Jason and Krystal scaled the hill that was over a football field in length, and fairly steep. Jason carried his snowboard over his shoulder and Krystal carried her sled that had a rope to drag it up. After the rather long climb, slipping a few times but never falling the two stood on top of the hill that was with only them and a few other kids.

"This hill is sweet," Jason said admiring the slope.

"Favorite part about this place," Krystal said looking down at it too. Jason sat with his legs extended out then began to buckle and strap his feet to his snowboard. Getting to his feet he pulled his goggles over his eyes. Kicking off he began down the hill then Krystal watched him go down. Jason expertly avoided kids not paying attention, and a few snowballs from kids with nothing else to do by try to make him lose balance. Skidding at the bottom he looked back and saw Krystal was halfway down.

Krystal slid toward Jason but couldn't stop. Jason had his feet halfway unbuckled so managed to jump up and away from harm. She was ejected from her sled then landed on her back then just lay there laughing. Jason walked over to her then helped her up.

Brushing the snow off her she looked back at the top of the hill and said, "They really need a ski lift for this place." Jason looked back and nodded in agreement.

Picking up the board and sled they were back up the hill a few minutes later, getting ready for another run. Krystal watched him then sighed. "I wish I could snowboard."

"You can't snowboard?" Jason asked her.

"Hello. I don't have the ass for it. Look," she said then turned around to show him her backside. "Absolutely no ass, I have no center of gravity."

"Like I do? It's all about balance and not falling down," He said unbuckling his feet.

"What're you doing?"

"You're going to learn how to ride a snowboard." Krystal looked at him like he was insane. Jason dropped the board in front of her. "Buckle your feet in tightly, do it right or if you fall, you'll keep your foot but not your shoe."

"I can't do this," She said to him. Jason looked at her in a funny way. It was kind of pouty mixed with big puppy dog eyes. "Oh fine. One try." She sat down then began to buckle her feet incorrectly.

"No, like this," Jason said, finishing it for her. He then helped her up, where her feet went forward but everything else went back. Jason thinking quickly grabbed his sides then held her upright.

"Is this just an excuse to grab my ass?" Krystal asked with humor. Jason to play along, let her go, and she spun her arms around like a windmill to stay up. "Grab my ass, grab my ass, grab my ass!" Jason grabbed her sides to keep her from falling.

"Alright now I'm going to let you go. When I do, bend your knees a little, lean forward, and steer with your back foot."

"Great, I'm a pro now." Jason chuckled silently then began to countdown.

"On three. One...Two...three," he said before letting her sides go. She slid down the slope for a few feet but then after five feet curved to the left, then swerved to the right and fell face first. The snowboard with her feet still attached flung over her head leaving her on her back before she stopped sliding. Krystal just lay there, not sure if her butt or her face hurt more.

"Ouch," she said simply, and then tried to stand up. She couldn't. Jason laughed. "Shut up, told you I can't do it."

"It's like riding a bike, you feel uncomfortable at first, but fall a few times, get up, try again and you'll have it in no time," He said helping her to her feet. She wobbled back a few times before Jason wrapped his arms around her back to keep her upright.

"Be glad this is for educational purposes or I'd kick your ass." Jason almost slipped but managed to keep them both balanced. Krystal saw behind him that her sled was beginning to slide off the hill, toward Jason who was having trouble keeping himself balanced. "Oh crap."

The sled hit Jason's heels, not hard, but an ant pushing him could knock him off balance right now. Jason landed in the sled, and took Krystal with him. Krystal was on top of him, then she lifted her feet up as the sled began to slid down. Half way down the hill the sled began to turn and soon they were going down backwards. They began to slow down and they knew they had reached the bottom but kept sliding. Ten yards later it slid to a stop.

"That was fun," Jason said as he helped Krystal off him with her feet still lodged to his snowboard.

"If you call falling on my ass, sliding down a hill on a guy who is practically a stranger to me, fun. Then I'm having a blast. Get this thing off my feet." Jason kneeled down then liberated her feet and she grabbed her sled then began up the hill again. Jason smiled then followed her.

Jason and Krystal walked back into the house, covered in snow, cold, cheeks red, and laughing. They had a blast. After a few more attempts at the board Krystal managed to get half way down the hill. Taking off their jackets they walked into the kitchen where she opened the cabinets in search of something. She found a box of hot chocolate mix, took two out, then placed it back in the cabinet.

Filling two coffee mugs with water she placed them in the microwave then told Jason she'd be right back, going to change into dry clothes. Jason did so too, going to his room to do the same. When he got back down the water was hot, but she wasn't back yet. Jason even took his time getting dressed. Hearing her footsteps coming down the stairs, he turned and faced the door. When she walked in, she wasn't in anything special.

It was a pair of pajama pants, and a t shirt that showed her navel. "What kept you?" Jason asked.

"I had to find it first, you've seen my room." Jason smiled then nodded. That explained it.

After a few minutes of waiting for the hot chocolate to cool, they huddled onto the couch in the living room, talking. The tv was on, but they were still talking like they didn't even care about the show. Which they didn't.

