Back On a Leash

[Scamp]

(Takes place January fourth, closed for LatT characters.)

Scamp lay glumly in the Dear's backyard, a long chain hanging from his collar. Wow, only a few weeks had passed and he was already back in the dog house? Must be a record. But the scruffy pup wasn't angry to be in his usual prison cell again. He was more...Sad. He honestly was glad to be back at home with his family, especially now that Angel wa staying them. But home meant rules. And rules meant restrictions.

He sat up, giving his ear a scratch with his hind leg. The chain rattling as he did. He looked back up and watched two birds fly past him, twirling in the air and behind the fence. He watched longingly as they flew away. He wanted that. Needed that. To be free and in wide open spaces. He sighed and hung his head, confusion clouding his mind. Had he made the right choice after all?

[Angel]

"You okay, Tenderfoot?" With that familiar greeting, Angel rounded the doghouse, the tag on her still-new pink collar bumping gently against her chest as she walked. While Scamp's humans were maybe a bit stricter on some matters than she was used to, it undeniably felt good to have a real family again. Angel dropped to her rear in front of Scamp, giving him a somewhat-teasing 'what did you do this time?' look. Not that she didn't know, of course - the pomeranian was simply more adept at covering up for any part in the trouble that she caused than Scamp was, unfortunately for him.

[Fletcher]

"Hello there Angel,Scamp" Fletcher greeted from outside the fench from the allyway dark brown eyes look from Angel to Scamp "you don't look so hot kid somethin wrong?" Fletcher asks now leaping up placeing his front paws on top of the fench peering down at them. Fletcher could only guess that Scamp had gotten in trouble again after all judgeing from what happend to him before. the lab mix shakes his head his long ears flopping this way and that.

[Scamp]

Scamp looked up in surprise as Angel sat down in front of him. "Oh...Hi, Angel." he said in embarrassment. Drat, the one time she comes to see him he's tied to this stupid dog house. "I'm fine." he lied. "Just trying to adjust back to home y'know?"

He turned looked behind his shoulder at the sound of Fletcher's voice. He frowned. "Yeah, apparently my welcome back has worn off already." he answered bitterly. He turned back to face Angel. He couldn't take it anymore, he had to tell somebody. "It's just...I feel like I'm stuck in the same spot I was in the first place." he spilled. For once in his life, he actually made the right decision. But if he did the right thing, why did he feel like he regretted it?
"I just don't know what to think anymore. I was glad to back home at first, but now I have to listen to the same stupid rules." He stopped for a moment, a long dead silence following. He closed his eyes in frustration. "I can't stay here, I just can't."

[Angel]

Angel looked pained at the direction this conversation was taking. "Tenderfoot - Scamp - they're your family." she insisted, feeling that she was doing nothing so much as repeating herself. What could she say, anyway? Scamp wasn't the only one feeling the uncomfortable weight of Jim Dear's rules - Angel's muzzle twitched ruefully, the memory of the human's slipper still fresher than she would have liked - but the fact that she had a family which looked permanent now, after so long, more than made up for that.

Scamp had never lived her life. Even after what he had gone through, he would never understand just how precious a gift having a loving home truly was. She sighed, feeling a sense of defeat overwhelm her. "For the first time in my life," she admitted whistfully, "I feel like I belong; I don't feel so alone. I want to be with you, Scamp," she lowered her eyes, already hating what she was about to say, "but if you do leave, I can't go with you.

"I've finally got a family." she whispered. "Don't make me give it up."

[Scamp]

It tore everything inside him to hear her say that.
He knew Angel had been searching for a home for so long, and he had never seen her so happy staying with his. "Please, Angel. You gotta understand." he begged her. "I need to be somewhere where I can run, and do what I want. I can't live being cooped up here my whole life!" He looked at her with his chocolate brown eyes, frustration flashing through them.

[Angel]

Angel's eyes squeezed shut and she turned her face from Scamp. She should have seen this coming. Nothing good in her life had ever lasted - not homes, not relationships, nothing. She shouldn't have allowed herself to believe that somehow, with Scamp everything would be different. Because it wasn't, not really.

A dozen scathing coments rose to the forefront of Angel's mind, but she held her tongue. More than anything, she told herself, she wanted Scamp to be happy. If he couldn't achieve that here with her... it hurt, badly, but she wouldn't try and guilt him into staying. "I guess this is goodbye then, Tenderfoot." she said instead, blinking angrily to fight back the tears that threatened. Guilt jabbed at her conscience, and the female struggled, altogether unsucessfully, to ignore it. True, she loved Scamp - but she had yearned for a true family her whole life. She couldn't turn her back on them now that she'd finally been accepted.

"Where will you go?" she asked, her voice controlled but still with a hint of bitterness she was unable to mask. "You know you don't belong with the Junkyard Dogs now."

[Fletcher]

"he could come hang with me if he wants?" Fletcher said having over herd the conversation between the two "i have a bit of street dog in me" Fletcher tail wags he then leaps over the fence and lands in the yard. "i hope I'm not a bother if i am you can let me know" Fletcher's ear lay back in submissiveness.

[Scamp]

Scamp's ears drooped. "I don't know...Maybe I could visit somewhere in the country." he answered tentatively. He could imagine it already. Running through the fields, chowing down whenever he wanted, digging holes as much as he pleased...But he just couldn't piece the image together without thinking of Angel. She had been at his side his whole adventure, even when he had disagreed with her to stay with Buster. She was his closest friend, and he couldn't bear to be apart from her for so long.

