Hoyt.

Maura wishes she could go back to a time when that name didn't make her insides clench with fear. She stares at her computer screen, not really seeing it. She doesn't need to see the results anymore. They are conclusive, and she knows what it means. She rubs her hand over her eyes, trying to shut down the image of Jane, flat on her back, scalpels through her palms.

Jane already knows it's Hoyt, and although Maura doesn't believe in the supernatural, she has to admit that the detectives instincts do often boarder on the extraordinary.

She'd heard the words cold storage, and her face had hardened like a rock.

"It's an apprentice," she'd said quietly, shoving her hands in her pockets to keep Maura from seeing the fists she was making. "Another fucking apprentice."

"We don't know that, Jane," Frost had said, glancing at Maura. But Jane had given him an scornful look and strode off across the park towards the cruiser.

"Shit," Frost had said, watching her go.

Maura shuts the top of her laptop, wishing she'd waited to read the results. Tonight is her talk at the conference on Beauty and Science, and as much as she's downplayed it over the last week, she is very excited. And very nervous, not just because she'll have to speak in front of hundreds of people, but also because she's deliberately putting Jane and Constance in the same room.

"Hey Doc," Maura looks up to see Barry Frost in her doorway. He's dressed in a tuxedo, complete with boutonniere, and he gives her a little spin and bow. She smiles.

"Detective Frost, you look wonderful," she says, hoping her voice does not betray her anxiety. She wants Jane to be the first to know definitively, wants to be there when she really processes it, "What can I do for you?"

Barry looks a little uneasy as he steps into her office. "I've been instructed, by my partner, to escort you to the conference on Beauty and Science," He says and Maura stiffens.

"But…Jane was supposed to…"

"Jane went home earlier this afternoon to…uh…"Frost looks as though he's does not really believe the words he's saying, "get ready for tonight. She assures me she'll meet us there."

Maura leans back in her chair, assessing the young detective to see if he knows anything more about the situation.

"She said if you don't believe me, to open your e-mail," Frost says, shrugging his shoulders.

Maura does as she's told, smiling when she sees that the first e-mail in the queue is from Jane.

I'm not bailing. But I couldn't wear what I'm wearing to your talk around all day, and…I want you to see it for the first time when we get there.

I love you.

Go with Frost.

-J

Maura tries to look put out, but can't quite manage to lower the wattage on her smile. "You two really planned this out, didn't you?"

Frosts grin is almost as sly as Jane's can be. "We're not the best for nothing, doctor. Shall I wait outside while you get ready?"

Maura nods, standing and heading to her closet.


The Conference Hall is large and luxuriously decorated. Maura and Frost are waved through the gilded double doors without having to state their names, and one of the security guards taps his hat to them, and Maura recognizes him from the precinct. "Dr. Isles," He says respectfully. "Nick," she says, smiling at his surprised smile. "You got roped into this?"

"Hey," he says, dropping his professionalism for a second, "it's good money on a Friday night." She chuckles, and lets Barry lead her into the entrance hall. Maura feels a little lighter. If her mother has left Jane off the guest list, which is not outside the realm of possibility, Jane will not have any trouble talking her way in.

"Maura," speak of the devil. Maura and Frost turn to see Constance Isles gliding gracefully towards them, a smile plastered over her look of relief. "Maura," her mother kisses her on either cheek and holds her hand out to Barry, which he knows enough to kiss. "You're early, you look stunning, and you're going to be wonderful."

Maura nearly trips over her heels, "Excuse me?"

Constance blinks, "What? Can't a mother reassure her child? You're not nervous are you?"

Maura shakes her head mutely. Her mother truly is beaming now, and Maura allows herself to smile as well. Maybe…

"Come, bring your handsome date over here so I can introduce you to the Surgeon General."

"Oh, no, mother," Maura says looking over her shoulder, towards the door, "I want to wait for Jane to get here." I don't want her to have to make small talk without me. She turns back to her mother, and what little hope she had for the evening crashes to the floor. Her mother is looking coolly distant again. Realization brings a hint of color to Maura's cheeks.

"So Detective Rizzoli will be joining us tonight."

Out of the corner of her eye, Maura sees Frost barely control his face, as he swallows his anger, turning a grimace into a smile.

"Yes," Maura says, feeling her temper start to get the better of her. "She's meeting us here. She should be here any moment."

Constance sighs as though the entire weight of the world is on her shoulders.
"Honestly, Maura, I thought you'd come to your senses when you accepted this offer."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Maura hisses. Barry tightens his grip around her arm.

"That she's not cut out for places like this. She has no education, she has no-"

But Barry's grip is tightening further, as though he's trying to get her attention. She puts up her hand to stop her mother's tirade, and turns to Frost, "What is…" But her voice gets caught in her throat as she looks where he's looking. Jane has just come through the double doors into the hall, and Maura is suddenly unable to hear or see anything but her.

