Sorry this took so long. But rejoice, for it is finally here!

The much-awaited second chapter.

Lolly says: Shampoo is tasty.

Sharky says : No comment.

Enjoy.

It was Friday morning and I was packing the last stuff to cram inside my bag. And when I say cram, I mean cram. The shopping trips I took with CeeCee had been very productive. We basically just went nuts buying all the winter outfits for this trip. Jackets, sweaters, boots, you name it, we got it. Mum wasn't too happy with my spending, but who ever said fashion is cheap?

Talking about cheap, we bumped into Ms. Sunshine Kelly Prescott at the mall. Here's a snippet of our conversation:

Kelly: Oh my God, Suze, you're here too! What are you buying?

(In case you haven't noticed, she's ignoring Cee Cee)

Me: Um, I'm buying clothes.

Kelly: Clothes! Oh my God! ME TOO!

Me: …Small world.

Kelly: Why are you buying clothes?

Me: Why are YOU buying clothes?

Kelly: I mean, are you going somewhere?

Me: Funny you asked. I'm going to Alaska .

Kelly: ALASKA ? Like with snow and all? You actually want to go to somewhere cold for the holidays?

Me: Yeah. I actually do.

Kelly: Well, I'm going to Hawaii ! Where there is lots of sunshine! I can, like, get my tan for free! You should try going to Hawaii , Suze. You so need a tan. And so does your little friend. I mean, you can't get much paler than that.

I would have punched her if she hadn't flounced off already. I looked at Cee to see if she was hurt by Kelly's remarks, but she just rolled her eyes and said, 'Someone should remind Barbie that we have sunshine right here in Carmel too.'

'Yeah, and remind her to also get a brain along with her tan,' I said. Then we both laughed manically – okay, just kind of snorted or something – and continued shopping.

In a few hours, me and CeeCee had sufficiently shopped till we dropped. Well, you know, I had to step outside for a few moments, due to the loud noises, continuous voices, beeping, trolley rattling, footsteps echoing . . . malls get to me. But whatever. I finally made it home, and fell on my bed, exhausted. Not because I'm unfit or anything. Just, you know, all the walking around had kind of taken it out of me. My feet were hurting, but due to the fact that no pain in my feet can be measured to the episode after Paul's, I will not exaggerate.

After about ten minutes of zonking out with my head in the pillow, I rolled over, and stretched. Then I stood up, and laid my glorious purchases across the bed.

. . . Oh.

Okay. That was going to be annoying.

You see, um, I began to realize how much space winter clothes actually take. I never realized how bulky they are. And I only had about half an hour before we had to leave for the airport.

For ALASKA .

Why oh why can't I have a personal maid?

Imean, seriously. Is it TOO much to ask?

Taking out some of the stuff from my bag, I grabbed yet ANOTHER one, and stuffed it all in there. See? I knew I'd fit it all. So what if Andy has to pay a bit more for extra baggage? It was his fault for wanting to bring me. I am, after all, a stylish young woman with strict fashion and cosmetic requirements. It was a big 'duh' for him.

With about two minutes left, I sat down, and stared at my now neatly packed bags. Goodie. All ready to GO TO ALAAAAAAAASKA. Cue mad laughing.

That was when I saw someone materializing near the bed post.

A million bajillion gazillion squanillion trapillion guesses who.

Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse Jesse –you get the picture.

Cough.

I stood up and blinked at him.

'Querida,' Jesse smiled, and then seeing all of my baggage, his face fell slightly.

'Oh, hi,' I said in what I hoped was a chirpy voice. It sure sounded chirpy to me. I put budgies to shame.

He nodded, and rested his hand on my bed. 'I see you're packing.'

'Good, er, seeing there,' I said.

Then we both just kind of stood and stared at each other for an awkward second.

'Well, I guess that you are due for your . . . flight now,' he said.

'I guess I am,' I muttered.

He smiled sadly. 'I'll miss you, querida . . . '

'I'll miss me too,' I nodded solemnly. 'I mean, you. Not me. Because I can't miss me when I'm with myself – ' I trailed off with a crimson blush, and grabbed the two VERY heavy bags from my bed.

Jesse, however, quickly stole them from me with his ghostiness. You know, making them float, as opposed to me carrying them and cracking my spine.

'Whoa,' I grinned. 'Cool.'

'Ladies should not be made to carry their luggage,' he justified to me, his hand still vaguely guided at the bags to keep them levitated.

'I'm not a lady. I'm badass,' I corrected him.

'Of course you are,' he whispered affectionately at me.

And we just stood there for a few seconds more.

