Picket ran to Helmer’s room. He reached the door and knocked. What am I thinking, he thought, he’s probably not even here. Just as he was turning away, Helmer opened the door.

“Oh, ladybug,” Helmer said with relief. “What is it?”

“I have something to tell you, Master,” Picket said excitedly, ignoring the strange way Helmer was acting. He was much too happy.

Helmer opened the door wider, motioning him to enter.

“Now what is it, ladybug?” He asked. “I don’t have all day.”

“Master, I’m engaged!” Helmer's face showed his shock.

“To who?”

“Emma.”

“Does Wheezie know?”

“No, I haven’t told her yet.” Picket was confused by his question. What did Wheezie have to do with this? “Why?”

“Heartbroken rabbits don’t fight well.” The Helmer said this, Picket noticed, was more matter-of-factly than sympathetic.

“I didn’t know…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Helmer said. “I’m happy for you, ladybug.” Helmer held out his arms and caught Picket in a hug.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Helmer opened it, and there stood a rabbit Picket had never seen. She was tall, almost as tall as Helmer, and her fur was a midnight black. Her eyes were an emerald green.

“Emerald,” Helmer said. “You’re late.”

“I’m precisely on time,” she said. Her voice, Picket observed, was deep and hard yet silky. “And you know it.”

“Should I go, Master?” Picket asked, feeling quite awkward.

“You're his student?” The lady asked, addressing Picket. “Which one?”

“Picket. Picket Longtreader.”

“Picket Packslayer?”

“I guess.” The lady, Emerald looked surprised. Then a smile entered her face.

“You’re much younger than I imagined,” She turned to Helmer. “They shouldn’t let been in a mile of children, much less train them.” Picket thought Helmer would be angered by this comment, but he started to laugh. A wide, and genuine, smile spread across Helmer’s face.

“I think he’s turned out alright,” Helmer said, grabbing Picket in a makeshift side hug. “Haven’t you, ladybug?” Picket didn’t know how to answer. Helmer let go of him.

“He’s not dead,” Emerald pointed out.

“Master’s training hasn’t killed me yet,” Picket joked. Emerald laughed followed by Helmer and eventually Picket.

The three sat down in Helmer’s room and talked, laughed, and swapped tales. Picket liked this new rabbit. He also liked this new Helmer.

Emerald and Helmer, Picket soon learned, went way back. They had lived in the same village, and even trained under the same person. Emerald was a deadly fighter and had slain many a bird for the cause. After Jupiter’s fall, she had been alone, defending herself from the terrors. She had only heard that Helmer was alive a few months ago, and had come to find him. And they had been meeting up here and there.

Eventually, it was time for Emerald to leave and Picket was left alone with Helmer.

“How did you like her, ladybug?” His Master asked.

“She’s great,” Picket replied. And he was telling the truth. He really did like her.

“That’s great.” Helmer’s face lit up. “Because, I think of you as a sort of son, ladybug.” Picket was surprised. He, of course, knew this, but Helmer wasn’t the kind of person who would say it so openly.

“I think of you as a father.”

“Then maybe you’ll think of Emerald as a mother.” Picket looked at his Master, confused.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not the only one who engaged.”

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#Emmet #alwaysHelmer

#Helmerald

Part three is finally here, part four is coming, "A Secret of a Family"

Thx to @Zanni Werthison who helped with this

Sorry, all y'all Peezie fans!