The door opens and Jane receives a lovely sight. Maura's encased in a pair of soft blue cotton pyjamas. She smiles. "Hi, I can see you were aiming for comfort tonight."

"As were you," Maura replies, looking to her friend's black sweat pants and blue hoodie. "Come in. I've been waiting for the cake you promised."

Jane laughs, dragging an overexcited Jo Friday in to the kitchen before unleashing her. She begins laying out oodles of tuppaware when Jo barks loudly attempting to join.

"Hey!" She points at her flustered canine. "You've had plenty! I saw Korsak sneaking you cake tonight, many times, so quit it! This is for me," she thumbs to herself,"… and Maura."

Maura laughs. "I give it 10 minutes, Jane, and she'll be rewarded with something else. She's got you wrapped around her little… paw." Maura hesitates, wanting to say finger, but knows it's anatomically incorrect. Jane chuckles at the change, mumbling, "She's not the only one," leaving them lost in a stare of admiration. Jane catches herself, however, and breaks away.

"So, speaking of… how bout we dive into this food? I practically brought the whole cake, thought we could do a reverse and have dessert before dinner…"

Maura plays along with her need for lightness.

"Sounds perfect. I have a fortified wine that should serve as a lovely accompaniment." She turns to her cupboard, for just the right one.

"Um,… I don't know Maur." Jane smacks her lips together. "I wouldn't want you wasting the fancy stuff on me."

"Don't be silly." She comes back with a tiny bottle. "Nothing is ever wasted on you, and whether you like it or not it's perfectly fine." She pours them both a sample in two dessert wine glasses. "I think the palette will match the cake's rich chocolate tones, so if you're willing, I'd love you to try it."

Blushing, Jane deflects with her hands held up in surrender. "Okay, alright, but only if you have an extra dollop of cream." The challenge rests within their shared smirks, and Maura can't help but relent.

"Serve me your worst, detective. I promise to eat every ounce."

Sometime later, they're both sitting at the counter relishing in the mixture of syrupy goodness and chocolate-y heaven. Jane surprises herself by enjoying the wine, and Maura is failing to make a dent in the birthday cake, served to her Rizzoli style. She licks at the sweetness on her lips, smiling as the flavours evolve in her mouth. Amongst the stunning sensation, another overwhelmingly one takes hold of her right side. It's Jane.

"Hey, what is it?" Her voice is soft… gentle.

"I'm just trying to ignore the fact I was Hoyt's puppet for the last time... finding it hard to know if it's a good or a bad thing."

"Jane…"

"Maura…" She looks up at her. "You know as well as I do I followed his fucked up plan to the letter."

"With an alternative outcome…"

"No…" She shakes her head and goes back to her food. "I got lucky."

"Luck had nothing to do with it. You're a trained officer…"

"You know what? Forget it." She throws her fork down and stands up, moving to the sink to get some water. "He's dead now. That's all that matters."

Maura watches her, full of tension, hiding behind her large glass of water. Words pour out of her mouth before she can stop them. "You don't have to hide from me, Jane." The pause of motion is telling. She moves to stand by her side, and watches as Jane lowers her glass, swallowing nothing but air instead.

"I'd like to think that you see me differently than your other work colleagues, or even your family…" The glass shifts to the granite surface. "I know what it means to have someone independent, someone to confide in and share your most vulnerable thoughts… without having them thrown back in your face in jest." She reaches for Jane's hand, noting her troubled eyes and shallow breath. "You give me that, Jane… you've given me something I've never had… and I'd like to think you could trust me enough to give it back to you in return."

Jane's eyes flutter close as she takes a deep breath. She whispers Maura's name before scooping her body flush against her own. "It's the only reason I'm here. I didn't want to be alone, and holding you was all I could think of from the moment you left mine."

Completing the circle. "I think I've wanted it just as much."

The words hang in the air and their heart rates climb.

"Something changed in me today…" Jane whispers, "Something happened and I can't explain it."

"Because of Hoyt?"

"Yeah… " She shakes her head, "No…" Pulling back, but staying intimately close, she continues, "I can't stop thinking about you, of wanting you close. I don't know how to explain it... It's like… something's switched."

"Switched?" Maura feels her nod. "Do you mean… I-I don't want to assume, but… is it about us?" She sees her smile.

"Good guess." And this causes one of her own. Jane falls back into her hold. "I could blame it all on Hoyt, but I won't… I just… I don't know what to do."

Maura squeezes her, one hand melting into her hair. "What do you feel like doing?"

"Just this…" She squeezes back. "I wanna hold you. I know it's crazy and I've no right to…"

"No, no… it's not crazy, and I could never mind you holding me. I told you… I want whatever this is, just as much."

"Good…" She turns them, rocking them in relief. "God, that's good, sweetie, cause I gotta tell you… without you I feel like I'm going insane."

"You're not, sweetheart… I promise you, you're not."

Please review. (Thanks to those who already have!) Tj. :)