Jane enjoys the view of Maura's booty swishing as she mounts the stairs to the master bedroom. Her open blouse does little to hide her derriere. And her black lace panties are losing a game of hide and seek as they ride up and practically disappear toward the middle. Or are they winning?

Maura's skirt is slung over her shoulder, leaving her hands free to carry their second bottle of wine and two glasses. Jane is in a similar state or undress with her arms full of comfortable suit, cell phones, bottles of water, and her work shirt.

"I still can't believe you had never seen Lady and the Tramp, Maura. How is that even possible?"

She sees the blonde's shoulders shrug as they reach the top of the stairs. "It was a film released over twenty years before I was born. It isn't that hard to believe."

"Yeah, but it came on tv once a year. Just like the Wizard of Oz and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."

"The great what?"

Jane stops dead in her tracks. "You have got to be kidding me! Maura!? Really?"

Laughter fills the hallway as Maura twirls around and points at Jane's face. "Gotcha! Well, I've seen Lady and the Tramp twice now," she whispers while walking backward into her bedroom. "Not that we watched much the second time around."

Jane feels herself both blushing and beaming with pride. "Damn right," she chuckles.

She watches Maura set down their wine and glasses on the nightstand by Maura's side of the bed. Her eyes never leave Maura's body as she strolls toward her walk-in closet and flips on the light. She loses sight of the blonde as she disappears within the racks of designer clothes.

Dumping her clothes into Maura's comfy reading chair by the window, she plops down onto the bed, sets the bottles on her nightstand, then opens the top drawer to search for their phone chargers.

She hears Maura tutting under her breath and whispering "too wrinkled" from the deep interior of the closet. She smiles, knowing the skirt had failed Maura's 'suitable for re-wear' examination and was now headed to the dry cleaners. Maybe she shouldn't have bunched the skirt up around Maura's waist during round one. But Maura hadn't complained and didn't say a word when the skirt was kicked off into a ball on the floor for round two. The panties will have to come completely off for round three.

"Jane? Do you want pajamas or are you up for another round?"

Jane's jaw drops. Did Maura just read her mind? Of course she's up for another round. How is that even a question? Why was the second bottle of wine and all the water up here if they weren't preparing for more?

"Um, 'Always up for another round' is my middle name," Jane scoffs. "You never need to ask me that."

"Well, you do require sleep on occasion," Maura retorts. "And your middle name is Clementine."

Jane snickers at Maura's joke on her own literal thinking. "Pajamas are optional for later ... much later if you want to lay some out. Unless you're ready to go to sleep now. Whatever you want to do."

Maura emerges from the closet in a tiny robe with folded flannel pajama bottoms and a color coordinated tank top for Jane, and a matching silk nightie for herself. "Actually, I'm in the mood for a soak in the tub if you'd like to join me."

"Always."

Maura saunters around the bed to stand between Jane's knees. Leaning over, she places delicate kisses on Jane's lips. "Then I want to ravish you ... then you can ravish me ...then we ravish each other ... and just make love ... until we pass out ... from exhaustion."

"I like the way you think, Dorthea."

"I'll go start the water. You hang up your suit so it doesn't wrinkle."

Jane throws her head back, laughing hysterically. "Oh my god, Maura! How do you go from hot sex goddess to nagging wife in 0.2 seconds?"

Maura's eyes grow large at the word wife. She tries to hide her reaction quickly, but Jane catches it.

"Hey," Jane whispers holding onto Maura's hips. "What was that?"

"It's nothing, Jane. Don't worry about it."

Jane sits up and tugs Maura toward her until the blond settles onto her lap,

straddling her with knees bent, and delicate toes dangling over the edge of the bed. Yoga.

"Talk to me, Maura. You know you can tell me anything."

Maura gazes into Jane's eyes and shakes her head. "I don't want to scare you."

Jane laces their fingers together and pouts. "It can't be that scary. Try me. Trust me."

Maura sighs and leans forward, resting their foreheads against each other. "Do you ever think about it, Jane? Settling down? Permanently committing? Just us?"

Jane's heart starts pounding and her breath hitches. "I do, Maura. I think about it a lot."

