CB does not belong to me [though I wish it did], which is why I write on here instead of publishing my stories in book form.

So sit back and enjoy reading "A Holiday to Remember". Next posting is whenever I finish!

The story is starting to wrap up with just a few more chapters to go! And then I can get back to BK4 and a special project with the initials ATS. ;) Ta-ta for now!

Part Ten – Blizzard Warning

It was now January 4th, and the past few days had been spent exploring the city and surrounding areas. Now they were in Lake Placid, a small town – more like a village, really – at the bottom of a wonderful skiing mountain. It was where they would spend the last few days of their winter vacation, as they were leaving in three days to return to the tour or back to Tennessee or Colorado – like the Falcos were. The Rowans of Canada and the Taylors of Alaska would be staying a few extra days in Tennessee before getting on their flights to return home.

Throughout the entire vacation, most of the more immature adults – namely Zeb – kept teasing Beary and Jewel on their New Year's kiss. Quite a few times, Zeb got smacked over the head by Méngméng who told him to leave the teenagers alone.

Everyone else, however, either hit the slopes or heated pool of the hotel for some fun and relaxation. Even Henry was enjoying himself as he sledded down the hill with his youngest daughter who cheered as loud as she could.

Beary sat on one of the ski lift benches, watching his father and baby sister below them with a grin on his face. "They're enjoying themselves."

Beside him, drinking hot cocoa, Jewel nodded. "Yup. You ready to get back to snowboarding?"

"You mean have another race against you?"

"Of course! And you know I'll win again."

"Yes, yes, and then I'll have to give you a piggyback ride the rest of the afternoon." He glanced over at her and squeezed her paw happily.

"Yup! Because you're soooooooo tall and handsome, and I could just play with your ears all day!"

"Nu, my ears!" he complained playfully, flicking them. He was wearing a stocking cap with earholes to not limit his hearing. It had a little pompom on the top, which Jewel kept messing with throughout the day.

"You don't like me messing with your ears?"

He blinked and looked at her. "No, I like it... except when you do it while I'm drinking my own cocoa, ya jerk."

She laughed. "Or when we're snowboarding and you wipeout because of it."

"You almost ripped my ear out!"

"Then I would have had a souvenir," she teased.

"Ew! Gross!"

She poked his nose and sipped her cocoa happily. She let out a yelp when he kissed her again. "Hey!"

"Mmm. Tastes delicious."

"You ass! You licked the cocoa off my lips!"

"But of course! It was delicious, just like you!"

She raised an eyebrow. "How would you know I'm delicious?"

"Huh? Um... Well... Jewel! That wasn't supposed to be innuendo!" he complained, face heating up.

She snorted and shook her head. "My cocoa." She cupped her thermos, keeping it from him.

Beary shook his head and looked down at the slopes. "Ted and Jade are sledding now. Having a race, it looks like."

"Mhm."

They finally arrived at the top of the ride and got off, unhooking their snowboards from the lift, too.

"Hey, hold my drink. I'm gonna go pee and I'll be right back."

He glanced at her. "There's a perfectly good tree right there," he pointed out, taking a sip of the cocoa.

She smacked his head. "Not in such a public place! I mean I know you just want an excuse to look, but come on!"

He spat out the drink and choked on the rest while she trotted off. "I don't need to! I've already seen you naked numerous times!" he shouted back.

"What was that, young bear?!" Tennessee roared.

Beary glanced back, grabbed their snowboards and put the thermos in his pocket, and grabbed Jewel. "Run!" he yelled before taking off and handing her the blue snowboard. "You can pee when we get down the mountain!"

Jewel snorted and strapped into her board before following him, hearing her father charging after them. She gave her father a wave and disappeared over the crest while laughing at his roar.

Weaving and bobbing down the slope and making a few leaps, Beary and Jewel laughed loudly as they had fun on their boards, happy that Tennessee didn't follow. Finally, they stopped about halfway down the mountain and into some trees, because Jewel wasn't able to hold it any longer.

"Hurry up and go!" Beary complained.

"Beary, do you realize just how much more difficult it is for us females to pee in the woods? We have to squat with our bottoms off, otherwise we'll get piss on them!" Jewel growled out from behind a tree. "So I'm freezing my ass off!"

