A/N: First off, I would like to give a special thanks to 'M' for helping me with the French language! I tried my best but I always appreciate tips! Also, thank you to all of you who are still sticking with me on this story. My chapters have not been posted that quickly but I always hope they are worth the wait. So thank you. Happy reading!

Kill & Collect

Chapter 6

Maura groggily opened her hazel eyes as she raised her head from the mildly cushioned passenger side door. She winced at the slight ache in her neck from leaning in an awkward position for so long. As she fully regained consciousness, she noticed Jane was still driving. From what Maura could remember, they had been driving on the dirt road for several hours and before Maura knew it, she had drifted off.

She stretched her muscles and glanced at the brunette. "Oh…" she half yawned. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Almost two hours," Jane replied, not taking her eyes off the road.

The blonde tilted her head to the side, stretching her neck. "I didn't realize I was so exhausted." Maura noticed that the sun was nearly touching the horizon and it would be dark within the next hour or so. An orange-yellow haze colored the sky. She turned to Jane once more and studied the brunette's profile. Jane looked physically drained and seemed to be fighting her own bout with sleep. "You look tired. I can drive us."

Jane shook her head. "I don't think so, Maura. I don't even know where we're going."

"Okay, if you won't let me drive you should at least pullover for a while. When was the last time you slept?"

Jane shrugged. The last time she had decent sleep was when she was lying in bed with Maura weeks ago and that was only for a couple hours. "I'm fine."

Maura rolled her eyes, annoyed that Jane was being stubborn. She looked out the window at their surroundings and realized they were no longer traveling on the back road. They now seemed to be on a two-lane expressway. "We're on the main roads?"

"Yeah, I had to get back on. We're low on gas. I didn't want us to get stranded in the middle of nowhere."

"Isn't this a risk?"

"There's no choice. I saw a sign for a gas station. It's about thirty miles up the road. I planned on hiding you and the car and little ways back and then walk the rest of the way. That way we won't risk the car being spotted. There's a gas can in the back I can use."

The blonde nodded but was not completely thrilled about the plan. Being out in the open was risky and from what Jane had told her about Hoyt's skills, this seemed like the perfect opportunity for him to potentially track them. She once again looked at the woman beside her. Dark circles were under Jane's eyes and she looked rundown. This filled Maura with concern. "Jane, we should really pullover. You need rest."

"I'm fine."

"You're not," Maura argued. "You're exhibiting all of the signs of fatigue and operating a vehicle is the last thing you should be doing right now. In fact, the Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that fatigue is a cause in 100,000 auto crashes and 1,550 crash-related deaths a year in the U.S."

"Is that so?" Jane tiredly replied.

"Yes. It is."

"Well, thanks for the statistics doctor, but I can make it just fine. Besides, even if I did sleep it wouldn't be for long anyway."

"Some sleep is better than none at all."

"Maura, I've gone days without sleep. This is no different."

"It is different. You're not alone. I'm with you now."

Jane's jaw muscles clenched. This was true. It was not just her anymore. Her old tactics of survival had to work for not only her but both of them. She tried to shake off the blonde's reasoning but Maura continued to speak.

"You want to protect me, right? Well, you're doing a poor job of it right now. What good are you if you're fatigued? You'll have slow reaction times, reduced ability to process information, memory lapses, absent-mindedness, decreased awareness, and…" Maura had to stop herself and catch a breath before she went off into a lecture. "My point is, you should stop being a stubborn hard-ass and pullover," Maura demanded.

Jane glanced at the blonde and they locked eyes. She recognized that look of fire and determination and knew Maura meant business. It was the same look Maura had given her when they were arguing on the side of the road near the motel. She also knew more than anything that Maura was right. Jane was exhausted and she knew if given the chance to rest her eyes for a moment, she would more than likely drift off. The sun would be going down soon and there was no way she would be able to navigate properly or find them a safe place in the darkness of night. She sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll pullover.

"Thank you," the blonde said with relief.

