"Maur," Jane tread carefully with her words. She was fully aware of how easily she could slip into her defensive nature as though she was fighting with Frankie or Tommy. But this was Maura. And with Maura, now more than ever, she needed to be delicate.

When the medical examiner didn't turn around, she knew this wouldn't be easy, whatever it was that she was going to attempt. So she began. "I am sorry," her tone was determined and yet heartfelt all at once. "I missed you too, you know. I'm sorry for what I did to you, Maura. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to hurt you. But I didn't know how to deal with my feelings then. That's not an excuse for what I did – there isn't one – but it's the truth." Her hand deftly ran its long fingers through brown curls as she exhaled loudly. "I knew how I felt about you. Deep down, I knew."

It was these words which caused Maura to spin on her heels to face Jane again. Her face was a picture of sheer heartbreak; Jane struggled to keep eye contact. "Then why did you go? We could have been together, all this time we-" but her words were interrupted by the response of the former detective.

"Because I couldn't admit it. The fear and the shame instilled in me were breaking me, Maur. I needed stability," Jane said, knowing the second she had done so, that her word choice was poor and damaging. But it was too late.

The medical examiner bit back immediately, her facial expression screaming nothing but agony. "Stability? What on earth would make you think that I couldn't give you stability?"

Jane protested, her eyes pleading, "That's not what I meant. I'm sorry." Exhaling heavily, her frustration at her inability to articulate her thoughts evident. "I needed space. I needed routine and a distraction and new faces. That's why I went to DC. I thought it would let me come to my senses."

Absorbing the words she had just heard, the medical examiner focused her gaze on the granite of the kitchen island. A few moments of silence were necessary to compose herself, regardless of the anxiety said silence was giving Jane. "You thought it would 'straighten you out'. You thought you'd stop thinking about it if you weren't around me."

Jane looked as though she'd just been shot. Again. It was true that nobody knew her better than Maura. Her family and Korsak may have known her longer and supported her through various struggles such as the first incident with Hoyt, but they weren't Maura. The woman before her had such an intricate understanding of how her mind worked, how she felt and the reasons for those feelings. Once again, she could see right through her. And here, under these circumstances, it broke Jane's heart.

Two olive hands covered her face from sight as she felt her own heart sink. Pushing her hair away from her face, she looked into those hazel eyes she would never tire of. They no longer sparkled with a jubilance or the joie de vivre (as Maura would say) that she often exuded. Now, they only carried a bleak melancholia that looked as though it could never fade. Fuck, Jane thought as those eyes began to bore into her soul. "Yeah, I did. And I hate myself for thinking that way."

Unintentionally, Maura lightly scoffed as she tried to lighten the mood, much to Jane's surprise. "I can understand being incredibly frustrated with yourself Jane, but perhaps self-loathing is a little extreme." She closed the physical distance between them, walking over and attempting to place her hand gently on toned triceps. But Jane didn't agree.

Moving herself away from her friend, Jane responded a little harshly, "For you, Maura. Your parents were liberally-minded, for the most part. It was never enforced upon you that loving anyone other than a man was nothing other than a shortcut to Hell. You know what Mom's like, and Pops?" Maura rolled her eyes in acknowledgement. "I unlearned all of that hatred for the sake of people I had met. I knew that love didn't have a gender. But when it came to me, and who I was?" Tears began to escape Jane's eyes. "I couldn't face it."

What happened next was pure instinct. The way Maura rubbed Jane's back soothingly as tears continued to fall, the way Jane let her. It felt natural because it was. How they used to be, before everything fell apart months ago. Within a few moments, the smaller woman had wrapped the other in a warm embrace, one which was rather overwhelming for both of them. Falling into her arms after so long away from each other – both physically and emotionally – almost made Jane cry even more.

They stayed that way for a couple of minutes. Words weren't needed at that moment. So much had been said, and it was likely that more was to come, but for now, this was enough. The way they were both gripping on to their bodies was beyond indicative of how much they had missed each other. Furthermore, words were never necessary when everything Maura wanted to say could be said with a simple touch.

