A/N: This chapter dedicated to Vargas1989 for her (belated) birthday! Also, Sorry for the long wait. The last few weeks have been filled to the brim with homework and presentations. This story is probably going to be it for awhile. I don't really see myself posting anything new until the next episode airs. I hope you enjoy this one, though!

XXXXX

Jane awoke first, smiled at the feel of being in Maura's arms and tried her best to shift without waking the other woman. When she succeeded, her smile widened at the sight of the peaceful look on her face. She brought her hand up – not an easy task when it was still wedged under Maura's arm – and pushed a loose strand behind the M.E.'s ear. She ghosted her fingers along the contours of her face and was more than tempted to place a kiss on those lips that were just calling her name but she managed to refrain.

A few minutes later, Maura stirred. She let out a little groan as muscles stretched just before her eyes opened. When they did, she smiled at the wonderful sight that greeted her. "Morning."

"Morning." Jane grinned back.

"Have you been staring at me?" She asked knowingly.

The detective's face fell, thinking she had been found out. "Sorry. I did'n –"

"No, it's okay." She assured. "I was staring at you yesterday morning so… we're even."

Jane's smile returned. "Maura, listen… I wanna – " Her words were cut off by a knock on the door.

"You guys up yet?" It was Josh. "We made breakfast."

Maura's brows furrowed. "What time is it?" She sat up and looked around for the clock but found none. "Usually I'm one of the first up."

"Well I did wake you up last night." She reminded with a grim look as she sat up as well. "Sorry about that again."

The M.E.'s look softened. Her hand went up to cup the cheek of the other woman and she moved the pad of her thumb gently across soft skin. "Don't be. Though I'm surprised you managed to get back to sleep so quickly."

"Well… you do have a sort of calming effect on me – when you want to." She said, ending with a teasing grin.

Maura just smiled and then sighed. "I suppose we should go out there. I really wish I wasn't wearing wrinkled clothes though." Her nose crinkled in disgust at the thought.

"You could always go out naked." Jane quipped. "I'm sure the guys would enjoy that." As would she but she figured it was best not to add that.

Maura just shot her a glare and got up before heading out to the kitchen to join the others – Jane following closely behind.

"Hey! There you two are!" Josh said, scooping some eggs onto his plate. "You hungry? Plates are right there." He pointed the serving spoon to a stack of them about a foot away. He wanted to ask about the screaming coming from their room last night but figured it was really none of his business.

Jane grabbed one and handed it to Maura with a smile before grabbing her own.

They piled their plates with an assortment of breakfast items before joining the others at the table.

"So. What's the plan for today?" Paul asked, mostly directed to his own group.

Josh, Steven and Mary shrugged. They still had a few hours until their other friends showed up.

"Jane and I were going on a horse ride later today." Maura offered.

"Sounds fun!" Paul smiled.

They got off into a discussion about the various activities offered at the resort until their plates were empty and the remaining food was cold.

"We should probably get going." Maura said with a tinge of regret as she was enjoying the time she was having with her new friends.

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you two!" Josh said with a warm smile as he stood up. "I hope we can hang out again before you leave."

"Yeah, me too."

Warm goodbyes and hugs were passed around before the duo left and made their short journey to their suite.

"Do you want the shower first or – ?" Maura started, pointing at the bathroom.

Jane shook her head. "No, you go for it."

She smiled gratefully, ready to get out of those wrinkled clothes, and headed in.

The other woman fell backwards on the bed with a heavy sigh. She was just about ready to tell Maura how she felt when Josh interrupted them. Maybe it was for the best, she mused. Maybe Maura didn't feel the same way. Maybe this was just the world telling her not to even try or she'll lose her as her best friend. She frowned at that thought. As she attempted to stop thinking about Maura, her mind drifted to something even worse – her dream. It replayed in her mind and her feelings of distress returned.

"Jane?"

She looked up at the M.E. garbed in only a towel.

"Are you okay? You look a little pale."

Jane just nodded her head and bolted into the bathroom. She didn't want to stay in there for much longer due to both the dream lingering in her mind and Maura's state of undress. She let the shower calm her down and reentered the room. Soon they were both ready to head out.

