A little epilogue to the main story, from Sébastien's point of view. It's been a very confusing time for a small dog.

THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED A FAVOR

Epilogue

It's been a strange two weeks. I believe in taking life as it comes – after all, what else can a dog do? Even so, it was all a bit of a shock.

First, my mom said goodbye to me. She was crying, just a bit. That was the first sign that she wasn't just going shopping or something. No, it was me that was going. Somewhat confused, I followed Red down to his car. I wondered if I'd done something wrong. And I wondered where he was taking me. I had visions of the vet, or even the dog pound. I tried to take it philosophically. Oh well, it had been nice while it lasted. It wasn't the first time I'd lost what I thought was a good home. I was sad, but there was nothing I could do.

But he took me to his home. Perhaps he was going to be my new owner. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. He was always kind to me, though not as affectionate as my mom. It's not a dog's place to reason why - I'd make the best of it.

We had a good couple of days, walking, playing on the beach. He even let me sleep on his bed, and I began to relax. Maybe it would be all right. Then, I was in the car again and I was taken somewhere I'd never been. I felt betrayed. Lulled into a false sense of security. And yet… It didn't smell like the pound. I could hear a few dogs, but they were making happy sounds. No smell of fear, like you get at the vets. Even so, I wouldn't look at Red as I marched in. Chin up…

Well… It was a shock. A pleasant one! Lots of friends. No cages. Humans encouraging us to play. I met a gorgeous girl, too. She let me lick her and jump on her, and nobody told us off. And Red came back for me all too soon. Still, it certainly could be worse…

Then Red got sick. I knew he was. I could smell it on him. His skin was too hot, and he stayed in bed most of the time. It no longer felt as if he was an alpha, as if he could take charge. I didn't know what to do. I felt guilty when he got up to take me outside. I mean, I had to go out, but I sensed it was making him really sick. There was nothing I could do, so I just tried to keep quiet and give him some comfort. When he took me to the beach in the evening, I knew he was bad. I kept thinking, 'Don't die, don't die.' I mean, what would I do? Could I find help? He looked as if he couldn't stand up anymore.

I played, a bit half-heartedly. I brought him a crab I'd found, and he smiled at me. But the next time I came towards him, I saw the other man. Red was standing up, and the other man was too close to him. The smells were confusing. The man smelled bad, really bad. I could sense tension, and fear. Even from Red – who doesn't seem to do fear very much. My instincts took over and I flew at this man and bit him hard on the arm. Then the leg. Red didn't shout at me, so I assumed I was doing right. The man stumbled off and Red made a huge fuss of me. I was happy. We were better friends after that.

He got better, and I went back to what he called day-care. It was fun, and he always came back for me. He taught me a new game, with a ball. I couldn't quite see the point, but I enjoyed being with him, and pleasing him. Did I think about my mom? I did, but not all the time. It's a dog's nature to live in the present. And the present seemed good. Different, but good.

So when he put me in the car again, I wasn't worried. When we stopped, I knew straight away where we were. My mom's home! I dragged Red to her door, and he was laughing. Then my mom was hugging and petting me, and it was all how it used to be. I'm a dog. I don't ask questions!

We all three slept in the same bed that night. I wondered if it was going to stay like that. I'd like it to, but it won't be up to me.

THE END - REALLY