to Fang. “How will I know your ‘gang’?”

“Easy. Soon as you go down this street, turn right an’ cross the tracks. Follow yer nose to a li’l Street Dog haven called Tony’s Italian Restaurant, an’ they’ll be there. Yellow Lab called Skip—always a stick-in-th’mud. Affy, the sens’ble one, all white with spots, an’ Rose. She’s gotta rose, you’ll know where t’look.” Fang blinked. “Don’t forget, pretend yer me.”

“And to them, you would be…?” Samwise tilted his head.

“Their leader. The coolest pup out there—king o’ the Streets, guy with a plan. Remember that, an’ you’ve got it made.” Fang nodded.

“What about what you have to remember today, huh?” Samwise trotted in a circle around Fang.

“Me?” Fang arched a brow.

“Yep. You’ve gotta play with Jamie. As much as possible. No goofing off, no getting dirty, eat everything in your bowl, and don’t stay out after sunset.” Samwise grinned. “Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” Fang grinned tactfully back. “Now fer your makeup time. Lose the collar, Sammy, I ain’t the license type.”

Samwise managed to get the collar off and Fang, with much complaining, slid it onto his own neck.

“Okay, now—” Fang picked up a stick and stood sideways in front of Samwise, making one end of the stick poise over the top of the other pup’s head. Fang lowered it, and shook it back and forth as fast as his mouth holding onto it would allow.

“Ih-hey!” Samwise gritted his teeth.

“There y’go.” Fang dropped the stick. “Perfect hair.”

Samwise’s head-fur was messy and ratty-looking. Just like Fang’s.

“If this’s your idea of perfect…” Sam began, crossing his eyes as he looked up and tried to see his hair-fur.

“Yer eyes’ll work like they are,” Fang observed, “They’re mostly red.”

“What about you?” Sam lifted a paw and smoothed Fang’s hair down as best he could.

“Hey-hey-hey, knock it off, Sammy, that’s my—” Fang started to say angrily, squeezing his eyes shut.

Sam grinned. “Now that’s a perfect hairdo.”

Fang groaned. “If this’s what it takes…” He paused. “Okay, now let’s work on yer look. The whole innocent act ain’t workin’ on my face. Do what I say, Sammy.”

Sam blinked.

“Okay, now lower the eyelids.” Fang ordered.
 

Sam did, eyelids drooping halfway.

“A’ight, good. Eh, shake yer fur out, pal.”

Samwise shook his fur until it was good and matted.  “Now are we done?” Sam asked.

“One more thing.” Fang took a step back. “Lift yer left eyebrow.”

Sam raised his eyebrows.

“No, no—jus’ one.”

Samwise raised one eyebrow, the one on the right, and sunk the left one low over his eye.

“Other left, Sammy.”

Sam obeyed.

“Now act like yer bored—put yer eyelids down, but only a little.”

Sam lowered his eyelids.

“Okay, okay, good. Now, ah, show me some fangs, pal.” Fang raised his chin.

Sam bared his teeth, letting out a submissive growl.

“Nah, nah, like this—think ‘cool’.” Fang showed only the corners of his mouth open, teeth gritted and showing clenched.

Sam copied him.

“An’ now, tilt the head up.”

Sam lifted his head.

Fang stood back and closed one eye, observing Samwise. The other dog looked almost exactly like Fang, with a few details different.

Fang grinned. “Okay, yeah, y’can go, but remember my directions, Sammy. Made it as clear as I could fer ya. Oh, an’ make it back here by sunset. I ain’t sure I can hold out with the life of a House Pet very long.” Fang winced as Sam hopped over the wall and down the street, Samwise’s collar dangling from his neck. “B’lieve me, I’ve tried.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

“I’m stuffed,” Skip groaned.

“I’m guessing there won’t be dessert,” Afghanna grinned at him.

Skip stretched out further, yawning on top of a crate, on his back. “Boy, it feels good to finally get Fang off our backs, huh?”

“Say what?” Rose raised her head from where she lay inside a sideways-overturned empty crate.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Afghanna commented.

Skip rolled over onto his stomach. “Y’know what I mean.” He rested his chin on his paws.

