So happy that so many of you have stuck with me into my sequel! You all make writing worthwhile!
Hope you enjoy this new chapter! -J
Chapter 2- The Future is Ours
"Marry me," Jane's voice regained some of it's confidence despite the fact that her hands were shaking as she opened the box to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. "I love you Maura Isles. Will you marry me?"
Stunned, Maura's mouth fell open, her eyes darting from Jane's face to the ring in her hand, the blonde's mind having not yet registered just what was happening.
"Maur?" Jane snapped Maura out of her stupor, the brunette's voice betraying the nervousness she was obviously feeling.
"I….yes!" Maura's hands went up to cover her mouth, her smile obvious in her eyes, which were now shining with tears. "Yes…oh my…yes! Yes! Yes!" She began laughing, Jane quickly getting to her feet, her arms wrapping around the blonde's waist as she lifted her into the air. "I love you….oh Jane…I love you so much."
Placing Maura back down on her own two feet, Jane pulled the engagement ring out of it's box, her hands shaking as she took Maura's left hand in hers. "I can't imagine my life without you," she said as she began to place the ring on the blonde's finger, her voice shaking only slightly. "I don't even remember my life before you and Amelia came into it, and honestly I don't want to because you two are the best part of my life Maur. You and Mia are my family and I love you both so much and I promise nothing will ever change that."
"I cannot imagine our lives without you Jane Rizzoli," Maura smiled a teary smile as she placed both her hands on Jane's cheeks, her ring sparkling in the light. "I don't know what Amelia and I did to deserve you but I am grateful for you every moment of every day," she leaned in, touching her lips to Jane's.
"I love you so much," Jane practically whispered when they both pulled apart.
"I can't believe this," Maura replied, her smile growing even wider as a lone tear fell down her cheek. "We're getting married."
"We're getting married," Jane nodded, with a big grin of her own. "We're getting married!" She repeated with a rather uncharacteristic squeal, once again lifting Maura from the ground, their lips meeting as the blonde wrapped her legs around Jane's waist. "God I love you," Jane breathed out between kisses, already turning them towards the bed.
"Show me," Maura replied, her hands in Jane's hair, her breathing already heavy. "Show me how much. Please. Show me."
"My pleasure," Jane grinned before dropping Maura down onto the bed.
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Maura woke the next morning to find Jane spooned behind her, the brunette's arms wrapped around her waist, while her own left hand rested on the pillow beside her head; the sight of the engagement ring Jane had given her bringing a smile to her face. As the events of the previous night hit the blonde she felt an excited swoop in her stomach, unable to believe that it hadn't all just been a dream.
"You haven't changed your mind already have you?" Jane's rough, sleep-filled voice startled the Medical Examiner from her thoughts.
"Not a chance," Maura smiled as she rolled over to face the brunette, immediately pulling her in for a kiss. "You're stuck with me now."
"Hmm I don't think there's anyone I would rather be stuck with," Jane replied with a goofy grin, pulling Maura in for another kiss, the pair making out until air became an issue. "As much as I would love to spend the rest of the day just like this I think we better get dressed before Mia gets up," she laughed, the pair having spent so much of the night wrapped up in each other that they had fallen asleep without putting on pajamas; something they didn't usually do in case Amelia came in.
"You're probably right," Maura chuckled softly the pair reluctantly rolling out of bed in order to grab some comfy clothes to change into. "I still cannot believe last night happened," the blonde eventually said, once again staring at the ring on her hand.
"Well you better believe it Baby," Jane laughed, wrapping her arms around Maura from behind, watching as the blonde's hazel eyes seemed to shine as she stared at the diamond on her finger. "Do you like it?" Jane then asked, suddenly worried. "I know it's not really that big or anything but…"
"It's beautiful," Maura interrupted before Jane could say anymore. "It's absolutely perfect and I love it," she spun around so she could face Jane. "I was just thinking about how happy Amelia is going to be when we tell her," she smiled. "I know you're already her Mama but she is going to be so thrilled. I can't wait to see her face."
"Me either," Jane grinned. "In fact, let's wake her up," she suggested excitedly, taking Maura's hands in hers. "Come on," she tugged the blonde towards the hallway. "Please?"
