A/N: Consider this Christmas Eve children because the next installment is well… what we've been waiting for. Thank You for the reviews and those who have entertained my rants. Spoilers for "The Beast in Me" which is my favorite episode because it is dripping with Rizzles goodness. Enjoy!

Jane woke up with a post-it attached to her forehead, in an empty bed. The shots of grappa definitely had taken their toll but she felt more exhausted than hungover. Jane stumbled to the kitchen and found her little brother alternating gulps of coffee and Pedialyte.

"That bad," Jane shrugged "Set me up with those bad boys" She pointed at an empty coffee mug and an unopened bottle of the children's drink.

"Janie, you have a note stuck to your face," Frankie smirked as he poured the drinks for his sister.

"Lunch at the courthouse, love Maur," Jane read. A smile instant spread across her face.

"I didn't know Maura had to testify today," Frankie shrugged.

"She doesn't," Jane beamed.

"Then why are you two having lunch at the courthouse," Frankie quizzed? "Oh I get it that's a codeword for doing the mattress mambo."

"Language, Franco. Maura and I haven't quite rounded all the bases," she bashed.

"What? You have reaffirmed my belief in the holy trinity. There has to be a God because that use to be a first date requirement. You were the Queen of one hitter quitters out the door before the condom comes off. Now you're telling Franco Giancomo Alessandro Rizzoli, Jr. that you haven't sampled Dr. Isles. First, she's gorgeous, a perfect ten with a body that could make grown men weep. She loves you and you can trust her. Definitely no trips to the clinic. If that was my girlfriend we would be halfway through the Karma Sutra finished with tantric sex."

"If that was your fiancée," Jane corrected "This is why I didn't tell you about our abstinence program."

"No way, Janie," Frankie exclaimed "When did you propose and why were you too cheap for a ring? I know you have the money, you've been mimicking Maura's investments for years."

"Why do you think it was me that proposed," Jane questioned?

"Aren't you the guy," Frankie quizzed. His response sent Jane into uncontrollable laughter coffee spilled down her shirt.

"I proposed after the game," Jane coughed as she tried to subside her laughter "And I bought her a rock 2.5 karats, three times the size of the diamond in Ma's wedding band."

"Whipped without even a test drive," Frankie shook his head.

"Frankie nobody test drive's Rolls Royce. It's hand crafted, limited production, and unique. It shows status because only a few can posses one. A most importantly it's beauty and manufacturing never grows old just simply becomes vintage. If you would stop trying to get free rides in Toyotas and Hondas you might understand what I saying," Jane smirked.

"So Lola was a Rav 4," Frankie shrugged.

"Frank.," Jane started.

"No I get it Jane," he interrupted "Plus she wasn't that great of a cook and Ma would've hated her," Frankie winced.

"You know I'm here if you want talk," Jane smiled as she playfully hit her brother's arm.

"Naw, I'm saving it all for Dr. Bannerman," Frankie said "In fact I better run, if I'm going to make his 9:00 appointment at the precinct."

"Yea me too. Crowe and Klein are out so I'm still on call," Jane scoffed. "Hey and don't tell Ma and Pop about the engagement."

"No problem. I know you're trying to prolong the peace before Ma starts nagging you about wedding shit."

"Exactly," she laughed.

Maura fixed the collar on Jane's brown blazer. She released those unruly coffee curls from the ponytail and ran her hands through them. Instantly, Jane and Maura teleported to never never land. They weren't a couple leaving a evidence bay containing a crime scene but one that headed to apply for a marriage license.

Jane opened the door for Maura to her cruiser while she wore the proudest grin. Maura face bore the same silly smile. The ME put on her engagement ring, then laced her finger with the detective's. It was a beautiful day, spring had finally made its permanent presence. And the past days events seemed like a faded memory.

"I love you," Jane smiled before she kissed Maura's cheek at a stoplight.

"I love you, more," Maura grinned.

"You probably do baby cakes," Jane joked "Don't hit me with the ring."

"Funny. I ran into Jorge this morning at yoga. He said "Congratulations"," Maura said.

"Why," Jane asked?

"He saw my engagement ring. I've had for almost two weeks; I've only been able to consistently wear it in Pennsylvania."

"You didn't tell me he thought we were, ya know an us," Jane stated.

"Jane please, it would take an hours to list all the people that thought we were a couple," Maura laughed.

"Naw, like who beside the gay couple at Taste of the Nation, my family, Frost, and Korsak," Jane said.

"Cavanaugh, Murray, the entire staff of the Dirty Robber, the yoga class, Brock, the staff of the café downstairs, Caroline at Whole Foods…," Maura trailed on.

"Wait Caroline at Whole Foods thought we were a couple," Jane quizzed.

"Everyone knows grocery shopping for you is mainly stopping by 7/11 for milk, beer and Lucky Charms. And we've only been there together a few times but you must have made an impression. It had to be at least six months ago, since you made that Moroccan dish."

"Yeah she help me with selecting the lamb, fish and offered some pairing recipes. I mean she was super nice. Why would she…umm I do ramble about you a lot."

"Don't worry, I do the same thing about you. The next time I went in there, she asked "how was the anniversary dinner with Jane, she was so worried?" I replied "oh it was just dinner; not our anniversary but it was great." They both began to laugh hysterically, so hard that tears streamed down their cheeks.

"For an ME and a detective, I swear we had to be the two most oblivious people. I mean first class idiots, what I thought I was hiding so well was actually on display for entire world to see. Do you feel like we're rushing?"

"No," Maura smiled thumbing Jane's scar.

