Finally, the day of Andre and Paul's arrival came. Maura had offered to pick them up from the airport, but Andre declined, saying he didn't want her to worry about seeing him before she was ready. Instead, they agreed to meet for an early dinner.

Maura debated taking the day off work, but decided she really had no reason. Glad there wasn't an active case, she planned to spend the day making sure paperwork and supplies were organized.

By the time Jane showed up in the morgue for lunch, Maura had inventoried and sanitized all the tools, made a list of all the chemicals that would need to be ordered within the next few weeks, cleaned out both refrigerators, and was working on disinfecting every surface she could find. Stopping to stare at Maura furiously scrubbing the inside of the sink, Jane sighed before walking over to her. Placing her hands on Maura's shoulders to steer her away from the sink, she was surprised when Maura jumped and screamed. Jumping back, hand darting toward her hip, she was hit square in the chest with the wet scrub brush Maura threw as she spun around.

Maura's eyes widened and she covered her mouth when she saw the giant wet spot on Jane's shirt. "I am so sorry. You startled me. Are you ok? Let me get you a towel. Is there a case? I haven't heard my phone ring, but I didn't hear you come in, either. Just let me get my bag."

Chuckling, Jane took the towel from Maura and started trying to dry her shirt. Giving up, she tossed it into the sink and leaned against the edge and looked around the room. "Slow down. There's no case. I just came down to see if you wanted to go to lunch. From the looked of this place, it's a good thing I didn't come down earlier. I'd hate to sneak up on you while you're holding something more dangerous than a scrub brush. Do you always throw things when you get scared?"

Blushing, Maura looked pulled off her gloves and started putting away her cleaning supplies. When she was done, she moved back to the sink to wash her hands. "You caught me unawares and my body read it as danger and reacted by using the only potential weapon at hand. I am very glad it was only a scrub brush, although I like to think I could restrain myself from using a potentially harmful weapon unless my life were truly in danger."

Shrugging, Jane studied her. "I guess that makes sense, and I hope you wouldn't throw a scalpel or something at me. I thought you got over your nerves. Why are you a nervous wreck? And why didn't you just stay home?"

Sighing, Maura led Jane toward her office. "I'm not nervous, per se. The excess energy stems from impatient excitement. I find that, the closer I get to actually seeing Andre again, the more excited I am. I needed something to keep me occupied, and I knew I wouldn't have that if I stayed at home. Besides, I had no valid reason to miss work. If I expect the others in my department to display good work ethic, then I have to lead by example. Missing work simply because I am anticipating a meeting later today, isn't setting a very good example."

Grabbing Maura's purse, Jane steered her out of the morgue before she could sit down. "Nope, we're going to lunch. Haven't you heard of a personal day? Besides, you were just doing intern work. I know you. If there was real work to do, you wouldn't be scrubbing the sinks. It's probably useless to try to talk you into taking the rest of the day off, isn't it?" At Maura's nod, she sighed. "Ok. We're meeting Andre and Paul at five, right? I'm pretty much caught up on my paperwork, for once, so I can probably knock off an hour early. We'll leave early to get ready, and I'll even let you pick what I wear, as long as it's not a dress."

Relaxing visibly, Maura smiled. "No, there really isn't much for me to do, but I just didn't feel right about taking the day off. I'll probably spend the day reorganizing the filing system. I know I could have an intern do it, but I don't like to give them busy work when they could actually be learning. Cleaning and organizing, while necessary, doesn't provide much in the way of new knowledge."

Setting the elevator heading toward the parking garage, Jane leaned against the wall. "I thought being an intern was like being a rookie. They get to do the dirty work no one else wants to do. I don't even know how much garbage I had to sort through, or how many coffees I ended up getting, when I was a rookie."

Exiting the elevator, Maura walked with Jane to her car. "These are students working toward their doctorates. They deserve more than to be used as cleaning staff. Now, where are we going for lunch? I think talking will go a long way toward calming my nerves. With no one to talk to, the excess energy ended up being put toward physical labor. I am quite proud of the amount I accomplished, though."

Chuckling, Jane pulled out onto the street. "I was thinking that little diner. We can grab a sandwich and just sit and talk."

