The walk back to Maura's car was made in silence. Once they were back at the hotel Jane picked up the car keys and luggage from reception. They knew they had at least a five hour drive back home and it was already 8:30pm so they wouldn't be getting back home until at least 1:30am.
Jane packed up the car while Maura went to the hotel bar for two coffees. By the time Maura was walking out off the hotel Jane was just closing the trunk of Maura's car.
Leaning against the back of the car, Jane watched Maura walk towards her. She had taken Frankie's coat off while she was packing the car, it was a surprisingly warm night in New York. "Thank you." Jane says as she takes the cup Maura offers her.
Maura smiles sweetly. "Are you sure you want to drive back now?"
Jane nods. "Yep. Car is all packed up and I thought you would want to get home to see Bass."
"I do." Maura says as she starts to walk to the passengers side. "But we aren't going to knock on Frankie's door when we get back. We'll pick them up in the morning."
"We don't have to knock, I'll just phone Frankie now and tell him to drop them off. That we will be home in a few hours." Jane says, climbing into the drivers seat.
Maura takes a sip of her coffee before she puts her seatbelt on. "We'll pick them up in the morning. Tonight I just want us to be able to go home and crawl into bed with you."
"Sounds like a plan." Jane smiles as she leans over and places a quick to Maura's lips. "You ready?"
Maura sighed but nodded anyway. She didn't want to go home. She didn't want to loose everything she and Jane had accomplished since being here. She knew it wasn't much but she also knew it was more than they would have accomplished at home. She was dreading seeing Angela, not so much as having to see her but at knowing that Angela had hurt Jane in the worst possible way. She didn't know how to be around Jane in her home now. Could she still walk up to her and kiss her? Tell Jane she was in love with her? Would they both be sleeping in Maura's bed? Or would Jane use the guest bedroom? So many questions she wanted answers for. But worst of all she had no idea how Jane was going to react to being back in Boston. To being twenty minutes away from the house that she died in.
Jane heard the small sigh escape Maura's lips. She started up the engine before she placed a hand on Maura's thigh. "We'll be okay, Maur. Let's go home." Jane squeezed Maura's thigh before putting the car into gear and pulling out off the hotel parking.
"I love you." Maura whispers.
Jane turns to face her, a smile spreading on her face. "I love you too."
…
A few hours later Jane pulled into the 24hour services. They needed gas and she needed a coffee. Maura had been yawning her head off for the past hour and she was starting to make Jane feel tired. Stretching their legs and getting some fresh air would do them both good.
"Are you coming in or do you just want me to bring you a coffee?" Jane asked.
"I'll come in. I need to use the ladies room anyway." Maura said unbuckling her seat belt.
Jane handed Maura the keys. "Keep hold off these. I'll meet you back here, just going to get the drinks. Do you want anything to eat?"
Maura takes the keys and puts them in her handbag. "No, thank you."
…
By the time Jane comes out from the café, Maura is already sat in the passengers seat of the car. Jane notices that Maura has her head resting on the head rest and her eyes are closed. She smiles at the sight before opening the car door and gently sliding in. She rests both cups against her arm and quietly closes the door behind her.
"Did you get me a coffee?" Maura says gently.
Jane jumps slightly at the sound off Maura's voice. "You scared the crap out off me. I thought you were asleep."
Maura smiles softly. "Just resting my eyes. I can hardly fall asleep and let you drive the rest of the way on your own. Did you get me a coffee?"
Jane hands her a cup, but shakes her head. "It isn't a coffee. It's hot chocolate."
Maura takes the cup. "You do know if I drink this that I won't be able to stay awake."
Jane nods. "I'm not asking you to stay awake, babe. You've been yawning for the last hour, I know you're tired."
"I can't sleep, Jane. We have a few hour before we get home. What would you do for entertainment?"
Jane smiles. "Drive. Listen to music. Exactly the same thing I did on the drive down here."
"But..." Maura starts.
Jane cuts her off. "Just drink the hot chocolate, Maura. If you fall asleep, great. If not then that's great too. But don't try and stay awake for my benefit. I'll manage the last few hours on my own."
"Okay." Maura agrees, taking a sip off her hot chocolate.
…
Jane spends the rest off the drive back to Maura's just listening to Maura's soft breathing. She turned the music off as soon as realised Maura had fallen asleep. Pulling up in Maura's driveway, Jane cuts the engine and turns to look at her best friend. Girlfriend.
"Maura...honey, you need to wake up." Jane soothed, placing her hand on Maura's thigh.
"Comfy." Maura says sleepily, eyes still closed.
