A/N: With the recent tragedy of Michael Winchester's senseless death (Southwest Airline employee of nearly 30 years killed by a disgruntled, former employee) on November 15, 2016 at Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City, OK… my emotions have been extremely raw, all over the place and this time of year (last 2 weeks of November) always being hard on a personal level. So, along with my "Half & Half 5Ks" (1.5 mile run and 1.5 mile swim), had to channel my raw emotions into something.

With the beginning 2 episodes of Season 5 "Rizzoli & Isles" being just as emotionally raw with the equal feelings the actors in real life felt, it seemed appropriate to channel them through Vuk's perspective of "Volume V."

This Vignette(s) spanning Episodes 1 & 2 of Season 5 are especially dedicated in memory of: Lee Thompson Young and Michael K. Winchester.

I'm trembling… literally shaking. Jane Rizzoli is trembling too- her knees bouncing non-stop after taking a seat on the bed of Dr. Maura Isles' guest bedroom. The extreme, near unfathomable pit of dread that has settled within us both ever since Vincent Korsak's phone call continues to build.

Neither the human nor I speak to each other. What is there to say? What can anyone say to somehow… improve? Improve the feelings we're currently experiencing?

"Your body's producing a cocktail of hormones…" Dr. Isles' words from earlier come back to my recollection.

So, a "cocktail of emotions" then? Because there's certainly more than a few of those brewing and surging within Jane and me right now!

A sudden noise captures my hearing via the human ears. Jane doesn't seem to notice or even care about this sudden sound and I can only sigh as I take on the investigating role. I sigh again to discover the sound to be one of the heels of Jane's boots tapping on the bare floor, just off the edge of the area rug. It wouldn't be surprising if we've been collectively trembling as well ever since that phone call…

"I'm astonished," I jab at my human symbiant. "You're actually NOT annoyed, or upset, or 'whatever it is' you feel whenever Angela comes up here?"

The dark eyed, raven-haired detective only simultaneously crosses and rolls her eyes at my remark as we see our human mother go "smother" Frankie. Any retort Jane had was immediately evaporated as we noticed Korsak suddenly sit down heavily in his desk chair. While any casual observer may not have noticed the very minute changes in the older cop's face, Jane Rizzoli could instantly tell something was wrong. My sensory-driven nature detected the few sudden emotional spikes within him… shock being the dominant one.

"What is it?!" I anxiously wondered as the Sergeant's eyes met Jane's. In fact, I cannot recall if anyone echoed my question aloud. Could I have possibly projected it into his mind like we've been able to do with Maura, my Human Friend?

Vince presses his phone's speaker into his shoulder. "It's Maura," his grave tone of voice captures Angela and Frankie's attention while Jane's (and mine) vision continue to bore, transfixed at Korsak. "Frost was driving home from his mother's… there's been an accident."

We barely register our human mother's gasp as everyone briefly looks at one another just before gathering up coats, keys, and other effects. Along with Jane Rizzoli, I too am in a daze… however, I register more awareness of everything taking place than the human does. In fact, there is somewhat of a "separation barrier" between our individual natures… more than the "typical divide" that differentiates our personalities. It's natural for the human to withdraw into herself. To shove all of her emotions aside or down and behind a metaphorical wall or box.

Somehow we all end up in the same, unmarked police sedan. Frankie and the Rizzoli mother in the back with us in the front passenger seat and Sergeant Korsak behind the wheel. Wordlessly, Jane switches on the red and blue lights mounted discretely throughout the car as Vince steers out of the parking garage. There's very little radio traffic as our siren blares through the chilled night. Whether it's shut off or Vince possibly turned down the volume down or switched to a secondary, talk around channel, I personally don't care. Jane either doesn't pay the radio any mind or is refraining from listening.

While I'm of a more realistic (or pessimistic?) mindset, I too, am holding onto a small, fragile piece of hope along with my human counterpart.

Perhaps EMTs, along with Dr. Isles, could have revived the young detective? There are actual events in which people were miraculously brought back after being "medically dead" for a while. Maybe the M.E. could've missed a very faint pulse and mistakenly…

"Maura making a mistake?" Jane finally speaks to me. She's mildly incredulous in her inquiry regarding my thinking. But she too is trying to keep her emotions reigned in… and holding out some small hope as me.

