*Hope you enjoy this. Sorry for any typos or errors on my part but I really wanted to get this out without waiting any longer. Thanks for the reviews and as always...thanks for reading this.

Squid Salad and Takeout…

The faint glow of a computer monitor was the only light in Maura's home office as she ran her fingers through her hair and leaned back in her chair with a heavy sigh. It had been a long day with two autopsies and a mountain of paperwork that followed. In a rare show of defeat, she handed over what she hadn't completed to her assistant Suzie Chang and headed home an hour early in the hopes of finding Jane waiting for her. Unfortunately, she was greeted with silence when she opened the front door but as she contemplated her conversations with Maggie Bromley and Pat O'Reily she was thankful for the solitude. She still had so much left to do before she could feel any sense of security when it came to the plan she was trying her best to develop under a cloak and dagger game she didn't feel comfortable with. But it had to be this way and the only person who needed to know the details was Jane, who was still out doing 'God knows what' instead of being at home to help Maura deal with the sudden feeling of insecurity that was washing over her in waves each time she glanced at the computer monitor and the email that screamed at her to open.

An impatient huff was all she could muster as she looked up at the ceiling hoping to find some sort of amnesty from the stress that had followed her home every day since Paddy entered her life. It was time for this distraction to end, but making it happen was another story altogether. Running both of her hands through her hair, they came to rest behind her head and guided her back to the email she had yet to open. She was thankful that Frost had done whatever it was he did to give her a secure connection to communicate with certain people. A frown creased her lips as she tried to remember what he had said. Words like 'VPN', 'IP addresses', and 'ghosting' ran through her mind with little meaning as to what each one meant. But she didn't need to understand to know that Frost knew what he was doing and she trusted him as much as she trusted Jane.

The ding of another incoming email got her wandering attention and her eyes traced over the name, one she recognized from the email she had yet to open. She figured that her conversation with Pat O'Reily, the Senator from Massachusetts and her father's best friend from childhood, would eventually make its way to Liam McGrath but she hadn't expected it to be this soon. Her intention was to only use him as a last resort. It was apparent though that he had other ideas.

Her hand shook as she moved the mouse to hover over the last email and with a heavy sigh, she clicked to open it. The message was brief but to the point and for that she was thankful. His ability to hide in plain view was a talent few had, especially in his line of work but one she may need to count on if it came to that. She reread the message several times, trying to read between the lines for the hidden meaning and finally it came to her on the fourth try. It was cryptic but also right in front of her the whole time causing her to shake her head in disappointment in herself for having taken so long to figure it out. Perhaps it was the fatigue or the stress that was taking the form of a killer headache, but whatever it was, she had to push it aside and move forward.

As her fingers typed out her response, she hesitated and wondered if she should wait for Jane. Deciding that Jane should have some input, she hit the backspace button to erase her answer. She thought for a moment before spelling the words out in a way he would understand before hitting the send button. Without realizing it, she held her breath as she waited for an acknowledgement and when it came, the breath she was holding finally escaped in a long, slow hiss of relief. He understood and accepted her response.

Another wave of fatigue washed over her and threatened to drown her this time. Reaching up, she rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands and contemplated going straight up to bed, but she needed to wait for Jane to get home. She needed to see those soft, brown eyes, filled with so much love and to feel strong arms holding her, always protecting her. She needed…to rest her eyes for just a minute. Light-colored lashes fluttered several times before her eyes closed and sleep took over as she sat at her desk in the dim light with only her monitor offering its gentle glow of comfort.

Jane let out a tired sigh as she slipped her key in the front door and pushed it open to reveal a dark and quiet entryway. Pulling off her leather jacket, she hung it up next to Maura's with the realization that even though it appeared she was alone, Maura was indeed home. High heels with the name of some designer she should know by now lay scattered in an uncharacteristic way causing her to pick them up and set them neatly against the wall next to the tennis shoes she had just freed her feet from.

As she made her way through the living room and to the kitchen with no trace of Maura, she began to worry but then she caught a blue glow coming from Maura's office. The sound of her socked feet hitting the hardwood floor seemed to echo in the uncomfortable silence that surrounded her as she made her way across the hall to the open door. Quietly, she peeked inside so she wouldn't interrupt Maura and was surprised to find that Maura was sound asleep with her arms crossed and her chin resting on her chest in what looked like an uncomfortable position. For a moment, Jane stood in the doorway with a concerned look on her face. It wasn't like Maura to fall asleep sitting up at her desk. The sight before her indicated how exhausted Maura was and Jane gave a silent 'thank you' that she hadn't invited everyone over for dinner, yet again. As her eyes traced over the worried expression that seemed to be etched on Maura's face, all she wanted to do was erase everything that continued to haunt them. But she wasn't sure how to make that happen.