Jane smiles. "Bet you would be even comfier in your own bed and in my arms."
Maura keeps her eyes closed as a small smile appears on her face. "Mmm. Are we really at home already or have you just got bored and want some company? Because if you have I'm still asleep and you have just imagined these last few minutes."
Jane chuckles as she lifts her hand to brush a fallen piece of blonde hair back behind Maura's ear. She can't help but smile as Maura leans into her touch. Jane leans closer and places a soft kiss on Maura's lips. "We're really home, sweetheart." Jane says as she pulls away.
Maura opens her eyes and smiles at Jane before she pulls her back into a passionate kiss. When they both finally pull away they are both breathing heavily. "Can we go to bed?" Maura soon realises how that must have sounded to Jane, and she promised Jane she wouldn't push her. "I just...I mean...I want us in bed so I can curl up in your arm and go to sleep."
Jane nods. "I know what you meant, Maura. Come on."
As soon as the start walking up the pathway to the front door Jane slips her arms around Maura's lower back. Maura smiles sweetly as she rests her head on Jane's shoulder and snuggles closer.
"Are you going to make it upstairs?" Jane asks, as soon as the front door is open and Maura stumbles inside.
Maura turns to face Jane. "Of course I will. I'm tired not drunk."
Jane nods. "You're cute when you're tired." Jane says as she walks past Maura and heads straight to Maura's bedroom. Not at all questioning what she doing.
Maura watches Jane walk towards her bedroom and disappear. A few seconds later she decides to follow, not exactly sure off what she will find, but hoping she will find Jane in her bed. She pushed open her bedroom door to reveal an empty bedroom. She was just about to turn around when Jane opened the en-suite bathroom door.
Jane smiled at Maura as she walked to Maura's bed and sat on the end. "Are you just going to stand there or are you actually going to get ready for bed?"
"Erm..." Maura stumbled. She walked over to closet and pulled out a fresh pair of pyjama's before she changed quickly.
Jane laid down when Maura walked into her closet, she turned her head in the direction of the closet intending to ask Maura a question when she saw the reflection of Maura undressing in the mirror. The mirror that was aligned perfectly for Jane to see Maura and vice versa if Maura looked up. And a few seconds later that is exactly what happened. Their gaze held for a few seconds before Jane looked away. Eventually she felt the bed dip and knew Maura had laid down beside her.
"Jane..." Maura whispers. "What's going to happen with us tomorrow?"
"I don't know, Maura." Jane answers honestly. She loves Maura, she always has but she knows the two off them in a relationship will take a lot of getting used too. Especially for everyone else.
"Are you going to see your family?"
"We'll be seeing Frankie in the morning when we pick Bass and Jo up." Jane answers.
"Let me rephrase that, are you going to see your mother sometime tomorrow?" Maura questions.
"I don't know, Maura. Right now it's quarter past two in the morning and I'm tired. I just want to go to sleep with my beautiful girlfriend next to me." Jane smiles as she looks at Maura.
"Your girlfriend?" Maura smirks. She is glad that Jane is the first one to put a name on what they are. And she is glad that Jane has chosen the word 'girlfriend' compared to the other names she knew Jane was capable of coming up with.
Jane nods. "Look, I will be the first to admit that things aren't going to be easy for us, this isn't going to be like we were in New York. Things will be tough, there will be a lot of questions, a lot of people will be against this...against us. But I honestly believe the people that matter the most to us will be happy for us. If not, like I said in New York...it's their problem not ours." Jane turns on her side to face Maura and wraps her arm around Maura's waist as she moves closer. "I'll fight for us, Maura. But I need to know that if things get rough, that you'll fight with me not against me. I won't have enough strength to fight them and you at the same time."
Maura nods and snuggles into Jane's side.
Jane pushes up to rest on her elbow so she can look down at Maura. "I need you to promise me. Promise me, Maura, that you'll fight just as hard as I will for us."
Maura struck by all the emotion in Jane's voice. It quickly dawns on her that she has the exact same fear as Jane. Will we make it through all this and be even stronger at the end of it all? Maura lifts her hand to Jane's cheek. "I promise, baby." Maura whispers.
Jane nods her head afraid that if she says anything she'll not be able to control the tears.
A second later Maura wraps her arms around Jane's neck and pulls her down so she is laying half on Maura and half on the bed. She lifts a hand to stroke through Jane's hair and again whispers, "I promise, Jane." Maura smiles at the thought of her and Jane starting their life together. The life she has always been to scared to want. Her life with Jane Rizzoli.
Surprisingly sleep overtakes them quicker than either one could have imagined.