Sorry for the delay in updating I had finals and then was in Florida for a couple days getting my Open Water Dive Certification. I'm back home now for the summer so hopefully I'll have plenty of time to work on this story. Anyway I hope you like this chapter. Things between Maura and Jane will begin to really pick up here within the next couple chapters so hang in there. So thanks for reading and staying with me, please review and as always enjoy.

Chapter 7

Jane looked up from her phone just as two squad cars raced pass her unmarked heading in the opposite direction. Korsak and Jane turned their heads to watch the two vehicles speed down the road.

"What do you think that's about?" Korsak asked.

"Turn on the radio and we might find out." Jane glanced back, she was still able to make out the two squad cars. "Let's go check it out. You never know when you can use more back up."

Korsak didn't hesitate. He flipped the lights on but not the sirens. Once he was sure he wouldn't hit anyone he hit the gas and popped a U-turn. He headed in the general direction of the squad cars. Sometimes I miss being a beat cop.

XXXXX

"Cody! Cody stop!" Alex was begging for him to stop. The more he came at her the harder it was for Alex to keep from fighting back. Cody was her friend and he was hurting badly. Alex wasn't delusional, she knew perfectly well that Cody knew what he was doing. She just wanted to give him a chance to back off.

"You did this!" he screamed. His grip on Alex's shirt tightened as he pulled her closer to him. "You're the reason she's dead! Why did you kill her?!"

Cody pulled back his fist, ready to land another blow on the person he had considered his friend for so long. Alex brought her hands up to push against the arm Cody used to hold her in place. She didn't fight back or try to defend herself. A growl to their right caused Cody to pause.

Even with the looming threat of Cody's fist not far from her face Alex shouted at Blue: "Blue no! Stay there!" If Blue attacked Cody, even if he was just trying to protect her from getting hurt, he would be put down. She wasn't about to lose Blue. So she could only hope that he would listen.

A split second later Cody's fist connect with her jaw. Pain radiated through her face. It was so intense her vision blurred and she stumbled back away from her aggressor. But Cody didn't stop, he followed her not giving her any time to recover before punching her in the stomach. All the air in Alex's lungs was suddenly gone. Her arms shot up, wrapping tightly around her waist as he legs buckled beneath her. She fell to her knees, gasping for air to fill her burning lungs.

"Cody… I'm sorry." Tears began to spill as Alex struggled to recover. Nothing seemed to be stopping Cody's assault on her. Alex could feel all of his rage being directed towards her. Fear finally began to creep up on her, sending a chill up her spin. She hadn't felt fear like this since she had been in New York. This was different. She knew how to fight. She knew how to defend herself. So why hadn't she even raised her hands to defend herself?

The answer was simple. Cody had been her closest friend since college. Alex would never hurt one of her friends, no matter what they did to her. Cody truly believed that Alex had killed Gracie. Maybe, just maybe, if Alex kept her hands down he would see that she would never raise a hand to someone she cared about.

But to be honest, Alex didn't fight back because she blamed herself for Gracie's death too.

"Stand up!" Cody barked.

Alex flinched at the harshness of Cody's voice. She didn't do as he ordered. Instead she stayed on the group trying to catch her breath.

"I said stand up!" he shouted again. This time her grabbed Alex's shoulders and gave her no choice as he hauled her to her feet.

"Cody please…you've gotta know I didn't kill Gracie. I'm sorry she's gone but it wasn't me…" her words were hardly above a whisper. She was done. She couldn't fight it.

"Sorry won't bring her back!" he snarled. "Sorry won't change the fact that you're a murderer!"

That had done it. Alex felt the strength that had left her return along with a burning rage. Gracie was dead because of her, that was true, but she hadn't killed her.

Cody hit her again. This time Alex felt her nose break. Her hands shot up to cover her face. Blood oozed through her fingers as she stared at Cody in disbelief. And suddenly it wasn't Cody standing in front of her anymore. Instead Alex saw the man who had attacked her in New York. They weren't friends. Cody didn't care if he hurt Alex and Alex no longer cared if she hurt Cody.