The tension is palpable in the car, everyone staying quiet. Unfortunately, our internal conversation couldn't break the tension even if we wanted too. I only shrug before finally speaking after several moments. "Even our human friend is willing to admit she's fallible. Even though we seldom see her make mistakes, it doesn't…"

"Shut up!" Jane quickly cuts me off as she huffs a sigh, pushing some unruly locks over a shoulder. "Please… just be quiet! It's taking every bit of my energy just to stay focused here!"

I struggle to repress my reflexive growl… it goes against practically every instinct of mine to be ordered into silence. While these incidents between me and the human are uncommon to rare, the ramifications are on the borderline of disastrous! *1

Like the opposite ends of a magnet or battery, our individual natures have diametrically opposing responses to such events as this. Pretty much every time the human strives to put a restraint on my requirement to "burst out" emotionally, it's never a good outcome!

The flashing seas of blue and red and few amber and white lights captures our vision as Sergeant Korsak slows the car to a halt. While it doesn't seem to be very many emergency vehicles, somehow all the flashing colors- primarily blue, have made this particular area of night to be near-day.

I stretch out my senses as the humans all get out of the sedan. Jane's long strides put us ahead of the others as we hone in on Maura's scent… and we also smell Frost's.

"Perhaps they've been able to do something," I blurt out as our sight captures an ambulance near a wrecked vehicle. "Maybe it's…"

Our eyes finally detect the medical examiner, who's knelt down by a blanket-covered body. Although we briefly catch Barry's vehicle, neither of us take in the details. All that exists in this blue-lit world is our Human Friend and Detective Partner.

I feel Maura sensing our presence and she reverently lowers the corner of the blanket back down to the asphalt, covering the portion of Frost she was viewing. The expression on her face as the doctor turns to look over her shoulder at us… it has ended any lingering doubt and crushed all remaining hope.

"NO!" I growl to Jane. "I can still smell him!"

A mild red haze settles into my vision as Maura approaches our quickening stride. "Something can still be done! His scent's still here! Why isn't the doctor doing anything?!" My protests intensify, responding to the sad shaking of the medical examiner's head. A more saddening expression fills her eyes, conveying that she's "hearing" my thought projection, which seeps in through my outbursts to Jane.

As much as I continue to deny it, fate's reality continues to set in as gravity seems to let go of Jane and makes me want to surge forward, to proceed to Frost's side, until I am caught up in the ginger blonde's firm embrace. She simultaneously restrains and supports the detective as she repeats the words: "There's nothing you can do!" as I still try to refuse acknowledging the truth… the new, harsh reality we're entering into. The tragic truth of Barry Frost as I detect his fading scent. The very last remaining essence of him drifting away by the chilly wind.

"He's gone," Maura's voice rasps as she continues to hold us in her arms. Her emotional barrier too is breaking and we scarcely feel the tidal waves of emotion come from Frankie and Angela behind us.

A whimper of mine combines with Jane's throaty moan as our human friend slightly pulls back, keeping a mild restraint via her arms on the detective. My symbiant feels Korsak come up along her opposite side and quickly reaches out for him as another combined whimper escapes Jane's throat. The man's hand promptly clasps hers and squeezes tightly. As much as Vince tries keeping it together, unshed tears are building in his eyes. Our peripheral vision catches the M.E. turning back to view the scene that Jane and I refuse to look away from. Nothing else is said aloud as the team collectively feels each other's pain and grief.

I want to roar! Howl in rage! Howl unto whoever runs the afterlife that the most worthy soul I've ever known is on his way! While I can understand some of the Catholic faith along with the particular Christian faith Barry Frost upheld, I've no doubt all the Rizzoli's will agree Barry is gone directly to Heaven- bypassing, or not requiring Purgatory at all. Even when handling criminal suspects, the young human treated them with the same amount of respect he would have with victims and surviving family we encountered while working homicide cases.

Why are the really good, exceptional human beings always taken before their time?! There's no reason for this!

Maura rubs Jane's shoulder extra firmly as my internal growls vibrate within the human body. Korsak intensifies his grip on Jane's hand in response. Hopefully the Sergeant only chalks it to my symbiant's quivering to her attempts in keeping her own emotions at bay. Or possibly shivering at the increasing chill in the air.

