Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.

Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.

A/N: A collaboration with Mijo54. A/N2 story takes place after Detour.

9.7 Heading for Home

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jess leaned against Becker on the tube ride back to his flat. She kept flipping the DVD case in her hands over and over. The evening with Connor, Abby and little Sarah had been fun, but it had been a long day… a long week really, and she was ready to go home. Funny, the way she thought of Becker's tiny flat more as home than the huge high rise where she received her mail. Jess glanced up Becker. He was leaned back against the seat with his eyes half closed.

"Hil, why did you pick this movie?" asked Jess.

Becker opened his eyes and looked at her. The DVD, The Man From Snowy River, was one of his collection of old classic movies. He raised one eyebrow.

"It was our turn to pick the movie," replied Becker, "and I believe we told Abby and Connor no weird aliens or zombies. It was something my cousin sent me years ago. Didn't you like it?"

"Well yes, of course," began Jess. "It's just I thought you might have picked it because of Hank and Gillian's wedding invitation."

The invitation for her cousin's November wedding had arrived a few days earlier.

"Maybe I was thinking about Australia subconsciously," agreed Becker with a small shrug of his shoulders.

Jess watched him closely. She remembered how his face lit up when she said yes, and the happiness shining in his eyes when they first began planning their wedding. And she remembered the little mix-up when Jess had suggested a Spring wedding. Becker first thought she meant Spring this year.

"We don't have to go to Hank's wedding if you don't want to," blurted out Jess. "We can get married sooner if you like. I could probably get everything pulled together by August… or if we just did a civil ceremony..."

Becker looked at Jess. He remembered something she'd once said years ago about planning dream weddings as a little girl. While he'd hoped to marry sooner, Becker was a patient man. Jess was worth waiting for, and Becker was going to try his best to make all her dreams come true.

"Spring, next year," said Becker softly. "And if you can convince Lester to give us both the time off, we'll go to Hank's wedding too."

The tube whooshed to a stop. The doors slid open with a hiss and a rowdy bunch clambered inside joining them in the car. As the tube jolted and started moving, one especially loud young man sat down directly opposite Jess and Becker.

"What's a pretty bird like you doing with a skinhead like him?" asked the young man with a cheeky smirk. Then he winked at Jess.

Half of Becker's hair had been shaved off earlier that week so the doctor could stitch up his scalp wound. Although Jess had teased that she needed something to run her fingers through, she had been the one to shave off the remainder of his hair evenly. Becker frowned at the young man, but before he could say anything Jess responded.

"Making wedding plans."

-x-x-x-x-x-x

The next tube stop, Jess and Becker got off. The young man hadn't bothered them anymore. He'd been too busy trying to defend himself from the teasing catcalls of his friends when they'd heard Jess rebuff him.

"Friday night tube," sighed Jess. Becker merely grunted.

Hand in hand, they headed up the steps to the street. Flakes of February snow fluttered in the night sky as they stepped out into the open. Becker threw his arm over her shoulder as they walked the remaining way to his flat. Once inside, they started hanging up their winter coats. Jess set the DVD down on the coffee table and drew off her gloves. She glanced at the sparkling ring on her left hand.

"I heard you and Connor tonight," said Jess, "when you were in the kitchen washing up."

"What?"

Becker remembered. Connor had teased him about buying the ring over a year earlier and being so slow to finally propose. Becker had reminded him about losing the ring in France.

"You didn't have to buy another ring," said Jess.

"I didn't," replied Becker.

Jess looked confused at his words. Becker looked into her eyes and touched a finger to the side of her face. He smiled as he traced the side of her cheek.

"When we got back from our journey last year," explained Becker, "I called the jeweler. The insurance policy covered lost or stolen, so the money was no problem. The problem was finding the same type of stones."

Jess looked at the beautiful ring. The large center stone was a golden brown chocolate diamond. It was surrounded by a circle of deeper dark brown and sparkling white diamonds. She couldn't imagine wearing any other ring.

"That ring was made just for you," continued Becker. "There's not another one like it anywhere."

Jess smiled.

"Well except for one somewhere by the road in France," she chuckled.

"No," said Becker. "That's the same ring."

He took her hand in his.

"The French highway patrol found the ring by the side of the road two months later," added Becker, "and turned it in."

"Well how on earth would anyone know to send the ring back to England?" asked Jess.

"There's a maker's mark inside next to the engraving," answered Becker. "The French highway patrol notified some jewelers association and the next thing I know the shop in London is telling me they don't have to wait for chocolate diamonds from Australia, they've located the ring."

"Ooh," sighed Jess happily. She looked up at Becker. "So does that mean you've waited ten months to actually propose?"

Becker's jaw dropped open. His eyes widened at her pretend pout.

"There was international shipping involved," Becker stammered, "really it was only eight and a half… maybe nine months tops."

-x-x-x-x-x-x