Good thing, that!I turned to matters practical. "I was going to serve you birthday breakfast in bed," I said. "But someone made me sleep so well I mis...ed the opportunity."She smiled. "Guilty as charged. And it doesn't matter; we'll just make it together."So we did - half an hour later we were sitting down for breakfast in just dressing gowns. "OK," I said when she had finished eating. "Time for presents." You mean other presents," she giggled.I smiled and handed her the various cards, letters. Actually it wasn’t so much the question of whether I should kiss her or not, as I knew I shouldn’t. For whatever reason, Bree was clearly uncomfortable around boys, and I knew I’d be pushing my luck to kiss her. But I couldn’t bring myself to admit that I was this nervous about just giving a girl a hug at her door. What was I, eight years old? Fortunately, the whole problem solved itself as soon as we got to her room, as the door had a real honest to goodness ‘do not disturb’ sign on it. Not. ”Brian grumbled and dragged his feet, but he was gone shortly.“You look like you have things in hand, Jake,” Leanne said. “Is this what it looks like?”“If it looks like Kate woke up, was surprised to see me sitting here, and decided that I needed to be taught a lesson, then yes.”“Why is she standing like that?” Julie asked.“I froze her when she attacked me. It will wear off over the next ten minutes.”“I’ll take a wild guess that she’s not going to be a happy camper when it does,” Julie. When one of the Tree People gives birth, that offspring is also born as one of the people. Within the sixteenth year of that child's birth they will either undergo Transformation, or they will not. Of all the offspring of the Tree People and the Fenrim, only a quarter will become Fenrim, the rest will remain Tree People. Because of this, the Fenrim choose to let their children be raised with ours here in the Heartwood. The Tree People and the Fenrim, who are really one people if you look at it.