Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that are from the TV series or the books, apart from the characters that I make up.

Operation Isles

The Voice

After Jane got hold off her senses and surroundings again she realised that she must've passed out in the arms of her former partner. She was sitting in a chair leaning against the older man's shoulder and as she looked through the window it appeared to be late at night, the dark sky was dotted with specks of stars. She shook her head slowly to get rid of the cloudiness and looked around to see that the dead patient's body was no longer in the room and his blood was scrubbed clean.

Jane looked over to see that Frost and some other uniforms were taking statements from the eye witnesses. She knew the protocol and expected Frost to come over to her after for hers.

Jane's clouded mind seemed to remember something as panic etched it's way back into her body. She whipped her head round and swiftly stood up and saw that the space that Maura took was as empty as the patient's. Blooded floor also scrubbed clean. Korsak sensed the woman's panic and gently placed a hand on her arm, standing up next to her.

"It's good news, Jane. I've heard she's fine and they just gave her some blood and cleaned up the wound, the bullet thankfully missed the main artery in the neck, it looked worse than it was." Korsak's words helped to calm the panic stricken woman.

"You did good, Jane. She's a strong woman, saved that young nurse by pushing her out the way like you did to her, I hear she's awake now if you want to go see h-" Korsak's voice was interrupted by an intercom tone being heard all throughout the hospital.

The voice that suddenly rang against the walls and down the corridors into everyone's ears sent a horror filled shiver ripple through the two detective's bodies and Jane's. Jane was frozen to the spot, not moving a muscle, not believing her ears.

"Ohhh Jaaannie... Missed me? I bet you did. I was thinking about you, well I always think about you. You're all I think about. Your soft skin, the feel and sound of it breaking as I pierced it with those nails I found-" There was gasps of horror throughout the entire hospital as the residents heard the slow words; the three former partners hung on to the voice's every syllable

"I want to see the colour of your blood again, Janie. I've almost forgot what it looks like, what it feels like. You're a Lieutenant now I've heard. How was being amongst all that blood, I would love for you to describe it for me. Soon you will be able to. But did being out there make you forget lil old me? I bet you lie and think about the way I hovered over you while your father watched, screaming-" Jane suddenly came to life at those words, she shot off, Korsak and Frost in tow.

"How did it feel to see the blood pour out of your father's chest due to the bullet I shot? Did the blood look as appealing to you as it did me? You're just like me, Jane-" The three tore down the corridors, seeing that everyone was standing listening to the man's twisted words as they laid eyes on the topic of his speech.

"You can't deny that a tiny bit of you deep down liked the look of your daddy's blood. That's the reason you were so good at you job out in the desert wasn't it? You enjoyed the sight of blood, just like me. I heard that you were torn out of your paradise by an attack on this very hospital, isn't that right? You must've realised at one point, maybe subconsciously, that all the victims were married or in a relationship. Why is this important?-" Jane's legs suddenly faltered at the realisation, she knew something was off with the attack. Then it hit her.

The bodies weren't shot, like people expected. Their necks were sliced cleanly open. The way Hoyt killed the men in the couple after making them watch him rape their partners.

"Putting two and two together, Jane? It was tricky getting their partners here, but I made sure to make a distraction so you see I've made myself a few apprentices who were more than happy to make a ruckus, allowing me and those lovely women to sneak in and into that room filled with all those husbands. One of my favourite thing to do, as you know, is to place a tea cup on the man's knee so I have a fair warning when he feels brave enough to move-" Jane realised that nobody would second look a fallen tea cup in a recovery unit as the patients were frequently given tea and coffee and therefore it wasn't recorded in the files for the attack.

"You're probably wondering why there wasn't any sign of the women, well you're in luck, because I'm going to tell you, Janie. I took them, you see. I didn't want to give it away so quickly, because I know how good of a detective you are. Well 'were'-" The intercom speakers were filled with a spine-chilling and taunting laughter. Jane found herself and carried on her sprint, shaking Korsak and Frost into action.

"I planned this all, Janie. All of this was for you. I want to see you again. Well I want to see you scream out again. See you very soon, Janie."

At that a shrieking shrill noise erupted throughout the speakers forcing hands over ears from the hospital population. Jane ran through it, desperate to get there in time.

As they burst through the doors to the room where the intercom was held, it was empty, a window laid open wide and Jane ordered Frost to fetch some uniforms to search the areas around the hospital.

Jane suddenly felt her legs give way, it finally hit her, Hoyt had been right here. Right here.

