Alternate Chapter Name; This is where sh1t really hits the fan
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The day after, Gypsy had once again been entrusted to watch Lavender. Her talk with Ace had gotten a little too intimate, and they'd ended up falling asleep together after a cuddle. The male dog Bronx had oddly been gone very late hours into the night. Gypsy thought of asking him where he'd been when he got back... But from the distracted stony look on his face, she hadn't gained the nerve.

Subdued, she tried to distract herself from her thoughts of borderline cheating on Bronx.

But it wasn't working. He'd be so angry if he knew... that I'm starting to like Ace back. Ace would be a wonderful, involved father-dog. Even to pups that aren't his! And he isn't gone all day... Gypsy and the husky-mix had grown closer than they'd ever been before.

Yet her mate often patrolled from dawn until dusk- while Ace was busy feeding Obelisk and her, or marking one border or another at Bronx's command.

Bronx seemed to try and keep Ace busy, but the husky mix was always done with his chores before mid-day. Why did he let Ace join if both him and North treat him like such an outsider?

Yesterday, she had seen North snap at him for treading too close to Lavender. Ace had acted oblivious and stepped away, but she knew it had hurt him.

I'm starting to realize what Ace has to go through here. Would it be wrong if I brought up the idea of... leaving?

But that would mean leaving Bronx, and taking her puppies. Gypsy liked this territory, and the life she had built here. It was so easy to find food, or keep herself entertained with the forest.

"Let's go do something," she hollered impulsively at her pups, standing up. Lavender walked up to her heels, tail wagging.

"Do what?"

"Anything. I need to get out of my head." She threw the black-and-white pup a friendly glance.

"How about we all go to the houses for food together? It'll be their first time," she said while turning her muzzle towards Finn and Copper.

"Ooh, yes! Mother took me there once. All the human-y stuff is so weird and cool," Lavender's eyes lit up in a sort of contagious glee. She bounced on her long, thin legs- but was still only about half of Gypsy's size.

The young pup was growing into a fine young she-dog. In the two days that Gypsy had gotten to know her, she seemed a lot like Finn.

Enthusiastic and positive, but with more of a selfish edge to it. Lavender persisted her male puppies to play, fetch her sticks and beetles, and even said where they had to walk. She was quite the bossy little thing, as if her mother's protectiveness caused her outspoken demeanor.

"No, walk beside me. I can't see through your haunches at what's ahead of us!" Trilled Lavender with a slightly annoyed tone. She flicked her floppy black ears back, tossing her head.

Gypsy didn't mind. She, too, could be a bit overly bossy. And it would teach her male pups to respect female authority.

Copper quietly moved out of the way, following behind his mother-dog as Gypsy led them though the woods.

It was a carefree walk. Lavender entertained her pups with constant chatter and attitude. The rain had relented into the previous night, but was now nothing more than a distant memory. Mud squelched underneath Gypsy's paws as she traveled.

"We're almost there," she said as they came up to the road, bordered by a ditch full of rainwater. All the dogs took a drink from the ditch, then patiently waited to cross the road.

Gypsy had a scare where Copper had stopped, shivering and whining along the middle of the road. However, no cars had come, and she was able to scoop up her male puppy fast.

"Copper, you can't sit in the road like that." Lavender complained, and began lecturing the younger puppy with a short tail-wag. She seemed pleased to teach another dog something she knew, and they didn't.

"See that row of houses up there? It's where Ace gets the food from. He brings it all the way back just for us-every day." Her heart warmed at the mention of Ace towards her male pups. They both looked up at her with equally admiring eyes.

"That's a long way, Mama!! And he goes all the way here, and all the way back twice? For us and the old dog who tells us stories?"

"Yes, dear." Gypsy stated patiently, as they finally set paw on one of the house's unfenced yards. She could already see a plate of dog food on the porch, but something unique about this area in particular was setting her off.

Beside it, there was a giant house with a screened in porch- and lovely grilled food scents wafting over from an outside grill. The grill sat atop a patio bordered by short-clipped grass.

None of that in particular bothered Gypsy... It was just the mass of a half-dozen humans surrounding the grill.

