N: Short one, but i'm super tired today and was not motivated to do much but nap and watch hulu. Work has been crazy and taking all of my time! So read on and enjoy!

"Dr. Isles."

I spun around, the man's voice startling me. I still had my phone pressed to my ear, a familiar voice telling me to leave a voicemail. "Yes?" The man was coming closer, a strange smile on his face. My subconscious began to memorize his facial features since I didn't recognize him. I caught the edge of another man running away into the night. It was Sam Ross. I focused back on the man moving towards me.

"You need to learn humility." He stepped closer, looking around the dark, empty parking lot.

Before I had a chance to reply, I heard the collapsible baton click open.

I dropped the phone to raise my hands in a defensive motion, yelling as the first strike landed on my forearm. The distinctive crack of bones breaking echoed in my ears, I fell to the ground screaming. The last thing I saw as I hit the hard concrete was my phone and the grinning face of Jane on the screen.

"Jane." I shot straight up in the bed, sweating and breathing erratically. I pressed my hand against my thundering heart. My entire body ached, and my head felt like it had split in two. I took in two breaths before I had to rush out of the bed and wobble towards the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet before I threw up.

I tried to be quiet, I didn't want to wake Jane up. She desperately needed the sleep. I fell back against the tub after flushing the toilet and rinsing out my mouth. My whole body shook from the adrenaline leaving my system, and I couldn't stop the tears.

"Maura?" Jane's voice quickly followed her hands running over my hair, pulling my face up to look it over. Her hair was wild and messy, "Maura, are you okay?" She met my eyes as her hands continued to check for new injuries.

I sighed, "I had another nightmare and threw up. I'm sorry if I woke you." I swallowed hard as more tears escaped. I hated that I was so physically and emotionally weak right now. "Please go back to bed, I'll be fine in a minute."

Jane shook her head and reached down to gently collect me in her arms. "I left you once and it was the biggest mistake of my life." I saw the deep frown on her face when she lifted me up, "You're so small, Maura." She whispered the words as if she was talking to herself.

"I lost twenty-five pounds in my coma. My body is slow to take on weight since it's using the little food I eat to help heal my injuries. Storing fat is not its priority at the moment." I mumbled scientific facts to distract my mind from the nightmare. "It might take months for me to return to my old weight."

Jane chuckled as she set me down in the bed. I glanced up at the bandage on her cheek. "You should let me look at your wound." Another attempt to keep my mind away from the fear.

She swiped a chunk of hair back from her face as she shook her head, "Let me get you some ginger ale and toast. It'll settle your stomach." She wouldn't look at me as she left the bedroom.

I scooted to sit against the headboard, pulling the blankets up to my neck. I was still very cold, but I could attribute that to my lack of weight. There was always some sort of tension in the air between Jane and I. It would come and go as we spent time together, worse when we weren't talking. It was as if Jane was waiting for me to come to my old senses and rebuke her feelings. I closed my eyes, thinking back to her face on my phone as it fell to the concrete. My heart sped up and I had a deep feeling the old me and the current me were on the same page about Jane. I would just have to prove it to her.

"This should help. Warm ginger ale and I used that seventeen grain toast you rave about." Jane walked in carrying a small plate and a glass. "This the Angela special. Guaranteed to cure all ills of the stomach."

I slowly took the plate with a smile. "Thank you." I took a small bite of the toast, watching Jane move a stack of magazines off the bedside table before setting the glass down. Jane then stood, her arms folded and looking around her bedroom.

She huffed and began moving around, cleaning up small messes. "I should take you back home. My apartment is such a shit hole." She mumbled as she snatched up a pile of dirty shirts in the corner. "You need to be in safe clean place."

I felt a strange tingle in the back of my head, followed by a quick flicker of Jane doing stress cleaning in her kitchen. Upset that I had shown up unexpectedly. I wasn't sure if it was a memory, but I took a chance. "You always stress out that I won't think your home is up to my cleanly standards." Jane froze mid collecting old glasses left on the top of her dresser. "I love your apartment. Messy or clean, because it's yours. It's the home of Jane Rizzoli." I picked at the toast in front of me, my stomach twisting for a different reason.

Jane turned to face me, her eyes watery in the low light of the room. "Do you remember the first time you said that to me?"

I shook my head slowly, "It's a blurry memory. I'm not clear if it's real." I chewed on my lip before looking up at Jane who was now standing at the edge of the bed. "I called you that night. The night I was attacked, didn't I? In the dream I saw your face on my phone as it fell to the ground and shattered." My eyes were teary as I searched hers for answers. "I called you?"

Jane smiled shaking her head as she knelt down on the floor in front of me. "You did. Ten times to be exact. But I was being a jerk and swallowed up in my own stupidity." She grabbed my hand, "I didn't answer you. I let you leave voicemails and…" She paused, her jaw clenching as she ran her fingers over the top of my hand. "Do you remember anything more?"

