I am so, so, so sorry how long this has took. Life has been insane right now and just everything is all mixed up including my frazzled, overworked, little brain.
I hope you all enjoy the end of this story. And I want to thank each and everyone of you for reading, reviewing, alerting, following etc. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And thank you so much for my amazing Beta for everything, especially editing everything quickly even when I was sending three and four chapters at you at a time. Seriously, everyone thanking me in the reviews should be thanking her too ;)
Okay well enjoy!
"Okay, I think it's time we go. Your mom will get mad if we are late for dinner again," Jane yells to her son, who is standing a few yards away from her across the green.
"Just a few more pitches please, Ma. The Razorbacks are the hardest team we play this year, I need my arm to be perfect," he says and Jane smiles before giving in.
"We don't wanna wear that arm out kid," she tells him before tossing the ball back to him. "A few more pitches and then we've gotta go home for dinner."
She can't believe how big that little kid has grown. How has time passed by so quickly?
She plays with the collar of her shirt and tries to get it creased perfectly. She considers taking it off and ironing it again. Maura has turned her into a perfectionist.
Like she's read her mind, Maura appears behind her and helps her out.
"Will you stop messing with it? It's fine, Jane," she huffs before reaching under her arms, buttoning the last button and pulling Jane's curly main to one side. She kisses her neck and smiles at her in the mirror. "You look perfect," she says.
Jane smiles and turns on her. "No, you look perfect. Almost as gorgeous as on our wedding day," she tells her and grins when she sees the flushed color on Maura's cheeks. After over twenty years she can still make the woman blush.
Maura reaches for the jacket that was draped on the chair next to them and hands it to Jane. "It's almost time," she sighs.
Jane places a finger under Maura's cheek and lifts up so she's looking into her eyes. "It's a wonderful occasion, honey. Don't frown so much," Jane says, pecking her lips reassuringly.
"I just feel like this is the last step, you know? Henry is officially an adult," she says sadly.
"Which is a good thing, Maur," Jane says cheerily. "We can retire now and move to Florida."
Someone clears their throat behind them and they turn around to see who's interrupting. "Kind of rude to say when I'm right here."
"You know your mother is just joking Liv," Maura tells her daughter.
"Yeah, joking," Jane drawls, earning an elbow from Maura. "Seriously, why did we let Henry convince us to have her?" Jane jokes and Olivia begins to glare at her.
"As if you were the one who needed the convincing," Maura grins at her wife.
"Mommy isn't going to be home for a few more days, kid. That means we can do whatever we want," Jane says to Henry.
He's sitting on one of the bar stools eating reheated leftovers that Maura left for the two of them while she's gone.
"We can walk around in our underwear!" he shouts excitedly while kicking his feet.
"We could, but why would we?" Jane laughs.
"Because it's fun," he exclaims.
Jane ruffles up his hair and shakes her head. "No. Pants will be worn at all times."
"Awe," he groans.
"But we can have some extra ice cream after dinner and then watch some scary movies," Jane says and he perks up excitedly once again. She never wants him to grow up. Children are so easily satisfied.
After the two of them are stuffed with ice cream, they curl up on couch and watch scary movies, another thing Maura would disapprove of. It's 10:30pm and well past Henry's bedtime when they finish the second Chucky movie.
"Do I have to go to bed?" Henry whines as Jane follows him up the stairs.
"Yes, you have school in the morning and I've already let you stay up too late," Jane tells him.
"But I don't wanna go to school," he says as he takes a seat halfway up the stairs.
Jane grabs him around the waist and holds him sideways under her arm as she continues up the stairs. "Too bad, kid. I had to go when I was your age."
He pouts the rest of the way up the stairs and fights Jane every step of the way, even refusing to brush his teeth until Jane threatens to ground him and suspend him from baseball.
When he's in bed he continues to try to puppy dog eye Jane into letting him stay home. "Why don't you want to go to school all of a sudden? You used to love school," she wonders as she tucks him in.
"Some of the kids are mean to me," he explains sadly.
Jane's never wanted to hurt children before in her life, but this makes her come close to the thought. How dare anyone bully her son. "Do you need me to come to the school and talk to the teachers?"
"No," he mumbles. "They just don't understand."
