The tree that served as Ranger headquarters swayed violently as it was caught up in a strong crosswind. Monterrey Jack used his sleeve to wipe off the condensation that had built up on the window. He squinted his eyes to look outside and was blinded by the near total whiteness. He shivered as he draped another blanket over himself. He began to pace around in circles, placing his hands on top of his head in frustration.
"I've been stuck in here for five days. I'm going crazy! I've got to do something!"
A hand came up on Monty's shoulder, causing him to turn around. It was Dale. He offered Monty a steaming thimble of liquid.
"Here, have some hot chocolate. I put in extra marshmallows, just the way you like it. Come on! The rest of us are watching TV." Dale gave Monty a big grin and dashed away to the living room.
Monty shook his head and smiled. In all of the years that he'd known Dale, he was always trying to keep everyone in good spirits and he tried to look on the bright side of things. Where Monty saw nothing but coldness and misery outside, Dale took it as an opportunity to serve cocoa to his friends and watch television together. Initially, the two had bonded over their shared sense of adventure and immaturity, but they had gradually formed a deeper friendship. Monty was inclined to agree with Chip's notion that Dale's carefree attitude got in the way of good detective work, but as he got older and the team pursued fewer cases each year he was better able to appreciate Dale's warm nature.
Monty peered into the living room. The others were wearing Christmas sweaters and were huddled together on the couch under thick blankets. There were more thimbles of cocoa and sugar cookies on a nearby table. Before the winter started, Gadget had installed a brick lined hearth in the room that now spit and crackled as it burned the young wood. The room was bathed in a warm, golden light. Gadget pulled back her blanket and patted the couch cushion, beckoning him to set down next to her. As he took his place on the couch and got under the covers, Zipper landed on his shoulder.
This was perfect, Monty thought to himself. While a part of him still yearned for adventure even this late into the winter, he didn't want to leave the couch tonight. He took a deep, contented sigh and drank his hot chocolate. As the Christmas special played late into the night, everyone soon fell asleep.
