Title: Of Snowstorms and Backseat Drivers
Author: KourtTears
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: No spoilers. Can be set anytime during the series.
Summary: Sheriff Jack Carter has had to deal with broken bones, car wrecks and Eureka's polar bear club. Now he faces his greatest challenge of the day: surviving a car ride with Dr. Nathan Stark.
Author's Notes: Written for sheepfairy at Livejournal's XmasinEureka challenge. I couldn't decide between the two stories so you get both! Merry Christmas!

"The speed limit through here is fifty-five you know."

"I'm the Sheriff, of course I know what the speed limit is."

"I just wanted to make sure since you aren't even doing half that."

"Stark I don't need a backseat driver. This is nerve-wracking enough."

'This' being the snowstorm that had descended on Eureka. There had been almost no warning before the storm hit. Carter was fairly certain he had ticked one of the scientists off and this was their way to get their revenge. Because what could be worse than a town of geniuses in the middle of a snowstorm?

Carter couldn't believe how reckless they were. They were supposed to be smart! He'd already been called to seven different residences since the storm had started four hours ago. He'd dealt with sled injuries, snowball injuries, and a group of scientists who had decided the best way to enjoy the snow and ice was to jump into the lake...naked. Carter, being from California (and sane), didn't see the appeal of jumping into sub-zero degree water to celebrate the first snow of the season. He didn't really care what they did though, as long as their kept their clothes on. The image of old Dr. Cale standing in the snow completely in the nude was going to haunt Carter for the rest of his life.

Unfortunately for the Sheriff, those were the easy ones. He and Jo had been called to over five car wrecks. No one had been seriously hurt but those calls always made Carter anxious. It might have had something to do with the fact that he had a sixteen year old daughter.

Everything Carter had dealt with that day had been manageable. Except for this. Jack had finally gotten everyone tucked (or caged in some cases) into their respective homes when the last call had come in. Jo had just walked out the door so it fell to Jack to answer this distress call. He had shown up at the sight of the wreck and groaned. Nathan Stark had been standing on the side of the road with his car in the ditch behind him. That was when Carter pulled out his mad scientists' revenge theory.

Stark had actually been civil and Carter was only insulted twice before Stark got around to asking for a ride home. Everything had been fine for the first few minutes. Then the storm had picked up and Carter 

was forced to drive very slowly to make sure he didn't run off the road.

Unfortunately, slowly was not how Stark wanted to get home.

"Carter you aren't even going fifteen miles per hour!"

"Stark, do you see the storm? Do you see how I have almost no visibility?"

"You're being melodramatic. It's not that bad."

Carter stared out at the storm before turning to look at Stark. "Are you completely insane? This is one of the worst storms Oregon has had in years."

Stark snorted, "The Weather Channel always over exaggerates these kinds of things."

"I didn't hear it from the Weather Channel; I heard it from one of the meteorologists from Global."

"Which one?"

"Dr. Cale."

"Dr. Cale? He almost never leaves his lab. Where did you see him?"

"At the lake."

"What was he doing there?"

"He's a member of the Polar Bear club."

"Aren't they the people that jump into a freezing cold lake on the first snow?"

"Yeah, but that's not even the half of it. They jump in naked."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Stark thought about this for a moment before responding, "You know, there are just some things eighty year old men shouldn't do."

Carter shuddered and nodded, "Tell me about it."

For a few minutes neither man said anything and Carter was just beginning to believe that he and Stark could actually be near each other without fighting. Then Stark opened his mouth.

"Carter, drive a little faster already!"

"No."

"You're being overly cautious."

"Says the man who ran his car into a ditch."

When Stark didn't respond, Carter hazarded a look in the scientist's direction. What he saw almost made him laugh.

"Stark, are you pouting?"

"I do not pout."

"Doesn't look that way to me."

Stark had his arms crossed over his chest and his lower lip was jutted out. Carter took another glance but quickly turned away when he caught himself staring.

Carter was relieved when Stark didn't reply and the rest of the drive was conducted in silence. Finally, after another excruciating fifteen minutes (in which Carter almost skidded off the road twice) they pulled up into Stark's driveway.

He put the car in park and waited to for Stark to get out. Surprisingly Nathan just sat there.

"Uh, Stark? This is your stop."

When Nathan didn't respond Carter turned to look at him.

"Stark—" He was cut off by Nathan's lips meeting his.

The kiss started off hot and soon Jack was pushing Nathan's mouth open and forcing his tongue to into the other man's mouth coaxing him to enter the game.

Nathan pulled away, too soon for Carter, and rested his forehead against Jack's. They were both still breathing heavily when Nathan spoke.

"Thanks for the ride Sheriff." Then he was out of the car and making his way towards his house.

Jack sat in shock long enough for Nathan to get inside. Jack sat there for another minute before making a decision. He pulled out his phone.

"Zoe, hey. Listen the roads are awful so I'm not going to be able to make it home tonight. Will you be okay with SARAH for tonight? Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry. I'll be home tomorrow after Henry gets the roads clear. Love you too. Bye."

As soon as he hung up the phone, Jack turned off the car, opened the door and stepped out into the storm. He made his way up to the door and knocked. He had no intention of leaving until he had convinced Stark to finish what he had started.