A/N: Not as long between updates this time…I'm getting better…For those of you who also read Whitebordeaux's work, you'll find a familiar line in here. Here's the premise. We challenged each other to get Maura to say something unexpected in our next updates…apparently we both met the challenge and have been having a good laugh about it, so hope you enjoy…

Frost looked at Jane with concern, as she had to stop again when a coughing fit racked her body.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital Jane? You really don't look so good." It was apparent that Jane was having trouble swallowing and the coughing was getting worse. They were almost to the lobby and he knew that once they met up with Maura and Korsak, Maura was going to be all over her.

"I'm sure partner," her voice was still quite hoarse, "I'm pretty sure the swelling stopped and the ice is helping…I'm just not looking forward to this right now." Looking at the set of doors that separated her from her wife she knew she was in for it with Maura.

"Doc…Maura, I'm sure she's fine" Korsak looked at the worried woman as she paced the lobby waiting for Jane and Frost to be escorted out. No sooner had they gotten to the jail than the alarm had been sounded. The lockdown was immediate and only the fact that Korsak was a detective had allowed them to remain in the lobby while the facility was on lockdown. Maura sat down abruptly and muttered to herself.

"What?" Korsak couldn't quite believe what she had heard Maura say. Not one to curse normally, when Maura did, Korsak knew it was generally associated with Jane.

"Nothing…" standing back up in a huff, she continued her pacing until she heard the doors open. The sight of Jane with a bag of ice to her neck, looking the worse for wear and obviously leaning on Frost to steady herself earned an expletive from Maura that shocked them all.

"Fuck me!"

"Maura!"

"What! Are you the only ones who can curse?" the tenor of Maura's voice rattled with the anxiety and fear that had been building, "Jane Rizzoli I asked you to be careful…look at you…for goodness sake…I…" turning her attention to Frost, "what happened Barry?" she demanded, "no, don't look at Jane, tell me…"

"Oh shit" he thought, "Doc look it wasn't Jane's fault," sparing Jane a glance as he made sure she sat down before she fell down, he continued, "that woman responded badly to Jane's questions…she was shackled but she was able to get a hand free, before we could do anything she had Jane around the throat with the chain from her shackles."

"Oh my God…Jane, let me see your neck please." Maura reached down to remove the ice and gently cupped the side of Jane's face, "I'm sorry I got angry…but …please let me take a look."

Jane looked at her stunned, to hear Maura curse like that had shocked her into silence and now, "sure Maur…" moving the bag she flinched as Maura lightly touched her neck.

The sight of the bruises and their severity brought Maura to tears, "dammit Jane"

"I'm sorry hon," the hoarseness of her voice hadn't changed and the accompanying coughing fit, brought Maura down to her knees in front of her.

"Jane we need to get you to the hospital." Maura could tell that she was still having difficulty and the damage the chain could have done to her throat was only going to be confirmed at the hospital.

"Maura I don't want to go to the hospital" the raspiness was getting worse.

"Jane I think you need to listen to the Doc, don't be so damn stubborn." Korsak could tell Jane was having trouble and if he had to he could drag her ass to the hospital himself.

"Jane listen to me," Maura spoke quietly but urgently, I think there may be more damage to your throat than we can see." Seeing the mutinous look in her eyes Maura grabbed her hand and was surprised by Jane's yelp of pain. Looking down at her right hand she saw the swelling and odd angle of Jane's pinky and ring fingers.

"Oh Jane…how?" looking at Frost she waited for an answer.

"Shit, it must have happened when she had her around the neck, Jane got a hand up and grabbed the chain…"

"Shit Maur that hurt like hell…" Jane hadn't paid attention to the throbbing in her hand because of how much her neck and throat hurt but now she could feel it throb with every beat of her heart.

"Jane Rizzoli we are going to the emergency room and I don't want to hear anything more about it. Vince, can you get the car and meet us?"

"Sure doc, I'll meet you out front."

