Well Hello There!
For those of you who have read my stories before hello friends! For new readers I'd just like to introduce myself.
This is my first Rizzoli and Isles story, but I have been writing for just over 2 years now. I write Criminal Minds normally- I've been writing a JJ/Emily series that consists of over 10 stories right now, but I've decided to take a little break. I recently discovered Rizzoli and Isles and I fell in love with the show! I love both the ladies, but I'm particularly fond of Maura. I've been having a difficult time coming up with new ideas for my series, but I've got this big idea for a story here so I decided to finally start writing this!
I'm not sure how long this story will go but a lot of my plans are pretty far in the future so it could go on for quite a long time!
I really hope you all will enjoy my ideas and I'm always up for suggestions!
Thanks so much for giving my story a chance! -J
Chapter 1 – Just the Beginning
She was supposed to stay in the office; her mother said so. She was supposed to sit on the couch and colour in the new colouring book her mom gave her until she came back. She said she would only be a few minutes, but when you're four years old, a few minutes feels like forever and Amelia Isles was a curious child. So when her mother, Maura, didn't return to her office after several minutes, Amelia began to wander.
Poking her head out into the hallway, the little blonde turned her head to the right and then to the left, making sure there was no one around before tip toeing out of her mother's office. Not really sure where her mother was, and not wanting to get caught, Amelia walked slowly and quietly, taking in her surroundings as she wondered what kind of things she would find at her mother's new work.
So focused on staying quiet, Amelia didn't hear the ding of the elevator down the hall, nor did she notice the tall, skinny brunette enter the hallway, a smirk on her face as she watched the little girl sneaking around.
"Well the lab techs sure are getting younger and younger," the brunette called out, startling the four-year-old, who immediately spun around, a shocked look on her face as she realized she had been caught. "Hello there," the woman greeted, holding back her laughter as Amelia practically clung to the wall, having nowhere to hide. "Are you lost Sweetie?"
"I…I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," Amelia responded quietly, gasping as she realized that she had broken one of her mother's rules as she clasped a hand over her mouth. "Oops."
"Well that is a very good rule," the brunette chuckled. "You really shouldn't talk to strangers, but you know what a police officer is right?" She asked, receiving a nod from the young blonde in reply. "Well I'm a detective and that's a type of police officer," she explained. "So it's safe to talk to me, I promise. I actually work here; upstairs though. My name is Jane. Can you tell me your name?" She asked, bending down to the blonde's eye level when she got close enough.
"Amelia," the little girl replied shyly, biting her lip.
"That's a pretty name," Jane replied, smiling kindly. "Are you here alone Amelia?"
"No," Amelia shook her head. "I'm with my Mommy. I was supposed to wait in her office and colour until she came back, but she was takin a long time," she explained, suddenly talkative, surprising Jane with how mature she sounded given her size. "Are you a d-detective like Sherlock? Mommy told me about him. He solves mysteries. Do you do that?"
"Well…yeah kind of…I guess," Jane nodded, laughing at the excited look on Amelia's face. "Does your Mommy work here?" She then asked, still having no idea who this little girl belonged to.
"She starts on Monday," Amelia nodded. "I have to go to school then…without Mommy. I have to stay there all day and she's gonna come here," she explained, obviously having heard this plan from her mother more than once. "When schools over Mommy comes to get me and we go home. Mommy had to bring me here today so she could get ready. Then we're gonna go to get books!"
"Oh wow that sounds like fun," Jane smiled, realizing that the little girl must belong to the new M.E who was starting at BPD Monday morning. Jane had heard that the new Doctor was in the building and had decided to venture downstairs to introduce herself, wanting to start things off on the right foot since she would be required to work with the M.E quite frequently. "You know your Mom will probably worry if she gets back and you're not there. Maybe we should wait for her in her office don't you thi…"
"Amelia!" A woman cut off Jane's words as she entered the hallway, her heels clicking as she quickly made her way towards Amelia and Jane, a frantic look on her face. "Sweetie I told you not to leave my office. Honey what are you doing?" She asked, picking her up, Amelia immediately wrapping her legs around her mother. "I'm so sorry," she said turning towards Jane. "I shouldn't have left her alone. I hope she wasn't too much trouble."
