SO this is my new story. yeppers. not much to say here other then the standard read and review.
Maura and Jane had been married for three years and life could not be better, they were trying for a child, relationships once thought lost forever were forming... it was perfect...
Until the sky caught fire and the flames spread to the land below, causing a wild fire that no one could stop without rain. when the sky finally opened and unleashed it fruits it was not water that fell bringing relief, it was just more flames ushering in a new type of hell.
The smoke it's so thick I can't see anything. Where are you? "Maura!" my lungs strain to propel the sound, already tired from what seems like hours of labored breathing.
Then I remember you aren't here. You had to meet Hope for breakfast and decided to sleep in.
I keep my aching hands in front of my aching body searching blindly for an exit.
There should be screaming, from other trapped like me but I hear silence. I can't even hear my own screams.
"Maura!" I scream for you even though I know you are not there.
"Maura!" I am not even sure that it is truly you that I scream for and that I am not merely using your name as a vessel to convey this fear building within me.
For a second… just a second the air becomes easier to breath but that relief doesn't last as I feel a heavy weight fall on to me.
The air is even thicker and my will is running thin. So I decided to welcome the darkness of sleep with little though on whether I would ever reawaken.
"Maura, are you here?" Angela's warm Italian voice carried throughout the empty halls of my home.
"Yeah Angela I'm here." I said stepping out of my bedroom, freshly showered and ready for my lunch with Hope. I stop at the bottom of the stairs to slip on my shoes, before heading to the living room where Angela was standing. "Good morning Angela." I speak in a warm and inviting voice.
"Hopefully." She retorts before grabbing her purse and asking, "Maura I am about to go to the store and I just wanted to see if there was anything you needed?"
"Thank you but I just went yesterday, so I think I will be fine." I said this as I made my way to the front door, Angela matching my pace.
"Okay, if you change your mind just text me." She called out as she opened her car door and got in.
Opting to use one of Jane's informal phrases, I answered with a simple "will do." Before locking the door and heading towards my black Prius.
Once in the car, I checked my purse making sure I had my phone, which I then used to send a quick text to Hope letting her know that I am on my way.
The drive to the restaurant was an uneventful one, barely any traffic and a constant stream of informative conversation from my favourite station NPR.
As I entered the restaurant, I quickly spotted Hope who stood and beckoned me over to the table in the corner she had gotten.
After reaching the table and preforming the obligatory greeting, which was comprised of a quick, hug and kiss on either cheek we sat down and took up a superficial conversation while we waited for a waiter to come and take our order. In these meetings we have at least every two weeks, one if at all possible, the subjects of are conversations rarely delve too deep into possibly upsetting topics, because that is not what these rendezvous are about they're about connecting, learning one another's ticks and such.
Today though it seemed that Hope wished to deepen the level of conversation, by asking me about my favourite topic… Jane. Sure we have spoken about Jane, but I could tell from the way she asked that she was not just asking how Jane was doing, but how Jane and I are doing.
"How is Jane?" her voice cautious, not wanting to step too far over the line.
Before answering, I turned my expression into a warm smile, letting her know that I was okay with the newest topic on table.
"Jane is doing great; she is at work right now. Though I am not quite sure whether or not she is at the office or in the field." I replied honestly, but not divulging too much information wanting her to be the one to burrow farther in.
"How long is it that you two have been together now?" She asked no longer hesitant with her questioning.
"Well we have been together… officially for three years, married for two and a half." I paused for a second before continuing, "it feels longer though, it feels as though we have been involved in a type of modified courtship since we met."
"I'm just glad you're happy." She said her words seeming to radiate a type of warmth.
"I can honestly say that I am." I replied before deciding that now was more than likely the best time to tell her the good news.
"Actually Jane and I have decided to have a child." I quickly admitted keeping my voice as even as possible, as to not let any sign of nervousness peek through.
"That's great!" She happily squealed before leaning over the table and enveloping me in a partial embrace. "I guess you are going to be the carrier, right?"
"You are correct. It was not even a possibility and Jane made sure to let me know. In fact…" I paused for a moment chuckling softly before composing myself enough to continue "Jane said and I quote 'There is a better chance that I become pope, wear pink frilly robes, develop a southern accent, and start ending all of my sentence with a question mark, then having a parasitic tumor developing in my uterus.'"
"She did not!" Hope's voice full of disbelief and glee.
"She did." Was my response "after she finished ranting she turned to me and said in a tone way too sincere that whatever parasitic tumor came out of my lady parts would be the best parasitic tumor ever."
"When are you going to start the process of growing the little parasitic tumor?" Hope asked laughter still saturating her voice.