"Understand what?" she questions.
"Nothing," he replies and Jane tilts her head to try to catch his eye and get him to look at her. "They're mean to Ruby too."
"Ruby?" Jane wonders.
"My friend from school, she stood up for me when the other kids were mean," he explains.
"What are they saying about you?" she asks again, hoping this time he will respond.
"It doesn't matter, they're just a bunch of…of jerks anyways," he shrugs.
"You know your mom wouldn't approve of name calling," Jane scolds him and he apologizes. "If you don't tell me I can't really help," she tries again.
"They said it's not right that I have two moms," he finally says. "You're supposed to have a mommy and a daddy and Ruby and I are different."
She hoped this day would never come. She hoped that society had finally overcome its homophobia, but living in a blue state doesn't mean everyone is necessarily okay with it. She's seen the looks when she's held Maura's hand or subtly kissed her cheek in public. She's no stranger to bigotry. But she's an adult and she's tough. This is her son and she hoped he'd never have to face this world. She wishes Maura was here, this is a time when she needs her wife's help. Maura is so much better with words in a time like this.
"They're wrong, Henry. I need you to know that love and families come in many different varieties. Not everyone is lucky enough to have one or even both parents, and if they do they aren't always a mommy and a daddy. Sometimes people don't know this and they're afraid of what's different. But different doesn't mean bad, okay?" she tells him and he nods.
"I know. Ruby doesn't have a mommy just like I don't have a daddy and she told me that it makes us special," he says proudly with a grin brimming her face.
She knows Maura would be proud if she were here. Their son has always been so smart and so mature. He's his mom's child.
"I want you to tell me if they keep bullying you, okay?" she asks and he nods. She smiles and musses up his hair once before tucking him in. "Okay kid, I think it's time we get some sleep." She goes to walk out, but he stops her.
"Are you and mommy gonna have another baby?" he asks unexpectedly and Jane frowns in response.
"Um I don't know kiddo. Why do you ask?" she wonders. This is just a night full of awkward talks with her son and Maura is off in a different time zone conversing with hundreds of doctors.
"Ruby's parents are having another baby and everyone keeps telling her she's going to get replaced." He finally looks up.
These kids are just the worst. "Are you worried we will replace you with a new baby?" Jane asks and he shakes his head.
"I told her that they would still love her the same and that I would be happy if I were her," he says before smiling triumphantly.
Jane smiles just the same. "Hopefully she listens to you and she doesn't let those kids bother her," Jane says and he nods.
"You told me that I was made from love. I just want you to know I wouldn't mind," he says after a moment and Jane scrunches her brow in confusion.
"Wouldn't mind what?" she wonders.
"If you use some of your love to make another baby. I won't be jealous," he confirms and she laughs a bit before kissing his forehead.
"Thanks for your blessing, Henry," she tells him. "Now get some sleep."
She leaves his door open a crack and leaves the hall light on for him just like Maura does after tucking him in.
She crawls into bed and waits while her mind wanders away from her. Henry has given his blessing for them to have another child and they haven't even spoken about it.
Should she bring it up? When Maura calls before bed should she mention it? Or should she wait until they're face to face.
Does she want another baby? Who would carry it?
These are all the questions she asks herself.
Henry is almost eight years old and Maura is finally done with her residency. The timing is perfect.
But they haven't even discussed this. In almost eight years since the birth of their son, another child never managed to come up.
She wonders if that's a sign not to rock the boat. They're happy, so why test it?
But time is running out, they're in their mid thirties. She knows they should at least discuss it and have it on the table.
She looks at her phone. No missed calls and it's almost midnight. She starts to worry. She never has to wait this long for Maura to Facetime her.
She decides to call.
Directly to voicemail.
Maura never turns her phone off.
She calls the hotel.
"Maura Doyle checked out this morning," the desk attendant says.
She hangs up and considers calling the police.
Her mind instantly goes to the remnants of Escobar's cartel.
There's no way; they couldn't have found her.
She thinks she hears the front door open and runs into the closet to get her gun out of the safe.
She holds it close and creeps down the hallway. She's almost at the end of the stairs when she sees the foyer light come on. She rounds the corner and pulls her gun while yelling, "freeze."
She stops and drops her arms.
