Chapter 65: What's Two More

As we walk down the narrow dirt path the sounds of barking dogs becomes louder and louder. Finally, we come to a clearing with multiple kennels, sleds, harnesses, and other equipment that could be seen in the open barn. I look in the kennels to see various dogs, barking mostly at Bran for being in their territory. But Bran has been helping me rehabilitate dogs all his life, so he is unfazed by the dogs’ barking threats.

Each dog looks like a mutt, not rangy and dirty, but a mix of different breeds very similar to some of my dogs. They had husky and malamute in them of course, but other breeds such as Labrador and Collie seemed to be a factor in some of the appearances. Every kennel has a dog in it, except the end one. That’s strange, it looked like a dog lived there. As I stared into the kennel Sid called me from the barn. I ran over to begin my day of fun.

(later)

I had a blast! Brian showed me everything I needed to know about being a musher. He told me the commands he used, how he chose what dogs to use, the food he fed them, he even let me maneuver the sled once. They had special practice sled for when there was no snow. Sid rode in the sled a few times, but mainly stood back from it all. He said this was my day, that it was enough to see me have fun.

We had also given Bran a try in the harness. We had put him in the back, as a wheel dog, because it was his first time. He worked hard but Brian said that he would do better as a lead dog. Which really didn’t surprise me.

 After a day full of learning new things I was pretty beat as was Bran.  Before we leave, I decide to have one more look at the kennels.

I walk down the line of dogs until I come across the very end cage. Inside is a beautiful malamute/ husky mix. She has the unique red coloring and one eye was blue, the other brown. She stared up at me, not barking like the others. She had a sense of calm that the others didn't seem to have. Suddenly, I heard a slight whimper and saw movement from behind her.

‘That's why she was so mellow, she’s a mother!’ I see two puppies climbing over their mother, but I can’t exactly pin point their age. They seemed rather young, chewing on one another and wrestling like younger pups. One was a timber color, much like that of a wolf with brown eyes. The other was slightly smaller with snow-white fur and bright blue eyes like Bran’s.  These puppies were already pretty big, in fact they were almost as big as Bran when I got him. 

*                           *                          *

 

"Hey let's stop in the shelter and play with the puppies!" my roommate Maddie suggested as we drove past the shelter. 

 

"I don't know. I'm pretty beat," I responded, "Plus I might end up taking one home."

 

We had just completed a full day of skiing and snowboarding and I was getting pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.

 

I had agreed to go with Maddie to North Dakota for a skiing trip, even though I had never been skiing in my life. We had left the day after Christmas, which kind of pissed my mom off. I was in my sophomore year at University of Maryland and I figured why not have some fun?  

 

"Oh come on, you are majoring in Animal Behaviorism! Think of it as research," Maddie laughed. 

 

I thought about it, really what harm could it do? It's not like I was going to actually get a dog right?

 

"Alright," I sighed, pulling into a driveway in order to turn around and go back to the shelter. 

 

"Yay!" Maddie squealed from her seat next to me. 

 

I pull into the parking spaces across from the shelter it's self. As soon as I stop the car Maddie jumps out and runs to the door. I laugh and run to catch up with her. We open the door to the shelter and I am immediately hit with ‘the smell’. It's not a bad smell, more like cleaner and the smell of wet dog. Like I said it's not a horrible odor, just... unique. We come to a small desk where a woman in scrubs is sitting. 

 

"Hi, what can I do for you ladies?" she asked.

 

"We were wondering if we could look at your dogs," Maddie said.

 

"Sure. They are all down that hallway, if you need anything just ask," she replied with a smile.

 

"Ok, thanks," I responded, being that Maddie had already taken off down the hall way. 

 

I enter the hallway and can now hear the sound of the barking dogs. I open the heavy white door with the window in it to enter the kennels. Lines of wire fencing separate each dog’s living quarters, with a dog door in each that goes to runs outside. I look into each kennel and look at the name of the dog and their information on the front of the door. The first was a Rottweiler. He let off a warning bark at me and lunged at the cage when I got too close. His card said "Apollo- Rottweiler- in need of special home. Doesn't do well with cats, children, other dogs, or strangers." 

