Chapter 17
Maura always woke before Jane did which gave her time to observe her while she slept. It was the only time when Jane was ever relaxed. Even when she appeared to be relaxed she wasn't, something was always in motion, whether it be the way her foot would bounce when she was onto something in a case, or the way her hands would move when she spoke. In sleep was the only time when Jane was ever really quiet and at peace. She leaned over and gently kissed her cheek as she jumped out of bed to start her morning routine. She entered the kitchen and hit the button on the coffee maker to start the coffee brewing. She leaned down and scratched Joe behind the ear. "Hello little one are you ready to go out." At the increased wagging of Joe's tail Maura opened the back door to let the dog out into her backyard. She walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a couple of strawberries for Bass and laid them in the corner in Bass' favorite spot. She refilled Joe's food bowl and the shared water bowl then poured herself a cup of coffee the prepared one just the way Jane liked hers. She went and opened the back door and Joe came running in and went straight for her food. "Just like your mother aren't you. Food always comes first." Maura smiled a secret smile. "Well, almost always." She took the cups of coffee and set Jane's down on the table by her side of the bed then headed for the bathroom.
Jane woke to an empty bed and started to pout until she smelled the coffee. "Well if I can't have the woman beside me at least she makes up for it with coffee." Jane took a sip of the still warm coffee and closed her eyes and smiled. "Ah the next best thing to sex in the morning."
"I'm glad you said the next best thing and not better than." Jane looked up at Maura as she leaned against the bedroom door frame drinking her own coffee.
"Oh man, you look good enough to eat." Maura laughed at the predatory look in Jane's eyes. "But I know if I start anything now we'd both be late for work because it would take you another hour to get back to where you are right now." Jane could only stare at Maura as she leaned her head against the doorframe and looked back at her. "God you are beautiful and tonight you are mine."
Maura walked over and got just close enough to lean over and give Jane a kiss. "Why don't you hop in the shower and breakfast will be done by the time you get downstairs."
"Good looks and she cooks too. What did I ever do to deserve you?" Jane climbed out of bed and wrapped her arms around Maura being careful not to wrinkle her clothes.
"I'm still trying to figure that one out myself." Maura said just as she broke free of Jane's embrace so she could run away. She actually squealed when she felt Jane swat her on the ass but she continued down the stairs to the kitchen laughing all the way. That was another thing she had never experienced in any other relationship. She laughed a lot with Jane, she'd never even realized she had this playful side until Jane brought it out.
She was still smiling when she felt a pair of arms around her waist. She turned her head and kissed Jane's cheek. "Something smells good, what are we having?" Jane reached around and grabbed a piece of bacon and popped it in her mouth. "Mmmm just the way I like it, crispy. You're too good to me."
"Yes I am and it's about time you realized that." Jane swatted her ass again as she reached up to get everything to set the small table they used in Maura's kitchen. "That's twice already this morning that you have hit me. Are you prone to abusing people in the morning?" She said it with a smile.
"Nope but when you display that oh so perfect ass in that skin tight skirt I can't help it. My hands just gravitate to it." She demonstrated by cupping her ass in her hands and sighing as if she had found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. "See it's a perfect fit."
Maura could not stop the groan that escaped her lips at the feel of Jane holding her flush against her front. "Jane we have to leave now or we will both be late. Can you save that thought for tonight?"
Jane gave Maura her patented smirk as she released her grip with regret. "That thought is constantly going through my mind so I'm quite sure I can conjure it up quite quickly this evening." Jane gave Maura a quick peck on the cheek as they both headed for the door to start their day. They shared a comfortable silence during their ride to the station and a heated kiss when they parted ways at the entrance to the morgue where Jane left Maura for the day.
Jane sat down at her desk and pulled a card from her pocket and made a quick phone call. "I want to talk to you."
"And good morning to you too Detective Rizzoli."
"I want a face to face to get some answers." She was pacing Back and forth when Frost and Korsak entered the squad room.
"I won't be available until later in the day, can you come by my office around 5:00 p.m. and I will try to give you those answers."
"Fine I'll see you then." She flipped her phone closed then turned to Frost and Korsak. "I'm sure you're both aware of the fact that Hoyt escaped yesterday. So now we not only have to contend with the apprentice but he has probably joined force with Hoyt."
"We can get you 24 hour protection to make sure he doesn't get anywhere near you." Korsak walked over to Jane as he spoke. He was sure how Jane was going to take it and he was ready to fight her if need be.
"Korsak, I'm a cop, if I can't take care of myself then I wouldn't be a very good cop now would I? I'm not going to make the same mistake twice and get hit over the head."
"I know that, I taught you well. You usually learn from your first mistake. But right now there are two of them out there trying to get you."
