The ride in the morning light was almost worth the rude awakening... but only almost. After they'd packed up and gotten the horses calmed down, checking to make sure the fire was out and buried well, it was almost a relief to leave the clearing regardless of how tired they felt. It was hard to deny that seeing a collection of meadows while on horseback, alone together on a seemingly abandoned path bathed in golden morning light, was all very... nice.
        Rakashi pondered to herself whether the view had been worth the bullet. Or the hole left in the wake of it... not to mention what it was going to take to dig the metal out. Not quite a greeting gift she'd hoped to bring with her. She hadn't even looked at the extent of the damage before wrapping it up. She just... couldn't.
        The beauty of the landscape and the quiet of the morning could only serve so well as distractions, though. Even after the gold faded and the warmth of the sun started to fall over them, silence hung in the air. Rean was getting a little... tired of it. He knew she'd asked him to trust her, and he did, but... it felt like avoidance more than anything else. That just wasn't the general. Maybe it seemed like what she needed in that moment, but he... really didn't think so. He didn't know how to say it, or how she'd take it, but he did want to help if he could. Clearing his throat, he tried to think of a way to start--
        "If you feel like talking, pick another topic." She stopped even his thought process cold.
        That had been... odd. Not that he expected that she wouldn't know where his thoughts were shifting to eventually, he supposed. Rakashi was just too defensive, too eager to ignore and forget. He took a slow, deep breath, pondering just how much courage he had in him. Enough, he decided. "You can't keep running from it, you know." Not that he was even sure of what he was saying, but he felt very strongly that it needed to be said.
        She didn't seem to hear him, at first. A few seconds later, she pulled her horse into a slower gait so they could be side by side as she spoke, though she continued to look straight ahead. "I appreciate the concern." She responded, honestly enough. "But there's a bit more to it right now."
        It wasn't that he thought she was lying. She just didn't seem to be telling the entire truth, either. Something seemed to snap deep inside of him with that knowledge, neither a violent change nor really all that noticeable of one... but it was there. The need to be polite to the point of ignoring the problem, whatever it was, was wearing thin. "You expect me to trust you. So... show me proof that I can and tell me what's going on." Alright, so it was sort of failed logic...
        Her gaze remained on the path ahead, just as calm as ever--but that in itself was almost withering. "It's not something you need to worry about right now." She stated with absolutely no emotion.
        Courage? No. Stupidity. But he ran with it, needing to. "The fuck I don't, Rakashi. I think this is a little my business, considering."
        Absolute silence. No eye contact. No response at all. Her traveling companion was pretty sure he ought to be putting his hands up in front of his face to defend himself just before she finally spoke. "You shot me, Rean."
        There was a bit of a... halt, to the universe around them. He didn't. He wouldn't have.
        "Now maybe you'll believe me when I tell you that now is not the time to be discussing this. You are not safe, and neither are the others. I will explain. Just not until that changes."
        His stomach was suddenly... not feeling so great. Nor was the rest of him.
        "Way to grow some balls, though." She commented offhand.
        Rean experienced his very first moment of laughing in horror. Nothing was going to make sense for a very long time, he was sure. And yet he still followed this woman with unquestioned loyalty, general or not. She was interested in keeping them safe above all else... and whatever she might be, wherever she may have been from, he could believe that.

------------------------

        They came upon the edge of the basin shortly before noon. The land sloped gently, meadows and forest giving way to plains of grass and wildflowers, with a bit of sparse farmland. Rakashi couldn't be sure that the speck she focused on in the far-off distance was Si'Terre, but since that was what called her, that was the direction they traveled in.
        There was a surrealness about the journey, about the mostly comfortable silence. Rean wasn't really willing to ask any more questions after that last one, thinking maybe the former general had a point about not discussing it in that moment, when they were mere hours away from meeting up with old... acquaintances. He wasn't sure at that moment if he could use the word "friend" for Demi, and that was exceedingly uncomfortable.
        What was causing a bit of discomfort in the former general was how open the landscape around them was. Granted, the towns seemed more than far enough away, and if that was indeed the ranch they were headed for, then they would get an excellent view all the way around them--but in the moment, it was just a little bit nerve-wracking. Enough to keep her going, keep them moving without stopping--though she'd have done so if her traveling companion had requested it.
