Jane's apartment was quiet as Maura opened the door to let herself in. The therapy session had ended early, and she had decided to stop by her house to pick up a few items for the next day and call Harold. The call had lasted longer than she had expected, and she had arrived at Jane's apartment much later than originally anticipated.

Based on the state of both the kitchen and the living area, it was clear Jane had eaten and was already in bed. Quietly, Maura went through her normal routine, getting ready for bed as quietly as she was able. In time, she was freshly showered, smoothed with lotion, and dressed in a silk pajama set she tended to favor because Jane had once made a comment on the color.

As she entered the bedroom, she saw that Jane was quietly lying on her normal side of the bed. The lamp on the opposing side was on, and there was a glass of water sitting unobtrusively beneath the light. At the thoughtful gesture, Maura smiled as she slipped into what she had long ago claimed as her side of the bed, laying on her back and pulling the covers up to her waist.

Jane yawned, rolled over, and snuggled up against the side of the doctor, "Hey," she murmured through her sleepiness, "you look happy. Good session or did you have a really good autopsy tonight? Let me guess, the stomach contents were really interesting? The guy had, like, some sort of rare sushi puffer fish or something in his stomach, right?" She gave a halfhearted chuckle as she pulled the sheets up to cover them both and settled more firmly against the other woman, one leg snaking out to drape across the doctor's legs as her free hand settled on the silky material covering Maura's waist.

"All of the above," replied Maura with a low chuckle, permitting her body to relax into and under Jane's. "I found the cause of death for Crowe's case, got back some fascinating tox results for Korsak, finished the final report for you, and then I had a… well, it wasn't a pleasant session with Dr. Sorin, but it was productive." One idle hand swept up Jane's back and neck, landing quite far up in the messy, disobedient curls that she had come to view as her personal playground. They felt friendly and fun, those dark corkscrews, as she combed coarsely through them with her fingers. She sighed in satisfaction; Sorin's edict would not be enacted this night.

"Oh yeah, loads of fun," Jane deadpanned, giving a contented sigh at the feel of Maura's hand playing with her hair. "You stop by your place? I thought you left this set of pjs there the last time we did laundry?"

Maura nodded, smiling up towards the ceiling while on her back. A little adjustment here and there, and her posture and leg placement suited her just fine. It was a good night. "Remember, I had my dirties in the car when we went to work this morning? I took them to the dry cleaner, picked up my last batch, stopped off at my place to change up the clothing rotation a little bit. There was a note from Mimi," she said of her combination housekeeper and tortoise tender, "and your mother dropped by as I was hanging up the phone; she wants to make one of your favorite focaccia recipes instead of gnocchi for family night this week. She also said I should tell you, good for her."

"Good for who? For Mimi?" The confusing was clear in the detective's voice.

Again, the smaller woman chuckled as her free hand trailed over Jane's, which still rested on her own stomach. It felt good to be here, doing this. "Silly. No, she meant good for you. She's noticed that you're running with me again in the mornings, and she said it's making your butt look great. She's right, too. Your gluteus maximus and minimus, as well as your… I mean, your butt and your thighs look like my college roommate's, and that's really good, because her boyfriend used to tell his friends that he could totally wear her for a party hat."

She paused; had it not been resting on the pillow, Maura might have tilted it to the side as she added, "I'm not entirely certain that would be logistically feasible, but it sounded like it might have been a rather enthusiastic compliment, doesn't it?"

"Something like that," Jane chuckled, snuggling closer as a chill ran through her. "So, where are we staying tomorrow night? I guess maybe your place? I sort of miss Ma, but don't tell her I said that. She'll use it against me later."

"Um," Maura said, hands faltering a little. She hadn't quite planned what to say yet, but since it was brought up, she couldn't very well refuse to talk about her plans. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. You're more than welcome to stay at my place tomorrow, but as it happens, I… may or may not be there at the time."

Small fingers, short nails, stroked along Jane's forearm soothingly. "Remember I told you I had a phone call? Well, an old friend, Harold Bell, is coming in from Ogden tomorrow. He's here for business during the day, but I said I'd go with him to the opera tomorrow night. Knowing it's a Wagner opera, they go pretty late, so it's possible that I might just stay in his hotel room afterward, so that I don't have to drive all the way back home. If that's okay, I mean. I've been treating you with less than the full respect you deserve, acting as if you need me to keep you from getting into trouble. The truth is, you're stronger than I've been giving you credit for, and you don't need a babysitter to be here all the time just to keep you on track."

