AN: WOW! It has been a while. Sorry:( I haven't felt like writing much lately. So just to recap for anybody still reading this story, Jane has feelings for Maura. Maura is in engaged. Jane drunkenly confesses her love to Maura. They sleep together. Maura feels guilty and skips out on Jane the next morning. Jane is devastated. Maura tries to apologize for her actions and does a bad job of doing so. Jane stills feels hurt and betrayed. I would like to say a THANK YOU to everybody that is still with this story. This story does not have a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

A few days passed since Maura came to offer her apologies and Jane, once again, found herself alone sitting on the couch staring at the blank screen of her television. Not a day had passed that Jane didn't mull over what Maura said to her. Her mood would wax and wane as she processed their last interaction. At first, she couldn't take to heart what Maura was trying to say because she was too raw, too emotional, and too exposed to see any point of view other than her own dejected feelings, but as a bit of time passed Maura's words started to breakthrough. Even though Maura's explanations for her actions kind of came off as a cyborg that was masquerading as a person trying to explain human emotions to another human, Jane couldn't help but to think that it was a very 'Maura' way of reacting to the situation. Of course she compartmentalized her thoughts and feeling, and try to gather information so she could analyze it and place it together just like pieces of a puzzle. In any other circumstance Jane would find this quirk of Maura's charming, but from what has transpired between them Jane found Maura's approach maddening and oh so very hurtful.

"Jesus Maura! Why can't you express yourself like a normal fucking person." Jane thought to herself as she stood up from her couch. She needed to leave the confines of her apartment that provided a sanctuary for her to stew in a perpetual state of melancholy. She grabbed her wallet, keys, left her phone, and petted Jo's on the head as she left to go to the Robber.

Jane pushed the door open and took an inventory of who was in the Robber. A few people sat in the booths, a small group of elderly white-haired men playing darts and pool, and a few others milling about the place. Thankfully there wasn't anybody Jane knew. She sauntered up to the bar and pulled out a stool and plopped herself down. The bartender was at the other end of the bar chatting up some young ladies. This gave Jane some time to decide on what she wanted to drink. She carefully scanned each shelf of alcohol while contemplating on what she wanted to drown her sorrows in. "Hmm… Shots? Whiskey?…. Tequila?…. Tequila and Whiskey? Nah. That sounds like a fistfight begging to happen followed by violently puking in the parking lot." Jane chuckled to herself. "Maybe beer." Just as she was about to get the bartender's attention her inclination towards alcohol shifted. Perhaps drinking one's self into a stupor wasn't the best use of her time. Drinking herself stupid would bring on more dreariness, despair, and very painful hangovers. Jane didn't trust her ability to control her emotions while drinking, she was unsure if her night would end up in tears, or flying into a blind rage. The tears she didn't mind too much because she has shed her fair share over the past month, but it was the rage that scared her. She didn't want to take her frustration out on some random passerby, or even worse… Maura. She shuddered at the thought of her drunkenly banging her fists on Maura's door while shouting obscenities at the top of her lungs.

"Hey. What can I get for you?" The bartender interrupted her thoughts.

"A Coke will be just fine. Thank you."

He filled up a glass and slid it towards her. "No charge. Soda is on the house." He smiled and left to continue flirting with the two blonds at the end of the bar.

Jane intently stared at the glass that held her soda; she examined how the ice stacked together and the millions of tiny carbonated bubbles floating to the surface as the condensation drips down the side. It was hypnotic. Jane sat there silently taking in her surroundings; she found comfort in the music playing in the jukebox, the murmurs of various conversations, the clack of pool balls, and the smell of stale beer. She felt content with the knowledge that the world continues to exist around her, but she doesn't have to engage it.

Her reverie was short lived when she felt a hand on her back and a familiar voice asking her how she was doing.

"I'm fine Frost. How are you?"

"I'm doing alright. Can't complain…. too much." He smiled as he pulled a stool away from the bar and sat down.

