Notes: Sorry one is a little slow in parts but I wanted to set up the crime before we get into Jane and Maura's little continuation of their conversation. I promise it will get better! Sorry again but I didn't really proof this. Please forgive me! :)

Jane let go of the frame around the entrance to the stairs and began the seemingly long trek to the empty second floor. She rubbed her neck and sighed as she threw her head back closing her eyes and sighing deeply.

Why do I do this to myself? I've gotta stop getting so worked up over every man she dates or sleeps with…

As soon as she thought it she regretted it. It both aroused her and disgusted her. The thought of her with anyone other than herself angered Jane to no end. But as usual the images of Maura naked atop wrinkled sheets, with sex tussled hair, chest heaving, and skin flushed from stimulation won over her mind.

She could feel her breathing become faster and shallower and her heartbeat increase. Jane had become so enamored in her thoughts that she hadn't realized she had reached the top of the steps and stumbled into the wall opposite of the stairs. The only thing that kept her from toppling back down the steps was the hand that landed on the windowsill.

God…

This was becoming more and more typical of Jane and it was becoming a problem. Her own thoughts were distracting her from her work and generally making her life harder. It was harder and harder for her to hide the feelings that she had for Maura. In the last month there had been too many close calls where anyone could have put the dots together and figured it out if they had really thought about it.

This has gotta stop…and soon.

What exactly she was going to do, she didn't know. But she did know that whatever she was going to do had to be done sooner rather than later.

Readjusting the glove on the hand that had caught the window she turned the corner and walked into the master bedroom. She stood in the doorway to have a look around before looking further.

Only one side of the bed was unmade, the other looking like a bed set display at some department store. The rest of the room seemed to reflect what was said by the bed.

The on the left side of the room, a vanity held various beauty products and perfumes. Jane walked nearer and looked closer. They had been used heavily but when she picked up a few of the bottles she found the openings in the caps had been crusted over; they hadn't been used in some time. Although these items had not been used in quite some time, there was not a single trace of dust on any of the items.

Squatting down by the laundry basket, Jane found nothing but men's clothing. Not bothering to stand up, Jane ran her hand throw her hair and took in the rest of the room. For as pristine as the one side, the other was equally messy with clothes and shoes lying everywhere.

Passing by the children's rooms, Jane took note that the bed was unmade in what she assumed would be the older kid's but nothing else seemed unusual. She continued down the hall to the last room on the right. It appeared to be a study that doubled as a trophy room.

Two luxury chairs sat at the near end of the room paired with a fine coffee table. One chair seemed to be amiss though, having been angled facing partially away from the other furniture. Looking behind the desk that had clearly been rummaged in, Jane's eye was immediately drawn to the spot in the showcase where a hand gun was missing from Mr. Fillmore's extensive collection. It appeared to be the outline of a classic revolver.

As she walked behind the desk to look at the open laptop she muttered to herself, "Well there's your murder weapon."

Just before she could reboot the laptop something caught Jane's eye from over the top of the screen. Some kind of white dust fell from the ceiling. Startling her she popped up from her hunched stance pulling back the side of her coat and putting her left hand on the butt of her gun. She waited a second then began to slowly move to the center of the room. Without having looked harder she would have never noticed the rectangular shape cut from where the substance had fell from. As she moved, the sound of wood cracking emitted from the ceiling followed by a crying sound.

Jane drew her piece at the sound and with her other hand grabbed her phone from its clip on her belt. Without taking her eyes off the source of the sound, Jane hit her speed dial. Her senses beginning kicked into overdrive, Jane could even here the phone ringing from the end of the hall and down the steps.

"Frost," she whispered still maintaining her assertive growl, "Get your ass to the study now." Without even waiting for conformation she silently forced the phone back into her belt.

In no more than 15 seconds flat, Frost was in the door way with his hand on the butt of his own gun waiting for Jane's direction. Hearing him in the doorway, Jane made a gesture with her head towards the ceiling. Just a few seconds behind, Frankie stood in the doorway and mirrored Frost. Both men immediately pulled their weapon moving over to Jane and nodded.

With him covering her, she holstered her gun, removed her coat, and moved the misplaced chair to where Frost's gun was pointing. Stepping on the chair and placing both hands on either side of the opening. She checked to make sure Frost and Frankie were prepared. When they both nodded she returned her gaze upward.

She gently pressed up on either corner before hearing a small latch give and allowing the piece to lower downward perpendicular to the floor. A small ladder section had been screwed to it that Jane pulled down aligning the three sections into one.

Jane pulled slightly on the ladder to make sure it was stable before brandishing her weapon once again. One foot at a time, she climbed the suspended ladder. Once she was able to see over the floor, she peeked her head up to have a look.

In an instant, Jane was out of sight of the men. They remained motionless, listening to the creaky boards at what sounded like Jane running to the other end of the house.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Jane began to climb back down with her back to them. This time she seemed to be struggling, though.

"Frost!" she yelled over her shoulder still lower herself slowly.

Barry holstered his weapon and jogged over to the side of the chair.

In complete and utter shock he uttered, "Oh my God," as he held out his arms to take the small child from Jane who had been cradling it in one arm.