They walked down to the stables very aware of the silence that had overcome them. Maura was stuck thinking she said or did something wrong earlier while Jane was worried that the other woman shared something with Dream-Maura and thought that she was a cold-blooded killer.

They headed into the large barn-like structure and spotted a man brushing out a horse's mane.

"Hello?" Maura called out to get his attention.

He looked up and saw them. Smiling, he greeted back. "Hello. How can I help you?"

"We want to go for a ride."

"Alright." He put down the brush and walked over to a nearby table and looked at a piece of paper sitting there. He furrowed his brows. "Did you make a reservation?"

Maura's face dropped. "No, sorry… I didn't even – "

"It's okay. We're not too busy so I can take you out there now."

She smiled. "Thank you so much."

"It's no problem. I'm Ty by the way."

"Maura."

"Jane."

"Nice to meet you two." He smiled. "Have either one of you ridden before?"

Maura nodded while Jane shook her head.

"Looks like we'll have to do a lesson then."

"I can just watch." Jane offered.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jane. You'll have fun, I promise." Maura said.

"If you say so…" She wasn't convinced.

"It's okay. I'll let you start on my buddy Walter here. He's very friendly." He said, patting the horse he was just brushing.

Jane didn't even attempt to hold back the burst of laughter that erupted from her lips.

Maura looked over at her and let out a slight laugh as well, though nowhere near what Jane was doing.

Ty, getting over his shock at the suddenness of it, looked confused. "Um… What just happened?"

"A few days ago I was asking her what she wanted for her birthday," Maura started, explaining. "And Jane jokingly said she wanted a thoroughbred named Walter."

He smiled. "Well that's quite a coincidence. But Walter's no thoroughbred." He said before he took the horse out and got him ready. He handed Jane a helmet and, a few minutes later, they were all walking out of the stable and towards the lesson ring.

Ty put down a step stool next to Walter and motioned Jane towards her. "Okay, we're gonna go as slow as you need to."

She snorted. "I'm not five. I can do this no problem."

His smile showed slight mischievousness as he stepped aside. "Alright then. Get on."

"Uh…" She looked at the saddle, which was about five feet off the ground, and the small step that was barely a foot tall. She stepped on it and looked at where she needed to be. Taking a deep breath she leaped and threw her body on top of it. She gripped at the saddle when she started to slip off but ended up on the ground anyway.

Maura tried to make a joke, albeit a bad one. "Come on, Jane, you know the saying. Just get back on the horse." She, of course, was the only one who laughed at it.

Jane shot her a glare as she got up. "You're not helping." Not being one to give up, she tried again. This time she was closer, almost managing to get one leg over. Gravity won the battle, however, and she slumped on the ground once again.

"Ready for instruction now?" He said looking down at her with an amused look on his face.

She sighed in defeat and nodded.

He rejoined her and pointed at the stirrup. "Put your left foot in there."

She did as she was told.

"Now stand and throw your other leg over."

She did and looked over at the other two in amazement. "That was too easy!"

He laughed and adjusted the stirrups for her height. "Okay, so before we can even start moving there are some things you need to know. First of all, always keep the stirrup at the ball of your feet. If it goes back to your heel you can really hurt yourself when you fall off."

"Don't you mean if I fall off?"

He and Maura shared a look and he just continued on. "Keep your thumbs on top of the rein and have your fingers underneath." He watched her do as he instructed. "Yes, like that. Now another thing. You're going to want to keep your knees like a V. Just keep them bent like how they are now."

She nodded.

"Any questions before we start going?"

"Nope."

"Alright." He started walking and clucked his tongue, causing the horse to follow.

"Whoa!" Jane said when Walter moved.

Maura laughed and walked alongside them.

After they went forward for awhile, Ty instructed Jane on a number of other things, including how to go faster, how to stop, and how to turn. After he was sure she would do fine on the trails he led them back to the stable.

Maura picked out a horse and Ty hopped on his own before he led them to the trail.

Things started out pretty nice. The surrounding vegetation was breathtaking as the leaves fell around them. Maura and Jane had their horses side by side so they were able to talk about a variety of things. Ty would even join in every once in awhile if he had something interesting to add.

