This'll be the ending to the Andrew trilogy that I've inadvertently made… and another long one to boot.

Oh, and it's totally screwing with my head. Have fun!

There are and will be a few references to my other two Andrew fics, but nothing you won't be able to understand readily without having read them.

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The Rehabilitation of Andrew Oikonny

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Part 1

The first thing that Dash noticed when he sat down was the unnerving feeling that gathered in his gut. He felt like he wasn't supposed to be here. Like he'd done something wrong. Like everyone was looking at him.

In reality, there was only one other person there – a rather old badger that was chewing on his cud with his fingers intertwined across his belly. Said badger was a few seats away, obviously waiting the same as he was.

He twiddled his fingers a bit nervously on the counter in front of him, staring at what he could make of his reflection in the glass just a few inches away. The seat, itself, was rather uncomfortable, forcing him to shift his position every now and then, but it wasn't the chair that bothered him the most.

A door opened a short ways away, causing his heart to skip a beat. He immediately sat up straight in the chair, already large ears perking up to an even more outrageous size.

A terrier in orange attire strode past his booth, being led by a guard. They kept walking until they'd made it to the badger's booth, the terrier taking his seat on the other side of the glass a bit begrudgingly.

Dash gave a small sigh, falling back down into his chair. It took his heart a few seconds to return to its normal rate.

Maybe this had been a bad idea. Really, what had he been thinking? He didn't belong here.

The door opened again, practically giving him another heart attack. His hands instinctively clutched the arms of his chair. Biting his lip, he held his breath without even knowing it, just waiting.

The person who took the seat across from him was not what he'd been expecting. In fact, he almost wondered if they'd brought the right inmate at all! The person in front of him looked nothing like him aside from the species. His skin seemed to be losing its color, along with his hair, which almost looked slightly green. He was deathly thin, Dash wondering if he even ate anything at all, and he looked like he hadn't slept in about a week. Overall, he looked, well, horrible was the best word that Dash could think of. This couldn't possibly be-

He was staring at him. A rather perturbed expression was now spread across his face. Dash snapped out of his small trance when he realized how rude he was being.

A bit shakily, he reached his hand out to grab the telephone receiver on the side of his booth. It felt almost clammy beneath his fingers. When he brought it to his ear, he glanced through the glass to see if his companion was doing the same.

It took a few moments, but he finally did, giving an exasperated sigh as he did so. Lazily gripping the receiver between his fingers, he let it hang next to his ear.

Dash didn't say anything for a second, suddenly more unsure of himself than he'd ever felt before.

"A… Andrew? Andrew Oikonny?"

Andrew gave a prolonged yawn from across the barrier, his eyes never leaving Dash. "...who the hell are you?"

Dash blinked a few times, mouth moving but nothing coming out. "I... I, er... it's Dash. Dashyl Bowman. Your cousin?"

The expression on Andrew's face froze for a second before scrunching up slightly in confusion. His eyes traveled up to the right, as though wracking his brain.

And then they opened much wider.

He looked back at Dash, bemused.

Dash wasn't sure what to say. His cousin kept simply looking at him, staring him down as if he'd never seen something quite so interesting before.

"I... er..."

"Dash. As in... little Dash." Andrew held up his hand about a foot off the counter.

He wasn't sure exactly what he meant, but he decided that this was probably correct. He nodded.

"Cripes, I didn't even recognize you... I mean, I haven't seen you since... since..." His eyes traveled upwards again, searching for something deep back in his mind. He obviously didn't find it, though, because he never finished the sentence.

Dash gave a small chuckle. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I really don't remember you at all."

Andrew didn't say anything at first, eyes still skyward. Finally, he looked back down to Dash, chewing on his lip. "What brings you this way, then? I wouldn't call this the best location for a family reunion."

Dash averted his eyes, staring down at the counter. "Well, I, when I heard the news, you see... when I found out that..."

"...that your cousin was in the slammer?"

He cringed slightly. "...er, yes. Exactly. Well, I just, I wanted to help... I don't really remember you, but, we are family..."

Andrew raised an eyebrow. "This is true."

There was a rather awkward silence as Dash was once again at a loss for words. He cursed his nasty habit of clamming up whenever he had to talk to someone he wasn't especially comfortable with.

"...I wanted to help..."

Andrew was curling the wire from the telephone around his finger, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "I can see you've done a lot."

"H-hey! What's that tone for? And just so you know, I have done a lot already." Dash was leaning forward a bit in his chair now.

Andrew leaned back in his own, one arm crossed behind his head. "What, you send brownies or something? Or maybe you think just coming to talk to me is gonna help me somehow? Nice one, cuz. I feel better already!"

Dash smashed his finger against the glass. "You know, with that attitude, I'm starting to doubt you even deserve any help! Everything I've done and you're not the least bit-"

"What? What all have you done?" Andrew leaned forward to match his cousin's stance.

Dash cocked his head to the side, losing a bit of his ferocity. "You mean they didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"They're gonna let you come live with me."

Andrew jerked backwards, eyes narrowed. "No, they did not tell me that."

"Yeah, you were about to get out on parole anyway, so I talked with the police and military... obviously I pull a few strings there... you'll have to stay in the apartment and all unless you're with me... check in with an officer once a week, all that kinda stuff, but it'll get you out of-"

"So I'll still be in jail."

"W-what? No, you'll be stayi-"

"But I won't be able to leave. Won't be able to do anything I wanna do. I'm already living that! It's called jail." Andrew said the last bit practically up and out of his chair before settling back down into it.

