She wakes up, and it is bitterly cold. She looks around at her surroundings, she begins to recall that she is in a cabin in the woods, with her partner, tracking down a lead. If ever there was one, this was a wild goose chase. She lies on the couch with feet next to her face. She scrunches up her face, and pulls the blanket off her partner. She startles him. He sits up and looks at her.
"What did you do that for?"
"It's cold."
"When did we fall asleep?"
She looks at the T.V., and then at her watch, "We started watching this movie at nine, and it's one now."
"So, about three hours?" he answers.
"Yes," she nods.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"The fire is out."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Get more firewood."
"It's freezing out there."
"It's freezing in here," she counters.
"Ok, I'll go outside and get more wood," he huffs. He slips his shoes back on, and leaves the room. He wanders to the door. He looks outside, and then turns around.
"Go!" she insists.
"We've got a problem."
"What's that?" she questions.
"You know how it started snowing a few hours before we fell asleep?"
"Yes."
"It has now snowed so much that I can't open the door."
"You have got to be kidding."
"Even if I could get out, I don't know how to get to the wood."
"Why didn't you bring some extra in?"
"Why didn't you?"
"What are we going to do?" she asks.
"I have an idea, but you're not going to like it."
"I know how your mind works, and you should know, sometimes you're wrong."
"You don't even know what my idea is."
"I'm going to guess that it doesn't involve more layers of clothing."
"You are correct."
"You're so predictable."
"Couldn't you bend to my whim, just once?"
"Is that what you really want?"
"More than anything," he admits.
"Ok." Her eyes sparkle, in the dark room. The only light in the room, is that coming from the T.V. He wonders if the sparkle is from the light of the T.V. reflecting off her, or if it's really a sparkle. She smirks, and vacates the couch. She walks over to him, and unzips his coat. She takes it off of him. He searches his eyes for an answer.
"Boots too," she demands.
He slips out of the boots. She stands centimeters from him. She smiles, and laughs. Suddenly she pulls off her sweater. Underneath she wears a t-shirt, but he gets the message. She looks up at him, daring him.
"Stripping doesn't help much unless we..."
She whispers, "Unless we create some heat," into his ear.
"Right," he nods. He looks at her for a moment.
"Go ahead," she tells him.
He carefully removes her necklace, and places it on the coffee table. He returns to her. She loosens his ties. She throws it aside. She carefully un-tucks his dress shirt, and begins to unbutton it.
"It's cold," she reminds him as he sheds his shirt.
"Right," he understands.
Their hands move quickly, yet gracefully as they undress. Within a few seconds they are down to their undergarments. He places his hand on the back of her neck, he pulls her into a kiss. Both realize they will not make it to the bedroom. She pulls him towards her. He pushes her to the couch.
"Are you sure about this?" he questions, nearly breathless, as he straddles her.
"Yes," she answers.
He unclasps her bra.
"That's not your knee," she teases.
When she wakes up she's lying on top of him. Her head rests on his bare chest. A blanket covers the two of them. She lies still, listening to his heart beat. Suddenly it quickens. She feels his arms tighten around her.
"I'm not going anywhere," she tells him.
He loosens his grip. She doesn't say anything, hoping not to ruin the moment. He just stares at her. "At least now, we're warm."
"Much better," she agrees.
"Good."
"I have a confession to make," she admits.
"What's that?"
"I noticed a thermostat earlier."
"What do you mean?"
"There is a furnace too," she reveals.
"Yeah, I know. What are the odd of there being a fire place, and a furnace?"
"I guess it doesn't matter, does it?"
"We should probably turn the furnace on, so the pipes don't freeze," he suggests.
"We could take a hot shower."
"It can wait."
"Are you sure?"
"I don't want to move."
"Can you breathe?"
"I'm fine," he smiles, "More than fine."
"I also knew it would be too snowy to get more firewood," she admits.
"You set me up? If I didn't know better I would think that you had this planned, all along."
"What would make you think that?"
"I noticed that you didn't pack any pajamas."
"Neither did you," she points out.
"I guess we both had ideas on how this should go."
"I guess so."
"Do you think we can stay here, just like this, for the rest of the day?"
"We are snowed in."
"Do you think Gibbs will accept that excuse?"
"Do you think that Gibbs sent up here, expecting that there would be no heat?"
"Judging from his track record, he knew that there would be heat," Tony replies.
