Chapter Nine

I know, I know... I'm terribly sorry that I left you guys hanging for more than a few weeks. It's been month's that I updated this story and I bet some of you were afraid I had abandoned it completely. There were times I thought so, too. But since I know how awfull it is when you read and like a story and then suddenly it's abandoned and nobody cares that you're waiting desperately for a conclusion... I simply hate when that happens. So I couldn't do that to you, you all have always been so nice in your reviews and it's been so much fun to write for you...

... so despite the fact that I've discovered a completely other fandom as my newest obsession (anyone ever heard of Sparrington? I love it.) and despite beeing occupied with reading the last HP book and the stories to that, I've tried to finally continue this story. It's just one chapter and it still not the end and it isn't the best I could come up with... but I hope you'll like it nevertheless.

So, enough ramblings, here we go with chapter nine. I hope you still remember where we left our lovely couple (They've just come home after their night at the cabin). This chapter takes place only a few hours after the last.

I hope you enjoy it.

A warm and soft glow emanating from the fireplace was the only light that touched the two bodies sprawled on the couch. The fire sent flickering shadows over bare muscled shoulders and a pair of hands roaming over them.

Small delicate hands, female hands.

She recognized them as her own hands that clutched and caressed every part of bare flesh they could reach. Her face was buried in the curve of a salty tasting neck, salty and male and… wonderful.

The head on top of said neck got slowly lifted and she found herself staring into a pair of warm and tender-looking eyes that seemed to smile down on her. Eyes in the color of dark brown chocolate.

Cody's eyes.

Dana woke with a start and sighed deeply. It wouldn't do. She'd been trying to catch some sleep for more than three hours now but every time she managed to dose off the same dream would come and rouse her again.

The dream of last night's events, of Cody and her in that cozy cabin, the dream of a night full of passion and feelings unknown to her up to now.

Feelings she didn't know what to make of them. One minute Dana wished to forget all about last night, wished to bury the memory six feet under and never to bring back again… and then the next minute she had to grab the headboard of her bed to stop herself from bolting out of bed, out of the house and running into the backyard where she knew Cody was sleeping right now inside his van.

She needed to talk to him, and soon. She knew that.

But she didn't know what to say, she had absolutely no idea how to express her mixed-up feelings. How to make him understand that she regretted having panicked after… after what had happened. And also that she somehow wished it had never happened at all.

God, she was so confused!

'Why does love have to be so complicated?' Dana thought and turned onto her back. Staring at the ceiling she let out another sigh and then suddenly went over her last thought again.

"Wait, what did I just think? Love?" she gasped, "I don't love Cody, do I? Do I? No, I can't! It can't be love, he's Cody for God's sake. Cody!"

Dana threw her hands across her face and shook her head desperately. No, no. It couldn't be. She couldn't think straight at the moment, that was all. She was grumpy for lack of sleep and she was hungry and… that's why her mind couldn't come up with a better solution to the mess that was her life right now.

'Okay, so… since sleeping is obviously out of question right now,' Dana thought and got slowly out of bed, 'I need to take care of the other pressing issue. Food!'

She made her way downstairs without meeting anyone of her family. Where was the rest of the annoying clan then?

Oh right, Dana remembered her mom talking about a trip to the mall yesterday. Apparently Karen and Al had both grown a couple of inches over the last year so that they were in need for new winter coats.

Seems that they'd taken the boys along as well, otherwise the house wouldn't be so quiet now that Dana crossed the living room and entered the kitchen.

One look into the fridge convinced Dana that what she needed right now was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, that would do nicely.

The sandwich in one hand, a glass of milk in the other Dana entered the living room with the intend to munch away the bad feelings still residing inside of her. But seeing J.T. suddenly sprawled on the couch let her turn around in one swift motion.

She had just seated herself on the kitchen bench when J.T. entered as well, a big grin plastered on his face.

"So Dana," he mocked, "you're finally having a date and before it even gets started the guy turns tail and leaves you standing in the middle of nowhere? That's really sad."

"Shut up, J.T." Dana replied grumpily.

"Man, I really like that guy!" J.T. grinned even wider. "Vanishing with your ride and…"

"I said shut up!" Dana shouted furiously.

J.T. jumped back and held his palms up in surrender. "Wow, someone's quite bitchy this afternoon. Must have been a heavy night with Cody!"

"What?" Dana's head shot up and a fierce glare met J.T. Well, Dana had meant it to be a fierce glare, but somehow she couldn't manage to banish the panic from her eyes.

J.T. must have seen it too it because his next words were unusually mollifying:

"Calm down Barky, I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad. At least you weren't alone all night in that cabin, you had the Code-man for entertainment after all."

Dana felt like becoming sick at once. Entertainment, yeah, right! She'd sure as hell had enough of that, hadn't she?

The sandwich dropped from Dana's hands with a squishy splatter. All hunger was rapidly forgotten and replaced by the sudden urge to spill the contents of her stomach all over the table.

J.T. watched dumbfounded as Dana scrambled hastily to her feet to dash over to the sink and throw up forcefully. He'd made a few cautious steps towards her when a really vicious glare from the troubled girl let him stop in midair.

"Don't you dare come over!" Dana managed to sound threatening even with a bit of vomit spraying from her mouth at the same time.

"Get out!" she spat angrily.

J.T. didn't stay around to see another wave of nausea hit her but vanished through the back door without another glance.

He would go and check on Cody to see if he was a bit more forthcoming with details about last night.

'Must have been a hell of a night indeed, if all it takes for Dana to throw up is hearing Cody's name!' J.T. wondered and made his way over to the van in the driveway.

I promise, it won't take several month for me to update. Several days perhaps, but I'm determined to bring this to an end soon, an end you'll hopefully enjoy. In the meantime... review please?