A/N- Hello there! I would have had this chapter up yesterday...but I derped for a minute and remembered that now I have a Theta (she refused to by my Beta, Omega, or Zeta). All those lovely dashes you see owe their homage to Piazzolla Pie, thanks bunches to my lovely Theta! Gotta love the peeps in the UK. So...I'm terribly, terribly sorry you guys. For taking ages. I had a huge anatomy honors exam, and then this AP English book project, which I didn't have the book for, then an AP English quiz, now I have an AP gov test coming up. So I made this chapter 2,000 words long because I felt horrible. You know what always makes me feel better though? Reviews! (; Oh! This will have a few parts of the first season finale incorporated into it, but it definitely doesn't follow.

Olli-Korsak is Korsak, he knows Jane so well, knows how stubborn she is, and how she puts up so many walls, because hell, he's run into those a couple of times himself. He's mostly trying to reassure Maura, but he's got some truth behind his words. You'll see. When I finally go somewhere with this story. Which I'm doing...slowly. /: Thank you for the encouragement! (:

TheNinjaDriver- Haha you may just want to read what I said to Olli...if you haven't already. I hope I can clear this situation up with you guys.

Mz. Free MAson- Salut Sky! Mon nom est Rose. Je parlais un peu francais, mais pas beaucoup plus. Merci pour les compliments! J'espere que vous garderez sur apprecier ma histoire.

Sydney- It's nice to have a regular commenter...yes, I know that's not a word. (X But thanks for sticking around. I hope you enjoy this chapter, thank you for continuing to read!

liz- Thank you! Sorry the chapter took so long to get up.

Pinch Me

"Morning falls like rain / into the city life / there goes another night / losing my breath in waves / knowing that every crash / is bleeding the hour glass" –These Hard Times (Matchbox 20)

Abandoning Frost's umbrella in the car, Jane arrived at the scene, distracted by the lack of Danny's body; it meant her ex-girlfriend – who'd ever think she'd have an ex-girlfriend? – had been there already, so she wouldn't have to deal with the awkward scene that was sure to have unfolded. Man, I really should've listened to what that stuffy man was saying about not dating your co-workers. All I can really remember is 'blah, blah, blah… bad idea, blah, blah, blah, ends in disaster'. Next conference, I'm sure as hell paying fuckin' attention.

Avoiding the many puddles splotched across the ground, the detective weaved her way to Frost and Korsak, who were situated over at the desk under the tarp they had set up. Why don't they just go back to the office?

"Hey, guys, I'm all for becoming one with nature, but what the hell's up with the computer and desk… in a torrential downpour?" Jane quirked an eyebrow as she sipped on her coffee, her right hand gesturing towards the aforementioned items. "On second thought, where did you even get the desk?" Frost inclined his head towards the building behind him; crime scene tape encompassed the whole thing and Jane saw a van inside, a smattering of people, and random office materials.

"Don't you have work to be doing, Detective Rizzoli?" Lieutenant Cavanaugh…

Jane grimaced, glared at her partners, current and ex, and plastered a faux smile on her face as she turned around to look at her boss.

"Uh, good morning, sir, you're correct, I was just over here asking Korsak what it was that he needed me to be doing." Cavanaugh gave her a stony look.

"So now you need to be told what it is you're supposed to be doing for your job?"

"Shit," fingers threaded through wet locks; she was regretting her decision to leave the umbrella in her car. "No, sir, I was conversing with Korsak to see if there was anything in particular that he wanted me to go through. Maybe something he had missed, or something he needed me to double check before I proceeded on with my duty, sir."

Korsak jumped into the fray. He walked out into the rain and placed his hand on Jane's drenched shoulder.

"I'll take it from here, Cavanaugh, I was just about to tell Janie what I called her down for." The lieutenant sighed and walked away towards where the rest of the team was placed, all huddled around some piece of evidence, Jane assumed. There's no way they'd all be standing there just because… unless they were her; poised there, in the rain, staring off into space like a complete loon. A 'lunatic' was often referred to as such because of the association with the phases of the moon; it was believed to affect a person's mental state of mind. It receives its name from the Latin 'lunaticus', its stem 'Luna' meaning 'moon'. There isn't empirical data to support t… fuck, Maura, get out of my head. I sincerely hope she's ranted on about that before, or I've just pulled a bunch of… something out of my ass.

Pulling her saturated, frizzy locks up into a ponytail to distract herself from her annoying thoughts, Jane scrutinized Korsak, imitating the look she had given her alarm clock yesterday. His eyes were burning fuckin' holes into her head, which was having enough problems as it was. It didn't need to become Swiss cheese for Superman over there.

"Okay, I know you're not admiring my taste in clothes, or my ass, God forbid, so what the hell do you want?" The brunette growled out as her lean legs stalked over to the safety of the tarp that Frost was tucked under, watching the whole scene unfold; always the innocent bystander.

Cavanaugh bellowed in the distance at her brother, who'd probably made a minor mistake, but, on this dreadful day, anything minute was being blown out of proportion by the stressed man. Doe eyes watched it play out and a taut mouth cringed in empathy for Frankie.

"And what is his problem? I know we just lost a brother in arms, but man, we weren't the ones that did it. On average, he's a little testy," Jane plopped on the chair next to Frost, "but today he's got a tree trunk up his tight ass."

Frost glanced up at his partner, and then back at his computer screen, pretending to be engrossed in some very important work – mostly following up on the lead that Korsak and he had been discussing before Jane was brought to the scene. In actuality, he just didn't want to be the one to tell the fiery woman that everyone and their mom knew she and Maura had broken up, possibly compromising the work dynamic. It wasn't only Danny's death that had set Cavanaugh's teeth on edge, but the possibility of losing one of his best detectives, even after he'd had that conference explaining why work relationships were strictly off limits. But when did Jane Rizzoli ever adhere to the rules? Never.

