Hi out there…here we go…hope you enjoy this one. Thanks again for reading and reviewing, it lets me know you're all still interested. Also I appreciate the suggestions that some of you have given me. I will try, it I can, to fit in some if I can work them out. Until next time…enjoy.

Conversations

"I'm sorry…," Jane shook her head in an attempt to stop the tears that were beginning to well up at the corners of her eyes. She crossed her arms and stared at the scattered remnants of the cellphone they had found in the bouquet of flowers with a sad expression on her face. The shattered plastic case lay on the floor along the wall. She had grabbed it and thrown it against the wall the second Maura had hung up. The force of her anger was evident in what remained scattered on the floor in front of them. It had surprised them both but now she just felt ashamed that she had scared Maura.

"No…no, it's alright." Maura tried to turn her surprised expression into concern. It had more than startled her when Jane grabbed the phone from her hand and threw it against the wall, rendering it useless. She hadn't expected it, nor had she expected the wave of fear that caused her to visibly shiver. Although Jane's temper was legendary with her peers and family, it was something Maura rarely experienced.

"If we get caught with that…," Jane didn't have to finish for Maura to know what she was insinuating.

"I know. I understand." Maura tried to make her words ring true but she didn't really understand. She understood that Jane was angry about the entire situation and lend that to her history with Paddy it would stand to reason that anger was the first thing she would turn to. But the ferocity Maura had witnessed was something she had only experienced once or twice in their earlier years together. It was just such a foreign thing for her see, that she wasn't sure how to react.

"He can't just expect you drop everything, risk everything just because he says so." Jane pushed the hair that had been hanging in her face away as she tried to catch her breath. Her anger had left her breathing heavily causing the walls to start closing in on her. "I need some air…," she shook her head as she moved to front door.

"Where are you going?" Maura asked, her voice filled with concern and fear at the thought of Jane leaving. Now this she understood. It was Jane's first instinct when she got overwhelmed and Maura refused to let her run.

"I…," Jane hesitated. "I don't know…nowhere…just outside." She spoke in quick bursts as her breath quickened. "I just need some fresh air." The need to run away was almost overwhelming but then one look into those hazel-green eyes filled with concern gave her a reason to pause.

"Then let's go for a walk. We can walk to the corner and eat at that little place we've been meaning to try." Maura's voice trembled as she reached out and grabbed Jane's arm to stop her from leaving. She could feel Jane relax under her touch and the tension that had her poised to bolt suddenly melted away.

The warmth of Maura's hand on her arm caused Jane to stop. She closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. The anger that had been coursing through her just a moment ago was slowly abating. When she opened her eyes and looked at Maura, she was met with eye's filled with fear and her heart sank knowing she had been the one to put it there.

"I'm sorry…," Jane wrapped her hand around Maura's and pulled her into a hug. "I just…I don't want him to hurt you or us anymore." She buried her face against Maura's neck seeking the solace she knew she would find.

"I know Jane." Maura ran her hand's up and down Jane's back in a soothing way as she leaned her cheek against the top of Jane's head. "Please…can we go get something to eat."

"Yeah, anything you want." Jane pulled back and looked at Maura, content to see that the fear had been replaced by relief.

"I think maybe we should get dressed first." Maura sighed when she realized that Jane wasn't going to leave.

"I suppose we should." Jane looked down at her old t-shirt and boxer shorts and gave Maura a lopsided grin. "I'm sorry I scared you." She draped her arms over Maura's shoulders and rested her chin on top of a honey-blonde head. Her breathing had finally become slow and even making her feel more relaxed.

"I think I get it now, Jane." Maura rested her hands on narrow hips and leaned into Jane's body. She placed her forehead against the hollow of Jane's throat. Jane was a passionate person who rarely hide her emotions, something Maura needed to work on. The ability to feel so freely was one of the things she loved about Jane.

"Yeah?" Jane shivered when she felt a puff of warm air ghost across her collar bone.

"Yeah and I promise not to do anything without you. I can't do this alone and not matter how much I want to protect you…I have trust you. And Ryan." Maura took a deep breath before slowly exhaling. She hoped her last statement would help put some of Jane's fears at ease.

