My biggest grip about Nod in C&C3 is that they seem really, really wasteful. Their actions and the way they commit their resources is really, really wasteful. At least in Tiberian Sun and Firestorm, Slavik understood when to kill and when to let live. He also knew the importance of keeping his own troops alive. That's quite a contrast with the Nod in C&C3. After EA took over the writing, it just seems they took the cheap way out in portraying Nod.

I've been doing a bit of research in regards to locations for another project of mine. You'll read more about it at the end notes You all remember Southern Cross? If Westwood placed SC where I think they did, it's in western Australia. Or eastern Australia. Basically, it'd be somewhere in Australia.

Chapter 14: Unofficial Relations

"And with Tratos helping us in our Tiberium research, we just might stand a chance," General Langley said.

Wilhelm nodded. "Though that raises an obvious question, sir. If GDI were somehow able to eliminate Tiberium, where does that leave us?"

"The hope is that we can reverse your mutations," said Langley. "Though I can understand your concern. But even if we can't, Tiberium does have its uses and will likely remain part of this planet. But that's on the optimistic side. From where we stand, you mutants might survive in on a Tiberian Earth. We unmutated humans would die if exposed to just the atmosphere."

Wilhelm nodded. "I assume you made this call because of that?"

"Something like that. Certain regions of the planet are beginning to become completely inhospitable to carbon based life. Our standard infantry would begin suffering Tiberium poisoning within a matter of minutes and we need to make use of heavy mechs in order to do anything there. Unfortunately, certain jobs require a bit more finesse and subtlety."

"And since we can survive in such environments, we'd be ideal for such missions," Wilhelm finished.

"Quite. Which is why you currently hold the position of Field Commander."

"Excuse me sir, but that's a jump of, umm, I'm actually not sure how many ranks that would jump me."

Langley chuckled. "The Field Commander title is fortunately a very flexible one, unlike some of the other Commander positions. Normally, Field Commander are Colonels, but in theory anyone down to a 2nd Lieutenant can be one. Considering your combat record, you certainly have enough seniority to be a Master Sergeant. However, your duties amongst the Forgotten place you at the Captain or Major level. As such, your actual position will be a simulated rank very much like when you assisted my forces. You'll be high enough to command anyone who's sent out to support you, short of a General. Now in the cases where we do send a Colonel out, it will mean we want that Colonel to be in command of the mission. In that case, you'd be second in command. However, as the mutants will most likely not respond to any order you disagree with, you have quite a bit of flexibility."

"That seems rather generous of you, General."

Langley shrugged onscreen. "Just admitting the reality of the situation. I just hope you'll cooperate when we do send out a Colonel. That means we consider the mission to be extremely sensitive and we can't reveal any details to you. That we need you to have some faith in our judgment."

Wilhelm grimaced. "We'll see, General. Hopefully GDI will give us more reason to trust them. Incidentally, how does my authority extend on base?"

"While you do not have command authority per se on one of our bases, you are granted the privileges that come with being an officer. Of course, I hope you'll let your discretion guide you."

"Of course," Wilhelm said. "And I also assume my access to GDI's data network will be similarly limited?"

Langley cracked a grin. "Your intuition is as keen as ever. And you're right. As you are for all practical purposes not under GDI jurisdiction, I do have to adhere to security procedures."

"Understandable, sir."

"Anyways, mind passing along the message to any other mutant commanders? You're the only know I know I can trust to follow GDI procedures on missions, at least where the GDI forces are concerned, but I'd be willing to establish, understandings, with other mutant commanders. And you seem to have earned their respect."

"I'll do so, General."

"Then I bid you good day, Commander Feydrich."

The screen blinked out and Wilhelm stretched. He'd been through several sessions with General Langley in the comm center, discussing how the Forgotten and GDI could cooperate on missions. The independent streak mutants had made joint operations a bit touchy. The ones Wilhelm had conducted under GDI command were only nominally so. The Forgotten soldiers were operating on their own initiative and only obeyed McNeil's orders because Umagon was there to check him if he overstepped. That and some were hungry for revenge.

However, with this business taken care of, Wilhelm could focus on lighter matters, specifically the upcoming Easter celebration. The thought of the preparations made it hard to suppress a chuckle. Wilhelm left the comm center and headed to the community center. In reality several module living quarters linked together, indoor events were held here. The main cafeteria was located here and made the place a social center when there were no events. Wilhelm had never attended any such events but he'd spent time there with his troops.

