C9

After Nelson had shed some light on Caroline's mystery, Alex and I walked back out into the snow. I jumped into the Cherokee and hit the heat before Alex could even get the key into the ignition. He started the car and started to say something but drew his breath back. I wasn't mad at him for saying that he had only loved Greta, that was his ex-wife and I had never told him about my feelings, or even that I had developed some in this short time.

-Alex's POV-

She jumped into the car, hit the heat and I needed to tell her that what I meant in the café wasn't true, I had loved someone before but now that that had died there was someone else. I think when I told Nelson about me only loving Greta she had drawn the wrong conclusion.

I started to say something but drew it back when she looked over at me, she smiled even thought I couldn't tell whether or not she hated my guts or if she never really had felt anything for me at all. That day we met and she stared I couldn't decide if it was me or if I had something on me, she defiantly liked whatever she saw. I needed to tell her, the snow was coming down faster and harder, it wasn't exactly easy to see, I never saw it coming, neither did she or anyone else that was behind us, it was just like a bus had hit us...

Alex was swerving on the slick roads and thankfully the turn for my road was in sight, he hadn't said anything the entire drive. I had to break this silence.

"Alex?"

"Yes Casey?"

"Does it snow here often?" wow that was the only thing I could think of. Nice Casey nice.

"Um, sure, in the winter, I guess it does, this is the first time it has snowed this hard this year. Why do you ask?"

He was taking aback by my question he probably was expecting something else.

"I was just wondering, it's just so beautiful, I love all the white and the lights reflecting off of it. Don't you Alex?"

"Huh, oh yea lights yep there are great, it gets real pretty up here about the second or third snow, when there isn't so much ice in it, oh shoot. Hold on."

He hit a little patch of ice and it spun us out, that had been an experience I had never wanted to experience. The car finally stopped into a ditch, I thought I knew where I was but the turn that looked like my road turn wasn't it.

"Casey, are you ok?"

"I'm fine, thanks what about you are you ok?"

"Oh yea, just a little skidding, this old thing could handle worse I'm sure."

He laughed and I giggled.

"So I'm guessing that this doesn't happen in California that often huh?"

"Yep you're right there, never almost, I don't believe I have ever spun out in a car it was very refreshing in a weird way." He looked over at me puzzled.

"Refreshing? Do you find near death experiences refreshing often?"

"No I didn't mean it like I was some kind of weird death driven adrenaline junkie or anything, it's just I have never had that experience before and to know I'm in a car with a person that I care about and I know that will keep me safe felt wonderful."

He looked at me in silence, processing again.

"So you feel safe with me?"

"Of, course! You're and ex-cop and your amazing at always being there for me like when Riley called, it was great, I am a cop and I feel safer with you than all the police officers in the world."

"Thank you, I suppose is a good way to accept that honor, but you dont really mean that do you? Because back there in the café you seemed a little cold shouldering towards me." He turned the key in the car.

"I mean almost everything I say and that is true, I love being safe so I'm guessing I love being with you. And the whole café thing was just a misunderstanding, more of processing than cold shouldering." I used my fingers to quote his words.

He smiled at me and turned the key again.

"Looks like we are officially stuck right now, wait what is that noise do you hear it?"

I looked around and listened I didn't hear anything but I did see a wall of snow coming over the car, then when it hit, a snow plow went by.

"Oh my gosh we are officially snowed in!" the car was covered in snow and there was no way we could get out, the doors we stuck shut and the car wouldn't crank.

Alex took out his phone and called Lindsay, she said that they could get us but it might be a while.

"Thanks Linds, I think we can manage until you get here. "He hung up.

"Well?"

"Lindsay and Walter are going to be able to tow us out but for now we have to wait for the snow to let up some, look in the back our coats are back there and I think there is a blanket, I can't guarantee that its back there but I think it is."

I leaned back in the seat and grabbed the two extra coats we had brought, and saw that there was a blanket in the back, I crawled back and grabbed it.

"The front seat isn't very comfortable, sorry."

"That's ok; I don't think they made this to be a sleeping unit in a snow storm."

He laughed and then suggested that if I was tired I could get in the back and stretch out.

"What about you? I don't bite come on; we will keep each other warm." He looked a little awkward, "Alex it's ok, we are partners and partners keep each other warm and I know for a fact that you haven't slept in days now come back here get warm and go to sleep."

