"Bobstone guess, three."

Correct.

"Bobstone guess, five."

Correct.

"Bobstone guess, one."

Correct.

Fiver was teaching his son Bobstones and he was already the champion.

"You are so clever," smiled Fiver, ticking his son's nose with one nail of his paw and Chestnut laughed at the sensation.

"Do your Hawkbit impression, Daddy!"

Fiver scrunched his mouth to both sides, scuffling his hair with his paws and said in Hawkbit's voice, very cleverly imitated, "What a joy kids brings. Just have ti humiliate yourself to get a laugh out of them."

Fiver, thought being the shy timid rabbit I know him to be, has a gained a little confidence. Since he was now a father, he felt as if he had grown Hazel inside him. As long he has known Hazel as a baby, Hazel was gentle, caring, protective and funny. He felt that he know must be feeling how Hazel felt looking after him, caring for and entertaining this little thing.

"Hahahaha!" laughed Chestnut loudly. His laugh warmed Fiver's heart more and more by the minute.

"We'd better get you to sleep, little one," smiled Fiver. "You've had a long day today."

"Do I have to?"

"If you don't listen to Daddy, he will have choice but to tickle you until you do he says."

And he started to tickle Chestnut everywhere; his belly, his ears, his feet and his neck.

"Okay! Okay!" he laughed. "I'll go to sleep."

Fiver stopped but Chestnut jumped onto his father and tickled him everywhere, making him laugh hysterically. The only way Fiver could stop him was to hold him up with his paws and feet as Hazel would often do to him whenever they had such a frolic.

"Can I have a story please?" asked Chestnut.

"Right after you've had your bath," said Fiver.

Snowflake groomed him and he snuggled up in his chamber, his father next to him and Chestnut rested his head into his warm fur, like a joey snuggling up in its mother's pouch.

"Could you tell me the story of how you and Mama found each other?"

At first, Fiver felt he should tell him to pick another for he was obviously too young to hear a story involving, blood for love, poison, an evil witch and his father getting badly hurt. But he quickly thought of a way to translate the story for his age.

"Well okay," said Fiver. "I am a runt. And at the beginning I thought, because if it, no doe would love me. But then, one day, I saw Mama by the pond singing so beautifully. I watched her from a waterfall and I fell in front of her. I acted a little silly but we grew to like each other. But there was a horrid rabbit who wanted Snowflake to himself, so we deiced to run away someplace to ask to be each other's mate. But the rabbit followed. He tried to fight with me but I knocked him out and he lost his entire memory. Me and Mama spent many happy days together, made even happier when we learned that you were coming."

"Wow," said Chestnut. "Did that really happen?"

"Of course," said Fiver, trying his best to swallow the painful truth of the whole experience.

"It's time for sleep now," he said, changing the subject.

"Why does everyone have brothers and sisters and I don't?"

"Well, it does't always happen, but Mama is an ordinary rabbit and Daddy is a runt like you. When we made you, I didn't have enough for a litter."

"Oh," said Chestnut. "It's just that sometimes I wish I had a brother or a sister."

"I understand your loneliness, whiskers," said Fiver sympathetically. "I had no friend at all as a baby expect for Uncle Hazel."

"Is that why I was born a runt? Because you're one?"

"No, no," smiled Fiver. "That was an accident."

"Did I do something?"

"Nothing at all. The way we are born just happens."

"But now you have me," said Chestnut. "You're my best friend, Daddy. I'll be there for you like Uncle Hazel was."

"Oh, but let me take care of you first," said Fiver lovingly, wondering how Frith blessed him and Snowflake with such a sweet little son.

"Where did I come from?" asked Chestnut innocently.

Fiver looked a little embarrassed. His mind worked away on how to tell him where he came from.

"Well, me and Mama made a wish to the stars to have children. We went to sleep, and there you were, sleeping against us both."

"And will ever be happy as a runt?

"Of course you will," said Fiver warmly. "You'll have the happiest childhood ever. I promise."

Chestnut started to close his eyes.

"Goodnight, Daddy," he yawned. "I love you."

"I love you too, son," said Fiver as he licked the top of his head.

Snowflake hopped in and said goodnight to him also.

"Sweet dreams, little flower," smiled Snowflake as she also licked him.

Fiver and Snowflake hopped to their quarters and lie down on their bed of leaves.

"He has been asking if he'll ever be happy as a runt," said Fiver.

"Will he?" asked Snowflake.

"Yes," said Fiver. "I'll see to it he will."

"Weren't you happy as a runt when you were young?"

"Well, I didn't really mind. But as I started growing up, I kept having bouts of depression but Hazel stayed by my side all the way. Then came the issue with my visions which I thought I was causing, but most of the time I was then ashamed of being a runt, but that was before Silverweed, Leo and you."

"But suppose Chestnut went though grief the exact same way you did?"

Snowflake began to sob bitterly.

"Don't cry, Snowflake," said Fiver. "I will guide him all the way. The young don't succeed with the old in their shadows."

"But I'm scared for him. He's a runt."

"He looks up to me. He will be happy as long we are his parents. We both understand each other. He can even go to Hazel if he wanted more advice. Hazel was a father and mother to me."

"You are wonderful father, Fiver."

"No one could ask for a better mother than you, Snowflake."

They nuzzled and rested for the night.