AN - I own nothing but the plot and any original characters! All mistakes are my own. Please keep reviewing!
The building that housed all branches of BPD was undeniably impressive. It stood tall and proud, a protector of its turf and people, a physical embodiment of those who worked within its walls. The building and everything it symbolised had become part of Jane, it was who she was. But now, as the detective stood frozen on the steps, she realised that this building no longer felt like home. There was a hole in her BPD family, an empty place at the table. The building would never feel the same again, and Jane realised she didn't want to walk through those doors. Maura's hand on the small of her back instantly quelled the war that was raging inside of her, and with a deep breath, the two stepped into the precinct.
Jane had a hard time working up the courage to enter the homicide bullpen, and when she did, she had to fight against the onslaught of tears and the threatening of her near-empty stomach to lose what little was in there. Jane approached Frost's desk slowly as if she was waiting for him to jump out from underneath at any moment and surprise her. She slumped in his chair, her eyes falling on the cold, half-finished coffee.
Where were you going, Frost? Why did you leave? You'd still be with us if you stayed, still be with me. What made you go?
"Oh, my… Jane, look"
Jane whipped her head towards Maura, who pointed at a note on her desk. She hadn't noticed it when she'd walked in, her focus solely on the emptiness of her partner's chair. The voice in her head mocked her, what kind of a detective are you?
Ignoring the pain and self-doubt, Jane took the note and allowed her eyes to scan the words. By the time the words had registered, Korsak had entered the bullpen and was now standing next to them in order to see what they were reading.
"Korsak, he was going to see Kate's ex. He'd found a location for him." Jane's eyes found Korsak's and the pain in his gaze forced her to look away. He looked older in that moment than she had ever seen him. It was then that Jane realised the older detective had three evidence bags in his hand. Confusion etched on her features, Jane nodded towards the items in his hand. "What are those?"
"Jane. Maura. You might want to sit down." When Jane made no effort to move, Maura pulled the detective into her chair before leaning against Jane's desk to support herself. Korsak looked on with sadness before continuing. "These were found at the scene of Fr… of Barry's crash." He handed the three bags to the two women, and his heart broke when saw the realisation dawn on the features of the two. "We think that the same person who killed Kate and her father killed Frost as well. You're being targeted Jane and someone is using those you care about to get to you." Maura's face was myriad of emotions, shock and pain the most evident amongst them. Jane's face, however, was a mask, and Korsak had never seen the eyes of the woman in front of him so empty. He wondered is he had just delivered the news that had broken his friend beyond repair.
Jane was falling. The floor beneath her feet had disappeared, and now she was tumbling down into a pit of flaming despair.
Kate… Frost… Oh God. It's my fault. It was because of me. They died because of me.
Guilt coursed through Jane like electricity, fuelling her every thought, her very action, it's white-hot fingers leaving impressions as it assaulted her mind. It had wrapped its tendrils around her heart, and with every beat, its poison replaced the blood in her veins. The seat opposite her was no longer empty. Instead, her friend and ex-partner was there, his face twisted in anger and hurt, his eyes cold with blame, freezing the very soul of the dark haired detective.
Maura watched as Jane was overcome with guilt. Jane was losing herself, dragged into the darkest shadows of her mind. She could see the fire raging in her friend, despite the emptiness in her dark eyes. She could see the point in which the heartache became too much. Her own shock had rendered her immobile and it was a few minutes before the small voice in her mind could gather enough volume and power to be heard and force her after the broken woman who had all but fled from the room, Frost's note still in hand, the evidence bags dropped in fear and horror discarded on the floor.
She found Jane outside, sat on the steps that she had stood frozen on only thirty minutes ago. Her shoulders were slumped and she had buried her face in her hands. She was silent, but violent tremors that shook the body of her friend told Maura that Jane was crying. Maura couldn't remember Jane ever looking as small as she did now. The damage was obvious, and Maura didn't know how much more the detective could take. Maura couldn't fight the anger that rose within her. Someone was toying with Jane and was succeeding. Jane was far from the proud, stubborn detective that she knew and loved, and Maura vowed to do everything she could to find the bastard who had shattered Jane in such a cruel way.
Sitting down beside the taller woman, Maura was silent for a moment before speaking. "Jane, don't do this. You're blaming yourself, I can see it in your eyes. This wasn't your fault. You did not kill them, so don't you dare tell yourself you had something to do with this. Jane, look at me."
