Another night, another failed plan. Brain kicked the side of the cage - "Ow!" - and ended up jumping about, clutching his now injured foot. His cagemate, taller with buckteeth and a baffling Cockney accent, just sat nearby and giggled, clutching his feet and rocking back and forth. How he'd gotten a Cockney accent was beyond even Brain's massive intellect. They'd grown up side-by-side in a Californian laboratory, Pinky had been born in a Californian pet shop to two mice who had grown up in a Californian pet shop. Yet he was English.

Shaking his large head, The Brain rubbed his hands over his brow and lowered his foot gingerly. "Come, Pinky, it's time for bed."

"Oh, goody!" Pinky raced to the little bed they shared, leaping onto the sponge and wiggling beneath the green blanket on his side, squirming his way up to the pillow. For someone always so energetic, Brain couldn't remember a time that Pinky hadn't been eager for sleep.

Then again, when Brain tried to remember things it sometimes made his head ache. As always when such a thing happened, he promised that he would create an invention that would somehow scan his mind for any anomalies. Yet he would forget almost the moment he had that idea and wouldn't remember again until the next lapse. He rubbed his head again, a fleeting thought telling him that the previous night their bed had been a matchbox with a purple blanket.

He was clearly just overtired from their long night, so trudged towards bed and climbed in sensibly. There was another errant thought that two grown adult mice shouldn't share a bed so intimately if they weren't in a romantic relationship. His gaze went to Pinky, whose blue eyes seemed to shine with some sort of hope.

"Pinky, what-?" There was a fade, a shift, and Brain settled on a little bed of straw that was set apart from the bed of straw Pinky was already stretched out on and fast asleep. The smaller mouse didn't seem to register the change, feeling as though it had always been this way, and quickly slipped off to sleep.

And he dreamed of Pinky. The mouse clapped his hands, beaming as Brain slowly sat up, lifting a hand to his head. It felt like there was something heavy on it, but he couldn't quite tell what exactly it was. And it felt as though he were tucked into a bed, but he couldn't see anything but the lab and Pinky. There wasn't anything even in the lab. No cage, no scattered papers or books, no equipment. There was him and there was Pinky, so his focus went to Pinky.

"Egad, Brain, are you awake? Narf! Or are you still a sleeping sleepy-head?"

"Pinky, this is clearly a dream." Brain scowled, wondering why his dreamed Pinky was as realistic as his real Pinky. His cagemate was a blundering irritant, after all... though his heart was impossibly large and he could be so very sweet. He rubbed a hand against his heart, his scowl fading to a frown.

Pinky was frowning as well, his ears wilted. "Oh. Poit. I was hoping you were awake this time, Brain." He seemed to perk up immediately, clasping his hands in front of him and lifting them to his cheek. His lashes fluttered flirtatiously. "I do really miss you, Brain! Zort. And our love things." He hugged himself tightly, giggling.

"Our... love things?"

Fingers stroking, blue eyes so dark and locked onto his. A hot whisper against his lips, that so familiar taste against them. "Egad, Brain..." So much, so much. Surrounding, touching. His back arched-

And he was flying into a wall, bouncing from it to the floor while the machine he'd created to take over a pineapple cannery smoked in the distance. Pinky landed on the floor beside him, looking a little woozy, but giggling. "Fun-fun silly-willy!" He got to his feet, brushing his fur off, and clapped his hands. "Oh, that was a really good one, Brain! Narf!"

Brain leapt up and bopped him, scowling darkly. The odd dream, in his mind, had never occurred. But they'd failed again, so it was back to the cage. "Come, Pinky, it's a long flight back to the lab and we must arrive before tomorrow night." They were in Hawaii this time, and Brain could remember the flight and all the steps of the plan up to this point just so long as he didn't think about it too hard.

"Why, Brain? What are we going to do tomorrow night?"

"The same thing we do every night, Pinky - try to take over the world!"

-8-8-

He didn't remember the flight home; they were simply there when he next opened his eyes. The pineapple factory plan was something in the past, but Brain didn't think on it too deeply. There was little use in dwelling on failed plans, after all. There was also little use in remembering just how many had failed; it was only upsetting and distracted from his creative vein.

