A/N: This is the first story I've published in YEARS. I've been happily lurking in the archives and and writing off and on, but it's so rare that I actually finish one of my fics. This fic will be three chapters long. They're already complete but still need to be proofread, so I'll be posting a chapter a day. I hope you guys enjoy! :)
I ruined everything.
Jane sat motionless in her car, eyes glued to the white, two-story home that stood three houses down. The same home she had been in less than two hours prior. The lights were still on. Jane glanced at her radio clock.
12:10 AM.
12:10 AM and the lights were still on.
He had left a few minutes ago. She'd watched intently as the front door creaked open, the first sign of life since she'd parked outside. They didn't kiss goodbye. Their goodbye seemed cordial, like two colleagues saying goodnight, if that. No hug, no kiss, just a tight-lipped smile from both parties that appeared forced and awkward. A partial wave from him, and then he was gone, and the door closed.
Maura was still clad in the same peach swing tank and beige slim-fit cotton pants from earlier. They smelled like cinnamon and fall. She knew, because her own clothes still smelled as if they'd been doused in Maura Isles. It was better than any perfume imaginable.
Jane's hand rose to caress the spot on her neck that still burned from the imprint of her best friend's soft, delicate lips. She wondered what they would feel like trailing down her collar bone, her chest, her stomach...
She needed to feel Maura. The dam they'd built had been torn down. Any irreparable damage had already been done. She had nothing to lose. She would never forgive herself if she didn't find out, just once, what the smaller woman felt like in her arms, even if it was the first and last time.
The blaring sun was beating down on the suburban neighborhood as a K9 police vehicle came to a stop outside a yellow, single-story home. The three detectives gathered in the lawn quickly maneuvered to the newly present vehicle.
A middle-aged officer with greying hair and a small beer gut stepped out of the driver's side door. The curly haired brunette was the first to make her way around the vehicle, extending a hand toward the burly man.
"Homicide Detective Jane Rizzoli," she introduced herself as he shook her firm grip. "This here's Detective Frankie Rizzoli and Lieutenant Korsak," she continued, nodding toward her brother and friend. "Thanks for coming out."
"You've got it," the officer nodded. "I'm Officer Wilkins. That there's my partner, Bo," he pointed toward his vehicle at the brown and black spotted German Shepherd waiting patiently in the backseat. "What are we dealing with here?"
"We were called out here a couple days ago to investigate a homicide. A landscaper hired by the neighborhood caught sight of a severed hand hidden in a bush while he was trimming the hedges. We found the rest of the body chopped into pieces and hidden around the property. This morning, our medical examiner found that the DNA in one of the calves wasn't consistent with the rest of the body parts, which means we're dealing with two victims here. Basically, our murderer's messing with us. Leaving us just enough clues to stay in control. We're back today hoping to retrieve the remainder of both bodies, or at least some indication of where we might find them. The rest of the bodies could be anywhere. Hidden, buried… That's where your partner comes in."
The duress of the case was apparent on all three detective's features. Sleep had been minimal since they'd been called to the scene two days before. With very few clues to go on, they'd been searching high and low for a lead. Maura's discovery that morning was the closest they'd come to a break in their case thus far.
"Sounds like a rough couple of days," Officer Wilkins stated, opening the back door and motioning for Bo to join them in the street.
"We've got our medical examiner, Doctor Maura Isles, inside right now, sweeping for any blood traces we may have missed a couple days ago," Vince Korsak informed Officer Wilkins.
"Great. We'll see if Bo's sniffer can find anything us humans couldn't."
Officer Wilkins gave Bo the command to begin searching, and the dog was immediately off on his diligent quest. The detectives waited on the sidewalk as they watched the officer and his partner work.
"Beautiful dog," Korsak commented to his colleagues.
"Yeah," Frankie agreed. "Let's hope he's as smart as he is pretty."
"He will be. These guys, they take their training very seriously. I had the opportunity to work with a few K9s back in my days on the force. Some of the sweetest, most obedient little guys you'll ever meet. Better at their job than most humans, I'd say."
"And they're not even working for a paycheck," Jane joked.
The three detectives watched as Bo sniffed his way through the front yard, making his way to the entrance of the house once the yard was sufficiently surveyed. The German Shepherd stopped just short of the hedges near the front door. He hesitated, sniffing. Jane glanced at Officer Wilkins, whose brows furrowed. Bo wagged his tail suddenly and pawed erratically at the grass under his feet.
"Shit…" Officer Wilkins breathed to himself. He maneuvered quickly back to his vehicle where the detectives still stood. "Bo!" he called, and the dog returned to his partner immediately, taking a seat at his feet.
"Did he find something?" Jane asked.
"Yeah."
"We swept the entire perimeter of the house. There's no way we could have missed a body part there. It's gotta be buried."
"He didn't find a body part… He found a bomb."
"A bomb?" Jane's heartbeat sped instantly. "Maura's in there!" She took a step forward, but Officer Wilkins grabbed her arm, holding her back.
"You can't go in there, Detective. The fact that it hasn't been detonated yet suggests it's on a trigger mechanism, possibly victim-operated. That means if you take one wrong step over there, you could get yourself killed."