Dash just stared back at him blankly, his hand still in the air from his previous gestures. "You... you'll be..."

"Staying with you? Oh, joy! And how do I know I'll enjoy that anymore than being with the bastards here?" Andrew crossed his arms in front of him and leaned on the counter, only keeping the phone to his ear with the tips of his fingers.

Dash's face fell. "I... thought..."

Another awkward silence. Dash was looking down at the counter again.

"Look, I don't want your flippin' pity, so why don't you just be on your way an-"

"No."

Andrew raised an eyebrow.

Dash didn't even raise his head at first. "You don't have any right to talk to me like that you ungrateful brat." He was leaning forward now. "I don't know what you've got stuffed up that unappreciative ass of yours, but I've put too much work into this by now, and I don't have to take this from you."

Andrew didn't have anything to say, simply leaning back in his chair, eyes wide.

"Now..." Dash pointed his finger into the glass. "You're gonna come with me, and that's final. Got it? So I'd get your stuff ready if I was you."

He sat back down in the seat with a note of finality, abruptly hanging up the receiver as he did so. He crossed his arms, just staring back through the glass. There was nothing Andrew could do, nothing he could even say as their line of communication was now cut off.

That being said, he simply scowled, glaring back at him with an equal look of rebellion.

It wasn't until the guard had come to take Andrew that Dash finally questioned what he'd just done.

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Andrew was given his clothes and small bag of personal things back when he left. He'd had to go through some exceedingly tedious paperwork, signing his name at least twenty times, before he was finally on the last leg of his exit from the jail. He gripped the bag between his arm and chest, looking around himself as he stood in silence. Guards and officers of all kinds were walking past him.

He wondered what would happen if he just walked outside now. The doors were so close. He could make it – he was sure he could. No one would even notice.

The secretary at the desk a few feet away was busy in her work, none of the officers were paying him any heed... in fact, most of them probably didn't even know he was still technically an inmate.

The door opened as someone walked out, a blast of cold air whipping inside. He could see snowflakes falling just outside the protective glass walls of the waiting area. He suddenly wasn't so sure he wanted to step outside in that.

Just as he was really beginning to grow tired, he heard the door open again, a glance over revealing a familiar face walking his way.

"Sorry... it took me longer to drive from the office than I thought it would."

Andrew just glared at him, eyes narrowed.

Dash pulled the scarf down that he'd had wrapped around his neck, rubbing his hands together a few times to bring the warmth back into them.

"You haven't been waiting too long?"

No answer.

"What, so now you're not talking to me?"

No answer.

"That's real mature, Andrew."

Andrew finally just turned away, scowling.

Dash made his way up to the secretary's desk, and Andrew watched as he sat down, being presented with a number of his own forms to fill out. He assumed that most of his cousin's paperwork had been done beforehand, but apparently, he still had more to do. His grip on his bag tightened slightly.

He must have waited another ten minutes, growing more and more irked as he did so, before Dash finally stood up from the chair. The secretary was now gathering up the forms, and an officer that had mysteriously appeared sometime in those ten minutes took one of them for his own, shaking Dash's hand.

Andrew couldn't help but feel like he'd just been sold.

"Alright, ready to go?"

Dash was back at his side already, which made him give a slight jump. The irritated expression was already back on his face, however.

Apparently, not having expected an answer, Dash simply began making his way towards the door. Andrew didn't have much choice save to follow him, so he begrudgingly lazed his way there as well, shoulders hunched forward.

Dash turned around. "You don't have a coat?"

Blank look.

Dash sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Fine, fine... here, just take mine for now." He started pulling his jacket off. "I have a sweater, so I should be fine." Rearranging the scarf around his neck, he held the jacket out for Andrew to take.

Andrew didn't move.

"Take the coat!" He thrust the jacket forward again.

Still nothing.

Dash clenched his teeth together. "Oh my god, are we three years old now?" He gave an exasperated sigh and stepped forward, yanking one of Andrew's arms out so he could try and pull the coat over his frame. The entire situation was starting to piss him off to no end.

Andrew didn't help at all as Dash struggled to get the coat on him, but after a few minutes, he'd finally accomplished the feat, stepping back with an exceedingly irritated expression on his face.

"Let's go."

He opened the door with a bit more force than he'd been meaning to, stepping out into the light covering of snow that was already littering the sidewalks. Andrew followed wordlessly, still carrying his bag like a life-support.

It didn't take them long to reach the lot where Dash had parked his car, though it took him a few tries to unlock it given his freezing cold fingers. He started it up as soon as he got inside, hoping the heat would kick in shortly. Andrew had opened the passenger door, slipping in to the seat beside him. He now sat with his hands in his lap, staring at the dashboard.

"Alright, Andrew. Let's just get one thing straight, ok?"

There was no response, but Dash hadn't expected one.

"We're gonna get along. I don't want anymore of this mopey business. You're gonna have a better place to sleep, better food, better... well... everything, ok? I'm doing this for you!" His tone was almost pleading.

When there was still no reply, he finally just sighed and turned back to the wheel. The heat was finally starting to kick in, offering him at least some comfort.

"...whatever."

Andrew turned to look out the window, leaning his elbow against the door.

Dash bit his lip before giving his cousin a rather pitied look.

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The ride home was uneventful, as was the walk from the car to Dash's apartment. Up the elevator and then three to the left. The sound of the key in the lock echoed in Andrew's head.

