A little chapter before the weekend because I was home early this afternoon. Also, I made up the oleander statistics. Dont kill me, please. Thanks for all those who stop to read, and many many thanks to those who comments. You all are amazing!

Jane made it through the day. Her damned head still hurt like hell and she could not let go of the actions of the morning when Maura placed her head in the crook of her neck and fell into her arms. Her best friend was hurting, and she had no idea how to help her other than to be there for her. She eventually sorted through her silence and answered Jane's questions about the oleander poisoning. It could be incidental or on purpose. 78% of oleander poisoning is accidental when people use the wood as a skewer of sorts at bonfires. Jane knew her smile grew wide as she remembered bonfires when she and her brothers would skewer marshmallows and roast them over the fires. However, Angela always made then use wire from Frank's piping to roast them, or a hanger, so that never happened. But Jane could see it totally happening to a person who didn't know any better.

Jane removed her work clothes and showered off with the case and Maura running through her head. How did an employee of the Boston Ballet Company end up dead on Maura's table with Oleander poisoning? Who was he, what did he do? If she could answer that she could possibly find out the answers to most of her other questions. When she pulled on a pair of sweats and a grey t-shirt she padded into the kitchen. She opened her refrigerator and winced. The milk expired, and then she flipped eggs around and sighed, expired. Her eyes lit up as she saw bacon and then remembered she had frozen Potatoes, but her shoulders dropped. Expired. She sighed and closed the door to the fridge and opened the freezer and then closed it. Nothing good. She opened the fridge again and eyed the beer but took a Pepsi. She usually didn't drink on an empty stomach. It never ended well.

She placed the Pepsi on top of the piano and moved the bench back. Just as she was about to sit there was a knock on the door. Her brow furrowed. She wasn't expecting any one. She reached for her gun near the door and looked through the peephole. She blinked and placed the gun back in its spot. She opened the door and saw a small smile, brown-gold eyes, cinnamon blonde hair, and arms laden with bags. Bags that smelled good.

Jane smiled and pushed the door open further and in walked the Medical Examiner with a smile. She went straight to the kitchen and pulled out take away Chinese. Jane grabbed a plate and a fork. She was too hungry to be patient with chopsticks. Then Maura paused, and Jane looked up at her friend. She followed her eye line and went back to eating trying not to seem aware of where her Pepsi can was. But Maura looked with a furrowed brow, and Jane froze. She knew that look. Maura looked at her and then she darted to the piano. For a ME she was fast. Maura looked down at the sheet music, and the piano.

"No dust on the keys, nor on the piano, and sheet music that never sits here," Maura looked at Jane, "Have you been playing?" Maura asked with glee making Jane wince, and sigh.

"It's nothing," Jane said as she walked over to the piano and gathered the papers and her Pepsi can. Maura placed a soft hand on Jane's arm to stop her.

Jane looked to Maura's hand, and then pulled away slightly to place the items away and went back to her food. Maura followed and gathered her plate as well and ate silently casting glances between Jane and the piano. Jane sighed with a growl then tilted her head and she threw her hands in the air looking right into Maura's curious eyes.

"If I sit on that bench and humiliate myself, will you stop looking at the damned thing?" Jane growled her question. Maura's eyes lit up and it was all the answer Jane needed. Jane grabbed her soda and went to the bench and sat down.

She was nervous. No, that was an understatement, she was fucking nervous. She rubbed her hands, flexed them and stretched her fingers, bent them this way and that. Then loosened up her shoulders. She looked at Maura hoping the woman would tell her to stop, but she sat there with that sweet smile, and bright eyes, completely happy and supportive. Maura gave Jane a small nod of encouragement and Jane only groaned. She began to play her scales. Simple, easy, slow, to loosen up her hands. Then she closed her eyes and slowly began a piece she knew by heart.

She kept her eyes closed as she felt her hands stretch and pull on the keys. The music filled her, hit a cord in her heart and soul. She pulled her head sharply to the left as she messed up when her fingers fluttered quickly over the keys on a part she once played like a pro. She paused as the second part of the song came and then she swayed into the piano, and then jerked her head twice more to the left as she messed up in quick secession but didn't stop playing.

Her hands, god they were getting tired, but Maura was there. Maura wanted to listen. Maura supported her. When the piece came to a close and the last measured and slow key notes hit the air Jane's fingers paused on the keys, finally her hands fell to her lap, and her shoulders dropped, and a sigh was let loose from her lungs holding a breath she didn't realize her held. After a moment she opened her eyes and looked at Maura. Jane froze.

Maura felt part of her heart leap into her throat when Jane walked over to the piano. She thought Jane was just playing with her, joking that she would play for her. But she did that resigned groan that Jane did when she was about to do something she did not do, and then Maura realized, holy hell she was not kidding.

