Last time (@The Fowlers)

A few days later:

Cassian's shoulder was getting better, it hadn't been exactly Nova's fault. Only that Cassian had fallen out of the loft of the barn, and he wouldn't have been anywhere near a barn if Nova hadn't adopted them. But they were happy here, and anyway Cassian could get hurt in a room full of pillows.

Xavia was happy, but there was one thing that haunted her happiness. She had no friends, and she so badly wanted a friend, a doe to talk too, someone who understood her. Nova wasn't married and so it was just her, and her brothers, and Nova.

"What's up little sis?" Tristan asked, as he slid down a rope from the barn loft. As clumsy as Cassian was, Tristan was just as agile, hardly ever falling.

"Nothing, just thinking," Xavia said out loud, though inside she thought, 'about how much I want a friend.'

Cassian then stumbled into the barn, literally, almost falling on his face. He then looked up a them and greeted them with his cheerful smile, and an, "Ello mates!"

Xavia shook her head, Cassian never let anything get him down. Not even his own clumsiness, he would even laugh at himself. But then a shadow darkened the doorway of the barn.

_________________________________ Sorry this is so so so late.

_____________________

Nova was inside cooking dinner and heard something. He ran out to the barn, worried. He got there and saw Cassian falling from a rope he was trying to climb. Nova shook his head,

"Tristan. Help your brother up and make sure he doesn't try that again, please. I need to finish dinner and not supervise a buck who can't climb a rope."

"Sure thing, Nova," Tristan said.

"Could I help you with dinner?" Xavia asked.

"Sure thing," he said, leading her inside.

She followed and stepped inside the house.

"How are you?" Nova asked.

"I'm good. I'm really happy here," she said, with a touch of sadness in her eyes.

"What is it?"

"I-I want a friend..."