Warning: There will be strong scenes and violence, read at own risk.
Bogeyman
Maura was looking down on the young girl lying on her table, she knew her to be seven. Her hand was stroking over her cheek. She wouldn't deny herself to be upset about this case now that she was alone. In public however… Her eyes went over her, dark hair, brown eyes, dressed in blue jeans and a black T. What was left of her looked like a smaller version of her best friend…
Jane Rizzoli was looking at her best friend and partner from the other side of the morgue, wondering if Maura could actually be upset for real over this case. The way she was looking over this young girl would imply just that. Not that it would be unusual for her to do so, as Maura took great care of every victim on her table. This case was still…Jane's brain was searching for the word and landed on different. She took a step closer saying, "Maura, are you okay."
And just like that Maura Isles was snapped back to reality. She gave Jane what she could master of a smile and nodded, saying "I'm fine, opposite of her."
"Are you sure?" Jane asked, not quite believing her.
"It's just that…" and there it was Maura's true feelings, her being honest with Jane. "They are so young and they didn't deserve to die like this, to be harmed in such ways. I know I shouldn't be affected by this, but I am, how many more will have to suffer before he gets caught, Jane."
"I honestly don't know Maura, but I hope not many, if any at all," said Jane with a heavy sigh, her eyes shining with great sympathy. She was about to add something, when her phone rang, she answered it saying, "Really, I will be right there."
"News?" Maura asked when she hung up.
"We have a witness," said Jane, thinking they finally could be closer to a solution.
"That is great," even Maura dared to genuinely smile now. Maybe it would end after all. She told Jane she would come by her office when she was done with the body to hear how it went with the witness.
When she got there a couple of hours later, Jane's mood seemed to have dropped and the other woman did not seem as enthusiastic as when she had left. Maura came close, asking, "What is the matter, not a reliable witness?"
"It was a child, telling us the boogie man took Anna," said Jane with a heavy sigh. She did not know what to believe.
"Wait a minute, Jane, can I borrow your computer," Maura's light brown eyes seemed to be sparkling now. Jane nodded and moved aside and the other woman did some quick searched before she said, "I knew I had come across this before, but I couldn't remember where."
"You couldn't remember what?" Jane was still confused.
"I remember when I was very young it was a nursery rhyme, mom used to tell it to me so I wouldn't do bad things. It goes like this 'Here comes the bogeyman dressed in black, stealing children, a loaded sack on his back. Upon a tiny mound of bones he likes to sit, picking his teeth removing fleshy bits, If you are naughty or tell a lie, if you disobey or cry, then you may be next to die.' I only forgot as when I grew older I of course knew there was no boogie man and it was just a way to make me listen," said Maura.
"So you, Maura Isles, that do believe in reason, believe that a boogie man did this?" Jane raised a brow. It seemed a bit out there for Maura to believe in such tales.
"I'm telling you it is worth checking out," said Maura, giving her a glare that told Jane not to question her.
"And where do you suppose we find him, ?" Jane said, rolling her dark brown eyes slightly.
"You know sometimes you can be such a pain in the ass, Jane, I know I am right and you should check it," said Maura, leaving the office and slowly made her way towards the elevator doors according to her click clack heels.
Jane sighed as she looked over at frost that frowned at her, she glared at him saying, "Not a word."
"You know, Jane, she may have a point," she heard Korsak say from his desk.
"Don't tell me you are buying the Bogeyman story?" Jane frowned.
"All I am saying is that the bad guy however it is may have dressed up as one," said Korsak.
Jane grumbled something like if they felt that way they could look it up, but really she would go with the evidence. The two men made eyes and both having a certain clue on what to look for started on the task.
It was about 8 PM when Maura heard her front door open and she heard Jane call, "I'm sorry I am late, babe."
"You could have told me, the dinner got cold," Maura called back, she had put the food away in Tupperware that was now in the fridge.
"I know, it was Frost and Korsak, they are starting a Bogeyman investigation," said Jane and sat down next to Maura on her couch, after giving her a quick peck on the lips. Not for long though, she lay down so hear head rested on Maura's lap, turning on the TV, ignoring that Maura was reading a book. Maura didn't say anything to it though and Jane turned the sound down without saying anything.
