Dietrich had grown up knowing people who had chickens. Never in his life did he expect to meet chickens like Shauna's. They scared him a little with how smart they were. No doubt, they figured out a way to bust out of their coop.

Shauna's English accent thickened when she was yelling at the chickens. Troy cursed and swore up a storm while trying to prevent the chickens from reaching the horse barn. Dietrich wrapped his arms around a hen, which start flapping and squawking madly. Feathers were flying and Dietrich blindly stumbled about with the world's angriest hen, trying to find the coop. "Shauna! Where is the coop?!"

"I can't hear you over all the clucking, Hans!" Shauna shouted.

"The coop, Shauna! I need the coop!"

"It's right in—"

Dietrich tripped over the ramp leading into the coop. Chickens dashed out of his way. The hen in his arms broke free, and Dietrich landed in the dirt with a hard thump.

"—front of you," Shauna finished. "Oh, dear."

"Dietrich! You okay?" Troy asked. He rushed to help Dietrich stand.

"I am perfectly fine, Troy!" Dietrich snapped once he was standing. His knees were likely bruised from hitting the wooden coop ramp. "Damn these chickens!"

"Watch it. Those chickens belong to my girlfriend," Troy said with a grin.

"And they might very well be spawns of the devil!"

Once the chickens were put back in the coop, Shauna looked over the lock. She cursed aloud. "Look at what the little blighters did!"

Dietrich and Troy stood over her shoulders. They saw a hole had been pecked through the screen, allowing a chicken to be able to stick its head through and unhook the latch with its beak.

"How did I not notice that before?" Shauna asked.

"To be fair, I didn't notice it either," Troy said. "I've got some pieces of wood we can use to cover that until we can get the screen replaced."

"Watch them peck right through the wood, too," Dietrich muttered.

"I doubt they'd do that," Shauna said.

Troy gave her an incredulous look. "Watch them, sweetheart. They'll do it."

"I have been meaning to build them a larger coop. They might appreciate that."

"Maybe. What we need to do is make the fence higher so they can't fly over and let the horses out."

"They only let the horses out once."

"Then why'd I see one of the little snots trying to go over to the horse barn?"

Shauna shrugged. "I suppose we have a mystery on our hands, Sam."

"Yeah, I suppose we do." Troy took a feather out of Shauna's hair.

"The chicken mystery is all yours. I want no further involvement with these winged demons," Dietrich said.

"They're not bad once you get to know them, Hans," Shauna said.

"Mostly," Troy added.

Dietrich sighed. He was covered in dirt, feathers, and chickenfeed. For the second time that day, he had to get changed, and didn't appreciate Troy telling him, "Ranch work is dirty work," when he disappeared into the bathroom with a change of clothes. When he was done, Dietrich sat on the side of the bathtub and rubbed his face. He didn't mind the dirty work, but it still wasn't what he had in mind as far as spending time with Troy went.

What do I have in mind, then? Dietrich thought. Why am I here? His gaze shifted to the scars on his wrists as he took his hands away from his face. He remembered Troy had been the first member of the group to see the wounds while changing Dietrich's bandages a couple of days after he had been released from the hospital. He braced himself for questions, but instead, all Troy did was ask whether or not he put the new bandages on too tight. Afterward, Dietrich was still preparing himself to be bombarded by Troy constantly asking, "Are you okay?" Instead, the rest of that day, Troy kept him company, not saying much. Things changed, and Dietrich could feel it.

He wanted it to stay that way.

Someone knocked on the door. "Dietrich? Everything okay in there?" Troy asked.

Dietrich bit his lip. "Yes." He stood and opened the door.

"Good. If you don't mind, I gotta get in there."

"Fine." Dietrich left the bathroom, and heard the door shut as he headed down to the kitchen, where Shauna was washing and cutting potatoes in the sink.

"Hello," she said. "I'm really sorry about the chickens being a pain. You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"My knees may be a bit bruised in the morning, but… I have suffered worse," Dietrich replied.

"Good."

Dietrich watched Shauna work with the potatoes for a moment before asking, "What are you making?"

"Roasted potatoes. I hope you like a lot of spices. I make this with just about every spice you can think of."

"I look forward to trying it."

"Well, don't spoil your appetite, then."

