AN: We've come to the end. I've thoroughly enjoyed the ride and greatly thank everyone who's come along for it. Every single review, PM, follow, and favorite has motivated me to finish this (I didn't think I could!). 3-4 hrs of sleep a day has not made it easy to complete this. But...I'm happy. This is happy. I'll be even happier if this is even mildly enjoyable to you guys. Again, THANKS. :)

Epilogue

I'm busy typing out a text message when I see a box of Lucky Charms fly right before my eyes into the grocery cart I'm leaning against. I look away from my phone to find my girlfriend staring intently at a box of Oatmeal Squares.

"Sweetie, just get it. It's oatmeal, too. I'm pretty sure it's a good enough substitute for the hot kind. Just don't get the frosted or glazed or any of those sugar-loaded ones."

This cute redhead scrunches her nose at me, giving in and throwing the cereal box into the cart along with the previous one. "Is that Jane you're texting? Can you ask her to ask Maura if I can really do that?"

"Seriously?" my eyes widen at her request. "If the sugar content's anything over one gram, you know the answer will be no. I can have Maura call you if you're up for a lecture."

Chris gets a good laugh out of that. "Never mind. I'll take a chance on the Oatmeal Squares."

I nod solemnly to indicate how much I agree with her decision and then chuckle as I reach over to squeeze her waist. I always miss touching her any way I can.

I return my attention to the text I had been working on and start walking down the cereal aisle. I feel her arm wrap around my waist and smile to myself, leaning in close to her side. I've met my match in Chris when it comes to displays of affection. We both have no ability to resist tactile gestures. Neither of us complain about it either.

"When's the dinner at Maura's again?" She asks me, indicating the surprise gathering to celebrate Jane's promotion to Sergeant. After Vince took over from a retired Cavanaugh as Lieutenant, Jane had been the natural choice to succeed him. It helped matters along when Jane passed the test on her first try and with flying colors.

"Tomorrow at six but she wants us to be there by five to make sure no one accidentally comes the same time as Jane. You know Maura, everything's gotta be planned to the second."

"If it's a surprise, why are you texting Jane about it then?" Chris asks while grabbing a bottle of olive oil. I'm basically a tag-along at this grocery shopping trip. She's decided, for no reason other than because she wants to, to make me dinner all week this week.

"Oh, Maura got her to invite us to dinner tomorrow and I'm supposed to say we're not available so she can then just fake plan to have them go out on a date." I smile at the thought of Maura scheming, imagining her having an Excel file for the logistics of this dinner. I can also imagine Jane getting suspicious. She is a detective after all and always seems to be able to sniff out surprise parties.

We've all come a long way since that fateful morning I dropped by Maura's house. It was when I was at Nana's for the weekend that I met Chris. She was Nana's physical therapist who had been helping her get back on her feet after the ankle fracture she had suffered a couple of days prior to my arrival. She, of course, did not want me to worry about her while I had been going crazy about the Jane situation so she had kept it a secret from me.

I pretty much ignored Chris the first time she came. I saw her four more times the week I had been there. The last time at the airport, early morning, after she had kindly offered to drive me. I had known Nana was up to something when she begged off on coming along, claiming a headache. I knew her sharp senses could not have missed Chris and I had started chatting each other up while she did her exercises and even after their sessions when Chris would accept the offer for Nana's baked goods. She never complained about their one-hour sessions running well into a second hour either.

I had driven over to Nana's but after an urgent summon from my boss late one night - a few days before my scheduled return to Boston - I decided to leave my car and fly back. An excuse to return to Bridgeport did not hurt.

In truth, Chris had been part of the decision. I had begun to enjoy her company more and more and when she seemed really bummed that I was leaving two days earlier than originally planned, my decision was cemented. Even as I grieved tremendously over losing Jane, the pain had been somewhat blunted by the combination of Nana and Chris' efforts to distract me.

I returned to pick up my car that same weekend and when Chris rode shotgun on the drive back to Boston before flying back home after just one night over, I had felt reassured by the new relationship - a friendship. The attraction had been there, but it was not the primary driving force for wanting to keep seeing her and know her better. I found her one of the kindest, warmest, and just plain joyful human beings I had ever come across. We had kept in touch and after about three months of a long-distance friendship, she visited me in Boston and revealed that she had been entertaining the idea of moving. I couldn't have been happier.

And more scared.

I knew I was feeling something for her but had been terrified of even thinking about starting a new relationship - a rebound one which is what I was afraid it was.

As soon as Chris moved to Boston a couple of months later though, I had found myself helpless against my attraction to her. It had grown by leaps and bounds, from barely under the surface to a full boil. It didn't help that she relentlessly pursued me in the subtlest of ways. She was my friend, first and foremost. I gave in and fell. Deeply and oh so hard. And we've been going strong since, more than a year later, and I can honestly say I've never been as happy as I have been the past year or so.

