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The magical finally arrived when the men would parade naked in the streets of Cicely and the women would bundle up and hold forth on the sidewalks cheering them on. This annual ritual had been a cherished part of the fabric of life in the remote Alaskan town ever since two of its pioneers, Hollings and Maurice had decided to settle themselves on down from their exciting lives of adventure and create a bustling town.

No one actually remembered the first time the running of the bulls had taken place but everyone accepted that it was one of the traditions which bound the town of several thousand together and provided a welcome respite to its residents after months of darkness and bouts of cabin fever.

Matt awoke from a rather disturbing dream where he had imagined himself out there running the streets and he realized he hadn't a stitch of clothing on. He nearly panicked until he realized that considering his surroundings, he had been properly attired. C.J. had still been asleep, her arm wrapped around her abdomen and he had stroked her hair. She stirred and opened her eyes looking up at him.

"Well today's the day…"

"You mean the running of the bulls," he finished.

She winked at him.

"That and maybe other things."

He waited for her to shed some light on that statement but she just smiled at him and snuggled closer to him.

"Are you really okay with this," she asked, "being naked in public."

He stroked her arm with a finger.

"Well it's not nearly as fun as being naked in private," he said, kissing her bare shoulder, "but I think I can survive it if I don't freeze to death."

She looked up at him.

"I'll make sure you do survive since me and our child have a vested interest," she said, "I think this will be a lot of fun."

He chuckled.

"You'll be standing on the sidelines bundled up against the cold and I'll be out there in the elements trying not to get frostbit."

"We'll be cheering you on," she said, "and if you keep moving, you won't freeze. Then it will be done and you'll get plenty of warm food and drink."

"I'd rather be celebrating in private," he said.

She smiled.

"Oh that will come soon enough cowboy," she said, "Just you wait…"

Oh, he could definitely be assured of doing just that as he drew her closer for a kiss.

The women lined up on the sidewalks in front of the Brick and Chris' radio station. The deejay had equipped himself with a mike somewhere on his body and would be providing live coverage of the run. It would probably be too cold to actually interview the participants during the run but he would give it his best effort. Being an effort of many such runs, Chris had no concerns about the event. He had to give a pep talk to Joel who having survived it once, still needed to be reassured that he wouldn't drop dead in the middle of it, naked as a jaybird.

"Now Joel, you'll be drinking brandy beforehand…"

Joel interrupted as he pulled off his shirt.

"The American Medical Association has established that drinking alcohol even brandy beforehand actually makes you feel colder…"

Chris frowned.

"Really," he said, "I shouldn't have let my subscription to their monthly journals lapse."

"I don't know if I'm going to survive this," Joel said, "I mean I've been in training for weeks to do the actual run but the rehearsal is nothing like the show itself."

"Relax Joel," Chris said, "If you stress out, it just makes it harder.

Matt watched them as he took off his own clothes. He had been an athlete in college and served in the military so disrobing in front of other people, well he had long grown used to it. He doubted that Joel had the same experience. His concern was that he had to lead the damn parade of naked men running in the streets. He had actually practiced running with clothes piled on just so he would be mindful of every patch of ice, every crack in the street so that he wouldn't stumble and cause a pileup of runners. He had noticed the wall of paparazzi that had appeared in preparation of the event. Maurice and Hollings while downing some brandy at the bar had noticed the sheer number of them.

"I never saw anything like that crowd," Maurice said, stars in his eyes.

Hollings drank another shot.

"You'd think this was the Olympics or something."

Maurice froze, his eyes widening.

"Hollings, you have just given me an idea," he said, spreading his hands apart, "I can see it now. This could be an annual event with prize money, endorsements, invitations to some of the best athletes."

"Do you really think they'd be interested in competing in the altogether in the freezing cold," Hollings said, "Besides, this isn't a competition, it's a bonding ritual to help bring this town back together after the long cold winters."

Maurice sighed.

"Hollings, you have to have vision to move forward in this changing world," he said, "We can't stick to what's worked in the past or Cicely will never grow into a cosmopolitan center."

"Some of us like it just the way it is and it's always been Maurice."

But his friend, the ex-astronaut turned business entrepreneur just shook his head.

"The world's going to move on despite men like you," he said, walking away.

Hollings just shook his head and poured another shot.

C.J. stood with the other women trying to spot Matt and she saw him come outside with the other men. She threw him a smile as he glanced her way looking a mite bit nervous. She suppressed a chuckle and listened as Shelli offered moral support to the runners.

"You all just look hot this morning," she said, "Enough to melt all the ice in Alaska."

Hollings passed by her and made her promise she would have some warm cocoa waiting at the end for him.

"I'll warm up your slippers too honey bun," she promised.

The run started and the men moved as one through the streets with the women cheering them on and throwing out a few good natured whistles. After all, what was good for the goose was good for the gander. Suddenly, C.J. felt someone tapping her shoulder and turned around to see Murray standing there with clothes on. She frowned at the corporate vice president.

"Murray, you're supposed to be out there running."

He looked sheepish.

"I got stuck in traffic…"

Now C.J. knew he had caught a flight in with Maggie who stood next to Ruth Ann and therefore really had no excuse.

"Really Murray, if Houston can do it, so can you."

"I admire the big guy for his convictions that allow him to run naked in front of the world including the paparazzi to see but the impact this could have on our stock numbers….there's just no way of knowing…"

She smiled.

