AN1: Thank you to IsaBabisa for taking time to proofread and clean this story :)

AN2: Wow, thank you all for the reviews, alerts, and faves. I didn't expect this much because at first I really thought posting this story wasn't a good idea. So they are all very much appreciated. I just hope I can live with your expectations and won't screw this story up.

Note: I forgot to say this in the first chapter, if you're going to try to listen to every song I picked in every chapter, I must say that the whole song wouldn't be fitted to the whole chapter. I just picked some lines I like and went with it. So yeah.

Disclaimer: I don't own R&I and the song.

Chapter 2

" I need a little more luck than a little bit

Cause every time I get stuck, the words won't fit

And every time that I try, I get tongue tied

I'll need a little good luck to get me by"

~Tongue Tied by Faber Drive

Jane arrived at the station before eight that Monday morning. In the past, before she headed to the station, she'd go to Maura's house to have breakfast or just fetch the doctor and buy a takeout on the way. But when she knew Jack had spent the weekend at her best friend's house, she would avoid going there and ruining their moment. So that early Monday morning, after she did her routine, she drove straight to the station.

She was focused on her latest case, studying the case files when she heard the familiar clicking of heels. She didn't need to look up to see to whom it belonged. She already knew who was approaching by heart.

"Good morning," Maura greeted as she placed a large cup of coffee on Jane's desk and half sat on the edge of the desk.

Jane looked at the coffee then to Maura. "Hey, morning."

"I was hoping you'd come by Saturday or yesterday," Maura said.

Jane took a sip of her coffee and let the bitterness and hotness burn her throat as she quirked an eyebrow at Maura. "Yeah? Why?"

Maura was silent at first. She couldn't exactly articulate it to Jane so she shrugged then looked away. "I don't know. We used to spend weekends together. I suppose I was just missing it?"

Jane took a sip of her coffee again, not looking at Maura anymore. "Well, you were with Jack. I didn't want to interrupt your weekend." She didn't intend to say it so coldly but somehow it still came out that way.

"Technically he was the one who interrupted our Friday movie night," Maura sighed. "You didn't have to go. He could have left but you chose to leave," Maura said softly and sadness could be heard in her voice.

Jane sighed then tapped Maura's thigh then met her gaze. "Don't guilt me here, Maur. I was trying to be supportive of your relationship. You have a chance here to build a future with him and I don't want to screw it up for you." Jane smiled weakly, hoping that Maura would buy her explanation.

There was silence as they just looked into each other's eyes. Jane knew in a moment, Maura would read her and know that she wasn't being totally honest so she looked away and focused back on the file she was reading.

"Thank you then," Maura said softly. Jane just nodded.

"Thank you for the coffee. I really needed it this morning," Jane said.

The change of topic made Maura turn her attention back to her best friend. "It seems like it. You were early today. I came to your house this morning hoping to have a breakfast with you but you were already gone."

"I just need to catch a break and get the bastard who did this to this kid."

"You're an excellent detective," Maura said with a smile. "I'll, uh... see you for lunch later?"

Jane hesitated at first but when she saw the hopeful look in Maura's eyes, all she could do was nod. "Sure."

"I'll leave you to your work now, Jane." And she was gone.

Jane didn't make it back by lunch. She was out with Korsak looking for the witness who reported the incident that took the life of young Lily Sullivan. They did everything they could but only came up with dead ends. They even used a voice recognition program Frost had used to determine the killer of Maura's half-brother but there were no records found for the specific voice. The lack of history led them to believe the boy who called the emergency might be homeless which was frustrating because there are so many homeless kids in Boston. Jane didn't know how or where to begin searching. And they couldn't do anything about it or even put out a BOLO for the kid who was potentially their only key to finding the young girl's killer.

The detective sighed as she got out of her car and headed for her apartment. Flashes of the day came back to her mind...their endless investigation on a case that still had no real leads...the neverending search for a witness to the girl's killer...her morning encounter with Maura and the hopeful look in her eyes when she'd invited her out for lunch. Lunch. She hadn't made it back to the precinct by lunch to meet Maura. She had let her down again. Why did it seem like all she was doing was letting people down?

Opening her apartment door, she was greeted by a low light coming from the living room. There on her couch was a sleeping Maura with Jo curled into her side. She stopped dead in her tracks at the sight. Her heart melted knowing that even though she'd missed their lunch, her best friend was patiently waiting for her. She glanced at her watch and realized that it was already past eleven in the evening.

Kneeling down in front of Maura, Jane watched the rise and fall of her best friend's breath as she slept so peacefully. And Jane couldn't remember such a tranquil and angelic sight in her entire life. She slowly tucked stray blonde hairs behind Maura's ear just as Jo began to stir from Maura's side. Jane patted the little dog as if silently commanding it to go back to sleep. The dog obliged much to her surprise. But it's now Maura who began to stir from her deep slumber. Opening her eyes, she spotted Jane crouching in front of her.

