AN: I'm really sorry it's been awhile since I updated but I'm having to share the computer with my cousin who happens to be a computer hog who types like an 80 year old. ;) Also a warning here: If you have problems with animal violence you might want to skip this chapter. Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming Kitten.

The frosty faces of their watches said it was almost six in the evening and still they had had nothing to eat since breakfast the day before. Both were cold, stiff, in pain from walking so far over the frozen ground and feeling weak from hunger.

By now Spike was half carrying Buffy as they stumbled along and if he didn't keep them going she would of fallen down on the floor and been a long way in sleep hours ago. He knew they couldn't just sleep out there in a patch of snow, their body temperatures had to of dropped too low already and it scared him to think of letting then go to sleep to never wake up. He couldn't fail her.

Buffy on the other hand didn't care where she sat down and slept as long as it was somewhere. Her mind was way past rational thought and her hunger and exhaustion had gotten the better of her. She was dimly aware of a strong arm around her waste, holding her up and forcing her to keep walking. Darn that arm she was hungry and tired and all she wanted to do was sleep...but it felt right around her that arm. In a way that felt good. Buffy looked up to see Spike's face pale and slightly screwed up, looking uncomfortable. Painful even.

She shook the tiny snowflakes from her eyelashes so she could see him better and decided that his face definitely held a painful look. She lifted a freezing, shaky hand and gently ran the back of her fingers over his chiselled cheek to get his attention since her voice failed her.

He turned his head and looked down at her with questioning blue eyes that met her tired hazel ones. He opened his mouth to ask her what was up but he realised his voice too was failing him, they were both shaking and not strong enough to even talk. His eyes focused on Buffy's lips that were opened slightly and trying to force out a sound. He opened his own and managed a hoarse whisper.

"W-what is it, pet?"

She had to talk back now; she couldn't let his question go unanswered. She swallowed what little saliva she had left in her mouth and forced out a tiny whimper.

"Y-you...are you...o-ok?"

She clamped her mouth shut as the tremors took over from using her strength. Her throat felt tight and dry and if she had enough strength to cry she would of. Only the look on his face kept her from crumbling away to the ground and sobbing frozen tears. The look on his face was regretful as if he didn't want to tell her what was bothering him.

Carefully he retrieved the hand that wasn't wrapped around her out of his duster pocket and held it out for them to look at. To both their slight surprise it looked almost round like a small puffy balloon that had deflated inside a red rag.

Spike looked away from his hand for a moment and scanned the area where they were standing in. Yet another fallen log, a huge overgrown shrubbery that had wrapped itself around a tree, and fallen off onto the cold floor and more trees.

The fallen log with looked to once been a large tree and usually fallen trees soon became hollow in places like this. Animals would hollow them and use them for shelter and that could quite possible mean food.

Forgetting about his swollen hand he started moving towards the big log with Buffy pulled along at his side. He brushed the fallen snow off on the trunk and sat her down in the middle so she could rest while he looked inside. When he was sure she was safely perched there he crouched down and looked into the trunk.

At first all he saw was leaves as if the whole thing was chock full of leaves and nothing else, however, when he pulled a long stick off of a nearby tree branch and probed it into the leaves, they crumbled fell away into the long revealing that it was indeed hollow.

If he had the time and strength, Spike would of let out a whoop of joy for the trunk was plenty big enough for them to crawl into and take shelter for the evening. The leaves would only help them more and allow them to build a fire at the end of the trunk where it was dry.

While Spike was gently probing the end of the trunk with his stick, Buffy looked around and down through a tiny hole in wood. She almost jumped into the air when something moved inside. Had it been a leaf? Leaves weren't furry!

Buffy let out a strangled sound and pushed herself off on the huge log to tap Spike on the shoulder. She had already got his attention though, and a look of worry crossed his face. She smiled to let him know she was ok and pointed to the hole in the wood.

Spike abandoned his position at the end and stood up, carefully walking to where Buffy was pointing. He saw the hole and leaned in to peer into the dark insides.

A light flash of brown flew past the hole and he grinned widely. Leaves couldn't blow around that fast in a place where the wind wouldn't reach. He went back to bashing the leaves in carefully and grinned when he saw their prize.

A family of hares!

One huge looking hare sat up on his hind legs looking menacingly at Spike. This was good. This was very good but how would he get them out, pop them off quickly with as little pain as possible and keep them from scampering off?

Spike moved his good hand slightly gripping the floor and came across a large rock. That would defiantly do it. He picked it up in his good hand and whispered a silent prayer for forgiveness at what he was about to do. Then without lingering on the though he threw the large as hard as he could and hit the huge hare squarely on the head, knocking it out. He then scampered inside the log and bashed the hare over the head once more with the large rock and let out a shaky breathe when the hare breathed no more.

Pulling the hare aside he turned around inside the woody haven and shot a hand outside to motion to Buffy, who quickly climbed inside and looked at what he had done.

"Wouldn't of felt anything luv, he wouldn't of lasted the winter anyway. He pretty much barricaded himself in and ate all his nibblets too soon."

At Buffy's understanding nod eh gave her back a small pat with his good hand and proceeded to drag the hare to the entrance on the trunk

"Lean back and rest up for awhile luv. It's gonna take awhile to cook up."

Buffy did as he said and within minutes she was sleeping blissfully, away from the cold and the thoughts of the forest, while Spike searched around and cleverly made a spit to cook the hare.

He set up the spit and pilled up some dried leaves under the shrubbery he had pulled to the entrance so the smoke would not fill the log. He lit the leaves with his lighter and before long the skinned hare was starting to smell appetizing.

After three hours of thorough cooking and testing, Spike woke Buffy and they began to eat, well....more like wolf down their only food of two days and soon they had eaten all that had been rationed for that day. They would save some...just in case....

At last after two days of empty stomachs and freezing conditions they curled up together, semi warm and slightly full, both slipping into delightful sleep.