Maura cried herself asleep. When the baby started to whimper she woke up, confused for a moment. Her eyes feel sandy and she has a dull headache. Maura picks up the baby and goes down to the kitchen to make Angie a bottle. While she is waiting for the bottle to cool down, she wonders if Angela is okay. She feels guilty for not checking on the woman when she heard the wailing, but she was just too consumed with her own guilt and fear. She takes the bottle and heads to the guesthouse. She finds Frankie sitting on the couch, with his head in his hands. He looks up startled and she can see that he has been crying.
Of course he cried. Jane was his sister, his hero and she was gone. She is facing a charge of murder, but even then Jane would not have run. Not without taking care of her child first. Maura sits down beside him. She wants to ask him if he is okay, but it is obvious that he is not. Not one of them is.
"Where is Angela?" she asks instead.
"In her room." He shrugs. "It is like a light went out in her."
"It is the shock." Maura says. "Perhaps we should get her a tranquilizer."
He rolls his shoulders. They sit together in silence while Maura feeds Angie. She burps her and hand her to Frankie to check on Angela. The older woman is awake.
"Maura!" she says startled.
"Angela."
"I . . . I can come make some breakfast." Angela offers.
Maura wants to refuse, she doubt that anybody is up for food. Yet it will do Angela good to keep busy. Angela stops abruptly on her way to the kitchen when she sees her granddaughter.
"You got her!" she says relieved. It is unclear if the comment was intended for Maura or Frankie but it does not really matter. They were together when Angie was handed over. Angela took the baby from Frankie and buried her face in the little body. After a long moment she gives the baby back to Maura. She looks more alive when she goes to Maura's kitchen to cook.
They have barely cleaned up breakfast, when there was a knock on Maura's door.
"Detective Crowe!" she answered the door surprised.
"Dr. Isles. We have a warrant to search your house." He said, having enough decency to look guilty. "This is Detective Erin Blake from Special Victims. She used to be Stevens partner. Could all the occupants please wait in the kitchen?"
"What?" Maura asked confused.
"Dr. Isles," Blake spoke up. "We need to make sure that you are not harbouring a fugitive."
"That is insane!" Frankie shouted.
Maura scowled but stand aside in any case. She considered phoning a lawyer, but then she also had nothing to hide. "Can I get my baby?" she asked irritated.
"We bring her to you." Blake said.
Maura, Angela and Frankie were shuffled to the kitchen and two patrol cops stood guard. Before Frankie could even call Korsak or Frost, Crowe brought Maura the baby. He looked uncomfortable.
"Dr. Isles, Frankie – please trust me. We have no intention to bust Jane's ass, but we need to close all gaps." He explained.
"Don't give me that bullshit, Crowe." Frankie gnarled. "We can't be help with the investigation, but Stevens' partner can?"
"You are biased." He said barely audible.
"And she is not?" Frankie countered.
"No, Frankie. Believe me, this is not such an open and shut case as it may seem." Crowe tried to reason.
Maura flew off her chair. "That is ridiculous. I want to speak to Cavanaugh."
Crowe sighed: "You can't leave until we have completed our search."
Maura was vivid but there was nothing she could do. Frankie phoned Korsak, but he was also being served a warrant. Maura was adamant to go find Cavanaugh the moment that she was free to go. However he found her first. He walked in with Crowe and Blake when the search has been completed.
"Thank you for your cooperation. You are free to go!" Cavanaugh concluded to search.
"That is? After we have been treated like common criminals in my home, you just thank us? No apology? No explanation?" Maura asked upset.
"Dr. Isles, the investigation –"
"Baloney! This stinks and I have a good mind to get my lawyer!" Maura interrupted him.
"Dr. Isles, Rizzoli and her partners has covered up for Doyle on your behalf in the past. Anyone of them would have arrested him if they got the chance. If they – you – could do it for a mobster, how much more would you do to protect her?" Cavanaugh said sternly.
"I am the Chief Medical Examiner!" Maura took flame. "Forensics does not lie, it does not alter and it does not change its mind!"
Cavanaugh sighted: "But forensics can be lost, contaminated or miss interpreted."
Maura gawked at him for a moment. "Lieutenant, if that is what you think of my integrity, then you can go ask the governor for a new Chief Medical Examiner. I resign, with immediate effect."
