Chapter One

October, 2014
Launceston, Tasmania

Jane Rizzoli was a tall, lanky Italian-American woman, with olive skin and dark unruly curls to match. Her eyes were dark and they would see right into the depths of your soul. Jane epitomised a tempestuous storm in personality. She was a woman full of big emotions, but until you were close enough you mostly just saw in her brash, loud and prickly barbs laced with sarcasm. Once you made it beyond her rough exterior, she had the ability to wrap you in a blanket of calm, her love, loyalty and tenderness left you wanting for nought. Jane Rizzoli could tear you asunder or she could bring you absolute peace. It really did just depend on how close to the eye you were.

Maura Isles was the demure, attractive honey blonde, with perceptive hazel eyes that Jane's storm wrapped most protectively around. Maura was quite aptly, as Jane would put it, a google-mouthed genius with an inability to lie, but a very quick mind. There was no person in the world more adept at skirting the truth, but less inclined to do so. Maura saw no reason to be anything but direct, and why would she? She had Jane Rizzoli wrapped around her keeping her safe from the dangers of the world.

Gabby Wilson, was the Australian almost equal in stature to Jane, with auburn hair crew cut to match her tough exterior. Her green eyes dazzled like emeralds and had a way of attracting those seeking shelter from a storm. There had been a time where she had been Maura's shelter from the storm that was Jane Rizzoli, but now she was the one tasked with the unenviable task of bringing Jane to heel in her new role as Constable in the Tasmanian Police Service.

Unenviable, Gabby had soon realised didn't begin to scratch the surface of the discomfort she felt working with Jane. She was starting to question why she had ever allowed Maura to talk her into pulling strings to be Jane's official training officer. Not only was Jane an obstinate former American, freshly minted Australian citizen, but she was an ex Boston Homicide Detective. Jane had been there done that and would not stop incessantly whining about having to wear the street blues again. Sure the Tasmanian shirt's blue was a lot lighter in comparison to those the beat cops wore in Boston, but it was still blue and it still had annoying collars. Jane was five years older and more than happy to point out that she had more experience too.

Launceston was no Boston, that was for sure, but that was precisely why Gabby had agreed at Maura's behest. She wouldn't admit to anyone it was because her ex, now dearest friend, could pout just once and she would be helpless to resist doing what was asked. Maura Isles wielded a lot of power over both women, which Gabby, as much as she hated the situation she had allowed herself to be talked into, was thankful for. Because without it, Jane would be an even bigger pain in the arse, of that she had no doubt. This irritating, collar pulling, bored looking constable was actually on her best behaviour, or rather as close to it as she could get.

"Here's the thing Constable," Gabby enjoyed the significance of how she outranked Jane, and as such on the job at least had the control. "This job ain't like it is in the US. You don't just pull your gun, you don't just shoot first and ask questions later."

Jane rolled her eyes; it wasn't as if she had not just gone through an intensive twenty week training course. Police was police, and just because it was over-dramatised on television didn't mean that all American cops went around with guns drawn itching to shoot people. "I've never shot someone that didn't absolutely have it coming."

There was something about the way Jane spoke that left Gabby feeling like she was the one that had it coming. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled and her eyes darkened. "You'll address me as Sergeant, Sarge or if I'm feeling in a particularly good mood, Wilson. Got that Constable Rizzoli?"

"Sure thing, Sarge." Jane raised her hand to her forehead and saluted, deliberately grinding Gabby's gears. She had drawn the shortest of straws. Not only had the other academy recruits been given nice easy suburban gigs for the first year of their policing lives, she had been thrust straight into Launceston's station and thrust together with the bane of her existence. Though she supposed that was the price to pay for all of the wheels Maura had greased to push her through the accelerated academy class, and all but guarantee her a cushy detectives job after she had spent a year earning her stripes with the locals.

Gabby sighed, sucked in a deep breath and checked her mirrors before pulling out into traffic. "Look, I know you don't particularly like me Jane. I get it, but do you think maybe since I am doing this as a favour to Maura, you might just cut me a little slack?"

"Wait, what?" Jane was surprised by that admission. She had no idea Maura had gone behind her back to meddle in her assignment.

"They can assign you anywhere out of the academy, in fact they usually send people out to the suburbs or worse the country towns and contrary to popular belief, country towns are nothing like Mount Thomas." Gabby was referring to a fictional Victorian town from an Australian police drama from the 1990s, where if real the town would have blown per capita crime records out of the water.