The dress is green. Not bright and not loud, but deep and velvety and carnal. A green like the monster that rears in Maura's stomach when several men follow Jane's movements with their eyes as she walks down the hallway. The dress stops just at her knees and her legs look like they go on for days, an illusion not broken by the black pumps on her feet.

Maura tears her eyes away from Jane's legs to look up into two warm auburn eyes fixed intently on her. She's gorgeous. Her hair is up, pulled back into a bun tight and neat at the base of her skull.

"Holy…" Frost says, just as transfixed as Maura. He unlinks himself from the Medical Examiner, and, realizing that she seems frozen to the spot, gives her a little push towards the brunette walking towards her.

Maura doesn't know how she manages not to stumble, seeing as she can't feel her feet. She makes it to the detective, who smiles hopefully at her, waiting.

"Jane…"

"Is it alright? Am I late? It took a little bit of magic to get into this thing." Jane does a little spin for her, and Maura feels herself get light headed. The back of Jane's dress is open, plunging down to the small of her back, the majority of her long, defined back on display. Maura feels a rush of arousal and of protectiveness. She want to both show Jane off, and cover her up. Jane turns back, eyes searching Maura's face, becoming increasingly anxious when Maura doesn't respond. "Maura?"

"Jane…"

Jane brings her hands up to rub one in the other, her tiny black clutch shaking with nerves. "It's not right," she says quietly, looking dejected. "Maura, I'm really sorry. I can go and change, or go and…not come back-"

"Shut up," Maura's voice is low, hungry. "You look…you look amazing. You look…you're beautiful."

The effect of her words is immediate, Jane's worry melts away and she fixes Maura with a dazzling smile. "You don't have to sound so surprised," she says nudging Maura. There it is, Maura's smile widens, her Jane, Still there.

"So it was worth worrying that I'd chickened out?" she asks, catching Frost's eye a couple yards away and winking. Maura can only nod.

Frost appears by Jane's side, putting his hand on her elbow, and Maura has to physically fight the urge to growl and swat his hand away. "Your mother says it's time to take seats," he says, smiling knowingly at Maura. "Don't worry, Doc, I'll keep her safe for you."

Maura grins at Jane's widened eyes and her blush, "Thank you, Barry. I'm counting on it." She leans in and kisses the sides of Jane's mouth feeling it turn up in a smile. "I have to sit on stage, but there are seats with your names on them in the front row," she says.

"Oh," Jane fumbles with her clutch, "I almost forgot," she pulls a dark blue stone out of her bag. It's small enough to conceal in her hand, and flat, with a depression in the middle about the size of a thumbprint. "It's a touch stone," Jane says, pressing it into Maura's hand. "If you get nervous, or flustered, you can rub this spot right here," she shows Maura the little dip in the surface, "and it will calm you…ground you."

Jane blushes again at Maura's wide eyes, "I know. I know, you don't get flustered, but I thought…just in case."

Maura wants to throw her arms around Jane's neck and kiss her for about an hour. Instead, she settles for a smaller kiss, this time on Jane's cheek, and a quick whisper in the ear, "You are amazing." She gives Barry a quick last smile, and turns, heading towards the spot where her mother stands like a statue.

She reaches Constance Isles, smirking at her mother who is still staring in disbelief at Jane. "You're ready, Mother?" She asks, not bothering to hide her feeling of superiority.

Her mother shoots her a dirty look as they head towards the door that will lead them to the stage, "You can put nice clothes on anything, Maura," She says quickly, but Maura laughs, a real, genuine laugh. "Enough," she says firmly, although there is no heat in her voice. She truly doesn't care whether her mother continues or not, it no longer matters. Jane is here, and gorgeous and wonderful. Her presentation is well researched and in depth and brilliant.

Maura feels invincible.

She's in her element.


"Your program says that I am the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. That would imply that my job only entails things that are decidedly no beautiful. I cut bodies up for a living. What could I possibly have to contribute to a seminar on Beauty in Science? Well, tonight I would invite you to look beyond the Y incisions, and the dissections, and the crime scene photos. To look, not at the pieces of the puzzle, but the sum of their parts. To see the beauty in hearing a story from something that was believed previously, to have no voice. I am quite literally, a speaker for the dead. And I would like to share that beauty, that...intimate beauty with all of you tonight."

In the first row, the detective presses two fingers to her lips and holds them out and up, towards the woman on stage.

Maura smiles, "Let's begin. First slide, please."


Awww. our ladies. I love them

: thank you! Ts:I agree. Maura's got stuff to work through. hope you'll start to see her merging the two parts of herself as the story continues. jobee, heatwave, jayda, cheree, ccjlfan, i'm glad you like this new, stronger Maura! she's only going to get better.

Fallen austin never stop! i want to know your thoughts on everything always all the time, go! lol.

we're about to take a little dip in to Hoyt. hang in there friends. New update tonight!

happy reading.

t.c.