Hello Everyone! Updates will be off and on for the next week as I will be traveling through Europe and will not have consistent access to a computer. I will continue to work on finishing the story, so hopefully by the time I get back I can post chapters quickly!

As usual, I just want to thank you for taking a moment to comment and share your thoughts on the story. It really helps me to know what your perceptions are of the story and that you are enjoying it! You're all amazing!

Also, I own nothing and I make nothing. I hope you like the story friends!

JPOV

Jane was furious. She had just walked into the precinct only to be informed that she had three suspects waiting for hours for her to come in and interrogate them. She stormed into the homicide office and immediately saw Korsak innocently reading the paper at his desk. He didn't flinch at her entrance, which only caused her fury to grow.

"What the hell Vince? You bring in three suspects and you don't bother to tell me about it?" Jane waited, her limited patience wearing even thinner than usual. Korsak slowly lowered his paper and met his partners gaze.

"I'm sorry Jane, I guess I forgot to tell you some important details about what's happening." He was hiding a smirk in an attempt to mask his hurt, but not well.

Oh shit Vince. Really? This is how we deal with things now?" Rizzoli softened her voice, knowing she had made a mistake, but refusing to apologize.

Vince paused appearing to weight his response. "You could have told me you know. I would have understood."

Jane sat on the edge of her desk, "what's there to tell? How did your meeting go anyway?"

"What's there to tell? All of a sudden you're dating a woman! And to top it off, you're sleeping with the shrink who is going to dictate our future together!" Korsak spit out, taking a moment to collect himself. Jane could tell he was trying to keep his voice down, "and for your information, it went pretty well. I think I might have charmed her!" Vince smiled signaling to Jane that he was about to drone on. "We talked about my pets, my hobbies, moving up to the career ladder..."

"Later that same day!" Jane sarcastically growled out. She didn't have the time or the patience to deal with a moody partner. "And who said anything about sleeping together? Huh? Just get to the point Vince."

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I boring you?" He postured, showing his hurt again. "Guess you don't want to hear about how much we talked about you and Dr. Isles." He had the upper hand again and he knew it, Jane perked up at the sound of her and Maura's name together.

"Maura and me? Why would you be talking about us?" Jane asked trying her best to sound nonchalant, but failing.

"Maura and I" He correct in his best Maura impression. "She asked me who else you were close to, I told her you and the doc have grown pretty close lately." He shrugged.

Jane leaned back, trying to figure out what all this meant. She hadn't had much time to process what had happened on her date with Rebecca, and she had yet to see her either. Truthfully, she was hoping to not have to deal with the implications of dating her. She had already canceled her appointment with the doctor, afraid of losing control with her again if they were left alone. Suddenly, Korsak was smiling at someone behind her. Rebecca appeared at the door, smiling shyly at Jane.

"Detective Rizzoli" She purred out causing Vince to roll his eyes. It wasn't the first time he had seen a woman lose her shit around Jane. "I noticed you canceled our session today. Have you thought about when you would like to reschedule with me?" She was dangerously close to Jane who fought off the memories of their date, of the feel of the woman grinding and groaning on top of Jane.

"Uh, yeah, sorry I just thought…" She trailed off, not sure how to continue the conversation without giving to much away and in front of her partner.

"hmm, perhaps tomorrow then?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow at Jane, smirking. She wasn't giving up and Jane knew it would raise greater suspicion to not attend the session. "I have some background research to do in the meantime." She added as she turned to leave. Why was she always doing that?

Korsak stood up laughing seeing his partner blush and gawk as the woman walked away. "Come on Jane, we've kept these guys on ice long enough." Jane slowly followed still trying to figure out what was happening in her own life.

MPOV

Maura heaved another box onto her desk sighing happily as she looked around her office. She had spent most of the night obsessively organizing her office. When the world around her ceased to make sense, nothing calmed Maura more than to spend the day cleaning and organizing her life. It provided a sense of control and function that nothing else could replace. After Jane had left her, she looked around and was embarrassed by the state of the room. She had spent little time in it, largely ignoring the need to do anything with the mostly bare room. She gazed at the shelves she had finished putting together early this morning happy with the way her collection of shells and specimens were organized.

She was reaching into her last box when she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She turned to find Rebecca staring at her with a strange expression on her face.

"Lovely office. Dr Isles is it?" she asked extending her hand. She was trying to mask her face, but Maura could read her far easier than most people.

"Yes, and you are?" Oh, Maura knew who she was, but she wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing how much her existence in the precinct had upset her carefully laid out plans.

"Doctor Clark, but I prefer Doctor Rebecca." she shook Maura's hand.

"Doctor Rebecca? You know Clark comes from the word 'clerec' meaning scribe or priest, it's ultimately from the latin word 'clericus'." Maura watched as a bemused expression formed over Rebecca's face. She needed to quit doing that.

