The conversation hit a small lull as Jane settled her chin on the cool bamboo floor mat and smiled softly as George waddled around in a little circle. The expanse of Maura's Wensa seemed to be to much for his little mind to comprehend spatially. She wondered if he had ever really lived outside of a tank suddenly. Now the detective wasn't about to doubt that Maura didn't travel to South Africa specifically for the dwarfed version of Bass to gift her but she doubted it highly. The little tortoise found her eyes and paused before retreating a little into his shell cutely. Jane put out a finger and he poked his head out some to look at it. She looked over at Maura lounging on the resting bench in the corner of the small room clad in her silken mauve pajamas with a cup of tea resting on her thigh. She had been watching her with a soft expression on her face.

Jane motioned in concern. "He keeps going in his shell."

"Cold-blooded species are extremely susceptible to environmental temperatures, by moving between shade and light he acquires his preferred body temperature, it's perfectly natural." Her tone was relaxed causing her words to fill the space soothingly.

"Oh." Jane looked back to him from her spot lying on her stomach. An unmeasurable amount of time passed like that. Jane watching George and Maura watching Jane. The detective eventually sighed contently and looked over at her. "Should we have another?"

Maura chuckled softly before taking another sip of her tea. "No, Jane."

Jane propped herself up on her elbow and rolled onto her side to face the other woman across the room. "Okay." She agreed easily. They stared at one another quietly. "What happened today, with you and Tommy?"

Maura blinked. "What do you mean?"

Jane let herself shrug lazily. "You two are usually so chatty."

"I would hardly describe us as chatty, Jane."

"Well alright, talkative, friendly. What happened?"

"Nothing happened."

Jane tilted her head. "He try and kiss you again?"

Maura smiled. "No."

She narrowed her eyes playfully. "You won't tell me?"

"It would only upset you."

"Well now I have to know."

"You'd rather be upset?"

Jane huffed softly before looking back to her pet. "….If we line the floor with sand and get those gate things for the door I bet we could fit three more George Hermans in here."

Maura hummed with amusement as she thought of the added responsibilities. "I hardly have the time for one."

"Half of one."

"You aren't a very present caretaker, Jane." She reminded.

Jane looked at her harshly. "Hey not in front of him okay? Let's talk about this later." She patted Gorge's shell gently as she rolled back onto her stomach to look at him. A long moment passed. "Your parent's ever fight in front of you, Maur?" She was suddenly far away and humorless.

Maura let her mug rest gently against her thigh, it's warmth was soothing as she tried to recall. "No… Once." She corrected herself.

Jane turned her head to look at her. "Oh yeah?"

"I couldn't understand it until I met Patty… I was only a little girl."

"What happened?"

Maura shrugged. "My mother had a conference in Boston." She smiled softly. "I was at the age where she imagined soaking up as much culture as possible would be good for me."

"So what like eleven?"

"I was six."

Jane chuckled. "Course." Maura was probably a very cute six-year-old. Jane briefly wondered if they made lab coats that small, for some reason it was the only way she could imagine the ME. "Where in Boston?"

"A new developing center near Dorchester."

"We could have bumped into each other."

Maura allowed herself the imagination to wander what that would be like. "I'd have thought you very odd." She hadn't interacted with many children her age at that point but was struggling her way through H. G. Wells already.

Jane chuckled. "I think I'd be afraid of you."

"Really?"

"Eight-year-old Jane? For sure."

"You've never struck me as a fearful child."

She shrugged. "So what happened?"

"My father didn't think it was a wise idea."

"They were yelling?" Jane looked down at her arm to check the tortoise who was now somewhat infatuated with it.

"Yes. I remember wondering if someone had gotten ill, I'd never seen them disagree so strongly."

"Connie wanted you to go with her?"

Maura nodded once. She brought her mug of tea to her lips but paused. "When everything happened with her accident I couldn't bring myself to ask her if that was why."

"Gonna side with the other Dr. Isles on this one."

Maura looked at her. "Really? Why?"

"You were just a baby, Maur. That would have been confusing if you did meet him then and who knows, it probably wasn't safe."

She supposed that made sense. "They didn't speak to one another for days, when my mother left for the conference they reconciled." She tried to think of any other time she saw her parents with raised tones. "I believe that was the only time…" She had never really been clear what came of her father's infidelity her parents were still together and seemed happily so, still there had to have been some sort of argument right?

"That's where you get your cold cold shoulder from I'm guessing."

Maura chuckled. "It's quite possibly a conversation of nature versus nature." She took a sip of her tea. "I don't see the reason for a big debacle. I'd rather try and calm down first."

"Maura you Ice me out." Jane laughed and pointed at her. "You look like you're about to say something, there's an eyebrow twitch or something. Look." She pointed to herself to mimic the twitch before darkening her features into a simple unamused stare. "Like that."

Maura laughed. "I do not."

Jane nodded from her spot on the ground. "You really do. The time I spilled coffee in your car—"

"Which time exactly?" She arched an eyebrow.

Jane grinned. "Not important—"

"I only Ice you out, as you say because you have a stereotypical temper." She nodded. "Especially while your menstruating."

Jane grimaced. "C'mon—"

"It would be unproductive to nurture it so I take the high road."

"You take the high road?" Maura nodded. "Bullshit." Jane chuckled.

"How exactly do you expect me to deal with someone so impossible?" Jane shrugged. "You eventually learn."

Jane shook her head in amusement. "You're kidding me right?"