When Dash flicked the lightswitch on, it revealed a rather homey kitchen area with a small living room just past it. The table and counters weren't much to look at, but at least they were something. The couch did look pretty comfy. Past that, Andrew could see doors leading to what he assumed were a bedroom and a bathroom.

"Home sweet home."

Andrew yawned.

Dash pulled his scarf off, then held his hand out for the coat Andrew was wearing. When Andrew did nothing except step further in the room, glancing about, he let out an already-too-common exasperated sigh and reached out to pull the coat off of him. Andrew simply jerked back a few times, not paying him any heed.

Upon acquiring the coat, he hung both of them up in the nearby closet before sliding his shoes off near the door and walking all the way into the apartment. Andrew remained in the middle of the kitchen, still clutching his bag. The light from above his head was making his skin look even more sickly, which caused Dash to cringe slightly. He grabbed one of his shirt sleeves and tugged him towards the living room.

"I'll give you the grand tour."

Spreading his hands out, he gestured towards the area around him. "This is the living room..." He trailed off, not knowing what else to say. "That's the, uh... kitchen... obviously..."

Andrew followed his gestures with his eyes lazily.

"You'll be sleeping on the couch. I'll get you some extra blankets and such in a bit."

"Oh boy."

Dash's eye twitched slightly, but he finally just disregarded the comment and walked towards the nearby doors. "Bathroom's here... this is my room." He pointed to each in turn. "Not really that complicated..."

He gave Andrew a quick up-and-down. "We'll... probably have to get you some new clothes eventually. But for now... uhhh..." He ran a hand through his hair, eyes narrowing in thought. "I'm not really sure if much of my stuff will fit you, given that you're taller than me... but some of it might."

Andrew stared at him.

"Here, just a sec." He walked back into his room, the sound of drawers being opened soon following. When he came back out, he tossed him a small pile of clothes, which turned out to be a rather large, white tank top and a pair of boxers. "Don't worry, they're clean."

Andrew looked at them as if he'd never seen clothes before in his life.

"Er..." The awkward silence was back. Dash brought a hand up to scratch behind his neck. "Anyway, uh... that'll work for now."

It was starting to kill him – that awkwardness.

"So, uh... yeah... you can watch TV or something... if you want..."

Andrew's gaze drifted to said appliance.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go... change..."

He darted in his room quickly, shutting the door behind him. Once he was finally out of sight, he let himself fall back on the door and slide down it until he was seated. He brought his hands to his head.

Why had he decided to do this? Why did he even think that this was a good idea? The two of them didn't know each other. They came from completely different worlds. So far, they seemed to be hating each other...

And now he was stuck with him.

He sighed, massaging his temples. He heard the sound of the TV starting up coming through his door.

He'd give it a few more days. Maybe things would get better... they were related, weren't they? There had to be some common bond between them.

He rested his head back on the door, staring at the ceiling.

Why did all his ideas tend to turn out like this?

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fzzzzzzzz

click

"...which will bring us to our next topic: the pedestrian on the mo-"

click

"...but Henry, I... I don't think I could live without you. You're everything to m-"

click

"...mountain lions. Wild, yet regal, but ready to lead the countr-"

click

"...the graceful butterfly drifts down unsuspectingly, landing on the bridge of the green plant. Without a second warning, the jaws of the plant are around it, sucking it down into the digestive juices."

Andrew was staring at the screen, remote still held in his hand. Finally, he set it down on his leg and settled back in the cushions of the couch.

"...ripping apart the membranes as the exoskeleton of the tiny insect is crushed..."

"So... what all's been goin' on with you... since... well, since... ever...?"

Andrew turned to see that Dash had returned, now sitting on the arm of the couch. He'd changed into a pair of flannel pants. Raising an eyebrow, he returned his gaze to the TV.

"Guess."

"...the family of butterflies descends to investigate the disappearance of their brother..."

"Ok, so... maybe that wasn't the best question. I just, well... I mean, there's so much that we... shouldn't we have something we can talk about?" He scooted off the arm and onto the actual couch itself.

"Dash, I haven't seen you since I was eight years old. We have nothing in common. Our entire relationship to date revolved around you chewing on my finger." He pointed a finger against the other's mouth, pushing his head back slightly.

"...the carnage begins as the entire field of venomous plants begins snatching them out of the sky, wings fluttering uselessly..."

Dash pushed away his hand. "So, we haven't spent much time together... that doesn't mean there isn't something we can relate to. Hell, isn't there something we both enjoy? Something we both find interesting?"

Andrew gave him an almost disbelieving look, wincing slightly. He started to say something, but then decided against it, simply turning back to the TV.

"W...what was that for?"

"...limbs ripped from their bodies, they lie helplessly in the pools of sizzling acid, their wings disintegrating in front of their eyes..."

Andrew didn't respond.

"Andrew... what was that look for?"

"Are you really that naïve?"

Dash's eyebrows furrowed.

"You sound like a flippin' kindergarten teacher." His voice rose a few octaves. "'Something we both find interesting'."

Dash learned forward a bit, one hand digging into the fabric of the couch. "Well, I'm sorry for trying to make conversation. Maybe I just won't say anything anymore!"

"Make my day."

Both of them sat in silence once more, almost identical scowls etched across their faces.

"...the skies become quiet once the flutter of activity is gone. No more butterflies flit about amongst the trees. No more color in sight."