As they got further out their pace gradually increased. Jane was having slight difficulty staying balanced but was very determined not to fall off when their gentle stroll turned into more of a trot.

"Are you okay over there, Jane?" Maura asked, noticing the look of intense concentration on her face.

"Yeah… just – how much longer do we have?"

She shrugged. "Probably only another few minutes."

The detective hoped that was the case. Her legs were starting to get really tired.

The M.E.'s assumptions were correct when, a few moments later, they saw the stables as the forest cleared away. They rode over and dismounted.

"Thank you for the ride, Ty." Maura smiled. "You have such a beautiful trail. And the horses are lovely."

He beamed. "Well thank you!"

Jane grumbled a thanks too, slightly upset at feeling so sore, and they both walked out.

The rest of the day was spent around the resort. First they grabbed a late lunch, which wasn't as bad as Jane thought. She did, however, spend a good chunk of time carefully eyeing the waiters, still paranoid about her dream. She also made sure to check her food for any human flesh, even going so far as to ask Maura about the chances of it. She, of course, didn't provide a helpful answer – stating that she would need to have proper testing done to be sure. From there they went to the lawn and played the various games available – tennis, badminton, horse shoes, croquet, volleyball and even shuffleboard – where they met a few friendly people to play against. Jane, with her competitive streak, made sure their team always won.

"That was just what I needed!" The detective exclaimed when they walked into their room after dinner. "Some nice friendly competition to clear my head!"

"But, Jane," Maura started with a curious look. "You always have competitive games available at work. Need I remind you of hallway football, hallway soccer, trashcan basketball, hallway – " She said, listing them off on her fingers.

"Okay, okay, I get it. But here it's actually allowed. It's nice to be able to play something without worrying if Cavanaugh is nearby."

Maura nodded. "Yes. And it's nice for me not to worry about you breaking any of my things. I still don't understand why you insist on using my trashcans."

"You have the good ones!" She insisted.

She shook her head and decided to change the subject. "I was thinking about checking out this corn maze tomorrow. It looks like a lot of fun."

"Sure… sounds good to me."

"How about after breakfast?"

Jane nodded in agreement. "That's fine."

Maura yawned. "Wow, we had a pretty long day, didn't we? I'm exhausted."

As yawns are as contagious as any flu or cold, Jane followed suit. "Me too." She said, punctuating that statement by plopping face first on the bed.

"What do you think you're doing?"

She rolled over and looked at the other woman, whose tone was slightly harsh. "Whatdya mean? I'm going to bed."

"Not without a shower. You smell like a horse."

She laughed. "So do you."

"I know. That's why I didn't lay on the bed."

Jane rolled her eyes and got up. "Fine. But I'm really tired. Can't we just save time and take one together?"

Maura's face flushed bright red and she stammered. "N-no. You can take one first and go to bed while I'm in there."

She shook her head. "I can't. I won't feel safe unless you're in bed with me."

The shorter woman beamed. "Go shower. I'll be quick with mine, I promise."

She nodded and headed into the bathroom, coming out minutes later smelling fresh. Maura did the same and came out in her pajamas, seeing Jane waiting patiently. They slid into bed and Maura was slightly surprised when the other woman snuggled in close to her.

"Good night, Jane." She whispered.

Said woman was fading off to sleep but a faint whisper escaped her lips. "Love you."

Maura smiled and tucked that away in her mind for when she found the perfect moment to bring it up. The gentle phrase played over in her mind and lulled her to sleep.

XXXXX

The two woke up much like the morning before, only, this time, Maura was up first. They enjoyed the warm and comfortable air that surrounded them for a few moments before getting ready for their day.

After going down to the dining room and grabbing a quick, yet tasty, breakfast, they went to the car and made the short trip to the Hathaway Farm less than ten miles away.

As they walked up to the small building at the entrance of the maze, Maura was struck with an idea. Telling Jane here might be a good idea. It's relatively secluded and even slightly romantic.

They paid the admission fee and walked in.

"So, what do you think? Left or right?" Jane asked.

