Author's Note: Prompt suggested by StarLahar


S is for Snow


When Windlifter had announced that they were about to get snow and suggested that everyone get inside, this wasn't the exactly what Dusty had expected. Yes, the tarmac was covered by white but occurring to his vast experience of Midwest snowstorms snow shouldn't be making that racket banging on the main hanger roof…nor should it bounce when it hit the ground. In fact, the cropduster was pretty darn sure that this wasn't snow at all, but the other vehicles in the hanger didn't seem to be batting an eye at the weather.

Blade was looking out at the storm with a thousand-mile stare while sipping from a large mug of hot coffee. Windlifter was sitting next to the Chief with a sagely look that made the Skycrane look mildly constipated. Cabbie and the smokejumpers were parked in front of the TV watching a game, while Maru was puttering around in the kitchen doing something. The only aircraft that seem to find the weather out of the ordinary were Dipper, who as bouncing like a kid on her tires watching the chunks of ice fall from the sky, and Dusty, who was pretty sure that every vehicle on base was a bit nuts.

Dusty desperately wanted to say something, but it was pretty dodge difficult to try to be heard over the cacophony of ice pounding against metal. Then, the storm blew over as quickly as it arrived, and Blade took one last drag to drain the coffee in his mug.

"So, do we need to worry about any more cells?" Blade glanced over to the skycrane.

Windlifter turned his face to the sky and closed his eyes a moment as rain replaced ice falling to the sky. After a couple of rotor beats of silence, he spoke like a prophet. "There does not appear to be. Though mountain weather can be unpredictable and it would be best to stay relatively close to shelter for the next few hours."

"Understood, you are on weather monitoring duty." Blade nodded at his lieutenant and then turn his attention to vehicles in front of the TV. "

"30 MORE MINUTES…" Avalanche tried to pull off the puppy dog eyes. "WE ARE IN THE 7TH INNING!"

"Then you should be able to get everything cleaned up and be back in front of the TV before the end of the game."

"But…" Blackout looked timidly at the Chief.

"Fine we will TEVO it and you can finish the game after you have cleaned the tarmac, but we need it clear just in cause emergency." Blade said with a roll of his eyes before heading back into the kitchen to purchase some additional

With some good nature grumbling but the TV was programmed and the smokejumpers headed out into the weather to get some actual work done. Dipper followed them to, as far as Dusty could tell, frolic a bit in the rain. Then there were only two vehicles parked in the hanger doorway.

"I thought you said it was going to snow?" Dusty finally tried to ask Windlifter but Cabbie's barking laugh from behind them that prevented the helicopter from answering.

"If you ask a meteorologist they will tell you that hail is technically a form of snow, and our good friend here is incapable of giving a straight answer when an obtuse but technically correct one will do." The C-119 was clearly amused by Dusty's confusion. "But I better go help the jumpers clear tarmac before the rain turns the entire mass into an ice rink."

With that Dusty was left sitting staring out into the storm…now even more convinced that his coworkers were completely nuts.