Thank you for all the reviews, I really appreciate them all! Here's the next chapter, I hope you are all still enjoying the story!

14

Jane sat on the couch in her apartment staring straight at the ceiling. What had she done? She thought that by being so decisive it would show how much Maura meant to her. She thought that going back to BPD everything would go back to how it used to be, the daily routine that brought them together that they knew they could withstand. Except, Jane had failed to think about whether Maura actually would want that routine again, she'd just assumed. Remembering the pain in Maura's voice and her words about needing a break from the pain and worry Jane caused made the Italian feel sick. What had she done to the person she loved and cared about most? Today, she felt like what she had done was brake her. She had dismissed Maura's feelings and had been narrow minded and single sighted with her approach to the future. She knew she had to fix this. Quickly. She picked up the phone and dialled a familiar number.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maura had spent the afternoon crying mostly. She knew Jane didn't mean what she said but she also knew her background and upbringing was an easy target for Jane. It's not the first time it had been used against her. Yes she had a good education and a privileged upbringing but she never had what she wanted or truly needed - love. Something Jane had been brought up with and takes for granted at times. The stupid thing was, neither of their upbringings had anything to do with epicentre of their argument. Maura knew she was at fault in a way, Jane was a great detective, the best in fact. She knew that Jane loved that job but it wasn't that easy for Maura to just accept that Jane would once again end up in a hospital bed - because she would, because that's Jane, an all or nothing approach. It was ridiculous really that right now it seemed a better idea to have the one person she loved 300 miles away rather than to have her next to her just incase something dangerous happened. She knew she couldn't and shouldn't live for the 'what if's'. So as much as Jane had been unfair and hurtful, Maura knew she had been less than logical - she'd behaved emotively but she wasn't sure how to change her mindset and that's what frustrated her most. Logic was her strong point, but when it came to Jane, nothing seemed logical.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was 5.30pm and the doorbell rang. Maura walked towards the door hoping it was Jane a little early, she didn't have the mental strength to face anyone else right now. Opening the door she was pleased to see the wild raven hair. Jane looked up "Hey, sorry i'm a bit early, I couldn't stay away any longer. I'm so sorry Maur, I love you, please don't end this before it's really begun."

The doctor fully opened the door and pulled the detective into a hug, "I'm not even contemplating ending this Jane, I love you too. I'm just hurt and a bit fragile."

Jane broke the hug and looked into the watery hazel orbs "I know - i've done that to you. I'll do anything to take the hurt away." She wiped a tear from Maura's face with her thumb "It's all going to be ok Maur, I promise you that."

The honey blonde collected herself and made her way towards the kitchen "Do you want a beer?"

"I'm not sure if I should drink, I have my car here so thinking I need to stay sober to drive back to my apartment."

Maura looked at Jane with slight desperation "You're going back to your apartment tonight?"

"Well I didn't think you'd want me here, which I totally understand. I was an asshole."

"Of course I want you here Jane. Am I mad at you? Yes. But I've been miserable all afternoon. The last thing I want or need is to be apart from you. We need to sort this out because at the moment we are clearly unaligned and I can't go into tomorrow feeling like this."

Jane looked embarrassed at the hurt she's caused, "Well in that case i'll take the beer then - thank you."

The doctor passed the bottle over the kitchen island and poured herself a glass of wine. The tension in the room was something that neither of them were used to. It's never been hard work between them and this shouldn't be either...but it was.

Jane took a sip of her beer and cleared her throat "So, obviously i've had some time this afternoon to think about the pain i've caused you..."

"Jane..."

"No Maur, no excuses from me now. I have caused you pain. Whether it's with hurtful words today or with mindless actions of the past that I managed to come out the other side of. I've hurt you. Over and over. Yet, you're still here and I know how lucky I am that you are. I just wanted you to know that ok? You need to know how grateful I am that you want me and you love me, despite how much I push emotional boundaries. So i'd like to tell you what i've been trying to work out this afternoon. And if it's the wrong thing or you disagree then please tell me, because I want us to be aligned ok? I don't want a situation like this morning again."

