The bell above the door jingled as he walked through, prompting him to look up. It had never been quiet enough in the Barn Yard for Marcus to hear the little brass contraption, but today it seemed as if the world had retreated into the shadows.

"New guy," the pink cat behind the bar chuckled, "you picked the wrong day."

The tavern was deserted, even as the clocked turned over to six, there wasn't a soul to be found. In a city filled with degenerate and depressed souls, it seemed like such an unlikely happenstance.

Where is everyone?

"Have you considered running a happy hour special?" he joked back.

"It's Monday," Mina yawned from a barstool, "no one's week has been miserable enough yet."

Blaze rolled her eyes, "the bar around the corner lets Mobians in on Mondays because they don't get enough customers otherwise. Needless to say, all of our usual slobs would all rather drink beer with a real label and some flavor."

"Huh, it's weird being able to hear myself think in this place."

"It's boring is what it is," Mina grumbled.

"So, what is it this time?" the feline asked as she instinctively cracked open a cold ginger ale. "Someone hurt your feelings? Conscience getting in the way of your day job? Oh, wait I know, don't tell me, girl problems?"

"Nothing, actually," Marcus paused on the thought, "things feel unusually normal now."

"That's never good," Blaze chuckled.

"I know. Ixis has been strange lately. He's barely said a word to me today."

"That's Naugus for you."

"This seems different. Everything seems different. He hasn't even been letting me open his car door."

"That's your definition of different?" Mina laughed. "The richest person in the city won't let you open their car door and you suddenly think the world is ending?"

"I mean…" Marcus trailed off, "Kind of? For him anyway. Went to the Den to pick up a package for him. He wouldn't even acknowledge me when I dropped it off at his office, just sent me home early instead. I think he's sleeping there now."

"Sounds like he has some trouble at home," the cat shrugged.

"Possibly," the kid reluctantly admitted. "I might even have something to do with that."

"What does Fiona think?" Mina inquired sarcastically with an eyeroll.

What's that supposed to mean, he wondered.

"No idea, haven't seen her in the last few days. Ixis has her on some special assignment."

"So you're here because you're board?" the cat asked plainly.

"I guess."

The two Mobians chuckled at his misfortune.

"Like I said before," Blaze continued, "you picked the wrong day."

The bell above the door jingled to life again, but Marcus didn't bother paying attention. It only seemed natural that someone else would eventually wonder in.

"You must be lost," Blaze began as she eyed her newest customer.

"I promise I'm not," the stranger shot back as he pulled up the bar stool next to Marcus.

A shiver ran down his spine when he realized who it was. Only a strange few had tattoos of a blood red fist on the underside of their wrist. Marcus could feel the cold stare of the shorter of the two remaining Dominion agents. He, like the others, was made of nothing but muscle and stone. Marcus would have been kidding himself and everyone else in the room if he thought he was hiding his apprehension of the man's presence.

"Don't look too surprised to see me," the man began before giving him a pat on the back. "I mean someone of your stature really isn't that hard to find."

The kid sighed, unsure of whether his last moments were going to be in a dingy bar called the Barn Yard and whether his parents would laugh or cry at reading that headline in the morning paper.

"Come on, say something now," the stranger prodded, "at least buy me a drink."

Without meeting his gaze Marcus gave a flick of his wrist as if to approve the man's less than well-meaning request.

As she poured, Blaze seemed brave enough to ask, "this guy bothering you?"

"Not yet," Marcus replied knowing that could change at any second.

With a chuckle the man pulled the ice-cold beer towards him, "don't give me a reason to hurt anyone, and I won't."

"Hey pal," Mina started in, "I'm not sure you realize where you are. You can't just come in here making threats."

"Oh, don't worry, I know exactly where I am, just like your friend here knows exactly who I am. Take a hint from him and shut up."

"Maybe you don't realize who owns…" the Mongoose dared to continue, but Marcus waved her off.

The agent let the silence set in to the point where it began to fester in the air.

"As I was saying before, I didn't come here to hurt anyone."

"Just wanted to make sure that I know I can be got?" the kid finally decided to smile in the man's direction.

"Maybe," he allowed, "but I had something else in mind."

