This story will begin unravelling but it's all a bit of a mystery to the characters so it needs time to unravel, stick with it tho, all will soon make sense :)

If you like this check out my other stories :)

There is another round of Rizzles fanfic competition...hint hint ;)

Maura made a quick pit stop before heading to the precinct, it would take a while for the body to arrive and she wanted to check on Constance. Her mother lay weak and frail in the large hospital bed, it was an odd sight to see such a commanding woman in that way, almost like she had shrunk. Maura was given a brief overview of her condition, she was recovering well and would be out within a matter of days. Satisfied, Maura began to leave the hospital when her thoughts turned to Paddy Doyle. Hope. That was what he had said. Maura didn't understand what did he hope for? Her forgiveness? Her love? She found herself wandering to his room. He still hadn't woken up and the machines around him gave off a steady rhythm of bleeps. She searched his still face looking, searching for some kind of answer but none came.

Jane sulkily walked into the precinct cafe and was immediately bombarded by her Ma. The older woman wrapped her arms around the detective and squeezed her tightly. "Ugh! Ma!" Jane pulled a face as her Ma looked at her with compassion glowing in her eyes. Jane gestured to the coffee pot as she felt a lump growing in her throat. Do not cry Rizzoli!

Maura turned into the cafe and span on her heels as soon as she saw the dark unruly curls in front of her, she sped as quickly as she could toward the elevator pretending she couldn't hear Angela calling her name. She stood tall waiting for the lift praying she wouldn't hear those all too familiar footsteps behind her. As she stepped into the elevator and the doors closed she sighed in relief and her body sagged with the heavy emotions she was carrying.

Jane knew exactly who had walked in and straight back out of the cafe, she didn't even need to see the hope on her Ma's face followed by the sadness, she knew by the light clicking of heels. The tumultuous emotions inside her were battling with one another; she wanted to be mad at her, knowing full well she did what was right. There was the sadness that Maura couldn't stand to be in the same room, she would prefer her to scream and shout instead of the avoidance and silence. She hated that she was the cause of Maura's sadness and distress. She dearly missed her best friend but she was damned if she was going chasing after her - they had both done wrong.

Whenever Maura wore her black scrubs she felt a sense of calm fall over her, this was her job, what she was good at and it helped her to focus on the task in hand rather than what was plaguing her brain. She set out all her autopsy instruments neatly and took a deep breath. Some medical examiners liked to listen to music during their work but she had never felt the urge to. She usually had Jane down here pestering her to guess the COD before she had even begun, she smiled fondly at the thought and sighed sadly, she wouldn't have that today. She almost wanted to call Jane down but knew they would just end up in another argument. She clicked on the radio and began bobbing her head to the music, appreciating the ebb and flow of the composition. It wasn't until a minute or two into the song she realised it was Yo Yo Ma. The memory of Jane's teasing was too much for her so she turned it off sadly.

Jane was pacing around the bull pen like a caged animal, she wasn't used to being idle whilst waiting for the lab results and autopsy, she was usually down there hounding Maura for answers. Frost was tracing records of the victim's nearest and dearest and Korsak was out interviewing potential witnesses. Jane chewed on her thumb as she paced back and forth. She kept checking her phone and refreshing her emails hoping and praying there would be something to keep her mind occupied. As she checked her phone she brought up the photo she took of the unusual ugly flower. Why leave that under the body?

Maura held the scalpel as if it was an extension of her own body, she felt complete and her mind cleared. She angled the scalpel down and pressed into the flesh just about to begin the Y incision when she was startled as the doors to the morgue flew open and banged against the wall. She nicked her finger with the sharp scalpel and blood oozed underneath the torn surgical glove. She hissed and rushed over to the sink being careful not to contaminate the body.

Jane sat at her desk staring at the blank Google screen in front of her. Titan...titan arm... with a frustrated growl she threw her arms up in the air. Why didn't you listen to her?! She ran her hands over her face. Because I was worried about her, she was sick. Maura is never sick. She felt the worry sitting heavy in her stomach. She stood up hurriedly, grabbed her phone and walked determinedly to the elevator. It wasn't until the doors opened downstairs that the nerves fluttered around the detective's body. She took a shaky deep breath and gave a small firm nod. You have every right to be there. You need to solve this case, no time to waste. She burst into the morgue with more vigour that she intended and slammed the doors open. She winced as Maura rushed over to the sink cradling her hand.

Despite missing the footsteps out of the elevator Maura did not fail to recognise them walking up behind her. The familiar scent of her best friend felt warm and comforting as it surrounded her and she glowed in spite of herself as Jane took her injured hand in her own scarred palm.

"Shit, Maur I'm sorry."

Maura heard the emotion in the husky voice and it had an immediate effect on her, tears formed, a lump in her throat grew and her chin wobbled dangerously. She admonished herself silently and removed her hand from Jane's, heading to the first aid box to find suitable covering for her wound.

