Disclaimer: Only the original characters are mine.
A/N: Enjoy! Please review! Updates will be more sporadic from now on, because I start work soon. But I am NOT abandoning the story or the series!
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On the morning of her birthday, Kate Watson Lestrade attempted to ignore her husband's efforts to wake her. She didn't bother glancing at the clock, but she knew it was early, if for no other reason than she was still tired. She let out a disgruntled "Mmphh" and shoved her head beneath the pillow.

Seconds later, the fluffy barrier was tugged from her grasp. She opened one eye to glare at her spouse.

"What could possibly be important enough for you to be wakin' me up this early?"

Gabriel just smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "Happy birthday, darling. To answer your question, I have plans for us."

"Oh? And what might those plans be?" Kate rubbed sleepily at her eyes.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that just yet. Up and at 'em, love. Wear something you'll be comfortable riding in. I'll go start breakfast."

If Kate's rising curiosity hadn't been enough to get her out of bed, the look Gabriel sent her way as he left the room would have done the trick. She never could resist that beaming, boyish grin.

She was downstairs ten minutes later, dressed in a long-sleeved cotton top, jeans and motorcycle boots. A light nylon jacket was over one arm, and she tossed it onto a chair as she followed her nose to the kitchen.

As soon as she slid into a chair, Gabriel set a plate in front of her. Kate smiled appreciatively at the omelet accompanied by several rashers of bacon. She cut into the egg to find it oozing melted cheese. She took a bite, enjoying the various flavors: cheddar cheese, garlic, onion, and paprika.

"How is it?" Gabriel asked, sitting down across from her with his own plate.

"Mmm, fantastic! Thank you."

"My pleasure."

Once they'd cleaned up the kitchen, the couple grabbed their jackets and helmets and were on their way. Despite Kate's best efforts, Gabriel remained vague about their destination.

"I think you'll enjoy it."

"But you aren't going to tell me where it is."

"It's a surprise. Just trust me."

Kate finally gave up and occupied herself by enjoying the passing scenery. She enjoyed the sight of green grass, hills and trees as they got further from London. Gabriel noticed her relaxing more and smiled to himself, thinking that this idea had clearly been a good one.

It was close to noon by the time they passed through a small village. There were plenty of houses, but each one sat on a spacious plot of land. The main street was lined with shops and cars, but the road curved and wound, rather than being straight. Kate found the overall effect to be very charming; it reminded her a bit of the area of Scotland where she'd spent the first thirty-two years of her life.

Gabriel turned off the main road, and pulled off to the side shortly afterwards. He pointed to a two-story, wooden house that had weathered over time.

"That's the house I grew up in."

Kate was definitely surprised: she knew her husband had no close living relatives, that he'd sold his childhood home after his parents passed away, and that while he kept in touch with some old friends, he hadn't been back here in quite some time.

"What brought this visit on?" she asked.

"Well, I thought you might like to see the town, and some of the places that hold fond memories for me. And besides that, I've been feeling an urge to reconnect with my roots over the last couple of weeks. Side effect of impending fatherhood, I suppose."

That did make sense, Kate thought. Aloud, she said, "Sounds like fun."

While she already knew a lot about Gabriel's past, Kate gained a new perspective from seeing where the events had taken place. There was the primary school he'd attended, the grocery where he'd worked his first job, and the places where he and his friends had met up on weekends.

She was a little surprised when they turned off the road onto a dirt path that cut across a field.

"I've saved the best for last," Gabriel explained.

The path continued through trees and bushes, until they emerged in another large field. There was a large pond, and several shady oak trees. Gabriel carefully parked beneath one of the trees and waited for Kate to dismount before lowering the kickstand and climbing off himself.

"This is great," Kate smiled. "Just lovely."

"It's owned by a friend I've kept in touch with. He inherited it after his dad died a few years ago. When I came up with this idea for your birthday, he agreed immediately. Promised to make sure we aren't bothered, so long as we stop in to say hello before we leave."

Kate grinned. "Sounds fair. Now tell me, what else do you have up your sleeve?"

The question earned her another one of those blinding smiles. "I was just waiting for you to ask."

To his wife's delight, Gabriel produced several containers from the bike's saddlebags, along with a thick blanket. In just a few minutes, an excellent picnic was spread out under the sturdy oak branches.

Thanks to insulated coolers and lunchboxes, Gabriel had been able to pack a variety of foods, above and beyond the usual sandwiches and crisps. There was also fresh fruit and vegetables, potato salad, and scones.

