AN: A new update! Thank you so much for your patience and encouragement so far - y'all really know how to make a girl feel loved :) In this chapter, Maura goes away and we're introduced to a new, possibly trouble-causing character...let me know what you think of her!

"Okay, what do we got?"

"Dogwalker found her this morning. She's young, I'd say late teens. Looks like she's been strangled."

"I think you might be right." Jane bends down next to the body of the young girl laid out before them, using the tip of her pen to shift wilted, autumn leaves from the victim's neck.

"Not hands though, look." Jane points to the thick red marks across the girl's throat and then stands, eyes cast to the ground in wordless search around them.

"What are you thinking?" Frost asks, peering at the victim and then back to Jane. He watches as she kicks around on the ground and then she makes a noise of triumph, pulling on a glove and pointing to the soaked, twisted scarf half-buried in the leaves at her feet.

"I'm thinking someone choked her out with her own damn scarf, that's what I'm thinking. Where is everyone?"

"Pile up on the I-90, most of the units are stuck in the backlog of traffic. I'll check."

"Every fuckin' time the season changes, the murderers come crawling out." She throws her hands up in the air and Frost chuckles, dialing a number on his phone and then pinning it between his ear and shoulder.

"I remember when I used to like Fall. Now every time I smell wet earth I wanna puke."

It's a running joke between them - Jane, Frost, and Korsak - that when Fall rolls around their cases spike, something about the darker mornings and endless nights seemingly appealing to every amateur Gacy in Boston.

Jane brings her un-gloved hand to her face to pinch the bridge of her nose tightly. She's tired and hungry and she's spent the last forty-something hours chasing leads to dead ends with Frost, only for them to be called out to a scene the minute they decide to take a break from case files for caffeine and food.

"They're almost here. Should we bag it?" Frost produces an evidence bag but Janes shakes her head, peeling off the surgical glove and tucking it into her pocket.

"Not yet. How long do you think she's been here?"

"Couple of hours at least. Dressed for a run, could have been early this morning. Or late last night."

Frost walks around the body, keeping a wide radius. He walks a few paces into where the tree line of the park begins and then tracks back, confusion scrawled across his face.

"But why leave her out like this when you've got all this coverage right here?"

Jane shrugs, pulling her jacket a little tighter around her body at the cold wind. Her palms are aching, a giveaway that it's going to rain.

"Maybe they were interrupted. It looks like someone dropped everything and ran."

"Yeah, I guess." Frost nods in agreement, turning to look in the direction of an approaching car. He raises a hand in greeting and turns, leaving Jane gazing thoughtfully out into the trees that lay ahead of them.

A door opens and then closes, and Jane listens carefully, flooding with warmth when she hears the comforting click of heels on wet pavement as Maura approaches. A hand rests against the small of her back reassuringly and she smiles, turning to look at the one and only person that she has the power to brighten a bad day by just existing.

Maura's eyes meet hers, her broad smile a shining light through the darkness. The past week has been one of their busiest, and aside from stolen moments in empty hallways and a highly indecent kiss in a few minutes they'd had alone together in Maura's office, they've scarcely seen each other.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Jane bursts into a grin. She has no idea how Maura is able to make everything feel better with just a look of her dreamy, sparkling eyes, but she's not complaining - especially not when she's on the receiving end.

"It's been quite a week."

"You're telling me." Jane agrees, arms itching to reach out and pull Maura in close. She knew that it'd be difficult to keep up an air of professionalism at work, but sometimes the urge to touch is overwhelming and Jane takes a deep breath, giving herself just a few more seconds of Maura's calming glow before they have to move. She wishes she could read minds, but then she doesn't really need to - the way that Maura is looking at her, gaze soft and affectionate and yearning tells her everything that she needs to know.

Maura sighs a long, drawn-out sigh and they bask in each other's presence, just for a second, before Frost joins them and they split apart, Maura readily dropping to her knees on the wet ground beside the victim. They say nothing as she snaps on a pair of surgical gloves and watch as she takes a couple of photos with her camera, murmuring gently to herself as she scribbles down a note.

"Can they start tagging?"

"It's just Maura and Korsak and us, Jane. They're all stuck." Barry points behind them and Jane turns, jaw set in irritation when she sees that he's not lying. The trunk to Korsak's car slams shut and then he's approaching them, brandishing a golf umbrella and a luminous roll of crime scene tape that he tosses towards Frost.

