So, welcome back, As I promised the end of this chapter has our beloved Liv finding that peace. There's your spoiler. touching base on a few different characters to help remind us of our friends as well as revisiting the past. I deliberately kept a lot of Liv's stuff out of here because of what I have her up to soon. No worries, I swear I will take very good care of her. She's going to OWN the epilogue. Meanwhile we're going to get sneaky, funny and hopefully a little teary. as always, edited by Zarosguth and any remaining mistakes are my own. Man this chapter felt good to write. So enough with the last time on Beckett & Rizzoli, roll that beautiful LETO footage. The quotes are from a blog website devoted to the loving bonds of sisters. Can't say which one but Google it and it'll take you right there.
Stepping off the elevator, Rick Castle walked down the hallway next to the bullpen thinking about all of the things he still wanted to cover in his personal project, the blue book that was sitting in the passenger seat of his Ferrari. He wanted to have the second installment of the Diary of Jane finished before the wedding so he could give it to them as a gift, privately of course, just in case Jane tazed him for it. He honestly didn't know why she hadn't tortured him for the book he'd given Maura. Instead she'd thanked him and in truth, that had terrified him more than shackles, a battery charger and steel wool would have. Although he hated to admit it, he'd avoided her for about a week after that; there was bravery and then there was stupidity.
Two officers walked past him, escorting a young tattooed kid about nineteen years old and enough piercings in his face to caution about the dangers of shrapnel. He smiled a lopsided grin as the officers lead the kid to the elevator. Sighing, Rick poked his head into the bullpen, looking for anyone he recognized. Not seeing anyone he continued down the hallway to the last door.
Sighing and readying himself to talk to the overly aggressive Homicide Commander, he knocked on the door.
"Come in!" The irritated voice barked.
Rick took a deep breath and opened the door. He leaned in and smiled a charming smile. "You got a minute?"
"Get in here, Castle."
Rick straightened and shut the door behind him. Walking in he sat down in the chair opposite the desk and smiled, "So how goes your secret plan?"
Lieutenant Sean Cavanaugh eyed the writer intensely as Rick continued his confident lopsided grin. "Progressing, all the paperwork is here and signed. I'm going to be running around for three days to get it where it needs to go when I drop the dime."
Rick nodded, "Don't know if it will help, but to alleviate suspicions I could pull courier duty for a few days in June."
"Well that might be an issue." Sean said as he leaned back in his chair, "See, the problem is that I have more in play than just Beckett and Rizzoli and I'm not comfortable telling anyone else what I have going on lest our chief of detectives get involved."
"Well I'm good at secrets." Rick replied with a smile, "I figured out what you're doing since February, I've got to tell you that you're putting together one hell of a homicide squad. Woody, Frankie, Jane, with Kate as your sergeant. Talk about seasoned vets with up and coming stars."
"No one else knows?" Sean asked leaning forward on his desk.
"Not a soul." Rick replied straightly.
Sean eyed the writer carefully before seeming to decide something. He got up and pulled a book off the shelf and handed it over to Rick. "This is what I got and you're the only other person who knows anything about it."
Rick took the book and nodded reassuringly to the man. Looking down he smirked at the title, "Faust. Very appropriate for a deal with the devil."
"I thought it ironic." The lieutenant replied. "Page two twenty three."
Rick flipped the book open to the page and found half of a notebook sheet stuck between the pages. A list of names and their positions greeted him. One in particular stood out at the top of the page.
"Talk about ambitious, and there's no guarantee that you can get Maura back into the Medical Examiner's office; in addition to enjoying teaching, she also plans on being pregnant with a baby Jane over the next year. Not to mention that the way she left couldn't have left a good impression on the governor."
"Oh, I've got a plan there, and even a co-conspirator." Sean said, "If we can do it right, Maura will be back into her old job three months after they come back."
"And Jordan?" Rick asked.
"Already wants Maura to come back. No problem." Sean was confident in that. "To use a legal term, Jordan is perfectly happy to sit second chair in the ME's office so long as Dr. Isles is in the first chair."
