disclaimer : I do not own Spooks. All recognisable features/characters etc belong to Kudos and BBC television. No copyright infringement is intended, nor should be inferred.

Snow Days.

Ruth opened her eyes slowly, aware that she was alone in bed. Groaning she wondered where Harry was. It was still too early, even by her husband's standards. She rolled onto her back and listened, wondering if he had heard Gracie wake and left her to sleep while he tended to their daughter. She picked up the baby monitor before realising no one was in the baby's bedroom and there was laughter coming from down stairs.

"What the?" She grabbed her slippers and dressing gown and followed the source of the noise.

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"You are nuts." Nick laughed as another snowball whizzed past his head.

"Ah come on." Graham laughed, ducking as Nick returned fire. Terri laughed as she ducked into the doorway, clearly enjoying herself. Harry stood in the doorway holding Gracie who was clearly bemused by the fact the world had turned white as she slept.

"Harry?" Ruth tugged her dressing gown closer to her.

"It's snowing." He stated as Gracie turned to see her mum walk towards them. Scarlet barked before running into a mound of snow that had been the start of a snowman. Ruth laughed at the little dog before stepping to the side to allow the cats in. It seemed Fidget and Muggles were less than impressed with the drop in temperature.

"So I see." Ruth took the baby from Harry. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"We worked late last night."

"Harry." Ruth ducked behind him as a snow ball hit him directly in the centre of the chest.

"Oof."

"Oh come on Dad!" Nick laughed. For a moment Ruth's heart stopped. Nick had never called Harry Dad. She knew Harry had never expected her adopted son to do so. Harry glanced down at his snow soaked jumper and shook his head smiling.

"Yeah come on, old man!" Graham laughed.

"I thought you two were building a snowman for Squeak and Charlie." Harry called, clearly touched by his step son's slip of the tongue. Ruth rested a hand on his back and smiled.

"One day you'll have to explain her nickname." She watched as Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Never." He kissed her as another snowball hit him on the back. Terri gasped as she ducked behind her fiancé, clearly enjoying the first snow she had ever experienced. Nick fell on his back laughing as Harry turned round.

"Oh you've done it now!" Graham laughed as his father stepped out into the snow covered garden. Scarlett barked, clearly seeing the game as her chance to join in. Ruth laughed and pointed at her husband as Gracie watched.

"Daddy's going to get pneumonia at this rate." She kissed her daughter's head as the baby watched the others. The half-finished snowman now demolished as Graham proceeded to put a snowball down the back of Harry's jumper.

"You bloody!"

"Now Dad. Not in front of the baby." Catherine laughed as she got out the car. Charlie ran towards the snow covered garden laughing at his grandfather and uncles. Terri wiped her eyes as she laughed.

"Oh trust you to side with him!" Harry got to his feet just as a snow ball hit his oldest daughter.

"Oh right!" Catherine shreaked. "This is war!" Another snowball hit her as Ruth laughed and held a hand out for Charlie.

"Come on Handsome." She took his hand. "Lets go in the warm and leave the children pay."

"Ok Nanna Roof." He laughed as the snowball fight went on around them.

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"Tea's in the pot." Ruth called, now fully dressed.

"Thanks." Graham laughed as he pulled Terri up from where she was sat in the snow. "Dad, you alright?"

"I've been hit with worse than snow over the years." Harry shook his head, aware that Ruth had shot him a look. It was still early and she was beginning to wonder how Nick was going to get to school and how on Earth they would get to the Grid when the roads were now so treacherous.

"Awesome." Nick picked up a mug of tea as he stared at his smart phone. "Wes says school is closed. Ice in the playground."

"Really?" Catherine sounded sceptical. "That means no nursery for you either, Charlie."

"Oh." Charlie looked a little upset at the idea of an unscheduled day off. Harry ruffled Nick's hair before stating he'd ring the Grid to check if anyone had got in. Minutes later he was back.

"All schools are closed. There are no refuse collections and all public transport links are suspended." Harry shook his head. "Oh and there are no redflashes or meetings at Whitehall. Apparently Towers is snowed in."

"Small mercies eh?" Catherine laughed at the look of indignation on his face. Graham mouthed 'Here we go." at his sister who just laughed.

"We are the capital city of England. One of the most developed nations on the globe yet six inches of snow stops everything." Harry grumbled.

"Harry." Ruth put a sleeping Gracie back in her pram.

"Oh Dad, six inches can cause a lot of problems." Catherine laughed as Ruth blushed furiously. Graham and Nick fell about laughing, neither wanting to explain the comment to a very bemused looking Charlie.

"No school?"

"No school." Nick repeated. "Build a snowman?" Charlie nodded before following his uncles back into the garden. Scarlett ignored them this time, preferring to sit in front of the fire. Terri and Catherine followed the boys out into the snow.

"Harry." Ruth sighed as he wrapped his arms around her. "God your hands are cold."

"Warm me up then." He kissed her neck as she closed her eyes.

"Seems snow must put the terrorists off too." She covered his hands with hers and leant back into him as they watched the younger members of the family teach Charlie how to build a snowman. "I wish you'd woken me."

"I didn't want you to catch cold." He smiled as she tightened her hold on his hands.

"Cold?" She smiled. "Harry, it's freezing."

"Exactly. I wouldn't have had you to warm me up." He watched as she closed her eyes. His voice lower than ever.

"And do you need me to warm you up now?" She turned to face him as his hands made their way under her blouse to rest on the skin at her waist. He held her gaze as she spoke.

"The kids are busy out there."

"Yeah." Ruth loved the way he still referred to Graham and Catherine as children. In his eyes she knew they always would be. "And Gracie is asleep."

"I'm an old man. I shouldn't allowed to get too cold." He smiled as her arms made their way around his neck, holding her to him.

"You're not old." She smiled at him before kissing him gently. "You know, I could get to like these snow days."

"So could I." He whispered before kissing her again. For a moment all thoughts of snow ball fights, snow men and icy weather left them as Ruth took his hand and led him towards the front door. Catherine bundled Charlie into the house as Ruth dropped her husband's hand. Harry rolled his eyes, knowing Ruth would stay with Charlie who was crying over a cut knee.

"I felled down." He explained as Ruth busied herself with the first aid kit. Harry raised an eyebrow as Ruth looked up. Catherine focused on her son.

"Later." Harry mouthed. Neither Charlie nor Catherine noticed the blush that crept up Ruth's cheeks but Harry did. He had to admit he was beginning to appreciate snow days too.

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A/N One shot only. Probably. Please review.

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