*Hey, I hope this finds you all well. I think I am back on schedule for once a month updates after a little time to deal with some unforeseen events in my life. I want to give a little warning that this chapter has some gun violence in it… nothing too gruesome but the implication is there. I hope that after this chapter and maybe one more to help Maura and Jane deal with some of the after-effects of what happened… we can get back to some fluff and family times. Also, I do plan to carry this out as long as I can and as long as you want me to. Thanks so much for reading and supporting me as I continue to move forward on my original… just finished and now in the editing process. And as always, I really appreciate all the reviews and messages. Take care everyone...
Chapter 19
As Maura approached Kelly's car, the only thing that mattered to her was getting to Li and making sure he was okay. Her only concern was for her son, who she could hear crying and it only made her move faster. She didn't waste any time as she pulled the door open and reached in to unbuckle him from his car seat and pull him out and into her arms.
"Hey, we don't have time for that." Kelly gave her a not so gentle shove towards the front seat. "Put him back…" she frowned at Maura and the baby she was now holding.
"No, I refuse to do what you say until you let me check him out." Maura's bravado wavered slightly under Kelly's withering glare.
"You've got five minutes… and the clock starts now." Kelly made to look at her wrist even though she didn't have on a watch.
Maura nodded her head in understanding and moved around to the other side of the car and was relieved to find Li's diaper bag on the floor. Rummaging around in the bag, she found an empty bottle with some powder in the bottom and was grateful she had the foresight to bring a bottle of water with her. She was relieved to find that although Li was a little sweaty, he wasn't red in the face and his pulse was normal so he wasn't suffering from heat exposure. Glancing up across the back seat, she could see that Kelly was watching her with a pensive expression on her face and it made her skin crawl to have to be under the scrutiny of this awful woman.
"You need to hurry up." It was all Kelly said to her before she turned away from what Maura was doing and climbed in the front seat of the car.
Letting out an extra heavy exhale, Maura ran her fingers through Li's dark sweaty hair, pushing it away from his face. He smiled at her and then to her surprise the word 'Mommy'… or something that sounded like Mommy came from his mouth. Her heart stuttered and she was sure it had stopped along with time and space around her as he said it again.
"Oh my God… you just said your first word." Maura beamed down at her son with pride and excitement but then it all deflated like a balloon being popped with a sharp knife and that knife was Kelly, who scowled at them over her shoulder, causing Maura to shrink away.
"So what, finish up and get in the car… now..." Kelly growled through clenched teeth. She always knew that Maura would be a wonderful mother but it was the kids they would have together she only cared about. This little dark-haired Muppet that lay in the back seat of her car was of no consequence to her at the moment and she wanted to make sure Maura knew it. But before Maura could pick the kid up and put him back in his seat, he started to cry, making her cringe. "You'd better get him to stop crying, I'd hate to have to leave him on the side of the road somewhere."
Blinking a few times in confusion, Maura took a moment to let Kelly's words sink in and when they did, her blood ran cold. She needed to be careful how she handled this situation or things might take an even uglier turn than they already had. "I need to change him and then I'll give him his bottle… that should quiet him down a bit." Her voice was strained and tight and even she didn't recognize it.
Kelly stared at Maura for a moment as if she was trying to gauge if Maura was telling the truth and then she shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine, whatever…" her voice trailed off as she turned her attention back to the keys in the ignition. Her patience was growing thin and she was beginning to have second thoughts about this whole- Maura was her soulmate thing. But that was the way it was with Kelly, she was fickle about what she wanted and right now she wasn't so sure it was Maura. It didn't matter though because, at this point, her main objective was to keep Maura as far away from Jane as possible. If she couldn't have Maura the way she wanted or desired, neither would Jane. It was as simple as that.
"Hey, there little man…" Maura cooed quietly as she prepared Li to change his diaper. "Let's get you cleaned up and then put some water in that belly." She gave his stomach a gentle poke causing him to giggle and wiggle at the same time.
When she was finished changing Li, Maura grabbed his bottle and filled it up halfway with the water, and then shook it before filling the rest of the way. Shaking it again, she waited for the powdered formula to dissolve which took a bit longer because the water was cold. Glancing up to look over at Kelly, she could tell by the set of the other woman's shoulders that her attempt at stalling had come to an end and she needed to hurry and put Li in his seat or Kelly might follow through with her promise to leave him on the side of the road. If that happened, Maura was sure she would have to fight to the death and at this point, she was ready.
Li wiggled and gently protested as Maura tried to place him in his car seat and she did her best to situate him so he would sit down, something shiny caught her eye. It was a cellphone leaning against the inside of the seat and her heart began to beat a little faster because she knew without a doubt that it was Jane's phone. Giving it a gentle tap, she could see that it was still on Jane's music app and she quickly swiped at it, closing the app and bringing the home screen up. By now, her fingers were shaking and she chanced a glance over at Kelly to see if she had noticed something was different. But to her relief, Kelly was concentrating on staring out the windshield, oblivious to what Maura was doing.
Moving her eyes back to the phone, Maura used her shaky fingers to quickly swipe through Jane's contacts until she found Liam's number. A few seconds later she tucked the phone down next to Li as she strapped him in his seat. With one last look at Kelly, she pushed the call button and then muted it on speakerphone so whoever answered could hear them but not be heard themselves so as not to alert Kelly to what she was doing. She hoped that Liam would figure out what she had done and then they could track the cell signal and find them. It was a long shot but one worth risking if she and Li were to get out of this unharmed.
YYY
Liam's phone danced around in his pocket, vying for his attention as he looked over Frost's shoulder at the small computer screen that showed a map of the area surrounding the clinic. For a split second, he thought about ignoring it but then he thought better. He knew it could be something or nothing but he wasn't willing to risk the chance that it might be something so he pulled the phone out and glanced down at it in surprise. The name that came up was 'Jane' and for a moment he froze, not at all sure of what he should do as his eyes floated over to Jane who was sitting next to Frankie with her bent in concentration.
The sudden realization that it might be Maura smacked him in the face bringing him back to his senses and he quickly accepted the call. And because of his training, he held the phone to his ear and listened without saying a word, and what he heard brought goosebumps to his skin. In the background, he could hear Maura's voice and a voice he could only presume was Kelly's. Although the voices were muffled slightly, there was no mistaking it was Maura on the other end.
