Biggest apologies for taking so long. Life is just crazy honestly. Even more apologies if there are any formatting errors I'm uploading from my phone, which is annoying to do honestly, but I really wanted to get this out here for you all!

Reflections of red and blue lights flickered against the wet asphalt. The rain had brought a chill to the late evening air and despite the fact that officers and crime scene techs were roaming about, it was relatively quiet.

Quiet enough that Maura heard the voice at least 10 feet behind her and she felt a twinge in her stomach.

"What's the new M.E. doing here?"

"Apparently Johnston's wife broke her leg this morning and the governor asked the new one if she could start early."

Maura placed the man's voice as Detective Korsak, whom she'd met as she arrived on scene.

"Don't they usually just call in an assistant M.E.?"

"In my experience, yeah, but from what I've heard, the governor seems to be impatient for this one to start. Apparently the rate of conviction based on her findings is one of the highest in the country."

When he spoke again, his voice was quieter, but Maura could still hear him, even if just barely.

"She seems a little odd if you ask me, but still nice enough. She's just by-the-book and won't really give straight answers."

"How could someone not give straight answers at a crime scene?"

"You take a crack at her. I can't get her to tell me much."

Detective Korsak's words stung a bit and Maura swallowed a lump in her throat. It was silly, perhaps, to be affected by a near stranger's words, but she couldn't help how she felt.

Just as she was inserting a thermometer to check hepatic temperature, Maura heard footsteps heading her way, heavy boots clicking loudly on the asphalt. Mere seconds later, more footsteps followed. Quieter.

"Doctor Isles. Didn't expect to see you on the job so soon."

Doctor. Of course this interaction would be professional. Her early start was unexpected, so they hadn't yet had a conversation about boundaries. Deciding even if she couldn't lie, Maura thought the least she could do was make it seem as if they had not yet met. She just had to be very deliberate with her word choice.

She looked up from the body and met Jane's eyes for only a moment, nodding. "Detective. I hadn't expected to begin so soon, but obviously accidents are not always preventable. I do hope that Doctor Johnston's wife recovers quickly."

"Of course, but between you and me, I'm relieved that idiot's gone. What can you tell us about the victim so far?"

Maura pulled out the thermometer and checked the reading. "White male, no identification on him, but I would say between the ages of approximately 25 and 30. I obviously cannot be 100 percent sure without further analysis. Looking at the hepatic temperature, I estimate the time of death to be between eight and ten hours ago."

"Okay. Thanks." Jane then squatted across from Maura on the other side of the body and looked up to Korsak. "You see this up close yet?" She pointed to a gunshot wound just below the right side of the victim's chest. "Looks pretty close range. Could be a 45 maybe? Probably went through the lung. There's a lot of blood there on the ground beside him. What d'ya think?"

"Yeah, could be, or something close to a 45. Wouldn't be surprised if he drowned in his own blood, but I definitely think he bled out."

The flippant remarks irritated Maura and she couldn't hold her tongue. "I have barely begun to examine the body, detectives, so I would prefer if you'd refrain from assumptions. You do not know the type of gun the shooter used, whether the bullet entered the lung, nor whether the victim died as a result of this specific wound."

Jane let out a soft snort. "You're joking, right?"

Maura looked up sharply, jaw clenched before she spoke. "I can assure that I am not joking, Detective. I take my job very seriously. I would hope that you do the same."

There was a coldness in Maura's eyes that shocked Jane and she looked startled, but her expression quickly darkened. "Of course I take my job seriously, Doctor Isles. It's insulting that you would think I don't."

"Then moving forward, I would suggest that you not make assumptions and let me provide you with the forensic evidence to help you with your cases."

"You wanna know one thing that makes me a good detective, Doctor Isles?"

Maura started to respond, but Jane spoke again before she could.

"I follow my gut instincts and only once have I ever been wrong."

"But once is enough, isn't it? I am one of the best medical examiners in the country because I allow science to speak for itself. I do not guess. I do not assume. I do not speculate."

After a moment, Jane nodded, her jaw clenched once again. She stood abruptly. "Well then, you do your job while I go do mine. Let my team know what time you plan to start the autopsy in the morning."

