Giovanni waited at the Division One cafe for Maura to enter for her morning coffee. He had come in to see Angela about something, and she had told him through casual chit chat that Jane is engaged to Casey. Maura walked in and moved straight for the coffee machine. Giovanni bounced off his chair and moved in.

"Hey, Maura?" he started.

"Oh, hello Giovanni. What can I do for you?" Maura responded politely as she filled her cup.

"Is it true that Janie's engaged?"

"Why, yes it is."

"But not to you?"

"What?" Maura asked through her confusion.

"Well, aren't you and Janie a couple? I thought if anyone was gonna marry her, it'd be you."

"Oh. No, Jane is engaged to Casey. She loves him." At that instant, the realisation that Jane loved Casey made her pause. Her face went blank of emotion. Giovanni extended his arm and rested a hand on Maura's shoulder.

"Hey, Doc... You alright?" Maura shook her head to clear her mind, and return to the present.

"Yes, Giovanni. I'm fine, but I really must get to work."

"Alright. Bye!" Maura smiled and turned to leave. As soon as her back was to Giovanni, her mind returned to the thought of Jane, but she knew she couldn't stay there for long, otherwise, she'd never get any work done. "Bye, Mrs. Riz!" Giovanni called.

"Bye, Giovanni" Angela responded. She noticed Maura's quick change in emotion, and wondered what Giovanni had said for it to happen.

As Giovanni made his way out of BPD, he passed Jane on the steps walking in. "Yo, Janie!" Jane couldn't help but let out a disgruntled moan before greeting him.

"Hi, Giovanni."

"So I hear you're engaged."

"Did Ma tell you?"

"Yeah, but I gotta ask you one question: what happened with you and the Doc?" Jane sighed as she tried to think of an adequate answer.

"You know, we're just better off just being friends."

"Oh, okay. But the Doc really loves you."

"What?!" Jane half yelled as she tried to understand what had made Giovanni think that.

"I know I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I do know love when I see it. And the way that the Doc looks at you, and the way her face lights up when she talks about you... That's love. She loves you Janie. I mean, who wouldn't? You're hot." Jane shoved Giovanni in the shoulder, and took another step up to the doors.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Gi."

"Yes, I do. The Doc's crazy about you, but if you can't see it, then I'm sorry." Jane stood for a moment, racking her brain for an answer to a question she didn't even understand: was Maura in love with her? "Well, I gotta go. Catch you later." Jane just groaned a response as Giovanni walked away.

She made her way into BPD, bypassed the cafe and pressed the button for the elevator. It dinged open and she hopped in, a puzzled look still on her face. She didn't even realise she was heading down to see Maura until the doors dinged open again. She stepped out at the last minute before the doors closed again and started searching for Maura. Jane figured that Maura might be in her office as the day had only just began. She didn't even bother knocking before she barged in. "Maura!" she announced as the door swung open.

"Good morning Jane."

Maura's sweet voice dragged Jane out of whatever haze she was in and she relaxed for a moment before remembering what she was there for. "So I just spoke to Giovanni."

"Oh, and what did he have to say?"

"Maura." Jane waited until Maura looked up from her desk to look at Jane. Jane's face is etched with... a whole aray of emotions. Maura couldn't figure out how many there were. Jane looked confused, yet knowing; afraid, yet intrigued; worried, pained, uncertain, sad, but worst of all: angry. Maura lowered her voice.

"Jane, what's wrong?" She waited for Jane to say something, at least blink. Jane opened her mouth, then shut it, not quite sure of what to say. Maura stood up from behind her desk and moved to close the door. She let it click shut slowly, before turning to Jane, all the emotions still dancing across her face. She reached out to take Jane's shoulders. "Sit down and tell me." But Jane pulled away and dropped her head.

"Maura!" She was taken aback by the amount of anger in Jane's voice. Jane looked up again to look at Maura. "Do you love me?" Maura felt relieved. She relaxed her shoulders and let a smile spread across her lips.

"Of course I love you. You're my best friend."

"No. Not like that."

"Then what Jane?"

"Giovanni seemed to think that you were in love with me." Maura's face fell. Her cheery smile melted away and she suddenly felt very cold.

"Wh... why would he think that?" Just then Jane saw that he was right. She could see the way Maura changed so quickly. She could see her face get suddenly red. She could see the tears in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She could see that Maura was in love with her.

"Are you in love with me?"

"No." Jane closed her eyes and sighed. Her eyes opened again connecting straight away with Maura's.

