began.

"Oh no, anything but that!" Skip cried sarcastically.

"...But I don't know your names. And...er...you know mine." Rose looked away shyly. "Fang told me he had a gang, but..."

"This wasn't what you were expecting," Skip finished for her. He grunted. Typical.

"No, no, that's not it at all," Rose began.

"Relax. Seriously." Afghanna nudged her.

Fang hopped down from his cardboard box mound and wove around the gang, introducing his friends to Rose as he went by them. "This here's Affy--"

"My name," Afghanna interrupted, "is Afghanna. Afghanna--not Affy. Shorten my name any way you want, but don't, under any circumstances, call me Affy!" she told Rose, barely containing her frustration.

Rose raised her eyebrows. "Um...yeah, sure."

Fang darted over to Skip. "An' this's Skipper, otherwise known as shorty..."

"Fang," Skip warned, beginning to feel irritated, "knock it off. I'm not short."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Yer head comes to my eyes, pal. You're short."

"I come to your head," Rose pointed out, smiling at Fang, who didn't seem to care. "And I'm younger than you."

Afghanna laughed. "You know something, House Pet, I think you'll fit right in."

Rose grinned and barked happily.

Chapter 4

"What's that cloud look like to you, Skip?" Afghanna asked.

Skip squinted and arched a brow. "A cloud. Pick another one."

Fang blinked. "How 'bout that one?" he pointed with his nose upward. "Looks like a T-Bone steak t'me."

"With you," Skip muttered resentfully, "everything looks like a T-Bone steak."

"It kind of does." Rose defended Fang sweetly, gazing at him for a moment. "But it also looks like a heart from where I'm laying. Aff'?"

Afghanna grunted. "Looks like a bird."

The four puppies were laying on their backs, front paws bunched in front of their furry chests, in the long grass on a hill in the Park. Skip had invited them all to swim, shyly at first, and after they'd all had splashing-fight they'd decided to dry off by laying in the grass in a spiral and creating pictures out of clouds.

"That one looks like a collar!" Rose giggled.

They all moved their pupils to stare at her.

She frowned. "What?"

Skip rolled his eyes. Once a House Pet, always a House Pet.

Suddenly a bark--a shrill yap--made them all flip onto their stomachs and jerk their heads up.

"And I was just getting dry," Afghanna joked.

"Shh!" Fang snapped. "We got company, gang. Humans're comin' this way."

"What gave you that idea?" Skip muttered dryly as he and the others rose to their paws. His eyelids lowered and he curled his lip at the Golden Retriever.

"It's a House Dog. Comin' this way. ...Huh. Strayin' from its prissy owner." Fang sniffed. "Let's protect yer turf, eh, shorty? We'll ambush it."

"You see it?" Rose asked, craning her neck. "Where?"

"Other side o' the hill. Let's move!" Fang darted dramatically behind a tree and motioned for his gang to follow.

"The adventures continue," muttered Afghanna sarcastically, taking her time as she trotted up behind Fang, who had his head poked out from the tree.

"Come on!" Fang hissed.

Skip and Rose exchanged a glance and hid with Affy and the Golden Retriever pup.

"Okay, gang," Fang commanded. "Waiiiit for it...here it comes..."

As the pup came over the hill, Skip stiffened. His heart beat faster. Crystal!

He, without even hesitating, bolted out from behind the tree and took off toward her.

"What the--" Afghanna called after him.

"Whaddaya think yer doin, Skipper?" snapped Fang. "Git back 'ere! Wait fer the--ugh!" Fang trailed off, sensing it was no use. He and the girl pups stayed where they were, watching.

Skip panted, screeching to a halt right underneath the nose of the pup. He gawked. This was certainly his slightly-older sister...but she was so different! Her fur was sleek, still lemon-colored, and brushed. Her ears were fluffed at the top where they connected to her head. Her blue-green eyes were distant and not nearly as sharp and intelligent as before. And around her neck she wore a white collar.

Skipper blinked rapidly. "Crystal?"

