So this story is based off of a prompt sent to me by mymariska a little while ago. I won't tell you the prompt just yet since it would give away the whole story, but I hope you enjoy this one. I originally intended for this to be a short story, but as I wrote it kind of started to take on a life of its own. Thoughts are in bold and flashbacks are in italics. I hope you like this one and I haven't forgotten about Toxicology Reports, I'm just trying to figure out how to bring that story to a close. So until then, thanks again to mymariska for the prompt and enjoy! -ME

Ghost

Chapter 1- If only Maura knew

It had been three days. Three long, exhausting, excruciatingly lonely and silent days without her best friend and Maura wasn't sure how much longer she could take it. One day Jane was there, and then suddenly she wasn't. Maura didn't know if she would ever get to hear the brunette's deep voice as she regaled stories of her early days on the force or when she complained about her helicopter mother. Would she ever feel the comforting touch on her arm when Maura felt stuck on a case or was unsure of herself in a social situation? How was she to get through her days if she couldn't at least see Jane's dazzling smile every day, the one that was so full of love and adoration that the brunette reserved solely for the doctor. No. Maura didn't know what she was going to do now. And the worst part was, she didn't know if she would ever get the chance to tell Jane exactly how she felt about her. In all likelihood, the honey blonde was sure that that particular opportunity had been stolen from her, from them, by a drugged-out hulk of a man wielding his gun like it was a toy.

Three days ago… (Thursday morning)

"God damnit! Why can't we catch a break on this case just once?" Jane growled in frustration before dropping her head into her hands and sighing dejectedly.

"You alright there partner?" Frost asked from over his own computer screen, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Yeah… no… sometimes I just wish killers would turn themselves in," she mumbled into her hands.

"If that were the case, I'm pretty sure one, if not both of us would be out of a job," replied Frost with a hint of humor in his voice. "Just imagine how it could be. The streets of Boston free of murderers since they'd all just surrender themselves. You'd be a plumber and I'd be a… well, maybe something with computers still, but you get the idea."

Jane's eyes peeked out through her fingers as she tried to glare at her partner but was met only with a smug grin. Clearly Frost had gotten used to the Rizzoli death glare, so it looked like the brunette needed to adopt a new one. Maybe that's what I'll do this weekend while Maura's away on her dead people retreat. She snorted to herself as she pictured the perfectly put-together blonde mucking her way through the backwoods of Massachusetts with people just as odd as she. Then again at the absurdity that without her best friend, she was resorting to staring at herself in a mirror all weekend in an attempt to come up with a new, menacing look to intimidate her partner. Oh god, what's happened to me? Can't even spend a weekend alone anymore.

In all honesty though, Jane knew that her life was inexplicably and irreversibly tied to the ME, and had been since the day Maura had offered to pay for her coffee while the brunette was dressed as a hooker. Even then, there was something about the doctor that had drawn Jane to her and once the whole hooker in fishnets thing had been sorted out, they had become such close friends in such a short period of time. Within weeks, there had been movie nights and sleepovers, dinner dates and early morning yoga sessions. Jane had never melded so perfectly with another person before, and it wasn't until recently that she had begun to realize why.

Over the past week, it seemed as if the two women had spent all of their free time together. They'd gone to work taking many breaks throughout the day to go see one another. They'd meet for lunch and go out or sit quietly together in a booth at the café. Then after work would meet each other in the lobby before heading to the Dirty Robber, or if one of them was working late, they'd end up at one of their homes where they would indulge in a night cap, some conversation, before falling asleep wrapped up in each other on the couch or in a bed. The cycle continued without either woman batting an eyelash at their proximity, both seeming to thoroughly enjoy the constant time together.

