Rating: NC-17 for content, not smut. Rape is mentioned. Not in great detail, but it's mentioned. It's not graphic at all but I'm still rating it NC-17. Please give it a chance.

Chapter 36

Reese Hicks's Home – Wednesday at 9:15 a.m.

I hate traffic. Took us long enough to get here. As I knock on the door, Korsak says, "He's probably at work."

"Well, we have to start somewhere," I say as I knock harder. Then, to my surprise, the door opens. Korsak and I immediately unholster our weapons and count to three and make an entrance.

I clear the kitchen, closets, and Korsak goes into the living room. Once I yell clear, Korsak does the same and calls out, "You better call Maura's team."

When I walk into the living room, I can see why. The fucking Apprentices' have struck again.

R&I

"Will you turn on the sirens?" Jane says in frustration. We're stuck in traffic, and Jane is eager to see the Apprentices' new crime scene.

"Detective, we don't have sirens," Armstrong calls back.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting," Jane mumbles as she glares at the gridlock. One thing my love isn't is patient.

I intertwine our hands and whisper, "We're almost there, love."

"Baby, you should have stayed in the Crime Lab. It's not safe," Jane says.

"We already had this discussion, Jane. And if you would have stayed at the Precinct as I suggested, I wouldn't be here either," I point out.

"But," Jane begins to argue, but I interrupt her with, "No buts, Jane. Now, let's concentrate on the task at hand. The faster we process this crime scene, the sooner we can both go back to the Precinct."

"Okay," Jane agrees. She kisses the back of my hand as the S.U.V. arrives at the crime scene.

Mr. Armstrong says as he turns off the ignition, "You two are not to get out until we open the doors. Harvey and I are going to clear the crime scene to make sure it's safe. This is not up for discussion, detective."

"Mr. Grant, Sanders, Dr. Lewis, and I are going to be outside your doors. In case you get any ideas of getting out before we say it's safe," Ms. Martin explains.

Jane rolls her eyes and says, "Fine, get on with it."

Once we are alone, I say, "Love, they're only doing their job."

"I know that. But I can't wait until I can do what I want when I want without an entourage," Jane pouts.

I kiss her cheek and say, "I know. But this isn't going to be forever."

"I hope you're right, baby."

Only a few minutes pass before the door opens. As Jane hops out, she mumbles, "About time."

She waits for me, and we both go into the home together.

I put on my exam gloves and walk to the living room. Jane stops to talk to Korsak, Frankie, Will, Warren, and some officers. Dr. Lewis joins me, and we begin our examination. I look at one victim, and Dr. Lewis looks at the second. He's sitting opposite the first one.

"Well, he died of a precise neck wound, from ear to ear. Exactly like Hoyt killed his victims, and he got shot with a 9mm through both hands," Dr. Lewis says.

"Same here. But this time, the Apprentices' didn't take the second victim. That's odd," I say as I continue to examine the body.

Jane comes in and shows me a picture, "Not really. It's probably because Mr. Hicks is married to Mr. Hendricks here. The male Apprentice isn't bisexual, or he would have completed Hoyt's M.O. to a T."

Dr. Lewis takes a step back and then points to something. I look, and it seems like a piece of a broom. Jane joins Dr. Lewis and says, "We need to photograph it before moving it."

I wave at a team member, and once he photographs it, Jane picks it up. It's covered with what looks like blood and something darker that I don't recognize. Dr. Lewis and Jane exchange a strange look before Jane says, "No, I think they completed most of Hoyt's M.O. without the necrophilia."

"I don't understand," I ask.

"They probably raped Mr. Hendricks with this," Jane says as he holds out the broken broomstick.

I shake my head and disgust and say, "Well, we'll verify that at the lab."

Frankie comes in and says, "There's no force entrance. They let him in."

Korsak joins us and adds, "I just did a fast canvas with all the neighbors on this block and nothing. Nobody saw or heard anything."

"Is the teacup here?" Jane asks.

I look around my victim and quickly locate it. I point to the floor and say, "It's right there, love."

"What about the gun?" Korsak asks.

