Just a little tidbit to tide you all over until I post the next chapter of Revolution of Life. Enjoy!

"She's what?"

Maura watched Vince's lips move, although the specific words were lost in the faint ringing in her ears. Her eyes wandered from his sympathetic gaze toward the desk across the bull pen, where Jane was sitting and resolutely refusing to make eye contact. Damn her and her inability to let someone else take the dangerous job for once, for feeling like she alone had to do it.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't quite understand. Jane?"

Guilty eyes slowly met hers at the utterance of her name. "Maur, I…"

"You? Why you? Why not some other detective or officer with more knowledge in this area? Why do you have to be the one to go undercover in jail, in a place where you could…you could-"

Maura broke off abruptly and pressed her lips into a thin line so no one could hear her voice tremble. Her hands shook with the sudden surge of adrenaline fueled fear and she turned on her heel. "Do you not underst-"

"I understand others can do this job, Maura, but I'm the one best suited for it. It's a women's prison, so Nina or I are the only ones who could do it anyway, but Nina can't go undercover with the poker face she has." Said detective squawked indignantly and Maura turned in time to watch Jane flash a knowing look her way. "Don't look at me like that, Holiday, you know I'm right. Besides, it's only a couple days, what's the worst that could happen?"

Jane shrugged blithely and Maura felt her fear fade behind the surge of anger that bubbled up in her stomach. She stalked toward Jane and poked her hard in the chest under the curious eyes of those lingering in the bull pen. "The worst? Jane, even though I don't subscribe to the theory that uttering phrases like that draws bad luck, you are aware you attract danger whenever you go out in the field, right? The worst that could happen is you return in less than pristine condition, less than how you leave. Is that not a concern of yours at all?"

Jane took her elbow and gently drew her aside, throwing a glare over her shoulder as they disappeared into the hallway adjacent to the bull pen. "Maura, hey, c'mon." A calloused palm cupped Maura's cheek and she leaned into it, turning her face to press lips to the faded scar there.

"I don't know if I can watch you get hurt again, Jay."

"Then I guess it's a good thing you won't be coming with me then, isn't it?"

Maura looked up at Jane with tears in her eyes and grasped her wrist desperately. "Please don't mock my fears. Not right now, not after the things we've gone through recently."

Her whispered plea and distressed expression silenced Jane immediately, and Maura was drawn into a tight hug. Long dingers combed through her hair and anxiously danced at the nape of her neck, trapezius, shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I just – you know how I get when I'm nervous."

"Jittery, short tempered, overly callous and flippant sometimes. I understand, but do you really have to do this? Why can't you let someone else?"

"No one else knows this case like our team does, and there isn't enough time to prep anyone else properly. We need to know what she knows before she gets herself in trouble and catch this bastard. I'm the only one who can go under on such short notice."

Maura took a deep breath of Jane-scented air, nose buried in the crook of her neck, and nodded. She took a step back, although didn't let their contact break as she kept a tight hold of Jane's hands. "What can I do to help?"

Maura walked with purpose around her kitchen island, grabbing an old towel from the drawer and laying that out on the counter. She set her tools atop it along with the bowl of henna paint – a combination of powdered henna, water, and sugar to help the concoction adhere better to Jane's skin – which she had prepared the night before.

Jane fidgeted impatiently on the stool and drummed her fingers rhythmically on the countertop and Maura felt her eyes burn into the side of her face as she lined up her tools parallel to each other. "Maur, talk to me. What's going on in that big brain of yours?"

"Henna has been used since prior to 1700 BC, first in rituals pertaining to fertility and marriage, and later as a statement for personal use. Did you know that several civilizations that revered red hair would encourage their women to dye their hair that color with henna to attract men? And some Muslim men dye their beards to emulate-"

"Okay, okay, wrong question," Jane overrode Maura's ramble with a crooked smile, gently laying her palm over the woman's mouth. "I meant, how are you doing? You haven't really spoken to me since yesterday outside the bullpen, and we live together. I have to say, I'm actually rather impressed about that last bit."

