"I bet you enjoy it without my mother here" Jane said sipping her beer, sitting at Maura's counter while she made them dinner. "I want Italian" Maura had stated several hours earlier, Jane had been just about to offer her services when Maura had cut her off "but I have to make it" and there was no messing around with the look on her face. "I'm from an Italian-American background after all" she had reminded Jane who had sat back willingly as she knew how amazing Maura's food was and she certainly didn't want to interrupt Chef Isles when she was on a mission to make the perfect pasta dish.

Maura was excited to be in the kitchen making dinner for the two of them, after bravely pushing the words out of her mouth asking Jane to stay she felt immediate relief when the detective had smiled wide and asked what they were having. Her hangover was almost entirely gone, with another good nights sleep she would be all set to go back to her normal routine. Although she was sad to admit she had enjoyed today immensely, aside from the horrible headaches she had felt more like a person then she had for a long time, simply getting to do normal things like go for a walk in the sunshine when she wanted to, watch a movie on the couch in the afternoon…it had been a nice break from her busy life. There was almost dread that filled her at the thought of having to go back to work tomorrow, she loved her job but this had been so nice she didn't want it to end. She was also scared that what happened between them would be brushed aside, forgotten and she would be forced to move on again after taking a leap, even if it was a drunk one, and risked exposing her true feelings to Jane, would that end up being for no reason? She hoped not.

"It certainly is quieter" Maura admitted glancing up at Jane with a cheeky smile. She could feel Jane's eyes on her as she moved around her kitchen, every step, every movement, Jane's eyes followed.

"I have to say I do miss her company in the mornings"

A frown creased Jane's forehead, she didn't understand how Maura had the tolerance to put up with her Ma 24/7. Her mother was a matriarch, and living in Maura's guest house, she didn't understand how Maura hadn't left her out on the street yet, as much as she loved her mother sometimes she was just too much.

"The only company I need in the morning is a hot cup of coffee" Jane stated and Maura laughed.

"That's true" she agreed.

"So what exactly are we having Miss Italian-American Chef" Jane smirked at Maura placing the beer bottle to her lips and taking a long sip.

"Ravioli" Maura replied her mouth tugging into a smile at Jane's smirk.

"Ravioli" Jane echoed looking at the food that was spread out across the counter.

"You know the earliest mention of ravioli was in the 14th century, Francesco di Marco wrote about it he recommends ravioli with green herbs blanched and minced, mixed with beaten egg, fresh cheese and simmered in broth"

Jane scrunched up her nose "And why are we going off a recipe from the 14th century?" she quipped.

"I'm not using his recipe Jane" she pulled a face at the brunette and continued finely chopping the herbs.

"Oh so that was just one a fun fact?" Jane poked and Maura looked up playfully narrowing her eyes at the detectives tone.

"Mm" Jane said when their eyes met "you must be feeling better, your spouting off your fun facts again"

Maura smiled slightly tearing her eyes away from Jane's and changing her concentration back to what she was doing.

"I'm glad it amuses you to make fun of me" she said.

"I'm not making fun of you Maur…" Jane tried to sound comforting but then started to laugh.

"I mean it's kinda cute, you know something about everything"

Maura looked up, putting down the knife and looked straight at Jane.

"I do not know something about everything" she said.

"You wanna bet?" Jane lifted an eyebrow.

Maura folded her arms. "Go on then"

Jane narrowed her eyes at Maura, trying to contain the smile on her face wishing Maura would stop being so damn cute.

"Okay, what's the capital of Angolia?"

"Luanda" Maura replied without even having to think, Jane quirked an eyebrow as if to prove a point and Maura immediately frowned realising Jane had been right.

"That was easy" she argued "Ask me something harder"

"Am I allowed to use google?" Jane asked and Maura rolled her eyes.

"If you must" Jane took another sip from her beer thoughtfully wondering if Maura really did know everything.

"You know if you asked me about baseball I probably wouldn't know" Maura put in and Jane laughed.

"Maura you've played baseball with me before, you do know enough about it"

Maura huffed and picked up the knife again.

"You know" she said after several seconds of the sound of the knife hitting the chopping board had filled the room.

"Ravioli sounds quite like Rizzoli"

A stifled laugh escaped Jane's lips as she looked at Maura with her eyebrows raised in curiosity where that bad joke had come from.

"Are you making fun of me because I made fun of you Doctor Isles?" she asked and Maura looked up at her giving a dismissive shrug.

"Ravioli" Jane said with a sarcastic disapproving tone, setting her beer down on a coaster and getting up from her seat.

"I'm going to go and shower before you offend me anymore" Jane tossed her hair over her shoulder as she stalked out the door still pretending to be upset about Maura's comment, but Maura's laugh just followed her out of the room.

"I'll call you when dinners ready" she said and Jane waved a hand disdainfully.

She went into Maura's guest bathroom and turned the shower on, catching sight of herself in the mirror and staring at the goofy smile she still had attached to her face.

"Get a grip Jane" she told herself quietly, you're meant to be getting engaged remember? She reminded herself glancing down at her empty finger where her engagement ring from Casey had resided briefly before she had taken it off last night. You took your ring off for Maura… the thought struck her forcefully and her smile was immediately replaced with a furrowed brow. What was she doing, she couldn't keep playing around like this someone was going to get hurt and like hell she would let it be Maura. Frustratedly yanking off her clothes she stepped into the shower and let the hot water run over her body, washing off her anger and frustration and soothing her tense muscles. She leaned her arms against the wall of the shower letting the hot water run over her back, she went over the afternoon she had spent with Maura carefully in her mind, retracing every glance they had stolen of each other during the film, every awkward touch and shy eye contact. Maura had seemed tense earlier, hesitant almost to be too close to Jane, but she had seemed more relaxed after she had asked Jane to stay for dinner. In fact it had been so normal with the two of them in the kitchen Jane could have easily forgotten that anything happened, but of course she wouldn't. Washing herself quickly with Maura's lemongrass soap she ran her soapy hands through her hair and exhaled deeply before gathering herself and stepping out of the shower, she could have stayed in there for hours but something made her get out. A Maura something. She wrapped a towel around herself and leaned back against the shower door shutting her eyes for the briefest moment.

