DISCLAIMER: I do not own Rizzoli & Isles nor any of the characters from the show. I am writing this purely for entertainment, not profit. Rizzoli and Isles are property of Tess Gerritsen and TNT.

Full disclaimers on Chapter 1

Chapter 20

They kissed again and again for what felt like an eternity. Not even the waiter wanted to interrupt, despite how packed the restaurant was. It was palpable something huge was happening in that corner table.

When they finally parted their kiss, they smiled softly and lovingly at each other. Their stars were colliding. Again. Jane stood up, and held back Maura's chair, and placed her hand on the small of Maura's back as they walked out of the packed restaurant.

Once the cool evening air hit them outside, Maura asked:

"Did you come driving?"

"No…" Jane smiled mischievously. "I had planned to consume that bottle of Montepulciano all by myself and took a taxi…"

"My car is that way…" Maura indicated with her chin, and Jane gentlewomanly offered her arm for Maura to hook hers through it.

When they reached the car, Jane kissed Maura deeply.

"I will see you tomorrow?" Jane smiled as she opened the door to Maura's car for her.

Maura held firmly to Jane's forearm.

"No."

Jane frowned, surprised.

"You will walk around and enter this car, now. I am driving both of us to my home." Maura instructed.

"Maura…" Jane tried to protest.

"You dictated the terms of our relationship – or lack thereof – for the past year, Jane. Tonight, I dictate the terms." Maura challenged. "We go to my house. And you stay with me. I concede we can decide together on what we do once we are there." Maura smirked.

There was no way in heaven or hell Maura would give Jane the chance to overthink this or to change her mind. Maura knew how precious what they had was, because she had missed on it for more than a year. But no more.

Jane looked at the decision on the hazel eyes raised to hers. And realized they both had lost a whole year of their lives. It had been robbed from Jane. And Jane had robbed it from Maura too, in a way.

"As you wish…" Jane smiled broadly at Maura, the first real full face grin Maura had seen in Jane's face in a whole year, and it warmed Maura's heart.

It was infectious, and Maura grinned widely back at Jane, and watched contentedly as Jane walked around the Mercedez and sat by Maura's side.

Maura waited until Jane was accommodated, before she reached out to Jane's hand, pulled it in her direction carefully, and kissed the top of it.

"Thank you for not putting up a fight. I would rather spend our energy in more productive activities." Maura raised her brow in a suggestive quip, and Jane chuckled, shaking her head.

The drive back to Maura's home happened in a slightly charged but friendly silence. Maura quietly squeezed Jane's hand, offering her a smile, whenever they stopped by a traffic light.

When they parked, Jane got out first, and walked out of the car, to open Maura's door for her, offering a hand for her to get up. Maura kissed her lightly, before opening the door and motioning Jane inside.

As soon as the door closed, Maura moved efficiently to leave her purse and keys by their appropriate place, before turning around to meet Jane, that had been just observing her.

Maura hugged Jane by the waist, tightly, and relaxed when Jane hugged her tightly back.

"I missed you, Jane. I really, really missed you…" Maura sighed, her face buried in Jane's shoulder, and Jane felt more than heard Maura's words as they reverberated through her rib cage.

"I missed you too..." Jane admitted quietly, her nose buried in Maura's fragrant hair.

That, there, made them feel whole again, and they enjoyed a few moments of simple togetherness, basking in each other's warmth and closeness.

Jane tangled her slender fingers in silky honey blonde hair, and gently tilted Maura's head up, before she leaned in for a deep, loving kiss. It felt so right after so long. It felt like getting back home after a long and tumultuous trip.

Maura moved her two arms up Jane's back, and crossed them behind Jane's neck, and deepened the kiss, their tongues meeting and dancing while their bodies kept completely flush.

It was much later they parted for air, chests heaving, skin flush, heartbeat accelerated. Jane's hands had moved from Maura's nape, and one had been possessively resting on a curvy hip, while the other had taken possession of Maura's back, as if to keep her closer, as closely as it was humanly possible.

They kept their foreheads connected, chocolate brown eyes searching for the depths of hazel in front of her, as they panted slightly.

"Bedroom?" Maura whispered, in a quiet invitation.

Jane pecked her lips before whispering back. "Lead the way…"

Maura smiled, and took Jane by the hand, guiding her to follow Maura through the house. She entered her bedroom, and closed the door after them, stopping with Jane by the foot of the bed.

Jane leaned down for a kiss, while her hand moved to the back of Maura's dress, finding the zipper and pulling on it slowly. Maura thought that alone paid the entire PT treatment – knowing Jane felt confident enough for that move was priceless. Jane gently touched every inch of Maura's back as she pulled down the zipper.

Jane moved the shoulder straps from Maura's shoulder, and peeled the dress from Maura's body, leaving her only in her matching set of lace.

"You are absolutely gorgeous…" Jane praised, her voice catching as she took in the beauty of the woman in front of her.

Maura blushed and smiled satisfied, and her deft hands pulled gently to untuck Jane's blouse from her dress up pants. She let her fingers gently touch Jane's side, drawing goosebumps, before she took the hems on her hands and slowly pulled them up. Jane raised her arms and leaned forward to make it easier for Maura to remove the garment, given she was shorter than Jane. Maura then opened Jane's belt and the button of her pants, unzipping it and letting it pool by Jane's feet.

Maura stepped out of her high heels, and kneeled by Jane's feet to unzip Jane's boots, so Jane could step out of her boots, socks and pants.

As Maura stood up again, she took in slowly the tantalizing body in front of her: tall, long, lean, so strong and yet so feminine.

Maura pulled the comforter from the bed, and pushed Jane gently to make her fall over the soft mattress, as Maura crawled slowly on top of Jane's body, kissing parts of it that were at her reach as she moved up, until she dove to kiss Jane on the lips, hovering above Jane on her hands and knees.

And although the kiss began hot and heavy and wet, suddenly Jane froze beneath Maura.