"It'll be Dr. Rizzoli when they come back." Rick slapped the book closed, "The other person on this list?"
"Don't worry. It's already in the works." Sean leaned back in his chair again and laced his fingers together, "Jordan made room for Alexis to intern with the ME's office, it's a done deal, all she needs is the paperwork which, as I understand it, Miss Castle has already turned in most of it. She just needs an acceptance from Harvard or BCU to get it legitimized."
"You really have thought it all out." Rick said, clearly impressed, "Anything I can do to help, I love a good conspiracy, especially when it serves justice instead of denying it."
Sean nodded, "Actually there is one thing…"
NYPD Homicide Team
The drone, which rode on treads that resembled Number Five from the movie Short Circuit, had a body that once looked somewhat like the Terminator with guns for arms. But the CQB maintenance guys got tired of picking the paint out of all the crevices of the machine and the designers were forced to add plastic plates that looked like a cross between a Storm Trooper and a Cylon. There were three kinds of tracking devices built in to the machine and preset parameters for their use. The first was a limited thermal sensor that tracked body heat built into the left "eye", that alone was not enough to get the drone to fire. The second tracking system was a rather sensitive motion sensor in the right eye, not sensitive to pick up tiny movements but sensitive enough to pick up slow movements. The third was sound microphones located where the ears would be. Upon hearing a sound, the drone, unless programmed to do otherwise, would move to investigate the noise but when the thermal sensor and motion sensor were both triggered, the drone would track and fire paint rounds through guns that were attached to the arms.
The nine millimeter gel rounds were incased in a light rubberized plastic bullet that splattered on impact. Even though the powder charges were significantly lightened for the paint rounds, you wouldn't want to get hit by one, which was why all competitors were required to wear body armor. The drone's targeting system was programmed to track the center mass cold spot of a hot target. Most of the time the programming was simple; track and fire, but the chief operator of the system, Staff Sergeant Griggs of the US Army, could change the preset parameters by selecting what he wanted the drone to do. Such as lay in an ambush like the one in the shipping crate that had just raised up to shoot Jane in the back.
Kate slammed into her partner as the drone fired, barely missing them both. As they had done many times, Jane rolled into the fall while raising her left hand up to take out the drone. Her .45 coughed once and the green paint round smacked the drone in the face. The impact sensor on the "helmet" registered the hit and the drone shut down. Jane heard two gunshots behind her and spun in time to see Kate on her back, firing over her head at the drone that was coming towards them. Jane did a three sixty and found two more drones rolling across the cement floor towards them. She fired off three rounds, two connected and the third one smacked the observation camera on the wall.
Grinning, Jane continued to search for targets but found none, keeping one eye scanning the area she held a hand out and helped Kate to her feet. She got an immediate pat on the back and they continued on. They cautiously came up to a small metal personnel door, Jane continued to check their surroundings as Kate quietly cracked the door open. The other side was what looked like a garage of some kind. There were several trucks and Humvees parked in a row. Several of them had their hoods up and various tool boxes were lying nearby.
Feeling a touch on the ribs Jane turned and looked through the door while Kate crouched.
"Okay, this looks suspicious." She whispered.
"Yeah." Kate agreed.
"Rollers will have a hard time getting around with those tool boxes." Jane eyed what she could see inside the garage. "You know they're in there."
"And the only way to win is to go through."
Since the door swung to the right. Kate took position on the left so her shooting hand was first through. Jane got the door detail since she was left handed. She eased the door open, surprised that it didn't squeak. Kate moved in first and Jane, feeling the urge to be well armed, pulled her nine millimeter out of her back holster. Two fisted shooting was something she had trained hard to be able to do and it had served her well the few times she had needed it, mostly here in the CQB. Careful not to overlap her partner's position, Jane moved along the wall, quiet as a mouse while Kate covered the other side. They kept glancing at each other to keep their messaging available as they slowly circled the garage.
