N: It is what it is! Read on and enjoy! I need to think about what comes next!

The scene smelled. The body had begun to decompose at a rapid rate and the smell attacked my nose even before I entered it. I flashed my badge to the uniformed officer and stepped under the crime scene tape. I saw the look on his face when he noticed the purple yellow bruise on my jaw. I smiled at him and kept on my way. Relying on my lingering reputation for being too professional for casual conversation.

I smiled and nodded at Frost standing with Korsak at the doorway to the abandoned warehouse. The second I received the address, I had a clear idea of what was waiting for me.

Frost spotted me and hurried over. "Sorry about ruining your mini vacation. But when I saw the body, I knew you had to see it." His eyes fell to my jaw. "Should I ask about that? Or has your fencing lessons become a full contact sport?"

I smiled, shaking my head. "Please don't say anything to anyone who inquires." I let out a slow breath, hating my inability to lie. "Jane had a nightmare. I made the poor choice to wake her up and she accidentally hit me."

Frost's eyebrows shot up. "More like clocked you. Are you sure you're alright?" He paused, worry filling his eyes. "Is Jane alright? I know she has nightmares and they can get pretty bad at times." He shrugged when I gave him a dirty look. "Late night stakeouts. Jane tried her hardest not to sleep, but she would pass out and wake up rough. One time I had to slam the car door to wake her out of a bad one." He sighed. "I had hopes when Hoyt died, she'd find peace."

I laid a hand on his arm. "She will. I promise you."

Frost met my eyes and saw the sincere promise I was making him. Jane would find peace and I'd be there with her guiding her way. "I hope so." He took a breath and motioned to Korsak. "Hey Korsak, tell the doc what you found."

Korsak pulled out a notebook. "Real estate developer was coming by to check out the property. He wanted to get a good deal on it and was documenting all the issues in hopes of haggling the price down. He walked in, the smell hit him and he found the body. Called us right away. His dancing in his Italian loafers. A murder will drive the price way down." He looked up from his notes and looked right at my face. His brow scrunched up. "God damn, Doc. That's quite the shiner." He glanced at Frost and Frost silently told him to leave it alone.

I cocked an eyebrow. "It's fine." I half regretted not covering up the injury with heavy makeup. But then again, I didn't want to cover it up or the incident. I would tell the truth to her close friends, the rest could imagine what they wanted. "I'd like to look at the body and get home as quickly as possible."

Korsak turned. "He's over here. The stink is real bad. I'd guess he's been here for a few hours. I think he might have popped when the developer stumbled upon him."

I followed, listening to Frost cough behind us. The poor guy never grew a stomach for the actual scenes. "Has anyone else touched the scene?"

"No. The second Frost showed up and took a look, he closed the scene and called you." Korsak stopped at the feet of the body. "He said you'd have an idea of who could've done this."

I sighed. "I hope not." I handed Korsak my bag and took out the pair of gloves, snapping them on my hands. "Light?"

"Frost! Hit the light switch!"

The fluorescent lights flickered on, illuminating the warehouse in bright white light. I squinted as my eyes adjusted and looked down. My heart dropped at what was before me. "Of course." I whispered under my breath, kneeling to take a closer look. The body was a white male, approximately mid to late thirties. He was naked from the chest up and laid out as if he was peacefully sleeping. His hands were under his belly button, neatly laid ontop of each other. The bullet hole in the middle of his forehead was the immediate cause of death. But that wasn't what caught my attention, it was the writing on his chest.

Come find me, Dr. Isles

Written in the victim's own blood, my skin prickled. I'd heard that phrase a few times in New York and it was left for me multiple times at multiple scenes. "Korsak, please have my team remove the body immediately. Then contact the NYPD and have them send over all the files they have on Eric Crown. I'll be conducting the autopsy myself." I stood up, my jaw clenching as I stared at the body in front of me. "I'll speak to Cavanaugh myself and ensure only you and Detective Frost are allowed to remain on this case. I don't need the entire department involved in this." I removed the gloves, crumpling them in a neat ball. "That's how he got away the last time."

