The Lodge

Gray skies peppered with fat snowflakes blended almost perfectly into the ground on the snow covered horizon of central Pennsylvania. The pressure of a deadline took away from the beauty of the snow covered trees and picturesque landscapes and the 25 car pile up on I-80 was a stark reminder of how dangerous the conditions were—and how stupid the human race could be but Tony couldn't deny the beauty surrounding him.

"As you can see Winter Storm Athena is rolling into our area," the radio DJ reported.

"Naming winter storms? Are we seriously gonna do this again?!" Tony grumbled as he reached over and turned the radio up.

"If you're out doing some last minute shopping or picking the kids up from school, now would be a good time to head home. The snow is only going to get heavier and it's here to stay, folks. The National Weather Service just upgraded us from a winter storm watch to a winter storm warning. We'll have a full report for you within the half hour but for now stay safe out there."

Tony groaned audibly as he turned the volume on the radio down again. He'd driven Interstate 80 numerous times and always enjoyed the endless rolling hills and the Appalachian Mountains. He usually didn't even mind the snow. Growing up in New York and spending the last several years in Ohio had prepared him for anything Mother Nature threw at him but there was nothing calming and relaxing about this trip.

This trip was anything but.

This was the trip that meant his life was changing forever and if he didn't hurry up and get his butt home in time to take his fiancée to the opera it was going to start out on a sour note. Fiancée. He was really doing it. He was going to get married to the daughter of a very wealthy, New York businessman and be groomed to be New York's next billionaire. He wasn't overly excited about the business part but all that mattered was making Angie happy and she certainly wasn't going to be happy if he couldn't get off the back roads of the tiny town he was in, hop back on the interstate ahead of the pile up and get in front of the massive storm system so he could get home.

A glance at the clock told him his chances of making it in time for his date were slim to none. He hoped Angie didn't think he was trying to sabotage their night at the opera after all the teasing. Just because he had no interest in the opera didn't mean he wasn't willing to go for her. He knew how much she was looking forward to it and that's what love was about: making sacrifices and participating in things your significant other enjoyed, right? Never mind that Angie rarely participated in the activities he enjoyed...

"Don't get grumpy, Tony," he told himself. He knew it was just the stress of driving in the bad weather and being late for his date that was making him grumpy. He really did love Angie, even if their parents had been the ones who'd pushed for the engagement. He probably needed that kick in the pants. If it were left up to him he might've never asked Angie to marry him. Dating was more fun and allowed him a little more freedom but he had to grow up sooner or later—as his father reminded him almost daily.

He grabbed his cell phone out of the cup holder, knowing he'd get in less trouble if he called Angie and warned her he was running behind than he would if he just didn't show up but his Blazer hit a patch of black ice sending his phone flying and his car skidding off the road. Tony grabbed the steering wheel and tried, unsuccessfully, to regain control of the vehicle. Before he could process what was happening, his vehicle rolled down into the ditch and came to rest on the driver's side in the middle of a four board farm fence.

A low groan escaped as Tony tried to push himself up off the window but he quickly realized he was too tired to try to crawl. He just needed to rest for a moment before he tried to move; maybe take a quick nap and then he could pull himself out. Just a short nap...

Jethro Gibbs walked along the sidewalks outside the lodge his father ran, spreading salt in an effort to get ahead of the storm that was promising to dump heavy amounts of snow on them. Bad weather usually meant cancellations for the small lodge (that mirrored a bed and breakfast in many ways) but that didn't mean there wasn't work to be done. The sidewalks still needed to be shoveled and the small parking lot would still need to be cleared among other things but none of them were things Jethro minded doing. He enjoyed the work.

He'd just finished salting the walkway to the front entrance when he heard the sound of squealing tires. He paused, just like he always did when he heard the unmistakable sound, and waited for the crash that usually didn't come only this time it did and it was right in his front yard. He watched as an SUV skidded off the side of the road before rolling down the small hill and coming to a stop on its side in the middle of the fence he'd built the previous summer.

The bucket of salt fell to the ground and Jethro half ran, half slid across his icy front yard, blinking snow out of his eyes as he went. The driver wasn't moving and didn't have his eyes open. There was blood running down his face but it was impossible to tell how bad his injuries were until he could get the guy out of the vehicle.

"Hey, man!" he yelled as he tapped on the windshield. Jethro let out a quiet sigh of relief when the driver's eyes opened and he let out a low, pained groan. "Hang tight. I'm gonna get you outta there."

He yanked his coat off and carefully climbed up onto the Blazer's side. After dropping his coat into the broken passenger window with instructions for the man to cover his face, Jethro jumped back to the ground, grabbed a chunk of the broken fence post and with one firm whack the shattered windshield was in pieces. He ran the wood along the edge to clear any remaining sharp pieces before lowering himself onto the cold, wet ground and weaseling his way into the vehicle.

"What's your name?" Jethro asked as he pulled his coat away from the man's face.

"Tony. Am I bleeding?" he asked when he saw the blood on his rescuer's coat.

"A little," Jethro answered, assessing the man's condition. "Looks like you have a small cut above your eye. Head wounds always bleed more."

"Are you a doctor?"

"No, but I've had some first aid training."

"Must be my lucky day," Tony said. "What's your name?"

"Jethro."

He pulled his pocket knife out and sliced through Tony's seat belt while Tony wiggled his fingers and toes and made sure he wasn't missing any body parts. It took some effort but they worked together and managed to get Tony out from behind the steering wheel so Jethro could pull him out of the car. The pain from being jostled had Tony trying to slip back into a peaceful, painless sleep but Jethro's hand on his cheek immediately brought him back.

"Stay with me, Tony."

"I'm here," Tony moaned, "although I kinda wish I wasn't. Oww."

"What hurts?"

"Pretty much everything," Tony answered, "and I'm cold."

Jethro ran a hand down Tony's neck and along his back to make sure his spine was still in alignment then grabbed the toes of Tony's shoes and had him wiggle them and press against his hands. He stuck a finger in each of Tony's tightly balled fists and instructed him to squeeze before he was satisfied he could pull the guy to his feet and let him walk to the lodge. Tony hadn't even taken one step before he ended up in a pile on the ground again.

"My knee," he shrieked. "I think I twisted it again."

"Again?" Jethro asked, feeling around the knee Tony was clutching.

"Old ball injury," Tony explained.

"Is it broken?"

"No, just twisted."

Jethro pulled Tony to his feet again, and draped the guy's arm around his shoulder and wrapped his arm around the guy's waist then headed towards the lodge. It looked like they'd have a guest after all.

Tony sat patiently on the wooden stool in the living room while Jethro checked him out and patched him up. It was a little strange to be sitting in front of a stranger wearing only a pair of boxer shorts but the heat from the raging fire felt good against his cool skin and it was nice to be out of his wet clothes. His teeth chattered as he looked around the large, rustic room with twenty foot ceilings and spectacular views. The place was like a luxury log cabin with all the rustic charm.

"Warming up any?" Jethro asked.

"Uh-huh," Tony grunted, trying to stop his body from shaking and his teeth from chattering.

"I've got your clothes in the wash, Tony," Jack, Jethro's father, said. "I brought you a pair of Leroy's jeans and one of his long sleeve t-shirts to wear until yours are done. I'm not sure if I got all the blood out of them or not."

"L-leroy?" Tony chattered.

"Leroy," Jack said proudly pointing to his son.

"Leroy Jethro," Jethro explained while he carefully glued the cut above Tony's eye closed. "I go by Jethro but Dad's always called me Leroy."

"Ahh. M-my dad c-calls me J-j-junior."

"Are you really a junior or is that just what he calls you?" Jethro asked.

"Really am."

"Can I get you some coffee or hot cocoa, Tony?" Jack asked.

"C-coff-fee," Tony requested, cursing himself for being unable to stop his teeth from chattering so he could talk like a normal human being.

Jack walked out of sight for moment then returned much too quickly to have gotten anything to to drink. "Lean forward, Son," he said, resting a warm hand on Tony's bare back.

Tony obeyed and a heavy fleece blanket was draped behind him. His left side was left exposed so Jethro could finish patching him up but it was already helping.

"T-thank-ks."

"My pleasure," Jack said. "I'll be right back with that coffee."

Jethro put a butterfly bandage over the cut on Tony's forehead then moved on to the cuts on his shoulder and arm while Tony tried to control his shivering enough he could hold still. He wasn't sure if it was the windows shattering when the Blazer crashed or if it was from dragging Tony out of the car but his left side was pretty beat up. A couple cuts would need to be cleaned and glued but thankfully most looked like they'd just need a band-aid.

