When it happened the cliched term 'slow motion' was realized when Maura found her body shoved to the sidewalk as a car window exploded just as she walked by. From her back she looked up and took in Jane's jawline, and the frantic look in her eyes. Maura blinked, tried to work the daze from her eyes, and the blurred vision from the edges as she winced from the welt beginning to form at the back of her head. Jane moved and Maura began to sit up but Jane shoved her back down. Maura grabbed Jane's wrist. Jane looked down for just one split second, and Maura lifted her eye brow. Jane blinked and pulled her splayed hand from Maura's chest.

The coast was clear. Jane looked up down and to the side of them trying to pinpoint the shooter. Maura sat up leaning against the car as she felt Jane's hand on her shoulder. It was as if the woman needed to know Maura would not rise any further. Maura's hand went to Jane's and squeezed closing her eyes and breathed assessing her situation. Possible concussion from impact but overall fine.

Another window exploded. Jane's hand slipped from Maura's shoulder. Maura reached out for those fingers as she opened her eyes.

"No!"

Maura screamed as she lunged for Jane's hand as the woman tilted from her slowly falling to the sidewalk. Maura scrambled to her knees then leaned over Jane looking, feeling and hoping to whatever deity that Jane was not…

"Jane," Maura gasped as a spot on Jane's white shirt began to blossom like an opening red lotus and continued to spread. Maura placed her hands on Jane's chest trying to staunch the bleeding. She choked on a hiccup of tears as blood gushed up through her fingers. Breathing in and out she left her emotions to the side, and turned to logic.

Jane on the ground bleeding, apply pressure, check. Some on shooting at them, find shooter, fail. Look for protection, she saw Jane's gun in the woman's hand and pulled the gun into her left. It felt heavy in her hands. She still applied pressure to the wound while holding the gun. She saw a passerby on the sidewalk.

"Hey, call the police. Tell them there is an officer down, Rizzoli, Victor 825, homicide! Quickly!" Maura shouted instructions and the man nervously nodded as his hands trembled fiddling with his phone as he ducked into a door to a street side store.

Maura nodded relieved when she heard in the far distance the sound of sirens and hope4d the ambulance would be here quickly. She swallowed and channeled her inner Jane. What would Jane do? Maura held the gun and looked around. She looked up and around like Jane would but what in the hell was she looking for. She could hear her breathing quicken with panic setting in and almost missed the scuff of shows on the sidewalk behind her. She spun around with the gun, but the weapon was kicked away.

She threw her body over Jane's. Her turn to save the woman. She looked to the side and screamed at the impact of a rifle impacting her temple. The last thing she saw was Jane. Her olive skin ashen with the loss of blood. Her lips pale. Her hand reached up hoping to touch Jane's face, but then another blow to her temple and she dropped into a world of black.

00000

She woke up only once in the vehicle to notice bags with clear liquid in them, and hands on her chest probing and applying pressure.

Later she screamed out in pain as she was thrown onto a bed, but the gift of black oblivion took over her senses.

Then she woke to screaming out a name.

Finally, her eyelids opened, and her gaze took in her surroundings. A small room, with dark wooden flooring, and light green walls held her captive. She looked up to the ceiling from her bed and sat up. Her hand flew to her chest and she growled out in pain. She heard thuds from outside the door. Her eyes flitted about the room and saw the camera in the upper corner and a red light blinking. She sighed. She didn't have the energy to fight. Hell, she could barely move without wheezing, and felt fatigue crawling over her limbs like the plague.

The door opened and Jane's first action was to curl her fist, and straighten her shoulders, ready to be taken ready to fight.

"Where is Maura?" Jane demanded as strongly as she could but she inwardly grimaced at how weak she sounded. The man took in Jane and her demeanor. He walke4d to a chair that she didn't notice and he sat. He stared at her as he crossed his legs and watched the woman, making her squirm.

"Look, Doyle, I don't know why I'm here, but I need to find Maura," Jane told the man. For a few moments she let her mile-high wall become a chain-link fence. He saw right through it.

"If you are not going to tell me what is going on then why in the Hell did you bring me here?!" Jane shouted.

Paddy Doyle, Maura's father, nix that. The sperm donor, in Jane's opinion, pursed his thin lips and then drummed his fingers on the arm of the wooden rocking chair as the seat went too and fro. Jane, fed up, tried to stand. Paddy Doyle watched as all the blood drained from Jane's lips and face as her knees buckled. A door slammed open.

