The bedroom door slammed shut as Jane tore out of the apartment. Maura squirmed, trying to find a comfortable position. Whereas before her aching arousal had made that impossible, it had also minimized the considerable discomfort the handcuffs and her position caused. Now, she felt chilled and exposed, the cool air blowing over her damp skin and damper nether regions. She was also losing feeling in her hands. "So much for spontaneity," she muttered to herself as she worked to get back to a sitting position.

After a little maneuvering and painful tugging she was upright against the headboard, blood flow blessedly returning to the hands wedged behind her back. What on earth had she been thinking? Yes, she had gotten the desired response from Jane, but why had she let herself resort to such drastic measures? There was nothing wrong with keeping things fresh in the bedroom, but such actions required planning, forethought.

Maura grimaced as she imagined how such a conversation with Jane would have played out. Jane would no doubt have protested, blushed, and tried to change the subject as rapidly as possible. If only she could get Jane more comfortable and in touch with her sexuality…if only she could get her damn hands off of this headboard.

She allowed herself to wallow in self-pity for a moment, embarrassed at her predicament and the neediness that had preceded it. Anxiety quickly took over, though, as she noted the time on the bedside clock. 12:07 in the morning. Every hardware store in this time zone would be closed. Every hardware store in the next adjacent time zone would be closed. She was going to be stuck like this till morning. What if there was a fire? What if there was permanent damage to her hands? What if Jane thought through the situation and determined that Maura was a needy, sexually crazed mess? Feeling close to hyperventilating, she tilted her head back as much as she could and tried to take deep breathes.

Jane was halfway down the steps when she realized the hardware store was closed. "Fuck!" she swore as she tried to figure out what do next. Maura would probably be fine, though uncomfortable, if she had to stay chained till morning…but she didn't like considering the reaction if she walked back up there and suggested that. Maura would probably need to pee before morning too, and that was a line Jane just wasn't ready to cross. Hopefully they could go the rest of their lives without crossing that one.

"Bolt cutter, bolt cutter," she muttered. Who did she know that would have bolt cutters and would lend them to her at midnight on a Tuesday? She flipped through the contacts on her phone and considered who would put up the most fuss. Then it hit her – Korsak or Frost might still have the old key. There was no way she could get it from either of them without explaining, which was so not an option, but…Jane considered the Maura's delicate wrists, her soft smooth skin. She couldn't come at Maura with bolt cutters if there was a safer option.

Sighing, she dialed Korsak. He was more of a packrat than Frost, and the two of them were equally immature and obnoxious.

He answered, sounding groggy. "Jane, what is it? Did you catch a case?"

"No, it's uh, personal. Sorry to wake you." Jane willed herself to man up and spit it out. "Do you still have the key to the old handcuffs? From the last batch?"

"I don't know, I'd have to look around. But why do you-" Korsak cut off, the light bulb clearly going off. There was a moment of silence, then loud, chortling guffaws.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, I know, it's hilarious. Don't hurt yourself there old man. Now can you go see if you have the damn key?"

"Sure, sure, I'll look." Korsak paused to laugh again. "So which one of you is chained up? Since you're talking, it must be the doc. Never pictured her the type to go for that stuff."

"You better not be picturing her in that way at all, Korsak." The cold night air and the situation were getting to Jane; she bounced on her feet with impatience and willed Korsak to get on with it.

Through still more laughter, Korsak replied, "Sorry Jane. Give me a minute, I'll look through my junk drawer."

That key had better be there. Maura was going to kill her. Jane tilted her head in wonderment – Maura had, of her own volition, without Jane ever suggesting such a thing, chained herself to the headboard. And Jane was going to catch hell about it. Relationships were so fucking weird.

On the other end of the line she heard Korsak rifling through things. Jane crossed her fingers and squinched her eyes shut while she waited. "I think I found it."

Jane let out her breath in a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god. Ok, I'll be right over."

"I can come over there. You shouldn't leave the doc all alone like that," Korsak teased.

"Hell no," Jane growled. "Just stay there, I'm on my way."

Maura heard the front door open and close with a soft snick. "Jane?" she called out, hopeful and a little fearful at the same time.

