3300+ words !!

Hope you like this, it's more Jess and hopefully shows more about this Sang and her relationship with the animals and Jess!

Please enjoy and comment etc if you like it!

Jess POV:

I think I hate collage now. Having lived with Sang for almost two weeks I now genuinely hate the fact the I have to sit inside learning boring stuff. At her house while she helps me with homework, she also goes off on wild tangent that almost invariably end up with a practical lesson as well. I've learnt to climb (a bit) ride, sew sutures (though not on a live patient yet) and tonnes of other life skills like changing a tyre. Sang would make a great teacher; somehow, she threads the original lessons into whatever practical skill she's teaching me. I vaguely remember a lesson that started off with maths about projectiles, that ended in a lake with us bombing and swinging on ropes to illustrate her points.

"Miss. Lee," the view from the window is enticing, I can see a squirrel racing up a tree outside, a bit like Sang climbs though her house and the forest around it. She's started teaching me, but I don't think I will ever move as effortless though the trees like she does. It's almost as if she floats from place to place hardly touching the branches she leaps to.

"JESSICA LEE!" my math teacher screams at me. Apparently, I have been daydreaming for a while!

"Yes sir?" I look up at the board trying to work out what the hell we are doing currently.

"Can you tell me the answer to that question?" he points at the one on the bottom of the board, the hardest.

"Probably," I look at the question for the first time quickly figuring out its partial fractions and working out the answer, Sang taught me way harder ones while we were feed the animals one evening so, "yes, I can Sir, the A is equal to three B equals four and C is seven!"

"Ha wrong!" he laughs, slightly evilly in my opinion. I look at the question again confident that I got it right. I scribble some workings down checking. He starts to write me a slip for a detention, for 'not paying attention in class'. The rest of the class laughs.

"No Sir.... you are!" I say when I have double checked each step. He freezes.

"What young lady?"

"I know I'm right A three, B four and C Seven, I think you should check your workings!" the class goes completely silent. The teacher tenses apparently the confidence in my voice is disturbing him because he looks at the question again.

I know his confirmed I'm right when his scowl deepens further than I can remember ever seeing before. The only acknowledgement he makes is to screw the detention slip up and throw it in the bin.

"Ok your exam starts in twenty miniates get ready!" he snaps out dismissing us. That's when I know I've got this last exam in the bag.

Three hours later I'm yawning as I drag myself out of the school grounds, having completed the test in half the time I'm confident I've done well. My mum is picking me up and hopefully taking me out as a well done for completing all my exams. She has invited Sang too, but I don't know if she said yes or no yet. I knew that the answer was likely no, my mum always takes me to this one posh place and there was no way Sang will be able to bring her friends with her, which she has to have.

I have witnessed her go out of the gates once without them. A man had wolf whistled at her, in a second her whole body had tensed, and a panic attack overtook her. The car he was in kept driving completely ignoring the fact that she was collapsing on the pavement. I just grabbed the nearest one of Sang's animal family and took them with me (it was the skunk) to bring her back to her safety of her park. It confused me even more as to how quickly she was able to trust me, which I know she does now plus she is beginning to trust my mum. However that is a slower process, much slower!

I can't see my mum's car anywhere. The wall outside the collage is always a good place to sit though because she knows to pull up just in front, so that's where I wait whenever she's late.

Having waited almost ten minutes past my normal pick-up time I'm just getting my phone out to call her, when I hear shouts and laughter coming from the ally way down the side of the school.

It's not happy laughter, it's manic dangerous laughter, the kind that comes from the joy of pain. Instantly I'm eight again, crouching in the wardrobe that Kota has shoved me into, to hide me, listening to the sounds of my mother sobbing, of his manic laughter. And of Kota's voice begging him to stop in the background.

Pulling myself out of the memory, I steel my spin to go and investigate. Two boys are the ones laughing. I push the memories away further so that I can assess why. One of them kicks out and I stifle a scream at the fact that he just kicked an animal, probably a small dog. I did what I hadn't done when Kota was being hit, I step I between them. Managing to school my features into what me and Sang call the 'Blackborne face' I give them my best hard stare.

"Back off!" I know I'm not threatening in the slightest, I'm relying on them being bored enough to not bother going though me.

"Maybe you will better sport than the rat dog anyway, Adam what do you think?" the kicker grins at his idiot friend. They are both turning on me when a now very familiar voice says.

"I think you should both clear off!" Sang's words are punctuated by a growl from the rather angry looking dog beside her.

Jason is a total sweetheart to Sang and has reluctantly accepted that I am here to stay but to anyone else, even my mum, he always looks ready to bite their heads off. He is the dog that always goes everywhere with Sang if she goes out even my mum's house. I don't blame him, Sang told me his story when I stayed over easter, his last owner a man was literally using him as a dog fighter, which is why his teeth are wickedly sharp now. But the man was controlling him though fear, when the dog ring was broken up and the man arrested 18 months ago all the dogs came to Sang. The six dogs that he had fighting, are some of the ones that form what I like to call her personal guard. They also help guard the reserve when she not there it's slightly scary when one of them come up and growls when they don't recognise you.

