Maura sat silently, hardly daring even to breathe.

Across her eye line, she could see Harriet was fixed- eyes wide- on the man stalking slowly between them.

Elias Kaplowitz was a dangerous man. Maura knew, after every torturous minute he had put them through, that he was not about to let them go. He was controlled, dictated to, by a force much larger than any single person. His family, a family intertwined with a life of crime, meant everything to him.

Maura tried to rationalise as she sat, willing time to slow down enough for someone- anyone- to realise they were missing. It was only a matter of time before Kaplowitz unravelled and killed them both.

Although he looked dishevelled and distressed, Maura knew that Kaplowitz' strength was in his mind. He believed that, for his family, his actions were for the greater good. He was fighting for his family.

Maura was fighting for her life.

Closing her eyes, Maura allowed her mind to turn to Jane.

Over the last few days, everything had changed between them. There was a new understanding between them, a knowledge that their relationship was more than platonic. That there were feelings- deep feelings- running between the two of them.

Maura let out a shaky sigh.

If everything ended today, would Jane know? Would she know how much she was loved?

/

As she walked up to the doors of the hospital ward, Jane Rizzoli tried to focus on the task in hand.

She was usually excellent at compartmentalising her life. She had shot herself, jumped off bridges and never spared a thought for anyone except the person she was trying to save. This was different. Maura was that person. And it hurt.

Keeping up her mantra, Jane looked to the skies as she said a silent prayer for the doctor. Save her. Please.

Harriet's room was dark, but there was enough light coming through the half-closed blinds to illuminate the shadows within. Kaplowitz paced, his lean frame clothed in the traditional tweed jacket and corduroy trousers of a distinguished university professor. His hair jutted out at different angles, a sign that he had been nervously running his hand over his scalp for some time. It was a sign, one of many, that the man keeping Maura and Harriet hostage was unhinged.

There was no weapon in his hand. Nothing visible as Jane looked through the mottled, patterned glass. Pressing her hand to her earpiece, she nodded as she received information from the officers now reviewing the CCTV at the nurses' station.

"No visible weapon, but there is something in his pocket. Proceed with caution."

/

"You know" Kaplowitz's quiet voice seemed shockingly loud in the small room, "as much as I love codes and ciphers, my historical interest doesn't stop there. You," he directed his eye line towards Harriet, "you and I share a secondary passion."

Harriet looked across at Maura, her eyes suddenly wide.

"You can say it. I know you understand what I'm getting at."

Harriet shook as she turned slowly to face Maura. "Poison."

"Look at me when you speak." The professor raised his voice. Maura's heartbeat raced, pulsing in her ears.

"Poison."

Kaplowitz nodded.

"In my hand there is a capsule. A capsule containing a lethal dose of varicilium. When I release it into the air and you aspirate it, it will travel through your lungs and begin to shut down your nervous system. I spent a long time negotiating to get my hands on this; using it will be my finest moment."

Watching the man closely as he spoke, Maura's eyes were drawn to his pocket. As he spoke, he fumbled nervously as she imagined a bachelor might if he were about to propose and was keeping the ring in his jacket.

/

"Rizzoli. We're right here. You and Peter make the first move."

The door opened quietly, as Jane walked into the room.

Kaplowitz, still in the heart of his speech, didn't notice the detective until she was right behind him.

"Left pocket!"

Maura shouted, causing the man to throw his weight backwards into Jane. The tall detective rocked backwards, but steadied herself by grabbing a handful of fabric, including the corner of his jacket, preventing the man from reaching his pocket.

"Cuff him!" Jane called, moving down until her hands carefully closed over the homemade release switch the professor had been keeping in his pocket. "And call in some kind of bomb or poisons unit; I'm not letting go of this thing until I know the poison has been destroyed or removed."

The metal capsule dropped from Kaplowitz's hand as his arm was roughly pulled behind his back and forced into handcuffs. "Grab it!" Maura shouted towards the nearest officer. "Grab it and take it outside!"

/

"I just want to make sure your blood pressure is normal, and to check there were no further adverse effects from the poison- even if it wasn't released. Plus you had a nasty bump to the head."

Maura rolled her eyes at the nurse. "I'm fine. One minor contusion to my upper arm. I'm not concussed, although I would like someone to check my skull for hairline fractures. I have had brain surgery within the last 12 months, but I'm happy to do this as an outpatient in a less busy hospital or wait for a more convenient time. I don't want to take up any more of your precious time."

"Well, that's very kind but, as you know, head injuries can't wait. I'll ask one of our post-surgical team to come over and check the site of the surgery…"

The curtain twitched as Jane poked her head through, smiling at the blonde sat in the bed.

"Sorry. Bad time?"

The nurse shook her head and walked out of the curtained hospital bay, leaving the blonde doctor and the tall detective alone.

"How are you feeling?" Jane perched on the edge of Maura's bed.

"I'm okay. I… I'll be okay." Maura smiled at Jane's expression. "I will. He's gone, Jane. There's no more danger."

Jane smiled, reaching over to brush her hand against Maura's soft cheek.

"I… I didn't know if I was ever going to see you again" Jane whispered, her sensitivity finally erupting through the hardened surface. Maura sat up, reaching for her hand and rubbing her thumb slowly over the protruding scar. "I… I'm so glad you're okay."

Reaching up, Maura smiled softly as she brushed away a tear from Jane's eyes. "Me too."

"You know", Jane cleared her throat, "all I could think about was whether I would see you again. Whether you'd be alive. How… how I would live without you. I don't do that. I'm a good cop, I know not to let my feelings get in the way and I can but, you…. You're special."

Maura nodded, holding Jane's hand firmly.

"I… I love you, Maura. So much. And I just need to know that…"

Leaning forwards, Maura closed her eyes and pressed her lips softly against Jane's.

Pulling apart, Jane rested her forehead against Maura's and sighed deeply.

"You always have the perfect answer for everything."