Sorry that it's taken me so long to update!! I had school, and then I didn't know what to write for "Snow," but finally my beta libaka and I came up with an idea.

Thanks always to libaka, for being the best friend and beta that anyone could ever want. And thanks to the people who have reviewed, it really makes my day!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Sisters Grimm, never have never will. I also don't own Sabrina's questions about snow, nor do I own Red's answer. Those come from Fruits Basket, a totally awesome manga. Thanks!

Enjoy!

Chapter 18: Snow

"Um, guys? Can we stop now?" Red called timidly as she tiptoed over the muddy ground. "Haven't we gone far enough?"

Daphne glanced back impatiently. "Never! Granny'll kill us when she finds out we broke the fridge. Right Puck?"

"Yeah! You heard the marshmallow! Let's go! I'm sure we can hide out in the woods for a few days, and then the old lady won't be too mad when we get back."

Red bit her lip. "A few days? But it's gross. There's mud everywhere! Where will we sleep?"

Puck laughed. "Mud? Gross? Come on kiddo, how old are you, 40?"

"No, I'm 600 years old!"

"Then act like it, kiddo! Live a little. What's a little mud?"

Sabrina cut in. "C'mere Red." The girl tiptoed around the mud, wincing when it squelched against her shoes. "What's the matter? You love being outside."

Red clutched her cloak. "But it's gross! The mud's everywhere, and I'm gonna get my cloak muddy, and I don't want to hide, and…and…it's GROSS!"

Sabrina sighed. "Come on. Get on my back. I'll carry you, okay? We're not hiding out anywhere." Two choruses of 'awww' sounded. "Really, guys! Granny won't be that angry! She'll probably just laugh at us. Knowing her, she's already fixed it and figures it just broke."

Red crawled onto Sabrina's back, and Sabrina stood, facing Daphne and Puck who were scowling at her. Sabrina snorted. "Honestly, all you did was break the hinges on the door. It's not that hard to fix!"

Puck sniffed and faced frontwards again. "Some people don't know an adventure when they see one!" he cried, and took off again. Daphne laughed and followed happily.

Red sniffled and rubbed her nose. "Are you sure Granny won't be angry?"

Sabrina nodded absently as she watched Puck and Daphne jump through mud puddles ahead of them. "Don't worry about it, Red, Granny won't be angry."

"Are you sure? I couldn't bear it if she was."

Sabrina smiled and shifted the little girl higher. Red hugged Sabrina's shoulders and put her head down. "It's okay Red. No one will abandon you again."

Red hugged her tighter, and stayed silent. Sabrina sighed. "I'm serious, Red. Granny won't throw you out because Puck and Daphne broke the fridge door trying to get the child's lock off of it. If anything, she'll just ground us for a day and then forget all about it."

Red muttered sulkily, "I'm tired."

Sabrina laughed. "Of course you are. You stayed up all night hiding from Puck so he wouldn't dye you green for St. Patrick's Day. Aren't you glad that's over?"

Red nodded against Sabrina's shoulder. "Very. It's a good thing he didn't find me."

"Well yeah, don't you have the greatest big sister?"

"Oh of course. Who else would give me the idea to hide in Mirror's Hall of Wonders and then distract him from asking Mirror?" Red giggled.

Sabrina laughed. "Wasn't it hilarious when we turned his own prank on him?"

"Uh-huh! His face was great! He looked so surprised when the bucket fell on him."

The two girls laughed as they remembered Puck's face when he opened the door to his room and dumped the bucket of green dye on himself. He'd been so shocked he hadn't reacted when Sabrina led him to the bathroom to clean himself off, and had actually washed up of his own free will. Once he came out of shock, he started yelling and came sprinting out of the bathroom with a towel on, only to turn tail and run back in when he saw Sabrina holding a camera.

Red lifted her head and checked on Puck and Daphne. The two were now in a full mud fight, and Daphne was yelling as Puck called his pixies in to help.

"Sabrina?" The older girl mhmm-ed distractedly. "Do you think winter will ever end? Granny said it will snow tomorrow for sure. It's hard to remember what stuff looked like without the extra snow lying around. It's warm out today, but only the path is free of snow. Everything looks so white."

"Of course it will go away."

"But will it? What it the Scarlet Hand makes it stay? Everafters aren't affected by cold, but humans are."

"Have you been reading Narnia again?"

"….Yeah."

"Well, when snow melts, what does it become?"

"Huh?"

"What does it become?"

"Um. I dunno."

Sabrina smiled. "Think about it." She raised her voice. "Hey! You two! Stop throwing mud and get back here!" Daphne dropped the mud she was holding and trotted back to Sabrina and Red. Puck, scowling, followed.

"What's up?" Daphne asked happily.

"Let's go back. Granny will be frantic when she realizes we're gone. You don't want her to think we've been kidnapped, do you?"

Daphne shook her head, Puck shrugging reluctantly. The four kids turned around, and the two mud-coated kids took off again. Red watched them silently. What happens to snow after it melts? She didn't think Sabrina meant it in the literal sense. What could it mean?

She stayed silent as Sabrina carried her back towards the house, calling towards the two ahead. Daphne and Puck continued playing with the mud lying on the path, laughing and throwing it around.

Red glanced back into the woods absently, then flinched when she felt something land on her head. She cocked her head back and saw water dripping from the branches. In some places, the snow was almost gone. Red sighed and put her head back down.

The group reached the edge of the trees, and Daphne and Puck sprinted towards the house, calling to Granny. The woman opened the door and playfully ordered Puck and Daphne to clean up. Red glanced back towards the woods again, and blinked.

She craned her head, and suddenly smiled. There, among the snow and mud, was a crocus. It was small, and only just growing, but its green stem shimmered with melting water. Red beamed, and knew the answer.

"Sabrina?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you ask the question again?"

"Sure. When snow melts, what does it become?"

"It turns to Spring."

Sabrina put Red down. The girl looked up at the elder, and Sabrina smiled.

"Yeah. So remember this: someday, no matter how cold it is now, the snow will melt. Without fail." Sabrina led Red in as the little girl pondered her words.

Before the door shut, Red glanced back and saw the snow. It covered the yard, with mud mixed in. But in small patches, it had begun to melt, and green shown through.

Red smiled, and closed the door. Spring would come.

I hope you liked it!

Please R&R,

Tam