See Ch 1 for disclaimers…

Frankie looked away from the TV when the front door opened and let out a sigh of relief. "Damn it Jane, I hope you have a good excuse for being late. Ma is about ready to tear you a new one." He waved at Maura. "How did she rope you into coming here?"

"Hi to you too, little brother. Nice manners. And she wanted to come. Right Maura?" Jane helped Maura out of her spring coat and handed her the cake. She nodded to her extended family sprawled out around the living room as she hung it up.

Maura held up the cake and answered with the only truthful option she had. "I helped your sister make dessert."

Teresa's son Johnny looked relieved. "Jane didn't cook? Thank god. My Ma mentioned you were making a cake. I knew she had to have that wrong. Why would you do that? Last time I checked I thought you liked us. "

Jane glared at him. "I'll have you know I can bake a cake perfectly well."

Frankie laughed. "Not according to Ma. The entire drive here I had to hear about her failing you as a mother." He grabbed a handful of pretzels off the coffee table and chewed for a moment. "I told her you can dial for takeout like a pro and when that set her off I told her Maura feeds you most of the time so why would you bother." Her brother grinned at her. "Don't know why that worked but it did. She was quiet after that for the rest of the ride."

"Way to have my back asshole." Jane groaned and looked at Maura. "I'm just going to say sorry right now for the rest of the day." She looked over at the kitchen door. "Let me guess, I'm the topic of conversation back there, right?"

Her cousin Kevin nodded. "Just went in there for snacks and they were all huddled around the kitchen table talking. Didn't even make me put the pretzels in a bowl or yell at me to make sure Uncle Vern didn't eat any but I heard your name plenty."

Jane looked at her great uncle who winked at her as he chewed a handful of pretzels. "Your aunt has me on a low-carb diet." Jane watched him grab another handful of snacks before looking at the kitchen with a growing sense of dread.

She grabbed Maura's elbow. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Every single set of eyes fell on them the moment they crossed the threshold. Jane winced. In her almost 37 years of being in the family the only time the kitchen had ever been that silent was when Tommy went to prison.

Her mother was the first to jump up with a bright smile. "Hi girls." Jane did not like that tone. Not one little bit. "I was telling everyone all about this cake you two made. We're all excited to try it." Jane's nerves went on alert at the table full of nonchalant smiles.

"Um, great, here." Jane grabbed the container out of Maura's hands and thrust it at her mother. She glanced at the table. They were still sitting there smiling at her. She had the distinct impression she now knew what it was like any time she had a perp in interrogation. In particular her Great Aunt Ida seemed focused on Maura, wrinkled skin pinched around her eyes. Jane discretely stepped in front of her. "I think everyone is going to like it. It's a torte thing."

Maura, bless her heart, seemed oblivious to the danger and Jane felt her step to the side. "It's a Dobos Torte." She smiled brightly. "Seven layers with a buttercream filling and a caramel topping."

Teresa snorted. "Jane, honey, do not even begin to tell me you made that." She shared a look with Angela and her mother smiled wider. "Good thing you have Maura around."

"I helped!" She looked desperately at Maura. "Tell them I helped."

Maura patted Jane's shoulder. "You did an excellent job folding in the flour." She smiled at Angela. "She also did the dishes."

Teresa's sister Janine seemed to be sizing Maura up like a leg of lamb. Jane started estimating the escape routes. "Maura, Angela was telling us that you are currently single. My Kevin needs a good woman."

Jane didn't have to look at Maura to know her eyes had to be wide with panic. A look at her mother's face confirmed it. She rushed into the conversation. "She's not looking to date right now." Now Jane really didn't like the look that came over her mother's face. "Really. I mean it. She is all set in that department. She does not need anybody's help." Maura grasped her arm in support.

"Jane, let Maura speak for herself. I raised you better than that." Angela beamed at Maura. "You were telling me the other day that you thought it was time to start dating more. Did you find someone?" She pointed her finger at her daughter. "Don't look at your mother like that missy. I think Kevin would be a nice match."

Ida cleared her throat. "Listen to your mother Jane. Both of you girls are getting a little long in the tooth. When I was your age my babies were teenagers. If you both don't settle down soon it will be awfully hard to give your mother some more grandbabies."

Jane spun and faced her great aunt. Did Ida even realize how that sounded? "We're both good in that department thanks."