"Let's make that promise to protect each other. Okay?" Jane's hands moved to the back of Maura's neck where her fingers found refuge in the soft, silky hair that hung down past Maura's shoulders. She took a deep breath when her hands touched Maura's warm skin and then exhaled slowly as her fingertips lingered.

"I promise if you do…," Maura snuggled closer to Jane's warmth seeking her touch.

"I promise too…," Jane's body shook as she chuckled causing Maura to look up to see what was so funny. "We seem to be making a lot of promises to each other lately." She said when Maura gave her a raised eyebrow in question.

"Well, as long as we don't break them." Maura smiled up at Jane, getting a smile in return. And she hoped with all of her heart that not a single one of their promises to each other would ever be broken again.

The hustle and bustle of the small café became white noise to Jane as her mind wandered. The feelings of anger from earlier were returning as she silently contemplated the situation they found themselves in with Paddy at the center. She was irritated at herself for letting her temper get the best of her but most of all she was sorry for scaring Maura. She was also disappointed in herself for more reasons than she could count at the moment. Her sudden impromptu proposal to Maura was still eating away at her and just as she had done the night before, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "I'm sorry…," she sighed as she dropped her head into her hands. With more effort than she thought she was capable of, she pushed her hair away from her face, lifted her head, and gave Maura a sad look.

"You've already apologized Jane. No need to refry it." Maura's mouth twitched into a half smile.

"Rehash Maur, not refry. And I'm not talking about this morning, although I should be apologizing again for that as well." Jane sat up straight and glanced around to see if anyone else was paying attention to their conversation. When she was satisfied that no one was listening, she dropped her gaze and frowned. Suddenly the scars on the backs of her hands caught her attention as she stared down at them with more interest than was necessary. "I'm sorry about my unorthodox proposal last night…over the bathroom sink. I shouldn't have done it with toothpaste dripping out of the side of my mouth. Not very romantic…,"

Maura shook her head and her smile widened as she reached out to take one of Jane's hands in an effort to get her to look up again. "Don't be silly. We both know it was only a matter of time before the subject came up. You just got to it a little sooner than I expected. But you were absolutely adorable standing there in your tank top and cotton boxers…and yes even the toothpaste dribble was adorable."

"Yeah, well you deserve something out of a story book, ya know…roses, champagne…stuff like that." Jane shrugged her shoulders as her eyes found Maura's again. "I messed it up."

"Don't say that. You didn't mess anything up. But, just make sure you give me the story book wedding I've been dreaming of since that first time you told me you loved me." Maura gave Jane's hand a little squeeze. "Really, it's alright." She said when Jane's eyes left hers again.

"I've always dreamed of getting married at home plate in Fenway Park." Jane gave Maura a bashful smile. "But something tells me your dream might be a little different."

Maura took a deep breath, let go of the hand she had been holding and sat back, all the while keeping her eyes on Jane. "Well, you're right. That isn't quite my dream wedding scenario, but it doesn't mean we can't compromise. After all, some dreams do come true…," she gave Jane another wide smile.

"They already have. I get to wake up every morning with you in my arms." Jane smiled back. "Is it too early to order lunch?" She quickly changed the subject causing Maura to quirk an eyebrow at her. "What? I feel like a cheeseburger."

"Well, far be it for me to keep you and your dreams of a cheeseburger from coming true." Maura smirked and laughed. "But order a salad instead of fries."

"Ah Maur…I don't wanna." Jane whined. "How 'bout I have a salad with dinner. Besides, potatoes are a vegetable." She tried to reason.

"Yeah, deep fat fried vegetables…," Maura scowled at Jane to let her know she wasn't happy, but then she relented with another smile. "But I suppose if you have a salad tonight, I can get on board with that."

"Great...," Jane's spirits lifted, but in the back of her mind she was already planning on how to get out of it.

Maura regarded Jane with a wary eye. She could see the wheels spinning behind those dark, brown eyes that tried to look innocent. "You'd better rethink that plan I can see you're making…if you don't…salad isn't the only thing you won't be eating tonight."

