What if you found "the one" when you were a kid? What if you "married" them when you were 10? What if you found out that marriage was actually real and valid? What if when you went to ask for a divorce you realized what you just discovered you had is all you ever actually wanted?

Or

Maura and Jane, inseparable from the time the Rizzoli's started to work for the Isles', decided to get "married" when they were ten. 21 years later Maura discovered that the little ceremony was valid and in order to marry her fiancé must first get a divorce. But it doesn't take long for her to realize that perhaps she and Jane were always meant to be.

"I don't understand what could be so important that he couldn't explain it over the phone. Or why, if it has to be said in person, he couldn't come to deliver it at our home. I mean, isn't that why we pay him so much?"

Maura shook her head as the elevator continued to rise. She was tired of this argument. He had been going on about it for the last five minutes.

"Garrett…" she sighed.

"Fine, fine," he conceded as he pulled out his phone and began scrolling through emails. "I just hope this doesn't take too long."

She took a deep breath as they exited onto one of the top floors of the building. A busy, but welcoming, assistant showed them to an expensively decorated office, and as they continued to sit and wait, Maura couldn't help how her mind wandered.

It meandered through everything. From issues with combining their personal estates to needing additional details for their prenup. But eventually she let them quiet. There was no use in fretting over it, clearly her fiancé wasn't, they would be told in a moment.

It wasn't much longer before their lawyer walked in, hurried and apologetic, taking a seat across from them both. Maura gave him a small, understanding smile. One he returned. One that was quickly wiped away once he met Garrett's annoyed stare. He cleared his throat before starting.

"So sorry to keep you waiting. I'm sure you're both quite busy."

"Yes we are," Garrett replied sharply.

"Right," he warily replied, shuffling a few papers across his desk. He looked back up to them both, his eyes full of what Maura would best describe as hesitation, perhaps fear. "So, it seems that there is a small hiccup with the approval of your marriage license application."

The words grabbed them both. Garrett finally put his phone back in his jacket pocket. Maura sat a little straighter in her chair. It was perhaps the last thing they would have guessed. The application was supposed to be the easiest part of them getting married. Because Maura knew the wedding planning certainly hadn't been so far.

Maura cleared her throat and set a light hand on Garrett's knee in an attempt to settle his visibly growing irritation. "What is the issue?"

The man gave a quick look over to Garrett, settling for only a second on his dark, hardened eyes before focusing back to Maura. He swallowed hard as though it would help, but his words still came out slow and reluctant.

"Well, it seems that your application has been denied and therefore you cannot get married at this time."

"Why was it denied?" Garrett growled, jerking his knee so her hand slipped away. The man flinched, his glasses slipping down his nose, at the sudden and harsh reaction.

"Because… well," he pushed his glasses back up and took a breath. "Because Dr. Isles is already married."

"What!"

"What?"

They both exclaimed at the same time. One in anger. One in confusion. Garrett turned to Maura, his movements fast and sharp and accusatory.

"You're married?" He practically spat.

"No. No, of course not. There's been a mistake."

She turned back to the lawyer, head shaking lightly back and forth. Her eyes wide and pleading. There had to have been a mistake. Something had been misread. Or forms had been accidentally swapped. Because there truly was no other explanation. And when she locked her gaze with his, he knew everything she was asking without her saying anything.

He gave a quick shake of his head. "I can assure you there is no mistake. I have checked via multiple sources."

"Who the hell is it?" Garrett practically shouted at him. Once again the man flinched as though he thought this time Garrett was going to lunge across the desk. Garrett glared a moment and when met with more silence, he turned his judgmental stare upon Maura.

The lawyer turned his attention to her. The fear in his eyes from Garrett slipped away, leaving behind only soft concern and a silent request, asking if she would like him to disclose the information. She stayed still for a few moments. Still in shock. Still trying to figure out who and how and when. But she couldn't find anything and she gave a stilted nod.

"Please," she asked. "So we can get all of this sorted."

He nodded back, flipping open the folder before him. "It would seem you are married to a one, Jane Rizzoli."

She sucked in sharply before becoming frozen. Just her limbs though, because inside everything was moving a mile a minute. Her head was racing. Her heart beat fast and hard. Even her stomach seemed to start doing flips at the sound of Jane's name.

"Jane…" she whispered. The name buzzed on her tongue.

"What? Jane? A woman? Maura?" The questions poured from his mouth, building one on top of the other. Each one expecting an answer. Something she couldn't find for any of them.

The room suddenly felt small and hot. She stood quickly, causing her chair to slide backwards, and the jarring noise it made only added to the confusion that was rapidly filling the office.

