Disclaimer: As always, Rizzoli and Isles and its wonderful characters do not belong to me.

The fourth and final installment for all you eager readers. Enjoy! :)

Chapter 4 - Perfection (Epilogue)

Maura stood on the porch in her backyard taking in the scene before her. She watched the swing gently swaying in the wind, the rustle of autumn leaves ready to fall, the peace and tranquility that surrounded her, if only for a while and she thought back to that fateful day 2 years ago when she had very nearly screwed things up, how things had seemingly fallen into place, and of that starry, starry night by the harbor when Jane had proposed...

"One day...I hope. It'll be our place. And our children's place.

To sit.

Watch the world.

That is if you'll have me." She turned to look at the honey blonde, changing position as she did so, one knee on the pavement, head craned up, palm out.

Maura just stood there, shocked to the core. She'd been so sure that Jane had brought her here to break up with her that when she was hit with this most intimate gesture of love and commitment, she was left speechless, unable to move even. In that moment, time stood still for the ME; the stars and the moon collided; there was such a thing as God. She heard Jane's words, saw her move, watched her get down on one knee before holding out the most gorgeous ring she'd ever seen in her life in the hand it had been tightly encased in. Her hand shot up to her mouth as her love uttered her next words.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is...

...Maura Isles, will you marry me?"

Maura knew her answer before Jane even managed to ask the question.

"Yes, Jane. Yes." And with those words, all the anxiety and nerves Jane had felt in the lead up to that moment disappeared as she reverently slipped the ring on to her love's finger. Maura placed her hands on Jane's shoulders, tugging her up before bringing her down, hand snaking round her neck to kiss her, tongues battling for dominance. Breaking from their position, Maura burrowed herself in to the comfort of Jane's arms. The world around them had been forgotten. Right then, right there, it was just the two of them. She turned a little in Jane's arms to admire the ring that now adorned her finger.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

"It kinda has to be...you know..." she said, looking down to where she was scuffing the heel of her boot, "to match the person whose finger it sits." Maura felt her heart literally melt as the sweetness of her fiance's words even though physically, it wasn't at all possible.

Her fiance.

God, it felt amazing to call her that.

She looked at the simple thin white gold band that held a series of diamonds from one half to the other, noting how perfectly it fit too.

"It fits too." She smiled happily, grinning up at Jane who returned it full force.

"I should hope so. I've had it for the last eight months" she joked. She could literally see the clockworks turning in the Doctor's mind, counting back the months, working it out. Her breath hitched as realisation dawned, and she connected the dots to back when the Australian had returned.

"You were going to propose that night," she whispered. Jane fidgeted, unsure of what to say. She decided to go with the truth.

"Yes..."

"And then I went and ruined it..."

"I didn't say it to bring up...anything..." She tried to catch the ME's eye but the woman was too busy looking at the ring on her finger, grappling with overwhelming feelings of guilt and regret, happiness and love, relief and joy.

All this time...

Finally she looked up. "All this time...we could have been married by now, on our honeymoon...You would have been my wife and I yours. Living our life together, planning our family. We lost so much...I..." Tears were rolling down the ME's face, fast and furious. She was starting to hyperventilate as she realised how close she'd come to simply losing everything, losing the part of her life that had been so perfect. Jane took the smaller woman's face in her hands, her thumbs brushing the tears away.

"Hey. Come on now," she said softly, knowing Maura was beating herself up about it all. "If things hadn't happened the way they had, the two of us, our relationship, wouldn't be as strong as it is now. You'd still be forever wondering what if, even though I know you don't actually like those sort of situations, and you'd still be holding back a piece of yourself because of it; you wouldn't feel as whole as you do now and I'd still always be waiting for that other shoe to drop...thinking I don't deserve you, knowing who did. But it isn't like that. Not anymore. Besides," she said, shrugging non-committally, "it's not like that ring would have fit on anyone else's finger."

Hearing her love's sweet words made Maura's eyes fill with even more tears. She never knew she had it in her to cry so much, let alone so hard.

"Awww, Maur. Don't cry. You know I can't stand it when you do." She cupped her love's face with a gentleness that belied the battle wounds evident, brushing away her tears with her thumbs. Maura reached up holding tight to the the hands that covered her face. She shook her head.

"These are happy tears," she said.

They'd gotten married two months later under a gazebo in their own backyard, surrounded by a few close family and friends.

It had been perfect.