"Oh my God Maura!" Jane's face turned bright red at Maura's comment. "I can't believe you just said that." Her eyes grew round and her mouth dropped open in surprise.

"I'm just stating a fact my dear." Maura reached across the table to touch the dimple in Jane's chin. "So don't test me. And you're even more adorable when you blush."

"Enough with the adorable, you're gonna ruin my street cred." Jane let out an impatient huff.

"Cred?" Maura looked confused.

"Credentials Maur…." Jane couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "I'm supposed to be a big, badass detective here." Her hands flew around as if she were juggling some invisible entity.

"No, you're my big, badass detective and I don't want to share you with anyone." Maura waved the server over so they could order. She didn't look at Jane as she ordered them two cheeseburgers with fries. When she did look back at Jane, she laughed at the raised eyebrow and the silent admonishment. "When in Rome."

Maura's response caused Jane to laugh as well. The early morning trauma they had experienced at the hands of Paddy was becoming a distant memory as their playful banter returned. Jane said a silent prayer that the worst of their day was behind them as her mind wandered to thoughts of her mother and the plans she had set out to make that morning. She couldn't suppress the small smile or the hint of mystery that lit up her dark eyes. No, the worst of the day was definitely behind them, it had to be because they had so many wonderful things to plan for.

"Angela, this is a surprise. Is everything alright with Maura?" Constance's voice held a tinge of concern as she spoke into the receiver of her phone.

"Oh, yes…Maura's fine." Angela said quickly.

"And Jane?" Constance tried not to let the panic she felt when she heard Angela's voice over the phone take over.

"Everyone's fine. I'm sorry that I gave you a fright. I guess we should try to keep in touch more often if you think every time I call it's an emergency." Angela tried not to sound frustrated.

"I suppose so. It's been awhile since we've gotten together. I guess we'll have to make more of an effort now, all things considered." Constance let out sigh of relief.

"Yeah, about that…," Angela cleared her throat as she spoke.

The sudden hesitancy in Angela's voice caused Constance to think that perhaps something else was wrong. She leaned back on the soft leather couch she was curled up on in her small flat in Paris. It was late in the evening and she had just been about to get ready for bed when the phone rang. Reaching over to the side table, she grabbed her wine and took a sip, readying herself for what she thought would be the news that Jane and Maura had called it quits…again.

Angela was silent for a moment as she stared out her living room window into Maura's kitchen window. She could see Maura standing at the sink but her eyes were cast down as she busied herself with something Angela couldn't see. A grin spread across her face when she saw Jane slip up behind Maura, wrap her arms around her, and bury her face against the crook of Maura's neck. A light blush spread over her cheeks at the sight and the feeling that she was somehow intruding on an intimate moment caused her to look away. It wasn't until she heard Constance's voice calling to her that she realized she was still on the phone.

"Angela? Are you still there?" Constance called out to Angela, worried that their call had been dropped.

"I'm here Constance." Angela moved away from the window and out of sight of Jane and Maura.

"So, are you going to tell me why you called?" The words came out slightly clipped causing Constance to backtrack and soften her voice. "Or am I going to have to guess?"

"Well, it would seem as if my daughter decided to propose to your daughter last night." Angela couldn't stop herself from sounding slightly irritated.

"And this displeases you, why?" Constance could hear the irritation in Angela's words and she couldn't help but smile as she thought about the many possible reasons why.

"She did it without a plan." Angela stated as if Constance should already know how Jane was.

"Alright, what happened?" Constance took another sip of her wine and settled back further into the couch as she prepared herself for what she imagined was going to be a long conversation.

"I don't know where to start." Angela let out a heavy breath as she leaned against the kitchen counter where she had ventured in search of a cup of coffee. Again she hesitated as she added cream and sugar to her drink.

"How about starting at the beginning." Constance waited patiently because she could hear Angela moving around what she presumed was the kitchen making herself a drink.

Angela took a sip of her coffee and then let out a heavy sigh as the warm liquid soothed her frazzled nerves. "She prosed over the bathroom sink while they were going through their nightly routine. And toothpaste was involved." The whole idea was cringe worthy to her and she made no effort of hiding her dismay from Constance.

