Till Death Do Us Part
Part Tres
Deanlu
Rizzoli and Isles are the property of TNT and Tess Gerritson. I am just borrowing them for a little fun. I do actually have a lot of fun writing these, but sometimes I wonder how far one can flex the morals and ethics of the characters. If it is done it has to be done in a believable way. Now I am rambling. Enjoy.
The Northern sky rumbled with thunder as black storm clouds build in the distance. Rebecca took a deep breath as lightening flashed across the sky. She was sitting in the porch swing waiting. She heard the screen door to her ranch home open and one Jane Rizzoli step outside being helped by Amman. It had been two weeks now and the detective still looked pale and gaunt. The fire that Rebecca had looked for in her eyes was completely extinguished.
"You are not to be out of bed. I thought you were going to listen to Doctor Peterson." Rebecca made room on the porch swing and covered Jane with a quilt that had been her mothers. Once the detective was settled she nodded to Amman who went inside.
"You can't make me stay you know. When I am strong enough I'll just slip away somehow." Jane said as she watched the distance storm roll across the red clay plain. Rebecca watched the storm for a few moments.
"If I remember rightly you are the one who called me and asked for my help. I would like it if you would let me finish before you quote, "slip away." Did you eat this morning?" Jane shrugged her shoulders. A faint cool breeze from the approaching storm caressed the two women on the porch.
"Why do you live here Rebecca?" Jane asked as she turned to look at her friend. "You could live anywhere, but you live in such a desolate place." Jane went back to search the red rock plain and mesa's in front of her.
"Nothing is more desolate than the soul Jane. Perhaps I live here because it is a reflection of who I am inside now or maybe what you see as desolate I see as full of life and choose to surround myself with it." Rebecca's words puzzled the detective and reminded her a little of her fiancée. She could very well see Maura saying exactly those words and it caused her soul to collapse a little more from the grief of the unknown.
"You know it wasn't your fault that the explosion happened. Agent Winez withheld information from you. Specifically that the dead man was a drug lord. The explosion was to cover any evidence that authorities might have gleaned from the scene. You couldn't have known." Rebecca reached out covering Jane's hand immediately realizing from the detectives flinch that she would not be comforted. "Jane, you don't know if she is dead. Be patient."
"Patient! All I have been is patient. While I have been lying on my backside Maura could be dying or dead. She has to be dead Rebecca or she would have contacted me by now. I should not have come here. I should have taken my police revolver and ended it right there at least I could have been with her." Jane continued to watch the storm build which mirrored her soul in so many ways right now. In the distance red clay dust was being thrown up into the air from a truck moving down the ranch driveway.
"I think detective you forget who we are you and I. We don't give up. Do you remember the night you stayed with me after I lost Wendy?" Rebecca watched as Jane refocused on her. Jane nodded. "I wanted to end it all that night, but you wouldn't let me. I had the gun, the bullets, and the note all right there on the table. It would have been so easy Jane, except for you. You reminded me I would be destroying all Wendy and I stood for, all we had strived for in this world. You forced me to feel and look inside again." Rebecca watched as the truck drew closer. "Would Maura want you to end it?"
"Damn you! Don't do this Rebecca. I don't think I can go on without her. I don't know how to be without her. She opened a part of my soul I had walled off and I can't seem to rebuild the wall." Rebecca leaned forward and took Jane's hand. The truck pulled up coming to a halt in front of the house.
"You can go on, but remember I have grown accustom to getting my way in my old age. Look." Rebecca released Jane's hand and pointed to truck. The door was opened and out stepped doctor Maura Isles rumpled clothing, exhaustion showing plainly across her features, but a smile that would light up the darkest night.
"Jane! Jane!" Maura's voice called like a lifeline in a darkened world.
"Maura? Oh God." Jane looked at Rebecca in unbelief as Maura ran up the steps of the porch to the swing were Jane had risen, a little too quickly, and wrapped her fiancée in her arms. The two women held each other as grief and agony were released and joy flooded each soul. Kisses and touches exchanged, soft words of adoration, pledges of love and faith renewed within each other. Maura noticed Jane's condition once the overwhelming relief of the moment had passed. She sat down on the swing with her lover cuddling her close. "How are you here Maura? How did you find me?" Tears leaked down Jane's face as her voice begged to know. Rebecca had quietly moved inside to give the lovers the discretion they needed right now.
