Chapter Twenty Eight

Jane met Alec's searching gaze head on. She was the one asking the questions. He was meant to be answering them. "I asked you first."

Alec made the first move to break their stubborn staredown by leaning back in his chair and rubbing the back of his head, tilting it just enough to break eye contact. When he refocused on Jane he said, "My understanding is the attack resembled that of Charles Hoyt, Jane. Should I be asking you the same question?"

Jane's jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed. She felt her agitation spike. Just thinking about the similarities to Hoyt impacted her deeply. It didn't matter that she knew better, it mattered that someone out there, maybe even the man sitting in front of her right now, had used something so personal from her life to kill an innocent woman and torment Melissa.

"Relax Jane, I didn't do it and I know you didn't either. I'm just frustrated that I'm stuck here answering your questions, when we should be out there figuring out who is responsible for what happened tonight."

"You'll have to forgive me if I don't just trust your word." Jane snapped back, still agitated by the thought of Hoyt. That evil bastard was able to crawl under her skin without notice and it was not the time for it, but it was happening nonetheless.

Alec's face softened, Jane couldn't tell what he was thinking but she didn't care much. All she wanted was for him to give her an airtight alibi so that they could move on to the here and now and set about figuring it all out. Alexis, Dyson and Melissa's situation too. "Jane, just hop on the intranet and scroll through our monthly newsletters, there was a whole thing about the leadership conference I attended. I was in Hobart for an entire week when it happened."

Jane pulled out her phone and logged on to the Tasmanian Police intranet portal and clicked on the April newsletter. There was an entire article on the leadership conference, including the dates which overlapped the timing of the Chicago attack. Jane couldn't help her chuckle as relief flooded her body. "Three legged race, while carrying an egg on a spoon between your teeth, real leadership material there, Morris."

Alec shook his head, clearly embarrassed. "Would you believe that was the highlight of the entire week? And we fell on our faces. The egg wasn't hard boiled, Jane. It was not hard boiled."

Jane let out a deep breath and composed herself, it was actually a much needed moment of humour picturing Alec with egg smeared all over his face. However, just because he had an alibi for Chicago, she still needed to be sure about 2005, which was going to be a little harder for him to prove. Not that she really thought at this point it would be him, because she was dead certain it was linked. It had to be. Melissa was too kind of a soul to become the target of multiple homicidal maniacs, right? Surely. Just as she felt more relaxed with it all, Alec also looked relaxed, which made it the perfect moment to ambush him with the reality of 2005 in the hopes of gauging his genuine reaction. "Now that we've cleared that up, we just need to look at the day Rachael died."

Alec sat forward and looked at her quizzically. "What are you talking about?"

"It wasn't an accident."

"No," he said immediately, utter disbelief plastered across his features, his shoulders sunk and he shook his head repeatedly. "No." He reiterated. "I don't believe you."

Jane watched as he stood up and threw his chair against the wall with a powerful heave. He started pacing, rubbing at his neck, shaking his head and muttering to himself. She felt for him. There was zero doubt in her mind she had absolutely sucker punched him and she felt bad for it. He turned and looked at her, "Explain."

"The SUV that hit Rachael, circled the block eight times in twenty minutes. There was ample parking, so it wasn't someone looking for a spot. There is no other logical explanation."

Alec retrieved his chair and brought it back to the table. He sat back down and started tapping his index finger against the table rapidly, while keeping his eyes entirely on Jane. He nodded slowly, clearly mulling over what she had said. Finally he said, "At least it makes actual sense why you thought it was me now. Someone tried to kill Missy in 2005 and I gave you a great motive." His fist slammed into the table. "I didn't see it. I didn't fuckin' see it."

It was obvious to Jane that Alec was disappointed and angry with himself for not seeing what happened and that meant he would be highly motivated to solve it. "I think it's all linked, including tonight. The killer from Chicago is here. He's a blue eyed Australian guy. That's all she remembers."

"Okay, more reasons." He acknowledged.

"There's three missing people from your academy class. Liam O'Connell, Douglas Walton and Justin Graham. Then there's the sexual assault. Dyson was teaching at the academy that year. I don't believe in coincidence."

"Ahh, yeah, okay. So I guess I'm really lucky I went to that stupid leadership conference." He just kept shaking his head, clearly struggling with the reality of the situation. "You think it all stems back to when we were at the academy?"

"I think it's incredibly suspicious that three members of the class went missing between 2002 and 2007. Liam going missing has revenge killing written all over it." Jane wasn't wasting time. There was no point beating around the bush on this subject. It risked making him defensive, because really only three people had good reason to make Liam disappear and in her gut she just knew his disappearance is what started the ball rolling. Or it was wishful thinking, because without something, anything, they were looking for a needle in a haystack and waiting for a very well organised killer to leave some evidence behind and then hope he's already in the system. She honestly didn't know if it was instinct or wishful thinking. Her head was clouded by her heart. She was desperate to figure it out.

Jane was so caught up in her own thoughts that she almost missed the way he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had the same look on his face he'd had when he had begged her not to let Gabby find out she was questioning him. Oh God, no. Jane shook her head, trying to push the thought from her mind. Was this the rabbit hole he said she'd regret?

