Authors Note: I promised this chapter like 3 days ago. Sorry about that. I started out good but then I had trouble writing it. But! As you can see, I got it out. xD I'm not gonna say that I'll have the next chapter out quickly, but I promise I'm gonna try. It's a bit of a challenge for me to write cases. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. ;D Anyway, you guys have been SO AMAZING. Seriously, Gods. As a gift from me to you, I'm accepting R&I story prompts. A oneshot you have in mind? Or hell it could be 4shot too, whatever. But if you have an idea you want to read, let me know. (: Maybe I'll even combined your ideas. It'll be something for me to take a break from such a serious storyline. But don't worry, this would still be my main focus. I promise. This is my new baby. xD Okay, this AN is long enough. GO READ!
Disclaimer: I JUST SENT MY LETTER TO SANTA. :D Now, I wait. I got a little spot all set up for R&I and I promise to take good care of em! :3 xD Haha, yeah I don't own them. Well, I do own Olivia Vega. She's a character of mine. Stan Jakes, I own him too but I just made him up for the story. xD
Chapter Nine
After Maura calmed down, Jane got up and handed her some water. Maura gave Jane a grateful nod before taking a couple of slow sips. "I'm...I'm ready." She said softly.
"Okay, Maur. Whenever you're ready." Jane replied, rubbing Maura's back softly before picking up her pen and pad again.
Maura sniffled and took another shuddery breath before she continued. "I-I re-remember waking up in a...in a dark room..." She paused, attempting to gather her thoughts. "It...It was a b-basement, I-I think. My h-hands and f-feet, t-they were b-bound...I think by uhm...z-zip ties." Maura began rubbing her wrists subconsciously.
Jane had never heard Maura have such a hard time talking, and the more she listened, the more angry she became.
"I was...I was a-alone f-for a w-while, u-until h-he came down..." Maura visibly swallowed, and Jane could see that she was remembering whoever 'he' was detail for detail just by the draining color and look of fear on her face.
"Do you remember anything distinctive about him?" Jane asked, her voice a little more raspier than usual. She cleared her throat to try and swallow her emotions.
Maura had tears in her eyes again, but she was trying hard not to let them fall as she nodded. "H-he w-was the a-alpha between the t-three o-of them...t-the leader..." At Maura's words, Jane stiffened and her pen paused mid-word. There were three? Fuck. She felt sick but quickly schooled her features and continued writing, albeit with a shakier hand. "F-from w-what I c-can re-remember...He had an I-Irish accent. T-The leader, he said...he said I-I could call him R-Riley..." The name tasted bitter on her tongue.
"Irish? Okay, anything else?" Jane urged gently, amazed that she had kept her voice steady. She was almost visibly shaking with anger, gripping her pen so tight her knuckles were turning white.
Maura nodded jerkily. "Y-Yes. R-Riley w-was very muscular, t-tall m-maybe 6'5...I-I can't give you a-a definite a-answer...T-the other two w-were very w-well muscled a-as well, b-but I couldn't see a-anyone's face... T-they had sk-skii masks." Maura was trembling now, her eyes glued to her fidgeting hands in her lap.
Jane took a calming breath and set her pen down to place a hand on Maura's back. "Do you know whether the other two had Irish accents as well?" She asked lightly, watching as Maura shook her head in the negative.
"I-I don't re-remember. E-everything is a-a haze after one of the t-two advance o-on me. I-I-he l-lifted me u-up by the throat...I was-I was saying s-something b-but he slapped me. B-But before that, R-Riley s-said I was...c-caught in the middle, a-and t-that he wasn't s-sorry because he-he would h-have a lot of fun with me, t-that I was pretty." She couldn't hold back the tears now as they started streaming down her cheeks. "He said...t-that I-I w-would w-wish I-I never c-crossed him...A-And t-that someone else w-would be w-when they were done... I-I don't know w-who he was t-talking about, t-though." Maura wiped away her tears looked over at Jane to see that she was shaking, her jaw was set and she was breathing deeply. "J-Jane?" Maura touched the detective's arm gently.