'So . . . I'd better go,' I said, smashing the second awkward silence with a mace, 'Yep . . . walk towards the door, and, uh, exit. And then move down the stairs . . . because that is how we Simon/Ackermans leave this place of residence. Either that, or my personal favourite, the window.'

. . . And yet, I wasn't moving. Strange, how that was. I mean, the door was right between us. Jesse was floating my stuff, and all.

Then he jerked forward, let my bags fall to the floor with a thud, pulled me into him suddenly, and began kissing me with some sort of anguish. Like he really WAS going to miss me.

I, of course, returned with my own little anguish, gripping his shoulders hard and kissing him even harder.

When the Andy beeped the horn from downstairs, I broke off from him, panting. I stared into his eyes. A small hidden fear was hissing in my brain.

. . . What if something happens, and he's not here when I get back?

What it?

'I'd better – '

But then he was kissing me again.

Oh, Lordy I love this guy.

At the conclusion of the second kiss, the horn was beeping harder. Mum was calling my name for me to hurry up, and for Dopey to check again if he had enough underwear. With an even more ragged breath, I just hugged Jesse tightly, the side of my head buried against his chest. He held me for a moment with powerful, protective arms.

Then he released me.

'I seriously have to go,' I said to him, wanting more than ANYTHING for another ten minutes to be kissing him. He nodded, looking not too thrilled that I was going so soon either. God, I was going to have to tame my passion for TWO WEEKS. God knows what would happen when I saw him again after that. I'd probably just look at him, and then shove him against a wall madly, or something, out of pent up lust.

. . . What AM I?

He smiled at me. 'I shall count the days till your return.'

I beamed. Aww, that was so sweet. I hoped he could count to fourteen.

'You do that,' I said. 'Just make sure you count in Spanish.' And I added in a teasing tone, 'Don't you get any other girlfriends, or you'll get the glaring of a lifetime, punk.'

'I shall try to peel myself away from my many alternatives,' he rolled his eyes. 'Susannah, you're my only 'girl'. Siempre en mi corazon, mi querida.'

Well, THESE were certainly nice terms to leave on. Even if I didn't understand what the hell he was saying.

-0 -

After traveling in both of our cars, me, Andy, David, Brad, Jake, CeeCee and Mum arrived at the airport with only two hours before boarding. Naturally we were rushing to check in the luggage and find our terminal. But at least we already had our tickets that were booked earlier. At the luggage check-in counter for our flight, there was a queue, but it wasn't very long. We waited in line.

Cee and I passed the time snickering at other people there. One guy were wearing an expensive suit and carrying a briefcase, but his hair looked weird. When we walked past us, we figured out why. He was wearing a toupee. Cee and I burst out laughing.

Dopey looked at us like we were mental.

We are, Dopey. Now get over it.

We reached the counter. 'Are all seven of you going?' asked the lady behind it. She wears way too much make-up and her smile looked fixed. It was creepy.

Like a clown.

Minus the nose.

. . . Only just.

'No, just six of them, I'm not going,' Mum answered while Andy started putting our bags on the conveyer belt. The lady typed something in her computer, then looked at us with the creepy smile again.

'I'm sorry, but your luggage has exceeded the allocated amount for each passenger. You either have to remove some of the items in your luggage to reduce the extra weight or you have to pay extra for the extra weight.'

Why was I not surprised?

'How much is the extra charge?' Andy asked.

She looked at her computer, then said, '35 dollars.' Andy and Mum exchanged glances.

I was beginning to feel guilty about bringing three coats and two pairs of extra boots. And from the look on Cee Cee's face, I think she felt the same way too.

Oh well. Sacrifices for fashion aren't uncommon.

There wasn't any time for us to take out the extra stuff from our bags, queue up again and check in the second time if we were gonna make it in time for the flight. So Andy had to pay the extra charge. But he didn't say anything. I think he was just glad that all of us were going. All except Mum that is.

After we settled our luggage, it was time for goodbyes. Mum hugged all of us, even Cee Cee, reminding us to be good, take care of ourselves, typical Mum stuff. But I was offended that she said 'Be Good' to me twice. It was like she hugged me, said Be Good, then kissed Andy and as she walked away, she looked at me and said 'Remember Suze, be good. If I find out that you're smashing windows or something, you will be grounded for a month, young lady. Do I make my self clear? Nothing. I don't want you to give Andy any trouble, just because I'm not there. I have my ways of finding out if you've been playing up for him –'

'I GET IT, MUM.'

Just because I had many encounters with the NYPD does not make me a criminal. She probably thought that I might go crazy going to a new place and starts getting into trouble again. Well, she's wrong. Because the last thing I want in this vacation is trouble. All I want is lots and lots of snow.

