"So, where's my present?" asked a grinning Matt Ryan, leaning threw the passenger side window of the car parked out front the Homicide Building and startling the woman across from him who was intent on staring at the phone in her lap.

"Geez Matt" murmured Jen in surprise, jumping momentarily as his warm voice invaded her thoughts and shocked her into reality. If she was to be honest with herself, which was becoming increasingly hard with Matt by her side, she would have had to admit that her thoughts had been centred around him long before she drove out to her current position; but as she was not willing to let her mind wonder that far she contented herself with calling up a look of anger, and directing it straight towards the man currently grinning in front of her.

"What?" he asked defensively, watching Jen's face stare at him with mock anger.

"Don't scare me like that again" she accused, desperately trying to hide her smirk, before leaning over the passenger side and opening the door, gesturing for him to get in, while he laughed incredulously at her outburst.

"You okay Jen?" he asked mockingly as he slid in next to her, matching her smile with a full blown grin oh delightedness. "Seem a little wound up?"

"Shut up Matt or you won't get your present" was all she could muster in response, kicking the car into action so she had an excuse to keep her eyes on the road ahead, not on the man seated next to her. She had realised earlier on in the week that if she stared at him long enough she got lost in a world that it was becoming increasingly harder to break away from, and the last thing she felt like was explaining why the car had ended up in a tree because she hadn't been able to keep watch of the traffic around her. She didn't really understand what was so fascinating about him anyway. He wasn't the most handsome guy she had ever seen, something of which had been raised by people before, yet he had warmth, a sense of happiness and joy surrounding him that Jennifer was quickly becoming addicted to, something which was making life at the Homicide Squad increasingly difficult. She allowed herself a quick glance in his direction, watching the laid back position he had adopted, arms spread out across his legs, fingers tapping away at his knees in time with the music. His eyes were lite up like a kid at Christmas, dancing against the sunlight of the bright morning while seeming to project their own light, an enthusiasm which was solely Matt. She'd seen this eagerness in him only once before, over the last few days when his whole being had been trained on finding the truth and the truth only. Yet, that had been almost a compulsion, and had left him tired and defeated, this light was making him more kid like by the second and the grin he was trying unsuccessfully to hide was only helping his case along.

"Thought you said the present was in the car, or where you just playing with me?" he asked suddenly, head spinning towards her at lightning speed and momentarily stunning her. She shifted her gaze towards him and smiled, happy that he had fallen to her bait. "Not exactly, you needed to be in the car to get to the present" she conceded, watching his face contort in confusion as he analysed this new information.

"Taking me on Holidays are you?" he asked with a grin and Jen found herself feeling sorry for any adult that had had to answer to that face when he was a child. There was something, again she found herself coming back to the word childlike, about his behaviour today. As I he'd lost half of it as a youngster and was now finally allowing himself to live it out, cheeky grins and all.

"You wish" she murmured in response to his earlier guess, choosing to ignore the tightening in her chest at what the thought of a holiday with him might entail.

Meanwhile across from her, matt was having the exact same thought whiz through his mind before eh squeezed it out, trying not to wreck the morning while he didn't know where they stood. He felt so, well alive was all that came to mind, almost like he was on something and he had no intention of coming down yet. He knew later on that night he would crash, probably quite hard, and the weight that the day brought would seep into his consciousness slowly throughout the afternoon, but right now, being on cloud nine was all he could think about, and he had no intention or returning soon. Especially not with the promise of the day spent with his favourite blonde detective.

Finally the car pulled up in a busy car park, brightly coloured children and parents running in frenzy around them. Matt was tempted to ask where exactly they were but before the words could leave his mouth hie eyes answered for him, laying themselves upon the giant, rainbow tarpaulin that could only mean one thing.

"I can't believe" he murmured, feeling his jaw hit his lap before he turned wide eyed to stare at Jen in amazement "Are you serious?" he asked, grinning like a mad man.

"Yep" nodded Jen in response, hardly able to control her own laughter at the sight of pure happiness and youthful excitement that was playing across Matt's face.

"The circus" he breathed out slowly, as if saying the words any louder might shatter the illusion forever.

As suddenly as he had been stunned he jumped out of the car door, running around the other side to open the door for his partner, his wonderful amazing partner who had brought him o the circus!

Not caring who saw them or what rules he was breaking he grabbed onto her hand tightly, squeezing it in a silent thanks.

"You ready?" she smiled up at him, squeezing his hand tight with in her own small one.

"Yep" he smiled back at her before turning back to marvel at the site. And with that they made there way to the front gates, ready for a day of circus filled fun and adventure.