A sigh ...

... and a mew (from the skunk). And a squeak (from the mouse).

The patter-pat-pat of water streaming from the shower-head. To their fur. Soaking him (and her), and dripping, swirling to the drain, and ...

A few huffs, and ...

... baited breaths. A whimper-squeak ...

All behind the semi-transparent shower curtain. Which blurred their furry bodies from the mirror.

Seconds ... seconds more, and ...

... eventual quiet.

Only breathing. Only streaming water.

Until his paw reached to turn the water off. And it went to a trickle, and then a stop ... but droplets still dripping from them. From paws and whisker-tips.

It was Audrey who ... drew back the curtain, daintily stepping out. She was so strong-willed, so confident, but ... so feminine. She reached for the tan-colored towel on the rack on the wall. And pulled it off. Her bare backside to him. Her tail water-logged and dipping (where, normally, when dry ... it would be high and arched). She turned her neck a bit, half-catching his gaze.

Peregrine let out a slightly giggling breath. "What ... " His voice was a bit wispy. But, then, most male mice ... had traces of wispiness. Some more than others.

"Nothin' ... " She tossed him the towel. Smiling (with a sort of ... relaxed satisfaction). "Dry up, huh? He'll be here in twenty minutes ... " It was 9:40 at night.

The grey-furred mouse caught the towel. Gave an airy squeak. Chitter-squeak ... and used both paws to furiously dry his fur. Dry-dry ... dry ...

She watched him, still damp ... and sidled up to him. The mouse still standing in the tub, under the shower-head, and her own foot-paws ... on the linoleum of the bathroom floor. And she leaned forward a bit ...

... and he paused, the towel on his head, dishy ears bulging beneath ... eyes covered. Muzzle sticking out, with whiskers twitching and nose sniffing, and ...

... she planted a tiny, tiny kiss on his nose (on the tip).

Squeak!

A giggle ... and she leaned back. "Dry enough, darling ... dry," she whispered, tugging on his arms. " ... enough."

"What about you?" he asked. "You're still all ... wet."

She smiled and raised her arms. "Well ... dry away. You've got the towel."

A giggle. "Mm ... is this you being lazy, or you being ... "

" ... alluring," she assured. "I'm being alluring." Her eyes sparked ... as she looked into his.

"I figured," was his warm, playful whisper, "as much." And he proceeded to brush the towel all over her. Front and behind ... drying her. Eyes darting (briefly) to the fogged-up mirror. Catching the outlines ... the traces of their shoulders and tails and ... their happiness. Their glow. Their love.

Eventually, their shared towel slipped to the floor, and they left the bathroom (through the slightly-open door).

And went to the bedroom.

Almost forgetting that they were living under the shadow of a conspiracy ... under predatory rule. Almost forgetting all the fears. And the finer points of ... every issue in their lives.

A shower was almost enough to make them forget.

And, had they time, they would've gotten back in ...

... and taken another.

But Advance (the pinon mouse) would be here soon.

There was much to discuss.



Peregrine and Audrey sat on the couch, and ... Advance sat opposite them. In a cushioned chair. Fidgeting. Paws in his laps, and then ... reaching for the bowl of cheddar cheese goldfish-shaped crackers ... on the coffee table. Grabbing a paw-ful, putting them in his lap, and then ... using both paws to bring one to his lips. To nibble-nibble. Nibble ... reaching for another ...

"Are you really from Death Valley?" Peregrine asked, curious ... " ... like, California?"

Advance looked up. Swallowed. Nodded ... " ... mm ... " Nibble ... " ... yeah. I mean, born there. Pinon mice are ... that's where we are."

"But you're not there," Audrey pointed out, "anymore."

A pause. "No," Advance admitted. "My family moved here ... when I was very young. Like, when I was four ... " He, like, the other two ... was in his early 20's.

The ‘why' was lurking on the skunk's lips. On the tip of her tongue. But she didn't ask it, feeling that ... Advance didn't wish to answer such a question. But why not? Why didn't he ...

"I just ... we're a rare species. I mean, I'm a mouse, but ... mice aren't rare, but ... MY kind of mouse is. Very. You know ... it's ... " He reached for another paw-ful of the crackers. Licked his lips a bit. Let out a sigh. "I get ... I get lonely," he admitted.

"You don't have a mate?" Peregrine guessed.

