Summary: Alex Russo and her family go to a skiing lodge for their winter break vacation, as well as Shane Gray and his family. What can come from a skiing accident? Fifteen year old Alex Russo and seventeen year old Shane Gray go through the twists and turns of a relationship. To stay together, they have to dodge their parents and siblings, but in a life of lies how do you know what's real and what's not? Find out in: Meet Me Under the Mistletoe!

Rating: T

Author: UtterlyRandom

Disclaimer: I'm only saying this once... I don't own anything but the plot.

Chapter Name: Dates and Dinner Plans

JBJBJB

"Are you okay?" He asked. The skier didn't move. Shane pulled off the skier's hat and goggles. A mass of long, thick and wavy brown hair pooled around the skier's head. The skier was a girl, a very pretty, very unconscious, girl. Shane took off his skis and the girl's skis and picked the girl up in his arms. He saw something silver on a chain around her neck. He peered at it.

It was a key. Squinting, Shane read it out loud. "Mystic Mistletoe." He knew where the cabin was. He began to carry the girl to the cabin.

xXx

Shane stood over the girl, whom was unconscious on the couch in her cabin. He had called the lodge doctor and was waiting for him. He tried to keep the girl as warm as possible. He threw extra logs in the fireplace and took off the girl's jacket, gloves and hat. He covered the girl up with a warm blanket and sat in the armchair. He took out his cell phone just as it began vibrating in his hand.

"Hello?" He answered the phone.

"Shane!" He heard the relief in his older brother's voice. "Thank God! What the hell happened to you? Nate and I have been looking for you forever! Where are you? Are you hurt?" Shane's one and only (thank God!) older brother asked in a concerned/angry voice only a brother as caring and experienced as Jason could develop.

"Um...I was skiing and now I'm at a girl's cabin, but she's hurt. Not me." Shane explained without explaining the whole situation.

"What? What did you do to her Shane?" Jason groaned.

Shane opened his mouth to answer and defend himself, that he hadn't done anything wrong, but a knock sounded from the door. Shane looked out the front window.

"Uh, listen Jase, I gotta go. The doctor's here. I'll talk to you later, okay? Bye." Shane quickly ended the conversation on his iPhone. He opened the door and let the doctor in.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Rebecca Walters." The doctor said, holding out her hand.

Shane grasped it and shook it firmly. "I'm Shane Gray." He pointed to the couch. "That's the girl I saw fall. I don't know her name, but this is her cabin." Shane said.

The doctor cast him a judgmental glance before walking over to the girl, lugging a medical bag. She peeled the blanket off the girl and opened up her bag. She took out a stick of smelling salt and ran it under the girl's nose. The girl sat up, blinking and looking around, dazed.

"Hi honey. I'm Dr. Rebecca Walters. Can you tell me what happened to you?" She asked. The girl nodded.

"I was skiing alone and going down the slope really fast and must've hit a jump or a rock or something because I went flying into the air and landed on my ankle." She pulled up her right pant leg, revealing a red, swollen ankle. The doctor whistled.

"Yep. It's sprained." She began shuffling through her medical bag. "Shane, can you take off her boot and sock and push up the pant leg?" Dr. Walters asked Shane. He nodded and took off the girl's boot and sock and pulled up the pant leg. He had to hold it up by her thigh to keep it out of the way. He smiled at the girl.

"Hey, I'm Shane. I'm the one who brought you here." He said and the girl return the smile.

"Hi. I'm Alex." She blushed and ducked her head, peeking at Shane through her long and thick black eyelashes.

Dr. Walters smiled at the pair, who were staring into each other's eyes. She began to bind Alex's ankle with beige medical tape. She made quick work of it and handed Alex a big snow boot.

"You'll need to wear this. And use crutches. They're back at the lodge." She told Alex and Shane smiled.

"Do you need help getting to the lodge?" Shane asked Alex. She blushed.

"Um...yeah." She glanced at Dr. Walters.

