Okay, people, it was pointed out to me that the last chapter was pretty episode-ey, so this is mostly from my brain to make up for that, lmao. I did include some cute stuff from s02e01 that I like, but other than that, it's all me. I appreciate the constructive criticism! Forewarning that this is likely the last chapter so I tied off pretty much every loose end I could think of.

Maura sat directly outside of Jane and Frost's room in the ICU. Due to Maura's triage at the scene, both Jane and Frost would make it, but they each had a long road of recovery ahead of them. Korsak had been selected to keep an eye on Maura. Since she'd technically stolen a firearm from a law enforcement officer and intended to shoot a person, she was to remain under close supervision until Frost woke up; she had to wait to see if he wanted to press charges. It was a rare and complicated situation.

"They're going to be okay, Maura," Korsak spoke kindly to the ME. He was still shocked to have seen the docile blonde intend to fire a weapon, and toward the woman she loved, no less.

"Yes, they'll be fine," Maura reiterated monotonously.

"Were you really going to let Elanor shoot you?" Korsak asked the ME and Maura closed her eyes to think about her answer.

"Yes," Maura opened her eyes and looked at Korsak.

"You were going to do what?" Angela Rizzoli yelled as she and Frankie stepped off of the elevator. Korsak stood and held his hands up in surrender toward the Rizzoli Matriarch.

"Maura, you're the smartest person I know, why the hell would you let somebody shoot you?" Frankie asked but Maura just quieted and looked toward the ground.

"She was trying to save Jane's life," Korsak spoke quietly to the family and Angela began to cry.

"Oh, how is she? Is she awake yet?" Angela spoke to Korsak as Frankie moved to sit beside Maura. Korsak quietly filled Angela in on Jane's status and let Maura and Frankie talk in peace.

"You were going to let that crazy woman shoot you so Jane would be safe?" Frankie asked and Maura nodded to him.

"It was all I could do," Maura choked out and Frankie hugged her tightly. Maura reached into her pocket to give the ring box to Frankie and his eyes widened.

"Where did you get this?" He asked in confusion.

"It fell out of Jane's blazer after she… after she shot herself…" Maura choked on the words.

"Did you look at it?" The younger Rizzoli questioned.

"Of course not," Maura scoffed.

"Why not?" Frankie asked.

"If it is what I think it is… what I hope it is, then I don't want to see it like this," Maura whispered. She couldn't talk normally due to the emotion that seemed to tighten her chest. Frankie smiled at her and draped an arm around her shoulders.

"How are you feeling?" He asked caringly.

"Likely the same as you… we both got tased," Maura said and Frankie laughed, though Maura hadn't meant it as a joke.

"Somebody better explain what the hell is going on here!" Angela spoke loudly to the group and Frankie gasped.

"Ma, you swore!" He stated in surprise.

"Yeah, well my baby girl almost died again and nobody even told me she had a case!" Angela said accusingly and Korsak took her by the shoulders to seat her in a chair. He began to explain everything. He told her about the crime scene, how it was likely connected to Casey Jones. Frankie explained how he had been kidnapped by Dana, who wasn't really Dana, and that she tased him into a state of confusion and asked him about places only he and Jane would know about. He explained how he thought it was Maura asking him in his confusion so he had told Elanor about the greenhouse.

"Don't feel bad, Frankie, it could have happened to any of us," Korsak spoke to make him feel better. Korsak continued to tell Angela what had happened that day and Angela's eyes widened several times at the details.

"I can't believe you were going to let that crazy woman shoot you to keep Janie safe," Angela put a hand over her heart and began to cry. Korsak handed her a handkerchief and she dabbed at her eyes. "All my babies got kidnapped today and I didn't know a thing!"

"Tommy didn't get kidnapped," Frankie deadpanned and Angela laughed through her tears.

"I've never been so happy about him being in prison!" She added and Frankie chuckled.

"We're all gonna be fine, Ma, "Frankie smiled at his mother and Angela nodded as she continued to dab at her eyes.

"Where are the families of Barold Frost and Jane Rizzoli?" A doctor stepped into the hallway and read off of a clipboard. The group stood in unison.

"Here, we're right here," Angela spoke.

"My name is Doctor Sluckey… You're both of their families?" The doctor asked.

"Yes," Frankie said and the doctor nodded before he led the group into the room. Jane and Barry each lay in a separate bed about ten feet apart from each other. Maura teared up at the sight of Jane's breathing tube. She knew that meant that the brunette was in an induced coma so that her body could heal.

"Oh," Angela muttered and she stepped toward Jane. She leaned down to kiss her daughter's hair and then looked toward Frost, worry etched onto her features.

"Barry Frost suffered a punctured lung due to a GSW to the chest. Surgery was successful and we're hopeful that we'll be able to remove the tube in his chest later on tonight." Doctor Sluckey informed and Frankie swallowed thickly as he moved to the foot of Barry's bed. He cleared his throat as he looked down at Frost's ribs and saw a clear tube sticking out.

"What does the tube do?" Frankie asked Maura.

"A chest tube is placed through the ribs into the area surrounding the lungs to help drain air and also to help inflate the lung," Maura spoke and Doctor Sluckey nodded. "He'll be fine, Frankie, recovery time for pneumothorax is six to eight weeks." Frankie let out a breath and sat in the chair next to Barry's bed. He tentatively reached up to hold the man's hand.

"What about Janie," Angela asked Doctor Sluckey.