"And what would that be?"

"To appeal to your better nature, of course. Keira seems to think you have one."

Marcus stayed silent, unsure of where this conversation was going.

"Honestly, we're happy to call a truce. You've got two of us. We've been outplayed and outsmarted three times now. I'm not looking for any more trouble. As it is the big man has likely signed us up for early retirement."

"I don't see how that's my problem."

"I could make it your problem," the man reminded him.

"I wouldn't," Marcus suggested knowing there would be at the very least one angry fox and one maniacal crime lord with something to say about it.

"Let's start over."

"Let's," the kid agreed.

"We don't really have a way to get a message to your boss."

"Really? Keira can't do that for you?"

"I don't think he would take it seriously coming from her at this point."

"True," Marcus allowed.

"We know that fox is following us. We see her shadow every now and then. Not sure what her aim is, but we'd rather not find out."

"I can't do anything about that," he assured the man.

"I know that, but your boss can. Look, just tell Ixis that he can have what he wants if he leaves us alone."

"What does he want?"

"Probably better you don't know."

"Probably," the kid agreed.

But something still didn't feel right to him. He felt like a pawn again. The Johnnies had shown him a thing or two about opportunities that looked too good to be true. Marcus looked on as the man took a sip of beer.

"Ugck, Who drinks this?" the man nearly spat it out.

"No one, if they have a choice," the feline motioned to the empty room.

"What if I don't want to?" Marcus decided to ask, despite knowing he probably didn't have choice.

The man sighed as he set the glass back down, "Do I really need to give you a reason? Because if I do, you're going to be sorry."

"I've got nothing but your word to go on," he felt the need to point out, "and we're not exactly friends."

"Option one is I beat the snot out of you. Unfortunately, as good as that might feel to me, it will likely get me in a bit of trouble. That brings me to option two, I arrest you and give your mommy and daddy a call."

It was Marcus' turn to sigh. Why does everyone had to hold that over my head…

"That's what I thought. Look, there's no need to make this difficult for any of us. Just deliver the damn message and make that fox to leave us alone. Then, you won't have to see me again."

"Fiona," the kid replied.

"What?"

"The fox's name is Fiona."

"Do I look like I give a shit?"

"Actually, you do, otherwise you wouldn't be sitting here begging me to make her stop."

Marcus could see the anger welling in the man's eyes.

"I'll pass along your message to Ixis," Marcus said as he lifted his own beverage to his lips.

With a grunt the man picked himself up from the stool and threw open the door to the bar, the bell jingling furiously.

"Friends of yours?" Blaze asked.

"What gave it away?"

"Do me a favor and don't bring your problems in here?" the cat replied with half a smile.

"Yea, sorry about that."

"He didn't mean to, Blaze," Mina chimed in at his defense, wrapping an arm around his. "Don't go scaring away my one and only co-performer."

"You're going to tell Ixis, right?" the cat asked seriously this time.

"Yeah," he assured her.

"Good, I can't have a man like that coming back in here and scaring our regulars. He seems like he's bad for business."

"You have no idea."

"Who is he?" the mongoose asked.

"Dominion," the kid spat with some moderate distain.

Both of their eyes went wide as they double checked the door to make sure the agent had left.

"Yeah," Marcus continued sarcastically, "you meet all the best people working for Naugus."

"Alright, I'm going to close up early. I've had enough surprise visitors for the night," the cat said as she latched the deadbolt on the door. "Mina, show the new guy out." And like that the feline disappeared into the back.

With a glance down at his watch, the kid was disappointed to see that was hardly even seven.

"Still board?" the remaining Mobian inquired.

With an exasperated exhale, Marcus nodded his head.

"I know how to fix that," she insisted before taking hold of his hand and practically dragging him off the stool. "No audience, no pressure, just fun."

They were headed in the direction of the piano again.

"Not exactly a show though, is it?"

"No, but we could play a game."

"A game?"

"I sing a song, you play along if you know it. The opposite for your turn. First one who can't keep up loses."

It seemed like the type of harmless fun he could get behind. No fights with Dominion agents, no risking his life, no emotional crisis.

"Alright, game on!"