It's also strange to see how strong Sang is when someone or something she cares about is threatened. I've seen her like this a couple of times when she gets so angry that she loses the fear of everything. Then you really don't want to be on her bad side!

The Adam and kicker don't seem to believe that the dog is serious, which I can kind of see why, their theory being that if he hasn't hurt Sang it's not like his going to hurt them. It's a logical explanation if  extremely flawed and totally wrong. If they looked a bit harder, they would see her serious expression and the way that Jason is tensed to spring at the two boys. You both ok? Sang's eyes quickly ask me, softening imperceptibly to anyone but me. Yes! I send back. She nods satisfied. When I tell you run for my car! Her eyes flick to the puppy then the front of the school. I give her the shallowest nod I can. Jason growls again. This time I see Adam shift uncomfortably. His pea sized brain is finally making the connection that he really isn't going to beat the very angry dog.

"You have five seconds to walk away, before I let Jason defend me like he wants to! Five," Adam takes a step back, "Four, go," the kicker looks at her completely ignoring me. Instantly I scoop the bundle of fluff up and run. "Three," Sang adds sweetly smiling, "Two," the smile drops from her face and Jason tenses ready to spring, "One." She's almost at a whisper by this time as I dive round the conner, knowing that Sang needs me out of the way so that she knows I won't get hurt. The two boys' literally turn tail and run. Jason chases them for a few steps barking before she lets out a low whistle to let him know they have learnt their lesson and he trots back to her side, snuggling in for praise.

"Good boy, you were perfect!" his does the equivalent of a dog smile at her. She drops a kiss on his head her arms wrapping around him, I can see her shoulders shaking slightly and she takes a deep breath.

"Come on Jess, let's get out of here!" how she knows I stopped at the entrance to the ally, I don't know, as she hasn't turn round yet. I step out of the shade as she jogs up with Jason next to her.

"You all good?" when I nod, she gestures to the puppy in my arms and I quickly hand it over. The tiny thing that was shaking in fear in my arms instantly relaxes in hers as she coos at it. I follow her shaking my head in mock anger, animals might like me but every animal I have ever seen loves and seems to instantly trust her! I still don't have a clue why.

"Not that I'm not grateful and all, but why are you here?" I ask as I climb into the passenger side of her Land rover. She hands me the puppy, now wrapped in a towel and much calmer, before answering.

"We are going for a picnic if you want, with your mum of course, or if you want to go to your normal restaurant you need to phone your mum and I'll drop you there." I can see her looking worried at the puppy in my arms.

"What about this little guy?" I ask knowing that she will want to check him over as soon as possible.

"Well, if you want to go for a picnic, we can swing by mine and sort him out a sleeping in the hospital ward. Then go on to the park with a few more of the dogs that want to go out!" She looks at me, it my choice, just like everything else she always gives me the options then lets me choose, even if I know I am always going to choose to do something with her and the animals over a stuffy restaurant.

"Let's go sort him out then we can get going to the park!" her smile is brilliant if quick and filled with worry over the small puppy.

"His lucky you where there or the damage could have been much worse!"

"Lucky!"

"Yes, well it would be better if he was never in that situation but..."

"No Lucky, that can be his name!" she seems to consider it for a moment, glance at the puppy before nodding.

"Welcome to the family Lucky!" I send her a grin at the words and the puppy wriggles happily, now relaxed having left the boys far behind. I quickly send a photo to my mum, before ringing her.

"Hi, Hun I hope your last exam went well?"

"Yes, Mum all good, I'll tell you about it at the picnic!"

"Knew it!"

"What?"

"That you would go for the picnic, can't wait to see you both!"

"Yeah, we are going to be a touch late Mum!" quickly before she can start with the whys, I fill her in on the Lucky situation.

"Okay see you in about an hour?" I glance at her. An hour long enough? I watch her consider Maybe hour and a half? She sends back.

"Hour and a half mum?"

"Okay cool! Love you!" she hangs up still sounding slightly worried.

I laugh at her hang up technique, she's always been this way, abrupt but fully loving and supportive if slightly dipsy.

Setting Sang up with Luke is her new plan and I know that she won't stop until it happens. To be fair I'm surprised she hasn't tried yet, it's close I can tell. I think she wanted Sang to be able to go somewhere out of the reserve that wasn't mum's house before starting on the set up. But with the fact that she has been picking me up from collage on and off for the last few weeks and going to the park today means that it looks like we might be seeing Luke very, very soon!

"You do realise that agreeing to go mean that mum's likely to ramp up her match making right!" Sang lets out one of her signature laughs.

"To be fair I was checking them out!" she says, her laughter increasing despite her tension at being outside her reserve. My face must have showed my shock, I have never seen her look at a boy with anything but fear before!