As he entered, Wilhelm was greeted by Gerald. "Ah, good timing, Wilhelm. I was about to come looking for you."

"What do you need?"

"We need some help with the rabbit suit, and as it's a surprise, only a few people can see it. You stumbled upon it because Grace and I were careless, but you're discreet."

"What could I possibly help you with?" asked Wilhelm as Gerald pushed him towards a side room.

"You'll see, my boy."

When they entered, Wilhelm looked around suspiciously. "Where's Elijah?"

"Unfortunately," Elijah said as he clapped Wilhelm from behind, "I cannot fit in the rabbit costume this year. But fear not, for Easter is saved! The good Doctor here knows your measurements and realized you would fit."

Wilhelm's face went white even as he saw Grace give him an uncharacteristically large grin. However, there was no escape as Elijah had him firmly by the shoulders. Wilhelm was dragged over to the bright blue suit and he shivered in horror.

"You did everything possible to make this thing look cute, didn't you?" Wilhelm said accusingly.

"Sorry," Maria said softly, "but it is for the kids, you know?"

Wilhelm blinked and stood there for a few seconds, looking at the young woman. She blushed at the attention and looked away and Wilhelm let out another sigh. They really had this thought out. If he refused, Grace would likely give him the silent treatment for at least a month, Elijah would have an excuse to call him a coward, and everyone here could tease him about treating Maria badly. That for some reason scared him even more than Grace ignoring him.

"Just so all of you know, I will get you back for this," Wilhelm said.

"Sure you will," Elijah replied cheerfully. "Now get your ass into that suit so we can make any adjustments!"

The entire getup looked absolutely ridiculous. It'd been made to look cute and harmless and overachieved those objectives. Even worse, with the head on, Wilhelm could only see in front. That meant he was likely to be the subject of god knows how many pranks. The kids wouldn't mind and would be too busy searching for eggs, it was his own troops that he needed to worry about. And once they found out he was the one wearing the suit, it would only get worse.

Mercifully, the room was air conditioned so being in the suit wasn't unbearable. They had him raise and lower his arms, checking for any tears or strains. Next came walking and jumping. Wilhelm felt ridiculous and was sure he looked it too. Elijah had smartly kept out of his view, which made Wilhelm sure he was the source of snickering he kept hearing. Somehow, Grace and Maria kept a straight face as they considered alternations to the suit. However, there was no air conditioning outside.

"Is there any way we can rig some kind of air ventilation inside this thing?" Wilhelm asked. "I'll collapse from heat stroke if I have to walk around all day in it."

"Hmm, how did we solve that problem last year?" Grace said thoughtfully. "I recall Elijah was basically jumping around without any problems."

"We had a late melting that year," Elijah said behind Wilhelm. "It was still fairly cool when Easter arrived."

"So what did you do the years it was warm?" Maria asked.

Elijah shrugged. "Sweat it out. But then again, Wilhelm isn't as tough as me so of course he'll whine for ventilation."

"Don't start," Wilhelm retorted, "unless you want me to tell everyone that time we were hiding in the snow."

Though there was no audible response, Wilhelm was fairly sure Elijah's face was turning all shades of red judging from the amused looks Grace and Maria gave him.

"Anyways," Wilhelm went on, "anyone have any ideas? We're supposed to be really ingenious so let's apply our creativity to someone important, like keeping me comfortable."

"Well, how do we add something like that without destroying the look of the costume?" Grace mused. "After all, your comfort is secondary to the enjoyment of the children."

"My comfort is secondary to a lot of things," Wilhelm said.

"Stop whining," said Grace, "and stand up so we can see how to make it work."

"Yes ma'am."

Wilhelm's response elicited a long look from Grace and even caused Maria to giggle. Eventually Gerald tapped his daughter on the shoulder and they went back to work. After half an hour, a basic design for ventilation had been hashed out. Grace calmly informed Wilhelm that he would need to fabricate it himself if he wanted to use it for the costume. With a week to go, he'd have to work fast, especially if he was to scrounge up the parts.

"All right, I think we're done. You can get out of that suit now."

The words were barely out of Grace's mouth before Wilhelm was halfway free. However, he wasn't quite done yet.

"Next you need to memorize all the spots we'll be hiding eggs. Maria has the spots picked out."

"And I've made sure Isabel hasn't managed to peek at it," she said proudly.

"Considering how ingenious your sister has gotten, no mean feat," Wilhelm complimented her. "Now can I please get out of this suit!?"

