Jack

221B The Esplanade, St Kilda was filled. Filled with noise and color and people and for the first time in a month, was filled with joy. For the first time in a month, I was filled with joy. I sat, tie loosened on the couch in Phryne's living room Jane curled up and fast asleep under my left arm, Phryne curled up and far from slumber under my right. Dr. MacMillan was dancing inexplicably with Cec who seemed flushed by the lady's attentions. (Had he forgotten where her preference in romantic partners lay?) Mr. Butler was grinning from ear to ear as he passed around champagne and hors d'oeuvres. Dot was alternating between grinning so hard I thought her mouth would fall from her face and bursting into tears at which point Hugh would comfort her happily, knowing that for the first time in a month he was able to say with complete confidence and honesty that Miss Fisher was just fine and home safe and sound. Then there was a whole host of Miss Fisher's friends, ladies from her Adventuress's Club, her cousin Guy and his wife Isabella – who seemed to be trying to seduce Burt much to the red ragger's displeasure – half the members of several gangs on the streets that Phryne watched out for and took care of when needed be had shown up (without invitation I might add) but at the very least were on their best behavior and speaking cordially to one another as though a few days ago hadn't found them brawling on the street like drunks. Mrs. Stanley was telling everyone who would listen about how brave and wonderful her niece was and how she always knew Phryne would be just fine. A handful of circus folk (led by the giant of a man I had met on the last occasion we had interacted with that particular crowd) had shown up and brought quite a few beverages with varying degrees of legality however tonight, I couldn't bother being the police officer. Tonight I was curled up with my girls and those around us could do as they liked if they didn't mess with that peace.

Then there was my family. My parents, my sister and brother, their spouses and children had all been invited and had shown up nearly 20 minutes ago. I hadn't yet gone over to say hello. Telling them about my wonderful family was one thing but having them see the type of lifestyle Phryne led was quite another. Would they be ashamed? Shocked? Would they disapprove? It shouldn't have mattered to me. I had the woman I loved laying in my arms, finally knowing that she loved me too, and I had Jane, my Jane here beside me. I was happier than I'd ever been. This was the life I had chosen for myself. But would they approve? Would they support us? Would they love Phryne the way she was meant to be loved? Phryne didn't grow up with a family as loving and supportive as I had. She had adopted all these people around her because family meant so much to her, how would she take it if my family rejected her? Sure she'd be strong and pretend it didn't bother her. But it would bother her. It would hurt her. And I wasn't about to let anyone or anything hurt her ever again.

All thoughts left my mind in that moment as Phryne's lips tingled against the skin of my neck. "I've missed you so much, Jack." She whispered. "I'm so glad I'm home." I turned my face towards her, not caring about the impropriety of our intimate positioning.

"It's been so empty without you. Cold. Like a tomb." I closed my eyes remembering. "You bring this place, every place you are in, to life Phryne. Without you it's just walls. Just a floor and a ceiling. Just things. But with you it's a home."

"I wasn't talking about the house Jack." Shew said, tipping her face down, burying it in my chest. "Don't you know, yet? You're my home, Jack." I tipped my lips down and kissed the crown of her hair gently and was quiet for a moment as I thought about all the implications of that sentence.

"Like I said." I finally answered. "Cold, lonely. Like a tomb without you. You bring life where you go. Without you I am a shell, broken and empty. With you…" I trailed off, unable to find words strong enough to explain what she meant to me.

"I know Jack." She responded, knowing what I meant anyway. "Me too."

Beth

Had he ever look so happy? So utterly at home? I wanted to cry for joy. It was so clear that Johnny had found the same love and happiness than I had prayed for him to find. This rag tag family he had created for himself was perhaps not what I had been picturing and it certainly wasn't what I immediately came up with when I thought about Johnny but seeing him in this scene he seemed so utterly at home I knew I would have to reevaluate my brother. Perhaps he was more like Ella* than I thought! Jane was curled up under his arm, sleeping, exhausted but luckily no worse for wear from her ordeal. Johnny hadn't been explicit in explaining her entire situation but he made it clear this wasn't the worse she had suffered and this experience would be no more scaring than many others from her childhood. She was a fighter he had said proudly. That, of course, put me on edge. What child went through something like this and was able to put it behind them because she had seen worse?

