Hey all! No, I'm not just leaving you with 2 chapters and then disappearing, lol. I will however leave this intro/AN very short as I am quickly posting this in between shifts and don't have much time. I originally wanted to get it posted yesterday, but we were driving all day and got home too late. I'm rushing a bit to get it up now, so I apologize in advance for the lack of review responses and for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I'll be back tomorrow to fix it.

Happy New Year Everybody :D

~oOo~

"Man, that was one stuck car," Hayden whistled. Propping the shovel up in the snow piled near his feet as he glanced over at Astrid. "No wonder you opted to leave your shovel at home," he added in a teasing tone, and Astrid narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well this trip wasn't exactly a planned one," she defended herself grumpily. Crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him. "I'm not usually this unprepared, but I left in a bit of a hurry today."

"I was only kidding Astrid," Hayden chuckled lightly. Swiping a hand over his forehead before stretching out his back with a quiet groan. His dark auburn hair clinging to his temples with a mixture of sweat and melting snow.

He still looked very much the same as he had when they were 18, except his features had matured a little more. His hair was still the same gloriously messy mop that hung over his forehead and just brushed the base of his neck. His face still strikingly handsome, with masculine brows over impossibly green eyes, finely boned nose, and the sharply chiseled jawline that Ruffnut had never missed an opportunity to comment on. Her lewd words usually causing an embarrassed splash of pink to grace the tops of those defined cheekbones that would make any girl green with envy.

Yes, Hayden was a fine looking specimen by any standards - and he was tall. He had already been taller than all of them by graduation, but he actually seemed to have grown another couple inches since then. Likely placing him at a very respectable (and incredibly sexy) 6'3" - at least judging by his height next to hers.

During her teens, this boy had never failed to fill Astrid's belly with nervous butterflies. Even through the younger years when she'd avidly convinced herself that she wasn't attracted to him, and they were just very good friends. She'd thought she'd replaced her childish crush with moping regret long ago, but all it had taken was a few moments in his embrace to rekindle those same anxious sparks.

She knew it was rude, but she just couldn't seem to keep her eyes from roving over the rest of him again. Drinking in the way his dark green hoodie formed to his broad shoulders and defined pecs as his arms stretched back. His narrow hips and long runner's legs clad in dark wash straight leg denim that fit him just right. Though he was by no means a gym rat, Hayden Haddock had definitely still grown up over the years. At least, his body had certainly felt solid when she'd hugged him. That thought making her blush a little in embarrassment at the way she'd literally thrown herself at him.

Then his voice shook her out of her fantasies, and Astrid mentally slapped herself. Now was not really the time to be ogling her old classmate. Besides, she had sworn that she was done with relationships and good looking men. No matter how sweet they were. Or how much the thought of their lips against hers stole her sanity…

Damn it! There she went again…

"We should be able to pull it out now, but I doubt it will be going anywhere after that," he offered blandly. His gaze dropping pointedly back to the tire nearest him.

Astrid bit her lip as she eyed the Equinox as well. She had to admit, as they'd pulled up behind it in the Lincoln, the full enormity of the situation had really hit her. What had already looked daunting, seemed even worse when lit up by the bright LED headlights. Astrid hadn't even known where to start. The more immature part of her wanted to just shout curses at the sky again, but she didn't really want to scare her saviour away when she kind of needed him.

Proving that he was just as unfailingly chivalrous as she remembered, Hayden hadn't even commented on the state of her car. He'd simply slipped on his gloves, grabbed the shovel out of an impressively organized 'Winter Survival' tote, and got to work. In a surprisingly short amount of time, he'd managed to dig out a pretty decent portion of it. Making the damage she'd hoped she'd miraculously avoided now painfully apparent. The bumper and driver's side fender were both crushed in, and the whole wheel assembly on the driver's side was sitting at a jaunty angle and shoved back towards the firewall.

Insurance would cover the repairs of course, but her car would still be out of commission for Thor knows how long. Not to mention the bill to get it towed all the way back to Berk, along with the pricey cab fair for her, Stormfly, and the luggage. Both of which she wasn't entirely sure she could afford right now. Not that she was going to tell Hayden that. She'd just have to get him to drop her off at the cheapest motel they could find.

After taking a deep breath to steady the uncomfortable churning of desperation in her gut, Astrid simply nodded in understanding. Not entirely sure she'd be able to speak without her voice cracking at the moment. Astrid hated feeling weak. Hated feeling like a useless charity case that needed someone to save her.

