let's go down to the barn....just the two of us...."

"No Ruffian! We can't, it's...it's just too risky right now. You know that."

Ruffian blushed, "Of course, of course, you're right. It's just that.....I've wanted a litter for so long......."

"You'll have one," he grinned, "soon enough. I promise."

She kissed him again. Ruffian had never felt this happy in her entire life; she couldn't have pried herself from Tux if she tried that night. Only days ago she had sworn to throw him out, now she was asking him to father her puppies. It just didn't make sense. But 'sense' had no meaning to her in the moment; she only knew that she felt for Tux what she had never felt for Milo, even though the feeling had come so suddenly to her.

Tux was slipping faster and faster into a wonderful daze. His voice was dreamy, "Think we'll have a chance? Together I mean."

"No matter what it costs, Tuxey" she sighed, laying her head on his chest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Tux awoke he was curled up in the kitchen. It was eight in the morning and he had no idea when or how he had gotten back to bed. What had happened last night? He looked down, still half asleep, to find Ruffian's rawhide bone at his side, and remembered. She was nowhere to be seen, neither were the other two dogs or the humans. He stretched and climbed out of bed. Somthing felt strange about his meeting with Ruffian. It had all happened so rapidly, she hadn't given him a moment to think about it. Now it was too late- no turning back.

David came through the kitchen door with Ruffian at his side. She followed him devotedly as he began to rummage through drawers. Tux trotted over to them. David reached down and scratched him behind the ear after finding a roll of masking tape, then he left the kitchen. Ruffian didn't follow. She looked around, making sure Angele and Nicki weren't in sight, before they touched noses.

"Tired?" she teased.

"Hardly," Tux tried to keep himself dignified.

Ruffian playfully nipped his ear then dashed out of the dog door. Before he knew it he was chasing her across the yard. The pair darted and bounced and danced, soon wrestling tenderly with each other. They had no idea that Angele and Nicki had been watching them; they were certainly in an awkward enough position.

"Somethin' you wanna' share with us?" Angele finally spoke through Ruffian and Tux's rowdy laughter. The two froze.

"Oh! Nicki, you scared me," startled Ruffian, pulling away from Tux.

"What are you guys doing?" Nicki asked.

"We were....just playing around. You know Ruff and I have worked things out. Figured we might as well be......," he paused, glancing over at Ruffian. Her eyes widened rapidly. "......friends."

"I see," said Angele suspiciously.

Ruffian play bowed nervously to the other two females, "Join us?"

"You know we got work to do Ruff, now quit that foolin' around. Jumpin' around like some kinda' five month old puppy," Angele brushed past them, leaving for the barn.

"I'm glad you two've made up. It can always stand to be a little friendlier around here," Nicki nodded to them then trotted off after Angele.

"Be there in a second!" Ruffian called after them. When they were out of sight she turned to Tux again. She kissed his muzzle, what she had longed to do since they parted the night before. Tux's tail wagged as he watched her bound away merrily for the barn. 'Dog, I'm good' he thought proudly to himself.

Tux lazed in the barn with the others after a long morning of mousing. This was one of their most important jobs: clearing the barn of pesky rodents. Nicki, Ruffian and Angele all caught and killed their share. Tux, on the other hand, would trap the mouse with his paw, but when it came time to kill it he just couldn't bring himself to get it in his mouth. Then it would bite at him, he would let go and it would scuttle away- so went the cycle until it came time for them to quit. For the spring time, it was quite hot so relaxing on the hay bales was greatly welcomed after a good long while of hunting. Ruffian tore into a particularly plump rat while she lay right next to Tux.

She nosed the carcass to him, "Try it, you'll love it."

Nicki and Angele exchanged glances. She never offered them anything of hers.

The last thing Tux wanted to do was refuse her, so, without a word, he dig into the fresh-killed rat. And just as she promised, it was good.

"Betcha' never had that served to you on a crystal dish," Nicki winked.

They all laughed together, and Tux could tell the tension was decreasing. Sure enough, Ruffian was helping him "in". The four of them traveled down to the creek, minus the strays, that afternoon. There they met with a few of the pets who were already lying around the clearing.

"Glad to see you back out and about again Ruffian," Sammy the kindly Catahoula female barked.

"Yes, we were beggining to worry, dear," said Bianca fakely.

