Jane looked up from her desk and smiled. "Hey."

Maura had just strutted into the bullpen clad in a form fitting navy blue dress with a high neck line and her black Manolo Bahnik heels. Her beige handbag hung securely at the crooks of her elbow on her left arm. "Detectives." She smiled at Vince and Frankie before turning to Jane. "It's Wednesday."

Jane nodded slowly. "It is." Was there really no uniform policy for the Chief Medical Examiner's office? Not that she was complaining but Maura looked especially… Jane blinked when she realized she had spaced out and someone had been speaking to her. "Huh?"

Maura hated having to repeat herself. "You said we'd have lunch today and look into that thing at BCU with me."

Jane glanced at the time and looked over to Vince who nodded. "Uh, yeah. Okay." She stood and grabbed her blazer off the back of her chair. "You copying me?" She motioned to her navy blue v-neck she had worn today.

Maura shook her head. "This is hardly the same pallet." She waved to Frankie and Vince.

"It's blue." Jane shook her head. "Back in an hour, Korsak."

"This is more of a Presidential Blue while yours boarders Imperial, they're very different, Jane."

"Blue is blue, Maura."

"You're wrong."

They could be heard until the elevator doors right outside the bullpen were heard closing.

##

"Okay so you don't have a name." Jane reviewed as she pulled into faculty parking.

"No."

"You don't know what grade, major, or if he even goes to this school?" Maura gave her a look. "You asked for my help, Maura."

"I have a distinct feeling you're only doing this to humor me."

Jane found a parking spot and pulled in easily. "I am, but you said you had a bad feeling, I just have to look at this like a cop and not a…friend." She turned the car off. "Y'know technically I can't even be on these grounds unless it's an emergency. We have to check in with school safety usually."

"I know it sounds silly—"

"It doesn't." Jane nodded. "Following your gut y'know it's important to know how to do. Especially in situations like this."

Maura nodded. "Yes, but to assume an escalation to violence is quite extreme, I recognize that."

"I always said I wanted to sit in on one of your classes and throw spit balls."

Maura sent her an amused look as she unbuckled her seat belt. "I won't be lecturing today but I would like that someday."

Jane slipped on her aviators as she got out of the driver's seat. The day was cold but bright; the sun casted an almost violating ray of light onto everything on campus. Jane looked about before closing the car door. "You'll know him if you see him?"

"Yes." Maura walked around the car and touched Jane's arm to get her attention. "That's the Science and Medicine building there." She pointed. "Geometrically stunning don't you think?"

"Blackwell." Jane read the large silver letters at its front face.

"After Elizabeth Blackwell. The first woman to graduate from medial school in the United States. The interior is said to resemble the womb."

Jane nodded. "That's…nice?"

"The architectural work was done by Carlos Piani, an orphan. It's actually quite poetic."

"You know this just because?"

Maura shook her head. "Oh no, years ago NEMO partnered with PUKE and submitted a substantial donation. With the donation you got to submit an image of your medical team. I'll show you when we go into the lobby."

"That was an actual sentence that came out of your mouth? NEMO partnered with PUKE?"

Maura merely shook her head. "Professor Erin Dooley is my counterpart, after speaking with her yesterday she mentioned having a similar experience with someone who matched the same description."

Jane nodded and motioned for Maura to lead the way. "Suspicious you said?"

The two began their way up a gentle slope on a narrow path of bricked cement. They brushed elbows with students and faculty in the middle of switching classes or meeting up for lunch with friends. Jane watched their faces; young and determined and/or stressed, older and thoughtful and/or detached. It was after all Wednesday, not the beginning nor the end of the work week. "When's this class of hers?"

"Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays."

"You saw this kid on a Friday?"

"And Erin on a Monday."

"He's not in the class?"

"No, none of her classes though she had seen him before."

Jane nodded. "School Safety—"

"—Would have already brushed me off."