Looking around again, he wasn't sure who he should talk to or if he should handle it by himself but then he caught Jane's eye and her raised eyebrow had him tilting his head towards his car, and a silent understanding passed between them at that moment. Leaning down to speak to Frost whose sole concentration was on the screen before him, Liam quietly excused himself and made his way towards his car. Leaning a hip against the door, he waited for Jane who appeared with a stern look on her face, ready to deal with whatever it was Liam was about to throw her way.
"Hey, what's up?" She asked him from across the roof of the car.
"Get in, I've got a lead." He said as he opened his door and climbed into the driver's seat.
"What about them?" She opened her door and nodded towards Frankie and Frost before getting in next to him.
"I think they've got things under control here. You and I need to go on a little field trip." He said as he handed her his phone and started the car.
Looking down at the phone in her hand, Jane could see it was connected to another call and that the speaker was on. At first, all she could hear were a few muffled voices but then everything stilled around her when she recognized one of those voices as Maura's. Her eyes widened in shock and surprise at the realization that it was Maura on the other end.
"How?" Jane asked as she continued to look at the phone in her hand in wonder and trepidation.
"It's your phone Maura called me from..." Liam said as he pulled away from the hustle and bustle of the make-shift headquarters the police had fashioned.
Shaking her head, Jane held the phone up to study it carefully. "I don't understand." It was all she could get out before she heard Maura's voice again, causing tears to well up in her eyes.
"Where did you leave your phone?"
Jane was quiet for a minute as she contemplated Liam's question but then she suddenly remembered. "I put it in the stroller with Li…" she looked up at Liam in surprise.
"Yes and that means that Kelly has both Li and Maura." Liam turned his blinker on as he merged into traffic. "And now we track them…"
"How?" Jane asked as she continued to listen to Maura's soft murmurs of comfort to Li.
"I put a tracker on both of your phones." Liam offered Jane a contrite look as he glanced at her briefly before turning his attention back to the road.
"Well…" Jane sighed heavily as she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it away from the bandage on her forehead. "Yeah, that's good…" she nodded her understanding. It wasn't something she expected but she should have. Liam always had their best interests at heart and even though she felt slightly put out by the fact he was tracking them without their knowledge, she was grateful he had done it.
Giving her a sideways glance, Liam nodded back a Jane. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but… well…"
"I get it…" Jane said with a crooked smile as she brought up the tracking app and clicked on Maura's phone number first. "It look's like Maura's phone is off." Clicking on her number though brought up a map and a little red dot that was moving north-west, away from the city. "But…" she studied the little red dot intently before holding it up for Liam to see. "Are we doing this solo?"
"No, but we are going to follow and secure their location before we call everyone else in."
"Okay, that sounds reasonable." Jane nodded her understanding. "I'm gonna kill that bitch though when I get a hold of her."
"Not if I get to her first..." Liam said through clenched teeth.
"I'm gonna text Frankie and let him know we are checking into a few things and to be on standby and ready to move out at a moment's notice."
"Sounds like a plan..." Liam said as he glanced at his phone so he knew what direction they were heading. Reaching over the center console, he placed his hand on Jane's arm and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "We're gonna get them back… safe and sound, just in time to tuck Li and Valley in bed tonight."
Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, Jane croaked out a slightly strangled sound of acknowledgment. She didn't think she could find the words to express what she was feeling and she didn't think she needed to. Liam knew what was going through her mind and understood what she was feeling, so instead, she just turned to the window to watch the world fly by as they set out to find her wife and son.
YYY
"I don't understand why you're doing this, Kelly." Maura tried not to sound desperate as she questioned her captor. "Where are you taking us?"
Giving Maura a sideways glance, Kelly's lips curled up into a sinister smile. "You'll see Maur…" the nickname that was usually a term of endearment sounded chilling coming from someone other than Jane. "Isn't that what you're precious 'Jane' calls you?"
A shiver ran through Maura's body and she couldn't hide the visible tremble that rolled over her body. It felt like a ghost moving through her or 'over her grave' as she had once heard someone say. "Please don't do this…" she turned abruptly to reach into the back seat to comfort Li who was now babbling and waving his arms and legs around. "It's okay, honey… Mommy's right here." Placing a reassuring hand on his leg calmed him briefly but it didn't last long because he wanted Maura to hold him.
"You'd better shut that brat up or I'm gonna drop him off on the side of the road." Kelly hissed as she looked in the rear view mirror to glare at the dark-haired baby that was beginning to get fussy.
"That's the second time you've threatened to do that, but I don't believe you would. He's just a baby, for Christ's sake." Maura said, dangerously daring Kelly but she wanted to believe there was a sliver of goodness still alight in the woman who was currently holding all the cards.
Silence filled the air around them as Kelly contemplated what Maura said and then she offered that sinister smile again. "Alright, you got me. I won't drop him off on the side of the road but there's nothing to stop me from dropping him off at a gas station or diner." Those cold blue eyes that had been directed at the road in front of them now came around to rest on Maura briefly, daring her to push and when Maura didn't, Kelly laughed. "Now you don't have anything to say?"
Gripping her knees where her hands now rested, Maura shook her head. She realized, almost too late, that she had pushed Kelly too far and that she would need to back off. But then Li started to cry and her heart started to race as she tried to shush him with soft words and gentle touches. "It's okay, Li… it won't be much longer. I think he needs to be changed or burped…" Maura tried to apologize to keep Kelly from flying off the handle. Her only hope was that the phone tucked inside Li's car seat would lead Jane right to them, eventually, but until then… she was on her own.
When Li's cries turned to tired whimpers, Maura turned her attention to the scenery passing by the window and noticed it had gone from city streets to rural, suburbs and then eventually the suburbs disappeared, only to be replaced with a mountainous view. With a heavy sigh, she realized they were headed into the mountains, probably to a cabin or family retreat of some sort. A flash of hope that Jane and Liam might be able to figure out where they were headed made her feel light-headed and all she could do was blink back the tears as she hoped they wouldn't be too late.
And then suddenly, the car veered to the right into the parking lot of a twenty-four-hour diner, shaking her from her reverie. Turning to Kelly with a curious expression, she was surprised when they pulled into a parking spot, and then Kelly turned the car off. Fear gripped her heart as she waited to see what was going to happen next because based on the expression on Kelly's face… it wasn't good.
"Put your hands out..." Kelly ordered.