"Jane?" Maura mumbled sleepily.

Jane smiled at her. "Hey."

"You're home," Maura said as she sat up properly. Jane, on the other hand, remained crouching on the floor, looking up at Maura.

"Yeah. Why are you here?"

"I was waiting for you."

"I can see that. But why?" Jane frowned.

Maura smiled sheepishly and didn't meet Jane's eyes. She focused on Jane's hands resting on her knees. "We weren't able to have lunch together so I hoped to have dinner with you instead."

"And you waited for me until this late hour? Why didn't you call me, Maura?" Jane asked softly.

Maura sighed, "I knew you were very busy with this case and that you still didn't have any solid leads. I don't want to distract or delay you. I know you need to catch that little girl's killer."

Jane smiled at Maura's response. She was one of the very few who really respected her work. And Jane's dedication to her work. It's something Jane has always appreciated about her friend. "You could have at least told me that you were coming over so I didn't stay out so late."

Maura shook her head with a sweet smile on her face. "If you'd known, you would have tried to hurry. You would have been on edge the entire night. I couldn't do that to you."

Jane's heart swelled at the admission. Her best friend who she let down earlier and who patiently waited for her come back still cared so much for her feelings. She squeezed her knees then looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to meet you for lunch, Maura."

Maura shook her head. "I told you, it's okay. You shouldn't ever apologize for doing your job. It's what you're really great at." She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was already past eleven. "I should get going and let you sleep." Maura made a move to rise but Jane held her down with gentle pressure on her knees.

"Stay. I don't want you driving this late." Jane said then saw the hesitation in Maura's eyes. Unsure why.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I still have your spare yoga pants and a t-shirt you left here years ago. It's in my second drawer," Jane said.

Maura nodded, "Thank you."

"So, did I hear that you brought dinner tonight?" Jane asked with a smile that let her dimples show.

"Yes, I did. It's on the counter. Let me re-heat it first." Maura said.

"Nah, you go ahead and change and I'll warm it up." Jane stood but before she headed to the kitchen, she leaned down and gave Maura a light kiss on top of her head, something that she rarely did. "Thank you," she whispered.

Maura was frozen on the spot where Jane left her. She didn't expect that kind of gesture from her brash best friend but she had to admit that it made her feel giddy inside. She had those butterflies in her stomach like other people talk about and she felt her heart racing faster than it normally did. It was just a simple act but somehow it felt like so much more.

After Maura changed from her work clothes to comfy clothes, the two sat in silence at the counter and ate their food in silence. It wasn't their old comfortable kind of silence, but a new one where both of them felt awkward in each other's presence. The only sound was the scraping of their forks on their plates. But frequently, their thighs would brush against each other.

Maura glanced up and saw Jane had stopped eating and was just staring at nothing with a frown on her face. She gently put a hand on her shoulder to get her best friend's attention. "Are you okay, Jane?" Maura asked, worry evident in her voice.

Jane looked up at her then smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine." Then she went back to eating her food again.

"You're thinking about the case?" Maura asked. Before Jane could reply, Maura's phone rang. They both looked at it and saw that it was Jack calling. Maura glanced quickly at Jane and saw that flicker of cold eyes and blank expression on her face again.

Maura grabbed her phone, turned off the screen and put the ringer in silent mode. She faced Jane again who started playing with her food. Suddenly, Maura felt an awkward tug on her heart. She felt like a deer caught in the headlights. "He's probably just checking on me." She said feeling as tho she was defending herself even tho she didn't know what she was defending exactly.

"You should've answered the phone," Jane said coldly.

"It's okay. I can send him a message later," Maura said, unsure if what she said was appropriate.

"Why not do it now so he can sleep in peace? I told you, Maura, if you really want this to work out between you and him..."

"It's okay, Jane," Maura snapped unintentionally. She was starting to get frustrated with Jane and she didn't have any clue why Jane was suddenly acting cold towards her and Jack's relationship. She was always encouraging the relationship and saying that she liked Jack for her but somehow now she was acting differently.

"I told him earlier that I was coming to your place to spend time with you, and he understood that," Maura said after a moment of silence.

"Wait. Did you have plans with him tonight?"

"Yes, we had planned to visit the new restaurant near BCU..."

"And you bailed out last minute and came here?" Jane's eyes were wide with shock.

Maura nodded. Amused at Jane's reaction. "Well, yes." A smile was formed on her face.

"Why would you do that? Maura..."