"Hey, it's alright," Hayden soothed. Easily reading the frustration that she had been futilely attempting to hide. "We can just get it out of the ditch so that hopefully no one sees it and calls 911. I don't really think the emergency crews need to be out in this weather if it can be helped, and I'm sure they'll be busy enough already without responding to an empty car. Then we'll head into Freezing to Death and grab a very, very late snack and a warm beverage. Preferably with alcohol in it, but I'm not overly picky. You can always call for a tow in the morning."

His thoughtfulness was so typically Hayden, and Astrid felt her lips twitch up in the merest hint of a smile. Making her wonder yet again why she'd ever walked away from him. Gods, he was just so darn perfect. If only there was some way she could trade her now busted Chevy for Doc's DeLorean. Then she could go back in time and change her own stubborn mind - and just maybe she wouldn't be the pitiful mess she was right now.

Being gloriously oblivious to her inner turmoil, Hayden just offered her a lopsided smirk as he picked up the shovel. "Alrighty then," he grinned as he walked back to the still idling Lincoln. "Let's get this sucker unstuck, and then we'll pile your stuff in my car. No sense leaving it here and having to drive back in the morning."

Astrid smiled and nodded again. At the same time she was forcibly pushing aside all the 'What if's' that were swirling through her head. There was no point dwelling on all her poor decisions right now. She'd mope about them later while she was sitting at her parents' house with nothing better to do.

Hayden had already swapped the shovel for a tow strap by the time Astrid finally managed to get her mind properly back on task. Smirking up at him now, she took the sturdy looking red strap from him. The two of them still working as a surprisingly efficient team.

Hayden still seemed more impressed than emasculated when Astrid told him to stay in the seat; while she crawled around in the snow and secured the strap instead. Eret wouldn't have trusted that she even knew how to hook it to the frame, but Hayden knew she wasn't an idiot. Besides, Hayden had dug out most of the Chevy on his own. She had to do something to gain a smidgeon of her independence back.

They tugged her poor SUV only far enough to get it mostly back on the road instead of all the way in the ditch. The front tire sliding awkwardly over the icy ground and refusing to turn. Once Astrid had unhooked the tow-strap from both vehicles, Hayden pulled around and backed up behind the Chevy. Then he opened up the trunk of the Lincoln in preparation to shift her luggage over for her.

He was probably expecting a couple mid sized travel suitcases, or maybe one big duffel bag at most. Astrid hit the button on her fob, then granted Hayden a guilty grimace as the back gate lifted. He took one glance at the giant wheeled cases before turning back to her with an arched brow. "I know girls tend to pack more than they need, but this is ridiculous," he joked.

"Oh shut up Haddock," Astrid snapped back. Feeling her cheeks flush scarlet, and she reached out to deliver a retaliatory punch to his bicep.

"Oww," he drawled. Rubbing his arm in exaggerated circles now. "I was only kidding."

Astrid just glared at him. "Yes, and it was a highly amusing joke. Now stop being a baby and help me get these into your trunk."

"If they'll even fit," Hayden muttered under his breath. Wisely flinching out of the way a moment later as Astrid clenched her fist threateningly again. Then he was chuckling softly at her grumpy expression. His green eyes dancing as he smirked and grabbed the side handle of the suitcase she was trying to drag out of the back of the Equinox.

Between the two of them, they managed to maneuver both of the stupidly heavy bags over. Somehow fitting them in around Hayden's much smaller bag, Toothless' cat carrier, and Stormfly's little backpack full of kibble and toys. They even managed to leave a pretty decent sized section of backseat open for Stormfly.

The last thing Astrid did was scribble a quick note that included her name and phone number for anyone that happened to stop by the scene, and left it plainly visible on the dash. Then she grabbed her insurance documents out of the glove box, along with any loose change or gift certificates that might be lying around. Tucking it all haphazardly into her purse as she made her way back around to the passenger side of the Lincoln.

After setting her purse carefully upright next to the centre console, Astrid peeled her wet jacket, scarf, and mittens off. Stuffing them all behind the seats as she settled into the warm car. Toothless gave her an imperious meow as he glared at her, and she felt the odd urge to apologize to the little black cat for taking his seat again. Then she was laughing instead as he hopped into her lap and curled up into a comfortable little ball.