"That's not true, I talked to you throughout the evening last night, and this morning when we got up."

"Yeah, but you didn't really speak to me. You just went through the motions and talked about…shallow things. I know you're worried, Maur, but," Jane stilled Maura's nervous hands that were mindlessly playing with a paintbrush and waited for the coroner to meet her dark gaze, "believe me, I will be fine. Nothing will happen to me in there; we've already figured out my cover story and my safeword for when I want to get out, and all we need to do now is me tatted up and wait for it to set." Maura fidgeted some more and Jane ducked her head. "Look at me, babe." She stared resolutely at Maura and squeezed her hand for reassurance. "I will be fine."

Maura searched her eyes for a long moment, hazel eyes darkened with worry, and slowly nodded. "I will believe you this time, Jane Rizzoli, but I swear that if you come back damaged in any way, you will pay for it."

"Hey, shouldn't whoever damaged me pay for it instead?"

"No."

"Why not?!"

"Because they aren't the ones who sleep with me." Maura smiled with the delivery of those simple and chilling words and tugged at the collar of Jane's well worn button down. "Remove your shirt please, I need complete access to your right side."

Jane slowly worked on the buttons and shrugged the comfortable shirt off her right shoulder so the arm was bared along with a glorious amount of sun-kissed skin. Maura traced the graceful line of muscle from Jane's jaw, down her neck and past the slope of her shoulder to the subtle definition of her triceps, marking each small blemish and shadow of musculature with an extended glance as she always did, then bent to her task, brush in hand and a fixated expression on her face as she made the first swirl on Jane's skin.

She felt Jane tense at the tickle of the soft bristles and swiped her thumb over the back of her knuckles. "Do you know the significance of the lion throughout history?" Jane turned her head to Maura with a curious tilt to her head and raised her eyebrows in a wordless question.

"Traditionally, they symbolize strength, wisdom, and bravery; and, as they hunt mostly at night but are also active during the day, they also represent balance in one's mind and life, among other traits." She made a calligraphic-esque swirl on Jane's bicep and dipped her brush in the bowl again. As the tribal lion began to take shape on the detective's skin, Maura continued spouting facts ranging across a variety of topics to distract them both from what the completion of the henna tattoo would bring.

Eventually, the tattoo was finished and drying nicely on Jane's skin, extending from her elbow up past her shoulder onto her neck. Maura sat back and shook out her hand as she eyed the design critically and a grudging smile briefly crossed her lips. Jane stretched and extended her arm to look at the tribal tattoo. "Wow, Maur, this looks amazing! How long will it last?"

"Typically, henna tattoos last approximately two weeks; if you allow this to set until you leave, it should last at least that long, if not longer." Maura fiddled with the brush, swirling designs mindlessly into the mixture in the bowl and watching them fade away with each pass. "More than sufficient time for you to go undercover, especially given the three day period it needs to set properly."

Jane continued admiring the smooth brush-work and smiled over at Maura. "Yeah, I won't go in for another few days, so this will have plenty of time to set."

Maura's face fell at the realization she would only have a few days with Jane (even though she knew, knew that the undercover portion would only last a couple days after that because of the threat that someone would recognize Jane) and she abruptly pushed away from the counter, walking to the sink with the brush and bowl to wash them out. She stood with her back to Jane, shoulders stiff and back rigid as she ran warm water into the sink, and sharply inhaled when she heard the chair scrape against the floor behind her. Hands cautiously draped over her shoulders and began kneading the tense muscles as Jane's sculpted body molded itself to hers. The brunette hooked her chin over Maura's shoulder and turned her head to press chapped lips against her cheek.

"What's wrong, Maur?"

"I don't-"

"Don't feed me that line, you know I can smell a lie on you a mile away."

"The act of lying doesn't produce any particular scent, although scientists have theorized that humans exude pheromones that indicate their emotions, even though our noses aren't strong eno-"

"Maur." One of Jane's hands gently covered Maura's mouth and her palm urged the woman to look at Jane. "Hun, what is bothering you? I want the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

"So help me?" Maura finished weakly.

