A/N: *WARNING - CHARACTER DEATH AHEAD.* But please have some faith in me because this isn't over yet. I'm sorry, but I saw no other way to make this work and believe me I tried.
Kate sat at the kitchen island dressed for the day with a steaming mug of coffee as she scanned the morning edition of the Boston Herald. It was a quiet morning that Sunday with everyone still in bed and she had begun to enjoy those precious moments of peace she could steal away in the mornings. Even now, nearly a year later, it was strange to Kate how she had gone from a single woman who lived alone to standing on the doorstep of marriage, and living in a house full of people.
She imagined that many wives, girlfriends, and mothers got up earlier in the day just to have that time to fortify themselves for the remainder of the day. Kate knew what she had been getting herself into when she had moved in with Rick to take care of her partner and she had never regretted her choice.
A slight creak from the stairs that signaled someone else was up. She looked over to see Maura quietly step into the kitchen. She was dressed in designer jeans and a lovely cashmere sweater that Kate knew had to be expensive. Certain things about Maura were still a mystery to her, like how the honey blond could wear some of the priciest outfits Kate had ever seen and yet still come off as casual.
"Good morning Maura." Kate said softly.
"Oh," she said quietly, "I didn't realize anyone else was up."
"It's alright," Kate replied, "I'm usually the first one up at our place."
She poured herself a cup and added cream and sugar, "I love this time of day, especially here." She carried her cup to the island and sat across from the younger woman, "When I lived here, it was the promise of a new day, and…" she hesitated.
"And?" Kate prompted.
"And knowing that soon I would get to see Jane," Maura said sheepishly.
Kate smiled, "You've had it bad for her for a long time haven't you?"
"Yes." Maura said, "Even when we were just friends. I couldn't wait to see her. Sometimes we'd call each other in the morning and I'd get excited just seeing her name on my phone." She looked at the brunette, "Is it that way with you and Rick, too?"
"Not really," she said into her cup, "Oh he was always charming in a childish way and I knew I could like him but for me… he just grew on me, like a wart." She smiled as Maura laughed quietly, "Thing is, now I can't imagine him not being there. Sometimes it used to be nice to wake up alone, but now? Now I don't want to wake up alone anymore. Now I want to wake up beside him. To be able to touch him in the morning and sometimes wake up with his arms around me."
Maura nodded her head in agreement, "It's very odd how that one simple gesture means so much isn't it? I wake up every morning in a bizarre tangle of limbs and hair that makes me wonder how neither of us got hurt in our sleep but I wouldn't trade it for anything."
She laughed, "I don't know about hair tangled together but I'm usually the one draped over him. Maybe it's a girl thing."
"I suspect it has more to do with height." Maura chuckled, "Although Jane and I do seem to be able to switch positions. I am more often than not draped over her."
Kate rolled her eyes and snorted loudly as she took another sip.
"Is talking about your partner like this uncomfortable to you?" Maura asked, "Or is it that Jane and I are both women?"
Kate set her coffee down carefully, "No that's not it at all. I love the way Jane has been since you got together and as you know I do have a few friends who are in same sex relationships. It's just that sometimes it's funny how oblivious you can be when I know how smart you are."
"I'm not sure I understand." The curious expression made Kate's smile wider.
"Although I wouldn't say that Jane is masculine by any means, she's definitely not as feminine as you are and it's natural for her to assume a more… mannish role when you're together. I look at you together and I really can see her as the guy in your relationship even though I know she can be very girly herself."
Maura thought about that for a minute and then smiled, "Once she did say that if we were gay, she'd be the guy in the relationship."
"She does prefer pants to skirts where you are the opposite." Kate giggled, "I guess when it's a guy and a girl, this kind of thing doesn't come up."
"Oh no," Maura shook her head, "I've never thought about it before being with Jane which is strange considering that I have been seriously involved with women before. But in retrospect, I have never felt with anyone, man or woman, the way I feel about Jane."
"It's a great feeling isn't it?"
"It's a wonderful feeling." She said. "And Jane is the most attentive lover I've ever had."
"I can believe that if she has the same attention to detail that she has in everything else she does." Kate chuckled.
