Author Note: The sequel is finally here, all of 24 hours later. This fic was difficult to name. I don't think I really like the name, but I couldn't think of anything better. In hindsight, Strangers wasn't that great a name, either. Naming fics is so difficult. If anyone has any tips, they'd be greatly appreciated. Nothing I usually do work - thinking, looking at song titles, and song lyrics, using generators.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy Jane's story...

The phone rang out a couple of times before Jane answered. She waited for a response, but all she got was silence. She repeated her greeting several times to no avail.

"Everything okay?" Maura asked, as they walked across the park, her medical bag in hand.

Jane shrugged. "Yeah. Probably a junk call or wrong number."

They continued onward towards the line of police tape cordoning off the pond. Out of all of the pond incidents Boston Police Department were called to, it had to be her local one where a body was found. She stepped up to the side, weeks of memories with her son made it all the more chilling.

"Why would someone murder a kid and leave them for other kids to find?" Jane asked, stopping beside the railing.

"I don't know." Maura reached her hand out and clutched Jane's, providing her the briefest moment of comfort. "I'm sure we'll find out in due course."

Jane forged a smile, grateful at her being there, grateful to have her in her life. Her cellphone rang out again.

"Hello?" Silence. She narrowed her eyes and hung up. "I'd block the number but there's no ID."

"It's probably a mistake." They ambled around to the small gate in the rail. A uniformed officer pushed it open, allowing them access to the crime scene.

The crime technicians were already there, taking photos and dusting for prints. Jane headed across the embankment. She'd never been inside the fence, though her son had certainly tried. She let go of Maura's hand and stepped closer to the small body, head first in the water.

She heaved a sigh. "Similar age to Charlie."

Maura lowered her head, shaking it briefly. "Either this was an horrific accident, or someone wanted us to think it was."

"Kid gets lost, climbs over railing, accidentally drowns in the pond." She gritted her teeth, her fist clenched at her side. "The perfect alibi."

"If this child didn't die accidentally, we'll find out," Maura said, wrapping a hand around Jane's arm. She stood close, her breath hot against Jane's neck.

"You're standing too close."

"I know."

Maura's hand rested on her lower back, her fingers travelled under the edge of her shirt. She growled and twisted round. "This is the worst place in the world for me to be turned on."

Maura's lips curved, showing off her dimples. "Really not the place."

Jane turned fully, her body inches from Maura's. "Maybe don't stand so close. It's like I'm constantly horny around you."

"It's only been a month." Maura's fingertips trailed along her spine. "Tonight. Alejandro's happy to watch the kids until tomorrow."

Leaning forward, Jane's whole body tingled. She stepped away. Her mind drifted back to the sorrow of their surroundings. She pushed Maura gently, keeping her distance. Maura crouched down beside the body, her attention switched instantly to her work, while Jane attempted to reclaim her breath.

"I'll get Korsak to check out any missing kid reports in the area," Jane said, putting as much distance between them as possible. She walked off across the grass, her eyes fixed on Maura. Her cell phone rang before she could dial. "Korsak?"

Silence. She glanced at the screen, another caller with no ID. She was about to hang up when the smallest of voices filled the line. "Jane."

A chill travelled down her spine. She turned around, looking all around her, her eyes danced back and forth across the park. Her heart raced, her chest heaved. She opened her mouth to speak, but the line went dead.

x

"Don't you," Jane mumbled, in between kisses. "Want dinner?"

Maura pushed Jane's shirt away from her shoulders. She stepped back, forcing the bedroom door open with her body as their mouths moved together.

"Ice cream?" Jane asked, cradling her chin.

She pulled away, her eyebrows tugged together. "Ice cream?

Jane shrugged. "I'm hungry."

"Me too," Maura said, unbuckling her belt and pulling it through the loops until it landed on the floor. A growl vibrated through her skin, her teeth nibbled against Jane's bottom lip. She unbuttoned Jane's pants and pushed them down around her thighs, their mothers barely separated. "So hungry."