Kate settled onto the blanket and began unlacing her boots. Once they were off, she removed her socks, as well, sighing with relief at the pleasant breeze on her hot feet. Gabriel followed her example.

"Ahh, you're right, that does feel better."

They took their time eating, but an hour later, the last of the food was gone. Once he'd put the empty containers away, Gabriel stretched out alongside his wife. They lay there silently for a while, watching the clouds drift across the sky.

"Having a good time, Kate?"

She turned to smile at him. "Oh, yes. This was a wonderful idea."

He responded by rolling over, bracing himself on all fours above her, and leaning down for a kiss. When they broke apart, Kate laughed and reached up to wind her arms around his neck.

"I think I'm starting to see why you brought me out here: nice and secluded."

"Did you really think I didn't have an ulterior motive?" Gabriel nipped lightly at her throat.

"Fine talk, coming from an officer of the law."

Gabriel just grinned, sliding his hands beneath her top. "It's my day off, and I'm outside my jurisdiction."

Once Kate's shirt and bra were off, he began trailing his mouth downwards. She gasped with delight as he paid careful attention to her breasts, and then smiled tenderly as he gently nuzzled her still-flat stomach. She obligingly lifted her hips when Gabriel's hands moved to undo her jeans.

She noticed the wicked glint in his eye, but was unprepared for his next move. He positioned himself comfortably between her spread thighs and began pleasuring her with both his mouth and his hand.

Kate swore through clenched teeth, clutching at the blanket beneath her. She was pretty sure she felt Gabriel smile at her reaction. It didn't take long for her to fall apart beneath his gentle assault, trembling with the force of her orgasm.

By the time she'd gotten her breath back, Gabriel had stripped down to his boxers. He paused for a moment as he hovered over her.

"You all right?"

"Fantastic," she smiled, pulling him down into a scorching kiss.

He returned the kiss just as enthusiastically. While Kate happily explored the familiar territory of his skin, he kicked his shorts off. She reached down to wrap her hand around him, but he stopped her.

"No. Not going to last if you do that."

Quickly, he lined his hips up with hers and entered in one smooth thrust. Kate's head fell back as she sighed with pleasure. Encouraged, Gabriel set a faster pace than usual. When he collapsed, spent, on top of his wife, she turned her head to kiss his temple. He responded by taking her hand in his and squeezing before rolling off of her.

Kate couldn't help but laugh when Gabriel reached for his jacket and pulled out a handful of moist towelettes.

"You really thought of everything, didn't you?" she asked, reaching for a few of the small packets.

"I tried to, at least."

Once they'd finished dressing, Gabriel seated himself with his back against the tree. Kate lay down at a right angle to him, head resting in his lap. He reached down to stroke her hair, but she took his hand and brought it to her lips instead.

"I love you so much, Gabe."

"Love you, too, darling." He looked at his watch. "We'd better get going."

"Why? What else do you have planned?"

"Well, when I called Nick to ask about picnicking here, he offered to take us out to dinner. There's a fantastic seafood place in town; been around a good forty years, owned by the same family—I think they're on third-generation management now."

"Sounds great."

Not only was the food delicious, Kate quickly took a liking to Gabriel's old friend. Nick was full of stories of the things they'd gotten up to as youngsters. Some of them she'd already heard from Gabriel, but some were new to her. Nick jokingly assured her that if she ever needed information to blackmail her husband with, he'd be more than happy to help.

The sun was beginning to set as the Lestrades started back to London. Kate had thought the view was impressive in the daytime, but it was spectacular with the bright orange, red, purple and gold as a backdrop.

When they finally arrived home, she sighed with relief as she got off the bike.

"Tired?" Gabriel gave her a concerned look.

"Not really," she answered, stretching. "Just got a little stiff."

To her surprise, Gabriel disappeared upstairs as soon as they got inside. When he came back, he was holding a package.

"Got one more surprise left. Here's your actual present."

Kate opened it to find a book she'd wanted to read. She'd planned to wait and buy it in paperback, but now she wouldn't have to. She smiled and kissed her husband.

"Thank you, Gabriel. But you really shouldn't have."

He shrugged. "No problem. Even after I set up everything for today, I still wanted to get you something tangible."

"But you didn't have to. You've given me more than enough already today."

"It wasn't that big a deal," her modest spouse answered.

"No, that's not what I mean. Sure, I've heard the stories about your childhood. But seeing where you grew up, meeting one of your closest friends, gave me a better understanding of who you are and how you became the man I love. That was more than enough of a gift for me."

Gabriel swallowed hard before pulling her into his arms for a tender kiss. "I love you, my darling. Happy birthday."