A/N: Just a little something from my latest theory based off Jackie's line about Brian having help picking out the ring and Michael's response in the episode "Wavelength." The title is from the song "You Don't Know Me" by Jann Arden: I thought the title worked for what I was trying to do here whilst the lyrics probably work more for M/J (but the lyrics aren't all that important). Anyways, hope you enjoy :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
You Don't Know Me
This was easily the hardest thing that Brian had ever had to do in his life: picking out an engagement ring for Jackie.
It should have been easy; in fact, it would have been easy had he not run into Michael.
Oh, Michael was being very helpful and it was very kind of him to help out. But nearly every ring that Brian would point to Michael would either shake his head or look at him like he was crazy.
"Keep it simple," seemed to have become Michael's mantra and Brian was beginning to wonder whether they would ever find something that Michael would approve of.
And, as irritating as it was, Brian knew that Michael had to approve of it. Otherwise he would feel like he'd failed some kind of test and would spend his life with Jackie wondering if he truly deserved her.
"That one," Michael said suddenly, pausing in front of a glass case in what felt like the millionth jeweller they had been to.
Brian came over to look at the ring Michael was pointing at. It was simple gold band with diamond chips in a flat setting.
Brian conceded that it was very nice but, truthfully, all the rings had started to look to same to him and he would personally have preferred something more ostentatious. Didn't all women want a large diamond? But he bowed to Michael's superior knowledge of Jackie and bought the ring.
Two days later, he proposed to Jackie.
He watched in agonised silence as she opened the small box and gazed at the ring. "I know it's not a huge diamond or a particularly fancy setting but Michael assured me that it would be perfect. In fact, he picked it so if you don't like it…" he began rambling when he could no longer stand her silence.
He stopped when she looked up at him, "Yes," she said and he smiled.
"Thank you."
…
It was only much later that what Brian had said actually sank in.
No wonder the ring hadn't been what she would have expected from Brian, he hadn't chosen it at all, Michael had.
In a way she should have known. Brian would have gone for the ostentatious setting or the biggest diamond, thinking in terms of what an engagement ring should look like rather than what she might want. Of course Michael would know her better.
The worst part of it was that the man who knew her so well and had put all the thought into buying her an engagement ring was not her fiancé.