Leaning back in her seat, Maura sighed. "That sounds good. Now, you said I could pick what you wear for tonight? I hope that red top is clean. The color looks amazing against your skin, and the fit is very flattering."

Jane groaned. "I hoped you missed that. Yeah, I think that top is clean. At least you don't want me to wear a dress."

Maura grinned at her happily, then her eyes widened. "Oh Jane, we really should stop by your place before we go to lunch. You need to change your shirt."

Groaning again, Jane rolled her eyes. "Really? I can't change after work? Wouldn't it be better if I don't risk getting something on it?"

Shaking her head, Maura gestured to Jane's front. "Oh, you shouldn't wear the red top until after work, but I don't think you want to wear that for the rest of the day."

Looking down, Jane started frantically swiping at the large bleached area on the front of her shirt. "You ruined my shirt. This was one of my favorites, too. Ok, we're definitely stopping so I can change."

Rolling her eyes, Maura leaned back in her seat. "You don't have to be so dramatic. I know you have at least one more shirt in that style and color, and a couple in other colors. If you're that worried about it, then I'll buy you a new one. In fact, there's a lovely little boutique I found a couple weeks ago that we could go to."

Shooting her a quick glare, Jane shook her head. "No. You're not dragging me to any place that can be called a boutique. I'll just buy another shirt the next time I go grocery shopping."

Gasping, Maura stared at her in surprise. "You can't be serious. You will hardly find good quality clothing that will flatter your frame, at a department store. No, we'll go shopping this weekend, and I'll buy you a new shirt. I insist. After all, I did ruin that one."

Parking in front of her building, Jane leaned her head back in defeat. "Fine, but I will not be trying on anything pink, or with flowers, or dresses, or anything that isn't a plain colored shirt. The first thing you hand me that isn't a plain colored shirt, and I leave. And I get to pick where we eat for lunch."

Climbing out of the car, Maura smiled happily and waited for Jane to join her. "Good. Although, after you see their selection, you may change your mind. They specialize in business attire, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised."

Ignoring her, Jane walked up the steps into the building.


At precisely four, Maura showed up next to Jane's desk. Waiting impatiently for a few moments, she bounced a little in place while she watched Jane finish what she was working on and start getting things cleaned up and shut down. When she stood up, Maura grabbed her hand and started walking toward the elevator. Being pulled up short, she turned to find Jane smirking and waving a file in her other hand.

Pulling on Maura's hand, Jane led her to her chair and sat her down. Grabbing some files off her desk, she grinned. "I'm not quite ready to go, yet. I just need to put these away and take care of a couple more things, and then we can go. You just sit there and try to wait patiently. Organize my pens, or something. I should be done in a few minutes."

Opening her mouth, Maura decided against responding when Jane walked away. Turning back toward the desk, she moved a few things around before deciding to take Jane's advice. Opening the top drawer, she pulled out a piece of scrap paper and dug for all the pens she could find. Satisfied she'd found them all, Maura started testing and sorting all the writing implements.

She was about halfway through the small pile of markers and hi-lighters when Frost decided Jane was safely out of earshot. "So, you and Jane have plans, tonight? Big date?"

Looking up, she smiled at him. "Yes, we have plans, although I wouldn't consider it a date. We're meeting Andre and Paul for dinner."

Grinning, he leaned forward in his chair, after checking to make sure Jane wasn't coming back, yet. "Andre and Paul, huh? Sounds like a double-date, to me."

Dropping the pen she was testing, Maura sputtered for a moment before being able to answer clearly. "No, Jane and I aren't a couple, so it would be inaccurate to call it a double-date. Jane has never expressed any interest in women as potential romantic or sexual partners. I know people believe me to be largely ignorant of gossip, but it's surprising what I hear when others mostly ignore my presence. Despite rumors and speculation to the contrary, I don't believe Jane has any homosexual tendencies."

Hearing a groan, they turned to find Jane standing nearby. Rubbing a hand over her face, she walked over to lean against her desk. "Who's calling me gay, this time? Is it Crowe? You should just do what I do, and ignore it. Who I may or may not be attracted to has nothing to do with how I do my job, and isn't anyone's business."

