*Hey out there…hope all is well with everyone. Thanks for reading and here's hoping that you all enjoy this next one.

Toothpaste and a Peacock

The sound of Maura's fingers drumming across the brown manila folder in front of her on Ryan and Carly's kitchen table seemed louder in the silence that filled the room. Her eye's moved from Ryan to Jane to the folder then back to Ryan several times before she finally spoke. "What is this?" Her voice was soft and somewhat hoarse from the fatigue that seemed to follow her even after the afternoon nap she had taken earlier. She watched Ryan fidget uncomfortably as Jane's nervous energy was evident in her bouncing leg.

"I just want you to understand what we're dealing with Maura. I understand if you feel some sort of…," Ryan hesitated as she tried to find the right word. She knew that Maura had to feel something, it was only natural to try to protect family. "Loyalty…,"

"I don't feel any loyalty Ryan. I just want to make sure the person who did this is found and brought to justice. It's my job." Maura bristled under the scrutiny she felt she was under. She could feel Jane's leg as it continued to bounce next to her and she reached under the table to place a comforting hand there. It was something she knew would help calm Jane down. Not only that, but the contact would help ground her as well. The scrutiny she felt she was under was making her feel light headed and slightly dizzy. It was uncomfortable being on the other side of the table as if she were being interrogated.

"I'm sorry, maybe loyalty wasn't the right word to use." Ryan shook her head causing her blonde hair to fall into her eyes masking the concerned look on her face. She was grateful that Carly had to work late but it was only a small consolation for even having to have this conversation with Maura and Jane. Biting her lip, she glanced over at Jane who was nervously running her fingers through her hair. The look of abject terror was one that Jane couldn't hide and Ryan tried to give her a reassuring smile before turning her attention back to Maura.

There seemed to be some sort of power play going on between Maura and Ryan causing Jane to shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Maura was quiet for a minute as Jane looked from her to Ryan trying her best to support both of them. Jane had been worried about how involved Maura indicated she wanted to be in the investigation as well as with Paddy. But she couldn't blame her either. On the other hand, she knew that Ryan was just trying to make sure that Maura understood what kind of people she was dealing with, not to mention she was also trying to save their careers.

"Why don't you look at the file Maura. It might give you a better picture of what we're dealing with." Jane finally spoke, emphasizing the word 'we' so Maura harbored no ideas that she was alone.

With the slightest of nods, Maura finally turned her attention to the folder in front of her. With trembling fingers she flipped it open to reveal a picture of a young man in his early twenties. He had the same smile, cheek bones, and nose as her and seeing this brought a wave of sadness. There were several pictures and she fanned them out so she could look at them. One of them was a picture of Colin at a young age, about seven or eight. His hair was the same light, honey color hers had been but his had darkened over time whereas hers had stayed the same with the help of an expensive salon. He looked like a young Paddy, except the eyes. Paddy shared the same hazel and green as Maura but Colin's were a deep, dark brown, almost the same color as Janes.

"You alright Maur?" Jane wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "I know this isn't easy…you don't have to do this." She had seen the look of concentration on Maura's face change to sadness and her heart broke for something she knew she couldn't fix.

"No, I need to do this." Maura allowed herself to be pulled into Jane's warmth and comfort. She could feel Ryan's eyes on her as she continued to study the file. With a sigh, she pushed the pictures aside and stared down at the stack of arrest records he had accumulated in his short life. It stemmed from extortion to assault and it was then that she realized what Ryan was trying to do. Looking up, she leveled Ryan with the same scrutinizing gaze that was directed at her from across the table. "I hope you don't think I have some sort of romantic notion about all of this." She gently pulled away from Jane's arms as she leaned forward to let Ryan know she wasn't going to be intimidated.

"I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't." Ryan said even though her voice cracked with uncertainty. "But I'm worried that you feel obligated, you are family after all." Maura's stiff posture and unnerving glare caused a sense of resentment to settle in the pit of Ryan's stomach. She hated that she had to be one to bring this all up and she hated having to question Maura's loyalties even more.

"Jane is my family…," Maura responded quickly. "And you and Carly and all of the Rizzoli's." Her voice cracked with emotion. As hard as this was for her, she knew it had to be equally hard for Ryan. But she wanted everyone to know that she would never compromise what was important to her. Paddy would not take anything away from her ever again, she was sure of that.

Ryan had the decency to looked embarrassed as she looked away from Maura's imploring expression. When her cell phone started to ring, she looked down and couldn't stop the small smile from gracing her lips. "It's Carly…I'll be right back." She said as she stood up and turned to leave the room. "Hey Love, how are you feeling?" Her voice carried to Jane and Maura who sat and watched as she left them alone.