At Maura's touch, Jane seemed to break out of her reverie. She felt like a volcano about to erupt. Closing her eyes she took a couple of breaths and unclenched her jaw. "I'm okay, Maur. Is there...Is there anything else you remember right now?" Jane asked hesitantly, unsure of how much more she could listen.
Maura swallowed the new batch of tears that wanted to fall and turned her head to look back down at her lap. "I-I just remember b-bits a-and pieces of it...I-I don't know w-who - w-who uhm..." She trailed off and tried to keep from breaking down. "Who s-started, I-I remember crying a lot, a-and...I-I remember just...Wishing s-someone could hear me...T-to make it stop. I-I begged them n-not to." Maura sobbed, visibly shaking now.
Jane set the pen and pad on the coffee table. "O-Okay...We-we're done, Maur. No more." She couldn't take it anymore, couldn't handle the images taunting her. Her arms gently encircled Maura's waist as she pulled the honey blonde into her side, rubbing soothing circles into her back. "Shhh. It's-It's okay, Maura. I've got you." Jane whispered, silently crying as Maura cried into her shoulder, clinging to her for dear life.
After almost 20 minutes, Maura had calmed down and Jane had hid the fact that she had even shed a tear. Maura was still clinging to Jane, soaking up any bit of comfort she could get from the detective when a shrill ring caused her to jump, unnecessary adrenalin releasing and pumping through her veins. "Hey, shh. It's just my cell." Jane mumbled in Maura's hair.
Maura reluctantly scooted away from Jane as she reached for her cell and answered with her signature, "Rizzoli."
"Jane, it's Korsak. You uhh...You comin' in? SVU wants to talk to you and get a statement from Dr. Isles... How...How is she?"
Jane sighed quietly. "I already got the statement, and yeah I'm comin' in. I'll hand off the statement to SVU when they talk to me, who's the detectives in charge?" She asked, getting up to pace as she talked.
"You what? Jane, you shouldn't have done that. I know you're pissed and you want to protect Dr. Isles, but you should have let SVU handle it. You're homicide, not Special Victims Unit. They're gonna be pissed you did that-"
Jane cut off Korsak's lecture as she spoke in a harsh tone. "I don't give a shit what SVU says. I didn't want Maura uncomfortable..." Her voice lowered slightly as she began talking about the ME. "She's been through enough than to have some stranger asking her those questions. Now, I got it and they'll have to deal." She ground out.
She could hear Korsak sigh on the other line. "You're gonna be in for it, Jane when the Brass hears about this. I'll see you when you get here." He said, before hanging up.
Jane hung up the phone and ran a hand through her unruly hair, taking in a deep breath. Time to get my ass handed to me. She thought bitterly, moving back into the den and toward the couch where Maura sat quietly. "We uh-We gotta head in, SVU wants to talk to you and I and I have to give them your statement." She said gently.
Maura looked up, having heard the conversation on the phone and nodded. "Jane, I-I could have handled giving my statement to whomever is handling my case. You didn't have to do that." She said quietly.
"I know, Maur... I just...I...Let's drop it." Jane mumbled, crossing her arms. "Go get dressed, okay? We gotta head out." She said, dismissing Maura as she tried to object and talk about what had just happened. "I'm gonna go see if I still have an overnight bag in the back of my car." With that, Jane turned to head outside and check her car.
An hour and half later, Jane walked into the bullpen with Maura walking slowly behind her, eyes trained to the ground. She was nervous, her stomach uneasy. Her mind was going a mile a minute. Adrenalin and epinephrine secretions; causes increase in the speed and force of heart contraction, and constriction of blood vessels- Her mind continued to diagnose herself, hoping that facts would help her calm down.
She felt exposed; like everyone was staring at her, she of course knew this thought was illogical. A couple of glances, perhaps but there was no outward staring. Though the few that did manage a few stares, Jane sent them all death glares, and they immediately looked like they had something better to do.
As the two approached Jane's desk, Frost and Korsak looked up, greeting them both with a small smile. "Hey, Doc. How ya feeling?" Korsak asked lightly, watching as Maura stood close to Jane as her wary, hazel eyes scanned the bullpen and then landed back on the boys.
