Tears stung the detective’s cheek, because she knew how jealous she felt seeing Maura with Bette the day before. She texted Korsak about running a couple errands, and headed to Beacon Hill. On top of that, the dream would not leave her thoughts.

Jane entered the townhouse and could hear Maura talking on speaker phone.
”Good morning, Boston,” Bette yawned sleepily as she spoke.
”Good morning to you, too, LA,” Maura chirped happily. ”I suspect you are just getting home.”
”Yeah, Tina and the baby are still knocked out, so I am headed to the shower and a power nap before work. Thank you again for convincing me to stay over. It was well worth it to be able to have dinner with Constance.”
”You know, you left your Rag and Bone boots here, right?” Jane could hear contentment in Maura’s voice. Was she too late?
”Actually, those are a gift for being such a good hostess.6 narrow, right?”
”Jesus, you’re good.How did you know?”
”Well, I had help.Constance Isles was my dinner date. You were slightly hungover, so we left you at home napping while we chatted and shopped.”
”Yes, I wondered where you went,” Maura returned.
”Into her secret artist’s lair. Listen, Maura, thanks again for everything, and for the guest room on the spur of the moment. I am now going to be in contact with half the artists in the free world and a few you who are not. I need to shower now. Talk to you soon. Ciao”
”Ciao,” Maura returned happily, still not aware of the detective outside her bedroom door.
”Maura,” Jane announced herself.
”Jane, I thought I made it clear to stay away. You treated me like a pariah in your bed, so there is little left to say.”
As Jane came closer, Maura could see her tear stained cheeks. For a split second, the blonde thought, now she knows how badly she hurt me.
”Please, listen Maura, for God’s sake. This is too important to mess up any more than it already is.” Jane took hold of Maura’s forearms, walking her back two steps to sit on the bed and then knelt in front of her.
”Maura, I…” Jane let all her inhibitions go and told Maura what she felt.
”I love you in a way that is too hard to explain. It has to do with vulnerability, and flowers, and fairytales. When I get so wrapped up in the thought of that, I get terrified that I will let my guard down during one of those picket fence moments, and I won’t be able to take care of you properly. My work hours are horrendous, my sleep life is toxic and nightmarish and you will spend every day and night wondering if I am coming home alive or not. Or talking me off the ledge, to prevent me from eating my own gun. That isn’t the life I want for you, because you deserve so much more. But my life sucks when you aren’t in it. And yes, Bette made me very jealous. I was ready to police escort her to JFK.”
Maura’s stern face began to give way to a smile.
”Come here,…” Maura beckoned Jane into a hug and they ended up laying face to face on the bed in each other’s arms.
”Detective Rizzoli, you may not under any circumstances control who I do or do not sleep with, fall in love with or want to be with. At the end of the day, I want to come home to a lady named Jane who has a goofy laugh and loves sports and cooking and her job and somehow, she loves me. I feel safe with her and content and loved by her and don’t think for a second that she would be unable to protect me or that I would be unable to protect her.”
Maura wrapped her arms tighter around Jane and reassured her,”You can be as badass as you need to be all day, but at home, we turn it off, turn in the badge and the scalpel and become two women in love that deserve a good life and time together.”
Jane glanced at Maura’s lips longingly.
”Can I kiss you,” she mustered and Maura grinned back right away, ”What took you so long!”

Fin