Vinnie walked into the backroom hold the return pad. "Alright" he said, "whatever you gotta do, it do fast. The other you putting on tap shoes for some reason." Stewie laughed to himself as he grabbed the return pad and activated it on the floor. Stewie turned to Vinnie and spoke, "You realize that if I go back to save Brian we would never get a new dog. I'll probably never see you again." Vinnie's eyes grew wide at this for Stewie told him almost nothing about the return pad other than that he needed it. At this news, Vinnie hung his head and began shaking, visibly hurt and confused. Stewie tired to say something but before he could Vinnie started crying.
"Did I do something wrong Stewie?" Vinnie asked, "Did I forget something? Tell me what I did wrong." Stewie shook his head and gently patted the dog's head, "It's not like that. I just miss Brian...I can't bare living without him." Vinnie stared at him in disbelief, "Tough luck kid!" he screamed as he stood up and walked towards the door, "Sometimes bad things happen. It's hard, really hard I know. But going back and changing things like that...it ain't right." Vinnie breathed in and began to calm down; he turned around to face a now crying Stewie. Vinnie sighed and continued, "If I had a time machine, I would go back to Leo in a heartbeat. I would Stewie. I would give anything to see him again, just one more time. But I wouldn't want to save him." Stewie wiped his eyes, "Are you saying that I should let Brian die?" he asked. Vinnie nodded in agreement, "If you go back you'll only be hurting your family. Brian gave you a lot. But did you ever stop to think that maybe I could give those things too? Just give me a chance Stewie, you'll see."
Stewie stared at Vinnie, his eyes were cold and without feeling. "No" he replied, "I can't do that. I want Brian! I don't want you. You're nothing, nothing but a bastard. You think that you can be there for me? That you can provide even one bit of the security that Brian provided for me, for my family? Well you can't. There's only one Brian. And I'm going to get him back." Vinnie nodded, his eyes were wet as he fought back tears. "The past three months" Vinnie began as he took off his collar and threw to the ground in despair and to have something to do with his hands, "Did it mean anything?" Stewie gave no answer and instead stepped on the return pad.
"Wait" Vinnie pleaded as he pulled out a folded piece of paper, "Give this to Brian when you see him." Stewie took the paper and noticed that inside the fold was a picture of Vinnie. Stewie looked at this with confusion and also saw that the paper was a letter, Stewie turned to Vinnie for an explanation but by the time he looked up Vinnie was nowhere to be found.
Stewie found himself in the middle of the street; exactly one second after the other Stewie went inside the house to retrieve his kneepads. Stewie looked down the street and saw the killer car; he would have one chance if this was going to work. Running out into the street, Stewie tackled Brian to safety, barely missing the car himself. "Stewie, what the hell!" Brian said as he looked down, "Brian you're alive!" Stewie cried happily, Brian nodded slowly, "Of course I'm alive. What's going on?" Stewie wiped his eyes and then began his explanation, "That car killed you Brian. I couldn't...I couldn't live without you."
Brian simply looked down the street in the direction of the car and then looked up, breathing a sigh of relief, Brian spoke, "Thank you" Brian then began laughing, "I'd thought I'd never live to see the day when Stewie Griffin would save a life. But I did...I don't know what to say." Stewie smiled and embraced Brian as tightly as he could. "You know most families would've just gotten another dog and moved on" Brian continued, "And you know what? If it would've helped you Stewie, if in any way you were happy with that other dog I wouldn't mind. In fact I would want it." Stewie looked at Brian; tears were in his eyes, immediately Stewie pulled out Vinnie's picture and the letter. "We did Brian" Stewie said as he began to fade away, "we did." Brian smiled and nodded in understanding as Stewie faded away.
In an instant the other Stewie came up, dressed for the game. Upon seeing Brian in the street and the destroyed hockey net next to him, Stewie only shrugged and walked back inside.
Brian stood up and walked towards the house, as he was doing this, he began to read Vinnie's letter.
Dear Brian,
I wish I could say that I made a difference to your family. When you died they were broken, a month later Peter came in the pet store and found me. I was broken too, I had nothing. My heart was afraid, afraid to love again, afraid to accept love again. Your family changed that for me Brian.
For three and a half months I was the new Griffin family dog. For three months I was home. I will not lie, they accepted me pretty easily. It was almost like I was healing them or something, like we were meant for each other. But I guess I was wrong.
