Author's note

"One in a Million" has gotten so many wonderful, positive responses that I wanted to do another light, mostly cutesy oneshot (a pinch of angst), but other than the similar kind of 'light-heartedness', this story is unlike anything I've ever posted before, in almost facet there is to story-telling. Let me now if this is something you enjoy reading from me from time to time.

The first draft of this story dates back to 2006, but I've disregarded that version, I haven't even read it before tackling this concept anew, after suddenly being inspired to write it again. Although the general idea is the same, the title probably doesn't fit so well anymore. The title is a little silly and gimmicky and I can probably come up with something more befitting to the direction in which I took this idea, there is certainly a theme to pull inspiration for a title from, but it has been the title since that very first draft, so I'm stubbornly sticking with it.

Warnings: Some language (F-bomb), malexmale romance, Heero is OOC (sorrynotsorry!), fluff, not to be taken too seriously, NO SEX

A different point of view

Duo is my best friend. He's my only friend, but the same is true for him so that makes me feel less embarrassed. I've been living with him for two years now and I'm very grateful. Many say he rescued me and that is probably true, so now it is my responsibility to rescue him. I keep an eye out at night, when he's asleep upstairs and I make sure that the mailman doesn't get cheeky; halfway up the path is close enough if you ask me, pal. Never mind that the mail gets wet whenever he drops it, with winter snow on the ground.

I feel like I'm supposed to do more for Duo, but I trust that I'll recognize the opportunity to pay him back for his troubles and the good kibble when the situation presents itself.

I first met Duo when I was less than a year old. It was summer and it had been very hot outside. That's the strange thing about this place, the summers are extremely hot and the winters are incredibly cold. The cold I like, the heat not so much. The shift in temperature still catches me off guard sometimes. The humans I had been living with at the time, the first people to call me 'Perry', must have also not expected the heat to get as sweltering as it did, that first summer since I was born.

Baby and Honey – that's what they called each other most often, so I'm assuming those were their names – left me in the car in the parking lot for a couple of hours. They meant no harm, I'm sure, they had been forgetful lately, especially where I was concerned. They were preoccupied because Baby was pregnant, her belly was getting big. At the time I was too young to understand what that meant, I was only a puppy.

That car got really hot, parked in the sun in the middle of summer. I felt restless at first, at being left alone, but I soon started to feel drowsy and after a while it became difficult to breathe and I got sick. When Baby and Honey returned to the car and found me they were very scared. Baby sat in the back with me and held my head in her lap, stroking my ear in the exact way I had come to love. She shouted at Honey to make haste. I was only vaguely aware of the jerky movements of the vehicle. Baby was crying and I felt very bad about that. She was my human, I didn't want to make her cry! I wanted to make her happy. I licked her hand, as best as I could, but this only made her cry more.

By the time the car stopped I couldn't move at all and I could barely keep my eyes open.

Honey opened the car door and lifted me out of Baby's lap. He carried me inside some place where it smelled like a lot of other animals – dogs, cats, birds, rodents – but the most powerful smell of all was the scent of fear. I, however, was far too exhausted to escape Honey's hold. Baby followed us inside, I could hear her sobbing.

At the call of another human I was rushed into a private room and placed on a wonderfully cool surface but it did little to invigorate me.

Someone opened my eyes and shone a bright light in them. When the light moved away, I saw him, Duo, in a white coat that scared me for some reason, more so than his worried expression.

Duo was a 'vet' and apparently that meant he was the only person who could make me feel better and that was exactly what he did, though I still don't understand how or why.

I felt much better later that day, but I wasn't allowed to go home with Baby and Honey for a couple of days. I missed them very much and was very happy when they came to visit me every afternoon to see how I was doing. During one of those times I overheard them explaining to Duo – Dr. Maxwell, they called him – that it was an accident. They went into the doctor's office for one of Baby's routine check-ups, which shouldn't have lasted more than five minutes, but there had been a couple of complications. They had been so concerned about the consequences to their unborn child that they had forgotten about me, luckily the baby was fine after all. I could tell they felt very guilty and ashamed and if you asked me, there was nothing to forgive. Duo, however, was harsh on them, he warned them to never leave me in a car again and Baby and Honey solemnly vowed to not make that mistake a second time and it wasn't until they made that promise that Duo allowed them to take me home.

As I grew older I saw Duo a couple more times; twice a year for check-ups and injections. I was never scared like I could tell the other animals were, I felt safe with Duo and he was an excellent ear-scratcher, though not quite as talented as Baby.

In the meantime, Baby had her baby. What the young, new family member was really called, I could not tell. Sweetie, Angel, Beauty, Lily, Gumdrop, Precious, Baby Girl… it was too hard to keep track of. I settled on 'Sweetie'.

Everything was fine when Sweetie was still a baby. She would always be upstairs or in her crib and I was free to run around the house and play with Honey in the backyard whenever he could spare the time. But two years later it was Sweetie who was running around the house and I had to be really careful around her. Sweetie was tiny and I was enormous. Duo literally explained to my humans that I was a 'giant' Alaskan Malamute, when at my check-up I weighed over one-hundred and twenty pounds. He warned them that because I was still young, I might be too energetic and clumsy to be trusted around a toddler. So whenever Sweetie was downstairs, crawling and waddling around, they put the leash on me and tied me to the kitchen table.

That didn't last long. Honey felt guilty and he convinced Baby that it would be fine if they kept a close eye on me.

"He's not going to hurt her," Honey said, "He loves her!"

I did, I really did love Sweetie, as much as I loved any of them.

At his insistence I was allowed to walk around and for another year everything went fine, aside from a few minor incidents where my clumsiness had made Sweetie cry because I grabbed a toy or knocked her over. I'd get reprimanded – "Bad dog!" They'd say and that would make me feel very bad – but luckily it was never serious.

One summer day, however, things did not go fine.

I was lying on the carpet between the couch and the coffee table, playing with my chew toy. Sweetie was on her blanket on the floor not far away, also playing with her toys – though oddly, I hadn't seen her chew on anything since she was much younger and even then it was more of a suckling than a chewing.

Honey came home from work with a friend and that friend smelled like everything I had ever considered interesting and delicious and on top of that the friend grabbed one of my balls which was on the floor and he said to me: "Hey boy, want to come play?"

I did! I really did wanted to play! Baby was nice but she never wanted to play anymore, so the days were kind of boring. I jumped up and I rushed over to him, focused solely on the ball he held up. I felt myself bump into something in my rush and I thought it was the coffee table.

It wasn't the coffee table.

I had run past Sweetie and had accidentally knocked her over. The little thing had fallen and hit her head against the edge of the coffee table. She was bleeding and crying and Baby was screaming in panic. I wanted to go to them and lick away their pain, but Honey grabbed my collar and pulled me into my cage. I felt incredibly bad but he didn't even notice, he was paying very little attention to me. The friend was deathly pale, he felt responsible but I knew it was my fault.

"We have to go to the hospital," Honey said and that's what they did.

They didn't come home until very late at night. Baby went straight upstairs, carrying Sweetie. She couldn't even look at me. Honey kneeled down in front of me and looked at me through the wiring of the cage with pained eyes. "She's going to be fine," He told me, "But we were all very scared and upset…" He sighed. "This might not work out."

He left me in the cage for the night. I felt horrible and ashamed. I wanted to apologize to them, but they never understood me when I tried to tell them something.

That next morning Honey approached the cage with my leash and I thought we were going to go for a walk. He always took me for a walk before he went to work every day. But the atmosphere was different. There was a tension in the air that I could taste.

Baby was standing in the hallway, on the lowest step of the staircase. She had her arms wrapped around herself and she was shivering like she was cold, but it was summer so that didn't make any sense. Honey kept my leash short as he guided me outside and he stopped in the doorway and asked her: "Do you want to say goodbye?"

