When Maura and Jane finally became an item, the entire of BPD found itself divided. The relationship, they all thought, could only go one of two ways. Either they would break it off after a few months, leaving the whole precinct to suffer the awkward encounters, or they would be married and having babies within the year. Naturally, such a contrast in opinion led to the inception of an office pool, co-ordinated and run by Frankie.

It was a dull and drizzly Tuesday when Korsak triumphantly strode into the office, and waved his hand under Frost's nose in the universal gesture for 'pay up'.

'What do you want?' Frost asked, barely glancing up from his computer screen.

'Haven't you heard?' Korsak grinned, settling down at his desk 'Jane is going to propose to Maura'.

'So soon?' Frost asked, looking up from his monitor. 'they've barely been together a year'.

'Just under ten months at my count' Korsak supplied, helping himself to a donut. 'So I do believe you owe me ten bucks'.

'No way' Frost objected, 'I'm not paying you until I see a ring on her finger'.


Meanwhile, Jane was having some trouble with the ring. So far, she had bought, and returned, three different rings. She had spent more time inside jewellery stores in the last month and inside her own home, and she still hadn't found the right one.

'I can't propose without a ring' she told herself, stomping into the ninth jewellery store that month. A well groomed attendant was at her side in a second, and Jane tried to stop herself from grinding her teeth as he began his lecture. She'd heard it all in the last month now, all about the 'four C's' and the style and setting and blah blah BLAH. She probably knew as much about engagement rings by now as the attendant did, but she still hadn't found THE ring.

Maura wasn't the type to settle, after all.

'All right' she said, silencing the attendant who had still been jabbering on, 'can you show me your diamond engagement rings please?'. She forced her face into a pleasant smile as she was led over to a glass cabinet.

She studied the contents of the case with scrutiny, trying to picture each ring on Maura's finger. Jane knew everything about Maura, she knew that the cake would have to be hazelnut, almond and chocolate ganache, with mocha buttercream; she knew that her dress would be silk charmeuse with an empire waist and a twenty foot train. Jane knew all of this; knew, but didn't understand. One thing she didn't know though, was what Maura's dream ring would look like.

Her eyes snagged on a ring as they swept the case, and for what felt like the first time in days, felt her face break into a smile.

'That one' she said, pointing and grinning 'let me see that one'.