"So what? You saved me from a boring podunk town two hours from home?" Jane asked incredulously, familiar with Blue Heelers because Melissa had insisted she watch it because Maggie Doyle was kick ass, and fierce and Jane was pretty sure Melissa had simply had a crush on the blonde actress that portrayed the character when she was growing up.

Jane immediately regretted thinking about Melissa, and swallowed down the sadness that wrapped its invasive tendrils around her heart. She cast her eyes sideways, thankful that Blue Heelers didn't elicit the same thought process for Gabby, or if it had, that she had hidden it expertly well. She vowed for today at least to stop being an ass. Gabby had a hell of a lot going on in her life.

Seemingly oblivious with eyes focused firmly on the road, Gabby replied. "I saved you from Queenstown. Two hundred and fifty odd kilometres away via road, on the remote west coast. A three hour drive, Rizzoli. I saved you from six hours of commuting each weekend just to see your fiancée."

"Thanks," Jane said and she meant it too. She had started the morning being excessively difficult, but the reality was, regardless of all the things happening in Gabby's life, they were effectively partners now. She could never imagine treating Frost or Korsak the way she had been treating Gabby, and she had to do better. It wasn't even a rank thing, it was a respect thing. As much as she hated that Gabby had once known her fiancée quite intimately, she was a cop, and all cops deserved her respect unless they proved undeserving.

"Son of a bitch," Jane muttered, having surmised exactly what Maura had been playing at. Saved from some podunk town or not, this had not been a power move made to keep Jane close, this had been a power move made to make Jane and Gabby close. "So devious, Doctor Isles."

Gabby quickly cast her eyes sideways to see what on earth Jane was mumbling about. "What now?"

"We've been Parent Trapped."

Gabby simply chuckled. It made such logical sense. Maura had often bemoaned the tension between her two favourite people, and neither of them had shown an inclination in two and a half years to thaw the ice. There had been moments where they had both left their beef temporarily behind for the sake of human compassion, but the beef was there and it never really disappeared for long. They were both too stubborn for that, and yet somehow Maura Isles had delicately moved them into a position that basically meant one of two things; they would thaw out and become friends, or they would absolutely destroy one another.

"I'm not sure whether to be pissed off or proud." Jane admitted with a slight smirk.

"We are but Pawns moving at the Queen's behest."

Jane was quite the astute Chess player herself, but she had never let Maura know because then she would have been forced to play. It was a lot more fun watching Maura slaughter Gabby from a distance. Having seen the way Maura sacrificed her pawns, she wasn't so sure she liked Gabby's analogy, but in some ways, it remained apt. "Just don't you be forgetting she's my Queen, alright, Sarge?"

Gabby's mood plummeted as her instant reaction was to declare that she had her own Queen to worry about, but that just reminded her of painful memories.

Dumbass, Rizzoli.

"Ah Hell, I'm sorry Gabby I didn't mean to…"

"Make me think of her? Don't worry about it. It isn't as if she isn't always on my mind anyway." Gabby indicated and pulled up to the curb, she needed a moment to compose herself. She was haunted by the past. She was haunted by what could have been. If only she had fought harder, or followed after Melissa. If only. Instead she was stuck in a hell of her own creation.

Jane recognised the darkness descending and realised that every single day for the last six months Gabby had taken another step deeper into the depths of despair. There hadn't been a sudden plunge, where it was obvious, no, it had been slow and steady. It had been happening in front of her eyes and she had done the bare minimum; she left the heavy lifting to Maura. Granted she had never been in a position to do much more than she already had, and she had her own stuff to deal with, but it occurred to Jane as someone who knew exactly what boiling water felt like, she maybe should have done something sooner to pull Gabby out of her metaphorical pot. "I know a great therapist if you think that might help."

"You really think Maura didn't give me that card already?" Gabby sighed, it was easier being antagonistic with Jane, because letting her in just meant there would be someone else in her life who could see the utter mess she'd made of it.

