at eachother. "Crysa, you don't really think that--" Toner started, then stopped when he saw her face.

"Who says that their not alive? Aunt Margret just told us that Mom was sold when we were a week old, and then Tom...." Crysa's voice die.d. Junie and Toner looked solemn. Tom had been the second youngest of the siblings, and had only lived a for a few days after their mother was sold.

Finnaly, Junie spoke. "Crysa, no ones saying their not alive, but, please, please don't get your hopes up to much. They could both be gone for all we know."

Crysa smiled. "All right. I'll try not to get my hopes up."

Toner smiled and jumped down from the bed. "Now then, where do we start?"

Crysa thought for a minute. "Aunt Margret said Dad was a champion showdog, right? Mabey we can start with someone who knows about that district."

The three siblings exchanged looks of slight disgust before saying together. "Dantella."

Dantella was the sister to Mitch and one of the biggest town flirts the siblings had ever met. She flirted with every male she thought worthy of her prescense, which was practily every male in town. Crysa found her in the boiler room, attempting to flirt with Jace, a red husky. "Hey Dantella." Crysa called. Dantella turned and Jace looked relived as he slipped out the door.

"Well well, if it isn't the little white mutt." Dantella said with a smirk. Crysa forced herself not to growl. "Whatever could you want?" the brown female asked. Crysa took a deep breathe and exsplained. When she was finnished, Dantella looked thoughtful, which made Crysa uneasy.  "Well, I guess I could help you out." Dantella said at last. "On one condition." Crysa cringed, she had been afraid of that. "What?"

Dantella smirked. "You spend one day with my brother."

"WHAT!" Crysa yelped. Dantella shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

Crysa thought wildly. There was no way on earth she would spend a entire day with Mitch. "How about I just kiss him?" she realized with horror that the words were hers and were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Dantella smiled widely. "Suit yourself." As soon as she walked out the door, Crysa fainted.

"Crys, Crysa, you okay?"

Crysa blinked a few times and saw Wes and Teddy looking down at her. She imeditly sat upright. "What happened?" she asked, looking around. "You tell us. We found you passed out on the floor." Teddy said. "Yeah, you okay?" Wes asked.

Crysa thought for a minute, then remeberd. "I made a deal with Danatella." she whisperd.

"Uh oh. What's the deal?" Wes asked. Crysa starred at both of them. "She'll try and find my Dad, if I--"

"If you what?" Teddy asked slowly. "If I kiss Mitch." Crysa said horsely.  The two males gasped. "You what!" Wes cried. "Your kidding!" Teddy yelped.

Crysa swalloed, then nodded. "If you guys feel bad, imagine how I feel." she choked. The two males exchanged looks. Then Teddy laid down beside Crysa and placed his paw over hers. "At least you won't mean it." he said softly. Crysa smiled at both of them. "Yeah, now come on, lets get you home before your Aunt sends the police after you." Wes joked. Crysa laughed.

Crysa walked down to the boiler room the next morning. Mitch was ussualy there in the morning, showing off for females. Crysa shudderd at what she had to do when she got there. "It's one little kiss on the cheek, it won't mean a thing and if he tries to make it more then that, I'll slash his face." she told herself.

She stopped outside the boiler room, then gatherd all her courage and walked in. Sevral dogs looked up and greeted her. Crysa noticed that Dantella and a few of her friends were in the corner, giggling and pointing. Crysa cringed when she saw Mitch strutting over to her, a grin on his face. "Hey baby." he said with a smirk. Crysa forced herself not to growl at him. "Hi Mitch." she said through clenched teeth. "Word is you got something to say to me." Mitch grinned. For a fleeting second Crysa considerd calling off the whole deal, then remided herself what Dantella was doing for her. Summoning all her courage, she stretched up and licked his cheek. There were gasps and shrieks all around, followed by whistles. Crysa didn't stay to listen, she turned and ran out of the room.

After she got a good distence away, she gasped and took a mouthful of snow, then spat it out. "That was disgusting!" she cried. "I don't care what anyone offers me, I'm never doing that again!" she swatted at a lump of snow. It flew aways away before falling to the ground and smashing into pieces. Crysa looked up and saw an old, run down buliding a short ways off. She couldn't help but smile to herself. She'd come to this barn many times when she wanted to be alone. It was so run down and old that no one ever came here.