A soft snore pulled her attention away from her thoughts and she smiled when the silence was interrupted by a much louder sound coming from Maura. In fact, it was loud enough to rouse Maura from her sleep with a start and Jane couldn't stop herself from laughing. When their eyes met, Jane covered her mouth to try and hide the sly grin that had spread across her lips and muffle the sound of her laugh but it was too late.

Maura groaned and rolled her eyes as she stretched her arms over her head to work out the stiffness that had settled in her tense muscles. "I didn't hear you come in." She said through a yawn.

"It's no wonder with that freight train running through here." Jane tried to contain her laughter but was unsuccessful.

Tilting her head, Maura regarded Jane with a withering glare. "Are you insinuating that I snore?"

"No, not insinuating…" Jane crossed her arms as she continued to lean against the door frame.

"I do not snore." Maura said with a heavy emphasis on the word 'not'.

"Um…yeah, you do." Jane shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly as another sly grin spread across her face. "Especially when you're overtired."

"No, I don't." Maura said as she tilted her head from side to side to work out the knots in her neck. Glancing at Jane, she tried to smile but only succeeded in grimacing when a muscle spasm shot through her body.

"Hey…" Jane finally moved from where she was standing, her hands reaching out to touch Maura. "You need a massage?" Even though it was a question, she didn't stop until her hands rested on Maura's shoulders with her thumbs pressing into the back of a stiff neck.

Closing her eyes and leaning back into Jane's touch, Maura sighed. "That would be wonderful." She opened her eyes and looked up into chocolate brown eyes filled with concern and more questions than she had answers to. "I got a lot done today…" her voice trailed off as she contemplated where to start.

"You did, did you?" Jane's fingers began to move over Maura's stiff muscles in a circular motion, trying to work out the knots she could feel.

The gentle pressure caused Maura to drop her chin back down to her chest, giving Jane's hands more access to where it hurt the most. "I did…" she let out a low moan as the knots and stiffness began to subside. "Did you get everything with Tommy settled?"

"Yep." Jane continued to concentrate on rubbing and squeezing the muscles under her fingers. "Ma came over to Frankie's place and…" she hesitated as something occurred to her. "I guess it's Tommy's place now. Anyway, she came over and helped get him settled in. I think she was gonna make him a homecooked meal and fill up his fridge with some stuff."

"Did you eat dinner already?" Maura asked between soft moans.

"We had lunch earlier and Frankie and I stopped for a beer at the Robber after but no, I haven't had dinner yet."

"How 'bout I open a bottle of wine and you order us some Thai…" Maura leaned her head back so she could look up into those dark brown eyes she always found so captivating and gave the first genuine smile of the evening.

"We can do that." Jane leaned down and placed a quick, yet gentle kiss to Maura's lips before letting her go. "You want the usual?" She asked as she turned to leave.

"Yes, that would be lovely. Meet me on the couch when you finish." Another yawn escaped from Maura's mouth as she glanced over her shoulder to watch Jane. "I've just got to shut this down for the night and I'll be right behind you."

"Promises, promises…" Jane chuckled when she reached the doorway.

Jane's light-hearted joke helped to ease the heaviness that had settled in Maura's chest after her long and tiring day. It hadn't been that long ago that she would have lifted an eyebrow in question at Jane's off-handed comment but things had changed, more importantly, she had changed. When she found herself alone, she turned back to the computer screen and with a heavy sigh, moved the mouse over to shut it down. Pausing before hitting the power button, she contemplated taking one last look at her email but decided against it until she had talked to Jane. There was a lot to talk about and she was sure her plan would take some convincing to get Jane on board, however, she hoped that it wouldn't take long so they could finally put this behind them.

Jane shuffled through the to-go menus in Maura's junk drawer. Okay, it wasn't Maura's junk drawer in so much as it was hers. Maura had kindly cleaned out one of her kitchen drawers to allow Jane to put some things in and those things consisted of to-go menus, loose rubber bands, and a collection of pens she had tossed in because they smeared when she wrote with her left hand. Holding one of the pens up, she decided she needed to just throw them away or at the least put them in Maura's office so they wouldn't be wasted. But then there was that funny little quirk Maura had about people who used blue pens so she just shrugged and tossed the pen back in the drawer.

