"Margret you can't do this!"

"Of course I can Miliko. You obviously cannot raise them yourself. This is whats best for them."

"No it's not! You can't--!"

"I'll hear no more Miliko! I'm taking them to live with me."

"Margret, please! Don't--!"

"Enough Miliko! Now, come along pups."

"No Margret, please! Toner, Junie, Crysa! Crysa!"

"CRYSA!"

The white female jerked upright imeditly. "What! Whats happinging? Whos on fire?" she sputterd. A familur laugh rang behind her.

"No one sleepyhead!" The brown female giggled. "You overslept again. Aunt Margret's lesson starts soon!"

"Oh is that all?" Crysa asked with a yawn. "Wake me in a half hour then." she said as she sank back into the blankets on the bed. "Oh no you don't! Your getting up now!" The brown female pushed her head agsint her sisters back. Crysa, who had been sleeping on the edge of the bed, fell to the floor with a yelp.

"Junie!" she almost shouted at her sister, who was laughing helplessly at the bewelderd look on Crysa's face.

"Sorry Crys, but you know how much Aunt Margret hat.es it when someones early or late." Junie giggled.

Crysa rolled her eyes as she got up. "Yeah I know, why do you think I'm always late?" she asked, a michevous glint in her eye that Junie knew to well.

She groaned."Aw come on Crys. Nothing today please! Aunt Margrets just about fed up with you and your 'shanagings'."

Crysa just grinned. "I know. And I'm just about fed up with her rules." She wrinkled her nose and spoke in a high mocking voice. "Never be late or early for anything, the only way to show up is to be on the dot of time. Never associate with mongrels, their nothing more then streetbred scoundrels. Never get dirty, always keep your coat spotless." Crysa sighed. "Never do this, never do that, always act like this, blah, blah, blah! Shes driving me nuts Junie! Esspecialy her rules about 'mongrels'. In case she hadn't noticed, we'er not exzactly purebreds."

Junie smiled a little. "She knows that, but she wants everyone to think we'er purebreds."

Crysa snorted. "Even so, all my friends are mixed breeds, and their perfectly harmless!"

Junie's eyes sparkled. " What about Mitch?" she teased.

Crysa rolled her eyes in disgust. "I don't care what Aunt Marget thinks of him, or what he thinks of me, I'll Never fall in love with him! He's such a glory-hound. "

Junie laughed. "Better not let Aunt Margret know that. She pretty much has her heart set on getting you two together. Mitch probley does to."

Crysa growled. "Yeah, well, they both better keep dreaming. Cause it ain't gonna happen."

Junie laughed. "Hey you two!" Both sisters turned to the door and saw a red male standing there. "Hey Toner, where've you been?" Crysa asked. She thought she saw him blush, but she couldn't be sure. "Out." He said simply. "Now why aren't you guys downstairs yet? Aunt Margret's lesson starts in 2 minutes." Junie yelped and jumped over Crysa, which only succeded with her crashing into Toner. Crysa laughed as her brother fell backwards from being tackled.

"Come on guys, we'er gonna be early!" Crysa called as she lept over both of them. "What! Crysa!" Toner called after her. Crysa paid no heed. If her siblings were going to be on time, then she'd simply be early. She slowed as she enterd the small sunlight room that was the study for Mr. and Mrs. Denstrum. It was never used in the morning, so Aunt Margret had their lessons here. In the afternoon they would be outside.

Crysa settled herself on the recliner by the window. The sun was streaming through and felt warm and pleasent on her white fur. She starred out the window, hoping to see some activity this early. She was in luck. Outside across the street were Wes and Teddy, her two best friends since puphood. They smiled and Crysa felt a urge to skip todays lesson completly. She'd much rather be with them, outside on such a nice day. She sighed and smiled back to them.

Just then the clock chimed 5:30 and Junie and Toner came darting in, followed by a tall black female. She surveyed the room, and saw Crysa curled up in the chair. Her blue eyes narrowed. "Well, well, early aren't we?" she asked.

Crysa just nodded. Margret walked to the front of the room as Junie and Toner sat on eaither side of the chair Crysa was in. "Good morning everyone." Aunt Margret said. "Good morning Aunt Margret." the three siblings chimed. "Now, today we'll be working on how to act in public. So we'll be going for a stroll." she told them. Crysa's ears pricked. A stroll? She could sneak off and be with her friends, then come back to the house!

"Come now." Margret instructed. The three siblings obedently followed her out the door. "Now remember, one must always carry themselves proudly, head high, and the picture of gracefullness."

