A/N So this is the sequel to the sequel…but I guess I should just now call it a trilogy. For I was told to do two is to really commit to three. So here it is. Weather-interruptus has given me a chance to start this early as Mother Nature is messing with my vacation pretty hard right now.

Standard warnings:

1- You may need to read "At a Distance" and "Discovery" to fully follow some of what is assumed in this story which starts immediately following the end of "Discovery"

2- Embrace my love of sentence fragments- that isn't going to get any better on the third try

3- Since I put both these wonderful characters through a lot in the first two stories…I'll try to let them enjoy themselves some throughout this one and I believe in happy endings. But if you have read my first two stories….you know my love of cliffhangers and quite frankly life is more entertaining with at least a little bit of drama. (But I commit to daily new postings again so that should buy me some forgiveness again- right?)

Disclaimer: I checked and I still don't own the characters I have come to love. So just let a girl have some fun and don't take anything too seriously.

Chapter 1

A vibrating phone was what pulled Dr Maura Isles out a pleasant sleep. She vaguely heard the sound of a shower running and pieced together her girlfriend Detective Jane Rizzoli was already up getting ready. The only question was whether it was her phone buzzing or Jane's. She reached over and discovered that it was in fact hers. And it was her mother. She also smiled widely at the sight of the engagement ring that as of last night had found its way onto her finger. She was going to have to get used to calling Jane her fiancé.

"Good morning Mother," greeted Maura.

"So?" asked Constance with just a hint of delight in her voice.

"So…..what?" was Maura's confused comment. Had they been in the middle of a conversation that she wasn't aware of?

"So, how does it look on your finger?"

Maura paused. Instinctively she glanced at the diamond on her left hand. How? She knew? "How…..how would you know there was something new on my finger?"

Constance only chuckled. "Sweetheart, your future wife is quite the traditionalist."

Puzzled Maura only got out, "Huh?"

Constance had stepped outside to get a little fresh air. The atmosphere of the house had been pleasant and she found the entire Rizzoli family both warm and welcoming. But she wasn't quite like them, yet. They were a little loud and sometimes she just liked the quiet. No sooner had that thought crossed her mind did she hear the side door sliding open.

"We can get a bit overwhelming, can't we?" Jane had offered up.

"Not really. You are all just a close knit family," Constance offered with a sincere smile.

"We are your family too, you know. I'm not so sure you want that but we are none the less."

The sincerity from which Jane had offered that up melted Constance's heart. She knew Jane loved Maura but it was clear that Jane had genuinely accepted her into her life and considered her family. "Thank you, Jane. That means a lot to me. To Maura."

"Oh, wait to thank me for that. If you think this is overwhelming wait until Christmas," but she said it with a smile. "You know Maura couldn't be happier that you moved to Boston. We both are glad you are here more."

"I am glad too. I missed too much of her life when she was a child. I don't want to miss any more of it."

Jane smirked thinking about something and then suddenly realized it probably looked bad that she smiled at such a comment. "Constance, I'm sorry. I'm not smiling about what you said. I'm glad you are seeing Maura more. I just thought of something I told Maura I needed discuss with you is all."

"And that would be?"

"My concern that she was deprived of several childhood staples in the realm of cartoons and toys. I have made it my mission to re-educate her and show her some of the things she missed out on." She hoped this wouldn't upset Constance when she heard it.

"I will admit Maura did not partake of the usual childhood norms. Cartoons? Is that really important to her now?"

"No. Although I think she likes that there are some things I can teach her about. It's almost always the other way around. So she humors me. I doubt her life would suffer if she wasn't introduced to the Saturday morning cartoon lineup. We may need to seriously address the Star Wars gap as that was just wrong. But she turned out ok all things considered."

Constance laughed. "I'm sure you will fill in any gaps she has. And for more than just pop culture."

That made Jane smile. She turned towards the house and looked in the window. Maura was in the kitchen helping her mother finish the last minute details for dinner. The sight of the woman she loved next to her mother, who she adored, warmed Jane's insides.

