Hello everyone! It's great to be back. Thank you to everyone who messaged me asking when I'd be publishing a new story. It made me feel very loved.

So, without further ado, here it is. As always, I love to hear what you think.

xxx

Detective Jane Rizzoli did not like change. She understood, on a basic level, that change was necessary for progress, but it didn't make her discomfort about new arrivals at BPD any less severe.

Cavanaugh summoned Jane, Korsak and Frankie into his office as soon as they arrived on the morning Detective David Ramos transferred in from Austin PD. Jane couldn't deny that, even with Frankie now a detective, it was hard without Frost on the team. As she sat and listened to Cavanaugh's justification for Ramos' arrival - something about needing to shake things up - she rolled her eyes internally.

Frost could never be replaced, of that Jane was sure. Maura had reassured her that any replacement of Frost's would merely be a new member of the team, and that replacement was such an unfortunate word in situations such as this. Jane had grumbled a nonsensical reply, but had found some comfort in her words.

It seemed like comfort was all she needed lately. Frost had been gone for six months but there were days she'd wake up and forget, before realisation crashed over her like a tidal wave, and she felt the familiar sickness in her stomach.

Maura had insisted, those first few nights, that Jane not be alone. Jane wasn't sure what Maura was afraid would happen if Jane did spend a night alone, but she couldn't bear the thought of not having Maura sleeping next to her, rhythmic breaths steadying her, calming her.

Comforting her.

Nightmares of car wrecks and Frost's limp, lifeless body had plagued her for weeks but, eventually, they had become less frequent, now occurring once every fortnight or so. Maura had been there every time to wipe the sweat from her forehead and hold her tight and press soft kisses to her hairline.

When she had had to fly to Kentucky for a two-day conference on stab wound analysis, Jane had barely made it through the night. Whilst it was nothing short of hellish, it had made Jane certain of a fact she'd been avoiding, denying, for months. Years really.

She was in love with Maura.

It was so simple when she allowed herself to think about it. They were soul mates. They were best friends.

They were not lovers. Unfortunately.

But that was another thing entirely, and Jane couldn't let herself dwell on it because it was sure to make things awkward, and she knew that having Maura as a friend was better than not having her at all, even if what she wanted was so much more than friendship.

So she remained teetering on a knife edge, unable to be without Maura but unable to tell her how she really felt. Terrified that some dashing prince charming would come and whisk her away, and she'd be left alone with nothing but regret and sadness and beer.

"We keeping you from your daydreams, Rizzoli?"

Jane shook her head and felt herself blush.

"No sir, sorry, I was just thinking about-"

"Well save it. Ramos is waiting outside, so why don't we go give him a warm, Boston welcome?"

Jane breathed in deeply before harumphing out of her chair and shuffling out of the room with her shoulders hunched.

Standing outside Cavanaugh's office, leaning against the cool tile of the wall of the BPD lobby, was Detective David Ramos. Jane was half expecting him to be wearing a cowboy hat and spurs on his boots.

Instead, he wore a suit that looked like it must have cost him at least a thousand dollars, which fit his chiseled body to perfection. Jane had to admit that he was good looking.

She hated him instantly.

He looked up and flashed her a brilliant white smile, pushing himself off the wall with the kind of litheness only a cat possesses. He reached out a tan hand and Jane blinked at it before taking it, squeezing his hand hard and forcing herself to return his smile.

"Detective David Ramos, it's great to meet you. You must be Detective Rizzoli."

"How did you guess? Is it my hair?" She raised her hands and gestured at the mess of curls.

"First female officer to work in the drug control unit, previously with vice, took down a serial killer with a scalpel, shot yourself to save the lives of your fellow officers. You're pretty famous around here."

"You Googled me, huh?"

He shrugged.

"I like to know who I'm gonna be working with." His mouth turned up into a smile that made Jane want to shiver. She held his gaze.

A small cough from behind them almost made her jump.

"It's great to have you here Ramos, we've heard some pretty amazing things about you. Vince Korsak." Korsak grabbed Ramos' hand and shook it vigorously.