"Sorry, he's not usually so forward with his affections," Hayden offered in apology. Glancing over as he put the Lincoln in gear and started out down the snowy highway again. "You can push him off if you want."

"Don't be ridiculous," Astrid exclaimed in feigned shock. "I like cats. And even if I didn't, how could I ever chase away such a cutey!"

Toothless shot Hayden a distinctly smug look at that as he pointedly stretched out his front legs. His trimmed claws digging lightly into Astrid's jeans, and she laughed as she brought her hand up to scratch by his collar. His fur was wonderfully soft, and it was clear that Hayden took care of him.

The little black beast yawned once in response to her ministrations - displaying the fact that he was missing one of the sharp canine teeth on his lower jaw. Then he promptly settled his head back down on his little crossed paws and closed his eyes. His purr motor kicking into high gear, and the rumbles were unexpectedly soothing to her frazzled nerves.

The rest of the trip passed surprisingly quickly when compared to the hours she had just spent driving these roads. It was also surprisingly companionable. After what happened between them, she had honestly been prepared to spend the next couple hours in an awkward silence weighted heavily by unspoken regret. Thankfully Hayden seemed to have decided to put the past behind him instead of dragging out the dead horse for a few more kicks.

They talked about mostly idle topics - high school (carefully avoiding senior year), Berk, and what it was like to get out and see the world. All of which Astrid was quite happy with. She wasn't really in the mood to talk about Eret or her botched career quite yet.

It did surprise her to learn that Hayden was also living in Breakneck Bog. How had she spent 6 years in the same city as him, and not run into him before now? Although, given just how many people lived in Bog, she supposed it wasn't really all that strange.

Before she knew it, the first signs of civilization started appearing beside the lonely highway. The dark little houses and small hobby farms situated on wide plots of land marking the outskirts of the town. The power lines beside the road were sagging slightly beneath their fresh blanket of snow, but a few of the homes still had porch lights glowing like golden beacons through the storm. A good sign that the rest of the town probably still had power too.

Trying not to disturb the sleeping cat still curled up on her lap, Astrid shifted her arm back enough to work her phone out of her pocket. Then she was breathing a quiet sigh of relief when she saw 3 of the reassuring little bars highlighted. Hayden was right though that there was no point in calling the tow truck right now - not when she had a ride already. She'd wait until morning for that. It was just a nice feeling to at least have cell service again.

After mentally calculating how much data she had left, Astrid brought up her internet and started searching for available rooms. Unfortunately, as this was a ski resort town during winter, everything with a vacancy was asking more than she wanted to pay at the moment. It wasn't really that surprising though. This close to Christmas, most places would have already jacked up their prices in preparation for the holiday rush.

Finally she found a place that would suit her meagre budget. Judging by the pictures, it didn't look like much. At 52 dollars a night, it was likely a 2 star motel at best, but it did have multiple vacancies. At that price, she'd honestly consider it a win if the mattress wasn't broken and the sheets were clean. Although she might be fighting the roaches for the hot water in the morning. Maybe she'd just forgo the shower and have one at home instead.

She briefly considered reserving a room, but then quickly opted against it. She wanted to avoid putting any charges on her credit card until after she found out how much it was going to cost to get her car and herself all the way to Berk tomorrow. There was enough cash still in her purse to pay for the room, so that would be fine. Besides, she seriously doubted that she would be fighting someone else for a grungy motel room in Freezing to Death at 2:00 in the morning.

They were already in the midst of town before Astrid realized that she had been lost in her head for the past 5 minutes. Glancing over, she saw Hayden's eyes were focused on the road. Clearly he was leaving her space to mull over her problems in silence.

Clearing her throat softly as she set her phone in the centre console, Astrid gave him a tentative smile. "So, is this the part where you stop at the Quickie-Mart for snacks before taking me to the first bar you can find and getting me wasted," she asked teasingly. Trying to hide her sudden feeling of inadequacy behind a terrible joke.

"Umm, no," Hayden grimaced as he shot her a glance out of the side of his eyes. "I'd prefer not to spend the next few weeks nursing broken ribs, thanks. I'm not much for gas station food either," he added blandly. "I was actually thinking we could go to Marvin's. Providing it's still around, that is."

"Oh," Astrid exclaimed in surprise. Taken aback a little by his answer, as well as his impressive memory. She'd totally forgotten about Muttering Marvin's Diner. "I suppose that would be nicer than gas station sushi and a half hour of chugging cheap tequila," she laughed.