The one person who mattered I couldn't get to. The one person who needed it the most and I failed him. Tell Stewie that I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I couldn't be what he wanted me to be. But I want you to know that I did everything I could to make their lives better. I hope that's good enough.
Thank you for sharing your family with me. Maybe one day I'll have something like that. I can only hope.
Brian read the letter again and again, each time seeing a little more character from the dog named Vinnie. He couldn't help but feel as if Stewie's actions were selfish and perhaps cruel but there was little that he could do. Brian stared at the picture of Vinnie, for some reason he looked familiar as if he had seen him before but he assumed that this was only his head talking. Without another word, Brian walked inside the house.
Five Minutes Earlier...
Vinnie exited the mall and walked down the street not bothering to return to the Griffin house. He knew that by all accounts he wasn't wanted. More than anything Vinnie wanted to be a part of something bigger, something meaningful. But there was nothing he could do, nothing he could say and even if he did have anything to say he wouldn't time for soon this timeline wouldn't exist.
Vinnie entered the graveyard and stared at Brian's grave. He noticed that there was no cross, no symbols of God or any religion of any kind. He looked at the years below the name and the inscription below it. Vinnie then began thinking where Brian was during the last three months, he wondered if Brian ever even thought about it, religion, Heaven, Hell, that kind of thing. He liked to think that Brian had. Vinnie wondered if Brian were here, if he would've been able to do anything about changing Brian's mind about believing in anything. Vinnie wouldn't force him to accept of course, but still he couldn't help but wonder.
"Soon you'll be up walking around" Vinnie said to grave, "I won't even be here. I'll be back at the shop. I'll be dreaming, hoping, praying that a family like yours comes along for me." Vinnie looked around, he could already feel himself slipping away, still he continued, "I'm not delusional. There's no hope for me. Who would ever want a dog like me for Christmas? Who would even care to give me a passing glance?" Vinnie looked up and breathed deeply; taking in the winter air. Vinnie then began talking to God. "I'm goanna make a deal with you. You bring Brian back. But I don't want to forget. I don't want to forget the Griffins, they mean too much to me." Vinnie spread his arms out to his full length, "Please, if you're there, when this is all over, help me find them again. Help me find Brian again so that I can tell him what he's done for me, what he's given me." No sooner did these words escape him did Vinnie and the world around him, disappear into nothing.
Christmas Morning
Brian and Stewie sat in front of the Christmas tree, both of them saying nothing as they began to open their gifts. Chris, Meg and Peter had already finished with their presents and were just now getting to Stewie. Brian's gift was first. Opening it, Stewie held in his hands a picture of himself and Brian. A sudden knock at the door caused the room to turn their heads. Brian stood up and walked towards the door.
Vinnie was standing in the doorway. Behind him was Death. In his hands Vinnie was holding an old Bible, a bottle of Scotch, lineage papers, a loaded gun and a written will. Death was patiently tapping on the door. "Are you sure about this?" Death asked turning to Vinnie, who only nodded in approval, "It's the only way" Vinnie replied, "It's either me or him. They can't have both." Death nodded and mentally prepared himself as he pulled out a scroll and a crystal ball.
Brian opened the door as soon as he saw Vinnie the only thing he was able to do was nod and let them enter. Seeing the things in Vinnie's hand only confirmed what Brian was thinking. Vinnie had made a deal with God, who turned it over to Death. Brian knew in his heart that he was supposed to die, that he was supposed to get hit by that car. For the past three months Brian had felt nothing but guilt and bitterness towards his life simply because he had been allowed to live.
Vinnie moved to the center of the room and set the things in his hand down on the floor. Death loomed over the couch, saying nothing. Vinnie looked over everyone, nodded to himself and began to speak. "You don't know who I am, it doesn't matter because I'm goanna tell yah right now. My name is Vinnie; I'm your new family dog." This got several looks from the family, Brian stepped forward and Vinnie cued Death. Death walked out in front of the room and opened the scroll. The scroll was a video feed showing everything was supposed to have happened, from Brian's death all the way to Stewie going back in time to save him. Brian, upon seeing this turned to Stewie, who instantly began crying.
