A/N: I know its obvious, but I would just like to reiterate that I don't own any aspect of Rizzoli & Isles, and I don't profit from writing about it. I also own no part of MLB or MiLB and don't profit from writing about those leagues or teams, either.

"Can't say I expected a knock-down drag-out in the first staff meeting of the year," Jane commented, leaning a little closer to Maura's left ear as she pushed through the double doors and into the summer heat. The sun felt good, and she relished those first few seconds of natural light just after being in an air-conditioned room, right before it turned oppressive again.

Maura chuckled lightly and flipped her sunglasses down onto her face. Jane did the same. "Who knew a math department could be so… tempestuous?" Maura added, thinking back to a rather raucous discussion about department funding and competition with athletics that had taken most of the meeting's time.

"See? Glad you're here. These kids need all your SAT words if they even want a chance at competing with those prep-school applicants," said Jane. She smiled with her lips closed, stopping to face Maura as they stood outside the back of the school office. It opened out into a sprawling quad, with offshoots of sidewalk and manicured grass that led to what seemed like countless corridors of classrooms. Far on the opposite side, one could see the track, and then the gym just beyond that.

If Maura squinted, she could also see the yellow foul poles of the baseball fields, located to the right of the gym, especially since the day was such a clear one. "It's not just a large vocabulary that's going to get them into medical school, Jane," she said.

"But it can't hurt," she replied. "They need all the help they can get. Anything to get their foot in the door." At that, Maura nodded in assent, and Jane followed her eyeline just beyond Jane's shoulder to campus proper. "Hey listen. You want a campus tour before you get to your room?"

Maura thought about refusing, about telling Jane the truth: she had come on her own a few weeks ago when she found out that Empire was chosen as the home site for her pilot program, out of nine possible campuses in the district. Then she looked down at Jane's long legs and figured she could handle the walk. "Sure, I'd like that. Thank you," Maura said, gliding the straps of her purse from her elbow to her shoulder. She twirled her travel cup by flicking her wrist back and forth as an anxious habit, despite being unsure why a walk with Jane would be making her feel that way.

"A'right. Which is yours?" Jane shrugged her backpack against her back, trying to displace some of the sweat already accumulating there.

"D201," Maura answered. She bit her lips to keep from smiling at Jane's obvious discomfort.

"It's ok, you can laugh," Jane said. Maura blushed at being caught. "This bag is convenient but makes me sweaty as hell. Let's walk, yeah? I'll take you through all the way to the gym and then circle you back to the D building, show you where your room's at."

"It was more the turtle-like motion, and less the sweat, I promise," Maura said with a twinkle in her eye. She also decided not to tell Jane that she knew exactly where her room was. It seemed, irrationally, like it would make Jane crestfallen, and Maura wanted to avoid that. She would investigate why later. So, she let Jane start their walk. Part of her wondered, now that they had embarked, what would she be expected to say? To offer? She was always the worst at these moments: tiny ones that felt big but had no script for her to follow.

Luckily, Jane did not keep her in suspense long. Seconds, in fact. "So, Maura, what'd you do before deciding to make the change to Empire?" she asked. She looked ahead, not at Maura, and though Maura didn't know if it was out of habit or to spare Maura any awkwardness, it was appreciated.

"I was a pathologist at a hospital before this," Maura answered. "I worked closely with oncologists and neurosurgeons to diagnose cancer in patients."

"Sounds… important. And maybe a little sad," said Jane, and Maura marveled at the sympathetic little hitch in her step, as if her compassion had found a corporeal release. Jane even kept a few moments of silence for those she assumed had been touched by Maura's work before continuing. "Which hospital?"

"Hoag," Maura answered simply.

Jane whistled in a low tone. "Impressive. What're you doin' all the way out here?"

Maura knew the reputation that Hoag had. Orange County itself was known for botoxed, Republican soccer-moms, and Hoag was their hospital - Newport Beach's hospital. Hoag also had some of the best doctors on the West Coast, including herself, and their reputation as a teaching hospital preceded them. Empire High School, though in the higher-tax-bracket part of Coronita Heights, was still in Coronita Heights. "Newport isn't that far," was the best that Maura could come up with in the face of the facts. "Orange County and Riverside County are adjacent."

Jane scoffed. "You know what I mean, Maura," she said softly. They passed a couple of staff members in the hallway, and she waved at them. They waved back. "Thirty miles away and light years apart."

Maura watched Jane greet their peers so naturally with warm jealousy. She took note of long, strong fingers and a wide palm, callouses dotting it at regular intervals just along the first row of knuckles there. She studied Jane's crooked half-smile and the easy crinkle of the skin at her eyes, just behind Oakley sport glasses. "I suppose so," she spoke up, suddenly anxious to keep the conversation going because of how Jane looked in the early morning sun. "Are you from here? Coronita Heights?"

"No, I'm from Orange County, too," Jane answered easily, turning that smile on Maura. "Santa Ana."