"No." Maura nodded simply. "I've learned to be patient, it is not icing you out if the outcome benefits both parties." She took a sip of her tea confidently. "It took you almost a month to kiss me back after all, but you did."

Jane laughed. "Yeah well…" She scratched the back of her head. "it wasn't you icing me that helped that so…"

"What was it?"

Jane weighed her responses. "You waiting for me." She nodded suddenly aware of their aloneness.

For a moment Maura didn't respond. "I'm not sure it's possible to measure the amount of time that could have elapsed before I thought my efforts were in vain."

Jane smiled softly. "I didn't plan on making you wait too long." She admitted quietly. The room suddenly felt a lot smaller than it actually was too. "I just needed…time to think, undue all these knots y'know?" She sat up and motioned to her chest.

Maura adjusted her posture as well. "This is new for me too, Jane." She began quieter still. "However when I think about all my relationships new or old, I can't help but compare them to…you."

"We've never done anything like this before."

"I think that's what scares me. There is no rubric…no peer reviewed works to site…" Her smile was cute and unsure.

"Well, one now. Right?" Jane played with the fabric of her tank top.

Maura nodded. "Yes, one." They had been on an actual full date…

"How do we get it peer reviewed?"

Maura's smile grew. "It's a daunting task." Jane nodded, fully present and concerned about the next step. "High-impact research journals accept less than ten percent of the articles submitted to them, although the acceptance ratio for special issues or special topics sections is normally over forty percent."

Jane hesitated a moment. Those odds didn't sound too good the first time around. "… so maybe we should wait a little bit before we um…publish?" After kissing Maura she couldn't be more sure of what she wanted but putting this thing, their thing out there so young and vulnerable seemed reckless to her.

Maura nodded. "I agree, Jane." She wanted more moments like this one, with just Jane, she had always felt that way though. "In the interim?"

"We could… go on more experiments?"

"Dates?"

There was a pause in Jane's response before she nodded once. "Yeah, Maur. Dates." It was important to differentiate now she realized. "Is that what you wanna do?"

"I'd like that." She leaned forward in her seat and crossed her arms at her forearms. "We're dating?"

Jane blushed. "No—I mean… we've only been on the one." Maura trying to fight her grin made Jane chuckle and blush even harder. "Stop it." She groaned.

"What have I done?" The other woman asked innocently.

"You're going to make a huge deal out of this aren't you?"

"Isn't it?"

"Yeah but you can't walk around like that; smiling at me and shit, I come from a family of snoops, hell I'm a professional snoop, so is my brother, and have you met my mother? She's already on to you. We'd totally pre-publish ourselves."

Maura chuckled and leaned back on the resting bench. She took a moment to decide something before patting the area beside her twice. "Come sit beside me."

Jane's curiosity got the best of her suspicion and she got up and made her way over to the bench. Maura scooted over some to give her room all the while smiling at her knowingly.

Jane let herself smile back, there was nothing unclear about being closer now. They sat close because they wanted to be close to one another. They stayed up late talking because they wanted to speak to one another privately, away from the business of the day. "What do you want?" The detective asked cheekily as she finally took a seat beside her. Their arms and shoulders and legs pressed into one another gently, importantly.

"To be closer to you." Maura answered simply. She had always wanted that, before she even knew why she couldn't help but feel this magnetic energy between them. It was Jane she knew, the lean detective always had a way with people, it's what made her good at her job, but when you were among the few she wanted to be closer to as well it was as if the pull broke scientific law, and you resigned yourself to orbit her or simply live in her wake.

Jane rested a hand on her pajama clad back, it had been easy, fearless, they had been here before. As an act of comfort not intimacy, it was funny how it didn't feel much different to her. "I wanna be closer to you too." She said gently. Their eyes met and Maura shivered slightly under her gaze. Jane took it to mean she were cold and rubbed her back some. "Is this okay?" Maura nodded. She closed her eyes briefly to relish in the action before opening them to find Jane watching her intently.

"You're surprised." Maura read in her dark eyes. Her tone was low, almost a whisper but too deep and too sure, "That you affect me."

They watched each other a moment until Jane shook her head, her mouth suddenly dried. "No." She let her hand drop slightly lower to the small of Maura's back before pulling it away. "I'm surprised how much you affect me, Maura."

"Is it possible then, that we have just been a little preoccupied?"

Jane chuckled softly. "For seven years?"

Maura smiled back. "Yes."

"Sounds like a little denial too, maybe." Jane scratched the back of her head knowing on her end that had been the case especially for the last two years of their friendship.

"Perhaps some of that too."

Jane looked down to her hands at her palms specifically before looking at her best friend. "I was afraid to let you know because…well because I figured it wouldn't make sense?" She nodded at her train of thought. "You'd… be whisked off eventually, some rich guy in a smoking jacket or something."

"Smoking jackets are hardly in style." She leaned her shoulder into Jane's some. "Nor are they really my thing."

"What is your thing?" Jane asked before she could stop herself. "I mean I know with men…" She made a vague hand gesture that she supposed meant "Maura's ideal man" in her mind's eyes. "But…" She wasn't a man. "Women?"

"Tall beautiful women…" She smiled but then nodded at another thought. "In law enforcement."

"Oh." Jane's face reddened. "Good."

Maura's smile was infectious. "You were concerned?"

"A little."

They both laughed before Jane looked down at her hands again. Maura grew confused by how her brows creased and how after the usual visual distance Jane didn't look back up at her. "What is it?" She asked.

