"Those are really great."

Jane looked up from the frozen bag of kimchi dumplings in her hand, the ones she had been staring at for four full minutes. The voice that had interrupted her belonged to a shorter woman with greying red hair and a plump heart shaped face. Her smile was soft and her features so wrinkled you couldn't really tell if she were just being polite or if she genuinely loved you like her own from sight.

Jane didn't really like talking to people in grocery stores. What was there to talk about really? She supposed it stemmed from her mother talking to literally everyone they crossed paths with as children. This woman seemed well meaning though, she was currently putting bags of frozen peas into her cart. Soup for her grandchildren?

The detective pivoted slightly on her left foot to face the other woman. "Yeah?" She asked finally motioning to the bag. It was eight thirty on Wednesday night, just having left work mentally drained Jane didn't really have the capacity to make solid decisions on her own, this was important though. "I can't really cook." She admitted with a soft chuckle. The basics sure, but if she were honest she wanted to impress Maura.

The older woman laughed too. "Oh you don't need to cook those, just steam them, that simple. Or you can fry them up with a little ginger."

Jane turned the bag over to the back. "They don't have any weird synthetic chemicals, right?" She couldn't tell.

The older woman looked slightly confused for a moment. "…Like MSG?"

Jane looked back at her. "Yeah…" They stared at one another for a moment. "My um, friend she's kinda sensitive to that stuff…"

The woman smiled. "Oh."

More silence.

Jane looked back to the package, they seemed pretty tasty, at least by the picture, and judging by the laughable portion size per container she supposed that had be an indicator of quality, right? "I'm sure it's fine." She tossed the bag into her basket and grabbed three more. "Um so… you think ginger would be good?"

The grandmother nodded confidently now. "A little garlic, a little ginger…"

Jane nodded committing it to memory. "And I just steam it?"

"Or fry it."

"Do I need a sauce?"

"If you'd like dear, they're quite good on their own but a little soy..oh."

"What?"

"Does your friend eat soy?"

Jane furrowed a brow. "She drinks soy milk…" Was that the same?

The older woman waved her off. "Then you're fine." She grabbed a hold of her shopping cart and began to push it forward.

"Wait where's that other stuff?"

"The garlic and ginger?" Jane nodded quickly. "In the basement."

Jane smiled in thanks and then looked around her slightly overwhelmed by the organic food giant's store layout. "There's a basement?" Maura shopped here frequently, this and the green market on Saturdays, but today was Wednesday, and Jane was finally able to steal a moment alone in the market parking lot to look up some recipes online.

She'd made Maura little things in the past but now as she wandered her way around the colossal specialty foods market she realized she had never really made her a proper meal, actually she was pretty certain that she had fixed her a bowl of cereal last, that was a few months ago.

That was not how things were going to operate moving forward she decided.

After finding the escalator to the basement Jane grabbed a sleeve of garlic and a knob of ginger to add to her basket. She decided maybe she'd be adventures and try the fresh berry salad for desert she saw and plus if Maura did stay over she'd have something she'd like to eat in the morning.

Was Maura going to stay over?

Jane stood in front of the little green containers of blueberries and considered it. She'd need all her toiletries, right? Those little napkins for her face to take off her makeup, that weird water pick thing for her teeth… This store didn't have those things did it? Her apartment sure as hell didn't. Jane let herself wander again into the self-care and hygiene section of the store where the homemade soaps and smelly mineral oils lined the walls a plenty. She watched a woman gab something confidently and continue down the aisle as if this product was needed and no other. That confidence had to mean it was a necessity…

The detective waited for the woman to exit the aisle completely before walking over to the product and raising a brow. "It's…soap?" She wondered aloud. "What the hell is a body lather?" A body wash or a lotion? Jane added that and a few other random items that weren't atrociously priced before leaving the aisle and checking her list over.

##

Maura stepped aside quickly to let Jane in from out of the bitter cold morning. "Good Morning." She chuckled as the tall woman shrugged herself out of her heavy winter coat while making a B-line for the coffee pot in the kitchen. Maura closed the door

"It's almost April Maura, what the hell is going on?"

Maura stepped into the kitchen. She was still in her silken pajamas. "Well we had a particularly humid fall, climate change and precipitation patterns indicate—"

Finally warmed by her first sip of coffee Jane lowered her mug and shook her head. "Not literally."

