Author's note:

So as promised an early chapter! Also my longest one yet :D

Enjoy :)


Jane and Maura arrived at the station together, immediately heading down to the morgue. Their earlier discussion, whilst not forgotten, had been pushed aside at the news of another victim.

Susie was bustling around the lab having just started the autopsy as Jane and Maura came in, they walked up to the gurney.

"Do we have an id?" Jane asked.

Susie pulled back the sheet covering the body and Maura gasped aloud.

"Angie!" She whispered, bringing her fist up to her mouth in shock.

"Maur, you know her?"

"Yes, she was at the club, she bought me a drink, we flirted a little and she kissed me as I left." Maura said, her hand drifting down to brush a strand of hair out of Angie's face.

"I'm sorry Maur… but… hang on… did you say she kissed you?"

"Yea" Maura said absently still looking at Angie's peaceful face "She was sweet, walked me to the cab and gave me her number, I was thinking of giving her a call when this all died down. We need to find this murderer Jane." Maura looked up with fire in her eyes "Angie did not deserve this. I need to go back to that bar and find the killer. We know the bar is the link."

Maura turned and headed into her office, leaving Jane slightly dumbfounded in the lab with Susie.

Back at the bullpen, Angie's details had joined those of the other victims on the interactive screen. Nina had found the relevant information they needed online through government resources. Korsak and Frankie had immediately headed over to her closest relative, her sister, to inform her of Angie's death and try to find a link (however small) to the perpetrator. Maura had joined Jane and Nina with Susie's preliminary findings; she looked expectantly at Jane for news

"The only link seems to be the bar and her hair colour" Jane sighed. "Hopefully we will learn more from the sister but I'm not holding out on that"

The phone rang. "It's Korsak" Jane said quickly before grabbing a notepad and pen. She scribbled some notes along with a name and number before hanging up and grabbing her coat.

"We may have a lead, Angie has an ex who was in the army, dishonourable discharge around the time of the first murder for assaulting a senior officer and numerous assault charges since. I've got an address, let's go have a chat". Jane headed out the door with Maura fast behind.

They took Jane's patrol car and headed to the east side of the city. After a few minutes of silence, Maura started fiddling with the radio, stopping when she found a classical channel. She leaned back and closed her eyes, letting the calming music wash over her.

Jane took a breath hoping to revisit the conversation that had started in Maura's kitchen but wary of the apparent feelings she had held for Angie "You know Maur, I never knew you were into girls before…" she glanced quickly across to see her friend's reaction but Maura gave nothing away, her eyes remained closed as she answered.

"I've dated both men and women I the past, I'm sure I've mentioned it before?"

"Erm... no I think I would have remembered something like that!"

"What does it matter who I date Jane? In my experience women are better lovers anyway"

Jane coughed to cover a gasp, causing Maura to open her eyes and turn. She smiled a little, enjoying her friend's awkwardness.

"Aww Jane, have I embarrassed you?"

"Me?! No! Of course not... Oh look we're here!" Jane thankfully pulled the car up and hopped out, quickly putting an end to the awkward conversation and the new revelation that Maura found women attractive.

Jane knocked three times on the front door of a slightly run down old building, the blue paint was peeling, but the small front garden looked tended and well cared for. Flowers surrounded a rustic bird bath and a pruned rose bush grew in one corner.

The door opened to reveal a 5' 8'' brunette with long wavy hair. She smiled as she took in Jane and Maura standing in front of her.

"How can I help you ladies?"

"Miss Duncan?" Jane quickly checked her notepad "My name is Detective Jane Rizzoli, and this is my partner Doctor Maura Isles. We need to ask you a few questions."

"Sure, and call me Sabrina, come in" Sabrina stepped back and gestured them into the house.

They walked in and found a neat and tidy home "doesn't really scream serial killer does in?" Jane whispered to Maura.

"I read an interesting article that proposed that the personality of those most likely to be murderers also tend to be a little OCD with cleanliness, but of course it wasn't a completely double blind study…" Maura whispered back.

They stepped into the living room and took seats on the sofa opposite Sabrina.

"Sabrina, we would like to ask you some questions about your relationship with Angela Harris"

"We used to date, quite a while ago now. Why? Is Angie ok?" Sabrina leaned forwards, concern flashed across her face for her ex-lover.

"I'm afraid Angie was found dead this morning" Maura spoke up, her voice cracking slightly as she remembered Angie's lifeless form in the morgue.

"What?! How? Why? Why are you coming to me about this? We're no longer together…" Sabrina stood up and paced to the window before turning and quickly returning to her seat

"Unless you think I have something to do with this..?"

"We know you and Angie had a bad break up…" Jane started

"Do you know many break ups that aren't hard?" Sabrina retorted

"But we also know your past in the army, the discharge, the assault charges…"

Sabrina looked down at her hands "I had a few issues with authority when I was younger, but I never murdered anybody, especially not Angie. It wasn't a good break up but I never wished her any harm."

