A/N: And this is it! Thanks again for all the reviews and sticking with it. I was toying with the idea of an epilogue but I think it ends nicely here. Let me know what you think! (Still don't own the character, names, titles, etc. etc.)
Maura was small, in shape, and quick. But Jane was athletic and FAST. It only took the lanky detective a few long strides to maneuver herself between the shorter woman and the door.
"Please move." Anger was evident in Maura's voice.
"No." Jane straightened her back against the cool wood.
"Jane. Move." Maura reached for the doorknob only to have strong, thin fingers wrap around her wrist to stop her. She pulled back as if her flesh had been burned. "Let me go!" She started to push at the taller woman.
Jane didn't know what to do, she had never seen Maura in a state such as this. She felt small fists making contact with her chest, hands pulling at her lapels in a desperate attempt to make her budge. Police training taught her how to fight back, but being loved by the woman fighting her now taught her so much more. Something deep inside snapped. She forcefully pulled Maura against her and their lips crashed together painfully in a kiss. Maura's hands were tangled in Jane's abundant curls as scarred hands began to explore the decadent curves that were pressed against her own firm frame. Maura brought Jane's bottom lip between her teeth and bit down as a wave of passion crashed through her. The rasping moan Jane let free broke Maura from her trance. The doctor's hands pressed firmly against the heaving chest in front of her in an attempt to push herself away.
Jane reached up and wrapped her one hand behind Maura's neck as the other arm wrapped around her back to pull the flailing woman tight against her own body. All the energy drained from Maura's body in the form of tears as she gripped tightly to Jane's shirt and sobbed violently. Janes chin rested on the top of the blonde head and she whispered loving words to try to calm the woman that was falling apart in her arms. She felt Maura's knees begin to give so she slowly and carefully lowered them to the floor. A small smile spread across her thin lips when she felt the other woman curl against her, as if she was trying to get as close as humanly possible.
A long time passed in silence, only quiet sobs could be heard. Jane would have stayed like that for the remainder of the night just so she could hold Maura. She didn't care about the pain that was beginning to spread through her back or her left leg that fell asleep a while ago. All she cared about was the breathing that was finally calming down and warming the skin on her chest. A small voice vibrated against her.
"This isn't fair, Jane."
"You're right, Maur. It's not fair. It's not fair to me that you didn't tell me any of this before." Jane's grip tightened when she felt the warm body against her beginning to rise. You're not going anywhere.
"You never wanted to talk! Every time I tried to explain how I felt you would change the subject."
"You never mentioned my apartment." Jane smirked when the hazel eyes she was staring into grew big.
"No. I suppose I didn't." Maura's expression grew sheepish as she lowered her head.
"Why not?" Jane needed to know.
"I didn't want to push you. I wanted to make sure you were ready. Cohabitation is a big step in a relationship. I didn't want my eagerness to influence you. But as time went on I was beginning to think you'd never be ready." Maura placed her head back down on Jane's chest, needing to feel the connection she had to the woman she was so deeply in love with.
"Maura Isles, you picked a terrible time to take a guess." She allowed a chortle to escape.
Maura sat up quickly and looked back at Jane with wide eyes. "I did not guess!"
"Yes you did."
"I did not! I took the evidence in front of me and formed a hypothesis."
"Were there any facts involved?" Jane asked, never letting the amusement leave her voice.
"Of course. Fact: we fought every time we went to any benefits or out to meet with a group of people I knew. Fact: You wouldn't get rid of your apartment."
"False." She tapped the tip of her index finger to the ME's perfect, small nose. Judging by the flash in her hazel eyes Jane thought maybe she went to far. She's not in a playful mood. Got it. "I would get rid of my apartment. I'm just lazy." She shifted under the smaller woman. "Maur, do you mind if we move to the couch? This is killing my back."
Maura jumped up, not realizing that she had the detective pinned between the floor and her front door. "I'm so sorry! Of course." The two women made their way over to the plush couch that felt like heaven to Jane's aching muscles.
Jane was pleased when Maura sat against her and allowed her head to rest on her shoulder. It was clear that the physical contact played an important part in healing both of them. "Can I tell you a secret?" Jane asked quietly as she pressed her lips to the crown of Maura's head, inhaling deeply in order to fill her lungs with her lover's scent.