"Let's go," Maura nodded, laughing at the look of delight on the brunette's face.
Feeling like a pair of giddy children, Jane and Maura struggled to stay quiet as they entered Amelia's room, the six year old still sleeping soundly as her Mothers carefully crawled into her bed.
"Mia," Jane called softly, brushing the little blonde's hair out of her face. "Bug. Time to wake up."
"Mama?" Amelia squinted her eyes open. "I'm sleepin'," she grumbled, rolling over only to face Maura.
"We know you're still sleeping Sweetheart but we need you to get up," Maura told her taping her daughter on the nose. "Mommy and Mama have something very exciting to tell you."
"You do?" Amelia opened one eye, looking at her Mother skeptically. "What is it?"
"Well get up and we'll tell you," Jane laughed tickling the little girl's sides.
"Mama!" Amelia bolted up, trying to get away from the brunette's tickling. "No! Please! I'm awake! I'm awake," she giggled, falling against Maura when Jane finally ceased her tickling. "What's exciting?" She asked looking from one Mother to the other.
"Well Bug you remember your birthday wish?" Jane was the one to reply, Amelia whipping her head towards Jane, her eyes wide, obviously worried the brunette was about to reveal her secret. "I think that it's about to come true."
"It is?" Amelia furrowed her brow, not quite understanding.
"It is," Jane nodded, still taking the lead since Maura hadn't heard Amelia's wish. "Do you know what it means when two people get married?"
"Cinderella and Prince Charming got married," was Amelia's reply. "They had a wedding and Cinderella wore a pretty dress."
"Yes," Maura nodded, having watched the movie with the six year old several times. "And when they got married they made a promise to each other to be together and to love each other for their whole lives. People get married to be a family because they love each other so much."
"And because I love you and your Mom so much I asked her to marry me," Jane revealed, watching as Amelia's face slowly broke out into a big grin.
"You did?" Amelia's eyes were wide with excitement.
"She did," Maura nodded. "And I said yes. Your Mama and I are going to be married."
"You are?" Amelia leaped up, standing up on her bed. "You're going to have a wedding? With pretty dresses?"
"We sure are," Jane laughed, knowing Maura would definitely fight for her to wear a dress even if she didn't want to. "We'll even get a real pretty one for you."
"And you are going to be together forever?" Amelia then asked, bouncing excitedly.
"Yes. We are," Jane answered confidently, smiling as her eyes met Maura's. "So what do you think Bug? Are you excited?"
"Yes!" Amelia squealed, wrapping an arm around both women's necks. "I'm so excited!"
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"So what do you think the odds of Amelia actually keeping our secret until we get home are?" Jane asked Maura Monday morning, the newly engaged couple on their way to a crime scene.
"Well she's much better at keeping secrets than she used to be," Maura replied, her focus on the road in front of her, having refused to allow Jane to drive. "Sometimes she just forgets that things are supposed to be a secret. We should be okay as long as nothing about weddings or marriage comes up while she's with Angela."
"Oh well then we're screwed," Jane scoffed. "All my Ma talks about lately is when we're gonna get married and when we're gonna have babies. The whole family will know by the time we get home from work."
"Let's just have a little faith in Amelia," Maura laughed, pulling up to the address dispatch had given them. "Are we still sure we want to tell just our Mothers first though?" She asked as they both got out of the car. "Because like you said once your Mother knows…."
"I'll tell her that if she tells anyone before we get the chance then she won't be invited to the wedding," Jane replied with a shrug, Maura laughing until she turned to the brunette and realized she was serious. "What'd you do with your ring anyways?"
"Oh it's with me," Maura replied, smiling as she pulled a chain out from under her dress, her engagement ring hanging off of it. "I didn't like the idea of not having it with me."
"Good because frankly I really hated that you already had to take it off," Jane said with a pretend pout. "After we tell our Mothers I would prefer you never take it off."
"Trust me I plan on keeping it on forever," Maura smiled, tucking the ring back under her dress as they made their way inside the house that was their crime scene. "My Mother is supposed to be at the house by 7 by the way."
