It's a Wonderful Christmas Carol!

Chapter One

Jane felt the shot rather than heard it. The feeling of the hot, metal slug entering her chest like a hot knife through butter. She was on the floor before she knew what hit her. She heard more shots and some shouting that sounded as if it were coming from a long way off before she slipped into unconsciousness.

When she came to, it must have been only a little while later, as she was still on the cold, wet ground but there were two figures bending over her. Through the haze she heard 'Hold on Janie, help is on its way!' in a familiar voice before she blacked out again.

When she came to again, there were two other figures kneeling over her. She felt a sharp pain in her left wrist as a needle was inserted and they were asking her questions. She struggled to understand them and soon found herself blacking out once more.

She opened her eyes some time later and she was able to look around and take in her surroundings. She was in bed, in a room that could only be in a hospital. There were monitors on the wall and there was a nasal cannula on her face. She turned her head slowly to the left and saw that she had a needle in her wrist. On the side of the bed, there was a figure curled up on a chair under a blue hospital blanket. She turned her head to the right and saw another figure in another chair, also under a blanket.

She immediately recognised the figure to her right as her Mother. The Rizzoli Matriarch is easily recognisable, though her eyes are puffy. Jane immediately freezes, knowing her mother will awake if she makes the smallest movement or sound. Slowly, she turns back to the figure on her left. This figure is less easily recognisable, the woman is all but covered by the blanket. All that is visible is a head of tousled blonde hair.

Jane however, recognises this figure with ease. It is not necessarily how she looks, but deep inside her Jane knows that this sleeping figure in her friend Maura. Dr Maura Isles, the quirky, super-intelligent Chief Medical Examiner of Massachusetts would be unrecognisable to anyone else. But Jane's 'Gut', as she calls it, lets her know who it is immediately. Though if she is honest with herself, it is more the emotional response that she gets every time she sees her friend that tells her who it is.

At the sight of her best friend, who must have fallen asleep whilst crying due to the sniffling sounds she makes every so often, it takes all of Jane's self-control not to burst into tears. This in itself is unusual.

To say Jane never cries would be an understatement. Since she was a child, she has never voluntarily allowed anyone, even her Mother, to see her cry. She doesn't even do it in the privacy of her apartment. Well almost no-one. Maura Isles, despite being one of the most socially awkward people Jane has ever met, has somehow penetrated the Detectives armour. Jane, who would live on takeaways and beer if she had her way, somehow does not argue when Maura tells her to eat a kale salad.

Maura and Jane share everything. They both call the other their best friend, but if Jane is honest with herself, this is the best and most complete relationship she has ever been in. She has often found herself wondering what it would be like if she would kiss her friend. Jane has kept these feelings to herself, worrying that Maura would not reciprocate. She knew that, if this were to occur, it would probably ruin what they had and either one or both of them would probably run away. Jane had made the decision that she would rather have Maura in her life as a friend than not at all.

Jane lay there, looking at Maura's sleeping form and immediately feels guilty. There have been too many times where she has woken up in hospital with Maura sitting in the chair next to her. Jane knows that every time she gets injured, it hurts Maura a little more. And just knowing this causes Jane more pain and silent tears begin to run down her cheeks. These continue even as her breathing shallows and with a combination of the stressful day and the pain medication she is on, Jane drifts back to sleep.

When Jane opens her eyes again, she is sitting on the floor of a dark room that is only illuminated by a circle of light that shows a table and two chairs. She slowly gets up and pats herself down. She is dressed how she normally is for work, black pants, a plain button down shirt and a black blazer. This is only added to the list of things that don't make sense. Shaking her head, she makes her way over to one of the chairs. To her surprise, she can feel no pain. In fact, she had not felt this good in a long time. Even her hands don't hurt.

She sits on one of the chairs and realises how much the table and chairs look like the ones they have in the interrogation rooms at BPD. Once she is seated, Jane looks around the room. But no matter how hard she stares, she can see nothing outside the circle of light. Jane sits for a while, getting more and more jittery as there is no-one else there.

"Is there anybody there?" She says in what for Jane passes for a quiet voice. Her voice echoes but there is no reply.

"Can anybody hear me?" She shouts this time, the echoes sounding louder than ever.

There is still no reply and apart from the echoes, no sound either.

Jane, never being the one to sit still, decides that she needs to find a way out. Therefore, she gets up and extending her arms out in front of her, walks straight out into the darkness, unable to see where she is going.

Not more than a minute or so later, Jane finds herself back at the circle of light. At least she thinks it's the same, as the chair is at the same angle they always are when she has to leave in a hurry.

"Not possible!" She growls. Deciding to make sure it is, she takes a pen out of her blaze and puts it on the table. She then starts walking, again with her hands held out in front of her.

Again it takes no more than a minute or so before she is back at the circle of light. Now she knows it's the same place as the pen is still sitting on the table where she left it.

"Damn it!" She shouts, sinking to the floor. She can almost hear Maura's 'Language Jane!' as she sits on the floor with her eyes closed and her head in her hands.

She doesn't know how long she has been sitting there as time as stopped meaning anything and she is not wearing a watch. But it is some time later when she hears a familiar voice.

"C'mon Rizzoli. I've never known you to give up without a fight!" The voice says in a playful but also serious tone.

At the sound, Jane's eyes snap open and she raises her head. There is now a very familiar figure standing next to the table.

"Frost!" Jane gasped in shock.