Warning: The first and last section of this chapter contain minor graphic depictions of blood/violence and may triggering to some individuals. Please proceed with caution.

A/N: Hello Darlings, I hope you all are well! This next chapter does contain a situation that may make some of you uncomfortable as it contains a medical emergency involving blood. This takes place within the first section of the story about at the beginning of the half way mark, stop reading when Frost goes onto the boat and pick back up after the line separates the story into the second section. Though not nearly as graphic as the first work in this series, I don't want to surprise any of you since this is the first real situation like this in this work. I hope you all enjoy regardless and I will see you with the next update. Much love, -E

Chapter 7

Jane felt her neck tense as the densely populated homes of South Boston bled into the larger, historic estates that lead to the Boston Harbor Yacht Club. The near half an hour drive from headquarters hadn't been bad, but it had given her too much time to think as they hit morning traffic. She had agreed to let Maura do most of the talking to get them into the clubhouse and docks, but that still left her with how to get a good look at inside that boat.

Maura's boat, well Maura's family boat was docked at the other end of the pier next to the club house. Though she was a good enough liar when she needed to be, it would still not look good if Alan West caught three cops and the Medical Examiner sniffing around his unofficial residence without a warrant.

She spared a glance at Maura who sat quietly in the passenger seat taking in the colorful homes that dotted the narrow roadways. This part of town held some of the grander estates in South Boston and she would be hesitant to say she didn't like them herself. Maura's eyes seemed to light up at the sight of the harbor and the mid-morning sailors who were out racing. With the high ponytail, navy-blue pantsuit, and folded tan trench coat she looked ready to join them for an afternoon of cruising.

Jane wondered how people could just be out like that in the middle of the week without a care in the world. It was nearly two weeks into their investigation, and she realized that they hadn't had a true day off since the murder. She loved her job long hours and all but was innately curious as to what it would feel like to have time like that.

"Hey Doc, you said your father has a boat docked here, right?"

Korsak's head popped into her line of vison as he leaned forward over the console. He looked as excited as a kid on a school trip. Maura turned to smile at him.

"Yes! It was always a fond place for me to be when my father wanted to host for the regattas or one of the cup races here. He would fly me home for boarding school a couple of times a year so we could watch the races together. I haven't been in ages though, I forgot how much the place feels like home to me."

"You know I've always wanted to have a little sailboat of my own. Had a few buddies in the Marines that had ones back in the 80's and we would spend days sailing up and down the coast on weekend trips."

Frost caught her eye in the rearview mirror, their mutual dislike for boats apparent on both their faces. She rolled her eyes and received a smile in return as she turned the car carefully into an open parking space near the towering cedar-shingled building. She shifted in her seat to lean against the window.

"You know Korsak, you could always retire and open a catamaran shop. I hear sails… are through the roof."

The pun elicited a groan from Frost and laughs from Korask and Maura. She cracked a smile before getting out of the Prius Maura insisted, they drive with. The impressive building was open to the public, but Maura led them down half a block down to the brick faced building located next to the marina parking instead.

The grounds entrance was surrounded by lush green bushes and flowers, the path clearly marked led them to the large white glass doorway. The inside reminded her of BCU's main campus buildings. Dark wood fixtures and tan paint gave the lobby a warm and regal feeling, the strategically placed dark green palms accented the small paintings of harbors behind the large front desk. The quite classical music in the background made her feel as if even whispering would be frowned upon.

She waited for Maura to approach the young man behind the desk before branching off to look around. The archways on both sides of the desk allowed her to see back into the main dining area and what she assumed was a study like room on the right. The left hallway seemed to be mostly closed rooms and an exit which led to the docks.

Instead of talking, Jane fitted herself next to the group as the porter checked them in, handing each of them a guest badge and directing them to the right. Maura affixed her member badge to the lapel of her coat and smiled up at her. She was in her element and Jane felt the surge of affection hit her heart hard. She may not care much for this side of Maura's life, but there was no doubt she loved the look of confidence she got in these spaces.

