A Matheson family tradition included snow, and lots and lots of it. Along with the snow their traditions included partaking in events on said frozen form of water.

Every year they took a trip to a ski lodge close to their home in Chicago, only staying one night, to ski, snowboard, and as always, sled. This was something that Ben and Miles did with their family growing up, and Ben passed the tradition along to his children, and to Rachel who wasn't a big fan, but always had a fun time watching them and playing referee when they argued about who won the race.

The Matheson's were definitely competitive, and that was putting it lightly. It was mostly Ben and Charlie who were competitive, complete with insulting and trash talking. Danny didn't care much if he won or didn't, but he liked arguing.

This year would be like no other, except for the fact that Ben wanted to invite Miles, "Rachel he's my brother, this was our family tradition before anyone else ever came along, and he's home this year. I'm inviting him and Bass. You said it yourself that it was over and done with right?"

She nodded which satisfied Ben who went about calling him.

She said those things, but every time she saw Miles it was getting harder and harder. It was easier when she was mad at him, but she couldn't be mad forever, that was too exhausting. But if she wasn't mad, then she was sad. She missed him, and that made her a liar. She lied to Ben and told him she didn't love Miles when the truth was, she always did and she always would.

But if anything Rachel was a good liar, she just had to keep the charade going until after Christmas and they wouldn't be having as many family get togethers.

"Miles said they would love to go," Ben returned to the kitchen where Rachel was still sitting upon the stool he left her on.

She looked up at him and put on her fakest, most genuine smile, "that's great though it'll be even harder to play referee when you all start fighting like children as usual. It's bad enough with just you and Charlie," Rachel laughed as Ben nodded.

Even though she wasn't all too happy with Miles and Bass tagging along, that didn't mean she wasn't happy to see Ben look so cheerful. He really did love his brother, so much that he was willing to put everything aside; he was stronger than Rachel could've ever been.

3o minutes later Charlie was honking her horn from the driveway, turning the car off when she saw her dad flagging her inside from the front porch. She bundled up, wrapping her scarf around her neck and pulling her hat over her ears as she made her way out into the snowy blizzard.

Snow was one of Charlie's most favorite things, but right now she was not in the mood for all of this blizzard nonsense. She needed the weather to chill out and slow down for a minute until they got to the lodge.

Kicking her boots off, she closed the door of the house and hugged her father, "hey I thought you said we would all be ready to go?"

Ben laughed and released her from the hug, "we are ready just had a change of plans, Miles and Bass are coming along too."

When her face fell a bit Ben looked at her funny, "is something wrong? I thought you'd be happy you got to spend time with your favorite uncle and your partner in crime," referring to Bass and their short time in jail.

Charlie shook her head, "no everything's fine, I'm so excited they're both coming, I was just trying to think of my strategy to win against Miles. Everyone knows he cheats and is a sore loser."

Ben laughed, "I know that all too well, trying growing up with him, it was even worse."

Charlie just smiled. It wasn't that she wasn't happy they were coming; she just didn't want another argument between her mom and Miles to break out, or worse. Plus she hadn't really talked to Bass after that night, so the last thing she wanted was for him to make things awkward.

"I was thinking for the main event this year, how about a snowball fight?"

She turned her head to look at her father who was all but jumping for joy. She couldn't help but giggle, he was like a kid in a candy store, "ok dad, that sounds great, doesn't matter what you call it, I'm going to win."

She rubbed her nails against her coat and flipped her hair over her shoulder while Ben just narrowed his eyes, "we'll see about that young lady."

She was still laughing at him when Miles and Bass entered, looking at her, "What's so funny?"

"Dad's just grumpy because he knows I'm going to win," Charlie said smugly looking at Miles.

"Please we all know that I'm going to win," Miles snorted confidently, Bass just rolled his eyes, always the confident bullshitter.

"Please all I have to do is dangle some whiskey in front of your face and you'd be instantly distracted."

At that comment Danny groaned and turned almost a shade of green, "please let's not talk about whiskey. I think I've had enough for my entire life."

Miles looked ashamed, clearly Danny did not get the Matheson drinking abilities, it was probably Charlie who got those qualities. She laughed, ruffling Danny's hair, "oh you poor baby," she cooed at him as he swatted at her hand.

"Ok children let's not start the fighting now," Rachel smiled as she stepped in between the two of them before they could get out of hand. She smiled as friendly and politely as she could to Miles and Bass before she went to grab the small luggage bag from their room.

Since they were only going to stay one night no one was bringing much. Charlie filled her bookbag full of stuff and that was all she planned on taking, likewise Danny had a bookbag full of stuff, mostly just food because 'he was a growing boy,' that's what he always said anyway.

Miles and Bass filled their duffle bags full of clothes and other provisions they might need, trying to anticipate the unexpected.

