Fic Jensen/Jared - When Things Come Crashing Down - chapter 12/14

[angels3]

Title : When Things Come Crashing Down chapter 12/14

Author : angels3  aka Angela

Beta : munimula - I played with it after, she sent it back so any mistakes are mine mine mine.

Word Count : 7333

Pairing : Jensen/Jared (very soon)

Supporting Characters : Eric, Kim, Sera, Mike, Tom, Chris, Steve, Chad

Disclaimers : They don't belong to me because if they did.............................

Warnings : RPS   M/M sex (now).  A sadly awful knowledge of geography.  This chapter is NC17 for sex.

Summary : The guys are back off Christmas hiatues and on their way to a location shoot when  things go horribly wrong.

All my love and thanks to Munimula who always does a fantastic job keeping me straight and making my stories better.  Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

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Chapters -   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14

PDF for When Things Come Crashing Down 

Day 8

*Rescue Team*

Chad was awake before the sun came up. He hadn't been able to sleep more than an hour at a time because he had tossed and turned thinking about Jared and Jensen. So far their average had been two for four in finding their friends. They had two more cabins to check, and then he was going to have to face the probability of life without his friend. Jared was one of those people that you just couldn't not like. It didn't matter how boring or stiff the environment was, when Jared would walk into a room, it changed, there was always an air of excitement that hovered around him.

Chad turned at the sound of the door opening behind him. Tom walked out and stood for a few minutes, finally dropping down beside Chad. They sat in silence, looking over the landscape of naked trees and white brittle plains.

"Couldn't sleep?" Tom asked

"Nope, you?"

"No, can't seem to concentrate on anything bur my watch ticking," Tom said sighing.

"We aren't setting a land speed record of positives are we?" Chad flicked a piece of wood, he'd been pulling off the rail into the snow.

"I'd say it couldn't get worse, but we know it can, so I'm not even going there," Tom muttered reaching across Chad to peel a strip of wood off for himself.

Mike wandered out not long after, searching for them. He plopped down next to Tom and looked at the two matching glum expressions.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Mike asked

"Nope," Tom and Chad chimed in together.

"Jinx, you both owe me a beer," Mike crowed, grinning.

"You know I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I'd rather have a great big cup of hot chocolate when I get back." Chad paused, "Then a beer," he finished.

"I'd settle for a decent coffee," Tom sighed wistfully.

"Oh, shit," Mike yelped, looking appalled.

Chad jumped at the outburst, "What?" he asked.

"Jared's going to need therapy for trauma," Mike answered.

"Well yea, they probably both will, Jensen's not going to want to fly anytime soon, and neither one of them are going to get over seeing the pilot dead, I'm sure," Tom responded giving Mike a "duh" look.

"No, that's not what I meant," Mike said.

"Well what the hell are you talking about?" Chad asked confused.

"Jenny is going to be a bear," Mike explained grinning. "He doesn't have coffee."

"Oh shit," Tom agreed.

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*Remote Location*

The entire production staff and crew had spent the last several days waiting for word on Jensen and Jared. Eric, Kim and Sera had discussed in length whether they should pull the plug and head back or to shoot around the boys' scenes, and have them do theirs later. By unspoken agreement no one said "if" the boys made it.

Eric was startled awake by the phone, and he took a deep breath before answering. Fifteen minutes later, he was knocking on Sera's door, Kim trailing behind him.

Sera opened the door, paling at the look on Eric's face. She looked behind him at Kim who just shrugged his shoulders. Sera stepped back letting them pass, shutting the door and taking a seat across from the two men. They waited for Eric to start, not wanting to rush him, afraid what he was going to tell them would forever change things.

"I've just gotten off the phone with the head man from search and rescue," Eric's shoulders slumped as he let out a heavy sigh. " They found the plane."

"When?" Sera asked.

"Late day before last," Eric replied.

"Are they all right?" Kim asked.

Sera just sat and watched Eric's face. She knew it wasn't good news, just not how bad. She suddenly wanted to revert to her five year old self, shoving her fingers in her ears and sing songin I can't hear you over and over until Eric left, taking his horrible news with him.

"The plane split in half, they have pictures they're going to email me, said they've never seen anything like it before," Eric said, brow furrowed.

"Eric! Where the fuck are the boys?" Kim's patience finally spent.

"They don't know," Eric answered.

"What do you mean they don't know?" Sera asked, completely confused. "Were they ejected from the plane?"