He shook his head. "You're ridiculous. Ow! Hey!" he cried, wiping snow off his face from the snowball.

She laughed, reappearing fully clothed from behind the tree. "That's what you get!"

"You're a jerk sometimes, you know that?"

"Oh, I know. Hey, do you think they took you literally?"

Beary frowned. "I'm a bit worried about it, yeah. But they know we've grown up together, and about your habit of walking in on me when I'm changing, and then proceeding to get dressed yourself."

"Well, yeah, we both have fur, and you have a cute butt."

"Jewel..."

She nuzzled him. "Beary, it's nothing to worry about. I promise." She reached into his pocket and pulled out the thermos. "Why would they read so much into it? I mean, come on. They know us better than that!"

"You would hope so," he responded softly, face wrought with worry.

"You worry too much. You know that, right?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's in my nature."

"That's for sure. I compliment you perfectly, with my wildness!"

He grinned and wrapped his arms around her. "My wild girl."

She grinned and leaned against him. "You've certainly overcome your shyness, but why? What changed?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. I just love it when you smile. It makes me really happy." He grinned at her trilling purr. "And apparently it works both ways!"

"Stop being cute, damn it!" she laughed. She pulled away and opened the thermos, pouring some into the lid for him, and then drinking from the bottle. "Mmm, cocoa."

He nodded. "When should we actually get back down the mountain? It's rather peaceful right here, sitting and enjoying the view." He plopped down on the ground and watched skiers and snowboards race by, as well as looked out at the mountain range and the small village below. Despite his annoyance at his father taking both his mother and Lyra with him on the rest of the tour, for now he was at peace.

Jewel sat with him, their boards leaning against a tree on their sides so they didn't slide away, and looked out as well. "I do enjoy it up here, that's for sure. But I think I love it since I'm here with you."

"Yeah, almost as if the ground is shaking."

She blinked. "What?"

"The ground is shaking. Actually shaking!" He looked out the slopes and looked up, eyes widening. "Avalanche! Climb!"

Jewel didn't hesitate and began climbing the nearest tree, throwing her gloves off and digging her claws into the bark as she moved. She paused near the middle of the tree and watched the cascading snow rumble past.

Beary was behind her on another tree, watching. The avalanche wasn't very big, but it was enough to shake the trees they were in and for a few skiers and snowboarders to get caught up in it. Most were able to make it to the safety of the trees. Beary and Jewel's snowboards were whisked down the slopes by the moving snow.

"E-Everyone's going to be okay, right?" Jewel asked, unable to take her eyes off the damage. Hard to believe that such a small wave of snow could take out some trees towards the more middle of the slope, not to mention take a few others. But from what she could see as the drift ended, most were able to get themselves out of the snow.

"Yeah. This is tiny compared to some of them. I doubt anyone's been killed. Maybe a broken bone or two, but that's probably it. Look, there's the search and rescue people now. I think it's safe to get moving, but let's stick to the trees. If another happens, we'll be more protected."

She nodded and began climbing down. "Our boards are gone... How are you so calm? Aren't you worried?"

"I'm very worried... but panicking won't do much. It really won't, Jewel. I... I have enough to panic about. I don't want to be scared of snow now, too," he murmured, heading further into the trees.

She hurried to catch up, shaking a bit. "But you're so... calm."

"On the surface!" he snapped. "Underneath, I'm just as scared as you! But I'm not a little kid anymore! I can't let that panic consume me! I just c-can't!"

The golden she-bear flinched back and slowed her pace a little, walking behind him. She didn't want to upset him further. She knew better to interrupt him when he was like this – after what happened last time when he hit her, she was a bit fearful.

They trudged through the woods, careful of any loose snow, and started downward through the trees. There was no cell phone signal up here, so trying to call and let people know they were all right was impossible.

When it became too dark to see, Beary paused and shook his head, shivering. "We gotta stay here for the night. It's getting too cold, and we might just walk off a cliff if we aren't careful."

Beside him, Jewel nodded with a shudder. "We have enough light to try to gather some wood to burn. Gotta find some rocks, too."

Beary frowned. "I don't have a lighter or matches. Didn't even think about bringing my emergency pack with me today."

"Me, neither." She sighed. No point in wasting energy gathering that could be better spent searching for somewhere to spend the night. "Guess we should try to find shelter, huh?" She glanced up at him.

