A/N: I know that last chapter was rough. It's not going to get much better, yet. Our ladies have a lot to work out. Enjoy this next installment...

Jane hadn't slept a wink. She laid in the guest room tossing and turning, thinking about her love who she could hear crying throughout the night. It broke her heart to know that she had something to do with those tears. But Jane refused to take full responsibility. This one time Jane knew she wasn't just being stubborn. She had a genuine reason to be upset and as much as it pained her to hear Maura crying, it would not take away Jane's own right to be upset.

Around 4 am, Maura's sobbing ceased and Jane was curious if she had finally cried herself to sleep. She listening intently, waiting to hear any sign of movement. When nothing came, Jane snuck into their bedroom to check on her love.

What she saw broke her heart even more. Maura was curled into a ball, wearing Jane's sweatshirt with another of Jane's favorite shirts grasped in her balled up fists, sleeping fitfully with her face buried in the shirt. Jane vaguely remembered wearing that shirt a few days ago when she had gone for a run. Why would Maura have pulled it out of the hamper?

Before she could think too much on it, Maura started to mutter in her sleep, twitching all over. Jane leaned closer to try to make out her words but Maura suddenly shouted, "JANE! DON'T LEAVE ME!" causing Jane to pull back. Maura started crying in her sleep, bring the shirt in her hands up fully across her face, covering it.

That was all Jane could take. Jane carefully eased herself behind Maura, pulling her wife close to her, spooning her behind. Jane reached around Maura's slowly relaxing body, and unclenched Maura's hands to take the shirt from her. Maura fought back for a moment but eventually let go, choosing instead to turn into Jane's arms and nuzzle into her neck. Once settled, she took a deep breath and visibly melted into Jane.

Jane had just laid stock still while Maura had done all this, realization hitting her. Maura had been craving Jane's smell and was using the shirt as a poor substitute. Shaking her head slightly, Jane threw the dirty shirt over the edge of bed and wrapped her arms tightly around Maura. They both let out a content sigh and Jane couldn't help drifting off to sleep, now that she was where she belonged.

~R&I~

Maura awoke with a start. She'd been having a nightmare and suddenly everything had gone dark and warmth had encompassed her. Things were going better until the cold came back and she was blinded by a bright light.

Looking around confused, Maura saw that she was in their bed. Seeing the empty space next to her brought all of the night's trauma back to her like a flood wiping out a coastal town causing Maura to bury her face in her pillows, unable to cry anymore, her eyes dry from all the body racking tears she had shed the night before.

How could she have been so blind? Maura had been missing Jane so much that she had not once thought about the repercussions of her actions. She had naively thought Jane would be ecstatic to learn that she had solved all their problems with her rash decision. It had never once occurred to her that she would be taking something away from Jane. Maura had only thought she was giving her something, the most important thing, her love.

And logically Maura knew Jane wasn't upset that Maura would be home. It was the possibility that Jane would be reassigned somewhere else, possibly not in San Diego, that was the real problem. Well that and Maura hadn't taken the time to speak with her about any of this. Maura sighed deeply, so disappointed in herself. How was she going to make this right with Jane was her last thought as she slipped back to sleep.

As she was dozing, Maura felt the bed dip, followed by strong arms pulling her back into a warm, firm body. Maura thought she must be dreaming because there was no way Jane was snuggling up to her after what happened last night. It wasn't until she felt the soft lips kissing her neck that Maura knew this wasn't a dream.

"Mmmm, Jane?" Maura's groggy voice asked as the lips traveled up her neck to her ear, warm breath sending shivers through Maura.

"Yeah baby, it's me," came the sleep filled rasp of her wife that always sent instant heat to her core.

Maura went to turn to face her wife to ask what was going on but was held firmly in place by Jane's vice like hug.

"No Maur, no talking. Just cuddling. Sleep love. We can talk later," Jane whispered against her ear soothingly.

Maura wanted to argue but the feeling of being in Jane's arms again, safe and secure, was enough to cause Maura's exhausted body to slip back into the land of slumber.

