Author's note: I don't own these characters, though I wish I did! I've now watched some of season 4, and I have to say I'm not enjoying the Mei Lin storyline at the moment, though the mysteries are still good. So, this little story is me just imagining what might have happened if Mei Lin had not knocked on the door that night; in my story she remains safely dead.

I hope this keeps me happy until the real writers sort out what is going to happen!

"Jean, this was my mother's ring, and I'd very much like you to have it. Will you marry me?" Lucien's voice shook slightly and oddly it was this that struck Jean first. Lucien never seemed nervous about anything but now he looked terrified, and his hand shook slightly as he held the beautiful ring out to her, still in its box.

Jean glanced down at the ring, then back to his face and read in his eyes a mixture of love and growing panic as her silence extended. As the shock of the question receded slightly she remembered he was expecting an answer and, smiling reassuringly she whispered "Yes. Yes, of course I will!" And she pressed a tiny kiss to his cheek, just on the corner of his mouth.

With a sigh of relief, Lucien smiled broadly and stretched his arm around her, pulling her nearer to him on the couch. In response Jean slid towards him and rested her hand on his waist, as he kissed her for the first time on the lips, gently at first, experimentally, trying to gauge how she was feeling. The first kiss was brief, but the second time he felt her respond and he deepened the kiss, moving his lips a little and relishing the softness of her as she pressed a little closer.

Jean felt the coarse hair of his beard moving against her mouth, and as they broke away for a moment she could taste whisky and smell the warm, distinctly masculine scent of his skin. Slightly breathless and pink, she smiled at him, suddenly feeling a little shy, but Lucien just hugged her tighter for a moment, then murmured, "I'm so glad. Now, what about this ring?"

He nodded towards the ring he was still holding and Jean realised with a slight awkwardness that she was still wearing her wedding ring. She had never considered taking it off before; she was Christopher's widow and she wore it to remember him. But she could hardly wear another man's engagement ring next to it. Slowly she drew the gold band off her ring finger and studied it for a moment as it lay in the palm of her hand. Then she decisively placed it on the coffee table in front of her and took the ring box from Lucien.

As he had watched Jean take off her wedding ring, he had seen how hard that had been. He didn't doubt that Jean loved him, but he knew that part of her would always be reserved for her first husband. " I'll never forget Mei Lin either," he said," but we can love each other without forgetting them." And he slid the engagement ring onto her finger.

As she noticed that it fitted perfectly a thought occurred to her. "Now I know why I couldn't find my engagement ring the other day!"

"Ah yes, the old one," Lucien chuckled. " I thought I'd given myself away then."

They settled back onto the couch, Lucien still with his arm around Jean, and she rested her head back onto his chest. The sweet smell of her hair tempted him to kiss the top of her head, and they were now sitting so closely together that he could feel the heat of her leg pressed against his thigh. Her hand now rested gently in his and she stroked the palm of his hand slowly with her thumb.

They both knew they would have many things to discuss in the next few days, but for now they were happy to just enjoy each other's closeness. They had lived together for two years now, but had never had this sense of hope for the future together.

Lucien could feel his eyes beginning to droop a little. The warmth of Jean's body pressed to him, and the sleepless night he had had during the kidnapping case, meant that he was drifting into a contented doze. Jean resisted sleep a little longer, still excited and rather amazed to find herself engaged. But within a few minutes she was sleeping too, all tension leaving her as she settled in his embrace.

As Charlie returned home after an evening catching up on the paperwork from the case, he let himself in quietly in case the doctor and Mrs Beazley had retired for the night. A single lamp was still on in the living room so he went to say good night to whoever was still up, and was brought up short by the sight of Lucien and Jean asleep on the couch in each other's arms. Charlie's initial surprise turned rapidly to pleasure, as both he and Mattie had hoped Jean and Lucien would admit how they felt about each other while they were in Adelaide, but they had been hard to read when they returned. They had seemed happy but nothing had been said. Now it seemed it had been resolved.

Charlie turned to leave but then his eye caught the gold ring lying on the table, and a quick glance at Jean's hand was all he needed to understand their new status. Tiptoeing out now, his grin showing his happiness for them, he only regretted that Mattie wasn't here to see them too. He was already planning how he could tease the doctor about his engagement over breakfast.