"Let's check out the area, Korsak," Jane said as she began to walk away.

"I'll be starting at 8:30am sharp." Maura said, looking up at Detective Korsak. She swallowed hard, clearly rattled by the exchange with her lover. "Please let her know."

"I'll be there," came the brunette's loud reply, clearly having overheard.

Maura stood. "I didn't mean to offend her," she said to Korsak, voice just above a whisper. "I am simply meticulous in my work and I do not appreciate when my methods are questioned."

Korsak shrugged. "Just a change from Doctor Johnson is all. Don't mind Rizzoli. Her bark is worse than her bite."

Though there was plenty she could have said, Maura just nodded and said, "Okay. Thank you, Detective."

"Call me Vince."

"Then please, call me Maura."

There was a loud clicking of shoes in the corridor and Maura looked briefly at her watch to note the time.

8:09am

A feeling of dread settled in Maura's stomach as the footsteps became louder and suddenly stopped. Maura looked up from her desk to see Jane leaning against the doorway, arms folded over her chest. "Jane."

"You wanna tell me what the hell last night was about?"

"Good morning to you, too."

Jane glared.

"What about last night? I'm not sure what you mean."

"Like hell you don't. You insulted me."

"I did no such thing."

"Oh really? 'I take my job very seriously. I would hope that you do the same.' That sound familiar to you?"

"You and Detective Korsak were making assumptions that could unintentionally hurt the investigation. Your assumptions are not facts."

"I'm a homicide detective. You think I don't know that?" Jane sighed and slowly approached Maura's desk. "Who in the world was the woman at that crime scene, Maura?"

Maura looked alarmed at the thought of having missed something crucial. "Which woman?"

"You! I mean, I know we've only known each other a couple of weeks now and I've been so busy with work that we've only been able to see each other twice, but last night, it felt like you were a complete stranger, not the person I'm...secretly dating."

"When I am in a professional environment or situation, I am expected to behave and speak in certain ways. Combine that with the fact that we hadn't yet had a conversation about boundaries in the workplace and I simply wanted to maintain a professional front. I apologize that I upset you."

Jane sighed as she stood in front of Maura's desk and trailed her index finger back and forth on the dark, smooth wood, looking down. "Obviously we approach crime scenes differently, but I don't just take wild guesses, Maura." She looked up. "At the very least they're educated. I base them on the knowledge and experience I have in the field. Doesn't mean I don't take my job seriously."

"I don't even know why I said that to you." Maura rose from her chair and made her way around her desk to stand in front of her lover. "Of course I know you take your job seriously."

Instantly Jane turned to face her. "Why didn't you tell me they called you in early?"

"I didn't have enough time to as I spent a solid portion of the day in this office and the morgue organizing as quickly as I could under the circumstances. But in hindsight I should have made time, especially on the drive to the scene, just in case you were called to the scene too."

Jane ran her fingers through her hair. "You didn't really owe me anything, I guess."

"I did and I do, though. Our situation is delicate. We have to be mindful of many things."

"Yeah." Jane shrugged. "I guess we'll just figure it out. On another note, what are your plans for tonight?"

"Nothing as of yet. I'm not sure what time I'll leave work."

"Me neither, but if we can both get away early enough, would you like to have dinner at my place?"

"Possibly. When is the last time you went grocery shopping?"

Jane chuckled and awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. "You remember that, huh?"

"I remember everything you tell me."

Though the statement was innocent, Jane couldn't help but think of their intimate moments and she felt heat spread across her cheeks.

Maura glanced to the side, looking to see if there was anyone within view of her office door and windows. Seeing no one, she took a small step forward and looked up to meet Jane's eyes. "Is it pathetic to say that I've missed you? We spent a lot of time together the first few days and I know it's only been four days since I last saw you, not including last night, but I like how I feel when I'm with you."

"Me too," Jane said quietly. "And it isn't pathetic. This is already more of a relationship than others I've had that've lasted months. I feel connected to you in a way I haven't with anyone else."

"I know. Sometimes it kind of scares me," Maura quietly confessed.

"It scares me too, but for once I don't want to run in the opposite direction."