"Very much so," Hayden agreed.

Figuring she could be at least a little helpful, Astrid picked up her phone again. "Good news! According to Google, Muttering Marvin's is still around. Even better news is that it's also still open 24 hours," she informed him after a few moments.

Hayden grinned at her now. "Excellent! It's a date," he quipped. Then he realized what he'd said and promptly blushed red enough that she could see it in the washed out glow from the street lights. "Sorry… That, uh… That came out wrong. I didn't mean to sound presumptuous…" he stammered. Quickly turning his eyes back to the road, and looking a little like he wanted to disappear.

Astrid couldn't help but laugh at his embarrassment - finding it just as adorable as she always had. "Umm Hiccup, the 1800's called. They'd like their words back," she teased, and he glanced sideways at her again. "Who actually uses the word presumptuous out loud," she added with a laugh at his raised brow.

That made him shoot her a withering look instead. "I do. I'm a nerd. Remember," he drawled back. His self-deprecating tone making her laugh again.

He offered her a small smile now as he turned his eyes back to the road. "I just need to make a quick stop to check in at my hotel before they decide to charge me extra for my room," he informed her. His posture visibly relaxing at the fact that she wasn't mad. "Then we'll go eat."

Astrid agreed, since it wasn't like she was in a hurry to get anywhere. The less time she had to spend on a stained mattress in a room that was normally booked out by the hour, the better really. That thought making the neat freak side of her cry just a little bit. Then she wanted to groan in envy instead when Hayden pulled into the parking lot of one of the nicest hotels in town.

The two-to-three story building was the typical blocky shape sported by most multi-occupant dwellings. Though the exposed timber framing and different heights of the sharply peaked roofs lent it a measure of charm befitting that of a lavish mountain chalet. Its colour consisting of perfectly contrasting shades of dark brown wood and a lovely dusky blue paint. Warm white lights glowing in bowl shaped sconces along the walls.

Everything from the snow covered eaves to the private balconies scattered around the upper two stories was trimmed with dainty little blue and white Christmas lights. Lines of them trailing in perfectly spaced loops down the elegant support pillars at the entrance. Just inside the lobby, she could see two beautiful trees glittering with blue, silver, and white ornaments - positioned to either side of the wide glass doors.

Hayden pulled up outside the front doors and climbed out after grabbing his wallet off the dash. Astrid opted to wait in the idling car instead while he went inside. Her eyes roving over the tasteful decorations as she seriously debated seeing if they had an extra room available for her. Not that her practical side would actually let her waste money she didn't have on an expensive room she would only need for a few hours. No, she could suffer through one short night of discomfort.

From here, Astrid had a pretty good view into the lobby as well. She could see a gas fireplace flickering on the far side next to a selection of comfortable looking chairs. Her eyes travelling from there to where Hayden stood talking to a kindly looking middle aged man at the counter nearer to the doors. The front desk was trimmed with what looked like fresh cut pine bows and cheery red ribbons, and 2 large poinsettias sat atop it like festive bookends. It looked lovely and welcoming, and Astrid kind of wished she'd gone inside with Hayden - if only to marvel at the decor.

Then the clerk glanced out the window towards the idling car, and Astrid offered him a friendly wave of acknowledgement. Slumping down in her seat now to wait as she looked pointedly away from the inviting scene. The more prideful part of her truly starting to dread the idea of asking Hayden to drive her to the motel later. What would he think if he saw the place she was planning to stay? What would he tell the people back home?

Maybe she'd just part ways with him at the diner instead. Make up some excuse, and then walk. Her heavy suitcases would admittedly be a struggle to drag through the deep snow, but Stormfly was well behaved enough to walk off leash, and the motel really wasn't that far away from Marvin's.

There was no point in laying her whole sob story on her old schoolmate tonight. Astrid didn't want Hayden to feel like he needed to help her, or that she was just looking for charity. He'd already done so much. Besides, if he was heading back to Berk for the holidays too, then it was very likely he'd find out how pathetic she was soon enough.

No one in Berk knew how to keep a secret. Thor know's that the golden girl fleeing home in disgrace would be the talk of the town by next week. Astrid shuddered at the thought of what the old biddies from the church would say. Honestly, she probably wouldn't be able to show her face in public until at least mid-January.

