The beautiful beech tree was there yet again, with all rabbits here and there silfaying or romping.

"Wow!" said Rosie. "It's so beautiful!"

"Welcome to Watership Down," I greeted.

"Leo!" cried a tall dark brown rabbit.

"Hello, Hazel!" I said as we hugged each other warmly. "I got some friends I would like you to meet. These are Cynthia, Michael, Rosie and my brother Jason. Everyone, this Hazel."

"Hello, Hazel," said Rosie. "So lovely to meet you. Leo has told me so much about you and your brother Fiver."

"Isn't Hazel a female's name?" said Jason, trying to be funny.

"What do you mean?" said Hazel.

"Where I come from," said I, "Hazel is known as a female's name."

"I see," said Hazel. "But that's not why they called me Hazel."

"I know," I said. And to Jason I explained, "He's called Hazel because of his hazelnut coat. I suggest you apologise for for what you said to him."

"I don't need to," I said. "It was a joke."

"It's fine, Leo," said Hazel. "We were all young once."

"Where's Fiver?" I asked.

My sight was suddenly blinded by two ears. I freed myself turned round expecting Fiver, but instead it was a tall golden rabbit. Right next to him was a purple-red, stocky rabbit.

"Dandelion! Strawberry!" I said happily.

"Hello, Leo!" he said cheerfully. "Welcome back."

Dandelion was jolly, but extremely dopey, accident-prone rabbit. But that didn't stop him form being one of the most popular rabbits at Watership Down.

"Hello, Dandelion," said Rosie when I introduced them. "Leo told me a lot about you too."

"Has he now?" said Dandelion, looking smug and proud.

"Yes, you and your constant hiccups."

Dandelion's moment of arrogance melted like dewdrops on the grass and went pink in the face.

"I'm only taking five!" snapped a voice from the burrow. Out came a dark, grab rabbit with muck all over him from digging.

"Nice to see you helping Clover full time, Hawkbit!" I laughed.

"At least you are the honoured guest here," he grumbled. "Never find a doe is my advice."

"She admires your doe skills, Hawkbit," chortled Strawberry. "That's why she nags you all the time."

"Well at I never slept on jobs."

"What does he mean?" I asked.

"I was a bit of a slacker when I first came here," said Strawberry. "But I'm proud of the body I've given myself."

"And finally returns," said a lion head rabbit.

"Bigwig!" I exclaimed happily. I hugged him, to which he seemed a little embarrassed.

"Err, welcome back, Leo," he smiled. "Who's this lot?"

"Some friends I promised to take here," I said.

"You need a haircut you do," commented Jason.

"Jason!" I hissed.

"I ought to teach you a few manners, you little-"

"Leave him to me, Bigwig. He's my brother, I'll sort him out."

Bigwig exhaled deeply and hopped off.

"I'm warning you," I said to Jason. "Bigwig is the last rabbit you will ever want to get on the wrong side of."

"Can't take a joke like," muttered Jason.

"Follow me," I said to the others. "Let me take you to meet the others."

I led them into the burrow and hopped into a certain chamber where I saw Campion taking care of his mate Blackberry with a new baby suckling from her belly.

"Welcome back, Leo," greeted Campion.

"Hello, Leo," smiled Blackberry as we nuzzled.

"I missed you so much," I said. "And you have another child."

"Leo II" she said proudly.

I gasped in delight. "You named him after me?!"

"He's going to have fur like mine, so I thought that would be the best name."

I watched him suckling hungrily.

Soon after, we left the burrow back outside, where dramatically came Fiver's way.

We both hugged each other joyfully.

"How have things been?" I asked. "How's Snowflake?"

Before he could answer, a tiny rabbit, the same fur as Hazel's ran up to us and crashed headfirst into Fiver's belly, winding him.

"You okay, Chestnut?" strained Fiver to the buck, who recovering from the crash.

"Sorry, Daddy."

I froze in shock with what I had just heard the little buck say.

"He's yours?" I asked Fiver.

"Couldn't ask for anything more," he smiled.

"Oh, Fiver! This is wonderful! You're a father!"

I hugged him happily.

"I just took us out for our little adventure didn't we, Chestnut?"

"It's so much fun being with you, Daddy," said Chestnut hugging his father's tummy.

I never knew a rabbit to be that sweet and cute.

"Chestnut," said Fiver. "Let me introduce you to your Uncle Leo."

"Hello, Chestnut," I smiled.

"Hello, Uncle Leo!" said Chestnut as he hugged me. "I'm so happy to see you! Daddy's told me so much about you. He told me about when Darklunn tried to kill you for having a powerful necklace and that you helped him find Mama."