"I'll need to rebind it in a couple of days. I'll come back on Friday, okay?" Dr. Walters asked. Alex nodded and Dr. Walters gathered up her medical supplies. "The crutches are behind the front desk. Tell the receptionist that Dr. Walters sent you." She waved and left, shutting Alex's cabin door behind her. Shane turned to Alex.

"Thanks for helping me." Alex thanked him shyly.

He smiled easily at her and Alex was dazed for a second. This incredibly adorable (not to mention hot!) guy had just saved her life! Sure, he didn't stop the fall, but if he hadn't of helped, she would've hurt herself worse trying to get back to her cabin alone. She stared back up at him, studying him. He had glowing tan skin and longish black hair that made her want to pet it, it looked so shiny and soft! Not to mention those amazing brown eyes. And that smile! He showed white, perfectly straight teeth, stretching those desirable pink lips of his, setting her frantically beating heart at ease...

Wait! Alex thought, Since when are his lips desirable, Russo? 'Amazing' brown eyes? Running your fingers through his hair just because it looks shiny and soft? And 'glowing' tan skin? You sound like you're in a romance novel! Well, wake up and eat the yellow snow, because you're not! This guy was just being nice, and you sound like you're in love with him! Alex chided herself, not noticing Shane's eyes peering at her face in worry and confusion.

"Alex...are you feeling okay? Do you want me to go get the doctor?" Shane asked, starting toward the door. Alex shook her head frantically.

"No! I'm still a little dizzy and disoriented from that fall." She lied smoothly, like it was second nature. Shane smiled at her and she continued, "Thanks for helping me, though. If you hadn't, I'd be in much worse shape, I'm sure." She laughed gently.

"It's no big deal. Any guy would've done the same." Shane replied modestly. Alex raised her eyebrows and smirked. "Okay, maybe not any guy. But any halfway decent guy would've done the same." Shane amended and Alex laughed.

"Sure." She yawned and stretching, rising to a sitting position on the couch, her newly bound ankle looking pitiful and red, from swelling and the cold. Alex studied it before speaking. "I think I'm going to go to the lodge and get those crutches." Alex said, gingerly putting on the snow boot that Dr. Walters had given her. She put on her gloves and jacket and hat. Shane helped her up, all of her weight on her left foot, keeping her right foot off of the ground. Shane thought for a moment.

"I'll give you a piggyback ride to the lodge. I'm meeting my brothers there for lunch, anyway." Shane explained, putting on his own gloves, hat and jacket. Alex blushed as he prepared for the cold.

"You want to give me a piggyback ride all the way to the lodge?" Alex asked doubtfully, biting her lip. Not that she didn't want to jump on this hot, older boy's back and have him take her back to the lodge. It's just...I don't know him. And I know that I'm not in New York anymore, but I don't think it's exactly safe...then again, if he had wanted to hurt me, why would he pick me up and take me back to my cabin and call a doctor? He's harmless. Alex decided.

"Yes! Now, come on aboard S.S. Shane!" Shane said, kneeling down for her to hop onto his back. Alex giggled.

"You do know that 'S.S.' is for ships, right?" She asked, swinging one leg onto his back and eased her other leg onto his back. He grabbed the undersides of Alex's thighs to keep her from falling off of his back.

"So? Then I'm a spaceship." He corrected himself, turning his head to look over his shoulder at Alex, smiling at her, making her insides melt. He didn't notice his passenger's internal meltdown, though. Alex sighed with relief as he carried her out of her cabin. She pulled the door shut behind them and Shane carried her all the way to the lodge, carefully watching the ground so he wouldn't slip and land on her or something much more disastrous.

xXx

Shane carried Alex up to the receptionists desk and Alex reached over his shoulder to ding the bell. A little old lady came scurrying from a back room and sat behind the desk.

"Good afternoon, I'm Mrs. Hopewell. How may I help you children?" She asked, her face kind and gentle, like a grandmother's.

