This story is dedicated to David Sherrard, romantic and dreamer...

"A trip for two to a romantic snow bound chalet, and it's Egon's turn to take the freebies? No fair!" Peter Venkman scowled theatrically at the letter in his hand.

It was a gift from a thankful client, they were always getting things like it, small signs of appreciation that came as simple as a box of left hand screws (Tom's Truckstop) or stretched to the more extravagant holiday items (Lushingtons of Cambrai).

The Ghostbusting team had recently decided to parcel out these 'fringe benefits' as they often came in amounts to small for all four of them to share. Things like free food hampers, dinners for two, passes to movies or baseball games and the occasional holiday package, all of which could be shared or swapped as the recipient saw fit.

They used a roster and it looked like Egon had got the lucky strike this time round.

Actually, despite his complaints to the contrary, Peter thought it was good timing for Egon to get this holiday, his tall friend had been brooding over something lately and needed a break.

"Maybe he'll swap it for that free Oreo's gift pack I got on Tuesday." Winston speculated, rubbing his at his chin as he tried to think of anything else he might have to swap.

"Don't hold your breath, he's been on that diet, remember?" Ray chimed in quickly. He had his eye on the Oreo pack himself and couldn't wait until he got something Winston wanted to swap it for.

"Don't see why he'd diet, he's skinny enough if you ask me," Zed grumbled. He'd have liked to take his girlfriend off for a vacation in a snow bound chalet. Sounded nice, with little possibility of any of the craziness that usually followed them round when they went for some down time. He sighed and mentally promised to buy his girl a snowcone on their next date, the closest they would come to an ice filled wonderland.

Ray and Winston grumbled some more, but eventually accepted the inevitable. With a secret smile Peter took the news of the windfall up to his friend. He mentally prepared a list of reasons why Egon should go if the scientist proved reluctant. Egon could be stubborn, not to mention a bit of a workaholic. Weren't they all?

Egon was reading in the TV room, looking rumpled, famed hairdo only loosely curled instead of having that tight spiral, chin darkened with stubble. There was something eminently adorable about the guy when he was all tired and dishevelled like that. Peter plunked down bonelessly besides him on the couch, barely earning himself a flicker of a glance. Yep, the guy was shagged, and not just from the 48-hour test he had just completed running.

Slipping an arm around his friend's shoulders Peter gave him a quick squeeze and told him the happy news.

"You're gonna need a date. It is a romantic holiday after all. Client said he'd pop for Champagne, chocolates; the works. There's a Jacuzzi, nice restaurants close by - everything a budding couple could want. Wish all our customers were generous like that." Peter sighed wistfully, then turned his mind to planning Egon's romantic getaway.

Egon remained silent as Venkman sketched his plans in the air. He outlined dinners at the restaurant, after dinner drinks in front of the fire, snow picnics, a brief tourist trap shopping run - then back to spend some time in the Jacuzzi. He paused towards the end to remember the important bit about romantic getaways, the need for a companion. "Now as for a date - I can contact Tanya, or - no - Candy!"

"Actually, Peter, I was hopping you would come with me." Egon's voice came as an oddly toneless rumble. The blond physicist kept his eyes on the book in his hands, but the way he tightened his shoulder muscles told Peter this was not a casual request.

At first Peter didn't get it, his mind had been too busy trying to think up the names of suitable girls to be Egon's date. Then it did register and he sat there with his mouth open.

Hundreds of Egons little signs, from turning his collar the right way out to saving him the last doughnut from the rest of the guys popped into Peters head. He'd had this nagging feeling that the big guy had something on his mind... Wow. Spengler wanted to take him away for a dirty weekend!

/Nah, that's not it. He probably just wants to corner me out in the snow and talk about the lab budget, or getting more storage room, or .../ so why was Egon sitting there so tense you could have used him for a resonating board?

It certainly explained Egon's mood lately. Damn, Peter knew he should have pushed him about it. But it had been unusually hard to pin the scientist down lately, especially with all the work Egon had surrounded himself with.

Now it looked like he had been giving himself some space to think things over in. Which was a bad sign, as Egon thinking on emotional stuff alone was bound to get you trouble. Still, he'd worked through his feelings enough to ask Peter out, which was nominally a good sign.

so...so...oh.

Ask him out. On a date. Well, more like a...romantic weekend. Oh brother. He turned and regarded his friend. Egon looked, he looked...wow. Egon had stopped pretending to read the book and was waiting anxiously for Peter to answer his question.