Dietrich nodded. "Would you… like any help?"

"No, it's alright. You're a guest, you shouldn't be doing anything."

"I would not like to do nothing."

"It's perfectly fine, Hans. Sit down, relax."

Dietrich wasn't quite sure how to make himself useful. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Perhaps I could make a dessert."

"Go ahead."

"Thank you, Shauna."

"No problem." Shauna glanced over at Dietrich as he gathered ingredients for his dessert. "What are you making?"

"It is called Bienenstich, or bee sting cake. I made it for Tully and Hitch when they visited me last year. It was one of my aunt's favorite recipes, and my favorite dish that she made."

"Sam told me you were pretty close to your aunt."

Dietrich nodded. "I think she raised me more than my parents did."

Shauna was quiet for a moment. "I know I had aunts and uncles, but we didn't see them very often. I'll never know if they were good people or not."

"I am sorry to hear that."

"It's alright. I'm happier here."

Dietrich was unsure how to continue the conversation. He stayed focused on making the custard for the cake filling, but jumped when he heard Shauna scream, followed by her swearing and Troy laughing.

"Don't do that, Sam!" Shauna waved a potato at him.

"Come on, your back was turned and you weren't paying attention!" Troy said. "I couldn't resist."

"You're very naughty, you know that?" Shauna pushed him, giggling.

Dietrich watched them while absentmindedly stirring the custard on the stovetop. On one hand, he wasn't sure he cared for Troy's particular brand of affection and playfulness with his girlfriend, but at the same time, he hoped one day that he would find someone he could love in a somewhat similar manner. He didn't consider himself romantic, but he would admit only to himself that he harbored dreams of taking someone lovely out for a candlelit dinner, or dancing in an empty ballroom, or taking a long walk in a park painted in autumn colors. Something simple, but meaningful.

"Oh, is this the bee-and-stick cake Hitch and Tully were talking about?" Troy asked, gesturing to the ingredients laid out on the counter.

Dietrich resisted an urge to roll his eyes. "It is 'Bienenstich,' Troy, or just 'bee sting cake,' if that is easier."

"Okay. Smells pretty good."

"And that is just the custard that goes inside it. I have not started the topping yet."

Troy picked up the jar of honey. "So, is this part of the cake, or is it a snack for you?"

Dietrich glared at him. "That is part of the cake. Please be quiet so I can focus."

"Alright, alright." Troy went back over to Shauna, hugging her from behind and giving her a kiss. "I'm going to put that board on the chicken coop. I'll be back."

"Have fun, Sam."

"Oh, I'll try."

When Troy left the kitchen, Dietrich looked over at Shauna. "He must make your life quite interesting."

"Indeed he does," Shauna replied. "I wouldn't trade him for the world."

"He has certainly made my life interesting." Dietrich went back to the custard. He gave it a few more stirs before getting a small spoon. "Would you like a taste?"

"I would. Thank you." Shauna took a small bit of the custard, and waited for it to cool for a moment before tasting it. "That's very good. Could I have the recipe?"

"Of course. Just remind me to write it down somewhere before I leave."

"How long do you intend to stay?"

"A few days, as long as Troy does not drive me insane."

Shauna grinned. "You have been fun to have around. Sam is definitely happy you're here. He did mention a few times that he invited you and started to get a bit discouraged when nearly a year went by and you never showed."

A small pang of guilt pierced Dietrich's chest, but he dismissed it. I am here now. "Well… I am glad you enjoy my company, and that… Troy is happy."

"What can we do to make you happy, Hans?" Shauna asked.

Dietrich was taken aback by the question. "You want to know what makes me happy?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I said."

"I… Well… um…" Dietrich looked back down at the stove, trying to hide his embarrassed blush. "What makes me happy," he muttered to himself.

He could see Shauna smiling at him in the corner of his eye. "I didn't think this would be a difficult question," she said.

"Are you making fun of me?" Dietrich asked.

"No, of course not." Shauna gestured to the custard. "Does cooking make you happy?"

"In a way, yes." Dietrich took the custard off the stove. "Can I think about this whole question?"

Shauna laughed. "Of course! It's not a test. Think about it for as long as long as you need."

