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

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

A/N for some special friends.

Birthday Wishes

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

"Where are you two taking me?" asked Jess.

The dark haired beauty twisted her head trying to get a glimpse between the fingers covering her eyes.

"No peeking," reminded Abby. The petite blonde was on her tiptoes, breathing down Jess's neck, as she kept her friend from seeing where they were going. "You promised!"

Jess didn't know what her friends had planned, but Abby and Connor had clearly indicated the destination was a secret. Up the lift and then down a flight of stairs, through a corridor and then back to the lift for a ride up and down. Perhaps the circuitous path was meant to confuse the brilliant young woman, but the field coordinator knew the ARC inside and out. She wouldn't tell her friends, but even with her eyes closed, Jess knew that they had to be approaching the break room now.

"We're almost there," promised Connor as he led the field coordinator down the corridor.

"That's what you said when you and Abby called me away from the hub," grumbled Jess good-naturedly. "And leaving Lester in charge of the ADD is asking for trouble."

"There hasn't been an anomaly alert for two days," objected Abby. "Besides, Lester's the director. We had to let him help, he thinks he's in charge."

Jess just snorted at that idea.

"Turn right now, just three more steps," coaxed the dark haired scientist.

Jess heard the sound of a door opening. Three steps more and she was in the break room. Connor's hands released her. Swiftly Abby removed her hands. Jess blinked in the sudden brightness of the fluorescent lighting.

"Surprise!" echoed the voices of her friends.

Jess looked around at the familiar faces. Abby moved around to stand beside Connor. The pair stood to the right of a small round table. Matt and Emily were grinning at her from the other side of the table. Behind the table, stood a tall soldier dressed in black.

"Happy Birthday!" added Becker.

Jess grinned back at all of them. Everybody started talking at once and moving towards Jess, surrounding her.

"Were you really surprised?" asked the blonde with a hopeful look in her blue eyes.

"We tried to keep it a secret," added Emily.

"But when the baker's delivery truck arrived," began Matt.

"I thought sure you saw," started Becker.

"Can we eat now?" blurted out Connor.

Conversation stopped. Everyone turned to look at Connor. The scientist flushed.

"It's just… I mean…," Connor pointed at the cupcakes on the table. "It was Becker's idea."

Jess looked at the table. High heeled cupcakes made of biscotti heels and sugar cookie soles frosted in rainbow colors. Jess gasped to see the edible shoes. Then, the field coordinator looked closer. They weren't just any shoes. The high heeled cupcakes were frosted in such a way as to replicate her shoes.

"How did the baker know to frost the cupcakes like my shoes?" asked Jess.

Now it was Becker's turn to flush. The tall soldier reached into his pocket and held up his cell phone.

"Um, uh, I might have taken pictures of your shoes," admitted the quiet man. Becker slipped the cell phone back into his pocket before Jess could demand to see it. He took another item in his pocket out as he explained, "You know, for security purposes. We had to make sure the cupcakes were absolutely… perfect."

"Right," agreed Jess with a nod. She stepped closer to the soldier. "No mistakes allowed. There's chocolate involved."

Becker nodded. His hazel eyes met hers and Jess felt a warm tingling in her tummy that had nothing to do with cupcakes. The soldier lifted a chocolate frosted high heeled cupcake. This cupcake shoe was the only one to sport a narrow twisting spiral candle. With his other hand, he brought the lighter up and lit the candle. The flame reflected in his eyes.

"Make a wish," breathed Becker softly.

Jess gazed into Becker's eyes. One slender hand reached up to trace the side of Becker's jaw. She remembered this morning, waking in the warmth of his embrace. Jess smiled. Surrounded by the love of her life and her dearest friends, there was only one thing to wish for.

"More days like these," breathed Jess as she blew out the candle.

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