A/N: First of all over 400 followers...You guys really are awesome! Thank you to each of you for sticking with me:) Secondly, I'm not a med student, but I tried my best. Lastly, I hope you enjoy.

"So...," started Angela, after fussing over her grown adult of a daughter for not checking in with her the moment she landed in L.A. and every hour since. The younger Rizzoli woman groaned in anticipation as she pushed the restroom door open with her shoulder, where she had just quickly washed her hands for lunch. Jane wanted to take full advantage of the informal setting of this little restaurant and finally eat a burger and fries with her bare hands. Hanging out with the kids wasn't so bad when it afforded her such simple luxuries.

"Just spit it out, Ma. Whatever it is, I'm sure you're just dying to say it," she encouraged her mother sarcastically as she dodged an old lady headed to where she's just come from. Jane kept the door open for her, giving her a polite smile and nod when she thanked her.

"I was just wondering how things are going there. With your boss... and her children... How are things?"

"Uh... fine?" answered Jane, still not sure that this was Angela's entire agenda. "Everyone and everything is fine. How are things over there?"

"They're great! But I mean, how are you dealing with being under the same roof as her whole family?"

Jane rolled her eyed. "We get along fine, Ma. They're... interesting kids. What can I say, you know?"

"So you like them? They like you?"

"Is there a particular point you're heading towards or...?"

"I'm just saying that you should try to get along with them if you're going to start dating your boss, because I'm sure she wouldn't-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa there. Back it up. Did I just hear you right? Did you just put me and my employer on either side of the word 'dating?'"

"Well, yes. What else am I supposed to call it? You're not doing a casual thing, are you?"

It was just at that moment, while Jane was trying to process the shock of her mother's words, when she heard the shrill cry of a familiar voice.

"Oh, my God, Jacob!"

Immediately breaking out in a run over to their table at hearing Alice's shout, she tossed out a quick good-bye to her mother and hung up before Angela could get another word in. "Alice, what's going on?"

"I-I-I don't know!" the girl stuttered out, not taking her eyes off of her red-faced brother. "He was eating some of your fries and then he started choking, but he spit most of it out and I think he's still choking!"

Jane was already at Jake's side, after tossing her phone haphazardly on the table, patting his back. He looked like he was doing more than choking and when she looked down at her plate she had a thought. "Oh God." Jane motioned for their waitress who had already been on her worried way over. "Can you tell me all of the ingredients in these fries?"

"Margarita fries? Uh, there's garlic and seasoning salt and sea salt and lime… I think that's all besides the potatoes." She spoke as quickly as her memory would let her.

Jane snapped her head back to a fully panicking Alice staring at her poor little brother who was now slumping against Jane, holding his chest.

"Is he allergic to any of those things?"

The girl was frozen, not even seeming to have registered Jane's frantic question.

"Ali!"

She jumped, startled by the sound of her name being barked out like that. Jane softened her eyes and voice when Alice regarded her with terror in her eyes. "Sweetie, we don't have much time. Is he allergic to any of those things?"

"Lime," she replied, shaking herself out of her daze, "He's allergic to lime."

"Jesus. Okay, uh…"

"Do you want me to call an ambulance, Ma'am?" offered the waitress seeing as Jane's eyes were already out scanning the traffic through the large display window.

She absently shook her head. "They won't get here in time… Ali, does he have an EpiPen?"

"Yes," she nodded, "but it's at the hotel."

"Thank God we're only five blocks away," exclaimed Jane in minor relief as she hoisted the wheezing boy onto her back and held onto his legs. "Hang on," she said to Jake and then grabbed her phone off the table, stuffing it in her pocket on her way out.

Halfway to the door she realized the boy's sister was still sitting in the same spot so Jane ran back to the table, pulled the girl up by her arm and dragged her along, sprinting out of the door.

At the hotel, Jane thought about bypassing the elevator for the stairs but decided against it. The boy was heavier than he looked and she had barely made it through the crowd with him while tugging on Alice's hand.

"Come on..." she muttered breathlessly to herself, stabbing the 'up' button with her index finger while her other hand retrieved her phone and dialled 911. "Hi, uh, I need you to send an ambulance to the Hilton Hotel in West Hollywood... I've got a kid here having a severe food allergy... yes, Jane Rizzoli... Suite 14... Okay, thank you. Please hurry."