Before she could spiral too deep into her pit of despair, Hayden was coming back out the sliding glass doors - head bent against the wind. Then he was huffing and shaking his head to clear some of the snow from his hair before folding his lanky frame back into the driver's seat. The new dusting of fluffy white flakes made him look a bit like a male model after a snowy weather photo shoot, and Astrid suddenly wondered for the first time just how awful she looked right now. In her defence though, she had spent nearly an hour hiking through a blizzard.

Absentmindedly reaching up to pat at her flyaway hair, Astrid barely managed to force a cheerful look back onto her face just as Hayden turned towards her. "All checked in," he stated with an easy grin. "Anywhere you need to go first?"

"Nope. We can go straight to Marvin's," Astrid replied with what she hoped was more of a smile than a grimace. Her voice cracked a bit though, and Hayden glanced up from buckling his seatbelt. "What?" She asked defensively. "I'm starving after all the walking I had to do! I can check in afterwards."

Hayden arched a brow at her as his green eyes searched her face for a moment, but she just plastered an innocent smile on and hoped he wouldn't press the issue. "…Okay," he finally assented. "Marvin's it is." Then he pulled away from the entrance without another word, and Astrid had to bite back on her sigh. Hayden had always been able to read her much too well.

The diner was situated just off the main thoroughfare, and it looked exactly like she remembered it. A decently sized block of a building painted bright yellow and red, with a flat roof that was currently sporting a thick crust of snow. Multicoloured Christmas lights were peeking out from under the eaves, causing the icicles hanging in front of them to sparkle and gleam. Just being here made Astrid finally realize how hungry she truly was - having skipped dinner in her anger.

The parking lot was mostly empty, but the glowing 'Open' sign on the door was a welcome sight. Through the large windows Astrid could see a few small groups of late night diners scattered around in the cozy red leather booths. Most of them probably holiday travellers that were here to get an early shot at the slopes before the rest of the crowds arrived next week and made the chairlift lines unbearably long.

As soon as they were parked Astrid coaxed Toothless off her lap. The cat scowling at her for a moment, before climbing straight into the back seat and curling up next to Stormfly instead. The golden retriever looking like she was not quite sure what to make of the little black beast that was invading her personal space.

Astrid climbed out of the car with a laugh at the two of them. Her and Hayden walking side-by-side towards the entrance while a few of the people near the windows peered out at them. Their curious gazes making Astrid bring a hand up to worry at her dishevelled hair again. Then a small smile was curling up her lips when Hayden hurried to open the door for her.

"Still a gentleman I see," she quipped as she smirked up at him.

"Only for people I like," he drawled back with a smirk of his own. Waving her into the warm diner ahead of him. "You go ahead. I'll get us a table," he added knowingly when he saw her trying to smooth her braid again. Astrid handed him her still slightly damp jacket with a grateful smile before hurrying off to the bathroom just as the hostess was coming over to them.

Once she caught sight of her reflection above the sinks however, Astrid's smile quickly turned to a scowl. Gods she looked terrible. Her cheeks and nose still carried a red flush from the cold, and her braid was half undone with pieces sticking out every which way. Her bangs were frizzy and curling out at the ends, and the whole mess was in dire need of a wash.

Though she was at least glad to see that Eret's hand hadn't left any marks on her face. She really didn't want to have to explain that part to her father. Knowing Ivan, he'd be on his way to Bog in an instant with a baseball bat in the trunk. His sights set on busting Eret's knee caps for daring to hurt his baby girl. Not that Astrid was totally adverse to that idea, but she didn't really think her mom would take kindly to Ivan ending up in jail during Christmas.

With a sigh, Astrid took out the elastic from the end of her braid and proceeded to untangle her hair as best she could. Then she french braided her bangs back with the rest of it again, before pressing a wad of wet paper towel to her cheeks to try and soothe some of the windburn. When she felt she was as good as she was going to get, she straightened her knitted blue sweater over the top of her skinny acid wash jeans and headed back out to the dining area. Finding Hayden seated at a booth near one of the windows with 2 menus, 2 glasses of water, and 2 steaming mugs of what looked like hot chocolate already in front of him.

After sliding onto the creaky leather bench seat across from him, Astrid pulled one of the mugs towards her. Lifting it to her nose, she detected what smelled like Baileys under the rich cocoa, and she took a tentative sip. Then she was humming in appreciation as she took a bigger gulp.