"W-where'd you learn to do all this?" Tony asked conversationally when he finally felt like he could control his shivering.

Jethro worked quietly for a moment before answering. "The Corps."

"You're a Marine?"

"Was. I got out."

"Thanks-s, man, for your service and for all this. I appreciate you and your dad taking me in."

"Not a problem," Jethro replied. He secured a band-aid to the underside of Tony's arm then moved the arm out of the way so he could continue on to Tony's side, hip and leg. "Hate to tell ya but, there's blood soaking through your boxers."

Tony looked down at his left side and saw the blood he was assuming had something to do with the stinging coming from his buttock. "I'm not shy," he said, shifting his weight to his right side and pushing his boxers over his bloodied butt cheek. "Actually, this is kind of embarrassing. Usually I'm the one patching people up."

"Are you a doctor?" Jethro asked, wiping away the blood so he could see how big the cut was.

"Athletic trainer," Tony corrected. "I deal more with joints and ligaments and muscles and stuff."

"And concussions," Jethro added, "which I'm fairly certain you have."

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice. I think I did lose consciousness in the car and my head hurts like hell."

"Any dizziness? Confusion?"

"No, there's only one of you and I'm well aware of the reaming I'll be getting from my fiancée when she finds out I won't be making it home to take her to the opera tonight. I don't suppose there's any buses or planes or trains or anything headed out of here."

"Nothing's moving with this storm," Jethro replied. "You're stuck here with us."

Jack entered the room behind them carrying two cups of coffee, one in a mug and the other in a to go cup. He handed the mug to Tony and held out the to go cup to his son. "Mrs. Saunders is stuck at the end of her driveway. She's wondering if you can help her get to her house."

"Let me glue this and clean these last two cuts up then I'll head over there," Jethro said, readying the surgical glue as he looked at the bloody spots on Tony's thigh.

"She can't walk to her house from the end of her driveway?" Tony asked curiously.

"She's 80—"

"81," Jack corrected.

"And her driveway's about a half a mile long."

"You're everybody's knight in shining armor today," Tony said. "Need help?"

"Nah, I'll take the snowmobile and give her ride," Jethro said. "You stay here and get warm."

"You can help me with dinner," Jack said. "Would you rather have meatloaf or lasagna?"

"I'm Italian so I'd go for lasagna but meatloaf sounds good too. Is there a phone I could use? I think mine's buried in my car and I need to call my fiancée."

"There's one in the kitchen," Jack said with a smile. "Get dressed and meet me in there. Leroy, I have some chicken soup in a thermos for you to take to Mrs. Saunders."

Angie Weston held the long, flowing gown she was planning on wearing to the opera up against her body and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She couldn't wait for Tony to see her in it and she couldn't wait to see him in his tux. One of her favorite parts about going to the opera was getting all dressed up and having an opportunity to wear some of her most expensive jewelry.

She smoothed her hand over the silky fabric and turned to one side, admiring her figure and imagining how she'd look with the dress on but the sound of her cell phone interrupted her. After hanging the gown on the hook on the back of her closet door, she grabbed her phone and flopped onto her bed as she answered.

"Hey, Ang," Tony said. "How are you?"

"Tony? What's wrong? And where are you calling from?" She knew from his tone that something wasn't right and from the strange number that had popped up on her caller ID that he wasn't on his cell phone.

"I, um, I got in a wreck," Tony replied. "I'm okay but there's no way I can make it home to take you to the opera. I'm sorry."

"What happened? Where are you?" Angie was trying not to panic but she wasn't doing a very good job of it.

"Black ice," Tony answered patiently. "I'm at the cool little lodge right outside of Stillwater, Pennsylvania. The Blazer's probably totaled and nothing's moving with the storm."

"So you're stuck there? You're not coming home at all tonight? When will you be home?"

"I would if I could, honey, but I can't. I'll be home as soon as I can."

"I can come get you."

"No, Ang, this storm is brutal. There's road closures and accidents all over the place. It's not safe. Stay put and I'll see you when I see you."

"Alright, just..." Angie sighed, disappointed not only about the opera but that Tony's homecoming was delayed indefinitely, "call me when you know something."

"I will," Tony said. "Love you."

"Love you too."

Tony hung up the phone and handed it back to Jack with a worried expression on his face. He hated disappointing Angie but there wasn't a thing he could do about his current situation. Maybe he should've skipped his going away party back in Ohio. He'd known about the storm and knew he was cutting it close.

"Forgive me for overstepping, Son," Jack said, interrupting Tony's thoughts, "but she can't be upset with you over something you have no control over."

"I know," Tony said, "and she was cool about it. I just feel guilty."

"About what?"

"For starters, I'm kinda happy I don't have to get dressed up in a monkey suit and go to the opera," Tony said. "But my job threw me a going away party and even though I knew the storm was coming, I stayed and had fun. Now Angie's gonna miss out on her fun. I messed up, didn't I?"

"I think the fact that you were willing to go with her says it all," Jack replied. "Did you wreck your car on purpose?"

"No," Tony answered with a laugh.

"And it'd be wrong to miss your own going away party," Jack said.

"But is it okay that I'm happy that I don't have to go?"

"Nothing wrong with making the best out of a situation, Tony. Life is more enjoyable if you put your energy into finding the good instead of dwelling on the bad."

The emergency alert signal interrupted the Christmas songs playing in the background and got both Jack and Tony's attention. They looked at the small, old fashioned radio sitting on the shelf in the kitchen and listened to the latest update.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning in affect now through tomorrow afternoon. The system moving into our area now is expected to drop 39 inches of snow on us in the next 24 hours. After that we'll only have a twelve hour break before the next, much smaller, system moves in behind it which is expected to drop an additional five inches of snow. Stay tuned throughout the day for more updates."

"You heard it here first, folks," the radio DJ said. "It's only going to get worse out there. 39 inches would break the state's record for the most snowfall in a single day. On March 20, 1958, 38 inches of snow fell on Morgantown. If we're going to get that much anyways, I say why not try to break the record?"

"39 inches," Tony said. "That's over three feet."

"It's a lot of snow," Jack agreed, "even for these parts."

The deep, rich aroma of homemade spaghetti sauce made Jethro's stomach rumble with excitement when he arrived home from helping the neighbor get to her house. He kicked his boots off and hung his coat on the rack by the door before making his way into the kitchen.

"Dinner smells good," he said, opening the tin of cookies Mrs. Saunders had sent home with him and offering Tony one.

"Tony made it," Jack said. "Even made some extra for us to freeze and use later. You didn't eat all the shortbread cookies on your way home, did you?"

"It was tempting," Jethro taunted.

"Do you guys trade soup for cookies or something?" Tony asked.

"You've never lived in the country before, have you?" Jack asked.

"Nope."

"Neighbors out here help each other out whenever and however they can," Jack explained. "Food, labor, errands, anything anyone might need."

"That's cool," Tony said, "and these cookies are delicious."

"That's her secret family recipe, passed down through I don't know how many generations," Jack said. "Get yourself washed up, Leroy. This'll be ready by the time you're done."

Tony stood carefully and grabbed the cane Jack had loaned him to help him move around. He hobbled over to the oven and peeked inside at the bubbly pan of lasagna and the cheesy garlic bread as the time ran out on the timer. His mouth had been watering since he'd put the sauce together. The only thing he'd had to eat that day was appetizers and treats from his party.

"Think you can handle the bread if I carry the lasagna?" Jack asked, turning the timer off and pulling their meal out.

"Yep."

They got the meal on the table and the bread sliced just as Jethro was walking back through the door. Jack passed out drinks while Jethro and Tony filled their plates and dinner was enjoyed in the midst of jokes, teasing and laughter.

Jethro leaned the extension ladder up against the house and made sure it was secure before standing back next to Tony and looking up towards the roof. "You sure you're up for this?" he asked. "No shame if you're not."

"You just don't wanna scrape my ass off the ground if I fall," Tony said, grabbing the snow shovel out of the snow bank beside them.

"If you fall you'll be shit outta luck in this storm," Jethro said. "The closest hospital is a thirty minute drive in good weather."

"How sweet, you're concerned," Tony teased. "Don't worry about me. I won't fall. This is more than a one man job, Jethro. You need my help."

"Alright, gimp, you first."

With several inches of snow falling from the sky each hour and no end in sight, Jethro wanted to get a head start clearing off the roof of the lodge. Leaving it meant risking a roof collapse and that was the last thing they needed. He watched as Tony slowly and carefully made his way up the ladder, following close behind in case his busted knee decided to give out on him. He appreciated the help but didn't want it to come at the expense of Tony's health and safety.

"If you do fall, roll when you hit the ground," Jethro instructed.