"Can you tell us where you were at 4:15am this morning?" Jane asked

"I was here at home, asleep."

"I'm sorry but can anyone verify that?"

"Yes, my partner was here with me, she's at work at the moment but you can call her" Sabrina passed Maura a card with a number on it. Maura glanced at the business card and her eyes lit up in recognition.

"Dr. Charlotte L'Asgens? I know her from medical school; she's an accomplished and respected paediatric consultant at Boston general."

"Thank you, we will be in touch Sabrina" Jane stood up to leave "thanks for your time"

"You're welcome." Sabrina touched Jane's arm as she turned to go. "Please, catch whoever did this. I know we were no longer close but I do still care for Angie."

Jane nodded and she followed Maura back to the car.

"I don't think she's our perp" Jane sighed. Maura nodded in agreement as she took out her phone and began entering the number of Sabrina's alibi.

"Hello? Charlie? Hi, it's Maura! It must have been the five year reunion when I last saw you! How have things been?"

Jane took a left, throwing her hands up in frustration at the traffic they suddenly hit on the way back to the precinct. She turned to look at Maura as she chatted to her old friend, smiling as she saw the way Maura had lit up, some of the sadness and shock at Angie's death fading away a little.

"Alibi?" She loudly whispered to Maura along with a loud cough. Maura smiled, took the hint and turned the conversation towards relationships. The traffic started moving so Jane returned her attention to the car in front, shifting into gear. They made good time for the rest of the journey and as Jane pulled into the underground parking lot of the station Maura hung up the phone.

"Sabrina's alibi checks out as far as I can tell, she and Charlie have been together for a few years, they live together at that address and she was home the night of the murder. We can get location data for both of their phones from Nina which should corroborate Sabrina's story."

"Did you say you met this Charlie at medical school?" Jane asked as they stepped out of the car.

"Yes, we dated for a few months during second year, it didn't work out but we stayed friends. It's harder to stay in touch since we graduated but we still exchange greetings cards for the holidays. I try to keep up to date with her publications as well."

"Oh…" Jane took a breath before asking the next question. She was painfully aware of Maura's admonition this morning of no regret for the kiss from last night, but wasn't sure what to say herself. Had she enjoyed it? Well of course! Maura seemed to be a genius at anything she put her mind to and Jane could now include kissing on that list as well as her perfect naked physique... But Jane had never had anything really question her sexuality before. She had dated men, and for the most part enjoyed those relationships, but nothing compared to how at peace she had felt curled up beside Maura that night. And the kiss, however brief, and sent a jolt of pure electricity all the way down her spine.

She realised she had mentally drifted off the topic as they approached the elevator which would take them up to the bullpen. The doors opened a few seconds after she pressed the call button and they entered. Jane took another breath.

"Uh… so how many women have you dated before then?" Jane asked casually as they made their way to the elevator.

Maura chuckled at Jane's awkwardness "I don't keep score Jane! I've dated a few women and I've dated a few men. Shall we just leave it at that?" She nudged Jane with her elbow, a questioning look on her face.

"OK" Jane smiled and leaned back against one wall as they moved upwards. Maura turned towards her and met those chocolate brown eyes with her own. She decided to get things out in the open before they had to leave the secluded elevator and go back into the real world.

"I did mean what I said this morning Jane" She bit her lip slightly which sent another shiver through Jane. "If I freaked you out, then please just tell me? We can forget this ever happened, but if not…" Maura looked down at that point and Jane thought she had never seen Maura look so vulnerable or unsure of herself. She didn't stop to think, but instead took a step towards Maura, she raised her hand to Maura's cheek and tilted her face up slightly.

"I'm not freaked out" Jane whispered and then leant in and kissed Maura. Her lips felt like fire to Maura, her tongue dancing on moisturised lips, tasting the strawberry from the lip balm. Tingles of electricity filled her as she placed her hands on Jane's hips, leaning into the kiss, trying to make this perfect moment last.

A loud ping brought them out of their personal bubble as the elevator arrived and the doors began to open. Jane stepped back before anyone in the corridor could see them. Whilst she wasn't freaked out by what had happened between them she was a private person and didn't want their teammates to know anything was happening before she could figure out herself exactly what it was that was happening. So instead she threw back her shoulders, took a deep breath and stepped out of the elevator.

"Right Korsak, any more leads?" Jane asked as she stepped into the bullpen, joining the rest of their team who had already gathered around Nina's computer.

"We tracked down the last of the suppliers on the list the manager gave us. No luck, none have a record and they all have alibis."

"Do they check out?" Jane turned to ask Frankie

"We're running them now but it may take a little while, we need more information... I think we need to send Maura back in." He said, looking up at the Doctor.

Maura just nodded, a smile on her lips which the others assumed was just part of her determination to catch the killer.

Only Jane knew that that smile had been there since they had left the elevator.