"Korsak, you got a sec?" Jane strolled into the bullpen, hands on hips as she waited her former partner stop watching whatever youtube clip was running on his screen.

He glanced to Frost, who shrugged, and then back to the woman waiting for him to reply. "Yeah, sure." Sensing she wanted to chat alone, Korsak stood up. "What's up?"

Jane looked at Frost. "That thing you and I talked bout at lunch? I'm taking him down to Maura's office to fill him before everyone leaves for the day. We'll be back in a few. You got this?"

"Thing at lunch?" At her look, Frost nodded, eyes lighting up as he picked up her line of thought, "Oh, right. Yeah, I got this."

"Maura's office? Something come up on a case?" Korsak followed Jane to the elevators.

The younger detective gave a snort. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Where's Doctor Isles?" Korsak looked around the medical examiner's office as Jane closed the door.

"I'm pretty sure she's finishing up in the lab for the day," Jane shrugged as she pointed to the sitting area. "I think you better sit down for this one."

"Okay," with trepidation lacing his voice and caution on his face, Korsak sat down on the sofa while Jane took the chair. "You going to tell me what's going on here? Are you in trouble?"

Jane sighed. "It's complicated." She held up a hand to keep him from talking. "Korsak, I want you to hear this from me before the precinct grapevine gets to you. There's an HR leak and Cavanaugh knows; he's already threatened me, so I thought it'd probably be good for you to hear it straight from the source."

"Jane, what's going on?" Clearly concerned, he raised an eyebrow in question. "What do you mean 'it's complicated'? What does Cavanaugh know, and what HR leak? You're not making any sense."

"I know," she rolled her eyes, running a hand over her face. "I know I'm not. Just... I don't really know how to tell you this and..."

"Jane, Korsak, what are you doing in my office?" Maura strolled in, lab coat in hand and freshly showered. "Do you have questions on a case?"

"No, Maura, I was just trying to tell Korsak what was going on before he heard it through the precinct grapevine." Jane rolled her eyes.

"What is going on? With what?" Confused hazel eyes darted between the two detectives.

"With us, Maura," Jane's voice was tired as she spoke.

"Oh!" The doctor's eyes widened. "I hadn't realized you were going to do that on your own. I mean, I thought we'd discuss this with him together, Jane. You don't have to do this all alone."

"Do what alone?" Korsak was clearly becoming irritated with the amount of information he wasn't being told. "Someone going to tell me what's going on here?"

"Yeah, I am. Just hold on a second, okay?" The younger detective stood, pacing for a moment before stopping in front of the smaller woman. "I need to do this alone. Frankie and Tommy," she winced, "I think I'll need you there, but Korsak deserves for me to at least step up and tell him myself. Okay?"

Maura frowned, narrowing her eyes. "If you're sure?"

Jane's voice was quiet as she reached a reassuring hand out to place on the doctor's arm. "I'm sure. I'll meet you at home, okay? I just... I need to do this."

Nodding gently, Maura turned to pull her purse from her desk drawer and reached for her coat. "Call me if you need to. I'll keep my phone close by."

"Yeah," the taller woman nodded as she held the door open for the other woman. Once Maura had stepped out, Jane turned back to the still puzzled Korsak. "Listen, I don't know how to tell you this, and," she started to pace again, "frankly, Korsak, I wasn't really ready to tell everyone, but my hand's been forced here." She ran a hand over her mouth as she thought.

"What's this all about?" He stood up, stepping around the coffee table and to the side of the path Jane was wearing into the floor.

"It's about me and Maura. We're not in trouble, but we might start having problems soon." She stopped pacing to look at her former partner. "Vince," she rarely used his first name, and the fact she had coupled with the nervousness in her voice and fear in her face made the older man pay close attention. Whatever the issue was that was going on, it was clearly personal. "I... Maura and I," a growl escaped her throat. "Why is this so hard?"

She sighed, frustrated at her own insecurities. "Look," she glanced down at her hands, running a thumb over one perfectly centered scar, "Korsak, I'm dating Maura."

"Dating Maura? As in dating dating?" His eyes bulged slightly, voice shocked. "But those were just rumors, weren't they?"

"They were, and now they're not." Her eyes found an interesting spot on the carpet. "It's taken us, me and Maura, a long time to get here, but, now that we are, I wanted you to know the truth from me."

He grunted. "Who else knows?"

"We told Ma over the weekend. I told Frost at lunch, and, because of an HR leak, Cavanaugh knows." She shook her head, closing her eyes and trying to calm her nerves. "And we're telling my brothers soon, probably tonight."

Korsak was quiet for a time. He ran his fingers through his goatee as he looked at the woman standing, arms crossed and eyes averted, in front of him. His eyes watched her as if looking for an answer to a question he wasn't sure he even knew the words for. Finally, he cleared his throat and asked, "What HR leak?"

Jane glanced at him, face tense. "Maura changed her ICE form. She listed me as the POC and marked me down as her significant other. Someone in HR decided to pass it along to Cavanaugh."

Korsak nodded. "That what you two were talking about before you stormed out of his office today?"

"Yeah. He told me he didn't care who I was dating but, if I let me personal relationship drama get in the way of my work, he'd have me yanked from homicide."

"He can't do that!" The anger in Korsak's voice took Jane by surprise. "First of all, that's not his place, and, second of all, you and Doc Isles are a hell of a lot more professional than that. That's bullshit."

Giving a slight shrug, Jane finally made eye contact with him. "That's pretty much what I told him."

"So what are you going to do about it?" He took a step toward her.

"We don't know yet. There's a lot to think about, you know? I mean, if I turn him in and start an investigation into HR, it's going to make my life and probably Maura's life pretty crappy. It's hard enough trying to get respect around here as a female cop without adding even more reasons to give me hell, but Maura doesn't want to let this slide. She's afraid someone else will be outed if we don't take some kind of action. Honestly, I want to do something, too. You know how much I hate it when someone screws someone over, but," she shrugged, clearly exasperated by the situation, "I don't know. You have to pick your battles, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," he ran a hand through his hair, scratching at the back of his head. "Whatever you two decide to do, let me know. I'll support you either way."

"Really?" The tension in Jane's face lessened. "Does that mean you're okay with this?"

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I mean, I was your partner for a long time, Jane. I sort of suspected, but I wasn't going to say anything. I figured you'd tell me when you were ready, if you were ever ready." He glanced around the office. "Maura, she's a good girl. If you two are happy, then who am I to judge?"

"I'd hug you, but, you know, I've got a reputation," Jane gave a weak smile. Chuckling quietly, she allowed him to give her a hug. "Thanks, Vince."

"None needed. You know I've got your back." He gave her a pat n the shoulder. "How'd your mother take the news?"

"She asked me to give her some time, but," she shrugged, "she didn't disown me or go off the deep end. I think she'll be okay eventually."

"Frost?"

"I think he's uncomfortable with it, but I think that's because he has a thing for Maura. I think that'll take some time, too." Jane rolled her necked, bones popping with a loud crack. "God, this is stressful."

"It'll get better." Korsak turned to the door, opening it. "It's getting late. Go be with your woman. If I were you, I wouldn't miss a second of being able to..."

"Whatever you're about to say, Korsak, I don't think I want to hear it." The younger detective shook her head.

"What? I was just going to say that I wouldn't miss a second of being able to spend time with her. Geez, what did you think I was going to say?" He followed her out to the elevators.

"Never mind," she mumbled as they stepped onto the elevator to go back to the bullpen, ignoring Korsak's smirk.

Thanks for staying with me on this. As always, your reviews are appreciated.