WARNING! This is a long, fluffy, and romance filled Gill/Noah weekend chapter. If you don't want to experience the weekend magic, at least read the first few paragraphs as they become important in future chapters.

The rating is T+. Nothing too graphic, just implied. This is the first time I have ever written anything like this. I have obsessed over it. I hope it doesn't sound ridiculous. I tried to keep it PG-13. Let me know if the rating is wrong.

Don't own anything, except Noah-who was my very own creation!

Noah picked Gillian up at exactly 12pm. She saw tension on his face the second he showed up at her door. "Are you okay Noah?"

Noah smiled and put a mask up as he looked at her. "I'm fine. Why? Do I look bad?"

"No. No, you look fantastic. I just noticed a little tension… and I…" Gillian immediately wished she hadn't said anything. She saw him flinch at her words. "I'm sorry. I… just…"

"Gillian. It's okay. I've had a couple bad days at work. I don't like to take it home with me. So, I leave it there." Noah took her bags and walked to his SUV. She set her alarm, locked her door and followed him.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but it's still with you." Gillian was concerned and didn't want him hiding something that was bothering him for the sake of their weekend.

"Really, Gillian, it's nothing that is going to ruin this weekend. I promise." Noah shut the back of his Yukon and came up to her on the passenger side. "I have a feeling after a few hours with you; all my troubles will melt away." He opened the door for her and she climbed in. Gillian wasn't sure what to think about the exchange they just had. For now, she wouldn't push it. But she guessed it was going to have to be addressed at some point.

They hit the road quickly hoping to avoid the Friday afternoon, west bound traffic. Things were a little slow until after they got west of Centreville. The commuting traffic on Route 66 was a nightmare on Friday's, but luckily they had reached Manassas before 2pm. Traffic was pretty clear the rest of the way out. Noah had a CD playing in the car.

"Who is this? It doesn't sound familiar." Gillian liked the music but had never heard it before.

Noah reached into the console and handed her a CD case. "The band is called 'Junkfood.' They're a local group. My wife was friends with the lead singer's twin brothers. Their families were close."

Gillian was giggling. "Junkfood? How can anyone be bad with a name like that?"

Noah left the interstate at the Linden exit. He pulled the car into the parking lot of the Apple House. "Pit stop! We always stop here to get the best donuts on the east coast!" He turned the car off and hopped out. Gillian followed.

They went inside the combination store/restaurant. Gillian looked around and smiled. "Any place that sells homemade apple butter and Vera Bradley right next to each other is my kind of place!"

They looked around for a few minutes. Noah then led her into the restaurant. It was like an old fashioned 'Mom and Pop' place with a lot of good old, southern food on the menu. Noah had grabbed a jar of apple butter and ordered a dozen donuts. They made their way back to the car.

Thirty minutes later, Noah pulled up in front of the cabin. Gillian could only stare. It was beautiful. It was on the side of the mountain overlooking the Shenandoah River. The leaves on the trees were at the perfect turning point. Shades of yellow, orange and red were all around them.

Noah carried the groceries he had bought before picking her up in through the front door. Gillian was standing on the porch staring out over the trees. The sun was just beginning its descent over the mountain in front of them and it was casting shadows in the trees. Noah came out and saw how captivated Gillian was. He walked up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist. "Beautiful isn't it?"

"It's incredible. Noah, thank you so much for inviting me out here." Gillian turned in his arms to face him. She put her arms around his neck. He leaned down and captured her lips. They shared a passionate kiss. "We should get everything else inside."

"Go on in and look around. I'll get the bags." He kissed her again.

Gillian walked inside. It was just as pretty inside as it was out. Noah came in behind her with the bags. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm starving! What can I help you with?" Gillian went into the kitchen. Noah followed her after dropping their bags in the hall.

"I brought chicken and veggies for stir-fry. Does that sound okay?"

"It sounds wonderful."

A few hours later, they had cleaned up the dishes from dinner and Gillian had ventured back out onto the porch. She sat in a big swing at one end. The sun was nothing but an orange glow, low in the sky and hidden by the mountain in front of them. Noah came out a few minutes later carrying a blanket. Gillian didn't realize how chilly it had gotten until Noah put the blanket around her shoulders. "Thanks. It's gotten chilly."

"Yeah, it gets pretty cool out here once the sun has gone down." He sat next to her and pulled her close. They sat in silence swinging slowly back and forth.

After a few minutes Gillian let loose a big yawn. Noah squeezed her shoulder and stood up. "Let's go in. I'll start a fire and we can watch a movie or something. How does that sound?"

Gillian stood up. "That sounds wonderful."

By 8:30, they were snuggled on the couch in front of a roaring fire with "The Proposal" playing on the TV. Noah was leaning back in the middle of the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. Gillian was curled up on his right side with her head lying on his chest.