        He had his own reasons to keep on, though. As nervous as he was in some ways, there was that need to know, the need to find out for sure. It was kind of a pain in the ass. Besides, despite eating nothing but a few forkfuls of whatever the ration pack had described as "potatoes" the night before, he just wasn't hungry. It was sort of nice, losing himself in the moment, in the motion of the horse and the simple beauty of the fields they were traveling through.
        It was only when she could clearly see the details of the ranch that Rakashi stopped. Rean stopped next to her, looking over in curiosity.
        Looking over at him, her expression seemed to mirror his thoughts--though there was a bit of a smile. "Ready?"
        No, he wasn't sure that he actually could be. But he was inclined to fake it. "Sure."
        Nodding, that was all she'd needed. With a sharp sound and a light kick to her horse's flank, the animal started off in a trot that became a run, shoulder be damned.
        Rean's horse followed along right behind. When he saw the greeting party of two exit the back of the farmhouse, however, he pulled the reigns a bit to slow down. The general was more than free to greet and see if she could have her shoulder taken care of, but he... wanted to talk to Demi alone.
        Rakashi only slowed her horse within sprinting distance of the truly relieving sight of an old friend. Sarah was upon her as soon as she'd dismounted, embracing the other woman thoroughly--though avoiding that shoulder. It would be taken care of, simple as that. Only then did the blond greet simply, "Glad to see you decided to get out for a while."
        At times, she could hardly believe the words that left the woman's mouth normally, but that was enough to get an exhausted but good-natured chuckle. "Yeah, well. It was time."
        With a nod, Sarah took the reigns in one hand and her friend's good shoulder in the other. Let's get that fixed up. Then I'll perform a miracle and cook!"
        The former general spared a glance back at Rean before she let herself be pulled away--and got a nod from him. If he was alright, hopefully ready to work things out, then she could let herself be tended to.
        He watched her go, could distantly hear Sarah's voice chastizing... but in that moment, it just wasn't as funny as it should be. Of course, neither was the fact that he was still terrified of dismounting without her there to make sure the horse didn't lose interest and start wandering off in the middle of it...
        It wasn't really so strange when Demi took the duty upon himself without a word, taking hold of the bridle just to make sure the horse didn't move. The brunet was silent as he managed to get to the ground without any major faults, letting the older man take the reigns.
        There was a long, quiet look between two people who didn't know where they stood anymore. Or even whether they were still friends.
        "Still kickin', huh?" Demi attempted, the silence having gotten to him.
        "You too." Rean observed, still a little too uncomfortable to be overly friendly. It seemed like they hadn't seen each other in years.
        Without anything to add at the moment (very unusual, even under the circumstances), the raven-haired man turned and started walking the horse to the small stable. He had no doubt that Sarah had made quick work of the other horse to give them a little time alone, but... if there didn't seem to be anything to talk about, then it really didn't matter. It was too uncomfortable to be silent, though. Much too unlike him. So, he started with the only thing that he knew for sure would get him a response--even if that may have been a broken nose. "So... you two..?"
        "Shove it, Demi." Came instantly and naturally.
        That got a laugh, at least. "Hey, so long as you two are still sort of friendly, at least. That's all I wanted to make sure of."
        Blinking, he was pretty certain that wasn't just an offhand comment. Having found out a bit about what the man was actually doing in the Tower, Rean couldn't help but believe with certainty that he and the general had been shoved together with a purpose in mind. "Why?"
        Shaking his head, the former captain's laugh was fleeting. "You two... I don't know. I just sort of saw it working, I guess." Entering the stable, sure enough Rakashi's horse was already enjoying some food and a bit of well-deserved rest, but the women were nowhere to be seen. All the better; if the two of them had followed the clues, then Andrew had spoken to them... and they knew. Demi also had some truths to tell. "I wanted to get closer to her from the beginning, actually... but she already knew me as an officer. So I couldn't be trusted. Andrew managed to come the closest, acting as a janitor, so... he kind of reported to me."
        Absorbing and making sense of that information was surprisingly difficult. "You set us up." The words fell just short of accusing. The why of it still didn't make any sense, the reasoning behind it all...