"Stop worrying. I'll be fine," Tony assured him.

"Alright. You start here, I'll start on the opposite side. We'll work our way towards each other."

There was already close to a foot of snow on the roof and it was coming down as fast as they could shovel it off, quickly covering up each section they cleared. As they worked their way towards each other Tony couldn't resist tossing a snowball Jethro's direction. 'Watch it, gimp,' had been the only response he'd gotten until his back was turned and a snowball came out of nowhere, hitting him right between the shoulder blades.

The fun of the snowball fight broke up the monotony of the hard labor and made it seem as if time were passing a little more quickly.

"I haven't had a snowball fight like this in forever," Tony said once they were close enough they could talk without yelling.

"Me either," Jethro said. He usually liked to work in solitude but working with Tony had been fun.

"If the snow keeps coming down like this we can sled off the roof," Tony said.

"I always wanted to do that when I was a kid," Jethro said.

"Me too but it's not very practical when you live in a penthouse in Manhattan," Tony joked.

Jethro paused what he was doing and looked over Tony with questioning eyes. "You rich?"

"My dad is," Tony answered with a shrug. "I have enough to live comfortably but not so much it stresses me out."

"You make that much being an athletic trainer?"

"You do when you work for the Cleveland Browns," Tony said before correcting himself. "Worked. Today was my last day."

"Why'd you give it up?"

Tony shrugged and pushed another shovel full of snow over the edge. "I couldn't expect my fiancée to move to Cleveland. She would never go for that. Her father's rich too and she accustomed to a certain lifestyle—in New York City. I don't know if I made the right decision or not but it's done."

"Are you having second thoughts?"

"It's not so much that," Tony said. "She just changed after I put a ring on her finger. Everything's about status and appearance and how we present ourselves now. The spontaneity and love kinda took a backseat. I thought I'd be happier, more excited, ya know? It's probably just pre-wedding jitters though."

Jethro nodded hesitantly. "Probably."

"What about you? Ever been married?"

"Once," Jethro said. It took him a moment to find the courage to share Shannon and Kelly with the stranger helping him clear snow off the roof but strangely enough he didn't feel the need to clam up like he usually did. He'd never had such an easy time bonding with someone since his wife and child died but he brushed it off as circumstance and making the best of the situation. His father was always talking about that.

He told Tony all about his beloved wife and precious daughter and how he'd been unable to save them from a murderous drug dealer and thankfully Tony didn't try to console him with any of the stupid things people think they need to say to try to make you feel better. He just listened and validated Jethro's feelings which made Jethro want to open up even more. He sat down next to Tony once the roof was finished and soaked in the moment—the feeling of warmth in his soul that he was sure had died with his girls.

"You don't see stars like this in New York City," Tony said quietly. "Cleveland either." The wind had died down and despite all the snow it wasn't very cold outside, at least not if you were used to winter in the Northeast. It was a beautiful evening to be outside enjoying Mother Nature. "You ever make a snow angel?"

"Not since I was a kid," Jethro answered.

Tony flopped back in the snow that was already piling up on the roof again and moved his arms and legs back and forth, creating a perfect snow angel while Jethro watched with a smile on his face. "Make one with me," Tony encouraged.

"I used to do this with my mom," Jethro said as he laid back next to Tony. "She would tell me that the angels watched over us at night."

"I like that," Tony said. "Now there's two angels watching over us tonight."

They sat up and looked back at the angels they'd created.

"Looks like they're holding hands," Tony said happily.

"Yeah," Jethro agreed. He hadn't realized they'd been laying that close. "You ready to go inside?"

"I guess it is starting to get a little chilly," Tony acknowledged. "I might need some help getting up. Do you think that offer for hot chocolate's still on the table?"

"I'm guessing there's already two cups made," Jethro said, standing and offering Tony his hands. He pulled Tony to his feet and made sure he was steady before tossing the snow shovels off the roof and leading the way back to the ladder.

"I haven't had this much fun in a long time," Tony said. Stress and pressure from quitting his job, moving and preparing to get married had been weighing heavy on him and sometime during that process he'd forgotten how to have fun.

"I haven't either," Jethro admitted. He looked back at Tony and smiled softly. "Thanks."

The alarm clock on Jethro's nightstand came to life in the dead of night, startling him out of a deep sleep. He'd been out for two hours but it felt more like two minutes. He didn't let that bother him though. He silenced the offending noise and pulled his socks onto his feet before slipping out of bed and making his way down the hall to Tony's room. The worst part about concussions were the two hour checks all night long. Or maybe it was the headache the concussed person had to deal with but in a rare twist of fate Jethro was the one doing the checking instead of the one dealing with the pounding head.

The moonlight coming in through the bedroom window offered enough light for Jethro to move around without turning on the harsh overhead light. He listened to the strong, steady breathing coming from the bed and hated to interrupt it but it was a necessary evil.

"Tony," he said, his voice deep and gruff.

"What?" Tony mumbled, sounding just as groggy.

"What month is it?"

"December."

"Where does your girlfriend live?"

"The city."

"What's your last name?"

"...ozzo."

"Tony!"

"DiNozzo!"

"Go back to bed."

"Mmm."

The second time Jethro's alarm clock went off he wanted nothing more than to turn it off, bury his face in his pillow and go back to sleep but he didn't. He threw his feet over the side of the bed and stood, choosing to deal with the coolness of the hardwood floors rather than take the time to put socks on. After a groggy trip down the hall he was once again at Tony's bedside, waking the other man up.

"What's your name?"

"Tony."

"What do you do for a living?"

"Stuff that requires sleep."

"Funny."

"Athletic trainer," Tony said around a big yawn.

"What kind of car do you drive?"

"You mean did? A Blazer."

"G'night."

"Night. Hey, Jethro?"

"Hmm?"

"You really don't have to do this all night."

"See ya in a couple hours."

Jethro nearly tripped over the chair in Tony's room and face planted on the floor just after 4:00a.m. when he went in to wake Tony for the third time that night. Tony woke when he felt the bed dip from Jethro's hands landing on it.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm supposed to be asking the questions," Jethro grumbled as he stood straight once again. "Did you move that chair in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah," Tony joked, "just to booby trap you."

"Your evil."

"Took you long enough to figure that out."

"What holiday's coming up?"

"Halloween."

"Where are..." Jethro paused mid-sentence and replayed Tony's answer in his head. "Tony?"

"Jethro?"

"Where are you?"

Tony felt bad when he heard the panic in Jethro's voice but he couldn't help himself. "California," he answered seriously. He waited a beat before chuckling and saying, "I'm kidding. We're in Pennsylvania and Christmas is only a couple days away."

"Ass," Jethro said accusingly but Tony could hear the amusement in his voice.

"Jethro?"

"What?"

"Go back to bed and leave me alone," Tony said lovingly.

"See ya in the morning."

Jack was surprised to find the house dark and quiet when he woke. His son was almost always up before him and could usually be heard in the kitchen but there was no noise this morning and the smell of freshly brewed coffee was missing. He knew Jethro had gotten up to check on Tony every couple hours but he doubted that was the cause of him sleeping in. His son was a man of discipline and ever since the Marine Corps had gotten their hands on him, he'd been a creature of habit and rigid discipline. It was nice to know he was relaxing enough to get a little extra sleep.

After a hot, refreshing shower, Jack got the coffee going and put some bacon in the iron skillet, singing along with the Christmas music on the radio and moving his hips with the beat. Morning was his favorite time of day and even though he needed the money, it was nice to have a break from guests. Well, except for Tony but Tony didn't fee like a guest at all. Tony felt like part of the family.

He was halfway through Mariah Carey's version of All I Want For Christmas when the sound of shuffling feet behind him stopped him. He turned to found Tony standing in the doorway, feet bare, pajamas a mess and hair sticking up in every direction imaginable.

"Mornin'," Jack greeted happily.

"Morning," Tony grumbled, rubbing at the butterfly bandage above his left eye.

"You look like you're not too sure of that," Jack said. He filled a cup with coffee and put handed it to Tony as he spoke.

"I'm awake," Tony said, "I think. It's just taking me a little longer this morning." He hobbled over to the table with the help of the cane Jack had loaned him the previous day and sat down.

"How's your head?"

"'little achy but better than yesterday," Tony answered. "Where's Jethro?"

"Still in bed," Jack replied, "which is unusual for him. I think I'll go check on him."

A mischievous grin played on Tony's lips as he put his coffee on the table and stood again. "Do you mind if I check on him?"

"Go right ahead," Jack said. "I'll get breakfast finished up. Would you like some eggs?"

"Two scrambled, please and thank you," Tony replied. "Be right back."

