Forever Weekend (Jakki Oneshot)

2020
Nikki was with Matt, but for some reason, that night, and for a handful of nights throughout the past few years, found herself staring at the edited date in her diary, savouring the words on the page.

2024
Friday, their last day at work before their wedding on Saturday, then to Heathrow on Sunday, where they were heading to Florence, in Italy, for 2 weeks for their honeymoon.

Nikki, as always, was already eagerly sitting in the meeting room before anyone else ready for their daily briefing, primed to begin their last day with different last names before coming back, with a shared one.

She had organised herself and her belongings out on the table, pen, notebook, phone, especially her diary, which she opened to the current week’s page, carefully situated a little too far to her right but not too far it would particularly await questions, in the hope it would ’unintentionally’ catch eye of her husband to-be.

She'd never forget the day they were in the gallery, she was scrolling through some emails on her phone and caught him writing something in her diary. What had read ‘Matt for weekend’, now read ‘JACK forEVER weekend’.

Since the day she finally came to her senses and recognised her feelings for her colleague, she had secretly been waiting for this weekend. Perhaps she's waited some time longer, subconsciously, she wasn't one for keeping things that didn't have a need or purpose, so always questioned why she kept that old diary from a few years ago.

Velvy and Cara had now come in and situated themselves on the opposite side of the table, Cara signing to her soon-to-be aunt, asking how excited she was to not be Alexander by the end of the week. She had been having signing ‘lessons’ from the young girl, which had seen her improve every day, now answering her quicker and more confidently than a few weeks before, impressing even Velvy.

The rest of the Lyell gang came in together greeting with a smile before Gabriel readied the computer and screens for the briefing, the two detectives found a seat and Jack, of course, sitting beside the soon-to-be Mrs Hodgson. As they waited patiently, Jack sat watching the beautiful woman next to him with pride and happiness beaming on his face. He couldn't help it, he was in love with her. He noticed the diary on the table and the words written on Saturday's date. How could she have possibly found a way for him to love her even more. He gave her a small playful poke on the arm, now her gaze was on him as he pointed to the diary pages with his pen, smiles now radiating on both their faces as they looked lovingly into each other's eyes. ‘JACK forEVER weekend’. This time, it was true, Jack was going to be hers forever this weekend.

‘What are you two grinning about?’ one of the DCIs asked

‘Nothing’ they both said in unison, both knowing, it would never be nothing.