Dietrich felt somewhat relieved now that he didn't have to think too hard anymore. He looked out the window, watching Troy hammer a plank of wood against the chicken coop. Beaks were sticking out of the screen, in vain attempts to get to Troy.

"We really should start drawing up plans for a bigger coop," Shauna said.

"Have fun with that. I never want to go anywhere near those chickens again," Dietrich replied.

It was nice to change out of dirty work clothes for the night. Troy spent an extra minute in the shower after returning inside from blocking the hole that the chickens made in the screen, then got into more comfortable clothes before heading downstairs. Dinner was already on the table, and the cake Dietrich made was cooling on the counter. Even though Troy wasn't going to put the effort in of pronouncing it correctly, he was looking forward to trying it. Hitch and Tully insisted it was one of the best desserts they ever had.

Dinner consisted of porkchops and roasted potatoes, all of which were covered in a thick layer of spices and created a deliciously savory aroma that filled the house. Troy noted that Dietrich wasn't yet seated, but kept glancing over at the food at the table. Hitch and Tully helped him out. No need to say anything. You'll just push him away. Be happy he wants to eat and that he's not off hiding somewhere. Troy went into the kitchen to get a can of beer and see if there was anything left to do before dinner. He looked at Dietrich while getting a mug from the cabinet. "You want anything to drink, Dietrich?"

"No, thank you," Dietrich replied.

"Okay. Shauna? You want anything?"

"I'll just have a glass of water, thank you, Sam," Shauna said. She set a basket of rolls and a butterdish on the table before sitting. "You're our guest, Hans, you serve yourself first."

"N-No, you and Troy go first. I am… not comfortable eating first," Dietrich replied.

"Please, I insist—"

"Shauna." Troy leaned over to whisper in his girlfriend's ear. "He never ate first when he was in the military. He always made sure his men had food before him. When he's with other people, that's just how it is, okay? Don't try to pressure him to go first. He'll start arguing and then he'll close himself off."

Shauna nodded. "Alright." She turned back to the table, and started placing food on her plate.

Troy did his best not to look at Dietrich while serving himself next. He sat down and began cutting into the meat first, only glancing up when he heard Dietrich taking the serving dish piled high with potatoes and scooping some on his plate.

"You can take as much as you want," Shauna said.

Dietrich didn't respond, and stuck with what he gave himself.

Troy figured it was best not to comment. Instead, he looked at Shauna. "This is really good, sweetheart."

"Why, thank you, Sam," Shauna replied. "I went to great lengths not to dry out the stupid porkchops this time."

Troy grinned. "You're a better cook than you give yourself credit for. You didn't dry out the pork last time you made it."

"Yes, I did. I'm awful at making pork."

"No, you're not."

"I'm much better at making soups and stews."

"The rolls are good," Dietrich said. "They remind me a little of Tully's biscuits."

"I can make biscuits, if you'd like."

Dietrich looked hesitant to speak, but eventually said, "With gravy?"

"If that's what you want for breakfast tomorrow, yes. I can come over early and do that."

"Only if you are willing to."

"It means I get to see Sam early, so, of course I'm willing to."

More hesitance, then a quiet, "Thank you," from Dietrich.

"You're welcome."

Dinner continued without much conversation. Troy helped Shauna clean and put everything away. As he dried one of the serving dishes, Troy heard Shauna say, "How did you like everything, Hans?"

"It was good," Dietrich replied. "I greatly appreciated it, Shauna. You really are a good cook."

"Oh, you're only saying that because Sam did."

"I am serious. I would not be having another roll right now if the meal was terrible."

"I'm glad you like it, but save room for dessert. You did make it after all."

"We are not having dessert now, are we?"

"No, of course not. I was thinking we would do something together once everything's cleaned up."

Troy put the dry serving dish away before going over to the doorway to the living room. "We can show him how to play cribbage."

"You can show him. I'm hopeless at cribbage," Shauna replied.

"You're learning."

"Actually, if neither of you mind, I am going outside for a cigarette," Dietrich said. "I will return in a few minutes."

"Okay. Enjoy." Troy watched Dietrich go outside to sit on the front porch, then looked at Shauna.

"I didn't say something wrong, did I?" Shauna asked.

"No. You're doing good, sweetheart. What makes you think you did something wrong?"