"I just talked to Aaron, and he and Priscilla are going to meet us there so we only need to take two cars," Ben informed them, coming from the kitchen.

"I can drive," Bass spoke up, volunteering because he was the better driver in snow between the two of them.

"I'll ride with them then, that way I don't have to drive my car, better your car gets wrecked than mine," Charlie smiled at Bass, going past Miles outside to her car where her bag was.

Bass followed along behind her with Miles in tow, leaving Rachel and Ben to decide who was driving between them. "I'd be happy to drive," Danny suggested, to which both Ben and Rachel laughed, that was a no.

Charlie tossed her bag into the back seat of Bass' car, remembering the last time she had been in there was when she was drunk, and sure enough when she peered in the back seat floorboard the sweater was still laying there.

When she caught sight of it she looked up at Bass who smiled, obviously knowing what she was looking at.

She waved to Danny, who said he was just going to ride with their parents, and hopped into the back seat of the car.

"Are the terrible twins coming?"

Charlie shook her head at Miles' question, "I don't think so, they're with Priscilla's mom for the weekend I think."

That was about the only conversation that was had in the car during the whole trip. Bass turned on the radio shortly after, and Charlie was engrossed with looking at the window, watching the snowfall. Every so often she could feel a gaze on her, which she knew was Bass. He was watching her facial expressions, taking in the happiness he saw etched across her face.

He focused on the driving when he saw that the snow was picking up, thankful when he saw the ski lodge in sight.

Gathering their bags in hand, they entered the lodge to find that Priscilla and Aaron were in the lobby waiting for them, and not 10 minutes after they arrived, Ben, Danny, and Rachel showed up through the doors.

Priscilla had already checked everyone in, not backing down when she said that they were paying for everything because it was nice enough that Ben invited them to share in the family tradition.

She handed Rachel the keys so that she could figure out who was rooming with whom. Rachel was the control freak, so Priscilla assumed she had already figured it all out down to the wire, but Rachel wasn't planning on Miles and Bass when she calculated.

"We can get another room if we need to," Priscilla suggested, but no one wanted to spend more of their money.

"No it's fine, you and Aaron can share the room with us. Charlie and Danny can room with Miles and Bass. There's a pull out couch in the room as well you can guys can decide amongst yourself who sleeps there."

As soon as the words left her mouth Charlie snatched the key from her mother's hands and took off running as she laughed, "Won't be me."

By the time everyone else made it up to the room Charlie was spread out face down on the bed furthest away from the door on the left hand side. Danny dropped his bag by the door and immediately ran over and jumped on her exclaiming, "dog pile."

She grunted, as Miles jumped on top of Danny, "you're crushing me you big apes."

Danny just laughed, "that's what you get for forcing me to sleep on the couch."

They moved off of her still smiling, "make Bass sleep on the couch and share with Miles."

Danny started shaking his head immediately, "no way am I sharing with Miles, last time I had to share an air mattress with him I ended up on the floor with a concussion."

Miles sighed, "You didn't have a concussion, and besides was it really my fault you rolled off the bed?"

Danny just looked at him incredulously, "it wouldn't have been your fault if I just rolled, but considering you kicked me, I'd say that was your fault."

Charlie jumped up from the bed, "ok children play nice, I'm going outside." She was in such a good mood that when she passed Bass she winked, and he just laughed.

"Is she always like this?" Bass motioned with his head to where Charlie just was. Miles and Danny both just nodded.

"She's worse when there's snow involved, I swear she should've been a penguin or something."

Bass almost choked on his laughter, even though neither of them had any idea what that meant to him they laughed.

Sitting their stuff down, all three boys made their way back down to the main lobby where Charlie had ran off to before. Bass stopped dead at the top of the staircase when she saw that Charlie was talking to none other than Jason Neville. He didn't think they were still friends, at least he hoped they weren't.

He wasn't jealous as much as he hated the smug asshole.

Catching a glimpse of them, Jason just smiled at them, but Bass pretended not to notice him and continued down the stairs beside Miles who spoke up, "oh great that asshole kid is here. 10 bucks says this was Rachel's doing and Charlie will blow up at her."

Bass just laughed not taking the bait. That was a bet he was sure to lose.

"Jason it's so good to see you again, are your parents here?" Rachel asked looking around the corner, obviously trying to play it off. Either she had mentioned it to them or Jason was stalking Charlie, and she knew her mother too well.

Jason nodded and was about to speak up when his parents walked over to where everyone was, "Mr. and Mrs. Matheson, how great it is to see you all again, you remember my wife Julia?"

The man swept his hand over the tall, longhaired, gorgeous lady standing by his side. Charlie didn't make it far enough in the relationship, or whatever it was, stage to meet his parents, but she could already tell that his father seemed like a jerk and his mother had a snobbish air about her.

