Author's Note: I bet you weren't expecting a chapter so soon. :P You guys are lucky. I know most of you, if not all of you wanted Jane to shoot Riley, hell even I wanted it, but honestly do you think Jane would do it, knowing the repercussions? She believes strongly in justice and I don't think she'd have done it, which is why I didn't write it. To the flamer, I'd like to thank you for the laugh. (: I really did laugh at my screen when I saw your comment. xD Flames don't bother me. I mostly write for myself, but I do enjoy entertaining my readers. Anyway, I think you guys will like this chapter, as Jane comes to a realization. Let me know what you think! c:

Disclaimer: Only thing I own is the story itself, and detective Vega and anyone else not on the show if Rizzoli and Isles. But you already knew that.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Jane sat quietly in the passenger side, staring out of the window. She hadn't said a word since Vega had led her to the car.

"You wanna tell me what the hell was going on back there, Jane?" Vega asked gently, glancing at Jane for a brief moment before looking back at the road.

Jane jumped slightly as the silence was broken. She slowly turned her head to look back at the detective. Vega seemed relaxed and alert all at the same time. "Why didn't you cuff me?" Jane finally asked, voice hoarse, causing her to clear her throat.

A thinly sculpted eyebrow rose and Vega turned to look at Jane as they stopped for a light. "Because you're not a criminal and you're not being arrested. You're a well seasoned detective who lost herself for a second... Should I have arrested you?" At Jane's silence, another eyebrow rose before a horn honked and Vega brought her eyes back to the road and pressed the gas.

After long silence, Jane closed her eyes and scrubbed her face. "I-I don't know...M-Maybe." She sighed as she watched herself in her minds eye shove her gun to the crotch of Riley's pants. I want you to suffer! She had never felt so much rage in her life, except for maybe the times Hoyt was involved, but this had been levels over those situations. She had literally snapped and only when Maura was mentioned did she start to realize what she was doing.

Vega didn't say anything, waiting for Jane to elaborate. Sighing, Jane shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. "I more than lost myself, detective Vega... I was gone, replaced by someone-something, I don't know. I just-I heard his voice, and he was so-he was just so fucking smug even after he'd been beaten to hell and back by-" She caught herself before she gave away Doyle. "-I'm guessing whomever called me."

And all I could think about was how this person-no, this sick bastard had touched her. I could just picture it all in my head and there was nothing I could do and then I snapped and all I could see was red, I just-I walked up to him, asked him his name, and as soon as he said it, all of my restraint, just everything left me; all I could think about was making him pay."

I pulled out my gun and I pointed it at him, and you know what he did? He laughed. Said I couldn't do it, I could shoot an unarmed man." Jane couldn't stop now, she was on a roll, rambling and fidgeting in her seat while Vega listened intently.

"He didn't even bat an eye." Jane then chuckled humorlessly. "Of course, when I laughed back at him and shoved my gun to his worthless dick, that's when he realized I wasn't fucking around. I could see fear in his eyes, hell I could smell it and it made me feel good. I told him it would be too easy to kill him, that I wanted him to suffer."

And I did, I wanted him to. I wanted him to beg, just like Maura had begged him to stop. And he did beg me. He wasn't so confident anymore, he was stammering. But I-" And here's where Jane had to improvise, lest she give away Doyle. "I-somehow suddenly thought about Maura, and my family, and the consequences of my actions. I started to realize what I was doing, I felt like I had been in some sort of state. That's when you showed up and I finally came out of whatever the hell I was in." Jane shook her head and took a breath, chancing a glance at detective Vega who she had been studiously avoiding looking at throughout her whole story.

Vega's demeanor hadn't changed, she still seemed relatively relaxed, yet alert. Her silence unnerved Jane though, until she finally looked over, expression unreadable. "If I were in the same situation as you, Rizzoli, I'd probably have reacted similarly. You've been under a great deal of stress lately and honestly, from what I've read in your file and openly observed of you..." She paused to glance back over at Jane for a moment. "You tend to keep to yourself, don't you? You keep things bottled up and your go-to person can't be your go-to person because it directly involves her and you'd rather suffer in silence than upset her."

At Jane's astonished look, Vega grinned slightly. "Am I right or wrong, detective?" An eyebrow raised as Jane continued to sit in silence.

