Universe 201

Sleep.

The feel of the blanket wrapped around her.

The strong bed that lay underneath her, supporting her.

The soft smell of lavender coming from the pillow next to her.

Maura stretched out her hand feeling the cool spot next to her forever a reminder that Jane will never come back home.

She didn't cry.

She was done with crying.

He eye lids drooped and she fell asleep again, needing the promise of seeing that wonderful smirk and dark eyes in her dreams.

They laughed as both of them stumbled into Maura's home, drunk. Maura started to walk into the living room when Jane caught her arm.

"Maura Dorthea Isles, not following your own rules I'm shocked!" Jane slurred out, giggling a little. She bent down and slipped of her boots giving Maura a knowing look. Jane marched into the living room and flopped herself down onto the couch as her best friend took off her heels and made her way into the kitchen.

"Do you think you can grow hamburgers? Like just grow them in a garden and they're ready to eat in a few weeks?" Jane's rough voice flittered into the kitchen as Maura was filling two glasses up with water. She focused on walking over to Jane, trying not to spill it.

"No I don't think you can. You would need to have cattle, a garden, and a factory to make all of those toppings you put on them." Maura giggled, sitting next to Jane. She placed the waters down on the coffee table and leaned back into the couch, their shoulders touching.

"Shhh Google mouth." Jane placed a long finger against Maura's lips. "Don't ruin my genius idea with your logic." Maura smiled around Jane's finger. She could smell the alcohol on her best friend's breath. They had decided to go out and have a few things to drink, to relax from a long week. A case involving a missing little girl and a dead mother; making Jane more on edge than she already was. When they found the killer, already succeeding in murdering the missing girl, both Frost and Korsak had to pull her off of the man; stopping her from beating him to death. Jane didn't stop after her second shot nor her fourth. Finally after her seventh shot and fifth beer Frost called them a cab.

"What are you thinking about?" Jane whispered at Maura who wasn't as drunk as Jane.

"Nothing really." She attempted to grab the glass of water but Jane's hand grabbed hers softly. She turned her hand into Jane's grasping it. She shifted so she was facing Jane, their faces impossible close. Her best friend moved closer resting their foreheads against each other, their noses touching; lips inches apart. Maura felt Jane's hot breath against her own parted lips. Her eyes fluttered shut as she felt Jane's lips brush against her own softly.

Maura opened her eyes weakly.

That was her third time having that dream, always ending on the same part. She rolled over and looked at the clock, 1:53 P.M. She knew she should eat something or at least drink some water but she was just so tired. It had been a day since Jane's death, the image of her lying in the hospital bed still all too fresh. Maura laid there for a few minutes trying to think of nothing, trying to feel nothing.

Fatigue pulled her under again, already having its claws deep in her flesh.

"Maura!" Jane screamed from the bathroom, where she was taking a shower. "MAURA!" She opened the door wondering what could be making her girlfriend scream so loud.

"What Jane?" Jane was standing there clad in nothing but a white towel, making her olive skin stand out.

"There's a spider! It just crawled over there!" How on Earth a fierce Detective, which tackled gang bangers, had guns fired at her, having to be just as tough as the men she worked with could be so scared of a little creature that ate insects was lost on Maura. She grabbed some toilet paper and picked up the spider not wanting to hurt it. Jane was pressed against the wall trying to avoid them and Maura faked tripped brining the tissue closer to Jane.

"MAURA! Stop it!" Jane dashed out of the bathroom, Maura's high laughter following her as she disappear into the closet, trying to hid from the other woman. A few minutes went by as Jane tried to find something to wear on one of their few days off. Arms wrapped around her stomach and lips were pressed against her bare shoulder. Jane leaned into Maura's touch smiling.

"I'm sorry I scared you with the spider." The Kisses moved to her other shoulder now and Maura's hand traveled slowly down Jane's body. "Please let me make it up to you?" Maura whispered as her hand found Jane's core already wet from Maura's touch.

Again Maura woke up before the dream went further. She had only slept for two more hours. She laid there for a few minutes before closing her eyes again and grabbing Jane's pillow clutching it closer to her body, taking in Jane's unique scent.

"I told you they would be OK with it." Jane said to Maura's back who was doing the dishes. The rest of the Rizzoli clan and their friends had gone home, leaving Maura and Jane alone in the blonde's house.

"I know. But I just didn't want to jump to conclusion Jane; I couldn't possible think how I would feel if one of them didn't accept us." Jane slipped her arms around Maura's midriff, stilling her movements.

"I wouldn't care if they didn't accept us. I would still be with you Maur. You make me happy." Maura turned in her arms and kissed her.

"Well you make me angry because you never pick up your socks." Jane's face broke out into a smile.

"Was that a joke Dr. Isles." Maura returned Jane's smile with one of her own.

"Only if it was funny." Jane kissed the tip of Maura's nose and whispered.

