The cabin Munkustrap had taken me to wasn't anything special. If anything, it was less than generic and teetering on minimalistic. Set up like a studio space the only room beyond the main one was a small loo off to the side that might as well have been a detached outhouse. The place came equipped with one twin sized bed on a simple wooden frame complete with two blankets and a pillow. A potbelly stove and small iron log trough. A sink and small ice box were hooked up next to the bathroom and a spigot outside for what I assumed were exclusively cold showers. Other than that there was a simple woven rug and a trunk holding who knows what and that about filled the space, not including the three by three square of floor that we now stood in.

"Charming." I stated semi-sarcastically, making my way to the bed so that I could finally get some much needed rest and relieve my knees from their painful duties. The weight of my body hitting the old mattress expelled dust into the air that had collected from however long this safe house had stayed uninhabited. I tried to hide my cough but the dry soreness of my throat wouldn't allow that so I surrendered to a short bout of hacking into my sleeve. Once I had finished Munkustrap finally spoke, having politely waited like an actor in a comedy waiting for the audience to cease its laughter.

"You rest up and I'll get a fire going and fetch some food from the next town over; it's only about a twenty minute drive. If I'm not back in an hour then there's supplies under the floorboards and a gun in a false bottom in the trunk. But I doubt anyone'll find this place, it's not even on the grid."

"How did you come across it?" I said through a sore voice and small coughs that still escaped at each inhale.

"My dad and I built it as a summer stay before mom passed. Me and Tugger made it into a safe house for temporary hiding needs. The water is connected to a stream out back and it has it's own generator in a box outside with tons of gas and repair equipment. You'll get acquainted with the few nooks and crannies it has to offer these next few days. There isn't much else to do around here besides read the three books I have somewhere around here." He glanced about, reacquainting himself with he room and most likely trying to remember where his books were so he could stop any boredom that might creep up on us early on.

I nodded and climbed under the hand sewn quilt. Although the boxspring mattress was old and lumpy, it felt like the most comfortable thing I had laid in for years. To be frank, the mattress could have been composed of needles and hot coals and I would have found it extremely comfortable my exhaustion taking away any pickiness that I might have.

The sound of Munkustrap opening the stove and throwing in a couple logs faded away as some much needed sleep took hold of my consciousness and I drifted off.

I am someone who rarely dreams, sleep usually being light and empty to keep alertness and the possibility of evading danger easy. However, the feeling of security knowing that I had been hidden away and had Munkustrap as my protection allowed for the deepest sleep I had had in years. The brain will play from four to six dreams in a night after entering REM sleep but these will mesh together and eventually be semi forgotten fragments as one wakes up and goes throughout the day. In my life I have only remembered a handful of dream fragments, either ones that would serve as a good anecdote to share with my sister or they were poignant and scarring enough that I couldn't forget them even if I wanted to. My first night in the single room cabin I had one of those poignant dreams. The specificities were lost immediately upon me waking up but I do remember a sense of dread and loss and the need to cry openly.

A loud crack of thunder woke me and I sat bolt upright in bed, immediately groaning and hugging my chest as my whole body wracked with pain. The room I was in was dark and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust and my memories to come back to me and remind me of my whereabouts. The stove's last surviving embers cast a dim but warm glow on the floorspace, showing that Munkustrap had fallen asleep sitting up, leaning against the front door with the other blanket loosely draped on his shoulders. He must have come back quite a while ago.

Wide awake and restless, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, immediately regretting my decision to move as pain shot up my arms and radiated through my body. Instead, I decided to sit there, not wanting to move again, and stare at the dark wooden wall. The fire must have gone out some time ago because as I woke up a bit more I could feel the cold draft coming from the storm outside and my teeth beginning to chatter. Having the second blanket or even the warmth of another body was my immediate want and I turned my head to glance at Munkustrap once again.

"Oi, Munkustrap," I called slightly above a whisper. His whiskers and left ear twitched but didn't stir beyond this. "Oi, Munkus." I called more loudly.

This time he cracked one eye open before shifting and stretching his arms up, his back popping loudly and his expression and flattened ears showing that he was annoyed with being woken up.

"What do you want?" He grumbled, adjusting himself against the door and wrapping the blanket a bit more tightly.

"Aren't you cold down there? You can share the bed… if you want?" Moving as gingerly as possible, I made space so that, if he decided to take up my offer, we could platonically spoon and both share two layers of blanket. Munkus seemed to think about his decision for a moment before shrugging and getting up, dragging the quilt behind him.

"Careful," I muttered as he slid into the bed, lying face to face and carefully pulling the blankets over us. We both kept our arms crossed to our chests, not wanting to invade personal space beyond what was already being done, and staring at each other in the darkness. I felt safer, knowing that Munkustrap was only a fraction of an inch away. it is within our own natural genetic coding to want to sleep with others whether it be romantic or platonic. Our need for a pack lifestyle giving that sense of security when sharing a nest with another. If Munkustrap ever questioned my reasoning for him to share my bed beyond the need for warmth, I could easily share this ditty, but I knew he wouldn't. Munkustrap was trusting almost to a fault when it came to me and my sister. I could hear his heavy breaths beneath the large patter of rain on the aluminum roof and the layers of sound created a pleasant white noise that allowed me to fall asleep once again. This time, if I did dream, I didn't retain any of it but the following morning I felt legitimately well rested.