"Start taping it. Traffic's going nowhere. Looks like we're on our own for this one." His annoyance matches Jane's and he shakes his head at her, shrugging.

"It's like nobody tunes in to their damn radio anymore. I told everyone to take Boylston instead but did they listen?"

"They're really not coming?" Jane questions exasperatedly, hands on her hips.

"They're bringing a van down for the doc but all the roads are backed up now. It won't be for a few hours at least."

"How'd you get here so fast?" Frost winds the last of the tape around a tree to the right of them and then drops the rest to the ground. Korsak flushes red and looks down at his feet before squinting into the distance, apparently not wanting to disclose such information.

"You two have a hot date or something?"

"No...I...Maura..." Korsak splutters over his words and Frost casts a quizzical look at Jane before breaking into wild laughter.

"Oh it's Maura now, is it? Not Dr. Isles?" Barry draws out her name and Maura turns at the sound, looking to Jane and then back at Frost in question.

"Frost! Cut it out." Jane snaps before she can stop herself and he feigns hurt, holding his hands up in defense.

"Ahh come on. Hey, Maura. What were you doing with Vince this morning?"

"Oh. We were shopping." She's barely finished her sentence when Korsak presses his fingers to his lips in a signal meant to stop her going any further. It's a swift gesture that Jane almost misses, but if she didn't care before her interest is definitely piqued now.

"Shopping?" Neither of them breathes a word and so Frost focuses his attention on Maura, knowing that she'll break with the slightest bit of pressure.

"Mmhm. Vince needed some help with a gift." Maura's cheeks redden and Korsak groans, running a hand down his face and yanking at his tie uncomfortably.

"A gift, huh?" Frost elbows him, winking at Jane as he does, "a gift for who?"

"Whom." Maura corrects him, turning back towards her work at the scornful stare shot her way.

"I have another date tonight and I needed some ideas. The doc saw me looking at stuff online and offered to help."

"Another date? How many is that now, eight?" Jane asks and Korsak nods, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Damn, you must be doing something right. What were you buying for her that you couldn't choose yourself?" Korsak reaches out to playfully shove Frost away from him at the question, face burning red with embarrassment. Jane might feel bad if it weren't so much fun to rib him like this.

"C'mon Vince, lighten up. What did you buy? I wanna see." Unperturbed, Frost threatens a move towards the parked car and Korsak sighs again, opening the umbrella that he holds as the first droplets of rain start to fall.

"Alright, knock it off. I bought her underwear, okay?" He almost yells out his confession, so violently that even Maura snorts with laughter. Frost bends at the waist, hands resting on the tops of his thighs as he snickers loudly. Jane sniggers and then bites her lip to stop herself, unable to meet Korsak's eyes.

"Hey, hey," Frost chokes out as he straightens up, pulling the hood of his jacket over his head at the rain, "there's nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with a little spice in the bedroom."

Korsak groans loudly and raises a fist towards Frost, shaking it and then flipping him a bird. The rain begins to fall heavier and Jane zips her own jacket up to the neck, muttering a noise of pain at the movement that makes her palms spasm painfully.

"Korsak. Gimme that," She reaches out for the umbrella and then moves to stand over Maura, shielding her from the rain, "and don't just stand there. Get this stuff bagged before it's ruined, hurry up."

They immediately switch to work mode, helping Maura to lay out evidence markers for pictures and then begin the careful process of bagging and tagging any evidence from the scene. They're almost finished, tired and drenched and shivering when the mortuary van rolls up accompanied by two beat cops, and then Vince's radio crackles with a confirmation that they can leave.

"You heard the man. Let's get this to processing." Jane nods at Frost who loads the last of the evidence bags into his trunk and throws it shut, then slides into the driver's seat and starts the engine. Korsak crosses to his own car and Maura makes a move to follow, stopping when Jane reaches out to touch her shoulder lightly.

"I'm not sure how long I'll b-" Maura starts and Jane shushes her, pulling her back under the umbrella that she tilts to shield them from view. Her free hand comes up to grasp the lapel of Maura's coat and she pulls her in close, head dipping to touch a kiss to her lips. She means it to be short and sweet but kissing Maura is intoxicating. Her breath hitches when Maura slips a tongue past her parted lips, an unexpected move that dizzies her and she gasps softly, powerless to resist. A hand comes up to briefly tangle in the hair at the base of her skull, fingernails scratching against her skin and she shudders delightedly, slipping her free hand inside Maura's coat and down to cup her ass.