"Patty Doyle, he spirited me out of Boston after they released Korsak and I from federal custody. Jane I thought you were dead." Maura whispered as she kissed her lovers cheek. "I remember you shouting, running toward me, and pulling me under you as a loud explosion went off. Then the sound of the building falling around us. When I came to you were covering me and people were digging us out. You were so still…I thought…I thought." Jane was crying now uncontrollably. "They wouldn't let me see you or talk to you. Frankie saw me and I thought I could get a message to you from him. But you were gone. God, why did you leave?" Jane wiped her eyes pulling Maura close afraid she would evaporate away like water on the plains.
"I woke up in the hospital. No one would tell me anything about you or Korsak. I thought you were dead. I knew Frost was injured because I could see him in the other room. Then the Feds came in and started questioning me. God, my head hurt so badly and all I wanted to know was where you were. I checked myself out of the hospital and went back to the precinct, but before I could look for you they dismissed me from duty and threatened to take away my badge if I didn't obey. That damn agent Winez wouldn't tell me whether you were alive or dead. God Maura, this has been a nightmare. I almost…" Maura hugged Jane tighter desperate to let her lover know she was alive and here. "I called Rebecca. She was the only one who I thought could help or understand. I couldn't take care of myself and I was hurting so bad." Maura thanked God for Jane's friend. Jane fell silent as Maura held her and they just absorbed the love that surrounded them. The gentle sound of a throat clearing pulled the lovers back to the present.
"I believe now that the drama is over for the most part I will introduce myself and serve lunch. Maura Isles, I am Rebecca Anderson. Jane has told me a great deal about you." Rebecca shook Maura's hand. She then helped Maura sit Jane up straight and lunch was brought for the ladies as the storm rolled in the background. Jane ate for the first time in weeks her appetite returning with a vengeance.
"It is a pleasure to meet the woman who saved my Jane and brought me to her. Though I am curious to know how you know my birth father." Maura asked as she drank some ice tea. Jane chewed her chicken salad slowly tired from all the emotion she had released, but desperately wanting to hear the conversation.
"Let's just say Patty Doyle and I have had business dealings. Let's leave it at that." Jane's face swept up with an angry look at her friend. "Do not judge Jane until you walked in my shoes."
"He said he owed you. Would you care to explain that?" Maura continued when Jane had calmed herself.
"No, I would not. I, however, appreciate your inquisitiveness. Now I believe since you both seem about finished Jane and you would like to freshen up and rest." Amman came out of the house. "This is Amman. He is charged with your protection until further notice. Ladies you have the run of the house and property, though I would ask that you not go near the western border of my property. I have a small infestation problem I am working on and it is not safe. Amman, can you show the ladies to their room. Jane, Doctor Peterson will come to check you in a while, but I think I can be assured your recovery with quicken with Maura present." Amman and Maura helped Jane rise and walk toward the door. When Jane came even with Rebecca she had Maura stop.
"I won't forget what you have done. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart." Jane said and hugged her friend.
"I could do no less. I haven't even begun to repay what you did for me. This is just a small thing." Rebecca whispered and then released Jane handing her off to Maura again.
"No, for Maura and me it is everything." Maura nodded and Rebecca just smiled. She watched as the ladies and Amman entered the house.
"You can stop watching from behind the house Edward. You could have just come out and talked with them." Rebecca turned as Edward walked around the side of the house where he had been standing and listening. Amman had signaled Rebecca during her conversation with the ladies that he was there.
"Maybe later, we have a problem. Your favorite Agent has shown up on the western border. Seems he is taking an interest in Gonzalez's friends." Rebecca sat down heavily settling her head in her hands.
"Why does that man continue to be a bane to me?" Edward came up behind Rebecca and began massaging her shoulders. Rebecca leaned back and closed her eyes. She felt the softest of kisses on her brow.
"Edward." Rebecca began, her blue eyes showing worry and something else Edward wasn't sure about.
"Shhh, I know just relax. Please." For once Rebecca relaxed and soon was fast asleep in the porch chair. Edward picked up the quilt from the porch swing and drew it carefully over Rebecca. Then he kissed her cheek softly and wandered inside.
Back in Boston…
Cavanaugh was sitting behind his desk. He picked up the package on his desk examining it again. He then picked up the phone. "I need to speak to the regional commander of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Yes, Lieutenant Cavanaugh. Hello, Mr. Lindle. I have some information that you should know personally. Yes, it has to do with Agent Winez and several of his current cases. Yes, I would love to talk with you here at headquarters this afternoon. Thank you, sir." Cavanaugh placed the receiver of the phone back down. Then he picked it up again. "Korsak, I need you and Frost here in an hour. I have some important information you need to know. No, you don't need to worry about Rizzoli or Dr. Isles they are safe. I'll explain when you get here." Cavanaugh hung up the phone and looked at the return address Rebecca Anderson, Anderson Industries.