Jane nodded as they neared the building. "Tap my shoulder if you see him?" Jane held the door to the building open for Maura before stepping in after her.

"Alright."

The interior lobby of the Blackwell building smelt of rotting book, an oddly pleasant yet critical aroma. The floor was tiled until the set of elevators on their left which had an elaborate and colorful rug trimmed for cleanliness. All about them student's sat in booths and comfortable looking chairs (that accented the mother earth rug) while reading or chatting quietly with other students. Jane looked about the oval floored lobby and then glanced at Maura who remained watchful; when they met eyes Maura shook her head in the negative and then continued leading the way toward the elevators.

Jane stepped in and leaned against the railing as the doors closed.

"Thank you." Maura said looking over at her.

Jane shrugged her off. "I'm just doing my job ma'am." She mocked.

Maura smiled. "You and I both know this isn't ordinary."

"Just as long as you buy me lunch."

The ME nodded surely. "Whatever calorically dense excuse for nutrition you desire."

Jane grinned. "Corndogs."

Erin Dooley was a thin woman with attractive features stressed homely. Her chestnut hair greyed at her temples ever so slightly and whatever questions were left to chance were answered in her brilliant blue eyes. Her small corner office walls in the admin wing of the Blackwell building were covered with books of every shape and spine, and her desk was neatly chaotic. Behind her sat accolades and diplomas framed and a few pictures. Jane studied them closely as she and Maura exchanged pleasantries.

"Dr. Isles."

"Dr. Dooley."

Jane looked between them and chuckled to herself before sticking out her hand to shake the standing professor's. "Detective Rizzoli."

Erin smiled. "My." She outstretched her hand and shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you; Dr. Isles is very fond of the boys and girls in blue." She glanced at Maura knowingly. "An integral part of pathology was it?"

Jane glanced at Maura who only smiled. "And you aren't?" She joked as she took a seat on the small loveseat facing Dooley's desk. Maura sat as well.

Erin nodded. "It depends on my mood I suppose." She smiled though to ensure Jane wouldn't take offense. "What can I help you with, Detective?" She sat back behind her desk and cleared the papers immediately in front of her so she could lean against her elbows.

"Mau—Dr. Isles mentioned having witnessed some suspicious activity here, I'm just looking into it."

Erin nodded. "I've already submitted a statement to campus security."

"When was that?"

"Earlier this month."

"Mind telling me what bothered you about the behavior?"

"Calculated observations."

"Calculated observations?"

"Yes."

"Mind expanding?"

"A fascination with the comings and goings of students and faculty alike."

"Just one student?"

"Yes."

"What about facilities?"

"Pardon?"

Jane looked about the room. "He ever try and lock doors? Watch for cameras?"

"I suppose so."

"You suppose so?"

"Yes."

"Do you house any valuable property here?"

"In my office?"

"In the building,"

"Many of the art work on the walls in the lobby are priceless." Erin reached for a thermos that sat on her desk. "All originals were commissioned for the building, queer artists." She uncapped her warm tea and took a sip. "Though detective I must say he didn't seem to care much for the paintings of vaginas."

"And you've never seen him before."

"No, and after fifteen years as an adjunct you begin to notice the new faces, even in seas of new faces."

Jane glanced at Maura before looking back to Erin. "Have you ever approached him?"

"Once."

"What happened?"

Erin put her thermos down and looked up to recall the experience. "It was early. I had a seven thirty class. He was the only student sitting in the lobby, I remember that being odd. I walked over and said good morning."

"And?"

"He said good morning back."

"That was it?"

She shrugged. "Well I figured anyone with malicious intent wouldn't have the decency to wish me good morning."

Jane nodded slowly. "When did you decide to contact security?"

"A week or so later, I was ending a class, and right toward the last ten minutes I needed to use the restroom. Youth isn't on my side anymore detective, so I prompted the students to work in groups on categorizing toxins by molecular occurrences in the blood, anyway I almost peed all over myself when I stepped into the hall because there he was about two inches away from the door peering into the lecture."

