A/N: SO. This is going to be my last update for a while...not just on this story but all my others...So I hope you like it. Review, let me know what you think, so when I come back I can get right to it. Thanks for all your wonderful support so far, and I really hope it continues.


Melody had managed to drag the pathetic Jane to her small living space, and there on the couch, she rocked the still sniffling girl.

"You want to talk about it?" the seamstress asked quietly, gently brushing stray curls from Jane's face.

"Not really," Jane mumbled into Melody's shoulder, her words slightly muffled.

"Well…why'd you come here?" she asked lightly.

Jane hesitated, but after a long pause, she let out a shaky breath. She then sat up enough to look Melody in the eye.

"I was scared is all," Jane whispered, her face flushing a shade of red.

"Oh, honey, that's nothing to be ashamed of!" Melody promised, clasping Jane's hands tightly in her lap.

Jane gave the woman a shy smile, gratefulness shining in her eyes.

"…and the person I wanted to hug, I couldn't," she added meekly.

Melody feigned a hurt look, putting her hand to her heart.

"You mean, I wasn't the one you wanted to hug?" she asked in an overly shocked voice.

It elicited a small giggled from Jane.

"I hug you all the time," Jane protested, leaning back against the woman, who instinctively wrapped her arms around her once more.

"Why in God's name couldn't you hug someone?"

Before she responded, Jane closed her eyes, even though Melody couldn't see her face.

"Because her wrists and ankles are tied together," she said quietly, nestling deeper into the woman's arms, as if fearing the revelation would scare her away.

"Jane Rizzoli, have you gone and made a friend with a witch?"

"She doesn't act like a witch," Jane mumbled.

Melody considered chastising Jane, but only for a second. The brunette in her arms had always been a good judge of character, quick to avoid the bad, and excited to see the good. It was something she admired about Jane. Her observation skills were unparalleled.

"Well if you don't think she's a witch, then neither do I," she said, giving Jane a reassuring squeeze. "What's the lucky girl's name?"

"Maura," Jane said, loving how the name felt on her lips.

"Maura," Melody echoed back. "Never heard of her."

"I hadn't either, but I'm glad I found her."

Melody smiled sadly into the darkness, running her fingers through Jane's hair comfortingly. Wait…darkness?

"Jane, sweetie, you need to go. It's getting late, and I can't be the reason you're out after curfew."

"Curfew?" Jane asked, a hint of excitement in her tone.

"Yes, dear. Curfew. You know, the law that's been in effect, all your life?"

Jane barely heard Melody's words she was so excited.

"Right…" she said lamely, getting to her feet.

"Hurry home, Jane," Melody warned, gently pushing the brunette toward the door. "And swing by the shop tomorrow, so I know you're alright."

Jane nodded as she was pushed out the door. And with that, she was off, rushing around the nearest corner. Think Rizzoli, think. She'd never actually been out past curfew, but one night, she had sat on her roof and watched the night patrol scan the streets. She racked her brain to remember what streets they went down first, and she needed to remember fast. She already heard the bell ringing to signify the end of the night. Left, she remembered.

She dashed as fast as she could out of the residential area of town, turning left then right then right again, altering course every time she heard the sound of marching footsteps nearing. Eventually she found her way back to the main square. She seemed to recall that any newly arrested people were held in temporary cells behind the stage; their jail had filled up quickly, and they needed a quick place to store them.

So with a final, wary glance behind her, Jane headed for the stage. She jumped up onto it, then scurried behind the wooden backdrop. Sure enough, there were rows of makeshift cells tucked away behind the backdrop. The guard's eyes snapped to meet Jane's, and her heart caught in her throat. After a moment, though, his gaze once again returned to the floor. His only job was to keep the prisoners in, he could really care less about the lanky girl and her presence.

And as she felt her heart rate return to normal, she let her eyes wander the cells until her eyes rested on the one she was looking for. Maura was in a cell not too far from where she stood, asleep on the floor. She was tucked in one of the back corners of the cell, using her arm as a pillow. Three of the four walls were concrete. The fourth was made of flimsy chicken wire, but they didn't really need fortification there. The guard was plenty to keep them from running.

A pang of sadness shot through Jane as she watched Maura sleep. To see such an angel confined to a cage…it was sickening. She felt the pit of her stomach drop out as she neared the cell, her feet barely able to step one in front of the other. Maura stirred as Jane kneeled down next to the chicken wire. Her eyes barely opened, but she immediately recognized Jane, and as she pulled herself to her feet, Jane was pleasantly surprised to see she wasn't shackled. The honey-blonde smiled sleepily at Jane as she sank down next to her, pressing her palm to the chicken wire separating them.

"You came," she hummed, her voice still thick with sleep.

"I said I would," Jane laughed lightly, "and. I'll do you one better."

Jane slipped her hand through the loose edge of the wire, and Maura's eyes lit up . She laced her fingers in the brunette's, closing her eyes and imagining that there was no barrier between them. They sat in comfortable silence, their eyes closed as they thought, both their thumbs tracing calming circles on the backs of their hands. It felt strangely right, strangely safe from the chaotic world around them, and yet, it could've felt even better, were Maura not an accused witch…

"What could you've possibly done to end up here?" Jane breathed, unaware she'd even spoken the words until she felt Maura's hand clench in her own.