"What?" Maura asked, confusion written all over her face.
Reaching over, Kelly roughly grabbed Maura's hands and slapped handcuffs on one wrist before threading it through the steering wheel and clasping Maura's wrists together, essentially trapping her in the front seat.
At first, Maura didn't resist, thinking it was best not to rock the boat but when Kelly climbed out of the car and opened the backseat, she realized what was happening. "Wait… he's quieted down. Don't do this…" she struggled against the metal cuffs that were biting into the tender flesh of her wrists. Twisting around in her seat, she watched in horror as Kelly unlocked the car seat that held a now sleeping baby and pulled it out with a frustrated huff. "Kelly… don't do this…"
Without so much as a word of explanation, Kelly slammed the door shut, startling Li from his slumber causing him to start crying again. "Shut up…" she growled as she carried him across the parking lot towards the diner. Glancing back, she could see that Maura was thrashing about in the front seat of the car trying to break free from her restraints but she was confident that they were tight enough to hold. The only thing that mattered to her was getting Maura alone. Trying to convince her that they were meant to be together was going to be hard enough but with the baby around, Maura wasn't able to give her full attention to what Kelly wanted or expected.
As she entered the diner, the little bell above the door announced her arrival to the sole waitress standing behind the counter watching her with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. The name 'Gloria' was embroidered across the front of her shirt in red. It was the same shade of red as the lipstick caked on the woman's lips. Her hair was pulled back into a severe ponytail and her eye shadow was way too thick for Kelly's liking. But Kelly plastered a smile on her face and greeted the woman with a hardy 'Hello' as she set the baby carrier on the counter, much to the woman's surprise.
"Hey, would mind watching him for a sec while I run to the bathroom. We've been in the car for hours and I sure could use a minute to myself to… well… you know." Kelly hunched her shoulders and let out a heavy, tired sigh to garner the woman's sympathy.
"Um… well…" the waitress named 'Gloria' looked around at the almost empty restaurant and then nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. It isn't too busy right not." She looked Kelly up and down for a second and then crossed her arms. "You're gonna order something though, right?"
"Oh, yeah… for sure. I just need a sec…" Kelly grinned and nodded before glancing over her shoulder towards the car where Maura was being held as her prisoner. "Oh, hold on…" she quickly turned around and headed for the door, causing Gloria to panic and call out for her to stop. "I'm just going out to grab his diaper bag. I won't be but a minute."
"Oh, okay…" Gloria visibly relaxed as she glanced down at the baby currently sitting on the counter in front of her. "He's a real cutie." She reached down to run her fingers through Li's dark hair, pushing it away from his face. "Don't take too long."
"Yeah, whatever…" Kelly said under her breath as she slipped out the door and headed towards her car. Stopping at the trunk, she opened it and pulled something out before slipping in the front pocket of her sweatshirt. She glanced back at the diner to make sure no one had followed her out and when she was confident no one had, she climbed back into the driver's seat only to be met with Maura's anger.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Maura screamed at Kelly as she attempted to free herself again. Her wrists were now red and raw from her struggle but it had been futile… she couldn't escape.
"I'm going to take those off but if you try anything…" Kelly pulled out the gun she had slipped in the front pocket of her sweatshirt and waved it around for Maura to see. "I'll use it… don't test me."
Maura's eyes widened at the gun sitting in the palm of Kelly's hand and then nodded her understanding. Things had taken a dangerous turn… deadly in fact and Maura wasn't about to see if Kelly was capable of using it. If she had it, Maura had to assume she was willing to use it.
"Good girl…" Kelly slipped the gun back in her pocket before undoing the handcuffs. "He'll be safe. They'll call social services once they realize I've left." She said as she turned on the car and then pulled through the space they were parked in, driving off without looking back. It didn't matter if anyone saw them at this point because they were about to hit the back roads that would take them to the cabin where she would finally profess her love to Maura. "Things will go much smoother without any more distractions."
Doing her best to hold back the sob that bubbled up in her chest, Maura took a shaky breath before letting it out in a long, slow exhale. "If you care about me… you won't do this."
"But don't you see, Maura? I do care about you, that's why I'm doing this. You belong with someone like me… someone who can take care of you in the way you deserve… someone with money to lavish you with everything you could ever possibly want. Jane can't do that…"
The realization that trying to reason her way out of this situation wasn't going to work hit Maura hard but also set her resolve firmly in place. She wasn't going to give up… not now… not ever.
YYY
"My phone's stopped moving..." Jane said as she studied Liam's phone, watching for any clue as to where they were headed. "What do you think that means?" She asked with a slight bit of hesitancy.
"I don't know…" Liam glanced at Jane. "Maybe they stopped or…" he didn't get a chance to finish before Jane interjected.
"Or Kelly discovered Maura's phone and threw it out the window or left it somewhere which means we've lost our only lead." Jane sighed heavily, unable to hide her disappointment.
"Well, we'll find out soon enough. How far away are we from it?"
"It looks like we're about fifteen, twenty minutes away from where they are stopped… or where my phone is." She held up his phone so Liam could see the red dot.
"Okay…" Liam said with a renewed determination.
"I just wish we hadn't been cut off. I'd like to hear what's going on right now. It might give us a clue about where they're headed." Jane shrugged and then tightened her grip on the phone as if it might get them closer. With a heavy sigh, she leaned back and stared out the window again, willing everything to be alright.
It wasn't long before they were pulling into the parking lot of a small, roadside diner. Several black and white cars were parked in front and the sight caused Jane's heart to pound, ringing in her ears. She almost didn't wait for Liam to stop the car before she was out the door, running towards the small diner.
"Hey, wait up…" Liam called to Jane as she sprinted across the parking lot at full speed. Jogging, he did his best to catch up to her but found that he wasn't as agile or fast. All he could do was watch as Jane threw the door open and rushed in, leaving him in the dust.
When Jane entered the diner, she looked around hoping to find Maura and Li sitting in a booth waiting for her to arrive and save the day but it wasn't to be. She did however find several police officers cooing over a car seat holding a baby. She knew it was Li before she even got across the room and when Liam opened the door, causing the little bell to chime, she looked over her shoulder at him with a somewhat hopeful look as she approached the police officers.
"Excuse me… can I help you?" An older woman with the name 'Gloria' embroidered across her shirt asked Jane as she approached. The first thing Jane noticed was that she had a determined look on her face and a protective stance in front of Li which made her feel slightly better knowing Li was being taken care of.