"Actually we have already. We started a little while ago. I have an appointment next week to find out whether or not it took." I said not even bothering to hide my excitement.
"That's great; I hope everything will go alright." Hopes words made me smile. Sometimes I still cannot believe that my mother is here.
I was about to speak when I was cut off by a parade of emergency vehicles racing down the street their sirens loud and plenty. At first no one made much attention sirens being a common thing, it was not until a loud siren, not from any vehicle, became heard that Hope and I along with the majority of costumers rose from our seats and went to the window. Outside there was ambulance after ambulance, fire truck after fire truck, and patrol car after patrol car, racing down the street.
Hope turned to me, "What do you think is going on?"
"I have no idea."
It was then that a fellow diner spoke "hey, look at the sky."
Following the man's instruction, I raised my head and was greeted with a terrifying sight, smoke so thick and abundant they could easily be mistaken for heavy clouds about to spill torrents of rain.
The whole establishment previously silent broke out into a contrasting atmosphere of panic and noise. Various questions rang aloud more clear than the common cries of panic.
"Where's that smoke coming for?"
"Are we going to be next?"
Question after question was spoken and left unanswered. How could anyone answer those questions? I turned to Hope and said, "I'm going to call Jane see if she knows anything."
All Hope could do was nod as a made my way to the now empty kitchen, so that I would be able to hear.
I pulled my phone out of my purse and quickly dialed the familiar number. Putting the device to my ear, I waited for the ringing to stop and raspy voice to say "Rizzoli." But the voice never came, it rang and rang until I was cut off my an automated voice saying that all lines were being taken down so that the channel could be clear for first responders.
When I made my way back to the front of the restaurant I found the room to be largely empty few people remaining other than Hope and I. "where is everyone?" I asked.
"They went home." Was her short response before looking down at her phone "Did you find out anything?"
"no." my voice full of frustration "I couldn't get her to answer and then I was cut off by the operator who said that all lines would be down."
We stood there in silence the only sound coming from the army of first responder vehicles.
"I think I am going to go Maura. See if Kalian is home." Her voice sounded distant, not that I blamed her.
"That sounds like a good Idea I think I will head home to." I said as I strode over to the table we had previously occupied and gathering our items before returning to her.
"Stay safe" was the last thing she said before quickly exiting and getting in her car. I had barely sat down when she quickly left the parking lot.
Four hours later, I finally arrived at home. The drive that normally took fifteen minutes at most had taken hours due to the heavy congestion of motor vehicles.
The drive way was empty when I pulled in, I had not expected otherwise seeing as how Jane had probably been called to help, but was none the less worried. Those worries and fear only grew as a made my way into the house and turned on the television not even bothering to remove my shoes before sitting down and turning the television to the news.
What I saw will forever haunt me. The screen reveled images of both the Exchange Place and The Hancock Place. The two buildings were in critical care, you could see the plane still stuck in The Hancock Place's collapsing structure. I grew more afraid every hour I spent sitting there on my couch not shifting in the smallest way, without any word from Jane.
I am not quite sure when I fell asleep, but the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by a tearful Vince Korsak.
"Maura, wake up." His voice wavering.
"Vince, how did you get in here?" I asked rising from my prostrate position, sleep still lingering in my voice.
"Angela gave me her key." Was his short response.
"Why." I asked, throwing away my usual etiquette.
"Jane." Korsak started and then stopped taking a moment to compose himself as much as possible "they can't find Jane. One of our suspects for the Migala case works at the Hancock Place, so Jane to Frankie with her to check up on him, because I was talking to the parents and Frost was doing whatever the hell he does with those damned computers of his. And… then the plane… she wouldn't answer her phone. I just… I don't know…" his voice showed the stress of the battle raging within him.
I found myself unable to formulate a sentence so I didn't, I just sat there letting it sink in. about fifteen minutes went by before I found myself able to speak.
"What about Frankie?" I asked trying to distract myself from the truth that Jane was more than likely dead or on her way to being so.
"He had left about five minutes before it happened, but since he was so close he came back with the other first responders. When he went in the building, a piece of concrete fell and hit him on the head. They are treating him at Boston Mass. Right now." Each word was obviously a struggle for the compassionate veteran cop.
"Could you take me to the hospital, I would rather be there with Angela." I asked
Vince immediately answered me "sure."
As we both left the house he laid a comforting arm across my shoulder and vocalizing my unspoken hope said, "It will be fine Jane is probably just busy helping with search and rescue and hasn't heard her radio.
The reassurance was helpful but the sinking feeling in my stomach told me that it was the farthest possible scenario from the truth.