Authors Note: Hi, guys! Happy New Year. (: I hope it's wonderful. So, here's the next chapter. I'm not sure how much I like it. Please bare with me during the chapters with the case because I'm not very good with them. xD Also, remember I don't have a beta, however I do re-read my stuff, but even so I do tend to miss stuff so any and all mistakes are my own. I think that's it...OH, I'm sorry I haven't replied to some of your reviews. FF was being weird and not letting me. D: So I wanted to thank you all as a group! THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU.

Disclaimer: Yadayada not mine...

Chapter Eleven

Jane closed her eyes a moment and scrubbed her face with her hand. "Uh, two days ago, almost three. We had had lunch that day and when I left her down in the morgue, she was just organizing some files. I had a bunch of cold case files to work on since I had no open case." She started, her eyes finding a spot on the back wall and focusing on it. "About 3 hours later, I needed a break and went down to see her."

"Hey, Maur, mind if I-" Jane's words died on her lips as her eyes widened at the sight before her. She barely registered that the files she had been carrying now littered the floor, along with her coffee. She was frozen as panic and fear squeezed the air from her lungs. Only when the swinging doors bumped into her did she break from her stupor.

She stumbled slightly, now trying to force air into her lungs as her wide eyes took in the disarray of the room. There was blood on the autopsy table, and scattered papers and tools everywhere. Jane wasn't sure if the blood was from one of Maura's autopsies or if-no, she couldn't bring herself to think that. But then her eyes caught sight of the trail of blood leading to the back where they took in bodies from the Coroners Van.

"Shit." Jane mumbled, her voice hoarse. Her stomach twisted in knots as she realized why she had been feeling off all day. This was what her gut was trying to tell her. Why hadn't she listened to her gut; Gone down to see Maura earlier. She could have-If she had just-she could have stopped this... With a shaky hand, she reached for her phone in her pocket and dialed a number.

"Frost, Maura is missing." The words were rushed out as soon as Frost answered, it left a horrible taste in her mouth and she suddenly felt winded after having said it out loud.

When Jane hung up, she forced herself to calm down, taking deep breaths before CSU and everyone arrived, this was now a crime scene. The though caused Jane's stomach to churn and bile to rise into her throat but she quickly swallowed and clamped her eyes shut as she waited for the crew to show up.

"Missing persons searched for a day and a half until yesterday evening when I received a call from Maura." Jane continued, as she absentmindedly rubbed the scars on her hands. "She uhh-She was scared. Called me from a gas station in bum-fuck Egypt-" She was cut off by detective Vega.

"Gonna need the real name..." She said with a slightly raised brow. Jakes kept up his silence, eyes studying Jane closely. She didn't like it much...

Jane eyed Jakes back before bringing her attention to Vega. "Right, sorry...Uh...It's some gas station south a Boston, about 3 hours away... Looked like it was out in the country, just past the suburbs. Should be in her file..." Jane nodded toward the manila folder and watched Vega nod.

Honestly, she had barely registered where Frost had driven them that day; she couldn't even remember her surroundings. All she could focus on was how broken Maura sounded on the phone, how this was ultimately all her fault. She could have prevented it, if she had just-

"Detective," Jane snapped out of her thoughts as she heard Jake's voice for the first time. She noted that Vega gave him a hardened glare but he ignored it. "Was there a reason you took Miss Isles' statement, instead of leaving it to us?" He sounded a little condescending and Jane refrained from snapping at him. Vega looked about to reprimand him, but Jane answered before she could even open her mouth.

"Yea. I just didn't want her any more uncomfortable than she already was." She said curtly, before sighing and running a scarred hand through her hair. "Look, I'm sorry for doing that. It probably would have been wiser for you to do it and admittedly I don't think I was thinking so straight. Maura is my best friend and we've been through a lot together, I just...I was being a little overprotective." She admitted, eyes dropping to the table before meeting detective Vega's.

Detective Vega nodded but again before she could speak, Jakes was opening his mouth and spewing out shit... That was her opinion of it, at least... Everything out of his mouth showed what an arrogant, self absorbed ass he was. She could tell he was just trying to be a dick. "Are you sure that you and Miss Isles are just friends?" He asked. This caused Vega to roll her eyes and she knew that he was about to get plowed and she was going to do nothing about it.

Jane's jaw clenched. What did that matter? Why was he even asking her this crap? He and detective Vega should be asking questions that were going to help them catch Maura's assaulters. "It's Dr. Isles." She corrected him, voice menacing. "And yeah. I'm pretty sure. What the fuck does that have to do with anything, anyway? It's not even pertinent to her case." Jane glared at the older man, daring him to question her.

Vega just raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow as she watched Jane burn holes into her idiot of a partner. Jakes floundered a bit under Jane's gaze before straightening his tie and regaining his composure. "I'm just trying to get some better insight as to why you're trying to do our jobs." He snapped back.

"Trying to-? Really?" Jane stood up suddenly, causing Jakes to stand up as well. "What's your real problem with me, detective?" She snarled, fists clenching at her sides.

Vega stood up slowly, as if any sudden movement would cause Jane to snap. The homicide detective looked as though she were trying to will the fires of hell to open up and swallow Jakes whole. Jakes was slowly deflating under Jane's piercing gaze. Fearing for Jakes life, Vega cleared her throat. "Okay...Well, before my partner shoves the other foot into his mouth, I'd like to bring this to a close..." The brunette detective said calmly.