"Oh it's not a problem," Jane quickly assured her, standing up to her full height.
"Mommy Jane is like Sherlock!" Amelia said excitedly, tugging at her mother's shirt collar.
"She's like Sher….oh you're a detective," she put together, turning her attention to Jane who nodded her confirmation.
"Yes I am," Jane smiled. "Jane Rizzoli, Homicide," she introduced herself, holding out her hand.
"Maura Isles," Amelia's mother replied. "I'm the new Medical Examiner. And you met Amelia," she said, adjusting the little girl on her hip. "We were just here getting my office set up. I just stepped into the morgue to check out a few things. Amelia was supposed to wait for me there but I should have known better. She's a very curious little one."
"Just like George," Jane said with a smile.
"George?" Maura raised her eyebrow in confusion.
"The monkey," Jane replied, receiving a blank stare from Maura, who obviously had no idea what she was talking about. "Curious George. It's a book series. You've never heard of it?"
"No I can't say I have," Maura replied seriously as Jane just stared at her with her mouth open, not knowing what to say. "Amelia prefers to read non-fiction, although we read some fiction every now and then. Usually chapter books," she explained. "Of course I do most of the reading but Amelia is learning."
"Oh well that's…well that's great," Jane replied stumbling over her words. "Um anyhow I uh actually came down here to….well just to introduce myself to you," she explained, deciding changing the subject was the best course of action. "I heard you were in the building so I thought I'd come say hello and welcome you to BPD since we'll probably be seeing quite a bit of each other."
"Given that you work homicide I would say so," Maura nodded, smiling. "That was very nice of you to come down Detective."
"Oh please call me Jane," Jane quickly corrected her. "No need to be so formal."
"Yeah Mommy her name is Jane," Amelia said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh thank you Miss Smartypants," Maura laughed, tickling Amelia's side playfully, causing the little girl to squirm until Maura returned her to the floor. "Well little girl I just have a couple more things to get set up in my office and then I should be done so we can go get your books. Does that sound good to you?"
"Thank sounds great!" Amelia replied enthusiastically. "Do you wanna come get books Jane?" She asked innocently, looking up at Jane with big, hazel eyes.
"Aw I wish I could," Jane smiled, once again kneeling down to the little blonde's height. "I actually have to head back upstairs to work, but maybe I'll see you again soon okay?"
"Okay," Amelia smiled sweetly, reaching up for her mother's hand.
"It was really nice meeting you Dr….um Maura," Jane said as she stood back up, reaching out to shake Maura's hand that wasn't holding onto her daughter. "I'm really looking forward to working with you."
"It was nice meeting you too Jane," Maura smiled. "And thank you again for coming down. That was very kind of you. I look forward to working with you as well," she said. "I will see you on Monday."
"See you on Monday," Jane nodded, before spinning on her heel and heading for the elevators.
Watching the Detective walk away, Maura couldn't help but feel intrigued, curious about the woman, whose scars she could feel on her hands and who obviously cared about her job. Looking forward to getting to know Jane better, Maura was glad she would be able to work closely with the Detective, hoping that maybe, just maybe she would make a new friend in the process.
"I like her Mommy," Amelia said, pulling the honey-blonde from her thoughts as she looked down at her little girl, a smile on her face. "She's nice."
"Yes she is," Maura nodded, squeezing Amelia's hand in hers. "She's very nice."
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For Maura, who was dealing with her recent move to Boston, getting Amelia ready for her first day of kindergarten and preparing herself for her first day as the new Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the weekend had been incredibly busy. By Monday morning Maura wasn't sure where the time had gone, and though she had hoped that she would be able to take her time getting Amelia ready and to school, life had other plans.
As soon as she heard her cell phone ringing from where she left in on the kitchen island, she knew what it meant and even though she wanted to take time to make Amelia a good breakfast before getting her off to school, that was no longer a possibility. Getting the details from the dispatcher before running upstairs to get Amelia moving, Maura moved as fast as she could in order to get Amelia to school so she could get to work.