"Thanks for reminding me Korsak I let that slip my mind. Of course I know there are two of them and I will be on my guard for them. I will make sure to keep my eyes open. Will you keep an eye on Maura and make sure she stays safe?"
"Please don't go out there and do something I will regret and do not do anything that I will have to tell Maura about and face her wrath. She's almost as bad as you when she's mad. Be careful."
"I just have something I need to take care of this evening and then I'll be back." She grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair and headed down to the morgue to see Maura. She made her usual exuberant entrance through the doors and Maura looked up and smiled at her. Jane stopped in her tracks to take in the beauty before her. Once again she had to wonder what she had ever done to deserve her. She wasn't going to argue with the powers that be, she was just going to take advantage of her good fortune and love her to death.
"Earth to Jane." Maura had removed her gloves and walked toward Jane when she saw that she was still standing just inside the door but her face had gone blank. She stood on her tiptoes to give Jane a quick kiss to see if she could bring her back to reality. "Jane where did you go?"
Jane snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Maura. "You take my breath away do you know that?" Jane said in a voice filled with awe.
Maura could hardly breathe when she saw the love in Jane's eyes. "When you look at me like that you do a good job of taking my breath away too. I love you Jane Rizzoli?"
"And I love you Maura Isles." Jane took Maura's face gently between her hands and kissed her and hoped it conveyed all that she was feeling. "I am so totally in love with you."
"Oh Jane, I feel the same way. I think I have been in love with you from the first time I met you."
Jane smiled down at Maura. "Well, it took you long enough to do something about it. And just think all it took was me shooting myself to get you to admit it."
"Did you come down her for a reason or just to grope me?"
"Are you saying I can't just come down her to grope my girlfriend if I want to?"
"Of course you can grope me anytime your heart desires but if I remember, you entered the morgue with a sense of purpose, and then my ravishing beauty stopped you dead in your tracks." She smiled up at Jane. "Some of do have work to do." She pointed to the body on the table behind them.
"Are you implying that I don't have any work to do? You do realize we are chasing a serial killer and Hoyt is out there and more than likely has his crosshairs sighted on my back?" She smiled to let Maura know she was kidding but realized too late that there was no way Maura was going to joke about something as important as Hoyt.
"Promise me you will be careful. Do not let him get you. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you. I can't see my life without you. Will you please not take any chances?"
Once again Jane took Maura's face in her hands. "Maura my life would be empty without you and I know what it would do to you if anything happened to me and I love you too much to put you through anything like that. I promise I will be careful and not take any unnecessary chances." She kissed her with a little more feeling that earlier and soon they were both lost in the passion that usually overtakes them whenever they are close for any length of time. "I better get out of here before I throw you on top of the nearest empty table and have my way with you. I'll save that for tonight." She broke away from her reluctantly and backed towards the door. "By the way, I did actually come down her just to say hi but the groping and kissing was an added bonus." She smiled and turned on her heals and headed for the elevator. She left the building and hoped in her car to head over to her meeting. She walked through the doors of the FBI building and walked up to the desk. "I would like to see Agent Gabriel Dean please."
Is he expecting you?" Jane didn't like the petite blond instantly and way she was looking at the way Jane was dressed did nothing to endear her to her either. It didn't help that the blond was probably a size two and wore clothes that would rival Maura's.
Jane bit back her retort and instead smiled at the blond. "Yes I do believe he is."
"Please take a seat and I will see if he's available."
Jane finally decided to take things in her own hands. She flashed her badge and gave the blond her worst glare. "Why don't you just direct me to his office? I think I can find my way on my own."
"We don't allow just anyone to wander the halls of the FBI building." Jane could see she was finally ruffling the blonde's feathers and she was having fun.
She once again waved her badge in front of her face. "This badge says I am much more than just anyone, this says I am a homicide detective working a case that involves Agent Dean. It also allows me to carry a gun which I've used quite a few times. Now tell me where I can find Agent Dean and then you can go back to painting your nails as you were when I came in." Jane watched as the blonde blushed when she realized Jane had caught her doing her nails. "By the way." She leaned over the desk to whisper and watched as the blonde warily leaned back away from her. "It's very unprofessional for a Federal Employee to painting her nails where just anyone could catch them. Now where is Agent Dean's office?"
"I'll take care of it Ginger." Jane turned around to see Gabriel Dean walking towards her.
Jane couldn't resist, she turned towards the blonde. "Ginger? Really?" She turned to Dean and walked away with him. "Who names their kid Ginger? Well besides her parents that is"
Agent Dean just smiled and led Jane into his office. "So what can I do for you Detective Rizzoli?"
Jane sat in the chair Dean had indicated and looked at him as he sat in a chair across from her.
I want to know why as the lead detective in this case that I am not on a need to know basis. Maura's on the need to know list, I'm sure my lieutenant is on that same list so why isn't the person that is leading this investigation on the short list? The information you are holding back may give me some clues."