"Sure, go ahead," Grace said with the wave of her hand.

"Thank you."

Everyone else had a good laugh but Grace remained focused. She did favor him with a look but that was it. Not even the grin Wilhelm cracked moved her. Maybe that was why he kept trying to impress her, because she seemed so damn hard to impress. Yet he didn't need to impress her anymore. He just needed to be there for her and everything would be fine. Shucking the suit, he set it aside carefully and made his leave. He was tempted to give Grace a goodbye kiss but restrained himself. The Doctor was a very restrained person, which made her also quite tender. It was quite a contrast with Rachel, who had been more out-going. Yet the reserved way she displayed her affections were just as warm and loving.

Wilhelm wondered how long it would be before everyone found out he was the rabbit for the year. The kids would be hounding him for where the eggs would be hidden, which wasn't too hard to deal with, as he had no idea anyways. However, he'd heard plenty of stories about the pranks the troops pulled on Elijah and he had no intention of falling prey to any of those.

While he had some free time, Wilhelm proceeded to securing the parts for a ventilation system. His first stop was the local gadget shop. Well, not shop. In their daily lives, the mutants ran across old and abandoned systems. A lot of it didn't work but could be stripped for usable components. Thus they all ended up at the gadget shop, operated by several younger mutants who had nothing better to do than tinker and really didn't have the attention span for anything else. Every community seemed to have them and this settlement was no different. Still, those teens had put their talents to use in many rather ingenious projects. Wilhelm smiled to himself. Here he was, thinking of them as if they were kids, while he himself was but a few years into his own adulthood.

The workshop was surprisingly quiet when Wilhelm walked in. No blaring music, no torches or saws going at it. Maybe the complaints from the few neighbors had finally succeeded. That seemed doubtful and Wilhelm shrugged. So long as he could get the parts, he'd be fine.

"Mikel!"

There was a shuffle in the back and a young man stumbled out, pulling his clothes together as he went. His face was also flushed, which could have been the result of any number of legitimate activities. Wilhelm snorted. Yeah, and if he believed that, he'd likely believe mutants gave off radiation.

"Busy?" he asked with a grin.

"Uh," Mikel said even as the red deepened on his face, "not really, just getting some rest."

"Right. Anyways, I need to build some kind of air conditioning unit that'll fit in a backpack to keep me comfortable."

Mikel blinked. "A backpack air conditioner? Why?"

Wilhelm tapped Mikel on the forehead. "You don't need to know why, just that I need the parts to make it. Well?"

"Umm, you've got to be kidding. I mean, no matter what, it's gonna be insanely heavy."

Wilhelm shook his head. "I don't need it to cool the air, I just need it to circulate air. Some of those computer fans you have would work."

For a few seconds Mikel continued to stare at him. It was as if the teen standing before him couldn't grasp Wilhelm's intentions. Well, that was fine.

"If you're just going to stand there gawking, I'll go back and find the parts myself," Wilhelm said.

"Whoa, hold on," Mikel protested, snapping out of his daze. "Just tell me what you need and I'll get it."

"Why? Could it be you're hiding something, or someone back there?" Wilhelm teased.

Mikel's reluctance in responding was all the confirmation Wilhelm needed.

"Here, let's make a deal," said Wilhelm. "You help me put together the backpack cooler quietly, and I'll keep my mouth shut about what I would likely see if I went back there."

A sharp nod signified Mikel's new status as co-conspirator, though Wilhelm did wonder what the teen was so worried about. Though mutants, these people did have a French heritage. Then again, there was what Grace had said about how relationships here worked. Either way, Mikel hurried Wilhelm along as they picked out he necessary components, always keeping him out the back. It took barely fifteen minutes and after Mikel promised to have a prototype ready by tomorrow, Wilhelm made his exit. He was tempted to linger and see just who Mikel was hiding, but decided it wasn't worth it. Let the boy have his privacy.

The rest of the day passed quickly and without incident, though Wilhelm swore his troops were laughing behind his back during practice. As payback, he upped the bonus requirements for passing the target practice round. The Forgotten didn't have 'money' in the same sense as GDI. Their sense of 'ownership' was quite strong, but most everything was done through a straightforward system of pooled resources. Anyone who wanted food, clothes, and the other necessities of life could get it from the community center. The people who farmed or tailored or produced any other vital good let the community center handle most of the distribution. Corruption was very quickly detected and usually resulted in rather severe punishments, so the system worked well. Any other goods were bartered and only rarely was hard currency used, simply because there wasn't that much of it on hand. That resulted in a shortage of luxury items like wine, though cheap alcohol was easy to come by.