"Did he say anything then?"

"Excuse me."

Jane shook her head as she rode the elevator down with Maura a few minutes later. "I don't know Maura, it's weird for sure."

"What are you going to do?"

"Well this is out of my jurisdiction to take any direct action. I can follow up with campus security…You know you don't have to lecture here if you don't feel safe."

Maura shook her head firmly. "I'm not afraid, I'm concerned. Any number of reasons—" Just as the elevator bumped to the final floor and dinged to open a loud and all too familiar pop could be heard accompanied by screams.

Jane instinctively pushed Maura roughly to the corner of the lift and was already gripping her firearm steadily as the doors slid open to the lobby.

"-I knew it!"

"No! Please!"

Jane exhaled as her vulnerability in the elevator quickly became her strength. Standing there planted firmly in the center of the lobby with his back to Jane was a young man roughly five feet eight inches tall with combed blonde hair standing over a female and male student pointing a silver pistol at the girl on the ground. The male student lay clutching his leg, a pool of black crimson staining his leg and hand.

Jane looked to her right at Maura and without taking her gaze off the other woman's hazel eyes slapped the elevator to the highest floor and a few in between for good measure. Maura exhaled with concern but gave the slightest nod before Jane fixed her eyes forward and stepped out of the elevator gun raised.

"He's just my friend!"

"You love him!"

"Hey!" Jane called as she inched closer.

The shooter turned quickly and raised his gun.

"I don't want to shoot you." Jane raised an open palm with her free right hand before wrapping it back around her left. "Let's talk."

"Who are you!?"

Jane studied how red his face had become, the sweat down his nose, the way he gripped the pistol again and again. He was going to fire that weapon at least one more time today; the heat that radiated a recently discharged weapon to the inexperienced itched the conscious just so. It was only a matter of picking the target. She inched up more. "I'm Jane. What's your name?"

"Jane?" He shook his head and looked to her side where the brilliant gold of her badge reflected off of the sun trickling in through the main glass doors. "You're a cop."

"Detective."

"I'm—I'm…really mad." He sounded confused.

Jane nodded slowly. "Why? What's going on here?"

"—Stop coming closer!"

"Alright, alright." Jane stopped. "But you know I can't lower my weapon until you lower yours and I don't think you want to kill these two here." He swung the gun back around to face the girl whose weeping became shrill under the shooters supervision. "Why don't you tell me what's wrong."

"She left me—"

"She doesn't even know you!" The injured male student on the ground yelled.

"Shut up!" He shook his head a few times. "I know her, I know her. We're together."

Jane gripped her weapon carefully and weighed the options quickly. She looked down to the male student's leg and the amount of blood, an artery was knocked most likely and she was becoming increasingly sure that the student with the gun was suffering from some mental delusion. "Hey sweetie why don't you just tell him you're sorry huh?" Jane got the female student's attention. "Tell him you won't do it again and we can all go home right? You guys could maybe go somewhere private to talk about all this." The female student nodded quickly, a bit of her boyfriend's blood from his leg somehow had speckled her cheek.

"I-I I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She shivered.

"You are?"

She nodded quickly. "I, yes he's nothing…" She looked at her boyfriend longingly. "He's nothing."

The silver pistol hovered over them as Jane took it as her chance to move in a little closer. She was running out of time to defuse the situation.

"We'll get away from here soon." The blonde student nodded. "I forgive you, Florence."

Jane didn't take the chance to spear a second to think it through. She squeezed her glock twice. The first to the shooter's dominant leg to throw the blonde off balance and send the bullet meant for the boy on the ground sailing into the large glass clock diagonal them resulting in a loud snapping and crashing of glass, and the second to the pelvis to stop him from getting up and reaching for any hidden weapon he might have been carrying.

