EPILOGUE

The final one. I really hope you'll like it.

"Which one?" The brunette holds up two bowties for the other woman to asses.

"The black is classier, Jane." She takes the red one from her hand and tucks it into the open drawer. "You've asked me this four times already."

"Well sorry, I want everything to be perfect." Jane rolls her eyes.

Maura smiles at her wife and leaves a quick peck on her cheek. "You look breathtaking, hon."

"Why, Doctor, are you coming on to me?" Jane raises her eyebrows and catches Maura's wrist with a sleazy grin draw on her face.

"We don't have time, Jane."

Jane's hands find themselves low around Maura's back as she leans in to kiss her wife. "There is always time to kiss my lovely wife."

Maura leans into the kiss her hands making sure not to mess up Jane's hair as they make their way over her body. She pulls Jane' shirt out of her pants and slips her hand under it to meet warm flesh. Jane's stomach is still fit after all these years and it makes her smile onto the other woman's lips. She pulls away with a last tug on Jane's bottom lip with her teeth before the heat of the moment causes her to actually start taking off clothes.

"You look positively ravishing in that dress, my love." Jane looks Maura up and down. The low cut neckline of the red dress accents Maura's prominent collarbone perfectly. It slips onto her like a glow highlighting every beautiful curve of her body. And all Jane wants to do is push her up against the dresser and slip her hands under the dress. But Jane is a patient woman. She can wait to do that after the party.

Maura smiles with a blush creeping up on her cheeks. Jane wonders even after twenty-five years together how this woman could possibly have chosen her of all people.

Jane tucks in her shirt and straightens her suit jacket. "You would have murdered me if I had even left a crease on you dress."

Maura chuckles, "Probably."

"Come on, they're probably waiting downstairs."

Maura waits at the door for Jane with an elegant gold clutch in one hand and the doorknob in the other.

"Wait," Jane fumbles in the top drawer of the dresser before she pulls out a small box with a smile spread wide across her face. "I got you something."

She hands the box over to Maura. The other woman opens it to find a silver chain with a sapphire pendant inside. Her face instantly lights up and she looks at Jane with wide eyes. "It's the one from the shop?"

Jane nods. She had made sure to go buy the exact piece Maura was eyeing on their last trip.

"It's beautiful, Jane!"

"Happy anniversary," Jane smiles at the sheer joy on her wife's face. These are the moments she lives for, where Maura's eyes are lit up brighter than the stars in the sky and she knows she is the one who made that happen.

"I thought we were exchanging gifts after the party?" Maura tilts her head.

"I couldn't wait."

Maura takes the necklace out of the box and hands it to Jane. "Put it on then."

Jane obliges. She moves the locks of golden brown to a side and puts on the clasp.

Maura quickly makes her way to the mirror. "I love it. Thank you." She kisses her wife.

"Let's not keep them waiting. You know how they can get." Jane motions towards to door.

Maura makes her way down the stairs and Jane follows behind. The front door waits open with a boy almost as tall as Jane but with Maura's eyes pacing back and forth and a girl with Jane's dark hair, almost fifteen, leaning against the railing of the porch.

Maura shakes her head and runs her hands through the boy's hair. "Why can't you just comb your hair, Aidan?"

Aidan rolls his eyes. "Why can't you be on time for once, Mom?"

"Don't talk back to your mother, Aidan." Jane's voice is stern as she locks the door.

"Happy Anniversary!" The girl comes up and hugs both women. "So Aidan and I got you guys something, it's more of a retirement plus anniversary gift." She hands over an envelope to Maura.

Maura opens it to find two plane tickets to Rome and smiles at her children. "Thank you."

Jane puts an arm around her daughter's shoulders as they walk down to the car. "It's a very thoughtful gift, Kara, Aidan. Thank you, honey." She smiles at Aidan.

"Where is your sister?" Maura looks around as Jane holds open the car door for her.

"She had to go get Matt," Aidan replies getting into the back seat.

Jane is glad Chris is bringing her son to the party. She gets to see her grandkid so rarely.

