Series title: Whumptober 2023

Chapters: 1/1

Characters: Maura Isles / Jane Rizzoli / Sensei Matta / Vince Korsak

Trigger warnings: Blood, Car Accident, Violence

A/N: The characters and universe don't belong to me. All rights go to TNT, and everyone involved in the production of Rizzoli and Isles, as well as Tess Gerritsen. Everything else belongs to my twisted imagination.

The truck hit her side of the car with such violence that it rolled down the slope leading to the forest surrounding the domain. She heard Maura screaming, her heart was torn to pieces. Their relationship wasn't the best at that moment but that didn't mean Jane had stopped caring for her friend. It was all the contrary and hearing that scream of fear made her angry at Sensei Matta and his men. Maura had found out about their illegal fracking activities and revealed it all to her. They had become people to eliminate. They were not allowed to leave the domain with the information they had, and the easiest way was to make it pass for an ordinary car accident. An investigation for the murder of cops on their property would draw too much attention on them and the true purpose behind the yoga retreat.

Jane gasped and coughed. The pain was washing over her body but a quick glance at herself told her that she was fine. Only a few scratches. She would survive. Maura was shaken but she was fine as well. They had been lucky. She grabbed her phone that had fallen at Maura's feet in the crash and sworn at the fact that it was wet. Not a chance that it would be working now. She couldn't call for backup. They were on their own.

Maura cried out in pain when she touched her leg that was stuck. Just as Jane tried to free her, bullets flew above their heads. She hated herself for pushing Maura out of the car while she was firing back. Maura was complaining about her leg but Jane only worried about the bullets coming for them. She pushed Maura out and slipped out of the car herself. She kept firing at Sensei Matta's men while ordering Maura to run into the forest where they would be safer in her opinion. Until they had to stop to perform a quick surgery on Maura's leg.

Now Jane was sitting alone in hostile woods with Maura's head on her lap. She had done her best for her friend to be as comfortable as possible, but she was worried. Maura had slipped into unconsciousness when she had to cut her leg open and hadn't woken up since. She found her to be warm. Warmer than she should be. She needed to go to the hospital and to have real doctors checking on her instead of having a bitchy ex-best friend that she hated by her side. Herself wasn't feeling great. Now that the adrenaline was off, her body was setting off all sorts of alarms that she should be worried about. Instead, she was focusing on Maura and on how to get her out of that forest. Her phone was busted, and Maura's was probably lost in the car. The situation couldn't be any worse. Or maybe it could.

Maura was delirious and Jane feared that what she had done to her leg was wrong. Her friend was shocked and in pain. She wasn't in the right mindset to assess the situation and take a decision about her condition. And Jane (who placed an absolute trust in her) had accepted to do everything she told her to. Now she had to find a way to get out of this forest and take Maura to the hospital with a band of dangerous and armed yogis running after them.

"Come on, Maura, it's time to wake up now."

The woman in her arms slightly stirred but didn't open her eyes. If anything, she cuddled even more in Jane's embrace. For a moment, she forgot everything that had happened between them. She was unwell and Jane was there, holding her, protecting her. Like she had always done.

"I dreamt we were camping," she mumbled. "I voted for you."

The situation could have been amusing to Jane if it wasn't so critical. Maura was out of it. She woudn't be able to walk, and Jane couldn't carry herself. Not when her body felt like a crushed can of beer. Yet, they had to try.

"Can you turn the heat down?"

"Come on, we got to get you out of here."

"You won sweetest camper again."

"I didn't win."

"My leg... Why does my leg hurt so much?"

Jane was getting paranoid. She was looking up every time she heard a little noise. They had been in peace for hours, but Sensei Matta wouldn't give up. He wouldn't stop looking for them until he found them and killed them. They wouldn't be able to stay hidden for too long.

"Maura Isles, you're a genius!"

Maura chuckled. Maybe Jane was losing it too. The soft kiss on her forehead surprised her but she didn't complain. She did groan however when Jane moved away from her.

"I never won sweetest camper, but I did learn a few things that could help you."

"You said you'd never leave."

"I'll be quick."

She never was the best or sweetest camper, but today she was glad her parents had sent her there for the little things she learnt about plants and how to find (non-contaminated) water. She left her broken useless phone to Maura and checked her cartridge clip. She didn't stand a chance against Sensei Matta's men with just her service weapon, but she could still take down one or two before they got to her.

Her thoughts never left Maura as she stumbled on the uneven ground of the woods. Her head was pounding. She remained focused on her goal. Maura needed her. She couldn't let her down. Not again. It was hard enough to have left her alone to trudge through the forest. Every now and then she was changing her mind and thinking about going back.

Her searches were fruitless. She couldn't find anything to help her friend and regretted even leaving in the first place. She was about to go back when her foot got caught and sent her straight at the feet of the men she was avoiding. She was disoriented and clearly not in a threatening position but still pointed her gun on them.

"Sensei Matta, I presume?"

"And you are officer…"

"Detective. Detective Rizzoli."

"Detective? Kind of stupid to drive a car registered to the Boston Police out to my retreat, don't you think, Detective?"

"Wouldn't have been a problem if you weren't illegal activities."

"Where's your girlfriend, Detective?"

"I don't know. We parted way. She doesn't like my driving skills."

Sensei Matta slapped her gun away, grabbed her wrist and twisted it. The immediate pain made her drop her weapon. His knee met her chin and made her falling flat on her back among twigs and fallen leaves. That wouldn't help with her headache. He pressed his knee on her stomach.

"Don't you dare lie to me, Detective. Where is she? It's only a matter of time before my guys found her. We know she's wounded. She couldn't have gone too far."

"I told you already: I. Don't. Know."

A fist connected with her eye, nearly knocking her out. They could hit her all they wanted. She would never reveal where Maura was hiding. They could hit her all they wanted. She would rather die than send her friend to a certain death.

He hit her. Once, twice, thrice. Her nose was broken, her bottom lip was busted, her right eye was so swollen she could barely see anything anymore. He was getting frustrated and hitting harder. His men were reporting to him that they couldn't find Maura. She laughed in his face.

"I've never anyone as stubborn as you, Detective."

"My mom would agree there."

"We'll find her. With or without you."

He grabbed his gun, removed the security and placed the mouth of it between her two eyes. The gunshot echoed throughout the forest and scared the wild animals that ran away. Jane gasped at the dead weight falling on her. Warm blood was soaking her clothes.

The weight was removed from her. She vaguely heard rights being read to Sensei Matta before someone helped her up. She recognised Korsak.

"How did you find us?"

"Dr. Isles sent me a text with your phone. Morse code."

"I gotta go back to her."

"We've found her."

Maura was waiting for her in the back of Korsak's car. She was laying in the backseat and had been given a blanket, and water. A balled-up jacket had been placed under her leg. She refused Jane to sit in the front so the detective sat in the back with Maura's head on her lap.

"I'll have to fix that nose again."

"I've been hit harder."

"Why didn't you tell them where I was?"

"Are you joking? Ma would kill me if anything happened to you."

"Jane."

"I'd rather die than let anything happen to you."

"Tell your mother we're friends again."

"Okeydokey," chuckled Jane.

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

Jane's voice broke on the last word. Maura had become a huge part of her life and she couldn't see herself without her friend. Both of them had been lost without each other. At least, that misadventure had brought some good for their relationship...