Not even when I had been with Jane.

And I say that with nary a trace of bitterness.

About a month after officially getting together with Chris, Jane and I started to reconnect, thanks to Maura who had never failed to send me a text every so often. I knew she had been doing it mainly to keep communication lines and the possibility of remaining friends open.

She's just a wonderful person and human being, this Maura Isles. Which is why I had been one of the people who had genuinely rejoiced when I learned that she was finally cancer-free.

The first night we went on a double date, it was like we had all four of us been friends for years. That night, my heart was singing. Singing all sorts of songs of joy and contentment and peace. I still loved Jane, but only in that steady, familiar way you would an old friend. Nothing that would compare to the thrilling, intense, and all-encompassing way I loved Chris.

The same way Jane loves Maura.

"Isn't there anything you need to get?" Chris breaks me out of my pensiveness with her question, thrown out at the same time I feel a slight nudge on my hip.

I shake my head, "I'm good."

"Ok, let's go checkout then." She's already started unloading the overflowing cart and has that distracted look which means she's already planning the next thing on her to-do list. My suspicions are confirmed when I see her start chewing on her bottom lip. I lean in and give her a quick kiss, finding the lip-biting irresistible.

"Your wheels are spinning too fast," I whisper in her ear teasingly. "Slow down."

She chuckles, giving me a quick peck back. "Planning that marshmallow fluff chocolate cake I promised Maura I'll bring over tomorrow."

"Oooh," my eyes widen excitedly. Chris makes the best marshmallow fluff chocolate cake. Fluff-loving Jane had, of course, fallen in love with it the first time she tried it. "I'll help with the frosting!"

She rolls her eyes but nods her agreement nonetheless.

I help her unload the cart, all the while humming a happy tune.

Jane had, of course, been sufficiently surprised by the dinner party. And I say sufficiently because I have a feeling she did have an inkling about said "surprise" party, however, didn't have the heart to burst Maura's bubble. Maura was clueless and just seemed thoroughly overjoyed by Jane's reaction.

The two of them have only recently moved to a house still in Beacon Hill but a little smaller and much "warmer," according to Jane. It also probably didn't hurt that it does not have a guest house. Even though Maura had insisted on keeping the previous house for Angela and maybe even Frankie, the older Rizzoli had declined, claiming a place of her own would help her feel more like her old, in-control-of-her-life self. Needless to say, despite the changes, everyone seems to have found a place where they better fit in.

It's been a delightful night so far, filled with laughter and a joyful intimacy possible only among family, which is what we are.

Family.

I finally feel like I am part of this family. It's ironic that I had been out of my relationship with Jane before I felt secure enough in my place within this group of people with a shared affection for one another. Between my Nana and this group, I feel somewhat invincible.

Speaking of my Nana, even she has become part of this family. When she had visited a few months ago, her and Angela had gotten along so well it's possible they now talk to each other more than I do with my own grandmother.

My attention shifts to my right when I feel Maura shuffling out of her seat. "Let me open another bottle of wine," she excuses herself. I watch Jane's gaze follow her all the way to the kitchen and smile to myself. I start an internal countdown, knowing she'd be trailing the doctor anytime now.

Sure enough, it takes her less than a minute before she's pushing her chair back. "I'm gonna go check on her. It'll take her an hour to pick a bottle to open," she announces while everyone humors her with murmurs of "go on" and "sure, Jane." I chuckle when she subtly bumps the back of Frankie's head with an elbow as she walks past him.

Five minutes later and with still no sign of either of the two or a newly opened bottle of wine, Angela gets up to "get those two back."

From the dining room, which is now conveniently separated from the kitchen by a partial wall, we all clearly hear the conversation.

"You two have guests waiting, control your hormones! Stop acting like teenagers and bring us that bottle," Angela scolds a little too loudly for our benefit, eliciting laughter from everyone at the table. Jane's indignant huff and "Ma!" could also be heard loudly.

"Actually, Angela, a person technically could not control their own hormones. They are self-regulating. What a person can control is their state of mind and…"

This time, Jane's groan drones clearly and once again, we all laugh.

"Ok, ok, Maur. So not the time for a lecture. And Ma, go back in there, we'll be right behind you," Jane barks in her familiar rasp.

Angela walks back toward us with a smirk and a wink.

I couldn't resist needling Jane a little bit more.

"You know it's rude to invite people to your home for a meal and then leave them while the hosts make out…" I call out, bracing myself for that inevitable reaction.

"I did not invite you, Finnigan!" I hear Jane reply, referring to me by my last name.

"Well, Maura did and I don't see her here either…" Frankie chimes in and we high five, knowing that would surely bring the doctor who has always been allergic to rudeness and violations of etiquette.

Maura indeed reappears instantly, looking embarrassed. "I apologize. It was, she...the uh…" she stumbles. Jane reappears behind her shooting daggers at me and Frankie. We laugh louder.

