Title: Timing Is Everything (1/?)

Pairing: Jane/Maura

Rating: M to NC-17. How to differentiate these two again? There's sex and bad words ya'll.

Summary: Still working on SMDL, but I overheard something at the office (don't ask) and this started running rampant in my head. It wouldn't leave me alone so I had to write the shit out. I've not read any S2 finale fics but it's mostly because I was all disappointmentcakes with the cliffhanger. I'm sure there are plenty of re-workings for the S2 finale out there so why not add one more to the pile?

Takes place sometime right before Jane was supposed to do that thing that no one wanted her to do with Agent Dean. She totally slept with the wrong person, amirite?

Disclaimer: Not my property. I make no moneeeeeeeeeeey.

Notes: I originally planned for this to be a two-parter but it's quickly growing into three. We'll see.

Jane took a deep breath before twisting the lever in her hand. The latch mechanism clicked and when she pushed, the resistance she hoped for gave way to a door that easily opened before her. Unlocked. Dammit, Maura. Jane tried not to let it get under her skin as she stepped into a dark foyer. A pair of ridiculously expensive heels lay abandoned on the floor and a big part of her was relieved to see them. At least Maura was home. Then she noticed the prominent scuff marks etched into the leather, a reminder that Maura was far from being safe, even here.

She threw the deadbolts, her hand instinctively falling to her firearm but stopping short of drawing it out. No need to panic, right? The living room was cast in shadows as she slowly made her way to the kitchen, the only light peeking out from dim cabinetry bulbs.

"Maura?" she called out in a loud whisper.

The digital clock on the microwave told her it was almost midnight. While Jane could not be any further from sleep, the possibility that Maura might already be in bed suddenly crossed her mind. Jane would bet her badge that Maura hadn't gotten any sleep at the hospital. She knew it because Maura had spent too many nights at her own side as she recovered from her gunshot wound. Jane couldn't imagine her doing any less for her own mother.

A small pile of blood-stained gauze sat discarded on the counter and her dark eyes fixated on them. The metal edges of her gun dug into her palm, her grip on it suddenly vice-like.

Jane should have been there. That's all there was to it.

Maura invited her to go, jokingly of course, but deep down Jane knew it was a thinly veiled plea. Because despite everything, Maura's mom could still be a shrewd socialite and for whatever reason the queen bee actually liked Jane so in Maura's twisted mind, having her and Agent Dean there would be quite grand indeed. To Jane's surprise, she actually regretted having other plans. There would be no awkward double date. Instead, she went against her instincts and waited at her apartment for Gabriel, a prospect who was becoming increasingly duller by the minute, while Maura was nearly killed.

She poked absently at the gauze with her fingers. There wasn't even that much blood on them, but it was still her blood wasn't it? That meant it would never be okay. And then the guilt settled heavily in Jane's heart because she was glad it had been Constance and not her best friend.

She was so involved with the fear of losing Maura that the shuffling of footsteps from behind scared the hell out of her.

Jane whipped around, her gun appearing in her hands seemingly out of nowhere.

Maura stood there, her hair damp, a silk robe with a sloppily tied knot hanging crooked off her shoulders. Her surprise barely made it past the exhaustion on her face.

"Jane, are you alright?"

"Yea, are you?" She quickly lowered her gun and placed it on the counter.

Maura didn't answer. She simply rubbed her face gingerly with one hand. Jane had never seen her look so frail.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, not unkindly.

"I went to the hospital but you weren't there. The nurse told me you left two hours ago. When I tried calling and you didn't pick up, I got worried."

Jane stared at her earnestly like she was the only thing in the world that mattered; her expression so open and caring and frustratingly beautiful that it made Maura's chest tighten painfully. After everything she'd been through, it was disturbing how Jane could still have this effect on her. Jane and her ability to draw out feelings not entirely unfamiliar, but normally kept in check.

Too bad it had been a decidedly un-normal day.

She tucked a lock of hair nervously behind her ear and went to her bag to retrieve her cell phone. Sure enough blinking back at her were six missed calls, three texts, and two voicemails, all from a persistent Jane.