"Holy…Jane!" Maura shouts in a whispered tone.
"Oh my god," Jane pants as she flicks the safety on and walks over to her wife. "Maura what the hell, you're two days early."
"I left after my presentation, I thought you'd miss me," she pouts and Jane gives in instantly.
She steps forward and wraps her wife in a tight embrace. "I missed you so much, Maura. I was just worried since you weren't answering your phone and, god Maur, you scared the shit out of me. I almost shot you!" she exclaims before claiming her mouth in a passionate kiss. She pulls her impossibly closer until Maura groans.
"You're kind of squishing me," she whispers and Jane pulls back. She lets Maura go and strokes her face before kissing her more delicately.
"I really did miss you," she says, hoping she finally proved that.
"I missed you too," Maura pants with a content smile on her face. "So much."
Jane reaches behind Maura and locks the door before throwing her bag over her shoulder. She grabs her gun off the table with one hand and grabs Maura's with the other and leads her to their bedroom.
After locking her gun away and leaving Maura's bag in the closet she steps over to her wife and pushes her towards the bed. "Let me show you how much I missed you Mrs. Doyle," Jane whispers as she lays her down.
She pulls off her shirt before crawling on top of Maura and reattaching their lips.
"Mmmm, I love you so much, baby," Maura moans while threading her fingers through her wife's dark tresses.
Jane's mind goes into hyper-drive and she pulls back so quickly that Maura accidentally pulls her hair.
"Owww" Jane groans while scratching her head.
"Jane, I'm sorry," Maura panics. "What happened?"
She doesn't know what to say, that the word "baby" sent her into a momentary panic? Should she dance around the question that's in her head?
"Do you want to have a baby?" Jane blurts. Smooth, real smooth.
"I…what?" Maura replies, speechless.
"Shit…" Jane hisses. "I mean. We haven't talked about it. Why haven't we talked about it? We should have been talking about this. Like how many kids do we even want to have? Are we too old? But it's kind of a perfect time right? Henry is getting older and we are officially a two-income household now and we have significantly more money. We did so well with Henry and now we have a more concrete foundation to raise a baby. Unless…unless one is all you wa-" her breathless rant is cut off by a swift kiss from Maura.
"Jane," she laughs as she takes her wife's face in her hands. "Are you asking me or telling me?" she asks softly.
"Asking?" Jane finally mumbles.
"On one condition," Maura says after a few moments of silence.
Jane looks up excitedly.
"We use your egg," Maura says and Jane tackles her.
"Seriously?" she asks and Maura nods before attacking her face with her lips.
"Henry has only been bugging me every night to have another baby," Maura laughs and Jane's eyes bug out a minute before she starts laughing.
They were duped.
"Okay, okay, it's almost time guys. Henry will kill you if you both aren't in your spots at the right time," Olivia says to her parents as she starts pulling them towards the gazebo where her brother plans to say his vows.
Jane stops following her wife and daughter somewhere along the way when she sees her future in-law. "Jeff," she calls him over and he obliges. "Where's Nate?" she asks and he smiles.
"In the bathroom trying to calm his nerves," he laughs and Jane smiles.
"Well it's a big day. Maura was in a similar state earlier," Jane explains.
"Yeah, Ruby is gorgeous. I can't wait until Nate and I walk her out and you all see her," he says proudly.
"Henry's a lucky boy," she replies honestly before catching Maura eyeing her. She knows that look so she says goodbye and walks over to meet her wife.
"I'm more nervous than the day we sent him off to college," Maura murmurs and Jane kisses her cheek to calm her.
"Somehow I don't believe that," Jane chuckles.
"Are you sure this is where you want to go?" Maura asks.
"Mom, yes. I've already said yes a million times," he shrugs and Maura frowns. "Why? Why don't you want me to go there?" he demands after seeing his mother's reactions.
"You're just going to stay with Ruby. What happened to Yale and law? Why would you choose MIT over Yale? What if you two break up?" she hounds him with questions before Jane intrudes.
"Maura, stop. MIT is a good school, an amazing school. Stop being so hard on him, he's a good boy and he knows what he's doing," Jane lulls her wife while pulling her into an embrace. "We're proud of you. We can commit tomorrow, okay?"
He nods and she smiles.
