That night Maura didn't join her on the deck. The pieces slowly found their places while Jane slowly sipped her beer. Why the boy had connected so quickly to Maura for example. Of course, he would if he knew that it was his sister. And he had ran from Jane because of his experience of being abused. If she were him, she wouldn't trust strangers either she mused.

She wondered who the ice pick killer was and if Brian would tell her. Probably not she thought as another sip of cold beer ran down her throat. Her wife had run, not towards her but away from her and she knew that Maura wouldn't make an appearance tonight. Jane knew that she was hiding in their bedroom and sighed already expecting a night on the couch. It was bad, really, really bad and she hated it.

After emptying her bottle, she slowly stood and walked upstairs to find the door to the master bedroom closed. Brian's was open though and she softly knocked before walking into his room. He sat on his bed; teddy bear tightly against his chest. Jane's heart ached when his tired eyes met hers. She saw the dried tearstains on his cheeks and wondered how much more he could take.

"Scoot over." She softly ordered as she padded to his bed. he did as he was told but let his head hang back between his shoulders. Seeing as to how he had made space for her she dared to carefully slip an arm around his tiny shoulders and in a lack of wisdom she sighed deeply.

She had no idea how long they had sat there but when she heard him speak, she almost jumped. His voice was hoarse from crying.

"Are you going to send me away?" the boy asked, and Jane had to strain her ears to hear his words.

"No!" she shook her head to underline her statement. Then paused. "Do you want to leave us?"

He cocked his head and Jane felt how a ton of thoughts weighed him down. "I want to stay, but I'm afraid that he is going to hurt you too." He whispered and Jane felt her heart skip a beat. Just for the fraction of a second, she panicked before calming down again. "I'm not hurting you like they did." She silently said and brushed a strand of hair out of his face with her free hand. "Why should he kill me?"

"Because you might try to find out who he is." Brian was scared. "I don't want you to die. You are so nice." Fresh tears sprung to his eyes and Jane gently wiped them away with her thumb.

"I'm not going to ask you for his name." Jane whispered, changing subject and watched Brian shake his head. "It would be useless. I don't know his name. I don't even know where he lives. He comes and goes. He always knows where to find me. And I'm with you."

Jane swallowed. The boy had a point. But was she really in danger? Maura for sure wasn't. The man only wanted to protect his kids. Jane asked herself if there where more than Maura and Brian.

She instinctively pulled him closer against her chest and felt his little arms wrap around her tightly. "I don't want to lose you." He said and Jane felt tears stinging her eyes. "I'm going to be careful. I promise." She whispered and Brian nodded. "I will tell him that you are good." Brian stated as he looked up at her.

Was it that way? Had Brian told his father about his abuse and then the man had decided to kill them. "How often do you see him?" she asked, and Brian shrugged. "Its on and off. He says that he has a lot of business to do. Sometimes I see him only every six months, sometimes more often."

Why had he never come to Maura? Jane wondered. "And where do you meet?" she asked to follow the lead. Brian shrugged again. "He always finds me. We meet at different spots. Last time it was at the swing seat of the playground next to the school." Jane cringed. This was more than daring of his father to meet him where they could be spotted. Especially where other parents where on the lookout for strangers anyways.

"And what do you do together?" her voice sounded far steadier than she felt with her racing heart.

"Talk. Most of the time at least. Sometimes we take a walk." Brian said and Jane felt for the first time that the boy feared the man who was a killer. He was scared because he found Jane nice, and he didn't want her to be harmed. He might not have realized it consciously but even as a kid he knew that what his father did was wrong. And he knew that his father was only on and off. But Jane and Maura where there for him. Day by day they fed him, talked to him, tried to make him feel save and comfortable and give him a steady home and a family. He knew that they were the better option if he had to choose. But it was also, that he must really like them. Jane playing with him, Maura watching TV with him or reading him bedtime stories.

She only realized that she had drifted off when she felt his stare at her. "Can you describe him?" she finally asked, daring the leap. Brian was clever she thought. He knew why she wanted to know. And with this question she made him decide between them and his father.

Brian first tried to pull away. She finally let him, thinking that he was going to retrieve from her. But then she saw him pull out a notebook and a pen and how a face slowly materialized on the paper. He glanced away when he handed it to Jane.

He was an excellent drawer and she thought that this could be useful for the police. "Okay." She mumbled. "You know what we are going to do know?" she asked and saw him tilt his head. "We are going to call detective Korsak and tell him what's going on. Maybe he can help us. He has a lot of experience, and he is a friend."

"Your friend is a detective?" Brian asked, still sounding scared but interested.

"Yes." Jane winked at him and pulled out her phone. Her heart was beating fast. She feared ending up like the shirts. She was grateful when Korsak picked up at the second ring. Not wanting to say too much on the phone she asked him to come over. Maybe he had heard the fear in her voice or maybe he was just a good man. Anyways he promised to come by.

Jane lifted from the bed and walked to the door of the master bedroom. This was really going to be hard. Maura clearly was in denial. And Jane doubted that she wanted to hear what she had to say. Brian stayed with her, as if wanting to protect her. He was such a sweet kid and Jane cursed all the people who had ever dared to hurt him in his young life.

After her third knock had gone unresponded she simply opened the door to find Maura's deadly glare at her. "Baby, detective Korsak will be here in ten minutes. I think it would be good if you joined us. We need to talk." She firmly said before closing the door again. Just in time to escape the something that Maura must have thrown hitting the closed door.

She wanted to help her, she wanted to give her time. But there was maybe no time. So, this was the best way Jane knew how to help them all.