I don't own Rizzoli and Isles, but I wished I did.
A/N Again, thank you for all the kind reviews, faves, PMs, etc. Y'all have been so wonderful. I promise to try and respond soon. :) Sorry for any grammar, spelling, etc.
For the third time that day, Jane walked into the office. Her mother was busy on the phone, so Jane called out to the other (less nosy) secretary, Susan.
"Hey, what do you all need?" Jane was annoyed but made sure to watch her tone.
"The FedEx guy just arrived with an order for you. I had him put it over there." Susan pointed to the opposite side of the room. Jane walked over to two huge boxes shoved in the corner.
"Can I borrow your scissors, Susan?" The secretary leaned across her desk and pulled them out of her desk organizer.
"Here. Be careful," the matronly woman teased.
"Will do," Jane chuckled.
Jane proceeded to pop open the flaps. When she peered inside the box, she cried out, "Sweet! They finally came in." Angela at this point had finished her phone call and redirected her attention to her happy daughter. "What are you so excited about?"
"The cross-country uniforms we ordered in May have finally arrived. It's about frickin' time!" She pulled out a uniform top to have a closer look.
"That's fantastic, Jane. Now you can toss out the ratty ones that you've been using the past ten years.
"I know. It took long enough to get the funding to get these. Hopefully, it won't be another ten years for the next set," Jane snarked.
Jane dropped the uniform back into the box and closed the lid.
"Here are your scissors, Susan. Thanks for letting me use them." Jane handed them back to the secretary.
Jane got an idea.
"Susan."
"Yes, Jane."
"Can I ask one more favor?"
"Of course you can." Susan glanced over at Angela who looked equally suspicious.
"Can I use the intercom?"
"Um, sure. Remember to take the phone off the cradle THEN press the red button to talk."
Jane nodded and cleared her throat before her rough voice carried through the halls. "Barry Frost. If you are in the building, you need to come to the front office immediately. It is urgent." Jane dropped that phone back on the cradle.
"Why are you bothering him, Jane?" Angela scolded.
Jane smugly looked at her mother and smirked, "You think I'm going to carry those boxes all the way to the gym by myself? Hell no, they're like fifty pounds each! I'm going to get his lazy ass to help me."
"Jane!" Angela narrowed her eyes at her daughter. How did she raise such a stubborn child?
"What?" she asked sarcastically. "He's only the assistant coach, so he can do the heavy lifting," Jane whined and put her hands on her hips.
Right at the moment, Frost burst through the door. It was obvious that he rushed to get there. "What do you need!?"
Jane winked at the two secretaries and responded with an evil smile on her lips, "I've got a job for ya..."
Frost wiped his hands on his shorts after dumping one of the boxes on the floor. "I guess we'll inventory these later?" he asked.
"Yeah, I could use a break. I think our lunch hour is from 11:30 – 1:00 today. Want to go grab something? I know some of the teachers in the other departments are heading over to the Dirty Robber in about fifteen minutes."
"Sure, I could eat a burger." They started walking back in the direction of their classrooms.
"By the way, why did they call you to the front office earlier?" Frost scratched his nose and looked over at Jane.
"Oh, no reason."
Jane tried to deflect, "The uniforms are great, aren't they?"
He could tell she was hiding something.
"Yeah, they are. Why did you go to the office, Jane?" Frost tried asking again.
"KorsakwantedmetobeMaura'smentorandIsaidyes," Jane blurted.
She blushed and looked away from Frost's twinkling eyes.
"Come again?" Frost cupped his hand around his ear and leaned closer to Jane.
Knowing that Frost wasn't going to drop it, Jane huffed, "Korsak wanted me to be Maura's mentor, and I said yes."
Frost looked like he had just won the lottery. "Is that so, now?
Jane, still not looking at him, mumbled, "Yes."
"Ooo!" Frost fluttered his eyelashes and put his clasped hands under his chin. "Does that mean you get to spend extra time with the doctor?" He dropped his hands and raised an eyebrow, "What do you plan to do with all that extra time, Jane."
