A/N: SO SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG I KNOW I'M THE WORST. I'm still very much dedicated to this story. It's just gonna be a long journey, as my life is only going to get busier. Thanks so much for sticking with me. All your feedback means the world to me.

Maura fidgets. She sighs. She rakes her fingers through her hair. She fans out all her limbs against her comforter, exhaling a long stream of air. She hears a noise, just outside her door, and she jerks up immediately, her heart light and hopeful.

But the door remains closed, and she's overcome with stagnant silence once again. She props open her biology text book, but her eyes burn as she tries to read the words. She nearly falls out of bed when she hears her cell phone buzz across the room, slamming her textbook shut as she scurries to retrieve it.

But it's only Ian, asking her if she wants to get dinner later. She lets out an audible moan, retreating back to her bed. She should go for a walk, or perhaps even study in the library, but she's fearful that the moment she leaves will be the moment Dell arrives.

Dell is as fleeting as ever: Busy, social, and wanted. When she appears, for brief, unexpected moments, she sweeps Maura into a flurry of kisses and frantic touching. It is these moments that make the ever agonizing wait always worth it, though they're gone almost as soon as they begin.

It seems as when she's always ready to give up, just when she is about to question her sanity, Dell appears, making the world feel right again. The door flies open, and Maura pulls herself up off the bed, her stomach dancing wildly and her heart pulsing erratically. But Dell flits across the room in a hurry, barely even giving Maura a sideways glance as she tosses off her shirt, muttering quietly to herself.

Maura rests her head against her knees, letting out a breathy sigh.

"Sorry, I'm in such a rush," Dell apologizes, a bit breathless.

Maura says nothing, but continues to look at her, wide eager eyes.

"Don't look at me like that." Dell bites back a laugh. She pauses, looking a bit more closely at Maura, biting at her lower lip. "You're making me want to kiss you."

Maura's cheeks turn a little pink as she scoots her knees closer to her chin. She says nothing, though she keeps her gaze fixed on Dell.

"Fuck you, Maura," Dell laughs again, striding easily across the room. She reaches for Maura's chin, placing her thumb firmly beneath it. She brings her lips to Maura's, soft, yet urgent and needy. Maura lets out a sigh she did not realize she had been capturing in her chest for so long. The ache in her body releases, though she's already dreading the moment it builds up again. Maura reaches for Dell's black curls, securing Dell's head against her hands, tugging her closer.

"I can't, I can't, I can't," Dell moans, pulling away. "Soon though, okay?" She gives Maura another gentle peck, before tugging on a new shirt, grabbing her purse, and bolting out the door

It's never quite enough to fill what Maura wants - what Maura needs. And Dell's promises only fill her with empty hope. She wishes that she could be to Dell what Dell is to her. But Dell has the world, leaving Maura with nothing. She falls back against her bed, biting her tongue roughly, because she doesn't want to cry. She wishes she could be a priority, not an option.

XXX

Jane is still tangled in her grasp when she wakes the next morning to beams of sunlight spilling against the bed. Maura blinks in the morning, breathing in Jane's sleepy scent, basking in the warmth of her body. She closes her eyes again, tucking her chin against Jane's shoulder. She'd pause the world in this moment if she could.

But morning stretches on, and Maura's full bladder aches uncomfortably. Jane sleeps soundly, her face soft and serene, her hair perfectly tousled. She is graced with such natural beauty, untainted by even the messiness of slumber. Maura knows she must look frightful - tangled hair, smudged makeup. It takes Maura time to achieve the level of beauty that has been bestowed upon Jane. She reluctantly leaves the bed, taking her skirt and shoes with her into the bathroom, combing through her hair with her fingers and dabbing her blurry makeup with a square of toilet paper.

By the time she leaves the bathroom, Jane has left the bed as well. She sits in the large armchair in the corner, the guestbook from the dresser propped up on her lap. Maura steps toward her, reading her messy scrawl, "Satanic forces at work here - Jane! You can't write that!"

"Too late." Jane snaps the book shut, a wry smile on her face. "Ready to go get the car?"

The walk to the shop is much more pleasant in the light of day, and the fresh country air is a pleasant amenity. Jane doesn't mention anything about the events from the night, so Maura doesn't either.

