Frankie interrupts them holding her phone in his hands.

"Hey Janie it is Vince calling for you," Frankie said giving the phone to his sister.

"Thanks…hey Vince what's going on? Yeah, I got home this afternoon finally…some pain but nothing a little TLC won't cure," Jane said giving Maura a wink, "huh…oh…are you sure? Really? OK, well umm thanks for letting me know. No, no I just need some time. I will call you tomorrow. Ok, thanks bye."

Maura sat back and listened to Jane's end of the conversation but couldn't get a read of what was going on.

"Everything ok?"

Jane took a minute to really think about that question.

"Yeah, that was Vince just calling to check up and about the case and trial."

"What's going on? Have they set a new trial date already?"

Jane took a slow breath trying to calm herself. Her heart felt like it was going to explode right out of her chest.

"There isn't going to be a trial."

Maura couldn't even process those words. Hoyt wasn't going to stand trial after everything he put Jane through…it was simply unacceptable.

"What? What do you mean he isn't going to stand trial? What did Vince say? There is no way after everything he has done he walks. If nothing else he escaped custody while on trial. He should still have a trial for his original crimes. This is totally unacceptable! I will not sit by and…"

"He's dead."

"Excuse me," Maura asked not sure she heard correctly.

Jane sat there looking at the phone like she hadn't believe what she just heard herself. Hoyt was dead. It was over.

"Jane," Maura said softly concerned by her girlfriend's nonresponse.

Jane couldn't process any of what was happening. She felt her world spinning and she needed to get out of here in a hurry. She suddenly stood up and grabbed her keys heading for the door.

"Jane…wait…where are you going," Maura asked following her to the door?

"I don't…I not…I need some air…I will be back," she said in a disoriented rush.

Before Maura could stop her Jane was out the door.

"Where did Jane go," Frankie asked walking back into the room?

"I…I don't know," Maura said worry etched on her face.

"What do you mean you don't know? What happened?"

"Hoyt is dead."

"What? That's great," Frankie said thrilled that asshole could no longer hurt his sister, "right?"

"I thought so, but Jane I don't know. I think this all might be a little too much for her to handle right now. Hoyt dying is a good thing but with everything she is dealing with I think she is just on overload right now. She will be fine once she clears her head," Maura said praying her words were true.

Jane found herself wondering around Boston Commons in a total daze. Fenway Park could have exploded and there is a real chance she wouldn't have noticed. She was so confused, for over a year she battled this fear inside her put there by one man. She fought to survive, she fought to live…and now it was just over.

She should be thrilled, she should be throwing a damn party on that man's grave, but she didn't much feel like celebrating. It was weird but it felt like there was something missing inside her and she didn't know what it was. Hoyt couldn't hurt her any longer so she should just be able to move on…right.

"Hey Vince…yeah, yeah I'm fine. I need a favor though."

Jane went on to explain what she needed and Vince said he could set it up.

"Can you be at the station at 7pm," Vince asked looking at his watch.

"Umm yeah 7 works. Thanks Vince I think I really need this."

"It is no problem. You know we have other resources available as well."

"I think I just want to start with this and see how it goes."

"I understand, just know I am still here for you."

"Thanks Vince."

Jane looked at her phone and saw she still had about an hour to waste before she could head to the station. She wasn't really hungry but she walked into a coffee shop and ordered a cup and a pastry to pick at while she waited.

She picked a table in the back almost hiding away from the rest of the patrons. She took a big sip of coffee and sighed at the small amount of pleasure it gave her. The phone vibrating against the table cause her to jump and alerted her to a text message coming through.

Please let me know you're ok

Jane smiled reading the text from Maura. She didn't ask where she was or when she would be back, she simply wanted to know Jane was ok.

Relatively speaking I'm ok. I should be back home around 8ish

Jane waited a few moments knowing Maura would have a response and she was not disappointed.

Do you want me to spend the night or do you want some space? Whatever you need Jane is fine with me

Of course, Maura was taking her feeling into consideration and not just assuming she should spend the night. It simultaneously made her feel amazing and awful. Maura was everything she ever could have hoped for in a girlfriend, but Jane felt like she was falling short in that department.