How long we all stand there, I don't know. Even the patrol officers managing the accident scene somehow have even been able to hold vigil along with us until the appropriate vehicle arrives to transport Barry Frost's body to the morgue. Somehow everyone responds without a single word being spoken, forming two lines along both sides of the vehicle as the two attendants gently transfer the young detective's body onto a stretcher under Dr. Isles' supervision.

Now Jane and I are unable to bear even glancing at the blanket covered gurney as we stand beside Sgt. Korsak while Frankie faces opposite of us across the small corridor created by us and the other patrol cops and two medics from the ambulance. *2 Angela stands behind us, viewing the scene between her daughter and Vince's shoulders. Unable to bear our human mother's having to bear the sadness alone, Jane actually reaches back with her left hand and Angel graciously accepts her daughter's hand. The younger Rizzoli grounds her teeth together as our human mother squeezes our hand much tighter than anticipated. Sensing Jane's unspoken request, I contribute some strength in my symbiant's grip before we loose all feeling in our hand.

We then feel Angela hugging Jane from behind; resting a cheek into her daughter's shoulder after one of the morgue attendants gently closes the door after Barry Frost is safely transferred inside. The assembled emergency personnel and the police officers slowly drop their hand salute, which had been held throughout the process of Detective Frost's body being transferred from the ground to the stretcher and the stretcher being graciously carried to and transferred into the morgue van.

With the continued, non-verbal communication, or maybe it's just instinctive protocol developed by years of training, one of the marked vehicles takes the lead, escorting the morgue vehicle with Korsak, Jane, Frankie and Angela in their unmarked directly behind the van. Dr. Maura Isles forms up behind us in her personal vehicle with her caution lights flashing and another marked police cruiser behind her. Another two marked police cruisers take chase in which they block off intersecting streets so our "Grief Convoy" can pass through without hindrance.

Jane and I hear some low talking of our human brother's voice coming from the back seat. Due to complete silence on Angela's part, we can only assume the younger Detective Rizzoli is speaking on his phone… likely to our Unit Commander, Lieutenant Cavanaugh.

"Shouldn't Korsak be doing all that?" I remark to my human symbiant as we realize what Frankie is truly doing.

Jane only huffs a sigh, causing Vince to reach over a gently rub his partner's arm for several moments. While it's not the reason for the human's sigh, we're both nevertheless grateful for the older man's gesture.

"At this point," Jane finally answers, "I don't think it really matters who does it… So long as everything is done properly."

I can only rumble in my understanding. Is definitely not the time to squabble over such minute details. Had I still had the attitudes I did at least ten years ago, I likely would have been pleased at Vince Korsak's lack of attention to this particular duty he is really supposed to be doing instead of our human brother. *3

"Please don't dwell on it," the human tiredly requests. "Let's try to keep our sole collective focus here and now."

I rumble my agreement again and silently convey my apologies, which the detective instantly conveys her assurances of non-offense. She conveys her unconscious habit too of analyzing or dwelling on a subject or interest.

The slowing of the sedan brings us out of our musings and I feel Jane's heart clench as our vision beholds the morgue vehicle approaching the loading bay. Lt. Cavanaugh is already present along with members of the Police Honor Guard. The detective's emotions surge in speechless bounds at how her superior was able to assemble on such short notice. I feel the emotions of the three other vehicle occupants and though separated, I too could feel Maura's emotional response to this scene before us.

Wordlessly, we all exit after parking the vehicles. Lt. Cavanaugh refrains from embracing us even though we sense the man's desire to do so. He simply resorts to squeezing Korsak's and the Rizzoli detectives' shoulders before hugging Angela. The Rizzoli matriarch completely breaks down into sobs as she feels her suitor's arms encircle her body. As much as we want to join in and hug her, Jane takes a deep breath as she joins her brother and Korsak among the Honor Line along with the assembled Honor Guard and the police officers that could assemble from their places in the Headquarters Building.