"Egad, Brain! You're so clever!" Pinky hung over his shoulder, staring at the blueprints Brain knew he couldn't possibly understand. "I think this is going to take so much longer than Snowball thinks."

Pink eyes blinked, gaze tilting up to match the smiling blue eyes above him. "What?"

"Egad! You heard that?" His tail wagged happily. "That's wonderful, Brain! He must not be paying attention at all!"

"Who's not paying attention?" Brain scowled, waving his friend away. "I don't have time for your nonsense, Pinky. I'm finishing tonight's plan."

"Oh, I know that, Brain. Those are why it's going to take so long! Narf! Snowball doesn't know just how many plans you have in your biggly-wiggly head!" He giggled and looped a bright blue, feathered boa around Brain's waist.

He'd never seen it before, but it was as soft as he remembered. Just a little tickly, just enough to entice and intrigue. He ran his fingers over it and his gaze met Pinky's again, eyes going half-lidded. "Pinky," he heard himself say, "you know that's only for after the plan."

Pinky's ears wilted and he leaned forward, nudging their noses together. "There aren't anymore plans, Brain. Don't you remember? You did it, Brain. We did it together. Don't you remember taking over the world?"

"Yes!" Standing in the lab, watching on monitors as the world's leaders signed over their allegiance. Man had fallen to mouse and success gleamed in his eyes and Pinky was beside him, clapping his hands and giggling.

"Egad, Brain, we did it! You did it! Does this mean we did it?"

"The world is nearly ours now, Pinky!" Pink eyes so bright with success, he whirled and pulled Pinky down for an excited kiss that was so eagerly returned. It was broken reluctantly, but more would have to come later. Later when they could celebrate in private.

Brain looked up at Pinky, the pencil in his hands again, the boa around his waist. But the pencil felt false and the boa real. Pinky was real. The lab surrounding them was a lie. "Pinky... Pinky, where am I?"

"You're with me, Brain. It's okay. I rescued you from mean old Snowball and I brought you to Romy and Bunny. Poit. Just wake up, Brain, and you'll see. We'll save the world from Snowball again. Wake up, Brain." Pinky's voice was distressed now, tears filling his eyes. "Please wake up, Brain! I need you! Troz!"

"Don't cry, Pinky. I hate it when you cry." He could feel the weight on his head, reached up to try and push it off. His fingertips brushed something metallic and everything fizzled.

"Whatcha doin', Brain?" Pinky was rocking back and forth on his heels, hands clasped behind his back. There was a wide, blank smile on his face and his eyes sparkled with interest.

They hadn't taken over the world; they were still trying. There was no boa. "I'm trying to finish tonight's plans, Pinky! Go back to your insipid television show and leave me be until I call you."

"'Kay!" Bobbing his head in understanding, Pinky spun and scampered off. And Brain returned to his plans, picking his pencil back up.

-8-8-

He was explaining the plan, always the plan. This time they were going to have to make enough money to purchase an integral part, however, and Brain hadn't been exactly certain how they would come across six million seven hundred ninety-eight dollars in order to purchase it... He added in ninety-one cents for a pack of gum.

But then Pinky had said something off-hand that had triggered the perfect idea. "Yes! Pinky! Are you pondering what I'm pondering?"

"I think so, Brain, but how have we had so many Christmases?"

That brought the megalomaniac short. He blinked several times at his friend, brow furrowing. Instead of brushing the pondering off like he normally did, he shook his head. "What?"

"Well, we're only two years old, aren't we Brain?"

"Why... Yes."

"'Right! So we've only had two Christmases together!" Pinky held out his hands, listing them off. "There was the one where I met a guardian angel and there was the one where you had your Noodle-Noggin dolls." He laughed. "Noodle-Noggin! I love that name."

Brain rubbed a hand over his head, frowning. "Pinky, we went back in time to Bethlehem, marketed ourselves as popular toys, and tried to take control of the Rattra Toys. There was also the time I attempted to be a version of Santa Claus."

Pinky blinked at him. "But we're only two years old and that's, um..." He looked up, ears twitching as though he was listening to someone. "Oh. Poit. That's six whole Christmases, Brain. And Cici says six is much more than two! She says we can't have had six Christmases when we're only two! Narf! Christmas comes once a year!"

