Scout stumbled into the kitchen, pulling on his boots over his thick pair of socks, "What are we having for breakfast?"

"We have cereal, cereal, and...cereal." Sitting at the table, Bella was reading the newspaper.

"Cereal it is. Move over breakfast food hog," he bumped Will away from the counter so he could reach the box of Cork Flakes.

"Jeez...pushy." Will sat next to Bella and stole a piece of her toast while she read, unaware.

A very tired Jake stumbled into the kitchen with Hamilton close behind her, still in their pajamas.

"Hey guys," she yawned and stretched slowly, with a sleepy smile.

"You two not gonna ski today?"

"Nope," Hamilton sat down and pulled Jake onto his lap, kissing her neck, "We're gonna do some date stuff."

"Stuff where I get to be a girl. I miss being a girl."

"Yeah, I miss it too."

Smiling, she rolled her eyes and rocked back into him.

CLICK.

They looked up, startled, to see Bella holding his disposable camera. "Sorry, it was just so cute - I had to. Total Kodak moment."

"Yeah, I'll remember that when my dad finds the picture and asks why Jake appears mysteriously similar to a female."

Whispering, "You'll just have to hide it well," Jake turned to kiss him.

"I think that's more your area of expertise." He brought his forehead so it rested against hers.

"Well, we better leave before we feel like we are starting to interrupt something," grabbing his coat, Will left the room, motioning the others to follow.

"Man, I already feel like that."


"What do you want to do today?"

They lay on the pull out couch, watching TV. Her head rested on his chest and his arm was around her waist, holding her close.

"Stay here with you." He stroked his fingers up and down her arm.

She buried her head in his shirt as she began to laugh.

Tilting her face up, he smiled, "What's so funny?"

"Even bringing people with us didn't get us out of the cabin."

"Well, what do you want to do?"

Rolling on top of him, she ground her hips against his.

"Yeah? Now you're talking my language."

She pulled away as he tried to bring her in for a kiss, "But first I want to go out to eat for lunch, see a movie, shop-"

"Shop? You are gonna make me shop?"

She continued with her list, ignoring Hamilton's outburst, "...shop and buy groceries."

"So that before-"

"This?" rubbing her hips into his again.

Closing his eyes, he gritted his teeth, "Yes, and you do that again, we will not be leaving the house...So, that was, like, a teaser - to blackmail me into shopping?"

"Hamilton Flemming...."

He cringed at the sound of his full name. That his something his mother did, when she was angry. So he had developed a natural bad reaction to hearing anyone say it.

"...You are learning all my tricks. What am I to do with you?" her fingers ran over his cheekbone and down to his jaw, lifting his face to hers.

"Ok...but I didn't really have a choice, did I?"

"No. No, you didn't."


"Come on Jake, we have a reservation to keep." Glancing at the bedroom door and then his watch, he sighed and turned to look out the window.

"Hamilton, it's 1:30 on a Tuesday...we don't need a reservation," her voice floated through the thin wooden door.

It was snowing lightly outside. That and the smell of the cabin with its freshly lit fire reminded him of the times his family would go skiing. They used to build a family of snowmen; they used to have snowball fights; they used to see each other more than just at the dinner table. But that was before his father became the Dean. After that, he didn't have time for much besides managing the school.

Jake ran out of the bathroom, hopping as she pulled on the strap of her shoe. "Hamilton?"

Shaking his head to rid the thoughts, he turned around.

"What do you think?" Slowly, she swished in a circle so he could study her. "Well..?" she walked closer to him, holding out her hands.

Lacing his fingers with hers, he held her arms out from her body, so he could observe her. "I think you look..." Her hair was styled into a suitably girlish manner. It was softer and it framed her face; not at all like the harsh, spiky, boy hair to which he had become familiar. The low neckline of her shirt proved that she was indeed of the female gender. Her aqua skirt came to rest below the knees, showing her smooth, tanned calves. The black, strappy, heels she wore showcased her perfectly painted toe nails.

Perfect, marveling at how beautiful she was, he wondered how it was possible that he was the only one who understood that.

"...amazing. You look amazing." She smiled as he moved her hands to his waist, hugging her.

Leading Jake toward the door, "We don't want to be late for our reservation."


"It feels so nice to do this in public." As they walked out of the movie theater, Hamilton found Jake's hand and laced their fingers together.

"Yeah it is."