"They are?" Maura said, her finger's trailing through the other woman's dark strands. Jane smiled by this, she loved when Maura did that. It was on a key a few months back Maura had left her house key on Jane's desk for her to find, leaving a note to come for dinner at five. She had and spent the night giggling in her bed over silly jokes. She had spent every night with her after that, and over that time that they had more or less grown on each other routine wise, they hadn't done anything sexually, not even kissed, just slept wrapped up in each other.
"Mmm, they felt like it was worth…" Jane felt her cell vibrate in her pocket saying, "What… you are kidding I just got back home. Just going to grab a bite, be there in thirty."
As she hung up, Maura's phone rang on the table; the song was a classical piece Jane knew. She elegantly put her book aside, leaving a bookmark inside before saying, "Dr. Isles, yes of course, mhm, I will be there as fast as I can, of course."
"Could you be less ladylike in your movements?" Jane said, sitting up. Maura slid her heels back on her feet, before going over to the kitchen and grabbing a plate from her closet. She took remains from the dinner out from the fridge, prepared neatly on the plate and put the boxes back in, before she put it in the microwave. Then she turned to Jane and said, "No!"
"Driving separately, met at home when we are done?" said Jane, the medical examiner nodded. Jane walked over to her, letting her arms slide around her slender waist, leaning in for a kiss. Maura parted her lips in the process to meet her, tasting hers of coffee and gum, the brunette tasted hers of white wine and something sweet, the taste of Maura Isles she concluded. The redhead let her tongue slide into the brunette's mouth, finding hers, playing for a little while, before backing away by the sound of the microwave. Jane groaned, but as the other woman gave her a quirk she sat down by her kitchen island waiting for her plate, when something dawned upon her and she asked, "Did we just kiss for the very first time?"
"Yes Jane, I do believe we did, now eat your dinner, even if that should happen to make you late for the scene," said Maura, looking at her in the subject was not up for debate kind of way.
Jane started to eat as Maura watched in silence not commenting on the fact that she was eating like a pig even if she should happen to think so. When she was done she took the plate cleaned it before putting that and the cutlery in the dishwasher. Jane was already by the door, holding out her jacket and purse for it. Maura slid on her jacket and took her purse before giving Jane a quick peck on the lips saying, "So ready to see what the boogie man has left us?"
"I am, raise you to the scene," said Jane with a giggle, opening the door and heading for her car. Maura closed up and then got into her car, quickly starting and driving to the scene. Jane would get there moments after her. Vince and Barry was there already waiting. As the two women approached Vince Korsak came towards them saying, "This one is really one of the worst I have ever seen."
"I am sure we can handle it," said Jane, the other woman just nodded. They followed him to where a little girl was lying on the ground, she couldn't be more than five tops. Or what was left of her anyways. Maura swallowed hard as a shiver of terror run down her spine. The young girl had reddish brown, wavy hair like herself; she was dressed in a black dress, and black matching shoes, a necklace with a silver cross. Next to her was a teddy bear. Her brown eyes showed that she had been terrified, her neck was cut almost to the bone, on both legs she was cut down so nothing but the white bone was showing, her wrists was cut as well. That wasn't the most gruesome thing of all, because next to her, next to her bear, was one of them doctor's kits children plays with and above it was a picture of Maura. For the first time on the job Maura felt sick and she removed herself from the body only to run over the some nearby bushes and throw up. This girl was so much alike her it was scary and clearly the man or woman for that matter had picked her as she looked like herself, sending her a direct message. God this was just too much. She felt Jane's hand on her backside, and her voice asking if she was okay. Okay, how could she be after this, she turned, her arms wrapping around Jane's waist and for the first time ever she lost it on the job as she started to cry as she whispered, "No I am not okay, not at all."
"We will catch him," Jane said, stroking her backside.
Maura ignored her comment and broke free from her safe embrace, saying, "I need to examine the body for time of death."
