A/N – And so we finally come to the end of a story that I started all the way back in 2014, and originally brainstormed circa 2010-2011! My apologies that it took so long to finish this piece – it is the third-largest fic I've written to date, and as the final word count is nearly 60,000, it is the size of a novel! I hope it was an enjoyable read and that anyone who has been rooting for the happy ending of Jane Edna Peabody is well-pleased.

XXX

Nothing could rob her of her birthright of fancy or her ideal world of dreams. And there was always the bend in the road!
~L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Creation is still going on. The creative forces are as great and active today as they have ever been, and tomorrow's morning will be as heroic as any of the world.
~Henry Beston, The Outermost House

Life is a road and I want to keep going
Love is river I want to keep flowing
In the end I want to be standing
At the beginning with you.
~Donna Lewis and Richard Marx, Anastasia

XXX

May 17, 1929

"I can't believe we haven't been back here since before Sophie was born!" Jane said as she stepped out of the 1924 Tudor sedan and into the secluded clearing by the lake.

"Parenthood has the most compelling way of filling one's time," Jim wryly remarked as he rustled around in the roomy backseat for their picnic basket and blanket. "When was the last time we went on a recreational outing without Sophie?"

Jane laughed and sidled over to her husband. "You know, I don't think we ever have. And I don't intend to waste a moment of this afternoon with you… "

When Jim plunked everything onto the ground and turned to wrap his arms around her, she lost no time in claiming his mouth with hers. Not only had the assistant librarian become unabashedly bold in the three years since they'd married, she had been waiting a long time for this opportunity. Like Miss Marian, Jane only took a brief leave of absence from the library after becoming a mother, so once she resumed her duties, her days were too filled with vocational, social, and familial obligations to engage in the protracted romantic rendezvous that she and Jim had frequently enjoyed as newlyweds.

Unfortunately, husband and wife barely got to enjoy their embrace before it was rudely interrupted by a sudden burst of large, fat raindrops plunking right down onto them. At the ominous rumbling of thunder, they immediately broke apart and sought shelter in the roomy backseat of the Ford. Thankfully, Jim had the foresight to retrieve both the blanket and the picnic basket as they scrambled to take cover from the deluge. And in order to prevent the ruination of the upholstery, he spread the blanket over the seat before they reclined on it.

"How is it that we are cursed with such horrible weather the majority of times we've attempted to picnic here?" Jim grumbled.

"It's only a squall, so it should pass quickly," Jane consoled. Determined not to let the unexpected storm spoil their fun, she straddled his lap, grasped him by the suspenders, and gave him an arch grin. "And even if the rain lingers for a while, it can't spoil every scandalous and wicked idea we had in mind for today… "

Getting into the spirit of things, Jim beamed impishly at her and said, "In that case, Mrs. Hearst, where did we leave off?"

As their mouths met, she undid his tie, shirt, and trousers, as he made similarly short work of her blouse, girdle, and skirt. After that, it was a race to see who could make whom cry out the loudest and the longest – he suckled her breasts and bit her neck, she reached down to stroke and tease and guide him into her, and they both moaned with heedless abandon as they writhed together.

But they had just barely gotten a good rhythm going when Jim stopped her. "There's one more thing I want to do with you that we can't this way," he gasped.

Jane would have been more than happy to see things through in their present position, but she made it a point to always consider Jim's suggestions even when they were very enjoyably engaged mid-coitus, as his inventiveness often led to even greater pleasure on her behalf. So she panted, "I'm game."

Pulling her to lie down on the seat, Jim covered his body with hers and slid right back into her. As they resumed their frenetic pace, he reached down and stroked the center of her pleasure, which indeed increased her ecstasy. Jane was doubly grateful to follow his lead – through long and heated exploration, they had discovered that this was one of the most effective ways to bring her to orgasm, and as such, it became an instant favorite. Sadly, he couldn't perform this act on her too often these days, as it made her cry out with a fierce intensity that she simply couldn't restrain, which was eminently unwise when they had an increasingly precocious toddler in the house. But as Jim didn't hesitate to love her that way now, Jane screamed herself hoarse, coming over and over again until her husband joined her in climax.