"Save yourself the hives, Maur. They're not worth it, just hand that bottle over to these alcoholics who can't wait another minute for their wine," she gently pushes Maura, obviously controlling her own amusement. "And that includes you, Ma." That earns her a slap on the bottom from Angela when she walks past her.

Half an hour and much more laughter later, Jane excuses herself to get the marshmallow fluff chocolate cake Chris had made. I get up to help her while I gesture for Maura to sit back down. "We want our cake in the next five minutes, Maura, not five hours," I gently tease her.

I watch Jane carefully take the cake out of the fridge, gently place it on the counter and, without missing a beat, dip a finger in the frosting.

"You're lucky it's just me and not Maura who just saw you do that." She jumps back in surprise, promptly shooting me a glare juxtaposed over smiling eyes and a mouth turned up at the corners.

"You'd be surprised what she lets me get away with nowadays," she brags with a quirk of an eyebrow.

"Ah, so you're slowly bringing her over to the dark side." I shake my head, exaggerating disappointment and dread.

"Not very easily, there's a lot of fight left in her," she replies with a chuckle. "And I don't really want to bring her all the way over anyway, just enough to get things exciting. 'Cause, you know…" she trails off and I detect a hint of a blush developing on her cheeks, "...I love her just the way she is." She turns away from me and I'm 100% sure she's hiding a full-blown blush now. Ah, Jane. She still hasn't gotten over her embarrassment over sentimental, romantic declarations.

"What was that word again?" I poke her on the waist from behind. "Ah, yes. Whipped!"

"Like you're not. Chris has you watching Dancing with the stars!" She fires back, giving me a poke in retaliation.

I flush a bit but smile in agreement nonetheless. "We've done well, haven't we, Jane?"

We share a smile rich in affection and history. We truly have both come a long way since that time Maura had cancer and we struggled with keeping our relationship alive. "We really have. Chris is good for you. You look so much happier now than you ever did when you were with me." I note that her tone carries only satisfaction and a hint of teasing, not a trace of bitterness or regret. And I share the same sentiment when I think about Maura and her. We truly have found our better halves.

"So when are you finally popping the question to Dr. Isles?" I ask casually, throwing out the question that risks agitating Jane.

I'm pleasantly surprised when, instead of a furrowed brow and a distressed look, I actually see a smile on Jane's face. A proud smile at that. "Oh I don't know, Case," she replies with a smirk. "Who knows?" She winks at me and my eyes pop out of their sockets.

"Oh my god, you're doing it tonight, aren't you?" I whisper somewhat loudly, unable to contain my excitement.

"No!" she protests immediately. "Don't get too excited, jeez. Not tonight. I want to make sure it's special. It would be great to have my entire family with me, like you guys are tonight but...I really want it to just be me and her. Is that selfish?"

"Definitely not, Jane," I reassure her, reaching out to give her forearm a squeeze. "You deserve to have that moment only between you and Maura. God knows after you're married, you'll probably rarely get a moment to yourselves without any of us." I feel a jolt of pleasure when I see my words have served to reassure her. "Let me know if there's anything I can do help plan or whatever."

"Oh, I will. I'll run it by you when I have everything sorted out. I'm gonna need some help logistically anyway. Thanks, Case." She reaches over to give me a hug. I give her an affectionate squeeze, hoping it conveys how happy and proud I am for and of her.

"Should I be worried?" I hear from over my shoulder and turn to find Maura with raised eyebrows and a playful smile.

"Not at all," I play along. "Your girlfriend's not my type," I add, earning a pinch on the side from Jane.

"Have you come to check on how evenly I'm cutting the pieces, hon?" Jane asks, teasing and just looking so smitten when she gazes at Maura who has moved over next to her.

"No," Maura answers quickly. "I don't need to check to know you will cut them unevenly," she adds with a straight face.

I laugh out loud as I hold my hand up for a high five with the doctor behind Jane's back. "Touché, Maura. Touché."

I watch Maura quickly soften the jab by going on tiptoes to touch her lips with Jane's pouting ones, her left arm wrapping around a slim waist.

"Need help, Sergeant?" she asks her girlfriend with a chuckle, all the while rubbing noses with and caressing Jane's cheek with her free hand.

I make a gagging sound. "I'm gonna leave you two but if you're not serving cake in the next two minutes, I'm sending Angela to get you," I warn them, turning to head back to the dining room where I see Chris throwing her head back and laughing out loud at something Frankie had said.

I bite my lip, overwhelmed by a sudden surge of happiness. I glance back at Maura helping Jane cut the cake, all the while giggling like giddy teenagers and am reminded of everything good we've gained.

I have found the love of my life and still got to find and keep my place within this wonderful, loving family.

I realize it is possible to have your cake and eat it, too.

- FIN -