She thought of how to take it back, or what to say, to assure Maura, but her tongue refused to move, her brain unable to process.

"I…I opened my big mouth," Maura said quietly.

"Maur…"Jane whispered. "It was rhetorical."

She squeezed Maura's hand, rubbing the back of it a little more firmly.

"No, you should know—"

"I don't need to," Jane cut in. "And I don't want you to think I do. I've never doubted your sanity…your innocence. I trust you. Really…"

She waited patiently for Maura to answer, to either agree or continue forward, but the honey-blonde couldn't do either. Jane peered at her through the darkness, only to see Maura crying. Not sobbing…just silent, pained tears. Jane gently removed her hand from Maura's, brushing the burning tears from the cheek she could reach. She kept her fingers there for another stolen second before trying to pull away, but Maura grabbed her hand. She brought her knees to her chest, pressing Jane's wet knuckles to her lips, tasting her tears.

"I was home schooled," she started, her hands still clutching Jane's tightly. "That's why you never saw me before. My dad, he was a doctor, and every day after work, he'd read me a book. About anything…everything. Ancient history, science, sometimes just fiction. I can still remember every fact from those books, every word…And he read them to me until I asked if he'd teach me how to read myself. And then he taught me and he never read to me again. He just…gave me the key to his library."

She paused, squeezing Jane's hand a little tighter.

"Then he died. No one seemed to care except me. Not my mother, not my sister…Mother let her go to school with the rest of the kids like nothing happened. I was just left behind, stuck in my father's house with no father to speak of. Then…then my sister got sick. Really sick. We went all over to find a doctor who could tell us something. And we kept traveling, and every doctor gave us a difference answer, and quite honestly, I was sick of waiting. So when we got home…I just…I found my dad's old medical books…and I found it. I found what was wrong with her, but I…didn't have anyone to tell…My mother was desperate, so she took her back to the local Salem doctor, Pike, and he was feeding us some stupid diagnosis and I just couldn't take it. I snapped and corrected him and that was it. That was the end of my life," her voice had dropped to a whisper. "Dr. Pike said that the only way I could've know what was wrong is if I was the one doing it to her. And th-they dragged me away and I haven't seen my mother or my sister since…"

She was crying again, trying to keep the waver from her voice.

"I threw away my life for Caitlin—"

"Caitlin? Caitlin Isles?!" Jane blurted. "You gave up your life for that bitch?" she hissed.

"She's not that bad," Maura tried half-heartedly.

Jane gave an incredulous laugh.

"Maur, if I had a choice between killing an ant or killing Caitlin, I'd spare the ant! She's a menace to society!"

It was Maura's turn to laugh pitifully through her tears, trying to wipe them away.

"Maybe she's that bad."

"Well it obviously doesn't run in the family, thank God," Jane teased, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked, Maura blushing at the compliment.

"Thanks," Maura mumbled, looking down at her lap.

"Don't thank me. You're the one who's wonderful," Jane assured.

Maura trailed her eyes up the girl's body until their eyes locked, worried ones boring into bloodshot ones. The sincerity in Jane's chocolate eyes had the opposite effect than they normally had, this time calming her pounding heart until she felt normal again. She gave the brunette a shy smile, just wide enough to show her dimples. Jane smiled back warmly, pressing her left hand to the chicken wire. Maura mirrored the action, still clinging tightly to Jane's right hand. And in that moment, she wanted to tell Jane. She wanted to tell her about the feelings she felt toward her, no matter how insane they were.

"Jane?" she asked quietly, leaning a little closer to the wire.

"Hmm?"

"Can we maybe, talk about something?"

"Sure, Maura," Jane said comfortingly. "Anything you want."

"Well…okay. I've been kinda sorta feeling—"

"Hey kid."

Jane snapped her head toward the guard.

"If you don't wanna get caught, I suggest you head home sooner rather than later," he said, gesturing toward the sky.

He was right. The sun was just about to peek out over the horizon, the sky already bathed in a pinkish light. Jane looked back at Maura, torn.

"Can…can this wait?" she asked hesitantly, apologetically.

Maura's heart sank, but she put on a smile, nodding.

"Yeah…Go."

Jane gave her another apologetic smile, squeezing her hand lightly before pulling her hand out of the cell and standing.

"I'll try and make it to the square in the afternoon. If I can't make it, I'll be back tomorrow night, okay?"

Maura nodded again. Jane started to walk away, but looked back once again to give final, fleeting smile. Then she turned and left.

Jane felt like the life left her body as she left Maura behind. She couldn't dwell, though. She could only run home as fast as she could.

When she arrived at her house, she didn't bother trying to sneak in. Her mother could really care less where she was.

"JANE CLEMINTIME RIZZOLI!"

Fuck…

"Yeah, Ma?" she called back worriedly.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do."

And that's when her father stepped into the foyer, an angry look on his face.

Double fuck…