"Is there anything else that we need to go over before the snowball fight begins?"

Bernie looked across the way at Serena, seeing her huddled close to Hanssen and Sacha, knowing that they were planning their attack methods. She knew that her wife would not pull any punches with her, not after she had declared that being in the army had automatically made her more likely to win this fight. And she had been sort of right, since Serena had used sentimental connections to choose who was on her team, ending up with Lofty and Fletch, as well.

"Oi, Campbell, Griffin asked you a question!" she called out to her, watching her glance up from her huddle and blush as she shook her head. "All right, Dom, I think we're good to go" Bernie said as she clapped the younger man on the back. He nodded and they moved over to the wall of snow they had claimed as their base. From the corner of her eye, she watched as Serena's team slipped behind their wall, Lofty and Fletch crouching down on the ground as they started to pack some snow into balls.

"I don't know if Serena's going to last very long," Jac said as she made the first of their side's snowballs. "Fletch has shite aim, and Lofty is too meek to really go in for the kill."

"Don't underestimate him, Ms Naylor. When he wants to, he can be ferocious. Plus, she had Hanssen. He has a wicked throw, from all I've heard." Bernie glanced over at Roxanna to see if she could confirm that statement, and the woman nodded a little, a sheepish smile on her lips.

"We learned well when we were at Rigden. Snow fights were the thing to do on break, when we couldn't afford to fly home for the holidays." Roxanna adjusted the hat on her head, pulling it down around her ears as she shivered a little. "Team building exercises are always interesting. Especially when you're separated from your partner. I hope you know that I won't pull any punches, even if Henrik makes pleading faces at me."

"That's all we need to know, Roxy," Dom said as he began to help Jac and Roxanna with the balls. Once they were all in a rhythm, the time seemed to fly by, and Bernie was startled to hear Ric blow the whistle fifteen minutes later, signaling the end of their preparation time. "All right, team, are you ready to kick some arse?"

"More than ready," Jac muttered, and Bernie chuckled, wondering if she and Fletch were currently fighting. "Let's get into position." She picked up a few of the snowballs and scuttled over to the far end of their wall, peeping her head over to scope out who was where. Bernie decided to copy the movement, picking up her own set of balls and making her way to the other end of the wall.

"I can see that blonde mop of yours, Wolfe!" Serena called out, and Bernie screeched a little as the first snowball came whizzing at her, grazing the top of her shoulder before she could move out of the way. "What can you say about my aim now?"

"That you might be more prepared for this than I realized," Bernie shot back as she aimed for where she heard Serena's voice come from. Letting her first snowball fly, she let out a delighted whoop when she heard her wife turn the air blue with curses. "Then again, maybe not!"

Those words seemed to break the fighting open between them all, and snowballs flew through the air, occasional curses and shouts being heard as they met their mark. Bernie couldn't help but smirk every time one of their targets was met, and she had the feeling that their side was winning. She knew, in the back of her mind, that being so cocky was just asking for trouble, but she felt more than able to meet whatever Serena decided to dish out. That was, however, until she felt a cold hand on the back of her neck. Turning her head slightly, she saw that her wife had managed to cross over to their side of the field undetected, and she was holding a snowball in her free hand. "Hello, Wolfie," she drawled as her fingers slipped under the fabric of her sweater to spread out on her back. "I'm turning this little game into a bit of capture the flag. Only, you're our flag."

Bernie nodded a little as she shivered, trying to dislodge Serena's hand. "If you think you can get me back to your side, then go for it." Serena chuckled as she leaned in and kissed Bernie possessively before turning her hand around and taking firm hold of the collar of both her sweater and coat, dragging Bernie around the wall and starting for the enemy camp.

"HOSTILE ENCOUNTER!" Dom screamed, catching everyone else's attention, and Bernie smiled as she watched her team stand up, aiming for her and Serena. That was possibly the worst thing they could have done, however, as Serena's team used that opening to launch a barrage of snowballs at them, most of them reaching their targets. In the confusion, Serena was able to pull Bernie over to her wall, and had almost succeeded in getting her behind it when the sounds of the melee fell silent.

"We're out of snowballs, Serena!" Sacha said, and she watched her wife blanch a little before gazing at the last one in her hand.

"Don't you even think about it, Campbell. Not if you want to sleep in our bed…" Bernie's words were abruptly cut off by Serena shoving the last snowball into her face, the sensation of it causing every nerve in Bernie's body to go into overdrive.

"Sorry, my love, but I play to win," Serena whispered as she stood up straight and looked across towards the other snow wall. "I have captured your leader, and used our last snowball on them. Surrender is now your only option!"

"Never give up! Never surrender!" Dom called out as he jumped over the wall and came charging over to their side, a snowball in each hand. That seemed to be Lofty's cue to pop his head up and release one last, hidden, snowball at his partner, striking him square in the chest. "Lofty?! Really?"

"You gave the battle cry, Dom, you only have yourself to blame."

"Well, that's just not fair, because now we're really out of snowballs. What about you guys?"

"Same, I think. So, are you going to declare the winner, Ric?"

"Serena already did that for me. Her team won, in a cunning display of bravery. Now, are you all ready to head in for hot chocolate?"

The others readily agreed, and as Bernie watched them head inside, she felt Serena wrap her arm around her waist and pull her tightly to her side. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" she murmured as she swiped the remnants of the snowball from her face, looking into her eyes. "You know how competitive I can be."

"I just never expected you to shove a snowball in my face, darling. That was really fucking cold!"

"I can only imagine."

"We can do more than imagine, Serena," Bernie purred as she shook of Serena's arm and knelt down, picking up a handful of snow and holding it out teasingly. "We can make it a reality."

"Bernie, no. Please, no."

"Turnabout is fair play."

"I know, but you didn't see Dom retaliate against Lofty. Or Roxanna get Henrik back for the snowball that hit her on the side of her head."

"And you didn't have to strike me at point blank range, darling," she said, keeping the lilt in her voice as she quickly brought her hand up to Serena's face, covering it in snow. Bernie watched as Serena shivered with her whole body before looking up at her, pouting a little. "Don't even think about using that lower lip on me, Campbell!"

"I am freezing now, Bernie. Feel." Serena took hold of her hand and brought it up to the neckline of her sweater, her lips quivering a little. "I'm cold all the way through. My nipples could cut glass right now, that's how cold I am."

Bernie swallowed thickly before darting her eyes over to the house they had rented for the weekend, trying to suss out if anyone was watching them out the windows. She thought she could see Dom, but knew that he would avert his eyes, if necessary, and so she let her hand slide down into the sweater until she felt the swell of Serena's breast and then let her fingers sweep across her nipple. "You're right, they probably could. Why don't we head inside and warm up?"

"I can think of nothing better, Bernie," Serena said as she leaned in and kissed Bernie passionately before dislodging her hand and then making for the door. "I mean, a large mug of hot chocolate and some biscuits sounds amazing right now."

Bernie let out her bark of a laugh as she jogged over to Serena and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to her side as they walked in tandem to the house. "I suppose that we could start there. After all, we wouldn't want our colleagues to know the filth I can make you shout when I'm teasing you…"

"Enough, Wolfe," Serena growled as Bernie opened the door and let her head inside. "You're already making the wait that much longer." Bernie laughed once more as they joined their friends in the kitchen, Roxanna pressing mugs into their hands as they leaned against the counter, watching their friends interact. There really was nothing she liked more, Bernie mused, than the sound of laughter filling the air, reminding her that the dark times were over, and life had begun anew for them all.