Jane hung back, out of the way as she followed Korsak to Cavanaugh's office. Everyone agreed that Vince would be the one to talk to Crowe. Crowe hated Rizzoli and if it came from Korsak it might be a better blow, no matter how earthshattering it will be, you never want someone you despise to tell you your family member is dead. Cavanaugh took one glance at Jane and to Jane it was license to do anything she could to solve this case. Their supervisor sighed when they finished with what they had so far on the case and told them not to worry. He stood tall and firm and told Jane to leave. He and Korsak would break it to the detective. Jane walked to her desk and sat down, feet on the surface and spaced out thinking of the case.

How were they connected? Why was oleander used? Was it a coincidence? Jane fired up her computer. She was not as efficient as Frost, but she can run a good name search like the rest of them and tried to connect Ava Crowe to Boston Ballet Company. It didn't take Jane long. Ava was a principal for the BBC.

"Shit," Jane murmured as she looked at their website, and their pictures. She was a beautiful girl. Light-dark, not quite olive. Her skin was almost the color of coffee with milk and flawless. She searched the pictures and saw her photographed in many productions, and then ran the same search for the other vic, Caro Riva.

"Oh my god," Jane whispered as she looked at the announcement in the paper. How did they not see this? They were to be married. Caro was on loan from the Circus, the big one, Cirque du Soliel, to work with strength and conditioning for a summer clinic. Then they fell in love. He was featured to become her newest partner in a rendition of Carmen. According to the article he would bring a strength to one of the characters they have yet to experiment with. If she found this much, she wondered what Frost found.

"If you need to go I can get you tickets," a voice came from her right. Jane jumped holding her hand to her throat. When she looked over to find the doctor she smiled. The circles under her eyes were less, and the pallor of her skin was back to normal and the glimmer in her eyes had returned.

"You slept well?" Jane asked as she turned to the screen and then emailed the link to Frost, then turned to Maura and stood. She motioned for Maura to walk with her.

"Yes, thank you," Maura said softly, and when they reached the elevator she looked at Jane and looked into her eyes, "But I see you did not," Maura said as they walked into the elevator. Jane tilted her head and Maura reached up and touched tentatively at the slight swelling under her eyes. Jane grasped Maura's hand and brought it down and felt her lips pull at a slight smile.

"I am used to dreams, Maur. Good ones, bad ones…" Jane responded with a small shrug and a slight smile. The doors opened to the lobby where they walked to the coffee shop. Angela watched them walk together.

Angela noticed the way they swayed into each other as they walked, lightly brush against each other. Then Maura caught her gaze as Angela watched with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. Maura immediately stopped feet rooted to the floor as she watched Angela Rizzoli shift into matchmaker mode. Jane looked to her side but then around surprised that her friend was no longer there. She turned around and saw the fear on Maura's face, then looked at her mother. Jane smiled and walked back to Maura.

"She told you she was gonna set you up with someone didn't she?" Jane grinned down at her friend, "I know that look of fear. I wear it at least three times a week when Ma tries to set me up. Come on, I got your back," Jane said as she tugged on Maura's arm toward the counter to order coffee.

Maura couldn't tear her eyes from Angela. She went through her order, standing next to Jane. Listened to Jane and Angela bicker back and forth about grandbabies, and getting married, but Angela would always slide a look to Maura. It made the doctor swallow and shift on her feet. She was waiting for the proverbial ball to drop. But it never did. Angela said nothing about their conversation. She said nothing untoward, she didn't meddle, or set up. She simply did her job.

"Jane, I think your mother frightens me a little," Maura confessed as they took the elevator to the morgue. Jane laughed heartily.

"Welcome to the family. You are truly a Rizzoli when Ma can make you scared with just a look," Jane continued to laugh. Maura sighed and pushed Jane playfully with a smile and went to work.

"You mentioned tickets," Jane said as she sipped her coffee.

"Yes, I love the ballet. The fluidity of the human body in motion, the beauty and grace. It is as if the body can become water in some productions," Maura sipped her coffee and looked up from her report to Jane, "Truly amazing."

"You love the ballet that much huh?" Jane asked as she smiled. She loved getting to know little snippets of Maura's world. When Maura nodded with an excited smile Jane decided it might be nice to go to the ballet with Maura. Not just a case, or a reason other than Maura was the reason. Spending time with the woman before her that seemed to always bring out the best in her.

"If we go do I have to wear a dress?" Jane asked cheekily as she shifted her hip and bumped the doctor.

"Depends?" Maura said with a smirk.

"On what?" Jane narrowed her eyes.