"Hi, I'm Alex and this is Shane." Alex said, pointing to the top of Shane's head. He waved a little, but quickly grabbed Alex's leg again. "I sprained my ankle on the slopes today and Dr. Walters sent me here to get crutches." Alex said. The old lady smiled.

"Ah, yes dear. Of course." She went to the back room again and returned a short while later with a pair of crutches. She lifted them over the counter and handed them to Alex. Shane held them as Alex slid off of his back, landing on her bad foot.

"Owww!" She yelped as she jumped up and down on one foot. Shane grabbed her arms and balanced her, dropping the crutches in the process. They both bent down at the same time to retrieve the fallen crutches, but knocked their heads together instead.

"Ouch!" They yelped in unison and fell backwards on their butts. Alex rubbed her ankle and head as Shane rubbed his head and butt.

"You're a klutz." Alex said, trying to look mad, but ruined it by smiling.

"You're a danger to society." Shane retorted and Alex laughed. Shane stood up and helped Alex to her feet, well, foot. "I'll get the crutches." He bent down and picked them up before handing them to her. Alex smiled and took them from him and started hopping around the lodge lobby with them. Shane smiled and she stopped right in front of him.

"Hey, do you want to meet me back here for dinner at the lodge? Cocoa's on me." Shane offered, a little nervous, but he didn't know why he suddenly had butterflies because Alex was younger than him and it was just cocoa... I just want to make sure she's okay. After all, I did rescue her, I have the right to make sure she's still fine, Shane justified his intentions to himself.

Alex smiled. "Yeah. Sure...okay!" She chirped, her warm, brown eyes lighting up brightly. Shane smiled as his cell phone vibrated. He checked it.

"Oh, hey, I gotta go meet my brothers for lunch. I'll meet you here at six, okay?" He asked. Alex nodded. "Um...can I have your cell phone number?" He asked, holding out his phone. Alex nodded and took out her cell. They switched cell phones and entered their numbers and handed them back.

"Try not to break something or someone while I'm gone, okay?" Shane teased her, a smirk gracing his lips.

"No promises." Alex smirked back before looking over her shoulder at the lodge door. "I'm gonna go try these out on the snow. Wish me luck! Bye!" Alex hobbled out of the lodge.

"Bye." Shane breathed, long after the heavy wooden lodge door had shut behind Alex.

"Honey, if you play your cards right, cocoa won't be the only thing 'on you' tonight." Mrs. Hopewell said, taking him out of his trance. Shane smiled at the receptionist awkwardly before going off to meet his brothers.

xXx

"Alex! What happened to you?" Theresa Russo exclaimed. Alex sat up from her position on the couch.

"Oh, yeah. I fell down while I was skiing and sprained my ankle. It's no biggie." She said, stretching. Mrs. Russo stared at her daughter in a strange combination of shock, worry and anger.

"Uh, yeah it is! Honey, are you okay? Honestly, you feel fine?" Theresa asked, going into 'mom mode'. She checked Alex's temperature, propped her sprained ankle on a pillow, fluffed the pillows behind her head, fetched her another blanket and got Alex a pile of books and magazines and the remote to the TV.

"Mom, stop! I feel fine! Besides, something good came from all of this." Alex said, gesturing to her ankle.

Theresa raised an eyebrow. "And what good could possibly come from spraining an ankle and missing out on half of our family vacation?" She questioned her daughter. Alex smiled as her cell phone vibrated. Her mom picked up the phone and handed it to Alex, who quickly read the text message.

Are we still on for 2nite? ~ Shanger

Alex smiled wider and quickly texted her reply.

Yep! Meet me at 6, kay? And wats up with your sig? ~ Alex the Great

Thirty seconds later, she got another text.

Awesome. And my sig is Shane and danger combined. For obvious reasons. I love yours, Alex the Great! ~ Shanger

Alex giggled as her mother tapped her foot impatiently.

Okay, see ya then, Shanger! ~ Alex the Great

Alex slid her purple LG Scoop phone shut. Her mother glared at her.