"You think this means I'm gay?"

"What?"

She finally looked up. Her concern palatable "Wanting to kiss you again?"

"I'm not sure, Jane." Maura said honestly. "Does it matter?" She wondered aloud.

Jane let herself huff and kicked out a leg in front of them, she didn't say anything for a moment and Maura just waited. If she were truly being honest with herself, truly, she knew she had never really liked men all too much, not in a man hater kind of way, she loved her brothers and Korsak, and the men she worked with day in and day out that put their lives on the line with her and for her. She had loved Casey in a way that she couldn't quite articulate now but was so certain of then, and even Dean had been significant to her. She just, never really felt, seen by them, not for her true self anyway. When she thought of herself with Casey she thought of another woman, with the same features and mannerism of herself but somehow different. So did it matter? So long as she felt seen for her true self? She supposed not. She had seen way too much to not get the value in something like that. You could spend your whole life not being seen for who you were, when you were finally freed wasn't that what mattered most? Not some label?

. Jane sighed "Surprisingly? No. "

It was Maura's turn to rub her friends back, a rough chuckle buried itself in her chest. They smiled at one another. "I wouldn't be so surprised." She reassured.

Jane narrowed her eyes at her playfully. "Hey."

"I mean, it isn't anything to be ashamed about. Homosexuality exists in all living species. Not abnormally so nor a defect of mutation of any kind either. It simply just is."

Jane shook her head. "I don't want to talk to you anymore." She dismissed.

Maura feigned hurt. "Because I knew before you knew?"

"Maura you did not know before I knew, okay?"

Maura still had a hand at her back. "I think I did—"

"Are you guessing now?"

They grinned at one another. "No." The blonde said slowly her small back rub resuming. Maura's hand created a warm patch on Jane's skin that she could feel through her tank top. It felt nice, comforting. "Do you think it's possible to make promises to one another?"

"In?"

"This." Their eyes stayed on each other for a moment more. Jane eventually nodded.

"I believe our friendship has worked so well over the years because we've always been honest with one another…. No matter if it hurt the other…"

"Yeah." She loved that about them.

"…and I know Jane that there are promises you won't make."

Jane nodded again. "There are some I can't make. Not to you, not to anyone." Her mouth suddenly dried again.

"I know." Warm hazel met soulful browns. If she were sure Jane would say there were just a flicker of hurt in Maura's eyes, but she wasn't sure, and she supposed neither were Maura. There was something in the ME's ability to not be able to tell a lie that often made hiding things from Jane difficult. Very seldom was the detective unable to correctly examine the evidence she was given though. "I don't care what we call this…" She bravely reached out for Jane's right hand with her left, "Or when we publish" their fingers took a second to gingerly flirt with idea of lacing. "As long as we promise each other honesty within it. I…don't think I can do this any other way, not with you." Jane had been the best friend she had ever had and that friendship was on the line.

Jane held her hand and marveled at how something so simple could cause her heart to leap forward like it had all intentions of leaving her body. She met Maura's eyes after glancing at their hands and nodded once making sure to keep her gaze. "I promise you." Jane said softly. She picked up their hands and kissed Maura's knuckle gently, the room fell still.

Maura promised her too and for a long time they just sat their holding hands and watching George.

There was no kiss, Jane was sure she missed a window for it when they said goodnight, but it seemed to nag her halfheartedly as she lie awake in bed later after putting George Herman back in his tank.

She and Maura were….

Well she didn't really have a name for it, but it swelled in her chest bathing her in all kinds of funny out of sync emotions. It made her feel sick and incredibly proud all at the same time. Maura needed honesty from her, that was it. Jane was really thinking the list would be a little longer. The way she had said it too… it kept the detective awake long after they parted ways with a long embrace on the second floor landing complete with back rubs and soft murmurings of wishing the other goodnight.

She and Maura were…

Jane groaned softly. Was this really happening? Had she really kissed her best friend last night? Had they really been inching toward this this whole time? Jane thought back to a man Maura dated only briefly last year, Mike, or Stephen, or something, she didn't remember his name because she didn't want to remember. The ME had wanted to introduce them but Jane thought of every excuse not have it happen. Mostly she hid behind her job and of course the fact that if she saw him she'd know what the man who had been supposedly putting his hands all over the other woman looked like. Jane remembered almost wanting to hurl at the idea, she felt sick to her bones when Maura tried to tell her about their first encounter once. She could not be her best friend then, she was too emotional, so instead she avoided her, went out a lot with some cop buddies, drank, worked, worked out, and then drank again until Maura stopped by her desk and announced that she had called it off. When Jane asked why the medical examiner looked disappointed. Jane supposed it was over Mark, or Ed, or whatever his name was, but she realized just then in the dark comfort of the second-floor guestroom that it was because she wasn't being honest with her. Not with her and not with herself.

She had known what she promised when she promised it, but did not fully understand it until just then.

Jane exhaled slowly in the dark as clarity set in.

She and Maura were… Being honest.

Finally.

##

One of probably the only nice things about having your mother live less than a few feet away from your best friend's house was that on occasion the ol' lady missed having a house full of kids to cook for and when that happened you were woken with the smell of turkey bacon (because Maura wouldn't buy the real stuff) and freshly ground coffee. Jane practically hung herself with the covers as she struggled to get free from them in order to fight her brothers for first servings and it only dawned on her when she put weigh onto her stiff left knee and felt a sharp pain jolt up her spine that she was not seventeen and this was not her childhood home.

