Reformation

Chapter Twelve- Fish and Chips

Mike

Sully slid the train car door shut behind him and leaned against it, breathing a sigh of relief. "Made it."

Mike set his canvas bag down and dropped onto the seat beside it, closing his eyes to enjoy the feeling of being off his feet.

It had been a whirlwind of activity after they found out the midnight intruders had a particular mission: Mike. Sully had practically thrown all of their possessions into two bags and then shoved Mike out the door, supporting his still tingling legs. But Mike hadn't complained; he didn't feel safe in the apartment anymore. He was just thankful that Sully had somewhere to seek refuge- once again, Mike was in his debt. Sully had dragged his weak friend to a train station, bought tickets, and boarded without hesitation. Now they sat in their private train car with bunk beds on one side and a long bench on the other. A door at one end, and a window at the opposite let them see outside into the dark, blurring landscape as the train jerked into motion, rattling forward with startling speed.

"This train makes several stops, but it should get us to San Francisco--Mike, what's in the bag?"

Mike's green eyes flew open and one glance at Sully's suspicious purple eyes told him that he knew something was up. Mike sighed, defeated. "Well, I couldn't just leave her..." He unzipped the bag and a furry black head popped out, a pink mouth opening to release an annoyed meow. Mike smiled and nuzzled her head with a hand.

Sully burst out laughing, and when Mike looked at him with surprise, he turned to his own bag as an explanation. Sully opened the bag and a black and white bundle of fur leapt into his lap.

Mike grinned. "You smuggled him on too?"

Sully shrugged. "What? Couldn't just leave him."

They laughed, both holding their respective pets close.

Mike was the first to sober. "Where are we going to hide them? Someone could glance in and see."

Sully looked down at the Count, scratching under his chin. "Maybe we could just put them in the bags when we hear someone coming."

Mike shook his head. "Too risky." He looked around the small compartment. "Wait, I have an idea." He got on the floor and slid a wooden door back to reveal a roomy storage compartment beneath the bench. He looked up at Sully, his green eyes sparkling. "Hand me a blanket."

Soon Mike had fashioned a cozy nest underneath the bench, Count Dracula and Captain Bubbles peering out with satisfaction once placed inside.

"What would I do without you?" Sully joked, reclining comfortably on the bench with his back against the wooden paneling.

"Obviously get thrown off of a train." Mike replied sarcastically, standing and heading for the door.

The train trembled; Mike, unused to the vibrating, breathing floor underfoot, lost his balance and tipped to the side, landing straight in Sully's lap. He lay sprawled against Sully's chest for a moment, too stunned to move, his head resting in the crook of Sully's unmoving arm. Mike looked up into amused purple eyes framed by raised eyebrows.

"Did you lose your balance, or did you want me to tell you a story?" Sully asked.

Mike was actually quite comfortable, though he would never tell Sully that. "Of course I lost my balance, who would want to sit on a pile of hard angles?"

Sully chuckled, a dark sound, and Mike's eyes widened as Sully's arms snaked around him, locking him in an iron embrace. Mike began to protest, squirming, but Sully talked over him.

"There once were fifty shades of color..." Sully's cheek rested against the side of Mike's head, and Mike quickly realized his struggling was having no effect. "All of those colors being shades of grey..."