her story, Angel worked up the courage to clear her throat.

Toby took the hint. “Star,” he said softly, “I think Angel has something to say to you.”

Star looked inquisitively at Angel, who had to clear her throat again before she could speak. “I'm sorry you got kidnapped,” she said. She tried to speak calmly, but as soon as the long-delayed emotion began to leak out, it surged full force and she began to cry. “It's my fault,” she said. “One of the dogs in my gang kidnapped you so I could sneak out while Mommy and Daddy were looking for you. I never should have been friends with them in the first place, and now you're sick because of...”

Arrow cut her off, holding a fraction more composure as she spoke out of experience at admitting her sins. “I'm sorry too,” she admitted. “The dog who nabbed you was my brother, Sammy.”

“How do you know that?” asked Star, quizzically.

“I didn't,” she admitted. “Not for sure anyway, although I did see him lurking outside right before you disappeared. But when you said you were tricked by someone who sounded like Eska, I knew it had to be him. Sam's always been good at mimicking voices. I shouldn't have trusted him hanging around here, but I thought maybe he was different now.”

Star was overwhelmed by this. She had only just come back from the brink of death, and now she was finding out her own sisters had been a part of why she got into it in the first place. “How could you do that?” she asked. “You let them kidnap me just so...?”

“Star, Star, hold up a second,” Luna interrupted. “Yes, they did have a part in it. But they're sorry, and Angel helped save your life.”

“So?” asked Star, not sure why this should stop her from being upset.

Luna sighed. “Remember what I told you about when Toby hurt me as a puppy?”

Star thought about it. She wanted to forgive them, but something in her just couldn't do it. “I can't,” she replied. “You hurt me, both of you.”

“Yeah, but we're sorry,” Arrow protested.

“Sorry?” echoed Star incredulously. “Sorry? I could have been killed because of you two!”

“Yeah, but sis...” Angel started to say.

Luna decided it was time to break up the fight in progress. “Angel, Arrow,” she instructed, “Go somewhere else.”

“But Mom,” pleaded Arrow.

“Do as your mother says,” Toby answered softly. “We'll handle this one for now.”

The two girl pups looked at each other and left. The parents turned to Star. “Sweetheart,” Toby began. “Believe it or not, Luna was in a situation a lot like yours as a puppy.

“I know,” she cried, “And I want to forgive them, but I can't. I can't do anything like Mommy does.”

“Star...” Luna tried to reason with her, but Star's anguish rolled right over her like an avalanche over a small bush.

“All I ever wanted was to be like you,” she went on, looking up at Luna, “But I can't. I can't do anything right. I never...!”

“Star, listen,” Toby gently insisted. He waited until she closed her mouth, then stopped as a loud gurgle issued from her stomach.

Star put a paw to her middle. “Can I eat while we talk?” she asked.

Shaking his head at how quickly things jumped around in their family, Toby went and brought a dish of food from the corner where the dogs ate in the Calvins' household. “Here.”

As Star began to fill her empty insides, Luna took up where Toby had left off. “A lot has happened while you were in and out of consciousness. Angel's not the way she was before. Ever since you got hurt she's been worried sick about you. She's hardly slept or eaten anything because she thought you might pass away and she'd never have the chance to tell you she was sorry.”

Star looked away sulkily. “Well she should be,” she grumbled, feeling vindictive. “She let me get kidnapped and thrown in a trash can. So did Arrow.”

“Yeah, but they didn't know.” Toby lay down on his stomach, chin resting on his crossed paws to look his daughter in the eye. “Look, they made a few mistakes, it's true. But they said they were sorry, and I'd say their attitudes have backed it up.”

Star looked him in the eyes, still tear-faced. “But I don't want to forgive them,” she insisted.

“We know that,” her father conceded. “But you'll only hurt yourself by not forgiving them. They still have each other, but if you don't forgive them I'll be like you don't have sisters anymore. And take it from both of us, no matter how much you don't like them, that can get very lonely.”

Star didn't know what to do. She wanted to make her parents happy, but to forgive her sisters, Angel especially... somehow she knew that would mean forgiving everyhting. The taunts, the insults, even simply having what she wanted most. She wasn't sure if she could forgive that, or if she wanted to.

Toby looked up at Luna, who drew in a deep, shoulder-raising breath and let it out quietly. “Listen, Star,” she said, bringing her head down nose-to-nose with her daughter. “It won't be long before you and the others go to your new homes.”

“What?” Star thought that if this was supposed to make her feel better, it wasn't working. “But I don't... I don't want to go.” She began to cry.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Luna whispered, “You know there's nothing I'd love more than for you and the others to stay. If I had my way, we'd all live together like a pack. But I had to find my own home when I was your age, and it's time for you now. And you can still see me as often as you want. But I won't let them take you until you're well, I promise.”

“So do I,” Toby joined in with a nod.

Star felt like she was being ripped in half now. Stay sick forever or leave her mom? What kind of choice was that? Still, if Luna had done it at her age, she should do it too. “Okay,” she said softly.

Both of them nuzzled her. “Good girl,” Luna said approvingly.

“Very good girl,” Toby echoed. “But do one thing for us, please.”

“Anything,” Star promised.

“Just try to get along with Angel and Arrow. They've promised to be nice to you now, and we don't want you going to your new home bitter. Okay?”

Star sniffled and wiped a paw across her muzzle. “I don't know if I can,” she replied.

“Just try,” Toby whispered. “That's all we ask.”

Star looked from one hopeful face to the other. In the end, how could she say no? “Okay.”

Star tried to keep her promise, or thought she was trying, which isn't always the same thing. Oh, it was good when her sisters said nice things to her. Things like, “I hope you get well soon,” and “I saw Sammy today, and told him to go stick his head in the trash.” It was even nicer, if a bit annoying sometimes, when they went out of their way to do things for her. When she was thirsty, Angel practically made her stay put while she dragged the water bowl over to the basket. And once when she shivered, Arrow head-butted the whole basket over to the fireplace. It got annoying being treated like a cripple, but it did make one thing a lot easier: faking. As long as she stayed sick, she reasoned, she wouldn't have to leave her parents. So whenever the humans came to inspect her, she squinted her eyes and pretended to sneeze. When Luna came in the door, she manufactured a shiver. And as long as her sisters wanted to pander to her every whim, she was going to milk it dry.

At first it was easy. For at least a week she really was sick. But as the fever wore down, she took to faking more and more. Consequently, everyone became increasingly worried.

“Are you sure you're alright, dear?” asked Luna one evening as Star shivered in her basket.

Star let out an exaggerated groan. “Not really,” she admitted. “I still feel really cold.”

Luna touched her nose to the pup's and held it there for a moment until a faked sneeze drove her back. “Well,” she remarked, wiping a paw across her muzzle, “Your nose feels fine... mostly.”

Star shivered again and burrowed under the covers. The truth was, between the blankets and her proximity to the fire, she was roasting. “I still feel sick,” she whined.

Luna frowned. Star was getting older, and at this rate she'd be too old for anyone to want her by the time she was well. Not only that, but since the Calvins had noticed how much care the other pups took for their sister, they had held off on giving them away. “Well sit tight and get some rest,” she advised. “I just hope you don't have to go to the vet's again.”

Star shuddered at that idea. This time she wasn't faking. Maybe somewhere there were dogs that liked going to the vet's, but one thing was sure: she didn't.

“Will you tell me a story?” she asked weakly.

Luna shook her head. “Maybe later,” she replied. “Right now I have to go take care of something.”

“What's that?” Star's curiosity was getting the better of her, and she began to worm her way free of the stifling