Advance, avoiding eye contact, slowly shook his head. "No," was his whisper. "There's this ground squirrel ... at the factory. She, uh ... but, uh, I'm too shy to ask her."

"Send her a note ... write her a note," Audrey suggested. "Leave it where she'll find it. It'll be romantic ... "

"I don't know ... " Advance swallowed, reached for his water glass. Condensation wetting his fingers as he lifted it. As he sipped. Sip ... and swallow. Putting the glass back down. "I'm used to being ... looked at. Stared at."

"You're a very handsome mouse," Audrey assured (quietly moving her paw to Peregrine's ... squeezing it ... just to remind him, in case his mousey anxiety tried to tell him otherwise ... that HE was the most handsome mouse in the room).

"I'm a novelty. A rarity. But ... you know, I'm something different. At the same time, it scares furs, and makes them wary ... makes them curious. Sometimes, they want to know more, but I'm so awkward, and ... " He trailed. "You don't want to hear any of this ... that's not why I came here. My personal problems ... are ... not really ... "

" ... an issue?" Audrey asked, having taking the lead in the conversation (leaving the mice to comfortably occupy their natural, subservient roles ... speaking when spoken to, responding when prodded ... following her lead).

"I just don't have a personality," he admitted.

"I'm sure you do. We all do ... I mean ... look at you. A rare mouse from Death Valley. Your tail has fur on it. That's not like ... any mouse I've seen. Your ears are ... "

" ... big? Like umbrellas? Satellite dishes?"

A giggle. "Cute. They're cute."

"But that's the thing ... I mean, physically, my background, where I come from, what I look like ... furs are drawn to that. But ... I'm not funny, not playful, not smart. I'm just ... me. I'm just a fur. I'm just a rodent. I'm average. Some furs are ... above average. Some furs below. I'm just ... plain average. Like a shiny toy that furs scoop up to play with, but ... after a few days, they find a better toy. And they drop me in the mud."

Peregrine's whiskers twitched. Feeling ... for his fellow mouse.

"I want to be wanted," Advance whispered weakly, "for my ... who I am. Inside. Like, my heart, and my ... mind, and ... I want someone to want my soul. My ... me," he emphasized. "I want to be loved in a deeper way." He looked from Audrey to Peregrine, and back to Audrey. "Like the love you two have ... "

Audrey shyly took a breath. "Well ... "

"You seem so stable ... the both of you."

"We've had our problems," Audrey told him.

"But you're better than your problems. Stronger than them. And I think that's evident in how you speak and how you ... look at each other. You no longer have to wait for a mate, for love, cause ... you have it. Even if it's not perfect, you have it ... and ... you don't know how jealous I am of that. How many furs would be jealous of that ... " A pause. A whisker-twitch, and a sigh. "Waiting is the hardest part, you know?"

Audrey nodded quietly.

"I mean, they all tell you ... that there's someone out there for you. And I believe that ... God has a plan, and He ... He knows, you know, what I need, so ... but how long do I have to wait? How much longer can I last? I ... mm ... " He shook his head, frowning. "I come off as pitiful. I don't mean to whine ... "

"It's okay ... "

"I'm a typical mouse, as you can see ... " He nibbled on his crackers again.

"Well, I, for one ... am a HUGE fan of mice," said Audrey, grinning.

"So am I," Peregrine piped in (for obvious reasons). Offering, "You can be our friend ... we can be your friends."

"I've learned," Advance responded, "not to make friends. The conspiracy takes them away ... it changes them. In this town, to form a connection with someone is to ... invite trouble. Love is forbidden. You're lucky the guard trolleys haven't come for you ... to separate you from each other."

Audrey inhaled. Exhaled.

"I mean, not that ... I'm not trying to be cynical. I don't want that to happen to you. I'm happy," Advance insisted, "for you." But the hint of jealousy remained. And ... he felt ashamed for it. These furs were so nice, so ... grounded. And they were going to help him get rid of Mandy, and ... come up with a plan to liberate Sheridan, Wyoming, from the Sheridan Network ... " ... I'm sorry ... I'm being ungrateful ... "

"You're not. You're just ... under strain. Like the rest of us," the skunk supplied.