He obeyed finally after much more begging and a few puppy eyed looks, when he crawled back there he was laughing and yawning at the same time. I kicked off my shoes and curled up on one side but gave Alex most of the blanket he stretched one time and lean up to the door, within minutes he was asleep. After a while when I knew he was good and asleep, I inched my way over to his lap and laid my head down on it, stretched my arms around his side and wrapped around him, he had covered me up mostly and his chattering teeth woke me up to. It felt so right, us being together like this, so right. Wrong but right. I made myself promise not to get involved with him but it was hard, there he was, freezing so I could stay warm and I had to do something. I hated to say it but I loved Alex Donovan, and I prayed he felt something back. I imagined what it would be like if he knew I was laying on him. I didn't get to far into my fantasy when I felt him rubbing my hair, he did know I was there, so I just snuggled closer and he woke up.

"Hey you, kind of cold over here huh?"

"Um yea I was getting my shoes, yep shoes that'll work."

"Your shoes are over there, and this is fine, I'm warm now, like you said partners keep partners warm." He laughed and I smiled. He sat up a little bit and I sat up beside him, he pulled his arm around me and I leaned against his chest, taking in everything, the snow outside, his smell, everything. I was in my own personal safe haven with the man I cared about the most. Wrapping my other arm around his chest I slowly drifted to sleep while he stroked my long hair.

-Alex's POV-I didn't have to worry about hard feeling between us now, she was right where I wanted her to be, leaning against me keeping us both warm, feeling her slow breathing ruffle my shirt. Her hair was so soft and so lovely smelling, I wanted to stay like this forever. We sat there for a couple of minutes and she was asleep, I looked down and rubbed her hair one more time, and pecked a kiss on the top of her hair, against my better judgment of course but it was the perfect moment and I took it. I hoped she wouldn't wake up, I did like her but I had to know if she liked me, would she show it. I can read her so well and I could tell if she cared or not, and she cared about me but was it the same way. I needed to solve this case first before anything serious came up. What if I was taking this too far? Maybe she didn't like me at all. The case file was sitting on the middle of the front seats, I reached for it. I was missing something here to. The sound of paper scratching must've wakened her up, dang, she needed all the sleep she could get.

"Hi, whatcha got there." She smiled and that smile looked like it illuminated the whole car, even after she woke up she was beautiful. I felt so strongly for her, I hoped she did to for me.

"The file, I feel like I'm missing something."

"I think you should sleep some and let me look, we can take shifts now give it here and shut your eyes."

"I'm fine really, I'm wonderful."

"Alex. Please? It pains me to see you run on no sleep."

"Fine, you drive a hard bargain. Here you go, good luck, wake me up in an hour."

"Ok" she was lying she wasn't going to wake me up.

I gave her the file and I drifted slowly into a deep needy sleep.

Alex handed me the file and nodded off very quickly, I opened the file and began my search for whatever was missing. I read and reread all the notes taken at the scene and the pictures everything. That also got me thinking about Nelson again. He said he cared about Caroline but not enough to kill her, so he claimed, but if he was the jealous type you would think he would've killed Shane first and then been there for Caroline to get into the picture later. It didn't make any sense to me. I thought he wasn't telling us everything. I was going to ask him some more questions once I got out of this development with Alex. I shut the file, there was something else going on with Nelson, and there had to be. Maybe a child maybe something, he certainly could have killed Caroline, her tiny frame against his hulking one; she didn't stand a chance, but why? As suspicious as he was, I couldn't do anything without checking up on him every once in a while. I put the file quietly back into its middle console holder and looked back at Alex, he looked so peaceful, we weren't that cold ether, I loved this, perfect moment, perfect circumstances, and I took it. I leaned up and kissed his check. He didn't know I felt the one on the top of my head that had occurred only minutes before. He stirred and woke up. Dang, I woke him up and now I will have to explain. He didn't say anything just looked at me and smiled.

"Find anything new out?"

"I think Nelson is hiding something."

"Why do you figure that?"

"Well he didn't deny having feelings for Caroline did him?"

"Nope, he said that there could've been a crush."

"What if there was more than a crush, something that could've gotten her killed over. Nelson strikes me as the jealous type, but if he was jealous of Shane and Caroline, he would've taken care of Shane first right?"

"I suppose, but that's not all the time though."

"Yes, I know that, but what if it was this time. What if Caroline had something that belonged to him, something she didn't want Shane to know about, something or someone she kept a secret."

"Oh, I see what you're going at." He picked up his phone and dialed a number. "This is Alex Donovan; I need to speak with Detective Russell, please."

