N: I know it's been a minute! I have the usual excuses, life, work and whatnot keeping me busy. But here's a short chapter! I have a short week coming up due to the holiday, so i'll maybe have another update in a week. Read on an enjoy!

Maura

"Jane? What do you mean?" My heart sank at the sight of Jane hunched over the counter. I moved to her side.

She held up a hand. "Something happened at the bakery." She dropped her hand, her eyes still closed. Her brow was furrowed in deep thought, or pain. She opened her eyes, glancing my way. "Crown was there. He knows where you live. He knows who I am, and he's really good at getting into my head."

gasped. "Crown? Crown was where?" My heart skipped. "How do you know it was him?" I had a sinking suspicion Jane had read the files Frost sent over. Sending more knots twisting into my stomach.

"I slipped out to the bakery while you were still asleep. I wanted to do something nice for you, get you some pastries and coffee." Jane straightened up, flexing her right hand. "I walked to the bakery. It was crowded and next thing I know, this creep is telling me how much you love hazelnut croissants and love fixing up the broken people in your life." Her jaw clenched. "He said you'll grow bored of me after I'm healed and realize you don't need me. When you do, you'll be free to be his playmate once again." She let out a slow breath. "He's just like Hoyt."

I watched her hand tremble ever so slightly. Crown has sunk deep into her mind. A mind fractured by another mad man desperate to control her. She was being manipulated at her weakest, using the one thing she found safety in against her. Me. "Jane. That's not at all true. I won't grow bored with you. I don't need to fix anything about you. Your team at the hospital did an outstanding job with your injuries. I also don't see anything wrong with you." I covered her hand with mine. "You're perfect."

Jane slid her hand out from under mine, tucking it under her arm. "Hardly." She kept her focus on the TV across the living room. "I know I'm not on the case. I'm not even allowed back on duty for another four weeks." She glanced at me. "I read the files Frost sent you. What does he ultimately want from you?"

The way Jane asked the question left me worried what she was going to do. I shrugged. "He's never made it clear. He just likes me alone. He doesn't seem to want me in a romantic capacity, or keep me as a strange forced companion. Once I'm alone and miserable, he disappears. I believe he kills knowing I will become obsessed with work and my personal life will suffer. In time everyone close to me moves away because of my obsession with work." I began to pace behind Jane. "We've never sat down and had a lengthy conversation about his intentions with me."

"You said if you're alone, he leaves you be?" Jane furrowed her brow. "The killing stops and he just floats into the wind?"

I nodded, sucking in a breath. "Yes. But I'm not going to end what we have, Jane. I love you. I've found you and I'm willing to fight Crown to keep you in my life. So please don't suggest you moving in with your brother or Frost and putting us on hold." I stepped closer to her, laying a hand on her arm. "Please, Jane." I waited until she met my eyes. "I love you. Broken or whole, I love you."

Jane sighed, leaning forward to rest her forehead against mine. "I love you too, Maura. So much I would never suggest breaking this up for real. But it gives me an idea." She pressed a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth. "The one thing I learned from Hoyt was the mind is a powerful weapon. He was a master of manipulation. I picked up a few things from him as I chased him." Jane's eyes dropped to the fading bruise on my jaw. "I'll be so happy when that's gone." She drew her fingers along the edge.

I grabbed her hand in mine. "Jane, it'll be a long distant memory in about three weeks when the capillaries have recovered, and the blood has been reabsorbed into my body." I sighed. "You have a plan, don't you? Your eyes spark ever so slightly when you're formulating a plan."

Jane smirked, kissing me once more. "I do." She walked to the fridge, grabbing a slice of cold pizza. "If the files are correct, Crown will be leaving you a body tomorrow or the day after. I noticed the pattern in the files. He likes to drop a body in your lap every two days, knowing it takes you about that long to process it on your end. When he leaves you another one, you and I are going to have an intense fight about how work is getting in the way of our relationship. I'll seek lodging at Frankie's and you'll be left alone."

I frowned, shaking my head. "I don't know, Jane." It hurt to think about losing Jane, fake or not.

