"A new day, a secret, a fire in me, and a lover. "

Uncovered by Delta Goodrem.

- MT.

'You will not believe who just tried it on with me over text!'

"Excuse me." Maura smiled and excused herself mid-conversation with Jack.

'Tried what on?'

"Not work, I hope?" Jack caught the blondes attention once again.

"Thankfully, it was not." She placed her phone face up on her thigh and returned her attention back to Jack. "Ally is an intelligent girl, Jack. She's very mature for her age. I don't understand why she isn't allowed make-up."

"Emily just wants her to focus on her education and worry about make-up later." Jack shrugged and drank the remainder of his wine.

"Because it's impossible to focus on education and make-up at the same time?" Maura tilted her head to the side in confusion, as her phone vibrated yet again. "Sorry."

'Great guess Maur. Tried it on as in tried to begin sexting. By sending me a disturbing image of a bulge in his boxer shorts.'

'You know I don't like to guess, Jane! Is there something disturbing about receiving an image like that?' Maura shook her head as her reply was delivered. Once again, she returned her attention to Jack.

"Emily was never the preppy kind of girl, even in high school. She never felt the need to dress in high end fashion and apply endless amounts of make-up. Em preferred natural beauty, and I think she just wants to send the same message to Al."

"There's nothing wrong with a woman who has an interest in fashion and make-up. I would like to think I have an elaborate taste in clothing, and yet my career is my number one focus." Maura raised an eyebrow as she caught Jack's eyes.

"I don't mean anything against you, Maura. I love what you wear, you always look fantastic. Stunning. Beautiful, even. I just have to respect Emily's decision. I'm Ally's father, I'm not meant to know about this kind of stuff."

"And what about Ally's decision? Does she not get a say in the matter? You saw how much her confidence boomed after I gave her the lip gloss. She was so excited!" Maura's brow furrowed. A silent 'thank you' was sent to Jane as her text message came through. "Sorry."

'I do not need to see Joey Grant's…area. And I certainly don't need to sext him. Like seriously, who just sends a crotch photo with the words 'Been thinking about you, Rizzoli'. Gag. :|'

Maura chuckled. 'Det. Grant? How long has it been since you've heard from him? At least he's been thinking about you ;)'

"I think I might head home." Jack stood and picked up his empty wine glass. "Emily and I are meeting tomorrow to discus what we are going to do with this whole Ally situation." He turned and looked to Maura. "Plus, you seem to be preoccupied. Jane, I assume?"

"Sorry, she has this…situation." Maura stood and held her hand out for Jack's glass. "Please let me know how you go with Ally; maybe try and tell Emily what I suggested?"

"Look," Jack sighed as he reached the front door. "I don't mean to offend you, but Ally is mine and Emily's daughter. I appreciate what you did for Al when she came and hung out with you in your office, but you don't know what it's like raising a pre-teen daughter. Em and I will figure out what is best for our daughter."

"Now I understand what Jane means when she says "People who start a conversation with 'I don't mean to offend you', often means they will offend you but they're going to warn you first."" Maura placed her hands in the pockets of her skirt.

"I asked for your advice."

"And I gave it to you. I may not know what it's like to be a parent to a teenage daughter, but I do know what it was like to be a teenage girl. Ally needs to discover who she is, and be who she wants to be; not who her parents want her to be."

"Maybe one day you'll get a chance to understand the position that Emily and I are in." Jack sighed as he opened the door. "I'll tell Ally you said hello."

"Goodbye, Jack." Maura closed and locked the front door. A heavy sigh left her body as she turned and leant against the door. Walking over to the lounge, the M.E pulled a throw-rug from one end of the lounge and curled up with her phone in hand.

'Gross! I haven't heard from him in over a year. Since we emailed about the Weston case.'

'And if I wanted to sext someone, I don't like to receive pictures!'

'Shit I forgot about your date with Jack, I'll leave you to it! ;)'

'He left, we had a minor disagreement. What's that saying? The novelty is no longer there?'

'The novelty has wore off' 'Really?' 'Why?'

'I'm finding myself rather bored with him. It no longer feels we are compatible with one another.'

'I'm sorry Maur.' 'He is a bit of a bore tho.' 'At least he doesn't send dirty photos of shit you don't need to see.'

'While I am finally agreeing with you about Jack being rather boring, I have to admit that I wish I were on the receiving end of a risqué photograph.'

