**DISCLAIMER – I do not own the characters, they belong to TNT and associated bodies. **

(However I have a wonderful imagination and that belongs all to me, just sometimes Jane and Maura wind up naked in it, and there's not a thing I can do to stop it. Gutted.)

Sleep on it – belongs to Saving Jane (LOVE this song).

*Author's note- I really like how this chapter turned out in the end, it had to be completely rewritten, and it works better this way. I was in a good mood so I thought I would post it today :-).

How to solve a problem like a wedding ring.

Chapter Ten – Sleep on it.

Jane made her way to the morgue the next morning, her hands shaking as she exited the elevator. Walking through the swing doors, she found the M.E finishing up on some emails.

"Good morning Sergeant," Maura smiled her words without looking away from her screen."What can I do for you?"

Jane laid the photocopy of her Decree Nisi onto the Doctor's laptop.

"You can tell me when you're free for dinner," Jane oozed. "If we're going to do this, we're going old school and I am courting you properly.

Maura froze as she read the paper in front of her.

"You're free . . . ?" she half whispered.

"As the wind. Well not really, I'm more spoken for this time around. I don't have doubts in my mind this time, and you are going to be treated like a Princess until you know exactly how I feel about you," with that she bent down and kissed the cheek of the blonde woman, slowly as both closed their eyes.

Jane smiled a full flash grin as Maura touched the paper.

"Thursday . . . I'm free on Thursday," Maura managed to get out.

"I'll be in touch," Jane beamed as she rounded the doors.

-X-

Jane smiled on the rest of that Tuesday afternoon, she had a spring in her step; she would've had a feather in her cap if she wore one. Frost just prayed she didn't find a lamppost and a downpour of Boston's glorious rain in case she went all Gene Kelly on him.

By Wednesday the excitement had turned to fear. She paced, she took to her usual habit of unknowingly smashing pens into her desk, her new desk as Korsak reminded her. She paced, she worried whether the restaurant she had booked was too low key for the Doctor, she worried about what to wear. This was the point when she mentally kicked herself. 'How whipped has she got me?' she wondered when the subject of clothes crossed her mind.

By Thursday morning she had exhausted herself.

"You know what," she mused; half to herself, half to Frost. "If it's not good enough, it's not good enough. If I don't put enough effort in, then I have to get better. If she isn't happy, then I do better until she is happy."

"Man, you are whipped," Frost gave back, refusing to retract as Rizzoli fired every object she could find at him.

By the time 8pm had arrived, Jane touched her scars on her hands in pure terror as she waited for the Doctor to answer her doorbell.

Click, unbolt, handle turn

"Sweet baby Jesus . . . Maura . . ." Jane was seriously screwed this time.

The M.E nervously ran her hands down her black skirt. Teamed with a chunky brown waist belt and a black, low cut blouse; Jane had only seen her look better once. This was a close all.

"You look beautiful Jane," Maura smiled, touching the Detective's hair.

Jane had put a ridiculous amount of effort into her appearance for the evening. She had eventually opted for a strapless black dress cut at the knee, teamed with a biker jacket and her hair bunned up.

"Shall we?" Jane motioned to her car.

At the restaurant, the revelled in one another's company. It had been over five years since they had enjoyed one-on-one. The length of time wasn't lost on Maura.

"Nothing has tasted this good in five years," she spoke as she set down her desert spoon. She smiled sadly at the brunette.

Jane had known from the outset that this was going to be a testing evening. In the grand scheme of things, she was punching way above her weight. Maura was beautiful, successful, wealthy, kind, charming and above all; completely reliable. Jane couldn't remember the last time she allowed herself to have this much faith in one person, without worrying the faith would be broken. At the same time, the Detective couldn't beat herself up for the rest of her life. What mattered, what mattered more than any other thing in Jane's world, was making sure that Maura never regretted waiting for her; that she didn't throw away five years on a flash in the pan romance.

"What are you thinking about?" Maura asked as she turned her wine glass in circles, holding onto the stem.

"I get it, I get what you need from me and how much I have to justify myself to you in terms of this, us. I know you say that you don't need answers, but I need to be truthful with you." She touched the scars on her hands, like they were brand new, her thoughts completely enveloped in trying to get her words out properly.

"When I found out why you left that night, Maura I had no idea you would react that way. I know I'm not good with feelings 'n all but there was one thing I was certain of, and that was how I felt about you. When you left, I panicked. I thought 'you've lost her'. I couldn't bear the thought of us not being, well; us. So I panicked and I ran." Jane spoke without a hint of a smile, she genuinely meant the words. "When I got back and I saw you, when I saw what I'd done to you . . ." she began to struggle at this point, lowering her voice; looking at the M.E with huge brown eyes racked with guilt.

"Maura I am so far from perfect it is unreal. I can't ever give you an easy life. I can't promise that I won't hurt you in the future. I can't promise I won't get hurt on the job. Maura I can only give to you what I have, and that is a heart that knows nothing but you and broken hands that will work themselves to the bone every day for the rest of my life to try and make you happy." She took a deep breath. "Maura, I have never, never, felt this way about anyone in my life. And I know I made a huge mistake, but I need you to give me a chance to make this right."

"Jane I'm not perfect, and if we're being brutally honest, I should never have ran out that night. In the same kind of way, I didn't know what the repercussions would be. I've been thinking a lot about things, and I am still unmoveable in that we are going to take this slowly . . . but I love you. I've never not loved you since I've known you. For every little thing you do that drives me insane," Maura looked to the dimmed lights above and sighed before continuing; "for all the times where you go into situations without backup, for the times when you make fun of my background, for sleeping on my couch and leaving beer bottles all over the living room the night before my mother comes to visit . . ." they both giggled softly.

"For every one of those things, Jane; you make up for them by being you. A second of seeing you smile is worth a thousand cans of air freshener to get the stink of beer out of my house." She looked at Jane, her smile fading, becoming serious as she got to her point. "Jane I will never hold what has happened against you. It was 50/50, we're both to blame. I don't want to spend the rest of my life having grudges against Agent Dean, or your job. What matters to me, is that you make a decision. And if you decide you choose me, then we start from scratch; from the bottom up."

"I choose you. I will always choose you." Jane answered. "So from scratch?."

Maura smiled and touched Jane's left hand gently, linking their fingers.

"From scratch. I want to get to know Jane Rizzoli,as she is today. I want to . . . to be dragged to inappropriate bars after work, to be leered at, as you make me dance on the bar for free tequila. Scratch that, I want to know you even like tequila. I want to know how you greet Bass when you're drunk. I want to take you running. There are so many things that I just want to re-learn about you."

Jane beamed a smile across the table.

"Well first thing first, I always pay on the first date," she signalled for the bill to be brought over. "I don't always dress like this,"she motioned to her dress. "I will drive you home, and kiss you goodnight on the cheek," raising an eyebrow to emphasise her chivalry. "And when you get into work tomorrow there will be a present on your desk, to say thank-you for such a wonderful evening."

"Whoever told you that you weren't perfect was fibbing," the Doctor purred.