The detective stood in the middle of the guestroom hazy before running a hand through her thick hair. Did she have a dream about being back in High School? Or was she just that tired still?

There was a soft knock on the door that broke her from trying to remember.

"Jane?" It was Maura

Jane looked around the room quickly for anything offending out of pure habit. "Yeah." She called back, her voice still raspy and laden with sleep.

Maura pushed the door open softly. "Are you awake—oh." Her smile turned into a small laugh. "What are you doing?"

Jane looked at her body with the sheet wrapped around her like a snake yanking her sweats and tank top in creative directions while the majority of the bed pillows lay on the ground at her feet. "I…" She wondered how she should even begin. "Um…" She chuckled at herself. "I smelt food." She explained simply.

Maura's grin wrinkled adoringly. "I see." She was still holding the door frame and finally let go of it to step into the room and past Jane to the dresser. The detective tried not notice that Maura's actual bathrobe was a soft seafoam green and a lot shorter than her lounging robe. She had just stepped out of the shower apparently; her hair was damped a dark dirty blonde and she was leaving a trail of droplets behind her that the detective decided was the safest thing to fixate her attention to. "I just needed to get something." The ME explained as she opened a drawer to retrieve her back of stock of moisturizer.

Jane began untangling herself. "Yeah…" Her thoughts from last night before bed and their promise flooded her memory then. "You sleep okay?"

Maura had located the beauty product and was removing it from it's box to ensure a seal wasn't broken from its shipment from Switzerland. She nodded distractedly. "Yes." She looked back over to Jane and held the item up. "I've got it." The blonde padded her way back to the door and paused before turning to look over at Jane who quickly looked up at her face. "Good morning." Jane smiled cutely in return.

"Morning."

Maura prodded the full tube of moisturizer with her fingers thoughtfully. "Have… You slept well?"

Jane shrugged and then nodded. "I couldn't really get to sleep rght away." She motioned to her. "Was thinking about…y'know."

"Me either." Maura paused. "Are we…?"

Jane raised a brow. "Going to be late for work?"

Maura smiled. ""I'll be down in an hour." Were they still to carpool like normal? "Are we still to carpool like normal?"

The taller of the two put her hands to her hips. "You still the ME?"

Maura nodded. "Of course I am." She felt a small flush creep up her cheek. "An hour." She nodded and slipped out of the room quickly.

Jane stood there a moment still tangled in sheets before letting her body fall back onto the bed and putting her hands to her face. "You still the ME?" She mocked and groaned softly. "c'mon!"

##

"It's honestly a part of my job…. I can't exactly avoid doing my job because…y'know…" She glanced impatiently at the descending digital numbers. The elevator beeped along at the same artificially accurate rate with no regard toward the detective or her current mumblings.

Jane often used the back-service elevator to the rear of the building because it stemmed from the chemical lab down to the paper department of evidence and then finally the morgue. It was faster and had few if any interruptions between floors. No pushy rookie officers, no pesky secretarial staff who stared at her firearm and asked about her weekend…

No reason to delay getting down to the morgue to get the information she needed.

No reason to delay getting down to the morgue to see her best friend.

No reason to delay getting down to the morgue to see her… person she pledged her honesty to.

"I need to know who she was, what she was doing there…" Jane nodded as the second to last bell chimed signaling she were one flight of stairs away from the morgue. "It's my job." She balled up her fists and then let the go carefully. Was she supposed to lean into this too? "Y'know and if she wants to talk about us then I'm gonna have to just tell her it has to wait." Jane nodded at herself. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and exited the elevator a woman with one focus. Finding a killer.

Maura was clad in her scrubs (a sign that her work load for the day autopsy wise had been heavy) and was leaning over the woman Jane found on Sunday morning at Kensington Park. Maura only glanced up at Jane to acknowledge her before going back to what she were doing, her features were concentrated; stressed into gentle wrinkle of thought, something had caused her to consider something out of the ordinary.

Jane knew what that look meant.

"Inconclusive?" She asked before looking around. Maura were alone, a glance at her wrist watch told her that everyone was probably off to lunch. The ME had very particular ways of showing she cared about Jane that the detective always appreciated but as of recently never really looked too far into, not as expressions of affection at least. It was all chalked up to being good ol' pals except, it wasn't was it? Caring to Dr. Maura Isles was buying her favorite shampoo and leaving it in the guest bathroom for her, or sneaking in several bags of cracker jacks into her go bag for work. Caring to Dr. Maura isles was also spending her lunch break to run a second autopsy on a case that she knew you only trusted her with.

Maura stood up right finally and motioned to the victim's jawline "Your Jane Doe is thirty eight year old Riley Turner."

Jane crossed her arms to her chest. "Why do you look like Jo chewed up one of your heels again?"

Maura remained concentrated. "Cause of Death would be blunt force trauma to the head….the occipital socket here and the mandible here." She pointed to the victim's left temple and then her jaw.

Jane nodded slowly. "Not asphyxiation." Like Jessica Hanover who they found at Roonie Park covered in stab wounds. "But no stab wounds?"

"What's interesting or perhaps why I seem so perplexed—" Maura finally looked over at Jane, a small smile catching itself and then focusing back into her work with a clearing of the throat. "Is because these indentations and bruising here." She pulled up the modest sheet covering Turner's waist and pointed to marks and bruising along her thighs, groin and knees. "Is consistent with a long history of sexual assault, and also consistent with Jessica Hanover's wound pattern—and when I mean consistent I mean exactly in the same areas where the stab wounds were found inflicted post-mortem."