"Good. Me neither."

"If we weren't at work, I'd kiss you right now."

"So does that mean we're okay?"

"Yeah, but we can talk more tonight. If you want. About boundaries and stuff."

"Should we talk before or after we…" Maura's eyebrow rose suggestively and she bit her lip.

Jane smirked. "Let's play it by ear."

Maura's brow furrowed in confusion.

"We'll see what happens."

"Okay."

"I gotta go back upstairs, but text me when you find even the tiniest thing, okay?"

"I thought you wanted to be here for the autopsy."

"Can't. Gotta look through some surveillance video my partner Frost was able to get last night for another case we have."

"Okay then. I'll text you if I find anything that might help."

"Thanks. Hopefully I'll see you tonight?"

"I very much hope so."

Jane nodded and headed toward the door.

Maura closed her eyes and bit her lip as everything with Jane flashed through her mind. She was so concentrated on it that she didn't register the clicking sounds of boots on hard floor approaching her. When strong arms wrapped around her waist, her eyes shot open just in time to realize Jane had pulled her close and was kissing her hard. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around Jane's neck, closed her eyes, and kissed Jane back with equal fervor.

After a few seconds, Jane pulled back. "Sorry. I got outside your office and nobody was around at all, so I just couldn't let myself leave without doing that."

With a smile, Maura simply leaned back in and kissed Jane softly, this time letting her lips linger against Jane's for several moments before she pulled back. "Good because I really like kissing you."

"Let's do lots more of that tonight."

"I look forward to it."

Maura pushed the button to turn off the car engine and took a deep breath. She wasn't even sure why she felt nervous, but she felt as if her body had been humming all day thinking about getting to be around Jane in private again. It'd only been four days, but considering both times they'd had a chance to get together since painting Maura's yoga room, they'd spent most of that time not talking. Instead it'd been making out, sex, and eating a meal together before Jane had to go back to work.

Despite the urges, Maura uncharacteristically hadn't even masturbated. Her body didn't just crave the chemical release an orgasm brought. Instead it craved the chemical release that sex with Jane brought and she knew that if she masturbated, she just wouldn't feel satisfied enough.

Tonight was the first time that Jane had invited Maura over to her apartment though. Was the expectation that she'd stay or leave at the end of the night? Considering it was already close to 8pm, Maura was leaning toward hoping she could simply stay the night.

And suddenly Maura realized for sure why she felt nervous. She didn't know if she'd be able to tell on her own whether or not she was welcome to sleep over. So far Jane had understood and accommodated her without even asking. Maura was desperate for Jane to do the same once again.

Jane.

Maura smiled. She was falling fast and hard for the charming, sexy, intelligent woman. Even if she was scared, she was also incredibly excited. Jane was the first person since Ian that she felt anything beyond a physical connection with.

While the two didn't necessarily have much in common, particularly their backgrounds, they found enough things to talk about. When they weren't having sex, of course.

But that was okay. After all, they'd only been dating for two weeks and the honeymoon period was likely going to last a while longer.

Finally Maura grabbed her keys from the center console and then her purse on the passenger's seat before she climbed out of the vehicle. With two clicks of her key fob, the car beeped and she began making her way down the sidewalk, looking at building numbers as she passed.

Once she reached Jane's, she began her ascent up the brick steps and pressed the call button for apartment 12. A few seconds later, there was a buzzing noise and Maura took that as a signal to open the door.

When the elevator doors opened on Jane's floor, Maura looked straight ahead down the hall to find Jane standing in the open doorway of her apartment, waiting for her. They smiled at each other and Maura approached her lover.

"Fancy seein' you here," Jane joked.

Maura obviously picked up on the joke. "It is quite a coincidence, isn't it? After all, it's not as if you gave me your address, invited me over, and let me into your apartment building or anything."

"Hey, you're learning this sarcasm thing pretty quickly."

"Well, that one was obvious enough for even me to understand."

"Ah, well. One day I hope I can take credit for it." Jane then stepped aside and motioned for her lover to enter the apartment.

With a chuckle, Maura entered and heard Jane shut the door behind her. She glanced around the room and took in the environment. "Your apartment is very you," she commented.