It happened in a matter of seconds.

As calm and as focused as ever on the outside Jane cleared the area before making her way over to the weapon on the ground. She picked up the pistol and with one hand positioned it in her holster as best as possible before approaching the three weapon still raised. The initially injured male student had passed out from pure shock of the whole thing and Florence was clutching him close to her chest and crying.

"It's okay, he's going to be okay." Jane repeated over and over as she examined the shooter and took his pulse. It was slowing and he wouldn't open his eyes. "Here, apply pressure here, Florence, sweetie listen to me. Don't move him… don't move him." Jane helped her apply the right amount of pressure to her boyfriend's leg before reaching for her phone; a warm and sticky substance she would later realize was blood stained the screen. "Dispatch this is Victor 825, I am on campus at BCU in need of immediate assistance, send a bus forthwith. Blackwell building on the east end. Two unidentified male in critical condition, active shooter sustained."

"My name's not Florence." The girl cried as she looked down into her boyfriend's face. "It's not Florence."

Jane looked around the lobby and nodded to herself before realizing something off. "What is it?"

"Katie."

Where was everybody?

##

"It's a good thing you went to lunch." Korsak shook his head. "IA is going to want to speak to you though as to why your lunch hour ended up in a shoot-out on a college campus."

Jane sighed tiredly. "This is the only place that's got a Bean burger in the whole area." She offered. She paused when she heard her name being called in the thick crowd of concerned population and media alike. The building had been completely taped off though and judging from the radio had just finished being evacuated.

"Jane!"

"Maura!" Jane waved as she neared the tape and lifted it when she sighted the familiar woman approaching with lines of worry all over her face. "I'm okay—"

"I heard three shots; two were from your gun—"

"How do you know what a glock G22 Gen4 sounds like?"

"Don't you?"

Jane nodded once. She supposed she did but she also carried it on her person a near 24/7. As odd as it felt to think Jane found it slightly endearing that Maura knew what her gun sounded like. "I'm okay." She repeated. The worry hadn't left the ME's face. "I'm okay."

"I thought you might have missed and—"

"I don't miss."

"That would be a statistical anomaly."

"Maura—"

"—I started coming back downstairs."

Jane's face grew stern. "Why? You could have gotten yourself hurt!"

"I wasn't about to let you—"

"I have a firearm, Maura and am not to mention a trained professional! You could have spooked him and—"

"Why don't we all focus on the fact that no one died today?" Korsak stepped in. "I sure am glad for that."

Jane exhaled heavily before shaking her head. "I'm sorry." She outstretched her arm and they embraced tightly. "I'm sorry." She mumbled into the shorter woman's hair. The smell of her perfume and the warmth of her heightened state eased Jane into a rational she could handle. If Maura had cowered into the corner she imagined she'd feel even more disappointed.

"Hell of a shot, Defective." A deep baritone greeted breaking up the embrace and reminding both women of their professional standing.

Jane nodded and outstretched her hand to the sky scrapper of a man clad in patrol blues with the BCU pin on his label. The BCU university division captain looked as if his muscles were about to burst out of his uniform and Jane was sure he had probably ordered the biggest size availed and though he towered over her there was something about his face that made him seem kinder than the average individual.

"Detective Jane Rizzoli, homicide."

"Captain Morro Clemmings. I need you to come with me, Detective."

"Sure." Jane looked to Maura who nodded at her silent question before touching Korsak's shoulder and following Morro out of the small triage zone.

##

"Oh!" Frankie sat up in his seat on the torn bar stool when he saw the familiar silhouette of his sister's hair as she stepped up to the entrance of the Dirty Robber. "Here she is."

Angela bit the inside of her lip worriedly when she saw her daughter's face as she tried to smile at her friends and family. She knew that look well. "Oh boy." She reached into the low boy beneath her were a number of bottled beers sat and opened one without looking as Jane approached the small group who was waiting on her to get there after her Internal Affairs questioning session.