Baby shook her head and then covered her mouth with one hand and bit back a sob.

Honey nodded and started dragging me out of the house. I didn't want to go, I had to make Baby understand how sorry I was, I never meant to hurt Sweetie! I didn't want her to feel bad!

I knew what was happening. We weren't going for a walk. I knew I wouldn't be coming back, they wouldn't let me because they couldn't trust me.

When we were halfway down the driveway Baby suddenly yelled: "Wait!" She emerged from the house and ran out, on her bare feet. She knelt in front of me and pulled me into a tight embrace. I could feel her shaky breaths as she cried, grabbing handfuls of my fur as she held me close. Eventually she pulled back to look me in the eyes and she reached up to rub my ear the way only she knew how.

"I love you," She said and her lower lip trembled. "I love you so much."

I know, I tried to tell her, by licking her cheek. But you love Sweetie more. It's okay. I understand.

"I'm so sorry," She wept.

No, I'm sorry! I pressed my nose against her. She hugged me one last time and then got up from the ground and ran back into the house without ever looking back.

"Come on, buddy." Honey opened the trunk of the car and reluctantly I jumped in.

Twenty minutes later we arrived at the veterinary hospital where Duo worked. Honey led me inside by the leash and he was clearly upset when he tried to explain to the desk clerk that he wouldn't be taking me home. He didn't know where else to bring me but there.

The desk clerk nodded and she walked around the desk to take my leash from Honey. He walked away a few steps and stopped just in front of the automatic doors and turned around. I'll never forget the way he looked at me. Tears fell from his squinted eyes. After staring at me for a couple of seconds he shook his head and muttered: "Jesus Christ…" He scrubbed his face with his hands, rubbing away the tears and then he walked away.

I started howling pathetically and the noise drew Dr. Maxwell out of his exam room.

"What happened?" He asked and he immediately knelt in front of me to offer me comfort.

"There was an incident with the baby," The clerk explained forlornly. "He's too big for them, just like you told them before. He's too big for anyone to handle, I imagine."

"Is the baby girl alright?"

"She'll be okay, but she had a nasty cut and it took a couple of stitches."

Duo sighed and looked me in the eyes. "It's okay, Perry. I'm going to take care of you."

He did take of care me, just like he had the very first time I met him. He helped make me feel better. It took a lot longer that time, but eventually, I did feel better. I would never forget Baby, Honey or Sweetie, but Duo takes care of me in a way that they couldn't.

He doesn't just take me for walks every morning, no, we go running for five miles at the break of dawn every day. During his lunch hour we play in the park – Duo has an excellent arm, he can throw the ball really far! In the evenings he gets on his bike to run errands and stop by old patients and I have a harness to pull him along on his bike. In the fall and spring, when it's not too hot, we regularly go on long hikes on his days off and I have a special backpack to carry bottles of water, so many bottles that Duo hands them out to other hikers we come across. And at night he doesn't lock me up in a little cage like Baby and Honey did – it was my own fault, I shouldn't have destroyed the couch. Duo lets me sleep outside, in his big back yard, where it was nice and cool in the summer and in the winter it is great to curl up in the snow, cover my face with my fluffy tail and sleep with snowflakes falling all around me and I wake up covered by it, sometimes so deeply Duo can't find me.

Duo is nice but not easily outwitted, that took some getting used to. When he tells me to do something, I really have to do it. I won't be punished if I don't, but he'll look at me really angrily and I don't like that. So nowadays I sit, lie down, heel, stay, fetch, eat, roll over and play dead at his command but it's better that way. I like making him proud. I do what he says and he trusts me and always lets me off the leash and do my own thing in the park, that is a great feeling.

The only times I'm not allowed to roam free in the park is when Trooper is there. Trooper is a mixed-breed, medium sized dog, slender but muscular and mean as piss. There have been a number of incidents, but Trooper is never punished. His human always allows him to run around, even though he hasn't earned that freedom, because he never responds when his human calls him. Trooper bullies other dogs, he scares them and chases them around. Sometimes it comes to a fight and Trooper is the kind of dog to really use his teeth. Only thanks to luck it has never been serious enough to get him in real trouble. Duo always calls me and puts the leash on me when he spots Trooper and then we promptly leave. Duo is not afraid that the bully will hurt me, he has explained. He worries that if Trooper ever attacks me, and push comes to shove, I'll seriously injure him or even kill him and then I'll be the one in real trouble. You see, I'm six years old now and weigh nearly one hundred and forty pounds and it's not fat either, it's sheer size and muscle. I'm over twice as big as any other dog that frequents the park and that includes Trooper.

I don't care that we have to leave though. I might be the only dog who isn't scared of that bully, but the park is no longer any fun when he's around; the atmosphere changes and humans and dogs alike get nervous. That's no fun. When that happens we go home and simply play fetch in the quiet street or in the back yard.

Duo loves playing with me and unlike Honey and Baby he doesn't tire easily and he sometimes even wrestles with me, that's how unafraid he is.

But I worry about him. I don't think it's normal for a human's only friend to be a dog, because there is a lot about his life that I don't understand.

He wasn't always lonely. Until last winter – almost exactly a year ago, come to think of it – he was a pretty happy-go-lucky, social guy. Lots of his friends came over and one friend in particular seemed very special to him. This guy, that he called 'Solo', oftentimes spent the night and in the morning Solo would sneak downstairs and I would watch him through the windows as he quietly prepared breakfast. Duo would thank him by kissing him on the mouth. Honey always kissed Baby on the mouth and nobody else and they were married and clearly in love, so I think Duo and Solo were the same as Honey and Baby, because they, too, only kissed each other on the mouth. That is pretty unusual, I realize, because most human couples I've seen consist of one male and one female, but I don't pretend to understand the ways of the human. Duo and Solo treated it like a normal thing, so I assume that's what it was; normal.

I liked Solo. He could throw the ball really far as well and he never did the fake-throw – which Duo does a little bit too often for my liking, but it makes him laugh so I guess it's okay.

Solo started bringing boxes over, heavy boxes and he gathered them in the garage. Duo and Solo would argue about where to put 'his stuff'. The more boxes came, the more they argued. Duo had gotten a little bit too used to his freedom, so it was an adjustment for him. I know this because he explained it like that to Solo often enough. Their fights never lasted and Solo kept bringing more boxes.

The garage was filling up with boxes quicker than they could empty them. The garage became overstuffed. I liked going in there, into the maze of boxes and lie down. I always liked being in the garage because the floor was cold and the petroleum smell of Duo's motorcycle reminded me of him. I liked the boxes because they smelled strongly of Solo and the mix of scents was perfect.

One day Duo came home late from work, alone and that was unusual, because Solo had been sleeping over every night by then.

I was outside, in the backyard. I was never in the house unsupervised while Duo was away at work. He shuffled through the living room to the back door to let me in. I was apprehensive because he was behaving oddly. He knelt down in front of me and tossed his bangs out of his face to reveal his pained expression.

"It's just you and me now, Perry."

And it was. Solo never came back. I don't know what happened, Duo never said. I'm only a dog after all. And there was never another friend, never another sleepover.

In the next couple of days people came by to pick up a handful of boxes at a time, until eventually the garage was empty again except for the motorcycle and Solo's scent disappeared for good.

It's been a year, so he is not sad anymore, like he used to be, but he has become fearful around other people. I can smell it on him. He is nervous around them and interacts as little as possible. He's different around kids, he still likes them and seeks their company, but adults intimidate him. I don't think it's normal. After Solo he is clearly afraid of getting hurt again. He has been abandoned, just like I was abandoned by Honey and Baby. Maybe he made a mistake, like I had, but I'm sure he should just forgive himself and it was my job to help him get over it, like he helped me get over Honey and Baby.