Maura nodded "Ok, that sounds fair."

"I think i've taken everything on board that you said earlier and I think I have come up with a solution that we might both be happy with. So, I called BPD earlier and spoke with the new Lieutenant, Ryan McBride. We knew each other from my time in the drugs unit so he knows my history in homicide. We discussed a couple of ideas. One being that I would go back into BPD as the head of homicide. I would have no cases assigned to me personally but would have oversight of them all and would act as a consultant and the sign off figure head for all of the detectives. It would stop me being in the field everyday but I would still be doing something I love...and that i'm good at. It keeps me out of harms way for the most part and keeps me safe to come home to you. What do you think?"

Maura sat silently for a while, she just stared at Jane, blinking without emotion. The Italian frowned "Maur? I mean if you hate it that's ok, we can work another angle, but i'm trying here so some reaction would be good."

"I don't hate it."

"Okaaaay. So should I be pursuing this then?"

"Jane I think you should pursue what your heart is telling you to. If you don't, you'll be miserable."

"Right. Ok. Well this is what I want. I want to be here. I want to work in a job where i'm making a difference, and most importantly, I want you and I want to make you happy. I feel like this role would incorporate all of those things."

Maura let out a sigh as if she'd been holding her breath and burst into tears...again. Jane was totally confused, she honestly believed this would have made Maura happy. Instead she's standing there, staring at her crying girlfriend as if she'd just told her she was leaving for DC in the morning. Knowing she had to act she put her beer down and walked around the counter separating them,pulling the beautiful honey blonde mess in for a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry Maur, all i've done today is upset you. I genuinely thought that I had been considerate here...clearly i've missed something."

Maura pulled back "You're an idiot sometimes Jane Rizzoli...and an ass and you infuriate me. But that's not why i'm crying. I'm crying because i'm happy, I can finally relax a little. You have been considerate. It's a wonderful idea and something you'll be great at. I needed you to make the decision yourself, I didn't want to push you into something by giving a bias opinion of what I would want you to choose. This morning was horrible, but i'm glad something positive has come out it. It makes all the tears of hurt i've shed today seem worth it. Please understand in the future that i'm not attacking you by not always being agreeable to every suggestion you make, I just want you to be happy and safe so that we can live a life together."

"I know babe, I realise that now and I want that too believe me. I just want to caveat this job with the fact that there will be occasions where i'm going to have to leave my desk for the field. I can't guarantee to you that i'll never ever be in danger. But I can guarantee it won't be a frequent event and it will only be when absolutely necessary."

"I know Jane, I know how the department works. As an aside, realise that even though i'm happy about this, you are not forgiven for accusing me of being shallow, that's going to take more work from you than a verbal apology."

Jane smirked and put her hands either side of the doctors waist all the while peppering Maura's jaw line with kisses "oh...really doctor? Well good job I have something in mind to make it up to you."

Maura laughed "Your methods might take my mind off of it for a while...so it's certainly a healthy start." She wrapped her arms around Jane's neck and pulled her in for an elongated kiss, tongue access granted immediately for the two women to move in sync with each other. Jane stopped and bent down slightly, catching the hazel eyed beauty off guard and throwing her over her shoulder into a fireman carry. Maura screamed in surprise and began to giggle. Just as Jane had got them to the stairs a knock at the back door occurred.

Jane froze, Maura still slung over her shoulder "Do not make any sudden movements or any sounds Maur, she's not ruining this."

"Girls? Are you home? I saw your car outside Janie!"

Maura slid down off of the detectives shoulder and in a whisper began to talk "Jane, maybe we should..."

"Shhhhhhhhhh Maur - no maybe we should do anything!"

One final knock and it all went silent.

"Yes! She's gone! She'll only think we're continuing with our nymphin' activities anyways...and on this occasion I have no problem proving her right. Now, where were we?" The Italian winked, bent down and threw a giggling Maura back over her shoulder to carry her up the stairs to the bedroom. They had some making up to do.