"Yeah, it's me," Jane called. Maura heard her footsteps coming down the hall towards the bedroom. "I got the key."

"Really?" Maura felt a wave of relief roll over her. As much as she wanted out of the handcuffs, thoughts off Jane slicing them off her with huge bolt cutters had been scaring her for the past 27 minutes. "But, where did you find them?"

Jane entered the bedroom, grimacing. "Korsak still had his." Seeing Maura gape in shock, Jane hurried on. "I know, I'm sorry, I didn't tell him but he figured it out. But I had to get you out of them. Speaking of which…" Jane held the key up and crawled onto the bed. Maura sank back down to allow access and Jane quickly uncuffed her.

"Mmmmm," Maura moaned as she was finally free. She sat back up and rubbed her wrists, which were as red and chafed as she'd expected. "Oh, Jane, how will I ever look him in the eye again? This is so embaressing." She buried her face in her hands and allowed herself to release the tears she'd been holding back since Jane left.

Jane sat herself beside Maura and laid a comforting arm around her shoulder. "It's ok sweetie. I made him promise to never bring it up, or I'll cuff him to his desk and throw away the key."

Jane was rubbing Maura's back gently, and her tears slowed. "That would be a fitting punishment. But Jane, he'll still know, and I'll know that he knows. And these marks on my wrist, they're going to last for days. What was I thinking?" She wiped her face with the back of her hand and let herself relax fully into Jane.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. Not that I didn't like it, obviously, it was crazy hot. But what made you do it? I didn't leave you waiting that long, did I?"

"No, I just, umm…" Maura took a deep breath and went for it. "You don't seem to desire me as much as you used to. We have intercourse significantly less frequently than before, and I was worried you were losing interest." Maura looked up at Jane to see her reaction.

Jane was surprised. "What, that's crazy! I'm just as nuts about you as I ever was. More, maybe."

"Then why don't you touch me as often? Why don't we make love in the mornings anymore?" Fresh tears were threatening to spill out of Maura's eyes.

"Please don't cry Maura. You know how much I love you, right? I'm sorry if I've been less affectionate, I wasn't aware of it…I guess maybe I've been taking you for granted a little. Cause I know I can have you whenever I want, ya know?"

Maura smirked. "Am I really that easy?"

Jane laughed. "Seriously, I'm never gonna get tired of you. Of any part of you." She shifted a bit, becoming more serious. "Every day I think, this is it, this is what it feels like to be totally in love, I can't possibly love her anymore than I do right now. And then the next day I fall even more in love."

Maura beamed with happiness. "Jane, that's lovely. I'm totally in love with you, too."

"Radical dude," Jane laughed and held up a peace sign.

Maura crinkled her brow in confusion. "Are you calling me a dude?"

"Never mind Maura, never mind. Maybe we could, uh, try that again sometime. With different cuffs. Or um, something else you've been wanting to try."

"Really?" That was not the reaction Maura had been expecting. "Did you want to try it with me being the 'dude?'"

Jane sucked air through her teeth in what Maura knew to be frustration. "No. Just, whatever else you've been wanting to try. I know I'm not so adventurous with that stuff, but I like that you are. That double-dildo thing you got us is awesome. And even though this didn't end well, it was pretty freaking fantastic in the moment, am I right?"

Maura grinned. "Yes, it was. Thank you, Jane."

"For what?"

"For understanding me."

Jane grinned back at her. "Hot sexy naked woman in my bed. What's not to understand?" Jane got up to take her clothes off for the second time and get ready for bed.

"Jane, did you really threaten to handcuff Korsak?"

Jane called back from the bathroom, casually, "Actually, I threatened to go buy a pair of bolt cutters and cut his nuts off."

"Jane!"

"You're the only one I want to cuff, dear," she responded with mock sweetness.

"And what I want to handcuff you?"

"Uhhh…"

Maura sank bank on the pillows, contented. The future was looking bright.

Author's Note: Thanks for all the amazing feedback on Babes in Toyland, you guys rock. Hope you like this one too. I'll try to write another without a year in between.