A/N: Okay, I lied. It's too big now to be a twoshot (plus I wanted some more time to finish it) so it'll be a threeshot! Hope you enjoy this next chapter!

XXXXX

After what seemed like forever, the forest opened up into a clearing where they could see the resort. Maura pulled her car into the dirt area designated for guest parking. Before they could even get their bags out of her trunk, a man in a uniform came by to help.

"Hi, welcome to the Mountain Top Inn! My name's Tom. Can I help you with your bags?"

"Certainly!" Maura chimed. "Oh, and I'm Maura and this is Jane." She said, pointing to herself then the other woman.

He smiled and nodded at the both of them. When he saw Jane he was a bit taken aback at the steri-strips that were still on.

"Are you… okay?" He asked, touching his own forehead.

"Huh?" Her hand mirrored his and she smiled. "Oh, yeah. Just a run-in with a serial killer. Happens all the time." She waved him off.

"Right…" He said slowly, before taking the bags and starting towards the building rather quickly.

Jane just let out a little laugh and walked alongside Maura, where they followed him inside. The lobby was warm – and not just because of the fireplace roaring a few feet away. It was decorated in a nice rustic-modern style that fit in nicely with the view of the landscape that could be seen through the large windows along the walls.

The three of them walked up to the desk and began the check in process. After confirming a room number, Tom left to drop off the luggage while the two women were given the run down about the resort and some of the surrounding attractions.

"Okay, so if there's anything you need you can always come here or call the front desk," he said, pointing to a phone on the table. "There's always someone down here to assist you if need be."

"Thank you." Maura said and grabbed their keys.

"Finally!" Jane exclaimed. "Now we just need to find some food!"

"The kitchens won't be open for another few hours." The man reminded them.

Maura dragged the now grumbling detective away and towards the elevators. "Don't worry, Jane, I thought ahead. There's a cheese plate and some wine waiting for us in our room."

"Awesome!" She exclaimed as she perked back up. "It's been awhile since I've had cheese with you that wasn't in a freezer with dead things!"

A passing guest looked at her oddly and, in an attempt to pretend like she didn't hear anything, pulled out her cell phone and started texting.

The two paid her no mind, however, and went up to their room where they enjoyed some cheese and wine while they unpacked their things.

No surprise, Jane was done first. She flipped through a few papers they got when they checked in and frowned when a thought came to her. "So, uh… we only have one bed?"

Maura stopped her sorting and turned to her. "That's okay, isn't it? I mean, we did share a bed last night."

"Yeah… I just thought you might want your own, that's all." She said

She shook her head. "It might seem odd but I actually prefer sleeping with you rather than alone."

Jane couldn't help a giant grin breaking out across her face. "Really?" She couldn't help but ask: "Why?"

The shorter woman shrugged. "I don't really know. You make me feel safe; comfortable. Which is an ideal situation for slumber, obviously."

"Obviously." She echoed back mockingly, even though she was really touched.

Maura glared at her but knew she was joking. "So I was thinking… why don't we just explore the grounds today. Maybe we can talk about some of the things we want to do while we're here?" Maura said after she closed the last dresser drawer.

"Sounds good to me!" Jane said, popping another cube of cheese in her mouth before chasing it down with some merlot.

The M.E. looked around the room to be sure they put everything away. "Want to go now?"

"How about in a few more cheese cubes?" She asked, shoving another one in her mouth.

She quirked an eyebrow up in amusement. "You were hungry, weren't you?"

"All I had was coffee! I'm not the one who decided to go on a spontaneous vacation!"

Maura frowned. "I'm sorry. I just figured…"

"No! It's fine! I was just saying… a stop at McDonald's would have been awesome."

She shook her head. "You know how I feel about french fry grease in my car. And after last time…"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." She said before finishing her wine and grabbing a few more cheesy treats to go. "Shall we?" She motioned to the door.

They walked back down to the ground floor and out the door. There they saw a vast green field. A few people were trotting around on horses a few yards away. Closer to them were badminton and tennis courts as well as shuffleboard to their left. Each activity was well spread out, however, giving them plenty of room to just stroll around without being in anyone's way.

