Series title: Whumptober 2023

Chapters: 1/1

Characters: Jane Rizzoli / Charles Hoyt / Maura Isles / Vince Korsak

Trigger warnings: Blood, Strangulation, 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.

All of these stories are only meant to be one-shots, but many have asked for more. They are written as part of the 2023 Whumptober challenge. I'm following the list of prompts and didn't intend to write second parts for any of the one-shots. That's why they're all posted separately.

Jane closed the distance that separated her from her nemesis. According to Mason, the prison guard assigned to him, Hoyt had been in and out during the last hours. It was unfair. Karma was getting after him for all the harm he had done in his life, and he still was given the chance to leave the world painlessly. She was no doctor. They wouldn't go after her if she was taking him off the morphine. She did nothing but walk closer to him and call his name. She had no idea what she was exposing herself to, but she should have sensed that something was wrong. Hoyt wanting to confess bad things to her? He certainly wasn't about to tell her about remorse because he had none. He had loved being a serial killer and slaughtering all these people. He would have loved it even better if her name had been on his list of victims.

She was close now, too close for her liking. Just the idea of being only inches away from him was making her sick. He was mumbling in his drug-induced slumber, and she made the mistake to lean in to hear what he was saying. His hand sprang up and grabbed her throat. He pinned her in the bed with that single hold. Flashbacks filled her mind and prevented her from fighting the strong hold around her neck.

"Happy birthday, Jane."

His honeyed voice was sickening. She struggled against him and heard Maura asking for help. Her blood froze when the warden replied that he would just watch. Rod Mason was Hoyt's personal guard but also his apprentice. He was the one who killed Graham Randall following his instructions.

Jane cursed. She had done it again. She had fallen head first in Hoyt's trap. He had been cleverer than her that time again. Even as a dying man in a high security prison, he had found a way to get to her, the one victim that got away, not only once, but twice. That time though, she had the feeling in her gut that she had little to no chance to escape.

His hand was a strong vice around her neck, obstructing her airways. She struggled against his hold. Mason zip-tied Maura's wrists and forced her to sit down on an empty bed. He zip-tied her wrists too. She scratched their arms, squirmed to get out of their hold. Hoyt only tightened his grip around her neck. She gasped, unable to bring oxygen in her lungs.

"Should've killed your when I had the chance."

"Yeah, you should've."

He asked for the Taser that Mason willingly gave him and pressed it to her throat. Her face was turning darker from the lack of oxygen. He threatened to turn it on. Maura screamed. She couldn't hear the terror in her friend's voice but she herself was fighting her own as her nemesis was standing over her. She tried to convince Mason of Hoyt's true intentions, that he had only used him to get what he wanted, but the warden was deaf to her arguments. He was enjoying the situation, had enjoyed killed Graham Randall.

"It's time."

Hoyt handed the Taser over to Mason who gave him a scalpel in return. Maura, as clever as ever, was figuring out everything in their back. Hoyt congratulated her. Jane wanted to rip his tongue out of his mouth for even pronouncing her title. She couldn't let him get to her friend. She had to free herself from his hold and get Maura out of that hell hole. She was there because of her. She had to take her out and bring her back to safety.

"I'm dying, and I want company. I think gonna take you and Dr. Isles with me."

He placed the scalpel against her neck and nicked her skin. Blood trickled down her skin. She thought he was gonna end it all now. Maura was crying. She didn't want to see that. Jane didn't want her to see that either. It was between Hoyt and her. He better not lay his filthy hands on her after she was gone.

However, Hoyt changed his mind. He asked Mason to hold her down and moved toward Maura. Rage and fear filled her. She struggled harder against his hold as he got close, too close to her friend. He applied the Taser to her neck and turned it on.

"I win, Jane."

He couldn't help but boast. He was so certain to have won, to have the upper hands on them, but Jane refused that end. She fought against Mason so hard she got him to loosen his hold, but not enough for her to free herself and rescue Maura.

"You're gonna feel a little pinch, Doctor."

The scalpel nicked Maura's neck. It was Hoyt's signature. Leaving a small cut in the neck of his victims before slicing their throat for good. Jane struggled harder, her eyes on Maura who was still, too still, for her liking. But Hoyt didn't go further. Instead, he cut the ties around her wrists.

