I know this chapter is long but if you want to see BAMF Jane or protective Jane or romantic Jane in action read til the end!

Chapter 7 :

Moving forward:

The next morning Jane woke up around half past seven and for the first time since the shooting she felt happy and relieved. Flipping on her side Jane took a minute to watch at Maura sleeping, she looked so peaceful, relaxed. Having Maura in her bed felt so natural but yet different. It was the first time Maura stayed over after confessing their feelings for each other and Jane knew that if Maura hadn't collapsed she would have never stayed, that she would have gone to the hospital and stayed awake all night in case her mom needed her help. Quietly getting out off bed before walking towards the bathroom Jane was grateful that Maura's body for once was stronger than her mind and was hoping that now that they were on speaking terms again Maura would let her help her take care of her mom.

Half an hour later after taking a long cold shower to wake herself up thinking about that open heart conversation they had the previous night Jane went back to her bedroom knowing that Maura was probably going to bring the subject up rather sooner than later and strangely it didn't scare her. After spending so many years making themselves miserable it was time that they finally act like adults and act on their feelings.

"Hey sleepy head, how are you feeling?"Sitting on the edge of her bed Jane was amazed by how beautiful Maura looked even with her make up fading away an her hair undone.

"What time is it?"Maura asked as she sat up in bed confused.

"It's half past 8 am."

"What happened?I remember you telling me you were going to drive me to the hospital."

"Yes but you collapsed in my arms before you even reached the door. Before you ask your mother is fine, Ma spent the night at the hospital and they are having breakfast as we speak."Jane replied brushing a strain of hair away from Maura's beautiful face.

"Alright, I think I really needed the rest, thank you."

"Anytime. Before I forget your dad called quickly after I put you to bed and confirmed that he's finally coming home. His plane lands tomorrow at noon."

"Thank god. It took me a week to reach him and as much time for him to find a way out of the country."

"I know sweetheart, but he's coming home and trust me he's not leaving your mother ever again."For the past two weeks Maura had taken care of her mother by herself because her dad was in Tanzania and had struggled and used all her contacts to finally reach him and it had taken all their money and influence to find a plane out of the country to the US.

"That's the feeling I got when I spoke to him yesterday, he's really worried about her. I think he would have never forgive himself if she had died and he wasn't here for her."

"Well she's alright and the doctors say she should be able to go home in a week or so, that should allow you to rest more right?"

"Hopefully, unfortunately she's going to stay in a wheel chair for a while and will have to see a physical therapist several times a week possibly for months."

"Yes but she's alive and she's strong. Look at her she's already moving around the floor on her wheel chair, she really has your courage and strength."

"Funny you should say that, my dad calls it stubbornness."

"That's a good quality. Anyway now that your dad is coming back everything is going to be alright. You're going to take your mom home and you won't be alone to take care of her. Actually I'm pretty sure Ma is gonna volunteer to be her personal nurse and I'll be here as well for what ever you need."

"That's very kind of you and I'm actually going to accept your help. Thank you."

"Good…How about we get some breakfast? I can make some french toasts with that jam you love so much."

"I would love that very much thank you."

"Well how about you go take a shower and I'll wait for you?I laid one of my suits you like so much on a chair next to the bath tub."

"Thank you."

A few minutes later after taking a long hot shower and jumping in Jane suit that was too big for her Maura finally joined Jane into the kitchen. Walking towards Jane in trying not to trip on the pants that was way too long for her Maura felt good, that suit smelled like Jane and she felt comfortable and safe in it.

"Look at you all suited up, you look great."Smiling as she saw Maura walking towards her Jane couldn't help but finding her friend extremely attractive in her suit and remembered the first time they exchanged their clothes.

"Thank you, I feel very comfortable in it though I must confess that I feel a bit strange wearing your underwear."Maura replied trying to tighten the belt making sure the wasn't loosing her pants.

