November 14th, 1890 - London
@'fallon abernathy'

When you close your eyes, tell me, what are you dreamin'?
Everything, I wanna know it all
I'd spend ten thousand hours and ten thousand more
Oh, if that's what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours
And I might never get there, but I'm gonna try
If it's ten thousand hours or the rest of my life
I'm gonna love you

Jess had sweet-talked Miss Skovgaard into a few hours of alone time at the girls' flat, offered to take care of any expenses she may need to do so, in order for him to set up for Fallon's early birthday present. He wasn't exactly sure how she had occupied herself, but he had until midnight and that was plenty.

Fortunately for him, he hadn't been on call that night and had been able to slip out a little early to slip back to his place and get all of the supplies to. Maybe it was a little cliché and probably not quite as creative as her starlit evening in his hospital bed, but Jess had always fancied himself a bit of a romantic, so he had this covered. Several bouquets of mixed daisies filled the room in various vases, he'd lit candles instead of the fireplace hoping the light from around the room wouldn't trigger any flashbacks for her. The sofa and table had been moved, huge pillows conjured and comfortable blankets acquired for their living room picnic of sorts. He'd also sweet-talked the cook at his mother's house to help him put together a picnic fit for a princess and she had not disappointed. She'd always had a soft spot for him anyway.

Wine (and whiskey, just in case), snacks, cocoa and just about anything else he could have bothered to think of, had all piled into the basket that was now been unpacked at set out according to the diagram he'd been drawn on how to make it look nice. Execution was everything tonight and he did not want to disappoint. Had he been thinking, Jess would have just whisked them away to Paris or something for the night, but he hadn't put enough forethought into that idea and so had to tuck it away for another time. Frankly he was just shy of tossing flower petals all around, but had thought better of it. That was a little too cheesy. Overkill didn't look that good.

Okay, so it wasn't the most original, but he was banking on quality over creativity. Not to mention he had a little secret weapon up his sleeve. He'd had a pendant made to match her ring, though still wasn't quite ready to give the latter back to her just yet, he hoped the pendant would make up for it until he could follow through his plan for the ring itself. Unsure of what to really do with himself in the meantime, he was setting out whiskey glasses when he heard the lock of the door click, signaling Fallon's arrival. Plastering a stupid, hopeful grin on his face he just prayed like hell she didn't think him a complete idiot tonight and that she liked it.

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The last month and a half were, mercifully, quiet, a much needed reprieve from the constant drama of the autumn. She was no longer on probation, either, which was perfect timing seeing as the investigation into the trafficking ring was amping up. Just last week the auror's office had received word of another muggle woman kidnapped in mysterious circumstances. Having caught one of the traffickers herself, Fallon refused to be sidelined for the rest of the investigation. This was her case and she would see it through. Even if it meant having to go under deep cover.

The preparations to introduce her cover were well underway. The tip had led to a possible opening to infiltrate the ring as a low level operative with the hope of advancing quickly. Fallon had endured days of concealment training with Selwyn, practicing and perfecting differebt disguises until they wers as natural to her as her own face. Even now, as she tiredly walked through the door to her flat after another long day of preparations, Fallon still had a few pieces of one disguise in place. Her normal auburn hair was an ashen brown and her eyes a bright blue modeled after Jesse's. It was easier to recreate a color from memory she found, not that she would ever confess to having done such a thing.

Blue eyes widened as she took in the state of her flat before landing on Jesse. "What -?" Fallon looked about confused, taking in the blankets and the picnic basket for the first time. How had he managed this? Wasn't Malou meant to be home by now? Despite her obvious confusion, Fallon smiled at the effort he'd gone through to surprise her. The daisies were a sweet touch, too. "Hi," she greeted instead as she stepped from her boots and removed her cloak. "What's all this?"

  

The woman who walked through the door was not exactly what— or even possibly who he was expecting? Once Jess got a good look at her, he realized she certainly looked like Fallon in most of her features, but the brown hair and decidedly blue eyes were, well, wrong... "Trouble?" He questioned, brows raised from his spot in the middle of the room.

He set the glasses down and moved toward the door to get a better look. The eyes were really throwing him off. He was quite partial to her brown eyes and the fact that they weren't looking back at him was not sitting well. "Can I help you? I was setting up a birthday evening for my girl, have you seen her?" He teased, still mildly unsure as to what was going on here, but convinced enough that it was indeed Fallon and not some impostor.