"Yay! Can I go first, please, please!"

"Knock yourself out," Marcus replied as he sat down at the piano's dusty bench.

Before he could even get his hands ready, the mongoose set herself in action, "Baby I'll wait. Love, it's never too late to save this."

Even though it had only seemed like last night, he had forgotten just how incredible her voice was. He was struggling to focus on the task at hand, instead he watched as she danced around the empty space, flowing from each point to the next all while carrying her tune.

Lyrics by: Luna Shadows - Cherry

"Take 'em downtown, go round, and rest assured," the Mobian twirled.

Marcus could hear the tune in his head, it had been a popular one when he was growing up.

Sliding his fingers down to the right octave he jumped in with the right notes as she continued, "I'm hanging from your lips, dancing in the stillness while you're killing this."

As she twirled back next to him with a smile on fer face she sang the next bar in his ear, "but only say the word and I'll be yours. Cause darling, if you call me I'll come running."

"I've never heard anyone sing like you," he felt compelled to say.

"They don't call me the song goose for nothing," Mina smiled back at him. "That one was clearly too easy for you," she decided as she took up a spot next to him on the bench. "I should have known it wouldn't take you long."

"My mom played that song all the time when I was little," he replied out of nowhere. "Blasted it on our old stereo system. She'd sing right along while she twirled me through the air in circles until we were both too dizzy to stand."

"Aww, your mom sounds awesome."

"She was," he agreed.

"Was?"

"I don't know, maybe she still is, but she certainly doesn't have a good way of showing it."

"Parents are like that," she agreed. "Mine certainly were."

The subject matter was getting a little to heavy for his liking, so he ran his fingers down the keys into the first song that came into his mind.

Lyrics: The Midnight - Los Angeles

It took a few stanzas until the mongoose began to catch on. Before long she was humming, waiting for a good point to join in.

"Flickers of the canyon fire," her voice echoed into the room. "Its hands raised like a gospel choir, if we live forever, let us live forever tonight!"

Marcus looked in her direction smiling. She certainly was no stranger to music, not that it surprised him. Rhythm flowed through her like water.

He felt compelled to join her for the next line, "Helicopters against the moonlight, our holy mother of the midnight and if we life forever, let us live forever tonight!"

"Haven't heard that one in a long time," Mina heaved a delicate sigh as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "It was popular where I come from."

"Out west then?"

She nodded, "my parents wanted me to stay, but it was tough to contain such big dreams in a little mongoose. I promised myself that nothing would keep me from the big city, the lights, the adventure."

"You and me both," he agreed.

"Ran away when I was fifteen. Took me the better part of a year just to make it to Capitol City. Been here for longer than I care to admit."

"Sixteen," he replied. "Bought myself a train ticket and never looked back… well maybe once or twice."

"That man from earlier," Mina began nervously.

"Don't worry about him, he won't come back."

"Oh, I'm not," she looked away bashfully, "he said he would call your parents. That seemed to scare you more than anything else. Why?"

"I… well I don't want them to be able to say 'I told you so.'"

"Why do you care what they think?"

"Because the world does…" he sighed reluctantly, "it's hard not to."

Lyrics: Elton John & Dua Lipa - Cold Heart

"Hmm," she agreed with him, as she slid into her next song, "It's a human sign. When things go wrong. When the scent of her lingers."

Ha, he nearly laughed out loud, and you thought your previous one was easy?

Marcus immediately jumped in with the tune.

"And temptation is strong. Cold, cold heart. Hard done by you," the Mobian smiled in a proud way.

"Some things look better baby. Just passing through," he sang in time with her.

She pointed her fingers at him to let him take the lead, "And I think it's gonna be a long, long time 'til touch down brings be 'round again to find that I'm not the man they think I am at home. Oh no, no, no."

Mina giggled with delight, "surprised you got that one so quick."

"It was going to be my next song," Marcus confessed.

"Ha, well you know what they say! Great minds and all."

He agreed. It seemed that he had more in common with her that he originally thought.

Why is that I have more in common with Mobians than I do most people? Maybe I need to stop thinking of them as Mobians?