"Those are brand new panties Maura, they came directly from a brand new pack that has been sitting in my drawer for months. Sorry I didn't have a bra of your size though…"Jane replied trying her best not to stare at Maura's gorgeous breasts.

"It's alright, I can wear the same bra as yesterday until I get home but what I meant was that your cotton panties are incredibly comfortable ."Maura pointed out sitting at Jane's counter licking her lips in anticipation of the delicious breakfast Jane had prepared for her.

"Well miss I only wear the most expensive lingerie now you know that simple cotton panties can be comfortable too."Jane mocked.

"Yes you're right, God this is awkward, we're talking about our underwear over breakfast…"Nervously smiling Maura could barely believe that after everything that had happened they were able to have that kind of casual conversation again but was somehow relieved.

"Yes, let's change the subject. Do you have any plans for today?"Jane asked pouring orange juice in Maura's glass.

"Well considering my mother is in good hands I was hoping that you and I could talk."Maura shyly replied taking a quick bite at her toast.

"Sure, bout' what?"Nervously spreading jam on her toast Jane knew exactly what Maura wanted to talk about and knew that there was no escaping this, not that she wanted to though.

"About us…."

"Oh…okay, shoot."Jane mumbled swallowing hard. One of the things she loved about Maura was her determination and her ability to say exactly what's on her mind and to be confident enough to go for the things she wanted. Unfortunately at that precise moment Jane started to wish that Maura had been a little more shy but was trying to appear confident.

"Well I know we still have a lot to work on if we want to rebuild was has been broken but I can not stop thinking about the fact that we finally confessed our true feelings to each other and I was wondering what you wanted to do about that."

"I don't know Maura. I mean I don't think we should do anything until we managed to rebuilt what I broke, you know the trust, the respect. I think we should focus on that before even considering taking things further."As eager as Jane was to finally act on her feelings after years of trapping them inside her heart she knew that for this relationship to work they needed to take things one step at the time.

"Oh, so you don't want us to act on our feelings…"

"Of course I do sweetheart, God I have been keeping those feelings inside for so long that I thought I was gonna die every time I saw you with a new hot guy. Trust me when I say there is nothing I would like more than make up for all those years of denial and to ask you out on a date but I want to do things right you know, earn your forgiveness and your trust back."

"What if I tell you that I already forgave you?"As much as she was grateful for Jane's desire to do things right Maura was determined to stop being passive and wait for things to happen. This was too important for them and they had waited for too long and Maura could not wait anymore, not after everything that had happened.

"Well that we be a relief but…"

"No Jane. There is no but. It's now or never. I told you I can't live like this anymore. I know we have things to work through but I really can not continue to lie to myself like that."Struggling to find her words, feeling her pulse rise Maura was suddenly one again letting her emotions get the best of her but in a much more positive way than over the past few days.

"Alright sweetie, calm down."Pausing before grabbing Maura's hand Jane knew she was about to finally spit the words she had been dying to say for years "Doctor Maura Isles, would you make me the happiest Detective on earth and go on a date with me tonight?"

"Yes I would but please remember that I have high standards especially when it comes to first dates."Maura replied amused by how traditional Jane's proposal was.

"I expected nothing less, come on let's finish breakfast before taking you home."

About an hour later Jane and Maura were driving back to Maura's house and Jane knew that her next step would be at the hospital to finally confront Dean and also to seek Constance's approval and blessing regarding their coming date.

"Here you go sweetheart, home sweet home, let's hope Bass isn't starving." Jane joked following Maura in her house.

"Of course not. I'm sure your mother fed him before she left for the hospital, here she ...left a post it on his shell."Maura mumbled her eyes wide opened as she kneeled in front of her beloved pet.

"Hey, that's a great idea, you could use him as a messenger rather than calling me when we're working. Of course it wouldn't work for important stuff, but you know. Hey who knows maybe he would enjoy it, feel useful and all instead of staying home all day long."

