Jane walked back into the apartment with coffee's in hand around 2pm. She immediately spotted Maura sitting at the table by the large windows with her laptop and a note pad.

Maura smiled as she turned to see the Italian by the kitchen island and walked over to greet her with a kiss. "Hello, oooooo fresh coffee! How was you walk?"

"It was good...I think. How was your writing session? If you're still in full flow i don't want to interrupt so feel free to carry on and i'll go make myself busy."

"I know I said I only needed two hours but it seems I've suddenly become inundated with ideas. If you wouldn't mind terribly, I could probably use another two hours."

Jane smiled and kissed Maura's forehead "no maur, I do not mind 'terribly', you came here to write, so write! Anyways there's plenty I could do. I'll go for a run and then head to the market to attempt to buy some food for tonight. I'm sure i've got the hand gestures down for bread and tomatoes...but it's gona be pot luck what else I manage to come home with! Brace yourself for a potentially interesting or distinctly meagre dinner."

The doctor laughed "Jane you do realise France is advanced enough to have grocery stores. You could just go somewhere that you could help yourself to what you needed."

"Errrr yes Maur, I am aware of such shops, but what fun would it be if I didn't come home stressed and slightly mad about my experience. Plus, I think i'm getting better at this French thing so who knows, I may even come back without being drowned in sweat and red with rage. Here's to hoping!" Smiling at her own joke, Jane leant in and kissed the doctors soft lips briefly. "I'm gona get dans le running gear on and au revoir - you get back to your book! See told you I was good at French. Love you!"

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Jane felt really good, her feet were hitting the pavement in perfect rhythm to the beat of the song blasting in her ears. Running always gave her clarity, her mind felt focused, she felt focused...until she heard a shrill scream over the top of the music in her ears. She stopped immediately, took her headphones out and looked for the suspected danger.

It didn't take long for Jane to notice the woman crouching over a male who was laying on the floor in a pool of blood, her eyes darted upwards. She saw the perp, standing over the couple with a knife. Instinctively she reached to her hip...obviously the weapon that would normally sit there wasn't there. "Shit! Just stay out of harms way Jane...don't do this." As much as she wanted to listen to the voice in her head, of course she chose not to. Heading towards the incident that appeared to be unfolding she yelled at a bystander to call the police.

The Italian approach slowly, cautiously "hey...hey! Put the knife down, come on, you've done the damage, no need to hurt anyone else. You've made your point."

Jane thought to herself for a second "Rizzoli, what are you doing...you speak French in hand gestures! Why on earth would you think he understands you!"

At that moment the man welding the knife looked up at her. "You Americans...you're always there to save the world aren't you! I suggest...madame...you stay away."

"Ok sir, i'll stay right here, I wont move. As long as you promise not to use that knife again and leave the lady alone." The man laughed whilst Jane carried on talking "hey, come on, you have already clearly injured someone who matters to her, don't be the guy who attacks the defenceless. You want another go at someone, you come over here, not to her, leave her be."

Jane could hear the sirens approaching. She knew she had to keep focused on her a little longer then help would be on hand. The man started approaching Jane, "why on earth would you think I had any business with you, this is a personal vendetta, this has nothing to do with you...I want nothing from you, but if you get in my way then you're as good as any victim."

Detective mode was in full force and Jane couldn't switch it off, as much as she thought Maura would not appreciate hearing this story later, she couldn't stop herself. The sirens were louder and the lights were now visible. It looked as though the perp was now playing chicken with himself, did he stay and look like the defiant martyr or did he run like the coward he actually was. Jane had seen that look a thousand times, and she knew what option he was about to choose. She set off right behind him, gaining distance immediately, 2 more metres and she was in striking distance. She jumped with two feet into the back of his legs and knocked him forwards flat on his face. The knife flew from his hands. Jane quickly scrambled to her feet and practically sat on his back, twisting his behind his back and in the wrong direction.

She saw the police approaching and felt pure relief. Leaning down she found the perps ear and whispered "yeah, turns out we do always think we'll save the world...today the American won."