It was obvious enough what an excellent mother and father Fiver and Snowflake were to him.

Chestnut was quite a curious sight; his fur was as dark as Hazel's and had the same eyes as him; but to be fair, Fiver and Hazel were of the same blood so I suppose it shouldn't be much of a shock. Though he didn't resemble Snowflake, he seemed to have inherited her sweet, loving nature.

"He has returned!"

I turned to see Snowflake, Primrose, Spartina and Bluebell. Primrose was Hazel's mate, Spartina was Bigwig's mate and Bluebell was Dandelion's mate. I hugged all three of them. It was wonderful to see them all.

"Everyone, this is my friend Michael, my brother Jason, my mate Rosie and her sister Cynthia."

"Hello, all of you," welcomed Primrose.

"Welcome to Watership Down," said Snowflake in her usual sweet, heavenly voice.

"It's wonderful to have new faces," said Spartina.

"More to come I see," I added as I looked at Spartina's pregnancy.

"Winter needs to come quick," said Spartina.

"What have you been doing just now?"

"We've been gathering more leaves for Blackberry," said Primrose. "Oh yes, did you hear?"

"Yes. She has a new child and she's named it after me. And speaking of children Snowflake, Chestnut is so adorable. You and Fiver are brilliant parents."

"Thank you, Leo. I was so happy the day arrived. Our lives were complete."

I turned to see that the others have gone their own way; Rosie with some kittens, Michael talking to the Owsla, Jason avoiding quite a few of them, and Cynthia exploring the wonders. I deiced to leave them to it and look for the beloved father and son.

I hopped down to the orchard to see a black, scrawny rabbit with a thin beard laughing happily and chasing a butterfly.

"Hello, Vervain," I smiled.

"Why, Leo my friend!" cried Vervain happily. He rushed up to me and hugged me. "I haven't had a day of misery at all since you freed me!"

It was very lovely to see Vervain still happy. I learned in my last visit that when he was a kitten, he was a sweet lovable baby but very cowardly, following him to be disowned by his uncaring family. The a witch named Chillblack sweet-talked him into taking a potion to make him brave and courageous while really it turned him evil. But after we defeated the witch, he was free and had spent all his days, laughing, dancing and lying in the sun.

I went into the orchard to see Chestnut searching here and there as if he and Fiver were playing Hide and Seek. It soon proved right when I saw a tawny brown rump with a dark brown tail from an old bush, obviously belonging to Fiver.

Chestnut saw me in the distance and I nodded in Fiver's direction. The kitten looked the way I instructed, to see his father's wiggling tail. Chestnut snickered, kept to him and pressed his paw into his tail making Fiver yelp like a startled cat. He grabbed Chestnut, lay on his back, and bounced him ups and down with his feet.

At last, Chestnut and fIver grew exhausted and Chestnut fell asleep on top of Fiver's chest.

"He really had brought you into your life, hasn't he?" I said, sitting next to Fiver.

"I now know how Hazel felt when he became a brother," said Fiver. "I'm sorry I haven't been with you much today, Leo."

"I understand, brother," I said. "Speaking of brothers, where's Silverweed? I haven't seen him at all."

"Leo!"

I turned to see Silverweed run up to me with another rabbit muddy-brown in coat.

"Silverweed! Good to see you again! And who's this?"

"Greetings, friend," said the rabbit. "My name is Blakavar. And I know you. You're Leo Barning from above. I left the warren to do more training and now back with a full determination."

I liked Blakavar right away - and his young Irish accent and voice, he reminded me so much of Stephen Gately, one of my favourite singers next to Phil Collins, Elton John and Queen.

"Where've you both been?"

"Nuthanger's Farm," replied Silverweed. "I want to try some new skills and Blakavar had offered to teach me - a fine teacher he is too."

"Always glad to help," said Blakavar. "I wouldn't want you being taught such challenges by the professionals".

Then Blakavar puffed out his chest and made a cruel, but very clever and hysterical impression of Bigwig with his English accent and aggressive voice.

"Hop over to Duster and hop over his kennel. Chop-chop or you'll be taught how to outsmart a fox alone. Get on with it while I straighten my mane."

I chuckled at it warmly.

"Come along, Silverweed. Let's show Bigwig what you have learned."

"He was here before me?"

"Yes," said Fiver, stroking Chestnut still resting on his chest. "But Bigwig gave him quite a hard time die his lack of skill, so he left for a while for training and now he is back, much to our delight. He still doesn't seem to have forgiven Bigwig though."

"I think Michael and Blakavar would be good friends if they met each other."

"Michael? Oh, one of those new rabbits whom I saw you with?"