Finally, Jane shook her head. "Uh-yeah.. How did you-?" She watched as Vega grinned again.

"I'm a detective, just like you... It is my job to figure things out." They both chuckled, but Vega's face turned serious again. "I've also noticed that...perhaps you like Dr. Isles a little more than just a friend or a best friend..." She waited for some sort of explosion from Jane, but none came. She turned to see Jane staring blankly out of the windshield.

"I'm starting to think so too." Jane finally admitted after a long silence, though her voice was very quiet. "You're not the first person who has told me that. And people have mistaken us for a couple more times than I can count..." She looked sullen as she dropped her eyes to her scarred hands in her lap.

Vega looked surprised but she recovered quickly. "Well, that wasn't the response I was expecting..." She admitted.

Jane looked up and smiled a little. "Yeah, well-I'm tired of fighting it." She said on a sigh. She truly did look defeated and tired.

Nodding Vega pulled into a parking space and put the car in park but made no move to kill the engine or exit the car. "I'm not surprised other people have noticed. And I'm honestly not surprised you reacted the way you did in that warehouse, I knew you weren't yourself, that's why I didn't cuff you or arrest you. I was the only one who saw you like that and no one else will know." She said gently.

Jane looked up at her, eyes wide and disbelieving. "I-I don't-thank you, detective Vega."

Vega shook her head softly. "Don't thank me, it's partially my fault, I suppose. I should have forbidden you to go in but I didn't. And please, just call me Olivia." She offered a genuine smile, and Jane returned it. "So, why aren't you and Dr. Isles together?" She asked curiously.

Jane looked down, suddenly looking bashful and sad all at the same time. "Well, I've sort of just come to the realization that I might-sort of-maybe uhm..." She made awkward hand gestures as she tried to use her words.

Smirking a bit, Vega chimed in. "Be in love with your best friend?"

Jane sent her a half-hearted glare, but nodded. "Right, yeah, that. And Maura is straight, and she told me once that I wasn't her type..." At Vega's raised eyebrows, Jane waved her hand dismissively. "Don't ask. Long story."

They were silent for a moment, until Olivia suddenly started to laugh. "You really fail at being a detective." She said in between laughs.

"Excuse me?" Jane growled, hackles rising, prepared to defend herself.

Before she could say anything else, Olivia shook her head and wiped away a tear. "To miss something that is so blatantly obvious...Are you that blind or that in denial?" It was a serious question.

Jane looked confused now. "What?"

"Jane, that woman is head over heels in love with you." At Jane's blank stare, she just laughed again. "Really? You mean you honestly don't see it? Think about the way she looks at you. How much you both touch each other. I mean, I know people talk but you guys give them something to talk about. I've watched the two of you enough to see why. I had heard the rumors, but I didn't take them to heart-of course when I watched you two together, I had to stop and reconsider my initial thoughts." She explained.

For her part, Jane seemed generally surprised. She sat there in a bit of a stunned silence. "Hmm, so I guess you really didn't know. Maybe you were blind because of your denial." Olivia said with a shrug. "Speaking of Dr. Isles...Where is she?" At the mention of Maura, Jane was instantly reminded how she had left Maura.

"Fuck..." She mumbled as she sighed heavily. "She's-at her house, really pissed off at me. I'm such a dumb ass." Jane scrubbed her face with her hand tiredly. "She didn't want me to leave, and I did and-ugh." She shook her head. "I'm an ass hole."

Olivia smirked. "Get the fuck off your pity potty and call her. She's probably more worried than she is pissed off, after all-Anger is just another form of fear. You need to be questioned properly of course, about how you found them, and since your car is at the warehouse, you need someone to pick you up." Jane gave her another half-hearted glare and Olivia smirked again.

"...Can I borrow your phone? I left mine in my car." Jane grumbled.

Wordlessly, Olivia handed over her phone. "Meet me inside?" She asked as she watched Jane dial.

Jane gave her a nod as Olivia cut off the car and they both got out, Vega heading for the entrance to the Precinct and Jane leaning against Vega's car.

After 2 rings, Maura answered. "This is Dr. Isles." Jane winced, it sounded as though Maura had been crying.