"More." Maura said longingly as she shook her shoulders, she steadied her heart at the memory of last night and took a sip of her coffee to hide her embarrassment. "But from the way Rick looks at you I believe he is not lacking in the attention area."
"He knows what he's doing," Kate said with a grin, "Of course last night I was the one showing him what I can do. I spent the better part of last night on top of him." She checked the watch on her wrist. "I doubt he'll be up before 9."
Maura giggled, part embarrassed by Kate's boldness, part enjoyment of how easy it was to talk to Jane's partner. "Wow. I wasn't expecting that."
"C'mon, Maura." She said, "Its girl talk. We're the girlfriends and I can imagine you're much the same with Jane."
"Not really," This caused Kate's eyebrows to rise, "But the logistics are different, obviously. So 'being on top' isn't the same experience."
Kate laughed, "I guess not."
They talked for almost an hour before noises upstairs signaled that the house was waking up for the day. Alexis was the first one down and she paused as she saw Kate and Maura laughing over coffee.
"Morning, sleepy head." Kate said warmly.
Maura turned to see the redhead and smiled, "Good Morning Alexis. Did you sleep well?"
She walked across the kitchen without answering and pulled a bottle of fruit juice out of the fridge. She popped the cap and took a healthy drink before digging through the cupboard for breakfast.
"Maura is taking us all out to breakfast today, so you might want to hold off on scrounging for food."
"I'll be okay," she grumbled, "Go on without me."
Maura's face sunk and she turned back to Kate but kept her eyes on her coffee. Kate, being as good at body language as Jane was, immediately picked up on the hurt the doctor's body was broadcasting.
"Alexis," Kate said sharply, "What's going on?"
She turned to the cop and looked at her. It wasn't often Kate spoke to her in that tone, "Nothing. I just don't want to go out for breakfast when there's food here."
"That's not it and you know very well that I know it. You want to tell me what's going on or do I have to ask your father?"
She flinched at the words, "I don't want to talk about it. I'm nineteen and I just want to be left alone." She set her juice on the counter and headed upstairs.
Kate got up to follow her but stopped next to Maura, "I really don't know what's gotten in to her but she's never been like this before."
"She hates me," Maura said, "she hates me for what Jane and I went through apart."
Kate put a hand on her shoulder, "No, that's not it. If she felt that way she wouldn't have given your card to Jane. This is something else." She patted Maura's shoulder and headed up stairs.
"It's been three weeks, James." He said sharply. "I just got off the phone with my associate down south and he's getting nervous about the bodies stacking up in New York City."
James swallowed audibly as his boss leveled an all too familiar glare in his direction, "I hired you because of your abilities to predict events and in this you have come far short of your abilities."
"I do apologize, sir." He said nervously. "The problem is that Detective Rizzoli is defying every intelligence report I have on her."
His boss stood merely inches away from him, "How so?"
James took a deep breath and relayed the information, "According to the police report, Anthony Bocholt was killed in a hand to hand fight inside Dr. Isles' condominium. They haven't identified him because he's been wiped clean from the system. She disarmed him with a paring knife."
"A PARING KNIFE!" he was livid.
"Yes sir." He gulped again, "She threw a paring knife at him and stabbed him in the wrist. She then engaged him in hand to hand combat and somehow she broke his neck."
"HOW?!"
"According to her own statement, she kicked him in the throat and the ME said with enough force to shatter two of his cervical vertebrae severing his spinal cord."
He ran a hand through his greying hair and started pacing around the room.
"If I may say, sir." James said cautiously, "I believe that Detective Rizzoli has received some form of advanced training outside of regular channels."
"How do you figure that?" he asked, "Maybe because she was able to take out a highly trained mercenary?"
"I have been studying her file extensively and I believe I have an idea about the training. Every year, Detective Rizzoli and Detective Beckett attend a law enforcement and military seminar called LETO. It's hosted by a big arms manufacturer in Springfield Illinois. She may have received initial training there. Both Beckett and Rizzoli have teamed up for an event called the Close Quarters Battle Simulator and have been achieving high scores in that event since it's inception in 2008. I wish we could have known about this before the two teamed up but we only recently made the connection."
"As I understand it a CQB is a gunfight." He stopped pacing, "How does that translate into hand to hand combat training?"