When he swung at her again she was ready. She caught his fist in her hand and twisted, refusing to let go. Cody screamed in rage and swung at her with his free hand. Again Alex caught his hand in hers. They stood in a deadlock. All Alex had to do was twist his arm a little farther and it would snap.

She didn't get the chance.

Two police cruisers pulled up with their lights flashing. One of Cody's neighbors must have called the cops. Alex was actually relieved to see the officers as the jumped out of their cars to break up the fight.

They weren't fast enough. Cody shoved Alex away and went for another punch. Alex slammed her eyes shut and braced herself for the next blow.

It never came. When Alex opened her eyes she saw two of the officers dragging Cody away from her. He was fighting them and screaming at Alex. She stumbled back suddenly needing to have Blue's leash in her hands. She hadn't even noticed the black unmarked car that had pulled up behind the cruisers.

XXXXX

Jane leaned against the hood of one of the cruisers watching as one of the EMT's tended to Alex. Korsak was over with two uni's trying to get a statement from Cody, who was being less than cooperative. It wasn't hard to figure out he was so angry about since he kept shouting that Alex was a murderer. To the woman's defense she was ignoring him as much as possible. Even as the EMT reset her nose Alex stayed as quiet as she could.

One of the officers had tried to take her statement before the bus got their but Alex had refused to speak. It could have just been because of her jaw which was now swollen and starting to bruise. Jane had elected to try for a statement after the medic was done with Alex. Jane doubted Alex had even noticed her waiting as the woman was transfixed by the blonde examining her.

"Alright Alexis there doesn't appear to be any extensive damage but I would still recommend you go to the hospital to be properly examined." Jane overheard the blonde say.

"I'll be fine. I've gotten worse in the ring."

"You'll need to take it easy for two to three weeks while your nose heals. The swelling should go away within the next week," the blonde paused to tilt Alex's head to get a better look at the cut on her jaw. "As for this you could have a fracture but I've taken care of the cut."

"Thanks," Alex tried to smile but winced. "Can I ask you something?"

"I'm married." The blonde held up her hand as she went about looking at something on a clipboard.

"Wasn't going to ask that but congratulations," Alex said. "You just look familiar have we met?"

"You said you were a boxer?" the blonde asked.

"Yeah Baker's Gym, the owner is a good friend and my trainer. And I usually have a go at amateur night if I can risk showing up sore for work."

"Then we probably have met. My partner and I have taken a few assignments working as the emergency care for fight night."

The two were focused enough on the conversation that they didn't notice Jane join them until the dog at Alex's feet took interest in the detective. "Excuse me but I need to take Ms. Eldsfield's statement if you're finished." The blonde EMT nodded and took her leave.

Alex watched Jane with slight trepidation, unsure what to expect from the detective after their last meeting. Jane hoped it wouldn't turn into a shouting match between them. She just wanted to get the statement and leave.

"Don't you usually show up when there's a dead body?" Alex growled.

"We were in the area and thought we could assist the other officers, is this going to be a problem?" Jane asked.

"Not unless you make it one."

"Why don't you tell me your version of things."

Alex looked away from Jane as she gave her account of what had happened. She'd been out on a walk with Blue and when she was passing Cody's home he'd stopped her and attacked her. Jane listened like she would with any other person, nodding every so often as she took notes. She didn't say anything while Alex spoke. She had an opinion of what had gone down but as she listened to Alex she was more inclined to believe what was being told to her.

When Alex finally finished speaking she looked up at Jane expectantly. For a moment Jane could speak. Jane saw fear in the gray eyes staring at her for the first time. "Are you going to want to press charges?" Alex stole a glance towards the squad car that her longtime friend now sat in. She then dropped her gaze to stare at her hands which still had the blood from her nose coating them.

"Yeah I want to press charges…" she said with some reluctance.

"I'll make sure they get the paperwork started then," Jane said.

"Detective?"

"Yes?"

"Do you still think I killed her?"

That was a loaded question. One that Jane hadn't expected. "You're still a suspect until we rule you out, which we can't do without a DNA sample." Alex nodded seemingly satisfied by the answer.

"Do you have a swab on you?"

"What?"