"She was lucky to have been so close to an ambulance," the Doctor began, "she suffered a laceration to the peritoneal small bowel. Had she not been transported to the hospital so quickly she likely would have suffered from sepsis. We've induced a coma to ensure that her body is focused solely on healing. We've got her hooked up to this machine that will breathe for her until I believe her wound has healed enough."

"Did you elect to close the wounds with stitches or staples?" Maura asked the other doctor.

"Stitches seemed to be the best option... Are you a doctor?" He asked Maura.

"I am the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Are you worried about any particular complications occurring?" Maura continued to question him.

"I know you're worried about your friend, but you're merely a pathologist and she was operated on by a renowned surgeon. She'll heal perfectly." Doctor Sluckey spoke condescendingly and Maura had half a mind to slap him.

"No offense doc, but you could probably learn a thing or two from her," Frost coughed and choked out the jibe at the surgeon. Frankie smiled and leaned forward, Frost looked over and the younger Rizzoli and then glanced down at their linked hands. "If you wanted to hold my hand this whole time you could've just asked, Frankie," Barry joked and Frankie chuckled as a tear fell out of the corner of his eye.

"I'd punch you if you weren't already such a mess," Frankie sassed back and Frost squeezed his hand.

"I reckon I could still kick your ass," Barry teased and then he moved his head around the room. He smiled in confusion at everyone before his eyes fell on Jane's unconscious body. "Is she-"

"She's fine, Barry," Frankie spoke.

"As I was saying," Doctor Sluckey continued, "the gunshot was a through and through and she should be perfectly healed in twelve to fourteen weeks. I'll leave you to it, let me know if you have any further questions." The surgeon walked swiftly out of the room, hoping not to incur any more insults.

"Good to see you awake, buddy," Korsak moved to speak to Frost and the younger Detective smiled at him.

"Wish I could say the same," Frost poked fun at the older man and Frankie chuckled. "What happened?"

"You got a punctured lung through your kevlar vest and Maura had to triage you at the scene," Korsak explained.

"Did Elanor shoot Jane?" Frost looked over to his partner in confusion.

"No," Maura muttered as she looked at Jane's face. "She shot herself to save us both."

"Typical," Frost groaned.

"You're leaving out a pretty important detail there, Doc," Korsak looked at the blonde and she just shrugged. Frost looked curiously at the ME and then to Korsak who once again explained what had happened in front of Jane's old apartment.

"You're both nuts," Frost said to Maura and the ME choked out an emotional laugh. Angela walked over to Frost and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Barry," she spoke tenderly to the man and her eyes locked in on his hand which was still entwined with Frankie's. "I don't know what's going on here but I have to say that I approve," she gestured to their hands and Frankie blushed and grinned. Frost chuckled.

"Me too, Angela," Frost said before he yawned. "Glad Jane's okay," he said before he fell back into a deep sleep. Doctor Sluckey re-entered the room sometime later and checked on Frost and Jane.

"Okay folks, visiting hours are almost over, I have to insist that you come back tomorrow after eight in the morning," he said as he read from his chart.

"I'm not going anywhere," Angela immediately refused.

"We can't have civilians in the ICU overnight, it's a safety precaution, I must insist you leave," he reiterated and Angela opened her mouth to argue before Maura placed a delicate hand on her wrist.

"I am a doctor and I have the right to be in this hospital and in this room under the law of-"

"Okay, fine, you can stay, but I have to insist that the rest of you leave," Doctor Sluckey looked pointedly to the rest of the group and Angela glared at him.

"Don't worry, Angela," Maura spoke softly, "I'll make sure she's safe." Angela's eyes softened at the small blonde woman and her heart grew. Who knew that within such a small, docile woman lay the kindest, most caring soul she'd ever met. Angela stepped forward and hugged the ME tightly, thinking about how Maura had been willing to sacrifice herself for Jane.

"I know you will," Angela whispered before she let go. Frankie kissed Barry's hand and then stood to wipe the tear off of his mother's cheek before he moved to hug Maura too.

"Love you," he said before he kissed Maura's cheek.

"And you, Sir?" The surgeon looked pointedly at Korsak.

"I'm her bodyguard and I legally need to stay with her until Barry gains permanent consciousness," Korsak explained and he could see Sluckey struggle to control his eye roll.

"Fine," he said and then he exited the room.

"I do not like that man," Angela complained.

"Me either," Korsak agreed. "We'll call you with any updates, go home and get some rest, huh?" He suggested to the Rizzoli's and they left the room. "How are you feeling?" Korsak turned to ask Maura.

"Not great. I'm worried, though I know it's irrational. I don't want to go home…" Maura gazed at Jane and her eyebrows creased in worry.

"We'll stay here tonight, then," Korsak decided and Maura looked at him in surprise. "What? You think this is the first time I've had to sleep in an uncomfortable chair while Jane slept in a hospital bed?"

"I had assumed it was," Maura admitted. Korsak shook his head.

"After Hoyt got her I stayed in the hospital with her for a while. Eventually, they just brought a cot to the room for me," he chuckled before he sobered again, "listen, she's going to be fine, Doc, give it a week or so and she'll be home. Three months goes by fast, you'll be back to normal before you know it."

"I hope so," Maura responded. Her and Korsak sat in the visitor's chairs talking quietly with each other deep into the night. Korsak spoke of how he and Jane first met when she was just eighteen and doing an internship at the station. He spoke about how he helped her study for the Detective's exam and how happy she was when she showed him her perfect score. He told Maura about all of his favorite moments with Jane and the ME felt a new respect for the man begin to grow. He'd been there for Jane for a good portion of her life and he was still adamant in his commitment to the brunette. Eventually, Maura's eyes drifted shut and she stopped responding to him with questions about his stories. He grinned at her and took off his coat, draping it over her like a blanket.

