Welcome back, dear readers. Please remember that this is a direct sequel to my previous story, Rising Above Myself. You don't have to read it, but it would probably be helpful, especially in future chapters.

Chapter 3

Jane once met an informant under the southeast expressway, but tracking down the location and whispering in the middle of the night with the smell of smoke all around was needlessly dramatic, and put Jane in a vulnerable state of isolation. She wouldn't dare venture out there at night in a uniform. It was like asking for a switchblade between the shoulders.

Pierce had much better taste, in her opinion. After a quick trip to the bank, they met for breakfast at a popular bistro on the corner of a busy intersection at the peak of the morning rush hour. Sure, it was more conspicuous to be seen talking to a detective in such a public place, but it was also safer to be part of the crowd. She watched him tuck into a hearty plate piled with scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes. For a scrawny bastard, he had an impressive appetite.

"Listen, it may not look like much on the surface, but trust me, you don't want to get involved," he said around a mouthful of food.

Before she could respond, a waitress came to refill their coffee. Jane waited patiently, relaxed back into her corner of the booth with her hands in her pockets. As the waitress moved on to the next group, Jane leaned forward, arms braced on the table, and fixed Pierce with a stare.

"You're scared."

"Damn right," his gaunt features darkened, "And you should be, too."

Jane sighed. "If you not gonna talk, I want my money back."

He didn't even hesitate, grabbing the bills from his pocket and throwing them down in front of her with a slap. Jane went from suspicious to alarmed, a chill coursing through her despite the warmth of the coffee and the patron racket surrounding them.

A pro at blackmail, Pierce navigated the slums like a wrath, absorbing rumors and devastating secrets, and never left anything solid enough for an arrest warrant. In many ways, he could have made a great undercover cop. She needed to know whatever had him so spooked. Sliding an entire month worth of rent over the table between them, she tried again.

"I know you've been kicked out of your place by-," she fished for a tactful way to describe the recently convicted drug lord that paid Pierce for information on suppliers, buyers, competition, and everyone else besides, "…your boss, and that you need a good meal and warm bed tonight more than I do. You've got to give me something to work with."

He sat there staring at the money for a moment, long fingers wrapped around the restaurant's white china coffee mug.

"Okay, but only because you're the closest thing I have to a friend right now." Empty sea-green eyes focused on hers, and Jane felt genuinely sorry for the guy. "There's a rumor going around that Tom O'Rourke is on the move."

"O'Rourke, like the Irish mob?"

He nodded. "Four of the five families are involved so far. O'Donnell, Flanagan, Donegal – the streets are a mess of blood in the outer districts. I don't know what set it all off, but according to my source in the harbor, O'Rourke is on a rampage after last night." His hands were trembling.

"So someone was murdered last night?" Jane's head was spinning.

With a pained expression, Pierce slid the money back to her and half-stood, scared out of his mind. "I really can't. I'm sorry I ever agreed to meet up-"

"And I'm starting to think that this," she cut him off before he could leave and laid out the photo from the previous night, "wasn't meant for us." Anything to keep him talking.

A young woman smiled up at them from the glossy finish. Hazel eyes flashed deep green in the lights of the camera, long brown hair curling around her shoulders. The slit from the knife split her neck.

Pierce looked almost angry as he faced Jane, like he wanted to shake her. "You'd be right. These are clans of family-soldiers, and they take care of their own. This isn't a job for the police."

"Do you recognize her?" Jane wasn't backing down.

"Sure," he said, exasperated, "That's O'Rourke's daughter."

Jane stood and straightened her jacket. She swiped the cash, left a twenty on the table for the bill, and tucked the rest into the breast pocket of Pierce's coat. And I wonder why my fridge is always empty, she thought to herself. To Pierce she only said, "Get out of Boston. Lay low and find a real job. If you need anything, you have my number."

Pierce wouldn't look her in the eye, too beaten for pride but not soft enough for long, flowery expressions of gratitude.

"You're too good, Rizzoli," he said simply.

"I know," Jane smirked and let him pass. A sudden, nagging thought crossed her mind and she turned back. "Hey Pierce, who is the fifth family?"

But he was already gone.

Jane decided against checking in with Korsak and Frost as she parallel parked in front of the precinct. First, she wanted to get an update from Maura on the crime lab's progress before reporting to the Chief of Police. It was rare that Jane felt this nervous when dealing with the brass. She felt as if she were back in school, called to the principal's office. Did he really expect her to investigate the mob? She was in way over her head, and she knew it.