"I took my time getting here. I left my house ... early. To make sure the guard trolleys weren't watching. I ... sometimes, they pass outside my house at night, and they ring their bells and wake me up. On purpose. To scare me." He twitched. His ears swivelled, and he swallowed. "They came in, once ... the coyotes ... the coyotes that run ‘The Board.' And they took one of my employees. A ground squirrel."

They listened.

"I don't know what they did to him, only ... he never came back. I don't know what he did wrong. Maybe it was just random. Maybe they wanted to beat up on some prey, and ... randomly picked someone. I just ... ever since then, when I leave my house, I'm afraid. I'm afraid, ‘Today, it'll be me.' And ... " He closed his eyes and shivered. Twitching. "When Mandy, the cheetah ... when she knocked on my door the other day, I nearly ... I started crying, and I ... tried to hide, and she ... but she knew I was there. She kept knocking, so I opened the door, and she made me sit down, and ... " He twitched uncontrollably. Tears slipping out of his eyes, making his whiskers heavy ... with droplets trailing to the tips. His throat hurt. "She made me do things ... "

"Things?" Peregrine whispered (barely audible). "Are you serious ... Advance ... "

"I didn't want to ... "

"Are you okay?" Peregrine asked. Concerned.

A sniffle. "I don't know," was the weak, whispered response. "I ... she ... and then, after, she made me sit down again, and she ... told me why she was here, what she was ... gonna do with my tea, and ... then she went down to explore the factory. I mean, when it ... when it happened, I ... I was in shock, you know?" A sniffle-twitch ... sniff ... " ... I was numb, and I ... couldn't cry, and couldn't think about it. Immediately, I shoved it aside. Made myself think it never happened ... but ... as the day went on, I ... and a few hours ago, I just ... my denial dissolved. And, now, it hurts ... "

"She hurt you?" Audrey whispered, leaving the couch ...

A sniff ... " ... I ... it feels like bruises." A swallow. A tiny sob. "Mm ... " Sniff. "But it mostly hurts inside. I ... what I feel ... it just reinforces," he sniffed, "that furs only want me for one thing. I ... crave it so much, but ... now, I'm afraid of it. Cause I never know ... if they want it out of lust or love. If I'm just being used ... "

"Oh ... hey ... " Audrey was on her knees beside his chair, hugging him ... holding. "Hey ... she's not gonna touch you again, okay."

"I shouldn't have said anything ... I'm sorry ... they might be listening," Advance prattled, trying to wriggle away. Instinctually wanting to hide somewhere. To burrow. When mice got scared, their instinct was to burrow in a dark, tight space.

Audrey held him still, eyes flickering over to Peregrine.

The grey-furred mouse looked shocked ... at Advance's revelation. At his story. And Peregrine weakly shrugged. Mouthing, "I don't know ... what to do."

"Get him something warm ... soup, or ... hot chocolate," she mouthed back.

Peregrine nodded, scurrying to the kitchen ... which had no wall ... it was an extension of the living room.

"Advance, it's okay ... alright?" Audrey cooed, stroking his arms. She knew how to soothe a mouse. Being that her mate was one. Mice were delicate, vulnerable creatures. So open to attack, but ... so emotional, so loving ... they might need a lot of care and nurturing, but what they gave in return ... was so precious. Mice were worth the investment. It was a shame that more furs didn't realize that ...

A sniffle, and he wiped his paws on his eyes ... blinking. Sniffling ...

"Okay?" she whispered.

A weak nod.

And, after a minute, Peregrine came back with a mug of hot chocolate ... and handed it to Advance.

The pinon mouse swallowed, sniffling ... " ... th-thank you," he stammered, taking the mug with both paws.

"Don't sip on it yet," Peregrine warned. "Blow on it a bit ... just came out of the microwave."

Advance nodded.

Peregrine slowly went back to the couch, sitting down ... holding his own tail in his paws. Whiskers twitching. Watching as Audrey soothed Advance ... and then ... as she joined him back on the couch, leaving Advance to daintily sip at his hot beverage.

Sip ... sip. Nose twitching, flaring, taking in the scent of the hot chocolate. The wafting aroma. "Been a while ... since I've had this. Hot chocolate. Or ... and friends. And ... " He went quiet. Whispering a humble, "Thank you ... " He smiled shyly. Dimples on his furry cheeks (when he smiled).