'Want me to forward it on to you? ;)'

'No, thank you. I'd rather receive a photo from someone I am attracted to, and as handsome as Det. Grant is, he is not my type. But thank you for asking x'

'Sometimes your innocence makes me smile. Wanna talk about Jack?'

'I think I may just get ready for bed and do some reading, but thank you, Jane. I'll see you tomorrow morning, good night xo'

'Night Maur, I'm always here x'

Walking over to the light by the doorway, Maura flicked the switch and slowly made her way up the flight of stairs. She entered the 4 pin code to her phone and smiled at the last message she had received from Jane. "Me too, Jane. Me too." She whispered into the night.

—

"So," Kent Drake began as he read through his morning report. "Have you figured it out yet?"

"I'm sorry?" Maura questioned; looking up from the computer screen in front of her.

"Your relationship with Jane." He paused. "When we were out on the boat, I told you I was trying to figure what was going on with the relationship between the two of you, and you said ''me too''" Cocking his head to the side. He made sure eye contact was made. "Have you figured it out?"

"Oh," Maura gently closed her laptop. She was hoping her understudy would have forgotten about the conversation. "I've hypothesised several theories, but I've yet to come to any conclusions." Maura answered with uncertainty In her voice. "I am beginning to think I will never have the answer."

"You? Never having an answer? Pffft!" Jane interrupted as she entered the M.E's office. "You know the answer to everything."

"Not everything."

"I wasn't at your house for breakfast this morning, so where was I and what did I have?" Jane folded her arms across her body as she challenged her best friend.

"A large black coffee, three sugars, a donut, and because I have chastised you several times over our years of friendship, I believe my words would have replayed in your mind and at the last second you would have grabbed the smallest green apple in the basket to the left of the counter."

"See, you know everything." Jane squinted and all of a sudden felt uneasy. "Were you and Ma there in a back booth or something because that is just creepy Maura, even for you and you hang out with dead people all day; so, creepy."

"Your last message to me was just after midnight, you probably stayed up a little later watching sport replays and eating the left over chicken gnocchi your mother cooked on Monday night; ignoring the fact I told you to throw it out as the risk of Staphylococcus Aureus, Campylobacter, and Listeria monocytogenes starts to increase after the 3rd day of keeping it in your refrigerator. " Maura paused and pointed her finger at the Detective who was about to interrupt. "Do not start on the reheating theory you confidently tell me about. I suspect you would have fallen asleep close to 2 am after checking your notifications on your Facebook, at 7:15am your alarm would have gone off, you snoozed it right until 7:45 am, where you raced to the bathroom, brushed your teeth and then your hair, dressed, left your home, and stopped at Boston Joe's before you clocked in at 8:23 am."

"Do you…do you have camera's set up everywhere in Jane's apartment, and a GPS attached to her phone?" Kent squinted at Maura as he analysed her.

Feeling suddenly exposed, Maura shuffled uncomfortably in her chair and looked down at the keyboard in front of her. "I just know Detective Rizzoli's habits and routines."

"Yeah you…do, so uh…" Jane was quick to changed the subject while she wondered how Maura knew practically how her entire night and morning had gone. "What is it that you don't have the answer to?"

"Just a private bet between the great Doc' and I." Kent offered an excuse.

"Riiiight," Jane squinted as she looked between the two Medical Examiner's. "Must be a weird Medical Examiner thing…"

"Must be," Maura stood and straightened her skirt. "What can I do for you?" She asked as a huge grin spread over her face.

"Ah my love, it is what I can do for you!" Jane swagged forward and placed a small container on Maura's desk. "For you, m'lady!"

"Oh?" Maura questioned as she opened the container. "Oh my god, is that Flutternutter?!" She took a triangle from the container and delicately bit into the sandwich.

"What? No, Maur, it's Fluffernutter" Jane corrected her best friend.

"…It's what?" Kent asked with confusion.

"Peanut butter and fluff!" The Detective declared.

"Like light downy particles of cotton?" Kent scrunched his face in disgust.

"That's what I said the first time I heard of it!"

"…You two could start a Medical Examiner's club with your little weird quirks." Jane shook her head and headed toward the door. "Enjoy being weird, weirdo's."

"Thank you." Maura smiled appreciatively at Kent.

"Not a problem, enjoy your peanut butter cotton." The off-sider placed his hands in his pockets.

"Would you like to try some?" Maura offered.

"I really…really would not. But thank you." Kent stepped outside Maura's office. "Keep theorising. You'll get there."

