"Rizzoli."

"Four hours, thirty two minutes and seventeen seconds."

Jane smirked and glanced at Korsak driving. "No fair."

"My next session is this Wednesday, seven sharp."

Jane pointed silently to the house at the end of the corner. Vince nodded and slowed down. "Well listen, I need to know what kind of information I'm sacrificing my Wednesday night for."

"Did you have plans?"

"Korsak and I are approaching that toll agent's house now. Whaddya got, Maura?"

Maura picked up her clipboard. "Your victim was drugged, Jane."

"Toxicology didn't come back with anything."

"I found that odd, her pupils were cloudy, more so than usual to victims with violent deaths. I ran a more linear search and found trace elements of several very lethal opioids."

Jane waited.

"Jane?"

"You're not going to list them off for me?"

"Would you like me to?"

"No I left my dictionary at home today." Korsak laughed as he stopped the car. "So lethal but trace?" She and Korsak looked at one another when they noticed their person of interest out near his car two hundred feet away.

"Correct, probably administered through a solvent of some kind. Water most likely."

"Thanks Maura." Jane hung up and looked over at the house across from them. "Check this guy out." she motioned with her chin at Edgar Knowles the part-time toll agent on freeway seven. He was a thin man with brown hair, well-groomed but slightly forgettable. Jane hadn't really paid him much attention until he hadn't returned any of her calls that morning to return for minor questioning. He had an air tight alibi and really no real connection to the victim besides the place where he worked and where she was found. Currently Edgar was bringing out grocery bags from his house to his car. With every step he took he became more obvious to the detectives.

"Hm." Vince nodded.

"Isn't it a little odd to be putting grocery bags into your car instead of taking them out?"

"Maybe he's going on a picnic?"

"Yeah, to prison."

They both opened their car doors at the same time.

"Edgar Knowles." Vince called.

Jane stepped around the front of their car and extended her arms. "Called you a few times. Something wrong with your phone?"

"Jane." Korsak warned when he noticed a slight bend to Edgar's knees and the flicker of panic in his grey eyes.

Every nerve ending in Jane's body lit ablaze in that moment. "Yeah." She answered slowly before taking off down after Knowles. "Oh you better hope I don't catch you!"

Korsak jumped into their car and whipped around the corner to meet them when they cleared the fence of the house adjacent.

##

Maura inhaled deeply and sighed as the humidity laced with the sweet smell of chamomile blossoms entered her nostrils directly and began gently working their way into her pores.

It was seven at night and she had just completed her state review files from the time she were away, it had hardly dented her work load for catching up but it was a big burden off her mind. Why not celebrate with a little aroma therapy before approving Kent's over time?

Maura was tired; the dregs of Paris had been sapped out of her today when the morgue experienced a high volume of "guests" due to an eight car pileup on East Broadway. Her circadian rhythm had certainly been disrupted and she knew she couldn't sleep even if she wanted to. So as long as she were able to maintain her faculties Maura opted to work into the night.

The pathologist had become fairly skilled in leaving her everyday thoughts for peace of mind, but today was proving more difficult than most. Being in Paris with her mother gave her a lot of time to think. Constance was more of a night owl and that was when most of the posh galleries were open anyway. During the day the older Isles would rest and pamper herself while Maura roamed the streets she had come to love and know so well. She had time to work on her writing and visit with old family friends, she were also able to read, but if asked for specifics about her time alone besides the major points Maura couldn't really tell you. She found herself thinking about her decision to kiss Jane goodbye often. Was it inappropriate? In the forty odd seconds it took for her to decide she didn't think so, and certainly not while doing it, heck even now Maura could barely help the smile on her face, but that wasn't unusual with the tall Boston native. She was always smiling with Jane, and the truth was she had always been attracted to her for many reasons, they attracted one another - it's why they made such good friends, but as of recently, and recently being the last year, Maura had noticed a different form of attraction begin to bud, a longing sort of thing. Maura looked for Jane places she knew she was not and she knew Jane did too. They leaned on each other in a way that made the absence of her person aboard that the much more impactful.

The ME knew better than to approach this in its entirety all at once with Jane though. Whatever this feeling was she wanted to identify it with Jane and not without her. That obviously was taking some time. That kiss at the airport was meant to let her know she was waiting for her to decide to acknowledge their subtle shift, and that she would be there even if she were miles away. The one after the Robber was because she was inebriated, and she had been wondering all night what it would be like to kiss her best friend.