Again French heritage exerted itself and wine became highly sought after. As a way to motivate his troops to do better, Wilhelm managed to procure several bottles of decent wine and awarded those who did well a glass after practice. This time around, no one achieved the time and score necessary to get a drink. As he watched the troops go change, Wilhelm wondered what the GDI supply officers thought whenever they shipped a crate of wine with the convoy to this settlement. Then again, he'd need to find another way to fund this. Even after getting a few months worth of pay dumped on him, he was starting to run out of cash.

When Grace got home, Wilhelm was busy sorting through more updates for the project. She sat down across from him, her serious face on.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Wilhelm preempted her.

"I think it's time we moved to a place of our own," Grace said calmly.

"Huh?"

It wasn't a complex proposal, but it did blank his mind for several seconds. Wilhelm blinked and simply waited for Grace to explain her reasoning.

"Do you intend to continue living here, under the same roof as my father?"

When she put it that way, Wilhelm blanched. Intellectually, he knew Gerald acted in that capacity for Grace, even if they had no biological relation. While Gerald was supportive of their relationship, it didn't remove the awkwardness their positions placed them in. Then a thought occurred to him.

"Did you think of this, or did Gerald suggest it?"

Grace gave him a look. "Why is it all the men in my life are so intuitive?"

"Because we're around you so much your intuition rubs off on us?" Wilhelm offered.

Grace snorted. "Yeah, right. Anyways, try to find a place close to the clinic. If there aren't any, we'll have to wait for one to open up."

With that, she stood and headed for the door.

"You're actually trusting me with finding a new place to live?" Wilhelm asked.

Glancing back, Grave gave him a wicked smile. "It'll be up to you to make sure my confidence isn't misplaced."

She was out the room before Wilhelm could come up with a response. While worded politely, Grace's statement was the equivalent of 'don't mess up or else.' Sighing, Wilhelm sat back and tried to recall what he was supposed to do. Requesting housing was fairly straightforward, though getting a place to live in a specific area could be tricky. Most of the structures here were hybrids of habitation modules and shacks. Proper floors helped them stay mostly clean, though everything here laced the shine Wilhelm had grown up around. All in all, the residences weren't too shabby.

The first thing he would need to do is see if any vacancies were available. If there wasn't, he had one of two options. Get on the waiting list or get a new module somehow and plop it up. Most people went with the former if only because getting a new module was considered something of a luxury, which required cash, which like everyone else Wilhelm was not made of. Maybe he could get the community leaders to use some of the discretionary budget, or requisition one from GDI as a field commander. Either way, he would only have to resort to those methods if there weren't any open spots left.

The walk to the main office wasn't long but still gave him enough time to figure out how to phrase his request. When the act was unfamiliar, simplicity didn't make it any less difficult the first time around. He walked up to the desk and breathed.

"I'd like to apply for a family housing unit," he said.

Since no one besides him was here to make requests, the other clerks all looked over at him. The man sitting before him had a massive grin on his face, something which felt disconcerting to Wilhelm.

"Close to the clinic, correct?" the man said and continued without waiting for an answer. "And aren't you lucky, we actually have one?"

Wilhelm blinked. "Really?"

The man nodded. "Want me to put you down for it?"

Catching himself, Wilhelm shook his head. "I'd prefer to look it over first."

A hearty laugh answered him. "Smart man. Miranda, go with him and show him where it is."

"Alright."

The young woman sitting at the desk left of Wilhelm stood and waved for him to follow. The house in question was a standard family unit on the opposite of the clinic from Gerald's place.

"It hasn't been occupied for a while," Miranda explained, "so the place will require some cleaning."

"Which I'll likely do," Wilhelm muttered.

Despite that, Miranda heard and gave him a smile. "But of course. Isn't it the husband's duty to look after his wife?"

The term husband and wife had little legal reinforcement here. It was more a culturally and socially established definition. Two people became husband and wife when they declared each other as such and began living together. There were no other formalities, though a party for close friends might be held to celebrate the union.

The two walked inside and Wilhelm coughed as the dust stirred. The place definitely needed some airing, but otherwise t was in good shape. Minimal furniture but desks and chairs were easy enough to get.

"Dos this house get power?" Wilhelm asked.