“I don’t think so.” Rose stood up. “We need him!”

“As if,” Skip snorted. “We can take it from here.”

“And who’d be leader?” Afghanna challenged. “You?”

Rose snorted.

“As a matter o’ fact—” Skip began angrily.

A crash sounded from the entrance to their back-alley of Tony’s.

Afghanna, Skip, and Rose all swung their heads to the right.

A Golden Retriever’s head poked out from around the corner.

Afghanna cocked her head, one eyebrow arched, the other sunk low, both eyes scrunched from the bottom, the picture of confusion. “Uh…Fang?”

The pup emerged.

Skip’s head jerked back. Funny. It looked like Fang. But something was different.

Rose noticed it too. But she was too excited by his presence to think about it. “Fang!” she squealed, bolting toward him.

Samwise took them all in at a glance, recognizing them by their reactions and looks. They were exactly as Fang had described him. But the orange one with the fake flower behind her ear…Rose, wasn’t it? She was breathtaking! Fang mentioned her, but he didn’t say anything about being drop-dead gorgeous! Samwise felt light-headed as she hurtled toward him.

“Um, hi,” he said carefully.

Rose skidded to a halt in front of him. “Fang, you’re back!”

“Sure I’m back,” Sam lied. “Depends on where I’ve been, actually.”

 Rose giggled and bounced on her paws.

Samwise smiled. She was beautiful!

“Hey, uh, you okay?” Afghanna padded forward, sniffing him.

Samwise was staring at Rose with a drippy look on his face.

“Fang?” Skip trotted forward, trying to rouse the Golden Retriever. “Fang? …Fang!”

Sam blinked twice. “Wha—who, me?”

“That depends.” Afghanna’s voice was suspicious. “Are you feeling all right?”

“Yeah. Sure. Couldn’t be better. Uh, why?” Sam scratched an ear.

“You seem…a little bit…different.” Skip sniffed ‘Fang’.

Sam drew back. “Uh…uh, what d’you mean?”

That’s weird. Afghanna thought. She cocked her head, staring at him. He doesn’t even sound like Fang.

Rose trotted in a circle around Sam. “Fang, I’m so glad you came back! What’re we gonna do now?”

“Do?” Samwise blinked.

“Don’t you have a plan for the rest of the day?” Skip asked, arching a brow.

“Well…” Sam gritted his teeth and looked to the left and right. “We could go to…uh…to…”

“How ‘bout the Park?” Rose asked, bouncing on her paws.

Sam turned to her and flashed a handsome grin. “Yeah, sure.” He paused. “How about you lead the way?”

“Me?” Rose jerked her head back, astonished. “Are you sure?”

“Just for a change of pace,” Sam or ‘Fang’ assured her.

“Wow!” Rose grinned and turned, prancing down the alley toward the entrance. She looked over her shoulder at Affy and Skip. “You guys comin’?”

Afghanna looked at Skip. Skip looked at Afghanna. They blinked and turned their heads toward Rose, saying at the same time, “Nah.”

Sam arched a brow. He was ecstatic about the chance to be alone with Rose, but he’d made a promise to Fang to spend the day with them—for whatever reason. “Why not?” he asked.

“Don’t feel like it.” Skip again glanced at Afghanna. “But, uh, we’ll catch up.”

Sam wrinkled his eyebrows into a puppy-dog-pout without lowering his bottom lip. “Ah, man. You sure? I’d love to have you come.”

Afghanna was sure her mouth dropped open ten inches. Skip sucked in and his eyes popped.

“I’m sorry, what?” Afghanna slowly circled the Golden Retriever. “You’d love to have us?” she lowered her eyebrows. “Are you sure you’re Fang?”

Rose glared at Affy. “Of course he is!”

‘Fang’ or Samwise cleared his throat nervously. “Wh-who else would I be?”

“I dunno.” Afghanna continued to circle him, looking him up and down. “You don’t act like Fang.”

“Duh! He’s Fang, of course!” Rose repeated indignantly. “And if you guys won’t come with us, we’ll go off alone.” She smiled dazzlingly at Sam.

Samwise blinked slowly at her. “Uh, yeah, okay. I-If you guys are sure you