Kate saw the drone first and fired into the back seat of the hummer disabling it before it could take a shot at Jane. Then all hell broke loose as all of the trucks' lights came on and Drones rose up from back seats and the canopied backs of the duce and a half. These were new, stationary drones that rose up on a telescopic base bolted to the vehicles. Movement didn't matter, Both humans were caught in the open with no cover. Jane pulled the triggers and blasted the two nearest her as she ran straight towards the nearest vehicle. She ran a total of ten steps before diving under the Humvee and sliding to a stop next to the right rear wheel. She caught sight of Kate as she bolted for a random tool box that was quickly covered in red paint.
Jane shouted in frustration as she realized that she was trapped, she had to clear out the drones in the surrounding vehicles in order to get to her partner. She shimmied around under the Humvee until she got a bead on two drones. She dispatched them with ease but incurred the wrath of three more. It was then that she heard the garage door open and four rollers rumbled into the fight.
Good one, Colin. I never saw it coming. She smiled at her friend's ability to create the unexpected. She was pinned down, so was Kate and now there were moving drones as well as the stationary ones.
She caught a glance from Kate and their eyes locked.
Rollers coming in on both sides. She willed Kate to understand the look. I can't move.
She did, Kate glanced around and looked back at her, I can! Kate grabbed the tool chest she was hiding behind and started pushing it towards the nearest vehicle. Jane, seeing what her partner was up to, fired a round into the back seat, the drone turned on her and fired, leaving Kate open to pop one in the back of its head. She turned the box to face the roller that was coming around and she smeared it's face as soon as it showed. Jane slid around looking for a way to get out of there and found another drone in a vehicle. She raised up to hit it when she caught sight of a drone rolling along next to her vehicle.
Too good of an opportunity to miss, she slid to the side and aimed her 19 at its back she pulled the trigger and turned barely in time to catch the following drone with her 37. She slid back under the truck and caught a flash of red out of her peripheral vision, a bright red smear was on the toe of her boot.
"I just bought these!" She shouted angrily.
Kate spun at her partner's shout and fired two more rounds at the drone in Jane's truck.
Jane, now angry, slid out from the truck carefully to keep the so called damaged foot out of commission. She slid across the floor, taking out any drone she could get a bead on. Fortunately, since the concrete floor was polished, she had no trouble sliding from one vehicle to the next and hitting as many drones as she could hit while sliding over to her partner.
Kate damn near jumped out of her skin when Jane gripped her foot. "Jesus, Jane!"
"I'm hit in the foot." She reported.
"There goes running," Kate said, "You got any rounds?"
Jane pulled two clips for her nine out of her back ammo pouches and handed them over. "What's the count?"
"One roller playing possum somewhere, at least three more stationaries."
Jane looked around from her vantage point on the floor when a wheel next to a wall caught her attention.
"Is that a creeper?" She pointed to the object leaning against the wall.
Kate looked over the hood and nodded. "Yep."
A smile crossed Jane's face. "I need it."
Kate glanced over to the wall and shook her head, "I guess it's my turn to be the crazy bitch."
Jane's smile grew. "Get me that creeper and I'll avenge you."
Groaning, Kate moved around the front of the truck and looked around, the area looked clear but she knew she was going to get shot at. "I hate you." She grumbled right before she ran for the wall. A good sixty feet away, Kate ran for all she was worth. She heard shots being fired and she combat rolled to the wall hoping that she didn't hurt herself and also that she didn't get taken out. She slammed into the wall on her back next to the floor and grabbed the padded cart that Mechanics use to slide under cars.
She heard Jane shout to her. "Go!"
Kate slid onto the cart and pushed off the wall with all of her strength, sending her careening under the duce and a half and damn near running into a tire. Sliding off the creeper she shoved it straight to her partner who caught it and climbed on. Jane caught up to her a few seconds later.
"Okay, You got the creeper. Now what?" Kate huffed.
"Rolling around on this will make a bunch of noise drawing them out to check it out. Now, I'm going to start distracting." She smiled and handed Kate her 9mm.
With one hand she guided herself around the garage. Working in tandem, Jane slid around under the vehicles while Kate followed on foot next to them. Jane would find a truck with a drone and roll around it, Kate would get in position and take it out. All the time Jane was laughing and talking trash, and generally making as much noise as she could while Kate didn't make a peep.