Patting Jane's arm, Maura smiled. "No, it wasn't Crowe. Barry asked about our plans tonight, and when I told him about dinner, he assumed it was a double-date. I was merely explaining that since we are not a couple, that it couldn't be considered such."

Seeing the questioning glare sent his way, Frost raised both hands in surrender. "Hey, that's not what I meant. Maura said you were meeting a couple guys for dinner, so I assumed it was a date. I never said anything about you guys being a couple, or you being gay, I swear. I wouldn't care if you were, but that's none of my business. Honest."

Letting out a relieved sigh, Jane chuckled. "Maura, I think he thought we're dating Andre and Paul, not each other."

Eyes widening, Maura turned to Frost. "Oh, no, Andre and Paul are very happily married."

Frost choked on air. "You're going out to dinner with a couple married men? Is that really a good idea?"

Biting her lip to hide a smile, Jane shook her head when Maura opened her mouth to respond. "Andre and Paul are married to each other. Andre is the ex Maura told you about a few weeks ago. They're spending their vacation here."

Giving an embarrassed grimace, Frost leaned back in his chair. "Ok, I'm just gonna stop talking before I dig myself an even deeper hole. Have fun. I'll see you next week, unless we catch a case."

Smirking, Jane gestured to Maura that she was ready to go. Waving, they headed for the elevator.


A couple hours later, they were walking into the small italian restaurant Maura had picked for dinner. After being seated, Maura started fidgeting with her napkin. Taking it out of her hand and lying it on the table, Jane waited until Maura looked up to meet her eye.

Sighing, Maura folded her hands in her lap. "I'm ok. I just realized that, while I will recognize him, he has no way to recognize me."

Eyebrows furrowed, Jane stared at her. "You never sent him a picture? I'd think, after more than ten years, that'd be one of the first things you'd do. You know, talk about jobs, marriages and kids, where you went to college, and then trade pictures so you can see how much you'd changed."

Focusing on her hands, Maura looked down to hide her embarrassed blush. "He never asked, and I never really thought about it. It didn't really occur to me, until now, that it might make meeting again awkward."

Placing a hand on Maura's knee, Jane chuckled. "Well, then it's a good thing you picked somewhere where he'll be led to the table. Plus, you'll get to see an honest reaction when he sees you. The only picture you've seen of him is his passport photo, right? I'm sure if he realized that, he'd be just as embarrassed. Those things never look good. Look, they'll be here any minute now, so it's too late to change anything. Stop worrying, and remember that you're excited to see him, again."

Looking up, Maura sighed. "Thank you. I'm not very good at this, am I?"

Snorting, Jane rolled her eyes. "What? Meeting someone you haven't seen or talked to since high school? I'm pretty sure no one is really good at that, and I doubt there are any rules or guidelines on how to handle it. I doubt I'd handle it as well, if it were me."

Before she could respond, movement caught her eye. Turning toward the door, Maura grinned widely as two men were led to their table. Standing when they got closer, one of the men grasped her hands, pulling her in so he could kiss both cheeks before holding her at arms length and looking her over.

Seeing his smile, Maura smiled back shyly. "Andre? You look amazing. It's so good to see you, again."

Laughing, he pulled back and motioned for Maura to spin. When she turned back to face him, Andre smiled widely. "Maura, you are a gorgeous woman, and it is an honor to finally meet you."

Wiping away a couple tears, Maura turned toward Jane to distract herself. "Thank you, Andre. This is my friend, Jane Rizzoli. Jane, Andre Benoit."

Smiling, he shook her hand before gesturing to the other man, who stood discretely behind him. "It's an honor to meet you, as well. Ladies, I would like you to meet my husband, Paul Jones. Paul, this is the wonderful Dr. Maura Isles that I've told you so much about. Now, why don't we get seated so we can catch up? We have so much to talk about."

Pulling out Maura chair, he held it while she sat and helped her scoot closer to the table, then did the same for Paul. Watching in surprise, Jane caught Maura's eye and raised her eyebrow. "I thought you said you didn't get treated chivalrously as a teenager? If his manners were half as good then, as they are now, then he had twice as many as any of the boys I dated."