"Me either, I hear stories like this it just confirms our actions. I'm so lucky, I get to marry my best friend."

"Brock kissed me this morning," Maura blurted "We don't have secrets but I wasn't sure when was the best time to bring it up."

"Did you kiss him back," Jane grimaced.

"No, I never had a Todd Cantone," Maura shrugged.

"Are you starting to feel some kind of way about Dean?"

"Why didn't you tell him you were engaged?"

"I didn't want him spreading it around the precinct. If he felt hurt, he may be vindictive and we hadn't told anybody. I sure as hell didn't want our happy news, spread by anyone other than us, definitely not by an angry Dean," Jane exhaled. "We good ,because I put the ring on your finger and slaved in a hot kitchen trying to make a decent kebab for you. I never want you to question this, us."

"I'm sorry Jane. I was fine until Brock kissed and when I couldn't return his affection; I wondered how you could return Dean's."

"I didn't return his affection, it was a pity kiss. Don't be sorry, I realize it was inappropriate and inconsiderate but I hoped you would understand."

"I do," Maura smiled. "We better make this quick we still have a John Doe with an ice pick lodged in his skull."

"A brother," Maura thought as Jane rubbed soothing circles on her back. The park was crowded for weekday early afternoon. If life were different she would have had her own Frankie, instead he laid on her slab. Life hadn't been completely unfair, she was wealthy, educated but more importantly loved. Still it wouldn't been nice to have a brother to walk her down the aisle.

Lately Jane believed there were only two constants in her life, shit and fans. Over the last week they'd been getting to know each other. "Fuck," she spat as tried to will herself not to cry. So they were even, the object of infatuation for a serial killer was marrying the daughter of an underground mob boss. "Shit," she mumbled as she paced the bullpen. Where the fuck was Peter Pan and Tink when you need them? What if Maura never comes back? What if they find her in a back alley with a ice pick in her head?

The detective vomited in her waste basket which startled Korsak and Frost.

"Be careful what you wish for," the antique mantra raced in the ME mind. She had waited most of her life to meet her birthparents; only to be deflated that she'd come from criminal stock. Flexi cuffs bound her hands, as her three hundred dollar slacks chafed against the rugged floor of the cargo van. As a child she dreamed the meeting of her birth parents would be serendipitous filled with apologies and regret. The scenarios always ended with a promise to build a close relationship, they'd all longed for. "A dream deferred," she scoffed as they opened the vans doors. This was her chance to ask all the questions she'd contemplated and anguished over for the last 30 years but most of them had evaded her.

Anything you want I can get it… Jane stated as she braced for the fight. Maura, can you get to my apartment, Jane exhaled relieved. "Thank You, God," she screamed in the elevator those restrained tears overflowed from her eyes. She immediately started on the fifty Hail Marys she promised if Maura was returned to her alive.

A beer, Lucky Charms, and a busted water mane; never never land seemed within reach by the minute. Maura loved hanging out with the Rizzolis, she was overjoyed that she was soon to be one. She couldn't wait till she and Jane's children would tell embarrassing but endearing anecdotes about their parental mishaps. Jane rested in the fact Maura was alive, in arms reach, and smiling. The phone rang from Jane's hip and the couple crashed back to reality.

Give it to me I'll take it to the crime lab, maybe they can track something…Jane deadpanned. She knew Maura was exhausted but so tired she believed that bullshit. Korsak, Frost, and Jane stared at the small pre-paid phone as they all internally debated what to do.

"I promised, I wouldn't call," Jane exhaled.

"Yeah but I didn't," Frost said.

"Neither did I," Korsak followed.

"Let us take it to the crime lab, maybe they can track something," Frost smirked.

"Yeah, we'll be back I know a guy," Korsak shrugged.

"Combo, Rizzoli, combo," Frost yelled as the seasoned detective and the rookie walked down the hall.

Maura knew they lied as she stared at her colleagues, her friends, her family. You do what you have to do to protect family Korsak's words still resonated in her soul. It was not long after dawn and the ME found herself in yesterday's wrinkled clothes at a bar with her family. Life had suddenly settled and her biggest concern had become whether the faucet at the robber would work. Maura clutched Jane's arm in anticipation and Jane covered her hand with her own. "Yes," they both shouted with such enthusiasm you would believe that was the biggest conundrum of the day.

They picked up their license from the county clerk's office and headed back to Jane's for more beer and cereal. Physically and emotionally exhausted the couple struggled up the stairs.

"Shower," Jane shrugged as she rubbed Jo's stomach.

"You want to do it," Maura smiled half-cocked

"No, I'm so tired I think I might need your help," Jane deadpanned.

After a quick, unromantic shower Jane grabbed two beers and two bowls of cereal. They never did make it off the couch until the next morning, when Maura awoke to that famous alarm clock, Jo.

"Jane," Maura said hoarsely "It's morning we have to take Jo out."

"Morning," Jane grimaced "Maur it's not morning we just fell asleep. It's still dark outside."

"That's because your eyes are closed Sherlock," Maura smiled as she kissed each of Jane's eyelids

"Umm, now I can see," Jane replied.

"I'm so grateful, we're off for the next few days," Maura exhaled.

"Yea my birthday is only five days away. So Brain what do you want to do tonight?"

"What? Please quit the nicknames."

"No it's from a show. I say "So Brain what do you want to do tonight?" And you're suppose to reply "The same thing we do every night Pinky, try to take over the world" It's from a cartoon called Pinky and the Brain about two lab mice."

"Oh," Maura surmised as she cocked her head to one side.

"So Brain what do you want to do tonight?"

"Get married."