fear water. He chased me into a lake. He's bigger than you. You won't stand a chance against him," Lily argued. She had meant to discourage him, but the idea of someone scaring Lily into water just made Chad mad. He whirled around and stalked back to Buster.

"He went back didn't he?" Angel asked without turning around.

"I'm afraid to look," Lily whimpered.

The two females turned around. Chad was being circled around by Buster. The males were definately challenging each other to a fight.

"What're we going to do?" Angel spoke after a short while of watching.

"What else can we do?" Lily sighed. Both females trotted over to the two males.

Buster finally stood still. "Are you actually standing up to me?"

"Are you actually shocked by that?" Chad retorted.

"Listen, runt. No one stands up to me. Especially one that looks like you."

Chad growled. Buster growled back.

"I know you dad, runt. Wait 'till he hears his son wants to live with housepets too," Buster taunted. Chad snapped and lunged for Buster. His teeth instantly met fur, but Buster shook him off easily. "Big mistake, runt!" he growled. He jumped at Chad and pinned the smaller dog down. "I was going to go easy, but now you've made me mad."

"Buster, cut it out!" shouted two voices at once.

Buster looked up, alarmed as two female dogs leaped for him. Both hit his shoulders and knocked him down. Buster yelped with surprise.

"We're sick of you being a bully to us!" Lily snarled.

"Yes!" Angel put in. "I'm sick of having to put up with you just because you get jealous so easily." It felt good for Angel to finally release these feelings!

Buster snarled. He threw the two dogs off. Chad raced in and leaped up to bite Buster. He caught the spot right below the larger dog's shoulder. He hung on tightly which meant his teeth were deep into Buster's leg. Buster howled and then snarled beyond rage. He whirled his head around to bite Chad's scruff and rupped him off of his leg. He prepared himself to pounce on the smaller dog again, but neat little puppy jaws sank into his muzzle. Buster cried out in pain. He shook Lily until she fell off and landed on her side with a surprised huff. Buster stalked up to a snarling Lily, but before he could do anything, Chad leapt in again and slashed his small claws across Buster's cheek. Buster whimpered as the cuts began to sting. Angel was surprised at how satisfying it felt to hear Buster finally put in his place. Chad stood protectively over Lily.

Buster glared at them with scars over his right eye.

The dogstried to catch their breath. Lily sat up and Chad sniffed her. Angel noticed how protective Chad had been of her and how worried he was even though there was hardly a scratch on her.

But Buster wasn't finished. Angel heard Jim Dear calling her. She knew Buster wasn't finished here, but she didn't want to fight. She snuck away when no one was looking and ran back to her owners. She started barking urgently, but Jim Dear just assumed she was hungry. Angel tried all she could, but the Darlings wouldn't help her friends. Angel growled with frustration and watched in horror as the fight continued.

Buster lunged for Chad who jumped out of the way at the last moment. He nudged Lily away and the pair fled back to the lake. Buster pursued.

Chad and Lily were breathless by the time they reached the lake and both skidded to a stop at the edge. Lily's eyes widened at the waves below and Chad finally remembered her fear of water. But Buster was gaining on them.

"Lily, you have to jump!" Chad barked.

"Jump?" Lily shrieked. "I...I can't....the water!"

"Hurry!"

The desperation in his voice made Lily suck in a deep breath of courage and leap. The moment the water hit her, Lily began to panic. She thrashed and kicked and struggled. Then, she remembered what she did the last time. At least that helped her head stay above water for a little while. The waves kept taking her back under, but Lily knew she had to fight. She paused when she saw someone else fighting. It was Chad. He was being backed up against the edge. Lily tried to scream for him to be careful, but all that come out were bubbles. They made her sink faster.

On dry shore, Chad was getting pretty beat up by the bigger dog. He was making Chad back up against the edge and Chad reared up on his hind legs to swat the taller dog's nose. Buster's ear was caught since he had lunged to bite Chad's hind legs. Chad tried to leap out of the way, but he made the mistake of leaping backwards.