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Dash looped his tie up and through the knot near his neck, pulling it down tight to complete his morning dress-routine. A quick glance in the mirror told him he was ready, so he made his way over to the door, shutting off the overhead light before turning the handle quietly.

The rest of the apartment was dark, silent. It felt strange given that he was used to turning on almost all the lights every morning.

Walking out to the living room, he glanced down at the couch to find his cousin curled up on it, blankets wrapped around him as if he was trying to burrow into the backside of the cushions. He idly tucked in a part of his shirt that he'd missed, taking a moment or two before continuing on to the kitchen.

The smell of coffee already permeated the air, which made him feel almost ten times better right away. He turned on the stovelamp, not wanting to risk waking Andrew, and then ventured over to the cupboards to get a travel mug.

One-third milk and three spoonfuls of sugar.

He stirred the coffee in his mug, curling his tail up behind him. He let the tiniest of sighs escape his mouth, the air rushing upwards to blow back a bit of hair that had fallen into his eyes. When he was finished, he popped the top onto the mug and walked it over to the table where he'd already set his keys and ID card. From there, all he had to do was gather his shoes from the closet and slide them on, fetching his coat at the same time. He hoped it would be at least slightly warmer today than yesterday, but he somehow doubted it would be.

When he was finished, he slid the ID card around his neck, picking up both his keys and mug, and then made his way to the door. He was careful to both open and close it quietly, locking it securely behind him.

It was snowing again outside. Bit, fat snowflakes this time – ones that flew in lazy circles down to the ground. Dash glanced up at them as he unlocked his car, only slightly visible in the dim, morning light.

Getting to work was fairly simple from his apartment, at least in the morning. He'd devised a system that got him past most of the stoplights without even hitting a red one. Getting home was always a different matter, as that was the busiest time of day, but he enjoyed the fact that he had control over at least part of his commute.

He pulled into the same parking spot he used every day upon his arrival. It was always there. Always waiting for him. The same guard that sat there everyday waved him hello as he walked through security. The same stain on the staircase was still there as he ascended to the second floor.

And the same smart-mouthed, gecko he saw everyday was sitting on top of his desk when he arrived.

"Yooo... Dash, my man. Good to see you in one piece!"

"Good morning, Edwud."

The lizard twisted around on the desk as Dash walked in behind it, pulling the chair out and shrugging his coat off his shoulders.

"So, how'd it go with the cuz?"

Dash gave a small grimace before he could stop himself, plopping down into the chair with a whoosh of air.

"That bad, huh?"

He didn't answer at first, turning on his computer with a beep and taking a sip from his coffee.

"You see, I told you thi-"

"It's fine, Ed... really. It's fine."

His companion leaned forward, balancing himself on the desk with his hand. "...so... what's he like? Crazy as we all said he would be?"

Dash glared at him. "He's not... crazy."

Edwud raised an eyebrow.

"Just a little misguided."

The gecko crossed his arms over his chest. "A little, huh? Then why the long face?"

"Well, we don't exactly see things eye to eye."

The computer monitor lit up, text racing across the screen as it booted. At the first prompt, Dash entered his username and password.

"Not surprising... you know what they all say about him, don't you?"

"Ed. Please."

"They say his unc-"

"Ed."

He stopped his sentence short, though anyone could tell that he wasn't really finished talking. He was silent for a few more moments.

"Which would technically make that your gr-"

"Ed, please."

The glare that accompanied this shut him up for good. He took another sip of coffee, watching as his computer finished loading.

Edwud gave a little shrug. "M'just sayin', is all. Like I said, I knew this was a bad idea from the start."

"I'm not going to abandon my family... it's not like I have a lot left."

The gecko's face fell a bit as he scratched his neck. Dash was now busy typing away at the keyboard.

After a minute or two of silence, Edwud finally brightened up again. "Hey, I know somethin' might make ya feel better."

Dash raised his eyebrows, though he kept his eyes on the computer screen. "Mm?"

The gecko leaned in close, cupping one hand around the side of his mouth. "After you left last night... Amy came by looking for you."

Dash froze, leaving the 'substantial' he was typing cut off after the 'n'. He turned his head towards Edwud. "Wha... what did she want?"

Edwud shook his head. "Don't know – she didn't say. Looked a bit down when I told her you were gone, though."

Dash brought a hand up to scratch at his neck beneath his tie. "She never comes down here..."

"I know! I mean... what else could it be, eh?" He playfully shoved his elbow into Dash's shoulder. "Maybe you should go talk – to – her."

"I... I couldn't... I mean... really? I should?"

Edwud simply nodded. "You'll never know if you don't try."

"Mister Reynard!"

Edwud gave a startled jump, instinctively hunching over.

"Last I checked, desks were for working and not sitting, or were you perhaps giving Mr. Bowman some sort of service that I'm not aware of."

The gecko chuckled nervously, turning himself around and sliding off the desk. "M... Mr. Gualtier! Didn't see you... come in..."

The eagle, however, found nothing funny, simply glaring at him from behind his glasses. "I also recall that work started at 7:30, and given that it's currently 7:36, that would make you late, would I be correct?"

"I'm going, I'm going!" Edwud scampered off down the hall towards his own cubicle, almost tripping as he did so.

The eagle watched him for a few moments, before turning back to Dash. "I trust, everything is alright, Mr. Bowman?"

Dash gave him a rather lost look.

"At home. I heard about you taking in your cousin... Andrew, was it?"

"Ah, y, yes... Mr. Gualtier." His eyes fell to his desk.