Maura waved for the group to follow her through the hallway and past the dining room where white tableclothed tables hosted what Jane could only think of as Yuppies. Silverware clinked against flat white china as the men in the room dulled their conversations to assess her. Their eyes drifted naturally towards Maura as she smiled politely at them.

"The docks are out this way. Our boat is docked on slot 5 if you'd like we can grab a quick meal after I show you around."

Jane saw the out for what it was and nodded at Maura and they made their way out to the pier which stretched out to the original club building. Korask let out a small whistle at the line of docks jutting out into the bay each lined with boats of every size.

"The docks in front of us are mainly for the small boats that you normally see in the harbor. Larger boats like the Catamarans are near the end since they require more maneuverability."

Maura walked out to the wooden pier and held a hand to her face to shield the sun from her eyes. She scanned the docks for a moment before pointing out towards the collection of larger vessels.

"That one on the end there with the with the mast flags is one of the clubs' rentals, next to it is Alan West's."

"She's a beauty!" Korask voiced from next to them.

"She?" Jane questioned as she leaned against the pier's railing.

Maura nudged her.

"Ships have been known as "she" for centuries Jane. Not only because of its grammatical history as feminine articles, but many sailors viewed them as sentient or as a motherly figure. Ships made them feel safe and protected from the world and nature in a place that was often wrought with danger. Ancient sailors also believed in the protection of Gods and Goddesses, Artemis and Demeter were common names to allow for the protection during passage."

Jane questioned a glance at Korask and Frost who merely shrugged at her.

"Alright am I really the only one here that didn't know that?"

Frost spoke up, his hands burred in the pockets of his plain black slacks.

"You're with a former Navy kid, a Marine, and a woman who grew up sailing on some of the finest boats in Boston. So, yes."

His bright smile erased any embarrassment she may have felt. She swatted at his shoulder with the back of her hand.

"Alright fine, you got me on that Mr. Joe Navy. Now how about we focus, as much as this may feel like a night out on the town, we are actually here to do our jobs."

She pushed away from Maura and the railing to stride towards the slip that Maura had pointed to a moment earlier. The dock was devoid of other people to which she was thankful. A quick look back down assured her that no one had followed them down or was watching from the pier.

She had to admit, the catamaran was nicer up close. Its crisp white exterior was lined with the now familiar Ultramarine Blue racing stripe on either side. She could see the mast which also boasted the color in tight rings around it's base. Straining to see, the cabin windows were tinted black with a shine of light from the slightly open cabin door the only sign of activity.

She felt Frost approach and held her hand up to send a silent hush to him directing his attention to the open door. Frost nodded and inched closer to the edge of the dock trying to peer further into the cabin. She watched as he clambered onto the short plank connecting the boat to the slip.

"Barry what are you doing!" Maura protested, reaching out to try and pull him away.

"Jane, I think we have a problem."

Frost called over his shoulder to her as he knelt on the deck next to the doorway. She shot a look to Korsak who took her silent signal to keep Maura back.

Following Frost's footsteps, she climbed up onto the deck, the slick saltwater making her heeled boots unsteady. Steadying herself on the railing that lined the boat she maneuvered over to Frost, noting that the bright white was marred a deep red. The cockpit was empty save for the leftover beer bottles piled next to watch she assumed was a built-in cooler.

She looked up from the small droplets to Frost who was pressed against the wall of the cabin, gun drawn and pointed down waiting for her lead. She released the outer latch holding her weapon close and slid the familiar Glock out and down. Positioning herself on the opposite side of the door she called out.

"Mr. West! This is Boston Police Department, we are coming in. If you are present please come out with your hands up."

Jane's voice rang through the cabin and bounced back to her. She strained to hear any signs of movement from inside, but only heard the buoy bells ringing from the bay while water sloshed against the side of the boat in deep heaves. She waited several seconds before pushing the door open and thrust forward sweeping the right side of the room while Frost maintained the same movement on her left.

