The snow. Oh the snow. It never stopped. And as if there wasn't enough on the ground, it just came from the thick grey sky. It was ALL white. Basta steered his rental car, white knuckled. He could see all of six feet in front, the blowing snow covering what was visible of the highway.

"Fuuuck" he muttered to himself, shaking his head. His side bangs covered his eyes, but he furiously swept them away. "FUCK!" he literally screamed. Driving in Italy involved no snow. His trip from the Calgary airport had been seriously stressful, Canadian road conditions really testing his crummy little rental car. He would have loved to have avoided Alberta all together, but Calgary was the closest International Airport to Fernie, BC. WHY Fernie? He thought furiously. "World class skiing my ass!" His job, according to Capricorn and that accursed Kinje, was to kill a man named Thornton, a competitive crack dealer. "WHY does he want me to whack a fucking Canuck?" Basta gripped the steering wheel as a semi blew past him. "YOU FUCKING JACK ASS SLOW IT DOWN!" Basta felt his eyes threaten to fill with tears. He was completely and totally stressed. He saw a sign that said SPARWOOD. Another sign: World's largest truck! "What?" He wanted to crane his neck and see, but he ignored the impulse. "Eyes on the road, old boy" he muttered to himself. "You're not a fucking tourist." But, someone else must have taken their eyes off the road. Basta looked out his window and saw headlights coming straight towards him. "NO!"

"Sir! Sir! Are you alright?" A voice... then a whoosh. Of a car?

"Huh?"

"HE'S AWAKE! BENOIT! BENOIT HE'S AWAKE!"

"Ye ye" He opened his eyes, but vomit spilled from his mouth. "Why the fuck am I upside down?"

"Sir, you were in a car accident."

"What? Fuck, where am I?"

"Let us help you out of the car." Basta didn't have time to protest. Hands groped over his body, searching for his seat belt.

"Holy shit.... I'm upside down."

"Easy now" A man pulled Basta from the crumpled vehicle.

"OOF!" Basta was too disoriented to feel embarrassed by being carried by another man.

"We'll take you to town."

"Fernie?" He slurred, touching a gash on his upper arm.

"Yes! We'll take you to Fernie. They have a nice little hospital."

"Mom! Dad! Is he OK?"

"Sarah, don't snoop!"

"Whoa! He's bleeding!"

"Anya! Shh!"

"Huh?" Basta blinked as someone eased him into a warm vehicle.

"You can sit here, in between Sarah and Anya."

"Who?" Basta rubbed his head, smearing blood on his cheek.

"Easy now. My name is Benoit, this is my wife Meg. We're taking you to a hospital."

"Oh...the holiday inn will be fine." He groaned and put a hand to his bleeding arm.

"I don't think so. Say, what's your name young man?"

"Er, Basta." He frowned when one of the girls he was sitting next to, Anya, put a cookie on the knee of his black skinny jeans. "Thanks?"

"Anya! Leave Basta alone, please."

"Yeah, Anya" Sarah bulged her eyes at her younger sister. That's right, Anya. No cookies. I am going to throw up if I eat that... Basta made a face as his stomach lurched.

"We saw you roll and...gee, I'm sure happy you're alright!"

"Thanks" Basta stiffened when the sound of a crying Baby broke the gentle lull of the car.

"We were just on our way to Fernie for Christmas"

"Yeah!" Anya grinned, her little blond braids whipping around as she swung her head towards him.

"Girls, please leave this poor young man alone! He's just been in a horrible car accident!" The mother sounded very upset.

"is your arm OK?" Asked the one named Sarah. She looked slightly older than Anya, by two or three years maybe.

"My arm will be fine." Basta had been ignoring the pain in his bicep.

"So, Basta, should we take you to the hospital?"

"No!" Basta felt stressed; he had no health care card... there's no way he'd be able to go to a hospital. Technically... he didn't exist. "I, er, forgot my health care card in Italy."

"ITALY?" Cried Anya in excitement. "You live in Italy?"

"Uh, yeah."

"AMAZING!" Meg turned around in her seat and smiled. "Whereabouts?"

"Sicily." Basta raised his eyebrow. Fucking Canucks.

"Really? I heard Sicily is very dangerous."

"Ye, it its."

"Wooow." Sarah stared at him, mesmerised, as if he was a strange species. It didn't help that he smelled delicious; the girls couldn't stop glomming onto him.

" Ye, so um, I don't know where I'm going. Can you please drop me off at an inn?"

"Sure thing." Benoit steered into the parking lot of a Holiday Inn. It was dark outside, and the lights from the mountain town blinked sleepily.

"Hey, I'll walk you into the lobby, just in case."

"That's really unnecessary-"

"I insist." Benoit lowered his voice to a firm 'man tone'. Basta knew from his experiences with Capricorn that if someone insists... they mean it.