Crysa rolled her eyes and continued walking like she was. She was not about to stick her nose in the air and look like she'd smelled something bad. Crysa noticed that Junie's head wasn't quiet held as high as Aunt Margret would have liked, and Toner was so tall he didn't need to raise his head to have it higher then Aunt Margrets. Crysa stiffled a laugh, then saw Wes and Teddy following them. Crysa flashed a smile at them. It was time to leave this little stroll. Checking to make sure Junie and Toner weren't looking, she stopped. Aunt Margret didn't seem to notice. Smiling, Crysa turned and dashed over to her friends.

"Hey guys!" she called happily and lept at them both. Teddy stepped nimbly to the side and Crysa crashed into Wes. The blue male yelped with suprise as the two went tumbling backwards. Wes blinked, bewelderd, as he looked up. Crysa looked down at him from where she was sprawled out on his back. Teddy joined them, laughing and nudged Crysa to her feet. "Morning Crys." the red male chuckled. Crysa shoved him playfully and helped Wes up. The blue male shook his fur and grinned at her.

"So, whats old Margret teaching today?" he asked teasingly. Crysa rolled her eyes. "Same as ussual whenever I'm allowed out. How to act like a proper lady in public." The two males laughed. "Well, you could learn where to put your feet better." Wes teased. Crysa butted his shoulder. "Come on! We'er wasteing time. I saw some dogs heading toward the beach. I think their starting a race!" Teddy brushed his paw over Crya's ear playfully. Crysa laughed and the trio darted off toward the beach where calls of other dogs were calling out excidetly.

Crysa quietly crawled into the house. No one was home, or so it seemed. Junie was probley out, and Toner, well she never knew what he did nowadays. Aunt Margret was probley at the boiler room. "Perfect." she whisperd as she crept into the study. As soon as she was in, the lights snapped on. Crysa wheeled around and saw Margret standing by the lamp. "Drat." she thought.

"There you are Crysa. I was wondering what had happened to you. We missed you on our stroll." she smiled. "We ran into Mitch and he wanted to chat with you."

Crysa snorted. Margret clicked her tounge. "Tsk, tsk, proper ladies don't do that Crysa. You should know better."

Crysa's sky blue eyes narrowed as Aunt Margret circled around her, then sat in front of her. "Mitch will never propose to you if keep acting like that." she said pointedly.

Crysa smirked. "Good. I'd say no anyway." Margret's eyes widened slightly. "Whatever do you mean? He's the perfect match for you."

Crysa growled. "Mabey in your book he is, but he's not in mine."

Margret abrubtly stood up. "He's a purebred and I won't have my niece running off with some streetbred half-breed."

Crysa glared at her. "I don't care what he is, I'm not going to be mates with him!"

"Proper ladies pair off with proper gentlemen." Margret said, her voice forced calm.

"Well then I guess I'm not a proper lady!"

"Well that can be changed. We'll just have extra lessons and--"

"I don't want extra lessons! I don't pay attention to the ones we have now! I'm not going to be your little puppet that you can strut around and show off to all your stuck up friends!" Crysa shouted.

Margret's eyes widend further, then narrowed. "Your no better then that little mutt of a dog your mother was." she growled.

It was Crysa's turn to be suprised. Aunt Margret had only ever once metioned the names of her parents. "What do you mean? Mom was your sister, so she had to be a purebred." she asked horsely.

Margret sniffed indgnietly. "She may have been a purebred border collie, but when she had you and your siblings with that Miliko, she disgraced herself. She had no right to carry his pups!"

Crysa starred wide eyed at her Aunt. A sudden thought hit her. "What was he?"

"Who? Your father? He was a no good--"

"No! What was he? What breed?" Crysa asked.

Margret growled. "If you think your going to find him, your wrong. I refuse to say anything more!" And with that, she turned and stalked out of the room, leaving Crysa stunned.

"Crysa will you stop pacing! Your making me dizzy."

Junie watched her sister walk back and forth in front of the bed. Toner was stretched out next to her on the bed. "Look Crys, Aunt Margret's mentioned thousands of times how much she hat.es Dad. The only way we'er gonna find out what, or who, he was is if we can find someone else who knew Mom." Toner told her.

Crysa slowed and stopped, a strange look crossed her face. "Why do you guys keep say 'was'?"

Junie and Toner exchanged looks. "What do you mean?" Junie asked.

Crysa turned to them. "You guys keep saying 'what he was' and 'who he was'. Like he's not around anymore."

"Well, he's not around anymore right?" Toner asked slowly.

"Says who?"

"What are you talking about Crys?" Junie asked, confused.

Crysa's sky blue eyes sparkled. "Who says he's not around anymore? What if--"

"Crysa, what are you getting at?" Toner asked as he sat up.

Crysa looked up at them. "What if Mom and Dad are still alive?" she asked softly. Junie and Toner looked at eachother. "Crysa,