Full plot idea: Everyone is born with a universally pre-determined soulmate who is your perfect counterpart, the puzzle piece to complete the missing part in your chest. Whether it's their name appearing on your skin, shared scars or any other number of small identifiers, the universe will tell you who your soulmate is because they will match you. Unless you are what the majority calls 'Special'; those who are born with the ability to match to anyone.

Jane Rizzoli had only met one person like that, her friend and partner Barold 'Barry' Frost, before her world was blown apart by a hurricane in designer clothes named Maura Isles and realizes what your fears and hesitation can cost you when you don't fight for your soulmate to be yours.

Tags: Soulmate AU. Angsty. General AU. Cluelessly dense Maura who doesn't realize she is Jane's soulmate or that her friend is in love with her.

A/N: this may or may not become a story but I felt that this was a good way to release some pent up angst I've been feeling lately.


Jane stared blankly at the invitation before her for a long moment. It was pretty and meticulously designed with cursive writing on it. Part of her wondered if the gold on the bordered edge was real gold, she knew Maura could cover the cost of such an extravagance, or just colored strips of tin like most cards.

Maura Isles and Maria DuBois cordially invite you to their wedding.

She dropped the paper as she felt a pain in her chest that made her eyes clench shut. It was a burning pain that would have reduced far weaker people to tears or crying out in agony but she bore it clenched fists. She was not a weaker person, at least she told herself even though it felt like her heart was shattering into a million shards of glass.

It was the universe's way of punishing her for being a coward. When the pain ceased she looked to the angry red tortoise shell shaped mark on her inner left wrist with Maura's name on it. It was the universe's way of telling her that her soulmate was enjoying intimacy with someone who wasn't her. That Maura was happy and in love with someone else.

"What could I give her though… She deserves so much more than I could ever afford to provide for her.." Jane sighed to herself. She heard Jo Friday barking and turned to the little ball of fluff with a sad smile. "But that's life huh Jo? She's happy and in love with someone who loves her back. Someone who can give her what she deserves without having to kill themselves to do it."

Jo Friday whined at her humans words. She could tell that her human was upset about something but she didn't know what. The little terrier hopped up onto the couch and laid in Jane's lap, her eyes aimed up at her humans shining with concern.

For a moment Jane wondered if Jo Friday was more intelligent than other dogs. While there were moments she had her doubts about how smart most animals were, she was partially convinced that Jo was smarter than your average canine. Why else would the terrier try to comfort her when dogs can't understand a word people say unless you train them to understand gestures with treat training? "It isn't going to change much, she's still going to be around. She's still going to love on you and you'll get to bother the big turtle" she comforted the tiny dog while rubbing her ears.

If only Jane had a clue to how off the mark she was.


As the days counted down closer and closer to the wedding, things began to change more than everyone was expecting. The cases came in as they always did and the team worked like mad to solve them as usual but Maura began to come around less and less to the after case celebration down at the Dirty Robber. Planning a wedding was a monumental task but by the time that all the big things were almost done, Maura had practically abandoned the tradition in favor of trying to pull her weight towards contributing towards hers and Maria's special day. She was apologetic about it and she felt terrible about not being there, on more than one occasion she had handed Korsak an envelope with money saying drinks were on her before departing to keep her fiancee from pulling her hair out, but they understood.

Everyone but Jane that is.

Korsak and Frost noticed that the normally brash, loud detective had been sinking into herself. Acting more like a cop and less like… well, Jane. She barely reacted to Crowe's comments, every time that there was an update on a dead body that could crack their cases she told one of them to get it without taking her head out from the file and quite frankly the two men were beyond worried.

Stoic Jane was a ticking bomb. Stoic Jane was more unpredictable than Angry Jane.

"Frost, I will strangle you if you ever let this get out but we need to do something drastic about Jane" Korsak said with a grimace. Jane wasn't in the bullpen, she had stepped out for coffee so they had a limited amount of time to plan. "We need to talk to the Doc and Angela. Something is wrong with Jane and we are sitting on a bomb waiting to blow up in our faces."