Ding!

"Oh, thank God."

Alice was now crying hysterically as the elevator took its time getting to their floor. Jane stopped pacing and squeezed the girl's hand, forcing her to look at the taller woman.

"Ali, as soon as these doors open I need you to go get his EpiPen and meet me back in the living room, okay? Can you do that for me?" The girl nodded her head as her entire body shook with sobs. "It'll be okay," Jane ran her hand down the girl's back and once the door opened, she gave her a slight push and the girl sprinted down the hall. "Hurry."

Jane quickly got Jacob over to the couch, placed him carefully down and kneeled next to him, mustering a smile. "Hey, Jake."

"I c-ca- brea-" he gasped.

"Shh... Don't talk, sweetie. You're gonna be fine, I promise." Jane darted her worried eyes down the hall. "Alice!" she yelled just as the girl rounded the corner with the kit in her hand. "Do you know how to do this?"

Alice nodded her head as she cleared her watery vision and grabbed the materials out of the kit. She took the pack and lined it up on the boy's thigh, but before she could jab him, she noticed how terribly her hands were shaking and how her breath was coming out almost as sporadically as her brother's.

"Jane, I can't. I-I can't- my hands-"

"Hey," Jane placed her hand over the girl's and pulled the EpiPen away. "I'll do it. It's alright. Do I just jab and push the button?"

The girl nodded her head and leaned away to give her space.

Without any further ado, Jane lifted her hand and forcefully stuck the EpiPen into the boy's leg, eliciting a pained grunt from him. She ran her fingers through his hair, waiting for it to take effect, and after several long minutes, the boy's shoulders started to relax. His chest rose and fell in slower movements as his lungs seemed to be able to inhale more air.

Jane sighed in relief, her body sagging in turn. She smiled down at Jacob, who weakly smiled back, his breathing evened out.

"Hey, there bud. You okay?"

Jacob feebly nodded his head. The brunette slowly continued to stroke the boy's sweaty forehead. "Yeah, you are."

She put her head down next to his arms as the adrenaline started to work its way out of her body, being replaced by the reality that she had just sprinted five blocks carrying a ten year old boy while dragging his teenage sister along through dense crowds.

She let out shaky breath after shaky breath trying to regulate her own respiratory system. So much could have gone wrong so quickly. She hadn't relaxed for long when her ears registered muffled sobs and she turned to see Alice with her face buried in the couch.

"Alice." She slid her way over to the girl. Jane was surprised that not only did the girl let her wrap her arms around her, but she actually latched onto Jane tightly. "Oh, Ali, it's okay. Your brother's fine."

The girl eventually stopped crying but still held on to the assistant.

"Can you look at me?" The girl stubbornly shook her head and Jane chuckled as the girl dug her face deeper into Jane's blazer. "Come on." When the girl finally looked up, Jane wiped away her tears and looked at her with easy eyes. "You did good. Alright, Sunshine? You did real good."

The girl mumbled something and Jane strained to hear her.

"What?"

"You meant really, not real… you forgot about Mr. Adverb," she sniffled.

Jane rolled her eyes and squeezed Alice's shoulders tighter. "Fine… You did really good."

"Well, if you're going to correct it, Jane, you may as well use well, instead of good."

"Jeez, you are just like your mo- … Crap."

The teenager looked hesitantly at Jane as she released her and picked her phone up. "What is it?"

Jane sighed as she pushed speed dial number one and put the phone to her ear. "I have to call your mother."

By the time Maura rushed into the hotel suite, eyes darting searchingly from one area to the next, the scene looked a lot more critical than it actually was. When Jane had called her, she nearly made a scene of her own in the middle of the Q&A. She not so subtly ran out of the auditorium and badgered the cab driver to go faster the entire ride while praying that the phone conversation was all a joke and nothing was the matter. But from the ambulance parked out front to the medics looking over her son, there was no such luck.

"Jacob!"

Jane stood up and quickly intercepted her boss, who looked about ready to shove the paramedics out of her way. "Maura, he's fine. Just let them finish."