That was true. It made Brain's head hurt because he could recall all of those plans if he didn't think about it, but when he did as he was trying to now, there was only the two. Only the two. Then why did he feel like there was six? And who was Cici?

He shook his head, confused, and blushed a little when Pinky's hand began to soothingly stroke his stomach. "Don't get upset, Brain. Romy says we can't wake you up if you get too upset. And we all miss you so much. You're not very grumpy-growly when you're all asleep. Even sister dear misses you!"

Sister dear? Brie. "Her name is Brie, Pinky."

"Egad!" Pinky gasped, hands flying to his cheeks. "You remembered! What else do you remember, Brain? Oh, wait, no, no. Romy says I shouldn't ask you that."

So many names. They hurt Brain's head, made it spin. How did he know sister dear's name was Brie? He couldn't bring a picture of the mouse to mind, but he could hear a voice. It was like listening to someone underwater... "Pinky, ask...he...ball...helmet."

"Um... Can you feel the helmet? Sister dear would really like it if you did, so you could take it off."

The weight was on his head. It hurt. It was so heavy. He laid his head back, surprised to find himself lying down. Hadn't he been standing in front of the keyboard, explaining a plan?

"No, wait, Brain!" He felt a warm hand on his stomach again, so soft and soothing and blessedly familiar.

"Pinky..." It was like speaking underwater and it was frightening. "Pinky, where am I?"

"Shush, Brain. It's alright." He felt a nose pressing against his neck, the gentle nuzzle so very soothing and gentle. "Poit. We're taking really good care of you. I promise. You'll be all better once you wake up!"

"Why do you keep telling me to wake up?"

"Because that's what you need to do, Brain." There was another nuzzle, but Brain was beyond soothing now. His heart was galloping in his chest, terror palpable. "Don't be scared, Brain, please. Narf. You can't come back when you're scared. He'll take you. Don't let him take you!" He felt tears splashing against his neck and the damp feeling carried him through the rest of the explanation of his plan to Pinky.

He couldn't shake it, reached his hand up to pat whoever was crying on him all throughout the plan's execution, but there was never anyone there. Just an unhappy "narf" whispered in his ear, like listening to someone underwater. It didn't go away until the plan failed and his irritation buried the sensation and overwhelmed the whimpers in his ear.

-8-8-

He was in bed again, was stunned when Pinky rolled over and snuggled against him. Pinky always stayed on his side. Rolling his eyes, Brain made to push the sleeping figure away and was surprised to see blue eyes big and wide and hopeful on his. "Romy said I shouldn't climb in bed with you anymore, Brain. Zort. He's afraid I'll take the helmet away, but I can't do that or you'll never ever never wake up."

When Brain merely blinked at him, he snuggled closer, wrapping an arm over Brain's waist. There was a familiar pull in his gut, a tug of lust. It had been a long time since he and Pinky had come together, fur sliding together as their bodies rolled in a rhythm uniquely their own.

So Brain turned towards him and held on. The plan had left him so tired. It was like they'd been running nonstop for weeks and he hadn't been able to get in a decent night's rest. He wrapped his arms around Pinky, dragging him closer. "Naaaarf," Pinky whispered, giving him a gentle nuzzle. "I miss you."

"I know," he whispered. "I know you do, Pinky. I'm trying. It's so hard." And it was so very difficult to resist the pull of the plans, the way things had once been. Night after night, just him and Pinky. No children, no sibling. The sexual tension hidden in the background, just a seemingly untouchable stray thought. But he had the world, he had all of Pinky, he had two children who loved him, a sister who'd punched Snowball in the mouth. He remembered that. He remembered. Tears pricked his eyes and familiar lips gently brushed over the corners of the pink orbs.

"Don't be sad, Brain. Do you remember when we went to Hawaii? Poit. And I danced for you in that grass skirt. Who thought grass could be like a skirt, Brain? It doesn't hide very much at all." He giggled softly, nuzzling his ear.

Hips swishing, the slim figure lit only by the candles he'd placed on the table. He was copying the movements of the hula girls they'd seen earlier in the evening, but the dance was only for The Brain now. He could feel the pulsation between his legs, but since they were so very alone and technically on their honeymoon, it was alright for him to lean back and let himself enjoy the arousal.

The moment Pinky had noticed it, though, his own had begun to grow and that grass skirt parted very, very easily.