"I do applaud you. After that horrifying disaster with his uncle so many years ago, I'm reluctant to trust anyone of that name. The Oikonny family is no good, and you'd do well to remember that." He tapped his finger down on the desk.

"I will... Mr. Gualtier."

"Right, well, see that you keep him on a tight leash. Wouldn't want any other... misfortunes..." He gave the desk a final tap and then walked off, still mumbling something under his breath.

Dash watched him go, waiting until he couldn't see him anymore before letting his breath out and falling on top of the desk. He let his eyes close. Did everybody know about it now? He'd told his friends, yes... but... word must have got out somehow. He hadn't exactly wanted everybody and their mothers to know he was taking in a convict, let alone that they were related!

Why did this situation keep getting worse and worse?

He longed to be back in the sky, flying in his fighter and off to some distant planet away from the office. Away from his home. Away from all this shit that he'd gotten himself into. He could almost feel the controls beneath his hands, his fingers finding all the right buttons on instinct as he whipped through a roll or two.

But that time was gone now, and he was pretty sure it was never coming back. So much for settling down in a safer environment. So much for getting on with the rest of his life.

He let a puff of air escape from his mouth, blowing the hair out of his eyes.

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When he stepped back into his apartment that evening, he wasn't quite ready for what he saw. The table was covered with food, most of it half in its container or simply sitting out on the wood.

Most of it needing badly to be refrigerated.

He clenched his teeth together, shrugging his coat off his shoulders and slipping his shoes off. "Andrew?"

He glanced around, not seeing him at first since he was now looking at the mess in the living room. Clothes had been scattered about, a blanket half falling off the couch, a number of open chip bags littering the floor...

"Andrew?"

He was sprawled across the couch, reading a magazine.

"Andrew, what the hell have you done to my apartment?" He walked over to the couch, hands on his hips.

Andrew didn't even look up at him. "Don't know what you're talkin' about."

"This... this place!" Dash spread his arms, gesturing to everything around him. "It's a mess! Don't give me any of that!"

"I was hungry."

"For everything in the fridge?! And... and... you couldn't even put any of it away?!" Dash gripped the sides of his head, letting out a frustrated groan. "I don't even want to know what... else..." He'd turned his head towards his bedroom, seeing the door open and clothes scattered about in there as well.

"My room!"

He darted inside, head moving back and forth as he took everything in. Almost every drawer was open with clothes hanging out, the bed had been mussed as if it had been jumped on, half the clothes in the closet were falling off the hangars...

"Oh yeah, I was trying to find something to wear!" Andrew's voice came from the other room.

Dash turned back around almost instantly. "Oh, were you?!" Stomping back into the living room, he marched right back over to the couch where Andrew was still seemingly engrossed in the magazine. "Andrew... if you do not clean this up..."

"I don't see where it's any of my responsibility, Mr. Host."

Something inside of him snapped, and he grabbed the collar of Andrew's tank top, pulling him off the couch. "You... you fucking brat! You self-absorbed brat!! Just who do you think you are?"

Andrew pushed him away angrily. "Call me all the names you want – I don't care! You're the one who wanted me here... I didn't ask for it!"

Dash shoved him back. "You are the most ungrateful, spoiled degenerate I've ever met!"

"Well, at least I don't pretend to be something I'm not, unlike some people in this room!" Another shove, this one even harder.

Dash was pissed now. He ran at Andrew, smacking him clear to the floor. Raising his fist, he hovered menacingly over his cousin's form, his arm shaking in anticipation.

But something stopped him.

Andrew was shaking. Visibly shaking. He crawled back away from Dash, hands over his head. Tiny whimpers escaped from his throat.

Venom gone for a moment, his arm lowered slightly. "...Andrew?"

Andrew had curled himself up into a ball on the floor, having backed himself up until he'd run into the wall.

Dash's arm was all the way down now. He took a step towards his cousin, tentatively. Andrew shrank back even more.

"...Andrew?"

He walked towards him carefully, wincing as he saw Andrew's shaking increase with every step. By the time he'd kneeled down beside him, he was practically crying.

"Andrew... what's...?"

He brought a hand up to rest on his cousin's back. He immediately felt Andrew tense up beneath him, before, just as abruptly, it was gone. Everything. No more shaking, no more whimpers.

Nothing.

Fear overtook him and he grabbed Andrew's shoulders, turning him over so he could tell what was wrong. Andrew's eyes were open, glazed over, staring off into space. His entire body hung limply in his arms.

He'd completely shut himself off.

Dash felt his heart twist in his chest, biting his lip almost painfully. He set Andrew back down on the ground, watching his chest rise and fall ever so slightly.

"Andrew, what the hell happened to you?"

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Dash spent the rest of the night cleaning up the apartment. It actually didn't take him as long as he thought it would – most of it was simple clothes-folding or putting stuff away. There were a few things that had been left out on the table that didn't look entirely healthy anymore, so he threw them out, but other than that, it wasn't too bad.

He kept glancing over at where he'd left Andrew on the couch. He still hadn't moved – same lifeless eyes staring back at him.

Dash frowned as he re-tied the twist on the loaf of bread he was putting away.

Why did it seem like these kinds of screwed-up things always happened to him? First his mom, now his cousin...

He shook his head to clear the rather disturbing thoughts out of his head.

The apartment was practically back to the way it had been before now, and he couldn't help but feel slightly proud of his cleaning skills. It had, however, made him rather hungry, so he decided to fix himself some dinner. Nothing too fancy or that would take too long to make – he was friggin' tired. He finally decided on grilled cheese.