"I'm sorry I must have been in the shower when you called. With my mother stabilized, I thought I would come home quickly to change and clean up. I just couldn't stay in those clothes…" Hazel eyes went to the gun on the countertop and then back to Jane. "Should I be worried about something?"

"Oh. No," Jane said a little sheepish. "No, I was just being cautious."

Maura walked over to her, tired but eyeing Jane in a way that told her she was unconvinced. It was a little unnerving sometimes how well they knew each other.

"Paddy Doyle is back in your life again. Better to be safe than sorry."

Maura thought about her next words carefully, knowing how Jane would react.

"For some reason it feels different this time. I'm not afraid of him anymore. I really think he's trying to help me."

Now it was Jane's turn to be unconvinced.

"Yea well, whenever he shows up you either get kidnapped or held hostage in your own damn home. I don't like that. So you'll excuse my manners if I'm not too keen on rolling out the red carpet."

Maura rested her hip against the counter next to Jane, her posture a bit slouched. She leaned into her, a thoughtful smile on her face.

"He reminds me of you, believe it or not."

"Oh gimme a break," Jane said in disbelief.

"No, he does," she said, her smile opening a bit more and reaching her eyes.

Jane's breath caught unintentionally at the sight. It was good to see her smile again.

Her eyebrow cocked. "Oh yea? And how's that?"

"Well, he loves me," she said.

"He's sure got a funny way of showing it. That's not how you show someone you love them."

Her statement was soft and she stared down at Maura who felt suddenly shy.

"He's not stupid, Jane. He had to know you'd be nearby and yet he took the risk of being apprehended by a particularly stubborn, female homicide detective just to make sure I was okay. I think you would take a similar risk. For me."

That was one way of looking at it. Maybe the lack of sleep was making Maura naïve. Or maybe she was right. Either way, Jane couldn't bring herself to argue. She had certainly done her fair share of silly, uncharacteristic things on behalf of this woman.

"Well, if you're going to be the only thing I have in common with that guy, I can live with that."

Not exactly what she said, but Maura let it go and they fell into some sort of silence, both of them somber but comforted in the other's presence. They found themselves like this a lot. In Maura's three thousand square foot home, with room to spare, they somehow always occupied the same little pocket of space. Angela had called them two peas in a pod once, and while Jane had rolled her eyes at it, she had been right.

When Maura dropped her head and sniffled slightly, Jane sensed the walls were crumbling and entwined their fingers, mindful of the abrasions on her palm.

"Your hands-"

"What if she dies, Jane?"

Jane blinked and hesitated only slightly before shaking her head at the question.

"She won't. She's stable now, you said it yourself."

"The risk of infection, complications, everything that could go wrong...her injuries are so serious…"

"Stop."

"What if she dies?" Maura asked again, her voice breaking.

"Come here," Jane said quietly.

Maura surrendered and let Jane fold her up in a protective embrace. Her arms felt safe and strong and Maura realized she wanted nothing more than to be in them. An unwilling warmth started to bloom in her stomach.

"Will you stay?"

"You know I will."

"What about Agent Dean?"

"What about him?" Jane's hands were stroking her back in random, soothing patterns.

"You were supposed to have sex with him."

Jane stiffened. Maura was about as subtle as a hammer.

"Jesus, Maura," she choked, poorly disguising her unease with a hollow laugh. "I never said I was going to have sex with him."

"But you did. You said you wanted a-"

"No. I didn't," she interrupted and hugged her tighter, muffling her words. "I never said anything like…well, not like… Look, it doesn't matter, ok?" Maura felt Jane's body relax, her hands once again rubbing her back. "You're more important."

"Sex is important too. It releases-"

"Immunoglobulin A. Fights colds, kills cancer, yada yada. I remember," she said affectionately.

Maura drew herself closer to Jane, if that were even possible. She smelled like her apartment and Maura detected a hint of fabric softener, faded from a long day's work. Work that most likely involved finding the person responsible for the nightmare she was in now. Heat seemed to radiate off her skin. Jane was one of those people who "ran hot" and when Maura tried to explain the dynamics of why that was, Jane had found some way to change the subject.