Maura nodded. "Please specify."

Jane looked around with a small grin in place before noticing her mother was no where in sight. "Where's Ma?"

Maura came around to pick up her small cup of tea and take a sip. "She spent the night at Ron's—"

"Again?"

Maura nodded "It appears things are getting serious."

Jane huffed but then smiled a little when she realized they were alone like they would be later today. Yesterday the day had been filled with so much of everyone else. She hadn't spent the night and she had hardly seen Maura during the day due to the ME's meetings and the travel necessary to re-visit both park crimes scenes. Last night she had actually stayed rather late at the precinct. She was able to walk Maura to her car but aside from that they hadn't had much in the way of conversation.

"How come you're not dressed yet?" She narrowed her eyes. "I'm still driving you right?"

Maura rested her tea down and tilted her head. "Well I hardly had a moment to remind you when you were bulldozing into my home for coffee."

"That you made for me." Jane pointed to her cup of tea.

Maura shrugged but smiled at her quick observation. "It's simply out of habit now." Jane or Angela or Tommy or Frankie or Ron, someone would be by for coffee, and Maura put stock in always being a ready host.

Jane brought her mug to her mouth and then pulled it away when she remembered finally why else today was different than most other days this week. "Damnit, you're going o BCU today right?"

"Yes, I'll be working from home for a few hours and then heading their for our adjunct meeting and then will be back at BPD after lunch." She stepped around to the chairs at the kitchen island where one of her briefcases sat. "Did you not receive my text message?' She pulled out a crisp folder and handed it Jane across the island.

"Nah.." Jane read the cover distractedly. "We were at The Robber after work late, must have not gone through— What's this?"

"That." Maura began as she carefully clasped the briefcase closed and returned for her tea. "Is the study I ordered on the alkaline components of the soil samples we found under both Hanover and Turner's nails."

Jane had placed the folder on the counter and was flipping through the pages way too quickly to be really absorbing anything. How could she anyway when every other word had five syllables and there were graphs she didn't even know existed. "Do you have one in English?"

Maura shook her head with amusement. "That is English, Jane."

Jane looked up at her impatiently. "Well what's it all mean, Doc?"

"It means that the dirt under Hanover's nails and the dirt found under Turner's nails are a definitive match. They are from the same source, the same location." She came over to where Jane was standing and pointed at a graph. "Interestingly enough Hanover's sample, here." She pointed to another area. "Shows a distinct level of microbiological activity." Jane looked at her. "It means there were higher levels of present yeast, fungal spores…"

Jane began to nod as she returned to the graphs now trying to draw the same conclusion herself. "Alright so… they were kept in the same place." She turned a page. "But maybe he had her somewhere warm… and maybe he had Turner in a different area." She shook her head and looked down at Maura to her right. "Maur we could be looking at multiple locations, in the same location."

"He'd have to have a means of transportation to leave them in parks."

"Strong enough to carry the bodies too. Alive or dead bodies aren't light." Jane nodded. "My guess is some sketchy ass van, it always is, but you'd be surprised how many people actually own them in the city of Boston."

"Too many to pool for suspects?"

"Yeah, and not to mention that's profiling, if we did find the right guy the defense would throw us out of court before we could sit down."

"Have you given any thought to the significance of parks yet?"

Jane closed the folder. "Could be a childhood thing, could just be a vessel of opportunity. No one really patrols them, uniforms sometimes do but only the larger parks and that's only for horny teenagers and the vocational bum."

"Perfect place to get BPD's attention."

Jane nodded. "Yeah." She picked up the folder. "Can I have this?"

Maura nodded. "Of course… Have you eaten?"

Jane motioned to her cup of coffee. "I'll grab something on the way in, I have a feeling we're looking at the whole thing a little too simply."

Maura nodded. "There is a Book Club meeting tonight." Jane leaned her palm on the counter to face her. "I'm not saying I'd rather spend the evening there—"

"You're saying that if I think I won't be able to make it because I'm still trying to figure out what these graphs say then let you know earlier rather than later."

"They aren't impossible to read, Jane." The ME let up a small laugh. "But yes, that is what I'm trying to communicate."