"Liam was a real piece of work," Alec's voice was steady, but his eyes looked like they were far, far away. "He did some things I really don't want to mention. I'm assuming you've read the report?"

Jane nodded, not wanting to interrupt his train of thought.

"He then had his mates, Justin and Doug lie for him. The investigation was dead in the water at that stage. Rachael wasn't going to get justice. It was beyond fucked up. The fucker taunted the girls every chance he got. Rache took it better than Gabs did. Gabs got written up a few times for fighting with Doug and Justin. Somehow that slimy fucker Liam weasled his way out of any conflict. Until he went on emergency leave anyway."

Alec paused suddenly, apparently realising what he was about to say. He glanced over at the two way mirror and back to Jane. "I've got some stuff you need to know. But not here."

Jane had a really bad feeling about this. She just knew she wasn't going to like it at all and had no doubt it fell under their agreement to keep things off the record. Was Alec about to unburden his soul? Was she willing to carry that burden to keep their agreement? Jane let out a heavy sigh as she opened the door to the interview room, she checked the hall both ways to make sure it was empty then waved him out. "Call Maura, find out if they're doing the autopsy tonight. I just need to check on something, we can talk on the way to the morgue."

Alec nodded before disappearing in the direction of the Criminal Investigation Bureau offices. Jane went in the other direction, surely Jacob had picked up Melissa by now. Surely she was sitting in the break room. Jane needed to see her. She needed to feel her. She needed to be grounded in what mattered, because she worried that Alec was going to tell her something that would severely test how far she was willing to go for answers. She needed to remind herself why it was worth it, because she knew she needed to know everything. It was the only way they were going to catch a killer, but at what cost?

The break room was empty. There was no Melissa. No Senior Constable Jacob Hillenbrandt. No Constable Harding. It made no sense. Jane had her phone out almost as quickly as it took her to realise that she wasn't looking at her girlfriend. "Jacob, what's the hold up?"

"She's not here, Rizzoli."

Jane's blood ran cold. An immediate sense of dread snaked its way down her spine. She closed her eyes and prayed a silent prayer that she was just assuming the worst. That there was a logical explanation. That this wasn't the work of a manipulative evil mastermind. "What do you mean she's not there?"

"I don't know what to tell you. Place is locked up, no lights are on and there's no answer when we knock on the door."

"Her car in the driveway?"

"Yeah."

"What about Charlie, is he there?"

"I assume you mean the dog who started barking when we knocked?"

So she wasn't walking the dog. Fuck. There was no reason for Melissa to leave the house right now, especially without her vehicle. None. At least none that Jane knew of. The dread that had crept along her spine earlier was now finding its way along every nerve ending. Jane closed her eyes in an attempt to centre her emotions. It wasn't working. What if something had happened and Melissa was lying unconscious in the house? She couldn't exactly ask them to go inside with Charlie, he might rip one of their arms off. She had to race over there. There was no other option. "I'm on my way."

No sooner than she hung up with Jacob, Jane was calling Melissa, hoping beyond hope it was a simple misunderstanding. She paced the hall, each ringtone that went by increasing her anxiety tenfold. Melissa wasn't answering. Just as Jane gave up on trying to reach Melissa, Alec came to a screeching halt beside her with urgency in his eyes. He didn't even wait to catch his breath, between taking in big gulps of air he said, "Gabby's gone missing. She just walked off the scene and apparently nobody stopped her!"

Jane rapidly processed the new information. Perhaps Gabby had contacted Melissa, which given the circumstances, she might. Perhaps Melissa just left in a hurry out of concern, which was reasonable. Perhaps she was panicking for no reason at all. She was still panicking. She would until she knew Melissa was safe, and even then it might continue until she had the chance to hold her close and feel her in her arms and smell the familiar apple scented shampoo. It was not the night for disappearing voluntarily without warning. "I sent a car for Missy, she's not there."

"Does she know about what happened to Alex?" He asked, a very concerned look on his face.

"I don't know. She knew that's where we were headed. Whether she's seen the news and put two and two together, I don't know. She hasn't contacted me and she wasn't picking up when I called her." Jane answered, already moving in the direction of the car park.

Alec easily kept pace with her and said, "This isn't good, Jane."

"No shit," she hissed, unable to contain her sarcasm.

"No, I'm serious. Between Missy's emotional instability and Gabby's this could be fucking bad."

"I know, damnit." Jane turned down the hall and busted through the doors into the car park structure.

From her periphery she could see Alec shaking his head with a look on his face like she wasn't getting it. What wasn't there to get? Even if this had absolutely nothing to do with the psychopath who just murdered Alexis and was making all their lives miserable, there was still a whole other bunch of crap to worry about. Melissa's guilt eating her alive was right at the top of her list. She was more than aware that this was a very bad moment in time. The rapid thrum in her chest only served to put the exclamation point on it all.

Alec grabbed her by the arm when they reached her car and she swung on him, "I don't have time for this. Just get in."