I shrugged, "I saw Sam. He wasn't the one who attacked me. It was another man. He told me I needed to learn some humility." I paused, "I know what he looks like."

Jane shot up, rushing to her side of the bed for her cellphone. "I'll call Frost now. He can be here in ten minutes and we can do a sketch of the guy." She swiped at her hair, fingers going a mile a minute as she typed.

"Jane."

"If we get the sketch out by lunchtime, maybe we'll get a hit. I can have Korsak get it to that asshole Ross and maybe he'll flip on his buddy." Jane was in full detective mode even at five in the morning.

I smiled at her determination, but the last thing I wanted was to be thrust back into my current reality. I was a victim of a crime. A healing victim who was still very lost as to what I was supposed to do next. I'd been poked and prodded over the last weeks since I woke up, I'd barely had time to just stop and be thankful I was alive. Alive and awake. Awake and very much in love with the woman with wild hair pacing and talking to a very sleepy Barry Frost. I squinted at her pacing, another flicker hitting my brain as I looked past her open bedroom door and saw the hanging punching bag shaped like a man. The memory hit hard and fast. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to prevent from crying. No, it wasn't a real memory. It couldn't be. I slowly stood up on weak legs and shuffled towards Jane still pacing and talking a million miles a minute.

She stopped with her back to me, running a hand through her hair as she argued with Barry. I moved closer, my hands shaking as I stopped right behind her. There was nothing more than a breath between us. I could feel her body heat pouring out and wrapping itself around me but did very little to chase out the shivers that were now invading my body. I raised my hand, praying to the heavens my memory was nothing more than a convoluted idea born out of my trauma.

I set my hand on Jane's hip, sliding it up and under her shirt. She flinched but didn't turn around as my hand moved quickly across soft skin and strong muscles. Then I felt the thick ridges and the pucker of scar tissue. I pressed my palm against the scar and the tears streamed down my cheeks. I pressed my face into Jane's back, sobbing as my words came out strangled. "You…you shot yourself to save me?" I kept repeating the words, burying my face deeper into back. I couldn't remember anything else about Jane in that moment. Just the flicker of a memory that hurt straight to my core and back up to my heart.

Jane mumbled she would call Barry back and threw her phone on the dresser. She covered my hand with hers and turned slowly around, wrapping me up in her arms as I continued to sob. My hand wouldn't leave the scar, it was the only old connection I had to Jane and I was afraid to let go. She kissed the top of my head and spoke in a low, gravelly voice. "I did. I did shoot myself to save you and others." She sighed, pulling me tighter in her arms. "Not my best moment, that's for sure." Her voice trembled as she spoke.

I cried until I fell asleep in her arms. I barely registered being placed back in bed and tucked in with Jane holding me. I didn't dream the rest of the night, too exhausted and too protected by her hold to allow any more nightmares in.

XXXX

Jane

Secretly I was thankful I'd called in sick for the day. I was exhausted and on edge. The night had started out so lovely then turned into an emotional mess. Maura remembered what her attacker looked like, she remembered when I shot myself the bits and pieces of that moment as the bullet went through me. She barely remembered the siege, but not all of the details and she told me my face was a blurry image until I fell to the ground bleeding out. Maura didn't remember anything else before or after that day, I'd gently probed over breakfast, but when I looked into her eyes, I saw nothing. Her damn brain was picking and choosing when to remember me, and it was only snippets of our horrible moments where my face was blurred.

I rubbed my face, at least it was sign her brain was healing. I'd called Dr. Beauchamp while Maura was in the shower. The doctor saw it as a good sign, but she couldn't put a time frame on when all of Maura's memories would snap back, and if they would snap back fully. I rolled my eyes, of course Maura's brain would only latch onto the stupid shit I did. But then again, I was notorious for doing stupid shit around Maura.

I was sitting at the small island in my kitchen, picking at the eggs I'd made and then ignored as I opted to make sure Maura ate. She's was way too skinny, and I needed to start working on getting her healthy before I selfishly worked on her brain getting it's memories about me back.

Maura was finishing getting ready in bedroom. I was going to take her back to her house and we were going to spend the day together. Doing nothing other than whatever she wanted. She'd talked me into putting off meeting with Frost for another day. She assured me she wouldn't forget the man's face or voice. The detective in me wanted to run in and save the day, get the bad guy and beat him like he beat Maura. I yawned, pushing the plate of food away. At least Frost was going to keep in the loop as he continued to search through all of Maura's old case files. Ross had told Frost and Korsak that he was hired by someone who had been prosecuted due to Maura's testimony. Ross didn't have a real name, just a face and a burner phone number.

