Its the morning after and uncertainty is the prevailing emotion for both Maura and Jane as neither is sure where the other wants their friend/relationship to go.

A solitary shaft of sunlight falling upon her tear stained face awakened Jane Rizzoli on Sunday Morning. She wasn't sure just how she held together until she reached the privacy of her bedroom the night before.

She wasn't sure exactly what happened, though she was sure that she made a huge, possibly life altering mistake. She let the evening go by without pulling Maura aside and telling her how she felt. She had a chance. In fact, since she came to realize her feelings, she had multiple chances. It wouldn't have been necessary to plead her total love for Maura, even though what she felt was exactly that. She realized now, that if she had simply hinted that there was a possibility for them as a couple, Maura would have done everything in her power to see it through.

Maura had done just that, hinted that there might be something more between herself and Jane. She confided more than two years ago that she had a relationship with another coed in college. She had dropped ambiguous hints and even accompanied Jane to her high school reunion, entering on her friends arm. As they sat together at the Dirty Robber recently discussing Maura being unattached, Jane noticed when Maura remarked that the right person would come along even after Jane said the right man. She even noticed that Maura looked directly at her, not averting her eyes at all when she said it. Yes, there had been ample opportunity, if Jane had responded positively.

Instead, Jane always came across as the straight chick, always parsing any lesbian innuendo in the context of a humorous aside. Maura could have received Jane's humor as demeaning her sexual orientation, but she took it as it was intended as simple humor. She also interpreted it to mean that Jane was not quite ready for the type of relationship Maura hoped for.

Jane cried herself to sleep Saturday night. She cried because she missed so many opportunities to profess her love. She cried because she was consumed with legitimate fear of the loss that might happen. She cried because her dilemma was now complicated with the inclusion of someone already comfortable giving herself to Maura.

It was as though a thousand disconnected thoughts randomly invaded her mind. She wondered if she might be seeing Maura today, then realizing that no plans had been made, had Maura purposely avoided making plans, had she (Jane) done something offensive that she didn't realize, had she insulted Sam, had Maura slept with Sam last night, were they making love this morning, was she being paranoid!

Jane rolled over with a huff, turned her back on the morning sun and closed her eyes. As she lay silently, there was a barely noticeable jerk that coursed through her body. Some minutes later there was another though the second was more pronounced. Then there was another and another punctuated by audible sobs as she cried herself back to sleep.

Just a mile and a half away Maura Isles was up, as was her norm, at the crack of dawn. She was rummaging in the kitchen, as quietly as possible so that her house guest was able to sleep in. When sh looked out back before daybreak, she saw that there were lights on in the guest house. Constance was such an early riser, just as her daughter.

Maura prepared a plate of French toast with peach marmalade and whipped cream. To top off the meal was a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Placing everything carefully on a silver tray, she left a note for Sam, telling her that she was out for a run and picked up the tray to deliver to Constance.

When Constance opened the front door of the guest house, she was already dressed for the day. She had been on the phone before dawn with friends and associates in back home in France. She was thrilled to have Maura come over to spend time with her.

"This looks delicious," said Constance, as she took the tray, "aren't you going to join me though?"

"I had half a grapefruit and a bowl of granola." replied Maura, "but please go ahead and have your breakfast, I'll just sit with you and we can talk for a few minutes. I'm on my way out for a run."

"I hope my hiring Samantha isn't in any way awkward, Maura." she began, having always bee a woman who takes the bull by the horns.

"No, it isn't really awkward, but the hiring does beg an explanation of sorts." queried Maura.

"Fair enough," answered Constance, "I hired her because she is a top notch business woman and extraordinary business manager."

"Really," replied Maura, "We haven't spoken I seventeen years, so I wasn't aware of anything she has done."

"She has been creating small business incubators all across the country." explained Constance. "You remember those shops I bought near downtown don't you."

"I do remember them,"replied Maura, "little craft shops."

"Well, most are vacant and they're producing enough revenue to pay the taxes," began Constance, "but Sam has found a way to make the entire area an enterprise zone and start a small business incubator. Within a year we should have twenty or more business thriving there."

"That's wonderful, mother and it will help the community as well." I'm so proud of you." said Maura hugging her mother.

"So to answer your unspoken question, I didn't bring Samantha here to reignite the flames of passion you once had for her, but you should realize that hers never went out," said Constance. "and I did warn her that I thought you were with Jane now although the two of you weren't public about it."

"In reality, I'm not sure we'll ever be really together." sighed Maura.

"Oh, I'm so sorry dear, you two seem being together seemed a fait accompli." replied Constance, "Has something happened to draw you apart."

"No mom, its just that nothing really happened. I think Jane isn't really into a relationship except with a man," added Maura being somewhat dejected.

"Are you sure, Maura? You two just seem so right together, and you are never happier than when she is around." added Constance.

"I have done just about everything short of pushing her down on the bed, climbing on top of her and kissing her til she either gives up or tosses me off." said Maura.

"Well, if I were you, before I gave up on the woman I love I would do just what you described." replied Constance, "after all, what have you got to loose."

"You might be right," continued Maura, looking at her watch. "I have to go for a run, I was planning on eight miles but now I might need to cut back to five. I'll be back though, before lunch." she said as she headed out the door and down to the street.

Maura had a usual path that she took on her runs. About halfway between Maura's house and Jane's apartment was a side street that led into a city park where she loved to run. Today she would be headed directly to the park. If she were doing the whole eight miles she would continue down the street to Jane's apartment then circle back to the park. She wasn't sure if Jane would be ready to run or even if she was interested in running with her.

As she topped the last hill before the turn, she saw Jane as she made the turn and headed into the park. That meant Jane was 200 yards ahead, so Maura quickened her pace, intent on catching her friend.

As Jane turned, she glanced up the hill and saw just the head and upper body of a runner. The thing that caught her I was the honey blonde pony tail she could see swinging wildly as the runner progressed. She knew Maura was headed to the same park she was, but she wasn't sure she wanted to run with her friend this morning.

She feared that Maura had picked up with Samantha just where they left off, and if so she didn't want to hear details, she was completely out of tears and couldn't stand bad news this morning.

Nearing the bottom of the hill, Maura weighed her options. There was a beautiful colonial mansion on the corner with a huge front yard of between two and three acres. Quickly calculating the hypotenuse of a right triangle with sides of 200 feet she came up with the square root of 80000 or 282.8 meaning she could immediately cut 117.2 feet off Jane's lead by ignoring the 'keep off the grass' signs. Someone was in the yard, probably the owner, nice looking gentleman, "Oh fuck it" she said as she jumped the curb and ran full speed for the opposite corner.

Less than halfway across, she was noticed by the owner, who immediately began yelling for obscenities and telling her to get off his grass. As Jane plodded along now not far ahead of all the yelling, she slowed and looked over her head to see what the commotion was all about. As she looked over her shoulder, she saw Maura suddenly burst back onto the street with an angry homeowner hot on her heels swing a stick at her.

Jane continued at her pace and Maura crossed to the same side of the street now only fifty yards behind and gaining quickly. She would overtake her friend, but would be so exhausted she would never be able to keep up. She knew now that Jane was upset, since she wasn't slowing down to allow her to catch up. She was going to have to do something to fix this, and the thought that kept coming to her mind was her mother saying: "Well, if I were you, before I gave up on the woman I love I would do just what you described, after all, what have you got to loose."