are you staying while you are here?" she asked instead of giving a reply to the brunette.

"They offered me a hotel room." The brunette stated.

"You could be my guest." The doc said with a soft smile to Janes surprise. "I was a guest at yours the last time." A nervous chuckle.

"Technically, I mean, its your guesthouse. So, its complicated. But I guess that you were a guest at your own guesthouse." Jane joked and Maura laughed.

"Technically yes. And I would do it again, if this replies your question from earlier." Maura winked at her and Jane thought that her heart would stop beating.

"I guess I could live with being your guest then." Jane tried to sound nonchalantly but failed miserably.

"Im going home after having finished the report of this autopsy. It might take me two or three more hours. Depends on if I get another body tonight. But I can give you the key and the address."

"Im fine. Im going to scratch my had and try to solve the unsolvable mysterie." Jane stated.

"You must be tired. Why don't you go home and take a rest?" the doc asked.

"Because you are tired too. And you are also still working. I can wait for you. Im here to do a job." Jane said.

R&I

Jane had taken Maura up on her offer to fetch the key and the address and was sitting in a cab, while the doc had been called to a new crime scene. It only occurred to her now, that she could have joined Maura. But on the other hand she could go to her home and maybe cook something so that the doc would have some healthy food upon coming home.

Not that Jane was so fond of healty food, but she would be able to live with the vegetables if it only made Maura happy.

The docs house stood on a hill in a posh neighborhood. Jane wasn't surprised. By now she was accustomed to Mauras taste for houses and their decorations. Despite having been invited, she still felt a bit like an intruder to the home.

She took a tour through the house until she finally found the toilet. Then she wandered off into the kitchen to find a huge assortment of wines in the special fridge, but no beer. Upon discovering the coffeemachine which was as complicated to handle as it looked fancy, she decided to prepare herself a shot of caffeine before searching for things to cook.

R&I

Jane was in the living room, watching a game on the huge TV screen of Mauras when she heard the keys of her friend turn in the lock. Then she heard a pair of high heels being dropped to the tiles in the entrance area before Maura appeared in the door.

Wordless the blonde padded over to the couch and slumped into the spot right next to Jane. "So bad huh?" the brunette asked and put her arm around Mauras shoulder who snuggled into the embrace.

"Worse. I hate cases were the victims are children." The blonde stated and tried to blink back her tears. She was exhausted. Jane could see it. She left a gentle kiss on Mauras forehead. "This job takes its toll." She sadly whispered, while caressing Mauras cheek with the back of her hand.

The blonde gave a deep sigh. "Im so glad that you are here."

Jane smiled at her gently. "Anytime baby." The petname was out before Jane could think about it. But Maura didn't seem to notice. Instead she grabbed for the box of tissues on the coffee table and took herself one out.

"I know that you are probably not hungry. But you have to eat." Jane gently said, glancing at her. Maura tilted her head. "I cant eat." She stubbornly said. "But I think im going to get me a glass of wine."

Jane held her back from lifting of the couch. "Let me get it for you." She simply said which earned her a grateful look. She had prepared two plates with food earlier and shoved them into the microwave. Meanwhile she filled two glasses with some red wine and brought them to Maura.

"For someone who preaches about healthy nutrition, you have a pretty unhealthy stock of food. I couldn't even find an apple in this house." Jane joked while handing her the wine.

"Im never at home. Theres no use…" Maura began and Jane lifted her hand. "Only joking. Thank god you had everything else I needed." She felt the docs eyes staring at her back as she walked back into the kitchen where a pinging noise had announced that the food was heated.

She came back with one plate of lasagna and two forks. "Sure you don't want to eat?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "No." Maura replied but Jane felt how she was staring at her plate. A humming sound escaped her mouth. "I don't want to praise myself, but this is delicious!" she said, hoping that Maura would ask for the second fork to dig in.

It was not her intention to force Maura, but the blonde had lost weight over the last two weeks and Jane could tell that she needed to eat more. Jane hoped that eating next to her would do the trick. "You made it?" Maura asked.

"Yes. Its my grand grand grand mas recipe." The brunette said and took another bite. The bites became smaller, but if the doc didn't decide soon the plate would be empty.

"Well, I guess it would be impolite towards your grand grand grand mother if I didn't try." Maura finally said and asked Jane to hand her the fork. The brunette chuckled. "Yes, very impolite. She would turn in her grave if you didn't."

Maura suddenly giggled as she loaded the fork. "Oh my god! This is the best lasagna I ever had!" Maura exclaimed and took the plate out of Janes hand. She smiled when seeing how Maura shoveled the rest of the lasagna on the plate into her mouth.

"Im off to fetch some more." She lifted from the couch, taking the plate with a grin out of Mauras hand, understanding by the gesture of the doc that she also wanted a second serve.

"Just leave a bit of space for the dessert." Jane adviced.

"Dessert?" Maura asked curiously which made her laugh.

"Cannoli. My mothers recipe this time."

"you make me grow fat!" Maura shrieked.

"You are beautiful Maur. And you need food to keep going. Only a few more weeks and you will be in Boston."

To her surprise fresh tears sprung to Mauras ears and the doc shoved the plate away. Jane opened her arms and pulled her close. "Why are you crying?" she whispered after gently kissing the blondes forehead. "I don't know. Im just overreacting. Im tired."