She inhaled the effects of all that body heat mingling with natural oils and sweat and skin. It was a heady concoction and Maura felt her heartbeat quickening. Jane just wouldn't stop touching her, those hands caressing her back, smoothing over her shoulder blades and down her spine…

Maura's body absolutely hummed with desire. Her rational mind knew she was simply replacing one end of an emotional spectrum with another.

But her heart didn't care.

All the fleeting moments of attraction and barely-appropriate touching, the little things that lingered in the background or floated in her subconscious, they now shoved themselves directly to the forefront. Her desire for Jane suddenly consumed her. She wanted Jane. On top of her, inside her…

She wanted it more than anything.

"I was actually going to say it releases tension. It's an effective coping mechanism in times of grief or stress. The intimate connection with another individual can be quite therapeutic."

Jane became intensely aware of how Maura's words were hot against her neck, that lips brushed against her skin with each syllable. She squirmed just slightly sensing that things were headed in a certain direction. The signs were obvious but she was unwilling to see them. The timing just wasn't right.

The timing was never right.

"Sounds like you need sex more than I do," she joked nervously.

"I was talking about me."

"Oh."

Jane couldn't ignore the very distinct lack of space between them now. What began as a little bit of comfort had transformed into something else entirely. Then small hands slid up her chest, over the exposed skin of her collarbone and neck, fingers pressing into her nape. Maura lifted her head up and their lips were hovering, warm breaths pushing in and out of each other's mouths.

"Jane…"

"Maura, I don't know if this is a good idea."

Unnaturally hot all over, blood rushed to Jane's face and to parts down south.

This was crazy.

Her mind went blank when Maura pulled on her neck and their lips brushed together. Maura captured her upper lip first, then moved to suck and nibble on her lower lip. The kiss was surprisingly subdued and gentle and pretty much how she always imagined their first kiss would be. They came apart briefly to process the moment, noses bumping, lips clinging softly.

Jane considered stopping everything right then. It wasn't too late to just go home and spend a restless night in bed alone, maybe even rub one out if things got real bad. Maura was vulnerable and this whole thing could possibly be taking advantage…

As if reading her thoughts, Maura pressed their mouths together again, more hungrily this time, and when Jane felt a gentle tongue sweep over her teeth, her reactions became instinctive. Her mouth opened to Maura's expert assault of lips and teeth and tongue and Jane pushed her roughly up against the kitchen wall.

Maura gasped at the contact and Jane pulled back.

"Are you okay?"

Maura nodded furiously, her hands dropping down to Jane's buckle to tug her belt free. Fresh scrapes and bruising angrily stood out against her porcelain skin and Jane swallowed down hard.

"I don't want to hurt you." She could hardly manage the words, her logic struggling against the throbbing ache between her legs.

Insistent fingers grabbed Jane by the wrists and shoved them past the flimsy material of a silk robe. She felt heavy curves fill her hands and hardened nipples pressing into her palms.

"Hurt me." Maura hissed the words against Jane's lips. They rushed down her throat and set a fire in her chest. "Please, Jane. I need to feel this. I need to feel you."

Jane squeezed the soft breasts in her hands, her fingers finding the nipples and pinching them gently. When Maura let out a cry of pleasure that was nearly a sob, Jane was done thinking.

There was no more restraint as their kisses became hungry and wet. Maura felt a cool slip of air brush against her skin and knew Jane had easily pulled her robe open. Then two fingers slid between her legs into a warm wetness and she moaned against Jane's open mouth, knees nearly buckling.

Fuck.

Jane maneuvered them awkwardly through the dark living room, mouths bumping, hands groping and grabbing. She kicked off one boot, then another, and somewhere in between her pants became unzipped and her shirt bunched up around her midsection. The ultimate goal was to make it to the bedroom, hell, even the couch would do at this point but Maura couldn't wait. She dragged them both down to the carpet and Jane fell between her legs.