"What good could possibly come from having a sprained ankle for half of vacation?" Her mother repeated her earlier question.

"A date." Alex sighed contentedly, settling back on her new fluffed pillows.

"What?" Theresa shrieked.

xXx

"Dude, stop texting and eat! I'm sure Bridget can go five minutes without you two texting." Jason said between forkfuls of food.

"Shut up! I'm not texting Bridget! We broke up!" Shane snapped, setting his phone on vibrate and slipping it into the back pocket of his jeans.

"Then who were you texting?" Nate asked, smirking at Shane when his cheeks turned crimson. Yep. Nate and Jason won the award of Nosiest Brothers of the Year. But they sooo did not deserve a trophy.

"A really cool girl named Alex." Shane replied, trying to gain control of his body temperature.

"You met a girl already?" Shane nodded.

"Dude! I bet she's just like Bridget; stupid, blonde, skinny and only dating you for your money and because you're in Connect 3." Jason responded critically. Shane glared at his older brother.

"Okay, try not to stereotype, okay?" He didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "One: Her name is Alex, not Bridget. Two: She's a brunette with these amazingly adorable puppy brown eyes and a cute little nose...um...oh, yeah! Three: She's not skinny, she's thin, but she isn't all bones or all fat. Juuuussttt right. Four: She doesn't know I even have money or that I'm in Connect 3." Shane concluded.

His brothers were silent for a little while. Until...

"Wow. Shane...you sound like you really like Alex." Nate said. Shane paled.

"No. I just met her. I was just making an observation. Jeez, chill out." Shane said smoothly. Nate nodded, accepting his brother's explanation, but not believing it. They ate the rest of their meal with idle chitchat, but they didn't bring up Alex again.

xXx

Alex stood in front of her bathroom mirror, getting ready for her date. She had spent the past two hours calming down her mother, explaining that it was just cocoa and Shane was just a friend. Her mother had decided to go to the spa to 'lose the gray hairs' that Alex had caused to grow. Alex shook her head, smiling. Her mother was such a drama queen! Now, to get back to deciding how to look for her date...

Wait. Is it even a date? I mean, technically, he asked me for cocoa and that's just being a gentleman. Oh no! What if he thinks I don't like him? Hold on, do I like Shane? He's the same age as Justin, for goodness sake! Alex thought as she brushed her wavy brown hair. Suddenly, her bathroom door opened and her mom walked in.

"Honey, you're going to have to cancel your cocoa break. We are having dinner with a very nice couple and their children. I met the woman at the spa and we made plans for our families to have dinner together. I figured that Justin could meet some...normal friends." Theresa cringed, remembering Justin's friends from a Star Trek reunion. Alex also shuddered, remembering the year Justin and his friends had cornered her and made her go trick or treating as Princess Leia for Halloween when she was seven. She snapped out of it, realizing with this little dinner meant.

"Well, I don't see why I have to go when they're gonna be Justin's friends." Alex stated, putting hairspray in her hair, holding her waves in place. Her mother gave her a look via mirror.

"You're going to go because I say so. And dress up decently, I don't want you to make a bad first impression." Theresa told her daughter before leaving the cabin.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that now would we?" Alex asked sarcastically after the door had shut.

She groaned and went to her room and rifled through her closet. Alex pulled out her black wool leggings and ripped blue jean skirt and evergreen sweater. Green wasn't her best color, but it would have to do. Justin's future geeky friends didn't deserve her best. She put on a tiny bit of eyeliner and lip gloss. She hobbled on her crutches to the main room, pulling on her coat, gloves and scarf. She put on her normal boot and the special boot Dr. Walters had given her. She picked up her cell phone and texted Shane.

I can't go 2nite. I'm sorry. My mom made plans without telling me and now I have to go. ~ Alex the Great

She waited a few seconds for Shane to text back. Her cell phone vibrated and she opened the text message.

Oh ~ Shanger

Alex groaned. Great! Now he hates me! Her fingers flew over her cell phone's keypad.

