We need to talk. That statement replayed in Jane's mind as she took the elevator up to Maura's apartment. They rode in awkward silence, neither one daring to speak or even look at each other. Jane hoped at any moment the door would open and a mother with a small child would enter the elevator with them. The child's mom would tell him or her not to push all of the buttons or make too much noise. It would serve as the perfect distraction for them and lead to small talk. The mom would apologize for her son or daughter pushing all of the buttons and Jane and Maura would tell her there's no need to apologize, but no mother and child or even a loud pair of teenage girls entered the elevator. Instead, they rode in silence until the door opened for them to get off on the eighth floor.

Jane had expected a walk down the hallway just as awkward and lengthy as their time in the elevator, so she was surprised when Maura grabbed her by the hand and hurriedly led her to her apartment. Maura nervously fumbled with her keys. She knew which key she needed to unlock the door, but she just couldn't properly insert it. Sensing her frustration, Jane asked if she could give it a try. Jane was able to unlock the door in a matter of seconds, but that wasn't the end of Maura's nervousness.

Once she was certain the door was locked behind them, Maura lifted the hem of the Red Sox logo tank top Jane had worn to the game. She had worked the hem up to just below Jane's bra before she met any resistance from her estranged wife.

"What are you doing?" Jane asked. "We're supposed to be talking."

"I need to feel you," Maura insisted.

Jane had no clue what Maura's intentions were, but Maura had used the word "need' in reference to her and that was all she needed to hear. Jane removed her tank top and let it carelessly drop to the floor. She wondered if Maura wanted her bra to follow suit, but before she could even ask, Maura had latched on to her. She didn't try to remove any more articles of clothing. Instead, she ran her hands up and down Jane's back as she rested her head on her shoulder. Jane knew it was a bold move, but she decided to kiss Maura. It began as a chaste kiss, but it increased in intensity. Jane would have left it at a single kiss if she hadn't felt Maura part her lips with her tongue. Jane wanted to be in the moment, but she kept worrying about the details of what was happening. Where should she put her hands? Was it okay to start unzipping Maura's dress? Was this going to eventually lead to sex? Were either of them even ready for that? Jane felt Maura's hand graze the waistline of her jeans. In one quick move, the top button had been undone. Maura broke their kiss and slowly dropped to her knees in front of Jane. Jane knew what was going to happen next, but she decided to stop her the moment she felt Maura start to tug at her jeans.

"Maura, stop!" Jane said, although she didn't want her to stop.

Maura picked up Jane's tank top and handed it back to her. "I don't know what's come over me. It's just been so long."

"I didn't want to stop you," Jane admitted. "I just don't want us to do something we'll regret."

"We would regret this," Maura agreed. "Have a seat in the living room. I'm going to…freshen up a bit."

Jane knew that was code for Maura silently chastising herself in the bathroom or her bedroom. "You don't need to," Jane insisted. "Please don't. Everything that's happened this summer has been my fault. We both had a moment of weakness right now, not just you."

"I kept thinking about her touching you," Maura told Jane. "I know you don't remember it and I certainly don't know what she did, but I keep imagining different scenarios and my mind starts replaying everything you've said to me this summer about problems in our marriage."

Jane pulled out a chair in the kitchen so Maura could sit down. "I love you, Maura. That's never going to change. Even when our divorce is final, I'm still going to love you—I'm still going to be in love with you."

"You'll remarry eventually," Maura insisted.

"Remarry?" Jane scoffed. "Maura, I won't even date. Now that I know what it's like to be married to you, no other woman can compare."

"Then why did you say we had problems?" Maura asked. "I know it had nothing to do with work. Work is never a problem for you. You thrive in your job. Was it about us not having a baby?"

Jane gently grabbed Maura's hand. "It wasn't about having a baby. I wanted us to have one when the time was right, whenever that may be. What mattered the most to me was our marriage and making you happy. If you wanted one right away, we'd have one right away. If you wanted to wait, we'd wait."

Maura pulled her hand away. "You could have avoided so much pain for the both of us if you would have told me the truth."

"What was I supposed to say?" Jane asked. "Maura, I had a drink with my ex and then she took advantage of me. I don't even know if she drugged me. I usually don't drink hard liquor. Maybe she just gave me something I couldn't handle. I don't know, Maura."

"It doesn't matter, Jane," Maura said. She tried not to sound angry, but the thought of Samantha touching Jane got the best of her. "It doesn't matter if she drugged you or if she gave you something she knew you couldn't handle. You shouldn't have talked to her, but that doesn't give her the right to take advantage of you. You told her you had a wife. You told her you loved your wife. You also told her you wanted to go home. If she were a decent human being, she would have called Frankie or Tommy or even your mom so one of them could take you home. She wouldn't have taken you to her apartment, taken your clothes off, and removed your wedding ring. She also wouldn't have staged something and sent the pictures to your wife. As you said, she's malicious."

"I don't want to talk about it," Jane said as she averted her eyes. "I'm sorry I put you through this."

"I'm sorry you put me through this, too," Maura told her. "But I still love you and I'm still your best friend. We can help each other get through this."

"Why aren't you hating me?" Jane asked. "You should be hating me right now for everything I've said to you."

"I'm tired of hurting alone," Maura admitted. It was a simple statement, but it was all that was needed to make both of them feel even more vulnerable than they had ever felt before.