"I hate these!" Jane seethes, mirroring my own feelings as we also recall rendering honors for a fallen Boston firefighter of Engine Company 399, who died in a garment factory conflagration set by one of his own brothers in the department. *4

We catch Dr. Isles' scent approach as she leads six of the Honor Guard members down the corridor of Boston cops and graciously opens the van door with practically no sound. She steps back and settles into a vacant space beside us as the six men slowly and deliberately remove the blanket covered stretcher from the van as two additional members approach. One bears a triangular folded American flag while the other holds a ceremonial police officer hat… similar to what uniformed cops wear. But unlike the subtle differences caused by wear and the individual officer badge number with the Boston Police Emblem, this ceremonial cap is arranged to absolute perfection.

The flag is quickly unfolded in a flourish and is stretched over the blanket-covered body. The police cap is gently placed over where Barry Frost's chest, heart is located beneath the flag and blanket. These two honor guard members then take point- one in front and the other behind. Lt. Cavanaugh then calls all assembled to attention. "Present arms!" the Homicide Commander commands.

All of the assembled police personnel render a military style hand salute as Angela and Dr. Maura Isles place their right hands over their hearts. The honor guard members then proceed to march through the "saluting column" carrying the stretcher of our fallen friend. Me and Jane struggle to suppress a groaning howl as we catch the very last remaining tendrils of our police partner's scent as they pass by our position…

"Jane?" Maura's voice finally breaks into my reverie. However, Jane's still withdrawn within our being, nearly catatonic. I'm still present, though, and take the initiative to show the doctor.

"Oh Vuk!" The ginger blonde half gasps and half weeps. She slumps forward and wraps her arms around Jane. "How are you feeling?"

A tremulous growl erupts from my symbiant's throat and I'm surprised to discover my voice integrated into the detective's vocal ability. But Jane however is absent. The scientist, too, displays shock, mirroring my expression of my sole, complete voice instead of the normal integrated one we've always used.

"Vuk…" Maura gasps as she sees an unusual shift within Jane's eyes. "Is Jane…"

"She's…" I snort out a growling huff. "I dunno! Jane's still awake, but…" another growl. "She's withdrawn… and I… I can't… too much energy!"

While some understanding appears in the M.E.'s face, bewilderment overwhelms enlightenment. "Vuk," she begins, "it's perfectly normal to feel withdrawn, yet nervous and anxious all at the same time with events such as…"

"NO!" I roared out as my vision burns a brighter red and notice Jane's eyes also are red via the reflection in my Human Friend's. "I MUST release… energy! Run… howl… but can't!" I struggle to repress the pent up roar as Jane's body quivers more intensely… like a human in the throes of a seizure. "Incompatibility!"

Dr. Isles' facial expression dramatically changes the instant that word is spoken. *2 (again). Nothing more has to be explained as Maura takes a half step back, briefly glancing about as I sense her quickly trying to assess on how to rectify this situation.

Sensing her initial, automatic thought, I furiously shake the detective's head. "NO! Injections… no work…" it's extremely difficult to rationally think, let alone speak coherently. The last of my own sense of control is starting to fade and if I release it upon my human symbiant, the outcome… the outcome will be far worse than the previous one! I'm not even sure the Alpha Grey Wolf would be able to do anything should this "incompatibility" go beyond either of our individual control!

Plus, Jane's current state has unnerved me. The human has never… to my knowledge, shut down like this before! Unless she had during my "year away" as we each struggled to recover and heal from the ramifications of Charles Hoyt, neither Jane or Maura has told me about it.

The doctor's nimble fingers startle me slightly as a low growl escapes. "Please Vuk," her voice implores as I realize she's removed Jane's dress jacket and quickly working the solid colored shirt over Jane's head and from her arms. "Try to hold on for several more moments!"

A rumble escapes as I make an attempt to speak. "Wha… what are… doing?"

"You're starting to shift!" Maura uncharacteristically throws the shirt to the side as she begins working Detective Rizzoli's slacks and boots off.

"Ah… w-we… park?"

My Human Friend shakes her head as she yanks the final boot off, pulling the sock with it to reveal my thick black fur. "No…" a growl of mine interrupts her response.

"I'm afraid we can't Vuk!" The medical examiner raises her voice slightly… unwittingly challenging me and then looks at me directly. "Despite Lt. Cavanaugh staying with Angela tonight," Maura speaks above my continued growling.

Does she have any idea what she's doing… unconsciously if not fully aware?! Could she possibly endure if I'm unable to keep from responding to this "unknown challenge?"

"I don't believe it's wise to risk our trying to go out to one of the parks." Maura rises up to hang up Jane's outfit.