Tony quietly made his way down the hall and into Jethro's room. He'd expected the man to be up at the crack of dawn asking him more questions but since he wasn't it was time to have a little fun.

"Jethro, wake up."

"Hmm?" Jethro grunted tiredly.

"How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop?"

Jethro grumbled something as he rolled from his stomach to his back and found Tony smiling down at him.

"How many stars are in the sky?"

"So now you're asking me concussion questions?" Jethro asked. "Is that what's going on?"

"Seemed fair," Tony said with an endearing smirk. "You okay? Your dad seemed a little worried about you not being up yet."

"Just tired," Jethro said. "I was up all night taking care of your sorry ass," he teased.

"Hey, I begged you to just let me sleep," Tony said defensively.

"Couldn't do that and you know it."

"Yeah, yeah," Tony muttered. "I woulda done the same to you." The smile returned to his face as he watched Jethro try to wake up. "Breakfast is almost ready."

"Thanks," Jethro said. "I'll be out in a minute."

Jethro sipped at his coffee and looked out the kitchen window while his father made his eggs. It was still snowing, although not as hard as it had been the day before. The newscasters hadn't been wrong about the record breaking totals though. Much of the shrubbery and other landscaping was completely buried and he couldn't even tell where the sidewalk was. So much for spreading salt to get a head start. He knew if the ground looked that bad he knew he'd have to crawl back up on the roof and shovel it off again. It was going to be a long day.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jack asked, handing his son a plate.

"Snow's almost up to the window," Jethro replied. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Why don't you just leave the outside chores today, Son," Jack suggested.

"The longer I leave it, the harder it'll be to get rid of it," Jethro said, sitting down at the table with Tony.

"I can help you out there," Tony said. "My knee's feeling better."

"That why you're still limpin' around with that cane?" Jethro teased.

"I can still help," Tony snarked.

"I'll show you how to use the tractor and you can clear the driveway while I do the roof," Jethro said.

"You sure you wanna let me get behind the wheel of another moving vehicle?" Tony joked.

"Good point," Jethro said, pretending to consider it. "I'd rather have you there than on the roof though."

Tony chuckled and swatted Jethro's arm playfully and without even realizing what he was doing Jethro winked at him.

Jethro leaned in close behind Tony and pointed out all the controls as he explained what they did. The tractor was nothing special but few people knew how to operate a snow plow without a crash course. Their arms brushed together as Jethro demonstrated how to move the blade before watching Tony do it on his own.

"You only wanna take a few inches off the top with each pass," Jethro instructed. "If you try to move it all at once you're either gonna burn out the tractor motor or you're not gonna go anywhere."

"Got it," Tony said.

"Let's do a few together."

Both of them riding the small tractor together was a tight squeeze but they crammed in and managed just fine until Jethro was sure Tony had the hang of it. He tapped Tony's shoulder and gave him a thumbs up sign and Tony stopped the tractor.

"I think ya got it," Jethro said.

"I'm good," Tony agreed.

"If you need anything wave your arms or throw a snowball at me or something."

"Alright."

Jethro left Tony to clear the driveway and small parking lot while he pushed snow off the roof and Jack worked inside. Sweet treats were baked, laundry was done, what needed to be cleaned was cleaned and by the time Jethro and Tony made it back inside there was a raging fire in the stone fireplace to warm them.

Jack laughed as he listened to Tony get after Jethro for pushing the snow off the roof onto the freshly cleared driveway and his son pretended to not know what Tony was talking about. Jethro also denied the snowball that 'miraculously fell from heaven' right onto Tony's head. Despite the circumstances of his arrival, Tony had brought a lot of joy and playful energy to the lodge.

After a hot, hearty lunch, the guys took a short break in front of the fire before continuing on with the rest of the work that needed to be done. Jethro noticed how stiffly Tony had been moving ever since they'd come inside and decided to do something about it when he noticed him rubbing at his sore muscles.

"You overdid it."

"Did not," Tony lied.

"Why don't I get you some more pain relievers," Jack suggested.

"I'm sick of pills," Tony grumbled. "I'll be fine, really."

Jethro stood and walked over to the chair Tony was sitting in. "Lean forward," he said.

"Why?"

"Just do it," Jethro said.

The look on Jethro's face told Tony he wasn't going to get an answer to his question but if it meant getting a little relief he was willing to do just about anything. He leaned forward and Jethro slipped in behind him, rested his hands on Tony's shoulders and used his thumbs to put just the right amount of pressure on the back of Tony's neck. Tony's pained whimpers quickly turned to moans of pure delight as Jethro's hands moved to his shoulders then down his back, relieving the tension and making the ache a distant memory.

Jack was pretty sure Tony had no idea how rare it was for Jethro to open himself up like he was but Jack knew and he wasn't blind to what was happening with his boy. Unlike Leroy, Jack believed in love at first sight and he knew his boy was experiencing something very close to that. Leroy couldn't see it because he didn't believe but Jack could feel the changes in his son. He could see the openness, the happiness, the twinkle in his boy's eye and as exciting as it was to witness, it also scared him. Tony was just passing through. He was engaged to be married and the last thing Leroy needed was another broken heart. All he could do was sit back and watch and trust that love would find a way and everything would work itself out if it was meant to be.

Angie sat on the edge of her bed, watching the weather report for the sixth time that day. The storm that had dumped so much snow on Pennsylvania was passing through New York City and even though it had lost steam along the way, it was still dropping considerable amounts.

She checked her cell phone to see if Tony had called, even though she knew he hadn't, and frowned when she saw there were no missed calls. The weather was ruining everything. They were missing all kinds of Christmas celebrations and parties, the opera, concerts, movies—all the things she'd wanted to experience with him. Not to mention Christmas was only days away. Her heart dropped at the thought of spending Christmas without Tony. She cursed him for waiting so late to return home, even though she knew it wasn't his fault.

Just as she was getting ready to turn the TV off, images of Stillwater scrolled across the screen. She couldn't believe the amount of snow on the ground. Cars were half buried and abandoned in the middle of the road, snow was piled high everywhere, electric lines were down... in short, it was one big mess. The news anchor spoke about the heartwarming nature of neighbor helping neighbor but all Angie could think about was how she was going to get Tony out of there. With his car in a ditch and no public transportation, she decided she was just going to have to go rescue him herself.

"As you can all see, the snow finally moved out of our area leaving behind 39.25 inches and shattering the old state record," the news anchor reported. "The county's working on clearing the roads but even after doing everything humanly possibly to prepare for the storm, they're still playing catch up. I'll send it over to Brian for the latest on the weather."

"Thanks, Cindy," Brian said. "The snow may have stopped for the time being but prepare yourselves because in twelve hour's time we'll be seeing more. Another system will roll into our area in the early morning hours and leave behind another five to eight inches throughout the day tomorrow. It won't be quite as intense and the slower rate of snowfall should allow us to keep up with it a little better but it's definitely something everyone needs to be aware of and plan accordingly."

"We might end up with four feet of snow by the time this is all done," Jethro said, muting the commercials.

"I've been a New England boy all my life but I don't think I've ever seen this much snow fall in such a short amount of time," Tony said, stretching out in the chair he was sitting in. After spending the afternoon out on the snowmobile with Jethro, checking on the neighbors, he was happy to be able to relax.

"Sounds like another busy day tomorrow," Jack said. "I think I'm gonna hit the rack. Tony, Leroy dug your duffel outta your car. I washed your clothes for you. They're in your room."

"Thank you, Jack," Tony said gratefully. "You didn't have to do that."

"It's the least I could do."

"I appreciate it. Good night."

"Night, Dad."

"I'll see you guys in the morning," Jack said. "There's caramel corn in the kitchen if you get hungry," he called over his shoulder as he headed down the hall.

"Your dad's a cool guy," Tony said when they were alone.

"Yeah, he likes taking care of people and you can tell he's genuinely happy doing it," Jethro said. "Do you mind if I have a look at those cuts and change your bandages?"

"Probably a good idea after everything we did today," Tony said, standing and removing his shirt. "Seems like you're good at taking care of people too."

"Not really," Jethro answered. He retrieved the first aid kit and stood over Tony, tilting the man's head up so he could peel back the bandage on his forehead and get a look at the cut he'd glued closed.

"You gotta be if you work in hospitality."

"I don't really work here," Jethro said. "I came here after I got outta the Corps and never left. I'm just helping my dad out while I figure out what's next for me."

"I've been trying to figure out what's next for me too," Tony said.

"Guess we're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl," Jethro said.

"Pink Floyd," Tony grinned, "nice."

Jethro smiled and poured a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto a gauze pad. "I'm gonna put a little alcohol on this cut on your side," he warned. "Might burn."