The bright lights of the morgue were comforting, but Jane gave the prepped, steel table a wide berth. She couldn't remember the last time she sat in and observed an autopsy. Catching a glimpse of blonde hair and a white lab coat, she made her way to Maura's office. The M.E. was talking on the phone and judging from her expression, it wasn't a pleasant conversation. Jane tested the locked door, then settled in to wait just outside.

Frustrated, Maura paced the length of the room as Garrett Fairfield laughed into her ear.

"How am I supposed to control what people say about you, Maura? It's not as if you were exactly discreet about Ian," she could hear the sounds of the marina in the background, the cry of a gull, waves lapping against a hull, a distant bell ringing. She could easily imagine him out on the water, leaning against the gunwale railing and letting the sun beat down on his back.

"Why bring it up now?" his voice was annoyingly casual, even amused, "We both know you never cared for this sort of thing."

"Apparently my mother does. I won't cause her any awkwardness on my account. It will stop," she leaned against her desk, hoping her tone sounded authoritative and final.

"Well I can assure you that the rumors aren't coming from me," there was a long pause, and she started to wonder if he had set the phone down and walked off. "You know, it's good to hear your voice again. I've missed you."

Maura didn't respond. She didn't know how.

Garrett heaved a long sigh. "It's okay, I understand, really. Just… tell me that you loved me. Even the least little bit before it all went south between us. Would you give me that, Maura?"

"I…," she froze. Her heart battered itself against her chest, and her lungs constricted. How unfair of her would it be to tell him the truth, after all this time? She couldn't lie, but she didn't want to be unnecessarily cruel. "I-," Her throat constricted and her lungs burned.

"Right. Goodbye, Dr. Isles." Click.

Maura let her eyes slip shut, felt tears well and collect there as she let the phone fall. She couldn't breathe.

"You can fill me in later," said a dark, lowly rasping voice. She felt herself being lifted by strong arms. Opening her eyes, Maura found herself seated on the desktop, starring over Jane's shoulder as the other woman reached over to dig through her purse, one arm still around Maura's waist. She heard herself panting softly, each draw for air coming at a wheeze through her swollen throat. Darkness edged her vision, and she took fistfuls of Jane's shirt collar, anything to ground herself against the cold pricking along her skin.

"You really weren't kidding about not being able to lie," Jane eyes as she straightened were so dark as to appear almost black. Maura felt the jab of a needle at her thigh, accompanied by a click that echoed in her ears. Her heart raced, and her whole body shook as the effects of the epinephrine kicked in.

"Look at me." She focused on Jane, tensing and tightening her grip until she was able to take a shallow breath. "Do I need to take you to the hospital?" Jane removed the device and bent the needle against the desk, before covering the injection site with her thumb. Maura felt the muscles in her throat relax, and was able to breathe a little deeper.

"No," it was barely a whisper. She leaned forward to rest in the crook of Jane's neck, exhausted and jittery at the same time. Jane removed her hand from under Maura's dress and just held her, waiting through the adrenaline rush quietly.

"You really must tell me how you did it," Maura's voice was stronger.

"Did what?"

"Broke into my office." Jane's relieved laugh close to her ear caused her to shiver once more.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Maura sat up and wiped her eyes, "No. Honestly, I'd rather focus on something else."

"Okay," but Jane didn't step back, a long moment passing and a heavy silence hung between them. "Right," Jane finally backed away, letting go of Maura as her face filled with color. She cleared her throat, "So, what can you tell me about the shooting last night?"

Dropping down from the desk, Maura stood still while her head cleared. "Well, the ballistic report indicates an unusually high caliber for a single shooting. Hollowpoint, definitely civilian, but bigger and more expensive than anything I usually come across. The weapon would have been hard to conceal."

"They didn't need to. What about the blood?"

"I'm sorry," Maura's voice shook as she continued to tremble, "DNA profiling takes time. And there's nothing to compare it to yet. The victim is female, there's not much else to know, yet."

Jane ran a hand through her hair. "That's what I need to find out. Because whoever died last night was someone important enough to start a mob war."

Thoughts? Next chapter, we get back to Hoyt. Also, I recently tried to write a one-shot called Just You. If you missed it, give it a read and tell me what you think. If not, I'll see you next chapter. Any and all feedback/suggestions are so wonderful. Thanks so much for reading!