Dietrich would have preferred to spend the rest of his trip laying in the hammock in Hitch's backyard and listening to the birds and cicadas. Perhaps he would at some point, but for now, there was a problem named Cordie Brook that needed to be attended to.

Hitch felt bad leaving Molly all by herself with the children, but he wanted to see this problem taken care of sooner rather than later, so he got dressed and headed outside with Dietrich to the driveway. Almost as soon as they left the porch, they spotted the black and white collie laying underneath the car.

"Hey, bud," Hitch said. "You gotta move, okay? We need to use the car. Come on out. Come on." He clicked and whistled to get the dog's attention, but the collie stayed put.

"How about we try luring it out with a treat?" Dietrich asked.

"Good idea." Hitch went back into the house, returning a minute later with a piece of chicken. He crouched a few feet away from the collie, and whistled. "Come on. I got something for you."

The dog looked at him but didn't move.

Hitch sighed. "Never met a dog that wouldn't come running for chicken."

Dietrich watched the collie for a moment, then a thought struck him. "Hitch, get under the car with the dog."

"What?"

"Try looking at things from where he is. Maybe he sees something we cannot."

Hitch shrugged, then lay on his stomach to get under the car. He turned onto his back, then froze, and Dietrich saw his face pale. "Uh, Dietrich? We have a serious problem."

"What is it?"

"There're some lines cut, and parts missing."

The collie got out from under the car to let Dietrich crawl under to inspect the damage. The skinny German cursed before saying, "If this is not attempted murder, I do not know what is."

"Cordie?"

"Most likely."

Hitch was quiet for a moment, then sighed heavily. "What little I do remember says that she was really shy and not prone to confrontation. Hard to believe she would do something like this."

"She did tell me that she was angry because she thought she was different to every other nurse you slept with, and even referred to you as 'rotten.'"

"Back then, yeah." Hitch crawled out from under the car, facing the dog first. "Thanks for warning us about that."

"I think this may settle what his role is in all this." Dietrich couldn't help smiling, though the collie was about the only thing worth smiling about in this situation. His smile faded when he looked back at the damage done to Hitch's car. "Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do unless we get proof that Cordie did this, beyond reporting it."

"Didn't you say last night that she seemed to like you?"

"Yes, but I do not want to use that to get information. I would much rather confront her directly about this."

Hitch glanced at him. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Hey, if you want to, I won't stop you. I'm not ready. Not yet."

"And when will you be?"

"I don't know. I know it's important, but I'm not sure how to get there."

Dietrich took a moment to think. He wasn't quite sure how to explain how he had gotten to where he was in terms of his own inner battles. He had taken a liking to simple meditation over the last few years, starting when the Rats, apart from Moffitt, were in Korea, leaving Dietrich with no one for three years. In the summer, he could sit in the yard and breathe. In the winter, he would sit in front of the fireplace, listening to the snapping and crackling of the wood as it burned. Simple, but effective. Perhaps it could help Hitch as well. "I might have an idea," Dietrich said.

"Oh?"

"When we are finished dealing with the car, we will go down to the secluded beach, and I will show you."

Dietrich half-expected Hitch to question him, as that was what Troy did, but instead, Hitch nodded. He looked desperate. "Okay. I'll try anything."

The border collie had decided to accompany the two men as they headed to the beach, but stayed out of their way as they sat across from each other. Dietrich had a feeling the collie would help in some way. He just wasn't sure how yet.

"Okay, Dietrich. What's your idea?" Hitch asked.

"Take a few moments and just breathe," Dietrich said. "Close your eyes, and breathe. In and out, at a slow, even pace." He watched Hitch for a couple of minutes, studying each subtle movement. So far, Hitch had trouble maintaining that pace. He would hold it for a breath or two, then his breaths would become more forceful and rapid. He would twitch and squirm, looking uncomfortable the whole time. Dietrich turned to look at the waters of the Atlantic lapping against the shore, then turned back to Hitch. "Alright, pause for a moment. I am getting the sense that you are quite anxious and riddled with tension."

