Maura knocked frantically on Jane's door she knew the detective would be home by now it was almost 7 and if she wasn't at Maura's then she would definitely be here. When there was no answer Maura stopped and pressed her ear to the door trying her hardest to hear if she was in there, she briefly wondered if Jane was standing on the other side of the door looking through the peephole not wanting to let the medical examiner in.

"Jane?" Maura said knocking on the door again "Please let me in"

No answer. Maura huffed and began digging through her bag for the spare key she had to Jane's apartment, she had come all the way over here to try and fix the mess they had both caused only to be locked out? No, she wasn't having it.

"You know you gave me a key so if you didn't want me getting in then you're going to have to come up with something else" Maura said as she unlocked the door and walked inside to be greeted with an empty apartment.

Feeling rather silly that she had actually been talking to herself Maura put her bag down on the couch and took off her jacket, she saw Jane's gun and badge sitting out in the open on the kitchen bench and she frowned. She must be here. There was an opened but untouched beer sitting beside the detectives gun and Maura picked it up sniffing it before taking a swig, Jane must have gone to drink it before realising that she couldn't. Maura still wasn't the biggest fan of beer but the beer that Jane drank was growing on her, she felt it was almost an insult to her best friend if she didn't at least pretend to like it, much in the same way Jane would sometimes pretend she immensely enjoyed Maura's wine before spitting it out and getting a beer.

Maura knew that she had been drinking more than she should lately but it always gave her a tiny push of courage that she always seemed to need around Jane these days and truthfully the hangovers hurt less than heartache. Putting the now half empty beer bottle back down she wandered through the kitchen and down the hallway hearing the faint sound of running water coming from the bathroom, letting out a small sigh of relief that she was here Maura pushed open the bathroom door, the thick steam from the hot water hung trapped heavily in the air.

"Jane" Maura called out walking over to the shower and pulled open the fogged up door.

"Jane" she said and Jane leapt with fright quickly covering herself in protection.

"Jesus christ woman" she said seeing Maura suddenly standing in the doorway of the shower.

"It's not a stupid baby" Maura said and begun to step out of her heels. Jane looked at her curiously from the other side of the shower, the hot stream of water in between them.

"Never say that again, ever" she said looking at Jane with a serious look in her hazel eyes.

"I- "

"No I'm not finished" Maura said "I'm sorry for the way I reacted, it was presumptuous and selfish"

Jane bit her lip, she felt like she should be the one apologising Maura had simply reacted the way anyone in their situation would have and Jane didn't blame her at all, it had hurt her when Maura had walked away but she knew it was only from the shock, and inability to handle the situation in any other way. Jane had felt terrible having to tell Maura but not telling her would have only made it worse later on.

"I was just shocked and…and hurt and angry but I shouldn't have just left you there" Maura frowned.

"I love you" she said her eyes locked on the wide chocolate brown eyes that were staring at her.

"And it doesn't change anything"

"What?" Jane asked quietly.

"It doesn't change how I feel about you, in fact it's not really a bad thing at all" Maura said giving a small shrug "Yes it was unexpected and something I never imagined would happen, but I will love that baby with all my heart as much as I love you"

Jane looked as if she were about to cry "C'mere" she said pulling the doctor into the shower fully clothed she wrapped her arms around the smaller woman tightly holding her close, grateful and relieved.

"Jane" Maura said pulling away from her arms and looking at her, her hazel eyes still full of unease. The hot water from the shower soaked her clothes making them stick to her skin uncomfortably.

"I need you to know that I'm here as your friend, as your best friend I'm always here to support you" she said staring sombrely at Jane.

"But as your lover or your girlfriend or whatever it is more that we are to each other, I'm not okay, I'm upset and I'm hurt and I'm so angry but I want to do the right thing and be the bigger person here because I care about you"

"I don't deserve you" Jane whispered looking intently at Maura her dark eyes filled with admiration.

"You deserve to have someone who won't leave you standing in a morgue alone with your problems" Maura said pushing her wet hair back her eyes not moving off Jane's.

"I'm sorry" she said again.

"Please stop saying that" Jane mumbled pulling Maura close again "Please"

Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's wet naked body their skin pressed close together, they stood under the flow of hot water holding each other close. Afraid to let go, afraid to get out of their small glass cage and face whatever was going to happen. A tear fell down Maura's cheek but was disguised by the shower water. Walk through the storm her head kept reminding her. She was strong and she knew that but Jane had this way of making her feel so weak, she didn't know how to deal with the idea of being alone anymore.

Later that night the two of them lay snuggled on Jane's bed, Maura's head lay resting on Jane's chest she listened quietly to the sound of her heart beating and memorised the way her chest rose and fell with each breath. Her arm was stretched across Jane's stomach, it still felt strange knowing that Jane was pregnant, and a part of her brain was hoping she was going to wake up and this would all have been a dream. But for now she just enjoyed the peace between the two of them, she loved Jane and that was all that was truly important.

"Maur" Jane said quietly after an unknown amount of time had passed.

