Dr. Maura Isles carefully scrutinized the man lying face down in a puddle of blood and garbage. This was her third homicide as Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and just like the first two, she would be taking meticulous care to bring the victim the closure that he obviously never had in life.

As she examined her latest patient, Maura took in the whole picture of the man; his leather boat shoes, the factory-worn jeans, and the obviously tailored oxford shirt that had long since become entirely too saturated with blood all denoted someone who was, in life, fairly well off.

Maura was so engrossed in examining the body for preliminary evidence that she didn't hear the sound of the car pulling up at the end of the alley. She didn't notice when the door closed, and she was far too engrossed to acknowledge the sound of footsteps when they came to a halt beside her as she continued to kneel over the body, immersed in the sights and smells of the scene surrounding her.

"Hey doc, you in there?" Maura let out a hum to acknowledge the voice behind her. As she stood, she noticed a blue Crown Victoria parked at the end of the street that had not been there before, and turned to face the man waiting for an answer from her.

Korsak stood next to her, an amused smirk on his face as he watched the doctor collect herself before he continued. "You're the new C.M.E., right? Doctor…uh…"

"Maura Isles." Maura smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress before offering her hand to the detective standing before her. He took her hand and smiled as he introduced himself. "Detective Vince Korsak. A pleasure to meet you, Doc." As they shook hands, he knitted his brow and nodded toward the body.

"You have any idea who our vic is?" He asked. They both turned their attention to the reason why they were standing in the middle of an odorous alley on what was turning out to be a particularly sweltering day.

"According to the I.D. we found, the victim's name is Leonard Standie; age 26. Died of a gunshot wound to the head approximately 6 hours ago. Other injuries include a broken hand, what appears to be a shattered occipital bone (unrelated to the gunshot wound), and a dislocated shoulder. Preliminary evidence reveals a hair which does not belong to the victim and a pair of gold hoop earrings."

Maura tilted her head and took off the pair of blue gloves currently making her hands sweat in the midday heat. "I'll need to get the body back to the lab to perform further analysis before I can tell you anything more detailed than that."

Korsak nodded his approval. "Sounds good to me." He looked down at his watch and frowned a bit, then felt his phone go off in his pocket and quickly reached for it. "Korsak."

Maura turned away and looked around the body for anything else she may have missed. She studied the blood covering the ground, black and nearly congealed, pooling underneath the victim's head and chest, thick and dark as relief ink. She kneeled down once again and used a probe to pick through the pieces of skull littering the ground around the body, trying to look for something amiss among all of the detritus. She looked up again when she heard Korsak close his phone.

He smiled down at her apologetically. "My partner will be here any second. Rizzoli's going to want to see the body before you get the techs to move it." He followed Maura with his eyes as she stood up and brushed herself off once again, wrapping the probe inside her discarded gloves. "That all right with you?"

She looked up at him once again and smiled, the expression on her face congenial. "Of course, detective." She pointed to the crime scene technicians pouring through the garbage bins lining both sides of the alleyway and said, "I'll go tell CSRU to wait to move the body until your partner arrives."

Korsak watched her as she walked briskly toward the group of techs, taking in the way she was dressed, wondering if this call had interrupted a brunch date or if she was just out to impress the dead people she worked with all day. He'd heard about the newest addition to the BPD, but until today he never had any reason to go down to meet her. If this was how she dressed all the time, maybe he needed to start making reasons.

"I hope there's another dead body over there, cause if you're staring at the crime scene techs that intensely, people might start talking."

Korsak turned around at the sound of his partner's voice and smiled. "The crime scene techs aren't what I'm looking at, Rizzoli. Check out the new C.M.E." He pointed toward the woman originally blocked from Detective Rizzoli's view and chuckled when he heard her low whistle. She looked at him and asked, "Did we interrupt a date or does she dress like that to impress all the vics?"

Jane took in the sight of the woman facing away from her. Three-inch heels cradled feet that held aloft long, sculpted legs, cut short by the hem of a modest-yet-tight-fitting light grey pencil skirt which gave way to a matching blazer whose sleeves were pushed up to her forearms. Jane noted the way the C.M.E. spoke with her hands, and followed their movement as she pushed her deep honey blonde hair away from her face, which Jane was now dying to see.

