Hey guys. At least it didn't take THAT long for the next chapter! And thank you for the reviews, they always mean so much to me. Thanks again:)

I hope you'll enjoy the new chapter.

Enjoy,

T73

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I still sleep soundly as I feel a motion subconscious, and my brain is highly alarmed. It immediately know what's happening and I tighten my grip so she can't sneak out of the bed because she's regretting everything that has happened last night, at least for another thirty minutes. She's trying to get out of my hold which makes me tighten my grip even more, but not that much that it'll hurt her. I can hear a light chuckle of Maura and growl playfully so she knows that I am awake, too.

"Jane," she says in a hushed voice. "please let go of me."

I shake my head, even though I know that she can't see it. "No!" I growl, standing my ground.

Maura's tugging at my arm. "Jane, please, I have to -"

I open my eyes and lift my head a little, furrowing my brows and staring at the back of her head. "You're not running from me again. I won't let you!" I say with finality and I mean it.

Maura's turning her head a little and I can make a hint of frown out. "It's an emergency, Jane."

"There's no emergency in the world that's big enough for me to let go off you."

She's quiet for a moment and I'm sure that she's pondering her words. "I have to pee." She says in no uncertain terms.

Oh! OH! I finally let go of her and clear my throat. "Sorry," I breathe.

She turns to me and smiles broadly at me before she's kissing me gently. "I'll be back in a minute." She states against my lips.

I grunt. "Take all the time you need." And I'm wincing the second she slaps my shoulder playfully. I ask laughingly, "What?"

She's rolling out of the bed and walks toward the en-suite bathroom with a huff.

I turn onto my back and stare up the ceiling. I actually know that she isn't mad because of my statement and that she isn't mad because I told her that I won't let her run once again. Truth be told, I actually think that she's relieved that I told her that I won't let her run again. Perhaps ... perhaps that's something she needed to know right from the beginning. That I am here to catch her in her darkest hours but apparently I was too busy with wallowing in self-pity. The realization hits me hard and I have to close my eyes before I start to curse out loud or slapping myself all over again until she tells me to stop. And that probably would happen never. Okay, to be fair, I was grieving, too. And I am not a person who's talking about heartstrings, I'm a person who's trying to bottle them up, and I'm very successful at that. It doesn't mean that this trait is doing any good. Quite the contrary, I know that this trait is hurting those people who care for me, and for whom I care the most. I understand that now ... Well, better late than never. I hear a sound coming from the bathroom and I'm afraid that Maura locked herself up in the room to punish herself for giving in last night. I turn my head in the direction, ready to jump out of the bed and telling Maura that everything is okay. I frown as soon I see her standing at the door and my eyes travel down her naked body involuntarily. At the beginning of our relationship this made Maura blush slightly but I kept staring boldly at her, memorizing every inch of her body and every single freckle. With some time she stopped blushing and asked me with a sly smile if I'd like what I'm seeing. Every single time the only answer that crossed my mind was hell, yeah. And after we crossed that line she simply strolled over and straddled my hips and we started again where we stopped. That's what she's doing now, strolling over and straddling my hips and I place my hands immediately on her bare thighs, trying to keep her gaze. She doesn't flinch and I let my hands wander up her sides and to her back. This I'm doing without any ulterior motives, really. It's something I'm doing every time it's clear to me that the two of us need nothing more than just the touch of one another, it's not sexual, just comforting, and something we haven't done anymore ever since ... Nope, I'm not going there right now.

She's tracing my jaw with her fingers, and my throat, and my collarbone, and I'm holding my breath. Not because I'm afraid that Maura's going to hurt me, I know she would never on purpose, but I want to memorize the moment because I don't know when this will happen again, or if it's going to happen again. I can see the love and the pain in her eyes and I clench my jaw for the tiniest bit of a second. Maura sees that and then she kissing me gently.

I kiss her back and my hands wander up her back. I can tell that the kiss is telling me that she won't go anywhere anymore.

