Chapter Three: Safety

The air is thick with Jane's shrill screams; a door is kicked down. A scalpel falls in the darkness as shots ring out, lighting the room in a fiery red glow.

"Maura!" Jane screams; the blast from the gun ringing in her ears.

Detective Frost is first to reach her. He places a hand to her cheek, lifts her eyes to reach his own. "You all right, Rizzoli?"

"I'm fine," she says frantically, her voice cracking. "Just get me untied."

Maura rolls out from under her attacker as blood pools from his chest onto her. She chokes, drawing air into her lungs in spurts and looks down at her hands slick with blood.

Detective Korsak reaches her first and draws back the hair from her face, watches as her eyes roll, lids blinking.

"Maura," Jane exhales reaching her, placing a hand on her friend, gently stroking her cheek. "Are you hurt?"

Maura's face is spattered with blood. Her hands shake. Her lip quivers.

"Paramedics!" She shouts to Frost, who nods exiting the room quickly.

Maura moans rolling toward Jane and attempts to lift herself on her side.

"Is she hurt?" Korsak asks and pulls the hem of Maura's skirt down. He removes his jacket and places it over her torso.

Jane runs a hand through her hair frantically, twisting it into a knot at the base of her neck. "I don't know." Tears fall down her face and she wipes at them hoping that Korsak has not noticed. "I think he drugged her." Jane looks up to Hoyt, watches as blood spills down his lifeless body onto her white bedding.

"Son of a bitch," she hisses. "I just got that duvet."

She resists the urge to grab Korsak's gun, to place a few additional shots into his still frame. Her stomach turns and she swallows fighting against the sickness rising within her.

Maura moans again, drawing Jane's attention away from Hoyt. Her pleas tug at Jane's gut and she returns her hands to her friend. She smooths her hair, hoping her touch will be enough to comfort her.

"Let's move her to the spare bedroom."

Jane has barely finished her orders as Korsak reaches beneath the Doctor lifting her frame easily into his arms.

Jane leads the way to the bedroom at the end of the hall. She flicks on the light, pain instantly striking her features. The shock of the brightness greets her like a blow to the face. She wraps her fingers around the frame of the door and watches through blurred vision as Korsak takes Maura to the bedside and rests her carefully on plush pillows.

Korsak looks up worrisome, brow furrowing. "Hey Rizzoli," he sighs. "Maybe you should sit down."

Jane shakes her head carefully and rubs her eyes. "Naw, Korsak," she says walking gingerly across the floor to Maura. "I'm all right."

She rests on the edge of the bed, feels Maura's fingers find her thigh. Jane looks down at Maura's hands stained red with her attacker's blood.

"You all right?" She asks. "You hurt anywhere?"

A low, almost inaudible sound emits from Maura's throat, as she closes her eyes, shifting her weight. "My legs," she says.

Jane eyes travel down her friend's legs, her feet still resting in her pumps. She reaches across Maura's body and removes them, placing them aside. A red welt noticeable on her ankle; two more identical marks can be seen on her left calf muscle.

Jane frowns, fury rising again, and looks up to Korsak. They look at each other without saying a word, each knowing the cause of her discomfort.

Taser.

Jane runs gentle palms down her friend's legs careful not to place excessive pressure, and massages her calf muscle, gently kneading. "It's all right, Maura," Jane's tone is smooth and comforting. "The feeling will pass soon."

Frost enters suddenly with a team of paramedics tailing him. Jane stands, nodding to Korsak and Frost.

"Ok. Let's give them some room, guys."

Frost obeys, exiting the room in a few strides. Korsak follows quickly behind him, looking down at Maura as he exits.

Maura reaches out; sticky fingers making contact with Jane's bare leg again.

"I'll be back soon."

Jane cannot resist the worry spreading on her face, cannot hide the increasing compassion for her friend in this state.

Maura cocks her head, drawing Jane's attention from her hands. "I'm all right."

Jane purses her lips and nods to her friend. She turns to face three paramedics attempting to move passed her.

"Hold it," Jane orders, raising a hand to the chest of the first paramedic that reaches her and pushes him backward. The uniform stops, taking a step back to look down his nose at her.