While a power grid did exist, its coverage was spotty and unreliable. One house might be powered while another right next to it was in the dark. The grid was slowly being upgraded but no one expected any miracles.

"I think so," Miranda said, thinking. "But even if it isn't, it's close enough to the client to hook up a line."

Wilhelm nodded. One way people got around the lack of coverage was share power between neighbors. Some of the wiring wasn't exactly safe, resulting in accidents from time to time, but people did it anyways. Another motivation for getting a proper grid installed. Wilhelm's personal motivation for the grid revolved around the havoc the makeshift connections wrecked on radio sgnals. The phone lines here were even worse than the power grid and wireless communications would have been a nice and elegant solution were it not fr the improperly shielded cables.

"Hmm, no kitchen unit," Wilhelm commented, "but that shouldn't be a problem."

"Neither of you cook?" Miranda inquired.

Wilhelm shook his head. "Gerald usually handled that. If he wasn't around, I'd go down to the community cafeteria. And if I was really desperate, I could always eat field rations."

The face Wilhelm made elicited a giggle from Miranda. "Well, it's not like this place started out without one. We just probably stripped it out for use elsewhere. But if you really needed one, we could probably find some spare stoves, microwaves, whatever you would have in a kitchen."

"I'll have to ask Grace," said Wilhelm. "I can't cook anything that'd require a stove."

Miranda nodded in understanding. "Besides that, any problems?"

"Umm, nope. This looks to be pretty good. Though I do wonder whether it was just coincidence there was an open house so close to the clinic."

Miranda grinned. "You could say we've all been waiting for you and Grace to decide to live elsewhere. The previous family actually left this house a while ago but no one else has moved around. When Elijah made his little, uh, announcement, we decided we'd keep it empty just in case."

"Why'd the last family move?"

For a moment Miranda faltered. "His wife had succumbed to her condition. He said it didn't feel right taking up so much space, when another couple could make better use of it."

"I see," Wilhelm said softly.

Touching the wall, Wilhelm wondered at the last couple to have lived here, the happiness they'd shared, and finally the sorrow of the parting. He and Grace would likely leave similar memories in this house. Wilhelm could only pray that the sorrow would take a long time arriving.

"We'll take it," Wilhelm finally said.

Miranda tilted her head. "Are you sure?"

Wilhelm nodded firmly. "Most definitely."

The smile returned to Miranda's face. "Then come back and sign your name to the roster."

Once the formality was concluded, Wilhelm went and brought Grace over to their new home. Her face remained blank as he showed her the place, but eventually softened and gave him a smile. With her approval, he could get to work getting the place ready for their residence. For a week, Wilhelm found his usual free time occupied with sweeping, dusting, mopping, and various other sorts of cleaning. There were a few incidents where he almost regretted choosing the house, but once the disgusting parts were dealt with, he generally felt it was worth the effort.

Furniture took a little doing. Gerald had had years to gather the furniture he now had. Fortunately, he was more than happy to share. The bed they'd used was moved over, as was Wilhelm's desk and some chairs. The dining table unfortunately was staying point, as Gerald reminded them that he still needed a place to eat. For now, the place still looked a bit bare but Wilhelm was already in the process of wheedling some more furniture out of the craftsmen. He intended to make this place a comfortable home for his family.

Throughout the hustle and bustle, Wilhelm was barely aware of the arrival of the GDI supply convoy. He kept his anxiety in check as much as possible and was almost relieved when no letters were handed to him. No, not relieved. Disappointed. Wilhelm sighed. He wasn't going to get anywhere lying to himself about wanting to see his family. Though he had a family here, he still wanted his birth family to acknowledge him. Grace picked up on his emotions the moment she saw him.

"You've still got another month," she said softly.

"I know."

Grace took hold of him and Wilhelm returned the embrace. Tears didn't quite come out, but it was close. While Grace's comfort had nearly elicited them, her presence also helped him remain strong enough to hold them back.

"Uh, thanks," Wilhelm said once they pulled back.

Grace smiled at him gently before going back to work. He could have asked her to stay with him longer and she would have acquiesced. Maybe he would ask her to be by his side later. For now, he would be fine. After all, tomorrow was Easter, and it certainly wouldn't do for the Easter Bunny to be grumpy and sad. With that thought in mind, Wilhelm went back to the workshop. This time the place was as loud and rambunctious as its inhabitants could make it. Mikel barely heard Wilhelm over the music but when he caught sight of him quickly ran over with the backpack.