"Excuse me for a moment," she said, dashing for the hall. She raced past the assistant and made a few turns that lead her to a remote part of the building. Far enough away she knew Garrett wouldn't continue to search for her, if he even went looking at all.

She leaned against the wall and took a few steadying breaths. Her eyes closed and she let the sound of her heartbeat in her ears drown everything else out. Everything except Jane. And then it flooded her. An understanding of where all the confusion stemmed from. The memory of a moment that had once been one of her most treasured. A bright spot in an otherwise lonely childhood. And it replayed in perfect clarity.

21 years before

They huddled under the shelter of their favorite place. A small hodgepodge of a fort they had managed to piece together with scrap lumber and fallen tree branches and old bedsheets. A spot where their friendship was the only thing that mattered to them both. An escape of sorts.

It was a place where sometimes Maura would try to explain to Jane the complicated subject her tutor was trying to teach her. Other times Jane would show Maura how to make things like friendship bracelets and cootie-catchers. And still, other times they just silently enjoyed each other's company, a book in both their hands.

As was the case then, until Maura broke the comfortable quiet between them.

"Jane?"

She looked up from the well-worn pages of her comic book, eyes bright like they always were for her best friend. "Yeah?"

"Did you know that the feeling of love is primarily driven by the hormone oxytocin?"

"No, but I do know," Jane replied with a genuine smile. Because she truly loved it when Maura told her odd and interesting facts. It was similar to how she could spew off sports statistics like no one else, except more impressive. Much more impressive.

"But…" Maura trailed off, gnawing at the corner of her lip for a few seconds, a tell-tale sign to Jane that she was apprehensive, but after a few more moments she continued. "But do you think it's more than just that? More than just hormones and biology?"

"Maybe," she said with a nod, pausing for just a moment as her answer continued to build. "I think it's probably that plus all the moments you share with someone. Like when you laugh together. Or when you tell each other your favorite things. Just when you get to know someone and make lots of memories. I think all of that is a part of loving someone. Why?"

Maura didn't answer, instead her head dropped to the book in her lap. Falling to the words that had churned up all the questions running through her head. Jane inched forward, her own concern growing with each silent second.

"Do you think everyone can be loved?"

"Of course," her hand fell soft on Maura's knee. "Maura, what's this about?"

She looked up. Her eyes had become glassy, filled with worried tears. Her words came out soft.

"I don't think anyone in my family actually loves one another."

"Maur-," Jane tried to interject, but Maura stopped her.

"No, it's true Jane. My parents certainly don't love each other and I'm not sure they love me. And what if that means I can't love anyone or if no one can love me and I grow up to be alone. What if I stay alone for the rest of my life?"

Jane frowned. She'd been over to the Isles' estate enough times to conclude that Maura's parents both lived in their own worlds. Each of them with their own hobbies and interests and areas of the house. They always seemed so cold and distant. And though she couldn't help but agree, it pained her to see the effect it had on Maura.

"You're not alone Maura," she said, earning a skeptical look. Jane gave a little squeeze to Maura's knee. "You're not. Because you have me. You'll always have me. And we're best friends and I'll always love you."

The worry vanished from her face. Eyes softening. Mouth curling to a smile. Because this was a promise. And though lots of people had broken lots of promises to her in the past. Never Jane.

"Forever?"

"Forever."

It fell quiet within their space, but Jane could see the wheels in Maura's head turning. Processing and planning. She had gotten pretty good guessing what Maura might say after she got that look. Usually it was some interesting fact from the pile she always kept tucked away. Other times she'd try, and often fail, at telling a joke she once heard. And rarely, there were times when she just stayed quiet and they both went back to doing what they were doing. But she would have never guessed the words Maura spoke next.

"We should get married."

Jane's mouth dropped open in shock. Then closed. Then fell open again. Her eyes wide and brows raised.

"What?" She exclaimed.

Maura smirked, a devilish thing she only showed to Jane. "You heard me, Jane. You and me. The two of us should get married to one another. We love each other and are best friends and this way we will always have each other. No matter what."

"Maura, we can't."

"Why not?"

Her mouth continued to hang open slightly, just enough for a huff of disbelief to escape. She shook her head once, then twice, giving her just enough time for her mouth to finally catch up with her brain.

"Because… because we're only ten," she managed, sticking to the most logical reason.

"And?"

"And… that makes us too young to get married."

"I don't believe age should disqualify us."

"But the law does."

Maura just narrowed her eyes and Jane understood. She was smart and clever enough that she could find a loophole. That there was probably a way around it and she'd be the one to find it.

Jane cleared her throat, because that had been her primary argument. It had been her one good shot at convincing Maura they couldn't do this. Not shouldn't, but couldn't. Because, even though she had vehemently denied to her mother and teasing brothers, that she hadn't thought about her potential wedding, she had. And it always included Maura. And it always scared her to death.