"You said when Quinn left you, Crown met with you. I think he's becoming more invested in you, and if he's growing the balls to come and stalk me at the local bakery. He's going to want to talk to you after I leave. The way he looked at me, he knows there is a stronger connection between us than all of the rest before me." Jane chewed on the pizza. Her eyes growing brighter as her plan formed. "We play him, bring him into our trap and catch him. It's how Hoyt caught me." Jane's face fell as she looked at her right hand.

I sighed. "Fine. I'll go along with this silly plan of yours. But if he doesn't bite, I want you back here immediately. Next to me where you belong." I walked over, slipping my arms around her waist. "Promise me."

Jane pulled me tighter in her arms. "It's the only place I belong."

XXX

Jane

Maura and I had three more days together before she was called in the middle of the night.

She rolled out of my arms, grabbing her cell phone as she sat up. "Isles." I could hear Frost in the background, giving Maura the details of the crime and scene and where to go. She slid out of the bed and I sighed at the sight of her bare back. We never bothered with clothes after showering together when I grew bored with her choice of movies, and my hands found their way under shirt.

I pushed to sit up in the bed, yawning. It was almost three in the morning and my gut already told me what would be waiting for Maura. I looked at her when she walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later, dressed in dark jeans and a loose blouse. "What is it?"

Maura kept her head down as she walked into her closet. "There's a body at the airport in the abandoned terminals. Frost has identified it as a low level drug dealer the homicide unit has been looking for over the last few months." She walked out, slipping on a pair of dark blue heels. "It's Crown. He left me another note." She let out a huge sigh, fidgeting with her watch. "Does this mean what I think it does?"

I nodded, rolling out of bed. "I'll be at the scene an hour after you get there. I'll be waiting by the van to meet you. We'll fight and I'll storm off with Frost." I bent down to collect my sweatpants. "He's the only one in on this, everyone else will be caught off guard. Since we've been hiding away this week, no one will be suspicious. They'll all think I'm losing my mind being cooped up and jealous of you being able to work." I grabbed my shirt. "Just remember your part of the script. If we pull it off, I expect Crown to pay you a visit in the next day or so."

Maura nodded. "Okay." She stared at me for a minute, pressing her hand against her chest. "I don't like the way this feels."

I moved closer, giving her one last hug. "It's not real, Maura. Keep telling yourself that. It's going to hurt me as much as it hurts you, but it's all fake. I'll do most of the talking since you have that weird superpower of the inability to lie." I ran my hands through her hair. "I love you. That is the one thing that will never change."

Maura sighed. "I know." She slipped out of my arms, reaching for her bag. "I should go."

I watched her leave the room and swallowed hard. This was going to suck, and suck hard.

I wobbled onto the scene, leaving the cane at home for this adventure. I waved at Frost and Korsak standing behind the yellow tape. Frost nodded and ran over. "Jane, you know you can't be here. You're still on leave and Cavanaugh would have your ass if he knew." He met my eyes, silently communicating he was ready for the plan to start. "How did you get here?"

I almost smiled hearing the stupid code phrase we agreed on. "I took a cab." I leaned to look over his shoulder. "Is Maura here? I can't get a hold of her."

"She's with the body. Working." He dropped his hands to his hips. "I'll get a uniform to take you home, Jane." He went to reach for me when I stepped back.

"Let me talk to her. She left the house without a note. I'm worried." I frowned, leaning to the right to get a better look at the scene. I caught a glimpse of Maura's back before a tech lifted the tarp covering the body. "Please, Frost. I see her." I took a step forward, Frost's hand landing square on my chest to hold me back.

"Jane, go home."

"Tell her I'll be over at the van. I need to talk to her. This week off? Yeah, it was bullshit. The woman has been working non stop in her office." I shook my head. "She's working real hard on keeping her Queen of the dead reputation intact." I turned, wobbling over to the crime scene vans. Slumping against one, shaking my head in defeat. Frost huffed, grumbling under his breath he'd tell Maura I was waiting.

Fifteen minutes later Maura strode over, bags of evidence in her hand. She caught my eyes and frowned. "Jane, you shouldn't be here."

