A/N: Shifting a little now to give us another look at Jane's perspective. In this fic, I decided to use Dr. Pike, because even though he's terrible, it seems much more logical to assign him to the case than "Pickled Popov." I hope you enjoy! Please let me know if you like how it's going!

Jane stormed back up from the morgue with a scowl on her face, and threw herself into her desk chair. It wasn't just her conversation with that idiot, Pike, that had her all riled up. She was also frustrated at their lack of evidence to help clear Maura. The M.E. was a little goofy and a little weird, but she Jane KNEW she didn't do this. She didn't care what that self-defense video showed; Maura couldn't have done this.

The detective was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a sharp "Rizzoli!" from the direction of the Lieutenant's office. She looked up to find him standing in his doorway, looking less than pleased about something. He gestured to her with one hand. "My office. Now."

Jane groaned as she slowly stood up. This couldn't be good.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, Cavanaugh turned to face her and folded his arms across his chest. "I just had a very long conversation with Dr. Pike," he stated.

"My condolences, sir," Jane deadpanned.

Cavanaugh kept his straight face, but Jane thought she saw a corner of his mouth quirk up for a second before he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know, he's a dick. But he's made an accusation that's hard for me to ignore, Rizzoli."

When Jane raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to respond, Cavanaugh cut her off. "He says you threatened him, and told him that he'd better find some evidence to clear Dr. Isles. There any truth to that?"

Jane stood impatiently next to the autopsy table, waiting for Pike to finally begin his autopsy. She shifted from one foot to another, anxious about what Pike would conclude. Her previous experience with Pike's professionalism (or lack thereof), didn't exactly inspire confidence that he would find something to help Maura.

After much clanking about and moving around of instruments, Pike finally began his analysis. "Victim is an adult male, mid to late thirties. Brown hair, average build."

Jane bit back a groan at the slow pace and forced herself to be patient and not interrupt. She needed Pike's full attention on this autopsy.

"Extensive bruising present around the victim's throat." Pike began to measure the bruised area, noting its location and coloration.

Unable to stop herself, Jane jumped in, asking, "Is that the cause of death?"

Pike looked annoyed at the interruption, but turned to answer the detective. "I can't be sure until I've finished my autopsy, but yes, it appears that blunt force trauma to the throat crushed his trachea and caused death by asphyxiation."

He turned back to the body and his voice shifted to a more contemplative tone. "Amazing that someone as demure as Dr. Isles could have inflicted this brutal of an injury. Although," he snorted, "I suppose it isn't that much of a stretch. I myself have been on the receiving end of her foul temper more than once."

Jane was seething, but she tried valiantly to hold HER temper in check. Punching the medical examiner in the face probably wouldn't help Maura much.

Oblivious, Pike continued talking to himself. "Of course, there is some research that suggests a genetic component to violence. Dr. Isles is the daughter of a notorious mobster, after all. And to think, all this time I've been laboring under a woman who could have snapped at any moment! I told the governor he was making a mistake in appointing her..."

Then again, Jane thought, Maura would probably understand if she got just one good punch in...

Deciding against violence, but unable to hold in her anger any longer, Jane rounded on Pike. "Look," she growled, "I know you think you ought to be the one sitting in that chair. You probably think you're more qualified, although God knows why...and you might be thinking that this is your chance to finally get the position you deserve."

She stepped closer, and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "But listen carefully. If I find out for one second that you're not doing your absolute best work of all time on this case, I will personally make sure you're never able to sit in any chair ever again. Got it?"

Pike took an involuntary step back, his eyes widening at the detective's threatening manner. Unable to summon any words, he simply nodded.

Jane stepped back, ripped off the paper protective apron, and headed for the doors that led out of the autopsy room. Glancing back over her shoulder once, she threw back an order at the stunned Dr. Pike. "Hurry up with that autopsy and find me something that I can use to solve this case."

She hit the swinging doors with more force than was necessary and stomped toward the elevator. Pike had touched her last nerve, and she knew she was probably going to regret that little display...

Jane quickly held up a placating hand to the lieutenant. "I did NOT use those words, sir," she hurriedly assured him. Getting a little agitated at the ridiculousness of the accusation, her voice rose. "I told that jackass that he'd better find us some evidence we could actually USE to find the REAL killer."

"The real killer, Rizzoli?" Cavanaugh questioned, but his voice and face had softened.

Jane reacted as though the lieutenant had slapped her across the face. She took a step forward, her voice completely serious. "Maura didn't do this, Cavanaugh. She didn't. She couldn't."

"I know you think Dr. Isles is innocent, Rizzoli. And for the record, so do I." Jane relaxed slightly when she heard this admission, but she tensed up immediately at Cavanaugh's next words.

His arms had fallen to his sides, and he looked simultaneously exasperated, worried, and a little sad. "I know she's your best friend, and for the moment I'm keeping you on this case out of professional courtesy to the doc. You and your team are my best detectives, and I know that if Dr. Isles really is innocent, you guys'll figure it out."

He took a step closer, and the lieutenant's stern mask was back in place. "But get this straight, Rizzoli. If you can't keep at least a little bit of objectivity here, you'll become a liability, and I'll have no choice but to take you off this case. Understood, detective?"

Jane opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it when she saw the dead seriousness in Cavanaugh's eyes. Slowly, reluctantly, she nodded and said "Yes, sir."

Satisfied that his message had been received, Cavanaugh stepped back. "From now on, stay away from Pike. You need anything from the morgue, you send Frost or Korsak."

Unable to stop herself, Jane snorted. "You really think they'll be able to put up with him better than I do?" She smirked, thinking of Korsak's groan when he heard they'd have to work this case with Pike.

This time, Cavanaugh did smile, but there was also a hint of a grimace in it. "Not normally, no. But they will when I get finished talking to them. Now, get back to work, detective. There's still a murder to solve."

"Yes, sir," Jane said as she left the lieutenant's office. And this may be the most important case I ever solve.

From across the room, Frost called out for her, "Jane! A guard from the women's jail just called for you. She said Maura wants to see you about something, as soon as you can."

Hurriedly thanking Frost, Jane grabbed her jacket and keys from her desk and headed straight for her car. If they were lucky, Maura had come up with a break in the case. If not...well, at least she would have an excuse to visit her friend and make sure she was ok.