The dishes had been done, the blankets folded and put away and the lower level of the lodge had been cleaned – although it was far less destroyed than Janet would have suspected from two young men stuck up there with nothing to do. She'd gone looking around the outside of the lodge – once more bundled up in borrowed coat and boots – and had declined Andrew's offer of showing her around, saying she was just going to look at the scenery and not wanting to drag him outside into the cold to take her.

When she returned from her walk, Ian and Andrew were engaged in a game of chess – with some of the oddest rules that Janet had ever heard of, Ian still walking Andrew through the some of the more complicated rules, and Janet shaking her head at some of them, wondering how anyone could have come up with such an abnormal take on a classic. It looked entertaining, though, and Andrew was hooked, she could tell. She was just about to ask Ian where he'd learned it when the phone rang.

Thinking that was pretty quick – it had barely been an hour and a half since the guy from the Department of Transportation had called – she reached for the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Janet. How's it going?"

It was Sam.

"Sam." She smiled, because both boys had turned to look when the phone had rang, and when she said Sam's name they both turned back to their game, realizing that it wasn't the DOT telling them the road was cleared. "Everything's fine."

"How's Ian?"

"He's okay. A couple of deep gashes in his hand and some scratches on his chest – you'll have him show you them when you see him next."

Ian scowled, plainly telling Janet that he was listening in on the conversation. Of course, since she was sitting beside him on the sofa there was no way he couldn't be listening in on it.

"I will," Sam said, and Janet knew she was smiling from the amusement in her voice. "You guys are getting along okay?"

"Oh yeah."

"Bored?"

"Ian's teaching Andrew some obscure version of chess," Janet told her, looking over at them and watching as Ian slid a couple of his pawns back onto the board while Andrew wasn't looking.

"The one with the Buddhist pawns?" Sam asked.

"You've seen it?"

"He and Jack made it up when Ian was staying here during Thanksgiving."

Well that explained that, didn't it? Janet thought.

"It's pretty complicated…"

The amusement was still in Sam's voice when she answered.

"I think the rules keep changing, too."

Ian was definitely cheating, Janet decided, although she saw Andrew slip a rook back on the board when Ian wasn't watching, so she decided he wasn't the only one.

"Oh, that wouldn't surprise me, knowing Ian. He gets bored with things being the usual way and tries to make them more interesting, I've noticed."

"Me, too."

"Have you heard anything about the road yet?" Sam asked, changing the subject.

"They called a while ago and said it'd be a couple of hours."

"When was that?"

"An hour ago, or so."

"Did you guys eat? Or do we need to arrange an air drop?"

Janet smiled.

"We had pancakes. We're fine, Sam, just stuck."

"How's Ian's car?"

"Don't ask."

"That bad?"

"Oh yeah."

"Poor guy. I'll bet he's upset."

Since Janet didn't really want Ian to know they were discussing him, she couldn't really respond to that with much more than a simple response.

"Yeah."

Almost as if he knew she was talking about him, Ian looked over, and Janet changed subjects again.

"Cassie called, this morning, and checked up on us."

"And talked to Ian?"

"Oh, yes. I-"

There was a loud beep on the phone, and Janet realized it was the other line. Sam heard it as well.

"Maybe that's her."

"Hopefully it's the road crew."

"I'll talk to you later, call me when you get home."

"I will."

She pressed the flash button on the phone, hanging up on Sam and answering the other line.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this the Stephens Lodge?"

The voice was male, and a little hoarse.

"Yes, it is."

"This is Richard Grossman with the road crew that's working on the avalanche that has your people blocked in… I'm just calling to let you know that we have the snow moved enough that you should be able to get through, now."

"That's good news, Mr. Grossman."

"We'll be around, though," he said. "To make sure you get through. Are you planning on leaving there any time, soon? I don't mean to rush you, I just-"

Janet smiled, looking at Ian and Andrew, who were watching her.

"We'll be leaving as soon as we get into the car," she assured the man.

"Great. We'll be watching for you."

"We'll be in a green convertible."

"Yes, ma'am."

He hung up and Janet turned back to the guys.

"You ready? Or do you want to finish the game?"

She, of course, knew the answer. Ian was already picking up the chess pieces.

"We can finish the game at my place," he said to Andrew. "Just remember it's my turn."

"No, it isn't…"

"Yes, it is."

"No, it-"

"Go get your shoes on, guys." Janet told them, interrupting. She'd hate to have to kill them now, after surviving the night with them.