I'm making up for lost time so here's another chapter for you

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August 6

~•~

As it was almost every morning, Jack or Katherine would wake up before the other and attempt to wake them up. Jack often got creative with his ways, and Katherine never knew just how he was going to wake her up the next time.

Yet, the last thing Katherine expected to wake up to was a tongue running all over her face.

Katherine jolted awake, sitting upright to find a puppy rustling with the covers on her bed. Jack was kneeling down at the side of her bed, laughing at the sight of Katherine's disgusted grimace as she quickly wiped her face.

"Jack, what the hell is this? Why is there a dog here?"

"This ain't just any dog," Jack said, leaping onto the bed which the puppy took as a signal to tackle its new owner. "This here is Pip. I found 'im wanderin' outside in the backyard and decided to take him in. He ain't got a collar, so I mean..."

Katherine groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's too early for this..." she inhaled deeply, pushing the covers off of her body. "He can't stay, Jack."

"Aw, come on! Look at him!" Jack said, letting Pip try and jump onto his shoulder so he could bite Jack's ear. "And get this! I took a look on your computer and—"

"You what?"

"Anyways," Jack shrugged, "I found out his breed is a Jack Russell Terrier. It's like we were meant to be together!"

Katherine fell back against the covers of the bed, which Pip took as a signal to jump onto her. "He's cute, but he can't stay. How'll we take care of him?"

"Dogs eat anything," Jack said as if it was common knowledge.

"Not everything," Katherine responded, sitting back up and letting Pip painlessly nibble on her finger. "We'll need dog food, we'll have to walk him, give him a kennel... the list goes on."

"C'mon," Jack insisted. "He ain't got a family, but he's already got a name!"

"You should've never named him," Katherine sighed. "You're too emotionally attached now."

"Look, I'll take care of 'im if you don't want to, but I'm set on keepin' him," Jack said matter-of-factly.

Katherine huffed softly, "Fine. I'll give him one week. If he causes any trouble in his trial run, he's gone."

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August 9

~•~

The first three days with Pip were rough. They would often find that he had peed on the floor, left fur all over the furniture, and even destroyed some of their belongings. Yet, to both Katherine and Jack, it was sort of a relief to have another presence around the house. Pip's presence made the appraisal seem more like a lifestyle—minus the fact that they still couldn't leave the house except when they snuck out.

Katherine had never had a dog except for her father's. Even then, the dog didn't have a name because their parents didn't want the children to be heartbroken once it passed away. So, every family member usually referred to the dog as "boy."

Jack, however, was often surrounded by dogs. Though, he never owned one himself, his friends had several. His mother simply couldn't afford to raise both a son and a dog on her own. Jack had always loved animals, though, and drawing them at a young age was what really encouraged him to pursue art.

Jack was with Pip in the backyard as the dog searched for the perfect spot for his duties, all while Katherine watched through the windows of the living room. Jack was frustratedly trying to get Pip to speed up, which only amused Katherine more than she already was.

Katherine knew, however, that during checkups, Pip would have to be hid. If any of the Institute's staff heard that they were keeping an animals in the house, Pip would be taken away immediately.

Perhaps Katherine was adjusting to having Pip around, and perhaps she didn't want to have to get rid of him.

A sound from Katherine's laptop caught her attention, and she looked at the screen. A notification from Davey appeared, holding a chat message: Hey Katherine. When is the next time you're able to call?

Katherine responded with a simple Now, finding that just moments later, the familiar sound of an incoming call rang through the room. She quickly answered, and Davey's face appeared in place of the chat log.

"Hey, Davey," Katherine greeted. "Jack's outside right now, but he'll be in soon."

Davey nodded. "Okay." He paused. "I wanted to tell you something, though."

"What is it?" Katherine furrowed her brows.

"So I just go in touch with some of the boys back in New York, and you won't believe who of all people ended up getting a job at the Institute!"

"What? Who?"

"Did Jack ever tell you about Crutchie? Well, Crutchie just got a job there. He's training to be a reporter for the Appraisal. Don't tell Jack this; I want it to be a surprise for him. Well, at the next checkup, Crutchie will be coming to see what it's like, that way he can take over Seitz's position of coming here."

"That's great!" Katherine expressed, a smile growing on her face. "I simply wonder if my father knew exactly who he was hiring."

"Don't know," Davey said with a shrug. "Crutchie will be a good employee, though. He has a good work ethic." As Davey said these words, the door opened and Pip instantly ran into the house with several loud barks. "Is that a dog?"

"Oh—uh—" Katherine began, but Jack interrupted her.

"Davey?"

"Hey, Jack," Davey greeted as Jack picked up Pip and quickly went to sit beside Katherine.

"Yeah, that was a dog. Davey, meet Pip." Katherine reached out to scratch the top of Pip's head. "He's even more of a nuisance than Jack is."

Jack ignored Katherine's statement, looking down at Davey on the computer screen, "Heard from the boys?"

"No," Davey lied, bringing a small smile to Katherine's lips. "No word at all. Although, Les did send a message saying everyone was doing just fine."

"Good," Jack said with a nod, though he seemed uncertain. Katherine simply couldn't wait for September 1st, when she'd finally be able to meet Jack's friend and see Jack in an even happier state.

"Well, I better go," Davey said. "I'll see you both sometime soon."

"Bye, Davey."