Author Notes: I apologise that it's taken me a while to get back to this story - there should be two more chapters after this one, and now that I have a firm plan right though to the end, I should be able to complete it.

The two women sat in front of her with tears streaming down their faces. Neither of them knew what had happened to Alice after she left the club and Jane believed them. Despite Alice's sister's opinion that they were not good friends, Jane wasn't so sure she believed her.

"When was the last time you saw her?" she asked.

"About one," Simone said. It took everything in her self control for Jane to look into her eyes and not at the numbers changing above her head.

"It was one oh seven exactly," Elle said, running a hand through her auburn hair. "I have regular medication, I was a little late because I was talking to a man at the bar. I checked the time before I took my pill. That's when I saw her leave."

Whatever her medical condition, it certainly gave her less years to live than her friend. Jane gritted her teeth to stop herself from commenting on it. "Was she with anyone?"

Elle shook her head. "Nobody. She headed for the exit. I assumed she was going out for a smoke."

"Can you tell me about this man?" Jane asked, handing over a photograph. The absence of numbers didn't escape her notice. Perhaps they had to be living and breathing in front of her to show.

"That's Jason," Simone said. "He's in a band with my brother. They were playing at the club. He and Alice have been friends for a while."

"Where was he when Alice left?"

"He was back up on stage," Simone said. "They did a set when we arrived, then started back up again just after one."

Jane placed the photograph back in the folder and took out another one. It had taken the crime techs hours to get something from the blackened image. They were lucky to find a working CCTV camera at all. She passed it to them.

"This is further CCTV footage taken from across the street. It's difficult to see because it's so dark, but can you see the man?"

"Is that the stalker?" Elle asked, placing a hand over her mouth. Simone nodded.

"Stalker?"

"Alice had a stalker." Simone sat forwards, as though what she was saying was somehow more confidential than everything else. She lowered her voice. "Some creepy guy at work who follows her around and sends her weird messages."

"What kind of weird messages?"

Simone took her cell phone from her pocket and scrolled through her messages. She handed the phone to Jane. "Alice sent me this last week. He's been hanging around like a bad smell for months since she started working at Peterson and Peterson."

"Got this message, he's fucking creeping me out. 'Alice, why won't you talk to me? I need to see you. I need to feel your beautiful face in my hands.' I don't know what to do. He's scaring me." Jane's eyebrows creased. "Did she do anything?"

"We kept telling her to go to the cops, but she refused," Elle said.

"Do you know the name of the guy?"

"Tony Scott," Simone said. "He's an accountant at the firm."

Jane stood up and dialled BPD on her cell phone. When Nina picked up she filled her in on what she'd found out.

"I think we need a detail on Alice's hospital room. Get uniform on it, I'll drop by this afternoon."

x

Korsak sat in his hospital bed looking healthier than Jane had seen him for a while. She clung to his hand. He meant the world to her. The relief that settled in when she saw his numbers still fighting fit well above their previous rate calmed her somewhat.

"You solved the case yet?" Korsak asked, placing a music magazine down on the cabinet beside his bed.

"Not yet," she said. "We've got a few leads."

"Care to share?"

"No," Jane said, shaking her head. "You need to focus on staying well."

He sighed as he sat back against the pillows. "I'm bored, Jane. I'm supposed to be out there fighting crime, not in a hospital bed withering away."

"You, wither?" Jane scoffed. "You had a heart attack. But they fixed you up and now you need to recover so you don't have another one."

"How are you?" Korsak asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm okay," she said. "You'll be pleased to know I haven't had a drink for a couple of days."

He pulled her hand up and wrapped his fingers around it. She smiled. Korsak held their hands between them as he stared at her. She narrowed her eyes briefly.

"What?" she asked.

"Don't ruin your life over one case," he said. "You're a better cop than that. You've seen tougher cases; you've dealt with harder things. He was a kid, and it sucks, but you have to move on and fight another battle."

"I'll be fine, Korsak," she said.

"You better be. I don't want to come back to work if you're getting fired for drinking on the job. It would be a waste of a good cop, and it'd be a waste of a good person."

She wiped at her cheek and cleared her throat. "Thanks, Korsak."

On her way out of the room, Jane saw Maura walking along the corridor. She pulled her into an embrace, her eyes fixed on the numbers still ticking down. They only had a couple of days left and Jane didn't know how she was going to save her. She didn't know why she needed saving in the first place. What changed? Maura saved Alice's life only for her own countdown to drop.

"Are you feeling okay?" Jane asked, in an attempt to cover all bases.

"I'm fine," Maura said. "I went for a medical, mostly to appease your worries. Clean bill of health."

"Oh."

Jane cleared her throat in an attempt to disguise the disappointment she felt. Despite not wanting anything to be wrong with Maura, at least if it was a medical issue then they could deal with it effectively. Now they were back to square one and the numbers were not increasing.

"I was going to see Korsak, but if you've just been to see him, I'll wait a while."

"He'd love to see you," Jane said.

"Where are you going?"

"Upstairs to see Alice."

"I'll walk with you."

The steady pace they took through the hospital gave Jane plenty of opportunity to stare at the numbers above Maura's head. She hated the situation she was in. How could she save Maura if she didn't really know what she was saving her from? How could she save her if every time she looked at her head, Maura would look confused? Outside Alice's hospital room, Jane offered to take over from the uniformed office for ten minutes.

"Are you any closer to figuring out what happened?" Maura asked, glancing through the glass at Alice, unconscious in the hospital bed.

"Not really." Jane stood beside Maura, her eyes fixed on their victim. She folded her arms across her chest. "We still don't know if she's going to wake up."

"The doctors were really optimistic when I spoke to them yesterday," Maura said. "They just don't know if there will be any permanent brain injury."