Brain sighed, pressing closer to Pinky, reveling in the memories that were coming so easily. His reality. His Pinky. So much better than nothing but try and try again. "I want to wake up, Pinky."

"Then wake up. Poit." Pinky nuzzled him again. "It's very easy. I wake up after I go to sleep all the time! And I'm stupid! Narf!"

Brain felt more than saw the smile since the lips curved against his neck. He ran his hand down Pinky's back, fingers trailing along his spine. "You have... selective intelligence," he murmured, feeling giving. There was the heaviness on his head and he wanted it gone. Brain reached up to pull it off, remove the helmet. He wanted back to Pinky. Out of the cage and back to Pinky. Back to Pinky. Back to Pinky. Back to P

-8-8-

"No, Pinky." Eyes rolling, Brain marched over the plans, gesturing to them. "We're going to- Wake up."

Pinky's head lolled to the side, his smile bright. His blue eyes fake, fake, fake. "Wake up, Brain? Zort. Aren't we already awake?"

"No. No, I'm not really here. No, I was-" He reached up, but he couldn't feel the helmet. He couldn't get it off. "No!" There were hands on him that he couldn't see, arms wrapped around him. But he couldn't see, he couldn't. He could feel lips moving against his ear, saying something, saying something. "Pinky!" he cried. "Pinky, I can't-"

-8-8-

He was dizzy, getting to his feet and staggering several feet through the snow before toppling back down. Nearby, Pinky giggled at him, bounding over to help Brain to his feet. They'd taken quite a fall, but his friend had bounced back as easily as ever.

Scowling, Brain smacked his hand away once he got his bearings and brushed the snow off his winter clothes. He glared up at the mountain. They needed to make it all the way to the top so they could... They'd done this before. He looked over at Pinky. "We've done this."

His companion's head tilted to the side and he blinked several times. "Done what, Brain?"

"We've climbed this mountain before. It's the summit. The meeting? All the world's leaders are up there!"

Pinky looked up as well and, when he looked down, he wasn't wearing his snowsuit anymore, but the smile was still there. It went a little worried, though, when he looked over his shoulder at someone who wasn't there. He turned back, reaching out to grab Brain's hands. "Egad, Brain, does this mean you're running out of ideas?"

"Running out of-? That's preposterous, Pinky!" Baffled, wondering what on earth was going on, Brain shook his head and looked back up at the mountain. When he looked back, Pinky was back in his winter clothes and their hands were no longer locked. "Come, Pinky, to the summit!"

"Right, Brain!" So Brain led the way, Pinky skipping along behind him. But the remainder of the plan was spent with a nagging feeling that they'd done this before and that something was very wrong.

-8-8-

When he went to bed, he stayed awake. He made himself stay awake. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. He pinched himself and it hurt, he reached out and pushed Pinky out of bed twice. He only climbed back in. "You're not Pinky," he whispered. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up, Brain! Narf! I need you! I need you! He's coming, Brain! Troz! Egad, wake up! He'll take you away from me!

He covered his ears, shaking his head, and couldn't stay awake any longer. There was a weight on his head, someone tugging at it and someone else screaming for it to stop.

The Pinky in his bed tackled him, bundling him up and holding him tightly. "I'll keep you safe. Narf. I promise, Brain." His hands were pressing the weight back down on his head. "You have to take it off. Romy said so." He was scolding someone with the last bit, looking over his shoulder. "You'll take it off soon, Brain. I know you will."

-8-8-

"I wish you didn't feel the owies, Brain." Warm arms wrapped around his stomach, a cheek resting between his shoulder blades. "Poit. I don't like watching you cringe and make the faces you make when you get owies."

Brain frowned, looking back to try and see his associate. Their latest plan had involved plenty of pain, which meant plenty of bandages. But all of the bandages Pinky had been wrapping around him were gone now and, strangely enough, so was the pain. Lips pursed, Brain looked himself over, poking and prodding at areas he'd known had been aching just minutes before.

"Pinky, what...? Did I fall asleep?"