"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up," Jane said as she came up behind Maura as soon as the medical examiner arrived at the crime scene. "You know when we met I didn't peg you as being tardy."
"I'm not. Not usually at least," Maura replied, pulling on a pair of latex gloves as she allowed Jane to lead her to the body she was meant to examine. "I had a bit of trouble getting Amelia off to school; first day and all. I wasn't anticipating getting a body on my first day," she explained. "I'm normally extremely prompt, especially with these kind of things. I really don't like being late but…"
"Maura, relax I'm sorry," Jane interrupted, placing her hand on the Doctor's shoulder, holding her back for a moment before they reached the rest of her team. "I was just joking. I'm sorry," she repeated. "Amelia had a hard time getting to school huh?"
"She isn't really accustomed to spending time with people her own age," Maura replied. "She spends most of her time with me so I'm afraid she hasn't really made a lot of friends. She was pretty nervous when I left her," she explained, her anxiety obvious. "Maybe I shouldn't have left her."
"Hey, she'll be fine," Jane was quick to reassure her. "Kids are resilient, and I know I haven't spent a ton of time with her but Amelia seems amazing. She'll do great," she smiled. "Now come on, this murder isn't going to solve itself," she said, turning Maura back in the direction of the body, where the rest of her team was waiting for them. "Korsak, Frost this is Dr. Isles," she introduced as she approached the two detectives waiting for them. "Dr. Isles these are Detectives Korsak and Frost; my team."
"It's very nice to meet you both," Maura smiled politely. "I'm sorry I'm late. What do we have?"
"Jane Doe," Frost was the one to reply. "Given the bruising on her neck I would say cause of death must be strangulation."
"Well we'll have to wait until I do the autopsy to determine that," Maura replied as she knelt down next to the body of a young woman who looked to be in her twenties.
"You're joking right?" Jane scoffed, raising an eyebrow as Maura continued her examination. "I mean look at the bruising. It's gotta be a strangulation."
"Actually that's not true," Maura replied, finally looking up. "Cause of death could be a number of things. Saying this is a strangulation right now would be a guess, and I don't guess Detective," she said, standing up to her full height. "I also don't joke; not about work at least. I'll have your COD this afternoon as soon as I complete the autopsy."
"Thank you Dr. Isles," Detective Korsak said, intervening before Jane could say anything; the brunette standing with her mouth gaping open, obviously wanting to argue. "One of us will be down to see you later today."
"Thank you Detective Korsak," Maura smiled, pulling off her gloves, not even seeming to notice the look Jane was giving her. "I'll have my techs transport the body. I'll be in touch," she said before turning around, the sound of her heels clicking as she walked back towards her car, leaving Jane wondering what the hell she had just witnessed.
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As Jane worked hard to keep her focus on the case that day, she found herself struggling, unable to stop thinking about Maura and her work demeanor; which seemed drastically different from the woman she had met Friday afternoon in the BPD basement. There was something intriguing about the woman, who turned into the professional Dr. Isles right before her eyes, and Jane couldn't help wanting to know more; about Dr. Isles and about Maura.
With this in mind, Jane had been quick to volunteer to go down to the morgue to check out the progress on their Jane Doe; expecting Dr. Isles to be finished with the autopsy since it was now 1 in the afternoon. What Jane hadn't expected when she reached the morgue though was to find the medical examiner still hunched over the body, obviously still in the middle of her work.
"You know I'm beginning to wonder about your time management Dr. Isles," Jane called as she entered the room, Maura immediately looking up with a rather wounded look on her face, one, which she attempted to hide but to no avail. "I'm sorry that was just a joke," Jane quickly tried to recover, feeling guilty. "I was just coming down to see if you had anything for us yet. Are you okay?"
"I…" Maura began before stopping herself, not normally one to open up, especially to someone she barely knew. "I'm sorry I haven't completed the autopsy yet," she said instead, keeping her expression neutral. "I was called away on a personal matter and got to a late start. I should have something for you soon Detective."
"That's not a problem," Jane nodded, slightly confused by the doctors obvious reluctance to share with her. Not quite ready to give up yet though Jane decided to pry just a little further. "Is everything okay?"
