Friendly Fire Chaper 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli and Isles or the characters.

Jane heard the solid knocking on her door, pausing to listen but refusing to answer. She moved the heavy bag an impressive distance with each blow, yet still the release she was looking for was unreachable. She was pissed, frustrated...hurt. How could Maura just ignore what Melinda had done to her, to them and continue to want to be with her. She knew Maura was smart enough to know that Melinda was in some way dirty, yet still she allowed her to come near her; to kiss her. Jane punched the bag hard, feeling every bit of life drain from her body when she did so.

Again the knocking, this time louder and longer. Jane grabbed her gun, her grip tight as she peered through the peephole. She replaced her gun before opening the door. Last thing she wanted was Korsak thinking she was paranoid. "I'm behaving. Home like I'm supposed to be." Jane's voice was a mixture of bad attitude and desperate frustration.

"Not here to check on you." Korsak walked past Jane, taking in the disarray of her apartment.

"Then why are you here?" Jane let the door slam shut, her anger spilling out onto her undeserving partner.

"To check on you and from what I can see...you're doing just fine." Korsak's sarcasm was intentionally as he took a playful swat at Jane's bag.

"What? It's a safe way to be pissed." Jane's tone was an apology and Korsak's grin told her he got it. She peeled off her gloves and grabbed a towel, suddenly embarrassed at the amount of sweating her workout caused.

"Jane, I don't blame you for losing your cool on McDaniels, but now you're out of the game. What is going on with Maura and McDaniels...and you. You've got to fill me in on what's not being reported." Korsak talked to Jane in a way that made it hard to dismiss him.

"Korsak, I don't know. I'm not sure I understand what's going on either." Jane sunk down into her couch, her defeated attitude bothered Korsak enough to push her.

"Jane, I may be out of line here, but do you have feelings for Dr. Isles? I mean more than you're admitting to?"

Jane glared at the older detective. She wasn't sure if she wanted to address her feelings about Maura at all, let alone with Korsak who was as old-fashioned as they come. "Does it matter?"

"I'd say it does. It's obviously affecting how you work, how you react and how you respond. Come on, kid. Talk to me." Korsak used his shoulder to gently shove Jane.

"Vince, I didn't realize it until...until McDaniels came around. She was quick to move on Maura and Maura seemed to want to be with her." Jane watched Korsak as he processed what Jane was saying to him. She stifled a laugh when Korsak's expression changed as he put two and two together. "I didn't know either, it's okay."

"But Dr. Isles dated..."

"I know. Yes, she dated men. Doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, now does it?" Jane loved how uncomfortable Korsak was with all this and it made her feel at least a little less lonely.

"Jane, does she really want to be with Maura or is she just using her against you. Is her beef with you for you or because she realized how close you and Dr. Isles are?" Korsak was suddenly angry and Jane was now relieved that he was seeing the picture as she was.

"I guess that is what we need to find out." Jane looked down at her hands, lightly massaging her sore knuckles. "I believe she is threatening Maura. She has Maura believing that if she doesn't stay with her then I will somehow be hurt."

"I'd say she has followed through." Korsak added. "Her alibi's for the time of your 'incidents' are tight."

"Doesn't mean she wasn't involved." Jane was quick to dismiss Korsak's explanation. "I know for a fact she has hit Maura at least once. Maura says no to any other abuse." Jane could hear her own voice trail off.

"You don't believe her?" Korsak turned his body to face Jane and the seriousness of his actions told her that he was ready to follow any hunch Jane ever had.

Jane slightly shook her head no. "I could see it in her eyes, she is scared of Melinda. I just am not sure if she's scared for me or for her."

The silence that followed was necessary, but it only helped build the uneasiness that consumed both detectives. "I asked Dr. Isles early this morning to tell me what was going on, but she wouldn't. Jane, we can help her; protect her."

"Can we, Korsak? I have to prove Melinda's agenda and until I can she continues to control Maura. I told Maura I could help her, that I could protect myself, but she won't trust me." Jane was quickly on her feet, the pacing she did always seemed to help control her anger. "Of course, I'm telling her this from the hospital...doesn't exactly support my claim."

"Okay, but Maura does know that she is up to something, right?" Korsak was confused as to why Maura wouldn't trust Jane to protect her.

"Yeah, Korsak, she does. She told me she believes she is behind my accident and somehow involved in Frost's shooting. Yet, minutes after I'm officially suspended she is in her office with Melinda." Jane could feel her body getting warm as her mind showed her Melinda kissing Maura. She was suddenly angry again. "I don't get it. What is she doing, Korsak?"

"You're asking me?" Korsak got to his feet, taking a few steps toward Jane so that he was positioned directly in front of her. "I think she is doing what she feels she has to...to protect you. Jane, you're not well right now. She knows this. It was hard to get her away from you last night and then this morning."

Jane grabbed her head with her hands. "She is going to hurt Maura bad, Vince. I can feel it. I just wish I knew what it is she wants from me."

"Jane, I know I am clueless as to how this all works...the woman woman thing, but I think it is obvious Maura is more worried about you than herself." Korsak knew exactly how loved worked and that had to be good enough.

Jane closed her eyes letting herself remember how it felt to kiss Maura. There was so much shared between them during that short kiss and Jane knew that Maura had feelings for her. It was all there, between them. Jane suddenly cursed herself for being so blinded to what Maura was doing. She was so hurt and angry that Maura would kiss Melinda again that she failed to use her head. She let her heart lead her and right now that was hurting Maura in the worst way.

"Jane?" Korsak's voice was gentle as she took Jane by the arms. "Do you love, Maura?"

Jane was suddenly anxious and her words were stuttered. "She's my best friend and this bitch is threatening..."