As she sifted through the pile of menus, she realized she had amassed a large amount of them in a short time. It probably wasn't good for them to eat out so much, but it was hard to find the energy after working all day and sometimes all night to do anything other than order take-out. With a resigned nod of her head, she promised to try and cook more for Maura. They needed to take better care of themselves and eating healthier would be a good start.

When she found what she was looking for, she pulled her cellphone from the clip resting on her hip. She really didn't need it because she knew the number by heart, yet another reason to cook more at home but she wanted to take a quick glance over it in case something different caught her eye. It didn't and she let out a frustrated huff before dialing the number and placing an order to be delivered in roughly twenty minutes. Twenty minutes would be more than enough time to press Maura for more information about her day even though she was slightly reluctant. It was time for them to talk and finally time for Maura to reveal her plan.

Slipping the stainless-steel wine opener over the top of the wine bottle, Maura pressed the button and waited patiently for it to do its job. When it clicked, indicating it was done, she let out a satisfied sigh and pulled until the cork was free from the bottle. Taking a deep breath, she inhaled the spicy aroma of the cabernet she had picked because of the soft undertones of cherry that Jane liked. The fact that Jane would even drink wine was another indication of the changes they had gone through and continued to go through together.

With two glasses in one hand and the bottle of wine in the other, Maura made her way to the living room where Jane had already made herself comfortable. She stopped just short of where Jane now sat on the couch and couldn't help but smile at the sight before her. Jane had slipped into a Red Sox sweat shirt to keep her warm and her faded blue jeans matched perfectly. It was one of Maura's favorite looks, casual and comfortable. She just wished she had found the time to change into something that looked as comfortable as what Jane was wearing. Her tailored pants and form fitting button down were feeling a little constrictive at the moment and she wanted nothing more than to unbutton the top buttons and untuck her navy-blue dress shirt but her hands were full so she would have to wait. Her thoughts were interrupted when Jane leaned her head back and smiled up at her putting those dimples on full display and making her knees feel weak.

"Hey beautiful…" Jane grinned and waved Maura to the empty spot on the couch next to her. "Dinner should be here in about fifteen-twenty minutes."

"Did you remember to order my squid salad?" Maura set the wine bottle down on the coffee table and poured two glasses.

Jane scrunched up her face and shook her head. "I did and I don't know how you can eat that stuff."

Maura rolled her eyes dramatically as she handed Jane a glass of wine. "Have you ever tasted it?" She asked as she dropped down on the couch, careful not to spill her own wine.

"Well, no…but really?"

"Then you have no right to judge me." Pushing her hair over her shoulder, Maura tried not to sound cocky.

"Okay, fair." Jane nodded in understanding.

"Then you'll taste it?" There was a hint of excitement in Maura's voice as she gave Jane a sideways glance.

Taking a sip of wine, Jane gave a reluctant nod and couldn't help but make a funny face at the thought of following through. "I'll try…one…tiny…bite."

"That's a start." Maura chuckled as she took a long, slow drink from her glass. The warmth that spread through her body at her first sip of wine was welcomed. As the spicy liquid slid down her throat, she closed her eyes and let out a heavy, satisfied sigh.

"Is this from the special reserves?" Jane held up her glass to indicate what she was talking about.

"Ummhumm…" Maura murmured as she leaned back, snuggling against the soft cushions of the couch.

"I like it."

"Yeah? I thought you might." Maura reached over to take Jane's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze to let her know she appreciated Jane's effort to like the things she liked. "It's one of the sweeter Cab's I have, not as dry as the other's."

Taking another sip, Jane pulled her bottom lip in to capture the lingering sweetness that remained as she brought her glass down to her lap. The feeling of Maura's hand in her own gave her the courage to ask the question that had been bothering her since she had stepped in the front door. "So, um…what did you get done today?"

Silence surrounded them as Maura contemplated how to answer that question. She tilted her head back and looked up at the ceiling as if the answer might magically appear above her, but when it didn't, she rolled her head to the side so she could look at Jane. A serious expression greeted her and it was obvious what Jane was really asking. "Well, I got a lot done today. I had two autopsies and a tone of paperwork to follow but I decided to give some of the responsibility to Suzie."

"You know that's not what I'm talking about." Jane shifted uncomfortably as Maura looked anywhere but at her.

Letting out a heavy, somewhat frustrated sigh, Maura finally brought her eyes around to meet Janes. "I know but I'm not sure where to start."