/No, Egon. Don't look at any one like that. People can hurt you if you look at them like that,/ Peter thought with a pang of...something. Something that closed his throat and made his heart jolt painfully in his chest.

It hurt to see his friend look so vulnerable. But Peter suddenly realised if Egon was safe to look at any one like that, he would be the one. The one he could turn to, the one he could show.. whatever he wanted to so show. Because he'd never hurt Egon, ever. He'd die rather than betray that trust.

"I'll go with you," Peter answered softly. Relief flooded Egon's eyes, the tense shoulders under Peter's arm relaxed and the physicist smiled. It was a nice smile. "We'll pack for snow." Peter added. /And prepare for romance,/ he thought.

Egon nodded and went back to reading his book. Nobody would ever complain that Egon Spengler didn't push for things to go his own way, this was true. But when things did go to plan, he accepted it without crowing about it like a normal person would. If he wasn't so fond of the guy Peter could easily find that habit insufferable.

Later...

The trip out by train was cold, however the luxury chalet made up for it, being way more than as advertised. It was cosy, it was well stocked, it had a satellite dish and an internet linked computer. Heaven in a halfshell.

So, things had started out well. That was a good sign, right?

The date had been perfect. The trip to the restaurant in the reindeer pulled sleigh, the cosy, intimate table by the fire. Talking, eating, sharing long meaningful looks. The hot toddies before setting out, back towards the chalet, the cheery farewell to the proprietor at the door as the sleigh whisked them away into the night once more.

Perfect. If he didn't get a kiss at the door to their chalet tonight then his name wasn't Peter Venkman!

They had already wasted so much time, Peter had seen Egon looking at him strangely for ages now. Jeez, if only he'd known what the guy had been thinking!

Talking of thinking - and worrying - Peter had been interested to hear, back before they left on this little jaunt, that Egon had talked to Ray about his hopes and fears for the weekend. Ray had sent him to Winston, second most date savvy of the Ghostbusters, then come to have a quiet word with Peter.

Ray was kind of protective of Egon and had gone to great lengths to make sure the psychologist understood what Egon was expecting. He'd wanted to be certain there were no misunderstandings that might lead to trouble between them later.

Peter had reassured him that he and Egon were reading from the same page and that he was going to take it easy, no rushing in where scientists feared to tread.

All the time he'd been wondering what Egon was saying to Winston and vice versa. Since then he'd been tying himself up in knots about whether or not Egon would ever talk to 'him' about the coming weekend. But besides from making arrangements for the journey out here Egon hadn't said a word.

Which was good in a way, because ol' Petey Venkman had been in no state to discuss 'anything' rationally, despite being desperate to know what was going on in that blond head. He'd been too shocked and hadn't really come to grips with how he felt until they arrived at the snow shrouded railway station. Then stuff had abruptly come into focus.

Damned if he couldn't have saved Egon some soul searching. Because if he had thought about it he would have been the one asking Egon out for the weekend. If only he'd taken the time. It, them...as a couple. It made a lot of sense.

Just thinking of being together gave him chills. They had probably been in love with each other for months now, trust the egghead to notice first. It was embarrassing.

Still, he'd caught up pretty fast. When Egon asked him to come on the romantic holiday he hadn't barely had to think, he'd said 'yes' almost immediately, so his subconscious at least was on the ball. And now...

Well, now they were rushing towards home full of a warm meal and sweet wine. About them snow fell, the flakes large and fluffy. They sparkled in the moonlight, drifting earthwards slowly, crystalline forms as unique as Egon's hairstyle. The two men snuggled closer in the sled, their clasped hands hidden under the complementary lap rug, as they pretended to share body heat.

A frozen landscape rushed by them, painted in a thousand shades of palest ice blue. Moonlight on snow turned everything magical and fay, it twinkled and shimmered, as if they moved through a world of glass.

They entered an ice bound forest, it's bare branched trees looking like black lightning reaching for the night sky. No sound broke the silence under the naked canopy. There was little in the way of noise except for the whoosh of the sled runners and the jingle of the bells tied to the red harness of the labouring deer.

It would have been a magical trip anyhow, but being newly in love made the experience unique. They happily pointed things out to each other about the landscape, neither wanting the other to miss out on some new and enchanting sight.