"It's fine I just…" Maura faltered. "I had to leave to pick Amelia up from school."
"Oh already?" Jane said looking at her watch. "School's a lot shorter than it used to be."
"School wasn't done for the day," Maura shook her head sadly. "She refused to stay. I mean I tried to convince her but she was rather upset," she sighed, surprised to find herself opening up; something, which Jane seemed to make her want to do. "I'm sorry you don't need to hear this," she said, switching back to professional mode. "Like I said I will have something for you soon."
"Where's Amelia?" Jane asked, ignoring Maura's last words, only hearing that the sweet little girl she had met was upset.
"In my office, where hopefully this time she'll remain," Maura replied with a sigh. "I haven't been able to find an appropriate Nanny yet. I had to bring her here. I hope you won't share that little detail with anyone else."
"Of course not," Jane assured her, realizing that Maura obviously had no one to turn to watch her daughter. "Do you mind if I go say hello? I can make sure she hasn't wandered off and you can keep working. I'll just tell Korsak that I'm watching the autopsy."
"Sure," Maura nodded with a small smile. "I should be done here soon. I'll come get you when I'm finished," she said, watching as Jane nodded before turning to head for her office. "Jane," she called, causing the brunette to turn back towards her. "Thank you."
"No problem," Jane smiled, before heading in the direction of the medical examiner's office, poking her head into the room where she found Amelia sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, colouring a picture. "Hey there," she greeted softly, not wanting to startle the little girl.
"Oh hi Jane," Amelia replied, smiling a smile that didn't seem quite as bright as Jane remembered. "Mommy's working."
"I know," Jane smiled, making her way to the couch across from the little blonde, sitting down facing her. "I told her I would come check on you. You working here now?" She asked, her tone light and joking, hoping to cheer the four-year-old up, as she was obviously still upset.
"I'm supposed to be at school," Amelia shook her head sadly. "Mommy had to come get me. I don't like it there."
"Why not?" Jane asked. "School's awesome. You get to learn so much like reading and math and all kinds of fun things," she said. "I thought you liked to read."
"I do," Amelia nodded, looking far too serious for a girl so young. "But I would rather read with Mommy. I don't like school. I don't have any friends," she admitted, the sad look on her face indicating exactly why she had been insistent about leaving school that day.
"Aw well it's only the first day," Jane said, moving to sit down on the floor so she could look the little girl in the eyes; the coffee table still separating them.
Even though Jane really didn't know Amelia or Maura for that matter, she felt an immediate connection to the mother/daughter duo and wanted to get to know them better, which was why she felt the need to provide some form of comfort to the little blonde, who looked so much like her mother.
"I know it can be hard being somewhere where you don't know anyone," she said gently. "But you'll get to know the other kids. You'll have friends before you know it. You just have to give it some time."
"The other kids don't like me," Amelia shook her head, for once sounding her own age. "I'll never make friends here."
"Hey of course you will," Jane said, reaching out and placing a hand over the little girl's. "I mean you've already made a new friend here."
"I have?" Amelia said, furrowing her eyebrows in the most adorable way, making Jane smile.
"Of course you have!" Jane replied enthusiastically. "I mean I'm your friend. At least I'd like to be…if you'll have me," she said, sticking out her lip in a pout, making Amelia giggle. "I can be your friend can't I?"
"Okay," Amelia nodded, her smile finally reaching her eyes, looking up when she heard a noise behind Jane, finding her mother standing in the doorway, having watched quite a bit of Jane's interaction with her daughter. "Mommy!" the little girl called, jumping up from her spot and running into her mother's arms. "Mommy can Jane come to pizza night this week? Please?" She begged.
"Oh...well…of course," Maura replied with a small smile. "If she's not too busy of course she can," she said, looking up to find Jane watching her with a confused look on her face, realizing she needed to explain. "On Friday nights Amelia and I make homemade pizza and watch a movie. I promised her she could invite a friend this week," she explained, having expected her daughter to invite one of her friends from school. "If you're too busy…"
"I'd love to come," Jane replied, beaming as she stood up, making her way over to where Maura and Amelia stood. "That actually sounds perfect!"