"No one knows who my parents are," she picked up their conversation where they had left off. "Just two Mobians living out in the middle of nowhere without a care in the world."

"Sounds nice."

"It was," she agreed, "but it was lonely."

"And how about here?" he asked, "Do you feel lonely here?"

"Sometimes," Mina replied reluctantly. "All the attention, the eyes, the cat calls, it's not for the real me. None of them know the real me, none of them try to understand me."

"Then why do it?"

"Turns out Broadway doesn't exactly hire Mobians," she sighed. "Preforming was my dream. I couldn't give up on it, even if it means this."

Marcus nodded his head.

"What about you? I'm assuming you didn't move here planning on being a driver?"

"That was about the last thing I had planned on."

"So, what brought the new guy to Capitol City?"

"I just wanted to prove to everyone that I didn't need their help, their money… their name, to succeed."

"Are you succeeding?" Mina asked playfully.

"Not in the way I set out to, but strangely I'm okay with that."

"Me too," the mongoose responded, "me too."

"Are you hungry?" he asked as his stomach growled amidst the silence.

Marcus had been running around all day and it had never occurred to him to eat.

"Usually I just snack on the free popcorn all night," she pointed the empty bowls at the middle of every table, "but since it's Monday…"

"Come on," he said as he got up.

"Where we go'n?" she asked with more concern than he anticipated.

"Wherever you want, my treat."

The mongoose looked down at the floor as if in shame, "unless you want to go to the bar around the corner, not many places are going to let me in."

"I… uhh… oh, sorry."

"It's okay. I've learned to get by on ramen and hot dog stands."

"Well I think I've got a whole cupboard filled with ramen at home," Marcus suggested reassuringly.

"That sounds nice," she replied as she joined him at his side, her arm looped through his to guide him out the back door of the tavern. "It's been a while since I've been on a date."

"You're calling this a date?" he stammered as they strolled through the alley where they had previously found Fiona. Strangely, the fox was nowhere to be seen this time.

"What would you call it?" she giggled back at him with a beaming smile.

"Dinner?" he suggested as he pushed open the door to his building.

"Do you always have a guest for dinner?"

"No… I usually eat alone on the couch in my underwear."

"Something else we have in common," she chuckled as they walked up the steps.

"Make yourself comfortable while I boil the water," Marcus said as he opened the door to his apartment.

"Hasn't changed much," the mongoose said in subtle fascination as she wondered around. "Although you do manage to keep the place cleaner."

"I'm never here. And wait, why do you know what it looks like again?"

"Harry was too heavy for one person to carry."

"Oh yeah…" Marcus replied as he searched through his cabinets. "I only plan on making that mistake once."

To his surprise there was silence. When he turned around Mina had vanished.

"I could order a Pizza instead," he called out to her as he peered back out into the living room.

Silence followed his request, and his curiosity got the better of him as he set off in search of the mongoose.

"There you are," he said when he finally found her.

"Sorry," she sounded sad, "I was listening, whatever you want is fine."

"Are you okay?"

"I used to watch his kids from time to time…"

It was his turn to say, "sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up."

"It's okay, you didn't, your apartment did. The worlds a crazy place. Stuff happens. I try to stay positive, live every day like it's my last."

He hated that she said that, not because he thought it was stupid, but because it was probably necessary for her. A Mobian's clock ticked much faster in this city than a humans. Never mind a mongoose dancing at the dingiest bar in town.

"Don't be sad," Mina smiled as she approached him, "not for me."

It was as if she could read his mind.

"I never realized how unfair it was for…" but the mongoose put a finger to his lips.

"Nothing in life is fair," she replied. "The tree that doesn't bend, breaks. I bend, I adapt, I overcome, and I do not break."

He stared into her eyes wishing he had a fraction of her strength. Mina gazed back waiting to see if he would respond. When he didn't, she decided to make the first move, breaking their staring contest with soft kiss.

Why does this keep happening to me? He felt the need to ask himself.

However, this time there was a problem. The feeling of her lips against his, even for just that brief moment, was electric. The spark that hadn't existed with Fiona was more than present with this mongoose. He struggled to contain the urge of what his mind was demanding he do next. Exhaling deeply, he ran the palm of his hand across her muzzle and behind her ear before pulling the Mobian back towards him. She tasted even sweeter the second time.