Maura stayed rooted to her seat, posture straight, and still afraid to move lest she scare Jane from playing. When she nodded to Jane she gave her silent support. Anything she could do, any moment of peace she could share with Jane as she played what ever she wished would be fine with Maura. With her hands the way they were Maura was not expecting anything more that an advanced form of Twinkle Little Star.

When Jane's hands raised up and her fingers stroked the keys in her warm up scales Maura was so proud of her friend. Jane could play just a little, and she knew the woman missed being able to play the piano. Scales where fine for Maura, they were perfect, and simple, and knowing about Jane's hands quite beautiful. When Jane paused she raised her hands to applaud then Maura saw Jane's left hand come up and then down. Her hands held still, frozen in air half way to a clap.

She watched as Jane's hand flew over the keys. She heard the skips, and errors, but it didn't matter for when Jane leaned into the music, played with her heart, Maura was lost to those sounds her friend coaxed from the instrument. When Jane's head twitched to the side when she errored Maura never missed the tick in Jane's head. It was only those ticks that Maura knew there was an error. To Maura it was exquisite, wonderful. Then Jane opened her eyes. Maura looked straight at Jane, bore into her eyes, those deep brown black pools. Nothing came to mind. her mouth spoke before her mind could stop her.

"Beautiful," Maura whispered. Her hand flew to her lips. She didn't recognize her own voice. She saw Jane freeze when she looked at her and when she spoke she knew it was too much, maybe even out of line, but it was the truth. Maura cleared her throat and straightened out her skirt.

"Chopin's Nocturne No.20 in C-sharp," Maura clasped her hands and looked to Jane with a soft smile on her lips, "Thank you, you play beautifully," Maura tried to gain her footing from her folly.

Jane simply watched her, then tilted her head to the side. It was as if a spell had broken, and Jane remembered what she had been doing and then clasped her hands. She got up and went to the freezer and grabbed two ice cubes, placed them in a paper towel each and held them in each of her hands. Maura watched all of this. She watched the way Jane tried to take care of her hands, ice them to take away the ache. Maura motioned Jane to sit next to her and asked to see her hands.

Jane gave her hands to Maura and watched as she massaged her forearms first. Jane was confused and then she felt the tips of her fingers tingle and then she wiggled them. Maura then looked up at her with a raised eyebrow, a stern look, but a smile nonetheless. Jane smiled back and let the woman work her magic. As Maura worked out the muscles in her forearms, and wrists, Jane sighed, content. She watched the way Maura took care of her, worked her fingers to relieve her own aches. Jane felt like that Disney chick, what's was her name? Meg, yeah Meg from Hercules singing that damned song I Won't Say. Jane smiled ruefully and shook her head. The motion brought Maura's eyes up to her own, and then switched arms, and hands. When Maura was finished, Jane flexed out her hands, and smiled up at her friend thankfully.

"Thanks," Jane said and then stood to clean up from dinner, but Maura stopped her.

"You played for me, the least I could do is clean up," Maura said and then walked to the sink, "Oh yes, Frost knew I was coming over and asked me to tell you the victim was indeed employed with the Ballet but he was also a star for a local circus act," Maura said as she scrubbed the plates.

"Circus? Really?" Jane deadpanned, and Maura smiled.

"Not that kind of circus. They are more like Cirque du Soleil, one could say they are a farm league into Cirque Du Soleil," Maura said pleased with the reference that Jane could understand.

"Farm league like baseball minors?" Jane asked, and Maura nodded excitedly, "then why was he employed with the BBC?"

"Turns out that Boston Ballet Company owns one of these Circus acts," Maura replied, "They are Cirque des étoiles, or translated from French, Circus of the Stars. They didn't want to steal from their big sponsor, and it turns out there are many of these little circuses through out the country so that they can be 'farmed.'" Maura explained, and Jane sighed.

So, was she dealing with the ballet, the circus, or what? She went to the couch as she got a bottle of wine for Maura, and a beer for her, and sat down in a slump.

"Do we know what he did?" Jane asked hoping Frost told Maura that much. Maura shook her head. Then Jane reached for her phone, but Maura stopped her.

"I asked that Frost and Korsak not call you this evening unless it was an emergency," Maura said. She didn't know her thumb stroked Jane's arm, and when she saw Jane look to her hand she pulled her hand back steadily, as if nothing happened, but her heart pounded.

"I merely wanted to make sure you got the rest you needed after your head injury this morning," Maura said and then looked at her watch, "Your 10-hour time frame to remain awake will not approach for another hour and 53 minutes," Maura said slipping into Dr. Isles mode. Jane leaned back and looked at the ceiling.

