Maura threw her car in park at the loading zone, ripping her keys from the ignition before dashing off in to the night. Jane. Her brain told her. Get to Jane. The trace Nina had sent her was burned in to her eyelids, a mere two hundred feet from the premed building at BCU. Cailin's premed building. An eye for an eye, a family for a family. Maura sped up, running through the FBI academy grounds with reckless abandon until she found the one person who could fix this.
Jane was standing in a covered hallway, talking to Aarna. Maura lunged, grabbing Jane, pulling her back towards the car.
'Hey!' Jane yelped when Maura grabbed her, 'what the?' Jane spun, breaking Maura's hold. Maura barely contained the screaming sob threatening to erupt from her chest. 'Maura?' Jane asked indignantly.
'Agent Rizzoli!' Aarna came skidding to a stop beside them, 'are you o-Doctor Isles?'
'Cailin's been kidnapped,' Maura says ignoring Aarna.
'What? Maura what are you talking about?' Jane asked, uncertainty dawning on her face as she took Maura in.
'Russo has her Jane. Russo took Cailin,' Maura said, willing some of what she was saying to resister. 'We have to go now.'
'How do you know?' Jane asked, reaching for Maura, to comfort her. Maura moved back, not willing to be comforted in this moment.
'Jane. Russo has Cailin.' Maura said, her voice rising in to a yell. What didn't Jane understand. 'He has her and he's going to kill her. Now, please.'
Finally, finally Jane moved. 'What happened?'
'Where'd you park?' Aarna asked interrupting them. She had her phone in hand.
'The loading zone.' Maura asked baffled and too strung out to care, 'Jane please.' She knew she was begging. Making some horrible broken sound.
'How do you know Maura?' Jane asked, willing her to calm down, 'tell me what happened.'
Maura did a combination of a walk and jog back to the car as she talked. 'He called me and I knew something was wrong so I had Nina trace the call. He said I took his family so he was going to take mine. He was on the BCU campus. The premed building. Cailin's building. Jane.' Maura grabbed Jane's hand now, pulling her faster. 'We have to get to Boston. Now.'
'Do you know where he took her?' Jane asked, the detective in her trying to fit together the pieces she didn't have. 'Did you let our surveillance team know? Or the police? Anyone?'
Maura hesitated, her eyes falling on a familiar black van. She hadn't even considered them. Then Maura bolted, straight for the van door. She pounded with every bit of strength she could. She just missed smashing Dean's face in with her fist when he pulled it open.
'What the?' Dean asked, ducking his head just in time.
'Vincent Russo kidnapped my sister,' Maura all but screamed at him. 'Do something?'
'What?' Dean asked looking from Maura to Jane. 'What is she talking about?'
Maura tried to launch herself at him. Why wasn't he doing something? Why wasn't anyone doing anything? Strong arms held her back and Jane's voice filled her ears, 'it's okay Maur. I got this.'
Jane pushed her back in to Aarna's waiting hands. 'Doctor Isles received a ransom call. Vincent Russo kidnapped her half sister Cailin Martin in Boston. You're the first law enforcement member we could contact. You need to mobilise agents in Boston. He took her from the pre-med building at BCU. And someone needs to notify Hope Martin.'
'Rizzoli,' Dean sighed, 'we're already working a case.'
Jane grabbed Dean by the shirt, pulling him out of the van. 'Damn it Dean! You know as well as I do that every minute counts in a kidnapping. And don't pretend you don't have agents watching Hope. Tell them to get in there and inform her.'
Dean stumbled, struggling to find his footing in the snow with a very angry Jane Rizzoli keeping him off kilter. 'Okay,' Dean said, 'okay. We'll let them know.'
Jane released him, 'good. Now we're going to Boston. Surveillance buys its own tickets.' She turned and tugged Maura back in to the shelter of her arms as she began walking them back to the car.
Maura didn't have it in her to be surprised to see a grim faced Noemi at the car. The woman had her hair pulled up in a pony tail, her firearm on her hip and was wearing a no-nonsense leather jacket. Maura appreciated that at least one of them looked ready to go. Noemi and Aarna climbed in to the back seat without another word when Maura unlocked the door. Maura saw the nervous face Jane wore when they did but Maura couldn't help it. Her little sister was missing and Maura would take every bit of help she could. Jane pushed Maura towards the passenger seat, plucking the keys from Maura's hand as she did, saying 'you aren't fit to drive.'
