Chapter 37. I actually really love this chapter. Sorry it's a day late…WiFi problems. Enjoy!

JANUARY 1999

It was cold, very cold. Not that the temperature made much difference. Missions never came with little slips of paper that said 'only complete if outside temperature is above freezing'. Sometimes she wished they did, but she had bought a nice heavy coat, which was now one of her most prized possessions. Jethro on the other hand did not seem to mind the cold at all. At the very least his coat was not nearly as thick as hers was. Today, however, they were lucky enough to have a day off. Admittedly only because so much snow had fallen during the night that they could barely open the door far enough to get out, let alone drive the ten miles to their target, but a day off was still a day off, and they were few and far between.

She looked out the window of their little cottage, watching the snow swirl outside the window. It was beautiful, light fluffy flakes circling downwards though the trees. She had always loved the snow, but rarely had the time to enjoy it anymore. She felt herself shiver a little. It was cold in the little cottage, but they could light a fire in the stone hearth to chase away the chill. They had kept one blazing long into the night, but neither had dared leave it burning while they slept.

Suddenly Jenny felt the warmth of another body pressed against her, and she knew Jethro had awoken. "Good morning," she said, turning her head to look up at him.

"Morning," he replied leaning down and kissing her. Jenny smiled. "You look cold," he commented.

"I was just about to light a fire," she replied, still smiling.

"We used up most of the wood yesterday," he said, glancing towards the hearth, "but I think there is some more in the shed out back."

Jenny glanced out the window. "Well," she said, "I guess we better start digging."

Jethro laughed. "I can do it," he told her.

"I want to help," she replied looking out over the snow.

"Alright," he said. He knew how much she loved the snow despite her hatred of the cold.

They stepped outside together; their footprints making the first indentations on the pearly blanket of white. Jenny tugged on Jethro's hand, leading him forward. He followed her without protest focused more on the beautiful elegance of his partner's body than on their surroundings. Together they walked towards the shed, but suddenly Jenny stopped and turned to look at Jethro.

"What?" he asked looking at her.

"It's incredible isn't it?" she asked him looking around.

"It is," he agreed not taking his eyes off of her.

Laughing she fell backwards into the snow. "It's so soft," she told him reaching out a hand. He took it intending to help her up, but instead she pulled him down into the snow beside her. For a time they just lay there hand in hand, looking into each others eyes, but after a while the snow in which they were laying began to saturate their cloths.

Jenny shivered, and Jethro reached out pulling her closer to his body. His arms surrounded her, and for the second time that morning he kissed her. Her lips pressed firmly against his, Jenny felt the familiar longing rising inside of her. It felt liked a fire burning within her. So fierce was the warmth it produced that for a moment she forgot that they were laying in the snow, but not even that internal warmth could conceal that truth for very long. She shivered again, and she and Jethro broke apart.

"Come on," he told her, "let's go get some fire wood before we both freeze to death out here."

Jethro stood up and pulled Jenny to her feet. Together they walked the rest of the way to the woodshed and both filled their arms with logs before starting back towards the cottage. Once inside they put the logs in a stack by the hearth and Jethro knelt down to begin to build a fire.

Jenny stood back against the wall watching him affectionately. He moved with a slow, deliberate manner that gave the impression he had calculated the exact result of each action he was performing. They had known each other for less than a year, but it seemed far longer than that. She could never remember feeling about anyone the way she felt about him. She tried to put words to it but found that she could not do so, not even in her own head. However she knew two things for certain: that she in love with Jethro and that for the first time in a very long time, she was truly happy.

Soon there was a roaring fire, and Jethro turned back to Jenny. "You look cold," he said, placing a hand on each of he shoulders.

"I am," she said with a sparkle in her eye.

"Well," he replied, his right hand slipping up to caress her neck, "we should do something about that."

"We should," she agreed, unbuttoning her coat and letting it drop to the floor beside her.

His hand slip up to her cheek, and she leaned into it. Then suddenly they were kissing fiercely, passionately and once again everything else vanished. Nothing in the world seemed real except each other and their passion and their love. Instinct, rather than thought, guided their actions now, and Jenny's nimble fingers undid the buttons of Jethro's shirt without conscious instruction. He slid out of it before pulling hers off with far less dexterity, but she did not seem to notice or care.

"Not here," she whispered, and her breath was warm on his cheek. Taking him by the hand he led her out of the living room and down to the hall to the larger of the two bedrooms. The sheets were unkempt, having not been remade, not that it mattered. The pair fell onto the bed, blissfully lost the passion of the moment.

Hope you liked it. Please leave a review on the way out!