A/N: Just a quick one-shot I thought up and wrote after finishing my first full length fic.

Enjoy.

Thanks to my Beta for editing so quickly after I worked her with that 23k word epilogue not too long ago.

I don't own anything, it all belongs to TNT, Tess Gerritsen and Janet Tamaro. You know the deal.

I've been working here for 3 years 9 months and 16 days. It was supposed to be a temporary job. One to hold me over until I was 21 and could enter the academy to become a police officer. Ma needed money after pop left her, Frankie was still in high school and Tommy was in and out of juvie for truancy, spray painting and all kinds of trouble. I was working to help pay the bills and to help pay for the few classes I was taking to prepare for the written exams required to become a police officer.

I got into Boston Cambridge University. I wanted to go so bad! But I knew my parents couldn't afford it, especially not after the divorce had left my mother to raise three kids alone, and my dad a deadbeat, runaway. With no incoming cash or child support, my Ma and I picked up the paper and looked for any job we could find. She ended up working under this asshole Stanley at this cafe in BPD headquarters. Can you believe it? Even though Stanley is a jerk, I'd love to have gotten that job.

Instead I'm working here, serving irritable customers instead of my possible future colleagues.

After seven months of waiting to get called in, it finally happened. I was poked and prodded. I participated in all their evaluations, passed all their tests and got a clean bill of health mentally and physically. I'm almost there!

I'm just starting my second month with the academy and the boys are giving me a hard time because I'm one of only three girls in our class. It's tough, but I outdo all of them on exams and practicals. They hate being topped by a girl, especially one who's uninterested in their gender. They all tried to get on my side and in my pants before I made it known to all of them that it was never going to happen.

I've finally learned to be proud of who I am and I'm proud of my sexuality.

I don't care what they think, I'm focused and I'm going to be the best detective Boston has ever seen.

But no matter how focused I am on representing the thin blue line, after almost four years, I couldn't give a crap about this stupid job at Vinny's. With all the studying and training I do, I'm always exhausted and falling asleep between customers.

I can't wait until I can hand in my two weeks' notice on a fresh piece white paper, signed and dated for the end of this life and the beginning of doing the only thing I've ever been meant to do.

I walk in today and run through the whole routine. I hate opening, but I also hate closing. I hate the whole job in general. I've actually started marking a calendar with the countdown until my last day.

So I go through the motions. Prepare the register, clean the counter and straighten up the back room. And then I stand and wait.

It's boring and Vinny hates when you're on your phone so when I have no customers I wanna shoot myself. Who goes shopping at 7 a.m.? Why are people even up that early?

The rings of the registers lull me to sleep as I lean on the counters.

Typical.

I hear someone clear their throat and look up to find Vinny standing over me.

"What did I tell you about sleeping on the job?" He says.

"I was just resting my eyes." I tell him and it's obvious he doesn't believe me or care.

"Well rest your eyes at home, I don't pay you for that." He says before walking off.

I mock him with my face as he has his back to me and I hear a light giggle. The beauty of the sound is unmatched by the person who owns it. A blonde woman on register three. She must be new.

I catch her eye and blush. So embarrassing that she saw that. She doesn't look away and I have to look down before I run and hide. I smile a bit and look up to see her still looking.

I have absolutely no idea what to do in this situation.

Our staring contest is interrupted when she gets a customer and despite my embarrassment, I'm kind of sad that we were interrupted.

But now I have the chance to really look at her. She's gorgeous. Shapely in all the right areas with honey blonde hair. She's wearing a dress and heels under her Vinny's apron. It's not something I'd expect a cashier to wear since they're on their feet all day. She looks like she belongs on a runway.

I sit there and keep staring. We make eye contact a few more times and she always smiles this shy smile when it happens. I just want to go over there and get a closer look. I want to know her name and the color of her eyes.

God, this is so unlike me.

I've been interested in girls at bars and clubs, but something about her is just, different. I'm never this bashful.

I deal with my customers when we start to pick up and I count down until my break so I can maybe grab something to buy as an excuse to use her register.

A line forms and I get distracted as I do my job.

I look up just in time to see her walk by towards the break room. She looks at me and we make eye contact again. This isn't a coincidence. Now's my chance, but I have three customers left in my line. I turn off my light so I can take my break when I'm done and rush to help them.

When I'm done, I sign off to meet her in the break room. I'm sure she's only got about 5 minutes left before she's got to get back to work, but that's enough to get her name and maybe ask her out or invite her out to lunch with me so we can talk some more.

I'm almost to the break room, hand reaching for the door knob.

"Jane." I hear Vinny call. I wish I was a cop already so I could pull my gun and shoot him right now. "Help this customer to their car then you can have a 20 minute break on me." He says somewhat smugly. Like I should be thankful he's giving me an extra five minutes.

I don't want your extra five minutes. I want my break now so I can put the moves on blondie from register three.

I think the customer can tell easily that I don't want to help them. They don't even thank me after I put their groceries in the car. I give them a sarcastic "You're welcome." and run back into the store hoping I can at least catch blondie for a minute and get her name.