"I see. Well, I don't usually share name history's on a first encounter. I was wondering if you had a moment doctor?" she smiled at Maura, but she could read through her masked expression and saw small traces of disdain which surprised her. Maura turned giving her her full attention and nodded. "I am here on request from the captain to evaluate detective Rizzoli and detective Korsaks partnership. I understand that you and detective Rizzoli have grown rather close since your arrival?" She checked a manila folder that she was holding appearing to verify information.

Maura's eyebrow went up, both at the statement and the unstated implication. She could read on the woman's face small traces of jealousy and insecurity. Maura had years of experience playing chess, and she knew that she would have to plan her moves out as carefully as the woman standing in front of her was. "Yes, I would say we have...gotten to know each other pretty well." Knight to D4 she thought.

Rebecca looked up sharply at Maura's statement. Maura knew she was implying more, but she couldn't help herself. She did feel a stronger connection to Jane than she had ever felt with anyone else, and she cherished their time together fiercely. "we spend a lot of time together...alone."

"I see. Um, and what do you know of her personal life?" Rebecca asked looking down again. Maura couldn't read her expression well enough to decide if she was asking from a clinical or personal perspective.

"Well, let's see. She devotes everything to her job. She's incredibly dedicated and amazing at what she does, you would be hard pressed to find someone with the level of tenacity, observation skills, and overarching ability to stop the bad guys." Maura finished with a flourish, smiling at the thought of Jane.

"Yes, I understand she's quite good at her job, but what does she do on her personal time? Away from the job?" Rebecca asked again, clearly annoyed.

Maura thought for a moment. Since she had met Jane, they had spent almost all their on-call time together. They had yet however, spent time outside of work. So besides the hours of intimate conversation at a crime scene or in the basement, Maura had no real idea of what Jane did.

The pause was long enough for Rebecca to infer an answer, "so you don't know her that well?" she asked with a smile spreading across her ruby red lips. She's moved her Bishop to E1, Maura thought.

Oh no she did not! Maura's mind screamed, she envisioned the chess board in her mind, knowing her opponent was a better player than she had expected. "Not as well as I understand you are getting to know her Dr Clark." Maura responded coolly, letting her anger answer for her. While the smile stayed on Rebecca's lips, Maura noticed her nostrils flare in anger at her response. Queen to E1, Maura thought, Check.

Rebecca walked towards Maura's brand new couches and sat down, much to Maura's chagrin. Great, now I have to get rid of that seat. Was all she could think of, not noticing the woman pull out second file from underneath the first. "I understand you moved up rather quickly to this role Dr Isles?"

"is that my personnel file?" Maura couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Oh this Dr? Yes, this is your file." she waved the sentence off in the air, only irking Maura more.

"I wasn't aware you had access to everyone's file? Or that I was also under investigation." Maura watched as she wrote something down in the file, ignoring the question for a brief moment.

"I have access to everyone's file, and as long as I am investigating Detectives Rizzoli and Korzak, I will be going through everyone who is close to them to quantify if they are in fact a liability for Boston Police. As short as that list now appears to be."

Rebecca knew where and how to dig at Maura, who's mind was now fully invested in the game. "Is there anything else that you need then Dr Clark, I would like to finish up here and head home."

"Yes, I do have one more question. You appear to...care about detective Rizzoli. Do you think she is safe with a partner who is so close to retirement like Detective Korsak?" She's moved her Bishop and taken my queen.

Maura couldn't believe the question, she searched for a way to answer without lying. Of course she worried about Jane's safety, and she knew that Korsak would take a bullet for Jane any day, but that didn't stop the thoughts from intruding that perhaps Jane should have a younger partner, someone who physically was not as tired as Korsak was. "I think Vince and Jane work phenomenally together, they have an understanding and a relationship that works well for them."

Rebecca peered at her for a moment, planning her response. "so you agree that Detective Rizzoli would be safer with a change in partnership?"

Maura couldn't respond, did she say that? Imply that? She opened her mouth to speak, but the damage was done. "I want Jane safe." was all the came out. Feeling like she was betraying her only friend.

"Thank you Doctor, that will be all I need from you. I will be meeting with detective Rizzoli tomorrow," Rebecca stood and came closer to Maura, punctuating the next point, "and perhaps for a few weeks after. We will be spending a lot more intimate, private time together,if things go as planned." Rebecca smiled wickedly at Maura's reaction enjoying the moment, then turned to leave.

Suddenly it hit Maura, something had been off about the entire interaction. She was so thrown off by the conversation she had missed it until now. "Doctor Clark?" Rebecca paused at the doorway of her office, sighing and reluctantly turning halfway to face Maura. "Why do you call her detective and not Jane?" She thought it was strange that she was dating someone who's first name she couldn't even utter. Knight to E2, your move Rebecca.

Rebecca blanched, appearing to make the same connection that Maura was making, her face flushing under the embarrassment and weight of the question. "she, she never gave me permission to call her anything else." was the quiet response. Rebecca turned to leave hurriedly, missing the huge grin that had appeared on Maura's face. Check mate. Was all she thought.