"Whatcha drinking?"

"Coke." Jane said simply.

"WOW! Hitting the hard stuff tonight, Jane. Your an animal." Frost smiled as he nudged Jane in the ribs.

Jane gave a slight smile at Frost's attempt to be jovial. Frost got the attention of the bartender and ordered a beer. He offered to buy Jane a drink, but she politely declined his offer. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments. Frost knew why Jane wasn't being very talkative, she confided in him a few days back when he asked if she and Maura were in a fight. He was a little surprised that she actually divulged as much as she had, for Jane was not the type to talk about personal stuff, but the tone in her voice told him that she desperately needed someone to be there for her. His heart broke as she told him what happen between her and Maura. He didn't take any sides or give any advice, he listened to what Jane had to say and then offered up a comforting hug. He knew Jane was hurting and Maura was devastated by what she did to Jane and he wanted to help, but he didn't want to overstep and interfere where he is not welcomed. So whatever he was going to do, he needed to tread lightly.

"SO… Did you hear what happened between the Doc and Jason?" Frost asked as he tentatively sipped his beer.

Jane looked irritated by the topic of their conversation, but knew Frost would continue despite any protest. "No. I haven't." she muttered through gritted teeth.

"Well according to Frankie, by way of your mother, a few nights ago Maura broke off the engagement and gave the ring back."

Jane turned to Frost "Well, what a shocking revelation that was." Her voice was seething with sarcasm. "It's not like she didn't FUCK somebody else while being engaged. Of course she gave the ring back…" She smacked Frost's shoulder. "... She couldn't function underneath all the weight of guilt she felt from cheating in the first place." Tightening her jaw, Jane spoke through clenched teeth with a posh accent. "It was the proper thing to do and Dr. Isles is many things, but being improper is not one. Dropping the accent in exchange for a scowl. "Well unless, of course, she is dealing with me."

Jane turned back to her drink, picking it up and taking a hefty gulp in an attempt to calm herself from getting too riled up.

Frost considered cutting his losses and changing topics, but he had a point to make so he pressed on.

"Jane." he said softly. She sat there caught between wanting to know more and getting up and leaving.

Frost continued. "The way I heard it, Maura confessed her infidelity to Jason and he was pissed at first, but once he calmed down he tried to salvage his relationship with her. He said they could postpone the engagement and try and work it out. Even though she cheated on him, he still loved her very much and wanted to try and fix things between them. Maura told him that she was sorry and took the ring off her finger and handed it back to him."

Cutting him off. "What's your point Frost? Why are you telling me this?"

"My point is that this happened right before she came over to your apartment to explain herself." Jane looked confused by the relevance of this information.

Frost pressed on. "Maura broke up with a man that she loved dearly and when offered a second chance to be with the love of her life she handed her ring back and went directly to your house to try and salvage her relationship with you."

"Still not getting your point." Jane spat.

Frost placed a hand on Jane's shoulder. "Don't you see? She chose you."

Jane let out a laugh. "SHE CHOSE ME? Really? How do you come up with this shit? She didn't choose me; she gave me a bullshit apology so she could make herself feel better about her fucked up actions. I can't believe you think that Maura breaking up with her fiancé is a sign that she picks me over him.

"Yeah I do." Frost defends himself. "Because after that disaster of a conversation you guys had, she didn't run back to Jason. If she intended to give you some B.S to ease her conscious, why break it off with Jason in the first place? Why not try to have her cake and then eat it too? Sure she felt guilty for cheating, but he forgave her and still she broke it off."

Frost made eye contact with Jane to see if she was truly hearing his words.

"She broke up with him because her relationship with you is more important. She didn't try to save her relationship with Jason because she will always choose you."

Jane looked away from Frost. She was still not convinced.

