I've written a few stories on this on site. Some of them I'm really proud of, all I considered finished when I was done uploading. With those I never felt the need to add, they seemed to tell the story I wanted told as is. This one however didn't feel finished to me and the reviews I was getting let me know there was interest in having it continue for another chapter or two. So as a little gift to you great reviewers here's another chapter. I can see how it needed to be expanded a little bit, it was kind of a crappy thing to do to leave it open ended like that because you have no idea if the boys advice is going to work and I gave no indication in the story if Maura would be forgiving. SOOO, here you go...

The second Jane Rizzoli stepped into Maura Isles Morgue room she realized Detectives Korsak and Frost were correct. Her partners, current and past, had insisted she come down and make a personal plea. Apologize they said, beg if need be. She'd initially scoffed at the suggestion. Apologize for what, she wondered, for being a cop? The guys insisted she swallow her pride, head down to the morgue and make herself comfortable. She'd balked at this too, it seemed silly to simply go downstairs and sit around. Yet she knew the resistance was simply her pride getting in the way. The problem with her pride was that it often got in the way of common sense. She knew she made the right decision coming down when she stepped into the room. Maura's autopsy room wasn't empty. She wasn't alone.

Jane hated begging, nobody should have to grovel. Especially not for simply doing their job. She knew she had screwed things up with Maura but she figured she should be shown some slack. She deserved a little bit of slack, she'd earned it hadn't she. She hadn't done any of this intentionally after all, it was a tragic mistake. Most of it had been Dean's fault. If she could just get Maura to see that they could put all of this behind them.

But no. Korsak and Frost said Dean was off limits. She shouldn't talk to Maura about him at all anymore. The only time she should talk about him was if Maura asked questions and then she was supposed to keep it quick and vague. The boys were very specific that Dean should not be a topic of conversation. That seemed reasonable seeing as how a lot of this was his fault.

All this ran through Jane's mind when she stepped into the Morgue with a copy of Sports Illustrated tucked under her arm. Up until she saw Maura's guest she hadn't understood why it was necessary to sit down here subjecting herself to more of Maura's abuse. It reminded her of those religious orders who abused their bodies to prove their loyalty to God. It made sense in an abstract way, but the whole thing seemed a bit too over the top. She couldn't envision how sitting down here was helping the situation in any way. She'd mocked the idea in her head a half a dozen times but the second she stepped into the cold metallic room her heart dropped.

Maura was standing at her autopsy table in her white lab coat and smock. A pair of oversized goggles covered a third of her face and she was elbow deep in human organs. She looked so, Maura. A tall lanky brunette with short hair and blue jeans was in the room with her.

Jane was familiar with Detective Kate Kincaid. Kincaid was a cop from Robbery that was knocking at the door to a spot in homicide. She was a good cop, smart, respected, and from what Jane had heard about her she could handle herself on the street. She reminded Jane of herself. People who didn't know her, cops from other houses mostly, often got the two of them confused on first glance.

None of that mattered right now however because she was in Maura's morgue room. Sitting on Jane's stool. Kincaid's eyes were locked on Maura and neither of them had seemed to notice she'd come into the room. Kincaid was an attractive woman. Tall and toned with an air of confidence that even Jane couldn't deny was commanding of respect. Today her intense green eyes were locked onto Maura.

"Whatever you need to do is okay Dr. Isles. I know it's tough right now but it's important for you to know you have friends. You're not alone. You have a friend in me. If you need to we can go out and have a few drinks, talk about it, not talk about it, whatever you want. Whatever you need."

Jane's stomach almost dropped. She felt like she was going to lose her lunch. The boys had warned her about this. They'd told her this would happen. When she suggested she give Maura some space they told her it would be a big mistake. They warned her the second she stepped away some opportunist would step in and try and replace her. Sharks with blood in the water Frost had said. Turns out they were right, Kincaid was here offering Maura invitations.

"Um, excuse me ladies." Jane said doing her best to sound somewhat formal. Her first instinct was to grab Kincaid by the hair, drag her into the hallway and beat the crap out of her. That, she knew, would be inappropriate.