Five minutes later they were searching for the roller…
…until it found Kate.
She came around the corner but it was waiting, because that is what Griggs had it set to do. She pulled the trigger but nothing happened she snapped up the second gun but again, nothing. Kate's eyes went wide as the drone raised the gun arm towards her. There was nothing she could do, she'd never reload in time.
Just then Jane slid up behind her and shoved her 45 between Kate's shins and fired five rounds so fast, you'd have thought she had an automatic.
The drone was neatly stitched from the bottom of the chest piece up to right between the eyes. A loud buzzer sounded and seconds later Colin was laughing as he came in.
"Where in the hell did you get the idea to use a creeper?" He asked as Jane finally stood up.
"It was there" She said, "And I'm sorry to say it but I got hit." She lifted up her boot to show the red smear on the toe.
Colin looked at it and started laughing so hard he had to grab the side of a truck to remain standing.
"You didn't get hit Jane." He barked, "You banged your foot on the side of that Humvee right there and got the paint on you."
"Damn Jane," Kate laughed, "Can't you tell the difference between clumsiness and getting shot?"
"Hey we still won right?" She asked happily.
"That you did, lass." He said, "You got them all. Your brother had a better time though."
Jane screwed her face up at him, "Who'd he run through with?"
With a mischievous glint in his eye, Colin gave her a smirk, "NYB has new faces. He ran through with Liv."
Kate looked at her partner, "Fucking traitor."
"Oh he's so going to get the Elliot treatment." Jane smirked. "Flip you for it."
Frankie was sitting in a lawn chair choking on a beer as Liv told him a story about their prior adventures at LETO. As always, Liv, Kate and Jane were sitting three across in the yard swing while Booth ran the grill and Colin tried not to laugh. Lance Sweets was shaking his head as she spoke.
"So Elliot was separated from Kathy and we came out here for LETO and for the first two days he was just being a grumpy ass to the point where we were all ready to kick his ass when Kate came up with this ridiculous idea to loosen him up. Jane and Kate got into a pissing match with him while I was feeding him shots all night long until he was hammered to the capacity of a coma patient. Let me tell you that the three of us trying to lug that man out of the bar looked like a monkey fucking a football."
Jane started laughing again as Kate tried to keep her partner from falling over. Frankie glanced over to Colin, "How come you didn't help?"
Shaking his head with a shit eating grin, Colin waved him off, "I knew what they were up to and I wanted absolutely nothin' to do with it."
With her partner laughing in near hysteria, Kate's words were starting to get giggly, "Oh but that didn't stop him from laughing his ass off."
Liv rolled her eyes and went back to telling the story, "So we dumped him in the back of our UTV and let him roll around in the box as we came back to the hangar where, again, we dragged him out and damn near dropped him getting him back to his room. Once he's in there, Jane just lets go of his shoulder and he falls flat on his back in bed. Kate is just giddy as hell at the opportunity and I start taking all of his clothes off while Jane and Kate ran back to their rooms… and mine and come back with Kate's make up kit, my nail polish collection and a small gym bag. Jane pulls out one of my spaghetti strap tank tops,"
Jane interrupted her, "Babe, you were the only one here with a rack big enough to accommodate his massive chest, so quit bitching. Besides, I gave up my underwear for this one."
"Oh hell no!" Frankie shouted as Booth and Lance started laughing.
"Yep it happened," Kate's words were barely discernable though her laughter. "We stuck him in Jane's black boy shorts to make him appear slimmer."
"There wasn't anything slim about him." Kate whispered to Liv loud enough to be heard by the entire group.
She looked over Jane and grimaced at Kate, "Do you want to tell the story?"
Kate snickered. "Don't act like you didn't see it."
Frankie glanced around at the guys who were all looking like they just got a heavy dose of TMI. "You mind sparing us the details like that?"
Colin looked up and started laughing because only he wasn't embarrassed; he was used to their antics. He just shook his head and drank his beer, "They only do this to get a rise out of the guys, you just have to ignore it and they'll move on in a second."