"You okay?" Jane asked as she slipped her hand into Maura's. After she had been gently forced to relinquish her hold on Maura earlier, she felt an emptiness settle around her. She wanted nothing more than for this night to end so they could go home, slip into bed together and into each other's arms.

"Yeah…," Maura did her best to give a reassuring smile but she knew it wasn't very convincing when Jane frowned. "Really…I'm okay."

"We have to work this out with Ryan. You know that, right?" Jane's frown turned to a serious expression. She could see that Maura was trying to work out something in her mind, something to make everything alright for everyone involved.

"I do." Maura sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it over her shoulder. "And I will do my best."

"I know you will, but try to remember…she's on our side." Jane reached up to run the backs of her fingers over the soft curve of Maura's cheek. "Can we please come to a compromise so we can go home. I just want to hold you." She couldn't hide the longing in her voice any longer. It had been the only thing she had thought about since the moment they had left home.

Maura took a deep breath before slowly exhaling. She knew they had to come up with a plan and at this point she was ready to agree with anything just so she could go home. It had been a long day with more questions than answers but she was so ready for it to be over. Her head ached and so did her heart but just one look from Jane set her at ease. The love she saw in those dark eyes washed over her and soothed her like a cool balm.

"I'll agree to whatever Ryan wants." Maura's voice sounded confident but she was having trouble feeling it.

"Did I hear you say that you'd agree to my plan?" Ryan slipped back into the room almost as quietly as she had slipped out.

"Carly okay?" Jane asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, just tired. I don't like that she's working these late hours…," Ryan frowned and shook her head. "I keep telling her she needs to hire another manager so she doesn't have to work twelve hour days…especially now with the baby on the way."

"It's still pretty early in the pregnancy, but you're right. She needs to rest and twelve hours on her feet six days a week isn't good." Maura switched to doctor mode quickly. She tried to soften her expression when she saw Ryan grimace at her statement.

"Um…you need another manager?" Jane tilted her head to regard Ryan, a mischievous smile on her face. A great idea was forming in the back of her mind.

"It's something we've talked about. Why? You got an idea you'd like to share with us?" Ryan sat back and crossed her arms as she watched Jane's grin widen.

"I've got the perfect person…," Jane started to say, but was interrupted by Maura who figured out exactly where her mind was going.

"Angela!" Maura said clapping her hands together, feeling elated that something was finally being accomplished.

"Oh my God…why didn't I think of that. Do you think she'd do it?" Ryan sat up as excitement filled her voice.

"I have no doubt that she would jump at the chance. It will allow her to do what she loves…cook and keep an eye on Carly." Jane smirked in a satisfied way. "And it will keep her out of our hair." She glanced over at Maura and gave her that sexy wink that almost always made Maura blush.

"Okay, I like where this is going. Kill two birds with one stone…so to speak." Ryan looked from Jane to Maura with a determined expression. "I have an idea, but I need some time to flesh it out. Promise me that you won't have any contact with Paddy. AI is already watching Jane and it's only a matter of time before they start watching you." She pointed at Maura.

"But I told him I would let him know when I find out something." Maura sounded alarmed by Ryan's request. It wasn't in her nature to go back on her word.

"Have you found anything yet?" Ryan raised an inquiring eyebrow even though she already knew the answer.

"Well, no." Maura sounded defeated.

"Good, then you have no reason to talk to him." Ryan tried to reason. "Look I'm only asking for a few days. I need to put together a small team of people I trust. I think we should bring Korsak in on this too. What do you think Jane?"

Jane blinked a few times as she thought about involving her mentor and one of her most trusted friends. As she nodded, she couldn't help but ask the question that came to her mind next. "What about Frost?"

"No, I don't think so. Vince has the knowledge and understanding that can only come from his experience with Paddy. I can't say the same about Barry." Ryan paused at the frown on Jane's face. "Don't get me wrong Jane. It's not because I don't trust him. The fewer people that know about this the better." When Jane continued to frown, she tried another approach. "How about we keep him as our ace in the hole if we need him. His knowledge about computers and programing could be useful, but only as a last effort. Agreed?" It was a consolation, the best she could offer at the moment and it seemed to be enough for Jane who gave her a lopsided grin.

"Okay…," Jane nodded her consent. "Thanks."

"Give me 48 hours to pull everything together." Ryan switched to planning mode as she started to write things down on her note pad. "I'll let you know when and where our next meeting will be and you can bring Vince with you. I'll run the Angela idea past Carly and hopefully that will be one less thing I'll have to worry about." She looked up and gave Jane a grateful smile. "In the meantime…do not let Paddy Doyle into your house again. Understood?"

