**DISCLAIMER – I do not own the characters, they belong to TNT and associated bodies. **

(However I have a wonderful imagination and that belongs all to me, just sometimes Jane and Maura wind up naked in it, and there's not a thing I can do to stop it. Gutted.)

The Silence- Belongs to Alexandra Burke.(For anyone interested in Simon Cowell's new show in America, the X Factor; she's one of the previous UK winners, Youtube her stuff,she's great!)

How to solve a problem like a wedding ring.

Chapter Seven – The Silence

Jane was on her way to the courthouse to see Clark Stevens' initial appearance for the murder of three of his fellow college freshmen.

The case had gotten to her, after Mike Chong's body had been found in the BCU pool it was a race against time to save the fourth boy. The Detective had run herself ragged as clue after clue kept slipping by, her resolve never faltered and she worked until she had no energy; finally collapsing in the middle of a briefing with Korsak and Frost.

It had taken rushing her to the E.R to make the stubborn Sergeant finally realize that she couldn't go on like this. She gave in and confided in the men about her impending divorce, about her life being in ruins. It only served to make her sadder, rather than it leading to relief.

When she was released the next day, she assured her colleagues that she was alright. Not great, not recovering, but alright. It was enough of a peek behind the walls for the men. Jane Rizzoli would never admit to being broken or hurt, this admission was enough for them to know.

Frost was acutely aware of how little Jane and Maura had interacted since Jane's return. At a huge risk, he invited Maura to go over the case once more with them in the bull-pen. He had nothing to lose in terms of the case, they were utterly at a loss and the team were falling apart at the seams both emotionally and physically; one more glance over everything couldn't hurt, months had passed but they still hadn't found the British boy; Frost clung onto the hope he was still alive.

The Detectives congregated in Korsak and Rizzoli's shared office, Frost pulling the whiteboard out and sticking various photographs onto it when Maura came through the door.

"Good afternoon Barry, Lieutenant . . . Sergeant," Jane's appearance caused Maura to pause and do a once-over. Her hair was scraped back into a ponytail, her face looked pale and there were dark circles beneath her eyes; not to mention she looked like she had been wearing the same clothes for a week.

Throughout the meeting Jane could feel Maura's eyes on her; not in the way the used to wash over her at yoga, nor in the way they would follow her subtly when she would walk away after a lunch-date; her eyes now – they didn't look for want or need of Jane physically, they looked to her emotionally out of pure concern.

After connecting all the young men to a small-time campus drug dealer,who had been blackmailing the students about their relationships; Jane was able to ascertain motive and finally they hit a lucky break with a false alibi. It was then a race against time to his apartment to try and save the young exchange student, Jane ran from the office calling in the developments to her SWAT team, organising the pick-up.

Just before Frost too exited the room, Maura pulled him by the arm.

"I know now is not the time, but is she ok?" Her look could only be described as agony. She couldn't bear seeing Jane in pain.

"Look Maura, since she's been back; you've blanked her. She tried to make amends,instead the only two people that matter in the world to her; walked away."

"What do you mean, Barry?"

"He left her Maura. Two weeks ago . . . packed up back to D.C and started divorce proceedings."

Maura couldn't contain her shock. Her heartbeat betrayed her as it couldn't contain it's joy.

"What . . . why?"

"Because she asked him to. She ended it, and he left. Look I don't have time right now, but you and her; Doc with all respect, I know she hurt you. I know what you went through, I saw it. But she's just as bad, coming back here and having things the way they are with you; she's barely living right now. I don't care if you end up getting' married as soon as her divorce is through . . . or damn it, worst case scenario that you still hate each other . . . she needs you. So get off that damned high horse and talk to her." Frost's last words surprised him so much he literally swallowed, panicked, smiled awkwardly and ran.

The arrest went like clockwork, SWAT storming the apartment with their Sergeant close behind taking the collar. Jane improved somewhat afterwards, satisfied that even though her own world had collapsed around her; she had spared one young man's parents the grief of burying their child.

Maura spotted the Detective begin her ascent on the stairs to the courthouse, calling out to her.

"Jane! Wait," The M.E moved quickly towards the surprised brunette.

"Maura . . . I'm late for the hearing, and I don't want to miss it," her eyes were sympathetic as she looked to the doors before locking on the other woman again.

"I know, I know you want to be there. Look, I want to talk. Talk, properly; and I'm not going to be angry or avoid anything, I want us to talk . . . about us, about everything. When you're ready, come find me . . . today, tomorrow, next week; whenever. Just come find me, when you're ready. Because I am." Maura searched the taller woman's eyes, receiving a quiet nod that she reciprocated,she turned on her heel and back to her car, missing Jane's small smile and a tear fall as she continued her climb to the courthouse.