"I've never been," Maura said. Ever the diplomat, she had heard of Santa Ana, of course, not many good things. Mostly from the affluent, white doctors and nurses that had worked with her.

"It's not exactly Newport," Jane said with good humor. "But hell, it's home to some of the best food and best ball players in the country." They crossed a path over to another cluster of larger rooms, and Jane pointed out an open door. "We got arts and foreign languages over here."

"Jane!" Just as the two of them reached the shade of the awning of those rooms, a thin, bronze-skinned woman with long, straight black hair popped her head out of that open door. "Jane! Come here!" She called again, waving Jane over with enthusiasm.

Maura noticed the Spanish inflection on all her vowels and the light in her eyes as Jane approached. She followed behind as she had been taught to do by her high society parents.

"Martha, hey, how ya doin', huh?" Jane returned, opening her arms wide for Martha to hug her back. Martha was shorter, maybe 5'5", and her arms could have been awkward around Jane's backpack, but they made it work.

"Ay, muy bien, now that I'm looking at you," Martha answered her question with gusto. "Como está usted, Coach? I feel like it's been forever."

"Bien, gracias," said Jane affably as they pulled away. "Two months really does feel like a long time. Hey Martha, this is uh, Dr. Maura Isles. She's heading our new med-school pipeline."

Maura took her cue without delay and held out her hand. "Hi. Nice to meet you," she said. Martha took her hand and shook lightly, with an air of refinement, something much more Maura's speed. Immediately Maura felt seen, as if she had been read and then greeted accordingly.

"Maura, this is Martha González. She's chair of the Spanish department, and like, the best teacher we've got. She won an NEA award last year," Jane explained. Martha smiled graciously, but like she knew she deserved it. Maura saw why Jane liked her, because clearly she did: they both had the same quiet confidence.

"I'm impressed," Maura smiled back. "If you don't mind, I'm going to come to you for pointers. This is my first teaching position at the K-12 level."

"I'd be happy to help any way I can," Martha said kindly. "I can't wait to see our kids shine in your program. You're gonna do great things for them."

Maura blushed at the effortless compliment. She imagined it must have been what made Martha a spectacular teacher: it was simultaneous expectation and encouragement.

"That's what I told her," Jane added, and Maura was thankful for the interruption, the relief of not having to say something when she didn't know what to say.

She tapped Jane's tricep playfully. "That wasn't quite what you said," she teased.

Jane shrugged. "I got the point across. We should keep it moving if we're gonna finish your tour. Listen Martha, first potluck of the year, you make sure you call me. I swear I got the tingaalmost perfect."

Martha chuckled and then retreated part way back into her classroom. "Will do, Coach. You gonna bring home a trophy this season?"

Jane led Maura away with a quick flat-finger press on the small of her back, unconscious, but so in line with what Maura knew of her so far. "That's the plan. See ya," she called behind her shoulder.

"She seems very kind," Maura said, once they were out of earshot. "And I didn't know you spoke Spanish."

Jane chuckled. "I don't. Not really. Just enough to get by. And Martha's great," she replied. "She really made an effort to get to know me when I first got here. And she's really fucking good at her job."

Maura guffawed at Jane's earnest curse. "Well, like I said, I'd be happy to learn from her," she finally said as they walked along the math department's row of classes. She heard raised voices within open-door rooms, no doubt continuing the… passionate discussion from their meeting. "You know, I never asked you what you did before coming here. Have you always been a teacher?"

Jane gulped and was about to answer when they turned the corner at the end of the hall, just by the custodial room, and a handsome man in a workshirt tucked into his pants jumped in front of them. "Jesus, Tommy. You gotta be so chipper this early in the morning?" Jane gasped when he appeared.

The man, with sandy brown hair and light blue eyes, smiled as crookedly as Jane did, Maura found. "It's nine, Janie. Not exactly early. Who's your friend?" He was direct, but seemed well-meaning. Maura stood behind Jane's shoulder just in case.

"This is Dr. Isles. She's gonna start teaching some science classes here. Maura," Jane stood back to look Maura in the face, "this is my kid brother, Tommy. He's on the custodial team. And he's one of my assistant coaches."

"Tommy, hi. Nice to meet you. You look a lot like your sister," Maura said, and it was true, now that she got a good look at him: he really did share many characteristics with Jane, such as their strong jaws and long torsos. Maura's eyes flashed to Jane's midsection again out of impulse.

"Hey," Tommy said, appraising Maura.

Jane immediately stepped back in front of her. "And where were you, huh? Please don't tell me you were late on day one."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Relax, would ya? Got a ride with Juan, rolled in right on time. Imagine my shock when I got your text that you were saving me a spot, and then I walk in and there's no spot? Anyway, we hung out in the back and then dipped when the numbers guys started hollerin'."

"Yeah well, Maura needed a place and she showed up on actual time," Jane griped. Maura noticed the upturn of her lips and deduced that actually, she was pleased, probably with Tommy's show of responsibility. "Practice at one, yeah?"

