Ok so another one that has taken me a while to update...Just blame life getting in the way. Anyway this kind of followes the last chapter and i hope you enjoy . Also this hasn't been Beta'd so all mistakes are mine.

Memories of a life together: Part 10- Making Peace

With the fragrance of flowers in the air and a warm summer breeze brushing against her skin, Maura reminisced over precious childhood memories; times when it was just her and her father walking hand in hand admiring the beauty of the nature around them. He would teach her all the names of the trees and flowers as they leisurely strolled along together in the park and on some occasions she would even find herself hoisted into the air onto his shoulders in order to see the birds nesting above them. Moments like that were few and far between when growing up and so Maura had learnt not to take them for granted when they did happen. Now as she stood at her father's graveside, Maura wished for nothing more than to be 6 years old again enjoying those rare exchanges with him. For now he was gone and she was left with nought but a few photographs and a small number of precious memories she clung to in the hope she would not forget the man her father was.

She had not been there to see him since the funeral 3 months ago; it was not that she hadn't wanted to visit but more like life had passed by quicker then she had realised. If she was honest she probably wouldn't have come today if it had not been for letter she had received the day before. Nathanial who had worked for her family for many years had been a trusted confidant of her fathers and to her surprise had shown up with the letter for her. Jonathan Isles has asked him to hold onto it and to only pass it on to his daughter after his death and once his will had been sorted.

Hours had passed after Nathanial's departure and the letter had remained unopened upon the coffee table until Jane had returned home that evening from work. Maura had been unsure of her reaction and wanted the comfort of her wife next to her when she did decide to read it. The loss of her father had certainly not been forgotten but reading his words did bring many mixed emotions for the woman who had spent much of her childhood and even part of her adult life away from the presence of her parents.

Jane allowed the tension of the day to dissipate as she took in the comforting sights and smells of her home. Even though she knew Evelyn was spending the night at her parents, she proceeded to follow her usual ritual of locking her badge and gun away in the safe located in the closet next to the entranceway. She then stepped into the living room where she found Maura quietly sat on the sofa with a glass of wine in her hand, staring at the letter which was on the table in front of her.

"Everything ok Maura?"

As she waited for a response Jane made her way over to where her wife sat and placed a quick kiss on top of her head before sitting down next to her.

"Nathanial brought a letter over today; he said my father wrote it with instructions for him to pass it on to me once he died."

Jane was unsure of how to react; apart from the few days following Jonathan Isles funeral Maura had said little on the subject of her parents since. Only 2 days previously her wife had witnessed the reading of his will and was mildly surprised to find out that a substantial part of the family fortune had been left to her. She also knew that on that particular day Elizabeth Isles had chosen once again to ignore her daughter. Jane had left Maura to process everything in her own time, knowing that she would eventually come to her when ready.

"Have you opened it yet?"

"No, I wanted you here with me when I did so I decided to wait."

Maura picked up the envelope that contained the letter and for a moment she just sat there holding it in her hand before carefully unsealing it. A single tear fell as she laid her eyes upon her father's familiar script.

"He always said when you have something worth writing down it should be written in your own hand, not by a computer."

Noticing the sadness in her voice, Jane took Maura's free hand into her own as her wife began to read aloud

"My dearest Maura, It was never my desire to say goodbye to you like this but it is my fear that I may not have been able to do it in person given how things have been these last few years. I therefore hope that when the time comes for me to depart this life these words will bring you some comfort and make up for some of the mistakes I made whilst still alive.

As I write this I find myself looking at an old photo of you taken as a child one day at the summer house; even after all these years it takes pride and place upon my desk in the study. You were always a curious little one, independent and head strong which is why me and your mother pushed you so hard to learn and discover so much. What we often forgot though was that you were also still just a child, a child who should have had the opportunity to interact more with others your age and a child who needed the comfort and closeness that only a parent can give. Looking back now I realise the mistakes we made, I see that me and your mother were often absent from your life and there was a lot of benign neglect. For that I am truly sorry. Nevertheless do know that being your father has been one of the greatest gifts in my life. I can still remember the very first moment I held you in my arms and you looked up at me with those beautiful, ever observing eyes of yours. You may not have been my flesh and blood but I loved you just as much. Those times we shared together in the park, just you and me were something I always looked forward to and I carried those memories as I watched you grow up to become the wonderful woman you are to today. I may not have ever said it enough but I want you to know Maura how proud you made me. You confidently strode out into the world and accomplished many a thing based upon your own merits and not those that came with the family name or fortune.

