Maura, sat at the dinner table, a mug of freshly made coffee in her hand. A smile was plastered over her face, as she watched tiny TJ play with his father. Angela was in the kitchen, cooking something, and Jane was sat on the couch. Delicately placing her scalding cup onto the table, she looked back at the scene before her. Her mind wandered a little. They had just solved a tough case, and were taking some well-deserved time off. Tommy had TJ for the week, and was visiting.

He had asked Maura advice about finding a stable job, and she had written a reference for him. It had secured him a stable job, and he thanked her for it every time he saw her. While she dismissed his thanks, it was enough to see him happy. Her eyes wandered from TJ to Tommy. Her smile grew as she watched the new father play with his son.

Chuckling, Maura took a sip from her coffee. It had gone cold slightly, and she briefly considered making a fresh cup. Her mind continued to wander from the scene before her. She tried focusing on TJ, but Tommy kept drawing her attention.

She stopped and looked away, when she realized that she had been staring. Thankfully none of them seemed to notice. She looked down, and concentrated on her breathing. Feeling the heat in her cheeks subside, she looked back up. Angela had sat next to Jane, and was laughing at Tommy. Maura stood up and excused herself.

Quickly, she left the room and headed into her bedroom. She locked the door behind her, and made her way into her en suite. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were tinged with redness, and her breathing was slightly labored.

"Maura," she thought. "Control yourself. Tommy is off limits. He is Jane's brother. Not to mention, he has a family already. Calm thoughts."

She exhaled slowly, and primped herself a little. She heard a knock at the door.

"You okay Maura?" It was Jane.

"I'll be out in a minute," Maura called back. She heard the faint sound of footsteps and steeled herself for returning to the kitchen.

Maura unlocked the door and left her room. Silently, she reappeared in the kitchen and looked over Angela's shoulder.

"Angela, it smells delicious what is it?"

"Clam Linguine," Angela exulted, happily.

"Clams?" Jane uttered, horrified, a hand over her mouth.

"Jane," Angela admonished. "Grab some plates and stop being a child."

Jane blew her breath through her pursed lips, and grabbed a couple of plates. Holding each individual plate up, Angela spooned the meal onto them.

The meal passed in a contented silence. They laughed as Tommy faltered in his attempts to feed TJ. Angela finally took pity on him, and effortlessly fed the small child. The meal finished and Maura grabbed the empty plates. She headed over to the sink, and filled it with hot water.

"Maura, you okay?" Jane muttered. Maura nodded silently, as she scrubbed the plates before placing each one carefully into the dishwasher. Maura finished and Jane grabbed her arm.

"You sure? You didn't say anything all through dinner," Jane asked. Maura nodded, but avoided her gaze.

"I'm just tired. Please excuse me. I'm going to bed."

"Maura, it's only seven thirty."

"Excuse me," she pressed. She slinked past Jane and padded out of the room. Locking the door behind her, she sat on the edge of the bed.

Throughout her entire life, she had repressed emotion. She knew it made her look a little odd, cold even. While she had relaxed around the Rizzoli family and others at work, sometimes she instinctively hid her emotions. She felt tears well up, and she fought not to cry. She felt her heart brake.

"Maura? You sure you're okay?" It was Angela. Maura struggled to keep her voice calm and steady.

"I'm fine Angela. I'm really tired. The last case must have tired me out more than usual. I'll see you in the morning," Maura called.

Maura switched her light off and crawled under the sheets. She curled up and rest her head on the pillow. She didn't feel herself fall asleep. She couldn't feel anything other than the tightness in her chest.

XXXXXXX

"Hey. Where's Dr Isles?"

"I'm not sure. She hasn't been in all day. There's a backlog of autopsies. Dr Pike has been called in."

"Great. Thanks Susie." Jane hurried out of the room, and headed back up to the squad room. Pulling out her phone, she pressed Maura's number. The phone rang, but there was no answer.

"What's up, Jane?" Korsak asked. Jane threw her phone onto the table.

"Maura's not here. She's never absent. Not to mention she was a little off last night."

"Maybe she's got a bad cold," he suggested.

"Remember that time Maura came in with flu?"

"It wasn't flu. She had a bad head cold," Korsak reminded her.

"Still, Maura's never not here."

"JANE!" Jane spun round to see her mother rushing into the room. "Jane! Maura's not here, and I haven't seen her since last night. Anything happen?"