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After Maura and I got ready for the day we went down into the kitchen. Honestly, I didn't know that I still had some stuff at this place, obviously the day I packed my things, I've been all churned up inside and left some of my things at her house. Luckily, otherwise I'd to drive to my place before heading to the precinct and that's something I didn't want to do at all. Ma had been in the kitchen when we came down and in her eyes was a glimmer of hope but before she could ask something we didn't want to talk about to her, Claire bursted in here and ushered her out, telling us that she invited Ma for breakfast at a diner. Ma wanted to protest but Claire didn't give her chance to. Jesus, I really like this woman, and it's better this way before Ma can ask something that neither Maura not I want to answer right now, and before I get the chance to say things I don't want to say, or don't intend to say the way they sure as hell would come out of my mouth, wounding.

Maura and I are preparing breakfast together but neither of us is saying a word. Not because we're embarrassed that we've been together last night but because either of us is caught in our very own train of thought. Meanwhile we got ready for the day I told Maura that I intend to see Taylor O'Keefe one more time, but this time at BPD. My playground, and this time we're playing the game by my rules, not his. Maura was silent and staring at me for what felt like hours, then she told me that she'd attend this foregather. I tried to convince her no to and that I think it would be a bad idea. Instead, she convicted me that it is to find some closure and that she won't be in the same room, but would watch everything from the operation room. With that I can live because I know that she won't be alone. Either Frankie or Korsak is going to be with her the whole time. I haven't figured that part out yet. Maybe it'll be the best if Nina's staying with her.

I needed an entire week to convince Cavanaugh to bring O'Keefe from the super-max to BPD, which I totally understand in hindsight of the encounters with Hoyt. But O'Keefe is not Hoyt. Okay, he's smart but not that smart. And I am well-equipped for all eventualities. As for instance, O'Keefe doesn't know that he'll be brought to BPD today, to make sure that he doesn't have the time to put a escape plan together, and all of us maintained silence about the transfer and if someone's trying to lib him, we know that it was a inside job and there are limited people who know about the scheme and it'll be easy to eliminate the conspirator. O'Keefe should be at BPD at ... I look at my watch and raise my eyebrows a little. By now. I don't care, I'll have breakfast first, he can rot in custody.

I'm doing this because there are still some open questions. For example, why he has chosen Maura and if there are still victims out there we don't know about or at least I wanna try to give the identity of some of his victims back and closure and certainty to their families, and I wanna know why he has done all of this at all. During his first interviews he'd answered only in fits and starts, and at some point not at all anymore. But he tried to get inside of the head of the questioning detective, and at some point it worked. But not this time, he won't ruffle me, on the contrary, I'm going to ruffle him this time. I'm prepared for him, but Maura isn't and I'm afraid that this incident is going to reopen old sores. And I have seen in her eyes that she also need some answers without being in the same room with him.

Maura's bumping into me and I blink a couple of times, frowning at her cuz she's as much lost in thoughts than I am.

She blinks as well and looks apologetically at me. "I'm sorry."

My frown deepens. "For what?"

She bumps into me again, this time on purpose and with a smile and I roll my eyes. "I'll survive you for that."

"Good luck with that," she replies and wants to pass me.

I'm faster and take carefully her wrist in my hand, pulling her against my body. "You don't have to do this, Maura." I state with a soft voice.

She's placing her hands on my chest and sighs heavily. I can tell that she's fighting an inner battle. "Neither do you, Jane." I open my mouth to disagree but she stops me from doing so."I need answers, too, just as you do. I won't be in the interrogation room and as soon as it becomes too much, I'll leave."

I nod briefly and furrow my brows. "You won't be alone, I'll make sure of it."

She gives me a peck on my lips and I sigh as soon as she turns away from me. I know that today's going to be interesting.

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Korsak is standing next to Maura in the observation room and looks worriedly at her and then at me. "You're sure you wanna see this?"

She's staring through the one-way mirror and her arms are wrapped tightly around her middle like she's trying to shield herself from Taylor O'Keefe, who's sitting jauntily at the metal table, he's even whistling every now and then like he's waiting for the bus or a cab. He doesn't know that she's watching her and I sure as hell won't tell him that. She nods slowly even though she's tense. "I have to hear what he has to say about ... Why he has abducted me. I need to understand it."