Mina pulled away smiling, "I was beginning to worry."

"Worry?"

"Most guys wouldn't be caught dead with a Mobian," the mongoose looked away bashfully. "But with you I felt a connection, with you I felt something different."

"The old me might have been one of those guys," he admitted.

"And the new you? The one that lives here?" she asked as she placed a paw on his chest and pushed him backwards onto his bed.

"Still not sure," he responded playfully.

"I can work with that," Mina replied as she leaned over him for another kiss.

He happily obliged, running his hands through her fur, pulling her close. The old him wouldn't be able to explain this. It went against everything he thought hew knew about himself. However, moving to Capitol City and landing a job as crime lords' driver had certainly changed his perspective on a great many things.

It was hard to fight a feeling he couldn't describe. To call it love would have been too simple. There was an attraction to her he couldn't place. He idolized the mongooses' spunky carefree attitude. Her passion for preforming, for living life, it was everything he wanted. Despite their physical differences, it was easy to relate to her. Whether this spark between them was an accident or real, he couldn't bring himself to stop kindling it now.

In a fashion true to her dancing passion, Mina's clothes were discarded elegantly in a show that was so fluid be hardly noticed. It wasn't until she felt her paw on his bare chest that he realized she had relieved him of his own shirt.

How far am I willing to let this go?

It didn't matter, he couldn't bring himself to stop. He could feel her heartbeat against his while her unconscionably soft fur moved against his skin. The smile and soft pants in his ear reassured him that she strangely wanted this as much as he did.

The moment he decided he never wanted to end was over before he could process it. His chin was resting on her shoulder as he lay beside her on his bed wondering what new can of worms he had just opened.

"You're very sweet," she whispered softly as she drifted off to sleep. "I wish there were more guys like you."

He wanted to reply with something clever, but now didn't feel like the right moment. Instead, he let dreams wash over him.

The sound of his alarm pried at his ears, but he was determined to fight it off.

"You're going to be late," a familiar voice called out to him.

The voice felt too real to be his imagination. Cautiously he opened an eye to a fox repeating herself, "You're going to be late, Marcus."

In an instant he shot up, his adrenaline flowing, half in embarrassment, half in concern for what Ixis would do to him if we was late.

With a smack, he disabled the alarm clock and looked sheepishly over his shoulder, afraid to address the elephant in the room.

"Are you okay?" Fiona asked, watching him with a raised eyebrow. "That things been beeping for almost five minutes."

The spot next to him was empty. There was no Mina. He couldn't help but look around the room frantically.

"I, I am not sure," he replied as he held out his arms to examine the sleeves of the suit he was certain the mongoose had ripped off of him the night before.

"Fell asleep in your clothes, you must have been really tired."

"Where did she go?" Marcus asked looking at empty space next to him.

"Who?"

"Mmm," but he caught himself, "it felt so real…"

"What did?" the fox looked even more concerned than she did before.

"You're playing a joke on me. The two of you."

"Marcus, what's going on?"

"I…" he struggled to find the words as he rummaged around in his brain for anything that would help explain it all.

The vixen's eyes followed his to an empty wax wrapper that lay next to his alarm clock on his nightstand.

"It was just a dream?" Marcus asked of himself as he picked up the lozenge cover.

Fiona inhaled sharply through her nose, giving the air a healthy sniff, "please tell me that isn't what I think it is."

"He promised it would help me sleep, that there wouldn't be any side effects."

"Marcus…"

"He said it would feel like tomorrow… It did, it was so real. The taste of the ginger ale, the sound of the music, Mina."

"Mina?" the fox asked with a wry grin as she looked back to the empty space next to him.

"It was just a dream," he shouted angrily back at her.

The fox's smile only grew with his frustration.

"Mina."

"It was just a dream, Fiona."

"That's not what you were saying a second ago."

"It didn't happen."

Marcus couldn't do anything besides let the fox have her laugh, "I still want to hear about it, but you're going to have to tell me on the way, otherwise you're going to be late."

"Fine, let's go."

"Mina," she grinned at him for a third time.