It had snowed overnight. As the sun rose on a changed world it was nearly knee-deep, but that didn’t stop the children yelping with excitement as they got ready to go out and play.

“Come on,” Jayne said, pulling on his gloves. “I got me the urge to make a snowman.”

Caleb looked up at his father from where he was standing having his coat done up. “’Nowman?” he repeated, not really understanding, but grinning nevertheless.

“That’s right.” Jayne pounced and lifted his son into the air, holding him above his head while he giggled. “Gonna be the best you’ve ever seen.”

“Jayne …” River sighed, wondering which one of them was the biggest kid.

---

Bethie was first out of the cargo bay doors, Ethan a close second, Fiddler tugging on his lead and having to bounce along to get through the virgin white. Ben and Hope came next, together as always, then Jesse, eyes wide as she contemplated the scene. Snow always entranced her, the way it changed the landscape, made it seem like fairyland. The sun was peeking through the steel-grey clouds, and everything sparkled .

“Come on, shrimp,” Hank said, scooping her up and sitting her on his hip. “Let’s go and see what the others are doing, okay?”

“Okay, Uncle Hank.” She smiled for him and patted his cheek with a gloved hand before rubbing her nose with it.

He grinned back, seeing such an amount of Freya in her daughter that he knew this was exactly what she looked like as a child. He strode out into the fresh air, following the yells and the laughter.

“You know you said Mal was getting broody?” Zoe said, walking down the metal stairs.

Freya, a few steps behind her, had to laugh. “Getting?”

“All right. Is.”

“Are you having the same problems with Hank?”

Zoe nodded. “It’s a hundred times worse, now. Seeing little David.”

“Do you want more?” Freya asked, feeling the cold air biting into her exposed skin.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, that’s honest.”

“No, I mean it. Me, Hank and Ben ... we’re a family right now.”

“Anot