Sitting in front of a roaring fireplace, cup of hot chocolate and warm in her hand, Ashley Magnus decided she really liked mom's new vacation policy. While everyone was certain Helen herself would no doubt ignore her own decree, she implemented a rule stating that every employee was required to take at least one week of vacation per six months, for 'mental health' reasons.

After her imprisonment ( and subsequent rescue), mom had been exceedingly concerned with doing all the overprotective mom still. It got old really fast, but Ashley could understand her reasoning. Though she'd never admit it, she knew she'd been a tad clingy herself.

It'd been a bit of a shock, returning to the Sanctuary and seeing all the changes that happened in her absence. Mum was more tired, but she seemed perpetually amused/irritated by their residence ex-vampire, Nikola Tesla. Will had settled into his role nicely while Biggie was mourning the loss of his friend Father Justin. Kate was new, an unknown, but Ashley found her to be a kindred spirit, irreverent and brash.

Then there was Henry. Her best friend and partner in crime. For his whole life, she'd watched him struggle against his HAP nature and seen his horror when the transformations began. He was barely coming to grips with himself when the Cabal had taken her captive.

She returned to find her childhood friend far more secure in himself, comfortable in his own skin and at ease with his inner wolf. He was off the meds he'd been downing for years and there was a sense of peace about him. But he was still her Henry, excitable and quick, happy to show her any and all new toys he had made down in his lab, knowing her own weakness for anything that made a big boom.

So, about six months after coming home, Ashley was informed that it was her turn to take a vacation, something she'd never really done by herself. The idea had initially thrown her, but when she'd found that mom had scheduled her leave to coincide with Henry's, an idea had formed.

Will and Kate had vacationed together, though they wouldn't admit it aloud. Who did they think they were fooling? Mom and Tesla had the experience garnered over their long, long lives, and Biggie, Henry and, to a lesser extent since the Cabal had messed with her genes, Ashley herself had enhanced senses. They could smell Will and Kate all over each other, even though they really didn't want to.

Henry had been more than happy when she'd suggested that they do something together. Between the two of them, they decided to spend the week snowboarding in Colorado. Ashley had never actually been snowboarding but it was something she'd always wanted to try and Henry, as it turned out, was a pretty awesome teacher.

They arrived early that morning and checked into their room at the Elevation Hotel at Crested Butte. The Presidential Suite they had reserved was incredible, even too a pair who had been raised in a Gothic castle. Each had their own bedroom and bathroom and the suite came equipped with a full kitchen and sitting room, a fireplace and two beautiful balconies. Everything was top of the line and luxurious, not really their day-to-day style, but what was vacation for if not to splurge.

After leaving their luggage in the rooms, they simply explored for a while. The hotel was located at the base of Crested Butte Mountain and had ski in/ski out access while being within walking distance of the nearby village. There was an on-site spa, heated pools and hot tubs and a really lovely open sundeck with fire pit. The gym was spotless and high end, which Ashley approved of, and there was wireless Internet access everywhere, which Henry approved of.

Around noon they had a light lunch, then donned their snow gear and equipment and headed for the bunny slope. Though they were surrounded by a mass of small children and wobbly looking adults, Henry insisted they begin there to allow Ashley to familiarize herself with the feeling of being on the snow.

Her protests had died down after about the 20th fall, but she had to admit it was still a lot of fun. Once her body acclimated itself to the new sensation of having her feet strapped to the board, her natural athletic ability had come into play. By the end of the day, she felt she was doing pretty good for a beginner.

Henry seemed to agree, cheering her on and grinning. That had been awesome. It'd been a long time since she and Henry had gone to do something fun outside of the Sanctuary. Great though they were, movie nights, sparring sessions ( Henry had markedly improved in her absence) and midnight kitchen raids couldn't compare to this.

The roaring fire in the lodge was quite welcome after the long snowy day. Ashley sat on one of the plush sofas, cradling her cocoa as she watched Henry stand by the bar, waiting for their order of crab cakes.

A leggy redhead, wearing some of those skintight ski pants that Ashley thought kind of stupid (How was anyone supposed to believe those… leggings were going to keep you warm in the snow?), in that they were far more form than function ( And Ashley was all about functional clothes. Sure, some things were pretty, but what was the point of wearing something that was going to be a liability. Priorities people, priorities.), was trying to chat up Henry. There was a lot of hair flipping and boob presenting on the part of the girl and Henry was looking increasingly uncomfortable, tossing 'help me' looks in Ashley's direction.

She was a bit torn. On one hand, she was inclined to march over there and give Red a piece of her mind about what she thought of a woman trying to poach on another girl's turf. Henry was clearly there with Ashley and no one could have any idea what their relationship was. Hell, sometimes she wasn't too certain, as there were moments when it seems like they were about to take the next step… but neither of them had the guts to actually take that step. Yet.