Sighing, Maura took a second bite of her fluffernutter and leaned back in her chair - allowing her thoughts to consume her.

—

J - 'How was the fluffernutters?'

M - 'They WERE divinely delicious; but very unhealthy.'

J - 'Is that the thanks I get? Jeez. I'll throw a kale and peanut salad together next time.'

M - 'That would be sweet, but unnecessary. Thank you for my snack.'

M - 'Are you busy tonight?'

J - 'You're welcome :). And I never have plans unless they are with you, so what are we doing? ;)'

M - 'Wine, popcorn, and Netflix Documentary?'

J - 'Beer, Pizza, and Netflix horror movie?'

M - 'Sigh.'

J - 'Me beer, you wine, Pizza, popcorn, and Thriller movie?'

M - 'You can have pizza, I'll have Chinese. Nothing scary please. x'

J - 'Okay, Chinese for me too, and of course not. I'd protect you from the scary movie anyway xx'

J - 'Back to paperwork, see you around 6 x'

M - 'You always do, see you then xo.'

—

"Do you tell Detective Rizzoli everything?"

Maura jumped and placed her hand on her chest. "I'm starting to understand what Jane means by you randomly popping up everywhere." Regaining her posture, she cleared her voice and placed her phone in her lab coat pocket. "Almost everything, yes. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Kent muttered under his breath as he pulled a pen from his jacket and signed the remaining of his paper work before he extended it to his boss.

"Are you interested in Detective Rizzoli?" Maura quizzed as she accepted the manila folder. "You seem to ask a lot of questions about her."

"Did you tell Jane about my screensaver on my phone," The M.E in training paused. "You'd of had to check the screen to know who's phone it was."

"I didn't, no. I don't believe that it's any of my business, or Detective Rizzoli's, to know that that you have an old photo of yourself set as screensaver to your own phone."

"Ah, the joy of dating someone who has similarities to yourself." Kent laughed and shook his head. "Although, you see us together, we aren't that similar."

"Oh." Maura fell quiet and looked stunned. "Hmm, I should know better to never assume."

"We've been dating for three years now," Kent pulled his phone from his pant pocket and brought up a photo of his boyfriend. "William Tanner, he lives in Scotland. The long distance thing has been tricky but we're uh…we're making do until he flies to visit next month."

"He's very handsome." Maura's smiled reached her eyes as Kent scrolled across and revealed a photo of both Kent and William in a typical selfie pose. "You do look very different when standing side by side."

"We've known each other for five years." He slipped his phone back into his pocket. "I never thought I would end up being with a guy I mean, I had dated men before, but also a lot of women." Kent cleared his throat and stuffed his hands into his pant pockets, and waited for Maura's eyes to reach his. "I never thought I'd fall in love with my best friend." He watched Maura fiddle with her fingers. "But after months of hypothesising several theories, the conclusion came as clear as day to me; I had fallen in love with William." As Maura's eyes reached his once again. "And I made it my mission to figure out if he had fallen in love with me."

"I see what you're saying."

"So do something about it before it's too late, Doctor Isles."

—

"Dinner has arrived!" Jane loudly announced as she entered Maura's home.

"I can both see and smell that." Maura popped a grape into her mouth. "I picked out a movie, it's not a thriller but we're watching it. 'You're Not You'. The trailer moved me and I believe it will meet your viewing requirements."

"Yeah I actually saw the preview of it, I'll watch it." Moving toward the island bench in the kitchen she placed the brown bags down. "Broccoli beef, Orange chicken, Crispy shrimp, Satay chicken, aaaand a family size vegetarian steamed rice!" Jane proudly presented the order of Chinese she had brought to her friends house.

"I'm sorry, I was unaware that you had invited your entire family for dinner!" Maura deadpanned.

"Oh c'mon you know me better than that, left overs!" Jane grinned as she knew the right ways to get on her best friends nerves.

"I'm not taking your bait, Jane." Maura passed a plate to Jane. "But if you wish to end up with gastroenteritis then that is completely fine with me."

Jane laughed as she began to serve both herself and Maura their dinner. "How many shrimps?"

"2, please."

"So 3?" The Detective asked as she placed 3 crispy shrimps upon her best friends plate. "You always end up either hinting for another one or stealing one from my plate, and that ain't happening tonight."

"Heaven forbid you share your food." Maura scoffed.

"Hey, I don't share it with anyone else but you…so know how much I love you to do that."