"Jane, do you love her? Just answer the question." Korsak was firm, but patient.

"Yeah. I do, Korsak." Jane's voice was as vulnerable as Korsak had ever heard it.

"Okay. Then help me solve this. Tell me your hunches. All of them." Korsak sat back down, waiting for Jane to do the same.

Jane was so grateful for Korsak. "I think she is involved in her brother's murder. I know we closed it and I know we already looked at her, but Korsak we missed something. Doesn't explain why she is targeting me except that I was appointed as lead on the case."

"Until you were pulled as lead, she was involved with that." Korsak reminded Jane as if she needed to be reminded. "What else?"

"Her harassment charge in NY. She is suspended pending further investigation. Doesn't sit right with me."

"It's public record, well at least accessible to us. It's all on the up and up." Korsak encouraged Jane to continue.

"I think we need to lean on Jeff's wife. Jeff and I were known enemies, but Jeff was an upstanding detective. Cindy always respected me, but I can barely get her to look at me when Melinda's around. There's something there, or least it's worth looking into." Jane's curiosity was peeked with Korsak's expressions. "What?"

"Jeff and Melinda McDaniels are not siblings." Korsak smiled at the way Jane's mind worked. "That was a tip from Dr. Isles herself."

"How does Maura know?" Jane couldn't help but smile. Maura was still Maura no matter how scared she was right now.

"I don't know. Something about the distance between the eyes or the ears or the way the hairline starts and stops. Hell, I don't know, but she suspected enough to have me look that way and Jane, she's right."

"Half, adopted what?" Jane was suddenly on her feet.

"Legally and as far as birth certificates and so forth, they are full siblings. Born to Linda and Michael McDaniels two years apart. "Genetically, not so much. Not even partial siblings."

Jane was pacing at a quicker pace now. "Korsak, this only helps my theory. She is involved in Jeff's death and I bet Cindy has some answers for us." Jane ran toward her front door, grabbing for her jacket.

"Uh, Jane. Suspended, remember?" Korsak's tone held that authority that stopped Jane in mid-motion.

"Please. I'll behave, I promise." There would be no way Jane could sit at home and wait this out.

"It's getting late. Come with me, I'll buy my suspended colleague some dinner." Korsak led the way out of Jane's apartment. They both knew they would eat first and then make a stop or two on the way home.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"Jane, let me follow up on this. What Cindy McDaniels didn't say was way more than what she did say. Don't go off with this, give it time." Korsak drove back towards Jane's apartment.

"We don't have time. You said Maura was still at the precinct, but Korsak if Cindy is more involved than she admits...I need to know where Melinda is." Jane was all over the place but mostly she was nervous for Maura.

"We'll go by the precinct first." Korsak pulled his phone from his belt. "I'll call her, okay?"

Jane's mood continued to decline when Korsak put his phone away not having reached Maura. "Go by her house." Jane fielded Korsak's glare. "I'll sit in the car."

Korsak let out a long sigh before turning the car around and heading in the other direction. Jane tapped her fingers against the window in a totally consuming nervous reaction to her gut instincts. She pulled her phone just as it rang. "Maura?"

Korsak instinctively hit the sirens and the gas.

"Maura! Maura, talk to me." Jane instantly became frantic. "Korsak, go, go!"

Jane was out of the car before it came to a complete stop, Korsak had to sprint to catch up to her.

Jane pulled her gun as she pounded hard on the door to Maura's home. She only waited a few seconds before backing up and using every ounce of strength she had to kick the door open. "No, no, no. Maura." Jane reholstered her gun before quickly making her way over to Maura who was lying on the floor in a fetal position.

"I'm sorry, Jane." Maura's voice was barely audible.

"Korsak, I need an ambulance." Jane used her hands to comfort Maura before encouraging her to turn toward her. "Maura? Maura where are you hurt?" Jane hated that her voice was anything but strong and that was what Maura was hearing.

Maura didn't answer, but she didn't have to. Jane saw the damage that had been done to Maura's face and suddenly all Jane could see was red.

"Tell me, Maura. Was this Melinda?" Maura shook her head. "Please, Maura. No more. Tell me and it's over. It's over, Maura!" Jane was crying now and didn't care who saw.

"Jane, she wants you to come after her." Maura's voice was strained and Jane had to be still to hear her. "She did this so you would. Jane, she will kill you."

Jane looked up at Korsak, simply nodding that Melinda was indeed the one who had hurt Maura. She then gently pulled Maura into a sitting position only to then pull her into her chest. Jane wrapped her arms around Maura, allowing her to cry as she protected her the only way she could now. "It's okay, Maur. It's all going to be okay."

Korsak had to order Jane to let go of Maura when the paramedics arrived. Even then she resisted until Maura asked. Maura's face was a bruised, bloody mess and the pain she was in was more than Jane could handle. Jane stood by watching as Maura was prepared for transfer. "I think it's just my ribs. I'm okay, Jane."

"I'll be there as soon as I can, okay. I'll be there." Jane reluctantly let go of Maura's hand only to grab the arm of the uniformed officer just to her right. "You, stay with her. If she goes to x-ray, you go. If she goes anywhere, you go. Do not let her out of your sight and do not let anyone near her. Do you understand me, officer?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Jane grabbed the keys from Korsak without a fight. He knew there would be no controlling Jane Rizzoli now and he prayed like hell she could control herself.

Jane's head was spinning and she feared she'd pass out if she didn't breathe. She couldn't get the vision she had of Maura out of her head. The anger that consumed her threatened her very being. How could anybody hurt Maura Isles that way? Why would anybody ever want to? Jane slammed the car into park and marched into the precinct. She had never been fueled by anger in this way; not this kind of anger.