Noah was rubbing small circles on Gillian's back with his right hand and playing with her hair with his left. The movie had been playing for about thirty minutes when Noah felt Gillian's muscles starting to twitch. He knew she was falling asleep. She had looked tired when he picked her up earlier. He had a sneaking suspicion she still wasn't sleeping well. He had tried to ask her about it, but she had managed to change the subject without answering him. 'She's good at that.'

Noah sat there for another thirty minutes before he moved to wake her up. If she stayed in this position much longer, her neck would be a mess. He sat up and eased her off of him. He leaned her back against the couch cushion and then turned to face her. She looked so peaceful and beautiful. He hated to wake her.

"Gillian. Gillian." He shook her shoulder gently. She didn't respond. He put his hand on her cheek and said her name again. She started to stir. He said her name once again and she startled and jerked awake.

"Ahh!" She immediately brought her hands to a defensive position in front of her and squeezed her eyes shut.

Noah gently grabbed her hands. "It's okay, hon. It's just me."

Gillian opened her eyes slowly. "I'm sorry. I guess you startled me."

"Don't apologize. I'm sorry I had to wake you. You looked so peaceful. I just didn't want you to wake up with a sore neck."

Gillian looked around. "What time is it?"

Noah looked at his watch. "It's close to 10:00. You're tired huh?"

"Yeah, I am. Would you be upset if I turned in early tonight?"

"No, I'm pretty tired myself. I'll turn in too. I'll go make up the extra room for you." He stood to go.

"Noah, wait. Um, I, uh…" 'Spit it out Gillian!' "I don't want to be any trouble."

"It's no trouble. I don't want you to feel pressured about anything. As much as I would love to hold you in my arms all night, I really want you to be comfortable."

Gillian stood up beside him and put her arms around him. "I would love for you to hold me in your arms all night. I'm not sure if I want anything further tonight…"

Noah put his arms around her. "We only go as far as you want Gillian. I'd be happy to do nothing but hold you all weekend. You're in control here."

Gillian took a deep breath. "I would love to sleep in your arms tonight. But, for tonight, I just want to sleep. Okay?"

Noah smiled at her. "Okay."

Gillian woke the next morning cuddled up in Noah's arms. That was the best night's sleep she had gotten in a while. She opened her eyes to find him staring at her and smiling. "Good morning, beautiful."

She could feel herself blushing. "Good morning, handsome."

Gillian was finishing her second Apple House donut and she was enjoying it immensely. "Mmmm. You're right. These donuts are amazing especially when you warm them up."

"I could watch you eat those donuts all day." Noah walked over to her and put his arms around her. "It's almost as fun as watching you eat chocolate." Noah smiled at her before leaning down and capturing her lips.

"If we keep this up, we'll never get out of here." Gillian pulled back slightly with a smile on her face.

"Okay then. Let's go!" Noah led her out of the cabin and to the truck.

The hike through Shenandoah National Park was beautiful. Gillian was mesmerized by the view from the top of Old Rag Mountain. The hike lasted almost 6 hours. They were more than ready for dinner by the time they got back to the cabin.

"I can get dinner together if you want to jump in the shower first." Noah started to work in the kitchen.

"Oh, that would be fantastic. You cook while I shower and I'll clean up the kitchen while you shower. Deal?"

Noah smiled and gave Gillian a kiss "Deal."

After dinner, Noah showered while Gillian cleaned up the dinner dishes. When he was finished, he found Gillian on the front porch in the swing.

"Come on. There's something I want to show you." Noah grabbed both their jackets and headed toward the truck. She followed him from the porch.

"What is it? Are we leaving? Where are we going?"

Noah was laughing at her. "Are you always so inquisitive? Never mind. I know the answer to that!"

Noah drove them down the mountain and back along a gravel road. He pulled up into a field and parked. "Come on. You're going to love this."

Gillian got out of the truck. "Where are we?"

"A friend of mine owns this property. We always come here to launch into the river when we go canoeing and fishing. And…" he came from the back of the truck with a cooler and some blankets "when we want to see the stars."

Noah looked up. "You don't realize how much the glow of the city lights affects the night sky."

Gillian followed his eyes up to the sky. "Oh, my God. I've never seen so many stars." She stopped and stared up in awe.

Noah put his arm around her shoulders and led her toward the river. They stopped by a fire pit. He put down one of the blankets and helped Gillian to sit on it. He then went to a pile of wood and brought back several pieces. As Gillian sat staring at the stars, and pointing out constellations, Noah got a fire going.

"I didn't know you knew so much about astronomy. Although, I should have guessed."

Gillian looked at him funny. "Why do you say that?"

"Because, Gillian Foster, stars are romantic. And one of the things I love about you is that you are a hopeless romantic." Noah had the fire started and sat down beside her on the blanket.