Maura blushed and looked down at her plate, her mind cast back to her conversation with Kent - tonight was going to be a long night.

—

"Aw Maur', c'mere." Jane wrapped her arms around Maura. The movie had ended and both women were in tears, Maura more so. "It's okay."

"It's devastating. What an awful, terrifying, and debilitating way to leave this world." Maura blew her nose.

"It was only a movie, sweetheart." Bringing the M.E closer, the Detective placed a kiss on her forehead. "It was only a movie."

"Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a real condition Jane." Maura began before stopping herself after the look she received from Jane. "Or Lou Gehrig's disease as you know it."

"In the end Kate had Bec, she didn't die alone."

Maura sighed and took a deep breath. "It's a great fear of mine." She revealed.

"Dying alone?" Jane watched as Maura nodded. "You'd never die alone, I'd make sure of that. Even when I die before you, I'll make sure there is someone who will be there for you."

"When you die before me?" Maura laughed as she brushed tears from her cheeks.

"Let's be real here, I eat unhealthy foods, I don't take care of myself, I'm in a more dangerous job than you, of course I'm gone before you."

"You have a healthier diet now, thanks to me. We jog together 3 times a week at the very least. And while you're job is certainly more dangerous at a glimpse but I've been kidnapped, twice, given one was by my biological father, I've been held hostage several times, dated a psychopath who tried to kill me…need I continue?"

"…Please don't remind me." Jane murmured.

"So Detective Grant…" Maura smirked as she turned the TV off. She laughed at Jane's classic vomit noise.

"It's flattering."

"It's disturbing." Jane challenged.

"So you would never send a suggestive photo to anyone?" Maura asked as she placed her phone on her lap.

"Maybe." Jane thought. "It would have to be with someone I'm really in to." She smiled. "And someone I'd like to receive a photo in return."

Both women sat in silence. Maura distracting herself with a word game on her cell, while Jane scrolled through Facebook. She came across a photo of herself with her mother and Maura. She absentmindedly stroked Maura's face and smiled; an action that didn't go unnoticed by the M.E.

"A few weeks ago, Kent left his phone on my table in my office." Maura looked to Jane to make sure she had her full attention. She was pleased as the detective put her phone on her left leg. "At first, I didn't know it was his so naturally I pressed the button for the phone to light up in the hope I would be successful in finding out who it belonged to." She paused, and licked her lips. "The photo on the lock screen was Kent."

"Oh my god, he has a selfie of himself on his phone?! I told you he is weird!" Jane buried her head in her hands and shook her head.

"Well, I at least thought it was him. It turns out the guy in the photo is actually William Tanner. Kent's boyfriend." Maura turned her head to Jane who sat with a puzzled face. "They look nothing alike when you see a photo of them close together." A nervous laugh escaped.

"…So Kent's gay?" Jane continued to look confused, taking in the information she had just received.

"I don't believe he has a defined sexuality, he doesn't label himself. He just…" Maura closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "Kent fell in love with his best friend." It was now or never. "He fell in love with his best friend, like I've…fallen in love with mine." The last of her sentence came out as a whisper, a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"...what?" Jane quietly mumbled; staring at Maura as she did.

"We were out on the boat and Kent said that he was still trying to figure out the relationship that you and I have, and I said "Me too"." Maura paused and licked her lips. She found herself playing with the hem of her dress. "I had never actually sat down and assessed our relationship until that day, and that night I found myself dissecting our friendship piece by piece."

"I know that this is a shock." Maura continued after the two ladies shared a comfortable silence. "For the both of us. And I'm not asking for you to return these…feelings." She frowned. "I don't even know what I want to happen, or expected to happen." Breathing through her nose, Maura let out a large sigh. "I just feel that I had to be completely honest with you."

"Okay." Jane whispered as she fumbled with the cushion that sat on her lap.

"Jane, can you please say something more than that? I don't want this to ruin our friendship." Maura pleaded.

"What?! Nothing could ever ruin us, Maur." Jane grabbed Maura's hand in hers and held it. "It's just…" She sighed.

"A lot to take in." Maura watched as Jane nodded. "Perhaps you should go home." Maura suggested. "I've had several weeks to process this revelation. You've merely had minutes."

"That's not a bad idea." Jane moved forward and sat on the edge of the lounge. "It's something that I need to think about. And in so many different ways."

"I don't care if you don't feel the same." Maura stood up as both she and Jane moved to the front door. "I'll learn to adapt to that. I couldn't…cope…if you no longer wanted to be in my life because of this."