Swallowing the golf ball sized lump in her throat, Jane spoke. "I'm so sorry, Maur..." Her voice sounded shaky and tired.

There was a sharp intake of breath from Maura's end. "J-Jane? W-where are you? Who's phone do you have?" The questions flowed out of her mouth like a waterfall.

Closing her eyes tightly, Jane let out a shuddery breath. "I'm at the precinct... This is detective Vega's phone-she-she gave me a ride...I left my phone in my car at the docks. Look, I'll explain everything when we get home, but can you come get me?" For a moment, Jane wondered if Maura would refuse.

There was a sniffle before Maura said anything. "A-are you okay, Jane?"

"I'm-I'll be okay." Jane said quietly.

"I'll be there shortly." Was all Maura said before they both said their goodbyes.

Jane sighed again as she hung up the phone and slowly began to walk toward the entrance. She could hear sirens in the distance, probably Jakes bringing in the a O'Rourke brothers.

Once Jane was inside, she found Vega and handed the woman her phone, muttering a thank you.

"Did you get her?" The young detective asked.

Jane nodded. "Yeah, she's coming."

Olivia nodded. "Good. Let's get your questioning over and make sure she isn't here when they bring in Riley and his brother." She said seriously.

"I heard the sirens before I came in. They should be here before Maura shows up." Jane said as she looked anxiously at the door.

"Alright, come on, let's go get this over with so Dr. Isles doesn't have to wait." Olivia said as she prepared to interview Jane.

The interview wasn't very long, as detective Vega only asked about how she found the O'Rourke brothers and if there was anyone there when she arrived to which Jane responded no. The story Jane had told in the car would be left out of Vega's final report.

Maura arrived soon after that, coming into the bullpen to find Jane sitting in a chair next to Vega's desk. As soon as Jane spotted her, she stood up and walked briskly toward the ME. "Maur, I'm sorry I left-You were right, I shouldn't have gone-I just-I wasn't thinking." Jane swallowed her emotions as Maura enveloped her into a hug.

"I was really worried, Jane..." She said softly, however anything else she had to say was lost as her eyes caught sight of a badly beaten man being led into the bullpen. Her whole entire body went rigid.

Jane noticed this and pulled back. "Maur?" But before she could say anything else, Vega was coming up behind her, talking quickly. "Jane get her out of here, now." She said sternly.

Confused, Jane turned around to see Riley staring at Maura. He then noticed Jane as she protectively stepped in front of Maura, effectively blocking the ME from his view. His face grew ashen and he struggled to turn and look at the officer behind him. "YA DUDN'T ARREST THAT CRAZEH BITCH?" He yelled, looking back at Jane. "She nearleh shot off meh balls!"

Jane went rigid and she swallowed, this was not how she wanted Maura to find out, and she really didn't want anyone else to know, however Vega seemed all over it.

"Get this asshole in interrogation and away from Dr. Isles! He's just trying to stir shit up." She ordered, turning around and giving Jane a look. "Get her out now, Rizzoli."

Jane nodded and turned around to gently guide Maura out. The ME's eyes were fixed on Riley as they shoved him roughly into the interrogation room, his brother going into the next one. She could feel Jane's hands on her, but she felt far away and the only thing she could hear was the sound of her own heart thrumming in her ears.

"Maura, come on. Let's go." Jane urged gently. But Maura was unresponsive. Gently, Jane shook her, and Maura finally looked up.

She could see Jane's lips moving but no sound was coming out. They were caught, those monsters were caught. As that realization washed over her, tears started falling of their own accord and relief flooded through her. Jane was okay, and they were going to jail.

Jane wrapped her arms around Maura's waist and gently led her out of the bullpen and into the hall where she stopped to wrap her friend up into a long hug, whispering words of comfort.

Finally, Maura started to come to, sound began to filter through her ears again and she could hear Jane's words calming her down. She allowed her body to sink further into Jane's warm embrace, soaking up the comfort.

"It's okay, it's over, Maur. Let's go home." Jane said gently as she kissed the top of Maura's head.

Maura sniffled and nodded. "O-okay. You'll explain when we get there?" She asked, handing over the keys. She hadn't missed Riley's outburst.

Jane nodded and released Maura only to wrap an arm around her shoulders as they started toward the doors outside.