Maura slammed down on the accelerator, only one thing as the main focus of her brain. She knew that thee were many other things she was consciously thinking about; how the light in front of her was bound to turn red before she reached it. How she should stop. How she was going to speed through the dead intersection, and aim straight for the Boston Police Department. How she was completely aware that there were street cameras on this particular light, just for that reason. But she had to get there, before Jane left. It was imperative. She slowed down only enough to make the right turn without hitting anything, putting the car into a faster speed than she normally drove.
How had she forgotten everything?
Jane was supposed to be there already. Maura sighed, pulling into the driveway nearly an hour late. But Jane's car was... Nowhere to be found. Shaking her head, she stepped out, pulling a key from her pocket as she did so. She loved the woman, more than anything in the world, but some times, she just wanted to come home and be with her. Tonight especially. The case they had been working on had been wrapped up this morning, yet Maura had been obligated to stay after; finishing up the last reports, cleaning up the morgue. She had even been nice, releasing her assistants and doing the work herself. Not that she really minded that, but now? She just wanted Jane. She paused at the door, an envelope taped to the window. She reached up, tugging on it, unfolding the top and withdrawing a note.
The content made her smirk, nearly laughing out loud, when she unfolded straight- from- map- quest directions. However, there was no ending destination, and she arched an eyebrow. What could Jane possibly be playing at? She stepped inside briefly, checking on an already- fed Bass and Jo Friday, before returning to her car, directions in hand. The engine all but purred, and she pulled back out, taking a series of turns, as dictated by the paper. What was Jane thinking?
Jane stepped out of the limousine that had brought her to these events, spinning the bracelet on her left arm, engaging the video and audio surveillance that was placed on the inside. She walked to the usual- looking door, rapping on it lightly. The front opened, and she was eye- to- eye with a beady, black- eyed stare.
"Amy Othran." She stated, silkily. The section of the door closed, and she could hear locks clicking into an open position, before the wooden slab itself creaked open. She allowed a smirk to play on the corner of her lips, glancing only briefly at the guard as she passed. Here, she was a queen. She may not have everything she wanted in the real world, but in this game? There was none that even came close to her. She stepped through a door to the right, nearly flinching as the bugs crackled against her wrist, coming to life. Instead, she retreated to her own table. Greeting the guys, she took a seat to LeViad's left. It was within moments that she felt a slip of paper slide beneath her knee. She glanced down.
"Careful." Her eyes flashed, and she thinned her lips, leaning her head on her hand. She waited briefly, joining the conversation as if nothing had changed, as if nothing was wrong. A waiter walked through, pouring glasses of red wine for them all; the bottle slipping from his grasp. It shattered, soaking her wrist in reddish liquid. She felt the crackling, the snapping and buzzing of shorting electric before she heard it. Withdrawing her arm and shouting at the waiter, she slid the bracelet from her wrist, tossing it to the ground as it sparked briefly. Her shoe snapped it in half before it could all but explode, and she kicked it beneath the champagne tablecloth, now stained red. The idiotic man babbled his apology, but he was the least of her worries. Someone had obviously wised up since her least visit.
And she did not like the sound of that.
Maura's final destination was just outside of a park, and she put her car into park before cutting the engine. She looked over to the bulletin board beside the path, eyes lighting upon a second envelope as she did so. Unfolding that one, she withdrew another set of a directions, and couldn't help the smile that was playing across her lips. Regardless of it being so late, and nearly dark, she was amused by Jane's interesting behavior. Deciding she would play along until the end of this, the woman turned into the dimly glowing path, turning multiple times, until she came out before the Emu tree. There were so many envelopes here, so many wishes. She ran a hand over the wise old tree, sighing. Why had Jane brought her back here? A written word caught her eye, right in the front, higher up.
"Maura." She raised an eyebrow, stretching up to tug on its tie, pulling it down. This time it was only a single paper inside, though still directions.
"Turn around." She folded the note, turning so slowly. Her breath caught- not many people could sneak up on her. Perhaps she had just been so distracted. But no, Jane had planned all of this. She was sure of that.