"Which way do you want to go?" Maura asked, looking up at the other woman.

Jane just shrugged.

"Well, I think I remember him saying that there's a small beach this way." She said, pointing to the right. "Want to go see?"

"Sure." She said, happy to do whatever as long as it involved being near the other woman.

So off they went ambling in the general direction of the water at a leisurely pace.

When Maura's line of sight went to watch the people on the tennis court, Jane took that opportunity to observe her and her thoughts went back to similar ones from the morning. Suddenly she became very aware of their proximity and took a step about a foot to the right. She hoped Maura didn't notice.

The M.E. turned back to Jane to ask her something and her brows furrowed at the increased distance. She didn't say anything about that, however, and just continued on with her original question. "Anything in particular you wanted to do tomorrow?"

"Not really. Though I'd rather not have a massage." Or anything else that involves the other woman being partially naked, she thought.

"Alright. How about horse riding? There's a trail that they'll take us down, I heard it's going to be great!"

"When exactly did you hear that? You just booked this place this morning!"

"I read reviews before settling on it, though."

"Oh… makes sense I guess."

Maura smiled at her. "So? Horses tomorrow?"

"Sure." She said, thinking it was a safe choice. After all, they'd have to be at least a few feet away from each other.

They continued their stroll in relative silence. Only a few times Maura spoke up about something else they could do and Jane just nodded her head, knowing she'd be forced to do it anyway. Within a few minutes they were walking out onto an expansive sandy area dotted with people enjoying the day.

Deciding to hang out at the water's edge, the two headed closer to the shoreline, taking a path that had them near the trees. On the way, Jane's shoe got caught in a tree root and she stumbled down.

Maura, holding back a laugh, offered her hand to the scowling detective. "Are you okay?"

She took the offered help and was pulled up. "I'm fine. Stupid trees." She muttered.

They continued their walk, both very aware of one little thing: they were still holding hands. Neither one of them wanted to release their hold, for obvious reasons, so they just kept strolling along in silence. Sure, they got a few odd looks, and more than a few kind smiles, but they kept walking, while Maura talked about the last time she had ridden a horse.

Eventually, Jane got a stroke of bravery and shifted her hold on the other woman's hand from the loose grip from before to interlacing their fingers together. This earned a smile that played on Maura's lips as she continued talking.

Once they got to the shore they stood there and gazed out on the Chittenden Reservoir.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Jane looked over at her and smiled. "Yeah." She replied, trying her best to keep this from turning into a cheesy romantic comedy and adding: 'you are'.

The mood abruptly shifted when Maura pulled her hand away. Jane felt the cold absence immediately but understood the reasoning as she saw the other woman taking off her shoes. She followed suit and placed them to the side. She couldn't contain her grin when the M.E. laced their fingers together again. Jane was feeling increasingly optimistic about the outcome of this trip. It hadn't taken her too long to realize that she wanted to be with the other woman as more than a friend – even more than LLBFF's – and she was starting to believe that the girl of her dreams really could be hers. As much as she wanted to say something about this in hopes her thinking was correct, she decided to go a different route.

"I wonder if the water's cold." The detective asked, suddenly wanting to be like a kid again and go splashing around in the waves.

"Probably. Lakes and reservoirs in this area get around the mid to high sixties at this time of year."

"Let's go in!" She said excitedly, ignoring the distinct probability of freezing.

"I'd rather not. And, besides, we're not really dressed to go swimming."

"I never said anything about swimming. Just… walk around for a bit. We can roll up our pants, it'll be fine."

Normally, Maura would protest something like this but she didn't have the heart to deny Jane what she wanted. "Alright, but not for too long."

Jane was actually kind of shocked it didn't take much argument – figuring the other woman was wearing some kind of expensive designer pants – but she just smiled and got to rolling up her own pants. Maura did the same. Without even saying a word, they reconnected their hands and waded out into the frigid liquid.

The detective sucked in a breath sharply the instant her skin hit the water. "Yeah… that's cold."

"I told you." Maura smiled, though still wincing at the biting chilliness starting to creep up her leg as they went in further.

"But it's nice too. Once you get used to it."

"You're used to it already?" She asked, shocked, as she was still shivering slightly.