"Well, Jane can sometimes be a little…impulsive at times." Constance said thoughtfully. "She has a way of saying what she thinks, whenever she thinks it. It's one of her most endearing qualities…or at least I think so."

"Are you kidding me? That mouth of hers has almost given me a heart attack on several occasions." Angela shook her head. She wasn't buying what Constance was selling and she wouldn't let Jane get away with it this time. "Maura deserves more than that. She deserves flowers, romance…champagne."

"I don't think it really matters much to Maura just so long as her and Jane have a future together. But I suppose you're right." Constance swirled her wine around in her glass and watched the dark red liquid slide down the sides. She knew Maura wasn't much on pomp and circumstance, but still, she expected more from Jane.

"Damn right I'm right." Angela huffed again in that way she had when she trying to make a point.

"So…for lack of a better word…what do you 'propose' we do?" Constance couldn't stop the light chuckle from escaping her lips.

"Well, Jane didn't give Maura a ring." Angela set her coffee cup down and rested her elbows on the kitchen bar before setting her chin in the palm of one hand.

"Of course she didn't…she didn't think that far ahead." Constance reached over to grab a light blanket to drape over her feet as she spoke.

"I have my mother's ring. It was something she wanted Jane to have…," Angela started to say but was interrupted when Constance broke in.

"Oh, I have my mother's ring as well. She always wanted Maura to have it." The excitement was evident in Constance's voice.

"I like where this is going." Angela glanced over to the window that gave her a view of Maura's kitchen window. No one was standing there anymore. "I think it's time we made this official before something else gets in the way."

"I agree. I'll be home in three weeks, how about we get together for lunch or dinner and brainstorm." Constance sounded confident as the beginnings of a plan stirred in the back of her mind. "I think I may have a few ideas."

"Good, then it's a date." Angela pushed herself up from the counter feeling excitement and anticipation bubbling up inside of her. "Um…," she hesitated, trying to decide if she should ask the question on the tip of her tongue. "Do you think we can a peacock?"

"A peacock? What on earth for?" Constance's voice rose in confusion.

"I'll fill you in it when I see you in a few weeks." Angela laughed before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. She took another deep breath, ran her fingers through her hair, and pulled out some paper and a pen. "Now…let's get planning."

"I wish all of our day's off together could be like this." Jane snuggled closer to Maura as they lay on the couch watching old movies entangled in each other's arms. They had spent most of the day wandering around the park or looking at some of the smaller boutique shops near Maura's house. It had been cool start to the day but with the sun shining all afternoon, it had warmed up nicely. There had even been a surprise visit to the yogurt shop where Jane filled her cup with all kinds of goodies that had Maura raising an eyebrow at. The unfortunate early morning events that had left them both feeling wary were now far from their thoughts.

"Ummm…," Maura relaxed into the comfort of Jane's arms. "Me too." She sighed as she sank back further into the warmth she had come to crave. A warmth she knew she could never live without again.

"What do ya wanna do for dinner?" Jane skimmed her nose over Maura's ear before placing a gentle kiss to that spot behind it, the one that caused Maura's breath to catch.

"Well…," Maura shivered against the feeling of warm lips as they brushed along her neck. "We could order in or I could cook that ravioli casserole Angela put in the freezer for us."

"I vote for the casserole, with cheesy bread." Jane sighed at Maura's shiver. "Besides, I like being in the kitchen with you…it makes me feel like I'm home."

Twisting around in Jane's arms so they were facing each other, Maura looked up into soft brown eyes, eyes that usually held the key to Jane's emotions. Jane had a relaxed look on her face and the flicker of contentment shone from the brown that looked back at Maura. "You are, you know…," Her own eyes were filled uncertainty as she waited for Jane to answer.

"What?" Jane asked, her voice filled with confusion at the concern she could see in Maura's eyes.

"Home. You're home…here, with me." Maura sounded more sure of herself this time.