Maura pulled into the open spot, parallel parking without really thinking about it. Jane's car was still here, perhaps she had made it in time. She all but ran in, jamming on the elevator button, tapping her foot impatiently as the doors opened slower than she remembered. It rose to the bullpen with an all- new sluggishness, and she all but exploded into the quiet office. Lights were on, and she moved towards them. One woman was standing, staring down at Frost's computer screen, her arms crossed with a shawl laying in the crook of her elbows. Frost was leaning forward, typing quickly on his keyboard, and Korsak was sleeping at his desk.
"Where is she?" Maura couldn't stop the words, and the girl spun, red skirt twirling with the movement. They said nothing, shock and surprise mixed across their features. "Tell me where she is, damn it!" The detective recovered first, when the red- head's hand rose to her headset. She stepped out from behind the desk, glancing up at the screen.
"Give me the-" There was a cracking sound, and she raised both hands to her head, clawing at the piece that was wired through her hair. "Shut it down! Get it off!" Frost clawed at his own, tossing the wire to the side, machinery wailing as he did so. A visual that had seemed to be a room of people crackled, fizzling and blurring. White lines crossed through it, and the image wavered and snapped.
"Jane! Jane, what's going on?" Nat called out, receiving no answer. "Fuck! Frost, can you-"
"Its no good!" She turned, moving to stand beside the man. "We're being hacked! They're tracing the signal here, and I can't stop them!"
"I've never seen this shit before in my life!" The girl stated, her hands joining his as they typed rapidly, screens popping up and keys humming out of sync to the sirens that announced so many things. Maura knelt beside the wall between Jane and Frost's desks, opening the box as she did so. The one for this floor, which was it?
"They're fast! There's no way, if they find out that its us, then-" The screen went black, as did the full monitor, and the lighting for the floor. Maura stood, eyes icy.
Jane was walking towards her, and it was all the blonde could do to keep herself from running to the other woman. The detective approached, before halting in the summer heat. There was so much love in her gaze, so much of so many things. Maura's heart clenched, as Jane spoke, the only other sounds being those that were wild; the occasional bird, summer crickets, the sound of water against the banks behind them.
"One of you, explain to me what the fuck is going on. Now." Frost glanced at his computer, as Natasha unwound the headset from around her shoulders, dropping it on the desk.
"Jane's working, she'll probably tell you what's going on as soon as she gets back." Nat reached over, shaking the older detective awake; how he had slept through all of the commotion, they had no idea regardless. When he jolted awake, he glanced at Frost.
"Compromised?" The newer detective nodded, and Korsak ran a hand through his hair. "Shit. Any communication?"
"Not a damn thing." Nat stated, looking up to the screen. "So, who goes in?"
"I will, I'm her partner." Frost answered, raising his hand from where he was seated. Korsak laughed.
"They would notice you miles away, detective. You haven't the stomach for the shit she sees. One of us has to watch the live feed." the older man stated, before leaning back in his chair. "I'll go. Jane and I were partners first, and I've got more experience." Both of the others snorted.
"You are way too old, they would know that you aren't in the business. Jane's said that countless times." Frost pointed out.
"Besides, you're awkward. I'll-"
"No." Both of them barked. The girl made a face, holding up her hands.
"Look, we don't exactly have much of a choice. She'll be pissed, but its better than-"
"Maura Isles, I could never imagine a life without you. Everything... Everything has changed since the moment I met you. After everything we've been through there is no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life beside. What I'm really trying to say is... Maura, would you marry me?"
"I'll go." The argument cut off, mid- statement, as all heads turned to her. She repeated. "I will be the one to go." There was a pause before all voices rose at once.
"No! We couldn't-"
"Faith, that is completely out of the-"
"Possibly let you go! Jane would-"
"Question! We would be-"
"Be so pissed at us and-"
"Slaughtered! Or held at gun point and-"
"I agree." Nat's voice was the last, and the two men stopped.