"Wa"

"Please," Maura cut Jane off before she had the chance to even begin. "You're my best friend. My family. I couldn't…I wouldn't cope, Jane." She pulled her dress down and shifted uncomfortably.

"You and I are could never be apart, Maur. You're my best friend. I can't even go half a day without talking to you." Jane stepped forward and enveloped the smaller woman in the warmed embrace. "I just need thinking space. This is just a lot to take in. Either way. I need to think on my own." Jane kissed Maura on the top of her head. "I promise I'll text you later. I just need time."

—

The kitchen was clean. Spotless. Scrubbed to perfection, even. The lone wine glass was left to air dry on the sink, the take away containers correctly disposed of, the many tissues from countless tears over a movie were discarded and hands were re-washed for the 2nd time. The lounge tidy as it could be - Maura even attempted to rearrange the cushions, and the photos frames, and the candles...hell she was even attempted to rearrange the entire lounge room - anything to keep her mind from ticking over second by second. But even then the Medical Examiner wouldn't have had a moment of peace.

It was nearing midnight. Jane had left almost 3 hours ago and Maura hadn't heard from her best friend in the slightest of ways. Maura even opened the silly game she had installed on her phone purely to send Jane 'lives' when she was out of them, simply just to see if Jane was on her phone and hoped that seeing Maura's name would prompt her to text her, just as she promised.

Making her way into her ensuite, Maura removed her clothes and placed them in the clothes hamper. She sighed as the warm water cascaded down her body. She hoped a nice warm shower and perhaps a little read from her book would help calm herself.

00:31am was sprawled across the screen of Maura's phone as she checked it once she had made herself comfortable in bed. The Doctor was never on her phone this late, not unless she needed to be. With one last look at the time on her phone, she placed it face down and on charge and snuggled down into bed. She moved the eye mask from her forehead and placed it over her eyes; she prayed she would get some sleep.

—

7 yellow. 3 red. 6 blue. And a bomb. Jane sluggishly traced her fingers over the coloured gem stones that were on her phone. It was 12:54am and it had been a total of 9 minutes since the Detective had sent Maura a message.

She knew that her best friend was probably fast asleep and she cursed herself for sending a message that needed urgent reading and preferably urgent replying.

Opening iMessage, Jane tapped Maura's name and re-read over her message. 'Do you think you would have told me if it wasn't for Kent?' she sighed and placed her phone face up on her stomach. Thankfully tomorrow was her day off, because tonight's forecast had 0% chance of sleep.

—

Maura woke and stared at her clock. 1:37am; a time unfamiliar with Maura, unless she had been called out to a crime scene. Reaching for her cell, she pressed the centre button and squinted as the brightness lit up what felt like the entire bedroom. 1 message from Jane appeared on the screen.

'I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that.' Maura hit send. 'And for that I'm sorry.'

'I'm glad you told me.'

'You are?' 'Have you even had enough time to think it over?'

5 minutes had past since Maura had heard from Jane. Had she fallen back to sleep? Perhaps. Knowing Jane like Maura did, she knew the detective would never fall asleep at a serious moment. Jane couldn't sleep at the best of times, let alone at a time like this. Perhaps she had gone to the toilet and not taken her phone? No, Jane always takes her phone with her. Maura rolled her eyes as she recalled conversations about bacteria that would end up infesting on Jane's phone. Maybe Jo Friday needed to use the little dog's room? But even then Jane would take her phone with her.

The Medical Examiner jumped as her phone vibrated in her hand.

'I have'

Reading the vague two words over and over again, Maura let out a shaky breath and replied.

'And?'

Her heart began to pound in her chest as her eyes widened at the image that she had just received. There on her screen was a picture of Jane's hand inside her black panties with three simple words. 'Thinking of you x'

With a wicked grin on her face, Maura Isles slid her right hand down inside of her green panties and snapped a photo. 'As am I about you x' she replied; And as it turns out tonight was going to be a lot longer than expected.

The End.

Author's note:

In the hope that somebody reads this:

I'm almost ashamed to say I began writing this in August of 2015. It's taken me almost a year to write this and I feel it has been worth it.

It isn't the best thing written, perhaps not the best thing I have written but I am proud of it. There's just something about it that I like,

and I hope that other people like it as well.

Encouragement is always, always appreciated. Criticism welcomed as well, but please don't be rude.

Thank you for reading.

- MT.