"Why couldn't you do it?" Brian asked, "Why couldn't you just accept my death...move on and enjoy life?" Stewie shook his head, Death pointed a finger at him and instantly Stewie remembered everything that he had done as if he had done it himself instead of just witnessing it on the scroll. "I don't know Brian" Stewie answered, "I just couldn't. I love you-" before he could say any more Vinnie cut him off. "What about me?" he said, "Don't you think that I loved you too? I know that I'm not Brian. I haven't written a bestseller, I haven't gone through space and time and I certainly don't have his views on a lot of things but damn it Stewie if there's one that I do have in common with Brian it's that I love you and I love your family." Vinnie stopped to allow a single tear that was coming out of his eye to fall, no longer caring about his image. "You guys are the best thing that ever happened to me in a long time" Vinnie concluded before turning towards Death, "But it's obvious" Vinnie said speaking once more, "You've made your choice."
Peter stood up and stopped Vinnie from moving, "No we haven't" Peter exclaimed. Peter turned towards Death, "What are the stakes?" he asked curiously. Death shook his head, "There are formalities that must be met first" he answered, "Vinnie has something he wants to say." Vinnie nodded and pulled out the lineage papers and the Bible, he then turned towards Brian. "These papers" Vinnie began, "is my family history. According to this Brian, I'm the closest thing you have to a brother." Brian stared at him confusingly, "It means that I'm your brother" Vinnie continued as he turned his attention towards the Bible, "This Bible is yours." Brian laughed and instantly denied it, "No it isn't" he replied, "I'm a devout atheist." Vinnie huffed, "It has your name in it Brian" Vinnie opened the book revealing Brian's name in the cover. "That isn't me" Brian retorted. Vinnie laughed again, this time louder, "The pages are dog-eared. The passages are underlined, circled and highlighted and the Old and New Testaments are cross-referenced with annotations on every other page...You also have two personal notes to yourself, one in front and one in back, where you confirm your belief, state your name and God in the same sentence and denounce alcohol, drugs and make a personal decision to remain abstinent until you find the 'right one'. It's yours Brian."
Brian immediately broke down having been confronted with this information as he remember his own past which he tried so hard to forget. It took him several minutes for him to compose even a fraction of himself before finally able to speak. He shook his head and turned towards Death, "What are the stakes?" he asked more sternly than Peter. Death sighed and answered him, "The family makes a choice, either you or Vinnie. If they choose Vinnie, you come with me and the original timeline is restored. If they choose you, Vinnie comes and you and you family live your lives." Brian nodded in understanding and turned towards his family, "You know that I would never do anything to hurt you." Brian began, deciding to make the obvious and right decision for the family before anyone had a chance to say otherwise. "But I have to go." Stewie stood up and ran towards Brian, grabbing his leg, "Brian please! I won't lose you again. I'll die if I do." Brian shook his head and looked down, "How can you be so selfish? Look on how happy you were with Vinnie?" Stewie nodded, "Yes but we were happy with you." Brian smiled at Stewie's innocence, "Don't you think I know that? You guys have given me the best years of my life." Stewie started to cry once again but Brian stopped him, "It's time for you to share what you have. Give to Vinnie what you gave to me. You won't regret it I promise you."
Peter smiled and sighed deeply, "I guess this is it then?" he said to Brian, trying to be as strong as possible. Brian gave a small laugh, "For me. For you it's just the beginning." Brian turned towards Vinnie and embraced him, "Take care of them for me." Vinnie tried to avoid choking up but he allowed himself to do it anyway, "I will Brian, like they were my own." Brian broke away and walked towards Death, "They are your own" he said as he gladly accepted Death's hand and disappeared.
Upon Brian's disappearance, the original timeline was restored. As a courtesy, Death and Brian agreed to give them an extra day and make it Christmas Eve. Vinnie kept his promise and did everything he could to make this year as memorable as possible for the Griffins, by taking them on an all expenses paid trip to northern New York where they spent the rest of the holiday in peace and quiet.
Stewie eventually learned to accept Brian's death and welcomed Vinnie into the Griffin family. For Christmas, Vinnie received an engraved collar with the Griffin's address on the front; it was easily the best gift he could've ever gotten that year or any year since. As for Brian, he contently looked on invisibly as he watched the Griffins sit by the fireplace from the next room before finally fading away, never to be seen or heard from again.