Missing People

A/N: I started this story about 5 years ago. Here's to making it work for Rizzoli & Isles. I hope you enjoy. Please let me know if you think it is worth continuing and if you'd like more. Thanks.

Maura is asked by Constance to take a business trip to Australia to straighten out Isles Foundation matters. Maura accepted, choosing to take a vacation as well and she invites Jane her best friend to join her. Jane accepted. We begin here…

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"Passports?" Maura asked Jane.

"yes Maura. For the fourteenth time I have it."

"Okay then I think we're good." Maura smiled. She and Jane were driven to the airport in the Isles Foundation Limo.

"This is so exciting," Jane smiled. "I've never even been out of the united states before. Hell I don't recall the last time I left Massachusetts for that matter."

"It's been awhile for me," Maura said. "Did you give your mother our itinerary?"

"Yeah she knows all of it," Jane laughed, "seven days and eight nights of good old down under fun."

"I'm looking forward to it. I heard they have great dance clubs there."

"Me too," Jane smiled.

"So…was Casey sad to see you leave?" Maura asked looking out the window.

"I doubt it," Jane answered softly. "He's been so focused on his recovery I don't think he knows I'm here half the time, or what he wants."

"Oh…"

"Yeah," Jane smiled.

"He got you didn't he?" Maura asked looking at Jane.

"Maura…don't," Jane said. "I don't want to talk about Casey. This isn't about him. It's about you and me and our time together. Let's just leave Boston…well here in Boston," Jane asked.

"You're right," Maura answered.

"I know," Jane laughed.

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They pulled into the airport strip. "I can't believe you guys have your own plane. Crazy."

"Well it's not ours really- it's the foundations," Maura laughed. "But yes, it is efficient."

"Australia here we come!" Jane shouted playfully as she put on her sun glasses.

"Watch out Panda Bears!" Maura shouted playfully. Jane stopped walking and burst out laughing. "Really?" she smiled. She turned around and put her arms around Maura. "That's Japan honey," Jane laughed.

"Oh," Maura smiled. "So what's Australia?"

"Koala Bears."

"Oh…" Maura enjoyed the feeling of Jane's arm around her shoulder. "Well close enough right."

Jane just laughed as she and Maura boarded the plane.

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"Oh my God this is so exciting," Jane said looking out the window. "I can't believe how high up we are."

"I know…the view is amazing isn't it?"

"Yeah."

Maura joined Jane at the window. "I can't see any land anywhere. Can you?"

"Nope," Jane answered. She noticed how close Maura was standing to her. She closed her eyes and just enjoyed the sensation.

"Looks like a storm over there," Maura said pointing by the left.

"How can you tell? We're not flying through that are we?" Jane asked.

"I don't think so." Maura answered as she opened bottled water. "Do you want one?" Jane just shook her head. She suddenly had a bad feeling.

"What's wrong?" Maura asked.

"Nothing."

"Jane…are you scared?" Maura asked sitting down next to her friend again. Jane just nodded. "Jane- it's okay. Dale and Mac are two of the best pilots I know. They know what they're doing. You don't have to worry." Maura assured her friend.

"You're sure?" Jane asked.

"I swear." Maura went to stand up. "And we both know I can't lie."

"Wait," Jane said. "I…will you stay here with me for a bit?" She asked Maura. God, Jane felt dumb asking but she was scared just the same.

Maura smiled. She took Jane's hand in her own and covered them with a blanket. "Come on lets try and sleep. I'm exhausted and the time change is going really impact our internal clocks."

"Okay," Jane smiled. She placed her head on Maura's shoulder.

"I missed you," Maura said softly.

"I missed you too Maur."

Both girls smiled in the revelation and closed their eyes. Sleep came quickly.

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Maura opened her eyes first. She felt the jolt. "What the…?" she slowly stirred, not wanting to upset Jane. Jane opened her eyes with the next big bump.

"What is that?" she asked panicked.

"Probably just turbulence," Maura said looking toward the flight deck door. "Put your seat belt on just to be safe."

"Okay," Jane said. She saw Maura get up. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Just to make sure things are okay. I'll be right back I promise." Maura said touching Jane's shoulder.

"No…just stay here," Jane said looking back at the door.

"Jane, I'll be right back," Maura said again. She squeezed Jane's should and walked towards the door. She opened it and disappeared behind it.

Jane watched and listened. She could actually feel her heart beating in her chest. She'd only flown two other times in her life and had never experienced turbulence like this. Maybe a little shake, but this was tough. She glanced out the window and felt another jolt, this time far more powerful. She let out a small scream. "Maura!" Okay Jane had turned into a ten-year-old girl but for good reason.

Maura came out from behind the door. Jane saw her just as she felt the drop.

Almost a suspended feeling.

"Oh my God," she said. She knew this feeling…knew it well enough from the roller coaster rides she been on as a little girl and a grown woman. They were going down. "Maura!" she yelled.

Maura stumbled forward, holding her head. She had hit it on a corner from the last jolt, losing her footing. The roar of the engines could be heard as the plane shook. "Maura!" Jane yelled again, leaning forward and trying to reach her friend. Maura, still too far away to reach could only hold out her hand as the plane jerked to the right and then the left.

It had to be in a nosedive. Maura felt herself being thrown all around the cabin.

"Jane," she said softly as she tried to move toward her. Maura saw Jane taking off her seatbelt… "No," she said shaking her head. "Don't!"

"Maura," Jane shouted. Neither of them could hear the other talking over the high pitched sounds.

Jane removed her seat belt and made it to her friends side slowly. She pulled Maura up with her to the seats. They gripped the seat belts and buckled themselves in. They clasped hands and lowered their heads getting into crash position. Heads forward and on their knees they faced each other. Jane noticed the head wound on Maura, blood dripping down her side by her ear. They locked eyes, never breaking contact.

Until…

BLACKNESS

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The first thing Maura became aware of was the silence. Dead silence. Except…no wait…there was a sound. It was a faint humming. Almost like a fan. Maura opened her eyes slowly. Her head throbbed. She blinked a few times and lifted her head slowly. The first thing she became aware of was Jane…still next to her. "Jane?" she said her voice cracking. She coughed. "Jane?" Jane didn't answer. Maura tilted her head back and checked for a pulse. "Come on Jane, wake up," she whispered. Jane was still unconscious, but she had a steady pulse. Maura slowly unclipped her belt. The cabin was banged up, but still intact.

She stood slowly and tried to reach the pilot door. She managed to get it open, though it was in bad shape. She saw the pilots. She reached in and checked for a pulse. Neither had one. "Oh my god," she said holding her hand to her mouth. "God…" she whispered again. She turned back around. Clearly they had crashed…but…where? She walked back through the main cabin area, where Jane still lay. Maura saw the door and opened it. It took all the strength she had but she finally got it to open.

There was a breeze that hit her face. A warm breeze. Maura held her hand up to her head, to block out the light that was pouring in. She pushed the door open the rest of the way.

"Hello?" she said as she stepped out of the plane. Maura saw two things…beach sand and ocean. She looked back at Jane and deiced leaving her for a moment would be the best thing. Maura needed to know where they were.

She stepped out of the plane, now flat on the beach. They had landed close to the tree line…in fact, they were in the trees. Both wings had been taken off in the landing. Maura side stepped debris and looked down. "We could be anywhere," she said. "Oh my God."

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What do you guys think? Keep going? Drop it?