Jane's eyes fell on her son and a wide smile spread across her face. "Um, I'm his mother…" she said as she reached for Li.
"Hey, don't go getting all grabby here. We need some proof." One of the officers pushed Jane's hands away, crossing his arms and frowning at her.
Looking a the man with a mixture of confusion and irritation, Jane noted the name 'Fisher' on the name tag and then took a deep breath to push her anger down so she didn't take a swipe at the man standing between her and her son.
"My name is officer Rizzoli-Isles and I'm a detective with the BPD and this is my son Liam Rizzoli-Isles who was kidnapped this morning." Jane recited the facts.
The officer named Fisher looked at his partner who nodded at him in understanding and left to check with dispatch.
"Well, if that's the case then we would have gotten a BOLO, don't you think?" Fisher frowned as he tried to remember if they had gotten any child abduction notices.
"There is no BOLO yet, we were hoping to resolve this before it got too far along..." Liam said from behind Jane.
"I'm going to need to see some identification from the both of ya." Fisher's partner said upon his return, holding a hand out as he waited for them to comply.
Jane handed the man her BPD id and then turned her attention to Li, who upon noticing his Mama's arrival, started to fuss. "I'm going to pick him up now." She said in a tone that brokered no argument as she reached for Li.
"Are you the father?" Fisher asked Liam as he looked back and forth between him and Jane suspiciously.
For a brief moment, Liam was quiet as he assessed the situation. He knew that sometimes open-mindedness was hard to find in small, rural towns outside of Boston and then he caught Jane's eye and saw that she was having the same thoughts. Perhaps they were wrong about these people, but he just didn't want to take a chance on it and have to deal with prejudice and intolerance at the same time as they were trying to find Maura.
When Fisher gave Liam an impatient tilt of the head, indicating he was waiting for an answer, Liam nodded in the affirmative. "Yeah, I'm the dad…" he said without making eye contact.
"Care to explain what happened? How did your son here end up being abandoned at this diner?"
"If I had the answers to those questions I wouldn't be here in the first place." Liam shook his head at the dumb question.
Jane didn't have time to deal with Fisher or his stupid questions at the moment as she pulled Li into her, cradling him tight against her chest. "Hey there, little man…" she cooed as he snuggled up against her, finally quieting in contentment. Glancing down, she saw her phone sitting in his car seat and quickly grabbed it so she could call Frankie. "Um, I'm gonna call my brother to let him know we found little Li, here…" she said to Gloria who was watching her with curiosity.
"Ya know, I didn't think that woman who dropped him off was his mother. She didn't even so much as look at him when she left. Besides, he looks like you." Gloria offered as she watched Jane rock the baby back and forth.
"Yeah, was she blonde…" Jane started to ask.
"Tall, blonde… with the most intense blue eyes I've ever seen… and well, a perpetual sneer on her face…"
"Yeah, that would be the woman who is responsible for kidnapping our boy here…" Jane let out a sigh. "Um, was there anyone else with her? Another woman or… well… anyone?"
"Nah, she was alone… or at least she came in alone. She may have had someone with her but left them in the car. Why?" Gloria asked.
"There were reports that someone else was traveling with the blonde… I was just wondering if you saw…" Jane's voice trailed off as she held up her phone, giving it a shake to let Gloria know she was going to make her call.
Walking to the back of the diner so she could have some privacy, Jane began to dial Frankie and then dropped down into a booth to wait for him to answer. Much to her relief, he answered on the second ring.
"Where the hell are you?" Frankie's voice was slightly frantic and breathless.
"We found Li…" Jane said as she ran her fingers through Li's dark hair before placing a kiss on his forehead.
"Oh my God… are you serious? Of course you are… that was a stupid question… I don't know why I said it." Frankie stuttered. "Where are you?"
"Some Podunk town up north. He was left at a diner…" she reached up to rub her tired eyes but also to wipe at the tears that threatened to fall. "But Maura's still missing…" the words got caught in her throat, causing her to cough.
"Okay, send me the address and we'll be there as soon as we can."
"Bring Ma with you so she can take Li." Jane said as she started to plan their next move to get Maura back.
"Yeah okay, but that better not mean you're going off on your own to find Maura." Frankie's voice was stern. "And that better not be what you've been doing for the past few hours."
"Look Frankie, I appreciate everything you're doing but we both know nothing is going to stop me from getting Maura back and if that means Liam and I have to go rogue, well...then… so be it."
"Jane, we've got the whole BPD looking for them…" there was a silent plea in Frankie's voice. "Please let us do our jobs."
"How about if I promise that before we do anything else, I'll notify you of where we are."
Frankie was quiet for a minute as he contemplated his choices. He knew this was probably the best-case scenario since Jane was going to do whatever she had to, even if it meant going solo. So, all he could do was agree. "Okay…" he let out a frustrated huff. "But promise that you'll be careful."
"Yeah… and could you please call the police department here and set these idiots straight on who we are. We're getting a bit of push back…"
"I will and we'll be there as soon as we can."
"Thanks, Frankie… bye..." Jane said, hanging up her phone as a cup of coffee was set in front of her. Looking up, she was surprised to find Gloria standing above her with a faint smile.
"He said you could use it." Gloria tilted her head towards Liam who offered her a knowing wink. "He seems a bit old for you…"
"Yeah, well… love knows no age…" Jane offered the quip without much thought.
"I guess so…" Gloria hesitated before speaking again. "My girlfriend is ten years younger than me… so, I get it."
With a relieved sigh, Jane sat back in the booth and smiled up at Gloria. "You have no idea…" she said before turning her attention to Liam who was pulling a phone from his pocket to answer. Watching him, she could see his face turn serious as he listened without saying a word, and then when he flipped it shut, his eyes met her and she knew he had just gotten some important information. "Uh, if you'll excuse me… I've gotta go talk to my… um…" she didn't finish as she nodded Liam's direction, getting a nod of understanding from Gloria.
Jane pushed up from the booth and started across the diner towards Liam but before she could reach him, she was stopped by Fisher's partner who held out his hand to stop her. He had a frown and a look of suspicion on his face as he watched her. "You said you were a detective with the BPD but you're just an instructor at the academy. Why are you giving me misleading information? What are you trying to hide?" He asked.
