Part 2

Ten years later…..

Jane walked into the bullpen with a swagger. Youngest detective of all times and additionally as a woman. That was something to be proud off. She smiled at her partner Korsak and dropped into her chair.

"Anything new?" she asked, and he shook his head before taking a bite from a sugar-coated donut. "It's summer. It's hot. What do you expect? No person who is right in their mind walks out to kill this time of year." He joked.

"No person that is right in their mind walks out to kill at all." She pointed out, taking a sip from her coffee.

They heard some clack clack on the corridor and Jane raised an eyebrow at Korsak. Hearing high heels close to the bullpen was like the Martians landing on earth. Korsak huffed. "Forgot to tell you. We've got a new ME – a woman!" he whispered and rolled his eyes.

It wasn't that Korsak was against women or doubted that they could do the same job as men. It was more that he had been married several times and wasn't on the best count with women. Jane laughed at his behavior and expectantly turned her eyes towards the door to see what the new ME was like.

She almost chocked on the donut she had stolen out of Korsaks box when she saw no other than Maura Isles rounding the corner and stopping in the threshold. She heard Korsak mutter "HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!" and almost dropped the cup. She was totally paralyzed by the view in front of her.

Maura looked as hot as ever and most of all as elegant as ever. It was like she came directly from one of these fancy fashion magazines. Her hazel eyes were scanning the room and Jane noticed how everybody suddenly sat upright. Feet's were pulled of tables and the dance around Dr. Isles began. "Do you want some coffee Dr. Isles?" One of her colleagues asked and busied himself with the coffee machine.

But the blonde shook her head. Jane realized that the blonde still wore the same shyness under her coat of elegance and swallowed the last bit of donut before she could choke on it. Had she seen her? Had she recognized her? Jane asked herself while studying Maura. The doc didn't show any sign of recognition and Jane blinked.

"I'm looking for detective Korsak and detective Rizzoli." Maura said and Jane's heart began pumping. Jane realized that Maura wouldn't recognize her as a woman when she had always only known her as Jay, and shuddered when she thought about the possible complications.

"I'm detective Korsak." Her partner said and shook the doc's hand.

"Jane Rizzoli. Nice to meet you." Jane said and forced a smile before shaking Maura's hand. A hand that had brought her a lot of pleasure in her hormone thriven twenties jane thought.

"Dr: Maura Isles. Nice to meet you both." The blonde said and shook their hands, letting her hand linger a bit longer in Jane's than in Korsaks. Jane almost panicked when she saw the doc studying her. "I'm sorry, but do we know each other? You look kind of familiar to me." She heard Maura say and shook her head and laughed politely. "I don't think so." Jane replied cursing herself. She hadn't expected to have to lie so soon.

She watched Maura shake her head and heard korsak ask her how they could help her.

"I was told that you could show me around the precinct." Maura said and Jane felt Korsak point at her. "Then, this is your woman." He said and walked back to his desk while Jane swallowed nervously.

Jane gave a polite smile and led Maura out of the bullpen. "Well, you now know where the bullpen is. Let me show you the rest of the building. Have you been to the morgue yet?" Maura shook her head again and Jane watched the blonde hair wiggle like it always had back then. Sweet memories threatened to overcome her. She quickly cleared her throat and pointed towards the steel cabin to drive to the ground floor where Jane wanted to show her the waiting area and arrest cells. They would be followed up by the interview rooms and the tour would end at the morgue in the basement.

"So, you're our new ME?" she asked and watched Maura nod. Nothing more. She asked a question about Maura's previous location and Maura told her that she had spent her last 7 years in San Francisco where she had been married to some fuckhead. Not that Maura would use the term, but Jane sensed that he must have been a dick to Maura in the tone that Maura used to talk about these years that they had been married.

Jane told her about her own career and stopped in her tracks when getting close to the one division café. They had seen the waiting area and reception hall. "Okay. This is the café, they serve breakfast and lunch if you want to eat something." She said and tried to walk on, but Maura made her stop again. "Can't we go inside? I would love some coffee now. And you could fill me in about the rules."