"I don't know."

"You didn't do anything wrong." Troy kissed Shauna's forehead. "I'm going to join him, unless you need anything."

"No, I can finish up here."

"Alright. Thanks." Troy kissed her again before putting his hat on and going out to the porch. Dietrich was sitting on a bench, gazing out over the front yard and the lonely road passing by the ranch. "Hey," Troy said, sitting next to him, though giving him a bit of space.

"Do you need something?" Dietrich asked.

"No, just… came out here for my own cigarette."

Dietrich looked out at the road again. Smoke lazily swirled around him, and he turned his gaze to the floor of the porch. "You want something. To talk, I suppose." Dietrich looked at Troy quizzically. "Am I right?"

"Well, I was hoping we could talk while we were out here," Troy replied. "But, if you didn't want to, I wasn't going to press you."

Dietrich seemed to accept that answer. "Alright. What did you want to talk about?"

"I didn't have anything particular in mind."

"Ah. So, we can sit in silence." Dietrich took a draw on his cigarette.

"I guess." Troy gazed out at the impressive view. He had chosen this land partly because of how open and vast the view was, and it was something he never got tired of.

"You do have a very lovely property, Troy," Dietrich said. "There is beauty in such remoteness, but there is also a rather terrifying loneliness to it all. I do not know this land very well, not like I do Germany. I know where I can go if I need people. Here, I have no idea how far I must go in order to find help. And yet… I am happier alone, because I lose energy quickly around others."

Troy exhaled a breath of smoke. "You want to be alone, but you don't want to be lonely. I get it. I'd been going through a similar dilemma over the last few years, ever since getting this place built. I was really lonely. You know I didn't let Moffitt, Hitch, or Tully know anything about who I am or what my life was before I enlisted. That's changing, but we all live thousands of miles away from each other, so… obviously I needed to find people close to home to be friends with. I didn't think that would ever happen, not with…" Troy paused. Not with the nightmares and my general unwillingness to talk about anything. "Not with everything that needed to change. With Shauna, I'm still alone. I'm comfortable talking to her about things that bother me. It's just us. Nobody else trying to listen in or offer unwanted advice."

"And you do genuinely want to marry her?" Dietrich asked.

"I do. I want to share all this space with her. If I didn't love her, I wouldn't want her here. I know she'll be loyal to me, and I'll be loyal to her."

"So, what is stopping you from proposing right now?"

"The ring. I want to get—" Troy looked behind him at the window looking into the living room. He could see Shauna was in the kitchen, drying the last of the dishes. "Can I trust you not to say anything to her?"

"Of course."

"Okay. Her birthday's in July, which means her birthstone is the ruby. I can't see a regular diamond on her. I've visiting every jewelry shop in Douglas—well, the only jewelry shop in Douglas, and they don't have it. The owner told me that there's a bigger shop out in Casper that might have what I'm looking for, and if that store doesn't have it, I'll have to drive down to Cheyenne to look. Right now, I'm trying to find a good excuse to go to Casper, without raising suspicion from Shauna."

Dietrich grinned. "You have the perfect excuse right here."

"I do?"

"Yes. Me. Tell her you are taking me on a sight-seeing tour around this part of the state."

"Dietrich, you're a genius."

"If I was a genius, I would have actually managed to capture you without much consequence."

"Don't start. You managed to capture us on more than one occasion. Let's leave it at that, okay, buddy?"

Dietrich went back to his cigarette, not saying a word.

"You were a good commander. You know that, right? At no point were you easy to go up against."

"You were the one who said to drop this. I would think you would follow your own advice." Dietrich glared at him rather icily.

"I'm just… trying to…" Truthfully, Troy wasn't sure what he was doing. "Trying not to screw things up."

"I appreciate the effort, but it is not what I want right now, or what I wanted when I came here. I told you earlier that I came here to fix things with you, and your reaction earlier when I learned you can speak Greek told me there are indeed many things I do not know about you. Like I said, you can talk when you are ready."

I just don't know when I'll be ready. Troy sighed. "I know. There's… a lot. You'll find out. I'm just not sure when I'll feel ready to tell you, or even… how. It's a mess. One big mess." He looked at Dietrich after finishing his cigarette. "What about you? Is there anything you haven't told me about you, yet?"