        "I tried." Demi admitted, walking the horse into a stall and starting to get the saddle off. "For both of your sakes. I stupidly thought that maybe you could manage to protect each other. I was losing hold... being moved further away by the Control Room."
        He really hadn't known what to expect... didn't know what he expected to find. A man with a completely different personality, maybe. Someone totally different, living a complete lie where he just played them like pawns. What Rean found was his friend sounding completely, painfully honest. As though very little had changed, even if everything seemed scattered and different. He remembered back to Rakashi's truth-telling, how she'd said only this man had managed to keep him from the fate of most orphans within military reach... "You're responsible for... keeping us both safe?"
        Sighing as he removed and hung the bridle, it almost seemed like a loaded question. "Just a little while after the whole... thing that brought the general into being, I guess, Andrew and I... sort of discovered that we were the only two people who seemed to give a damn about her. And, well, Sarah; but she was always innocent, and we wanted to keep her that way as badly as Rakashi did. And you just... well, you're my friend." He grinned a little.
        Rean supposed that made as much sense as the man normally did. Even so, a long silence fell as Demi gave the horse some food and closed the stall door. It must have been the older man's presence that drove him to such lunacy. "Did you know..? About them?"
        It was the brunet's hushed tone that made him follow the question's meaning, chuckling. "Rakashi and Sarah? Not until we got here, no."
        "And does she know about..?" he'd started to ask long before he had any idea about what he was saying.
        The words prompted an all too familiar devious grin. "Does she know about what, kid?"
        Rean decided that not answering at all was the only way he could escape that question, though probably not any teasing. Besides, it seemed to provide the perfect time to ask what had been on his mind for far too long. "So... who are you?"
        The question seemed legitimately shocking. "I'm... I'm me, Rean. I'm who I always was."
        "No, you're not." The words were more matter-of-fact than accusing. "Not exactly. Not after... all this."
        Demi sighed painfully. I am. None of it was ever faked. There were some things I couldn't say, yeah, but..." He stopped himself before emotion took his voice, unsure of how he could possibly convince Rean. "Look, I was... obviously never really a captain. Staying in the cafeteria gave me all of the rumors about Rakashi that I needed, to know what was going on around her. I even started some, when I needed to."
        Another bit of information that the younger man tried to reconcile--but then the idea that Demi had been controlling the flood of rumors wasn't really in the least bit surprising. "I knew it couldn't have been for the food." He offered just a little humor, maybe a bit of hope. "Andrew said you were... something like a psychologist..?"
        There was a soft snort. "Yeah, well, not officially. I was..." He trailed off and laughed a little--though it had an air of bitterness that was decidedly not exactly part of the man that the brunet had come to know. "I don't know what I was, actually. A low-level tech with no future, no prospects." There was a pause when he tried to pick his words carefully. "I was an orphan, too, Rean. If I hadn't been at the wrong place at the wrong time, I would have been just another pawn, moved around by some asshole at the top."
        He hadn't even considered that, of course. The man never spoke of family... and Rean had just assumed it was to keep him from thinking about the lack of his own, or maybe they were all damn nuts. Rakashi's words from what seemed like so long ago just echoed. "Why wasn't I a pawn, too?"
        "Weren't you listening, kid?" Demi teased. "I made the bad mistake of getting to know you. Same thing happened with the general in a way, I guess. Chalk it up to being old enough to know better but not giving a damn."
        Now that was interesting. "How old are you?"
        "Thirty-one." He offered without pretense.
        Rean blinked. All the pranks... the jokes... acting like a moron... "That doesn't explain anything."
        There it was, Demi's real laugh. "C'mon, kid. I'll get you set up with a good meal, then we can shoot the shit and feel really awkward!"

------------------------

        Sarah had never been trained as a nurse, but she seemed to have acquired the profession by necessity and instinct. The general certainly didn't trust any of the medics, avoiding them at all costs not only out of distrust but for the way they fawned over her in a sickeningly false way. At least her field secretary would tell her what looked like hell and what didn't.
        Bullet holes weren't such a new thing. They'd been rare and most often came with an exit wound, but after the woman had seen it done once, she'd gotten a decent enough idea of what to do... and Rakashi's pain tolerance. Sarah appraised the wound in the well-lit room, moving a couple of lamps around to make it easier.
