After rewriting it four times or so, this is what it is. Let me know what you think. ;-)


Deja blew her candles out and, grinning from ear to ear, looked up at Grisha. "I told you this was the best birthday ever."

He shook his head, softly squeezing her shoulders. "You still have until midnight."

"It's been so perfect, I don't think anything can top everything we've done today."

How he hoped there was something that would. He'd been meticulously planning the rest of their evening for almost two weeks, toying with ideas, and with the things he wanted to say to her. It was a good thing he'd packed that ring after all. London was their do-over. And if things were going the way he hoped they would, it would be special to them for the rest of their lives.

After they had found their way back to each other, he'd decided that he was going to propose after all. And what better place to have for a proposal than London, the city she was from. Nanna had helped him plan in secret, during moments she was in the shower or on the phone, or during the time she was sleeping. And he hoped that all his planning would pay off.

Alistair was watching him from across the table and leaned over to his wife. "Does something seem off about Grisha to you?" he quietly informed.

Maria sipped her champagne, trying to figure out if she could see something. "I don't know. A bit nervous, maybe, in the beginning of the evening, but I'm sure it has everything to do with him surprising her with all of us." Tilting her head back at her husband, she pulled a shoulder up. "Why do you ask?"

"Just a feeling." Turning to his mother, he tried again. "Mother, do you sense something of about Grisha too?"

Nanna took the offered plate of cake from Daisy and set it on the table before answering. "In what way of, my dear?"

"He seems a bit ill at ease to me," Alistair clarified.

Nanna pierced her fork through the raspberry and white chocolate mousse cake. "Mmm. I'm sure it's just birthday jitters and having the whole family together. It can be a bit overwhelming when you've grown up with only your mother."

"Right." Alistair didn't seem convinced but he didn't press the matter. After all, his mother and wife were better at reading people, so surely he was just seeing things?

An hour and half later, the party was breaking up and they were saying goodbye to everyone. Deja pressed a kiss to her niece's cheek. "Oh, it's been too long. We'll try and visit more often, but you should come by LA, too, sometime."

Daisy hoisted her youngest, sleeping, son up her shoulder and offered a hug. "We should. Maybe when Collin has his Christmas break next time? Or are you going to be off for Christmas?"

"I don't know yet," Dee said. "If you want to come and visit, let us know, and we'll arrange something. It would be bloody brilliant if you could." She affectionately ruffled through little Harry's hair. "See you next time, little one."

Grisha bend over Nanna. "Have you heard from Nigel?"

She nodded. "They'll let you in on the east side. Be careful and good luck."

"Thank you." He squeezed her hand. "You're the best, Nanna."

With that, he waved goodbye and opened the car door for Deja. "Come on birthday girl, it's getting late."

"But we have until midnight."

"I know." He ushered her into the cab. Nanna had lent them her own driver for the evening, giving Christophe a detailed itinerary so Grisha didn't have to tell him anything and clue Dee in.

Dee nestled into his side as the car pulled away from the curb. She let out a sigh, completely satisfied with how her first birthday in England in years, had planned out. "How did you get reservations? The place is booked months in advance."

He smirked. "I have Hetty."

"That does explain everything." Her lips pulled into a smile. "Remind me to say thank you when we get back."

"So you enjoyed it?" The nervous knot in his stomach was growing with each passing minute and he absentmindedly traced circles on her arm.

"Oh, it was fabulous."

Her accent was going to be the death of him, eventually, but right now, he was trying to swallow passed the lump in his throat. Letting out his breath, he flexed the muscles in his free hand as they inched closer to their destination. Deja didn't seem to notice anything as she babbled on about her birthday dinner and it was until their car stopped, that she finally noticed that something wasn't quite right. Sitting up, she looked around, her brows knotted. "Christophe, we're nowhere near home yet." Her confusion only grew when Grisha got out and held out his hand to her. "Babe? What's going on?"