"Sometimes there is no logical explanation, Maura." I say as gentle as possible and she's glancing at me now.

"I know that, Jane."

I know she knows and that's she's hoping that he has chosen her for some things she has done during the investigation.

Korsak turns to me and Nina. "Are you sure that you wanna do this?"

I huff and weight the thick manila folder in my hand. "No, but I have to."

Nina nods her approval. I have asked her to go in with me instead of Frankie and she agreed almost immediately and Frankie was angry about it. I have no clue where he is at the moment.

Why I've asked for Nina instead of my brother or Korsak? The answer is simple. In case I do lose control for a moment, I know she won't hold me back like Frankie would. And I didn't ask Korsak because I know Maura's going to need all the feeling of being safety she can get during the interview and I also know that Korsak is giving her that feeling.

I give Maura's shoulder a light squeeze as I pass her and look at Nina. "Let's get this done."

She nods again and follows me. I don't know if she's going to ask questions herself, we didn't talk it over.

Nina stops at the door to the interrogation room and looks long at me. "Ready?" She opens said door when I nod and enters the room first.

I can hear the scraping of the chair O'Keefe is sitting on and I clench my jaw.

"You are new." He says and I can tell that he's eying her with a filthy smile.

I shut the door noisily and he turns his head to me, smirking. "And you seem to miss me."

Nina sits down without saying a word and I drop the manila folder on the table, sitting down on the free chair beside her. "Don't be too full of yourself." I reply and his smile drops for a split second.

He's staring at me and leans forward. "How's the family doing? Maura? The baby?"

My eyes snap up and I have to resist the urge to clench my hands or even my jaw. He's trying to start the mind games already but I won't jump at it but he thinks otherwise and leans back in his chair, laughing. "Oh, right! There is no baby anymore. I forgot. I wanted to sent you my sincerest condolences but my possible ways are limited."

I take a deep breath and don't react about his statement. I lick my lips and scrutinize him. "You're here because I have some questions."

He's broadly smiling now. "I'll answer all your questions in detail."

I open the folder and pretend to look for a photo. "I'm glad you said that." I state calmly and take a crime scene photo out of it that shows a decomposed body of a woman. We have found her in a deep grave in the near of the cottage where he held Maura hostage. I shove the photo towards him and his faces makes a slip. "This is one of the graves we found in the close area around your cottage we arrested you in."

His expression turns dark. "I already told your colleagues, I do not own that cottage."

"Doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is that you obviously locked your victims in this house, tortured them inside of it before you killed them."

"You can't prove any of this." He snorts.

Oh, shut the fuck up! But I bite my tongue and frown a little, at least he's talking to me the way he's supposed to. He truly still believes that he's getting out of this as soon as his trail starts. Apparently he isn't as smart as we thought, or as smart as he think he is. He isn't in a super-max for no reason. It's just a question what kind of sentence he gets, unfortunately Massachusetts doesn't have death penalty. I'm tapping on the photo of the unknown woman. "Can you recall her name?"

He has a long close look at the photo and runs his fingers over the poor woman's remains and I want to break every single finger of his. I look long at him and notice the faint smile on his lips. It looks like he's recalling every single second of her torment and of her death, and I feel like I'm about to throw up. All of a sudden he shoves said photo back to me. "I can't say that I recognize her."

"Maybe you can tell us if she's this woman." Nina suddenly says and takes another picture of a woman out of the folder, and I'm a little surprised. The picture shows a woman in her late thirties. She has a pale complexion, wavy blond hair worn long, and gray eyes. "That's Madison Hunt, your last girlfriend who is nowhere to be found after she broke up with you. Maybe ... you couldn't handle her decision, maybe she found out what's your little, dirty secret and told you to turn yourself in or she'll go and drop a dime on you. That was something you couldn't let happen and killed her in the heat of passion?"

I have to admit, she furnish him a fit occasion. Now he simply has to take the bait.

O'Keefe leans towards her and snarls at her, "I have no fucking idea where Madison Hunt is and it wasn't her who broke up."

Nina doesn't flinch and keeps his eyes, and I'm impressed.