Jane's lips quirked up and she bussed a kiss against Maura's cheek. "Yes, so help you. C'mon, talk to me."

Maura sighed and led Jane out of the kitchen to the living room. Prompting Jane to sit on the couch, she then molded herself against the front of the brunette's chest and burrowed in until Jane had wrapped her arms and one leg around her. Maura's head nestled beneath Jane's chin, ear pressed to her chest so she could hear the reassuring rhythm of her heartbeat and feel the steady cadence of her breathing, hand pressed flat to her abdomen to further ground herself. "I am…somewhat apprehensive about this venture you're undertaking. The risk to yourself seems greater than any potential reward the department may gain."

"You're afraid for me." Jane's statement cut through the wall Maura had begun to erect and she tightened her hold on the brunette's shirt. "You think something will happen to me while I'm undercover."

"Past evidence indicates you will return in less than pristine condition, and I…" Maura felt Jane begin to rub soothing circles on her back and she burrowed in deeper, nosing against the brunette's sternum. "I don't know if I can see you lying in a hospital bed again, Jane. The last time-"

"Was the last time."

"You can't guarantee that."

"I can promise you I will do everything I can to return to you, alive and well. I can guarantee that I'll fight tooth and nail so I can come home to you." Jane's hand slipped beneath Maura's shirt and stroked along her waist, slowly curling around to rest on her stomach. "I can tell you that nothing short of Armageddon will keep me away from you; I would walk through Hell for you, Maur."

"Let's hope it never comes to that," Maura whispered, closing her eyes as heat gathered behind them. She felt Jane's nails scrape across her skin and tipped her head back to catch the dark eyes that were studying her. "Promise me you'll be safe."

"I promise I will stay safe for as long as I can, Maur."

"Good. I like having you around, you know?" Above her, Jane chuckled as she tipped her head down and caught Maura's lips in a heated kiss. They were both breathless when the brunette pulled away, butting her nose affectionately against Maura's as she smiled.

"I like being around."

"So, you have your backstory settled, you've already got your safe word in place and the guards on duty are aware of what is going on, the tattoo has dried and been cleaned of any residue, and anything that could give you away is safe at home." Maura played with Jane's collar, smoothing and readjusting the fabric as they hid away in a dim alcove in the coroner's suite. Jane stood by the wall, hands gently possessive as they clutched Maura's hips through her skirt and played with the zipper hidden in the smooth fabric. Maura flattened her palms over Jane's shoulders and pressed closer, nestling into the cradle of her hips and feeling her comforting stability as their eyes caught.

"Two days."

"Longer, since they will need time to get you in and out."

"Okay, so sixty hours, we'll say. That's fine." Jane caught Maura's chin between her thumb and index finger and tipped her head back. "We've been apart longer than that and been fine, Maur; the medical conference you went to a month ago, remember? You were gone four days."

"Yes, but I kept in near-constant contact with you throughout the time I was away."

"And I will call you tomorrow, just so you can make sure I'm still breathing." Maura smacked her shoulder and frowned heavily. Jane kissed her forehead, kneading her waist soothingly as she rested their foreheads together. "Sorry, I'm sorry, that was-"

"I know," Maura breathed, "I know you deal with stress by making jokes and self-deprecating remarks. It just caught me off-guard." Jane nodded and closed her eyes, prompting Maura to do the same and just drink in the brunette's presence. They swayed gently in place, Maura's head tucked against Jane's shoulder as Jane scratched lightly at the nape of her neck, reluctantly breaking apart a few minutes later when Jane's phone went off.

"You have to go."

"Yes."

"I don't want you to."

"I know." Rough palms cupped Maura's face, dark eyes burning into her intently. "I'll see you in two days."

"Yes."

"I have to go," Jane leaned in to press her lips against Maura's, holding them together until the need for air grew too great. Maura felt her thumbs stroking her cheeks and turned her head to kiss Jane's palm, feeling the knot of scar tissue beneath her lips as she looked through her lashes at the brunette.