"Press charges?" Barry Frost yelled out in surprise, "are you insane? I'm not going to press charges! She saved my life! She saved Jane's life! What the hell were they thinking?" He shouted as best he could with the pain in his chest.

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger," Korsak raised his hands in surrender and Frost scoffed.

"Shoot the messenger, really?" He teased the older man.

"Bad choice of words?" Korsak asked, amused at the slip.

"Maybe just a tad," Frost laughed. "I'm not going to press charges, that's the craziest thing I've ever heard."

"That's good to hear," Maura grumbled and stretched in her uncomfortable chair. She looked down at herself and seemed to be momentarily confused by Korsak's jacket. "Thank you, Vince."

"Don't mention it," he responded before he reached to take the jacket back. "Well, I'll go tell the captain that Maura doesn't need to go to jail."

"I was at risk of being imprisoned?" Maura asked in shock.

"Well, kind of, you do work with the police so we probably could have just given you community service…" Korsak mused out loud, "oh well, all's well that ends well, right?" He nodded at Frost and hugged Maura before he left. "You take good care of that girl."

"Always," Maura nodded and stood to walk over to check on Jane. All of her stats were good and Maura read the chart attached to the bed at Jane's feet. "Perfect patient," Maura commented.

"Yeah, because she's unconscious," Barry joked and Maura smirked at him.

"I need her to wake up… I can't believe she's okay until I can actually talk to her," Maura commented and Frost chuckled.

"She said that exact same thing, word for word when you were unconscious in the hospital last year. Man, you guys are like the same person," he grinned at Maura and then looked toward Jane. "She's the toughest person I've ever met. Remember that time she had a dislocated shoulder and still tackled that two hundred pound wrestler to the ground? This is nothing for her." Maura smiled at the memory. Jane shocked Maura every day with how strong she could be and by how determined she was in everything she did.

"She shot herself to save us," Maura looked at Frost and he nodded.

"You were going to let Elanor shoot you to save us," he responded, "like the same person," he muttered again.

"You risked your life to save her too, Barry… I don't want to say that I can't live without her, because physically I can, but I certainly don't want to," Maura said as she went to sit in the chair next to Frost's bed.

"Yeah, I'd do just about anything for her, she's my best friend," he agreed, "I can't imagine working at the BPD without Jane…"

"Me either," Maura agreed and they both thought back to their first four months at the precinct when Jane had been on medical leave. It simply was not the same without the cranky Detective stomping around and daring the world to test her. "Hey, didn't you say it takes three days to get over caffeine addiction?" Frost asked Maura and the ME grinned.

"I don't believe there's anything on this Earth that could keep Jane away from caffeine," Maura joked and Frost laughed.

"Ugh, ouch. When are they going to take this thing out of me?" He asked and gestured to the tube poking out of his ribs. Maura leaned in to assess it more closely.

"They were going to remove it yesterday but were concerned because you seemed so tired. I assume they're going to remove it as soon as they see you're awake again," Maura spoke as she eyed the wound.

"You assume correctly," Doctor Sluckey walked into the room and smiled widely at them both. "Hello, I'm Doctor Sluckey, it's nice to officially meet you," he politely spoke to Frost. "We're going to take you back into the ER to remove it in a couple of minutes, I'm just waiting on my interns to prep the room."

"I'll be okay?" Frost turned to ask Maura and she smiled at him encouragingly.

"You'll be great, Barry," she reached out to squeezed his hand as a couple of nurses walked in to take him away.

"I'm always great," Barry grinned at Maura and she chuckled as she nodded in agreement. Maura sighed as everyone exited the room. She moved back to sit in the chair next to Jane's bed and she uselessly tried to fix Jane's errant curls. They released Frost the next day and Maura stayed at the hospital, waiting for Jane to wake up and informing all of the Detective's other visitors that there were no changes in her status. Doctor Sluckey stopped giving Jane the drugs required to induce a coma and for three days after, Jane continued to sleep. For three days Maura stayed in the hospital and sat next to her favorite person in the world. Maura showered in the hospital and ate in the cafeteria, listening constantly for an emergency page to Jane's room. She tried to go home to get a fresh pair of clothes but the thought of Jane waking up without her made her feel nauseous so she asked Angela to bring some instead. It took three days for Jane to choke on the tube in her throat as she fought to breathe on her own. Maura had pressed the button to call a doctor to remove it but the intern that showed up fainted. She turned away from him and grabbed gloves from the supply station and then turned to remove the tube herself.

"Sorry, love," she spoke to Jane as she removed it. Jane choked slightly at the sensation and coughed a couple of times. She swallowed thickly and Maura moved to fill up a paper cup of water for the brunette. "Drink this slowly," Maura ordered and Jane nodded. Jane followed the orders. She knew Maura would do what was best.

"Someone want to tell me what's going on in here?" Doctor Sluckey walked into the room and stared down at his unconscious intern.

"Jane started to fight her ET tube and I pressed the call button but this young man fainted when he arrived, so I removed it," Maura explained and the surgeon puffed out his chest.

"And what if you had accidentally injured Detective Rizzoli in your rush to remove the tube?" He challenged the blonde and Jane glared at him before she spoke.

