13

Jane awoke to the smell of fresh coffee and the clanging of pans. She smiled and opened her eyes, rolling over into what she thought would be an empty bed. Instead, she rolled straight on top of Maura. Totally confused, Jane sat bolt upright. The doctor smiled and and pulled Jane towards her, "Morning my love" she captured the Italian's lips in a heartfelt kiss.

"Morning babe. Erm quick and slightly disconcerting question. If you are here, and I am here...who the hell is in your kitchen?"

The honey blonde looked slight confused "What do you mean?" As soon as she finished the question she heard the sound of pans clanging too. "Jane...who is that?"

"I don't know Maura hence my question! I thought it was you until I rolled over and practically mounted you!...ah jeez, you know who this is going to be. What intruder do you know that doesn't want to rob you but wants to cook you breakfast? I'm gona kill her."

Jane threw on some sweatpants and a BPD t shirt and practically ran towards the stairs. "Maaaaaa!"

"Oh morning Janie, i'm so glad you're up! So i've made pancakes, bacon, waffles..."

The lanky Italian cut her off "Ma, stop. As amazing as that all sounds..." Jane stopped "oh and thats real bacon not the turkey bacon Maura would make me eat...ahhhh it smells sooooo good!" Jane leaned over the kitchen island and picked up a piece from the plate, "Errm wait, where was I...ah yes, Ma, you cannot just let yourself in here anymore, especially when we aren't awake to hear you knock!"

"I'm sorry baby I just wanted to make you girls a special breakfast to celebrate the first morning waking up together in Maura's house as a couple."

Jane sigh "Ma I get it, the thought is definitely there, but we're gona need some boundaries now that things have changed. What if you walked in on us getting familiar on the in kitchen, or the stairs...or the couch...how would that make you feel?"

"Janie I get that there is a honeymoon period but one example would have been enough, you don't need to get 'familiar' all over the house! I didn't raise you as a nymphomaniac!"

"Jesus Ma! Who said anything about being a nymphomaniac!"

"You're the one who talked about multiple sex locations in the house Jane. As if I want to be imagining any of that! And whats wrong with a bedroom? That too old fashioned for this era?!"

"What?! Right. No no no no no. Stop talking about sex, specifically my sex life, we do not discuss my sex life...ever! I was merely setting an example which clearly I set too vividly. The point is Ma, we need privacy ok? I'm not saying don't come over, i'm asking for you to knock. And if you do knock and there isn't an answer and you think we are likely to be home, do not put your key in that lock and enter - we clearly haven't answered for a reason...and by saying this I am not referring to having sex!"

"Ok ok. Calm down. Understood. I'll knock. I've nearly finished breakfast and i've broken the rule now so i might as well stay this morning and start the new entering rule from this afternoon."

Jane smiled and rolled her eyes. "Ok, seems fair." She kissed he mother on the head "i'll go get Maura."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jane entered the bedroom to see an empty bed. The bathroom opened and Maura walked out with a towel wrapped around her body. She walked over to Jane and planted a kiss on her lips.

Jane smiled "Hey beautiful. So, the intruder is still very much in a position of intruding. She's made breakfast for us so I don't feel it's right for me to kick her out."

The honey blonde laughed "Jane, we never have to kick your mother out. She means well, she cares. Thats all it is."

"Well i'm pretty sure i've managed to convince her to knock or do not enter - ever."

"Well I hope you weren't rude to her. But I must say, some privacy would be nice."

"Well, just as a heads up, she thinks we're nymphomaniacs and will be having sex all over the downstairs of your house so i'm pretty sure she is going to knock from now on."

Maura stopped searching through her underwear drawer and turned her head toward Jane. "She thinks what?"

"That we're nymphomaniacs."

"There was no other diplomatic way of you asking her to knock other than for you to suggest that we're sex addicts and we're going to make the ground floor of my house unsanitary by having sex all over it?"

"When you put it like that I probably could have used a better example to ask for some privacy."

"Jesus Jane!"

"What Maur? She's got the message hasn't she. She's agreed to knock or not enter, that's what we wanted. So just be pleased the message has been received loud and clear! Plus we can't have an argument about this now because i've been up here for at least 3 minutes - any longer and she'll assume we're nymphin' it up all over your bedroom." Jane jumped up and sprinted to the door laughing, Maura huffed angrily and launched a pillow in Jane's direction as she exited the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Breakfast went without a hitch, although Maura felt slightly mortified everytime she made eye contact with Angela. The matriarch left around 11am, leaving the two women to contemplate what to do with their day.

Jane stood up "Ok so I think it's time for me to call the Bureau and tell them that i'm declining the job role. I shouldn't put it off any longer as i'm due to start there in a week and I have no intension of going."