"What the hell happened?" Although the question was aimed at Jane, Maura's attention was on the boy breathing deeply in an out with a stethoscope held to his back.

Jane sighed. "We went out to get something to eat and I stepped away to answer a phone call, and I guess he had some of my margarita fries. But they had lime in them so…"

"What?"

"We rushed back here and gave him his shot… he's fine."

Maura shook her head, needing to see for herself. She crouched before her son and between the two medics. "Jacob, sweetie. Are you okay?" She ran her hands up and down his arms as the emergency medical response team packed their equipment away.

"Yeah, just tired," he answered softly.

"Ma'am," one of the medics spoke up, "he should be just fine. The treatment was administered just in time and he's showing no signs of anaphylactic shock." The worried woman didn't answer him. She continued to stare at her son. "Uhm, but anyway, it's nothing a little rehydration and some bed rest can't fix at this point."

Finally blinking back her tears, Maura stood and turned to the man speaking to her. She shook his hand and walked them to the elevator. "Thank you so much."

"No problem, Ma'am, but we didn't do much. If that EpiPen hadn't been administered before we got here, I don't know if we'd have made it to him before he passed out, which could have caused more complications."

She nodded her head silently before the elevator showed them out. She returned to the living room and glanced at her daughter, who had been standing in the corner since she arrived, before returning to her son.

Jane noticed Alice cringe out of the corner of her eye every time her mother looked over to her. The woman was now turning the boy around and around to see if he was okay.

"Mom, I told you I feel fine. I'm just a little tired."

"Are you sure, Jacob?"

"Ms. Isles, he's fine. The paramedics said we got him here in time to give him his shot."

Maura didn't respond to Jane as she looked him over once more. She gathered her son in her arms for a brief hug before sending him off to his bedroom then stood to face her daughter and her assistant. They all stood quietly until Maura turned to Alice.

"You let your brother have French fries with lime in them," she stated.

"Mom, I didn't even know they had lime in them."

"He wasn't even supposed to be eating them in the first place, Alice. You knew that!"

"But they weren't his. He..."

Jane stepped up to intervene. Alice was still a little shaken up and looked as if she was either going to faint or burst into tears. Tensions were too high at the moment.

"Ms. Isles, none of this was Alice's fault."

Maura turned her angry gaze to her assistant, who didn't shrink away like her daughter did. "Was it your fault then? Where were you while my child was choking? Off talking to someone else?"

Jane didn't let the implication of what Maura really meant by someone else slip past her, but at that moment it was neither here nor there. She understood that Maura was just running off of the fear from her child being in mortal danger while she was elsewhere.

Jane spoke carefully to let he truth of her words carry through. "It wasn't anyone's fault because it was an accident. These things happen."

Maura blinked as she rubbed her temples and seemed to regret her words. Jane was right. She looked back to Alice who had let a few silent tears flow down her cheeks. She didn't cover her guilt ridden face as she walked toward her daughter.

"Sweetheart, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to imply it was your fault. I just... I got really scared. If anything ever happened to either you or your brother..." She brushed the girl's hair behind her ear.

Alice nodded, understanding but still clearly shaken up. "It's okay, Mom."

Her mother leaned in and placed a kiss on the side of her head. The girl excused herself to go check on her brother, receiving a reassuring pat on the arm as she passed by Jane. Once they were alone, Jane took a few steps closer to her boss.

"I'm really sorry if I scared you over the phone. I just knew you'd want to be here."

"No, you did the right thing. Thank you, I..." She sighed.

"Don't mention it."

Maura sighed again and leaned against the arm of the large couch. "I did not handle that well at all."

"What, with Ali? She understands. She'll be fine."

The ripped up pieces of the EpiPen's packet still littered the floor, so Jane picked them up and rolled them into a ball in her hands. She cleared her throat and aimed the ball at a trash can. "Just so you know," she spoke up, "I had a little chat with Mrs. Jessica Wright and... she won't be bothering any of us anymore."

She was about to walk away and let her boss be alone when she heard a sniffle. Maura had both of her hands covering her face. The taller woman dropped her head and bit her lip. Wordlessly, she walked over to Maura and pulled her body into her own, Maura's head resting against her chest.

"Everyone is okay," she whispered into her blonde hair, "You're okay." How many times have I said that today?