"I didn't let him in Ryan." Jane rolled her eyes. "He pushed his way in…by the time I realized what was happening…it was too late."

"Don't give him the chance to do it again." Ryan gave her a severe look before turning her attention to Maura. "And you…please let me do my job. I want to keep you both safe and put some bad guys away in the process. I can't do that if you don't cooperate."

"I understand." Maura dropped her gaze in a noncommittal way. She wouldn't seek out Paddy, but she wouldn't turn him away if he came to her. But Ryan didn't need to know that and neither did Jane.

"Maura…?" Ryan said and waited for Maura to look up again. "I know this has been hard on you and I appreciate that you are trusting me, but please…trust me."

Maura closed her eyes and nodded. For the first time since this ordeal had started, she felt a glimmer of hope. It would be difficult but she knew she had to give over some of the control if anything was to be accomplished and Ryan was the only person next to Jane she could trust.

For the moment, Maura's response was enough for Ryan. She could tell that Maura was holding back and she could see how difficult it was for her to let some of her measured control go. For that, Ryan was grateful. She could also see that Maura wasn't being completely truthful but she decided it would be best to wait and see how things played out. Depict was something she was familiar with as her fingers brushed against the file under her note pad, the one with the pictures she wasn't ready to share with Maura. The pictures of Maura's three-year-old niece.

"We'll see you soon." Jane said quickly as she pulled Maura from her seat and towards the door before Ryan could find something else they needed to discuss. When Maura didn't resist, she didn't wait for Ryan to dismiss them as they headed out the door. With a sigh of relief, Jane closed the door behind them and thanked the Gods that the day was finally over.

Standing at the bathroom sink with toothbrush in hand, Jane watched Maura's reflection in the mirror as she went through her nightly ritual of getting ready for bed. It was a mundane task she had seen before but for some reason in that moment it seemed significant. Her heart started to beat rapidly at the thought of spending every day sharing moments like these for the rest of their lives. She had never wanted anything more in her life. Lifting the toothbrush up to brush her teeth, her eyes stayed glued on Maura as she washed her face. As she continued to watch Maura, she smiled and held the brush between her teeth allowing toothpaste to dribble out of the corner of her mouth.

"'Ou're butiful…," Jane mumbled around the toothpaste and toothbrush in her mouth.

Maura stopped what she was doing and gazed back at Jane's reflection giving her a small smile in response before reaching for her moisturizer.

"'Arry eee…," Jane said the words before she had time to think about what she was doing.

Stopping mid-reach, Maura's eyes locked on Jane's as she realized what Jane had just asked her. "Did you just ask me to marry you?" Her expression was almost as surprised as Janes.

Jane blinked a few times as if she didn't know what to say and then nodded as toothpaste continued to dribble from her mouth and down her chin.

"Are you kidding me?" Maura turned to Jane, putting her hand on her hip and cocking her head to the side. Even though she looked slightly put out, there was a playful gleam in her eyes.

"Umm…," Jane held up a finger to indicate that Maura should wait. Cupping her hand, she gathered some water and rinsed her mouth out before spitting what was left of the toothpaste into the sink. "Let me try that again." She said as she turned to Maura and slipped her arms around her, pulling her close. "Marry me?" Her voice cracked ever so slightly with the nervous tension she was suddenly feeling.

Maura looked up into Jane's eyes and saw everything she had ever wanted looking back at her. Her surprised expression softened into a smile as she cupped Jane's cheek and used her thumb to wipe away the left over toothpaste.

"Shit…I didn't know I still had toothpaste on me." Jane reached up to help wipe away the mess she had missed.

"My sweet, sweet Jane…," Maura chuckled. "Always the hopeless romantic."

"Aw Maur…," Jane turned her attention back the woman in her arms. "I've waited a lifetime for you to come back to me. I don't want to wait anymore. Marry me so we can start our life together. I want this…you and me getting ready for bed every night…side by side…waking up together. I don't want to lose another minute to indecision."

"And I want all of the same things as well." Maura lifted up on to her toes to place a kiss to the corner of Jane's mouth. "But we're going to have to rethink the story we tell our kids about your proposal because I refuse to share this one with them." She gave Jane a quick squeeze before letting her go and moving away from her towards the bedroom.

"Hey…," Jane called out over her shoulder towards Maura's retreating back. "Is that a yes?"

"Why don't you come here and find out?" Maura didn't turn around as she answered but the playfulness of her words was evident in the tone of her voice.