As the police arrived Jane stood up feeling pretty pleased with herself, until she realised she would have to divulge all of this to a person that probably was going to categorise as mindless rather than heroic. And that person would be right. How stupid had she just been. The police were a minute away but she still couldn't resist getting involved. There was no need for her to have chased him down, all she wanted was to get him away from his victims, he was already running. She stopped dead shook her head and put her head in her hands...the clarity had gone. What was her constant need to throw herself in harms way? why couldn't she respond like normal person and be a bystander?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After giving a statement to the police Jane headed back to the apartment. She didn't feel like running now, she wanted to drag this out. Explaining this to Maura right now wasn't top of her list of things to do. What she wanted to do was have a long shower, cook a nice meal and enjoy a nice dinner. But in reality what was going to happen was a passive aggressive, frustrating discussion, a short shower, more passive aggressive conversation and maybe, if she was lucky, a resolution.

Jane put her key in the lock and opened the door. Maura was immediately on her, her arms wrapped around her neck, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Well hello to you too Maur..."

Maura cut her off and pulled away "shut up Jane, i've been so worried. You were gone so long, then i turned the news on and what do i see? I see an arial shot of you sitting on a suspected crazed knifeman. So i'm going to ask you and give you a chance to explain to me how this happened?!"

Jane gave an embarrassed smile began her version of events.

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Once Jane had finished Maura just stared out of the window, eyes slightly glassy with emotion. Jane put her hand over the top of Maura's hoping that Maura wouldn't pul away. She didn't, she stayed completely still.

"Come on Maur, talk to me, I'm sorry, I know it was stupid of me to get involved."

Maura's head turned immediately to face Jane "Yes, it was stupid. Utterly careless. Totally thoughtless. Did you think about any repercussions of your actions? You left this apartment telling me you don't speak french Jane. Yet you engage with a crazed knifeman in the hope that he understands you. What if he didn't? what if he had just run at you? You were unarmed! What if you had been stabbed? Killed?! Did you think about me at all when you were putting yourself in that situation?"

Jane's head bowed, she knew she had to answer this honestly and the answer she was going to give was not going to be the right one. "I'm sorry Maura…"

The doctor interjected "Stop saying sorry Jane, i've heard that already, just answer the question."

"No…no Maura, in that split moment when i made the decision to engage, I didn't think about you. But before you take that as an insult can you listen to my supposed logic. I didn't think about you because my mind went straight back into cop mode, in cop mode I have to not think about you, because when i think about you my natural judgement is compromised, i don't react naturally to the situation, and if i start to not trust my gut then i put myself in more danger by doubting my next steps."

Maura just sat silently again, staring at Jane this time. On one hand she understood Jane's response but she wished it was different. On the other hand she loved Jane because she was this person. She was passionate, loyal, true, brave, strong, determined. Jane stopped the doctors thought process by interjecting again.

"But Maura don't think i don't think about you. Of course i do. I think about you immediately after anything happens, either because i want to tell you about it, because i wonder how mad you are going to be about it, or if i've ever been hurt….i think about you because it pulls me through, the life i wanted and now i hope i have with you….it pulled me through everytime. It stopped me being scared or giving up. You make me fight Maura. So please don't be mad. I am truly sorry i scared you and i'm sorry my brain still constantly functions as a detective."

"Jane….you frustrate me so much sometimes. I want to be mad at you, but then you give these speeches that make perfect sense and that are somehow romantic and all I do is think about how lucky I am that I have you. Which just frustrates me more because I feel I deserve at least an hour to be mad at you!"

Jane started to laugh, Maura soon joins in. The italian wraps her arms around the honey blonde and kisses her on the head "we're ridiculous sometimes. But to appease your hour of being annoyed. How about I run you a bath, pour you some wine, you can soak in it and think about all the things that i've made you angry about today. Then when you're done, you can help me cook dinner and we'll talk about all the things we need to talk about. How does that sound?"

Maura leaned up and cupped Jane's cheek "that sounds perfect….thank you for giving me time to be mad….i think.."

Jane laughed and pecked Maura on the lips, "you are more than welcome! I know I am infuriating, so you deserve the down time. Besides, whilst you soak out the rage, i'll head to the market to buy dinner."

Jane walked towards the bathroom to run the bath, pretty happy with herself that she had averted any sort of prolonged argument. Mayne she was good at this relationship thing after all.