Korsak did an amazing job hiding his shock as the normally prim and proper looking ME stood in yoga pants and Jane's BPD sweatshirt, her hair which always looked pristine was now dull and flat looking. Frost, not so much. He gaped at her until Jane gave him a look and he immediately recovered, smiling softly at the nervous looking ME. Maura wrapped her arms around herself and tried to think of something to say without lying...
Jane gently took Maura's arm and set her down in her chair, almost able to see the gears turning in her head as all three of the detectives' eyes were on her. She opened and closed her mouth a couple times before finally responding with a weak, "Better... Thanks." It was true, she was technically better than last night, wasn't she?
Korsak nodded and then turned his attention to Jane. "SVU should be here soon...They're pretty pissed about you taking Maura's statement." He said, leaning back in his chair.
Frost nodded and said, "Yeah, you shouldn't have done that Jane. You're too close to it, and-" He was cut off as Jane sent him a menacing glare. He was sure she was trying to will the fires of hell to open up beneath him and swallow him whole.
"Enough!" She growled, now eyeing them both and having a silent conversation as she subtly jerked her head in Maura's direction, as if saying: 'Not while she's here...' They both understood as their eyes traveled over to Maura who was staring down at her hands which were fidgeting in her lap. "Talk about it later." She said gruffly. Taking a couple of calming breaths, she asked, "Who are the detectives in charge of Maura's..." She paused before finishing, "case?" She still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that all of this shit happened. Maura had been kidnapped and assaulted and raped. Why?
Korsak sighed before answering, "Detectives Olivia Vega, and Stan Jakes." The two were pretty well known and good at their jobs. Jane nodded solemnly and sat at the edge of her desk.
"I've heard of Vega, she's real good. Jakes is pretty good too. Alright." Jane nodded, mostly to herself. She wanted to make sure this case wasn't given to a couple of rookies.
"Yeah, Vega can be a real pit bull but she's a damn fine detective, Jane." Frost said reassuringly.
Just as Jane was about to respond, an unfamiliar female voice cut her off. "Thanks. I'll take the pit bull reference as a compliment." Jane turned around to see a tall woman about her height, piercing eyes that almost looked teal. Her chestnut colored hair was medium length and framing her face. She was in a word, beautiful. She looked to be in her early 30's.
Behind her, a man slightly taller than Vega, strode up behind her. His eyes were a chocolate brown and he was physically fit. He had short slicked back dirty blond hair and looked to be in his late 30s early 40s. He was handsome in a mysterious way.
Frost stood up and smiled a little sheepishly at the SVU detective, as Jane offered up her hand. "Detective Jane Rizzoli. Nice to meet you, detectives." She said as nicely as possible as the female detective placed her hand in Jane's, shaking it firmly and then releasing it.
"So you're the one doin' our job..." Vega said with eyebrows raised as Jane finished shaking her partner's hand.
Jane resisted the urge to roll her eyes in annoyance, she ignored the statement all together and turned her attention to Maura who looked as though she was trying to sink into the seat and become invisible. Jane gently took Maura's hand and helped her up. "This is Dr. Maura Isles..." Jane said as she released Maura's hand and subtly placed it at the small of the ME's back, hoping to be of some sort of comfort.
Maura reached out with a sleeve hidden and slightly trembling hand. She visibly swallowed and willed her heart to calm down as detective Vega took her hand. "P-Pleasure to meet you." She stumbled slightly over her words and was surprised at Vega's gentle handshake.
Olivia Vega may have been deemed a 'pit bull', but she was also very kind and victims usually found her comforting and easy to talk to. Her voice was soft as she spoke, a sympathetic smile. "It's very nice to meet you as well, Dr. Isles. I...wish it were under better circumstances. Heard a lot about ya though." At Maura's tilted head she added, "Good things." She smiled and released her hand. "This is my partner Stan Jakes." She gestured toward the quiet detective who offered a quick smile and a nod.
Maura didn't like him already. His looming and quiet presence unsettled her. She tried not to be judgmental but everything was telling her to stay away.