Jane couldn't decide if she felt hurt or amused. The Homicide Detective couldn't blame Maura for putting her foot down on the matter. Who would want to get all excited about something only to be let down and not be aloud to really express her disappointed out of guilt? Jane didn't want that, she understood it, but she certainly didn't want Maura to not be able to express herself. So she smiled softly and filed her handful of insecurities away on the matter for the time being. "I wanna make you dinner, Maura." Jane nodded seriously. "I'll let you know if things progress with this though."

"That's all I ask."

"You're not going to be mad if we raincheck?"

"Appropriately disappointed I think." She thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, but never upset."

"Maybe just a little secondary?" Jane pushed.

"Perhaps. But I'm sure it will be fleeting. Jane you have a major responsibility to the people you serve. It's selfless, and I understand that there will be times when that means other aspects of your life must be put on hold. With the Medical Examiner's office there is no difference." She touched her arm. "This wouldn't be the first time we've rescheduled something because of our joint responsibilities mind you."

Jane nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah but, it's not like we were just gonna hang out or anything like before… Now it's like… Y'know." She wanted to make the time for them to figure everything out. The other night after Sunday dinner had been really… nice.

Maura rubbed her arm and then returned it to her mug of tea. "We'll manage."

It was simple and sure, Jane decided to take Maura's stance as well. "alright." She grabbed the folder up again. "I gotta go."

Maura nodded. "Do not forget to see Kent when you get in. He emailed me some results from hair samples that I didn't have time to print out."

"Thanks for this." She motioned to the folder before taking a rather large and final gulp of her coffee and resting her empty mug on the counter. "I'll talk to you later." She began to leave when Maura agreed but then paused half way toward the door and turned back to quickly place her mug in the sink and touch Maura's shoulder before leaning over it and pressing a small kiss on her cheek. "Bye." She hovered there only a second more, just enough time for Maura to reach her hand up behind her to touch her cheek. They looked at one another a moment longer before Maura tip toed up only to have Jane move away slightly.

"I'm not going to be able to think straight today if you kiss me."

Maura's confusion was quickly cast aside for a round laugh that colored the tips of her ears and made Jane smile widely in return. "Jane."

"It's the truth." She waved the folder in her hand some. "I have graphs to decipher!"

Maura's laugh turned into a fond smile as she patted Jane's shoulder. "Goodbye, Jane."

##

She walked into the Blackwell building for the first time since the shooting near grinning when she saw her friend and colleague Professor Erin Dooely.

"Doctor." Maura greeted.

"Doctor" Erin gave Maura a once over with a small laugh. "Well it's positively frigid and here you are as radiate as ever ready to build a curriculum on arguably one of the most boring subjects voted by the general student population. I'm not exactly certain if you are passionate or clinical."

Maura smiled. "Arguments have been made for both I'm sure." She couldn't help being in a good mood after the morning she had had.

Erin motioned to the elevator. "We'll be late if we don't hurry. Have you eaten? Had coffee?"

"Yes yes I have. Are we meeting with the—" She paused when she noticed the elevator. Somehow words escaped her train of thought and she was jolted back to the last time she had been in it.

Erin looked between her and elevator. "Oh…. Have you not been back on campus? Weren't there evaluations done by—"

Maura shook her head quickly and stepped forward bravely. "My department conducted psychological evaluations for clearance, there was no need to attend one of the university level." She nodded as they entered the elevator.

Erin nodded and came in behind her. "I'm sure the dean is going to want to address it today. Most of the student's encountered Miles on some level, he wants to create an action plan for the building as well.

Maura nodded. "It all sounds worth of practice given what could have happened here."

Erin pressed the button to take them to floor five where the meeting would be held in a stuff room wih poor air circulation and minimal natural light. "You know when I met Detective Rizzoli I wasn't quite sure of what to make of her." Erin looked over at Maura. "She's quite remarkable it seems."

Maura smiled. "Yes, Jane has been a dear friend of mine for some time now."

##

When the doorbell rang several hours later Jane was in the process of grabbing up a pile of laundry on the floor in her room. She hesitated at the sound before deciding to toss it into her closet. The doorbell rang a second time as she was trying to close its sliding door but had to stop to push the clothes back in after they tumbled out each time. "C'mon guys.." She pleaded with the pair of mismatched socks and hoody that just wouldn't stay put.

