She makes eye contact with Jane, and swallows hard. She takes a deep breath, and then goes for it.

"I was a CIA operative for years."

Jane looks at her for a moment, and then begins laughing, hysterically. After a few seconds she regains her composure, "Nice try, but what is it, really?"

"I'm serious."

"No, you're not," Jane argues.

"Yes, I am."

"Maura, come on."

"While I was with the CIA I worked with two other government agencies."

"Doing what? Consulting, as an expert?"

"No," she shakes her head.

"Doing what?"

"I graduated high school at fifteen, college at eighteen, and medical school at twenty two. I was in my second year of residency, when I was contacted by my former professor."

"To do what?"

"Assist her with a case, that she was working, with the CIA."

"In what capacity?" Jane inquires.

"As a federal agent."

"Maura, you're not qualified to be a federal agent."

"Thank you, for thinking so highly of me."

"That's not what I meant. How were you a federal agent?"

"It was originally intended for me to be used on a short term basis, under an alias. It sounded interesting, and rewarding, so I agreed."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No," she shakes her head, with a facial expression as serious as a heart attack, "I ended up working as a CIA operative for several years, under an assumed identity."

"Maura, you're making this up."

"Do I look like I am lying to you?'

"No, but..." Jane trails off.

"I'm not. I decided after several years, that I wanted to return to being a medical examiner."

"Why?"

"Less risk, more stability."

"Why?" Jane repeats.

"I just did."

"What made you reach that decision?"

"A particularly close call."

"What happened to your assumed identity?"

"She died."

"She died? What do you mean?"

"She died."

"You died?"

"I didn't die, but..."

Jane cuts her off, "How can she die, but you didn't? You're one in the same."

"My death was very convincingly faked."

"How?"

"It's incredibly complicated."

"Maura this is laughable. You're making this up."

"Ok, believe what you want, but I have to go. I have a flight to catch."

On her flight, she plugs in her earbuds, hoping to drown out the rest of the world, and her own thoughts. When she lands, she grabs a newspaper, on her way to baggage claim. She tosses her bags into the trunk rental car, and puts the keys in the ignition, as she climbs in the driver's seat. She opens the newspaper, and begins to read. She ignores the headlines, and the news articles. She skips the weather, and the op-ed pieces. She flips right to the obituaries.

She reads it to herself, in silence. A sense of dread, comes over her. She pulls out her phone, and dials a familiar number. After a few rings she gets an answer.

"Hello?"

"Maura, do you know when you'll be getting in? The viewing is tomorrow."

"I just got it. I am getting ready to head to my hotel."

"You know that you're welcome to stay here."

"Thank you, but I'll pass."

"Did you need something? I..."

"No. I understand, you're busy making all of the arrangements. I'll let you go. I'll see you tomorrow."

"We can discuss things then."

"Ok," she agrees, hanging up.

When she arrives at the hotel, she tosses her bags in the room, and takes a seat on the bed. She stares at her phone, blankly. She wants to dial a familiar number. She wants the party on the other end to answer, so she can explain herself, and make all of this better. She tosses the phone in the drawer of the bedside stand, and opts for a shower, instead.

She climbs into her silky pajamas, and blow dries her hair. She turns down the bed, and slides under the covers. She flips off the lamp, next to the bed, and tries to go to sleep. Sleep doesn't come. She considers flipping on the TV, but decides against it. She stares at the ceiling, with a head full of thoughts. It's hard to sleep, with an empty stomach, and a head full of thoughts. She tosses, and turns, adjusting her covers at least half a dozen times.

Several hours later, she and sleep, finally meet. The sound of her phone wakes her, too soon. She's barely been asleep three hours, when the alarm tells her it's time to get up. She stares at the phone, realizing that she doesn't have to go to work. She resets it, due to the fact that she doesn't have to be up, for several hours.

For a while, she sleeps very soundly, unaware of the events that are to follow when she wakes. She is completely oblivious to the chaos that is about to ensue. Her life is about to make a U-turn, towards her past, and smack right into a brick wall, along the way.

When she wakes she doesn't feel rested. Instead, she feels more tired than before falling asleep. She proceeds to get ready to go to the viewing, dreading the service. It's five minutes, before she plans to leave the hotel room, when her phone rings.

"Hello?"

"Maura, it's Jim."

"I didn't expect to hear from you, until I got there."

"I have a favor to ask, it seems that someone has had a change of heart."

"What do you mean?"

"Gabe, was planning on going, but now he doesn't want to. Everyone else is going. I was hoping that you could watch him. I know that you want to go, to pay your respects. I know that you and Rachel were very close, but..."

"Of course I'll watch him."

"My cousin, Mary will be coming into town later today, she said that she would watch him, tomorrow, for the funeral. I wouldn't ask..."

"It's ok, I'd be glad to."