Thunder awoke the next morning with Winter resting her head in his lap. He stroked her mane when Candy walked in.

"Thunder. Why didn't you come back to..." She trailed off when she saw.

"Shh." said Thunder. "She's still sleeping."

Candy smiled. "I didn't expect you to be so lovey-dovey, Thunder."

"Yeah." he said, letting out a sigh. "I don't know what's happening to me."

Candy sat down next to him. "You're learning to feel again."

"Yeah. Looks that way."

Winter began to stir. She then opened her eyes and sat up, yawning. She looked at Thunder.

"Thanks for staying."

Thunder smiled slightly. "Don't mention it."

"Wait a second..." said Candy, leaning in front of Thunder's face.

"What're you doing?" he asked.

"I missed that." she said. "Do it again."

"Do what?"

"I think you smiled."

"No." said Thunder, trying to hold back laughing.

Candy started poking him playfully. "You smiled. You smiled."

Thunder began laughing. "Stop it."

Candy leaned back as Plumsweet entered the room.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Why is Thunder laughing and smiling?"

"Plumsweet." said Thunder. "Morning."

"Morning?" she asked. "What's going on?"

"I feel different." he said, getting up and walking over to her. He placed his forehooves on her shoulders. "I want to apologize."

"For what?"

"For what I said before. About not giving a shit about you. That was a lie."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Thunder let out a sigh and looked into her eyes.

Smoke leaned back in the chair as a colt came into the room.

"What is it?"

"It's Winter, boss. She's failed. If you want, I can--"

BANG!

The colt's body dropped to the floor as Smoke lowered the gun. Two other colts came running in.

"Find them and KILL THEM!!!" yelled Smoke.

"Right away, boss." said the colt as they left the room.

Smoke leaned back in the chair again. "Your ass is mine, Plumsweet."

Plumsweet sat at the kitchen counter, eating a sandwich. Candy sat down across from her.

"So are you two now..." She paused to click her tongue twice.

"Wh... No, we haven't done it yet."

"Yet?" asked Candy. "So you want to have sex with him?"

Plumsweet choked on a bite of her sandwich.

Down the hall Thunder sat on the bed. Winter came in and sat down next to him.

"You know it's not safe here anymore, right?" she asked.

Thunder nodded. "I was just thinking that."

"What do you wanna do?"

Thunder let out a sigh. "We have to leave soon. Otherwise they'll--"

CRASH! SMASH!

Thunder ran out into the hallway as Plumsweet was knocked to the floor by a colt.

"NO!" he yelled.

He ran down the hall. When he got near the guest room a colt shot out and knocked him into the wall. He fell to the floor and the colt kicked him in the head. He was then dragged into the main room where Plumsweet lay. A colt was holding down Winter and another was holding down Candy. The front door had been knocked in. Just then Smoke came in.

"Ah, if it isn't the pain in my ass." said Smoke. The pony then looked over at Plumsweet. "And Plumsweet, as well." Smoke looked over at Candy. "Now, who are you?"

Candy said nothing. The colt holding her down slammed his hoof down on her, causing her to yelp with pain.

"The boss asked you a question." he said.

Smoke walked up to her and leaned in close. "Who... the fuck... are you?"

"C-Candy." she said. "I w-work at th-the Wet M-Mare."

"Ah." said Smoke, leaning back.. "So, you're a slut. How interesting."

"How'd you find us so fast?!" yelled Thunder.

Smoke looked over at him. "It would've been difficult... if it hadn't been for Winter."

The mare let out a gasp as Thunder looked at her.

"What's this fucker talking about?" he asked.

"I-I don't know."

"Oh, yes you do." said Smoke, walking over to her. "Remember the tracker we put on you?" Smoke reached behind the mare's ear and pulled off a little black box. "You did your job perfectly, Winter."

"Winter..." said Thunder.

"With your help we found the colt..." Smoke looked at Plumsweet. "And the mare who knew too much."

"Winter!" yelled Thunder.

"I didn't--" started the mare.

"I trusted you!"

Smoke let out a laugh. "Trust. One is better off without the foolish idea of trust. It makes you weak." Smoke let out a sigh. "All right. Let's take her."

The colt holding down Plumsweet knocked her out with a kick to the head. He then put her on his back and walked out the door.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!" yelled Thunder.

Smoke looked down at him.

"What's the matter? You have two other lovely mare's to screw all you want..." Rage filled Thunder's eyes. "in Hell." Smoke walked out the door. "Finish up here."

The colt holding Thunder down pulled out a gun.

"I'm gonna enjoy this." he said.

Thunder let out a yell and spun out from under the colt, causing him to fall. Thunder wrapped his back hooves around the colt's head and jerked it, snapping his neck. He then grabbed the gun and quickly shot the two remaining colts. Candy and Winter stood up. Thunder took a deep breath and glared at Winter.

"No, wait. I didn't--"

Thunder aimed the gun at Winter's left foreleg and fired. The bullet grazed her leg. She let out a yell and collapsed to the floor. Thunder walked over to her and raised the gun, aiming it at her forehead.

"NO! PLEASE!"

"IT'S YOUR FAULT!!" yelled Thunder. "YOU LED THEM HERE!!"

"I DIDN'T KNOW!" cried Winter, crying. She hung her head. "I'm so-orry!"

Candy walked up next to Thunder and put a hoof on his shoulder. He quickly turned his head to look at her.

"Don't do it." she said. She rested her head on his shoulder and rubbed his chest. "Don't do it."

Thunder looked back down at Winter. She was still crying. Thunder began to take deep breaths and soon calmed down. He let out a sigh and knelt down. Winter scooted back until Thunder put a hoof on her cheek. She looked up at him with watery eyes.Thunder looked at her leg. There was a cut where the bullet grazed but no serious damage.

"You'll be fine." he said, looking into her eyes. He picked her up slightly and held her. "Oh, Winter. "I'm so sorry." She cried into his shoulder. "I may be learning to feel... but I'm still working on the anger."