Audrey smiled back. "No problem ... "

"You can stay," Peregrine said, "the night. Sleep on the couch." He knew, from experience, how afraid a mouse could be ... of the night. And to walk the rural miles back to his house, with the guard trolleys out and about ... Advance wasn't in the condition to do that. "It's not a problem," Peregrine assured, anticipating Advance's counter ...

... and the pinon mouse nodded gratefully. Saying, again, "Th-thank you ... you're so kind ... the both of you."

Peregrine flushed.

Audrey deferred Advance's words. "Just trying to help," was her response.

A quiet sniffle. A deeper sip (of his hot chocolate), and Advance whispered, "She needs to be stopped. Mandy. She's ... insane. She's ... driven. She wants to crush all prey."

"So, she's running the Conspiracy now? She controls the Sheridan towns?"

"No ... it's ... it's the same as before. Each town is controlled by its own ‘Board'," Advance supplied. Holding his mug with both paws. "Then Mandy tried to wake General Sheridan ... cause she knew the various ‘Boards' would have to defer power to him, and she would ... by waking him, ingratiate herself with him ... she was going to be the power behind the throne, as it were, and ... then a mouse and bat ... stopped her. I mean, if you believe the rumors. Regardless, General Sheridan is gone, so ... Mandy has no direct way to power. She has to earn it. Or steal it. And ... she's going to steal it."

"Can she do that?"

"She thinks she can do anything ... she's ... she's a robot, you know?"

"Really?" Audrey's eyes widened.

A quiet nod. "She smelled ... off, to me. Smelled mechanical. She let it slip, when ... when ... " He shut his eyes. "She purred a few things ... in the moment. She was boasting." He went quiet. "She's a robot, though. And there are more like her. She's the only one who's been activated, but there are back-ups. If Mandy's destroyed, or killed ... her back-up will activate itself. And all the memories of the Mandy that's here now ... will transfer to the new one."

"That's ... "

" ... insane? Well, yeah ... she's insane. She's ... I don't know her story. Her history. But ... she's just another disease that's mutated from the plague that is this conspiracy. And ... she thinks that, if this tea plan works ... it'll give her a bargaining chip. Give her more control. And ... I don't know. ‘The Board' knows she's here. Our ‘Board' in Sheridan, Wyoming, here ... they're all coyotes. They're a wild bunch, but ... Mandy has powers of seduction. She's stronger than five other furs put together. She has nine lives. She's ... I don't know, but ... I'm really afraid. We HAVE to stop her. The more control she gets, the more painful our lives become."

There was quiet ...

... the windows all closed (so nothing outside could possibly hear them).

Whiskers twitched, and ears swivelled, and ...

... the lilacs in the vase on the coffee table gave off such a solid scent.

"If we destroy Mandy, she'll only be replaced by another," Peregrine said, repeating what Advance had just said. "But ... at least she'd be out of Wyoming."

"She would come back."

"Yes, but ... we could buy ourselves time. A month. More. Who knows ... she might not be so eager to rush back here ... if we smacked her around a bit. There are other Sheridan towns she can terrorize."

"So, we just fob her off on someone else?"

"No," Peregrine insisted. Whispering, "No ... but ... Sheridan, Indiana ... is free of the Network. If we get rid of Mandy, and assert ourselves ... if the prey can take back this town ... then we'll be independent, too. TWO Sheridan towns ... independent. The Eastern and Western hubs, no less. It'll just bring the Conspiracy one paw-step closer to terminal instability. By helping ourselves, we're helping ... everyone else. Like ripples in a pond."

Advance nodded quietly. That made ... sense ...

"We need to win back the things that every-fur needs," Peregrine whispered knowingly, a steely glint in his eyes. "Confidence ... hope, faith ... artistry ... love." He looked to his mate. The skunk. And smiled shyly. And then looked to the carpet. And then up ... and to Advance. "I have an idea."



It was just after midnight now, and ...

... Advance was curled up on the couch. Under covers. Whiskers twitching in his sleep. Nose sniffing, and tail ... slightly peeking out from under the covers.

Peregrine and Audrey were in their room, in bed ...

... and her paws in his fur. Clutching.

The mouse breathed quietly. They would institute their plan tomorrow. Mandy was a robot. They couldn't destroy her in a paw-to-paw fight, or with any conventional weaponry, but ... an electrical discharge. A strong electrical discharge ... they could fry her. But it would take a large amount of energy. And it could cause an explosion, or ... and could be dangerous to handle. How would they lure her ... into a trap?