Kincaid nearly jumped out of her skin. If Jane wasn't so pissed off she would have laughed. She was caught red handed and her face showed it. Her shoulders sagged, her eyes went to the floor and she clammed up immediately. Her confidence disappeared almost instantly. Good, the woman did have some shame. Vulture.

Jane didn't cut her any slack. She walked over to her spot on the stool and invaded the woman's personal space. How dare her come down here and try and replace her. And already, it had only been a week and she was down here trying to be Maura's new best friend. The nerve of her. Not to mention she was sitting on Jane's stool.

"Hey Kincaid, how's doin?" She asked, doing her best to throw the woman off her game by being both polite and invasive. Kincaid was leaning away from her and Jane knew she was making her uncomfortable.

"Rizzoli, hey. I was just chatting with the doc here." Kincaid said, her voice shaky.

"I can see that." Jane glanced over at Maura and saw that Maura was purposely ignoring her again. She turned her attention back to Kincaid and leaned in closer to the woman. Finally Kincaid pulled herself off the stool and cleared her throat. "Oh, hey I think Korsak and Frost were looking for you," Jane added.

Kincaid's brow arched with interest. "Really?"

"Yeah, they're looking for the blood work on the Shark case."

Kincaid shook her head clearly not familiar with the case. "I didn't work that one. I better go track them down and see if I can make myself useful." She looked up at Maura still nervous but not willing to back off. Her confidence suddenly back in full swing. "Doc remember what I said, if you need to chat I'm around."

Maura looked up at Kincaid with a smile. "Thank you detective."

"Rizzoli." Kincaid said as she walked out of the room.

Jane watched her leave the room then shifted her attention back to Maura. "If you need to chat I'm around. Gimmie a break. As if." She mocked.

Maura huffed heavily, still digging through the open body on her autopsy table. "What difference does it make to you who I'm friends with Jane? I thought you had Agent Dean now. He's all you need isn't he?"

Jane cursed mentally knowing she was never going to live that down. "Maura I'm sorry." Okay, what did the boys say? Forget about Agent Dean. Don't mention him. There had to be something to Korsak and Frost's advice. They were right about somebody making a move to be Maura's new best friend. They had to be right about the rest of it too. She was going to follow their advice to the letter.

"You don't owe me an apology. You were just doing your job weren't you?" Maura asked. Her tone was soft, gentle. She sounded okay but Jane knew she couldn't possibly be. This had to be a trick of some kind. A trap to get her to keep defending herself. No, she wasn't going to fall for it. Korsak and Frost said she should beg.

"Maura I know I screwed up. I don't have any excuse that is going to justify my actions. I want you to know that I get it. I understand what I did to you. What I did to us, what we had. I'm sorry. From the bottom of my heart I'm sorry. You have no reason to forgive me. None whatsoever but I'm on my knees."

Maura turned to look at her and Jane got down on her knees. Maura simply rolled her eyes. "Goodness Jane get up, this floor is covered in bacteria."

"I don't care. I'm sorry. I want you to know that from this moment on, from this second until the end of time I promise nobody and nothing will ever come before you. I will not put anybody first but you. Nobody will ever come between us again, I promise. I know I screwed up but just give me another chance. Just one more chance to prove myself and I swear you won't regret it."

Maura continued to glare at her and Jane was sure she was going to tell her to get lost. Instead she shook her head. "Get off the floor Jane." The tone had shifted. Jane knew Maura's angry voice, she'd gotten familiar with it these past few days, and this wasn't it. She was softening up.

Jane pulled herself off the floor ignoring the dust on her black pants. Now the magazine. Sit down and read the magazine. She walked over to her stool and took her seat. She unfolded the magazine in front of her and started to flip through the pages.

"Jane what are you doing?" Maura asked.

"I'm groveling."

Maura shook her head with frustration. Mock frustration, Jane could see it.

"Jane I think you should go back to work." Maura said.

Frost and Korsak said this would happen. She'd ask her to leave right away. Not exactly sure of her next move she stood up and decided she should simply do as she was told. Maura hadn't forgiven her but she was softening. There was hope.

"Okay Maura, I'll go." Jane took a few steps towards the door and as she did so happened by the trash can. The two dozen roses she'd sent Maura earlier today were in the trash. They said that would happen too. "But I'll be back tomorrow. And the next day, and the next day until you forgive me."