"Come on. Like you said, your birthday isn't over until midnight."

She hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Don't you think you've spoiled me enough already?"

"You haven't had your present yet."

More confusion as she followed him. "You packed the entire day with surprises. And as you know, I don't care for things."

"I know."

Without warning, the gates to Kensington Gardens opened and Deja's eyebrows rose to her hairline. Grisha on the other hand, unnoticed by her, let his breath out. Good, getting in was taken care of. "Thank you, Nigel."

"My pleasure, Mr. Callen. Miss Barrow." Nigel tipped his hat and disappeared back into the darkness, having closed the gate behind them.

"Grisha? What's all this?"

"This," he answered, "is Kensington Gardens after hours."

Looking around, Deja bit her lip. "Your mother has friends in the most extraordinary places."

He laughed. "My mother once ruled Nicaragua for 72 hours, but she's not the one who helped me pull this off."

"Okay." Deja admired the tranquility of the moment, looking up at the stars and searching for lights in the distance. "What are we doing here?"

"You'll see." He squeezed the hand holding his. "Just walk with me for a while, okay?" The longer they walked, admiring the sights, the less nervous he felt. The knot in his stomach lessened, and his hands lost their clamminess. His breathing regulated and his heartbeat finally resembled a normal rate again. Things would be fine. Surely she'd say yes?

Finally, feeling her shiver beside him in the cooler air, he stopped and shrugged off his jacket. Wrapping it around her shoulders, he smiled. "Are you cold?"

Dee shook her head. "Cold is a big word. It's chilly in comparison to this afternoon."

"Just a little longer." He wrapped his arm around her and they walked on.

When the first few notes hit them from around the corner, Deja's eyes grew wide. "What is that?"

"Music."

"No kidding." She rolled her eyes and stopped to listen. "Are they playing Ms. Ella?" Deja let go of him and went closer to where the sound came from. Rounding a corner, she found the bandstand and the three musicians under it.

Grisha joined her and held his hand out. "Dance with me?"

"Always." Her body melted into his as she hummed along to Ella Fitzgerald's Love you madly.

Grisha let out a breath out he didn't know he was holding. The blue velvet box in his pocket felt heavy, somehow, but she was so worth the effort. Two songs later, he pulled her in the direction of the pond. Dee eyed the lit torches and candles and an inkling of something crept up her spine. Surely he wasn't going to…

The pond a few yards away, Grisha finally stopped and turned to her, grasping her hands. The music was still playing and that combined with the lights made that Dee felt she was in a bubble. At last, Grisha started to speak. "So, I know this is your birthday, and I've been thinking about what to get you as a present. But since you care more for experiences than you do for things, it was a tricky one. The fact that you always tell me you have everything you need did not make it any easier."

Dee chewed on her lower lip, grasping his hands just a little bit tighter.

"So I thought that I could give you something that you don't necessarily need but that I'm hoping you'll want." He gulped, taking a deep breath, looking away from her. When he locked eyes again with her, he continued. "I love you. And I never thought I would say that to anyone with as much conviction as I'm saying it to you, because I've been afraid of love my whole life. But since you came into my life, you've brought sunshine and light, and you made me trust again. I love your quirkiness, and your cooking and the way you kiss me goodbye in the morning, and tell me to make it back to you. I love you for the way you make my life easier, and you make me a better man and person everyday, simply for who you are. You sneaked into my heart, and even though it hasn't been easy the past few months, you're still here, and you still choose to love me, and I'm grateful beyond words. In every other life I might have after this, I will search for you, and find you, and love you all the same, because you complete me, and I can't imagine life without you anymore."

He let go of her hands, reached into his pocket for the ring and sank on one knee. Deja wiped a tear from her cheek and shook her head at him. Opening the box, he revealed the three stone round cut diamond ring in a bezel setting he had picked with such care. "Deja Jade Barrow, will you do me the greatest honor in the world and marry me?"

Deja had only one way of answering that question. "Yes."