Bandit, Bingo and Buck

The scent of freshly cut hay and the chorus of chirping birds filled the air. Daisy dressed in overalls, a white shirt and a large puffy purple jacket arrived for her first day of work.

"So what you think?" James asked as they stepped foot on the farm. "Um it's cool" Daisy replied with her eyes wide as she looked out at the burly farm hands working in the fields.

"What's the matter kiddo?" James asked as he saw the palpable nervousness in Daisy's eyes. "You sure they're Faunists?" she asked as her father spotted a familiar face waving towards them from a large maroon barn.

"Yes im sure, come on then" James said as he waved back and they made their way. As she walked towards the old red barn, Daisy's heart fluttered with anticipation and a touch of nervousness.

Daisy and James were greeted by the farm's owner, a short broad shouldered man who had a full beard that was golden brown with black patches in it. James introduced him as Bandit or as Daisy would refer to him Mr Fetch.

His face was etched with lines of hard work, with large callused hands and sun spots freckled across his face he was a close friend of James's from their time spent working in coal mines. Despite his gruff exterior his warm smile and kind instantly put Daisy at ease.

"So Daisy love, what do you make of me farm?" he asked with a kind smile with several missing teeth. "It's good..." Daisy replied meekly.

"Hey Bandit remember what we talked about?" James said with a knowing glance at Bandit. "Ah yes" he replied looking down at Daisy. "Your old man tells me you and I have a little something in common" Bandit said with a smirk and knowing wink as he removed his cap revealing a set of German Shepherd dog ears which he promptly wiggled.

Daisy giggled and was put at ease by Bandit's playful gesture. "Cool I never met a dog Faunist before" Daisy said with a smile as Bandit put his hat back on. "You have love, your folks used to bring you here when you were but a wee little bunny. Actually you used to play with me son" Bandit said as he looked up at James.

"Sorry I don't remember that" Daisy replied awkwardly. "It's not your fault love, Mr fussy pants over here is the one who stopped bringing yee" Bandit said as James rolled his eyes. "Really? Dad why did we stop coming here?" Daisy asked as she looked up at her father who let out an exhausted sigh.

"Cause one of his kids bit you and we had to take you to the hospital" James said with a cold dead stare at Bandit. "Hey the boy was teething, Faunists can be a bit wild. You wouldn't know anything about that though" Bandit said as James's eye twitched slightly before he placed a hand on Daisy's shoulder and took a deep breath.

"Okay okay, Daisy I'm gonna be right here if you need me or if it gets too much okay" James said as he kissed Daisy on the crown of her head. "Wait what, what about work dad?" Daisy asked as James pet her hair. "I talked to my boss and I got the week off, so I'm gonna be here as much as you need me to be this week okay" he said with a reassuring smile to which Daisy responded with a hug and a kiss on his father's cheek.

"That's all well and sweet but James if you're gonna stay on me farm you'll work on me farm" Bandit said as James replied by yawning and holding up his middle finger. "Come on man, show her what she has to do and get me some coffee" James said keeping his middle finger in the air directly in Bandit's view.

"I don't work for yee" Bandit said as he looked up and whistled. Within seconds a child a few years younger than Daisy sprinted into the barn. With short curly black and golden hair she had German Shepherd ears identical to Bandit.

"Daisy this is my daughter Bingo, Bingo you already met Mr Flowers this is his daughter Daisy" Bandit said as his daughter excitedly walked over to Daisy and gave her a big hug. "Down girl, sorry she's always a little too excited about meeting new people" Bandit said as Bingo let go of Daisy and looked down. "No it's okay" Daisy said as she opened her arms and Bingo ran into them and the pair embraced like old friends.

"Bingo take Daisy here and show her around, Daisy just follow her lead for today" Bandit said as Bingo grabbed Daisy by the hand and ran off with her. Despite being two years younger than Daisy, due to Daisy being small for her age Bingo was effectively the same size as her and so promptly dragged her out of the room.

"So...where's your boy?" James said as he interrupted himself with a deep yawn. "I don't know but he should be making you coffee right now, you look like shit" Bandit said as he looked at the large black rings underneath James's eyes. "Gee thanks, can I get that coffee then" James said snarkily as he leaned against a stack of hay and shut his eyes.

"Here" sounded a voice in a bored drawl as James opened his eyes to see a tall teenage boy handing him a cup of coffee. Recognizing him as Bandit's son Buck he took the coffee and thanked the young man who responded with a disinterested "yeah".

As Buck turned to leave Daisy poked her head into the barn door. "Mr Fetch Bingo wanted to ask if we could tend to the chicken coop?" she asked in her usual soft and gentle voice that caught Buck's attention. As soon as he laid his eyes on Daisy his heart skipped a beat and he was frozen in place taking in every last bit of her perfect features.

As he sipped his coffee James saw the way Buck was staring at Daisy. Letting his fatherly pessimism win out he stared daggers through Buck which only Bandit saw as a mischievous thought entered his mind.

"Boy! Show Daisy here how to tend to the chicken coop with yee sister" Bandit said as Buck looked back at him before turning back to face Daisy as he extended his hand. Watching Buck awkwardly introduce himself James's murderous stare shifted from Buck to Bandit as the two kids went off together.

As soon as he saw the annoyance and anger in James's eyes, Bandit began cackling.