Hitch sighed, his shoulders slumping. He shook his head, looking more distraught than he did before. "Yeah. I'm… not sure about anything anymore. It's just… e-everything was fine until Cordie went and told Mom what happened. I thought I moved on."

"In a sense, what you did was you swept everything under a piece of furniture that you did not think anyone would move. You told Molly about it, she accepted it, and so you thought that was adequate. Cordie comes along and takes that piece of furniture, exposing the massive pile of dust and dirt under it—in front of your mother. Now, you can't hide it, nor is it dirt that can be truly cleaned. It has left a stain that cannot be lifted no matter what you do."

Hitch nodded. "Now what? I've tried so hard, but… everyone who knows, except for you and Sarge and Moffitt and Tully, will bring up what happened and won't look at anything else."

"Well, I would say 'that is their problem,' but it is also your problem. Why? You let it drag yourself down whenever you start thinking about it. All you can do now is look at that stain. You forget everything around you. You forget how, despite that flaw, the rest of the house is clean and well-kept. You forget how, despite your previous actions, you were an excellent soldier, a brilliant architect, skilled mechanic. You consistently put others' needs before your own. Now that you have Molly, you truly love her, and you love your children. You want nothing but the best for them."

"That's… That's true."

"Then our challenge is to help you focus on that. I told you a few days ago, that you are a good person. You have worked to put your past behind you. You will not make those mistakes again."

"No." Hitch looked down at his lap. "I feel like this is easier said than done."

"It can feel that way in the beginning." Dietrich gave a quiet sigh, his heart suddenly feeling heavy. "In the aftermath of my… my attempted suicide, I doubted there was anything that could help me look at myself more positively. I thought you all would try to help, nothing would work, and… I would hurt myself again. I had a very long, uphill climb ahead of me. Truthfully, I am still climbing it."

"At least you have all of us."

"Precisely. And so do you. You do not have to be ashamed of talking to any of us about something bothering you."

"Thanks."

Dietrich looked over at where the collie was sitting. He beckoned the dog with a few clicks, and the collie dashed over to him. "Alright—" Dietrich failed to suppress a grin when the dog nuzzled and licked his face. "Down, please. Hitch, I am going to direct the dog to you, but you are going to ignore it."

Hitch frowned. "How? That's impossible."

"No. You can do it with effort. Are you ready?"

"What's the point of this?"

"I will explain in a moment." Dietrich patted the collie's head, then gestured for the dog to go over to Hitch. "Your job is to not pay any attention to the dog."

"Okay. I still don't think that's possible."

"Just try."

Hitch was trying very hard not to smile each time the collie sniffed him, nuzzled him, or licked his face. He kept giving Dietrich a pleading look. "I can't not pet him."

"You can resist the temptation. Think about something else. Talk to me. Tell me about your work with hurricane-proofing new homes."

"Oh. There's a lot of really technical stuff."

"I know, but I would like to learn anyway."

Dietrich found that asking questions while Hitch was talking about his work was effective in keeping him distracted from the collie's attempts for affection. They switched topics a few times, until Dietrich noticed the collie had given up and went over to him, laying in the sand and putting its head on Dietrich's lap.

"How'd I do?" Hitch asked.

"You did very well," Dietrich said. "Soon, we will get you to a point where you can completely ignore the dog."

"This feels kinda mean."

"I can see why you would feel that way. Let me explain—you are burdened by your past actions. You fear it coming up in conversations. You fear how other people will perceive you should they find out. You feel the need to constantly explain that is not who you are anymore. It bothers you. It bothers you so much that you feel you cannot escape it."

"I think I see what you're saying. I have to learn to not let it get under my skin. Not give in to it every time it demands attention."

"Yes."

"Is there another way we can do this?"

