Hey guys, SOOOOOO sorry it took so long to get the next chapter up! I know there really should be no excuse! But as some of you probably know life often (and very inconveniently) gets in the way of things such as getting over knee surgery, uni exams, starting a new job etc.

I am extremely sorry, I myself know how annoying it can be to wait a month or more for an update so I promise I will try my very best to update more often and get into a regular pattern, now that I have a few weeks off uni (holidays! Yay!)

Anyway, enough rambling from me! One more quick note though, thank you to everyone who has reviewed and followed and favourited this story so far! I really hope to get more reviews, they really do inspire me but just enjoy the update and let me know your thoughts/opinions.

Cheers guys! :D

Disclaimer: (since I haven't done one yet for this story or Framed Jane): The characters don't belong to me, they belong to Tess Gerritsen, Jan Nash and TNT. The plot/story line however belongs to me :)

Chapter 2:

"NOOOO!" Jane screamed, tears running down her face. Her arms were spread out to the sides and her feet were stretched out in front of her.

"No! Please…" Jane begged, unsure of whether she could take any more pain. Hoyt had already pinned her right hand down with a scalpel, driven through the middle of her palm and was readying her left hand now to do the same. Hoyt just sneered at her, an awful, gleefully evil look in his eyes as he brought the scalpel down.

"AGHHHHHHH!" Jane screamed until her throat was so hoarse that it felt like it was on fire, which was nothing compared to the pain from her hands. The slightest movement of any part of her body had her wanting to scream from pain, but somehow she managed to hold back. Just. Hoyt stood up and loomed over her, admiring his work so far.

"You sick son of a bitch bastard." Jane whispered. Hoyt only laughed then knelt down right beside her head and spoke quietly, menacingly.

"Oh Jane. This is the only the beginning. Soon your good doctor will be here with us, and that's when the party will really get going."

"Nooo! Hoyt, don't you touch her! Hoyt!" Jane screamed and yelled, trying to ignore every pain in her body as Hoyt walked away with his usual swagger. Eventually Jane gave up the yelling and just lied there, with eyes closed, panting and trying to calm the rage in her mind while also trying to not focus on the pain, which of course made her more aware of the dull throbbing in her palms.

Possibly hours later Hoyt walked back in, except this time he had someone with him. Jane craned her neck slightly to see and gasped. Even before he removed the sack over the person's face, Jane knew who it was.

"No…Maura…"

Hoyt bound her to a chair nailed to the floor, removed the sack and grinned as Maura blinked at the dim light, getting her bearings. When she finally spotted Jane on the floor, palms literally nailed to the ground she started to cry.

"Time to say your farewells to the good doctor, Jane." Hoyt said. As quick as lightning he pulled out a knife and stabbed Maura, hilt deep right in her heart.

"NOOOOOO!" Jane screamed.

"NOOOOO!" Jane screamed and bolted upright, panting heavily, fresh tears on her cheeks. The bathroom door opened and Angela came rushing out at her daughter's scream.

"Jane, honey, is everything ok?" She said, then took in the look on Jane's face and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"It was a nightmare, wasn't it?" She asked quietly. Jane nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"It's going to be ok Jane, I promise. Maura's going to be ok. You'll see." Angela said and took one of her daughter's hands. Jane involuntarily flinched, a reaction from the nightmare. Angela noticed.

"I'm sorry Ma. It's not you. It's…" Jane said, frustrated, trying to find the right words. The pain in Jane's eyes broke Angela's heart. How much could one person take? Or rather, how much could two best friends take? Everything in Jane and Maura's lives had been a battle. Angela knew all about Maura's childhood and her adoption and couldn't stop wondering how such a caring, loving person could have been so lonely and miserable, and even still is at times. She has watched Jane fight for her life in hospital more than once. And now this. Then Jane, who has suffered all the torment Maura has and possibly more and now has to watch Maura suffer what Jane herself has suffered numerous times. Angela met Jane's gaze and took her other hand, holding both of Jane's hands in hers.

"Janie, you are strong. And so is Maura. She will pull through, you both will. I know that for a fact. But another thing I also know is that you can't do it alone." Angela held up a hand to stop Jane's protest. "Please, let me finish Jane. Maura needs you as much as you need Maura, Jane, whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not doesn't matter because it's the truth. It seems that everyone except you and Maura are willing to fully acknowledge it. But this time, it's different, because you and Maura need to help each other through the nightmares and the tears and the pain that is sure to come, and I know it will because I've seen you go through it before. We all have. But I want you to know that you're not alone in this. Me, Maura, Frankie, Tommy, Frost, Korsak…we're your family Jane and we're here to support you. I'm telling you all of this now, early on in hope that it will make things a bit easier for you later on."

Jane started at her mother, openly crying, completely speechless. After a moment she leaned forward as much as she could and wrapped herself around her mother. Angela hugged her tightly back.

"Thank you Ma." Jane whispered, her voice thick with emotion. They stayed like that for a while, mother and daughter holding each other tightly before breaking apart. Jane wiped the back of her hand across her eyes.

"Now, how about a game of cards?" Angela said, and to lighten the mood she pulled a deck out from her bag. Jane smiled as she began to deal the cards.

"Thanks Ma. For everything." Jane said as she picked up her cards.

"You're welcome." Angela whispered in reply.


They played cards for a while, with Angela having very little success. Jane smiled and laughed at her mother's jokes, appreciating her efforts to make Jane feel better. It was working, to a degree, but it didn't make her stop thinking about Maura. She was so worried. She could remember most of what happened, but there were still a couple of fuzzy memories and Jane was scared for Maura. She still hadn't been told the full extent of Maura's injuries, only that she was alive. She was going crazy not knowing but every time she mentioned it the topic was changed and she could tell that her family thought that she was too fragile right now to handle it. As if, Jane thought. Whatever news it was, no matter how good or bad Jane wanted to know.

