Author Notes: Thank you everyone for your comments and responses, and thank you (most of you) for your patience. I know it's been a long time coming, but we got there in the end. Jane and Maura were not in that place in the beginning so I didn't want to rush it, I didn't want to just throw them into bed together like happens in some fics. I wanted it to be slow, and realistic. Onwards...I am home from my weekend away, I had a great time surrounded by some of the country's (and world's) greatest storytellers.

Her arms outstretched above her head and she turned under the bed sheets, a smile etched across her face. The bed beside her lay empty, her mind filled with fog. She longed to return to her dream, to Maura's mouth covering her own, to her fingers fighting with the edges of her skin under the moonlight. She wished to curl back under the bed sheets and get lost in the thought of what was to come after that kiss.

Then a high pitched and infuriating sound blared out from her alarm. She reached for it, banged it until it quietened and rolled over again. A groan escaped her lips. She just wanted five more minutes to be with the Maura of her dreams. Five more minutes before reality seeped back into her consciousness.

Eventually, after the third snooze, Jane climbed out of bed and stood under the stream of water. The hot water fell down across her body, rolling over tender skin. She closed her eyes and massaged her breasts, allowing her mind to drift off to the soft and sensual feel of Maura by her side, as her fingers travelled between her thighs.

She dressed, grabbed a slice of overly buttered - and slightly mouldy - toast, and set off to work.

AT BPD, the homicide unit was buzzing, everyone busily working on several open cases that were running dry. Jane slipped her jacket around her chair and placed her take-out coffee on her desk. She glanced over at Korsak, his attention focused on the computer in front of him.

"Don't strain your eyes," she said.

He rolled his eyes. "It's this damn email, how anyone knows how to use it, I don't know."

"I'm sure Nina will help you." Jane cleared her throat. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday, Korsak. I shouldn't have come in."

"Too right you shouldn't have come in," he said, abandoning the email and looking up. "Do you know how unprofessional it looks when my best detective turns up drunk? If Lieutenant Cavanaugh had come in, it wouldn't just be your neck on the line."

"I know. It won't happen again."

"I know you've got a lot going on at the moment, but it better hadn't. I won't cover for you again."

"Noted," Jane said. "You find anything out yesterday?"

"Nothing new with Ellie Fischer," he said. "Parents didn't say much, either they're really good actors or they're innocent."

Sighing, Jane slouched into her chair and revised the case file. Something was missing, it had to be. They needed a fresh break.

Down in the café a couple of hours later, Jane ordered a large coffee and waited for the barista to finish making it. She folded her arms across her chest and watched Frankie talking animatedly to Nina across the room. She narrowed her eyes as his hand outstretched, cupping Nina's.

"I thought you were going to come and see me when you got in."

Pulled from the display of affection across the room, Jane turned around. Maura stood beside her, her eyes wide with anticipation, her lips curved until the smile reached the edges of her eyes.

"Sorry, I guess I forgot."

"You forgot?" Her smile faded, the glint in her eyes disappeared. "Oh."

"Sorry, Maur," Jane said, taking her coffee from the barista. "I just needed a good nights sleep."

"Are you busy tonight?"

"The sports highlights are on, but I can catch them later."

"Okay."

"Any reason?" Jane asked, running a hand across the side of her face to brush her curls from her cheek. "We going for a beer?"

"You can have non-alcoholic beer," Maura said, a small creased formed between her eyebrows. "I thought we could get some dinner. There's a new burger restaurant opened up in Beacon Hill that I thought you might like to try."

"Burgers?" Frankie appeared beside them. Jane searched the crowd and spotted Nina heading for the elevator. Frankie placed two coffee mugs on the counter. "Who's talking about burgers?"

"Maura says there's a new burger joint in Beacon Hill; suggested we give it a try tonight."

"I'm in!" he said.

"But..." Maura began to say, but her voice drifted away.

"What time shall we meet you?"

"I..." Maura sighed. "Seven."

x

The tray clanged against the basin louder than Maura anticipated. Kent ran into the room, a metal pole in hand.