Maura had to fight hard not to come when Jane's fingers found her clit and began rubbing her in quick circles. She wanted Jane inside her when she came. She wanted Jane's tongue on her. She wanted it all and Jane would give it to her.

"I need you in me," she said breathlessly.

Two fingers entered her, filling and stretching her perfectly - fingers she'd seen nearly every day of her life doing every day tasks, fingers that her gaze had lingered on when no one was looking. Jane's fingers… Maura sucked in a sharp breath and bit her lip. Then she felt those long digits move in and out of her, the strokes slow and deep.

It felt so good, everything felt so good.

"Oh God…Jane…"

Jane thought she knew how beautiful Maura was and realized that in this moment, she knew nothing of it at all. Not until now. Maura's skin flush with arousal, chest heaving and eyes closed, her teeth sinking desperately into a bottom lip that Jane wanted to claim with her own…it was the hottest thing she had ever seen.

She dipped her head, seeking out softer lips that opened gratefully to her and their tongues tangled. Jane moaned and quickened her pace, thrusting deeper, moisture slick around her fingers and knuckles. Maura's hands began pulling at her hair, maneuvering her lower. She happily obliged, trailing her open mouth over Maura's breast, her lips finding their way around a nipple. She teased gently with her teeth before sucking on it slowly and Maura cried out, arching back to push herself harder into Jane's mouth.

Then nails scratched hard against Jane's scalp, tugging her down.

"Please, I'm so close," Maura begged.

Jane quickly settled between her spread legs, tried to ignore the fact that she'd never actually done this before, and pressed her tongue into Maura to slowly lick at her clit. Maura cried out immediately, the pressure of her grip almost painful in Jane's hair.

She could feel the exact moment when Maura came. A rush of hot wetness, Maura's body clenching tightly around her pumping fingers and God, the sound - that satisfying, triumphant sound of her moaning loudly and saying Jane's name in breathless gasps. Jane opened her eyes when it happened, took in the sight of Maura writhing with pleasure, her back arched skywards, breasts rising and falling, her nipples hard and slightly wet with saliva.

Jane thought it the most glorious thing she'd ever done.

Maura finally cried out for Jane to stop and she collapsed forward onto Maura's stomach, the skin soft and pliant under her cheek. Both of them panting and a little exhausted. When the spasms around her fingers stilled, Jane slowly began to ease herself out.

"No don't. Stay inside me," she said. "Come up here."

Maura sought out Jane's lips with her own and kissed her thoroughly before pulling away.

"Thank you," she sighed.

"God, Maura, that was…I should be thanking you."

She laughed weakly, her eyes closed, and Jane could tell she was drifting away. She nuzzled her cheek with the tip of her nose.

"Come on," she said. "Let's get you to bed."

Hazel eyes fluttered open, their color surprisingly dark and inviting.

"What about you?"

"I'm okay," Jane said, smiling. It was a complete and utter lie.

"You're still inside me, Jane."

"Only at your-oh...oh Jesus..."

Jane's words died in her mouth as Maura squeezed purposefully around her fingers. She was wet and tight and incredibly distracting. Jane wasn't sure what exactly happened next - a slight shift of weight, an exchange of leverage - and suddenly she was on her back with Maura rearing up over her.

Unrelenting hips rolled against her hand and wetness spread everywhere, over her knuckles and down to her abdomen. Jane stared as Maura's head fell back, the robe slipping off her shoulders and down her arms, breasts gently bouncing with her movements.

She'd never been so turned on in her entire life.

Jane apparently liked to watch and for Maura, it was so tempting to stay this way. Her body keyed up and ready to grind out another orgasm as she felt Jane's gaze burning into her. But she could still taste Jane's kisses, tasted her own sex on her mouth, and Maura was eager to return the favor. She came forward to lean over Jane, a curtain of blond hair falling around her face. Lifting her hips, she hissed slightly and slowly pulled Jane out of her.

"Don't you want to come?" she asked curiously.

