Authors Note: Sorry for the small wait. RL got in the way. (x But here is the next installment. I hope you enjoy. I want to thank everyone of you who reviewed! It means a lot to me. Reviews make me write faster. So let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own no one except Dr. Reese and the story. :c

Chapter Four

Jane and Maura sat in silence, each consumed by their own thoughts. You need to do this, Dr. Reese is collecting...evidence so that J-Jane can c-catch who did this. Maura focused on her breathing as she continued to mentally prepare herself for what was about to happen. You will not let fear take over, you are fine, Maura. The faster you allow this, the faster you can go home and shower...You can take a hot shower...Maura thought, letting her head drop back against her pillow.

Jane sighed as she watched Maura have an internal battle with herself. "Hey, you okay?" Jane asked softly, knowing that Maura really wasn't okay but not sure what else to say. She wasn't used to having to use her 'victim voice' on Maura.

"I-I'm fine, Jane." Maura replied stoically. I'm fine...She repeated it like a mantra in her mind, trying hard to convince not only Jane, but more so herself.

Jane opened her mouth to speak but a small knock on the door stopped her. Maura's heart rate quickened as the door knob turned and Dr. Reese entered. She was rolling in a cart with all the needed supplies, and the more Maura saw, the more she felt herself begin to panic. This is all necessary for collecting evidence. I will keep a logical mind.. I can do this. I can do this. Maura closed her eyes and took a breath, only to wince as pain shot up her ribs and to her chest.

All Jane could do was hold on tighter to her friend's hand. She'd never admit it to anyone, but she was terrified that she wouldn't be able to hold herself together for this, for Maura. She felt selfish for even thinking about not being able to handle this, Maura was the one who had to endure it.

Dr. Reese set the cart at the foot of the bed, moving slowly so as not to startle her patient. She hated doing Rape-kits but always tried to be as gentle as possible. "Okay, Dr. Isles. I know this is going to get awkward, uncomfortable and painful...Physically and emotionally, but I'm going to do all I can to make you a little more comfortable. I'm sure you already know what happens in this procedure, but would you like me to explain what's going to happen?" She asked, making eye contact with Maura as she donned a pair of gloves.

Maura swallowed thickly and shook her head in the negative. "N-No. I-I understand the procedure..." She stammered, biting down on the inside of her cheek. She knew the procedure well, in fact, having to perform it on some of her own patients, though her patients weren't alive... She didn't need to feel more humiliated by having every little thing pointed out to her, not with Jane here. She didn't think she herself could handle hearing it out loud anyway.

Dr. Reese nodded softly. "Okay, well. If you get uncomfortable at all and want me to stop, or you need a moment, you just let me know and I'll stop what I'm doing." She waited for a nod from Maura before she brought the cart closer to the foot of the bed. "I'm going to need you to bring your knees up and spread your legs." The doctor said calmly.

Letting out a shuddery breath, Maura did as instructed, jumping slightly as she felt two gloved hands pull up her blanket. "You're going to feel a good bit of pressure, let me know if it gets too painful." Dr. Reese said softly as she moved to get the needed tools.

It took everything in Maura not to push the doctor away. Logically, she knew that this needed to be done and that she shouldn't feel ashamed and humiliated, but she did. She felt like damaged goods. Tears sprang into her eyes and she clamped them shut and turned her head to face Jane.

Jane was looking at her sadly, her hand firmly clasped in Maura's. "I'm right here, Maur. It'll be okay." She whispered gently, bringing her free hand up to wipe away the tears that escaped her friend's eyes.

Maura only nodded meekly, her body tense and shaky as she tried to ignore the pressure and pain below. Her breath hitched as delicate hands touched her inner thighs to swab for DNA. It only made more tears stream down her cheeks. God this hurts. Maura couldn't help the quiet sob that escaped her lips, causing the hands below to still. "Do you need a second, Dr. Isles? I can stop." Dr. Reese asked softly, watching Maura with concern.

"Hey, shhh. It's okay. It'll be over soon." Jane whispered, her heart breaking with every passing moment. She couldn't imagine the pain that Maura was going through, or went through for that matter. Maura bit the inside of her cheek as images flashed through her mind. It was brief, but the masked figures sent a flurry of panic through her and she moved up the bed slightly and gripped Jane's arm. "Maur?" Jane gently placed her free hand on Maura's shoulder.

"J-Jane..." Maura breathed out. "I-I'm..." She gripped Jane's arm tighter, her fingernails unintentionally digging into the detective's skin. Jane however didn't notice, she was focused on the terrified ME. "I'm...h...aving t-trouble discerning what is real and what are flashbacks. P...please," She paused to steady her voice and look up at Jane with pleading eyes. "T-Talk to me...a...about an...anything." She swallowed thickly, desperately trying to focus all of her attention on the concerned looking detective.

Jane swallowed the large lump in her throat and took a shaky breath. "It's okay, Maura." Jane said, though it came out in almost a whisper. Her eyes glazed over and she tried to hold back tears as Maura stared at her with large, terrified eyes. "When we leave, d-do you want to go to my place or yours? I-I'll cook us something to eat and we can argue about how I should eat more healthy just like always." By now, Jane's voice was trembling and on the verge of tears.