"If I thought there was something in what I had that could help you I would have given it to you already."
Jane stood up and started pacing. "So you do have information you're not sharing with me. How do you know that I might be able to look at it from a different perspective and see it as useful?"
He stood up and headed for the door. "Ok Jane come with me." He led her down the hallway and opened a door. "Jane this is Senator Sam Conway." After the meeting and they came to the conclusion that it had to be someone from the military that had joined up with Hoyt Jane was ready to go home to Maura and just sleep for a week.
Walking down the hallway after the senator called Dean back Jane's phone rang with Maura's ringtone. "What is it Maura?"
"Jane, I'm in your apartment." Jane detected a note of worry in Maura's voice.
'Why?" Jane asked perplexed because Maura usually did not go to her apartment without her.
"Jane, they've been in her."
"I'll be right there." Jane turned and headed down the hallway. She pulled up in front of her apartment just as Agent Dean called her. She got out of her car to head to her a building as a man dressed as one of the morgue attendant called her name.
"Doctor Isles asked if you could ID the body victim." He turned to walk to the back of the coroners van.
"What body?"
"I'm sorry I thought you knew, Dr. Isles said it was your neighbor, female, 20's."
"Marissa, oh god no ah come on no no." She headed toward the back of the van an climbed in and unzipped the body bag.
"Hello Jane. So nice to see you." That was all she heard before she felt the volt of electricity before Hoyt hit her with the stun gun. She didn't feel the small prick of the needle as John Stark a.k.a. the Apprentice put the needle to her neck and knocked her out completely. She awoke later in the back of the same van, hands feet and mouth duct taped, to see Hoyt crouching at her feet with her own gun in his hand. But she was awake enough to feel the blade of the scalpel as he drew blood against her neck.
When he and Stark left the van she searched the van for something to defend herself but all she could find was the flare. Well she would have to make do with that. She had to wait until he got close enough before it would do any good and she hoped he got close soon because this flare burns like hell. Finally she turned and jammed the flare into Hoyt's right eye and he flew out of the back of the van writhing in pain.
Jane rolled out of the back of the van, damn that drop to the ground hurt but she couldn't take the time to wallow in self pity because she had two men to disarm. Hoyt had dropped the stun gun in the back of the van and Jane used it to incapacitate Hoyt but by that time Stark and seen what was going on and started towards them. "Come on charge, charge." Jane was praying the stun gun would recharge by the time Stark got there because she was helpless again a trained Green Beret with her hands and feet still bound. The gun had just enough charge to at least knock Stark down but not out. They both went for Jan's gun at the same time but Jane got to it first and fired two shots and killed Stark. She found the scalpel Hoyt had used and cut the tape binding her and stood up and placed her foot, none to gently on Hoyt's h ands and reached down for the gun. She took aim and fired. "We match." She said with a sneer.
She sat down on the back of the van and looked at the carnage around her, and then her curiosity got the better of her. She walked towards where Stark had walked out of the woods to see what Hoyt had in mind for what he had called "their final game". There she found four stakes with ropes attached to them and a shallow grave that was to have been her final resting place. Out here it is doubtful any one would have ever found her. When the reality of the situation finally hit her all she did was slide down the side of the nearest tree and cry. That was how Maura found her about an hour later.
"Jane?" Maura whispered her name for fear that she would frighten her. Jane did not say anything but she did raise her left hand to Maura as an invitation for her to join her. Maura hurried over to her and took her hand and Jane used it to pull Maura to her. She buried her head on Maura's shoulder and let loose with great sobs. Maura wrapped her arms around her and knew that now was not the time for words so she just held her.
"Hoyt said this was to be our final game and I think his plan was that by the end of the night I would have been buried in that hole." She finally looked up at Maura. "How did you find me?"
"Frost did that triangulation thingy and found your cell phone. And I am so glad he did. Although from the looks of those two back there, you didn't need our help. Can I look at your neck to see how bad that cut is?" Jane nodded and moved back so she had access to her neck. "How are you?"
"I wanted to kill him but I couldn't. He's made my life a living hell but I still couldn't kill him. He actually laughed after I shot him in the hands." Maura understood why she shot him in the hands, she didn't have to like it but she understood.
"Jane not only you are too good of a cop to do that, you are too good of a person to lower yourself to his level. Will you let me take you over to the ambulance so they can stitch you up and look at those burns?"
Jane looked up with pleading eyes. "Can't you just take me home and take care of it there?"
Maura had never been able to resists those eyes and she couldn't now. "Yes Jane I will take you home and take care of you. Always!" She stood up then extended her hand for Jane to take it. Jane reached up and took it and allowed Maura to help her stand then hand in hand headed for Maura's car.
THE END!