"But no motels. We'll have to rest in the car for the night."

"Fine."

Jane took the next available exit ramp and pulled off the highway. The area in which they were driving was extremely barren but eventually she found a thick of trees where they could hide the car behind so it would remain unseen from the road. The brunette killed the engine and blew out a heavy breath. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the seat. Rest… this actually felt good.

Maura looked at her with a small 'I told you so' smirk. "I'm glad we stopped, Jane. You don't have to prove your strength to me all the time."

The brunette let out a tired chuckle, not opening her eyes. "Good to know. I guess I am only human, huh?"

Maura lightly smiled. "Yes, you are." The blonde looked down and eyed the brunette's shoulder. "Let me look at your arm," she requested.

Jane opened her eyes and sat up, allowing Maura to pull down her jacket from her shoulder. The blonde slid the clothing halfway down her torso and examined the wrapping. "The bandage seems to be holding up for now," she commented, lightly touching Jane's arm. "How does it feel?"

Truthfully, it had been aching for the past few hours but Jane did not want the blonde to worry. "It feels okay."

Maura narrowed her eyes slightly as she studied the brunette. "You're a terrible liar."

Jane let out a chuckle as she leaned back in her seat. She turned her head to the blonde. "You think I'm lying?"

"You are. I was unable to use any type of anesthetic taking out that bullet. So I know for a fact that there is some sort of residual pain in your shoulder."

"So if you knew, why did you ask?"

Maura tilted her head slightly. "To pretend I cared. Was it convincing?"

Jane raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Pretty damn convincing."

They looked into each other's eyes with a hint of playfulness and after a moment those looks turned into something else. The small smiles slowly slipped from their faces and they both felt it… attraction... that draw.

Jane was the first to speak, breaking the tension in the small space. "I'm… um, going to take a quick look around," she stammered. The brunette pulled her jacket back on before she opened the door and stepped out of the car.

After Jane left, Maura let out the breath she had been holding and shook her head. Why did Jane have to be so damn alluring?

After Jane made sure their perimeter was secure, she grabbed a roll of toilet paper and announced she had some business to take care of. Meanwhile, Maura made herself busy setting up their sleeping area for the night.

When Jane tiredly came trudging back, she saw that the backdoor of the station wagon was open. As she came closer she found Maura in the spacious trunk lying on top of a sleeping bag. She was resting on her stomach with her elbows propping her up as she held an open book in her hands.

"Hey, where did you get that?"

Maura tore her eyes from the page and looked up. "I found it in a suitcase." She held up the book so Jane could see the cover. "It seems someone is a fan of Pride & Prejudice," she smiled.

"Wonderful," the brunette yawned.

"I take it you've never read it," Maura replied, turning the book back.

"Pride and Prejudice? It's one of my favorites."

"Really?" Maura's face seemed to brighten but then quickly slipped into a disappointed pout when she saw the amusement in Jane's expression. "Wait. You're being sarcastic aren't you?"

"You're catching on fast," Jane smirked.

Maura sighed heavily and focused her attention on the book once more. "You should rest now."

The brunette eyed the other sleeping bag next to Maura and her jaw muscles clenched nervously. She was supposed to sleep there? Next to Maura? In such small quarters? She was not sure if she could handle being that close to the blonde.

In a split second decision, Jane reached forward and pulled the extra sleeping bag from the vehicle. Maura looked up and frowned at her. "What are you doing?"

Jane bundled up the bag in her arms and walked a few feet away from the car. "I'm getting some sleep, per your request."

"No, what are you doing over there? The sole purpose of me moving everything to the front seats was for both of us to have room to lie in the back."

"You can sleep there. I can sleep out here." The brunette shrugged as though it were no big deal. She folded out the sleeping bag and laid it on the ground.

Maura looked at her in disbelief. "Jane, there's plenty of room for both of us in here."

"It's okay, really." The brunette crouched down and unzipped the sleeping bag.

