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Jan. 25th, 2016 10:03 pm![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
guppy_sandhuGuppy had got the warning when he'd seen the little dog appear in Milliways, sleeping by the fire, just a tiny bit translucent.
Sparky has been on her last legs a long time.
He rushed home in order to find her before the kids could see, and had wrapped her up in her favourite blanket, and told the kids that she'd gone to Milliways to live. It wasn't a lie. Fran, who didn't go to Milliways, had to excuse herself for a few tears, but Guppy stayed with the kids and talked about Doggy Heaven and how it looked like they'd still get to see Sparky. They talked about how Sparky was a good dog, but she was very old, and that being a ghost would let her be young and free again.
They buried her body in the garden, and Coral and Fry helped plant a dogwood bush over the top.
"Fran." Guppy says as they go inside, squeezing her hand. "Please don't bring home another dog without consulting me. Sparky was particularly non-threatening."
"I won't." Fran says, wiping her eyes.
***
"Fran."
"Yes?"
"It is literally eighteen hours since I asked you not to get another dog without consulting me."
"We're just fostering him Guppy."
Guppy looks down despondently at the puppy. Okay, so it's small now, some sort of little white sausage dog thing, but it might grow up big and bitey and growly.
"This is a terrible idea. We have two very small children. Is it safe around children?" he asks.
"He's trembling in the corner of the utility room Guppy, he'll be fine as long as nobody crowds him." Fran says firmly. "Look Guppy, I'm sorry, I know what you said, but I just went to the shelter to look, and they said he was going to be put to sleep!"
"Why?" Guppy asks, suspiciously, looking at the puppy.
"Well he's... a little bit deaf." Fran says. "White puppies often are."
"How much is a little bit."
"A little bit like... profoundly?" Fran says. "Guppy, I'll do all the training, he'll be fine, I promise. The kids have seen him now, please don't send him back."
Guppy puts his head in his hands. Like they need any more complicated members of the household! Is four children, one with special needs, not enough? But then the puppy comes out of his corner, and stands at the baby gate, and Looks up at him with big, different-coloured eyes. Something about that stare, that says 'give me a chance'...
"Fine." he says. "We can foster him, but any signs of aggression and he goes straight back, okay?"
"Deal." Fran grins, knowing full well that the puppy will be staying.
They meet in the living room to discuss a name for the puppy. Fran suggests they stick with their aquatic theme by going for 'Starfish', Star for short. Fry suggests Cylinder. Coral suggests Olaf, immediately vetoed by her brother. Brooke eventually shouts her own suggestion - 'Poo!', which the other kids approve of.
"We are not calling the dog Poo." Guppy says. "I am not shouting that in the park."
"You won't have to shout it in the park, he's deaf." Fry points out.
"We could spell it with an h, like Pooh bear?" Fran suggests. "It'd make it easier at the vet."
"I'm not going to have any say in this am I?" Guppy rolls his eyes.
Sparky has been on her last legs a long time.
He rushed home in order to find her before the kids could see, and had wrapped her up in her favourite blanket, and told the kids that she'd gone to Milliways to live. It wasn't a lie. Fran, who didn't go to Milliways, had to excuse herself for a few tears, but Guppy stayed with the kids and talked about Doggy Heaven and how it looked like they'd still get to see Sparky. They talked about how Sparky was a good dog, but she was very old, and that being a ghost would let her be young and free again.
They buried her body in the garden, and Coral and Fry helped plant a dogwood bush over the top.
"Fran." Guppy says as they go inside, squeezing her hand. "Please don't bring home another dog without consulting me. Sparky was particularly non-threatening."
"I won't." Fran says, wiping her eyes.
***
"Fran."
"Yes?"
"It is literally eighteen hours since I asked you not to get another dog without consulting me."
"We're just fostering him Guppy."
Guppy looks down despondently at the puppy. Okay, so it's small now, some sort of little white sausage dog thing, but it might grow up big and bitey and growly.
"This is a terrible idea. We have two very small children. Is it safe around children?" he asks.
"He's trembling in the corner of the utility room Guppy, he'll be fine as long as nobody crowds him." Fran says firmly. "Look Guppy, I'm sorry, I know what you said, but I just went to the shelter to look, and they said he was going to be put to sleep!"
"Why?" Guppy asks, suspiciously, looking at the puppy.
"Well he's... a little bit deaf." Fran says. "White puppies often are."
"How much is a little bit."
"A little bit like... profoundly?" Fran says. "Guppy, I'll do all the training, he'll be fine, I promise. The kids have seen him now, please don't send him back."
Guppy puts his head in his hands. Like they need any more complicated members of the household! Is four children, one with special needs, not enough? But then the puppy comes out of his corner, and stands at the baby gate, and Looks up at him with big, different-coloured eyes. Something about that stare, that says 'give me a chance'...
"Fine." he says. "We can foster him, but any signs of aggression and he goes straight back, okay?"
"Deal." Fran grins, knowing full well that the puppy will be staying.
They meet in the living room to discuss a name for the puppy. Fran suggests they stick with their aquatic theme by going for 'Starfish', Star for short. Fry suggests Cylinder. Coral suggests Olaf, immediately vetoed by her brother. Brooke eventually shouts her own suggestion - 'Poo!', which the other kids approve of.
"We are not calling the dog Poo." Guppy says. "I am not shouting that in the park."
"You won't have to shout it in the park, he's deaf." Fry points out.
"We could spell it with an h, like Pooh bear?" Fran suggests. "It'd make it easier at the vet."
"I'm not going to have any say in this am I?" Guppy rolls his eyes.