"You don't understand," he tried to explain, while she started shoving him around to the passenger side door, opening it and pushing his head down and helping him in as if he were a perp. "Damnit Rizzoli, would you please just listen to me?"

"What Alec?" Jane sat down in the driver's seat and snapped her head in his direction. Her tone had a matching bite to the stare down she gave him.

"Gabby's going one of two ways, self blame or she's going to blame Missy. If she blames Missy…" He shook his head and closed his eyes, which only made Jane impatient.

She turned the key in the ignition and put the vehicle into reverse. "If she blames her, what? She's already walked out of her life, Alec. What else could she do?"

"Lose herself completely and if she does, Missy won't be safe."

Jane cast a quick glance at him once she had the vehicle moving forward toward the exit. Did she just hear him correctly? Did he not just tell her earlier that Maura would never be in danger around Gabby? So why would Melissa, of all people, be in danger? He looked absolutely shaken, like he was hiding something significant. What the Hell wasn't he telling her?


After both Gabby and Jane flew out of the house like a bat out of Hell, Melissa shared a worried look with Charlie who had bounded about excitedly, only to be clearly disappointed when the front door was slammed in his face. "Mum has some things to take care of Charlie."

The German Shepherd didn't seem at all impressed with her explanation and in a moment of weakness she grabbed a piece of the battered chicken from the Chinese food order and tossed it towards him. He snapped it out of the air so fast she couldn't help but admire his reflexes. With a heavy sigh, she set about packing up dinner and putting it away in the fridge so that Jane would be able to come home and heat it up if she wanted to. After she was done there she felt restless. Her brain was trying to make her focus on intrusive, negative thoughts. The blood had drained remarkably fast from Gabby's face when she took that call. She couldn't help but worry for Alexis' safety with everything going on.

It had been surprisingly easy earlier in the day to leave the house and go for a run like nothing was happening. Just parading around out in the open with a giant target on her forehead. How had she let the word of an absolute madman lure her into a false sense of security like that? Regardless, that sense of security was ripped away from her the moment Jane broke to her the truth of the accident that killed Rachael. Someone really didn't like her. It sent a shudder down her spine and a wave of sadness washed over her body. Rachael. Now that she had a moment alone it was starting to sink in. The first wave of recognition hit hard, but this wave of absolute understanding was almost all encompassing.

Melissa felt the strength leave her body and she sat down heavily onto the nearest chair by the dining table. Both of her elbows pressed against the table as she buried her face in her hands and just let the hurt sink in. Her attempts to escape the pain of her past had led her down a very dark, windy and heartbreaking path. She had Jane now. She had a chance at happiness, she couldn't let the guilt and sadness bury her so deep that she couldn't find her way out. She had to ride it out. So she took a deep breath and allowed the tears to come. Her entire chest heaved under the intensity of the sobs wracking her body, and her mind kept showing her flashes of things that could make the pain go away for a while. She pushed away the thoughts of whiskey. She pushed away the thoughts of finding a stranger to help her forget. She focused on Jane. She focused on the strength and support she felt radiate from her girlfriend every moment they were together. She focused on the small moments like the way she felt like she was home when Jane held her. Like the way Jane looked at her like she was the only one. Moments where Jane allowed her to be the protector. Moments where she was the one warding off attacks on a vulnerable heart. It fortified her just knowing that in Jane she had a real hope for the future. She had a partnership. She had happiness. She had comfort. She had safety.

The more time ticked by, the more Melissa calmed down. It was difficult, but she felt like the healing really was ready to begin. However she was acutely aware that Jane hadn't called or texted and the two cops had been gone a while. With her strength returned she walked into the living room, sat down on the couch and picked the remote up from the coffee table. She flicked the television on and started surfing through the channels. There wasn't anything of interest on but it provided a great distraction. Until it didn't. A breaking news bulletin interrupted the program she had settled on.

"We're interrupting your scheduled programming for breaking news. Following a brutal murder in Prospect tonight, Tasmanian Police Commander Willem HIllenbrandt speaks."

The controller fell from Melissa's hand as images of the police and coroner van at the scene rolled across the screen. It was footage captured earlier by the looks, and her eyes almost boggled out of her head when she saw Alec escorting Maura towards the house. The sinking feeling in her gut hit rock bottom. There was no logical reason for Maura to be at that scene, unless Gabby was involved.

"Yes I will confirm that detectives from Launceston's CIB are investigating a suspicious death that occurred here tonight. We would like to urge the community at large to call the Crimestoppers tipline if you believe you have any information on what happened here. We're also urging all residents of the southern suburbs to remain vigilant, but not to panic. We believe this to be an isolated incident."

"Isolated incident. Sure. You fucking moron." Melissa spat at the screen, her eyes glued as the newsreader returned and went over the timeline and details as they were known.

