Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to Fameanon (and Kuvak and L'Vek), Caren Rose (you're welcome! Thanks for reviewing), maba7x, and the anon reviewer for reviewing! You are all...*gets out thesaurus*...sensational!

A/N: I didn't intend for it to be this way, but this chapter is very Tawny/Kuvak heavy. Sorry if that bothers you.

Carter wrapped the coat tighter around himself and slipped into the alleyway, checking his PADD as he walked. He was two minutes late, and he knew the commander didn't like waiting on anything. Steam was rising from the gutters, condensing in the cool air and causing chills to move down Carter's neck. It was understandable that the commander chose a seedier side of town to meet, but the griminess and horrid smell was making him a little queasy.

He walked out of the last vestiges of light coming from the streetlamp behind him, and once he was veiled in darkness and his eyes adjusted, he heard a voice come out of the darkness in front of him.

"You're late," Gardner growled. "I'm not very patient, as you well know. I would suggest you stay on my good side tonight."

"Sorry, it's hard to get places on time when you're trying to keep a low profile! There were cops on 6th and-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses!" the commander hissed. "As for your obsession with the woman...don't bother, she's a mudlicker."

Carter winced, but he stood up straight. "If I could see her again, talk to her, I could convert her to the cause and-"

"Don't waste your breath," Gardner interrupted with a mirthless laugh. "She won't leave her precious worm. So, since you're a worthless worm and are easily disposable, here's your assignment."

A PADD slid to his feet out of the darkness, and he saw a figure straighten. He crouched and picked up the PADD, glancing over it.

"You want me to kill her?" Carter swallowed thickly. What a waste...she has the hottest body in San Fran...

"Read the instructions."

He obeyed, then swallowed again; his mouth had gone dry. "How do I get back into Command? Every person in there thinks my name is mud!"

"Your name is mud, Carter," Gardner growled. "Leave entry and exit to me. You focus on your job. I'm sure you can get all the materials and ingredients online? You haven't been mucking around on your alternate account, have you?"

Carter stiffened. "Of course not! I'm not some pervert!"

Gardner laughed, and it was sincere this time. "Yes you are! Stalker, pervert...fail at this and you're dead meat, you worm. As for the PADD...you know the drill."

He heard receding footsteps, and he sighed, tucking the PADD into his jacket, and he walked off into the misty, chilly night.

…

Kuvak watched as Emmie tied a scarf around L'Vek's neck, moving the knot close under his chin to keep him warm from the cold. Kuvak was glad he had looked up what sort of conditions they would be facing, and had brought some appropriate attire. He looked down and zipped up his jacket over his work suit (under which was a few more layers of clothes), and he got the zipper up about halfway when a small, feminine hand stopped him.

He glanced up, and he could feel his expression soften at the sight of Tawny standing before him, holding up her scarf. He was about to protest, to insist that she stay warm, but she wrapped it around his neck and knotted it tight so it would not come off, and he looked down at the red and black checkered piece of warm fabric, then at her. She smiled, then handed him some mittens. She shoved her hands into her pockets as he reluctantly took them from her, and he realized that the mittens were also hers.

Before he could protest, she walked away and struck up a conversation with Emmie, though she did glance back at him and smile, and he felt a lurch in his gut and a strange buzzing in his ears.

She sacrificed to keep you warm, the beast inside his chest whispered, opening one eye and sniffing the air at Tawny's actions, are you sure you should be letting her simply walk away?

He shook his head of the thought and turned his attention back to Emmie and L'Vek. The former was putting a hat on his cousin's head, and the Egyptian woman sighed.

"It's a shame we have to cover those ears," she murmured. "However, it's for the best. It's cold out there, and we need you to stay warm." She winked and pulled the woolen cap down over L'Vek's ears, and he stroked two fingers down his intended's cheek, and Tawny giggled, but Emmie smiled and leaned into his cousin's touch. It was the first time Kuvak had seen how they interacted with each other, and the sight warmed his heart. Emmie was comfortable around his cousin, freely affectionate, and mindful of his needs. All good qualities to see in a mate, and Kuvak was pleased his cousin had found such a woman.