"What?" Jane stepped back, away from the man. "I have not given you any misleading information. I am a detective… just because I am also an instructor does not mean I gave up my title. I worked hard for it, and expect to be recognized accordingly."
"Humm…" the man studied her for another minute before continuing. "What's his story? I can't find anything on him…" he said as if he were talking to himself, but before she could answer, Liam was waving at her.
"Look, I have to tend to some things… are we done here?" Her impatience was evident in the tone of her voice. The man shrugged and then stepped out of her way just as his walkie-talkie came to life on his shoulder. With a look of annoyance, he gave Jane one last glance before turning his attention to dispatch.
Jane heard a 'whatever' mumbled as she moved away from the annoying little man in the police uniform that was way too big for him. She couldn't help but wonder if he suffered from 'short man syndrome' and that thought made her chuckle. As she approached Liam, Li noticed his uncle and reached out for him so Jane handed him over.
"What's up? Who was that on the phone?" She asked as she watched Li squeal in delight as Liam tickled his belly.
"Do you trust that waitress with Li?" Liam asked.
"Why?" Jane gave him the side-eye before glancing at Gloria in assessment.
"Because I know where Kelly is taking Maura. They have an hour head start on us if we leave now." He said as he bounced Li up and down in his arms.
For a minute, Jane felt as if all the air had been knocked out of her. She had to make a choice she wasn't ready to make but then the sudden overwhelming feeling that Maura needed her spurred her to make a decision. Gloria's admission that she had a girlfriend made it just a bit easier but it was still one of the toughest decisions she had ever made.
"Give me a minute to talk to Gloria. Frankie is on the way up with my Ma and they'll probably be here in thirty minutes or so…" Jane said. Liam nodded his understanding and then Jane moved back over to where Gloria was standing. Glancing around, she noticed that the diner wasn't very crowded but there were still customers that Gloria would have to take care of on top of watching Li and it caused her to hesitate.
"Hey, I can tell something very important has happened. What do you need?" Gloria asked as Jane approached her.
"Well…" Jane set about to explain everything to the woman she was about to entrust her son to.
It didn't take long for Jane to tell Gloria everything she needed to know… including how Liam wasn't Li's dad but that Jane was indeed married to a woman, who was currently being held captive by a deranged woman… the same woman who had dropped Li off. Gloria had listened intently to every word Jane offered by way of explanation and when Jane was finished, she grabbed her in a hug and promised everything would be alright and that she would protect Li with her life if need be. With a grateful smile, Jane accepted the promise as she kissed Li goodbye and then followed Liam towards the car as a barrage of questions came at them from Fisher who was quickly quieted by his partner who gave both Liam and Jane a wide berth to leave. As they drove away, Jane could see that Fisher's partner was explaining everything and she realized that Frankie had done what she had asked… he had called to explain the situation so they could carry on with their investigation without interference.
"Buckle up… we're in for a long ride..." Liam said.
"As long as it leads me to Maura…" Jane sighed heavily as she took one last look behind them at the diner where she had left her son. But it was the right decision. Frankie and their Ma would be there soon to take Li home and if all else went well, she and Maura would be right behind them. It was the only thought going through her mind at the moment because the alternative was unacceptable.
YYY
The low purr of the engine that had lulled Maura to sleep had stopped, alerting her to the fact that they had finally stopped. She slowly blinked her eyes open and looked around only to find that the sun had started to set and dusk had fallen all around them in a hazy shade of gray that made what little sky she could see through the thick, dense forest glow with an almost iridescent, eerie light. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to stretch her arms only to find that they were bound again and she couldn't help but wonder when that had happened. They weren't like then when she fell asleep and when she turned to ask Kelly why, she found that she was alone in the car and a moment of relief washed over her, that is until she realized they were in a remote area, far away from any roads or people for that matter. Sitting up, she looked around in a better effort to gain her barrings but all she could see was a gravel road, lined with trees and not much else. She twisted around to look behind her and found that they were parked in front of a small cabin and it suddenly occurred to her that they had finally arrived at the destination Kelly had been talking about.
The cabin was a fairly traditional two-story, log style structure and as she continued to watch out the back window, she could see a few lights coming on in the windows. It was obvious that Kelly was inside and had bound Maura's hands together so she couldn't escape. Letting out a heavy sigh, she tried to calculate how long they had been driving and in which direction in relation to the sun setting earlier. And based on her observations, she surmised they were somewhere upstate. They had been driving for about two or three hours, at least that is what she thought, and found that she was right when she looked at the clock on the dash that was faintly glowing stating that the time was around eight in the evening. And then her stomach lurched with nausea when she thought about how Kelly had left Li at a roadside diner, but she had to hope that Jane would have made it to their son by now and that he was safe. If that was the case, all that was left was to get herself out of this mess, hopefully in one piece.
"Hey, you're finally awake…" Kelly said as she threw the driver's side door open, startling Maura who hadn't seen her approach. "I thought I might have to carry you in…"
"Yes, I'm awake." Maura bristled as she held up her hands. "And is this necessary?"
"It is… don't want you running off into the woods and getting lost." Kelly offered a wicked grin and wink.
"And where, pray-tell, are we?"
"Ah, I guess I can tell you now that we're here…" Kelly carelessly threw the handgun she had been holding down in the driver's seat. "We are at my dad's, super-secret cabin. It's where he does some of his… more delicate business… so to speak. He and I are the only two people who know about its existence and its exact location."
At Kelly's admission, Maura's heart dropped in disappointment. If that was true, it would take forever for Jane to find her. "So… now what?" She let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned back in her seat, taking note of the way that Kelly threw her gun down. It was obvious that Kelly wasn't experienced or perhaps she was just careless.
"Ha, I see you eyeballing my gun. Well, if you have any ideas about trying to grab it, it won't end well for you. What's that old saying…? Don't carry a gun unless you're prepared to use it… and mark my words… I am prepared."
"I wouldn't think of doing anything stupid like that." Maura huffed indignantly.
"Good girl… I knew you were smart."
There was that term again… 'Good girl'. It made Maura's blood boil and she ground her teeth in an effort to stop the sharp retort at the end of her tongue that would surely get her in trouble but it didn't stop her from rolling her eyes and shaking her head.
