A/N: So I use some stuff from one of the cases on the show in this chapter, but I had to play around with some details to execute the events in this chapter. Let's be real I have no idea what I'm actually talking about when it comes to actual police/medical stuff on the show so I wanted to apologize for any kind of inaccuracies or non-credible moments. But we do what we have to for the sake of Rizzles ;)

Maura is curled up in her bed with her anatomy textbook and a notepad propped up against her knees, It's a lazy Sunday afternoon, buzzing with familiarity, so she is surprised when Dell spills through the door unexpectedly. She drags herself across the room, her feet so heavy it looks as though she might take the carpet with her. She glances at her top bunk, dubiously, before face planting onto Maura's bed.

Maura's body tenses, her hand rigid as her pencil stops mid-word.

"I'm so fucking tired," Dell moans, her voice muffled in the sheets. She nuzzles her head forward, her nose brushing up against Maura's leg, resting her chin there. She's warm, and she smells nice, like candied apples - fresh, crisp, with a hint of cinnamon.

Maura's muscles have gone completely stiff; they're so tight she can hardly breathe. Dell exhales loudly, and Maura still doesn't move.

"You're looking at me as though I have the plague," Dell sighs, and after a moment, adds, "Does it bother me when I touch you?"

"No!" Maura answers quickly. Yes. But in a wonderful way. Please don't stop. Her thoughts vibrate too quickly in her mind. She doesn't know what she wants, but she knows she'll feel empty when Dell is gone.

"You're just always," Dell pauses, scooting up closer to Maura, "so very, very tense." She dances her fingers down Maura's bare arm.

"I..." Maura doesn't even know what she has meant to say, because Dell has scooted up behind her, fitting her body against Maura's like a puzzle piece. She tucks her chin against Maura's neck, her breath washing gently over Maura's neck. Maura shivers, her stomach dropping all the way to her toes. She savors these moments, when Dell exists only for her.

"Isn't this nice?" Dell hums against the skin of her neck.

Maura nods, melting into her touch, memorizing the unfamiliar warmth. She wants to cry, because she has never been held quite this way before. It's so comforting she's already aching for the moment its gone.

XXX

"Dr. Isles, may I ask what you're doing?"

Dr. Pike is hovering so closely that she can smell the stale coffee on his breath. She purses her lips, clenching her gloved fingers together. Her voice is smaller than she intends it to be when she answers, "I'm examining the wound on her shoulder. I believe there is something trapped in it." She touches the cut lightly, wishing Pike would let her work in peace.

"Dr. Isles," his voice is incredibly impatient, and his breath is becoming fouler by the moment. "I have a conference to attend shortly, and it would put my mind at ease to know I'm leaving this case in competent hands. Clearly the cause of death was the bullet wound to her head, so would you please be so good as to dig it out and get started on ballistics?"

She touches the wound again, exhaling her frustration, turning her gaze to the entrance wound on the woman's forehead. "Yes, Dr. Pike."

"Very good. I will see you tomorrow."

Once he is gone, she inhales deeply, because even the stench of death is better than the sour scent Pike always carries with him.

"I thought he'd never leave!" Jane emerges from the back hallway, dragging her words out with a dramatic flair.

Maura's stomach is suddenly bouncy, and she tries not to smile too big as Jane approaches the examination table.

"So what have we got today, Dr. Isles?" Jane peers over the table, her eyes falling on the victims forehead. "Damn," she drags out the word into two syllables. "Point-blank range. Nearly dead center, I'd say."

Maura nods. "Yes, it would appear that the sniper had a clear and deliberate shot. However, I am more concerned about the wound on her neck." Maura's attention has strayed to the jagged cut once again.

"You think that wound has something to do with the murder?"

"Perhaps not the homicide directly, but I do believe it may provide evidence related to the case. Of course, I can't confirm this since Pike has asked me to promptly remove the bullet. The bullet, which I suspect is likely shattered, given the angle in which it entered, will still be identifiable without removing it immediately. This wound, however, already appears to be roughly five days old, and I would like to obtain the freshest sample possible." She takes in a small breath as she finishes; it is probably the most she has ever spoken in front of Jane.

Jane looks down at the wound thoughtfully, and Maura feels a small surge of pride engulf as she realizes that for once someone has bothered to listen to what she has to say. "Do what you need to take a sample."

"What?"

"Take a sample. Swab it or whatever."

"Jane, I can't just-"

"Do you trust me?" Jane finds her eyes.

Maura snaps on a new pair of gloves, reaching for a cotton swab and an airtight bag. With Jane's confident gaze on her, she doesn't have time to wonder if she's being stupid.

"Okay," Maura holds up the bag once she has sealed the bag and is surprised when Jane snatches it from her grasp.

"Watch."

Maura nods, only a tiny bit skeptical.

Jane walks over to the far side of the morgue, near the lab. "Dr. Chang!" she calls loudly.

Susie appears a moment later, a little startled, peeling a face mask away from her mouth. "Oh, Detective Rizzoli. What can I help you with?"