Maura kept her attention on Jane, listening and hanging on every word, ignoring the doctor at her feet. Her heart rate calmed a little and she smiled, granted it was barely there but it was still a smile. She watched as Jane's hand cupped her cheek softly and she unconsciously leaned into her friend's slightly calloused hands. Her grip on Jane's arm loosened as she continued to listen to Jane's husky, yet soothing voice.

Jane talked about everything and nothing, her eyes focused on Maura, but occasionally catching the doctor's eye before bringing her dark eyes back to Maura's light ones. Finally, the doctor pulled back for good this time as she finished writing on the chart. She sighed and set the chart down on the cart before removing her gloves and throwing them in the designated bin. "Alright, Dr. Isles. I'm done. I'm sorry that took so long, I just wanted to be absolutely thorough." Dr. Reese spoke the last part with a bit of conviction. "I'll have a nurse come in and unhook your IV and get your discharge information. We'll contact you once everything gets processed and sent to the Police." She placed her hands on the cart and began to move toward the door before stopping and facing the two. "Get better, Dr. Isles and good luck to you both. If there's anything you need, questions, whatever...Don't be afraid to call. My extension will be on the discharge information." She offered the two a warm smile before turning to leave.

After being discharged, they had given Maura a pair of scrubs and Jane had helped her get dressed, her eyes anywhere but Maura's poor battered body. Jane had then given Maura the BPD sweatshirt from earlier. They were now sitting silently in the car, Maura curled up in the passenger side while Jane drove. They were both exhausted and it was late. Biting the inside of her cheek, Jane glanced to the side over at Maura and took a breath. "Maur..." When she didn't answer, Jane gently placed her hand on Maura's shoulder, causing her to startle slightly. "Hey...Maur," Jane tried again, feeling bad for making her jump. "Do you want to go to my house or yours?" She asked gently.

Normally that question was asked during a hard case, or after a celebratory night at the Dirty Robber after solving a case, and it was always asked easily no matter the circumstance. Hell, sometimes it was asked just because one friend wanted to spend time with the other. But now, the question was asked with uncertainty and trepidation. Maura sniffled and leaned her head on the window. "Mine." She answered quietly, before adding a, "Please." And then she was silent again.

Jane sighed quietly. "Okay." She said simply. She still needed to call Frost and Korsak and though it was probably going to kill them both, she needed to get a statement from Maura. She wasn't sure how well either of them were going to handle it. She had briefly considered letting someone else handle that but she knew she couldn't do that to Maura. She had to make sure that Maura was as comfortable as possible.

Maura had barely handled being around people very well tonight, even around those she knew. Frost and Korsak had tried to talk to her, and for her part, Maura tried hard to block out the fear and talk to her friends but she found herself latched onto Jane with a death grip, asking her to take her home.

It was overwhelming after enduring such a traumatic incident, Jane understood and she quickly complied with Maura's request, wanting nothing more than to shield her from the pain and fear she knew her friend was feeling. She politely excused them from Frost and Korsak, giving them an apologetic look and letting them know that she would call as soon as she got Maura settled. They both gave her a look of understanding and smiled sadly.

Jane soon pulled up to Maura's house, killing the engine and wordlessly getting out of the car to rush over to Maura's side and open the door for her. Maura looked up as Jane offered her hand. She was in a numbing haze as she took the offered hand. It was dark and Maura was suddenly aware of that. She inched closer to Jane only to jump when the car door was shut. Her heart rang in her ears and panic coursed through her as images began to dance around her mind and taunt her.

Jane looked down at her friend as she felt Maura's grip on her tighten. She could make out a look of terror through the darkness as her eyes trained on Maura's face. "Maura, you're safe." Jane whispered softly, her arms gently moving to wrap around her. Maura seemed to come out of her trance and melt into the detective's arms before letting out a heartbreaking sob. Jane let her cheek rest against Maura's unusually greasy hair and held her a little tighter. "Shhh. It's okay. No ones gonna hurt you." Jane murmured.

After taking a second to calm Maura down, she moved them inside of the house, turning on the lights and setting Maura on the couch. "Are you hungry?" Jane mused, taking a seat beside her friend. Maura shook her head and glanced down at her hands as she fidgeted. Maura never fidgeted. Except that one case where she found out she had a half brother and her birth father was a mobster. This was 10 times worse. After a moment of silence, Maura looked up at Jane and then around the room as if she had never been here before. "I just...I want to take a shower and go to bed." She said numbly, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Of course. Well, you do that. I'm going to fix you and I some soup. I know you aren't hungry, but I just...You should eat something, and I don't wanna eat alone..." Jane bit her lip and waited as she herself began to fidget.

Sighing, Maura nodded. "Okay." Her voice sounded flat and emotionless and Jane knew Maura was trying to separate herself compartmentalize.

"Okay." Jane agreed, gently placing her hand on Maura's arm to pat it gently before she got up and headed into Maura's kitchen, skillfully avoiding tripping over Bass as he seemed to appear out of nowhere. Maura waited for a moment before slowly descending down the hall toward her room.