"No, it looks like they left the plane on foot," Eric sighed again. "The pilot didn't make it, that's why it took so long for me to get the information. They had to contact his family and then let Jensen and Jared's know that they hadn't found them, yet so they wouldn't panic if word got out."

"Why in the hell would they leave the plane?" Kim scowled.

"According to the guy I spoke with, it was probably the right decision, as long as they knew where the cabins were," Eric explained.

"What're the chances of them knowing about the cabins?" Sera asked.

"The pilot kept a map with them marked. So long as the guys found it, which they think they did because they searched the cockpit and didn't find the pilot's duffle, so their chances are better than average," Eric answered.

"That was day before last right? So what about yesterday? What did they do yesterday?" Kim questioned, reaching over to turn Sera's laptop on.

"Ron, that's the guy I was talking to, said NTSB were on their way out to the plane today, The chopper is supposed to be up in the air right now continuing the search grids while the ground crews continue checking the cabins. They made it to one last night but Jensen and Jared weren't there." Eric stopped talking long enough to open up his email account.

"How many cabins are there?" Sera reached across Eric to expand the screen.

"Three, but they take it as a good sign that the rescue team didn't run across them on the way." Eric clicked on the message he was looking for.

Kim pulled his chair up to get a better look at the screen. "So how did this guy get the pictures anyway?"

"Not sure, they must have some kind of uplink capacity," Eric clicked on the link for the photos.

Sera gasped as the first few frames popped up.

"Eric enlarge them if you can," Kim requested.

Eric did as asked and set it on slide show. He sat back in his chair watching frame after frame of shredded plane. They could see the back half of the plane, the torn section yawning open, facing them. About a hundred yards back was the front of the plane crumpled and listing to the side.

"My God, how can anybody live through something that looks like that?" Sera questioned.

"You see it all the time, people walking away from wrecks where their car looks like a tin can," Kim said.

Eric stopped the slides and pointed to the front section. "He lost a wing coming in. It's amazing the damn thing didn't flip," he stated as he restarted the slide show.

They all sat quietly through the rest of the pictures, each lost in their own thoughts. Sera shook her head when it started recycling the slides.

"Do they know how injured they were?" she asked.

"No, they found what they think were two notes. One the elements had obliterated, but the second one, they found with the pilot's body. It said they were going to try to make it to a cabin, but it didn't say if they were hurt or not." Eric shut the link off and leaned back in his seat again.

"But they were able to leave so they couldn't be in that bad a shape," Kim said, eye's still on the now blank screen. When he was met by silence, he glanced up, only to be met with two identical expressions of disbelief.

"What?" He asked.

"You know as well as we do, and actually you should know better than us, both of them are stubborn asses. How many times have they gotten hurt and kept working? They even ask for a retake when you're happy with it and they aren't," Sera finished exasperated.

"Oh, yea, see your point," Kim said sheepishly. "Well, damn."

"They did find blood in both sections of the plane," Eric continued, holding up his hand to stop the questions, so he could finish. "It wasn't a lot and, damn, you saw the plane. I'd have been more surprised if there hadn't been. Ron said it didn't look life threatening, more a nuisance injury, but of course until they find them that's just speculation even if it's educated speculation."

"Did he say how the families took the news?" Sera asked, trying to decide whether to touch base with them now or hold off. She had been contacting them every other day since the start of this disaster.

"No, he didn't have any idea. I'm sure they are relieved the boys made it, but not knowing where they are now has to be killing them," Eric sighed. "Remind me never to do another remote location shoot again," he mumbled, digging the heel of his hands into his tired eyes.

"There was no way you saw this coming, stop being a dope." Sera said. "I think I'll call Donna and Sherri in a couple of hours, see how they're doing.

Eric and Kim left Sera to get dressed and make her phone call. They finished filming the guest star shots and left the crew to start packing up the sets, getting ready to return home.

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*Jensen and Jared*

Jensen had crawled out from under the covers and Jared's arm and hour before. He sat the cooled water over the fire waiting for it to warm again so he could clean up. Once finished, he rummaged through the remaining food, looking for something that would grab his attention, unfortunately nothing did, so he settled for a handful of trail mix while he waited for Jared to wake up. Jensen decided to take inventory of their food when he lost interest in the trail mix. He estimated that they had about a week and a half's worth of food left if they ate three normal size meals a day. Problem was, it would take them at least a week to walk out if no one found them and that was on the low side, it'd probably take more like ten days. They would have to leave in three days if they were going to have any chance of making it.

