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[stayastranger]

There was something satisfying in the change of the weather, Sarah found, as if it were some kind of proof she was right about this place. With the exception of Halloween, it had been quiet of late, at least for her, and she'd been so sure a change was coming; things never stayed that peaceful for long, not on the island or off it. As potential

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[moraldyslexic]

Lennox didn't really know Sarah all that well, but he knew that between being friends with Pam and how nice she'd seemed at the party when they'd met, she probably wouldn't kill him if he threw a snowball at her. Probably. And frankly, it was worth the risk.

He'd been working on it since leaving the Hamlet, collecting snow here and there, eventually working up enough to pack it into a loose ball. Spotting Sarah in front of the Compound, he paused, grinned and, without calling a warning, threw the snowball square at her back.

[stayastranger]

For all her training, Sarah could hardly be expected to hear a snowball coming. She knew only that she hard someone behind her, the very faint crunch of what snow there was under someone's feet, and then, as she started to turn, something cold smacked against her back and she was startled into laughing when she realized what it was. Glancing uselessly back over her shoulder, she spun around to face her attacker, a grin frozen on her face.

"Oh, is that how it is?" she asked, hands in her pockets as she walked toward him. "A little more snow around and you'd have a real fight on your hands."

[moraldyslexic]

"That's how it is," Lennox agreed solemnly, looking around at the snow, fighting his grin. "And I know what you mean. It took me practically my whole walk from the Hamlet just to get one good snowball, man. When it really starts to fall, I guess I'm just gonna have to watch my back."

There were worse things in this world than getting into a snowball fight with a pretty girl. Far worse things. "But between you and me? I think I could take you in a snowball fight," he teased, although that probably wasn't true.

[stayastranger]

Sarah bit her lip, trying not to laugh, though amusement crossed her expression all the same. "I guess we'll see about that," she said, grinning. "But at least it's nice just having the cold back for a change. I never thought the day would come I'd actually get tired of sunshine." She'd spent long enough in Los Angeles before this that it hadn't been all that much of a change, humidity aside.

[moraldyslexic]

"Did you have much snow back home?" Lennox asked, realizing he didn't even know where Sarah was from. "I think it's harder on the people who are used to having a white Christmas. The first year I was here... man, I thought I would go crazy. No cold means no ice and no ice means no curling."

[stayastranger]

"Which is the sport with the brooms," Sarah said, laughing a little as she pointed toward him. "I know there's a rink for it, but I have to admit, I've never seen it played. We had snow at home, but no curling. Not that I remember." Then again, she didn't remember having much in the way of a home either, forever on the road. It was anyone's call in those days if she'd be spending Christmas in St. Louis or Santa Fe.

[moraldyslexic]

"Then you, my friend, will be required to come to the rink with me at some point and learn." He'd managed to get Karen out on the ice, which he considered a great victory, and maybe if he got Sarah out there, too, Pam might follow. "It's the best sport in the world."

There was really no sense trying to lie about it or play down just how great it was. That wasn't going to get anyone to the rink.

[stayastranger]

"Oh, well, if it's the best," Sarah said playfully, "I guess I have to come and try. Although I warn you, I'm very competitive." She'd never played before and she wasn't necessarily an athlete when it came to sports, but she expected she'd at least be able to manage enough to keep up. Anything to break the monotony sounded fun.

[moraldyslexic]

"Baby, if you turn out to be some kind of curling whiz, I'll just be glad for the competition," Lennox admitted with total honesty. "Eddie and Lily and I would probably all kill for some more people to really play. Although Lily will probably have to wait a few more months until the baby is born before she can do any killing. Or curling, I guess."

[stayastranger]

"Eddie and Lily being friends of yours from home, I'm guessing," Sarah said, then nodded. It was that or he'd managed to find the only other people on the island who already liked curling. "Well, I wouldn't want Lily to have to try and kill anyone in her current state, so... sure, why not? I'll give it a try. Name the day and I'm there. My schedule isn't... exactly busy."

[moraldyslexic]

"I'm there most days, but Tuesday are the official practice days," Lennox answered, hoping she really would come out the next time he was teaching. It wasn't an official class or anything, but he loved teaching. "And yeah, Eddie and Lily are friends from home. I've known Lily since we've been... Christ, like, six or something. We met Eddie when we were a little bit older."

[stayastranger]

"Aww," Sarah said, head tipping to the side, "that's sweet. You're lucky you have them here. I'll definitely be sure and drop in on Tuesday then." She couldn't help being a tiny bit envious, really. There was no one she'd known that long, not outside of her family. It must have been nice, having people who'd known you like that so long.