The cold made their breath come out as mist as they walked down the deserted streets. It had snowed that evening and everything was coated with a layer of white. It covered the usual grime of the city streets, giving them an almost mystical quality, reflecting the moonlight and creating a shimmer in the air.

They walked side by side, but did not touch, unsure of their security even outside of Section. Instead they exchanged the occasional glance, sharing with their eyes what they couldn’t communicate through physical contact.

He hadn’t told her where they were going, knowing that she would refuse to come if she knew the truth. As they walked, he continued to guide her along the streets and lane-ways, until they reached their final destination.

They stood at the entry-way of a large park. The grounds, like the rest of the city, were blanketed with a layer of white, but the covering lay undisturbed by human tread. It stretched out before them for miles, with only a single path visible through the snow.

She looked up at him quizzically and he gave her foolish smile, indicating with his hand that she should follow the path before them. She left his side then and followed the weaving path through the snow. It caught on the bottom of her long black coat, creating an uneven border that seemed unsuited to her attire and yet wholly appropriate for the nature of their expedition.

He followed close behind her, and grasped her arm as they came to the end of the path, pointing her in the direction of a nearby bench. The bench was remarkably clear considering the recent snow fall, but then, he’d been expecting that.

They sat together on the bench and he put down the bag he had been carrying, turning towards her as he did so. Her eyes were staring in stunned silence at the sight before them, a hint of uncertainty reflected their depths.

Before them was a large, makeshift ice rink that was deserted except for their presence. It was unlighted and unboarded, with only snow banks separating it from the rest of the park and a small gap in the banks that served as an entrance onto the ice.

The bench they occupied was opposite the gap and provided an excellent view of the ice. It, like the bench, had been mysteriously cleared of all snow, providing a clear, smooth surface that reflected the moonlight.

Unwilling to break the silence he reached into the bag next to him and pulled out a pair of ladies skates. He placed them on the bench between them as a signal of his intentions.

She turned towards him then, a typically dubious expression on her face. “You can’t be serious. You dragged me out here, in the dark and the cold, for ice-skating?”

He nodded silently, the foolish grin returning to his face. He knelt before her then, one hand lightly touching her calf, the other tugging gently on her booted right foot. He felt her shudder slightly at his touch and looked up to meet her eyes as he removed her boot.

“Cold?” he asked, a lilt of laughter in his voice. She gave him a look of disapproval that had long ago lost its force with him, and took the boot out of his hand.

“Why don’t I do this myself.” It was a statement, not a question, and he reacted accordingly, placing himself again on the bench next to her and pulling his skates out of the bag.

They passed the next several minutes in silence, each tying their own skates and lost in their own thoughts. He, for one, couldn’t believe that it had taken so little convincing to get her to put on the skates.

As he finished tying his laces, he turned towards her and again found her looking with uncertainty towards the rink. She must have sensed his gaze, because she chose that moment to speak.

“I’ve never skated before.”

Her admission startled him, as much because of the nature of the confession as by the confession itself. It showed him a trust he’d thought he’d lost long ago. It showed that for at least tonight, she felt safe with him.

He shrugged slightly and smiled at her; not the foolish grin from before, but a smile that was meant to tell her he understood.

“Well then,” he said, standing before her and reaching out his hand to help her up. “We better get started, you’ve got a lot to learn.”

She accepted his hand and stood balanced tentatively on her blades. She wobbled as he guided her the few steps towards the ice, both his hands holding hers. When they finally reached the rink he paused, his skates already on the ice, hers on the edge.

“Ready?”

She nodded, and he pulled her towards him, skating backwards as he dragged her towards the ice. Once there, her balance faltered slightly and she grasped his hands tighter, straining to stay on her feet. Once she was steady, he did what he could to teach her to skate; helping her along with his hands in hers and steadying her when she lost her balance.

Over the years she had frequently found ways to catch him by surprise, and this time was no different. She caught on quickly and eventually he decided it was time for her to try it on her own. Releasing her hands, he left her alone at one end of the rink and proceeded to the other.

“Let’s see if you’re as good as you think you are,” he said, smiling across the rink at her. “I won’t be there to catch you this time.”

She smiled back, a glint of mischief in her eyes, accepting his challenge as he had known she would. She came across the rink towards him losing her balance only once, but not falling. He realised then that there was a problem. She wasn’t really moving that fast, but as she skated, she was picking up speed; and as she picked up speed, the problem became more obvious.

He hadn’t taught her how to stop.

As he looked towards her he saw the mischievous glint in her eyes fade for a moment when she realised that she couldn’t stop, but before he could say a word she had already crashed into him, driving them both backwards into the snow.

Looking up at her, he smiled, but avoided the sarcastic remark on the tip of his tongue. It would probably be unappreciated and would definitely end their evening. But he realised a moment later that he had misjudged her yet again.

The mischievous look had returned to her face, along with a seductive smile. Her hand came up to touch his face lightly. “You’ll do almost anything to get me in this position, won’t you?” she jibed, pushing herself closer against him.

He cleared his throat nervously, trying to convince himself that the involuntary shudder that ran through him was a response to the cold of the snow bank. He pushed himself up off of it then, catching her in his arms before she fell onto the ice.

The mischief was gone from both of them as they met each other eyes. Fooling aside, these were the moments they cherished, and these moments were hard to come by. Their lips met in a tender kiss, and he brought his hands up to cup her face, brushing aside the hairs that had gone astray in their fall.

“Madeline…” It was one word. But it was laced with passion, with history, with love. And it required no response.

For the first time in a long time Madeline nestled herself into his arms and he grasped her tightly in return, savouring the moment.

It felt right.

They remained that way for several long minutes, holding each other tightly, her head resting lightly on his shoulder. He found it strange that it was he who finally broke their bond, it was usually the other way around.

“We should go. Early day tomorrow.”

“Of course,” she replied, making his suggestion sound like the only obvious choice. He felt her hands release as she stepped back, but she did not remove them completely; one came to rest lightly around his waist.

They skated slowly towards the bench, due as much to her fragile balance as to their reluctance to leave their safe haven. Before they left the ice completely, he reached up to touch her face again, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. “You’re not sorry you came?”

“Never. Only sorry to leave”

He nodded sadly and helped her off the ice; there was nothing else to say. In spite of what they were feeling they would both go home alone tonight, and they would return to Section tomorrow as if nothing had happened. It would always be that way and no amount of regret would change it.

They sat on the bench for several minutes after removing their skates, staring out over the rink, watching the moonlight reflect on the snow and ice. Its amazing how it brightens the world. Operations thought to himself. And its amazing how she brightens mine.

He turned towards her and placed a hand on her thigh, bringing her out of her reverie.

They stood together and returned back down the path, this time side by side. When they had reached the entry-way their eyes met one last time before they separated, walking away in opposite directions towards their homes.

It was going to be a long night.

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