She fixated on the screen, even after programming returned to what was scheduled. She didn't see the footage. She didn't hear the knocks on the door. She didn't hear Charlie barking. She didn't even hear the phone in her pocket ring. All she felt, saw, tasted and smelt from that moment forward was every little thing that happened in Chicago. From the sweet caress of tantalising skin, to the sudden lurching forward after being hit in the back of the head from behind. The glint of the scalpel. The screams that rang in her ears and the desperate look in Talia's eyes before the light expired in them. The scent of copper that permeated the air. His vicious jibes and the explosion of sound when gunfire rang out. The unexpected calmness when her hand felt wet and sticky while stemming the tide of blood pouring from her neck. The moment of peace she felt right before her consciousness faded.

"Missy?"

Jane's voice was soft and Melissa felt her breath on her neck as the cushion beside her dipped and strong arms wrapped tightly around her. Melissa blinked and turned fully into the embrace, wrapping her own arms around her girlfriend. She didn't say a word, just buried her face in the crook of Jane's neck.

Jane's hands rubbed up and down her back and Jane pressed her lips firmly against the side of her head. Melissa sensed she was anxious. The American's words only confirmed what she already knew, "Why didn't you answer the door? Or the phone? Jesus Christ, Missy. I was really worried."

Melissa understood Jane's worry. She would have been worried in the same situation. It hadn't been intentional at all. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I saw the news and I… I was back there, reliving it all."

Jane drew back and looked to be assessing her. Melissa offered a weak smile in an attempt to signify she was okay. Jane's thumbs gently wiped the tears from her face with a tenderness that reinforced everything Melissa had been using to combat the desperate pleas from her brain to find a coping method for her pain. She leaned in and brushed her lips against Jane's gently, seeking and giving the comfort they both needed in that moment. "I'm so sorry," she reiterated softly.

Jane pulled her back into her arms and said, "it's okay. You're okay. Right?"

Melissa nodded against her chest. "It was Alex, wasn't it? The person on the news?"

"Yeah."

"Was it him?"

"We don't know yet." Jane sounded guarded.

"What does your gut say, Jane?"

Jane sighed and pressed her lips against the top of Melissa's head. "It was him."

Melissa's arms clutched more tightly around her girlfriend. Fear's tendrils extended around her heart and constricted it. She already ached so much for Gabby's loss. That it was because of the psychopath that was intent on tormenting her only added to the intensity of the brewing storm of emotion within her body. "How is she?"

Jane didn't answer at first, her hesitation was obvious. Melissa didn't need an answer though, she already knew it. Her entire body was awash with so much grief and she knew it wasn't all hers. It was Gabby's. Her ex-girlfriend was in a world of pain, she had no doubt.

"Rizzoli, we have to go. We have to find Wilson."

Melissa felt Jane's body tense, before she released and turned to glare at Alec. "Really, Morris?"

Alec immediately shifted his gaze towards Melissa and said, "I'm sorry to intrude. I'm glad you're okay. Jane was worried. But Gabby's gone missing and we really need to find her."

"Would you give us one damn minute, Morris?"

"What do you mean Gabby went missing?" Melissa asked, very concerned.

"She just left the scene, we've already got officers keeping an eye out for her." Jane explained, "I just need a minute to make sure you're okay. That you're going to be okay."

Melissa could see a genuine fear in Jane's eyes and her shoulder's sank. Was it always going to be this way? Would the people she loved constantly be waiting for her mental stability to slip? "Sweetheart," Melissa said softly, one hand gripping Jane's shoulder and the other gently stroking her cheek. "I'm okay. I will be okay. I just need to decompress. I need to take a walk. And you…"

"Oh Hell no!" Jane interrupted firmly, clutching at the hand stroking her face, pulling it down between their bodies and entwining their fingers. "Missy, no. It is not safe out there right now. We don't know what his intentions are."

"Jane, please. Don't lock me up in the house alone with my thoughts. Let me get some fresh air."

Jane stared at her for several seconds before her head snapped sideways and she called out, "Jacob, get your butt in here."

Melissa's eyes widened a little, but she relaxed and looked over at the hall entrance where Jacob appeared. He was blonde and blue eyed, but his eyes were kind and he offered her a tentative smile before meeting Jane's iron stare. "Yes, Jane?"

"Can you keep an eye on Missy while she walks?"

"Is this really necessary?" Melissa asked.

"If you want me to have peace of mind so that I can focus on this case, then yeah, it really is." Jane was quite adamant and at the end of the day, it wasn't the worst idea.

"Okay, only because I know you'll be beside yourself with worry."

"Yeah, I would be." Jane clearly wasn't ashamed to admit it and Melissa liked that about her girlfriend. She liked that she said what she meant and she didn't care who heard it and what they thought of her because of it.

"Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you will do whatever it takes to catch this bastard?" Their eyes locked for a moment and Melissa hoped Jane could understand she meant it. "Even if it means you have to ask Maura for help."

Jane nodded slowly. "Promise."

They both stood and Melissa walked with the police officers out the front of the house and onto the street. Jacob wandered over to a female officer leaning against the marked car and Alec headed for Jane's car. Melissa and Jane stood face to face. Melissa's hands went to Jane's hips and Jane's arms wrapped around her neck as they just spent a moment, eyes locked, sharing a silent conversation. Stay Safe. Be careful. Come home to me. They shared a brief, soft kiss before going their separate ways.

