Authors Note: AND WE'RE BACK...I hope you all enjoyed the small break and fun/smutty fanfic, "Ugly Christmas Sweaters". I certainly did. But omg...DID YOU GUYS SEE THE FINAL? SWEET JESUS, I'M STILL OVER HERE FLIPPING THE FUCK OUT, MAN. OLJALSJALKSJ Anyway, I'm not gonna dwell on it, I've done that enough on tumblr. xD But yeah, this chapter is LONG. I didn't intend for it to be, but after I realized how long it was, I was like "Well, they deserve a good long chapter after having to endure that earth-shattering final, and the fact that I haven't updated this in like a week?" Yeah. :P I hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas and if you don't celebrate it, well...I hope you had a wonderful whatever! This AN is long enough, so go on and read and let me know how you feel. OH And one more thing. A lot of you are thinking Jakes is a bad guy...Well, he's just an ass there to cause trouble. c:
Disclaimer: I came down, and the rights to R&I weren't under my tree. I was very sad. D:
Chapter Ten
Maura sat quietly in one of the interrogation rooms, head down and hands clasped in her lap. She was making a conscious effort not to fidget. Maura Isles did not fidget. However the tall male detective in the room made her uncomfortable. Detective Jakes sat mutely across from her, leaning back in his chair as they both waited for his young female partner to return with the glass of water that Maura had requested.
She had asked for it to simply put off the inevitable and have more time to gather her thoughts. She didn't stop to think that detective Vega would be the one to get up and leave her there with Jakes. The male detective had yet to utter a word and his expressionless face put her on edge.
Why did they want to speak to her? Jane had already handed over her statement. When detective Vega suggested they go into an interrogation room to chat, her heart plummeted. She didn't want to have to go through the details again, and she certainly didn't want to be away from Jane. Speaking of the Italian detective, Jane seemed just as uneasy as Maura did at the mention of her going to talk with SVU. Maura saw the anxious expression on her face before Jane could school her features.
Jane had merely taken an inaudible breath, turned to Maura and smiled softly at her and said she'd be right outside if she needed her. Maura had nodded, bringing the sleeves of Jane's oversized BPD sweatshirt over her hands and balling them into fists. When she had sat down in one of the cold chairs, panic set in and she blurted out her request for a glass of water. Detective Vega had been a little surprised but nodded with a smile before saying she'd be right back.
Now, here she was...losing the battle to her nerves and watching as her hands slipped themselves inside the sweatshirt and then back out again. Her stomach was in knots and her heart was beating like a steel drum against her ribcage. The door swung open, causing Maura to nearly jump out of her skin and the female detective with the feline eyes to stop in her tracks, glass of water in hand. Maura's eyes were wide with fear and she had jumped up, ready to bolt. She looked like a frightened wild animal.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Isles. I didn't mean to startle you." Vega said calmly as she slowly shut the door and moved cautiously toward the ME. The brunette detective gently set down the glass of water she had procured and then placed a hand on Maura's shoulder.
Maura nodded, willing her heart to calm down. "Sorry..." She mumbled as she retook her seat, arms wrapping around herself.
Vega shook her head as she took her seat beside Jakes. "My fault. Anyway, I know detective Rizzoli has already gotten your statement-" She was cut off mid-sentence by her partner.
"Even though she shouldn't have. She shouldn't have been doing our jobs, plus she's way too close to this." Jakes' voice was deep and cold sounding, and his gaze hardened as he spoke about the Italian detective. Maura was startled by his sudden outburst. She was starting to wonder if the man could even talk, as irrational as that sounded.
Vega turned to give him a death glare, those piercing eyes immediately silencing him. He sat back in his chair once more, face looking emotionless again. "As I was saying, I know that she's already gotten your statement, and I've read it... And, I know you'd rather not have to tell this story again, but, it's better to get it from the horses mouth. Understand?" She asked softly, giving the ME a small smile.
Maura shook her head, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. "N-No, I don't. Jane-She, she wrote down word for word what I said, and I just-I don't want to remember anymore." She mumbled, glassy hazel eyes finding a spot on the table to stare at.
Beside Vega, Jakes rolled his eyes and sighed. "Look, Miss Isles, we know your girlfriend took your statement and all, but since she's so close to this, and she's not actually on the case, we need to take our own statement." He said in an annoyed tone.
Vega turned to look at him with a mixture of disbelief and anger on her face while Maura just looked at him incredulously. "Girlfriend?" She questioned, brows knitting together. "Jane isn't my girlfriend, we're just friends. Are you insinuating that because Jane is my friend she is incapable of writing down a statement?" Maura asked curtly, glaring daggers at the male detective.
"That's not what we're saying at all." "That's exactly what I'm saying." The two detectives said simultaneously.
Detective Vega's head snapped to look at her partner, sending him a murderous glare. Before Maura could even think to respond, Vega stood up and looked over at Maura apologetically. "Will you please excuse my partner and I?" The word 'partner' was ground out by the young female detective as she pulled detective Jakes up by the arm.