"Frankie said that she didn't defend herself to Jason, She simply stated that she couldn't marry him because she was unfaithful, and that he a good man that deserves somebody that loves him with their whole heart. Then, she said that she was truly sorry that she couldn't be that person."

Jane put both her elbows on the bar and placed her face in her hands. Frost took it as a sign that she was considering his point of view.

"She left Jason without an explanation for her actions and she went over to your place and tried to explain herself and make amends. She didn't fight for Jason; she tried to fight for you. Granted, she didn't go about it in the best way, but this Maura, we are talking about, and you know as well as I do that she not very good at dealing with interpersonal drama."

Jane cut in. "Yeah! No shit she went about it the wrong way." She turned to look at Frost. "She was so cold and distant, and made us sleeping together sound like it was some type of science experiment that went horribly wrong." Jane's voice wavered a bit. "It was horrible, Frost."

Frost gently placed his hand on Jane's shoulder and gave a squeeze.

He hated seeing Jane hurting, and he wished he could snap his fingers and this messed upped situation would resolve itself. Also, he wanted to just take Jane's side, but after seeing Maura today he just couldn't. Earlier, he had to pick up some lab results from Susie, but when he got down to the morgue, Susie was nowhere in sight. He walked into Maura's office to see if she was in there and ran into Maura. Her back was to him and he heard a few sniffles. At the sound of him walking into her office, she sniffed, straighten up and turned around, being the professional that she is, she greeted him with a polite smile and asked what he needed. Her eyes were red and puffy and she held a crumpled up tissue in her hand. Her hair was tied up in loose, messy bun, and she wasn't wearing as much make-up as normal. Her appearance was quite dishevelled compared to her normal appearance. Frost could tell that she has been crying and felt horrible for intruding, so he quickly stated that he was looking for the Lab results. She turned back to her desk and picked up a manila envelope and handed it to him. She looked like she was going to ask him about something, but then thought better of it and asked him if he needed anything else. Frost shook his head no. She smiled at him once again and bid him a good day. Frost saw past her professional facade and knew the woman behind that smile was completely devastated by her actions. He knew Maura would never intentionally hurt Jane and what she did to Jane was killing her. He gave a warm smile back and wished her a good day.

Both Jane and Maura are very important to him and he knew that the only way things would be resolved if they talked to each other again. That was that tricky part. How was he going to get Jane to see that Maura is not this unfeeling monster that she thinks she is, and give her a second chance. Frost thought for a bit and decided to change tactics.

He took a pull off his beer before he spoke. "You know when I first met Maura I thought she was very odd." He scratched his beard. "She seemed almost like a robot. Ya know? Cold, distant and would rattle of scientific facts at an alarming rate. I got the distinct impression that she wasn't much of a people person because there seemed to be a giant wall that created such a distance between her and everybody else."

If there were anybody on this planet that understood the art of keeping people at a distance, it would be Jane.

"One day she offered to help me get over my "little issue" with dead bodies. She said that by slowly introducing the thing that you have an aversion to will help you get over it. She then placed a scalpel in my hand and embraced me from behind. With her hand on mine, she whispered 'it's just a body made up of tissue and bone.' and lowered our hands. Her touch was tender and her embrace was comforting. I couldn't do it and pulled away to puke in the sink. When I got myself together, I look up at Maura and saw kindness in her eyes. She didn't judge me for having a weak stomach because she understood what it was to have a phobia. I asked her where she learned about this type of aversion therapy and she said that she used it in college because she had an aversion to people. It was then when I understood that her impersonal, aloof demeanor was armor that she wore and underneath she was this kind, warm, and caring person."

"So what's with the little trip down memory lane? Are you trying to tell me that you are 'team' Maura now?" Jane huffed in annoyance.

Frost motion to the bartender for another beer. More alcohol was needed for this conversation.

"No. I'm not in anybody team. I'm just trying to remind you of how Maura was before you guys became really good friends."

Jane was about to cut him off, but he put up his hand to stop her from speaking.