He turned on the radio to give him some background noise as he cooked, though he couldn't seem to find anything good playing. In fact, most of the songs seemed to annoy him. He finally just shut it off, preferring to peruse his thoughts in silence.

The sandwich tasted absolutely wonderful. Quite possibly the best thing he'd ever eaten. The sound of his teeth chewing was echoing in his head, only the dim buzz of the overhead light above him adding to it.

It was already dark outside. He'd closed the blinds on the windows and turned on most of the lights, but he could still feel it. The darkness.

He really didn't like it.

He ran a hand through his hair as he finished up the last few bites of his meal, staring down at the now empty plate. He remained seated for a few minutes longer, recuperating himself. Readjusting himself. Taking in everything that had happened to him that day.

Finally, with a little sigh, he hoisted himself up, carrying the plate with him to the sink. He didn't even bother cleaning it, telling himself that he would do it tomorrow. When he glanced back at where the skillet was cooling off, he found the second sandwich he'd made just sitting there, almost innocently.

He stared at it long and hard.

After what seemed like ages, he walked over to it, grabbing a napkin to place it on. Making his way back into the living room, he set the sandwich down on the arm of the couch, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What's the cousin report today?"

Dash let out an exasperated sigh. "Is this going to be a daily occurrence?"

"What can I say? I'm intrigued. Curious. I wanna know."

The gecko was sitting on his desk again, like he always was. At least this time, Dash had been able to get some work done before he came.

"Andrew's fine."

"Fine as in 'everything's hunky-dory' or fine as in 'holy crap, Edwud, leave me alone'?" Edwud grinned.

"Both."

"Daaaash, come on... you keep this crazy guy at your house and you don't tell me a lick about what's going on! Isn't it the least bit exciting?"

Dash finished reading the memo that had popped up on his screen, exiting out of it with a pronounced click of the mouse. "One – Andrew's not crazy. Two – it's no more exciting than trying to have a conversation with you."

"So in other words, fun and adventurous with a witty surprise hiding behind every corner?"

Dash's facial expression read 'not amused'.

"Right, right... fine... I'd still like to meet him sometime, though. You should bring him into work."

"You know, unlike some people here, I don't want to get fired from my job."

"What do you mean by th-"

"Mr. Reynard!" The voice echoed from down one of the aisles.

"Crap, crap, crap..." The gecko went skirting off towards his cubicle, ducking down as he went.

Dash merely shook his head, looking back towards his computer screen. He was about to open the e-mail he'd got entitled "Fwd: SIP: Operating Council Agenda" when he got the strongest sense that somebody was looking at him.

He turned his head.

"O-oh, I'm sorry!" The girl standing by his desk ducked her head down. "I... uh, Dash, right?"

Dash felt himself clam up almost instantly, his mouth hanging slightly open.

"I... I don't know if you know me or not... it's Amy. Amy Parsons."

Like hell he didn't know her.

He shook his head, trying to reorient himself without looking like a total idiot. "Y-yeah. Dash."

She was glancing about a bit nervously, bringing a hand up to run through her hair. "I just... stopped by... I heard about your cousin."

Dash felt his heart sink a bit, suddenly knowing where this was going.

"I, well... I wanted to say that I was... worried about you. Isn't he... dangerous?"

Dash wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to feel at this. He couldn't lie in that fact that hearing Amy worrying about him made him feel good, but...

"Well, he is a little, yes. You can never be too careful. I've always gotta be on my guard." He leaned forward, resting his elbow on the desk.

"Oh, that's so scary! I... I find it very noble of you to take him in like that... I..."

"It was the least I could do. I felt sorry for him, you know?"

"Y, yes... I... my father, he... he was one of the ones killed... back then..." She hugged the small pile of papers she was carrying against her chest.

Dash chewed on his lip nervously. "Oh, oh really?"

"Yes, but... I hold nothing against you, of course! No, you're, you're much different..." There was a small smile on her face that she couldn't quite keep off.

Dash felt his heart give a little jump. "I, er, well..."

She was fidgeting. "I, well, yeah... that's just, what I wanted to say... make sure you're alright and all..."

Dash was beginning to wonder if awkward silences were following him everywhere.

"I... I should get back to work..." She hugged her papers tighter, nodding her head quickly before starting to walk off.

"I, uh... Amy!" He was half out of his chair, hand outstretched before he could stop himself.

She came to a quick halt, turning around nervously. Her eyes stared back at him, inquiring.

He was starting to clam up again, his mouth completely dry. "Er..." He could hear his heart beating in his chest, and was almost sure that she could hear it too. "Do you... do you want to go out for dinner... sometime?"

Her eyes widened in surprise before her entire face lit up. "I would love that, Dash."

Dash felt his chest practically swell, the nervousness gone and instead replaced with elated stupidity.

"T-t-that's great! I, uh, I..."

She walked back over to his desk, pulling something out of her pocket as she did so. It was a business card.

"Give me a call... k?"

He took the card from her hand. "Right, call." He gave a shaky laugh. "I'll do that."

She smiled at him, biting her bottom lip as she did so. "Bye... Dash." She left in a hurry once more, straightening out her skirt behind her.

It took a few moments for Dash to finally sit back down, still just staring straight ahead. For a second, he wasn't sure if what had just happened was reality or not, but when he looked down to find her card still in his hand, he knew that it was.

He felt a smile spread across his face. The kind of smile that hadn't graced his expression in quite some time.

