Charlie’s home.

  Philip walked slowly, mostly on two paws through alleyways, if only to keep looking at the flower he had. He sniffed it softly again, his eyes glazed over slightly. He could smell the sea a bit on the flower due to its slight trip, but, he thought he was imagining, it was fading away, being refreshed to its old fragrance and seeming to come fully alive as he watched it. He didn’t even see the dogs in front of him as he bumped into them.
  Snapping out of his thoughts, he blinked and looked at them, speaking quickly. “I’m sorry, I should have watched where I was going, I was just thinking and…” His voice faded in fear as he saw the big, scarred canine in front of him, one eye blinded, his large, notched ears high not only naturally but alert to him as a stranger. He seemed to be a mutt of some kind, but characteristics of a German Shepherd showed through the most, and his paws seemed big but slim, like a huge Doberman, and could have been mistaken for a Mastiff’s paws at first glance.
  “I-I am truly sorry! I mean, I’m just looking for someone and… and… Oh good Lord help me…” Philip gulped, starting to shrink back.
  “Meph, stop glaring at the poor guy, you’re scaring him.” He heard a female voice behind the big canine, seeing him being nudged aside and glared sternly at by an Irish Setter. They stared at each other for a moment before the bigger canine sighed.
  “Yes grandma.” He grumbled, relaxing a bit, his normal eye staring at Philip. He still didn’t trust the stranger, and he was going to keep his eye on him.
  “Now then,” the Setter turned to Philip, “my name is Sasha. What is your name?”
  The Akita gulped again, starting to speak, “I’d rather not tell my name now… I just have an errand I need to do. Do either of you know a Mel? Mel Slumdog?”
  “She’s my sister.” Meph said flatly, his eye narrowing. Sasha nudged him warningly, making him go silent.
  “As my grandson was saying, yes, she is my granddaughter,” Sasha said with a nod, “would you like to see her?”
  “I would very much, please.” Philip said, trying his best to ignore Meph looking from him to his grandma in horror.
  “Then we’ll take you to her.” Sasha said, nodding. She started to walk off, Philip following, Meph standing for a few seconds before following. The Akita could feel Meph’s one eye glaring at him, and did his best to not be shaken. They all walked in silence, though Philip could hear an occasional growl from the scarred canine behind him, low enough only for him to hear.
  Minutes passed, but for Philip in his fear of Meph it felt like hours. Soon Sasha turned and entered a building that had a few lights on that looked run down. Philip entered quickly with Meph on his tail, silencing his growling. The small canine looked around in slight awe, feeling this place was better than the warehouse he stayed. Looking around, he could see various dogs around; awake to keep watch in case his group tried to enter their home.
  Among the guards, Charlie was awake, muzzle resting on one of the window ledges and keeping an eye out through the boarded windows. Upstairs, pacing around, was a big tan Doberman who he heard to avoid, Zak, and his nephew, nearly an adult now, Duncan, who was tailing him around. Most canines would be annoyed by such a big follower, but not only did Zak understand why Duncan stayed so close, but he liked the company as well. Another of the guards was, and Philip was not surprised, was Meph, who took a spot in another room, but keeping in sight of the door so he could keep shooting looks at the Akita.
  “Charlie,” Sasha said, walking up to her mate, who looked at her curiously, “this young man wants to see Mel. Do you think it’s okay?”
  “Young,” Charlie chuckled ruefully, “what I wouldn’t give to have that again. He should be alright, she’s strong enough for one dog if he’s here for trouble.”
  Philip nervously smiled. He had managed to keep the flower hidden the entire time by lightly keeping his paw curled around it. “Which room is she in, if I may ask?”
  “Upstairs, fourth door on the left, can’t miss it since it’s the only cream-colored door we have.” Charlie said, turning his attention back outside, his scruffy tail flicking. “Just no funny business or we’ll hear about it before you even come down.”