Blushing lightly, Andre gave a small shrug. "I'm afraid I wasn't the most gentlemanly when I was younger. While I like to think I was more mature than most, I was still just a boy. I was more concerned with how others saw me than how I was treating my date. I didn't learn to appreciate the true value of good manners until I was in university. I was informed, rather bluntly, that I would make a better impression if I spent less time worrying about myself, and more time being attentive to my date. It was probably the most humiliating date I have ever been on, and it made me realize I needed to change if I expected any relationship to last."

Seeing Paul's smirk, Jane raised her eyebrow at him. Laughing, he shook his head. "It wasn't me, but it was a close friend of mine. I didn't know until afterward that they'd even gone on a date. He knew I liked Andre, and took it upon himself to make sure Andre was good enough for me. The day after their date, he informed me that Andre was a good guy but that he needed to work on his manners. A couple months later, I finally worked up the courage to ask him out, and he was a perfect gentleman and date. I was pleasantly surprised when it lasted past the first month."

Jane shook her head in amusement and surprise. "You weren't upset your friend dated your crush?"

Snorting, Paul looked at Andre out of the corner of his eye. "I was pissed, when I first found out. Then I found out exactly how the date went. It only lasted for about an hour, and the last fifteen minutes of that were spent with Andre getting a very public explanation of everything he had done wrong and how he could fix it in the future. He was left with no dignity, and the check. I owe Jacob for what he did, and he was my best man in our wedding."

Covering her mouth, Jane tried to stifle her laughter. When Maura swatted her arm, Jane lost control and started laughing openly. After a few moments, she calmed down enough to take a drink of her water. "I'm sorry, but that is probably the best 'how we got together' story I have ever heard. Man, if that happened to me, I don't think I'd be willing to date the friend of the person who humiliated me, or forgive the friend."

Andre smiled at Paul, placing his hand on top of Paul's and squeezing gently. "We're lucky we're both men. Women remember every slight and will hold a grudge for years. Men usually get over it and move on quickly. When Paul and I had been together for a couple months, Jacob took me to the pub and we drank a few pints and watched football."

Before Jane could respond, Maura leaned over to whisper in her ear. "He means they drank beer and watched a soccer game. In England beer typically comes in glasses that hold a pint of liquid, hence the term 'pints.' We are the only country that traditionally plays American football. In the rest of the world, football refers to the sport known as soccer, here."

Rolling her eyes, Jane snorted. "Thank you, Maura, but I already knew that. Come on. It's sports and beer. Did you really think I wouldn't know what he was talking about?"

Leaning back away from Jane, Maura blushed lightly. "I'm sorry, but you know I don't like to assume things. I didn't know if you were aware of the different terminology, so I felt it better to explain in case you were suffering any confusion. I'll try to wait until you show signs of confusion, in the future."

Smiling, Jane bumped her knee against Maura's. "It's ok. I'm not upset. We both know you know a lot more about a lot of things, than I do. Just remember, I do know sports and beer. Well, most sports. Golf isn't a sport."

Noticing the amused looks they were getting from Andre and Paul, Maura blushed again and spent a moment smoothing the napkin in her lap. Seeing a lull in conversation, their waiter made his way over and took their orders.

When the silence started to get awkward, Andre turned to Maura. "How long have you and Jane known each other? You told me you work together, but I don't think you ever mentioned when you met."

Happy for a safe topic, Maura smiled. "We met almost four years ago, at a crime scene. I had just been promoted to Chief Medical Examiner, and ended up being called to a scene in the middle of a date. Jane was less than impressed with my attire, and spent quite some time questioning every statement I made and mumbling under her breath. I don't think she realized I could understand her."

Eyes wide, Jane gaped at her for a moment. "You heard me? I am so sorry. I didn't mean for you to hear me. I don't remember what I said, but I know it wasn't very nice. Why didn't you ever tell me? I would've apologized years ago."

Maura just shrugged. "At the time, I saw no reason to bring it to your attention. I'd come to expect the comments and saw no reason to expect you to act in any other way. I knew I was good at my job. What others thought of me didn't matter, as long as it didn't negatively impact my work or physical well-being. When we started becoming friends, I saw no reason to mention it because it was clear your opinion of me had changed. As for what you said, I remember the phrase 'rich bitch' being used several times. There was also something about how I probably had my father buy my way into college and my job. I don't remember the rest."

