Till Death Do Us Part

Part 9

Rizzoli and Isles are the property of TNT and Tess Gerritson. I am only borrowing them for a little fun.

This chapter was difficult because I had to make some character decisions to decide certain people's fate in the next few chapters. In fact it was so difficult I had to create a bubble map of characters to make some decisions. Interestingly enough, the Bubble map ended up resembling a crime board like you see in Homicide. Kind of Scary.

Please review. I know many of you have been gone over the holidays so you have been busy with fun! But I would love to know how you like the story. So please review. It is the fodder for bard's words and dreams.

It was early still, the sun was not even up when Korsak stumbled out of his room, down the hallway, and into the kitchen for coffee. He was determined to be awake and ready when Jane arrived. So he wasn't even thinking about what he wore to bed that night. It wasn't until after he had poured a cup of the coffee that was already made and had begun drinking that he heard snickering behind him which soon turned into deep guffaws of laughter. Korsak let out a deep sigh and shook his head.

"Jane, can you please allow me some dignity and not tell anyone about this?" He knew it was too late when he heard the click of a phone camera as he turned to look at her and Maura sitting at the table having breakfast.

"Score!" Jane said as she examined the photo Maura had just taken of Korsak wearing purple fuzzy slippers, dark blue boxer shorts with little kittens frolicking with puppies, a Homicide t-shirt that said, "Our day begins, when your day ends," and a Hello Kitty Sleeping mask which was currently looped above his head. Maura desperately attempted to look sympathetic, but when Jane leaned over and whispered in her ear she started giggling so hard she fell off her chair.

"Nice to see you back to normal detective, I will be back out when I find my dignity." Korsak turned and stomped out of the kitchen peals of laughter following him all the way back to his room. Jane wiped the tears from her eyes from laughing; still holding her sides because it hurt so bad.

"Well, you don't see that every day." Jane snickered as she helped her girlfriend, whom was still laughing, off the floor. "So what should we do with the photo?" Jane asked Maura after she had her reseated in the chair.

"I think it should go on the caught in action page in the BPD newsletter," Maura chuckled. She raised her coffee to her lips and took a sip.

"Oh you're evil Maura! He would kill us. We could just place 8 x 10's all over his desk and locker." Maura eyed her girlfriend and snickered.

"You think I am evil? You were the one who whispered in my ear about whether he dreamed of those kitties and puppies as crime partners. Really Jane, I had this image of you and Frost walking onto a homicide scene as a kitty and puppy." Jane's eyebrow rose as she wondered what that image looked like in Maura's mind. No don't go there Jane. "Anyway, can you imagine if someone took one of those?" Jane snorted imagining poster size images decorating the next BPD event day. They both went back to their breakfast. A snort or chuckle broke the silence every once and a while as they ate.

Out behind the Rebecca's horse barn…

"I don't care. I am out. You can have your money back." Jaramillo listened to the voice on the other end of the line. "NO! I am out and that's final. I transferred the money back to your account this morning. As far as I am concerned our business transaction is over." Jaramillo paled. "What do you mean? You can't do that. Listen, I…" Jaramillo began to look like he would throw up. "Yes, I understand. No, it will be done. Yes." Jaramillo hung up as he leaned heavily against the barn. "I'm screwed."

He looked up when he heard someone coming out the back. It was Jacob pushing a wheel barrel of manure. He pushed past Jaramillo and headed out to the pile away from the barn. It would be carted off later today for use on another part of the ranch.

"Hey, Jaramillo did you hear? Rebecca said the FBI will arrive today. Seems that everything should be over by tomorrow, then things will settle down, and we can have a nice BBQ. "Sounds good doesn't it."

"Yeah, yeah." Jaramillo replied. Jacob looked over at him studying his defeated posture and lackadaisical reply.

"You okay? I know we have been awful busy with branding, vaccinations, and setting that new field of wheat. The cotton and sorghum harvest were good this year and the cattle seem to be fetching good prices even with the drought. It should mean a banner year for us to make a little extra. So, what's up?" Jaramillo shook his head and walked away. Jacob watched him worried that something worse was in the making. Jaramillo never got upset like this. Not with the Tornado's that swept through the ranch, the grass fires that had threatened the ranch house, the panther that had attacked, or the time he had been shot at by Gonzalez's boys while working the west side of the ranch. So something was seriously wrong.