"I'm sorry about just now. I didn't mean to imply anything," the blonde whispered in a surprisingly clear and steady voice.

"Yes, you did… but it's alright."

"I'm also sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have assumed you would ever do something like that with a married woman. I shouldn't have questioned your professionalism either. That was uncalled for and I didn't really mean it. I was just..."

Jane let her talk it out because she felt she deserved an apology, but when Maura trailed off, no more words were needed. "Apology accepted. It's moments like these that put life into perspective so I don't wanna talk about that anymore. By-gones, yeah?" Jane gave her one final squeeze before releasing her and leaning back. "Are you going to the evening lecture?"

Maura shook her head and wiped the moisture from her eyes. "No, I'm staying here with Jacob."

Jane slowly nodded her head. "Do you want me to go and take notes or anything?"

The shorter woman looked back at Jane as she took in her slightly ruffled, untucked shirt and wild hair. She looked exhausted. "You look like you just ran a marathon."

Jane gave the ghost of a smile as she looked down at herself. "How do you think we got here so fast? We ran."

"Jacob ran while experiencing hypnocapnia?" Maura lifted an alarmed eyebrow.

"Well, I kinda… you know," she mimicked hefting the boy onto her back and then dramatically running off with him. They both smiled at how absurd Jane looked as she demonstrated what she'd done. "...cave manned it outta there."

"Cave man Jane? It suites you," chuckled Maura at the thought while also feeling absolutely ridiculous with her make-up probably smudged from all the crying before.

Jane's own brief laughter slowed into a content smile as she gazed at her boss. Maura looked back at her a little confused. "What?" she asked self-consciously.

"Nothing, it's just…" Jane couldn't help but reach up and tuck a strand of hair behind Maura's ear. "It's just good to see you laughing," she shrugged. "You're beautiful when you smile."

Even though Jane had meant it innocently enough, something in the room definitely shifted with those words hanging in the air.

Maura looked up into Jane's shining brown eyes, mesmerized. She had missed this side to her assistant's personality that only came out when she wasn't guarded or mad at her, when she smiled that smile that sent Maura's heart into a frenzy. Before, when she didn't understand her own reaction to these little things, Maura had been confused and a little terrified, but now that she had put two and two together, she couldn't even pretend to fight it.

Before she could control them, her eyes dropped to the taller woman's lips and she stood up, winding up toe to toe with Jane. They were almost touching. "Just when I smile?" she whispered, still staring at the parted lips in front of her.

Jane could almost hear the thoughts coming from the woman facing her as she looked down at her, swallowing dryly. Her own mind went blank. Only when Maura gasped and locked onto her eyes did she realize that she had one hand on the shorter woman's hip. "Maura..." Jane breathed, surprised at the softness of her voice and the loudness of her own heartbeat.

The blonde answered with a gentle hand on Jane's chest while the other grabbed Jane's free hand that had been hanging limply by her side. "Yes, Jane?" she finally replied, feeling emboldened by the smouldering gaze aimed at her. Maura slowly guided the brunette's hand, placing it on the side of her skirt-covered thigh. Then she dragged it upwards, positioning it on her ass. All while keeping her hazel eyes fixed on chocolate brown orbs.

The fabric of Maura's skirt tickled Jane's palm but the thin barrier couldn't keep her from the heat of Maura's body. Her hand felt scorched. She almost moaned as her eyes slipped shut and she instinctually leaned forward, releasing a heavy breath. What the fuck is happening?

Maura could feel Jane's breath on her face. Jane's reaction sent a shiver across her spine.

"Shouldn't we..." Not even able to finish her sentence, Jane attempted to swallow again with no luck. Her hand travelled all the way up Maura's rear before her boss finally let it rest against her hip. She was out of breath – and she hadn't even done anything yet.

Unable to keep her hands to herself anymore, Maura grabbed Jane's shoulders first and then wove her fingers through her hair.

"Fuck," Jane shivered as she revelled in the feeling of fingers delicately massaging her scalp. Her own dug into Maura's hips, sending a jolt of electricity through Maura's body. Maura's own breathing picked up as she tilted her head back to face Jane, whose eyes were barely open but clearly fixed on her lips. She needed her touch.