"If you wore a tux instead," Maura deadpanned. Jane's eyes narrowed.

"Really?" Jane replied, in that Jane way that exuded disbelief and yet this was Maura, and you could never be quite sure. Maura simply stared her with those wide hazel eyes and Jane sighed and looked away, resolute in that she would have to dresws up for this event. No blazer or red sox jerseys, not like she was going to wear one any ways.

"I am joking Jane," Maura smiled as she reached out for Jane, "But it is more acceptable for one to dress up. You would look splendid in a tux or a dress, or even a suit. Of that I am sure," Maura told her friend and turned around and looked at another dead body that came in overnight, leaving Jane to look after her.

"Would…" Jane was cut off when Frost came through the door.

"Crowe took it bad," he blurted out but stopped as Jane looked at him. Why was it always him? Why was he always the one to walk in on a 'moment' between these two women? Jane stood straight, slipped a hand in her pocket and moved so she can look at Maura and Frost at the same time all the while taking a sip from her cup. Maura looked over to her and Jane's eyes softened. She nodded to Ava Crowe laying on the stainless steel table waiting for the final procedures and body identification so they can release the body.

"She is Detective Darren Crowe's little sister," Jane told Maura. Maura's eyes shot open, and she looked down to Ava's face. She tried to find the similarities.

"Similar features about the lips, and eyes," Maura stated looking at the woman closely. Frost stayed his close distance from the body, but Maura looked up to him. She smiled that sweet warm smile. Jane knew that smile, she was caught by it many times. Frost walked closer and eyed Jane.

"See right here," Maura said as she touched the skin about the eyes lightly with her gloved hand. Frost nodded but didnt come closer. Jane watched, not speaking just sipping. This was already progress. Almost every dead body made Frost react… violently. Jane was proud.

Frost stepped forward, closer and then looked down at the woman. Frost took in the sight of her lips, her cheeks, and the set of her eyes.

"She looks like him," he said softly, then he heard Jane move. He remembered she was there and that he was being watched.

"How do you feel buddy?" she asked her partner. Frost looked down at the body and nodded.

"I'm ok," he said and then smiled slightly relieved.

"Excellent, put these on," Maura said as she handed him blue latex gloves.

"Why?" he said as he began to put his hands in the gloves.

"So, you can touch her," Maura deadpanned. Frost looked down and it was then that he lurched forward and ran to the sink. Maura looked at Jane and then shrugged.

"So, you can look but not touch?" Jane said observing Frost. He shook his head.

"I didn't know that she wanted me to do that, maybe…" he stopped talking. Jane placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You have come along way, you are working very hard. This may take a while. No matter what you are on my team," Jane said, and something changed in Frost. His eyes set, determined, and he turned around looked at the woman on the table, and walked to the body. He reached out, and delicately, ever so softly brushed the hair at her temple, and then slipped his fingers over her cheeks. He blinked and backed off from the body.

"Very good Detective Frost," Maura said pride beaming down upon him from her smile. He looked over to Jane and she nodded her agreement. He smiled and took off his gloves and tossed them into the trash and stood from the body.

"Korsak told Crowe the body is down here, and I wanted you to know he would be here," he looked at his watch, "In about 15, just in case you didn't want to be here," Frost said to Jane and Jane nodded.

"Give me a few ok, and I'll meet you at your desk. I found some stuff this morning and I wonder if you found it before I did because you are better at computer digging than I am," Jane smiled at her partner and he stood prouder at the compliment. He nodded and turned from the women and went back to Homicide floor. Jane turned around.

"Would you like to go to the ballet?" Jane blurted before anyone else walked in on them. Maura blinked but smiled and nodded.

"I would love that, Jane. What do you think you would wear?" Maura asked, and Jane saw the challenge and a bit of mischief in her friend's eyes.

"I believe I can make it work and be socially acceptable," Jane shot back to her friend and grinned turned to leave the morgue, but she was called out to.

"When would you like to go?" Maura asked.

"I have no idea when the next performance is, and what is good. I am not versed in going to ballet performances. Can you help me with that?" Jane asked with a bright smile and a soft tone to her voice. Maura saw it for what it was. She asked, but if Maura could set it up that would be great. It was meeting Maura half way.

"Why did you ask me to go?" Maura asked as Jane began to turn.

"You only ask if I want tickets to things you want to go to but want to share with me," Jane shot a grin at Maura, "I know you wanted to go, and I wanted to go with you," Jane said and then walked away, shoulders back, posture confidant. When she got to the elevator and the doors closed she let out a breath and leaned against the wall. She just asked out her best friend. Then it ran through her mind, she just asked out Maura. Fuck, she had nothing to wear. She punched a different button and sucked in a deep breath and bit the bullet. She found who she needed to talk to.