By this point, Jane was beet red and defaulted to righteous indignation, "C'mon, man! Grow up. It's not like she'd be interested in me anyway."
"You never know, Jane. There may be more than meets the eye when it comes to the good doctor," Frost teased. "I think you should ask her to join us for lunch."
"Ya think?" Jane considered.
"Yeah, I mean. It would be a very mentor-y thing to do," Frost reasoned.
After a moment of consideration, Jane caved. "Alright, I'll go ask her. Just give me ten minutes to grab my shit."
"No problem, I'll just wait out back. We can all ride together. It'll be a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other." Frost grinned wickedly.
They walked a few more steps before Jane said, "You're an ass. You know that?"
"Yes, but I'm your ass, and you love me," Frost puffed out his chest.
Jane affectionately bumped shoulders with her best friend, and they shared a smile.
"Alright, you little shit. Let's go."
They parted paths…Frost to get his car. Jane to hopefully get Maura.
She'd recognize that arrogant voice anywhere.
Pike.
Jane looked into Maura's classroom and saw the obnoxious man berating the doctor.
Jane could feel her blood pressure rising. She wasn't sure if she needed to step in or not.
"Honestly, Dr. Isles. I've been teaching these courses for several years now, and I don't see any logical reason for you to take over. It is obvious that you have little experience with education, and I don't see how that would make you suitable for teaching such a cerebral course as Anatomy." He crossed his arms and looked down his nose at Maura before continuing. "With that being said, I'm sure you would agree with me that these classes aren't the best fit for you. Consequently, I intend to do us both a favor and speak with Mr. Talbert about this grievous mistake."
The entire time that Pike was making an ass of himself, Maura politely listened without interrupting him once. She stood there with perfect posture and her head held high.
When Pike finally ended his tirade, Maura replied,
"Mr. Pike. I am sure that you have extensive experience in teaching these subjects, but I am afraid this is the administration's decision. I can assure you that my medical degree from Harvard University and my former position as a forensic pathologist have provided me with the knowledge necessary to effectively teach these subjects. I appreciate your concern, but I'm afraid that I must ask you to leave because I have a lot to do today."
To Jane's surprise, he turned on his heel and left without another word.
Needless to say, Jane was impressed.
Maura watched Mr. Pike leave and noticed Jane hanging just outside the door.
"Wow, Maura. If you had a mic, you so should have dropped it," Jane joked.
"What do you mean, Jane?" Maura looked genuinely puzzled. "
Why would I drop a microphone? Dropping microphones seriously compromises their ability to function properly. In addition, a quality microphone is very costly."
It's an expression Maura. You know…rappers used to do it after they gave an awesome performance."
Maura gave her a blank stare.
"It means you got the better of someone like you did with Pike just then. That was awesome by the way." Jane chuckled at the memory.
Slightly embarrassed that she didn't know the cultural reference and Jane had seen her conversation with Pike, Maura said, "Oh, I tend to be very literal at times. I'm sorry you had to witness that with Mr. Pike."
"It's no problem. It was an awesome sight to behold."
Maura looked expectantly at Jane. "Is there something you needed, Jane?"
"Yes," Jane leaned against the wall. "Would you like to grab a bite to eat with my friend Frost and me? On teacher work days like this, we often get an hour and a half for lunch."
"I had brought a small salad and yogurt with me to eat," Maura said.
Jane's shoulders slumped.
"But I'd be happy to save it for another day."
Jane perk back up again.
"Where are you planning to go?
"There's a fancy little place called the Dirty Robber. They serve great burgers. We often go there after work for drinks, too."
Maura wasn't the fondest of greasy food, but she didn't want to turn down the opportunity to make a new friend and spend time with Jane.
"I've never been there, but if you say it a good place to eat, then I must defer to your expert opinion." Maura winked at Jane.
Pleased that Maura accepted her invitation, Jane asked. "Would you like a ride?"
"If it's not too much trouble, then please." Maura felt excitement start to bubble in her chest.
"No trouble at all." Jane grinned and hitched her thumb over her shoulder. "Let's get out of here."