The blonde watched her carefully and narrowed her eyes with curiosity. "Is there a reason you're not sleeping in the car with me? We've slept together before."

"That was different," Jane mumbled, unable to look into the blonde's eyes.

"How?" Jane stopped what she was doing and gave Maura an incredulous look. The blonde raised her eyebrows. "Oh… I see. Would you feel more comfortable if we fornicated first?"

"Maura…" Jane tiredly said.

"Then would you stop being so illogical and come sleep up here with me?"

Jane settled down on the sleeping bag and shook her head. "I'm good right here."

"Fine," Maura huffed in annoyance. "Continue to be stubborn and sleep on the hard ground. See if I care."

"Fine."

"Fine." The blonde lifted the book to her face so Jane was blocked from her view. After a few seconds she lowered the book once more. "I'm starting to find I dislike your trait of stubbornness very much." She then lifted the novel to her nose again. She hated that she felt somewhat hurt that Jane would not sleep near her.

Jane gave no reply as she made herself comfortable in the sleeping bag. She felt it was the best decision for her to keep her distance from Maura. The brunette had made it her responsibility to protect her. She could not allow herself to fall deeper into her feelings for Maura. She would not cross that line. Not when she had to watch over her. Not now. The brunette turned onto her uninjured shoulder and closed her eyes.

Maura read until there was barely enough light left outside. The moon overhead provided a pale blue glow that allowed some visibility in the darkness. After placing the book aside, Maura looked over at the still form on the ground a few feet away. Jane must have finally found sleep, she figured. There was a chill in the air and she knew Jane was willing to freeze than be close to her. What was the brunette so afraid of? That she'd jump her bones? And would that even be a bad thing? Maura shook her head and decided to get a bit more sleep of her own. She chose to leave the trunk door open. It made her feel safer being able to see Jane. She snuggled into the sleeping bag and closed her eyes.

Maura was unaware of how much time had passed when she was awakened by horrific screams. The blonde sat up with a start and frantically looked around for the source of the noise. Her eyes immediately landed on a tossing and turning form on the ground. Jane. The brunette was thrashing back and forth with her eyes tightly squeezed shut as though she were in pain. Maura realized Jane was having one of her terrifying nightmares she had spoken about. Without a second thought, Maura scrambled out of the car and hurried over to the distressed woman. She crouched down beside the brunette and leaned over her. "Jane," she tried.

The brunette was unresponsive and flagrantly continued to thrash her head side to side. Her arms were twitching and her eyes were moved rapidly behind her closed eyelids.

"Jane!" Maura called louder this time.

"No! Please! No!" Jane cried out in agony.

Maura's heart stung at the helpless cries that were coming from the brunette. "Jane!" She placed a firm grip on Jane's shoulder, attempting to give her a shake. As soon as she made contact, a strong grip latched onto her wrist. Maura gasped in surprise at the action and Jane's eyes shot open. Before Maura could speak, the brunette lunged forward and practically tackled her to the ground. With a stunned gasp, Maura found herself flat on her back. The brunette was on top of her, pinning both of her wrists to the ground on either side of her head.

"Who sent you?!" Jane shouted in her face. Her brown eyes were dark with rage and distrust.

"Ja…"

"Answer me, damn it!"

"Jane, it's me! Maura!" The blonde shouted desperately.

Jane's frantic breathes ghosted against her face as the brunette seemed to be trying to process the other woman's words. After a few seconds, the crazy gleam in Jane's eyes suddenly seemed to disappear and the tension in the brunette's muscles slowly dissipated. She even loosened her hold on the blonde's wrists.

Maura noticed this and saw the recognition creeping into the brunette's expression. "Jane…" she gently beckoned, trying to bring the brunette back to reality.

"Maura?" Jane breathed. Her tone of voice sounded confused and lost.

They laid there, staring into each other's eyes.

"Yes. It's me..." the blonde gently replied. "You were having a nightmare, Jane. I was trying to wake you."

