AN: Thank you to all the reviewers it means a lot to receive your comments :)
SweetSlayer810: I'm honored you added my story to your favorites and I'm so glad you like it so far :)
CraZy4SpikE09: Glad you're liking the story and thank you for your comment on the Spuffyness. The reason it moves quite fast is because there won't be very many chapters to this story, I had gotten other messages, from other places where I've posted this story, to hurry up and put more Spuffy in and another reason...well I'm just a Spuffy fanatic myself :) I'll try to hit the point in the middle for the moment. Hope you still like it :)
Articutie: Thanks very much for your review, I'm glad you like the fic so far. As for your idea if I do decide to do something like that it will have to be near the end ;) thanks for the nice ideas :)
Carla-p: Yes I like the playful flirty approach to interest too hehe. Thanks for your review!
Cordy18: Thanks for letting me know about that double chap. I mixed them up in the documents. Glad you like the story so far :)
DingoesAteMyBaby: Glad you like it :) More soon. Promise. Thanks for the review.
All who review get credit and a message : ) just to show that I really do appreciate all the reviews I get.
And before I forget another time....
Disclaimer: I own nothing; Joss owns all....for now ;)
The snow continued to flutter down around them as the two new friends slipped and slid over the once again icy ground. The twigs, leaves and small branches, that had fallen from the tall trees above them, were quickly becoming coated in snow and hidden from view, making it very easy to trip and fall if they weren't careful.
Spike and Buffy had been going in the same direction for at least an hour but to no avail. There was no lodge, no people, no cares or coaches in site. Just the trees and the snow that had begun to come down with a little more force. The sky was becoming darker around the heavy grey of the snow clouds signaling to them, as their watches did, that it was quickly getting dark.
Buffy was trailing a good few paces behind Spike feeling extremely tired from walking all day on the tricky forest floor. Her feet and ankles ached from the cold and the rough terrain and her legs ached from the forced effort to keep up. She was freezing, tired, hungry and felt like she could cry for she knew the chances of finding the lodge tonight were dim. But what would they do? Where would they stay? Surely a night in a snowstorm would give them pneumonia or something. Then there was the fact that they had brought no food or water with them after thinking they wouldn't need it for just a small stroll. She shivered and hurried on trying to catch up to Spike.
Spike had been walking slightly faster in the last half an hour as if desperate to find something, anything that would be of help or use to them. How he wished they had never gone out but sat in front of the warm fire with more hot drinks. It was too late now. He turned and looked back at Buffy, who was clearly struggling to walk much further, and sighed. If they stopped now it could make their situation worse. The blizzard that had been expected much earlier was well on its way and promising to be ferocious. Stopping would slow them down; keep them from getting closer to the lodge where they needed to be. On the other hand he was feeling tired and hungry himself and wanted nothing more than to just lay down and close his eyes He wiped the tiny snowflakes from his eyelashes and strode over to her in his large strides.
"Come on Buffy just a little further ok? Then we'll find somewhere to rest up for the night. Find a bit of shelter and we'll be fine."
She looked up at him with shiny eyes that looked like they might spill a dam. She knew they wouldn't and couldn't find their lodge tonight but the thought of being out here, in the freezing cold with all those snarling Canadian animals that she so often heard about, terrified her. Something soft and chilled had taken one of her freezing hands and she looked down to see it was his white hand holding hers.
"No worries luv, everything will be fine. I'll look after you. Promise."
That reassuring smile he offered her seemed to do the trick and she sniffed slightly before nodding and agreeing to walk on just a bit more. He cut his strides down for her, keeping hold of her hand to steady her when she stumbled. At least that's what we told himself. It was to help her and nothing else, no selfish reason of his own to touch her, just for help. For help.
Oh who was he kidding? Not even himself. Since the first time he saw her he had wanted to see her again and maybe get to know her He knew it took time but God he didn't want to let go right now. Her skin comforted him, as he was sure his skin comforted her. They were out there together and all they had was each other, for now, they might as well make it easier for themselves. Right?
They carried on through the thick forest, stumbling and slipping until their toes ached from the impacts. One look at Buffy told Spike she was ready to drop and he realized he wasn't much better himself. For the past few yards he had been holding both of them up, his arm now around her shoulders and her arm around his, to keep them going and refuse to fall and give in.
Buffy walked with her eyes almost. It was now almost black with darkness and not a star or the moon's face could be seen to guide them. Her exhaustion outweighed her hunger by far and she wished to curl up in a ball and sleep but the arm around her pushed her on, forced her not to give up just yet and for that she was grateful.
Their watches, although they couldn't be seen clearly for the icy glaze that had covered the faces, now ticked ten o'clock and ten o'clock was the last straw. Spike stopped them for a few seconds to look around and perhaps find something in all these branches and leaves that could give them just a little shelter, a fallen stump or a large log, just something.
He almost cried out when his cool, blue eyes came across what looked like a thicket through the heavy snow. He began urging Buffy to the left of them where the thicket stood and when they reached it he threw up a prayer of thanks to whoever was listening for the cool and almost dry place they could take shelter.
He pushed Buffy under the roof of leaves and branches that rested over a fallen log first and then slid under and followed her. It was small and low but enough for them to sit under and dry off. The very back was dry and soft, undamaged leaves covered the cold ground and it faintly reminded Buffy, in her sleepy hazed condition, of a much bigger Bambi den.
They scooted right up to the back and leaned their tired backs against the large log behind them, curling their legs slightly so they were away from the cold. The roof of leaves was only just high enough for them to sit up straight but they managed to shuffle into semi comfortable positions.
Buffy leaned her had back against the thick trunk and turned her head one way then the other, unable to pillow her ears properly because of the hard splintering wood biting into them. Spike noticed her dilemma and offered some help.
"Here pet, can't have you getting a sore neck now can we?"
He slid his arm around under her shoulders and she complied by turning slightly into his embrace, her head pillowed on his offered shoulder. When she was quite comfy she muttered a grateful but tired 'thank you' and closed her glassy green eyes. Spike watched in the minutes it took her breathing to even out and sleep to claim her before gently resting his head on her soft golden hair and closing his eyes himself.
He knew sleeping in such weather could be hazardous but sleep called and his mind reasoned that neither of them were hypothermic just jet. It was dry and slightly warm in the thicket as they gained some of their body heat back under their damp clothes.
He drifted off with a quiet 'you're welcome' on his cold blue, lips.