Jane whipped around, glaring daggers at the officer as she yanked her arm free. "Well, what the hell do we do then? Our medical examiner's in there; we have to get her out!"
"If it is on a trigger mechanism, the switch can't be far from where Bo caught the scent. Your medical examiner won't set it off in there."
"Okay, and where's the bomb?"
"It's likely in the bushes near the front door."
"And the switch?" Jane spat impatiently.
"It could be anywhere in the surrounding proximity, Detective! Have you noticed anything different from the last time you were here?"
All three detectives scattered their brains for any inconsistencies. Jane closed her eyes as she thought, willing her shaking body to relax as she breathed deeply. There was a long moment of silence.
"The doormat!" Jane exclaimed finally, eyes shooting open. "That wasn't here the other day!"
"Are you sure?" Officer Wilkins questioned.
"Yeah, I don't remember it either," Frankie chimed in, and Korsak nodded in agreement.
"Okay. It could be a pressure mat disguised as a doormat. It's incredible no one has stepped on it already. It could be on a delay, but bombs on a timer usually detonate in a matter of seconds."
"Doctor Isles entered through the back door. We were sweeping the back porch for blood traces. No one else has been inside yet today," Korsak informed the officer.
"So, what do we do now?" Jane asked, still on edge.
"We need to get a bomb squad out here. Until then, we'll need to get Doctor Isles out of the vicinity immediately. Detective Rizzoli, you should be safe to enter through the back door. Just be cautious."
Jane nodded. Her heart rate began to steady, but she would not be relieved until her best friend was out of harm's way. She began moving toward the lawn, but the distant sound of a door swinging open alerted all four heads in unison.
It happened so quickly.
The front door swung open and Maura Isles emerged from the door frame, stepping directly onto the front porch mat. None of the four witnesses had time to react as she stepped off the doormat just as quickly as she'd stepped on. She felt the distinct click under her right foot and stopped dead in her tracks as she took notice of the horrified expressions her colleagues wore. Her lightning speed cerebral cortex could process the situation in less than a second, but it was already too late. She stood in place, glued to the spot.
Jane's entire world slowed to half-speed.
One second.
Nothing. No explosion. Maura stood stock-still, face flushed with terror and confusion. The bomb must be on a timer…
Bombs on a timer usually detonate in a matter of seconds. Wilkins words replayed in Jane's mind. There was no time to waste.
Two seconds.
Jane took off in a sprint towards the front of the house.
Three seconds.
"Janie!" Frankie called out in terror after his sister, but she didn't falter.
Four seconds.
Jane swept Maura off the ground in one swift motion. Her briefcase thudded to the concrete. Maura's legs were draped over one of the detective's arms, her other arm tucking around the doctor's back.
Five seconds.
Without a moment's hesitation, Jane was running in the opposite direction of the house. She watched her colleagues as they flew to the ground in the middle of the street, arms draping over the backs of their heads protectively.
Six seconds.
Her foot had barely reached the sidewalk when it happened. A beaming light flashed behind her. She felt the explosion in milliseconds. A sweltering wave swept through her body as a blaring force propelled her forward, feet away from where she'd been standing, and then down toward the concrete. Maura still in her arms, she wrapped a hand around the woman's head to soften the impact as they crashed into the hard, stony ground. She used her entire body to shield Maura's small frame from any fragmentation.
She was sure she was crying out in pain, but she couldn't hear it. In fact, she hadn't even heard the explosion. The only sound that filled her ears was a high-pitched screech. The pressure in her ear drums was so strong, she thought they might explode.
The world around her was motionless. The initial blast and shockwaves were over, leaving an eerie stillness in their wake. Her body was numb. She surveyed the effects of the impact, ensuring all her limbs were still attached and mobile.
Arms; check. Legs; check. Everything seemed to be in working order. She shifted her head and was tickled by the soft, wavy locks tucked under her cheek.
Maura.
Jane shuffled to her knees erratically. Maura's body was still beneath hers. Her eyes were closed and she looked almost... peaceful?
Jane placed two fingers on Maura's neck. There was a pulse. She was alive.
Jane was yelling now. She could feel the strain on her vocal chords as she screamed her best friend's name again and again, but it was pointless. If she couldn't hear a damn thing, she knew Maura couldn't either. The detective stared helplessly at Maura's unconscious form.
Please please please.
As if Jane had willed it herself, Maura's hazel eyes fluttered open, and Jane released a giant sigh of relief. Confusion washed over the M.E.'s features. She immediately attempted to sit up, but Jane held her down with a gentle palm, shaking her head. She stripped her blue blazer from her shoulders and balled it into a small mound, placing it carefully behind the doctor's head. One hand grasped Maura's, giving it a reassuring squeeze, as the other hand rose to caress the doctor's cheek.
"Jane," she could see Maura mouthing her name, though she still couldn't hear over the blaring ringing in her ears.
"Shh, it's okay, Maura. It's okay," she mouthed back. Her thumb caressed Maura's cheek with comforting strokes as her eyes bore vehemently into the smaller woman's.
She's okay.
Thank God she's okay.
A/N: Okay, so I'm not entirely sure that the bomb I described in this chapter could actually exist in real life, but hey, it's all fiction anyway, right? ;) Reviews are so appreciated!