"She's probably more qualified than you," Jane growled out. Her voice was deep and raspy from disuse and she reminded Maura more than ever of a wolf cornering her prey, which was impressive considering that she was immobile.

"Well it's nice to see that your vocal cords weren't damaged," Doctor Sluckey spoke. He did a quick checkup on Jane where she answered his questions monosyllabically and impatiently.

"So much for the perfect patient," Maura mused after the surgeon left.

"What?" Jane asked for clarification.

"When Barry was here I said they you were the perfect patient and he said that-"

"That I was only the perfect patient because I was unconscious?" Jane guessed and Maura grinned as she nodded. A crease or worry overtook the happiness on Maura's face and tears began to spill out of her eyes. Jane opened her arms to indicate that Maura should lay with her.

"Your wound, Jane, I don't want to hurt you," Maura whispered out.

"Then I'll tell you if you're hurting me," Jane whispered back and Maura moved forward to carefully fold herself into the bed on Jane's good side. "Why are you crying?"

"You almost died, Jane," Maura choked out as Jane reached up to play with her hair. "I could have lost you. You shot yourself." Maura explained as tears dripped off of her nose and into the shoulder of Jane's gown.

"I couldn't let her shoot you, Maura." Jane choked up too and fought to keep the emotion out of her voice, failing entirely. "I heard what you said to Frost earlier… about not wanting to live without me… I didn't want to live without you either Maura. You didn't deserve to go out like that."

"Neither do you, Jane," Maura cried and Jane squeezed her slightly with her arms.

"It's a part of my job, Maura. I'd do it again in a heartbeat," Jane spoke out her truth and Maura continued to cry on the brunette's chest. "I looked at you and I looked at Frost and I knew what had to be done."

"What about you, Jane, did you think about yourself?" Maura asked.

"No," Jane said after she thought it over. "I just thought about how I could save you both."

"Me too," Maura admitted and Jane kissed the side of her head. They cried together until they both fell asleep.

Maura walked into her front door and rolled her eyes at the sight of new boxes from the shopping channel sitting next to the hall closet. She walked into her living room and stood in front of the television in order to get Jane's attention. Jane grumbled her complaint as best she could; she had a mouthful of cereal.

"You look terrible," Maura deadpanned and Jane nodded before she swallowed.

"Thank you," she said sarcastically. "You might even look bad if a bullet had gone through you… but I doubt it," the Detective remarked and then winked at the blonde. Maura ignored the compliment.

"Did you have a bowel movement today?" Maura asked and Jane groaned.

"You may not casually discuss my privates," the brunette sassed before she took another bite of cereal.

"It's been weeks, Jane," Maura said, "You could be reading all of Shakespeare… learning Finnish? Instead, you've become a platinum member of the shopping channel…" Maura glanced pointedly to the boxes by the door.

"Why would I ever need to know Finnish?" Jane sassed and tried to distract the ME. It didn't work.

"You know the stress hormone, cortisol, suppresses your immune cell's ability to activate telomerase," Maura explained to Jane and the Detective nodded even though she had no idea what point Maura was making. "Quite simply, keeping your brain busy aids recovery. Mind-body." Maura linked the two together.

"Mind business," Jane sassed back.

"You are my business," Maura retaliated before she sat on the sofa next to Jane. She leaned in to kiss the brunette lovingly. Jane eagerly reciprocated the affection. She leaned into the blonde and happily kissed the ME back until she felt Maura's hand sneaking up her shirt to prod around her bullet wound scar tissue.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Jane snarked.

"I just want to make sure you're healing properly!" Maura defended. Jane rolled her eyes and lifted her shirt for the ME. "Thank you." Maura gently pushed Jane back against the cushions of the couch and leaned in to inspect the harsh pink scar on Jane's abdomen. Maura's hand rubbed small circles into Jane's skin and she looked for any indications of irregularities. Jane reached up to cover Maura's hand with her own and she smiled sweetly at the ME.

"I'm fine, Maur," Jane whispered as Maura continued to stare at the bullet wound. "I'm fine."

"You could have died, Jane," Maura whispered.

"You could have died, Maura," Jane whispered back and they gazed into each other's eyes.

"How bad is the pain today on a scale of one to ten?" Maura asked and Jane squinted her eyes as she decided on a number.

"Two," She finally answered.

"So a normal person's six," Maura decided and she moved to stand up to get Jane more pain killers.

"A normal person? That is so rude! No, no really, Maur," Jane argued and held Maura to the couch. "I'm a real two! Stay with me, please?"

"Okay, if you promise you're a real two," Maura agreed and Jane grinned. The Detective eased herself closer to Maura's side and the ME lifted one of her arms so that Jane could use her as a pillow. As they watched the television together, Maura noticed Jane occasionally start twisting her brown curls around her fingers.

"That's a sign of sexual frustration," Maura pointed out and Jane blushed before she looked at the ME.

"Or tangled hair," she sassed.

"I don't believe you've ever worried about that before," Maura smirked and Jane scowled at her.

"You really need to work on your compliments," Jane snarked out and Maura laughed. The blonde leaned to kiss Jane and the Detective used her hands to guide Maura into a straddling position across her lap.

"I don't want to hurt you, Jane," Maura warned and Jane pouted.

"But it would be so worth it," the Detective complained and then used her hands to pull Maura's face down into another heated kiss. The back door opened loudly and Angela scoffed at the sight on the couch.

"C'mon Ma, just for once in my life could you please knock!?" Jane complained loudly from the couch as Angela gaped at the pair of women.

