Author Note: I have made it more than clear that this story is a Nina/Jane story and NOT Jane/Maura. I am not going to apologise for writing something a little different, for taking a chance, and challenging myself (and the fandom) with a pairing that nobody expects. I'm certainly not going to leave the fandom over writing something that some people do not like. I'm a writer. I write what I want to write, what my plot bunnies beg me to write, and occasionally, what readers like yourselves ask me to write…and sometimes I write what most readers really don't want to read. If I wrote solely for popularity, I would write Jane/Maura fluff all the time, but that's not why I write, so you will continue to get all sorts of different stories from me.

The following days were filled with work. Jane put everything she had into the case, staying on til after everyone else had gone home. Maura didn't return to the police station, at least she didn't return to homicide.

"You going home?" Nina asked, slipping her bag over her shoulder and hovering by Jane's desk.

"We're no closer to cracking the case," she said, barely looking up.

"You'll be no closer by working for a few more hours," Nina said.

"We've got to get a breakthrough soon, why not tonight?"

Nina leaned against the edge of the desk, her eyes searching the room. Satisfied, she slipped her hand over Jane's.

"Don't do this," she said, squeezing Jane's hand. "Don't retreat back into work, just because Maura's back."

"I'm not," she said. She glanced back up, when her eyes reached Nina's, her stomach twisted up. She swallowed a lump settling in the back of her throat. "I don't know if I can do this anymore."

"Come with me," Nina said, tugging at her hand until Jane stood and followed her along the corridor. She glanced at a couple of doors, before pushing down on the handle for the janitor's closet.

"What?" Jane asked, as Nina closed the door behind them.

"Something's changed between us."

"Yeah," Jane said. "We have sex, a lot of sex."

"No." Nina shook her head. "After the sex. I'm not just seeing things, because I know you felt it last week. When you asked what this is."

She closed her eyes. Facing everything that went through her mind was harder than facing Maura. She'd spent so long waiting for her, hoping that maybe one day she would come home. Now she had, as painful as it was to admit, she didn't know if she wanted her anymore.

"So," Nina said, repeating Jane's question. "What is this?"

"Sex," Jane said, opening her eyes. Nina raised her eyebrows. "This was just supposed to be temporary."

"But, it's not." Nina slipped her hand across the gap between them and wrapped her fingers around Jane's. "It's more. It became more."

Jane lowered her head. "When Maura told me she loved me, I choked," Jane said. Nina's brow creased. Talking about Maura was probably not what she was expecting. "I didn't know if I could do it. I knew I loved her too, but it's a massive thing. Admitting to having feelings for someone you're so close to."

"Especially when everyone thinks you're as straight as a ruler."

"Exactly. It took me a while to catch up. But when I did, I was so desperate to be with her that I wasn't prepared for what happened. After the letter arrived, I thought I'd never be happy again."

"This is a great story," Nina smiled. "But can you get to the point?"

"I didn't want to move on. As much as I hated waiting for her, hoping that she'd be back, I thought I wanted to wait. Being with you made me realise that maybe I don't want to wait anymore."

"Even though she's back?"

"Even though she's back." Jane paused. "It's been months. Several painful months. I had to deal with the fact that we weren't going to be anything. That I'd lost her forever. Seeing her made me realise that I have dealt with it. I've put it to bed. I can't go back there."

"So, what does that mean?"

"It means I want you to be my girlfriend, Nina. I want to tell people that we're together, I want to tell my family, I want to face the homophobic old school detectives at work. I want to be with you."

A silence settled between them. Jane took a long, deep breath in and hesitated. Nina's eyes fell to their hands.

"You're not talking, why aren't you saying anything?" Jane asked.

"I'm processing," Nina said, lifting her head.

"And?"

"And...my counter offer is we don't tell anyone yet; you can tell your family you're in a relationship, if you wish, but I don't want anyone to know it's me. Frankie works with us. It's too much of a blurred line."

"But," Jane said, before Nina cut her off.

"If you want to come out to BPD, then that's your thing, Jane. I'm not ready for everyone to know about me yet."

"Okay, I can live with that."