"Please. We were supposed to spend the night last Friday but he showed up. And you gave us the time and left. Now, I think it's time for us to spend some time. We weren't able to go out for lunch, so I compromised with dinner. And Jack understood." Maura explained. Jane was just staring at her in disbelief. "He knows I missed spending time with my best friend," she almost whispered. "He was just checking if we're together because the last he knew, you weren't here yet." She let out a breath. "Now, can we please stop talking about Jack? Can we just focus on something else instead?"

Jane was silent for awhile, surprised at Maura's outburst. "Right."

Maura sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

Jane looked at her and saw the sadness in Maura's eyes which she knew she'd inflicted. "No. I should be the one apologizing to you. I'm sorry. Maybe I'm just tired."

"Why don't you go change and I'll clean up so we can both relax after?" Jane nodded and went to get freshened up.

After Jane had changed and Maura cleared up the dishes, they found themselves in Jane's bedroom lying wide awake, both just staring at the ceiling and each lost in her own thoughts. There was an awkward silence between them, something they had rarely experienced before. It felt like a barrier between them.

"I'm sorry," Jane muttered after a long silence.

Maura shifted from her position and faced Jane. "For what?"

Jane mirrored the move and faced Maura. There was enough light coming from the moon to see her best friend's face. "For being an ass over Jack's phone call. I shouldn't have told you what to do."

"It's okay, Jane. I just don't understand why you keep on sacrificing our time so I can spend more time with him."

Jane moved closer to Maura and began stroking the doctor's blonde hair. "You're happy with him. I can see you two fit and complement each other. For now, I think he is your best chance at normal life. Away from danger."

"Thank you for that, I guess. But you must remember that I need you, too. You're my best friend, Jane. And I wouldn't be where I am right now if not for you."

Jane shook her head slowly. "No, Maur. You're in that position because you're amazing and you deserve it."

"Jane..."

"Hush now, Maur. We need to rest." Jane put an arm around Maura and pulled her closer. Maura rested her forehead on Jane's chest. "Thank you for dropping by and spending time with me," rasped Jane. They both closed their eyes and let themselves feel each other's warmth until they drifted off to sleep.

The team still didn't have any leads.

Jane spent almost half of the day just rereading the file of young Lily Sullivan. So far, all they knew is that the kid was dead by a single gunshot wound to the head. They couldn't find her parents and the boy who called 911 couldn't be identified. If only they could find him, they might be able to learn what happened at the scene.

Groaning, Jane brushed her unruly hair back with her hand.

"You okay, Jane?" Korsak looked up from his monitor.

Jane let out a heavy sigh. "I got nothing, Korsak. Damn it. I want to find the bastard who did this."

"Calm down, Rizzoli. You won't be productive if you let your frustration get the best of you." Korsak said.

"I know. This is just so frustrating. I mean this bastard can't be that good."

"I know that. And I know that Jane Rizzoli is a good detective and she'll be able to find this kid's killer and bring him to justice." Korsak smiled.

Jane looked at Korsak and smiled back. "Thanks." When she turned her gaze back to her desk, she caught sight of Chogokin on Frost's desk. She suddenly missed her old partner.

"Hey, Korsak," She focused her gaze on the action figure as Korsak looked back at her. "What do you think Frost would do in a situation like this?"

"What? A dead kid and no leads?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Do you really need to elaborate?" Korsak just chuckled. "Well, to answer your question yes."

"Maybe he'll tell you to cut it out. Stop groaning because it's frustrating and tiring. Then, of course, you'll just continue doing it and he'll tell you to go have a walk outside and clear your head or better yet, go see Maura." Korsak replied.

Jane smiled weakly while looking at the action figure on Frost's desk. "I miss him."

Korsak's eyes softened at the quiet admission. He may not know how deep Jane's friendship with Frost went but he missed him, too. "So do I. And since he's not here, I'd have to say, why don't you go outside or see Maura?"

Maura.

Her friendship with Maura had been strained lately. And she wasn't sure how to get back to normal. Then she remembered what had happened last night, how Maura had bailed on Jack to wait for her to get home instead. The doctor expressed her concerns about their friendship lately.

Maura.

Jane glanced at the wall clock and noticed that it was almost noon. "Hey, I'm heading out. Gonna invite Maura for lunch." The detective glanced at Korsak.

"Okay go ahead."

"You need anything?"

"Nah, I'm fine." Korsak shook his head.

Jane grabbed her keys and blazer then headed down to Maura's office.

Jane was playing her keys, tossing them in the air hands as she walked towards the ME's office. Then just as she used to do, she entered the office without knocking or announcing herself but she stopped dead when she saw Maura and Jack in a heated kiss. Her eyes widened. She wanted to backtrack her steps and leave the two lovebirds alone but somehow her feet were glued to the floor and she couldn't move. Her heart began to race, palms became sweaty and her whole body was trembling. Suddenly her stomach dropped like she might vomit at that very moment. She even forgot to breathe.