"Any joke you say will be funny to me Maur." The blonde melted in Jane's arms kissing the exposed skin that made up the Detectives neck. She brushed her lips against the woman's collarbones receiving a sigh of content. Maura felt Jane stiffen suddenly. She looked up and saw her girlfriends shocked face change into sudden horror. Maura panicked, thinking she had done something wrong.

"Jane? What's wrong?"

"…Bass…" Was all she said.

"Bass?" Maura mumbled, confused. She looked down and saw her tortoise licking Jane's exposed ankle. A giggle started in Maura's chest that soon erupted into a full out laugh as she watched her pet's pink tongue flick out and lick Jane again. Jane shuddered and jumped away. Maura bent over laughing.

"You think that's funny do you?" Jane asked, she lunged at Maura trying to wipe her ankle on her girlfriend. But Maura darted away, Jane giving chase. They fell on the couch, Jane on top of Maura, laughing.

"That means he likes you Jane." Maura said, catching her breath. Jane grumbled.

"Well, he could show it to me some other way than licking my leg." She shifted her leg, trying to wipe off her ankle on the couch when Maura gasped and clutch Jane's shoulders. She looked down at the smaller woman who had her eyes closed and her lips were slightly parted. Then Jane felt it. Her thigh was resting against Maura's core, putting pressure on it. Jane's eyes darkened and she moved her leg again, receiving a moan from Maura this time. She opened her eyes, dark green met darker brown.

Maura opened her eyes again, this time almost fully waking up. She hadn't dreamed about the first time they had made love in awhile, but it was still fresh in her mind. I need to at least drink some water. The logical side of her brain said to her. Maura sat up swinging her legs over the bed. She sat there, shoulders slouched, hair falling like a curtain around her face, trying to get enough energy to stand up. But she was just so tired. With the last of her energy Maura pushed herself up. She swayed, lights dancing in her eyes and her ears pounded with the sound of blood rushing through them. She calmed down after a few minutes and headed slowly down to the kitchen to get some water and maybe something to eat with she felt up to it.

The guest house was dark, Angela no doubt with the rest of the Rizzoli family, grieving. Maura stared down at the glass she was holding. She forced herself to down it. Water splashed around inside her stomach that had shrunken from the lack of food. She opened her fridge and was assaulted with left over's that Jane had cooked for them that week. She slammed the door shut, hearing the clink's of the things in the door hitting each other. A bowl of fruit sat out on her island, she opted for an apple. She took a bite and gagged at the food resting in her mouth. Swallowing that piece she threw the rest away, no longer entertained by the idea of eating. She stood in her kitchen feeling her stomach twist and turn against the bit of apple she had eaten. Suddenly the front door opened.

"Maur, I got more of that ice cream you wanted. And yes, before you even ask, I made sure they didn't put any pepperoni on your mushroom half." Jane stepped around the corner, her boots thudding against the floor with each determined step, and her shirt already un-tucked from a long at work. She set the food down on the island slipping off her blazer.

"Honey? What's wrong?" Jane asked finally noticing Maura's confused horrid look.

"You…. You're….I…" Jane smirked at her.

"Dead? Yeah I am. You know this is just your mind coping with the loss of a loved one. I'm simply a figment of your imagination Maura. But you're confused because you suppress the imagination section of your brain, pushing logic and facts at it. Here I am however, looking real as ever and I even brought pizza!" Jane flipped open the box and pulled out a piece, cheese stretching out from the chunk of food. Jane looped her finger around the cheese making it pile all on top of her slice before taking a bigger bite than needed. Maura stood there staring.

Jane noticed Maura staring at her, silent tears streaming down her face. "Maur, sweetey." Jane set down the food and took a step over towards the smaller woman who was crying harder now. She wrapped her arms around the blonde woman's shaking from. Maura's brain went into overdrive listing all the reasons she shouldn't be able to feel Jane's warmth, feel the tickle of her hair as it brushed against her cheek, the hands that sprawled across her back, or the fingers that threaded through her hair, offering her comfort. Worse of all, she shouldn't be able to smell Jane.

But she could. She gripped Jane, hugging her and sobbing louder at the feeling of Jane against her. Jane rocked her back and forth shushing her. After awhile Maura calmed down but was still clutching onto Jane.

"Jane. I never told you. I love you. I love you with all my heart." Jane's raspy voice chuckled.

"I already know that Maura. You should know that Jane loved you too. But… you know that I shouldn't be here. You know that you're losing control."

"No Jane, please. Please don't go…" Maura begged her.

"I have to." There was a small pressure on top of Maura's head as Jane pressed her lips to it and then the strong arms that were holding her up vanished too, making Maura fall to the cold floor of her kitchen. She curled up into a little ball crying harder; sobs choking her.

Thirty minutes passed by.

An hour.

Two.

Maura lay on the floor doing nothing, feeling nothing. Her eyes trailed along the floor and looking at the patterns the wood of the cabinet doors made, losing all sense of time. She didn't know how long she lay there, but she did know that the Maura Isles that was known while Jane Rizzoli was alive was no longer.

The Queen of the Dead had returned.