While i was still sore and in dire need of medical attention, it wasn't an unwanted feeling to wake up without any hint of exhaustion in a small cabin int he woods. The warm sunlight filtering in through skylight windows in the roof, making the small cabin fully lit with the morning sun. Munkustrap was already up, grooming himself by the small sink, undershirt buttoned only halfway and suspenders hanging loosely by his hips. Typically, Munkustrap hold his tail very close to his legs, wrapping around one ankle or hovering just above the floor, it lowers any chance of getting it grabbed and it retains natural emotes from being read. As I watched him by the sink he let his tail sway about, lifting high off the ground and showing his relaxed mood. The added movement to his demeanor was refreshing and fascinating since i usually had a very hard time reading his face.

I could have watched his morning routines forever but he turned around, having spied movement in the mirror, hair slightly bristled, and he gave a half smile before returning to his duties.

"Morning."

"Yeah, same to you" I pulled the quilts from my legs and tried to at least sit up, although any arm movement hurt like hell, I wasn't about to be pitied and sitting in bed all day wasn't on the top of my list of things to do. Despite my mobility difficulty, I managed to hobble across the small floor to the skink and shoved Munkustrap out of the way so I could wash my face. He didn't say anything, only grunting in annoyance before stepping to the side to throw logs into the small stove. My morning routine was less extensive as his, mostly consisting of a general light grooming and one quick inspection of the mouth int he mirror before returning to the side of the bed to sit down again and relieve my legs of their strain.

"I sent a telegram to D.C. I have a friend in the city who can help check out your injuries and give a more legitimate assessment for you. She should be here this evening and will stay with us during the night if that's alright. She doesn't like to drive after sunset." Munkustrap crouched by the potbelly stove, in one hand he held an old spatula and in the other he shifted sizzling bacon in a cast-iron pan back and forth. The smell wafted over to me and made my empty stomach ache and a wave of hunger nausea cause me to lie back down in the bed.

"Sure, whatever helps me not hurt all over works. Is she a trusted ally or do I need to put on airs?"

"Not like you're gonna break character anyway but yes, she is one of the few I can wholeheartedly trust. She used to work directly with the USSR and decoded enigma messages for them near the end of the war." Taking the spatula he scooped up the bacon and placed it on a plate, handing it to me before laying a few more pieces on the pan for himself. "My only recommendation is that she does have a few paranoia issues so if she needs extra details or reassurance of facts don't give her a hard time."

"Noted," I replied through a mouth full of bacon. The salty warm strip tasting like heaven. I had been living off of rations before coming to the states and in interrogation I hadn't been given any food so as a first meal it was wonderful. I swallowed the piece whole, feeling the melty fat and grease remain on my tongue in a delicious residue.

"Don't eat too fast or you'll get hiccups." Munkustrap chuckled as he sat on the floor, back against the bed. I found my eyes lingering on the back of his neck and his broad shoulders, sturdy from years of training, accentuated by the dark stripes that ran along the whole of his body. Light speckles of scars littered his bare arms where hair no longer grew, showing his past scuffles, many of them coming in groups that matched claw marks while others were more likely from bullets grazing his skin and knives cutting a little too deep.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." I was stirred from my trance and realized that Munkustrap had turned to look back at me. He held a smirk on his face, diffusing any awkwardness the situation might have caused.

"Sorry, wounds fascinate me." I quickly covered my embarrassment with the first excuse I could make. Only because I didn't want to spend another night freezing because I made our friendship tense. Munkustrap only hummed in response, keeping his opinion vague as he continued to eat his meal.

Munkusrtrap took on the task of cleaning the plates in silence, neither of us having much to talk about in the lull. In the past we could easily banter because we were int he thick of things and needed to keep communication and plans clear. Now that there was nothing going on, I was at a loss of words and I hated it. There's nothing worse than being stuck in silence, watching Munkustrap wander about a tiny cabin, muttering to himself about how to improve the infrastructure.

"Munkus, you're driving me mad, don't you have any cards or something we can play?" I wined, finally sick of my safe house becoming another jail.

"I might have a deck somewhere, let me check," He paused, eyes lit at the prospect of having something to do. Munkustrap bent down in the center of the floor, prying up the loose floorboards and rummaging around the straw insulation. "And don't call me Munkus." he muttered, pulling out a few odds and ends before shouting a "eureka" when he found a small tattered deck of cards. Since I was bed bound and could barely keep myself standing without eventually complaining Munkustrap's ear off, he pulled over the chair and small card table that was folded up against a wall, which allowed me to stay on the edge of the bed while we played whatever games we could think of.

As it turned out, the deck of cards was missing the four of hearts, the jack of spades, and a few of the clubs, so we ended up making our own rules to each game to make up for the lost cards. This resulted in three separate accounts of bickering about if I was cheating, which I was but I wasn't about to admit that, and about if we should start gambling which Munkustrap was very much against. Before long the sun was setting and there was a loud knock on the door, releasing us from our card hell.