"Maura, don't lie."

"I'm not ly..."

"Hives, Maura." Maura looked down at her increasingly red and blotchy chest. She placed a hand over her heart. "You're getting hives."

"Jane, I..."

"Are you?" Maura straightened up, trying to hold back her tears.

"You're marrying Casey."

"But are you in love with me?"

"Even if I was, it doesn't matter. You're mar..."

"God, Maura! You're not answering me!" Jane stamped her foot down and waved her hands about her head like she were losing control. "Maura, just tell me. I'm your best friend."

"I..." Maura tried to get her words out; she tried to say it was true, that she did love Jane, that she wanted to be with her more than anything, that Casey was wrong for her because he was giving her an unfair ultimatum, that she would never do such a thing and that she would never hurt Jane, ever. But her tears flowed heavily and her breathing became erratic. She held her hand to her mouth to stop her from making any un-lady-like noises in her fit of crying. Jane reached out and, despite her attempts to push her away, Maura crashed into Jane's arms. She kept her arms tucked closely to her chest for fear that if she held onto Jane, she wouldn't be able to let her go, or if she did let her go, she would hurt more than she did right now.

"Oh, sweetie. I'm so sorry." Maura knew she had so many more tears left to shed, but somehow the warmth and affection that Jane omitted stopped her from doing so.

"Jane, I..."

"Shhh."

"No," Maura pushed back from Jane. "I need to tell you this."

"Okay, Maur. Tell me." Maura took a few steps away from Jane so that she wouldn't be tempted to crumble again.

"Jane. Casey's not right for you."

"Wha..."

"He's inconsiderate of your feelings. He lets you fall in love with him, and then leaves to go back to Afganistan. And when he comes back, he doesn't tell you, all because he was wounded. He knew you were in love with him, and that you wouldn't care if he couldn't...perform, but he didn't tell you anyway, which caused you more pain. He told you to forget him, because he was thinking about himself. And when he was miraculously better, he decides that he does in fact want you. You were bounced around hoping for him to catch you and keep you, but he never would. And now he's given you a choice, and if you don't marry him he could be killed, and you would have to live with that guilt for the rest of your life. So, you're marrying him, because you may indeed love him, but you're doing it mostly out of obligation. To save his life, you're marrying him."

"Maura!"

"And the way he has changed you..."

"He hasn't changed me!"

"Oh, yes he has. You become this whole other needy... clingy...ugh person when you're around him. You never have to change when you're around me, because I love you. All of you. I love that you're badass and tough, I love that you're sarcastic and rude sometimes. But most of all, I love the way you treat me. So many people never looked twice at poor old Maura Isles. She's too weird and introverted. I am weird. But I'm not introverted." Jane gives her a look. "Well, I'm not introverted when I'm with you. You care about what I have to say, even if it is totally irrelevant and unnecessary. You care. You care about me. Me. You love me, and I love you. And somewhere along the way, through your demons and mine, I fell in love with you because I knew that no matter what happened, you would be there in teh end to hold me and wipe away my tears." Jane's face softened and she began to smile. "But you're too blind to see me anymore, because Casey's in the way." Jane's smile disappeared as her anger returned.

"I'm sorry you feel this way Maura, but I am not blind. Casey loves me, and I love him."

"Then why does it bother you if I'm in love with you?"

"Because you're my friend. Yes, Casey hurt me. But he came back, didn't he. He came back because he loves me. I'm marrying him because he loves me. And what else was I supposed to do? Say no, and see him go back and get killed? No."

"Well," Maura dabbed away her last remaining tears. "If you're so fond of 'choosing', here's a choice for you: it's him or me."

"Maura..."

"I mean it Jane. I've never loved anyone the way I love you and I doubt that I'll ever be over you, and seeing you everyday with a ring on your finger would kill me. So. Him or me."

Jane's own tears began to seep out of her eyes as she spoke. "I can't believe you're doing this."

"I can't believe you're marrying him." And with that, Jane turned and left, not even bothering to slam the door behind her. Maura closed her eyes and frowned, not quite sure of what she just did. She bowed her head and leaned on her desk. She tried to hold herslef up, but she just slid down the side of her desk to teh floor instead.

It was going to be a long day.