"The CQB is ran by a Special Operations Soldier. Sergeant First Class Collin O'Malley US Army. Highly decorated and aside from the LETO event, he trained soldiers in weaponry at Aberdeen Proving grounds. He's also been loaned out to Bragg, Benning, Pendleton and a few other SpecWar bases to teach hand to hand combat. He's a killer sir."
"Two weeks a year does not train a fighter."
"No sir but Aberdeen's proximity to New York and Boston does make it a possibility that he has been training her in combat. We do suspect that there is a small group of these officers that he has some kind of friendship with. But the primary threat to you is still Beckett and Rizzoli. I have an idea as to how to eliminate it."
"This had better be good or their going to find you floating in the Potomac." He said.
James laid his plan out to his boss and within a few minutes, he was nodding his head.
"Well I do admire your ingenuity perhaps a more indirect approach would be the best idea." He said with a grin. "I know a specialist who I can have on site within a few hours."
James swallowed again. If this doesn't work, I'd be better off facing Rizzoli myself.
Rick stared at the box again as Frost drove him back to Maura's house. He reread the side label and glanced at the younger man. "Are you sure about this, I know Maura has that espresso maker at her condo."
He couldn't help but laugh. "Trust me. You've never seen Jane try to use it. Hell I have two degrees and it's complicated even for me."
"But it's a coffee maker." Rick said, "I know the lady said this is the best one but…"
"That's a Keurig." Frost said, "I'm not sure how she is at your house but she hates waiting on coffee. That's why she drinks that instant garbage. Trust me, it's a gift for both of them, Jane can have really good coffee almost instantly, it's easy to use and, Maura will thank you for getting instant out of her condo. It's a win-win."
Rick laughed and set the box into the back seat before picking up Frost's bag. "And it also happens to go with your gift."
"Can't have a new coffee maker without coffee." He chuckled. "What did you end up getting Kate and Alexis?"
"Alexis doesn't value jewelry all that much but I think she'll like this."
It was a Pandora bracelet with her name written in the charms. On one side were two mini NYPD detectives Badges, one had Kate's number the other had Jane's. The other side held two BPD badges, one had Jane's old number, the other was blank.
"I had to have the badges commissioned but it turned out great." He said with a smile.
Frost took the box and held it up for a second and passed it back, "Why the Boston Badges?"
Rick sighed heavily, "Because if Jane comes back to Boston, I have the feeling that Kate will come with her."
The car slipped in the snow a bit and Frost eased off the accelerator. He muttered something about the New England snow storm and glanced over at Castle. Rick was staring at the bracelet.
"You don't sound too happy about it." He said.
"You know," Rick said, "I like Jane, I really do. I don't pretend to know about the kind of relationship she has with Kate but…"
"But, what?"
"New York is our home." He said mournfully, "It made me who I am and it made Kate who she is. I know that Boston is a part of Jane and that she'll want to come home eventually. Even if Kate does want to come here I wonder how she'll take to living in a new city. It's one thing to visit but to live here. It's just so different from everything that makes us who we are."
Frost nodded, "Yeah."
"She asked me once if I'd follow her to Boston." He shook his head, "I said something stupid and she got mad at me. We didn't talk for a few hours and we never talked about moving to Boston again."
"Well if it does happen, Korsak and I, and even Cavanaugh will welcome you guys so it's not like you won't know anybody."
"Yeah, there is that." He sighed, "But my biggest concern is Alexis. She and Maura don't exactly get along and I can't figure out why. Maura tries so hard to connect with her. It's a side of my little girl I've never seen before."
"Look, Castle," Frost said as they approached a red light. "I know Dr. Isles and she's just as hard not to love as Jane is. If you give it some time, they'll get through it."
The light turned green and Frost pulled into the intersection.
Castle continued, "I think it might have something to do with… LOOK OUT!"
Bright headlights illuminated the Crown Victoria before the sound of screeching metal and breaking glass shattered the quiet ride. Rick registered the impact of the pickup truck and felt the car spinning. He tried to brace himself by putting his foot into the firewall an instant before the car was slammed into the traffic light pole.
Kate, I love you! It was Richard Castle's last thought before everything went black.