I don't know how yet, but I would figure it out.

It is winter – the coldest winter in twenty years, according to the man in the television – but neither Duo nor I mind the cold. In fact, we both love it. I was sleeping outside, covered by a thick blanket of snow but I wake up when I the back door open with that familiar creak. My ears twitch, flicking away the snow and I hear him laugh, as I imagine only my two wedge-shaped ears are poking out of the snow. I raise my head and blink at him, still tired.

"Oh, I'm sorry, old man," He mocks. "Too early for ya, is it?"

I wait until he is close and then I jump up and shake the snow out of my fur. I can hear it hit his ski-pants and thick, dark parka. His gloved hands shield his face. I make use of the opportunity to sneak up on him and I rear up on my hind legs and press my big paws against his chest. When I lean my weight on him he easily topples over, his fall is cushioned by the thick snow.

"Fine! Fine! You're young! You're still young! Prime of your life!" He fends me off when I move in to slobber all over his face. "Perry! Perry, get off me, you oaf!"

I do as instructed and innocently lay down next to him.

He watches me with mirthful eyes. "Crazy beast," He says and he digs his hands into my mane and presses a kiss on the top of my snout. Then he ruffles the fur sticking up wildly between my two far-apart ears and he leans some of his weight on me as he gets up on his feet.

"The clinic is closed today for anything but emergencies," He explains as if that means anything to me. "Doctor Hardy is on call for those, so I have the day off."

My ears perk up at that. A day off? That is always a good thing! I watch him intently as he walks to the shed at the back of the yard and he emerges carrying the wooden sled and my harness for the bike.

"Whaddaya say? Should we take this and head to the park?"

I scramble up to my feet and enthusiastically wag my tail. "Woooo!" That's about all I can say to the humans and they hardly ever know what it means, but that's okay. We don't always understand what they're saying either and we're supposed to be the smart ones.

He laughs and tucks the sled and harness under his arm. He locks the kitchen door and we leave through the back gate. The park is only two blocks away and with this kind of snow there won't be any cars riding around, so he doesn't bother with the leash. However, he does call my name in a warning tone when my excitement causes me to walk ahead a little too far. I get the hint and wait for him to catch up and then stick to his side.

I like the rustling sound his ski-pants make, I think to myself.

We arrive at the park and it's still pretty quiet. But a lot of snow and no work means there will be no school either, so soon the park will be filled with children and I can hardly wait. Since I'm with Duo there have never been any incidents with kids. He doesn't allow me to play with the really young ones, but the slightly bigger ones are okay. They don't knock over as easily and when they do they laugh and use the position to tickle my belly. In the summer I go swimming with them in the lake and they mock my pathetic attempts at catching the geese. In the winter I pull them around on the sled.

Duo props the sled up against a tree and produces my favorite ball from his pocket.

I bounce excitedly and howl at him, urging him to throw it.

When the ball goes flying I race after it, making sure I'm looking up and tracking it in the sky, or else it will be difficult for me to find it once it lands in the snow. I see it land and I'm right on its tail! It doesn't bounce in the snow, which is too bad, it's far too easy to catch when it doesn't bounce, but it's still fun to dig it out of the snow. I find it quickly and victoriously I strut back over to my human.

Only once we lost a ball because I couldn't track it down. The striped ball. I still miss that ball. I dream about it sometimes.

I let Duo take the ball from me – this one is spotted.

We play fetch for a while and luckily he only fake-throws it once and I don't fall for it, I see him bring his arm down and hold the ball behind his back.

"Woooo!" Asshole.

"Smart-ass," He says with a grin and then he throws it for real and I chase after it with vigor. I leap up and I catch it mid-air and I hear Duo applaud me from across the field.

As expected, kids start coming to the park and after making some of the local kids whine a bit, for his own twisted amusement, Duo fits me with my harness and attaches it to the sled. They take turns on the sled, sometimes two at a time. I love pulling the sled around the park, racing up and down the faint slopes. I always make sure to check on Duo. He uses the time to rest, taking a seat in the snow. He doesn't sit on one of the benches, because he knows that if he does one of the parents will come sit next to him and want to talk to him. He probably likes the kids because they never ask him anything personal, they are only ever interested in me.

Around noon Duo decides it has been long enough. The parents eagerly take their children home, sick of standing around in the cold. He waves the kids goodbye and then drops down on one knee in front of me and starts unclasping the harness.

I whirl my big head around when I hear something land close by me, but it disappears in the snow. The next thing I hear is someone calling from across the field: "Sorry!" He's so far away I can barely see him, the wind must have gotten hold of whatever toy he had thrown.

Then suddenly I become aware of a dog rushing towards me and I stare dumbly as she sniffs the snow where the toy disappeared. She can't find it and she looks back at her owner.

Duo chuckles and he reaches over. His hand goes into the snow and when he brings it up he is holding a polka-dotted ball.

How did he do that?!

He throws the ball back in the direction of where it came from and the dog goes chasing after it – I nearly do too. Duo waves at the other human when the man calls "Thanks!", and then Duo turns his attention back to me. "Time to head home, Perry."

I don't want to go home. I want to go meet that other dog! She seemed nice. I howl pathetically but he shakes his head at me and starts walking away. I know better than not to follow, so begrudgingly I ignore my curiosity and I go home with him.

But that was only the first of many times we would see that dog and her human.

The snow doesn't relent, but Duo decides he has to go to work anyway. However, he still makes it a point to trek home every day during his lunch break to take me to the park so I can get my exercise. It seems noon is the time that other dog and her human also visit the park for some much-deserved playtime. We don't meet until one day Duo and her human throw the ball at the same time and they end up close together. She's much faster and she is already there, picking her ball out of the snow by the time I arrive. This time, she comes over to say 'hello', never releasing her toy. We thoroughly sniff each other. I totally forget about my spotted ball.

She is medium-sized, with a very thick coat, floppy ears and a fluffy tail. She is a silvery grey with irregular black spots on her back and tan and white points on her legs and snout. Her eyes are bright and piercing. She's young and energetic and prances around me, looking me up and down.

We both look back when her human calls: "Blue! Come here girl!"

Her tail starts to wag and without a second thought she sprints back to him.

I like her, I decide, but then I remember I was supposed to fetch my ball. I scour the snow and find it shortly after and I run it back to Duo to have him throw it again.

Blue and I meet up more often like that. Duo doesn't like it, it makes him nervous. He's afraid that our friendship will mean that her human will approach him at some point. He actively prevents that from happening, walking away when the other comes nearer, pretending not to notice. I see him fishing his phone out of his pocket a lot and he just stares at the blank screen. The behavior discourages Blue's friend from coming over to meet him.

I would leave it alone if I believed that he truly isn't interested in the other man, but I know my human better than that. He is my best friend after all. I see the way he glances up from his phone. I remember that look. That was how he used to look at Solo. The difference was that back then, he wouldn't waste much time looking, he would go introduce himself. He used to be very good at making friends, he easily made others laugh. He could still be that way, he just needed nudge!

I wait patiently for the next time we run into Blue and her friend. I don't have to wait long.

We enter the park, only a few days after I have concocted a plan to get Duo to meet Blue's human friend, and I see her running around, hunting her ball. Duo purposefully picks a spot at the other end of the field, thinking he can prevent interaction like that. He doesn't have a clue of what I'm planning to do. He starts throwing the ball and I play along innocently – I can't say I don't enjoy it. I know he will eventually do a fake throw and at that point I would set my plan in motion. I can always trust Duo to try the fake-throw at least once. He loves fooling me, although he hasn't succeeded in quite some time.

After about ten minutes of running back and forth through the park, fetching my spotted ball, the moment has come.