Both ends to a similar means she supposed.

"Um, Dr. Isles?"

Maua sat up quickly from her reclined position at her desk and took the warm tea soaked towel off her face. "Oh, hello Jenifer."

The lab tech smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry to bother you."

Maura rested her towel to the side and smiled. "No, please come in."

"Dr. Drake is in need of assistance, the families are here to identify the victims from the crash…."

Maura nodded before standing and smoothing out her scrub top. "Right. I will take names A-H, have you arranged the others for viewing?"

"I am in the process."

"Okay good."

She returned to her office four hours later and paused before the door. Had she closed it on her way out? With a single languid breath to center her mind and calm the sudden fear Maura nodded to herself before slowly leaned against the door to open it.

The overheadlight had been turned off but all the lamps remained on leaving a clear view of the room and the change within it.

Maura smiled.

Jane lay before her between the two narrow red office chairs fast asleep and clutching one of Maura's decorative zebra print pillows sweetly. Her usually animated features resembled the dead Maura realized and with a glance at her watch she knew why. She hadn't heard from the detective all day after their brief phone call and she supposed things with the case were developing if Jane was here this late and hadn't called or popped into the lab for more information.

Maura silently made her way over to her desk to drop off the file she needed to return before sighing as she looked down at her friend.

How did one care for such an extraordinary person exactly?

"Jane." The ME whispered. Jane didn't move. "Jane…" Maura rubbed her shoulder.

"Maura." Jane mumbled in greeting with her eyes still closed and her grip on the small pillow tightening slightly. Maura continued to rub her shoulder. "Feels good." Jane hummed

"Are you going to sleep here, tonight?"

Jane nodded and Maura frowned.

"Still on the case?" her hand moved to gently pinch the nape of Jane's neck burying her hand in thick black hair in the process. Jane opened her eyes and looked directly up into Maura's face as the doctor smoothed her fingers out against the back of her neck and pressed gently into the skin there before rushing to her scalp continuing their pressure as they went again. Maura found she couldn't look anywhere but Jane's dark eyes and for a moment the two let themselves sink into the other as Maura massaged the small area behind Jane's right ear and just below her hairline.

"I should sneak in here more often." Jane rasped as she let a smirk slip onto her tired features.

"That would be unwise." Maura squeezed her shoulder gently before retuning her hand to her side. She was suddenly unsure of quite what to do with her once nimble hands. Rearranging file folders on her desk seemed safe for right now, right?

Jane sat up and wiped at her face before sniffling and checking the time on the wall clock. It was close to eleven thirty. "You heading home soon?"

Maura nodded and turned to face Jane and lean against her desk. "Half an hour more."

"Maura." Jane stood. "Everyone's already dead, go home."

Maura crossed her arms to her chest and smiled. "I could say the same thing to you, Detective."

Jane exhaled heavily and moved to sit on Maura's desk beside her. "I've got a man upstairs confessing to the murder of twelve women. I'm not going anywhere."

"You're kidding, the toll agent?"

Jane nodded. "That bit about trace opioids, could you write something up for the Chief tomorrow on how you found it?" Jane scratched the back of her head. "Cloudy eyeballs was it?"

Maua nodded. "Absolutely…." She tilted her head. "Do you want me to bring you a change of clothes tomorrow morning?"

"You don't think the smell of deodorant and old coffee will get him to give up the locations of the other eleven victims?" She asked seriously.

"Perspiration too."

Jane chuckled and made a show of scooting away from her. "So no?"

Maura smiled. "No I don't think that will work, Jane."

Jane nodded thoughtfully. "Okay." She checked the time again and then kicked out her feet a little. "How was your day?"

Maura took stock of her the events of the day. "Productive. I predict sleeping tonight will be difficult though."

"Still jet lagged huh?" She nodded. "There's gotta be a tea for that."

Maura chuckled. "Yes actually an herbal blend of—" Jane's phone going off interrupted her.

Jane sent her an apologetic look before standing up from the desk and pulling the phone out from her pocket. "Rizzoli…Yeah…. Okay, I'll be right up." She hung up. "Frankie found something, I'd better go." The homicide detective made no move to leave though, but instead shifted her stance as if debating how to say something. Maura raised a brow slightly when she unknowingly rubbed the scar on one of her palms. "So this thing on Wednesday, it's at seven?" She slipped her hands into her pockets when she realized what she was doing.

