I feel like this is a story that could have went on for a lot longer, but I didn't want that for it, I always feel if you go to long you run the risk of it going stale.

So I thought I'd end it on a hopeful and fingers crossed a slightly humourous note. Thanks to all those who have reviewed at any point of the story and I can only apologize for not replying. I'd love you to leave one last comment though :)

December

Jackie blinked as a necklace was lowered down in front of her eyes, the light reflecting off the delicate silver chain as the heavier pendant part of it swayed from side to side. Reaching out hesitantly, she stilled it so she could look at the design, it was a hollow heart containing thin bars of silver that intertwined intricately with each other. She smiled it was beautiful, simple and perfect, something that she'd actually wear.

The pendant still lying in the palm of her hand, she asked, "What's the occasion?"

She felt him shrug against her back. "Thought I should mark the fact that we've been together for a year now."

"I thought we agreed we wouldn't make a big deal out of that since it's so close to Christmas," she remarked, feeling ill at ease simply for the fact that she'd stuck to that agreement.

"Decided to spoil you," came the easy reply. "And most women would feel entitled to something for putting up with me for this long."

"I'm not most women," she smiled as she tilted her head so she could look at him, telling him honestly, "It's beautiful."

"Want me to help you put it on?" he asked, his tone hopeful but his eyes bursting with pride that he'd picked something he could see that she liked so much.

Nodding, she stood still as he carefully draped it around her neck before fastening it in place. Her fingers splayed over the gift before she finally admitted guiltily, "I didn't get you anything."

"Well we did say we wouldn't bother," he replied, obviously unconcerned by this fact.

"I feel horrible though."

He frowned. "That wasn't the point of this."

"I know." She turned round, wrapping her arms around his neck and asking, "How about if I cook dinner?"

"We might be safer to just order in," he joked.

She slapped his shoulder before admitting grudgingly, "Ok, not my best idea." She looked thoughtful for a moment as she struggled to come up with something on the spot. Finally she gave an irate sigh and told him, "I'll think of something. But in the meantime," she leaned forward kissing him deeply, before trailing her mouth to his neck., murmuring against his skin, "I think I should show you just how much I love my gift."

Robbie's head fell back as she dropped to her knees, fingers deftly undoing his belt and trousers. "Jesus," he breathed out hoarsely. "What are you planning to do after Christmas?"

He woke in the morning to find her side of the bed empty, the sheets cooling. Frowning, he sat up running a hand through his already dishevelled hair as he did so, he wasn't used to waking up without her by his side as they spent most nights together now, and he didn't like it.

Pushing the sheets that covered him to one side, he yanked on a pair of boxers and shivering slightly at the frigid temperature, went in search of her. He found her by her boiler, her dressing gown pulled tightly around herself as she glared at it, jabbing at the controls irately.

Wrapping his arms around her, resting them on her stomach, he kissed her neck in greeting and then asked, "Is it broken?"

"Once again it is, another thing to add to the ever growing list of things that are wrong with this flat. I'll need to phone my landlord again, but as he still hasn't done anything about the damp in here I doubt he'll do anything about this." She gave a long sigh. "I suppose I should move, I've probably got enough for a deposit on a semi decent place now." Leaning back against his shoulder, she enfolded her fingers with his before continuing. "Just this was my first place and I suppose I got comfortable. Still," she squeezed his fingers, "I suppose things change."

"Yeah they do," he muttered distractedly, his mind already elsewhere.

"Wouldn't let Taggart catch you looking at those," Mike commented, picking up the sheaf of property listings that Jackie had left lying on her desk.

She grinned up at him. "Didn't plan to," she replied. "Don't think I can stomach one of his speeches today, and he's already in a mood because someone had the audacity to try and decorate his office with some tinsel."

"The nerve," Mike mocked. "He can be a right grinch sometimes, so you thinking of moving then?" He asked as he flicked through the details on the numerous sheets of paper.

"Uh huh," she mumbled, closing over the file she'd been reading so that she could look over at him. "My flat is giving up bit by bit and since the landlord sold it to that agency nothing's been getting done about it. So I thought I might as well look at buying."

"You never know, you might find you'll like having somewhere that's all yours."

"I suppose," she shrugged.

"You don't sound that keen," he replied, laughing at the expression on her face.

"Probably because I'm not." She pulled a face. "I hate moving and I have to deal with lawyers and banks to get a mortgage set up."

"You'll manage." His smile turned into a frown as he leafed through them. "Although these all look like they need a bit done to them."

"I know, it's either that or I move further out and add time onto my commute and I get up early enough as it is."

Mike looked at her sympathetically before placing the pile of paper back down on her desk, just as Robbie approached them. He glanced down at the property details, remarking in surprise, "That was quick."

"Picked some up at lunchtime," she told him. "I don't think I can really put up with that flat much longer and I suppose buying makes more sense now than just renting," she added unconvincingly.

"Yeah," he muttered, his mouth twisted into a frown as Mike shot him an odd look. Over the past few months they'd struck up a truce of sorts again, mainly down to the fact that Robbie realised that he had to accept that the friendship between Mike and Jackie wasn't going to change and Mike had realised that Jackie was serious about making a go of things with Robbie, and so they had started making the effort to get along.

Jackie glanced down at her watch. "Better get going, Taggart wants me to drive him somewhere, and don't ask me where, I wasn't really listening," she admitted, grinning as she strolled away from them.

Mike watched Robbie as he sloped back to his desk, looking deep in thought. "Problem?" he asked.

"Nope, why would there be?"

"Just the look on your face, that's all."

"I'm just thinking."

"Explains why it looked so pained then."

