Morning in Aspen Right Now…

Warmth. All enveloping, deliciously intoxicating warmth; Van felt it all around him as if it were a dream. He hadn't been this warm in a long time. Another sensation that slowly filtered through his somewhat slow senses was the touch of another warm body. A pair of arms was wrapped around his neck, cradling his head. Had he hooked up with someone the night before? He could barely remember a thing. It was all just a blur to him until he moved his right arm and a sharp pain sliced through his body like a knife. The jarring sensation sent images of last night's ordeal rushing into his mind: the shot to the arm, the bridge, and the river. The only thing he didn't remember was how he got here, wherever here was, wrapped in the arms of another person.

Van took a deep breath, trying to clear out his mind, but the spicy sweet scent of cinnamon caught him by surprise. He opened his tired eyes, more curious than ever to see who it was sleeping beside him. To his astonishment, it turned out to be Billie. Then again, it really shouldn't have been such a shock since they were working this hellish case together. He tried to push back and give her a little room, but with his body still so weak from the cold, he only managed to stir just enough to wake her.

"Mph," Billie sighed, breathing in deeply and slowly exhaling. Her left arm stretched over her head as the cobwebs cleared from her bleary blue eyes. Beside her, Van was awake, his sleepy grey green eyes watching her every move. "Hi," she whispered, a smile coming across her face from the relief that rushed through her to see he was doing better. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Van rasped, his lungs burning. He closed his eyes and swallowed, trying to make the pain go away even though he knew it wouldn't.

Billie pressed her left palm against his forehead. "You feel a little warm."

Smiling, Van mumbled, "Warm…" and snuggled closer to her. He was still quite tired and out of it from the previous night, and sleep seemed to be the best thing at the moment.

Unable to stop herself, Billie giggled when she felt him press his face into the crook of her neck. Her hand filtered through his shaggy chestnut colored hair, giving him all the more reason to put an arm around her and hold her a little tighter. She sighed, placing a soft kiss on his forehead as he drifted off again. "Just sleep," she whispered into his ear, her fingers ruffling through his hair again.

Never in her life had Billie shown anyone this much affection. In almost all of her other relationships she remained cold and distant, except for one. But she'd never think about that one because it hurt so much. Right now, all she could think about were her reasons for giving Van all this attention. Maybe it was the fact that she felt so bad about what had happened. Maybe it was because she feared she'd lose him before she got a chance to say just how much she actually cared for him and his partner. Maybe it went even deeper than that. Could it be that she was…? Billie stopped that train of thought before it even entered her mind. She wasn't about to admit anything beyond what she already knew to be true. Her feelings would just have to stay locked up until she had time to figure them out.

Shoving all the other thoughts out of her mind, Billie's attention soon fell upon Van's shoulder. She hadn't noticed the blood that soaked through the makeshift bandage until she saw it in the pale morning light. With a sigh, she wiggled out of Van's grasp and began to explore the rest of the house to see if she could find a first aid kit and something that she might be able to use as a disinfectant. But before that, she needed to get dressed. Her clothes had dried during the night in front of the fire, which was beginning to die.

After throwing another log into the hearth and putting on her shirt and jeans, Billie made her way to the bedroom she barely began to explore the night before. Now that she had some light, she was able to take a better look at what was in there. Her search didn't reveal anything she already didn't know. The dresser was empty except for a few moth balls and a bible, and in the closet there was nothing other than a set of spare pillows. Grabbing one, she headed back to the couch and gently lifted Van's head, putting the pillow beneath it. Unconsciously, he snuggled against it, never once waking. She was relieved to see he was doing much better than the night before.

There was only one time where Billie could ever remember being as scared as she was that night. Nearly five years had passed since then, yet she still refused to allow herself to let it resurface. It involved too much pain, and she needed to be strong right now, not a sobbing mess. She forced the thoughts out of her mind, replacing them with the memories of last night and how frightened she had been. She had had her fair share of scary moments in the past year where she thought someone would die under her watch, and at those times, she knew she could count on Van or Deaq to get out of it. But last night, it was only her and Van, stuck in the middle of a dark forest, hundreds of miles away from home and Deaq. It still scared her to think she could have lost him so easily. It was a feeling she never wanted to feel again. But why did she feel this way? If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't care this much, but Van… Again, she'd have to deal with it later. Right now, she needed to find that first aid kit.

