Jane chanced a glance in Maura's direction as she pulled into the little diner's parking lot. She couldn't help but smile at the confusion on the other's woman's face.

"We're here," she stated as she put the car into parking space and turned the engine off.

"Here?" Maura glanced around. "You're taking me to the dinner?"

"Yeah," Jane gave a small smile as she left the car and ran around to open Maura's door. "I know how much you like the coffee here." The brunette offered the blonde a hand to get out of the car. The offer was accepted with a tip of the head and a continued look of confusion. "Maura, would you be okay if I were to hold your hand in the diner?"

The doctor turned with a start to the detective and regarded her for a moment. "To be honest, I'm not sure," she replied with an air of slight amusement. "I don't know how I would handle it if one the guys came in and saw us holding hands. It might end badly." She smirked as she walked through the dinner door Jane held open.

The two followed the waitress to a corner table in the back of the small establishment. As they scooted into the booth opposite each other, the detective coyly replied, "If you're worried that I'd hold it against you if you pulled away because one of our friends or coworkers came into the diner, don't be. I understand."

They chuckled at each other before addressing the waitress and ordering their drinks and food.

"Maura," Jane placed her hands on the table, palms down. She took a deep breath. "I… I promised that night I'd try not to screw up." She frowned as she stared at her hands. "I broke it, badly, and I'm not really sure I can put any of those pieces back together again."

"Jane…"

"Let me finish. Please? I've been thinking about this, what I wanted to say. Just hear me out, okay?" She gave the doctor a pleading look. Maura simply nodded and waited. "I can't put those pieces back together. Neither of us can… We just can't. I know that, and I think you do, too. But, what we have, it doesn't happen every day, and, if we'd just not been so pigheaded with each other, maybe things would be better now. You know?" She closed her eyes. "I should have said something. You should have been more thoughtful of my feelings. I shouldn't have called things off because I was angry. You shouldn't have run away. I shouldn't have ever slept with Jude." She opened her eyes to see Maura still waiting patiently. "I'm sorry, Maura. I'm sorrier than words could ever say, so I'm going to stop trying to say it. Instead, I thought, maybe, we could start over?"

"You mean act as though the past two years have not occurred?" The blonde frowned.

"No! No… no, no, no… these past two years have been," Jane grunted in frustration. "They've been good, Maura. Really, they have. I've loved being with you. I don't want to forget that or give that up for anything."

"Then what do you mean, Jane?"

"I mean, try again but take it slow like we did in the beginning. You know, keep it simple?" She flexed her hands and put them back down on the table, still palms down.

"Jane, do your hands hurt?"

"What?" The brunette's head shot up. Off all the things she had prepared herself for, that was not the response she was expecting. "Why would you say that?"

"You've starting placing your hands as you have them now on the table when your hands hurt and you don't have a warm drink to wrap them around. Are they bothering you?"

"Maura, fuck my hands. They're not important right now."

"Language, Jane." The doctor raised an eyebrow at the detective's language.

Jane rolled her eyes and pulled her hands back toward her. "They're fine."

"I don't believe you." Maura held her hands out, palms up. "Give me your hands."

"No, they're fine, and I don't care about them right now. Maura, please…"

"Let me help, Jane." The blonde gave the detective a small, reassuring smile. "I can help."

"No," Jane shook her head. "You can't help this time. I deserve all the pain I have. I earned it."

Maura reached over and grabbed Jane's hands in her own. "If we're going to start over," she began as she started to rub the brunette's left hand, "You must be more honest with me, and," she switched to the other hand, "I promise that I will try not to mess this up."

Jane sighed at the contact. "You didn't really mess anything up. You're perfect, babe. I should have known better." She shook her head trying to keep her tears back. "I don't want to lose you."

For a moment, the two women sat across from each other and simply regarded on another. Then, Maura let go of Jane's hands and stood. She deftly slid into the booth next to Jane. "I feel the same way."

"How did we get here, Maura? I know we love each other. I can't imagine life without you."

They stared forward, not touching each other or daring to look at each other.

"I'm not certain. Perhaps we stopped really paying attention to the other's needs?"

Jane gave a humorless chuckle. "I don't even know what I need anymore."

Maura nodded to herself. "Neither do I."

The brunette turned toward the blonde, "Do we need each other?" She frowned.

Maura bit her bottom lip as she swung her eyes back to the detective. "I feel lost without you around."

Jane reached out and tentatively placed her hand against Maura's cheek. The other woman leaned into the touch, closing her eyes as a tear began to slide down her perfectly made-up face. The brunette pulled the doctor to her, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman, cradling her, and placing small kisses on the crown of blonde hair she'd some to adore over the years. "I am so sorry… so sorry. Please forgive me. I swear I will never hurt you again," she whispered as she held Maura's now shaking frame tightly.

For a long moment, they stayed that way. Jane held Maura as they both cried.

Finally, Maura pulled away. She wiped at her face for a moment before silently nodding. "You will," she leaned in and kissed a stunned Jane gently on the lips, "Given our past history, you're simply more likely to hurt me than I am you." She pulled back into a sitting position. "However," she looked down at her hands, "I accepted that the moment I told you I'd like to explore the possibilities, but I didn't want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable." She sniffled. "If you ever…"

"I won't." Jane reached over and gently turned Maura's head back to look at her. "I won't ever do anything this stupid again. I swear, Maura. If I do, you have every right to leave me and never speak to me again."

"Don't think I won't."

Jane nodded. She gasped as Maura's lips met hers again. This time, there was more passion in the kiss, and Jane was taken aback by the forcefulness of it.

The waitress cleared her throat.

"Sorry," Jane mumbled as they pulled away from each other. "We were just…"

"You two make a cute couple. I've always thought you did. Don't worry about it." The server winked and placed their food down. "Let me know if you need anything." She left with a grin on her face.

"A cute couple," Maura smirked.

"You think?" Jane turned to her plate of cheese fries.

"I believe we are working towards that again, yes."

It's a slow process, isn't it?

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