"MA, I need your help," Jane said lowly to Angela as she was cleaning tables. Angela looked at Jane as if her daughter grew two heads.

"I need to go dress shopping," Jane said swallowing, and waited for the overbearing mother squeal. But it never came.

"Where are you going?" Angela asked smiling at her daughter.

"Ballet?" Jane said with a question at the end. Angela smiled brighter.

"I can help you out later honey,"' Angela said, and Jane sighed in relief, but something was off. Her mother wasn't her usual self.

"Oh Janie," Angela shouted out and Jane turned around, "Who asked who out?"

Jane blinked and looked around and was blessed to be alone in the café with her mother. Jane looked to Angela and narrowed her eyes.

"What do you know Ma?" Jane asked getting closer to her mother. Angela shrugged.

"You would only go to the ballet for one person," Angela stated and then looked up at Jane, "Jane, where do you think you got your deductive reasoning from. It sure as hell wasn't your father," Angela stated as she stood before her daughter. Jane looked at her mother. Her mother had a point. She was observant as hell, and remembered everything, word for word, event for event as if she was commentator doing a play by play. Jane had never thought about it before, but yeah, she got it from her Ma. If her mother became a detective she would be unstoppable.

"I did," Jane said assessing her mother's reaction, looking for judgement, disapproval. All she got was a smile in return. Angela patted her cheek.

"Good," Angela said and then turned around to get behind the counter then she nailed Jane with a look, "Don't you dare hurt that girl," she threated her daughter. Jane was taken aback.

"Ma, I am the kid here, don't you think you need to tell Maura that?" Jane asked confused.

"Nope, she isn't the idiot who has commitment issues and runs from a good thing every time something good happens to her," Angela told her daughter. She laid that fact down straight for Jane. Jane didn't know what was to happen. She didn't know how she felt, but she felt something. Something not quite what she had felt before. It was the same gut churning sensation as she had when she was beginning to feel deeply for someone, but this time there wasn't discomfort, just a sense of rightness, mixed with nervousness. She didn't want to screw up. But what did she not want to screw up, she still wasn't quite sure. No that wasn't right, she knew, she just wasn't ready to admit to yet.

"I will do my best Ma," Jane said to her mother. Angela nodded knowing that was as good as any promise that Jane would ever give her. No matter what Jane would walk through the fires of hell in place of hurting Maura.

OOOoooOOOooo

"What else is the connection other than two ballerinas in love with one another?" Korsak asked.

"Actually, male ballet dancers are known as Ballerino in Italian or Danseur in French," Everyone looked up to find Maura, "but most prefer to be call male dancers, or just dancer," Maura said to the three detectives. Korsak smiled as he always did when she stopped by. He always seemed to have one of those Vince Korsak, charming smiles for Maura, but Jane knew it was more than that. Korsak was the eldest of them all, even old enough to be their father. That is the stance he took with Maura. He listened to her talk about her family, and part of it touched his heart. Jane looked to Korsak and Maura and saw them smile to the other. Maura had so much family, she didn't even realize it.

"I came to tell you there was one thing I missed, well didn't miss as much as it was a simple over sight," Maura said as she hinted and gave Frost the papers. She looked at Jane. Jane knew the reason for the minor oversight. Maura was sleep deprived and wasn't as thorough as she usually was.

"Did you spend the day, checking your work from yesterday?" Jane asked from her seat, still reclined with her feet crossed at the ankle sitting on Frosts desk. Maura nodded, and Jane smiled shook her head.

"Thank you," Jane said, and everyone looked to her, "If it where my brother on the table I would want to know everything," Jane said. Everyone nodded, touched by her words, and aware that she was trying everything she could to help close this case for her fellow officer.

"There seems to be a concentration of Oleander sap in her mouth," Frost said reading through the notes. Maura sighed.

"She was murdered," the doctor confirmed. Jane, Korsak, and Frost shared a look.

"DO NOT tell Crowe that," Korsak said as Jane opened her mouth. It didn't happen often, but Jane was quiet. She was silence by the heavy decision to tell the brother of the dead girl down their that she was in fact murdered. She felt sick. Maura watched as her features fell and her skin turned pale. She instinctively stepped closer to Jane. They didn't touch, they didn't have to, but the nearness was appreciated as Maura pulled a chair to the group looking as if she was joining them as a whole, not only comforting Jane.