"Alright." Basta smushed his thin lips together. Fine. Get involved with my twisted life! Drag your daughters in too, why don't you! You're just going to love it. When the SUV lurched to a stop, Basta squished by Anya's thin legs, and stumbled into the snow. To his embarrassment, he fell on his ass, right in front of the little blond girl. She giggled.

"Oh dear! Are you alright?" Meg's expression changed to one of concern. You would have been a real hottie back in the day Thought Basta, brushing the snow off the ass of his black jeans.

"Ye ye just fine!" Basta snapped impatiently.

"Come on" Benoit led the way into the Inn. "So how old are you, Basta?"

"Uh, 26." He rubbed his aching forehead.

"Ah. So I suppose you're down here to ski?"

"No, actually, I'm not." Basta ran his fingers along his studded belt.

"Really? I'm genuinely surprised." Basta decided to ignore Benoit's comment. "So you live in Italy. Are you originally from England?" Benoit kicked the snow off his Sorrels.

"Uh, yeah."

"Really?"

"North West." Basta nodded.

"So that would explain the bit of Scottish in your accent?"

"Mhm." You're really starting to piss me off now, doc.

"Can I help you?" The clerk at the counter smiled.

"Ye, I need to stay here." Basta reached for his back pocket, but found his wallet wasn't there. "Oh shit... my wallet.... oh FUCK!" The clerk and Benoit jumped. "It's in my bag!"

"In your car?" Asked Benoit, concern etched on his face.

"Ye. Oh man... this is bad."

"Well lets take you back to the car and get your stuff."

"I can walk."

"Nonsense! We'll drive you. It's only a few minutes away anyways."

"Alright, if you insist."

"Ok, young man, lets go." Basta followed Benoit into the SUV again.

"Couldn't get a room?" Asked Meg in worry.

"Basta's bag is in his car." Benoit pulled out of parking lot, back onto the highway.

"Oh no!" Meg covered her mouth.

"Thank you folks for driving me around."

"I like the way he talks" giggled Anya.

"Basta is from Northern England, girls"

"I thought he was from Italy?"

"Ye, but I was born in England." Basta groaned in his throat.

"Oh no! I wonder what's going on" Meg motioned to the highway men standing in front of their car. Benoit rolled down his window.

"How can I help you?" Basta shivered as the cold air entered the vehicle.

"Highway's closed. Road conditions are too severe. Sorry for any inconveniences."

"Alright, thanks." Benoit turned his vehicle around, and zoomed back to the town of Fernie.

"Great" muttered Basta, frustration setting his jaw in a strong line.

"You have no where to stay! Oh no!"

"Hey mom, maybe Basta could stay with us?"

"Anya! Shh, this is Christmas."

"Benoit?" Meg turned to her husband.

"Well I don't see why not..."

"Basta gets to stay with us for Christmas!"

"Oh dear god."

The Condo on the side of the ski hill. It was a cozy timber style home. Meg turned on all the lights, while Benoit and his daughters dragged in luggage.

"You can sit here, dear" Meg led Basta down some stairs to a spare bedroom.

"Thanks" Basta flicked on the lights and twisted his mouth. There was a bunk bed, double on bottom, single on top.

"Sorry it's not real mature" Meg fluffed up a pillow and pulled back the comforter.

"It's alright. Hopefully I'll get out of here soon." Basta winced when pain shot through his arm.

"How is your arm?"

"Fine."

"Alright, well will you want to have dinner with us?"

"I'm not hungry, actually." Basta put a hand to his flat stomach.

"Alright. Well make yourself at home!" Meg smiled sweetly, then leaved the room.

"So help me god." Basta to the bathroom. He peered at his reflexion and groaned. Blood Was smeared across his cheek and forehead, some dry blood coming from his nose. His gorgeous green eyes looked dull, and his skin was pale. "Congratulations, ass hole. You look like shit." He ran the water in the sink, and splashed his face.

He had just relaxed on the bed when there was a knock at the door.

"Ye?"

"We have something for you" it was the little girls. Anya and Sarah. The door creaked open, and the two girls walked in, wearing pyjamas and holding a mug. "We brought some coffee."

"Thanks" Basta's mouth watered at the thought of coffee. He accepted the mug with a smirk on his face.

"Are you comfortable?" Asked Sarah, running her fingers through her light blond hair. Her green eyes twinkled.

"Ye, its good."

"Alright." She rocked back and forth, studying Basta without stop. He took a huge sip of the hot drink and closed his eyes.

"How is your arm" Asked Anya sweetly, not taking her eyes off the bloody gash on his right arm.

"Fine."

"Are you excited for Christmas?"

"Uhh?"

"Anya! Shh" Sarah bulged her eyes again.

"I'm just asking."

"Maybe you girls should go to bed?"