"What does that mean?"

"Sports memorabilia, pictures of you and your family, a little more neutral color scheme."

"Uh, thanks, I think?"

"Well, you don't seem like a pastel or bright colors kind of person." Maura turned back toward Jane.

"My living room walls are some kind of sage green and my kitchen's yellow," Jane replied, one eyebrow raised.

"Fair point, but did you choose the colors?"

Instantly Jane looked sheepish. "No," she mumbled. "I've been here for over a decade and I just never got around to painting. I'm pretty much only ever home to sleep and shower though. Sometimes eat."

At the last part Maura raised an eyebrow.

Jane shrugged. "I eat a lot of take-out and leftovers that my mother drops off at the station."

"You really need to find a healthy balance between your home and work life. Studies have shown that—"

"I know," Jane said, holding her hand up to stop Maura from continuing. "I get enough of a lecture from my mother."

"Sorry," Maura whispered, looking down.

"I've just never really had much of a reason to not be a workaholic."

Maura met Jane's eyes again. "I suppose that with the long hours I work, I should be considered a workaholic too, but I force myself to find the balance still. Maybe you could come to yoga with me."

Jane scrunched her nose.

"Hm. Okay, well, we'll figure something out."

"Good luck with that."

"I have my ways of getting what I want," Maura replied flirtatiously.

"Oh yeah? What are they?" Jane asked, voice low and seductive as she stepped closer to Maura and then pulled her in close.

"I can't reveal my secrets." Maura looped her arms around Jane's neck.

Jane dipped her head and pressed her lips to Maura's. Their lips moved together slowly and after a few seconds, Jane pulled back. "I interrogate perps for a living. I know how to get secrets out of someone."

"I'd hope that your methods with them aren't the same methods you'd use on me."

Janes eyebrow rose, but instead of addressing her lover's comment, she simply asked, "You okay with Japanese takeout for dinner?"

"I certainly don't mind it as long as there are plenty of vegetables."

"Good, it should be here in about 30 minutes. I scheduled a delivery time earlier." Jane smiled. "Now, about those secrets…"

"I have a confession to make," Jane murmured as she pressed kisses along her lover's throat.

"Mhm?" Maura's eyes fluttered closed.

"I found something for you, well, for us."

Opening her eyes, Maura placed her hand on Jane's sternum to stop her and meet her eyes. "Wait. Did you buy—"

"Yeah," Jane interrupted. "I, uh, I did some looking online and found something that seemed good from the reviews."

"Do you already have it?" When her lover nodded, Maura continued. "You should put it on."

"Maybe we should wait until after the food gets delivered?"

"I've been thinking about you since you kissed me this morning and I am so turned on right now, I don't think it'll take much for me to orgasm."

"Uh, okay, I'll go get it." Jane climbed off of her lover and went to her closet.

Eyes fluttering closed, Maura bit her lip and couldn't help but let her hand glide down her stomach to rest between her legs. When her fingers grazed her clit, she sucked in a breath, but slid her fingers lower to find that she was incredibly wet already. After teasing herself for a few moments, she finally slipped two fingers inside and swallowed a moan that threatened to escape. She was definitely ready for this.

About a minute or so later, Jane exited the closet already wearing the strap-on. "I feel ridiculous wear—," she started to comment before she noticed Maura with her hand between her legs. "Oh," she breathed out.

Maura's eyes opened slowly and she met Jane's gaze. She smiled. "Come here," she said softly.

Jane held up a finger and spun around quickly, heading back into the closet. Moments later she returned with a small bottle in hand. "I guess maybe we need this?" she asked hesitantly as she approached the bed.

"Lubricant is certainly beneficial, even if I am quite aroused." Maura bit her lip and her eyes partially closed as she began circling her clit. She kept her eyes on Jane, but Jane's attention was elsewhere.

"Holy shit," Jane breathed out. "That is hot."

Maura trailed her wet fingers up her stomach to her right breast and tugged gently on her nipple. "May I make a request?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, of course."

"Come here and lie down."

Tossing the small bottle of lube by her pillow, Jane climbed onto the bed and Maura moved over to let her lie in the middle of it, propped up halfway on the pillows.

