Author's Note: Italics signify thought or emphasis.

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When the knock came at the kitchen door, Clark glanced at the clock. One o'clock exactly. They certainly were punctual. Clark opened the door. Aen stood on the porch, alone. Clark smiled delightedly. Aen smiled back.

"Zin couldn't make it, something came up. I hope you don't mind just showing me."

"Not at all. Come on in. Mom's digging out a copy of a map of the whole area from thirty years ago. Since everyone adjacent to us and the Bowman place but the Rosses still own the same farms, it should have the Bowman place on it."

"That's great, we were getting a little worried about it. We know how defensive small towns can be, and we didn't want to step on anyone's toes."

Clark nodded, but didn't get to say anything when an energetic child suddenly ran through the kitchen with her shirt on backwards. Clark shook his head at his little sister's antics. The girl stopped in front of Aen and blinked up at the redhead, a plastic-wrapped homemade cookie in each hand.

Aen squatted, bringing herself down to the height of the child in front of her. She smiled, her gaze soft, and she asked, "Hi, I'm Aen, what's your name?"

"Zoey," she hardly paused before continuing, "Momma says I can't go play with Mary until I have my shirt the right way," she held the cookies in front of Aen's face, "but my hands are full."

Aen's smile turned to one of amusement, but instead of asking Zoey why she didn't put the cookies down, she offered, "Would you like some help?"

Clark was surprised when Zoey nodded enthusiastically, her blonde curls bouncing, and held her arms straight out from her body. It always took her awhile to warm up to new people, sometimes she never did. Aen gently grasped each of Zoey's sleeves in turn, allowing the girl to pull her arms out of the sleeves. Aen turned the shirt around, passing a finger over the picture of a kitten chasing a butterfly on the front as Zoey pushed her arms through the correct holes.

"Thank you," Zoey beamed at Aen.

Aen smiled back and stood. "You're welcome. Are the cookies to share with Mary?"

"Yup. Have you seen my purse?"

Clark was just about to remind his sister that Aen didn't know what her purse looked like, when Aen picked it up off the coat tree and held it out to Zoey. When the little girl glanced at the cookies in her hands, Aen bent down once more, holding the simple blue denim bag open. Zoey slipped her treasure into the purse, taking it from Aen and putting it over her own small shoulder. Clark stared at Aen. He hadn't thought it was possible to like her more after such a short time, but he did. She was amazing. He felt a familiar tug on the front of his t-shirt and looked down at Zoey.

"Momma needs your help to lift a box. I forgotted."

Clark opened his mouth, "Sorry, Aen..."

"It's okay," she assured him. "I'm not in any hurry. I'm sure Zoey will keep me company while you help your mother."

Zoey grabbed Aen's hand and dragged her into the front room area of the open floor plan. Aen sat down on the sofa and Zoey presented her with a hair brush. "Can you make my hair pretty like yours?"

Aen touched the French braid on her own head briefly. Clark realized that she was probably wearing it that way for convenience, but it was very pretty.

Aen smiled at Zoey again and asked, "Do you have a hair band?"

Zoey produced a bright pink one from the front pocket of her denim shorts and handed it to Aen.

"Turn around."

Zoey did as she was instructed, sitting in Aen's lap on her own. Aen began gently brushing the little girl's shiny hair and turned her head to look at Clark, smiling to assure him they were going to be fine. He smiled back and she blushed slightly before turning back to her task. Clark left the room, heading up to the attic, where his mother was probably waiting impatiently.

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When Clark left the room, Zoey launched into the story of her eight year long life, and Aen smiled again. The little girl was definitely a firecracker, and Aen found herself drawn to her more and more with each passing moment. She was getting dangerously attached to Clark and Zoey Kent; heaven help her if their parents were just as nice.

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"Oh, there you are, Clark. Did Zoey forget again?"

"Yeah, Aen's here so that probably added to it."

"She gets distracted so easily," Martha mused. "Did she hide behind you as soon as she met Aen?"

"No, actually, she likes Aen. Zoey asked her to do her hair."

Martha's jaw dropped. "Well, I wanted to meet her before of course since she's one of our neighbors. But now... I'm not quite sure I can believe this."

"Mom, I know it's a shock, I can still hardly believe it and I saw it happen, but Aen is waiting and you still haven't told me what you needed help with."

"Oh, right." Martha laughed, "Maybe I'm where Zoey gets her distracted nature. That stack of boxes in the corner, I need the bottom one."

The stack was seven boxes high, and all but the bottom one had "Books" written on the side. Clark slid his hand under the one second from the bottom and lifted, waiting while his mother slid out the box she needed. Gently he set the stack on the attic floor. Books should always be on the bottom of the pile. Martha checked a few maps before finding the one she wanted. She closed the box back up, and Clark hovered a foot off the ground to gently set the box on the top of the stack.

Martha turned off the light. They both headed downstairs, Clark in the lead. When they reached the living room, Aen and Zoey were sitting on the floor in front of the TV. Like Aen's, Zoey's hair was in a tidy French Braid, and she was showing Aen her collection of Disney movies.

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Zoey picked up a case that read "The Little Mermaid" and plunked herself down in Aen's lap. Zoey turned herself sideways and looked up at Aen, holding the plastic box a few inches from Aen's face.

"This is my favorite. Look, she has red hair like you."

"So she does," Aen easily agreed.

"Do you like the Little Mermaid?" Zoey asked.

"I've never seen it."

Zoey shot off her lap, and Aen missed the weight of her little body. She glanced up and saw Clark and a woman she assumed was his mother enter the room. Zoey was doing an excited dance in front of the woman.

"Can Aen stay and watch the Little Mermaid, Momma?"

"Not today, you're going to play with Mary, and Clark and Aen have some work they have to do."

"Oh, yeah, I forgotted." Zoey looked disappointed.

Aen smiled when Mrs. Kent looked at her. The older woman smiled back.

"Why don't you invite Aen to come watch the movie with you and Clark on Friday when Daddy and I go to Metropolis?"

Zoey skipped back over to her. "Will you?"

"I'd like that very much." Aen responded.

Zoey smiled delightedly and Aen smiled back. The child's unbridled joy was contagious.