Bing Crosby drifted out of the radio and Jack hummed along as he worked. The warm desert air beat against his shelter, but he ignored it, stitching up his shirt and thinking about a world light years away. This particular planet hadn’t seen snow in millennia, but there was work here to be done, holidays or no. A little boy ran giggling in and climbed under his table, folding himself in the folds of Jack’s coat.
“Hiding from your sissy again?” asked Jack, not pausing in his work.
“She wants me to clean my room,” he said.
“Heaven forbid,” smiled Jack.
And children listen, to hear, sleighbells in the snow, crooned Bing
“What’s sleighbells?” asked the boy. “And snow?”
“Well, you know how the colony is surrounded by sand?
“Yeah?”
“Snow is kinda like that, only it’s white and cold and falls from the sky. Like the rain we get in the spring.” Jack hummed along with the next lines.
“Oh,” said the boy, peeking out and making sure his sister wasn’t around before climbing out and sitting next to Jack, watching him work. “You’ve been here a long time,” he said.
“I have,” said Jack. “And it’s the holidays. So you should be nice to your sister and listen to her.”
“I miss our Mom and Dad,” he said softly.
Jack reached over and tousled his hair. “I’m sure she does too.”
“Do you miss anyone?”
“Lots of people,” admitted Jack, ignoring his feelings. He tied off his thread and looked at his handiwork. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”
“Okay.” The boy took his hand as Jack stepped out of his shelter and into the colony proper. The place had grown a lot in the years since he’d been here, and he knew from experience they had a good foothold. He’d probably move on before too long, leaving himself as only a memory and snatches of old songs.
“Sing me that song you were listening to?”
Jack smiled and sang it for him, a song about a world he’d never know.
“It’s a pretty song,” he said, stifling a yawn.
“Yes it is. There’s your sister, she’s looking for you.” He let go of the boy’s hand and he went to his sister, letting her hug him.
Jack went back to his own place and put away his work, still humming.
“You always did have a way with children,” said a familiar voice behind him.
Jack turned and smiled at Castiel. “Well, he seems to have taken a liking to me. It’s been hard for him, just him and his sister now.” Perils of colony life, he knew that.
“Still, you always do make time for him.” Castiel stepped to shelter entrance and looked out at the sleeping colony.
Jack put an arm around Castiel’s waist and leaned against him. “I’m leaving here soon.”
“I know.” Castiel kissed his forehead.
“Do you think you could make it snow? Just long enough for him to see it?”
“Perhaps,” Castiel, thinking about it. “He’d go with you if you asked, and his sister would let him.”
Jack shook his head. “I don’t need a kid hanging around. You know how dangerous it is. And besides, they need each other, even if they don’t realize it.” His thoughts drifted to his own long lost brother, until Castiel kissed him and brought him back to the present.
Jack ran a hand through Castiel’s hair, loving the way the starlight shone in his eyes.
“You should rest, Jack. I’ll be here in the morning.”
Nodding, Jack took himself to his cot and closed his eyes, not really sleeping, just resting, knowing Castiel would keep watch over the colony for him.
The morning came sooner than he expected and Jack was awakened by a shout of happy surprise. The boy came barrelling into his shelter at top speed. “Captain Jack, I think it snowed!”
“Yeah?” Jack tucked him under one arm and carried him outside. The whole colony seemed to be outside, touching and tossing the thin layer of snow that was already melting as the sun rose.
Jack met Castiel’s gaze as he set the boy down and mouthed a ‘thank you.’
Castiel gave him a nod and disappeared, leaving him to the colonies celebrations.