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There are three people sitting out on the grass by the farm house.

Three people and a cake.

Three people and a cake, and some presents.

Three people, a cake, some presents and party equipment.

One of the paper blowers is already on fire.

Say this about the Frays: They can throw a party.

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Mel doesn't meet his eye. But she's smirking.

"He's dropped round a few times. Loo likes him."

"Uh-huh."

That smirk tells him all he needs to know about how much Mel likes him.

(or so he thinks)

"What else does she draw?"

"That's pretty much it," Mel says, pulling out a box in which she's been keeping them. They're most of the same, but the Mom-written labels differ according to what she's been told to write. Mommy is in most, Loo is in all, then Hana.

One or two have Spots, and a lot have Sokka. Althoguh sometimes he's at the edge of the page.

He doesn't comment on that. For the same reason he didn't comment on why he was on the end of the first picture, next to Dean.

He doesn't really want to know the answer.

"These are great," Sokka says quietly, grinning wide as he flips through each one. "She's really good."

"She spends ages on them," Mel says. "I think she likes having something Han's not interested in."

Sokka snorts softly, amused, and flips to another picture carefully. "Probably. They'll be polar opposites in no time."

Mel nods agreement.

"Except when they're both setting fire to stuff."

"The universal way to bridge a gap, obviously."

"It's true," Mel agrees, sitting on her bed.

"Can't see them being like me and Harth as kids. Both too strong."

"Yeah?" Sokka gets to the last picture and spreads them out again, just smiling and looking. "What were you like as kids?"

"I used to look out for him," Mel says absently. "Strong for his weedy. The girls don't have that."

Sokka shakes his head in agreement with that, smirking with eyebrows lifted. "Oh hell no, they'd probably be too busy fighting each other for being protective to actually protect themselves."

"They're strong," Mel agrees.

"You've no idea how grateful I am for that."

Actually, he probably does.

He's painfully aware.

Which may be why he nods, but doesn't answer, still looking at the pictures, at the little blob of Uncle Sokka off to the edge of the page.

"So Loo's got words and pictures," Mel says, "Han's all over potty training and getting into places you really don't want her to get."

"Sounds about right," he agrees with a nod, lifting his head and putting the drawings away carefully. He smirks at his sister. "We'll just have to work them up to invading each others specialties. Except that 'places I don't want her to get' part. We can skip that."

"I think we should get Loo on our side about that," Mel decides. "Use her against her sister."

"But then she'd only go to places we do want her to get, which'd make Hana avoid them even more," Sokka points out, thoughtful. "I guess we could let her get into places we don't want to get Hana out of them, but then Loo would be in them."

"Yeah, but Loo'll come out when we ask," Mel says, with conviction.

He gives her a look that questions the truth of this statement.

"And stay out?"

Mel looks shifty.

"If she's in, Hana can't get there?"

"But then she's in," Sokka points out reasonably.

"Alright," Mel concedes. "No setting them against each other until they're ten."

"When the places they get into will be far more disastrous than the ones they manage now," Sokka agrees cheerfully.

Mel laughs helplessly. "I really shouldn't be proud of that, should I?"