Angela and Frankie only stared at her. Both want to do the same thing, but unlike Maura they live on pay check to pay check.
"Let's not be hasty!" Cavanaugh tried to calm the ME.
"Sir, if I may?" Blake stepped forward and Cavanaugh nodded. "We are sorry for the inconvenience and all the classified bullshit. We promise to give you a full explanation when our investigation is completed. For now however you just will need to trust us."
Maura shook her het. "Just leave my house. Now!"
The rest of the day was rather uneventful. Maura went shopping for a proper crib and other baby necessities. Jane would have rolled her eyes at the doctor's shopping list, but Jane's and Maura's definition of necessities were always different. That evening Angie was in a rather playful mood after having her bath. Maura obliged her, until it was time for her feeding. She sat cross legged on the couch, with the baby in her left arm and the bottle in her right hand. Angie eagerly gulped at the bottle.
"Patience, Darling." Maura chuckled. "If you drink to fast, you are going to built up gas that will hurt you." She pulled the bottle back a bit and as if Angie understood her, she drank at a reduced pace. Maura liked talking to the baby when she was awake, yet there was only one thing on her mind at the moment.
"Angie, what happened to your Mama, sweetie? You were there, can't you tell Maura what took place? The idiots at the BPD don't want to tell me anything and I feel so useless. Your Mama would never leave you alone. She loved you too much. Yet she is gone!"
Angela came into Maura's lounge.
"Angela!" Maura said, a bit startled.
"Sorry, I did not want to scare you." Angela smiled slightly. "How is my sweetie doing?"
Maura smiled indulgently and put Angie to her shoulder. "She misses her Mama, but she is being a very brave girl." She cooed.
"I can take her." Angela offered.
"No need for it, Nona!" Maura answered on behalf of the baby. "I am happy with Maura."
"You don't have to do this, Honey." Angela answered. "Angie does have family who can take care of her."
Maura's still is not her normal, composed self. She wants to snap at Angela, but then bite her tongue. Angela had a terrible day. Her daughter is missing and she is the only suspect the police have. Tommy walked out when they informed him about Jane and they were still trying to locate Frank Senior. Yet Maura was not going to give her baby girl up. "We will be fine." She said with finality in her voice.
"Okay, Okay!" Angela relented.
The next morning Maura did not go into to work. She did not make an empty threat to Cavanaugh when she resigned. She had no plans to put her feet into the Police Head Quarters ever again. She explained her position to Korsak and Frost yesterday. Operations phoned her because of a body dump.
"Ask Cavanaugh to do the autopsy," was all that Maura said before she slammed the phone down. She is not the domesticated type, but for now she was content on staying home with the baby. She will take a teaching position or something later. She might even be a Medical Examiner somewhere else in future.
Frankie has informed her that Stevens would be buried on Wednesday. Maura did not believe in heaven or hell, but for a moment she wished Stevens were in hell for all eternity. Angie was sitting against the pillows of Maura's bed and the dark blond woman was sitting cross legged across the little girl.
"Do you want to go to . . . Daniel Stevens' funeral?" she asked the girl seriously.
Angie was much more interested in the toys in front of her.
"Angie Blossom, listen to me. It is important! You cannot blame me later about this. Do you want to go to your sperm donor's funeral? They say your Mama has killed him, but if that is true, she surely had very good reason. He was never a daddy for you. I wouldn't go if I was you, but alas he is still your father."
Angie only chewed on her bear's ear. Maura rolled her eyes.
"Okay, fine. We will go, but only because he gave the sperm."
Maura dressed both herself and the baby in a powder blue. She expected to see a full police honours, but Stevens had a civilian burial. Then she recalled that he did not die on duty. Her cell phone rang while she was on her way back to her car.
"Maura Isles?" she answered, putting her phone on speaker while she secured Angie in her seat.
"Dr. Isles," It was Cavanaugh. "Would it be possible to come to the station." He asked politely.
"Absolutely not." Maura's voice was freezing. "I have resigned and will never again be at your disposal." She cancelled the call and considered turning the device off. But she was scared that Jane may call when she was not available.