But then there was that impish voice in her head that she should let Henry get hit on, so she could gently teased him about it later. His cheeks always turned the faint shade of pink when she did that. Even if he was a tad uncomfortable, it had to be good for his ego, didn't it? Getting hit on was always at least a little flattering, especially if the person doing the hitting looked like a model (Abercrombie guys for her and Victoria's Secret Angels for him).

With Henry though, you never really knew. The women he tended to go for were attractive and pretty, but usually seemed more down to earth then Red and he usually connected with them on an intellectual level. Of course, looks could be deceiving and Red might have been a rocket scientist or computer programmer.

Somehow though, Ashley thought that was highly unlikely.

Before she had to make a decision on whether to rescue Henry or not, the bartender slid a plate of crab cakes and a couple of long necked beers towards Henry, who scooped them up gratefully and excused himself.

"Thanks for the help," he muttered sarcastically, though it lacked any real edge of annoyance. He handed over the crab cakes and slid onto the cushion beside her, placing the beers on the little coffee table. The remains of her cocoa quickly joined them as they prepared to eat.

The first bite of juicy, jumbo lump crab meat made her groan in appreciation. She's always been a big fan of good food. Beside her, Henry seemed equally appreciative of the quality and, between the two of them, the platter was quickly cleared.

Ashley noted Red tossing a few more looks in Henry's direction. In some respects, Ashley couldn't blame her. Henry was a hot guy and the fire light really flattered his strong features. Then again, it was clearer than ever that he wasn't alone and, feeling slightly territorial, she scooted closer to him.

Not seeming to mind, Henry sank back into the couch cushions, arm brushing hers. Content, Ashley stared into the dancing flames and shifted to let her head settle on his shoulder. It was nice, comfortable and warm, cuddled up with Henry in the picturesque setting.

The fact that she nodded off, even for a short time, in a public setting was testament to both her comfort level and her trust in Henry. He was one of the few people she has enough faith in to let her guard down around, to allow him to keep watch while she was vulnerable. If she thought too hard on that fact, she knew that said something about her massive trust and control issues…which was why she tried not to think about it.

Before she knew it, Henry was giving her shoulder a gentle shake. "Ash," he murdered softly, leaning close enough that she could feel his breath stirring the hair by her ear. "Why don't we head up to bed."

Normally, they were the consummate night owls, but it had been in very early morning, followed by travel and hours of exercise out in the crisp, fresh mountain air. It was no wonder she was feeling kind of spent.

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed without complaint and offered up her hands. Grasping them, Henry gamely heaved her up and out of the cocoon-like confines of the couch.

Linking their elbows, Ashley just grinned when Henry raised his eyebrows at her. She was in a cuddly mood, quite a rare state since she'd hit adulthood, but, even when she'd been younger, Henry had been the most frequent recipient of a snuggle. From a very young age, she'd wanted her mom to treat her like a mature equal and she had thought that quest would be hurt by an attempt to cuddle with mom.

Henry, on the other hand, had never judged her, just returned her hugs or let her curl up in bed with him. Neither one of them had the most active social life or really much contact with people outside of the Sanctuary, so the closeness had been good for both of them.

The suite was even prettier at night, lit by their own electric fire place and curtains drawn wide to reveal the panoramic view. At some point during the evening, a light snowfall had begun and, for a moment, they just stood there, appreciating the sight. Really, it was worthy of a particularly Norman Rockwell-esque postcard.

Since she'd showered after coming in off of the slopes, Ashley simply shucked her clothes and pulled on a warm pair of red plaid flannel sleep pants and a matching Henley (a gift from mom) before flopping onto the marshmallow like bed. Closing her eyes, she sank into the comfy mattress, debating whether or not to climb under the covers.

Grinning into the down, she rallied the last of her strength and pushed off of the bed and padded out of her room, bare feet nearly silent on the carpet.

But not so silent Henry didn't hear her. The door that led to his room was cracked slightly open and his voice drifted out to meet her. "Come on in, Ash."

She smiled and pushed the door the rest of the way open, entering quickly. Henry was sitting on top of the covers, lights off, illuminated by the glow filtering in through the windows, and had changed into his jammies too. Funnily enough a set that matched hers, but in blue. "Gift from mom?" she asked, clambering up onto the huge, king sized bed to take a seat beside him.

Since she'd been home, she'd spent a lot of sleepless nights in Henry's room, curled up next to him asking questions about what had happened in her absence. Everyone else tried to shy away from that topic, as though they thought it would upset her, but really, she had to know.

What was up with Mom and John? Was he still all stab-happy or was he back on the MA (Murderers Anonymous) wagon?

When exactly had Nikola Tesla become…sort of a team player?

How did mom come to hire a former mercenary?

Why did Will suddenly look like he was taking his styling tips from that emo, sparkly vampire twit Edward Cullen?

When had Henry come to terms with his inner wolf? Was he dating? Was he happy?