Once she was alone with Jacob, Melissa said, "You don't have to hang back. I know you're here, we may as well walk together."

"I don't want to intrude. I totally understand if you just want to be alone for a while."

"I just want to walk. I don't mind whether you're right here or not." Melissa said as she started them on a path down Howick Street. Jacob accepted her invitation and started walking beside her.

They didn't talk, they just walked. Melissa had too much going on to be entirely sociable, in some ways it was just enough having a trained police officer walking with her. Jane wasn't at all wrong to be worried about her being out alone given everything going on, but nothing was going to stop her from what she needed to do. From going where she needed to go. As they turned down Wellington Street and headed towards the main hub of the city, her thoughts drifted back to a time more than a decade before.

It had been a shitty day. Somehow the Saints team had blown a seven run lead with only two innings to play, which only irritated Melissa. She understood that anything could happen on any given Saturday, but the level of unprecedented errors she had seen from her teammates was horrifying. It was flat out disappointing, and of course she was nothing if not obvious with her displeasure, huffing about on the sidelines while her team was batting. They couldn't even hit a ball in the last two innings of this particular Saturday either. She'd received a stern talking to by the coach about finding the correct time, place and tone to express concerns about things that happen in game. In other words, 'don't be a twat'.

It had stung. To make matters worse Rachael was shitty with her, which to be fair, she hadn't exactly acted like a ray of sunshine around her either. Topping it all off, was Gabby being too busy hanging out with Alex, her friend from school, to actually have a conversation with her. Melissa didn't know why, but it made her so ridiculously angry that she stormed away after the day's games were done. She ignored Monica when she told her the parental units were waiting to take everyone home. She dumped her kit bag in the boot of the car and declared she was walking home and that was that.

She was fifteen, she was more than old enough to take care of herself, so at least her wish was granted. She walked the streets of Launceston still dressed in her red jersey and white shorts, she rolled her socks down and just tried to enjoy the sunshine and the breeze. She zoned out the traffic noise and eventually found a bench in the middle of Brickfields, a centrally located park that was bordered by four roads, only one of them was busy. The bench was closer to the quieter end of the park, but traffic noise could still be heard. Massive oak trees rose out of the grounds, interspersed throughout and during the winter months the grass would be littered with acorns.

Melissa liked her spot, it allowed her to watch people going about their lives and stare up at the trees when she so pleased. It was also far enough from home that when she was feeling overwhelmed she could simply go for a run and end up here with little to no fear of anyone finding her, because there were other parks much closer to home. Nobody had ever thought to look for her here. This was where she went when she wanted to be alone and sit in relative silence.

So naturally, on this shitty day, her spot was discovered and it didn't sit well with her at all. "Go away, Gabby."

Gabby ignored her and sat down on the bench next to her. "You've been gone a long time, Kid. The Taylors are worried."

Melissa frowned, she didn't realise she had been sitting for so long, regardless the sun was still out, there was easily a couple of hours of light left. She didn't care. "I'll be home before dark, now go away, please."

"You wanna tell me what's eatin' you?"

Melissa turned her head slowly and stared at Gabby incredulously. "Are you mentally challenged? What do you not understand about the words 'go away'?"

Gabby shrugged and looked straight ahead. "Was just wondering why you've been avoiding me all day?"

Melissa rolled her eyes. This was so stupid. "I don't want to talk about it. I want to be left alone, but if you refuse to do that could you at least shut up?"

Gabby looked at her for a long time before slowly nodding. She looked around them and then back at Melissa. She said, "You know what? This is a nice spot. I think it should be our spot. You know, a place we can come and just sit when we're having a bad day. With one golden rule of course, no talking. Absolutely none. Ever. It's just a spot to be alone with our thoughts. Yeah, I think that's a good idea. What do you think Missy?"

Tension that Melissa didn't even realise had been building rolled away when she heard those words. She nodded and smiled tentatively, if Gabby could keep to her word, she'd actually like that greatly. "Sounds perfect."

Gabby nodded, stood, stretched, sat back down and just looked out at the park ahead of them. Melissa watched her for five solid minutes, just staring at her, but her friend didn't say a word. Didn't even look at her once. For the first time in a long time, Melissa felt seen. She felt heard. It felt nice. She shifted over on the seat closer to Gabby and leaned against her side, relaxing into a peaceful zen state when Gabby's arm wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her closer. Melissa liked her spot even more now.

As they entered Brickfields Melissa put her hand out and said, "This is where you stay. I'm going over there to sit down and relax."

Jacob looked like he was surveying the area before he simply nodded and took up position leaning against a nearby oak tree.

Once she was sure he wasn't going to follow any further, Melissa walked deeper into the park and approached her bench. Her heart lurched and she let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding when she saw Gabby sitting there. She thanked the universe for small miracles and approached slowly. She didn't say a word. It was the golden rule, afterall. No talking. She didn't need words to assess how Gabby was doing, which was not well. She was sitting upright, both hands resting against her knees were clenched so tight her knuckles were white. Her gaze was locked somewhere on the horizon, her eyes not once even acknowledging Melissa's presence.