"Constance, while we have a minute alone I'd….I'd like to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

Jane glanced back at Maura one more time making sure she wasn't heading out towards them. She then stepped closer to Constance and she pulled out a velvet box from her pocket. She opened it and allowed Constance to view the engagement ring. It was a simple 1.5 carat princess cut diamond but Jane hoped it would be a ring Maura would cherish.

"I'd like your blessing to ask your daughter to marry me," she spoke with confidence but her tone was quiet. "I love her. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with her. To be able to every day show her how wonderful she is and just how lucky I am that she is in my life. But I don't want to ask her without knowing that you would approve. I know this is something that should be asked of a father, but you are her family and I'd like your approval. Your blessing."

Constance just stared at Jane. And then at the ring. The gesture, the seeking approval, it was more than Constance felt she had any right to have been asked. She hadn't been there for Maura all too often in her life and now here was the woman who had been the first person to show her daughter absolute, complete love asking her permission to continue to make Maura happy. It would be a moment in her life she would never forget.

"Jane…" she tried to speak and found herself choking up on the words. "There are no words that do justice to what this means to me. From the beginning I knew you were good for her. You were her first real friend. And your friendship helped open a whole new world for her. A world better than the one I had provided for her. When your family took her in, there was a part of me that knew it was everything her deserved. A family better than the one I provided. When she first told me that she loved you it was no surprise to me. You had become her world by that point and I was just glad someone was able to see all the wonderful that she is.

"When you two finally got together my first thought was how lucky you were that you got to have her in your life and I hoped you appreciated the time you had with her. But now, I have to say it is Maura I hope appreciates what she has in you. You make my daughter happy. You make her complete. I can't think of anything I'd love to see more than the two of you married and together forever. So yes Jane, you absolutely have my approval to marry my daughter."

Jane wiped a tear away from her eye. "I still say you have that wrong. I'm the lucky one." She was about to say something else but at that moment Maura stuck her head out to announce dinner was ready. Jane quickly hid the ring and said they would be there in a second.

"Constance?"

"Yes."

"One favor. Please don't ever tell my mother you knew about this before her. She'll kill me."

Constance smiled. "She won't hear anything from me. I promise." And they went inside for dinner.

"She really asked for your approval?" Maura was shocked. She hadn't known Jane to have such traditional views on anything. But as she thought about it she couldn't help the smile that was spreading both across her face and within her heart.

"Yes she did. And I have to say that may have been one of the best moments of my whole life. That Jane thought enough of me to even ask. I'll never forget that."

"Mother, she knows how much you mean to me. " But even as she said it Maura was absolutely sure there would be no way she could repay Jane for what she had done for her mother.

"So tell me, how does it look?"

"It's perfect. And in my opinion it looks and feels like it's supposed to be on my finger for the rest of my days."

"That, sweetheart, is what you both deserve."

Maura hung up the phone and laid back down in bed. She still couldn't believe Jane had asked her mother for her hand in marriage. Just thinking about it made her giggle out loud. Jane re-entered the bedroom and had a curious look come across her face.

"What's so funny?"

Maura continued to smile. "Oh, nothing."

Jane walked over to the bed and leaned down to kiss Maura. As she leaned in Maura managed to get her arm onto Jane's shoulder and in one steady motion she pulled Jane back onto the bed and somehow managed to end up on top of her while still engaged in a kiss. Once Jane settled onto the bed for a second, the intensity of the kiss increased. Neither stopped until both needed to break to catch their breath.

"Maur, what was that for?"

"Just my way of saying good morning." And she kissed her again unwilling to let her wiggle out from underneath her.

After allowing the kiss to linger Jane tried to pull herself up. "Maura, we do have to get to work today."

Maura, still unwilling to let Jane up from under her simply responded, "We both may be just a tad bit late." And she leaned in for another kiss.