"Uh…"

"Hey there ladies! No boyfriends with you today?" A man who was part of the group behind them yelled out as he walked over to them.

"We don't have them." Maura answered before walking forward briskly.

"Oh, really?" He smiled and ran to catch up with them. "Well then, which one of you lucky ladies wants to be mine?"

The M.E. let out an aggravated sigh and kept walking.

"You want me to tell him to get lost?" Jane asked.

"No, it's okay… I'm sure he'll take the hint eventually."

She nodded, thinking the same. They kept walking for a few more minutes, getting lost in the maze. Every turn they made, however, so did the man behind them.

He ran up and stopped in front of them. "I get it. Playin' hard to get, huh? Cute. Now how about it? Why don't you ditch your friend and we can have some fun?" He said, directing his words towards Jane.

"Beat it, loser." She responded.

He frowned and walked towards them again. "Come on!"

Maura turned around. "She said no! I don't get why that's so hard for you to understand!"

He was visibly taken aback by the ferocity in her voice. "Geez, I was only playing around…" He said before walking off and muttering some other choice words under his breath.

"Wow, Maura."

"Sorry," She said sheepishly. "I was just – he was getting really annoying."

"Yeah, but… I mean I'd get it if I did something like that but you?"

She shrugged and kept walking.

"Maura…" She started, wanting to find out what was really bothering her.

Said woman stopped and grabbed a hold of Jane's wrist. She dragged her to a nearby picnic table, one of the few located within the maze, and sat down.

Jane followed, sitting next to her.

Maura took in a breath and ran her fingers along Jane's hand as a way to comfort herself.

"What is it? Did I do something wrong?"

"What? No! Of course not!" She said adamantly. "It's just… I need to tell you something. Something I've been trying to say for the last few days."

"Okay… Go ahead." She said after a few moments of silence.

"Um… how do I put this?" She thought for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to say it before deciding that blunter is better. "I'm in love with you."

Jane stared at her blankly. "You – you what?"

"I'm in love with you. So so much in love with you."

"But – are you sure? After what I did to Hoyt – I mean, I don't deserve – "

"No! Don't talk like that! Of course you deserve to be loved! I don't know anyone who is more deserving!"

"But I killed him, Maura. He would have died anyway… there were other ways to stop him…"

Maura shook her head. "You're not like him." She said firmly, gazing into conflicted chocolate eyes while gently rubbing her hand.

She broke the gaze and spoke softly. "You were passed out. You didn't even see…"

"But I know you." She brought her hand up to regain eye contact. "You're sweet and kind and you'd do anything to help others. Do I even need to remind you of what happened several months ago? The whole city was celebrating you because you're so selfless and amazing."

"Do – do you really see me that way?" Jane looked at her in amazement.

She nodded. "Most definitely."

"But – "

"No buts. You didn't do anything wrong. He's the killer. Not you." She knew it would probably take awhile for Jane to believe it but was willing to do anything it took – even suggesting to Cavanaugh to make Jane have a required psychological evaluation.

"Thanks, Maura." She smiled and scooted closer. She smiled and leaned in closer but pulled back when her lips were dangerously close to the one's she's been dying to kiss for awhile. "Oh, I forgot…. I love you too."

Maura beamed, moved forward, and wrapped her arms around the other woman's neck as she connected their lips together. The sensation was incredible – mind numbing, almost.

They sat there, minds reeling, as their session continued. All the love and passion pent up inside them was released and shown through the dancing of their tongues and the movement of their lips.

When they finally broke away they were panting. Despite their breathlessness they were beaming and wanted so badly to go for round two. Maura, however, thought it would be best not to.

"We should probably find our way out of this maze." She said, standing up and holding out her hand to the detective.

She nodded and interlaced her fingers with the offered hand before following her through another corridor made of corn. "So do you have any idea where we are?"

"Not a clue."

"Great…"

"You're not having fun, are you?"

Jane laughed. "Only you would have the definition of fun be: 'trapped in a maze of corn'."

"Well actually, the definition of fun is – "

"Never mind." She said with a smile. "What I meant is that I would much rather be in our room now."

