Winter Snowfall

by Seven


Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company.  All rights reserved.



Notes from Author:   During S2. Another "Liam needs a childhood" story, sort of a predecessor to the Christmas story I'm formulating.



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"Lili!" Liam called, dashing out of his back room. His boyish face, often too serious now, was alight with delight and wonder. "It's snowing!" he exclaimed.

Lili put down her drink, and followed him out the door onto the street. Snowflakes were falling, big ones. They were almost the size of cornflakes. As she watched, Liam broke into a huge grin, the flakes tangling themselves and melting in his dark hair.

"Wow... I heard that snow was beautiful, but... wow!" he said, abently brushing the flakes away.

"Yeah, well, descriptions, postcards, TV... they don't really make up for the real thing," Lili said quietly. Then, with an impish smile, she stuck out her tongue. "I always used to do that when I was a kid," she commented wryly, a little embarrassed.

Liam stuck out his tongue as well, then shook his head and blinked as a flake landed in his eye. "Whoa," he whispered.

A fine white film had covered the ground. Lili glanced at a windowsill where the beginnings of a drift had started. She hurriedly scraped the snow off and smushed it into a vaguely spherical object, then flung it at Liam. It hit him on the back of the head.

"Hey!" Liam laughed, wheeling around. He grabbed a handful of snow from atop a trash can and flung it at Lili. She squealed and tried to dodge, but a good deal of the snow lodged itself in her hair.

They stood there, panting and laughing for a few minutes, until Liam put his arms around himself and shivered. "It's cold. Wet, too."

"It's snow," Lili said, gasping for breath. The raw cold air hurt her throat, but it was a good sort of hurting. "Oh yeah... I forgot. You've never seen snow before."

Liam's eyes clouded for a moment, as if he were dredging up some distant memory. "My mother... used to play in the snow... even when she was an implant. Sandoval didn't... but I don't remember it being this cold. And wet."

"Well, first-hand experience is the best," Lili said, rubbing her arms and sighing, her breath melting the flakes that fluttered in front of her. "Welcome to your first winter, Liam! I really envy you, being able to see all this for the first time ever."

Liam smiled and glanced at the park. "The snow's going to be pretty thick soon," he said quietly.

"Yes, I think so."

"Could we... you know... play in it?" he asked almost timidly. "With snowballs, and snow forts, and sledding..."

Lili laughed and put her reddened hand on his shoulder. "Sure," she said quietly. "I haven't done that sort of thing for years, but it'd sure be great to do it again. Maybe I can pry Augur from his cozy winter den to come with us. And you are going to throw snowballs, and sled, and have snowfights."

Liam grinned at her. "But coats first."

"Absolutely," Lili agreed, as the two reentered the Flat Planet.