Jensen slid down beside Jared, smiling when Jared snuffled into the blankets, shifting closer to Jensen in his sleep. Jensen softly ran his hand through Jared's hair, pushing it off his face only to have it slide right back where it had been when he completed the motion. Jensen always teased Jared about his hair, but he secretly loved it. He used to daydream about running his fingers through it, feeling the silky strands sliding between his fingers and over his knuckles to tickle his palms. The daydream was nothing compared to actually being able to do it. Jared's hair was just as soft as it looked, and it always smelled cool and crisp like fresh air after a cleansing rain. Jensen would catch that scent even through all the hair products they layered on to make Jared into Sam and it never failed to make his pulse speed up and his heart skip a beat.

Jared sighed in is sleep, leaning into the hand petting his hair, seeking more contact. Jensen ran his hand through Jared's hair one more time, watching the strands slip through before gently falling across Jared's eyes again. Jensen ran his finger along the line of Jared's jaw, morning stubble tickling as he continued to trace paths along the skin. He ran his thumb over Jared's bottom lip, biting into his own to keep from moaning, when Jared's tongue flicked out to lick across his lip, catching the tip of Jensen's thumb on it's journey.

Jensen leaned down and ran his tongue along the same path his thumb had just taken. As Jared started to wake, Jensen deepened the kiss, licking into Jared's mouth. Jared raised his arms one encircling Jensen's waist, drawing him closer while the other found a home at the nape of Jensen's neck, angling his head, to keep Jensen where he wanted him. Jensen lost his balance when Jared pulled him even further into the kiss.

Jared moaned at the feel of Jensen's body pressed against his, Jensen's mouth on his, tongues tangling together, breathing in the other. Jensen pulled back so he could see Jared's face.

"Jay?"

Jared angled his head, so he could get a better look at the expression on Jensen's face, the tone in which Jensen has said his name both questioning and tentative.

"Yea, Jen."

"Would you mind,.." Jensen stopped, not really knowing how to voice what he wanted. Making love sounded so sappy, and while he loved Jared, it scared the shit out of him and wasn't something he felt he could verbalize the way he wanted to.

"Mind what?" Jared asked, pulling Jensen's head back down, so he could steal another kiss.

"I want to do something for you." Jensen ducked his head. He didn't think he had ever felt this far out of his depth before.

"Yea, Jen, anything you want," Jared said, realizing what Jensen was trying to ask him.

Jensen let out a whoosh of air, trying to figure out how to make Jared understand without having to make himself look like a complete idiot. Jared just smiled up at him, settling further into the blankets, relaxing under the warmth and weight of Jensen's body.

Jensen leaned in to place a kiss on Jared's forehead, running his hand through Jared's hair, lifting it away to leave feather soft kisses at each temple. Jensen moved down, leaving open mouth kisses interspersed with light nibbles along Jared's jaw, finally sliding his lips over Jared's. Jensen licked along Jared's lips unitl they parted, allowing him access to hot, wet, heat. Jared whimpered as his cock rubbed against Jensen's thigh. Jensen smiled into Jared's mouth, sliding his body along Jared's just to hear the little noises coming from Jared's mouth.

Jared turned his head as Jensen nipped a path down his neck, lingering at the base to suck marks of ownership into soft, tanned flesh. Jensen's hands mapped a path down Jared's chest, stopping to roll each pebbled nipple between his fingers. Jared arched his back, trying to get closer to the dual sensations of Jensen's mouth on his neck sending shivers up his spine and fingers pinching and plucking at sensitive nipples just this side of painful. Jared moaned deep in his throat as Jensen's mouth followed the same path his hands had gone.

Jensen rolled his tongue around Jared's nipples, flicking his tongue across the hard nubs, savoring the gasps spilling from Jared's mouth as he sucked each one into his mouth and caught them be his teeth, biting down just enough to hear Jared whimper and beg Jensen for more. Jensen was more than happy to give Jared everything he wanted, but in his own time. Jared was shifting restlessly beneath him, trying to set a rhythm, grinding his cock into Jensen's thigh, Jensen wanted to show Jared how much this meant to him, and he didn't want it to be over in the next ten minutes.

A whine escaped Jared's lips when Jensen reached out, grabbing his hip in a bruising grip to still the motion.

"I'm not going to last if you keep that up Jay. Let me show you please. I'll make it good, I swear," Jensen implored.

