She awoke early that morning, before even Dot had a chance to open the curtains; she lay in the dark room thinking about the day ahead. She had been planning this day for exactly a month. Today was Jacks birthday. He didn't know that she knew, her mind drifted back to when she had tricked Hugh into telling her, bribing him with a picnic basket from Dot. Hugh could be tricked into anything with food she thought with a small smile to herself as Dot entered the room flicking back the curtains and smiling at her miss.

"Morning Miss" she said trying to hide her smile.

"Dot, what a good morning it is." She said as she pulled back the covers and got out of bed wrapping herself in a robe making her way downstairs for breakfast.

Jack arrived at the station that morning locking the door to his office telling Collins he did not want to be disturbed. Today was his birthday and he didn't want anyone to know that, especially Miss Fisher. He thought that she would stay away, there hadn't been any murders all week so she had no real reason to come in, but then this was Miss Fisher. At the same time he couldn't help but think he would like her to know. Sometimes it wasn't that great being so alone, sure he had his family and friends from the war and the station, but it just wasn't the same. He took a deep breath and started working his way through the papers on this desk trying to pretend it was a normal day.

Jack was sitting in his office when Hugh gave a cautious knock before opening the door hesitantly. Hugh was already regretting agreeing to Miss Fishers plan as he stuck his head in the door telling the Inspector that there had been a body found down in the Yarra which they needed to attend to immediately. The Inspector sighed deeply, a murder was not ideally how he planned to celebrate his birthday, but then again, that was his job. He grabbed his coat muttering under his breath as he followed Hugh out the door.

Miss Fisher had been waiting out the front of the police station for the past 5 minutes, she had arrived early. Dot was to ring the police station at 9.30 am so that Jack couldn't doubt that a murder had been called in. Hugh was supposed to then lead Jack outside and she was to whisk him away. That was the plan anyway, she blew air out air hard catching her fringe in anticipation, tapping her gloved hand on the wheel. Finally she saw the door opening and jumped out of the car with a smile on her face.

"Jack" she called out with a wave of her hand. He looked at her with a confused expression, turning back to Hugh to see that he had disappeared back into the station. So, he had been set up, he would have to have a word with the Constable when he got back to the station.

"Miss Fisher." He greeted her not too warmly, unsure if she knew the significance of the day.

"Jack" she smiled again, by this time she had walked to meet him and looped her arm into his, "We have a date."

"Do we?" he said slightly shocked, "I thought I was working actually." He started to turn back to walk into the station, but she pulled him back.

"I've arranged for you to have the day off actually." She said with a gleam in her eyes which he instantly knew meant that she knew it was his birthday. "We're going on a picnic."

He nodded his head trying to hide his smile as she dragged him toward the car, opening his door and letting him settle before returning to the driver seat. She took off a breakneck speed toward the Botanic gardens with a smile on her face, but he was too occupied in thought to even notice they had even left the station.

She parked the car and hopped out, it really was such a lovely autumn day, all the leaves were beginning to fall and the roses and lavender bushes were setting a lovely scene. The sun was shining brightly in the morning sky and a cool gentle breeze blew across the car park awaking Jack from his thoughts. He got out of the car taking in the surroundings releasing where they were.

"The Botanic Gardens?" he said with a puzzled smile on his face

"Well I was going to take you out into the country, for a special treat" she said with a wink dragging the picnic basket toward her, "but we have a dinner to attend tonight, so we had to stay close." She stepped out of the way inclining her head toward the picnic basket.

"A dinner?" he questioned as he pulled the basket out of the car and picked it up with raised eyebrows. He was not prepared for this at all.

She completely ignored his question asking her own, "Where would you like to go?" she asked him intently, waving her hand across the many sections of the gardens.

"The lavender gardens" he said with no hesitations, somehow they reminded him of her, "you're letting me choose?" he finished sounding a little shocked

"Well it is your birthday Jack!"

He groaned and rolled his eyes, so she did know. "How did you find that out?" he asked her as they began walking toward the lavender gardens, he carrying the basket and her the blanket. "Well after my birthday party last year, I hardly thought it was fair you knowing mine if I didn't know yours. So I called up Hugh the next day and I simply asked him to look in your file."

"And that worked for you?" he said in disbelief, but at the same time could see how the young Constable often was flustered by the glamorous Miss Fisher.

"I did have to bribe him with one of Dot's special picnic baskets, hand delivered, but he did manage to tell me the date." He did not look happy at all, she felt she should continue "I didn't actually look in your file, he just told me the date." She shrugged as they arrived in the lavender gardens. He felt slightly better about this, that woman really could get anything she wanted if she tried hard enough. With that thought he gulped and she began to lay out the blanket as he put the basket down.