"Oh, you're too sick to wash the dishes but not too sick to have intercourse?" Angela accused and then rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen. Maura removed herself from Jane's lap with an unashamed smirk on her lips.

"Intercourse, Ma? Really? Come on. What are you doing here?" Jane stood slowly and grabbed the cane she temporarily had to use to help her walk. She meandered slowly over to the kitchen to join her mother.

"I came to make you dinner," Angela spoke to her shortly.

"I'm fine, Ma," Jane complained. "The bullet couldn't have gone three inches to the left?" Jane muttered and Maura pinched her. "Ow!"

"I will poke you in your scar tissue if you even joke about that," Maura threatened and Jane had the decency to look guilty.

"Sorry, Maura," Jane whispered.

"Sorry it right," Angela chided. "You're lucky enough to find a woman who'd willingly lay down her own life to keep you safe and you go and say a thing like that? I raised you better than that, Jane Rizzoli!"

"I know, Ma, I'm sorry!" Jane claimed and then huffed. "Maura thinks I should learn Finnish," Jane said to change the topic of conversation.

"Finnish? As in Finland Finnish? Why would you ever need to know that?" Angela asked as she moved around Maura's kitchen. Jane smirked at the ME and the blonde rolled her eyes.

"I was trying to explain that it will help Jane to heal faster if she keeps her mind active," Maura explained to Angela.

"Oh… in that case you should learn Italian," Angela suggested and Jane rolled her eyes.

"I know Italian, Ma," the Detective argued and her mother scoffed.

"You know the bad words, but that's it," Angela sassed and Jane looked offended.

"That's absolutely not true!" Jane shouted. "I learned how to say turtle!"

"Tartaruga," Maura said and Jane chuckled, "it's the same as tortoise."

"At least one of kids knows Italian," Angela mused and Maura stuck her tongue out at Jane who scowled before the ME moved to help Angela cook.

"I don't want to go, Maura, everyone is going to stare at me and I have to use this cane and it makes me look stupid," Jane complained as Maura walked out of the closet looking absolutely stunning in nothing but her undergarments.

"Jane, you can't miss the BPD's Christmas party," Maura scoffed and Jane groaned.

"Well I seem to remember missing it every other year it happened, so I think I feel fine about sitting this one out, too," Jane retorted and Maura looked pointedly at her.

"Well I'll be going and Frost and Frankie are going together, and Susie's been dying to see you-"

"Do you wanna get hives?" Jane interjected but Maura continued.

"-and I told Vince you were going. Everyone is so excited to see you!" Maura finished with a smile and Jane slumped back onto the bed from her sitting position.

"I'd rather eat kale," Jane scowled at the ceiling.

"Well you'll have to eat Kale if you stay home," Maura said and Jane lifted her head to eye the ME in suspicion. "I told your mother about the Christmas party and she made sure that there was only healthy food in the house."

"Maura!" Jane groaned out her complaint and dropped her head back onto the bed.

"But if you come to the Christmas party, you can eat anything you like," Maura enticed Jane with what she knew would work. "I heard the caterers were serving wings and fries along with the actual meal... and there will be beer."

"Beer?" Jane looked up again. She hadn't had a beer since she'd been out of the hospital.

"Yes, and I'll even let you have one," Maura quirked an eyebrow and Jane scowled at her. The Detective lifted one of her hands up so that Maura could help her stand.

"What am I going to wear?" Jane whined and Maura smiled widely. "You do know I can't wear heels, right?"

"Yes, I know that. Doctor Sluckey was very clear," Maura shook her head at the Detective and then walked back into her large closet. Jane grabbed her cane and followed the smaller woman. "I figured you could tuck this into those nice black Saint Laurent trousers I got you."

"The ones with the belt that comes with them?" Jane asked and Maura suppressed a sigh.

"Yes, those,' Maura smiled and Jane noticed that the shirt Maura had picked out for her matched the dress that was hanging next to it perfectly.

"You love me," Jane said teasingly and Maura smiled up at her.

"Yes I do, very much!" Maura agreed.

"Do you love me enough to be late?" Jane asked innocently.

"Why would we be late?" Maura looked at Jane in confusion but the sudden and heated kiss that Jane used instead of an actual response answered every question Maura had.

"Didn't you once say that sex helps to boost the immune system?" Jane asked and then she wiggled her eyebrows at the blonde.

"I did," Maura confirmed and Jane grinned mischievously as she backed carefully out of the closet and onto the bed.

"I've never needed my immune system boosted so badly," Jane joked and Maura laughed.

"I can help with that," Maura said as she followed the Detective.

"Yeah?" Jane grinned, "gonna make my brain release some oxytocin?" Jane asked and Maura chuckled.

"I love it when you talk dirty to me," the blonde joked and Jane laughed.

"Come here," Jane requested and Maura acquiesced to the request. With Jane's wounds and with Angela constantly coming and going through Maura's back door, they hadn't had the opportunity to spend much time together alone. Barring showers and wound dressing changes, they'd scarcely even seen each other naked in weeks. As they fell onto the bed together it didn't take long for either of them to start breathing heavily into their kisses. Jane rolled onto her back and pulled the blonde on top of her. Maura ground her hips down into Jane instinctually and the brunette pulled out of the kiss to move Maura's hair out of the way and start kissing the ME's neck. Maura shifted on Jane to try to get a better vantage point to start teasing the Detective's breasts but the brunette gasped in pain.

"Sorry!" Maura exclaimed and then she rolled off of the Detective completely.

"Ugh," Jane groaned out and huffed in frustration. "Why am I still in so much pain?"