"Ma, I don't know. Was Maura a little off to you last night?"

"Yeah, she was really quiet. I asked her if anything was wrong and she said she was fine, just a little tired." Angela's voice instilled worry in Jane.

"She has a day off?" Frost asked.

"No, she has a day off next week. Because she hasn't turned up, Pike's been called in from Worcester."

"God, I hope we don't get a case today." Everyone looked at Korsak. "What? He gets on my nerves."

Jane repressed a grin. She looked back at her phone. The screen was dark, and it lay on her desk. She grabbed it and dialed Maura's number again. It rang and went to voicemail. Jane hung up angrily.

"Ma, let's go."

Jane grabbed her jacket, and they left the room. They drove back to Maura's house. Angela let them in, and they made a beeline for Maura's room. Jane rapped on the door smartly.

"Maura! Open up!"

No answer.

"Maura, I'm not playing. Open up! Now!"

Again, no answer.

"Ma, step back."

Angela retreated a little, and Jane stepped back. Despite her size, Jane kicked the door violently. It budged, but a lock seemed to stop it. Jane kicked it again, but it stayed shut. She pulled her gun from it's holster.

"Maura! Open the door, before I shoot the lock off." Jane paused for a beat, before aiming and squeezing the trigger. A loud bang reverberated through the corridor, and Angela flinched. Jane kicked the door open and stormed inside.

The bed was neatly made, and nothing was out of place. The room looked spotless. Jane motioned for Angela to stay outside. Her instinct and training took over as she hunted for Maura. She could her the faint tinkling of water running. Heading towards the en suite, Jane reached out for the handle. She slowly turned it, and the door opened with a feeble click.

The door swung open to reveal a crumpled figure in the shower. Cradling itself in the fetal position, Jane stared at it. The face was facing towards towards the knees, and the hair covered the sides.

The form was definitely female. Jane's blood ran cold.

"No," she whimpered. Hurrying over to the shower, she switched off the warm water, and fell to her knees. She reached out and touched the figure. It shivered for a moment. Relief washed over her, and Jane let out a thankful sigh. Maura raised her head slightly.

"Maura, what's wrong? You can't lie any more."

"What's going on?" It was Angela. Jane looked up at her.

"Ma, can you pass a towel?"

Angela handed Jane a towel, who wrapped Maura in it. Easing the mute form to her feet, Jane took most of her weight. They slowly hobbled to the bedroom. Maura sat on the edge of the bed, dumb. Jane ushered Angela out of the room.

"Ma, can you give us a minute?" Angela looked into Jane's eyes, and visibly dismissed her misgivings.

"Sure. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

"Thanks, Ma."

Jane headed back into the bedroom, and sat next to Maura. Jane looked at the clock periodically, waiting for Maura to speak. After thirty minutes, Jane's patience ran out.

"You gonna tell me, Maura? Or am I going to have to drag it out of you?" The voice may have been stern, but the intent was full of concern.

"I don't want to talk about it." Maura looked down at herself. She stood up, and walked back into the bathroom. She reappeared a few minutes later. "Can you give me a minute?"

Jane nodded, a little unsure. Maura attempted to grab the door handle, to find it had vanished. Not even registering it, she left the door slightly ajar. Jane could hear her moving around and opening closets. Deciding she needed a coffee, she headed into the kitchen.

"Everything okay?" Angela queried. Jane shook her head.

"I've got no idea. I know that there is definitely something wrong, but she's not saying anything."

"What does your gut say?" Angela pressed, as she handed Jane a cup of coffee.

"Thanks Ma." Jane considered the question as she sipped her drink. "I don't know. She was fine a couple of days ago, and now..."

"She wasn't feeling so good last night when Tommy and TJ were visiting."

"She's been fine around Tommy and TJ. Why would she suddenly be, not okay, with them coming here? We practically fed him together when Lydia left him on the doorstep. It can't be that. I dunno. I've got no idea..."

Jane fell silent, as Maura appeared. Looking immaculate as always, she stood before them. The smile that accompanied her lips, was noticeably missing.

"I'm ready to go to work." Her tone divulged a want to not talk about what happened. Jane nodded, and they filed out of the house. Angela locked up, and they drove back to the station.

XXXXXXX

"So what happened?" Frost asked.

