Setting: New Orleans, LA, 1935.

The music is blaring, and everyone is having an overall good time. There were two bars within the city - one for the humans and one for the dogs. At the pub alone sat a Doberman, her head drooped over the drink clutched in her paws. The bartender shook her awake and asked, "Had 'nough Agatha?"

Agatha murmured and put her head down on the table. She was a regular at the pub, often requesting for a few drinks and of course being the type to pass out. The bartender reached out and shook her again. "Agatha, darlin', get up."

"Mmm... bacon and ship boats..." Agatha raised her head, her eyes bloodshot and her motion unstable. She was rocking back and forth in her chair until she fell back. A pair of paws reached out and grabbed her before she hit the floor. Too drunk to notice, Agatha murmured some nonsense again.

The bartender raised his head and smirked. "All right Burt?"

Burt Barkin placed Agatha on the floor and then took her spot. He was a very handsome and charismatic character who closely resembled a German shepherd, but was a mixture of a few breeds. The fact that he was a mix just made him more of an appealing character though. Agatha murmured one more time and then she fell asleep. Burt wasn't worried about her, she usually did this every time they were out in town. Burt ordered a drink and while the bartender was making it, Burt said, "Business all right?"

"Fair, can't complain," said the bartender. "Agatha came in here and got herself-"

"-roaring drunk, yeah I know," said Burt. As the bartender handed him his drink, Burt grabbed it and smiled. "Any good-looking gals about?"

The bartender laughed. "Oh boy, Burt you are such an animal. Yeah there was a couple of nice legs out there, but none really stuck around once Agatha got drunk. She went on yapping about needing another drink and she went and blew her fuse and began insulting all the girls."

"Shame," sighed Burt as he took a sip. "She should really cut down on her intake."

"Well she's your friend Burt, you talk to her."

"Nah, I'll let her sober up."

"Oh there was this one good lookin' girl who came in," said the bartender as he lowered his voice. "Very attractive. I'd suspect maybe a collie, collie mix. And you know how darling that breed is."

Burt laughed. "Yeah I know." He had been with a few collies himself.

"But she was drop dead gorgeous. Bit too shy for talk though. She came in here with one of her friends and left as soon as they had gotten their fill."

"Well maybe I'll drop by early after work and see her," said Burt. Burt was a gambler and dealer at heart, so he could not help but spend most of his hours doing the deeds. But when he finished, he was much richer than when he started.

"If she comes in," reminded the bartender. When Agatha began snoring loudly, he said, "Alright, go and take her home before she scares away the rest of my customers."

Burt finished his beer and quickly picked up Agatha, steadying her to her feet though she had no idea what was going on. "See ya Charles!" he called to the bartender.

"Bye Burt!"

"Mur mi Mrtie mhoy!" Agatha greeted as she drunkenly reached up and touched Burt's face with her paw.

Burt rolled his eyes. "Agatha, stop drinking yourself silly."

"I am so not mhrund..." Agatha fell asleep in Burt's grip again.

Burt sighed. "What am I going to do with you..."

**

As he predicted, Agatha sobered up the next morning. She didn't get up 'till noon but when she did and she walked out into the kitchen in the small apartment she shared with Burt, she looked awful. Burt was getting himself ready. He called his work to tell them that he wouldn't be able to get to them today.

"What're you... still doing here?" yawned Agatha as she took the seat next to Burt. "You got work."

"I called and told them I couldn't go today."

"Huh..." Agatha raised a brow at him. "And since when do you call in sick? What's going on?"

"Charles tipped me off about a lovely lady who is a regular at the pub."

"Uh huh, so it's a girl..." Agatha's voice sounded uncertain, but Burt took no notice to it.

"Y'know Agatha, I'd like to be a family man," said Burt. "I mean my pa was a good man, always stood by his family. I think I'd like to be like that."

Agatha whimpered a bit.

Burt thought that her whimpering was a sign about him not wanting to go out and drink with her anymore, so he quickly said, "Don't worry Agatha, we'll still share some beers now and again."