Barry scowled having noticed the signs before Korsak or the others. While she laughed at his bad jokes and even made some of her own when it was absolutely necessary, he'd seen that the humor never reached her eyes and seemed rather forced. There was a rigid tautness about her and she seemed to be losing weight; Jane was thin to begin with and it was hard to notice at first considering her athletic routine but he was starting to get more than a little concerned. Not to mention that she was more and more coming into work with bags under her eyes and working enough hours to warrant Cavanaugh ordering Jane to see the shrink for working three eighty hour weeks covering for anyone who had an emergency of any kind.

"I know but I think I know what the problem is and as much as I hate to say this Korsak, the Doc is the problem" Barry said locking his fingers together under his chin.

"How is the Doc the problem? Her and Jane are best friends. If Maura did anything to upset Jane, she would realize it before long and make every attempt to make it up to Jane."

"How many times has she come to the Dirty Robber with us since she got engaged?" Barry asked pointedly.

"Once or twice but I don't-"

"How many times has Maura broken lunch plans and movie nights with Jane to keep her fiancee Maria from pulling out her hair in frustration from planning the upcoming wedding?"

Korsak's grimace deepened at the question. "More than she should but Jane said it was ok and she under..stood.. You don't think that-"

Barry tapped his shoulder where his mark was before he tilted his head towards Jane's chair and then towards the elevator.

"If that was the case, why hasn't Jane said anything to the Doc? Maura adores Jane and would have married her in a heartbeat if she knew that. Hell, they've been acting like a married couple for years with how they treat each other."

"Think about Jane for a second and ask me again if you really don't understand" Barry said with a look aimed at Korsak.

The older detective leaned back in his chair giving his own question a hard think before he sighed. Jane was complicated to say the least but the most basic thing that anyone who spent any length of time around her knew one thing to be gospel truth- Jane Rizzoli did not do feelings well if your name was not Maura Isles. Jane was like Fort Knox, or Fort Rizzoli as it were, when it came to hiding and shoving all her complicated feelings into a dark corner of her mind never to see the light of day again. Then Maura came in and it was like shoving dynamite into the lock and blowing it open.

"She's going to kill herself living a life of perpetual agony for Maura to be happy" Korsak said after a long minute of thought. "I don't like it Frost, Jane deserves better than that after everything she's suffered through."

"What other option does she have Vince, throw away a friendship that means more to her than anything in the world? Break up a relationship that Maura is happy in and potentially make her hate Jane thinking she was trying to destroy her shot at happiness?" Barry asked.


When the wedding rolled around Jane was dressed up and ready to do her duty as Maid of Honor. The ceremony was beautiful, it felt like someone was shoving a red hot fireplace poker through her lungs as Maura and Maria kissed but managed to keep the pain from her face and when it came to her turn to speak after Maria's sister spoke, she approached the podium under the scrutiny of so many eyes.

"What is there to say about Maura? That's not an easy question to answer since it should be followed up with 'Which Maura?'. At work, I have never seen a more professional and compassionate person in the Chief Medical Examiner's role. Not only has she brought solace to many a grieving family, she has put herself in the line of danger to make sure that this city is safer than the night before. Or perhaps, there is the Maura many of us know outside of work. She might run at the mouth with any amount of random facts most of us can't understand but that's why a lot of us love her. She has this warm energy about her that draws you if you give her a chance to get past the rambling." Jane looked briefly to Mara and Maria holding hands while smiling, Maria was smiling while Maura looked a little embarrassed but content in where she was and who it was with. "Or there's the best friend I have ever had the pleasure to call family. She had every chance in the past to get rid of me but despite my rather… pushy nature, she let me in. She's warm and so full of love and compassion for people even if it takes her time to warm up to them…" She could feel her throat tighten up. "To Maura and Maria, may your love last."

