All across Worker's Front held Spain, Early 1940

Rafael was ready to go home, to his Wife, and to start a new life in a freed Spain. But the Worker's Front had asked for volunteers to help rebuild and demilitarize the parts of Spain they had previously fought over, and Rafael was torn; On one hand, he loved his wife, and he was always looking forwards to a day when he wouldn't have to work in the guns factory, but Rafael was loyal to his friends and comrades, too-- Indeed, he was loyal to the Worker's Front of Spain.

And so, he, along with Gennaro, Savannah, Arlo, and all his comrades, were put to work in Santander, rebuilding the city.

Rafael leans on a shovel while he and the rest of the Rifleman-Workers around him demonstrated the second half of their name, and indeed, what would probably end up being the second half of their service, in rebuilding some houses that had been destroyed during the fighting. His eyes wander over to where Gennaro is helping to raise a support beam. He realizes something is off about his hat.

"Gen," he starts, "Why are you wearing a CNT-FAI hat? You're not an Anarchist."

"Oh, well, I was talking to Savannah the other day--"

"You're going to convert ideologies for a girl, is that what it is? Diaz for Durruti, because Durruti's thighs were thicker and he has a nicer smile and laugh?"

"N-no-- okay, maybe!"

"Look, Gen, companion, friend of mine, I don't think that Savannah likes you like that. You're wasting your time." He goes back to digging a foundation.

"What, how did you meet your wife?"

"We connected through a Marxist reading group."

"So, why can't me and Savannah connect though an Anarchist reading group?"

"The minute you start quoting Kropotkin at me and calling Lenin a vile statist, we're no longer friends."

"Then who are you going to be friends with?"

"I don't know. Uh, Arlo!"

"He volunteered to help agricultural output increase, remember?"

"Oh, Jesus, don't remind me. Of all the people who could have volunteered..."

"Jealous?"

"I-O-only a little!"

The continued about their work, talking about this and that.

All across Worker's Front Spain, the 500k-odd soldiers of the Spanish Worker's Front, along with all the assorted irregular Partisans, were given the choice to demobilize, or to continue to help Spain, not just by re-integrating into the workforce or going back to work on the newly collectivized farms (at least in Worker's Front Spain), but also by actively working to rebuild and de-militarize parts of Spain that were destroyed, and to help erect great works in order to bring about a sooner recovery from the brutal fighting which ravaged communities. The Rifleman-Workers not assigned to garrison duty would trade the rifle for a hammer, the pistol for a spade, and get to work, digging, building, planting, and working to gain the trust of the communities they had previously occupied during the civil war. Extra effort would be made to always make sure that there is enough food to go around, and often, the Rifleman-Worker Civil Engineer Corps (as they were calling themselves while at this sort ofwork) would end up helping out with harvests and planting.

I suppose, then, Rafael just got unlucky with what work he got assigned to. Poor guy. Maybe in a few weeks he'll get a chance to do what he always wants to do; at least, now, in a Spain which is free from Capital and Monarchy, there is a chance.