As Maura snatched her hand back Jane cursed inwardly. Nice one Rizzoli, you've managed to piss her off even more! She watched in silence as Maura bound her small wound and snapped on another glove. Jane could read the silence and tension all too well. She didn't even tell me off for cursing. Maura walked back to the body and Jane sighed. Down to business. She went and stood in her usual position across from Maura and focused her attention at the body, not daring to look at her best friend.

Maura continued with the autopsy in silence, much to her surprise Jane didn't interrupt or speak once. Maura felt guilt nagging at her, after all Jane was only being caring and kind, she reacted badly to it. She felt awful but not hearing the footsteps as usual had just highlighted just how unlike herself she was feeling.

Maura was rifling through the victim's stomach contents and Jane couldn't help but smile a little as she remembered Maura revealing to her that it was her favourite part of the autopsy. She peered over a little more to see what the ME had found.

Maura sensed the shift in Jane's posture and quickly glanced up, Jane was leaning so far over the body her unruly dark hair was about to dip into the cavity. Maura suppressed a small giggle and that caught Jane's attention. The chocolate eyes frowned at the sudden change in mood and Maura simply gestured with her eyes and Jane looked down.

Jane jumped back and gave a little shudder; her hair had almost been touching the gross stuff inside the dead guy. It was worth it, however, when she looked up and saw the small smile on Maura's face and she beamed back.

Maura held up something she had found in the stomach and Jane moved around to stand next to her. Maura stiffened as Jane's hand found her lower back as it so often did. Jane must have felt her posture change and quickly removed the hand with an apologetic look. Maura was torn, things were beginning to feel normal again but she just couldn't forgive Jane for what she had done, not yet, not while Paddy was still in such a critical condition. She focused her attentions on the fragment held in her tweezers and turned to Jane.

Jane frowned at the unrecognisable morsel held between Maura's tweezers "What?" she shrugged at the medical examiner who put it down and began gently tearing the item apart.

"Sausage!"

Maura sounded so excited by the prospect of finding a small piece of sausage that Jane let out a chuckle. Maura met her gaze with a disapproving look that Jane simply grinned at. This is more like it.

"If it is an unusual composition we may be able to trace the source."

"And if not, we know he liked sausages!"

Maura shook her head at Jane's standard sarcastic retort to her findings. She returned to the rest of the stomach and held it up to her face and took a large inhale of the scent. She frowned and held it up to Jane's nose. The detective took a begrudging sniff and frowned at her.

"What is that? Bread?"

Maura shook her head and inhaled again, she could see why Jane identified it as bread, there was a yeasty quality to it, but it was more of a bitter smell than bread. Maura looked at the detective with narrowed eyes as a thought occurred to her. "What is that dark beer you insisted everybody drink last March?" Jane stared at her blankly. "The one Detective Frost vomited back up in a black sticky mess and Sergeant Korsak refused to take off that ridiculous oversized hat?"

Jane laughed as the memory rushed back to her and then frowned as she realised what the scent from the stomach contents was, she smelled it again and clapped at the ME "Guinness!"

Maura smiled as they deduced the heady aroma and nodded happily. The morgue doors opened again and Maura looked up smiling "Ah Senior Criminologist Chang, I'd like a full tox screen, we have reason to believe he may have been drinking quite heavily." Susie nodded and left again.

Jane turned to Maura who was carefully removing the glove from her injured hand "Hey, you know any more about this yet?" she held up her phone showing the photo of the odd plant.

Maura dropped her glove as she frowned at the photo and felt that same dread lying heavy in her stomach, she shook her head "Not yet, I will do some research now I have completed the autopsy, it is very rare though, I do not think you will have trouble tracking where it came from." The ME bent down to retrieve the glove when her head swooned and she stumbled.

Jane managed to catch Maura before she fell over again and helped her into a chair. She lifted the ME's chin and frowned as she had paled dramatically again "Maybe you should go home Maur, you don't look so hot."

Maura attempted a weak smile "Why thank you (!) Where's Giovanni when you need him?"

Jane laughed loudly "Was that a joke?"

Maura laughed with her and felt the uneasiness float away as their teasing banter began again. Her phone began to ring and Jane raced to retrieve it so as Maura didn't have to move again. Maura smiled gratefully as she answered the phone "Doctor Isles."

Jane felt happiness began to flow around her body again; Maybe we're not totally broken. Her cheerfulness began to wane however as she watched the medical examiner's face drop and she paled again.

Maura jumped out of her seat as she hung up the phone and raced out of the morgue into her office. She heard the familiar footsteps keeping up with her, she snatched up her belongings and turned to flee her office when she collided with Jane in her doorway.

"Whoa! Where's the fire Maur?" Jane gasped as Maura's eyes were fiery again and all the humour had gone from her face.

"Get out of my way." Maura's voice was humourless and she huffed as Jane stood her ground.

"Not until you tell me what's going on Maur."

"My father has been rushed into surgery again."

Maura forcefully pushed past Jane and rushed to the elevator. Jane watched her go and felt her stomach sink and nausea rose. Guilt consumed her as she thought about the possible consequences and all she could think of was that phrasing; My father. Jane ran her hands through her hair as she sighed heavily. My father.