Title: The City Between Us
Chapter 9 – Best Laid Plans?

"I dreamt I woke up to the smell of coffee," Erin equipped as she slightly stretched the next morning but remained in place under the shabby blanket in front of the warm fire.

"How about in a real bed…?"

"After a real shower?"

"With a real flushing toilet?"

"And real toilet paper!" She added with a laugh as he smiled and nodded and neared her with a small frown. "What's…wrong? I know that look."

"Really? You do?"

"It's been almost a week of being just…one on one…yeah I've picked up a few things," Erin admitted with a tender glance. "Like when you're trying to tell me something you think I'll be worried about but you don't want to tell me outright. What's…going on?"

"We only have a few bites left of jerky," Kelly resigned as he slumped down beside her. He looked at the faint bruise on her cheek as his fingers gently brushed her soft skin on the way toward a stray strand and tucked it behind her ear. At one time in his life he would have found it disconcerting that a woman knew him that well…scared even but somehow it felt comforting that she could read him that easily but wasn't rattled or unnerved by it and didn't try to make a big deal of the fact that he tried to shield her from bad news but failed. I'm falling in love...he inwardly sighed. Falling? Think you've already fallen…yeah I know…from day one.

"Then we better find help and fast," she assured him as took the last piece he offered and started to chew on it. "Does that mean we'll be having a real meal tonight?"

"Let's hope so," Kelly smiled as they both watched Buddy get up and then head for the door. "I'll take a look outside with him," he suggested as he consumed his last piece of food and then helped her stand up. His arms wrapped around her and held her close as she slightly swayed and before either could react their lips were locked and bodies pressed together. But at the same moment that his lips gasped from her pressure upon his ribs and her lips gasped when she put pressure on her broken leg the moment was broken.

"Sorry…" both offered at once and then gave the other a smile when Buddy bounded back in and barked.

"I'll see what it's like outside."

"Kelly wait," Erin gently protested as she pulled him close once more and then kissed him once more on the lips. "Just for luck," she whispered as he smiled and nodded.

"I'll put out the fire and then join you."

Erin cleaned up the last few bits of stuff they had and then looked at the empty food container with a heavy heart. He had done his best to keep them alive so far but without any ice-fishing equipment, he was right they had to find help today or they'd be done for – literally. No food. Both physically exhausted, injured and in desperate need of some basic life necessities such a hot bath and a solid meal.

"Air is still fresh," Erin said with a smile as she appeared in the doorway and watched as Kelly approached with Buddy at his side. "Under better circumstances…this might be a nice getaway."

"You mean no broken bones, real food, some actual soft bedding and…"

"Running water?" She interjected as he offered his hand, which she took and then stepped down the two somewhat slippery steps and onto the hard ground. "How long until we find the logging camp?"

"Hopefully we'll be there before dark. At least we have a road…or what's left of one to follow. And…we're heading downhill. No matter what…we stick to the road."

"Who of your team do you think is on the hunt out here?"

"Who came to New York? Hank…he'd have been on the first flight out…wouldn't have mattered if it was a hurricane or not. He'd be there and tell the rest to wait at home just in case. He'd probably call Olivia and the two of them would brave anything."

"Is that his…girlfriend?" Kelly dared to ask, which made Erin emit a soft giggle and shrug. "No?"

"They'd deny it but anyone around them can see they have something," she said with a cryptic smile. "He'd tell the rest of my team and yours to stay put. Think your old man would come out?"

"Depends…think he's afraid of Hank," Kelly chuckled as they slowly walked down the road. With each step Kelly could tell that Erin's frame faltered a bit more; lack of proper rest or any nourishing food and too much pressure on a crudely treated wound all started to take their toll.

He would try to argue with her to stay behind and wait until he ran ahead to see what lay ahead for them but she'd argue back that she wasn't being left behind again and nothing good ever came of that. And she'd be right. Inside, he knew he didn't want to leave her behind, he wanted her with him; at his side. For how long...?

"I know I'm slowing us down," Erin mentioned; her words just picked the thoughts right from his muddled brain.

"I'd argue about leaving you behind but I'd lose."

"Kelly…"

"We'll get to the end of this road together. We still have a whole day of light ahead of us. No food but…"

"Think the camp will have anything?"

"Even if it's closed for the season they usually leave something in the emergency station just in case."

"Really?"

"Not sure, just sounded good to say," he answered as she looked up at him in surprise. "I used to like winter as a season…now I think summer will be top of the list."

"Summer for sure," Erin agreed. "Although I like fall when all the…" her voice trailed off into a nervous laugh as he looked over with arched brows. "I'm rambling."

