Maura looked up as Jane ran past her office. Jane skidded to a stop in the hallway and bounded in, hiding briefly behind the door to the morgue, shaking her head and sliding under Maura's desk.
"Nice to see you too," Maura said, moving her legs so Jane could tuck herself in more firmly. Jane shushed her.
"It's Ma, don't tell her you've seen me," Jane hissed.
"You know I can't lie," Maura replied calmly. "Oh, hello, Angela," Maura said, looking up as Angela came in.
"Hey, Maura, have you seen Jane?" Angela asked.
"I'm sure she's around somewhere," Maura said vaguely, feeling Jane squirm under the desk.
"Oh, I was hoping to talk to both of you. Frankie told me what you did."
"Oh, it wasn't..." Maura blushed. "We were just getting changed in the car. I just needed an excuse to get him out of the building. In case it was a real bomb."
"I know, sweetheart," Angela said. "That's what I was talking about. What were you talking about?"
"I may have used the truth to... misconstrue... a situation with Jane and myself," Maura said. "Technically it was accurate, but the context was incorrect."
"Oh," Angela slumped, letting go of the doorframe. "Oh, that's a shame. I came down to tell her - and you - that so much has changed in the past few years. I'm a divorced woman - you know how my family feels about that."
"Jane and Frankie and Tommy have been very supportive," Maura said, surprised.
"They're the only ones," Angela sighed. "My brother and sister, my cousins, my aunts and uncles - they're all too ready to condemn me for that." She smiled ruefully at Maura. "Gives me some perspective, you know?"
"I'm sorry your family has been unsupportive," Maura said. "Is that what you wanted to tell us?" Maura could feel Jane's breath on her bare knees, one hand wrapped around the back of Maura's calf to keep herself compressed. She felt Jane's chin rest against one knee and had to stifle the urge to slip one hand under the desk to run it through Jane's hair.
"Kind of. People are going to judge, because they all have different perspectives, different beliefs on how you should live your life. There's no expectations you have to live up to than your own. I'm happier now. It took a long time, but I can see now that it wasn't a good or happy marriage. The only good thing that came out of it was those three kids of mine. And you. If I hadn't had Jane, I'd have never met you. And that would have been such a loss for me."
She came forward, and Maura could feel Jane's grip tighten. She could see tears in Angela's eyes, so with a quick hand pushing on Jane's shoulder she stood and came out from behind the desk to hug Angela, rather than have Angela approach and expose Jane's hiding place.
"I'm glad you're ok, but sending Frankie out - you didn't need to do that."
"I did," Maura said. "I had to get a message to Jane."
"That you love her?" Angela asked, nodding. "I know, sweetheart. It's ok. I came down to tell you - and her - not to worry." Angela pulled back and held Maura's hands. "I love you both. Like I said, so much has changed. I used to want Jane to quit her job and get married, but now - now all I want is for her to be happy. And you make her happy."
"You said something was a shame?"
"Well, if it's not really true, if you aren't together, I have to admit it's a bit disappointing. It was such a grand gesture on her part, yelling that out in front of everyone. You're so great together, and I was hoping for another grandchild. Oh well," Angela turned to leave, turned at the door. "Bye, Jane," she called into the office, and Maura could hear Jane's head hit the underside of the desk.
Maura closed the hallway door and Jane came tentatively out from under the desk.
"That went better than I'd expected," Maura said, going back to her desk, looking at the chemical analysis that had been returned by the lab. Jane hovered uncertainly behind her. "At least you know your mother is supportive, of you ever were to date another woman."
"She was pretty specific about it just being you," Jane pointed out, perching on the edge of Maura's desk. "And I wouldn't want to date another woman."
"Another woman, as in both of you being women, or another woman, as in a woman other than me?" Maura asked casually, clicking through the report, watching Jane fidget.
"You know I love you," Jane sighed.
"I'm pretty sure most of Boston knows that after your public declaration this morning, Jane," Maura pointed out. "But that's not an answer to my question." Maura squinted at the screen.
"I mean, everyone already thinks we were making out in my car this morning, we're not going to be able to convince anyone otherwise," Jane shrugged, slipping her hands in her pockets.
"That's still not an answer," Maura said, not looking away from the screen.
"If we're convicted by public opinion of something we haven't done, we might as well..."
"That's how you proposition me? Might as well?" Maura huffed. "You can leave, Detective."
"Wait, that's not what I meant," Jane said, panicked. "I mean, I was worried, but everyone seems to think it's real, and everyone has been surprisingly supportive. I shouldn't have cared what other people thought, but I did."
"So, now that you know you won't suffer any negative social consequences?"
"I dunno, ok? I saw your nose bleed this morning, and then you were holding a bomb and all I could think about is how I wish I'd had more time, how I wish I'd told you what you meant to me."
"And what do I mean to you?" Maura asked, finally turning away from her computer to eye Jane.
"Everything," Jane breathed, eyes locked on Maura's. "You're ok, right? The toxins that killed Chef Holden weren't transmissible?"
"The initial analysis suggests that, yes," Maura said, flustered.
"So if I kissed you, I wouldn't catch anything, huh?" Jane asked, her voice lower than usual.
"I wouldn't say that. Mouths are a bacterial nightmare, and kissing can transmit numerous viral diseases."
"Yeah, but not whatever killed that guy, right? It wouldn't kill either of us if I kissed you?"
Maura looked up at Jane, her eyes shining as she looked down at Maura. At some point Jane had taken Maura's left hand, and she was gently rubbing her thumb over Maura's knuckles.
"It wouldn't kill us, no," Maura agreed, watching as Jane leaned in, her mouth detouring close to Maura's ear.
"Good, because I plan on kissing you," Jane said, and Maura shivered with anticipation. "If that's ok?" She asked, looking uncertain as she drew back. Maura caught her bottom lip between her teeth, watching Jane's mouth, transfixed, nodding. Jane's lips were soft, softer than Maura was used to, tentative but growing more confident as Maura melted against Jane.
"The biohazard suits are read - oh! sorry Doctor Isles," Susie squeaked, and Jane pulled away.
"Uh..." Maura said, still looking at Jane's mouth, unable to process anything that wasn't the way it had felt when Jane had been kissing her.
"Give her a few minutes," Jane said cockily. "We rounded first last."
"Um... I'll just... close this..." Susie said, heading back into the morgue.
"You ok?" Jane asked when Maura was still unresponsive. 'You had a big day, huh? Between potentially being exposed to airborne poison to being potentially the target of a mail bomb, we can get someone else to do the autopsy. I'm still worried about your nose bleeds."
Maura shook her head and pulled Jane back in by the collar of her undershirt, kissing her softly. She pulled away after a moment and pressed her forehead against Jane's, hand still wrapped in Jane's shirt. "Just tell me we can do that again, preferably when we're not at work." Maura breathed, eyes closed.
Jane chuckled. "Sure, but you're telling Ma about us."
"Us?" Maura asked hopefully.
"If you want?" Jane pulled away bashfully. "Oh, and you're never telling any member of my family when we round a base ever again."
"I can live with that," Maura said nodding. "As long as you stop fabricating reasons to get dressed in the car."
Jane laughed, brushing Maura's cheek with her thumb, kissing her once more. "I don't need to any more, do I?" Jane asked.
Notes:
OK, I think that's actually the end for real this time.