Korsak laughed, jarring his partner out of her study. "You know, I was just asking myself the same thing. Maybe you should go talk to her and bring it up. I think she'd take a question like that better from you."

Jane looked over at her partner and scoffed. "Why? Because I'm a woman, or because you're a creep?" She slapped his arm and shook her head. "How about we examine this body over here instead of asking inappropriate questions to a complete stranger?" She turned her attention to the victim lying on the ground and stole a quick glance at the C.M.E. before focusing on the task at hand.

Maura finished speaking with the crime scene techs and turned around to head back to Detective Korsak, immediately taking note of a woman standing over the body at the other end of the wide alley. As she started toward the pair, Maura let her eyes wander over the form of the woman who was, she presumed, Korsak's partner. She noted the woman's clothes immediately, taking in her practical boots, her off-the-rack selection of black trousers, and the light blue three-quarter length button down which fit her body almost better than the victim's custom-tailored oxford fit him.

Maura studied her hands as they pushed back tendrils of long, dark, curly brown hair, and she smiled faintly when she saw the look of concentration mask the detective's face as she placed her hands on her hips and focused on the body in front of her.

When she was halfway down the alley, Maura saw the other woman look up toward her, and it caused her to slow her pace to a near stop. A pair of dark brown eyes found her own, and the only thing that kept Maura moving was the fact that she felt compelled to get a closer look at the detective who now seemed rooted to her own spot amidst the crime scene.

Jane watched the C.M.E. walk toward her and felt her eyes go a bit wide. The blouse underneath the blazer was a dark, rich blue, and offset her complexion as though it was made specifically for the task. She looked at the way her hips swayed underneath her skirt and felt herself cocking a half-smile as the new Medical Examiner made her way over.

Once the doctor was near enough, Jane held out her hand and tilted her head upward a bit; "You must be the new C.M.E. for us here in Boston." She felt the softness of the woman's skin against her own callouses as the two shook hands. "Detective Jane Rizzoli."

Maura smiled warmly at her and replied, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Detective. Your name precedes you; I heard quite a bit about you from Dr. Saunders before he left for Virginia. It seems he thinks very highly of you."

Jane laughed and shook her head, "The only thing that old man thought highly of was whether or not you knew what he wanted on his sandwiches, and whether or not you brought one down for him from the deli." She looked over at Korsak when she heard him laugh and smiled. "Lucky for me, he and I take ours the same way. Ours was a friendship written in the stars."

Maura smiled up at Jane and chuckled along with Korsak, losing herself the moment of easy camaraderie before she even had a chance to analyze what was happening. When she became aware of the fact that she was blending in so effortlessly with the two people in front of her, her laughter died down, but her smile remained just as wide. When Jane finally pointed to the body lying on the ground, she looked over at Maura and said, "Thanks for leaving everything as-is until I got here. Korsak could have processed the scene, but –"

Korsak scoffed. "I know how you are, Rizzoli. Don't try and feed that 'Korsak could have processed the scene' line to Dr. Isles here; she doesn't know you're full of shit yet." He laughed and dodged the hand that came flying out at his arm.

Maura looked at him, tilted her head and said, "Even though it's not always possible, I try not to upset a crime scene until all relevant parties have acquainted themselves with it to their satisfaction. As the newest addition to the BPD, it would be inadvisable for me to start off one of my first cases by angering a detective whom I expect to be working with intimately over the next several years." She smiled at Korsak and looked at Jane, furrowing her eyebrows slightly. "Since you've been with this homicide unit for several years, Detective Rizzoli, I think it's safe to say that I'll be working with you indefinitely on any number of cases, yes?"

Jane let out a breathy laugh and nodded. "I think it's pretty safe to assume, yeah." She looked down at her feet and hooked her thumbs into her trouser pockets, then back to Maura. "And call me Jane. If we're going to be working with each other indefinitely on any number of cases, we might as well skip the formalities. Takes too long anyway, wouldn't you say, Dr. Isles?"