"Got the regimen all worked up already, sis," Tommy said. "Pitching and catching is gonna dominate this year, just you watch."

Jane smiled warmly. "That's what I like to hear. Ran into Jonny this morning," she said.

"Oh yeah? Over at the shop? How's he?" Tommy asked, leaning casually on the mop he'd had out with him in the hall.

"Quakin' in his boots about Fullerton," Jane answered, "which is how I want him."

"Cal State Fullerton?" Maura piped in, if for no other reason than to feel a part of the conversation. "If he is a decent student, he shouldn't be afraid. Fullerton works with students of various backgrounds and academic profiles for admission."

Jane smirked and crossed her arms. Tommy looked at Jane as if to say is she for real? "He should if he wants to be a starter," he said. "Lotta shortstops in SoCal lookin' to play for the Titans."

"They have a good baseball team?" Maura inquired, with a raised eyebrow that probably cost a hundred dollars to keep so perfect.

Tommy raised his own eyebrow at her, in the way that often said he was about to pull someone's leg. "Oh yeah. Elite. Janie didn't tell you that she started for Fullerton? Played second base on their men's team."

Maura's mouth dropped open. "She did not! Isn't that unheard of?"

Jane went to cut in, but Tommy stopped her. "Janie's only the second one. There's a few other girls in prep right now that could do it, one in Canada, but yeah. It's pretty rare. So… if she didn't tell you that, she probably didn't tell you she played minor league ball, either, did she?"

"Hey now, to be fair, we've only known each other two hours," Jane said. Maura figured by the blush on her face that this was the information that Jane had been hesitant to share about her previous occupation.

Tommy wouldn't be stopped, however. "Yeah, for the Rockies. She led her team to a Cal league championship."

"Ok, a'right. I did not 'lead' us to the championship. I was a part of a championship team. We all played a part. Let's go, Maura. I gotta show you the gym," said Jane, pushing Maura ahead.

Tommy was giggling now. "Nice to meet you, Maura!" he shouted at their backs as they walked away. "Google her!"

Jane motored across the grass that led to the track. She pulled out her keyring and unlocked the gate so that they could walk across it. "My brother's a real funny-guy, Maura, sorry about that."

Maura still reeled from the information. She had to admit, however, that when she looked at Jane, her physique, her subdued but strong self-worth, her height, it made sense. It was just… a woman in minor league baseball? Even Maura, sports-illiterate Maura, knew that was unprecedented. And Jane, for whatever reason, was mum about it. "Was he lying?"

"What? No," Jane said.

"That's… more than impressive, Jane. You're a world-class athlete," Maura stated the obvious as they stepped across the turf.

"Oh hell. I played platoon second base until our other guy got hurt, Maura. Then I couldn't get past Double-A. I'm hardly Mike Trout," Jane waved her off.

Maura didn't push. Their acquaintanceship was all of a few hours old and even she knew not to isolate the first friend in a brand-new workplace. "Are we approaching the gym?"

Jane transformed. The topic lit up her face and straightened her spine. She looked like a statue in the midmorning sun. She adjusted the bill of her hat and nodded. "Yeah. I've gotta put my stuff down, if you don't mind."

Maura licked her lips in thought. She felt bold and decided to follow the impulse. "Only if you promise to show me your stomping grounds afterwards."

Jane stopped at the gymnasium's imposing double doors. The building towered over them, painted in alternating burgundy and beige. "Huh?"

"The fields, Jane. Where you - where your students play," Maura elaborated. She fiddled with the straps of her purse in her hands with potential regret.

"Oh, sure," Jane said. They smelled fresh floor wax as they took the corridors around the court. The bleachers were put away against the wall and there were no-walking signs in each corner of the gym. Then they made their way into the adjoining girls locker room, empty, where two offices with three desks each sat in a bullpen-style configuration. Jane walked past them to a small office with one lone desk and opened the door, setting her bag on the chair.

Maura looked around her, took in the trophies on the bookshelf against the back wall, and the CIF championship flag hanging over it. There was a computer, off and unplugged, on top of the desk, surrounded by what seemed like endless excel sheet printouts with scribble all over them. A barrel of new baseballs sat in the corner, and there must have been seven or eight gloves on the bottom shelf of the bookcase. "You work in a space this small?" Maura asked after taking it all in.

Jane shrugged. "Yeah, but most of my work gets done out there. I don't really have the space requirements you guys do. This is pretty swanky for public school, though."

"Mmm," Maura hummed because she was again unsure what to say.

Again, Jane saved her from it. "Hey, I promised I'd show you the diamonds, but let me do you one better. If you're not too busy this afternoon, you can come watch us practice. We go from one to four. You can see the kids in action and I can recommend a few for your program."

Maura grinned widely; she couldn't help it. "I'd like that," she said. She told herself it was because recruitment was everything for her infant program, not because Jane had asked to keep seeing her. "I'd like that a lot. Take me back to my room now?"

A/N: So far, no woman has been drafted by an MLB team. That part of this story is entirely original.