There had been a lot of questions and he had answered all of them to the best of his ability, which in turn led to more questions and quite a few sleepless nights. All in all, this vacation was sorely needed by both of them.

"Yup," he agreed, smirking down at their plaid flannel clad legs, side by side on the snow white bedding. "Remind you of anything?"

"Christmas," she replied happily. When they were little, every Christmas eve included opening one present, invariably new flannel pajamas. Usually, those presents would share a theme, but have a slight variation conceding to their genders. Henry's were usually blue or green, Ashley's pink or red. Or she'd have snowflake jammies, he'd get snowmen.

After they'd open the pajamas, they'd read The Night Before Christmas, finish their cocoa, set out cookies and milk for Santa and Mom and Biggie would tuck them up in Henry's bed. Though they often drifted into each other's rooms during the night, Christmas Eve was the only night Mom routinely put them to bed together.

Later, Ashley realized it was because mom hadn't wanted them up and wandering the Sanctuary while she and Biggie were setting out the presents. That would have been a sad way to find out Santa wasn't real. Though Ashley hadn't asked, she wondered how many years Henry had played along until she herself figured out the true origins of the pile of gifts under the tree.

The matching jammies and giant bed that made them seem small again brought to mind all those Christmas's long past. Before they'd had any responsibilities and life at the Sanctuary was just one big adventure. Their family might not have been cookie cutter, but it was the only one they'd ever known. Mom was their mom, Biggie was the Dad (wasn't that a picture!) and Henry and Ashley the children...though they had and hadn't been raised as brother and sister.

When she'd hit her teens and hormones had kicked in, Ashley had wondered if mom had done that intentionally, knowing neither of them was exactly 'normal' and having a stable relationship while you lived and worked at the Sanctuary wasn't easy. Of course, that was around the same time that her 13 year old hormones had realized her 18 year old, quasi brother was really hot and her little kid crush had flared up with a vengeance.

Thankfully, over the years, that had mellowed, though she wasn't ashamed to admit Henry still held a special place in her heart and she always thought, maybe, someday, something would happen. There was no one she had more fun with, no one she trusted more, no one she loved in quite the same way. It was hard to categorize, so she just shuffled it over into the part of her brain that held the good, but confusing stuff.

Flexing her bare feet, she bumped the top of his left foot with her toes. There was a crescent moon inked on the thin skin and she'd never seen that in before. "When did you get that?" she asked with a teasing pout. "While I was gone?"

He nodded. "Bit of a theme, huh? Sun, Moon and Stars..."

"Stars too? Where?" For all her bravery and devil may care attitude, Ashley had never been able to rally the dedication to get a tattoo or any piercings beyond her ears. Sweet, shy Henry on the other hand was no stranger to body mod. She'd gone with him and grimaced as she watched an artist ink the sun on his calf and she knew he'd had his nipples and naval pierced. Now there was a moon on his foot and stars...somewhere.

"C'mon, Ash," he laughed teasingly. "Gotta keep a few secrets, don't I?"

She grinned. "Are they some place...naughty?"

He chuckled. "No, the stars aren't anywhere naughty."

Something about the inflection he put into the statement made Ashley's sleep drooping eyes widen. "Something else is in the naughty zone then!" she said confidently.

Punchy and giddy with lack of sleep, she reached for the elastic waist of his pants, just to tease, not intending to actually molest her friend as they sat there (tempting though the thought was). "Ash!" he yelped, catching her hand as her fingers wrapped around the hem.

She giggled (another sign that she needed sleep) and gave a little struggle, the grin on his face letting her know he knew she was just playing. Neither one of them bothered to use their full strength (as a HAP and a genetically modified killing machine, they would probably destroy the room if they actually threw down...hell, if they even did their usual sparring), just pulling on each others arms and squirming around on the bed.

In the end, Henry had both of her wrists in his hands, but she managed to sprawl half on top of him, so, in her book, that made the struggle for dominance a draw. The fact that they were both half asleep and giggling at nothing was probably had something to do with the aborted tussle, as Ashley had a long and well known love for wrestling, but that night they were just too damn tired.

Letting her cheek drop to rest on Henry's shoulder, Ashley didn't bother to bite back a yawn as she said, "Night, Henry." She could feel the feel thump of his heart and, curling herself against his firm frame, realized it was actually an incredibly soothing sensation.

He snagged a side of the enormous, downy comforter and tugged it up and over them before dropping a kiss onto the crown of her head. "Night, Ash," he replied, arms and blankets forming a warm cocoon around her.

As she drifted off into dreamland, Ashley smiled to herself and decided she could very easily get used to ending every day, exactly like this…but possibly with some different, exhausting activities thrown into the mix.

She couldn't think of a better way to spend a week off.

Happy Holidays!

Already contemplating what to have them do for the rest of the week! That is, if anyone is interested in reading about that ;)