Maura was lost in the kiss, but when she felt someone else's presence inside her office, she opened her eyes. And there, she was met with big brown eyes, stunned, looking at her. Their eyes met as she pulled away from Jack.

"Jane," Maura muttered, almost a whisper. Jack's head whipped around and he noticed the uncomfortable look Jane wore. The three of them were momentarily stunned. Maura's face reddened as well as Jane's.

"Jane, I didn't know you were coming," Jack smiled shyly, like a deer caught in headlights.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." Jane trailed off.

Maura walked towards Jane and put her hand on her best friend's forearm. "Is there something you need?"

Jane shrugged her off. She knew it was rude and harsh but she didn't want to be touched by her at that moment. Maura attempted to mask her hurt. "I uh... I was just going to ask if you already have the result of the fiber you found on Lily's body," Jane lied.

"Oh. The lab is still processing." Maura replied.

"Okay. I'll just come back later. Good to see you, Jack," Jane said. She tried to act normal but she knew she failed. She was just turning to leave when Maura stopped her.

"It's already lunch time, Jane. Would you like to join us?" Maura asked nervously. She actually didn't know if that was the right thing to do, if it would make things better or worse.

"Yeah, Jane. We're going to that restaurant Maura wanted to try, near BCU," Jack added.

Jane turned her gaze at Maura again then shook her head. "No. You guys have fun." And there was that empty stare again.

Once Jane left the office, Maura remained rooted to the spot, looking at the way Jane had left. "Well, that was kinda awkward," Jack smiled sheepishly at Maura.

"It was."

Jane ordered lunch at the Dirty Robber. She didn't stay there no matter how her mother tried to persuade her to stay and have a little chat with her. So now Jane was walking outside with nowhere to go holding a paper bag that contained her burger and fries. She'd lost her appetite somehow. Her mind wandered from the case to the incident she'd witnessed at Maura's office. Remembering the kiss Maura and Jack shared, her stomach tightened in a knot. And she didn't understand why she was feeling this way. It wasn't like they were doing anything wrong. But the uncomfortable feeling was there and she couldn't get rid of it.

Looking up, she realized she was almost in Boston Common. To her right, she saw an old woman digging in the trash. She frowned and decided to check it out. The old woman was probably looking for food.

"Excuse me," Jane softly said to get the attention of the woman.

The old lady turned her head to where the voice came from. She saw the detective with the badge clipped to her belt. Her eyes widened. "I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm just looking for something to eat," there was fear evident in the old lady's voice.

"Hey, hey. I'm not going to arrest you or anything. You're not in trouble, I just wanted to give you this." Jane held out the paper bag to the old lady. The woman was silent, looking at Jane, hesitant. "You might as well take this, the food in the trash is dirty. Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

Jane found herself sitting on one of the benches in Boston Common with a new companion, Dinah. After long moments of staring at each other, Jane was finally able to gain the trust of the old woman who finally accepted her offered food. And now, the woman was sitting beside her munching on her food.

"You're a detective, right?" Dinah asked.

"Yes, I'm a homicide detective," Jane replied.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "So you solve murders?"

"Yep. That's what I do."

"Then what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working?"

This time, it was Jane who raised an eyebrow. Surprisingly, the question wasn't really annoying. "Well, it's my lunch break. And I came here because I wanted to clear my head. The case I've been working on is kinda frustrating."

Dinah continued eating as she looked intently at Jane. "Tell me all about it."

Jane once again looked at the old woman sitting beside her. "Well, I can't discuss an open case. Disclosing it will get me into trouble."

Dinah rolled her eyes at the response. "You don't have to tell me all the details. Of course, I know you can't. Just tell me why it's frustrating."

"Well, first, we don't have any leads. Everything we've done has just turned up nothing. Second, I don't know how to proceed."

"Why do you think is that?"

Jane shrugged. "I don't know. Everything sucks. My life sucks."

"Maybe you're looking at it the wrong way. And your life doesn't suck, you're just having a bad day." Dinah replied like they were best friends for a long time.

"Maybe you're right."

"I know I'm right. Do you know what's wrong with us people?"

"What?"

"We tend to look at every situation from one angle only. Most of the time, the results always suck. But do you even bother to look at it from the other side? Most of the time, no. Because what you saw at first glance, seemed to be the only thing. And what sucks more is we never try to fix it until it's too late. We just let it happen. That's when you realize that you should've worked on it from the other side from the very beginning also. What you get is what you see. We never bother to see further into what we're getting. And then bam, you've lost." Dinah explained.

Jane felt something in her heart from what Dinah said. It was cryptic but not nonsense. It doesn't take a genius to read between the lines. What she pointed out was just a common mistake that people commit. Somehow, though, she felt glad she talked with this woman.

"I guess you're really right," Jane said and smiled.

Let me know what you think!