He nodded. "Agreed." He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. "Still no signal."

"No point in worrying about it further. We need to find a place to curl up and try to stay warm." She grabbed his paw and began looking.

About fifteen minutes later, as the light began to die away, they found a cluster of fallen trees and branches making a sort of cave. Both shivering, they watched it and moved closer to make sure it wasn't an animal's home. Satisfied, they moved in and dug out some of the snow to make a bit more of a dip underneath for more room.

Legs aching, the duo sat in the dark, lit only by the dim light of the moon, listening to the silent woods around them and the howl of the wind.

"You don't think they're out searching for us, do you?"

Beary sighed. "Search is probably called for the night. This is all my fault. If I hadn't lead us so deep into the woods, we would have been back at the lodge, sipping cocoa with everyone safe and sound." Feeling her paw on his shoulder, he glanced away. "We leave at first light... if we even last the night."

"We just gotta keep each other warm, that's all," Jewel responded, snuggling up against him.

He invited her in, smiling. "Yeah... Just can't go to sleep is all. Gotta stay warm and constantly move."

"Yup. Or snuggle," she laughed. "Beary snuggles are great." When he didn't even respond, she sighed. "Beary, why'd you walk so far through the trees instead of just going straight down the slope?"

"I..." He hesitated. "I was scared. I know I shouldn't have let it bother me, but it... it scared me. What if it happened again? I had to get away... So far away."

She frowned. Just like fire. He had to get away from the danger and fear. He hadn't meant to get them lost – he'd just panicked without meaning to. She should have stepped in sooner while they could still see the main slope. "I'm sorry. I... I should've spoken up, Beary. I should have."

He pulled her in closer. "Don't get upset. I'm just stupid." He frowned. "Wait. Do you hear that?"

She tilted her head and perked her ears. She did hear something! Voices! "How f-far away?"

"Not far, I don't think." He moved out of the slight warmth of their little cave and looked around. Spotting a light in the distance, he turned his ears towards it, listening. Faintly, he heard their names being called. "Jewel! Come on!"

Jewel stumbled out of the cave, her legs protesting, and grabbed his paw. "Is it them?"

"Uh-huh! Come on!"

.~*A Holiday to Remember*~.

Jewel flinched as she heard Beary and Henry having a loud argument from the cabin next to the one she was sharing with her parents. "Do they have to be so loud? It was an accident that we got lost." She shivered as she sat in front of the fire, still trying to warm up.

Trixie wandered over with a cup of cocoa. "Baby, you had us all worried sick when we couldn't find you. We had no idea where you had gone, or if you'd gotten buried..." She sat down beside her, ears low, and put a paw on her belly. "I can understand how he's feeling. Henry, I mean. He was scared, Jewel, and he couldn't even join the search party because of his leg. And Helen... gods, Helen... He could barely keep her calm. She worked herself right up and almost had a meltdown out of fear of losing her baby boy."

Jewel sighed and leaned against her mother. "Oh, Mama... I know we worried you all, but..."

"Jewel, why were you so far from the main slopes?"

The lookalike frowned, but decided to be honest. "The avalanche really freaked him out. He wasn't thinking clearly, and I failed to realize that, and he just kept walking, trying to get away. To be safe. He puts on a brave face, but he's not as brave as you all think he is."

Trixie wrapped her arm around her eldest cub. "I had a feeling he was hiding things, but this fear? He didn't used to be that way..."

"The fire changed everything, Mama," she murmured, eyes fixated on the flames dancing just a few feet from her. "He hides it... He tries to hide it, but he still has nightmares. And on New Year's, he bumped into a fire breather and had a panic attack. Trapped back in the burning Hall. He's tried so hard, Mama, but he can't shake his fears. Some days he can handle them, but others, like earlier, just take control and he doesn't think clearly."

"I see," the older golden one responded, voice just as soft. "And I take it his parents have no idea?"

"Hele might have an idea, but half the time I'm not sure if she's all there. She can do basic tasks at the office, but whenever she's home, it's like she can't do the simplest thing. It hits Beary hard. He's taking care of her as well as Lyra and himself. It's ridiculous."

Tennessee, who had walked back into the room after putting Riley and Zak to bed, looked at them both. "Henry has no idea about that. Why doesn't Beary speak up?" He poured two more cups of cocoa and sat beside his wife and daughter.

