Friendly Fire Chapter 21

I don't own Rizzoli and Isles, the characters, the show, nothing.

A/N: I must apologize for the delay in updating. It seems life has gotten in the way once again and thrown my muse all out of whack. Thank you Whitebordeaux as usual for your kind words as well as your kind voice. Et merci a mon ange...vous savez qui vous etes.

Jane knew fear. The exact way your voice vanishes and your breathing burns your own throat. She remembered feeling fear as it traveled the length of her body, until the pain gave in to complete surrender. She was not afforded a loss of conscious, not at Hoyt's hands. She remembered watching the stakes as they were driven through the center of each one of her hands, staking her to the floor of that cold, damp basement.

Her fear prevented her from realizing the pain that would later consume her entire being. She focused on Hoyt's eyes as they came closer and closer to her own, refusing to look away at the scalpel he held just out of her line of sight. She tried to plead with him, but her voice refused her and the violent shaking caused the stakes to pull at her skin. She cringed at the way Hoyt smiled at her as she was well aware of the fact he was enjoying the feel of her shaking underneath him as he positioned himself over the top of her. She held her breath, praying she would pass out before his steady hand holding the shiny scalpel pressed against her neck. Jane remembered turning her head into his hand in a futile attempt to conceal her carotid artery only to have him place his fingers gently on her jaw, turning her head away. He was enjoying the way she begged him with her eyes, the way she accepted her fate with her breathing and the way she cried without a sound. She felt the scalpel as it penetrated her skin; he was in no hurry and she prayed for a quick death as she could hear him laugh when she finally closed her eyes.

Jane knew fear and she knew it was paralyzing, immobilizing and controlling. She knew how it altered everything, what you knew, who you were. Jane knew Maura was afraid of Melinda and she understood. She understood all too well as she forced the image of Charles Hoyt from her mind.

Jane tried but was unsuccessful at opening her eyes. She could hear what was going on around her and she refused to believe she was once again in the hospital. There was too much going on for her to be lying here useless in a hospital bed. "Korsak!"

"Miss Rizzoli, please stay calm." Jane did manage to open her eyes at the nurse's pleading tone.

"It's Detective. Detective Rizzoli." Jane sat up, instantly nauseous from whatever pain medication they had given her. "I have to get out of here."

"Please, Detective. Let me get the doctor for you." Jane watched the nurse as she scrambled from the room.

The room began to spin causing Jane to lie back on the bed. She closed her eyes and could see her apartment destroyed and Ryan as he died in front of her on her bedroom floor. She shook the image away only to then see Maura as she had looked lying beneath her. It was enough to calm her and she knew she needed to see Maura. She needed to make sure Maura was okay and she couldn't do that from the hospital. Jane forced herself to her feet where she fought for balance. She could only wonder what had happened to her to cause her to feel so out of it.

"Detective Rizzoli, you really need to lie down; at least until the anesthetic wears off." Jane glared at the doctor who looked too young to even be out of high school let alone tending to her. He lightly touched her arm to guide her back to the bed when Jane jerked away from him violently.

"I need to get out of here. Sign whatever you have to sign, but I am leaving here now." Jane's voice was low, intentionally kept low in an attempt to control her emotions as she fought them along with the dizziness. Jane could feel the pain in her side as she worked to keep her balance.

"Jane, you need to lie down for a bit longer." Korsak hurried into the room, his voice telling Jane he was going to pull rank now.

Jane grabbed a hold of Vince's arm, using him to help steady her. She stared him down with an intense glare that forced Korsak to look away. "I have to get out of here. I need to make sure Maura's okay. I need to find Hoyt. I need to make sure Maura's... okay."

Korsak shook his head at the doctor who was slowly approaching to help get Jane to lie down. "Maura's is okay and Hoyt is dead, Jane. You know this."

"He's dead but he'll never really be gone. He trained his daughter to be him. She wants to kill me, Vince. She's going to try."

Korsak placed both hands on Jane's arms and guided her to the bed. "Now!" The abrupt tone startled both Jane and Korsak himself, but Jane found herself following his order.

