A/N: Another chapter! I'm shocking myself here. Don't get used to it!
This story isn't beta'd, because I'm too lazy to bother. So all mistakes are my own! Point 'em out if you see them…I may just go back and fix if I feel like it. Did I mention I was lazy?
Once again, feedback is always appreciated. Just like to know how I'm doing!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any thing...I'm just borrowing for a while, and promise to return everything unharmed when I'm done!
Maura was sitting in her office completing some paperwork. She found it increasingly difficult to focus on completing the report she was typing up. The normally collected M.E. had a lot of thoughts racing through her head at the moment, and they were making her concentration slide.
She was worried about Tommy, Frost and TJ after the building collapse. Angela Rizzoli living in her guest house hadn't made that any easier. She had endured constant health updates on Angela's son and grandson in the past few days. She briefly considered changing the door locks just to get some peace and quiet, but decided it wouldn't be acting in a manner becoming a good hostess.
She was going over her most recent conversations with Hope about donating her kidney. She was still torn over her decision, even though she had consented to help. She still resented the fact her biological family had basically disowned her, only for Hope to crawl back begging her for help to save 'her daughter'. Maura snorted aloud to herself. It was almost amusing, if one was in a Greek tragedy.
She was concerned for the wellbeing of her best friend Jane. Jane's current love interest, Casey, was leaving to undergo a particularly risky surgery on his spinal cord to remove shrapnel, in the hopes of regaining the ability to walk again fully. He refused to tell Jane anything about the procedure and tried, once again, to push her away. Jane, as stubborn as she is, wouldn't really listen to Maura about what the surgery entailed, but finally went to confront Casey. From the somewhat brief conversations she'd had with Jane since that event, it seemed that it didn't go so well. Jane was wallowing in pity and despair about the events, her love life and Casey.
Maura desperately wished there was some way to help Jane. She wanted to plan a day for the two of them when this case was over to help Jane unwind. Jane had so much going on at the moment, and Maura just knew her friend would not have been sleeping properly, or eating decent, nutritious meals. Maura considered a spa day again. Jane had looked so very cute while pretending to be upset about soaking in the mud.
"Cute?" Maura said to herself. When had she started thinking of Jane as cute?
"What's cute?" Susie Chang stood in the doorway of Maura's office, folder in one hand.
"I, er…that is…" Maura thought fast. "Shoes! Yes…online shoe shopping…the new Louboutin range is incredibly cute!" Maura fought to keep her hands from her neck and chest as she felt the itch of hives coming on.
"Surprised you even found the time! Well, results are back from particulates on the double homicide. I thought you'd want them immediately." Maura smiled gratefully.
"Thank you, Senior Criminalist Chang. Outstanding work, as always." Susie actually blushed slightly.
"Thank you, Dr. Isles. That…means a lot. Well, I'll let you get back to work." Susie took a few steps into the office and placed the folder into Maura's hand, and then backed out slowly, smiling the entire time. Maura sighed and opened the folder as soon as the room was clear. She was engrossed in reading the results when a knock at the door way came,
"Susie, I…" Maura trailed off and realised she was staring into the chocolate-brown eyes of Jane Rizzoli.