        "Well?" the former general finally invited assessment.
        "Not too bad." The blond assured. "It's actually sort of a little too perfect."
        Rakashi forced herself not to cringe. Too perfect... no bone splinters, no permanent damage done as far as could be told in the moment... just a "warning shot". As she suspected. That didn't really set her mind at ease in the least. "Well then."
        The hint was taken in stride, a bit of that gift of Cure-All working to sterilize everything nicely. She paused when she heard the sharp, indrawn breath, then the hissing release... only to pour more of the alcohol over the wound. The instruments she was to use on the wound soaking in a pan of Cure-All already, all that was left was to douse her hands and start. A little conversation as distraction seemed like it may be welcome, though. "And how did you get this?"
        Even knowing that question was coming, it caused another sharp breath. Rakashi stared at a point in the wall, just trying to breathe evenly as the wound was lightly prodded at. "I'm not really up to telling anyone about that yet."
        Sarah chuckled softly, though her hands were perfectly steady. She didn't have standard medical forceps, but she would make do with kitchen instruments and gunsmith tools. "A secret, then?"
        "For now." She responded, gritting her teeth as she felt cool metal--then tried to focus right back on that wall. Or at least... on something else. A question that was not a question. "So you know."
        No response was given for quite a length of time as the blond very carefully opened that entrance hole enough to have a clear view of the bullet. Yeah it was going to hurt like a bitch, but she could at least be mercifully quick. "Well, I always knew you were different." She offered, switching tools.
        In the middle of getting metal dug out of her flesh by a former lover, perhaps Rakashi should not have been so surprised to have been made to laugh. "That's putting it a little lightly."
        "But it's true." Sarah didn't quite argue. "Alright, here comes the hard part."
        Parts of her tensed up, certainly. But not her shoulder. After a deep breath, she forced her body under control, preparing for that pain. And much as she appreciated the other woman moving quickly, grasping that bullet and getting it the hell out of there, she couldn't quite remain silent. It really fucking hurt, a damn lot more than getting shot.
        "Here, General." The bottle of Cure-All was offered for its intended purpose.
        No matter how much Rakashi willed herself to laugh, she couldn't manage it. She did, however, grasp the still-heavy bottle with an unsteady hand, taking a large, burning gulp of the swill before handing it back.
        Sarah accepted with a small sound of thanks, dropping the bullet into the pan and setting out to dump more alcohol over the wound. That hiss was peppered with astonishingly creative curses. "Ah, just like the field."
        Once again, as much as the former general willed herself to laugh, she couldn't quite actually get to the point of doing so. Not that it mattered; the blond's presence and bedside manner were still appreciated. "You've been... doing well, here?"
        "Always worried about someone else, aren't you?" the woman teased, taking another look at the wound to make sure it was clean. Rakashi always had managed to heal faster than anyone she'd ever seen... and she supposed she finally had sort of an explanation as to why. "I've been well. I enjoy it here. And it's nice to have entertainment."
        At least a weak, breathy chuckle came of that. "I hope my entertainment is making up with your entertainment right now." She hadn't heard yelling, at least.
        Unfortunately, that left her wide open for attack as Sarah started to get that wound ready to wrap. Medical instruments she had none of, but the Captain had brought along enough bandages and First Aid kits to make her suspicious of how much the military hid away without telling anyone. "So Demi tells me that Rean may have a thing for you."
        That was a more direct attack than the bullet had been. "Cliche, Sarah."
        "I'd say the same for you, General." She teased, plenty of antiseptic gel everywhere--and then the padding and wrapping could begin. "You look well, but I can tell you haven't eaten for a while." The woman kindly changed the subject.
        "Well you remember what rations were like." Rakashi was amazingly grateful for the change in conversation.
        "Unfortunately." The blond agreed. "But there's real food here. We're on a working ranch not too far from a real town, so... all the standards. Too tight?"
        "Just fine." She assured as Sarah secured the end of the bandage. "Since when have you even been in a kitchen?"
        "I'm learning." The woman defended.