Miles must've been thinking the same thing because when Charlie looked over at him, while his parents talked amongst hers, he had his face scrunched up. At that she laughed and he instantly smiled, realizing he had been caught making a face.

Bass didn't make any face, but rather his face remained blank during the whole thing. Charlie could tell he was less than happy, but he smiled when he caught her staring at him. Refusing the instinct to blush Charlie turned back around to her parents who were still blabbing.

"Charlie would be happy to show Jason around later today, right honey?"

She hated when her mother put her on the spot like that, and this time instead of just agreeing she looked to her father, "actually dad and I have a game to get to, family traditions and all, but it was nice seeing you."

She didn't stick around to hear what her mother had to say, she ran out of the door and towards the ski slopes, waiting for the rest of the family to join.

The first ones out the door were Bass and Miles who were laughing, "I'm pretty sure Rachel turned 10 shades of red just then, I didn't even know there were 10 shades of red. Kid I'd watch out if I were you."

He smiled at her sympathetically before continuing to laugh.

"It isn't funny Miles she's trying to marry me off. The stiff and uptight Barbie would be my mother and father-in-law, can you imagine?"

Apparently picturing was a bad idea because that made both laugh harder at the situation. When he came up for air, Miles wiped at the tears in his eyes, "you have to admit it's kinda funny."

Crossing her arms over her chest, her expression remained impassive; "I bet you wouldn't be laughing so hard if I told you that mom was currently in the process of trying to set you up with a 'nice girl' she knows from work."

He stopped laughing immediately, "you aren't serious…are you?"

"I don't know, I guess you'll just have to find out when the time comes."

He called out to her but she had already started walking away when Danny and Ben came out the front door. Rachel came out shortly after, less than thrilled with Charlie, but she got over it quickly…almost too quick for Rachel.

They all spent a couple of hours on the slopes. Rachel mostly stuck to the bunny slopes, she wasn't coordinated as it was, but she had company there because Aaron was as graceful as a newborn baby deer.

Priscilla on the other hand was very graceful; she spent a lot of time with Charlie and Danny, laughing as she watched them interact between one another.

Ben and Miles, like any older siblings chose to start at the very top and work their way down, daring one another to do stupid stuff. Ben mostly just laughed off Miles' offer, but Bass almost always agreed, he wasn't one to back down from a challenge, and Miles knew that.

When they finally made it back to the lodge, all in one piece, a Matheson family miracle, throwing their coats on the floor, the moved to the fireplace to get warmer. They were outside a significantly longer time than anyone else.

Charlie's face conveyed her amusement at how cold they were, while she just sipped her hot chocolate, rolling her eyes, boys.

Once they all thawed off for the most part they took a spot on the couch saving their strength for the snowball battle later.

"What's the matter, you guys too old for this?" Danny laughed when Miles jaw clenched, eyes closed, too lazy to even glare at him.

"I may not be as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was," he said in a singsong voice.

Bass snorted, "you tell 'em Toby Keith, don't go to sleep there grandpa."

"Shut up dick," Miles grumbled as he opened his eyes, "I was just resting my eyes for a second. You're going to regret that later Danny when I'm drowning your ass in snow."

"Whatever you say uncle Miles, I won't hold my breath."

Everyone else was just laughing, even Charlie until she saw Jason standing to the side out of the corner of her eye. She didn't dislike Jason; she just wasn't interested in him at all, no matter how much her mother kept forcing him on her.

"Charlie honey invite Jason over, I think his parents are here on business of something."

"Mom if you want to date Jason, I'm sure dad would understand, he can't exactly compete with a 22 year old," she laughed as did Ben, but Rachel just silently narrower her eyes at Charlie.

"It was just a joke, sheesh," she muttered under her breath.

Rachel didn't wait for Charlie to invite him; she raised her hand and waved him over, Jason was all too happy to comply.

"Charlie could you go and get some more hot chocolate?" Her mother smiled at her.

She nodded, now that was one favor she didn't mind doing, it got her out of having to spend more time listening to her mom rave about Jason and all the wonderful choices he was making.

As soon as she went to pass Jason, she smiled politely, as her mom called out, "oh look, there's mistletoe above your head."

Charlie looked up, but she could already tell from everyone else's face that there was indeed mistletoe. She groaned internally, peering up at Jason's smirking face.

She was going to politely decline when he took the plunge and kissed her. She was so shocked that her arms remained at her side. She didn't move, this was like one of those awkward moments she had read about, but never actually experienced.

Lucky for her Jason seemed to be caught up in himself too much to worry about if Charlie responded or not. When they broke apart Rachel was smiling, but she was probably the only one.

"Well alright then," was all that Charlie said as she went around him in search of more hot chocolate and something else to wash down the bitter taste of Jason's kiss.

Mistletoe….more like mistle-no.