This is just a short cute side story from Ruins of a man set after chapter 10. If you haven't read Ruins of a man this will not make much sense. Nevertheless I hope you enjoy.

"Listen sweetie, mommy's going to the store. Mommy will be back in less then thirty minutes at most," Adala said pulling a warm winter jacket off the hanger beside the front door.

Alexandra was standing a couple feet away with her stuffed wolf held closely. "I don't want mommy to leave,"

She said in a light voice with big brown eyes staring up at Adala.

Adala put on a pair of gloves. She knelt down on one knee and stroked Alexandra's head that Alexandra leaned into. "I'll be home before you know it, you'll see," Adala pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead before opening the door, A cold breeze rushed in throughout the house.

Alexandra watched as Adala got into her car, started the engine and drove off down the gravel road from her house. When she could no longer hear Adala's car she went back inside and shut the door behind her.

She went back into Adala's room and pulled out a large light sheet, and went to her own room and pulled out a flashlight and pulled out her favorite book, green eggs and clam. She took all the items she collected and placed them on the floor. She spread the sheet out over a heat vent and it inflated like a balloon, Alexandra giggled and ran to turn out all the lights in the house. She turned on her flash light and went under the sheet, propped her flashlight up and started reading. She had read it at least one hundred times before but still enjoyed it nonetheless.

Alexandra was at least thirty minutes in reading when the heating vent cut out. She waited under the sheet still for it to turn back on, her sheet slowly deflated, it wasn't turning back on and her sheet fully deflated.

Alexandra put her book down and grabbed her flashlight. The room temperature was a stark contract to under the sheet and gave her chills. She crossed her arms made a run for the light switch next to the front door.

Nothing happened; she flipped them again, still nothing. Alexandra looked out the window, it was pitch black out. The porch light that was never off was off. She shined her flashlight out the window, her eyes lit up and she ran to unlock the door and step outside; It was snowing.

She held out a single paw and let the snowflakes fall into her palm. Alexandra giggled and ran back inside making sure to close the door.

She placed her flashlight dead center of the living room that shined up at the ceiling and lite up the whole room.

she grabbed a lighter from the bottom draw in the kitchen, a lighter that Adala tried to hide from her.

She turned in the gas stove to low, and gave it a spark with the lighter. Alexandra clapped and ran to the kitchen table and started pushing a chair over to the fridge. Once she had it in front of the fridge she climbed up and pulled a white chocolate bar. She set it down on the counter and pushed the chair back to the kitchen table.

She grabbed a pot that was hanging on the wall and set it next to the chocolate bar then went back into the fridge and pulled out the soy milk.

Alexandra poured about two cups of soy milk into the pot and set it on the stove on low heat. She broken the white chocolate bar in half and started munching on one half much to her delight. She broke down the other pieces of white chocolate down into smaller pieces.

When the soy milk was warm she threw in the pieces of white chocolate into the warm milk and stirred it with a long wooden spoon that she had taken out from the silverware draw.

While Alexandra waited for the chocolate to melt she found the biggest mug she could and placed it next to the pot Alexandra stirred the pot then banged the wooden spoon on the side to get off any drops of chocolate off.

Paco came rushing skidding across the slick floor and sat down in front of Alexandra with drool hanging off the side of his mouth and licking his chops.

Alexandra waved the spoon at and yelled incoherent words at Paco.

Paco's ears fell down and walked back into the living room.

Alexandra frowned at Paco tell he was out of her sight and went back to stirring. When her drink was done she was careful to pour it out into her mug.

Alexandra took in a big breath through her nose, her drink smelled fantastic, but she smelled something even better, though she had no idea what it was. It was in the top cupboard; she went and got the chair again, pushing it to were it needed to be and hopped from the chair onto the counter and opened the cupboard to find what whatever she was smelling. It was way in the back, she had to start pulling out things to get to it, which she placed down next to her feet on the counter. She found what she was smelling; It was in a pure brown plastic bag. She reached her paw far into the cupboard and pulled it out.

Alexandra jumped down from the cupboard bag in paw, she opened the bag and pulled a piece of whatever it was. It was brown like the bag itself and dry. Alexandra bit into a piece and ripped off a small piece with her teeth, Alexandra eyes lite up and she stuck the piece she had in her paw in her mouth and carried the bag to the couch and set it down there; before going back into the kitchen to grab her mug of hot white Chocolate. When She went back to the couch she could see Paco's face buried in the brown bag.

Alexandra set her mug down on the counter. "Hey!" Alexandra yelled at Paco.

Paco grabbed the bag and booked it.

"Give it back!" She yelled giving chase.

Paco darted out of the living room and into the hallway.

Alexandra stood at the end of the hallway slowly walking closer to Paco.

Paco made a break for it rushing past Alexandra.

Alexandra grabbed Paco's collar; of course this didn't stop Paco.

Paco ran through the living room dragging Alexandra behind him.

"Stop, give it back!" She continued to yell at Paco as she was hanging on for dear life.

Alexandra manged to get a paw on the bag of jerk and pull it out of Paoc mouth, she let go of Paco's collar and slid across the kitchen floor before coming to a stop with the brown bag in paw. "Ha, I win!" she declared. holding up the bag in victory.

Paco was panting, as was Alexandra.

Paco walked away back down the hallway.

Alexandra pulled herself up off the floor and walking back into the kitchen this time not leaving the bag on the couch. She picked up her mug of white coco and grabbing her flash light before she sat herself down back on the couch. Alexandra watched the snowflakes fall through the window sipping on her coco every now and then and eating whatever she had found. It had been thirty minutes since Adala left. Alexandra just kept sipping on her coco without a care in the world.

