“Are you ok?” Maura squeaked, wriggling to try and get out from under the detective. Jane could see her pulse pounding through the jugular vein in her neck.

“Oh. Maura,” Jane released her grip on her wrist and rolled herself back to her side of the bed. “I’m sorry, I….” Still she couldn’t drop her friends gaze. Her own heart rate increasing as watched Maura rearrange her pajama top and straighten herself out. Maura smiled at her and Jane noticed her lip trembling, anyone else would have missed it but it was there.
 “It’s ok. I understand.” Maura told her softly, her voice shaking ever so slightly. “You should try and go back to sleep.” She reached out her hand and brushed Jane’s forearm softly. Jane stared down at the doctor’s fingers as they ran across her skin. She felt herself shiver despite the warmth in the room.

Loud bangs ripped through the room suddenly and Jane rolled herself completely off the bed, reaching for her gun that she’d laid on the nightstand next to her. It was gone. Maura also jumped but settled faster than Jane, who was ripping the drawer from the stand in a search for her weapon.

“Jane!” Maura exclaimed, reaching to pull her friend to her feet. Jane batted her hand away and continued her search. Getting to her feet, Maura found Jane’s gun on the floor next to the bed, Jane must have knocked it off when she’d awoken in her panic. Seeing Maura with the weapon, Jane threw herself across the bed, pulling the firearm from her grasp and with shaking hands, making her way towards the bedroom door.

“Jane!” 

Jane pulled the door open, her weapon guiding her into the hallway. Clear. She continued with Maura behind her, calling her name. “Shhh!”

“It’s just Bass.” Maura told her.

Jane stopped in her tracks, turning to her friend with an incredulous look stretched tightly over her otherwise flawless face. “Your turtle fires a gun?”

Three more loud bangs crashed through the house causing Jane to spin on the balls of her bare feet and head towards the sound.
“He’s not armed Jane!” Maura reached out to touch her shoulder and stopped herself. Jane was wound so tightly now, Maura wasn’t sure she wouldn’t turn and shoot on instinct. “He’s displaying classic mating behaviour. And he’s a tortoise!”

Jane followed the sound, her nerves tingling with each step. She was aware of Maura behind her but her words couldn’t penetrate the panic and fear in her mind. Swinging herself, weapon first into the kitchen, Jane flinched as Maura flicked on the light. “Maura!” she growled, her complaint lost in yet more bangs.

On the floor at her feet, Bass was facing the metal work stand, ramming his own reflection repeatedly.
She relaxed her weapon and couldn’t help a weak smile as she felt the heat of Maura’s body close in behind her. “Jane?” Maura’s breath on her neck sent a shiver through her body and she leant back into the safety of her friends embrace.
“It’s mating behaviour.” Maura repeated as she took Jane’s shaking hand within her own. “Now, come back to bed.”