Maura reached down for her M.E.'s bag, placing the blue gloves inside as she looked around the scene for anything she may have forgotten. After a cursory glance, she turned her attention back to Jane and said, "I think I'd have to agree. And please, Jane, call me Maura. I already know I'm a doctor. I think I could live without the professional validation from at least one person." She looked up at Jane through her lashes and, for just a moment, Jane thought she saw Maura smirk before she turned around to speak to the crime scene techs who were starting to move the body.

Jane and Korsak moved away from the victim and began to investigate the scene farther down the alley. They looked for any signs of struggle or anything out of place, a difficult task when the alley itself was a disaster area without the dead man congesting the opposite end. Jane moved over to a nearby dumpster, scanning it for any potential evidence. She nudged Korsak and motioned toward Maura, asking quietly, "Is she for real?"

Korsak shook his head. "I don't know about 'real', but she's something." He looked at Jane, smiling, and said, "I like her."

Jane laughed and retorted, "You like her ass in that skirt is what you like."

Korsak put a hand to his heart and said, "I am a man of breeding, Jane. I'm offended you would imply that I have, in any way, acted in a fashion unbecoming that of a gentleman."

Jane shoved him playfully and took a moment to look over at the doctor while Korsak turned away to continue processing the scene. She couldn't help but notice the way Maura's skirt hugged her hips and expertly displayed what had to be the best looking ass Jane had ever laid eyes on. She followed the skirt to her blazer, and trailed her eyes upward to rest on hands which were currently occupied in conversation.

Jane studied Maura's animated features as she explained something to one of the crime scene technicians currently zipping up the body. She felt a small smile forming on her lips as she followed Maura's hands to her hips. When Jane realized that the Medical Examiner was no longer speaking with the tech, she glanced up to find Maura staring directly at her. Jane's eyes grew wide as she quickly realized that she had just been caught while blatantly checking out her new colleague.

Maura cocked a perfectly arched eyebrow and rested her weight on one hip, crossing her arms loosely in front of her. She tilted her head downward slightly and appraised the woman a few yards in front of her. A slow, seductive smile spread across her face as she lowered her lashes and shook her head.

She walked toward the detective slowly, taking care to look as unassuming as possible as she observed Jane silently attempting to gather up the remainder of her professional dignity. "Is something wrong, Jane?" She asked as she uncrossed her arms and placed a hand on Jane's forearm.

Jane looked down at the hand now resting on her arm and shook her head, glancing over at Korsak briefly before looking back down at Maura. "No," She said, placing one hand on her hip in a weak display of confidence. "I was just…noticing that you talk with your hands a lot." She motioned toward Maura's hands with her own as she cringed inwardly, silently hoping that Maura let her off the hook for being so painfully obvious.

Maura smiled and removed her hand from Jane's arm to point upward at nothing in particular. "Studies show that those who speak with their hands are generally considered to be warmer, more articulate, and intelligent, while those who speak using only verbal communication tend to be viewed as somewhat cold and analytical. Body language is incredibly important when attempting to convey an idea or understand what a person is or is not saying." She let out a satisfied hum and continued.

"For instance," Maura unabashedly raked her eyes over the detective as she said in a voice meant only for the two of them to hear, "I could deduce from the way your eyes widened in surprise a few moments ago that you had no intention of ever being caught observing me in such an intimate manner." Maura's eyes met Jane's and held them in a gaze that made Jane's throat hot and her chest tight. When she felt her pupils dilating, Jane knew her blush had reached from her chest to her cheeks.

Jane didn't have time to say anything before Korsak came up beside the two women and broke the moment. He peeled off his blue gloves and looked between the two of them confusedly. "Am I interrupting something?" He asked, only half-joking.

Jane tore her eyes away from Maura's and shook her head. "No," She said quickly, shoving her hands into the pockets of her trousers. "Maura and I were just conferring on the state of the body and the cause of death." Jane looked at Maura with a silent plea in her eye, hoping that she wouldn't be called out over the fact that she had just been caught red-handed while scrutinizing every delectable inch of the woman in front of her.

