A/N: I'm so, so sorry for the wait, guys! Real life got in the way, big time. I'm working twice as hard at getting the next chapter up already!

Speaking of the next chapter, I know y'all are dying to see Jane and Maura speak for the first time since the shooting, and we will be seeing that next update! However, I should warn you: it's not going to be easy for either of them. This isn't a ripping-the-bandaid kind of situation; it's more of a…cutting-the-stitches event. It will take a little time and a lot of talking for them to get back to a good place, but I can tell you know, a few ground-breaking things will be said in chapter 11. Anxious? I know I am! Please review, let me know how I'm doing!

bigbiz 2009: Oh, don't hate Maura too much! She's coming to talk to Jane as we speak!

Happy reading, all!

"So I forgot to ask you before…" Jane started, reaching out to catch the tennis ball as it bounced towards her. "What am I doing here, exactly? Well, not in prison. I mean, I know why I'm here, just not why I'm—" she stepped to the side to avoid being hit by the ball rebounding—"here here."

"Yeah, we were wondering why you didn't ask before," Benji replied. He caught the ball and glanced at her curiously. "It was the first thing Lydia said to any of us."

It was Saturday afternoon. Jane had talked herself into participating in wallball during yard time, telling herself it was good exercise and an acceptable change of scenery. She had met her fellow inmates at dinner on Monday and had to admit, she didn't hate any of them yet. There were Paul and Trevor, both in their twenties, arrested the same day for second offense reckless driving. Simon, a tall man who looked like he should be wearing a suit and tie, was halfway through his sentence for money laundering. The three of them had formed sort of an odd bond over time and were quite enthusiastically trying to knock each other out of the game.

"Lydia?" Jane puzzled as she stretched upwards to make an impressive catch. "Who's Lydia?"

Leon, about Jane's age and stocky, incarcerated for credit card theft, was the one who replied. "You know how people are, here in Mass, always looking for the next big change? Well, they're experimenting with prison integration, one person at a time. Lydia was the first girl they had go through here. Left about two months ago."

"What was she in for?"

"Never found out. Unsociable as they come." He bounced the ball hard off the wall and it hit Trevor, who lunged forward as Paul and Simon scrambled to knock him out.

"Oh." Jane fell silent, thinking. Benji glanced over at her. He didn't look as old as he sounded—age had done him well. Keeping up with the others when it came to their daily game was never a problem for him. He continued to keep one eye on the ball as he pondered his next statement.

"So, Detective…you've asked all of us what we're here for…why don't you tell us what got you into this position?"

Jane looked up, confusion covering up the anxiety in her eyes. "You never told me what you did, Benji."

Benji smiled humorlessly and snagged the ball when it came towards him. "Contempt of court," he replied, and tossed it away. "My daughter-in-law was going on trial for second-degree murder."

Holy…wow. Jane's eyes went wide. "What happened?" she asked before she could stop herself.

With a shake of his head, Benji continued. "Nah, I don't really wanna talk about it. Point is, about a week before the trial, I told them I wasn't going to testify. Stood firm straight through the two-day allowance—not that I had much time to change my mind—and here I am, about a quarter way through my sentence."

Slightly stunned, Jane blinked a few times before responding. "Wow, um…did she get off, or was she convicted?"

Benji laughed. "Oh, she's locked up somewhere, for sure. She was going away with or without my help. It's the principle of the thing, though, y'know?"

Yeah…yeah, I guess is…

A thought started to grow inside of Jane. A year in prison…that's a heavy price to pay for a lost cause…She pressed her fingers to her forehead and stepped to the side, hoping to avoid the tennis ball. Benji made the same decision I did. He refused to testify because he was close to the case, but the outcome was meant to be. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. Maura aside…was this an extremely stupid decision?

"Detective?"

Jane came back to reality with a jerk and her mouth started moving on its own. "Yeah, how I got here…" She ran a hand over her neck. "Well, I'm not a detective anymore, and…um…well, long story short—my best friend is the biological daughter of an Irish mob boss. He showed up during one of our entrapment assignments, and I took him down after he shot a federal agent. My friend—er…Maura's her name—hasn't spoken to me since, and once we got word that her father was going to recover fully, I told my commander I couldn't testify against him in court." Bobbing her head, Jane quickly ran over the list of events she had just rattled off. "Yep, that's basically it."

It was suddenly very quiet in the enclosure. Jane looked around and realized that all five men were looking at her with different degrees of astonishment. She felt her stomach squeeze and took a small step back. "What?"

Benji shook his head. "It's just…unbelievable, that's all. Did you lose your badge?"

Jane nodded slowly. "Hence why I keep telling you I'm not a detective anymore."

"Of course."

There was another pause, and then Simon spoke up. "You're here because of your best friend?"

"No!" Jane replied quickly, holding a hand up. "I'm here for my best friend. Well…not for Maura, exactly, it's just…" Realizing she was at a loss for words, she waved her hand dismissively. "You know what, never mind. The point is I made a really, really bad decision, and here I am, accepting the consequences."

"Detective?"

Biting her lip, Jane swung around to face the open door. "Steve. Please. Stop calling me 'Detective'."

He ignored her and continued. "Somebody's here to see you."

What? "Really? Who?"

Steve shrugged. "I dunno, but they asked for you by your full title, Detective."

Detective. Frost, or Korsak, maybe? "Man or woman?" she asked curiously as she approached the door, slightly perplexed.

Steve pulled his head inside the cell block and, through the glass, Jane saw him repeat her question to a second guard. The guard seemed to take his time answering, and she was already a little impatient when Steve looked back out.

"Woman. Real pretty, he said. Blond, kinda short, dressed real nice? You know her?"

Using the phrase "scared to death" to describe how Jane felt at that moment would be a dramatic understatement. She suddenly understood what people meant when they say they saw their lives flash before their eyes. Features frozen, she spun around to face her fellow inmates, and opened and closed her mouth a couple times before the words finally came.

"Oh my God," she choked out. "It's Maura."