Disclaimer: All recognizable Rizzoli & Isles characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners including, but not limited to Tess Gerritsen. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this fanfiction story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No financial gain is associated with the publishing of this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: It's been awhile due to a health hiccup. Now that I'm able to focus on writing, I actually hit a major bit of writer's block with my piece "To Get Me To You," so I used this piece as a vessel to get me through it. It's a fluffy one-shot. All Rizzles, all the time. I promise to return to the other piece and complete it soon. Thank you for your patience. -dkc

Tension

The precinct hummed with the tension only a murder case brought. It was past midnight on what had been an awful day. Jane had been short tempered, matched only by Vince Korsak in frustration level. It had been two weeks since a nosey neighbor stumbled upon the slain body of a BCU professor in her private backyard. They had been working around the clock to find the suspect who showed all the signs of repeating his brutal handiwork.

"Why have they not found a way to speed up DNA testing? AFIS takes a fraction of the time on prints," the detective whined.

Sitting in the bullpen with Korsak, they could do nothing but wait.

"You mean Hollywood has been lying to us about DNA tests?" Korsak joked.

"If only that," Jane said.

They both heard the telltale sounds of the approaching doctor: high heels clicking on the tile floors. Maura came through the doorway quickly and with a determined look on her face.

"I thought you went home?" Jane stood as Maura approached her desk.

"I was leaving my office when I got a phone call from the lab," she handed the paper she had been holding to the detective. "The DNA results are being rechecked to make sure there isn't a mistake."

Looking over the printout, Jane seemed very confused.

"I don't understand. Why are the two DNA samples both from the victim and being submitted for comparison?" Jane handed the paper to Korsak.

"They aren't both samples from the victim," Maura said.

"You're going to have to spell it out for me, Maur," Jane continued in a whiney tone. "It's late."

Taking a step toward Korsak, reaching for the printout and pointing to the second column, she spoke with confidence and a sympathetic look for Jane.

"They are similar, but not the same. The victim and the murderer are related."

"What?!" Jane whipped her head toward Korsak. "Could it be?"

When the older detective shrugged, Jane turned back to Maura with a look of relief. They had a lead. Reacting with a burst of energy, Jane wrapped her arms around the doctor's waist, lifting her off her tall heels and spinning her around. Maura's surprise came out in a squeal.

"Jane!" she cried. "Put me down!"

Instead of doing exactly that, Jane held tight, locking eyes with the doctor. They were both exhausted and both giddy with the thought of being close to cracking this case. With bodies pressed together there was also something else. The tension around them with the case was also evident in their bodies. For a moment, though, that tension was about something else entirely.

"Jane," Maura tried again, this time her voice lacked silliness.

The doctor knew it was adrenaline causing Jane's eyes to darken or at least that's what she thought until she realized she had a lock of Jane's hair in her fingers and their mouths were increasingly close together.

"We compiled a list of immediate family and all relatives in Boston," Korsak's voice startled them both.

Jane released Maura and stepped away. The doctor spotted the subtle blushing of her friend's cheeks. She sensed something big had happened, but didn't want to misplace her hope.

"I'm going to grab my things from my office and go home. Call if I can do anything," Maura said as she walked out of the bullpen.

"Thanks, Doc!" Korsak hollered at the retreating M.E.

Jane looked toward the door as Korsak showed her the list and formulated a plan.

"Jane?" he tried to get her attention.

When she looked at him and he knew she was a million miles away. He knew that look.

"Go!" he nodded in the direction Maura had just gone. "You go say goodbye. I'll get the addresses and meet you at the car."

Not feeling the need to explain or deny anything to Korsak, Jane hurried away. Flying down the stairwell, she stopped and took a few deep breaths before opening the door to the morgue. She walked quickly toward the back where Maura's office was located from the stairwell. She was surprised when she got there to find the doctor sitting behind her desk gazing at one spot on the wall, completely lost in thought.

"Hey," she spoke softly to keep from startling Maura.

"What are you doing?" she turned and asked with confusion.

"I just have a minute or two."

Not offering an explanation, Jane walked toward the seated doctor. Caught off guard by whatever brought her friend downstairs, Maura stood and raised an eyebrow at the approach.

"Jane?" she questioned.

"Let's be honest for a second, okay?" her tone was serious though flirtatious. "We have lots of moments, moments that we ignore, mostly. That was a moment upstairs."

The doctor was no idiot. Jane was right. She was rendered speechless because Jane was being open about it.

"How many more moments do we ignore, Maur?" she was now standing directly in front of the silent woman.

This had been going on for years. They bantered, they flirted and they lived in denial of their feelings. And recently it became something they couldn't keep playing chicken with. They flirted, they touched and like earlier, they nearly kissed.

"Jane..." Maura spoke with a thick, sultry voice.

Before a verbal response came, Jane's lips were on Maura's. Her scarred hand tangled in honey tendrils, her thumb at the side of Maura's face. The kiss was passionate. There was no need to test the waters. They both knew how the other felt, perhaps they always had.

"Oh," Maura gasped when their mouths parted.

Jane's eyes opened as the phone on the desk rang. They both let out exasperated noises.

"You should get that in case it's the lab again," Jane released the doctor.

"Dr. Isles," Maura answered.

On the other end of the line was Korsak. He explained that he'd grabbed the list and was at the cruiser waiting for Jane. Maura was many things, but she wasn't a fool. She could hear the smile in Korsak's voice. He knew why Jane was in the basement. He, like Frost had been able to, could read Jane well. And he must have read into their exchange upstairs.

"I'll send her right up," Maura spoke into the receiver. "Yes, goodnight."

When Maura hung up the phone she looked to Jane and wondered if the phone call had ruined the moment. That question was answered when Jane placed a gentle hand on the doctor's bicep and stepped close once again.

"I have to go now," she said apologetically.

Maura nodded, realizing that she was wishing for their not to be a case right now. She found herself wishing that she and Jane could simply go home to sleep, albeit in one another's arms.

"I don't know how long this will take. You should go home. But when it's over, we can have…" she paused here, her hand was now lightly rubbing up and down Maura's arm. "…another moment."

At this they both smiled. They weren't ready to spell out what it was that was going on between them, but admitting that they had been having these moments for years in varying degrees was a big step for Jane, if not for Maura, too.

"Goodnight, Jane," Maura hummed, stepping forward and placing a gentle, lingering kiss to the detective's lips.

It took a lot to make Jane Rizzoli speechless. There she stood, lost in the reflection of hazel eyes, completely without words.

Maura chuckled and gave Jane a teasing shove. Rolling her eyes and nodding, Jane turned to leave the office and get back to the case. She paused for a moment in the doorway to the doctor's office. And she was reassured looking at her friend that yes, the tension was still there.

-finis-