Tony flinched when the alcohol made contact with the open wound just below his ribcage but it didn't last long. He sat patiently while Jethro cleaned him up again and changed his bandages, moving only to remove his pants when his upper half was done. He felt himself getting excited when Jethro tugged the side of his boxers out of the way to get to the cut on his butt cheek.

A hand in his lap hid the reaction his body was having but there was no hiding from the building fear. He was engaged and even though he was realizing he didn't love Angie as much as he thought he had that was no reason to kick her to the curb. Sure, he was laughing and having fun and choosing to look at the minor setback as an adventure rather than an inconvenience but that didn't mean he should drop everything and stick around Stillwater with someone who may or may not be interested in him. Life was starting to get really complicated.

"'m done," Jethro said, standing and turning his back to Tony.

Tony took that as a sign that Jethro knew what he was trying to cover up but he was thankful he didn't say anything. He put his pants back on as he, once again, thanked his new friend. "I appreciate it."

"Happy to do it," Jethro said. "You want some caramel corn?"

"Sure," Tony answered, "I'll find us a movie to watch."

And just like that the awkwardness was gone.

Tony found a holiday comedy and the two spent the night laughing and joking and trying to be the first one to catch the popcorn that was thrown in the air. By the time the movie was over they were so worked up from laughing that neither wanted to go to bed but as Jack had pointed out tomorrow was going to be another busy day and morning would be there before they knew it so they said good night and headed off to their rooms.

Despite spending the previous day working side by side with Jethro, Tony's knee was starting to feel better and he was finding it easier to get around, sometimes with the aid of the cane Jack had loaned him and sometimes without, but trying to dig his Blazer out so the tow truck could haul it away was proving to be a bigger challenge than he'd anticipated. There was nothing to brace himself against and it was hard to keep his balance in the deep snow on the uneven ground.

"Relax, Tony," Jethro said. "I've got this."

"I hate standing here watching you clean up my mess," Tony said angrily.

"Don't worry about it," Jethro said. "You've been helping me out for the last two days."

"I'll make it up to you by fixing your fence," Tony said.

"Not too worried about the fence," Jethro said. "I think your car's totaled."

"I needed a new one anyways," Tony said.

Jethro paused and looked over at Tony. "Does anything get under your skin?"

"What do you mean?"

"You don't seem too upset about being stuck here with us," Jethro said. "I just told you your car's probably totaled and you shrug it off. I'd be pissed."

"Stuff bothers me," Tony said, "but I'm not very good at showing it. As for being here and totaling my car," he shrugged, "it's really not a big deal. I'm alive and not hurt too bad and I'm havin' a lot of fun."

"Wow," Jethro said quietly.

"Before I get upset I try to ask myself if it's really that big of a deal," Tony explained. "It usually isn't."

Jethro nodded in acknowledgment and continued working. "So, what kind of car are you thinking about getting?"

They talked about past cars they'd owned and cars they wouldn't mind owning in the future while Jethro continued digging and Tony settled in to watch. It wasn't long before the inactivity had Tony shivering and as soon as Jethro noticed he sent him inside to warm up some coffee on with a promise to be in soon.

Tony wasn't surprised in the least when he made it to the kitchen and found a fresh pot of coffee already percolating. Somehow Jack always managed to be a step ahead of them. Tony sat down at the kitchen table and Jack put a couple pills in front of him with a glass of milk. Tony rolled his eyes but dutifully downed the pain killers with a swallow of milk.

Jack opened his mouth to say something but the ringing telephone interrupted him. "It's for you," he said, after a brief exchange with the caller.

Tony narrowed his eyes and looked at him with a confused expression. Who would be calling him on the lodge's line? No one even knew he was there. Well, no one except... "Angie?"

"Yeah, I haven't heard from you. I was getting worried."

"Sorry," Tony said. "I've been pretty busy."

"Doing what?" Angie asked in disbelief. What could there possibly be to do in a small town paralyzed by a winter storm?

"Clearing snow," Tony replied. "Checking on neighbors. Helping however I can."

"Isn't there anyone else who could do that?"

"Sure, Ang," Tony snapped, "but I'm here and I'm capable so I thought I'd lend a hand."

"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"I'm sorry too," Tony said, softening his tone. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

Angie considered telling Tony her about her plan to come get him but she decided to just surprise him instead. She felt a little hurt after he'd snapped at her and didn't want to draw the conversation out any more. "I just wanted to check and make sure you're still okay."

"I'm fine," Tony said. "I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Alright, Sweetie, bye."

"Bye." Tony rolled his eyes and handed the phone to Jack when the man appeared at his side.

After hanging the receiver back on the wall mount, Jack sat down next to Tony and looked over at him for a moment. "What's on your mind, Son?"

"What isn't?" Tony asked.

"Maybe I can help."

Tony looked up at the ceiling and contemplated turning down the offer of a listening ear. Was he betraying Angie if he talked to Jack about his feelings? Who else was he going to talk to though? Their rich parents? The man on the moon? The dog there was no way in hell he'd ever be allowed to get? "She's not who I thought she was," he said quietly. "We're not alike at all."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm more like the servant and she's more like the one being served," Tony answered coldly. "If she was here with me right now I doubt she'd ever come out of the room."

"But you're out there with a bum knee doing whatever you can to help."

"I'm not trying to put her down, Jack, and I don't really think she's a bad person. We're just different, maybe too different. I'm supposed to love her and I do but I don't know if I love her enough."

"You asked her to marry you," Jack pointed out.

"Yeah," Tony said hesitantly, "but my dad and her dad set that whole thing up. The whole wedding was pretty much planned before I even popped the question and by then I didn't feel like I had much of a choice. I didn't see any reason not to so I got down on one knee and asked her and she took one look at the diamond and said yes."

"You can't spend the rest of your life trying to please other people, Son," Jack said. "If you're not sure this is the girl for you then you need to wait and if she loves you she'll wait too. Trust me, you don't want to wake up one day and realize you married the wrong person."

"But how do I know for sure?"

"Listen to your heart. Shut out all the other voices and trust your instincts."

"Sounds like good advice," Jethro said, walking into the kitchen and making a beeline for the coffee pot.

"Your dad's a wise guy," Tony said. He wished everything was as easy as Jack made it sound.

"I agree with you there," Jethro said. "Wish I woulda been wise enough to listen to his advice more often."

Jack smiled, patted his son's shoulder and winked at Tony. "Why don't you boys go stretch out in the living room. I'll throw some steaks over the fire for lunch, get a hearty meal in your bellies before you guys go make your grocery deliveries this afternoon."With much of the town still buried, Jack had called around and made a list of necessities people needed. It wasn't the first time his son had made deliveries on the snowmobile and he doubted it would be the last.

"You mad at me for sending you inside?" Jethro asked, walking alongside Tony at his pace. He could sense the mood change and it worried him.

"No," Tony answered. "Angie called and basically wanted to know why I was the one helping people instead of the one being helped."

"Because of the wreck?"

"No. That's just her lifestyle."

"But not yours?" Jethro let Tony hold onto his arm for stability as he lowered himself onto the couch. Tony had been feeling better but he'd overdone it trying to help dig his car out and Jethro knew he was hurting.

Tony shook his head in answer as Jethro sat down next to him. "My mom and I used to do everything together before she died and she wasn't like that at all. We spent most of our days escaping that lifestyle."

"For what it's worth, you don't act like a rich snob," Jethro said.

Tony looked over at him and smiled. "Thanks." He relaxed into the couch even more, feeling a little better about the situation. "Part of me wishes she was here, ya know, so she could help out too and experience the feeling you get when you do something for somebody else."

Jethro didn't say anything but he was glad Angie wasn't there. He was enjoying his time with Tony—probably a little too much—and knew it wouldn't be the same with her around. "Don't change, Tony," he said, barely above a whisper. "When you go back to New York and you're surrounded by all those rich people, don't stop being who you are because you're a great guy."

Tony's fingers involuntarily twitched and brushed up against Jethro's thigh. Jethro reached down and squeezed Tony's hand briefly before his dad walked into the room and he let go.

"I'll cook those, Dad," he said as he stood. He didn't understand what was happening between him and Tony but it was getting very real very fast and he knew he needed to step back before one or both of them ended up getting hurt.

Tony smiled at Jack and earned himself a wink in return. "Things are so simple here," he said despite the war raging in his mind. "Spend the day doing some good, honest work then come home and relax, slip into some comfortable clothes and enjoy some good food. There's no backstabbing and greed, five star restaurants and clothes that cost more than a lot of people make in a month."

"It sounds like you don't belong in the city, Tony," Jack said.

