Seven of Nine was wrapped in a dark blue coat, and the snow was gathering at her feet. It was falling slowly, but surely, and was already halfway up the heels on the strange footwear the Doctor had given her. He had called them boots, and explained they were especially meant for dealing with snow.
Voyager had stopped at a planet for shore leave. It was very similar to Earth in climate, and some crew were in the opposite hemisphere enjoying summer-like wheather, Seven had decided instead to join the group in the snow, since she had never seen snow and was curious about it.
The Doctor hadn't been pleased by her decision. He had wanted her to join him on the beach for social lessons. But Seven didn't want social lessons right now. She had started to get irritated from them, and now that she was understanding the value of relaxation, she wished for some of it.
She now was feeling relaxed as she walked amoung the on the snow already on the ground. Her enhanced eye was barely able to see the different patterns of each flake. It was true, she knew, that no two snowflakes were ever exactly alike, even though they all followed a similar pattern.
As she continued walking, feeling the wind come up and whip with it's iciness against her face, slapping several snowflakes in her face, she wondered what she should do now. Naomi should be joining her in an hour or so, but until then, she was on her own.
"Hi, Seven. Like the snow?" came a voice she knew very well.
"Ensign Kim."
"Call me Harry. We're friends, right?"
Seven thought about this. She knew they were colleagues, and friendship seemed highly probable. She decided to settle the issue later. "I am enjoying the snow, yes."
"You seem bored."
"I am unsure what to do in the snow." she admitted.
Harry stepped beside her. His coat was dark green. "Why don't we walk together?"
"That does not sound like a bad idea." said Seven, and they walked.
"This reminds me of a song the Doctor taught me." said Seven after they had walked for several minutes. "May I sing it?"
"Go ahead."
Seven's voice rose over the sound of the wind as they walked and she sung.
Sleighbells ring
Are you listening?
In the lane,
Snow is glistening
What a beautiful sight
We're happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderland
Gone away
Is the bluebird,
Here to stay
Is a new bird;
He sings a love song
As we go along
Walkin’g in a winter wonderland
In a meadow we can build a snowman,
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown;
He'll say, “Are you married?” We’'ll say, “No man!
But you can do the job when you’'re in town”
Later on
We'’ll conspire
As we dream
By the fire,
To face unafraid
The plans that we made
Walking’ in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
And pretend that he's a circus clown
We'll have lots of fun with Mr.Snowman
Until the other kiddies knock him down
When it snows,
Ain't it thrillin'
Though you know,
Kids are chillin'
We'll frolick & play,
The Eskimo way
Walking in a winter wonderland
Harry clapped as she finished, and she gave him a slight smile.
When they had walked a little futher, Harry asked, "How long have you been down here?"
"About thirty minutes. I am waiting for Naomi to join me."
"And where is she now?"
"Reviewing her lessons with Neelix. She appeared impatient to finish them."
"I was too, when I was her age." commented Harry.
"At her age," Seven pointed out, "You would not be mature enough to absorb information from lessons."
"I didn't mean it literally."
"You meant at her level of maturity, then?"
"Yes." Seven had come far in her humanity, but she still did make mistakes such as this.
Silence descended, save for the sound of the winds. Harry broke it after a few minutes "How many people do you think are out here?"
"I beamed down with three others. There were five people already down here. Did you down beam down with anyone else?"
"I beamed down alone. However, Ensign Lang and Lieutenant Baxter were entering the transport room at the point. It's possible they're down here as well."
Harry gave a glance at the crowd. They had walked away from them, and it was impossible to tell how many there were. It was safe to guess more had beamed down since him.
When they had walked further, Seven suddenly said, "Harry, I require your assistance."
"What for?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Naomi was hoping for me to make her a snowman. I am unsure how to do this. Could you show me?"
"Sure." Harry took a handful of snow and began rolling. "You form a ball of snow and you starting rolling it..."
"But when do you cease?"
"The ball we're rolling now will be the bottom of the snowman, so we stop when we think it's big enough."
Soon they were rolling a second ball, then a third. "The snowman is formed." "Now we need arms and a face. The arms are usually formed with sticks." Seven walked over to a tree and broke off two branchs. Then she and Harry set to work trimming them, then stuck them on either side. Finally Harry dug into the snow(which had increased), and retreieved enough stones for a face. Seven and Harry viewed thier creation proudly. Then Harry smiled and said, "By the power invested in me by the mighty and awful snow demons, I command you to come to life!"
