Mickey felt a grin tug at his face as he read Minnie's swirling handwriting. It had come under Daisy's name, to avoid anyone else reading it. In it, Minnie was recounting the events of the ball a few nights ago, when she and the others had begun to carry out their plan to discredit Mortimer. According to her letter, it was going over as well as they could have hoped. They hadn't been direct, of course, but it seemed the subtle hints were already spreading fast.

Almost without thinking, Mickey's grin turned into a frown as he read Minnie's account of Mortimer's continued pursuit of her. How could anyone be after Minnie only because of her title, caring nothing for the kind, wonderful person underneath? He felt that familiar flutter in his chest as he thought of the days right after he'd been hurt. While most of it was a haze of pain and exhaustion, what he remembered clearest was Minnie's gentle support, and his own relief at finding she shared his feelings.

If any good can come outta this whole mess, that's it.

A soft knock on the door drew his attention, and he looked up as Oswald's voice came from the other side.

"Mick? Can I come in?"

Mickey set aside the letter.

"Sure, c'mon in."

The door opened and Oswald stepped in. Mickey frowned a little at the tired look on his face; the rabbit had been managing most of the Resistance activity by himself as well as juggling his family life the past few weeks, and though he was doing a pretty great job, it was obviously wearing on him. But yesterday the doctor had said that Mickey's healing was going well, and though he'd have to be careful for a while, he should be able to pick up his regular activities in a few days. The mouse rose to his feet, glad to feel no dizziness or soreness.

"Hey, Os. Everything go okay?"

Despite his visible weariness, Oswald gave Mickey a smile and nodded.

"Yep. We got the whole family out safe 'fore the soldiers came. They're bein' relocated now."

Mickey gave a small nod as he stood, stifling an amused chuckle at how close his brother was watching for signs of pain or fatigue.

"Great. Sorry you've been havin' to deal with all this by yerself."

Oswald gave a small shrug, still smiling.

"Don't worry 'bout it, I can handle a little more work. 'Sides, it's a good way to keep th' kids behavin' themselves."

This time Mickey couldn't help but laugh. Despite their penchant for mischief, the bunny kids saw their dad as a superhero and jumped at the chance to make things easier for him in any way they could. They did the same for Mickey, especially during his recovery. They might be a handful, but they were great kids.

"Bet they're itchin' t' pull some pranks, though," the mouse said. Oswald chuckled as well.

"Well, they won't have long t' wait."

Subtle as it was, Mickey still caught the note of unease in his brother's voice. With an encouraging smile, he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ya don't have t' worry 'bout me, Os. I'll be fine, an' I promised I'd be more careful, 'member?"

The rabbit managed a smile in return, though it wasn't full wattage.

"Yeah, I know. I just… I just don't…"

Mickey gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, guessing what he was trying to say.

I don't wanna lose anyone else.

"I know," he said.

Oswald gave him a lopsided smile, but before he could say anything else, the sound of small, running footsteps came from outside. Both grinned, guessing who it was. Sure enough, the kids came racing in with bright, eager eyes.

"Daddy!"

The rabbit laughed as they mobbed him, spouting excited questions.

"Mama said you were goin' t' help some people! Did ya get 'em?"

"Where're they goin' now?"

"Did ya fight any bad guys? Did ya whomp 'em? Huh? Did ya?"

Oswald tousled each bunny's ears in turn, still chuckling.

"Yep, we got 'em… they're all fine. They were still figurin' out where t' go when I left. No fights this time, sorry."

The bunnies drooped a little at that last statement, but their eyes were still bright.

"We're real glad they're okay," one of the youngest piped. Oswald smiled, reaching to pat the bunny's head.

"That's really thoughtful, kiddo."

The bunny beamed up at him as he nestled his head against Oswald's hand, purring softly. Mickey couldn't help but grin; that little habit the bunnies had picked up from their mother. One of them directed a wide smile toward the mouse.

"Unca Mickey's doin' real good, too. He can play with us more an' not get tired so fast."

Oswald directed his smile toward Mickey.

"Yeah, your mom told me he's gettin' better fast."

The bunnies all smiled widely, but then their small faces sobered a little.

"And then he's not gonna be able to play much?" one asked in a quiet, dejected voice. Mickey gave the bunny an encouraging look as he reached out to tousle her ears.

"Aw, cheer up, sweetie. I might be a little busier, but I'll make time for ya… we always do, right?"

The bunny perked up along with the others as all seven nodded.

"We jus' wish ya weren't so busy," one murmured.

Mickey felt regretful at that, and a look at Oswald revealed the same regret on his face.

"Yeah, we know," the rabbit reassured. "But it's not gonna be forever. If we're lucky, it won't be too much longer."

Mickey felt his mouth twitch into a small smile, but there was tension in it… him, Oswald and Goofy had discussed this only a few days ago. The Resistance had been growing more and more as people grew more malcontent and even desperate. Their numbers had reached a point where the three friends were beginning to think it might be time to make their move. Their conversations now revolved on how they might do that with as few losses as possible, to both them and the kingdom's soldiers. Oswald had made it clear that he felt it was more than most of them deserved, but he hadn't argued. As Mickey had often told Minnie, he might be a grump sometimes, but he had a good heart.

The mouse's thoughts were interrupted by the bunnies, some oohing while others outright cheered and hopped up and down.

"An' then you n' Unca Mickey n' Mr. Goofy'll make everything better?" one asked eagerly.

"That's what we're hopin' for," Oswald replied, once again smiling. Mickey bobbed his head in agreement, his smile growing wider at the bunny kids' delighted faces. Sometimes he envied them their childhood enthusiasm, and in some cases ignorance. Mickey found, especially with his friends and family, that his own positivity had never truly faded. It wasn't entirely the same with his older brother, though. Oswald put a brave face on it, especially for his kids, but even they knew that his early difficult experiences had left their mark on him… and the loss of both his mother and the person he considered his true father had brought a lot of those bitter feelings to the surface. He made sure he avoided taking them out on the people he cared about, but they often left him dejected and in a rather cross mood. Time had improved it, but Mickey still worried about him.

Maybe just talking about it with the right person will help… and I think you're one of the best people to help him.

Minnie's encouraging words drifted into his thoughts; he'd held them in the back of his mind for several weeks, knowing it was something he had to bring up eventually. He'd wondered if he should wait until this rebellion of theirs was over, but honestly, that didn't seem like the best idea… mainly because Mickey worried about how this might distract Oswald, make him more reckless than normal. He barely stifled a chuckle as the thought came to him that he was most likely feeling the same way his brother did about him and Minnie. But the mirth quickly disappeared as he continued to consider the issue. Looking at Oswald, seeing how he acted upbeat around his kids but couldn't quite hide the shadows in his eyes, Mickey made up his mind right there.

I've gotta talk to him, soon as I can.

Mickey suppressed the urge to let out a heavy sigh; if he knew Oswald at all, the rabbit would probably flat-out deny there was any problem even though he knew there was.

So stand your ground, said a soft voice inside him. Don't let up till he's done.

That thought almost unnerved Mickey: Oswald could be pretty short-tempered regarding what happened to him in his early years. But Mickey's feelings weren't important. Helping his brother get over his pain was.

I'll talk to him, before I get back in the field.

The decision immediately him feel more encouraged. It wouldn't be easy, but nothing worth having comes easy, his father always said. Mickey could think of no better time to heed his advice. For just a moment his eyes lifted upward.

Hope ya can help a guy out, Mom and Dad. Think I'm gonna need some luck of my own for this one.