"Am I?" Jane tilted her head to regard Maura. In her heart she knew it was true but for some reason the fact that she still had her own apartment and occasionally left to go spend time there made her feel slightly unsure. And the fact that they hadn't had this conversation before now wasn't intentional but now it felt like the elephant in the room.

"Um…I guess I should just do this right here and right now." Maura pushed herself up on her elbows and heaved a heavy sigh. "I was just waiting for the right time, but as they say, there's no time like the present…," she began to babble.

"What Maur? What are you trying to say?" Jane watched as Maura fidgeted. Hope fluttered in her chest at the prospect of what Maura was about to ask her.

"I really wanted to do this a different way. It's just I don't really see a need for you to have your own apartment when you spend almost all of your time here." Maura's voice faltered slightly as she continued to speak. "I mean…you should…you should just move in here…with me." Her voice came quick with shorts bursts of breath.

"Are you asking me to move in with you Dr. Isles?" Jane slipped her fingers in Maura's hair.

"I think that is precisely what I am asking Detective Rizzoli." Maura relaxed at Jane's familiar teasing. "We can rent a U-Haul and move whatever you want to bring and put the rest in storage."

Jane burst out laughing at Maura's comment causing Maura to respond with a frown and push herself up and further away from Jane. "I don't see what's so funny." Her tone held a tinge of anger as she moved away from Jane's arms.

"I'm sorry Maur, but you just gave an example of a U-Haul lesbian." Jane was laughing harder but had the decency to look contrite.

"What are you talking about?" Maura was having a hard time containing her anger as Jane continued to laugh.

"There's a joke that lesbians hire a U-Haul after the first date and move in together." Jane wiped at the tears that had collected at the corners of her eyes. "When you said we should rent a U-Haul…," she took a deep breath and tried to stop herself from laughing again.

"I still don't understand. We've been back together for a few weeks. And I don't see where that holds any relevance to our case." Maura huffed as she pushed herself off of Jane and glowered down at the reclined figure on her couch.

"It doesn't, it's just that when you said it…," Jane tried to explain as best she could. "I just thought it was funny."

"Well, does that mean you want to move in or not." Maura crossed her arms. The glory of the moment had passed only to be replaced by an impatience she wasn't familiar with.

"Of course…," Jane reached out, grabbed Maura around the waist, and pulled her back down onto the couch. "I would love to move in with you…but are you sure you can handle two Rizzoli women in your space?"

Maura let out a relived sigh as she let Jane pull her down into her arms. "I think I can manage." She buried her face against Jane's neck.

"Okay, then I guess it's settled." Jane rested her chin on top of honey-blonde locks as her hands rubbed up and down Maura's back.

"We can look for another place after we get married if you want." Maura nestled against Jane's chest and wrapped her arms around a trim waist.

"Why would I want to do that?" Jane pulled back so she could look down at Maura.

"I just thought you might want a place that we both picked out…, something that can be ours." Maura glance up.

"I love it here. I wouldn't change a thing…except maybe we could turn one of the spare rooms into a game room." Jane laid her head back against one of the couch pillows.

"But then we won't have a guest room since I'm using the other one as my office." Maura mused feeling relaxed as Jane's hand's continued to move up and down her back.

"Why would we need a guest room? My ma has an extra room if we need it, thanks to you." Jane closed her eyes.

"But what about a nursery?" Maura asked.

Jane was quiet for a minute before opening her eyes. She had thought about starting a family with Maura, but she wasn't sure that would be any time soon. "How about we cross the bridge when we come to it? I'd kinda like to have you all to myself for a while." She sighed against the weight of Maura's body on her own. When Maura didn't say anything, she tilted her head so she could look down. "Don't get me wrong…I want to have a family with you. I'd just like to wait a while…ya know. I want to enjoy it just being us as a family before we start adding to it."

"Okay, just as long as you let me know when you're ready to cross that bridge." Maura said just as her stomach growled.

"I think maybe it's time we made dinner." Jane laughed. "It's usually my stomach that reminds us. It must be all of that rabbit food you've been eating."

"Don't think you've gotten out of having a salad with dinner." Maura started to sit up.