Jane wrinkled her brows in distress at the victim on the table. The bruised skin had greyed in blotchy irregular patterns around her upper thighs. This woman not only suffered a hideous death but had also suffered in life. "What do you mean the exact same place Maura?"

While removing her gloves the ME moved around the autopsy table to her standing desk and computer to pull up some images. Jane followed behind her. "Give or take ten centimeters or so, the rage attacks on Hanover match the bruising we are seeing here on Turner." She motioned with her ungloved hand to the monitor to the autopsy photos of Jessica Hanover's exposed waist. "Here here….and here." Jane leaned over Maura's shoulder to get a better look. "It would be quite the coincidence if these wounds were not inflicted by the same individual." She looked over her shoulder as Jane stood up straight.

"So who ever gave Turner these bruises had to have stabbed Hanover…." She shook her head and walked herself with her arms crossed back over to Turner's body and then quickly looked back over at Maura who had spun her stool around to face her. "Is there any way to tell if Hanover had similar bruising under the stab wounds?"

"Possibly."

"Possibly?"

"Jane the force in which it has taken to create those lacerations tore the tissue clean apart, I can run some tests on the area surrounding the stab wounds however it would be inconclusive."

"So this whole part about there being a possibility was to keep my hopes up?"

"Well, there is a possibility that the test could give us something…"

"In your expert opinion?"

"It is a slim possibility."

Jane groaned. "I need something Maura. C'mon, one more victim and the news is going to be on this and Cavanaugh will be so far up my ass, this guy is escalating right?"

"Or not."

"Or not?"

"What makes you certain that this is an escalation? Maybe these women specifically meant something to the unsub."

"Both are in their late thirties early forties, dark hair….seems like a mommy issue to me." She mumbled to herself as she tried to work every angle. "…doesn't explain the assault….the docks—"

"We're running rape kits now on both victims." She stood from her stool. "What I don't understand is why not stab Turner in the same manner?"

Jane nodded slowly and then motioned to Turner's body. "He didn't have enough time." She looked back at Maura. "Those wounds were after Hanover was already dead and Roonie Park where we found her was off the path some, Turner was near a bike path… something probably spooked him, next thing you know the park is swarming with police….son of a bitch was probably there." She wracked her brain to think back to that morning and the intake. "I've gotta let the others know our guy is probably in a witness statements so we can cast a wider net" She pivoted to leave in a hurry

"Jane." Maura interrupted her escape calmly as she reached for a new set of gloves. The detective whipped around.

"Yeah?"

"Will I see you tonight?" Her chin dipped curiously.

Jane nodded. "Yeah, Maur." She hesitated a moment. "Everything okay?" Had she missed something?

Maura nodded. "I was just curious."

The detective smirked softly as she pushed at the double doors to the autopsy room blindly. "Promised Frankie I'd grab a beer with him at The Robber right after work but…after?"

"Hope just got into Boston this morning from Dubai, we're going to have a light dinner, she invited you to join as well."

Jane waved her off. "No you go."

The ME knew Jane was still wary of the other woman. "So, let me know how drinks go."

Jane nodded. "I'll see you."

##

Jane closed her eyes briefly as she enjoyed the handful of house roasted nuts she just popped in her mouth. She opened her eyes and continued to munch down on them as she reached for her beer (her second of the evening) and washed down the salty snack with the bitter sweetness of one of the new IPA's on tap Frankie had been telling her about. She liked it, it was smooth and rich, the perfect thing to drink in the middle of what seemed like a never ending winter. It was cold and rainy this particular evening, the kind of evening that stained the bottom of your slacks with gutter slush and poured in consistent spatters without a real downpour which most people would at this point honestly prefer. The atmosphere in The Dirty Robber was lethargic to say the least. Aside from a few rerirees taking up a booth in a corner of the bar she and Frankie were the only ones there.

"Where's Maura?"

Jane looked to her right at her brother slouched over in his stool. He was lazily holding his pint of beer and still clad in his grey work suit with minus the jacket and a straightened tie. He was looking forward, seemingly uninterested.

"Where's Maura?" Jane repeated, honestly not really catching the question fully.

"Yeah." Frankie looked over at her

Their eyes met and Jane picked up her pint and took a sip before wiping her foam off her lip with the back of her hand. "Dinner with her Bio Mom." She explained.

Frankie nodded and pulled his own pint to his mouth. "Nina ditched me to have lunch with her today."

"So she did eat then?

Frankie shrugged. I guess."

Jane chuckled softly. "Yeah well get over it. She ditched me too then."

"What do you think they were talking about?"

Jane shrugged and took another sip from her beer. "Mm I dunno handbags?" Frankie laughed. She nodded surely and motioned her beer toward him to correct herself. "Handbags and Artificial Intelligence."

Frankie laughed louder at that one. "Sounds about right." They drank their beers and ate bar snacks for a little while in silence before Frankie motioned to his left hand. "Thinking I want a bullet proof ring." He turned over his left hand for emphases. Jane snorted and shook her head. "That'd be pretty cool right? Imagine, chasin' down a bad guy, shots are fired and—"

"and he blows your hand off because you're the idiot who thinks a metal band can stop a thirty eight?."

"It could happen." They were both grinning.

"In a parallel universe, Frankie. Save the money."