I really am sorry! Maybe we could do something together tomorrow? As long as it can be done on crutches! ~ Alex the Great

A few seconds later, she got a reply.

Sure. Breakfast and coffee at the lodge? ~ Shanger

Alex smiled, picturing herself loaded up with coffee and sugar.

Yeah, but I get the feeling that you get hyper! ~ Alex the Great

So? Hyper is fun cuz you can do crazy moves on stage! ~ Shanger

Alex stared at the message. On stage? What the heck does he mean on stage? She thought as another message popped up, as if Shane were reading her mind.

You know? Just hangin out? Like, talent shows and playing songs at dances? ~ Shanger

Alex beamed. You play at dances? That's too cool! ~ Alex the Great

Yeah, but my brothers and I are on break. ~ Shanger

Just then, a knock sounded from Alex's door. "Alex! Come on! It's time to go meet Justin's new friends!" Theresa Russo shouted, her voice muffled by the heavy wooden door.

"Just a sec!" She called, zipping up her coat and pulling up her hood. She quickly texted Shane back.

See you tomorrow at breakfast! I gotta go! ~ Alex the Great

Okay, bye! See you in the morning! ~ Shanger

Alex slid her purple LG Scoop phone shut and put her crutches under her arms. She limped to the door and opened it, revealing her mother. She smiled and shut off the lights in her cabin and shut the door.

"Aren't you going to lock it?" Theresa asked. Alex shook her head.

"No. I trust the people here." Alex's eyes scanned the scenery and landed on the other cabin, which must be Shane and his brother's cabin. It was dark and empty. Alex got butterflies in her stomach when she thought of him. Oh my gosh! He could be at the lodge! Then she brought herself back to face reality. He's too old for you and he probably has a girlfriend, Alex. He was just being friendly, but still... She realized she had been zoning out for awhile.

"I trust the people here with my life." Alex said. Theresa eyed her.

"Honey...did you hit your head when you fell?" She asked, checking Alex's temperature with the back of her hand, which was pointless anyway, considering that it was freezing cold outside. Alex pushed her mother's hand away.

"I'm fine! Can we just get this over with?" Alex snapped, starting down the snow covered street on her crutches. She heard the snow crunching behind her; her mother on her tail. Alex wanted nothing more than to act like a five year old and stomp off, but it didn't happen. She'd only end up in more pain. So she stuck to...crutching her way to the lodge, slipping on ice and snowdrifts along the way.

xXx

Alex hung her coat and gloves in the coat room at the lodge. Her mother was behind her every step of the way.

"Hurry up!" Theresa urged.

Alex shot her mother a look and hobbled on her crutches to the lodge dining room. Alex scanned the tables and found her father and two brothers and an unfamiliar couple and two boys. Her father sat at the head of the table, with the unfamiliar man on his left and an empty chair on his right. Beside the empty chair on his right were her brothers, Max and Justin. The unfamiliar woman sat across from Max and the oldest looking of the two brothers sat across from Justin. There was an empty chair by Justin and across from the boy that looked her age.

"Sit down!" Theresa hissed, embarrassed by her daughter's staring.

Barely restraining the urge to roll her eyes, Alex moved toward the table, limping with her crutches. As she neared the table, the bottom of her crutch got caught on a piece of the rug sticking up. She fell toward the floor, the odd embroidered rug looming closer, but a sharp jerk around her waist kept her from face-planting. She was set upright, balanced on her crutches. Alex slowly turned around to look at her savior. She saw a familiar pair of brown eyes and a hot, sexy mess of black hair.

"Shane." Alex exhaled, suddenly breathless, whether from the scare of almost falling or from having Shane save her from worse injury, again, she didn't know. Shane smiled at her, once again making her insides melt. She stared up at him in shock.

"I though I told you not to go killing yourself while I was gone." Shane teased lightly, his auburn eyes twinkling with friendly mischief. Alex smiled back at him.