One of my crime tech's calls out, "It's over here."

Frankie goes to look at the weapon while Jane comes to my side and unhappily says, "Everything looks like it's the fucking Apprentices'"

"I'll verify that when I get them back to the lab," I say as I take their liver temperature to the approximate time of death.

Dr. Lewis calls out, "His time of death was approximately 2 a.m."

"Same here," I say.

Jane goes to my victim and examines his wrists. After a minute, she says, "No sign of ligature marks. This time they used duct tape like Hoyt and left it."

"I think it has to do with the fact the couple wasn't heterosexual," Korsak points out.

Jane sighs and agrees, "You're right."

Frankie calls out, "No serial number. Another ghost gun."

As Dr. Lewis continues to examine her victim, she notices something on his forearm and calls out, "Dr. Isles' come and take a look at this."

I join her, and at first look, it looks like a cigarette burn. I turn to Vince and ask, "Can I borrow your magnifying glass, Detective Korsak?"

"Of course," Korsak says as he hands it to me.

On closer inspection, it doesn't look like a cigarette burn. It looks like something else, but I can't put my finger on it. So I turn to the group and say, "It's not a cigarette burn. It's something else. I'll be able to tell you more once we get them both back at the lab."

Before anyone can say another word, a tall, blonde, young beautiful officer walks into the room. She walks directly to Jane and says, "Here's some coffee for you, Detective. And by the way, I think that suit is gorgeous."

From the look on Jane's face, she didn't expect the coffee or the compliment. Instead, she blushes, and she politely takes the coffee and only says, "Thanks."

Frankie smiles, "Hey Charlie, remember me? We met at a crime scene a few years back."

The officer glances at Frankie and says, "Sorry, I don't remember you." And then turns her gaze back to Jane.

Then Will gets in the act and holds out his hand to the officer, and grins, "Detective William Graham at your service."

The officer shakes his hand and says, "Nice to meet you."

And returns her attention to Jane. Will tries, "How long have you been on the force?"

"Four years in June," The officer says. She answers his question, but she's short and to the point and isn't even giving him her full attention. Instead, her full attention is on Jane, and I'm getting more and more irritated.

Now Warren tries, "Officer Warren Avery, nice to meet you."

She only nods to acknowledged Warren and doesn't say another word. But she asks Jane, "Is there anything you need, detective?"

I think I hate this. I hate the way she's looking at Jane because I have a pretty good idea of what she's thinking. The same things I used to think about which only upsets me more. She's not allowed to have those thoughts about my love. And poor Frankie doesn't look any happier than me.

Jane says, "No, I'm fine." And Jane goes back to analyzing the new crime scene. But, God, she just doesn't see it.

Korsak is looking at the ceiling, and all our shadows are trying not to laugh. Well, I'm not in a laughing mood. The officer still won't take her eyes off Jane. It's pretty damn clear she's attracted to her. Jane takes a step away from her when she catches my eyes. I break the silence when I loudly order, "I'm done here. Take them to the lab."

I quickly take off my gloves and purposely walk over to Jane. I give her a soft kiss and say as I glare at the officer, "I'll call you when I'm ready to start the autopsy, love."

From the look on her face, someone just threw a cold bucket over her head. Then, without a word, she walks out. Mission accomplished. Jane smirks and says, "You didn't have to scare that poor officer. She was only trying to be nice."

"If the officer were trying to be nice, she would have brought us all coffee. And I wasn't trying to scare her; I was trying to make a point," I calmly explain.

"And what was that?"

I get close enough to whisper in her ear, "Mine."

When I pull away, I'm pleased to see that Jane's eyes have gotten a shade darker, and her cheeks have the loveliest shade. After a minute, she says, "It wasn't like that, Maur."

My response is only to point at her coffee cup. When she looks, she blushes more. The brash officer wrote her phone number on the cup. I only smile and say, "Dr. Lewis and I will go back to the lab. You finish up here. Again, I'll call you when we are ready to start the autopsy, love."

