Happy Friday & Happy Weekend. This chapter is a bit of a filler, but I hope you still like it.

I don't own The Brave, or any of it's characters... But I wish I did!

Chapter 45

"Can I take your truck for a bit?" Jaz asked Adam as they still lay in bed, having just finished ravishing each other.

"You need to go into town?" Adam quizzed.

"Yeah. I just need a couple of things before we go camping tomorrow."

"No worries, I'll go with you."

"It's fine," she halted him quickly, "I can go, I remember the way, and I'll be quick. You stay and do whatever you need to do around here."

"If you're sure…"

"I'm sure."

Hearing her phone vibrating on the bedside table, Jaz grabbed it and saw a text from Preach. She immediately began typing out a reply with a smile on her face, causing Adam to question her.

"Is there someone I should be jealous of this early in the morning?"

Chuckling, Jaz looked over at him as soon as she put her phone back down, "It's just Preach checking on me. He texts me every few days. I should be the one checking on him, but he always beats me to it."

"Yeah, that's Preach for you."

"Speaking of someone you should be jealous of; I need to say good morning to Cassiopeia. She'll miss us when we go camping."

"She's a fish, she'll survive."

"Can I remind you, that it was you who bought me that fish."

"And I've regretted it ever since."

That was a lie and they both knew it. He had loved every single moment of happiness that he had seen cross Jaz's face since bringing the fish home. But he also loved teasing her. And that wasn't going to stop any time soon.

In the early afternoon, Adam was busy doing some minor repairs around the cabin. He had some plans in the future to extend the cabin, but that was not a job for this leave. Not when he had Jaz living here with him. Not when, given their jobs and the idiosyncrasies that came with it, he couldn't guarantee what his situation, their situation, and their living situation, would be in the future.

While he tried not to dwell on that for the moment, it was the truth. But they had made a promise to live in the moment and make every moment count. They were Preach's words and very wise ones at that, and given everything their job had exposed them to and made them susceptible to, they were appreciably taking them on board.

Hearing his truck approach the cabin, he walked around from the back to see Jaz pull up out front. He had had no doubt that she would have found her way to and from town with no worries. Given the elite level of their team, her spatial awareness was exceptional, but he still liked to know that she was back in one piece.

She jumped out the driver's seat as soon as she parked and opened up the back door. He made his way over to help with any bags she might have had and before he knew it, a big ball of fluff was bounding towards him with his tail wagging enthusiastically.

"Patton!" Adam exclaimed in surprise as he sat on the ground to accept the licks to his face that Patton was eager to deliver.

Jaz stood and watched the reunion with a big smile on her face.

Adam looked up at her, "Sneaky. You and Preach had this all planned out, huh?"

Jaz shrugged, "Preach put him on a plane first thing this morning. It was time for him to come home. Although by the look of him, Preach's girls have been spoiling him."

"Sure looks that way." Adam laughed, rubbing Patton's belly and he lay on the floor next to him.

"How you doing, buddy? Enjoyed getting pampered in SoCal I bet. Back to roughing it out here though, how you gonna cope?"

Jaz smiled watching Adam chatter away to Patton. It had been one of the indications to all of them that their CO had a soft side; when they had all watched him give in to the dog that followed him around base like a… well, like a puppy. He had tried to be cavalier about it all, pretending to be annoyed with the dog's presence, but they had all caught him slipping Patton snacks and pats and when he then took up residence on one of their couches, they knew their leader was done for.

She went and sat on the front step of the cabin and as if remembering she was there, Patton sat back up and trotted over to sit with her.

While she stroked him, Adam joined her on the step.

"You surprised me."

"Not for the first time."

"Definitely not. Hopefully not for the last."

Jaz smiled slowly at him, "We'll see."

Adam grinned back at her before leaning over to press his lips to her shoulder. Then to her neck. And then finally to her lips, letting them linger there the longest. It was a kiss of thanks and of appreciation. He could have kept kissing her if Patton hadn't chosen that moment to climb in between them both, sniffing them both and licking Adam's face.

Looking at him in amusement, they both laughed out loud, "He didn't waste any time getting comfortable again," Adam said wryly.

"He's home." Jaz just said simply, giving Patton a scratch. "Let's go and introduce him to Cass."