The cockpit and galley greeted them with a stylish cream and white interior. The large table in front of them was covered in small pools of blood and vegetable scraps. Jane noted the small drops trailing down the narrow staircase to the left next to Frost. She motioned for him to continue down first, following closely behind.

The sleeping quarters held a bed at the far end with seating and storage lining the walls. The polished hardwood was unmarred in this area as their trail ended at the ajar door next to them. She could see a sink and toilet and new that there was likely a shower there too. Frost stopped her with a hand thrust backward before crouching low and peering around the corner and into their blind spot.

"Christ, Jane clear the scene and get Maura in here."

Frost's panicked voice disappeared into the room quickly as he holstered his weapon. She took a moment to peer in behind him before moving to the other side of the boat. She could see Frost bending over a man slouched in between the shower and tub. Peering over his shoulder and recognized the now pale features of Alan West looking back at her with a glazed expression. She noted the towel he had pressed to his wrist was starting to soak through.

"Shit Frost, get pressure on that wound press as hard as you can!"

Jane let her feet take over quickly darting back up the cabin and through to the other side clearing out the remaining rooms for any threat. Her long legs carried her quickly up the stairs as she secured her weapon pulling her radio with her as she came up.

"Dispatch this is Victor 825, requesting a bus at 1805 Columbia Road."

Reaching the deck, she called out.

"Maur, medical emergency downstairs. Korsak I need to you to coordinate with dispatch for EMS arrival. Meet them at the marina entrance and get them over here."

She had barely addressed Korask before Maura kicked into action. She watched as the doctor cleared the plank easily and rushed past her.

"Jane, there should be a medical kit in the galley. Check under the sinks and bring it to me."

Maura's voice was controlled but demanding as she disappeared into the cabin. Jane focused back on Korsak who had been calling out responses to dispatch. His thumb came up to give her the go ahead and she turned back to the galley. The deep double sinks were easy to spot just a few feet in front of her and she dropped to her knees to rip the cabinet doors open. The bright red case was strapped to the side behind a handful of cleaning products.

"Jane, EMS will be here in five. What's the patient's status?" Korsak's cracked voice sounded from the radio in her hand.

"Standby, getting the med kit now." She responded.

Undoing the clips, she grabbed the kit and her radio before rushing back down the stairs, her heart beating nearly out of her chest. Frost had come to stand outside the doorway and was trying hard not to throw up on the couch she was sure was worth more than both their rents.

Handing over the kit she peered at Alan who was trying to move away from the small pen light Maura was shining in his eyes.

"Maur, here you go. How is he doing?"

"Pupils are dilated and non-responsive, he's starting to go hypovolemic. How far out is EMS?"

"About five minutes, what do you need?"

Maura didn't respond as she tipped his head up testing his breathing while two fingers pressed to the inside of his non-wrapped wrist. She counted slowly under her breath as Jane watched. After what felt like hours Maura glanced up at her.

"His heart is still beating steady, moving him is not an option until we have a static board. Get me the gloves out of that kit. I also need gauze pads and there should be a small pair of scissors grab those too please."

Jane complied and handed the items over easily, calling information over her radio as Maura relayed it to her. She watched Maura slip the gloves on and begin to cut the dress shirt off Alan's body in quick patches. Once the shirt was removed, she changed out the towel for a fresh gauze bundle, lifting his arm above his head in the process.

"Victor 825. Dispatch. EMS is on the dock, Detective Korsak escorting. Please stand-by for transfer."

"Copy Dispatch, standing by for transport."

She could hear the medics heavy footsteps on the deck above them. Clearing the space, she watched as the team made their way down and into the now overly cramped space. Maura took control of team as they strapped Alan to the board and directed them out.

The silence that enveloped the catamaran gave Jane chills. No matter how many times she came on a scene like this, the adrenaline always flushed her body and left her reeling. She looked over to see Frost bracing with hands on his hips, face flush with sweat and nausea.

"Hey why don't you go get some air huh? We can take a few before processing, besides I need to call this into the Lieu."