She had vacuumed, adjusted pillows, wiped down counters, did what little chopping prep need needed for dinner, opened some wine and put it to chill and showered. Jane checked her cell phone for the time and quickly made her way down the stairs to the front door. She had all these butterflies in her chest she didn't know what to do with and only seemed to multiply the closer it got to eight that night which was when she and Maura agreed to meet. After pulling together more legal documents for a search warrant of a few suspicious characters with criminal histories who worked for the docks and who would have access to a large warehouse units like supervisors, Jane and the team combed through both victim's financial history again, this time finding only a series of checks beginning to be deposited into their accounts the last few weeks of their lives. The checks seemed to just be able to cover automatic billing cycles and upon further digging apparently came from an ex-husband and a close friend who she was to interview tomorrow morning. If Frankie seemed curious about her needing to leave early he never said.

"Hello."

"Hi." Jane smiled as she stepped aside to let Maura in. "Didn't even know I had a doorbell till now." She joked. The ME was wearing her favorite red overcoat and a navy romper that stopped mid-thigh and had it's various frills, and heels. "You look nice." Her makeup was done lightly and her hair down cascading shades of honey onto her shoulders.

Maura smiled. "Thank you…I didn't dress up too much right?" She chuckled softly at herself knowing it took way too long to decide what she was going to wear once she got the call that they were in fact on for tonight. "I brought wine." She motioned to the bottle in her hands as she stepped out of her heels and shrunk a good two inches.

Jane closed the door behind her and reached for her coat and the bottle. "No no I don't think so." She looked down to what she were wearing: a simple pair of her "nice" jeans and a short sleeve button down. "I…kinda just put on something."

"You ironed your shirt." Maura pointed out.

Jane chuckled only mildly embarrassed that it was something to notice. "I did." After hanging her coat she held onto the wine bottle with both hands and waited for Maura to put her bag down. "Look um, I may get called in." She didn't want this night to be ruined by something they both knew was a strong possibility, but she wanted to clear the air on the conversation they had this morning first and foremost. "I'd have to go, if that happens."

Maura nodded. "You've been very clear on your intentions." She supposed this would be one of those new things they'd have to manage.

Jane nodded. "You do a lot for me, my family…" Her father calling her some woman had really resonated with her she supposed. She wasn't just some best friend, she was her best friend, the best she ever had actually and now with this new closeness, well she just wanted Maura to know she appreciated her for who she was in all aspects of their lives. "and…" Maura raised a brow. "I wanted to be able to not worry about y'know Ma walking in or…. Pre-publishing."

Maura let up a small laugh. "Privacy, you wanted some privacy." It was true, their time spent together had a new category. Unfortunately there hadn't been any hours added to the day to accommodate it.

"Yeah but not to do anything y'know….not like that. I mean" Jane began to blush. "I mean— you know what I mean?"

Maura's laugh turned smile. "I do." Jane was nervous and it was very cute to see the usually confident woman so worrisome over the things she said. Maura had been her best friend for years now, of course she understood what Jane meant, still it was very sweet that she felt the need to clarify

Jane laughed at herself some and motioned to the wine. "It's not going to work for tonight so I'm gonna save it."

This peeked the pathologist's interest. "A wine paring too?"

Jane nodded as she went into the kitchen with bottle and put it aside. "It's red right?"

"One of the wines we had that I'm getting in New York from that distributor. Oh!" She reached for her purse and pulled out a small tablet. "I also brought the New York Itinerary. I figure I could dictate while you cooked."

Jane nodded. "That sounds good." She brought the white wine out of her fridge as Maura brought the tablet over to the counter and peered onto Jane's side curiously where a cutting board had already been set up and some ingredients lay.

"Ginger and garlic?"

"And this thing." Jane showed her the wine before pulling the cork and pouring it. "Was almost forty dollars, you believe that?"

Maura hummed as she watched Jane pour two healthy glasses of the golden liquid. "Alsatian Pinot Gris tends to be up there but they actually are some of the most vivacious white wines. Well done."

Jane put the cork back in the bottle after pouring. "Beats me. The kid at the wine shop on Court said it would work with what I was making."

"And what are you making?" She laughed as Jane visibly became excited.

"So we're gonna have bok choy sauted with ginger and garlic, some kimchi dumplings with some hoisin carrot sauce thing."

"Wow." Maura nodded clearly impressed.

"And!" Jane put a finger up and ducked into the oven to grab the shrimp wrapped in seaweed that had been meant for an appetizer. "To start."