"Yeah..." said Agatha half-heartedly.

"Well how to do I look?" To Agatha, he looked no different than usual but he smelled good and he freshened up a bit. Agatha gave him a weak thumbs up and Burt smiled. "Good. Alright, ready to go?"

"No not yet, I gotta wash up," growled Agatha. She left the kitchen to go and freshen up. When she came back, her signature ripped bandanna intact and looking overall better than how she looked when she got up, Burt got up and they left.

As they made their way to the pub, Agatha kept on secretly glancing at Burt. She was nervous. She didn't want to lose him. She hoped that this girl wasn't a looker.

"'ey Burt!" greeted Charles from his post. He was serving two females, a gray whippet mix and a collie mix. Charles nodded his head at the collie mix, and Burt felt his throat dry up a bit. Agatha snorted and sat over by the whippet mix while Burt took his place alongside the collie mix female.

The female hesitantly looked at Burt as he looked at her, a cheesy but genuine smile on his face. "Hi there."

The female looked down at her drink nervously and did not say anything back. Her friend, slightly drunk bit but not drunk enough to not notice that her friend was uncomfortable, jumped out of her chair and grabbed the female's paw. "C'mon Loni, leb's go and get outta here," she said.

Loni gladly followed after her friend while Burt sadly watched her go. Agatha snorted with laughter in her drink but made this not so obvious. "I don't get it Charles," growled Burt as he faced the bartender. "What gives?"

"Maybe she's shy?" suggested Charles. "She's not much a talker when she comes here anyhow. Kinda like she's afraid of someone."

Burt snorted in frustration. "I'm not that scary..."

"I wasn't saying it was you Burt, but I'm just saying that maybe something had happened to her. How 'bout you try and get to know her? Like worm your way into being her friend?"

"I was gonna do that Charles!"

Agatha rolled her eyes. "Honestly Burt, it's obvious she doesn't want you, so why press the issue?"

"Agatha, you know I'm not a quitter."

"Whatever, I think you're wasting your time."

"Come by tomorrow," said Charles. "Things will work themselves out."

Burt grumbled before ordering his usual. He did not see the look of jealously in Agatha's eyes.

**

The next day they did go back to the pub and there was Loni, all alone this time at a small table in the dark corner of the pub. There was more activity this time at the pub, and Burt was nervous that this atmosphere wouldn't do good to try and be Loni's friend. Agatha didn't notice. She loved this kind of crowd, and so quickly detached herself from Burt to go and join the group.

Burt quickly made his way over to Loni, trying to look inconspicuous as he did. Loni did not raise her head up at him as he got closer, and she did not notice him until he tapped her on the shoulder. "Is this seat taken?" he asked politely, pointing to the empty seat across from her.

Loni shook her head and said shyly, "You can sit."

Burt's heart began to go fast. She had such a beautiful voice and yet... it sounded sad, and he was sad by it because she was too pretty to be sad. He sat across from her and studied her body language. It was very obvious that his mere presence scared her.

"Is something wrong miss?" he asked her. "Where is your friend from yesterday?"

"Oh she had some... stuff to do," said Loni shyly.

Burt frowned. "Are you alright miss?"

Loni sighed. "I don't know..." She looked at him straight in the face. "Why does it concern someone like you? I don't even know you."

Ouch, right in the heart. But Burt wasn't about to give up. "Miss, if you're afraid that I am trying to worm myself into your heart just so that I can use you, I'm afraid you're mistaken. I'm an honorable dog and I would never want to put a lady into that kind of situation."

Loni laid her ears back. "I... I don't know."

"My name is Burt Barkin," said Burt suddenly. "What is your name?"

Loni was taken aback by his comment, but answered, "Loni Bowzer."

"What a wonderful name."

Loni let his comment sink her head, but then decided to stand up. "I'm sorry, I have to go," she said very quickly.

Burt frowned even more and then jumped up after her. Agatha, who was at the counter sipping some beer, turned and saw Burt run after Loni. She clenched her teeth