"Well, there is what I did a few summers ago. I purposefully made a batch of chocolate chip cookies to leave them on a plate and walk past them without paying them any attention. I was not having a particularly good day. I had a rough sleep, dreaming about being trapped under my vehicle in a sandstorm. Instead of rescuing me, my soldiers mocked me and demanded to know why I was saved, but any of them would have been shot, put out of their misery. I had doubts about whether or not I deserved to even be alive, but I had a brief moment of clarity in which I told myself that I need to stop listening to those voices. The trick with the cookies surprisingly worked. It is something that should be impossible to avoid, like those horrible thoughts. With time, I managed to learn to just walk by."

"That sounds hard, though."

"It was. I also found that focusing on something else—baking—helped."

"You can't do that every time you feel like that, can you?"

"No. I would probably run out of things to put cookies in."

Hitch grinned. "Well, there's always your mouth."

Dietrich's grin was a bit more sheepish. "I may have tried that. It was certainly foolish, but it was amusing to think that there was once a time I would have been completely repelled by food of any kind. You and Tully turned that around, and for that, I will always be grateful."

Hitch nodded, then looked down at the sand. "This has helped. Just sitting and talking with you. I mean, it… it-it's going to take time, I know, but I feel better."

"Good. You are moving in a positive direction. Normally, I would say we do this regularly until you feel ready to confront Cordie, but given that we suspect Cordie sabotaged your car, we may have to move quicker."

"There's also talking to Mom."

"She is not an immediate concern, unlike Cordie." Dietrich thought for a moment. "What did you suggest earlier? That I go speak to her?"

"Yeah. You said you didn't want to."

"I am beginning to think that I will. I have an idea."

Dietrich could sense the collie trailing him as he headed into downtown Wilmington, in the direction of Cordie's apartment building. He realized the odds of just bumping into her again were slim, and while he didn't fully like the idea of confronting her, he felt this was the best possible means of obtaining answers and giving Hitch a chance to move on. As Dietrich was unsure of what to expect, he borrowed a handgun from Hitch, keeping it tucked in a holster under his shirt.

He entered the apartment building, where a slender-framed older man with a gray mustache was poring over papers at the front desk. "Good morning," Dietrich said. "May I enquire as to the apartment number of a Miss Cordie Brook?"

The man gestured to the stairway. "Fourth floor. Number seventeen."

"Thank you." Dietrich turned and headed for the stairs. He had a lot of questions, but wasn't sure how he would present them to Cordie. He paused at door seventeen on the fourth floor, knocking a few times.

The click of a lock turning was heard, and Cordie's eye appeared in the crack made by the door. The deadbolt was still in place. "Hello? Oh—is that you, Hans?"

"It is," Dietrich replied.

The deadbolt was unlocked. Cordie smiled at him, looking as though she was trying to hide a blush. "Please, come in. What brings you by?"

"A few things. I wanted to see how you were doing since our talk last night."

"How I'm doing?"

"Yes."

Cordie's blush deepened. "I'm doing better. This is very sweet of you to do. Would you like any refreshments? Is it too late in the day for coffee?"

"Yes. I typically do not drink coffee after noon if I can help it," Dietrich replied as he entered the apartment. The space was well-kept, with several potted plants and paintings on the walls. Dietrich didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but also knew that he likely wouldn't have the time to thoroughly investigate anything.

"I do have wine, if you're interested," Cordie said. "Red wine. I recall that you said that was your preference last night."

"No, thank you," Dietrich said, offering a smirk. "It is too late for coffee and too early for wine."

Cordie sighed, though she was grinning the whole time. "Got it. You like a strict routine, don't you?"

"Yes."

"I can understand why, but a little fun now and then never hurt anyone."

"I think that depends on one's definition of 'fun.'"

"Well, what do you think of going for a dance? There's a wonderful little hall right here in Wilmington. Not a ballroom, something more casual and lively. I've always wanted to go."

"Ironically, I prefer ballroom dancing. It is slower. Plus, I do have things to do. I offered to help a friend repair his vehicle. Brake issues."

Cordie's expression changed a little, but she quickly put a smile back on. "I see. I don't know anything about cars. Do you think it would take long?"