"What?" Jane batted her eyelashes innocently. "I wouldn't think of it."

"Damn right you wouldn't think of it." Maura grumbled as she climbed off of the couch and the most comfortable cushion in the world, Jane.

"Hey…did Dr. Isles just swear?" Jane laughed as she watched Maura move towards the kitchen, immediately feeling the loss of not having her near.

"Perhaps you've become a bit of a bad influence on me." Maura giggled as she moved across the room to get away from Jane.

"Yeah, well how about I show you how bad of an influence I can be." Jane dashed to the kitchen doorway, blocking Maura from entering. Again Maura's stomach announced its impatience and Jane started to laugh. "Alright, alright…we'll save it for dessert."

"Promises, promises." Maura teased as she attempted to slip past Jane into the kitchen but was stopped when Jane wrapped her arms around her. "This isn't going to get you out of having that salad."

"I have no intention of trying to get out it." Jane's hands slipped to Maura's hips. "But I get to make the cheesy bread." She released her hold and bolted towards the refrigerator to grab the many bags of cheese she knew Maura would try to take away from her. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see Maura both frowning and pouting and the sight caused her to laugh again. "Come on, the sooner we start, the sooner we'll eat. I can hear that beast growling from here."

Maura placed her hand on her stomach which seemed to have a mind of its own as it continued to announce its displeasure at her lack of attention. But before she could follow Jane into the kitchen, her cell phone started to ring.

"Who is it?" Jane called out. When she didn't get an answer right away, she glanced towards the dining room. "Leave it for later."

The cell phone danced and chirped on the dining room table before Maura picked it up and saw it was Suzie Chang from the lab. She knew she had to answer it. "It's Suzie, Jane. I have to answer it." She hit the green button on the screen and walked towards her office. "Dr. Isles…," her voice cracked slightly because she knew that Suzie had found something important enough to call her at home.

As Maura left to take the call, Jane moved around the kitchen with a sense of renewed hope welling up inside of her. Maura had asked her to move in and they would soon get married, essentially starting the life they should have started years ago. She looked in the freezer and pulled out the casserole her mother had put there. A smile came to her face when she realized this was just the beginning of many nights together making dinner in their kitchen. And with her Ma's help, they would eat well even if Maura insisted on making her eat a salad. She turned the oven to the right temperature and as she waited for it to preheat, she set about getting the cheesy bread ready. When she entered the kitchen, she had spied a loaf of French bread that would be perfect. With knife in hand, she began to split the bread lengthwise and smeared lots of butter across the surface. After the butter came handfuls of cheese. Shredded cheddar, provolone, and mozzarella were piled high over the buttered bread, and then Jane couldn't resist adding a quick sprinkle of parmesan as well. All of this work was followed by a smirk because she knew that Maura was going to complain about how much cheese she had used but to her it would balance out the green stuff she going to be forced to eat. As she worked, she began to hum a tune. It was a happy tune, something she had heard on the radio recently but couldn't remember the name of. Her movements were fluid and she seemed to be at ease for the first time in quite a few days, but then she heard Maura clear her throat from behind. Expecting to find Maura with a smile on her face, she turned around only to find that Maura looked sick at her stomach. All the color had drained from Maura's face. Her complexion had the paler of paste and Jane suddenly lost her appetite.

"Maur…?" Jane took a tentative step towards Maura who was still gripping her cell phone in her hand, her knuckles as white as her face. "You look like you've seen a ghost or something. What's wrong?"

"Um…," Maura cleared her throat nervously before continuing. "Suzie found a match for the bullet I pulled from Colin."

"Yeah?" Jane took another step closer, this time her hands were reaching out to touch Maura.

"It belongs to a service revolver registered to someone in the BPD." Maura's gaze fell as she looked down at Jane's hands.

"So we're dealing with a bad cop then?" Jane finally closed the distance between them but when Maura wouldn't look at her she reached out, placed two fingers under Maura's chin, and tilted her face up so she could look her in the eyes. "We'll find the person the gun is registered to and figure this thing out."

"Jane…," Maura took a deep breath as tears welled up in her eyes. "The gun was registered to you."