Crystal halted, staring down at him, confused. Then her eyes lit up. He saw her jaw drop. "Sk...Skipper?" she breathed. Her voice was exactly the same.

"I...I thought I'd never see you again!" Skip didn't care who was watching. He pushed his head under her chin, nuzzling his big sister. "I looked everywhere for you!"

"Skipper..." Crystal backed away two steps. Her upper lip curled. "You're getting me dirty."

Skip sat up straight. "I'm what?" he gabbled, confused.

"My fur. You're soiling it, you see." Crystal shook herself. "Ugh. That's better."

"Wha...?" Skipper shook his head quickly, eyes widening up at her. "What happened to you? Where did they take you?"

"To a nice little shelter up the street." Crystal shrugged.

"And?" Skip remembered how good at story-telling his sister was. He knew how much she loved to tell a tale. "What happened there?"

"Bosh, really, it's all rather dull to tell," Crystal said dismissively in her clipped half-British young accent, looking behind her. She licked a tuft of fur that stuck out on her shoulder flat. But her eyes sparkled with the ache to tell a story and she said anyway, "At first I was frightened, but it turned out all right. They gave me to a nice old woman and her teenage granddaughter. They took me in and gave me a home."

"That's it?" Skip began to become outraged. "And you didn't try to leave?"

Crystal looked confused. "Why would I want to?"

"To look for me!" Skip burst out, leaping to his paws. "Like I looked for you, every day for weeks and weeks! To make sure I was okay!"

Crystal looked away guiltily.

Skipper stared at her, waiting for an answer. When it didn't come, he murmured, "Did you even miss me at all?"

Crystal turned her head. "O-Of course I did," she blustered.

"Not enough, though." Skip lifted his chin and glared at her. "If you cared or missed me at all you would've tried to find me. You wouldn't have stopped."

"Skipper, I do care!" Crystal protested.

"Oh, yeah?" Skip snorted. "Then come with me. We can live together again, like we used to."

"It can't be that way anymore. Mum's gone. I-It won't be the same." Crystal's voice shook. "Besides, I...I have a home now, and a family who happens to worship the ground I walk on, thank you very much."

Skip's mouth hung open. He couldn't believe it. She didn't care about him anymore! She'd forgotten everything their mother had taught them. Stay together, protect each other, defend the weak! All of it, gone from her mind!

"I guess that's it, huh?" Skip growled. "You forgot me. You forgot your own brother! Did you even think about what it was like? I was alone out here! Starving, while you were living the cushy-pillow life!"

"Well...that's not...I mean, yes, but..." Crystal struggled to reply, choked with guilt. "But you turned out all right. And I can visit you!"

"No thanks." Skip turned his back on her and began walking away. "House Pets like you don't mix with Street Dogs like me."

"Skipper, wait!"

But Skip didn't listen. He just went back to the tree. He knew Fang and the others had been listening to every word as best they could by the looks on their faces.

"Bummer," Fang murmured.

"What kind of a House Dog is she?" Rose exclaimed furiously. "She didn't even say she was sorry! Poor Skip!"

"It's fine," Skip sighed.

"Doesn't sound fine to me," Afghanna said, moving in beside him, pressing against him just like Crystal used to do. "She's your sister; you've gotta feel something after what she said." Afghanna raised her head and glared at Crystal, who was yapping around a teenage girl's ankles. "I'd like to give that ritzy kibble-eater a piece of my mind!"

"Don't," Skip sighed. "I don't need her."

"Exactly why we should put 'er outta 'er misery." Fang crouched. "I call the ears t'chew on!"

"Guys, I said don't," Skip repeated. "I mean it, I don't need her."

"You don't?" Afghanna arched a brow disbelievingly.

"But she's your sister!" Rose burst out, still glowering at Crystal from afar.

"All I need is you guys," Skipper promised. "You're my best friends."

"Sounds like a pact to me," Afghanna glanced around at them. "Best friends, eh, Fang?"

"B'fore we get all mushy, let's just do it." Fang put a forepaw down in the grass. "Best friends, from now until th'end, never leavin' each other or lettin' any of us