"So how did you end up here?" Jason asked her. He knew she had to be adopted so wanted to know that story.

"It's kind of a sad story. Hate to ruin the moment."

"Better I find out now before I ask at a worse time." Krystal began to think, and then nodded.

"Alright. When I was three, my dad abandoned my mom and me. My mom worked her ass off to get enough money to support herself and me. It was hard, I could tell. Then after she couldn't take it anymore, she killed herself. I was five. I was at the babysitters when I found out mommy was dead." She didn't start crying. Jason guessed it was because she was used to it, heard herself say it enough times.

"Then after that, I was placed into an orphanage till I was picked up at age seven. I spent a month with that family, who then sent me back. At eight, I was picked up again, then sent back. Nine, picked up, sent back. Ever seen the movie Problem Child?" She asked. Jason nodded. "Then you get it.

"By the time I was ten, I had been to five different families and back to the orphanage five times. This is my sixth house. I've been here for about a year and a half."

"You like it here?" he asked.

"Better than the other five at least. Better than my mother. Most of the time it's because I don't like their rules. The main thing is because all the houses I've been to were religious, but I'm not. I insulted them a few times. Helen is religious, but she doesn't take it to the extreme. One family took me, because I was cute. When they found out I wasn't religious, they turned the car around. I hadn't even gotten to the house yet." Jason managed a slight chuckle, still wishing he hadn't asked. "And that's my story. Tell me, how were you fortunate enough to be born to a billionaire and a loving family."

"Just luck," Jason said with a shrug, knowing the odds were stacked pretty high.

"Damn straight. And before you ask, I do want to stay here. I like this place. I have my own room, my own space, and they're really nice. They have easy to follow rules, the usual 'where were you?' parental stuff I've never experienced in my life. It isn't nagging, they actually care. That's a first for me." Jason just looked at her. He wasn't sure what do or say. But knew he couldn't say nothing.

"Then stay," he said to her. "I think they like you, because you're more like the real thing. Parenting is more than just tucking your kid in at night, or changing their diapers. It's about putting up with them as they grow up. People who adopt, want to avoid that stage. They don't. This is the closest thing to being parents they will ever know. They like problem childs, because they're real." She nodded. He was right. Then he noticed something. "Speaking of them, where are they?"

"They left to go shopping. The only ones here are Bianca and Kaylie. There was a note on the counter." Then Kaylie snuck into to the room trying to be sneaky, they the two just watched her. "Speak of the devil."

Kaylie placed a finger to her lips, then made a shh sound. Sneaking through the living room she got halfway through then began to walk backwards. Then they saw Bianca's head lean in around the corner, she was also sneaking. The two smiled because now they understood. Hide and seek.

Kaylie bumped into Bianca and spun around. Seeing her she ran the other way. Bianca was 'it' obviously. Bianca quickly and playfully went after her, if she really wanted to, she could have already grabbed her. Kaylie being her usual self, was going to fast, was too excited, and head butted the doorframe. Hitting the floor, she began to cry, as a thin line of blood began to run out of her nose.

"Oh my god!" Bianca said as she knelt down to help Kaylie.That was the hardest she had ever hit anything. A cut was on her head that was bleeding like her nose.

"Oh no," Bianca said, seeing she was unable to control her crying. A crying baby makes anyone think birth control is great. Thinking she looked at Krystal, but had already forgotten her name.

"Could you get me a wet rag?" Krystal nodded then went into the kitchen. "Jason, could you calm her down?" She asked, knowing if anyone in the house could, it'd be her brother. Jason nodded then picked up Kaylie.

Bianca walked into the kitchen looking for a phone number to reach Aelita. Seeing a list of numbers left for her on the counter she called Aelita's cell. It rang twice before Aelita answered. "Hello?" She asked.

"Aelita, it's Bianca, Kaylie hurt herself." Aelita stopped walking, her baby was hurt.

"Is it bad?" She asked before she overreacted.

"Not really. Just a little cut. You're not going to believe this, but she head butted the door frame. She's bleeding some, not much though, just her nose and forehead."

"It's happens a lot actually. She's a little clumsy. Is she crying?" Bianca took the phone off her hear and held it out into the living room so Aelita could hear. "Yeah, she's crying. Let me talk to her."

Bianca walked into the room and handed the phone to Jason, who held it against Kaylie's ear. "Sweetie, it's mommy." Aelita hushed Kaylie quickly, insuring she'd be home soon. Amy walked out of the dressing room to show her mother the outfit she was thinking about buying and needed a second opinion, but she was busy with Kaylie. Amy lowered her head, and walked back in.

Krystal came back a minute later with a rag to clean her head and tears. Wiping it off she looked at Kaylie then said, "You'll be okay. Just a little bump, maybe a battle scar." Kaylie didn't smile. "Look at me," She said to her. Kaylie raised her head up, but was looking at the wall. "Hey, look at me."

"I am," she said as if Krystal was stupid. Krystal was about to say something before she figured something out.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" she asked. Kaylie looked at her hand, three fingers were up, but she saw more. Kaylie knew she couldn't answer right, so lowered her head again. Krystal smiled.

"What?" Jason asked.

"She needs glasses."