Please see Ch 1 for disclaimers and warnings…


Frankie pulled in line behind the flashing police cars and put his cruiser into park. He immediately grabbed Jane's arm before she could move to get her seat belt unbuckled. "On a scale from one to shooting Paddy Doyle, how much shit am I going to catch from Maura when she realizes you are not at her house?"

"I'll handle her." Jane unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to open the door, but her brother pulled her back. "Come on Frankie! You promised to take me back to her place when we were done interrogating the sister. We never promised anything about running right home."

"Not so fast." He tightened his grip. "I said I'd take you with me. I never said I was letting you out of the car."

"What the fuck, Frankie?" Jane tugged, but Frankie merely raised his eyebrows.

"Did you or did you not steal half my coffee to swallow a pain pill?"

"Not." Jane twisted out of his grip. "Advil. Smartass."

"Smart enough to know you shouldn't be here." Frankie hit the door lock.

Raising one eyebrow Jane swirled a finger around the lock button before she hit it, unlocking her door. "Don't be a dick. I highly doubt there is going to be much danger lurking in a store that sells rosaries and Bibles."

"It was an empty warehouse you ran into not too long ago." Frankie stared at her, not relenting "You might not care if Maura is going to kill you, but I've seen the woman cut open a body. I like my insides where they belong." Jane finally groaned and lifted her hand off the door. He reached over and patted her shoulder. "Perkins is manning the door. If he says it's clear I'll come get you."

Jane watched her brother walk towards Perkins standing under a sign for The Good Word. She craned her neck around trying to figure out who from BPD was there by the cruisers. She couldn't help but notice St. Vincent's across the street and a shiver ran down her spine. Damn dream.

She was about to put the window down to yell at Frankie when her phone chimed with an incoming text. She winced when she read the message and the name, muttering, "What, is she psychic now?" Pursing her lips, Jane tried to come up with a response that wasn't an outright lie.

"I'm fine but we're not at the house yet. Running a quick errand to grab some snacks before going back to your place."

The response was almost instant. Jane bit her lip. Technically, they were at a store. Just not the kind that sold milk. But, there was that little market near Maura's place that they'd pass by on the way back from here. She typed back, "No problem. I'll pick some up."

Frankie rapped on the window by her head. Jane quickly tapped out another text before she opened the door. "See you tonight, checking out now."

As they approached the entrance there was a thin man wrapped up in a wool coat pacing back and forth. "That the owner?"

Frankie shook his head. "Nope, he's a lawyer for the church across the street I think. Was sent over here as a favor or something until the owner's lawyer gets here, but the owner kicked him out."

"Weird." Jane turned around and stared up the block at the imposing church that had featured so much in her life lately. "St. Vincent's has a lawyer that can come at a moment's notice?"

Frankie just shrugged and Jane looked between the church and the Catholic gift store.

Jane checked in with Perkins and walked into the store. She stopped and looked over the space. Slowly she walked around, noting the Bibles and crosses. She walked up to a glass case and pointed inside. "Remember when Tia got me that Infant of Prague statue for my First Communion?"

Frankie laughed. "Ma didn't live down the scandal for an entire year when you changed the vestments to a mini Red Sox shirt over Lent."

"I had to sit down and talk to Father Passeri every Saturday for a month." Walking towards the back she started to pass the checkout counter when she spotted the angel statue on the back counter, tucked in a corner.

Jane stopped, reached into her blazer pocket and came up empty. "Shit, Frank, do you have any gloves on you?"

He grinned at her and pulled out a pair. "Finally, I get one up on you." He held them above her head when she went to take them. "Beer is on you next time at the Robber."

Jane rolled up on her toes to snatch them out of his hands. "I don't have time for this. Vice should have found this the second they walked in her." The minute she pulled the second glove on she picked up the statue. Empty. She ran a finger along the inside, through the small hole on the bottom. Clean.