"A swab. Do you have one?"

Jane reached into her blazer knowing she had a couple in the pocket. She produced the swab and handed it to Alex. What Alex did with it stunned the detective. Very calmly Alex popped of the protective cover from the swab. She opened her mouth as wide as she could without causing herself any pain. Then she swabbed the inside of her cheek thoroughly before removing the swab and covering it with the plastic cap. She held it out for Jane to take.

The detective didn't immediately register what Alex wanted her to do with it. She just stood their eyes moving from the swab to Alex and then back to the swab.

"Take it." When Jane still didn't take the swab Alex pushed it into the detective's hand. "You wanted my DNA and now I'm giving it to you. So take it."

"Why all of a sudden?"

"I'm tired Detective. Just take it, run it and clear me," Alex sighed. "Now please just let me go and then leave me alone."

"You know we can't do that. Even if you are innocent you're the last person to see Grace alive."

"You don't get it do you? Do you realize how much damage you've done? My best friend thinks I murdered his fiancée, my face was just used as a punching bag and you've made my neighbors paranoid. Because of you I'm starting to lose everything I've worked so hard to build."

Alex pushed herself out of the back of the bus. Jane watched her trying to get a read on what the woman was feeling. Had it really been her fault? Jane had just been doing her job. She had never intended for anyone to get hurt. If she was right about Alex being the killer, then her focus on Alex as a suspect was perfectly acceptable. But it Alex was innocent… If she's innocent, you really fucked up.

Not helping. Not trying too.

"Alex you didn't deserve this and I'm sorry it happened but all I've done is my job. I didn't have anything to do with this."

"Go fuck yourself Detective. All you had to do was listen and you refused to." It was clear that Alex was done listening. "I'm not going to put up with your bullying so leave me alone."

Jane let her go. Alex was angry and Jane didn't want to risk setting her off. She would let the responding officers handle the assault charges. She needed to get back to Maura and give her the DNA sample from Alex. This wasn't how she had hoped the day would go. She was glad to have the sample without having to get a warrant.

Korsak came up behind Jane and followed her gaze both watching Alex as she walked away. Normally people weren't allowed to just walk off but again Jane didn't want to cause another incident.

"I take it that didn't go very well," Korsak observed.

Jane held up the swab for him to see. "Well enough. Let's get to the lab so Maura can run this." Korsak nodded and moved towards the car. Before Jane followed she went over to one of the uniformed officers and relayed what she had gotten from Alex. He said he would handle it and that was that.

XXXXX

Maura looked up from her book when an evidence bag was held in front of the page she was reading. She wasn't surprised to see that is was Jane holding the item in front of her. Maura shut her book and set it aside giving Jane her full attention.

"Every now and then it's nice to get a 'hello' or 'are you busy' when you come into my office," Maura said.

"Are you busy?" Jane asked.

"It works better if you start with that," Maura sighed. "No I'm not busy. What can I do for you?"

Jane held out the evidence bag again. Maura took it from her, turning it over in her hands. "I need you to run that for me."

Maura rose from her seat behind her desk. She understood that Jane was asking her to run DNA but she wasn't sure whose it was or where Jane got it. Jane followed closely behind her. Sometimes the detective could be just as bad Kent when it came to personal space. Maura had never minded when Jane hovered over her. Right now however, Jane was inches away from getting an elbow in her stomach.

"Jane do I need to go over personal space with you as well?"

Jane wasn't listening to her. Or at least she didn't appear to be listening to her. Maura realized it would be pointless to try to get Jane's attention. Ignoring her friends hovering, Maura unsealed the evidence bag and removed the contents. The way Jane stood told Maura all she needed to know. Jane wanted the sample run and she wanted it done immediately.

"What am I running this against?"

"I thought I already told you."

"No you didn't." Maura set the down the bottle she had her hand so she could feel Jane's forehead. "Are you feeling alright?"

Jane pushed her hand away. "I'm fine I just thought I had told you." She leaned against the counter, resting her elbow on the cold steel to support her weight. "Run it against the DNA you found on Grace Harper." Jane could see Maura's confusion plain as day. She knew the ME hated it when she wasn't clear with her requests.