"Bass is not a messenger pigeon!"Maura frowned not amused by Jane's joke.

"I know, I know, I'm teasing you. He's your best friend and I'm sure he missed you and can not wait until you finally come home."

"Yes, he does look withdrawn and he has been reluctant to eat he's favorite treats. "Caressing Bass' shell Maura couldn't help but feeling guilty for neglecting him. Over the past ten years he had been her confident, her friend, the only constant thing she would go home to. Unfortunately ever since her mother has been in the hospital she had barely spend more than a few hours at her house and she could see how her absence was troubling him.

"Hey, come here. Your mother is going to get discharged soon and your dad is coming home tomorrow. Everything is going to be alright and things should get back to normal. I promise. " Pulling Maura up in her arms Jane as eager as she was to spend more time with her knew that Maura's priority was her mother and Doyle and knew that with her parents living at home with her and her mother in need of constant care she would need to be patient and understanding.

"I know, my mother is going to be alright and it's all that matters."Maura replied suddenly asking herself if she was going to visit Doyle once her mother discharged from the hospital.

"Good. Well I should get going, I have a few things to take care of and I'm sure you're dying to jump out off my clothes to put one of your fancy designer dress."

"Actually no. I'm just going to put a new bra on but I would like to stay in your suit if you don't mind."

"Are you sure?I mean you do look great in it but the pants are at least 10 inches too long and you're literally floating in that shirt."Roaming her eyes on Maura from feet to head Jane couldn't help but smiling at her friend wearing her suit.

"True, you are indeed much taller than me and it does feel a bit too long for me but it's confortable and besides it smells like you."Maura replied looking up, blushing slightly as she she took a deep breath of Jane's sent.

"Alright, as you wish. Anyway I think I should really get going now. "Looking down at Maura their lips almost touching Jane had to resist kissing her right here right now. She wanted to do things right and in the proper order and already knew exactly where she was going to take Maura for dinner.

"You're going to see Dean?"Despite knowing how hurt Jane was by Dean's betrayal Maura was scared that he might succeed to manipulate her again by telling her more lies to cover himself and that she might be tempted to get back to him.

"Hey don't worry. I'm not going back to him alright?Even if he hadn't betrayed me I wouldn't have continued anything with him, he's not the one I want to be with, you know that right?"

"I know, I know and you need closure so just go I will see you tonight, around 7?"

"Yes around 7. Don't worry about it, I just need a minute in the same room with him to give me a piece of my mind and to make sure he won't compromise you with Internal Affairs and after that I will never speak or see him ever again. I promise."Jane replied kissing Maura's forehead.

"I know..."Staying in the middle of Maura's kitchen holding each other neither of them was willing to break that moment, that perfect, tender comforting moment that was miles away from what they had experienced over the past two weeks.

About an hour later Jane was standing in front of Dean's room leaning against the open door trying to find the proper word to throw at his face in the 30 seconds she was willing to give him.

"Jane…"Dean suddenly said as painfully opened his eyes wide enough to distinguish Jane standing a few feet from him.

"Shut up and listen. Listen to me carefully because this is the last time you and I will ever talk. Today or tomorrow IA are gonna come and interview you and you're gonna tell them the truth, that you followed me and that you shot Paddy Doyle because he shot our suspect and that he shot back at you as self defense. What you're not going to tell them though is why Paddy was there and about his relationship to Maura. If you even suggest a link between them I will end you. It's once thing to mess up with me, it's another to mess up with Maura."Jane said taking a few steps closer to him so he could see how serious she was in her eyes.

"Alright. I won't compromise her. I'm sorry Jane I never meant to cause all that drama."Sitting up in bed his right hand across his belly Agent Dean was still in pain from the bullet that was shot at him and that had seriously damaged his left kidney leaving him unconscious for 10 days after the surgery.