"I don't think Buddy minds," Kelly said with a kind smile. But that smile disappeared a few seconds later as he watched her falter and quickly shot out his arms to catch her before she felt to the ground.

"Sorry I…I'm okay…"

"You feel warm," he mentioned in concern as his now bare fingers rested for a few seconds on her forehead, then cheek and then inside her neck. "Too warm."

"Didn't have much for breakfast and am tired," she admitted weakly as he tried to see past the brave façade she tried to offer. "I'm okay. Just tired. We need to keep moving."

"I'm sure they would have found the plane by now and then seen our tracks and the arrow. Maybe they'll have a rescue dog…one that can pick up Buddy's scent and they'll find us."

"Right."

But as he heard the uncertainty in her tone he knew he couldn't fault her for being skeptical. It was nearly a week and still no sign of life or rescue and their situation had gotten a lot direr. No more food, very little fresh water and in bad need of medical attention. He had felt her leg and it was warm. Not alarmingly so just yet but the longer it went untreated the more worried he became.

"Let's just rest up a bit here."

"Kelly…"

"Not a request Erin. Just five minutes off that leg. It'll be okay."

"You really think they've found the plane?"

"I do," he replied with as sure a smile and tone as he could muster. But inside he could only pray a bit harder that those words were true and help wasn't that far off.

XXXXXXXX

"What's at the end of this road?" Olivia asked the rescue leader as Hank looked over her shoulder at the map.

"Cabin I think. Heard some of the guys at one time talking about a cabin at the end near Simpson Lake and the trail down from the mountain might lead there. If Erin and Kelly walked down the easiest path it could have led them there. Your people might have found that."

"Let's hope. Okay we need a couple of 4x4's!" Hank Voight's voice boomed as he looked at Olivia Benson with a small frown.

"We'll find them," she said confidently. "I have to win this bet after all."

XXXXXXXX

They walked on for another two hours before Kelly could hear Erin's breathing start to shallow and knew she needed some rest…some real rest.

"At least we have some semblance of a road to walk down," Erin commented as they slowly continued along the road, the sky overhead threatening to cloud over earlier than they might have wanted. "Gives me some hope that it will lead to help."

"Has to lead to somewhere," Kelly replied as he looked at her with a small frown and then back at Buddy who seemed to have picked up a scene of some kind. "Easy Buddy…" Kelly cautioned as the lovable lab looked up with an innocent expression.

"He has guilt down pat," Erin smiled as Buddy went back to his previous task.

"Maybe he could be your new partner," Kelly retorted as Erin offered up a chuckle.

"Jay might be jealous."

"Are you close to Jay?" Kelly asked suddenly as Erin looked up in surprise. "You haven't said much about him. Friends…I get that but…"

"We're close but we're friends. He's involved with someone. Seriously. No one special at the firehouse?"

"Breakfast table?" He retorted only to have her cock her head sideways and cast him a glance that asked for a serious answer. "No one special there. Anywhere…" his voice trailed off as his chest started to ache a little bit more. Both of them were running on fumes as it were due to lack of sleep and real food and wanted to collapse at any moment but with the thought that there could be something or someone to help them at the end of the road they had to keep going.

"Are we going to talk about what happens when we get back?" Erin inquired in a gentle tone as Kelly's brow furrowed heavily.

"We….can," he replied with some hesitation as she paused and looked at him with a small huff; her heart racing and head pounding but knew she had to get a few straight answers from him before they got back to civilization. "Just that…"

"That what?"'

"That I don't want to fool myself about something that might not happen."

"Do you want this…us to work?" Erin asked point blank.

He felt his pulse quicken as she waited for an answer and found himself wanting to give in. "I…do," he finally answered in a quiet tone before he looked at her with a small smile before both paused and leaned into a brief incoming kiss. The moment didn't last too long but it was electric and further cemented in each of their hearts that they were fated to be together. "I just think that…" he started only to be interrupted as Buddy, who picked up a scent started to bark.

"He found something!" Erin exclaimed as Kelly hurried the few meters toward the excited dog.

"What'd you find boy?" Kelly bent down to examine the liquid Buddy had found.

"What is it?"

"Oil…fresh…well it's at least a few days old but that means someone has been through here recently and that's good for us," he told her as Buddy pulled away from them and started to run down the road. "BUDDY!" Kelly shouted as he started to jog after the dog but had to stop due to fresh pains in his chest. "BUDDY!" He tried once more but to no avail.

"Think he's found a person?"

"Would seem that way," Kelly huffed as he took a few deep breaths and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Kelly?"