I take a deep breath. "That's a matter of interpretation, Taylor. I mean, by murdering the woman who ditched you, you made sure she can't be with someone else anymore. That you're the last person who had her in every way. That was your intention, wasn't it? To make sure that nine one else could have them after you, and did make sure that those women are aware of the fact that they won't make it out of the cottage alive and that the last thing they've seen was your face, right?" I pause for a moment and can tell that he's about to lose his steely composure that's why I keep pushing. I want him to lose it. "Is that what triggers your bloodlust? Being ditched by a woman who refuse to bow to you? Who is the equal of you, or even better than you?"

This time O'Keefe is clenching his jaw and I see something in his eyes that is frightening even me. He looks at me like he's about to rip my throat open with his bare teeth, but then he's relaxing again. "Why don't you compare this woman's DNA with Madison's to understand that this cadaver is not my ex-girlfriend?"

Now it's my turn to smile and I wiggle my brows. "You know, we had the same thought, Taylor. That's why we dropped by Madison's last known address. The funny thing is that she was gone and her apartment empty, actually someone made a clean sweep. There was no furnitures, no toothbrush, no hairbrush, no hair in the shower's drain, not even skin scales on the carpet in the bedroom which is extremely extraordinary. I mean, no one can be that thorough. But you," I pause again and lean back in my chair. "All of us know that you're a stickler for order that's what it made it so hard for us to get you. You almost committed the perfect murder." I adulate him and can see that he's enjoying it immensely. I want to wipe the smug smile off his face but don't do so. Not literally. "Almost." I am emphatic about the word and his smile drops. "If you'd have committed the perfect murder you wouldn't be sitting here, handcuffed and dressed in a orange jumpsuit, in ad seg."

O'Keefe's face is dark and he tries to free his hands from the cuffs, in vain. I learned very early not to provoke an animal that is cornered, but I won't stop now so I can lure his true nature out, the monster he actually is. His facial muscles are twitching and his nostrils are fluttering like he's trying to keep his true nature hidden inside. My method is working, I've never seen him so indignant like now. It seems like I twisted the knife. It's time to come to an end for now. "Is that why you abducted Dr. Isles? Because she was seeing through your game?"

His smug complacency is back and I know that I've made a mistake, I've been playing my cards close to my chest. "So this is what's about?" He replies and stretches his back. "The dear Dr. Maura Isles?"

I want to to break his teeth because of the way he smears her name by saying it, and I have to suppress the urge. "That's one of the reasons why you're here today." I admit but don't tell him that it's the main reason.

O'Keefe shifts in his seat and smiles at me. "What do you wanna know? How I pranked you? How I convinced her that you don't come for her? How she was about to give up entirely? How she begged me to killer her quickly?"

This time I can't hide my clenched jaw and I'm glad that I hide my hands under the table so he can't see how I clench them so tight into fists that my knuckles turn white. "Why don't you start with why you've chosen Dr. Isles?"

O'Keefe laughs and shrugs. "Because I was able to prank her as well. I mean, she and I went to lunch frequently before she figured out who I actually am. It was fun, though. Doing all the things I've done right in front of the famous Dr. Isles who was completely clueless. Actually she told me a lot of the progress you've been making." He stops and sighs dramatically. "I have to tell you, Detective Rizzoli, Maura was very desperate to make a new friend."

"Jane," Nina whispers. Seems like she can sense that I'm about to jump over the table and beat the shit out of him. It's true, though. He lured Maura into his trap by pretending to be a forensic scientist in the state Washington and unfortunately there was a forensic conference during O'Keefe's murder spree which Maura has attended. Probably the last one of her career. She told me about this smart guy from Washington and I was glad she found someone who was as impassioned as she was. Though I've never met him in person, until the day we arrested him. That was another elephant in the room.

He leans forward again and his eyes are slandering. "I have to admit, she's a very strong-minded woman and took some afford to convince her that you're not looking for her. Some faked newspaper clippings and articles in news apps which said that you're drop the investigation and that you're explaining Maura's absence because she's overworked made her believe that you're not out there for her. But I have to admit, I was very angry with her the day she tried to run. I didn't see that coming."