        Rakashi couldn't really help the laugh that time. "Alright, alright. But I'm not eating until everyone else has had a bite." At least Sarah struck her good shoulder.

------------------------

        For what they'd thought was a "little farm house", it was actually quite impressive. Not that there was a tour to speak of, but just stepping inside made the two-story house feel quite a bit roomier. The kitchen itself was surprisingly large, and yet somehow managed to maintain a "cozy" feel even though there were plenty of cabinets and appliances.
        All of which were particularly worrisome if only because letting Sarah anywhere near food preparation seemed like a bad idea on the whole. It had been tried a couple of times, but... everyone knew better after that. Everyone.
        "Have some real food, Rakashi." Sarah invited, leading the other woman over to the large, simple wood dinner table at one end of the kitchen. "I'm sure it's been a while."
        "And it might be a while longer..." she joked quietly, sitting across from Rean and to the right of Demi. Well, the two of them seemed to have worked something out, at least. Her attention turned back to her old friend. "Since when have you known what a kitchen was, again?"
        Sarah pointed accusingly at the former captain. "He taught me."
        All eyes on Demi, the good-natured man shrugged. "Nobody ever asked if I could cook."
        Rean was once again fascinated by what he hadn't known about his friend. "I always thought that was why you were in the cafeteria all the time."
        "Obviously not. I mean, it was a perk." The man admitted. "But those ladies are mean."
        Rakashi had to chuckle at that. Even so... there were some more serious words to be had while the blond was getting food together. "Why were you so sure that I wasn't coming to find you for vengeance?"
        "I wasn't." Demi answered simply. "Couldn't have been. But, well... I was hoping it was enough of a gesture to get Sarah before I took off. And to keep you and Rean together with a bit of distance and a few traveling complications to keep you from being found."
        Now that was... interesting. "All in good faith?"
        "Partly to save my ass, sure." Demi admitted, grinning. "But... yeah. There are a few people who give a fuck about what happened to you, you know."
        "You and Andrew, to start." It wasn't a question, but wasn't quite an accusation. All in all, they were words spoken so Rakashi could judge his reaction.
        And that was plain nervousness. He didn't know what had happened to Andrew, hadn't asked... and was suddenly a little afraid to. "Yeah, actually."
        Sarah shattered what could have been an even more uncomfortable situation by placing a plate of venison and fresh vegetables in front of the former general. "Don't waste any time, do you?"
        "Never could afford to." She agreed, though the amused smile was genuine. After the rest of the plates were placed on the table, the blond sitting to her left, she switched subjects just a bit dramatically. "So, as far as anyone knows, I'm the only one who's not human in these parts, hm?"
        Rean was definitely not ready for any of this conversation. But he was damn well starving and the food smelled good. They were in a house, with food, and around a table just eating and talking without being in a cafeteria. He was going to take it as it came and try to enjoy every second... even if his stomach wasn't quite agreeing.
        But that question seemed a bit concerning for Demi. "Yeah..."
        Rakashi seemed in no rush to continue, picking up her knife and fork so that she could take a bite of that meat. Quite pleasant, to her surprise, tender and spiced just right. It seemed difficult for venison. "I seem to have reason to believe there's... another. Different, but similar."
        There was a bit of heavy silence in the room, save for that knife against the plate as she went for another bite. The point finally seemed to sink into the former captain's brain. "I don't know anything about that. I don't even see how it would be possible. Not after talking to Andrew..."
        Yes, she could see concern there. She'd had her own, of course. It didn't keep her from enjoying her meal.
        Sarah was used to this behavior, however. As a general, Rakashi had managed to break a great many people by discussing some interesting horrors over food. They'd started betting on it beforehand, in fact. In this case, she felt it important to try and lessen the impact of the other woman's words. "Venison not your favorite, Rean?"
        Having become the sudden center of attention, it took him a few seconds to understand that he should respond. "Oh, no. No, it's fine. Good. It's good, thanks."
        Demi gave a half-hearted grin at the poor boy before delving into another subject. "Speaking of Andrew... how is he? Or should I not ask?"
        "He's... safe." Rakashi responded honestly. "At least he was when I left him."
        It seemed a little early for a sigh of relief, but the raven-haired man was pretty damn sure "safe" didn't mean "dead". Close enough, anyway. "So he told you... everything."