Then there was her. The woman who had answered my prayers for Johnny, albeit a little later than I had initially imagined. I had prayed for someone like her to come around the moment I had heard he was courting that insufferable Rosie Sanderson. She was beautiful. There was no doubt about it. Even after having been kidnapped for a month, even with the bruises and cuts, you could tell that Phryne Fisher was a beautiful woman. Judging by this house she was also an incredibly wealthy woman. (I mean she was an Honourable for goodness sake!) Her staff were clearly in love with her. Jane adored her, worshiped her almost. And Johnny, the way Johnny looked at her gave me chills. He looked at her as though she was the sun and the moon, as though she was what made his world spin and stand still all at once. He loved her. Wholly. Truly. Johnny was in love with her. He was happy.

Hon. Miss Fisher moved to stand up and my brother held on to her hand with a small frown, trying to pull her back to him. (A public display of affection so brazen?! He would barely kiss Rosie on the cheek in public when they were married and here he was pulling on her apron strings (figuratively speaking of course, I doubted Miss Fisher was the sort of woman to wear an apron in any situation,) and pouting to try and get the girl to come back and curl up on the couch with him. She flashed her eyes at him and smiled, tilting her head to her right. Johnny pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow. Then both of hers were raised as she nodded slowly. That was when it struck me. They weren't just making faces at each other. They were having a silent conversation with one another. They knew each other so well that after a month of separation they could still tell what the other was thinking based solely on their facial expression. And we hadn't heard about this girl before, why, Johnny? Johnny allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, laying Jane down gently on the couch and motioning to a girl who had tearfully introduced herself as Dot who hurried over and took his place at the young girl's side, softly stroking her hair with a soft smile firmly in place.

Johnny wrapped his fingers through Hon. Miss Fisher's and kissed her jawbone. I had to bite back a grin. Who was he and what had he done with stuffy Det. Inspector Jack Robinson? (Or very likely more accurate, what had she done with stuffy Det. Inspector Jack Robinson?) They walked over to us, and for the first time, Miss Fisher looked vaguely nervous. Johnny kissed mum's cheek and thanked us all for coming (as though he was the host and this was his house! I noticed excitedly…)

"Mum, Dad, I want you to meet the Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher." He said looking at her softly. She looked at them and bit her lip nervously. If I had to guess, I would say that this is the sort of woman who has never been nervous before in her life.

"Simply lovely to finally meet the Lady Detective Johnny keeps mentioning." Mum said, pulling her into a hug. "I very much wish it were under better circumstances. Miss Fisher we are all so grateful that you and dear Jane are home safe and sound."

"I insist you call me Phryne, Mrs. Robinson." She replied as they pulled away from the embrace. "And as much as I wished to meet Jack's family looking my best I've come to accept that my life will never have a 'perfect moment'."

"Perhaps it would if you spent less time chasing murderers." Johnny suggested with an air of humor filling his tone.

"I could say the same of you Detective Inspector." She teased back with a grin. Phryne looked back at me.

"Of course you are one of Jack's sisters. The family resemblance is striking!" I smiled. "Elizabeth?" she asked.

"You may as well call me Beth, everyone does." Phryne laughed at this and looked to Jack who was rolling his eyes. Evidently I had just participated in a joke I wasn't privy to. I introduced her to my family, each of whom she greeted with a warm smile and a hug and some manner of small talk. And the entire time, Johnny never took his eyes off of her.

An hour later found me chatting with Phryne over a few drinks. The more I got to know her the more I realized how perfect she was for Johnny. She would make him step out of his comfort zone. She would make him reevaluate his morals and think hard about why he valued some trait over another. She would question him at every step and never let him take control just because she was a woman. She would force him to see her as his equal because with a woman like her, there wasn't another option. She would push him to be his best and work his hardest but still take a break from work and enjoy life. She already had dragged him out of the hole he had been living in after the war. She'd already given him his fight back. And I couldn't wait to see what more she would do for him.