In the commotion of the reception between dancing, the booze and the food, no one noticed Jane was gone right away. No one except for Maura who wondered why her best friend looked on the verge of breaking down during her Maid of Honor speech and toast. She didn't have long to think about it as she was dragged onto the dance floor by her new bride and those she considered dear friends and family.

Maura made a mental note to slip out and try to find Jane before the reception ended and she left with Maria for their honeymoon trip to Europe.

Out in her car, Jane gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles were white as she slammed her forehead against the aged leather. She had known it would hurt, hell she was resigned to a lifetime of agony and being single by now, but seeing Maura so happy and in love as she recited her vows felt a million times worse than when Hoyt had impaled her through the hands with his scalpels. The blonde medical examiner had never looked as radiant as she did with her eyes sparkling with love for Maria as the two kissed after the justice of the peace had given permission. She had never seen Maura so at ease and relaxed as she watched the pair flow seamlessly and dance their first married dance to some sort of Swiss Waltz like they were born of one soul that never parted in the first place.

A sharp knock sounded beside Jane's head making the detective jolt upright. Her peripheral vision said it was Maura and she was glad that she hadn't broken down like she almost did during her toast. "What's up Maura? Shouldn't you be enjoying the reception?" she asked after rolling down the window. "You and Maria are leaving for Europe in a few hours, I figured that you would be having a ball with all our friends before we don't see you for a few months."

Maura frowned internally, noticing that something was very clearly wrong with Jane. She might have looked fine and happy for her on the outside but it was clear to her that the expressive brown eyes had dulled quite significantly. Had all Jane's write offs of it being fine that they couldn't have meals together as often like they used to or the fact she rarely joined in the after case celebrations at the Dirty Robber anymore gotten to the detective? Had Jane spared her feelings at the expense of her own disappointment and possible depression? "I noticed you slip out after your toast and the first dance, I was worried about you," she said, genuinely concerned for her friend's health.

"I think I'm coming down with something. You heard the catch in the toast right? I think it might be a cough or the flu or something. I didn't want to get anyone to possibly get sick because of me, least of all you" Jane said. "Not here especially when it's your day to be a queen." She tried to give her best attempt at a beatific smile and hoped to God that Maura believed it.

"Have I done anything to upset you Jane? I realize that we haven't spent a lot of time-"

Jane raised a hand cutting Maura off. "It's ok Maura, I told you that I get it and I do. You were planning your wedding and I know it was stressful for Maria. She needed you and your help. Helping out the woman you're going to spend the rest of your life with weighs a little more than some drinks at a bar after a hard case at work" she said with a shake of her head.

Jane might not hold it against Maura but she sure as hell held it against Maria. The universe had ordained it should have been her, it should have been their wedding, but she had gotten scared. She had let fear run the show after their last big fight, the weeks after shooting Paddy Doyle had been torture on her, and it cost her her soulmate.

Maura frowned a little trying to work out if Jane was trying to say something without saying it out loud, the detective had a horrible habit of doing that at the worst of times. "I know that but I feel terrible about it. I'll make it up to you when we get ba-"

"Maura, they're playing our song! Come dance with me!"

Jane wanted to murder Maria in that instant but instead she lowered her hand back down and gripped the steering wheel hard. "It's alright Maur, your wife is waiting. I'm going to go home and just grab a shower before I go to bed. Maybe some sleep will help me feel better" she said.

Maura's frown deepened as she cut her eyes over to Maria hanging half out the door of the reception venue with a champagne flute in one hand. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it slowly after a moment. "Take care of yourself Jane, I promise I'll make up for the time we couldn't spend together once we get back from Europe" the blonde woman swore before leaning in the car and placing a soft kiss on her friend's cheek before going back towards the hall.

If Maura had taken a moment to look over her shoulder to take a final glance at the dark haired detective, she would have noticed a look of heartache, heartbreak and regret on Jane's face as the car pulled out of the parking lot. Maura didn't look back though so she missed it and the first of many tears to fall that night as the older car pulled into evening traffic.