Maura couldn't stop smiling. "I'm very impressed you knew where the vegetable section was." She motioned to the large amount of bok choy sitting on the counter. "Though, it isn't too far from the beer section so then again…" She could already tell from the paper bag sitting aside for scraps that Jane had gone to her favorite market to get the ingredients.

Jane smiled as she began traying up the little sea wraps. "I needed assistance let me tell you."

"Aw Jane. You really did put a lot of thought into this. Thank you."

"I mean I know it's not really cooking cooking like you do but y'know you didn't want eggs or burgers, and I ran out of cereal this morning…" She shrugged.

Maura took a sip of her wine and watched Jane for only a moment before reaching over for a warm wrap and smiling at the burst of flavors in her mouth. "Mm."

"They good?" Jane watched her face change as she closed her eyes to enjoy the bite. "They look really slimly…" She wanted to look at the picture on the box again but with the way Maura reached for a second one immediately she supposed it had been done right.

"Devine. Where did you go for these?" She accepted the napkin passed to her. They weren't from Whole Fruits that was for sure. There was a subtle yet detectible sugary after taste she knew came from lesser quality preservatives, but the flavors of the seaweed and the garlic were so pronounced.

"Can't tell you." Jane grinned smugly. She and the little old lady had crossed paths again at check out and she was telling Jane a few other local stores that had some fun products. Anyway she was certain if she did tell Maura it came from an ice box close to a live bucket of some kind of fermenting sea animal she'd probably pass out.

Jane didn't think going to the hospital after every other date was a sustainable trend.

Maura took another sip of her wine before putting her hands up jokingly. "Yes fine, intellectual property?" They were tasty, she'd give Jane that.

"Yup."

"I won't ask again."

"Don't." Jane went into the fridge to start to grab the baby carrots and the hoisin sauce and orange juice to start cooking. The sauce would take the longest, so it needed to be on first. "So when are we going to New York again?"

"Jane."

"Wha? I've been a little y'know? Preoccupied." She emptied the bag of baby carrots into a small sauce pot that already had some water and melted butter in it. "…Right, then the juice…" She mumbled to herself as she read the receipt she had printed out and taped to the counter earlier.

"In nine days, Jane."

Jane turned around. "Nine Days?"

"Yes."

The detective nodded a few times and then looked elsewhere. "Huh…"

"You didn't buy your ticket yet did you?"

Jane looked at her carefully and Maura raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "….No."

"Unbelievable."

"C'mon, Maur—"

"—You'll be lucky if you get the same flight. Which I doubt and it's going to cost you a fortune, which hopefully makes you learn your lesson" She shook her head and began tapping away at her tablet. "If I didn't book your room would you have even done that?"

"Probably not." That earned a particular look from Maura that Jane didn't mind not seeing ever again. "I'm in the middle of a double homicide potential serial killer, Maur. Cut me a little slack."

"You agreed to the trip before you got this case." She pointed out. "That evening I have to be at the conference's opening event. I am speaking remember? Tasha will be there."

Jane sagged her shoulders and came over to the counter to look at what Maura was doing on the small screen. "I can always drive up?" She offered feeling bad. She didn't remember that Maura was speaking. "You'd only land a couple hours before I get in."

"That may be what has to happen looking at these flights." Maura commented distractedly.

Jane frowned. "Or I'll just pay whatever, it's only to New York, it can't be that bad." She turned to manage the flame on the carrots before turning back to the counter and placing both hands on its surface. "Let me see." Maura rotated the tablet to face her and leaned over to point at a few options. "That won't work, when does your conference thingy start?"

"Seven sharp. I'm the opening speaker."

"Do I have to wear a dress?" Maura gave her a look. "What?"

"How about you book a ticket and then we can talk at all." She wasn't livid, just not pleased. Jane was determined to turn the evening around though so she nodded.

"Alright alright. Hand me my wallet?"

Maura got up from her stool and brought her glass of wine with her to the end table near the door where she knew one of Jane's off duty fire arms was kept out of a lock box (but strapped to the underside of the table securely). The end table itself housed her keys, pocket knife, and her wallet. "You aren't bringing your gun are you?" She asked as she flipped the worn brown leather open and regarded the imagine on Jane's driver's license before looking for her credit card.

Jane was scrolling through the list of flight options. "Yeah… Probably."