"Are you making fun of me, Noah Parker?" Gillian glared at him in mock anger.

He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her back to lie next to him on the blanket. "Absolutely not! I happened to love the romantic side of you." Noah then started pointing out several constellations.

Gillian started giggling. "So, I take it you are a hopeless romantic too?"

"I've been known to dabble in that department." He turned toward her and kissed her with more passion than she had ever felt from him.

Gillian felt the tingles go through her body. The butterflies attacked her stomach and shivers were running down her spine. When he pulled back from her, she let out a long sigh. "Wow."

Noah laughed. "Wow is good, right?"

Gillian laughed too. "Yes. Wow is very good!" They stayed cuddled together for a few minutes and then Noah got up. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"I'm getting surprise number two!" He came back to her with the cooler she had seen him take out of the truck. "Dessert is served."

Noah pulled everything out that they needed to make s'mores. Gillian was so excited she couldn't stop smiling.

"I can't remember the last time I made s'mores!" She was staring at Noah. He caught her looking at him. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me Gillian. I should be thanking you. You have no idea how good it feels to be with you right now, right here. I wish this weekend would never end."

Several s'mores and several childhood stories later, they packed up everything and put out the fire. Noah drove them back to the house. He carried everything into the house and then went to lock up. When he came back he found Gillian sitting on the couch. She had started a fire in the fireplace.

She smiled at him. "Come sit with me."

Noah sat and she cuddled up against him. She was stroking his arm and he was playing with her hair. She sat up to face him. They were looking into each other's eyes. Gillian moved toward him and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. After a few minutes, she pulled his shirt over his head. She ran her hands over his chest. He put his hands on her cheeks and stared into her eyes. "We don't have to do this."

She reached down and grabbed the hem of her shirt. She stared at him, seeing the desire in his eyes. "I want to." She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor. They both smiled.

Noah grabbed the blanket from the couch and laid it on the rug in front of the fireplace. He then sat down and put his hand out to her. She walked over and took his hand. He pulled her down beside him and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her neck, across her chest and back up the other side. "You are so beautiful." Gillian turned away from him shyly. "Hey. I'm serious." He put his finger under her chin and turned her face back toward him. "I'm guessing you haven't been told that enough. You can see my face right?" She nodded yes. "Then you know I'm telling the truth." Gillian put her arms around his neck and pulled his face to hers. They kissed.

Noah pulled away. "Gillian. You're shaking. Are you sure this is what you want?" She ran her fingers over his chest and then to the button on his jeans. She unbuttoned them. He grabbed her hands. "Gillian. Talk to me. This can't go further until I know what's going on in that pretty head of yours."

"Noah. I'm fine. And I do want this." She paused and brought her hands back to his chest. "It's just, it's been… it's been a long time since I've…" She looked away from him. He said nothing, just waited patiently for her to get out what she needed to. "Alec and I weren't really… sexually active for quite some time before we split. We were married for almost 10 years, and I'm just… I'm…"

He gently stroked her cheek. "This only goes where you want. We can take our time."

Gillian smiled at him. "I don't want to wait any longer. I just need to go slow, okay?"

"Okay." He lightly stroked her chest and pulled down her bra straps. He kissed her shoulder and then across the tops of her breasts to the other shoulder.

Noah went excruciatingly slow. Gillian couldn't believe all the things she was feeling. It had been so long since she had been touched like that. She was nearly overwhelmed by the sensations. They spent a long time touching and exploring each other. Noah had flipped her on top of him. He wanted her to be in control. Gillian gasped when he entered her. She had nearly forgotten how wonderful it was to feel so close and connected to someone. She was moving slowly on top of him. She could see the pleasure on his face. He looked up at her and smiled. He reached and stroked her cheek and ran his finger over her lips. She leaned down and kissed him. Noah put his arms around her and sat up. He raised her up and then gently lowered her onto her back. He moved between her legs and entered her again. He touched her and urged her on until she went over the edge. Only then did he seek his relief. They stayed tangled in each other's limbs until they both were breathing normally. Noah rolled off of Gillian and snuggled beside her.

"You okay?" He was softly running his fingers over her stomach. He loved the involuntary twitches he was causing.

Gillian opened her eyes and looked at him. "I am so much more than okay. That was amazing. You are amazing."

He smiled back at her. "No Gillian, I think we're amazing together."

They snuggled by the fireplace until the fire burned down. Then they headed to bed. Noah snuggled behind Gillian with his arms around her. He felt her twitch and then her breathing slowed. He leaned close and kissed the side of her head. "I love you."

FYI-"Junkfood" is a real band that is popular in the DC area. They have two CD's out. I grew up with the lead singer and his older twin brothers.

The Apple House is a real place in Linden, VA.

Old Rag Mountain is in the Shenandoah National Park.

TBC