The drive is short, but she makes sure to enjoy every moment of having most of her family together in one place before she has to pull over and get out. They find that mostly everyone has already arrived. They are welcomed with the loud burst of a party horn and confetti falling into their hair and clothes. Neither of the pair is too worried about brushing off the mess, but Aidan complains under his breath. He brushes off confetti covering his tux before pulling his sister away towards to juice bowl near the bar.

Jane takes hold of Maura's hand and they make their way inside. Jane had her reservations about letting Frankie take over the party planning, but besides the giant banner that says 'Enjoy Retirement You Oldies' she is quite happy with the whole setup.

Maura is glad that they agreed to have their anniversary and retirement party together. She is gladder that Jane stuck to her promise and actually retired with her as promised so they could finally spend time travelling and just relaxing in each other's company. She wanted to spend time with her grandkids, not worry about Jane getting shot at or late nights at the morgue. This was going to be good.

Jane brings back two glasses of champagne from a waiter passing by and offers one to her wife. "It's pretty good." She raises a glass to Frankie. "You did good."

"With you breathing down my neck, didn't have a choice, did I?" He shakes his head.

Korsak laughs and breaks into a cough. He hasn't been doing all that well. Kiki places a hand on his shoulder. "No drinking for you tonight."

"Aye aye, madam." He nods.

Frankie calls over Nina and her fiancé as Angela settles down on a chair. Jane looks around the round table and can't imagine what it is going to feel like to not see these people every day, but she made a promise and she is going to stick by it. Besides, she can't wait to spend all her time with Maura and their kids and their grandkid and hopefully more grandchildren coming soon.

Frankie calls up a waiter and hands everyone a glass. Korsak holds up his, earning him a frown from his wife, "A toast to old times."

"To old times" Everyone repeats and clinks their glasses.

The entire place is full of people. There are those that have respected Maura as a colleague and a professional and are here to wish her well after stepping down as the Chief Medical Examiner after years of service. There are those that have worked for years with Jane in the police department. There are friends they have made over the years there to wish them a happy wedding anniversary. And then there are a few family members. Put together, there are a lot of people.

Maura pulls Jane away from the table to go mingle with their guests. They shake hands and hug until Jane can't stand another person invading her personal space so she pulls Maura away to a secluded corner.

"Where are the kids?"

Maura points towards the bar where Aidan is enjoying a drink while his sister munches on some snack she can't identify from that far away.

Jane shakes her head. "I hope that is a juice or I'm going to-"

Maura turns Jane's face towards her. "Let him be. Just for today."

She places a quick kiss on her wife's lips. "I love you."

"I love you too, honey."

"Ugh, you guys get a room." Chris settles down on the chair beside her mothers.

She holds out the child in her hands and Maura takes him. "He's yours for the night, enjoy!"

"You look exhausted." Jane fusses with her daughter's blouse. "Are you getting enough sleep? Where is that husband of yours?"

"He's somewhere, Ma." She shrugs. Jane knows exactly where he is. She glances towards the bar and frowns. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? We can help out with Matt as much as you want, you know?"

"Let the girl be, honey." Maura stops bouncing her grandson in her lap for a moment to place a hand on her wife's lap.

"Happy anniversary" Chris hugs Jane and then Maura before backing away from the table. "I'm going to see what Aidan and Kara are up to."

"Tell Aidan he had better not be drinking!" Jane calls after her.

"Aren't you my sweet little man?" Maura coos to the child in her arms.

"I can't believe he is one already." Jane takes his hand and lets him wrap it around her finger. "I still remember when your mama was five and we brought her home."

"Mama," he points at Maura.

"Grandma," Jane points at Maura.

"Mama," he repeats laughing and Jane just smiles.

"Okay, kid."

It is two hours later that Angela has taken custody of Matt and Maura pulls her wife to the dance floor. They sway back and forth with Jane's hands resting on Maura's waist and Maura's head on Jane's shoulder. She remembers the first time she danced with her wife like this. It was their fourth date and Maura had taken them to some fancy place that Jane had whined about until she was dragged onto the dance floor and could hold Maura this close and feel the warmth of her skin. She had taken her home that night and they had shared the same bed ever since.

THE END

Thank you all for reading all the way to the end. You guys have kept me going even when I wanted to end the story quickly and get it over with. Thanks for giving me the motivation to do this story some justice. You're all awesome! See you another time with a different story.