"I'd appreciate it if you told me who this sample belonged to."

"Alexis Eldsfield."

Maura stopped her progress in preparing the sample. "You got the warrant?" Maura knew her and Korsak had still been struggling with the warrant. It was a surprise to say the least.

"Voluntary."

"You didn't threaten her did you?"

"Korsak and I were headed back when a patrol car flew past us. We were available so we followed. Turns out Cody Stanton, Ms. Harpers fiancé, had gotten into an altercation with Alexis Eldsfield."

"Is he alright?"

"Yeah he's fine. Alex on the other hand? Broken nose and a nasty bruise on her jaw."

"And the sample?"

"She just handed it over after I took her statement."

Maura could tell there was more to it that Jane wasn't telling her. Jane had been working relentlessly to prove that Alex was in fact their killer. But now that Jane had the DNA she needed so confirm her theory she was surprisingly unenthusiastic. Maura wasn't going to push her friend. Whatever was bothering Jane would eventually come to light. So the doctor continued to work the sample while Jane stood out of the way and let her do her job.

It wasn't long before the sample of Alexis Eldsfield's DNA was ready to run against that found on Grace Harper's body. Maura started the analysis before going to stand by Jane, who had chosen to stay as far away from the computer as possible.

Jane had started to bite the nail of her thumb. It was a response she had to stress and her biggest tell. She wanted the results. Finding the killer was her job sometimes they followed the wrong leads and the wrong people were brought in as suspects. Most of the time the innocent people they first suspected would walk away with nothing more than wounded pride. A few times it had ended marriages. Fewer times had it lead to the wrong person being incarcerated.

If Jane had been wrong this time she was responsible for the fallout that followed. Cody Stanton had assaulted Alexis Eldsfield because he believed with every fiber of his being that Alex was a murderer. Jane was at fault for putting that thought into his head. She wasn't even sure how he had found out that they were looking at Alex for the murder. They had never mentioned it to him either of the times they had spoken with him.

She wanted the results to come back with a positive match. She needed it to come back a positive match. At least if Alex was guilty of murder Jane wouldn't feel as bad about her getting knocked into her place. Not that anyone deserved to be attacked with little or no provocation. Or any for that matter. But if it came back negative. God if it came back negative the damn Jane was trying to keep from breaking would burst. She was supposed to protect people not get them hurt. I just don't want to have to admit I might have made a mistake…

"Jane are you sure you're alright?"

Jane sighed: "No I'm not sure. Damnit…I don't know what it is about this case but it's getting to me. What if I screwed up Maura?"

"You didn't ask Mr. Stanton to attack Alexis did you?"

"No of course not," Jane said defensively. "Why would you even ask that?"

"You've been doing your job. There was no way you could have known that Mr. Stanton would assault her." Maura placed her hands on Jane's shoulders, forcing the detective to look at her. "You're a good detective, you've done everything right don't let self-doubt tell you otherwise."

"Did I go too far?"

"Jane you didn't attack her. All you did was follow your gut, which I may not agree with, but you're hardly ever wrong."

The computer chimed alerting the two that it was finished analyzing the sample. Jane let out a shaky breath as she pulled away from Maura's hold. The doctor let her go knowing that as soon as Jane saw the results she would know too. She didn't need to look. Not right at that moment.

Jane tried not to let her dismay show when she saw the flashing red words on the computer screen. She found it was harder to keep her legs from giving out from under her. Alex was right, she hadn't listened, she had refused to give her the benefit of doubt. Innocent until proven guilty. Trial by jury not by cop. She had made mistakes before. Hell she had been in situations a lot worse than this. But right now her actions during the course of the case were the only mistake she could think about. Two weeks they had been focusing on the wrong person.

"I was wrong this time." Jane shook her head at the monitor. "Take a look for yourself DNA doesn't match."

XXXXX

Maura watched from the doorway of the guest bedroom as Jane spread out crime scene photos and notes on the bed. She often saw the detective deep in thought when it came to a case that had no clear reasoning. There were small things Jane did when she took a different look at what she had in front of her. The way she would chew on her thumb. Or the way she would mumble to herself about one thing or another. Maura loved those things about Jane.

