"Hey sweetheart. You okay?" Ripley asked.
Newt just shivered as she got up on the couch with mama and curled up next to her. As much as she loved snow, there was only so much she could take.
"It's just cold out there." she said as she wrapped up in front of the fireplace.

Hicks came in a minute later almost as cold as Newt.

"You okay honey?" Ripley asked as held Newt close.
"Yeah. I'm gonna fix some hot chocolate." he said as he hurried into the kitchen, jackhammer shivering all the way.

The family had gone to Colorado on vacation. Hicks had always bragged that he could ski and wanted to prove it. Aparently he was F.O.S and ate his words by the look on his face. Ripley just smiled and laid her head on Newt's.

"I didn't think it would be such a winding path down the mountain." he said as he sat in his chair and wrapped up even tighter than Newt did.
"Daddy, that's because you fell every time you turned. It wasn't that bad." Newt said with a big smirk on her face as she looked at him. Ripley just hugged her a bit tighter and let out a chuckle as she started swaying back and forth slightly.
"So, the mighty Hicks bit off more than he could chew?" she asked.
"A..." Hicks stuttered.
"Admit it daddy. We're no good at skiing." Newt said with a smile as she laid her head in Ripley's lap.
"Ok. You're right. I'm no good at it. At least you did a bit better than me."

Hicks couldn't believe it. His little girl, now a full blown teenager, still hadn't lost her spirit from when they first met. She was still just as brutally honest while retaining a bit of that desire to protect others feelings.

"I'm just glad I could spend it with you baby girl." he said as he eased back in his chair for a nap.
"Glad I could be with you too." she replied quietly, her mama's soft touch and the crackling fire lulling her to sleep.

Ripley looked at both of them and thought of how blessed she was to have them in her life and the time they could all spend together. Aunt Vasquez will definitely give them a hard time about it when they finally go home.

Thankfully that could wait till another day as the snow started to come down again and Ripley drifted off to sleep.