"I failed Maura, Korsak, just like I failed my Pa-" Jane's voice broke and she grabbed onto the nearest surface to stop her falling down.

"That wasn't anyone's fault but that monster's, Jane. And this wasn't any different. That patient may have been confused but instead of thinking he turned to anger, you gave him the choice to put his gun down from the sounds of things and he chose to ignore you." Korsak tried to speak sense into the emotionally exhausted woman.

"Yeah and that patient is dead and... H-Hoyt is still out there." Jane's words came out at almost a whimper.

"Hoyt is gone now, he wouldn't come back here so soon." Korsak wished they weren't talking about this when they were both emotionally shaken, but Jane needed to hear it.

"You don't get it, do you? He's never gone, never has been. He's always here-" Jane angrily pointed to her head, "-in my head, tormenting me and I bet he sat in his nice cell knowing he has this hold on me. You know why he didn't kill me right there, with my Pa? Why he just left me with these?" Jane pointed to her scars on her palms and waited for a reply. When she didn't get one she continued.

"Because he marked me. He marked me, the sonofabitch. He wanted to take his time with me and I guess you ruined that by interrupting him. He didn't want to just quickly kill me like my Pa. No he wants to take his time. And he wants me to suffer. This is what he wants, Korsak! He wants me to sit and worry and wake up from the nightmares, reaching for something to protect me. He wants me to think about him every time that I look down at my own fucking hands! I can't do this anymore, Korsak. I can't let him keep his iron grip on me anymore. This needs to end!"

"What do you plan to do, Jane? Do you want to go chase him, hunt him down and kill him? Is that what you want?" Korsak was losing his calm character as the memories of that night came rushing back to him, forcing anger out of the usually tranquil man.

"I don't know, Korsak! All I know is this needs to stop! I shouldn't have come back here, I shouldn't have left the field. That was one place he couldn't reach me! There were more nightmares stopping his!" Jane angrily wiped away a traitorous tear.

"Now, you listen here. Detective Jane Rizzoli. I won't allow you to run anymore, you have spent all your life running away from that man. You know what?...You're a coward if you think that the only way to win is to run. And I know you Jane and you are anything but a coward!" Korsak was physically shaking now. They had all missed Jane deeply for the past six years as she came and went whenever she liked. They all hated not knowing if she was safe and alive.

Jane was taken aback by Korsak's speech and tone. He had never shouted at her and had never directed any sort of anger towards her.

"I ain't no detective, anymore." Jane whispered, looking down at the ground, similar to a child that had been scorned by their parent.

"You're wrong there, Jane. You never stopped being one. And you never stopped being our partner." Both Korsak and Jane were surprised to find that Frost was standing there and as his words sunk in Jane managed to make eye contact with her former partners.

After what felt like an eternity, Jane finally nodded at the two detectives and gave them a small smile, they then started to search the room.

Almost instantly three pairs of eyes fell on the note stuck to the intercom microphone, that they hadn't noticed when they came in. It simply read:

Jane,

Say hello to Maura for me.

Charles Hoyt

All three of them failed to hesitate as for the second time they shot off.

The hospital still seemed to be in shock from the twisted words of the unknown man, but panic grew as the staff and a few patients were shoved out the way by three determined people.

Jane wasn't sure what condition Maura would be in after that much blood loss, but the Lieutenant did not expect Maura to be standing up warily and seemingly making her way to the door.

At the sight of Maura conscious, Jane's whole body was sent into a sense of relief as she seemed to finally let out a breath.

At seeing the doctor, both Frost and Korsak breathed out in relief too.

"I'm glad to see you're okay, Doc." Korsak finally spoke out.

"Yeah, I'm glad too, you gave us all a scare, Maura." Frost followed the sentiment with his own.

Maura only glanced quickly at the two detectives out of instinct politeness, but as soon as she could, her eyes fell on Jane's.

Seeing that the two women needed some time, Korsak and Frost told Jane they would be outside, waiting for her, getting only a nod of acknowledgement the men scurried out the room.

"Maura..." Jane's whisper was barely heard, but followed with Maura's own, containing Jane's name.

The two woman seemed to stand there with their eyes' trained on the other's.

Maura wasn't sure what Jane was going to say, she had an idea, but what fell out of the Lieutenant's lips shocked her into holding her breath.

"I'm sorry." Was all Jane said.

"You're sorry?" All Maura received was a nod from the woman across the room, who seemed to be looking intensively at the ground.

"Why ever are you sorry?" At this question from the doctor, Jane's head shot up almost angrily.