"Hot damn!" Jane clapped her hands together as she spun around and scooped Maura up into her arms. The sudden move caused Maura to squeal and squirm against Jane's hold. "Oh no you don't." Jane laughed as she held tighter. "I've got you now and I'm never letting go."

"Promise?" Maura stopped moving and turned serious.

"Cross my heart and hope to die…," Jane set Maura down and made a cross over her heart as she spoke.

"Not on my watch." Maura took Jane's hand in her own, brought it to her lips and placed a kiss against the small patch of raised scare tissue along the back. They looked into each other's eyes as the seriousness of the moment settled over them. There was always a real fear of loss that haunted them both, a fear that almost intruded upon them every minute of every day but Maura knew there were no guarantees in life. "You're my forever and I intend on keeping it that way." She said with a smile as she pulled Jane towards the bed. "Now, let's celebrate."

Jane sat at the kitchen table, her chin resting on the back of her hand watching the white puffs of steam swirl off the top of her coffee. Her eyes followed the path of each line that hovered over her cup as a feeling of dread settled in her stomach with each passing minute. As each white cloud disappeared, she felt like she wanted to do the same. "Ma…?" She said to her mother's back.

"Hmmm?" Angela pushed some scrambled eggs around in the frying pan she was concentrating on. She didn't turn around as she continued to focus on making breakfast and at the moment, Jane's tone didn't warrant any concern.

"Um…Ma…I think I did something stupid." Jane mumbled around several sips of coffee.

"What?" Angela decided to look over her shoulder to let Jane know she was listening. When she caught a glimpse of the pained expression on Jane's face and the way her shoulders were sagging she turned around. "What did you do Janie?" Her tone was accusatory causing Jane to wince.

"I…um…asked Maura to marry me." Jane said in a rush before burying her face in her hands.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Angela abandoned her scrambled eggs to give her full attention to her daughter. "And you regret doing that?" She tried to keep her voice steady and even as she eyed Jane with fear and uncertainty.

"No, no…it's just the way I did it. She's deserves so much more than me proposing with a mouth full of toothpaste over the bathroom sink.

"What?!" Angela threw her hands up in the air as she came to stand next to Jane.

All Jane could do was shrug as she settled her chin on the back of her hand again. She had expected her mother's surprise but what she hadn't expected was her wrath.

"Are you kidding me?!" Angela's voice became shrill with her anger. "I…can't…believe…you…did…that!" Her words were punctuated with slaps to Jane's arms and shoulders. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry…it's just last night we were getting ready for bed…and she was so beautiful. I just blurted out what I was thinking." Jane tried to defend herself from her mother's halfhearted slaps.

"There was supposed to be flowers, candles, champagne…and maybe a peacock…" Angela started to rant as she paced the kitchen.

"A peacock?! Really Ma?" Jane threw her hands up in the air and rolled her eyes.

"Okay…maybe not a peacock but come on! Please tell me you didn't have toothpaste dripping out of the corner of your mouth." Angela mimicked Jane's moves, giving an extra exaggerated roll of her eyes.

"Um…," Jane looked down at the table with a sheepish grin on her face.

"Oh my God…Jane. Really?" Angela threw her head back and looked up at the ceiling. "Maura deserves flowers, candles, you down on one knee…" Her babbling was starting to become incoherent.

"I know Ma! I know." Jane raised her voice just enough to get her mother to stop. "It's just last night…I don't know what came over me. I don't want to wait anymore…,"

"Okay…okay." Angela seemed to calm down as her eggs started to smoke behind her. "Oh, no…," she turned her attention to the pan that held the remnants of the breakfast she was making. Moving quickly, she dumped them into the sink and rinsed out the pan. She had a look of concentration on her face as she gazed out the window over the sink. "Did you give her a ring yet?"

"No Ma. I told you…I just blurted it out. I didn't plan it." Jane huffed impatiently as she watched her mother.

"I can work with this." Angela turned to Jane with a gleam in her eyes. "I've got Grandma Norah's ring. I think you should give it Maura."

"Grandma Norah's ring? Really?" Jane pushed herself up from her slouching position against the table.

"Yes. She always wanted you to have it." Angela turned around and smiled when she saw Jane perk up.

"Do you think she would be okay with me giving it to Maura?" Jane suddenly seemed small and timid.

"Well, she wanted nothing more than for you to find a good Irish gentleman to marry…I don't think she'll mind in the least that you found a gentlewoman instead. As long as she's Irish." Angela's eye's twinkled playfully.

"How can I fix this?" Jane suddenly seemed interested in what her mother had to say.

"Just leave that up to me…," Angela walked over to Jane and placed a quick kiss to her cheek before heading out the door towards her small cottage to make plans. The first thing she needed to do was call Constance. "Love you sweetheart…," She called over her shoulder as idea's and plans sifted through her mind faster than she could keep up and thoughts of their breakfast together disappeared.