"Not like that! Get your mind out the gutter!" her face is screwed up in a wince. I let out another laugh, the last of my tension from the stupid boys disappears.

Ten minutes later we are pulling into the back of the reserve. Sang never goes through the front gate, the only thing that goes though those are huge lorries twice a week. I know that at least one of them is tonnes of food for all the animals in her care wards. The other one seems to be injured animals, but so far, I haven't been there for that truck delivery. However, I figure that it has to be that as after that trucks come in; she has some of the more exotic injured animals in her quarantine wards. She treats them and either sends them back to the wild if it's safe, I've watched her do extensive research, or if it's at all unsafe she adds them to her reserve. Which seems to be growing in area as well as the number of animals. I have no idea where she gets the money from, I did ask once, and she gave me a look that said as much as I trust you, I don't know you enough, I haven't asked again.

Sang hops out of the car and jogs round to open my door. She takes Lucky from my arms checking him over as I follow her lead and hop down from the high car. Jason jumps down then looks at Sang who tells him we will be back in an hour. The two horses that we rode that first day appear. Demetra trots straight over to me and I use the footstep of the Landy to throw my self onto her back.

"Nice job!" Sang comments with a grin once I've sorted myself out and up straight. I watch her pop Lucky on the bonnet of the Landy for a second so that she can mount Storm. When she glances at a huge tree, I can see that she is going to do, and I shake my head in disbelief. You wouldn't know it from her normally shy nature but Sang is probably the most competitive person I have ever met. Sure, she can be a gracious loser as well, but she always wants to win,  you can see it. I didn't realise and I don't think she knew until we started introducing her to board games. She loves them and loves winning.

Even while I'm thinking that she is super competitive, she is getting ready, she mutters something to Storm then runs at the tree. A second later she's swinging from a branch and Storm trots up to beneath her so that she can stand on his back for a moment before settling down. She guides him over to the hood so that she can scoop Lucky back up.

"I'll meet you there I need to get him back so I can look at him, you cool? Demetra know the way if you get confused!" She makes sure that I nod as she wraps one arm around Lucky and one into Storms mane, which is know that she going to ride hard and fast.

Storm wheels round and literally gallops off from a standing start. Demetra snorts tossing her mane, Sang explained that they love being together so to be ready if she ever had to gallop off as Demetra was likely to follow.

"Please don't go too fast!" I mutter, quickly knotting both hands into her mane. She snorts again then starts trotting, slowly increasing in speed until she gets to at least a canter following the trail that is starting to look almost used with the amount that Sang's picking me up from places.

When I get to the house Sang has already disappeared into the injured animal's ward. I quickly follow.

"His going to be fine!" Sang's voice come from behind me when I burst through the doors. "I've just given him a quick x-ray, they didn't do any major damage, we can clean the cuts on his side and I'm going to give him a shot for any possible infection!" she grins the worry gone from her eyes now that she knows Lucky is going to be ok and she's back in her haven.

Sang makes quick work of sorting Lucky out, within twenty minutes she's wrapped the cuts and given him few shots as well as adding a head collar so that he does bite at any of the stiches. The animals that live indoors gathered around her feet the whole time, trying to be as close as possible. They follow her everywhere, the only place that they aren't allowed is the quarantine wards. When Sang goes in there they all sit at the door waiting patiently unless she tells them to go do something else, it's very cute.

"Okay, so who's coming for a walk in the park, I've got," she turns and drags leads off the wall having just popped Lucky into one of the many bays for injured animals, "five, no six leads, but Jason is coming with us so five of you here can come! Sort it out amongst yourselves!" As usual I watch in amazement as the dogs do just that. Thirty seconds later two of Jason's pack are sitting by Sang's feet, Isla has been picked up by Sang and two smaller dogs have trotted over.

"Goodo, right can you two get to the Landy?" she asks Jason pack as she rubs their heads. They both turn and run out straight the door.

"Perfect mount up Jess," I use the handy steps that Sang has for this reason and clamber back on to Demetra who's been waiting outside all this time, "Brilliant, here you go, hold on with one hand and pop her on you lap!" she hands me one of the small dogs. This is the first time I have tried ridding and holding on to something. She gives me a reassuring smile as she clips all the leads around her waist and then mounts Storm holding on to both Isla and the other small dog.

"Come on let's go, nice and gentle Storm, Demetra!"

It takes three times as long to get back to the Landy, where we find Jason and co happily investigating a rabbit hole in our absence. Sang just laughs at them as she slides down from Storms back and puts the other dogs already here in the back of the car before taking the one I'm holding. A moment later we are all in the car, one dog on my lap, Jason and co in the back and the other two on the floor in the middle.

Hope you liked it (if you got this far)!

I promise we are getting close to Sang meeting the first of the Guys!(very soon)!
Edited (9/11/21)