Please be there when I get home

Not a second later her reply came.

Always…love you

Jane smiled and put her phone back on the table. She loved Maura and that might be the only thing she was certain of right now. What she wasn't certain of was her future with Maura and that scared her. Hoyt dying created a massive shift in her life, one where she didn't know what was going to happen next. Before she was in survival mode, but now what? Who was she going to be? Was Maura going to like that person? She had so many questions swirling in her brain.

Jane stood and tossed the mostly untouched pastry out taking her coffee to go. She headed to the station and checked in at the front desk. She didn't have to wait long for Vince to show up.

"Hey kid how are you doing," Vince asked again now having seen Jane and knowing it wasn't as good as she hoped?

"I thought when it was all over I would have been happy, but I am feeling so confused," Jane admitted.

"It all happened so suddenly and unexpectedly Jane…give it some time. No one expects you to just flip a switch and be ok. You don't have to be…ok that is…you can be a mess or angry or sad…whatever it is you need to feel…you're going to get there though kid."

And that was the first time Jane heard that…it was ok to not be ok right now.

"Thanks Vince," Jane said softly.

"You ready to head down," Vince asked.

"Yeah."

Vince and Jane headed down to the morgue.

"Is he out," Jane asked before they walked into the actual room where his body was?

"No, he is in storage. Do you want to pull him out for you?"

"No, no I will do it."

"Ok, well he is in storage bay 3. I will be in the office over there doing some paperwork so take your time."

Jane nodded and watched Vince head into the other office leaving her alone just outside the exam room. It took a couple calming breaths before she ventured a step inside. There were no current bodies out and while she wouldn't have had a problem with that right now she is thankful. She just wanted to focus on one thing and one thing only, Hoyt.

"I pictured facing you many different ways but this was never one of them," Jane said out loud to the empty room. "I often thought the roles would be reversed."

As Jane spoke she slowly started walking over to the storage bays. Her heart pounded harder the closer she got but she knew this was something she needed to do. She grabbed the handle of the door and pulled it open.

"What the…"

It was empty. Fear and panic started to overtake her body and she could barely breath.

"Jane."

Jane nearly jumped out of her skin hearing a voice behind her. She whipped around to see Vince standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry," Vince said seeing the panicked look in her eyes," he is bay 5. Sorry for the mistake."

Jane just nodded and watching him exit the room again. She took another deep breath to try and steady her now shaking hands. When she opened that door and he wasn't inside she was certain he was alive and ready to kill her. She quickly moved to bay 5 and opened it this time at least seeing a body inside.

Jane quickly pulled the sliding table out and pulled the sheet back before she lost her nerve.

"Oh my god," she gasped seeing Hoyt dead.

She wanted to believe he was dead, Vince wouldn't lie to her, but seeing him made it all real.

"I really hate how peaceful you look," Jane said with venom in her tone. "I don't know what I expected you to look like, probably more of the bastard you actually are."

Jane paced a back and forth around the body, examining him from every angle.

"I wondered for a long time why me? Why did you choose me? What could I have possibly done to deserve you picking me, torturing me, putting me through hell? It took me a long time, probably longer than it should have to realize the answer to that question. You were threatened by me…I mean you're a psychopath…but you couldn't stand I was a strong female who could put you in your place."

Jane started feeling more confident as she spoke everything she never got to say to him in life.

"I never would have given you a second thought, that is how forgettable and pathetic you were. I would have taken your class, moved on and you would be left in the same spot fuming in your own pathetic life. You couldn't have that so you tried your hardest to hurt me, to put an imprint on my life that I could never erase."

Jane had a few tears slipping down her cheeks as she bared her soul to this horrible creature.

"When I heard you died I thought I would be thrilled and I was confused when I felt nothing. I thought there was something wrong with me, like you had won and I really would never get rid of you. You would just always be somewhere inside me, haunting me…

"And that might have been the case if a very smart man didn't tell me it was ok, not to be ok. Your dead you fucking scum bag and there is nothing left that you can do to me. I have my whole life ahead of me and it doesn't include a single piece of you."