        "He had his confessions." She confirmed, moving onto the vegetables. Crisp, lightly seasoned; very good. She wasn't sure if she believed it was entirely Sarah's work.
        With a sigh, Demi didn't shy away from admitting, "It was a... terrible thing to have done. In every possible way. He wasn't directly responsible, but he wanted to take responsibility for everything..." Shaking his head, there was just nowhere to go with that thought. "I didn't really grasp the... horror of it, at first. Not until I saw how much his part in everything tortured him."
        Rakashi had seen that, certainly. "He seemed legitimately regretful."
        The former captain wasn't quite certain he'd wanted to voice the question, but they'd already gone so far... "Is that why you let him live?"
        There was a thoughtful pause on her part before making eye contact. "No." Short, simple, very much to the point... but leaving larger questions unanswered. Then kindly destroying the conversation altogether. "Considering this woman hasn't cooked a day in her life and this meal was a lot of work, I'd think you'd all be more grateful and eat."
        Sarah blushed slightly as she smiled, taking that as order enough to pick up her fork. There were a lot of deeply serious things to discuss, no doubt... but for the moment, ignoring them in favor of a meal was much too tempting.
        Demi didn't seem willing to argue in the least. For once, not talking seemed like it was completely necessary. Besides, Rakashi had managed to somewhat effectively shatter the tension.
        Which may have been why Rean was slow to start eating again. He looked across the table at the former general, knowing more than he had before, but... so many things remained silent. Life had changed so dramatically, and he knew that it would change again, soon. But then, as he automatically moved to divert Demi's fork away from his plate with his own utensil, he supposed some things remained absolutely the same. There was something reassuring about Rakashi's snort of amusement... and it was enough to unclench his stomach enough to be hungry.
        "Besides," Sarah spoke up several minutes later, as if a conversation had been going the whole time, "There's dessert."
        "Who made the dessert?" Rakashi teased recklessly, having already cleaned her plate.
        "I did." The woman insisted with a pretended huff. "Well, he helped."
        "This is true." Demi confirmed, managing to finish his meal and stand up to take the empty plates to the sink. "Who's for pie?"
        "Tell me you have coffee with that..." the former general sounded almost pained.
        "Of course! We're not uncivilized out here." Sarah confirmed with a little laugh. "Though I know I could never make your coffee right."
        Rean almost started as those gold-flecked eyes turned to him. This was already so surreal, to be eating real food with everyone out on a ranch, but to be called to his assistant duties all of a sudden... Well, no reason to back away from that challenge. Standing for the moment, he asked quietly, "Where do you keep the coffee?"
        Demi took him on a quick tour of the cabinets while Sarah was busy grinning at her old friend. Rakashi pretended not to notice as well as she could. "So what is this dessert you speak of?"
        "Why, good old-fashioned country apple pie." The blond boasted proudly.
        Alright, so Rean found his stomach very interested all of a sudden. Starting the coffee maker, it would be only polite to sit back down and finish his vegetables... or make the attempt, at least. When the former captain started serving large slices of pie that looked and smelled like the real thing rather than the cafeteria's warped idea of what pie should be, he didn't feel too bad about leaving most of the green things untouched.
        "The hell you gonna get your vitamins from, kid?" Demi teased.
        "Pie." He didn't miss a beat, getting another couple of amused snorts.
        The instant the coffee maker made that godawful slurping noise that signaled it was done, Rakashi was on her feet and at the machine. It had been a while. Far, far too long. It wasn't going to help her shoulder ache any, but at that moment she just didn't care. Sitting back down with a mug of delicious black abyss, that slice of pie took a very important secondary position in her current worldview. It didn't matter who made it or how--the first bite told her that the crust was flaky, the apples were firm and the cinnamon sugar glaze they were bathed in was absolutely perfect.
        Another near-silence followed when the lot of them were just... enjoying something so ludicrously simple, but it made all the difference in the world. Simple pleasures indeed. Something to enjoy to the absolute fullest, to just sit there afterward and reflect upon the nature of pie...
        Until Rakashi did the unthinkable. The one thing she hadn't expected, something that had managed to sneak up on her suddenly--she covered her mouth with her hand and yawned.