"I told you before, start at the beginning." Jane tried to reason.

"It's not that simple, Jane." Maura's shoulders slumped in that defeated way Jane rarely saw. "There's still a lot to do before I feel confident enough that my idea will work."

"I get that, but don't you think it's time for me to know something…anything?" Jane was trying to contain her frustration. "I might be able to help, ya know."

"I do…" Maura hesitated just before the doorbell rang giving her a slight reprieve from having to further explain her reluctance.

"Saved by the bell…this time." Jane winked in a playful way even though there was still a serious air about her. The relief that washed over Maura's face hadn't gone unnoticed but she knew the only way to alleviate Maura's fears, whatever they may be, was to get her talk about them. Handing Maura her glass, she jumped up to get the door and their dinner. "You wanna eat in here or at the table?"

"In here." Maura let out a tired sigh. "I don't think I have the energy to get up and go to the kitchen table."

"Alright. You just wait here and I'll get the food." Even through the smile, Maura could see the concerned look in Jane's eyes.

It only took a couple of minutes for Jane to return with a bag overflowing with take-out containers. "Hey, you want a fork or are you going to use the sticks?" She asked as she headed towards the kitchen to get herself some utensils and plates.

"I'll use the chopsticks…" Maura laughed as she started to pull each container from the bag, arranging them on the coffee table so they could share everything.

"Seriously though, how do you even get enough food on those things?" Jane jumped over the back of the couch and landed next to Maura with a bounce. The look she got in return caused her to laugh. "Sorry…" she gave a sheepish grin.

"I don't need you to impale yourself on a fork." Maura grumbled as she slipped her chopsticks from their paper enclosure.

"I think you have a better chance of impaling yourself with those than I do with this." Jane held up her fork and tried not to smirk.

"Not if I don't jump over the back of the couch like a ten-year old."

Shrugging off Maura's irritation, Jane handed her a plate and grinned. "Are you saying that I act like a child?"

Maura's expression softened and she smiled. "Only sometimes." It was one of those things she loved about Jane, that ability to let loose and have fun. "Now…" she used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of squid and held it out for Jane to taste. "You said you'd try this."

Leaning close to the orange and white piece of squid, Jane sniffed hoping it would smell bad enough for her refuse. Instead, the fragrant aroma of sesame oil greeted her so she tentatively took the piece between her teeth and held it there.

"Chew." Maura ordered.

Reluctantly, Jane pulled the squid into her mouth and chewed carefully as if it might come alive and wiggle around on her tongue. When nothing happened, she let out a sigh of relief and swallowed, surprised that it hadn't tasted awful.

"Well…?" Maura's expression was both curious and uncertain.

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be." Jane smacked her lips. "It's kinda chewy though."

"I'm proud of you, Jane." Maura said as she brought a bite up to her own mouth. "It's important to try new things." She said after she swallowed.

"I'm willing to try anything at least once…" Jane's eyes darkened as she followed up with a sexy smirk.

"Hmmm…we'll see about that." Maura wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

Pressing her lips together before smiling, Jane gave a little nod and arched her eyebrows as she batted her eyes suggestively. It was times like these that made her forget the things that lurked outside their door and for that she was grateful, but dinner would be over soon and that slight reprieve she was feeling would come to an end.

With the leftovers safely stored away in the refrigerator, Jane grabbed another bottle of wine from Maura's stash and waited patiently for the bottle opener to do its job. When nothing happened, she let out a frustrated huff and took the bottle and opener with her, seeking Maura's help. "Hey, this thingy doesn't work right." She held the bottle out in front of her so Maura could see what she was talking about.

"You have to push the button." Maura reached out and tapped it. She gave a satisfied smile when it clicked and Jane pulled the cork out.

"Another glass?" Jane asked as she filled her glass.

"Yes, please." Maura nodded towards her glass before picking it up.

"Okay…" Jane sighed as she dropped back down on the couch with her wine in hand. "I think it's time we finish that conversation we never got started before dinner arrived."

Letting out a tired sigh, Maura shifted until her head lay in Jane's lap. She closed her eyes when she felt long, slender fingers running through her hair. "Okay…"

Jane was quiet as she allowed Maura to gather her thoughts. She could see by the furrow of the brow she was smoothing down with the fingers from one hand while the other hand continued to run through honey-blonde hair. It was apparent that Maura was struggling with where to start but Jane wouldn't rush things no matter how much she wanted to.