"No, you just used me to get to Doyle knowing he was in town and that he would probably get in touch with Maura and that she would tell me and you managed to climb your way in my bed to be sure I would confide in you. Joke's on me though I was naive and let my guard now, I won't make the same mistake twice. Now if you excuse me I need to go home and prepare for a date." Jane smiled turning around.

"You're seeing someone?It's not even been two weeks!"Only a week and a half ago he woke up next to the woman he had been chasing for a long time and now she was telling him that she was seeing someone else?Did she used him as well?Feeling his ego rise in his chest Dean made it a mental note to kill the bastard who stole his girlfriend while he was in a coma, not even admitting to himself that he has indeed used Jane to get to Doyle.

"Yeah, it's an overdue date and the good thing is I'm pretty sure I won't have to fake the way I did with you. Thank you though, what happened between us opened my eyes. If I hadn't hit the bottom like that I probably would have never opened my eyes and face my feelings for her. "

"You're dating Maura?"Rising his voice unable to believe that Jane had switched team and that she had actually faked when they were having sex. No, no woman could switch team after being with him, not possible.

"Not yet but we're getting there. God it feels good to finally be able to say it out loud. Now we're done. Oh one last thing : if you even think about retaliating by compromising Maura because your masculinity or god damn pride was hit because I chose her over well just remember what I did to the last person who tried to hurt her."

"Alright, I know what you're capable of to protect the people you love."Dean nodded finally giving up .

"And I do love her more than life itself so giving it or my badge for her would not be a problem. Goodbye Dean, enjoy the rest of your life."Walking away Jane was finally relieved and strangely trusted Dean to do the right thing and not compromising Maura, not because she knew he was a good guy but because she knew he knew her well enough to know that when it came to Maura she didn't threatened in vain or joke around.

Almost reaching the elevator Jane decided to turn around and to pay Constance a visit knowing that Maura would not visit her for at least another hour. As independent as Maura was Jane knew that her parents' blessing meant everything to her and she wanted to do things right and to ask Constance's permission to date her daughter.

"Jane, it's so nice to see you please come in."Constance said visibly happy to see Maura's best friend hoping that the advice she gave her daughter the previous last night weren't useful.

"Mrs Isles. You look well."Jane shyly said suddenly feeling her throat and mouth becoming dry.

"Yes, your mother is very talented to cheer people up not to mention that my husband is coming home tomorrow."Constance replied clapping her hands.

"Yes, I talked to him last night and already offered to pick him up at the airport and we should be here around 2."Jane replied sitting on the large chair next to Constance bed trying to sit up as straight as possible trying to make a good impression.

"Thank you, that's very thoughtful of you and thank you for taking care of Maura last night, she really needed the rest."

"Yes she was exhausted. Between having you and Doyle here and what happened between us she was both physically and emotionally exhausted."

"I know…So have the two of you managed to talk last night?"Biting her bottom lip Constance was eager to find out if Jane and Maura had finally decided to take that leap of faith.

"Yes we did. Maura apologized and admitted she went too far when she asked me to make sure Doyle would get out of here a free man and when she said I sabotaged her relationships on purpose and we finally…"Pausing for a second Jane wanted to make sure to find the perfect words to fit the way she felt and what had happened the previous night and this morning during breakfast.

"You finally admitted your feelings…"

"That obvious?"

"Oh darling with the way you look at each other, I'm pretty sure your love can be seen from Mars."

"Oh…Well as obvious as it was it hasn't been easy to admit and to face those feeling to ourselves and to each other but somehow what happened recently kinda precipitated things you know."

"I think that between Doyle, Dean and me being here a lot of tension accumulated and at some point it just exploded. I think that once you released it you both realized that things had gone too far and that you would loose each other if you didn't finally face your feelings. And let's face it darling, Maura would have never felt that betrayed if she hadn't been so in love with you."

"And I would have never gone again everything I believe it and fight for every day by offering to free Doyle if I hadn't been so in love with her too.."Thinking about it Jane realized that all that drama and madness and pain had gone that far because they loved each other so much. Never in her life Jane had suspected love to hurt that much and to be that destructive and now she was hoping that their love would help them experience what was more beautiful in life.