"Great," Jane nodded as she and Maura both began pulling on gloves, heading towards Korsak and Frost who they could see at the back of the house standing over what was obviously their victim. "Let's hope that whatever this is doesn't keep us all night then. What do we got guys?"
"Lucy Albertson, age 32," Korsak read from the notebook he pulled out of his front pocket. "Neighbour came over to return something she had borrowed to find the front door open and called it in. She said she last spoke to Lucy late yesterday afternoon so my guess is she was killed sometime during the night," he continued. "She's married to a Craig Albertson who currently cannot be reached. No one has seen him since he returned home from work yesterday. His car is in the garage."
"So he either killed his wife and made a run for it or…" Jane began.
"Or someone killed Lucy and took Craig with them," Frost finished for his partner. "It looks like Lucy was hit over the head with something though we haven't figured out what yet," he explained as Maura knelt down next to the body. "We also figured we'd leave the COD up to Dr. Isles," he grinned. "I've been waiting for you to get here so we could take a look upstairs," he then turned his attention to Jane.
"Alright let's take a look around," Jane nodded. "I'll meet you back at the precinct Dr. Isles?"
"I'll start the autopsy as soon as I can Detective Rizzoli," Maura was unable to hide her smile.
"You two seem happy," Frost said as he and Jane headed for the stairs.
"We are happy," Jane replied, a smile on her face that she knew would probably be there all day, unable to contain the excitement she felt at now being engaged to Maura. "Actually I don't think I've ever been happier buddy," she clapped her partner on the back. "Now come on. Let's go solve a murder."
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Despite the fact that there was still a murder to solve, Jane and Maura managed to get out of work on time that evening, returning home to find Amelia and Angela sitting together at the dining room table, the little girl's school work in front of them.
"Is Angela helping you with your school work darling?" Maura asked placing a kiss on the top of her daughter's head while Jane locked away her badge and gun.
"Oh please Mia doesn't need any help," Angela scoffed as Maura greeted her with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. "This kid takes after her Mother. She's smarter than any kid I've ever met," she said as Amelia beamed happily beside her.
"She's a genius just like her Mommy," Jane added, giving both Amelia and Angela kisses. "Thanks for watching her Ma. You're still going to join us for dinner right? Constance will be here in a couple hours."
"Of course," Angela nodded. "Are you sure you two don't want me to whip something up? You've been at work all day; I really don't mind."
"Oh no thank you Angela," Maura was quick to reply; wanting to make dinner for her Mother and future Mother-in-law herself since it was a special occasion. "We picked some things up on our way home. I'll take care of dinner tonight, you just relax and let us play hostesses for a change."
"All right if you insist," Angela replied, not suspecting a thing. "I think I'll just go clean up in the guest house then for a little bit. I'll be back soon."
"Thanks Ma," Jane nodded, watching as her Mother left out the door before sitting next to Amelia. "Did you have a good day at school Bug?" She asked, Maura immediately moving into the kitchen to start on dinner.
"I got extra writing work because I finished mine faster than everyone else," Amelia told her with a big smile.
"Of course you did," Jane chuckled, running her hand over the little blonde's hair. "And did you manage to keep our big secret for us?"
"Yes I did," Amelia nodded. "But it was not easy," she said rather seriously. "Are we gonna tell soon?"
"We'll tell my Ma and your Grandma tonight, and then we'll be able to tell everyone else," Jane smiled, placing a kiss on Amelia's forehead. "Now you finish your work and then get washed up for dinner okay?" She asked, Amelia nodding before Jane made her way to the kitchen to help Maura. "You know maybe it's time we start reconsidering that whole skipping a grade thing," she mentioned, accepting the knife Maura held out for her in order to begin chopping vegetables for the salad. "I mean her teacher has to give her extra work almost every day. The kid's gonna get bored."
"I know," Maura sighed, glancing up at her daughter who was immersed in her work. "She's just been so happy lately. I mean she has friends in her class now. I hate to take that away from her."
"I know Maur, but aren't you the one always saying that we need to provide her with all the best opportunities we can offer her?" Jane countered, understanding the blonde's worries about her daughter's socializing skills, but also knowing that Amelia's education was important to her. "She'd still get to see her friends. She would just be in a different class during the day, somewhere more challenging. And who knows maybe she'll make even more friends," she pointed out, watching Maura's face as she struggled with the decision. "Hey look, we don't have to decide anything tonight. I'm just saying it's something to think about."