"The city's all I've ever known."

"If you ever decide you want to immerse yourself in a different lifestyle, our door's always open."

"I might take you up on that some day, Jack," Tony said, watching Jethro's every move. "For now I'll just enjoy it while it lasts."

The door to the lodge opened with thud shortly after 8:00 that night, letting in some of the wind that was whirling outside. Jack greeted the travel weary couple while Jethro parked their car and Tony took their luggage up to what would be their room that night. It was Tony's first reminder that the Gibbses were running a business and not just living in a mansion.

Instead of going back to being a guest himself, Tony slipped into the role of employee seamlessly, making sure their guests had extra pillows, blankets and towels and inviting them down for some of the coffee he was sure Jack already had brewing. He couldn't imagine sitting around while his new friends fussed over their guests.

Jethro returned from parking the car and caught Tony hovering in the kitchen while his father laid out some treats to enjoy with the coffee.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can help you with, Jack?" Tony asked.

"I'm positive," Jack replied. "You're our guest too and you've already done too much."

Jethro bumped shoulders with Tony and motioned towards the door. "This is Dad's favorite part," he said. "Come on, I need to change your bandages again."

"Alright," Tony agreed.

As Tony followed Jethro down the hall to the room he'd been staying in, he noticed for the first time that the lodge was split into two separate areas.

"Is this your home over here and the rooms on the other side are for your guests?" he asked as he pulled his shirt over his head and dropped his pants.

"Yep," Jethro answered.

"So you put me in a room in your home?"

"Uh-huh."

"Why?"

"I dunno. You were injured, you were all alone, just made sense."

"Wow," Tony mumbled. He was even more in awe of how quickly and easily both Jethro and Jack had accepted him into their lives. He'd never known that kind of genuine hospitality.

"You're healing nicely," Jethro said as he checked the cuts on Tony's thigh. "This should be the last time I have to invade your privacy like this."

"Thanks for playing doctor," Tony said peeking down at the wounds.

"No problem. You can put your clothes back on."

"There's a Christmas concert special on tonight," Tony said while he dressed. "Do you like music? Or there's an old western coming on TCM."

"I vote for the western," Jethro replied.

A half an hour later Jack delivered a bowl of ice cream and a mug of hot chocolate to his boys on his way to bed. They may have been sitting in front of the TV but both appeared to be more interested in each other, stealing glances and searching for an excuse to touch or brush up against the other. Jack hadn't seen his son that happy since before he'd lost Shannon and Kelly and it warmed his heart to see the genuine smile on his boy's face again. He said good night and dropped a kiss on top of both of their heads—just because it seemed like the appropriate thing to do—then disappeared down the hall to his room with a smile on his face.

Jethro tried everything he could think of but sleep eluded him. His muscles were tired and achy after working all day but his mind was going faster than Dale Earnhardt Jr. on race day and he could find the brake pedal. After an hour of watching the numbers on his alarm clock change he rolled out of bed, put his socks on and stepped out into the hall.

He could see the glow of the kitchen light down the hall and couldn't decide if he hoped that meant his father was up or if he was hoping it was Tony because not even his feelings and everything that was happening between them was creating an awkwardness that made him want to avoid the man. In fact, it was just the opposite.

"You couldn't sleep either?" he asked when he found his father in the kitchen.

"I think I had too much coffee too close to bedtime," Jack replied. "You?"

"Head won't shut up."

"What's it sayin'?"

"It's sayin' it wants something I can't have," Jethro replied. He bypassed the coffee and poured himself a glass of milk instead.

"If you'll just open your heart, Leroy, amazing things will happen. Believe it or not, there is good in this world, Son."

"He's engaged, Dad," Jethro replied, not even attempting to deny it.

"I'm not one to interfere in someone else's business but I've overheard some of the conversations he's had with his fiancée and it doesn't exactly sound like he's head over heels in love."

"I kinda thought the same thing," Jethro said. "Sounds to me like Tony's the one making all the sacrifices but that doesn't mean he'd be happy here with us... with me."

Jack reached over and took his son's hand in his and looked directly into his eyes. "Leroy, if you don't try you'll never know and you don't wanna live your life with regrets. I'm not talking about trying to steal Tony away from that girl but I'd hate to see you close yourself off to the possibility of something happening now."

Jethro thought it over for a moment before looking up at his father and nodding. "Alright," he said. It was a fine line and the thought of rejection was scary as hell but not scarier than letting Tony walk out of his life knowing he hadn't even tried.

"Good," Jack said. "Now, I'm going back to bed. Try to get some sleep tonight." He stood, looked down at his son and smiled. "I love you, Leroy."

"I love you too, Dad. Good night."

Angie stood on the sidewalk outside of her downtown Manhattan condo, staring at the vehicle that belonged to the company her father owned. Her father was loaning it to her so she could go pick up Tony—only the best for his baby girl, he'd said. A Hummer might've been overkill but much of the area she'd be driving through had gotten between two and four feet of snow over the past couple days. Maybe a Hummer was just what she needed. Besides, she liked to make a statement.

"Drive safe, Baby," her father said as he wrapped his arms around her and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"I will, Daddy."

She climbed into the driver's seat, turned the vehicle on and pulled out into traffic, cutting off a taxi cab with no apology and only one thing on her mind: Tony. He hadn't even called her since that first day. It was obvious these people were taking advantage of his generosity and working him way too hard. Tony had always had a hard time saying no. If she didn't go pick him up, he might never come home.

With any luck she'd be in Stillwater and find Tony by noon and they'd be back in the city by that evening.

Tony felt noticeably better when he woke up and not just physically. His heart fluttered with love after an evening of bonding with Jethro and a night spent dreaming about him. He laid in bed, buried in comfy flannel sheets and warm blankets, enjoying the view of dawn breaking outside his window as more snow floated down from the sky. The longer he was at the lodge the more he loved it, everything from the breathtaking scenery to the small town customs. It was different than anything he'd ever experienced before. He'd never felt so relaxed.

The idea of a hunting trip or a man weekend crossed his mind because he knew he'd never be able to convince Angie to vacation there but he couldn't imagine leaving and never returning. Leaving. As he laid in bed he realized he should probably be trying to figure out a way to get home. It was only two days until Christmas but he wasn't in any hurry to say goodbye. One more day of fun wouldn't hurt anything. The snow wasn't supposed to add up to much that day. Maybe he and Jethro could go out and have some real fun. Not before he emptied his bladder though.

After showering and dressing, Tony carried the cane into the kitchen and leaned it up against the table next to where Jack was reading the paper. "Don't think I'll be needing this today."

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Jack said happily. "Leroy's the chef today," he said while Tony watched Jethro flip a large pancake in the pan on the stove with a simple flick of his wrist.

"Hope you brought your appetite," Jethro said.

He gave Tony's knee a gentle squeeze, assuring himself it was healing correctly. The quick, innocent gesture sent a wave of electricity directly to Tony's groin and he felt his face reddening. Luckily Jethro had already turned back to the pancakes and didn't notice.

"That's one thing I never leave home without," Tony joked. "How are our guests?"

"Already left," Jack said. "They were down here about 6:00 this morning. Leroy made 'em some pancakes, they ate and then they were on their way."

"So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"I need to clean the guest room but I don't see any reason you boys can't go have some fun today," Jack said. "Especially with your knee feeling better, Tony."

"Are you sure?" Tony asked.

"Positive," Jack said. "You boys go have fun. You've both been working too hard."

Jethro shot a grin over to Tony as he put the plate of pancakes on the table and Tony smiled back at him. It would be nice to have an opportunity to do something for themselves and spend the day just having fun.

Angie couldn't believe how desolate the landscape was once she got out of the city. There was absolutely nothing there except for a few gas stations scattered along the way and a McDonalds every so often. How did people live like this? There was nowhere decent to eat or even get a pair of gloves to replace the ones she'd forgotten at home and what was that smell? Surely it wasn't the fresh air people were always raving about.

As she drove, she decided it was a good thing she was rescuing Tony from this hell he'd been living in for the past couple days. He probably hadn't been calling because he was so miserable and didn't want to upset her.

"My poor baby," she said out loud.

A glance at the clock told her she was only halfway there. She still had another hour and a half to go. She pressed down on the gas pedal even harder and continued on her way, deciding that after she picked Tony up they would never leave the city again.

"Anything special you wanna do?" Jethro asked as he and Tony walked towards the garage where all the 'toys' were.

"Wouldn't even know where to start," Tony said. "How about you just show me a good time."

"Alright," Jethro said with a grin, "I know just the thing."

Tony smiled back as a look of mischief appeared on his face. He tried to push Jethro into a snowbank and run off but his knee wasn't as strong as he thought it was and he ended up being the one that landed on his back in the snow.

