~ Christmas at the Vaight Cottage 2031~

Darien exchanged sympathetic glances with Diana. It was horrible watching their son cry. Just...awful.

"So do you have any other flying foxes here?" He asked, both to distract himself and Darius.

Diana rubbed Darius' back comfortingly. Her poor baby.

"Oh yes, we've got quite a few." Clarence said. "So your foxes won't be lonely here." He said the last part to Darius.

Darius nodded.

Mumma, Master looks sad. Daisy seemed to pout. His mother, predictably, melted.

Alright...

Darien tensed as the mother approached his son. But he didn't move...yet.

She stopped a pace or so away, and looked the boy in the eye. She gently touched his hand with her nose, and then stepped away. Goodbye, little boy.

Bye! Daisy sniffed from his mother's back.

"Bye..." Darius said watching the foxes go. His little bottom lip started to tremble and he turned to bury his head to his mother, effectively hugging his mother's leg.

Darien stepped back to stand by Darius and Diana, and put his arm around Diana's shoulders.

Slowly, the mother fox veered around the new human, and into the reserve. Very cautiously, she began to walk away into the foliage.

Daisy glanced back over his shoulder and his ears flicked to one side in a goodbye to his master.

Darius waved, quiet tears streaming from his eyes then he turned away.

A few moments past then Diana turned to Clarence. "I think we'll be going now Mr. Rook."

"Ah yes, yes of course." Clarence said. "Good bye!"

"Come here, baby." Diana said picking Darius up.

"Bye." Darien said to Clarence, before turning to head back to the car.

He set his face in stone as he saw his son being carried by Diana, and opened the back door for Diana to pop him in.

"I'm going to sit In the back with him." Diana mouthed to Darienhe'She carefully put their little boy in and sat in the back as well. Darius put his head on her lap, still wet from tears.

Darien nodded, and hopped back into the car.

As he pulled the seatbelt across him and pulled away from the kerb, he could only hope that their special present for Darius would cheer him up...

Diana was rubbing Darius' arm in a reassuring manner. Darius was silent on the way home.

In a surprisingly short space of time, the car swung onto the drive-not of it's own accord - and Darien turned off the engine, exchanging a sympathetic glance with Diana as he got out of the car.

"Come on Darius." Diana said offering her hand to him as she got out of the car.

Darius took his mother's hand still pretty blue and hopped of the car as well.

"I guess I'll go play with my other presents." He said trying to be cheerful.

Darien leapt upon the opportune moment. With great enthusiasm.

"And there's always your present from Mummy and me..." He feigned a shrug. "Not that that's very important..." His eyes twinkled and he glanced at Diana.

"Another present?" Darius said perking up. He looked from his mother and father.

Darien grinned. "You didn't think we'd forgotten, did you?"

Diana took this moment of distraction to get the little pup from her hiding place.

"What is it?" Darius said, cheering up almost completely.

Darien merely grinned, glancing across at Diana. Excellent, the present was in place.

"We can't tell you that..." His eyes flickered back to Diana.

"Why don't you guess?" Diana said returning with the box that the little pup was in.

"Is it?!" Darius said looking eagerly from his mother and father. "Could it be?!" Oddly enough he resembled an excited little puppy.

Darien's grin couldn't stretch any further across his features.

He chose not to say anything, gaze flickering between the box and his son. He had a feeling Darius was going to like his present.

Diana put the box gently down the floor and stepped back to let Darius open it.

Darius kneed down so he was level with the box. He opened it.

Darien put an arm around Diana's shoulders as a small fluffy creature was revealed...

"Puppy!" Darius mouthed happily. He carefully scooped it up.

The puppy's tongue dangled out of it's mouth as it proceeded to try and lick his new master. At least, he guessed this boy was his master.

Darien grinned at Diana. "I think it's a hit..." He muttered.