"Ha bloody ha," Robbie muttered.

"Anyone would think you didn't want her to move," Mike suggested carefully.

"It's not that," he replied. Glancing up at him, Robbie gave a short sigh. "Just…thinking."

"Yeah, you said that," he remarked in amusement. "Just bloody ask her," he told him firmly as he turned to go back to his seat.

Robbie looked up at him in surprise. "What?"

"That not what's got you looking so confused?"

"It is…but how the hell did you know?"

"It was pretty obvious, although don't worry I don't think Jackie's noticed."

"You don't think it's too soon?" Robbie asked, slightly disbelieving that he was asking Mike's advice on relationships. Although on the plus side he did know Jackie unbelievably well, so there probably wasn't someone better to ask.

"It's been a year," Mike commented. "If she hasn't seen the light by now then she's not going to," he managed to joke lightly. "Anyway, you seem to come in together most morning's at the moment, so what's the difference?"

"This would be permanent."

"Well you'll just need to hurry up and decide what you want then," Mike pointed out to him.

He thought about what Mike had said for the rest of the day, the truth was that he knew what he wanted, it was just taking the final leap that terrified him, and that was mainly in case she turned him down. Still he knew that now was the right time to ask her, he couldn't wait forever.

Due to the problems with her heating and hot water, she was staying with him that night and as he watched her casually move about the flat, pouring the wine and setting the table for dinner, he felt incredibly peaceful. For once he didn't feel suffocated and having her there just felt right, he could already picture her things in the room, the way she'd brighten the place up, make it seem warmer and more like a home rather than a dwelling.

He brought the plates of pasta to the table and watched in satisfaction as she gave a happy sigh before tucking in. "I know it's bad for my figure but God I love pasta," she told him.

"Don't see anything wrong with your figure," he told her, smiling.

"Hmmm, don't see you saying that if it doubled."

"You don't eat that much," he laughed. "Anyway, love you for you, not just your figure although it is an added bonus."

"Such charm and flattery," she sighed teasingly.

"I try." Watching as she sipped at her wine, he suddenly reached out, his hand covering hers. "I've been thinking," he told her.

She lowered the glass and looked at him almost worriedly. "Oh yeah?" she echoed, swallowing heavily, looking almost as though she were steeling herself.

"Yeah, about the stuff with your flat and I was thinking…wondering if maybe instead of you buying somewhere you should…could just move in here with me." He squeezed her fingers lightly and added hurriedly, "For good, we'd live together." He took a gulp of his own wine. "Sorry, it sounded better in my head."

Jackie looked at him in surprise. "You're serious?" she questioned almost unsteadily.

"Of course I'm serious, I wouldn't ask otherwise." He looked at her hopefully, "So what do you think?"

Her face broke into a smile and his stomach swooped in relief as she replied, "I'd love to."

"Good, and the sooner you're here the better," he assured her.

"That's nice to hear," she smiled. "I guess I'll phone the agency tomorrow, terminate my lease."

"We could start moving your stuff this weekend." He nodded towards his living room. "I'm in dire need of a new sofa."

She slapped his hand. "Should have known you had an ulterior motive," she laughed, getting to her feet and moving round to kiss him.

He tugged her into his lap, drawing her face to his, resting their foreheads together as he stroked his fingers down her cheek. "Just killing two birds with one stone."

"Very sensible," she replied solemnly.

"Just don't want us to waste anytime."

"You sound almost grown up," she warned him.

"Nah, not really," he assured her. "Just know what I want for once and I know that's not going to change. I love you Jackie."

"I love you too," she assured him, giving a squeal of surprise as he lifted her up onto the table, knocking his plate and glass to the floor in the process. She giggled as she told him, "You're cleaning that."

"So demanding," he muttered against her skin, knowing that she'd soon forget all about the mess.

"You did it then," Mike remarked to Robbie the next night at the Christmas party.

"Yeah, wasn't that hard in the end," he replied easily.

Mike snorted in disbelief at that. "You keep telling yourself that."

"No date tonight?" Robbie shot back easily, even though they had a friendship of sorts now, they still occasionally resorted to taking cheap shots at the other. "Thought you were seeing that receptionist bird."

"It didn't work out," Mike admitted through gritted teeth.

"Pity," he smirked. "So no point in offering you a bit of this then?" He held out some mistletoe he'd acquired from somewhere.

"Why do you even have that with you?"

"Simple reasoning really, I have a girlfriend who's feeling extremely happy with me and is now thank to that punch bowl is pretty tipsy and giggly. Do the math, Mike."

"Good to see you've not completely changed," He replied, rolling his eyes in silent despair.

"Yeah well either way I'm not going to get anywhere standing here talking to you." He slapped him on his shoulder. "So, see ya."

Mike shook his head as he watched him go, feeling even more irritated when both Taggart and McVitie descended on him. Taggart glared over at Robbie and Jackie, watching as the former dangled the mistletoe over her head, drawing her into him. "Like a pair o bloody teenagers," he muttered.

"If this wasn't the Christmas party..." McVitie tailed off with an annoyed growl.

"I don't care what it is!" Taggart shot back. "They should keep that for when they're alone."

Mike shrugged, he honestly wasn't that bothered so long as Jackie was happy, although admittedly he wouldn't want to see it everyday. "Suppose that'll be easier for them when they move in together," he replied easily.

Taggart looked at him. "You mean to say they're actually planning to live together?"

"I believe that's what moving in together entails."

"Don't be so cheeky."

"Looks like this could be a permeanant arrangement then," Mcvitie commented.

"Aye, Jean's going to crow over this one for years," Taggart replied, shaking his head.