Title: This Magic Moment

Rating: K+

Summary: Jack lets something slip.

Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

Author's Notes: Thanks to WolfbainKohaku, nasta1970, onlimain, fan, Anna, sunnysideup, and Toniboo for reviewing.

fan: hmm...marriage. I think you're getting somewhere.

Anna: I don't think Buffy would be able to have a relationship with someone without letting them know about her other side.

sunnysideup: I'm glad you check just to see if my story is updated. Here is the next one, I hope that it's soon enough!

It was three and a half months later, on December 5th, when Jack's and Buffy's relationship took a turn neither one of them expected. Even with all Buffy's Slayer intuition, she never could have perceived this unexpected twist.

Laying in Buffy's arms where it felt so right, Jack gazed at Buffy's sleeping face, drinking in the features that he had come to adore. She was changing, becoming more relaxed and open to life with him. When he had first met her, she had walls of reserve up, almost as if she was in a steel cage and she was the one with the key. He was glad to see that she accepted the fact that he wasn't going anywhere.

Glancing at the clock, Jack groaned when he realized it was 4:30. He had an hour until he had to get up and get ready for work. His groan woke Buffy, her eyes shooting open, then blinking fuzzily, smiling sleepily. Her hazel eyes closed briefly, then opened wide with a squeal when Jack's warm fingers probed her bare ribs. Giggling, she gave him a light shove before rolling on top of him.

"Morning," Buffy said, tapping his nose.

"Morning, sleepy head," Jack replied, giving her a quick kiss that turned passionate. Dragging his lips from hers, he stared at Buffy, who was looking a little fuzzy-brained. Deciding that he didn't need that extra hour of sleep, Jack was about to commence with kissing the beautiful blonde smiling at him when he felt something...cold press against his side. Yelping, he looked in shock at the grinning Otis, who was looking entirely too pleased with himself.

Buffy laughed, giving the dog a scratch behind the ears before laying her head on Jack's chest, sighing contentedly. It took her a moment to realize what she was seeing outside the window. Gasping loudly, Buffy sprang up and grabbed her robe before rushing to the window, causing Jack to look around widely.

"What? What?" He asked in concern, jumping up to stand behind a rapturous Buffy, who was staring hard through the window. Jack didn't see anything unusual. Wrapping his arms around his girlfriends waist, he rested his chin on top of her head. "All I see is snow."

"That's just it, Jack. Snow!" Buffy exclaimed excitedly. "I lived in California, remember? The only time it snowed was when I was 18. This is my second time experiencing it. C'mon, lets go outside," she grinned up at him, tugging on his hand and leading him towards the dresser where she had her own drawer. She even had closet space. Jack groaned theatrically, but got dressed anyway because he didn't like saying no to Buffy.

The Slayer pulled on layers of clothes, including a fat jacket filled with feathers and cute fuzzy boots that were pink to match her coat. She quickly brushed her teeth and ran a brush through her hair before jamming on a hat. Buffy shifted impatiently from foot to foot as Jack took his time in getting dressed. "Hurry up," she finally said, glaring when he laughed at her.

Running ahead of her boyfriend, Buffy made it outside and stopped to gaze in wonder at the total whiteness of Jack's yard and the trees surrounding it. She skipped through the snow, leaving the first tracks and loving it. Jack followed more slowly, smiling as Buffy laughed in delight.

Reaching Buffy, who was standing in the middle of the yard with her head tipped to the sky, eyes closed at snow flakes coated her lashes and pale cheeks, Jack just watched her enjoy herself. Getting a devious idea, Jack slowly bent over and grabbed a handful of snow, rolling it into a ball before letting it fly. Buffy started when the snowball hit her in the arm, squinting at a quilty looking Jack, who was pointing at an innocent squirrel.

Pursing her lips, she marched forward, not noticing the patch of ice at her feet until it was too late. Buffy, usually a very graceful person, didn't feel graceful at all when she fell flat on her butt. Jack started laughing before realizing the folly of his action, and tried to cover it up with a cough. An obviously unconvinced Buffy shook her head at him.

"Well?" She asked, arching a brow. "Are you going to help me up or what?"

"Of course," Jack replied, holding out his hand.

However, Jack's apparent amusement at Buffy's expense wasn't going to go unpunished as Buffy grabbed his hand and pulled him down on the ice. Laughing at his affronted expression, Buffy leaned over and gave him a little kiss before jumping up.

"C'mon. Let's build a snowman and a snowwoman," she said, grinning wickedly.

The next half an hour passed in a blur as Jack and Buffy raced to build their snowperson first. It came to a draw in the end as Buffy took her hat off and placed on her snowwoman. Jack and Buffy stood back, Buffy with a proud look on her face.

"Mine's cuter," she told Jack, who got an indignant look on his face.

"No way. Mine is cuter. I mean, he's more handsome."

"They make a good couple."

Jack ran his fingers through Buffy's hair, grinning when she shook her hair out. "Let's make snow angels," he suggested, flopping on his back.

"Good idea."

They lay there for a few minutes, Buffy gazing at the rising sun and Jack staring at her profile. He didn't know why he said it. But a feeling of completeness overtook him, and he just felt as if he couldn't go on without saying it.

"I love you."

End

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