"I can't even begin to imagine what it's like…"

"So don't." Gabby snapped firmly, no longer interested in conversation. Fuck being vulnerable. Fuck Maura and her her big stupid brain with big stupid ideas that only made things worse. Just fuck it all. Jane wasn't in her car because Maura wanted them to thaw the ice. Jane was in her car to keep her from falling off the cliff and with that understanding, Gabby simply grew resentful. Resentful that Jane had Maura and Maura had Jane. Resentful that despite all the barriers that had been thrown their way they had found their way to a genuine happiness and love. Resentful that Maura had the ability to wield Jane like a giant, compassionate swiss army knife. She was meant to be the surprisingly compassionate one, she was meant to be the one wielded that way in times of desperate need. She was meant to be the strong one.

Sitting next to Constable Jane Rizzoli who hadn't flinched a muscle, Sergeant Gabby Wilson reasoned that she wasn't the strong one anymore. That what she was doing wasn't strong, it wasn't stoic and it wasn't smart. It was stupid. That left her feeling nauseated and a little bit panicky. She needed air. She turned the car off and took the keys from the ignition and stepped out of the vehicle. She stepped onto the sidewalk and sucked in several deep breaths, her eyes looking around furtively.

They were in the middle of a suburban neighbourhood, so thankfully she wasn't about to have a panic attack in front of too many eyes. She hunched over palms on knees trying to force more oxygen into her lungs, before giving up and pacing back and forth. Her pacing stopped when she heard a car door shut and she saw Jane appear in front of her. Even the way Jane naturally rested with one hand by her side and the other resting on her belt just oozed a confidence that had long deserted Gabby. Jane was everything she once was, and oh she longed for two and a half years ago when Jane was the mess and she was the cool, calm and collected one. For a time when Melissa… well when she just was.

"Sometimes I wish I had never shown up that day," Gabby murmured, "because I know you would have kept her safe."

Sometimes Jane wished that too.

"She knew she loved you even without your dramatic entrance. It's wishful thinking. It may not have changed a single thing."

"Doesn't stop me wishing it," Gabby shook her head, her heart aching exponentially. "I should have been with her."

Jane swallowed thickly. The day they considered changing, wasn't the day they were both thinking about. The reality was, as trained as Gabby is, if she were there that day, it may not have changed a single thing. Other than the level of grief Maura would feel, and for that reason mostly, Jane was glad Gabby hadn't followed. "Then you'd be dead."

Gabby lifted her eyes, which had been staring further down the road, unable to meet the rock solid gaze staring back at her. "That's got to be better than this hell I'm living in."

April, 2014
Launceston, Tasmania

Jane was floating on air. She was on top of the world. She was absolutely exuberant. She had planned and executed the perfect marriage proposal, and it couldn't have gone better. Well, aside from a few bumpy waves. She had gotten down on one knee on a Tamar River Cruise, and the Tamar being a tidal river did have small choppy waves from time to time. She had almost fumbled the ring, but she didn't because she was a champ and champs got things done.

She had channelled that really gentle part of her soul that was usually shut away behind a bunch of gated walls with giant padlocks on them and said the sappiest words spoken by a Rizzoli ever in the history of forever. Yeah, Jane was on top of the world because quite honestly, she could have simply gotten down on one knee at the dinner table and Maura would have still said yes. She could have made one of her patented Rizzoli jokes that left Maura squinting at her in confusion, and Maura would have still said yes. Because they were so incredibly in love it was sickening at times.

"I still can't believe you said yes," Jane opined as she walked into the dining room, where Maura sat with a cup of tea and her laptop out.

"I still cannot believe that you would act for even a single second like you didn't know I would say yes." Maura's smirk was devilish.

Jane sat down opposite her fiancée and bared her teeth, her lips curled in the broadest smile. She put on her best southern accent and fluttered her eyebrows over-dramatically, "Well Doctor Isles, I do declare…"

Maura's eyes went wide and her hand immediately reached across the table for Jane's. "Jane," she uttered, interrupting Jane's attempt at humour. She was scrolling the news sites from the United States when she came across something worrying.

Jane read Maura's face and was out of her seat and hovering behind Maura leaning over shoulder to read the screen in a flash. The headline sent chills down her spine.

US Softball World Champ Slain in Chicago

Immediately Jane started reading and felt her heart sink. Her hand dropped to Maura's shoulder, where the doctor immediately covered it with her own hand to provide comfort. The article went on to say that the death was suspicious, investigations ongoing and that there had been a second victim, who was in hospital in critical condition. "You have to call Gabby."

"We don't know that it is her, Jane." Maura reasoned.