Jane flopped on her couch almost immediately after she's closed her door behind her. Casey was in the kitchen making them a dinner that may have smelt good or not, Jane didn't care. She hadn't seen Maura all day since their argument. She went down just after lunch to see her, but she had already left for the day. It was a paperwork day, and the always on-top-of-everything Dr. Isles had finished all of hers in only a few hours. It really shouldn't have even taken that long, but she stopped now and then to cry when she missed Jane. Joe Friday bounded up on the couch beside Jane, but after getting no warm hug, she gave up and returned to bed. "You alright, honey?" Casey called from the kitchen. Jane didn't hear him. She'd fought with herslef all day over what she had done to Maura (or rather, hadn't done). Her eyes were aching from the strain of holding tears back, and she couldn't wait to have a shower so she could set them free. Maura's words kept running through her mind every minute of the day. The more she thought about them, the more she began to see that they were true, from a certain point of view. Maura's point of view was clear and straight forward. Saying it as she saw it. Jane's was muddled, and... even she admitted... a little blind. "Jane?" Casey put down his oven mits and moved towards the couch. "Honey?" He placed a hand on Jane's shoulder, and she sprung to her feet. "Whoa! Are you okay?"

"Not really. Maura and I had a fight."

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around Jane's tired body and held her tight. Jane closed her eyes and waited for Casey's warmth to warm her up... but it didn't happen. Her eyes shot open. She was still has cold and miserable as she was in her car on the way home, the rain pouring down her windows. She went stiff. Casey pulled away. "What's wrong?"

"I don..." She paused for a moment. Or five. "Maura's in love with me."

"What?" Casey pulled back completely now and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Maura's in love with me." Silence. Jane sniffled, the chill of her wet jacket finally reaching her bones.

"Jane, you're going to catch a cold. Go have a shower, hm? Warm you up." Jane nodded robotically. Her mind had wandered back to Maura. Jane started to move to her bedroom as Casey moved back to the kitchen, but when she reached the hallway, she froze. She suddenly got a flashback to when she was receiving her award after she was shot. She didn't want to go, but Maura insisted. She said "We can either do this teh easy way or the hard way." Jane had tried her very hardest to not go, to fight Maura at every turn and coax her into letting her stay in her messy apartment. But Maura said no. She had dragged Jane to her bedroom and dressed her, brushed her hair, made her look like the proud and courageous police detective she was. The whole time Jane tried to get herself out of it, the more she was amazed by Maura's gentleness (despite saying that she was now doing it the hard way). When Maura brushed her hair she almost fell asleep. When she was all ready, Maura helped her the whole way there, and stuck with her the entire night. She held her hand when she needed her too, especially when the explosion happened. The shock of it brought Jane back. "You alright, babe?" Jane nodded again. She kept on shuffling to her bedroom before ditching her clothes and sulking into the shower to let her tears fall.

"Come on, Bass. Eat something." Apparently Bass could also tell that something serious had happened that day. He tucked his head deep into his shell and blinked slowly at a teary-eyed Maura. She stood back up and moved back to her couch. Her tissue covered couch. She gazed at the mess she had managed to make nad decided that cleaning it up might help her feel better. As she cleaned, she kept wondering what Jane was doing. Was she cryig too? Or was she laughing it off with Casey over a beer. The thought of taht possibility made her cry even more. She couldn't believe that she'd told Jane that she was in love with her in teh way that she did it. She just figured she'd wait until Casey left again before telling Jane. But when Casey didn't leave, she decided that she should just hide her feelings. How hard could that be? She was excellent at hiding her feelings from everyone. Except Jane, of course. Jane would always know when something was up. She put all of her tissues into a plastic bag and tied it up tight. She walked to the door and opened it. Rain. "That's appropriate" she said to herself. She closed the door behind her as she made a mad dash for the bin. She slipped on her way back and banged her knee on the path. She couldn't tell if it was bleeding or not; the rain made it hard to see. When she came back inside, she saw that it was just a slight cut, hardly any blood. She was soaked to the bone, so she decided that she'd have another shower.

Jane put on her daggiest clothes, an old sweater and a pair of shorts. She didn't feel cold on the outside anymore. Casey had set the table nicely and was just dishing out their dinners. "Feeling any better?" She looked up to see Casey placing the plates on the table.

"No." She said with a slight chuckle, but she stopped it because she didn't feel liek Maura would appreciate her making fun of the situation. She was right. It wasn't right. "I think I've just lost my best friend."

"Oh well, you'll get over it soon enough. You always do."

"What?" Jane frowned a littel, not knowing exactly what her fiance meant.

