Chapter 12

(Clark stands in the lobby, a backpack slung over one shoulder.  Pete stands beside him, panting slightly.  Their duffel bags sit between them.)

Pete: "There's like, no oxygen up here!"

Clark: "Really?  I didn't notice any change."

Pete (Grumbling so only Clark can hear): "Damn Kryptonian…"

(Clark lightly punches Pete on the arm.  The elevator doors open and Lana and Chloe step out, followed closely by Lois.  They drag their bags out after them.)

Clark (Grabbing Lois and Lana's bags): "Here, let us help you with those.  Everyone's already out in the parking lot, come on.  Let's go."

(Pete picks up Chloe's bag.  They exit the hotel and find Dan waiting for them.)

Dan: "Okay, good.  You five can go in that suburban over there."

(He gestures towards the one on the left and pulls out his walkie-talkie as he approaches the driver's side of the van on the right.)

Dan: "Okay, everyone's accounted for.  We're good to go once you've got your load.  I'll lead."

(The five amble up to the van.  A young man the same age as them gets out of the driver's seat and opens the back door for their bags.  He has short brown hair, light brown eyes, and his face and arms are dotted with freckles.  Rough, but evenly shaved, facial hair covers his lower face.  He wears black snow pants and a light gray polypropylene shirt which fits to his upper body.  Smiling broadly, he holds out his hand to greet them as they reach him.)

Young man: "Hi, I'm Roby."

Clark (Shaking his hand, recognizing his voice from the walkie-talkie before): "Clark Kent."

Roby: "Nice to meet you, Clark."

(Roby looks over Clark's shoulder at the others.)

Clark (Pointing to each of them): "This is Lana, Chloe, Pete, and Lois."

(They voice their hellos to him.)

Roby (Shaking their hands one by one): "Pleasure.  If you could put your bags in the back and climb on in, we'll get on our way."

(They do as he asks.  As Clark climbs into the car last, he finds Amandil already sitting in one of the captain's seats.)

Amandil (Smiling): "What took you so long?"

(Clark shakes his head and looks for a seat.  The three girls are in the back and Pete sits in the other captain's seat.  Shrugging, Clark sits down on the floor between the two seats.  Roby gets in the car and shuts his door behind him, starting the engine.)

Roby: "Oh!  and I'd like ya'll to meet my lovely assistant, Stacey."

(A cute face, very similar to Roby's but with lighter hair and more delicate features, smiles back at them from around the passenger side seat.  She looks to be about eight or nine.  Her hair is put up in a pony tail and she wears a light blue sweater and a pair of matching snow pants.)

Stacey: "Hi!"

Roby: "Officially, we're your 'tour guides.'  But we're really just here to do the same as ya'll and have a great time.  If you've got any questions, just ask."

(Roby's walkie-talkie squawks at him.  He picks it up and answers.)

Roby: "Yup, coming."

(Switching into gear, Roby backs the suburban out of their parking spot and pulls out of the hotel.  Heading west, deeper into the mountains, they begin their trek.  Roby turns on the radio, but keeps it low.)

Roby (Speaking to Stacey): "Why don't you find something?"

Stacey: "Sure."

(As she looks around on the radio, Roby talks with Clark.)

Roby: "Ya'll are from Kansas, right?"

Clark: "Yup, Smallville."

Roby: "Sounds like a hoppin' place."

Clark (Smiling inwardly): "It can be at times...  Are you from around here?"

Roby: "Yeah, over in Highlands Ranch."

Clark: "Where's that?"

Roby: "About forty minutes south of Denver."

Clark: "Oh, cool.  What're we going to be doing today?  Do you know?"

Roby: "Yup.  We're going to hike up to Francie's Cabin.  That should take us a couple of hours.  I'll leave what we're doing tonight a secret, though.  But I will tell you it's quite an experience!"

Clark: "Sure you can't give me even a hint?"

Roby: "Wouldn't want to lessen the experience for you.  Trust me, it's quite a view."

Clark: "A view?"

Roby (Looking at him in the rear view mirror and winking): "You never heard me say that."

Clark: "Gotcha."

Roby: "And tomorrow, we'll be heading over to Copper to ski."

(Clark groans slightly.)

Roby: "Ever been?"

Clark: "Nope."

Roby: "You'll do great.  I'm a decent skier, for my part."

Stacey: "You're really good, Roby!"

Roby (Blushing slightly, choosing to ignore her comment): "And my Aunt was the first female skier to race competitively on the east coast."

Clark: "That's pretty cool.  So you're gonna give us lessons?"

Roby: "Yup.  Start you off small and work your way up.  Hey, Pete?"

Pete (Snapping out of the trance he was in staring out the window): "Huh?  Yes?"

Roby: "Ever been skiing before?"

Pete: "Couple of times.  My family takes a vacation every year.  Couple of times it's been to ski resorts."