She was small, lithe, and had a look in her cold blue eyes that told me she was all hardened and prepared for anything. Her red and black striped coat was like fire, it reminded me somewhat of Teazer but Teazer was soft. This cat was very much dangerous if she wanted to be. Despite this, she greeted us with a warm smile and wore very homely clothes, a simple pencil skirt and blazer combo, all of grey wool and fastened with a leather waist belt.

"It's been a while Munkustrap, good to see you are still on one piece." Her voice carried a sweetness and familiarity. All around, this girl was interesting. She turned to me, her warm smile still there but a caution set into her eyes and the smallest hint of suspicion laced into her voice. "is this the one I'm looking over?"

Munkustrap nodded, pulling our a chair for her. Before sitting she dusted off the seat then elegantly placed herself on the chair, taking off her blazer and hanging it on the back, beneath the coat she wore a simple white blouse with a small ribbon tie collar. She held out a gloved hand, expecting em to shake it.

"I'm Demeter, a long time friend of Munkustrap." i shook her small hand, giving her my usual crooked smile.

"Mungojerrie, communist spy and information collector extraordinaire." She chuckled, her mouth pulling up and forming small dimples on her cheeks. Then, like a light switch, she stopped, looked me dead int he eye, and grabbed my arm, beginning her examination. It was completely silent as she bent my arms and legs every which way and looked over the scabbing cuts on my stomach.

"Well, there's not much I can do without an actual hospital and access to surgery, your arms, while usable, are gonna hurt for a long time I'm afraid." She bent my elbow, studying my facial expression as I winced in pain. "I can give you some pain relievers and disinfect your torso wounds but other than that just don't lift heavy thins or cause any more strain or else you'll have two useless arms." Demeter sat back in the chair, clearly exhausted and upset that she couldn't do much more for me. I glanced over to Munkustrap who hadn't taken his eyes off of us the whole time, despite the open book he held in his hands to make it seem like he was reading.

"How long until I'll be up and running, I need to report back at some point and really don't wanna be declared MIA."

"Lay low for at least two weeks, after that just gradually get back to your old… habits, whatever they might be." She turned to Munkustrap "after I leave I'll be out of contact for about four days but then you can call me for whatever you want."

"Alright," he muttered from beneath the pages of the book

"For now, what kind of sorry excuse for dinner are we having tonight because I can get started on that if you wish. Oh," She turned back to me, bending over to dig through the pocket of her coat and pulling out a small baggie. "Painkillers, in a sense. I don't have any prescription access and honestly there aren't many good ones for your state so just smoke this." She tossed it to me then walked over to Munkustrap, pulling the book from his hands. I looked at the small baggie and its contents. Papers for blunts, a box of matches, and about a quarter of pot.

"Now that the business side of things has been taken care of. Munkus, want to tell me why I don't hear from you for two years and when I do it's to fix up one of your shabby friends?" She kicked at the floor by his feet.

"Well Deme, I've just been busy with the embassy and everything and-"

"No excuses, I know you and I know you can send a letter without problem. I'm your friend, not your personal call doctor. Next time you need me I expect payment beyond just a place to stay for the night and the slop you call food." Demeter paid around the small cabin, her analytical eyes examining every nook and cranny with a judgement she felt was well deserved towards Munkustrap. All I could do was watch their exchange, feeling like a third wheel. I'm usually good at interjecting and becoming a part of the conversation but Demeter had a command for respect that naturally shafted off of her and i didn't want to cause any more harm to her opinion of Munkustrap, even if he might deserve a few demerits.

"Well it's hard for me to send even a telegram when you're off galavanting through Europe. No one had a track on you, per your request, and I wasn't about to risk digging for informants." Although he was clearly losing, Munkustrap kept his arms crossed and his usual collected demeanor as he sauntered over to the icebox and began taking out food for dinner. "And I know that I could have easily talked to Bomba but without you around she won't give me any kind of information no matter how low I grovel. She hates me you know."

"Bomba does not hat you, you've just never given her a reason to like you." She chuckled, snatching the food from Munkustrap's arms and taking over dinner preparation. "Anyway, she hasn't been talking to me either. I tired to make a housecoat when i got back to the U.S. but she had moved without telling me. I don't know if she's in hiding or what."

Munkustrap lit the stove, shoveling out the ashes into a small cast-iron pail that he kept by the front door. They were both quiet for a moment, working in a natural choreography that emphasized their familiarity to each other. Munkustrap lighting the fire and getting a small bowl of salad ready, trading utensils and spices with Demeter who was buttering bread and taking whatever he didn't put in a salad to prepare a stew.

"I think she's just laying low. I would have heard if she's in trouble so I'm sure that she'll contact you when she feels it's necessary." he muttered while breaking lettuce, the crisp crack of the leaves being ripped from the head punctuating his sentence and filling the still, quiet air like a crack of thunder. Demeter only nodded of the stew pot, too worries and resigned to having been cut off to really care to listen.