Jane nods, and I walk out with half of our shadows. Jane doesn't understand that she's gorgeous and attracts attention. People can look all they want but no touch and throwing themselves at my love. I never thought of myself as the jealous type, but this is a new relationship, and I'm very protective of my love.

And more to the point, she's mine.

R&I

As I climb into the S.U.V., Frankie joins me and says, "You know this is now getting pretty ridiculous, right?"

I frown and ask, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Now it turns out that you are hotter in a suit than me. You're turning out to be a hundred times better with women than me, Jane. How is that possible?" Frankie pouts as he crosses his arms like a little boy.

"Oh, shut up, Frankie. What do you want me to do?"

"Her name is Charlie, Jane. And if you didn't notice, she's fucking hot. I met her at a crime scene a few years back. But, unfortunately, Charlie didn't give me the time of day. And she didn't even remember meeting me before," Frankie grumbles.

"Frankie, you're engaged, and I'm in a serious relationship. I have no interest in anybody else but Maura. And you can't blame her. You met her years ago, and you only met her once. So it's not weird that she doesn't remember you. Don't take it personally," I say as I shake my head.

"Warren and Will are pretty pissed too. Charlie couldn't take her eyes off you, Jane," Frankie announces.

"I could care less if those two idiots are pissed off at me for something stupid. It's not my fault she didn't pay them any attention," I argue.

"That isn't the point, Jane. The point is that she took one look at you, and you had her drooling," Frankie points out.

"No, she wasn't."

"Oh yes, she was, and the detective got her number without trying. While Detective Graham and Officer Avery were green with envy," Armstrong happily interjects from the driver seat.

"You're not helping, Mr. Armstrong," I mumble. I don't understand why I'm having this conversation.

"You can't blame her, detective. You look amazing in that suit. At least the officer took the hint and made her exit," Ms. Martin adds.

"At least she has connected brain cells, unlike Will," Frankie adds.

I don't like this, so I ask Mr. Armstrong, "Has Graham been bothering Maura again?"

"Not that I know of, but you might want to ask Harvey," Mr. Armstrong says.

I look at Frankie and order, "Alright, little brother, spill. What aren't you telling me?"

Frankie sighs and says, "Remember when the flower arrangement was ruined, and Maura worked from the conference room?"

"Yeah."

"That day after lunch, I ran into Will on the elevator. He had bought Maura some cheap pharmacy flowers to make her feel better," Frankie explains.

"That son of a bitch. What doesn't he fucking understand? Maura is my girlfriend. Mine." I say in frustration. He's starting to piss me off. Time to have a chat with Maura's shadows again. I want to know if Will comes anywhere near her, and I want to see if he's still pursuing her. My patience is almost gone.

"The same thing Dean doesn't understand. The word no," Mr. Armstrong says.

"Well, we're going to have to teach them the meaning of the word, aren't we?" I answer seriously. I'm going to teach these fucking idiots that when a woman says no, it fucking means no.

"Yes, ma'am," Both Martin and Armstrong answer.

"Jane, it isn't going to come to that," Frankie says.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I told Will that if he doesn't stop pursuing Maura, I was going to break his face," Frankie blushes. Sometimes Frankie can be very sweet.

I kiss his cheek and say, "Thank you, Frankie. You can be very sweet when you try."

Frankie grins, "I wasn't trying to be sweet. I was trying to stop you from getting suspended or fired."

"Instead, you get suspended or fired?" I ask.

Frankie smirks, "They'll have to catch me first. Yes, I'm going to break his face, but it doesn't mean I will do it in the Precinct. Instead, I'll invite him over for a beer or something and then teach him some manners."

"He can still call 911 or report you to Cavanaugh the next day, Frankie," I point out.

"He won't. No guy likes losing a fight, and more importantly, if he reports me, I'll threaten to report him for sexually harassing Maura," Frankie smugly answers.

I can't help but smile. It's a good plan. Thankfully, that's the end of all conversation in the S.U.V. Now I can get my head back in the game.

Maura Isles's Office – Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.