"You ready for the grand tour?" Kelly asked as she pulled the trunk lever. "I've got some food in a cooler that I brought so we can have a nice dinner overlooking the lake and maybe… if you don't give me any trouble, we'll have a nice bottle of red wine too."
Closing her eyes and bringing her bound hands up to her forehead, Maura nodded as she rubbed at her temples to stave off the headache that was starting behind her eyes. She did her best to assess her surroundings and decided that if the opportunity should present itself, she would use what she learned from Jane at the police academy. One thing she noticed was that Kelly had left the keys in the ignition as she moved to the back of the car and an idea started to form in the back of Maura's mind. As long as Kelly didn't remove the keys, she might have a chance to getaway in the car. Reaching for the door handle, she casually opened her door and stepped out onto the dirt and gravel driveway they were parked on and peered around the side of the car at Kelly who was removing a large cooler and several suitcases from the trunk.
"Hey, I didn't say you could get out of the car, yet." Kelly frowned at the sight of Maura approaching her.
"Sorry, but I just need to stretch. Especially if you aren't going to undo my hands." Maura held her hands up again.
"I'll untie you once I get everything inside." Kelly tossed over her shoulder as she pulled the cooler away from the car, but not before giving Maura a warning look. "Don't think of trying anything… if you get lost out there…" she nodded towards the densely wooded area surrounding them. "You'll be lost forever…"
"I'm not going to try anything…" Maura said as she leaned against the car and watched Kelly.
For a minute, Kelly looked at Maura as if she didn't believe her but then she nodded and continued up the walkway towards the front door. It didn't escape Maura's attention thought that Kelly had left the gun lying in the front seat but Maura wasn't prepared for that fight just yet, at least not with her hands tied.
When Kelly returned, she offered Maura a smile... the kind that made Maura's skin crawl. She shivered under Kelly's gaze, those blue eyes that held little to no emotion pinned her to where she stood, leaning against the car.
"I'm glad you're complying because no matter what you think, I don't want to hurt you." Kelly sighed as she moved towards the front seat to grab the gun. "But I won't hesitate to use this if you force me to."
"Understood..." Maura said as she watched Kelly tuck the gun into her back pocket. "But you shouldn't put that in your pocket."
"Don't tell me what to do." Kelly shot Maura an angry look as she closed the car door and moved around to where Maura was standing.
Glancing over her shoulder, Maura saw that the keys were still in the ignition and a surge of adrenaline shot through her as she had the sudden urge to do something to end this. And then it happened, that moment she was waiting for… that opening for a way out presented itself right in front of her, and without thinking she decided it was now or never. She watched as Kelly pulled the gun from her back pocket and set it on the bumper of the car so she could retrieve the last suitcase and that's when Maura made her move.
Maura deliberately pushed away from the car hard enough to force the gun to fall from the bumper where it rested causing Kelly to stop and look down, giving her enough time to drop to the ground as if she had fallen. It was enough of a distraction to pull Kelly away from the gun that now lay at their feet and then turn her attention to Maura.
"Hey, you okay? Did you trip?" Kelly moved to stand over Maura, her hands on her hips as she looked down at her.
"Um… yeah… sorry… with my hands tied, it makes it difficult to get up." Maura feigned helplessness as she laid on her bound hands, gathering as much dirt and sand as she could.
"Here, you should be more careful..." Kelly said as she bent to help Maura up.
Using her weight for leverage, Maura allowed Kelly to help her until she was on her knees and then Kelly was crouched down close enough for her to throw the dirt and sand in her face and that's what she did. It all happened so fast that Kelly didn't have time to react except to drop down on her knees next to Maura, clawing at her eyes that were now filled with dirt and grit, temporarily blinding her.
"Shit… mother-fucker…" Kelly shouted as her arms flailed about trying to make contact with Maura, who had managed to scoot away from her reach.
Maura kept her eyes on the gun as she tried to move further from Kelly's reach and closer to the car and just when she thought she was far enough, she stood up only to be pulled back down again with a heavy thud, hard against the ground, hard enough to knock the wind out of her.
"I can't believe you'd do that…" Kelly howled as she blindly searched for the gun, tears streaming down her face from her watering eyes. "I'm gonna fucking kill you…" she hissed when her hand made contact with the cold, hard metal handle of the 38 caliber gun.
Trying to suck in a breath caused Maura's chest to ache and it wasn't just because she'd had the wind knocked from her. Fear gripped her like the hand of death as she realized she had grossly miscalculated her attempt at freedom. All she could do was brace herself for the hit that was surely coming. What she didn't expect was for Kelly to jump up and kick her in the stomach several times, raging against her with such a ferocity that she knew would result in broken ribs if not worse.
"I would have given you the world if you had just let me..." Kelly shouted as her foot made contact with Maura's side, not once, twice, but three times. Her anger was so out of control that spittle was dripping from her lips and her face turned a bright red as she waved the gun around before pointing it a Maura.
Maura's eyes widened as she stared down the barrel of the gun now pointed at her and the world around her switched to slow motion as she watched Kelly's finger wrap around the trigger and pull. Bracing for the searing pain she expected from a bullet entering her body, she closed her eyes and waited. The click was loud and seemed to echo around them but no pain came and neither did the bang, so Maura cautiously opened her eyes to witness Kelly shaking the gun before pointing it down so she could chamber a bullet but what happened next took her by surprise as a loud bang rang out causing her ears to ring. Expecting to feel the bullet hit, she winced only to find that again, nothing happened and she hadn't been shot. The same thing couldn't be said for Kelly. She watched in horror as Kelly's body collapsed to the ground while a bloom of red spread out over the front of her thigh.
"Maura?" Kelly's voice wavered under the weight of what she had done to herself.
For a brief moment, Maura lay frozen as she watched the lifeblood drain from Kelly until her medical training took over. As quickly as she could, she crawled over to where Kelly now lay, trying to catch her breath. She didn't need to perform a medical assessment to determine that Kelly's femoral artery had been severed and she was in the process of bleeding out. When she tried to take her shirt off to make a tourniquet, she realized she couldn't because her hands were still tied so she quickly pulled Kelly's jeans off so she could try and slow the flow of blood. It didn't help though, it was already too late. Maura knew it was over the minute she looked at Kelly's face which was now the color of ash. Her eyes were rolling back in her head as she gasped for breath. But Maura couldn't just watch her bleed to death. She had to try something, anything to help so she placed her hands over the hole where the bullet had entered.
