Chapter 43

It was an hour before they were able to pry themselves from their state of bliss. A cramp in her legs finally became too much, and forced Liv to stand. As she stretched, she traced a finger over one of the many scars covering Finn's back and shoulders. Then she turned, tiptoed across the rocky floor of the cave and went to check on their clothes.

In the dying glow of the fire, Finn admired the silhouette of Liv's slender body. Her movements were graceful and energetic as she made her way to the rock that her jeans were laying on.

"It's like fresh out of the dryer!" Liv exclaimed, hugging the fire warmed denim against her smooth skin. "The zipper is hot and everything! Come on, get up, lazy ass. We got work to do."

"I guess we should try and find a way out of here," Finn said as he joined her beside the fire. "Ahhh, nice and toasty. I never thought I'd be warm again." His stomach growled audibly as he pulled the Marines sweatshirt over his head. "Well, on the plus side, at least we can still die of starvation!"

"You'll probably wish you had starved to death. Here, have some mystery meat." Liv tossed him a golden plastic package from the Go Bag. "Just add water for instant deliciousness." She pulled out another pouch, tore it open and filled it from a bottle of water. She handed the bottle to Finn, then put her bag next to the fire to let it warm up. Finn quickly followed suit. "Now, if only we had some beer; I'd never wanna go home!" Finn joked. "Hot chick, mystery meat, fire, and a cool cave. This is a man's version of heaven."

"Kinda needs something." Liv put her hand to her chin thoughtfully. "Electricity ... or maybe a Jacuzzi?" Liv nudged him.

"That's it! You're never gonna be invited back into the man cave. You're just going to ruin it with all your fancy, modern day conveniences. I like it traditional. You know, like the Natives. Just a cave and fire."

"I think you're confusing tradition with lack of options. Besides, you're gonna be awfully lonely in your man cave."

"I'll get a dog." Finn mock pouted.

"You have fun with that; I'm gonna try and find civilization. I could really use a shower and fried goodness. Speaking of which, I think our food's done." Liv pulled the hot bags away from the fire, and they dug in.

"Oh man, this is the best food ever!" Finn exclaimed, as he wolfed down the contents of the bag. "This is so awesome! I bet the best French Chef in the world couldn't make anything better!"

"That's just the hunger talking. I could really go for a steak or a cheeseburger right about now." Liv made a face at the bag.

"Picky, picky," Finn said with his mouth full, finishing the last morsel of Sloppy Joe. "Okay, much better. No more rumbling tummy. Now, how the hell do we get out of here?" Finn examined the shadows cast by the roaring fire. "I don't think our firewood situation is going to last long, and I can tell you from personal experience that the second mystery-meat-in-a-bag is always the worst. I had to eat two a day for a week solid, during one of our missions."

"That's why I didn't join the Marines- crappy food," Liv teased. "So, just out of curiosity, I totally get the Marine symbol tattoo on your shoulder." She paused and took a bite of her chicken alfredo. "But why do you have the Super Mario Princess, and the words 'Scorin with the Princess' tattooed on your ass?"

"Man, I'm never gonna live that down." Finn shook his head. "Let's just say I was pretty wasted, there were a lot of dares, and that wasn't the worst tattoo anyone got that night."

"It's cute!" Liv giggled. "At least they'll be able to identify our bodies if they ever find us!"

"Ha ha. Let it all out. Truth is, I like having Princess Peach from Super Mario Brothers on my ass; always works with the ladies."

"Yeah, whatever." She looked up at the cave ceiling. "Hey, I wonder where the smoke from the fire is going. I just realized that we should have probably asphyxiated ourselves by now." Liv popped the flashlight on and scanned the cavern.

Finn watched the powerful beam play over the smooth walls of their rocky prison. "So, how come you decided to jump into the river? That was really stupid! But, I guess what I should say is, thanks for doing something stupid and saving our asses."