Here we go! Chapter 31! Enjoy :-)

After thirty-one chapters, you know the deal so we shall proceed…

Tony laid in bed, playing big spoon to Kate's little spoon as they slept comfortably. The sound of the alarm clock going off on the side table caused the couple to stir from their sleep as Tony clumsily reached his arm out, searching for the noisy device. Finally reaching his goal, he slammed the alarm off, returning his arm back under the covers and around his girlfriend's waist. He placed a kiss on her cheek. "Time to get up, Kate."

"Mmm," Kate snuggled into Tony. "Ten more minutes."

"Come on, you don't want to be late on your first day back."

Kate remained still.

Tony kissed the nape of Kate's neck, causing her to giggle.

"Stop it," Kate playful nudged Tony with her elbow.

"What?" He kissed her neck again. "I'm trying to wake you up!"

"You keep that up, we'll never get out of bed," Kate shivered as she felt Tony's kisses trailing from her neck to her ear.

"Is that so?" Tony continued to shower Kate with kiss.

Kate rolled on her back, capturing Tony's lips with hers.

Tony smiled. "Good morning."

Kate laughed. "Morning."

Tony looked into Kate's hazel eyes. "Have I told you I love you?"

Kate shook her head. "Not yet."

"I love you, Dr. Caitlin," Kiss. "Maura," Another kiss. "Isles!" Another kiss. "And don't forget it!"

Kate laughed. "I still have to get used to the sound of that."

"I love you?"

"No! My name!"

"Dr. Caitlin Isles? What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, I just wonder if I should have just left my name as Maura Isles. I mean Jane and everyone else still call me Maura."

"That's because to them you are still Maura. Only Jane and Frost know about what happened."

"But Kate just feels more natural to me now."

"So go by Kate! Or Maura! Or Mighty Mouse for that matter! I don't care what you go by, I'm just happy to have you back," Tony kiss Kate passionately.

"I love you, Tony."

Tony grinned. "Come on, let's get up!"

"Fine," sighed Kate.

Tony kissed Kate once more before rolling over and hopping out of bed. Stretching, he took a few steps before falling to the floor with a thud. "Dammit Bass! Why are you always in the middle of the floor!" exclaimed Tony from the ground.

Kate laughed. "He likes to sleep at the end of the bed."

"Does he have to sleep on my end?" Tony pulled himself up from the floor, limping a bit as he tried to get around the tortoise that simply looked at him.

"He likes you."

"You're his owner! Why doesn't he sleep on your side?"

"You're his owner now too! And why don't you watch where you're going?" asked Kate, getting out of bed.

"I'm still getting used to have a giant turtle walking around the house. Why couldn't we have a normal pet like a dog?"

"He's a tortoise and if you want to get a dog, maybe we can look into it."

"Really?"

"Why not?"

"Cause when two people get a pet together, it means things are pretty serious."

"We live together, we sleep together, and we take care of Bass together. I think things are already serious between with us."

Tony smiled wrapping his arms around Kate's waist. "Maybe one day we will have kids together?"

"Maybe?" smiled Kate pecking Tony on the lips. "In the meantime, can you feed Bass? There are some organic strawberries and cacti in the fridge."

"He eats better than I do!"

"You can have some cacti too if you want!"

"Very funny!"

Kate giggled. "I'm going to go shower." She walked out the room.

Tony looked down at the tortoise on the floor. "Come on, Bass, let's get you some breakfast."

Tony walked into the kitchen, flicking on the light. He sighed as he looked at his surroundings, so much had changed. Nothing felt familiar anymore but he was okay with it because the change meant that he got to have Kate and that was all that mattered. Walking to the refrigerator, he pulled out the bowl of organic strawberries Kate had washed up and the bunch of cacti. Shuffling through the drawers for a peeler, he had no idea where anything was in the kitchen, he located the kitchen tool peeling the needles off the cactus for the tortoise. He kneeled down offering the vegetation to the animal. "Here you go, buddy."

Bass eagerly took the cactus from his owner.

