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Chapter Twelve

It had been two months since Jane had promised to always be there for Maura. Since then, they had spent every Friday night as their movie night. They often didn't start the movie until late, choosing instead to talk about anything and everything. They knew just about everything about each other and were basically as close as two people could be. And they didn't only spend Friday nights together; they were constantly getting drinks at the Robber after work or hanging out on the weekends. Somehow, through all of that, Jane managed to keep her tattooed name hidden and never let on her attraction to the gorgeous medical examiner. So now, it was Friday morning, and Jane strolled down to the morgue to see what Maura wanted Jane to get for dinner. Maura's office door was closed, which was odd because her door was rarely ever closed, and never at 9:30 in the morning. Jane was about to knock when she heard talking on the other side of the door. She only heard Maura's voice, so she figured Maura must be on the phone.

I wonder who she's talking to.

Then, Jane heard Maura giggle.

Did she just giggle? Is she flirting with whoever she's talking to?

"Okay," she heard Maura say and give another breathy giggle, "I can't wait! I'll see you then!"

When she was sure Maura had hung up, Jane knocked on the door.

"Come in."

She walked in and noticed that Maura looked positively giddy. She was smiling and humming as she shuffled the papers on her desk.

"How can I help-", she finally looked up. "Jane." she said in this lovely, breathy voice that made Jane's insides quiver. "What brings you down here so early?"

"Oh, um, I wanted to know what you wanted me to bring for dinner tonight."
"Dinner? Tonight?" Maura's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah, it's Friday."

Maura's eyes widened in shock. "Oh my! I completely forgot! How could I forget? How could I be so selfish? And I just told Natalie I'd go to dinner with her! And canceling would be rude. Of course, it would be worse to go when we've had this standing 'hang out', as you'd say, for the past two months. Of course, I suppose I'll just have to cancel. Oh, but I was really looking forward to this. Which is not to say that I don't enjoy spending time with you! Of course I do! Oh, god, what do I do?!" Maura had been pacing and wringing her hands in anxiety.

"Hey, Maura. Maura? Hey!" Jane shouted, getting her attention. "Why don't you just take a breath and tell me what's going on?"

Maura took a deep breath. "Last night I was in the market, buying some strawberries for Bass, and I ran into an old friend from college. Well, not so much a friend, as an old lover. We were only together four months, but we had a great relationship. Anyway, we parted on good terms. We both just wanted something different, you know? So, her name's Natalie and I ran into her last night. And she asked me to coffee and we talked and afterwards we exchanged numbers. And now, she just called me and asked me out to dinner tonight."

"Asked you out? Like a date?"

"Yes, of course. I know it's so rude of me to forget we had plans. I simply forgot that today is Friday. I can call her back and cancel."

"Maura, you don't have to do that. It's fine if you go."

"But it's so rude of me. We had plans already."

"If you don't want to go, then don't." Jane secretly hoped Maura would say that she'd rather spend time with her.

"I do want to go. I want to go really badly, but…" Maura trailed off, tilting her head in just the most adorable way.

Jane sighed inwardly and cursed herself for what she was about to say. "Then go! You have my permission! It's totally okay!"

Maura's face lit up with a huge smile. "Really?!" she asked, like a child who just got told they could have ice cream for dinner.

Jane couldn't help but smile back. "Of course."

Maura ran to Jane and hugged her, literally jumping up and down with joy. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I promise I'll make it up to you!"

"Yeah. We can hang out tomorrow. I'll come by your house around six and we can eat dinner and drink and you can tell me all about your date."

Maura pulled back from the hug and Jane instantly missed the warmth.

"Alright. I'm going to go back to work. I'll see you tomorrow. Have fun on your date." Then Jane walked out of Maura's office, trying no to be too upset.

Jane sat slumped on her couch, a half drunken bottle of beer warming on the coffee table and a sports highlight reel on the television, but she was too lost in her thoughts to even notice. After spending so much time with Maura over the past two months, Jane's initial attraction to her had blown up into a massive crush. Jane had it bad. If Jane really let herself think about it, she would have to admit that she was in love with Maura. But she NEVER let herself think that far. It wasn't that she didn't desperately want Maura, and she was practically positive that Maura was her soulmate, it was that she seriously doubted herself. Even though Maura had admitted to enjoying the company of the fairer sex, she had never shown any attraction to Jane. As she sat there, the thoughts swarming her head, Maura was on a date. If she was attracted to Jane, she wouldn't be on a date with someone else. Of course, Maura had every right to be confused or not know if she actually wanted someone, seeing as how she didn't have the luxury of knowing who her soulmate is. Jane could only hope that there was another Maura in the world who was her soulmate because she was so afraid that this Maura would fall in love with someone else. Jane sighed to herself.

Why would Maura want someone like me anyway? I can't offer her anything. I'm a blue-collar Italian-American who makes a detective's salary. She's freaking rich. What could I possibly give her? I'm not a genius like she is. I'm brash and bossy and sometimes just plain rude. It's a wonder Maura even wants to be friends with me.

Her self-pitying was interrupted by a knock on her door. She really didn't feel like talking to anyone, but she was curious as to who could be at her door.

Maybe it's a neighbor or something.

Jane got up off the couch and made her way to the door. She unlocked it and pulled it open without even checking the peephole. She gasped at the sight in front of her. And in a strangled voice she chocked out a single word, posing it as a question:

"Ma?"