"You know who this is?"

"Unfortunately, I do." I glanced at Frost before walking over to him. "I'm not one for guessing and will have to conduct the autopsy to confirm."

"It's Crown, isn't it?" Frost tipped his head down when my lack of response was the answer he needed. "Son of a bitch. He followed you."

"I always knew he would. He saw me as a willing adversary, one that could match his wit." I clutched my medical bag, my crime lab team swooping in to do their jobs. I'd trained them to the point they would do exactly what I needed without me hovering over them. All the evidence, photographs and body would be documented and collected with pristine expertise.

Frost laid a hand on my shoulder. "I blame that asshole, Cyrus. He used you as bait to draw out Crown but didn't have the balls to follow through. We were so close to catching him."

"Well, at least Cyrus was removed from his post at the FBI and I believe he's running a one man office in North Dakota." I smiled at Frost, patting his hand. "We'll catch him this time."

"We better. He'd put Hoyt to shame." Frost paused. "Jane?"

I tipped my head down as we walked away from the scene. "I'll find a way to tell her. She's still healing and I don't want to add more to her very full plate."

"She's going to find out. It's going to be impossible to keep it under wraps. A well known mafia hitman turned serial killer hunting the Chief Medical Examiner is going to get around." Frost sighed. "We should put a protective detail on you."

"Don't. Crown will kill everyone around me just to keep me alone. I'm not sure if he ever wanted to hurt me or collect me. Our last meeting, he never explained what his endgame was. He thought I was exactly like him. Cold, detached, unloved. He sees me as his twin in this world and will do anything to keep it that way." I glanced at Frost. "He will kill anyone without hesitation."

Frost nodded. "I know. I read your profile on him. Void of the ability to comprehend human emotions and how they affect others."

I stepped under the crime scene tape with Frost, idly thinking there was a time when I fit that exact profile. Void of human emotions and how to use them or understand them. Until I met Jane.

Frost walked me to my car, promising he would meet me in the morgue and do his best to watch the autopsy. Both of us knowing Crown would leave us more clues and puzzle pieces to find. He loved his games and loved that I was intelligent enough to understand them and indulge in his sadistic form of entertainment.

Jane

"Janie, you should eat. I made pizza. The kind you like with the baby pepperonis." My ma was hollering from the kitchen as I sat on the couch, fuming.

"I'm fine, Ma. I had a big breakfast." A big breakfast alone. Maura had disappeared while I was in the shower and replaced by ma. Ma ranted and raved as I ate. Filling me in on month's worth of gossip while I chewed on bacon. All I had was a small note from Maura letting me know she was called in on a body and would be back. That was over eight hours ago and no one was answering their phone. Frost, Korsak, Maura, Frankie. All went silent on me. Cavanaugh answered but told me that I was still on medical leave and needed to adhere to that.

More than anything, I missed Maura. I wanted her next to me on the couch, messily eating pancakes and educating me on the chemical structure of maple syrup. I was worried. Worried she didn't hand over the body to her team and come home. I picked at the gauze on my right hand. "You can go, ma. I'll be fine. Leave the pizza in case Maura is hungry."

I heard Ma sigh one of her over dramatic sighs. "Okay. I'll go. But if you need me…"

"I'll call you." I turned to look at her over the back of the couch. "Thank you. I just want to be alone, right now."

Ma knew the look in my eyes and sighed once more. "Alright. I have all your medications separated. Take them with food. I have a vegetarian pizza for Maura in the oven, keeping warm." She moved around the house, checking all of the doors to make sure they were locked before collecting her things. She walked to the couch, kissing the top of my head. "She'll be home soon. The girl is as big of a workaholic as you are, cut her a break."