Maura watched the two of them exit the room before she heard the muffled and angry voice of detective Vega. "Christ! What the hell is wrong with you? This isn't the Drugs Unit, Jakes...She isn't some low life druggie or scumbag drug dealer, she's a rape victim! She is a woman, a prominent Medical Examiner who has been sexually assaulted and you're treating her like some sort of criminal!" She shoved his chest hard enough for him to stumble slightly as he stared down at her bewildered. "Now get your fucking head out of your ass and stop being such a God damn dick, or go back to the Drugs Unit! Better yet, if you don't shut the hell up, I'll let detective Rizzoli have you. She probably wouldn't be very happy that you're upsetting her friend." Vega baked in a harsh whisper, glowering up at him.
Jakes swallowed and glanced around the bullpen. Being put in his place by a woman was not amusing to him. His jaw clenched and he huffed. "Whatever." He muttered, before crossing his arms and trying to ignore the stares, including one detective Jane Rizzoli. Vega nodded curtly, replacing the angry face she had on with a sympathetic one as she opened the door and entered the room once again with a brooding male detective behind her.
"Sorry about that, Dr. Isles. Detective Jakes is fairly new to SVU, and my previous partner is on medical leave." She said solemnly.
Maura nodded softly, eyes drifting between the two detectives. "That's alright. I'm sorry to hear about your partner. I hope he or she recovers quickly." She said, as she reached out and took a sip of her water.
Vega nodded softly before running a hand through her chestnut colored hair. "Now, as I said before... It'd be really great if you could just... Tell me what you told detective Rizzoli, a synopsis of sorts?" She asked, opening the folder in front of her that Maura hadn't noticed before. It was obviously her folder, one that contained the statement she gave to Jane.
Swallowing, Maura sighed. "Like I told Jane, I-I don't remember much right now, detective. Everything is fuzzy, and what I do remember may not be in the right order." She said, trying hard to keep her voice even and block out the emotions that wanted to surface.
After almost an hour of recounting some of what she remembered to detective Vega, and trying hard to keep her emotions from spilling over, Maura finally emerged from the interrogation room. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of Jane's BPD sweatshirt and took a shuddery breath.
Detective Jakes had been silent the whole time, but detective Vega had been very supportive and would rub Maura's arm or hand in a comforting manner. She hadn't really told the whole thing, just what she felt was more significant because the detective was following along with Jane's handwritten statement and made her own notes.
As Maura stepped out, detective Vega put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm really sorry I had to put you through that again. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me though, Dr. Isles. I'm gonna do all I can to find these bastards, okay? If you think of anything else or remember more, please give me a call." She said softly as she reached into her pocket and produced a card.
Maura nodded and took the card. "Thank you, detective. I will." She said sincerely. She stepped aside as detective Jakes exited the interrogation room, quickly adverting her eyes. The man still made her extremely uncomfortable and not only that, but he was an asshole.
As soon as Maura exited the interrogation room, Jane was up and walking toward her. She stopped briefly as Vega began to talk to her, watching as Maura accepted the card. She noted Maura's uneasiness around the male detective and blamed it on what happened to her, though Jane didn't quite like him either to be honest. After seeing detective Vega scold him like that, she was sure her gut was right. He was a jerk.
"Hey, Maur. You okay?" Jane asked gently as she walked up to her friend.
Maura nodded softly and brought her glassy eyes up to Jane's. "I-I'm okay." She said hesitantly. "I just-can we go home?" She asked, wrapping her arms around herself for comfort and burying her nose in Jane's sweatshirt. She felt drained and suddenly exhausted.
Jane nodded and wrapped her arms around Maura, allowing the smaller woman to hide her face in the crook of Jane's neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jakes staring at them and Vega smiling softly before clearing her throat. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but before you take Dr. Isles home, I'd really like to talk to you, detective Rizzoli. If that's alright?" The brunette asked, looking apologetic.
"Yeah, I that's alright. You gonna be okay out here with Frost and Korsak, Maur?" Jane asked as she stepped back from Maura.
Maura bit the inside of her cheek, already missing the warmth and feeling of safety that being in Jane's arms produced. "Y-Yes. I'll be alright." She said hesitantly as she looked over at the two homicide detectives who were watching them.
Jane smiled and rubbed Maura's arm. "Why don't you go have a seat at my desk and when I'm done I'll take you home, okay?" She offered a smile and watched as Maura nodded before walking slowly toward Jane's desk and taking a seat in the chair. Once Jane was sure that Maura was okay, she turned to see both detective watching her. She felt a little uneasy under their scrutiny but was loath to show it. Running a nervous hand through her hair she sighed. "Okay, we ready?" She asked, nodding to the interrogation room.
Detective Vega nodded and held out her hand in an 'after you' manner and watched as Jane entered, before taking a seat in the chair Maura had previously occupied. Vega and Jakes sat the chairs they had been in not a few minutes earlier, Vega removing her notebook and opening it to a fresh page. "So, detective Rizzoli. Can you tell me your part of the story, please? When did you report Dr. Isles missing?" She asked, poising her pen over her pad.