My greatest wish was to see you grow up and be happy; find love and be loved unconditionally in return by someone who would protect you and stand steadfast at your side. Some people are lucky enough to have that one person, someone they're just meant to be with and you have that Maura. You and Jane found one another and although I may not have understood you choice at the beginning, I came to realise it didn't matter. You two were meant to be. Jane is an honourable woman who loves you with all her heart and that is what counts. Moreover it was an honour to be able to call one of Boston PD's finest detectives my daughter in law. And then there is that wonderful granddaughter of mine…she couldn't have had a better start in life then having you and Jane as her parents and I know that she will have everything she ever needs as long as she has both of you there loving her, supporting and guiding her through it all.

I am not afraid of dying; I have lived a long life with much happiness. Precious times we've spent together as a family over the years have been few and far between but those memories are giving me some comfort. My only regret…I wish we had been closer during these last years; I wish your mother could have seen beyond her pride and embraced the life you have with Jane and our granddaughter. Maybe I should have even but my foot down more and made more of an effort to see you but like you Maura I love my wife and thus my loyalty was with her. I knew that any pain and hurt you felt would be healed by the presence of Jane and others around you so do not take my lack of contact as rejection. You are my daughter Maura and nothing will ever change that.

I have no right to demand anything of you but I would ask that you don't give up on your mother Maura. Despite everything that has happened she loves you, she always has. There will come a time when she will realise her mistakes just like I did and it may not be tomorrow, it may not even be next year but when the time comes she will need you. I ask you to forgive her and move on; don't let the past prevent you from having a relationship in the future.

I've only ever wanted you to be happy in life Maura; something that hasn't always been the case when it has come to me and your mother. Yet despite the sadness, you found your happy ending and there is nothing more which gives me greater comfort then knowing this. I can die content in the knowledge that you are not alone; you have someone who will stand by your side come what may.

I love you with all my heart Maura, live, be happy and continue to make me proud.

You loving father."

Maura allowed the letter to flutter onto the table as she felt James arms wrap around, pulling her in close. The tears came easily in that moment; she knew her father had loved her but to see it written in his own words put to rest the fears she had longed carried in the back of her mind. Jane reached up with one hand, her thumb slowly caressing the soft skin of Maura's cheek, wiping away the tears as they fell. The ME leaned into the soft touch of her wife's hand as it stroked her cheek and she put her own above it to keep it in place.

"You ok Maura?"

"I will be. After all these years I've finally heard or in this case read what I needed too from him."

Jane herself couldn't help but shed a tear at Jonathan Isles words. She could never forget the sacrifice Maura had made with regards to her parents in order to be with her so to know that he had accepted the love she had for his daughter meant so much to her.

"Your father was a good man Maura and he won't be forgotten."

The rest of the evening followed on a happier note; Maura going over those precious moments as a child, of times when she was just a daughter spending time with her father.

As she took a deep breath and exhaled it in a long, mournful sigh, Maura knelt down to place the roses on top of the headstone that stood where her father lay.

"I'm glad that I made you proud father, that's all I ever wanted to do. I never blamed you from being absent in my life, you and mother worked hard to give me so much but It was once I was older that I came to realise I had to learn to fly by myself. I know that it was partly my fault and not just yours but I am sorry we didn't have a chance to properly reconcile before you passed. I never regretted my decision to choose Jane over you and mother; in fact it was never a choice as far as I was concerned. Like you yourself said, some people are just meant to be and I knew that was the case with Jane. She's made me happier than I ever could have imagined."

Maura gently wept as she let go of the fears and guilt that had plagued her for almost her entire adult life. Jane silently stood behind, her hand coming to rest upon her wife's shoulder as a gesture of support before she herself leaned down and placed her own flowers upon Jonathan Isles final resting place.

"Rest assured I will never let your daughter down. She and Evie are everything to me and I'll go to the ends of the earth to ensure they are happy, protected and above all else, loved."

As Jane stood, Maura stepped into her arms holding her close. They remained that way for a few minutes until Maura looked up at her wife, tears staining her cheeks. She gently caressed Jane's face and then placed a gentle kiss on her lips in silent thanks for the support she'd been giving her, not only now but for the entire time they had been together. She then took one last look at her father's grave and a smile graced her face at the realisation she had finally found the closure she had needed since his untimely death. She had made peace with the past and now it was time to focus on the present. Hand in hand, she and Jane slowly made their way out of the cemetery and back to their daughter. back to the life they shared together.