Alexis laughed at something her Aunt Jane said as she and Kate decorated the live Christmas tree both women had insisted on. Maura harrumphed at the thought of pine needles and sap falling onto her hardwood floors and was cutting a hole in the middle of one of her designer table cloths.
"Oh come on Maura." Jane said cheerfully, "How can you have Christmas without a tree?"
"It's not the tree Jane," she said defensively, "I would have happily purchased an artificial tree. One that is prelit and suitable for reuse that won't potentially ruin the floor."
"Maura," Kate laughed, "Prelit isn't nearly as fun as a real tree. This is your first Christmas with Jane as a couple and could easily become a tradition. Believe me when I tell you that should you and Jane ever have children, this will be the kind of thing they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
Alexis stopped smiling then. Jane and Kate were hanging bulbs on the tree and didn't catch the look. Maura did and Alexis knew it.
She stuck her tongue out at the doctor and continued to unwrap the garland from its packaging as if nothing had happened. Maura was about to say something but a knock at the door stopped her.
Jane looked over to Maura, "Are you expecting anyone?"
Maura shook her head.
Jane glanced at Kate and both headed to the sideboard to retrieve their weapons. Kate took up a position behind Jane as she looked out the frosted window. A dark figure stood on the porch alone.
A quick look back at her partner, a nod, and Jane unlocked the door. She cracked it open to see the last person she expected. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Can I come in?" The impassive face of FBI Agent Gabriel Dean asked.
"You haven't answered my question." She said sharply, "So you don't get to ask one."
"Yeah." he said, "Jane, it's cold out here and I have some information for you and Detective Beckett."
"How did you know we were here?" Her voice was suspicious.
"Jane. I'm the FBI." He said as if that were all the answer he needed.
Jane looked behind her at someone and he heard footsteps, one set walking away and one set coming closer.
She opened the door and Maura Isles stared at him. It was not a friendly look.
"Jane, give me your gun." She said coldly.
She looked at her lover as Dean caught sight of the 45 in Jane's hand.
"Because I'm going to shoot this man where he stands." Maura grabbed for Jane's gun and Dean took a step back.
"Maura!" She said as she held the gun away from her girlfriend. "He's a fed, you can't just shoot him."
"Kate! Give me your gun, please." She said as she turned away from the door.
"Well, I can see this is going to be an interesting night." He said calmly.
"I think you have your answer." Jane said as she started to close the door.
Dean stuck his foot into the door jam. "Someone was sent to Boston to kill you Jane."
She opened the door again, "Sounds like my life."
"Not just you."
"I know, Kate too." She said sharply. "What else is new?"
"Not just Kate either." He pulled his foot away as Maura came back to the door. Fortunately she was empty handed.
"I was attacked in New York, Agent Dean." Maura said, her anger still riding her. "Jane killed him to protect me and I have no doubt she'll continue to protect me."
"I know." He said simply. "But Jane is only one person and Richard and Alexis Castle are also in danger."
Maura glanced to the red head sitting on the couch. The child from her dream flashed into her mind and Maura felt a new feeling wash over her, maternal protectiveness. She couldn't let anything happen to Alexis.
She turned back to Dean and her voice was calmer than before, "You have ten minutes before I go looking for another gun and we find out just how much of Paddy Doyle's daughter I really am."
She turned and walked to the couch. He raised an eyebrow at Jane and as he opened his mouth she cut him off.
"Say one thing about my girlfriend, Dean and I'll hand her the gun." Jane said as she stepped aside.
Dean knocked the snow off his shoes and stepped inside. So much for making nice.
Jane sat on the couch with Maura to her left and Alexis to her right. Kate sat on the other side of the young girl.
Jane checked her watch and glowered, "Ten minutes, go."
Dean slipped off his shoes knowing how Maura felt about them in the house and sat down in Jane's old lazy-boy. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together.
"A couple of my contacts have reported that there's a contract out on your lives." He looked at the four women, "All of you, plus Castle."
Alexis leaned in a little closer to Jane. Kate glared at him, "Why all of us?"
"I really don't know but it comes from D.C.." he frowned, "Someone with a lot of power and political favor is moving things around and we're not sure who." He looked directly at Jane and then to Kate. "I have a feeling you might."