I chuckled, shaking my head as she brushed past me to open the back door of the van. "You left without a note again. You know how much that freaks me out. Waking up alone in a cold bed." I leaned against the door. "You promised me. You promised me you were taking the week off to be with me. Instead you've lived in your office, pouring over files about this Crown. And now I wake up to hear you slipping out the back door. No note. Nothing." My voice was raising with every word. "Why are you so obsessed with him? With work?"

Maura tipped her head down. "You should be the one talking, Jane. You can barely manage to go a day without calling your partners. Asking them to bring over a case or two for you to look at." She clenched her jaw. "You're equally as obsessed." She turned ever so slightly, glancing at my right hand. "At least I know when to disconnect before it becomes too dangerous."

I smiled internally at how good Maura was doing, that last comment and look stung a bit. "You know, people warned me about you. Your ex ranted and raved about how cold you are. You prefer your work over reality." I sucked in a breath. "And maybe that creep in the bakery was right. You're only with me to put the pieces back together. You've become distant ever since I ditched the cane and started moving. Worse since this morning since I got the green light for desk duty next week." I shook my head. "I'm starting to think this isn't worth it."

Maura spun around, her eyes wide. "What do you mean, Jane? What's not worth it?" She squared her shoulders. "Sitting at home and watching you stumble around? Angry at me and the world? All because you decided to lose yourself in your own work?" She shrugged. "They all told me to be careful around you. Jane Rizzoli is a gruff woman who will burn you faster than you can blink if you step on her toes." She motioned to the fading bruise on her jaw. "I have the burns to prove it." She looked away, squinting. "You're just like the others. You don't understand my work is important to me." Maura swallowed hard, her hand falling to her neck. "You're selfish, Jane."

I shook my head, cutting her off before she had to lie even more. "Yeah, I'm just like the others." I dug in my pocket and pulled out her house key. I grabbed her hand, shoving the key into her palm. "I'm out. I wished I could say it was fun, Maura. But you're more trouble than you're worth. Enjoy your dead bodies and silence." I stepped away from her. Her warmth was whittling away my will to keep up this ruse. "Just throw my things out, I don't want anything to remind me of you." I waved at Frost to call me a ride. "If we see each other at work, I'll keep it professional and icy." I glanced up and caught Maura's eyes filling with tears. I had to look away before the sight shattered my heart, and wobbled over to Frost.

He grabbed my elbow. "You could've waited to duke it out with the doc. I think everyone here heard your fight." He shook his head. "How many times did you tell me dipping in the company ink was a bad idea?"

I grimaced. "Whatever. Just call Frankie and tell him I'm coming over." I waved over my shoulder. "I'm an idiot for thinking she was worth it." I swallowed hard at my own words. Hating the way they tasted in my mouth. I felt Frost squeeze my elbow to try and calm me down.

I took one last look over my shoulder. Maura was leaning against the van door, her hand over her mouth as she sobbed silently. I bit the inside of my mouth and turned away, whispering to Frost. "Jesus, I hope this works. I think I broke her heart for real, Frost." I looked at him, my own eyes filling with tears.

"We just have to wait and see, Jane." He smiled tightly, squeezing my arm once more before handing me off to a uniform. "The ball is in his court now."

I nodded, reaching for the passenger side door. "Please keep an eye on her? For me?" I sniffled. "I love her so much." I rasped the words out under my breath.

Frost winked at me. "Get out of here. Go home before I report you, Rizzoli." He walked away before I could reply. Leaving me to climb into the uncomfortable seat of the patrol car, barely looking at the eager rookie in the driver's seat.

I closed my eyes. "Take me to 1643 Aventura lane. And radio Frankie I'm on my way to sleep on his couch."

The rookie stumbled over his own words and backed the car up. I opened my eyes in time to see Maura storming over to her car. Frost behind her, trying to keep up. Maura spun on her heels and even though I couldn't hear what she was saying, the look on Frost's face told me everything.

I'd done a great job breaking up with Maura and in the process I might have really broken her heart.