We just finished the first autopsy and are going to take a short break on Jane's insistence. Right now she's arranging our lunch. Technically I'm supposed to be on light duty, but I need to work. I see the doctor next Monday. Hopefully, he'll sign me off, and I'll stop feeling guilty about breaking the news. But in this instance, it's necessary. I need to help them catch Hoyt's Apprentices'.

Even with our equipment, I don't know what made the two marks on the body. But I'm positive that they're not cigarette burns. I'm on my computer trying to figure this out right now, and Dr. Lewis said she wants to show me something. She's talking to Kent, and Ms. Harvey is in my office.

When I look up from my screen, I can't help but notice the way Ms. Harvey looks at Dr. Lewis. I know that look too. From the little interaction I've seen between them, I think it might be mutual. Maybe what I'm seeing is what other people saw between Jane and me. At times, I can be socially awkward, but I think in this instance, I'm right. Maybe if I say something, so it won't take them years to get together.

I gather my courage and say, "Ms. Harvey?"

That got her attention. She turns to me asks, "Do you need something, Dr. Isles?"

I take a deep breath and ask, "Are you open to some unsolicited advice?"

Ms. Harvey smiles and says, "It depends."

"On what?"

"If it's good or bad advice," Ms. Harvey grins.

"You're attracted to Dr. Lewis, correct?" I begin. From the look of surprise on Ms. Harvey's face, this was the last subject she expected I'd bring up.

Ms. Harvey is blushing but answers my question honestly, "Yes."

"May I ask you another question?"

"Sure."

"Why haven't you told her?" I ask. I'm very curious about the answer to my question.

"Look at her; she's not only gorgeous but very accomplished. And then there's the Dean baggage. I don't know if she's even interested in dating, and I highly doubt she'd be interested in someone like me," Ms. Harvey explains.

It's like I'm hearing Jane. Ms. Harvey and Jane are similar in many ways. Both are brave, protective souls, not to mention gorgeous. And even though they don't see it, both are as accomplished as Dr. Lewis and me. For God's sake, Ms. Harvey is a combat engineer, and my love is the best detective in the entire Commonwealth. Dr. Lewis and I couldn't do better.

"Ms. Harvey, I've been watching both of you, and she looks at you the same way you look at her," I say.

Ms. Harvey looks back at Dr. Lewis and says, "That can't be right."

"No, I'm pretty sure I'm right," I smile.

Ms. Harvey is trying to process the information. And I think I know what's the problem, so I say, "Ms. Harvey, you're an accomplished woman in your own right, and Dr. Lewis would be lucky to have you. You served your country, you're a combat engineer, and you're an intelligent, brave woman. Not to mention beautiful."

Ms. Harvey is now blushing even more and only says, "That's very nice of you to say, Dr. Isles."

"It took Jane and me years to come to our senses finally. I'm trying to stop you from making the same mistake we made. Tell her and see what happens. You have nothing to lose," I encourage.

"You think?"

"Yes."

Our conversation ends when we see Dr. Lewis coming our way. When Dr. Lewis joins me, Ms. Harvey leaves to stand guard outside my office with Mr. Sanders, but not before mouthing thank you to me.

My response was to smile. I hope Ms. Harvey takes my advice.

Dr. Lewis draws my attention back when she says, "We found one similar mark on Rebecca Anderson's body. It's in the same place as on our new victims. Dr. Drake and I thought it was a sign of torture, but I'm starting to think that it's something else. Maybe something that's part of their M.O."

"I don't know what it is, but I know it's not a cigarette burn," I say as I study the pictures. I can't remember where I've seen this before, and it's starting to drive me crazy. For all I know, this can crack the case.

"We'll figure it out, Dr. Isles," Dr. Lewis says.

"I hope you're right, and more importantly, I hope we catch them soon," I answer honestly.

"We'll catch the bloody villains," Dr. Lewis reassures me.

I sigh and, out of curiosity, ask, "Is Carrie behaving herself?"

"I think so. When the call came that there was a new Apprentice crime scene, she tried to join the team that was going out. Fortunately, Kent caught her and sent her back to the lab," Dr. Lewis explains.