Dietrich shrugged. "Good question. Why?"

Cordie was quiet for a moment. "Would you be interested in going out again?"

Dietrich pretended to focus on a potted fern sitting on a long table near the doorway. He was no longer sure what the right thing to do was. He let out his breath. "Do you want my honest answer?" When Cordie didn't respond, he turned to look her in the eye. "No. I am not interested."

"Then why did you come here?" Cordie's face reddened.

"You will not like the answer."

Cordie said nothing again.

Dietrich hesitated, but continued. "I am here to ask whether or not you sabotaged Mark Hitchcock's car last night."

"What?"

"You heard me. Did you?"

"How do you know him?"

"We have known each other for a few years now. He is the friend I have been referring to." Dietrich subtly moved his hand closer to his holster when he noticed Cordie's expression becoming harder and angrier. He didn't move too quickly, though, as he sensed a touch of sadness in her eyes as well. "For the record, I did not know you would be on that bus last night. I had a hunch as to who you were based on your physical attributes matching Hitch's description of the woman who struck him at his parents' home, so with that in mind, I let you take me to that tavern so I could learn who you really were. My hunch was correct."

"You're just as rotten as he is."

Dietrich walked over to where Cordie was standing in the kitchen doorway. "Set aside your anger for a moment, Cordie. Please. Let me help you."

"Why? You lied to me!"

"I never lied to you. Hide some details? Yes, but I never lied." Dietrich held out his hand. "I might be Hitch's friend, but that does not mean I have no desire to help you. Am I excusing your actions? No. The way you responded to me and opened up so quickly to me says that you, like Hitch once did, need help to release the hold that loneliness has on you. Something terrible could happen to you if you do the same thing with the wrong person."

"How do I know you aren't the wrong person?"

"We are completely alone in this apartment. I could have done anything in the time I have already been here. I could have done anything last night when I brought you here. That could have easily gone wrong. I know my word can only go so far, but I would never dream of hurting a woman."

The apartment was silent for a long while. Cordie looked ready to cry at several points. She sank down to sit at the kitchen table. "What would you do if I told you I did damage Mark's car?"

"That depends on how this conversation plays out," Dietrich said. He began pacing back and forth in front of the kitchen. "I do not want to see you get in trouble. It was bad enough you told Irena about her son's behavior, and you struck Hitch when he did nothing to you in the garden. Taking your anger and frustration out on people like that will not bode well for you long-term. You do realize what you did to Hitch's car could have gotten him killed, right? It could have gotten his wife killed. It could have gotten either or both of his children killed."

Cordie's face paled.

Dietrich stopped pacing. "You did not know about the children, did you?"

She shook her head. "No… no…"

"He has a two-year-old son and a two-month-old daughter. Do you really want to be responsible for taking their lives away so soon?" Dietrich resumed pacing, occasionally looking over at where Cordie was trembling with shock. "You could have been," he continued. "And it would be on your conscience for the rest of your life. Is that what you wanted? To see their names and faces appear in the newspaper as casualties in an auto accident? Would that satisfy the raging jealousy and loneliness that resides in you? You thought Hitch was rotten for breaking a promise that does not even count because you were both drunk." He paused by the table, glaring down at Cordie. "I think it is reasonable to say that your behavior has been quite rotten as well. How sad are you to think something like that would mean anything? How desperate for attention are you? How self-centered are you? You told me that you thought you were different. How?"

Cordie had no answer. She kept looking down at the table, deeply ashamed.

Dietrich glanced at the floor, then back at Cordie. "I hope my words are not falling on deaf ears."

Cordie kept silent for another moment before managing to look at Dietrich. "It's true? Mark has children?"

"Yes," Dietrich said. "He cares about them, and their mother. He turned things around, and he is going to keep it that way. He is loyal to Molly, and nothing you say or do will ever change that."

"What about her was special?"

"Perhaps you should meet her and see for yourself."

"Is that wise?"

"I think so. You need friends, Cordie, real friends. You can put all of this behind you."