"Come on Janie. You never stay upset for long, and... it's Maura. She's not really in love with you".

"Is that what you think?" Casey looked up. "She was a mess. She cried because of me. Because I hadn't seen what she'd been seeing all along."

"And what's that?"

"I've been blind." Casey tilted his head in confusion. "I've been so blind." Jane said to herself. "About everything."

"What do you mean?"

"You came back from Afganistan and didn't tell me. You told me to forget you, and just when I'd almost gotten over you, you came back saying that we could be together because you were 'fixed'. And I was stupid enough to say yes. You left again and then came back saying that you'd go back again unless I married you. You made me choose. It wasn't just 'yes' or 'no', it was life or death. If I said no, you could've gone back and been killed. And I'd have to live with it. I was stupid enough to say yes...again! But now..." she swallowed, "I'm smart enough to say no." She moved to the door and grabbed her coat.

"Where are you going?" Jane moeved towards the table.

"To Maura." She pulled off her engagement ring and tossed it onto the table.

"But dinner's ready." Jane sighed as she put her hand on the door knob.

"I'm not hungry", and she left.

Maura wrapped her hair up in towel as she pulled on her pajamas. She flipped her hair over and rubbed it dry with the towel. She flicked it back up and, being quite impressed by the natural fall of her hair, decided not to brush it for a change. Just then she heard a knock at her front door. She grumbled a little as she made her way downstairs. Bass still hadn't moved. She made her way to the door and opened it without looking out to see who it was.

"Jane!" She exclaimed, not knowing what in the world she was supposed to feel at this moment.

"Can I come in?" Maura stepped aside for her. Jane never took her eyes off Maura. She slid her wet coat off her shoulders. Maura held out her hands to take it. Jane deliberatley held it out to Maura with her ring-less left hand.

"Jane!?" She grabbed her hand, dropping the coat, and looked up to Jane's eyes. "Where's your ring?"

"With Casey."

"Oh, is he... cleaning it?" Maura grasped at a possible explanation as to why Jane's hand was naked.

"No. He's keeping it."

"Ja.."

"Maura, I'm so sorry. I was an asshole to you. You're my best friend and I doubted you." Maura dropped her head, but Jane picked it back up. "I love you, Maura. More than anyone." Maura sighed. She was glad that Jane would do anything for her, but there was still the fact that Jane wasn't in love with her.

"Jane..."

"Mmmm."

"Can I...I..."

"What?" It was obvious to Maura that Jane didn't know taht she was trying to ask her to kiss her, so she gave up.

"Can I get you something?"

"Some warm clothes, maybe." Maura nodded. Jane followed her up to her bedroom where some of Jane's clothes were. She was glad that she left some there now and then. She'd hate to wear something of Maura's. Heaven forbid she crinkled it or spilt something on it. She slipped into the bathroom to dry off when she noticed a scrunched up piece of paper in the bin. She unravelled it and pressed it against the vanity. It looked like a page from a notepad. Jane read it. All of it. There were little hearts on it with the letters 'J + M' in them. There were little stick figure drawings of Jane and Maura holding hands. There were lots of 'I love you's all over it. But down the bottom there was a note.

"Dear Jane. Jane. To my best friend and the love of my life, who can sometimes be seen as tough and mean, but to me is the most uniquely beautiful and genuine person I will ever meet, although sometimes she forgets this and thinks she's not good enough and can sometimes settle for so much less than she deserves (Casey) but will always be the best to me, with me, and for me, for I am never a dull robot when I am with her, that just spits out facts like a computer or Google, but rather a loving human being who would do anything for her best friend, even though I do screw things up at times, but I am always trying my best when she is around because, well, she makes me want to be a better person. I love you, Jane Clementine (no... it's a beautiful name) Clementine Rizzoli. And I always will. Love Maura xo"

Jane dropped her towel and opened the door. Maura was sitting patiently on the bed. "Aren't you dressed yet?"

"Maur... when did you write this?" She held up the piece of paper.

"Right after you left. I'm sorry Jane. I wasn't going to give it to you because..."

"It's beautiful." Maura looked a little surprised. She thought Jane wouldn't like her acting liek a love-sick teenager.

"What?" Jane walked into the bedroom and knelt in front of Maura, taking her hands.

"You're beautiful." Maura smiled a little. Jane sat up straight and pulled Maura's head down to her and kissed her on the forehead. Maura smiled a lot. Jane smiled as she tucked Maura's unbrushed hair behind her ears.