The brewing machines at the tea factory used a lot of energy. If those could be short-circuited. If they could lure Mandy close to them, and ... overload them ...

Peregrine sighed ... at the feeling of a nose in his fur. Her nose. Audrey's nose. Nosing about ... and going to his neck. Mouthing his neck.

Quiet rustling of the sheets ... and the mouse wriggled, squirmed ... to plant a kiss on her. It landed on her cheek.

A giggle. She knew he'd been trying for her lips ...

"Mm ... hey," he whispered. "You moved ... "

"I'm squirmin' ... like a mouse."

"Mm ... skunks don't squirm. They ... move like silk. Soft, and ... graceful. No squirms."

"No squirms?" she whispered, with mock-pouting.

A little giggle. "No ... "

"Mm ... " She breathed deep, wrapping around him ... as he did around her. Lying side by side, limbs and tails tangled. "I have to admit," she told him, "that I ... when you came up with that idea, I was a bit surprised."

"Why?" he asked.

"Well ... when I said, yesterday, that I wanted to break into the tea factory and sniff out these rumors, you ... were adamantly against it. And, now, YOU'RE the one concocting the plan to ... free this town from the Conspiracy. I just ... a bit turnabout. Like you've been fueled, you know, to ... I don't know ... it just heartens me. To see you so passionate. To see that you're not letting your fear control you ... "

"Well, I've you," he whispered shyly, biting his lip, "to thank for that." A whisker-twitch. "And ... when Advance told us what Mandy did to him ... that was it. You know? That was too much. I mean, that could happen to me."

"I wouldn't let it happen to you. I won't let anyone lay a paw on you ... not the guard trolleys. Not anything."

"I know. I just ... you know what I mean. I just ... things happen like that. In this town. Not just to Advance. But to all of us. All this pain, and ... it has to stop. I can't wallow in it. I can't be a prisoner to it. I have to ... I want it to go away. And then we can live in peace, and ... openly ... and ... I don't know," the mouse admitted. "I just don't know ... " He trailed. "I guess every fur has his breaking point, and I'm ... nearing mine. The fear eats at me, but ... I'm going to nibble it away. I promise. I'll be better for you ... "

"You're already good enough for me," was her gentle assurance.

"I could be better ... "

"We could all be better. We're not perfect. Life is ... constant growth, and ... but know this, mousey: I'll be with you ... every darkness we face. Every fear we endure. We'll fight it all together. Don't you think you're gonna take it on single-pawed."

A shy smile. "I wouldn't dream of it ... I ... think I would wilt," he said, "outside your light."

"Aw ... " She beamed. "Surprising, and ... sweet. You're on a roll tonight."

"Aren't I always on a roll?" he asked with a blink, with playful innocence. "Aren't I always surprising and sweet?"

"Mm ... " A giggle. "You bowl me off my foot-paws several times a day, so ... if that's any indication of your effectiveness," she said (with a knowing grin).

A blush! "Mm ... well ... "

"Mm ... " Nosing ...

"Aud ... "

"Yeah, Perry," she breathed.

"We have a mouse in the house," he reminded.

A purr from the skunk. "I know ... "

"You know what I mean ... Advance ... in the living room."

"We'll just have to ... be extra quiet."

"Aud ... "

"Perry ... we're gonna do something big tomorrow. Something dangerous. I don't know what's gonna happen. Neither do you. Here, tonight, right now ... I can feel you, and hear you, and ... touch you, too. And I'm not tired yet," she assured. "Are you?"

"Tired?"

A nod ... nose in his fur.

"Well ... " His heart hammered, and his mousey motions all started taking effects (twitches, swivels, jerks) ... " ... well, not anymore." He remembered seeing their wet outlines in the foggy mirror in the bathroom. And, now, dozy, dreamily ... he felt it was the same. Everything outlined for them. In the dim light of the bedroom ... outlines. And in his mind, an outline of what he wanted, and ... needed (and an outline of their plan for tomorrow). So much to be done. So much to be completed. Oh, to color in those shapes ... to continuously add color to their lives. To turn these moments into candid photographs. To turn them into art. And, oh, Peregrine breathed. Breathed. "Not anymore," he repeated.

"Well, then ... " She trailed, not finishing.

Not in words, anyway.

Tomorrow, they fought.

Tonight ... they did not. Neither of them fought it.