"We don't know that it isn't," Jane countered, "And if that might be you, I'd sure as hell want someone to tell me." She was frustrated that there weren't any details. The story was so fresh, names hadn't been released. It wouldn't take long before the tabloids figured it out though by hounding other members of the team until they made statements of life. "Fuck," she growled, turning and walking away from the screen.

Jane was terrified that Melissa was one of the victims, because she was in Chicago. How many members from the World Championships team were in Chicago? It was then she realised, one way or another she may have just lost a friend. Because Kelly would have been in Chicago too. She went to punch the wall, but managed to control her grief, there was no point hurting herself when they didn't have all the facts yet.

"I'll reach out to some old contacts from my time in the Medical Examiner's office." Maura said, snaking an arm around Jane's waist and pulling her close. "They might be able to get more details from their Illinois counterparts."

Jane couldn't help but play the what if game in her head. What if it was Melissa? What if it was Kelly? What if it was both of them? Their lives had become entwined over the previous two years, in ways that painted a scary picture for Jane. Two people, one dead, one in critical condition, attacked together. Jane had a hard time believing it could be anyone but Kelly and Melissa. She chewed her lip and shrugged away from Maura, she didn't want comfort. "We should have done something before this shit spiralled so out of control."

Maura held her tongue, recognising that Jane was hurting and scared. Melissa and Kelly meant a great deal to Jane, and this situation was naturally frightful, but there was little sense in living in the past. She could easily counter with what ifs that led Kelly and Melissa right back where they were, entangled romantically, no matter whether they had intervened on the night of Monica and Brad's wedding or not. She would obtain what information she could, hopefully before it was in the press and she would do everything in her power to ensure Jane and Gabby both received all the assistance they needed, whether practical or emotional.

"I'll make those calls and then I will call Gabby once we have a better sense of what's happening."

Jane waved her hand in the air dismissively and stalked out of the room. She made a beeline for Maura's study and found the number she needed. She didn't like Gabby, one iota, but Gabby loved Melissa like nobody's business, even to this day. Gabby knew exactly what Melissa was up to in Chicago, exactly who she was up to it with, and she hadn't wavered in her decision to just focus on her work and wait for Melissa to come home when she was ready. Jane thought she had taken penance to stupid levels in the past, but Gabby? Gabby's penance had left the woman stuck in the past, not moving on. So no, Jane wasn't going to wait until Maura knew more. Jane was going to follow her gut and prepare Gabby for the worst, and she would do whatever she could to help. Even if it was simply to make the call that Maura was understandably reticent to make.

She pulled out her phone and entered the digits, realising that maybe she should have had Gabby's number in her phone already just in case for reasons to do with Maura and Melissa and the dastardly web of entwinement in all their lives. It had been a good two years, but even she knew when it was time to grow up. She would save that number for the future, just in case.

"Hey Gabby, it's Jane. No, Maura's fine." Jane sighed, this wasn't a conversation to be had over the phone. "Where are you? Stay right there, I'm coming to you."

October, 2014
Launceston, Tasmania

Jane kicked off her boots and placed them neatly beside the front door. She released her hair from the bun it had been in and shook her head, freeing her curls. She dropped her keys in the bowl on the side table near the door and smelled something delicious and greasy. She was too tired and emotionally drained to smile, but a small part of her felt giddy that Maura knew she had some apologising to do for the ambushed partnership. She ducked her head into the dining room and determined Maura must be either still cooking or dishing up. "You are devious, Doctor Isles," she declared confidently as she walked into the kitchen.

Maura finished dishing up several slices of Jane's favourite pizza from the Italian Pizza House and put the second half of the pizza in a plastic container for later. She moved that container to the fridge and looked at Jane with a decidedly devious smile. "I am quite sure I have no idea what you are talking about. How was your first day, Jane?"

Jane picked up her plate and Maura's dinner plate of salad and salmon and carried them through to the dining room. Maura wasn't far behind with her cutlery and two glasses of sparkling water that each contained a spritz of lemon juice. She tried not to partake in wine when eating with Jane out of respect to the program Jane still worked. There was still wine in the house, but Jane had assured Maura she had no inclination to touch that stuff even with a fifty foot barge pole. Maura trusted Jane entirely on the subject and would revisit keeping alcohol in the house if it ever did become a problem.

"My first day was delightful," Jane retorted sarcastically, her eyes daring Maura to deny her influence on the course of the day any longer, as they sat down opposite one another.