One or two of them were sitting, but most were moving their lips in eager chatter as they stood nearby one another. Two of the humans were shorter and lankier, with rounder heads and youthful eyes. They had no distinct features around their faces; no wrinkles, pimples or facial hair.

So they're pups. Like my last family had. Two pups; a mother and father and... whoever else is here. A plume of thick smoke rose from the grill as a bearded man flung it open, sticking some metal tongs inside to flip the meat portions over.

Nervously, she slunk around the edge of the lawn with her puppies following.

"Don't make any sounds. No playing here, no barking or whining. Copper," she added to her timid male pup who was already opening his mouth to protest.

"Humans are dangerous. They will hurt little pups like you- so go on, eat quickly." The mother-dog gestured a paw towards the nocholant plate of food, and all three pups fell on it greatfully.

The white Pitbull was too preoccupied watching the humans to eat herself. Two of them had swiveled their odd pale heads towards her. They were watching and slowly spreading out, but not moving fast enough to make her feel threatened.

They know we're here. "Hurry, pups! We must get going." Gypsy stated with rising tension as her eyes fell upon the three puppies. Lavender stood back to let Copper and Finn finish eating, but she heard a stifled gasp emit from the pup as she was watching.

Flicking her neck back around to look at the humans, Gypsy's heart lept into her throat. Two of them were running towards her. They gained on the porch rapidly, one fully grown and one small; not even much taller upright than Gypsy herself.

What do I do? I can't bite people again. They'll take me back to the pound! Her throat became connstricted with fear, thoughts racing and blood speeding through her veins. But... they can't get my pups either..!

"Run," she whispered incoherently as the two people, one a child and one an adult, raced towards her.

"If you dont go now, I envision that this won't end well," Ghost said into her ears all of a sudden. She didn't respond or even turn to look at his appearance.

"Run!" The mother-dog finally screamed and scooped Finn into her jaws. Her bark shattered the quiet, muffled sounds of shoes against earth.

The people were already upon them. Even as she turned on her heels and leaped off the porch, the humans were climbing the steps onto it.

They made soft, cooing noises. But Gypsy didn't care. Frantically, she looked back at the two pups who remained on the porch.

"Run away! They'll hurt you, they-ll...." her words trailed off, spoken through a mouthful of Finn's scruff.

Lavender was lifted by her scruff between the bearded man's pinched fingers. Ghost's glowing apparition swept towards them, but his flailing arms whisped right through the people.

"I can't touch them. They can't hear me," Ghost said with a flat tone and fell back, as if he knew it was a lost cause. The middle-aged southern man leaned against the house panels helplessly.

"I'm so sorry, Gypsy." He said as the second human, a little boy, picked up fluffy Copper and cradled him in his arms.

Tensing, Gypsy had the impulse to show her teeth. They'll drop the pups if I attack them. They have to!

"Don't do it, Gyp. Dont bite them. You can't. You'll be taken back to the shelter, and that is not where you're supposed to die."

You could help me escape again, Gypsy willed her thoughts to get through to him. And they did.

"No, it won't work that way this time. I can see it. I can see that... they won't put you in a quarantine cage. They'll euthanize you as soon as you go in."

Heart twisting, nerves jumping, Gypsy spun in anxious circles with Finn. The male pup was curled serenely as he hung from her jaws, but his eyes were wide and bewildered as he watched the humans and was jostled around.

"Whos- what's that?" Finn asked, his tiny puppy voice squeaky.

She had no time to answer him. Instead, desperately, she faked towards the large man that held Lavender. Lavender was squirming and kicking in his arms, and struggled even harder after seeing Gypsy's attempts.

However, the man did not release her. Instead, he bent down and leaned closer to Gypsy, who instinctiey stepped back.

"HELP, Mama!" Copper wailed, though he wasn't struggling. He just sat unmoving in the little boy's gentle arms. "Make him put me down. It's scary up here, and- And they have no fur! It's weird!" Whimpering, his eyes searched Gypsy's.

The human was talking to her, stretching out a hand and asking her to come nearer. Copper was screaming in her ears, as Finn protested from her jowels.

"He's about to grab your scruff, too. Gypsy, run!"

Heart hammering, the pitbull turned tail with Finn in her grasp and fled.

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Ace