Maura was sat in her office, her head in her hands and her honey blonde hair cascading down the sides of her face. The tips of her soft hair were touching the mahogany wooden desk that resided in her office on the basement level of the Boston Police Department building. She sighed heavily, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears and her lower lip captured by her teeth in a gentle grip.

She sat thinking to herself, the day had been slow and there were no open homicide cases that she was working on with Jane's team. The autopsies were rather simple cases which meant that she could leave her team to carry out the procedures rather than have to do them herself.

I thought I made it obvious about how I felt, but apparently not… do I have to spell it out ? How can I get her to realise how much I love her? How can I get her to realise that I'm in love with her? I have always been in love with her. I love the beautiful smile I know she reserves just for me. I love the way her eyes sparkle when she smiles. I love the way she wraps me in the security of her arms. I love the way she does everything in her power to protect me.

She sighed heavily as a salty tear trailed down the soft moisturised skin of her cheek, taking with it some traces of the make-up that she had on her face.

He proposed. He did what I have dreamt of doing. He asked the woman of my dreams to marry him. He asked the woman I have loved for years to marry him. He asked her. I should have asked her because that woman? That woman is my world and I love her with all of my heart and soul. I wish it was me that asked her to marry me. I wish it was me that could slide a ring on her finger. I wish it was me that she said the words 'I do' to. I wish it was me that could be with her forever. Forever. That is what I want with her. It is what I have always wanted with her.

Her eyes looked at the photo that sat on her desk, encased in an ornate frame that Jane had purchased for her as a birthday present two months previously. The photo was of the both of them, their cheeks were pressed together and both were smiling happily. Jane had taken the photo herself when they were at the park, their faces were flushed from running and they were laying on the grass near the duck pond. The Medical Examiner reached out a hand and took hold of it. Her eyes focused on the sparkling eyes of the Detective in the photo and a finger traced the side of the woman's face.

"I love you so much", she whispered to the woman in the photo although nobody else could hear her. "Damnit", she muttered to herself before uncharacteristically using her left hand to brush across the desk, sending many items flying across the floor - including files, paperwork and a few personal items.

Why did he have to be the one to ask? Why did he get the happy ending? Why did he get to be with the woman I love? How could she not see how much I love her? I even told her. I told her I love her and she… she thought I meant in a platonic manner! How? How could she not see? How could a detective not detect the way my body reacts to her? How could she not realise how much she means to me and how much I love her?

Outside of the office, out of the sight of the Medical Examiner stood a curly haired detective, her eyes were wide and her face painted with a look of pure worry. Her hand was free of the ring that Casey had offered. It was free from the ring that would have tied her to him.

The woman inside the office began to sob openly, her right hand gripping the photo frame tightly whilst her left arm was being used to prop her head up away from the wood of the desk. Her body wracked with tears and her body convulsed with the force of the sobs.

Jane couldn't watch anymore, she hadn't been there long but long enough to know that the news she had delivered earlier had something to do with the current mood and actions of the honey blonde woman.

Her footsteps marched towards the office door and swung it open, the door hit the wall slightly making a noise.

Maura jumped slightly and attempted to cover her emotional response to the news she had heard from the dark haired detective only hours beforehand. She didn't have a chance to speak before the other woman's lips were pressed against hers. She didn't have a chance to think before she tugged the woman close to her and increased the desperation that was laced into the kiss.

The detective tugged the woman to stand and wrapped her arms around her, before cupping her cheek.

When they pulled apart, Maura looked up at her with concern etched on her face, "What about… what about…", she couldn't find the words, her mind would not allow her to speak his name, the name of the man who had proposed to the beautiful Italian whose arms she was in.

She shook her head, and paraphrased something that Maura had said to her before, "I like Casey, a lot", she said softly, "But I love you".

The honey blonde woman looked up at the genuine smile that resided on the woman's face and she couldn't help but grin, "I love you too Jane", she said as she leant into the woman more, "I love you too".

The usually tidy office was strangely messy, with objects and papers on the floor however neither women cared about that as they stood with their bodies pressed against each other in a tight embrace. Neither of them wanted to let go of the other.