Maura handed Jane her water and ignored the absolute sarcasm, which after two years of living with Jane she had become an expert at understanding. "Lovely, I just knew you and Gabby would find a way to get along."

Jane took an extra big bite of the pizza to buy time to think about her response, because a big part of her wanted to be stubborn and annoyed with Maura for her actions. There was however that compassionate side of her that she just knew Maura was banking on, that needed to speak up on Gabby's behalf. She was worried about Gabby, and from her stand point that meant there was serious cause for it. "We need to get her out of that house. Each night she stays there she's dying a little more inside and I know you know this."

Maura sighed. "She won't listen to me, Jane. I didn't know what else to do, I just hoped that if you of all people started telling her the same things I have been, that it might sink in."

"Why? Because I can't stand her? You really think she's gonna listen to me as a voice of reason? She hates me just as much as I hate her."

"Don't be hyperbolic Jane. You do not hate Gabby and she does not hate you. You're both just stubborn women who refuse to take a moment to get to know one another. You would find you have more in common than you think." Maura stabbed a little extra forcefully at her kale.

"Besides you and Missy, you mean?" Jane took another bite of her pizza and studied Maura closely, looking for telltale signs of anything that would begin to clear up this mess that she had been thrust into. She didn't particularly like the reminder of what had happened to Melissa either. It hurt her heart.

"Please, Jane." Maura implored, desperate to get much needed assistance in removing Gabby from a heartbreaking situation.

"Since you had the decency to get me good pizza for dinner as an apology for your deviousness, I guess I can do my best." She would have helped anyway, they both knew it. It was one of the reasons why Maura loved Jane, because when push came to shove, no matter how much whining was involved, Jane would eventually do the right thing. She just really hated that Maura could see right through her facade. She didn't really hate Gabby, not anymore. It was hard to hate someone you felt sorry for.

Gabby hadn't even closed the front door behind her before the sounds of her girlfriend's latest one night stand assaulted her ears. She paused outside her bedroom door contemplating the semi regular routine from the past couple of months. She brought her hand to rest against the door, palm flat and closed her eyes. On the other side of that door was the person she loved most in the entire world, so clearly being brought undone by some other woman. The sounds of her pleasure rising became too much. She opened her eyes and turned away with a heavy sigh. She trudged through the house, turning the lights on as she went. She walked through to the kitchen and opened the back door. She let out a quick whistle and called out, "Charlie!"

Charlie was her almost three year old German Shepherd Dog. He was on the larger side of the breed and his coat was black and tan, his face mostly black with a golden tan around his eyes and at the base of his ears. Charlie came bounding over, immediately jumping up with his paws to find purchase against her stomach. Gabby wrapped an arm around him and scratched behind his ear, "Who's a good boy? Wanna go for a walk?"

Charlie dropped back onto all fours and bounded energetically over to the garden shed. He sat and waited for Gabby to go inside and return with a leash. She clicked it to his collar and led him down the garden path and through the side gate. Charlie kept her going when she felt like giving up, and there had been a few times in the past six months when she had felt that way. Charlie depended on her and that was all she needed.

She had found Charlie as a six month old puppy at the local RSPCA a week after Melissa had walked out on her to chase her softball dreams in Chicago. Charlie had been laying in his cage, head on paws looking disinterested until she had knelt down in front of him. As she watched him it felt to Gabby like she was looking into her very own soul. His eyes had lit up and he had crept closer, licking at her fingers clutching the wiring of the pen. Gabby had no idea who would dump a pure bred German Shepherd with the RSPCA, but she was eternally grateful. She could have bought a younger pup from a breeder, but preferred to save an animal from the pound. She paid the standard adoption fee that covered his shots etcetera and then made a donation to match what she would have paid a breeder.

Charlie spent his days outside in Gabby's long backyard, but after their nightly walk Gabby would feed him dinner and bring him inside. He would lay at her feet while she ate her microwaveable dinner, waiting ever so patiently for the invite up onto the couch, where he would spread out, bringing his front paws and head to rest on her lap. She would rub behind his ears absently while mindlessly watching television, half the time falling asleep. Sometimes she would wake up and he would have curled up on his dog bed in the corner of the living room, but most of the time he was right there with her. Sometimes she'd wake up with a blanket covering her and she'd know that her girlfriend had found her sound asleep. Sometimes, it felt like she still cared.

