But I Love You

But I Love You - Part Five: Time to Face the Music

Jane arrived at the crime scene minutes later and immediately scanned the area looking for her partners, Sergeant Korsak and Detective Frost.

"Jane!", Korsak called out to her.

"Vince! What do we got?"

As Korsak filled her in on the victim - female, five foot seven, late twenties to early thirties, dressed in office attire, gun shot wound to the chest - Jane surreptitiously scanned her surroundings, the prospect of seeing Maura bringing her both joy and trepidation. Alas, this gesture wasn't lost on Korsak.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Uh .... Maura. I ... Is she here yet?", Jane asked as nonchalantly as she could muster, praying the sergeant couldn't hear the pounding in her chest. Korsak looked at her quizzically and shrugged.

"No, but she should be here soon", he replied as he went over his homicide notes.

Detective Frost was the first to see her. "Doctor Isles! Over here!", he waved in her direction as he jogged to meet her. Jane's back was to them, but her ears perked up as soon as she heard that name, and she turned around slowly.

She wasn't prepared for the vision of loveliness that hit her like a freight train right in her gut. Maura, walking down a makeshift ramp, dressed smartly in a crisp royal blue suit, her nude Jimmy Choos click clacking a familiar rhythm on the pavement. With the sun behind her, enrobing her in an ethereal glow, she shone like an angel, a halo of cascading honey blonde curls completing the illusion. Jane's mouth went instantly dry as she stared, unabashedly.

Holy mother of ... she's gorgeous! How does she always manage to look like she's strutting down a Paris fashion show runway instead of here, slumming it up with us mooks, at a crime scene?

As she got closer to them, Detective Frost by her side, Maura's breath caught in her throat and she felt her heart swell, as her eyes lasered in on the one person she hadn't anticipated on seeing today, of all days.

Jane.

She's here! Why is she here? Was she called in or did she volunteer to come and abandon her day off knowing I'd be here?

Maura mentally scolded herself for that last indulgent thought, remembering the last text she got from Jane: Okay.

Okay to pretending, at her prodding by the way, that it never happened. Even though it was her suggestion entirely, Maura couldn't help the sadness that crept up on her again at the thought.

Of course she was called in. Why else would she be here?

As she approached her colleagues, her observant eyes marvelled at the countenance of one Jane Rizzoli: lean, gazelle-like with a natural grace about her, shoulders squared exuding effortless authority, strong hands perched on either side of slender hips ... and piercing dark eyes trained directly at her, boring right through to her core. Maura licked her lips as she struggled to swallow the lump that had risen in her throat.

After exchanging quick pleasantries with Frost and Korsak, she turned her undivided attention to Jane.

"You're here", she smiled, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, I am".

"What happened to your day off?".

Jane shrugged. "They needed all hands on deck. So ... ".

Maura nodded. "Oh. Okay". That word again.

She was starting to really hate that word. Okay. Nothing was ever really that. There was always something bubbling right below, just waiting to surface at the most inopportune moment.

Tearing her eyes away from Jane's, Maura slipped on her latex gloves and knelt on the ground to examine the victim.

"Hmm. There are some particulates in and around the gun shot wounds".

"Do you know what they are?", Korsak ventured, already knowing what the ME's answer would be.

"Not until I can do a full examination of her body. I will say though that it seems, based on the evidence so far, that your victim was shot at close range. Possibly three to five feet away."

"That's something", Korsak muttered. "Hey, Frost. Gimme a hand over here, will ya?", he motioned to the younger detective, and the two of them scurried off, leaving the ladies alone.

Maura, still crouched on the ground, continued her inspection of the body for several more minutes, poking and prodding, as Jane stood around awkwardly. After what seemed like forever, Maura motioned to the crime scene techs to bag the body for transportation to the morgue for further examination and testing.

As she made to get up, her stiletto heel caught on an uneven patch of pavement, causing her to lurch and stumble forward. Jane's lightning quick reflexes kicked in and she caught Maura before her best friend could hurt herself.

"Whoa! Maur, you okay?". Her hands clasped tightly around Maura's, not wanting to let go.

"Yes, Jane", Maura nodded, her cheeks turning crimson. "I'm fine".

"Thank you", she uttered shyly.

Hands interlaced, neither one wanting to break that precious connection, they stood there, oblivious to the flurry of activity surrounding them. Jane reached up and tenderly tucked an errant lock of blonde hair behind Maura's ear.

There. Her best friend looked picture perfect once again.

"Doctor Isles, when are you ever gonna learn? No stilettos at the crime scene!", Jane joked, grinning mischievously.

"Well, that's just plain blasphemy!", Maura responded, rolling her eyes, her nose wrinkled in mock disgust.

As they shared a laugh, they both felt some of the tension between them dissipate.

"I'm really glad you're here, Jane", Maura whispered quietly, hazel eyes bright with unshed tears.

"Yeah. Me too, Maur. Me too.", Jane responded, voice hoarse, her throat raw from desperately trying to keep from breaking down.

Giving Maura's dainty fingers one last squeeze, Jane forced herself to let go, immediately regretting the loss of contact. Maura mirrored Jane's sentiments as she held on to Jane a split second longer.

Finally pulling apart, they said their goodbyes.

"Meet ya back at BPD?", Jane winked.

"Okay", Maura answered softly, a faint smile playing on her lips. She watched as her best friend turned to leave, admiring that badass swagger (and the derriere responsible for it) as Jane walked away.

I take it back . Okay's not such a bad word after all.

Spying Korsak and Frost, Maura headed in their direction. "Sergeant Korsak, Detective Frost", she began cheerily, "I'm headed back to BPD to begin further examination on your victim and I should have more definitive results on those particulates later today".

"Thank you, Doctor Isles", the pair responded in unison. "See you in a bit", finished Korsak.

Once the ME was out of earshot, an incredulous Frost turned to his seasoned counterpart.

"Do they really think that we don't know? How long d'you think they can keep up this charade?".

Korsak shrugged. "For as long as they feel the need to", was his calm reply.