"Why would any of us know?" Maura said, "None of us live anywhere near Washington."
"I've read your files." He said, "All of them. Captain Montgomery's death, the sniper that shot Kate, the two attempts on your life Jane."
Jane looked at him in confusion, "I only know about one attempt and it was Maura and I."
He shook his head, "Nathaniel Murphy was an attempt to take out you and your partner."
Alexis paled and grabbed up Kate's hand tightly. She leaned in to the red head and started stroking her hair. "That's not possible. Murphy was just a guy who killed a hooker."
"The hooker was just bait to get you into that factory." He said. "I went through the background myself. He was after you."
They all thought about that for a second. If it were true then this had started long before Maura had chased down Joanna Beckett's headlines.
"The FBI is searching for a connection but all we've been able to get is a link between you and Kate. But since you're not working any high profile or dirty cases were at a loss as to where to look. I was hoping you could help me with that."
He watched Jane and Kate carefully as they looked at each other. He couldn't be certain but it seemed like they were talking somehow. Subtle looks and head movements. Their eyes didn't even blink as they met. Finally Kate nodded.
Jane turned back to Dean, "Everything I'm about to tell you is dangerous. It's gotten a lot of people killed and it's the only thing I can think of that could cause this kind of desperation."
"It's a cold case I've been working on in my off time." Kate said and there was something in her voice.
"Joanna Beckett." Dean said.
"Yeah." Kate instinctively fingered the ring on her necklace. "My mother."
"I've read the file that Detective Raglan put together. There's not much to go on." He said.
"That's because John Raglan was one of the men who hired Dick Coonan was the one who killed her." There was a fire to her eyes that gave him pause.
"The cop investigating the murder was the one who killed her?" He asked and his expression was unreadable, "Do you have any proof of this?"
"Not enough." Jane said, "Three cops were kidnapping mob bosses they couldn't convict for ransom. An ADA found out and blackmailed them into giving him the money. Raglan was one of them and Montgomery was another."
"The third?" he saked.
"Gary McAllister." Kate said, "We found out about this when Montgomery sacrificed himself for me. To make sure I was safe, he'd been doing that since my mother died."
"Because he was in on the conspiracy," Jane continued, "He kept Kate from digging too far in to the case so the guy in charge won't kill her."
"I assume the ADA is the one who's doing the killing now?"
"He has the most to lose since two of the cops are dead." Jane said.
"Who is he?" Dean was on the edge of his seat now, so uncharacteristic of him to betray emotion.
Kate glanced at Jane and after a reassuring nod she quietly said the name, "New York Senator William Bracken."
Dean's eyes went wide, "Bracken? He's the most favored by his party to run for the Presidency?"
"We don't know anything more than that." Jane said. "Just the name we got from McAllister."
"My god." He said and wiped his hand on his forehead, "I knew it was going on high up but not that goddamned high."
"Dean," Jane said, "Be careful with this information. Everyone who knows about it is either dead or being hunted. If you run off and tell your bosses about this like you did Paddy, I will hunt you down if anything happens to my family and word to the wise, Beckett and the Castle's are my family."
Jane's phone rang and she got up to answer it, "Rizzoli."
It was Korsak and his voice was shaky, "Jane, I'm at Boylson and Arlington. You and Kate better get over here."
A feeling of dread filled her, "Korsak? What's going on?" Kate caught the voice and looked at her partner.
"Frost and Castle were in a car accident," his voice cracked and he took a deep breath, "It's bad Jane, it's real bad."
"Kate!" She dropped her phone, "We got to go, Now!"
Kate jumped to her feet and grabbed her coat, "What's up?"
Dean stood up and paused as he caught the look on Jane's face, "Dean. Take Maura and Alexis to BPD right now."
"Jane. What's going on?" He said.
"Frost and Castle were in a car wreck and it's bad." She said as she grabbed her coat.
"DAD!" Alexis ran to grab her coat and Jane stopped her, "Baby girl I need you to go to the station with Dean."
"Jane, it's my DAD!" She shouted.
"I know and I swear we'll call you as soon as we find out how bad. But you heard Dean, I can't live with myself if you or Maura got hurt. I need you to go to the station. Cavanaugh and the others can keep you safe and we'll be there as soon as we can."
