DISCLAIMER: I do not own this show, the books, or these characters. I only borrow them.

Chapter 9

Detective Frost noticed Dr. Isles' black Lexus when he pulled into the parking garage after his late lunch break. It was odd seeing her car in it's normal spot after the last few days of its remaining empty as she was at the hospital. She would come in to the morgue only when a colleague needed an expert opinion of an unusual finding in an autopsy. He decided to see if there was anything pressing at his desk and then go down to see the lovely doctor. He noticed the quietness first as he approached his desk and then the somber look on Korsak's face.

"Rizzoli had to go back into surgery. She tore some stitches trying to get out of bed." Korsak chuckled trying to lighten the mood even though it sounded forced to both of them. "You know Jane, she hates sitting still."

The precinct didn't know about Frankie yet as the family almost wanted to guard that information as they were again worried they might be burying two children. It was easier focusing on the one still struggling to survive. It would be hard to ask her fellow officers to keep her in their thoughts and not overlook her if they were all worked up over a dead officer.

"Crap, how are Mr. and Mrs. Rizzoli holding up?" Frost wondered as he seemed to bonelessly fall into his chair.

"Struggling, as any parents would be. But they are holding together better then I would." Korsak thought about his daughter who only seemed to pop back into the picture when she needed something, and thought that actually he would probably fare better as the distance between them would help dull the pain slightly of the fear of losing his only child.

Frost looked up at Korsak wryly, thinking along similar thoughts as the older detective. "I wonder if Maura knows? I should go tell her." He said this but he still sat slumped in his chair looking a bit defeated.

"Shit, she's here?" And in one of his nicer moves, Korsak stood up and started walking toward the elevators, "I'll tell her. I talked to Mrs. Rizzoli, so if she wants to know all the technical terms...well... I at least heard them to be able to butcher them."

It was a usual sight he saw when he stepped into the morgue. Dr. Maura Isles leaning over a decomposing body with her arms literally shoved elbow deep in his innards. Her assistant was the first to notice the detective, and Maura's focus was pulled back to the land of the living when he failed to take the enlarged liver she was trying to hand over so he could weigh it. She looked up and then followed Yoshima's gaze to the overweight man in her doorway. "If Mr. Doland is one of your cases you'll have to wait for your report, as you can see I'm not finished with the examination yet." Her tone was all business.

Korsak's tone was anything but as he coughed and sputtered, "Can I speak with you, Doc?"

Her dry, non-personal tone that had even him calling her 'The Queen of the Dead' once was back full force. "It looks like you can, as you are. What do you want detective?" She continued to excise organs as her focus was mainly back on the corpse.

"I take it you already know then...about Rizzoli?" It was the only reason he could think of for her mannerisms to have reverted so much.

Maura took a deep breath and asked Yoshima quietly to take over and to get Dr. Bristol's help if he needed it. She stripped away the bloodied and fluid covered gloves as she walked toward Korsak. She continued past him, dropping the gloves and other splattered garments in the red biohazard container as she walked out the door.

Vince lumbered after her. Shit, it seemed like she had no clue what he was talking about and he hated this part of his job. He didn't want to have to tell her that her friend and colleague was back in surgery. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her say a quiet "Yes, I know," as she walked into her office.

"Oh, that's a relief," Maura kept the cold exterior mask up but she wanted to yell and scream. Ask what was the relief about a senseless death. "I didn't want to have to be the one to tell you. But it's just a simple surgery her mom said." For a brief second she hoped that she left too soon. She had seen a person be given a time of death and then survive. She herself had called time of death on an elderly lady during her ICU rotation before the woman breathed her last rattling breath. But then her mind focused in on one tiny word, one little pronoun that said it all...her. She did leave the hospital too soon, but not for the reason she had hoped. She interjected before Korsak could say anything else, "wait, her...what happened?"

He wanted to joke finally about knowing something that the doc didn't, but the serious look on her face snuffed that amusing thought out. "Her mom said she tore some stitches trying to get out of bed. You know Jane."

