A/N: Sorry I sped the last paragraph up a lot. I just wanted it to end short and sweet. The German is again from Google Translate, who has become my friend. This can be applied to Alek at any age you like, but in my world, he is aged 20.

Enjoy!

ScottIsGodd

Alek's birthday. That was what was coursing through her mind, as she woke up next to his warm body. It was today! She looked at his still, peaceful form for a few moments, then quietly extricated herself from the blankets, padded out of the bedroom in her thick woolen socks and set about making breakfast in their small flat. Breakfast for him was jam on toast, because she would not dare make anything more complicated. She got the required ingredients from the pantry. Butter, bread and jam. She finished making the toast, put it on a plate and carried it into the bedroom.

To her relief, Alek was not even vaguely awake yet, he was still fast asleep. Deryn put the plate on the bedside table and crawled into bed. She nestled against him, waiting for Alek to wake. He eventually did, looking adorable, with his brown hair tousled. Deryn whispered in his ear "Time to wake up, your princeliness."

Alek sat up, bleary eyed "What time is it?"

"Eight o'clock. It's your birthday today" she said, smiling at him.

"I see you have made breakfast for me, thank you leibe." He gave her a kiss on the lips, which electrified her, making her feel as if she were flying. He hungrily grabbed the plate from where it lay on the table, and started eating.

A short time later, after he had finished eating, he and Deryn got properly dressed and went to the Zoological Society's offices at Deryn's prompting. Well not quite the offices, more a warehouse, she thought. In the centre of the warehouse, there stood a hulking, dark shape with a tarpaulin covering it. Then, Deryn pulled the tarpaulin off the shape to reveal… His old Cyklop Stormwalker, looking as good as new!

Alek's mind was reeling "How did you-." He didn't manage to get the full question out before it powered up, as if it had a mind of its own. But it didn't and its roof hatch opened, revealing none other than Otto Klopp. "Hallo, Alek" he shouted over the noise of the engine. "Well, what are you waiting for? Hop in" shouted Deryn, over the noise of the engine. She saw he was enjoying this moment, rather than it bringing back pain filled memories. This was what she had planned for.

Alek, not questioning how she had managed to get it up and running, climbed in via the walker's underbelly hatch, carefully avoiding the anti-boarding spikes. Deryn climbed in after him. Once she was inside, she looked around in awe, since this was her fist time inside the walker, since Klopp had repaired it. Alek looked around in awe at the cockpit, it was exactly the way he remembered down to the smallest knob and dial.

This was his first time in a walker in years, so she had no idea how he would go piloting it. He pushed the saunders forward tentatively, causing the machine to lurch forward on its giant legs. He hadn't lost his edge, she saw. "Alek, we're going on a picnic." she said.

"Where to?" he asked.

"Buckingham palace. I'm told they have lovely gardens" she said with a smile.

"That's just five minutes away. Isn't it?"

When they got to Buckingham palace, after receiving many questioning looks from the locals, the three disembarked from the walker and set up a picnic, which included chocolate cake, cordial. Otto, eseing to two wanted some time alone, went to "check on the walker" or so he claimed. "Thankyou, you don't know how much this means to me" said Alek nuzzling her gently. She pushed him away, "So, do you want to hear how we got it running again?e"

"Pray tell" said Alek. In answer Deryn brought out her sketch book that she just so happened to have with her, showing him drawings she had done of every detail of the walker. "Wow" he exclaimed, taking in a breath of air. "And, of course, I had help from Klopp. Come on we best be getting back to do cake"

"There is more cake?"

"Yes. Who do you think I am? Someone who doesn't like food" she said, pretending to look mortified.

The three of them packed up the picnic and made their way back to the warehouse, Alek enjoying every second of it. When they got there, they disembarked the walker, avoiding the anti-boarding spikes. The two said "Auf Wiedersehen" to Klopp, which meant goodbye. When they made their way back to their apartment, the lovers feasted on choclete cake and Deryn sang "Happy Birthday" to Alek, before climbing into bed with him and drifting off to sleep.