 

Poor guy he's never going to get adopted. The cage next to him was a very timid lab mix named Daisy and next to her a Dalmatian mix named Spot. I continue walking down the line, looking at each cage. I finally get to the end and the last cage catches my eye. Inside was a furry puppy. He looked much like a husky except he was bigger and all black. Except for his eyes which were a startling icy blue. His size was also impressive, he already looked to be the size of a Great Dane puppy, he was so big. But he didn’t look at all like a Great Dane, he looked more like a wolf. He looked up at me curiously and I couldn't help but feel a connection. I looked at his door in search of his information, but he had none, that's strange. I bent down to his level and let him sniff my hand through the wire door. 

 

"Hi there. You’re just a kid aren't you?" I said, in a higher pitch like how you would talk to a little kid. 

 

His head turned to the side and I saw a look in his eyes. I swear I could see the wheels turning in his brain as he tried to translate what I said. There was a woman in purple scrubs walking by carrying a water jug.

 "Excuse me," I said stopping her, "Why doesn't this guy have information?"

 "Just got him in yesterday. We aren't really sure what to do with him yet. The people that brought him in said they found him alone in the woods. By the looks of it, we think he might have some wolf in him," she said.

 

"So is he available for adoption?" I asked.

 

"I'm not sure you would have to ask at the front desk. But I know that when they have wolf in them, they don't often get adopted," she shrugged and walked off. 

 

I look back to the puppy that is looking up at me with a smile on his face, his tongue out and tail wagging. I sigh and look over to the other room where Maddie is playing with a kitten.

 

“Hey are you ready to go?” I ask… I needed to get out of here before I got this dog.

 

“Yeah, we can go,” she giggled as the little kitten swatted her finger.

 

I turned back to the puppy’s cage and found him staring up at me intently.

 

“Good luck kid,” I sighed, bending down to let him sniff me again. He waged his tail and licked my fingers. I chuckled and walked away.

 

I waited out by the front desk for Maddie, as she was still playing with the kitten.

 

“Excuse me, but I saw the black puppy back there with the blue eyes and one of the workers told me he was a wolf hybrid. What’s going to happen to him?” I asked the lady at the counter.

 

“Well…” she sighed sadly, “Nobody wants a wolf pup, so we will keep him up for adoption for a week, but no one will adopt him because of it. So he’ll probably be put down.”

 

“Oh…” I stated quietly, finding sudden interest in my shoes.

 

“Alright we can go now,” Maddie announced coming into the room and just heading straight for the door.

 

“Thank you,” I called back to the lady at the front desk as I followed Maddie out.

 

We drove back to the hotel and I fell asleep thinking about those blue eyes. The next two days we went skiing and snowboarding and I was steadily getting better. But every time I had a free moment to think, those blue eyes plagued my memory. What would be come of the misfit puppy?

 

One day I couldn’t take it anymore! I couldn’t get him out of my mind. So I told Maddie I was sick and going to sit out skiing today, instead while she was gone I made a trip to the shelter.

 

I walked in and the woman smiled, seemingly recognizing me.

“Just go on back,” she said.

 

I walked back the hallway and into the kennels. I went straight to the back and was met by a pair of blue eyes. The puppy actually recognized me, or at least he did a good job of pretending he did. He wagged his tail and licked my fingers as I bent down to his level. This time he had a card on his door.

 

“No name- unknown breed, maybe part wolf”

That was it. No good with kids and other dogs. No loves to get his tummy scratched. Just “maybe part wolf.”

 

I sighed. The connection between the two of us was undeniable, but could I handle a dog right now? Truth be told this was the worst part of college. Not having a dog. And I was really excited to get my own dog. So… why not get one now? I was moving into an apartment after winter break, and they did allow dogs. I was holding down a part time job…plus this dog could help me train other dogs if I ever became a dog trainer.

 

“Umm… excuse me… who would I talk to if I wanted to adopt this dog?” I asked a worker passing by.

 

“That dog? Why would you, he’s part wolf? He’s going to be a wild one, hard to control,” the worker said.

 

“But if I wanted to, who would I see?” I press through clenched teeth, I hated when people told me what to do.

 

“Front desk,” he mumbles.