Yes, she did know Jane Rizzoli. She hated being cooped up, but more than that, she would fight with everything she had in her to try and help a loved one...and that's just what she did earlier today as Maura looked on stunned. "That would make sense. She was fighting pretty hard to get out of bed."

Korsak chuckled, not yet knowing why Jane struggled so fiercely, "she wanted to finally use the toilet and not piss in a bag huh." He wished he had kept his mouth shut as Maura's dark forbidding gaze looked onto his eyes.

"She wanted to get to her brother." Her gaze told him not to joke about the world wars he had seen erupt between Jane and her brothers. "He coded." She took a deep breath. "He didn't make it."

The silence was overpowering until Korsak yelled, "Shit!" and slammed his fist down on the doctor's desk. Any other time Maura would have given him what for, but she was trying so hard herself to hold it together. For about 5 minutes they sat in silence, in their own thoughts. Maura thinking she should have stayed at the hospital for her friend and her friend's parents; Korsak wondering what he could do for either the doctor in front of him or for his old partner. "After my shift, I think I'll drag Frost to the hospital to see how our partner is." He would always think of Jane as his partner even now that she had a new one.

"Tell Frank and Angela that I'm sorry for leaving. I was called in to help out on a complicated case." Korsak knew that Mr. Doland was nowhere near being a complicated case. There was something bugging him about the situation, something not sitting right, and maybe in other circumstances he would have used his detective skills to try to determine what was up with this new, more stoic version of Dr. Isles. Maybe it was just fatigue...they were all so tired of the horrible crimes they saw daily and were now living.

"Will do, Doc." Korsak left Maura behind in her office. He missed seeing her close her eyes tightly to try and keep the emotions bottled up with her tears. He missed seeing a lone tear streak down her cheek. He missed seeing the heartbroken women and not the stoic doctor as she gazed at the far wall, not seeing anything as her brain was playing happier images from the past.

Within two hours, Maura found herself back in her car and making the short drive to the hospital. She looked out at the sun peaking out between a couple fluffy cumulus clouds. Nature seemed to be reminding her that everything moved on: time, storms, and sadly even people. She wished to ignore what was staring her in the face. She didn't want to move on.

The scene in the hospital confused the topic even more as she seemed to step back in time. Again she found herself in the same waiting room with Angela and Frank Rizzoli. However she had to remind herself that she was not going to be hearing the doctors come in with good news about Frankie this time. And even though the couple found themselves sitting on the same love seat, clutching the other's hand, there was a much greater sense of sadness around them this time mixed in with the ever present worry. They both looked up as Maura entered the room, glad to see the familiar face, but wishing that it would have been news about their daughter being moved into a room...hopefully a different one.

Maura felt like the proverbial deer in the headlights as the pair stared at her. She tried not to fidget as she nearly told an outright lied, "Sorry, I was needed to help out on a complicated case. I came back as soon as I could." Well, it was a complicated case to her... complicated because her mind did not want to focus totally on it. Granted maybe she didn't find herself passing out from the lie because her mind was too numb to be able to realize it. At least the last line wasn't a twisted lie at all. Even now she had to force herself to walk back in the hospital and into this room as her heart literally wasn't here anymore.

Neither of them called her on it. Both understood the need to get a bit of space from the overwhelming sorrow. Frank still didn't know whether to ask her about his suspicions that she and Frankie were a couple. He wanted to give her some comfort, but he was never great at physically showing what he felt, so he just gave Maura a gentle squeeze to her shoulder and said nothing.

Oddly that bit of comfort was almost Maura's undoing. She'd been hiding from her emotions all day. She wasn't used to any real show of comfort from her parents growing up. At home they were too busy, and in public it was unseemly. Frankie had learned the hard way that she wasn't used to physical shows of affection, but he didn't let her tensing up at his hugs stop him from giving them. He just learned to hug her longer to let her relax, and he didn't seem to mind those cuddles at all. But there would be no more hugs or cuddles.