Kuvak's eyes found Tawny, who was also watching their exchange, and the blonde glanced at him, deep longing in her eyes, and sadness, and he couldn't help but wonder why she felt sad. Emmie tugged a hat over her hair (which she had pulled back into a long braid), and they were finally ready to go out.

The chill behind the door hit Kuvak like the scratching of a sehlat's claws along his neck and arms, but Tawny's scarf and mittens helped insulate his body against the cold. He had had the foresight to bring a hat and a heavy coat, and he was grateful for them.

Emmie and L'Vek led the way as they traipsed over the snow-covered ground towards the woods, and Kuvak observed the pure white powder beneath his boots with fascination. It yielded to his weight with a slight crunching sound, but the world around him was freezing cold, and the chill made the air clearer. He could see further than the rainy, foggy air in San Francisco, and for miles around, they were surrounded by slopes and woodland.

He glanced up at the steel-gray sky with uncertainty, but he let his gaze fall back to Earth when he heard Tawny's voice close at hand.

"I-It's probably going to sn-snow soon. P-Perhaps within an hour," she murmured, and he felt his lips part slightly as he gazed at her. Curling and waving out from under the brim of her hat were long locks of golden hair, reaching down to the top of her shoulder blades. A puff of steam rose from his mouth as he imagined twining his fingers through those locks, but he turned his attention to the path.

"It is aesthetically pleasing," he breathed, gazing out over the landscape of muted colors and barren shapes. Winter gripped the land here, hushing the world, casting the abundant life in the area into a deep sleep, or so his studies of the temperate and tundra regions of Earth told him.

Kuvak noticed that Emmie and L'Vek were deep in conversation, their tones hushed, and Emmie giggled. She glanced back at them, and then the two of them quickened their pace, headed for the treeline.

Tawny stopped and watched, frowning, and her eyes suddenly flooded with comprehension. Kuvak saw Emmie crouching at the treeline, and she scooped some snow in her hand and formed it into a ball. Apparently Tawny saw it as well, and thus grabbed his hand and took off running with him away from Emmie's attack. Kuvak felt something whiz past his ear, and he saw a ball of snow splatter onto the ground in front of them.

His heart was racing by the time they skidded to a stop at the treeline, and he noticed Tawny had not let go of his hand. He wandered about this until she turned around and pressed a finger to her lips, the human signal for silence.

She bent down, her eyes focused on Emmie's last known position, and Kuvak listened as well, understanding that this was some sort of combat game. He had not had to do anything of this sort before, and he added yet another novel experience to his list of things he had done since coming to this planet and meeting Emmie and Tawny.

As silent as a sehlat on the prowl, Tawny began to move deeper into the woods, and Kuvak assumed she would try to circle around and flank Emmie and L'Vek. He assumed those two were working together, and it only made sense that he and Tawny become a team. She led him still deeper until they were into a patch of bushes and underbrush, and she stopped there.

"I-I'm going to circle around...and f-find out where they are...st-stay here..."

He watched her go, but he could hardly hear her. Within thirty seconds, she was out of his sight, and as silence descended again in the cold, snow-muted woods, he realized he could hear Emmie's laughter in the distance, and it seemed Tawny's job was going to be easier than he thought, especially with her apparent skill at moving quickly and quietly. He settled down into the bushes, deciding to trust her, and a strange dichotomy of the calm of the woods in winter and the excitement of knowing that L'Vek and Emmie could attack at any moment settled over him. Maybe Emmie was just a distraction, and L'Vek was creeping around, doing the same as Tawny, and if so, he had best be armed.