"Of course there is, although that depends on what Hitch and Tully have told you."

"Well, they told me you play piano, and then they conspired to get you one. I didn't think you were into music, to be honest."

Dietrich smirked. "No, I am very much into music—not as much as I used to be. I do appreciate having that piano now. Actually composed a few short pieces. It keeps me occupied at night."

"You haven't written anything about how awful I was during the war, have you?"

That got a laugh out of Dietrich. "No. Not yet. I kid—I will not do something like that." He crushed his cigarette in an ashtray on the porch railing. "What else did they tell you?"

"They told me you did a night job for a while. That had to be hell."

"It was."

"They told me you got a guitar for Tully after he told you that he didn't get one that he was supposed to inherit."

Dietrich nodded. "What else?"

"There's the… the, uh… bee sting cake, and that you really liked Tully's iced tea. And his biscuits and gravy, and fried chicken, and pretty much everything else he and Hitch made for you."

"Yes," Dietrich said with another grin, "I can eat, Troy. Does that make you happy?"

"In a way, but I'm even more happy that you're getting along with Hitch and Tully."

"I rather enjoy their company now."

"Good. To be honest, that's all they told me."

"I see. So, there are some things you do not know yet. I must say, I am impressed with Hitch and Tully's ability to keep certain things between us."

"They are very reliable. Why do you think I kept them on my team for the whole war?"

"Fair point." After sitting in silence for another few minutes, Dietrich stood, and looked at the front door. "I am going inside for cake. How about you?"

"Sure. Let's see how good this bee sting cake is." Troy followed Dietrich inside, where Shauna was sitting in the living room with a magazine in her lap. "Hey, sweetheart." Troy kissed the top of Shauna's head. "We're ready to try that cake if you are."

"I've been looking forward to it," Shauna replied. "I'll be heading home after, if that's okay."

"Of course it is. I'm glad you've stayed as long as you have, but—" Troy glanced at his watch, "it is almost seven."

Shauna nodded, then looked over at Dietrich, who was getting the cake from the kitchen. "Do you have somewhere to sleep, Hans?"

"I… did not exactly reserve a hotel room when I arrived. I took a bus straight here from the airport," Dietrich replied.

"You can stay here," Troy said. "I had a guest room built specifically for Moffitt, Hitch, or Tully whenever they visit for a few days."

"You are comfortable with that?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I… do not want to feel like an intruder."

"You're not. That bedroom's all yours while you're here."

Dietrich fell silent. "Thank you. That is… very generous of you."

"No problem," Troy said with a grin. "Alright, let's try this cake."

On one hand, Dietrich fully expected Troy have offered to let him stay in the house for the duration of his visit. On the other, Dietrich knew Troy liked his privacy. It seemed like it should be a pretty big deal, but Troy had been so casual in telling him he could stay. Just accept it and move on, Dietrich thought while cutting into the cake. He served Shauna first, then Troy, and watched them try it before cutting a piece for himself.

"This is really good, Hans," Shauna said. "The custard is the best part. What do you think—Sam! Mind your manners!" She elbowed Troy, who was in the process of putting a rather large forkful of cake in his mouth.

"I will take that to mean he likes it," Dietrich said, unsure if he should laugh or be disappointed in Troy's table manners—or lack thereof. He had cut a small piece for himself, and was impressed with how the cake turned out. The honey in particular was delectable. He would take Shauna up on her offer to get a few jars from the farmer who produced it.

"I'll have to tell Hitch and Tully they were right, and the cake lived up to its reputation," Troy said.

"Thank you."

"You'll have to give me the whole cake recipe now, along with just the custard." Shauna tousled Troy's hair. "Especially since he likes it."

"The custard in particular is quite soothing on a sore throat, warm or chilled."

"Did your aunt make it for you whenever you were sick?"

"She did. This and a lot of bone broth. She pampered me quite a bit when I was ill."

"I wasn't. I told you I'm not on good terms with my mother. She wasn't the pampering type whenever any of us as children were sick. She sent straight for the doctor and gave us nothing but whatever the doctor prescribed."

"She sounds quite… cold."

"To summarize, yes."