I frowned. "She took the week off." I knew I was pouting. "At least when I take the week off, I actually stay away from work."

"Ha, bullshit." Ma chuckled, smoothing out my hair before she walked to the front door. "You haven't taken a full vacation since you moved into homicide. Two days in and you're rushing to work to check on Frost and the next thing we all know, you're arm deep in a case. Vacation forgotten." She winked at me. "Love you, Jane."

I grumbled out a love you back, shaking my head as ma left. I glanced at the clock. It was almost nine at night and my body was ready for bed. Ma had kept me busy throughout the day. Walking me to the corner store to pick up the ingredients for pizza, walking me back to Maura's. Then she had me help make the pizza. I would never admit it, but it was nice. The mindless activity and ma constantly talking took my mind off everything. Giving it a chance to breathe. But I still wanted Maura. We still had to talk and work through what was next for us.

I stood up slowly from the couch. Sighing at the dull ache in my body. I was moving better, easier and it gave me hope I'd be back at work sooner. I shuffled to the kitchen, opening the oven to pull out the pepperoni pizza. My stomach grumbled at the smell, a sudden wave of hunger consuming me. I was hungrier than I thought. I walked to the fridge and opened it, eyeing the bottles of beer. I craved to have one.

"Beer doesn't mix well with the pain relievers you're currently ingesting. If combined you might fall into a deep sleep with hallucinogenic dreams. I suggest the ginger ale I bought the other day or a nice glass of sparkling water. Both will help digest Angela's pizza." Maura's tired voice filled the kitchen.

I closed the fridge, turning to look at Maura. She slipped out of her coat, hanging it by the back door. "How did you sneak in? I didn't hear you." I wanted to run to her, hug her.

"I came in through the garage. The door is very quiet, and I slipped my shoes off." She walked over to me. "It's been a long day."

I nodded, my eyes falling to the bruise on her jaw. "No makeup?" My stomach twisted in knots.

She shook her head. "No makeup. It hinders the healing process and it's nothing I'm ashamed of. It was an accident. Most of the department is wary of me and the reputation I carried over from NYPD. Frost is telling those who feel particularly nosy, I was injured during a fencing lesson. It's nothing to worry about. I'm fine, it'll heal in a few weeks." She reached for my hand. "I'm sorry for being later than expected. I ended up doing the autopsy on this afternoon's body." Maura held my hand. "How are you?"

I studied her face. Something was wrong. "Maura." I squeezed her hand. "What is it?"

She furrowed her brow, dropping my hand. "Please, Jane. Let's eat and sit." She waved at the food sitting on the counter. "I'm going to change. I'll be back down in a minute." Maura walked away before I could stop her, skipping up the stairs. Maura always talked about her day. It was one of the most endearing and cutest things about her. She loved discussing her work, the science and the cases she'd helped closed. I'd never known the woman to be distant or withdrawn when it came to her work.

I weighed my options. I could berate Frost and get it out of him. I could call Korsak and bribe him with doughnuts. I could call Frankie and threaten him with his own secrets to tell me what happened. But that wouldn't be right to Maura. If I wanted to know what was wrong, I'd get it from her. Not be the nosy detective and build my case before I interviewed her.

I slipped the pizza back into the oven and hit the stairs. I reached the top just as the water to the shower shut off. I looked up to catch Maura stepping out, naked. Her body glistening from the water and was absolutely perfect. She was soft and muscular in a perfect symphony. I had an idea what she looked like under her clothes, and on late nights, I'd indulge in those ideas. But seeing it first hand, I was completely wrong. I didn't have the fantastic imagination that could ever compare to what I just saw.