"What did you do to her?" Demanded the intruder as she went to Jane. Paddy simply put his hands in the air. Hands helped Jane lay back and Jane didn't let go of the woman's hands.

"Maur," Jane rasped weakly, "What happened to me?"

"Shh," Maura soothed and she swept a hand over Jane's brow pushing dark hair out of Jane's deep brown eyes. For a moment Maura simply stared, caught in those endlessly deep pools. She felt Jane squeeze her hand and then Maura's wall went up as a smile she saved for the public radiated from her lips. Jane knew that smile and hated it.

"You were shot Jane," Maura deadpanned.

"No really?" Jane sarcastically retorted as she drew her hand from Maura's. There was a flash of hurt there, but Jane wasn't a fucking idiot.

"The bullet traveled through your chest, oddly enough, or in your case luckily enough, you did not have damage to any of your upper ribs. Honestly it was either the best shot in the world or the luckiest for you," Maura explained then she reached out and touched Jane's chest just over her wound.

"I thought I lost you again," Maura whispered, "I was knocked out but when I came to we were both here. Paddy let me take care of you as soon as I was able but his doctor is exceptional at such trauma," Maura noted with a flicker of disdain, but a tone of respect.

"How long have we been here?" Jane asked as she watched Maura.

"Two days," Maura dropped on Jane.

"WHAT!?" Jane flew up into a sitting position, but gasped out and went right back down to the mattress gasping.

"Jane, please," Maura whispered and soothed her friend onto the bed. She wiped tears from the detective's temples and leaned over. Maura in all her years had never been moved the way she was always moved when it came to Jane. She pressed her lips to Jane's forehead. It had the desired effect. Stillness.

"Why did he save us?" Jane asked softly lost in the moment but her detective mind wont rest.

"He has been following us," Maura once again deadpanned. Jane went to yell then Maura bent forward and brushed Jane's lips with hers. Jane blinked and Maura's eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed. Jane blinked and slid her hand to Maura's cheek and brushed her thumb across her cheeks as if Maura was her deepest love.

"Paddy knows of the shift in our relationship, and he saved us both as he suspected we were more than friends and you are a trouble magnet," Maura smiled with a chuckle then she looked to Paddy, "May I have a moment with her alone please?' then she looked to Jane, "I would love to talk to my lover alone."

Paddy got up, nodded to both women, and then walked from the room. When they heard his steps track down the hall Jane opened her mouth to speak but Maura's hips caught hers. Shock went over her features but hands grasped each other, then Maura's kisses traveled to Jane's ear and she rest there breathing in the detective.

"What in the fuck is going on?" Jane whispered as silently as she could as her hands went around Maura's back and pulled her toward her awkwardly trying not to hurt her chest.

"It was all I could think of. He was about to kill you if I didn't tell him that," Maura whispered as well and let one of her hands travel to Jane's bicep, and then other braced against the bed keeping her weight off Jane.

"So, you said we were lovers?" Jane asked, "You lied? How are you not in hives?" Jane smirked. Maura shook her head chuckling bypassing Jane's question. Jane let her.

"Jane, I'm sorry about this but I knew he would not hurt me, and by killing you it would hurt me, so I tried a Hail Bobby," Maura said growing uncomfortable and worried.

Jane laughed and looked pulled away holding the woman above her and let her thoughts and emotions, those damnable things she kept hidden away for so long, guide her in their 'act.'

"It's a Hail Mary, Maur," Jane corrected with mischief in her eyes. Maura chuckled and let a tear drop. This was too good to be true.

"If I had to go through this with anyone, I'm glad it's you," Maura chuckled then Jane noted the flash of impish challenge, "My love."

Jane shook her head with a grin, and moved over on the bed as best as she could. Maura got the picture and helped Jane as best as she could. Maura slid on to the bed, curled into Jane, but not on the woman. Jane sighed with a small smile. She took in their predicament, their options, and their setting. She saw the red light come on the camera once again, and then pulled Maura's free hand that draped on her stomach to her lips. Maura knew of the cameras, she was told about them. She knew Jane would notice.

She just wished it wasn't an act. She wished with everything she had that Jane loved her back.