Jane's parents had already seen their daughter in recovery, but they suggested that Maura should go say hi. So once again Maura found herself being led into the Surgical ICU. She caught herself looking in at the second bed on the right, wishing she might still be back a few days before and see Frankie laying there. Instead she saw an elderly lady with a breathing mask over her mouth and nose. The pallor of her skin let Maura know that the situation for her was grave. On one hand she hoped the old lady had some loved ones around to help comfort her last moments, but she also knew what that loss of life would mean to a family now more then ever. It was odd that she was getting tired of seeing death today when that was what she did for a living.

Maura stepped into the curtained off cubicle to see Jane. She stood there not knowing what to do as Jane's eyes started to flutter open.

Jane struggled to open her eyes. Her eyelids seemed to be glued together based on the amount of effort it took to even open her eyes up enough to squint. She woke up n major pain. She was glad there was not a tube shoved down her throat this time; she was able to lick her lips to try and relieve the cracked, dry lips even though she remembered once when Maura told her that licking your lips actually chapped them more in the long run which always seemed so backwards to her. Think of the devil, she thought as she gazed up into the strained face of her friend. "Frankie," her voice was much deeper then her normal timbre.

Maura heard Jane say her brother's name. It wasn't a question asking how he was, but more a statement of loss, and Maura could hear the pain etched in that one word. She grabbed hold of Jane's hand and gave it a sympathetic squeeze.

Jane clutched at the hand as if it was her own lifeline. "Promise me something...promise me you will do Frankie's autopsy or at least oversee it...Please." She knew all of the men and women who worked in the Medical Examiners Office, and, even though she respected them all professionally, she still wanted the best for her baby brother.

The voice was so low that Maura had to lean over the bed rail to hear the words, granted she tried not to pull back as if burned when she heard Jane's request. Maura understood the request even though she wished Jane would ask anything else of her but that. She remembered Jane's disgust over 'The Dominator' case. Not only because it brought Charles Hoyt back out into the forefront of another investigation of Jane's, but also because she learned the repulsive fact that some who worked on the dead did so because they were necrophiliacs. "I promise."

Hearing the answer, Jane almost immediately went limp. The grip loosened and a sad smile came to her face, "Thanks." She was glad that she knew her brother would be taken care of. She knew that Maura didn't take a promise she made lightly, nor could she lie convincingly as she remembered trying to get her to lie once. Luckily it was that fun memory that played in her thoughts as sleep pulled her under, rather then the depressing moments of watching her brother die.

~ 7 weeks ago ~

The case was a harrowing one, but at least it was finally closed and the perp was locked up behind bars where he couldn't harm any more pregnant women. Both Maura and Jane were rung out and so needed the drinks that were being brought to their booth. Jane got her usual Samuel Adams, while Maura decided to get a Cosmopolitan.

The drinks were set down in front of them. Jane took a hearty gulp of hers while Maura took a satisfying sip of her pink, fruity cocktail. "Come on. Lying is often a necessary skill. Let's try for a small one. Say you're drinking a beer." Jane coached her friend. Working homicide cases taught her that lying was often needed to break down the suspect into confessing as they were needed in the case a couple months ago of the step-mother poisoning the teenage boy with monkshood.

Maura didn't want to play Jane's game, but Jane wouldn't let up and kept badgering for Maura to say she was drinking a beer. "Fine," Maura huffed out in growing annoyance, "I'm drinking be..." Her breath started coming a bit faster.

"Beer...say it with me, Maura, Beeeeer." Jane was trying not to chortle at her friend's struggle.

"Beer. See I can say it." Maura smiled, pleased with herself.

"You said the word, congratulations. Now say 'I'm drinking beer.'" Jane knew by now how Maura's brain worked enough to know she would even nitpick in her reasoning of what was a lie.

Maura rolled her eyes. "I'm drinkng bee..." Jane started laughing until Maura stole her drink and took a large swallow. Maura's voice was husky as she finally was able to spit out, "I'm drinking beer. Whoa, that stuff is strong." Jane's laughter just got louder as she shook her head at her friends' antics.

