"I'll just be a minute, Della," Alexandra said, practically whispering as she rushed into the office with Della right behind her. "Ruby said she'd leave it on my desk before she left and I want to make sure it's ready for Monday. Hamilton has court first thing in the morning."

Della smirked at her friend knowingly.

"And I thought I was dedicated…," she said with humor.

"You are," Alexandra insisted, just as amused.

The two young women stepped into Alexandra's office with Della hanging back by the door. Alexandra flipped on the light

They both fell silent as Alexandra rounded her desk. She opened a manila folder and began glancing over the handful of pages as she thumbed through them.

In the silence, they finally noticed voices and the sounds of doors and keys just around the corner.

Alexandra stopped and frowned at Della in confusion.

"I thought he left already. He doesn't usually work late on Friday," she whispered.

It was true. Even before she and Burger had begun dating, he had made it a point to leave on time on Fridays as often as possible. He could be a workaholic, but even he needed his own time.

"Waiting for Tragg since he knows we're out maybe?" Della whispered back.

Alexandra just shrugged and went back to looking over the documents. She nodded her head as the first page passed inspection and flipped it over to see the next.

The voices drew a bit nearer and confirmed that it was indeed Burger and Tragg lingering at the office.

"I'm not sure how to tell Alex that the Adams case has been postponed until October, Tragg," Burger said with a hint of frustration.

Alexandra stopped reading and looked up in the direction of Burger's voice. The wall of her office was between them and the two men were still around the corner in the other hallway so neither saw the other. As far as Alexandra knew, Burger had no clue she was back in the office. Still, voices carried in this place.

"Uh, didn't Alexandra reschedule the wedding for October the last time one of your cases got postponed?" Tragg asked.

Burger nodded.

"Yes. And now I get to tell her October won't work either. I'm beginning to wonder if I'll be going to my wedding or my funeral…," Burger chuckled at his own gallows humor.

Alexandra exchanged disappointed glances with Della as the sound of a door shutting around the corner and keys being turned filled the gap in the men's conversation.

Alexandra's shoulders slumped in weary resignation and she let out a frustrated sigh.

"Oh well, I wouldn't fret about it much if I were you. Alexandra has worked for you for a while and she knows how these things go. I'm sure she'll understand," Tragg reassured the younger man.

It sounded as if they hadn't moved. Any moment now, Alexandra had expected them to pass by her door. She motioned for Della to step all the way inside and close the door behind her and turn out the light.

She wasn't ready for Burger to know she'd heard that. Not until she had a plan of what to do about the wedding.

"I don't know what to tell her, Tragg" Burger continued. "This is just the nature of my profession. It would be so much easier to just marry her in the courthouse, but Alex already makes so many sacrifices for me and my job that I just can't bring myself to ask her to give up her big, white wedding."

He stopped and Alexandra bit her lip as she pondered her fiance's words. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Della watching her with concern and sympathy.

"I sense a 'but' coming," came Tragg's deep voice again.

Burger chuckled.

"And you would be right. But the truth is, I don't want a fancy wedding. Every time it gets postponed it means less time with her as my wife. I'm nearing 50. I just want to marry her already and take her home and start our life together."

The sincere feeling with which Burger brought tears to Alexandra's blue eyes and she swiped at them with her fingers.

"Perhaps you ought to tell her that, Hamilton," Tragg advised.

His voice was getting closer and Alexandra and Della kept still and silent as church mice in the dark office.

"Maybe I will. I need to think about it some more," Burger responded as the two men passed by Alexandra's office.

They heard the distinct sound of the outer door opening and closing.

Satisfied the men were headed home, Della flicked the lights back on, noticing Alexandra's tears.

"Are you alright?" Della asked softly.

Alexandra nodded as she dabbed at fresh tears.

"I'm a little disappointed," Alexandra admitted. "What woman wouldn't be? We all dream of our weddings. But… Hamilton is right. The marriage is the important thing. I'll just have to adjust the sails and be happy with a quick ceremony after work someday soon. I'll need to call on Monday and find out what dates and times are available. Anyway, Ruby did a great job on these documents so we can get out of here and get you home."

For the next few days, Alexandra pondered how to go about pleasing her husband to be with regards to their wedding predicament. Burger had yet to say anything about his own wants and had only mentioned the rescheduling of the Adam's case so she could adjust their wedding date accordingly.

This left her with an opening to suggest a courthouse wedding without revealing she had overheard him in the office.

Citing an errand she needed to run, Alexandra declined to meet him for lunch that Monday and rushed off to buy a card. Della had offered to call to find out the available dates and times for a civil ceremony so Alexandra didn't run the risk of being overheard by Burger.

With the information now in hand, Alexandra drafted her note and tucked it inside the card, leaving it in Burger's office for when he returned from lunch.

The District Attorney returned to his office to find the cheerful yellow envelope waiting for him. Immediately, he recognized Alexandra's neat, beautiful handwriting and smiled at the welcome, pleasant surprise. This was the way to come back to the office.

Sitting down, he tugged the card free and opened it, the little slip of paper with dates and times falling out onto his desk.

A perfect wedding doesn't make up for lost time so let's not lose anymore. Any day you pick will be the perfect day.

All my love,

Alexandra

Burger's smile widened happily as he picked up the note and studied the available dates and times.

A pin prick of guilt still stabbed at him that Alexandra was sacrificing her dream wedding, but he couldn't deny the warmth he felt at how she'd set that aside for the bigger picture.

For them as a couple.