"Of course," said Jane and followed her back, as Maura sat down by the young girl acting professional as always, taking her liver temperature and making sure she was wrapped properly before being taken back to the morgue. She made sure the crime scene techs got the evidence also, before she turned to Jane and said, "I'm notifying the press about this tomorrow."
"Cavanagh will never approve that," said Jane.
"That girl that was personal and so I should be the one to do the statement, they are on my table Jane, I am the one that takes care of them," Maura raised her voice, all eyes on her now.
"And I do nothing, is that what you are saying?" Jane was raising her voice as well.
"No, not at all, I am worried we'll have one looking exactly like you next, I mean the last victim was pretty close, and we need the press's help for this," said Maura.
"Are you sure they won't make it worse?" Jane asked her, considering who her father had been.
"I am willing to take the risk, what would you have done if that girl if either of them had been our daughter?" Maura's eyes met with hers.
In her mind it spun, 'wow, wow, wow, we are having imaginary children now,' but from her lips it came, "The same thing as you are, I will talk to him."
"Good, now I have to go to the morgue to make sure she is where she should be and then I am going home," she said, click clack she walked towards the car.
"Correct me if I am wrong, but did she said our children?" said Frost and frowned at her.
"She did," said Jane without elaborating on that, dialing the number of their boss to get Maura's wish through. When she finally hung up the phone she looked at her coworkers that by now was looking like two question marks and said, "What?!"
"Since when did you and Maura start dating?" Barry finally got out.
"We are not rightly dating," said Jane with a shrug, walking towards her car, as they hadn't rightly been on a date. They just spent their evenings and nights together.
"They why did she just say what if that had been our daughter?" said Korsak.
"How the fuck should I know," said Jane annoyed.
"Someone is not getting laid," said Barry in a teasing tone, making Korsak laugh and Jane roll her eyes, before getting in her car and driving to the office. She did the paperwork needed before she drove home to Maura's place. She unlocked the door, finding that Maura had not yet come home, so she put two wine glasses on the table, popped some popcorn, and put some of Maura's favorite chocolate in a bowl. She made sure to put a romantic movie in the DVD player just as she heard the door open. She walked over to the door and hugged Maura without saying a word, before she dragged her into the living room and sat her down on the couch. Jane nodded towards the TV and Maura nodded. Jane pressed play and grabbed the bowl of popcorn, before she asked, "So you want us to have children?"
"I know it came out the wrong way, but yes I do," said Maura.
"You are right it did come out the wrong way, the boys were teasing," said Jane with a slight laugh.
"I can imagine, but did Cavanaugh agree to a press conference tomorrow," said Maura.
"I believe his right words were fine your girl can held a press conference if she has to," said Jane. She paused the movie, and walked to the fridge to fetch the bottle of wine Maura had started on precious. She poured into the two glasses on the table, before she asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Hurt, scared, worried," the other woman summed up without elaborating for once. The black haired woman next to her concluded she was too tired to do so. She bent over to give her a peck on the cheek as she said, "What do you say to watch the movie and go to bed try not to think about if for once."
Maura laughed saying, "Now that I can do."
"Good, popcorn?" said Jane, offering her the bowl. Maura nodded and started to dig in for a change, figuring tonight she didn't care that it was nearing midnight when they started to watch the movie, or that she could gain weight due to the popcorn, it didn't matter because right now she just wanted to forget all that shit and have a few laughs with her best friend.
It was early morning and Maura was standing in the kitchen, making breakfast for herself and Jane. Something healthy and as always Jane would most likely have some complaints about it. It was all in their daily rituals, which started with an hour run around 5.30. Of course Maura had done this long before Jane came into the picture and started to spend the nights there, she had however demanded for Jane to come along. In the beginning it had been followed by complaints, but in the end she the black haired woman didn't mind at all. After all Maura did make the best breakfasts after or so she did claim, much to Maura's pleasure. She turned the scrambled eggs some more, thinking about the fact that she didn't have many demands for Jane in total come to think about it. The few that was were her for her to attend the morning run, for Maura to shower first when they got back, for Maura to be allowed to use the bathroom first in the evenings if she didn't feel like sharing, for Jane to clean up her mess, she usually did that though at least now, and of course for Jane to let her know if she was late or didn't come home for dinner. Otherwise there wasn't much Maura would not put up with from her best friend.