Just then the tinkering of a piano made its way over the noise of conversation. That's funny. It almost sounded like…I gasped. It was. Johnny was playing again. Tears filled my eyes as I watched his fingers drift over the keys. My mother made her way to my side and gripped my hand as we watched.

"What is it?" Phryne asked. "Have you not heard Jack play before?" I turned to look at her, my brow furrowed.

"You have?"

"Yes. He plays often when he's over for a nightcap after we wrap a case. He's quite good."

"Yes." My mother said tearfully. "Yes he is."

"What is it?" She asked again.

"He used to play constantly. He even performed in a few concert halls. But after he married, the Sanderson girl encouraged him to focus on his career instead of his silly pursuits. He didn't see a problem with giving it up. He didn't see how happy he was playing. And so he played less and less. But then the war came and…" She trailed off.

"Johnny hasn't played in a long time." I said simply, summing up the long painful story that had consumed our family as we watched Johnny sink into despair and depression.

"Miss Fish- Phryne," My mum asked gently. "When did he start playing again?" Phryne pursed her lips, pensively.

"I suppose 8 or 9 months ago now." My mother inhaled sharply but it was not a sad sound. "We had just wrapped a murder case wherein he had been undercover as a radio announcer. Mr. Butler had alerted me that he had let Jack in and that he was waiting in the parlor and when I came in he was sat down at my piano playing one of my very favorite songs."

"Your Butler just lets him in? No need to consult with the lady of the house?" I questioned with a smile, teasingly.

"I swear that man is here more than he is at his own house." She said, pretending to be annoyed though anyone viewing the smile on her lips knew otherwise. "I don't know if he's mentioned it but we liked to wrap a case with a nightcap here. Hugh – Constable Collins rather – was usually here visiting his sweetheart, my companion Dot, and No matter how good your son claims to be at cooking no one can rival Mr. B when it comes to culinary skills."

"You fine ladies wouldn't happen to be talking about me, now would you?" Johnny asked, plunking himself down on the lounge beside Phryne, instantly taking her fingers in his.

"But of course!" Phryne said with a flourish and grandeur that made my brother smile.

"Phryne was telling us that you spend a lot of time here." My mother said slyly. "Due to the spectacular food." She took a bite of the hors d'oeuvres. "I must say, I do quite understand that sentiment."

"Yes." Johnny said smiling at Phryne. "The food is exquisite. As is her excellent supply of beverage." He took a sip of the whiskey in his hand. Phryne looked at him searchingly.

"I cannot fault Mr. B on a thing. But I have heard that the wine stores at certain Italian restaurants in the area exceed my own." I frowned. Well they were restaurants. What on earth did she expect? But then Johnny looked into her eyes and kissed her wrist sweetly.

"I don't know about those people. But I much prefer whiskey." The returned smile on Phryne's face told me there was something greater at play, something I didn't understand. But it didn't matter.

My brother's broken heart had been mended, his dying soul lifted from the grave.

"Jack?" Jane had woken and was now back at Johnny's side, snuggling in. He kissed her brown and pulled Phryne tight to his side.

"Welcome home."

The End.

*I don't remember if I explained Ella before and I don't currently have access to the beginning of my story to check (curse you spotty internet!) but brief description: The youngest Robinson sibling, Ella is an awful lot like Phryne – a modern woman. She is currently touring around America with a boyfriend (whom she certainly does NOT plan on marrying!) and though we do not meet her in this fic, she will likely pop up in other fics I write for MFMM as she is a theorized character in my head and part of a headcannon I am obsessed with. Sorry to purists: I haven't read the books yet. I am sure there is better description of Jack's family in them but I am writing this based on the show and what I know/imagine from that.

A/N: Thinking of doing a sort of "inappropriate" (read smutty) epilogue? Or Just making a separate fic filled with PWP that while not breaking from this plot idea is stand alone as well. What do you guys think?

Thank you thank you thank you all so much for sticking with me through this mess. This was not at all what I was planning and there were some definite times where I had no idea where I was going and was just winging it so really...THANK YOU. You guys are the best! Be sure to comment your thoughts and check out my other MFMM fic "An Innocent Enough Roll of Film".

XOXO - E