Jane smiled tiredly at them and slipped into the open seat at the center of the bar that she supposed was left open for her. Nina, Korsak, Frankie, and Maura waited patiently for Jane to thank her mother before taking the beer bottle in her hands and peeling at the label some. "Suspended two days, no pay, on my jacket." She took a large sip.

"What!?"

"That's ridiculous."

"You gotta be kidding me, Janie."

"Who was your investigator?" Korsak's question was the only cry of outrage that she had heard behind her own swallowing and the melodically bar-ish piano turning out of the jukebox in the corner.

"Martinez and Haz."

"Rafael Martinez?" Maura put her glass of wine down. "He's moved to Internal Affairs?"

"I knew he smelt funny." Korsak shook his head.

"Like a rat." Angela nodded in disgust. "Ratto!" She threw her hands up and disappeared to make her daughter something to eat. She would deal with the feelings associated with having her daughter stand in the line of danger yet again after she made her a burger.

Maura pressed on. "Well that's unfair you two have—"

"Maura." Jane shook her head at the mixed crowd. She was the only one to know the true nature of their relationship.

The medical examiner picked up her Pinot Noir. "Well it's still unfair." She looked to Nina. "They were partners in Vice."

Vince nodded. "And Haz has had it out for me ever since I passed my Detective's exam before him back in—A long time ago."

"You gotta appeal it." Frankie nodded at Jane's left as he nudged her elbow. "They were obviously looking to make an example for both cases, no way this sticks. It was a solid discharge. Most uniforms would have blasted the poor kid's head away on account of a shaky gun."

Jane nodded. "I broke jurisdiction Frankie."

"You saved countless lives today, Jane." Maura cut in. "Including a very troubled young man."

"If you hadn't had that hunch Maura—"

"I did not hunch." She looked offended.

"I'm trying to pay you a compliment."

"Oh." She smiled tiredly. "Go on."

"I wouldn't have been there without you dragging me there. Could have ended real bad today. They know that." She took a sip of her drink. "You know something, for all that happened; Clemmings has a theory around why he was hanging around that building. We ran some footage back."

"What is it?" Nina asked.

She rested her beer bottle down on the bar. "He didn't want to hurt anyone." The group took a moment to let it all settle in. "Kid was losing his mind I'm so sure of it but… he didn't want to kill anyone. He chooses the most isolated part of the day in that building, right after lunch to confront them." She picked up her beer. "He's gotta get help, probably for a long time but… I can take two days for not taking a life." Maura reached over and capped a hand on her forearm. Jane smiled a little at her and nodded.

Korsak raised his beer to clink with Jane's. "I can drink to that."

"Heck of a day." Frankie agreed. "What do you think is going to happen to him, Maura?"

Maura looked away from Jane to Frankie. "I would be speculating on the specifics but certainly getting him back on a medication that doesn't have such adverse effects. Then psychiatric confinement. Intent to do harm whether it is to a single person or to many is still an offense."

Jane nodded as she reached out for a handful of nuts in a small communal bowl in front of them. "Wonder who Florence was or is.."

"Florence?"

"Miles Novak, the shooter called Kate Bluien Florence, he thought she was somebody else."

"It could be anyone, Jane. Research has usually pointed to a close relative, someone who has impacted them good or bad. We have no way of knowing. The case is going over to the campus security correct?"

"They took my statement and sent me packing." She nodded. She continued to peel at the bottle's wet label. "I guess they'll call."

Just then Angela burst back out from the kitchen with a juicy looking burger oozing out cheese and a red relish all over the plate and a basket of fries. "No more case talk Jane, eat."

Jane nodded. "You don't have to tell me twice, I missed lunch and dinner."

"Internal Affairs didn't offer to get you something to eat?" Maura furrowed her brows and the bar of police offices chuckled. "Have a said something?"