"Well Nina asked me the other day what I wanted and it's the only thing I could think of that's even worth it y'know?" He reached for a handful of nuts, "End of the day it doesn't really matter I guess. Marrying her…better than a bullet proof ring."

Jane smiled. "You tell her that?" Frankie shook his head. "You have to tell her that."

He nodded, a small grin in place. "Yeah alright, I will."

"Today."

"Alright alright." He chuckled.

"We all like this one, you can't mess it up."

Frankie rolled his eyes. "No pressure at all."

"Well I'm just saying, the Rizzoli's need a win."

Frankie nodded. "Yeah we do."

Jane sat back a little on her stool and let the IPA slush about in her brain some. She was only three quarters of a way through her second beer but this brew was strong, She wasn't drunk by any means but she was really warm all of a sudden. "Maura told me that Pop was gonna sell today." She glanced at her watch. "Well he already did I guess." It was around seven thirty at night. "You hear from him?" Frankie shook his head no. "Me either."

"If I were an estranged father looking to do right by my kids after selling the family business to set them up I'd call them right away."

Jane shook her head. "Now think like an addict."

Frankie's features frowned. "Hey."

Jane shrugged. "Frankie it's what he is, we can't sugar coat it because he taught us how to play ball."

The middle child looked back at his beer knowing she were right. "Alright… I just got a boat load of money, my kids hate me kinda? I guess…. I'm going to the casino."

Jane nodded and slouched forward some. "I hope that's not the case but we'd be putting all of our experience behind the badge aside on a whim."

Frankie nodded slowly. "You think we should call Tommy, see how he's doin?"

Jane thought about it and then nodded firmly. "Yeah."

Frankie sat up and dug into his pocket for his cell phone. "He texted me asking about a tux yesterday,"

Jane made a face, "And you did not think that was alarming on any level?"

Frankie chuckled. "I mean, sure I did but it's Tommy."

"Gimmie the phone."

##

B y nine that night the iffy scattered showers had turned into full on storm with cold winds whipping harshly against windows and doors causing anything that wasn't tied down to be toppled over or whisked away.

Maura had turned the heat in her house on fully and was trying her best not to worry about Jane driving after having a couple of beers in these conditions as she made herself s small snack. She had gotten home from dinner with her biological mother in somewhat of a mood. Everything had been going lovely until the older woman brought up Maura's partnership with MEND. The ME just loved her work at the precinct too much to want to do it full time and Hope being an entrepreneurial woman of the world who had fallen for a crime family boss didn't really like hearing no. It wasn't anything damaging but it had exhausted Maura some. Then the conversation came up of her dating came up and a polite inquiry turned into a whole other conversation about Hope's ideas on the modern man. While Maura always found learning something new about the woman and the way she thought extremely fascinating she really rather just talk about something else

It bothered her that Hope would assume that she were straight. Offended her even.

But why?

She was sure people thought all kinds of things about her, Maura wasn't naïve to the way people looked at her choice of clothing sometimes, or the slightly comatose glazing over the eyes when she got excited about a particular topic of science. For some reason though the thought that Hope would assume something so personal made her fee… Emotional.

The front doorknob rattling brought her out of her thoughts on dinner and she had to laugh as Jane was seemingly thrust into the house by the raging storm. Her only protection from its elements being her BPD wind breaker and an old Red Sox cap that had been sitting on the ground behind the driver's side seat of her unmarked for at least two years now.

"Did you hear?" The detective asked over the wind sucking the door shut with a force that rattled the painting near the entrance. Jane's breath was heavy as if walking uphill for a few miles and tassels of her long black hair stuck to her cheeks artistically.

"Have I heard?"

"The whole world has gone to shit today." Maura watched in amusement as she began peeling off her windbreaker and stepping out of her muddied boots at the entrance. "We have just enough time to pack up George and Ma and get the hell outta here." She tossed her blazer onto the ground and pulled the v-neck she had been wearing over her head revealing a white tank top soaked through.

"It's that bad out there?" Maura asked.

Jane was bent over kicking out of her socks. "Bad? I'm pretty sure the mayor is gonna have to say something on the news, schools might be canceled Maura." She pulled out her weapon, cleared it and put the safety on it before opening the drawer in the hall to put it in the lock box there. Jane unclipped her badge and rested it in the drawer as well before closing it and padding with damp feet over to the woman in the kitchen clad in only a tank top and her clinging work slacks. "You're not going to BCU tomorrow are you?" She asked remembering that Maura would be lecturing now on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The detective leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on Maura's cheek which paused them only a moment. Maura looked up at her and smiled softly. Jane's eyes were big and brown and playful.

"I'll still go in regardless." She answered before offering the detective a small smirk. "How much have you had to drink?"

Jane made a face, "Only two beers, Maura c'mon." She'd never drink and drive. She and Frankie actually sat waiting for the storm to lessen with glasses of water for an hour.

"I had to check, you looked quite glazed." The ME teased.

Jane huffed. "Glazed." She repeated a she walked away secretly smiling. She had been looking forward to seeing the other woman and had been caught. "I'm gonna shower." She announced over her shoulder as she went into the hall closet to grab one of the Tyvek laundry bags there and piled all her wet clothes into it.

"Thank you." Maura chimed glad she wouldn't have to say anything.

"Ma here?"

"She's at Ron's tonight I believe." The doctor went back to what she had been making. Toast with a light layer of apricot jam. Dinner had been lovely but she couldn't really shake wanting something a little sweet with her tea.