No dice. I walk through the door and find her back on register three with a long line. Even if I find something to buy, it wouldn't make sense to go to her when there are open 10 items or less cashiers who aren't as busy as her. I don't want to seem that desperate.

So I sulk as I walk to the break room. And I take a 25 minute break, I don't even care. Giovanni comes in and hassles me like every day.

"Sup, Jane. You look hot. Still a lesbian?" He asks in his thick Boston accent.

"Yes, G. Just like yesterday and the day before that." I say monotonously.

"Man can't a guy catch a break. First you and now hot blondie." He mumbles as he leaves.

First me and now hot blondie? Blondie from register three? Was he implying she shot him down because she was gay too? I can't stop my heart rate from picking up at this exciting possibility that I'll really have a chance.

I run out to grab a candy bar to buy so I can at least chat her up a bit, but when I get out there she's gone.

"Where did the new girl on register three go?" I ask one of the employees.

"She only had a four hour shift today." He says and I want to break something because not only have I lost my shot, but I'm stuck here for another four hours thinking about my missed opportunities.

But there's always tomorrow right?

So I'm actually excited to come into work.

Except she's not there.

And the next day.

We must be on different shifts.

So I wait a week and it seems one day a week, Tuesdays to be exact, she works four hours from seven to eleven and I get another shot.

This time I take my fifteen on time and grab a drink. I don't even care about the desperation or the fact that there are other lines open I head straight to register three.

I wanna shout out "hurry the hell up lady" to the old woman in front of us who is taking her time with my blonde. But I doubt being rude to my elders would make the girl interested in me. Her and the person in front of me are hogging the aisle so I can't even really catch a glimpse of hot blonde's name. I'm tapping my foot, anxious to move up. Blondie sees me and smiles as she keeps ringing up the old woman.

This is it. I'm going to speak to her and see her name and maybe even the color of her eyes.

"Jane, I'll take you over here." I hear Giovanni say and I try to ignore him.

"Jane!" He shouts again and I want to kill him.

I give blondie a smile and start leaving the aisle because it's obvious there is no point in wasting my break in line when there are ones open.

"Sorry." I hear the sweetest, softest voice say and I want to faint. Is there anything that isn't perfect about this girl? I give her a smile to acknowledge her apology and then head over to G. I punch him with all my strength hoping to leave a big bruise. When he questions it, I throw down my money and leave without taking my receipt or answering his question.

Fucking Giovanni!

I decide that I'll take my lunch when I see her leaving and try and catch her at the punch clock in the break room. This has to work this time.

Then Vinny comes up to me and I know he's going to make me do his bitch work before he even speaks.

"Jenny's covering customer service for the day. I need you in the back doing inventory. We're short staffed today." He says.

"Why can't Jenny do it?" I ask because is the fucking universe really trying to stop me from meeting hot blonde?

"Because she doesn't know how." He says as he leads me to the back and I just want to trip him.

"Then this should be a good time to teach her." I mumble and he pretends to ignore me. What a fucking tool.

So I work in the back and fume over the fact that I have to wait another week to introduce myself to beautiful blonde.

But I don't end up waiting that long because for once something goes right and I get called in for an afternoon shift. I hate it at first, pissed to be working an extra shift. But then I see her. This time, blonde isn't on three though, she's on 14 which is pretty far. It sucks because I don't even think she notices me. But I notice her.

It might be getting kind of creepy how much I stare at her, but I just can't stop. She's kind of an enigma. She dresses like she should be the head of some fashion agency, she speaks like she should be Mother Theresa, she looks like a movie star and she laughs like an angel. I watch as she smiles and converses with customers and I wish it was me.

"Someone has a crush on the new girl." I hear from behind me and I know I've been caught, by blabber mouth Jenny of course.

"Shut up." I mumble.

"Don't worry, I won't tell." She says.

"Yeah right." I groan.

"I won't. I may gossip about a lot of things, but I won't embarrass you like that." She promises and I kind of want to thank her, but I just don't know if I believe her.

"Thanks." I say sincerely despite my reservations.

"You should talk to her, Maura is really sweet." She says before walking off.

Maura. That's her name. Of course she'd have a beautiful name to match her beautiful exterior.

That's it. "As soon as you have lunch you're getting in her line and you're letting nothing stop you from talking to her." I tell myself.

I work in anticipation and keep an eye on her. I'm meeting her no matter what; except things don't go my way when she ends up turning off her sign and I have a line around the corner with a half an hour before I can take my lunch.

I'm defeated. I'm on the verge of giving up.

I see her walk by and I almost whine at how upset I am. I just want to hear her speak and learn the color of her eyes. I want to have a conversation with her and see if she really is as great as my imagination is making her out to be.

She walks by again and my ego hopes it's to keep glancing at me.

I don't see her again and I keep working until there's a beautiful blonde in front of me. She has green eyes and she's stunning. She's purchasing a candy bar...at customer service.

