AUTHORS NOTE: So this is a little birthday present for the beautiful Emma and I do hope that you all enjoy reading it! I know it's late but I have a legit reason of my internet being a pain in the arse! So Happy Birthday Emma and I hope it was simply awesome!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters

[Last Birthday Alone]

"I'm old," was the first statement out of Jackie's mouth that evening when Robbie moved to sit next to her at the bar. She'd phoned in sick that day at work and Robbie decided that he'd hunt her down to see what was bothering her but he should have really known.

Today was Jackie's birthday and Jackie Reid didn't do birthday's.

He had known the woman for many years and every single one of those years, she would simply try her best to erase the date out of their calendar and if they didn't have a case to work then she simply wouldn't turn up for work. She just didn't care that people wanted to share such a special day with her. She hated birthday's. It was another reminder that you were getting older and a reminder of people who you had lost in your life and couldn't share the day with you any longer.

"You're not old," he promised lifting his hand and indicating that he wanted two drinks. The man nodded his head. This happened every year and the bar man was now accustomed to what they'd be drinking and for every conversation that would happen between them. "You're just simply wiser," he said with a grin which just grew as she turned to glare at him.

"I'm old and alone," she said shaking her head as she looked into the glass of red wine. "Do you know how downright depressing that is to admit?"

"You're not alone," he pointed out and wanted to say that she had her family around her but he knew that wouldn't sooth her worries. He knew exactly what kind of alone she was talking about because the same fear had been creeping up on him recently too. He sighed as he accepted the bottle of beer and took a small swig before turning back to look at her. "You don't have to be alone, Jackie. There's someone out there who loves you."

"Aye well," she said taking a sip of wine but refusing to look at him, "when you find him, please send him my way." Robbie couldn't help but reach out and take hold of her hand, his thumb rubbing over her knuckles as he smiled over at her.

"What if he's been in front of you all of this time?" He asked quietly and she just turned to look at him before bursting out laughing.

"Oh Robbie, that's actually put the first smile on my face all day." She said reaching over and pressing a kiss to his cheek, her fingertips stroking his cheeks as she shook her head. "Who'd have thought that a simple joke like that could..." She stopped her ramblings when she saw the crushed expression on his face, her jaw slackening a little bit as she leant back from him and shook her head. "It's not a joke, is it?"

"No," he whispered shaking his own head and moving back because she'd really hurt his feelings with that explosion of giggles. He understood how she could think that he was joking but at the same time, he couldn't understand how she'd believe that he could be so cold like that to her! Downing his beer, he nodded his head as he slipped off the stool and smiled at her. "Happy birthday, Jackie." He said before pulling out a small box out of his pocket and putting it down on the table in front of her. He didn't even wait for her to open it before he left.

She closed her eyes, tears threatening to spill as she took a deep breath before opening up her eyes and reaching out for the small velvet box. She usually had a no present rule but it seemed Robbie had finally caved this year and had bought her one. She recognised the label on the box, her hand trembling as she opened it and even though she knew it wouldn't be an engagement ring, she still felt a little disappointed at not seeing one there. The box was too big for a start and Robbie most definitely wouldn't be that forward.

However, when had she started thinking about marrying the handsome detective that she'd been partners with for so long?

She truthfully couldn't answer that herself but she'd been aware recently that she was attracted to the man. She couldn't help but blush whenever he winked at her over the bullpen when Burke was ripping into them about something they'd done or whenever he would touch his hand to the small of her back to lead her out of a room. And then there was the jealousy she felt whenever she saw him flirting with another woman or when she watched him hand over his card to a woman that had actually nothing to do with the case. She always wanted to run over, slap him around the face and claw out the woman's – who would always be supermodel beautiful – eyes. She'd been thinking about asking Burke for a transfer. This new found love, or whatever it was, wasn't healthy for their partnership.

Yet Robbie had just admitted that he was in love with her without even knowing that she felt the exact same. She couldn't help but smile.

The box held a single gold chain with a crucifix on it and she couldn't help but smile. The one she usually wore had been snapped badly the week before when they'd been chasing down a suspect and even though she'd insisted that she'd get it fixed, she'd stashed it away in her drawer and had completely forgotten about it despite it being the last thing her grandfather had ever given to her. Now, as she looked into the box, she saw her grandfather's cross on a brand new chain and she couldn't help but smile.

It might not have been something extravagant but yet it was possibly the most thought out present she'd ever received. Closing the lid of the box, she finished off her wine glass and moved towards the door while shouting goodbye to the bar man. There was somewhere else she needed to be right now.

Knocking on his door, she took a deep breath as she played with the velvet box in her hands and waited patiently for him to open his door so that he would talk to her. "Robbie, I know you're in there," she eventually called out when she could no longer be patient. She knew that Robbie could tell who was at his door by what knock came. She should have changed her knock and then he would have most probably opened it.

There was a few moments of silence before she heard the lock and then the door opened to reveal a seriously pissed off Robbie. "What do you want, Detective Reid?" He demanded to know gruffly and she couldn't help but notice how he hadn't used her Christian name. She couldn't help but smile.

"I came to talk, Detective Ross." She didn't back down. She knew that he was going to make her want to go home but she was going to stay here until he listened. "A conversation that I would rather have indoors but seeing as you've only opened the door a crack so..." She took a step back so that she was standing in the middle of his hallway. "I'm sure your neighbours would love to hear this too."

"Hear what?" He snapped opening the door a little bit more as if he was in two minds about whether or not he should pull her into his apartment and have this conversation in private but maybe it wasn't anything too serious if she was prepared to do it in front of his neighbours.

"That I, Detective Jackie Reid, am madly in love with the most stubborn bastard I have ever worked with," she said calmly as she looked at him, her fingertips still running up and down the velvet material of the jewellers box. "I am madly in love with a man who knew that the best present to give me for my birthday was my grandfather's crucifix fixed so I could wear it once again. A man that opens his heart to me over a bottle of beer and a man that..." she stopped talking as he grabbed hold of the scruff of her jacket and pulled her into his apartment, her back crashing against the door before it was even shut properly and before she even had time to argue, a pair of lips were attached to hers.

Once the kiss ended, he rested his forehead against hers and sighed. "What does this mean?" He asked and she rested her hands on his shoulders, her fingertips playing with the material of his shirt before she looked him in the eye with a big grin on her face.

"It means I no longer want to spend my birthday's alone. I want to spend them with the man that has been in front of me all along," and she couldn't help but giggle as he picked her up into his arms, his lips attaching to hers once more as he carried her through to the living room so that they could continue their conversation in a less primitive style. She couldn't help but grin as he laced his fingers through hers, an action that seemed so natural and as if her fingers were designed to fit between his, and wished her a happy birthday once more.

Jackie came to the conclusion that this was the best birthday she'd ever had and she couldn't wait for the one's to follow because this would be her last birthday alone.