I slammed my eyes shut even though I knew my brain had already burned the image into my memories forever. Maura was stunning, beautiful, perfect. My heart raced, pumping blood to areas of my body I thought had retired a long time ago. I opened them, catching another glimpse of her backside before she slid a nightgown on. I cleared my throat. "Maura?" I cringed when my voice cracked like a teenagers'

She turned, a small smile on her face. "I'll be done in a minute. Would you like to watch a movie? I'm officially off for the rest of the week. My team is taking over the evidence processing and won't call unless it's desperately necessary." She ran a towel through her wet hair before gathering it in a pony tail. "Or would you like to go to bed? I can leave the bedroom, I'm not quite ready for sleep."

I shook my head, my heart still racing from catching a glimpse of a naked Maura Isles. "I should eat before bed. I haven't eaten since this morning." I chewed on my bottom lip. "What happened at the scene?" I asked softly, knowing if I came in hard in my usual way, she'd back away.

Maura's smile faded. "Can't it wait? Till morning? I'd rather not ruin the rest of this day with work." She hung up the towel, straightening the edges until it was perfect. "I'm tired and would like nothing more than to relax with you." She stepped past me, grabbing a robe.

I gently grabbed her elbow. "Maura, please. I'm a detective. An expert at reading body language." I stepped closer to her, inhaling the scent of the shampoo she used. "You can talk to me."

She closed her eyes. "I know. That's what I'm afraid of." She tilted her head up, opening her eyes to lock on mine. "You're a fierce protector and I'm afraid you'll push too hard if I tell you."

I swallowed hard. "Did someone hit on you at work? Lay their greasy paws on you? Who was it? Crowe? I'll beat his face in."

Maura laughed, turning to face me. She covered the hand on her elbow, pulling it free. "Point proven." She studied my face, hers softening with worry. "Promise me you won't go crazy. You won't push yourself and try to get involved in the case?"

I looked at our hands together. I would have to beat someone's face in for sure. "Maura, what is it? I can't promise until I know what it is." I took a step closer, cupping the side of her face I marred. "I've had all day to stew in my thoughts. Mainly the ones where you're involved. I love you. Kind of a lot and I can't make you a promise if means forgoing protecting you." It was true. I'd spent the whole day thinking about how much Maura meant to me in between how much my mother irritated me. I loved Maura and when I focused on that, to tune out ma talking about her cousin Carla and her eighth divorce, I found a sense of calm that was long missing in my life. The thought of Maura made my heart slow down. It made me think of a future well past the next dead body and that sergeant's exam Cavanaugh had been bothering me to take for the last year. It went past all that and towards a future I never imagined.

Maura's cheeks pinked up. "Love isn't something that can be measured in normal units, Jane. Plus, kind of a lot isn't a true term of measurement." She titled her head. "Perhaps it could be weighed? I might look into researches of the weight of a healthy loved heart versus on of a lonely person. Then maybe I could attach a measurement to love."

I shook my head, leaning forward and kissing her soundly to shut her up. Maura whimpered, pressing her body against mine. I smirked into the kiss, noting I'd found the perfect way to shut that huge brain of hers down. I laid a hand on her hip. Her warmth soaking through the silk nightgown she wore. My hand itched to slip under, touch that soft skin I just saw.

I broke the kiss before I lost my own train of thought. I lifted her hand, pressing it against my chest. "Maura, you can measure love by how fast my heart beats after I kiss you." I smiled. "I'm not letting this go until you tell me what's bothering you."

Maura pressed her hand harder against my chest. "Promise me." Her big hazel eyes silently asked it of me.

I let out a huge sigh, kissing her once more. "Fine. I promise."