"Maura did not do herself any favors in the way that she tried to apologize to you, and you are completely justified in how you feel, but I don't think Maura intended to come across as harsh as she did. I believe that she didn't…. does not know how to handle what happened between you two. I think she got scared and she put that armor on to protect herself while she tries to sort everything out."

Jane ran her hand through her hair. As much as she hated to admit it, but Frost did have a point.

"So what am I supposed to do, Frost." She said with slight defeat.

"I think you should talk to Maura again and try and find a way to forgive her."

"I should do what now?! Are you fucking kidding me?" Jane raised her voice.

"Look, if it was anybody other than Maura, that pulled that kind of shit, I would choke them with my own bare hands after I've hacked into their finances and completely destroyed their credit."

Frost chuckled a bit as Jane rolled her eyes.

"It's Maura, Jane. You guys have stuck together through so much trauma and heartache, don't you think for the sake of your friendship, you should try and figure this thing out?"

"She used me, Frost. How do I forgive that?"

Jane gave him a pointed look.

Frost inhaled deeply and made eye contact with Jane.

"There are people in this world that use other people to feed their own ego's. They never see the person that loves them, they only see the power that the hold over them and they get off on that. So they manipulate person after person to inflate their egos to fill a void within themselves because something is broken inside of them, but that's not Maura. She sees you, Jane. And loves all of you. You know it. We all know it."

Jane looked away so Frost couldn't see the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Partner, you have to find a way through this because it is eating you alive, and I don't think you can keep carrying on like this for much longer." Frost placed his hand over Jane's.

After a long silence, Jane spoke. "What if I go over there and she apologizes. Then What? We go back to being just friends? What happens if I can't be her friend? What happens if she falls in love with another guy and my feelings don't go away? Then I'm in the same boat that I'm in now." Jane threw her hands up in the air and looked to Frost for answers.

"Um… somehow I think you guys tossed friendship out the window when you two slept together." Jane glared at him. " Let's face it, you guys have always been a little more than 'just' friends and she did say that she didn't regret sleeping with you, only the circumstances that it happened under."

"Are you suggesting that Maura wants a physical relationship with me?"

Frost shrugged his shoulders.

"Geez Frost, I didn't know you were such a shipper."

Jane thought for a second.

"Ok, so what if she does want to get together and it's like she said… Ya know… satisfying a curiosity and she breaks my heart all over again."

Jane took the last sip of her soda to help swallow the rising emotions.

"Nobody has a magic crystal ball to look into see the future of their relationships. I can meet the love of my life tonight, or a really great one night stand. I can meet someone and fall in love only to have the relationship end with my heart broken or me breaking their heart. The point is that nobody knows what is going to happen. All you can do is give it your best shot and rejoice if you make it, and try to survive if you don't."

Frost shifted in his seat.

"If you find that you can't be her friend then leave the friendship behind, and if you get together and it doesn't work out, then break up. It will hurt like hell and you will grieve for your loss. You'll deal with your grief by either drinking yourself stupid, or by Eat, Pray, Loving your way across Europe." Jane smiled a bit. "And one day you will pick yourself up off from the floor, put your pants on one foot at a time and go back out into the world because you have the closure you need and now you're free to move on. You're a catch Jane, and anybody would be lucky to be yours."

Jane turned to Frost and gave him a hug.

Frost gave her a squeeze and whispered in her ear "You both need to heal and it can't start till you talk to each other." He released Jane and smiled a devilish grin. "Now, I'm off to find the love of my life, or at least a love for the night." He winked.

Jane held his hand and whispered "Thank you." He squeezed her hand and left.

Jane sat for a bit, letting Frost's words wash over her before getting up and heading out the door.

AN2: Please let me know what you think. What did you think about shipper Frost? My hope with this chapter is to set the stage for the next chapter were Jane and Maura have a proper talk. I'm looking to wrap this story up in the next chapter.