"Jake?"

"Yeah?" She looked over at him.

"You look foxy," his hand covered his mouth in a pretend cough, which was strategically used to hide his laughter. "Just thought you might want to know."

She gave an exaggerated sigh, "You know, I remember once telling a guy that 'foxy' isn't the way to my heart."

"Yeah? Well I remember once telling myself I wasn't gay."

Laughing as she tilted her head to the side, "You're not."

"Maybe - but you sure as hell made me doubt that."

"That's my job, as a woman. To make you question yourself."

"Don't I know it." Shaking his head, he placed his arm around her shoulders and brought her closer as they continued to walk.

"You know, you've been so good today...I think we can skip the shopping."

"Really?" his face lit up. "Wait a minute - You're doing one of those things where you let me think you are doing me a favor...but you're really not. You want to get it on as much as I do."

"No, it's just that Bella and I are gonna shop, so I don't need you to-" she sighed, "Okay - so...what if I am?"

"Hey, I'm not complaining."

"Good, but we still need to go to the grocery store."

"But-"

"Hamilton...I mean really: sex or life-sustaining food?"

Apparently, he thought the appropriate response was to waggle his eyebrows.

"Ok stupid question..." She broke her gaze away from the sidewalk by shaking her head, "We are going to buy food."

"Fine."


They had barely made it inside the cabin door, before Hamilton tackled her. The bag of groceries felt to the floor as he pushed her toward the couch.

"Hamilton, what about-" she motioned to the bags on the floor but her cut her off with a kiss.

His hands toyed with the edge of her shirt, slowly lifting it as his fingers lightly ran up and down her sides. She shuddered at the coolness of his hands and pulled him closer to her. They fell back to the pull out bed, Hamilton landing on top of her.

Sighing as his kisses moved from her mouth, to her neck, and then her collarbone, she reached over him and tugged on the back of his shirt, trying to pull it off. He broke away from her for a minute as he grabbed the hem and ripped it off, throwing his hair into a state of static chaos. She laughed and brushed his hair back with her fingers, her nails tickling his scalp. Her fingers rubbed the back of his neck before she drew him toward her.

Slowly, he unbuttoned her shirt, kissing the newly revealed skin, and moved the two sides apart. His hands snaked around her back, underneath the green striped top, to unclasp her bra. She arched, allowing his access and felt as the satin loosened and the straps fell from her shoulders.

Groaning as the phone rang, "Hamil-" but his lips captured hers and the words disappeared. She was lost in the feeling of his hand moving up her inner thigh and his tongue swirling on the sensitive skin of her breast. Until the phone rang again. It was an incessant ringing that made her want to rip it out of the wall and throw it out the window. Or maybe it just seemed like that now.

"Hamilton."

"Shhh.." He placed his fingers on her lips and lightly traced the outline of her features, "Ignore it."

"But what if it's your parents?"

Sighing, he hung his head and rolled off of her, enabling her to answer the phone.

She pulled her shirt closed and walked limply to the phone, remembering to lower her voice before she spoke, "Yes?" she demanded.

"Jake...? Thank God you're there. We are in such deep shit right now."

"Bella, I have never heard you swear before in my life. What...what's going on?"

"Scout is here. At the hospital."

"Oh my God, what happened? Is he okay? We're you all in an accident? Is Will ok?" All her questions came spilling out in an unintelligible ramble.

Hamilton approached her side, trying to get her attention, "What happened?" he mouthed.

Holding up her finger to silence him, she pointed to the phone and mouthed, "Bella."

Rolling his eyes, he leaned against the wall, forcing himself to wait until she was finished.

"Will's fine. I'm fine. Scout had a skiing accident-"

"Another one?"

"Yes, and he cut himself, not too bad, but he has to get stitches."

"Shit, have they called his parents yet?"

"Yeah, about half an hour ago...Jake, his dad just called back, he's on the next plane here. To Vermont."

"God dammit. Ok, where is the hospital?" Jake jotted down the address, "Okay, we'll be there soon."

"What happened?" Hamilton asked as Jake latched her bra and buttoned her shirt.

"Scout did something stupid, I don't know. Now he's at the hospital getting stitches. His parents are already on a plane here. And they are not going to be happy."

"Jake, you can't go to the hospital like that. I mean, we don't know who's gonna show up."

"Fuck," She threw him the keys, "Start the car, I'll be out in five minutes."