"Despite that, you turned out to be a very warm person yourself."

"With work." Shauna looked at Troy. "He helped a great deal." She messed with his hair again, then stood to put her plate by the sink. "You did a wonderful job, Hans. Don't forget to write out the recipe for me."

"Remind me before I leave."

Troy finished his cake, and after leaving his plate by the sink as well, went to see Shauna off for the night. "You got everything, sweetheart?"

"Everything except my goodnight kiss," Shauna replied, smirking.

"Which you'll get."

Shauna put her arms around Troy's neck and kissed him full on the lips. Dietrich looked toward one of the windows, giving the couple a little privacy. He heard them whisper "I love you" to each other, then felt someone tap his shoulder. He looked down to see Shauna smiling up at him.

"I have to say goodnight to you, too," she said.

"Alright. Well, good—" Dietrich was stopped by Shauna hugging him. "It was… a pleasure to meet you, Shauna."

"It was a pleasure to meet you, too." Shauna stood on her toes, stretching as high as she could in order to give Dietrich a kiss on the cheek. After letting go, she gave Troy another kiss, grabbed her keys, and headed out to her truck. She could be seen waving as she pulled out of the driveway.

Troy turned to Dietrich. "Okay. What do you want to do for the rest of the night?"

"I have no idea. What do you usually do?"

"This time of year, I take a walk, have a smoke on the porch, get a shower, and go to bed. The walk isn't very long, but you don't have to come if you don't want to."

Dietrich decided to go, following Troy out to the road. There was no sidewalk, so they stuck to walking in the grass along the road. At one point, Dietrich could see the fence, house, and barn of another property across the road. "One of your neighbors?"

"Yeah," Troy said. "I don't know them very well. All I know is that they have dairy cows."

"Do you know any of your neighbors? Personally, I mean?"

"No, not really. Professionally, yes. I buy and sell with them, but I don't stick around long enough to ask questions about their lives. A few of them seem a little too content to just talk about the weather. Shallow stuff."

"Do any of them know that you were in the war?"

"Some do. We leave it at that, though."

Dietrich noticed Troy looking at the ground as he walked. "I take it you do not enjoy talking about what you went through."

"No."

"That is understandable."

They stopped at the crest of a slight hill, overlooking a section of gently sloping land that ended in a dense forest. The setting sun cast red and pink tones across the sky. Troy sat in the grass, looking distant. Dietrich sat next to him, curious as to what was bothering him.

"I got kicked out of a family gathering because I got into a fight with someone who wouldn't stop asking about what I did," Troy said.

Dietrich looked at him. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Specifically, it was about… when my brother was kidnapped, and I rescued him from a minefield. David's perfectly comfortable telling that story. I'm not, because I could've lost him that day, and because the German who caught him was after me personally. After that, I just… shut myself out further from everyone. If I keep my mouth shut, no one else will get hurt. That was my logic." Troy sighed. "In David's mind, yes, I was a hero. I'm not going to deny that. In my mind… I was living a nightmare and fighting my hardest for it to not come true. I just wanted it to be done and over with, and not think about it ever again."

Dietrich stayed quiet.

"Even though everything came out okay… it still shows up sometimes. Going into that minefield. In just about every nightmare, I fail to get David out."

Dietrich continued to stay quiet. He wasn't sure why Troy was telling him this, but he sensed that the American needed it. He was no stranger to nightmares. When Troy said nothing more, Dietrich rested his hand on Troy's shoulder, and gently squeezed. "When Tully and Hitch visited, I had a bad dream where I was still trapped under my Kübelwagen in a sandstorm. Even though you saved my life, and my men found me, I… often have nightmares where they do not, and…" A choking sensation rose in Dietrich's throat, "I am begging for you not to leave me. I hear myself screaming and begging and no one is coming."

"Those dreams are the worst kind," Troy said. "At least… everything turned out alright in the end, for both of us." He looked at Dietrich. "You okay?"

Dietrich nodded. "I think… I am ready to go in for the night."

Troy stood first, and held out his hand. Dietrich took it. He felt like things were truly beginning to change. He was seeing a much more vulnerable side to Troy, but as much as he appreciated it, he knew that it wasn't something to continue prodding at. After all, he wouldn't want someone doing the same to him.