She scanned the store but didn't see another like the angel in her hand. Jane examined the figure again. It looked similar to the ones they'd found in the sister's place, but there was only one way to be certain and she was fucking tired of not being certain.

She spun around and pointed the statue at Frankie. "Damn it, where is everyone? I need to talk to the owner!"

"Jane! Calm down. I was in the car with you, not like I know where he is either." Frankie backed up a step. "Probably in the back with Martinez's crew."

She burst into the back office. Martinez startled and turned around to look at her. The bald guy sitting across from him jumped, holding his hands out, cuffs locked in place. She marched up to him and leaned down, placing the angel statue in front of him. "Where in the hell are the angel statues like this one?"

The guy was looking at her, breathing hard. "You don't understand." He looked at Martinez. "You both don't understand. All I wanted was for my store to be left alone."

"Well make Lieutenant Martinez understand. But as for me…" Jane leaned in a little closer. "Do yourself a favor. Where are they?"

The guy looked like he was going to cry or throw up, possibly both. "The cleaning supply closet, in the toilet paper box." He buried his face in his hands. "My family has had this place for 63 years. Taxes skyrocketed, the recession, and then the Catholic church scandal…"

Martinez grinned up at her before turning back to the suspect. Jane brushed past him and grabbed her brother. "I need to find the cleaning supply closet." She stormed through the back, passing the stock room where Martinez's detectives were combing through the supplies.

She yanked open the first door. Nothing but a bathroom. The next one held the electrical panel and security system.

The third room was small and dark. Jane flipped on the light and made her way into the cramped space. The mop and bucket she rolled towards Frankie. She scanned the boxes. Pulled down the first box with pictures of toilet paper on it, ripped the tape off and found only rolls of tissue in it. The next was the same thing. She started moving boxes off of shelves.

Bending up and down and pulling boxes off shelves made her head throb and her stomach rolled. Jane paused, breathing deeply until it passed.

Frankie was immediately at her back. "You don't look so good."

Jane closed her eyes and swallowed back bile. "I'm fine." She breathed in and exhaled slowly. "I just need a minute. Tell me, are there any other boxes of toilet tissue or paper towels?"

She could hear Frankie moving around and checking boxes. Jane heard the hollow thunk of plastic hitting the ground and carefully opened her eyes. Frankie was standing on an upturned white utility bucket.

"I'm going to make you happy. Smaller box of toilet tissue up here, way behind the paper towels." Frankie stood up on his toes, leaning over and carefully trying to maneuver the box off the top shelf. "Heavier than it should be."

Jane could see it coming a second before it happened, Frankie's foot slipped forward on the plastic surface, the bucket started to tip and he let go of the box trying to stop his fall.

Without thinking she leapt forward right as Maura's voice rang out from behind her.

"Don't!"

Maura's shoulder hit her side and Jane felt her leg slide out from under her sending them both hurtling to the floor, narrowly avoiding the heavy box as it crashed to the floor.

Jane barely had time to shove Maura off of her, as she leapt to her feet, hand over her mouth, and sprinted towards the bathroom.

Heaving the contents of her stomach into the toilet, Jane coughed and braced shakily against the toilet, almost afraid to lift her head. She heard Maura's heels behind her and then the sink turn on. The cool, damp, paper towels against her neck were a welcome relief.

Maura didn't say anything but Jane felt her muscles relax as she ran her hand up and down her back.

When she was positive she wasn't going to throw up again, Jane cautiously raised her head and stood up, immediately missing Maura's touch as her hand dropped away. "Thanks. For right now and for saving my ass back there."

Maura bent over and pick up the dislodged paper towels, walking over to the trash and throwing them away. "It wasn't your ass I was scared for. That box almost hit your head."

"I didn't realize. I wasn't…" Jane hesitated. "…really thinking. I saw Frankie and the box, and I didn't…"

Maura nodded. "I know. You reacted."

Jane flushed the toilet and stepped back to lean against the wall.