Jane watched with her mouth hanging open as her mother disappeared from the kitchen leaving her alone to work out what had just happened. At first she didn't see what the big deal was. All she knew was that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Maura but did it really matter how she asked her? Their night together spent making love until the early morning hours had left them both exhausted and as she watched Maura sleep in her arms, her chest tightened with anticipation. After a few hours of sleep herself, she finally slipped out of bed to find her mother making breakfast. She hadn't remembered putting the key back in its hiding place just outside the back door but she was grateful to find coffee waiting for her. As her sleep addled brain started to realize what she had done the night before, dread settled in the pit of her stomach. She had wanted to ask Maura to marry her the moment Maura forgave her for walking out all those years ago and in her mind it had gone differently. Like her mother, she had envisioned flowers, candles, and champagne…not toothpaste over a bathroom sink. Her eyes drifted to the backdoor, now closed and she could imagine all of the plans her mother was making. A small smile crept along her lips as she realized that just maybe her mother would fix this and make it everything Maura deserved.

"Hey…I thought I smelled eggs." Maura appeared by Jane's side, giving her a quick kiss to the cheek as she looked around hopefully. Her eyes were still sleepy and her hair was mussed but she looked more rested than she had in days.

"Um…yeah. My Ma started to make us some breakfast, she but had to leave all of a sudden…," Jane gave a sheepish grin as Maura poked out her bottom lip in the beginnings of a pout. "How about I take you out to breakfast." She jumped up and pulled Maura into her arms.

"Okay, but I get to pick the place." Maura melted against Jane's embrace. It was her favorite place to be, in Jane's arms and she had never felt more loved in her life.

"Not that rabbit food place. I want bacon." Jane snuggled close to Maura, reveling in the feeling of their bodies touching.

"You need to watch your cholesterol. I won't contribute to your delinquency." Maura started to pout again causing Jane to laugh.

"Alright but I'm not eating that tofu shit you tried to convince me was sausage. I have my limits…," Jane rubbed her nose against Maura's before placing a quick kiss there.

"I love you." Maura looked at Jane with an awed expression on her face. "And I can't wait to marry you."

"I love you too beautiful." Jane smiled shyly as a blush blossomed over her cheeks. She couldn't wait either but she was going to do her best to give Maura the fairytale proposal she deserved.

The doorbell interrupted their intimate moment, pulling them both away from their thoughts.

"Are we expecting anyone?" Maura asked, a surprised expression on her face?

"Nope…I'll see who it is." Jane switched into defensive mode as she headed towards the front door. She reached into the cabinet where she had placed her service revolver the night before and pulled it from the holster. With quick reflexes that came with the job, she checked to make sure there was bullet in the chamber and flipped off the safety before placing her finger on the trigger. "Who is it?" She peered out the peep hole and saw a teenaged boy holding an arrangement of flowers.

"Flower delivery for Dr. Maura Isles." The young man's voice cracked, indicating he was in his early teens.

Jane quickly flipped the safety on, holstered her gun and then set it on the table by the door close enough so she could still reach it if needed. Hesitantly, she opened the door and took the vase.

"Sign here." The boy shoved a clipboard at her, indicating she should sign her name on the line that had been highlighted.

"Yeah, yeah…," Jane took his pen and scribbled her name before shutting the door in his face. By his look of surprise, she knew he had probably been expecting a tip but she didn't have time for that. "Um…Maur…," she called out, making her way towards the kitchen holding the vase as if it might break in her hands or better yet, blow up. "You got flowers."

"Really? Did you…," Maura started to ask at the precise moment the flowers started to ring.

"Shit…," Jane set the flowers down and dug the cellphone out of the middle. "I should've known." She rolled her eyes at Maura's surprised expression. With the flip of her wrist, she opened the phone and took a deep breath before bringing it to her ear. "Paddy, fancy finding you in the middle of a bouquet…," her voice was low and husky as she did her best to hide her anger. "He wants to talk to you." She held the phone out for Maura.

Maura gave her an understanding nod before taking the phone. When their eyes met, Jane knew that Maura understood all of the things she wished she could tell her but hadn't had the chance to. Relief flooded her when Maura pulled her close so she could listen to the conversation as well.

"Paddy…," Maura's voice was cold and detached even though her fingers were digging into the tender skin of Jane's forearm. She would never let him know how afraid and uncertain she was. No…she had nothing to be afraid of as long as Jane was by her side. Whatever came their way, they'd handle it together. They had to…they had a wedding to plan.