A/N: So... we're at the end. This is the final chapter :( I had so much fun writing this one, so I might some day do a sequel. We'll see.
It really has been amazing to read all your reviews and see all the followers to my little story. I wanna thank you all! You have no idea how much it means.
And I have another story that I'll post soon, so if you liked this one I think you'll like the next one as well.

It's finally my favorite time of the day again, and I'm mentally exhausted as I crawl into bed and cuddle against Maura's back.

"I'm so glad this day is finally over…" I sigh and kiss her shoulder.

"Even though it's late, we should probably get some sleep and tomorrow's Monday?"

"And now you've ruined my one, tiny moment of peace and pure bliss…"

She giggles softly and pulls my hand to her lips to kiss it.

"But it was a nice day. Even though I've never heard so many people say the exact same things in so few hours…" she says.

"You mean 'finally', 'about damn time' and 'we knew it'?"

She laughs and nods.

"Yeah, I know, I don't know what I'll do if I hear someone say it was about damn time one more time" I add.

"Just ignore it. And we've already told friends and family. There's not that many people left."

She's right about that. All the important people already know by now, and to be completely honest, it was about damn time. While I was secretly longing for Maura, Ma managed to get a divorce, get back on her feet and fall in love. Even Tommy took a shot at Maura before me. And still I had to be drunk and far away, and of course, Maura had to fight the giant wall I put up before I took a chance. I'm probably just tired, but as I think about how things have changed within the same group of people, I find myself with some weird thoughts.

"You know what? We're missing two sisters for this picture to be complete."

She doesn't say anything at first, and I know she's trying hard to figure out what the hell I'm talking about.

"I know I'm fairly intelligent, but I have no idea what you're talking about…"

"I'm talking about this group of people that we are constantly hanging out with. We see each other at work, and we see each other at home. Ma even lives in your guest house. And look where it got us?"

She rolls over to face me and still seems to be lost.

"It got us… in bed?"

I laugh at the confused look on her face.

"Yeah, it actually did, but I was talking about everyone, not just you and me. Think about it, first Tommy tried to hit on you… that bastard… Then Ma started dating Cavanaugh, and then you and ended up together. And that's where the two sisters come in. My sister for Frost, and your sisters for the other two. Of course Cailin would have to be older… And Korsak could date your mother."

"Which one of my mothers?"

"Either one of them, actually. But since Hope is the only one who's not married, then her. We'd be like one gigantic, screwed up family."

Maura laughs as she shakes her head.

"That is so wrong!"

"Why? It's practical. We always hang out anyway, and we get along. We would never argue about where to spend holidays. We would just all gather here."

"Practical isn't always the best solution. But it's wrong because in order for your picture to work, then every single relationship would have to be pretty much perfect."

"So? My family isn't good enough for your family?"

She laughs again.

"That's not what I'm saying. If one of those relationships falls apart, then the rest will suffer. And if it's a bad break up, both families will try to protect their own of course, and blame the other family. It's inevitable that all the other relationships will suffer from the broken one. It could be ugly. And don't get me started on the whole group dynamic."

"So you're saying our families would turn into the romantic version of a mob war? But instead of killing each other, we'd go around spreading rumors?"

"Kind of. Think about it, what if someone from my family dated Frankie and ended up breaking his heart by cheating? You would go all bad-ass on that member of my family to protect your brother."

"Hell, yeah! You don't mess with the Rizzoli's!"

"See! That's what I'm saying. In order for your perfect picture to work out, every relationship would have to be the perfect relationship. And that is highly unlikely."

"Maybe you're right. And besides, I don't really wanna mess with Paddy Doyle again…"

"Well, I have my way of handling Paddy, I don't think he wants to mess with you, not now."

I look at her and smile. She always turns into this protective and fearless woman when it comes to Paddy Doyle.

"You know what, you would be your family's leader. And if Frankie somehow broke your sister's heart, which would never ever happen by the way, cause he's a Rizzoli, you'd go around ordering her to stay away from Frankie even though she misses him and wants to forgive him, because face it, we're just that adorable. And then you'd tell your mother to stay away from Korsak because he's in this because of me."

"Yes, that sounds like something I would do. If I was mad enough."

"But, there's one thing you wouldn't be able to control."

"What?"

"Your love for the leader of the Rizzoli's."

"Yes, that seems to be my biggest weakness… I'd be a horrible leader."

"No, you wouldn't. You'd be a great leader of your family. But you'd sneak around just to see me. We would have to find a secret way to contact each other and meet up in shabby hotels, or outside the city. But it would all be worth it every time we'd be together."

