Beta'd by the ever lovely SiriusLivesOn.

--

Carson frowned at the road sign in front of him before glancing back down at the map open across his knees, silently thankful that there was no one behind them on the small country road. If he was reading the map right, then he needed to turn left, but then his map reading skills had never been especially great, which was why he tended to prefer to use road signs. The problem was, in this particular part of Wales, they were all written in Welsh, a language he had never even considered trying to learn and his translator was presently snoring quietly, forehead pressed against the passenger window. How exactly anyone could be comfortable enough to sleep in that position, Carson wasn't quite sure, but Daniel was so he guessed it must be possible. That or it could just be that Daniel's poor sleeping habits had finally caught up with him as they were wont to do.

Carson sighed, turning the map slightly in the hope that would somehow give him a little more confidence in his direction. Muttering a soft curse under his breath Carson gave the sign a final glare before giving in and putting the car back into gear and turning left, for better or worse.

Two hours later, he decided it had definitely been for the worse.

Carson pulled over into the lay-by carefully, turning on the hazards before switching off the engine with a sigh. Closing his eyes Carson gave himself a moment to calm down, all too aware of his rising panic.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Carson jumped opening his eyes and turning to face Daniel, who had clearly only just woken up, "Nothing love, go back to sleep."

Daniel frowned, glancing out of the window, before turning back to Carson, eyebrow raised, "Nothing huh?"

Carson blushed faintly, silently cursing Daniel for failing to be as oblivious as he could often be, "We may be a wee bit lost."

Daniel's eyebrows climbed impossibly higher, "A little lost?"

"Aye." Carson replied half heartedly, mentally abandoning the plans he'd had for the night, which were, now that he had the chance to but them into perspective, maybe a little ambitious. His sleeping lover should have told him that much anyway.

"We left the dig site," Daniel glanced at the clock, eyes widening as he realised just what time it was, "over two and a half hours ago."

Carson nodded, abandoning any verbal communication. They'd been together for over two years, he knew all too well just what was coming.

"The dig site, which in theory, was only an hour's drive, at most, in any direction, from a town." Daniel squinted out the window at the darkening sky, searching the horizon for any sign of life besides sheep. "In theory." Daniel looked at Carson for a long moment before he started laughing.

"Aye, that's right, you laugh." Carson slumped in the drivers seat, arms crossed over his chest.

"Sorry love." Daniel apologised after a moment, reaching out to squeeze Carson's arm. "You could have woken me up you know."

Carson kept his eyes forward, refusing to fold to Daniel's common sense. He shouldn't need anyone to translate signs for him, especially not when he had a map and the directions that one of the local girls working on the dig had given him.

"Even some of the locals can't read the signs." Daniel commented idly, watching Carson carefully, "It's not the end of the world. We can't be too far out and it's still early yet, enough time to get back and still have some food before we go to bed."

Daniel proved, for the ninth time that week, that he had absolutely no concept of the date, or its importance, something that to Carson at least, seemed stupid, considering the man prided himself on his knowledge of cultures.

"Carson?" Daniel pushed after another minute of silence passed, sympathetic, "It's ok, really."

Carson frowned suspicious, finally letting himself look at Daniel. His shoulders slumped as realisation dawned, "You knew."

"Not exactly, but I had an inkling." Daniel allowed his expression sincere.

Carson's eyes narrowed, disbelieving.

Daniel smiled, "I am as aware as you are of what day it is, but you've been a little distant, so I thought you must have been planning something, so I didn't say anything."

Carson sighed, "Aye well, it doesn't matter now."

"Here." Daniel pulled his backpack into his lap and opened it to pull out a small plainly wrapped package. "You can still have this."

Carson hesitated for a moment before he took the offered package, taking a moment to examine it before carefully opening the flaps that had been cellotaped down and reaching in to get a grip on the object within. He drew it out carefully, already knowing that it was a book, rather than a box of chocolates or anything as traditional as that and smiled as he read the title. "Knots and Crosses, a crime story?"

Daniel grinned nodding, "Amazingly romantic isn't it?"

Carson laughed, "Aye, much more romantic than a dinner for two in a fancy Welsh restaurant."

--