I smile instantly.

I want to speak first, but the English language slips my mind as I get lost in the green eyes I've so badly wanted to know the color of.

"Hello." She says sweetly and I just kind of let out this weird syllable that sounds somewhat like "hi" but I really think it might have been a little squeak.

I've never been so flustered and embarrassed. This has never happened. I'm the move maker and I'm confident and then here is sexy blondie making the first move and I'm speechless and dorky.

"My name's Maura, I'm a cashier." She says.

"Yeah, I know, I watch you." I say and instantly cup my mouth. I can't speak a word and then I fucking say that? "I mean- no- I-I've seen you work. I mean I've noticed you." God I am so embarrassed.

She laughs and blushes, but I'm sure my face is so much redder.

"Well, Jane." She says and you almost panic because holy shit she knows your name, but then you remember you're wearing a name tag. "I hope I'm not being too forward, but I was wondering if you'll be taking your lunch soon. I'm going to this cafe down the street and they make the most amazing chocolate croissants and I thought you'd like to join." She offers and I melt.

Not only did she invite me to coffee, but she said croissants with this almost flawless French accent and I want to die because God she's beautiful and obviously knowledgeable.

I swallow a large obvious gulp and nod. "Absolutely umm let me just get Jenny to cover for me." I say and I'm kind of happy for Jenny's nosiness because she's already there to take my spot.

I grab my coat and punch out and follow her down the street. It's quiet and awkward at first, but holy shit I've finally spoken to her, kind of. And I'm having lunch with her.

We get there and we order and somehow she gets me to talk. I eventually get over my nervousness and we spend our whole lunch hour getting to know each other.

She asks why I'm so tired all the time and I realize she's been watching me too, but I'm thankful because it opens things up to discussion.

I tell her about myself and my family and how I'm in the academy.

She's a year older than me and currently in her last year at BCU studying biology. She's already applied and been accepted into their pathology program for grad school.

She's smarter than I thought, spouting off so many facts that I'd think should be humanly impossible to know.

But when she does speak, I watch her lips. Her gorgeous, beautiful lips move and I'm entranced, especially when she smiles.

I question her about pathology, because who actually wants to work with dead people? But she tells me the most amazing thing.

She admits social interactions are not her strong point. That she's wanted to talk to me for a while, but it took a bit of encouragement to get up the guts to talk to me. She finally decided to just go for it. But normally she's socially awkward and somewhat anxious in group settings. The dead don't judge and she can give them a voice.

She's more amazing than I imagined.

She's perfect.

I ask her how she ended up working at Vinny's and she admits that she was a trust fund baby. But she recently renounced her parents wealth and she's making do with scholarships and this job on the side.

I kind of realize how she dresses so well, but her wealth doesn't intimidate me as much as it should. She doesn't care about money and she wants to do a job to help people rather than to be a wealthy doctor.

When it's time to head back, I want to cry because we'll have to get back to work.

She picks up the bill and I try to fight her, but she's insistent.

"I invited you, it is customary that I pay. In French customs when one invites another out they imply they're paying." She says factually and I kind of laugh at her. "What's so funny?"

"You." I say and she frowns. I worry I've offended her. "No. In a good way, Maur. You just have a fact for everything. It's oddly refreshing."

"You called me Maur." She says with an inquisitive tilt to her head.

"Yeah sorry if you don't like it I can-"

"No. I like it." She interrupts and I smile.

We walk back and I want her to slow down. I don't want this date to end. Was it even a date?

We get into the lounge and reach the punch clock and I know we soon have to part. She kisses my cheek before turning to punch in and I kind of feel like I'm on my doorstep after a first date with her. I feel this warmth where her lips have been and I don't ever want the tingling sensation to stop.

She's about to leave when I stop her. It's time to be the confident one.

"Hey, wait." I say and she turns to me. "Do you want to, maybe- can I take you out to dinner this Friday." I finally muster up confidently.

"I'd love that, Jane." She says and I shiver at the way she says my name.

It's the beginning of something amazing.

Time goes by and I make it out of the academy. I continue to court Maura Isles and I meet her family and she meets mine. My mother loves her and so do my brothers. I tell her I love her after six months. She's the first person I ever say it to.

She starts grad school and I start working the beat and we make it work.

I make the drug unit and she gets her PhD and we stay madly in love.

I get used to her quirks, her googlemouth I've come to call her spurts of knowledge. She gets used to my bluntness and sarcasm.

It works between us.

She becomes the medical examiner for the Common Wealth of Massachusetts and I become a homicide detective.

We work together.

I propose. I never, ever thought I'd propose. But I love Maura Isles.

She becomes Maura Isles-Rizzoli and I Jane Isles-Rizzoli.

It's crazy to think it all started at Vinny's supermarket. I never thought I'd leave that store with anything other than a sore back and feet.

But there I met the love of my life and I'm all too aware that it was love at first sight. With one look at her honey blonde hair and gorgeous smile I was in love.

I just didn't know it yet.