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Marshall swiped his tounge over his muzzle and looked around for a moment. Being a hunting dog, he could find the necklace, surely. He began sniffing about, until a sharp metallic scent caught his keen nose. He traced the scent to a briar bush. He looked at the sharp thorns, but determine he thrust his head into the bush. A loud agonized yelp sound and he jerked back, dropping a silver necklace and whimpering as a few thorns where pricked into his muzzle, and a few places on his snout bled.

"Oh no! Marshall!" Bethany said, picking up the medium sized dog and her necklace. "Dad will take care of you..." She said, walking back up to the house with Marshall in her arms.

Beth's father, John, was out on the porch when they arrived. "There you both are..." he said with releif, he hurried from the porch and over to his daughter and her dog. "Bethany, you had your mother worried sick. Do you have any idea what time it is?" he said firmly, but his voice loving. Beth was his little girl, and he had never raised his voice at her.

Marshall whimpered, letting his head hang limp.

"Sorry, I had to take Marshall for a little walk and he got into a pricker-bush and hurt himself." Bethany whimpered, seeing her little friend hurt.

John sighed and crossed his arms. "Marshall Lee, you fool pup..." he sighed shaking his head.

Marshall looked up at him.

"Alright Beth, bring him inside and I'll clean him up with some peroxide... Then you..." he said, smiling softly at his daughter. "Off to bed once Marshall is cleaned up."

"Yes daddy." She said, hiding her cut up hands.

They went inside, and John gently cleaned Marshall's wounds, and pricked the briars put of his snout. He yelped a few times but was soon all good. Her father let him walk out to Beth. His nose raw looking, but he was still jus as cheery.

Beth smiled, picked him up, and took him to bed with her.

The next morning...

The sun filtered into Beth's room. Nate, was not at work this morning, much to Nick's liking.

Marshall was already awake, he watched Beth with his keen eyes. He could she that she clutching the necklace, as if scared of loosing it. And she held Nate's shirt close. Not knowing the importance of these items, the dog krept toward her, trying to get the shirt. He gently bit into it, and started to try and pull away the shirt, slowly dragging it from her grasp.

Bethany felt the shirt being tugged out of her grasp, she shivered and shot up. Thinking it was Nick who'd been taking it. Her crystal blue eyes grew wide when she located Marshall on the other end of her shirt and she sighed. "Marshall! Give it back!" She whined, prying it gently from his jaws.

Marshall made a sound and tugged away from her. He thought she wanted to play, so he held tighter to the shirt and tried to tug it away from her, he wagged his tail but hadn't realized the meaning of the shirt to her, he thought it was a toy.

"Marshall!" She barked, trying to pull it away from his grasp, "Give it back!" She ordered again, standing now and trying to yank it away.

When he heard a loud 'pop' from outside, Marshall released the shirt and hurried over to the window. Looking out he saw Nick's rusty old truck, with hay in the back, leaving, that meant he would be gone for the day.

Bethany sighed, seeing as Nick was leaving. She didn't feel safe around him anymore. But she could go outside now, without the fear of Nick confronting her. Why had he acted that way, anyways? It wasn't like they were together, or that he should even care! What she did with Nate was her business! And she'd be 18 in a month!

Marshall was quiet, until he saw an unfamiliar truck. He started barking and whimpering. He watched as a stranger got out and barked louder, clawing at the window.

The 'stranger' was Nate, he knew Nick would be out today, and he wanted to see Beth.