"Aunt Jane!" she shouted, "I need to get to my Dad!"
Maura slipped her arms around the young girl and Alexis shoved her away, "Don't touch me!"
Jane straightened and her look sent a shiver down her niece, "Alexis! You will go with Agent Dean to BPD so Kate and I are not worried about your safety. So we're not distracted from our jobs. We will find out what's going on and we will come get you when we're done, you got it?!"
Kate grabbed her by the shoulders, "Alexis. Go with Dean and Maura. I know you're worried about your Dad but Jane is right, you and Maura need to be safe especially since this guy want's you too. I'd die if something happened to you."
Alexis looked from one to the other. Neither of them budged and it was clear that they were not taking no for an answer. She quietly nodded as Maura handed her her coat, she snatched it rudely and threw it on.
Dean watched the entire thing and was surprised when Maura grabbed Jane into a fierce kiss. Kate finished strapping on her gun and slid Jane her holster. Jane took it and rewrapped her arms around Maura.
They slowly parted and he heard Maura whisper to Jane, "Be careful. I can't live without you."
Jane nodded slowly with her forehead pressed to Maura's. "Just get to BPD safely and I'll come for you soon."
Jane kissed her again and stepped away, she stopped to look at Dean, "The two most precious things in my life are in your care, Gabriel. Don't let anything happen to them."
Kate paused, "I don't know you but if something happens to them, you won't live long enough to regret it."
They headed out the door and in seconds the Impala was sliding out of the driveway and hauling ass down the snow covered road, red and blue lights flashing from the windows and taillights.
Dean looked back at the two women in his care. Neither of them was very friendly with him. Maura he understood, now more than ever. But young Alexis Castle seemed to have a grudge against Dr. Isles and he had a feeling that Jane was the cause. Considering that he hadn't known Jane and Maura were involved beyond friendship before Jane's comment about the gun, he really didn't think he wanted to know why Alexis was so mean to the good Doctor.
He glanced out the door and seeing no obvious trouble he pulled his keys out and rested another hand on his weapon. He turned back to Maura, "For whatever it may be worth, I'm sorry."
"Save it." She said shortly. "Once were at BPD you can leave." She guided a hostile Alexis out the door and he twisted the lock and closed up.
The ride to the station in Deans Lincoln wasn't all that far but Maura wanted answers and she wanted them now. So she sat in the back seat with Alexis and after buckling her seat belt she turned on the red head.
"Okay, enough is enough." She said to the girl as Dean made the turn onto Beacon Street. "Really, Alexis I don't know what your problem is with me but it has to stop."
She snorted at the blond and remained silent.
"You won't talk to Jane, you won't talk to Kate, and you won't talk to your father." She huffed, "Since I'm the problem, why don't you lay it out on me and get it over with."
The red head ignored her and stared out the driver side window. Maura glanced at the rear view mirror. Dean was keeping his eyes on the road.
"Why did you give my card to Jane if you didn't want me to be with her?" She asked quietly.
Alexis turned to her, her blue eyes were fierce with anger, "Because she loves you! Because she needs you! I'd do anything for my Aunt Jane and that's why I did it!"
"Then why are you being so mean to me?" she asked honestly. "I've done nothing but love and cherish her and I could never repay you for what you've done for us."
"Because, I want her to be happy and all she want's is YOU!" she turned away.
Maura's head spun around and a question needed to be asked, "Are you in love with Jane?"
She stared in disbelief, "OH yeah. I'm in love with a woman whom I call my aunt. Can we go on Springer now?"
"I'm not familiar with the reference." She said.
Alexis shook her head, "You took my aunt Jane away from me!"
"I did no such thing." Maura said indignantly, "All she talks about is how much she loves me and how wonderful you are."
"All those IQ points and you still don't get it do you?" she said, "Forget it. Just leave me alone."
She went back to staring out the window. She caught the sign that said Joy Street.
A large SUV was heading in the opposite direction as it veered into them. Gabriel Dead swerved the wheel and punched the gas as the front bumper of the big truck smashed into the rear door, where Alexis was sitting. Alexis covered her head as the glass shattered into a thousand pieces reining twinkling bits all over her and Maura. The car was swung around and spun into the Boston Common park right between two trees.
