All in a Wee

Day 1, Late Night about 11 p.m.

"Sam, wake up." Oz said softly, running his hand over the side of her face.

"Meh?" She mumbled, stretching slightly, than opening her eyes with a frown. "Where are we?" She asked, brushing hair out of her face. He smiled.

"A long way from home." He gently grabbed her, pulled her across the seat, and out the drivers door.

"You have got to see this, I had to come out here for a claim a couple weeks ago, the moment I saw it, I knew I had to show it to you." He said guiding her to the edge of a ledge. She looked down and gasped. They seemed to be somewhere in the sand-hills, in every direction she looked, she couldn't see a road, and directly in front of her stood a 5 foot waterfall, but the amazing thing is what was growing around it. in the middle of all the sand and cactus, which seemed to go for miles, (and it is likely they did), there was an oasis, that was the only way to describe it. Three tall, and beautiful weeping willows draped over the pond under the waterfall. the ground for at least 15 feet in all directions was covered with what had to be thousands of flowers.

"It's gorgeous." Sam breathed, her eyes wide.

"I knew you would say that." Oz said, a smile in his voice as he looked over her shoulder at the beauty below.

"You want to go get a closer look?" He murmured in her ear. Everything inside Sam screamed at his closeness, she forced herself to breath regularly. We're just friends! She told herself silently.

"Yeah, but how?" She asked, stepping away from him slightly.

"Around here." He said, walking over about ten feet. There was a winding and jagged path, built and hidden by nature in the side of the small cliff.

They walked slowly down, talking of old times, of exploring the fields together, of talking under the stars before life got so damn complicated, of the first time they got drunk, of trying so hard to "tip" his dads cows, and of all the things that really mattered right along with those that didn't mean a thing.

Early Morning, Day 2 About 5 a.m.

Sam sat cross legged on top of her sleeping bag, staring down at Oz who was fast asleep sprawled across his sleeping bag. She smiled down at him, he looked so peaceful and... Damn it, hot! Why did he have to look so hot? She ripped her eyes away from him, trying to think of anything else. She settled her eyes on the sky, where the sun had not yet risen but the sky was beginning to glow, just on the horizon. It was beautiful, but somehow, the sleeping man beside her kept drawing her eyes.

"Damn you!" She said louder than she had intended.

"What?" Oz half moaned, not even opening his eyes.

"Nothing." She murmured, embarrassed as his eyes slowly opened. There were a few perfect seconds in utter silence, where Sam felt as if she were falling, without a life jacket, into the deep pools of his eyes. She looked back into the sunrise, and the spell broke.

"Were you talking to yourself?" He asked with a lazy smile as he stretched.

"No, I was talking to you," She said, biting her lip as he raised his eyebrow questioningly "But you weren't suppose to hear it." He gave her an odd look but didn't pursue it. A huge yawn overtook him as she stared at the horizon, lost in thought.

"It's too fucking early in the morning!" He muttered, a light frown on his face "How can you always be so awake?" He added in a half growl.

"Oh, do you need your morning coffee?" She mocked him with a grin.

"Yes, damn it!" He answered, but a smile was sneaking over his face. Something about his smile made her want to say "the hell with it!", grab him and have him right than and there.

"You wanna head for a town and some breakfast?" He asked, pulling himself to his feet. Sam let out a laugh.

"That's my Oz, food, sleep, and coffee, thats all you ever want!" She grinned at him.

"Now wait a minute! You left out sex!" He said flashing her a devastating grin that matched his twinkling eyes.

"Yeah, you can't forget that." She said, her voice dropping a notch and throwing her into sexy voice zone. She bit her lip, she hadn't meant it to come out like that.

Oz glanced at her out of the side of his eye as he rolled up his sleeping bag. He watched the every sensual move her body made as she moved to do the same. God damn, why does she have to be so hot? He asked himself silently.

About 9:30 a.m. Day 2

The ride back to the farm was uneventful other than Oz nearly falling asleep at the wheel and Sammie's takeover of the driving. They were only about 15 minutes from home and Oz was once again asleep or at least pretending to be. Sam glanced at him, a fond smile on her face. She reached across the seat and tousled his hair.

"You messed up my do." He said quite clearly, never opening his eyes. Sam giggled.

"Right," She said, the sarcasm so thick that it sounded as if it could drip as she continued to muss his hair. "You're nothing but a ragamuffin, you don't have a do!" He opened his eyes and gave her a mock glare, slapping her hand away, then solemnly pulling his short and choppy hair straight up on his head.

"There!" his tone was triumphant as he looked at her. She glanced at his chocolate hair sticking out every direction and suppressed a laugh.

"You know," She gave him a flirty glance. "Mussed hair is sexy." She gave him a little wink as she turned off the interstate and onto a gravel road.

"I know, that's why I do it!" He said a cocky grin flashing across his face for just a moment.He loved this, they both knew it. He loved to flirt, tease and banter, but somehow today there was a little more "tingle" to it. Both of them understood on some level that it wasn't just jokes anymore.

A pond, with three cows happily chewing their cud came into view, followed by a huge typically red barn where she caught sight of the rope swing still hanging.

"Home, sweet home." She said as they rounded the bend and the house came into view.

Sam stepped through the front door, directly on Oz's heels.

"Hey boy, I need some help with the horses out in the left field, your stallion is causing trouble with that-" The deep gravely voice cut off here as Sam peeked around Oz.

"Samantha?" The rather large, balding man said, surprise lighting his golden eyes.

"Hey papa Jim!" Sam said grinning. "Long time no see hu?"

"Girl, you haven't been around for nigh on a year!" the elderly man said snappily.

"Dad, quit picking on her, she's been busy." Oz defended with a smile.

"Yeah, doing what?" Papa Jim said, giving her a reproving look "Seeing another good for nothin' boy?"

"Yeah, and you're right, he was good for nothing." She smiled surprised that she felt nothing for him anymore.

"Good, you've realized the err' in your ways and now maybe you will look twice at our Ozmund here!" He said, flashing her a grin that looked to much like his sons. Sam cracked a grin at Oz' full name.

"You never know, I might take you up on that." She murmured too quiet for Jim to hear but Oz eyed her curiously.

"Rose!" Jim bellowed causing both the youngsters to jump.

"I'm watchin' my show, it is the only time of the gall darn day that I'm not-" Here the slightly irritated voice emanating from the living room was cut off by Jim.

"Well stay in there and watch it if you like, but Samantha's come to visit." He hollered with a half smile on his face. There was dead silence, than the quick sound of movement and soon enough a plump woman with silvery-brown hair appeared in the kitchen.

"Sam!" She cried, her face lighting up.

"Hey mama!" Sammie said, a fond smile covering her face as the elder woman pulled her into an embrace. Rose stepped away, looking critical.

"Hunny, you look like you've been starving yourself, have you been eatin' at all?" Rose asked, already heading for the refrigerator. As if on cue, both the men headed for the door, Oz tossing her a wink and a mouthed "Good Luck!"

"I'm sure I will be this next week!" Sammie laughed.