Maura's voice was husky as she squeezed Jane's hand one last time and told the silent room, "I promise."

Maura slowly walked back down the hall to the waiting area. She thought about what the promise she made to Jane would fully mean and for once was not looking forward to going into work the next day. She stepped back into the waiting area and toward the couple rather than taking a chair. "Jane woke up long enough to ask me to...um, do her a favor. I just wanted to make sure you'd be okay tonight by yourself?... Or I could stay if you want." She heard the slight tremble to her voice and swallowed down her sadness and fear.

The parents knew their daughter and knew what Dr. Isles did for the Boston Police Department, so it was easy for them to figure out what that favor was. "We'll be fine. Go get some sleep so you can be well rested to help Janie out." Angela tried not to cry as she thought of her son being cut open. She stood up and gave the women a warm hug in gratitude for all that she had done lately and would continue to do for her family.

"I'll be back tomorrow night so you both can get some sleep, too. Or if you need it earlier, the room is still booked for the next two days." She pushed herself out of the hug and stood up ramrod straight as she collected her bearings enough to fully grasp what her 'future' with Frankie would now entail. She nodded to Frank, and then turned to walk back out to her car.

She thought briefly about driving home and sleeping in her own comfortable bed that night, but she didn't want to see the empty room and think about the times she shared with Frankie there. Plus, while she knew that Frankie was beyond feeling, she felt odd sleeping and then waking up in a warm, comfortable bed knowing that he would never wake up again and was laying on a hard, metal slab in a freezer.

So once again she found herself pulling into her spot near the morgue entrance. She pulled out her keys before walking through the dimly lit garage. Before her thoughts had been on wondering why the garage at police headquarters would not be better lit, but today her thoughts were too jumbled to care. She fumbled with the keys, trying to get her brain focused enough to remember how to turn the keys in the lock. Soon she found herself entering the freezer and finding the covered shape marked with the toe tag to let her know that the body was that of Frank Rizzoli, Jr. She stared at the sheet covered body and couldn't bring herself to pull the corner of the sheet back to see the face that she loved or the glazed eyes that had often looked on her lovingly. She knew she would see more of the body than she might ever want tomorrow, and should at least try to rest so she could do her best for his parents, for Jane, for herself, but ultimately for Frankie's memory.

Maura left the autopsy suite and wandered down the hallway to her office. She didn't bother to turn on the bright, cheery light...she wasn't in the mood, and the darkness seemed to suit her much better that night. She stubbed her toe on the table as she felt her way to the couch. She thought about swearing, but the small pain helped remind her that she was at least the lucky one as she was still alive for her nerves to signal her brain. She finally reached the couch, and she fell into and curled up in the corner, clutching the small pillow tightly to her chest.

'The Queen of the Dead,' that's what many called her, and she let her mind ponder over those hurtful words as never before. She hated that kingdom of moroseness that she ruled over and wished that she wasn't that self-raised Queen of the Dead. The land she ruled had never seemed so desolate and sad until now...until someone from the Land of the Living not only found a way past the land boundaries, but had then also pierced the walls that she had so carefully constructed around her most treasured possessions: her heart, mind, and soul. But maybe that interloper was in her realm for too long. Maybe anyone venturing in would slowly become a part of her world...an army of corpses to keep out the army of living invaders. With that final thought before she fell into Morpheus's realm, she refortified her walls and barricaded herself in her erected mental tower. And she vowed never to let another soul be hurt within her tiny kingdom...herself or another.

AN: As for the drink choices, they are some of their favorites in the books as I try to pull in as much book stuff as I can. Assuming that the main reason Jane picked the lighter beer in the show was to try and pass it off as champagne because you really can't pass the dark stuff off as anything other then beer.

Let me know if I should continue this story. I have lots of ideas but it could be cleanly ended as this ties in to the first chapter with why Maura felt compelled to try and perform the autopsy. Also Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who celebrates it.