"Because I should've protected you, Maura! God, it kills me to see the bandage on your neck, to know it was my fault!"

Jane was in turmoil, it hadn't fully sunk in that Hoyt had been in that very building, bringing back all the memories, her failure. He was supposed to be in prison; in Boston!. And now Jane was faced with another failure, she was faced with the fact that she had failed at saving someone that she had a job to protect, not only because it was in her job description but because when her father was killed, Jane promised to herself that nobody that she cared about would come to any harm if she could prevent it.

And seeing that bandage was a hit to the face that she had broke her promise.

Jane suddenly realised that Maura hadn't tried to reassure her, saying that it wasn't her fault, but instead Maura was looking at Jane's hands, more specifically her scars. Before Jane could hide them in her pockets, Maura had moved with effort to stand in front of the Lieutenant, gently wrapping her hands around Jane's wrists. Jane tried to resist, but one look from Maura stopped her in her tracks. Maura wasn't disgusted or cowering in terror at her past that had been put out in the open for the whole hospital to know.

Jane looked at Maura's downcast eyes as the doctor, turned the former detective's hands over so the palm was facing the ceiling. Maura gently moved her hand down from the wrist of Jane's left hand to trace the rough scar tissue with the tips of her fingers. Jane was shocked to feel a gentle touch to something that represented pain.

Maura looked up to be met with Jane's intense gaze. What the doctor did next shocked the Lieutenant into stillness. Keeping her eyes trained on Jane's eyes, Maura lent down and placed a gentle kiss on the rough skin in the middle of Jane's palm, before letting it gently fall back to Jane's side.

Maura then moved over to Jane's right hand and followed her actions from the first by tracing the scar with her fingers and leaning down and planting a warm kiss to Jane's palm. However Maura didn't let Jane's right hand fall, instead she held it between her two hands.

Maura took a calming meditative breath before speaking, keeping her voice calm and quiet, not wanting to ruin the peace.

"Was it true what that man said?" Maura's voice seemed to be made of silk as it entered Jane's ears.

Jane inhaled sharply, but didn't pull away. Instead she lead Maura to the bed and they both sat down, hand still between Maura's.

"Yes. Every word. His name's Charles Hoyt. He should be in prison right now, but I guess he got out, obviously. Don't ask me how he got over here from Boston. The scary thing is that I'm somewhat relieved..." When Maura only looked at Jane and soothingly rubbed the back of her hand, Jane continued. "I mean for years all I had was my memory of that night and I dunno... I just it's just a relief to know it wasn't all in my head... that I wasn't going crazy."

Jane continued to replay the night's event to Maura, who patiently listened, her heart wrenching and the things Jane had to go through.

"-And then I looked at him, my father, and... something snapped. I-I couldn't keep the strong facade up and I was left broken. Only Korsak has seen me like that. It's a strange feeling, to feel the need to protect someone whose job it is to protect you, but I felt like I had failed him... you know?" Jane broke off her tear-choked retelling.

Maura's action on Jane's hands hadn't faltered throughout the entire account of that night and Jane was grateful for her silence to get herself back under control.

Once Maura thought Jane had calmed down enough, she spoke.

"That's why you think you failed me." It wasn't a question, it was an educated statement that Maura had assessed thoroughly before speaking it.

Jane only nodded and nothing else was said about. No, "it wasn't your fault" or "don't blame yourself".

"I guess in some way Hoyt was right, I somewhat relished in being in the midst of pain in the field, because I could relate to it. I had felt it and so had the people around me, in another form of the word, but they had still felt it."

The silence after that wasn't deafening or pressuring.

It was serenity.

Maura was the first to break the silence and what came out of her lips surprised the Lieutenant.

The three words Maura said were, "I forgive you." It wasn't said with a sense that Maura had blamed her in the first place, it was a way of letting Jane go from all the guilt. Saying she was forgiven for all her actions.

Jane had never respected anyone more than Maura in this moment, not even Korsak. This woman knew what to say where others failed, she knew how to calm the hot headed Lieutenant, she also knew how to rile her up when needed; at this thought Jane let out a small chuckle. At the happy sound Maura's eyes gleamed in relief and a genuine smile etched it's way on her face.

Jane suddenly sobered up when she saw Maura's smile. That smile.

Jane slowly lifted her left hand and at the serious intense look in Jane's eyes, the doctor's smile faded but it remained in her eyes.

Raising her hand to Maura's face, Jane slowly closed the contact with her fingertips and Maura's soft parted lips. Maura kept her eyes on the Lieutenant's focused eyes.