"I'm sorry," Jane chuckled nervously as she swallowed the remainder of her tears, eventually withdrawing from the hug. Wiping her own cheeks, she never broke eye contact with Maura. She was somehow stronger now.

Her hands held out on either side of the woman in front of her, Maura's expression was sincere. "You never have to apologise for who you are," she responded, her voice reminiscent of a fleecy blanket. "Not to me, Jane."

It made sense. When Jane dipped her head slightly, leaning in towards the smaller woman, closing her eyes and parting her lips slowly as she placed them on hers, it made sense. Maybe she had been subconsciously wishing for this moment for years, maybe it had been all she had thought of since she had boarded that plane. But after all that time of wanting and waiting, it had been worth it. It had felt like she was supposed to do this every day. And it's probably because that was what she wanted. She wanted Maura. She wanted Maura more than anything in the world.

The kiss was careful. Neither woman invested too much in it after the difficult topic they had just been – and still were – discussing. It wasn't too passionate for them to take things further, because neither of them particularly wanted that, not right then, anyway. A little part of Jane was surprised the kiss was being returned in the first place.

Maura's lips were everything she'd hoped they would be. How they felt against her own was other-worldly; she never wanted to kiss a man, or anybody else for that matter, again. Later, she would think about the way Maura's hold on her arms had loosened during the kiss, and how her own hands had found their place on familiar shoulders. But whilst she was kissing Maura Isles, all she could think about was the fact that she was kissing Maura Isles.

The medical examiner was just as cautious. Whilst she, too, had dreamt of this for a very, very long time, there was a worry that it was all a lie. Her fear of abandonment was sneakily resurfacing at the most inconvenient time.

Deep down, she knew that she had never trusted someone the way she trusted Jane. No one else could bring her such comfort. However, there was a figurative voice in her head reminding her of that horrendous scene at the airport. She did her best to push those thoughts away. She merely wanted this one thing.

What had felt like hours ended after a minute or so when Jane eventually ended the embrace, a nervous smile plastered across her face. Butterflies inside her had never been so enthusiastic. And yet she became a little more grounded when she looked at Maura, who was a little less settled than herself. "Hey, you okay?" she asked immediately, taking Maura's hands in her own as she had done countless times.

Jane was relieved when she was met with a nod, followed by, "Yes, I'm fine. I just...I'm glad you're here, Jane." Even the way her voice danced over the words, the way she said her name made Jane smile. She couldn't help but feel hopeful.

"Me too, Maur." Their hands remained intertwined until they weren't, when Maura suddenly became conscious of the fact that her palms were perspiring. Embarrassed, she tried to nonchalantly slide them into her trouser pockets as she walked over to the kitchen island again. She couldn't help needing a little distance. The last few minutes had been completely confounding.

Sighing heavily, she leaned against the island, trying not to let her anxieties externally materialise as she asked Jane, "So what now?" The kiss had partially softened the atmosphere of the room, but both women knew there were still things to discuss.

"Uhm," Jane began, now avoiding eye contact as her nerves became evident once again. "Do you think you will ever be able to forgive me?" She felt like she was asking to borrow the Crown Jewels. The thing was that, to her, Maura's forgiveness was worth her weight in gold. An unsteady hand rushed through her own hair, because she knew if she didn't do something with it, its constant shaking would be more than obvious.

There was a slight delay in the response; Maura seriously considered her answer. "To an extent I think that, subconsciously, I already have." Jane had never been so grateful for Maura's inability to lie. "I don't mean to misappropriate the findings of the Kübler-Ross model on the five stages of grief, but after you left, the feelings I then experienced were somewhat similar to those in the study. I have lost a lot of people in my life, but none of those goodbyes hurt as much as ours." Hearing Maura admit this saddened Jane beyond belief.

"After telling myself you'd come back, being furious with both you and myself, getting lost in the 'what ifs' I never used to contemplate, and feeling somewhat depressed for a while, I came to accept the truth: you were gone. Whatever I had hoped for us wasn't going to happen. To a point, that wasn't the fault of anybody, and I knew I was just going to have to deal with it. And I think that with that, part of me forgave you for leaving." Maura had never expected to expose herself in this manner tonight, but she knew that both she and Jane needed to hear it.