"I know what impact it has on me," she said.

Murray noted her condition.

"Well I can see that," he said, "And when are the two of you going to make it legal. Houston Enterprises can't have its two highest level management employees living in..."

"Sin…Murray," she finished, "It's okay, you can say it out loud. I'm pregnant with his child and we're not married. And whether that changes is our business, not yours, not the company's not the stock holders…"

He didn't look too happy when he nodded.

"I get the picture," he said, "but please do consider it, I know he's asked."

She sighed.

"You helped him with the ring and it's a beautiful selection," she said, "But I have to decide what's best for myself and him or her and I know Houston's part of that but marriage is between two people who are ready for its challenges and to commit to each other."

"He loves you more than he does his company…"

She smiled at that because Murray measured everything by how it involved Houston Enterprises. The guy really needed to get out more often or get a hobby or…run naked in the streets at least once in his life.

"I should hope so," she said, "But it's really up to us to work out not anyone else."

"The paparazzi have been asking questions…"

She shrugged.

"Let them," she said, "It has nothing to do do with us."

She looked up and saw the men coming around the bend with Matt leading the pack and my, he did look fine out there, she thought. Still, she could see the headlines on the society columns tomorrow and the slew of phone calls the receptionists would be fielding at the office from interested women.

Matt realized he had hit the home stretch of the run and hadn't even felt tired. Actually, it felt invigorating in a strange way to be out and not even really feel the cold at least not yet. Chris had been moving through the pack doing on the spot interviews and he had answered a few questions which would probably be broadcast all over Alaska by now.

Towards the end, he looked up and saw only C.J. ahead, blocking everything else out. She stood there smiling holding a blanket and he headed straight towards her. She wrapped it around his shoulders and embraced him. And as she held onto him and he felt her swollen abdomen against his body, he thought life didn't get any better than that. He dimly heard the cheers of the women surrounding and even the grumbles of Murray who seemed perplexed at the whole affair but he pushed them all out focusing on the woman he loved. And had loved for so long.

But still one thing was missing.

They celebrated with plenty of warm food and drink after the men had gotten dressed and had joined the women in the Brick which had been decorated by the women for the affair. Adam had been at work barking orders in the kitchen and Dave had joined him after the run had ended. After Matt had gotten dressed, he joined C.J. who left the other women to join him at their favorite booth. She handed him some hot cocoa and he sipped it carefully.

"Anything else in here," he asked.

She shook her head and he drank it while she watched him.

"You looked really impressive out there Houston," she said, "You're a natural born leader."

He put the mug down.

"You know it wasn't that bad once we started moving," he said, "The cold faded away and I didn't feel it all, in fact I felt invigorated as if I could take on the world."

C.J. smiled.

"Well if you have all this excess energy, there's other ways to use it later…"

He took her hand in his own.

"How 'bout we sneak away right now?"

She patted his hand.

"Ed's movie's premiering in about an hour," she said, "I'm really looking forward to seeing it."

He pondered that.

"Okay as long as we get ourselves some popcorn, sit in the back and make out," he said, "After all, that's why movies were invented anyway."

Her brow rose.

"Oh really Houston," she said, "And where's your basis for that?"

He winked at her.

"I'll show you later."

She smiled at his promise, looking forward to it.

And watching Ed's movie with the rest of Cicely who crowded the theater, C.J. marveled in its beauty and felt honored to have played a part in its creation. Maurice had grumbled a bit about the final cut, the choice of venue, the promotion and everything in between but when he saw the audience's reaction, the movie critics scribbling away madly, he calmed down somewhat. Sure enough, Matt and C.J. sat in the back and they noted that Joel and Maggie while not getting cozy and holding hands, were at least sitting next to each other. Chris naturally was surrounded with women doting on him. Matt wondered if anyone would ever figure out how he attracted so many to him like bees to honey. Because he could really bottle it and sell it.

During the middle of a musical montage in the movie, Matt leaned over to kiss C.J. and she let him, enjoying the chills going down her neck as he focused his attention there.

"Houston…"

"Shhh, do you want everyone to hear…"

She rolled her eyes but only in play. Still, someone had to be in control here.

"Later…"

"What's wrong with now?"

"We're in a theater filled with people…"

"Who are more focused on the film than on a couple of frisky people in the back row…"

She chuckled and pulled him closer.

"I want it to be just the two of us because we have something to celebrate after all…"

"You mean my finishing the run without freezing any of my parts off," he said.

"We'll discuss…your parts later," she said, "I'm talking about something else."

"Like what?"

She paused and then looked at him thoughtfully.

"Our engagement."

His eyes rose and his heart quickened.

"You mean…"

She nodded.

"Yes, I will most definitely marry you Houston."

He wanted to say something out loud. Run up and down the aisles or better yet, carry his fiancée out of the theater and take their celebration elsewhere. But before he could do any of that, she kissed him on the lips warmly and he responded. No one around them noticed, as they were enraptured in the film.

"How long until this film ends anyway?"

She tried to appear indignant.

"Houston, you will stay in your seat until at least the closing credits."

He waggled his eyebrows.

"Then I'm taking you back to the cabin and do this proposal thing the way it's supposed to be done," he said.

"And I'll respond the way that's supposed to be done," she said, holding his hand on her lap.

While they remained in their own world, the rest of Cicely watched Ed's movie.