As she gently placed the child in Frost's waiting arms she looked at Frankie and yelled, "Get EMT or someone now!" Before she had even finished, Frank Jr. had burst out of the room heading down stairs.

Having jumped back on the chair, Jane held her arms up towards that ladder once more and said softly, "C'mon down sweetie. It's okay. No one is going to hurt you. I promise."

Hearing Jane's soothing and reassuring voice, a young girl, no more than 10, began to make her way down the ladder. As soon as she was in Jane's reach, she gently lowered her into her arms. Adjusting the girl to have one arm under her knees and the other around her back, Jane stepped off the chair slowly and began to make her way to the stairs. Frost followed close behind attempting to assuage the now crying baby.

With each stair Jane descended, the girl tightened her grip around the back of Jane's neck, pulling herself closer and closer.

In her low soothing voice, she whispered in the little one's ear, "It's okay. I won't let them get you. Okay?"

With some hesitance at first, Jane could feel the nodding head move against her next.

"Good," Jane whispered again and kissed the crown of her head. "What's your name sweetie?"

"Hannah," the little girl whispered in a weak cracking voice.

"Okay, Hannah. My name is Jane and I'm a police officer here to help you. Can you tell me what your brother or sister's name is?"

Hearing Jane at the foot of the steps, Maura turned on the toes of her heels, still knelling next to the body. Seeing the small for in the lanky woman's arms she quickly stood facing her completely now. Pulling her gloves off, she closed the pace between herself and Jane who was now standing in the kitchen.

"Jane?" Maura asked both puzzled and concerned placing her hand holding both gloves on the girl's knee and the other on the back of her head, stroking her brown hair soothingly. She looked between Jane and Frost looking for an answer.

No sooner had Maura spoken, Frankie came burst into the kitchen out of breath with two EMTs close behind.

Jane didn't move but turned her head to see the three men rush in. Looking at Frost who was now standing beside her holding the still crying baby, she said, "Frost, meet us at the hospital. Take my car." Looking back at Maura gently, she said softly, "Maura, take the baby from Frost and come with me, please. We're going with them to the hospital."

"But, Jane you know I don't handle children very well and..." she would have continued to list off reason why this was generally a terrible idea had Jane not cut her off.

"Please, Maur," Jane said with great sadness.

Maura nodded and did as she was told. She began to bounce the baby for a second before asking Jane, "We could simply have the EMTs accompany the children to the hospital and reconvene with them there, Jane."

The thought of losing her promised protector, the Hannah began to shake and small whimpers came from her small throat as she gripped tighter on the back collar of Jane's button-up.

Hearing the pleading sounds the detective lowered her cheek atop the little one's head and tried to ease her as she whispered to her. "Hey, I'm not leaving you. I'm not leaving."

When Jane felt some of the tension relieved somewhat in the small body clinging to her, she raised her head once again and said calm but sternly, "No. I'm sorry Maur, but that is not an option. They aren't leaving my sight much less my arms."

"Okay," was the only small answer she gave as she continued to bounce and 'shhh' the baby.

Jane began to make her way to the ambulance following the EMTs with Maura and Barry close behind.

The press had gathered around the caution tape in the time they had spent in house. At the first sight of the children, they went mad screaming questions and shoving cameras in their faces. It took all the restraint Jane had to not scream right back and shove them out of her way, but she new nothing would get accomplished if she had done so.

One brave photographer pushed his way past the officers who were attempting to make a path form the house to the ambulance. He jumped directly in Jane's face and began snapping pictures with and unnecessarily bright flashes.

The detective snapped her head to the side and held her eyes closed tightly trying to shield the girl and herself from the flash. Her anger boiling over the edge, she opened her mouth to scream but stopped at the sight of Cavanaugh grabbing the boy's shirt with both fists.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You're goddamn lucky I don't throw your ass in a cell for the night. Now get the hell outta here!" He threw the boy back against the mob and moved aside so Jane and the others could pass.

Cavanaugh and Frost opened the doors to the ambulance as one EMT hoped inside and the other made his way to the driver's seat. Jane stepped up into the back and released her arm under the Hannah's knees and the girls wrapped her legs around her abdomen just above her belt. With one hand free, she offered a hand to Maura.

The manicured hand rested in the lanky one a few moments longer than entirely warranted as Maura looked up into Jane's eyes with a small smile that Jane returned with an equally small smirk. As their moment ended, the hands gripped one another so Maura could be effortless pulled into the back of the emergency vehicle.

Still holding the door, Cavanaugh said as the women found their proper seats. "Rizzoli, I gotta stay and handle these bastards out here. You call me as soon as you get to the hospital and fill me in with whatever the hell that is going on. Got it?"

Jane sighed to herself and said, "Yes, sir."

She gave a quick nod to Frost who returned it before the two men closed the door and gave two quick bangs on the back to signal the driver and they were headed to the hospital.

My fingers are crossed that Monday's episode isn't as bad as I think it is going to be. I'm sorry, I tried to like Tommy but I can't. Jane's protectiveness of Maura seems to be rubbing off on me. Haha…well anyway thanks for reading and please review! I'm sick and some great reviews would def not suck! Thanks! :)