"Maura!" The firefighter beamed at the sight.

"Hello, Barry," Maura replied in kind.

He was standing in the bay of the garage, the door open to let in the cool evening air. "You're looking fine, if you don't mind me saying."

His smile was reflected in hers. "You're very sweet. And I haven't even presented my gift."

The smell from the large covered tray wafted on the breeze until it hit his nose. He tilted his chin up to sniff the air. The contents of the dish registered on his olfactory senses and he rushed over to help.

"Let me get that."

Grinning, she asked, "Would you have offered if it wasn't my baked conchiglioni?"

"Your famous baked conchiglioni," he corrected, his eyes half-lidded as if waking from a dream.

She could only laugh at his expression. "I hope I'm not too late for dinner."

"Nah," he said, inviting her in. "You know how it is- our clocks are all over the place." He saw her looking around. "She's having a nap. It's been a long couple of weeks."

"How is Bill?" Maura asked. William 'Bill' MacIntosh's record of 17 years without an injury was broken 12 days ago, along with his wrist. Though the station allowed him to perform light duties around the place, doctors told him it would be another 6 weeks before he'd be back on regular duty. His fellow firefighters banded together to cover his shift and Jane took the second week. Coupled with her own shifts, it had been the longest separation the two women had had since they got together over a year ago.

"Cranky he can't be out there with the rest of us, but this'll make him happy." Frost held up the tray. "Speaking of, you know she'd be happy if it was your face that woke her up instead of one of our mugs." His eyes flicked up to the second floor. "Last room on the left."

"Thank you, Barry." She got 10 feet away before she turned to give him a stern look. "I expect there to be some left when we come down."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied with a sheepish grin.

XxXxXxX

Despite how open the second floor was with its bannister ringing around the center, it was surprisingly quiet. Every room had a door and that included the team room with its 50" TV and ping pong tables. It helped that the common rooms were to the right while the sleeping quarters were to the left. Uncertain of how many other firefighters might be taking the opportunity to get in a quick nap, Maura tiptoed down the hall until she was in front of the last door. The frosted glass made it impossible to look inside, so she quietly turned the knob and took a peek. The band of light in the hallway fell across the only bed in the room. From Jane's stories, Maura knew the men's rooms had 4 beds in each, but as the only female in the station, her room was considerably smaller. The light illuminated a splayed Jane, and Maura couldn't help but smile. After two months with the lanky brunette, they had upgraded their own bed from a double to a king in order to accommodate her sprawl. The sheet covered a leg but not much else with Jane on her back and her arm over her eyes. She wore shorts and a sports bra, knowing the call to the truck could happen at any moment. And yet for Maura, there was something inexplicably sexy about the image. She was surprised to feel her stomach jump at the thought, though she knew she shouldn't be- it had been 12 long days since they had shared a bed, almost 2 weeks since she had seen Jane close to a state of undress.

Her eyes roamed over the long lean body, taking in every space where skin was exposed. Her fingers tingled at the thought of replacing gaze with her touch. A loud laugh from downstairs broke her from her reverie and she hastily entered the room. The door closed with a soft 'click'. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the dark, but when they did, she noticed her entrance didn't disturb Jane's sleep one iota. A pang of sympathy pricked her heart. A flush of desire shot through her body. She turned the deadbolt on the door.

On silent footsteps, she approached the bed and leaned down far enough to touch her lips to the instep of Jane's exposed foot. The brunette didn't stir. So Maura continued upward. The shin. The calf. The inside of the knee. She placed both hands on either side of Jane's thighs and again raked her eyes over her. From the toned abdomen to the small but perfect breasts, from the regal neck where her lips had logged in several hours over the last year, to the mouth that had introduced Maura to sexual pleasures she had never known. She dropped her head to let her hair tickle the exposed stomach before she lowered herself even further. She had just nipped Jane's shorts between her teeth when she heard a voice.

"I must be dreaming."

Maura looked up from between Jane's legs. "Do you often have dreams of me between your legs?"

Even in the semi-darkness, she could see Jane's frown. "No, you know what? It's always me showing up to work naked." Jane looked down. "I need to work on this one more." The two shared a smile. "What are you doing here?"

Maura glanced down then back up again. "I thought it was obvious."

Jane's laugh was low and gritty. "Okay, let me clarify- what are you doing at the station?"

"I brought some of my baked conchiglioni. I thought you might like something from home."

"Mmmm, that sounds nice." Maura knelt on the bed and removed Jane's shorts. The firefighter said, "This sounds nicer."

"Oh?" Maura replied innocently as she began drawing her hands up Jane's body, from her feet to her thighs and down again. When she bypassed the heat between Jane's legs, the woman whined.

