Okay, here it is! Only one more chapter after this one....then I can move on to other things.... *Waggles eyebrows like Podo from WFS*.....lol....anyway, hope you guys enjoy!

Jaidie

“Jed?” Momma asked, walking towards him. Jed looked down, more tears streaming down his face. “Jed, is it really you?”

He looked up and nodded shifting his feet. Momma put her hands over her mouth. “Oh, Jed, you’ve grown so much. You look just like him.”

Jed swallowed and stepped back. “I-I-I know what me Pa did, well I know he wasn’t the best of rabbits and I know I look like him and ye’ve already kicked me out once, and I know I don’t share yer blood. But I, I was wondering if maybe ye would give me another chance? I know…”

Jed didn’t get to finish because Momma threw her arms around him. He looked shocked.

“Oh, of course, Jed, I never should have kicked you out in the first place. You never did anything, oh Jed.” Momma backed away to get a better look at his face. She gently laid her hands on his cheeks a smile on her face, but then she frowned and touched the scar on his lip. Jed jerked his head away.

“Did he do that to you?” Momma asked, anger in her voice.

Jed shook his head, tears filling his eyes. “No, Pa didn’t do this, he would never hurt me like that. No, this was done by someone else.”

Momma nodded then looked back at Jana and Hazel. “Girls come, you two remember Jed don’t you?”

Jana nodded and went over and hugged Jed then she backed away. “I remember you, you never talked much but maybe that’s changed.”

Jed smiled weakly but didn’t say anything as he wiped tears from his eyes.

Hazel walked over and looked at Jed, her head tilted slightly. “I don’t remember you all that much.”

Jed smiled. “That’s alright, I remember ye.”

Hazel smiled. “You talk funny.”

Rain scowled. “Hazel,” he hissed.

Jed smiled again. “It’s fine Rain, she didn’t mean any harm did ye, Hazel,” Jed said, kneeling in front of her.

She shook her head. “Yeah, I didn’t mean any harm. I was just saying. Why do you talk so funny?”

Jed thought for a moment then said, “Well, it was just the way me was raised ye were raised by yer Ma so ye talk like her, right?” Hazel nodded, Jed went on, “Well, I was raised by me Pa and well this was just the way he talked. I could talk like ye, but it doesn’t feel right coming out of me lips, just like if ye tried to talk like me. Does that make sense?”

Hazel nodded. “I want you to teach me how to talk like you.”

Jed smiled and shook his head. “But I like yer voice the way it is, ye have such a pretty little voice.”

Hazel smiled then looked toward the doorway. “Hello there!” she said.

Rain followed her gaze to see Bobbe, Carter, Noah, and Captain Shanks all enter the house. Noah waved and Bobbe smiled, “Hello, there pretty little girl.”

Carter waved. “Hi.”

Captain Shanks bowed his head. “Good evening, lassie and what might your name be?”

Hazel smiled. “My name is Hazel, sir.”

Captain Shanks smiled. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Hazel, I’m Jo.”

Hazel’s eyes widened. “Like Captain Jo Shanks the Hero?”

Captain Shanks looked down. “Well, I wouldn’t say hero, I more of just helped the real heroes that’s all.”

Hazel ran out of the room and returned with a small book in her hands, she offered it to Captain Shanks and said, “Could you sign it please!”

Captain Shanks sighed. “I guess it would be rude not to do something such a pretty little girl like you asks.” With that, he took the book and signed it before handing it back to Hazel.

She took it and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re my hero,” she said, as she backed away and showed Momma her book.

Momma looked at Captain Shanks, then at Bobbe, and finally Carter and Noah. Noah looked down and back up behind Carter as she looked at him. She frowned. “It is okay, I’m not going to hurt you lad. Why are you here and where are your parents?”

Rain bit his lip. “Momma he can’t…” Rain started to say but Noah stepped out from behind Carter and signed something.

Momma looked confused, then Carter spoke. “Noah’s parents are dead ma’am, they got taken with fever many years ago.”

Momma looked at Carter. “I’m sorry to hear that but why doesn’t he speak for himself, is he deaf?”

Carter shook his head. “No ma’am, he hears ye just fine, but he’s mute. He has no voice, but he signs just fine.”

Momma nodded and looked at Noah as she said, “I’m sorry to hear that about your parents do you have anywhere to go?”

Noah shook his head. Captain Shanks cleared his throat.

“That’s why we brought them here ma’am. You see Carter and Noah both have no home to call their own and they are both really close. We found rabbits who are willing to take them, but everyone just wants one or the other and that would mean separating them. I’m afraid that might ruin them, especially Noah at such a young age, you see what I’m trying to say is…” Captain Shanks paused for a moment. “Would you be willing to take them?”