"Poor Milo's been worried sick about you. Have you been feeling poorly, Ruff?" asked tiny Charlee.

Ruffian balked, "I'm afraid so. I....I guess I haven't quite been feeling....myself."

Nicki and Angele shot her such a look that Tux flinched at the sight of them. They knew something wasn't right.

The next day-day seven to be exact- rolled on swiftly. Tux and Ruffian shared only brief moments of affection. To let the others know was to gain certain distrust with Milo being so two-sided, though the couple had no idea how severe the situation might turn out to be. The four dogs followed David around through his daily chores and Tux even joined in a game of fetch with Anna in the yard once Ruffian showed him how. He enjoyed it thoroughly; who knew such a pointless looking game could be so much fun? Tux was begining to truely feel like he belonged in this new family. David's wife Kim was very kind to him, Anna loved playing with him and gave him loads of attention whenever she was around and David was a constant source of appreciation. The two groups of dogs had made it clear perfectly clear that he was one of them now and were tolerant of his slow transition to farm life. Everyone treated him like a brother, unlike the "family" he had come from. It seemed impossible for his life to get any better.

Anna kissed Tux on the top of his head before running along to bed after dinner. 'Kids aren't all that bad' he laughed to himself. The four dogs curled up to sleep in almost perfect unison. The kitchen clock punctuated every second and was lulling Tux into drowsiness. But not long after Angele was snorting in her sleep, Ruffian began to stir. She climbed out of her bed and stretched herself all over then padded quitely over to Tux's bed. She nudged him softly, urging him to get up.

"What is it?" he cocked his head.

She only beckoned him to follow her out the kitchen door. They were out in the night air together once again and it felt wonderful. But Tux couldn't understand why every time she called him closer she would only dash away. Something was definately different about her that night. Ruffian ran for the barn with Tux close in toe. He felt a couple of cold raindrops splash his nose. Soon it was pouring and they were soaked through by the time they reached the barn. Tux began licking the water off of her soaked coat and she did the same to his. Their tounges met at the end of each others' muzzles.

"Alright Ruff, why'd you drag me out here?" he asked her, still burning red in the face under his shiny black fur.

"Why do you think, liverbiscuit?" she giggled, slipping under his belly, then teasingly out again.

"But.......!"

She was slowly backing him into a cozy little barn stall full of hay. The way Ruffian looked at him sent shivers up and down his terrier spine.

"C'mon pretty boy, you've got nothing to lose," she crooned. Tux stumbled into the stall. His heart beat so rapidly that he was hardly able to contain it. It occured to him that he had no chance against Ruffian's persistance. There was nothing left to do but give in, and he did just that. The pair danced around each other playfully, displaying the most puppyish of behaviors. Ruffian turned over on her back for a moment, letting him sniff her over. But only for a moment. When he got close enough she grabbed him by the nape and pulled him into a zealous little scuffle. Tux had done this a thousand times but never had it felt so lovely. Ruffian came out of the games and into all seriousness after what seemed like an eternity of courtship. She turned and gave him the universal signal- now there was no turning back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Much farther into the night, Ruffian and Tux lay down, exhausted, in the hay, wrapped around each other to keep out the wind and the rest of the world. Tux panted heavily, in between breaths licking Ruffian's velvet button ears. She kept very still, only thinking of how warm their future could turn out to be. It was all done.

Thunder crashed outside. The rain seemed to had let up a bit but the wind was still pounding against the old barn's walls. Tux pulled Ruffian closer, not wanting to have to ever let go. They were now true mates and he would keep her and his unborn family close....at all costs.

He tensed. Something had come into the barn. Tux stood himself low over Ruffian; whatever had just entered, he sensed, was dangerous.

And it was. Milo stepped into the barn stall to find Tux over Ruffian. Milo's lip curled and the words oozed sharply from his muzzle "What do we have here, Ruffian? Couldn't sleep so we found something else to do, eh?"

Tux could feel every ounce of him simmer with hatred. Every hair stood on end. He could feel Ruffian's stand as well.

"Back up Milo.......I swear I'll tear you apart...." he growled, trying to look as intimidating as possible.

Milo laughed, "You? Oh I've heard about you. You're the scrawny little show boy everybody's been yappin' about. I'd be doing you a BIIIG

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Next page