Jane was still attempting to calm her breathing and her heart was still pounding in her chest. She looked down at their position and then back into the blonde's face. Her expression soon morphed into pained shame. "Oh, oh, shit…" she spoke in a panicked whisper. "I'm sorry. Sorry…"

The blonde slightly shook her head. She understood the long-term symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. It was nothing Jane could control. "It's okay," she whispered back.

Jane looked the blonde over. "Did I hurt you?" The brunette asked in a soft tone.

Maura saw the genuine concern in the brunette's brown puppy eyes and it melted her. She silently shook her head. Jane let out a sigh of relief, temporarily closing her eyes.

Maura watched as the stress seemed to drain from the brunette's body. The blonde reached up and brushed back some of the brunette's hair from her face. "Come lay down with me," she gently requested. "Will you?"

Jane looked into Maura's caring eyes that almost looked purple in the glow of the moonlight. She was too exhausted to argue with the blonde or think about her reasoning for sleeping on the ground in the first place. She simply agreed and nodded her head slowly. Her positive response seemed to please the blonde. Maura leaned up then and gently kissed the corner of Jane's mouth. The brunette sucked in a breath and closed her eyes at the contact. Maura's lips were so soft and warm. They were better than she remembered. In this moment, she felt so safe and cared for. How does this woman have the power to make her feel this way? The blonde pulled back and laid her head back on the ground. Jane opened her eyes and stared into Maura's. Her heart constricted at the tender, caring look the blonde gave her. Jane found herself falling deeper into this woman and before she could stop herself, she slowly leaned down and placed a soft kiss of her own on the corner of Maura's mouth. The blonde gasped and Jane felt the body beneath her shiver. The brunette pulled back but her lips never left the blonde's face, still lightly touching her skin. Maura kept her eyes closed, basking in the brunette's closeness. She awaited the brunette's next move. Jane's lips never lost contact with her skin as she slowly began to graze from the corner of Maura's mouth to the fullness of her lips. Neither one of them moved as they shared the same breath. Their lips were lightly brushing for a few moments until Jane pressed forward. The blonde gasped at the gentle kiss and slowly began to reciprocate. Their slightly parted lips unhurriedly moved against each other in a slow dance and Maura found herself releasing a soft hum of pleasure. The kiss was not meant to be lustful. There was no tongue. This kiss was meant to serve as a sweet gesture of comfort. They both knew this.

Jane slowly broke the kiss and leaned back, looking into the blonde's face. Maura's eyes were still closed. She waited for those hazel eyes to meet her own and they silently stared for a while. No words were spoken. No words were necessary. The brunette shifted her body and then then lowered her head to rest on Maura's chest and closed her eyes. Maura was slightly taken by surprise at the affectionate move but wrapped her arms around the brunette. Jane needed this. She needed to know that another human being had her and was willing to protect her for once; even if it's only from nightmares. They laid there for several minutes until Maura spoke. "Jane, let's move to the car." She shifted to sit up and Jane leaned back to stand on her feet.

Maura grabbed the brunette's sleeping bag from the ground and they walked over to the station wagon. Jane silently watched as the blonde spread out the sleeping bag in the car and then gestured for her to lie down. She climbed into the vehicle and rested on top of the sleeping bag instead of in between. Maura soon followed and situated herself next to the brunette. Maura wasted no time and wrapped her arm around Jane's middle. She remembered her thoughts of wanting to be there when the brunette needed protecting. Now it was her chance. They both closed their eyes and sleep soon found them.

Jane's eyes slowly crept open but she immediately shielded them with her forearm as sunlight penetrated her irises. It was early morning and scent of fresh air, trees, and dirt was in the air. Jane actually felt rested. She had slept for hours; but how? She opened her eyes once more and realized she was staring at the ceiling of the station wagon. Her mind began to flashback to the previous night. Maura. Maura had woken her from a nightmare. They kissed. Maura held her. They moved to the car. Maura. She turned to her left and expected to see the honey-blonde beside her but instead was greeted by an empty sleeping bag. Jane quickly sat up and looked around the inside of the car.