I spot the grin on his face and I know he is about to try to trick me. The hand that holds the ball pulls back and then his arm makes a mighty swing forward. I can see he is holding on to the ball tightly, he isn't going to let go. But I don't stare at him and watch him drop his arm and hide his hand behind his back, like I usually do when I see through his act. I turn around and I start sprinting, as if I genuinely believed he made the toss.

He is laughing smugly, thinking I have fallen for his deceit, like the young fool that I used to be. But his laughter hitches in the back of his throat when he sees what direction I'm going in; I'm heading straight for the spot where Blue is playing tug-of-war with her human.

"Perry!" He calls after me. "Perry!"

Nu-uh, I think, you are going to have to come after me.

This is the first time I've played deaf with Duo in a long time and I feel a little bad about it, but I know it is ultimately for his own good. It is fine that we were best friends, but he needs a human friend also. As much as I wish I could, I can't give him everything, he needs more in his life than just a dog. So I ignore his calls and my own gnawing feeling of guilt at my betrayal of his trust and I stick to my trajectory: heading towards Blue and her friend, under the pretense that I thought my ball had landed somewhere near them.

I put more weight on my hind legs to slow down when I get close and I narrowly avoid bowling over Blue's human.

Blue trots towards me and tries to engage me in play, but I need to keep up my game of pretend, so I plow my snout through the snow, supposedly searching for my toy. Blue bumps her nose into me and she barks when I ignore her.

I want to play! She's telling me.

Give me a second, I urge, I'm on the job.

She cocks her head at me, confused, and one of her ears flops over.

"Hey boy, are you looking for your ball?" The human's voice is nice and deep and vibrates as he speaks. He pronounces his words in a way that I haven't ever heard before.

I take my nose out of the snow and hold still as he walks up to me and lowers himself down on one knee in front of me. The first thing I notice about him are his eyes, which are bright and piercing, just like Blue's. His complexion is golden, but his nose was a different shade due to the cold. His wild hair blows around his face and the ends of the tendrils tremble as he shivers in the cold. I don't know why he is cold, he is wearing a thick coat.

"Perry!" Duo's voice is far away but I hear him pant so I know he running towards me.

"Perry, huh?" Blue's human remarks with a smile. He reaches up and grabs my left ear and he caresses it in a way that I thought only Baby knew how and I get a nice, fuzzy feeling about him.

I howl softly and I like that his smile widens and brightens.

He looks up just when Duo's footfalls in the snow become deafening.

"Sorry," Duo breathes and he holds my ball in front of my nose. "I have it right here, you oaf."

"You have an amazing dog," Blue's human observes.

I look up at Duo. Hear that? Not an oaf, amazing!

My friend croaks in response: "Thanks."

I smell the nerves on him, as can Blue.

"What kind of breed is he? He looks like a wolf."

I roll my tongue out, flattered by his compliment. An amazing wolf.

"Alaskan Malamute."

Duo is always really talkative with me, so his curt replies are odd to me. He doesn't even sound like himself. His tone is monotonous and boring.

"He's so big," Blue's human buries his hands into my thick mane.

"Thanks," Duo says and I can tell that he knows his response isn't entirely appropriate.

He stands up and Blue and I both watch them shake hands and introduce themselves.

"I'm Heero Yuy, nice to meet you."

"Duo Maxwell," He states gruffly, returning none of the friendliness that Heero is offering him.

Duo has his arm stretched out as far as he can, to keep a distance between them that he feels most comfortable with. It looks horribly awkward and I feel bad when I see the expression on both their faces. Duo looks to be in extreme discomfort and Heero looks hurt, he can tell Duo isn't enjoying meeting him and he is taking it the wrong way, thinking Duo doesn't like him. His body language changes as soon as their hands release; he pulls his shoulders up and wraps his arms around himself and it's not because he's cold, it's because Duo is making him feel insecure.

Blue glances at me and her icy eyes speak volumes: Look what you've done. He was in a perfectly good mood and now he's upset.

Sorry… I drop my ears to convey my regret.

Blue walks around them and retrieves her rope from the snow and while holding it in her jaws she presses her nose against Heero's legs and squeaks, urging him to continue to play, intending to cheer him up.

"I'll guess I'll see you around," Heero says and he raises his hand in a halfhearted wave. "Bye. Bye, Perry!"

"Woooo!"

He smiles, I'm grateful, I don't want him to feel bad. He looks at Duo one last time and then he grabs the other end of the short, thick rope and lets Blue pull him along.

"What was that all about, huh? Don't tell me you are trying to play Cupid."

I make my eyes big and innocent, hoping to endear him into forgiving me.

"Very cute." He sighs and kneels in front of me. "I don't need you to be matchmaker, okay? I don't need anybody in my life but you."

That is a lie and we both know it.

His lips form a sad smile. "He was very handsome though, you have a good eye."

My tail brushes along the snow as I wag it.

"Come on, buddy, time to go home." He gets up and walks away, heading for the park exit. I follow him, with my head held low.

He doesn't say anything on the way home and he has me worry that I really screwed up. I thought he would like Heero, the man smelled good, had a nice, soothing voice and he was an excellent ear-scratcher, what's not to like? Apparently, it isn't quite as simple for humans, not for Duo, at least, not any more. Maybe humans are more like cats; critical and fussy. When I spend time with Duo at the clinic in the summers, when it is too hot for him to leave me in the back yard so he takes me to the chilled building where he worked, I meet a lot of cats and they never seem to like anybody, least of all me. They're scared, but their fear causes them to lash out, sometimes they scratch up Duo's arms or the nurse's arms. Their fear manifests itself as rage and aggression. It makes them very unlikable.

I look up at him, waiting for him to unlock the door to the house. Was he afraid of Heero? Was that why he was being so nasty?

It feels wrong to compare my human to cat. I don't like cats very much and I love Duo! I hope he never finds out I related him to a nasty cat.

I duck my head and slip into the hallway as soon as the door opens. I stop and take a seat on the tiled floor and Duo grabs a towel from the radiator and he uses it to rub me dry. I don't like this part, it is very boring, but I like it less when Duo scowls at me if I get the carpet dirty, so this is better. I spot a tiny spider on the ceiling and fix my gaze on it, following it as it starts to move around the overhead lamp.

Duo's motions slow down until all he's doing is holding the towel to my back.

I tear my gaze away from the little pest on the ceiling and study his face. His eyes are distant and clearly his thoughts are preoccupied. I push my black, wet nose against his cheek and it startles him.

The light returns to his eyes and he lets out a single laugh. "Sorry about that. Wow, I was miles away, wasn't I?"

Don't go anywhere I can't follow you.

He continues to towel-dry my fur. When he is satisfied that I won't ruin the furniture, he hangs the towel over the radiator again and opens the hallway door to the living room. "Perry?"

I'm staring at the spider again, it's moving down the wall, past the mirror, just a little closer and I can…

Duo moves in and he grabs the spider, pinching the little thing between his thumb and index finger. It's quite incredible how dexterous the humans are. He opens the front door and puts the creature on the branch of an evergreen plant.

I whine softly. I only wanted to play with it. I quickly forget about it when Duo kicks my spotted ball across the living room floor and I hurry after it. Once I've got it I carry it to my pillow, only to realize some of my other toys are missing. Sometimes I misplace them, other times Duo hides them on purpose, with a smirk. It's okay though, I can track them down easily. My squeaky-bone is in the kitchen behind the trash bin. Moose is under the couch, just far enough to make it a challenge for me to get him, but not far enough that I absolutely can't reach. My chew toy is on the dresser and I'm easily tall enough to grab it. The tennis ball is on the couch, Duo put a pillow over it but I can smell it. When I reach for it he puts some of his weight on the cushion, but I dig with my snout until I can close my jaws around the ball and I pull it out. Triumphantly I gather all my toys around me on my pillow and I lie down, surrounded by them, and curl up.