Wandering out of the bedroom, Billie walked back out into the hall. There was another door in front of her leading into a bathroom with a toilet, shower, sink, and medicine cabinet. 'Bingo!' she thought, immediately opening the cabinet doors. Inside, she found a few things that might help Van; a roll of gauze, some tape, a large cotton pad, and a couple of hand towels. With her supplies in hand, Billie returned to the living room to deposit them on the coffee table beside their weapons. The last thing she needed was some alcohol to clean out the wound.

The kitchen-slash-dining room adjacent to the living room was her last stop. It was quite small, with only a few feet of room between the table and the black marble counter. A row of wood paneled cabinets ran along the floor and the ceiling. Beside the cabinets at the very corner of the kitchen was the stainless steel refrigerator. Billie began her search with the floor cabinets, managing to find enough non perishable food items to keep her and Van from starving for at least a few days. They ranged from cans of soup and vegetables to tea bags and cereal.

Next, Billie started searching through the ceiling cabinets, finding mostly plates, pots, pans, and food storage containers. She began to wonder if these people even drank alcohol until she reached the fridge. It was stocked full of vintage wine bottles, but wine was a poor disinfectant. Billie needed something strong, but she held off her search until she looked through the freezer. Inside were several packages of meat and fish. She was delighted to see something other than canned food in this place. It meant that she could cook herself a real meal and leave the softer foods for Van until he was strong enough to take everything else.

After closing the freezer, Billie turned to make her way out of the kitchen when she saw one more cabinet behind the table that she somehow missed during her first initial sweep of the room. Walking over to it and opening it, Billie's eyes lit up. "Oh, my God!" she whispered. There was so much alcohol in that cabinet it could keep her drunk for at least a month. And best of all, she found the perfect type of alcohol to clean Van's wound, vodka. She grabbed the bottle and headed back into the living room with it.

The one thing she noticed this place lacked was a phone. It concerned her, more like terrified her, that she and Van might be stuck here for a lot longer than they ever wanted to be. How could she have left everything in the car? Billie felt like a total idiot. As if things weren't bad enough already, Van's phone, along with every other piece of electronic equipment he owned had dropped out of his pockets and into the river the day before. Billie knew that she needed to leave Van and find a phone, or they'd never see home again. Wiping her mind of the thoughts that floated into it, she walked into the living room.

Billie took a seat on the armrest above Van's head and gently placed a hand on his warm cheek. A rush of relief ran through her again. Her thumb stroked his soft skin, easing him into consciousness. "Wake up, Van," she whispered. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking a couple of times to clear his vision before he looked up at her, those grey green pools glistening in the morning light. A smile appeared on his face as he reached up and placed his hand over hers. "Good morning," Billie said, a smile crossing her own lips.

"Morning," Van mumbled. He was now slightly more coherent than he had been an hour ago. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his worry made quite clear by the look in his eyes.

"I'm just fine," she replied, slightly taken aback by his concern for her even though he was the one hurt.

"I was worried about you last night. I thought you got shot or something," he said, tempted to place a soft kiss on the palm of her hand just to see what she'd do. With all this attention he was getting, Van was sure Billie had somehow bumped her head on a tree somewhere in the woods. There was no way in hell she'd ever be this nice to him, even if he was hurt or bleeding.

Billie couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, Van," she answered. "Why is it that you're always worried about everyone but yourself?"

Van smiled, answering, "Just because."

She returned his smile, sliding off the armrest to sit beside him as she did her work. "Well, it's time to start thinking about yourself because you have one hell of a gunshot wound." Billie's hand slipped out of his grasp and gently began to fiddle with the makeshift bandage she applied the night before. It was shaking slightly from the fear that she'd hurt him more than he already was.