Jared just nodded, not able to form words past the lust fogging his brain. He watched as Jensen slid further down his body, trusting Jensen to take care of him.

Jensen licked his way from Jared's nipples along the fine trail of hair, leaving strategically place bite marks that he revisited over and over with his tongue. Jensen circled around Jared's belly button, nipping along the edges and sucking red marks around it before dipping his tongue in and lapping at the sweat that had started to bead over Jared's skin. Each time Jensen flicked his tongue into that little hole, Jared's hips would lift off the floor, Jensen didn't think he'd ever get tired of seeing Jared laid out under him, eyes dilated, lips swollen and red, head thrown back in  pleasure.

Jared gasped as he felt Jensen's breath ghosting across the head of his cock right before wet heat engulfed him. Jensen looked up to see Jared watching him through half lidded eyes, lip caught between his teeth. Jensen pulled off, licking down the length of rigid flesh nuzzling into the crisp curls adorning the base of Jared's cock. Jared sucked in a breath as Jensen moved lower to mouth over his balls, taking one in and sucking before letting it slide out, leaving a glistening trail across Jensen's lips and chin, only to suck the other in giving it the same attention.

Jensen slid back up, circling the base of Jared's cock with his tongue and then his fingers, lightly scraping his teeth up the shaft. He ran his tongue around the head, pressing against sensitive nerves, dipping the tip into the slit to collect the precome. Jensen popped the lid of the lube, squeezing some onto his fingers, waiting for it to warm before sliding his hand behind Jared's balls, rubbing over the puckered entrance. Jensen slid his mouth back down over Jared's cock, watching as Jared's eyes rolled back in his head. He pushed one slick finger into tight satiny heat, Jared's body relaxing as he fucked his finger in and out, a second joining a few minutes later.

Jared was thrashing and begging but Jensen refused to be rushed as he added a third finger, working Jared open. Jensen was lost in the hypnotic thrusting of his fingers into Jared's body as he continued the dual assaults. He loved the feel of Jared's body shaking under his and tasting Jared's cock leaking a steady stream of precome onto his tongue was almost enough to send him over the edge himself. Jensen crooked his finger, trying to find just the right spot, knowing he had accomplished his goal when Jared jolted and thrust his hips up. If Jensen hadn't been prepared for it, he would have choked, he angled his head and let Jared slid into his throat, swallowing convulsively around him until Jared came, screaming Jensen's name and shuddering in ecstasy.

Jensen pulled his fingers out and Jared moaned at the loss. Jensen quickly slicked himself up, but instead of pushing in like Jared expected, Jensen leaned up kissing Jared with slow gentle intent, tongues twisting together, tasting and taking. Jensen lifted Jared's legs, pushing back, spreading Jared open for his eyes and his cock, he ran a soothing hand along each leg starting with Jared's ankle and all the way up to his thigh and back down again until Jared was begging to be filled. Jensen pulled back, lining himself up with Jared's still quivering hole as aftershocks still shook him from his orgasm. Jensen slowly pushed in, a controlled glide all the way in until his balls were pressed against Jared's ass, he squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath, trying to regain control.

Jared grabbed Jensen's arms, digging in blunt fingernails and pushing his hips up, trying to get Jensen to move. Jensen growled low in his throat, leaning in to attack Jared's mouth, dropping his weight down on top of Jared to still his movements. When Jensen finally broke the kiss they were both panting, Jared buried his face in Jensen's neck breathing deep and whimpering his need. Jensen finally regained enough control over his body to start shifting his hips, slowly at first, just in and out, eventually adding a slow roll that brushed across Jared's prostate. Jared's moans escalated to a keening whine that had no beginning and no ending, only need.

Jensen continued the slow rhythm, the tension in both their bodies building to an almost unbearable level. Jared's erection was trapped between them, the friction of sweat slicked skin rubbing him in all the right ways but not enough to give him relief. Jared's hands traveled over Jensen's back, sliding lower and cupping the round swells of flesh, massaging and scratching, needing the contact, needing Jensen to lose control, before Jensen drove him out of his mind. Jared's fingers ran through rivulets of sweat collecting them over the pads of his fingertips, running them along the valley of Jensen's ass, dipping in and rubbing across his entrance, causing Jensen to gasp and slam home giving Jared what he wanted.