She was brought out of her reverie by long arms encircling her waist, soft lips pressed to the back of her neck and she smiled serenely, leaning back into her wife.

"Hey. You ok?"

"Yes."

"How are my girls doing?" she asked, caressing the small swell of the ME's tummy.

Maura placed her hands over Jane's, gently running her thumbs over the top of Jane's scars. "Perfect," she said pressing herself further back into the Detective, eager for the contact, and warmth and comfort she provided. The decision to try for a family had been fairly new and as with all aspects of their life, it had been suggested by Maura who had wanted to add to the ever-growing family of the Rizzoli brood now that Frankie had, in the words of her mother-in-law, "finally gotten married".

Surprisingly enough, her wife had not brought up any objections except for the fact that she didn't want to be pregnant but instead wanted to enjoy the nine months simply seeing Maura pregnant - she wanted to witness the soft glow to surround her wife, the little kicks their child would give them, the widening of Maura's eyes when she felt that first flutter, the loving smile she'd give as she rubbed her tummy to settle their child down, the hands through her hair as Jane spoke to him or her; she'd make an amazing mother, Jane thought. Loving, compassionate, thoughtful but at the same time firm when the situation called for it. As soon as Angela had found out, she'd been ecstatic at the thought of having another grand baby, a thought to which Jane had only rolled her eyes and then rolled them some more after her mother then decided to point out that Maura would end up having two children on her hands; one being Jane and the other their child. So, eight months after they said their vows to each other, they began going for the treatments, they chose a donor - one that had characteristics similar to Jane but for six months nothing had worked. Then Frankie had one day pulled his sister aside saying that he'd be willing to 'help out' by donating his sperm. Of course, he'd been quick to emphasis that he would never see the child as being his own.

They'd discussed it.

While Jane had been somewhat reluctant in part because she wanted yet another blonde haired, hazel eyed child who'd have her wrapped around her finger, Maura couldn't think of anything better than having a child that was both a Rizzoli and an Isles combined. It was the perfect combination. And eventually, as with everything else Maura wanted, Jane had agreed; on the condition that their next child would be biologically Maura's, to which she had acquiesced. So once again, they started treatments and the first time had worked a charm; it was as if it had been meant to be; a child that was linked to both of them biologically. As soon as they found out that they'd been successful, they'd both been bubbling with excitement and happiness and now, here they were, with Maura just having passed her first trimester.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Thinking," came the simple response. They stood for a few minutes in silence just enjoying the others' company before Jane's curiosity got the better of her.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"I'd have thought my thoughts were worth more than a penny," the honey blonde quipped. Jane grinned. Maura's sense of humor had most definitely improved over the years.

Voice raspy and low, she nodded, agreeing with Maura. "Priceless," she said. The sultry, husky undertone sent shivers down Maura's spine.

"As are you," she replied. She turned in Jane's arms, placing her head on her chest while her Detective rubbed soothing circles across her lower back.

3,2,1...

"So?" Maura grinned to herself knowing her Detective's naturally inquisitive nature would not give up.

"I was just thinking of the night you proposed, and how perfect it's been since," she said, raising her head from her favorite position over the beating of Jane's heart to look up at her wife of one and a half years.

Jane raised a questioning brow. "Does that include all the fights we have too?"

"Of course," she said, placing her hands atop of Jane's shoulders. "And the amazing make-up sex we have after it as well."

"Hmmm..." came the rumble of agreement. "Only amazing huh?" for which she received a light slap.

"Jane Rizzoli! Do you not think our make-up sex is amazing?"

Her question received a short bark of laughter from the brunette. "Oh I do. I also think the sex we normally have is pretty amazing too," she said.

"Then what's the problem?" she asked.

"I was just wondering what word tops amazing," she replied, lightly nipping Maura's earlobe. Momentarily thrown by the sensations coursing through her, the ME struggled to regain some semblance of thought. She tilted her head slightly to give Jane more access.

"Mind-blowing," she gasped.

The honey blonde squealed as Jane bent down and carried her bridal style through their backdoor, lustful dark orbs focused on her wife. She wound her arms round Jane's neck, laughing lightly as she said, "Well, now, let's see if we can't work towards that then, shall we?" before shutting the door and the rest of the world out.

-The End-

And finito! It's finally finished. Sorry it took so long but I hope it went ok. I am working on three others so I will be busy getting those right before any of them go up. In the meantime, check out my first fic and let me know what you think, what improvements can be made etc.

Thanks for reading!