"Oww," he groaned, even though he was laughing.

Jethro stood over him, looking down with an amused grin on his face. "Nice try," he chuckled, offering Tony a hand up.

"You're like a brick wall," Tony said, letting Jethro pull him to his feet.

"I'm a Marine."

"Thought you got out. Wouldn't that make you an ex-Marine?"

"No such thing," Jethro said.

"Well you're still built like a Marine, that's for sure," Tony said. "Where are we headed?"

Jethro pushed the garage door open then glanced at Tony over his shoulder. "It's a surprise."

They got the snowmobiles out of the shed and made sure they were gassed up then Tony followed Jethro down a trail they hadn't been on yet. He'd already gone several places in the small town while helping Jethro out, but obviously he hadn't been everywhere.

Tony kept pace with Jethro, sometimes racing ahead, sometimes lagging behind and sometimes riding right next to him. He couldn't get enough of the view; rows of snow covered trees opening up to breathtaking shots of the mountains and valleys surrounding them. By the time they stopped, they were near the top of a high peak with almost 360 degree views.

"Wow," Tony mouthed.

"This is one of my favorite places in the world," Jethro said.

The significance of Jethro sharing the spot with him wasn't lost on Tony.

"I've been a lot of places," Jethro said, "but this view... it's one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen."

Tony's eyes wandered from the breathtaking view over to Jethro. "Yeah," he agreed, "it is."

Jethro knew Tony's eyes were on him and not the view and despite wanting to turn and kiss him or reach out and hold his hand he knew he couldn't. Tony had made a commitment to someone else and Jethro refused to be the person responsible for him breaking it. "Don't, please, Tony." He forced the words out barely over a whisper. "You're engaged and I can't handle anymore heartache right now." It was a little late for that. His heart was already aching.

"You're right," Tony said, looking back at the landscape. "I'm sorry."

The two stood in front of their snowmobiles on the small ledge, looking out at the snow covered mountains and valleys, both of them deep in thought. Things were changing. They'd already changed. There was no going back. Both were falling and neither had a safety net. The question was would either be whole when they landed at the bottom?

Nearly three hours after leaving New York City, Angie pulled into the small parking lot of the 'cool little lodge' Tony had told her he was staying at. At least she hoped it was the right one. It was the only lodge in a one hundred mile radius so unless he'd checked out and found a hotel somewhere she was at the right place.

As soon as she stepped out of her vehicle she was overpowered by the smell of something of burning. Judging by the smoke coming from chimney of the log cabin lodge, someone had a fire going in the fireplace. She was definitely in the sticks. She wondered, briefly, if these people even had heat or if the fireplace was their only means of warmth.

She opened the front door of the rustic cabin and was greeted by an older man with white hair and a rosy cheeked smiled on his face. She tried to smile back but she couldn't get past the dirty, uncomfortable feeling she had just from being so far from civilization.

"Can I help you?" Jack asked.

"I hope so," Angie said. "I'm looking for Anthony DiNozzo."

"Tony!" Jack said.

"He's staying here?" Angie asked excitedly.

"Sure," Jack said. "He and Leroy are out playing on the snowmobiles right now but they should be back soon. Can I get you some coffee and maybe a piece of pie?"

"Playing?" Angie asked.

"They've both been working their tails off with all the snow," Jack said. "I sent 'em out to have some fun this morning. I'm Jack by the way."

"I'm Angie, Tony's fiancée. I think I will take you up on that coffee."

"Right this way," Jack said, leading the way to the kitchen.

"Actually can you make mine a caramel macchiato?" Angie asked.

"I'm afraid I don't even know what that is," Jack said with a friendly chuckle. "I have hot chocolate."

"Coffee will be fine," Angie said.

Jack poured Angie a cup of coffee and watched as she wiped off the chair before sitting down. He did his best to entertain his guest but it was clear she was out of her element. She had the makings of a sweet girl, at least that's what Jack chose to believe, but she was one of those people who didn't belong in the country.

"Looks like we have another guest," Tony said as he and Jethro walked back towards the house after putting the snowmobiles away. "Highfalutin, too, if that Hummer's anything to go by."

"Don't see many of those out here," Jethro said. "Rich people don't appreciate the simplistic charm of this place."

"Does that mean this guy's gonna be an ass of a customer?"

"You tell me," Jethro said with one of his endearing half smiles.

They headed inside and made a beeline for the kitchen and the hot coffee they knew would be waiting for them and Tony's mouth dropped open when he saw Angie sitting at the table across from Jack.

"There you are, Sweetheart!" she said, standing and hugging him.

"Ang," Tony barely managed to get out. "Uh, what're you doing here?"

"I came to get you, silly."

"Um," Tony looked from Jethro to Jack then back at his fiancée, "I don't know what to say."

"Thank you would be a nice start," Angie teased, patting his chest. "Kiss me. I've missed you."

Tony gave her a quick peck on the lips as he tried to pull himself together.

"We'll leave you two alone, Son," Jack said.

Tony watched them walk out then turned back to Angie.

"Son?" she asked.

"Yeah," Tony said. "Jack's a great guy. He opened his door to me, no questions asked."

"He runs a lodge, Tony," Angie said. "That's his job."

"It was more than that," Tony said defensively. "You'll see, once you get to know him."

"Get to know him? I wasn't planning on staying long enough to get to know him. I thought we could go ahead and head back to the city. If we leave now we'll be there before dark."

"But you just got here," Tony said.

"I came to pick you up, Tony, not vacation. Christmas is two days away. Father's expecting us at his Christmas Eve party tomorrow and we have a Christmas Day lunch to go to. We need to get back."

The peaceful calmness that had settled over Tony after arriving at the lodge was gone almost instantly, having been replaced once again by stress. He was shocked to see Angie there and upset that she was already ready to go even though he knew that was the most logical thing to do. There wasn't really any reason to stick around but Tony wasn't quite ready to go yet. "The dinner party isn't until 7:00 tomorrow night," he said. "Let's stay the night here and leave first thing in the morning."

"But why?" Angie asked.

"It's beautiful here, Angie, and it's so peaceful," Tony said. "Please?"

Angie looked around the kitchen and turned her nose up. "I guess," she finally said.

"Thanks, Honey. You'll like it here, trust me."

"I'm not so sure about that," Angie said. "That guy didn't even know what a caramel macchiato was."

"You coulda just asked him for some caramel sauce and whipped cream," Tony said.

"Steamed milk, Tony, not whipped cream and it takes espresso."

"Guess I don't know what it is either," Tony joked as he took her hand and led her to his room, pausing to tell Jack and Jethro their plans on the way.

The excitement of having Angie there with him didn't last long for Tony. He couldn't persuade her to do anything outside and only talked her into leaving their room for dinner which she turned her nose up to and only picked at. On top of that, the few times he'd seen Jethro that afternoon the man was standoffish. Tony knew he was just trying to be respectful and give him and his fiancée some space but he missed the fun they'd had—the popcorn and movies, coffee, cocoa and heart to heart talks, goofing around while they worked together on the chores. He missed the laughter and having a good time no matter what they were doing.

By the time he crawled into bed that night he was wondering if he'd made a mistake by staying. Maybe he should've taken the good memories he had of the place and just left. Now everything just felt awkward and out of place.

He closed his eyes when he felt the bed dip behind him, hoping Angie would think he was already asleep and just leave him alone but he had no such luck. An arm wrapped around him and she scooted right up against him.

"I've missed you," she said.

"'m tired, Ang," he said when the hand moved down to the front of his pajama pants.

"Too tired for sex?" Angie asked.

"It's been a long day," Tony said.

Yeah, playing, Angie thought, but she didn't say anything. Instead she kissed the back of his head and snuggled in to sleep.

Tony stared out at the starlit sky through the window in his room. He was in trouble and he knew it. Angie was barely holding his interest and he was more worried about Jethro than he was his fiancée. He hated the thought of hurting Jethro by leaving but he didn't have any other choice, did he? That was the way it had to be. A silent tear slipped down his cheek as he prepared himself for what he had to do the following day.

Tony slipped out of his room while Angie was busy in the shower. In a surprising turn of events she was actually up early but Tony wanted an opportunity to say goodbye to his friends in private and he doubted Angie would understand. She had yet to understand anything about the log cabin lodge tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains. He headed down the hall to the kitchen and found Jack whistling while he made French toast.

"Mornin'," Tony said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Good morning," Jack replied, his smile as bright as ever. "I've got some French toast for you guys. I saw something on the Food Network about a place in New York City that serves French toast and I thought you guys might like it."