Roby: "Ever to Colorado?"

Pete: "Yup, we went to Vale.  Other time we went to Vermont."

Roby: "Awesome."

(The van comes to a stop in front of a roundabout.  Roby waits for a car to pass by before continuing.  They circle three quarters of the way around it before turning right onto a pothole stricken road.)

Roby: "This is gonna be a bit bumpy."

(They hit one and Chloe flies up, hitting her head on the roof of the car.)

Chloe: "Oww!"

Roby: "Sorry about that!  You might want to put on your seat belt..."

(Slowing down some, Roby avoids as many as he can before they pull onto a smoother dirt road.  It slopes slightly upwards, passing by the occasional household.)

Roby: "Almost there..."

(A large amount of snow covers the ground now.  As they turn a corner, Clark sees a seven foot wall of it surrounding what looks like an empty parking lot aside from their party and a large trailer holding a snow mobile.  The other two vans are already parked, and people are climbing out of them.)

Roby: "Alright, now's where we hoof it."

Lana: "Hoof it?"

Roby: "Well, 'snow shoe it,' if you want to get technical on me.  Don't worry about your bags, Stace and I will be bringing them up to the cabin for you."

Stacey: "Yup, snowmobiles!"

Roby (Opening his door and getting out): "Alright, everyone out.  I'll get you your snowshoes so you can start."

(Getting out of the car after Amandil, Clark accidentally slips on a patch of ice.  He falls forward on to Amandil, who is knocked over by him.)

Amandil (Face down in the snow): "Uh, Clark?  Could you get off of me, please?  You're a bit... heavy..."

(Feeling a tad bit queasy, Clark stands and helps Amandil up.  Brushing snow off of his self, Amandil gingerly touches his face.)

Clark: "Sorry.  Kind of slipped."

Amandil (His nose starting to bleed): "Don't worry about it!"

Clark: "You sure you're okay?"

Amandil (Accepting a napkin from Roby that he just pulled out of the car): "Yeah."

(Amandil turns away from him, covering his nose with his hands.  He feels a warm rush of blood move from his chest, up his arms, and into his hands.  Taking his hands away, he realizes that the bleeding has stopped.  Shrugging and pushing it to the back of his mind for later, Amandil wipes the remnant blood from his nose.)

Amandil: "Thanks.  It already stopped.  My nose can be fickle like that."

Roby: "No problem."

(Roby opens the back of the van and pulls out eight pairs of snowshoes.  He hands them out.)

Roby: "They're real simple to put on.  Ratchet action tightening."

Lana (Accepting a pair from him): "Thanks."

Chloe: "How the heck are you supposed to walk in these things?"

Roby (Laughing heartily): "My uncle can show you.  He'll be leading you up the 'short cut.'"

Lois: "Short cut?  I like the sound of that."

Stacey (Helping Roby pull supplies out of the back): "It'll still take ya an hour and a half!"

(They all groan.)

Roby: "You're lucky.  First time I went up, I had to lug my supplies the old fashioned way..."

(Lana successfully fastens the snowshoes to her feet.  Taking a step, her tip gets stuck on a small mound of snow and she stumbles forward.  Quickly dropping to one knee, Clark catches her.)

Lana: "Nice catch, Clark."

Clark: "Thanks."

(Clark carefully sets her back up on her feet before returning to his own snowshoes.)

Roby: "Okay, I'll go get the snowmobile.  Stace, if you could make sure they all get poles?"

Stacey: "Okay."

Roby: "Thanks.  See you guys up there."

Lois: "Can't I ride, too?"

Roby: "Only one passenger, sorry.  And I don't think you'd want to, either.  I'm a bit crazy on a snowmobile."

Stacey (Gulping): "It's true.  But it is fun... kinda..."

Roby (Messing up her hair with his hand playfully): "I'll take it easy on ya this time."

Stacey: "You better!"

(Smiling, Roby walks away from them towards the trailer.  After getting a pair of poles, Clark heads off to join the other two groups of seven now waiting for them.  The others follow closely behind, awkwardly moving in their new footwear.  Standing on top of the snow wall is Dan.)

Dan: "Everyone ready to move out?"

(A couple of people nod their heads.)

Dan: "Alright.  Follow me."

(Clark turns as he hears the revving of an engine.  Roby pulls the snowmobile out of the trailer and over to the vans.  Turning back to the task at hand, Clark scrambles half way up the snow wall before sliding back down again.  Trying it again, he realizes that his snowshoes have small teeth on the bottom of them.  Digging these in, Clark makes it up easily.  Still walking a bit shakily, Clark makes his way up the wide trail in pursuit of their guide.  Several thousand feet above them and a mile further into the mountains, nestled in the depression between the Crystal Creek and Lehman Gulch,  and in the shadow of Mount Helen on the border of the Arapaho National Forest, Francie's Cabin sits in quiet patience for her newest visitors to reach her...)