"Weeks and weeks ago, Brain. Poit. Bunny says moving you again would be really very bad. And it's been weeks and weeks..." Pinky's voice sounded so tired. Brain didn't know what to make of that. "And you haven't said anything for days and days and I've been so worried, Brain." He sniffled and was suddenly pressing his cheek to Brain's. "Romy said we can't move you again, too, but Snowball can find you. The helmet thingy..." He sniffled again. "P-p-poit. The helmet thingy's bad, Brain. Please take it off. I need you. Zort. We all need you, Brain, and all the ideas in your chubby head."

Brain huffed, squirming against the embrace. "I told you not to use that word, Pinky."

"I know!" he wailed, only tightening his hold. "I'm sorry, Brain! Narf! Don't go away again!"

Confused, Brain managed to wriggle away and turn to Pinky, cupping his chin and tilting his head. "I'm not going anywhere, Pinky."

"Poit. Really, Brain?" He waved a hand at someone Brain couldn't see. "Cici! He said he's not going anywhere! Troz!" He looked back, gaze adoring, tail beating against the countertop. It didn't make the right sound, though. Not quite a thwap, but more of a whump. A bed and not a counter.

Brain lifted a hand to his head, watched Pinky's eyes flick up, aiming as if Brain was wearing a hat of some kind. No, a helmet. The helmet was bad and Pinky wanted him to take it off. But The Brain wasn't entirely sure just what he was talking about. Had he fallen asleep after being bandaged? Odd that he didn't remember doing so.

"Pinky, who's Cici?"

"Who's Cici?" he repeated, blinking. And then he laughed and shook his head. "Egad, Brain! You know! Troz! She's our- hm?" He looked away again, looking back to listen to someone who wasn't there. "Oh. Um, poit. Romy said I shouldn't say because it'll just make you go away again. But you've made Cici cry now." Pinky looked back at Brain, leaning forward and touching their noses together. "Narf. You'll have to say sorry for that, Brain. She ran away and sister dear followed after her."

Sister dear? Cici? He could see a big pink bow. Such an adorable little girl. Baby snow mouse in a walnut shell. "Bah!" His eyes unfocused, went dazed, and he blinked several times. They were on a bed and Pinky's white fur wasn't as sleek and shiny as it usually was. It was ruffled and a little dirty. Where they were smelled dirty and Brain wrinkled his nose.

"-can't say sorry if he doesn't wake up." That was Romy. He'd heard Roman.

But he couldn't see anything beyond Pinky, was still trying to keep his focus on his friend, his lover, his husband, his world. Oh, those pretty blue eyes. The dirt on his fur was flickering in and out, but those pretty blue eyes didn't falter. They stayed on his, big and wide and so hopeful. "Don't go, Brain." He didn't want to be in the world that smelled, where his Pinky was dirty. He felt the gentlest of kisses on his palm. "I love you, Brain. Poit. Don't go."

He was sitting in Pinky's lap, angry at being held, and trying to push away. His plans had resulted in yet another failure and he had no intention of being coddled like a child. He was ready, so very ready, to throw in the towel. Let the humans have it all! Those ingrates! Those fools! They would never appreciate greatness!

"I've had it, Pinky! The world will never love me!"

Blue eyes softened and Brain was given the gentlest of kisses on his palm. "That's okay, Brain." He opened his mouth to snap, but Pinky continued before he could. "I love you."

"You... you what?"

His tail beat against the countertop (thwap, thwap, thwap) and he smiled against Brain's hand. "I love you! Narf! I love you a whole lot, Brain! Don't worry! Troz! We'll take over the world!" Arms were thrown around him and Pinky giggled in his ears. "I love you, Brain!"

His eyes focused. It smelled and Pinky was dirty. And Romy was standing nearby looking defeated with his shoulders slumped and a hand rubbing his brow. He could hear soft crying nearby and his sister's soothing voice. But Pinky was dirty.

Brain scowled and reached up, pulling the helmet off of his head. They needed to save the world, take it back from Snowball. No husband of his was going to be dirty and no daughter of his was going to be reduced to tears. That dratted hamster.

It was all the thought he could get out before he was being tackled and enveloped by warm, familiar arms, a familiar taste filling his mouth.

Yes. Yes, this was his reality. He wrapped his arms around his lover, clinging. "Pinky."

Next chapter is what's happened on Pinky's side~

Cici belongs to skimingsurfaces

Brie (sister dear) belongs to me

Everyone else belongs to their respective owners