Thank you for all the wonderful comments. I am REALLY glad you're enjoying it. This is probably the hardest story I have written so far because although the plot is simple... it is from so many points of view - but I love a good challenge. My ankle is getting better...yay...but it doesn't help me write any faster...I think I am just a slow writer lol. I have got the entire structure to almost the way I want it tho so that is huge for me. Enjoy the updates and I so look forward to your reviews. :)

CHAPTER F1V3

Maura opened the door to a messy haired and glassy eyed Jane in the wee hours of the morning.

"Jane. Are you ok?"
Jane nods. She makes her way inside and she sits down on Maura's couch awkwardly.
"Where is Casey?"
"At my place." Jane says softly and slightly croakily, "In my bed."

Maura sits down beside Jane and quietly waits until Jane is ready to talk. Jane leans back against Maura as if it's the most natural thing in the world and sighs as Maura puts her arms around Jane to hold her. Maura tries to recall when Jane ever displayed such vulnerability before and she tries to rationalize in her mind what has caused this change in her friends behaviour.

"Hoyt" Jane whispers and shivers slightly as the dream images come back to her. Maura tightens her grip around her friend pulling her closer.
"He is dead Jane. It was a nightmare."
"Why do I still see him."

Maura rubs her arm gently and kisses the messy curls on the top of her head. The only recent emotional and/or environment change in Jane's life is that Casey is back in Boston. He has been at Jane's apartment for almost a week.

"Maura?"
"Mmmmm?"
"Don't let go."

In the middle of another seemingly unproductive day, when all the loose ends in the search for Maura turn into dead ends, Jane walks out of the BPD elevator towards the exit and see's a familiar face on the other side walking towards the doors. She recognizes him immediately by his camouflage army outfit and his smile.

Casey.

She places her arm across her stomach as she watches him. He reaches out his arm to pull the BPD doors open. She hasn't seen him in so long. She hasn't seen him since he was called back to Afghanistan, since they decided marriage wasn't right for them, since before she lost their baby.

He looks exactly the same.

He smiles at her and she can't help but return it. His smile always affected her, gave her butterflies, hope, she felt wanted.

There is the slightest limp in his gait, the only indicator of a war injury.

All their past problems seem so silly and small in comparison to what she has been going through these last few weeks.

Everything in her past pales to how she feels now...even what happened with Hoyt.

And she is hoping Casey will understand what she is going through, he was always understanding, maybe he can help her.

He steps into her personal space without her permission and put his arms completely around her and she accepts it.

"I came as soon as I could." His accent is stronger than she remembers it to be.

Jane leans into him almost like she used too. She remembers his strength and how it made her feel. She shivers slightly as the emotions roll through her tired body.

"Thank you, Casey."

Maura is alone again.

She looks down at the shackle around her ankle. It is loose enough to allow airflow through and not do damage to her skin and there is only the slightest amount of red skin where the base of the shackle has rubbed against her malleolus when she moves, whish isn't that often.

The metal is mostly dull and old except for a small spot of shiny new silver between the shackle and the welded chain that she has been trying to cut through whenever Casey is away. So far she has only made a 1mm groove in the 13mm steel joint on the weld point. The weld has made the metal harder to penetrate but the location is the least obvious location and the greatest natural groove.

She used a spring out of the bed to start with and then found the sharp edge of the butter knife was more effective and the more she rubbed the steel, the sharper it seemed to get.

Her fingers would cramp out every few minutes but she had persisted. Beyond the shackle and chain was a steel door that was dead-bolted on the outside. Beyond that a garage that required a keycard entry and exit.

But it didn't matter, it was a distraction both mentally and physically, it felt like she was doing something however small and insignificant to fight against her bondage.

Ironically she felt empowered and she chose not to rationalize it because the feeling of powerlessness was not pleasant.

It might take her months or even years to cut her way out but there was nothing else to do and her mind was going crazy with no input and no one to talk to.

She couldn't just sit there and wait.

She had never been that patient.

She untucked the butter-knife from under the bed and started to rub in against the shiny spot, over and over and over again.

Casey tightens his grip and smells her scent. He remembers too, how she used to say she loved him and needed him. He holds her a little too tightly and for a little too long causing Jane to pull away and search his face for his intentions. He raises his eyebrow and gives her a half smile, "Sorry, It's just been so long."

Jane has been off lately, so her mind ignores his behavior, maybe she was picking up something that wasn't even there. Imagining things anyway.

"Thank you for coming, Casey. God I'm going through hell here."

Casey puts his hand on her shoulder gently "What can I do to help Jane?"

