Jessie stole a look at Buzz as they worked to spread the new straw in the stables. He had been to the ranch for a visit, which normally meant a lot of laughs for the Pride siblings. Jessie had been looking forward to this visit from him, because she knew Woody would not be around as much. She had liked Buzz instantly, but her feelings ran deeper than she was willing to let on, especially to Buzz. She assumed that it would be unrequited…but then there were times he would look at her a certain way or do things for her that made her wonder if she was wrong in her assumption. She had been contemplating testing her theory, but so far this visit was not going as the others had. Buzz had been moody bordering on churlish and she could not find the source. He insisted that it was nothing, he was fine, but the mood persisted.

He now stood in the middle of the stall, his brows furrowed in irritation. Jessie made a sound of disgust as she threw down the armful of straw; her sympathies had run out. "Tarnation, Buzz! You've been moodier than the mares when they're with foal. I don't know what your problem is, but nothin's gonna make it better if you just keep denyin' it's there."

Jessie's sympathies were not the only thing that had reached their limit; so had Buzz's frustration level. He rounded on her, "You want to know what my problem is? You, Jessie! My problem is you."

She stared at him, feeling as if she had been kicked in the stomach by one of the horses.

Buzz, for his part, looked horrified by the words he had just spoken and he dropped his head into his hand. After a stretch of terrible silence, Jessie stepped to the side to move around him, "No, Jessie, stop." He stuck an arm out to block her escape, "I didn't mean that, I'm sorry. Just, please…wait."

She shot him a cold glare for a few seconds before stepping back and folding her arms across her chest. What Buzz said next made her eyes widen in shock.

"I love you, Jessie; that's my problem. I have, from the first time I saw you. I've tried not to, tried to tell myself you didn't feel the same way, tried to keep you at arm's length but you got under my skin just the same. I wanted to walk away, but I can't…because I love you. And the thing is, I'm frightened because I have known Rangers who lost those they loved; and they didn't have the enemy that I have. What is something happens and I can't protect you? What if something happens that I can't prevent, or worse…that I'm the reason for?" He let out a humorless laugh, "I have faced hundreds of situations where I knew I could be killed and felt nothing. But the thought that I could lose you because of who I am, what I do… it terrifies me, Jessie. And I don't know how to face that." His lower lip quivered slightly before he hung his head, his eyes closing.

Jessie looked at him in wonder; never had she seen Buzz broken and to learn that he had loved her that whole time…She took a step towards him and rested a hand on his chest. With the other, she caressed his cheek, rubbing her thumb across his cheekbone as he leaned in to her touch. He opened his eyes and looked at her and the pain she saw within them pierced her heart. "With me," she whispered. "Face it with me."

She leaned towards him and Buzz tried to resist, but that barrier was shattered instantly as her lips brushed his. He pulled her against him, a hand winding itself into the base of her braid. Their kiss was feverish, desperate, hungry; at once satisfying but left them wanting more. It was only broken by the sudden impact of Jessie backing into the stable wall. Jessie and Buzz were both startled by the abrupt collision, neither aware they had been moving.

Buzz bent his head down, giving into the temptation that had been trying to seize him recently. He brought his lips to Jessie's jaw, right behind her ear. His tongue lightly grazed the spot before he closed his mouth against her skin. She shivered and brought her hand up to the back of his head, her fingers raking through his hair. He repeated the action down her jawline; when he reached her chin, Jessie breathed out his name. She pulled him back into a kiss by the collar of his shirt. The initial searing intensity of the moment had tempered into a steady blaze and this time they moved their mouths together slowly, deliberately.

After quite a few minutes, Jessie withdrew and leaned her forehead against his. She let her eyes closed as she inhaled deeply. "Please," she said, her voice husky, "please don't walk away from this. I don't want to lose you, either."

She opened her eyes and saw him smiling at her. "No," he shook his head, "no walking away. Whatever it means, we'll face it," he took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers, "together."