"Until the day you can't take it anymore and ask me to make a choice. Either we bury the hatchet between our families, or you and I are over. Because you can't sneak around and keep our love a secret anymore."

"I would never make you choose like that. Because I know what you'd choose. Blood is thicker than water, or in this case, love."

"That is actually correct, seeing as love is merely chemicals-"

"Maura, in this story, your nickname would not be google-mouth, okay?"

She smiles.

"Fine, but I would choose to end the feud. Simply because there are two other relationships to think about. If my sister really wanted to forgive your brother, I would be in no position to deny her. And my mother and Korsak shouldn't suffer just because your brother did a stupid thing."

"Hey! You don't know what made him cheat!"

"Neither do you!"

"Okay, fine. So you would choose me over your family's honor and self-respect?"

"You make it sound so horrible…"

"Well, that's what you'd be doing. In a way."

"I would choose love and happiness and second chances."

"You know what, I take it back. You wouldn't be the leader of your family. You're too soft."

"I am not!"

I laugh as she slaps my arm.

"Yes, you are. You're all about peace and love and happiness for everybody. While I would beat the crap out of any member of my family if they disobeyed me. If I told them to stay away from the Isles-family, I'd make sure they listen. They wouldn't dare go against me."

"You almost had me convinced except for one detail."

"What?"

"You wouldn't be able to keep yourself away from the head of the Isles-family."

"I so would!"

She shakes her head and smiles.

"I would! Just because I've gone a bit soft this last week doesn't mean I couldn't keep myself away from you if our families fought. The Rizzoli's are very stubborn, and never let go of their self-respect."

"Unlike my family?"

"I didn't say that."

"And really, a bit soft? Leaving me love notes on my desk after one night, all the e-mails, not being able to even go home to your own apartment for a week, sugar pie?"

"That's different! I wouldn't do all those things if we were in a mob… love war."

She just keeps smiling at me.

"And besides, I didn't do all those things because I was going soft."

"Then why did you do it? To tell me how much you hate me?"

"Wow, sarcasm?" I laugh.

"Could be. So why did you do it?"

"I did it because I thought you'd appreciate it."

"So in other words, to make me happy?"

"Yeah."

"Soft!"

She gently pokes me in the side and I squirm away.

"Hey! Stop…" I laugh.

She's just letting her lips smile and mess with my head.

"Okay, fine. I might have gone a bit soft lately. But it's only because I'm trying to make up for lost time. I wouldn't leave you notes on your desk if we in fact were in a love war."

"But you would still love me?"

"Of course. But being Italian comes with some responsibility for your family and honor. And in a war like that I would have to give up my relationship. At least officially give it up, we'd probably still be seeing each other. And it would only be temporary."

"That makes sense. But we would eventually resolve all the issues between our families, right?"

"Sure. Like you said, you would choose love and happiness, and you would come to me with a white flag and we would kiss and make up, you know, like a symbolic gesture. And everyone would be happy."

"I'm just going to ignore the fact that you think I would surrender before you and just say that I wonder what you would do to make up for all that time we lost while fighting."

"Nothing. I would be perfectly normal."

"Right. Because you have to be the bad-ass Italian and prove that you can live without me."

"Exactly."

"If that's so, then why couldn't we just break up? Why would we still be seeing each other secretly?"

I'm suddenly seeing where she's going and I silence. Her smirk is just a tad too cocky as she crawls closer to me.

"I hate it when you play me like this" I mumble, but she ignores me on purpose.

"We would be sneaking around because there's no way you would break up with me. And you would rather lie to everyone else and sneak around than staying away from me. Because you can't live without me."

She's obviously pleased with herself as she places small kisses on my cheek in between words.

"So, tell me, bad-ass, who's the soft one?" she whispers.

"Is this your way of telling me you can live without me?" I ask to ignore her question.

"No, it's not. I'm just pointing out that you are in fact soft, even though you don't want to admit it."

"I might be soft, but you are way softer than me."

"Have you seen me leave notes on your desk?"

"No, but that just tells me that I love you more than you love me."

"Nice try. Love isn't measured in the number of notes left on one's desk."

"Maybe not, but it does say that I try harder to make you happy…"

She lets out a small sigh and smiles.

"We could do this all night…"

"Yes, and since I don't want to talk all night, we could agree to disagree. Call it a tie and we're both soft."

"Acceptable. On one condition. Will you still call me sugar pie?"

I wrap my arms around her and pull her even closer to me as I kiss her.

"Yes, I will, because you will always be my sugar pie. Even if our families are at war with each other."