Maura nodded her head slightly as she looked at Detective Korsak. "I'm headed back to the lab now to await the arrival of the body. I should have my initial report finished by the end of the day, barring any unforeseen circumstances." She looked at Jane and creased her brow worriedly. "You might want to see a doctor, Detective. Your cheeks are rather flushed."

Jane stared blankly at her computer screen as she aimlessly sifted through Leonard Standie's credit report. Page after page of purchases and bills that meant absolutely nothing to the woman whose mind was currently in the basement with a woman who was most likely elbow deep in their victim's chest cavity. She leaned forward in the chair and rested her elbows on the desk, running frustrated hands through her hair as she grasped blindly for even the slightest bit of focus.

After five minutes, Jane realized that the only thing she was currently able to focus on was how the doctor had nary a panty line under her skirt. She let out a loud sigh and pushed herself away from her desk, then stood up and glanced over at her partner who was currently immersed in a thick stack of papers. "I'm going down to see if Maura's finished up with the autopsy. Let me know if you find anything in that mess you're looking through now." She heard him grunt in reply as she headed out of homicide and down to the morgue.

Jane made her way to the autopsy suite, allowing the knot in her stomach to slow her steps as she reached the entrance. She looked through the plate glass door and took a moment to study the doctor as she worked over the body currently lying on her slab. She smiled softly to herself as she noted how short the Medical Examiner actually was when she was out of her high heels. Silently, Jane opened the door and walked in, careful not to disturb the woman working in front of her.

Maura looked up and smiled when she heard Jane enter the room. "Detective. Wonderful to see you again; and so soon after our last encounter." She began the Y-incision and asked, "What can I help you with?"

Jane watched the flawless execution of line as she fought for her voice. "I just wanted to, uh… apologize for before. I didn't mean to, you know…check you out at the crime scene." She shifted uncomfortably at her admission and clasped her hands together nervously. "That's never happened before, and you have my word that it will never happen again."

Maura finished the Y-incision and pulled down her face guard when she was ready to peel back the skin covering the body's chest and abdomen. She looked up at Jane through the plexiglass protector. "Don't apologize." She began to peel back the right side of the man's chest. "If you want permission to, as you put it, 'check me out', might I suggest asking me out on a date? I think we would both be far more comfortable in a setting where we could be more open with each other physically."

Jane cocked her head to the side and asked with not a small amount of incredulity lacing her voice, "Are you asking me to ask you out while you're cutting open a dead person?"

Maura stopped her actions momentarily and pushed up her facial guard with the back of her hand to look at Jane. "Perhaps you should pay attention to the words and not the setting."

Jane put her hands on her hips and shook her head as she smiled down at Maura. "So I take it to mean that if I were to ask you out, you would say yes?"

Maura narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly, releasing a ponderous hum. "I don't know, Jane. I can't give an answer to a question that has not yet been posited."

Jane pursed her lips and smiled tightly as she studied Maura, who was back to work on the body in front of her. "I'm going for coffee in a few hours. If my calculations are correct, you should be done by the time I'm feeling drained enough to need caffeine. Would you like to join me?"

Maura looked up and smiled warmly at Jane through her visor. "Jane, are you asking me out on a date?"

Jane stared at Maura over the half-skinned body. "Absolutely not." She crossed her arms and chuckled when she saw Maura's smile fade into a confused frown. "When I ask you out on a date, there won't be any dead bodies around, and you won't look like you just came out of a Gallagher Halloween special."

Maura furrowed her eyebrows and said, "I'm not sure I understand your reference."

Jane blinked in disbelief. "Gallagher? Watermelons? Huge wooden mallet?" She loosely mimed swinging a large mallet in the air as she searched Maura's face for any signs of recognition. When Maura remained silent, Jane shook her head and bit her lip. "It's like I'm speaking a foreign language here."

Maura perked up and asked, intrigued, "Do you speak a foreign language, Detective?"

"I think that's more of a date question, Maura." Jane's lips parted into a rakish smile as she backed out of the morgue, holding Maura's gaze the whole time. "Listen, call me when you get finished here and we'll go for coffee. Then maybe – maybe – I'll ask you out on that date." When her back hit the door, she pushed it open and nodded to the Medical Examiner. "I'll see you later, Doctor Isles."