The chalets eventually came into view and their twilight ride was over. Peter reluctantly untangled his fingers from Egon's and they struggled out onto the snow. Their driver tipped his hat courteously then cracked his whip and the sleigh lurched away, jingling erratically into the distance.

"Well, that was a nice night," Peter commented, wondering if Egon was going to lay one on him now or if he should do the honours.

"Um, Peter." /Cool, Egon's gonna make a move!/ Peter puckered up a little in readiness. "Peter, I've lost my watch."

Peter blinked at him. /Whaaat?/ "Uh, the Mickey Mouse one Ray got you two Christmases ago?" he asked hopefully, lips staying in puck mode, just in case.

"No, the Rolex Uncle Cyrus got me for graduation." Egon turned mournful blue eyes his way.

Peter groaned to himself. Just his luck. Egon was still looking at him with sorrowful eyes, so he dredged up a smile and pointed back the way they had came. "Hey, after a dinner like that we need a walk, or they'll be rolling us onto the train Monday morning," he quipped.

Egon sighed in relief.

First they went inside and Peter phoned the restaurant to ask if they could do a search for the missing item. The restaurant staff were sorry, but no watch was found. So the intrepid twosome grabbed up their torches and headed back out along the road.

They both knew that if they left the search till morning the normal traffic would have covered the watch over, or new snowfall would have hidden it. If they were lucky they would find what they sought in the forest, they remembered pointing things out to each other then, with any luck the watch would be there.

On foot the shadows of the frozen trees blocked the moonlight and they walked closer together in the still, breezeless gloom. An owl hooted and they jumped, then grinned at each other in embarrassment. They were Ghostbusters, they weren't afraid of no owl!

On a raise overlooking a tiny frozen lake they spotted a metallic gleam and Peter whooped in triumph as he dug the ice away to reveal the valuable watch. Egon held out his wrist and Peter fastened it on, checking the hasp had caught with a decided amount of ceremony.

Smiling they turned back towards the chalet, Egon surprising his friend by catching his hand and rubbing at his chilled digits. When he was sure they were warm enough he stopped rubbing them, but continued to hold on with a shy but determined air.

The clasped hands swung between them, uncommented on but highly significant. Peter felt like he was walking six feet off the ground, walking on moonlight. Egon too would have admitted to a slight giddiness if cornered on the subject. Bottom line - they were both very happy.

Their feet were cold and they were wet from where snowflakes had settled on their hair and shoulders, their noses were both red, steam streamed numbingly from their mouths when they talked and yet, this was one of the greatest nights of their lives. They would never forget it.

Egon pointed at the sky directly above them, identifying some of the constellations. Peter teased him by giving them silly names, like Randy The Ram for the constellation of Aries. Egon just rolled his eyes, his exasperated look failing to cover his amusement.

They walked on and came to a part of the road completely in darkness. Peter gave a tug at their joined hands and Egon stumbled into him.

"Well, Dr Venkman, you seem to have caught me." Egon lent into the arms that had wrapped about him.

"So I have," Peter smirked. He then reached up and found Egons cold lips, doing his best to warm them. Egon helped him, tightening his hold so they kept each others chests warmed as well. They didn't want to catch a chill out here, after all.

"You are more beautiful than moonlight on snow, ya know that?" Peter pulled back and looked at his friend with awe. "Hey, Egon," he whispered. "Wanna go out with me?"

"Hmm, yes, I believe I do." Egon replied, deliberately sounding a little astounded at the fact.

"You sure now?" Peter grinned. "Gotta be sure, I'd hate to have taken a walk in the snow for nothing."

"Ah, well then, I do, most whole heartily wish to go out with you, yes. Was that a more satisfactory answer?" Egon smiled, resting his forehead onto Peter's. It felt good to be able to do so, holding Peter this way, even if his toes were going numb. He forgot all about his cold toes when Peter kissed him again.

 The lurker growled in frustrated anger. It had caused the blond ones trinket to fall to the snow in order lure it back and capture it when it came to retrieve its bauble. But the brown haired companion had come too. The lurker could take on one, but never two. It watched as the couple walked on into the night, never knowing how close they had come to being separated forever. Sharp teeth glinted in the moonlight. There would be others.

'No' came the whisper of a voice and a cold mist swooped from the tree branches. With barely a struggle it caught the lurker in its depths and pulled it back into the frozen earth from which it had escaped. All realms have those who render the law, after all. With ice green eyes the being of mist beheld the departure of the Ghostbusters, and wished them well.