Tony placed some strawberries in his bowl, putting it in front of Bass. Tony gently pat Bass' shell as he ate a strawberry before standing up, looking at the elaborate espresso machine stationed on the counter. Tony shook his head, "Oh no!" Tony rummaged through the cabinet pulling out the jar of instant coffee.

Dressed smartly in a red blouse and tight fitting tan skirt and heels, Kate was led down the hallway by the aroma of coffee in the air. She smiled, walking up to Tony who stood with his back to her, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Hey!" exclaimed Tony. "You scared me!"

Kate rested her head on his back. "You figured out the espresso maker!"

"No, it's instant. I'm not going anywhere near that contraption!"

Kate playful slapped Tony. "That contraption is a top of the line espresso machine."

"It's complicated! It shouldn't take twenty minutes to make coffee!"

Kate turned on the machine. "The process enhances the flavor!" She took Tony's cup from him.

"Hey, I'm drinking that!"

"Not anymore! You live with me, you are going to learn the joys of espresso."

"I prefer the joys of other activities," Tony looked at Kate seductively, absorbing every inch of her gorgeous figure.

Kate tilted her head, flashing Tony a flirty dimpled smile.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Tony walked over to answer the door.

Jane stood on the other side, dressed in her grey pantsuit and black V-neck t-shirt. She looked Tony over. "Is me seeing you in your boxers going to became a regular occurrence?" She asked in disgust.

Tony looked down at his sleeping attire. "If you stop coming over, it won't be!"

"I got a better idea, why don't you stop dating my best friend so I don't have to see you at all?" Jane pushed her way through the door, heading to the kitchen.

"Could you two please not start this morning?" begged Kate as she prepared a cup of espresso.

"Tell DiNozzo to keep his pants on and we won't have a problem!"

"I just woke up, Jane," replied Tony.

"Never heard of pajama pants?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "I'm going to get dressed."

"Thank you!" cheered Jane.

Tony cut his eyes at the woman before heading to the bathroom.

Kate chuckled. "Want some espresso?"

"That depends on how long I have to wait for it," replied Jane.

"The instant is on the counter."

Jane retrieved a cup from the cabinet. "So you ready for today?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your first day back to work after everything that happened. Starting life as Caitlin Isles. You ready?"

"Nothing, I haven't done before. I should be asking you are you ready? You and Tony working together?"

"I'm not worried about DiNozzo. We are both trained professionals, we know how to conduct ourselves. I'm just glad I still get to work with you."

"Thank you again, Jane."

"For what?"

"For everything you have done for me and Tony. I don't know how I can ever pay you for what you've done."

"Just don't go changing identities again and we are even!"

Kate smiled. "Deal."

Jane and Kate's cellphones simultaneously rang.

"Rizzoli?"

"Isles?"

They answered respectively.

"I'm on my way," Jane hung up her phone. "Duty calls."

"Yeah," Kate hung up her phone. "I'll go get, Tony."

Tony, Jane and Kate arrived at the crime scene, yellow police tape marking off where the body was found, a police officer standing watch. He held up his hand, stopping them. "I need to see I.D."

Kate flashed her badge.

The officer held up the tape allowing Kate through. "Right this way, Dr. Isles."

"I'm with her," said Jane, following after Kate.

The office dropped the tape. "Need to see I.D."

Tony laughed. "What? Forget your I.D., Rizzoli?"

"She's with me!" shouted a male voice from the distance.

Jane looked up to see Gibbs approaching the officer.

"It's okay, she's on my team."

The officer held of the tape allowing Jane through along with Tony who flashed his NCIS badge.

"Thanks Gibbs, HQ issued me my Sig and badge but they are dragging their ass with getting me my photo ID."

"I told you to come with me when I got mine," interjected Kate. "I know from experience how slow they are down there."

"No worries," said Gibbs, leading them over to the NCIS truck, pulling out a black NCIS jacket, hat, and box of work boots. "Welcome to NCIS, Agent Rizzoli." He handed the items to Jane.

"What's this?"

