Title: Winter Walk
Author: A. Magiluna Stormwriter
Feedback address: stormwriter@shatterstorm.net
Date in Calendar: 12 June 2010
Fandom: Poltergeist: the Legacy
Pairing: Alex/Rachel
Rating: PG
Word Count: 908
Date Written: 12 June 2010
Written for: licenseartistic
Prompt: May 2010 Picture prompt 2: Footprints in the snow.
Summary: A ride in the woods rekindles child-like delights.
Warnings: Loving, long-term lesbian relationship. Don't like it? Don't read it…
Archive: This is a ShatterStorm Productions exclusive piece. Contact the webmistress for archive options.
Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/
Website: ShatterStorm Productions’ Doggie Duo’s Fanfic
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Disclaimer: This story is an original work of amateur fiction, and is written purely for the private entertainment of P:TL fans. This story is no way affiliated with Trilogy, MGM Worldwide Television or the Sci-Fi Channel. The characters are their property, and this story is not meant to infringe upon the copyrights of MGM, Trilogy, anybody else who owns an interest in "Poltergeist: the Legacy", or any representative of the actors.

Author's Notes: So yes, once again, I wrote this at the very last possible minute for the calendar. It's getting posted before midnight, so we're still good. I had the Glee cast version of "Bad Romance" playing on repeat while writing this. Bless my queeny Kurt for helping my muses with this one. It didn't get the smut I wanted it to, but that's okay.

Notes on the horses: The two Andalusian mares that were in the story got their physical templates from Andalusian Horses :: Brilliante Fuego is based on this mare & Nube Roja is based on this mare. When I was picking out names for the horses, I went with European Spanish translations. Brilliante Fuego becomes Bright Fire, and Nube Roja becomes Red Cloud.

Dedication: My muses, for always coming thru in the end…

Beta: shatterpath


"Winter Walk"
By A. Magiluna Stormwriter


(12-26-04)

"How on earth does anyone actually live in this damned cold?" Rachel's incredulity is palpable, but I just keep my horse to a spirited walk.

Michael's given us the run of her estate while we visit, and this ride is just what we needed. The simple fact that we allowed Michael the chance to spend this very first Christmas with all four of her young children, not to mention the other kids she's "adopted" into her clan, has put us in her very good graces. But even after two days of celebrating, I needed to get away from the craziness of the house, and the Suits' annual Renaissance Faire restarting today is going to be too crowded.

Brilliante Fuego is one of the most beautiful horses I've ever seen, and one of the most even-tempered Andalusian mares in the country, according to Michael. Fuego is a personal favorite of hers for lady visitors, and a single look makes it easy to see why: the long, wavy mane that gets brushed daily would be envied by many women I know; the spotted grey coat practically shines in the winter sunlight. She has an incredibly even gait, something Michael particularly demands in her horses. Jo had mentioned that this is Anastasia's favorite mare to ride when she comes out this way.

Rachel's bay mare, Nube Roja, on the other hand, is a bit of a handful. Nothing that she can't handle, but definitely spirited enough to think she's still a filly, despite her age. I believe this is Michael's favorite mare of the bunch. The shading along her sides and belly remind me of pre-dawn storm clouds off the coast, which is possibly where her name came from. That this happens to be Sylvia's favorite horse has not escaped my notice.

The mares happily prance through the snow, taking us further into the forest behind Michael's stately manor. The deeper we go, the quieter the world becomes around us, civilization fading away as if it never existed. Thankfully, we don't have to worry about getting lost, as the horses are well-trained to return home with a simple command.

"You know, this reminds me of the forest where Rhychel found Xandria," Rachel finally says, breaking the silence.

The comment throws me for a moment, mind spinning back to the abandoned fairy tale I'd written as a strange therapy of sorts over a year ago before Rachel had truly accepted her latent magical abilities. The wintry setting of the opening scene settles in my mind's eye, juxtaposed with the view currently before me. There are enough similarities that I can easily make the same jump in logic that Rachel has.

"It does." My words are tinged with regret and… something else that I can feel emanating off my beloved wife. "Too bad they never got the chance to have that secret assignation they wanted."

Rachel glances over her shoulder to wink at me before urging Roja into an easy trot with a delighted laugh. With no choice but to follow her, my heels urge Fuego to make pursuit. Snow flies up against my legs as Fuego attempts to catch up to Roja, both mares whinnying happily. Our impromptu race goes on for several moments, taking us deeper into the forest until we come across a small clearing. Dismounting quickly, we tether our horses to a large tree near the opening of the clearing before moving in to explore. It's not until we're practically in the middle that I realize we're surrounded by huge, ancient Hemlock trees with Long Island Sound glinting almost close enough to touch..

The wet thwock of a snowball against my back pulls me out of the reverie of sensations emanating off of these old trees, followed immediately by Rachel's delighted laughter. In one smooth move, my body turns, scoops up a large ball of the white fluff, and lobs it in her direction. Of course, it goes wildly off-center, which has me making my second attempt to hit her; it also misses its mark. Giving up, I grin cheekily at her, and drop onto my back in the snow to make a snow angel.

Eyes closed as I indulge in a childhood memory, I don't even notice Rachel moving closer until she leans down to press a gentle kiss to my lips. The feeling is strange enough that I need to investigate, and find that she's kneeling above my head and has kissed me upside down. That something I felt earlier is back as she gets to her feet, walks around my creation, and reaches down to pull me to my feet. We spend the next couple of moments working the snow out of my hair before she leans in to press another kiss to my lips.

The sensation of falling catches me off-guard, but it's quickly dismisses as we fall back into the snow again. Rachel is flat on her back and, thankfully, I had enough sense to shift and land to her side. The kiss deepens as we lay there, ignoring the cold and damp seeping into our wool and leather riding gear. The fact that we're completely surrounded by Hemlock trees, magically purported to kill the sex drive, is not lost on me. But then, Rachel's always had a bit of a contrary streak to her.

The world can wait its turn; now is the time for renewing vows made a long time ago.