Addicted
Chapter 8: Snow.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: If I said I owned them, I lied.
Author's Note: Now, I doubt that it snows on Shadow, but it's snowing where I live, so I was inspired. And also, I changed my mind. Nivia's father didn't leave, he was killed in the war.
The white powder fell softly onto the already snow covered ground. Mal trudged through it, tiny amounts of the white powder making it's way into his boots. He walked up to the old house and went inside without knocking. He kicked the powder off his boots, then went up stairs, leaving a trail of cold water.
He opened his old bedroom door and quietly walked in. He just looked at Nivia for a few moments. She was always so peaceful when she was asleep. He knelt down on the floor next to the bed. "Nivia." He whispered. "Nivia." He said, a bit louder this time while lightly stroking her hair. She stirred awake.
"What the hell? Mal, what're you doin here?"
"Get up." He said simply, standing up. She reluctantly pushed herself out of bed. He walked her to the window. "Mal, what the hell?" She asked at he covered her eye's with his hand. He opened the curtains. "Kay, Open your eye's." He said, taking his hand away. Nivia blinked open her eye's.
Snow coated all of Shadow. She gasped. "Snow!" She said, now fully awake. "Mal, snow!" He just smiled. Nivia pulled on her boots. "Lets go!"
"Already? Niv, you just got up-"
"Oh, come on, Mal. It snows in Shadow but twice a year." She said, a sweet smile on her face.
The wether only permitted for it snow twice a year in Shadow. And Nivia utilized every minuet of the snow when it did fall upon her town.
She hurried down stairs and pulled on her coat. Mal moved slowly behind her. She threw opened the door and jumped outside. She felt the snow fall onto her face and hair, and she suddenly felt very tranquil. The town was silent. No one in Shadow really cared for any other element but sun. Nivia loved them all. She felt Mal come up behind her.
"I love this time of year." She said.
"Dunno what's so grand about it. Just a bunch of powder thats cold and wet." Mal said. Shannon rolled her eyes. "It's useless to try and explain it to you." She said. They began to walk down the long road towards Serenity. "Do you remember that one time when Era saw her first snow, and thought the sky was falling?" Nivia said with a laugh. Mal smiled, too. "Your little sister looked up to you. They all did." He said. "Still don't know how you could stand all them." Nivia laughed again.
"Well, eight kids are a lot for two parents to handle. Actually, I think there were only four of us when Nathan and I took on the role of co-parents. I guess my parents figured that, with me and Nate around, they could just keep havin more. Come to think it, you were the one who handled the 'sky is falling' problem." She laughed again, and he did also, right along with her. "Kaylee tells me you don't do that anymore, Sergeant."
"'S just Captain, now. War's over."
"To some people, it's not." She reminded him. Then, as they neared the ship, they saw River outside, dancing and jumping around. Nivia saw that she wasn't wearing shoes. "River!" She said, trying her best to run through the thickly packed powder. "What in hell are you doin out here without your gorram shoes?" River looked at her confused.
"I like the feeling of the snow between my toes." She informed her new found friend.
"River, get inside, else your feet'll freeze right off." She said, ushering River onto Serenity.
"Medically impossible. My feet would not simply fall off. They would just loose all blood circulation, resulting in no feeling in my feet." River explained. Nivia looked at Mal, utterly confused.