Jane huffed as she grabbed her wet socks. "Guy has his own place? Who knew."

"Be nice."

"I am nice. It was only an observation."

Maura shook her head softly. "Have you eaten?"

Jane thought back to the half pretzel and several handfuls of nuts at the bar. "Not really. Isn't it too late?" She let the laundry bag drag behind her as she began up the stairs.

"Yes but I can make you something." Jane paused on the stairs and looked down at her curiously. "Toast and Jam?" Maura motioned her butter knife. "The jam is from Austria, very yummy."

"Sure, thanks." Jane stood there on the middle steps a moment. "You don't have to." She added suddenly. Maura looked up at her. "I can, make it myself y'know." Maura looked tired, and hadn't been sleeping well, and had missed her lunch break today doing over an autopsy for her, she didn't have to make her toast and jam too.

If anything Jane should be the one making her toast and jam at the end of a long day.

"It's nothing Jane." Maura reassured her. "I'm already making myself some."

"Alright but y'know, don't go crazy, just the toast okay?"

Maura chuckled. "Okay."

J ane made her way upstairs and into the guest bedroom where she grabbed a pair of grey sweats that wore lose until hey clung at her ankles, black socks, and a simple black tank top that she couldn't remember bringing over but wasn't about to spend time debating if she owned it or not when she had more pressing things to do. When she got back downstairs she found Maura looking out the window in the kitchen watching the storm. She was barefoot clad in a simple weathered purple shirt and what looked like the softest brown yoga capris in the world

Jane slowed her steps into the kitchen. and smiled a little. She wondered what the other woman could be thinking about but decided to not to ask. Sometimes Maura didn't ask her even when the detective knew for a fact she was wondering. "Kinda nice when you're not in it."

Maura turned suddenly and put a brief hand to her chest before nodding a motioning to the window she had been looking out of. "It is." She turned to the island and let her thoughts adjust to the welcome company of her best friend. "I made you tea as well."

Jane came into the kitchen fully and took the mug already set aside. "Thanks." The liquid was nearly opaque and smelt exotic in ways the detective couldn't quite describe. "This isn't the poop tea right? Really can't handle much more shit right now."

Maura chuckled softly. "It is not, you're safe." She picked up her own mug.

Jane took a noisy sip before nodding. "It's good."

"I mixed it myself, oolong with a hint of coconut and ginger to aid digestion before sleep."

Jane nodded. Between the tea and the sound of the rain outside thrashing against the windows she was certain she'd have no problems sleeping tonight. "You wanna watch a movie?" She could tell before Maura shook her head that the answer was no. There was something slightly off about her tonight. She carried herself just a little heavier and her silence was a true lack of sound instead of the soft reverberation of comfortable energy that usually lived with a woman who could not turn her brain off.

"I think it's a little late for one." Maura leaned back against the island counter and motioned to the plate of toast and jam set on the island beside her. "How is Frankie? Vince?"

Jane picked up and inspected a perfectly cut triangle of toast with the thinnest layer of apricot jam before settling herself at the counter across from Maura. "It was just me and Frankie." She paused and waited for the correction but noted when it didn't come.

"Nina and I had lunch together today, she asked me to be a bridesmaid."

Jane crunched into the toast and chewed happily. "S'really good."

Maura smiled. "The jam right?""

Jane took another bite and impressively finished the piece. She waited to chew her food before nodding. "Both."

"Will Frankie ask you to be in his wedding party?" Jane shrugged as she sipped her tea. "We'd be able to coordinate outfits."

Jane burst out into a warm chuckle, she had made sure to swallow her tea first but still had to wipe the side of her mouth "You look tired as hell, and still all you can think about is coordinating outfits?"

Maura shook her head with a small smile. "I am tired, Jane."

"The rain will help you sleep." She frowned wishing she could do something herself.

"I hope so."

"How was dinner with Bio Mom?"

Maura sighed. "Taxing."

"So that's what's been up." She nodded knowing it had to be something.

"We had a few unexpected disagreements."

Jane's face hardened. "About what?"

Maura waved her off. "I think I may be getting my period." She dismissed. "It's the only thing I can think about that could cause such a hormonal imbalance when it comes to other's opinions that had never bothered me before."

Jane nodded slowly. "She upset you?"

"She wants me to take more responsibility with MEND and she assumed I only date men." Jane raised a brow and Maura chuckled softly. "When I say it out loud it sounds foolish doesn't it?"

Jane smiled. "Well…she's sure in for a surprise when you move to France to write books and marry a French woman in the circus."

Maura smiled back at her. "Oh Jane."

Jane shrugged. "Somehow that's what I always pictured you doing."

Maura let up a small laugh. It made Jane smile even wider. "You're lying."

The detective shrugged and took another sip of her tea. "You not being an ME is okay too y'know."

Maura shook her head. "MEND is stimulating work, it's a challenge, but it… it doesn't come close to the work I am able to do in The Medical Examiner's office."

"What does she want you to do?"

"Chief of Medical Practices."

"Wow."

"It would be an amazing opportunity, but my life is here, my work, my friends, you." They stared at one another a moment. "I think I deserve to…to just be, after everything I've been through and worked for." She shook her head. "She believes I can be more."

"Disagreeing with her about MEND doesn't mean you can't."

Maura smiled at Jane's wisdom. "I know."

The detective took another sip of her tea. "Was the food good at least?"

Maura nodded. "Devine." She chuckled at herself and motioned to the toast and jam. "Although I needed a little something more."