"Not yet."

The M.E. laughed when the other woman reacted to the chill running up her spine. Just as she was going to suggest they stay on the beach, a round blue object splashed a few feet in front of them.

"Oh, no! My ball!" A little girl yelled, seeing the small sphere go out further.

Jane rushed forward before it got too far out. Just before the hem of her pants would get wet, she grabbed it. She carefully made her way back to shore and handed it to the kid.

"Aww, how cute." Maura commented when she walked back over. "This does seem like a good place to bring the kids in the future." She said with a slight wince when she realized what she was implying.

She smiled at her and nodded her head, thinking the very same thing. "Probably even better during the winter."

The M.E. looked over at her with a soft smile on her face. After she steeled herself, she opened her mouth to say something that she had been thinking about all day. "Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really happy to be here with you."

Jane caressed the other woman's hand with her thumb. "Me too."

She looked out to the setting sun and took in a breath. "There's been something on my mind… something that I should probably tell you."

Jane frowned, thinking it was something else. "You are sleeping with my brother, aren't you?"

She laughed. "No. It has nothing to do with Tommy."

"Thank God! Then what is it?"

Maura opened her mouth but what she intended didn't come out. "Ow!" She looked down at the Frisbee at her feet and then over in the direction it came from. She saw a man running towards her.

"Sorry about that!" He said, mid-jog. "I didn't hurt you did I?" He asked when he stopped in front of them.

"No. It's fine." She said curtly, more upset at being interrupted than being hit with the plastic disc.

"So, uh… I know it might be a little strange to ask you this since I just met you but… we're having a barbeque over at our cabin in a few if you wanted to join us."

Jane, having read through the restaurant's menu when Maura was organizing her drawers, readily agreed. "Sounds great!"

"Jane!" Maura admonished. "We hardly know these people."

"So? Free food! And he nearly decapitated you. It's the least he can do!"

"Yeah, it's the least I can do." He echoed with a smile.

"You sure about this, Jane?"

"Definitely!"

"Alright…" She said, still unsure about spending time with a bunch of strangers. After all, this vacation was supposed to be about them spending time alone, away from any sort of stressors. And this was definitely not what she had in mind.

"Great!" He beamed. "We're gonna head over in a few, so you can come with us."

"Sounds like a plan!" Jane said.

He motioned for them to follow him over to his friends. "Hey guys. This is… uh, sorry, what were your names?"

"I'm Jane, this is Maura." She answered.

"Well I'm Josh and this is Paul, Steven and his fiancée Mary." He said, pointing to each person as he mentioned them.

There was a round of 'nice to meet you' before they got to gathering their things and headed along the path back to the main resort.

"So are you in one of the farther cabins?" Maura asked Josh, who was walking right beside her.

"No. We're actually right next to the lobby… well, not right next to but… you know what I mean."

"Yeah." She nodded, having studied a map of the resort before she booked the reservation.

The walk back was relatively quiet. The only conversations were between Jane and Paul as he was asking her what she does for a living and such. Josh tried striking a conversation with Maura a few times but she gave him short answers each time.

Minutes later they were walking into a nice cabin. Josh and Paul went to get started on the food while the rest stayed behind in the living room and talked about anything and everything that came up. As they talked, they enjoyed a cool beer. As the alcohol intake increased, the new pair became more comfortable and chattier.

"Alright, food's done!" Josh said, walking in. "Who wants a burger?"

The other four walked into the kitchen to get their plates filled with burgers, potato salad, and chips – anything you might normally find at a picnic.

They ate and continued their conversations. As soon as the food disappeared, the hard liquor came out.

Josh walked up to Maura, who was standing a few feet away from the shot takers. "So, Maura, fancy a dip in the hot tub?"

"No, sorry. I don't even have a bathing suit."

"Neither do I." He winced when he realized how that came out. "Okay, that sounded creepy. I didn't meant that we'd be naked or anything just – underwear. I do it all the time."

"No thanks."

He shrugged, not too put off by the rejection. He was understandably drawn to her and tried again to spark a conversation. "So how long are you here for?"

"A few more days."

"Cool. Us too. Maybe we should hang out again."

