Hey! The last few reviews I got all said that until now Jane is acting like a jerk and that it is really time for a change and some Rizzles. And they have been right. Since I don't want to let you wait or even loose any followers I tried to hurry up and post chapters 8 and 9 at the same time because in chapter 9 I tried to get some change in Jane's behaviour.

So enjoy. And as always comments and reviews are welcome ;-)

The next few hours Maura had spent with crying and calming down and thinking. She still sat on her desk. She had enjoyed her day with Jane and had looked forward to their evening. She was disappointed and hurt and again she thought that she should put some distance between her and Jane, so that she finally could move on. Since being home alone tonight seemed too sad she had started to do some paperwork, hoping to distract herself, as she received a text message. She opened the message and read: 'Hey. This is Sam (Dr. McMorrow). I know you said that I could call anytime, but since it is really late I decided to send a message. I've finished the analysis of your sample. Call me, when you read this.'

Maura pressed the call button. The other doctor answered immediately. "Dr Isles. You're still awake."

"Obviously I am. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to call you, Dr. McMorrow."

The woman chuckled. "Yeah right, but please call me Sam. It's too late to be called doctor."

"Alright. But then I insist you call me Maura. So you have finished your measurements? That was quite fast." Maura asked.

Sam answered: "Yeah, I tried to hurry since you told me it's urgent. Sorry it still took this long."

Maura suddenly felt bad. "Oh I'm sorry that I put pressure on you. I tend to be too eager when it comes to my work and then I sometimes forget that I can't expect anyone else to show the same ambition. You should not have worked this late." she rambled. It was true, she didn't mind that she sometimes had to work late hours but she had asked the physicist for help.

"It's okay." Sam said, "really. I couldn't sleep anyway, way too warm. And it was a good excuse to stay in the lab, since it's temperature-controlled. What's your excuse for still being awake?"

"Detective Rizzoli canceled on me tonight and because I didn't want to be home alone I still work." Maura blurted out before she could think about it. She still was mentally distracted by her feelings about Jane's behavior lately.

"Oh?" Sam commented slightly confused.

Maura took a deep breath to compose herself. "Sorry, I should not have said that. It's too private, as we only know each other for a short time."

"Na, it's okay. Being turned down sucks. What do you think about coming over? We could discuss my findings and drink a beer or so. I'm not offering because I pity you, it's just, that I really don't like to be on the phone. Besides, it's a bit spooky alone in the department."

Maura had to grin. She knew that Sam tried to make her feel better without giving her the feeling that she is needy, quite similar to what had Jane done so many times. She thought about the offer but couldn't find anything that would hinder her. In fact, she was sure that she still wouldn't find any sleep, and the paper work she was doing at the moment, wasn't appealing at all. Apart from that, she had always enjoyed discussions with other scientists. "Why not. I'm on my way."

While Maura made her way through empty corridors of the building, she could understand what the other doctor meant with "it's a bit spooky". All lights were shut down, expect the emergency lighting and the only sound she heard was the rushing of the ventilation. As she turned around a corner and saw light shining under the door to Dr McMorrows office, Maura quickened her steps. She knocked shortly and stepped in. "Dr McMorrow, did you know that the fear of the dark is called nyctophobia, from the Greek word for night, or scotophobia from Greek word for darkness? Most children experience a phase in their development in which they are afraid of the dark, but it's considered as natural. Usually the fear is not fear of the darkness itself but of dangers hidden in the dark."

Sam McMorrow sat leaned back in office chair, her bare feet on the desk. On her lap lay a file and she had raised a bottle of beer half way up to her mouth. She looked surprised at the medical examiner and a small smile formed on her lips. "Actually, yes, I know that." She swung her legs off the desk. "It's really scary, isn't it?"

Maura blushed. Her attempt to deflect from her irrational bad feeling in the empty corridors really had been too easy to figure out.

"Hey, no need to be ashamed. Most people feel uncomfortable in the dark and you are a medical examiner, so you see all the nasty things done to people. It would almost be odd if you wouldn't feel this way." Sam grinned and motioned Maura to sit down. "Do want you have a cool beer?"

"I'd love to." Maura said while she placed down her belongings and sat down.

Sam reached behind her chair and grabbed a bottle out of a steaming bin.

"Are you cooling your beverages with dry ice, Sam?"

The physicist grinned again and handed Maura a beer. „Yeah I do. But don't tell anyone. My superior doesn't think it's an appropriate use. Cheers!" She took a long sip. Maura did the same, sighed and leant back in her chair as she finally felt relaxed after hours of tension.

"So, Sam, what have you found out about this alloy?"

"Do you want to hear the whole report or just the result?"

"I assume that you have protocoled the procedure, so the result will be enough by now."

"Okay. The analysis have shown rather clear what kind of treatments had been done. That clear, that I'm quite sure to know were the alloy comes from. I have seen something similar before. But I can't tell you."

"Excuse me? What kind of reason can there be, that you can't tell me?"

"Well, I know from a private communication with a scientist about still unpublished results. So I shouldn't tell you. But I attached a list of necessary equipment to produce this kind of stuff and a list of facilities which have theses kind of things. So I guess with a bit of detectives work you will be able to find out, too." She handed Maura a file.

The medical examiner nodded and stored the file away. "Thank you very much, Doctor. I will have a look tomorrow."

Sam McMorrow laughed and opened another bottle of beer. "I thought, that you would read the report directly."

"Well, as you said, what follows will be detectives work. And the investigating team is most probably off duty right now. I will inform them the first thing in the morning, but right now I would love to enjoy my evening." Even though Maura visited to get new information about the current case and even though she knew that this report was the only hint they had right now, she knew that there wouldn't be any investigations until tomorrow morning. After the exhausting events previously, she decided to enjoy the drink and the company. "I have been wondering, Sam. Why don't you like to do phone calls? I know it's a rather personal question, so you don't have to answer."

The other woman ran her finger through her hair. "I'm not sure. I somehow have the feeling that I miss information, you know. A communication level is missing because I can't see the person. The same goes for the other way around. I can't fully express what I mean, because the other person doesn't see me."

"So you don't like writing emails or messages either?"

"Oh no. I love texting. You have more time to think about formulation and there are these smilies you can use to show feelings. I know, that sounds strange, but it has been always like this. But now that I have answered you a personal question, you should answer me a question." Maura nodded to let her know to continue bracing herself for what would come.

"Dr. Isles, do you really think it's going to rain tonight?"

Maura was confused, so Sam pointed at the umbrella Maura had brought. "Oh," Maura laughed, "the weather forecast stated that tonight there is a rain probability of about 55%. Though I'm aware that the weather forecast is often wrong."

For the next hours the two doctors sipped their beer and talked about this and that, about studies one of them had read or funny facts one knew, even a few more private things were shared. Maura liked Sam, she was easy to bond, quite educated, with a interesting sense for humor but most of all an almost innocent enthusiasm for anything new.

Sam looked at her watch and said: "Crap. It's almost five."

Disbelievingly Maura checked her own watch. "Oh you are right. I kept you awake the whole night." Maura stood up and grabbed her belongings. "I'm so sorry. I should leave now."

Sam jumped up and burst out: "No. I mean, I don't want to kick you out, and I really don't mind that you are still here. But it's really time to get onto the roof."

"The roof?"

"Yeah the roof. The sun comes up soon, and it's a fantastic view up there."