Thanks once again for the reviews, they make me all warm and fuzzy inside. :) Personally, this is the fastest I've ever written three chapters in a row of anything, fan fiction or original fiction. But then… I really like Red Eye. But you're not interested in any of that. You want story. And story you shall get!

Jackson came to a sliding halt a few feet uphill of his screaming brother and the snowboarder. The good news was the snowboarder finally seemed to be getting over his initial shock. The bad news was that Jackson could clearly see how broken his brother's right leg was. It was as if his knee was on backward.Jackson's face went completely ashen, and he felt like he was going to vomit. The snowboarder's awareness came back in full and he pulled off Richard's left ski and looked around for the right one. It was nowhere to be found. He put the ski aside and looked at Jackson.

"Do you know this boy?"

At first he couldn't speak. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth words weren't going to be the first thing that came out, but eventually he did in a faint half-whisper, "He's my brother."

"Oh, man, I'm really sorry," the man looked at Richard again whose screams were diminishing, "Can you take off your skis and give them to me?"

"What?" Jackson couldn't imagine why this man could possibly need his skis to help his brother.

"To help get personnel over here. I need a pair of skis."

Still confused and very shocked, Jackson numbly stomped on the latches that held the skis to his feet, sat down by his brother's side and handed the man his skis. The snowboarder went out a couple feet closer to the middle of the slope and placed Jackson's skis in an X-shape. Jackson was watching. He was suddenly aware that his father was still standing there, watching him, glaring at him. When he looked up and met his father's disconcerting blue eyes with his own, he realized that his father didn't scare him anymore. That fear had been replaced by something else… a sinister hatred. He internally vowed that he would pay his father back for Richard. He began plotting how he could do this, what he should do.

You break one of his legs. I'll break both of yours. Everything you do to him, I will give to you double. You'll see. Maybe not immediately, but you wait… you see. I will repay. I promise you, and I always keep my promises.

He was suddenly yanked out of his dark thoughts when an unfamiliar voice seemed to be asking him something. He looked at the source of the voice and realized that three medics had arrived. He also noticed that his brother had gone unconscious and was being bundled into firmly into a sled by two of the paramedics. He stood up and looked back at the place his father had been, but he was no longer there. Gone down the rest of the way so you could continue on having fun, Jackson guessed. I bet he doesn't care in the slightest bit. This thought simply served to feed his rage burning inside him. Angry tears started to cloud his vision. He tried to blink them away and looked back at the paramedic and realized he hadn't heard a word of what the man had said.

"What?"

"I said, do you know where your mom and dad are? We need to tell them what has happened to your brother." Jackson shrugged. "All right, are you staying at one of our cabins or…?"

"Yes. Number fifteen."

"All right. What's your brother's name?"

"Richard," and if you say 'all right' one more time I'll be tempted to strangle you with your scarf. This is not all right. This is the opposite of all right.

The paramedic paused a moment as if Jackson was supposed to say more then said, "Last name?"

"Rippner."

Two of the paramedics who were obviously having a good day snickered at each other quietly. Jackson could just hear it now, "Richard Rippner? What a name!" even though neither of them said anything. He looked at them angrily with his piercing blue eyes. It didn't take long before they noticed. They both looked down. Later they might talk about him over coffee, referencing him as the creepy kid whose brother broke his leg. Jackson didn't care. Did he creep them out? Good. They deserved it.

"All right," Jackson flinched and looked back at the main paramedic, "Do you want us to take you to your cabin or do you want to keep skiing?"

Jackson was fairly surprised by this question. How could he want to keep skiing knowing what had happened to his brother? "Take me to the lodge."

"You sure?"

"No, he's not going back to the lodge. He's going to keep skiing," Greg startled Jackson in his sudden and very unwelcome appearance. The paramedic looked up at Mr. Rippner.

"And you are?"

"Greg Rippner, the boy's father."

"Ah. Well your son, Richard, is going to be taken to the emergency room of the nearest hospital, if you'd like to accompany him, we'll be more than glad to see your other child safely back to the lodge."

"Generous offer, but I think we've got all bases covered. My wife, Sandra," he motioned to the silent figure hiding behind Greg, "will go with Richard to the emergency room and Jackson and I will hit the slopes a couple times more." He walked up right next to Jackson and stuck an arm around his shoulders.

The man looked perplexed but continued, "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Jackson and I will have a good time, won't we, son?" he leered down at Jackson.

Go ahead. Hit me. Beat me. It'll only give me more reason to hate you. Who knows? I might even get a bit of repaying in tonight. He hid these thoughts expertly and put a sweet grin on his face looking up at his father, "Yes, we will, dad."

There was something in his eyes that snatched the leering expression off of Greg's face. The other two paramedics stood up on their skis and nodded to the third one.

"They're ready," said the paramedic.

Greg looked back at his wife. "Will you ski the rest of the way down with these good people?" She nodded in acquiescence, and a moment later, she, the three medics, and Richard were on their way down the hill to the hospital.

Greg looked down at his son. Jackson was still looking at him with that same sweet grin and the same unnamable something in his eyes. Greg slid a bit further down, blocking Jackson off from the main part of the slope and slapped him hard. Jackson's head whipped to the right; a large red mark already forming on his left cheek. He slowly brought his head around to face his father again. He was still smiling, but any semblance of sweetness had left it. Greg was a bit unnerved. This is the face of the devil, he thought and slid the boy's skis toward him.

"Come on son. We have things to discuss back at the cabin."

Not as long as the last chapter but not as short as the introduction. What did you think? Please review. :)