"All ready," he proclaimed proudly.

Wilhelm looked over the contraption carefully. It wasn't too bulky and would still allow him to move around freely. The thing was also slim enough he didn't have to worry about hitting any kids when turning around, hopefully. Wilhelm switched it on and listened to the hum. As they were limited to whatever was on hand, the two had used remnants of various cushions to try and absorb as much of the sound as possible. The thing fortunately didn't rattle and it looked like it would work.

"Looks good," Wilhelm said. "Thanks."

"No problem."

A quick run to the community center and the backpack was hidden away with the rest of the costume. After giving the rabbit suit one last look, Wilhelm shuddered and went back to work. There was simply too much to do to feel sorry for oneself. Wilhelm would mope when he had time to rest, and he'd rest when he was dead.

The next day came far too quickly for Wilhelm's liking. Grace had to literally drag him out of bed and to the community center. Kids were already gathering around so they went in through the basement. Inside the people helping with the egg hunt were all waiting. Elijah had a huge grin plastered across his face, something which worried Wilhelm more than having to wear the rabbit suit. When he saw the backpack, he saw the reason for that grin.

"What the bloody hell!?"

"We couldn't very well have you running around with a black backpack, now could we? So we had to paint it."

"Couldn't you have painted the parts before it was put together?"

"Maybe, if we had known where you were getting the parts."

Wilhelm sighed. Sometimes secrecy worked against him. Maybe he should have hid the backpack at home instead of in here. Whoever painted this was at least good with color coordination. The rabbit suit was pure white with a light blue bow around its neck. The backpack had been spray painted a light blue, but the lightness allowed some creativity in decoration. A combination of pink and white streaks crisscrossed the backpack and Wilhelm could only hope the paint hadn't clogged any of the fans. When the thing whirled to life, he let out a sigh. At least some things were going right.

"Get dressed," Grace ordered.

Once in his underwear, Wilhelm put on the suit and strapped on the backpack. He flicked it on and immediately felt a breeze against his back.

"I look absolutely ridiculous," he pronounced.

"The kids won't think so, and only their opinion counts for how you look," Grace replied.

Count on Grace to remind him of reality. Wilhelm stretched a bit before following her out of the room. He was promptly handed a basket full of candy and pushed towards the door.

"Remember the procedure," said Grace. "Every time a kid finds a painted egg and hands it to you, you give them whatever candy they want. And we have to make sure it's one of the wooden eggs we planted, not one they made themselves."

"I still can't believe the kids would go through all the effort to actually make the eggs themselves," Wilhelm replied.

"They might not," said Grace. "However, some people like pulling pranks and make them for the kids. We almost always get more eggs than we originally planted."

Wilhelm chuckled. "The lengths you people go to to ensure the eggs aren't fake is amazing."

That was the last word he got out before a bunch of kids swarmed him. Some were already clutching wooden eggs and charged forward to exchange them for candy. Despite himself, Wilhelm couldn't help but laugh at their enthusiasm. Grace rubbed away at the bottom to check for a marker which had been filled in with paste. Invisible, but the paste was soft and could be dug out. One by one, Grace handed the real eggs to Wilhelm, who then let the kids pick a piece of candy and handed it to them. The fake paws allowed him to use his thumb, but restricted the actual use of fingers, which was why he needed Grace to check the eggs.

The pair walked about and watched the kids run around with adults riding herd. Laughter and cries filled the air wherever they went. The kids especially seemed to enjoy tugging at the fluff of a tail on his butt. That always resulted in a good laugh from the adults around. The fans on the backpack turned out to be a godsend as the temperature continued to climb throughout the day. How the kids kept running around without breaking a sweat was beyond him. Wilhelm alternated between on and off with the fans and began to wish he could control how fast the things were going. Work up a sweat, turn it on. Get a bit chilly, turn it off. Repeat.

"Hmm, it's almost seventeen-hundred," Grace said as she checked her watch.

Wilhelm blinked. He then grabbed her wrist just in time to see the numbers flash. And he was off, with the basket safely deposited in Grace's arms.

"Good luck!" Grace called as Wilhelm made his escape.

The Easter egg hunt was capped off with the rabbit chase for the kids. Every one of them had a sticker and those who got theirs on him would receive an additional prize. One reason Wilhelm was the rabbit was because he was healthy and strong enough to be a proper rabbit. Being forced to wear the rabbit head made his job much more difficult. Most of the kids had years of experience in trying to catch the rabbit and were likely to pull off some sneaky tricks. Some were far more interested in the rabbit chase than in hunting for eggs.