The doctor and nurse both left the room once it was proven Korsak could handle Jane. Jane could hear what was going on, but by keeping her eyes closed, her world stopped spinning enough to think straight. "Vince, we know where she is. She knows this. She knew we'd figure it out and she is waiting for me."

"So what are you going to do? Rush in there and confront her? Jane, do you have any idea what shape you're in right now?" Korsak crossed his arms over his chest as Jane began to sit up. He watched her grimace for the pain in her side despite her best attempts to hide her agony.

"I'm fine. My side is stitched up...again...but I'm fine. Maura's the one who's hurting, who should really be in here." Jane slowly got to her feet hoping to not push Korsak to ground her. "Maura said Melinda hurt her so that I would come looking for her. She wants revenge for what I did to her father. She wants to kill me and she will continue to find a way to hurt Maura until she gets her chance."

"How many chances does she need, Jane?" Korsak watched Jane as she struggled with her emotions.

"I'm willing to do this by the book, Korsak. I am also willing to go after her alone. She can't do much more to me than what she's done to Maura. She wanted to get at me, she definitely picked the right route." Jane's tone was enough for Korsak to realize he had just lost the upper hand. "Don't make me do this alone."

"You're hurt, Jane and she is always one step ahead of us. She will know we will bring backup and she knows it will not be you alone going in after her. You are not prepared to face her and she knows this." Korsak handed Jane her jacket wondering if she even heard him.

"Maura is the one that is hurt...bad. I don't feel any pain when I think of how Melinda put her hands on Maura. Understand, Korsak?" Jane stopped her movements awaiting Korsak's response.

"Yeah, Jane. I get it." He headed out of the hospital room ahead of Jane knowing that one way or the other Jane was going after Melinda. Jane's only focus was Melinda McDaniels and Melinda was more than aware of that very fact.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Melinda pulled the seat belt across Maura's chest once she was in her car. "I need to make sure you stay safe." She moved with a sense of urgency, but paid attention to every small detail. Melinda was careful with the seat belt knowing exactly where Maura was hurt.

"When is this going to stop, Melinda? You killed two officers?" Maura tried to control her breathing, the uncomfortable position causing severe pain against her injured ribs.

"Oh, no love. I wouldn't kill a fellow police officer. I don't think I have it in me." Melinda thought for a minute before starting the car and pulling away from Maura's house. "The call should be going in soon for your friends to find them though. Rizzoli might be a little angry, but she is usually angry at something it seems. How do you deal with all that intense moodiness from her?"

Maura glanced at Melinda, careful not to make eye contact for too long. "Where are we going?"

"Did you sleep with her, Maura?" Melinda never took her eyes off the road, but it was clear to Maura that she expected an answer.

"No."

Melinda slammed on the breaks causing Maura to cry out when the seat belt tightened. She then looked over at Maura, her hand pushing Maura's hair back away from her neck. Satisfied, she started the car back up. "Don't ever lie to the police, Maura. We always know when we are being lied to."

Maura dropped her head back against the headrest, trying in vain to slow her breathing.

"I know Jane stayed with you last night and I know she stayed in your bed. I know Rizzoli wants you and I know her hands were all over you. Now, let's try this again. Did you sleep with her?"

"Melinda, no." Maura braced for Melinda to react, but was only slightly relieved when she begin to drive again. "Where are we going?"

"Like I said, Jane will know. Well, she will once she figures it out. I didn't make it hard too hard for her though. Jane Rizzoli isn't the sharpest detective out there, you know. In fact, makes me wonder how the hell she got to where she is in the first place."

Maura rode in silence wondering what Melinda had planned for Jane. She knew Jane was so very smart, but she knew she was also exhausted and hurting herself. Maura glared at Melinda as they pulled up and around back to a large home in a very affluent neighborhood.

"This is where my daddy grew up. I bought it recently. Isn't it beautiful?" Melinda smiled at Maura who refused to return the gesture. "You know who my father is don't you, Dr. Isles. I'm sure you do by now. However, it is more important that Jane knows. Do you think she has figured that out yet?"