After merely a few moments of lying in a happy daze together, husband and wife realized they were both parched and ravenous, and dug into the picnic basket with the same alacrity with which they'd coupled. Once they'd eaten and drank to their satisfaction, the squall had passed and they were feeling exceedingly cramped and stiff in their confinement, so they exited the car to stretch their legs.

As they meandered hand in hand around the secluded clearing, Jane was so tempted by the inviting babble of the nearby brook that she suggested they go wading. This time, instead of sneaking sly glances at each other, Jim spread their blanket on the still-sodden ground and took the lead in undoing her garters, rolling down her stockings, and removing her shoes. But as his hands traced her bare thighs and their eyes met, that desperate spark was immediately rekindled between them. As they already found themselves on the ground and halfway unclothed, it didn't take long before he was on top of and then inside of her. Despite the haste with which they united, their coupling soon softened into something far more languorous and unhurried, with many tender kisses and sweet whispers exchanged between husband and wife until they were both completely spent.

"So much for going wading," Jane smirked when she finally regained her breath. Thankfully, the subterfuge of water was not necessary to conceal the aftereffects of their lovemaking – the blanket was thick enough to take the brunt of the mud that was generated by their passionate friction against the grass, so her dress was wrinkled and damp but not stained.

Jim gallantly helped her to her feet – and then pulled her close for a lingering kiss. "You are too delicious not to eat, dearest of Janes."

"Mmm," she blissfully agreed, far too addled by afterglow to engage in their usual witty repartee. While it was rather warm out, despite the cooler air the storm left behind in its wake, she had a feeling they weren't going to end up wading or swimming that afternoon. They had originally planned to move to the main section of the lake once they finished trysting in the clearing, as Jim had taught her how to swim during their honeymoon. And to Jane's delight, she discovered she was a natural at it, and went on to master every single stroke her husband showed her by the time their tour of the Mediterranean was over. Water was the one place where she could finally achieve weightless grace with minimal struggle, and she took just as much satisfaction in this newfound competency as she did in everything she'd learned about dancing and lovemaking.

"We ought to rent a car more often," Jim egged her on, clearly not ready to rejoin the world either.

"We can certainly do that," she concurred, still too muddled to be coquettish. "We should come here at least once a year, and more often if we can get away with it. Now that Sophie is fully weaned, I can join the rotating childcare group that Miss Marian, Miss Ethel, Zaneeta, and Amaryllis have formulated in order to give a woman extra time to finish chores, run errands, or spend a glorious afternoon alone with her husband. Whichever she prefers."

Fortunately, Jim always found her babbling bluntness just as alluring as her clever flirtation. "It was terribly brilliant of you ladies to arrange this venture," he said heartily, before pulling her into the Ford and covering her mouth with his.

By the time they were finished having their fun in the backseat, the sun had sank too low in the horizon and the shadows were too long to engage in any further recreation – it was time to return the car to Squires' Livery and retrieve their burbling daughter from the Hill home. So after a few final slow, deep kisses, husband and wife sighed in happy resignation, smoothed out their rumpled clothes and hair, and moved decorously to the front seat. But it wasn't the complete end of their romance. To Jane's continued delight, Jim's hand found the back of her knee and caressed it all the way back to the livery.

XXX

February 28, 1930

Nine months later, Jane gave birth to Diana Josephine Hearst. Once again, Miss Marian was by her side at the hospital, while Penny and Elly – who were now a responsible sixteen years of age – minded Sophie at the Hill home.

The assistant librarian and history teacher had their daughter's name picked out a good three months before her birth. However, while naming their baby proved much easier the second time around, this pregnancy was a little more difficult. Like before, they hadn't been explicitly trying for a child, but they hadn't been attempting to prevent one, either. After Sophie was born, they had discussed the matter of more children and decided to simply let nature take its course. But now that Jane was nearing forty, she supposed it would not be prudent to conceive a third child at her age, if she could help it.