Melissa sat down at the other end of the bench, keeping plenty of distance between them. This was their place of refuge. Any physical comfort must be sought. It had never been verbalised, but over the years that's just how it had played out. She wasn't exactly sure Gabby would welcome physical comfort from her at a time like this anyway. Melissa couldn't exactly blame her. She just knew that whatever may come from this moment forward, she had to be here right now. Gabby had to know she cared. It had to mean something. She hoped it meant something.

They both sat in silence. Melissa took the time to do deep breathing exercises she had been working on with the therapist in an attempt to quell the negative thoughts trying to take control of her mind. It worked well enough. From time to time she would glance sideways at Gabby, and for the first few minutes there wasn't a single change she noticed. However soon after, she saw the colour return to Gabby's knuckles. It wasn't much, but it meant that some of the physical tension had been released. Melissa looked straight ahead once more, a soft smile gracing her lips. Her presence did mean something.


Alec and his promise to a dead woman had seen him dropped off at the station so he could sign a vehicle out and start looking for Gabby himself. Jane made her way to the city morgue on the first floor of the Launceston General Hospital. The situation was urgent. They couldn't keep running around with their heads stuck up their asses chasing this guy, or more bodies would drop and those bodies very well could be someone or multiple someones she was close to. Hell, it could even be her and she just wasn't ready to be done with life yet, so this shit needed to be figured out fast.

Maura approached her when she entered the room and stood back at a respectful distance. She offered a tired smile in the hopes of quietly letting her ex-fiancée know that there was nothing else that mattered in these moments other than the work.

"We should step out," Maura said softly, motioning with her arm for Jane to follow her out of the autopsy room.

Jane followed her out. "What's up Maura?"

"Have they found Gabby yet?"

Jane took a deep breath, she should have expected this. Maura was the most professional person she knew, but she still had a heart. Her best friend had just experienced something horrific, something Jane wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. Of course she was worried. Of course an update would be good. Jane gently shook her head and did her best to offer a sympathetic smile. "Not yet. If I hear anything, I will let you know."

Maura nodded once as if she were processing the information. "Alright, thank you Jane."

"Of course, Maura. How's it going in there?"

"Preliminary examination has been completed. We found several material fibres underneath her fingernails, which we will send for analysis."

"Anything else?" Jane asked hopefully, looking for something more substantial than a piece of clothing.

"No hair or skin fibres that we could find. We're testing blood samples in case there was some cross contamination."

Jane nodded thoughtfully. "Did he, I mean, was she…"

Maura shook her head. "No she wasn't."

Jane let out a sigh of relief. Based on the timeline she had developed in her head thanks to Alec, there wasn't likely much time for anything more than the murder itself, but she had to ask to be sure. "Thank God for small mercies."

"Indeed."

"So how is she?" Jane asked, waving in the direction of the autopsy room.

Maura looked at her for a moment, her brain clearly deciphering which 'she' Jane was referring to before she responded. "Doctor Stanwick is exceptional. I am genuinely superfluous to needs."

"And yet, you're here." Jane observed.

"Because it is what Gabby wants. Doctor Stanwick has been quite gracious."

Jane watched as Maura absently worked her finger as if she were rotating a ring. She was clearly worried. Jane reached out slowly, placing her hand in a comforting manner on Maura's shoulder once she was sure it was welcomed. "I'm sure she will be okay."

Maura nodded once, clasping her hands together, as if she too was now cognisant of the emotional tell she had given. She redirected the conversation. "I understand that you have received your promotion much earlier than expected. Congratulations, detective."

"Thank you, Maura." Jane said softly, pulling her hand back by her side. She wasn't trying to make Maura uncomfortable, far from it in fact. Standing there with Maura in a morgue setting just provided a sense of comfort tinged with sadness. They had formed a deep bond over dead bodies and beers at the Dirty Robber. Their friendship was the pivotal relationship in her life, and it was the loss of that, which she missed most. She didn't know if they could get that back. She didn't know if Maura would even want that back. They had both done a lot of things to hurt one another, while unintentional, Jane realised if she felt the searing pain from the loss stemming from those things, then no doubt Maura did too. She was just much better at hiding it.

"I would like another look at the files Detective Frost sent you, if that is at all possible." Maura just moved right on with business, and it didn't surprise Jane one bit. It was her coping method. Focus on the work. She hated that it had ever come to this.

"Does this mean you think I'm right? It is him?"

"I would like to reference the Chicago medical examiners report first, to be sure, but yes on a superficial level, it does look like the same perpetrator from Chicago."

"I'll get those files over to you ASAP, Maura. Thank you for this."

"Don't thank me Jane, just catch the person who did this."

"That's my intention, Maura."

An awkward silence settled between them, prompting Jane to spit out the first thing that popped into her head. "I've missed this."

Maura's eyes widened a touch and she looked like she was about to respond, but Jane's phone interrupted the moment. Jane snatched the offending device and half turned her body as her annoyance at being interrupted was loud and clear, "This better be important."

