"…And so, Ralphie Boy, that's the story of me scaring three children on Christmas Day when I was 12." Toby concluded with a sneer on his face, and started to laugh with Ralph in the backseat. Happy rolled her eyes, "For once, I have genuinely enjoyed a story of yours." Toby feigned hurt and slapped his hand against his chest, "Way to keep up the Christmas spirit, Hap…"
The mechanic glared at the shrink through the rearview mirror. "Says the person who terrorized kids by putting a balloon of red food coloring in the head of a snowman and ruthlessly stabbed it with a knife, causing the food coloring to squirt out, looking like blood. That's definitely the Christmas spirit." Ralph giggled.
Toby decided to change the subject, "So how much longer until we get to the cabin?"
"About two hours, depending on how much snow is up there."
After half an hour of persuading, Paige and Cabe got the team to agree with going on a vacation for the winter holiday. Paige did research online and rented a cabin by the Rocky Mountains in the tranquil city of Nathrop, Colorado. The team settled on taking two cars: Happy, Toby, and Ralph with half of the luggage; Paige, Walter, Cabe, and Sylvester with the items that wouldn't fit with the other three.
"Toby, check out all of the snow up here!" Ralph mused as he pressed his face to the frosty window. The shrink followed his gaze. "Wow, that is neat!" Toby grinned, "But it isn't as amazing as my sugar plum…"
"Shut up."
"I hope Ralph's okay," Paige whispered against Walter's shoulder. "I'm sure he's fine. He is probably enjoying being with Toby and Happy." Walter assured. Paige smiled, "Unless the two of them are arguing, as usual." The genius chuckled, "I think he would still be enjoying himself."
"Please tell me that there will be no wild animals up there," Sylvester fretted, hands folded in his lap anxiously. Cabe looked at him using the rearview mirror, "Kid, you will be alright." Sly pumped some hand sanitizer on his hands, "But what about the insects that carry diseases? Do you guys have any idea how deadly they can be?" Paige turned around and leaned forward. "Sylvester, no one is going to get sick or hurt. You can trust me." She smiled at him. "Have I ever put you into any danger?"
"No."
"See? You'll be fine," she turned back around and leaned against Walter. "This is going to be a great vaca-"
Suddenly, a forceful impact caused the car to spin on a thin sheet of ice. "Walter!" Paige screeched. Walter unbuckled himself and used his body to shield her, "I got you," he assured her. Sylvester held his backpack over his head and Cabe wrapped his arms over his head as well.
The spinning stopped, and all they heard was the loud silence. "Is everyone okay?" Cabe asked and shifted himself around to face everyone else. They all nodded, and Sylvester started to hyperventilate. "I'm going to check the damage," announced Cabe as he stepped out of the car. He walked around the vehicle and noticed a humongous dent on the front. He checked the engine and cursed. Walter, Paige, and Sly got out of the vehicle and headed over to Cabe. "It looks like a hit and run," Cabe gestured to the dent.
"And we aren't going to be going anywhere unless one of you magically turns into Happy," the agent stated.
Walter sighed. "We can't just stay here. So we need grab our stuff and start walking." They gather their belongings and start walking. "Do any of you guys know where we are?" Sly asked nervously. "The last time I checked, we were in Salida. Nathrop is approximately 42.7 miles away. How long will it take for us to get there, Sly?" asked Walter.
"If we keep a steady, continuous pace, based on the snowy terrain and the temperature... It will be around 14 hours and 50 minutes."
Paige sighed. "It's getting pretty chilly out here." She rubs her hands over her arms.
"Why don't you put on your jacket?" Walter wondered.
"I left it back in the SUV."
"Oh." Walter took his jacket off. "Here, use mine," he held it over to her.
Paige smiled. "I can't."
"Please, just take it."
She gently picked it up and put it around her. "Thank you, Walter."
Happy pulled into a dirt road that stretched out as far as the eye could see, just as the sky started to turn black. "Almost there," she said with a yawn. Hearing no response, she looked behind her and felt her heart melt. Ralph was fast asleep on Toby's lap, and Toby had an arm wrapped protectively around the young boy. Happy knew she was going to regret it, especially if Toby found out, but she took out her phone and snapped a picture.
The headlights on her truck made everything around her absolutely beautiful. At one point, trees were bended over, making a canopy over them. It amazed her that she could get a good view of the moon because they were away from the city lights. She turned into the cabin's driveway and parked, letting out a huge yawn. Happy hopped out of the truck and opened the door that was on Toby's side.
She shook his shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Come on, help me with the stuff." Toby carefully closed the door and assisted Happy carry in the supplies. "I'll get Ralph," she volunteered when they finished. She went outside and opened up the car door, "Hey, Ralph," she whispered and placed a hand on his shoulder. The boy drearily opened his eyes and yawned. Happy placed her arms under Ralph's arms and picked him up. She kicked the door closed with her foot and walked back into the cabin.
Happy laid Ralph on the couch and went to go find Toby. She found him in the bathroom, shirtless, washing his face with a washcloth. She snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Tired…" she mumbled against his back. Toby set down the cloth. "I know. I'll be there in a minute." Happy found the room they would be sharing, it had a king sized bed with a closet on one wall and a window. She took off her shirt and put on one of Toby's and replaced her pants with a pair of shorts. Before she got in the bed, she went to check on Ralph. He was still asleep on the couch. Happy left him there, just in case the rest of the team arrived later.