The smile on Maura's face brightens the room. The sparkle in her eyes puts the sun to shame. But then doubt dims her excitement. "Do you think about it good? Or think about it bad?"

Jane is quick to calm Maura's fears. "Good, Maura. I think about it good. I think about waking up in your arms every morning. I think about you having our kid. Or maybe adopting more than one. I think about growing old together. I think about it good."

Maura can not contain her excitement and kisses Jane deeply and thoroughly. Jane leans back, moaning into the kiss as she pulls Maura down to lie on top of her. But Maura resists and sits up once more. "What are we doing, Jane? Seriously. If we're on the same page finally, why don't we move forward to the next chapter?"

Jane exhales slowly, sinking her head against the mattress.

"I'm ready, Jane. I want you. I want us. I want to hold your hand when we walk down the street. I want a wedding. I want to have your baby. I want little league practice, dance recitals, and PTA meetings. Everything. And you say you want the same. Why can't we move forward? What's holding us back?"

"I don't know, Maura."

"Yes, you do know. Fear. It's nothing but fear stopping us and I'm simply tired of being afraid." Maura's shoulders slump as she fights to control her lacrimal glands.

Jane lifts their joined hands to her lips, kissing Maura's knuckles. "You're right," she whispers.

Maura's lips pouts as she blinks back tears. "I know I don't have any right to question you or make demands but-"

"What?" Jane raises up on her elbows, her face reflecting complete shock. "Of course you have a right! You have every right! I'm the one who put unfair rules on this secret best friends with benefits thing, whatever it started out as, and forced you back into a closet you never understood or even gave a shit about."

"You never forced me to do anything, Jane."

"I kissed you first. I put the moves on you first. This whole thing was my idea."

"It wasn't your idea, Jane. I hinted about it for months."

"But I acted it on it first. And after you told me about your college roommate."

"Why do you think I told you about her?"

"I don't know. Because best friends share things."

"I wanted you to know I wasn't straight, Jane. Because I wanted to be with you. It was a huge risk. You could have rejected me and walked away from our friendship right then. It had happened before. But I had faith that you were different. That we were the same. That you were just as attracted to me as I was to you. I was never happier than when I felt your kiss on my cheek, your hand on my thigh, your whisper in my ear to show you what to do."

"I had never been that happy before, Maura. When you kissed me back. When you made love to me that first time. I felt so free, like I could fly. Like all the thoughts and doubts in my head finally made sense. And when I made love to you, it was the most beautiful thing, you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen or felt. I fell asleep in your arms that night thinking I wanted to feel that free, wanted you to feel that beautiful, all day everyday for the rest of our lives. But when I woke up the next morning, panic set in, and I asked you not to tell anybody about us. To keep that beauty secret and casual. Just something we'd do for fun sometimes. I was so unfair to you, Maura. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Jane. I knew we wouldn't be out or exclusive right away. I knew you had worries about your sexuality, your family and your job. I just wanted whatever you were willing to give me. I was happy to take it. Don't apologize. It's just that it has been five years now. We keep coming back together. After every boyfriend leaves. After every other relationship ends. We love each other. We belong together. I really believe that. As for your family, your mother actually cheered on June 26th. I think it's safe to come out now."

"Are you sure, Maura? Cheering for basic human rights isn't the same as planning your daughter's big bi lesbian wedding."

"What does Angela want for you, Jane? What is she always telling you?"

"That she just wants me to be happy. To have someone who'll take care of me. And to give her grandbabies."

"Well, you can take care of yourself but I definitely care for you. I would love to give you babies. Do I still make you happy, Jane?"

"The happiest I have ever been in my whole life."

"Happier than Casey?"

"Exponentially."

Maura wiggles her eyebrows and leans down for more kisses. Jane rolls them over mid-kiss until she is cradled between Maura's thighs and caressing her face with scarred hands. Pulling away slightly, she marvels at the wonder that is Maura Isles.

"Do I make you happier than Ian?"

"Of course! Why are you asking about Ian? I haven't given him a thought in years."

"You said he was the love of your life."

"I thought he was at the time. Back before I knew what love really is. Ian was nothing but empty promises, false hope, and a halfway decent lay. You helped me realize that."