She's about ready to throw her down on the floor and have her right here and now when a horn blares loudly and they freeze, Maura bringing her forehead to rest against Jane's cheek lightly. She laughs and Maura pecks a quick kiss to her jaw before she steps away and leaves her standing there, panting faintly. She gathers herself as best she can, grimacing at Frost when he beeps his horn again impatiently and rolls down his window, shouting out into the wind.

"I'm freezing my damn ass off over here Rizzoli, you comin' or not?"

The files slap down onto her desk with such a thwack that Jane jumps in her seat, lifting her head from where it had been resting on her forearms. She grumbles a half-hearted threat of death under her breath and leans back in her chair, kicking it around to face whoever dares to disturb her when she'd specifically asked to be left alone.

"Go home Rizzoli. It's past ten." Korsak thrusts out a coffee and she takes it willingly, internal rage calmed by the prospect of caffeine.

"I'm waiting."

"For? We won't get the labs until tomorrow, we're the last ones here."

Jane checks the clock behind him, then takes a long sip of the coffee and holds it between her hands, squeezing her palms to it for warmth.

"Why are you still here? I thought you had a date."

"I canceled. Long day." He slumps down into his own desk chair, leaning back and sighing tiredly.

"But I thought you liked this one?" Jane ventures and he nods wordlessly, flipping the lid off his own coffee and adding two sugars. He stirs slowly and then takes a drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before he turns towards Jane.

"I'm getting too old for this dating business, kid. I just don't have it in me. The last thing I wanna do after a day here is have to dress up and go out, ya know? Sometimes I just want a nice, quiet night with Tivo, nobody to make an effort for."

"I hear you."

"Do me a favor will ya? When you find someone, make sure they understand they'll never come before the job and then never let them go. It'll save a whole lot of heartache and wasted time. You don't want to end up an old, lonely man like me."

Korsak isn't one for misery, but he looks downtrodden and Jane scoots her chair over to him, reaching out to place a hand over his own. He presses his lips together and looks away in an attempt to hide his emotion and Jane clears her throat, clasping his hand tightly before she rolls back to her desk.

"God, what a week, huh?" She changes the subject and he nods furiously, busying himself in his desk drawers as he blows his nose into a tissue.

He's not wrong, but Jane has always been secretly glad of the excuse of work to not show up to dates or family dinners or nights out, much preferring her own company to that of others.

Until Maura had burst into her life that is, and now like many other nights, long after she'd been due to leave, she sits waiting for Maura to clock off so she can accompany her home. She'd continuously told herself it had been her duty as a friend and as a cop, but she knows that it's way more than that.

It always has been.

Korsak sniffles loudly and coughs and Jane stands, switching off her computer and taking her keys from her top drawer before clipping her gun into her belt. She makes a point of walking past Korsak's desk, stopping to pat him on the shoulder in what she hopes is a reassuring gesture, and then makes her way to the elevator, punching the button restlessly.

She thinks of all the nights she'd spent alone, heart aching for something - or someone - that she didn't realize she'd needed so badly. She pictures all the times that Maura had found excuses to stay so late when Jane had been buried in her own work, saying nothing as she'd brought Jane's favorite food to her or an endless supply of coffee and the occasional beer. She recalls countless times that Maura had driven them home and let Jane fall asleep next to her after a difficult case, neither of them ever needing to communicate how much they needed to just be in each other's presence as they recovered.

She scoffs at herself as the doors slide open - had she always been this fucking blind when it came to Maura? Or had she just refused to accept it - that someone could want and accept her for herself, with absolutely no qualms?

The elevator feels like it's taking an eternity to reach Maura's floor, and she breaks into a jog when it does, not slowing until she bursts through the door to Maura's office dramatically.

"Jane! You scared me." She looks up sharply from the open book in front of her and then flips it shut, glimpsing down at her watch and then back up at Jane.

"I was just getting ready to leave. Home?"

Home. The home that she's all but moved into - Maura had clear out a whole section of her closet for Jane's clothes, even going as far as sacrificing space in her garage to create a workout room for Jane. It feels like their home, and Jane has never felt so valued.