"Aww, Jack, you didn't have to do that," Tony said. "I definitely appreciate it though and it smells fantastic."

"It doesn't taste half bad either," Jack said conspiratorially, winking at Tony.

"Where's Jethro?"

"Mrs. Hannigan's daughter decided to come for Christmas at the last minute," Jack said. "She needed help getting a Christmas tree."

"But he didn't even say goodbye," Tony said. "Why didn't he wake me?"

"Leroy's had too many goodbyes in his life, Son," Jack said. "Don't take it personally. He's just not very good at them."

Tony slumped over in his chair, trying to hide the devastation he was feeling. Jack's firm, reassuring touch nearly brought him to tears. "I didn't mean for this to happen," he whispered.

"I know," Jack said. "Love isn't always convenient."

"There you are," Angie said, coming around the corner into the kitchen. "I was wondering where you'd run off to. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Tony lied. "I had something in my eye, an eyelash or something. Whatever it was hurt."

"Oh," Angie said. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep, let's grab some breakfast and then we'll head out. Jack made us some French toast."

Jethro pulled up in front of the lodge, stopped the snowmobile and looked back at the sled he was pulling to make sure the tree was still there. There was no more fire engine red Hummer in the parking lot which meant no more Tony. He'd made sure to stay gone long enough to miss his departure, even though he felt a little guilty about it. He wasn't good at goodbyes.

After helping Mrs. Hannigan do a little decorating, he'd gone and picked out a tree for the lodge. Putting it up and decorating it with his father on Christmas Eve was a tradition. Knowing Tony wouldn't be there to celebrate with them was heartbreaking. He'd gotten used to the other man's company. All good things must come to an end though. Tony was on his way to where he was supposed to be and Jethro was where he belonged.

He left the tree on the sled and headed inside to get some lunch before setting it up but his father wasn't in the kitchen and from the looks of it he hadn't made anything for lunch. Jethro could've cared less about having to make his own lunch but it was uncharacteristic of his dad and that worried him.

"Dad?" he called.

"In here," Jack yelled from the living room.

Jethro walked down the hall, looked in the living room and found his father standing in the middle of the room. A closer look revealed someone standing behind him but Jethro couldn't tell who it was until his dad stepped out of the way.

"Tony," he whispered.

"I couldn't do it," Tony said, looking and sounding more nervous than Jethro had ever seen him.

"Do what?" Jethro asked. He wasn't sure if Tony had just stuck around to say goodbye or if he was there for an entirely different reason.

"Leave," Tony answered. "Leave you."

A trace of a smile played at Jethro's lips as relief flooded his body. His father had been right. Love had found a way. "What made you decide to stay?" he asked.

"You," Tony answered honestly. "Angie wasn't even here five minutes yesterday and my stress level skyrocketed. I realized I was marrying her because that's what our parents wanted but I didn't want that. I don't want that. I want you, Jethro."

"I might be a little biased," Jethro said smiling, "but I think you made the right call."

"You do, do you?" Tony laughed.

"Leroy," Jack said, motioning his son over. He nudged his boy over in front of Tony before looking up.

Jethro looked up as well and hanging a couple feet above them, strung down from the ceiling with fishing line, was a sprig of mistletoe. He looked back at Tony and found him waiting eagerly and that made him smile even wider. He rested his hands against Tony's cheeks, drew him closer and looked deep into his eyes before closing his and letting their lips meet in the sweetest kiss either of them had ever known.

"It's about time!" Jack said as he watched them kiss.

"That's enough outta the peanut gallery," Jethro said, his forehead resting against Tony's, letting their noses brush together.

Tony stole another kiss from Jethro before finally pulling back but he refused to move his hand from the small of Jethro's back.

"How about I fix you two lovebirds some lunch," Jack said.

"That sounds great, Dad," Jethro said, not taking his eyes off Tony.

Jack walked out of the room, happily shaking his head at the scene in his living room.

"I hope you breaking up with Angie isn't my fault," Jethro said.

"It's totally your fault," Tony laughed. He brushed his fingers across Jethro's chest and stole another brief kiss from the man before continuing. "But it's my fault too and I'm right where I wanna be."

The smell of the turkey roasting in the oven had already filled the house by the time Jethro and Tony rolled out of their beds. Jack had been up since the early hours of the morning getting everything ready for the Christmas feast. They all had a lot to celebrate that year and he wanted to make sure the meal was special.

He smiled when he turned around and found his boys, both dressed similarly in flannel pants and long sleeve tees with bare feet and unkempt hair, sitting silently at the kitchen table. He knew they hadn't gone to bed much before he'd gotten up, despite his playful threats that Santa was going to skip right over their house.

"Mornin', boys," he greeted. "Merry Christmas. I just put the sweet orange rolls in the oven. They should be done in about ten minutes." He got a mumbled grunt from Tony and no response from his son. "Did you two get any sleep last night?"

"A little," Tony answered. They'd spent most of the night up talking and enjoying each other's company while the TV played in the background. The kissing and hand holding hadn't led to anything else but neither saw the need to rush into anything. They were just happy to be together.

"We get anymore snow?" Jethro asked as two cups of coffee appeared on the table in front of them.

"No and don't even think about working today," Jack said firmly. "I already hid the keys to your snow machine."

"Oh, you mean in the ceramic mug by the fireplace?" Jethro asked with a smug smile.

Jack turned and glared at his son. "Looks like it's time to find a new hiding place."

"Not much point. You're not very good at finding hiding places," Jethro teased.

"We'll just see about that," Jack said. "Tony, is there anything special you'd like for lunch or dessert today?"

"That turkey's smelling good," Tony said. "I'll be happy with anything."

"I coulda guessed that," Jack said, "but is there anything special you want?"

"Maybe some apple pie?"

"That I can do," Jack said. "Don't be afraid to speak up around here, Son."

After breakfast Jack shooed Jethro and Tony out so he could finish preparing for lunch. He couldn't help but fix a big holiday feast despite having so few mouths to feed. Once he had everything ready to either go in the oven or on top of the stove, he joined the boys in the living room. The crackling fire Jethro had built in the fireplace warmed them as they sat around the tree they'd decorated the day before.

"Who's ready to open presents?" Jack asked.

"I think Tony should go first," Jethro suggested.

"Good idea," Jack agreed.

"No, guys, you didn't have to—"

"Shh," Jack said, grabbing a package wrapped in brightly colored paper and handing it to Tony.

"You didn't even know I was gonna be here," Tony said, completely awestruck and feeling guilty about not having any gifts to give in return.

"Open it," Jethro said.

Tony looked from Jack to Jethro before dropping his eyes to the gift. A smile crossed his face as he pulled the paper away, opened the lid of of the box and pulled out a key. "What is it?" he asked.

"Key to the lodge," Jethro answered.

"A key to our lives," Jack added, "to a life in the country, to a whole new world for you, Tony. It's yours, if you want it."

"Wow, guys," Tony said softly. "I don't—I don't even know what to say. No one's ever—I don't—this is..."

"You're speechless," Jack cut in with a chuckle.

"What do you say?" Jethro asked hopefully.

Tony ran his finger over the ridges of the key and smiled softly. "You sure you're okay with this?"

"It was partly my idea," Jethro said. "It's a fresh start for you, for both of us. We can figure the details out along the way."

"That's very spontaneous of you," Tony said. "It also sounds like the perfect plan."

"Then you'll stay?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Tony answered, "I'll stay. Thank you, both."

Tony sat quietly fingering the key while Jack and Jethro exchanged gifts, letting the enormity of the situation wash over him. He didn't realize he'd zoned out until a strong arm wrapped around his shoulder and he was drawn into a broad chest.

"You alright?" Jack asked while Jethro looked him over.

"Sorry," Tony said. "I didn't mean to..."

"Penny for your thoughts," Jethro said when Tony's sentence trailed off.

Tony's eyes found Jethro's and the love and honesty he found in them excited him for a future spent sharing all his secrets with the man and listening while Jethro did the same. "I don't mean to get all sentimental on you guys but this is the best gift I've ever been given."

"What is, Tony?" Jack asked.

"Acceptance," Tony said simply, "with no strings attached."

Jack could've guessed it was the first time Tony had been loved for who he was instead of what he could offer and it made him all the happier to have Tony there with them, where he could spread his wings and, for the first time in his life, set out on the path he chose. "We're honored to welcome you into our family," he said happily.

Jethro nuzzled Tony's cheek until he turned and the two shared a kiss. The look on the Marine's face promised so much more than Angie ever could've given him and Tony knew without a doubt that he'd made the right decision by staying at the lodge. Life was starting anew and it was his and Jethro's to figure out together.

End.