"I was just… wondering why you didn't tell me that you and Maura broke up. Also, here…" Korsak handed Jane a pack of cigs in a plastic evidence bag. Shaking off the question, Jane grabbed at the evidence, standing back up to burn off some energy and work out the new evidence she just received. But the pacing didn't seem to help much, so she just stood in the rain. Her eyes pondered over the nondescript package with a perplexed look pasted across sharp features, then brown orbs flashed back up to her ex-partner; dumbfounded.

"Danny didn't smoke, Janie, there's a camera inside there. He was also wearing a wire, but it was torn off."

Once again, the Italian was reminded exactly how close Korsak was to Danny. Hell, she worked with him on occasion, but had never been as close to him as the animal lover was. She flashed her dimples and put a comforting hand on Korsak's shoulder as she pushed the cigs into her pocket.

"I'll get right on this." The brunette attempted to walk away towards her car, but was pulled back, almost slipping. Brown eyes narrowed. "What?" Jane snarled out.

"What's wrong with you and Maura?" Korsak didn't bother beating around the bush; he was far too curious and… it was pouring cats and dogs – he didn't want to stand out in the rain for hours avoiding, if he could help it.

"Jesus, why, oh, why was I under the impression that when I joined the Force, high school drama wouldn't exist?" Dark eyes glared up at the man standing next to her. "How do you even know? It just happened yesterday. Do you have me under surveillance? For your own sick perversion or... Crowe." But how did Crowe know? I haven't spoken to anyone about it… didn't plan to. Fuckers, you think they'd have their own life to worry about. Then it hit Jane almost as painfully as her Ma's failed attempt at Mexican food did. Maura.Gangly legs stomped back under the tarp as Jane sat back on the chair – she was already exhausted by this conversation.

"She told you, huh? Don't tell me she didn't." Purposely avoiding Maura's name made the detective feel like a toddler who refused to eat their broccoli – it was an unavoidable necessity, but damn, it hurt. Besides, broccoli never really helped anyone, anyway; it doesn't heal heartache or tell you that, even though you eat your greens, you're still going to have your girlfriend cheat on you. Yeah, see? Useless.

"Who's 'she', Jane?" Frost flinched as he felt the woman next to him spring out of her seat again to stand trembling in front of Korsak. He figured now was as good as a time as any to intervene, lest they have two police deaths on their hands today.

"You, don't play coy…"

"Hey, guys, I think I found something on the truckers… it doesn't look good for what we were thinking about earlier, Korsak."

"Cavanaugh?" The sergeant inquired.

Jane stopped poking the indignant man in the chest and hastily turned her head around to stare down Frost.

"Cavanaugh? Wha…? No, no way. C'mon, guys, you can't possibly think he had something to do with this!" She gestured wildly to their surroundings, disbelief contorting her face. "I mean, fuck!" The emotionally wrought woman buried her head into her hands and scrubbed at her face as she let loose a long sigh.

"Please tell me you're kidding, and that today is just one sick, sick joke. Or hell, pinch me! Maybe I'm dreaming, and I'll wake up snuggled into my girlfriend's" – ex-girlfriend's – "arms with Jo curled up on my side, hogging the bed." Jane whined into her hands; she knew that you could fake a day, but you couldn't imagine a whole month of cheating. Please pinch me.

Frost stopped clicking away on his computer and observed his partner, almost getting up to comfort her, but Korsak gave him a look. The older man sidled over to the soaked detective and placed both his hands on either shoulder, forcing her to look up.

"Just hear us out, nothing is positive but we have to chase down every lead," he assured her.

"Is this why you guys are out here challenging mother nature, armed with a tarp and a..." she eyed the brown object that Frost's computer was situated on, "…shitty desk? So you can avoid suspicious eyes?"

Before either man could answer Jane's inquiry, a car alarm broke through the deluge, followed by a cacophony of breaking glass. What the fuck is up with people today? Jane was already at the end of her rope, but now she felt like she could turn into Kaiser Cavanaugh at any moment – kicking puppies and inspiring fear into the hearts of young children everywhere. Because she could.

Waving away Korsak and Frost, she mumbled an "I'll check it out," before she stalked off down the alleyway towards its mouth. A million and one pools of grimy water later, Jane arrived at the beginning, peering at her sedan, and a rather shapely ass below a slightly shaved head. She could say with certainty that she knew that ass from somewhere. It wasn't bad, as far asses went – not as bad as her broken car window, which the state is totally paying for – but it's not Maura's ass. Oh-kay, Rizzoli, back to the criminal playing surgery with your car.

Frontal, orbital, buccal, mental, cervical… acromial, bu... No, I already named the cheek region.

Maura contritely sat on her office chair as she desperately tried to distract herself from thoughts of Jane. It was lunch time and normally one of them would be badgering the other to leave for a bite to eat – more so the detective than the M.E. – but the honey blonde had always secretly enjoyed Jane's persistence. Hazel eyes surreptitiously glanced down at a Juicy Couture watch adorning a petite carpal, trying to belie their concern for how the detectives hadn't returned back to the Boston Police Department yet.

Something is wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong.

Under normal circumstances, the scientist would be the most prevalent of all to declare that she does not 'listen' to her visceral organs, but Jane was never 'normal circumstances; she far superseded extraordinary, and made the most analytical act rashly and hastily – Maura being the prime example of how the detective affected people. This was portrayed by the woman in question now rising up from her chair and taking clipping strides to the door of her destitute office; back to the crime scene. Back to Jane.

See? I promised you guys I'd be going somewhere, it's just that, slow and steady wins the race.