"Because he stupidly would rather suffer in silence... trying to make Henry see him."

Tennessee shook his head. "Well, it's apparent to me that he has issues with abandonment, along with his fears taking control of him. He really should be talking to a psychiatrist." He sighed. Not that the Taylors had the money for that, not with Helen's medical bills and continued physical therapy, along with the recent surgery on Henry's knee a year ago to realign it after he twisted it wrong. On top of that, the cost of Beary's hearing aid after the one got damaged at the concert by the Biashocks. Add in a therapist, and the Taylors would be sunk in a sea they were barely staying afloat.

Of course, Henry didn't want to take anyone's offered money, so that didn't help things. Stubborn old bear.

"As much as it's really not allowed, I'll be his therapist..."

Jewel glanced at her father. "Aren't you a marriage counselor, though?"

"Well, yes, but I'm a sort of therapist, so there's that!" he responded indigently. "That's just where I chose to put my degree into!"

Trixie leaned over her daughter and gave her mate a quick kiss. "We know, dearest. Now, go open a big can of sardines and let's feast."

Jewel rolled her eyes. "Hormones strike again, huh?"

Trixie snickered, watching Tennessee leave. "A bit, but I also like watching his butt jiggle when he walks," she whispered.

The younger bear blinked and looked behind her at her father. Sure enough, his butt was jiggling. She couldn't help but laugh loudly. Her laughter grew at her father's puzzled look.

.~*A Holiday to Remember*~.

"This is a bunch of bull! Stop treating me like a child, Papa!" Beary complained, glaring at his father. He was in the living room of their cabin, his siblings – minus Lyra, who was asleep in her bed – also staring at him, along with their mother, who was just as upset as Beary.

"You are a child, boy! Don't forget that. Until you are over the drinking age, you will not be considered an adult. And getting yourself and Jewel lost was a childish thing to do! You could have died!" Henry roared. "Not to mention Jewel! You could have gotten her killed!"

"Papa," Trista began, ears perked. "I'm sure it wasn't his intention to get lost."

"Nonetheless, he did the stupid thing and chose to disappear when he knew we'd be frantic about his and Jewel's whereabouts."

"I have to agree with Papa on this one," Jacob spoke up. "Beary, you shouldn't have left the slope and ventured off. Do you know how easy it is to freeze to death? Even if we do have fur, it'll still happen. Hypothermia, frostbite... So many things could have gone wrong. Yeah, you had your snowboard boots on, so that helped with your feet, but your paws and ears and noses were still exposed. And, Beary, with your hearing loss, if something had happened with your hearing aid, what might have happened? You know how it affects you."

Trista sighed. "He's right, Beary."

"Et tu, Tris?" Beary growled, ears flat.

"Now don't be that way, Bea-Bea," Trista complained. "But Jacob is right, and so is Papa. You never should have left the slopes and ventured off. It might not have been your intention to get lost, but you still left."

"Severe immaturity," Henry grumbled. "That's all it is."

"It was not immaturity! It was trying to get away from the danger!" Beary went on.

"Yeah, get away from danger by putting yourself in danger. What a genius notion," the elder bear snorted. "Do you have any idea what you put your poor mother through? Do you? I doubt it."

Beary had had enough. "Probably the same thing you put her through when you wouldn't believe her about being pregnant with Lyra!"

Henry's ears shot back. "WHAT did you say, you little brat?!"

"You heard me!" Beary stared, eye to eye, with his father, teeth bared. "You put her through the same freakin crap, if not worse! And for way longer! The entire pregnancy! I was gone for merely a few hours, whereas you were gone for months, ignoring her scared cries for you because you wouldn't believe her!"

Jacob and Trista got up, but Trista sat back down when Jacob told her to. They could both see things could very easily get physical. "I've got this, sis. Go make sure Mama doesn't get involved."

Trista nodded and went over to her mother, watching as her husband reemerged from their bedroom.

Kavik frowned, looking around at the group. "What's going on here?" He had come out mid-Beary rant.

"Looks like a dominance display to me," Jacob muttered. "Guys, knock it off."

"Stay out of this, Jacob," Beary snarled. "I'm so sick of him thinking he's better than me!"