Maybe things were starting to look up for him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When he came home from work that night, he had no idea what to expect. He opened the door tentatively, nervous that he was going to be met with a sight similar to the day before. He felt some of the tension leave him when he saw the kitchen perfectly clean – just the way he'd left it.

He ventured all the way inside, looking about. Everything seemed fine. Nothing seemed askew. It was deathly quiet.

"...Andrew?"

He shrugged his coat and shoes off, barely looking at them as he put them away. The blinds in the living room were still closed, the blankets were neatly folded on the couch, even the dirty dishes he'd left in the sink were gone.

"...Andreeeew?"

Walking into the living room, he once again looked around. Nothing. It was rather dark too, since the blinds were closed and the overhead light was off. He reached over towards the switch on the wall, feeling slightly better once light washed through the room.

The bathroom door was wide open, dark inside... he wasn't there. The bedroom seemed just as vacant.

He was starting to get concerned.

"...Andrew?"

He could feel his heart begin to quicken in his chest. Entering the bathroom just to be sure, he still found no one there. From there, he made his way to the bedroom, head on a swivel. The bed was perfectly made, as he'd left it, none of the drawers looked like they'd been touched...

Where is he?

He was really beginning to get concerned now.

"Andrew, this isn't funny! Where are you?"

He was about to walk back out of the bedroom when he felt the softest breeze of chilly air. He stopped. Glancing back, he saw the curtains in front of his balcony door moving ever so slightly. The door was open.

Tentatively, he made his way over to the door, noticing the temperature slowly falling with every step. He pushed back the curtains, seeing the door slightly ajar.

And Andrew sitting out on the balcony.

Relief washed through over him like a waterfall, the pounding in his head coming to a stop. He pulled open the door and stepped outside, taking immediate notice of the icy temperature.

"Andrew?"

He was sitting on the ledge, legs dangling over the side and hands clasped around the bars of the metal railing. He was still wearing the same set of clothes he'd given him the night he came.

"Andrew, aren't you cold?"

His cousin shook his head slowly, still gazing out at the view. It had been snowing those same fat, snowflakes from the day before almost all day, and they were coming down in greater quantity now.

"You're gonna get sick out here, you know?" Dash stepped towards him, kneeling down. "I'm already freezing, and I'm wearing a sweater and pants!"

Andrew's tail was repeatedly curling and uncurling. He didn't say anything.

Dash turned his head towards the view as well, wondering what it was that was keeping Andrew so fixated, but he didn't see anything different than what was always there. Same dull buildings stretching out for a few blocks before the view was cut off by the larger buildings of the downtown area. The sky was darkening quickly, already overcast by the dim clouds in the sky. The snow was collecting on the roofs below them.

"Andrew..."

He sat there for a few more minutes, his gaze drifting back and forth from the view to his cousin. He wasn't sure if it was just the lighting, but Andrew's skin was starting to turn blue in places.

With a sigh, he finally stood up, not saying anything as he went back into the apartment. Grabbing the blanket from off the couch, he returned to the balcony, draping it over Andrew's shoulders.

Still no response from his cousin.

He brought his hand up to idly scratch the bridge of his nose, and then was back inside once more. Might as well do something productive, and right now, his stomach was urging him to make dinner.

Always going for simplicity (and bargained), he set to work making noodles and cheese, starting up the burner on the stove and mixing the ingredients together. The kitchen was soon filled with the smell of the food cooking, and Dash couldn't help but feel the comfort of the warm stove as he watched the water boil.

Setting out two sets of silverware, along with plates and glasses, he let himself rest against the refrigerator for a few moments, just staring off into space.

It had been a long day, that was for sure. Though he couldn't say it was a bad one. For once in his life, it was actually a rather good day.

He was more than a bit tired, though.

He shifted his head in the other direction so he could see the pot, the water bubbling almost up to the sides. Lazily pulling himself away from the fridge, he meandered his way back over, using a spoon to pull out a few of the noodles and test them.

They seemed fairly cooked.

He set out at once to finish up the meal then, draining it and mixing it with the cheese, finally placing the pot in the middle of the table on top of a mitt. His stomach growled.

Now there was just the matter of his cousin.

Making his way back to his bedroom, he pulled open the curtain, just about ready to step out, when he realized that Andrew was no longer there.

Not again!

His adrenaline threatening to overtake him, he let the curtains fall back as calmly as he could, taking a deep breath before walking back into the living room. Still no sign of Andrew.

How the hell he managed to keep disappearing like this, Dash wasn't exactly sure.

There was the sound of a toilet flushing from nearby, followed by the bathroom door opening. Andrew stepped out, rubbing at his eyes.

Dash cursed his own stupidity for not realizing the bathroom door had been closed the entire time. He brought a hand up to loosen the tie around his neck.

Andrew seemed a bit put-off at first by the fact that Dash was staring at him when he emerged. He still had the blanket draped around his shoulders, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"Dinner's ready."

The two of them ate dinner in relative silence, only the sound of their forks hitting the bowls filling the room. Dash dove right into his food, suddenly far hungrier than he'd felt before. Already on his second helping, he kept glancing back up at Andrew, who was only half-way through his first. The older ape kept staring at the noodles on his fork for what seemed like ages before bringing them to his mouth.

Dash brought another forkful to his own mouth, chewing it slowly as he watched.

"Is there something wrong with it?"

Andrew's eyes glanced up for a second before returning to his fork. He shook his head.

