A Slight Miss-take

          The stars up in the black sky shone down on the sleepy town of Nome, and on the surrounding expanse of wilderness.  On a hill just outside of town sat a young pair of dogs talking.

         Luna gazed up at the sky.  “The stars are beautiful tonight, aren’t they?”

         Toby nodded, but he wasn’t looking at the stars.  He was looking at his feet.  Luna noticed.  “Hey, what’s up?”

         Toby blushed.  “Uh, well, I was just thinking… there’s no telling when that guy might break out of prison again…or if some other maniac like him might show up and have to be stopped.”  None of this was what he’d been planning to say, but now that it was said, he’d have to go on or look like an idiot.  “What I mean is, we may need your skills again sometime.”

         “Does that mean you’ll let me come next time?”

         Toby’s face dropped.  “Well, see, that’s just it.  There’s still the rumor mill to consider.”

         Luna sighed.  “Tch.  Not that again.”  She considered.  “On second thought, you’re right.  We can’t go making a habit of it.”  She looked at him.  “So, any ideas as to how we could pull it off again?”

         He swallowed.  It was now or never.  Judgement Day.  Or Doomsday.  “As a matter of fact, yes.”  He nervously cleared his throat.  “I think I do know a way it would be acceptable...”

         Luna lifted her ears, making no effort to hide her interest.  “I’m listening.”

         “If…oh, man,” Toby groaned.  This was not coming out right.  “Luna, never mind what I said about making it look right.  My point is that the next time I go somewhere, I want you to come.  But…” he trailed off.

         Luna smiled.  “But not just as a diplomat?” she suggested, finishing his sentence.

         “Yeah,” Toby agreed.  “Way more than a diplomat.”

         “Okay, just so I’m clear, are you asking me what I think you’re asking me?”

         “Well, I’m not asking you to join the police team.”

         Luna could hardly contain herself.  For so long she had waited for this moment.  Memories flashed before her eyes as if she were reviewing every key point in their relationship… until one came to mind that changed everything.

         “Luna?”  Toby’s tilted face filled her view.  “Are you there?  I said it’s what you think it is.”

         She nodded.  “I thought so.”  Steadying herself with an easy breath, she answered, “Well, I guess the answer is… no.”

         He jerked back in surprise.  “No?  But why?  I thought...”

         Unable to look him in the face any longer, she turned away.  “I'm sorry, really.  It's just that... oh, it's not that I don't love you.  But that stunt you pulled, leaving me behind...”

         Toby's ears leaned back.  "Are you still upset about that?  Luna, this way we wouldn't have to be apart again, ever.”

         She looked back to him, ears down.  “It's more than that.”

         “Then tell me.  Please.”  He lifted her face with his muzzle.  “You know I love you.”

         That was the last straw.  Luna turned and ran, weeping.  “I can't!”

         “Wait!  Come back!  Luna!”

         He tried to run after her, but she had the head start.  All he had was a load of confusion and disappointment weighing him down like an anchor.  As she disappeared amongst the houses, he asked of her retreating tail, “What did I do wrong?”

         The walk home was dismal and morose for Toby that night.  What had happened to the fire that was between him and Luna?  She said it was that he had left her behind, but he thought they were over that.  He'd said he was sorry, meant it too.  And the times they had spent together searching for that convict... well, he couldn't remember a time when their relationship had felt more real, more certain.  It was on the return to Nome that he had decided she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.  Didn't she feel the same?  For crying out loud, she had kissed him not two hours ago.

         “THIS DOESN”T MAKE ANY SENSE!” he howled to the still night.  “WHAT DID I DO WRONG?!”

         “Disturbing the peace,” came a reply a few moments later.  “Waking a police dog in need of his rest.”

         “Sorry, I didn't mean...” he was so distracted with his troubles that the voice didn't even register until he turned to see who it was.  “Dad?  What are you doing home?”

         Rex was poking his head out the dog door of his house, looking drowsy and none too pleased.  Well, more so than usual.  “The Chief came and picked me up from the vet's not long after you dropped in to visit.  Come inside.  It's cold out here.”

         Toby trotted up the steps and slid in after his father's retreating head to find Rex shaking as if to ward off the chill of outdoors.  The bloodhound still sported some bandages, but he looked a lot better than when Toby had last seen him.  “Now, what's the fuss about?”

         “I proposed to Luna, but she said no.”

         Rex scrunched his already scrunched face.  “Did she say why?”

         “No.  Well, kind of.  She said it was something about me leaving her behind.”

         “Ah, the house arrest.”

         Not bothering to ask how Rex knew about that, Toby nodded.  “Right.  But I thought we were over that.”

         “Apparently she felt otherwise.”

         “That's what I don't get.  Dad, you should have seen us after she caught up.  Yeah, I was kind of cold at first over her slipping away from the canine police, but then she and I got along so well afterward.  Romping in the snow, negotiating with the wolves... I guess you didn't know that part.”

         “I did.  Exile stopped in to give me a full briefing on the case.  He mentioned how well you two were getting along.”

         “I should have figured.  Well, if he told you, then you can see why this makes no sense.”

         “I can.  Although my experience with females has taught me that, nine times out of ten, they don't make sense anyway.”

         Toby groaned.  “Dad, this really isn't the time for jokes.”

         “Who's joking?  We've talked about this before.  You're looking for a rational answer, something a male would understand.  Females, like Luna, tend to be more emotional.”

         Toby thought over some of his experiences with Luna.  “I suppose, but if she felt hurt, wouldn't this make up for it?”

         “From a rational standpoint, yes.  I suspect there's more to it.”

         “So what do I do about that?”

         “Well, if you're asking for my advice, talk it over with her.”

         Toby