I expect Duo to either turn on the TV or to get up and prepare lunch, but he does neither. I crack one eye open to spy on him and he's just sitting there, in silence, staring into thin air. I grab Moose by his only remaining antler and I head over to Duo, maneuvering my big body around the coffee table. He doesn't even notice my approach, even though I imagine I'm pretty hard to miss. I place Moose on his lap. Moose always makes me feel better, he's good company. I hope Moose will lift Duo's spirits.

Duo smiles at me. With one hand he pets Moose and with the other he pets the top of my head.

"I feel like a jerk," He says.

You're not a jerk!

"I was really shitty to that guy. And you probably just wanted to play with his dog, right?"

I don't know why Duo keeps asking me questions, since we've figured out a long time ago that I can't answer him in a way he understands, the poor thing.

Then he tells me to forget all about it and he hoists himself up from the coach and fixes us both a hearty lunch.

If he feels bad about how he treated Heero, maybe a do-over is in order…

I gobble up my lunch and then settle on my pillow for a nice nap. In my dream Blue and I are playing with the striped ball.

A few days later when we are back at the park I see Blue and her friend right away. I jump up excitedly but don't race off. I look over my shoulder at Duo, awaiting his permission.

He is chewing on the inside of his cheek but with a dismissive hand-gesture he says: "Sure, go ahead, make friends."

My intentions aren't as selfish as he implies. I know that if I go play with Blue, our two humans will talk eventually, that's how I always see it happen in the park. When dogs become friends, so do their humans. Or vice versa? It doesn't matter. I would be his wingman, just like in the movies. With my tail swinging uncontrollably behind me I sprint towards Blue. When I'm nearby I stop and lower my chest down into the snow, but keep my rear up.

"Wooowooo!"

She barks and pulls on her leash.

"Alright, alright!" Heero laughs. He bends forwards and unhooks the clasp, setting Blue free.

She hurls towards me, her slight body is fast and flexible. Before she can jump on me I shoot up and avoid her. When I start to run she chases after me and she's much faster. As she runs alongside me, she's grabbing mouthfuls of my fur and tries to pull me over. Her bites are gentle and playful. Suddenly I veer to the left and knock her over. We both roll through the snow but she is quick to get up on her paws and then it is my turn to chase her and she gives me a hard time with her sharp turns and crazy leaps. We race in circles around our humans though, even as we play, we have to keep an eye on them.

I get distracted when Duo finally closes the distance between him and Heero and Blue abuses my absentmindedness to double back and wrestle me to the ground. She's a total lightweight but with the element of surprise on her side I topple over and in a flash she's already off me and she brushes her fluffy talk by my snout, adding insult to injury.

With her high-pitched bark she teases me. The bigger they are…

The worse it is when they sit on you! I howl in return and I scramble upright to hunt her down.

Blue easily outmaneuvers me, much to my horror. But what I lack in speed and agility I make up for in endurance. I can run around for hours, even through the thick snow and she is already panting heavily, struggling to plow through.

Our friends are just standing there, side by side, a few feet apart. They both have their arms crossed in front of his chest. Duo is being sulky, but Heero just seems cold, like last time. Neither of them say anything, they are both using the spectacle of our game as an excuse to not have to talk.

Blue barks: Is your friend a cat-person?

Don't call him that! Only I'm allowed to think along those lines, if others do it's simply rude.

He's so stand-offish! She innocently explains.

He's just shy, I argue.

No, Heero is shy, your friend is being catty.

He's not a cat… I think to myself, sullen.

With our game interrupted Blue prances back to her human and then curiously sniffs at Duo.

Duo chuckles uncomfortably but he kneels down to properly greet her. He takes off one glove and lets her smell his hand before he scratches her ear and trails his hand down to rake his fingers through her smooth, white mane. "What a beautiful Australian Shepherd," He remarks.

I'm excited he has finally said something and I've been around Duo long enough to know people light up when he compliments their pets.

"Thank you." Heero drops down to his knees as well and strokes Blue's back. "Her name is Blue."

"Great name." He turns his head and briefly makes eye-contact with Heero. He quickly looks back at the dog. "Incredible eyes…"

I tilt my head, for whatever reason I suspect it weren't Blue's eyes that he was so enamored with. It were Heero's eyes which had made him blush and tense up after all.

Heero nods but doesn't speak. His teeth are chattering.

"Are you cold?" Duo questions. "Maybe you need a new coat." He eyes the seemingly perfectly fine parka the other man is wearing, similar to his own.

"It's not the coat. At least I hope not, it cost a fortune. I'm not used to the cold yet, that's all."

"Oh." Duo stares at Blue and I can see his face contorts as he realizes he should say more, but it's not easy for him. Heero intimidates him, but I can't fathom why. Duo is much bigger than him, just like I am much bigger than that bully Trooper and I am certainly not afraid of him. "Did you-… Did you recently move here?"

Heero bares white teeth in a smile. "Yes, I'm new here."

"I thought so," My friend says and then he makes a face. "I don't mean… what I mean… I- You have an accent, I noticed."

Heero chuckles at Duo's struggle to make conversation and I thought it was kind of mean but it seemed to put Duo at ease.

"Where are you from?" He inquires, getting a little bit more confident.

"I just moved here from Australia."

Duo raises his eyebrow. "Australia, really? I wouldn't have guessed…"

"But before that I lived in Japan," Heero elaborates. "Born and raised."

Duo nods as if that explains everything. I do not understand what they were talking about. "So you went from an Australian summer straight into a Minnesotan winter?"

"Hmhm."

"No wonder you're cold."

Heero nods. "People keep telling me I'll get used to it but so far the only one of us who is truly enjoying the snow is Blue."

"Yes, Australian Shepherds have a warm enough coat. Just to be sure, she should probably not spend too much time outside too soon, give her time to really build up a winter coat." He feels her ears and her paws. "The extremities are still nice and warm, so I think she's handing the cold just fine." Offhandedly he adds: "I'm a vet, by the way."

"Really? Where? I'm still looking for a good clinic. V-E-T's make Blue quite nervous normally."

Duo chuckles. "The clinic on Pine street. It's out of sight and the long driveway is sandwiched between two residences, so it's easy to miss, but it's about halfway down the street. If you're approaching from Main street, it's to the left and the entry comes right after the house with the red door. If you see a god-awful statue of an eagle, you've missed it and you have to make a U-turn."

He is rambling, why is he rambling?

"Thanks."

"Sure… Sure…" Duo nods and looks away

"Is it okay if I ask for you when we come to the clinic?"

Duo swallows audibly. "Yeah… Sure. Just ask for Duo Maxwell."

A smile spreads across Heero's lips. "I remember your name."

He scratches his ear. He is blushing. "Right."

All four of us look to the right when we hear aggressive, incessant barking. I'm disappointed when I see Trooper bouncing up and down at the base of one of the massive trees, barking at a squirrel most likely. Nobody likes squirrels but he doesn't have to be so high-strung about it, it's unnerving. I know his presence means that Duo will want to leave and sure enough it takes Duo only a second to get up on his feet and announce that we must head home.

"Be mindful of that dog," Duo warns Heero. "He's a mean one."

"Okay, thanks."

"Bye," He says over his shoulder and he is already walking away. It seems like he is happy Trooper provided him an excuse to cut the conversation short.

I gave Blue a look. Sorry, I'll see you next time.

"Woof!" Bye!

With quickened pace I catch up to my friend. He is in a hurry to get out of there and it's not because of Trooper. It was going so well, I don't understand the rush! That squirrel – imagined or not – will keep Trooper occupied for a few more minutes at least. Duo was doing so well! He resembled his old self, when he was social and chatty, why would he want to leave so abruptly and rudely?