"I could be psychosomatic…" Maura suggested and then she lifted her head to look around the room. Her eyes settled on the chair in the corner of the room. "We could try something new if you like?"

"Uh, okay…" Jane said and Maura stood from the bed to go sit on the chair. The blond nodded to indicate that Jane should follow her. Jane crawled off of the bed after the blonde and hobbled over to the chair.

"Take this off," Maura requested as she tugged on the hem of Jane's tank top. Jane followed the suggestion and Maura traced her fingers slowly along Jane's ribs, down and around the pink scar of her entry wound and finally to the waistband of Jane's sweatpants. Maura looked up to make sure Jane was okay and the brunette nodded her approval. Maura pulled the pants down and around Jane's ankles and the Detective steadied herself using Maura's shoulders as she stepped out of the pants. "Turn around," Maura said. Jane looked confused for a moment before she agreed to the request. Once the brunette was turned around Maura grabbed her hips and pulled Jane into a sitting position on her lap. "There, now I can't compress your wound."

Jane opened her mouth to sass the ME but the feeling of Maura's hands slowly massaging her back silenced her. Jane felt her body begin to relax as Maura kneaded her tense muscles. Maura worked her way up to Jane's shoulders and then moved her hands to Jane's breasts to begin to trace gentle paths around the Detective's erect nipples. Jane leaned back against the ME and leaned her head on Maura's shoulder while the blonde kneaded her breasts. Maura kissed Jane's neck and shoulder as she caressed Jane's breasts and tweaked the Detective's nipples. She felt Jane's hips push back into her body and she bit the brunette's earlobe before she moved one of her hands to begin to tease Jane's sensitive clit.

Maura slowly but steadily picked up the pace of her fingers as they expertly rubbed Jane's clit. The feeling of Maura's hot breath on Jane's neck and the blonde's fingers rubbing pleasure into Jane's core cause Jane's body to twitch and tremble. With each of Jane's pants of ecstasy, Maura increased either pressure or speed until Jane's abs and legs burned with overuse.

"Maura," Jane indicated her desire for more and the ME did not make her wait. Maura reached down with her free hand and, after ensuring Jane was wet enough, thrust two fingers into the brunette as deep as she could. Jane moaned out in bliss as Maura began to push her fingers in and out of her core. Jane felt her legs spread on instinct and her feet dangled in the air as her legs began to tremble under Maura's efforts. Maura felt Jane's core being to throb around her fingers and she worked harder to rub her fingers into the areas where she knew Jane liked them the most. Jane's orgasm overcame her senses and she groaned out her pleasure as Maura's hands worked their magic. Maura didn't cease her actions until Jane's body writhed on top of her and she felt Jane's body begin to ease itself down from its high. Jane leaned heavily back into Maura and the ME pulled her hands free of Jane's center as the Detective caught her breath.

"Worth being let over?" Maura asked as she wrapped her arms lovingly around Jane's body.

"Definitely," Jane responded, "even if I did want to go to the party," the brunette joked and Maura pinched her. "Hey! Scar tissue!"

"The endorphins that your brain just released are a natural pain-killer, you'll be fine," Maura teased back. Jane shivered slightly and Maura was about to suggest that they get up when Jane's phone rang. The Detective carefully stood and grabbed her phone from the end table.

"Hello..? Uh yeah… I dunno, about a half-hour? Yes… Okay, bye," Jane spoke into the phone and then glanced at Maura.

"If I were a betting woman I would assume that was Frost calling to ask when we would be arriving?" The blonde asked as she stood from the chair.

"If you were a betting woman you would have just made some money," Jane joked and Maura grinned before she walked into the washroom to wash her hands and redo her hair. Maura got ready in record time and helped to tuck Jane's shirt into her pants.

"You know, I think the cane might add to the overall aesthetic of this outfit," Maura assessed as she stepped back to look Jane over from head to toe. Jane rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Okay, Miranda Priestly," Jane said and Maura frowned slightly as the reference went right over her head. "The Devil Wears Prada? I can't believe you haven't seen that movie! You'd love it! I love it! We're watching it!" Jane demanded and Maura laughed.

"Whatever you say, darling," Maura lovingly spoke and then kissed Jane.

Maura stepped out of the driver's seat of her car and moved around to the passenger side of the vehicle to help Jane.

"I feel useless," Jane complained as Maura helped her stand.

"But you aren't," Maura spoke resolutely, "you make every one of my days better just by being here. So what if you need a little bit of extra help for a few weeks? All that I care about is that you're still here," Maura smiled at the adoring look that overcame Jane's features.

"All this time and you still find ways to make me feel in awe of you," Jane murmured and Maura's face brightened at the fact that Jane still remembered her use of the word from over a year ago.

"And you still make me feel more cherished than I ever thought possible," Maura responded just as lovingly and Jane blushed. "Come on, Detective, they're waiting for us," Maura gestured through one of the windows of the Dirty Robber and Jane looked up to see her friends sitting in a booth inside. She took a moment to simply stand under the light of a street post in the evening air and appreciate that she had all of these people in her life. Maura looked at Jane's face and she saw the admiration that Jane was feeling for the group of people seen through the window. The ME stuck out her arm and Jane looked down at it and smiled to the smaller woman before Maura guided Jane across the street.