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It took Fallon a few seconds longer than it should've for her to realize why Jesse's confusion matched her own. The concealment charms were working appropriately then, for if the man who had seen her naked body couldn't recognize her offhand, none could. "Shit, yeah. Sorry," she chuckled as she waved her want to conclude the spells. "I was working with Selwyn again, nearly done there I think." Fallon explained, not fully remembering how much he knew about her next few weeks.

There was something in his teasing that caught her attention. Well, two things. The first being that this was her birthday surprise, a rather romantic evening judging by the looks of it. The second being that Jesse had presumably possibly told a stranger that she was his girl. A swarm of butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the thought.

"Your girl, huh?" She answered jokingly, nearly wishing she'd kept up the disguise to keep the teasing going. The few remaining feet between them were easily closed and Fallon stepped into his embrace. "I like the sound of that."

  

Phew. Jess exhaled finally when she ended the enchantments and he was looking down into those warm brown eyes he could get so easily lost in. He had half a mind to ask her to explain why they were necessary, but he'd only gotten vague answers in the past and frankly he didn't want to spark anything tonight other than to sweep her off her feet and let her enjoy her birthday.

"Ah there she is." He chuckled as she made her way over to him, enveloping her easily into his arms, second nature by now. "All mine, I wouldn't put so much effort in for just anyone." The teasing came just as naturally and he winked down at her. Birthdays hadn't been his thing after all, but he supposed that they were his thing now. Just the look on her face made it all worth it. "Did I do alright?" He rubbed one hand subconsciously down her back and back up as he surveyed his own spread once more.

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Fallon grinned. Yeah, she could definitely get used to being his girl. Especially if it meant coming home to surprise birthday surprises like this. That Malou wasn't home must've meant that he had coordinated with her, another favorable strike. They so rarely had their respective flats to themselves that Fallon was almost greedy for it.

She leant back in his embrace to look about the room more intently. The vases of daisies were seemingly everywhere and the soft glow if the candles set her at ease. "Not bad for a first timer." Fallon answered cheekily. The spread was actually far better than not bad, but she just couldn't resist teasing him in turn. "Thank you." This time her tone was earnest, her expression genuine.

  

Well he'd thought he'd been a little cheesy in his first attempt at a birthday surprise, but she seemed genuinely pleased, so the effort was worth it in the end. "I told you, I'm a quick learner." The Ravenclaw in him had always been a good study. Plus he enjoyed making her happy, so there was that.

"You're welcome," He smiled down at her, leaning in to kiss her temple softly. "There's wine, or whiskey if you prefer, snacks, presents, comfortable seating, an empty flat..." He chuckled. Miss Skovgaard hadn't been too hard to oust for the evening, but Jess had promised to clear out before midnight. He did feel a little guilty about asking for the space, but he thought she'd be more amenable than Kirke. Although, it would have been easy to pass Kirke some money and send him out on the town for the evening... or maybe not. They were both getting a little too old for that. Either way Miss Skovgaard had agreed and here he was.

'"Anything particular you'd like to start with?" He gestured with one hand for her to pick a spot to get comfortable and he'd follow suit.

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The empty flat was a tempting offer. However, the paranoia of her cycle being a few days late left Fallon wary of taking him up on it. Neither of them were in any position to become parents, but especially she. An unmarried mother could never continue within the auror's office, as the only job fitting them was a wetnurse or a prostitute. Sex with Jesse was incredible, moreso than Fallon ever could've dreamed, but they had to exercise some sort of caution.

"Wine would be great." Whiskey would be even better, but she didn't trust herself not to take advantage of the empty flat with the sharp liquid pumping through her veins. "Snacks, too. I skipped lunch." She had practiced until the welcome witches could all be fooled.

She pulled herself from his grasp and settled upon the blankets, wishing she had thought to rid herself of her ministry robes before doing so. Pajamas seemed a better choice for this sort of picnic. "How did you convince Malou to gift us an evening alone?" Fallon asked once she had her wine glass in hand. Merlin, she hoped Malou found somewhere safe to retreat to for the night. She would have to say thank you in the morning.

  

"Wine it is," Jess moved to uncork the bottle as Fallon settled on the pillows. He poured them each a glass and handed hers over before getting comfortable himself. The picnic basket had been mostly unpacked, and it was a lot. Cook knew he ate quite a bit, but this was a lot even for two. Well, he'd leave it for the ladies to share after, he supposed.