"Okay, well how about because neither of us knows how to plan a wedding."

"That is something we could easily figure out. Plus, I don't believe we would want anything big." Her words were straight to the point and easily erasing away all the excuses Jane could come up with. Until there was only one rotten idea left.

"And, well, you're you and I'm me and we can't."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Jane let out a sigh. "You're an Isles, Maura. Your family practically owns half of Boston, and I'm just me. Daughter of your family's handyman."

Maura flinched and Jane instantly wished she could swallow the words back up. Because Maura wasn't like her mother or father. If anything, Jane knew Maura wished above almost everything she didn't have the Isles name and reputation attached to her.

"That's not fair. I don't care about that and you know it," she replied, a sting to her voice that caused Jane's eyes to drop.

"Yeah I know, Maur. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Maura nodded a couple of times as they both fell quiet. Jane's thoughts still lingered on the flub she had just made. But Maura's had already travelled back to her initial proposal.

"So?"

Jane looked back up, slightly perplexed as to what Maura was asking about, because she couldn't still be asking what Jane thought she was.

"So what?"

"Will you marry me?"

"Maura, you're supposed to be the rational and practical one between us. This won't work. "

"But we can try. Please, Jane," Maura pleaded. She inched forward, moving close enough that as the two of them sat cross-legged, their knees touched, and she set a gentle hand on Jane's. She fell back to what she said earlier. "We're best friends and we love each other and this way I'll know that I'll always have you, no matter what. We won't be alone."

Jane could feel her face flush, the warmth spreading across her entire body, as Maura continued to stare. Deep and exposing. And she didn't know why she tried so hard to fight against it. She would do practically anything to make Maura happy. She she always would.

Slowly a smile began to tug at the corners of her lips. And the blush that had started to fade filled her cheeks once again.

"Okay, yes. I will marry you. But-," her face went serious for a second, because her next words were non-negotiable. "- I am not wearing a dress."

Maura launched into Jane, her arms wrapping her tight in a hug that was all awkward angles and muffled giggles, until they lost the little bit of balance they were clinging to and rolled onto their backs. Their laughs still going. Full of joy and light. And for the moment, Maura was convinced it was enough to make them float.

The sharp shrill of an office phone ringing and a harsh shuffling of dropped files startled Maura back. Her breaths were shallow and heartbeats hard. And she wasn't certain if it was because the noises had made her jump, or if it was a reaction to the memory. Or more accurately, the person in the memory.

After a few steadying breaths, she walked back to the office. Her strides filled with determination. A drive to figure out what to do next so they could move forward. Because as much as it pained her to admit, Jane was only a part of the past. And yet some of that purpose was dashed when she realized Garrett was no longer there.

She motioned to his empty chair as she took her own seat. "Garrett?"

"He stepped outside to take a call," relief evident in each of his words.

Maura nodded, picking up on the man's relief and understanding completely. Because while she was bothered Garrett hadn't stayed to show support, she couldn't deny that it would be easier to work through this without him there. She took a deep breath, glancing to her watch, only then realizing how much time had passed.

"I apologize for stepping out for so long."

"It's quite alright. I realize how much of a shock this must be for you."

Her gaze dropped to the files open on his desk. The ones that held all the evidence she was having trouble believing. She shook her head a few times and looked back up.

"There has to be a mistake. I know you've assured me there isn't, but we were 10 when we did that little wedding. There's no way that it was legal or binding. It was just something we did to make me feel not so alone," she pleaded, her words trailing as she realized those years had truly been the only time she hadn't felt that way. Alone. Misunderstood.

His eyes softened and lips pursed slightly, falling somewhere between a frown and sympathetic grin.

"Dr. Isles, I wouldn't have brought it up if I wasn't completely certain. You are legally married to Ms. Rizzoli."

She swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump that had suddenly settled in her throat. And after a few tries, she could finally speak again.

"Okay. Well, how do we fix this?"

"I suppose the way most marriages are dissolved. Ask for a divorce."

Maura's chest constricted at the idea of it all. At the thought of what Garrett was going to say. And the actual act of drawing up divorce papers. And then there was Jane. Speaking with her after all these years. Explaining this entire situation to her. Getting her to the sign papers.

And for a fleeting moment she couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps signing them, that going through with dissolving the marriage she didn't know was real until minutes earlier, wasn't the right thing to do. That maybe Jane wasn't just a part of her past. But then Garrett walked back in and she shook them away.

"Right, divorce."

You'll have to suspend reality to enjoy this story, because this certainly wouldn't be legal or happen, but it's a fun idea.