Maura held the door open for Jane and the Detective limped her way into the bar. It had been festively decorated with dozens of strings of fairy lights across the old wooden beams of the ceiling rafters. The lights brought out the color of Jane's royal blue shirt and Maura's dress spectacularly. Tables had been removed from the room to make way for a makeshift dance floor and there was a table full of gifts wrapped in the far corner of the room. The bar was filled with people from the precinct who all nodded respectfully toward Jane. Frost stood from the booth and smiled as the pair of women hung their coats at the door. He walked over and hugged Jane.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you," Frost said exasperatedly, "Korsak's on one of his new special diets and you wouldn't believe how bad it is to share a car with him." Jane laughed at the information.

"Oh, I remember it very clearly, he used to be my partner too, remember?" Jane responded and they shared a knowing laugh. Before Jane had a chance to sit down, Frankie stood from his spot and hugged her.

"Hey, sis, can I talk to you over here for a sec?" Frankie asked and Jane eyed him curiously before she nodded.

"I'll be right back," Jane murmured to Maura before she dipped her head to kiss the ME's cheek.

"Nice to see you two lovebirds at the same time," Korsak commented and Jane rolled her eyes before she moved to follow her brother away from the table.

"You know, it's not exactly easy walking around like this, right?" Jane teased and Frankie guffawed at himself before he moved back to help his sister away from the table.

"Sorry, I'm not used to you needing help," he teased her and she used her cane to whack him in the stomach. "Okay, you know what? Maybe I'll just keep this then." Frankie threatened as he pulled a ring box out of his pocket.

"I thought I lost that!" Jane said excitedly and then she glared at her brother, "why the hell didn't you tell me you had it?" She accused.

"Oh, I thought Maura would have told you she gave it to me," Frankie defended as he handed the right back to his sister.

"She saw it?" Jane groaned before Frankie shook his head.

"Nah, she said it fell out of your blazer when they put you in the ambulance but that she didn't look," Frankie explained, "she said she only wanted to see it when you were ready to give it to her… so, any idea when that will be?" Jane opened the box and smiled down at the unique gold band. She glanced around behind her back to see Maura chatting animatedly to Korsak, Frost, and Susie and her heart felt like it leaped in her chest.

"Soon," Jane commented, "after I can actually get down on one knee," Jane joked.

"So chivalrous!" Angela commented as she walked out of the kitchen doors followed by a plethora of servers. "Why were you late, missy?" Jane's mother asked accusingly and Jane tried not to blush.

"I mean, I can't exactly rush right now," Jane sassed her mother.

"Sorry, sweety," Angela stopped beside her children and kissed them each on the cheek. "Frankie, be a doll and bring this to the table, will you?"

"Ah, don't we have caterers for a reason?" Frankie protested but at Angela's glare, he followed her orders.

"It's a beautiful ring, honey, are you sure you want to wait to give it to her?" Angela asked as Jane tucked the object in question into her pants pocket.

"I just want it to be… right, and it doesn't feel right to give it to her when she has to take care of me. That's not why I'm asking her to marry me, you know?" Jane asked her mother and the elder Rizzoli smiled and nodded.

"I can understand that, but I'm sure she knows," Angela reasoned. Jane seemed to mull the opinion over in her head before a grin spread across her face.

"Do you think you could help me with something, Ma?" Jane asked her mother and Angela nodded before the question was even fully out of her daughter's mouth.

Maura sat happily as she spoke with her friends and was glad when Angela led Jane back to the table to sit next to her. Maura immediately pushed a bottle of beer in front of Jane and then placed her hand on the Detective's thigh.

"As promised," the blonde joke and Jane grinned at her.

"I thought your doctor said you were supposed to be drinking water and prune juice," Korsak teased.

"No," Jane denied, "my doctor promised me I could drink a beer if I agreed to accompany her to this Christmas party," Jane corrected and her brother laughed.

"So that's how Maura dragged your ass out of the house," Frankie teased and Jane grinned at him.

"Yup, that and the mention of wings and fries…" Jane said as she happily started to eat the food on the plates in front of them. Frankie was quick to join her and Angela rolled her eyes.

"My children… people would think you were raised in a barn," she commented.

"What?" The Rizzoli children asked in unison and the table laughed before they also joined in on the food.

The group had decided to do a secret Santa exchange that year and everyone was pleased with their gifts. Korsak had gotten Angela a new pair of oven mitts that she thought were adorable. Angela had gifted Maura a new kind of tea that the ME thought smelled delightful. Maura bought Frankie a book about engines and how to get rid of grease stains and he thought it was very thoughtful. Frankie had pulled Frost's name out of the hat and he thought it would be funny to wrap up his ChockerKin action figure for the man. Frost thought the gift was both funny and caring and he leaned in to kiss Frankie's cheek, causing Korsak to whistle and Frankie to blush. Frost had gotten Susie a new baseball glove which she liked. Susie had gotten Jane a book that detailed the entire history of the Red Sox and Jane was excited to have never seen it before. Jane had gotten Korsak a pack of air fresheners and Frost almost spat out his drink when he saw how red the older man's face got. Jane had heard from Frankie how much Frost had been complaining and she thought it would be a funny gift; which it was.

All in all, everyone enjoyed the evening greatly but none more than Maura, who had never experienced a Christmas party quite like this. She was raised outside of the realm of religion and so had not celebrated the holiday with her family. Sitting at the Dirty Robber though, surrounded by her friends and family, she'd never been happier. She leaned against Jane and felt the brunette kiss the side of her head. The squad captain walked over to the group and insisted on a photo and they all smiled at the camera. Angela followed after the captain to insist that he send the photo to her so that she could get a few framed.