Burying her face in her hands, Jane groaned before turning to Maura with devastated look. "Oh my god. I am SO sorry. How do you not hate me? I probably would've shot anyone who treated me that way, and I will shoot anyone I hear talking about you that way. You know I don't think that about you, right? You're amazing at your job, and I hate having to work with anyone else. Yeah, at first, I was a little put off by your money, but that was before I realized that you weren't trying to rub our noses in it. God, I hate myself right now. You have no idea how sorry I am, and I will find some way to make it up to you. I promise."

Moving her chair closer, Maura pulled Jane into a hug. Pulling back, she smoothed Jane's hair back and held her face in both hands. "There is nothing to forgive or make up to me. I forgave you long ago, or we never would've become friends. Now, it's just something I remember from time to time when I think about how close we've become. If even the smallest part of me believed you still thought of me that way, then I never would've trusted you all those months ago. You accept all of me, and that's the best thing you could ever give me. If you insist on apologizing, then I accept, but you've more than made up for any momentary emotional discomfort you caused me."

Opening her mouth to respond, Jane ended up just nodding when the waiter showed up with their meals. Holding one of Maura's hands in hers, she wiped away a couple tears and turned back to the table. Andre and Paul gave them a moment to collect themselves while they started eating. For several minutes, they ate in silence. Maura didn't bother moving her chair back, and occasionally reached out to squeeze Jane's hand under the table.

They were halfway through their meals when Jane broke the silence. Squeezing Maura's hand, she looked at Andre. "This might be rude, but you don't sound French. For that matter, Paul doesn't sound English."

Chuckling, Paul shook his head, but let Andre answer. "I went to university in England, and ended up staying. After more than ten years, my native accent is almost gone. Paul grew up in Chicago. I assumed that was in all information you would've found when you ran a background check. Maura told me you were the one that tracked me down."

Surprised, Jane shot Maura a look before shaking her head. "I didn't run a background check. Maura ended up telling me about you, and said she regretted losing touch, so I offered to try to find you. She just wanted to know what you'd done with your life, so I didn't bother digging beyond address, job, and finding out you were married. I was helping out a friend, not tracking down a suspect. Honestly, I'd probably need access to federal or international databases if I wanted to find information from before you moved to New York. I was lucky to be able to even find that much. After a week of not finding anything, I was beginning to think I wouldn't."

Nodding, Andre smiled at her. "That makes sense. I'm glad you were able to find me. I never really stopped wondering what happened to Maura, and I was surprised and excited to hear from her. I understand why we stopped talking, but I'm glad we have the chance to get to know each other, again. She was probably my best friend, and I'm delighted that we get to reconnect. Thank you, Jane, you're a good friend, to Maura, and I would be honored to someday consider you my friend, as well."

Blushing, Jane ducked her head to hide behind her hair. "Maura's an amazing person, and it was the least I could do for her. I could tell you meant a lot to her, and she missed you, so I offered to try to find you. From what Maura's told me, you're a good guy. Meeting you has only enforced that. If we can talk about sports and drink beer together, then I think we're more than halfway to being friends. In fact, why don't you join us at the Dirty Robber on Wednesday? It's a cop bar, and we usually go for midweek drinks. If you don't have plans, then you're welcome to join us. Maybe if they see you, Frost and Korsak will stop thinking Maura has a thing for married men."

Visibly starting, both men darted glances at Maura. Smacking Jane's arm, she smiled at them. "An unfortunate series of miscommunications. Vince and Barry thought that my good mood over reconnecting with you was due to a new relationship. I didn't do a good job of explaining myself, and neglected to mention that you're gay when I told them you're married and have no desire to rekindle an old romance. Then, today, Barry assumed Jane and I were meeting you for a double-date. I thought he meant Jane and I as a couple, while he thought we would be dating you. As I said, an unfortunate series of miscommunications."