"Don't remind me," Van replied, turning towards her so she wouldn't have to lean so far over him. He was somewhat weirded out by the fact that her cleavage was right in his face. That's all he needed to be thinking about now, especially after having woken up with her nearly naked body snuggled up against his earlier that morning. It had haunted his dreams, but not in a bad way.

Van noticed her trembling hands, but didn't say anything about them. After all that had happened, he sensed there was something changing about his boss. The way she was treating him had been the first sign, and now the way she was talking to him. It was like her personality had done a complete turn around in the last 24 hours. Instead of the usual anger, rage, and general bitchiness that came out in her voice when she talked to him, there was an air of concern, mixed with caring, and maybe the slightest pinch of love, but he doubted the love. It might have been something else he sensed in there, he just didn't know what.

Billie managed to untie the knot she made and slowly unwrapped the still slightly damp bandage, revealing the true nastiness of the wound. She bit down on her lip. Van really needed a doctor, not some survival class nobody who didn't know as much as she wished she did. The outer edge of the hole was a deep shade of red while puss and God knew what else was oozing from the inside. She had to turn away, distracting herself by grabbing the bottle of vodka and one of the hand towels she took from the bathroom then soaked it with the alcohol.

"This might hurt," Billie warned, just before placing the towel against the wound. Van buried his face in the pillow and grabbed the cushion of the couch, instantly feeling the sharp stinging pain radiate down into the depths of his soul. The last thing he wanted to do was cry out and give her even more to worry about. But, GOD! This was the worst pain anyone could ever be subjected to. This was worse than having your finger sliced off with a sharp knife. At least that pain was quick with a knife. The alcohol just seemed to burn continuously, all the way down into his soul. Tears began to fill his eyes the longer it took Billie to clean out the wound. It must have been really bad to take this long. Over five minutes passed before her hand pulled away.

"You really need stitches," she nonchalantly mentioned, picking up the wad of cotton and dividing it into smaller pieces so she'd have some for the next change. Billie placed one on each side of his shoulder then began to wrap the gauze around them. She knew Van had to be in a hell of a lot of pain from the way he buried his face in the pillow and how his knuckles seem to turn white as he grabbed the cushion of the couch and held onto it for dear life. "You're done," Billie said after wrapping a couple strips of tape over the gauze and cutting them with her teeth.

"Thank you," Van replied. He paused for a moment before he added, "For everything. I didn't realize how much you actually cared."

Billie sighed. She knew this was coming, just not so soon. "It was nothing," she said, trying to play it off like it really didn't mean a thing to her. "I'm just returning the favor," she added, remembering that he'd saved her from a fate just as bad. She stood to make a quick exit, being unable to hold back her emotions, but he grabbed her hand before she had the chance. Billie turned to find herself staring deep into Van's grey green eyes, those mesmerizing pools capturing her attention and holding it.

"For what it's worth, you really aren't a cold, heartless bitch," he told her, brining her hand to his lips and placing a soft, gentle kiss on top of it.

An electrified rush jumped up Billie's spine and back down again, freezing her where she stood. Her heart felt like it had skipped a beat. 'This isn't happening,' she reminded herself, even though the feeling felt so real. 'I'm not falling for him. He works for me. I'm his boss. The only relationship we have is employer/employee. Nothing else.' And with that, she tugged her hand away and headed to the kitchen to start some breakfast. Her stomach growled, indicating she needed food before she went crazy. Cooking seemed to be the only way her mind dealt with the heavier things.

Billie grabbed the first piece of meat she found in the freezer, which looked like either beef or deer. She couldn't really tell which because they were so similar. The next thing she picked up was a bottle of red wine, a few cans of vegetables, a tea bag, a teapot, and a large sauce pan. She wished she had some fresh veggies, but she could live without them. Improvising was one of her best traits, and it showed when she was faced with cooking challenges.

Before Billie could begin, though, she needed to see if the stove worked. Hopefully the gas was still on, giving her some glimmer of hope that she and Van would make it out of here alive. When she lit the burner and it ignited, she let out of squeal of delight. It was one of the first things to go right. She placed the pan on top of the stove to let it heat up as she unpackaged the frozen meat and laid it out on the counter to thaw for a few minutes as the pan was getting hot.