Teresa stood up in alarm. "But don't you want children? Isabel is planning on starting a family soon and your mother and I can't wait to get the children together."

Maura rushed in, trying to help. "I'm going to freeze my eggs to keep my options open. That allows for a more advanced maternal age with lower risk of birth defects." She glanced at Jane trying to understand the panic intensifying on her face.

Angela nodded. "But why do something like that you can date a nice Italian boy from a good family?" She turned to her daughter. "Janie, tell Maura what a nice boy your cousin is, I don't know why we didn't think of this before. So unless you can give me one good reason to keep Maura all to yourself, I think this is a great idea. Don't you want your friend to be happy?"

"Angela, I'm very happy." Maura squeezed the tense arm under her hand.

Jane threw up her hands. "For the love of God would you all please stop?" She turned to Janine. "Maura isn't available to date Kevin. Not now, not later, never." She turned to Ida. "Aunt Ida, I'm not giving birth anytime soon, if Maura wants to do that, she can. So talk to her about it." She glared at her mother. "Ma, you heard Maura. She is happy just the way things are. So am I. Everybody is happy. So butt out."

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and Jane held up her hand to stop anybody from replying. It was a text from Frost with a picture of a pitcher of beer and the words "You in?" under it. She grabbed Maura's elbow. "Sorry, we gotta go. Frost has a situation he needs my help on. Duty calls."

"But Jane..." Angela didn't get to finish. She heard Jane call out a good luck into the living room as they left. The front door slammed shut. She poured a fresh cup of coffee and sat back down at the table. They all looked at each other, chins starting to tremble.

Out in the living room Kevin held up an empty beer bottle. "Whose turn is it?" Hysterical laughter burst out of the kitchen and they looked at the door warily.

Frankie shook his head. "Mine but I'm not going in there." There was more laughter. He thought he heard Jane's name and something about not knowing what hit her. "No, definitely not going in there."

The rest of the guys nodded in agreement.

Angela wiped the tears from under her eyes with a napkin. Teresa was leaning against her trying to catch her breath. Janine was still giggling.

Ida was the first to recover. "Angie honey, how long do you think it will take for her to realize it isn't even Teresa's birthday today?"

Angela shrugged. "Who knows? But do you all see what I mean? Made for each other. I am going to have to help them figure that out." She grinned at Janine. "That was a brilliant touch with Kevin. When do we get to meet his girlfriend?"

Janine sipped at her coffee. "Next family party I'll have her make baked ziti. Her mother claims the sauce is a family secret but I know Prego when I taste it. Commercial sauce, can you even believe it?" Resigned sighs and slight head shakes were shared around the table. "You'll all have to let me know what you think."

Teresa leaned on her elbow. "You really okay with Jane being with a girl Angela?"

Angela snorted. "I'm not going to say it didn't take some getting used to but, come on. Can you imagine Jane spending the rest of her life as somebody's wife? Cooking and making sure his shirts are clean? I used to try but then I saw her with Maura and it all made sense."

Ida shook her head. "I'm getting too old. Girls getting married to each other. A Jesuit pope." She let out a long, tired sigh. "I think I've seen everything." She sipped her coffee. "But Jane has good taste. That girl has very nice manners. Must come from a good family. Maura is a doctor you said?"

Angela beamed, with a sly look at Teresa. "For the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

Ida nodded. "Can she cook?"

Angela pushed up from the table and pried open the cake, setting the delicate creation down on the table with a flourish.

They all stared as she cut a slice and revealed the, thin, intricate layers. She held the piece up with a wide grin.

"Who wants cake?"

==End==

A/N – Always hard to end the fun… but sigh… it had to happen. So much love from me for all the response and adding to the fun. Like I said in the beginning this one was more for the smut than the plot ;)

And now for the great prompt reveal! Please let me know if you think the story captured it or even how you like the whole story, now or months from now. I love hearing from my readers, good and bad.

Prompt from fortunas-wheel -Jane decides she's going to bake a cake, and Maura is horrified when she realizes Jane intends to use boxed cake mix.

I'm going to start working on the next prompt …

To everyone: I love working off prompts for these slightly longer short stories. The peek into someone's imagination forces me to expand mine. So even if you are reading this ages from now, if you have an idea that you'd like to see explored always feel free to send it over. Can't promise I can take on everything and you may have awhile to wait to see it, but you never know. If you don't want the shout out for the prompt I'll leave you anon so don't be afraid.