Maura didn't fight her. Couldn't. She was right. Maura tried to call Cailin for what felt like the millionth time in the last hour. Her stomach churned as the phone went straight to voicemail. Maybe, her brain reasoned, she just turned it off for her final and forgot to turn it on again. Maybe she's home and safe and I'm panicking over nothing. Maura knew it was a lie but she let herself believe it as she tried Hope again. Nothing. Maura leaned her head back against the head rest feeling sick to her stomach. This was all her fault. White hot tears poured down her cheeks and Maura let them, completely unaware that Jane was talking to her. It was all her fault.
Noemi was sitting in the window sill of her and Aarna's shared dorm room watching snow fall outside. Noemi had a love/hate relationship with snow. She loved watching it fall, irregardless of the world around it. She loved the muffled quiet it imposed on the world. The way it seemed to bring everything to a stand still. Sometimes it was the only time Noemi could think. She did not, however, enjoy being cold. Or wet. Or trying to navigate through the cold grey mush it left behind. Noemi sighed. Still this was the first snow fall of the year. Better yet it was Aarna's first snow fall ever. Noemi couldn't help that her head was full of romantic notions at that thought. She couldn't help that she longed for candlelight and lovemaking under the blankets, shut in from the world around it. She was almost certain Aarna wouldn't mind. Aarna was good at spontaneous romance. A buzz from her phone drew her from her warm cocoon and across the room. Aarna should be finished soon.
Noemi looked at her phone, a frown forming on her face. Aarna had texted but it wasn't the perfunctory on my way that Noemi expected. Aarna had texted: Meet me at the loading bay. Immediately.
Noemi frowned. She looked back up at the window. That meant going outside. She was almost ready to text back a hell no when Aarna sent a follow up message: Doctor Isle's sister was kidnapped.
That spurred Noemi in to action. She dressed quickly and warmly, pulling on her leather jacket. She pulled her hair up in to a high pony tail and then, after a moments hesitation, she strapped on her firearm. They weren't supposed to leave the campus with them but Noemi had the sinking feeling that it might be necessary. She was leaving the room in less than 3 minutes.
She hurried across the campus, shuttering against the cold, her head bowed to the snow. Noemi didn't know what Aarna thought she could do. They weren't even full agents yet but that didn't matter. If Aarna said she was needed, she would do whatever she could. Agent Rizzoli and Doctor Isles had been kind and gracious to her. Noemi considered them friends. Thinking that Maura might be hurting made Noemi mad. Mad enough to keep her warm the rest of the way.
One look. All it took was one look and Noemi knew exactly what Aarna was thinking. Neither one of them waited for permission, climbing in to the backseat of Maura's car. Aarna reached out, giving Noemi's hand a squeeze. Her eyes were sad, somber. Noemi squeezed back, offering what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Jane and Maura climbed in a moment later. Jane started the car, her eyes darting between the road and the woman beside her. Jane's face was lined in worry. Maura sat with her head back, tears streaming. Noemi wasn't good at offering comfort. What did you say to someone whose sister had been kidnapped? So Noemi did what she did best: compartmentalised.
'What's the play ma'am?' Noemi asked Jane, meeting her eyes in the mirror.
'We're going to Boston,' Jane said through gritted teeth. 'First flight. And you two are driving this car back to my house to get the dogs.'
'With all due respect ma'am,' Aarna said softly, 'we're staying with you.'
Jane opened her mouth to argue but forgot her argument as the car hit a bit of ice forcing her to readjust. 'Why Boston?' Noemi asked, slightly confused. She would go wherever Agent Rizzoli needed her, she just wanted to fit the pieces together.
'Maura,' Jane began her eyes looking at the woman beside her when she said it, 'got a ransom call this afternoon. She traced the call and found out he was kidnapping her sister at her campus in Boston. So that's where we start. I'll have my brother start pulling footage and we'll look for witnesses.'
'Do we have any leads on a suspect?' Noemi asked.
At the same time, Aarna asked, 'who is Vincent Russo?'
'The child abuser who Maura reported,' Jane said angrily. 'Bastard thinks Maura is to blame for taking away his family so he's trying to get revenge through her little sister.'
'The one here in DC?' Noemi asked, 'what's he doing in Boston then?'
'He sounded obsessed,' Maura spoke at last, her throat hoarse. 'Not entirely in his right mind. He was fixated on me and what I did. He didn't care about Cailin. He doesn't care about Cailin. He just wants to hurt me.'
Jane frowned but kept her eyes on the road. She put a tentative hand on Maura's lap. Noemi smiled when Maura accepted it, clinging to it like a lifeline, 'we'll find her, okay Maur. We will.'
Aarna frowned leaning forward slightly, 'doesn't him having a mental breakdown make him more dangerous?'
Maura stifled a sob but nodded. 'Yes. A psychotic break with reality would make him very dangerous,' she whispered.
