I have to thank you all! The reviews and feedback more than made my day. So this chapter is especially for you...


Chapter 3

28th December

Brennan stirred lazily and yawned. He hadn't slept that well in a long time. He opened his eyes and realized he was not in his bed in sanctuary but in the cabin they had miraculously found the night before. The place beside him was still warm and Emma's scent was lingering around him like a warm cloak. 'Emma!' She was the reason for his peaceful sleep. The elemental settled deeper under the covers. Looking through the window he saw snowflakes madly whirling in the wind. He had been right; yesterday night had just been a respite.

In the half-light of the cabin he couldn't see Emma anywhere and instantly started worrying. The young psionic had a way to put herself into trouble. Maybe she had gone back to the car? The simple thought of her taking such risks made him cringe. Suddenly he heard the door opening and swiftly sat up. Emma came in with wood-loaded arms. The sight of his friend lost in her huge jacket with snow sticking to her hair eased his fears a little bit.

"Morning beautiful."

Her grin turned into a bright smile. He hadn't called her beautiful since Caleb and hearing that simple endearment filled her heart with hope. Maybe they could mend their friendship with time and a lot of patience. Thinking she might loose that precious gift made her shiver. Worried, she stole a glance toward the bed to make sure he was still there with her. He was there, staring at her, detailing every feature carefully. Blushing, she resumed her activities and put some wood in the fireplace. She got rid of her jacket. Soon her shoes, socks and pants followed and she nearly ran to the bed.

As if it was the most natural thing in the world, he pushed the covers aside, welcoming her with a smile. Emma cuddled against her friend taking in the warmth of his presence, finding reassurance it was not just another dream

"Morning Bren. Slept well?"

A gentle kiss landed on the top of her head before he answered her.

"Hmmm, yes. And you?"

Absentmindedly, she began tracing abstract patterns on his t-shirt while talking. He repressed a slight shiver. It always amazed him how she could affect him with such innocent smiles or touches.

"Perfectly well. I checked the place carefully. We have plenty of food and enough wood. Whoever owns this place was ready to face the winter. He or she had probably left because of the weather. My comlink is still down."

The elemental softly brushed her hair entangling his fingers in the silky strands. He was supposed to protect and take care of her and not vice versa.

"You did all that while I was sleeping. You should have woken me up. I could have helped you."

Emma felt the hidden worry behind his words and the all too familiar stirring of anger resurfaced in her heart. Quickly she buried it, not wanting to spoil the moment. She would deal later with her inner conflicts. The only thing that mattered was how tight he held her, how his heart beat close to hers.

"Nope. You seemed so peaceful. I couldn't disturb you."

Her sweet laughter filled the cabin and he felt his anguish receding. It was quickly replaced by a well-known feeling but he refused to consider it, not with her so close to him. The young woman was nearly lying on top of him, her chin resting on his chest, her body intimately moulded to his.

"What do you want to do today?"

Emma caressed his cheek and allowed herself to watch him freely as if she was seeing him for the first time. Soon her stare was caught in the earthy depths of his eyes. For a few seconds, her world came down to the playful spark playing there.

An eerie silence settled in the cabin only interrupted by the sounds of wood snapping. As Emma stared at him, his eyes darkened and the playful glint was replaced by something coming from a deeper part of his heart.

His hand found her neck, softly urging her to come closer. The need to feel, to touch her were slowly taking over his mind, swallowing the usual clamour created by his doubts like a black hole. And when their lips finally met, he revelled in the sensation, in the sweetness of her taste. Truth hit him like a meteor. Why had he denied himself that sensation for so long? It was heavenly, addictive. Emma moaned softly and broke the kiss after a few minutes.

"I want to stay here with you and do nothing."

"Nothing hmm… I could definitely live with that."

Entangled in a tender embrace, the couple quietly drifted back to sleep, exchanging every now and then a few reassuring kisses. Outside the blizzard peaked up, further burying their traces as if they were lost to the civilized world.

-

As Brennan woke up, day had turned into night and the fire had died leaving the cabin in a warm darkness. He couldn't believe he had slept so much without a nightmare. Emma was wrapped in his arms, a seraphic smile on her lips and a few strands covering her cheek like a silky curtain. She seemed so peaceful, so happy, a picture impersonating pure love for him. Why was he unable to simply tell her the truth? He was not a coward. Then why was he always pushing her, keeping her at arm length, hurting her. His feeling began to whirl in his head like so many times before, dizzying him. He couldn't stay close to her any longer; it was too disturbing.