 

“Thanks,” I bite out walking away to the front desk. As soon as I approaches the lady smiled at me,

 

“I already have the papers ready for you.”

 

After mountains of paper work he was finally mine. I had my first dog… well sort of. I had, had dogs before, but that was when my family was involved. This dog was completely mine.

 

I looked in the rear view mirror at my new family member. He needs a name… I could always name him Dakota and call him Koda. But that didn’t really fit him. Already I could tell that this dog and I had a connection, and that was something special. I watched as he bravely climbed over the seats in the moving car and came to sit next to me in the passenger’s seat. He was unique that was for sure, with his blue eyes and black fur. I had vowed to take him everywhere I could so that he could experience different things. I could only hope that he would be a great dog and a great friend. Much like Finn Mac Cool’s loyal hound… That’s it!

“Bran,” I said looking over at the puppy that immediately picked his head up to look at me.  

    *                         *                           *

“Looks like you have some new kids, Brian,” I called over my shoulder. Sid said he would wait out by the house in the car because I wasn’t going to be long. Bran stood next to me silently observing me.

 

“What?” he asks coming over to me, “Oh yeah… them.”

I look at him in shock. He spat out the word “them” like it was a poison that he had to get rid of.

 

“What was that all about?” I ask.

 

“See, Una some how got out of her kennel one night and didn’t come back for a few days. When she did she came back pregnant,” he sighed.

 

“So?” I ask.

 

“The puppies are mutts,” he says.

 

“You’re going to have to give me more than that…”

 

“They’re half wolf… tainted blood. I can’t use them in a race, who knows what they would do.”

 

“What are you going to do with them?” I ask dreading the answer.

 

“Give them to a shelter, tell them to do whatever with them,” he shrugs.

 

I sigh, knowing what exactly would happen to them.

 

“What if… What if I took them?” I ask cautiously.

 

“What?” he asks in surprise.

 

“Well, instead of you giving them to a shelter, why don’t you just give them to me. I’ll pay you for them. It’s just… I know what happens to wolf hybrids at shelters. They usually put them up for adoption for a week or so, depending on the protocol. They are most likely not adopted and then put to sleep.”

 

“Can you handle that?” he asks.

 

“I have 4 dogs at home, sometimes 5 or 6, plus Bran may be part wolf,” I shrug.

 

“Well alright,” he shrugs, not really caring what happens to the puppies.

 

“Ok, um… we are leaving tomorrow night. I’ll pick up the puppies tomorrow morning and we can work out a price. Is that ok?” I ask.

 

“Sure. I guess we’ll see you tomorrow,” he says rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“Yep, see you tomorrow. Thank you for showing me everything, I had a great time,” I smile holding out my hand for him to shake.

 

“My pleasure,” he laughs shaking my hand.

 

Bran and I leave as he begins to feed the dogs. I walk up to the car to see Sid fiddling with his phone in the car out of boredom.

 

“I thought you were just going to look at the kennels once more,” he says, “I’ve been waiting here for 45 minutes.”

 

I sigh as I close the back door behind Bran when he has hoped into the car. How would Sid handle this information?

 

“Sorry…. Um… what are we doing tomorrow morning, say 10ish?” I ask carefully, climbing into the passenger seat.

 

“Laying in bed. Enjoying our last day in Alaska,” he shrugs.

 

“Well, we kinda have to change that plan. We have somewhere to be.”

 

“Where?” he asks me very confused.

 

“Here.”

 

“Why would we come back here? I mean I know you loved it, but you want to come back tomorrow?”

 

“Well… I kinda am picking up two dogs tomorrow,” I say cautiously, not knowing how he’ll react.

 

“What?” he says searching my face as if he’ll find a clue.

 

“Ok, just listen. Brian’s one dog ran away awhile back and came back pregnant. So he has two puppies that are wolf hybrids and he was just going to give them to a shelter…”

 

“Oh you didn’t,” Sid groans.

 

“The shelter would have put them to sleep! I couldn’t let him do that!” I say defending myself.

 

Sidney sighs heavily and looks over to me with a grin.

 

“What?!” I ask.

 

“Only you could go on a surprise trip to Alaska and come back with two dogs,” he says leaning over to kiss my cheek before starting the car. 

