"It's been three days" Jane sighed as she and Maura watched Isabel sketch some comic strip out on the balcony. The teenager had barely moved from the hammock on their small apartment balcony since she was attacked at school.

"Well Isabel had an emotional break when she said that she couldn't let Hoyt win. It's understandable that she wants to shut herself out from everything. She's emotionally unstable at the moment"

"I just wish there was something I could do"

"Sometimes just letting her cope herself is the only thing..."

"Not helping Maura" she sighed and ran her hands through her hair. Sighing loudly as she heard her cell start to ring, Jane didn't want to leave Isabel "Rizzoli... I'm on my way"

"A lead in the case?" Maura asked knowing that must be what was going on considering her phone didn't ring also. She only got called with test results and dead bodies.

"Korsak found a connection between our victim and a heroin bust I did with the drugs squad a few years back but I can't leave Isabel..."

"I'll stay and watch her" Maura smiled

"Are you sure?"

"Go, I'm still waiting for the preliminary report on the victim anyway" she chuckled starting to push Jane toward the door. Jane needed to work if not only to find this killer but to keep her mind off Isabel for a little while. The young mother couldn't help but blame herself for Hoyt, Lindsay and now Isabel's lack of communication.

"Are you sure?"

"Just go"

Sighing softly with a thankful smile, Jane grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. The sooner she caught this guy, the sooner she could figure out how to get Isabel off the hammock and back at school. Maura closed the door behind her best friend before making her way out onto the balcony. Watching Isabel for a moment, the medical examiner coughed and made her presence known.

"Your Mom just got called into work but she'll be back soon"

"And she left you to baby sit?"

"Only because she's worried about you" Maura sighed and silently asked if she could sit down beside the teenager. Moving her pencil tin, Isabel moved across and Maura sat down "You've barely moved from this surprisingly comfortable hammock for three days"

"Because it's surprisingly comfortable" Isabel giggled

"What is the real reason?"

"What happened to 'sometimes letting her cope herself is the only thing?'"

"You heard that?"

"I've heard everything for the last three days and I really wish you would all stop worrying" the teenager sighed "I'm fine"

"Your parents, grandparents and uncles not to mention me beg to differ Isabel" Maura shrugged "You finally had a breakthrough after containing your emotional response to Charles Hoyt for the last six months. You don't want to go back to school, you're not fine"

"Do you all want me to just admit that I'm scared? Scared of people staring at me again, whispering about me again, making me relive the day Hoyt tried to kill me every single day?" Isabel sighed and burst into tears. Falling into Maura's open arms the teenager cried for what felt like hours. Letting out all her emotion, Isabel felt like she was crying six months worth of tears. Maura never moved but simply held the teenager til she'd calmed down.

XXXXX

"Will you stop?" Maura snapped as she opened the door to Jane's apartment and glared at the visitor harshly. She had just taken Isabel to her room and gotten her to sleep after crying for an hour. The teenager didn't need to be woken up by loud knocking.

"How is she?"

"She's asleep but if you keep knocking that will change" she snapped and stood aside to let Joey into the apartment. Isabel just needed some sleep in the hope it made her feel better.

"I'm sorry" Joey sighed and handed Maura the bouquet of tulips he'd bought for his daughter. They'd been Isabel's favourite since she was a little girl and always a good gift when Joey had cancelled on her. "They're her favourite"

"I will make sure she gets them" Maura smiled weakly as she found a vase and put the flowers in water. They would replace the tulips Joey had bought over the day Lindsay abused Isabel at school. "I know Jane has thought about it but have you considered letting Isabel change schools? To one where she'd feel more comfortable?"

"Until three days ago, I didn't even know she'd been having problems at school"
"No-one did, if you haven't noticed Isabel isn't as talkative as she was before Hoyt's attack"

"I have noticed thank you" Joey growled softly "What good will a new school do? She'll be the new kid, people will still stare"

"At least at a new school no-one will know what that girl said to her. Isabel can start fresh and make new friends who won't judge her..."

Joey leant back on the side table and nodded knowing Maura was right. Isabel never should have gone back to her school after Hoyt but the teenager was determined to get her life back to normal. Maybe a fresh start was just what she needed.

Thankyou all so much for reading my story! I thought I would get this done before this weekend but I've had so many ideas that I want to keep it going. The only downside, I'm going on holiday for a month and won't be able to update til I get back. I hope you all still read when I get back. You've all been amazing!