        "I believe I've seen a miracle." Sarah teased.
        "It's been a long journey." The former general defended.
        "Yeah." Demi agreed, stretching his arms above his head. "And you two have a nice, big bed."
        Rakashi and Rean both gave the man a murderous look, and for once he actually considered apologizing. The thought was fleeting at best, however.
        "We'll cover the rest of the 'serious stuff' tomorrow, hm?" Sarah merely suggested, standing to clear the table.
        Rean cringed a little with that idea. He definitely wasn't looking forward to more conversation like that... but commenting wouldn't have done any good. Instead, he stood to help with the dishes, thinking it was the least he could do.
        Left "alone together", Rakashi gave Demi a long, accusing look. "One bed?"
        He grinned without shame, shrugging. "Yep."
        There was another careful silence. "Did it ever strike you that you assumed too much?"
        "Nope." He chuckled.

------------------------

        The guest room was upstairs and on the other side of the house from the other two bedrooms. Rean did not question why the two of them couldn't share a room instead; but he did come up with various plans about how to wake his "friend" as rudely as possible.
        The weird thing, a really odd and unexpected bit of information, was how strange it didn't feel. Of course they'd shared one bed during their travel, but it was always kind of... well, frightening in one way or another. At least, to Rean. There were things encountered within the last few hours that were a hell of a lot scarier, though--and it wasn't until that moment that he recalled one in particular. She and that man who wasn't a man... were supposed to meet up, alone... and he got the feeling from watching her stare out the window that she'd prefer to do that sooner rather than later. "Don't go out there, Rakashi."
        She looked back at him quickly, surprised at his words and hardly having been aware that he was in the room at all. There wasn't a verbal response; just a considering look with eyes that really did almost seemed to glow gold in the dim light.
        "Just for now." He added, sheepish and a bit embarrassed under her gaze. He didn't exactly have a right to ask something like that. Particularly because he could see that she was thinking about it, torn on the subject.
        "Sighing, she walked over to the bed and sat. "I'll have to go out there sometime, you know." Sometime soon, her eyes said.
        Much sooner than Rean was ready for. "I know." He admitted. "But... not yet."
        There was a quiet, amused sound in response. She was leading him on, for sure. Though he and even Demi seemed to know that this was temporary at best. Even so... well. "Are you cold tonight, Mr. Coi?" And she did try not to grin at the blush she got in response.
        "Not really, no." He managed. "So you can take all of the covers tonight."
        It was bizarrely charming, in its own distinctively weird way. It was just a situation open to so many other teases... but at the moment, maybe rest really was more important. "Don't mind if I do."

------------------------

        Getting out of the house, and even out of bed, unnoticed, was easy. It'd been a while since she had to work with creaky wood floors, but she remembered exactly how to rock on her feet and position her weight to lessen the noise.
        It was not that quick and simple a task to get past the livestock unannounced, however. She had to slowly make her way around the house and go the way of the crops, instead, almost unconsciously trying not to leave any incriminating footprints behind in the dirt. Even as she left the shadow of the farmhouse for the glow of moonlight and stars, she knew she was being watched. Certainly that not-man was following her lead, not approaching by way of the animals so he wouldn't startle them and make his presence obvious. Small favors, she supposed.
        It wasn't until she was almost past the orchard when she stopped and looked up at the moon. Yes, this place was as good as any. It hadn't felt right to leave the others behind, in some ways... but these were things she needed to know, and she wanted to keep the others out of danger. This was certainly no guarantee that the promise would be kept, unfortunately.
        The sound of a branch snapping attracted her attention immediately, and she sank down quickly to wait in a crouch. It could have been any number of predators or people... but she knew better by the twist in her gut.
        "Nice of you to make it, Rakashi." That strange voice almost managed to be pleasant. "Sit, won't you?"
        She watched as he made a move to sit first, just right there amongst the dirt and the rocks. She also noticed the bullet holes in his clothing, bloodstains spattered around them, but no indication of the wounds themselves. Sitting with a deliberate distance, close enough to reach out and kick but no closer, she asked the very first thing on her mind. "What was that? Earlier?"