Much to Jane's shock, Maura sat up and massaged her wrists. No sign of tears or fear on her face anymore. She glared at Hoyt who only smiled and apologised to her. Jane stopped struggling to watch her friend getting up from the bed with wide eyes.

"What the…"

"You didn't see it coming, did you? A new medical examiner showing up at BPD before you returned to work. Did you ever wonder what happened to the previous one?"

Jane was too stunned to react. Maura wasn't looking at her anymore. She was standing still beside Hoyt, waiting for instructions, but he was thriving in the reactions he was getting from Jane. Once again, he had been smarter than her and had placed his pawns to bring her to the right place at the right moment.

"How could you?! How could you pretend to be my friend when you were working with him?!"

"I am your friend, Jane."

"A friend wouldn't have worked with him after everything I told them, after they witnessed my struggle against my demons. I told you everything, but you were working for him all along."

Hoyt was laughing. Maura was silent. She showed nothing. Hoyt gave her the scalpel. Her hand didn't tremble as she took it. She still refused to look at her as she stepped closer. Hoyt wouldn't deliver the final blow. Maura would. Maura, her best friend. Maura, the lonely woman that Jane had taken under her wing. Maura who had entered the Rizzoli clan, had been accepted by the family. Jane couldn't think of a time when she had been that hurt by someone.

Mason made the mistake of loosening his hold on her. She headbutted him, kicked him in the groin and grabbed the Taser. Maura didn't move. Hoyt intervened. Jane hit him in the head, used the Taser on him. He collapsed. Mason lunged at her. She found his neck with the Taser and turned it on. Both men were out.

Jane turned to Maura who hadn't moved. She hadn't let go of the scalpel. It was hanging loosely in her hand. She made no movement toward her. Jane dropped the Taser and stood before Maura, offering herself to the 'friend' who had betrayed her.

"Go on. Do it. That's what he trained you for, right?"

"No, Jane."

She let go of the scalpel who fell to the ground. None of the women made a move toward it. Jane was challenging Maura to move, to take the scalpel back and to finish the job.

"You knew everything I went through because of him, and you still worked with him. You listened to me as I told you how scared I was. You stayed with me all along and you pretended to be my friend."

"He wanted me to torment you, to scare you, but I never did anything. That's why he set that trap to get us both. I accepted the job at BPD because of him, but I got to know you and I couldn't… I couldn't bring myself to hurt you."

"I can't trust you anymore."

"What are you gonna do? Arrest me?"

"No. But I don't wanna see you ever again."

As hurt as she felt, she couldn't bring herself to arrest Maura. The medical examiner was relieved. Tears were falling on her cheeks. Jane was crying too. Hoyt had played his cards well. He had destroyed her. Learning that Maura had been against her all that time was worse than Hoyt trying to kill her.

Hoyt got back to his senses faster than any of the women had thought he would after Jane hit him with the Taser. He got his hand on the scalpel and grabbed Jane from behind. With her hands tied in front of her, his arm around her neck and the tip of the scalpel digging in her skin right where her pulse was beating, she was trapped.

"No one betrays me, Dr. Isles. You seem to have taken a liking in our dear detective. I should have known. No one can resist her."

"Please. Please, don't hurt her."

"She doesn't have much longer to live, Dr. Any last word you'd like to tell her?"

"Please."

The scalpel cut deeper in her skin. More blood trickled down her neck. She whimpered but was too proud to look at Maura to help. She didn't have to ask for it. Maura moved of her own free will. She grabbed the Taser and hit him with it until he let go of Jane.

Once she was free, the detective gripped his wrist until he loosened his hold on the scalpel. She took it from him and when he lunged at her to get it back, she stabbed him in the chest. They both fell to the ground. He was bleeding out, but still smiled at her.

"I win! And you're going to hell alone!"

Mason got up, ready to attack Jane again, but the door burst open and Korsak shot him. Frost was on his heels. It was over. Hoyt was dead. But Maura was still out there, and Jane refused to turn her in or say what was her part in that plan. It was over. Relief washed over her. She was exhausted. Korsak helped her up. She collapsed in his arms and sobbed, releasing some of the pain that weighed heavy on her heart. How would she explain why she refused to be in contact with Maura ever again?