July 24, 2009 at Friday, July 24, 2009 , 5 Comments

Chapter 64: Sounds of the Wild

This is quite possibly my shortest chapter ever, but I promised at least something. More is on the way! oh, and I didn't really double check this, so expect some errors that will drive me insane when I have time to reread this. ~Aeryn

I turn over with a sigh. I just couldn't sleep. I should have just fallen asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Sid and I had hiked everywhere for the past couple days and we went fly fishing today. Well... actually he went fly fishing, I got bored after half an hour and went for a hike. Anyway, for some reason I just couldn't fall asleep. I look to my right to see that Sid's fast asleep. He was snoring quietly. I smile at him. I close my eyes, surrendering myself to sleep. But again, it doesn't come. 

After a few moments I give up and gently get out of bed. Bran perks his head up from his sleeping place in the corner as I slip on some clothes and walk out of the room. I walk into the kitchen, but I'm not hungry... or thirsty. The moon light shines thought the glass door, getting my attention. I'm drawn out side into the crisp night. I lean against the wooden railing of the deck and look up into the sky, taking a deep breath. Millions of stars gleamed in the sky with a cresent moon hovering with them. Bran lays down next to my feet as I continue to stare up into the sky. 

Suddenly, an almost sad and eery sound can be heard from deep in the woods surrounding the house. My breath catches in my throat and my stomach does a flip involentarily. I had been waiting to hear that sound since the moment we arrived. I stare out into the darkness as the sound begins again and it's not long before more join in. 

Bran perks up and looks off into the darkness listening intently. A smile tugs on my lips, this was something I always dreamed about. Being in Alaska with Bran in the darkness listening to wolves howl off in the distance. Granted there was snow and the northern lights in that dream, but hey, I take what I can get. 

I hear the door quietly open and Sid steps out onto the deck. 

"What are you doing out here? Why aren't you in bed?" he asks. 

"Shhh..." I say with a smile, pulling him next to me, "Just look up and listen."

"Oh wow," he says staring up into the stars, "but listen to what I don't...."

He stops as the wolves begin their song again. "Is that?"

"Yeah, wolves. Isn't it beautiful?!" I smile looking off into the darkness.

"I would have used 'creepy,' but ok," he smiles down at me pulling me into his arms. 

"Thank you for taking me here," I whisper against his chest, breathing in his scent. 

"You're welcome," he chuckles. 

"I want to come back here," I state quietly.

"Ok, we will someday," he whispers back.

"In the winter," I say, "I want to see the northern lights."

"Sure."

"I don't want to leave in two days," I sigh my eyes starting to get heavy.

"Just think, you can see the rest of the dogs in a few days."

"Yeah, that's true," I yawn.

"I have a surprise tomorrow though," he whispers.

"Mmmhmm..." I mutter, not hearing him as sleep suddenly overcomes me.

The next thing I know someone is gently waking me up.

"Caitlin," he whispers in a soothing voice as he pushes hair out of my face.

"5 more minutes," I mumble, snuggling into his chest.

"Come on we need to leave soon," he laughs.

"What time is it?"

"Umm.... welll..." he hesitates.

"What time is it Crosby?" I grumble.

"7:00... but before you say anything, we have to leave at 7:30 to go to your surprise," he says quickly.

"Better be a damn good surprise," I mumble getting up.

"You're going to love it, I promise!" he calls into the bathroom as I begin the water for a quick shower. 

"Sidney. Where are we going?" I ask.

As far as I could tell we were driving on a dirt back road that looked like it lead into nothingness. 

"You'll see," he replies with a smile, "we're almost there."

I sigh and look out the window taking a sip of coffee from my travel mug. Sid was so excited about this and promised that I would love it. I had no idea what was going on and it kinda ticked me off. Bran was in the back, waiting patiently... at least one of us was patient.

"Alright, I think... yup, we're here," he smiles.

I perk up and look around. In front of us is a rather modest house with a jeep outside. 

We get out of the car and I can hear barking. Sid leads me up to the wooden steps of the porch and knocks on the door. A man in his 30s appears at the door and smiles before opening the door.

"Mr. Crosby!" he smiles.

"Please Mr. Weaver, it's Sid," he smiles back shaking the man's hand.