As I found out later, I don't get everything I want.

Or more correctly, I DO get everything I DON'T want.

Ugh. So typical.

. . . I was missing Jesse already.

But in the meantime, we walked to the security check-in on our way to the waiting room. As always, there was a queue. The guard there told us to take out all our keys, handphones and coins and put it in the small container that goes through the x-ray check. As I had none of these things, I just walked through the metal detector after Cee and the rest.

BEEP! BEEP BEEP!

I stopped, startled. Everyone was looking at me. And I mean everyone. Not just the guards or Cee and my family but also other passengers in the queue, the x-ray checking people, the passengers who were waiting in the room, the floor cleaners, everyone. It was like the detector sound was a signal for everyone to turn their heads and looked at me in unison.

'Take off your jacket, please,' said the tall, bald, scary-looking guard.

I did as he said, and walked through the detector again.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Again, I stopped. Without waiting for the guard to say anything, I looked down to myself, checking to see if I was wearing anything metallic. My belt buckle was silver. But it must have been that. So I said, 'I think it's my belt.'

'Take that off, please.'

I gaped at the guard. Take off my BELT? What if my PANTS fell down? I would be known as the 'Girl Who Caused a Massive Hold-up at the Security Check-in with her Metal Clothes and Pantless Exhibition'!

I would be beyond humiliated. I would be SCARRED FOR LIFE.

But he looked serious, and already people were grumbling behind me, so I unbuckled my belt and tossed it on the conveyor thingy. Then I walked through the detector again.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

WHAT THE F?

'Excuse me, m'am, please step to the side so we can do a body-check,' said the scary guard, looking scarier than before. If that was even possible.

Body-check? M'AM? DO I LOOK LIKE A M'AM?

Forget what I said earlier. It's too late. I'm already scarred for life.

I looked at Cee and my step-family. She was looking at me helplessly, but she smiled, like telling me it was alright. Andy walked up hesitantly as if to stand near me but I shook my head and he stopped. Dopey was snickering, Doc was looking at me with wide eyes like he was scared and Sleepy was looking torn between sleepy and bored.

I guess even the prospects of his step-sister being arrested by the airport police wasn't exciting enough for him to pay any attention to. Nope. Only surfing and all the Camaros in the world can do that.

I stepped to the side and other people were allowed to go through the detector, some glaring at me. Of course it didn't make any sound for them. Only for me.

Luckily, it wasn't the scary guard who did the body-check. Instead, a female guard stepped up to me, holding the hand-held metal detector. She didn't look scary, and she actually spoke to me in a nice tone. 'Hold up your arms and spread your legs.'

My eyes bugged out at that sentence. I didn't even want to THINK about the various sexual innuendos that could come out of that.

But a few did escape into my mind though. Imaginations are SO unwanted at times like these.

So I splayed my limbs like a loser while everyone else stared and stared, and she ran the detector all across my body. It didn't make any sound until it reached my ankle. Then it beeped annoyingly. She looked up to me and asked me what shoes was I wearing. It was my new boots, and I lifted the folds of my combat pants and saw that the lace buckles were metal.

For God's sakes. THIS was the thing that caused all that?

They seemed satisfied that we have found the source of my humiliation and they said I didn't have to take off my shoes. Good. Or I would have been jacketless, pantless and shoeless.

Except my pants didn't fell down. But it SO could have.

.. . I should sue for potential undergarment exposure, or something.

I gathered my stuff and walked over to where Andy and everyone else were waiting. Andy asked me if I was alright, and I waved him off, saying it was fine. Not. But I didn't want to worry him or anything, so I just walked over to some seats in the waiting room and sat down. Everyone else sat down too, CeeCee beside me. Dopey was still chuckling, that is until I sent him a death glare. Then he shuts up.

'That sucked, huh?' CeeCee asked.

I gave her a look, and she just grinned teasingly at me. I seriously hoped that the flight would be much smoother than this airport experience.

And it was. Other than Cee excitedly pointing to a hottie of a co-pilot who walked around the plane before we took off, the constant leering at the flight attendants by Dopey and Doc almost throwing up, nothing exciting happened.

- 0 -

We landed at the airport a few hours later and as I stepped out of the plane, I could feel the temperature dropped. Like I just walked into a freezer. I wrapped my jacket tightly and walked faster to get to the terminal.

We were waiting for our luggage when Andy said, 'So who's going first?'

All of us looked at him weird.

Maybe the plane food had done something to him. The boiled chicken did taste a little strange.