Dash swallowed the food in his mouth. "You've been awful quiet today."

Finally bringing the fork up, Andrew slid the noodles off into his mouth. He shrugged.

Dash idly stirred the remaining food in his bowl, his tail curling around the back of his chair. Taking a drink from his glass, he wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand. "What all'd you do today?"

All he got in return was another shrug.

Dash sighed, shoulders falling slightly. "Andrew, I... I'm sorry about last night." He looked down to his bowl before returning his gaze to Andrew, the other now lethargically chewing his food. "I, I was out of line, I know... I just... kinda lost it."

Andrew remained silent, finally swallowing his food. He let his hand rest on the table before shrugging once more.

Dash's eyes narrowed slightly. "Goddammit, Andrew, will you say something? I'm trying to apologize here!"

Their eyes met for the first time that night, and it was silent for a moment. "What do you want me to say?"

And this time, it was Dash who had no response. There was no malice in the question, no cynicism. Andrew truly wanted to know.

Something about it disturbed him. He stuffed another forkful of noodles into his mouth.

Once he'd swallowed, he brought a hand up to run through his hair, scratching the top of his head. "Andrew, I want us to be able to talk. I want to be able to know what's going on... this is never gonna work otherwise."

Andrew stared at him blankly.

"...I mean, it's... I don't know what all happened with you and my grandfather, but-"

"My uncle was a great man."

Dash was stopped completely, hand still up in mid-gesture. Andrew was now staring at his bowl intently.

Leaning back in his chair slightly, he chewed on his bottom lip. "Andrew, I... Andross was my grandfather... I know what he did..."

Andrew's head slowly rose until his gaze met Dash's once more. His eyes wavered. "You don't know anything."

And Dash felt a chill in his heart colder than he'd ever felt before.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dash cleaned up the dishes in silence, scrubbing out the bottom of the pot and sending all the remaining noodles down the garbage disposal. He could hear the sound of the TV from the other room – Andrew had curled into the back of the couch after dinner, still not saying more than a few words.

He gathered up the remaining ingredients from when he'd made dinner and walked over to the fridge to put them away. He had to admit, it was rather nice having someone else the apartment. It made it warmer, more like a home.

Dash liked that feeling.

Taking a damp washcloth, he ran it over the surface of the table, picking up any small spills or drips that had been left. When finished, he shook it out over the sink before washing away the grime.

He gave a little sigh, draping the cloth over the faucet. How long had he been living here now? Two years? Three? Had it really been three years since he left the military? It didn't seem possible. Three years since the war.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember what it was like again. Trying to remember that feeling of soaring through the skies, the stars spreading out forever just on the other side of the glass.

He could get lost out there. Lost forever, not even caring that he couldn't find his way back.

A horrifying crash came from the other room. Snapping out of his trance, he practically sprinted away from the sink, horrible thoughts running through his head.

"Andrew! Are you... o...k...?"

It wasn't what he'd been expecting, though truth be told, he didn't know what he'd been expecting. Andrew stood next to the shelf the TV had previously sat on, staring at the new mess on the floor. The mess consisted of one very broken and cracked television set, tiny sparks visible beneath the shattered glass.

"Andrew... what..."

Dash walked forward in confusion, mouth moving wordlessly.

Andrew turned to face him, expression completely blank.

"What... did you... do?" Dash brought a hand to his forehead. He seemed unable to take his eyes off the still smoking rubbage pile that used to be his TV.

"It was annoying me."

Dash turned towards his cousin in a flash. "It was annoying you?!" His voice seemed to go up about three octaves. "That was my fucking TV!"

Andrew took a step backwards, already trying to make himself smaller.

Dash tried to calm his breathing down. Closing his eyes, he began clenching and unclenching his hands. "Andrew... do you have any idea how much those things cost?"

Andrew didn't look at him for a few moments, scratching one of his fingers. Finally, his eyes drifted upwards. "...as much as a stereo?"

A look of confusion washed over Dash's face. "As much as... a..." His eyes widened, and he whipped his head over in a flurry. He hadn't even noticed it before, but the stereo that had been sitting on top of the counter dividing the kitchen and living room was now gone. "Andrew..." He next breath came out a bit shaky. "What... did you do with it?"

Andrew didn't say anything, simply pointing to the fridge.

He was there in an instant, whipping open the door. There was nothing there. Nothing besides food, that is. A sinking feeling settling in his stomach, he grabbed the handle of the freezer and opened it as well.

And there was his stereo. Frozen... and completely smashed.

Dash wanted to rip his hair out. He grabbed the sides of his head with a frustrated groan, clenching his eyes shut. "What... is your problem? What is your fucking problem?!" He turned back around with a fury, stomping over to where Andrew sat huddled against the wall. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Andrew's fear disappeared for a second, replaced by an angry scowl as he leaned forward on his knees. "I hate you!"

Dash grabbed the front of his tank top with both hands, pulling him up off the ground. "Oh, you hate me, do you? What have I ever done to you?" He began shaking him, his body flailing helplessly. "What have I ever done to you, you good-for-nothing brat?"

But Andrew didn't answer. He was already gone.

Dash stopped shaking him, watching him hang limply from his arms. The same expression that had haunted him in his sleep the previous night had returned.

Jerking back, he let Andrew crumple to the ground. He stared down at him, motionless. His heart was beating so hard he thought it would burst out of his chest. Finally, he let himself fall to his knees, hands coming up to cover his face. His shoulders shook as tears began running down his cheeks.