Do you wanna build a snowman?

Gill and Haddie were having a good day. Riley had left them snug as a bug I a rug, all kitted out in their new fangled snow gear. Gill was still trying to forget the image of Haddie holding hands with that terrifying woman. Just when he thought he had his sister figured out...

An icy wet ball of snow slapped into the side of his face and he yelped. Haddie stood several meters away with a broad grin on her face and her hands already busy pressing her next projectile into a snowy white ball.

"You!" Gill roared with delight as he bent to grab hand fulls of snow from the ground. While he worked another perfectly aimed ball hit the back of his neck and icy cold snow began to trickle down his neck causing him to shiver. Oh it was on!

Ball after ball flew back and forth and Gills laughter filled the air. For all of her silence Haddie was no less delighted by the sport and it was almost an hour later that the soggy pair called a truce and made their way to a nearby store selling pastries and hot chocolate. Gill fished out the credits to pay the attendant and they both sat on a wide oak bench watching the snowy world go by and they sipped on their hot drinks.

As they sat Gill eyed a wide flat area off between the far storehouses. Probably some sort of green in the summer months. It looked largely untouched, virgin snow. An idea came to him and he knocked back the last warm dregs of his chocolate and turned to Haddie.

"Snowman?" he asked. Her face lit up with delight and then they were running.

It was another hour of cold damp graft before they were both looking up at a rather impressive snowman, mostly decorated with bits and bobs from Haddies Satchel. It had nuts and bolt for buttons, an old piece of cloth for a scarf. It's eyes were two nuggets of black rock that she had picked up in Joe's store on Santo and the bright pink nose was made from a rather odd looking rubber stick she had taken from Jacys shuttle during the Reaver attack. Gill eyed the thing suspiciously.

It was starting to get dark and the two kids stood there hand in hand admiring their creation. They were shattered and ready to go back. Gill turned to say as much when an ear splitting crack filled the air and they were both sprayed with snow.

Gill spat snow from his mouth as Haddie brushed it away from her hair. He looked in shock as he saw that a hole had been blown through the centre of the snow man and there was a wiry man standing on the other side pointing a shotgun directly at them.

Gill and Haddie turned to run only to collide with another man as broad as a house who had walked up silently behind them. Haddie tried to skirt around him and was lifted from the ground kick and thumping. Gill landed on his backside with a thud in time to see Haddie pull something from her Satchel.

"Haddie no!" he half cried but the huge man moved forward and stamped down on Gills chest knocking him flat and driving the air from him.

Haddie struck then and brought a screwdriver down to stab into the top of the mans head where it got stuck. The man raged and stumbled back dropping the girl and she scrambled to Gills side.

The other fellow had walked around the snowman now and was pointing his gun directly at the kids.

"Don' gorram move." he growled down at them from between rotten black teeth. He glanced up as his partner then and his eyes widened.

"She stabbed me Burt." the huge man whined in a voice too high for his massive frame, "She stabbed me in the ed."

"Well I can see that Garth, but why aint you dead."

"It's stuck in my ed Burt, I can't pull it out. I fink it missed my brain." moaned Garth as he yanked on the screwdriver.

"Stop that." the smaller man snapped, "You'll ave your opes and dreams leaking all over the snow if you aint careful."

"But it wont come out Burt."

"So leave it in and let's get these brats to the Roost. Avni wants em questioned about what appened back at their last stop." he looked down at the kids then and waved his gun at them, "Git up."

His eyes wandered up then to the snowman which had started to make a odd whirring sound. The pink rubber nose, disturbed by the shot gun blast had started to vibrate and rotate.

"You sick little fucks." the man named Burt whispered as he stared at the sight unable to draw away his eyes. Gill took what could be their last chance as he jumped up and pushed the muzzle of the mans shotgun downwards. There came another loud crack as the weapon discharged and Burt screamed. Gill looked down at the bloody pulp that was once the mans right foot and stepped back.

The dildo fell from the snowman's face and struck the ground with a thud. Haddie and Gill exchanged a glance before running for their lives.