"Well, why should I watch out for my own life when I've got you to do that for me?" Alex asked flirtatiously, grinning just as mischievously. Shane's grin widened and, suddenly, Alex was breathless all over again.

"Wait, what are you doing here? I though you had called off our da- coffee...um, plans." Shane said nervously, hoping that she wouldn't want to go out now.

Alex laughed. "Me? What are you doing here?" Shane smirked.

"I asked you first." He said in a childish singsong voice. Alex rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I'm here because my mom forced me to cancel our da- whatever. I'm going to call it a date. Anyway, I was forced to cancel our date because my mom wants my dorky brother to make more friends." Alex finished. "Sooo...why are you here?"

Shane gave her a small, secret smile, as if they were sharing a secret together. And that smile made Alex's heart pound and her blood pulse, burning her ears and face. Shane leaned closer, bending his head down toward hers. She unconsciously leaned forward, not wanting to miss a single word escaping from those beautiful lips...Get a grip, Russo! He'll never think of you like that. You're just a cute little girl to him. He's the kind of guy who dates curvy, busty blondes, not thin, loudmouthed, klutzy, stubborn brunettes. She looked up at him, his dark brown eyes sparkling as they stared into hers. Still...it doesn't mean I can't wish otherwise. She mused, staring into those deep pools of humor, laughter and purity.

"I'm one of those boys who is going to be your brother's future friend." Shane said. Alex cringed and leaned back.

"I feel sooo bad for you." She consoled him sympathetically, patting his shoulder with sympathy. Behind her, she heard someone clear their throat. She turned, missing the sight of Shane shivering from her touch and his whole face to the back of neck flush a dark red. Alex faced her mother.

"Yes?" Alex snipped. Her mother gave her a reproving look.

"Honey, sit down by Justin." Theresa suggested, her voice dripping with forced sweetness, but Alex knew her mother well enough that the sweets were frozen in that voice.

The middle Russo child sighed and limped over to Justin and sat down by him. Shane took her crutches and placed them under the table. He sat down at the head of the table opposite of her dad, but on her right. Shane smiled at the Russo family, but they glared politely at him. His smile faltered. Alex offered a small smile to Shane's family and they stared at her, unsure, but welcoming. Shane looked away from the Russo family and settled his eyes on Alex. He smiled lightly at her, but for some reason, his heart broke.

Whoa, Danger! Red Alert! Code Red! Heartbreaking? No! Cause that would mean that you want to be with Alex...At the thought of her, his heartbeat sped up and he felt like holding her hand and throwing those stupid crutches of hers through a wood chipper and give her piggyback rides for the rest of the trip. No! You can't like her, Shane! She's fifteen, you're seventeen. She's Nate's age, for God's sake! Still, it didn't stop him from casually resting his fist by her hand, his knuckles grazing the skin on her wrist. He carefully monitored her reaction from the corner of his eyes. She shivered, but a pleasant glow rose in her cheeks. Shane smirked to himself, not realizing that he had just made the first big step into a path of the untraveled and unknown. He'd have to guide Alex, his little cripple. His. Well, she would be. He just needed the chance to talk to her alone. Tomorrow at breakfast. He decided. That's when I'll ask her to be my girlfriend.

JBJBJB

Chapter Three: Giggles and Girlfriends

Summary: Alex nodded and Shane stepped back, revealing a black and silver glitter snowmobile. She squealed and crutched her way to the beautiful piece of machinery. Shane smiled wider and shut the cabin door for her. He handed her a black and glittering silver matching helmet and put on his own. Alex sat on the back while Shane sat in front. He put her crutches on his lap and revved up the motor. He pressed his foot to the pedal and the snowmobile launched forward. Alex let out a yelp and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Shane and clasping her hands together, making herself slide forward until her chest was against his back and the insides of her thighs were squeezing against the outside of his thighs. Shane smirked and quickly made the snowmobile go faster, making Alex's grip on him tighten. One thing was for sure, he was never going to slow down the snowmobile.