"Jane, you're still damp. I wish you'd take a shower."

"Nah... I'll be alright. I already had one at home."

"I don't want you gettin a cold."

"I won't."

"Jane. Go take a shower. For me. Please?" Jane smiled and chuckled to herself before pushing off Maura's knees to help her get up. As she leaned in to get her balance she gave Maura a quick kiss on her cheek. Maura smiled at Jane as she looked over her shoulder before vanishing into the bathroom. Maura stretched out on her bed and waited for Jane to return. She heard the shower turn off and Jane's towel drop to the floor. She opened one eye and stared at the door. When she saw the knob turn she shut her eye again. She heard Jane flick the lights off and move closer and then felt her tugging at the covers underneath Maura. She gave in and lifted up her hips for Jane to pull the covers down. She pulled up her legs to slide them under the sheet when Jane pulled it up over them both. Maura rolled onto her side to face Jane. She breathed in Jane's warm smell and wriggled into her pillow. Jane watched Maura grow sleepier as she was propped up on her elbow.

"Maura?"

"Hmmmm?"

"I love you." Maura opened her eyes and looked at Jane.

"You do?" Jane leaned in and kissed Maura on the forehead.

"I do". Maura propped herself up a little so that she was at eye level with Jane. Their eyes connected in that moment and it seemed that each could see deep into the other's soul. Maura tried to hide the fact that she wanted to kiss Jane, not on the head or cheek, but on her soft, beautiful lips, but she couldn't. Jane's eyes wandered over Maura's face, and even in the glow from the hallway light she could see just how beautiful Maura was. She felt like a fool. She couldn't believe she had to brought to the realisation by Giovanni. She would've felt sick at that if it wasn't for Maura's soft skin drawing her nearer. Her parted lips calling her in. Her eyes whispering for her to take her. Whoa, Jane! She tried to wake herself from Maura's spell. From Maura. But... I don't want to. Jane leaned in and was almost about to kiss Maura when Maura pulled back. "Maura!" She cleared her throat. "What are you doing?"

"I've got to turn the hall light off. It's bothering me." Jane laughed to herself as Maura hopped out of bed, flicked the switch off, and hurried back. When she reached her side of the bed, she paused. "Why? What were you doing?"

"I was going to..." Maura sat back down on the bed. "I was going to kiss you, Maur." Maura sat stunned for a bit, but then wriggled a little closer. Jane sat up and faced Maura. She placed her hand at Maura's side and leaned in. Maura leaned in too, a little slower. She didn't want to rush into it. Jane was so close to her that she could feel her breath on her lips. She turned her head and leaned into Jane's shoulder and kissed it. Jane kissed Maura's neck before pushing her back with her other hand. Once Maura was back in front of her, she wrapped her long fingers around Maura's neck and pulled her in. It was soft and gentle, and a little bit hypnotic. She could feel her hand slide from Maura's neck to her shoulders, then to her collarbone. She grabbed onto Maura's shirt otherwise her hand would've kept going. Maura ran her hands along Jane's thighs to her t-shirt and tugged it towards her. Jane was too engrossed in Maura's oh, my god! lips for her to notice Maura tugging at her shirt, so Maura lifted herself up to her knees, tilting Jane's head back. Maura opened her mouth for Jane as she let go of her shirt and pushed her shoulders back until Jane fell onto the bed. Maura pulled away and hovered over Jane so that she could catch her breath. Jane took a few deep breaths, a smile spread across her face, before pulling Maura back down on top of her. She wrapped her arms around Maura's waist as she kissed her. They intertwined their legs so that their bodies were flush against each other. Maura could feel Jane's heart beating through her chest and knew hers would be going just as fast. She pulled away from Jane's lips and continued to kiss her neck. Jane gasped at the feeling of Maura's teeth, but relaxed again when she returned to just kissing. After a short while, Maura slowed down her kissing and slid her arm behind Jane's neck. She rolled onto her side and looked at Jane lovingly.

"So you were going to kiss me, then what did you have in mind?" Jane snuggled up against Maura and took a deep breath.

"I don't know... Falling asleep in your arms."

"Sounds good to me." Maura wrapped her other arm over Jane's waist and pulled her closer. They each focussed on each other's breathing, letting it gently sooth them to sleep.

"I always thought we'd make a good couple," Jane whispered. "But I didn't know how you felt on the subject." Maura smiled as she breathed in Jane's smell.

"I think it's a good idea."