"Oh, Maura, it's you. I thought you'd gone for lunch and someone had broken in."

Fighting the desire to laugh, Maura pursed her lips. "Thank you for your noble gesture at attempting to confront said person. Though it is a little early for lunch"

"It's not a problem. I didn't realise it was still so early." He placed the metal pole down on the autopsy table. "What's got your knickers in a knot?"

"My knickers," Maura said. "Are not in a knot."

"Knot in a not," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Not knotted."

Maura frowned. "I'm sorry if I startled you."

"Not at all. Why are you banging things around, Maura?"

"I'm angry."

"What about?"

Maura placed the tray back down in the basin, quieter, and more cautious. "The answer to that question goes beyond the bounds of our working relationship."

"Well you know where I am if you did want to discuss it."

"Thank you, Kent, I appreciate the offer."

x

Around three, Jane glanced up to the doorway. Maura stood on the other side, her eyes darting between the other officers and detectives, and Jane. She smiled at her, and Maura smiled back. Jane's heart beat faster, yet sunk.

"Be back soon," she said, desperate to hear Maura's voice, to feel her close by again. Even if she could never return to that moment in her dreams.

Frankie and Korsak barely batted an eyelid as she left the room. Maura walked away and she followed. In the conference room, a crease had formed between Jane's brows, confusion spread across her face. Maura closed the door.

"I don't understand," Maura said, walking across the room and back again.

Jane frowned. "What don't you understand?"

"You. I thought you wanted this."

"I'm not following, Maur," Jane said.

"You said you'd find me when you arrived at work, you didn't. Then when I find you, and ask you out on a date, you invite Frankie."

"A...what?" Jane's eyes bugged. "What do you mean a date?"

The crease between Maura's eyebrows deepened. "After last night, I thought we should start off slowly. We were both tired, and neither of us were ready to jump in head first."

"Last night was," Jane whispered, her voice trailed off into silence. Her heart thrummed against her chest, the air in her lungs vanished.

When Jane's lips pressed against Maura's, and her fingers trailed over her neck and around the back of her head, her whole body responded. Their mouths merged together, working to achieve their goal. The taste of salmon on Maura's lip, the softness of her mouth fuelled Jane's heady reactions. She stepped back, breathless.

"I've wanted you to do that all day," Maura said.

"It wasn't a dream," Jane said.

"What wasn't a dream?" Maura asked, her eyebrows pulled together.

"What happened last night," Jane said, her smile tentative. She tucked her hands around Maura's back and held her in her arms. She stared into her eyes, nervous energy fought against her until she persevered. "Us. I was so tired, I woke up this morning and I thought it wasn't real."

"Oh." Maura's eyes filled with sadness.

Jane lifted her hands back up to the sides of her face, cupping her cheeks. "Don't be sad. It felt like the greatest dream, and now I don't have to wake up. I'm sorry I didn't realise you were asking me out."

"I thought maybe you'd changed your mind."

"Never," Jane said, planting a soft kiss on her lips. She stepped back, lowering her hands as she realised her mistake. "Shit. Frankie."

"I really don't want him to come on our date," Maura said.

"Me neither," Jane said. "I'll sort it."

Stepping forward again, Jane slipped her hands around Maura's back and pulled her in close. She stared into her hazel eyes, couldn't stop looking at her, knowing that in the blink of an eye everything had changed. Finally.

"Did you sleep well?" Maura asked.

"I slept like a baby, one that actually sleeps."

Maura's eyes softened, a glint of excitement and glee, mixed with a hint of caution. Jane trailed the backs of her hands across her skin, retracing the step with her fingertips. She captured her lips again, her fingers gripped her shoulders, pulling her closer.

"I should go back downstairs," Maura said, pulling away again. "I'm really busy today, I just had to see you."

"Okay." Jane nodded. Maura stepped away and opened the door, she felt her whole body long to pull her back towards her, to feel her close again. Maura smiled back at her. An officer walked past the door. "Thank you for that, Doctor Isles."

