Chapter 37
Washington, Navy Yard
NCIS headquarters

Just over twenty-four hours earlier, Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles walked onto a near-empty third floor, expecting to get some answers about the man who regressed from harassing to stalking to threatening Maura.

From then to now, they met an NCIS agent who looked almost exactly like a younger Maura; found out who the man was; why his continued threats made it necessary for them to indefinitely stay away from their native Boston; and had the truth about their relationship revealed to a growing circle of strangers, comrades, family and friends, both old and new.

Now, Jane and Maura were on the second day of their strange, unexpected sojourn.

"I wonder how this day is gonna turn out," Jane said to Maura, as they stood, on the third floor of NCIS HQ, outside the bullpen of the Major Case Response Team, next to the windows facing the Navy Yard.

"Why are you such a Gloomy Gus?" Maura replied, noticing Jane's mixed sad and stoic facial expression.

"A gloomy what?" Jane said.

"Gloomy Gus."

"What's a gloomy Gus," Jane said, her right arm crossing her chest, her hand grasping her left arm.

"A gloomy Gus is a term Kate taught me," Maura said. "She told me while you went to the vending machine that you looked like a 'gloomy Gus'. The official dictionary definition is 'a person with a sullen, unhappy appearance or demeanor; a person with a pessimistic outlook'. Its origins come from a 1937 comic strip character created by the American cartoonist Frederick Burr-"

Jane flashed a partly-fake, partly-sarcastic grin at her partner.

"Hey! Look at me! Now I'm Joyful Jane!" she said, spreading her arms and jumping around - getting the attention of her brother, Frankie, and Agent Kate Todd, watching from the bullpen - before reverting to her gloomy Gus demeanor.

"You can't be a gloomy Gus forever," Maura replied. "Did you know, that a 2003 study at Boston Cambridge University found that women in their 30s who had a perpetually negative and - dare I say - pessimistic outlook lived five to 10 percent shorter lives than women with a positive, optimistic outlook."

Jane responded with an expression that looked to Maura like a sad puppy who knew she would never, ever go home again.

Over in the bullpen, Frankie quickly made his way from the main monitor, heading towards Jane; Kate put her hand on his arm, causing him to stop.

"Officer," Kate said, "give them a few minutes."

"She's upset," Frankie replied. "And she's my sister-"

"You'll get your chance to talk with her," Kate responded. "And Dr. Isles."

"Yeah...I know," Frankie said, looking at Jane and Maura. "My sister, Jane...and Dr. Isles...my sister in law?"

"So stop being a gloomy Gus," Maura told Jane, "and start being Joyful Jane, the same wonderful, funny, determined, amazing woman I've known, who I chose to be my lifelong best friend forever, and my partner in life."

Maura took her hand to life Jane's chin, causing the detective to smile.

"Now give me a hug," Maura told her. And the two women embraced, and held each other tight.

"Oh my gosh," Frankie said, looking on. "I...I gotta...agent Todd they're gonna make out."

"They're not going to 'make out'," Kate replied, rolling her eyes, her hand on her hip. "Give them their privacy."

Jane and Maura pulled out of their hug, just enough to gaze into each other's eyes.

"Jane," Maura said softly. "I love you."

"I love you too," Jane said, stroking Maura's cheek. "Promise me you won't leave me here by myself."

"Now why would I do that," Maura replied, brushing the hair from Jane's face. "We're in this together."

Jane and Maura gazed into one another's eyes, their faces coming closer and closer.

"Oh god, they're gonna make out!" Frankie said, with his eyes wide open and mouth agape.

"Omigod...they're gonna make out," Kate replied.

Even agent Tim McGee - busy on three different projects - noticed the couple near the windows.

Kate saw McGee walk towards her desk, with the same look of shock and embarassment he had a few months before, when Kate caught him underneath her desk repairing her computer's connection to the building's network.

"Thank god DiNozzo's not here to see this," Kate muttered to herself.

"A-a-agent Todd?" McGee stuttered, as Maura and Jane leaned in closer to one another, apparently oblivious to everyone else on the floor. "They-they're going to-"

"They're gonna make out," Frankie replied to Kate, then putting his hands over both eyes. "I'm...I ain't ready for this yet. Seeing my own sister make out. With anyone. I can't look."

With McGee standing in embarassment and Frankie hiding behind his hands, Kate - barely noticing the familiar ding of the elevator in the background - resigned herself to being the one to stop the couple from making any more of a scene than they already had. She stepped out from her desk.

"Playing peek-a-boo, Officer Rizzoli?"

The booming voice of Kate's boss, Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, walking over from the elevator, both surprised and relieved her.

Jane and Maura heard it; Maura continued to smile brightly, holding on to Jane and looking at her, while Jane slowly realized what was going on.

Jane looked over at the bullpen, and saw her brother with his hands over his face; McGee standing, his face bright red; Kate trying to look inconspicuous; and Gibbs looking impassively at her and Maura.

"Officer," Gibbs said to Frankie.

"UhnosiragentGibbs," Frankie said, standing up straight. "Justobserving."

"McGee!" Gibbs said to his probationary agent. "The search on T. Pike."

"Uh...uh, I have it on my computer and all I need to do is put it on the monitor," he said, rushing over to his desk.

"Kate," Gibbs said. "Status. Agents Burley and Cassidy."

"They're on the scene of the wreck, waiting on Ducky to arrive," she replied.

"Detective Rizzoli. Dr. Isles," Gibbs said, motioning for them both to walk over.

Jane fully noticed everyone looking at her and Maura, who had her face in Jane's shoulder.

"Maura...Maura...Maura!" Jane whispered - loudly. Maura, too, fully realized that everyone's attention was on them both, and broke the embrace.

"New assignments," Gibbs said, "for my newest team members."

"New assignments?" Maura asked as she walked over to Gibbs, with Jane rushing behind, and Frankie still looking on in shock.

"Detective Rizzoli," Gibbs said, handing her a badge. "Congratulations. Liaison from the Boston Police Department to NCIS."

Jane looked at her badge and I.D. "Wow...thanks," she said.

"And you, Dr. Isles," Gibbs said to Maura, handing her an I.D. "Liaison from the Office of the Medical Examiner to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to NCIS. Congratulations to you, too."

"Thank you, agent Gibbs," Maura said.

"You'll have paperwork to fill out later," Gibbs said. "Right now, get downstairs, both of you. Ducky and Palmer are waiting in the van. Jane, you'll help Stan and Paula investigate the wreck; dead Navy Lieutenant. Maura, you'll help Ducky and Palmer with the bodies."

"Bodies?" Jane said.

"Three at least," Gibbs said. "Two more in the hospital. Jane, Maura, crime scene shouldn't take all that long. You'll be back in time for the noon meeting upstairs at MTAC. Now...what are you standing around for?"

Gibbs pointed towards the back elevator.

"Kate," Gibbs said. "Take them down to Ducky and Palmer, then get back up here. And Officer Rizzoli; you want to observe? Then observe. Go with them."

"Yes sir," Frankie said.

"And remember what I said this morning," Gibbs said, quietly, though Jane could hear him. "Detective. Tell agent Burley to report back to me when you arrive."

"Yes Gibbs," Jane said, as she, Maura and Frankie followed Kate to the back elevator, which would take them to the van that Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard and his assistant, Jimmy Palmer, were waiting for them in.