We arrive home and he lets me into the back yard through the gate. He looks down at his watch and grumbles. "Oh Hell, I might as well head back to the clinic early. You be good, okay?"

"Wooooo!"

"That's what I thought. I'll see you later." He steps back and closes the gate.

Staring at the gate I sulk for a few minutes.

Damn Trooper, he ruins everything. Pitchy little thing better not think I'm afraid of him or something, just because my human takes me home every time Trooper comes to the park.

We meet Blue and Heero at the park a few more times, but it never amounts to anything. Heero is very pleasant and Duo grows comfortable with him. He's always tense to start off with, but after a while he visibly relaxes. That is, until they accidentally touch, like when their hands meet when they're both stroking either me or Blue. Duo gets very stiff and awkward whenever that happens and Heero always mirrors that behavior. I keep hoping one of them will suggest to 'have dinner' or 'get coffee together'. The act of going out for coffee or dinner was some sort of human ritual that apparently serves as an initiation to a relationship. It was how Duo and Solo got close, the second time they met Duo offered to buy him coffee and that was how it all started. Running into each other at the park wasn't enough for humans. With their underdeveloped sense of smell and odd social inhibitions, casual run-ins aren't enough for them to decide if they like each other and if there is a foundation to build a relationship on.

Consumption of either drink – 'coffee' – or food – 'dinner' – was key, or so I had gleaned.

I enjoy playing with Blue every chance I get, but I'm easily distracted by Duo's callow responses to Heero's unsubtle hints, which are obvious, even to the humans of seeing-eye-dogs. The guy even said once: "I'm so cold, it's going to take a big cup of coffee to warm me up."

I asked Blue once why Heero didn't just ask Duo out for coffee or dinner, we could both tell he wanted to.

Blue explained that Heero's last human friend left him heartbroken and insecure. She didn't get into the details, but I paid close attention to the short snippets of conversation our two humans had with each other and I pieced his story together to the best of my abilities. Blue helpfully filled in the blanks.

He had been living with a man in Japan, where he was born and raised, but this man moved to Australia for business. The man, referred to as 'Kouta', begged for Heero to come with him; begged him to leave everything behind, uproot his life and move to Australia with him. Heero didn't want to, growing up in a small town he wasn't very adventurous and his English was poor. He was afraid of becoming lonely, with Kouta away at work all day, and becoming purposeless. However, he was more afraid of losing Kouta, so he moved South with the man. He soon did grow lonely, his lacking English left him alienated from the community he had moved into. To make him feel better, Kouta came home with a gift one day: a puppy, an Australian shepherd. Duo interjected at that part of the story to routinely inform him that the Australian shepherd, as a breed, wasn't really from Australia but from the United States. That seemed completely irrelevant to me, but it successfully eased Heero's tension at the time. He had chuckled and then continued with his story. He named the puppy Blue and Blue was his only friend. His English improved, but he explained it was easier to just avoid people, he was still ashamed of his accent and poor vocabulary. Kouta teased him about it too. Kouta liked that Heero was cooped up at home all day, because out of boredom he kept the apartment clean, did the laundry and had dinner ready for him every evening. Kouta enjoyed him being his 'little wifey'. And Heero had himself convinced that it was enough for him, that he didn't need anyone other than Kouta and Blue.

A year later he found out Kouta had been 'cheating' on him, for a long time and with many people. He never explained what that meant, 'cheating', but judging by Duo's sorrowful expression he understood. It was a human thing, I think. The relationship ended and that was when Heero relocated to a house only a few block removed from ours. He hadn't yet explained why he had moved here, but he didn't want to stay in Australia and going back to Japan felt like moving backwards when he needed to 'go forward and never look back'. When he said "Blue is still my one and only friend", I had hoped Duo would say that he was his friend also, I think that would have made Heero feel much better, but he didn't say that.

I don't think Duo is obtuse or mean. He is scared, much like Heero is scared. Maybe Duo was 'cheated on' as well.

At home Duo is oftentimes lost in his own thoughts, especially on those days when we run into Heero and Blue. I suspect he's thinking about Heero, when he stares into thin air with narrowed, focused eyes, as if he sees something.

I have a feeling Heero and Duo would be a good fit. Duo looks at Heero the way he used to look at Solo, in the beginning; alternating his gaze between the eyes and the lips. Heero did the same. I think that means something. And Blue told me Heero kissed Kouta – another man – on the lips, like I told her Duo kissed Solo – also a male – on the lips. We both realized that is an unusual trait in our humans and we agreed that this connects them somehow, in a way that is beyond our understanding as dogs.

Blue wants to make Heero happy, and since Heero is her human that is her responsibility, that is her job. It is a job all us dogs do, out of love. She sees the same thing I see; that our friends make each other happy, even though they are both afraid to admit that and open up to those feelings.

It took little to persuade her that further trickery is necessary to get them both to realize they should 'go out for coffee'. I have spent enough evenings on the couch with my friend, watching old movies, to know that nothing works quite like having one rescue the other. Those situations always end very romantically. Of course we can't cuff either of them to a railroad-track in the path of a run-away train, but I have a plan that I hope will work.

The next time we happen to see each other at the park, Blue is going to run away, or pretend anyway. She is going to hide in the bushes and Duo and I will help Heero find her. Surely, when we are all reunited again, coffee or dinner will be in order!

It's a Saturday and we haven't seen Heero and Blue at the park since last Tuesday, which is not unusual. But we always end up at the park at the same time on the weekends, so I'm jittery knowing that the plan will go into effect as soon as Blue spots us coming into the park.

Duo is nervous too and for a moment Iworry that he is somehow onto me, but I shake my head at myself. Duo can't even decipher what I'm saying when I'm trying my hardest to make him understand, let alone when I'm being secretive about it. Still though, he fusses with his hair in front of the mirror and constantly readjusts the new scarf he purchased last Thursday. I smell his anxiety, but it's of an excited kind. He is looking forward to seeing Heero. I'm certain my plan will be successful! I've seen people hug Duo before when he saves their pets, today he is going to 'save' Blue and Heero is going to hug them and then they will finally know how the other feels. Surely they can pick that up in each other's scents when they are that close, humans do have some sense of smell, right?

"Wooo! Woooo!" I howl. Why are you taking so long?!

"Don't rush me!" He snaps and he appraises his reflection one last time. He forces on a smile but it falters. He pulls his braid over his shoulder, flips it back and then pulls it to the front again. "What do you think? Front or back?"

Does it matter? I simply stare at him.

"Right," He chuckles at himself. "I keep forgetting your just a dog."

Excuse me, not 'just a dog'! An amazing wolf! I let out a long howl to illustrate my point.

"Okay! Okay! I'm ready. I'm coming. Hold your horses."

I don't have any horses.

He finally tears himself away from the mirror – and apparently he has decided on braid in front – and he leads the way out the front door.

It's still snowing. Sometimes it snows for long that I wonder if summer will ever return. I wouldn't mind it if it didn't. The white blanket that covers the street is thick but cars still stubbornly plow through. The wind has created a bank of snow at the end of the street and Duo lumbers around it but I burst right through, earning myself a laugh from my best friend. I shake off the excess snow and strut after him, all the while wagging my tail in anticipation.

I pause at the park's entry and scan the grounds. In the distance I see Heero and Blue and Blue immediately notices me, she has been waiting for me.

Duo sees them too but pretends he doesn't. I don't know why he bothers. It's like he's playing a strange game; a game that nobody knows the rules to and nobody really seems to be enjoying…

He holds the ball in front of my nose, grabbing my attention and then he flings it across the field. The wind picks it up and it goes so far that it nearly reaches the lake at the far end. I chase after it, charging through the snow. There is practically no one at the park, it's too cold for most people and the man inside the television said a snowstorm is expected to hit the town later in the day. I love snowstorms; when the wind picks up the snow gets blown all around and it creates white whirlwinds in our backyard that I like to attack. Other people don't seem to care too much for them though. Not even Duo, he calls them a 'frigid nuisance' but they never stop him from taking me to the park. One of many reasons why he is my best friend.