Slowly, the other woman took a few steps towards her, unsure of what she was going to say next but nonetheless fully intent on supporting her. "Does it still hurt? Yes, if I am honest. Will it always hurt? I'd be willing to speculate that it's unlikely." Jane couldn't help but smile at the way the medical examiner's professional attitude was woven so deeply with who she was personally. Her heart swelled when that smile was returned.

"I've missed you so, so much." Jane's voice was soft as though she was trying to be delicate. Closing the gap between them, she gently held onto the hand Maura was using to steady herself against the counter. A reassuring smile was the least she could give as she said, "And I am so, so grateful that you even let me into your house tonight." They both laughed at Jane's joke, except they both knew that it wasn't really a joke. "No, seriously Maur, thanks for hearing me out."

Maura was silent as she looked up into her eyes, her own filling with glassy tears. She didn't mind; there was comfort to be found in being vulnerable around Jane. "Hey, don't cry." Jane used her other hand to free flushed cheeks from the tears. Under her fingertips, she could feel the burning of porcelain skin, skin she had missed touching.

"I've really missed you, too, Jane," came the eventual reply through a pained smile.

Jane hated seeing her so emotional, even more so when she was somehow involved. "You don't need to cry. I'm here, okay?" Maura did her best to regain some composure, mainly for the other woman. However, it was completely futile.

"That's the thing," she spoke almost inaudibly. Placing her own hand on top of Jane's as it rested on her cheek, they then became entwined. "We've gone so long without each other, and now that you're here..." she trailed off, a combination of being lost in her own thoughts and being terrified of a repeat situation of the last time she confessed her feelings. But then she realised that she already done this once. Jane already knew the depth of her feelings, didn't she? Would it really be so hard just so say it? "I don't want to lose you, Jane. No matter where you are in the world, I can't endure another month without you in my life. You're my best friend, I-" she was politely interrupted.

"Do you think that I could ever be more than that?" Jane's eyes were wild, and Maura could feel the sweatiness of her palms and her fingers. This was a stark contrast from the Jane she had seen grabbing her suitcase and heading for security without looking back. Taking such a step, asking the question Maura had been desperate to hear was incredible personal progress, and Jane knew it too. Maybe something good had come out of the devastation.

Nodding slowly at first, Maura's head movement sped up as she fully began to cry. Through the sobs, she managed to utter, "I can't tell you how long I've wanted to hear that." For once, the tears were ones of joy, of relief.

Instinctively, Jane pulled her in for a hug, keeping her close and using her height to her advantage as she planted a kiss on the forehead she could happily kiss forever. "Hey, hey," she said as placed a hand on the back of Maura's head, almost protecting the smaller woman whose face was buried in her own hair. Jane's mind momentarily wandered to the thought of Maura's long, honey blonde hair, another thing she had missed about her. "It's gonna be okay, I promise. We'll work it out, together. You and me, Maur." She could feel Maura nodding against her body.

Save for the sound of Maura's sniffles, silence had filled the room. However, there was something comfortable about it. Maura knew that over the years, she and Jane had grown so close and come to know each other so well, that everything could be said with a look or, in this case, a silence. And this one told her that in spite of everything they had experienced in the past year or so, Jane had no intentions of losing her again. In Jane's arms, she was certain that she could never feel so safe elsewhere.

Truthfully, Jane didn't know exactly how it was going to work out. For the sake of this moment, however, she remained optimistic. Internally, it was a different story. There were still going to be a few hundred miles between them. Jane dreaded her return to DC just as much as she knew Maura did. But it's your job, came the voice in her head.

Yes, but it's Maura, whispered another.

It was then she knew, finally, that it was time to come home. Home to Boston.

Home to Maura.

A/N: Thank you so much to anyone who has read/followed/favourited/reviewed this story, you have no idea how much you've made me smile. For now, it will stay as a two-shot because I'm struggling to see past this ending. However, I really did enjoy writing it, and hope you have too. Feedback is truly appreciated.