The next thing Billie wanted to know was whether they had running water. As she turned on the faucet, it sputtered for a couple of moments, spitting out some residue, but roared to life soon after. Yet again, another happy sound escaped her lips as she let it run until the pipes had cleared out. She filled the teapot with the water and placed it on another burner next to the pan to let it warm up as well.

"What the hell are you doing in there?" Van yelled from the living room upon hearing the strange noises coming from the kitchen. He sat up on the couch, getting ready to stand and see if he could actually move around without falling over. The first task he took on was getting to his jeans, which were in a pile near the fireplace. With shaky steps, he actually made it without falling. His second task would be putting them on and not ending up on his ass on the floor, which he accomplished with a few tries and a lot of patience, something he didn't realize he had. Since his shirt was in bloody pieces, he chose to walk around without it.

Van breathed a sigh of relief and began making his way towards the kitchen. He found Billie standing over the stove, her focus on cooking the food she had laid out on the counter beside it. There were cans of vegetables and a piece of meat that resembled steak. His stomach growled even though his throat really wasn't happy about having to swallow anything since it hurt so much.

"Whatcha making?" Van asked as he leaned against the kitchen's doorframe.

"Van!" Billie angrily yelled. She had no idea how wrapped up she had gotten in her work until he nearly scared the crap out her when he entered the kitchen. Another thing she wasn't too happy about was that he felt the need to get up and move even though she thought it best for him to stay put. But that was Van for you, always a royal pain in the ass, hurt or not. "Get back on the couch!"

"Come on, Billie, you know I can't sit there, alone, without anyone to talk to," Van made his case as he sat down at the table across from where she was preparing the food.

"So you come in here just so you can irritate the shit out of me?" she spat back. Billie knew she was being harsh. She couldn't help it. After their exchange a few minutes ago in the living room, she needed to push him back just so she could get her bearings before she could even begin to handle her emotions. "Go put your shirt on," Billie added.

"I can go without it," he replied, wondering how far he could push her before she went psycho on him. It was fun to test Billie. But it also served a purpose. Van needed to know what was up with her. Ever since they met, he sensed something was off. She kept too much to herself, which wasn't a good thing. If she didn't release some of that pent up energy, he was afraid she'd break down and explode at any minute. It just wasn't healthy. Neither were her addictions, but those he'd have to deal with at another time.

Before Billie could throw back her retort, the teapot whistled. She grabbed a cup from one of the cabinets and poured some of the hot tea into it, setting it in front of Van. "Drink," she ordered, refusing to look at him as she turned back to her cooking. He was really getting under her skin, and if he kept pushing it, she'd kick his ass, hurt or not.

Van took a sip of the hot liquid, his throat thanking him as soon as he swallowed. "God, that's good," he commented, putting the cup down and glancing over at Billie as she searched through the cupboards for a bottle of oil. She looked really cute when she was angry. But there was something amiss with her anger. He could sense it when she yelled at him just a moment ago. Van had startled her out of her thoughts. There was something she had been thinking about that had nothing to do with him or this case, and he'd push her until he found out what it was. He always pushed, no matter where it got him. That was the only thing he knew how to do well. It had worked with Sophia Jones, why not Billie?

"You never told me what you were making," Van added, taking another swig of his tea.

"Why do you care so much?" Billie shot back, finally having found a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, which she coated the bottom of the pan with. She was on the edge with him, and he was really pushing his luck now.

"Because I'm hungry," Van dumbly replied. "Jeez, what crawled up your ass?" he mumbled loudly to himself so she'd hear him.

Billie turned around to glare at him, the anger present on her face. "What crawled up my ass?" she seethed. "You crawled up my ass with all your damn questions! Why can't you just shut up for once and let me have some peace?"

"Why are you running hot and cold all of a sudden?" Van nearly shouted back, unable to keep his own anger in check after the way she had been treating him. He was getting sick of her attitude and needed to know why she was acting so strange. "Just a minute ago you were someone I didn't even know existed and now you're back to your bitchy self again. What's with you, Billie?"

"What's with me?" Billie retorted, shocked that he had actually figured her out. She was running out of excuses. Laughing cynically, she said, "That's none of your damn business."

