See Ch 1 for disclaimers…

DOUBLE POST TONIGHT – 3 & 4

Maura clapped as the vocalist left. "Roger is doing very well." Duane murmured his agreement, eyes twinkling, face creased in a large grin as he signaled for the waitress. Maura took a moment to appreciate his genuine excitement for his brother's accomplishment. Not unlike Jane when she was proud of Frankie.

And earlier when she noticed that the two brothers wore matching sweaters Maura had to enquire and found out that their mother had made both. Duane's mother had retired to North Carolina last year and sent the sweaters so she could be there in spirit. It was something she could see Angela doing. Like Jane, Duane appeared to enjoy a strong bond with his family.

While Duane ordered them both a second drink Maura covertly studied his features. She wondered what Jane would think of him, or if she would approve. Jane would probably appreciate his manners and his family ties. She would probably not appreciate the fact that he actually wore the matching sweater.

But then again, perhaps she would. Jane had a tendency to be unpredictable in her social response.

After the waitress left Duane asked about the case that has originally introduced them and Maura was trying to explain how Jane had managed to get the suspect to confess when the lights went low. She dropped her voice to a whisper, waiting for the stage lights to come up.

Jane counted each step off in her head as she made her way to the mike. Step one, past the curtain, step two, visible to the audience, step three into the light, step four take a deep breath, until final step five and she had reached the microphone.

And not died. Good.

The guys had left the lights low and she closed her eyes when the smooth metal was against her palm. It would all be over in a few minutes. She could do this.

Jane cleared her throat and jumped slightly when she heard it through the sound system. Her palms were moist and she left the microphone on the stand, adjusting it up. Her heart was hammering hard enough that she could barely swallow. She had to do this. Had to. But she was going to put a disclaimer out first.

Jane took a deep breath and started speaking, wincing when her voice sounded thin and high pitched. "I'm sure everyone here tonight is here for the music. I'm here because I lost a bet." That made a few people chuckle.

Maura was partway through trying to explain how the pupal casing had assisted in pinpointing the original murder location when a voice floated through the sound system and she turned to the stage, mouth still open.

Jane let out an exhale, that wasn't so horrible. She cleared her voice again and it came out slightly louder. "So I can't promise music but I can promise entertainment." More light laughter. Good.

Maura was trying to reconcile the image she was seeing on stage. Unruly brunette waves. Habitual shifting of restless energy as thumbs ran reflexively over scars. Maura ran her eyes over and along a little black dress that ended over long thighs and shapely calves. All so familiar, but not. Out of place and out of character.

Jane realized she was flexing her hands again and stilled them. "So bear with me while I try not to butcher Billie Holiday's Glad to be Unhappy."

The title of the tune made Maura jerk, her hand flying forward hitting her almost empty wine glass. The glass teetered before falling over, rolling to shatter on the floor. Maura sprung to her feet, flushing heat scorching her cheeks, narrowly avoiding the stream of red liquid even as her eyes locked back on the stage.

The shattering glass caused a moment of silence in the room. Jane's eyes were drawn down to the front row table and her breath caught. She missed the piano and saxophone starting her lead in. Jane tried to understand exactly what she was seeing. Because it couldn't be right. It had to be an illusion brought on by pure fear or one of the guys at their table was going to die. Slowly.

Jane blinked but the sight didn't change. What in the hell was Maura doing here? The one person she would rather not actually witness Spring Extravaganza 2.0 was not only here but she was here with a date.

A needlepoint sweater wearing date.

Jane shook her head slightly. Maura looked fucking amazing and it was wasted on some guy in an overly loud sweater. In fact it sort of looked like what the sax player had on. What friggin fashion trend was she unaware of?

Maura was apologizing softly to the wait staff as they rapidly cleaned up. How had Jane known about that tune? She had to have known. Maura couldn't remember mentioning it but there couldn't be any other explanation. Why else would she have picked that particular song? She realized the familiar lead-in was playing and Maura looked back to the stage.

Maura was looking right at her. Jane swallowed, staring back. For a moment her surroundings faded into a faint buzz.

When their eyes met Maura realized Jane was not simply uncomfortable as her anxious motions had inferred during her introduction. This was something more. Jane seemed almost terrified. Maura kept her gaze locked in as she sat back down, picking up the new glass of wine and taking a small sip.

