A/N: Thank you so much for your comments on the last chapter and I'm really sorry about the delay. :)


They had only been dating six months before Maura knew Jane was the one. It was a sudden realization for her that came about one spring afternoon when Jane surprised her with a visit. She saw Jane fairly often, but with Maura's hectic class schedule and midterms approaching, Jane insisted on keeping her distance for a week so her girlfriend could study. As a freshman, Maura was still taking her general education classes and getting used to the different writing styles expected by the life sciences department and the humanities department. After class, she had every intention of researching the varying styles of academic writing, but there was Jane standing outside her building with a care package in hand.

"To make studying and writing easier for you," Jane said as she handed her the care package. "There's pens and highlighters and a writing reference guide. It's different from the ones you have. The guy at the bookstore said this is the best one for quick references and I wrote you some notes."

"What kind of notes?" Maura asked.

Jane leaned in and kissed her lips. "The kind of notes that you should read when you're not in my presence."

Without any further explanation, Maura knew exactly the kind of notes Jane was referring to. They never contained any sexual innuendo, so the reason Jane didn't want her to read them in her presence was because there was something emotional written in the notes that Jane was unable to express to her in person.

That afternoon, while making love to each other, Jane looked into Maura's eyes and whispered the words Maura had been longing for her to say, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Maura responded without hesitation.

"You do?"

"I do," Maura reassured her. "I love you so much, Jane."

When Jane smiled wide enough for her dimples to show, Maura could never resist her. She kissed each dimple, which made Jane smile even more. Jane was rarely that playful, but when she was Maura liked to enjoy the moment for as long as she could.

For the first time, Maura was on top and she reveled in the feeling of Jane's fingertips running up and down her back and the sight of Jane looking up at her with so much love in her eyes.

"I should let you study," Jane said as she tucked a strand of hair behind Maura's ear.

"I'm not finished with you," Maura insisted and, as much as Jane told her that she should study, Maura wasn't about to let her go.

That afternoon was the first time Maura had ever worn Jane out and, as Jane held her afterward, Maura realized how much better and much more intimate sex could be now that they had admitted their feelings for each other.

"I love you, Jane. I love you," Maura whispered as she cried in the corner of Mr. Miller's office. She had become lost in her memories of Jane, but she was startled back to reality when she looked at Mr. Miller's lifeless body. If whoever this was could take down a grown man like Mr. Miller, what was he doing to Jane?

Moments from their relationship began to flood Maura's mind and she thought about the possibility of never kissing her again, but she stopped when it occurred to her that these thoughts were a way of already giving up on Jane.

As she tried to get up, she felt an intense stinging between her legs. Her negligee was stained with blood, as were her arms and legs from when she had fallen in the puddle in their room. This isn't Jane's blood. Jane is strong and brave. No one could hurt her. She fought for me and now it's up to me to fight for her.

…but how could Maura fight for her when she already felt so defeated?

She knew she had to find Jane and, although she only had two options, those two options were all it took to overwhelm her. She could either stay on the road or she could stay hidden in the woods, but neither option appealed to her. If she stayed in the woods, it would be easier for her to get lost and the terrain was rough. The area was littered with twigs and stray branches that would be difficult for her to see in the dark. If she stayed on the road, the walk would be easier on her bare feet and there was the possibility that she could be seen, but would the people who stopped after seeing her walk along the side of the road be the type of people who'd help her or harm her?

After careful deliberation, Maura decided it was best for her to walk alongside the road. Before leaving the office, she ran her fingers along the diamond ring Jane had placed on her finger. The ring was just as soaked with blood as her skin and clothing, but to Maura it looked as beautiful as it did the moment she first saw it.

Maura was in pain with each step that she took, but she tried to hold herself together as she walked along the road. Exactly where she was going, Maura hadn't the faintest idea. If someone had Jane, where would they have her? There were no houses nearby for her to search and, if there were, what would she do? She couldn't knock on the door and whoever had taken Jane certainly wasn't going to hand her over just because Maura had located the correct dwelling.

No more than five minutes had passed before Maura came upon a sign that said the gas station was three miles away. Three miles wasn't a long distance, but in her current condition, three miles seemed almost impossible for Maura. She was barefoot, in pain, and shivering from both cold and fear, but she had to keep going. Jane needed her and she wasn't going to let her down. If she couldn't find Jane herself, she'd enlist the help of the guys they met at the gas station and use their phone to call the police.

With that plan in mind, Maura quickened her pace. The road was dark and the surrounding areas were quiet, save for the occasional sound of wildlife in the nearby forest.

Jane is going to be okay, Maura kept saying until she saw a truck stopped just ahead of her.