"I know," Maura nodded, smiling as Jane gave her a chaste kiss. "We'll decide together though? I mean we'll sit down with her teacher and really think about it? Together?"
"Of course!" Jane beamed, thrilled that Maura always included her in the decisions regarding Amelia. "Now let's get this night going because I'm ready to tell the world that I got the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth to agree to marry me," she grinned, Maura laughing beside her.
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"Thank you for inviting me for dinner this evening ladies," Constance turned to Jane and Maura after the gathered family finished eating that night. "This has been wonderful."
"We were happy you could make it before you left again," Maura smiled as Jane's hand found hers on top of the table. "Jane and I really just wanted to do something to thank you and Angela for everything you did for Amelia's birthday. I mean you both spoiled her rotten," she winked at the six-year-old.
"Of course we did," Angela was the one to reply. "She deserves it. Plus that's what Grandmothers are for," she said, watching as Jane and Maura exchange a rather giddy look with each other. "What's going on with you two anyways? You've been acting strange all night."
"No we haven't," Jane was quick to argue.
"Actually I have to agree with Angela," Constance chimed in. "You both seem to be a little off. It's as if you're hiding something," she raised an eyebrow not missing the fact that Amelia clapped a hand over her mouth. "Are you hiding something?"
"Well not exactly," Maura replied, getting nervous, as she could not lie. "We aren't hiding anything, there's just something that we wanted to share with you, which is why we asked you both here tonight."
"Something you want to…." Angela's excitement was immediate. "Oh my God are you…"
"Ma," Jane interrupted. "Will you just let us tell you?" She asked in annoyance, Angela nodded as she pursed her lips, gesturing for her daughter to continue. "Well," Jane squeezed Maura's hand. "Saturday night, after Amelia's birthday party I…I asked Maura to marry me," she revealed, both Angela and Constance gasping in surprise and excitement.
"And I accepted," Maura smiled, pulling her ring out from under her dress, taking it off it's chain and placing it on her finger where it belonged. "We're going to be married," she held up her hand.
"Oh I knew it!" Angela was practically bursting with excitement, immediately getting to her feet in order to embrace the couple. "Oh I'm so happy," she threw her arms around both women. "My Janie is going to be married! I always thought…I never…oh and Maura!"
"Thank you Angela," Maura laughed, still smiling as she pulled away from the older Rizzoli. "We're quite happy as well," she said, turning towards her Mother who was still sitting, a rather shocked smile on her face. "Mother?"
"Congratulations," Constance tilted her head to one side, her smile genuine as she stood up and held her arms open to her daughter. "This is wonderful news," she said when she pulled back, her hands on Maura's shoulders as she turned to Jane who was standing with her own Mother. "I'm happy for you both. My daughter and granddaughter are incredibly lucky to have found you Jane," she smiled, moving to give the brunette a rather uncharacteristic hug.
"I'm the lucky one," Jane returned the hug with a grin still on her face. "But thank you Constance. Maura and I really wanted to tell you and my Ma before we shared the news with anyone else. We're so glad to see you both so happy for us," she wrapped an arm around Maura's waist.
"Of course we're happy," Angela's eyes were wet with tears of joy. "This is just fantastic news! There's going to be a wedding! It's wonderful!" She beamed. "I hope you two will let me help."
"Of course," Maura nodded, knowing Angela would want to be involved with as much as possible. "We'd love that."
"I have quite a few contacts in the city that could help you with the planning," Constance added. "Venues and catering and what not. I'd be happy to leave you their numbers."
"That would be great," Jane smiled, grateful for the older woman's acceptance since they had gotten off to a rough start when they had first met. "Thank you."
"And what about you Amelia?" Constance then turned her attention towards the young girl who had remained rather quiet, still sitting in her seat, watching the adults. "Are you happy for your Mothers?"
"Oh yes," Amelia nodded enthusiastically, a big smile on her face. "I'm very happy! The happiest!"