"You remember my friend Maggie Bromley?" Maura finally said as her eyes searched Jane's for any recognition and only continued when she saw none. "She's the special effects artist out in L.A." Jane nodded her understanding. "I um…called her today."

"Okay…" A strange feeling settled in Jane's stomach as she tried to figure out why Maura would do such a thing. "Were you thinking of making a movie or something?" She tried to joke but something deep down inside of her told her she already knew why.

Pushing herself to sit up, Maura let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at this." Her eyes dropped down, away from the intense, questioning look Jane was giving her.

"Just tell me what you have in mind, Maur." Jane reached over to push Maura's hair away from her face so she could see her better.

"Well, there's something about Sean that doesn't sit right with me…disregarding the obvious of course."

"Of course." Jane tried not to roll her eyes.

"What I'm trying to say, is that I think he's working alone…no matter what he says. I don't think his brother in Ireland has any idea what's going on and that includes the hit on Paddy." Maura began to fidget with her hands in her lap.

"Okay…I can see that." Jane grabbed Maura's hands to still them. "Now tell me why and what you have in mind."

"I called my dad's friend Pat O'Reily and asked him to check with his people inside Seamus's organization for the hit on Paddy." Maura said as the warmth of Jane's hands on her own calmed her. When Jane raised her eyebrow in question, she cleared her throat and continued. "Um…I haven't heard back from him yet."

"Okay, but what does your friend Maggie have to do with all of this?"

"I have an idea…" Maura began to fidget again, her eye's dropping from Jane's gaze in a very uncharacteristic way.

"I'm listening." Jane used two fingers to tip Maura's face back up so they were looking in each other's eyes again.

"I think we should stage Paddy's death to flush Sean out and maybe reveal his true motives." The words came out in a rush as Maura closed her eyes and waited for Jane to respond.

"Hmmm…" Jane murmured quietly as she thought about what Maura had said. "That's actually not a bad idea."

Maura's eyes popped open in surprise followed by a sudden intake of breath. "Really?"

"Yeah, really." Jane's face softened to reassure Maura. "You've been pretty worried about telling me this, haven't you?"

"I was afraid you'd blow it off." Maura's shoulders sagged with her uncertainty.

"It's a good idea. Is that why you called Maggie?"

"It is. She is going to send me vest rigged to explode with blood pellets to make it look real. I figured you could have blanks in your gun and the remote to trigger the vest so everyone will think you shot him. And since I am the coroner, I can pronounce him and fake the autopsy." Maura knew the plan needed some polishing and refining but she also knew that Jane would help with that.

"That sounds pretty doable. But, we will have to make sure no one knows but us. I don't want to drag anyone in on this until we know what Sean's true intentions are." Jane started to go over what she could do to build on the plans Maura had already made.

"I agree, but it's going to be tough." Maura shook her head. "We need to meet with Paddy and decide how to set up the scenario to look real. I asked Maggie for two vests so we had one to practice with."

Cupping Maura's cheek with the palm of her hand, Jane pulled until she could place a soft kiss on Maura's forehead. "You did good." Her voice was quiet and trembled slightly as she spoke. "But your plan scares the hell out of me."

"It scares me too. You'd have to be a fool not to be afraid, and I don't think either one of us is a fool." Maura closed her eyes when she felt Jane's warm lips touch her skin. "We still have a lot to talk about before this plan can be implemented successfully."

"We do and we will." Jane tipped her head down until their foreheads were touching. "But I think we've talked enough for tonight. What do you say we go to bed and spend the rest of the night not talking about this…or anything else?"

"I'd say that's an ideal plan." Maura lifted her chin, moving her mouth to within inches of Jane's. "In fact, I'd love it if you spent the rest of the night making me forget about anything but you." She pressed her lips to Jane's and sighed when she felt the velvety softness of Jane's tongue brush against her own.

"Ummm…" Jane grinned into the kiss that took her breath away. "I've waited all day for this moment. Have I told you today how much I love you?"

"Maybe once or twice this morning, but who's counting…" Maura's voice faltered as Jane's lips moved to the side of her neck. "Jane…take me to bed."

"As you wish…" Jane wrapped her arms around Maura and pulled her close. "Just one more kiss though." Her lips moved back up to Maura's. It had been a long, emotional day but now at the end, even with the fatigue and uncertainty that hung over them, they still had each other. And that is the thought that Jane held on to as she swept Maura up in her arms to carry her up to their room and the quiet, darkness that would surround and protect them until tomorrow came, bringing with it a new set of worries and obstacles that they would face, together.