"Your new uniform. You're a part of this team now, you need to look like it!"

Jane pulled a boot out of the box. "Who the hell did you get these things for? Bozo?" exclaimed Jane looking at the large black work boot.

"What too small?" smirked Tony.

Jane looked inside the boot. "They're a men's size twelve!"

Tony burst into laughter until the disapproving gaze from stopped him.

"There's another pair in the truck," said Gibbs.

"Do I really have to wear these things?"

"Don't worry, Jane. They are actually very comfortable," smirked Kate.

"Glad you feel that way, Kate," Gibbs pulled out another shoe box. "Ducky had me get you a pair too."

Kate's mouth dropped open as she took the box. "Thank you, Gibbs but I prefer to wear my own shoes."

"Can't work a crime scene in high heels, Kate."

"I ensure you that I am more than capable of doing my job in my heels."

"I'm sure you are but heels aren't part of the uniform."

"Uniform?"

Palmer walked over and handed Kate the article of clothing. "Tony said you wore a small!" He smiled.

"You two can change in the truck. We'll meet you over by the body," Gibbs, Palmer and Tony left the two women alone.

Jane and Kate looked at each other.

A few minutes later, Jane and Kate emerged from the truck dressed in their new attire. Jane walked in stride wearing her NCIS jacket, her hair pulled into a ponytail under her NCIS hat. Meanwhile, Kate trudged, tugged on her black NCIS medical examiner's jumpsuit as they walked to crime scene where Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, McGee, Ducky and Palmer were already at work.

"Hey, look at you two!" McGee snapped a candid photo of the pair with the camera. "Looking good!"

Ducky smiled. "My Caitlin, don't you look dashing!"

"I don't see how, this jumpsuit isn't very form flattering and this material doesn't breathe!" gritted Kate. "I don't understand why I can't wear my own clothes to crime scenes?"

"Because you are working a crime scene and not a Paris runway," replied Gibbs.

"Oh, almost forgot," Palmer pulled a NCIS hat from his bag placing it on Kate's head. "There you go, Dr. Isles! All set!"

"You're kidding, right?" groaned Kate.

"Don't want to contaminate the crime scene!"

"Yeah, Maur! Don't want to contaminate the crime scene!" chuckled Jane.

Kate rolled her eyes as she pulled her hair back under the ball cap. "I'm starting to miss Boston."

"For what it's worth, I think the outfit is very form flattering," Tony winked at Kate.

"If you two don't get to work, you won't have to miss Boston because you'll both be there!"

"Sorry Gibbs," said Kate and Tony in unison.

"Rizzoli, start taking pictures!"

"Isn't that a job for CSRU?"

"No, it's your job!"

"Yeah, Probie!" smiled McGee handing Jane the camera.

"Hey, don't start that Probie shit!" snapped Jane. "It's Rizzoli or Jane!"

"Until you become a full time agent, you are a probie, Probie!" retorted Tony.

"Don't worry, Jane. They only just recently stopped calling me Probie," said Ziva.

"Come on Dr. Isles, I'll show you how we process a crime scene," offered Palmer.

"I was a chief medical. I know what I'm doing," replied Kate, pulling on a pair of gloves.

"Right. Hey seeing as how you are somewhat of a probationary medical examiner here, can I call you Probie?"

"Not if you enjoy walking, Jimmy!"

Ducky walked over to Gibbs who stood back watching his team. "Isn't this nice? Having the kiddies back together?"

Gibbs looked on as Tony kneeled down next to Kate, looking on lovingly while she examined the victim. Gibbs smiled. "Yeah, it is."

Kiss From a Rose

A SportyLovatic Fanfiction

There you have it, kiddies! The end! I just want to say thank you to all of those who read this fanfiction and to those who reviewed and left comments on it. I greatly appreciate your kind words and encouragement in writing this. I don't know if any of you are interested in a sequel but I would love to write one! I have an idea but I am open to suggestions if you have any. So one last time I ask you, what do you think? Reviews and comments are still welcomed :-)

In parting, I wish you love, peace and TATE