I am fighting with my inner self. I didn't understand why Maura was hating me even though all of us told her that we've been doing our very best to get her as fast as possible, which was not easy with a opponent like Taylor O'Keefe. Now I understand why she didn't believe any of the things I told her. He has been playing with her mind, he manipulated her in all kind of ways. I want to beat the shit out of him, strangle him with my bare hands and smash his head against the floor. Instead I ask with a steady voice. "Why didn't you kill her after she tried to run from you?"

He looks long at me and his eyes become unfocused.

Now it dawns to me. "You couldn't kill Dr. Isles, could you. You're a monster but you are no child murderer. You didn't know that she was pregnant until she told you but then it was already too late." I wait and watch how he starts to chew on the inside of his cheek and how he's swallowing hard. That's my chance to gain control again. "You didn't know until the moment she begged you to kill her quick, she told you that she was pregnant and that the baby's death would be on your conscience. Why are you able to kill grown women but no child? Is it because of your mother? Did she killed a baby? Did your mother abort your sibling? Is she the reason why your angry at every single woman in your life? You wanted to be the big brother and she took the chance from you and then your parents sent you to a boarding school in Switzerland, as far away as possible. She knew that there was something wrong with you and hoped that the Swiss school would help you in every way it could but it wasn't enough cuz the damage was already done. And your father didn't care about you at all because of the same reason. He knew that your a monster."

"I never harmed a fucking animal!" O'Keefe yells for the first time and I know that I got into his mind. He tries to tear his chains and knocks his chair over at the attempt. "I would have never hurt my brother! She was wrong! I would have been a great brother! That bitch said that I'm a psycho!"

I look at Nina and both of us get up from our chairs without saying a word, and a heavily armed officer pushes O'Keefe into a corner, face to the wall. I got what I need, I've shown who Taylor O'Keefe is for real, the real Taylor, not the man he pretentious to be.

He's fighting the officer without any chance to win the struggle. "My mother took the chance from me to become a better person!"

I stop at the door and turn to him with furrowed brows. "No, she didn't. You've chosen who you are. Your mother had a reason why she made this decision. Maybe she has seen what you're nature is and wanted to pretend society. Otherwise there would be two of you!"

He's howling like a animal in captivity and I follow Nina out of the interrogation room. As soon as the door is closed I shut my eyes. I can't believe that I said something like that, that I even thought that, but O'Keefe is getting the best of me and the world actually doesn't need two of them. I had the suspicion that his mother was the trigger but I never said it out loud because I was struggling with my very own private life. Doubted my abilities as a detective and my abilities as a family person. Now I know that it wasn't completely my fault and that I did everything humanly possible to find Maura before O'Keefe killed her. Unless she left before the end. I don't want to think of it. We recorded it and she can watch it if it's necessary. I hear a door open and close again and open my eyes as soon as someone takes the folder from my hands. I look confused at her and follow her line of sight only to spot Maura standing at the door to the observation room, shaking and crying, and Korsak right behind her. I take three long strides and stand in front of her, wrapping her in a tight embrace and she buries her face in my shoulder, sobbing hard like there is a revelation. The revelation that she's been fooled and manipulated, that O'Keefe tricked her brain and that all of us had been looking for her frantically, incessantly.

I close my eyes and it's hard to keep my own tears at bay. Now we know why he has chosen her, because he was capable to lead her to believe that he was a scientist just like her. He used her passion against her and lured her into a trap. Now she knows that it wasn't her fault. On the contrary, O'Keefe is such a good actor, even I'd believe he'd be a cop if he would have tried to life me into a trap. Perhaps I'd have become suspicious, but then it also would have been too late. And who knows how that sorry would have ended. Probably with Maura burying me and raising our child on her own, which would have broken her just as much as she is right now. So I think.

I meet Korsak's worried eyes and nod. "It's okay. We'll be okay."

He understands and thrusts his chin to the elevator. "Go home, I'll talk to Cavanaugh. He will understand."

I wrap my arm tight around Maura's waist like I'm trying to protect her from all harm and sigh. "Thanks, Vince." I look at Nina. "And thank you, Holiday."

She smiles broadly at me but her eyes are sad. "Anytime, Jane."

I nod and lead Maura to the elevator.