"You've been standing there for a while." Jane picked up another image before glancing at Maura. "I thought you would have gone to bed by now."

"While you exhausted yourself looking for something you missed?" Maura asked.

"There has to be something here. I know that there is something here," Jane dropped the image so she could rub her eyes, "I just have to find it."

"You've been staring at those for hours Jane," Maura closed the gap between her and the detective, "if you haven't found it yet you aren't going to find it tonight. Why don't you take a break for the night so you can look at it with fresh eyes in the morning?"

Jane shook her head. She wanted to listen to Maura but she couldn't. The longer it took her to find something of use the longer Grace Harper's killer walked free. "I can't. We've wasted enough time going after Eldsfield."

Maura knew there wasn't much of a point in arguing with Jane when she was like this. When she started holding herself personally responsible for everything that happened during a case she didn't stop until she closed it. It was another thing that Maura admired in her friend. It also worried her. Jane hardly stopped to consider her personal health when working a hard case. Sometimes she needed a little persuading.

Doing her best to not disturb the papers Jane had laid out, Maura climbed into the bed behind her friend so she was perched on the pillows. Maura knew the best way to get Jane to quit for the night was to remind her it wasn't all on her. "Jane you're exhausted; you really need to rest. It won't do anyone any good if you wear yourself down."

Jane sighed as she let herself lean back into Maura. She was grateful that Maura would continue to push her to rest even if Jane fought her for another hour. Jane didn't have it in her any longer to argue. She was drained of all her energy and even though she wanted to keep working she wasn't capable of it.

"I know," she said with a yawn, "you're right… What good would it do to work when deprived of sleep?"

"Exactly," Maura agreed.

"Would you stay with me tonight?"

"If you want me too."

"Well that kinda is why I asked."

"You don't have to ask Jane."

Jane shook her head. Maybe she didn't have to ask. Maura had stayed with her when she was having nightmares about Hoyt. They'd even fallen asleep on Jane's bed one time, although Jane couldn't remember what they had been doing. Something about this time was different. She felt obligated to make sure Maura was alright with it.

Maura sensed the hesitation in her friend. She could feel just how tense the detective's body was against her. After years of working with the woman sitting with her, Maura had discovered that Jane often took herself too seriously. She wanted so badly to wrap her arms around the brunette and tell her it would be alright. Instead Maura kept her hands by her sides. Actions often did what words couldn't. But right now Jane needed words. Whether they be Maura's or her own. "What's really bothering you?"

"Images of the killer that match Eldsfield's profile, an unsubstantiated alibi, a suspect who could easily be guilty, who I fully believed was guilty, and DNA that says otherwise." Jane closed her eyes, resting her head on Maura's shoulder. "What could I have done differently? What was it about Eldsfield that made me so damn certain she was the murderer?"

"There have been cases like this before Jane."

"Ms. Harpers fiancé assaulted Alexis because I was so determined to prove she wasn't innocent. No one deserves that. Not even someone like Alex."

Strong arms wrapped around Jane's waist, pulling her closer to the blonde behind her. "Do not blame yourself for someone else's actions Jane Rizzoli. Stanton and Eldsfield may fault you for what has happened between them but you cannot take responsibility for something that was out of your control." Maura spoke firmly into Jane's ear, wanting the detective to understand what she was trying to get across. Jane was surprised by Maura's tone, but also grateful. It wouldn't change how she felt, nothing but solving the case would do that, but it would make it easier for her to sleep.

For the first time that night she realized just how tired she really was. She could have fallen asleep with Maura's arms wrapped around her if it weren't for the knee digging into her back.

"Can we go to bed now?" Jane yawned.

"Sure."

The warm body behind her was suddenly gone, leaving Jane disappointed. Her eyes opened to see Maura moving the files from the bed to the dresser. It was only a few minutes before Maura climbed back into the bed next to her. Thank you… jane crawled underneath the covers before reaching over to shut off the light. Darkness fell over them. And as much as Jane wanted to stay awake the second her head met the pillow she was asleep.