Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli and Isles.

One More for the Ever Growing List

Chapter 1

Maura was at a loss. She'd barely seen her best friend in the last three months and whenever they did get together, it was always work-related. Granted, she wasn't exactly blameless in the whole situation but still, she missed Jane. Her best friend always had the ability to calm her, soothe her, make her feel safe and secure, warm and loved; wanted. She put her head in her hands feeling a headache coming on. Ever since Christoph, her life had become one mistake after another, the first and foremost being her failure to tell her best friend she'd been dating him for the past month and a half. It was not that she didn't want to tell her but rather, she didn't know how. The relationship between them had been very new at the time and they'd only gone out on four dates with each other. In Jane's book, that was four dates too many...

Jane threw open the doors of BPD running on pure adrenaline after having had a successful run catching a perp. Sure, her head hurt from where he'd slammed her against the wall after taking her by surprise in an alleyway and she had a black eye from the subsequent punch he'd delivered as well as a sore wrist from the punch she'd given him back, but hey, they got the guy! That was what mattered.

As she pressed the elevator button to go down and visit her best friend, perhaps even celebrate a little, she couldn't help but notice an extremely well-dressed man standing at the front desk looking clearly at a loss. In fact, scratch that. This guy was rich, from the hat he wore on his head, to the tailored blue suit that adorned his body, to the shiny brown sharp angled shoes on his feet. His long woolen trench coat was draped over his shoulders and he appeared to be pleading with the officer behind the desk.

"Please, officer. I assure you I have an appointment to see Dr Isles. If you'd just try and call again..."

Curiosity getting the best of her, she approached the desk.

"What's the problem here, Browning?"

The officer gulped. If he'd been unable to handle the situation before, he definitely felt totally out of his depth now. After all, this was Jane Rizzoli; hero cop who'd shot herself just over a year ago to take down one of their own who'd gone bad. He realised he'd held silence for too long because now she was just staring at him pointedly, a mask of impatience apparent.

"I err...I. This man wishes to see Dr Isles," he squeaked.

"Okay..."

"He says he has an appointment Ma'am." She cringed inwardly at the formal term. God, she felt old. "But Dr Isles isn't picking up her phone and he's terribly insistent..."

"Well, then, it's just as well you're going my way then isn't it?" she said, swiftly cutting him off. She gave the man before her a cursory glance satisfied that he wasn't a threat before covering it quickly, smiling. He looked relieved.

"Thank you," he said, tone grateful.

She turned her attention back to the officer.

"Don't worry, he's with me," she said, making her way back over to the elevators. "Oh. And don't ever call me Ma'am again. Everyone either calls me Rizzoli or Detective. If I wanted to become my mother..." she said cringing at the thought. The elevator dinged, alerting the two to its arrival and the nodding of the officer was sufficient enough for Jane to be satisfied she'd gotten her point across. They stepped in, standing side by side, as she pressed the button. Seconds later, the hallway to the morgue appeared and the man made a gesture as if to say ladies first. The brunette resisted the urge to roll her eyes before stepping out. Walking down the hallway, she saw the blonde inside the autopsy suite, taking off her gloves and her eyes lit up. She opened the door, holding it briefly for him.

"Hey, Maur. I found someone upstairs looking for..." but the sentence died away as she watched the man walk past her, sweeping the honey blonde up before planting a very passionate kiss on her lips. And she knew from then on, she was doomed. Doomed because it was obvious that this person was more than an acquaintance, doomed because she knew she was screwed in every way in trying to keep her own feelings for the blonde under control and doomed because whatever the two of them were, it was apparent that this person loved her; unconditionally and wholeheartedly, in much the same way, Jane did. And then she was angry. Because, despite her feelings, despite how much she was in love with Maura, she'd always believed that they told one another everything, that they had no secrets; they were best friends after all; they were supposed to know everything about each other.

But clearly, she had been wrong.

Remembering they had company, the man broke the kiss and put Maura down, smiling sheepishly at her. Maura, for her own part, had barely had time to react let alone formulate a sentence before she was swept up off her feet that it took her a moment to recall the situation at hand. She remembered being so happy to hear her friend's voice, to know she was ok after Jane telling her that they'd gotten a possible lead on the suspect, that she'd gotten caught off guard when Christoph seemingly barged right through and kissed her. Christoph, the man she'd never told Jane she had been seeing...

Oh god. Oh no...

She looked over his shoulder and her heart broke at the range of emotion she saw flit across her friend's face. She saw anger, disbelief, distrust, ire and oh so many questions displayed in the Detective's expression. She also saw that her friend appeared a bit worse for wear, physically, at least. Aware she was now being watched, Jane schooled her features to one of detachment and indifference. She watched as Maura stepped away from the man and moved towards her instead, uncertainty, anxiety and concern marring her ever perfect features.

"Jane...it's..." Maura started.

Jane cut her off turning on her heel abruptly to leave the room.

"It's none of my business, is what it is. You don't have to tell me what you do or who you do for that matter."

Her tone was harsh but quite frankly with this new development in Maura's life, the conversation was going downhill fast. They both knew it. She walked towards the elevator to go up and pushed the button, hearing the clack of Maura's heels behind.

"Jane, wait."

Jane let out a breath of air but she didn't turn, choosing instead to keep her back to her friend.

"It doesn't matter, Maur. I only came down to tell you we got the asshole."

"B..but your hand!" Maura was grasping at straws now, trying anything to get ahold on the situation and her emotions. Yes, the look on Jane's face had not escaped her. Jane stuffed her injured hand into her pocket, wincing slightly.

"Hospitals," she said entering the elevator, "that's what they're there for."

She gave a slight grin as if to wave it off but it didn't quite reach her eyes and she knew Maura didn't miss it. When it came to her, Maura didn't miss anything. She pressed the button to the bullpen leaving the ME standing there, hurt evident in her features. Only once the doors were closed, did Jane let out the breath she'd been holding.

"Well, I'll be...," she thought.

She never made it to the hospital.

They both knew that...