( This is a story I'd intended to write around Christmas time, but my other stories kinda took over lol. So, with a bit of tweaking, here it is now :smile: )

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"Is it still raining?"

Turning slightly from her vantage point at the window, Murrue nodded. "It hasn't stopped all day," she replied, making a face. Setting down her mug of tea on the desk just behind her, she returned her attention to the grey day, watching the rivulets of rain streak down the window. Outside, the tall trees were bent almost double in the strong winds, the driving rain being blown horizontally. The temperature had dropped, and the young woman watching hugged herself, shivering under the red jacket she wore. From the doorway of the little office, Erica smiled. "Still not used to the weather here?" Walking up to the large window, she gazed out at the storm. "They say we've caught the tail end of a hurricane, and that added to the rain we were having already. You never saw a hurricane or tornado where you grew up?" Murrue shook her head. "I saw one once when I was at the academy, but it never hit us. Where I lived before, the weather wasn't that bad. We had rain, yeah, but never anything this bad. And once or twice..we even had snow.."

Erica noticed the wistful little smile on her friend's flawless face. "You miss that?"

"I loved the snow," the younger woman replied. "Every winter, we used to pray that it would snow. Sure, it was cold, but we had so much fun.." She glanced up at Erica. "Have you ever seen snow?"

"Once," was the answer. "My husband and I went abroad for a skiing trip with our little boy. His face when he saw the snow.." She smiled at the memory. Murrue could well understand. She still remembered the joy she had felt that morning when she was nine years old, waking up to see the white world beyond her window. She and her friends had spent almost the entire day outside, making snowmen and snow angels, sledding down hills...She'd been tired out and soaked through when she came home, but happier than she ever remembered being. "There's something magical about snow.." she mused softly. "It brings out the child in everyone..." Erica nodded. "My husband was behaving just like a ten-year-old," she agreed. "Do you think yours would be the same?"

Murrue smiled. "Mwu grew up in Quebec, in Canada," she replied. "It snowed every winter there, rather heavily in fact.." Her gentle smile faded. "He misses it though, I know he does. When he told me about all the things he used to do when he was younger...he gets this sad expression on his face. He says that he doesn't mind the heat, but I can tell it bothers him sometimes. I wish that..."

"You wish that it would snow for him?"

She nodded at her friend's words. "We can't really afford to go abroad right now, and this time next year, well.." She rubbed her stomach gently, affectionately. "This time next year, we won't be able to go anywhere.."

"When are you due?" Erica asked, suppressing a giggle at how clearly happy her friend was. Murrue smiled. "In about five months," was her answer. "The doctor said sometime in July.."

"That means.." The older woman did some counting backwards on her fingers...and grinned. "Back in October, huh? Before or after the wedding?" Murrue blushed, hiding her face under a curtain of auburn hair. "W-we're not sure.." she stuttered. "But Mwu was so happy when we found out...it doesn't really matter when it happened.."

"But at least you got to spend one Christmas alone together, huh?" Erica ribbed cheerfully. "And your first together, too...I bet that was romantic.." Her younger friend's face flamed a deeper red, and she nodded quickly. "We knew that next year...we'd have our baby, so we made the most of it..." Her voice trailed off, but she was smiling dreamily, her memories of that time obviously very happy ones. "I still wish we'd had snow, though. But I think now I know a way...to make it snow for him.."

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When she reached home, she was soaked through, even though she had only been outside for a matter of moments, running from a building to her car, and vice versa. Stripping off her drenched clothes, she set the water running for a hot bath, a fluffy white towel wrapped around herself. As the steam rose, she smiled, breathing in the scent of the vanilla and milk bath solution, it helping to relax her almost immediately. I needed this... Stretching out happily, she trailed her hand in the water, swirling the bubbles around. "Hey, princess.." Murrue smiled at the familiar voice, turning around to see his happy face peeking around the wooden door. "Hi," she replied, reaching to turn off the taps. "Have a good day?"

"Not bad," he replied, walking over to kiss her lightly. "You?" Returning his kiss, she gestured to her soaked hair. "Okay. I got caught in the rain, though..." Mwu nodded, fingers brushing the cold skin of her cheek. "You're freezing.." His smile grew mischievous and more than a little seductive. "Want me to warm you up a bit?"

"I think I'll stick to the bath, thanks," she replied, although she was blushing slightly, heartbeat picking up. Her husband chuckled, leaning down to plant a kiss on the top of her head. "Well, if you change your mind, you know where I am..." With one last kiss, he left the bathroom. Murrue was tempted to call out to him, to forget her bath, but instead she just smiled, remembering what she had planned for later. The gift she had carefully picked out for him. Later...we'll see...

After her bath, she stepped out into their bedroom, dark hair still damp, clad in the pale pink silk robe he had bought her as a wedding present. Mwu was standing at the window, watching the rain still falling, and hadn't seemed to notice her coming out of the bathroom. Suppressing a giggle, she tiptoed up to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind and snuggling close. Startled, he turned around, but smiled happily when he saw her there. "Well now...this is nice..." Winding one arm around her waist, he moved the other up to caress her face, his fingers tangling in her hair. "You all warmed up now?" Murrue's smile grew wicked, and she moved up to kiss him passionately. Mwu blinked, surprised, but quickly returned her kiss, leaning down to deepen the embrace.

"Oh?" he murmured when they broke, his lips inches from hers. "I didn't know your day had been that good..." She just gave him that impish little smile again, and began to kiss his neck gently. The scarred man chuckled, moving to lift his wife up in his arms and turned to carry her over to their bed. "You think it'll be okay?" he asked, settling her on the comforter. One hand moved to gently rest on her stomach, over the tiny bump that had begun to form there. "This won't...hurt them, will it?"

Murrue smiled, reaching up to wind her arms around his neck and pull him close. "Don't worry..."

A few hours later, the couple lay together in each other's arms, her head pillowed on his shoulder. The rain still fell outside, but the sound was soothing, gentle. Murrue smiled, stretching out lazily under the soft covers. She was tired now, but satisfied and happy. These days, they could afford to make more time for each other, and they were making the most of it, knowing that with their busy lifestyles, and their child on the way, they wouldn't be able to be together like this for very much longer. Looking up and backward at her husband, she stroked his scarred face gently. Mwu grinned, kissing her fingertips. Neither spoke, just happy in each other's company, and she snuggled closer to him, closing her eyes. "I have a present for you.." she murmured drowsily.

"A present, huh? What kind? Is it better than the one I just got?" he asked, tracing patterns into the bare skin of her shoulder. Giggling, Murrue opened amber eyes to see his blue ones twinkling merrily. "That's up to you.." Climbing from the bed, wrapping her robe back around herself, she searched her bag for the item she had bought on her way home. "Here.." Climbing back up to the bed, she handed him the little gift, wrapped in paper. Confused, Mwu pulled off the wrapping...and his face lit up. The present was a glass dome filled with water, in which a tiny house nestled amidst flakes of white. A snowglobe.

"Is it okay?" she asked softly, pulling the covers back around herself. "I wasn't able to give you real snow..." His expression was one of delight, as he gently shook the globe, making the snow fall around the little house. "It's awesome..." Setting his gift down on the bedside table, he wrapped his wife up in a tight hug.

"It's perfect.." he murmured. "Thank you so much..." How did she know...I missed the snow?

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( Hee hee lol

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