"Oh." Body suddenly rigid, Jane cleared her throat. Her voice cracked slightly as she asked, "One of your doctor friends from before," she shifted, redirecting her question as she rolled onto her back and away from Maura, "from… before you started working as the ME here? What does he do?"

Maura's face fell, but only for a moment. She had to remain positive, or this would never work. "He's an otolaryngologist. Ear, nose, and throat specialist. In fact, he's been called in to see to some problems that the primadonna has been having, the one we're going to see." She snuck a hand back towards Jane, the one that had been freed when Jane rolled off of her and off of that arm. "Jane, please don't be upset. You'll be fine for one night. I believe in you."

"I'm good," came the smooth reply, voice not as light as one would expect of someone who was trying to prove they were, in fact, fine. Still, she took Maura's offered hand even as her face switched between passive, upset, and something else that only flashed for the briefest of moments. "I'm great. I mean that. Besides, it won't hurt me to spend a night alone. I'm a big girl; I can handle this. I've totally got this. Besides," she said, rolling her head to face the doctor, "it'll be good for you to get out for a night and have some… fun with… other people." Despite herself, Jane winced. "I'm sure he's a good guy. You should go have fun, and then you can come back tell me all about it." She frowned. "Well, don't give me details once you hit the hotel room, but you know what I mean."

Softly, the smaller woman squeezed Jane's hand within hers as she scooted in. If Jane wouldn't lie on her, she would lie on Jane, make her feel Maura's affection, support, and closeness. "I'll do my best," she promised to herself as well as her friend. "And Jane? I'll have my cell phone on vibrate, even during the show. If you really do need me, I will come to you. I will always have your back. But I don't think you'll need me." She leaned in, letting her weight rest on Jane's side as she deliberately brushed the backs of her fingers down the side of her friend's face, then cupped the strong jawline. "You're a formidable woman. So tough."

Jane leaned into the touch, adjusting so that both women were comfortable in this new position. "No, but I'm working on it. Besides, if I figure out I don't need to be alone, I can call Ma or Frankie or anyone else. You deserve to at least be able to have some personal time without me. I mean, not that you have personal time with me. Um… what I'm trying to say," the detective blushed, "is that my foot is so deep in my mouth I'm surprised I'm not choking on my knee. Look, go have a good time, okay? Can we," a strong, sinewy hand crept across Maura's back to wrap around the smaller frame, hand resting again the doctor's waist, "get some sleep? It's going to be a long day tomorrow. We don't have any cases open, so we're digging through the cold case bin."

Being forgiven – for what, she wasn't entirely certain – felt so good. Maura released the tense breath she'd been holding with a long, satisfied sigh, eyes closing. "Mm. Yes," she agreed, smiling as she was pulled in.

Even so, a little niggling regret scratched at the back of her mind, as Jane drifted away from the waking world. Once looking her own emotions in the eye, she couldn't unlook, and now there they were, waiting for her: Maura loved Jane. She was sharing a bed with Jane. They were wrapped tightly enough that, had Angela barged in as she was wont to do, she would have made assumptions as to the nature of their friendship.

She was sleeping with Jane. Actually sleeping, no euphemisms involved.

And Jane wanted her to have personal fun time with Harold.

Maura suppressed a shiver as Jane's breath caressed her cheek and neck in sleep. This was new, wasn't it? She could have sworn that they had laid cuddled up like this before, but surely their faces had been differently positioned, or she would have felt that soft breeze with each inspiration and expiration from her best friend's lungs. Last time the two of them had slept facing and on their sides, arms around one another, where had she put her hands? She couldn't remember, and now they felt bigger, clumsy, too hot. Their torsos had been flush, but previously there had not been contact between… No, there must have been contact somewhere besides just ribcages and a bit of stomach, so why hadn't Maura noticed it? Had their thighs – best not think about the placement of that one, actually. How was it that she was only noticing these things now?

As Jane shifted in sleep, Maura caught a glimpse of the clock behind her head. She had been lying there, thinking and trying not to think, feeling and trying not to feel, for nearly two hours. Well, this was ridiculous. She closed her eyes, deciding to meditate until she fell asleep. Just before she could do so, Jane shifted again, and Maura tightly clamped down what would have been a shudder.

Apparently she needed this date with Harold more than she had realized.