The walk was brisk as Charlie had led the charge pulling on the leash and drawing a mentally exhausted Gabby into an awkward almost jog. She didn't have the heart to bring him to heel, he was a big dog with equally as big exercise and mental stimulation needs. Leaving him at home while she went to work left him to his own devices in the backyard, and while there was plenty of room for him to run and play, he was definitely a people dog. She was fairly certain he loved the walks each evening as much as she did.

Having reached the halfway mark of their usual walk she tugged on the leash and he immediately stopped and turned and returned to her. He sniffed at her feet impatiently as she stood just catching her breath and mentally bracing herself for whatever she might find when she returned home. "Come on boy, let's go home."

Walking Charlie had served an extra purpose in recent times, it was to avoid that moment when her girlfriend's latest conquest would sneak out. This evening however she had the misfortune of running into the woman. She wasn't much to write home about, a plain looking stocky brunette, but Gabby had no doubts she probably had a sparkling personality. She shortened the leash on Charlie and kept him at her side, he eyed the newcomer but didn't growl.

Thankfully the brunette knew better than to say anything, which meant that at least her girlfriend had given the speech. As the days went by Gabby realised this was becoming less and less of a comfort. She had agreed to this sham of an open relationship in an attempt to make her girlfriend happy, but all it did was make her feel lonely with the one person who should have never left her feeling that way.

After having watched the woman leave Gabby walked through the front gate, closed it and let Charlie off the leash. He quickly ran over to the side gate and back again, full of youthful exuberance. She looked up the steps that led to the front door and saw her girlfriend standing there, watching her. Gabby sighed and dropped her shoulders, she felt like a defeated woman. "Come on," she murmured to Charlie, "Let's get you some dinner."

She skipped the front door and led the dog through the side gate and around the back of the house. She then let him inside and filled his food bowl appropriately, and put down a fresh water bowl. She washed her hands at the sink, drying them with a tea towel and opened the freezer looking for something half way resembling food.

"I'm sorry. I forgot that you had changed shifts this week."

Gabby didn't turn from the freezer, she just stood staring, her body bristling. It was one of those nights, where somewhere deep inside her girlfriend that woman that cared about her tried to make an appearance. The sad thing was, normally Gabby lived for those nights, but not on this night. "It's fine."

It wasn't and they both knew that. There were rules to this thing they were doing, and her girlfriend had broken pretty much every single one of them, numerous times. All except for the golden rule. One and done. Never bring the same person home twice. Preferably don't bring them home at all. She pulled a tuna bake from the freezer, closing the freezer door. She had to turn to go to the microwave but she didn't want to, she didn't want to look into those soulful blue eyes that often looked as broken as she felt.

"I don't think I can keep doing this." Gabby felt the words roll off her tongue, just like they had many times before. She felt a hand slide along her back and come to rest on her shoulder as soft lips pressed against her neck. Just like they had many times before.

"It's just sex, Gabby. You know I love you and only you."

It was, and she hated it. She hated the entire open aspect of their relationship. She didn't participate in it, and maybe she should have. Maybe then her girlfriend would understand what it felt like, but she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to do that because in her mind she'd be cheating, because she was committed, body, heart, and soul.

Gabby put the frozen meal down on the counter and turned, allowing hands to grip her lower back and draw her closer. She locked on to ocean blue eyes and allowed the kiss, allowed it to deepen and even closed her eyes to feel it. For just a moment it felt like the woman she loved, but then her hands would reach out and while one went straight for her girlfriend's cheek, the other slid along her neck finding the scar that reminded her of the moment she almost lost her. The scar. The moment in time. The damage it did. The reason why she chose to live in hell with this stranger that she knew all too intimately.

She ended up framing her girlfriend's face and pulling her even closer, feeling an urgency the reminder of that moment always gave her. Eventually she pulled away from the kiss and just drew her into a hug, her face burying against that scar, that moment. It always went like this.

"I'm sorry," She'd say, every single time. "I love you. Forgive me, Missy."

And Melissa always would.

A/N: So consider this first chapter a teaser, after this I do want to get a couple of chapters ahead, but I was kind of really happy with what I did so I wanted to share. Might be a week before I start posting regularly again. This chapter is about jumping right in, and starting to piece together what on earth happened, while introducing you all to the new relationship dynamics. I hope you enjoy.