Inspired by my parents engagement.

DISCLAIMER: None of what you recognise belongs to me - I wish it did but sadly it doesn't. Silent Witness, and all characters and storylines that you recognise from the show, all belong to the BBC. I can only take credit for story lines and characters which you do not recognise from the show.

Harry

9 months, 6 days, 14 hours and 28 minutes ago, the clock struck midnight and the date changed from December 31 2012 to January 1 2013.

9 months, 6 days, 14 hours and 28 minutes ago, you asked Nikki Alexander to be your girlfriend.

9 months, 6 days, 14 hours and 27 minutes ago, Nikki Alexander said yes.

8 months, 6 days, 14 hours and 26 minutes ago, you told her you loved her.

Right now? You plan on proposing to her.

You know that no matter how you ask her - whether you buy the perfect ring and plan every second of the moment, or ask on a whim in the middle of a post mortem - she will say yes. There's no reason why she wouldn't. Despite that, you want it to be perfect - both planned and spontaneous - you want it to be something that she won't see coming but something that you would do.

"I..." You start, as you take the pen from her hand. "...am taking you out to lunch."

"Are you now? And what if I say that I've already eaten."

You look at her accusingly. "I've been sat here watching you all day and I know for a fact that the furthest you've gone is the coffee machine."

"Can I at least sign this report before we go?" You nod and once the report has been signed and put on Leo's desk, once she's put on her coat and you've slipped her hand into yours, you pull her out of the lab and into your car.

You know she expects you to take her to the little family run sandwich shop round the corner - which you frequent every lunch - but today you have other ideas. You take her to Wagamamas which you know she only treats herself to once a month, but you figure that a change in your relationship status means that she treat her self to it once more this month. It doesn't hurt that the closest restaurant to the lab also happens to be next door to her favourite jewellery shop. Pulling her into the restaurant, you order her usual of yaki soba while you order a chicken itame for yourself, and a bottle of wine to share. She tries to protest to the wine, arguing that you're both technically still working - and while she does have a valid point, you ignore her.

Over lunch, you laugh and you joke with her, leaving her no idea as to what you plan on doing next. Once food has been eaten and the wine has been drunk, you pay the bill and once again take her hand. Stepping outside, she automatically starts walking left back towards the car to go back to work, but you - with your hand still in hers - turn right and pull her with you. You say nothing to answer her many questions of "Where are we going?" and "What are you doing?" as you pull her past the windows of the restaurant and into the jewellery store you know she loves.

Smiling at her confusion, you pull her over to the counter and say to the attendant "Can you show us the engagement rings please?" Once the cashier has disappeared into the stock room, you turn to look at her face, your smile growing as the realisation spreads across her face.

In your peripheral vision, you see the attendant come back into the main area of the shop and place three velvet boxes in front of you and open them all. Leaving you in private to chose a ring, she wanders to the other side of the shop to help another customer as you whisper to her: "Your choice."

"Are you proposing to me?" You don't speak, but you know she knows your answer as she considers your grin before flinging her arms around your neck and chanting "Yes!" in your ear, over and over again.

Nikki

As soon as you return to work you pull Harry into Leo's office so you can tell him your good news.

"Harry proposed and I said yes." You squeal at the older man, hoping he will be happy for you both and not too angry that this is the first he has heard that you're an item.

"He proposed? When did he ask you out!?" You could tell that Leo was confused and you couldn't help but feel bad that you hadn't told him about the two of you sooner.

"At the last new years party," Your grin is infectious as a similar one appears on Leo's face. "I say he proposed, he just dragged me into a jewellery shop and told me to chose an engagement ring."

"Well, I guess congratulations are in order then." He says as he gets up to kiss you on the cheek and shake your fiancé's hand.