"I asked nicely," He chuckled. "Offered to pay for any entertainment for the evening, tickets to a show or something if she wanted, but I think she was headed to a friend's house." And we only have until midnight." The living room that was, Jess had every intention of spending the night, in whatever capacity, but he figured that was fine as long a they were monopolizing the common space.

He moved a few things from the basket in addition to whatever it was he already had out, but left her to pick whatever it was she wanted. There were some fruits, some cheese, charcuterie, some little pasties, hand pies, any kind of appetizer you could eat with your hands basically. He certainly owed the cook a huge favor for this one. "And this way I figured the two of you could still do your birthday traditions on your actual birthday." Jess was the interloper in that respect and he didn't want to upset any routine they may have had.

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Fallon knew Jesse to have a large appetite (his constant ask for snacks while in the hospital her main lead there) but the spread before them could easily feed her for a week, possibly even longer than that if she rationed her meals. Growing up the way she had meant she knew what it was not to have enough food to go around. Her engrained fear had gotten better over the years, both from the limitless feasts at school and Malou's steady cooking, but it flared up every now and again. "Did you cook all this?" She asked with raised brows. He said he knew his way around the kitchen, so he possibly could have. It was just ... a lot.

She reached first for a small bunch of grapes and popped one into her mouth. Malou was visiting a friend tonight? As far as Fallon was aware they didn't have many friends whose company they could prevail upon on short notice into the wee hours. In all likelihood Malou was back at work, Fallon assumed, but hadn't wished to make Jesse feel guilty. She was going to have to do more than just say thank you in the morning.

"She always liked you," Fallon chuckled. Even when he was JP and she was S Malou had been a supporter of their friendship. "Not at all surprised she gave us the evening to ourselves." It was Jesse Malou had sided with in the mess of last month, after all. "You could've joined us. We don't usually do much, dinner and cake. But I'll certainly enjoy being alone." Fallon was a giver, she wasn't usually on the receiving end of such extravagant planning.

  

Jess smirked at the notion that Miss Skovgaard had always liked him. Well he supposed it had, so far, worked in his favor. She was wonder, Miss Skovgaard, it was quite the healer and friend, so far as Jesse could tell. It was a marvel no man had attempted to scoop her up yet.

"Nah, I hate to intrude on tradition." This year anyway, who knew what next year would bring. "And no," He laughed now. "I did not cook all of this, I sweet-talked my mother's cook to help me out without mentioning anything too specific. I'm sure she's caught on that I'm sweet on somebody." Shrugging, Jess reached out for something to eat, settling on one of the little quiche things, washing it down with a sip of wine.

He was tempted to ask her about work, but decided against it. Jess knew there were things coming down the tracks that he wouldn't like and he didn't want to go down that road, not tonight. "Were you and Miss Skovgaard Hogwarts pals then?" He asked instead, trying to stick to a positive topic. He still had her present too, if conversation lulled for whatever reason.

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Admittedly, Fallon was a tad disappointed he wouldn't be joining them on her actual birthday. Jesse meant more to her than he likely realized, so not spending special days or holidays with him left something of a sore spot on her heart. But, it was to be expected, she supposed. They had only been together a short while, after all, and without any form of public declaration their opportunities to invite others into their happy bubble were limited. Fallon knew she wished to marry him, her hopes spanning as far as a proposal before the new year, but reality was a strong force to reckon with. In fact, reality had made it that she wasn't even sure if she would be home in time for Christmas.

That was a topic she wouldn't address tonight, though. She refused to spoil such a wonderful birthday surprise with tension.

She laughed at the mention of his cook knowing about his affection. "Do you think she'll tell your Mum? She does still need to learn of your secret crush." It was how their relationship began, wasn't it? A hidden romance, an excuse to use to hide from his mother's matchmaking tendencies. Suddenly, and for the first time since meeting Jesse, Fallon found herself wondering if she would be up to par with Mrs. Hatchitt's expectations. A dangerous profession like hers was hardly something to boast about, especially when considering how staunchly she would argue against leaving her office. Perhaps she wasn't enough, what then? Would he choose his family's values over her?

Merlin, Fallon hoped not.

His question allowed her to refocus on remaining upbeat for the evening. There were still so many kinks to work out in their relationship and none of them were to be solved tonight. "We were," she replied with a nod. "From day one. We met on the boats and became dormmates soon after. She's more like family than a friend, Merlin knows I talk to and trust her more than my siblings."