"I don't know, Josh. We had planned for this trip to be about relaxation."

He shot her a suave smile. "I can certainly help you relax."

She smiled at him too, but it was apologetic. "Sorry. Not that you're not attractive, you are, I'm just not interested." Her gaze moved to Jane – who was in the middle of taking shots.

He followed the look and nodded. "No worries. I completely understand." While he was definitely saddened at the fact, he did have an inkling that there was more between those two than they let on. "So how long have you been together?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You and Jane. How long have you been a couple?"

She couldn't help but smile at that. "We're not."

"Oh, sorry… I just thought – "

"No… I'd like to be. I just haven't told her yet. I was actually in the middle of doing so when I got hit with your Frisbee."

He winced. "Sorry about that. I'm sure she feels the same way, though."

She nodded. "I certainly hope so."

The party went on for a while longer. Eventually, as the drinks diminished and yawns increased, they decided it was about time to call it a night.

"Why don't you two stay here," Josh offered. "It's pretty late and you guys have had a lot to drink. We have a spare room."

"Maura?" Jane asked her companion, figuring it was up to her.

She nodded, not feeling up to walking to the lodge, no matter how short the trip.

"Alright, I'll show you to the room." He said, starting to walk down a hallway. It didn't take very long for him to stop in front of a room. "So two of our friends aren't gonna be here till tomorrow. You can have their room."

"Thank you." Maura said sincerely.

"No problem." He smiled. "Have a good night, you two."

The two women walked into the room. It was lightly furnished – just two twin beds and a dresser – but perfect for tonight.

"Which one do you want?" Jane asked.

"I don't care."

"Kay." She said before jumping into the bed closest to the window.

Maura sighed when she realized she would have to sleep in her clothes but she was too tired to really care. She climbed into her own bed and smiled over at the already fast asleep detective. It took her a few minutes to join her, as her mind was busy trying to figure out a good way to continue the conversation that was interrupted earlier.

XXXXX

"This is a really nice place." Maura commented, looking out the window that their table was right next to.

"Yeah." Jane agreed.

"Here's your food miss." He says, placing a severed head in front of her.

"Wha-" She looked up at the server and gasped. "Hoyt! What are you doing here?"

"Just staying close to my favorite detective." He grinned. "And anyway, I just thought you might want this." He handed replaced her dinner knife with a scalpel. "You're pretty good with it, if I recall correctly. Just like me: killing in cold blood."

"I'm not a killer." She protested firmly.

"I beg to differ." He laughed. "What was it that you did to me?"

"That's different! You're a monster! You deserved to die!"

He shook his head. "Face it, Jane. You're a killer. I would have died anyway but you wanted to kill me."

Jane's breathing picked up and she looked around for some kind of escape. She looked to Maura across the table and pleaded. "Maura, tell him I'm not! You know me! Tell him!"

"Sorry, Jane. I can't lie. I was there… you killed him. You're a killer."

"No." She shook her head violently. "No, no, no, no, no." With each passing word the world around her faded into darkness as she drifted back into consciousness.

She bolted up in bed, sweating bullets. The dream still remained at the edge of her mind and was biting at her sanity.

"Jane?" The M.E. asked, leaning over her bed. "Are you okay? You've been yelling in your sleep."

"I… Wha-?" She was shaking as the dream replayed in her mind. She was still trying to fight the accusations but was starting to take them to heart.

Maura, seeing the obviously distressed state her best friend was in, climbed into the bed and wiped away sweat-soaked strands of hair before placing a gentle kiss on her temple. She pulled the other woman in close, mimicking the same position they were in the night before, and traced light patterns on delicate skin of a marred hand in attempts at soothing her. A few minutes passed and she felt the detective's breathing slow as she calmed.

"Sorry, Maura." She apologized. "Bad dream."

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

"But it is! I'm a killer. Hoyt was going to die anyway… I'm a cold blooded killer. Just like him."

"Shh… you're not. Everything's okay. Just try and relax."

Jane closed her eyes and focused on doing just that as she listened to the calming breathing of the other woman. A few minutes later, with the aid of Maura's presence, she slipped into a peaceful – and dreamless – sleep.