**DISCLAIMER – I do not own the characters, they belong to TNT and associated bodies. **
(However I have a wonderful imagination and that belongs all to me, just sometimes Jane and Maura wind up naked in it, and there's not a thing I can do to stop it. Gutted.)
*Author's note: well this is it. I can't even begin to describe how much fun I've had writing this story. Sincere thank-yous to each and everyone of you who has taken the time to read, and especially to those of you who have reviewed it; in particular – FaBbErOoz, Steelafan, brwnsuga, AlexandriaVE, winegirl, Jennjenn30, heatwave16, spedlady, angelfoo, , GSRCSILVR25, mydarlingchesire : you lot reviewed nearly every chapter and made updating a pressure, thank-you! Particular thanks to Badge_825 for your words of encouragement and editing advice. I hope you enjoy this last chapter.
How to solve a problem like a wedding ring.
Chapter Fourteen – Oh she's my dear, my darlin' one.
(The song is from an old Irish movie called Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) starring Sean Connery. I don't own it, but I adore it.)
Jane had passed through the rest of that spring, into summer. It was a summer she would probably look back on for the rest of her life. Many things had happened during that time.
Korsak finally got to that good place in life where you just want to relax and enjoy things for what they are. Brass kissing had never been his forte, and after a short, but successful, time as the Homicide Leiutenant; he decided to put in his retirement papers. He had finally found happiness with Wife No. 4 and felt like a young man again, he had had enough of slaving long hours on low pay over the years and had always said he had no intention of moving beyond Lieutenant; so when the time came for a Department shuffle, Korsak quietly and happily locked his desk for the last time, passing his keys, his office and his rank onto Jane Rizzoli.
Jane revelled in the new position. Although she wasn't adept at taking a hands-off approach to her work, she found her feet quickly and became a talented and respected Lieutenant. She admired the men around her, almost all had families and yet they faced the same terrors; day in, day out, to protect people they had never met. She spent time rebuilding relationships within the department, her office becoming a place to talk or consult rather than a place to be reprimanded, and the department became both closer and more successful because of it.
In her home life, things were also blossoming. Maura had sold her apartment and moved in with Jane in the July, they still enjoyed date nights like teenagers every week, Maura had conditioned Jane into(finally) not putting her feet on the coffee table when watching the game, they had started running together again, they had even redecorated the beautiful house together. As the time passed, Maura had opened up to Jane about yearning to find her 'real' family, to learn of their history. She had known for some time, the identity of her biological father Patrick Doyle; but beyond that was a mystery. Jane suggested that Maura let her do the digging, asking Maura's permission to let her scrapbook the findings as a birthday present later that year.
July turned into August, and at Korsak's house celebrating his wedding anniversary the seasoned officer took the young Lieutenant aside.
"Janie, I've been meaning to ask; you and the Doc, when are you going to let her make an honest woman of you?" He smiled gently.
Jane gave her trademark snort and chuckle, before facing him;speaking quietly.
"I was going to make an honest woman of her actually,but in Boston . . . well we can't." She looked at him sadly before continuing. "I do however, have a plan," she smirked, looking to Maura to make sure she was out of earshot.
"Spill it, Bat-WOMAN," Korsak laughed.
During that proceeding Autumn and Winter, Jane began to put her 'plan' into motion. It was no small feat to hide anything from Dr. Maura Isles. The woman was a walking, talking Google and was extremely intuitive. Jane's only advantage lay in the fact that each and every little bit of planning bought her great joy, and joy was something Maura would never question; as long as Jane was happy, Maura was happy. Whoever was watching them from above sent Jane both some luck and some extraordinary coincidence, something she would be eternally grateful for.
When the end February swung around, Jane enlisted Korsak's help, bringing him up to date of the developments. Finally it was show-time.
"Just put the blindfold on Maur, it's essential," Jane laughed as she struggled to get the M.E's head thinking romantic thoughts and not just kinky ones.
They stumbled their way out the door, amid protestations from the Doctor that it was her birthday and she had a blindfold on, and that entirely unpalatable to her, Jane was leading her away form the bedroom. The car ride was also difficult, Jane resorting to cuffing the wandering hands that crept over to her lap at every available opportunity. Pulling up to their destination, Jane uncuffed Maura and led her from the car to her surprise.
"Okay," she stood behind the smaller woman, untying the blindfold. "One, two, three . . ."
"Oooh", Maura's eyes adjusted to the evening sun, taking in her surroundings. "My initial reaction would be that, for some reason entirely unknown to me, that we are in Korsak's back yard; except for the fact that I don't think I have ever seen a yard look this stunning in all my life." Her eyes darted to the multitude of flowers, candles, the beautiful old cast-iron love-seat, directly underneath the most beautiful white awning she had ever seen.
"Okay, now or never,"Jane said mostly to herself, as she gently guided the blonde to the seat. Sitting, facing each other; she took a deep breath and exhaled it before she revealed to Maura what she had spent just over a year planning.
"Okay. I said that I would look into your family history for you as your present. Which is this, incidentally," handing Maura a large, leather-bound scrapbook. "I got right back to your great, times ten; grandparents. I'm an awesome Detective," she smiled nervously."When I was looking into it, I found out that you are the third generation of your family to live here in Boston. Everyone else was born and lived in Ireland. This led to to me remembering that you told me your parents used to show you Darby O'Gill and the little people, when you were a child. They were trying to give you a link to your past Maur."
Jane watched as a tear fell from the M.E's gentle eyes, nodding to ask if it was alright to continue. "And so finally; after looking into all and any things in the way of heritage, I found out that not only do you come from an Irish family, but on my maternal side, I do too. My Ma had always told me her Mom had asked her Pop to marry her," Maura's eyes began to sparkle and a small smile played on her lips. "She told me recently that it was because her mother was Irish, and on the 29th of February when the leap year falls, then she may break tradition and ask for the hand of her loved one. So," Jane reached into her trouser pocket and pulled out a small black ring box, before getting down on one knee; "to steal the song from your movie, you are my dear, my darling one and no other could match the likes of you. Maura, I knew here; two years ago that you were the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Right on this spot is where you danced with Frost, and that's when it hit me. I can't be without you, I wouldn't even know how to try. I know we can't do it here, but with our families and hisotry; in Ireland we can. Will you marry me?" The last part came out as nothing more than a hoarse whisper.
Maura cried freely now, not even trying to stop the onslaught of tears; tears of absolute joy.
"God yes! A thousand times yes! Jane!"
Jane rose and swept Maura up, twirling her around; before screaming to the house, "She said YES!"
A huge roar sounded as around 30 of Maura and Jane's colleagues spilled out from their hiding places in Korsak's kitchen and garage, cracking party poppers and champagne corks; spilling into the garden to congratulate the happy couple.
As Maura giggled and took a glass of bubbly from a beaming Frost, Jane grabbed Korsak in a bear-hug.
"I almost love you as much as Maura! Thank-you!"
The gentle former detective held her as he whispered; "You'll never love anyone even close to the way you love her, but I love you too kid."
THE END.