"Well now everything is settled. It's going to take time to rebuild your relationship but I'm sure you're going to be just fine."Looking into Jane's eyes and listening to her Constance could hear and feel how sincere she was and was relief to know that if anything happened to her again Maura would be taken care of by someone who loved her so much that she was willing to risk everything for her.

"About that. I'm here to ask you something. Maura and I talked about it and even if I think it's too soon for us to engage in a relationship and even if I truly believe that it would be much wiser to wait until I regained her complete trust and respect your daughter seems to believe otherwise and I know better than refusing her anything so…"Jane said her voice much deeper and serious.

"Are you here to ask my permission to date my daughter?"Smiling at the gesture Constance could not believe that Jane would actually ask for her permission. From what she had seen the first time she met her Jane didn't seem to be someone who ever asked permission to do anything.

"Yes I am, well not your permission but your blessing. I know how important your opinion is for Maura and I wouldn't want to cause any tensions between you."

"Oh darling of course I give you my blessing. As I said I always knew you were in love with each other. Actually I'm the one who confronted her last night and ordered her to stop being so afraid and to confess her feelings."

"Then I owe you big time."Jane nervously smiled.

"Well wait until you meet my husband. He won't be that easily seduced."

"Oh, we're actually going out tonight, do you think I should wait until he's here to have his blessing?"

"Of course not, enjoy yourself, but use the ride back from the airport to talk to him. Show him no fear and speak from your heart and I'm sure you're going to be alright. Maura is our only child so he does get over protective when someone is trying to seduce her but even if he never met you Maura talked to you so much that he knows the kind of person you are and that you're not trying to take advantage of her money."

"Of course not, money doesn't matter to me at all and Maura knows that. Well I should get going. I still need to find the perfect place for our date, wash my hair, shave. Oh boy dating your daughter isn't gonna be easy..."Jane joked knowing that Maura's usual high standars didn't really apply to her.

"Well she's an Isles, we are accustomed to the best thing in life and I think that with you she definitely found the best partner possible."

"Thank you Ma'am, it means a lot to me. Please if it's no trouble I would appreciate it if you didn't mention anything to my mother, I know she loves Maura as a daughter but I would like us to tell her on our own terms."

"Sure. Actually she went home and should be back soon to keep me company, but don't worry I didn't talk to her about the conversation I had with Maura last night and I won't tell her about the conversation we just had."

"Thank you. Well try to get some rest cause my mother as you must have noticed by now is pretty talkative and tiring."

"Don't worry about me, worry about your date, everything needs to be perfect I hope you realize that."Constance said trying to pressure her a bit.

"I know."

Walking back to the elevator Jane was relieved, not only Dean was finally out of her life but Constance gave her blessing to date her daughter. Unfortunately as Jane reached her car something hit her.

"Oh my God I'm going out on a date with Maura Isles. Where in hell am I going to take her?"Jane asked herself knowing how high Maura's standards were.

On one hand she knew that she wouldn't have to impress her as much as her usual dates to seduce her because Maura was already in love with her but on the other hand she wanted to do things right and treat Maura like a lady and offer her the best date possible. Luckily for her Jane knew Maura well enough and had listened to her complain about her catastrophic date to know what she was supposed to do and what she shouldn't do.

Alright guys, I know this chapter was longer than usual but I just couldn't split it two chapters and drag things any longer.

So how BAMF Jane was with Dean?I know saying she faked with him is completely out of character but I just couldn't resist!

And how adorable was she to ask for Constance permission?

Do you think it's too early for them to go out?Do you think Jane is right and that waiting until they completely fixed their relationship would have been wiser?Or do you agree with Maura and think that they had been waiting for this for too long?

I have a small idea how their date is gonna turn out but I'd love some suggestions :)