Maura stood fully. "Yes, though I understand if this case is—"

"I'll be there."

"Okay."

"Call me if you want a uniform to follow you home?" The ME had taken her up on it a few times after her kidnapping but usually the two would finish around the same time and Jane would follow her till their turning off points.

Maura shook her head. "I'm sure that won't be necessary tonight. Try and get some rest." She motioned to the chair Jane had been sleeping in and as Jane lingered in the entryway she realized that she was sad to see her go so quickly. "Walk me to my car in twenty?" Maura rushed out and blushed slightly because of it. "I don't see a reason to not practice a little self-preservation after all, especially when fatigued." She rationalized calmly. "According to the National Crime Victimization Survey of 2016 the most violent crimes happen between 6pm and 6am in vacated locations such as parking garages. The fact that this is a police prescient bares little importance as it creates a false sense of security."

Jane nodded slowly. "Yeah, tell that to my gun."

Maua smiled softly. "Will you?"

The taller woman nodded. "Of course, Maura. I want you to feel safe."

"I do with you… and your gun."

Jane chuckled. "I'll see you in twenty." She slipped out of the office and made her way quickly down the hall to the elevators. After a quick stop to the restroom to wash the rest of the sleep from her face Jane went up to the bullpen where Frankie and Korsak were seated with their suit jackets off and their sleeves rolled up. A small mountain of empty take out containers sat on a nearby desk making the whole area smell of fried rice and soy sauce.

"Did you get some sleep?" Vince asked without looking up. Years of being partners with Jane had committed her strike pattern to memory.

Jane nodded and touched the area of her neck that Maura had massaged before taking a seat at the round table where all of the cold case files for the last two years sat. "We should have massages included in our HR benefits." Frankie only snorted in response. "What do you guys have?"

Korsak sat back in chair and took off his reading glasses. "So far two Jane Doe's and a Melissa Wilkins from 2014 that fit the description."

Frankie pushed a stack of manila folders in Jane's direction. "There's plenty to go around."

Jane cracked her neck and reached into her pocket for a hair tie to put her hair up into a ponytail.

##

"Guy's a nut case, Maura. There is no reasoning around what he was doing. No Mommy issues or Daddy issues, made good money, stable job, some friends… then what just like that? Dork by day serial killer by night?" Jane leaned against the hand rail in the parking lot elevator.

Maura had changed out of her scrubs and back into the pair of the white trousers, a red blouse and kitten heels she wore to work that day.

It was midnight.

"Symptoms of psychotic breaks vary greatly, usually depending on the circumstances of diagnosis or any contributary substance ingested. They can range from harmless, sometimes unnoticed delusions, to violent outbursts and major depression, Jane."

"Yeah but a psychotic break every month? What like a period?"

Despite her drowsiness Maura laughed. "I suppose you could compare it in frequency to menstruation yes. A stressor, the need for the female body to reproduce in this instance, occurs and the body has to come to terms with having to cope."

Jane made a face. "I was kidding."

"If you consider it scientifically though it isn't that far off, good job." The elevator finally dinged open to the parking level where Maura usually parked her car.

Jane pushed herself off of the rail and stepped out of the elevator with Maura. She quickly scanned the garage for any other vehicles or activity. Maura's blue Toyota Prius was parked under the main buzz of a lamp beside another grey sedan Jane knew belong to a PM cleaner for the lab. The late March night air was crisp but the stale smell of concrete and dried motor oil clung to the garage walls even with the night's breeze slipping in through the tall half walled structure.

"Now if I can only apply that wisdom to tomorrow." Jane remarked.

Maura admired the sound of their footsteps together briefly before looking over at Jane. "What's tomorrow?"

Jane furrowed a brow. Hadn't she told Maura? "My father is coming in to town to discuss his estate planning with us…"

Maura shook her head. "Tomorrow?"

"Found out on Saturday."

"Oh Jane, what do you think he intends to say?"

Jane shrugged impatiently. "I don't know Maura."

"Well does Angela know?"

"I'm pretty sure she does…." Jane thought for a moment. "You can't say anything to her if she doesn't. I know that's hard for you."

"Fatuus statim verecundiam meam super te, stulte bis verecundiam meam super me." Maura nodded proudly.

Jane shook her head. "I won't even go there."

"I won't fall for the Latin twice."

