A/N: I have to work tonight, which really bums me out...but I spent like 700 dollars on presents this year, so I kind of need to replenish my bank account (which is hurting a great deal right now.) I do hate work though. We did Secret Santa at work this year, and three girls (myself included) didn't get their Secret Santa gifts. Messed up, huh? Our manager (who kind of set it up) is pissed. He's trying to figure out who didn't bring the presents in. One of the people, who didn't bring in a gift, said her reason was because anything she'd buy for her person, she'd want to keep herself. What a bitch, huh? The only reason she signed up for secret santa was because she wanted to get something herself.

Oh well. Christmas sucks, but I hope my Christmas story doesn't. No Christmas spirit, I swear.

ENJOY!

Chapter 5

They settled in the make-shift dining area, shoveling food into their mouths from their plates. It wasn't much later in the evening. Mrs. Dullard and Tito had arranged a lovely spread of nourishment, and the kids were eagerly helping themselves to as much as possible, having spent the entire day on the slopes without breaking for lunch.

"Well, well, if I didn't know better, I'd say you little cuzes were starved on that mountaintop," Tito laughed, arm strewn across Mrs. Dullard's shoulders. They were all surprised when the back door swung open and the Rodriguez family came piling in, shivering, covered in snow, and huddled together for warmth.

"Back so soon?" Ray questioned, "What's wrong?"

"The snow's too thick," Raul explained, "We had to turn back."

"I guess you guys will have to stay the night here," Ray wagered, "I'll get some blankets, there's plenty of food on the dinner table, and if your kids are as hungry as ours..." he trailed off as Lars, Twister, and Cleo had already grabbed plates and each a heaping of food.

"Thanks, Mr. Rocket," the Rodriguez kids chorused in unison between mouthfuls.

"Um...no problem. I'm going to check the weather report, see what this freak snowstorm is about, and how much worse we can expect it to get tonight," Ray told them, heading into the living room.

"I'll come with you," Raul offered, following Ray.

"Do you need any help with anything?" Sandy asked of Tito and Mrs. Dullard, then placing a hand on Twister's shoulder, "Maurice, chew your food before you swallow."

"Yes, ma'am," Twister mumbled, blushing as his friends broke into laughter.

"No, I think we're doing good," Mrs. Dullard told Sandy, "Why don't you warm up and get something to eat."

"Mi hijos, después de que usted haya comido, quisiera que usted todo tomara duchas calientes agradables (after you've eaten, I want you all to take nice hot showers)," Sandy commanded, hands on hips, "Y Lars, no piensa que usted está consiguiendo del castigo para empujar a su hermano en la nieve apenas porque no estamos detrás en nuestra cabina. (And Lars, do not think you are getting off punishment for shoving your brother in the snow just because we are not back at our cabin.)"

"You saw that, huh?" Lars mumbled.

"¿Qué usted pensaba? ¡Maurice habría podido estar lastimado! Él tomará su ducha primero, y no deseo... (What were you thinking? Maurice could have been hurt! He'll take his shower first, and I don't want to...)" Sandy continued, Twister suppressing his laughter and grinning triumphantly over to his brother.

"Come on, Twist, I'll show you were the shower is," Reggie spoke up, pushing her plate away. Otto raised an eyebrow, straightening abruptly.

"I don't think so. I'll show him where the shower is," he said, lifting himself from his chair and practically dragging Twister from the table, "Don't think I don't see those gears turning in your head, Rocket girl...I know what you're thinking."

"That I was done with my food and Twister was still soaked?"

"Sure, and the idea of helping him out of his clothes never crossed your mind!" Otto deftly dodged the shoe Reggie threw at his head, pushing Twister out of the dining area towards the stairs.

"You can borrow some of my clothes, Cleo," Reggie offered, "And my dad's probably got stuff Twister and Lars can borrow."

""Yeah, I don't think we'll fit in the munchkin's clothes," Lars laughed until his mother cuffed his ear, whimpering, "What? The dork is short!"

-0-0-

Twister stood in the bathroom, rummaging through his pockets. He frowned, patting his jacket, front and back. His face contorted with panic.

"Otto!" he screamed. The door swung open, the dreadlocked boy staring around the room wide-eyed.

"Twister, what's going on? Why are you freaking?" Otto demanded, looking anxiously to his relatively well being-ed friend.

"It's not here! It's not here!"

"What? What's not there?"

"Reg's present," Twister moaned, "I lost it! It must have fell out on one of the slopes..." he gasped, grabbing Otto by the shoulders and shaking him, "The Black Diamond! It must have fallen out on the Black Diamond run! I checked to make sure it was okay on the ski lift up, and it was right there in my pocket...I must have forgotten to zip my pocket back up!"

"Why were you carrying it in your pocket, Twist?" Otto questioned.

"To keep it safe," Twister groaned.

"Lot of good that did," Otto muttered.

"This is your fault, man!"

"My fault? How's this my fault? I didn't forget to zip up your pocket!"

"You're the one who wanted to go on the Black Diamond run! I would have never lost it if we weren't on that run!" Twister cried, slumping, "Oh man...I worked really hard to buy that necklace...now I have nothing to give Reg...you have no idea how hard my job is, Otto, and I worked double shifts for three weeks!"

"Quiet, alright, dude...let me think," Otto snapped, running his hand through his hair, "We got to go look for it."

"What? But, Otto, it's really snowing out there. You can't see anything!"