"Okay you should probably just head upstairs for a bit," she tells him.
"But, the dishes," he says.
"I've got them tonight, you deserve a night off," she says and he grins before running upstairs.
"Why is mommy mad at Henry?" Olivia asks.
"I'm not mad at him," Maura finally speaks again.
"Your mother and I are extremely happy," Jane lies to her daughter before pulling her chair out for her. "Why don't you head upstairs too and we'll come up for goodnights in a little bit?" Jane says and Olivia does as she's asked.
As soon as she's out of sight, Jane turns on Maura. "What the hell, Maura?"
"I'm sorry," Maura sobs and Jane pulls her into a hug.
"MIT is amazing, Maura. Why are you giving him such a hard time? Are you scared that Ruby is stealing him from us or something?" Jane asks and Maura shakes her head.
"I don't know. I don't know why I reacted like that," Maura replies.
"Okay well let's just wait down here and get it together and then we need to go talk to him," Jane says and Maura nods.
They head upstairs twenty minutes later and enter Henry's room to see him researching MIT.
"So this is what you want to do?" Maura asks again.
"Yeah mom. This is what I want." He says firmly and she nods lightly.
"We are proud of you and whatever you want to do. So, uh, go 'Tim the Beaver?'"
Jane and Henry both burst out laughing and Maura smiles awkwardly.
"Thanks mom," he smiles and Maura nods.
"We'll order you some shirts and jackets and stuff tomorrow so we can dress you up in them and parade you around like our little show pony," Jane jokes before putting on a snooty voice. "Yes, our son got into Yale and MIT but he chose the more intelligent route because, well everyone knows Ivy League isn't really IN anymore."
"You're crazy, ma," he laughs and Jane tousles his hair just like he's always hated.
"Don't stay up too late," she advises him, before following Maura out of the room.
They say goodnight to Olivia before Jane chases Maura to their bedroom for some alone time.
They're in the middle of making out when Maura stops them. "I am proud of Henry. You don't doubt that do you?" Maura asks and Jane shakes her head.
"No, Maura. I get it, you're scared," Jane excuses and continues to kiss her.
"I'm not scared," Maura stops her again.
"Okay, Maura. Can we just stop worrying about this and I don't know… have sex?" Jane says a little bluntly and Maura rolls her eyes before grinning.
"Only if you can manage to keep quiet," Maura challenges before flipping the two of them over with a plan to give her wife more than she asked for.
Four months and not a day has gone by where Maura hasn't spent almost two hours on the phone with their son. It's a good thing they have unlimited minutes.
Tomorrow he's coming home for the first time since heading to MIT for his freshman semester with Ruby. Maura is terrified they'll come back engaged.
Jane and Olivia just sit back and watch at she frets about the house cleaning and re-cleaning everything.
When 3 pm hits and he still hasn't walked in the door, Maura becomes almost uncontrollable. Jane considers restraining her when they finally hear the slamming of a car door.
Olivia runs out first and wraps her arms around her lanky brother and causes him to drop his bags.
Maura follows with a tight embrace and a whispered, "welcome home."
Jane side embraces him, tousles his hair and grabs his bags.
He feels like he's home.
Dinner is nice and filled with discussion about school and MIT and changes around home with Henry gone and how much everyone misses him, etc.
It's calm until Olivia heads upstairs to finish her homework and it's just the three of them.
"So I've decided on a major," Henry finally says into his glass of water.
Jane looks up and smiles while Maura peers over the kitchen counter, "I thought you were going to do political science and apply to Yale Law for graduate school."
Jane eyes her and tells her not to start and she backs off a little bit.
"Yes, well MIT makes all incoming freshman take certain classes and I've actually fallen in love with science," he says proudly and Jane grins.
"Well you are your mom's child. So medicine?" Jane asks and he shakes his head.
"Chemistry," he says excitedly and Jane's jaw drops before she turns to Maura and sees her break before her eyes.
"I'll be back," Maura says softly before leaving the two behind.
He is his father's child, and that's what Maura was afraid of all along.
"That's awesome, Henry. Whatever you want to do, I know you will make us proud," she promises before giving him a hug. "I'm going to go talk to your mother. Don't worry about this mess, you should go out with some friends tonight," she suggests before she follows Maura and leaves her perplexed son behind.