Which rules? Jane thought not remembering Maura ever following any. "Okay." She forced another smile and walked into the room. Like anyplace else they had been, heads turned towards the new ME. Not only curious glances but also interested ones. The good doc would have a hard time with all the offers for dates Janes thought and felt a sting of jealousy.

Angela chose those moment to hurry towards them after dropping her dishtowel. Jane rolled her eyes. She knew what was about to come and hated her mother's constant tries to make her meet new friends or dates. "Ma, this is Dr. Isles. Our new ME. And Dr. Isles, this is Angela Rizzoli, my mother who owns the café."

Angela pulled Maura into a hug and said her welcome and Jane could see her do some mimics over the blondes' shoulders. "I'm showing her around." Jane said in the hope to destroy whatever matchmaking Angela was planning.

"You have a really nice daughter. You must be proud of her." Maura said honestly and Jane cringed. She tried not to feel guilty for being so distant to Maura. But what else could she do? Of course she had asked and talked to Maura all along, but it had been out of curiosity and she had always taken care to set boundaries if she had the feeling that they were becoming too close to bonding.

Jane and maura sat to a table while Angela made their coffees. There was silence and Jane briefly closed her eyes, rubbing her temples against the upcoming headache. "Are you really sure that we have never met?" Maura asked suddenly and Jane opened her eyes again. She felt the throbbing of a headache and shook her head. "I don't think so, no. I can't even think of a place where we could have met." She stated and shrugged.

Maura made a hmm sound while she was thinking. "Maybe a conference?" she suggested, and this told Jane that Maura really had no clue. And if it came to her, it would stay that way. She couldn't have Maura telling everybody her secret. Or well. No, Maura wouldn't do that. She was more afraid of the things that would happen if Maura realized who she was. She was too old for that, and she still had Maura's sentence in mind "You're not falling in love with me are you?"

And that was just it. Jane knew that she could fall for Maura easily, but she wasn't willing to boarder any sort of romantic relationship. She was not willing to give in to this.

"If we did meet, I can't remember, sorry." She said, grateful for Angela coming over with their coffees and sitting with them to begin her interrogation.

"Leave her alone ma." Jane chuckled after a while of letting her grill the new ME. "I'm fine." Maura quickly said and Angela gave her a pointed glance. "See. She's fine. Not everybody is as private as you are." Her mother snarked and Jane cringed when seeing a flicker of recognition in Maura's eyes.

"Yeah well, I've got paperwork to do, so we better get going." She stated and stood. Maura followed reluctantly. Had it really clicked with her? Did Maura now know that Jane was Jay? Jane asked herself these questions as they walked out of the café to the steel cabin. Maura was very silent – even to Janes questions – as they rode down to the basement and Jane could feel the stolen glances at herself.

R&I

"So, are you friends now?" Korsak asked as Jane returned to the bullpen. It was meant as a joke, but Jane didn't find it funny. She sat down and grabbed her pen and a file from the stack and began some paperwork. Everybody who knew Jane Rizzoli knew that she hated this task and that this was a sign that something was off.

Korsak shuffled over and sat onto the edge of her desk. "Are you okay, Jane?" he asked, and Jane nodded. "Yeah. I just realized that if I get this done, I can maybe take a few days of vacation."

She should have known that this was a real alarm sigh to her partner because Jane Rizzoli never took a few days off. Her live was beginning to spiral and Jane wasn't sure how to stop it. She rubbed her head and glanced at worried eyes. "I'm having a terrible headache." She truthfully said and watched Korsak put a pen into the holder.

"Go home. I can call if we have a murder." He said and Jane didn't think twice when grabbing the jacket from the backrest of her chair. "Thank you." She spoke.

You need to calm down! she told herself as she drove through the streets towards her apartment. Nothing's going to happen. You just act as if nothing is wrong. You can do that. She talked to herself while steering the car into the parking lot of her apartment complex.