Maura turned, noticing the man, before she turned back. "You're welcome, Detective Rizzoli."

x

Dress after dress after dress. Maura filed through her closet, each item pushed from one side to the next, searching for the right outfit. The burger restaurant wasn't formal, yet it didn't scream casual either. Maura wanted to look good. She only got to go on her first date with Jane once and she liked the idea of making an effort. She wanted to show Jane that their night together mattered, least not because in many ways it would be similar to every night they spent together. She wanted to do something to set it apart.

"You look like your head's going to explode," Cailin said, standing behind her with her arms folded, and a crease fixed between her eyebrows.

"I need the right dress," Maura said, paying little attention to her sister's curiosity.

"What's the occasion?"

Maura stood upright, her eyes still forward on the closet before her. She paused, took in a gentle, slow breath, and quickly navigated the possibility of telling Cailin where she was going. It was inevitable she would know eventually, but Maura liked the idea of hiding their relationship, at least for a few days. Her head was full of thoughts of Jane, of her hands, and her lips, and the subtle smells of her skin.

"I have a date," she said, in the hope her honesty would create the assistance she desired.

"Who with?"

Maura returned to filing through her clothing, desperate to distract herself. "Just someone I know."

"Are you going out with Chad, again?"

"Yes," Maura said, hoping to send her off in the wrong direction to protect her real answer. "Last night ended really well."

"What about Jane?"

"What about her?" Maura turned around, her eyes narrowed, her cheeks flushed.

"Your feelings for her. Where do they fit in with Chad? I thought she'd told you how she feels, why aren't you doing anything about it?"

Maura sighed. She clung to the edge of a jacket on its hanger and lowered her eyes. Her hand trailed down to the edge of material. Maura stepped backward until her hand fell by her side. She returned to the bedroom and perched on the edge of the bed, her hands clasped in her lap.

"I'm going on a date with Jane."

The squeal that filled the air made Maura jump, even more so when Cailin's arms landed on her shoulders and pulled her closer. "I knew you two would sort it out eventually. Do you want me to go out?"

"Why would you need to go out?"

"You know," Cailin said, raising her eyebrows and lowering them in quick succession. "I don't mind. I'd rather you and Jane feel comfortable."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"So you can have sex, Maura."

"Oh." The possibility had crossed her mind, the thought of being intimate with Jane filled her with warmth and possibility. "Not tonight. I don't want to rush it."

"How does Jane feel?"

"I haven't asked her."

"There's nothing wrong with sex on a first date, especially when you've known the other person as long as you've known Jane."

Maura shook her head. "That makes this more complicated, not less. I don't want to push things."

Cailin raised an eyebrow, then narrowed it again. "Is that all it is?"

"I won't deny I'm not scared. I've never been intimate with a woman before."

"So?"

"Jane's been in two physical relationships with women."

"I honestly don't think Jane cares whether you've been with women or not."

"No," Maura said. "I don't imagine she would. But it's something that worries me."

"Why?"

"I thought I understood the human body. I know what makes me aroused, and I know how to arouse a man. Though the anatomy is the same as self-arousal, the angles are different, and I don't know if I can translate what I already know on to another woman."

Cailin rolled her eyes. "Too much information, Maur."

"Which bit?"

"You really are something special." Cailin laughed. "I was half joking. We've never talked about sex before."

"Have you ever considered being with a woman?"

"That's a very forward question."

"I'm sorry." Maura sighed. Her nerves were bordering on uncontrollable. "I realise sexuality is a tentative subject."

"I've never been with a woman," Cailin said. "Nor do I have any burning desire to do so."

"Thank you for your honesty." She stood up and returned to the edge of her closet. Her mind ticked over, dancing between thoughts of Jane, and the conversation she'd been having. She turned around once more. "Cailin, do you have any significant other?"

"No," she said. "I'm single. Why?"

"I didn't know, I felt like that was information I should know."

Cailin nodded and smiled. "I've been single for about eighteen months."