"Would you please be a dear and test this sample?" Jane swings the bag in front of her face, her voice syrupy and sweet.

Susie purses her lips into a thin line. "Detective, you and I both know I can't do that."

"Okay, then I guess you won't mind if I go it and do it myself." She pushes past Susie into the lab. Maura hurries after her, a small protest on her lips, because no matter how good her intentions are, she is certain that Jane and lab equipment will be a dangerous combination.

"Detective!" Susie huffs.

"You know I'll do it," Jane raises an eyebrow, dangling the sample in front of Susie's face once again.

"Fine, but I'm certain Cavanaugh won't be pleased to hear about this stunt of yours," Susie growls. But Jane only shrugs, and Susie takes the sample before ushering Jane out the lab, making a point to slam the door quite loudly.

Jane turns to smile at Maura, so achingly dazzling. "Well, if that will be all, I've got a deal to go bust."

She disappears, leaving Maura breathless.

XXX

"Jane!" Maura calls through the empty hallways, a bit dizzy from the influx of fresh air. "Jane!"

It's later than she realized, and her heart is sinking when she realizes that Jane has probably gone home.

"You rang?" Maura swivels on her heels. Jane has stepped out of the break room down the hall, propping her arm against the doorframe, looking simultaneously lazy and seductive, as though her body has merely slumped into such an appealing position. And Maura can't help but to take her time walking down the hall toward her because it's giving her more time to admire the way her curls are falling down her neck and the deep arch of her eyebrows and the way the her eyes light up so brightly when she smiles that she could lose her lips and still wouldn't be able to lose her radiance.

"I have the results." But this isn't what she wants to talk about in the slightest.

"Yeah?" Jane pushes herself away from the door, stepping close to Maura so she can see the paper in her hands. Jane peers over her shoulder, so close that her dark curls brush against Maura's cheek. Maura inhales deeply, in order to steady herself, but instead she's assaulted by Jane's scent. It smells nothing like anything she can relate it to, but it's familiar and wonderful all the same.

"You're going to have to explain these to me, because they might as well be written in French," Jane speaks, her breath breezing past Maura's cheek.

"Oh, yes, of course," Maura coughs a little, breathing a little more shallowly so she won't get distracted again. "The yellow pollen in her scratch is from the Lonicera hirsuta, also called the hairy honeysuckle flower," she adds as she glances up at Jane, before she continues, "It's a rare strand of honeysuckle, though it grows most commonly around here in the Berkshires."

"Is it poisonous? Do you think the killer might have some connection to the Berkshires?" Jane spits out an influx of questions, clearly curious to hear Maura's discoveries.

"The berries are mildly poisonous if consumed, but that has nothing to do with her case. I looked into the victim's file, and it noted that her husband mentioned she was very passionate about environmental issues. Now, I'm going on a hunch here, so this may be entirely unrelated but there is factory near the Berkshires called the Honeysuckle Battery Company. Old batteries can release toxins such lead and cadmium, which could potentially taint the soil and water of the surrounding areas."

"So," Jane pauses for a moment, drinking in this wealth of information, "you're saying that the victim, who was an environmentalist, may have been poking around this company and that's what got her killed?"

Maura takes in a breath. "It's a very big assumption, and I detest jumping to conclusions, but my thought process has lead me to the possibility."

"So you're saying that if we can link the sample of horny honeysuckle-" Jane speaks a little too quickly, glancing down at the paper again.

"Hairy honeysuckle," Maura corrects.

"Yeah, hairy honeysuckle, or whatever, so if we can link it to the factory in the Berkshires, you might have a lead?" Jane eyes have lit up in a way Maura has never seen before.

"Potentially," she answers, a bit reluctantly. She didn't expect Jane to latch onto her theory so enthusiastically.

"So let's go," Jane states plainly.

"Beg pardon?" Maura cocks her head.

"Let's go. Let's go get a sample. This is the kind of lead you don't let slip away." Jane's face resembles a small child's on Christmas morning.

"Jane," Maura attempts to shed some reason. "It's not up to us to decide if this lead is worth following or not. Or if it is even a lead at all. Besides, the Berkshires are over two hours away."

"Look, if we leave this information in Pike's hands, it's gonna take ages for him to do anything about," Jane points out. "And Korsak and Frost are juggling several cases right now. You're on to something, Maura, I can feel it. And two hours isn't that far. If we drive up there, get some samples, and then come back home, we'll be back by eleven at the latest." She's wildly insistent.

Four hours in the car with Jane tempts her as strongly as the forbidden fruit.

"What do you say, Maur? I could definitely use a little adventure in my life." Maura realizes for the first time how much Jane must truly miss homicide, though she can't help but to wonder what other factors might be behind her spontaneity. "You can test the samples tomorrow morning before anyone comes in. Or I can blackmail Susie into doing it again, whatever works. And if it ends up being nothing, we'll never speak of it again. What do you say?"

Against all reason, Maura nods her consent.

A/N: Reviews are always very much appreciated :)