"You've always been there, Maura. Always."

Maura's expression turns to one of confusion and she tilts her head in question, inviting Jane to continue.

"I don't think I wanted to see it before. I wasn't looking."

"A case?"

"No. You, Maura. It's you. It's always been about you." Jane taps her temple lightly and then inhales deeply, squeezing her eyes closed.

She's spent the last fifteen years of her life clouded by shame, guilt, and hurt, shying away from anyone that dared to try and break through the walls she'd built around herself, so high they've always been on the verge of falling in and crushing her. From the very first day they'd met, Maura had been a relentless light into Jane's dim existence, and unbeknownst to Jane, it had been the lifeline that she'd so desperately needed.

Jane circles Maura's desk, twisting her chair until she's facing her and then dropping to her knees on the hard floor. She runs her hands over Maura's knees and thighs and brings them to rest on her hips, taking a second to breathe before daring to look up, right into those beautiful hazel eyes.

"I'm an idiot."

Maura hmm's in disapproval, bringing a hand to tuck Jane's unruly curls behind one ear.

"I respectfully disagree."

"No, I am. I'm sorry I've not been here sooner Maur, but I want you to know something. No matter how scared I am - and believe me when I say I'm completely fucking terrified - I'm in. I'm all in. I don't ever want to let you down."

She pulls Maura to the edge of her chair, parting her legs so she can shuffle between them, wrapping both arms around Maura's hips tightly and holding her close. Arms wrap around her own shoulders and when Maura drops a kiss to the top of her head with a contented sigh, she almost starts to sob with happiness.

She never wants to let go.

Text me the minute you land, okay?

I will. I'll miss you. It's only a few days, I'll be back for the weekend.

You'd better, Ma is already excited to make all the gnocchi with us. I'll call you tonight.

Jane smiles into her phone as she taps send, bringing it to her lips for a moment and then clipping it back to her belt.

Maura is away for four days at a medical conference in New York, and Jane already can't stand her being so far away. The overwhelming intake at work had slowed for the past week, and they'd spent a considerable amount of time together - not nearly enough to satisfy Jane's need to be around Maura at every waking moment, but enough that the next few days apart would only make their reunion all the more sweeter.

She's still smirking to herself when Frost thumps her on the shoulder as he passes, speeding up to a jog to hold the elevator door open. She twists and scowls but he signals for her to follow him so she does, shrugging her blazer on as she walks.

"What was that for? Ass."

"That dreamy look on your face makes me wanna barf. What's got you in such a good mood? Or is it a who?"

"Why are you in such a shit one? Jesus. It's barely past nine." She skirts the question successfully as he allows the doors to close, not speaking until the elevator begins to descend.

"Got a tip on a possible body before it hits up top. Thought you might wanna tag along, get there first."

"Fuck yes. If I have to fill out one more damn report..."

Fifteen minutes later, they're hammering on an apartment door to little response. Rondo yells Frost's name from down the hallway and Jane scoffs, glaring in his direction.

"Him? Really? I thought you knew better than to listen to crazy." She yells the last few words and Rondo grasps his chest in mock hurt, stumbling comically towards them.

"What up Vanilla. Damn you lookin' fine girl. Barold." He holds his hand out for a fist bump and Frost obliges, then discreetly slips him a roll of notes.

"Better be a body behind this door Frost, or I'll kill you myself."

"Shut up. What do you know Rondo?" Frost asks and Rondo grins, leaning against the door between them.

"Got a friend who heard a ruckus a couple of hours ago. Saw someone jump out over the balcony, almost fell the whole two floors. Got right back up and ran." He wiggles his eyebrows at Jane and she rolls her eyes, nudging him to the side and out of the way.

"You wanna take it, or am I gonna have to do it?" She nods towards the door and Frost delivers a hard kick, splintering the lock in one swift movement.

The smell hits them immediately and they both unholster their guns, almost back to back as they step through the doorway. Jane goes right and Frost takes the left, the only sound that of their footsteps creaking against wooden floors until they meet in the middle, one door left to check behind.

"Boston Police, anybody in there?" Frost yells and Jane readjusts her grip on her weapon, bringing it up to point at the door. He strides over to the door and kicks it open with his foot, then recoils slightly, burying his face and nose into the crook of his elbow. She peers in, checking all corners until she's satisfied that they're alone - them and the body that is slumped face-down over a desk in the middle of the room.

