Author's note: thank you all for the reviews!

March

Chapter Forty-Six: A Matter of Proportions

"Sorry... Is all that you can say... Years gone by and still..."

Suddenly getting out of her blank daydream and abandoning the contemplation of the traffic by the car window, Jane turned her head around and frowned at Maura. Hand on the steering-wheel – her left arm up against the window – the honey blonde was singing along the tune; her fingers taping the melody at the same time.

"Words don't come easily... Like sorry like sorry..."

A gentle smile – maybe slightly amused – played on the Italian's lips. Maura rarely sang. As a matter of fact, it was even the first time that she broke into it like that. In the car. While stuck in traffic. The scene stirred up butterflies in Jane's stomach and before she realized it, she began to sing along with her wife.

Just as timidly.

"Forgive me... Is all that you can't say... Years gone by and still..."

The smile that had embraced the detective's lips found an echo on Maura's lips as Jane's hoarse voice – shaking a bit – hit the air to accompany her. Without the slightest remark, they both kept on singing.

Their respective smiles growing wider every second.

"Words don't come easily... Like forgive me forgive me..."

The music went crescendo – both women now tapping with their fingers to follow the melody – and as the chorus came up, their respective voices rose louder and they burst out laughing; finally looking at each other.

"But you can say baby... Baby can I hold you tonight... Maybe if I told you the right words... At the right time... You'd be mine..."

Jane shook her head and bit her lower lip of delight. She lived for these moments, these ridiculous little nothing that assembled one to another gave such a strong sense to her existence. And she owed them all to Maura. Without any exception. The blonde was her soul mate.

"Singing along Tracy Chapman...Well next thing I know we'll be buying tickets for Melissa Etheridge's upcoming concert."

Maura gasped. Not because she would have been offended by the remark but because of the thrill such perspective seemed to suddenly bring her. "Oh my God. Is she coming to Boston soon?"

Jane blinked. Why? Why did she keep on being not that literal with her wife? Why? She knew that she had to follow a rather classic scheme if she wanted Maura to understand what she meant. Shaking her head, the brunette offered an apologetic smile. "No. Not that I know of."

Maura pouted. "Too bad. I would have gladly seen her live..." As the traffic seemed to gain back some fluidity on the left lane, the scientist honked at the car just before hers to push the driver to react. Jane widened her eyes at her wife. In shock. Since when did Maura Isles lose her patience?

Twenty minutes later, the first townhouses of Beacon Hill finally appeared in front of them. At last. The day had been long and Boston going under work made it worse at night. Maura parked – stretched – as Jane began to retrieve for her belongings.

"Are you tired?" A kiss on her neck and a hand passing around her stomach brought a negative – yet sweet and suggestive – reply to Maura's question. The honey blonde giggled – bit her lips – and let a sigh of pleasure break the silence of the car. "You might be right. Let's do it as long as we can. This should turn in a no-go soon."

The remark pushed Jane to stop. Taken aback, the detective sat back further on her seat and frowned at her wife. "What do you mean? You're not in the mood anymore?"

Maura rolled her eyes and cast a glance full of irony at the Italian. "Are you kidding? I am horny like... You have no idea."

A grin appeared on Jane's lips. Not only was it reassuring but also tempting, encouraging. "Then why? Why did you say that?"

A car passed in the street, its lights sliding on their face before they got plunged in the dark again. The neighborhood was quiet. It was late. A bit embarrassed, Maura shrugged and looked down at her lap. It was not easy. Not easy at all. As a matter of fact, she even hated it.

"My stomach is becoming quite an obstacle to it. It took us fifteen minutes to find a semblance of a... Of a position on Tuesday." She blushed and thanked in silence the darkness of the night for hiding the bright red shade that had embraced her cheeks.

"But take it as a challenge to your creativity! There's nothing to be ashamed about, Maura." With a lot of care – sensing the delicacy of the moment – Jane caressed her wife's cheek and bent over to plant a kiss at the corner of her mouth. She got welcomed by a shrug and what sounded like a sob. "Honey..."

For some reason, Maura seemed to be going through a tough phase. She had been very sensitive lately to the point of bursting into tears for nothing at all. The mere detal upset her as a thousand doubts rose within her to eat her out. Luckily these little emotional episodes never lasted for too long.

"You might be seven-month pregnant, believe me, you haven't lost any of your flexibility skills!"

The remark made the medical examiner laugh. Shyly. Opening the door of the car, Jane nodded with great determination. She hated seeing Maura suffer. She felt awfully disarmed, pointless. Yet she was the one supposed to help her no matter what. "Come on... How about a bath to start with? And a glass of wine. You haven't had one this month."

Forcing a smile, the honey blonde nodded – unfasten her seatbelt – and began to move her left leg to the door. She froze, frowned. Counted until three in her head.

"Jane?" Blank tone of voice.

"Yeah?" Already halfway out, the Italian turned around; the plastic bags she was holding producing a loud sound in the silence of the night.

Maura made a face and kept on staring straight in front of her as if she were still driving. "I am going to need your help to get out of the car."

Now worried, Jane let go of her bags – stepped back fully inside – and came closer to her wife. "Why? Are you okay? Your water didn't break, right? No because if so, I need to go and grab the hospital bag we prepared the other day. I run and come back. It will only take me like... Thirty seconds. How long between the contractions? Are they painful?"

Maura shook her head, still observing at the darkness in front of her. Impassive, her face not betraying the slightest of her emotions.

"I am not into labor. My water didn't break."

Knowing better than to sigh of relief, Jane cast a glance around – confused – then raised an eyebrow at her wife. "Then what's happening? Why do you need me to go out? You didn't have any problem earlier this morning to step out of it when we arrived at the BPD."

"I am stuck."

Even hours later, Maura wouldn't be sure how to interpret the silence that followed her statement. Had Jane wondered – on the moment – if she was joking, that it was a prank of some sort? Unless she had simply tried to not mock her for the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Excuse me?"

Gesticulating like a muppet, Maura proved her point and finally turned her head around to look at her wife straight in the eyes. "I am stuck. I think I am stuck. My stomach prevents me from getting out of the car by myself. This isn't a joke, Jane. I don't know what I did but I am stuck between the seat and the steering-wheel."

And after that you tell me I am not a whale... Seriously... The blonde pouted, and rolled her eyes. For a couple of seconds, she felt the burning sensation of new tears reaching her eyes but as she cast a glance at Jane again, the sobs vanished.

Silent – still – both women looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

And then they burst out laughing.

Shaking her head, the Italian finally stepped out of the car and went the other way around to open the door and lean over Maura. Tears of laughter were now running down her cheeks, matching the honey blonde's who only hoped that such spasms would not have any consequence on her rather delicate – and slightly unpredictable – bladder.

"Holly crap, what the hell have you done, Maura? Now that's a first and I'm so telling the guys about it tomorrow. Sorry but I can't keep that one to myself. No way. Wait. That's worth a pic."

Perhaps under other circumtances, Maura would have taken it bad. But not tonight. No. Jane's presence was reassuring and brought a well needed lightness to her heart. It was the best teasing of all times.