Van stood, fed up with her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he spun Billie around, pinning her against the counter, and placed his arms to either side of her body, trapping her where she stood. He wasn't going to let her run anymore. "Well, it's become my damn business. I'm not letting you treat me like shit anymore without a good reason. So tell me, Billie, what's up with you?" He let the words sink in as she stared up at him with surprised blue eyes. There was something about catching Billie off guard that gave Van a rush. Only on a few occasions had he ever managed to do it, and this was one of them. Maybe now he'd get the answer he was looking for. Maybe now she'd finally open up to him and let him in to her secret little world.

Billie's mouth became a thin, straight line and her eyes narrowed as the anger coursed through her body. "I'm your boss, VAN! I can treat you however the hell I want, without you questioning me!" she yelled, violently pushing him away.

Van drew back, knowing he had lost this round, and fearing that he pushed her farther back with his impatience. He walked out of the kitchen, leaving Billie to her thoughts. There was no need to make her any angrier than she already was. Letting her simmer down was the only way he'd get her to open it. Next time, he'd try another approach, one that was far more subtle than this one had been.

And so, we have finally returned to Aspen! Happy Turkey Day everyone! This is my gift to you on this wonderful day full of food and thanks. I give my thanks to all you wonderful readers and reviewers. You have really inspired me to write this wonderful story, and I can't thank you enough for keeping me going.

prplerayne: LOL! That was a good line, wasn't it? But you're right, if Deaq only knew. There's plenty still left in store for him in the following chapters. He's definitely gonna find out what it's REALLY like to be Billie. It's not all fun and games and a nice cozy chair in the middle of the Candy Store. I think he might just recant that some time soon. We'll see... :)

Avillie: Yes, we got back to Van and Billie in their half naked states. :D I hope that put a smile on your face today. I didn't mean to torture you and everyone else for so long, it's just that sometimes there are things I need to write before I can get to others. And I couldn't help by say "Awww!" to that last little comment you made in your review. Thank you! I'll be sure to give thanks to you and all everyone else for sticking with me. Thank you!

ackeberlynn: Oh, wow, really! It's one of the best you've read? Thanks for the confidence boost! I really needed it! I never thought I'd hear anyone say that. Hehe. Yeah, shows you how insecure I am. Thank you, though. I really REALLY appreciate it. :D

Francesca: There you go! More coming soon! Glad you liked it! Thank you!

fan4fastln: Life is definitely hectic. I totally understand. I just worry sometimes, actually, a lot of the time. I have this concern for people that I just can't help. Anyway, I'm glad I surprised you with a few things that you weren't expecting. There is definitely a lot in store for all three, especially for Van and Billie. You won't believe what's coming up for those two. Just be prepared to pop your eyeballs back into your head. I'm just hoping that I've made the lead up good enough to it. Great, there go the insecurities again! Ack! I can never stop worrying how things will work out in this fic. I just hope it makes sense by the time it's finished.

Shalimar1: That review really did help me a LOT! I didn't realize I had become so redundant in that last chapter. I guess I'll have to go back and edit it before I post it on my own website. I'm also glad I've got you thinking. You've made some really good comments and questions about lots of things. There is definitely a really good reason why Billie has drunk herself into a corner. I have yet to reveal her deepest, darkest secret, so just hold on for a little while longer. It's coming. There's still a LOT you don't know about her. Okay, I think I've been cryptic enough for today. Thanks for liking the story so much! It's a real confidence boost when someone tells me they can actually see this as a real episode. Thank you!

And, of course, the Unsigned: YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME TOO! THANK YOU AND HAVE A VERY HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

Okay, now that I've got those out of the way, I might as well make a few shameless plugs for my other stories here: Family Feud (which I've co-written with prplerayne, who is also an AMAZING author!), Crash And Burn, and Allegory of the Club. If you all get bored today after reading this update, feel free towander over to those fics and take a look. Also, if you get a chance, check out Drunken Desires by prplerayne. I love that story! It's great! Totally amazing!

I'm done now. More story coming soon! HAPPY TURKEY DAY!