"You never eat in front of IA," Nina leaned over to explain. "It makes you look guilty."

"So starving yourself is the answer." She frowned at the mess Jane was already making before giving her the small napkin her glass of wine had been sitting on. "Hanks ora." Was all she could make out from the fat cheeked version of Jane.

Frankie shrugged. "That's rule number one, Maura."

"Rule number two?" She asked the table amusedly. The team seemed all too happy to change the subject from the gravity of the day and its unknown repercussions. The reality was that as unfortunate and tragic of a situation this was, it could happen again tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after, and every single time they would be the group that was called upon to produce answers.

Frankie nodded "That's easy, all traffic law, both federal and state do not apply on gnocchi night."

Jane nodded vigorously while both hands held the burger into place. "That should be rule number one." She frowned at a grilled tomato that had slipped between her grasp. Maura finally picked up the napkin she had offered the woman and moved toward her. "Ah! Maura!"

"Please Jane, it's killing me."

"If you napkin me you're walking home." Jane warned with a well-placed point to accompany the threat turned air swipe to block the assault.

"I'll drive you home, Maura." Korsak offered.

"Yeah, c'mon Janie, clean it up huh?" Frankie laughed

Jane ate her burger and her words as not an hour later she found herself pulling up to Maura's front door and shifting her unmarked car into neutral.

"—It doesn't seem to me they have much of an option." Maura finished quietly as the car stopped with a gentle shake.

Jane let her hands run down the sides of the steering wheel and onto her lap. "Yeah…" She agreed tiredly.

"You did well today." The doctor had wondered if the look Jane was wearing was because she didn't believe it.

Jane nodded. "I know." Her voice was small but appreciative. They sat there in silence a moment before Maura inhaled deeply and then exhaled. Jane raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong?"

"You did that breathing thing you do when you're about to give me bad news." Jane smiled softly.

Maura let herself be caught off guard by Jane's observation skills even now at this hour. "I was worried about you today."

Jane made a knowing noise that resembled a humming sound. "We've been through a lot, Maura."

"It doesn't make it easier." She straightened the material of her dress. "What are you going to do with two whole days off?" She wanted to change the subject. This was what Jane loved to do, couldn't live without doing, Maura knew it as she knew her own name, but one day the ME knew the detective would have to make a decision that could cost her way more than she realized. It wasn't her place to remind her though, she could only be there. Maura wanted to be there.

Jane shrugged. "I don't know." She mused privately before shrugging. "I do have a lot of paper work…"

"Or perhaps you could babysit George Herman?" She gathered her things and reached for the door. "Read some Shakespeare?"

"Watch baseball."

"Or finish your Human Resources application."

"Or watch baseball." Maura shook her head at her. "I'll find something to do…" Jane thought of Friday's experiment suddenly as Maura opened the car door and let the cold breezy Boston air sweep in.

"I'm sure you will." She was just about out of the car.

"Maura?"

The ME shifted to look behind her. "Yes?"

"I…" They stared at each other. "Ma I can handle worrying about me…"

"You have a very difficult job."

"Demanding."

"Yes."

She rested her left arm on the steering wheel for balance. "Things usually… don't really work out because of it."

Maura tilted her head and examined the statement visually and then again for what was not said but was so methodically written between. "An opportunity for escape." She devised.

Jane breathed deeply but nodded. Maura was too important to her to not give her the choice, then again Jane had no idea she was even proposing such a thing until the ME put it into words. "If you want it." A moment passed, as brief and as forgetful as any other, Maura moved to ensure her purse was in her lap to protect it from falling. Then with a tenderness only knowing someone through great tragedy and great triumph could conjure she reached her right hand to cup Jane's jaw, held it, and then leaned forward over the center console to press a warm kiss onto her cheek.

"Goodnight Jane."

Before she could move away Jane caught and covered Maura's hand with her own and trailed it to her lips to press a small kiss onto her soft knuckle. "Night."