The car came to a stop and the SUV stopped on the wrong side of the street. A man jumped out of the Driver's seat and from his vantage point Dean could see a pistol in his hand.
He tried to open his door but it was wedged. "Maura! Get the girl out of here NOW!"
The man saw Dean moving and fired off two rounds. Dean's window shattered and a bullet passed through the windshield into his shoulder. With one hand he pulled his gun and the other tried in vain to unbuckle the seatbelt. It was stuck solid. Dean aimed and fired two rounds. He saw one hit the man in the thigh from the blood spray that accompanied the round. He wasn't sure about the second.
He could hear Maura scrambling out the passenger side door with a frightened Alexis with her.
Dean smacked his weapon into the buckle and it came loose, He reached for the far side door and had just opened it when several more bullets came through the windshield. He felt them hit him but he had to get to the girls. He was fading into the black when he managed to get his hand with his weapon out the door.
Maura grabbed Alexis in both hands as they crouched behind the car, "Okay, we're going to run into the commons and try to lose him in the trees."
Alexis nodded as the door opened and several more shots rang out into the night. She slipped and fell to her butt at the sound. She started to regain her footing when a man limped around the car. He leveled a pistol at them. Maura seen him too . She didn't even think as she instinctively grabbed Alexis and wrapped her into her arms. Two shots rang out and she felt Maura jerk as she clutched her into her arms.
A look passed between her and Maura before Maura slowly fell to her side.
She looked up at the man who had just shot Maura, the woman who just took those shots to protect her. He was fumbling to put another magazine into his pistol. Alexis caught sight of Dean's hand still holding his gun. She reached for it and took it into both hands as the man finally locked the clip in place.
Alexis raised her arms and pulled the trigger. The gun bucked in her hand and she felt something bite into the skin between her thumb and her index finger. She didn't care, he killed Maura and was trying to kill her. She pulled the trigger again and again and again until the slide slid back for the last time and locked in place. Still she tried to squeeze the trigger but it wouldn't move.
She heard the sound of a body hitting the snow covered ground and realized that it was the man with the gun. She dropped the pistol into the snow and checked on Dean. His eyes stared into nothingness and there was a small line of blood falling from his mouth.
Oh my god, what do I do? Her thoughts were scrambled in her mind as she tried to rationalize a fast list. The thought came to her in Jane's voice, Call the police for help.
But their tied up with the accident, I need to get them here now. Again her Aunt's voice rang in her head Officer down!
Location, she remembered the sign and she knew she was on Beacon. She fumbled with Dean's coat and pulled out his phone. She punched in 911.
"Nine-One-One what's your emergency?"
Her voice was unsteady as she spoke, "Officer down, officer down Beacon at Joy Street. Boston Commons. Shots fired!"
The dispatchers voice got distant but she heard, "Shot's fired. Officer Down Beacon and Joy." She came back on the line "Identify yourself."
"My name is Alexis Castle." She said and she heard her name but not from the phone. She turned around to see Maura's hand out stretched toward her. "MAURA!"
Alexis dropped the phone, she could hear the dispatcher calling out but she didn't care. Maura was alive!
She took the woman's hand and dropped to her knees next to her. She heard her name again, barely a hoarse whisper.
"Alexis." Maura breathed, "Jane will need you now."
Alexis started to cry at her words, "No Maura, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Please, she needs you more and I'm sorry. You have to live, you can't leave her Maura. She'll die without you."
Maura gripped her hand and looked into her eyes. "I… love… you…. Jane."
Her eyes closed and her breathing became more ragged. Alexis felt for a pulse and found it, weak slow. She seen the blood pouring out of Maura's back.
She didn't think as she just pulled Maura onto her stomach and slammed her hands over the two dark wet spots on her back. She held her hands in place and started yelling, her voice was strong but hysterical.
"You cant die, Maura. You have to liv. I'm sorry but you cant die, don't die."
She looked out into the night and screamed at the top of her lungs as she tried to hold back the blood.
"HELP ME!" She screamed, "HELP ME! Her voice cried out into the night as tears poured from her eyes, "HEEELLLP MEEEE!"