"Only if you call me Brian," he nodds. 

"Alright."

"And you must be Caitlin," Brian says taking my hand in a firm handshake. 

"Yeah," I smile politely.

"Wow, that's quite a dog you have there," he says looking down at Bran, his hands in his pockets.

"Thanks, this is Bran," I smile down at my best friend.

"Wow! Those are some startleing blue eyes. He looks just like a wolf," the man says reaching out so that Bran can sniff him.

"Ha, yeah we get that a lot," I smile, and the turn to Sid with a questioning look.

"Caitlin, this is Brian Weaver. He is a musher," Sid says with a smirk.

My eyes light up immediatly and a grin spreads across my face. 

"Would you like to see them?" Brian asks.

"The dogs?" I ask excitedly.

"Yeah," he laughs, "This way."

He turn to lead us to the path by the house. I move in front of Sid and pull him by the collar so that his lips connect with mine.

"You're the best," I smile.

"I know," he grins. 

July 19, 2009 at Sunday, July 19, 2009 , 6 Comments

Chapter 63: Are you Crazy?!

Just wanted to say thanks for all the comments, they really mean a lot. And I forgot to change the post date when I first posted this chapter. Sorry for any confusion. Thanks, Aeryn


I rub my hands over my eyes and face, trying to get rid of the ache in my eyes and begin focusing on the task at hand again. I look down at the papers in the open folder, then to the computer just to the left, and then back down at the papers again. I let out a curt sigh of frustration, the damn words and numbers were beginning to blend together. 

I look up to the clock on the wall above my desk and find that the minute hand had only moved 5 little dashes since the last time I checked. I sigh, yet again looking back down at the papers in front of me. It seemed that everybody got puppies at the same time, late spring/ early summer, and just around the time when I had to pay the bills. Plus all the dogs were due for check ups at the vet and to top that all off the Pens were in the 2nd round of the playoffs and not playing very well against the hated Flyers.

"Ugh, stop the world I want to get off!" I say rather loudly holding my hands up in frustration.

Luckily no one was in the office, because I probably looked crazy. My hair was a mess after repeatedly pushing my fingers through it in frustration and my fingers were stained blue from the pen ink I was using. I had been at the office for about 10 hours now, and I still felt like I had so much to do. 

Sighing for probably the 500th time tonight, I look up at the clock again finding that now only 2 minutes has gone by since I last checked.

"That's it!" I shout to no one in particular, "I'm done... I can't look at these folders anymore!" 

Bran perks up his head at me, watching me intently. He was the only one I had brought to work today. The rest of the dogs were at home, doing God knows what.

"Come on Bran, let's go home," I say leaving all the folders and papers on the desk and turning the computer off. I leave the room and all my work behind, tonight I needed to just relax. Bran and I make our way home and I'm greeted by the dogs when I move in side. I throw my keys on the side table by the door before going into the kitchen. I was starving!

I pull a can of some sort of chicken noodle soup out of the pantry and pour it into a bowl before putting it in the microwave. I grab a pack of Ritz crackers out of the pantry and grab a propel out of the refrigerator. I was not cooking tonight! I was tired, cranky, and I still had to watch a hockey game tonight. Sid was with the rest of the team in Philly playing the Flyers in the 4th game, they had to win this game or they were out of the playoffs. It's not that I was watching the hockey game because of Sid, which I guess I kind of was. But even if we weren't together and I had no connection with any of the guys, I would still be watching. Even though I just wanted to go to bed. 

The beep of the microwave sends me over to get my soup. Grabbing the bowl of soup, a spoon, the box of crackers, and my bottle of water, I make my way over to the couch. I turn on FSN, figuring I have missed most of the 1st period. But instead of seeing hockey, some other program comes on. I groan and turn the TV to versus only to find that they are only 2 minutes into the 1st period. Versus is always so slow to get the game starting. I watch in dread as I see Danny Briere swiftly move past our D and over to Fleury and his net. He fakes one to the bottom left and then swiftly puts it changes to the right putting it past the Flower. 

"And Briere fakes left and then past Fleury and SCORE!!!" Doc screams into the microphone.

"Ugh," I groan in disgust stuffing a cracker in my mouth. 