"That's what I'm worried about," Jane said. "If she could wake up and tell us what happened then we could solve this case. The chance of that happening is slim."

"Are you the officers looking after the patient?"

Jane turned to a man in a white coat. He stood with his hands in his pockets, a badge on his lapel, and a shirt and tie underneath. She nodded.

"I need to check on the patient."

"Go right ahead," she said, motioning towards the door.

Then she turned back to Maura who stared at the man, her eyes fixed on him.

"I don't think he's a doctor," Maura said.

"What?" Jane stared at him through the glass. He moved around Alice's body and checked her file.

"They banned doctors from wearing neckties in this hospital last year, they can spread disease. Even if he was on a temporary assignment here, he would have to follow hospital protocol."

In the distraction of Maura's observation, the blinds had been closed. Jane rushed to the door, which had somehow been locked or forced shut.

"Get security," Jane shouted, and Maura ran off down the corridor towards the nurse's station. Jane turned to her side and thrust her shoulder into the door frame. It barely moved. She tried again, but the door wouldn't budge. She lifted her foot up in the air ready to slam it down on the door. "Stay away from the door, I don't want to hurt you."

The wood splintered and the door swung open. Jane rushed into the room and grasped the back of the man's hospital jacket. She ripped off his badge – it didn't even carry the hospital logo. She turned him around and pushed him up against the wall as she cuffed him.

"You can't fool me that easily," she said.

"I just wanted to talk to her," he said. "I love her."

"I don't think she loves you, buddy," Jane said, pushing him out the door.

x

Jane opened the box of pizza and placed in on the table. She tried to focus on their celebratory meal, but the numbers still dangerously low above Maura's head were bothering her. Taking Tony Scott into custody should have resolved the issue. She hoped it would, anyway. Her countdown not changing worried her. What if she was wrong? What if that wasn't the threat to Maura's life?

"Do you really think Alice has a chance of recovering?" Jane asked, sitting down and grabbing a slice of pizza.

"I do," Maura said. "She's young. It depends on the severity of damage, but I think she has a fighting chance. I spoke to her doctor earlier and her brain is showing signs of strong activity."

"I hope so," Jane said. "She doesn't deserve to have her life ruined by that creep."

"I don't know how he thought he would get away with breaking into her hospital room." Maura cut into a slice and pizza with a knife and fork.

Raising an eyebrow, Jane stared at Maura, utilising the brief moment to look again at her number. She hoped the change was merely delayed, yet previously they'd changed instantaneously. She sighed and stuffed the rest of her slice into her mouth.

"You don't eat pizza with cutlery," Jane said, the words a jumble through her half chewed mouthful.

"I will eat it with a knife and fork if I please," Maura said, her lips curved at the edges. She stood up and took a plate out of the refrigerator, and carried a cheese grater across to the table.

"The pizza doesn't need anymore cheese, Maur," Jane said, swallowing her mouthful. She washed it down with a swig of beer.

"I beg to differ." She finely grated some parmesan onto her slice of pizza and continued to eat.

"Parmesan is for pasta," Jane said. "Oil is for pizza. Don't destroy my heritage."

Maura chuckled. "Your heritage? Aside from eating Angela's spaghetti and American pizza you poo poo anything to do with your heritage that she suggests."

"But Pizza is sacred."

"Have you ever tried it with parmesan?"

"No."

"Then how can you judge?"

"Fine," Jane said, placing a slice of pizza on her plate and pushing it towards Maura. "Hit me up."

She grated some cheese on top of it. Jane took a bite, her eyes moving from one side to the other in quiet contemplation. She chewed and swallowed, then took another bite.

"Well?"

"You are a fucking genius, Maur," Jane said.

"Told you."

Halfway through another bite, Jane's cell phone rang. She swallowed and lifted the phone to her ear. "Evening Nina, what's up?"

The hairs on the back of Jane's neck stood on end. She hung up the phone after a brief exchange and placed it on the table. She lifted another slice of pizza and grated some parmesan on top.

"What's wrong?" Maura asked.

"He's out," she said, nibbling the end of her pizza.

"Tony Scott?"

"The DNA doesn't match, we have no reason to hold him," Jane said. "I was so sure it would be him. I was so sure that he was our guy."

"Then we'll just have to find the evidence to prove it," Maura said.

"I'm not sure there is any. He's a creepy stalker, but is he a creepy stalker who tried to murder her?"

"Maybe."

"Who else could it be? She went to the club with her friends, they danced, drank, laughed. She chatted to a friend who went back on stage to perform when she left, and then she turned up in the garbage. What are we missing?"

"Could the musician be involved?" Maura asked, pouring herself another glass of wine.

"I don't think so," Jane said. "He was on stage for a couple hours after she left. Alice's friend could vouch for that, the owner of the club confirmed they were booked to play until three."

"There must be someone else." Maura placed her glass on the table. "Are the friends trustworthy? You said the sister didn't like them."

"I didn't get any vibes," Jane said. "They seemed like friendly girls who like to have a good time."

"Is it worth talking to them again?"

"I could try."

An hour later Jane sat on Maura's couch, her arms draped across Maura's ankles as they watched a movie. The room was dark and she felt herself drifting off. The lack of sleep over the last few days was catching up with her. She turned to Maura, to tell her she was going to head off, but her eyes were closed and her bottom lip moved as she breathed out.

"Maybe I'll stay here," Jane whispered. She lifted Maura's feet and slid out from under them. She pulled the blanket Maura kept on a chair over her and ran a hand across her cheek. She passed her fingers through the numbers above her head. Time was ticking and she was no closer to figuring this thing out. Maybe Tony Scott was still the risk, but how would she know? What if she was following a red herring? She pressed her lips to Maura's forehead and went up to the spare room. She couldn't bear the thought of sleeping in a chair for another night.