He disentangled himself from her embrace and sat on the edge of the bed, putting the covers back lovingly on her. Noiselessly he put his socks on and made his way to the fireplace. He cleaned the ashes and put some paper with wood in the hearth. He shot a small electricity bolt and soon, it roared back to life. Brennan sat on the couch for a few minutes trying to think of their situation.

They were caught in the middle of nowhere, in a snow storm with no possibilities to contact the others. Even if they could contact Adam, he could not land the helix with that wind and the avalanches risks only added to the problem.

The elemental sighed. How could he keep the distance between him and Emma in such a cramped space? He had already forgotten his two first rules, never get physically close to her and under no circumstances kiss her. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. His mind was a mess where he could no longer differentiate what was right and what was wrong.

Looking at his surrounding he spotted a desk occupying one corner. Without a second thought he lighted a candle and made his way across the cabin. On his way he stopped to watch Emma who was still sleeping. He had put her in that situation; he would find a way out. What he felt would just have to wait.

Brennan sat and opened the drawer. He found a logbook with several maps. Absentmindedly, he flipped through the pages until he reached the last entry. What he read was definitely no good news. Carefully he put the book back in the drawer and searched for the right map. What he saw shocked him. They were at least five hundred kilometres away from their supposed location. The situation was worst than what he had thought.

"Bren."

Her sleepy voice startled him. The elemental hastily closed the map and put it back in the drawer. She didn't need to worry about that. He would tell her when the time would be right. Something in the back of his mind was screaming, warning him he was making the wrong decision.

"You awake?"

Without a word she got up and met him in the middle of the cabin. His arm found it's way around her waist bringing her closer to him. In the light of the fire, her skin seemed to glow like a star lost in his darkened soul; her eyes were still heavy with sleep but he could clearly discern in them a little mischievous spark. Her smile turned sensuous, seductive causing his breath to get caught in his throat. Now that he had lowered his barriers, it was harder to resist her. Slowly he dipped his head. Before he had the time to kiss her, his stomach growled loudly reminding them they hadn't eaten for a long time. Both locked eyes and burst out laughing. Gently she pressed her hand on his stomach feeling his muscles twitching under her touch.

"I think you're hungry."

Brennan grinned at the truthfulness of her words. He was starved but it was not the kind of hunger that could be satiated with food. Emma blushed knowing she had used the wrong word. His answer only confirmed her fears.

"Yeah, I'm hungry."

Her laughter subsided and she lost herself in his projection of feelings. The sensation made her skin tingle. It felt so overwhelming to experience his emotions. Brennan was not one to share what he felt; he always stayed so guarded around her, never letting anything too personal out. Her stomach tightened in anticipation as she watched the predatory gleam playing in his eyes. Swiftly his lips covered hers, caressing, teasing. Their kiss deepened, taking a hungry turn, nothing like what they had experienced earlier that morning. His tongue found entrance to her mouth and her whole body ignited, becoming alive with desire. Their hands began roaming, venturing past the clothes barrier.

Suddenly through her haze Emma perceived something. It was not right. If they made love tonight it would only deepen the gap between them. But she wanted him. As much as she wanted to deny it, the desire was there, engrained in her heart. Forcefully she extricated herself form his embrace. The elemental stood in front of her dumbfounded. Before he had the time to react the young woman retreated in the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Brennan stared at the door wondering what had just happened. He must have done something wrong. He had hurt her again and she had rejected him. Well what had he expected? The few days ahead of them would not be easy. Angrily he pushed the hurt in the back of his head. His stomach grumbled loudly. Before he talked to Emma, he needed to fix them something to eat.

-

A few hours later Emma had come out of the bathroom and had settled without a word on the couch ignoring him. She had taken a book out of her backpack and had not looked up since then. She had tried to forget the smell of food but it was getting harder every seconds.

"Emma, there. You need to eat something."

The elemental handed her a plate with pasta on it and collapsed beside her on the couch. She started eating without a word and her silence was overwhelming. When she was done she put the plate on the coffee-table. His arm found it's way around her shoulders bringing her closer to him. Instantly her head rested on his chest, just above his heart. It was in those rare moments of restful tenderness that both felt totally free to let their shields down and share their hearts again.

"I'm really sorry about earlier Em. I don't know what's come over me. If I made you uncomfortable then, I apologize."

"You didn't make me uncomfortable; on the contrary. It's just that… I don't think that you and I could solve our problems by…"

She stumbled on the last words. But the elemental had perfectly understood her. He began to rub her arm soothingly. She was right, completely right. They would not solve anything like that; they would have to talk eventually.

"I know Emma. Let's just make a truce ok. We can stay close but…"

She looked up at him and smiled.

"Ok. But not too close."

They both burst out laughing and Emma felt relieved. They were safe, at least for now.

TBC