"Wh-What… left?" I managed to ask in Jane's voice prior to the transition between the human throat to a wolf's.

"A 'Plan B,'" Dr. Isles' simply spoke as she quickly started for the master bedroom. "Wait for me before going downstairs."

My head very likely tilted in surprise at the doctor's words as she disappeared into her room. A Plan B? What can she possibly have in mind if we can't go to a wooded park or even run? I watch Jane's hands darken as they elongate in length as her fingers fold at the first, mid knuckles and briefly flatten before finally transforming into my paws… Deformed from when Hoyt stabbed Jane's hands with those toxic scalpels.

"Vuk!" Maura's voice belied some frustration with the continued, underlying challenging tone. "How many times have I said that your paws are NOT deformed?"

I only bare my teeth in a snarl, "slightly" projecting my own challenge in response to hers. However, Dr. Maura Isles… my very dear Human Friend resolutely holds her ground, staring me down. Apparently she's gonna continue and while I don't reveal it, it's starting to make me even more nervously, on edge.

Are you going to keep it up… I project into her mind with another snarl. Challenging me?

"If I'm challenging you," Maura replies as she adjusts the heavy coat. "Then I'm challenging you. Only you can truly know what you're feeling."

My teeth still continue to bare in my snarl despite the "somewhat backing down." I then take in all of the heavy apparel now adorning the ginger blonde.

Catching the intrigued tilting of my head and eyes studying her unusual choice of attire, the young scientist chuckles lightly. "Yes, I'm sure it looks quite unusual and ridiculous." Maura glances downward to behold herself. "However, since going out to one of the parks isn't a viable option," my Human Friend gestures me to follow her down the stairs, "and I've more than the usual planned meetings tomorrow, I believe this 'Plan B' is the next best thing."

Our eyes meet as Dr. Isles pauses at the door of which the opposite side contains the stairs leading into her den's basement. So, I transmit into the human's mind, you're now referring to… fighting? The doctor's heavy layered, possibly padded clothing meaning starts making more sense. So, this so-called "unconscious challenging" may not have been unintended after all?

Maura barely nods as she opens the door, leading me down the dark stairs before switching on the lights. While I knew the medical examiner has a basement, this is the very first time I've been down here. Obviously, Jane has due to my seeing the few memories of hers, and the detective mentioning it from time to time in her teasings of our human friend. *5

The switching on of the lights reveals the large open room with a large hot water heater tank in one corner with a small breaker box nearby. There are a few boxes near the stairs with the doctor's neat handwriting, detailing copiously of their contents. My paws detect the cool, hard rubber along with my sense of smell. Glancing about, I notice practically the entire basement floor is covered by this near solid, rubber padding. As if a gym or martial arts school that I've seen along with Jane Rizzoli throughout the years.

"When Angela and I started that self defense training nearly a year ago," Maura's voice causes me to look back at her over my shoulder. "I had these heavy floor mats rolled out down here whenever we practiced various jujitsu and judo grapples and body throws."

Images of my human friend literally throwing Jane's mother around triggers amused rumbles. However, my amusement is short-lived as both my and Jane's memories collectively recall the darker events of Maura Isles' pursuit of self defense training… of that damning cell phone video of Angela's! *6

Sensing my emotional feedback, Maura's gentle hand touches between my shoulder blades. "Vuk…" I can't help but growl out a fierce roar at her attempt with the accompanied emotions behind her voice.

No matter how much she and Jane discuss (and sometimes don't) their respected perspectives on that event, both women continue to harbor their own… demons, I guess? Guilt or regret somehow doesn't seem adequate… from what I'm able to see of my symbiant's memories. Of course…

A sudden growl erupts as I barely feel the pain of the quick, jerking grasp of my thick fur to the sudden impact of hitting the padded floor. By instinct's reflex, I immediately strike back, roaring without any conscious thought.

My opponent releases a gasping groan as my flying leap shoves her into the floor; however, she's not pinned for long as one of her legs wraps around my back. Hooking the foot around my side, the doctor applies pressure in a nerve area that causes my grip to weaken further and rolls our bodies to the side. I snap my jaws in a warning gesture as a growl promptly follows. A flurry of ginger blonde hair fills my field of vision as she half jumps, lunging back towards me. Another muffled roar escapes as I feel the deceptively strong arms wrap around my neck and throat.