"Maura?"

Jane quickly pushed herself out of the station wagon. "Fuck," she cringed in pain as she accidentally bumped her injured arm against part of the car.

Finally, getting to her feet, she turned in circles and looked for the blonde. She was nowhere in sight. "Maura?!" She shouted.

No answer.

She ran over to the tree line, hoping that the blonde might have gone to use the restroom. "Maura!" She shouted once again.

"Jane?" The familiar voice answered.

The brunette heard the Maura and relief flooded her. She jogged in the direction she heard Maura's voice. "Maura."

Jane soon saw the blonde's form emerging from the thickness of trees, but became on edge when she saw another person walking not too far behind her. She reached at the back of her waistband and realized her gun wasn't there. In a frenzy she looked around on the leaf covered ground. She had hid it under the sleeping bag when she was lying on the ground last night. Maura and the stranger were closer now. Jane fell to her knees in the spot where her gun should be. She quickly moved aside some leaves and soon found her weapon. Maura and an African American man emerged from the trees and Jane stood to her feet aiming her weapon. Both Maura and the man were stunned at the sight.

"Jane?"

The brunette narrowed her eyes at the stranger, ignoring Maura. She kept her gun trained on the man. "You don't move," she said to stranger. "Maura, come stand behind me."

"But Jane, he's…"

"I'm not kidding, Maura. Get behind me, now," she demanded.

Maura seemed to give the stranger a wary look before doing as she was told.

"Hands up." Jane demanded to the man. He did as he was told. His face was full of uncertainty and a bit of panic. "Who the fuck are you?"

"I… I'm…" he stuttered out.

"Speak up!"

"I'm Barry. Barry Frost. Please don't shoot me!"

Maura came up close behind Jane and placed a hand on the brunette's arm. "Jane, put the gun down. He wants to help us."

"Really…" She said, not taking her eyes off the stranger. "How did you know we were out here, Barry?"

"I… I didn't. This is part of my land. My farm is not too far from here… just over these hills."

Jane still kept her weapon trained on him. He looked a few years younger than Maura, possibly early thirties. He was clean shaven, had friendly caramel eyes and a baby face. But that was not enough to deter Jane. She was not ready to trust anyone.

"Jane, I came across Barold in the woods after reliving my bladder, which… was not a very pleasant experience to endure outdoors…"

"Maura," Jane mumbled, keeping the gun trained on the man.

"I did hide from him at first when I saw him in the woods, but I judged from his overalls, dirty gloves, and working boots that he was not a threat. That he was a local and could possibly help us."

"So what? You struck up a conversation?"

"Yes, actually," Barry cautiously spoke up. "Your friend informed me that you're low on gas and may not have enough to make it into town. I offered my help."

Jane eyed Barry for a long moment. "And you live just over the hill?" She questioned suspiciously.

"Yes," he nodded.

"You sound American to me. You don't even have a French accent." Jane took a step forward. "How do you explain that?"

"I… I am American," he stammered. "My wife and I moved to France about three years ago from Chicago."

"Chicago? Now you're suddenly a good ole farmer?"

Barry was about to speak but Maura interjected. "Jane, he's offered to take us in for a while. We could eat real food, rest in a bed, shower… I really want a shower, Jane."

The man gestured to Jane's arm. "I see your wound is seeping through the bandages." Jane glanced down at her arm and noticed the crimson color making itself visible through the bandage. "My wife can redress that for you. She should also be done with breakfast by now," he offered. "If you care to join us that is."

"Please, Jane. Let him help us?" Maura seemed to pout like a small child.

The brunette glanced at Maura and then back at the man. He seemed friendly enough but Jane knew to always keep her guard up. "Okay, Barold," She drawled out his name. She lowered her weapon but was ready to use it at any given moment. "Lead the way."

A/N: Still liking it? Please let me know your opinions!