Seeking refuge, she ran over and ducked inside. Breathing in the smell of old hay, she ran around to a small ramp that led up to the hayloft. Crysa sighed and sank into the straw. The only person who used this barn was Old Man Artchet, and he only used it to store his hay and straw. Crysa rolled over and looked out the small window that was in the loft. Outside the clouds drifted by peacfully. She sighed. It was a perfect day, but how would she be able to face everyone after what she had just done? Mitch would be boasting about how they were to be mates by now, then Aunt Margret would here and think it was true, then be furious when she'd say no when Mitch proposed.

"What a mess." Crysa groaned. "Dantella better find out something about my Dad after this, or I'm going to tear her to pieces." She sighed and rolled over again. She'd have to face the music sooner or later. "Then I choose later." she mutterd before drifting off to sleep.

When Crysa woke, the sun was high overhead. "Must be about noon." she said with a yawn. Strecthing herself out, she walked over to the ramp and ran down and out the door. "Time to see how bad the damege is." she mutterd. Sure enough, as she enterd town sevral dogs whistled and called out at her. Crysa ignored them. She wanted to find Dantella. It wasn't hard. She and a group of her giggling minons were outside the post office.

"Hey Crysa. Your boyfirends looking for ya." one of them giggled. Crysa rolled her eyes. "Dantella, can I speak with you?" she asked. "Probley wants to know when your brother will propse Tella!" anther minon called after them. "Okay Crysa, whats up?" Dantella asked once they were aways away. "Whens your next dog show?" she asked. " I leave for one this afternoon, then I'll be back in a day or two. Don't worry, I'll try and find out about your daddy." And with that the brown female turned and walked back to her group.

Crysa sighed and started home. Sevral more dogs hooted and called out at her, but she ignored them. What she was really dreading was what Aunt Margret was going to say.

Sure enough, it was as Crysa had thought. The minute she walked in the door, Aunt Margret was upon her.

"Crysa? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me." she called.

Margret came from the study, a huge smile on her face. "I just heard what happened this morning! I knew you'd come to your senses about Mitch!" she exclamied happily.

"Then my senses must be broken" she told herself. Margret, still smiling, usherd Crysa into the study. "Now tell me, has he propsed yet?" she asked excidetly. Crysa shook her head. "Well then, not to worry, I'm sure he'll do it soon." Margret assured her. "In the meantime, we can get you all sprused up!" she anounced. Crysa winced. "Uhm, Aunt Margret, do you think Mena could help me instead?"

Her Aunts eyes narrowed slightly. "She does know more about Mitch then I do. It'd be easier to know what he likes, wouldn't it?" Crysa asked, hoping that it would work. True, Mena knew no more about Mitch then she did, but that didn't matter. Finnaly her Aunt sighed and agreed. Crysa was out the door in a instent and darting across the yard.

"Mena! Mena!" she called out. The door opened and a orange female stood there. "Crysa! What are you doing here?" Mena asked in suprise. "Please tell me you haven't heard what happened this morning?" Crysa begged. "You mean with you and Mitch? Yeah I heard, and I can't belive it! I thought you hat.ed him!" Mena exclaimed. Quickly, Crysa exsplained. Mena slwoly nodded through the whole thing, then when Crysa finneshed, her eyes sparkled. "You really think your parents are alive?" she asked. Crysa nodded. "And Aunt Margrets always saying how Dad was a showdog, so now I just have to wait for Dantella to come back."

Mena's sparkle faded for a second. "You really think she'll even try?" Crysa nodded firmly. "If she doesn't I'll rip her to shreads." she growled. Mena laughed. "Oh, I don't doubt that."

Two days later, Crysa sat in the boiler room. It was evening and the only other dog around was a black female in the corner. Crysa's tail twitched as she waited. Dantella had gotten back from the dog show that morning, and she had promised to meet Crysa in the boiler room and tell her if she had found anything. A small cough got Crysa's attention. She turned and saw the black female starring at her with bright blue eyes. Crysa looked over her shoulder, but she was the only other one in the room.

"You there."

Crysa snapped back to the black female. "Me?" she asked. The female nodded. "Are you waiting for news?" the female asked. Cysa nodded slowly. "You are waiting for news of a lost one, but you will not recive the anserw you want. Someone close will find it, then you shall find them, but your hopes shall be dashed to the ground. For what you found was not what you wanted." The female said, her voice held a mysterious tone to it. But before Cysa could say anything, the female got up and left.

Crysa sat, stunned. What in the world was that about? "Mabey she hit her head on