Jensen's control was quickly slipping away, the feel of Jared's fingers rubbing across his hole breaking the iron restraint he had used so far. Jensen moaned as Jared pushed the tip of his finger past the tight ring of muscles, earning another brutal thrust that Jared arched his back to meet. Jensen's pace doubled, his iron restrain faltering as he plunged into the tight wet heat engulfing him. He felt Jared shift to the side, trying to find a better angle, Jared slide another finger inside Jensen, pushing in deeper and twisting until he found the sensitive nub nestled there, he rubbed across it again and again until Jensen thought he would loose his mind.

Jensen broke. He set a punishing sprint, racing toward his orgasm, each thrust slamming into Jared's prostate. Jensen's whole body was quivering with sensation, his brain shorting out at the spikes of pleasure pain running up his spine, but he wanted, no needed, Jared to come first. Just as he was shifting so he could free a hand to palm Jared's cock, Jared stiffened, howling out his release as he came in white hot pulses across their stomachs and chest. Jensen clenched his teeth, refusing to be pulled over the edge until Jared was completely spent. When Jared's body relaxed under his, he let go, his orgasm almost painful in its intensity as his cock pumped stream after stream deep inside Jared's body.

Jensen collapsed, landing heavily against Jared's chest, Jared just wrapped his arms around Jensen, snuggling their bodies together. Jensen lifted a hand, pushing Jared's hair back and brushing a kiss across Jared's sweaty forehead. He shifted just enough that his spent cock could slide from Jared's body, and he could tuck his head under Jared's chin. Jensen breathed in the scent of sex and Jared, nuzzling his chest, and placing a kiss over Jared's heart, he breathed three words he had never told anyone other than his family.

"I love you."

Jensen thought Jared was asleep, and honestly he pretty much was, but Jared heard the softly spoken words all the same. His mind formed the words to tell Jensen that he loved him too but they never made it to his mouth, his body shut down and hurtled, him into sleep.

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*Rescue Team*

They started their day around nine. Everyone grabbed the extra sleep, needing to replenish badly drained energy reserves. They kept the same partners from the day before. Chris and Steve walked ahead to catch up with Gideon. They had been talking with each other for about an hour, and they needed some questions answered.

"Hey, Gideon. Wait up." Chris called.

Gideon turned, "Yea, everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, we just needed to ask you a couple of things," Steve said as they came even with him.

"What's up?"

"How are we going to get the guys out of here when we find them?" Chris asked.

"If no one's hurt or it's something Shawn can deal with and not endanger their well being, then I'll call for a helicopter transport, so we can pull everyone out. If they need immediate medical attention then I'll call for a Medivac for them and a transport to pick us up after." Gideon responded

"What happens if it's too late? I won't leave them like we had to do to the pilot." Chris stated emphatically if not grimly.

Steve reached over and squeezed Chris' shoulder in silent support. Gideon watched the silent conversation taking place in front of him. He was always amazed when he ran across the rare couples or friends that seemed to be able to read each other's body language, and sometimes it even felt like their minds. Gideon had worked with a few people that seemed to be able to read what he was going to ask for or the way he was leaning on a mission, Shawn being one of them, but that was from working with someone for any real period of time and in life and death situations. No, this was something different, this was a bond born of mutual respect, love and sharing ones life. Gideon shook his head still trying to fathom what it would feel like to have that with another human being. Steve caught the motion out of the corner of his eye.

"What?" Steve questioned.

"Nothing, I just don't understand how people can do that," Gideon said.

"Understand people doing what?" Chris quirked a brow, waiting for Gideon to answer.

"Have conversations, come to an agreement, and start on a course of action and never say a freaking word," Gideon said smiling.

Chris snorted, "That my friend comes from to many years together." He barely managed to duck the hand Steve was aiming at the back of his head.

"You think we're bad, Jensen and Jared are worse and not only are they not a couple, but they've only known each other going on three years. Those two are fucking scary sometimes," Steve replied.

"Well I hope to see this phenomena in person at some point today," Gideon said grinning as he picked up his pace, leaving Chris and Steve to bicker.

"You know if they ever do get together, we'll never know what they're talking about, since all it takes is Jensen's eyebrows hitting his hair line and Jared's puppy dog eyes for them to communicate,"  Chris sighed.

"Yea, but what are the chances of that, even with Jared not dating Sandy any more. Have you ever seen anything to make you think Jared leans our way?" Steve asked.

"No but stranger things have happened right? Like for example you love me. I still have no idea why. I'm cranky, jealous and all around pain in the ass," Chris drawled.