"We need to go undercover somehow. So, who can dance?" Korsak spouted. Frost threw his hands in the air shaking his head.

"Nope, I can maybe bust a move on the hip hop scene but not like this stuff," Frost said as he waved a hand to his monitor.

"Not me, I'm too damned old, and I could barely waltz at my weddings," Vince chuckled and then everyone looked at Jane. Jane's chin rested on her hand, that rested on the arm of her chair thinking, gazing off into space.

"What?" she asked once she noticed the silence. She looked at her team, then to Maura. "What did I miss?"

"Jane can you dance?" Maura asked the detective.

Jane shrugged her shoulders, then it dawned on her, "No, nope. I am too tall, and a ballerino couldn't even think of lifting my ass off the ground," Jane argued, and everyone actually had to agree about the height issue but scoffed and ribbed jokingly about her ass being lifted off the ground.

"Jane you didn't answer my question," Maura probed. Jane fidgeted, and then got up from her chair and head to the elevators.

"I am not doing this," she threw over she shoulder. Jane waited and waited, tapped her foot, and then felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned. She found hazel eyes that seemed to bore into her confidence and shatter her walls. She dropped her head slightly and dug her hands into her back pockets.

"Ma, she put me in dance for the longest time," Jane sighed as the doors opened, "I could play one sport if I also took dance lessons," Jane gritted.

"So, you can dance?" Maura prompted. Jane looked at Maura and could see the disbelief in her eyes. Jane turned her back to where it leaned against the wall of the elevator. She instinctively hit the button for the morgue. The destination did not go unnoticed with Maura.

"Why is that so hard to believe?" Jane ground out growing defensive. Maura simply turned to the doors as they opened, "Besides you are the ideal height for a ballerina, a taller one, but still in the range," Jane observed. Maura opened her mouth to reply when she stepped from the elevator, and then stopped when she came to her lab.

"You are not getting me to go under cover," Maura scoffed as she walked toward her office. Jane narrowed her eyes and reached for the doctor's wrist and spun Maura to her and then, stepped close, dipped her, and then brought them back upright.

"I knew it," Jane said with a smirk, "You can dance," Jane said and turned from Maura. Maura reached out and pulled the taller woman to her, sliding their bodies together in a waltz, then Jane smirked and twisted them into a tango. Each taking the lead and following and then flipping the roles with each passing dance from fun contemperary, to ballroom, to latin. It was perfect. Before long the two women were laughing at their antics, breathless as they found their chairs in Maura's office.

"I, like you, had taken dance for a long time," Maura smiled as she spoke, "It was a release from reality in some ways," Maura confessed. Jane watched Maura and remembered how she spoke of the ballet that morning.

"Someday we will have to go dancing," Maura said before halting her words. She wished she could grab her words and pull them back into her chest, never spoken.

"About last night," Maura began but stopped, she clenched her hands, held her fists in her lap and then released them and straightened out her skirt.

"Last night was hard for you," Jane said hoping Maura would look at her, "I am glad you wanted me there for you. I am glad you told me about your dream," Jane slid her palms over her slacks, and then took a breath.

"I have the same dream, just in reverse," Jane whispered then looked into Maura's hazel eyes glimmering wet, "I watch you die. I watch him kill you, then hover over me taunting me with your death," Jane confessed quietly.

Nothing could be heard after that statement. The only noise was the whirl of the air conditioner, and the hum of the refrigeration unit to house the bodies. Maura and Jane stared at the other. Maura had words, many of them, but the flood of those words all at once kept her from speaking as if they bottlenecked at the exit of her thoughts and jammed themselves in her throat, unable to communicate. Jane watched as Maura's eyes slid over her, closed, blinked, and her lips tried to move. Those lips. Jane swallowed and clenched her teeth. She would not think of those lips here, now, after that confession. How they felt when she stole that kiss from her friend, and delighted, hell she practically soared, when she pulled back hoping to calm Maura in her breakdown. Her thoughts where pulled back as Maura placed her fingers to her lips as if she read Jane's mind.

"I will not apologize," Jane said firmly, yet barely above a whisper.

"I don't want you to," Maura stated back just as firmly and just as softly.

There it was, mutual attraction.

Jane's phone rang, as did Maura's. They looked at the other as their lives came crashing back to them. Another moment ripped from them. Jane stood to leave just as Maura reached out for Jane. It was not said but it was felt, and Jane nodded. They both walked from the morgue. Finally walking in separate directions. For Jane it was an instant loss of warmth, and her heart smashed against her chest. For Maura it was as if her chest grew heavy, and her breathing no matter how measured or normal, felt suffocated, and short.