"Be safe."

"Yeah."

With a final kiss to her temple, Jane released Maura and strode past her. Maura turned and watched Jane disappear around the corner toward the back bay where a car was waiting to take her to the jail. She wrung her hands together and focused on her breathing after Jane's coattails disappeared, bowing her head as she fought back the rise of fear that threatened to overwhelm her. "She will be fine," she said sternly to herself. "Jane has come through worse, she'll be fine. It's only two days."

With a final repetition of breathing exercises, Maura felt confident enough that she wouldn't break into tears to leave the corner and stride into the autopsy room. "Kent, has anything come in this morning? I have a lot to do today."

Maura stood in her kitchen with a glass of wine, bottle open on the counter beside her as she stared out through the window across the yard. She heard the door open and close in the hallway and felt an immediate surge of happiness that was quickly quelled when she remembered Jane wouldn't be walking through it that night. She turned her head in time to see Angela walk into the kitchen, bags in hand and a determined look on her face. "Angela, good evening. Not to sound rude, but what are you doing here? I thought you were planning on having dinner with Korsak and Kiki tonight."

"Oh, I was, but we decided unanimously that this was more important." As she spoke, Angela began unloading the bags of the ingredients placed inside.

"This? I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You, dear. Korsak came into the Robber tonight as I was getting ready to leave and told me to come see you instead. We already rescheduled for next weekend." She waved her hand as she started rooting around in Maura's cupboards, pulling out several pots and pans and setting them on the stove top. "Now, I got all the ingredients for gnocchi and lasagna, so you'll have plenty to eat the next couple days. Do you have that pan I use to…"

Angela began rooting around through her cupboards again and Maura set down her glass so she could rub her temples to stave off the headache that had been worrying at her all day. "Angela, forgive me, I'm afraid I'm feeling rather out of sorts. What, exactly, are you doing here?"

Angela buzzed around the kitchen, food already sizzling in the pan and water set to boil in a pot on the stove. "I'm here to keep you busy while Jane's away," she said, furiously chopping some onions apart. "I mean, not that you need to stay busy, I'm sure you have plenty to do on your own, but, you know, sometimes it's nice to have someone else there to distract you, you know?"

As she whirled around the kitchen, Maura felt a smile slowly make its way across her face. She took another sip of her wine and hummed as the smell of spices filled the kitchen and Angela continued talking as she cooked. In the midst of Angela stirring the pot of noodles, Maura walked over and hugged her with one arm. "Thank you, Angela. I am…I'm worried about her."

"I know, dear, I know." Angela squeezed her hip and kissed her cheek, winking as she stirred a sauce in a small pot. "But you know our Janie, she can't do anything by halves. If she thought she was the only one capable of doing a job, she'd get it done, come hell or high water."

They laughed over the stove and Maura felt her anxiety ease for the moment. "Let me help you, Angela."

"No, no, you set out a couple plates and some silverware; we'll eat at the counter tonight." The older woman winked as she gently bumped Maura away, leaving her with a smile on her lips and a bounce in her step as she pulled dishes out of the cupboard.

"Kent, where are the – Kent?" Maura looked up from the body she was working over, across the table where the man had been previously writing on a clipboard. "Kent? I need the results from the test we sent out, can you bring it here please?"

She heard rustling from the supply room and Kent poked his head out after a moment, looking suspiciously chipper and slightly guilty at the same time. "Kent, what are you doing in the supply closet?"

"Uhm, looking for supplies? I think we may need more…scalpels?" Maura arched her brow as he shuffled sheepishly out of the doorway. "Uhm, yeah…"

"Kent, the test?" He jumped at the clipboard laying on the counter and rattled off the results as Maura nodded and continued meticulously cutting into the corpse. "So," she said conversationally, "what exactly were you doing in the supply closet? The truth, please." She glanced up in time to see guilt flash across his face before he turned away and began rummaging through the cupboards filled with chemicals.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Doctor Isles. I was only taking inventory."

