I didn't want to leave y'all hanging. Things are looking up! Kind of...

"Maura?" Jane's voice echoed throughout the still house. She'd knocked, but when no one answered, the detective let herself in with the spare key Maura'd given her years ago. She knew the doctor was home; her Prius was still parked in the driveway. Jane shrugged out of her jacket and threw it onto the hall table. She knew Maura would yell at her and tell her to hang it up later, but she didn't care.

As Jane made her way deeper into the house, she checked the rooms she passed. The ME wasn't in the living room or the kitchen, so Jane headed for the stairs.

"Maura?" she called again, taking the stairs two at a time. When she reached the landing, she paused, waiting to see if the doctor would answer. No response.

Jane tapped lightly on the ME's bedroom door, and eased her way inside. Jane's heart gave a strange flutter at the sight of Maura all cuddled up in bed, her wavy blonde hair splayed out on the pillow. She was so still and pale that Jane thought for a split second something had gone horribly wrong. She froze, waiting, and then she saw it: the slow rise and fall of the covers, indicating that Maura was, indeed, breathing. Jane's shoulders relaxed unconsciously. The brunette walked over to the bed.

She watched her friend sleep for several minutes, debating whether or not to wake the doctor. Maybe it was better to just leave her asleep. If Maura wasn't feeling well, sleep would be the best thing for her. Besides, now that Jane had reassured herself that Maura wasn't deathly ill, she could still slip out and drive back to the precinct. Maura would never even have to know that Jane had stopped by.

The tall woman gave herself a mental slap upside the head. Now wasn't the time to be thinking like that. She'd stay, at least until Maura woke up or Angela got off of work. Maybe they weren't best friends anymore, maybe they never would be again, but making sure the doctor was taken care of while she wasn't able to take care of herself was the least Jane could do.

Great. Now that she'd settled that internal debate, how was she supposed to spend the time while she waited. Maybe she should heat up some of Angela's soup. Jane looked down at the still form again. Maura's cheeks were flushed and her breathing was bit shallow, but she still looked fast asleep.

The detective was about to head downstairs, having decided watching television would be less creepy than watching Maura sleep, when the doctor began to move fitfully. For a moment, Jane worried her presence had somehow woken the other woman, until she realized Maura was merely dreaming.

Her movements were becoming more restless as she turned her head from side-to-side. Maura's thin hands were opening and closing, grasping feebly at open air. Her lips were moving as though talking to someone and her forehead was creased as though in confusion or hurt.

"Please," Maura whispered." Please, don't go." There were tears running down the ME's cheeks. Jane didn't know what to do. She'd had plenty of nightmares herself, but she'd never witnessed anyone else having one. "Please. Stay with me. Jane!" At the sound of her own name, Jane crouched down beside the bed, reaching out and grabbing Maura's fumbling hand in her own.

"Shhh," she soothed. "Maur, it's alright." She rubbed the doctor's arm gently. "You're alright. Wake up, Maur. It's just a dream." Jane continued to whisper to the doctor, squeezing the doctor's hand until Maura's worried movements stilled and her eyes began to flutter open. "You're okay. It was only a dream."

"Jane?" Maura questioned, sleepily. Jane couldn't actually be here, could she?

"I'm here, Maura."

"Jane. But you left," tears welled up in Maura's hazel eyes. She turned her head away and tried to pull her hand out of the detective's grasp. Jane held on firmly. "You wouldn't stay. I begged you to stay, but you wouldn't."

Jane could hardly hear the muffled words. "It was just a dream, Maur. I'm right here," she assured the disoriented woman.

The dream was finally receding in her mind and Maura was becoming more aware of her actual surroundings. But she was still convinced Jane couldn't actually be present in her bedroom because, "You hate me."

The whispered conviction nearly broke Jane's heart. She shook her head sadly, "Oh, Maura, no." She reached out a hand to gently brush the hair out of Maura's face. Maura flinched slightly, but relaxed as Jane's fingers brushed along her cheek. Jane frowned; Maura was burning up. "I don't hate you, sweetie."

The term of endearment broke any control Maura had on her emotions. "Oh Jane," she cried. "I'm sorry. Please. I'm so sorry. Don't leave! Please! I'm sorry."

When Jane managed to get Maura to look at her, there were tears welling up in her eyes. She looked terrified and Jane wondered if the fever was affecting the doctor's lucidity. Maybe she should call Angela. She made as though to pull her hand away, but now it was Maura grasping at Jane as if she were the only thing keeping the doctor afloat.

"I'm sorry, Jane. Please."

"Maura, Maur, shhh. It's alright. I'm sorry, too, okay? I'm sorry, too." THis wasn't how Jane had imagined their reconciliation would play out. Maura wasn't supposed to be begging or looking so terribly frightened.

"Please," the smaller woman all but whimpered.

"Maura," Jane was lost. "I'm sorry. I'm right here." She scooted up onto the bed, pulling the shaking figure into her arms. "I'm sorry, too," she continued to apologize as she rubbed Maura's back gently. She worked her fingers through the ME's honey blonde hair soothingly.

"Please don't leave. Not again, Jane. I need you."

"I know, honey. I'm here now. It's alright." She whispered encouragingly into Maura's ear until the shaking stopped and she felt the other woman grow heavier against her. When she realized that Maura's breathing had evened out, she pulled away gently. Maura's eyes were closed; she'd fallen back to sleep, curled tightly into Jane. The detective eased her gently onto the pillows, wiping away the tear tracks still visible on the pale cheeks. She pulled the blankets up under Maura's chin.

"I'm so sorry, Maur. But, I'm here now," she said assuredly, cupping Maura's face in her hand. "We'll get through this." Jane slipped out of the bedroom, leaving the door cracked so if the blonde woke up again, Jane would hear her.

Jane rubbed her face tiredly and headed downstairs. She wasn't sure how much that encounter had been based solely on Maura's fever induced dream, but she was more than ready to continue apologizing, if that was what it took to wipe the look of abject fear off of Maura's face. Maura had been terrified when Jane woke her, that much was obvious. And anyone could tell the doctor's fears had everything to do with Jane. The detective may not have been sure how to proceed, but she was certain the doctor needed her, even if it was just because she was ill and vulnerable.

It might just have been the 24 hour flu bug, but Jane wasn't taking any chances. She didn't the experience of playing nursemaid. She whipped out her phone. Angela had raised three children, three very active and crazy children. She would know just how to handle a little fever.

The detective was well aware that once Maura started feeling better, the two were going to have to have an actual conversation, but this was a start. And for now, she would just focus on helping the doctor get better. Then they could deal with all their...issues. Jane sighed, hit send, and held the phone up to her ear.