Jane practically shouted that last part and desperately wanted to punch him but refrained…not for Hoyt but for Vince. She didn't want to get him in any trouble for allowing her down here.

"I have an amazing family. My ma can be a little helicopterish but she loves me unconditionally. My brother is going to get drafted into the pros next month. I am going back to school and I am going to become a police officer so other scumbags like you won't be able to hurt people. I also have the most amazing girlfriend in the world. We have a long way to go but now I have never been more sure of anything in my life…she is the one. I might not be able to turn the page tonight or tomorrow but as sure as I am standing here I will get there."

Jane wiped at her cheeks brushing away any remnants of tears.

"You stole one year of my life, but I know it will just be a blip on the radar. Memories of you will fade and what will remain is falling in love with Maura, my brother being drafted, both of the graduating high school…I have the world in front of me…because I WON," Jane said shoving the table back into storage a little harder than necessary and slamming the door closed.

"Janie, your back," Frankie said pausing his game and tossing the controller on the table.

"Hey Frankie," Jane said with a soft smile as she tossed her keys on the table.

"You doing ok?"

Jane didn't respond she simply hugged her brother. Frankie wasn't used to this kind of affection from his sister but knew today wasn't a normal day. He wrapped his arms around Jane and gave her a big hug.

"What was that for?"

"For being the best little brother ever and I cannot wait until the draft…to hear your name being called and for you to walk across that stage and realize your dreams."

"You better be right next to me Janie."

"No where else in the world I will be. Is Maura here?"

"In your room."

"Thank you," Jane said heading towards her room, "And Frankie I will be ok."

"I know," Frankie smiled back at her.

Jane took a calming breath before opening the door to her room and seeing Maura laying on her bed reading a book.

"Jane," Maura said slightly surprised to see her.

She quickly tossed the book aside and slid off the bed to greet her girlfriend. Before Maura could say anything, Jane took her in her arms and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. Jane got lost in the kiss, lost in everything Maura made her feel…love, desire, trust, comfort, safety. She was her everything.

"I love you," Jane said pulling away just enough to get the words out.

"I love you too."

After a moment Jane brought Maura over to the bed and sat on the edge.

"I went to see Hoyt tonight," Jane admitted linking their hands together.

"What," Maura asked shocked?

"From the moment I heard Hoyt was dead something just felt off…I should have been thrilled but I wasn't. I needed to see him, to let him know he didn't win. He tried so hard to take my life from me, to make me lose myself in him. I told him all about the amazing things I am going to do, all the amazing people in my life and how I have so much to look forward to."

Maura smiled listening to Jane speak. She wasn't foolish, she knew Jane would have some ups and downs but her positive outlook was encouraging.

"And out of everyone and everything I have going for me, you Maura are most important," Jane said turning to Maura and brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm not sure I would have gotten through this past year without you."

"Yes, you would have Jane you're the strongest person I know."

"I wouldn't have wanted to get through this past year without you," Jane said advising her statement, "Everything that happened, including today, whenever I felt lost…you brought me home. When I left earlier my world was spinning and I had moments of doubts."

"About what," Maura asked quietly?

"I never doubted I loved you but I wondered if I would be a different person now…I wondered if I changed would you still love me."

"I will always love you," Maura said with more conviction than ever before. "People change, they have experiences, they live life, they grow…but I know who you are Jane in your soul and I know we will change and grow together."

Jane leaned in and kissed Maura again.

"Stay," Jane said pulling at Maura's shirt.

"I'm not going anywhere but…

"I know…I want you but not tonight. I just want to hold you, feel you, feel your safety."

Maura wiggled out of her shirt and shorts and crawled into bed.

"Let me hold you," Maura said opening her arms.

Jane stripped down as well joining Maura in bed. Once she settled in Maura's arms she finally felt at peace. For the first time all day she finally felt happy.

Author's Note: I think this will wrap up the major Hoyt storyline. He might be mentioned in upcoming chapters but time to move forward and try and wrap this up soon. Thank you so much for all the reviews and comments...your continued support continues to be amazing!