"You're feeling tired?"

"Far from it."

Understanding registered on her face. "Oh..." She smiled. "Jane, we have plenty of time for that later."

"I know…" She sighed. "But with the way I feel about you, we might get arrested for indecent exposure." She said jokingly.

Maura laughed, hoping it was just a joke, as she was still having trouble discerning such things.

They strolled through the maze for another hour, holding hands all the while, until they finally found their way out.

"Did you two enjoy the maze?" The farm's owner asked when she spotted them coming out of the exit.

Jane laughed. "We kinda got lost for awhile."

"Then I did my job right!" She smiled and then looked at them for a moment. "Let me guess… you two are on your honeymoon, right?"

A look of surprise appeared on each of their faces and Maura answered. "No… what would make you say that?"

"Oh, I was just getting that vibe. You two make such a lovely couple."

"T-thanks…" She said.

"You're very welcome. Is there anything I can do for you? A tour of the farm, perhaps?"

Jane shook her head. "No… but do you know of anywhere good to eat? I'm starving!"

She thought for a moment. "Well there's this nice restaurant not too far from here. It was voted 'best place to take a date' last year!" She said excitedly. "Hang on a moment and I'll write down some directions."

Maura smiled over at Jane when she left. "I guess this will be our first date."

The detective thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. "Naw. First official date, yes."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Maura. We've had tons of dates already. At the Robber, your ex's dinner party, wherever… the only difference is that now I'm allowed to kiss you afterwards."

Maura smiled. "I never thought of it that way."

"Okay, here it is!" The woman said walking up to them while holding out a sheet of paper. "I hope you lovely ladies enjoy yourselves! And come back for a visit soon!"

"Sure thing!" Maura chimed back.

They walked to the car and drove to the restaurant, only getting lost for a few minutes. When they walked in they were immediately struck with the warm and friendly atmosphere.

The hostess smiled and greeted them. "Hello, welcome to Table 24. Just you two this afternoon?"

"Yes." Maura answered.

"Right this way." She grabbed two menus and led them inside their dining room, placing them at a table against a wall. She put a menu in front of each one of them. "Your server will be right with you."

They scanned their menus, finding a number of different things to choose from, each one looking more delicious than the last.

After they ordered, and their food arrived, they got to talking about what they wanted to do for the rest of the day – besides the obvious.

"I just think that, since we're here, we should enjoy what the resort has to offer." Maura insisted. "We can spend all the time we want alone in Boston."

Jane frowned but knew she was right. "Yeah. That makes sense." She said before taking another bite from her BLT. "What'd you have in mind?"

"Well… I think a boat ride would be romantic, don't you?"

"With you a sinus infection can be romantic." She laughed.

She narrowed her eyes as the edge of her lips turned downward. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No! I just meant that… as long as I'm with you it's romantic."

The other woman's expression turned around completely. "Aww, thanks Jane."

"No problem, babe." She said with a playful wink.

They took their time to finish eating as they discussed what will happen when they go back home. It was agreed upon immediately that Angela would freak out – though probably not in a bad way. But they weren't sure how the rest of their friends and Jane's family would react to the news.

Deciding to just cross that bridge when they get there, they paid and left. In no time they were back at the resort and heading towards the beach again.

After they discovered that they just missed the last pontoon boat ride for awhile, they decided to go out in a canoe.

This time it was Jane who had some experience, having learned how to maneuver one of these in camp one year as a kid. Maura let her take control of the rowing and they slowly made their way out to the middle of the reservoir.

"Should I just go to the other side and go back or…" Jane asked, stopping her rowing.

Maura shook her head. "No." She leaned forward and took the oars from her before placing them in the boat. "How about we just stay out here. It's nice."

"Yeah." She smiled. Now it was her turn to lean forward, grabbing Maura instead of the oars. "Come here." She slid down onto the floor of the boat and brought the other woman in to sit between her legs so Maura's back was against her front. She wrapped her arms around her waist and placed her chin on her shoulder.

They stayed like that, occasionally shifting for a kiss, until sunset where they watched the changing colors of the sky play on the water, creating a beautiful effect.