Paul chuckled into his wine glass while Andre smiled and shook his head. "Some things never change. You never were very good at understanding what someone meant, unless they stated it outright. I like who you've become, but it's comforting to know that, even after all these years, there are still some pieces of the person I used to know. I've never met anyone else with such an honest personality and view of life, and it's refreshing."

Snorting, Jane grinned when Maura turned to glare at her. "Maura, I love you, but refreshing is not the term I'd use. We once showed up at a crime scene while the guy was still bleeding out on the ground. I had to almost force her to admit that the red stuff was blood, and then she would only say that it was 'probably blood.' Yeah, it's great knowing I have someone I can count on to always be honest with me, but sometimes it's just infuriating. I don't want her to change, for anything, but sometimes I'd almost give my right arm to have her make just a little guess."

Taking a sip of her wine, Maura smirked into her glass. "Yes, but how often have we found evidence because I insisted on having the lab test something? I would rather be absolutely sure of something before acting on it, than be wrong and end up regretting it."

Watching what was obviously an old argument, Andre and Paul shared a look. At Andre's raised eyebrow, Paul smiled and gave a tiny nod. Smiling back, he went back to watching the women bicker back and forth.


As they left the restaurant, Paul and Jane hung back to talk about sports and give Andre and Maura a couple minutes to talk in private.

Looking back to make sure they were out of earshot, Andre held the door open for Maura to exit. "Have you told her how you feel?"

Stopping, Maura glanced quickly over her shoulder before looking at him sharply. "What do you mean?"

Holding his arm out to lead her to a nearby bench, Andre smiled at her. "You know what I mean. I see the way you look at her, and the way she looks at you. If you're not in love with her, already, then you're getting there. You said, earlier, that she accepts all of you, and she said she loves you. So, what's holding you back?"

Leaning back heavily, she sighed in defeat. "I do love her, but I don't think she loves me in the same way. She's never mentioned having any romantic or sexual interest in women. If I say something, and she doesn't feel the same way, then it could ruin our friendship. What if she's disgusted by the idea of me wanting to be with her? I don't think I could handle it if she found the idea of being with me sexually to be repulsive. Being my friend is different than being in a romantic relationship with someone like me. It's just not worth the risk."

Pulling her into a hug, Andre leaned his cheek against her head. "The way she looks at you, I don't think she could ever be disgusted by you. When she looks at you, it's obvious she would do anything she could just to make you smile. You should really think about telling her. You deserve to be happy, and I think she could give you that."

Nodding, Maura pulled away, before starting to shake her head. "I know she would do anything to make me happy, which is why I can't tell her. I don't want her to be with me because she's afraid of hurting my feelings. No, I can't tell her. Even if she's not disgusted by the idea of being with me, she isn't gay. I don't think she's attracted to women. Being the only female detective in homicide, there are rumors, but I've never seen any evidence that they could be true. If she's not attracted to women, then she can't be attracted to me. I don't even want to think about what it could mean if she is attracted to me. I just. I can't."

Pulling her back into a hug, he kissed her hair and gave her a moment to calm down. "You are a beautiful woman with an amazing personality. If I weren't happily married, and gay, then I would be giving her some competition. If you're not ready to tell her, then that's ok, just don't start to convince yourself of something that clearly isn't true. Has she ever said she isn't attracted to women?"

Taking a couple moments to think, she shook her head. "No, I don't think she has. She's said it's no one's business who she's attracted to, and that she doesn't like it when people assume she's gay, but she's never said she's not attracted to women. She's never said she is, either."

Grinning, Andre leaned back to meet Maura's gaze. "Then you don't know, either way. From what I've seen, tonight, I think you should keep your eyes open, and don't give up. Now, try not to look so upset. They're coming over, and I don't want your detective to shoot me."

Laughing, Maura smiled at him before turning to watch Jane watch toward them.


A/N: This chapter got a little longer than expected, but that's ok. You know, I wasn't completely sure where this story is headed, until Andre started noticing how Maura and Jane act together.

For those of you who like Paul and Andre, you'll be glad to know that this probably won't be the last we see of them. They still have a week in Boston, and drinks at the Robber on Wednesday. After all, we can't have Frost and Korsak convinced Maura chases married men.

Do I need to mention that I enjoy feedback?