Springing up to all fours, it throws the medical examiner off balance. Before she can react, I twist my lower torso and kick my back legs high into the air… imitating a bronco or cow trying to throw a cowboy. Like a thrown rodeo rider, Maura Isles tumbles on the mat, leaving her momentarily breathless. Seizing the opportunity, I leap and heavily pound my front paws on either side of her head. Fighting down the urge to cry out in pain in my paws due to the impact, I strive to regain focus by staring directly into Maura's eyes. The human resists my gentle probe in trying to sense the range of her emotions.

"V-Vuk…" the doctor continues to struggle in regaining her breath. "Ya-You're not… not the on-ly one wh-who needs this!"

I can only stare at my human friend in growing perplexion. Can a human being truly endure the type of energy a wolf… well, a wolf like me needs to release through fighting… sparring? Some of my memories (along with some of Jane's) would probably frighten some of you if you could truly see their intensity.

The Boston Police Detective and I have (and still do) speculate on various past events that would seem to indicate Maura Isles to be a "more than ordinary" human being. However, unlike the Chief Medical Examiner's methodical and scientific processes, it's only a gut instinct for me… and Jane. And, we also have no real evidence. Some events would seem to be duplicated…. or replicated (one of Maura's "more accurate, reliable scientific terms"), but they each have subtle differences or variants that would make even the scientist agree with us. However, human beings as a whole would not notice these "subtle variants" and will typically follow the process in problem solving to the inevitable answer.

I guess that's the beauty of human nature… their constantly evolving abilities to learn as knowledge increases. Jane and I have even encountered some humans who are nearly entirely instinct, primarily sensory driven as opposed to rationality and knowledge that their society uses to dominate their pack members.

So, I guess that's the negative to humans. Those who cannot truly fit in or integrate with this particular pack hierarchy are often left out or behind to fend for themselves. This both agrees with and angers my specific wolf nature…

… My body suddenly topples as Maura simultaneously kicks her right leg out and her upper right arm and shoulder to take out my left rear and front legs.

It also surprises me that she went after Jane's (and mine) stronger, dominant side. *7 From Jane Rizzoli's police combat training and self-defense overall, if one fighter were to target an opponent's weaker, more vulnerable spots- then you were to target their weaker side. And logically, they were going to be engaging via their dominant hand and body side.

So, for my human friend to directly go after our stronger side is completely "un-orthodox."

"When have I ever been an orthodox type of person, Vuk?!" Maura nearly wails after summersaulting backwards and heaving my large body over hers in an attempted throw.

Despite the doctor not being able to accurately accomplish the body throw, it still serves its purpose to stun me… and I'm still partially occupied with the surprise of the doctor's move just moments earlier.

"Tell me!" The medical examiner slowly approaches my position as I climb back to my feet. "I never truly fit in ANYWHERE in my life! If I tried to imitate them, I was scorned, ridiculed…! If I simply behaved by being myself, I was still shunned!"

A growl rumbles in my throat. What does Barry Frost's accident have to do with this?! I snarl again as my thoughts implant into her mind.

The ginger blonde half screams and half growls as she lunges at me. I manage to get most of my body away from her tackle's grasp. We both collapse to the floor again as Maura struggles to subdue my squirming body. However, I manage to shake the doctor loose and actually shove one of my elongated paws into one of her shoulders, forcing her back onto the mat. Yet, Dr. Isles is headstrong and continues to "retaliate."

We continue in this fight for so long that I absolutely have no idea how much time has passed. My human friend and I literally fight, wrestling ourselves into extreme exhaustion and both end up in a heaving, panting heaps upon the padded floor. The M.E.'s reddish hair is darker due to being completely drenched in sweat and she wearily manages to undo the buttons and fastenings to her heavy coat. She continues to heave for breath as I, too, continue panting.

It takes every bit of concentration for me to crawl up beside my human friend who has now fallen unconscious due to her fatigue. A massive exhale leaves my body. I slump down and manage to rest my chin on Maura's nearest shoulder. Another sigh leaves my throat as the sleeping doctor too mirrors it with a heavy sigh of her own. I briefly whimper. I sense both hers and Jane's (who too is completely unconscious) emotional feedback, residually in their REM cycles before falling into a far deeper level of sleep. Hopefully they will have as much of an undisturbed, nightmare free, sleep as possible.