Jane, struck speechless and a little dizzy, said nothing. Hands slid under her shirt, up to her breasts, and fingertips teased at her sensitive nipples. She let out a low groan. Maura kissed her lightly on the lips, then trailed a line of kisses over her cheek and up to her ear.

"Don't you want me to make you come, Jane?" She whispered hotly against her ear.

Jane swallowed down a moan and instead, dug her fingers into the tops of Maura's thighs. She felt Maura smile against her ear and then she went down.

Jane's pants came off, followed by her underwear and socks, and she pushed herself up on her elbows just in time to see Maura slide down between her open thighs. Their eyes locked together, and Jane was nearly thrown by the lust she saw in them. Then Maura's gaze drifted down, down to the juncture of her legs and soon her mouth and tongue were there too, parting Jane and then invading her.

Jesus Christ.

Jane watched. She couldn't help it. The way Maura's face made subtle, rhythmic movements between her legs, her eyes closed in concentration. Occasionally Jane would catch a flash of her tongue or the swell of her lips. It was raw and primal and so fucking hot. When Maura hit the spot that Jane needed, she jerked her hips in reaction and felt that mouth press even harder against her. Then Maura moaned straight into her body, communicating the very real pleasure she was getting with the strokes of her very very talented tongue, and Jane's head finally fell back.

"Oh my God…oh fuck…"

It had been a long time since anyone had done this for her and never ever like this. She was embarrassingly close to coming after only a short while. Jane inhaled sharp, quick breaths trying to rush oxygen to her brain as everything spun away from her. She let her fingers tangle in Maura's hair as her hips rocked wildly against her face. The pressure in her abdomen rose towards that blissful peak and just as she went over the edge, a pair of fingers pushed into her.

She came so hard it almost hurt, strangling down the cries in her throat as the contractions overtook her, choking out Maura's name between gasps of air.

Maura removed her fingers and replaced them with her tongue, greedily licking and working between Jane's legs until a pair of hands pulled her mouth away from too-sensitive flesh. She let her head loll to one side to rest against a wet, firm thigh and felt strangely powerful as she studied Jane's sinewy body. Her tall, dark detective reduced to a pile of limp limbs and quivering muscle.

Maura crawled over her and their legs intertwined, finding a natural fit. A long, lean thigh slid against her core sending a thrill right through her. She couldn't help dragging her crotch firmly against it, leaving a trail of wetness, and then grinding against Jane a few times before stopping herself.

"Maura, wow. Christ that was…" Barely capable of a coherent thought, her voice came out raspy and spent.

Jane felt the tip of a tongue glide over her lips, opened her mouth willingly to it, and tasted herself as Maura's mouth sealed against hers. The kiss was languid and easy, each of their mouths slowly exploring the other as they recovered from some seriously amazing sex.

Then hands began wandering over skin, breathing became labored, and things weren't nearly finished for the night.

Always the more rational of the two, Maura pulled away first and Jane whimpered in protest. She took Jane's face between her hands and looked into those dark brown orbs, searching for a sign that they would be okay. They had crossed a line, would most likely cross it again, and even if it were just this one night Maura needed to know she would still have Jane.

Jane stared back, her expression full of depth and warmth, then tilted her head and gave her a reassuring smile. Maura's heart continued to pound and she nearly swooned when confident arms wrapped around her body, squeezing them closer until their foreheads touched.

"Tell me what you need," Jane said tenderly, her breath skimming over hot cheeks and swollen lips.

Maura sucked in a shuddering breath, her body once again on fire.

"Take me to bed, please."

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It's not that she was surprised to find Jane there the following morning, but Maura had prepared herself for the possibility of waking up alone, just in case. Her detective had a tendency to retreat when it came to intimacy and relationships.

The bed dipped under Jane's weight as she settled next to Maura, fully dressed, long legs hanging off the edge of the bed. The backs of fingers caressed her cheek and Maura's sleepy eyes blinked open to find Jane's affectionate smile waiting for her.

"Morning." Jane said, her voice sounding deeper. Sexy.