I find the ball near the base of a tree and I look up to scan the branches momentarily, wondering if what I heard was a squirrel or just the wind. I don't see anything, so I head back towards Duo who is still lingering by the exit, as if he doesn't want to cross the field to say hello to Heero.

I'm not even halfway back to him when I hear a voice echo.

"Blue!"

I stop and watch Heero – his figure tiny in the distance – walk in circles calling out Blue's name.

Duo is looking over at him as well. Absentmindedly he calls to me: "Perry, come over here."

I come to him and drop the ball at his feet but he pays it no attention. He keeps staring at Heero.

Heero isn't thinking about us. The tone of his voice shifts and he gives me the shivers when he calls again: "Blue!"

I eye my friend expectantly. This is the part of the plan where he is supposed to head over and offer his help, but he just stands there.

"Blue! Blue, come here girl!"

We don't have time to stand here and thinks things over! Who knows how long Blue can resist the call of her human? I take charge of matters and I nudge Duo's leg urgently with my snout.

"Right, shit. Let's go." He picks up the ball and puts it in the deep pocket of his parka and then he jogs in Heero's direction.

Finally! I run alongside him.

"Blue!" He turns around himself and desperate eyes land on Duo when he sees him coming towards him.

"Hey, Heero. Is everything okay?"

"I can't find her," His voice is a little panicked.

"Okay, okay. Don't worry. It'll be fine. I'm going to help you find her."

Duo to the rescue. "Woooo!"

My friend nods at me. "Perry is also going to help."

"Thanks. Thank you." He takes a deep breath.

"How long has she been gone?"

"Only a minute or so. She was right over there," He pointed to a bench by a line of trees. "She was just walking around, exploring… I look away for like a second and all of a sudden I don't see her anywhere."

"Has she run away before?"

"No! Why would I let her off leash if I think she would ever run away? This isn't like her at all. She always comes back when I call her."

"I'm sorry, I know." He touches his shoulder briefly to offer him comfort. "She's probably chasing down a squirrel or something. Let's start by looking for her in that patch of trees over there." Duo leads the way and Heero and I follow. They call out Blue's name while we scour the park and I howl and sniff the ground, pretending to be useful.

We search around every tree and under every bush. They keep calling her name but she never appears, not even as time drags on and even I start to get worried.

Heero and Duo approach the few people that are in the park, asking if they've seen an Australian shepherd but none of them are able to help us.

The last man they talk to reeks of the cigar he is smoking and his weathered face doesn't show the slightest hint of sympathy. He is Trooper's human, I've seen him before. The little devil must be running around somewhere and that worries me. What if Trooper went after Blue while she was hiding from us?

"Sir," Duo politely addresses him. "Have you seen an Australian shepherd around?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to know what an Australian shepherd looks like?"

My best friend makes a face at him but he is quick to hide his dismay. Heero stands off to the side, observing the exchange. I can smell that he is very upset; close to tears in fact.

"She's medium sized, with a long coat. Her color is mostly grey, but with black spots and white and tan points."

"No man," He shakes his head. "I haven't seen your fucking dog."

At this moment Trooper comes running towards us and he digs his heels in the snow to come to a stop right in front of me. He starts to bark aggressively.

I bare my fangs and growl at him.

"Mind that monster of yours!" Trooper's human warns.

Duo grabs a hold of my collar, but he knows that if I wanted to harm the foul mutt he couldn't stop me with all his might. "Thank you for your help, sir," He says, but it sounds more like: fuck you! "Come on, Perry, let's keep looking." He turns us around and drags me with him and also puts an arm around Heero's shoulders, guiding him away from the angry man.

I don't know if the two humans hear it, but the big man calls after them: "Fucking fairies!" Neither of them responds. I don't know what the words meant, but I know damn well it is an insult and I don't appreciate someone talking down to my friend and Blue's friend, but Duo still holds my collar so clearly he doesn't want me to go back over to him to teach him a lesson.

The wind picks up, the falling snow gets blown horizontal making us all squint our eyes. Before long, we are the only ones left in the park. Everyone else heads inside for warmth and shelter. The weather worsens at a rapid pace. I can feel the temperature drop with the shift in the wind. Heero is shivering violently but he keeps moving forward, like a locomotive. His voice is hoarse as he calls again and again: "Blue!"

Duo stops. He is frowning deeply. He looks up at the clouded sky and then down at his wristwatch.

It's getting late in the afternoon. The sun – which we haven't seen all day due to those thick clouds – is about to set and it will only get colder. I recognize he is torn, I can read the struggle on his face. If we stop looking for Blue, we would be leaving her in a pretty bad, dangerous situation, but if we keep looking for her we risk exposing ourselves to the elements and especially the warm-blooded Heero might not be able to last much longer in the cold.

Blue has been gone far too long, this isn't part of the plan. With a sinking feeling in my gut I know something has gone wrong and instinctually I know Trooper has something to do with it. Either he chased her off and she got lost, or… I shake my head, I don't want to think about it.

"Heero!"

Heero whirls around. His hair gets blown around his pale face.

Duo catches up to him, with an apologetic expression he says: "I think you should go home. You're freezing, you're not used to this weather. I don't want you to get hypothermia. Blue wouldn't want you too either."

"How can I go home? I can't leave her here, in the cold!"

"Perry and I will keep looking for her. We'll find her."

"I'm not going anywhere!" He turns around and continues to zigzag through the park. "Blue!"

Duo glances down at me. "Can't say I blame him. I wouldn't go home without you either, boy."

I know and I would never leave you alone.

We follow Heero's footsteps and continue our search.

"She must have left the park," Duo concludes. "She's not here, we've looked everywhere."

Heero nods. His lips are trembling, because of the cold, or because he was upset, or both.

I want to make him feel better, this is all my fault after all, so I rub my cheek along his leg and lick his gloved hand. He reaches down with a sad smile and scratches my ear in that magnificent way. I don't deserve his kindness after what I've done. I feel very guilty but unable to express that. I hate that I can't apologize to him in a way that he can understand.

"I think we should head out onto the streets and search the block around the park," Duo strategizes. "I'm suspecting Trooper might have chased her out of the park. It wouldn't be the first time. Come on."

"You don't-" Heero struggles with his words. "You don't have to do this. It's not your problem or your responsibility."

"I want to help, Heero," He assures him with a smile. "And Perry wants to help too, right?"

"Wooooo!"

"See, now let's go. Don't worry, we'll find her. Oh, but first…" He pulls his scarf from his neck and he wraps it around Heero.

"Won't you get cold?"

"Nah, it was actually a little too warm for me."

We leave the park through the East exit and we start searching the streets for Blue, checking in doorways and underneath parked cars. The sun sets quickly and the streetlamps flicker to life, casting circles of light on the sparkling snow. The streets are very quiet, the storm has gotten too bad for cars to be able to drive through it and we only come across a single man who is hurrying to head home, muttering under his breath about 'freezing his ass off'.

On occasion I pause to let out a long howl, hoping Blue will hear me. I listen to the sound echo off the brick walls of the warm building. I don't hear her return my call.

I keep a close eye on Duo and Heero. Humans aren't made for these conditions, in fact, most dogs aren't either. Of course I worry about Blue and if she is able to stay warm in the storm, but my main concern is Duo and – because I am the one who got Blue into trouble – I feel responsible for Heero also.

We circle the park, first one block out, later two blocks out. Without success.