He remembered Emmie's actions and gathered some snow, packing it tightly into a ball. Deciding that wasn't enough, he continued making them until he had a sizable pile ready to deploy if necessary. He was so absorbed in his work that he forgot momentarily about Tawny and her mission, and he didn't realize someone was watching him.

…

Tawny moved quickly and quietly through the woods the way she had taught herself when she was younger. There was a five-mile spread of trees outside her first foster home, and she often sneaked out her window during the day and headed for the treeline. She had spent countless hours in those woods, learning its secrets, using it as a fortress against the things that waited for her back at "home". She had learned all on her own how to move quickly and quietly, thinking it a good skill should she need to hide from something (or someone). Using those skills, she quickly moved from tree to tree, stepping lightly, going slowly but steadily, not letting haste give away her advantage. Another lesson she had learned...she had been able to track deer for two hours or more, sneaking ever so quietly behind them, not to hunt them, but to learn more about them. She knew those woods inside and out, having read more about survival in temperate forest areas so she wouldn't lose her head should she get lost, and it became her sanctuary, her hiding place.

The snow muffled her approach, and she slowly crept closer. Emmie was in her sight now, as was L'Vek, and she realized they were fighting each other, having abandoned her and Kuvak in favor of playing alone. She smiled and silently retreated, the sight of Emmie laughing and L'Vek holding his position behind a boulder giving her an idea, and she backtracked as quietly as she could, going even slower this time.

Once she was near Kuvak's position, she paused and slowed her pace, not wanting him to hear her come around. L'Vek was distracted, Kuvak was not. He was waiting expectantly for her to come back and report to him, but she decided to take a different route with this game.

She crept around behind him, the gathering clouds making the world fade into dull shades of white, gray and brown, and she was grateful she had chosen to wear a white matte heavy jacket, as it blended in with the patches of white where the trees were thinner and snow had fallen on the leaf-covered ground.

Kuvak was watching where she had disappeared ten minutes ago, not knowing he was being stalked. The thought made something clench deep inside her, and she felt sudden wetness at the apex of her thighs. She paused to ponder it, but then continued on, deciding to investigate later. She had a mission, and didn't have time to wonder why she suddenly felt so good, so...

She couldn't explain it. She didn't have time to explain it to herself. She crouched down behind a bush a little ways away from him, and seeing that he still had his back to her, she began making a stash of snowballs.

Taking one in hand (her body was tensed from the adrenaline she felt), she stood up slowly, not wanting to alert him, and right as he turned around, she launched it at him, grinning as it hit him square in the chest.

"E-Emmie and L'Vek are fighting each other," she called, and his eyes flooded with comprehension. "Shall we?"

Before he could reply, she launched another snowball at him, and he dodged this one, leaping over the underbrush and taking a more defensible position behind a tree. They were on a slope and he had the upper ground, but she would not let that deter her. She had the talent to move without him knowing, but the adrenaline in her blood was making it hard to be patient. This game had taken on a new dimension, and it was sending pleasurable flames to every nerve ending in her body.

She gathered her snowballs, cradled them in her heavy jacket, and prepared to move.

…

Kuvak growled softly as he dodged her projectile and leaped behind the underbrush, and he crouched down, quickly making a few snowballs to take with him. He saw her move to the right, and he followed, keeping her in sight, and even when he lost sight of her, he was still able to track her. He knew which direction she lay, and it wasn't until he stopped and pondered that fact that he realized he was tracking her by scent.

That realization took him to a screeching halt behind a large tree, and he leaned against it and pondered it further. Indeed, the scent of her was swirling around in his nose even now, and he tilted his head, trying to find out the reason. It was spicy...more heated than her usual scent...this deduction made the beast in his chest growl, and Kuvak quirked an eyebrow, his eyes widening, and he didn't dare hope that she was...was she really aroused?

The very thought made fire prick his blood, but he took a deep breath (and subsequently closed his eyes as his nose was assaulted with another wave of her aroma) and focused on the task at hand. He crouched low, sniffing her out, and then he heard a snapping twig behind him and twirled around, straightening his stance as he turned.

