The Skiing Was Lousy

Author's Note: Story centers around Billy's Lost Weekend and Promises to Keep, both from season four. Everything else is AU and strictly a part of my overactive imagination of what could've happened the weekend when Amanda and Lee went to Pine Top for skiing. The story didn't go exactly the way I thought it would, but I think that is always the case with my stories. I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks to Cindy Davis and Tracey Tierney Arcieri for betaing the story and to Cindy for helping figure out what 'lousy skiing' was. Any errors are entirely my doing.

Lee just finished a meeting with Amanda and Billy and headed down the corridor when Francine caught him and began talking to him about his and Amanda's relationship.

"She just doesn't know you like I do…" Francine insisted.

"Oh?" Lee questioned.

"No."

"Well, don't bet on it…there's a lot you can learn about a person after a long weekend at Pine Top…especially if the skiing is lousy," Lee replied as he stepped inside the elevator and ducked his head down beneath the clothes.

Smiling to himself, Lee entered the Q-Bureau, sat down at his desk, and turned on the computer. As Lee sat back and waited for the computer to boot up, he recalled his conversation with Francine, his thoughts then quickly turning towards the ski weekend, making his smile grow even brighter. He'd been telling the truth about the skiing trip; it was lousy but not in the way one might think.

The car ride began quietly, neither of them saying a word. Despite Amanda's claim before they left on the trip about not caring where they went as long as they were together, Lee was still anxious, worried whether or he had picked the right place or if she would have a good time. And the fact that Amanda seemed lost in her thoughts, she was unusually quiet as well, which added to his anxiety. "What did you say your mother and the boys were up to this weekend?" Lee asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Mom is visiting Aunt Edna, and the boys are with their father."

"Oh, that's right, you did tell me that didn't you?" He said absentmindedly, one of his hands nervously playing with the keys as they pulled up to a light, his eyes dashing towards Amanda.

"Yeah, I did," she'd answered, as she reached out and touched his arm. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." He replied. As if sensing Lee's mood, Amanda said, "Lee, don't worry, we're going to have fun. I've never been to Pine Top before. Tell me about it."

She knew him so well. That was so like Amanda, thinking of others and ways to help them. "Oh, you're going to love it—" and he began talking about all the different things that they could do, the variety of activities to the fabulous food and how beautiful the cabins were. "And they have a sled—"

"Stop worrying, I know we're going to have fun," she'd said to him as he stopped at a light, lifting his chin to look up at him, causing his heartbeat to rise and his smile to widen.

After his brilliant description, however, as luck would have it, he managed to make the wrong turn somehow and they arrived late for check-in only to find out that their cabin had been given to someone else.

He was livid, to say the least, "What do you mean you gave our cabin away?"

"I'm sure we can find one that is similar-"

"We don't want something similar; we want the one we reserved."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stetson, but you're late and our policy clearly states that if you arrive after 5 PM, the cabin you reserved can be given to another patron and you may have to take another cabin."

"Mr. Thomas," Lee said, losing his patience, looking at the young man's name tag, "that might be true, but I'd already talked to Mr. Williamsburg, the manager and told them we might be late." Lee huffed.

Mr. Thomas opened his mouth to rebuke the claim but at the look on Lee's face must've revealed his growing frustration looked back on the computer and found the note Lee was referencing. "Sir, I am so sorry. I don't know how someone missed this earlier."

"I do—" Lee began only to be cut off by Amanda. "Lee," Amanda said, gently staring directly into his eyes, giving him a nod. "I bet Mr. Thomas can find us something just as nice if not better."

"Well—I don't," Mr. Thomas looked around nervously as though he expected the manager to pop out at any moment.

"I guess we'll just have to talk to your manager," Lee began.

"That won't be necessary," the clerk began. "We have something much better. It was just recently renovated and not open to the general public yet but I'm sure you will find it more to your liking and we can give you a nice discount plus a bottle of our best wine."

Lee wanted to grumble more, just to give him a hard time but nodded his head instead. He was tired from the drive and besides, he was ready to begin his weekend with Amanda.

A half-hour later and they were at their cabin. Lee hadn't had any expectations about the trip. Well, that wasn't true, he knew what he hoped would happen, but Lee also knew that he would be okay with whatever the outcome. His main objective was to have time alone with Amanda without them having to sneak around, to have fun together, talk, whatever but, most of all, to be able to be together with no interruptions. They hadn't talked about sleeping arrangements but not wanting to be presumptuous, he'd rented a cabin with two bedrooms. When they finally entered the cabin, if Amanda was surprised, she didn't let on. Seeing that Mr. Thomas was there to show them around personally, Lee had kept his eyes on her expression, but she never said a word about the two bedrooms, not even after he left.

Once the clerk left, Lee asked which room Amanda preferred. When she shrugged, in response, he walked over to the nearest bedroom, placed her things, and then took his bag into the other room.

"I hate to admit it, but this cabin is even nicer than the one pictured in the brochure."