  

Jess was pretty sure Cook would keep mum on the subject, but he also highly suspected his mother was already hot in his trail in this regard. "I believe Mother has already picked up the scent as it were." He had yet to tell her he had serious intentions for Fallon, more for the worry that Beatrice would be a little... too much for Fallon. He was not particularly sure they would get along and that would be a headache for him. His mother's opinion on that matter did not sway him one way or the other, but it would be easier if they were friendly. "Probably won't tell her just yet though, enjoying where we're at for the moment. Unless you want me to?" He would of course in due time, but the fact that Fallon was about to be gone for an undeterminable amount of time, did not present the best opportunity to do so.

"An odd pair, but you do seem to balance one another out." Fallon was hot-headed, quick on her feet and stubborn; Miss Skovgaard was much more mild-mannered, even-tempered, they were certainly a complement of one another. Jesse could easily understand that though they wouldn't work on paper, but in reality they were good for one another. He could not claim any close friends like that, though he supposed he was closer to his siblings than she was. Kirke was a good friend, but not until more recently, they certainly couldn't claim childhood friends as Jess had a couple years on the Gryffindor.

Leaning back onto the pillows Jess sighed contentedly, reaching out for something else to eat. This he could certainly get used to.

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"She did?" The shock in her tone was evident...as was the mild fear. From what Jesse had described of his mother Mrs. Hatchitt was a formidable woman. To know that that woman knew of their relationship set Fallon's cheeks ablaze. Just how much did the cook know, then? And how much would be divulged to his mother? Fallon didn't wish to be outed just yet, despite her teasing just a moment ago. They had only just gotten their bearings a month or so ago!

His question, while innocently phrased, felt like a tricky one to answer. Yes, she did wish to meet his mother one day but not days before leaving for the foreseeable future. That would force any conversations about her career goals to the surface, and then what? A fight with his mother and him? Because that was such inspiring impressions to leave on a future mother-in-law.

Fuck.

She took a sip of her wine, her eyes downcast between them. "No, not yet." Fallon then quietly admitted. "I want to, believe me I do, just ... not right before leaving." The upcoming mission was still a taboo subject, one she didn't wish to speak of more this evening. "Maybe in the new year sometime?" She would be back by then she hoped, and if she wasn't...well that would be another problem entirely, wouldn't it? Merlin's beard, would he even still wish to be with her by then?

Malou was an easier topic and Fallon latched on quickly. "I suppose. She's mainly just shy, I think. Once you know her better it's easier to see how alike we are."

  

Jess was content to leave the topic of his mother and her upcoming assignment by the wayside for tonight. He highly suspected one or both could be sensitive subjects and he'd rather not ruin the mood of the evening.

"Funny you would describe her like that," Jesse's interactions with Miss Skovgaard were few and far between, but she did not strike him as shy. "Soft-spoken certainly, but quite assured of herself." He admired that about her, the ability to be quietly in charge. He'd seen it in the hospital during his last stay, that was for sure. It was easy to see why the pair were such close friends and from what Jess knew about their histories, good for one another.

Leaning back against the pillows more comfortably, he eyed her carefully. She had yet to ask about the tiny wrapped box amidst the food and he wondered if it was too hidden. He took a pensive sip of his wine, watching her carefully over the rim of the glass.

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"Healing brought that out in her, I think." Fallon would always think of Malou as the shy dorm mate too timid to go up against the likes of Miss Lestrange. Fallon, too, had her reservations about angering someone from such a powerful family, but when sharing a living space she refused to be shoved off to the side. Merlin, was she ever glad to not share a room with a handful of bitchy girls anymore.

The present had gone unnoticed until she reached for a nearby snack. As soon as she saw the small, neatly wrapped box, though, she reached for it with a curious glance in his direction. "May I?" Fallon asked, holding up the box for his inspection. Surely, if it existed amongst the picnic it was an intentional placement by him. Still, she didn't wish to spoil any of his plans by moving towards something too soon.

Watching him for his approval, Fallon opened the box as soon as it was given. The size of the box made her, briefly, wonder if he was proposing, but such thoughts were swiftly banished as she saw the pendant. (It was for the better that he not propose at present, anyway, seeing that she was about to embark on a mission that she might not return from. Best not to give him an additional cause for grief, especially after the dramatics of last month.) She pulled the necklace from the box with an excited grin. "It's beautiful, Jess. Thank you."

That her returned ring matched it perfectly was something she refused to comment upon. Who knew if it even existed anymore?