Chad fell into the lake with flailing paws. Lily's head came above water long enough for her to see him hit the water. She yelped as if it were her before getting taken down by another wave.

Buster smirked. "Don't mess with me, runts," he sneered before confidently walking away.

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It was about fifteen minutes until Lily stopped seeing blurs. She finally hit a pebbly bottom and collapsed in the ankle deep water. The waves kept making her sway. She knew she was about to hit the bowl's wall, but instead, she hit soggy fur and bones.

It was Chad. He wasn't moving.

Lily felt teary. "Why?" she whispered. Exhaustion overcame her and her head fell hard onto Chad's neck. 

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Lily and Chad lay there for who knows how long. Large rain clouds were covering up the sun. Through her sleep, Lily could hear pawsteps sloshing in the water towards her. She was too exhausted to care who it was.

A someone's nose nudged her head softly. Lily's eyelids opened weakly and were still half-closed. She was wide-awake when she saw familiar blue eyes behind brownish-grey bangs.

"Mom!"

"Shush, dearie," Peg put a gentle paw on Lily's shoulder. "Your sisters are here too." She said after giving her pup a few motherly licks between the ears. "We'll take you home."

Lily's tail wagged slowly. She stumbled to her paws and followed her mother out of the bowl. When they reached the top, Lily's three sisters practically jumped on top of her.

"Enough of that," Peg scolded. "Don't you see how exhausted she is?"

After a few more licks and giggles, Lily's sisters followed their mother as she took the forest route to their alley home. Even Mazie had come despite her injured paw.

Lily started to follow, then paused with a look back at the lake.

"What's the matter?" Ginger asked.

Lily turned to look at her youngest sister. "I can't leave my friend."

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Someone nosed Chad. He blinked before looking up.

"Trusty?"

"What is with young pups these days? Hurling themselves into lakes! The insanity!" Trusty complained good-naturedly. Chad smiled.

"Where's your pap? Hasn't he told you better?"

Chad struggled to sit up. "SSorry Trusty. But I had no choice. Someone was attacking."

"I see. So tell me, was this attacker your size with bright yellow fur and blue eyes?"

"No! That was my friend," Chad looked around. "Where is she? She can't swim!"

"I didn't need to."

Trusty looked up with a smirk and Chad followed his gaze. Sure enough, there was a gold-furred female sliding down and then running towards them.  

"I didn't need to," Lily repeated. "My mother came. She's taking me home. Guess that means you're off duty, guard dog," she added with a playful nuzzle.

"Oh, well, I guess that's good then," Chad couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice.

Lily nodded. She didn't want their adventure to end either. "Thanks for saving me....twice. I had fun," she confessed shyly.

"Me too," Chad replied softly.

"Tell him you like him already!"

Lily glared at her sister with eyes blazing.

"Ginger, shush," Peg spoke calmly. "You can't rush these things," she added only for Ginger and the other sisters to hear.

Lily sighed. "Sorry about that," she turned back to Chad.

"That's alright," Chad woofed as he got to his paws. "I guess...you should be going then."

"I guess so," Lily's ears drooped as she said it. "Maybe we can see each other again soon. Do some foraging and swimming lessons." The offer made both pups perk up.

"I'd like that."

The sun finally seemed to appear as Chad said the words 

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Chapter 4

Lily had followed her family home which took about half an hour (not that dogs care since they don't read clocks). She had stared at her paws the whole time, but was smiling. The family had just laid down for some calm time when they all heard a voice.

"Peg! Lily?"

Angel appeared at the bright end of the alley. She looked worried but it completely fadded when she saw Lily in the middle of her family. "Lily!" she ran up to her friend and nuzzled her.

Following her was a familiar legend with a red collar. Peg blushed slightly at seeing the Tramp again.

"You okay?" Angel fretted.

"I'll live," Lily assured.

"What about Chad? Is