"Jane?" Maura's voice cut through the silence followed by the sound of the door opening.

"Oh" Maura said stopping immediately when she saw Jane standing fresh out of the shower with one of her white fluffy towels around her.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy the fact these doors don't lock?" Jane joked and Maura bit her lip softly.

"I'm sorry" she started "I just, I called out and you didn't answer…I was just checking everything was…" Jane watched as Maura's eyes caught sight of her slipping towel and distracted her immediately.

"…checking everything was okay" The doctors voice was soft and almost breathless as if she was holding something back.

"I'm fine" Jane smiled trying to sound convincing, but she wasn't even sure Maura heard her. The honey blondes hazel eyes were running over Jane's body slowly and unsubtly, she leaned on the door as if it were the only thing that were keeping her upright.

"Maur" Jane said snapping Maura out of her focused gaze, she quickly stood up off the door and cleared her throat.

"Yes, you're…you're fine, that's good" she said tugging on the edge of her top unnecessarily.

"Dinner's ready, when you're…" Jane's eyes chased Maura's around until they met and Maura's words got lost in her mouth.

"finished" she said and swallowed hard wishing Jane's presence wouldn't making her so giddy. Maura tried to get herself to turn and leave but her feet seemed firmly cemented to the tiled floor and she couldn't remember how to convince herself to move. Jane's dark eyes bore deeply into hers and she felt strangely exposed, as if Jane were looking directly into her soul, seeing every emotion and feeling and thought she was having. She couldn't look away either, because behind Jane's beautiful dark eyes she was battling her own feelings, Maura seemed to recognise a familiar frustration that was buried behind them. When Jane finally broke their gaze Maura felt as though her feet had just been freed and she suddenly spun around and left the room without further word. Racing back down the stairs she stopped at the bottom to catch her lost breath, placing a hand over her heart she let out a pained sigh. How long was this going to go on? The tension between them had returned and settled. It wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, until one of them bought up what needed to be said.

It was 11pm when Jane got up to go home, she hadn't been home since she had arrived at Maura's in the middle of the night and she had to get Frankie to let Jo Friday out for a quick walk after he'd finished work. She needed her bed yet she dreaded the silence she would be submerged in until the trill sound of her alarm at 7am. As she rose from the couch she glanced at Maura who was studiously scrolling through shoes on her iPad, the two of them had nestled themselves comfortably on the couch, Jane had been watching ESPN and Maura had started her crazed online shopping binge. The detective knew that when Maura started buying things frivolously online that something was wrong, but she chose not to bring it up until there were piles of delivery boxes scattering the doctors kitchen.

"I should get going" Jane announced softly and Maura immediately looked up, before glancing at her watch.

"Gosh I didn't even realise the time" she said putting her iPad aside and getting up. The tension between the two of them was still there, but they were close enough with each other to pretend it wasn't. Maura walked Jane to the door wishing she didn't have to be alone tonight, she knew she had no place to ask the detective to stay another night, but something was tugging at her heart begging her to ask even though it was set in her head that she would have to let Jane go as much as she didn't want to.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow at work" Jane said turning to Maura once they reached the front door.

Maura nodded not trusting herself to open her mouth as the wrong words might slip out, a problem that she had never had before.

"Okay" Jane said, her voice was thick and huskier than usual from the silence the two of them had been sharing.

"Well I'm glad you're feeling better" she turned towards the door and as she reached for the door handle Maura's arm shot out grabbing Jane's elbow.

"Jane wait" The startled detective turned around and Maura quickly let go, instantly releasing what she had just done.

Jane looked at her expectantly.

"I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to stay here again" the words tumbled from her lips.

"You want me to stay?" Jane asked and Maura couldn't help notice the detective seemed somewhat relieved?

"Well you don't have to, it's just I've had such a lovely day I'm not sure I'm ready for it to finish just yet" Maura said, and it was true, the only part she didn't mention was how much she dreaded going to bed in an empty house, alone with her thoughts once again.

It felt like forever and a day before Jane finally replied.

"Yeah alright" the brunette said and Maura's mouth almost dropped open in shock.

"You'll stay?" she asked.

"I'll stay" Jane confirmed.

"On one condition" she added "I get to sleep in your bed again"

As the words left Jane's mouth they almost knocked Maura off her feet. She knew Jane didn't mean that in a romantic way, but it was still shocking that after the rigid moments during the afternoon and the silence they had sunk into after dinner she was surprised Jane had asked such a thing. Maybe Jane just got it? Maybe she just understood. She was good at that, understanding. Or maybe, maybe Maura was lucky enough that Jane felt the same way as her.

"Of course" Maura said with a magnificent smile spreading across her face.

hey guys I just wanted to say thank you again for reading, i appreciate all your support.

yes this chapter was a little slow, but these things don't happen straight away. bare with me through the next chapter as well, good things take time...there will be plenty of drama and juicy moments coming up soon!

also please keep the reviews coming! i love to hear your thoughts and feedback :) love xxx