With an exasperated eye roll, Adam stood up to follow Jaz, agilely dodging the jab she directed at his shoulder. She had seen his eye roll, and with one of her own, she stalked into the cabin with Patton at her feet.

Adam was getting the distinct feeling he was going to be outnumbered in everything while they were all together again. Patton had already re-affirmed his attachment to Jaz, and honestly, Adam couldn't be happier.

They took Patton on a walk later in the afternoon to let him really stretch his legs after being on a plane all morning. He was in his element, trotting along in front of them, eager to reacquaint himself with all the familiar scents and constantly turning around to check on them, making sure they were within sight and still following along.

Adam and Jaz walked the track hand-in-hand, watching Patton ahead of them.

Adam was so appreciative of Jaz's gesture to get Patton back to them so quickly. He would have organised it with Preach eventually, but the surprise was amazing.

That dog had grown on him. When he first appeared on base, he took an instant liking to Dalton and their Quonset hut. Dalton threw a few food scraps his way every now and then and Patton sealed his loyalty right there and then. He was always around when the team came back to base after a mission with his tail wagging, eager to greet them. It wasn't until Dalton was up in the middle of the night, not able to sleep after a particularly gruelling mission, and saw Patton curled up asleep on one of their couches, that he really accepted that the dog had become theirs. His.

It was then that Dalton gave him his name and sat on that couch with him scratching behind his ears, as that particular mission ran over and over in his head. Sensing Dalton's unease, Patton had curled up next to him and his steady breathing, company and warmth had enabled Dalton to fall asleep right there on the couch, allowing him some much needed rest.

The rest of the team saw this as they woke in the morning. They crept around, knowing that Dalton needed the rest in whatever way he could get it. Of course, that didn't stop McG taking a photo of their CO on his phone as photographic evidence for future use, if needed.

They stopped walking as they arrived at a view point that Adam had taken Jaz to on one of her first days at the cabin. The view was absolutely spectacular, and it was just as breathtaking as the first time. It had Jaz eager to go on their camping trip tomorrow to see as much of these mountains as she could.

Back at the cabin later on, Adam dug out the gear they would need on their camping trip tomorrow. Sleeping bags, tent, trangia, methylated spirits, matches, fishing rods, fishing paraphernalia and a few more bits and pieces.

Jaz threw a few extra pieces of clothing and toiletries into her already packed go-bag. They were only going for two nights so she didn't need too much stuff. These Blue Ridge Mountains contained a plethora of swimming possibilities though, so she threw in one of her one piece suits just in case, then she also packed her new bikini. The one that Adam hadn't seen yet. Just in case.

They put together some food supplies, and Jaz made sure there was some chocolate packed, given they were now overflowing with the sweet stuff. And they of course made sure that there was food that Patton could eat too, since he would of course be joining them.

Following dinner later that night, they sat out on the back veranda with Patton curled up at Adam's feet when their phones simultaneously chimed indicating an incoming message. It was Amir with a picture of his cooking.

Shakshouka for dinner, always a winner – Amir

Oh man, you're killing me – McG

Hannah is a lucky woman – Preach

Jaz scrolled through her phone and selected one of the many photos she had taken of Cassiopeia to send to the group.

Check out my new housemate – Jaz

How very domestic of you. Don't kill it, Jazzy – McG

*middle finger emoji* - Jaz

Speaking of housemates, my girls are missing Patton – Preach

Time to get them a dog – Top

I feel like a cash register – Preach

Well maybe if you weren't such a pushover, Preach, it wouldn't be an issue – Top

Well let's see you have kids and how you do against those doe eyes staring up at you – Preach

He's bad enough with Patton – Jaz

Are we having the kids talk already? WTF have I missed? – McG

Adam and Jaz laughed, rolling their eyes at McG at the same time.

Calm down. Just FYI, Jaz and I will be off the grid camping for the next couple of days – Top

Enjoy – Preach

What? That's it, Preach? – McG

That's all that needed to be said – Preach

Disappointing – McG

Enjoy you two – Amir

Stay safe. In every sense of the word – McG.