Jane places her hands on her hips and inhales a deep breath.

"She's a lady," she instructs, "and you will treat her as such." And off the patronizing look of the paramedic in front of her, "And if you don't treat her with such delicateness, such respect, such..." Jane pauses looking for the right word, "...grace, so help me God, I will break every bone in your skinny, 'boy next door' body." Jane pauses, and commands the looks of the paramedics. She rubs her hands together. "We clear?"

The paramedic in front of her lowers his eyes as they speak in unison, "Yes ma'am."

Washed, checked out with a Band-Aid to her cheek, Jane enters the spare bedroom. She is now dressed in long yoga pants and a sweater. Maura sits now, wrapped in a duvet, her head lowered. It doesn't take long before Jane hears her muffled sobs.

Jane rushes to Maura's side, and kneels in front of her. "Ah Maura," she says pushing her long hair from her face. "I shouldn't have left you."

Maura shakes her head frantically drawing in gulps of air.

"No?"

"No," Maura sobs looking up at Jane; face red, nose running.

Jane shakes her head in confusion. "Sweetie, I don't understand." She runs her hands gently down Maura legs, wrapping them around her calves. "Do I have to break the legs on those paramedics?"

Maura shakes her head. "No, it's not that," she says fighting through her sobs, her lip curled.

Jane smiles. "Then what is it? What do you want me to do?"

"It's my shoes." Maura cocks her head, sobbing louder. "They took my shoes."

Jane's brow furrows. "Your shoes?"

Maura nods frantically. "They took them with my clothes."

"Your shoes."

Maura looks up eyes bloodshot, tears streaming down her face. "I just got them broken in, Jane. I loved those shoes."

Jane smiles at her friend and for the first time this evening she is thankful for her friend's charisma; the goofy, lovable Maura sobbing in front of her.

She lifts herself from the floor and leans forward placing a kiss to the top of Maura's head; her hands press against the sides of Maura's head. "You really are a piece of work, my friend."

"I loved those shoes," Maura sobs.

Jane moves quickly toward the door meeting Frost as she exits. "Try to calm her down, Frost. Get her to drink some water."

"Sure." Frost says perplexed. "But where are you going?"

Jane ignores him turning the corner exiting her apartment.

"They take the lady's shoes," she murmurs to herself.

"Hey!" Jane shouts to a uniform. Her pace quickens, heels hitting the wet pavement, echoing against the parked cars lining her street.

The officer turns toward her.

Jane reaches him, grabs him by the arm and attempts to steady her breathing. "I need the evidence from upstairs."

"Evidence?"

"The bagged and tagged from Dr. Isles."

The officer puzzled by her request points inside his trunk to a large plastic bin.

Jane lunges forward and shuffles through the packages, tossing aside the bags containing Maura's blouse and skirt. She lifts a package out, a sealed brown bag marked 'ladies' pumps'. She turns from the car, hugging the package to her chest.

"You're going to have to sign for that," the officer shouts after her.

Jane ignores him reaching the sidewalk in front of her building. "They take the lady's shoes," she huffs, shaking her head.

"Dr. Isles," Frost pleads, a glass of water in his hand. "If you don't drink this, Rizzoli is gonna kill me."

Frost looks up from Maura to see Jane enter. He raises his hand in his defense, nearly spilling the water on himself. "Jane, I tried."

Jane walks around the bed to stand in front of Maura. "It's all right, Frost."

Maura looks up slowly to the package in Jane's arms. Jane smiles and tears the seal. She pulls out Maura's purple, freshly broken in, pumps, offering them to her friend. "No one takes my girl's heels."

Maura smiles triumphantly, tears still streaming down her face. "Oh, Jane!"

She leaps forward wrapping her arms and duvet around Jane. She lowers her head placing her cheek against Jane's shoulder.

"Whoa!" Frost turns away quickly, shielding his eyes.

Jane smiles allowing the feeling of the embrace to calm her nerves. She leans down to bury her face in her friend's hair. Her shoulders relax, and her eyes close as she is greeted with a familiar scent of strawberries.