One night though, while the pair were sharing a particularly lovely bottle of pinot noir (Jane had forgone her customary beer since they were at her apartment and she had neglected to stock up), Maura mentioned that an old friend of hers was to be visiting town that Thursday and had called her asking if the honey blonde could spare an evening to go for dinner and drinks to catch up. When the doctor had seemed to shrug it off, and had avoided directly answering Jane's questions about this old friend, the brunette could think of only one reason that Maura would avoid saying what kind of old friend this was. Finally, Maura had admitted that the old friend was in fact a former classmate from medical school, but not just any former classmate.

"Well, we, uh, we might have studied anatomy together?" The honey blonde's voice rose at the end of her sentenced caused Jane to press further.

"Oh really? And was this anatomy studied in a classroom or…." The brunette trailed off, her eyebrow quirking up as she tried to coax a straight answer from her friend.

"Well, sometimes, but most of the time it was at my apartment. Kaleigh seemed to be able to, uh concentrate better when we didn't have any risk of disruptions."

Uh huh… "Were you studying as part of a class the two of you were taking?"

"Uhhh… no, not really. We may have… maybe we had been studying each other's anatomy? Well, I mean, it was anatomy, but it was just for a much more personal and… pleasurable reason."

And there it was. So this old friend of Maura's had actually been more than just a friend, at least physically. Jane didn't have any problem with Maura having had sexual relationships with other women. Hell, it meant there were better odds that maybe, just maybe the brunette had a shot with her smart and glamorous best friend. But the thought of Maura potentially ending up in the bed of someone else—another woman even—made Jane feel something she couldn't ever recall feeling. There was a hint of arousal at the idea of Maura melting into the sheets, writhing in pleasure and begging for more, but then there was something else at the idea of the cause of the blonde's bliss not being Jane. It felt like a vice clamped on her insides and a fire burning through her blood at the same time—jealousy. Jane was jealous of this woman that had had Maura before, and could possibly have her again on Thursday night. She didn't want anyone to be able to touch Maura that way, or love her that way, except for the brunette herself. No one was worthy of Maura Isles, not even her, but at least she understood the blonde. Cared for her. Protected her. Loved her. Love. That's what this was. Jane loved Maura, and she couldn't face the fact that she might not get to be the one that got to make love to the blonde. To touch her, or hold her, or whisper sweet words into her ear as she took Maura over the edge again and again.

Maura must have noticed something flash across chocolate orbs as she stopped talking to simply gaze at her best friend who seemed to be having some trouble breathing, and was obviously no longer listening.

"Jane?"

Nothing. Maura reached out and placed her hand on the detective's shoulder.

"Jane?"

"Huh? What?" The brunette was pulled from her thoughts as her now refocused eyes met worried hazel. "Sorry, I was just, uh, thinking about how nice that must have been. So," Jane cleared her throat, "are you going to go meet up with her?"

Maura's eyes moved back and forth between Jane's, trying to figure out what had been bothering the brunette.

"No."

What? Did I just hear her right? 'No?'Jane tried not to let her surprise show, and quickly regained control of herself. "Really? Why not?" she asked, hoping that her voice didn't give away her satisfaction with the answer.

The blonde offered a gentle smile towards her friend. "That part of my life, and those in it, have long since passed. What I had with Kaleigh was purely physical. There was no meaning behind it, and it was just convenient. I see no reason why I should open up that can of larvae again. Especially not when I could just as easily spend a lovely evening with my best friend here or at the Dirty Robber."

"Eww. It's worms, Maur. Can of worms, not larvae. Blehh," said Jane, shaking her head in mock disgust. "But I'm honored that you would give up a night of potentially wonderful sex with a past girlfriend to spend a much less 'thrilling' evening with me." The brunette grinned at Maura, offering the blonde a full few of her dimples, her eyes full of love and adoration towards her friend. If only Maura knew how thrilling an evening with me could really be.

But Thursday night never came.

So, let me know what you think! I have a few chapters already written and hope to make this about 15-20 chapters, but we'll see how it goes! Also, I'm still looking for ideas for a few 1-2 shots so PM me with ideas for what you might like to see.