Maura's arms went over her head in a long, cat-like stretch and the sheet fell from her body. She caught Jane staring openly at her breasts and had to suppress the laughter bubbling in her chest.

"Good morning, Jane."

"How do you feel?"

"Better," she answered, with a knowing smile. "How do you feel?"

Jane couldn't even conceal her cheesy grin.

"Pret-ty damn good." An adorable blush crept up her neck coloring her sharp cheekbones, and she dropped her gaze. "Look, I have to go. Frost has some new leads on the factory fires and we need to follow-up. You going back to the hospital?"

"I am, but I plan on heading to work after that," she said and Jane's face did not approve. "I need to work. If I don't distract myself I'll go crazy."

Jane understood the need and nodded. Her hands fidgeted with her Blackberry, flipping it over a few times.

"Agent Dean called. Left a voicemail," she said, her words non-committal.

"Oh." A small panic rose in Maura's chest.

"Yea. 'Oh.'" She exhaled dejectedly and closed her eyes, her fingers rubbing at her temple. "Am I a shitty person for not only blowing off our date, but then completely forgetting about him until this morning?"

The admission was slightly mollifying to Maura although she wasn't about to admit it.

"I'm sorry. I suppose part of that is my fault."

Jane let out a sudden, dry laugh that surprised the both of them and then ran her fingers nervously through her hair. If some of it was Maura's fault then the other half rested squarely on Jane's shoulders. It would be generous to say it was a fifty-fifty split. Because now that she'd had Maura, she was suddenly insatiable. All those years of self-control and pacing and skirting those invisible boundaries had been tossed out the window. Instead, she could do whatever she pleased. Things like waking the other woman in the middle of the night with her exploring tongue, focusing intensely on her face as she stirred awake in a state of near climax.

The memory of it made the knot in her stomach twist even tighter and why the fuck was she thinking about this now? She really needed to have sex more than once every six months.

Jane propped her elbows on her knees and pressed her face into her hands. Focus. She needed to focus. Where did they go from here? There was still a case to solve. Maura was still in danger. And now they were…what were they exactly?

Dammit.

It really didn't help matters that all she could smell on her fingers was a very specific part of Maura. One that she wouldn't mind getting reacquainted with again this morning.

God, she had somehow transformed into a horny teenager overnight.

"I think I'm losing it, Maur."

"Nothing has to change," she said bravely. She sat up and reached for Jane, her hand finding a slender forearm and squeezing it. "I would hate for you to think that you owe me anything now that we've…what I mean to say is that you can call Agent Dean. You can do whatever you want."

And with that being said, Maura's heart dropped a little.

Jane stared at her thoughtfully for a long time and Maura felt like one of her specimens under a microscope.

"Is that what you want?" Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly with the question.

"Is what what I want?" she asked quizzically.

"For me to call Gabriel."

NO. A million times no, but it wouldn't be fair to influence Jane in that manner. Especially now that her opinion was extremely, incredibly, astronomically biased.

"Is that what you want?" she lobbed back.

Jane blew out a frustrated sigh. "I want to know what you want."

"I want what you want."

"Well, what do you want me to want?" Her volume was rising.

"You are a grown, capable woman, Jane. I have no business telling you what to want." She said it in an annoyingly reasonable tone and then crossed her arms, covering up her perfect tits.

Jane's jaw literally dropped. Maura, who previously had no problem interjecting her opinions and excruciating scientific statistics into every aspect of Jane's life, was suddenly having a change of heart. Great. Considering they'd just spend the entire night fucking each other's brains out, Jane kinda thought that yea, Maura did have a little say in what she was asking. Instead, she just growled out her irritation.

"You know what? Forget it." She rose from the bed, clipping her phone in place and tucking in the non-existent tails of her t-shirt. "I'm just gonna go and I'll see you later."

"Fine," Maura breathed quietly.

Her feet might as well have been cemented into the ground because Jane couldn't bring herself to leave. She stood there, arms akimbo, staring at the bedroom wall, a million thoughts running through her head. After a long moment, she glanced at Maura. The other woman did not return her gaze but instead kept her eyes downcast, looking small and unrested and a little bit lost.

