Gah! This site has been a nightmare! Sorry you couldn't view what was there, cause the chapter was downloaded properly etc but the site was having an issue. I've reloaded this so hopefully it'll now work. Grr.
Here I go trying to move things along for you and FF has to go mental on us, lol.
Now, please don't give up on Maura. She'll get there, I promise.
Cheers, Tj. xx
Frost sat at his desk feeling tense. The strain felt in the office was just starting to sway from extreme to standard but his world still didn't feel right. His partner wasn't there. Cavanagh was still chomping at the bit and currently, he was arguing with Korsak behind closed doors. The young detective couldn't quite make out the topic, but he could hear Jane's name being mentioned repeatedly. He started to sweat, his mind taunting him with the same guilt ridden thoughts, running over and over in his head.
'Why the hell didn't you fire? You didn't protect her you dumb fuck! You gotta stop waitin' on her call.'
He sunk a little in his chair, remembering the lecture he'd given Maura. He was one to talk… he was the one who'd stalled, who'd understood the emotional circumstances and faltered. He'd let Janie make the call.
The door opens, slamming against the wall, jarring him away from his self-loathing and ridicule. A fiery Sergeant storms out, his pressures up, and his face is all red and clenched. Korsak doesn't acknowledge anyone, just grabs his jacket and walks out.
"Hey! Korsak, what's up?"
He gets the wave off. Nothing. Shit!
Frost slouches back down, heavy, and flicks his pen.
"This is fucked."
"Janie!"
Her front door is being pounded.
"Open up, dammit!"
The brunette stills at her luggage and exhales. She was really hoping to be gone before anyone had caught wind of her plans.
"Don't make me break the damn door down!"
"Oh, for christs sake…" she mutters, dropping a tee, and heading towards his muffled screaming.
"Calm down!" She opens the door. "Jeez, way to make a raucous old man!"
He glares at her. He's beyond pissed, but she walks off.
"You mind explainin' to me just what the hell you think you're doing!"
"Chill out, Korsak."
She goes back to her room, and back to her packing. He follows.
"I just heard from Cavanaugh you were thinkin' of resigning!"
"Not thinking, I have."
"What the hell for? Because of Doyle?"
She goes back to pushing her clothes into the canvas bag on her bed and stays silent.
"Don't you go all passive aggressive on me, Rizzolli. I've worked with you long enough to call you out on your shit, and this is the shitty-est decision you've ever made!"
"Hey!" She aims at him with her hand this time, not her gun. "I asked for indefinite leave! But the boss wouldn't agree, so this was my only choice!"
"Yeah, well thanks to me, I've managed to convince him, so you're on leave! You're still a cop."
"Don't do me any favours, Korsak," she says defiantly.
He watches her, his hands taking refuge in his pockets.
"Is this because of Maura?"
"I am not getting into this with you! If that's what you wanna talk about you can just kick off and get the hell out! I've made my decision."
"Based on what?"
They stare it out.
"I'm not leaving, until you give me an answer."
Huffing, she slams a hoodie into her bag. "Dammit Korsak."
And rubs her hands across her face before running her hair back, freezing with her fingers stuck in her hair.
"I've had enough, okay?"
Her hands fall along with her gaze and she starts rummaging again.
"You do this job… thinking you can control the worst of it, that you're providing some kind a justice for all the bullshit that goes on out there, but you're not. And I'm sick a trying."
"The job gets to all of us."
"Yeah, well it's been gettin' a little too close, and too personal for me!" Lifting her shirt and displaying her scars. Pity for her, he knows this goes deeper than that, and he's willing to call her out on it.
"She'll come around, Jane."
She looks away, hands back on her hips, feeling tortured. He knows the rest is for her to say so he waits, watching her eyes close as she takes a deep breath and thinks of Maura.
"Well, I can't be around while she figures herself out… I know she's hurting. She might not have a bullet wound but that doesn't mean she's not damaged."
She sighs.
"Fuck, I mean... I tried to do the right thing by her, but all it did was fuckin' backfire. So you know what? I'm done! No more responsible Jane, no more puttin' my life on the line."
She resumes her packing with vigour.
"I'm sick of being the go to girl for every sick fuck, serial killer or otherwise! I'm outta here… and you know, you can quit staring at me too! If you're gonna just stand there gawking, at least do something useful and help me out."
He grunts, and she smirks.
"So go make yourself useful… there's a bag by the fridge for Jo's food. You can pack it up for me and drop her off with Ma on the way home."
"She still stayin' in the guest house at Maura's?"
She nods, thoughtfully. "I asked her to. Someone needs to keep an eye on her and for the moment nobody else wants to."
"I'm doing my best for her, Janie."
"I know… "
"You sure about this?"
"I've made up my mind Korsak… I really don't need you fightin' me on it."
"Okay, fine…"
Ten minutes later, Jane sees him off with a genuine hug.
"I'll be in touch but don't go calling me every damn day 'cause the phone'll be off. Thanks Korsak."
Later that same day, Maura enters the organic food store close to home. She was surprised not to have seen or heard of Jane's return to work but figured she was being avoided. If she was being honest, she was thankful and relieved not to have had to talk with her. It all still felt so raw.
Her father had called. He was finally in town and wanted to take Constance home to recover in New York. She offered to cook him dinner after visiting with them at the hospital. It had almost seemed normal, except for the fact her mother was much more attentive, and she now knew the details of her adoption.
She collected what she needed, feeling comforted by the process of normality. As she stood at the counter a young man across the road caught her attention. He was dressed in blue jeans, and a vest worn over the top of his hoodie. He was a good looking male specimen, built and broad across the chest… but he was staring… directly at her and it didn't feel anything like admiration.
"That'll be $28.95," says the young girl at the check-out asking for payment. It startles her.
"Oh! Yes, of course."
The doctor pays and a sense of foreboding comes over her as she nears the exit. Should she leave? Is it safe? Who was he?
She looks back across the road to find him gone, and releases her breath. With her groceries in hand she heads out to her car but something doesn't feel right.
Now that she knows she's been watched in the past, she feels more alert to when it's happening. She throws her bags on the back seat, disregarding her rule that all shopping goes in the boot of the car. She opens the driver's side door and glances around and spots him. It's the same young man, with the same glare weighing heavy upon her, smoking a cigarette and leaning against a wall, one foot up on the bricks behind him. He flicks his butt and signals to her. His hands are in the form of a gun and she is his target. He fires.
Fear rushes through her and the flight instinct takes over. She forgets her pause, jumping in the car and starting the engine. She takes off, seeing him laughing in her rear view mirror, the acid in her stomach bubbling up, making her feel sick. Throughout the entire journey home, she is frantic, checking over her shoulder, looking for any cars that may be following. She even takes a small detour to prove it, much like Jane would on the job.
Maura gets home, safe, to an empty street and an empty house, besides her tortoise. She bursts into tears the moment she's inside, behind locked doors, and begins rambling to the giant hard hat in the kitchen for comfort. She forces herself to organise, fumbling through her tears, trying to understand what's become of her law abiding, calculated and orderly life.
Please review. :) xx