"Okay, Ma, I think that'll do it," Jane commented as she looked at the way the restaurant was decorated.

"Yeah, it's perfect," Angela agreed. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay and-"

"I'm sure, Ma," Jane sassed and rolled her eyes. "Thank you though." Jane smiled at her mother and then hugged her. "You think she'll like it?"

"I think she'll love it," Angela said and then she squeezed Jane's hand. "Call me tomorrow and let me know how it goes."

"I will," Jane promised and then her mother left.

"Jane, I thought we could order pizza for dinner since you've been feeling so well lately," Maura called into her house as she got home from work. "Jane?" Maura called again after the lack of response. She walked into her house and noticed first that the Detective was nowhere to be seen. She noticed second that there was a single flower laid upon the table next to a handwritten note in Jane's messy, left-handed scrawl. She walked over to the table and picked up the sunshine plumeria before she read the note.

Hey Maur,

Dinner is on me tonight, meet me at Gino's after work. Wear something you love.

-Jane

Maura smiled at the note and then walked up to her bedroom to change. Jane never stopped surprising her. Maura quickly dressed in one of her favorite red dresses, the one she had worn on her first full workday with Jane. She smiled as she recalled how nice Jane had been to her and how the Detective had gone out of her way to make sure that Maura was included. She slipped her feet into a pair of charcoal heels and, just as it always did, she felt her confidence raise with her height. Maura drove back toward the restaurant that Jane had requested she'd meet her at. She pulled into a parking spot and as she got out of her car, she smiled at the pine green door that she'd been so wary of the first time she'd seen it. She remembered Jane taking her there and felt herself smiling at the memory. Had that been their first date? It was hard to tell. Everything always felt so natural with Jane that the lines of their friendship and relationship always seemed to blur together.

Maura opened the door and entered the room. Much like it was the first time Maura had visited the restaurant, it was decorated in an odd mix of rustic and classy. Much like herself and Jane though, despite the differences in the room, the themes fit together perfectly. This time though, all the tables except for one had been removed from the room. All the televisions were off and the speakers played the familiar sound of one of Maura's favorite classical music playlists. Jane stood next to the table in the center of the room holding a bottle of Maura's favorite wine, grinning like a fool.

"This is a lovely surprise, Jane," Maura commented as she approached the brunette.

"You got here faster than I thought you would," Jane laughed nervously and set the bottle of wine down on the table to help Maura out of her coat. "Must not have taken you long to choose your outfit."

"No, not long," Maura agreed as Jane took her coat.

"Is that the same dress you wore last time we were here?" Jane asked as she eyed how the material hugged Maura's curves.

"Yes… where did you get the suit?" Maura asked as she moved her hand to feel the material of Jane's tailored suit. Jane had paired the suit with a nice red blouse and Maura grinned as she realized that they matched.

"Uhh… my Ma helped me pick it out," Jane admitted sheepishly but Maura just smiled at her.

"She chose very well," Maura complimented and Jane grinned.

"Thank you, you look beautiful as ever," Jane complimented Maura back and then leaned down to kiss the ME sweetly. "Here," Jane moved to pull Maura's chair out for her and the ME sat.

"Jane, this is lovely, what's the special occasion?" Maura asked and Jane shrugged as waiters stepped out of the kitchen door.

"Greek salad, Penne all' Arrabbiata, and cucumber water as a palate cleanser," one of the waiters spoke as the others organized the dishes on the table. "They both pair wonderfully with Jane's choice of wine, we will return to the kitchen, please let us know when you are ready for dessert," he said in an Italian accent and Jane thanked the staff before they returned to work.

"I thought this place was closed on Saturdays," Maura mused aloud and Jane grinned.

"Not if your cousin is the owner," Jane shrugged. "Here," Jane said as she poured Maura a glass of wine and then herself one. Maura and Jane ate and enjoyed each other's company while classical music played softly in the background.

"Jane, this is amazing," Maura said as she sipped her wine and Jane smiled at her from across the table and reached to hold the ME's hand.

"You're amazing," Jane complimented and Maura blushed. "You amaze me every day. You never stop surprising me with how sweet and thoughtful you are. You're the smartest person I've ever met and I love how you use that intelligence to show how much you care about the people you love. I love how you love to share your knowledge with others, and how kind you are to everyone you meet. I love how in awe you are about what human beings can do… and I love that I am in awe of you, Maura, every minute of every day."

"Jane," Maura breathed out through the tears that had gathered in her eyes. Jane smiled from across the table and then pulled the ring box out of her pocket, slipped out of her chair to kneel on the floor, and flipped the lid open. Maura gasped at the beautiful gold band. She thought it was exquisite. It was tasteful and artistic and unique in design. It was perfect… Jane was perfect.

"Maura Dorthea Isles, will you marry me?" Jane asked through the emotion in her throat and Maura smiled as tears spilled onto her cheeks as she looked into Jane's kind, brown eyes.

"Yes," Maura whispered, and Jane stood to ease the gold band onto Maura's finger and then pull the smaller woman into a passionate kiss that sealed the promise of their future together.

The End

So with all the personal stuff happening IRL right now, I figured I'd mark this as complete and finish it off. I may eventually do an epilogue or one more chapter of their wedding but I just don't have the kind of time required for me to commit to this the way I like to.

I want to thank every single person who took the time to review this story! It not only helped me write something that you liked but also aided me in honing my writing skills!

If I've left anybody with any questions about this story, feel free to send me a PM to ask what happened!

Until the next one! Thank you all! -JJ