"Okay." Jane tugged her pants down until they fell to the floor. She stepped over them, capturing Maura's mouth. They stumbled backward, landing on the bed. She trailed her lips across Maura's dress, tugging at fabric with her teeth. "As long as we can stop for dinner."

"Later," Maura whispered, her breath hitched as Jane ran her hands up along her thighs.

x

Hot sauce landed on Jane's bare breast as she chewed on a piece of chicken. She washed it down with a cup of soda and let out the smallest belch. She covered her mouth and shrugged.

"Sorry."

"Releasing gas from the digestive tract is perfectly normal." Maura tilted her head to one side, her hair tickled Jane's shoulder. She reached her thumb out to Jane's nipple and swiped the sauce away. "Don't eat so fast. You'll get indigestion."

"I'll get it anyway. I'm ravenous," Jane said, tugging Maura's sauce covered finger towards her and licking it clean. She stared over her mouthful, her eyelids fluttered open and closed. "This reminds me of earlier."

"I know." Maura pursed her lips and leaned forward, wrapping her hand around her breast, squeezing it gently between her fingers. A chill travelled down Jane's spine, she thrust her body forward.

"God you're so hot." Jane let go of her hand pushed her body up against Maura's, cupping her cheek as she kissed her again. "If Alejandro wasn't gay he'd have been lucky to have you."

"I'm lucky to have you," Maura said, brushing Jane's lips with her own.

Jane's chest rose and fell with heavy breath, her heart raced. The moisture between her legs increased. She dropped the last of her chicken into the bucket and leaned back in, forcing her tongue between Maura's lips as she lay back down on the floor. "God I'm even hungrier now."

"Good." Maura slid down, forcing Jane on top of her. She lifted her mouth to Jane's ear, nibbling lightly on her earlobe. "I could go all night."

x

The continuous sound of Jane's cellphone ringing pulled her from her sleep. It stopped suddenly, replaced instead by Maura's. She groaned loudly, her hand outstretched to her cell.

"Doctor Isles?" Maura untangled her leg from between Jane's and sat up, her hair dishevelled. "They hung up."

A second later, Jane's cell sprang to life again as Maura fell back down against the bed. Jane pressed the answer button and held her phone to her ear. "Hello?"

A loud scream prompted her to pull the phone away from her ear. The sound mixed with crying. Charlie's voice was strained, intermittent between a guttural sob. "Mama!"

Jane jerked up, shoving the bedsheets away. The cool night breeze tickled her naked body. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut in an attempt to push away the sleep which threatened to pull her back. She slung her legs over the side and crawled across the floor in the dark.

"Jane?"

"Alejandro? What's happening?"

"He won't stop." His voice grew louder as the screaming intensified. "He woke up with scream. I tried everything. He wants Mama."

"I'll be there soon." She tossed her phone onto the bed and tugged on a pair of sweatpants.

"What's happening?" Maura asked, her eyebrows tugged together. She held her own cell in front of her. "Why's Alejandro calling?"

"Charlie needs me." She pulled a shirt across her chest and heaved a sigh. Tears filled her eyes. She turned around, about to head towards the door when she turned back again.

Maura pushed the bedsheets away and grabbed Jane, her hands on her hip and stomach. She swung back, falling into her arms, her face against her neck. "Talk to me."

"I don't know," she said, her breathing became more and more laboured as she clung to Maura's body. "He's screaming for me."

"Okay." Maura stepped away, leaving Jane sat on the bed, her eyes downturned. She dressed quickly. She wrapped an arm around Jane's waist and helped her to her feet. "We'll go get him."

x

She sat in the passenger seat, wringing her hands over and over again. Her heart pounded. The sound of her little boy's screams tattooed on her mind. She stared out at the dark Boston streets as they flew past, streetlights blurred, merging into one long line of light. Every so often, she let out a tiny sob, before containing her emotions once more. At a stop light, Maura reached out and clutched Jane's hand.

"He'll be okay." She squeezed her fingers. "Alejandro would have called again if he thought there was reason to."