Maura turned to face her. "You promised me you'd go home with Frankie. There's a reason the medical profession recommends you limit activity for a few weeks following a concussion. You need time to heal. You risk causing further injury or worse, permanent damage, if you cause additional trauma."

"I'm sorry." Jane knew the words were not enough. The dull thud in her head told her that what Maura was saying was true.

"Don't apologize to me, we both know you'll do it again." Maura seemed intent on scrutinizing every inch of her and Jane dug a thumb into the scar tissue on her palm when Maura took another step towards her. "But something like this is exactly why I came over here."

"How did you figure out where I was?" Jane narrowed her eyes at the bathroom doorway. "Did Frankie call you?"

"Leave your poor brother alone." Maura grabbed her elbow tightly and held it until Jane looked back at her. "I asked Vince how the interrogation went."

"Korsak didn't know I was coming here." Jane didn't know if she wanted Maura closer or further away.

Maura crossed one arm over the other and stared at her. "He was standing right beside you during that interrogation. The minute Rosa Alvarez signed that statement he knew you'd never be able to stay away." She raised an eyebrow. "Jane, as complex as you are, you are decidedly predictable about certain things."

"But how did you get here so fast?" Jane couldn't decide if she liked that Maura knew her that well or hated that Maura thought she was predictable. "Look if you talked to Korsak you know the only thing the sister said was this was one of the buildings she cleans and she put the owner in touch with her brother. If we don't tie this back to Alvarez better, it'll be too easy for the bastard's lawyer to try to pin this on his sister. He killed his ex and his own daughter but all I have is blurry video of that, he's not getting a chance to get out of this too."

Jane waited but Maura didn't say anything. She reached her hands out, tempted to close the last bit of distance, before letting them drop when Maura didn't move. "You have to understand, I get this case better than any of them. I eat, sleep, and breathe the damn thing. It took me five minutes to spot that angel statue. So yeah, maybe Martinez would have caught it, but what if he didn't? What if he didn't find it right away and we didn't get it out of the owner?"

Jane could see warring emotions filtering over Maura's features. Maura sighed. "You think I don't understand why you're here? Jane, it's the same reason I'm trying to oversee the evidence processing. I trust my people better than anyone else."

Maura was drumming the fingers of one hand against her bicep. "As far as why I was here as quickly as I was, I went upstairs to drop the thumb drives off with Nina when I spotted Vince at his desk, and you were not at yours. While I'd like to think after last night you'd have gone home with Frankie, I'm not naïve. I was texting you on the way to my car."

"I think that counts as entrapment." Jane took one look at Maura's body language and the rapidly moving fingers. "Or guessing."

"I believe it translates to understanding your quarry." Maura picked her purse up from the floor by the doorway where she had dropped it on the way in. "However, it also means when you said you were stopping by the store on the way home I knew exactly where you were."

Maura grabbed her elbow and Jane almost tripped as she was forcefully dragged to the sink. "We can talk more about this later." She rummaged around in her purse and pulled out a small, clear, vinyl bag. She extracted a collapsible toothbrush and travel-sized toothpaste and offered them over. "Here, why don't you freshen up?"

Jane hesitantly reached out to take the items, picking both out of Maura's hands slowly. The items were so characteristic. Maura was right there, clearly annoyed at her, probably worried, and she was still calmly taking care of her.

Jane looked up from the items in her hand and realized how right Maura had been last night. She was always right there, every step of the way. It was just now she could see it.

Maura sighed, mouth falling at the edges. "You have been intimately acquainted with my mouth over the past 24 hours. I don't believe that the toothbrush should be a problem considering the circumstances."

Jane grabbed Maura's wrist. "No! That's not it." She squeezed the toothbrush, trying to figure out what to say. "Thank you, for taking care of me." The words felt decidedly flat but she turned around quickly and turned the sink on, grateful for the rush of water. She peeled off her gloves and took her time washing and drying her face.