"Jane, breakfast is done in a moment, are you done soon?" Maura called towards the bathroom, getting a, "I'll be done in a minute," back.
She put the eggs on the side of vegetables on a plate and placed it on Jane's side of the island, then a plate on her own. Jane appeared a moment later saying, "Mmm smells good."
"I should hope so, but you know tomorrow we are going for cereal," said Maura chewing on a piece of carrot.
"Gotten enough cooking?" Jane asked with a frown.
"No, I wish to sleep longer," said Maura and smiled at her.
"Are you saying you are going to skip your morning run?" said Jane shocked.
"I think I might for a change, now we have to hurry, or I will be late for the press conference," said Maura with a sigh.
"How are you feeling about it?" asked Jane concerned.
"I'll be fine," said Maura, although she was not so sure.
"I'll be right there," Jane promised, making her feel a little better. Maura nodded and continued to eat in silence.
Her nerves however was at the Max when they got they were outside the room where it was being held. She was leaning on Jane, feeling her arms on her waist, telling her to take it easy that she would be fine. The red-brown haired woman nodded quietly, feeling Jane attaching something to the line of her skirt. She looked down saying Jane had put her badge on her.
"I can't take this," She whispered.
"You are borrowing it for luck," Jane whispered.
"Oh Jane, I…" she stopped as she was called for. She walked to the podium in front of the reporters, while Jane watched from the sidelines, thinking that she looked so very beautiful. She could see how she took a deep breath to calm herself, before her beautiful voice started to flow from her lips, a voice that made Jane's heart beat ten times faster. Oh how she loved it, oh how she loved her, she admired her just so much for managing to keep calm and just say what was on her mind.
Maura sighed, one hand on Jane's badge as she spoke, "As you all know I've called you here so that I can speak to you about the monster that has killed five young girls. Normally it would have been detective Cavanaugh that would have taken the lead on this and he is, but as the killer made this personal I wished to take the word. I don't know if you a man or a woman, but I choose to call you the boogie man. If any children are watching or if any parents know anything of a figure dressed in all black that you have heard your young ones speak about, please come forward. It might be important. For you that has lost one of your own, I…I mean we grieve with you, and feel your pain, we will not rest until the boogie man has been brought to justice. And for the boogie man, I do not fear you; you need more to make me tremble. I am not backing down, and you shall not harm more, we are in this together and you cannot win."
With that Maura walked down and into the arms of her Jane. She had lied though, she was scared, in fact she was more terrified than she had been in the longest time. Tears were falling from her eyes, as she with a shivery voice whispered, "Why is he doing this to me, what wrong did I do?"
"I don't know, Maura, I don't know," Jane whispered, holding her close, stroking her ever so gently, calming her slowly, before she dragged her to the morgue to make her feel safe.
It was not long after this that Korsak came marching into them saying, "There is a boy and his younger brother here. They saw you and his brother wanted to talk to the pretty lady on the screen if you have time."
"I do, are you coming?" said Maura and Jane nodded. The two was sitting by Jane's desk talking to Frost. He smiled at them saying, "Here she is."
The two boys looked at Maura and Jane; Maura smiled at them and said, "You wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes, you talked about the boogie man, saying he was real, mom and dad says he's not real. Only he is, I saw him hanging around school before Mary went missing," the young boy said.
"You are Mary's friend?" Jane asked, she was their second victim.
"I go in her class, but she's a girl so we don't play all that much. She was really nice though and I miss her. The man you look for is tall," he said.
"How tall?" asked Maura, looking at the two men, pointing towards them.
"Taller," he said, looking down, when Maura had an idea and said, "Call Tommy maybe he is as high as the boogie man."
Frost went to do that as Jane asked, "What else can you remember?"
"Well he was in black and he was lurking around the school grounds, and around where we usually play. I didn't like it, it was something evil about him," said the young boy.
"What do you mean?" asked Maura.
The boy turned around and hid in his brother; his older brother stroked him and said, "Daniel, you can tell them."