"I thought we were past this," Jane whispered. She closed her eyes and lowered her head. "I thought he was doing okay."

"This has happened before?"

"Every night for the first month, sometimes twice." She leaned further forward, her forehead rested against the dash. Fresh tears strolled down her cheeks, landing on the car mat beneath her feet. "It happened less after. At least once a week."

"I didn't realise."

Jane choked back tears. "The last few weeks it's barely happened. I thought maybe finally he was past it."

Reaching out, Maura ran her hand across the back of Jane's head. "There's no rhyme or reason to night terrors. It's not your fault."

She sat back. Her chest heaved. She chewed on the inside of her cheek to ward off the threat of more tears. She hated to cry. She hates the vulnerability. She turned her head again, glancing out at the street as they turned into Maura's street.

"We're here."

Jane couldn't contain her emotions any longer and she let out a number of harried sobs. "I hate it so much. Then I hate myself for hating it. It's not his fault. I should have been there. He'll be terrified. I shouldn't hate it. It's not fair on Charlie."

"It's okay to feel that way." Maura unhooked her seatbelt and climbed out of the car. She walked around and opened the passenger door. She slid her hand around Jane's waist, resting her knee on the edge of the car. "I know how much you love him. I know that deep down that's all that matters to you. Even if sometimes you feel anger, or resentment. It's healthier to acknowledge it, even if you feel like it's wrong to feel that way."

She kissed Maura's neck, burrowing her face against her skin, and clung to her. "I don't want to go in there. It breaks my heart to see him."

"I can go."

"No." Jane's mouth found Maura's. She leaned forward, pushing her back with the force of the kiss. Anything to distract herself from the impending situation. "He won't stop for you. The amount of times Christina had to call me. The only person he stops for is me."

Maura ran her hand across the back of Jane's head, and cupped her cheeks. "I'll be right there with you. Whatever you need."

x

The house was quiet, excepting the loud scream still emanating from upstairs. Alejandro's hair stuck up in all directions. Isabeau clung to his side. He rocked her back and forth.

"It's okay sweet girl," he whispered.

"Where is he?" Jane asked, already heading up the stairs, two at a time. She followed the sound until she reached Isabeau's bedroom. Charlie sat in the spare bed, his face bright red, his eyes filled with tears. His mouth hung open, strands of saliva covered his mouth. Jane ran toward him, pulling him into her arms. He hung onto her like a baby monkey being carried up a rock face. She rocked him back and forth, and within a few moments his screams stopped and his sobs grew louder. She stroked his back. "Mama's here. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. You're okay. You're gonna be okay. I promise. I promise you. Mama's here. I'll always be here."

After a few minutes, his arms still tightly wrapped around her neck, she settled into the bed. He lay against her side, his head rested against her shoulder. The gentle sound of his sleepy breath settled her nerves.

Jane glanced across to Maura, stood in the doorway. "Does Beau want her room?"

"She's probably already sleeping in Alejandro's bed," Maura said, kneeling down beside Jane. She brushed hair back from her face, brushing away tears she hadn't even noticed she'd shed. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"No." Jane reached out, gripping Maura's hand. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't so understanding."

"Always," Maura said, her eyes crinkled at the corners. She leant in, pushing her lips against Jane's, holding them there for a moment. "You matter to me. I care that you're okay, and I care about Charlie."

"Maur?"

"Yes?"

"Can you stay?"

Maura stood up and perched on the edge of the bed, her shoulder rested against the wall. She pushed hair back from Jane's face, and leaned down, kissing her softly. "I'm here. I'll stay as long as you need."

"Thanks," Jane whispered, turning her head against Maura's hand. She closed her eyes. The long night with Maura was finally catching up with her. She squeezed one arm tightly around her son, while her other hooked around Maura's arm. Her mouth opened in the largest of yawns. She could feel herself slipping closer to sleep. She lifted Maura's arm to her lips. "I love you."

Maura leant down and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you too."