She was on him before he could react, and the force of her tackle sent them both hurtling toward the ground. He automatically wrapped his arms around her and used his arms as a cradle in case she felt first, but thankfully he was the one on his back when they landed in the wet, snow-dusted leaves, and her head thudded into his chest.

He paused a moment to suppress the pain and catch his breath, and his blood was pounding in his ears. She had stalked him, had taken him off guard...had tackled him. He was instantaneously reminded of the behavior a male was likely to partake in when hunting down his mate in the caves...the rituals of pon farr...this game with her had been thrilling, but as she raised her head and looked down at him with a mixture of shame, concern and (he couldn't believe it) arousal, he knew the game had taken on an entirely different meaning. It had taken on a primal feel, and the simplicity, the beauty of how basic it was, made his blood roar to life. She was on top of him, he was under her. As she straightened herself out, her legs slipped so she was straddling him, and as she laid prone over him, he closed his eyes and breathed in. Her scent washed over him, and he tried his best to control the stirrings of passion in his blood, in his groin.

"A-Are y-you ok?" Tawny sputtered, her eyes filling with shame.

"I am uninjured. And you?"

She shook her head. "I-I'm ok..."

He sighed in relief, but a tense silence fell over them as the reality of the situation (and the countless possibilities for what he could do next) came crashing back to him. She stared down at him with longing, and he could not muster a kind expression. He could only stare at her, a growing hunger gnawing at his insides, and he was sure that was translated in his heated gaze.

Her eyes grew dark again, and he knew from borrowing L'Vek's biological texts that the dilation of her pupils most likely meant that she was aroused. That would explain the strong, spicy (enticing) scent that lingered on her. She seemed to be deliberating about something, and his breath hitched in his throat as she leaned down.

The ground beneath his back was hard and wet with leaves, and the air around them was frigid (he supposed he was probably flushing green by now), but he did not understand the true nature of cold until that moment when her lips touched his forehead. Her lips were chill, but the breath that she exhaled onto his skin was warm. Her light and tentative kiss seemed so cold it burned, and it was like some fiery benediction as she kissed first his forehead, then his right cheek, the end of his nose, and his right cheek. But it was something else entirely when she kissed his mouth.

Her kiss was painfully brief, but it was enough to send an electric spark to every nerve ending in his body. The beast raised its head and sniffed, begging his hands to caress her face, to pull her back down for more, but the rational side reminded him that this woman was worth waiting for, so he mustn't push. It would only push her away, and he could not bear it if he did that...

She looked embarrassed, almost mortified, and the beast, for once, saved him. She needs reassurance. Reassure her. Tell her you enjoyed it...tell her you want more.

"Tawny," he whispered, his voice coming out in a dark and husky tone. "Tawny, that was..."

He took off his mitten, raised his hand and caressed her cheek, letting his thumb trail to her lips so he could caress them as well. They felt like frozen petals beneath the pad of his thumb, and her lips parted as he touched them. He spoke through his touch, not finding words sufficient for what he was experiencing. She closed her eyes, and her jaw dropped further still, and when he saw her eyes open a sliver, he was astounded (and aroused) to see very dark pupils hooded by her pale lids.

"Tawny," he breathed again, half-wishing her tongue would swipe across his thumb. What a delightful sensation that would be, he thought, and another shock of electricity shot through him at the notion.

He ripped his hand from her face and she clamored to her feet when they heard L'Vek and Emmie calling their names. He stood quickly and offered her his hand, and she took it. He hauled her to her feet and quickly brushed her off, and she returned the favor, brushing the snow and decaying plant matter from his hair and coat. He put his mitten back on and gestured toward where L'Vek and Emmie's voices were ringing out in the frozen air, and as he walked back with her to the cabin, he felt no chill.