Steve grinned, "Yes but you're my cranky, jealous pain in the ass and you're right. I love you. Whether you want to believe it or not, you're really a great big softie who goes out of his way to do things that you know make me happy. And the most important thing," Steve said as he leaned over, whispering in Chris' ear, " You love me just as much."

"Yea, yea I do." Chris stole a quick kiss.

"Oh and hanging around with those two, I have learned to decipher some of their silent language. The Jensen eyebrow raise means 'What the fuck, no way' and Jared's puppy dog eyes mean 'You know you're going to cave and give me what I want so stop fighting it' " Steve explained.

"Do you think we should start a translation handbook for all those out of the loop?" Chris grinned.

"Nope, let them learn the hard way like, I did."

"That's not very sharing of you. I hope you intend to share with me," Chris whined.

"Oh I intend to share all kinds of things with you, especially when we get home, alone," Steve grinned wickedly.

Chris' only response was a deep groan and a shiver running up his back that was visible only if someone were looking close enough.

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Chad had been mulling over the look that Chris and Steve shared when he mentioned that Jared was no longer seeing Sandy. He wasn't totally sure who'd done the leaving, but he'd put money on it being Jared. His friend had been thinking over something deep in the last several months and keeping those thoughts to himself, something Chad would've said was impossible a few weeks ago. Jared acted like a great big dope, but the boy wasn't dumb by any stretch of the imagination, a little naive sometimes but not dumb.

They'd been walking a good three hours, Chad having teamed with Tom again, when Chad decided to ask Tom if he knew what was going on. Chad wasn't sure if Tom would know but since the man rarely talked, unless of course you got him hammered, Chad figured that gave him plenty of time to listen and learn some of the secrets to the Kingdom of Jensen.

"So what's up with your boy?" Chad asked.

"Which one?" Tom questioned, slowing down just a little.

"Jensen."

"What about him?"

"Why's everybody want to know if he knew about Jared and Sandy's breakup?" Chad asked, watching Tom's face for any sign of how that question was going to be taken. He didn't have to wait long Tom's brows pulled together in a frown, his lips thinned, and it looked like he might be chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"You might as well tell me, I'm gonna find out one way or another. At least this way, I don't have to be the douche and embarrass anyone," Chad grinned.

Tom looked straight ahead for a couple of minutes, Chad saw when he made his decision. Tom took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I'm going to tell you what I think. Just remember, nobody's come right out and told me anything, but I listen a lot." Tom smiled, "and I pay attention to what's not being said too."

"Yeah man, I understand I'm not going to freak, this is me we're talking about," Chad reminded, there wasn't much that could send him into a tailspin.

"You know Jensen's gay right?" Tom waited until Chad nodded his head yes. "Well, have you noticed when we hang out he never leaves with anybody?"

"No, but now that you mention it, I can't say I've seen him leave with anyone in months," Chad mused.

It took a couple of minutes, and then it clicked. Tom would have thought Chad's pole axed expression was funny any other time, but right now he just worried how Chad was going to deal with this new information.

"Oh. My. God. Jensen has a thing for Jared," Chad gasped out.

"No," Tom corrected. "Jensen has more than a thing for Jared. I'm pretty sure Jensen's in love with him. I just don't think Jensen is aware of that yet."

"Well if Jensen's not aware of it, I'm assuming neither is Jared," Chad said, rubbing his forehead at the impending disaster he was foreseeing.

"No, I'm sure he has no idea, I wouldn't know if it weren't for the fact that Chris talks just a little too much when he's drunk, and I like to sit back and people watch," Tom explained.

"So what, Jensen's never said anything? Not to anyone?" Chad questioned.

"Nope, not even Chris. Everything Chris and Steve know they found out when Jensen was on some heavy duty pain killers after one two many throws into a wall during filming," Tom said.

"Where was Jared? I know for a fact he wouldn't have left Jensen doped up and hurt. The boy can't stand not to be there when somebody's sick much less hurt. I swear he thinks he's Florence Nightingale or Clara Barton. Drives me nuts every time I get the flu." Chad shook his head, "The last time he made me homemade chicken soup. Don't get me wrong the soup was awesome but the clean up. Kill me now. I didn't even know I had that many dishes in my house."

Tom snorted, imaging the kitchen after a Jared hurricane.

"Jensen didn't tell anybody, Jared had already left for the day and Jensen knew he was going to be flying back to LA to see Sandy. Chris and Steve showed up unannounced. When they couldn't get Jensen to open the door and his car was in the drive, they called him on his cell. Took Chris about two seconds to kick the back door in. Steve was pissed cause he had to fix it."