"Yes, Daniel, we'll believe everything you say," said Maura I a very soft tone, sitting down on his level now.
"No, because mom and dad didn't," he said.
"I promise we will, won't we Jane?" she said, looking at her partner.
"Of course we will," the brunette nodded.
He slowly turned and looked at Maura saying, "We kicked our ball close to where he was by accident, and I went to get it, and he gave it to me saying I should be more careful, and his face what I could see was shadowy dark and his eyes was two glowing dots. It was really scary."
"I can imagine it must have been, do you think you can tell a sketch artist?" Maura wondered.
"I can try," he said, just as Tommy walked into the room, looked at his sister saying, "You wanted me to come."
"Yeah, come over here a second," she said, making a hand gesture, for him to stand next to frost saying, "Daniel was he this tall."
He nodded eagerly and Jane gave her brother and pat on the shoulder saying, "Thank you for coming in."
"You are welcome, you looked good on TV, Maura," he said and smiled at the other woman.
"Thank you, Tommy," she said and blushed, making Jane give her a glare. She looked down as their attention would be turned again to the young boy.
"Is there anything more you remember?" Maura asked him calmly.
"He walked funny, like this," he showed them. Jane and Maura nodded and he said, "I don't remember anything else, I am sorry."
"You remembered plenty," said Jane stroking his shoulder and told Frost to take him to a sketch artist. She looked at Maura and said, "You are really great with children you know."
"Thank you for saying that, Jane, but you already know that, from when we have babysat TJ together. I always felt that even if they are children they do deserve to be heard as much as adults," she said.
"You will make a good mother, Maura," said Jane in a soft tone, making her blush. She didn't respond to it in any other way than to give Jane a soft peck on the cheek and go downstairs to her morgue.
"Oh so now I get it, you two are an item," said Tommy and smiled at his sister.
"Oh shut it," she said as there was a call from the desk downstairs, another child that had seen the boogie man. She sighed wondering how many more there would be and if it would get them any closer.
By the end of the day or rather night, as it was now 9 PM Jane wasn't feeling any closer to catching their perpetrator. Sure she had talked to children all day, but they didn't have any clues as to where he was holding the children or where. She sighed taking the elevator down to the morgue only to find that Maura had already left.
She closed the door to the morgue behind her and took the elevator back up, saying goodbye to Korsak and Frost, before walking to her car. Once she had gotten to Maura's she knew something was wrong. The door was ajar and her friend would have never left it so, Jane knew. She readied her gun and walked inside calling out for her, nothing not a sound, not anything. Just darkness. Jane run up the stairs to her bedroom, even though it was unlikely she would have fallen asleep with the door open, she could always check. Nothing there either of course.
Jane's heart was rising hard and fast as she dialed her number. She could hear it being picked up and Maura whispering, "Jane, please."
"Maura, where are you?" Jane said back, her heart beating so hard with fear that she thought it would go out of her chest.
"The bogeyman, find me," she whispered, before the phone got hung up. Jane called again and got out of service. Damn it.
She sighed trying to keep her cool as she called Korsak saying, "The boogie man, he got Maura and he'll kill her."
"What, how?" he asked.
"I don't know, but we need to find her right now," Jane's otherwise strong voice broke as she started to sob. Why hadn't she gone home sooner, then this might now have happened.
"Calm down, Jane, we will," said Korsak.
"What if he harms her like…"Jane got out between her sobs.
"Call her mother, see if she had any enemies that match the suspect growing up. I will grab frost and notify Cavanaugh on my way over," he said and hung up.
"Let me go, please," tears streaming down Maura's face. She could not even hide her terror now. She knew it was the boogie man, and she knew he wanted her dead. She was strapped down hard to a table, and there was no way she could get loose on her own.
"You have been a bad girl, Maura," she heard a voice say, and a chill ran down her spine.
"I haven't, I haven't done anything wrong," she whispered, she had to stand strong, and obey so he wouldn't hurt her. She loved her corpus, with all of her 206 bones. She shivered.
"Oh but you have, you misbehaved already as a child Maura," he said, she could feel him coming closer now, his breath on her body. She could feel cold steel against her. What was he going to do, cut her?