Korsak was waiting for her at her house. "Maura!" he greeted her, pulling her in a hug.
"Korsak!"
Korsak smiled and helped her with Angie's chair.
"Cavanaugh sent me." He admitted when they were inside.
"He can send Jane if it pleases him, but I will not go back." Maura answered, setting her keys on the table.
"The investigation was concluded and he wants to brief us on it." Korsak said softly.
This made Maura hesitate. She still wanted answers and Blake did promise a full explanation. There was not really much to think about. She went with Korsak and dropped Angie with Angela on her way to the bullpen.
Detectives Crowe, Blake, Frost and Cooper were already in the conference room with Cavanaugh and Frankie. Cavanaugh indicated that they should sit down.
"Our investigation has been completed." Cavanaugh announced. "I know you are all pissed with me, but hopefully you will understand when we are done here today. We had a job to do, even when a loyal partner, sister, friend was involved. Detective Jane Rizzoli is one damn fine detective."
Maura looked down at her hands, trying to keep the tears from showing. She was expecting a fight, but now Cavanaugh appeared to be a good friend.
"It was a very difficult investigation and was handed over to the FBI."
"Why?" Korsak asked. "You've said that the investigation was completed."
"I did, Vince, but I am still busy explaining. We know more or less what have happened on Sunday morning and it is not a pretty story. But Jane is still missing and that is more FDA jurisdiction. She is no longer a suspect in this case."
"So she did not shoot the bastard?" Frost asked.
Cavanaugh smirked. "Not quite. She did kill him, but it was justified. I need you all to brace yourself for this story, it is rather upsetting."
Maura's stomach turned, but she looked Cavanaugh straight in the eye.
"On Sunday we found the body, a crying baby and a raped girl on the scene."
The team gasped, rape is a horrible crime. The rape of a minor was something they never got used to.
"Jane was not on the scene, nor was her gun, badge or phone. Everything pointed that she had run. We were able to determine that Stevens raped his own child." Cavanaugh's voice was shaking.
"I always had my suspicions, but I could prove nothing." Blake said softly.
"Even if Jane shot him because he raped his daughter, she would still be charged with murder." Frankie frowned. He would have shot Stevens himself if he knew what the fuckshit done, but unfortunately his sister did not invite him to the party.
"We were able to determine 3 shots were fired. Ballistics confirmed that two was from Stevens and one was from Jane's gun. We had a number of her bullets in ballistics for comparison. Neighbours said they heard an argument after midnight. Stevens then threatened to kill them all. Shortly thereafter shots were fired." Crowe explained.
"So it was self defence?" Korsak asked hopefully.
"Yes." Cavanaugh answered. "Taking the witness accounts and the forensics in account, this is what has happened. Jane walked in on Stevens raping his daughter. She did not turn around and closed the door, but physically dragged him away. Jane was trying to get him out, so that she could secure the children and notify the police. He then threatened to kill all of them. He had his gun on him and he shot Jane. She scrammed to get her gun and he missed her. She got her gun and got between him and the children's room. They shot at the same time." Cavanaugh smiled a bit, despite the gravity of the situation. "Jane had a beautiful shot; she got him right between the eyes."
"Then why did she run?" Maura asked, not bothering with the tears running down her face.
"She didn't." Cavanaugh said gravely. "We found her blood on the scene. Considering the projectile of Stevens last shot, she was wounded in the head. If she was not unconscious, she would have been dead. Somebody removed her from the scene. There is no way she could have walked away on her own."
"Why?" Frost asked.
"We don't know." Cavanaugh shrugged. "That is what you have to find out."
"I thought it was the FBI's case." Korsak said.
"And that have stopped you before?" Cavanaugh asked with a raised eyebrow. He was satisfied with the look of determination in their eyes.
"I assume you are going to need a Detective Rizzoli." He smirked. While everybody was staring at him dumbfounded, he tossed Frankie a gold badge.
"Welcome to the team, Son. Dr. Isles, about your resignation?" he looked at Maura.
"It is withdrawn." She answered immediately.
AN: I absolutely hate this chapter. It is one of those bridge chapters that are needed to go anywhere else. Sorry for you brave souls who tortured through it.
I know my tenses are all over the show. I do apologize for it, but I am not sure how to improve it.