"You can tell me anything. You know that, Jane." Maura's eye rose just enough to look into dark brown pools. Their depth never ceased to amaze Maura. Sometimes they were so dark she could only describe them as ebony in color. She watched as Jane bit at her lip for a moment before speaking again. Maybe I don't want to know.
"I don't like going to benefits, and I feel uncomfortable around your rich friends."
"That's hardly a secret, Jane. You've made that quite clear on several occasions." The chatterbox was silenced by a finger pressed against her lips.
"And...I don't mind fighting about it."
"I'm not sure I understand. You're being quite vague." Confusion painted Maura's face.
"This is gonna sound stupid." Jane was never really comfortable with expressing her feelings so openly, especially when she was afraid she'd sound silly. Maura encouraged her by taking one of Jane's hands in her own. "We'd get ready, argue, you'd look drop dead gorgeous, we'd go out, have a pretty good time and calm down. And that always lead to us coming home and having fantastic makeup sex." She giggled as she finished. Did I just giggle? "It didn't seem so bad to me."
Maura looked at Jane and smiled. The first real smile she allowed herself in the past two weeks. "Really?"
"Well, yeah. But if I thought for a second that those fights would cause you to run away, I would've given up the makeup sex in a jiffy!" She noticed confusion on Maura's face. "Quickly." She explained further.
"Oh. Right. So, you're ok with going to benefits and out with my friends?"
"I don't love it, and I'll complain every time. But Maura I love you. I want to share everything with you, and be a main part of every aspect of your life." She sat herself up straight and forced the smaller woman along with her. "I'm sorry for ever making you doubt how committed I am to you and this relationship. But you have to believe me Maur, I didn't do any of this intentionally." She grasped the ME's hands and held them right to her chest. Her eyes begged the other woman to believe her.
"I know. And I should have known that the whole time. I can't believe I let my imagination get the best of me." She shook her head at the mess she created. "I'm so sorry Jane." She leaned forward and placed a small kiss on the detective's lips.
"So." Jane was afraid to jump to a conclusion here but she couldn't help herself. "Are we ok?" Apprehension took over her sharp features as she watched Maura weigh her options.
"Under one condition."
"Anything." Jane responded immediately.
"Get rid of that damn apartment."
"Doctor Isles! Language!" Both women shared a laugh before Jane continued speaking. "Deal. It served its purpose anyway."
"As a storage locker?" Maura laughed as she relaxed against Jane. She noticed the other woman wasn't as easily relaxed. "Is there something else?"
Jane's heart began to hammer against her ribs. If Maura felt it she'd have another reason to doubt Jane. It was now or never. She reached into the inside pocket of her blazer with a trembling hand. "I needed someplace safe to keep this." She held the small velvet box in front of Maura and she just stared at it.
"Wh-what is that?" Maura stuttered and found herself without words. So this is what that feels like.
Jane slid off the couch and planted herself on one knee in front of the seated woman. "If there is one thing I've learned over the past two weeks it's that I can not live without you." Tears started to form but she cleared her throat and continued. "I had this whole thing planned out, it took me a few months to figure out something that would be perfect but no moment could be more perfect than right now." She opened the box to reveal a simple platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. Maura's eyes were shining with tears and happiness when she covered her mouth as a gasp escaped.
"Maura Dorthea Isles, there has never been a doubt in my mind that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. And I'm gonna spend my life making sure you don't doubt it either. Will you marry me?"
Jane wasn't sure if it was a yes, but Maura bounced from the couch and tackled the detective to the floor. Laughter and tears flowed freely from Maura before her lips met Jane's. She kissed her with all the passion she had, every bit that was laying in wait over the past two weeks they had been apart. Once she had kissed the other woman thoroughly Maura took the box from Jane's hand and removed the ring to take a closer look. She was still in shock.
"Excuse me." Jane felt that she had to remind Maura that she was still there. "I'm supposed to do that." She pried the ring from the doctors tight grasp and held her left hand. The ring slid easily onto her slender ring finger, fitting perfectly. Jane beamed her million watt smile at Maura after burning the moment into her memory. She pulled her fiancée into her body and held her close, never wanting to let go again. She felt Maura begin to stir in her embrace and the press of moist lips against her ear.
"How good do you think the makeup sex after two weeks will be?" Maura whispered seductively as her hands began to travel down the brunette a body.
"Let's find out."