"Jane?"

I turned to Maura walking out of my bedroom, she was using the walls to steady herself. I hopped off the stool and ran to the door where I stupidly left her cane last night. "Hang on, let me help you." I hated that she had to use a cane, but it wasn't forever. I would make sure of it. I walked over to Maura now standing at the island and smirked. "Are you wearing my clothes again?" Maura was wearing one of my BPD homicide softball shirts and a baggy pair of my sweats. I chuckled when I saw the bottom cuffs rolled up around her ankles.

Maura blushed a deep red, "I'd gotten sick on the pants and some on the shirt." She looked up sheepishly, "I changed your bed sheets. I wasn't thinking when you put me back in bed that I would be contaminating everything."

I leaned around Maura, taking in the sight of a pristinely made bed and the rest of my room spotless. "Maura. You shouldn't have. You're still healing, you didn't need to clean my entire room." I felt guilty, looking back at the woman. She was clearly tired, and I wanted nothing more than to scoop her in my arms and carry her back to that bed. "By the way, my clothes look amazing on you. Far better than your fancy dresses and shoes." I winked at her.

Maura shook her head, slowly taking a seat. "I need to start moving more. I must get my body adjusted to being active." She reached over, taking a slice of my bacon.

I cocked an eyebrow, "You're eating bacon. You never eat bacon." I moved to stand next to her. "You prefer turkey bacon or that weird tofu bacon that tastes like wet cardboard."

Maura smiled, "I'm hungry and this bacon tastes amazing after all the pureed vegetables and protein powder Angela has been feeding me in between small portions of her incredible cooking."

I bent over, kissing her on the cheek. My heart racing at the thought of kissing Maura on the lips again. "We can stop for something on the way back to your house. There's that fancy pastry place you love. Maybe we can do a mini brunch." I rambled, scared to ask if she remembered kissing me.

Maura slid her hand to the side of my cheek, halting my movement. "Wait."

I raised my eyebrow, waiting for her to rant about how pastries were not a proper nutritious meal. Instead she leaned forward and kissed me softly. I kissed her back, trying so hard not to take her in my arms and kiss her senseless. Maura parted, licking her lips. "Don't be afraid to kiss me. You keep looking at my lips every thirty seconds. If you want to kiss me, Jane, you can."

I blushed, running my thumb over her bottom lip. "I'm going to hold you to it, Maura." I kissed her once more before stepping away. "So, what did you want to do today?" I went to grab the dirty dishes to throw in the dishwasher.

Maura picked up another piece of bacon before I took the plate away. "I want you to tell me everything about us. How we met, how our friendship grew and everything in between. The good times and the bad. I have a theory that if I hear about our past, maybe my brain will spark back to life and you'll come back to me." She whispered the last bit out.

I paused next to the sink. "Are you sure?" I began flipping through our story. She already knew I shot myself, but I had yet to fill in the blanks for her on that one. Then there was me shooting her dad, and almost destroying our friendship forever. The kidnappings, the jumping off bridges, the stupid boyfriends we both had to hide our feelings for one another. I sighed, there was so much of our lives that I was somewhat grateful Maura had forgotten.

"I'm very sure, Jane." Maura looked at me with sincere eyes. "It might be the only way." She smiled before sliding off the stool and grabbing her cane. "I want to know the person I'm falling in love with. Even though I'm pretty certain I've loved you for a very long time, Jane Rizzoli."

I couldn't help but grin and blush. "I've probably loved you longer, Maura Isles." I dumped the dishes in the sink and walked over to her, only hesitating a split second before I bent down and kissed her. Maura moaned softly against my lips, sending sparks through my body. This woman had an effect on me that no one else in the world ever had. "Let's get you home. We can get Ma to make you a big fat Italian dinner tonight."

Maura nodded, hugging me tightly before she walked to the door, collecting the small bag I'd packed earlier.

As I ran to grab my car keys and phone, I saw I had a text from Frost.

Jane. We got a possible lead on Maura's attacker. I'll be sending it all in an email. Bad news is he found out Maura is alive and sent out word that he's eager to finish the job. My CI told me the guy goes by the name Hawk and is one sick dude out of San Diego. Korsak and I are meeting with Cavanaugh in the next hour to talk about setting up protection for Maura. Stay with her, Jane. I'll let you know when we have more to go off of.

My heart dropped into my stomach. I turned back to my bedroom and ran to grab the extra sidearm I kept in my bedside table, tucking it into the waist band of my jeans. For a split second I debated putting Maura in the car and driving to the airport. Put her on an airplane to France and have her hide out in her parent's estate until I found this Hawk and ripped him to shreds. But I also knew everytime I tired to protect Maura, one of us lost something important.

And I couldn't bear if that happened again.