"Have you talked to Maura Frankie?" Frost asked the man that stood next to his sister's desk, still cluttered with her things. It had been three weeks since Jane was announced dead, the wound still raw.

"I went over to her house two weeks ago, to see how she was doing. But no one answered." Frost looked back to the computer that was sitting on his desk. Korsak was due to return to duty any day now, the bullet wound not that bad. Of course the whole BPD felt the lost of a great Detective but life had to move on. Everyone mourned in their own way; Detective Crowe even offered his condolences to the Rizzoli family, never doing that before. Jane's funeral was packed. Every life she had saved, every person she had talked to in the BPD showing up. Even though Jane was known for being a "bitch" and "hardass" Everyone had respected her, she was a "fine damn Detective" as many had put it. Maura was there, as cool and collected as ever. Only a handful knew that Jane and Maura were more than friends and they tried to talk to her, only receiving clipped answers and a hard face.

"I'm worried about her." Frost said looking back up at Frankie. "Whenever I see her she's… I don't know… she's just not Maura." Frankie nodded his head. Someone shouted and got Frost's attention.

"Frost you might want to head down to the morgue the new guy is getting his ass handed to him by Dr. Isles." Frost and Frankie exchanged a look before standing up and quickly heading towards the elevators. With Korsak out on medical leave and Jane forever absent; Cavanaugh had no choice but to hire a new homicide Detective. He went to Frankie first offering him his gold badge, but he quickly declined saying he never wanted to take his sisters spot, it would forever be hers. So he promoted Vice Detective, Jim Brooks to the spot, not receiving a warm welcome so soon after a death.

The elevator doors opened and Maura's cold voice could be heard through the morgue doors.

"…What if that wasn't semen, Detective?" Her voice was menacing to say the least. As Frankie and Frost pushed open the doors they say her face, stone, deadly. "Then you would be jumping to conclusions that could lead you in the wrong direction." Brook's voice answered, louder than Maura's; angry for receiving a lecture.

"But it is. Your tests came back positive! So why are you yelling at me for jumping to a right conclusion?" Maura narrowed her eyes.

"Just because it turned out to be semen doesn't mean that it couldn't have been something else. And if it was in fact something else you would be heading in the wrong direction."

"Look, I know your girlfriend just died and everything but you don't need to take your anger out on me. I'm just doing my job." Jim wasn't anticipating Maura's fist being thrown at his face. He stumbled backwards at her surprisingly strong blow. Frost and Frankie stepped in. Frankie dragging the Detective out of the room, giving him a piece of his own mind while Frost tried to comfort Maura, not really succeeding.

"Are you all right Maura?"

"I'm fine Detective Frost. Is there something I can help you with?"

"I just want to make sure that you're OK," he said back. He really was worried about her. She was always down here it seemed, working. Her techs and told him that they hardly saw her leave and when they did it was late at night only to be here in the morning before them.

"Thank you for your concern but it is ill placed. I can handle myself. I have the reports back on the woman that was murdered if you want those?" Maura asked. She always went straight back to business; never one to talk about how she was. There was no longer any mention of Bass or Jo Friday, or asking Frost how he was. Jane had taken that with her when she had passed away.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Back to business it seemed.

After Frost left Maura headed into her office; not even jumping when a voice spoke.

"Nice swing there Maur!" Jane was spinning herself in Maura's desk chair, staring up at the ceiling. Maura had lost track of how many times her mind had conjured up Jane over the past few weeks. She made sure the door was closed behind her and the blinds pulled down.

"Jane, get out of my chair." She pushed on Jane's shoulder playfully and the tall woman jumped up, dusting herself off.

"Well only if you insist." She started to fiddle with something on her bookshelf now.

"Why are you here today Jane?" Maura asked softly.

"I don't really know. You're the one that conjured me up, remember." Jane faded out before Maura's eyes and was gone leaving her alone in her decorated office. She sighed and started to get to work when there came a groan from the couch a few minutes later.

"Have I ever told you how uncomfortable your couch is?"

"Only every chance you get." Maura replied calmly. She knew that this hallucination would go away sooner rather than later. Maura tried to focus on her work, but someone massaging her shoulders distracted her. One of the hands lifted and was replaced with Jane's lips kissing her shoulder softly.

"You work to hard Maur." Maura sighed as Jane's kisses traveled up her neck. Then they stopped all together. Maura opened her eyes and looked around, she was alone; again. She couldn't help as a tear slid down her face, Jane's smell lingering in her office.

Welp, thank you everyone again for... everything.

Take Care. -FTP

P.S. oh yeah and I would just like to address a few questions that have been coming up.

Universe 378 is so different from ours. The history of it is different to (I'll explain that later) But there is no "Maura" In 378. Just like there is no Tommy because of population laws back on Earth. Cavanaugh doesn't exist either or Frost. There's a lot of things that are different. So when you read Universe 378 there is going to be a lot of original characters, plot themes, and ideas.

So keep that in mind.

Alright.

Stay cool.