Duo consoles Heero, reassuring him that Blue's fur is thick enough to keep her warm if she's found shelter from the wind, and he keeps restating that we will find her eventually. If not tonight, he says, than he will call his friend at animal control and have him help them look tomorrow and he will put up flyers in the clinic. It's a small, kind community, if someone sees a dog walking the streets unattended, they will take care of her and bring her to see him. With his words he intends to prepare Heero to accept that they might need to give up on the search soon. It's only going to get colder the longer the sun is down.

It doesn't quite work. Heero stops dead in his tracks and starts to cry. Ashamed, he covers his face with his hands.

For a moment Duo watches, unsure how to act.

"I'm sorry," Heero sobs.

"No! No. There's no need for that." He closes the distance between them and rubs Heero's arms in an effort to comfort him.

"I feel so embarrassed. Crying like this. Dragging you around all evening. You must think I'm crazy."

"Not at all," Duo speaks softly. "I think you love your friend very much."

He drops his hands and peers up at Duo. "Yeah. She's my friend. I know that's pathetic-"

He shakes his head and interjects: "It's not. Dogs aren't 'just dogs', they're our friends. In fact, that's true for any pet. As a dog owner and a vet, I understand that. Trust me, if I lost Perry, I would cry too. I would feel the exact same way you are feeling." He smiles warmly at him. "But you shouldn't cry. Your tears are going to freeze solid on your cheeks." He reached up his hand, takes off his glove and gently wipes the tears off Heero's face. "Besides, like I said, one way or another, we are going to find Blue."

Heero takes a deep breath and nods.

"I know you want to keep looking for her, as long as it takes. But in the night the temperature is going to drop below minus forty. I'm not saying this to scare you, I'm saying this because right now I'm more worried about you making it through the night than her. I suggest we go back and check the park one last time. Maybe she found her way back there and is waiting for you. If she's not there, I'm going to take you home." His tone was careful but definitive.

"But you think she might be in the park?"

"She could be, maybe. If she's not then I'm sure she's found shelter somewhere."

We head back to the park as Duo suggested. My heart feels heavy. If we don't find her…

This is all my fault… I'm a bad dog. A bad dog!

We arrive at the park and they call Blue's name a couple of times. The only response is absolute silence.

"I'm sorry, Heero."

Heero covers his mouth with a trembling hand.

Seeing the other man upset like that makes Duo not want to give up, so he calls again, at the top of his lungs: "Blue!"

I freeze when I hear a bark. Glancing at the two humans I can tell that they haven't heard anything, but along with a weak sense of smell, humans also can't hear very well. I throw my head back and let out a long, loud howl, calling for her.

Another bark resounds and this time Duo and Heero hear it too and they both turn to face the same way.

"Wooooooooo!" I howl again.

All three of us stare into the distance intently and I can feel relief wash over all of us when Blue appears from behind the news kiosk, where she had been hiding from the cold wind. She barks a few more times and then comes hurdling towards us, jumping over the tall banks of snow that lie in her path. When she reaches us she launches herself against Heero's chest and he falls backwards with her on top of him. She wags her tail so excitedly that her entire body rocks from left to right uncontrollably.

"Where have you been all this time?" Heero gets up on his knees and hugs her tightly. "I've been worried sick!"

Duo scratches the top of my head and I look up and see him smiling. His eyes are sparkling. He gets down on the ground next to them and he checks to make sure Blue is unharmed. He feels her ears and nose, checks her paws and searches her fur for signs of injuries. "She's fine," He concludes. With a laugh he grabs her head and looks into her bright eyes. "You silly girl. You better not scare us again like that."

She wriggles free and trots over to me, nuzzling her nose into my mane.

"Wooo!" Where have you been?

That gnarly dog tried to attack me! She barks in response. I ran away but then it took me a long time to find my way back and when I did you weren't here!

Duo and Heero get up and dust the snow off their bodies.

"Thank you so much for helping me," Heero says. "I- I don't know what to say."

Blue and I look at them expectantly. Things may not have gone as planned, but perhaps it still worked?

"You don't have to say anything. I was happy to help. The important thing is that Blue is safe and that you are smiling again."

Heero looks up at the taller man shyly and his smile brightens, but he doesn't say anything.

Come on! I think to myself. Coffee or dinner! It's not that difficult, just ask! One of you, please!

Duo scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uhm… I don't know about you, but I've worked up quite an appetite and I'm sure these guys are hungry too," He gestures at Blue and I. "My house is just down the street. I have plenty of kibble and I could reheat yesterday's Chinese take-out for us… If you want." He glances down at his feet nervously.

"Shouldn't I be the one treating you to dinner? Considering what you've done for me."

Duo grins and his eyes sparkle with an old mischief and confidence that I haven't seen in a long time. "How about you take me out to dinner next time and we settle for Chinese left-overs for now?"

The other chuckles and nods in agreement. "I'd like that."

I wag my tail and look at Blue with mirthful eyes. It worked! It may not have gone as planned, but luckily it all worked out in the end. Blue is safe and Heero and Duo are happy. There is just one thing missing…

I sneak up behind my human friend and rear myself up on my hind legs. With my front paws I push against his back and he stumbles forward. He manages to stay balanced and upright, but now he is standing nose-to-nose with Heero. They look into each other's eyes, a little shocked and nervous.

Duo swallows audibly. "I want to kiss you," He whispers. "Is that okay?"

Heero nods and Duo doesn't waste any time. He snakes one arm around Heero's waist and puts his other hand on the back of Heero's neck. He leans in and they both tilt their heads to fit together, then Duo connects their mouths, drawing a sigh from both of them. They both have their eyes closed as their lips brush against each other.

"Woooo!" Get a room! I tease.

When they finally part they keep their faces close together and they both chuckle breathily. The air they breathe come out in white puffs.

"Let's go, before you freeze," Duo says with a wink.

"Freeze? I feel quite hot now."

Duo promptly kisses him again, but not for long. "I'm serious, let's go and get you warmed up." Duo puts his arm around his shoulders and guides him in the direction of our house.

I briefly share a victorious look with Blue and then we follow them home.

As promised Duo treats us both to a large bowl of excellent kibble and while we chomp down on our food he lights the fireplace and spreads a blanket out on the floor in front of it. Heero is taking off his coat and boots in the hallway and then sits down on the blanket in front of the blazing fire, warming himself. He is still wearing Duo's scarf. The microwave beeps and normally that would get a rise out of me but I pay it little attention, too preoccupied with my meal to care about the shrill cries of that darn machine. But when Duo sits down next to Heero and hands him one of those cartons that always smell so amazing, I pause to observe them.

Heero accepts the carton with a smile. When he opens it white steam comes out. "Smells good."

That's an understatement.

Duo nods in agreement and with a smirk he tugs on the end of his scarf that Heero is still wearing around his neck. Before the other gets self-conscious about it, he remarks: "It looks better on you."

First they eat their fill and then they sit even closer together, facing the fireplace. They talk the entire night while outside the wind howls and snow continues to come down. Normally I would sleep outside and I would want to, but that night I rather stayed in the living room, dozing off listening to their soothing voices and quiet laughter. I enjoy that Blue curls up against me and sleeps soundly.

Duo and Heero have a lot of coffees and dinners together and then sleep-overs, until one day Heero and Blue simply don't leave; never again. Their home is with us now and the four of us are happy together.

Even though I will never pull another stunt like that, you can't argue with the results…

Dedicated to my pet, Mulan (2005 – 2015). She may not have actually been a dog, but she sure thought she was one. During a long, dark period in my life, she was the only one who could make me smile. Now that she is gone, all that remains are memories. These memories first made me cry – and sometimes they still do – but now they can also make me smile again. Thank you for being my friend, Mulan.

Thanks for reading and give your pets a hug!