Author's note: welcome to the sequel; reviews more than appreciated and daily updates as usual!

Chapter One: How To Get Maura To Say Yes

August

It was simple but beautiful. Elegant. The blue of the sky seemed to echo on the fabric through the window store, embracing it of delicate shades making it look like subtle white clouds floating around. Focused on the dress, Jane bit her lips and took a deep breath.

One day. One day they would need this.

If you don't miss her, now. Hurry up, Rizzoli. Move along. Come on! Reluctantly and slightly anxious, the brunette abandoned the contemplation of the piece of clothing and resumed her walking down a small cobblestoned street; leaving behind the wedding dress boutique.

Harvard in August was a very singular place. Quiet, full of foreign students who were coming only for the summer.

The campus was the perfect spot to lie down on the grass and enjoy the weather in the shadows of centenarian trees, far from the suffocating temperatures of Boston and its pollution. Within ten minutes, the detective made it to the medical school building and decided to wait there by the stairs leading inside.

A few people were coming in and leaving; books under the arm.

Jane felt impressed. She always felt in the way when making it to a campus.

After all, she had not gone to college herself and – as much as she did not regret her career choices – a latent bitterness tended to tighten an invisible grip on her heart whenever she came across students. Especially the ones attending an Ivy League. There was something intimidating about them.

And maybe an ounce of jealousy from her.

"Have you been waiting for a long time?" A leather briefcase in hand, Maura walked down the stairs and smiled at Jane. She passed an arm around her waist and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "A group of students wanted my opinion on an article published this week in a medical journal."

"That's okay. I just walked around in the meantime."

The scientist grinned, satisfied of the answer. She grabbed Jane's hand and made a step towards the main path in front of them when a voice in her back stopped her right in her tracks.

"Will you attend Sarah's conference, Dr. Isles?"

Jane and Maura turned around only to see a young woman in her early twenties smile politely as the light breeze of the summer made her red hair float around her face peacefully.

The medical examiner nodded enthusiastically. "I will... And hope to motivate Jane to come along as much as she isn't into medicine." She smirked at the Italian and cleared her voice. "Jane, this is Emily Mayfair; one of my students for the summer. Emily, this is Jane. My partner."

"Oh." Somewhat surprised, the student shook the brunette's hand. "And here goes the mystery over your private life. We were wondering whether you were... Close... To Dr. Fredericks."

Jane raised an amused eyebrow and cast a glance at the honey blonde. "Should I be worried about that?"

...

Six months had passed by since Scotland. Half a year. Yet when Jane compared her life previous to the European travel, she had the feeling that a whole decade was separating her from now. She had moved to Beacon Hill – decided to rent her very own apartment – and she had officially become a part of Maura's romantic life. To the eyes of everyone, from her colleagues to her relatives.

They hadn't hidden themselves, at absolutely no moment.

Only a few hours after landing back in Boston, both had gone back to work and made things clear by arriving hand in hand at the BPD. Curiously and against all expectations, the transition had been extremely easy. As if it were meant to be.

"Happy birthday..." Sitting at a small cafe in Harvard, Jane smiled brightly at Maura and planted a kiss on the back of her hand; not caring much if they came across other students.

The scientist blushed. "Haven't we already celebrated it this morning?" Her mischievous murmur – warm enough – seemed to float in the air for a while, absorbing Jane's giggles along.

Life had looked bright, lately. Almost too perfect to be real. Maura had accepted the summer teaching position because Jane had convinced her to do so and she didn't regret it. As a matter of fact, none of her last decisions – since Scotland – had raised an ounce of regret in her heart. Everything was going fine.

Perfectly fine.

"We surely did..."

Maura bit her lower lip and nodded. "Twice."

This time, Jane turned red like a brick. She usually didn't talk about her sexual life – even if quite implicitly – at the terrace of a small cafe, surrounded by strangers enjoying their own drinks. Yet she should have known better for Maura.

"Yeah well, that doesn't mean I can't wish you a happy birthday one more time. After all, I didn't see you at all since this morning." Well done, Rizzoli. Well done. "And before you try to coerce me into this conference Emily talked about five minutes ago, there's something I'd like to ask you."

Maura took a sip of her iced tea and frowned. Not that she was worried but rather curious by Jane's sudden change of behavior. The brunette was looking for her words and looked nervous, sweeping the palm of her hand against her jeans every five seconds.

"Is everything okay? Please tell me it isn't again about the barbecue... If I reduce your intake of red meat, it is only for your health. And nothing else. You do understand, don't you?"

Jane nodded absentmindedly and ran a hand through her hair. Where to start? She had repeated the scene over and over in her head but – now that she was there – nothing came up. She was failing.

"Yeah, yeah. It's not about this. I err... I have something for you and it comes along with a question. A very simple one, actually."

Maura laughed, out of confusion. "I thought I would get my presents this evening."

Jane nodded. "And you will. It's just that I don't consider this one as a present. I mean not really. It's more err... What I know?" Before her obvious incapacity to make a proper sentence, she decided to focus on the action instead and took a small box out of her pocket. She opened it. "Will you marry me?"

The ring caught the sun and shone brightly. Maura blinked before the scene, taken aback. She had not expected this. Not now. In a year, perhaps. Who knew? They hadn't talked about it.

"You're supposed to say yes. I mean..." Jane laughed in a poor attempt to hide her nervousness. She had suddenly lost all her self-confidence. Not that she owned a lot when it came to her personal life but Maura's absence of reaction wasn't helping at all right now. "I hope you like it. Maybe I should have bought something less mainstream. Tiffany's is very classic, I don't know."

"It is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen."

Maura's remark hit the air with an emotional honesty; her voice shaking. With uncertainty – almost afraid the jewel would burn if she happened to touch it – she approached her hand from the box to brush the ring of her fingertips.

"It's platinum."

The medical examiner nodded, not breaking eye contact with the jewel. A classic – thin and elegant – engagement ring. Diamonds and platinum. Not too big, discreet enough. Perfect.

And then it hit her.

A hand on her mouth, she looked up at Jane then shook her head. "But I don't have one for you...?"

The remark made the brunette burst out laughing. She hadn't thought about such detail. Shrugging away the statement, she took the ring out of the box and slid it on Maura's finger. It fitted perfectly.

"We have time to find one but... Does it mean that I can take that as a yes?"

The honey blonde raised an eyebrow and finally managed to look at something else than the ring. She squinted her eyes, blinked.

"What?"

Jane frowned. Had she been that unclear? "I asked you whether you agree on marrying me and you still have to answer. You know, yes or no. The classic thing. Dammit, Maur'! Focus, please." But as she saw the blonde's smile grow on her lips, the Italian understood that she was being teased.

Moving on her seat – back to admiring the ring that was now on her finger – Maura pouted and bit her lips as if plunged into a deep concentration. As a matter of fact, she seemed to be hesitating.

To Jane's highest despair.

"Well... It isn't that I don't want to – I mean, obviously you know how I feel about you – but I don't know whether Dr. Fredericks will be that happy about this. It surely puts back in question our ménage à trois."

Jane rolled her eyes, her smile growing fondly as Maura planted a kiss on her lips. Of all times, the medical examiner had had to choose this one to test her sense of humor using the latest gossip they had just learned about her going on on the campus.

"Okay, give me back this ring. You don't deserve it."

Maura burst out laughing – shook vehemently her head – and bit her lower lip as she focused back on the jewel. She sighed dreamly. "No way. Over my dead body. This one is mine... For the eternity. Deal with it, Detective Rizzoli. It is all sealed."