She walks down the hall and finds Maura curled up in bed. She slips quietly behind her and announces her presence with a kiss to her shoulder. She holds her tightly as Maura sobs.
"I was afraid of this," Maura cries before turning and planting her wet face into the crook of Jane's neck.
"He's not James, Maura. We raised him well. You raised him well. He's a good kid with a good girlfriend and morals," she promises and Maura nods. "We've got to trust him."
"I trust him," Maura promises.
"Good," Jane says before kissing her forehead. "We should probably get a cake so he doesn't think we hate him."
Maura agrees with a soft, teary kiss.
Two nights later Henry announces that he and Ruby broke up, and sends Maura into another panic. Jane has to calm her from that too.
They remain good friends and get back together after almost six months apart. Maura calms down considerably again.
Maura cries when Henry walks out in his tuxedo. She cries when the Wedding March begins. She cries when Ruby makes it to the end of the aisle and her dads give her away. She cries throughout the whole wedding.
After their kiss, Jane watches her son's teary eyes meet Maura's soaked ones and she remembers the last time that happened.
"Why can't you get over the fact that I chose this over law? Why do you hate that I love science so much? You're a doctor! I got it from you, why are you so surprised?" Henry shouts in tears to Maura, as Jane watches from the doorway.
"You didn't get it from me," she screams and Jane grabs her arm.
"Maura, stop!" Jane shouts immediately. They were never going to tell him, but Maura piqued his interest and he wouldn't let it go.
He was 21 years old when he found out that half of his life was a lie. He cried and shouted at Maura while Jane tried to separate them. He sobbed as he packed and left.
They didn't hear from him for two weeks before Jane called Ruby. She told them he'd broken up with her over voicemail while crying that he didn't want to be a monster. She hadn't been able to get him to answer his phone since then.
It took Jane another two weeks to track him down in Canada, only a few hours north of home.
She took off and brought him home and set him straight. He got his father's brains, but both of his mothers' morals. He loved Ruby and his family and chemistry, but he wasn't James.
That year Henry found out about his uncle Tommy and the lengths he went through to right his wrong. How he ended up saving a lot of lives. They took him to his grave and there he swore to do right by their name.
Maura never brought up her fear ever again.
Henry never mentioned his father again. He went to graduate school and got a job with NASA lined up after graduation.
She never doubted her son again.
Jane clings her spoon to her flute and the roar of the room simmers to a whisper.
"Thank you all for coming today," she begins her speech.
"Almost 25 years ago my wife gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and now he's grown into a marvelous adult with an even more exquisite wife," she says, nodding to a smiling Ruby. "Okay, enough SAT words," she laughs deeply.
"I guess I can't call you kid anymore. You're a man, now. Your mother and I are so proud. We've known you and Ruby were meant to be since you were eight years old. You were inseparable and we are glad it didn't take you two lifetimes to find each other like it did your mom and me," she stops and smiles at Maura before continuing.
"You've done more good in your life than we could have ever imagined and you've proven again and again that you know how to make the best decisions. Ruby is one of them, though love really isn't a decision. Cherish what you have and always listen to each other," she holds her glass up before pausing.
"Wait… And I know Ruby still has her residency, and even though she hasn't admitted it out loud yet, your mom is gonna want some grandkids soon," Jane winks before she gets elbowed. She lifts her glass and everyone takes a sip of their champagne.
She dances with her son, then with her new daughter and finally her wife.
They sway to the music and smile to each other, more in love then ever before.
"I'll never get over how glad I am that I met you," Jane whispers and Maura smiles.
"We were meant to be. I think in every life we meet and fall in love, Jane. You are always meant to be my sentry and the love of my life," Maura says. It's a bit cheesy, but Jane takes the bait anyways.
She leans in for a kiss and is about to connect their lips when Olivia pops up beside them.
"So now that one of your kids is married off, do you mind if I bring my girlfriend over for dinner one night," she asks.
Jane just blinks while Maura smiles and nods.
Olivia prances away and Jane immediately turns to Maura. "Girlfriend?" she whispers and Maura just laughs.
"She is her mother's daughter," Maura smiles before finally leaning in for her kiss.
THE END