"Would Mark and his wife even forgive me?"

"He and the rest of his unit forgave me for all the actions I took against them during the war, and we are much better off for it, rather than holding a grudge. They are not vengeful people."

Cordie nodded, though she still looked wracked with shame. She clenched her fists, briefly looking at Dietrich. "Could I have time to think?"

"Of course." Dietrich turned to leave. He paused at the door, and looked over his shoulder at Cordie. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I… think so."

"I will return tomorrow morning with an answer from Hitch. Will you be here?"

"Yes."

Dietrich pondered staying for a little longer. He wasn't sure what else was going on in Cordie's head. When Troy, Moffitt, and Anah left me alone with my thoughts in my apartment in Würzburg, I tried to end my own life. That does not mean the same will happen here. He let out his breath. "There is hope for things to change, but only if you choose to change and put the work into doing so. I said last night that you may be someone special to a different man, one you have not met yet." He faced the door again, putting his hand on the doorknob before glancing at Cordie one last time. He opened the door and left, and as he closed the door behind him, he hoped he had made the right decision.

Dietrich returned to Hitch's home to find Hitch in the backyard, letting Zach meet the collie. The sight of the toddler and the dog playing together made Dietrich smile, which he felt he needed.

"Hey, Dietrich," Hitch said. "How did everything go?"

"Better than I anticipated," Dietrich replied. "I told Cordie the truth about me and how I know you. She confessed to taking those parts from your vehicle."

Hitch sighed. "Does she know what that could've done?"

"She does, but she had no idea that you had children. When I told her that she could've been responsible for killing them, she completely froze up. I spoke to her about how things need to change and that her own behavior was as rotten as yours used to be. She seems ashamed. I suggested that she needs to talk to you, and meet your family."

"Despite sabotaging my car?"

"Yes. Look at all the things I did to you and Troy and Moffitt and Tully. You forgave me."

"You never wanted to do any of that to begin with."

"Most of it, no. Blinding Troy was… a different story. I gave in to my own anger. I nearly killed him when we were chained together, because I let my emotions get the better of me." Dietrich sat on a bench by the garden, letting out a sigh. "You seem to forget that there indeed was once a time when I had no desire to be your friend. I really did want to hurt all of you. I know the circumstances with me and Cordie are different, but there are similarities. She does need friends. She needs people who can show her more proper behavior and not blindly run off with the first person who's nice to her. At the same time, she cannot become completely mistrustful, for that can become paranoia."

Hitch nodded. "Still… sabotaging my car is not going to be easy to just forget."

"I am not saying you need to become friends with her right away, but at least talk to each other. Apologize for your mistakes. Obviously, you are not going to leave Molly for Cordie, but if you can find love, so can she. Teach her what you have learned. Let her meet Molly. Maybe things will change. If not… well, hopefully she agrees to leave you alone."

"Yeah." Hitch drew in a breath. "You didn't already arrange something, did you?"

"I said I would visit her tomorrow morning with a response from you."

"Okay. Geez, how can I thank you for doing all this?"

Dietrich smiled. "A slice of pie, perhaps?"

"That'll have to wait. I worked up the courage to call Mom. She's doing better, now that she's had time to think about everything. She said she's still not happy with me, but can't deny that if Cordie didn't say anything, she never would have known because of how I am with Molly. So, long story short, she invited me and Molly over for dinner, and said you can come, too. She said she'll make cheesecake for you."

"With cherries?"

"And chocolate sauce."

"Then of course I will come."

They didn't head over to Noah and Irena's home until a few hours later. Dietrich was greatly relieved to see Hitch on good terms with his parents again. Before dinner, Dietrich noticed Hitch and his father had gone into the poolroom to talk, while Molly and Irena went into the living room. He decided to leave them alone, and went into the backyard, where Raccoon was curled up on the bench.