"I was so jealous. You have no idea. I really wanted to kick him in the nuts. But that would have made you sad or mad."

"I'm glad you handled the situation with grace and dignity."

"Did you ever even like Casey, Maura?"

"I liked him well enough until he ignored you and treated you like nothing. Then I tolerated him until he tried to take you away."

"Yet you were willing to plan my bridal shower? Why?"

"That was what you said you wanted. He's what you thought would make you happy. You said you'd get a house with him on the waterfront here in Boston. We would still work together, run and maybe do yoga together, and have movie with pizza nights. I hoped maybe we could get a weekend away together occasionally. Even if all we did was talk and laugh and sleep, it would be enough as long as you were happy."

"Really?"

"This isn't just about the sex, Jane. If you marrying Casey had taken this level of our relationship away, I would have survived. I can live without making love to you, even though I don't want to. Because I love you and this is the best sex I've ever had. What I can not live without is you. Because this is also the best friendship I've ever had."

"I love you, too," Jane whispers, then kisses Maura's lips softly and slowly. Maura's legs wrap around her waist as the kiss deepens. Jane caresses a creamy thigh, inching her way closer to paradise when a phone starts ringing.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Jane wails as Maura's legs fell back against the bed.

Groaning, Jane answers the ringing phone with a gruff "Rizzoli."

"Jane?"

"Ma?"

"Why are you answering Maura's phone?"

"Because I was closer to it. Why are you calling Maura's phone?"

"Because you and Maura won."

"Won what?"

"The cutest couple contest."

"Maura and I won the cutest couple contest?"

"The free romantic spaghetti dinner for two."

"Free spaghetti?"

Maura starts giggling and Jane becomes distracted by her jiggling breasts. She starts laughing as well and begins to pull Maura's robe open further. She gasps when she sees full frontal nudity.

"I know it's odd, Janie. But you guys won fair and square."

Jane pulls the phone away and stares at the source of her mother's voice in one hand and Maura's breast in her other hand. "This is so weird." Maura just giggles and jiggles more.

"I know you girls aren't a couple but maybe you should be. You got six votes. Second place only had two votes."

"What is happening?" Jane whispers

"Is it Nonna Rizzoli's spaghetti recipe?" Maura wonders out loud

Jane pauses, contemplating her words carefully as she also teases Maura's nipple with her thumb. "You wanna go, Maura?"

Maura thrusts her hips up against Jane and moans, "Yessss."

Jane gulps and closes her eyes. "When is this dinner, Ma?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Okay, yeah. We're not on call tomorrow. We'll be there. What time?"

"6ish?"

"Alright. Just don't expect me to roll meatballs toward Maura with my nose."

"Please don't," Maura laughs.

"Ma! Do you believe before tonight this girl had never seen Lady and the Tramp?"

"No! How is that possible?"

"I know!"

"Unreal. Well, I'll let you girls go. You staying there tonight?"

"Yeah. I've had way too much to drink."

"Okay. I'll make myself scarce in the morning. I know how grumpy hungover you can be."

"Ha ha."

"Give Maura my love and I'll see you tomorrow at 6."

"Good night, Ma."

Jane disconnects the call and puts the charging phone back on the nightstand. She looks down at her disheveled Maura and smiles.

"What are you grinning about?"

"My past. My present. My future."

"Cryptic."

"Not really. Do you want to come out to Ma tomorrow at this dinner? We could share a spaghetti noodle and kiss right in front of her."

"Yes. Maybe not by imitating cartoon canines though. She might think we're joking."

"We'll think of something. Come on, lovely lady," Jane whispers as she pulls Maura to her feet. "You wanted a bath. Let's get all clean so we can get all dirty again."

"Fine."

"So what's the real reason you never saw Lady and the Tramp?"

"The talking dogs. They freaked me out."

"But you were okay with Snoopy?"

"He communicated non-verbally."

"And wrote Red Baron Flying Ace fanfiction on a typewriter."

Maura looks off into space, lost in thought, then shakes her head as she walks off. "I was a child," she says over her shoulder. "My decisions weren't always rational."

Jane enjoys the view of Maura's booty as she swishes toward the bathroom.