Author's Note: So, I promised you an update in April and it is now May... Oops! Sorry guys! But here it is and I hope this satisfies your cravings for a bit! I've got some scenes played out in my head where I want the story to go... Just not sure how to get them all out the way I want. So I'm going to be cranking out updates fairly regularly for a while hopefully on all my stories. I'm really liking where this is going and the response I've gotten to it. Wish I could be one of those writers who put a review limit on it, but I won't. I love getting your feedback, big or small. It's what encourages me to write. I had a review on a story I hadn't touched in over a year, and I updated it for no other reason than that review. Just a quick reminder, that little button down there does wonders for getting updates out! :) Thanks for sticking with me and the story, I hope you enjoy it!

Do you guys want Italics on present day or labeled like I have it in this chapter? Let me know!

Previously on The MOUNTAIN

Once they were on the lift she started talking. "She likes you." He looked over at her, a little surprised, almost as if he'd forgotten she was there but smiled at her all the same.

"I like her too." He turned his head away from her and she thought the conversation might be over. "I can see where you get all of it from." His voice was laughing, but not in the normal way when he was baiting her. This time he was honestly amused. He heaved a heavy sigh as the lift started nearing its stop. It was the same as yesterday. He stopped the lift and helped her off, but she was much more willing to grab onto his hand today. And then, she looked at the slope.

"They're going to keep getting bigger. You know that don't you?" His voice had changed again, baiting her so she shot him a look.

"Well, I mean..." He smiled kindly at her.

"Just focus on how you felt yesterday when we hit the bottom of that slope alright?" She nodded and followed him to the peak. This hill was steeper but he assured her it was still a "bunny" hill.

They skiied this hill three more times after the first. On the last lift up he smiled over at her.

"You're a natural." Something about his tone told her he meant more than just skiing and all she could do was smile widely at him.

"That was much easier than the first, wasn't it?" Rory nodded excitedly at him.

"You know..." She hesitated, not sure she wanted to bring it up, but at his raised eyebrows she continued. "We haven't bickered once." He smiled impishly at her.

"Is that you saying you've missed my sharp wit, twinkling eye, and thrill of being bested Mary?" She rolled her eyes but continued.

"I'm serious." He turned towards her more fully and his eyebrows furrowed, considering her seriously.

"Are you trying to tell me you've been enjoying my company?" She blushed under his intense gaze and when she brought her face up to meet his eyes he was so close, invading her space. His breath was coming as heavy as hers now and something about his eyes mesmerized her. He had never looked at her with quite as much sincerity as he was now. This, this was real. And then the lift stopped.

The stopping of the lift jolted them to their collective senses and he jerked away from her as if she had been the instigator. This time, he made no move to help her off the lift but motioned for the man to stop it to give her adequate time to slide off all the same. Rory slid off quickly, embarrassed and forgetting how clumsy she was by nature and quite literally fell into his no-so-waiting arms.

His eyes had darkened with emotions she hadn't ever seen there before but before she could name them he righted her on her feet and let go of her as if the close proximity had burned him.

DAY ONE

As Rory sat by the hearth watching the sunset she replayed the memory in her head. That had been the second of six lessons and he had made no more advances. In fact, he had stayed as far away from her as possible. The memory seemed to wound her pride even more the fiftieth time around and so she locked it away, not wanting to admit to herself that there could be something more to them, to him, than she had allowed herself to see before.

Sighing as she opened her eyes, she noticed how quickly the sun had set and the darkness replaced the little warmth she had. He had made her laugh for the first time in days, a playful glint to his eyes when he discovered the water and made her feel proud of herself for her quick thinking.

"You should rest now." His voice broke through her thoughts and she looked at him.

"You were the one doing all that physical labor, I don't mind." The look he gave her clearly said he wasn't going to rest until she did and she briefly wondered how much good it would do to argue at this point. Giving up, she nodded.

"I wish..." Cutting himself off he sighed and moved closer to her on the hearth. "I'm sorry." She almost didn't hear his whispered apology, almost. And then he continued, his voice stronger. "But, I made a promise to you. I'm not very good at keeping those to myself, but I'm damn good at keeping them to people I care about." He didn't look at her while he said this, his eyes far away.

"What?" It was her voice that now came out small and he looked at her almost like he forgot she was there beside him, almost.

"I care about you Rory." Her breath caught in her chest. "I promised myself that I would stay away, that I wouldn't force this on you." He took a deep breath. "Especially with bagboy." He muttered the name bitterly.

"He's not..." Tristan's eyes snapped to hers. "We're not..." And then a smile broke across his features and he swooped in and kissed her fully.

When he broke away from her his blue eyes were almost black with emotions that nearly took her breath away. "How about we both rest? It'll be warmer anyway." She smiled to him at the mention of warmth. As they both slid into the sleeping bag nearest the fire he started to undo his parka, taking her by suprise. It was much too cold for that. And then he started undressing.

"What are you doing?" Her voice came out much more high pitched than she'd thought it might and he looked over at her confused.

"Body heat. Survival one-oh-one." Truth was, he was now freezing and waiting on her to be a normal girl and just take her clothes off. Instead her eyes widened and she started shaking her head furiously back and forth, making him sigh. He closed his eyes in frustration and then reached for her jacket zipper. She jerked away quickly but he grabbed her shoulder in the tight space. "Rory." His tone caused her to halt all movement and look him in the eye. "We will share this tonight okay." It was probably supposed to be meant as a question, instead coming out like a statement. "I don't want to freeze to death up here okay?" She nodded and let him unzip her jacket and invade her personal bubble closer than anyone had before. He muttered a thank you before wrapping his arms tightly around her and making good use of his as a make-shift pillow.

Quickly, she saw he was right about the body heat, even in just the close proximity they were sharing it helped. She fell asleep before he did, reveling in the heat the fire was giving off.

Days two, three and four went much the same. She shoveled more snow while he went for more fire wood, always back before dark. And then day five came, and night fell, and Tristan was no where to be found, leaving a panicked Rory waiting. Just waiting.

Back home, Loreali was parked in the closest spot she could find at Chilton Prep's outlandish parking lot and considering she was the only parent there, it was pretty close. The bus unloaded and she found herself confused as she searched for her daughter's face, and then Tristan's, neither to be found. Jumping out of the car she walked up to the chaperone who blanched upon seeing her.

"Where's my kid?" He blinked quickly and shrugged, helpless to answer her questions. "Gilmore. Loreali Leigh Gilmore." When he continued to stand mute she yelled, "Rory!" And then Headmaster Charleston appeared and took her elbow.

"We need to talk in my office Ms. Gilmore." His formal manner was more formal than normal. When they reached the office he had a fire going already to help ward off the cold and sighed as he motioned for her to set down. Next to the one and only Emily Gilmore.

All eyes on Loreali, she spoke. "Now, will someone please tell me where the hell my kid is?"

A/N: There you go! Hope you liked it! Review and let me know what you think!