Jane traced the doctor's lips, memorizing the feel of them. The two of them hadn't spoken of the night of Jane's party, it seemed to feel like a lifetime ago, yet the event in the bathroom was clear in both women's minds. The feel of each other's lips on their own was burnt into their memory. Maura shivered at the memory of Jane's hands all over her body.

Jane slowly moved her hand to trace her fingertips along Maura's cheekbone and to finally cup her cheek gently. Jane moved her gaze to lock with the doctor's and leaning forward that gaze was only stopped by the closing of both women's eyes.

The closing of the distance between their lips came shortly after.

Their lips were barely touching, almost a whisper. It was chaste but just what they needed. It left them breathless, like their last kiss but for different reasons. This kiss wasn't about lust or primal need. This kiss was about comfort and reassurance. Neither woman needed the kiss to deepen and they were content in just the closeness and the feeling of giving themselves over to the other.

They both broke the kiss at the same time but didn't go far, instead they kept their eyes closed and leant their foreheads together, breathing in each others' air.

"You sure know how to keep me on my feet, Dr Isles." Jane whispered after a long time of silence.

They both softly chuckled at the comment and leant back, Maura still holding on to Jane's hand.

"Thank you." Was all Jane said. Was all Jane needed to say. Maura understood and accepted her, past and all. That was all Jane needed. Acceptance and comfort.

After sitting there for awhile, with Maura's head resting on Jane's shoulder, just revelling in each other's company and warmth, they were interrupted by the door bursting open.

On instinct, Jane put a protective arm around Maura and reached for her gun, yet it was all in vain.

Jane's hard face softened in realisation and relief as the intruder was revealed to be a panicked Angela.

"Janie! Are you okay? You're not hurt are you? Come here, I just got told and I was worrying all the way here." Angela ran over to her daughter and Maura, sensing that she was about to get in the way of a worried mother and her daughter, Maura distanced herself from Jane. Before Maura let go of Jane's hand, the Lieutenant noticed this and gripped the doctor's hand, indicating that she wasn't willing to lose that contact.

Before Jane could say a word, Angela had come over and grabbed her into a tight embrace.

"Ma, I'm okay now, just shaken up a bit." Angela had leant back from the hug and was grabbing Jane's face in her hands and was inspecting her closely. "I'm not hurt, Ma. I didn't even see a glimpse of him, just h-heard his voice. I'm better now... thanks to Maura." Jane finished her reassurance for her mother by looking over towards the doctor to her right, giving her a wide grin. Maura gave her one back in return, squeezing her hand and rubbing her thumb over Jane's knuckles.

At the doctor's name, Angela's attention moved from her daughter to the blonde next to her. Maura watched as Angela's gaze fell on Maura's neck where the bandage was. Before Maura could grasp hold of what Angela was going to do, the older woman had moved and was holding her in the exact same way as she had held her daughter. Maura was confused at the unexpected gesture, but soon found herself having tears fill her eyes. This hug reminded her of what she didn't have with her own mother, of what she missed out in her childhood. Blinking away the tears, Maura looked at Jane, who was looking at her with concern in her eyes, fully realising that Jane had seen those tears forming.

Angela pulled back and planted a kiss on Maura's cheek, which nearly brought back the tears in the doctor's eyes. Angela stood up straight and was about to speak, but then both women noticed a look of confusion enter the older woman's eyes.

"Wait, Jane. You said you didn't see the man, just heard his voice, but how could that be? You were the one who pushed Dr Isles out of the way, so you must've seen the man. The man who held that room hostage." Both Jane and Maura inhaled sharply.

Angela had only been told of the hostage situation but not about Hoyt.

"Ma, I need to tell you somethin-" Before Jane could finish her sentence, the door barged open and in came Frankie, Tommy, Korsak and Frost.

"Jane! We came as quickly as I could!" Frankie ran over to her and gave her a hug, with Tommy right behind him. Maura looked over at Angela who she still seemed confused, but as both her sons comforted their sister she had a look of motherly love for her children. Before she could analyse the women further, she was pulled into a quick hug from the two Rizzoli men.

"Erm, Jane?" They all looked at Frost. Swallowing a lump, Frost cleared his throat.

"We've had a call saying that there's been a murder not far from here that happened a few minutes ago. A neighbour heard the screams and called it in immediately." At Frost's words, Jane felt a pit form in her stomach.