"Why didn't Jensen open the door? How bad was he hurt?"

"Dislocated shoulder that the doctor popped back in before he left the set, pulled muscles across his lower back and two broken ribs. He couldn't get out of the bed, even if he hadn't been doped to hell and back." Tom scowled, remembering the phone call from Steve asking if he and Mike would come over and watch Jensen while they played the gig they were there to do. Chris hadn't wanted to leave but Steve told him Jensen would feel like shit if they missed it. Having me and Mike there had been the only thing to move Chris to the shower and out the door.

"Still, if it was just a weekend, how come Jared still doesn't know about it, because believe you me, if he did I'd have already heard about it, in detail," Chad asked, knowing that Jared would have been on the phone bitching about hardheaded friends who didn't know how to take care of themselves

"Jensen begged Eric not to tell him when he called and told Jared they wouldn't be filming for another week. Eric told him they were having problems with the set, and they were trying to head off a problem with copyrights." Tom grinned. "I'm surprised Jared didn't call bullshit, Eric can't lie for shit."

"So all this time Jensen hasn't told a soul, just buried it away somewhere. Does he even suspect Chris and Steve know?"

"I don't know. If he does he avoids the topic like the plague. I've seen him go to the store at three in the morning when Chris wanted him to talk and Jensen wants no part of it."

"Well fuck, that's gotta suck, especially if he is in love with Jared. Man, I don't even know if Jared's ever thought of guys that way." Chad's face scrunched up as he tried to remember anything that would enlighten him.

"That's one of the reasons Jensen's kept his feelings to himself. He doesn't want to lose Jared's friendship because of how he feels."

"I still say it sucks, I don't think Jared would stop being his friend if he didn't feel the same way. Jared just doesn't have it in him to stop being friends with people unless it's something drastic and I don't think this would fall in Jared's drastic apocalyptic can't be friends category."

"For the record, I don't either but Jensen's not willing to take the risk, I think it's hard for Jensen to trust, and once he does, it's even harder to get him to do anything he sees as threat against that trust." Tom sighed running his hand through his hair. They both fell silent, deep in their own thoughts.

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Several hours later they could see the second cabin, they could also see, like the first, that there was no smoke coming from the chimney. Everyone clustered together as Gideon checked it out, waiting for word on whether it was empty or not. It only took a few minutes and Gideon was back outside. It was obvious that, while he hadn't found anything bad, he hadn't found anything good.

"No one's there and hasn't been, just like the first one." Gideon answered the unspoken question on everyone's face. "We're going to bunk down here tonight and hit the next cabin tomorrow."

Steve cornered Gideon an hour later after everyone was settled, fire blazing and supper well on it's way to being cooked. Steve found him standing outside, hands shoved deep in his pockets staring out over the darkened landscape. Moonlight glinted off the pristine snow reflecting it's light back into the sky. It would have been breathtaking if Steve hadn't been worried about his friends freezing to death out there in it.

"Everything okay?" Gideon asked sensing someone behind him.

"No," Steve sighed, "If we don't find them tomorrow, I'm afraid nothing's ever going to be okay again."

"Yeah, I'm sure. I was really hoping they would be here." Gideon replied.

"What happens if they're not at the last cabin?" Steve asked quietly.

"The helicopter went back to its search grid. So far it's hasn't found anything. If they're not there tomorrow, it's up to base camp whether we continue or they pull us in. They could pick us up and set another team down where we left off, or they could call off the search altogether. Good thing is, these guys are known, not just run of the mill missing civilians, not that it makes a damn to me if they're famous or not, but we stand a better chance of keeping the search going because of it. I'll take what I can get." Gideon rocked back on his heels looking up at Steve for the first time.

"Let us know if anything changes?" Steve asked as he turned to head back inside. He wasn't surprised to see Chris standing quietly by the door, and didn't even have to ask if Chris heard the conversation. Chris opened his arms and Steve walked into them, needing the contact Chris was offering. They stayed that way until the cold seeped through their layers of clothes,  driving them back into the warmth of the cabin.

Gideon stayed where he was until he heard the door shut, only then looking to stare one more time into the night offering up a silent prayer for Jensen and Jared's safe return.