"Morning, ladies," Giovanni greets as the pair steps through the open garage. He clicks his tongue, winking in Maura's direction. "And you're looking h-"

"Hot," Jane finishes for him, pointedly rolling her eyes. "Yeah, we know. Look, I appreciate you working on my car, but we really need to be getting home now."

"Hey, let the beauty talk for herself," Giovanni nods at Maura again, running a hand through his over-greased hair. "You seeing a guy?"

Maura looks quickly at Jane. "No," she answers quietly.

"Looks like I'm in luck," he nods proudly in Jane's direction, who in turn lets out a disgusted snarl. "You wanna help me out under the hood sometime, sweet cheeks?"

"That's enough!" Jane barks in his direction, before retreating slightly. She catches Maura's eyes, as if to make sure she has not crossed a line. Maura smiles, small but appreciative. "Maur...I think," Jane steps up behind Maura, grabbing her wrist gently. "I think we should just tell him. Don't you?" Maura turns to Jane, a look of confusion decorating her face, though she settles into her touch. Jane adds, her voice deep and husky, "Babe." Maura unintentionally swoons.

Jane presses herself up against Maura's back, firmly and protectively. Maura naturally falls against her, the contours of their bodies aligning in just the right places. Giovanni feels distant now as Maura watches Jane's hands lock across her stomach.

"Tell me what?" Giovanni's voice is hardly relevant, though it tugs Maura back to the matter at hand.

"Tell him...babe," Maura bravely enters the charade, the simple, cheesy pet name sending her stomach into an hysterics of butterflies. Her body sways gently against Jane's, and her smile is so genuine that she's sure Giovanni will have no choice but to buy it.

"Maura and I...we're um...best friends," Jane stumbles over her words. Maura can feel Jane's heart swooshing against her back. "Like more than best friends." She tucks her chin against Maura's shoulder. Maura glances back at her, trying to swallow her smile but with no avail. "Get it?"

"Ah," Giovanni points at the two, his face lighting up as the cogs turn in his brain, looking much more amused and intrigued than wounded. "Ah," he says again, and Maura can feel Jane nodding encouraging against her neck. "You two batting for the other team?"

"We are," Jane answers with such firm confidence that Maura almost believes it herself. Giovanni continues to look at the pair, and Jane's grip only tightens, fierce and possessive.

"That's too bad - for me at least," Giovanni sighs. He touches his hair quite unnecessarily again. "Unless you two are ever up for a threesome." The idea seems to perk him up considerably.

"Get me my damn car keys," Jane hisses so viciously that it sends a shiver down Maura's spine. He turns to fetch them, though Jane shows no sign of letting Maura out of her grasp.

"Ready to go, babe?" Jane whispers, her voice less aggravated. Her lips inadvertently brush softly against Maura's cheek. The motion startles Maura, and she turns her face, causing Jane's lips land on the corner of her mouth instead. She wishes it didn't happen so quickly, because it's so unintentionally intense and perfect that Maura wants more time to memorize the mere sensation of. But Jane pulls away as quickly as it happened, her dark cheeks hued with pink, her eyes too startled to be apologetic.

"Here ya go," Giovanni tosses the keys toward Jane, leaving Maura in momentary shock as she takes her warmth with her. "I wish you two the best."

Jane manages a polite nod and ushers Maura to the car. "Sorry if I overstepped a line," Jane coughs, starting the ignition. Her cheeks are still rosy. "He just pissed me off so much. I couldn't stand the way he was looking at you."

"No, of course not. It was necessary," Maura assuages her, though she's not quite able to look directly at her yet.

"Yeah, very necessary," Jane nods. She grips the steering wheel as they pull out of the garage. "Now you won't have to worry about that creep coming after you."

"I appreciate it," Maura speaks softly, turning her face to the window, watching the countryside fly by. "The charade...it was a bit fun."

Jane laughs, easing the tension. "It was, wasn't it?" She turns her head, and the two lock eyes. There's so much there, so much left unspoken, that it wells in Maura's chest. Maura wishes she could tell her, but there are a thousand things holding her back. As Jane pulls out onto the main road, the butterflies softly fade away, and Maura is left with a knot in her gut.