Prompt: Presentation
Rating: K+

Happy Birthday, Prawn Crackers! x

He'd faced some challenges in his life, mostly those created as a result in his choice of career, but as Captain Hilary Becker stood in the otherwise empty room, he suspected that the greatest challenge he'd faced so far was the one right in front of him.

Or, really, around him.

The baby's room.

He didn't regret offering to take over where the decorating was concerned; the relief Jess felt at not having the pressure of having to make all of the decisions was visible and he was willing to do anything if it meant his pregnant wife could avoid any amount of unnecessary stress.

But…

It was a big undertaking. Bigger than he'd thought. It was only when he was standing in the room, staring at the wallpaper samples he'd stuck to the wall and the little patches of colour he'd painted above and beneath them that he realised just how big – how important – every single decision he made would be.

This was their baby's room; their first baby's first room.

It had to be perfect.

Oh, the kid in all likelihood would never remember what the nursery décor was like but he and Jess would. And he knew his wife, remembered the way she'd spent hours planning and preparing for decorating the other rooms in the house, insisting that everything had to be just right and nothing could be left unfinished or tackled half-heartedly.

Her perfectionist nature had paid off when it came to the rest of the house; it was a perfect combination of both of their likes and interests, and somehow even more of a home than the flat they'd shared at the beginning of their relationship. It was for that reason that Becker was determined to make sure the baby's room was just as perfect, fitting in with the rest of the house – their family home.

The other members of the team, once they'd learned he'd volunteered to take on the project himself, had offered him their help. He'd declined at the time but was now wondering if maybe he should have accepted – at least when it came to the actual decorating; he wanted to make the decision himself.

With a sigh, Becker narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. He reached out and took all but one sample of wallpaper down, trying to visualise what the entire room would look like with his chosen scheme.

It would work, he decided. And if he combined the wallpaper border with two complimentary shades of paint, both light and gender neutral then…

A grin curved the corners of his mouth and he reached for his mobile phone, scrolling through the contacts until he found the name he was looking for.

"Hey, Mate. You still up for painting and decorating next weekend?"

At Becker's request, Emily and Abby whisked Jess away for a day of fun and frivolity – and, to his credit, he didn't even flinch when his female teammates teased him about encouraging Jess to use the bank card linked to their joined account to treat herself to something pretty. He just smiled as Jess protested, stole a quick kiss and told her to enjoy herself.

Matt and Connor took the teasing of their other halves to the next level as they got to work on the nursery, bantering back and forth about how many shoes Jess would come back with – not many, Becker thought privately, since she was already complaining her feet were beginning to swell.

He was willing to put up with the teasing if it meant they'd help him get the room finished in time for Jess coming home.

They spent the morning painting, wanting to give it a chance to dry even though the brand he'd chosen boasted that it would take no more than four hours for it to be completely dry and ready for the border he'd chosen to be applied. After the painting was done, they took a break and popped to the pub around the corner for a quick pint and sandwich – at Matt and Connor's insisted, the latter of whom liked to tease that they were getting started early on wetting the baby's head.

By mid-afternoon, they were back, putting up the jungle themed wallpaper he'd chosen. Well, Matt and Becker were putting it up; Connor stood back and gave them pointers on how to get it perfectly straight. After the border was in place, they applied a fresh coat of gloss paint to the skirting boards and, job well done, retreated to the living room for another beer before the ladies returned.

Connor and Matt, having been briefed by Becker on his wish to show Jess the nursery without an audience, were ready and waiting when the girls arrived at the Becker household. Ignoring Abby and Emily's protests, they ushered their other halves out of the door almost the moment they stepped inside.

"That was… not very subtle," Jess told Becker after greeting him with a kiss, amusement colouring her voice even as she stifled a yawn. "Did you get finished?"

"Yep." Unwilling to let her go so quickly, Becker tightened his arms around her when she went to pull back. "Did you have a good day?"

"Good but tiring." She smiled softly and looped her arms around his neck. "And don't worry, we're not going to be bankrupt any time soon. I didn't actually buy anything."

He arched an eyebrow at that. "I told you to treat yourself."

"Nothing caught my eye," she admitted with a shrug. "Oh, there were some cute pieces of furniture and some toys I liked for the baby but I wanted to wait until we were together to get them."

"Good thinking." He held her for a few moments more, enjoying the sense of peace and quiet that had descended over the house. "If you're not too tired, we can go and see the nursery."

Immediately, Jess perked up, her smile bright and excited. "I'm definitely not too tired for that. I've been dying to see it all day."

Becker grinned at her enthusiasm and let his arms drop from her middle only to offer her his hand instead. "Then come this way, Mrs Becker."

She laughed and took hold of his hand eagerly. "Why thank you, Captain."

They walked hand-in-hand up to the top floor of the house, the smell of paint growing stronger with every floor.

"I've opened the window so hopefully the smell of fresh paint will fade soon," he told her apologetically as they came to a stop outside of the door to the nursery.

"It's okay. I quite like it." She smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for doing this."

"You haven't seen it yet." Fighting a wave of nervousness, Becker opened the door and let her precede him into the room.

For several moments, Jess stood in the centre of the room in silence, taking it all in. Three of the walls were a pale yellow, one of them a pale green. The border was jungle themed and split the walls in half on the pale yellow walls and on the green wall, instead of the border, were larger jungle themed stickers arranged almost in a collage.

As she turned in a circle, she saw a giraffe height chart already affixed to the back of the door, her eyes welling up as she realised that one day they'd be able to use it to keep track of how the little life inside her continued to grow.

"Do you like it?" His voice was quiet, nervous and hopeful at the same time.

Jess turned to face him slowly, her smile watery as she approached to wrap her arms around him. "I love it," she murmured quietly, lifting her head to give him a lingering kiss. "It's perfect, Hil. Thank you."

Becker sighed with notable relief as he wrapped his own arms around her, cradling his wife and their unborn child close.

Continued in 'Suggestions'