"Did she try to argue?"

"Not at all."

"Dr. Lewis, would you mind doing me a huge favor?"

"Of course."

"I'd like you to supervise Carrie closely. Make sure her work is up to par, and if it isn't, I want to know immediately," I say.

"I'll be happy to, Dr. Isles," Dr. Lewis says.

"I'll have Kent tell her about the change, and if she gives you any problems, please let me know immediately," I answer.

She nods, and that's when Jane arrives with our lunch. I tell Dr. Lewis, "After lunch, we'll do the 2nd autopsy."

Dr. Lewis nods and heads out of the office. And my love walks in.

R&I

I wish today had been more productive. The facial recognition program was a complete bust because the damn woman walked with her head down. Without a better angle, the program couldn't reconstruct her face. Then the one possible person that could have possibly contributed something to the investigation is found dead.

And I know he could have contributed to the investigation. How do I know? He's dead.

I smile at Dr. Lewis as she walks out, and I grin when I see my baby. I kiss her cheek and say, "Hey beautiful, how's it going?"

She smiles and says, "Textbook Hoyt, except for the rape with the broom. And I'm still trying to figure out what that mark on his forearm is, but I do know it's not a cigarette burn."

As I begin to take the food out of the bags, I say, "You'll figure it out, baby. You always do. I brought you a kale salad from the Dirty Robber. I hope that's okay."

"Thank you, love," Maura says as I hand her salad and water.

I take out my cheeseburger and sweet potato fries. I already know that Maura will eat half of them, and usually, I don't share, but it's always been different with her. For whatever reason, I don't mind.

After I take a bite, I say, "God, I was starving."

"We need to wake up earlier to have breakfast, love. That way, we wouldn't be starving right now," Maura says as she grabs one of my fries.

"Sleep is more important," I answer honestly. Sleep will always come before breakfast. I'd rather eat a donut than lose valuable sleep time.

Maura smiles and shakes her head. God, it feels so good to be back at work with her. It feels like I'm finally home again. I look at my watch and say, "You're only supposed to be working four hours, baby. What if after we finish here, we go home? You need to rest. The doctor hasn't signed off on you yet."

Maura raises an eyebrow and says, "You'd be willing to go home early with me?"

"Sure, they don't exactly need me upstairs. And since I can't go out and interview suspects, I'm not much use," I explain.

"Jane, you're very useful. You might not be able to go out, but you can always have the suspects brought here," Maura says as she reaches for my hand.

"We need for you to finish the 2nd autopsy, and I think I've had enough of Hoyt's fucken Apprentices' for one day," I answer honestly.

"Love, their deaths are not your fault," Maura says as she caresses my knuckles with her thumb.

I try smiling, "I keep saying that to myself."

"You know what? I've had enough of the Apprentices' too. So when we finish here, let's get out of here. Will the lieutenant have a problem with you leaving early?" Maura says.

"No, baby. You and I are on the same work schedule until this nightmare comes to an end. He understands that we're both safer together. That way, we're surrounded by our shadows 24/7," I explain.

"Love, I'd like to leave Dr. Lewis here so that she and Kent can do the 2nd autopsy," Maura says.

"Well, I don't think that would be a problem," I smile.

"Great, what would you like to do when we get home?" Maura grins.

"Well, you can make room for me in your closet while I shop for RedSox and Patriot jerseys, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and anything else that catches my eye," I grin.

Maura shakes her head, but she's still smiling. So I continue, "And I'm buying a set for you too. You promised you'd go to three RedSox games and three Patriot games with me."

"I thought the Patriots suck now. Your words, not mine," Maura says.

I raise an eyebrow in surprise and test something out, "Why do they suck now?"

"Because the traitor Tom Brady deserted them to go play for Tampa Bay," Maura proudly explains.

I can't help but grin, "You do listen to me."

"Most of the time."

I lean over and kiss her cheek. Suddenly I can't wait to go home.

Hope you enjoyed it. I'd really like to know what you guys thought of it. Thanks for the comments and kudos. And thanks for reading this one.

See you soon!