"Found Maura at home, and dragged her in. She overslept." Jane knew that they could tell she was lying, but didn't care. She grabbed the nearest file, and started filling in the paperwork.

XXXXXXX

"You want anything?"

"Huh?" Jane asked. Frost looked down at her.

"I asked if you wanted me to get you anything for lunch."

"I'm good Frost, thanks." Jane reclined in her chair, and stared at the ceiling. The thing with Maura had been bugging her all morning. She looked over at Korsak.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Out," his tone was evasive. Jane narrowed her eyes at him, playfully.

"Out where," she pressed.

"Nowhere in particular. Feel like stretching my legs."

Jane rolled her eyes. She had known Korsak for years. He never stretched his legs if he could help it. She chuckled, and let him leave without any further interrogation.

Vince looked back and saw Jane at her desk. He hurried down the corridor and into a elevator. He pressed the button, and the doors shut. A slight jolt threatened to topple him, but he grabbed the railing. The short journey ended and the doors opened to reveal the autopsy level.

He passed lab after lab, before stopping outside of Maura's. He looked in and saw her staring at a body, whilst sat on a stool. A forlorn look on her face inspired pity in Vince. He opened the door slowly.

"Dr Isles?"

"Sargent Korsak? How can I help you?" She sounded surprised.

"You didn't oversleep did you?"

"What do you mean?" Maura asked, and Vince looked at her.

"Jane told us that you overslept. You didn't, clearly. What's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong." Maura tried to placate him, but her voice sounded half-hearted.

"Maura, I get that sometimes you can't talk to Jane. What about me?"

Maura hesitated. She knew he was right, but she was unsure of telling him. She knew from experience and general knowledge that your best friend's siblings are generally off limits.

"I'm not sure I can."

"I've been married three times, and experienced war. Not to mention, I've seen a lot of stuff over the years." He smiled genially at her.

"Do you know of Tommy?"

"Jane's brother?" Vince queried, and Maura nodded.

"I know that your best friend's siblings are off limits, but I've become attracted to Tommy." She looked up at him. "Maybe I shouldn't be telling you this..."

"Maura, it's okay. How long?"

"About a year."

"A year?" Vince sounded incredulous. "Really? A year?"

Maura nodded, and Vince whistled.

"Normally, I can control my emotions and thoughts, but lately I have been finding it rather difficult."

"Maura, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I doubt Jane would think of you any other way."

"What's nothing to be ashamed of?" It was Jane. She had breezed into the morgue silently. Vince and Maura shared a look.

"I'll leave you two alone." Vince hurried out of the room. He head back towards the elevator, but not before stopping and nodding at Maura. Maura sighed deeply.

"You should sit down for this Jane."

"What is it Maura? You're starting to scare me."

"I, err..." Maura paused.

"Maura, in however many years I've known you, you've never said, err. What's wrong?"

"I." She paused again, fiddling with the lapels of her jacket. "I..."

Jane knew she said something, but it was muffled.

"Maura!"

"I have feelings for Tommy." Maura looked at Jane apologetically. Jane merely sat down on a stool, a confused expression on her face.

"How long?"

"About a year," Mara confessed.

"A YEAR!"

"I didn't mean for it to happen Jane. I haven't even told Tommy. He doesn't know anything. I..." She started to gush, but faltered at seeing Jane's smile.

"Maura. Is this what's been wrong? You saw Tommy with TJ and thought that he was with Lydia."

"Isn't he?"

"No," Jane answered. "Sure, they had a baby together, but it doesn't mean he loves her. One question though."

"What?"

"Really, a year?" Jane sounded doubtful, and Maura nodded. "Wow. You thought that I would be annoyed?"

"Yes."

"Why would I be annoyed? I'd call it surprised. Seeing as your brilliant, and he's not as bright as you."

"He has other qualities, Jane."

"I don't wanna know." Maura smiled, despite herself.

"I mean, he's kind, generous, giving. He's more intelligent than you give him credit for."

"Come on! You know I didn't mean it like that. You're super smart and stuff and he's... not." Jane stood there, her protest finishing a little more lame than originally thought. Maura fought back a grin. Jane's next question sobered Maura up in an instant. "Have you told him?"

"No," she replied as she shook her head. "And, I won't. Tommy has TJ and Lydia to deal with. While unconventional, it seems to be a family that functions."

"Maura, that's not true!""

