If There Be Dragons
Chapter 2
As always the characters are Tess Gerritsons and TNT's. I have just borrowed them for a little fun. Well, fun and terror.
"Where is she?" Maura asked as her team walked into the bull pen. The box now only containing the paper and plastic the eyes had been wrapped in sitting on the desk. The eye's stared back vacantly toward the gathered detectives and the love note to Jane lay on the floor when the detective had dropped it when she bolted out the double doors.
Korsak came up to Maura and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Not sure, Frost is trying to find her now. She hasn't left the building, but no one knows for sure." The crime lab began taking pictures. "We are running the interior cameras to figure it out." Maura nodded and began examining the ghoulish gift.
"All I can tell you is that they are hazel colored in nature. I won't have more until I start running tests." Korsak nodded. Maura picked up the note after Johnson from the lab indicted it was okay.
"I knew it would be a stretch to find anything out right now. But I had hoped for a little more." Korsak ran his hands over his face. "God, she doesn't need another one. Why her? Why do they constantly gravitate toward Jane?"
"Korsak, we need to find Jane. He is watching her." Maura indicated the letter and her hand began shaking nervously. "Which way did she go when she left?" Maura's eye's looking about wondering if one of the detectives could be the person they were looking for now.
"She ran toward the stairwell. No one has seen her since Doc." Crowe called. Even Crowe hated the thought of another killer after Rizzoli. He had to admit she had this weird propensity for attracting them. Maura closed her eyes and thought hard. Something niggled at the back of her brain about Jane's use of the stairwell. The ME's eyes popped open and she headed for the stairs. "Korsak, Frost I think I know where she is right now." Frost followed Maura, while Korsak stayed to oversee the investigation.
"Are you sure doc?" Frost asked as he climbed the stairs two at a time and followed Dr. Isles up toward the top floors. God, the doc was in heels and moving faster than he was in the flats he had. How does she do that in 3 inch heels? Man, he needed to workout he thought when they hit the 5th floor, they'd only gone 3 floors and he was sweating.
"Yes, she is on the roof. Frost, whatever you do, hang back by the door and let me talk with her." Maura said as they climbed. Maura wasn't even winded when they hit the door to the roof.
"Alright doc, but if she is going to jump I can't promise anything." Frost said before they went through the door. Maura turned around, settling her heart rate and looking Frost straight in the eye.
"She's not here to jump. She is here to make a decision about what she is going to do about this and cope with it. We need to make sure she is protected and that she doesn't attempt to keep us from helping her." Frost understood now. Jane had a habit of bottling up her feelings and pushing people away. Maura was right. She wasn't a coward. She was trying to put her icy exterior into place to guard herself from what was to come. Frost grabbed Maura's wrist as she was about to push through the door.
"How'd you know she was here?" Maura turned and sighed softly. "The second time Hoyt came for her, I found her up here one night talking to herself. She comes here sometimes to try and sort things out when they are too overwhelming. She told me that night it reminds her she is alone. Frost, I want her to know she is not alone, not anymore!"
Maura pushed the door open and scanned the roof. In the eastern corner of the building she found her girlfriend. Jane was not staring vacantly into the horizon. She was sitting with her back to the edge of the roof, arms wrapped around her legs with her head resting on her knees. For all intents and purposes she looked like a fragile child, lost in the big world. Maura approached carefully. She hadn't told Frost that the last time she had been here Jane had thought she was Hoyt and pulled her gun on the ME.
"Jane..." Maura called softly to the detective. "Jane, its Maura. Baby, can you look at me please." Maura moved closer within arm's reach. Jane made no move toward her or that she was even hearing anything Maura said. Maura knelt down, the small pebbles from the roof pressing into her knees. "Jane, please love…talk to me." Maura carefully reached forward running fingers softly along Jane's jawline.
"Maura?" Jane looked confused and then realization dawned on her. So deep in thought had she been, she had never heard Maura open the door to the roof or seen her approach. God, she was going to get killed this way. I have got to stop this now. If I can get Maura away maybe I can keep her safe.
"Don't! Don't you even think it Jane?" Jane looked into Maura's eyes. She felt the fingers shaking along her face. "You will not push me away detective! You will not try and hide this from me. You will not make me any safer by doing this!"
"Maura, I don't even know who he is. He could be watching me right now for all I know. I don't want to risk you Maura. I couldn't take it if he hurt you or… if he…God, when did my life get so complicated?" Maura reached forward, pulling Jane into her arms.
"We do this together Jane. Don't you forget what you asked me this morning before we came to work?" Maura kissed Jane deeply with all the passion and love she could bring out. "I told you I would marry you this morning. You don't get to take that back just because we have another monster perusing you." Jane nodded and pulled Maura tighter against her. "There will always be monsters Jane. Don't let them control you. Don't let them take your happiness. If you do the monsters...they win Jane." Jane began sobbing against Maura. "You're stronger and smarter than they are Jane." Maura laid soft kisses along Jane's neck and continued to reassure the detective until the sobs had become muffled. The ME felt Jane take a deep breath and let it out. Maura spoke again, but this time in Italian..." Il mio amore sono sempre con te."
Jane pulled back and looked into Maura's eyes. "Per sempre, fino alla fine del vostro tempo." Maura nodded and kissed Jane. Maura rose off her knees gently brushing away the small pebbles, and then pulled Jane to her feet. They hugged again, until Jane heard the sounds of footsteps on the pebbles. She quickly pulled Maura behind her and pulled her gun.
"Whoa! It's just me." Frost called out as Jane's gun came up in his face. "Sorry, I just wanted to check on you two." Jane's hand holding the gun dropped to her side.
"Dammit Frost! I could have killed you." Jane pulled Maura to her side.
"Yeah, but you didn't. Don't think for one minute partner your dropping me off somewhere along the way on this one. We are partners and we are working together." Frost grabbed the sides of her jacket and pulled her close causing Maura to lose her grip on Jane. "I am not going to allow you to get hurt." Then Frost did an unlike Frost thing, bracing himself he hugged Jane. Frost waited for Jane to slug him. But it never came; instead he was hugged back tightly.
"God you all are making me into a wuss. Thanks, I mean it." Frost released Jane and gave him a little shove. Jane grabbed Maura's hand and they all began walking toward the door. "Let's go catch this guy. I have enough monsters in my dreams. I don't need to have this one in my waking hours."
As they walked through the door Jane turned back one last time looking off into the horizon. "I'm coming for you. I will get you." Then she moved through the door hearing the click of the lock as she moved down the stairs behind Frost and Maura.
Across the way on a nearby building…
"Tut, tut, my love, you are so cared for…but soon I will come for you and you won't have to depend on the others. I will be here soon." Peter rose and walked over shutting off the listening equipment. "Hmmm, let's see. How should I show you my love next? Oh yes, I know just the way!" Peter put his binoculars away and wandered through the rooftops door. "You are going to love this next present." Peter's laugh echoed down the stairwell.
The two Italian phrases I used:
Maura: My love will be with you forever.
Jane: Forever, yours till the end of time.