"It's great to meet you Vince." He turned to Frankie.

"And you must be Frankie Rizzoli?"

"That's me." Jane snorted at Frankie's cool disposition, but managed to disguise it as a cough when Cavanaugh shot her a look.

"Rizzoli," Cavanaugh barked.

Both Jane and Frankie replied:

"Sir?"

"Rizzoli number one," he nodded his head at Jane.

"Take Ramos down to meet Doctor Isles, and show him around the morgue. We have a lot of work to do."

Something about Maura meeting this statuesque hunk of a man made Jane's stomach turn. Without a word she turned on her heel and strode towards the elevator, punching the button with a long forefinger.

Ramos was beside her in moments, and she felt her skin prickle.

"I hear this Doctor Isles is something of a catch."

Jane nearly vomited. They stepped into the elevator.

"She's my best friend. Did you Google her too?" She spat.

Ramos held up his hands in front of him.

"I'm not saying I'm gonna make a move Rizzoli, chill." He laughed a perfect laugh and she wanted to punch him in his teeth.

They stepped out into the corridor, Maura's office directly ahead.

"That's not to say I won't at least try and work my charms if she's as beautiful as she looks in pictures."

He winked and Jane felt all the blood rush from her face. He strode off, leaving her standing outside the closing elevator doors, dumbfounded.

The ding of the elevator making its ascent shook her from her thoughts, and she hurried after him. Mercifully, he waited for her to knock on Maura's door. She pushed it open when she heard the doctor's familiar noise of approval.

Jane was constantly taken aback by Maura's beauty. It could've been five days or five minutes since she'd last seen her, and still her heart would warm and butterflies would fill her stomach.

Sometimes, she felt so much love for Maura that she thought she would die. Maura would tell her that it was impossible to die from having too much love for someone, but it didn't make it any less real.

Today, Doctor Isles wore a tight-fitting, navy, knee-length skirt paired with a dusky orange blouse and dark grey Marc Jacobs heels. It was the kind of outfit that made Jane blush. She fought to keep herself under control as she led Ramos into the room.

"Detective Ramos, Doctor Isles. Maur', this is-"

"Detective David Ramos, we've been speaking over email. It's lovely to meet you in person, finally." She stood from her chair with such grace it made Jane feel faint, and strode confidently towards Ramos with an elegant hand stretched out before her.

The way Ramos' eyes raked over Maura's body made Jane want to tackle him.

"Oh, I wasn't aware that you were previously acquainted." She said sarcastically.

"Detective Ramos has been enquiring about the facilities here and I was very happy to fill him in ahead of his arrival, to aid his preparation."

"Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail, isn't that right Jane?"

He looked her dead in the eye and in that moment she knew that he knew. About Maura. About her and Maura.

"It's Detective Rizzoli. My friends call me Jane."

Maura raised her eyebrows and looked at Jane, then Ramos, then at Jane again. Just as she was about to say something she hoped would be placating, Jane's cell phone buzzed in its holster.

She ripped it from her belt and pressed the 'accept call' button as angrily as possible.

"Rizzoli."

"If you're done giving Ramos a tour, get back up here. I have news for you." Cavanaugh's voice sounded strained and it did nothing to help Jane's feeling of uneasiness.

"We'll be there in two." Returning her phone to its holster, she turned to Maura.

"As much as I'd absolutely love to stay and chat with you two, Cavanaugh's got something for us. See ya later Maura."

She walked to the door and out into the corridor as briskly as she could without it looking too much like she couldn't bear to be in Maura's office anymore and made her way back to the elevator.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she imagined the smug look Ramos would be giving Maura and was surprised to feel tears sting behind her eyes. Sniffing, she turned her attention to willing the elevator to please hurry up for the love of all that is holy.

Once they were back in the bullpen, the expression on Korsak's face told her her day wasn't about to get any better.

"Janie, they're moving him. They're moving David Lee Bishop to ADX Florence."

xxx

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