"Jane, what is it?" Angela was more confused as to why Frost was telling Jane this as she wasn't a detective anymore. As she looked around, the whole room was looking at Jane with knowing expressions.

"His style?" Jane croaked out, looking at Frost with spaced out eyes, Maura grabbed her arm, scooting closer.

When Jane got a nod from both detectives, she let out a whimper and let her head drop into her hands.

"Janie, what's going on?" Angela didn't like to be the only one not knowing and she hated when her daughter was in this state. This was similar to when that evil man had... No it couldn't be. Angela looked at all the glum faces of the people in the room.

"Who's style? I swear to God if nobody tells me I'll-"

"Hoyt, Ma! He was here! He's followed me and now he's killed a couple and... that fucking bastard is taunting me! Goddammit!." Jane surged up off the bed, nearly knocking over a shocked Maura. Angela gasped loudly, tears in her eyes. Her husband's death flashing through her eyes. She grabbed onto the nearest chair and sunk down. Frankie ran over to her and held onto her hand.

"Frost. Korsak. I need in. I need to catch him. I'll sort something out with my commanding officers, I'll write them a letter or something, I'll have to think of something to say, but goddammit I just need in on this case." Jane looked right into her former partners eyes.

"Jane, I don't know if you can, you're a serving officer, you can't just-" Korsak started.

"I can help with that." Every head turned towards Maura's voice. "My father is the Chief of Defence Staff and is good friends with the head of police here in London. He also has strong links in homicide as well. I once worked as the Chief Medical Examiner, working alongside the homicide department, so I've made some contacts in that department too. With my father's help and my reputation, I'm sure we can get you in. But you would still need to keep up your work here at the hospital, on top of working on this case, as will I." Maura's speech forced a small smile on everyone's face.

"God, you wonderful genius." Realising what she just said, Jane cleared her throats, noticing a chuckle from the men in the room and a knowing smile from her ma. "But what do you mean, 'as will I'?" Everyone had picked up on that and Maura seemed unfazed as she stood up.

"Well, I'm joining you on this case, my expertise will come in handy and I hear the replacement that they got when I left is an arrogant man called Dr Pike and from what my memory recalls was that he is a bit of a dimwit and the quality of the reports have dwindled since I left.." Maura was thankful she kept spare clothes in her office so she could go to the crime scene in a blood-less blouse.

"And a humble genius too." At that joke from Jane, showing the people in the room that Jane was still herself, earned some laughs. "But, I wouldn't want you in harm's way, Maur. Hoyt knows about you, he wrote me a letter containing your name."

Maura raised her chin and looked at the Lieutenant defiantly. "I'll have you know, Lieutenant. My father made sure to have me trained in self defence and anyway, working as a temporary Chief Medical Examiner isn't in the line of fire. Also having you three strong people protecting me, I'll be sure looked after." Korsak, Frost and Tommy all shared a quiet chuckle at the doctor's confidence to go against Jane.

"Four." At Frankie's voice, everyone turned to him and became confused.

"It won't just be the three of them protecting you, Dr Isles. I will too. And before you try and stop me, Jane. He killed my pa too." Jane walked over and grabbed Frankie into a tight hug. Before Tommy could speak up, Jane turned to him and pointed her finger at him.

"Don't think about it, Tommy. I know you want to help and that he was your pa too, but you've been on the wrong side of the law too many times. Frankie's already in the police, that's the only reason why I'm even letting him do this." Tommy looked disappointed, but seemed to understand and got pulled into a hug from his older sister.

After awhile, Maura came back, looking much more like herself as she had changed into new clothes, put on some new expensive looking high heels, reapplied her makeup and somehow made her hair look perfect.

"I got in contact with my father and he was happy to arrange something. He called me back and everything seems to be in order. Jane and I, oh and Frankie of course, will be allowed to work on this case with the same equipment as Korsak and Frost and I will replace Dr Pike just for this case." They all thanked the blonde and Jane went up and grabbed her into a tight hug, confusing the room of people. Realising the hug was inappropriate for colleagues and getting too long to be appropriate for friends, Jane pulled away to Maura's disappointment.

Clearing his throat, Korsak delved into his pocket and pulled out something.

"Welcome back, Detective." Holding out his hand, Jane took the object out of his hand and looked down. Tears threatened to fall as she traced the gold coloured metal.

What she held in her hands was her badge.

A/N - I just wanted to say thank you to all the people who has reviewed and followed this story, also the people who have put this in their favourites. I love getting reviews and hearing your opinions so keep them up. And don't worry I have plans for this story :)