"It is a nice cabin," Amanda agreed, looking up and noticing the medium oak wood all around the cabin, stone fireplace in both bedrooms, square windows looking out into the woods. The main living area included a fireplace with a plush rug in front of it, two sofas and a small table, the kitchen area, and a small dining room table off to the side.

Now with that settled, he stood in front of her expectantly. "What do you want to do first? Get unpacked or go take a look around, we might not be too late for the last ski run, or are you hungry or should we change clothes-" Lee managed in his best Amanda ramble.

Amanda grinned and reached out and touched his arm. "It's okay." Lee took a deep breath as he gazed into her eyes. He leaned in, put his arms around her, and kissed her ever so gently on the lips.

"Didn't the clerk say something about the last ski run coming up soon?" Amanda reminded Lee.

Lee raised an eyebrow then said, "Oh, yeah, you're right." He'd been so upset over the entire incident, he'd forgotten about that. "Yeah, let's change and head out. Then we can get something to eat." His arms lingered around her for a minute before they left to change clothes.

He knew it; Pine Top was a bad idea. Lee was beginning to think as he quickly changed into his skiing attire. He'd made a wrong turn and caused their room to be replaced. Now what? Oh, Stetson, he'd scolded himself, never ask that. Just get a grip he'd reminded himself as he finished and stepped back into the main room. The sight of Amanda dressed in ski attire, her hair freshly combed and a smile on her face helped wash away his fears.

"You ready, Stetson?"

"Yes, I'm ready." He quipped back.

SMK SMK SMK

Sometime later, they returned to the cabin, Amanda holding onto Lee's arm. "I can't believe it!" Lee exclaimed.

"Lee, I'm fine, I swear. It was my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going." After exiting the chairlift, and as they started skiing down the hill, someone came up from behind them and ran right smack dab into Amanda.

"You were paying attention to what was in front of you; you shouldn't have to pay attention to the skiers behind you. "

"I told you I was okay to go back out there."

"Your foot might be swollen."

"Okay, if you insist," Amanda said, sitting down.

After examining her foot, he reluctantly agreed that it looked fine. "I just wanted to make sure."

"Hey, how about we try that restaurant on the hill? We haven't had anything to eat since we ate in the car." Amanda suggested.

"Yeah, sure."

SMK SMK SMK

"That was a nice ride up on the sled, wasn't it?" Amanda asked as they returned to their cabin.

"It was but the food was lousy. The chicken tasted like wood and the mashed potatoes were cold."

"My chicken was fine and I thought the potatoes were perfect. And those carrots and the dessert was heavenly." Amanda ran her hands up his chest and wrapped her arms around him and said, "Lee, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just…never mind."

Amanda looked at him, questioningly as though she was pondering his mood. She ran her hands along his back soothingly. "Lee?"

"It's just that I want this weekend to be perfect."

"It will be—just because you and I are here together." She lifted his chin and looked into his eyes.

He grunted but then couldn't help but smile.

"Look, how about we get out of these clothes and light a fire?"

"Okay, I'll meet you back out here in a few minutes," Lee said but didn't move. After another few minutes relishing the feel of being in each other's arms, they both went into their separate rooms and changed into comfy clothes, sweats, and t-shirts.

Now relaxed, they sat in front of the fire, leaning against the ottoman, talking about the day, drinking wine while eating cheese and crackers, and before long, his mood had changed entirely. An hour later, Amanda was snuggled in his arms, sharing kisses and caresses when Amanda moved away. She took one last sip from her glass, stood and looked down at Lee. He glanced up at her, his eyes questioning, Amanda's hair sparkling and shining from the light casting off the fireplace. She moved over towards him and reached out her hand towards him. He smiled as he got up and took her hand. She led him into her room.

SMK SMK SMK

The remainder of the weekend had been calamity free. They'd even gotten a chance to take another stab at skiing and went back to the restaurant where the chef made up for the food from the previous evening with a complimentary meal for both him and Amanda along with his best house wine. By the end of the weekend, he and Amanda had shared more conversations and a few more times in one another's arms, exploring and expressing their love for each other in the most intimate of ways.

So, the trip was full of incidents, but what else could he expect…in the end, it had been most enjoyable. Lee thought, coming back to the present, his eyes returning to the green screen.

"Lee?" Amanda's voice broke into his thoughts as she entered the Q-bureau.

"Hmm?"

"What are you smiling about?" Amanda asked, closing the door behind her.

"Oh, nothing."

At Amanda's raised eyebrow, his smile broadened even more. "I was remembering an excellent glass of wine I had recently."

"Huh-oh, that!"

Amanda said, knowing without needing to ask further, precisely what it was he'd been thinking. Lee stood and walked over towards her. Once, he was directly in front of her; Lee took the files she'd been carrying, and placed them on her desk. He then turned back towards her and reached out and touched a strand of her hair.

"How much more filing do you have to do?"

"Just this handful," she answered, motioning towards her desk.

"You have plans tonight?"

"I don't know; it depends on what you have in mind."

"Oh, I was thinking, a bottle of wine, a fire…"

The end.

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