"Oh." Jane shook her head in a muted amusement. "You think that's the only card in her deck?"

"Well I'm sure she had to get creative with the three of you…. Estate planning?"

Jane nodded. "Can't imagine what the hell it could be."

Maura touched her arm. "You'll tell me if you need anything?"

Jane nodded. "New underwear should work for now, Maura, thanks."

She chuckled. "Yes, I'll remember." They neared her Prius. "You really need to drink more water; hydration is a key element in the body's ability to manage stresses."

Jane watched her key into her car. "Coffee has water in it."

"Yes Jane but water is better. Believe me. I'm a doctor."

"For dead people."

"They should have listened."

Jane smiled and held the front door open as Maura got into the driver's seat. "Yes, Ma'am." She closed the door once Maura was settled and leaned down to look at her through it when she lowered the window. "Don't forget to feed George Herman."

Maura smiled. "Goodnight Jane."

"Night, Maur."

##

"Do you want to go to the Robber with me?"

Maura looked up from the body on her table. Milo Burgess, 54, slipped and fell in the shower. He had come in that morning with another detective in Vice. Apparently Mr. Burgess had a colorful second life that in no way interfered with his demise, at least it was her job to forensically make sure of it

"It's three forty five in the afternoon."

Jane shrugged. "Soo..."

Maura smiled and focused back to her work. "When are you supposed to meet your father?"

Jane shrugged again. "Three…" Maura looked up at her. "Don't look at me like that!"

"How am I looking at you?"

"Like I used those little towels in your guest bathroom to wipe my face again."

"They are so clearly hand towels, Jane."

"Whatever, look can you come with me?" She sighed. "Plleeeaassee?"

Maura shook her head with a tight smile. "I am in the middle of an autopsy—" Jane opened her mouth. "and before you point out that he is already dead please understand that I value the efficiency of my work just as you do." Jane closed her mouth. "You'll be fine."

Jane pouted as she took a seat on a small rolling chair near her. "Why does he keep coming back?"

Maura furrowed her brows at something in Burgess's mouth. She reached for a magnifier and zoomed in. "Because he's your father and despite everything, he loves you."

"Yeah well, I don't see why I have to be there. You know he's meeting us at The Robber because he knows Ma will be there right?"

"And not because it's conveniently located to where two thirds of his children work?"

"Meh."

"Would you rather he come here?"

Jane crossed her arms. "Whose side are you on?"

Maura looked back over at Jane. "Yours."

"Okay so say something that will help me get out of this." She snapped a finger. "I've come down with the flu, you'd write a doctor's note for me right?"

Maura chuckled and finally put down her instruments and took off her gloves. "Jane I am not writing you a doctor's note for a family meeting."

"Psh, I'm up to my ears in a case and you can't do this one thing?" She stood as Maura approached her. "Traitor."

Maura smiled knowingly. "He's had a health scare before, just go and see what he has to say, Jane."

Her arms were still crossed but her features now contorted with conflict. "…You know I'd never say that I was overwhelmed unless I really was right?"

Maura softened a little. "Are you?"

"No." She shook her head yes.

Maura held her shoulders. "You are a great detective but an even better sister. You're feeling this way now because of wanting to protect the people you care about but what's really bothering you—"

"Maura c'mon."

"—what's really bothering you is that you're afraid that you will see him and miss him. That would be too messy."

"I just don't have the time for this again." Jane rolled her eyes. "He's changed, so have I, and Frankie, hell even Tommy, we aren't kids anymore."

"Some things also stay remarkably the same. I'm guessing that's his love for you all."

"He's a selfish idiot, who doesn't deserve second, third and fourth chances."

"Yes."

Jane chuckled despite herself. "You really won't write me a note?"

Maura stepped away from her and to Jane's surprise opened a drawer at her work station for her prescription pad. The Medical Examiner scribbled something on it before folding it and putting it in Jane's right hand. "Go."

"Maur—"The shorter woman turned her around and began pushing her out of the morgue. "Maura!"

"I'm working. Call me when you're done."

After allowing herself to be pushed into the hall but before making it a pint to glare at Maura through the glass double doors Jane made her way to the front of the precinct where she had parked. Outside Frankie was leaned against her car waiting with Nina holding a coffee. Jane waved at them and watched as her soon to be sister-in-law rested a reassuring hand on her brother's shoulder before walking up the steps towards Jane.

"Hey Jane."