"Who were you with before that?" Maura pulled out a couple of dresses and hung them on the door. "If you don't mind talking about it, I'd like to know."

x

Jane stood on the doorstep, her heart raced with anticipation and nerves. She'd been out to dinner with Maura more times than she could remember, but not once had she been on an actual date with her. She rang the doorbell and waited, her nerves building until the front door opened. Relief set in when Cailin answered the door. She pushed the small bunch of flowers behind her back.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I came to see Maura," Jane said, unsure of how much they were telling her. "I didn't know you'd be in."

"She's not ready. She thought you were meeting at the restaurant."

"I…I guess I forgot that bit," Jane said, trying to disguise the fact that she was there because she wanted to show Maura she was making an effort. She still couldn't believe how stupid she was for mistaking their first kiss for a dream. Lingering tiredness threatened to cloud her mind until she'd loaded up on caffeine. She knew Maura would disapprove, but she wasn't going to forget her first date with Maura for anything, not even any possible child growing inside of her.

Cailin stepped aside and Jane entered the house. She walked backwards through to the kitchen and perched on a stood. The bunch of flowers sat on her lap under the table. She drummed her fingers absentmindedly.

Cailin stood opposite, watching her, smirking. "It's okay, I know. You don't need to keep hiding whatever it is you're hiding."

"Know what?"

"I know you're going on a date."

"How?"

"What do you mean how?" Cailin asked. "Maura told me."

"Oh." Jane lifted the flowers up and placed them on the counter.

"Is that okay? I don't want you thinking Maura's suddenly started telling me everything." Cailin smiled. "I think Maura will like them."

Jane forged a smile. "It's fine."

"You look nervous."

Jane shrugged. "I'm okay."

"Bullshit."

"Thanks," Jane said, rolling her eyes.

"What do you have planned?"

"For dinner? Well, dinner."

"Nothing special?"

"Why would I have anything special planned?"

Cailin stared at her. "It's your first date. Don't you want to make an effort?"

"Why is it up to me? Maura could just as easily make an effort."

Cailin raised her eyebrows. "What do you think is taking her so long to get ready?"

Jane rolled her eyes again. "Now I'm expected to be the man."

"Nobody expects you to be the man. I just know how much you care about Maura."

"I don't want to rush things. I think dinner's enough for tonight."

"If you're sure."

When Maura appeared in the doorway, Jane's lungs emptied. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes bugged, and she couldn't get enough oxygen back into her body. Her lips curved at the edges. Maura stood in front of her, in a simple black and blue dress, hugging her curves perfectly. For the briefest moment, Jane imagined her walking over and kissing her, slowly stripping off what she expected was an expensive piece of couture.

"Hi," Maura said, standing by the doorway, her face a mix of excitement and fear. "I didn't know you were coming to pick me up."

Jane stood up. She pulling the flowers off the counter and stepped forward. "It's a date, isn't it?"

"Yes." Maura smiled. "I'm glad you did."

Cailin watched them, Jane could feel her beside them, but as she stepped forward, the whole world melted away. If it wasn't for her nerves, she would have pulled her into her arms. Her simple button down shirt and smart jeans made her feel underdressed.

"I should have dressed better," she said, the words falling out before she could stop them.

Maura's eyes trailed down her body and back up to her face. She tilted her head slightly. "You look great."

"Not as great as you."

"Thank you."

"These are for you," Jane said, holding out the bouquet. Maura smiled, her eyelids fluttered open and closed.

She accepted the flowers and breathed in their scents. "They're beautiful. Thank you."

"Are you ready?"

A brief nod of the head in confirmation, and Jane held out an arm. Maura wrapped her own around it. She handed the flowers to Cailin. "Could you put them in some water, please?"

"No problem," she said, smiling. "Enjoy your night."

On the walk out of the door, Jane had to remind herself to breath. One long, deep breath in, and slowly out. She moved her hand across Maura's back, down to the base of her spine. At the car, she opened the door and Maura climbed in.

The walk around to the driver's side felt like it took longer than usual. She sat down and turned to face Maura, her lungs barely filled, her heart fluttering inside her chest. She'd waited for this moment for such a long time that she couldn't quite believe it was finally here.

Author Notes: Lots of moving forwards, I hope you enjoyed this one.