Maura nodded. "Eric Crown is back. He was a member of the Excelsior crime family. A hitman who was efficient and brutal. The task force Frost and I worked with was focused on taking the family down along with three others. Last year I managed to piece together the ballistics that allowed for the capture of most of the hitmen. Crown was the only one I couldn't capture. He knew I was searching for him, and like any good hitman, he did his research on me and became obsessed. He'd finally found an engaging opponent and started playing games." Maura stepped away from me, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "He began murdering random victims to keep me involved. Knowing that it would take the cases past my basic involvement of assisting the task force with evidence. He left messages on the bodies directed at me. Eventually, he broke away from the Excelsior family after killing the top three lieutenants and leaving them for me." She let out a slow breath, wringing her hands together. "With each body it became more difficult to figure out the cause of death. Crown is a highly intelligent psychopath and has tested my one intelligence. He even came to one of my conferences disguised as an overexcited lab tech." She swallowed hard. "I had lunch with him, not knowing who he was. He finds it to be a game. I thought it was over when we found his DNA in a burned out car on the lower east side of Manhattan. But then this body in the warehouse." She looked at me. "Crown has followed me to Boston and I don't know if he's escalated or is fine with the game as it is. He once threatened to dismember Quinn. Citing he was distracting me from my true purpose." Maura's eyes welled up with tears. "He likes me alone. Whenever I'm alone, he slows down killing people. When I'm with someone, he increases his murders, knowing I've always been a workaholic."

I didn't hesitate and moved to kneel in front of Maura, taking her hands in mine. "First off, the only promise I'm going to make to you, is to keep you safe." She gave me a look. "I know, I'm fragile. I'm healing. But I'm going to do my best to be here for you. I'm guessing this first body is his way of telling you he knows about me?"

"I don't guess, Jane. There's evidence still being processed, and I have a theory he might be leaving me a message that suggests he knows I'm happy here. I have friends who care about me." Maura paused. "He might know about you. But no one knows at the department. Only Frost and Korsak." Her eyes welled up as she clutched to my hands. Hers trembling.

I wanted to push. The detective in me wanted to pull out all the stops, gather all of the information and begin the hunt. But for the first time in my life, I wanted to wait. I had to worry about the woman in front of me who captured my heart. "Let's wait for the evidence. In the meantime, I need to take care of you." I stood up slowly, wincing at my sore body. I held onto Maura's hand. "For the rest of this week, we won't talk about work. We'll just sit in our pajamas and watch all the movies in the world. We'll eat until we're stuffed, take naps and read those terrible novels together."

Maura looked at me like I was crazy. "Frost told me I might have to handcuff you to prevent you from running into the department and demanding case files. Korsak agreed. Saying you wouldn't be able to sit on your hands if there was a madman out there."

I shrugged. "They're both right. But I had time to think today." I stepped back as Maura stood from the edge of the bed, stilling holding my hand. "I need to be careful. I need to think before I act. I need to wait a second before running into that burning building, wait for backup." I glanced at my right hand.

Maura moved even closer. "What changed?"

I smiled. "You." I whispered the word.

Maura smiled before kissing me. It was a quick kiss, but still melted all of my insides. "I love you, Jane. Kind of a lot." She pulled me into a warm embrace. "I'm sorry. I didn't think my past would come out of hiding when I met you. Actually, I thought very little outside of how beautiful you were and how much I'd like to kiss you, when I first saw you on that plane." She buried her face into my neck.

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her deeper into me. "I thought you were out of my league." I let out a slow breath as my stomach growled again. I huffed when Maura giggled. "I swear to god. My stomach is jealous of you." I leaned out of her arms. "Let's go eat and watch movies. We can worry about tomorrow, tomorrow."

Maura nodded in agreement and slipped out of my arms. "I'll go get the food ready. Grab a blanket from the closet and find a movie."

I smiled as she left the room. I waited a few seconds before I grabbed my phone and pounded out a text to Frost.

-Send me everything you have on Eric Crown. Maura told me, so don't worry. Also have extra patrols hit her neighborhood.-

-Jane, are you sure? Maura didn't want you to get involved. Said you needed to rest.-

-Send them, Frost. I'll worry about the fallout. I love her too much to sit back and do nothing. –

I shoved the phone back in the drawer, grabbed the blanket and shuffled downstairs. I grinned the second I saw Maura sneaking a bite of my pepperoni pizza.

Yes, I did indeed love this woman a lot.