"It's clear. We got a deco. Smells a lot like day two." He pales at her words and Jane moves aside to let him pass, holstering her gun as he jogs out into the hallway. He's gotten better at the gore that comes with messy crime scenes, and even though Jane will tease him about it later, she sympathizes with him. Finding someone dead never seems to get any easier, no matter how hard you work to not let it affect you.

Taking a very small breath through her mouth, Jane pulls on a pair of surgical gloves and circles the desk, careful not to disturb the scene. Nothing stands out as she searches for a clue - anything that might tell her what has happened, or why. She's leaning over the victim, trying to get a clearer view of where all the blood has come from when Rondo slides into the doorway, eyes wide.

"Damn. That's a lot of blood."

"You can't be in here, what are you doing? Get out." She gestures for him to leave but he steps into the room instead, leaning down to peer at the body.

"Rondo I mean it. Frost!" She yells his name and he's there in seconds, gun in hand, still pale and sweaty.

"Get him outta here. Look, you call me if you hear anything, okay? This is your turf, I wanna know what happened here, Rondo."

"Always got my ear to the ground Vanilla. I got your number on speed-dial." He blows a kiss as Frost escorts him out and Jane laughs - he might be a little weird and a little too friendly, but he's always been useful to Jane - one of the best CI's she's had.

She turns her attention back to the body, shuffling through masses of paperwork that are sprawled over the desk. Most of them are soaked with blood and ineligible, but she carefully lifts a clean piece by one corner, holding it to the light so she can read the contents. It's a student timetable, and she mumbles to herself as she scans it, struggling to find anything of real interest.

"Should I call it?" Frost hovers in the doorway, phone in hand.

"Yeah, call it. I'm just..." She trails off, coming as close to the victim as she can stand. She pulls a pen torch from her pocket and shines it onto his neck, then looks away in a moment of repulsion that she can't control.

"Male. Throat has been slit - explains all the blood. I wouldn't," she holds a hand out to Frost when he tilts his head to look, trying to give him fair warning, "it's not pretty, and if I'm saying that you know you don't wanna see." He backs up, smiling gratefully and Jane grimaces, pushing her way past him and out into the hallway.

She walks until she's closer to the fresh air and then takes a deep gasp, lungs burning. She takes a few seconds to recover and then stands, brushing herself off. On instinct, she pulls out her phone and dials Maura's number, hanging up on the third ring when she remembers that she's away, and then groaning loudly when she remembers who will be covering for her.

It's going to be a long week.

"Well, if it isn't Jane Rizzoli. It's been a while. How are we?"

Jane cringes at the "we", trying hard not to visibly roll her eyes at the woman that stands in Maura's place in the morgue. She's wearing the most inappropriate scrubs that Jane just knows Maura would hate - dark purple and yellow flowers that glow so brightly in the fluorescent light that Jane feels the need to squint looking at them.

"I'm fine, thank you. You called?"

"I'm great too, really great, thanks for asking." Her sarcasm is irritating, and Jane really, really isn't in the mood.

"Do you have something for me, or not?"

"Still rocking that bad, hot cop exterior I see."

Jane sighs, tempted to spin around and walk out and call Maura, to beg her to get on the next flight and come home to save her having to spend any longer than she needs to with this woman.

April Moore is the kind of woman that Jane struggles to be around. She's excellent at her job and she knows it, but it's not this that rubs Jane the wrong way. No, it's more to do with the fact that's she fierce and headstrong and not afraid to make her feelings known to anyone - especially to Jane.

She'd been nothing but trouble since the day they met.

After a long, relentless day and one too many drinks in the Robber, April had hit on Jane hard, going as far as following her into the bathroom to kiss her - something that spread through the pit like a wildfire, causing weeks of teasing and jokes at her expense. It had also been the first time that she and Maura had really argued - Jane misinterpreting Maura's jealousy as upset at the lack of professionalism and Maura refusing to talk to Jane for two whole days.

Jane hadn't questioned Maura's reaction, and Maura hadn't breathed another word about it since.

She wonders if she needs to tell her, now that they're...what, dating? Girlfriends? She's not sure but she makes a mental note to mention it later, just in case.