He nodded and brushed past her leaving her in the room surrounded by quiet chaos. Looking around she pulled out her phone to call in the situation, her gaze falling onto a photo propped neatly on the bedside table. Picking it up she saw a younger James Brumfield smiling back at her from behind Alan who was tilted up pressing a firm kiss to his jaw. They stood posed in front of what Jane recognized as James' first home in Dorchester the garage open to show a bright blue and red dirt bike. A helmet hung loosely from his hand.


It was nearly eight by the time Maura unlocked Jane's apartment door. After the incident at the yacht club, she had been called in to work a shooting out of Roxbury. The black scrubs scratched at her skin as she relocked the door and dropped her keys into the small bowl on top the table in the entranceway.

Jane had updated her throughout the day via text message but there had been no new updates since Alan left surgery a few hours prior. The last text coming through before she left headquarters let her know Jane was going to be late. Deciding she didn't want to be in the vicinity of any family that night, she told Jane she would meet her at the apartment.

Setting her bag and phone down on the counter she slid her laptop out and opened it to boot it on. Since the detective was off doing her gumshoe thing, she knew it would be a good time to get caught up on some of the journals that released last week. The computer let out it's starting melody and she began to download the journals. She rounded the counter to find the bottle of wine she kept stashed in the fridge deciding to make a night out of it. Popping the cork open she set it next to her computer to breathe as she righted a glass next to it.

The comfort of Jane's home washed over her as she made her way to the bedroom setting her mind on a quick shower. Unlike her home, Jane's was filled with warm dark tones with books and memorabilia dotting the entire space. The bedroom, once sparce, was now filled with little reminders of their connection. Her spare glasses rested on her side of the bed; the small note she had left Jane was now propped on the opposite side next to a frame photo of them at Fenway from before they started dating.

Pulling open the dresser that stood in the corner she grabbed a pair of her pajamas that sat next to Jane's sweatpants and made her way to the shower. She knew the scientific benefits of a cold shower were what her body needed right now to helps process the day, but she couldn't ignore the call of a steaming hot shower. Steeping into the steam she let the water run over her, the heat melting the ache in her shoulders from hours spent in her morgue.

She made a mental note to book massages for her and Jane once this case was over. If their time at the spa a couple of years ago was any indication, Jane would enjoy it as much as she had. Letting her mind wander she worked seamlessly through her routine. The sound of her cell phone ringing was lost under the stream of water the pounded against her scalp.


Jane silenced her phone and slid in back into her pocket as she approached room 346 in the too bright hospital. Her quick text to Maura let her know the situation and to not wait up. Alan West had been admitted to recovery three hours ago and was finally coherent enough to answer questions. The charge nurse was hesitant to let them at this hour, but Frost had managed to persuade her with a little harmless flirting.

The private hospital room was larger than anyone she had been given, a single bed filling the center of the room. Alan West sat propped against a stack of pillows with multiple tubes and wires keeping constant watch over his vitals. His gaze was now clear with pain only showing as he shifted in greeting. His voice was dry and cracked as he addressed her.

"Detective, I guess I have to thank you for being there today."

She approached his bedside, hands folded at rest in front of her.

"Well, it was really Dr. Isles that saved you, I just called it in and handed off supplies. You're looking much better now though. Do you feel up for some questions?"

He let out a snort of acknowledgement.

"I already know what you're going to ask. No, I did not try to kill myself, I did however try to slice the avocado pit out incorrectly."

"I know Mr. West, your surgeon filled in some of the missing details and the knife we found next to your lunch kind of pieced that together. He mentioned most of the damage was to the palm of your hand, the damage to your wrist was deep but no major damage to your artery. Glad it wasn't like that, but I was hoping that you could answer something else for me. Something related to James."

She watched him stiffen as his heart monitor increased slightly. The sound echoing between them as he slowly nodded.

"I want to preface this by saying I know about your relationship, and I am not here to pass judgment on you or him."

She shifted to pull the chair set next to his bed up and sat before continuing.