Maura glanced at her as she lingered in the doorway. The large goggles she was wearing made her eyes appear huge. "Just get back to work before you get in trouble."

"Okay. And I'm sorry again Maura, really."

"Is Agent Dean going to be okay? When's he leaving town?"

Damn, Dean again. Jane steeled her nerves. "I couldn't care less if he's staying or leaving. I know he's going to live, that's as far as my concern goes."

"I'll see you tomorrow Detective Rizzoli." Maura said shifting her attention back to her body.

Detective Rizzoli? What the hell did that mean? "Goodbye Doctor Isles."

Maura snickered to herself. "Thank you for the roses by the way. They were very beautiful."

Jane wanted to ask her if she thought they were so beautiful why she tossed them in the trash. It was a fair question, an honest question. The sort of question any normal person would want the answer to. Yet Jane knew better. Not knowing what to say she simply said 'you're welcome' and left the room. Today was a turning point. From what she'd been told the hard part was yet to come but she'd made in roads today. That would have to do for now.

Jane found Korsak and Frost sitting at their desks in the squad room when she head back upstairs to catch up on paperwork. The moment she stepped into the room they looked at her with smiles.

"Blood work on the shark case?" Frost asked.

Jane shrugged. "I had to get rid of her. She was down there with Maura offering to talk."

Korsak shook his head with what Jane knew to be his disgusted face. "Talkers. They're the worst. They're the types who pretend to be interested in her emotional well being. While they're really just trying to cozy up next to her and cut you out of the picture."

Frost cut in. "Meanwhile you're sitting at home listening to old mix tapes you made for her."

"Mix Tapes?" Jane asked. "You used to give girls mix tapes? What decade did you grow up in again?"

Korsak laughed but Frost ignored them both. "What did she say? Dr. Isles I mean." Frost asked.

"I begged. I got down on my knees and said I was sorry. She told me I should go back to work."

They looked at one another and shrugged. "Well we expected that. Just keep at it. Go back tomorrow."

"She did tell me that the flowers were beautiful." Jane added.

Jane saw Korsak smile. "You're kidding?"

"No, she tossed them in the trash but she did say thank you."

"Wait, she said thank you AND that they were beautiful?" Frost asked, he was smiling just as wide as Korsak now. "As long as you don't do anything else stupid you're golden Rizzoli."

Korsak nodded. "Smooth sailing from here, just do what we told you and when she gives you a task…"

Frost cut in. "And she will."

"…just make sure you get it done. Don't second guess it and don't deviate from the instructions in any way. It's a test." Korsak finished.

Frost laughed. "I once had a woman ask me to drive her to New York for a hot dog."

"From Boston?" Jane asked. "For a hot dog? And you did it? Are you out of your mind?"

Korsak laughed. "It sounds stupid I know but you're already in enough trouble if it gets to this point so you're not in any position to say no. Why they make us do this kind of stuff is a lesson for another day."

Jane laughed. "Fine. That's a deal, I want to hear more about this stuff. I want to know all the ways to fix things when I screw up." Jane began to shake her head. "I've got two brothers, I can't believe they got to learn this stuff and I didn't. Where the hell was I?"

Korsak looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "Remember your dad and the boys going on fishing trips? Drives to the park to play ball?"

"Damnit, I knew I was missing all the good stuff. Frankie Jr. doesn't even like fishing. And Tommy was too busy being a delinquent. I absolutely loved fishing. I knew they were going off to do the fun stuff. I just knew it."

Korsak shrugged. "Well if it's any consolation to you Jane how was he supposed to know that you'd need to know any of it. I'm sure if he had any inclination you'd have been right out there with them."

Jane's eyebrow arched. "Inclination of what?" She asked.

Korsak and Frost looked at one another with embarrassment. "Nothing, just that you were one of us."

"Yeah," Frost added diplomatically. "That you were one of us who screws up."

Jane stared at them and suddenly the mood shifted from one of playful chatter to one of nervous anticipation. Frost was suddenly at his desk typing away and Korsak was nose deep in a file. She decided to quit while she was ahead. The last thing she needed to do was tick these guys off, she'd save that until she'd patched things up with Maura.