"Given that he would become a snow goon, perhaps it is not a wise idea to do that."
Harry started "How'd you-"
"Ensign Paris introduced Calvin and Hobbes to Naomi. She introduced it to me."
Shouts were coming from across the field. The snow had now increased considerably, and the others were packing snowballs.
"Snowball fight." Seven said calmly. She packed a snowball, walked up to the crowd, and sent a well-aimed snowball towards Nozawa.. Harry hurried over as she was hit by a snowball from one of the Delaney sisters. The chivalrous Harry packed a snowball and hurled it at the Delaney. He was prompty hit by the other Delaney sister, and they were both in the fight.
A bit later...
A bit later, Harry was just aiming a snowball for Ensign Lang's backside when he was hit by one in the face(It looked like it was from Ayala but he wasn't sure), and he fell behind Seven, who was exchanging snowballs with Hadar. And she was making a high-pitched sound that took Harry several seconds to recognize:laughter.
"Seven," he exclaimed, "You're laughing!"
She looked down at him, and was promptly smacked by Hadar. She tumbled down into the snow, landing next to Harry.
Lying down, they were immune from the flying snowballs. Seven's face was flushed, her eyes shining, a her mouth curled upwards in a smile. Her face was mere inches from his.
"Laughter," she mused. "It was a wonderful sensation. I feel wonderful now."
"So do I," murmered Harry. His eyes were nearly closed, as were hers. It would have felt even more wonderful, Harry thought, if he could lean over and kiss her. But he was afraid to spoil the magic of this moment.
Slowly Seven pulled herself up. Ignoring the snowballs, she walked out of thier reach. She beckoned to him to follow her.
Once he had reached her, he started. "Why'd you-" then she grabbed him. "Because I thought it unwise to do this amoung flying snowballs."
Before he could say anything else, she kissed him.
He pulled back. "Seven, are you sure this is what you want?"
"Yes," she whispered. "I love you." A look of fear crossed her face, "Do you-"
"Yes I do," answered Harry, and thier mouths came together again, as they sank into the snow.
"Seven!" came an angry voice.
Seven and Harry looked up an annoyed Naomi Wildman in a dark yellow coat.
"My apologies." said Seven, getting to her feet.
Suddenly a voice came over Harry's communicator. "Lessing to Kim."
"What is it, Noah?"
"Sorry to interrupt you, sir, but there's something I really want you to see."
Harry looked at Seven. She nodded.
"I'll be right there. Kim out. Kim to transporter room. One to beam up." It was two hours later when Harry threw his coat over his uniform and hurried to the transporter room. He beamed down, and found Ensign Wildman trying to bring down the snow fort Naomi and Seven had made. "Join me?" she asked.
"Why not?" and for nearly an hour he found himself being led on by Naomi, along with Seven and Samantha Wildman.
The sun was setting. Ensign Wildman turned to her daughter, and said, "I think it's time we went back to the ship. Ensign Wildman to transporter room, beam myself and my daughter up."
Naomi was opening her mouth to protest when both dematerialized, leaving Harry and Seven alone.
"Should we go up as well?" asked Seven.
"Why don't we watch the sunset first?"
So they sat, leaning against each other, until the last bit of the sun had dissapeared under the horizon.
Most of the people who had beamed down to the snow had now gone back to Voyager. Aftering taking this in, Harry said, "Should we go now?"
Seven considered, then said, "perhaps if I can join you in your quarters for dinner?"
And so they found themselves in his quarters, eating a dinner they had used Seven's rations to replicate, chicken soup and hot chocolate. It was, as Harry explained, what his mother used to prepare for him after he played in the snow. It seemed the entire scene had a magical quality to it. All too soon it was over and Seven and Harry found themselves clearing the table and wondering what to do. "Well, what now?" Harry asked.
"I believe you would be the expert on that." Seven replied. She leaned over and kissed him. Soon the question was dropped as they kissed, the kisses slowly getting deeper, until Seven started to tug at Harry's uniform, trying to figure out how to get it off.
Harry pulled away gently. "Seven, I love you and I don't want to hurt you."
"You will not," she assured him. "But if you are afraid for yourself...I would not force you into anything."
"On the contrary, this is the perfect ending to a beautiful day."