Kate shoved Liv's shoulder, "Okay, keep going."
She groaned, "Fine," and looked back to the boys, "So we strip him down and dress him up. Kate and Jane lift him up and I put him in my purple camisole. Then we lay him down again and Kate starts painting his toenails pink while Jane paints his fingernails purple to match my top. Meanwhile I'm putting on foundation, bush, lipstick, eye shadow, just the works."
Frankie points his beer bottle at his sister, "Makes me kinda feel better about being in the bungalows." Which caused Jane to break out in laughter again.
Liv talks right over her friend, "So Anyway, he's passed out and done up like a drag queen and Kate takes a few quick pictures and we tuck him in for the night."
Jane started giggling again and Kate tried not to join her but failed miserably.
"He must have been upset when he woke up." Lance said.
"I would be," Booth agreed lowly.
More laughter from the girls, something that none of the men found particularly amusing, but sympathized with the embarrassment.
"No that's the thing!" Liv shouted, "We get up the next morning and he's already up, in full make up and outfit, sitting at the table drinking coffee."
"We thought he hadn't figured it out yet." Kate added, "But as soon as we walk out he looks at us with a serious pissed off expression and still holding the coffee says, 'I know I was really drunk so I have to ask…" Her expression changed from mocking anger to light confusion. "…Have you seen my heels? I can't find them.'"
Frankie spat out his beer and started coughing as Booth, Colin, and Sweets started laughing to the point where Sweets was clutching his chest.
Jane and Kate were gripping each other trying to regain some control when Liv looked up at Colin, "But I thought it was best when Colin came down and didn't even stop as he looked over Stabler and said, 'I think purple is your color.'
"Stabler looked at him and said, 'you think? I thought it was a fashion risk but it was either scarlet or fuchsia so I took a chance.'"
It took a few minutes for them to recover from the extensive laughter.
Finally Lance shook his head, "Did Elliot have any kind off…" he twirled his finger.
"No!" Liv barked in delight, "He was a staunchly heterosexual Alpha male."
"That's what made it so funny." Kate cackled, "We were expecting him to be pissed but he had a good laugh about it."
"Elliot was the first one who said he deserved it and he relaxed for the rest of the Expo." Jane said, "He was being a dick and he knew it. Said that it reminded him not to take things too seriously."
"He sounded like he could take a joke." Lance said.
"That was here." Jane cautioned, "Here, he always let go and just had fun. We never would have done that to him at home."
Booth nodded, "Speaking of letting go, get your plates ready cause the beef is done."
Two hours later the guys headed out to the Shield while the girls remained for some girl time. Liv was trying to figure out why Frankie was so uptight and Jane snickered as she picked at the label of her beer, "Frankie's been looking forward to this for a while and he doesn't want to embarrass us. He'll settle down after a day or two once he gets comfortable."
Kate agreed, "It's also because there are two other guys nearby as well. That old male pack mentality thing."
"Booth seems comfortable enough," Liv said as she sipped at the martini.
"That's because he doesn't feel like he has to prove a damn thing." Kate said, "Look at Sweets, he's clearly an outsider and although he cares about what we think, probably because we're girls, he tries to show that he's Booth's friend more than anything."
"Thank God they all go back to the bungalows at night." Jane said in relief, "But I think if Colin would let Frankie stay a night or two at the hangar, he'll loosen up."
"That's Colin's call though." Kate said, "That's the rules."
Jane nodded, "And I don't disagree, but with two other guys around, Frankie is going to be more uptight. Especially with these private meetings with Booth that will make Frankie feel like he's out of something."
"Keep him out of it, Jane." Liv cautioned, "We keep this close so we don't have to worry about our families."
"I know." Jane said, "I'm just thinking we need to do something different."
"I agree," Kate said. "We've got a lot more of our personal business on the table this year and we all agreed that we wouldn't use this place like that."
"But there's no easier or safer way to discuss this with Booth." Liv said, "That's what you told me when you brought me on. You said the deal was no one you work with or your friends at LETO."