"Angel, I...I care about you too much. I don't know what I'd do..." he stopped, realizing he had almost gave away his feelings to her. "Anyways, couldn't...Well maybe...If you could just..?" he choked on the words, staring into the Pomeranian's hurt face. How could he be so selfish? Tearing Angel away from the family she finally had. "Could you maybe just travel with me there? Just so...You know you knew where to visit if you wanted to." Not like she'll want to. She probably hates you now anyway. He told himself resentfully.

(ooc: Whoops, sorry Fletch. I didn't see your post. ^ ^

[Angel]

Angel felt a knot form in her stomach. She wanted - longed to go with Scamp. She would only be kidding herself if she said she didn't long to take Scamp up on his offer. The two of them, off together, no rules, no Buster and his stupid junkyard code... She heard her own voice ringing in her ears, from what felt like so long ago now: 'Come on, Scamp. We could run off together - we don't need them'. And now, they finally had that chance...

But what about their family? They'd both seen how miserable all of them had been when Scamp had run away last time - wouldn't it be even worse for them if not only Scamp, but she as well, ran off this time, especially with Dani already gone to who-knew where? She couldn't betray the Tramp and Lady, Collette and Annette like that. And, more selfishly, if she took up Scamp's last suggestion, wouldn't she be the one to get into trouble if she left with Scamp and came back without him?

"I can't, Scamp." she replied, both her ears drooping pitifully to frame her face. What are you saying? This is Scamp - you love him, remember?

[Scamp]

Scamp looked down at his paws, crestfallen. Well he should of seen it coming anyway. He looked back up at his best friend, trying to hide his disapointment. "I guess this it then." he said quietly. He couldn't believe that he was actually about to leave his home again. But it was the right choice for him. Wasn't it? He put a paw on the chain connected to his collar. He put his teeth onto the latch and pulled on it, until he had managed to open it enough to slip his collar out. He blinked in surprise as the chain fell to the ground. A few things learned from Buster he had managed to use.

Slowly he turned back towards Angel. He hesitated. "Just promise me one thing." he said, nuzzling her under the chin. "Take care of yourself, okay..?" He felt stupid saying that, knowing the pom had basically done that her whole life. But something made him say that, because he cared. He looked sadly into her blue eyes one more time, then left towards the hole in the fence. Here he was again. He crawled under it, emerging onto the other side. He slowly broke into a trot, each step becoming harder and harder. He glanced back over his shoulder one last time, then broke into a run. Freedom. Here he came.

[Angel]

Angel's jaw clenched as Scamp nuzzled her, a thousand conflicting thoughts flooding her mind all at once. How could she truly choose between her best friend/lover or having a family? "Tenderfoot..." she began weakly, before shutting her mouth again. There was nothing more that she could say, just giving a minute nod. Despite the fact that he was the one walking out on her, the pomeranian felt awful as she watched the only pup she'd shared a mutual relationship with disappearing through the fence. Angel fiercely clenched her eyes shut, turning away from what was possibly the last time she would ever see Scamp. Th-this was where she belonged, with his family...

Right?

Try as she might, though, the girl couldn't banish the memory of Scamp's dejected face. Angel shuffled her paws, wishing that she felt more certain that she had made the right choice - but as it stood, she couldn't have felt less sure of her decision. For once in her life, she had found something - someone - who meant more to her even than her desire for a family. Even if her past experience told her that she would lose him soon enough anyway...

Silently cursing herself, Angel pushed aside the loose board and, with one final, regretful glance back at the one home that hadn't turned its back on her, the pomeranian darted through, setting off after Scamp.

[Fletcher]

"OY hey Scamp wait up!" the dog cries out as he leaps over the fench and races after the son of the Tramp. "do-do you need some traveling company?" he pants out as he reaches the young pups side. "cau-cause i'm good at that" a slick grins slides over his muzzle.

[Scamp]

Scamp came to a stop as the brown lab mix caught up with him. He looked at Fletcher puzzled. But before he could make up his mind, he spotted a familiar cream colored pelt coming towards them. His eyes widened. "A-Angel..?!" he stammered. The gray pup ran towards the pomeranian and skidded to a stop in front of her. He stared at her, a surprised look still spread across his face. "I... I thought you were staying." he said. "What about having a family? Isn't that important to you?" As much as he was thrilled to see her again, he didn't want to make her miserable and tear her away from his home.

[Angel]

Angel didn't meet Scamp's eye as he spoke. For a long moment, she remained silent, not immediately answering, before bringing her head up to face Scamp. "It is important to me." she replied slowly, as if she were picking her words very carefully - or taking great care to conceal her emotions as she spoke. "But so are you, Tenderfoot. It wouldn't be my family... without you there."

She held his gaze seriously for a moment more, before her expression relaxed into a more mischevious one. "Besides, we both know you wouldn't last five minutes out here on your own." she teased, playfully nudging Scamp's cheek with her head. "Someone has to keep you out of trouble, housedog." So saying, she batted at the tag on his collar with her paw, the way she had when they'd first met. This... this was where she belonged. The nagging pain, the sense that she was losing something important forever, was still there, but now that it was the home, not Tenderfoot, which she was turning away from, the inner ache had considerably dulled.