*************************************************************************************************************

*Jensen and Jared*

Jared woke to the memory of Jensen's softly spoken words. He stretched and reached out, his hand searching for Jensen's warm body. When he only encountered cool blankets his eyes popped open searching the cabin. He finally spotted Jensen sitting on the cot, going through the duffel bags. Pulling himself up so that he had a better view, Jared watched for a few minutes, perplexed by what Jensen was doing. Jensen had pulled everything out of his and the pilot's duffels, he'd folded everything neatly, and looked to be taking down an inventory.

"What are you doing?" Jared asked, voice was gruff from sleep.

Jensen jumped at the sound, not realizing that Jared was awake. He hadn't slept after Jared drifted off, and instead he had lain awake listening to the steady beat of Jared's heart, feeling the soft breaths stir his hair and enjoying Jared's warm body beneath his. Eventually, the self -doubt and recriminations had come, Jensen had never told anyone that he loved them, it was a vow he had made to himself that he would only say those three words when he truly meant them, not as a way to get something he wanted or as a cajoling method. When he said them, he wanted them to be special and untainted, and in his twenty eight years he'd only said them to less than two dozen people everyone, of them being his family except Chris and Steve.

He didn't regret saying, he loved Jared. But Jensen didn't delude himself, he knew Jared didn't love him. Sure Jared cared for him maybe even more than as a best friend, but he wasn't going to let himself get caught up in his own daydreams and wishful thinking. Jensen didn't lie to himself, he knew that part of the reason he'd waited until Jared went to sleep was fear, and he didn't know if he could live through Jared rejecting him. But the most important factor was not wanting to put Jared in a situation where he felt uncomfortable and obligated to do something he didn't want to or be someone he wasn't.

"Damn, Jared some warning next time. You gave me a heart attack," Jensen said but there was no heat in the words.

"What are you doing over there?"

"Getting an idea how we are holding up as far as supplies are concerned, Jensen said, not looking up from what he was doing.

Jared could tell something was wrong, he just couldn't figure out what it was. He knew without a shadow of a doubt how Jensen felt about him, he'd known before Jensen told him. Nope, this was a more subtle shift, something not identifiable quite yet. Jared was pissed at himself for missing the opportunity to tell Jensen how felt. He still couldn't believe he fell asleep after Jensen's confession. He had lost the moment, and he couldn't just blurt it out now. He'd have to wait for the right time.

"Why are you taking inventory?" Jared asked as he pulled his sweats on.

"Because if they don't find us by tomorrow, we're going to need to leave the next day if we stand a chance of walking out," Jensen said.

Jared moved over to the cot that Jensen was perched on. He cupped Jensen's chin in his hand and tilted Jensen's face up as he bent down, Jensen's lips were warm against his, parting willingly to allow him access. Jared ran his tongue along Jensen's lips, and over his teeth, savoring the taste and getting lost in the kiss. When he pulled back, they were both breathing hard and there was a light blush staining Jensen's cheeks.

"So why are we walking out again?" Jared asked.

"If we don't, there's a chance we could starve to death waiting for someone to find us. If we leave day after tomorrow, it gives us about eight days worth of food." Jensen explained going back to setting things in piles.

"How long do you think it will take us and are we taking the sled?" Jared could see pros and cons to the sled, he just couldn't decide which outweighed the other.

"The sled will slow us down, but if I can't hang carrying supplies, then we may need it, so I can keep walking," Jensen ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He hated being the weak link in the chain.

"Well then we'll take it. Maybe I can streamline it some so it's not so bulky, and I can maneuver it better. I'll go look at it in a few minutes and see what I can do."

They spent the afternoon deciding what items to take and which ones to leave behind. Jensen gathered firewood and snow while Jared worked on the sled, by the time they were finished it was early evening and the sun was dipping below the horizon. Jensen fixed them a couple of packaged meals while Jared finished making changes to the sled, he finally had to go to the door and call him in before he froze.

Jared cleaned up and slid down next to Jensen on the blankets. They ate their food in silence, watching the flames dance around the wood, cracking and sparking. Jensen put away the dishes and rejoined Jared in front of the fire.

"You know I'm going to miss this place," Jared murmured almost asleep.

"It's almost like one of our camping trips with the guys," Jensen agreed.

"Almost, better food when we pack it though," Jared yawned, snuggling deeper into the blankets and pulling Jensen across his chest.

Jensen buried his face in Jared's neck, breathing in the scent of his lover. He knew he wouldn't have many more days and nights like this, and he intended to imprint everyone in his brain and on his body. Sleep reached out and claimed him, his body relaxing into the heat of Jared's, the fleeting thought of right and home following him into the dark.