Due to a very serious subject matter and coarse language in this chapter, the following has been given an individual rating of T.

Read at your own risk!

To say that the apartment blew up that night would have been an understatement. If anything, it was World War III, as far as Sherman was concerned. He wasn't even sure how the conversation even started, or how he got shut in his room. But the shots firing from the living room where enough to make him just linger at the door; just barely catching some of the softer words, although the loudest (and most used) could ring from top to down in the rather large New York apartment complex.

"You're not the alpha!" Jane spat, "You can't have control over every little last thing that comes through that door and expect it to bend to your will!"

"Never use those dog stereotypes! I'm not a normal dog, and I do NOT want to be treated like one!" Peabody told her.

"Well you're certainly not a human, and you won't die as one either, now will you?" Jane fired back. "Sherman and Eleanor are not puppies, they're not your puppies! They're humans, and they'll die humans!"

"Whether or not the children are of my biological make up does not apply to this situation." Mr Peabody said rather calmly. "Just because you can not control your... natural urges-"

"I was RAPED!" Jane shouted, sounding so furious that she likely wasn't thinking very clearly to begin with.

"And what do you propose I do about it? It was not my fault that you were-"

"'Were what' Peabody?! A bitch?! Huh? Is that it?!"

"What? No! No, no, no Jane!"

"Then what am I, Peabody? An idiot? A dumb little girl that thought she could trust her own fucking boyfriend?! I didn't even know what he was doing until it was too fucking late!"

After this thought, there was a silence, a really horrible, could-hear-a-pin-drop silence.

"I'm lucky that being mute is the only thing wrong with her." Jane then said quietly.

"What are you..."

"She was born with very weak vocal cords, if they are even developed at all. Why do you think I've been trying to teach her sign language? I thought you would have picked up on this already."

Mr Peabody mumbled something that sounded similar to 'I've forgotten' but said nothing out loud.

"I'm sorry." Jane finally said after another long silence. "I... I wasn't thinking clearly."

"No..." Peabody said slowly, "A part of it is my fault as well. We both crossed rather untouchable lines tonight. Obviously, although we are in an agreed arrangement, I am not satisfying you in the way the world believes we are bound."

"Well when you say it like that..."

Again, the adult figures were silent.

"Perhaps we can convince the Petersons to watch Sherman and Eleanor for a night, and we could just... talk." Mr Peabody suggested. "I'm sure that Penny would love to have the two over for a while."

"But what if talking isn't what we need to do?" Jane asked quietly.

"Then we'll do whatever it takes." Peabody promised. "Even if only for Sherman and Eleanor's well being."

Sherman backed away from the door quietly and crawled into his bed. The war was over, but even Sherman knew that peace was just a word...