"I haven't, I haven't, who are you?" she hissed now. Anger taking over for fear. Moving to get out of her restrains.
"You should know, Maura," he said, she could feel the blade of the scalpel against the skin of her belly. She didn't even wish to know how he had gotten her undressed. She shivered feeling how the blade cut through her skin. Shallow, but she could still feel it.
"How can I know, when I don't know you?" it came out.
For that she got a slap and a fierce comment, another cut, deeper. Silence was he gone, was he still there? It was only moments later she knew he was not gone, feeling fluid dropping on her and a load moan. He was ejaculating on her. He was getting off on doing this to her, but not the children. Again silence, feeling his fluids mixing with the blood dripping from her body.
"Janie, find me, please," she whispered into the darkness as it played in her head, 'Here comes the bogeyman dressed in black, stealing children, a loaded sack on his back. Upon a tiny mound of bones he likes to sit, picking his teeth removing fleshy bits, If you are naughty or tell a lie, if you disobey or cry, then you may be next to die."
Jane was pacing back and forth, back and forth, worrying sick about her friend. Her mother had not given her anything of use and this could not be anyone out for her father either. Children, it had to go back to something happening when Maura was a child. Who was she with, wasn't she being weird, smarter than anyone else. Wasn't she a loner, meaning she had no friend, or siblings? It was only then it occurred to Jane how lonely the young Maura Isles had to have felt, and why she was so smart. The lack of friends would probably cause her to read to get a better knowledge of everything, to escape to different worlds, where she was less alone.
But what about her graduation she had to have gone, being an honor student. Did she go alone…Jane picked up her phone calling her mother again. Soon she heard her voice saying, "Jane, do you know anything else?"
"I'm sorry to say I do not, Constance, but I have one more question," said she.
"If you think it may help you can ask me anything, dear," said Constance.
"Maura was an honor student when she graduated as I got it, did she have a date for her graduation?" Jane asked her polite. Korsak and Frost looked at her with confused eyes.
"There was this boy, Joshua Green, I know he liked her, sadly Maura was in love with someone else. I don't know who only it didn't play out as she wanted. This boy Joshua asked her to the dance, but she declined," said Constance Isles.
"Brilliant, thanks, I promise you we will find her," said Jane and hung up, turning to the guys, saying, "Find everything on Joshua Green and fast."
"On it," said Frost and smiled at her. Jane sat down by her pc, looking at the background of Maura. A hand reached out touching it as she whispered, "I will find you, I promise."
Maura didn't know how many cuts or bruises she had obtained or who her kidnapper actually was when she suddenly heard Jane's voice, telling him to get the fuck of her. It was shooting, and then Jane's voice next to her face, whispering, "My poor Maura, it is all over now."
"No, it is never over as I will see him in my dreams," said Maura with a sigh, as Jane removed her restrains.
"Well good thing you are not sleeping alone," Jane said in a soft tone.
"Yes, who was he?" she wanted to know.
"The date you blew off on you graduation party, he was upset as you had gotten all in life even he was on the honor roll. He blames you for his life, that you ignored him and so on," Jane answered.
"Where is he?" Maura wanted to know, feeling her blood boil.
"Outside," said Jane as her friend sat up. Jane handed her her clothes. With her support Maura walked outside seeing him in the squad care. She looked at the officer saying, "Open it please?"
"I don't think that is a good idea," said he.
"Open it," said Jane, making sure he did. He walked away, Jane turned her back as Maura hold a scalpel up to his face whispering, "I remember you, I didn't accept you as I felt nothing for you and that you were beneath me and I was right. I want you to remember what you have done to me and those children for the rest of your life. When you are locked up I will hunt you in your worst nightmares, you are never getting out."
He looked at her daring to laugh, but Maura held his face stead and caved an M into his left cheek and the number he had killed into his right. He screamed out in agony as Maura walked away. Jane made sure she went to the hospital for a cheek up and then home to get a shower and sleep. Her friend was exhausted and would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Jane held her close and whispered, "The bogeyman will never harm you again, Maura, not as long as I am here."
Thank you for reading, feedback is always most welcome :o)