"Okay...well, I got the lab results, if you're interested?" April's voice snaps her back to the present and she nods, moving closer to where she stands but crossing her arms over her chest, creating a barrier between them defensively.

"Relax. I'm not interested...unless you are?"

"Just show me." She bites and April raises an eyebrow, snatching the folder that she'd been holding out of reach.

"Fine. Please."

April smirks, crossing over to the table where their victim lies and pulling the thin, white sheet down to reveal the upper half of his torso.

"Grayson Crossley, twenty-eight. He was a guidance counselor at Boston College. Lateral incised wound, encompassing both carotids and jugular - rather ragged edge, definitely more of a sawing motion than a clean cut."

"Sawing? What, someone sawed his neck open?"

"I'd say the blade was partially serrated - quite small in length."

"So, a pocket knife?"

Jane watches as April leans down, ruler in hand. She measures and then turns towards her laptop, pulling up a search.

"It's possible, yes. Something like this, maybe."

"Maybe? We're guessing now? Man, Dr. Isles will not be happy."

April up stares at her, then turns back to the laptop, scrolling rapidly through different photos until she lands on one that makes her stop, turning to hold the ruler to the victim's neck again and then back to the screen.

"Marks are consistent with what I'd expect from a serrated pocket knife, especially ones with a half-serrated blade. My best guess," she curls her fingers into air quotes around the word 'guess', much to Jane's displeasure, "is that you're looking for a Boker Plus, Strike Tanto. AUS-8, aluminum handle. It's a lightweight tactical knife, easy to get hold of, and easy to conceal. It's not the best weapon for ending a life, but it can do the job if you're determined enough. Clearly."

She holds Jane's gaze, silently challenging her to respond. When no reply comes, she pulls the white sheet back over the body and then moves around the table, grabbing the folder from the desk and pushing it into Jane's crossed arms until she has to fumble to grab it.

"I don't care that you don't particularly like me Jane, but don't ever question my work."

"I don't not like you, come on...I just...it's weird, okay? You're very..."

"Predatory. Concupiscent. Not lipstick enough for you."

"Excuse me?" Jane scoffs, shuffling loose paper back into the folder she's holding and then slamming it onto the worktop next to her.

"I know I'm not your type, despite our history, but you shouldn't let that get in the way of work, Jane. I'm past it. You should be too. Unless you don't want to be."

"My type? Our history?" Jane reels, heat creeping up her neck and into her cheeks.

"So easily flustered. So tell me," she strips off her apron and disposes of it in the trash bin next to Jane, letting the lid close loudly, "for the love of god, please tell me you've slept together. Or kissed, at least. I'll take a kiss."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

It's a lie. Jane knows exactly what - and who - she's talking about, but she's determined not to play into this game.

"You were drunk, but I know you remember. I've never had someone cry for another woman after a kiss - especially a kiss like that, but it was kind of cute. Endearing, even."

"You said it yourself, I was drunk. I don't know what I was doing."

"So, have you? Indulge me. How is Dr. Isles?"

"Stop! April..." Jane growls a warning and then her phone rings loudly, gladly interrupting them. She doesn't look at the screen before she answers, desperate for an excuse to have to leave and get far, far away from here.

"Rizzoli."

"Hi. I'm sorry I didn't call earlier, the flight was delayed."

"Hey. It's okay. I'm...I'm just finishing up, can I call you back? I'll be real quick."

"Hi, Maura!" April whispers and Jane jumps backward and out of earshot, clattering against instruments and tools that are laid out behind her.

"No, I'm fine. I'll call you in a...yes...mmhm." Jane purses her lips and then cups her hand around the receiver, lowering her voice slightly, "I miss you too. Bye." She hangs up, closing her eyes against the celebratory sound that April makes.

"I knew it. I was right."

"Shut up." Jane turns to begin straightening the mess she's created, bending to pick up a pair of scissors from the floor.

"I want to hear all about it. I'm sure I'll get the gossip from someone around here. Don't put those there, I've just finished sanitizing them."

"You won't breathe a word. Nobody knows. Okay? Please?" She points the scissors in April's direction threateningly until April nods, and then she drops them onto the rest of the tools, mixing them up with a hand for good measure. It's childish and ridiculous but she laughs anyway, dodging the glove that is flicked in her direction and slipping out of the doors, already dialing Maura's number.

It's going to be a very long week indeed.