When Alexandra was done with her coco, the snow had built up at least two inches.

Paco came up from the hallway and sat in front of the door. He looked back at Alexandra and then back to the door.

"What?" Alexandra asked him.

Paco pawed at the door.

"You want out?"

Paco barked, made Alexandra jump a little.

Alexandra hopped down from the couch and moved towards the door. She turned the door knob and pushed the door open.

Paco rushed outside and ran down the porch not even using the steps just jumped for it and started running back and forth through the snow and biting at the air.

Alexandra started laughing when she saw Paco frolicking in the snow. She stepped outside leaving paw prints behind her with every step. She turned her head to the sky and watched the snow fall. When she looked back down Paco was rolling in the snow kicking it up everywhere. She sat down on the steps to the porch and just watched Paco.

Paco ran down towards the river bank.

Alexandra got up and followed skipping along waving her arms back and forth making deep paw prints in the fresh powder with every skip.

The river was roaring along with small amounts of ice that formed on the sides of the river bank.

Paco stood by the river watching every snowflake hit the water then trying to bite it.

Alexandra gathered up a snowball and chucked it into the river making a splash.

Paco stopped biting the water and ran to the part of the bank closest to were the snowball landed in the water.

Alexandra made another snowball and tossed it to the left of Paco into the river.

Paco ran to the splash on the river bank.

Alexandra smiled and made another snowball and tossed it to the right of Paco into the river.

Paco ran to the right.

Alexandra threw to the left and Paco ran left, then right, then left. Alexandra stopped for a moment and walked down the river slightly. There was a overturned tree that hung over the river it was at least two feet wide;

She slowly made her way out on the tree.

Paco was still looking the for snowballs.

Alexandra sat on near the end of the log, she gathered snow and kept throwing them left and right.

Paco of course chased them back and forth as expected.

The snow lightly dusted Alexandra, making its way into her fur on top of her head and snout that tickled her little nose.

With every snowball she threw her laughter grew. Alexandra was running low on snow on the log she had used most of it. She crawled out further on the log to near the end; there was much more snow.

As Alexandra gathered another snowball the branched snapped and dropped Alexandra into the raging river below.

The cold water quickly soaked her to her bones and tossed her around like a piece of cloth in the washing machine.

Alexandra fought a losing battle with the river; When she tried to scream water just rushed into her mouth chocking her. Just before she Blacked out Alexandra felt like something biting the back of her neck.

Alexandra felt a light on her eyelids. She opened her eyes to see the porch light shining down on her.

She felt something warm surrounding her something soft. She closed her eyes again and snuggled in further.

whatever it was it smelled safe.

She opened her eyes a couple minutes later. Paco was curled in a ball with Alexandra in the middle. They were on the porch next to the house under the overhang of the roof.

Alexandra coughed out water and tried to stand herself up.

Paco was shivering raised his head and looked at Alexandra; Paco stood up and let her go.

Alexandra stumbled to the front door and opened the screen door and let herself and Paco in. The screen door closed behind her and Alexandra closed the wooden door.

Alexandra collapsed on the couch; She was still soaking, Paco was as well. She let her eyes fall closed.

Adala was still yet to be home and the snow just kept building up. Paco hopped up on the couch next to Alexandra with her stuffed toy wolf in his mouth. He nudged Alexandra with his muzzle before he set it down next to her before sitting down and staring at her.

Alexandra opened her eyes and saw the toy wolf next to her. She looked at Paco and then down at Wolfy, she quickly grabbed it and pulled it in close rocking it slightly back and forth.

Paco laid down on the other side of the couch.

Alexandra spent ten minutes with Wolfy holding it close to her face and arms wrapped tightly around it.

She looked back at Paco who was wrapped up all nice and cozy on the other side of the couch; she looked back down at Wolfy and then back to Paco. She let go of Wolfy and made her way down the couch.

Alexandra went up next to Paco wrapped her arms around Paco's neck and rested her head on him.

Paco picked up his head slightly and looked down at Alexandra snuggled up next to him, he laid his lead back and put his tail over her.

An hour later.

A car drove down the gravel road with a busted headlight, nicked front bumper, and chains on the tires.

The small car pulled into the drive way and the one working headlight turned off.

Adala stepped out of the car and into the now almost eight inches deep snow. She made her way to the front door, pulled out a pair of keys from her pocket she locked the door and tried to open it then unlocked it and opened the front door and went inside to her warm house; well, warmer. She looked up at the clock and it was well past midnight.

She hung up her jacket on the coat hanger. She stepped on something plastic, she bent over and picked up a brown plastic empty bag.

Adala turned her head to see Paco resting on the couch. Adala walked down the hallway to Alexandra. She carefully opened the door but Alexandra was not in the bed. Stepping into the room Adala still couldn't find her.

She checked the closet and her chested draws and she was in neither place; she ran to her room checking all her hiding places.

Adala ran back out the the living room when she spotted a little paw around Paco neck. As quite as a mouse Adala tipped toe up to Paco to see Alexandra huddled Into Paco. Adala took a heavy sigh.

They were both sound asleep.

gave Alexandra light scratch on the head.

The lights flickered back on in the kitchen as well at the heaters.

Adala turned off the kitchen light and walked down the hallway to her own room, looked back at Paco and Alexandra on the couch once more before going into her room. She walked over to her night stand and turned on the lamp before turning off the overhead lights. Adala dressed down and got into her nice soft pink pj's; She couldn't help but breath easier. She pulled herself down on heavy down blankets on this cold winters night.

The cold night that all could rest.

PM me what you think of the short story, I would like to know your thoughts. Also please point out any spelling errors/grammar so I can fix them.

Chapter X is set to come out with half life III