He looked around at us, and seeing our blank faces, said exasperatedly, 'The helicopter ride. To our lodge. Remember? I told all of you in the plane?'

HE DID? How come I don't remember?

….Oh right. Because I wasn't listening. I was watching Jaws. I wasn't a huge fan of the movie itself, but Jesse loved it. It reminded me of him.

'What did he say in the plane?' I whispered to Cee Cee.

'We have to divide into two groups. The helicopter can only accommodate three people at a time.' Cee answered.

'I don't care as long as I'm not in the same ride as Suze. And her freak- er, friend.' Brad exclaimed snootily.

I rolled my eyes. 'Contrary to popular beliefs, I do not want to be in the same ride as you too, Do- Brad. David, wanna come with Cee and I?'

The red-haired kid looked surprised, then perked up. 'Sure!'

…So easy to make him happy.

'No! David, come with Jake and me. Let Dad go with the girls,' Dopey interrupted our shiny, happy moment with his unnecessary suggestion.

Doc looked uncertain for a second. Go on a ride with his stunning step-sister and her equally stunning friend, or go on a ride with his annoying and bored brothers?

Was there even any question?

But maybe Doc was scared that if he followed me, he would be thumped later by Dopey. If he went with Dopey, he would be thumped sooner in the heli. Such an important decision to burden a kid so young.

'I offered first, Brad. So he's coming with us. Next time, think faster.' I couldn't help smirking a little. Andy's middle son glared at me.

That was kind of mean to say, I guess. I mean, we all knew that Brad COULDN'T think.

Doc beamed, probably relieved that he was saved from a Terror Helicopter Ride courtesy of Junipero Serra Mission Academy's champion wrestler. Or so Dopey said. I wouldn't know, having never been to any wrestling matches. And will never, as I'm already reeling from having to watch him eat at home, I so do not need to see him hugging and touching other guys. Eee-www.

'Okay, Suze, Cee and David will go on the first ride, then Brad, Jake and I get on the second.' Andy said, pulling one of our bags onto the trolley.

After we got all our bags, we made our way to another terminal where our helicopter was waiting. I was excited. I've never been in a chopper before.

It would have been bad if I were afraid of heights. Luckily, I wasn't.

Right?

I entered the helicopter with Cee and Doc, strapping the seatbelt and leaning back against the seat. The pilot gave each of us headphones connected to this microphone. I guess that's our way to communicate while in there. A few minutes later, the helicopter engine started and we were up. I saw Andy, Dopey and Sleepy getting smaller and smaller until I couldn't see them anymore.

THIS ROCKS.

It was so cool. Figuratively, and literally. It must have been, what, 5 degrees out there? Cold. But we didn't say anything, just looking at the beautiful views of the cities and soon, the snow-capped mountains. By then I already figured out that I wasn't afraid of heights. That was a good discovery. Almost as good as discovering a hot cowboy ghost is haunting my new bedroom. Which is officially the best discovery I've ever made in my life.

The pilot said that there is a road leading up to out hotel but due to the recent heavy snowfall, the roads were closed. So the hotel offered helicopter rides to their 'clients'.

Huh. Must be some five-star hotel or something. Trust Andy to splurge on our vacation. Not that I'm complaining.

About twenty minutes later, we saw a cluster of lodges and a huge main building in the middle of this mountain. I mean, it was surrounded by snow, top bottom right left, so it looked as if the snow had cleared a nice small spot for the hotel to reside in.

'Nice,' CeeCee said, grinning at me.

I grinned back, nodding my head. I couldn't really speak because my teeth were practically chattering. I really have to put on more layers of clothes if I was going to survive out here.

Five minutes later the helicopter descended on a flat clearing in front of the lodges and we got out. After we had taken out our bags – no easy task, I tell you, what's with my bags as heavy as a car, or at least it felt that way – and we reached the main building, the helicopter lifted again, to pick up the guys. We entered through the main doors, walking into a much welcomed warmth.

There were a few people waiting in the lounge, and some were checking in at the reception desk. We walked to the lounge and sat there, waiting for Andy to come and check-in for us.

The reception was all dressed up in gold, like King Midus had come in on a touching spree or something. Gold drapes, cream carpets with gold flecks, gold coloured desks . . . blah blah, cream and gold. It looked nice and warm. In fact, in the reception, it WAS warm. Which was a total relief. I felt like such a loser in my big thick clothes.

Everything felt new. The helicopter ride had been rather numb, but . . . erm, HELLO? I WAS IN ALASKA. That was quite a lovely thought. Granted, I was away from the extreme sexiness of Jesse de Silva, but some sacrifices had to be made.

