Lenka embraced his brother tightly, holding the eldest dog
as the situation sank in. Jurek cried until his head ached and his muzzle was
soaked with tears. By the time either of them decided to speak, their dinner
had already gone cold.

"So, what are we going to do?" Lenka asked with a
hushed voice, loosening his tight grip on his brother.

"No fucking clue." Sighed Jurek, his voice ragged
and breathless from his outburst.

"Should we call dad? We can't stay here anymore ya
know. Dante..." The younger dog trailed off.

<I don't want to hear his fucking name.> Jurek spat in
Russian, a snarl starting deep in his chest. He moved to stand up but stumbled
on cramped knees. <I just want to be alone right now, I need time to
think.>

Lenka cringed before moving to his side, placing a hand on
Jurek's shoulder. "I don't think that's the best idea. You don't so well
alone. Lemme come with you and we can work this all out." The younger dog
said hopefully, hazarding a faint smile.

Jurek's snarl grew as he wrenched his shoulder from Lenka's
grip. <I said I want to be alone and I meant it.>

"C'mon, please don't be like that. I just want to
help." Jurek spoke softly but pressed. "Dad said we needed to look
after each other."

"Look after each other?" Jurek turned his golden
eyes toward Lenka, his brow furrowed deep. "I wouldn't call inviting Cody
here behind my back looking after me."

Lenka opened his muzzle but no words came out, allowing
Jurek to carry on.

"If you could have just minded your own damn business this
would have never happened in the first place." Grunted Jurek, shaking his
head as he spoke.

"Wait, you're blaming me?" Lenka said helplessly,
searching his brother's eyes in the hopes that he just misunderstood.

"Yeah, I'm blaming you! This would have never happened
without you!" With teeth bared and fire in his eyes, Jurek continued.
"You stick your fucking nose where it doesn't belong or you get into some
kind of trouble and who ends up suffering over it? Me!"

"That's not true!" Shouted Lenka, his face drawn
into a pained scowl. "I made a mistake this time, I didn't mean it!"

"Just this time? maybe you can recall how I had to get
my tail docked?!" Jurek shouted back louder.

Lenka's shoulders dropped and his heart sank into the pit of
his stomach.  He was forced to remember what I tried to forget.

-

Lenka grinned as he hid between the leaves, the puppy
snickering as he kept a firm grip on the branch under him.  Jurek trotted
into the backyard with a frown drawn across his young face, sniffing the
air vigorously. The elder twin sighed in frustration before shouting.

"Lenka! Dad is waiting for us and I wanna go get
pizza!" The prospect of pizza set Lenka's whip-like tail wagging
energetically but, yet he couldn't give up his hiding spot so easy.

"And he said if we hurry, he'll take us to get ice
cream too." Jurek added, allowing himself a pleased little smirk. If pizza
and ice cream wouldn't rouse his brother, nothing would.

"Fiiiiine! I'm coming." Lenka shouted from the
large tree that shaded their whole backyard. Jurek's ears perked before his
head snapped up. If it wasn't for his dark fur, the Rottweiler would have been
white as a sheet. Perched on one of the branches that was taller than the house
, Lenka waved down at his brother, beaming. Jurek gasped then snarled as
his heart leapt into his throat.

"Lenka, get down from there!" He hissed to his
brother, swiveling his ears to listen for their father. "Dad doesn't want
us climbing that high!"

"I'm fiiiiine, its totally safe up here!"
Lenka trilled, swaying back and forth from his roost. "You should come up
here though, the view is awesome!"

"What?! No, just get down!" Ordered Jurek, his
hands starting the shake as the nervous tension got him.

Lenka sighed and leaned over the side the branch, until he
hung from his hands. "Well, you gotta catch me!"

"Wait! No!" Jurek shouted franticly but Lenka had
already let go from the branch. The older puppy sprinted where he expected
his brother to fall without an ounce of hesitation but with fear heavy in his
chest. Jurek held his arms out to catch Lenka, and catch him he did.

Lenka landed on his brother with a loud thud and a sickening
pop. Jurek wailed out loudly as tears began to steam down his muzzle. Lenka
scrambled off his brother to kneel beside him, gently trying to shush and
soothe Jurek but the sound of heavy foot falls were already close.

After that Lenka's memories were fuzzy. He could recall
his father driving to the hospital and probably breaking the speed limit the
entire way there. He could also remember the  sounds of Jurek whimpering
pathetically from the back seat. Then harsh smell of antiseptic and the too
soft waiting room bench and how a kind nurse offered him an orange. He remember
promising to share it with his brother.

-

Jurek glared at his brother for a moment before turning
abruptly and storming to his bedroom, muttering under his breath.

"Wait, please!" Lenka begged, but he grasped for
words when Jurek wheeled around to face him. Intense gold eyes bored into
Lenka's, whos gaze dropped in defeat. "I don't think we should be alone
right now."

Jurek's nostrils flared as his rage built again but he kept
his mouth tightly shut. He paced back to his bedroom with a shake of his
head. Lenka shuffled after him only to be pushed aside as Jurek left  as
quickly as he entered, car keys clutched in his shaking hand.

Lenka winced as he heard the front door open then slam shut,
the force hard enough the make the walls shudder. The Rottweiler
exhaled then went back to the kitchen, looking over the table of uneaten
food. He ignored the tears rolling down the sides of his muzzle as he began to
pack the leftovers away.

By the time he was done, Jurek heard a key slide into the
door. His ears perked only to press flat against his head again. Dante greeted
him instead of his brother. The raccoon's inhaled before speaking.

"Lenka, can we talk?"