"Where are your clearance papers?" She brought over the wallet and handed Jane the credit card she knew she liked to use for traveling points and then pulled out a handful of receipts. "And why are you keeping receipts from two months ago?" She shook her head and sighed as Jane distractedly took the card.

"Under my bed…" Jane selected a one-way flight. "Alright look. I get on a lfight at three and then I'm there by four thirty, into JFK." She looked up at Maura who was freeing the bulging leather of its weight in random receipts with a look of distress on her face. "Maur I'm not gonna be able to find anything if you do that."

"I'm surprised you can find anything at all in here." She placed another old receipt onto the small pile accumulating on the counter.

"I'll clean it out tomorrow."

Maura looked up. "When you bring out your concealed carry-on clearance papers and your passport?"

Jane grabbed for her wallet. "Yes yes, all that, Doctor."

"Jane."

"I promise!" She grinned finally standing upright from leaning on the counter. "When is your flight?"

"I leave in the morning."

Jane motioned to the tablet. "Is that a good one?"

"If you are delayed because of this weather it will be cutting it close." She sat back down at the island and turned the tablet toward her. "Yes, you'll miss lunch with Tasha, and won't have time to really settle in but.…"

Jane turned back to the stove where the carrots were rolling around in the pot cooking. She looked down at the taped recipe before opening a cabinet for the salt and black pepper it called for. " You guys get all your nerding out done before I get there, and we're having dinner with her after right?"

Maura nodded and began filling in Jane's information to book the flight as she sipped her wine. "I don't understand how someone so meticulous about some things can be so unorganize— Do you want an inflight snack-plus option?"

Jane turned. "Um… no we are going to eat after right? Remember that questions I just asked you? Like two second ago?"

"Well I am the opening speaker Jane, I'm expected to linger after everything and mingle with this year's other conference panelists."

Jane furrowed a brow. "How long does that take?"

The ME thought about it. "An hour or two?" She nodded.

"An hour or two!? What are you guys doing, planning a new nuclear deal?"

"Actually interestingly enough The Defense Threat Reduction Agency standar—"

"Forget the meal. I'll stop by The Robber and get a burger or something before I head to the airport."

Maura nodded. "Probably best, I don't need one of my guests passing out due to starvation." She didn't put it past the detective. When Jane was hungry all bets were off when it came to the dramatics.

A few minutes passed in silence.

"Maybe add it anyway…"

"I already did."

Jane chuckled as she turned back to the stove. "Look see now we are all booked up okay?"

"Did you take off from work?"

"Yes, I took off from work." She sighed.

"When is you FBI psychological evaluation?"

"Tuesday, Noon." Jane turned back to the counter to take a sip of her wine before moving to cleaning the bok choy. "This stuff said it was already washed but y'know after reading that article my best friend sent me on the poor water conditions in the areas where most American greens are processed, I'm gonna wash them again."

Maura smirked. "You're hopping by leaning against something you know I was previously disappointed in you for not accomplishing you can take attention away from the fact that you waited until less than a week and a half to book your plane ticket to New York?"

Jane glanced over her shoulder at her. "Is it working?"

Maura shook her head while smiling as she dipped her glass for another sip. "Go on…"

The Detective grinned. "Honestly though, now I know what it must feel like to be you, all this information in the ol' nogin'."

"It's exhausting isn't it?"

Jane's smile faltered just a little. "Well… yeah actually. I don't know how you do it."

Maura looked down at the tablet as it processed Jane's ticket. "I've always thought this way." She put her wine down to safely tuck the red credit card back into the slot of Jane's open wallet where she found it.

Jane glanced at her as she moved the greens to a cutting board to prep them to be sauted. "How have you been sleeping?"

"Better." Maura nodded.

"You don't know what it was?"

"Can I hypothesis?"

"Please."

"I think it was possibly psychosomatic."

"You just stressing about things maybe?"

"There is a little of that yes." She watched Jane cutting the greens. "When you stayed over I think I felt…safer for some reason. Those nights I had no trouble at all." They looked at one another for a quiet moment.

Jane went back to her cutting but wore a small yet thoughtfully smile. "Hm."

"Anyway." Maura waved. "Tell me about your day."