Once Jane was settled, Maura swung her leg over Jane's and straddled her thighs. She grabbed the lube and after popping the cap open, she squirted some into her other hand and closed the bottle before dropping it to the side. With her eyes on Jane, who was watching her intently, Maura wrapped both hands around the strap-on and stroked up and down a few times to spread the clear fluid.

When Maura reached the base of the silicone and pressed down, Jane moaned at the pressure on her clit.

Apparently satisfied with her preparation, Maura rose to her knees, held the dildo steady, and slowly lowered herself onto it. She let out a soft grunt once it was fully inside of her. As she met Jane's gaze, strong, tanned hands came to rest on her hips.

"Do you want me to move a certain way, or…" Jane trailed off to give Maura the opportunity to tell her what she wanted.

"Mm, not yet." Maura smiled.

"Does it feel okay though?" Jane asked with uncertainty.

With a nod, Maura hummed, "Mhm." After a moment, she leaned forward and braced her hands on the headboard before she started to slowly roll her hips. Her head fell backwards and she closed her eyes, soaking in the sensations.

Despite no prompting, Jane started pushing and pulling Maura's hips in time with her rhythm. The friction kept pressing the harness against her clit and she couldn't stop the moans that wanted to escape.

After a minute or two, Maura began to rock her hips, seeking pressure against her own clit. "So good," she breathed out.

"You look amazing," Jane said in a raspy voice.

Maura looked back down and met her lover's eyes before smiling shyly. After a moment, she leaned down, left hand still gripping the headboard, and kissed Jane hard as she slipped her right hand between them to rub her clit. "So close," she moaned against Jane's lips.

"Yeah?"

"Mhm."

Suddenly Jane grabbed Maura around her waist and rolled her onto her back then braced herself over the smaller woman. With a quick glance to make sure the strap-on was still inside Maura, she began to roll her hips quickly.

Though startled by the quick maneuver, Maura immediately hooked her legs around the back of Jane's thighs, slipped her right hand between them once more and grabbed onto the strap-on harness along her lover's hip. "Harder."

After several more hard thrusts, Jane watched in awe as Maura's eyes closed and she sucked in a breath before letting out a long, low sound, signaling the peak of her pleasure. "Oh god. Don't stop, don't stop."

And stop Jane didn't. Despite the increase in resistance, Jane tried her best to maintain the speed and strength of her strokes to help her lover get as much pleasure as possible. When Maura's body began to go limp and she met her gaze again, Jane slowly pulled out and fell over to the side onto her back.

Before Jane could even move and despite being out of breath, Maura rolled onto her side and slipped her hand underneath the strap-on harness to bring Jane to her own orgasm. Her lover was so wet, so incredibly wet, that she could barely keep her fingers concentrated enough on one spot, but Jane was moaning regardless.

For a few moments, Jane just let Maura touch her, but Maura's harsh breaths finally dawned on her and she panted out, "I can…just let me." Her own fingers replaced Maura's and she added, "Breathe. You just breathe."

Within seconds Jane grunted and her back arched off the bed as pleasure surged through her body. Before long, she fell limp to the bed, breaths coming in pants like Maura's had been.

Maura looked on in wonder, mesmerized as always by the peaceful pleasure that graced Jane's features. So much different than the expressions that were there otherwise, even the happier ones. "You look so beautiful when you orgasm," she said softly.

"So what do I look like the rest of the time?" Jane smirked.

"Beautiful, of course, but it's different somehow. It isn't uncommon for people to wonder about their facial expressions during sex. I'm just saying...never mind. I don't know."

"No, I think I get it. I guess I've seen some interesting 'O' faces over the years, and not all of them attractive."

"Attraction is subjective, but yes, that's essentially what I mean."

Jane smiled. "I'm glad you like my 'O' face, I guess."

"I do." Maura smiled back, but then added, "We should probably get cleaned up before the food arrives. I'll clean the strap-on while you shower and I'll take one when you're finished."

With a nod, Jane replied, "Sounds good."

Maura smiled again and leaned in to give her lover a kiss. "I can't wait for an encore performance later."

"And that sounds even better."