McG, nothing will bring you greater peace than minding your own business – Preach

Of course you have something to say to that – McG

Talk to you all soon! – Jaz

Jaz giggled as she put her phone down. Adam just rolled his eyes at her. McG and Preach could banter back and forth for an eternity. And while it was often entertaining, it could literally go on for an eternity, and they were going to have an early night tonight since they planned on getting an early start tomorrow morning.

They were going to spend that night in separate rooms. Their first night apart since Adam had confessed his feelings to her, and their first night apart since being back at the cabin. They knew they needed to practice this, and given that the following two nights would be spent together in the small confines of a tent, this was a good opportunity. And even though they knew they would only be separated by a bedroom wall, and even though it would only be one night, neither of them were looking forward to it.

An hour later after another beer on the veranda, they made their way inside to get ready for their early night.

Jaz was gathering her things in Adam's room to take to the guest room, but he surprised her when he said, "You stay in this room tonight. I'll take the guest room."

"But this is your room." Jaz said surprised.

"That's just a technicality. You'll be more comfortable in here."

"So will you."

Adam moved to stand in front of her. Leaning down to kiss her forehead softly and brushing her hair back from her shoulders, he let his hands rest there.

"Don't argue. I've made my decision."

With a raise of her eyebrows and a wry smile on her face, she answered him, "Sure thing, Top."

He chuckled at the reference—because he couldn't remember the last time she had called him Top—and then captured her lips with his own in a kiss goodnight. Lingering there, he held her close, pressing his lips to hers, knowing that even though he would be right next door, he would miss her every second he was without her.

She pulled him close, her hands gripping onto his t-shirt to hold him there, still not letting go as he lifted his head to take a step back. She stood on her tiptoes to chase his lips with hers, laughing as they found their target, her grip becoming even tighter.

Indulging in the kiss a few moments longer, he eventually pulled the t-shirt over his head and handed it to her to sleep in. It was one of his army t-shirts—one of her favourites, and she knew it would smell of him in all his masculine goodness.

"Sweet dreams, Jaz." He whispered as he walked out of the room, leaving her to slip into the t-shirt and hop into bed.

She couldn't deny that the scent of his t-shirt combined with the warmth of his bed made her feel super comfortable and at ease. Knowing that he was right next door left her feeling content and she thankfully slipped into a deep slumber, sleeping the whole night through.

On the other side of that wall, Adam managed to get some sleep too. It wasn't as restful as when he had Jaz in his arms and her warmth snuggled up to him, but knowing she was really only metres away certainly helped.

He woke up early though and lay there mentally checking through everything in his head for their camping trip. Like any mission they went on, he liked to be prepared and he had a couple of surprises for Jaz along the way that he hoped she liked.

After a little while, he sat up and reached for the notebook that Jaz had bought him. It couldn't be more perfect with the saying "Does not play well with others" on the front and he smiled at it as he opened it up.

Xander had recommended that he write stuff down. Anything that came to mind. Anything that troubled him or excited him. Anything that he lost sleep over, or woke him up, or was worried about. Just… anything.

He thought he'd start it off with writing about how thrilled he was to be taking Jaz camping. He loved camping, and he loved these mountains. Getting the chance to share even more of that with Jaz, the woman he loved, made him happy. More than happy. He was fucking elated. He couldn't have found a more perfect woman to share this with and he couldn't wait to get moving.

Just as he was finishing up and he thought about going to wake Jaz up, his door creaked open from where he had left it ajar overnight and Jaz's sleepy face and giant mane of bed hair looked back at him.

He put the notebook back on the bedside table and looked at her questioningly.

"I slept well." She confirmed for him.

"Get over here." He beckoned and lifted the covers up. She slid right in next to him, lay a hand on his chest and kissed him.

"I missed you though."

"I missed you too." He whispered against her lips.

Before she knew it, she was rolled onto her back and he lay on top of her, his hips already cradled in between her thighs. He was already hard and with a shared glimmer in their eyes, they knew exactly how this morning was going to start.

"You were writing in your book. Did I interrupt?" She asked him coyly.

"Yes. But you can make it up to me." He answered with a smile and he buried his head in the crook her neck, pressing his warm, soft lips to the smoothness of her skin. Feeling it instantly light on fire, she couldn't hold back a moan as her mind drained of all thoughts except for ones of Adam, and what he was capable of making her feel.

"Oh yeah, how's that?" She just managed to ask, even though the ability to speak seemed somewhat foreign to her at the moment.

