groaned, pulled herself up, and nodded slowly. ‘I forgot about that thin fur of his,’ she thought. “Alright,” she agreed. She went to take a step and almost fell, but Rex managed to catch her.

 “Come on,” he urged, glad he had managed to get through to her. “We’ll get you home.”

 “Thanks,” she groaned. She could feel his muscles tensing as he tried to stifle his shivering, and it gave her something to think about besides her own predicament. “By the way, my name’s Terry.”

 “Rex.”

 As they walked, Terry spoke very little except to tell Rex which way to go. Rex noticed with some surprise that they were heading in the same direction as his house. Time after time she would talk him through the turns he already knew, as if she were guiding him to his house instead of her own. Well, at least it’s convenient, he thought. A shorter trip back home once she’s been taken care of.

 Finally the husky stopped walking. “Here we are,” she said.

 Rex stopped and looked up at the house Terry was looking at. It seemed pleasant enough, hardly a place that would be so terrifying. But when he glanced in Terry’s direction, she had her tail tucked as far between her legs as it would go. In spite of the cold temperature, Rex decided he would stay there until she had gone inside. “It’s alright, Miss,” he urged. “You’ll be just fine.”

 Terry whined just a little. “I’m trying,” she whispered.

 Rex furrowed his brow. ‘She’ll never move on her own,’ he thought. Anxious to get this job over with, he opened his mouth and let out three loud, deep barks.

 “What are you doing?” asked Terry, staring at him in total befuddlement.

 Pleased to see that at least her mind was off of her deceased mate, Rex looked her in the eye. “I want you to do exactly what I just did.”

 “Why?”

 “Trust me.” Rex would have explained, but he wasn’t sure she would cooperate if he told her this was his plan to get her back inside.

 Terry eyed him warily. “Alright,” she agreed. And she barked three times just like he had.

 There was a sound like a book being thrown against the wall inside, and a young woman’s face appeared briefly in the window. A moment later the door flew open with a bang, and the woman attached to the face ran outside. “Terry!” she cried, wrapping her arms around the husky’s neck. “Where have you been, girl? I was worried sick about you!”

 Terry’s face broke into a smile and she licked the woman’s cheek. The woman laughed and hugged her tighter. “Oh, thank God you’re alive!” she choked, tears of joy running down her face.

 Rex nodded approvingly and turned to go.

 “Wait!” barked Terry.

 Reluctantly, Rex turned back to face her. “Yes ma’am?”

 Terry was smiling openly now, overjoyed to be reunited with Alicia. Her tail had even begun to wag a little. “Thank you!” she called.

 Rex nodded and smiled, more to reassure her than out of any sense of endearment. “All in the line of duty, Miss. If you ever need to talk to someone about this, you can come talk to me.”

 “Are you sure?” asked Terry. Her ears reclined slightly in confusion. “I wouldn’t want to pull you away from your job.”

 “Not at all,” he replied. “I never leave my house if I can help it. I’m a tracker, mostly, and I’ll take any opportunity I can to keep my workload down.”

 “Oh, I see.” Terry looked relieved. “Where do you live?”

 Rex jerked his head. “Right over there, actually.” he replied, “Just down at the other end of the block, on the opposite side.”

 Terry nodded. “Okay,” she agreed as Alicia got up and led her back inside.

 Satisfied with a job well done, Rex turned and high-tailed it back to his house with two things on his mind: the smoke coming from the chimney, and the warm fire it signaled within.

..................................................................................................

Rex gratefully slipped in the house, the cold clinging to him like a malignant phantom as he shut the door and shook the bits of snow off his paws. Inwardly he wished that he was able to grow a thicker coat, but that would never happen. Nor would a transfer to California, or anyplace that was more temperate then Alaska.

 He sighed inwardly. Such was life, after all.

 He padded towards the living area and was caught by surprise when a distinguished tone spoke up from near the fireplace. “Anything new on the rounds?”

 He relaxed. It was just Captain Orde, a tall, robust Malamute/Canaan Dog mix breed who was owned by Deputy Williams. Rex knew that Orde had been raised in the British mandate of Palestine under an army captain’s care, and therefore spoke with a crisp British accent that he could never quite shake. It irritated the Captain to no end when some of the other dogs called him ‘The English Muffin’, but he simply took it in his stride. There were better things to do with his time then getting offended over a joke, after all.

 “Hello Orde.” Rex hurried to sit by the fire, turning to Orde and allowing himself to bask in the warmth of the fire. He arched an eyebrow at him. “Why is it you never say hello or goodbye? It’s always right to the point with you.”

 “It’s merely a habit of mine.” Orde waved a paw dismissively.

 Rex chuckled. “I see. So what brings you around here? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

 “Deputy Williams needed to consult the Chief about a legal problem, and I decided it was high time to pay you a visit.” Orde glanced at the bloodhound curiously. “I hope I’m not intruding. Are you expecting anyone else over?”

 Rex was taken aback by the abrupt question. “Why do you ask?”

 “I was simply curious. After all, it’s not often I see you escorting an attractive female back to her house.” The look on his face was significant.

 Rex was completely caught off guard. He had momentarily forgotten Orde’s talent of observation. Usually he appreciated the Captain’s attentiveness, but now it just aggravated him. He certainly didn’t want Orde to think anything was…well, going on. Not that the Captain would think anything was going on, but it was better to stop a misunderstanding before it began. “What did you do, follow me the whole way?”

 “No, but one can’t help hearing a brawl in an alley, and one can’t help but notice that you are walking with a female; something you never do.” Orde said pointedly, ignoring Rex’s miffed tone. His look turned thoughtful. “I think I’ve seen her around before. Isn’t she the mate of that dog who died in the last race?”

 The expression on Terry’s face leaped to mind. “Yes. She told me a little about it on the way here. She took his death pretty hard.” The memory of her crying made his discomfort skyrocket, and he gruffly shook himself. Police work did not call for sympathy. It only got in the way of one’s job.

 The Captain grew somber as he stared past the fire, lost in thought for a long moment. “Grief is a burden one should never bear alone.” He slowly commented at last. “Comfort from another dog is not accepted easily when one is mourning a loss…however, it wouldn’t hurt to go and let her know you share her pain. She would more likely then not appreciate the effort.”

 Rex’s mouth nearly dropped open at the suggestion. “Orde, have you forgotten we’re the police? Police don’t go and cozy up to weeping females!”

 Orde’s eyes flashed angrily, but Deputy Williams whistled before he had a chance to respond. “Come on Orde, it's time we oughta be headed home.”

 Captain Orde got up and walked to the door, but paused and turned around. “We may be police, but we are also dogs. There’s a time when we are off duty, and that would be the better time to just be Rex.” He leveled a weighty stare at him before he slipped out the door.

 Rex stared after Orde as the older dog left; then allowed himself a small chuckle. 'That old Muffin,' he thought. 'Always coming up with some funny idea or other. Just because I helped the lady out, he thinks I've gone and gotten romantic.' Terry's image drifted into his mind. She was attractive, there was no question. But Rex knew himself too well for that. He wasn't that kind of dog, and she obviously wouldn't be taking applications for a new mate any time soon. 'British humor,' he thought with another laugh as the warm flames soothed his body to sleep. 'Orde always has something funny on his mind...'

………………………………………………………..

Two days later Rex heard a scratch at his door. ‘Now who could that be?’ he wondered as he walked to the door. “Who is it?”

 “It’s me, Terry.” came the reply. “Can I come in?”

 Rex’s heart moved to his throat. He still remembered the conversation with Orde the day before, and he knew that this would mean an even more awkward situation if his friend were to find out. But he had invited her to come