After the first two periods of play the Pens had managed to tie the Flyers, thanks to a spectacular performance by Fleury. The rest of the team were not working well together for the first time in awhile. They were all having an off night, except for Fleury. I could tell they were getting frustrated with themselves, it was showing in the amount of penalties they had taken. 

I get up during intermission to feed the dogs and then sit down to watch. I could tell that they so desperately wanted to beat these guys. They came back into the game, but they just couldn't seem to put the puck behind Biron. The D did an excellent job at fending off the Flyers and keeping the puck in the Flyers zone, but then Hartnell high sticks Gill and the refs don't see it. 

"Oh come on Ref! How could you not call that! It's Hal Gill. How fucking high does the stick have to go?!" I yell at the TV.

Suddenly that sneaky Hartnell is skating toward the goal and...

"SCORE!!!" Doc again screams into the microphone.

"SHIT!"I scream back jumping off the couch and waving my hands frantically at the TV, "Thanks a lot Ref!"

After letting out a string of profanities attached to rather hateful comments to the refs, I go to the door to let the dogs out muttering to myself. I run up the steps and get ready for bed. It was 11:00 and I was finally going to be able to go to bed, after a pretty bad day. And then the pens lost in the playoffs, what icing on the cake.

I go to bed, still in a sour mood and I think Bran senses it because he jumps up on the bed next to me. Usually I would tell him to go down stairs because Sid was coming home, but I had a stress filled day and there was nothing like burying your head in thick dog fur when your boyfriend wasn't home to snuggle into. So I allow Bran to the lay next to me pressed against me and I bury my head in his course black fur,  instantly falling asleep next to my best friend.

Sid's POV

The plane ride home from Philadelphia was silent, everyone was pissed at first that we didn't win. After all the ref should have called that penalty on Hartnell. But by the time we got on the plane the real sense of defeat set in and the mood turned from anger to depression. I look over at Marc who wasn't sleeping like some of the guys but staring out the window. I knew he was beating himself up over the last goal that got past him.

"Flower, there was nothing you could do, that shot was almost impossible to stop," I whisper over to him.

"I shouldn't have seen the shot. I should have known," he says shaking his head. 

"Marc seriously. We didn't play well like we should have in the first two periods. If it weren't for you we would have lost by a lot more than 2-1," I say honestly.

"Yeah, but still,"he sighs looking at his hands in his lap.

"You can't change the past man, we'll get that cup for sure next year," I smile at him.

He nods his head with a sigh and continues to look out the window.

This was one of the hardest parts of my job. As captain, I had to be there for everyone else even when I was feeling like shit to. I knew Flower was reviewing different plays in his head, thinking of what he should have done. I knew this because I was doing the exact same thing.

The plane lands in Pittsburgh a little after 1:30 and everyone with out many words goes to their cars and heads home. 

I feel slightly better when I get back to the house, noting that all the lights were turned off. I walk up the steps and put my stuff down by the door right now. Usually I took it to the laundry room, but right now, I just wanted to get to bed. I see Sam poke his head around the door way, making sure it was me who came in and not some stranger. He was here because we had an away game, he would go back to Tanger's house tomorrow morning.

"Hey Sam," I yawn before heading upstairs. 

I walk into the room and I'm greeted by Bran's eery blue eyes looking at me from the bed next to Caitlin. His eye had a pink glow to them in the night, it was kinda creepy. But he lay next to Caitlin who was snuggled into him as he watched over her. He was the biggest reason I felt comfortable with leaving Caitlin alone. Sure she had all the other dogs, but I knew that Bran would stop at nothing to keep her safe. Sometimes I even felt a little jealous of him. After all, he was always by Caitlin's side and he could be there when I wasn't. He was Caitlin's partner, I was her boyfriend.

I sigh and strip myself of clothes and move to the bed. Bran looks at me briefly and then slowly gets up and quietly jumps off the bed making room for me. I crawl in after him and slide in next to Caitlin. She admits a small groan stirring for a moment, before snuggling into me with a content sigh.