"Breath with me, Kelly… in and out… in and out…" Maura tried to ease the fear on Kelly's face.
"Am I going to die?" Kelly gasped as she tried to follow Maura's instructions.
"I'm sorry, but there isn't anything I can do to help you. We're too far away from help and well…" Maura held up her hands. "You've tied my hands…"
"I'm sorry, Maura… all I wanted was for you to love me back." Kelly coughed those last words.
"You can't force someone to fall in love with you, Kelly…" Maura sighed as she tried to hold pressure against the bullet wound, but to no avail. It continued to pump the blood from Kelly's body with each beat of her heart and Maura knew it wouldn't be long now. "I didn't have to end like this, you know…"
"Yes, it did. I wouldn't have given up…" Kelly's voice was weak as she struggled to breathe. "I'm cold…" she said as she started to shake.
Pushing herself up to her knees, Maura looked through the trunk to see if she could find anything to cover Kelly up with. She grabbed a sweatshirt and then draped it over the dying woman before dropping back down so she could offer what little comfort she could. "Here, this should help." She sighed as she watched Kelly's eyes roll back in her head again.
As Maura watched the last seconds of Kelly's life drain from her body, she couldn't help but feel sorry for how things had turned out but at the same time, she was relieved it was finally over and she had come out alive on the other end. She gasped in surprise when Kelly grabbed the front of her shirt, pulling her from her thoughts and then down so her last words would be heard.
"I'm sorry…" was the last thing Kelly said before her last breath escaped from her lips and then her body went limp, leaving Maura afraid and alone in an unknown location surrounded by a dense forest and heavy darkness that was descending on her without mercy… or perhaps she was just fainting. Of course, it was the latter of the two as the ground came up to meet her and everything disappeared as she closed her eyes and fell into the black hole of nothingness she knew was waiting for her.
YYY
It was dark and hard to see as Liam and Jane eased down the one-lane, gravel driveway that seemed to go on forever. Jane sat up and pressed herself against the windshield looking out for anything that would indicate they were heading in the right direction. That perhaps there might be a house at the end of the driveway as they hoped there would be. But it hadn't materialized just yet.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" She glanced at Liam who had a look of concentration on his face as he stared straight ahead. Her natural skeptic had taken over when Liam had told her it was Paddy who had given him the information earlier.
"Yeah, it's just way back here where no one would think to look." He tried to reason with a heavy sigh.
"You'd better be right…" Jane's voice trailed off because she didn't know how to finish that sentence.
"Please, have some faith." Liam's voice held an edge Jane didn't recognize and neither did he. Maybe he was having doubts, but he couldn't show them.
As they rounded a corner, the headlights panned across the area in front of them before illuminating a car and what appeared to be a white sheet spread out in front of it. Jane squinted, hoping it would help her see better but she wasn't sure if it was working because she thought she saw the white sheet covered in an irregular red pattern. And then it hit her like a punch to the gut. It wasn't just a sheet laying out on the ground with red on it… it was a sheet covering something… or someone and the red… well… Jane couldn't bring herself to accept what she thought it might be.
"Stop!" She shouted as she unbuckled her seat belt. Throwing the door open, she didn't even wait for Liam to stop before she jumped out and started to run towards the spot where she hoped and prayed Maura was not.
"Shit…" Liam threw the car in park and followed Jane, his eyes wide with the same fear that was coursing through Jane like an electrical current threatening to knock her to her feet.
"Please, please… don't be Maura… it can't be Maura…" Jane started to chant as she dropped down to her knees, grabbing her stomach as hot bile rose to her throat.
Reaching down, Liam placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a hard look that indicated he felt the same way she did. But he couldn't show any weakness, not yet, because if this was Maura, he would have to hold it together… for both of them.
"We need…" he waved his hand over the sheet that was covered in blood. The knot that had formed in his throat sat there, unmovable not matter how hard he tried to swallow. "Jane… we need to look…"
"Oh God, Liam… I don't think I can…" Jane sobbed as tears started streaming down her face. "I can't do it…" she shook her head back and forth as she fell forward and braced herself with her hands so she didn't fall completely over. The tears that filled her eyes made the scene before her slightly blurry but as her gaze swept over the figure under the sheet, she caught a glimpse of blonde hair, much lighter than Maura's, and with shaky hands, she reached out to see if she was right.
Slowly peeling the sheet back to reveal who was beneath it, Jane closed her eyes when Kelly's face came into view. A surge of relief washed over Jane, almost knocking her over but then the fear and uncertainty came back twofold. If this had happened to Kelly, what had happened to Maura? Was she hurt? Was she dead as well? Was she still there? All of these questions exploded in Jane's mind as she pushed herself up from the ground and wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands.
"It's not her…" Liam leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees so he could catch his breath. He tried to be strong for Jane's sake but finding out that it wasn't Maura was both a relief and anxiety-inducing. Now they needed to find Maura… hopefully alive.
"No, it's not her..." Jane said with a heavy sigh as she took a few deep breaths to bring her breathing back to normal. It wasn't easy, but she needed to regroup and figure out what their next move was. "Where do you think she is? Do you think she's okay?"
Looking around, Liam's eyes fell on the dark cabin with only one small light on inside to indicate the presence of someone, hopefully, Maura. "Let's go check in there…" he said, pointing to the cabin.
Jane turned around to see the cabin for the first time. She hadn't noticed it until Liam pointed it out. Without saying anything, she took several, long strides across the yard until she was standing on the porch. She paused to wait for Liam because, in her haste, she hadn't even waited to see if he was following her. To her surprise, he was standing right next to her, waiting for her to open the door.
"Let's get our girl back." He said as he reached towards the doorknob before twisting and pushing it open.
Jane followed Liam as he stepped through the door into a dimly lit living room. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light, even though it wasn't very bright. Looking around the room, her eyes fell on a lone figure curled up on the couch and she knew immediately that it was Maura. She glanced at Liam who nodded at her in understanding before she quietly moved across the room so she could kneel next to the couch. Her breath caught in her chest at the sight of Maura covered in dried blood and her first instinct was to quickly examine her to make sure she wasn't hurt but she also knew that it would startle Maura and if she was injured she might hurt herself further.
Reaching out, Jane gently ran her finger down Maura's dirt and blood-stained cheek and was rewarded when Maura's eyes fluttered open. "Maur…?" Her voice was soft and quiet as she spoke.