Jane's jaw flexed before she visibly relaxed. "Yeah." Was all she said before turning to leave, but stopping briefly. "Find these bastards, will ya?" She stared at Vega a moment, a myriad of emotions flashing over her face before she quickly schooled her features as Vega nodded. Jane nodded back and continued out the door, leaving Vega and a stunned Jakes in her wake.

She walked briskly toward her desk, all of the stress and anger that had built up, immediately disappearing as her eyes caught sight of Maura. The ME was sitting at Jane's desk, talking animatedly to Frost, a small smile tugging at her lips. Jane felt her heart swell and her stomach clench at the sight of her friend's smile, however small it was.

As she approached, she grinned down at Maura and waited for her to finish whatever google-talk she had started with Frost before letting her know she was ready. "Hey, you ready to go?" Jane asked finally, watching as Maura jumped just a little having not noticed Jane before she spoke.

"Oh, yes." Maura nodded softly before smiling briefly at Frost who smiled back. Jane grabbed her stuff and placed a comforting hand on the small of Maura's back. As they walked toward the door, Maura's eyes drifted to Jakes who was watching them leave while Vega was talking to a uniformed officer. She subconsciously moved closer to Jane, who looked down at Maura. "I don't like him..." The honey blonde said softly, tearing her eyes from the tall man.

"Who? Jakes? Yeah, neither do I." Jane agreed as they headed toward the elevator.

Maura watched as Jane punched the down button as they waited. "He questioned your abilities and thought you were incompetent at taking my statement because we're friends. Though he implied that we we're... In a relationship." She said as they stepped inside the elevator.

Jane let out an annoyed sigh. "Yeah, well... I probably shouldn't have done that, but still. I was capable. I just think he doesn't like me for some reason; Trying to get under my skin. I like Vega though." She said as they exited the precinct and headed for Jane's unmarked car.

"I don't understand why he would dislike you... But, despite him making me rather uncomfortable, I do like detective Vega. She reminds me a little of you." Maura smiled at this as they both got into the car and Jane pulled away.

Meanwhile, back inside the precinct, Jakes and Vega headed back down to their own department after having questioned the two uniformed officers who had accompanied Frost, Jane, and Korsak to pick up Maura.

Detective Vega sat at her desk and set the folder down before noting a thick envelope. It was from Boston Medical. She took a breath and pulled out all the paperwork from when her vic was admitted. As she came across the photos and the X-rays, she immediately felt sick to her stomach. "They really did a number on you." She mumbled to herself, shaking her head. The brunette put the pictures and the new evidence in Maura's file.

She stared across the room where Jakes was sitting at his own desk and heaved sigh. "We don't have a lot to go on so far, unless Dr. Isles remembers more. Boston Medical still hasn't sent over DNA from her rape-kit, but they sent over the pictures and the paperwork on her injuries and the X-ray they did" She said as she watched Jakes stand up and walk toward her.

"I guess we wait then, and work with what we've got. CSU confirmed that the only prints and blood that were found in the Morgue were Dr. Isles'." Jakes stated as he leaned against the desk.

Vega nodded. "Could be someone she testified against, she said that one of her assaulters said that she would be sorry she crossed them." She suggested, looking over the statement.

Jakes sighed. "Shit, that's way too many possible suspects." He said in a frustrated tone.

"Wait, she also said they the assaulter mentioned a third party to this. Said that HE would regret crossing them as well. Maybe they were trying to get to someone else." Vega stood up now and began to pace as she thought.

Jakes watched her as she ran her hand through her hair, eyes staring at the floor in concentration. "Maybe, but who else would they be trying to get to? I mean, I could see them trying to get to detective Rizzoli, but I don't think she has family around here if her file is right..." He mumbled, moving to open up the thick folder.

Half an hour later, Jane and Maura were pulling up into Maura's driveway and exiting the car. "I don't know about you, but I'm starved. I'm glad we picked up Pizza on the way back." Jane said as she grabbed said pizza from the back of the car.

Maura nodded as she waited for Jane before walking toward her front door. "I am a little hungry, but I'm more tired than anything and... I'm...sore." She admitted before looking away quickly, almost ashamed. She was immensely sore. Her body ached all over but she was usually the type to suffer in silence; However with her emotions all over the place and the almost constant paranoia she felt, she couldn't keep it to herself.

Jane felt her chest tighten at Maura's words. "Oh, Maur. Come on, you go get comfortable on the couch and I'm gonna bring you some more Ibuprofen and water, and then we're gonna eat pizza and watch a movie." The Italian detective said as they entered the house.

After getting Maura settled, Jane took a seat next to the ME, food in hand and made herself comfortable. "What're we watching?" Jane asked, taking a bite that was larger than necessary, which earned a raised eyebrow from Maura. Jane gave a sheepish smile after swallowing.

Maura shook her head in amusement before answering, "We're watching documentary on Jelly Fish." She said excitedly.

Jane's shoulders slumped and she groaned. "Awww, Mauraaaa. Really? Jelly Fish? I'm gonna die of boredom." Her forehead wrinkled in despair.

Maura rolled her eyes. "Really, Jane. You're being overdramatic. It's physically-" She was cut off by Jane's patented 'REALLY?' look. "Oh, you were being fictitious." She sighed and picked up the remote. "We can watch something else, then..." The downtrodden look on her friend's face made Jane sigh internally.

"No, no! Let's watch this. It actually does look interesting." Jane said with a smile. Oh the things she did for her best friend. There were no bounds.