Jane smirked. Maybe she was getting her period. "You just let me know when I have to make another Rosetta's run."

Maura's smile remained. "Soon, very soon."

They finished off their toast points and tea in silence leaning against the counters and just listened to the rain. Maura would catch Jane's gaze every now and then and they'd smile at one another for no other reason than liking the way the other looked when they smiled at them and how it made their stomachs flutter.

"I'm glad you came over tonight, Jane." Maura finally filled the space between them.

"Me too." Jane uncrossed her arms and braced them on the back of the counter as she bit her lip in thought. "Um. Maybe sometime this week I could take you out again…on a date." She nodded for good measure. "Or y'know make you dinner at my place."

Maura raised a brow curiously, a small smirk tucking itself firmly into her cheek denting her dimples. "You can cook?" She teased.

Jane huffed. "Yes, I can cook….some things. Mostly water."

Maura smiled fully. "I would certainly like to see that."

"You don't think I can cook?"

"Jane in our seven years of friendship you've only cooked eggs or burgers in my presence."

"You don't want eggs or burgers?"

"Not for dinner, no."

Jane nodded and re-crossed her arms to her chest. "Alright." She would have to look something up. Asking her mother would only set off alarms. "I'm honestly offended, Maura."

Maura laughed lightly and pushed herself off the counter and took three steps forward so she were in Jane's space. "I would love for you to make me dinner, it's a very kind thought, my apologies for offending the chef."

Jane grinned. "Apology accepted." She uncrossed her arms. "So, Thursday? I can make dinner and you can bring over all the New York stuff you keep sending to my email."

Her face shifted immediately. "So you do see them then?"

Jane chuckled. "Maura I'm running around catching bad guys all day. Responding to your emails would be another forty hour work week." The ME crossed her arms and Jane chuckled and pulled at them. "Hey."

Maura let her pull her arms away from her chest. "I could just stop sending them."

Jane held her right wrist loosely with her left hand and pulled at it softly. "No c'mon." They're arms moved still, playing a small game of owner before gingerly lacing their fingers together. "I do read them—"

"Do you?"

Jane nodded. "Eventually…"

Maura could feel her cheeks flushed at their hands joining but continued her feigned tone of disapproval. "I'm not believing you."

Jane smirked and pulled her a little closer by the hand again. "Believe me." She widened her eyes for effect and pushed out her bottom lip just so.

Maura chuckled. "We'll see."

"Thursday night?"

Maura nodded. "Can I bring anything?"

"No I got it, you already do so much for me. I'll handle everything."

Maura took the final step into Jane's space causing the taller woman to separate her legs some to accommodate her. "It's because I care about you, Jane."

The detective straighter her posture some and let her right hand touch the ME's side. Her heart began to thud in her chest causing her breathing to become just audible. "I care about you too, Maura." Jane glanced at her lips and then to Maura's eyes again. The two leaned in at the exact same time pressing their lips together in a soft kiss that was short and sweet and so clearly not really enough. A brief hesitation followed; the vulnerability of it just heavy enough to tip the scale in either direction. They kissed again, this time both taking a moment longer to sigh into the other before separating somewhat breathless.

There was an irrefutable energy sparked by that second kiss; a tickling of every cell in their bodies that grew to a molecular impatience of sorts. A yearning.

Jane followed Maura's face cutely. "So, Thursday?"

The ME chuckled, a bright blush at her cheeks. "Yes." She moved away from Jane to fuss over reheating water for their tea. "It's a date, Jane."

Jane grinned. "I'm not making escargot."

Maura huffed in amusement without turning to her. "It's my favorite you know."

Jane frowned. Was it? Since when? Where in the hell was she gonna get snails in this weather? She wasn't an expert but she doubted it were the season for them. Did snails have a season?

Maura's smile spread to her dimples as she watched Jane began the dishes from her toast preparations with a creased brown and a very adorable worry line on her face. "Jane." The detective looked over her shoulder. "They're delicious but not my favorite nor are they necessary."

Jane nodded. "So what do you you wanna eat?"

Maura shrugged. "Surprise me. I'm easy." Jane narrowed her eyes at her suspiciously. "I suppose I could give you a list of things that I suspect my body may have acute anaphylactic responses to. Would that be helpful?"

Jane chuckled and shook her head slowly. "Why don't you email it to me." Maura gave her a look. "Maura c'mon." She immediately course corrected when the doctor didn't laugh. "I read them. I do."

"You do not, Jane."

"I do!"

"What is the last one I sent you?"

"What is the last one you sent me… To my email?"

"Yes." Maura crossed her arms.

"It's…um…Was…About that thing you were telling me about…. That other thing?" Jane tried. "About mammals." She nodded firmly. It was always about mammals, anyway right? On some level…

Jane watched in surprise as Maura picked up her tea mug having just refreshed it and left the kitchen without another word. Jane opened her mouth to say something but found she couldn't. It was only after checking her email and reading the last one from Maura that she laughed hard.

"Amazing new scientific discovery leads researches to believe Sea Mammals may be able to communicate…."

Jane sat amongst the storm late that night, drinking cooled tea and reading articles from the small screen of her cell phone until she found herself squinting. With her head full of facts and chest full of appreciation the detective made sure all the doors were locked on the first floor before climbing the stairs to crawl into the guestroom bed.

AN: So apologies for the mega late post for that I decided to post a mega long chapter :) Hope you enjoy and as always please review!

KathleenDee