"It is! It is not one of the conventional families illustrated in most sociological studies. While TJ's parental figures may not be in a relationship, he is still provided with everything he requires. Love, maternal and paternal contact, clothes, food..."

"Maura, stop! Why haven't you told him?" Jane stared at her. Maura considered her briefly, before slipping off the chair, and pulling the cover off the body in front of her. Her reply came when her face was mere millimeters from the body's ear.

"Because, it would be a futile gesture."

"Why?"

"You know why Jane. Even if he were to feel the same why, which is doubtful, then the mere fact that I am friends with you would be a deciding factor. He would decide not pursue a relationship with me."

"Maura!" Jane knew she was whining, but didn't care.

"Jane, you can't change my mind. I will not be telling Tommy. I regret that I have allowed my feelings to interfere with my work. I can assure you it will not happen again." The finality in her voice, made Jane turn to leave.

"Maura..." Jane was grasping at straws. She could see the facade that Maura put up around her. It broke her heart.

"I have a lot to do Jane. Goodbye." Maura hadn't even looked up from the body she was working on. Despite herself, Jane left.

XXXXXXX

"Jane, what are you doing here?" Tommy sounded surprised, but she could hear a hint of thanks.

"Hey Tommy, you got a minute?" He nodded, and let her in.

"Nice place, Tommy. Congratulations."

"Err, thanks. I know it's not much, but it's a start. Normally I wouldn't ask, but why the visit, sis?"

Jane turned to face him.

"Is TJ here?"

"No," Tommy was starting to sound worried. "Why?"

"Nothing." Jane looked around the room before lowering her voice to a whisper. "Ma?"

"No, Jane. What's going on?"

"What happened with you and Maura?" Jane knew she was being blunt, but didn't really care. It had been a boring day, and she was surprisingly tired.

"Nothing, why?"

"Don't give me that Tommy. Anything happen?"

"No."

"You sure," she pressed.

"Yeah. Positive. She say that anything happen?"

"Tommy, she doesn't even know I'm here."

"Nothing's going on between us. Honest." His hand were up defensively, and Jane bit back a laugh.

"Okay, Tommy. I believe you."

"It's true!"

"Okay, Tommy. God, I was winding you up!" Jane paused for a moment. "But, do you, y'know, like, Maura."

"Yeah, she's alright."

"Not what I meant Tommy."

"Oh, you mean, like, her?" Jane nodded, and Tommy sat down on the couch. "Err, well there was something maybe. But I forgot about it. I just thought that nothing was going to happen, and I moved on. Why?"

"No reason."

"Jane!" Tommy sounded desperate.

"Look, Maura's said that she likes you. Don't read too much into it though. She's not going to do anything, because you've got Lydia and TJ..."

"Lydia and I aren't..."

"Tommy, you have a kid together. She's not going to get herself involved in this. Despite what she feels."

"Then why did you come here? Why tell me all this?"

"Because I'm nosy, and sometimes things need a push."

Jane turned on her heel and left.

XXXXXXX

"You're late!" Angela yelled, as Jane walked in. Maura was standing next to Angela, as they both pored over a steaming pot.

"What am I late for?" Jane asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Lasagne," Maura exulted, happily.

"How many cloves of garlic did you put on the bread this time?"

"Only four. It's a big baton."

Jane shook her head, and chuckled. She grabbed the plates and laid the table. Angela served the meal onto the plates and Jane carried them over to the table. Wine flowed a little, and Maura seemed to loosen up. They had just finished the meal, when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Maura insisted. She stood up and walked to the door. The wine had caused a reddish tinge to her cheeks. She opened the door.

It was Tommy.

"Tom..." She fell silent as he pulled her outside and closed the door behind her.

"Jane told me. Don't be mad at her. She's just a concerned sister and friend. She told me a lot of stuff, in a roundabout kind of way. I know that you like me, and that it's a bit weird with the whole me-Lydia-TJ situation, but..."

He leant in and kissed her. It was soft, tender and short. His hands reached up to her face and cupped her jaw and cheeks. He deepened it slightly before abruptly ending it. Maura stood there, dumbstruck.

He turned away and slowly walked away from her. She looked after him forlornly. He had disappeared from sight when her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a text.

I need to be with you.

Maura smiled, and headed back inside.

"Who was it?" Angela asked, as Jane merely looked at her knowingly.

"No one," Maura sounded evasive. She sat down, and turned to Jane.

"You owe me a door."