"We know," Kate said, "We met booth after the deal was struck but if we can't keep it out of LETO let's at least keep it out of the house."
"Agreed," Jane said. "We can talk on the range or somewhere other than the house."
Liv nodded, "Okay. And Frankie?"
"Keep Frankie around but keep him out of the case." Jane said. "He just wants to be a part of all of the stories we've told over the years."
"Oh yeah," Kate interrupted with a very mischievous glint in her eyes, "Marco got back with me today. He said that he can get us more but he's not sure how low power they are. But he'll hit us up tomorrow when the truck comes."
Liv groaned, "You shoot me in the ass again Kate and I promise you will tingle for a week when I am done with you."
Kate smiled and pursed her lips into a big kiss. "Don't threaten me with a good time."
Jane groaned, "Seriously, this is too gay for me."
They laughed at her, "Says the only one here who doesn't like men." Kate snorted. "At all."
"Just for that," she snapped, "you're sleeping in your own bed tonight."
"And let's see if I wake up alone." Kate smirked.
"And Maura doesn't have a problem with this?" Liv said in a mocking tone, "At all?"
Kate blew a raspberry, "Hell no! She wants me to sleep with Jane because she knows nothing will happen."
"You don't want to see Maura when she's overcome with the green eyed monster." Jane groaned, "As sweet and gentle as my baby is, that's the only time you can see her dad in her."
Kate nodded vigorously, eyes wide in agreement, "It's scary."
"Her dad?" Liv pursed her lips, "I thought she was adopted."
"She was," Jane sighed, "but we found her biological parents a few years ago and there's some serious issues there."
"Her dad was a big crime boss back in the day." Kate took a healthy pull from her beer, "Put her with her adopted family to keep her safe and away from the family business."
Gasping, Liv shook her head in disbelief, "All the years we've been friends and it still surprises me how little you two share about yourselves."
Jane downed the last of her beer but instead of cracking a new one she pulled a bottle of pomegranate juice from the cooler, "We all have things we keep to ourselves, Liv."
"It was years before I told you about my mother." Kate agreed, "Even though Jane confided in you the day after you met about her hands, she still didn't tell you how she got them for almost three more years."
"You didn't tell me about your mother or your father for a long time." Jane added, "It's just stuff we don't like to share. Maura doesn't like to talk about Paddy. Colin doesn't want to talk about the scars on his back."
Liv nodded her understanding, and took in a deep breath. It was obvious that she had something on her mind. Finally Kate decided that it was time to pry a little.
"So while we're on this serious talk, you want to share anything? Or talk about why you quit?"
Liv leaned back in her chair and mumbled something.
"C'mon babe." Kate said softly while putting a reassuring arm over her friends broad shoulders. "Theres something eating at you. We've both seen it for a while. We love you and we don't ant you to bare it all on your own."
"Babe." Jane said softly, "You know we won't judge you."
Liv sighed heavily before looking up at them, "A couple of years ago, Elliot and I came caught this case where this little boy's mother was turning tricks out of her apartment, it was a bad situation and we went to the mat with ACS to get him placed with his father. He was a clean cut accountant so we thought he'd be safe there. Especially when I checked on him every now and again and found his father was moving up the corporate ladder. Max had everything a young boy wanted or needed.
"About a month ago, we got called out to a crime scene where this woman was brutally raped and cut up bad. I found Max's father with his throat cut on the floor, the woman was his girlfriend and Max was lying on his back in the bedroom." Her voice started quivering "He looked like he was sleeping and I lost it."
Jane and Kate wrapped their arms around her as Liv broke down.
"I lost it on a crime scene." She sobbed. "I ran to him and picked him up, cradled him to my chest and I couldn't let him go. The CSU team went crazy because I was contaminating the crime scene and I didn't care. Fin, Amaro, and Rollins had to physically pull him out of my arms and drag me out of the apartment." She turned her head into Jane's shoulder, it was who she shared her pain with. "I lost myself. After Elliot left I started spiraling and I can't save myself. I tried to hold on to Alex but I can't be with her if she can't love me like I love her. Why do I have to be alone? Why can't someone be here for me?"