~R&I~

Luckily for the couple, neither woman had to work the day after their big blowout and were able to sleep in after such a tumultuous night. They spent the morning passed out in each other's arms, enjoying the comfort of their spouse, despite the previous night's quarrel.

Around noon, Maura began to stir, nature calling. She carefully removed Jane's arms from around her waist, having to repeat the action several times before she was finally able to get up, her wife insistent on keeping her where she belonged. Maura laughed silently at the clingy woman, knowing how much Jane would deny her love of cuddling, evidence to the contrary be damned.

After relieving herself, Maura went to wash her hands and caught sight of herself in the mirror. She almost shrieked at the zombie looking back at her. Her face was swollen, eyes bloodshot from all the crying. Her lips were chapped and her hair had seen much better days.

Maura attempted to clean herself up and was just getting through washing her face when a voice that always sent shivers down her spine echoed throughout their bathroom.

"God you're beautiful," came the reverent rasp from the doorway where her wife stood leaning against the doorframe, her lean frame looking so at ease and confident. Maura couldn't help checking out her wife in her tight tank top and boy briefs. Maura loved this look on Jane and even as mussed as Jane looked from sleep, Maura couldn't help wanting her more than anything else in the world.

"You are one to talk, looking like a model over there. I want to have a picture taken so I can pin it up on my locker," Maura said, only half joking. Jane blushed at Maura's words, standing up and making her way into the bathroom, embracing Maura from behind, theirs eyes meeting in the mirror.

"I mean it, Maur, you are so beautiful, even after a night of no sleep and crying. I'm so lucky to be your wife." She held Maura's eyes in the mirror as she leaned in to kiss the top of her head, tucking it neatly under her chin as she looked at Maura lovingly.

Maura was so confused. Jane had been so upset last night and here she was being so loving. Waking to in her wife's arms had been amazing but Maura couldn't ignore what had transpired the night before.

"Jane? What's going on?" Maura asked, searching jane's reflection as Jane smiled at her adoringly.

"Maura, I'm still hurt by what you've done." She paused, pressing a kiss to Maura's cheek when Maura started to tear up. "But," she continued turning Maura around so that she could look right into her eyes without the mirror.

"I know that our time together right now is limited, since you must be on a short leave, and I don't want to spend it fighting with you. I've missed you too much to spend what little time we have sleeping in another room when all I've dreamt about for months is having you back right here."

Jane pulled Maura to her by wrapping her arms around her waist, Maura's arms naturally finding their way to Jane's neck, a position that was their go to when in close proximity like they were.

"But Jane, what you said last night, the part about loving me but not liking me," Maura squeaked out, just repeating the words causing her to tear up again. That had been the nail in the coffin for Maura. When Jane had said those words to her, Maura felt like her heart had been ripped out of chest.

Although their relationship had started off very physical from the beginning, what Maura loved most about her relationship with Jane was that they were actually friends. Very quickly after having mind blowing sex, the couple became best friends the more they got to know each other, telling one another their deepest, darkest secrets early on in their courtship. It had been amazing for Maura to have that type of connection with someone, never having had a best friend before despite how close she was to Susie. The fact that she could share that with Jane, her lover, was just that much more special. So when Jane had said those words, Maura had been devastated. They meant, to her, that she had lost her best friend and that was even more crushing to Maura than losing her wife.

Maura was pulled out of her thoughts when Jane's fingers were wiping her tears away, soft lips retracing the tracks they had formed on her cheeks.

"Oh Maur, I'm sorry I said that. I was so hurt. When I thought back to my word choice, I knew it must have hurt you. I would never purposely say something to hurt you, I hope you know that by now, love," Jane said sincerely, her face as soft as her lips that kept kissing Maura's face, from her eyelids to her cheeks and finally her lips.

Maura felt her heart slowly being replaced back in her chest, each kiss acting like a suture, sewing it back in to where belonged. Maura closed her eyes and allowed the feeling of becoming whole again to fill her. After several moments of the loving gesture, Maura opened her eyes, resolved to make things right.