"Hey." Jane smiled. "Thanks for waiting with him."

Nina nodded. "Family is hard."

"Well you know I'm glad you're gonna be a part of ours." She looked over at her brother. "You know we adore you right?"

Nina laughed sweetly. "The feeling is mutual." She shook her head then. "He can't be that bad right? Frank Sr.?" She glanced over her shoulder at her fiancé.

"No he wasn't, it's complicated…"

"Anyway. I'll be here if you need me, Korsak wants to go through the evidence we found and asked if I would help."

"Let us know if you find anything." Jane watched her enter the precinct and then sighed. She looked back at her younger brother who motioned to the car in patiently.

"You know we're late." She could hear the crankiness in his voice as they both buckled up in the car moments later.

"Yeah so what?" Jane huffed. She looked down at the slip of paper Maura had given her, she hadn't read it yet.

"What's that?"

Jane slipped it into her jacket pocket and started the car. "Something Maura gave me."

Frankie shook his head. He hardly had the energy for seeing his father again; dissecting his sister's friendship with Maura for the umpteenth time would have to wait for a lighter day. Today he felt heavy, they were close to finding the exact location of Knowles' other victims, but every time he stepped into the interrogation room with the timid yet calculating killer he felt even more emotionally drained.

"Korsak had CSU do another comb over of the car and house." He took a sip of his coffee. "Came up positive with DNA from four of our cold case victims."

Jane was focusing on the road. "We already have him; this just makes it easier and faster for the courts to haul his ass out to the looney bin."

"You really think the judge is going to buy this whole psychotic break bit?"

She shrugged. "It's possible."

"He was calculating, he sold the regular untampered water to men and the drugged water to any woman that met his fetish, Janie, there is no way a court is going to see that as sporadic."

"Our job isn't to guess what the court will do. It's to bring in all the evidence possible and hope for a just conviction."

He shook his head and looked out the window at the streets they had both sworn to protect from animals like Knowles. "You're really having an off day huh?"

Jane glanced at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Means it sounds a whole lot like you've given up the case and can't wait for it to be over." He bit.

"Right and suddenly you are the expert on all things homicide."

The car was silent for the remainder of the trip to The Dirty Robber. When Jane parked she sighed heavily and looked over at her younger brother who hadn't made a move to get out or look at her.

"I'm sorry."

She hadn't meant to snap at him and she was feeling bad about it. Through a lot of her life Frankie had been her best friend, and to this day they remained closer than she and Tommy would ever be. They shared the badge and there wasn't a whole lot that could get in the way of the bond between brother's in blue, except maybe an actual brother. She had both in Frankie and she never wanted him to forget how much she was grateful for him.

Frankie nodded to himself before looking over at his older sister. "Me too, Jane."

"This case… it's like a marathon run alright? You gotta pace yourself." She shared. "I do too."

"It's a lot…" He motioned to the bar. "This is a lot."

"Yeah… Whatever it is we handle it together though alright? You, Tommy and I have to be strong for each other and for Ma."

Frankie nodded. "Nina wants to meet him."

"Nina better count her lucky stars Ma hasn't cornered her yet. We'll see how many more Rizzoli's she wants to meet after that." Frankie laughed. "Alright?" She jabbed him softly in the shoulder. "C'mon, let's get this over with so we can get back to our case."

Frankie nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

Jane slipped out of her seatbelt and motioned to the parking meter associated with their spot. "Go in and order us some of those milkshakes, I'll feed the meter." Frankie agreed and soon disappeared into the bar leaving Jane to riffle through some of her pockets for loose change, Maura's prescription fell out in the process and the detective hurried to pick it up before it got swept away by the late afternoon breeze. As she fed the meter with one hand she fought to unfold the small sheet of paper to look at it with the other.

There in the center of the prescription note with Maura's credentials printed at the bottom lay a simple hastily drawn heart. Jane burst out laughing and dropping seventy-five cents when she read the doctors script beneath it.

Remember the Alamo!

After gathering up the spilt change and while shaking her head Jane regarded the note fondly once more before folding the scrip back up neatly as it was and then twice more. She slipped it discreetly between the tough leather that held her badge and its binding clip before securing it back onto her waist and heading toward the entrance of The Dirty Robber.

What a dork.

AN: Loving all the feedback! I'm hoping you're enjoying reading these two as much as I am writing them. Review!

KathleenDee