"What the Hell are you saying? You're as nuts as she is!" Korsak all but shouted.
"I take offense to that." The blonde stated, when she saw Frost tilt his head to the side.
"Why do you want to go? Why should it be you?" She knew they were all watching her, as if this was some type of test or something.
"I said yes."
"Oh my God, you're back!" Nat shouted, wrapping her arms around the older woman. "I don't have to deal with Dr. Pike any more! Score!" When her intern finally released her, they all suddenly became serious.
"If we send Maura in, though, Jane will have our heads." Korsak pointed out, as the woman glanced at Nat, and then at the dress. The girl shook her head, making a face. Maura raised an eyebrow, and the red head crossed her medical examiner tilted her head, before pointing to the elevator. The intern sighed, following her, giving up after the silent argument.
"We don't have a whole lot of choices. You're no good, I'm no good, Nat is not going. I don't like it any more than you do." Frost tapped on the desk. "I'm more worried about the tracking we can put on her, since Jane's bracelets were compromised so easily. We need audio, and should have video."
"What is she going to wear, at all? I mean, its not like-"
"What are we discussing?" Nat asked, tying her curled hair up into a ponytail. She was wearing ripped jeans, and the same boots from earlier. But now, she had on just a simple shirt; no dress. Maura stepped around her, resting a hand on her hip.
"Wha-"
"But you, and you-" Korsak's jaw had dropped, and after trying to figure it out, Frost just dropped his head to the desk. "I give up." He mumbled. Maura all but laughed.
"Its a little tight, but it'll do, I believe. Now, what about tracking?" The detective groaned.
"We can't, they just followed the signal. BPD can't be hacked, it'll end badly." He tapped on the keys, even though the computer was off. "Unless we went wireless, and hacked a different signal. Nat, you have your laptop?"
"Of course." She handed Maura her bag, the medical examiner touching up and darkening makeup as the others placed a set of trackers on the back of a pair of earrings. Maura then placed them in, letting her hair cascade forward over her shoulders.
"What about a tracker for Jane? She'll need another one." Korsak pointed out, as the other two started booting up laptops. Nat placed the headset over her hair again, starting the program on her computer.
"I don't know which one we could get on her, that wouldn't be too difficult for Maura to either place, or even get in there. Too many of them have strong signals."
"Its a shame we can't hit her with that venom. but I'm sure they would notice if Maura walked up and went 'hey, I need to inject you with this stuff.' And there's no guarantee they'll be alone together." Nat stated, scrolling through a list of programs.
"What about the trackers that you created, Frost. The ones that were like mini retainers." Maura asked, leaning over to look at the shortened version of information about who she would be meeting. Some times, it was very useful to have a photographic memory.
"They aren't really tested under pressure like this." The technician stated, pulling one out from his briefcase. "But they should be safe. Cavanaugh hasn't authorized use of them, and there's really no guarantee that-"
"I'm not authorized for field work, unless its an on- scene autopsy either, Frost." She took the piece, and slipped it into Jane's gun holster. "Do I have a profile, and everything I need?" Nat nodded.
"How are you going to get her to take that, without being noticed?" Korsak asked. Maura just grinned.
"Don't worry detective, I have a plan."
AN- Sorry for the massive delay, which there really hasn't been in this story until now. I've been busy trying to get read to show in the equitation classes tomorrow afternoon in the county fair. I'm so excited, and I totally want to see if I can show in the four foot classic, because that would just be awesome. I've been trying to get into the fair since I started serious show jumping five years ago, but my trainers (up until the current one) just were not cool enough to go with the idea. But I'm showing! And I'm showing tomorrow!
In story news, however... We're almost done, only three- four chapters more. Next chapter, Jane and Maura meet again, and really for real. I'm hoping you'll enjoy the meeting, I'm aiming for 'slightly humorous'. Hoping to finish up today, since I have a bit of time still, but that probably won't happen. Also, I posted a crossover poll on my profile, please check it out! I want to know what I should try next!
~SnapTobiume