Hell

By Simahoyo

(Takes place right after "Burning Down the House". Maura's personal week from hell continues

this is technically a crossover, since I borrowed Jordan Cavanaugh as Maura's boss. CJ Fans, this is based on the season ender for Rizzoli and Isles. Jordan is still Jordan, but has matured and is the County Coroner in Boston. Maura Isles is the chief Medical Examiner for the Boston police) A/N Thanks to my Beta, JoBethMegAmy.,my homegirls

Maura's eyes were swollen and red with crying, but she still couldn't stop She was having trouble breathing. She had hidden here, away from her mother's hospital room, waiting for her father to fly in. She really didn't want them to see her–to ask why she couldn't stop crying, and what a mess she had made of everything. She never noticed the figure standing, leaning against the wall–arms folded.

"You look like hell."

Maura jerked then turned to see Chief Coroner Jordan Cavenaugh looking at her.

"Thanks. Why are you here?"

"I'm here because when I hired you, I thought I was getting an ME with some sense, who wouldn't let emotion get in her way. A genius, who would never do the same damn stupid stuff I did when I was your age. Starting now, you are taking a leave of absence until this whole mess is cleared up. You will meet me in my office tomorrow at 11:00 AM. Got that?"

Jordan moved closer with every phrase.

Maura was so shocked she just nodded.

"I'm sorry about your mother. How is she doing?", Now Jordan was squatting next to her chair.

Maura wiped her eyes, trying to pull herself together. "She's hanging on. My dad is flying in any time now."

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened to her, and the timing stinks, but honestly, I don't quite know what to do with you. You'd better hit the lady's room. Get some cold water on your eyes.

In my office at eleven."

Jordan stood up and walked out, leaving a very nervous Maura to wash her eyes, and return to her mother's room.

/

Maura fell asleep in the chair next to the hospital bed. She felt someone put a blanket over her, and opened one eye to see her Dad standing there.

"Daddy. Hi."

He hugged her, then turned to his wife. He touched her face. She opened her eyes, and gave the special smile she reserved just for him.

"Hi Benny Harbor."

The silly nickname used to make Maura wince when she was a teenager. Now she was happy to hear it. It meant her mother was much better than she had been the day before. Maybe something would go well this week. She watched her parents whispering, and cuddling, as well as they could under the circumstances. It brought the first smile to her lips from that whole week. She loved them, and loved watching them. It gave her hope for her own future. Then she gagged on the word, "hope."

"Kiddo, are you okay?"

"I'm just glad you're here. I missed you, Daddy."

"You need to sleep. We'll have our little talk, and I'll stick around so you can go home and get some Z's." He turned back to his wife and kissed her. "Is that okay with you, Connie?"

"Yes. I'll be waiting right here."

My God, her mother was joking. Constance was reacting really well to Maura's father's presence.

She really needed his magic to rub off on her own situation. Magic? Now she was reverting to a little kid. This was too much for Maura. She felt herself slipping back to the little girl who knew Daddy would fix everything. And that's who followed him down the hall to a quiet corner.

/

Maura threw her arms around her father, and the tears came again."Oh Daddy, you are going to be so disappointed. I made the biggest mess of everything. My boss ordered me to be in her office tomorrow. I expect to be fired..."

"Whoa, Stop, stop. I can't follow you. Slow down and start at the beginning. Sit down, and take a breath."

They sat. Maura took a deep breath, and started..."Remember when we watched that documentary together about adoptees finding their birth parents. I saw you look worried, and I couldn't tell you I've been desperate to find out about my birth parents–not because I don't love you both, but there's a hole inside. So, when I saw a DNA sequence that closely matched mine, I did the research and found out who my birth father was."

He was smart enough to just nod, but Maura could tell he was really worried. She squeezed his hand, and went on.

"He turned out to be a murderer, and a member of the Irish mob. I was scared. I thought there might be something in me–a dark place like that. I mean I like cutting up dead people."

She shivered. Her father hugged her, then went back to listening mode.

Maura took a deep breath and went on " Then he started showing up in my life. He helped me sometimes, broke down my door–well, his bodyguard did that, and made me patch him up. He spent a long time there. He told me I could meet my mother. That I'd like her. I needed to know who she is. I was desperate to keep his relationship to me a secret..."

"God, you work for the police. That could touch so many cases..." His grey eyes bored into hers.

"I never did any autopsy when he might have been involved. And everything seemed to be working until this week."

"What happened, besides your mother's accident?"

"It wasn't an accident. Someone tried to run me down, and she saved me."

"Good Lord, Maura. Who tried to hurt you?" he demanded. He stood up, looking around as if to protect her right then and there.

"An arsonist. I found out more than he wanted. So he tried to kill me. Mom was in the hospital, I was scared to death for her, and we decided to draw him out using me as bait."

"We? This sounds like one of your little truth dodges. Was,'we' really you?"

Maura blew out a breath. "You always know. Yes, it was my idea, but I didn't plan on two things–Jane's FBI boyfriend was looking for my birth father, who, of course, showed up trying to protect me."

"This is messy as hell. So your birth father–the mob guy, showed up to protect you from...?"

"The arsonist. And he did try to kill me."

Her father's hands went to his head. "This is giving me a migraine. The arsonist tried to kill you?"

"Yes. And Jane's boyfriend, Agent Dean, was trying to capture my birth father. So he followed her there."

"Followed Jane?"

"I think so. It's a little hard to ask him."

"This feels like an Abbott and Costello routine." He shook his head. "Go on Maura."

"The arsonist had a gun on me, Paddy Doyle shot him, Agent Dean shot at Paddy Doyle, who killed Agent Dean, and Jane killed Doyle. There you have it, my week from hell."

He just sat there, quiet, then his eyes filled with tears. He didn't let them spill over–but he was wrestling with his emotions. He reached out and took her hands in his.

"No wonder you sounded so bad on the phone. I thought it was just worry over your mother..."

"Now I hate my former best friend, she hates me because Agent Dean is dead. I could lose my job and medical license...and I will never find out who my birth mother is."

"I'm going to resist the temptation to play the hero, and tell you how to fix this, because I'll be damned it I can figure it out. Maybe start with the living people?"

Maura gave him a weak smile. It was her mess. She had hurt his feelings, she could tell, but there he was, trying to help her just because he loved her.

"You may have noticed, over the years, that I have a temper."

He registered mock surprise and horror. "No! Really?"

"I said things to Jane–horrible things. Worse than before I took the anger management class. I didn't swear, I went beyond it. Straight to the truth–but only the meanest, nastiest things. I held nothing back. I think I broke her spirit. "

He just sat there and looked at her. Disappointment was written all over his face. Maura looked down because she couldn't face him. Then she sobbed. Not that she planned to. This was all so wrong. She felt his hand covering hers. She looked up again.

"How do you unbreak a spirit?", she asked.

End chapter 1