To reduce her chances of conception, the assistant librarian was planning to nurse again – though as many nursing mothers in River City could attest, it was not an entirely failsafe method – and once the history teacher was allowed in the room to meet the newest addition to their family, she exultantly remarked:

"And so we are twice blessed to be parents! Isn't she precious, dearest of Jims?"

Jim sat down on the bed next to her, and she gave him Diana Josephine to hold. "She's perfect," he pronounced as he cuddled the baby close to him. "Our second little miracle."

Jane bit her lip, not sure if she should ruin such a charming moment, but in her rumpled and exhausted state, she sorely needed reassurance for the notion that had been nagging at her ever since the doctor pronounced their baby's sex. "And should this be our last child… you wouldn't regret us never having a son?"

Jim's head snapped up to look at her. "Of course not, dearest of Janes," he admonished, but gently. "I am more than content with our two lovely daughters. I never had a preference for anything but a healthy child during either of your pregnancies, and even if I had, I wouldn't risk the loss of my beloved wife for a dozen sons!"

Her happiness finally complete, Jane beamed at her husband. "Then you'll be pleased to know that Miss Marian has given me very detailed lessons in the precautionary arts, as well as the importance of charting one's monthly cycle."

Jim chuckled. "Likewise, Harold has given me a thorough tutorial in both the procurement and use of prophylactics. So I think we should manage just fine."

"Well, given that Sophie was conceived on a sofa and Diana Josephine in the backseat of a car, perhaps we should simply refrain from making love outside of our bed," she teased.

"Those were not the only times we've ever made love outside of our bed," he pointed out with an impish gleam in his eyes. "If our fertility truly correlated with unorthodox locations, we'd have nearly a half-dozen babies by now!"

Jane had to stifle the full measure of her mirth so she wouldn't wake up the baby. As she gazed fondly at their new little daughter, she observed, "I'm surprised you haven't yet come up with a nickname for our second child."

"I'm trying to uphold my principles this time," he said in good-natured exasperation. "Even though Harold did warn me that nicknaming a pair of girls will prove irresistible, especially as our eldest is already nicknamed."

Jane nodded in cheerful agreement. "Yes, I remember Miss Marian was determined to stick to Penelope and Elinor at first – but within mere weeks she was calling her daughters Penny and Elly along with everybody else in River City!"

Indeed, the music professor proved correct in his prediction. Although Diana Josephine took a little bit longer to nickname than Sophia Minerva had, it inevitably happened. When spring rolled around and their now-three-month-old baby cooed excitedly at the brilliant yellow daffodils in their front yard, Sophie started calling her little sister Daffodil, which almost immediately got shortened to Daffy. Both of her parents followed suit with not even a token protest from Jim, as Sophie and Daffy made the most charming pair of nicknames for an equally charming pair of sisters. And neither the assistant librarian nor the history teacher – nor anyone else in River City – could imagine calling these darling girls anything different.

As Jane loved her husband and watched her daughters grow into their personalities – Sophie proved bookish, methodical, and solitary in character, whereas Daffy possessed a bold, merry, and sociable nature – she reflected that she was truly blessed. All the long years of loneliness and loss that she had endured in her life were well worth the tremendous abundance of felicity and love she was surrounded by now. Although she had been content enough as River City's assistant librarian and as an honorary member of the eminent Hill-Paroo clan, her life was additionally enhanced in so many wonderful ways with the arrival of Jim Hearst to town. Now she was also a well-pleased wife, a published author, the undisputed mistress of a comfortable home and two precocious cats, and the proud mother of two beautiful daughters.

"What a family I've made for myself!" Jane Edna Peabody Hearst said exultantly.

XXX

Jane's final line is an indirect homage to the very last line in Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery – my favorite book of the Anne series.

If you'd like to see photos of what Jane and Jim look like, Jane with her baby Sophie, the green dress Jane wore when Jim taught her how to dance, and several other fun and interesting images that inspired this story, check out my LiveJournal at username sarita29.