"Thought you wouldn't mind a bit of liquid cheer after the night you've had," Hayden offered. Smiling at her briefly as he picked up his menu and started perusing the pages.

They ended up ordering a massive plate of nachos and a side of mozzarella sticks to share. Laughing and joking together like old friends while they ate, and it was almost as if the years since graduation hadn't even happened. As they talked though, Astrid found her eyes continually straying to Hayden's hands. Idly checking for a ring, or a telltale tan line in case he'd removed it. All the while telling herself that it was just friendly interest.

"So… Is there a Mrs. Hayden Haddock," she finally mustered up the courage to ask. Trying to keep her voice as carefully neutral as possible. She didn't want to come across as desperate, or gods forbid, sound like she was accusing him of something.

Hayden just choked out a surprised laugh. Folding his hands pointedly atop the table as Astrid lifted her head to meet his eyes instead. "No, there's not," he stated simply. The hint of a smile flickering around the corners of his mouth. "None of my relationships have lasted long enough to get anywhere close to that, and I've been happily single since August," he added with a shrug. "How about you? Anyone pining away for you back in Bog?"

Astrid couldn't contain a snort at that. "I'd hardly say he's pining," she scoffed. "Maybe cursing me straight to the pits of hell while he futilely tries to reshape his broken nose." She'd blurted it out before thinking, and now she felt her cheeks heat as Hayden arched a brow at her.

Mentally debating how much she wanted to tell him, she finally settled on the truth. Or at least part of it. "My boyfriend and I had a fight before I left today," she explained. "I caught him in bed with another woman. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy about it."

"Understandable," Hayden agreed. "I guess that explains why you have such big suitcases with you," he added sagely. Making Astrid blush even more as she nodded in confirmation - though she seriously doubted he'd be able to see it beneath the windburn on her cheeks.

She was worried he would start pressing her for more information now, but of course he didn't. He just checked his watch before waving for the bill. Paying for the whole meal himself before she could put up a fuss about it. "So, where am I taking you and your giant luggage to now," he asked lightly as he tucked his wallet back into his pocket.

"Oh… I, uh, have a room just down the road," Astrid lied. "If you just help me get my suitcases out of your car, Stormfly and I can walk there. I'm sure you want to get at least some sleep before you drive the rest of the way to Berk tomorrow." The forced cheeriness in her voice made her want to cringe, but she just plastered a smile on her face instead. "I can't thank you enough for all your help tonight Hiccup," she added honestly as she struggled her coat back on.

Hayden held her gaze for a long moment before sighing quietly. "You don't have anywhere to stay, do you?" She started to argue, but he cut her off. "Come on. You can share my room."

"Oh, no. I really couldn't," Astrid started quickly. "I've already got a room reserved, and the front desk is probably wondering where I am, so I should probably get going," she continued to ramble. Likely digging herself a deeper hole, but she couldn't seem to make herself shut up. "So, uh, thanks for everything, and uh, I guess I'll see you later…"

"Astrid," Hayden suddenly blurted out with a laugh. "It's not like I'm asking you to have sex with me. The room has a pullout couch, so there's more than enough space for two without it getting weird." Then he pushed to his feet with a smile. "And it's pet friendly."

Just like that, the last of Astrid's foolish pride promptly got tossed out for practicality. She honestly hadn't even considered Stormfly when searching for rooms, and she suddenly felt like a bit of an idiot. "Oh… Well, uh, thank you. That would be lovely," she returned gratefully. Hayden chuckling again at her floundering awkwardness, and she glared at him halfheartedly as she grabbed her purse and stood up too.

As they left the diner, Astrid could feel those same familiar butterflies returning to her stomach. The thought of sharing a room with Hayden making her unexpectedly giddy. She wasn't sure what she could have done to deserve a friend like Hayden, but ever since he came along, what had started out as one of the worst days of her life was slowly turning into one of the best. Maybe this Christmas wasn't going to suck quite as bad as she'd feared.

~oOo~

Fun Fact: Contrary to what most people may believe (or what movies/tv portray), no, you typically do NOT get to ride in the tow truck. If you have to get your vehicle towed somewhere, you'd best be arranging a ride for yourself as well. Being pretty much the opposite of police/fire/ambulance/search and rescue, tow trucks are there to save vehicles, not people. Tow truck drivers can and will leave you stranded on the side of the road. Be prepared people!