Maura tilted her head slightly and patted the couch cushion "Can you come sit so we can talk everything through properly first. I'm not suggesting this is the wrong decision I just want to talk about it. We haven't really had a discussion about what you want to do for a job. I know there is the consideration to BPD but I would just feel more at ease knowing that BPD was what you wanted not what you feel you're left with. So please...humour me."

"Maur, you're worrying too much about this. Any decision I make on this, whether right or wrong will not reflect on you ok? This is me making choices because I want to make them, not because I feel in anyway pressured by whats going on between us."

"I know that Jane but I want to talk about it. You're talking about sacrificing an opportunity, a career making or even carer defining opportunity. It's a bigger deal than just picking up the phone and telling them you aren't taking them up on the offer."

Jane sat down next to the frustrated doctor and put a comforting hand on her thigh, "Ok Maur. Let's talk about it. Clearly whatever i'm saying or have said hasn't been enough for you to feel ok about all of this. So how about you give me a steer here on what we need to explore."

Maura shifted slightly in her seat, turning her body to face Jane "For me, it's two fold really. I understand why you have made the decision, and I am so happy that you have. I want you here with me, of course I do. But the job you are quickly pushing aside is an achievement Jane. I don't think you realise how amazing it is that you have been asked to teach the future of one of our national security agencies - it's a big deal and a testament to you, who you are and what you believe in. I'm so unbelievably proud Jane."

"I know Maur. I know all these things, and it's not been taken lightly. But you seem to be missing the amazing, big deal right here. We would survive long distance, I know we would. But not many people get this opportunity Maura. You know as well as I do our story has a been a long and trying one. I've loved you through every man you have brought into your life and I know you loved me. A love like this isn't your everyday relationship ok. People are together for life on a lot less love and admiration that we have for each other. I want to be here with you enjoying every minute of us. I don't want to be stood in front of a classroom of talented individuals, giving lectures on how to investigate, to come home to an empty apartment and switch my computer on in the hope that you haven't caught a case that keeps you away from a skype call. Why are you so adverse to me being decisive on this? I'm choosing you Maur, i'm choosing us."

"I understand that part and that's exactly what i'm trying to do as well Jane."

Jane stood slightly frustrated "Can you explain to me how you are doing the same, because from what i'm hearing, you're insinuating that by choosing to be here i've made a decision that you don't like."

"That's not what i'm trying to say. I've already said i'm happy that you want to be here with me."

The Italian's voice started to rise "Then what are you trying to say? Why are you pushing me on this Maur? Is the prospect of an FBI agent as a girlfriend more glamorous to you than a lowly BPD detective?"

Maura stood to face Jane, glassy eyed and angry "How can you say that? Actually. Let me rephrase. How dare you say that to me. Do you know me at all?" The doctor's voice started to get louder "I am choosing us! Cant you see that! You go back to BPD you go into the field Jane! You told me yourself in Paris that you can't stop your instincts and your instincts don't allow for you to consider me!"

Jane interrupted "Wait, wait. So now my instincts, which have saved lives, are being thrown in my face as a negative trait to you? Give me a break."

"No I wont give you a break Jane. How about you give me one? How about you consider giving me a break from watching you shoot yourself or jump off bridges or put yourself in front of a loaded barrel? Or how about you give me a break from waiting for a call from your partner to tell me you're hurt, or waiting in a hospital waiting room for a surgeon to come and tell me you are in intensive care, or from sitting next to your hospital bed praying for you to wake up! When do I get the break?!"

Jane went to approach Maura and put an arm on her shoulder but Maura batted her hand away "That dull classroom job kept you safe, it gave me hope in the knowledge you would go to work and always be able to come home unhurt and tell me about your day. So don't you dare tell me to give you break." The honey blondes voice broke and tears of rage were in full flow.

Jane stepped closer again, "Maur please, I didn't realise ok."

"No, you didn't did you. You just accused me of being so shallow that I would urge you to take a job because I wanted to be in a relationship with an FBI agent not a 'lowly BPD detective'. How could you say that about me?"

"Maur come on, I didn't mean it. Im an asshole ok. I'm sorry."

"Well, now you can give me a break Jane. I can't be around you right now. I need to calm down and looking at you isn't going to help. Maybe just go back to your apartment for this afternoon. I need to be alone for a while."

"No Maura, come on we can't leave it like this. Both of us will feel terrible all afternoon. An argument is never the way to leave it. I'm so sorry, I truly mean it. I lashed out. I shouldn't have. Please don't make me leave."

Maura walked over to the front door and opened it "Please Jane. Just do this for me right now. I need to calm down and think rationally. Come back at 6pm and we can talk, but i can't talk right now." The tears were still streaming down her face.

Jane nodded and put her sneakers on, she leaned down and kissed the doctors forehead "Ok. I'm sorry. I love you. We'll talk later."