"I don't know what happened to make you such a rotten, self-centered cub, but this ends tonight!" Henry growled, stomping his foot.

"Hendri," Helen began, whimpering.

"No, Helena. I'm not backing off this time. I've had enough. I thought we had this sorted, but apparently not!"

"Nothing was ever settled. Not until you figure out what's really important!"

"You have no idea what's important to me!"

"I know what's not important, and that's your family! You don't care! You never did! That's why you lost the pair of us in the first place!"

Henry's ears flattened.

"Beary, enough!" Helen cried, but her voice fell on deaf ears.

"And I'm sick of you getting away with it, and everyone thinking you're great! You get away with everything."

Henry's ears narrowed. "Maybe I should have left you in that fire," he spat.

"Yeah, maybe you should have!" Beary charged.

Henry barely had time to react, so he did the only he could. He grabbed Beary's arm and flipped him over his back into a table, breaking it. He fell to the floor, pain flaring up in his back, and he let out a pained yelp.

Helen didn't know who to go to. Her child or mate. She was torn both outside and inside on what to do.

Beary shook off any help he might have had – which was none, as everyone was furious with him. He rolled over in the wreckage of the coffee table, groaning, and looked back at his family. How could they take his side? Henry was in the wrong, wasn't he? It was his fault that Beary had been separated from his family. It was his fault that Helen had been so badly hurt. It was his fault that Beary had lost his hearing. It was his fault for the fire. Everything... everything was his fault, so why were they wanting him?

Ears flat, Beary huffed and began walking to the front door, stopping long enough to put on his coat and grab his keys, but nothing else, and opened it, feeling the fierce wind buffeting his fur.

Henry looked up. "Boy, you are not leaving this cabin! There is a blizzard out there!"

"I don't care."

"If you leave, you are grounded!"

The teen paused and looked at him. "It's not like you are ever going to be around to enforce it. And don't worry, I'm not coming back. You don't want me here anyway," he growled before slamming the door behind him.

Henry's ears lowered as he realized that Beary wasn't coming back. "Beary... don't go." He lowered his head, and a few moments later, pounded the floor, cursing. How had he let things get so far? Why didn't he diffuse the situation?

"I'll go after him," Jacob growled, throwing open the door in time to see Beary racing off in his car, the lights easily being swallowed up in the whiteout. "Never mind. He'll come back soon enough, I'm sure... When he realizes the roads are too hard to see." He shut the door and looked back at his father. "Papa, let me help you up. Are you okay?"

Helen sat back, crying. What was happening to her family?

.~*~.

"Beary, why are we out here? You didn't even let me get dressed!" Jewel complained, sitting in her nightgown and robe alongside him in the Impala. She shivered at the cold in the car. "There's a blizzard going on, and we're out driving?" She reached out and touched his shoulder.

He flinched. "Ow... Don't, please."

She frowned. "What happened? I heard yelling before the winds picked up."

"It's... I... I didn't control my temper."

"Oh, Beary... What happened?" She looked at him finally.

"I... I attack Papa. I just got so mad, and..." His ears were flat against his head. "Why? Why do they always side with him? Why am I always in the wrong, Jewel?"

"Beary, Henry loves you. You two are so much alike, which is why you butt heads so much. You don't hate each other, but love each other too much."

"And I still attacked him."

"It's fine, Beary. You can apologize tomorrow or tonight when we get back."

"T-That's the thing. I... I don't want to go back. They hate me. All of them. I've not scored any points, and they all went to help Papa instead of me. It... I can't go back. Not now, not ever. I just need to disappear."

Jewel slapped him hard. "And what about me? What about Lyra? Your mother? Your family? Are you just going to leave us behind? That's not fair."

He blinked and looked at her, startled. "I..." His face stung from where her claws had cut his cheeks, but he welcomed the pain. Jewel was right. What was he doing? "Okay."

"Beary, keep your eyes on the road, dang it!" Jewel growled. "Not that we can see the road. And why are you speeding up?"

His foot came off the gas pedal, but the pedal remained where it was – stuck. He let out a curse and pushed on it, trying to loosen it. "Of all the times for this thing to screw up again!" he growled, punching the steering wheel and slamming his foot on the brake.

Please review, as I want to know what you all think! Thanks for reading! See ya next time!