  “Yes sir.” Philip nodded as he turned and started up the stairs. Zak and Duncan watched him a moment quietly and sensing no threat from him, continued their slight patrol of the upstairs, talking quietly about things they had seen that day.
  The Akita passed them without incident, instantly seeing the door that Charlie had spoken of. It looked newer than the rest of the building, giving it an air that it had been broken before. He imagined Meph probably punched it despite the room not being his. He knocked nervously on the door, gulping a lump in his throat.
  “Come in.” He heard from inside. It was a soft but sweet voice that sent his head spinning a bit. He was almost going to knock again before remembering he had already been given permission, opening the door and going inside. It was a room of dark purple, faded, but still there, with the usual moth-eaten curtains that abandoned places like this would have. He looked around until he spotted Mel on the couch, and his heart skipped a beat.
  To him, she was simply stunning. She was so thin and trimmed, her fur was a mix of a light brown and magenta (it seemed to him anyway), and her bottom half was a light pink sort of color. Her eyes were red like her father’s, but they were gentle and, he was guilty to see, a bit fearful at seeing a stranger.
  “Yes? Can I help you?” She asked, slightly tense. Philip walked forward slowly; trying to keep her relaxed and gently hopped up a few cushions away from her. He was silent, nervous of what to say.
  “I-I assume you’re Mel?”
  “That’s right.”
  “Well… If you promise me not to yell or something, I’ll explain why I’m here.” Philip gulped again, looking towards the door. “Please…”
  Mel looked nervously from Philip to the door, half hoping someone was out there listening. She looked back at the scared Akita, who seemed like he would shake himself out of his fur at the rate he was trying to keep calm. “Alright… I promise.”
  Giving a quick nod, Philip jumped right into why he was there. “My name is Philip Nakamura. Tonight I was at the beach when a priest approached me. He talked to me about how mistakes could still be fixed. And I have come to fix a horrible one I have done to you.”
  Mel listened quietly, politely letting him get to the point himself.
  “You remember that night… You were attacked…” The Akita said quietly. Lord give me strength… He thought despairingly as he saw her eyes flash with fear. “It was me with my companions… But before you judge me, I kept off you as much as I could; I tried not to attack you. I have nothing against the Barkin family line myself, but my… friends do…” He practically spat the word with a kind of venom.
  “They wouldn’t stop until they were sure you would die… And I wished I hadn’t had anything to do with them.” He could see her still tensed up, and he slowly reached his paw towards her with the flower. “I came to give you this as a sign of peace from me… With my condolences for anything you’ve gone through since that night. The good Lord showed me the way to you, and in his name I hope to repent. So please accept my gift, as it was my sign to come to you…”
  He bowed his head, his eyes closed, not knowing what to expect. He half expected her to smack his paw away. He even expected her to start yelling for her family to tear him to shreds. But he felt her paw lightly clasp his to gently take the flower for him. He looked up at her silently as she tucked the flower behind her ear, which made his heart skip a beat again.
  “I appreciate you coming here…” She said slowly. “But I can’t forgive you yet… But if you would like to do anything to gain my trust, you may try.”
  “Yes, I would like that!” Philip said a bit quickly. “There is nothing I would like better than to be friends with you and make up for what I’ve done. I’ll come back tomorrow night, I assure you!” He hopped down from the couch, tail lightly wagging. Mel looked surprise, and he gave her a small smile. “I promise I’ll be here.”
  Mel stared at him a few moments before she said quietly, “I’m holding you to that.”
  Giving a nod, Philip turned to leave, exiting the room without a glance back, his heart racing. He didn’t know why it was pounding in his chest, and he even looked back at the door as he walked down the hall like he couldn’t bear to be away. He didn’t know the feeling, but he passed Mel’s family without a word, even ignoring the emerald-eyed, glaring Meph as he exited.
  He walked down the street calmly, that soft smile still on his face. He didn’t understand what had him so excited, but he glanced back at the door he had left, tempted once more to go back. He shook it off,