"Say nighty-night and kiss me,

Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me,

While I am alone and blue as can be,

Dream a little dream of me…"

"May I sleep with you tonight?"

Jane's voice was huskier and drowsy with exhaustion. Frustration was tethering on the brink of her words but none of it was directed towards Maura. It never was. There was a tiny smile pushing through her lips on its own accord as it always did when her eyes caught a glimpse of Maura.

Maura wanted to question her, ask her what was troubling Jane that made her to come to Maura's house at 2:00 am in the morning, disheveled and disoriented, but one look into those beautiful dark orbs silently pleading for some sleep and Maura decided to file her questions for later and nodded gently with a smile towards Jane, asking her softly to get in.

Jane dragged herself inside, exhaustion dripping through her disoriented steps. She waiting for Maura to join her and then directed herself towards Maura's bedroom.

They settled under the covers, Jane taking her usual side and facing her eyes at first towards the ceiling, but moments later she turned herself to face her best friend. Maura smiled at that gesture, and turning off the lights whispered quietly to Jane, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nope. I couldn't sleep." Jane weakly smiled, her eyes still pushing against exhaustion.

Maura somehow read between the lines, Jane never really needed to say much for her to understand. She shifted closer and opened her arms silently nudging Jane to come closer and snuggle in her arms. Jane instantly followed, her eyes now drooping almost completely, her entire body flush against Maura's side. A silent thank you escaped Jane's lips and Maura's heart swelled a little with just having her close. She held onto Jane's shoulders in her embrace, soothingly swaying her hands on her back. She knew this will lull Jane to sleep faster than anything else, and it soon did.

Somehow Maura didn't feel like sleeping just then. She hadn't told Jane but she had missed this, snuggling close for quite some time. Life had been dragging them sideways all the time and any time they got to spent together was usually drowned in work. She had missed this quite time so much that now that she had it, she was overwhelmed with a swell in her heart and she was too happy to sleep.

She caressed Jane's hair with her other hand, swaying the rebellious curls gently behind her ears. She felt a silent urge to kiss the now smoothened forehead of her best friend and for a moment she pondered if this would disturb or wake up Jane. But then she gave in to the urge and pressed a soft lingering kiss on Jane's forehead. Still in her sleep, Jane's lip automatically curled into a beautiful sweet smile, the one that made Maura's heartbeat falter just a little, because it always reminded her that there was someone now who loved her back. Her life had miraculously changed with Jane in her life and perhaps she hadn't told Jane this ever, but she cherished her more than her own life.

Her internal monologue found a way through her words and she couldn't resist articulating it out to the sweet silence of her room. It was a sweet silence because Jane was in her arms.

"I love you, you know, and I have missed you so much." She grazed her fingers lightly on the detective's cheeks; her face had lost all signs of frustration and exhaustion. Perhaps Jane was feeling the swell of happiness in her heart too.

"Dream a little of me tonight, will you? Dream a little dream of me…" Maura didn't know what swirl of emotions were overwhelming her right then, but she knew she had spoken that from her heart.

She pulled herself closer to Jane as she rested her head on Jane's hair, bringing her arms closer, a silent prayer humming on her lips, hoping with all her heart that Jane dreamt the sweetest dreams that night.

"Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you,

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you,

But in your dreams whatever they may be,

You gotta make me a promise, promise to me,

You will dream, dream a little of me."

Author Notes: This one shot includes excerpts from a song "Dream a little Dream of me." Due Credits.