Totally random ficlet. TR-verse (as I've more or less decided that's canon). Ergo, spoilers for Tabula Rasa, the Christmas ficlet that's on this page, and the Valentine's ficlet that's not done yet.
Altogether, I think that this stuff may wind up involved in a future story in the series, but I haven't linked it all yet.

She's sitting on one of the stone benches, flipping back and forth between two nearly-identical beaded A-line gowns, when she hears that low voice rasp, "Hey."

Glancing up, Lily's heart nearly stops. Out in the light of day, in jeans and a T-shirt, all blue...it's like going back in time. If not for his hair, hanging longer, nowhere near as impeccably groomed, she would say he looked exactly like the person he used to be.

Except without the guarded look around his eyes.

"Hey." She checks her watch. "Oh, shit -- I'm sorry, Lindsey. I didn't realize it was this late --"

"It's all right." He shrugs, glancing around at the trees, the sunlight. She realizes that he's also much paler than he used to be, and wonders how long it's been since he's been outside for more than a minute or two. "I heard you checked in at the desk earlier...sorry I wasn't ready yet. I was kind of indisposed."

She tries not to shiver -- she'd been told he was in for hypnosis, and she doesn't want to think about just what that might bring up.

And then she pauses, and can't help being suspicious. "Wait, they let you out by yourself?"

"They told me you were just across the street, and..." He snorts lightly, holding out one arm. "It's not like they can't find me."

Lily sees the locator chip, low-tech and gleamingly out-of-place in the wrist of the Swiss Army Hand. She isn't sure if she should be horrified or relieved.

"Dress shopping?" he asks suddenly, and her cheeks color, as she closes the bridal magazine and stuffs it in her bag.

"Something like that." She screws up her courage, and is finally able to tell him, "I'm getting married. Later this year."

Lindsey cracks a smile. "You know, I'd already guessed that from the engagement ring you've been wearing for three months."

She glances down at her hand; her color deepens. "Oh," she says feebly, sheepishly realizing it had been that long, wondering if in fact she would have brought the subject up otherwise.

She thinks she might have, after the wedding. Maybe.

He sits down and takes her hand for a closer look at the ring, careful as usual to do so with his left. "Congratulations. Anyone I knew?"

It takes her a while to answer, as it always does when he asks questions like this one. "Yes."

He studies her. "Judging from that face, I'd say not one of my admirers."

You have no idea. She decides to change the subject. "So, the weather lately, it's been really --"

"I had a dream about you," he says softly, running his thumb lightly over her knuckles.

Her mouth goes dry with something akin to panic. She can still vaguely remember having her own dreams, and knows very well what that means. She had been starting to think, or hope, that after five months, he was never going to have them.

She swallows tightly. "Oh, really?" she replies, willing her voice not to shake.

He nods, and she tries to avoid his eyes as they search her face for a reaction. "We were in this weird place. Underground, I think, but I don't know how I knew. Cavernous, but kind of like a construction site."

Lily knows the answer, but she has to ask. "Oh? What were we doing?"

This time he's the one who takes a lengthy silence. "I thought of showing you," he says finally, "but it's something I hope I wouldn't do to someone else's fiancee."

And to that, she can't quite respond.