"Good," Nina said, leaning in and brushing her lips against Jane's. "Now, will you come and have dinner with me or do I have to go out alone?"

"That depends," Jane said, wrapping her arms around Nina's back. "What are we eating?"

Nina raised her eyebrows and smirked. "How about we grab some burgers from the Dirty Robber and go back to your place?"

A couple of hours later, the burgers lay uneaten in their paper wrapping on the kitchen counter. Jane rolled over on her bed and pulled Nina into her arms. She ran her fingers along her skin and placed soft kisses along her collarbone. She nibbled playfully, barely conscious of the marks she was creating on Nina's skin.

"Do you want a pickle with that?" Nina asked, pushing Jane away.

"Too much?"

"No," Nina said, capturing her mouth with her curved lips. "But I am getting hungry."

Jane pulled herself out of Nina's embrace, wandered into the kitchen and picked up the burgers from the counter. She turned to head back to the bedroom when she heard a knock on the door. She dropped the burgers back on the counter and took an old towel from her laundry basket. Wrapping it around her body, Jane opened the door.

"Maura."

"Good evening, Jane." Maura stood on the other side of the door in a smart blue dress and killer heels, her hair pulled up on top of her head. The possibility that she was there to seduce Jane did not escape her. She wrapped her arms tighter around her body.

"Wh, what are you doing here?" she asked, glancing back into the apartment. "Now's not a good time."

"I won't be long."

"Good," Jane said. "My girlfriend is waiting for me."

"Your…girl…friend," Maura's voice trailed off.

Jane sighed. She clung to the door, keeping Maura on the other side of the threshold. "Yes, Maura."

"Oh."

"What is it you wanted?" Jane asked, pulling the towel up a little higher around her chest, her impatience obvious.

"I wanted to apologise. For the letter. But, I…" Maura's voice trailed off again, her eyes travelled into the apartment behind Jane.

"But what?"

"But, I, I just always assumed that…like how I feel about you…that I was, an exception."

"An exception?"

"You're the only woman I've ever fallen in love with," Maura said.

Jane scoffed. "So, you're pissed that I think I'm gay?"

Maura shook her head and stared at the floor. Her eyes meeting Jane's as she spoke. "No, I'm upset because I thought I was special."

"You were." Jane closed her eyes. Now really wasn't a good time. "You are. Maura. You have been an important person to me for so long. But after everything that's happened...I had to get over you."

"So, you don't love me anymore." The sadness in her voice hit Jane where it hurt.

She focused all of her attention on Maura. "I...I don't think you want me to answer that."

"I do. If I deserve anything, it's your honesty."

"Yes. I still love you." Jane ran a hand through her hair. "But it's the way you love your first. It's the way you will always love someone who was a massive part of your life. Am I still in love with you? I don't know. All I know is losing you was the hardest thing I've had to do since Casey and the baby. I can't go back. I'm sorry."

"I understand." Maura's lips pressed together tightly. Her eyes glistened. Jane felt her heart ache. Whilst everything she said was true, seeing the pained look on Maura's face was something she hadn't prepared herself for. "I don't like it, but I understand."

"What is taking you so long?" Nina shouted from inside the apartment. Jane took a step back and turned at the sound of her voice, the door swung open further.

"Is that…?" Maura asked, her voice disappearing as she stepped into the space of the open door. Nina's eyes bugged as Maura stared back at her, she wrapped her arms tightly around her naked breasts and sprinted into the bedroom.

"Yes," Jane whispered, forcing Maura back into the hallway. "Please, don't say anything to anyone. We're not ready."

The tears in Maura's eyes grew heavier, her cheeks flushed. She gave a curt nod. Jane felt the anger and frustration emanate across the space between them. The distance grew further.

She shrugged. "I'm sorry. You were going to find out eventually."

"I have to go," Maura said, her voice small and vulnerable. She turned and walked back down the hallway and disappeared around a corner. Jane's shoulders sunk. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her.

After a moment Jane pushed the door closed. She picked up the burgers and carried them into the bedroom. If she was going to be shouted at by Nina, she at least wanted a burger to soften the blow.

Author Note: Yes. I did just make that happen. No, this really ISN'T going to be a Jane/Maura fic.