That was all it took for Jane to lose every bit of her resolve.

She sat back down on the bed, a little closer this time, and Maura subtly turned away from her like a kicked puppy.

"Look, I'm sorry," she said. "The last thing I wanted was to fight with you. Totally not how I imagined this morning going."

"How did you imagine it going?" she asked, still refusing to look at her. A small part of her feared that Jane wished she had slipped away in the middle of the night.

"I don't know." Her shoulders bunched together in a small shrug. "Different." She cast another sideways glance at Maura who stubbornly held her ground, her hair all mussed and sticking out in random places. It really wasn't fair how she could do this to Jane, who in an instant was completely enamored, her lips twitching up into a grin. God, Maura was just so… "You're cute as hell when you pout. You know that?"

Maura tried but couldn't tame the smile spreading on her face and brought one hand up to cover her rolling eyes. Jane's hand, large and warm, slid against her cheek, gently cupping it as a thumb glided over her skin. The contact unwillingly reminded her of the night before, the feel of Jane's skillful hands still fresh in her memory.

"I'm sorry, Maur. We can talk about this later, okay? I just…I don't want things to be weird. Between us, I mean." Jane's eyes were full of warmth and sincerity. "I really gotta go."

"Okay," she said shakily. When Jane gave her a lopsided grin with those kissable dimples, Maura swore her heart had melted right there in her chest.

Jane leaned in to place a chaste peck on her forehead and as if pulled by some imaginary force, Maura's chin tipped upwards. They both paused and then Maura pushed through their hesitations, her soft lips plowing into Jane's, fingers clasping around the back of her neck and yanking her down. Jane groaned roughly into her mouth, her arms caging Maura at the sides, and wrinkling the sheets in her fisted hands. Heads tilted and lips and tongues plundered until Jane finally broke free.

"Gotta…gotta go," she said panting heavily.

"I know. Just one more."

Their mouths met in the middle for a final kiss, one that unsurprisingly evolved into a full blown make-out session with Jane reaching second base and quickly rounding for third.

"Goodness," Maura exhaled against her lips. "You better go."

"Right. Right," she said, trying to convince herself. "Fuck, you're so hot."

She tweaked the nipple between her fingers and Maura's eyes fluttered shut, her jaw going slack. Jane couldn't stop, she just could not. She sucked a nipple into her mouth, rolling the flesh against her teeth, felt it contract into a tight bud and moaned against it.

"You have to…the case…" Maura reasoned weakly even as she spread her legs to receive Jane.

"No, you're right. We're stopping. Okay."

Jane released the boob in her mouth and after a few steadying breaths, shot to her feet. Her pants chafed uncomfortably and feeling a tad ridiculous, she grabbed at her crotch to adjust the material. Then she realized how intensely Maura's gaze followed the movement and Jane's mouth became a desert. Dark hazel eyes tracked the motion of her hand before dragging their way up her body to catch against wide, brown eyes. Maura looked a little wild and definitely hungry.

The lump in Jane's throat felt like a boulder. At the rate they were going, they'd end up in a sex shop before lunch.

Leave. Now.

"We'll talk later. Bye." Without turning back, she rushed comically out of the room.

Maura dropped back into a sea of pillows, smiling giddily to herself, and listened to the sounds of Jane moving around her home with familiarity. The front door creaked open and Jane's voice boomed down the hall, "Don't forget to lock this damn thing!" Then it slammed shut and she was gone.

Unconsciously she brought her knuckles to her face and inhaled the scent of Jane through her nostrils. The evidence of their lovemaking still clung heavily to the sheets and Maura twisted into them, burrowing through the pillows. She allowed herself an indulgent yawn and finally relaxed, knowing without a doubt that they would come out of this okay. It would all be okay.

Two days later, they would both be caught in the crossfire of a trap gone horribly wrong.

Jane would shoot Paddy Doyle.

And then everything went to hell.

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