"That's so not nice."

Maura chuckled and began the route again, this time extending it up to Jane's breasts, but again, not quite finishing the path. The way Jane's hips bucked up in protest made her moan. Adjusting her position, Maura scooted up until her knees bracketed Jane's waist. Jane anticipated the contact between them, but was again disappointed when Maura wouldn't comply. Her disappointment would soon turn to fascination.

On her knees, Maura lightly drew her fingers up her thighs, pushing the hem of her skirt up as she did so. The fabric bunched in the webbing of her thumbs, slowly revealing more and more skin in the faint light through the window. It all fell again as her hands continued upward, over the silk blouse until she palmed her breasts and sighed.

"Do you know how long it's been, Jane?"

"Twelve days," she instantly replied.

"Yes. Twelve days. You know, the first 2 or 3 were fine. I kept myself occupied." She pinched her nipples and moaned. "Work. Social engagements. But those only kept me busy throughout the day." Her hips began to slowly rotate. "I still had to spend the nights alone." She squeezed her breasts again before almost reluctantly lowering her hands to her knees. Again, she pushed the skirt up, this time giving Jane a glimpse of what was- or in this case, what wasn't- underneath.

"Jesus, Maura!" Jane exclaimed at the discovery.

"They're in the car," Maura said as if it was the most casual thing in the world to show up at her girlfriend's workplace without underwear.

"You planned this." The tone was playful rather than accusatory.

Maura offered no apology. "I can't say I didn't hope the opportunity wouldn't arise. Now, where was I? Oh, yes, I was just about to tell you how I had to get acquainted with my left hand, having to imagine…" Her head fell back and though the skirt now hid everything again, Jane didn't have to wonder what she was doing. "... imagine it was your hand." When she lowered herself, there was no doubt about what Maura had done. "Do you think about me, Jane, alone in this… mmmm… this tiny room?" Her thighs flexed as she raised and lowered herself on her fingers. "Do you think… think about how wet I must be wai- waiting for you?" Jane gripped Maura's hips and pulled her down hard. When the back of Maura's knuckles pushed against Jane's clit, the brunette bucked involuntarily. "Oh, Jane," Maura whispered, half there, half caught in her fantasy. "I think about all the things you'd do to me… if you… if you were there. And I try, but it's not… it's… oh, god… it's not the same."

Jane took that as her cue and slipped her hand between them. Maura anticipated the move and began riding her fingers even harder. The bed squeaked ever so slightly under the shifting weight as Maura rose and fell, rose and fell. Her breath came in soft short puffs and her neck craned back, pushing her breasts forward, her nipples hard under her bra and blouse. The sight was nearly enough to send Jane over the edge. Slipping fingers through Maura's wetness did the rest for both of them. Both a blessing and a curse, the fire alarm went off, covering their shattered release. Jane's shoulders pressed into the mattress, her head pushed back into the pillow. Maura's body went rigid as the orgasm coursed through her and she held the moment for an eternity before she shuddered and collapsed beside Jane.

Licking her parched lips, Maura said, "You… you need to go."

Jane grabbed her pillow and covered an anguished yell. But she knew duty called. Reluctantly standing, her legs wobbled and she shot a glare when she heard Maura laugh. "No one likes a braggart," she intoned, but it did no good. In fact, it only made Maura laugh more. "And good luck explaining to Bill why you have sex head." She got to the door and was nearly gone when she turned around. "I love you."

Despite the levity of the previous moment, Maura knew the severity of the job and had made a promise to never take good-byes lightly. "I love you, too. Always."

She waited a few minutes after Jane had left and the organized scramble to the trucks had passed before making her way downstairs. She had thought maybe, just maybe she'd get out of the station unseen, when a friendly voice called out, "Hey, Maura."

Hoping she didn't actually have 'sex head', she turned and smiled. "Bill!"

His eyes narrowed playfully. "What are you doing here?" The words, almost an exact refrain of Jane's question made her cough. "You okay?"

She nodded her reply. "Yes," she added, "thank you. How are you?"

Holding up his arm, he shrugged. "Doc says 6 weeks, but we'll see. That was nice of you to come by and do that for Jane." Maura blanched and Bill smirked. "Bringing the conchiglioni, I mean." His teasing gaze said otherwise, but this time, Maura just laughed.

"Thank you, Bill. She really enjoys it. The conchiglioni, I mean," she parroted, having caught on to Jane's teammates' sarcasm ages ago. There was a time when she would have been mortified at his implication, but now, it made her feel welcome. He laughed in reply and said goodnight as she left the station with a smile and a wave.

XxXxXxX