As exhausted as I am, it still takes a little while longer for me to drift asleep. Thankfully the fight with the sleeping M.E. beneath my chin has rectified all of my immediate nervous, pent up anger over losing our dear friend earlier tonight. While not all of it has been dealt with, any potential danger of incompatibility between me and the human detective no longer exists. Jane's instinctive nature had passively integrated during my sparring with Maura and unconsciously stepped back in allowing me to fully take over.

As I drift into sleep, I sigh in resigning myself to surrendering my sense of self-preservation. It's very unlikely anyone will come down here while we're out. Even if Angela Rizzoli were to come into the main house, "snooping around" as Jane were likely to describe her mother's looking about Maura's den, it's very unlikely she'd come down here to the basement. But with Lt. Cavanaugh being with her tonight, it's even more unlikely. And I'm nearly to the point of uncaring if my human mother and boyfriend discover the massive black wolf sharing the existence with her daughter and detective subordinate.

An instinctive growl from Jane is directed at me. I half growl and half smirk in response. My feelings and thoughts likely might bleed over in any potential dreams the human may have. I sigh as my dreaming thoughts recollect the event earlier tonight… the massive reminder of how fleeting just a single moment in this mortal life can be.

Would it be too big of an issue if we were to bring Angela Rizzoli at least into this small circle of knowledge that her daughter is a werewolf and that Dr. Maura Isles can have another fellow human to really talk to?

"Of all people for you to consider," Jane suddenly startles me from a deeper state of unconsciousness. "We're NOT gonna tell Ma!"

I simply rumble my affirmative and try to return to sleep, but my symbiant doesn't immediately make it easy for me to do. "What are you doing?" I manage to grumble out.

Instead of answering me directly, Jane simply opens up her mind for me to see… unless I'm "…too lazy to view…" I catch the subtle personal thought of hers. I only growl as I now see our Human Friend's innermost sanctum of her den… ahem, master bedroom.

The typical terry cloth robe now adorns the detective. *8 Jane tiredly is trying to work the heavy coat and pants from the sleeping M.E. sprawled out on the bed. "Good thing she put this stuff on…" Jane muses as she absentmindedly tosses them aside, not caring where the garments might land. "Would hate to see her try in explaining all of the bruising and crap we might've inflicted!"

I only rumble, too tired to care and to wonder if Jane's trying to provoke any more "gutter like" thinking. I feel the detective's still extremely exhausted and simply nudge her instinctive urges to rest. She begins to adopt my "too tired to care" mentality at present and the detective carefully lowers herself on the bed space beside Maura.

The bed feels heavenly beneath us and I heave out a pleased sigh and metaphorically curl up and return to sleep quickly. Just before Jane and I completely drop off, we feel a shifting in the bed beside us and our Human Friend turns towards my symbiant and sleepily wraps us into her arms.

*1: Chapters 17-21 of "Lupus Amicitia: Act III" where Jane and Lupine/Vuk undergo a severe state of what Beta calls "Incompatibility" and requires the intervention of Al.

*2: Kind of a nod towards Season 2's final episode where the firefighters and other personnel form "a corridor" while firefighters carry their fallen brother from the burned warehouse. It is a common thing for those in the emergency services field do… some military divisions will do it as well.

*3: In the early chapters of "Lupus Amicitia: Act III" when the wolf nature begins to return and any mention of Vince Korsak triggers anger in Vuk. The wolf felt betrayed by his not truly having Jane's back.

*4: Season 2, Episode 15: "Burning Down the House"

*5: Mentioned in various episodes throughout the TV series… if my memory serves, Jane first mentions, "…bodies buried in your basement…" in Season 1, Episode 8: "I'm Your Boogeyman"

*6: Season 4, Episode 4: "Killer In High Heels"

*7: Nod to Angie Harmon being left handed in real life… and as a result, any character she depicts is also left-handed.

*8: Chapters 15 & 20 of "Lupus Amicitia: Act III" where Maura gives & leaves the terry cloth robe for Jane to wear whenever the detective and wolf shift in body transformation while they're relearning the ability to body shift, recovering from the aftermath of Hoyt.