Seeing their friend, the toughest woman either of them knew, crumble right before their eyes had them staring at each other.
This is bad. Kate sent. She's never had anyone but Elliot to help her cope.
The look Jane sent was clear, She's got us, Kate. We're her family. We can help her. Jane rested her lips on Liv's temple and kissed her lightly, "The job just got to you, babe." she cooed.
"It'll get to all of us one day." Kate crooned as she too kissed her. "But you're not alone, Livy."
"You've always had us here and we love you, Livy. We'll be here for you no matter what." Jane said, "You've carried it long enough on your own."
"It's time to let it go." Kate whispered, "Your sisters have you now, just let it out."
Jane stuck her fingers into Liv's long hair and rubbed the older woman's scalp as Kate ran her fingers through the reddish brown hair. Liv's arms slipped around each of them as they tightened their hold on her. Comfort and security, love and family, that was what she felt nestled into their embrace as she let go of it all. Then she realized what they were whispering to her. Words of love and affection, heartfelt and unhesitating, they were claiming her as one of their own. They were her sisters and they loved her.
My sisters! The thought rolled through her like a wave crashing against the shore, washing away the filth left from her job. I'm not alone, I don't have to do this alone. Another rolling wave to help cleans her. I'm loved, unconditionally loved. More waves rolled through her as she felt her walls crumbling under the onslaught. My sisters love and shelter me, they won't let me fall. If I'm hurt they'll carry me. If I cry they will hold me. Wave after wave threatened to destroy all of her defenses. But as Janie started whispering to her in that husky voice of hers, Livy let those walls fall.
"For there is no friend like a sister, In calm or stormy weather;
To cheer one on the tedious way, To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down, To strengthen whilst one stands."
She felt the warm embrace of her sisters and let herself fall into that sense of family, of belonging and with her sisters holding her tightly Livy let them wash it all away, all of the hurt, torment, the sleepless nights, all of the walls she used to keep it all in check and the vile filth that had tainted her soul for so long and with it went her sense of loneness, her aching heart break over Alex, and Casey. She let her sisters take it all away, leaving her raw and bleeding but clean and ready to heal. She let her sisters take her burdens for her for there was no longer any reason to be so strong when they would help her carry it.
"What mom never told me is that along the way, you find sisters and they find you. Girls are cool that way." Kate whispered softly, "We hang out, we help one another, we tell one another our worst fears and biggest secrets, and then, just like real sisters, we listen and don't judge."
They sat on the swing for a while with Liv nestled between them. Soft delicate whimpers and sobs escaped into the night. Their sister was crying, freely. Jane knew that it was one of those cleansing cries, the kind that she'd only done in front of Kate. It was hard for women like them to ever let go like that. Eventually, Liv cried herself to sleep and Jane lifted her head slightly as all the tension finally left Liv's body. Kate caught her eye in the dark, lit only by the light of the fire pit.
We got to her. Kate sent.I really hope this works.
Jane nodded subtly. I think she'll be alright but it'll take time.
She smiled slightly and tipped her head to the side to rest her cheek on Liv's head. Liv was her sister now, and just like she would for Jane, she'd die to protect her. Jane closed her eyes and rested her head on Liv's and Kate's as she made herself a promise.
No matter what happened, Livy would never feel alone again.
Maura's voice rang in her ears, "And you always keep your promises, Jane Rizzoli."
Livy just got her family which is a huge step in the right direction. I always figured the it would be Angela to make that call which was what I set up for but as I continued to write about Liv's anguish I realized that It wasn't enough. Angela could claim her until she was blue in the face, and not that Liv would ever dismiss it but it wouldn't have felt right, It wasn't right for either Jane or Kate to claim her, they had to do it together because they were the only one's who Liv would accept and even then only at her most vulnerable. She's claimed as a Rizzoli now and she's been cleaned by her sisters. Now she just needs to find herself again so she can heal the way she needs to. Because I love the character of Olivia Benson, I want to give her the happy ending she so richly deserves. We'll see what My Muse has to say.