"Jane, I want you to-"

"Mom!"

They sprang apart, Jane slamming into the bookshelf behind her. Feeling extremely disoriented, Jane swivelled around to make sure nothing fell out of the bookshelf. Maura behind her was just as unsettled.

"Y-Yes, Jacob?!"

"I'm thirsty," the boy yelled from his bedroom. "Can I have water please?"

Without another word, Maura entered the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She grabbed a bottle of water for her baby boy before deciding that she needed to calm down as well. She closed the door with two water bottles before turning around and stopping again.

Jane was leaning against the bookshelf with both of her hands in her hair, staring wide-eyed at the floor. Maura smiled at the sight and reopened the fridge, deciding she wasn't the only one in need of a cooling down. With three bottles in hand, she walked over to Jane and reached one out to her.

Jane's head snapped up and she didn't know what to say so she just took the offered water and mumbled a 'thanks'. She was about to apologize as well, but Maura didn't seem to regret the past few moments, as evidenced by her fond smile, so Jane relaxed too. She couldn't help watching as the woman started to walk away, enchanted by the view of where her hands were just moments ago. Jane immediately twisted off the cap and had three large gulps.

"Jane."

Nearly choking on her water, she swiftly looked up to Maura's face with apprehension.

"We'll talk later?"

No. I'd rather run. "Of course," she said instead.

Maura gave her a short, awkward nod before leaving to tend to her child's needs for the rest of the evening, while Jane was left to tend to her own lingering... needs. It didn't help much that her mind wouldn't let her compartmentalize the fact that her boss had literally come onto her and that she nearly kissed her in turn.

Later that night, Jane had a long, cold shower.

Shaking her head at the mess happening all around her, she reached for the soap. "Fuck. My. Life."

So... the cold shower theory? Totally bogus. It didn't help Jane at all last night. If it had, she wouldn't have spent the entirety of the next morning at the gym trying to work off all the excess tension still left in every fibre of her body. She wouldn't be surprised if everyone thought she was preparing for a triathlon at the rate she was going.

She was so wound up, she almost bit some poor woman's head off for making a pass at her at the treadmills. Jane was really not in the mood for more girl drama. Between her boss and Jessie, she thought it best to just leave the gym before more shots were fired.

When the elevator arrived on her floor, the assistant hastily put her sports jacket on, figuring it was best to cover up after last night's incident. She held the doors open for the room service delivery boy on his way out with an empty cart.

"Hi, Jane. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of ordering lunch for you."

Jane walked closer to the kitchen where all of the Isles' were having their meal. Not wanting to leave Jacob for the tour that morning, or for the midday lecture, Maura decided that they would do something less strenuous together. Hidden somewhere in her agenda was the desire to make sure he didn't eat anything that could endanger his life. Again.

"You ordered me lunch? Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"

Maura smiled and opened her mouth to say something she hoped would be witty, but was beat to it by her daughter.

"The correct response, Jane, is 'thank you'. Besides, she figured you were too busy working off the steroids you had for breakfast."

"And a very good afternoon to you too, Alice Grace Isles. Nice to see you're alive."

"It's not my fault you wake up at the butt crack of dawn."

"Did you really just say butt crack while I'm eating?" complained Jacob as he let his grilled cheese slip back onto the plate.

"Oh, grow up," retorted his big sister with a very mature eye roll.

"Why don't you grow up!"

So things were pretty much back to normal. Jane laughed as the attention was drawn away from her to Alice's brother and they bickered back and forth. She tossed a glance at Maura, whose gaze caught and kept her attention. The woman seemed to be trying to communicate something with her eyes alone as she looked up from under hooded eyelashes. Jane couldn't quite understand the message, but whatever it was made her shift uncomfortably.

Maura finally gave up and turned to her kids. "Would you two stop it? I know this isn't much of a vacation, but can't you pretend that you like each other, at least for my sake?"

"Like each other?" Jacob suddenly sprang up out of his seat and ran over to his sister. "I looove Alice." He reached up grabbing her face and planting wet, loud kisses all over it.

"Oh my God, Jake! Stop!" she squealed, although she was also laughing as she tried to get away from him. The two older women laughed along as Alice finally managed to escape, running down the hall with her brother right behind her screaming "Let me love you!"