"Just dizzy…"

"Okay so you…" she started and then looked around them to see what he could rest on. "There…" she pointed a few meters off the path. "Just go and rest a few minutes. You'd tell me to do that."

"I would," he replied with a small grimace as he turned to see where Buddy had gotten to.

"You go rest…I'll continue on ahead and see what's gotten his attention."

"Okay."

Erin offered him a small smile and then pulled back and watched him pull away and slightly limp toward the large boulder to rest and then turned to see where Buddy had gotten to.

But no sooner had she taken a few steps but the cold air around her was pierced with a blood-curdling scream.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

"KELLLLY!" Erin screamed as she turned back to see him fall to the ground and hurried toward him as fast as her injured leg could take her. She heard Buddy barking in the distance but knew she had to see what happened to Kelly first. "Kelly!" She shouted as she neared.

"CAREFUL!" He shouted as she instantly stopped and looked at him in horror before she cursed in shock. "OH DAMMMMM! AHHHHHHH!"

"What the….hell! Kelly!"

She hurried to his side but due to her broken leg she wasn't able to kneel down to help him. "This…this is bad!" She snapped as she tried to pry the bear trap from off his lower leg. "Who the hell…A DAMN BEAR TRAP!"

"It's a hunting…cabin…" Kelly wheezed as small dark circles began to form. "Erin…hurry…get…help!" He managed through shallow breaths as he tried to get the steel jaws open. The trap wasn't as big as some of the ones he'd seen and he knew his father had used some when he was young but he never had gotten caught in one.

"How…do I get this off?"

"There's a pin…pin on the side…" he tried as he brain raced back in time to some instructions his father had given him just in case.

"Pin…where's the…there's NO PIN!" She growled as she looked at his face, now etched in pain. "Kelly….you…okay you can't leave me now…not after all this! You tell me…tell me how to get this damn thing off!"

"Pin…"

"I can't bend down!" Erin snapped and then quickly recanted. "I can't reach it."

"Okay…kay…I'll try…oh dammmmm…"

"Sorry…sorry…okay just…I can't…" she inwardly cursed herself as she knew she couldn't bend down enough to get any kind of pin and pull it out and get him the help he needed. "Kelly…" she stated once more in haste as she noticed him start to falter. "Don't you dare leave me now!"

"No…not…help…"

"Kelly!"

"Erin…go…get help…" he huffed as his lungs started to gently heave. "Please…before…it's…too dark."

"Kelly…stay with me," she tried again. "I can't…just leave you."

"You…must. Follow…the road…" he gasped as he looked at her with a strained expression. "Go…hurry."

"I hate this!" She yelled as she kissed her fingers and then tried to bend down as best she could and pressed him against his lips for a few seconds. "You better…just stay with me okay! I can't lose you now! I'll be right back. I lo…" she tried just as he interrupted.

"Hurry…" he wheezed as she lingered for a few seconds and then knew she had to get moving.

"Okay…you just better be awake when I get back. I…I need to tell you something important."

"…kay…" he whispered as he started to slip into unconsciousness.

"Kelly!"

"Hurry…"

With the woods getting darker and the sky overhead a murky grey she knew coming back to find him without a marker would be near impossible. So she look off the small reflector patch she had on her jacket from the plane and placed it on the road adjacent to where Kelly now lay helpless and in pain.

"Go…!" she told herself and started to limp as fast as she could toward where she could hear Buddy barking. But it wasn't long before sheer exhaustion started to overtake her and she could feel her body start to falter. "No…you gotta keep going!" She snapped into the cool air that now assaulted her with greater force.

The wind picked up and she did what she could to pull the jacket around her but with her frame still slightly damp from the dip in the lake the day before she knew it wouldn't be long before she too would be in trouble.

"Buddy!" Erin called out as he head started to pound. "Buddy…" she tried once more as she heard the barking. "Come…" she tried as her legs started to falter and her watery eyes blurred her vision.

"Bud…" Erin started only to have her legs give way and her weary frame collapsed to the ground. With her broken leg, her frame exhausted and no one around to help her up she was unable. Her head pounded and eyes blurred while her heart and mind raced – one out of pain and the other out of fear. Kelly! GET UP…KEEP GOING…But she was unable…and it ripped her heart in two.

But just before all hope was lost, she raised her head and watched in amazement as headlights suddenly appeared. "Wh…at…" am I dreaming?

"HANK! LOOK OUT!"

A/N: yup one last bit of danger (to the guest that said to deviate from the plot and give some Kelly hurt hmm well there was some in there)! Hey I didn't write the original story – just kept to it as much as possible and yes all this happened to them in the movie! Yikes! So…back to reality? Hmm how will that go now? Please do review before you go and thanks so much!