"Jane. Jane?"

"Huh? Sorry?" Jane asked, blinking.

"I was just saying that it's your turn." Angela said, slightly puzzled. Jane sighed and put her cards down before sitting up a bit more.

"Ma, I need to know. It's been five days since I woke up and I've barely been told anything outside of my own injuries and needs. How is Maura?" Jane asked, looking her right in the eyes.

"Jane, please. Not now. I'm not ready to…you're not ready…"

"Ma, please!" Jane interrupted, giving Angela a stern look. Angela looked down at the cards she was still holding, suddenly unable to meet her daughter's gaze. "I've tried to be patient for everyone's sake, which you know isn't easy for me but now I'm sick of it. I'm sick of not knowing, Ma, and it's driving me crazy! You said I wasn't alone in this, that you and everyone are there for me, to support me and help me. If that's true, then please stop holding out on me and just tell me what's going on! Maura is my best friend Ma and I swear if you don't tell me right now how she really is then I am going to get out of this bed and go see her myself, no matter what the doctors say, no matter the pain." Jane's voice had slowly risen until she was full shouting. Someone cleared their throat from the door and Jane turned her head to see Frankie standing there, looking slightly embarrassed that he had overheard her outburst but he was also looking at her sympathetically.

"Frankie!" Angela said and got up to greet her son, silently thanking the heavens that he had arrived when he did.

"Hey Ma." He said, kissing Angela on the cheek.

"Jane." Frankie said in greeting, smiling, even though he knew that Jane saw through his façade.

"Frankie, please." Jane whispered. Frankie took a deep breath and nodded. Angela sat back down while Frankie remained standing.

"Jane, Maura's suffered several slashes across her abdomen, third degree burns on her arms and a severe concussion from a beating to her face." Frankie surmised, and paused to let Jane take it in.

"Oh god…" Jane whispered. "Is she…has she woken up yet?" Jane asked, and noticed the glance Frankie gave Angela.

"What? What is it?"

"She has woken up briefly, yes. But…Jane, she…she didn't remember what had happened or why she was in the hospital. She was really confused but also distressed because she couldn't understand why no one would tell her why she was here or how she got her injuries." Frankie explained and noticed tears running down his sister's cheeks. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, on the opposite side to Angela. He placed a hand over Jane's tightly clenched hands and waited patiently for her to speak. He could see the thoughts and emotions running through her mind.

"Why? Why can't she remember?" Jane asked quietly in her raspy voice, looking at Frankie. She already suspected the answer but she wanted it confirmed.

"The doctor said that he thinks it is from temporary amnesia. She can't remember the event because it was so traumatising and shocking, and adding to that the severe concussion…" Frankie trailed off, not needing to finish. Jane nodded, her suspicions confirmed. She sat quietly for another few minutes, thinking. Coming to a decision (which really shouldn't have been a decision at all) she looked first at Frankie then at her mother.

"I want to see Maura." Jane declared.


In another hospital room

It was darkness. Complete darkness. Quick flashes kept crossing her vision, almost like pictures sprinting past, too quick for her to get a proper look at them. She could vaguely hear someone talking to her, but it was faint and she had to strain to hear if the voice was actually real. She went towards it, hoping it was the right direction and as she got closer the voice got louder until suddenly she was gasping for air, bright lights shining down on her with loud noises surrounding her. She squinted her eyes and could just make out the shape of her mother standing next to her.

"Wha…?" She tried to ask but found that her voice was muffled by something covering her mouth. An oxygen mask? But why? Maura thought. She tried to move but gasped at the pain that shot through her whole body. Involuntarily she whimpered. She tried to remove the mask to ask where she was, what happened, why she was in so much pain but a hand over hers stopped her.

"I am sorry Dr Isles but for now you need the oxygen mask to help you breathe." A man's voice said. Help me breathe? Why? Maura started to panic now as her brain failed to supply the answers she so desperately wanted and needed. As her eyes started to become more focused she could see not only the doctor who had spoken but at least two nurses in the room with him plus her mother, who was seated in an armchair next to her bed.

Constance, in turn could see many questions in her daughter's eyes. She grasped one of her hands.

"Maura, darling, you are in the hospital. You have been severely injured." She said. Maura's eyes widened and it seemed that she now had more questions than before. She started to look around frantically and even tried to sit up, at which point the nurses rushed forward and gently pushed her back down again. This time though Maura managed to remove the mask and the doctor nodded at the nurses, signalling that it was ok for a minute or so.

"What? Why? What happened? Where's Jane? What injuries did I sustain? And by whom? And where? Was there anyone else involved? Which hospital am I at?" Maura paused, gasping for breath and one of the nurses placed the oxygen mask back on and helped her to get control of her breathing again. Constance closed her eyes and clenched her fists, a very unusual gesture for a normally so calm and collected person. But it broke her heart to see her only daughter like this. Constance never, ever imagined in her wildest dreams that she would be sitting here like this after Maura was almost killed by a psychopathic serial killer. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she hastily wiped them away, not wanting Maura to see how upset she was. Opening her eyes again Maura had managed to gain control of her breathing again. Once again Constance grabbed one of her daughter's hands in her own, the nurses having moved away to talk with the doctor.

"Sweetie, it's going to be ok. You are going to be ok and I'll be right here with you the whole time, ok?" Constance nodded, and was rewarded with a smile from Maura. She saw Dr Caldwell motioning to her and she nodded at him slightly.

"I'll be right back, ok darling?" Constance said. "Try to get some more rest." She squeezed Maura's hand and watched as she started to drift off into sleep again before getting up to meet the doctor.