The Queen of the Dead. That was what they called her. That was how the rest of the Boston PD saw Dr. Maura Isles, their Chief Medical Examiner. She supposed she deserved the name, it was certainly very fitting, but it bothered her for some reason. They usually only said the name in passing, or behind her back, they said it to her face. Already, that unsettled her.

But more than just knowing that it was a nickname they used behind her back, it just wasn't a very flattering title to begin with! Even if it was true, Maura did spend a lot of time around the dead and her personality wasn't much more lively, that didn't mean the name didn't… hurt. Did they really have to point out the obvious? Did they really have to make a running gag out of it? She already knew she wasn't the life of the party! Why couldn't her reputation have been something at least a little bit nicer?

Vampire. Corpse Whisperer. Tomb Raider. Ghost Whisperer. Human Ouija Board. Medium. Clairvoyant. Witch. Summoner or Conjurer. Voodooist. Necromancer or Necromerchant. Spirit Speaker. These were all other playful little names that the BPD gave her, but just like with "Queen of the Dead", she despised them all.

"I'm so much more than that!" she muttered angrily, but it was hard to take her seriously when she was just about to start an autopsy. She picked up her knives and scalpels. These were her only friends, the only ones who never judged her. The cold tools and the even colder bodies. She was the Queen of the Dead, the operating room was her kingdom, the scalpel was her scepter, and all of the murder victims were her loyal subjects.

Outside, someone hung a note on the door that read, "I'm Maura Isles, Medical Examiner Head. I write medical files, and I speak for the dead."

And even at home, there was no escape from her "royal title". Even though there was no one around to whisper that awful name anymore, because she lived alone, that meant her house was so quiet it could've been a ghost town.

But then one Detective Jane Rizzoli stepped into her life. It was quite by accident, Jane having been posing as a hooker when Maura ran into her at a coffee shop.

"Really? Two dollars for a day-old donut and bad coffee?" Jane had been in the middle of trying to haggle for a cheap meal. Maura was quick to swoop in and try to pay for it, but she was met with scorn, leading to a small argument.

"Not every hooker has a heart of gold, alright, sister?" Jane sneered.

"Apparently not… sister," Maura dared to shoot back an uncharacteristically bold retort. It was enough to make Jane raise her eyebrows.

But the next time they met, which was at BPD HQ, of all places, Jane had since changed her mind about the feisty CME. Maura hadn't realized Jane had been an undercover cop, so at first, she worried that Jane was going to chew her out again. In reality, Jane actually wanted to congratulate Maura for being so witty and feisty.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed by your liveliness!" the detective laughed as she and Maura had another, more proper, introduction. She extended a hand, clearly ready to forgive Maura for their awkward first encounter. Maura felt the same, but to hear Jane call her "lively" was so surprising that she froze. Lively? Did Jane really think that? It was the first time she'd ever been called lively! She couldn't even tell if she was offended or not!

"Ah, not into the whole handshake thing, I see," Jane snickered when Maura only continued to stare at her. Blessedly, once again, Jane had taken Maura's social blunder with grace, only laughing it off. "I remember the day we met, you put on gloves just to hand me money! I guess it makes sense you're a germaphobe!" Jane continued to tease while Maura could still only stand there. But the moment Jane said "germaphobe", Muara finally had something to say.

"Actually, the more technical term is mysophobia! But other names include verminophobia, bacillophobia and bacteriophobia," she stuttered. Jane's eyebrows went up again as Maura continued to ramble helplessly.

"She speaks!" Jane smirked. "You won't shake hands, but you'll serenade me with all of your marvelous intellect?"

Maura was quickly silenced again, looking embarrassed. But Jane was quick to amend her words after realizing why Maura had fallen silent again.

"No disrespect intended, of course," she said. She even tried to smile disarmingly, but that smile left Maura paralyzed all over again…

From that day on, the homicide detective and CME were friends. Then best friends. Then girlfriends. And now, Maura finally, truly, was happy. Even though she really looked like the Queen of the Dead now (come on, her girlfriend was a homicide detective) Maura never felt more alive! Being with Jane opened up a side of Maura that none of them knew existed! She was still very introverted and awkward, but she became more social as her relationship with Jane developed. She was no longer so gloomy, gray, distant or bitter. She smiled and talked. Thanks to Jane, Maura began to come out of her shell, and her entire life improved along with this change.

Even better, though, when Jane found out about the "Queen of the Dead" nickname and how much Maura hated it, she was quick to lay down the law. If anyone ever dared to use that name again, Jane would find an excuse to arrest them. Or beat them up in training. It was a silly, excessive threat, but it got the point across that the jokes needed to stop. And slowly but surely, the other officers respectfully backed off. Soon, the loathsome title died out, finally reaching the end of its own life.

But even if Jane had not stepped up, the nickname would've still inched its way into the grave. With Maura opening up more and more, the nickname no longer suited her. Now that her coworkers knew what she was really like, none of them felt any need to keep up the old title. She was no longer the Queen of the Dead, but a human and a friend! She was not a mysterious, distant, ethereal figure of the Other World. She was a fellow member of the BPD! She was not a stranger, but a friend! And with all that mystery and allure gone, the title quickly followed suit. She was finally one of them! Finally part of the team… the family.

Even though she still worked with death, Jane had brought new life to her life. Maura was much more sunshiney now. She was too lively, sweet and friendly. She could even be chatty under the right conditions! Now, she was a Queen of the Living, and the first time Maura ever heard that title (jokingly given to her by Korsak and Frost), she was over the moon.

"The Queen of Life!" Maura smiled to herself. "That is who I am now, the Queen of Life!" And it was all thanks to her "queen consort", Detective Jane Rizzoli! Now, Maura finally had friends, and with them came new life and understanding on all sides.

Wasn't it funny how life had such a strange way of bringing itself up, even in the most morbid of places? Who'd have ever thought a chief medical examiner and homicide detective would be able to fill each other with so much light, life and love? But it had happened! And everyone in the BPD could testify. Now, Maura was no longer a dark and unhappy queen sitting alone on her throne. Now, she walked amongst her people with a consort at her side. She had a new place and home now, all thanks to Jane, but most importantly, now she had a new life.

AN: Rizzoli and Isles was a great show and Jane and Maura had amazing chemistry. They were lesbian buddy cops, I'm all about that life! Fight me on this. (Also, what is it with the blond/brunette lesbian trope? Jane and Maura are only one example of a very long list where this trope applies).