"I am fine Maura, you don't have to stay with me," Jane said as she rolled her head over to look at her friend. However much she was enjoying her time with Maura there was an undercurrent of tension she could not put her finger on and she didn't like it, but she would not just up and kick her friend out of her apartment.

"It is alright, I plan to stay," Maura informed the detective. Jane's eyes grew wide, then she got up and went to the linin closet and pulled fresh bedding from the closet and then went to her room. Maura followed her friend.

"What are you doing?" Maura asked.

"I am putting fresh sheets on the bed. What does it look like I'm doing?" Jane asked. Her tone was not harsh, not gruff. She just didn't know what was so complicated about changing sheets for a guest. Then she took the bedding and threw it near the washer and dryer. Maura simply clucked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. She did not approve of the chaos of the disorderly laundry, but she kept that to herself. However, she did not keep her mouth shut when she saw Jane pull another blanket and pillow from the closet and head back to the couch.

"What are you doing now?" Maura asked.

"I'm sleeping on the couch. You will take the bed," Jane said growing tired of the questions.

"Why?" Maura asked, and Jane rubbed her hands. That's new. She rubbed them in annoyance this time, hmm.

"Because you are a guest and you take the bed. Come on Maura, just take the damn bed," Jane said growing more and more exasperated with the woman before her. Then she saw the quirk in Maura's head.

"No, I mean why don't we sleep together? We have fallen asleep in the same bed before," Maura surmised. Maura didn't want to think about the possibilities, or the implications of these actions, but she was not going to kick Jane out of her bed.

Jane shifted from foot to foot. Sleeping was private, intimate. Sure, when they were working on that one case they drifted off to sleep together in her bed, but it wasn't on purpose. This time it would be purposeful, knowing and a conscious action to let someone into her space.

"Since…" Jane paused and swallowed, "Since Holt, I find it hard to sleep with people," Jane said and then blurted, "On purpose."

"What about you and Casey?" Maura asked. Jane shifted again and looked anywhere but at Maura.

"Its difficult with anyone, Maur," Jane confessed. Maura walked over to the couch and motioned for Jane to sit down.

"When we fell asleep together did you feel like this?" Maura asked wanting to know the answer, wanting to know if she caused Jane discomfort. When Jane shook her head Maura smiled outwardly calm, but on the inside her stomach seemed to unravel as if it was tied into knots.

"Then let's pretend that it is like that night," Maura said but watched Jane. She was extremely tense, and Maura could see the pulse jumping in her neck, and her eyes in a far away glare. Maura sighed and moved to stand. She collected her purse and walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Jane asked, and it was that tone, a small unsaid plea, that made Maura turn around.

"I am clearly making you uncomfortable, Jane. I refuse to make you uncomfortable in your own home. I will check on you when I get home. It will be about the time you may sleep, when I walk through my front door. Good night Jane," Maura smiled and then opened the door.

Jane blinked. She wanted to call out, she wanted to make Maura come back and stay with her. But she froze. It was when the door clicked behind Maura is when Jane jump started into motion. She flew to the door and flung it open. Maura was nowhere to be seen. She ran down the hall, took the stairs two at a time. Once outside, her shoulders sank. She was nowhere to be seen. Jane flew up back to her apartment, locked the door, and dove for her phone. She shot off a message.

Jane: For a ME you sure are fast.

Jane waited and waited some more. She grew restless and got ready for bed. Once able to get under the sheets she turned out her light and put her phone on charge. She stared at the ceiling of the room. She should have been sleeping with Maura tonight. The more she thought about it, the more she could process the situation, Jane didn't feel anxious about sharing her bed with Maura. She didn't feel uncomfortable with Maura there. Honestly Jane felt safe with Maura, or so she thought she would. She would never know because she was a moron and didn't open her mouth to call her friend back into her apartment. After 45 minutes the phone glowed and beeped with a response. Jane reached for it and opened the screen.

Maura: I suppose I am. I am home. You should be awake because your 10-hour time frame does not end for another 12 minutes.

Jane: Thank you for that Dr. Smartypants

Maura: You are welcome

Jane tapped her phone and bit her lip. She typed out her message and closed her eyes.

Jane: You could have stayed

Maura: I didn't want you uncomfortable, Jane

Jane: You are always welcome in my home Maura. Always.

Maura: Thank you

Maura: Jane?

Jane: Yeah?

Maura: I wish I would have stayed

Jane: me too, have a good night.

Maura: Have a good night too, Jane

Jane put her phone on her bed side table convinced she was forgiven, that Maura was alright with what happened. Maura, on the other side of town, sighed as she sank into a chair with a glass of wine rereading her texts. Maybe what she did was right. Maybe leaving was for the best. But Maura hated living her life by maybe, she hated unsolid findings and conclusions. She will never know if it was the right or wrong thing, but what she knew was that Jane still welcomed her, and that was all that mattered.