"Well, this has certainly been an interesting few days," Dietrich said, sitting near the rattlesnake. "At least we have the important thing settled, and that is keeping Hitch and his family together. Hopefully, talking with Cordie will go just as well. Funny how all it took was just a bit of time for things to settle down. The last time I was here, Irena was angry and distraught." He looked at Raccoon. "At least I am not venting to you this time. I am… in a better mood."

Raccoon's only response was a flick of his tongue. He raised his head from his diamond-patterned coils when someone came out into the yard, then relaxed when it was only Irena.

"I had a feeling you were out here, Hans," Irena said.

"Do you need something?" Dietrich asked.

"I would like to thank you for your help, that's all."

"I feel like I did not do much, to be honest."

Irena sighed, smiled, and shook her head before squeezing Dietrich's shoulders. "You're very modest, but please accept my thanks, dearie." She then looked at Raccoon. "I should apologize to you, honey, for all the rants you had to listen to before Hans got here."

"Oh, so I am not the only one who has voiced frustrations to him?" Dietrich said.

"No. Believe me, I was much less rational in the days after I encountered Cordie in the café. Raccoon had to hear some very nasty things." Irena's smile faded. "Things I never truly meant."

"That bad?"

Irena nodded. "Noah and I spent much of last night talking about this, and came to the agreement that we should be grateful that Mark changed his behavior at all. What happened wasn't good, but it's in the past now. Molly said something similar, and reminded me that in the six years that she's been married to Mark, she has no complaints. I should have thought about that. I should have thought about her and what you told me about forgiveness."

"You let your emotions get the better of you," Dietrich said.

"Pretty much."

"That is the same situation that Cordie is in, somewhat. Her anger with Hitch is preventing her from moving on. We are hoping to rectify that beginning tomorrow. I am not expecting things to go smoothly at first, but it is worth a try."

"Mark mentioned that you actually spoke to her."

"I did. She is very lonely and it has warped her a bit, but with time, patience, and true friends, I think she can be set on a better path."

"I can't say I like the idea of Mark and Cordie talking to each other, mostly for his safety. For all we know, it could be a trap."

"I will be there. He can handle things, and I doubt Molly would let anyone hurt her husband."

Irena took Dietrich's hand to squeeze it. "What is it about you that's so reassuring, Hans?"

Dietrich shrugged. "Good question. I have no idea."

"It doesn't take much for someone to feel safe around you." Irena gestured to the scar on Dietrich's wrist with her thumb. "You've been through so much, but you have a lot of love to give. I hope you understand that we all love you in return. Please, if you ever feel that you can't handle anything anymore, our door is open to you. Always."

Dietrich closed his hand around Irena's. "I appreciate that. Troy has told me the same thing. I never thought… all those years ago… that I would have anyone willing to help me like this. Thank you."

"It's the least I could do." Irena's smile returned. "You're a sweet, sensitive soul, and I'm glad you didn't dismiss me as crazy when I was angry about Mark, but you did help me see that I was being irrational." She looked at her watch. "Speaking of sweet, did Mark tell you what's for dessert?"

"He mentioned cheesecake, with cherries and chocolate sauce."

"That's right. I know you have many favorites, so I chose that at random."

"Please, you do not have to go out of your way to make treats like that for me. Besides, you have your own family to spoil."

"Who said you weren't part of that family?" Irena gave him a stern look, though there was a bit of humor behind it. "This is my thanks for your help, Hans. Just take it."

Dietrich sighed, finally giving a slight smile of his own. "Oh, alright." He stayed outside for a few more minutes after Irena went in to take the cheesecake out of the oven. Before he could leave the yard, he spotted the border collie approaching Raccoon. Dietrich watched the two greet each other. Normally, a meeting between a dog and a snake wouldn't end well, but these two were different. Neither seemed ordinary in the slightest. Dietrich gave the dog a scratch around its ears, then looked at Raccoon. "Do me a favor, and keep this between us. I would rather not get lectured by Moffitt about how dogs are terrible pets."

Raccoon appeared to be smiling up at Dietrich, who turned to head inside for some decedent cheesecake and good company.