"Mm" Maura replied not moving a muscle.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jane asked biting her lip nervously playing the ends of Maura's honey blonde waves.

"I'd be guessing" Maura answered and Jane bit back a smile.

"Okay" she said deciding to leave the subject at rest.

"Maur" she said after three more seconds of silence.

"Mm?"

"I love you"

Maura lifted her head immediately the words striking her heart with warmth, she studied Jane's face closely.

"Don't say that" she said and Jane looked at her confused.

"Why not? It's true" she said feeling a huge mountain of relief lifted off her as she had finally said those three little words to the doctor, those three little words that had been hanging over her head for so long.

"You're…everything" Jane said watching Maura look at her contemplatively.

"Shh"

Jane lifted an eyebrow in deep confusion at Maura's sudden rejection of her words.

"I tell you I love you and you shush me?" Jane asked and Maura just gave her a little smile, placing her head back down on Jane's chest.

"Shh" Maura said again quietly and Jane furrowed her brow.

"Maura…"

"Don't say it again until you're certain" Maura said quietly, she was glad that Jane had said it and she had known the detective had meant it but now wasn't the time, it wasn't right not after what she had been through today. She felt as though Jane had jumped to saying simply because she had and perhaps because of the situation, and as much as she wanted to keep hearing it over and over again, she didn't want to hear it again until she knew Jane was completely sure.

"I didn't know I could get more certain than this" Jane sighed.

"You'll just know" Maura said running her fingers over Jane's hand. Jane looked at the doctor who was curled up against her and a half smile filled her face, she was one of the most complicated humans Jane knew, but there was something just so perfect about her. She was so weird and wonderful and smart and god she was sexy, Jane felt the frustration from Maura's lack of acceptance of her words melt away as she looked at her. She loved Maura but she understood why the doctor might be hesitant about hearing them tonight but she was glad those words were out, that Maura had at least heard her say them, that she could hopefully feel a little better about the mess that had been made even if she didn't believe her right away.

"It's only you" Jane said quietly unsure if the M.E was even still awake, but a soft voice suddenly echoed.

"Only you" it was barely above a whisper, but it was enough for Jane to hear it and it was then she knew Maura was all she needed, and Jane was all Maura needed and in that moment they had each other, whatever was going to happen they had each other. That's what counted and that's what would get them through, it was all that Jane cared about. It was only them.

In the morning when Jane woke up everything was at peace. The two of them both rose for work, Jane kissed the top of Maura's head when she had come into the kitchen for breakfast, and they exchanged several smiles while eating their cereal before putting their professionalism first and their feelings away and going to work.

They worked as they always did, Jane caught the bad guys and Maura spoke for those who couldn't, they would try not to smile as their eyes met from across the room and they were wary of how close they stood to each other not wanting anyone else to know just yet. Jane ignored the looks that Frost would shoot her when he noticed the detective staring after the doctor as she left the room, and Maura would try and ignore the feeling of chocolate brown eyes following her every time she turned to leave. When it was finally time for them to go home they would go back Maura's and collapse on the couch with pizza or something leafy and green and then watch some kind of strange documentary that Maura would have insisted upon.

Occasionally Jane would catch Maura looking at her stomach before quickly moving her eyes away and focusing herself on something else, she knew the doctor was still dealing with hurt feelings and her anger towards Jane but she didn't show any sign of it whatsoever. Jane would catch her in the rare moment where she would be staring into space, her forehead creased with a line of frustration as her brain tirelessly pushed thoughts around her head. And Jane understood, it was a lot of processing for both of them but for Maura Jane knew when to give the doctor her space, she often would see the medical examiner in her yoga room folded into child's pose, or simply lying on her back with her eyes shut and Jane knew not to disturb her. She needed that silence, that space, that time just to process.

"I'm sorry" Jane would whisper at night to the doctor who gazed at her with unsettled hazel eyes but then Maura would just smile.

"It's not your fault" she would say before turning back to her book, or falling asleep entirely.

But it is my fault Jane would think. Then every morning Maura would emerge and on the outside she would look fine, completely normal she acted and spoke and did everything the way she always did, but Jane knew better than to believe her accepting front she held tightly in place around her and it hurt the detective to have to see Maura like that. As soon as Jane would try to bring up how Maura was feeling the doctor would just reach out and touch her hand lightly, or her shoulder or even place a light kiss on her cheek before saying something that would almost entirely convince Jane that she was okay. But then she would see the distant and pained look in those beautiful hazel eyes and she would be flooded with guilt, Maura had been through so much in her life and Jane couldn't bare the thought that she was hurting the doctor and causing her more pain then she ever deserved.

Hey team, sorry this one took a bit longer. I've actually been trying to write 3 chapters at once because I'm a little bit insane and I also don't want to do my uni work :p

It's been great hearing all your thoughts and feelings on the past chapter, it's a bit like walking on ice for me at the moment but these next couple of chapters will definitely help that. I'll try and get them up as soon as I can :)

Please stick with me and let me know what your thoughts. Much love xx