Without a word, the two sat up and made their way back to shore, all the while gazing lovingly into each other's eyes.

As soon as their feet hit the sand, Jane's stomach growled.

Maura laughed. "I guess we should get some dinner now, huh?"

"A quick bite to eat wouldn't hurt." She said, grabbing hold of her love's hand for the long walk over.

As they were making their way across the lawn they heard a familiar voice.

"Hey guys!"

They turned and spotted Josh, along with his friends. They smiled and greeted him back.

"So, how've things been? Enjoying your vacation?" He took notice of their hands and smiled.

"Yep. It's going fantastically!" Maura exclaimed.

"That's good to hear! Well, we were just on our way to have a bonfire on the beach. It's nice seeing you again!" He would have invited them along but he figured they had a few things they wanted to do alone.

"You too!" They said back.

"You know, part of me wishes we could have spent more time with them. They were fun." Jane said. "But I definitely don't regret time alone with you." She added with a grin.

"I agree."

They continued their walk to the restaurant in silence and watched the nighttime activity. When they got there, there was a bit of a wait, but they didn't mind too much. Eventually they got seated at a nice table outside and placed their order.

"So… we're leaving tomorrow, right?" Jane asked after she took a sip of her beer.

"Yep. Check out is 11 A.M."

A groan emerged from her mouth. "Why so early?"

She furrowed her brows. "That's not early. We've been awake several hours before that every day we've been here."

"Yeah but now I'll want to stay in bed with you as long as possible."

"We have plenty of beds available to us at home."

"Yeah, three hours away." She pointed out.

"It'll be fine." She insisted.

A few minutes later their food arrived and they ate rather quickly as thoughts of what was next in the evening's schedule pressed on their minds.

"You ready?" Maura asked as she put down her fork and saw the look of slight impatience in the other woman's eyes.

"You really need to ask me that?" She laughed.

They got up and headed for the elevator, resisting the temptation to start early and give the security people a nice surprise.

The elevator door opened and they headed out into the hallway and towards their room. Due to nerves, Jane had a little trouble with the room key, but she got it open and headed inside.

The suite door closed and they stood there, staring at one another.

Jane spoke up first. "So… what now?" Now that they were finally here, alone, she wasn't sure what to do next.

"Well… do you want a bath?" The other woman asked with a slight glint her in eye.

Jane's brows furrowed. "Why? Do I smell?" She sniffed at her arm just to check for herself.

Maura laughed. "No… I mean do you want to take a bath with me…"

The detective's eyes lit up in understanding and a grin landed on her face. "That sounds wonderful."

The M.E. started by kicking her shoes off before peeling off her socks and tossing them to join the footwear. She watched Jane's eyes follow her every move and she brought her hands up to unbutton her blouse. Shrugging it off her shoulders, she motioned for the other woman to come closer.

She did so immediately and was slightly taken aback by the boldness of Maura who had just reached forward to lift her own shirt over her head.

Slowly, the two continued to undress until they were completely devoid of all clothing.

Maura reached forward and gently took hold of the other woman's writs before she led them into the bathroom and turned on the water.

Jane moved her hand forward and traced the edge of the shorter woman's jaw line, causing her to turn towards her. From there she cupped her cheek and brought her in for a searing, yet tender, kiss.

They broke away just in time for the water to be shut off and got in. Jane slid in first before letting Maura sit down in front of her, essentially mirroring the position they were in just hours before.

It took them a few moments to get used to the rush overcoming their bodies but, eventually, Jane started gliding her fingers up and down Maura's arms while placing gentle kisses along her neck. Maura basked in the sensation and caressed Jane's legs, focusing specifically on the inner thighs.

When the heat from the tub had dissipated, they didn't notice. Their internal temperature had long ago spiked at the feel of skin on skin but, eventually, the restrictions of the bath had gotten too much.

"I uh… should we get out?" Jane asked, feeling flush.

She couldn't talk so, instead, she moved her head up and down before standing and grabbing a towel.

They dried off and made their way to the bedroom, lips attached the whole time. They collapsed on the bed together, naked, ready to go wherever the night took them.