Jane shared the case developments, and then her small list of things she wanted to do and see while in New York. Maura beamed at the notion of sharing lists and pulled out a list of her own that she had been preparing. Jane nodding along as she sauted the ginger and garlic down before adding handfuls of bok choy. When she was satisfied with the amount she turned and leaned on the counter separating them to watch Maura continue to read off her "must visit" museums and the featuring exhibits and their times, and if they had special ticket prices they'd need to consider, and if it rained what would they do about lunch because most of the museums apparently didn't have many appealing dining options, except for the Museum of Modern Art, Maura wanted cocktails and small bites at it's in house restaurant accurately named The Modern, and maybe they'd want to bring umbrellas but it would be more likely to snow if anything… Jane just smiled. This didn't at all feel weird like she was afraid it would, it felt like old times yet somehow more special.

"—Guggenheim is closed on Thursday's but if we can get a late breakfast and head there on Wednesday then I think we will have enough time to walk the Highline later—"

"Well, Maur honestly as long as we get to spend the time together I'm good with whatever." Jane found herself saying. She checked her level of wine and shrugged.

Maura put her tablet down and smiled. "You've made the trip."

Jane blushed faintly. "c'mon."

"I mean it Jane." She nodded. "When I was in Paris all I could think about was what you'd like about it, what you'd want to eat…" She laughed at herself now because it did sound silly aloud, but it had been the truth. "I missed you." They stared at each other again for a moment not believing that they were here and secretly wondering if the other were thinking the same thing.

"I missed you too." Jane admitted. "Especially with the way you left things." She reached for her glass to take small careful sip.

The bottle didn't last long.

Maura laughed loudly up at Jane who was standing on the sofa beside her holding her Guitar Hero guitar controller and grinning while hitting a triple point score by nailing the iconic guitar solo. "Where are you Maur?" She taunted.

"You're cheating!" Maura hit her leg back into place with one hand as she tried to study the time signature of the Led Zeppelin song while pressing each note carefully on the neck of the guitar much slower than that of Jane's expert mode pace. Jane lifted her left leg again and pushed her socked foot into Maura's carefully coordinated hands. "Jane!"

"Wha!?" Maura grabbed her foot. "Ah!" she jumped up and down for a second regaining her balance moments later before focusing on the screen to regain her rhythm. On the split screen beside her Maura was quickly catching up to her in points. It was then that just out of the corner of her eyes she saw Maura stand. "What are you doing?" The ME glanced over her shoulder innocently up at her before quickly walking in front of the screen blocking the notes from Jane's view. "Maura!"

"I just can't really see from there." She lied as she focused on the screen quickly trying to make up the lost points while Jane was at a disadvantage. The song scrapped and picked along for several measures before Jane was at her side pushing to stand in front of her.

"Move."

"No!" They laughed as they continued to struggle to stand in front of the other all while trying to finish the song. "Jane this is not how you show me how to play a game!" Maura protested between laughing and trying to catch her breath as the detective backed up with her standing right behind her forcing her back until she fell onto the couch. Maura spitefully reached for the back of Jane's shirt and yanked her backwards till she crashed onto the couch beside her guitar still in hand.

Moments after the song ended they sat there breathless watching the score screen declare it a tied match. Jane glanced to her left at Maura's red face grinning still.

"You are quite possibly the worst sore loser Jane. It's embarrassing" She let the guitar in her lap rest on the ground before flopping backward onto the sofa and laughing softly somewhat dazed at the pure energy expended in a three-minute and forty two second long song.

Jane hadn't stopped looking at her though, she couldn't speak like she wanted to, she couldn't laugh at them like she wanted to. It was as if her entire being had suddenly been rendered paralyzed by her feelings for her best friend, held captive by her beauty.

Jane Rizzoli couldn't remember the last time she was this happy, it was sobering.

Maura had caught her gaze and felt herself immediately engulfed by the same feeling she could see in Jane's warm brown eyes. It scared her, but she dare not look away, not for a second. Jane finally sat up and paused before leaning over closer to her and bringing her left hand up to graze the Maura's jaw.

Suddenly they were resting their foreheads gently against the others, shy, but knowing moments elapsed until finally Jane leaned forward and kissed her hard, as if to ask a question.

Maura nodded when they separated even more dazed than before.

Their lips met again with a strangled urgency; the guitar controller that had been in Jane's lap slipped from between them and rattled onto the ground in front of them without much concern as their bodies slid closer and their hands moved to embrace the other.

