Hey everyone. Welcome to the countdown to Christmas Hart of Dixie style. This story digs further into the AU that I made a few years back. Most of the story comes before and after the events that had taken place in Let it Snow. One of the multiple one-shots. You don't need to have read it or go find it to reread it, as a few things were changed to make it work better within this story, and the story itself will be included in a later chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own HoD or the characters, I am merely playing with them. The resort is one that I have made up for the purpose of this story, along with any name you don't recognize from the show.

The year this one takes place in is way back in 1999, so many things are vastly different.

Enjoy!

"Wade, my boy, you need to pack," Jackie said, stopping in front of her youngest son's bedroom door, a basket of clean clothes in her arms. One look in her son's room showed that his suitcase sat on his bed open with barely anything filling it. She doesn't have time to fight him on packing his things for their winter vacation.

"How can I pack when you and dad won't say where we're going?" He asked, sitting up on his bed. His suitcase lay open at the end of his bed. He does have a few shirts and a pair of pants packed away.

"It's a surprise, Wade," his mom told him with a happy smile. "You should pack a few more pairs of pants, a couple more t-shirts, and long sleeve shirts," she told him, taking a few steps from his bedroom, before poking her head around the door frame. "Don't forget your socks and your underwear, Wade, don't make me go through your suitcase," she warned, letting her youngest get busy packing. He may be 16, but to her, he will always be her little baby boy. At 16 he needs more supervision than when he was 6.

Wade grumbled, tossing what clothes he could into the suitcase, not caring if they were folded or not. He just wanted his clothes to be packed. He's sure he tossed some dirty clothes in as well. He didn't care, he wanted to know where they were going for winter break. He had plans with George. Plans he was sure would have gotten him into trouble if they were to be caught. The trouble part didn't worry him, he was pretty certain he'd be grounded for life if his parents would have kept their threats.

"I believe your Ma wanted this to be packed last night before bed," Earl chuckled, entering his youngest son's room to fold the clothes he tossed into the suitcase. Earl used it as an excuse to chat with his son.

"It's not like it would take me forever to pack my things," he commented, grabbing his clothes from his dad. "I'm 16, I don't need my daddy to fold my clothes," Wade smartly stated, flipping his suitcase closed, figuring he has everything he needs for the two-week stay.

"Your clothes are going to be all wrinkled," Earl warned him. Wade shrugged. "Don't forget your toiletries," Earl commented, laughing to himself as Wade walked across the hall to the bathroom.

"What does it matter? No one is going to tell me where we are going," he commented, tossing his things from the bathroom into his suitcase. He glanced around his room checking quickly that he had everything.

"It's called a surprise, son," Earl chuckled.

"Surprises are stupid," Wade grumbled, grabbing his suitcase, and his backpack to take downstairs.

Earl grabbed his son's backpack, bringing Wade to a stop as he was wearing it. Wade said nothing, choosing to remain quiet, not wanting to be grounded the whole trip. "No video games," Earl stated, waiting for his son.

"Seriously?" Wade asked, going back into his room. What the heck was he going to do without his game boy?

"Yes, your mother wants a fun-filled vacation where you're not playing video games the whole time," he stated.

"This is stupid," Wade grumbled, tossing his game boy and games on his bed. "Every aspect of this so-called surprise is flat-out stupid," Wade grumbled, heading out of his room.

"Can't you pretend to be happy over a family vacation?" Earl asked, following behind his youngest. "We want to surprise you and you'll know soon enough where we're going," he said.

"It's not like I have a choice," he sighed. "Is Jesse coming?" Wade asked, now waiting on his mom to finish packing the last-minute things.

"We'll be picking your brother up on the way," Earl told him. Upon Jesse's 18th birthday, he moved out to live with a few friends from school in the small apartment complex down Jasper lane.

Wade nodded, looking over the few bags by the door. He chuckled when he heard his dad mutter under his breath and take off down the hall. Wade sighed, flopping down on the couch, to wait on his parents to finish whatever they needed to grab. And they were worried he'd be the one to put them behind schedule. Turns out it was them.

Wade felt himself dozing off when he heard his mom announce they were ready to leave. About time was the only thought running through his head. Getting off the couch he grabbed his suitcase and backpack and headed out the door, Earl locking up behind them. Wade groaned when they pulled up in front of the apartment complex for Jesse and he informed them he'd be another 20 minutes or so because Jesse somehow just woke up and he needs to take a shower. Wade couldn't believe it, he was up half the night playing random rifts on his guitar and was still up on time and packed before his parents were ready to go.

This time he did doze off. Wade could faintly hear his parents talking about the vacation and how it would do them some good to see a different place. To have a different kind of experience for Christmas. That's when he dozed off, going into his own world. Until his brother rudely woke him up when they got to the airport in Mobile. Wade punched him for payback.

"Jesse and Wade Kinsella, there will be no fighting of any kind. Physical or verbal for the next two weeks. Am I clear?" Jackie asked sternly, her hard stare moving from one son to the other, repeatedly.

"Yes Ma," Wade and Jesse said in unison. They knew not to cross their mom. Neither one of them wants to be grounded in a hotel room, for the whole two-week trip.

"We're staying at the Royal York resort in Denver," Earl told them, as they waited to get their bags from the trunk of the car. Better to tell them now, than for them to find out where they are going when they board the plane.

"We thought it would be fun to have a full white Christmas," Jackie smiled, sharing a kiss with her husband. Jesse and Wade shared disgusted looks. It was never fun nor was it cool for your parents to have PDA anywhere in public.

He could get behind the idea of having a white Christmas. To see a different state. To actually get away, and be the envy of his friends for once. To experience the snow, when it's not cursed. Most of all he can't wait to hit the slopes, ya know once he learns how to snowboard. He'd have a line of chicks, a smirk crossed his face at the very thought. Yeah, he'd be okay with spending his winter break warming the ladies up.

"As your mother said, you will be on your best behavior, this whole trip," Earl warned. The brothers nodded, taking their luggage, and followed their parents into the airport, ready to start their vacation. Wade figures it might be the best two weeks of his life if he plays his cards right.