"I swear, your kids are the funniest people I've ever met, Maur."

Maura had that look again. "Maur?" the architect asked hopefully.

"Yeah…" Jane shrugged, testing the waters. "Maur." Jane watched her boss bite her lip and walk around the counter, stopping in front of her.

"You don't usually wear a jacket after you work out," she commented.

"I, hm... I guess I got cold?"

Maura chuckled and reached up to drag the zipper down. Her assistant swallowed loudly as the cool air of the room greeted the glistening tanned skin of her bare midsection, visible below her sports bra. Maura's eyes greedily took every inch in of the tanned skin. She smoothed her hands down the toned muscles of Jane's exposed abs and couldn't help a small moan that escaped. God she feels so good.

Convinced that no 'talking' would come out of this moment, Jane removed her boss's hand before they got too close to the top of her shorts, then nearly tripped over the stool behind her trying to back up. "I'm gonna- I'm gonna, uh... go take a… a… shower? Yeah, a shower. You know, before the, uh, thing tonight."

Maura knowingly nodded at her stuttering assistant who couldn't seem to stop talking.

"You should take one too. Uh, I mean- Not that you stink or anything! Just… if… uhm… I mean, not uhm… but shower, yeah?"

Jane nearly sprinted down the hall and into her bedroom. Maura smirked to herself as she walked to her bedroom to get ready for the banquet. After seeing what was under Jane's sports jacket, a shower wasn't the worst idea.

Alice stopped mid-stride when she heard a loud thump, followed by a mumbled curse she wouldn't repeat in polite company, coming from the room she was passing. She quietly crept closer, putting her ear to the door, and listened.

"How do girls do this shit every freakin' day?"

She heard the heavy footsteps coming towards the door but wasn't quick enough to pull back before it swung open to reveal a disgruntled Jane Rizzoli. She gasped and jumped back before they collided.

"Alice? What are you doing?"

"Uh... Well, I thought maybe you'd passed out in there trying to put on a dress or something, you know, because we all know how much you love dresses."

The woman looked off for a second before looking back at her. "You know, that wasn't that funny this time."

"Yeah, I know."

"Okay… I was actually about to come looking for you. I need your help with something."

"Really?" Alice stepped back with a smug look on her face and crossed her arms. "And what could I possibly help you with."

"Well, you know your Mom's got that thing tonight, right?"

"The banquet, yes?"

"Yeah, the banquet. I'm going too and I kinda need to not look like this just for tonight."

"I don't follow. You want me to call your fairy godmother?"

Jane groaned then mumbled her response, looking down and rubbing the back of her neck over and over.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Hair! I need you to help me with my hair."

The teenager automatically looked up to the mangled hair. She clicked her tongue with a frightened look. "You mean your mane?"

"Alice." Jane huffed as she grabbed the girl's hand and yanked her into the room before shutting the door behind them. The girl laughed and followed Jane to the vanity where she only had a straightener and a comb.

"This is it…? This is all you have? For all of that?"

Jane looked up with complete innocence and naïveté. "What else do I need?"

"Oh, Jane," she placed her hands on Jane's shoulders and looked at her through the mirror. "Don't move. I'll be right back."

Five minutes later, Jane was pretty adamant that Alice had run for the hills, never to return. She finally picked up the hair straightener and was about to attempt using it again when she heard a voice behind her.

"Don't. You dare."

The mirror reflected Alice bumbling up to her with a hair dryer, and an arm laden with hair products she'd never even seen before.

"Alice, I'm not freakin' Chubaka. And why do you need a hair dryer? My hair isn't even wet."

"Would you just trust me? I know what I'm doing."

Jane sat back in her chair as Alice started the dryer and began to comb through her hair. She was finally starting to relax when she heard the girl shouting over the dryer.

"Oh, and Jane!" the hair dryer stopped and Ali looked at her in the mirror. "This doesn't mean we're friends."

Jane quirked a brow.

"Even though you did totally save my brother's life and everything... Which was awesome, or whatever, because you're on, like, steroids and stuff..." she rolled her eyes and sighed. "We're not friends though."

The brunette couldn't contain her smile as the girl started the dryer again and went to work on her hair.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Sunshine!"