"Yes. Come on Anya." Basta watched as the skinny girls scuttled out of his room, looking over their shoulders as they left. Wonderful he thought, snuggling onto the bed with his steaming coffee. Little kids. My favourite.

Basta awoke to yelling. Where the hell am I? He rose frantically, but as the pain in his arm came back, he remembered the night's events. Why were they yelling? Basta made his way upstairs, limping slightly as he body ached from yesterday's accident. He walked to the Condo's main floor, where the family was milling about.

"Basta! Welcome!" Meg opened her arms... a signal for a hug? Basta tentatively allowed her to wrap him up and rock him from side to side. She smelled like an American perfume... Victoria's secret shit.

"Um, morning."

"Feeling alright?"

"Stiff" he muttered, eyeing the piles of fruit on the table.

"Are you hungry?"

"Ye."

"Well help yourself to anything! We have plenty of food."

"Thanks, Meg." Basta limped to the table, where he scooped piles of chopped kiwi, nectarines, berries, apples and banana. Benoit greeted him with a smile, and offered coffee. "Black" said Basta, through a mouthful of food. Benoit poured it straight out of the pot.

"The fruit's probably no good compared to the fresh stuff you eat."

"I don't eat a whole lot, so....it doesn't matter to me." Benoit chuckled.

"What do you mean you don't eat?"

"Duno. Don't eat a whole lot of food."

"Well that would explain why you're thin as a rake" giggled Meg, sitting down across from him.

"I guess" A smile appeared, a very tiny, involuntary, little smile. But it was broken when the bickering of Sarah and Anya became audible.

"What are they fighting about anyways?" Asked Meg, standing.

"Who knows" Benoit grumbled. "GIRLS! BEHAVE!" The sound of four feet thumping down the carpeted stairs made everybody crane their heads. Anya and Sarah galloped down, full force.

"ANYA IS BEING STUPID!"

"NO I'M NOT!"

"Girls! Behave! We have a guest!" Benoit's face flushed red. They shut up right away.

"Please, girls." Meg mouthed the word please a second time.

Basta stayed quiet, but a chuckle burned in his throat.

"Well girls, we have lots of work to do today" Benoit grinned.

"A tree?" Asked Sarah with a grin.

"Yes, we get to pick out a tree." Basta sipped his coffee nonchalantly and snickered at the mental image of a family sitting around a dead tree. "Maybe Basta can help us bring one in?" He nearly choked on coffee.

"You want me to drag a dead tree into the house with you?" He looked into the faces of the family that had done so much for him. A squirm of awkwardness came into him. "I mean... I'd be more than happy to help you drag a tree into your house." He rolled his eyes behind his mug.

"Oh Benoit, don't make Basta do any physical work! He was just in a car accident for god's sake!" Meg raised an eyebrow at her husband. "Basta, you don't need to go out there and drag heavy objects around. But if you could please babysit Rosie for me..."

"Rosie?" Basta raised his eyebrows in question.

"My daughter." Then he remembered: when he got into the car he heard the sound of a baby. Lovely.

"Um, I don't have much experience with children..."

"Oh it's really quite simple, and you'll have Sarah to help you."

"Um...ok?"

"Thank you so much!"

It was well past noon when Meg, Benoit and Anya left the house to find a Christmas tree. Sarah and Basta stayed in the condo, looking after Rosie,

"What do you do for a living, Basta?" Sarah was sitting beside him on the sofa.

"Um...I'm uh, in..." Basta racked his brain. Come on Basta! Cook up a lie! You've never had a problem with this before! "I'm a mechanic." Smooth, you Bastard! You don't know the first thing about cars!

"Cool!"

"Not really."

"Oh. I thought so." Sarah twirled her thumbs and stared straight ahead. "Rosie is crying."

"So I can hear."

"I have to go to the bathroom. Be right back." Sarah sprang to her feet and bolted upstairs.

"SARAH WAIT!" Basta cried out. "I don't know anything about babies!" The little girl continued to wail, so Basta tentatively made his way to the room where she was sleeping. "Rosie" he said softly, his teeth chattering from nerves. "Ok, baby..." He inched over to the crib, where the baby girl screamed. He cautiously picked her up, and rested her cheek against his shoulder. Almost instantly she stopped crying. "That's right." He paced circles in the bedroom, patting Rosie's back and whispering softly.

The family returned with a small spruce tree. Basta carried a dozing Rosie into the living room, much to Meg's glee.

"Oh isn't that cute!" She cooed, smiling broadly at Basta. "She sure likes you!"

"Yeah?" Basta felt a half smirk come onto his face. He wouldn't admit out loud, but deep down inside he liked the little girl sleeping on his chest. No one ever felt at ease around him....ever, so Rosie's sleeping little body gave him a sense of comfort and...love.

"Ready to decorate the tree, girls?"