Maybe this was how her wish was going to happen. She did exactly what Maura had been upset about last night and she truly hadn't meant it. Coming here seemed harmless, concussion or not. It was a simple search of a cleared store. It hadn't been a gun or a bridge. But that box came so close.

Jane glanced out of the corner of her eye but that only made her head twinge. She should say something, anything. Instead, she vigorously brushed her teeth.

Almost too scared to turn around Jane swished water around in her mouth, noticing a familiar canister of Febreze. She spat the water out, grabbing the canister and spinning around. Maura's eyes widened as she grabbed her arm. "Look!"

Wide hazel eyes were almost unblinking as Jane held the can up. "Dragonfruit Summer!" Jane sprayed it and the floral scent filled the room. "You said this stuff was discontinued years ago. The sister cleaned here. We need to get people looking for it, I gotta tell the guys."

She went to the door and yelled into the hallway, "Frankie!" He appeared in the doorway and she spotted fresh blood on his shoulder. "You pop a stitch?"

"Yeah, was going to have Maura look at it. Just one though. Might be okay to leave it." Frankie glanced at the red spot. "Worth it, eight more angel statues, only two shattered when I dropped the box. All of them were filled with what looks like coke."

Jane held up the Febreze. "See any of this stuff in there?" He shook his head. "Look for it." When she turned around Maura was crouched under the sink, gloves on, patiently holding up another Febreze canister. "Or I could have have waited a minute and looked under the sink, huh?"

Jane quickly went to take it from her but Maura pulled the canister back. Maura pointed to her hands. "Gloves first this time. But yes, before you ask, this is an altered can. And before you glove up, please grab us an evidence bag from Martinez's team. The ones I have in my purse are not large enough."

Afterwards, Jane would swear she didn't know what it was that made her hold on to the Febreze canister when she walked back towards the storeroom to get a few bags from the guys. She also wasn't sure exactly what made her meet the eyes of the store owner as she passed by the office. Nothing in particular made her halt and stare at him, watching his mouth drop when his eyes landed on the Febreze canister, his chest starting to expand and contract rapidly.

She never said a word, but in a split second Jane knew what was going to happen before it all exploded.

The store owner bolted before Martinez even realized Jane was in the doorway. He plowed through her, heading for the front of the store, sending a curio cabinet flying to the floor, shattering glass over the Infant of Prague.

The noise sent everyone running from out back. From outside Officer Perkins pulled open the door, his gun drawn and the suspect charged forward like an enraged bull, sending the weapon flying off into the store and Perkins onto his ass.

Jane managed to rush by a flailing Perkins, clearing the door, only to watch in slow motion as the city bus squealed, the driver bracing against the steering wheel, barely missing the guy. She ignored her wavering vision as she dashed between parked cars, hearing Martinez call his position right at her back.

Together they were just in time to see the city garbage truck, grinding gears, trying to stop as the right side headlight knocked the guy clear off his feet.

Then there was blaring traffic and pedestrians turned spectator. White tendrils started to float off the blood and body fluids seeping onto the pavement. Jane braced a shaky hand on the garbage truck's grill.

Maura flew past her, yelling orders at the officers to call for an ambulance, at Frankie to grab her kit out of the car, and at Jane to sit down just as her vision started blur.

Jane sat on the ice cold pavement, breathing in opaque bursts, forehead against her knees, listening as Maura's order switched from an ambulance to a coroner's van.

Then Maura was crouching down beside her, fingertips moving swiftly, checking her over before her low voice told her to go home with her brother, get into bed, and she'd find her later.

There was the brief moment of a delicate hand cupping her cheek making Jane look at her. Their gazes entwined tightly. Jane's breath hitched and she shivered before hazel eyes shifted back into professional mode.

Over the parked cars and gathering crowd, the bell tower of St. Vincent's loomed against the grey December sky.


A/N

siDEADde & charlietheCAG – I'd promise not to tweak but then you'd be bored. Thanks ladies :)