Back at the Ranch House…

Rebecca nodded as she listened to her lawyer Worchester. "I understand. How much trouble am I in then?" Rebecca picked up the lid of the humidor and pulled out a Cuban cigar. She clipped the end of it as she listened to Worchester. "Really? That much? Hmmm, how many shares do I need to control the board?" She lit the cigar as she listened. She wandered over to the bar area in the study and poured herself a Wild Turkey. "So 150 shares of Orion Oil? Buy 250 shares if they are offered this morning. Oh, buy Gonzalez's shares if he sells this morning." She took a long drag on the cigar, and then slowly released the smoke. "No, he will sell. Let's say I know he will." She took another drag as she listened to her lawyer tell her she did not know what she was talking about. "Worchester, just do it." Rebecca hung up the phone as she moved over to her computer on the desk. She looked at Gonzalez's accounts one more time, and then logged out. "Why are you broke el diablo? Where have you moved your money?" She walked over to the French doors opening them and listening to the morning sounds of the ranch.

Jane and Maura had arrived back several hours earlier with Amman. The mid-eastern man told Rebecca that Jane had wanted breakfast back at the ranch. She sipped her Wild Turkey and took another drag off the cigar. All the pieces were moving now. For better or for worse all this would be concluded tomorrow. The FBI were due soon, probably mid-morning. There was a knock on the door. Rebecca turned around to answer it, "Come," she called.

"Hey" Jane stepped inside. "Little early to be drinking isn't it?" Jane watched her friend sigh deeply and wander over to one of the leather chairs. Rebecca placed the cigar in an ashtray and the drink on a coaster.

"No, I haven't been to bed yet." It was then that Jane noticed the dark circles around Rebecca's eyes concern shown across Jane's face. "Too many things to do with Anderson Corporations and before you ask, yes I have people to do most of the day to day problems, but there are many that require my certain finesse to keep the company floating."

"You are my friend. It is the friend I am worried about Rebecca. You play with fire that could burn you badly. Not Anderson Corporation, not others, YOU! What happens if it burns you?" Rebecca went to get up. Jane moved quickly grabbing her by the shoulders forcing the woman to listen. "Your life…"

"My life Jane has been a shallow existence of politically appropriate moves, social etiquette, and dancing on the edge of a knife ever since that night when I saw her broken body lying on the floor, blood…" Rebecca closed her eyes as the scene once again was brought forward from memory. "Blood splashed across the room. My heart has been lost ever since that day." Rebecca jerked out of Jane's grip and walked over to the fireplace which was dank and cold now in the light of day, just as her heart felt every day. Jane wasn't giving up though. She had been in this same place when she argued for Rebecca's life once before in a cold tiled bathroom. Jane hadn't given up then and she wasn't giving up now.

"You can't shut down on love when it's being offered. You can't let that evil consume you. Edward offers you a second chance, you know it." Jane argued moving toward Rebecca. . "Not many people would fight for you, or wait in your shadow. He loves you Rebecca." Rebecca rounded on Jane her fists clenched tightly at her sides anger flaring in her every movement and word

"She was my lover Jane! Don't stand here and lecture me about dancing between heaven and hell. I have been to hell, walked through its flames, burned and branded deeply by its evil. I see the same thing in your eyes. You have seen evil." Rebecca grabbed Jane's hands roughly and shoved them into her view. "You have been branded by it…" She touched the scar on Jane's neck, "burned by it. Tell me you could love again if Maura was gone. Tell me!" Jane squirmed under Rebecca's insistent words not liking how exact Rebecca's arrows were hitting her heart. "No, between you and I there has always been honesty no matter how painful Jane. Imagine its Maura's life, her existence that is in the balance. How far are you willing to dance with the devil for her Jane? Because one day you may be asked to keep her safe. How far would you go?" She saw a quiver in Jane's lips and a haunted look that reflected back. Rebecca's voice raggedly pushed on, "How far have you gone Jane?" Jane attempted to look away, but Rebecca was having none of it. "You don't get to make the rules for everyone else and break them for yourself." Rebecca let Jane go and collapsed in the nearby chair. Jane stood looking out the double French doors.

"I would go to the ends of the earth for her." Jane's whispered words caused Rebecca to look up. "I know what you mean. I know what you felt that night. Her life has been in danger and I have done things to protect it that I will never speak of ever." Jane turned to look at Rebecca now, "but you are wrong Rebecca. Just like before. Edward is a good man. Wendy would want you to move on and not suffer every day. Don't do this to yourself anymore." Jane walked over to where Rebecca sat and kissed her on the head. Rebecca's barely kept in check tears pooling in her eyes. "She would want you to move on." Jane softly said as she walked out of the office closing the door behind her. Rebecca stared at the fire place a little longer. She grabbed the glass of wild turkey and threw in at the fireplace.

"Damn you Jane!" screamed Rebecca. Maura moved quietly out of the shadow near the double French doors overwhelmed by everything she had heard. Anger flared over listening to Rebecca attack her lover. Pride in how Jane had fought for Rebecca's soul surfaced too. Then, just like pieces to a puzzle she began to fit what she heard into what she knew. She had always suspected Jane had taken special steps to protect her. It answered so many questions. Silent tears ran down her cheek as she wondered how Jane had borne the burden for so long. God, she loved that woman.