"Of what?"

"The…gloves?"

"A shipment of gloves, both latex and not, came two weeks ago."

"Booties."

"Are located on a shelf in the decontamination room, as they have been since I became Chief Medical Examiner."

"Paper?"

"In a box underneath the copy machine." Maura looked up from her work, pausing the recorder and setting her scalpel down. "Kent, what is going on with you?"

"Well, you see…" He scraped at the counter, eyes flicking up to her briefly before he looked away again. "I was hoping to distract you a wee bit today."

"Distract me? Whatever for?"

"You're worrying, dear."

"I am not," she said decisively, turning her attention back to the body on the table before her.

"You are, you're doing that thing you do when you're worrying."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

"That little thing you do where you bite your lip?" He demonstrated, chewing obsessively for a moment. "And you get this little vein at your temple; it's actually rather fascinating to watch it jump when you get – aha, just like that!" He pointed at her forehead and Maura clenched her jaw. "So yes, dear, you are worrying. And it is my job to distract you."

He disappeared into the storeroom again and reemerged seconds later with a box in hand. "I thought, as a little tongue in cheek humor, we could play Operation. Not that it exactly matches our profession, but it's the thought, yes?" Maura watched in bemused confusion as he laid out the game on an empty gurney and looked up at her with bright eyes. "So, Doctor Isles, do I have your attention yet?"

Maura stared at him blankly for a long moment, then snorted in an unladylike manner. "I believe I have to close up this body, but then I will join you, yes."

He grinned merrily and rubbed his hands together in glee. "Perfect; be prepared to get your ass handed to you."

Maura sighed as she shut the door to her house, toeing off her heels and flexing her toes on the hardwood. Bass dragged himself across the floor between the kitchen and living room, leveling a scrutinizing look at her before continuing toward his plate of food in the corner of the kitchen as Jo Friday slid around the corner, nails scrabbling for purchase. She waved her tail frantically and licked at Maura's hand when she crouched down, then looked around her with a hopeful light in her eyes. Her tail slowly stopped moving and she hung her head, looking up at Maura dolefully. "I know, Jo, Jane will be back tomorrow."

With a final scratch behind her ears, Maura stood and moved into the kitchen, eyeing the signs of passage Jane left behind in the room. Her jacket slung over the back of a chair at the table, the drawer where her weapon and shield were lay half open, a couple magazines scattered on the countertop of the island alongside a cookbook. Maura heaved a sigh and wiped her palm over the countertop, fingertips brushing the open cookbook with a faint smile. The loud chime of her cell ringing jerked her out of her thoughts and she answered without looking at the ID.

"Maura Isles."

"You are receiving a call from – Maur, it'smepickup! – do you accept the call?"

"Yes, yes, of course." Maura felt her heart begin to race as there was a second of silence, then Jane's reassuring and familiar rhythm of breathing in her ear. "Jane?"

"Hi."

Unexpectedly, heat burst behind Maura's eyes and she shut them tightly as she smiled weakly. "Hi."

"How are things on your end?"

"Jane, I'm – how are you? Have you figured out anything?"

"No, nothing yet. I'm hoping you have better news tomorrow. I'm more than ready to get out of here."

"Yes, I quite understand that; I'm more than ready to have you back home."

Maura heard a quiet sniffle on the other end of the line, then Jane's brusque cop voice came across. "Yeah, well you better figure out how to get me out of here; these people are rubbing me the wrong way."

Maura snorted through her nose and laughed, half relief and half hysterics. "Everyone rubs you the wrong way, dear."

"You don't."

Maura paused, just drinking in the comforting sound of Jane's quiet breathing in her ear, and wiped away an errant tear. "I'm glad to hear that. I'd be rather disappointed if I rubbed you the wrong way, Jane."

"Yeah, yeah," the undercurrent of humor and the smile Maura could hear through the receiver brushed away any ill feelings from the terse tone Jane was using.