Jane exhaled through her nose not at all ready for the trail of tingly sensations that followed behind Maura's hands as they wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her closer until the ME's back rested on the arm of the couch. Their lips slowed their dance into a agonizingly exchange that left both woman unable to think about anything else but the other woman's movements, her smell, her touch. Better than the wine it threw them both into a place of complete and utter intoxication with the sensation of experiencing the present.

Jane couldn't stop herself from pushing Maura back suddenly so her back pressed into the seat of the couch and their legs fell under them automatically tangled with the other. Their mouths opened then deepening the kiss and causing Jane to make a soft noise of appreciation and Maura to tremble at the scratchy sensation of the denim of Jane's jeans brushing against her bare thigh. Mistaking it for a chill Jane wrapped both her arms around her and held her close effectively pressing their hips together and causing the woman underneath her to tremble still. Maura's eyes stung with emotion as she brought her hand to Jane's face and kissed her back gentler now; relishing in the added weight of their bodies pinned together in such a tender way. Everything suddenly became unbelievably fragile. Jane held her like she didn't want to let her go, and Maura hadn't realized she had never experienced being such a necessity to anyone in her entire life until just now, not like this.

The kiss was slow to still, but it eventually did, and the small sound of Maura sniffling caused Jane to open her eyes to wide pools of glossy hazel and green searching her face. Jane felt her breath catch itself as she tried to slow her own heart down. She wanted to say so much, share so much of herself just then that she choked on her words. "W..Mau…?"

Maura smiled softly and brought a hand away from Jane's shoulder up to wipe at the invisible moisture at her face. "I'm sorry." She breathed; her voice heavy. "I… Must have…"

Jane could only stare. "… No." She managed, but it hadn't been what she meant to say at all.

"Perhaps we should." Maura exhaled and began to blush. "Slow down."

Jane nodded. "Okay."

"Right?" The way this felt… Stopping seemed so wrong.

Jane seemed just as torn. "I think so…" She frowned then. Would she be able to express what she was feeling without fumbling over herself? She had never wanted a woman this bad, never felt like this ever about anyone… Jane sat uo and moved aside off of her best friend and to the far corner of the couch to give Maura room to sit up. Had she done something wrong? Jane suddenly felt too ashamed to ask.

"Excuse me." Maura said as she stood and made her way quickly to Jane's restroom down the hall. Jane watched her leave before running a hand down her face and sighing heavily.

"Fuck…" She muttered.

This was one of those rare life situations where Jane Rizzoli wanted to just pause time and go find an answer, she'd ask anyone, her mother, her father, the mailman, someone somewhere had to know what to say.

When the pathologist returned she looked just as lost but determined to understand something about herself. "I think I should call it a night, Jane." She announced before fully coming into the living room again.

Jane stood quickly. "I…You could stay.." She shook her head. "I mean I made up the guest room….and bought… stuff."

Maura smiled. "I'd prefer to go."

Jane nodded because she didn't know what else to do. "Okay." They wordlessly moved about her apartment; Jane packing Maura some leftovers because honestly she didn't know what to do with her hands and she had grown up seeing her mother always sending someone away with food, and Maura gathering her tablet and her other belongings. When she checked her phone she had a missed call from Hope. She'd need to call her back tomorrow at some point. Maura let herself fall into the safety of making mental lists as she slipped her heels on.

Finally, they were at the door.

"I hope I didn't…-" Jane began. "Maura, I'm sorry if—"

Maura shook her head quickly "You didn't, don't be."

Jane nodded, not really sure she believed her. "Here." She handed her the paper bag with the leftovers inside. "I saved some of the uncooked tops of the bok choy for George."

Maura took the bag with a polite smile in thanks. "He'll love them."

There was an awkward pause.

Jane put her hands at her hips and nodded. "Will you text me when you get in?"

Maura nodded. "I will. Thank you for the lovely evening."

"Course." Jane reached around her to open the door for her. "Y'know it was kinda fun…cooking."

"It was delicious."

Another pause.

"Goodnight, Jane." There was a silent request for space to which Jane nodded to in agreement.

"Night, Maura."

Maura took the first step out with some difficulty, but it seemed every other step after became more graceful than the last, and by the time she were at the bottom of the stoop she was moving quickly and efficiently down the sidewalk toward her own home a few blocks away. Jane waited till she was out of sight before closing the door and letting out a big breath of air.

What just happened?