"We've been here for days.  We've searched everywhere.  He's not here.  Can we go home now?"

The group of eight were huddled around a fire in the middle of Snowy Mountains with a makeshift shelter around them to shield themselves from the blizzard.  They had searched high and low, left and right, up and down for any sign of Snow for days — almost a week — but couldn't find him.  Plenty of snow, but no Snow.  Flash especially was starting to get fed up with it.

Kasai sighed.  "We'll head home first thing tomorrow.  Hopefully the blizzard will have died down by then."

"I hope so. I hate the cold!" Cory whimpered, shivering and snuggling up to Kasai. She wrapped her arms around him in an attempt to warm him up. "T-thanks..."

"C'mon guys, we need to CHILL out!" Zakk said, attempting to lighten the mood.

"ZAKK, THAT'S THE HUNDRETH TIME YOU'VE USED THAT PUN THIS WEEK, AND IT'S COLD ENOUGH. STOP IT!" Flash screeched, causing Zakk to flinch away.

"Okay, sorry!  I just wanna cheer everyone up." he muttered, throwing his hands up defensively. Flash crossed her arms and looked away. She then looked at the ground as she remembered something.

"... that's what my sister would want, too."

Zakk hesitated for a moment, a look of pity flashing on his face. "Flash..."

She ignored him and raced into the snow. "FLASH!" he roared, racing after her.

She collapsed in the snow and curled up, sobbing. Zakk caught up and sat next to her, rubbing her back gently.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's not your fault.."

The both of them stayed quiet for a moment, watching and feeling the snow fall around and on them. Zakk finally spoke up.

"If it makes you feel any better, umm... I know how it feels to lose someone...very close to you."

Flash looked at him curiously. "Hm?"

Zakk took a deep breath.

"Well, I don't know if I told you this or not, but, I used to have a little brother...who was two years younger than me. His name was Billy.  Ever since the day he was born, I'd always come in to check on him. He and I were almost inseperable, even though he was just a baby, and I was only two years old. I'd always insist to sleep with him, and mom would hesitantly let me, humming our special lullaby."

Zakk paused a moment to hum a quiet melody.

"On my third birthday, mom announced to me she was pregnant again, and that I would be getting a little sister as well. It was the best birthday gift I could ask for. But...it wasn't too long after that she had a miscarriage. I was devastated when I found out. My baby sister, whom I had never met, was already gone. I spent even more time with my baby brother after that, especially since mom was just beginning to drink.  I wanted to protect him.  I wanted to keep him from getting hurt.  Well, I did the worst job in the world at that. 

"He had just turned one.  I was just finishing up my chores when I heard the tiniest little screech.  Being the protective older brother I was, I rushed in and was greeted with the sight of my mom hovering over little Billy with a knife in her hand.  The look on his face was absolutely pitiful.  Tears danced in his eyes, reflecting his fear.  I called to mom for her to stop, but it was too late.  She swung, striking Billy straight in the chest."

Flash's eyes widened.  Zakk had to pause for a moment.

"B...blood splattered onto the walls.  I tried not to scream.  I raced to get my dad... he and I came back and saw my mom breathing fire on Billy's dead body.  The next thing I remember was feeling pain in my side, then my head, then black.

"I woke up to see my father hovering over me, shaking me gently.  My head throbbed.  It hurt to breathe.  I asked him what happened.  He said I was flung against the wall while he and mom were fighting.  I asked him where she was.  All he replied with was, 'She won't be coming home.'  It didn't take me long to realize he had divorced her and kicked her out."

Zakk secretly wiped away tears with his sleeve.  Flash put a hand on his shoulder.

"Zakk, I'm so sorry.  I didn't know."

"No, I'm fine.  Everything's fine."  He forced a smile, but his voice cracked and tears streamed down his face.

"Are...are you crying?"

"What...?  No, I don't cry.  You know that."

"You're crying.  Zakk, I can tell when someone's crying."

"No, I-"

Flash lunged towards him, tightly wrapping her arms around him in a hug.  He paused for a moment before hugging back.

"I... I miss him."

"I know.  I know you do."

Their moment was interrupted by a loud bark.  They snapped their gaze in the direction of the bark to see Doug standing behind them, his arms crossed.

"Come.  It's too cold." he muttered, heading back to the shelter.  Zakk and Flash both looked down before heading back.

Zakk didn't say another word that night.  He just stared at the ground, humming his special lullaby.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice he hummed himself to sleep instead of falling asleep at the sound of Sasha's voice instead.