'If he wants to hurt Maura,' Noemi asked, chewing on her bottom lip in concentration, 'then why did he take her sister in Boston?'
Jane and Maura shared a look that Noemi couldn't quite read. Maura shrugged and Jane answered, 'probably because he found out that Paddy Doyle is Maura's biological father and he was afraid the whole Irish Mob would retaliate if he went after Maura. Cailin is the only person in Maura's family that's not related to Doyle. To a guy like Russo that makes her easy prey.'
Maura flinched. Noemi knew this must be hard but she couldn't help herself, 'so why are we running to Boston? Shouldn't we stay in DC and run the suspect down on this end?'
The car was silent for a long moment and Noemi wondered if she had said the wrong thing. Then Jane spoke using a tone of voice that was obviously meant for Maura alone, 'she's right, you know.'
'No,' Maura said angrily, 'we're going to find her and I'm going to be there when we do.'
'Maura,' Jane sighed, 'the only one who could tell us anything about Russo is here and the only person who has unfettered access to her is you.'
'Panda,' Maura said with a defeated sigh.
'Not to mention,' Aarna spoke quietly, 'if you go to Boston and he sees you he might decide its worth risking the mob's wrath to hurt you Doctor Isles.'
'I don't care about that,' Maura said dismissively.
'Well I do,' Jane said sounding more broken or tired than Noemi had ever heard before, 'I'll go to Boston. I'll help Frankie coordinate the search. You and the recruits go interview Panda. Get me everything she knows. I'll bring Cailin home.'
Aarna looked at Noemi. Noemi could see the question in every line on her face. She knew what they had to do but she was making sure Noemi was on board. Noemi nodded her head. Aarna sent her a quick wink and opened her mouth to speak but Noemi beat her to it. 'Actually Agent Rizzoli, you and I will be flying to Boston. Aarna and Doctor Isles can go interview the girl.'
'That's not what I-' Aarna began.
'Out of the question-' Jane said at the same time.
Maura looked back at her. Noemi met her eyes and tried to promise even in the silence. She'd watch Jane's back. They'd find Cailin. Maura must have understood some of it because she spoke last cutting them both off. 'Noemi is correct. I'm not sending you to Boston without a partner and you already passed Noemi for her final so she has technically finished the program.'
Jane opened and closed her mouth before finally shutting it and nodding in acceptance. That would be the end of it from Jane but Noemi could tell by the hurt look in Aarna's eyes told Noemi it wasn't the end of it for her. The rest of the ride was spent in uncomfortable silence. Noemi longed to reach out. To touch Aarna. The tension rolling off of her lover was palpable.
Jane pulled up to arrivals, throwing the car in to park before turning back to the pair of them. 'Give us a minute okay?'
Noemi exited with Aarna walking around the car to stand at her side. Aarna refused to look at her. 'Why?' Aarna whispered. 'I thought we weren't going to protect each other from the job.'
Noemi sighed, 'I'm not. You're better with kids Aarna. If Maura and I try to go pull information from that poor kid we're going to traumatise her. But you're charming and funny and you'll find what we need to know without her even realising she's been interrogated.'
Aarna looked at her now, her eyes wet. Reluctant acceptance was written all over her face, 'you be safe. Come back to me.'
Noemi pressed forward, claiming Aarna's lips in a swift kiss. 'Always, I have something important I need to tell you when I get home.' Aarna kissed her back with a ferocity that made Noemi gasp.
Agent Rizzoli climbed out of the car. 'Gun,' Jane said holding her hand out for the weapon. Noemi handed it over with her holster. 'Maura would like a word,' Jane said gesturing to the open door. 'Dhar, with me,' Jane ordered.
Noemi leaned in to the car to meet Maura's eyes. They were rimmed in red, green flecks all the more obvious in them. Noemi could see the layers of hurt on her face, 'I meant what I said Noemi. Jane needs a partner. Don't let anyone, even her, dismiss you. Watch each other's back.'
Noemi glanced up to see Jane handing Aarna Noemi's weapon. Jane was probably telling Aarna the same thing. Noemi looked back at Maura, 'I'll guard it with my own, Maura.'
Maura frowned, 'I didn't mean… I meant…'
Noemi smiled, trying her best to reassure the hurting woman, 'I know. We'll be back before you know it.'
'That's right,' Jane said from behind her. 'Let's go buy some tickets partner.' Jane's wry smile told Noemi she knew exactly what Maura had been asking her.
Aarna slipped in to the drivers seat, whispering a soft 'bye' and Noemi drunk in her face one last time before turning to follow Jane in to the airport.