As he turned the corner, Wilhelm nearly ran into three kids. They immediately stretched out their arms, trying to plant their stickers. Wilhelm jumped to the side and neatly dodged them before taking off again. He could hear disappointed cries but didn't stop to look. There were plenty of adults around and if any of the kids got hurt, they'd be tended to immediately. At this point Wilhelm was sweating hard even with the fans on. He considered dumping the backpack but decided to wait on that. The extra weight wasn't a nuisance yet and he only had to survive a half hour. He could probably do that.

For the first twenty minutes or so, Wilhelm did manage to hold his own. However, just as he was heading back to the community center, he found himself surrounded by over a dozen kids. Somehow, without even realizing it, he'd walked right into their trap. Wilhelm couldn't help but admire their cunning, but wasn't about to admit defeat. He charged forward and literally ran through the kids, picking up the one directly blocking his way.

"Congrats kid," Wilhelm said. "You get to put your sticker on me, if only because I'd get yelled at for dropping you."

The kid's smile told Wilhelm he didn't really care how he got the sticker on him, only that he did. After having it slapped on his chest, Wilhelm set he kid down and continued running. Before more kids could corner him, a bell ran, signifying the end of the chase. Wilhelm slowed to a brisk walk and made his way to the community center where Grace and the others waited.

"Not bad," Grace complimented him at the sight of only one sticker. "Elijah here let five kids tag him last year."

"Hah! That's only because Wilhelm here is a heartless beast who can ignore the cries and pleas of little children!"

"Elijah," Wilhelm began, "I wasn't aware you were so soft. Here, want a hug?"

The sight of a big rabbit moving forward with arms open must have been some sight as everyone around them burst out laughing. Elijah quickly denied any such desires and retreated from Wilhelm. He then turned to Grace, who made a show of grudgingly accepting his hug.

"You are definitely going to take a shower before I let you on the bed tonight," she said to him.

"Even though I'm all cuddly and soft?" Wilhelm joked.

Grace tapped him on the chest. "If I wanted a giant stuffed animal, you would have known long before."

Wilhelm laughed. "Probably. So, can I get out of this now?"

"Not until you give the prize to, Paul," Grace said, reading off the name on the tag.

The prize in question was a large rabbit shaped chocolate statue and Wilhelm presented it to an ecstatic Paul. There were actually a dozen chocolate statues, but since there was only one winner, the rest would likely get snatched by the adults. Wilhelm already had his eye on one in the center. He'd have to hide it somewhere before someone else could steal it. Once Paul had his prize, the kids began to disperse. Most were headed home to rest after a long day while the older kids would likely stay and listen to the music later in the evening.

Wilhelm's face was completely red when he pulled off the head. Even with the backpack, the air had started getting musty and stale so it was a relief to be out of the suit. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Wilhelm felt refreshed and joined Grace inside the main lounge. Now it was others' turn to provide the entertainment.

The makeshift stage slowly filled with a few instrumentalists who were quickly outnumbered by singers. Even though the religious aspect of Easter was becoming less and less prevalent, some traditions remained because they were popular. The choir performance was one. It might seem odd that these people would find time to play and rehearse, but this was their way of enjoying themselves.

As the noise gave way to silence, Wilhelm shifted so he could get a good view. Music, not sound replaced the silence, quickly joined by dozens of voices. Wilhelm closed his eyes and let them carry him off. The singing wasn't loud but carried an intensity that stirred the audience. It filled each of them with a sense of warmth and comfort, lifting their spirits and easing their minds. With these voices as his guides, Wilhelm drifted off and released all the anxiety and tension he felt. This was the meaning of peace, to be able to take the time to enjoy life instead of trying to experience everything before it was too late.

End of Chapter 14

I've been working on a side project, of sorts. It's basically a retelling of the events in Tiberian Sun and Firestorm. I'm sure some of you have seen my other C&C projects and noticed I began such a project, but the difference in my writing ability is quite a contrast. I can do much better than my earlier efforts, and I intend to try. Those of you who've read my earlier works will remember one Richard Conner (O'Connor) and James William Langley. That's right, I'm weaving those stories into this one, or at least I intend to. The prologue for that other story is almost done, but there're a few things I want to tweak before I do any kind of release.

Z98