Jacob said, "Yeah it is, Jane. Missy stopped walking at a park. She's sitting on a bench, with Detective Wilson."

Alec's words of warning popped into her mind and she felt her irritation make way for heavy concern, "Which park?"

"Brickfields."

"I'm on my way. Don't you dare take your eyes off of them!" Jane ended the call before he could get another word in and immediately turned for the exit, pausing to look back at Maura and say, "We've located Gabby, are you coming?"

"Just give me one moment." Maura quickly ducked back into the autopsy suite.

Jane tapped her foot impatiently but she bit her tongue. The situation was potentially fraught with danger, but Jacob was there. It would be alright, there was no point agitating Maura by hurrying her. She took the time Maura was in the other room to quickly shoot off a text message to Alec.

Found her. Brickfields. Meet me there.

Moments later Maura rejoined her and they made their way out of the building to Jane's car in relative silence. Maura's face looked pensive, that feeling resonated with Jane. If she weren't the one driving, she'd have been chewing on her thumb nails until they made it to their destination. Alec's warning just kept bouncing around in her brain and the thought of Gabby losing her shit on Melissa, well, it wasn't good. Every single protective cell in her body was activating, she was just as likely to lose her shit if she even saw Gabby look at Melissa. She also absolutely hated the fact that Melissa undoubtedly knew exactly what she was looking for when she went on her walk. That would be an entire different conversation she needed to have.

Jane's thoughts led to her white knuckling the steering wheel and a scowl to settle on her face.

"Jane?"

"Yeah, Maura?"

"What's going on?"

Jane kept her eyes firmly on the road, because if she looked at her ex-fiancée she would find it much harder to obfuscate. "It's just this whole thing, Maura. I don't have time to be chasing Gabby around this damn city. I have a killer to catch."

Maura did the little hum she would do when she was contemplating Jane's words, but believed there was a lot more to the story than she was being told. It was usually completely adorable, but that was because it was usually when Jane was seeing how far she could exaggerate a tale about her family life in the past before Maura would cotton on to the fact she was pulling her leg. She wasn't in the mood for more questions, she didn't want to end up losing it on Maura because of her friendship with a woman with some troubling violent tendencies.

"So then, why are you? I'm sure Detective Morris would have more than happily gone to the location you received."

Because I don't want your damn lunatic best friend beating the shit out of my girlfriend, Maura. Was the answer Jane kept to herself. She swallowed down her agitation and calmly said, "Because I know Gabby is important to you."

Jane found a parking spot along the side street next to the park and pulled up. She was out of the car in a flash and had no doubt Maura was staring at her disappearing back in absolute shock, because she wasn't waiting. It was dark and while the street lights and park lights and the lights of the traffic on the mainroad helped to illuminate the park, it wasn't near bright enough for Jane's liking. She scanned the area with her eyes and found Jacob nearby, she ran over to him and asked, "Where are they?"

Jacob motioned off to her right. She swung that way and saw two shadowy figures sitting on a bench. She looked back at Jacob, "Have they just been sitting there like that this entire time?"

He nodded. "Yeah. After Melissa sat down, neither of them moved."

"They say anything?"

He shook his head. "Not that I could hear."

"Alright, well playtime is over. I'm going over there."

"Jane, don't." Maura's hand wrapped around her bicep. "Leave them be."

Jane placed her hand on Maura's back and guided her a few steps away before hissing, "Are you kidding me? I am not leaving Missy over there alone with Gabby. She isn't safe."

Maura frowned. "Don't be absurd, Gabby would never hurt Melissa."

"But she'd throw a fist at her girlfriend." Jane spat angrily, "When were you going to tell me about that?"

Maura visibly blanched, but shook her head. "Never. It's none of your business."

Jane's eyes almost boggled out of her head, she turned and pointed in the direction of the bench, "That's my girlfriend over there. That's Gabby's ex-girlfriend. You think her throwing punches at people she has feelings for is not relevant to me?"

Maura gripped Jane by both shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. She spoke calmly and softly, "Jane, I understand your concern. I do. But I assure you, there was a very unique set of circumstances leading up to the unfortunate events of last night. She would never hurt Melissa. They have a kinship, Jane. It baffles me, but it is what it is. You need to give them time to just be."

Jane gently shrugged out of Maura's grasp. She wanted to believe her, she really did, but Alec's words haunted her greatly. There was a lot more to Gabby than either of them knew. "You don't understand."

"Jane," Maura said in the same soft tone, "You're beside yourself with worry for the woman you love. It's understandable, but you need to trust me. You will only damage your relationship with her if you start behaving in an overprotective, overbearing manner."

Jane instinctively turned to look towards Melissa, but she swung back around when she heard Maura so matter-of-factly declare her love for Melissa. It took a moment for her to realise that Maura wasn't being passive aggressive. She wasn't looking to get any licks in about the breakdown of their relationship. This wasn't about the fact she saw things brewing long before Jane did. This was her best friend. God, it was her best friend forgetting everything else in their lives to give the advice only a best friend could. Jane felt like she could cry. She dropped down on her haunches and her head hung low while wave after wave of pent up stress and grief rolled through her body.