"Don't let all of the acting go to your head, Jay, it can't afford to grow any larger," she teased.

Jane barked out a short laugh and Maura heard muffled voices nearby before Jane's voice returned, quiet and short once more. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yes, of course, I'll be waiting for you when you're done at the precinct. Jane, be safe, I lo-"

"This call has been terminated because time limit has been reached. To contact the prison, please dial…"

"I love you."

Maura waited anxiously in the hallway outside the interrogation room, arms crossed and foot tapping nervously on the floor. She straightened when the knob turned and the lawyer for the case stepped out, nodding silently at her before walking away. Several seconds later, Jane emerged, wan and worse for wear as she smiled faintly at Maura. She launched herself at the brunette, arms slung heavily around her shoulders as she buried her nose against her neck and pressed her lips to her clavicle.

"Whoa, hi…missed you, too." Maura felt Jane's lips on her temple and sighed happily, tightening her grip slightly as she nuzzled in closer. "Uhm, not to sound mean, but I'm really tired and you're really heavy, babe."

Maura muffled a laugh against her skin and pulled back, eyes sweeping across Jane's face. Her gaze paused at a dark bruise at the brunette's temple and hazel eyes narrowed. "Jane…"

"Not right now, please? Can we just get home before you start in?" Jane's tone turned slightly whiny at the end as she stuck out her lower lip and widened her eyes. Maura sighed, snuck an arm around Jane's waist, and led her away from the interrogation room, heedless of the slightly awkward movements their closeness made. Once they reached her car, Maura deposited Jane in the passenger seat and took her hand once behind the steering wheel as they left BPD's parking lot. She swiped her thumb across the familiar scar on the back of Jane's hand as they drove through Boston toward Beacon Hill, only briefly letting go so they could get out of the car before reattaching herself as they walked up the driveway.

Once inside, Maura barely let Jane remove her shoes and jacket before she was taking her jaw in her hands and turning her head to the side to study the bruise at her temple and the scrapes that marred her cheek. "What happened?" Her thumb ghosted across the tender skin, eyes watching for any signs of discomfort as Jane closed her eyes and leaned into her hand.

"Just a small fight, it wasn't serious. Nothing I couldn't take care of."

She smiled winsomely and Maura sighed in exasperation as she traced lines down Jane's jaw, past her neck to rest on her shoulder. "You promised."

"I promised to stay out of trouble as long as I could; I never mentioned anything about trouble finding me." The playful gleam in Jane's eyes prompted Maura to laugh, burrowing beneath Jane's jaw to press smiling lips against her throat.

"Yeah?"

"Yes, I guess I'm just a magnet for trouble."

With a final snort, Maura pulled back and cupped Jane's cheek affectionately. "That you are. Speaking of, you are in serious trouble."

"What for?!"

"You came back damaged." She dragged a finger lightly along the bruise and Jane wilted. "I distinctly remember saying that you would have to pay me somehow if you were injured somehow while undercover."

"Maaauuur…"

Jane whined and pouted deeply, twisting Maura's shirt in her hands to drag her closer as she attempted to lean in for a distracting kiss. Maura leaned as far away as she could while lifting her hand to block Jane's mouth. Her lips quirked as the brunette nipped at her fingertips petulantly and she gently tweaked her nose. "I think," she whispered, eyes twinkling mischievously, "you can start by helping me out of my clothes. The zipper for this skirt is just so hard for me to reach sometimes. We can discuss my recompense further once we've gotten to the bedroom."

She pivoted and swayed out of the kitchen, feeling Jane's hands on her hips a moment later and delighting in the way her arm securely folded around her shoulders to stall her a moment, tipping her head back so she could look into dark eyes. "I'm glad you're safe, and here with me, now." She tilted her head to the side as Jane twisted, sharing a deep kiss with her and twining their fingers together across her stomach. With a final peck, she gently disengaged and turned around, taking both of Jane's hands as she slowly began leading her up the stairs with a happy, relieved smile and a twinkle in her eyes that was mirrored in the dark gaze in front of her.