Blazing his lips up and down her neck, he let them linger near her ear and whispered barely audibly, "By letting me taste you."

Jaz shivered in anticipation and he threaded his hands through her hair, continuing to make love to her neck with his mouth. Flames of heat were licking at her core, and she raised her hips against his to try to ease the ache between her legs.

Eager hands tugged at her clothing, lifting his army t-shirt she had worn to bed to palm her breasts, her nipples standing to attention under his callous roughened hands and his mouth slanted over hers in a deep and hungry kiss.

In two seconds flat the t-shirt was removed, as were her underwear, and he slid down her body. He spread her legs apart and hummed in approval when his gaze fell on her glistening folds.

"You're so wet," he muttered, sweeping his thumb over her, watching as her juice coated her entire slit.

She moaned when his lips closed over her clit. He suckled gently and her hips shot off the bed, eager for more of whatever his mouth had to offer. He kissed his way down to her opening, his tongue darting out to dip into the moisture there, and another flick of his thumb on her clit made her entire body jerk in reaction.

Jaz shifted restlessly on the bed. She was a bundle of nerves, ready to explode at the slightest provocation, and Adam knew exactly what she needed. His mouth found her sensitive bud again, licking it fervently as he slid two fingers inside her and pumped them in time to the movements of his tongue.

She came quickly with a soft cry, instinctively grabbing his hair to keep his head in place, trying to prolong the pleasure. It wasn't enough though, she needed him inside of her.

Reading her mind, Adam wasted no time crawling up her body and positioning himself between her thighs. He kissed her, nice and slow, his tongue entering her mouth skilfully and hungrily. Whimpering, Jaz wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed her breasts against his strong, muscular chest. He groaned in response, then reached down and cupped one breast, rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

"I love feeling you underneath me." He admitted.

"I need you inside of me, Adam." She replied roughly and she slipped her hand between them, grasped his cock and guided it to exactly where she needed it to be. He slid in slowly, an inch at a time, pleasure darkening his gaze once he was fully inside of her. Jaz closed her eyes and rotated her hips, loving the way her muscles stretched to accommodate his length.

He began to thrust slowly and her inner muscles bore down on him and her core tingled with each stroke. They both groaned and Adam's voice was strained as he whispered, "You're so tight, Jaz. You feel so good."

"I need you so badly, Adam."

Those six words gave him the incentive to withdraw nearly completely, before slamming back into her with a deep, hard thrust that made her cry out in delight. Her hands drifted down to clamp onto his ass, guiding him into her as he moved in earnest, his lips finding hers as his tongue mimicked his cock.

Each hurried thrust brought her closer to the brink again. She fought to keep her eyes open so she could watch his face and his expression. His blue eyes were hazy and gorgeous and hid neither his emotions or his passion.

Seeing his raw need reflected so clearly in his eyes was all it took to send her toppling over the edge. Her orgasm seized her muscles and surged through her veins, leaving bursts of ecstasy in its wake as it travelled through her body.

Adam's mouth stayed glued to hers when he came, and she swallowed his moan of release, stroking his back as he shuddered inside her.

"Fuck, Jaz." Sounding blissful and sated, he eased his muscular chest down so he could rest his head on her breasts.

"Mmhmm," was all she could manage, stroking his hair as he was draped over her, his warm breath tickling her nipple.

They lay there, getting their breath back. Jaz loved these moments with Adam. This masculine soldier, who she had admired and respected for so long, rarely let down his guard. But when it was just the two of them, like this, he allowed himself to… just be. And she knew she did the same.

"I love you," she whispered, her fingers still raking through his dark blond hair.

"I love you too." He finally lifted his head and moved up to kiss her lips softly and gently. The intimacy they shared made their hearts thud in unison as they lay in each other's arms, wondering if they would have the energy to even get out of bed that morning.

I thought it was about time that Patton re-joined them. They're a cute little family.

Like I said, this was a bit of a filler chapter, I just wanted to get Patton back into it. The next couple of chapters are about their camping trip.

I'll be overseas for the next couple of weeks, but I have the next three chapters written. When I'm back I will just need to edit and then I'll post.

Thanks so much for continuing to read, support and comment on this story - Much love as always to you all XXX