"Yes. Him, Jason, Rosie and her sister Cynthia."

"Jason?" asked Fiver. "Your brother? You're friends now?"

"I wish," I said. "Hopefully his stay will freshen him up, He's already mad at me for, quote-on-quote, turning him into a rabbit. You should have seen his anger. It was hilarious."

Toward evening, I spent some time with Fiver accompanied my Chestnut as we all lay on the grass at the beam of the sun, reminding me off the last visit I had when I lay in the sun with Fiver and Silverweed.

Chestnut, who had been sleeping even when carried up to the warren, yawned and opens his eyes.

"Sleep well, Chestnut?" smiled Fiver.

"I did, Daddy," smiled Chestnut. "Thank you for keeping me company."

"I'm your father," laughed Fiver. "It's my job."

"Exactly like Uncle Hazel did with him," I said to Chestnut.

"Daddy is not just my daddy," he said to me. "He's my best friend."

I put my paw to my heart from what I had just heard. If there were more sweet little bunnies like Chestnut, the world would be a much better place than it is now.

"So many new things here now," I said. You and Snowflake are parents, Bigwig and Spartina are on the way, Blackberry has a new baby she has named after me and I've actually brought my doe with me at last. Things often seem to change each time I come here. Next it'll probably be Dandelion and Bluebell as the parents."

"I can imagine what a laugh their babies would have with their father," chuckled Fiver.

"Or how pouty they were if they were Hawkbit's."

We both laughed at the pun.

"There you are, Lolly," said Rosie as she came over. "The kittens really love me."

"I knew they would," I said.

"There he is!" squeaked some voices, as a few kittens attacked me, hopping all over and and taking me to the floor. The kittens were Gillia, Snowdrop and Mallow, Hazel and Primrose's children and the two others were Roseberry and Raspberry, Blackberry and Campion's twin children.

After that little romp, I joined Rosie and I showed her the view from the hill.

"It's as if Heaven has come down to Earth," smiled Rosie. "Thank you so much, Lolly."

"I'm so happy I could bring you lot," I responded. "Heck, due to your colour, I've finally got a nickname for you."

"Oh yes? What is it?"

"Bagheera."

I felt it very fitting as Bagheera is a black panther and Rosie had played that role.

"I like it," said Rosie. "You really have a talent for nicknames. Have you thought of ones for the others?"

"Not really, but I've got one for Jason; Droops. Since he is always moody he's bound to have drop ears."

…..

Later that night, we shared a good meal and watched the full moon before I took Rosie to my chamber. It was beautifully large and circular. At the start, it used to be a regular size when I first visited, but during mu second visit, it was taken by Gooseberry, the former villain, and when he was defeated, Gillia, Snowdrop, Mallow, Roseberry and Raspberry extend and widened it to make it better for me - something I would be forever grateful for. By the corner of the burrow, lay a bed of fresh green leaves. We both landed comfortable onto it, the length wide enough for two rabbits like ourselves. Jason shared a burrow with Pipkin and Cynthia shared a burrow with Hawkbit and Dandelion while Michael shared a room with some rabbits around Pipkin's age that I did see today but never really spoke to.

"What are our thought about this place, Bagheera?"

"Wonderful. Everything I've ever dreamed. I couldn't take mu mind off it - even when I was reading chapters of Alice in Wonderland to Cynthia. I hope she will be okay with Dandelion and Hawkbit," Rosie added.

"Oh, she'll be in good hands with them," I assured her. "Hawkbit will a grumble-whiskers to her but Dandelion on the other half, I think she would love him. I feel sorry for Pipkin sharing quarters with Jason though, but Pipkin is a patient rabbit. The those rabbits with Michael, well there bound to get along. They hang with Pipkin after all. We'd better get some sleep if we are to start a new day tomorrow."

"But will we ever get home?"

"We'll be fine. I've researched when in a different world, our own time will freeze until we return. Even the Narnia series tells it."

I kissed her on the nose goodnight, but then she asked,

"How do rabbits kiss?"

"Two ways," I told her. "One is the tongue kiss," I licked her cheek and she licked me back. "Then there is the nuzzle." I nuzzled her nose with mine and she did the same.

"All three are my favourite," she smiled. "Goodnight, Lolly."

"Goodnight, Bagheera."

She snuggled up and rested her head on my chest which to me felt like Heaven. I put my arms over her, feeling her beautiful silky black fur. I often wondered how it would feel for Fiver, Dandelion, Campion, Hazel or Bigwig to have a doe to protect in the night and I was quite sure it felt to them as I felt now.

I gave her gentle lick on the head and drifted to sleep, looking forward to begin a new day with her on Watership Down as I promised her last summer.