Good God. I'd sacrificed total hotness for total coldness.

I'm so weird.

Maybe it was a good thing that Jesse didn't come to Alaska. I mean, the snow off the mountains would melt. And I know he'd just HATE to cause an avalanche or something. I mean, he wouldn't want something like that on his conscience.

'I need to urinate,' CeeCee rolled her eyes. 'Where be the toilets, Simon?'

'Oh, yeah, because I just come here all the time.' I replied sarcastically. I saw one of the little toilet symbols on a sign. 'Try there.'

'Aaah,' she said. 'Okay, be right back.'

And the huge lump that was CeeCee Webb in her winter-bundle made her stiff way to what we hoped was the crapper. I looked around some more. There was a fidgety looking woman at the reception. She didn't look all that much older than me, even. Her hair was light-brown, but it didn't look natural. It needed a nice attack of Nice 'n' Easy chestnut-brown, or something.

She was typing away madly, serving someone who was at the front desk. He was tall, and donned clothes that were from the same family as my own. As in, bulky and warm. Except, mine were FAR more bright, and prettier than his. He looked like he was from the army, or something. I mean, I doubted that he was. But he looked as if he was going to kill a bunch of people, if you gave him a gun.

Wouldn't that be the day? Give me some ghosts to mediate, why don't you?

. . . Don't you dare.

The helicoptor was taking a while. I mean, it had taken a while for us. But it seemed longer, to be waiting for it. Then again, it had to travel there and back here, so it would be double the time that me and CeeCee had experienced. In my chair, I slumped. Then I saw a vending machine which sold chocolate. I had a couple of bucks on me, so I waddled over to purchase a Crunchie.

Until something truly horrible, and inconceivable happened.

I heard him.

'Are you stalking me or something, Simon?' an extremely amused voice asked.

I froze. Not literally. But considering where I was, I might have been.

What? No. NO, NO! That was not possible. I was halfway across the . . . I was VERY FAR AWAY FROM CARMEL. It was just NOT ACHIEVABLE for PAUL SLATER to be in the EXACT SAME HOTEL as I was at THAT MOMENT, next to the SAME VENDING MACHINE -

Shit.

In blatant horror - because seriously, I was APPALLED - I spun around. 'What the HELL are you doing here?' I half-squeaked, half-hissed.

And all he was doing was smirking. Like he found this all rather funny.

This. Was. NOT. Funny.

'Oh, me? Here with my uncle, on a skiing trip. But you, Suze. Stalking is actually illegal. You could have just said, "Paul, I want you, I need you," and I would have invited you. Would have saved a lot of trouble.'

I was shocked out of my mind.

He thought that I'D followed HIM here?

'How did you know I was coming here? You must have, because there's no way you could be at the same place, at the same time as me!' I demanded heatedly. WHO'S YOUR SOURCE?

He just went on smirking, looking more than delectable in his designer clothes. They were, you know, skiing suit-ish and everything. But they looked very cool on him. Like he just stepped out of a winter clothes magazine.God. He'd even look hot in a TUTU or something. This was NOT FAIR.

'Small world. I -'

'Are you FOLLOWING me!' I cut him off in fury.

'I didn't,' he feigned a look of innocence. 'Why, Suze. How could you suggest that?'

I would have laughed. But seriously. I could not BELIEVE this was HAPPENING.

Paul Slater, showing up to RUIN my vacation!

THE NERVE.

'I mean it,' I glared, seizing his shirt and twisting it in my fist, seeing him wince a little. 'How did you know?'

He just went on grinning, looking incredibly pleased with himself. 'Know what? I don't - ow, ow - okay, easy - ' he snapped, when I twisted the shirt harder, pushing my knuckle into his chest, 'Well, you know. I haven't been skiing for such a long time, and I thought - '

I was SERIOUSLY about to kick his ass, when I heard CeeCee go, 'Um . . . Suze?'

I turned, and saw Cee standing there, looking worried. Not to mention Doc, who had gone white and was staring at Paul and I, eyes wide. I fear to look at the rest of the people at the lobby.

I quickly let go of Paul, who was smirking again. He smoothed down his shirt from where I'd gripped it, not taking his eyes off me.

I glared at him. He grinned at me.

I whipped around, facing my back to him and started walking to Cee. If Paul thinks that him being here would put a stop to my vacation, well, he's WRONG. I intend to enjoy myself here and I will.

'So, I guess I'll see ya round,' Paul said casually from behind me.

But there was nothing casual about it. Nothing.

I ignored him. Well, until he said what he did next.

'Oh and Suze? There's one waiting for you.'

And I knew exactly what he meant, too.