"Don't I have a say?" Jane's irritation with where this was going made Frost smile, "Can't you set my fingers like you do my nose?"

"Yes I can but I won't, I want you to have your throat looked at please." Seeing Jane revving up to argue, Maura cut her off. "Nothing foolish, you promised Jane…don't make me beg."

Jane had opened her mouth to continue arguing and snapped it closed at her final words.

"Never," she whispered, "Maura I don't ever want you to beg." It hurt her to think that not only had she not kept her promise to her, but also now Maura was begging her. Getting to her feet she held onto Maura. "Come on Mrs. Rizzoli-Isles, you win." Putting the bag of ice against her neck again she grinned at her hopefully, "some TLC after the emergency room?"

"Humph…" she couldn't stay mad at her and right now she just wanted Jane to get checked out before they went home, the strangulation had her more worried than her fingers. "We'll see what the doctor says."

Sighing Jane looked over at Frost who couldn't quite hide the smirk on his face as he watched Maura take control of her.

"What are you grinning at?" she croaked.

"Nothing, nothing at all just like the way a curse from the Doc can bring you to your senses is all."

"Yeah, that and grabbing my hand," looking down at her hand she knew it was going to hurt like hell when they were reset and she was not looking forward to it. Turning a bit too quickly Maura caught her as she lost her balance, "crap I'm sorry Maur."

Maura squinted her eyes at her and looked back at Frost. "Did she hit her head?"

"Maur I'm right here you know, you can ask me not Frost." Exasperated she looked from one to the other as they ignored her.

"Uh yeah Doc, she head butted her, broke her nose too." The proud tone in his voice was quickly stifled by Maura's glare.

"She head butted…for goodness sakes Jane! You are just over a skull fracture!" anxiety and anger were meshing with the myriad of emotions she was feeling at the revelation of another possible head injury.

"Would you rather I let her strangle me?" the quiet and gentle way Jane spoke to her cut through the hysteria that was starting to build in Maura. "I'll get checked out at the hospital hon, its okay…I'm okay…" bringing the ice pack down she took Maura's hand in hers. "Come on Maur, Vince is waiting."

Jane straightened up and walked Maura out realizing just how worried she had made her and just how crappy she felt about it. She had messed up, letting her anger get the better of her. And, to be perfectly honest she knew the hospital wasn't a bad idea considering how she was feeling right now. She was putting on a good face for Maura but right now she couldn't tell what hurt more, her throat, her hand or her head, which hadn't stopped pounding since she cracked it into Hudson's face.

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"Jane I really wish you would reconsider." Maura watched as Jane put her shirt back on and tried to button it up one handed. Her right hand was wrapped with her ring and pinky finger splinted to set the fractures she had. The doctor had recommended that she stay overnight but Jane had refused.

"Maura I'm fine, really…" they had been at the hospital for hours; making sure the swelling in her throat had stopped. They absolutely would not let her go until then, and she had to admit she had been spooked when they had finally gotten to the hospital and she couldn't swallow at all. Her throat had continued to swell after all, just as Maura had said. But she had enough of being poked, prodded and medicated. Frost and Korsak had left them a while ago after getting a promise from Maura to let them know what was going on with her.

"Dammit! Maur can you…?" She was frustrated, fighting with the buttons on her shirt it was taking her forever to fasten them with just one hand.

"What am I going to do with you?" Maura buttoned up her shirt and kissed her on the cheek.

"What was that for?" Her throat was still raw and she actually sounded worse than she felt.

"For being okay, even if you did break your promise…"turning away from her she went over to the chair and grabbed her purse before turning back around. She never saw the hurt in Jane's eyes.

"Maura I'm sorry, truly, I let my temper get the best of me…I…I pushed her and she came at me…I'm sorry…I've never broken a promise to you before." She felt like a failure, not only had she not gotten the information she went looking for, but she had betrayed her wife's trust as well.

"Listen to me Jane, sometimes you won't be able to help it, I know that but this was preventable wasn't it?" Maura's directness challenged her. Jane wouldn't lie to her, it was one thing she swore she would never do.

