Buzz felt the ever-increasing weight of his eyelids as he drove down the deserted road. The clock on the dash of his truck blinked "3:52" and he rubbed his eyes with a hand. The logical thing, he admitted to himself, would have been to drive to his own house and sleep in his own bed, since it was by far closer to the base. However, he also acknowledged, it lacked the enticement of his current destination: climbing into the bed he shared with Jessie. The thought of his fiancée brought a smile to his face. He had written her to let her know that the mission had, in fact, ended early, and to expect him around this date. He did not know that they would be returning so early in the morning, so she would not be expecting him. His smile widened at the thought of her waking up to find him curled up beside her.
He pulled the truck up to the house, hoping the crunch of the tires on the dirt was not loud enough to wake anyone inside. He carefully unlocked the kitchen door and removed his shoes as soon as he was inside. He locked the door and crept across the old wooden floor and up the stairs. The hallway was softly lit by a small lamp and Buzz's shadow fell across the floor in Jessie's room as he gently pushed the door open a little further. He could see her form under the sheet, curled up and facing the center of the bed.
Buzz stripped down to his boxers and slid into bed, facing the sleeping woman. No sooner had he closed his eyes than he was jolted awake by a loud scream. His eyes opened to see bright blue eyes staring back at him. "Woah!" he yelled and jumped back, tumbling over the edge of the mattress, his legs and arms flailing wildly as he tried and failed to maintain balance.
The ceiling light turned on and Buzz blinked against the sudden onslaught of light. Woody was standing in the doorway, "Bo! What's wrong?" The bed-headed cowboy looked between his wife on the bed and Buzz on the floor. In response, Bo simply started to giggle. Woody caught the joke and sat on the bed, starting to laugh himself.
"Someone mind telling me what this is all about? Where's Jessie?" Buzz asked in bewilderment.
Bo shifted to a more comfortable seated position, "Out in the stables. One of the mares was looking to foal tonight, so she wanted to be there in case things went amiss."
"Oookaaaay…. But why are you in here?"
"Woody's had a cold the past week and I've barely been able to get a wink of sleep with his snoring," she tossed a look at her husband. "My stuff is all still crammed in the guest room, so Jessie told me I may as well use her bed since she wouldn't be in it. I doubt she'd have offered if she knew you'd be slipping in to it in the dead of night."
Buzz let out a hearty laugh at the absurdity of the situation, "Believe me, I wouldn't have slipped in here had I known. I'm sorry, Bo; what a rude awakening. You okay there, Woody?"
Woody had been bent over, rocking slightly. He sat back and tears were streaming down his cheeks. "If you…could have… only… seen….your face…" he managed to gasp out between laughs.
Bo chuckled and moved off the bed, taking Woody's hand, "Come on, Sheriff. Let's let the poor man get some sleep. G'night Buzz; good to have you home."
It was a little after seven when Jessie walked in to the kitchen and found Woody and Bo making breakfast. She caught sight of Buzz in the doorway and smiled broadly. "You're home!" she ran across the room and tackled him in a hug. "When did you get in?"
"About four o'clock this morning; you didn't hear the screams?" Woody grinned as he stirred the eggs in the pan.
Jessie blinked, "Screams? What…?"
Buzz flushed crimson and hastily told Jessie the story. Woody then regaled her with his version, peppered with Bo's interjections. She looked up at Buzz as she laughed, "My poor Space Ranger. That's the last time I let you sleep in my bed, Bo!" She grinned at her sister-in-law.
"No hard feelings, there!"
"And now we never need to mention it again," Buzz chuckled, knowing full well it would be the subject of laughter for many years.
"I'm surprised you came all the way out here instead of goin' to your house," Jessie wrapped her arms around Buzz's waist.
He put his own arms around her, "I honestly thought about it. Next time I will; it's too risky otherwise."
"How'd the mare do," Woody asked.
"Good," Jessie nodded, "We got a colt. Birth went off without a hitch. I probably lost a night's sleep for nothin'," she yawned. "If you folks don't mind, I didn't get a wink of sleep and this cowgirl's mighty tired. Buzz, you have to go back to base?"
Buzz shook his head, "Not until tomorrow. Today is a day to recuperate."
"Good," she took his hand, "come on to bed, then, since you were deprived earlier." As they nestled under the covers, Jessie planted a kiss on his cheek, "This a little more like what you had in mind?"
He chuckled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Much." He deposited a kiss on her forehead and the pair drifted into a contented sleep.