Business Alex was back, I loved both the easy going Alex and the Business Alex. He tapped his phone while he waited for Grace to answer, I think we were both surprised that it would get signal in our snowy environment, after about thirty seconds she came to the phone. He hit the speaker button and began asking her questions.

"Grace, was there any signs of anything out of the ordinary for Caroline?"

"Not that I know of I do believe there was some pelvic scaring, but it was from a car accident. I have the file right here in front of me."

Car accident? I mouthed to Alex, he nodded his head, and neither of us believed it was a car accident.

"Grace who filed that report?"

"Casey? What are you two doing together this late at night?"

"We are snowed in the car, don't worry its ok, Lindsay and Walter are coming to get us."

"Oh the file was a Mr. Nelson McCormick. Why?"

"Oh nothing I was just curious. Thanks Grace."

I looked at Alex; he looked at me after he hung the phone up.

"I've seen this before, she was pregnant, she had his child and then she wouldn't let him see it. She probably lied to Shane saying it was like a sister or brother or whatever, and since her loved her he saw past that and agreed saying that that was true."

"Wow, that's amazing. You have had a case like this before?"

"Yes, I have, Wallace Dunford, I believe he was from around here."

"Dunford, oh yes I remember him! He attacked his wife for not letting him see his child from a previous marriage."

"That would be right. I think as soon as we get out of here we need to check on the McCormick guy again. Until then, I'm going back to sleep. Oh and Thank you by the way."

"Thank you? For what."

"Kissing the top of my head, it helped me sleep."

"Oh you felt that huh?"

"Yep. Don't worry I'm not mad, like I said before made me feel safe." I smiled at him; maybe this was the breakthrough we needed. A break in the case and a break in this complicated relationship.

"Then you're welcome, and thank you."

"For?"

"The cheek one."

"Ah, well then you're welcome."

He smiled and patted his chest where my head was; I laid back down, and looked up at him while he looked down at me. Our eyes met for a whole five minutes it felt like. He leaned down and I leaned up. What happened next was beyond perfect. He held me there for what felt like forever. We broke and breathed and then went in again. That kiss was being held back for a long time, ever since I got here. He didn't mean for it to be forceful nor did I but when the second one broke, we were both rubbing our lips.

"Wow, sorry, about that." He looked down at me.

"Excuse me. I didn't mean for that to happen." He laughed at me.

"Hey, don't pick on me, I have been trying to get you to do that ever since I have gotten here!"

"Well, excuse me for waiting to take the leap!" he laughed at me.

"So, I'm guessing you gots some feelings for me?"

"If only you got them for me!"

"Ok on the count of 3 we well tell each other ok?"

1, 2, 3

"YES!"

There it was feelings for each other. Finally, I could tell him I loved him, kiss him and hug him, but I really loved it. It was wonderful. He wrapped me in his arms and topped my head and face with a shower full of kisses. I loved this right now. I loved every second. Every single second! I turned and sat on his lap and wrapped him around me and kissed him. Again and again and again. I didn't hear the scratching of a shovel against the side of the Cherokee, Alex and I were to into each other. He was looking at me while I was lying against his chest. Lindsay opened the door and saw what was happening. Alex didn't see her nor did I; we were both acting like we were asleep.

"Hello what on earth is going on here?"

We both "awoke" with a start.

"Oh my goodness, Lindsay!" I answered crawling over Alex. "Thank goodness, I don't think Alex and I could've managed to stay all bundled up without you."

I pretended to sneeze. "You see I was getting a little chilly and sneezy so Alex offered me his warm chest and I took it, what time is it?"

"Quarter to 3."

"In the morning?"

"Yes, we tried to get out earlier, but we didn't get out until now, the temperature is dropping and from the looks of it, you're sick and Alex is cold, so we came immediately and got you out."

"Thank you!" I hugged her and instantly regained all normal human warmth back into my body.

Alex was crawling out and smiling about the fact that we were emotional together and that his team had finally come to rescue him.

"We'll drop you off at your house, and I guess Alex you can stay there to?"

"Um yea sure, we've gotten some new leads in the case and didn't really have time to discuss it."

I laughed at the memory. He got my drift and smiled. Lindsay looked carefully from him to me.

"Alex, your car will be running tomorrow, but until then I'm sure Casey will let you use hers."

"Hum I guess I can." I smiled while Alex helped me into the tow truck.