"When the medics came to take you to the hospital, I noticed a photo in two on your bedside. Can you tell me how long you have been riding dirt bikes?"

He pointed to his cell phone which rested on the fold out table attached to bed. Jane leaned forward and grabbed it to hand over, letting him unlock and scroll. He turned the phone around after a moment and showed her the picture of James from she guessed the early 2000's. His hands outstretched proudly showing off the dirt bike to the camera.

"I don't. Well as a passenger I've ridden just about every iteration of a motorcycle James had. He loves…loved riding them. That photo on my bedside was from after we launched IPO, he was so elated. He wanted to celebrate and insisted on taking the thing out for a spin, it was the first one he bought after college. Said it made him feel alive every time we road it."

Jane nodded as he locked the screen and set it on his lap.

"Look detective, I am not willing to answer much without my lawyers present but I will tell you that his death has destroyed me more to me than you could ever imagine. Even when we fought, he was always supporting me from the sidelines."

She leaned back in the chair hand tapping against the armrest aimlessly.

"Did you two fight before his murder?"

"Yes, sort of. He had been helping me do some repairs on the boat when I brought up Anne."

"Why would that lead to a fight?"

"She has always been a sore spot for me. She had been pushing for him to break-away from the business, wanted him to pursue his own venture or something. She was an ex-exec for us, she knew how important W-B was to him. Anyway, we fought over him leaving her and he ended up grabbing his gym bag and leaving. I didn't see him again before…"

His voice seized as he held back tears. Coughing them away he wiped quickly at his eyes with his bandaged hand.

"I'm sorry Detective Rizzoli, I think I am going to have to ask you to leave now. Detective Frost said he would wait for you in the parking lot."

The nurse Frost had been with occupied the doorway with a clipboard in hand. She knew the drill as she pushed up from the chair, returning it to its spot. She paused at Alan's side to thank him and the nurse before slipping out quickly. She made her way down to the lot where Frost was waiting with the old crown vic. Piling into the passenger seat, they made their way towards her home. Her brain on autopilot giving him the recap of their conversation as the city passed by, her phone ringing silently in her pocket.


Mary Castor felt alive as the heavy bass thumped through her system. The bars in Chinatown weren't known for being the most popular in New York, but she liked the low-key feeling the provided. Bar X was little more than a darkened room, but it was more packed than usual as a bridal party shifted their way to the dance floor. Nodding for the bartender to refill her drink, she turned to watch the group.

From her space at the bar, she could see the group spinning around drunkenly and she felt her smile widen as one climbed onto the small stage to sing lyrics to a song that didn't come close to what was playing on the speakers. Shifting back to the now filled whiskey glass she took a long pull of the bitter liquid and felt herself beginning to relax.

She felt the craving to smoke pull at her mind as the drink turned to nothing but melted ice. Collecting her clutch, she made her way out the front door and around the side of the building. She felt the numbness hit her body first, eliciting a shiver as she searched for the pack of menthols she kept. Fall in New York wasn't normally as harsh as Boston, but the sharp cold racked her body making her tense fully.

Abandoning her search, she wrapped her arms tightly around her waist to ward off the cold. Taking a few steps forward, her balance gave away and she stumbled into a woman standing next to the bodega that boarded the bar.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean-"

Warm arms wrapped around her and held her steady as she slipped into a comfortable darkness. Her gaze faded in and out as her words gave out. She recognized the face that pulled her gently into a cab. The scream that she wanted to release dyed effortless in the back of her throat as the cab pulled away into the depths of the city.

Grace tucked her solidly into her side as the cab driver drove them over the Manhattan Bridge to the warehouse district. Dropping them at the apartment building she had scouted weeks earlier she thanked him and gave him a small tip. Pulling Mary up with her she slung an arm over her shoulder and dragged her towards the car waiting in the alley.

The truck opened easily, and she slid Mary into the waiting cavern. Tapping her hands and legs together, she made quick work of the woman before driving towards the location she had perfected for her art. The vibration from her passenger seat made her giddy as she watched Mary's phone ring over and over again.