Melinda got out of the car and made her way over to where Maura had yet to move. She unhooked her seat belt and carefully helped her out of the car. "I am sorry for hurting you, Maura. In a lot of ways, it hurt me more than you know to have to do this to you." Melinda ran her fingers along Maura's face, easily irritated by the way Maura turned away from her touch.

Maura looked around the house once inside. Jane knew Hoyt was Melinda's father, but Maura wasn't sure if she knew yet that Melinda had bought his house. Melinda again worked with a sense of urgency but her every move was controlled and calculated. Melinda had turned her back to Maura as she looked for something in a high corner cabinet. Her gun showed from under her jacket and at the risk of further injury or maybe even worse, Maura went for it.

Melinda turned at the same time Maura grasped her gun and with one quick motion had knocked Maura off balance. The gun went off just as Melinda placed a perfect kick to Maura's abdomen, sending her to the ground immediately. The pain was excruciating and for the first time ever, Maura prayed she would die right then.

"Don't ever do that again." Melinda hovered over Maura, reaching for her gun that had landed just to the right of Maura's head. Maura kept her eyes closed but could feel that Melinda had gotten up and left her to lie on the floor in pain. "Nice try though, I have to give you that. I wonder if Rizzoli would've been proud of you for pulling something so stupid."

"Jane will find you here. She will figure it out and come here." Maura's words were clipped for the pain.

"That's what I'm counting on." Melinda made her way back over to Maura where she roughly grabbed her by the arms, pulling her to her feet. She placed her gun directly under Maura's chin and pushed until Maura responded. "You're a genius, Dr. Isles. I bet you could tell me exactly where the bullet would enter and exit and how fast you would die if I pulled the trigger at this angle."

Maura forced herself to stay still but the violent shaking made her worry and Melinda smile. "I really hate that you're afraid of me. For what it's worth, I really did like you. I think we could've had something, but you insisted on Rizzoli. Bad move, Maura."

"Please, Melinda." Maura's voice shook with her body.

"I bet you're sexy as hell when you beg. Not so much when you're scared though. I don't intend to hurt you, but I do intend to kill your Jane." Melinda smiled huge at Maura who continued to shake against her hold. Maura instantly felt Melinda's mouth on hers and when she tried to pull away she felt the barrel of the gun being pushed harder into the skin under her jaw.

Maura felt the tears on her face and had no choice but to allow Melinda to kiss her. She tried to replace Melinda's touch with her memory of Jane the night before but could only wonder if she would ever be able to feel Jane again. The fear of what Melinda would do to Jane in retaliation for her father's death was enough for Maura to pray Melinda would just kill her now. Maura was smart and despite what was happening, she knew what Hoyt was about. He liked to torment couples before killing them and it seemed Melinda would follow in her father's footsteps. She knew it was selfish but she prayed Melinda would kill her first, before Jane arrived. She didn't want Jane to have to watch Melinda hurting her and she knew she couldn't survive seeing Jane hurt or killed either.

Maura pushed away from Melinda, swinging out when she did. Maura was both pleased and terrified when her fist connected with Melinda's face, sending the bigger woman backwards a few feet. The anger that Melinda showed then was paralyzing and within seconds she had Maura in her grasp. She shoved her through a back door and literally pulled her down a set of stairs. The basement was dark and damp and it hurt to breathe the air. Maura knew this is where they would die and she fought for what she believed to be her last few breaths. Melinda put her gun against Maura's head and stared into her eyes. "Jane will pay for that." Melinda hit Maura with the gun and stepped aside as Maura hit the ground hard. There was no movement from the beautiful doctor after that, and Melinda waited a few seconds to check Maura's breathing. She was breathing and she was bleeding from a gash under her eye where the gun had connected. "It really does hurt me to hurt you, Maura." Melinda wiped the blood away with her fingers, growing increasingly agitated when it continued to appear despite her attempts to stop it.

Melinda turned and headed for the stairs. She looked back at Maura, letting out a long sigh. "Your precious Jane will be here soon and it's a shame she will have to see you such a mess. Not my intention, not part of the plan." Melinda climbed the stairs and continued to prepare for Rizzoli.