"Jane?" Maura's eyes opened all the way to reveal cloudy hazel-green eyes that instantly began to fill with tears. "Jane! You found me…" she launched herself into Jane's arms even though she was slightly impeded by the handcuffs she was still wearing.
"Of course I did…" Jane whispered against the side of Maura's head as she hugged her. "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? There's so much blood Maur…" her voice trailed off.
Pulling back so she could look at Jane, Maura shook her head. "No, most of it isn't mine." It was all she could say before a wave of emotion washed over both her and Jane as tears began to fall from each of their eyes. "It was an accident…" Maura sobbed into Jane's shoulder. "She did it to herself."
"Did she kill herself?" Liam asked, surprised at the possible turn of events. His eyes fell on the cuffs restraining Maura's hands. The first thing he needed to do was get them off because he could see that Maura's wrists were raw and bloody from her unsuccessful attempts to remove them.
"No, she accidentally shot herself… hit the femoral artery. There wasn't anything I could do to save her."
Jane let go of Maura so they could look at each other. "She didn't deserve the effort…" she said under her breath. "Oh, Maura… your hands…" her voice got caught in her throat when she noticed Maura's hands were bound. Carefully, she held them up so she could examine them and the now raw and red skin along Maura's wrists. "We have to get these off." She turned her attention to Liam who was already formulating a plan.
"I'm on it…" he said as she headed out the front door towards his car and his 'bag of tricks' as Jane had called it.
"Jane, is Li okay?" Maura asked, her voice slightly wobbly from the emotion she couldn't contain.
"Yeah, he's good. Ma and Frankie picked him up and took him home." Jane stood up and then reached out a hand to help Maura stand as well. "What say we talk things over on the drive back. I just want to get these off and get you home…" She glanced over at the open front door to see that Liam was already on the phone with the local police, giving them the information. He gave her a nod of understanding as he held up a bold cutter on his way back towards the house. It only took a second for him to cut the cuffs off, finally freeing Maura's hands.
"I'll stay and wait for Frankie… I can ride back with him." He paused before continuing with the slightest bit of hesitation. "You'll have to give a statement, Maura but that can wait until you get home, I think." Holding up the keys to the car, he then tossed them to Jane.
"Thanks…" Jane caught the keys and shoved them in her pocket before wrapping an arm around Maura to lead her to the car. "I'll have Maura record her statement on my cell phone and then I'll send it to you. But first, I think we need to clean these cuts and put some disinfectant on them."
"No worries, I've got your back. There's a firstaid kit in my car you can use." He said before turning his attention back to his phone. "Just get our girl home… safe and sound." His grin was slightly crooked as he tried to reassure Jane that everything was going to be alright even though he wasn't exactly sure it would be, at least not yet.
Maura allowed Jane to lead her away from the cabin towards the car and she did her best not to look at the white sheet, the one she had pulled from the king sized bed upstairs to cover Kelly with but she couldn't help it and then the tears began to fall again in earnest.
"I tried, Jane… I really tried to save her, but I couldn't." Maura's breath came fast and heavy as a sob bubbled up from her chest.
"It's okay, my love…" Jane pulled Maura closer and kissed the top of her head. "You can't save them all." As they maneuvered around the car, Jane opened the door and tried to help Maura get in only to notice the wince of pain that crossed her face when she did. "You're hurt. What did she do to you?"
Maura took a deep breath and then coughed as pain shot along her side where Kelly had kicked her. She could feel the skin tighten around her eye and cheek where she was sure a bruise was starting to form from her fall but none of that mattered to her at the moment. All that mattered was that Jane had found her and they were going to be alright.
"Maura, please… tell me where are you hurt?"
Jane's voice startled Maura from her reverie as she blinked a few times in confusion. "Um… I think I may have a few broken ribs… and…" she reached up to gingerly touch the side of her face and winced again. "Probably a black eye as well."
Pushing Maura's matted hair away from her face, Jane noticed the beginnings of a black eye for the first time. A surge of anger shot through her but she pushed it down because the person who had hurt Maura was lying dead on the ground at the moment and was no longer a threat to either one of them.
"I think I should take you to the hospital to get checked out, after I clean up a few of these cuts and scrapes…" Jane said and her tone was firm this time.
Maura was quiet for a moment as she contemplated whether it was worth it to argue with Jane or not but when she took a deep breath and pain shot through her body. It was a hot, piercing pain she'd never experienced before and she knew Jane was right.
"Okay…" Maura sighed.
"Really?" Jane seemed surprised that Maura wasn't fighting her on this.
"Yes, really…" Maura tried to smile but the cut above her lip, the one she hadn't realized was there until that moment, split and started to bleed again.
"I think we're a few hours away from any sort of hospital… should I get you back to Boston?"
"I think that would be okay. I might need a stitch or two and maybe some pain killers…" Maura's said as she settled back in the passenger's seat and allowed Jane to buckle her in. She also knew she needed to make sure her ribs were okay. It wouldn't be good to have a rib floating around, possibly puncturing something vital.
Jane ran around to the trunk to get the firstaid kit and then climbed in next to Maura. She looked over and saw that Maura's eyes were closed. She couldn't imagine how tired Maura must be or how scared. All she wanted to do was take her home, clean her up, and climb into bed together so she could hold her and never let go again. With a heavy sigh, she reached over to run the back of her finger over Maura's cheek again, causing Maura to grab her hand and bring it to her lips to kiss the back of it.
"You are my hero, Jane..." Maura whispered against Jane's knuckles.
"No, Maur… you're the hero..." Jane said as she leaned over the middle console and placed a gentle kiss on Maura's lips before getting to work on cleaning her cuts and scrapes. "You are and always will be my hero. Now, let's get you home."
"Home…" Maura's said on a sigh as she closed her eyes again and drifted off to sleep.
Jane sat a moment longer, watching Maura until her breathing slowed down and her body seemed to relax. She didn't say it out loud but Maura was the hero in this scenario. She had kept a level head and done what was needed to protect their son even if that meant putting herself in danger. She had even tried to save the person who wished her dead and felt guilty for not being able to… so in Jane's… Maura was the hero. When she was satisfied that Maura was comfortably asleep and cleaned up, she put the car in drive and started to drive away from the nightmare that almost ended it all for them. But thankfully, they had fought their way back and nothing would ever come between them again.