Maura's eyes were liquid safety. Jane realized the lead-in music was being repeated. She took a deep breath and counted the beat. Maura gave her a long, slow smile that wrapped around her and suddenly the tune she had picked so long ago became perfect. The words held a meaning beyond what they did when she was 17.

It was if Jane was singing only for her. Maura felt the caress of each utterance start to course through her. The words were well known, but the familiar voice softly singing them was not.

The dulcet tone was the warmth of fire wicking at her skin on a cold winter's night. It was the sultry breeze of summer teasing at relief from a burning heat. The brown eyes staring into hers hinted at secrets well hidden and stories left untold.

Maura brought the glass to her lips and drank deeply.

By the second refrain Jane knew that if people could be defined by music that this would be their song. She and Maura. They sang this tune every day. The words pushed out from within, growing in power.

Maura could feel the confidence radiating off the stage. Her Jane was back. The voice giving life to the music deepening as it grew in strength, melting a path through her. Whatever message Maura once thought the words to define was obliterated. This verse, this music, surely existed to illustrate her existence with Jane.

The last note was floating off her lips before Jane was cognizant that the song was truly over. Maura was immobile, staring back at her. There was clapping in the background heralding the moment she had been waiting for all night. It was time to get off the stage. Except to do that she would have to break contact.

Maura realized the audience was clapping and closed her eyes briefly as she joined in with the crowd. When she opened her eyes again Jane was looking around the room with a slightly bashful expression.

Jane glanced around the tables, trying not to laugh at the sight of Frankie knocking fists with Frost. Freaking Willy gave her two thumbs up and she shook her head at him but gave him a smirk in victory.

She had won this one.

Because of Maura.

Jane whipped her head back to Maura and the other woman was still sitting there, her face split by a smile, clapping. When they made eye contact again Maura's expression took a hint of something mysterious. Something Jane wanted to identify. Jane mouthed thank you and the smile turned enigmatic. Then Maura gave her a languid wink and Jane felt it flutter in her stomach.

When Jane finally turned to walk off stage Maura remembered she was here as Duane's date. She turned to him and he was studying her.

Duane had watched Maura's face during the entire performance. "Friend of yours?"

"That was Jane." Maura forced herself not to look over to the table where Frankie and Frost were sitting to see if Jane had rejoined them.

Duane nodded. "Ah, yes, finally. The mystery woman I have heard so much about. Funny that she was on here tonight and Roger was her back up. You never mentioned she sang jazz."

"I didn't know." Maura gave into the urge to look and turned around in time to see Jane hit Frankie hard on the back of the head. It was true, she didn't know how or why Jane was here, but she would before the night was through. She turned back to Duane. "Would you mind if we went over to congratulate her?"

Duane let out a long sigh. "Absolutely not." Maura was clearly no longer focused on him. He had been in the position enough times in the past to realize the date was over. "Jane was the last vocalist Roger was playing for. Would you like to head out for dinner now?"

Maura nodded, not entirely sure what she was agreeing to as she lead the way to the table but she'd figure it out on the way home. When she was almost to Jane's table she could make out a spirited argument complete with what sounded like random poultry noises. Odd. She walked up behind Jane just as the brunette launched an ice cube at the red hair of Will McNally from Ladder 19.

Jane jumped when two hands squeezed her shoulders but the familiar perfume made her relax before she looked up. "Hey Maura. Join us?"

"I can't, we have plans, but you never told me you were a jazz vocalist." Maura ignored the dramatic eye roll leveled up at her and leaned down to whisper in Jane's ear. "That was simply beautiful. However, you have some explaining to do. Call me."

Jane flinched a bit at the tone and nodded, goose bumps prickling her skin.

Maura said her farewells, giving a last lingering squeeze to the shoulders under her hands before allowing Duane to guide her from the bar.

A/N – Yes! You all seem to be in the mood for a fun little story by the reviews. I've loved seeing some familiar names and hi to the new ones.

Two chapters tonight since 3 was short and I think I'll do the same for the next two so we're almost to the end already :( I'll take the M votes and likely add onto the final chapter (in progress). So if you don't normally search for "M" you'll need to when I swap out the rating or put this on alert.