But Jane couldn't. She couldn't look at Maura and see the blame flickering in those hazel eyes. She knew it was there, regardless of what Maura had said. There was no place for the knowledge that Maura couldn't lie in her guilt-torn mind. She couldn't look at Maura, so she stared steadfastly at the ground instead.
"They died because someone wants to hurt me, Maura. It is because I am the target, and because they were close to me that those two wonderful people lost their lives. How can you sit there and say I played no part in their deaths?"
Maura reached out to take Jane's hands in her own, but the detective jerked away from her and stood up, putting distance between them as she escaped down the remaining steps. Jane glanced in the direction of her friend but Maura couldn't keep the hurt from her face, and Jane couldn't stand to look at the tears that had escaped down the M.E's cheeks.
"They died because of me, Maura. And this isn't over. You read the note. Someone's playing with me by messing with those I love. Who else has to get hurt because of me?"
And with utter dejection evident in every step Jane walked away, leaving Maura sat on the steps of the precinct, Frost's final words still crumpled in the fist of the detective.
Maura was sat at her desk in her office, laptop open but ignored. It had been hours since Korsak had shown the note that had caused Jane to run off, the sky outside now dark. She hadn't chased after the detective. She knew should have, but it was clear that Jane wanted to be alone and the other woman's rejection ad stung her more than she cared to admit. In all the time that she had known Jane, Maura couldn't remember a single moment when the taller woman had avoided her comfort and touch. Even during the times when Jane was deeply hurting and shirked away from the attention of everyone else, she had never pushed Maura away.
Lost in her thoughts, Maura hadn't heard Korsak coming, nor had she realised that she was crying. Hastily wiping at her eyes, she stood and greeted the man who had become a very dear friend to her.
"Hey Doc, you managed to get in touch with Jane yet?"
Maura shook her head. She had sent several texts and left countless voicemails, none of which had been replied to by the dark haired detective. Maura may have been hurt by Jane's rejection, but that didn't stop the worry that clenched at her heart.
Korsak sighed and continued, "Me neither. Any luck on those photos and the note?"
Maura dropped back into her chair and looked at the results that had sat on her computer screen for the last half an hour. "Results came back a while ago. No prints on any, and there is nothing extraordinary about the paper and ink used."
Korsak took a seat on the sofa, grateful for the softness. The long hours standing, and sitting upright in the chair behind his desk had been unkind to his ageing bones. That was not the news he wanted to hear. "We're back to square one then until the footage from those CCTV cameras comes in."
Maura furrowed her brows in confusion. "I thought that Frost had found a location on Kate's ex? Is that not a lead?"
Korsak let his head drop. "Negative. I made a call to the police department of the city he lived in, in an attempt to get any information on him until we can make sure it's safe enough to drive up there. The bastard could still be hanging around there for all we know."
Maura remained silent as she tried to ignore the bile rising in her throat. She tried not to think that the person who had ripped out such a big whole in their world was still out there, waiting for them to make their next move. Korsak continued in her silence, "he's dead, Maura. Same as the father."
Maura wasn't sure how much more she could take. It's just one dead end after another. How much more disappointment and hurt are we going to have to endure?
A silence had settled over the two when Maura suddenly whipped her head up in panic. The sharp movement had caught Korsak's eye and the sheer terror in the woman's gaze made his own blood turn cold. "What is it, Maura?"
"Korsak this person has killed four people, one of them a detective. They're dangerous and out for Jane… And we don't know where Jane is! Korsak, we need to find her! We need to make sure she's safe!"
Maura was starting to panic, but Korsak knew she was right. "Maura, listen to me. You need to try and calm down. I'll go out and try to find her." Seeing Maura grabbing her coat and keys, he moved to intercept her. "No Maura you need to stay here. You know what the note said. Whoever is doing this is using the people Jane loves to get to her. We need to protect those around her just as much as Jane herself, and I have a gun. I stand more chance out there than you do. You need to try and get in touch with her. Keep trying her phone." And with that he was out the door and gone, an urgency in his step, and Maura was alone in her office.
Fighting hard against tears, Maura forced herself into action. She dialled Jane's number again and again, and every time she was put through to voicemail. I can't just sit here and do nothing. Jane is missing and in danger. Why didn't you go after her earlier! You're supposed to be her best friend!
And so resolute in her decision, Maura grabbed her keys and ran as fast as she could down to the underground parking, with every intention of finding Jane.
Only she never made it to her car.
She was mere inches from the door to her Prius when pain exploded in her head, and the world went black.