R&I

Korsak wasn't surprised when she called in sick the next day. And thankfully he didn't ask any questions. He just wished her to get well soon and hung up. Jane remained silent on her couch after the call. She was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Her eyes stared into the flat and she sighed while trying to decide to come clear with Maura or not. Maybe it would be the easiest way. But maybe it would also shatter her world. Something stirred in her that she had long forgotten.

Jay, she thought as she rubbed over the stumbles of her upcoming beard. Jay was looking for a way to come out again. She had missed this she thought. Letting her facial hair grow and everything else which had come with Jay. But she had learned to hide Jay as she had become officer Jane Rizzoli. There were no more weekends playing baseball with the guys as Jay and being Jane among the week. It mattered who she was and what she looked like. And she had been fine with it.

But Maura had come back, and with her the memories of that summer. And the need to nurse this side of her. Maybe a vacation was a good idea she thought as she raised to grab some fresh coffee.

She had decided to become Jane Rizzoli because it had been easier. Moreover, it had been kind of expected from her. The fact that she never dated or never had a boyfriend was soon shoved to the fact that she was an intimidating person. The questions had stopped long ago as had the expectations and she could live with it.

I'm fine. She told herself as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror with the razor in her hand. She glanced at the foam on her face and expectedly put the razor to her cheek to shave.

R&I

A knock to her door startled her as she was getting ready to do some grocery shopping. Two days had passed and she felt better and prepared to face Dr. Isles without shock or emotions. She opened the door, assuming that it was Angela who kept bringing her soups and stuff.

Instead she was now facing hazel eyes and blonde hairs. Maura wasn't wearing a ponytail like she used to and she smiled at Jane. "Hi. I heard that you were sick and Angela asked me to check up on you and bring you some food." The blonde said and Jane held back her huff.

Angela? Why wasn't she surprised that Maura had already made friends with her mother and followed her instructions. "Uhm, thank you." She mumbled not wanting to be impolite. She reached for the flowers and the bag with the food. Lasagna she thought as she sniffed the air. Maura stood in front of her waiting. Jane didn't want to ask her in, but again, politeness won over and she stepped aside to let Maura into her tiny flat. Thank God she had the habit of cleaning when feeling distressed. The apartment was meticulously clean and she could see that the doc was pleased.

"Do you want some coffee?" she asked and motioned to her sofa. Maura said yes and sat down, while Jane made some fresh one.

"How do you feel?" Maura asked while watching her from afar.

Jane shrugged. "A little bit better. Must have caught a virus or so." She stated, hoping that Maura would buy it. She was sure that her mother hadn't. Yet Angela didn't know anything and surly hoped that the blonde would bring some news to the café after her visit to Janes.

"Yes, its that time of year." Maura smiled friendly. Jane averted her glance from warm hazel eyes. Maura had been drawn to her back then and she was somehow drawn to Jane now. This much was obvious. Maybe they could become friends Jane mused as she carried two cups to the couch, handing one to the blonde.

"You can tell ma that I'm fine. I'm not going to die." Jane heard herself say in a half-sarcastic and half joking tone.

Maura studied her in silence and Jane could see the questions in her eyes. "Why are you so defensive?" the blonde suddenly asked, and Jane almost choked on her coffee. "Excuse me?" she asked, and Maura nodded.

"You do your best to keep people at bay from you and I wonder why. What has happened to you?"

Jane swallowed. Well, she had a lot to say upon this subject, but she wasn't going to go into it. "Nothing. That's just who I am. I like to sperate my private life from work life." She tried a shrug. "You're mother is hardly work life." Maura pointed out and Jane rolled her eyes.

"She owns the café at my working place." She replied and saw Maura pout. The doc gave up soon after and left when dispatch called her to some crime scene. Jane watched her leave and felt like an asshole. This is not good she thought as she closed the door and walked to the sofa, Maura's perfume teasing her nostrils and her memory.

R&I

When she returned to work a few days later she was ready to face what might come. And everything went surprisingly smooth with Maura who seemed to have lost interest. Instead, both focused on work and at that they were a great team after setting some rules and making some compromises.

Maura was quite enjoyable when they went to the dirty robber to celebrate solved cases and Jane began to settle and calm down.