I smile. This is what made losses a little more bearable. Knowing that she would still love me and support me even in the loss. I knew she got mad when we lost, like any good hockey fan would, but she never portrayed any of that when I got home. I sigh thinking of how we were out of the playoffs. The first time I got the Cup I thought it would give me a sense of peace and it did, at least for awhile. But now I wanted it again. It seems that once you get the Cup, you just want it more. And this year wasn't our year. I sigh, there was no way I was going to sleep soon, even if I was tired. 

I think about getting up, but she feels so warm next to me. Her head was pillowed on my shoulder. Her silk hair with it's coconut smell brushed under my chin and her right hand settled on my chest. Her mouth was open ever so slightly and dark lashes lay out on her cheeks, her eyes closed masking those amazing brown eyes. I could see faintly the puckered pink jagged line on her right arm from where Sam bit her. I sigh tracing the line with my finger, making her stir against me. I stop immediately not wanting to wake her. She settles down, her leg moving to tangle with one of mine. 

My eyes were starting to get a little heavier, I was so comfortable with her next to me. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I give into sleep.

(Skip to 1st week of June)

Caitlin's POV

"Would you just tell me?!" I plead again as Sid takes me by the hand leading me into the airport, Bran followed behind us. The guys had already cleaned their lockers out and most of them had went home. Sid decided to stay with me for the month of June with me in Pittsburgh before leaving June 30th to get back to Nova Scotia for Canada Day. He asked me to stay with him threw the summer, but that just wasn't an option. I said I would visit and take at least a week off, but I couldn't stay in Nova Scotia with him, summer was basically dog training season. Everyone seems to want to get their dogs trained during the summer.

He led me over to a secluded part of the airport and then down to what seemed like the run way to me. He leads me up to a plane and grins at me. 

"After you," he grins signaling me to go up the stairs and into the plane.

"Are you crazy?" I ask with a laugh.

"What?" he says his face falling.

"You're serious! You actually think I would get on a plane and not know where I was going or when I was getting back?! And Bran is with me, where is he suppose to go?" I ask flabbergasted.

"I figured you would react this way," he sighs, "Ok look. I am taking you for a week to a place, but you have to wait until you get there to figure it out. And this is a private jet, so Bran is fine to go on."

"Sidney you have to be kidding me?! First of all, I didn't pack..." I begin.

"You're all packed and Beth helped me," he smirks.

"And work! I have clients and...." I begin again.

"I had Mary clear your schedule for the next week and close the office," he continues to smirk.

"The dogs! Bran isn't my only dog... I have...."

"3 other dogs. They are staying at that dog hotel you usually take them to," Sid says looking at me.

"But... I... I..." I hesitate, shit I ran out of reasons.

"Ran out of reasons. Now get in the plane," he smiles cockily pointing up the plane.

I sigh. This was something I would never, ever do. Go away to somewhere I didn't know on a moments notice, but with Sid... I don't know. I just had complete trust in him... for some crazy reason. So I give up and let go and walk onto the plane Bran behind me and Sid behind him.

I look around at the leather seats and gorgeous tables.

"Take a seat. It's Mario's we're borrowing it," Sid whispers behind me as if reading my mind.

I sit down and an attendant sets a flute of champagne down in front of me and Sid.

"Oh and Caitlin, Happy early birthday," Sid smiles at me leaning over the table to kiss me sweetly on the lips.

After hours on the plane and me asking Sid a million times where we were going. We had finally landed and were getting off the plane, and I still had no idea where we were. For I knew we could have circled Pittsburgh for hours and landed. Boy would I be pissed if he did that. 

I notice that the air is cleaner than in Pittsburgh, it reminded me of when I was a kid living in the woods. It was colder here than in Pittsburgh. I'm not saying there was snow, but I could use my fleece jacket. And I could see a small city. We walk into the airport to leave and I look around, frantically trying to find a clue to where I am, Bran by my side. Sid was walking next to me, waiting for me to figure it out. I can see people dressed in fleece in jeans, some in tshirts. I look at the flights going out, but that's not very helpful. That's when I spot it. A dark blue flag with a pattern of stars forming the Big Dipper and a larger star in the top corner, hanging next to the American flag.

"You brought me to Alaska!" I say loudly, making him laugh at me as I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him smiling.

July 04, 2009 at Saturday, July 04, 2009 , 5 Comments

 
Creative Commons License
Discovering...Love? by AS is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.