Jane rubs her hands together and remembers Casey saying that exact line several years back when her brother was trapped in a collapsing building. It was right after she found out Casey might never walk again. She remembered how long it took for him to get from the booth to the exit that night. She had realized then that his strength had failed him and that's why he wouldn't let her help. His strength was what she needed and he knew it, and he didn't have it, so he hid that from her. Pretended he was ok at first, and then that he could still be the man he was despite it. They both knew he would never be who he was and Jane had felt both angry and sad. Then Casey found out he was misdiagnosed and with surgery would be fine. But that weakness he had carried had still hung between them. He was no longer the strength she thought she needed even if he was strong again. Jane had assumed that was why he never came to see her after she lost their baby. Maura had been her strength then, and she realized that Casey's strength had never done anything for her more than the illusion of having someone to look after her...the thing her mother continued to push on her. His strength she had been promised but never seen. And his momentary physical weakness had caused his pride to double to balance it out. His ego had caused the pain which caused a rift.
And here he was now, physically as if nothing had happened to him, but she knew she didn't need him, she never really had.
She also knew she hadn't been herself around him, and if she had chosen to marry him, she wouldn't have been true to herself.

She sighs, "Nothing. But it is really nice to see you again."

She looks around at the reporters still milling just outside the door waiting for her to emerge, she doesn't want to leave just yet, she can't face all that right now. She gets lost in her thoughts for a moment, remembering how the reporters portrayed Maura, portrayed her.

Casey senses her hesitation and studies her face, he see's the anxiety and he hides the pleasure he feels inside. Could he make her go outside and walk past them all to her car if he wanted? Would he enjoy watching her hold her head down and avoid their questions and eye contact like he had watched her do so many times on the television or from across the road in his car. If he offered to walk her to her car she wouldn't refuse...but he doesn't, short term gain wouldn't give him what he wanted long term.

"Coffee?" He offers pointing behind them towards division one cafe.

"Thanks." Jane smiles with genuine relief as she comes back to the present.

"Charles." Angela says with a grunt as she serves them both coffee but gives Casey an unhappy look. Jane shoots her mother a sharp warning, "Ma".

"Thank you Ms Rizzoli." Casey says cooly to her departing frame.

There is an awkward pause as they both sip their coffee avoiding direct eye contact.

"So how have you been?" Jane asks only feigning interest.

"Fine." Casey replies turning his cup in a circle on the saucer, "You?"

Jane nods which is followed by another awkward silence. They both know she isn't fine.

"Any suspects yet?" Casey looks up at her now, his shy facade suddenly gone.

Jane continues to stare into her cup, watching the foam slowly rotate around the top.

All the news reports had said BPD had no suspects, no clues and no persons of interest...because they didn't.

"No" she responds simply. Keeping her composure in check was becoming easier everyday when she was in the public eye.

Casey's eyes flicker slightly and Jane catches it, "Have you heard anything?" She asks suddenly. Casey knows people, informants, guys on the streets, people trust him.

Casey watches that mix of hope and fear cross Jane's eyes. He watches as she worries her lower lip between her teeth.

"Not really." He replies holding in a smile.

Jane raises her eyebrows slightly.

Disbelief.

"Not really..." She repeats. "What is that supposed to mean?" Her voice breaks a little.

Casey clears his throat, "I...just came to check on you."

"On me?" Jane growls softly keeping her brink of anger tone at a low level so no-one can hear, "You heard something about me?"

Casey watches the anger break through the fear and wonders if he could cause her to have a melt-down right here in front of her mother and all her co-workers.

He holds up his hands in surrender, "Don't get angry Jane. I just thought you might need some support."

"Like Hell!" Jane says loud enough to get the attention of half a dozen patrons and her Ma, then with a shaky breath out she lowers her voice to just above a whisper, "Like hell Casey. What did you hear and who told you?"

Casey reaches over and places his hand over Jane's clenched one, it is only condescending because his face is sympathetic like she is a small upset child just trying to be understood. But she holds her feelings in.

"I heard you were having a hard time with this, but it's completely understandable, considering."

"Considering what Casey, that my best friend is missing and no one knows where she is or why she was taken or what is happening to her? Considering that?"

"Yes" Casey says so calmly Jane wonders where the sympathy went.

"Did you come because you thought I needed you or because it was your earliest convenience to offer support?"

For the first time since arriving Casey looks surprised by Jane's sudden calmness, "I...came...to see if you needed anything."

Jane wants to ask what he could possibly offer but knows it would be a hurtful thing to say.

"I need Maura back."

Casey reaches towards her hand and squeezes gently. It's enough comfort that in Jane's daily emotional rollercoaster, she has to control her tears.

"I think she might be dead, Casey."

How does she know Maura is alive, how does she know the clues aren't a distraction so she will merely think Maura is still alive. Who takes someone and demands nothing. Nobody does that. Ever.

"You don't know that Jane."

"I know." She runs her hand through her hair, "Will you tell me if you hear anything?"

"You'll be the first to know."

...to be continued...