"Yes…"

"Jane…"

"I know, I know, I was careless, reckless, and didn't think about consequences, but right now, do you think we can just go home?" Maura could hear the exhaustion in her voice, "You can be mad at me after I've gotten some sleep."

"Fine, but this conversation is not over Jane Rizzoli." Jane knew Maura was serious, but also that she was scared as well. The night had slapped her in the face with the realities of Jane's job again and all this without being married even three months.

"Yes ma'am" Jane's mock salute with her bandaged hand brought a smile to her face. She loved Jane with her whole being but today's events could have been tragic, all because she couldn't keep her temper.

"Come on, let's get you home"

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"What the hell?" fumbling on the nightstand Jane answered her buzzing phone, "Rizzoli."

"So, how are we feeling?" Frost's wide-awake and chipper voice were the last thing she wanted to hear. Looking over she realized she was alone in bed, looking at the clock on the nightstand, she was surprised to see that it was almost ten, hearing a clang, she knew Maura was probably in the kitchen.

"We are feeling like we got strangled and broke a couple of fingers, why?" Her throat felt better but she still sounded like a two pack a day smoker.

"Well I just wondered if you wanted to know how your friend Hudson was doing?"

"Frost, for gods sakes if you have something to say, just say it!"

"Well I got a call from the jail this morning, apparently you uhm…knocked some sense into her, so to speak, and she's telling anyone who will listen where this guy is staying. Something about Rizzoli being right." She could hear the smile in Frost's voice.

"Get the hell out…so, have we…"

"I already sent a couple of units to pick him up at his last known. Even if he's not there though we're a lot closer to tracking him now. You deserved to know, what happened yesterday wasn't for nothing."

She knew what he was telling her and she was grateful, the way she screwed up, she was going to need everyone's help to keep things straight with Maura.

"Thanks partner."

"You're welcome"

Hanging up she lay back and smiled. It wasn't for nothing, but would Maura see it that way? She didn't know, but she would try to get her to understand. Rolling out of bed, she waited until the room righted itself before getting out of bed. The dizzy spell was new but at least the headache was gone. Pulling on a pair of sweatpants and one of her Red Sox t-shirts, she walked herself out to the kitchen and watched as Maura hummed along with the music on her ipod. She appeared to be making breakfast and was actually frying up bacon. Smiling, Jane walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around her.

Maura didn't realize Jane was awake and when her arms came around her she acted just as Jane had taught her and besides her yelp of fear she brought her arms down on the arms wrapped around her, hitting Jane's newly splinted hand in the process.

"Fuck me Maur, dammit…" grabbing her hand she sat down on the stool at the counter and held her hand above her shoulder to try to get the throbbing to stop.

"Oh my god Jane! I'm so sorry…I thought you were still sleeping…here let me see…" Maura's voice was contrite. She was really was sorry and after watching Jane sleeping peacefully next to her earlier that morning, she knew that she couldn't stay mad at her.

Chuckling Jane just shook her head, "Its no less than I deserve Maura, its okay." Keeping her hand up a bit she extended her other arm to Maura. Easily stepping into her embrace she kissed her earnestly, "I'm sorry honey, really."

The kiss made Jane's hand pound even harder as her pulse responded to Maura's touch.

Clearing her throat she looked at her wife and kissed her back, hard, leaving Maura breathless.

"Wow," touching her swollen lips Maura looked into Jane's eyes "what was that for?"

"For being you" She would save telling her what Frost had told her for later. Right now she just wanted to reacquaint herself with her wife again. Taking her hand she walked over to the stove, turned it ff and took her hand again.

"Jane where are we going?"

"The bedroom…"

Remember in this series, Promise and Foolish Promise it's all about the sex…so a bit more into that next chapter and a bit of a windup to the crime plot. Just a couple more to go, so let me know what you think please. Review, Review, Review

Will be updating, A Loving Vengeful Heart and Damage Control next…

Happy Holidays Everyone!