"Jane, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have spoken with you about how I was feeling, how I was really doing on deployment. I should not have hidden anything from you," Maura said desperately, leaning her forehead against Jane's chin, caressing the strong back soothingly.

"I was just so caught up in my feelings, I did not once think about yours other than being selfish in thinking you would be so glad to have me home. No, don't say anything, I'm not done," she said stopping Jane from whatever protest she was about to interrupt with to defend Maura. She didn't need it and she definitely didn't deserve it right now.

"The point is that you were right. I did not think about the impact to you and your career and for that am truly sorry. I have already emailed Korsak telling him that I will not be taking the job. I will not let work come between us, Jane. I will find another way to come back home," she finished looking up into Jane's bewildered eyes with conviction.

Maura meant every word she had said. She loved Jane with all that she was and Maura wouldn't let something as petty as her loneliness ruin what they had between them.

To her surprise, Jane's bewilderment turned into anger and she stepped back from Maura like she had just been burned. Maura didn't understand the action until what happened next.

"You WHAT?!" Jane shouted, causing Maura to step away, feeling the sting of Jane's shout as if she'd slapped her.

"Maura! The whole reason we are having this fight is because you didn't talk to me about your decision! And now, you go and make another decision without talking to me! Good god woman, for a genius, sometimes you can be so goddamn dumb!" Jane flailed her arms as she ranted, pacing the bathroom like a caged animal.

As Jane's words sank in to Maura's tired brain, she realized with a gasp what she had done. What was wrong with her?! Hanging her head in shame, Maura sat down heavily onto the toilet lid, unable to hold herself up anymore.

Jane was still ranting but mostly it came out as unintelligible muttering that Maura couldn't understand, thinking she heard some Italian phrases here and there, though the pacing never stopped as Jane did it.

Maura watched her with a sinking feeling in her stomach, fearing saying anything else that would set her wife off. She needed to think but her poor sleep deprived, emotionally clouded brain was just not cooperating.

Finally the pacing stopped and Jane turned to face Maura. Maura lifted her head up, afraid of what she would see. Her fears were confirmed when she saw a stone faced Jane looking back at her. Maura unintentionally braced herself against the toilet waiting for Jane to speak.

"I'm going for a run. Please give me this space. I'll be back in an hour and then we are going to sit down, together, and talk about what we both want and need to make this work. Okay?" Jane held Maura's gaze intensely, so much so that all Maura could do was nod in agreement, too stunned to speak.

"Okay," Jane said, nodding her head as if agreeing with herself, giving herself confidence in what she had said. She made her way out of the bathroom and Maura could hear her rummaging around their bedroom, getting her things together for her run.

Maura was still too much in shock about everything that had just happened that she was still sitting on the toilet when Jane stuck her head in the bathroom, now dressed for her run.

"I do love you Maura. More than I've ever loved someone before. Just," she sighed hard, "sometimes I just don't know what goes through your head. But I love that beautiful head and the incredible brain inside it so we'll figure this out, I promise." She blew Maura a kiss, as if sealing the promise, before turning and leaving Maura still stunned in the bathroom.

She said she loved me, Maura thought, repeating Jane's words to herself over and over again, a silent mantra to reassure herself that they would be ok.

Maura finally got up off the toilet and leaned her hands against the bathroom counter, steeling herself for the coming conversation. Looking herself dead in the eye in the mirror, Maura said out loud, "Mrs. Maura Isles, you will do better because it's what Jane deserves." Watching how her eyes softened just at saying Jane's name, Maura felt her resolve harden. Yes, she would do better because as the last few months had shown, she couldn't live without Jane.

A/N: Well, at least they are talking,right? And I felt it was necessary to show their love and how much Jane has matured just by being with Maura. You can be really mad and hurt by someone and still crave being with them. Anyhow, let's see if Maura can stick with her resolution and do better for Jane. Stay tuned...

P.S. To the reviewer who told me to 'write faster', I already post every day. Maybe I have spoiled you all too much if you think I should post more often, seeing as some of my favorite stories have taken years to finish. Giving you all something new every day is my gift to you that I hope you all appreciate.