        He laughed quietly, the sound obviously unpleasant to her. "With the boy, you mean? Ah, he saw the wrongness in you."
        "He saw whatever you made him see." She did attempt not to hiss... but she didn't really worry about succeeding.
        "The boy saw the monster in you." The not-man corrected, grinning. "Not to worry, you'll soon see it yourself, if you'd like. The truth, total and complete."
        "What about you?" Rakashi was not in the least bit ready to agree to anything yet. "I've been told how I got here..."
        "Oh have you now." That chuckle was far less pleasant. "Yes, well... your passage was forced. Unnatural. Mine was in the natural flow of things, but... alas, I arrived incomplete."
        She just stared at him for a long time. "I don't understand--"
        "You will. If you want to remember."
        There was another long pause, trying to pick apart what she knew about him. "This body, then... what is this body?"
        "That, I don't know." He admitted, looking down at his own. "Yours is... complete. Mine lacks bits of physical sensation, like pain."
        And still that only explained so much. Rakashi scoffed. "So you only have so many answers."
        "I have the ones you seek." The not-man assured.
        "At what price?"
        The laughter became much harder to tolerate, scratching and unstable. "Ah, what a question. No, Rakashi. We are kin, you and I. I owe you this much."
        Her eyes narrowed even as she felt her stomach tighten considerably. "You can't possibly just be here to 'help me'."
        "Oh, this is not a help in any way." He assured, grin turning a bit vicious. "This is the truth. Like that reaction of yours. Like how even your body can sense the wrongness in me... that reflects the wrongness that's been hidden away in you."
        Everything felt so cold. She was a little afraid that lovely dinner from earlier in the evening was going to be wasted on the ground, but she managed to hold on.
        "Your debt is paid by knowing the truth." The not-man whispered.
        "And that's where you come in." Sharp, accusing.
        His voice didn't change. "It can be. If you want to remember."
        Part of her didn't want to know, didn't think this was worth it... but something far deeper had a desperate need to know the truth. She'd always healed faster, always had an instinct that others seemed to lack, could cause instantaneous reactions in people--mostly getting them to not like her in the least very quickly. "You will leave them out of this." She growled, quietly. "You will never be in contact with any of them under any circumstances. You will never try to seek them out or contact them in any way--"
        "It is my word, Rakashi." He promised, far too honest and far too calm. "I have no desire to harm that little... family of yours."
        In most things, she did not trust him. At most times, she wouldn't have trusted a single word he said, at all. There was some... deeper instinct, though. Something reaching out, absolutely sure that what it sought was right there in front of her, just waiting...
        She jumped a bit at the first cool raindrop as it hit her arm. Surprising, how suddenly that storm had come in, covering the sky without being noticed. The drops came faster very quickly, bathing her in the scent and feel of rain... something that both stung and felt incredible. "Kin." She spoke quietly. "Is that really what we are?"
        There was a very strange smile there. Unsettling. His voice was suddenly far more gentle than it had ever been. "Let me, Rakashi."
        She swallowed and looked at the man-thing again for a long while. Leaning forward at first, she then backed away and simply considered again. Finally having come to a decision, she moved to get her legs underneath her.
        He took that as enough of a sign. With ease, he darted forward before she could so much as register the motion, placing his palms against her temples.
        It was a brilliantly painful taste of eternity.

------------------------

        As Rean waited on the porch by the back door, he heard the animals, first. Bothered by something, calling out, moving around--and then he saw a distinct figure moving toward him in the rain. Pistol in hand, he wasn't exactly surprised to see that strange man--but he was completely taken aback by Rakashi's limp body draped in his arms. He stood up and ran toward them, mindless of the rain, gun in both hands as soon as he'd come to a stop. "What happened?!"
        "For the moment, I am not your enemy." The not-man told him slowly. "But when she wakes up... you may be hers. She has not come back to you the same."
        Rean shivered with the words rather than the cold rain. He dropped the pistol's aim in favor of taking Rakashi for himself, barely able to find his voice again when she felt so... cold. "What happened?" he repeated, venom having almost faded.
        "She knows what she wanted to know." He responded simply, turning and disappearing back from wherever he came. The further he went, the calmer the animals became, until it was like he'd never been there at all.