Jane felt Maura's hand rub against her back and turned to see Maura had crouched down beside her with a concerned look on her face. Jane felt tears well in her eyes. So many different things she could say came to mind, but all she managed was a soft shake of her head. It was easy when fueled by indignant anger to believe she could go through life without Maura, but when the anger faded she knew she needed this woman in her life and yet her eyes were still drawn towards the shadowy figures sitting in the dark. She needed Melissa too, which was why her relationship with Maura was in tatters. She didn't want it to be an either or situation, but it very well could be. She had to accept some home truths that had been staring her in the face for a long time and she had to dig down deep and be completely honest with herself. Only then she could attempt to salvage what she needed in her life.

"It'll be alright." Maura said softly.

Jane forced a smile, reached up and patted the hand that had moved from her back to her shoulder and stood back up to her full height. Maura followed her lead and Jane sighed tiredly, "When all this is done, we should talk."

Maura's smile was very clearly a sad one. It hurt Jane's heart, however the sound of a car door slamming nearby dragged her thoughts back into the now. They turned and saw Alec making his way over toward them. Jane looked back to Maura, "So, we just stand around twiddling our thumbs while those two just sit there?"

"Yes, Jane. That's precisely what we do."

Jane let out an exaggerated sigh and raised her hand and waved Alec over. "They've just been sitting there for at least ten minutes now. I don't think we have to worry about anything."

Alec looked apprehensive, but Jane suspected his concern had simply shifted from Melissa's wellbeing to Gabby's. He nodded his head in greeting to Maura. "Doctor Isles, I'm surprised to see you here."

"Doctor Stanwick is more than capable of a thorough autopsy. I have other, more important concerns." Maura's eyes drifted in the direction of the bench, a stark reminder to Jane that there was someone who had taken up the mantle of best friend in Maura's life.

"I think you're exactly who she needs right now." Alec said, his eyes deliberately avoiding Jane, who sent a withering glare his way.

Jacob coughed, alerting the group to his presence. He nodded his head in the direction of the bench. Melissa had risen to her feet and was headed in their direction. With a smirk he said, "Hey Rizzoli, Missy's on the move."

Jane rolled her eyes and shook her head at his sense of humour, but any brief moment of amusement disappeared when her eyes locked with Melissa's. Every cell in her body wanted to march directly into her arms and hold her tight, but she felt hesitant to do so. She didn't want to make a big scene out of things. She didn't want to make Maura uncomfortable either. Her heart felt heavy.

Melissa looked around the group, clearly surprised to see everyone. Her eyes came to rest on Maura and it occurred to Jane that her girlfriend had some heavy thoughts of her own bouncing around in her brain. "Maura," Melissa said calmly, "I think you should join Gabby on the bench. Don't speak, just sit."

Maura looked puzzled for a moment but she nodded and headed off towards the bench. Jane's eyes followed her, a rumble of concern rolling around in her belly. Her eyes shifted when she felt Melissa slip in beside her and slide an arm around her waist. Jane immediately wrapped her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders, pulled her closer and looked at her. "Are you alright?"

"I will be."

Jane nodded. "Are you done with your walk?"

"Yeah. Take me home?"

"I'll stay here, Jane." Alec offered, "I'll bring Gabby back to the station for her formal statement when she's ready and drop Maura wherever she needs to go."

Jane appreciated his offer, because there'd been a lot running through her mind since she'd been standing around talking with Maura. She absolutely had to catch this killer, but it couldn't be at the expense of every relationship in her life. Unless there was an immediate lead, it could wait until morning. Melissa needed her.

"Call me the moment anything breaks, alright?"

"You have my word." Alec said with a soft nod of what Jane assumed was respect. "Get some sleep, I'll see you in the morning."

Jane turned to look at Jacob, "Come on we'll give you a ride back home. You've done more than enough for the night. We'll get into it tomorrow."

Jacob nodded. Alec took up Jacob's previous position leaning against the tree and Jane cast her eyes in the direction of the bench one final time. All she could see were two shadowy silhouettes melding into one. She didn't understand it. She didn't like it. But she accepted it. As long as Gabby was never a threat to Maura's safety, she wouldn't say another bad word about their friendship. She owed Maura that.

"Alright, let's go home."

At the far end of the park a lone figure watched on, melding into the shadows of the giant oak she stood beside. She clutched at the crucifix around her neck and said a short prayer. Her eyes shifted briefly from the departing figures, to those left behind. The dull ache that had been building in her chest for years sharpened and she knew it was time to go. With one last look she pulled a ball cap down over her eyes and quickly ducked into the backseat of a black SUV waiting nearby.


A/N: So not the longest chapter, but I figured it was actually the perfect break point and at least this way you aren't left waiting another couple of weeks. Thank you for continuing to read, and special thank you to those sharing their thoughts, it really does help motivate me to keep writing and sharing my story.

How do we feel about Jane and Maura at the moment, is the ice thawing? Or is this just a temporary truce because of circumstances? And who is that shadowy figure? Please let me know your thoughts!