"Exactly, Twister, if we don't go look tonight, it'll be covered in snow by morning. We'll never find it!" Otto explained, "We have to go now. Our chances are better. I've got clothes that aren't soaked you can put on, but we have to move now."

"But what'll we tell our parents, Otto? There's no way my mom'll let me back out there," Twister argued.

"Dude, we don't tell them. If we take our boards we'll be back before they ever know we were gone," Otto pressed, "Come on, man. We have to try. I mean, how much did you spend on that thing for it to get lost in the snow?"

"Alright, okay..." Twister agreed, following Otto from the bathroom to the room he was sharing with his sister. Reggie was inside with Cleo, helping her pick out something to change into.

"What are you two up to?" Reggie asked, eyeing them suspiciously as they grabbed some snow clothes.

"Just getting some things for Twister to put on after his shower. He's really cold, Reg," Otto lied. Reggie raised an eyebrow, and he added, "You don't want your boyfriend to catch pnemonia, do you?"

"Whatever." The girls watched as the two boys left the room again. Reggie turned to Cleo, "Is it just me, or did Otto grab two sets of clothes for one Twister?"

"Maybe the other stuff is for Lars?" Cleo suggested.

"When have you ever known Otto to think of what Lars may need?"

"Calm down, Reggie, what could they possibly be up to?"

"Those two? Anything. You name it, they'll try it. Even the most idiotic thing you can think of sounds like a great idea to them."

"Well, whatever it is," Cleo said decisively, "They're secluded to doing it in the cabin, and that means under the noses of our parents."

"I guess you're right," Reggie conceded, sighing.

-0-0-

Twister and Otto had no trouble slipping out the front door of the cabin, what with most everyone being in the kitchen. Within fifteen minutes, the two were walking down towards the slopes, hoping, in the relative direction of the Black Diamond run. They shielded their faces as the harsh winds roared, slamming against their bodies, scratching at any exposed flesh with dagger like crystal snowflakes.

"This snowstorm is intense, Twist," Otto shouted, his voice quickly carried away by the wind.

"I can't hear you, man," Twister yelled back.

"Just keep moving!" Otto roared, "I think the Black Diamond is a little further ahead!" They pushed on, attempting to scour the land for any signs of the missing gift. "Dude, I think that's the Black Diamond," Otto finally cried, Twister turning to him in confusion. Otto ran his sleeve over his eyeware, pointing up to the mountain, "We have to climb!" Twister nodded that he understood.

They stuggled their way up, grabbing onto one another for support, and pushing and pulling each other upwards. They leaned in close, fighting the wind that threatened to shove them over, and halfway up, Twister slipped, skidding downwards until he was rammed unceremoniously against the thick trunk of a pine tree. Otto stuck his board into the snow, using it as a brace as he slid himself down to where Twister was awkwardly laying in the snow.

"Oh god, Twister, please don't be dead! Are you okay, dude?"

"No," Twister moaned, "But I don't think I broke anything." He took Otto's offered hand, painfully pulling himself out of the snow, grabbing his board and clutching it tightly, his skin breaking into a vibration of shivers, "It's so cold out here, Otto."

"We have to keep moving, dude," Otto persisted, "It'll keep us warm." Grabbing Twister's arm, he pulled them up away from the tree, and they resumed the climb.

-0-0-

Ray peeked into Reggie and Otto's shared room, frowning, before making his way back down the stairs where most everyone was gathered around the television watching some sitcom. He crossed his arms, scratched his chin, before checking in the kitchen. Sandy and Mrs. Dullard were sitting at the table chatting over their steaming mugs. He frowned, beginning up the stairs again.

"What are you looking for, Mr. Rocket?" Lars asked, having noted the occupied older man. Ray stopped, glancing over his shoulder. Raul had muted the television and everyone had turned to look at him.

"I can't seem to find Otto and Twister," Ray answered, "I thought they were up in the room...I've checked everywhere. I was just wondering where they put their boards, because they're not with the rest of them" Reggie's mouth dropped and she glanced to Cleo who didn't appear to be making the connection.

"Those idiots..." she gasped, "They wouldn't...you checked everywhere, dad?"

"Wouldn't what?" Ray demanded, "Regina, what do you know?" Reggie slumped, resting her forehead in the palm of her hand.

"Otto came up for some clothes...I didn't think anything of it...but he got jackets, ski pants...sweaters. I asked what he was doing, he just said he was getting clothes for Twister to wear," Reggie explained, "I thought it was weird that he grabbed enough for two people, but he left before I could press the matter further...so..."

"Otto, Twister!" Ray shouted, bounding up the stairs, throwing doors open as the others sat stunned in the living room. Mrs. Dullard and Sandy came from the kitchen, carrying their mugs with questioning looks on their faces.

"What's going on?" Mrs. Dullard asked as Ray came down the stairs breathlessly.

"They're gone," he stammered, "They're not here."

"Who? Who's gone?" Sandy demanded as Raul came to put a comforting arm around her.

"Otto and Maurice," he told her, "They appear to have left...but they wouldn't, would they?"

END A/N: Well, now Twister and Otto have left into the storm. AND TWISTER HIT A TREE! He's going to get so beat up out there in the storm. I hope they make it back safely...huh! Maybe they die!

Oh my.

Please excuse any grammatical and typing errors, and go forth and REVIEW. I will love you forever, and always get you a Secret Santa gift...please.

Thanks for Reading.