Rogue was sat in the lounge of the Manor with most of the teenagers in the mutant house. It was the the weekend and she was trying to watch the movie, but all she could remember so far was that the blonde guy did something stupid and the red haired girl had nice lipstick. She couldn't stop focusing on the giant empty space around her. She had room to hold her hands out to the side of her and not touch the people supposedly next to her.
Sighing, she almost lost her resolve to see the film through. Tales of what Magneto had done to her at the top of Lady Liberty and with the scene from when she had almost killed the Wolverine still fresh in their minds, it was very rare for someone to come within brushing range even when she was covered up. Even her friends were cautious of her again. Heck, she thought, mind completely given up on watching the damn movie, I could wear a ski suit and they'd still avoid me.
Logan turned away from the lounge door. He had seen enough. He had to do something about the gaping chasm before he left. He needed to find out about his past. But... He also needed to make sure Marie was going to be okay. He could smell the fear in the room from those damn kids and the heavy notes of loneliness from Marie. He had to do something. And... He had an idea.
Logan walked over to the garage, scouting a car big enough. A smirk worked his way into his face as he saw an SUV which practically stank of One-eye. He yanked the door open, hearing the satisfying crack of the lock breaking. Swinging into the cab, feeling the suspension give what would be alarmingly for someone else, he flicked out his lucky middle claw and jammed it in ignition. The SUV purred to life. You've gotta admit, at least he always gets the good shit, thought Logan.
Feeling the gravel give as he floored the gas, he started thinking that he was overstepping. Not stealing One-eyes' car, that was pretty much guaranteed. No, he was second guessing doing this for Marie. Yeah, he'd saved her life twice, but was this too much? That spitfire hiding in the back of his camper had darn gone and changed his damn life. Honestly, who else would he got out his way for? She had climbed into his camper and made a space in his life, carving out a Marie shaped hole in his head. He'd never second guessed himself this much at the expense of someone else before. His instincts usually led him straight and if they didn't? Then he didn't really care about the other person anyway. But this... This was important. Marie was important.
Goddamn it, kid.
With the window open, the Wolverine was about to sniff down the closest animal shelter. Cruising up the street, he just nabbed an empty parking spot right outside the establishment. It had a... Strong smell and the Wolverine was bristling under his skin with all the scents of dominant animals. Logan shook off the urge to do something stupid like piss up the wall and sauntered inside like he knew what he was doing.
Inside the cheery walls of mint green were surprisingly clean. Bulletin boards full of missing dogs, offers for obedience classes, dog walkers and volunteer opportunities took up some space, but the big windows and the eclectic pet paraphernalia made it seem welcoming. Especially as they had cute canvases of some of the goofier photos up on the wall to give such a usually dark place some humor. You just had to get over the overwhelming scent of animals.
"Hello sir, how can I help you today?" said a chipper young woman who was walking from the back rooms. From the smell of disinfectant and metal, he'd assume it was the veterinary area.
"Uh, yeah, hi. I'm looking for a dog," Logan said in his politest tone. Which, admittedly, wasn't very polite, but he gets points for trying.
The woman bounced on the balls of her feet, a smile creeping on her face. This rugged standoffish man who she could tell was super uncomfortable was still slowly shuffling on his feet closer to the desk. "Okay! So what kind of dog do you need? Do you have an idea of the breed, size and temperament?" she said, walking round the side of the desk to lead the charming fellow to the kennels.
When she heard his boots behind her, she smiled a bit wider. She loved seeing the gruff and closed off guys with the dogs. They always looked in such a contrast. It was an awesome sight.
As she opened the thick kennel door, there was a pregnant moment before all the dogs started howling and crashing in their cages. She sprinted forwards towards the first kennel, trying to figure out what was wrong.
Logan sighed and hung back even further. He had the niggling feeling that that would happen. Animals had always been skittish around him, but being trapped with no way to get away? Yeah, he'd freak out. From the few times he had been trapped, he did. With adamantium claws and removal of door and some heads thrown in for fun.
"That's on me," Logan coughed, as sheepish as he ever did. "Animals don't react well to me."
The woman looked dumbfounded. "Why do you want a dog then?" "It's not for me." "Oh! Okay!" she said, standing up from the still barking dog. When they had both stepped out and closed the door, the barking tapered off. Logan was just stood there with his hands useless at his sides.
Rachel, he now knew from actually glancing at her name tag, had a thoughtful look on her face. "What kind of dog did you want for your...?" she asked.
"Friend. She's just a friend."
"For your friend," Rachel said, with a slight smirk. From the look on this guy's face, she was more than just a friend. "So whatcha looking for?"
"She's... Been through some stuff and is having a hard time with other people. I thought maybe a dog would be good company when I have to leave." Logan tried to explain as best he could.
"So, a kind of service dog?" Rachel was bouncing on her toes again. She loved working with the service dogs!
"I guess? Look I don't even know, all I know is she's lonely and I can't always be there." Logan huffed.
"Okay. I have an idea," Logan's face slightly shuttered from the extreme enthusiasm coming from this girl. "I grab a few dogs and take them into the play area. This way we can see which one reacts okay to you, as I'm assuming you want to be able to be near your girl while she's got her dog?" Rachel had a slight smirk on her face again, already walking towards another door, this leading to an outside area. "Now usually we'd have to have the person whose pseudo-serivce dog it's going to be come in to find the perfect match for them, but I'll pass this off as a 'gift' of the books." Logan was surprised. She was being so accommodating. He wasn't going to argue it, he just wasn't used to people being nice to him for no reason.
"That.. Would be very kind of you." Well that sounded enough like thanks for him to get away with.
"You're welcome. Now just answer a few questions and I'll go grab the dogs." Rachel spun on his heel to face him, taking a serious face. "This is a very important decision, Sir. You need to be sure."
"Yeah, yeah, I get you." Logan nodded, actually listening to her. This petite woman was solid in a way he was unused to. She reminded him of Ororo. Strong willed and always looking out for other. In this case, dogs.
"Good," Rachel smiled again. "So. Size? Breed? I have a vague idea of temperament, but anything you can say will help narrow it down. Age? Gender?"
"I want them to protect her. When I'm not there. I want her to feel safe with it. I don't care about the size, but I guess big? And age doesn't really matter to me," or so he told himself, often, to try and make himself feel less guilty. "Neither does the gender. I just want her to feel protected and comfortable."
Rachel tilted her head, her mouth scrunched up in thought mentally going through the dogs up for adoption. . "Hmm... Okay, wait here!" She had the stride of a determined woman as she walking back to the kennel.
Logan was left standing in the middle of the patch of land, looking around. He saw a big dirt patch with lots of holes in it, grassy area, tires laying around, even one tied to a tree to create a kind of swing. Water bowls were everywhere, as were rope toys and balls. It was doggie play heaven.
He heard the heavy door open once again, this time accompanied by the skitter of claws again the floor. He turned around to see Rachel holding 7 leads, all attached to huge dogs. She smiled at his raised eyebrows and started releasing them from their leads one by one. They all shot off into the play area, eager to stretch their legs and thoroughly ignoring Logan.
"So, whatcha think?" Rachel said, smiling as she walked closer to him. His body language had changed, a bit more defensive as she'd let the dogs off, as though worried about them coming to bark at him.
"They're large."
"Yes, yes they are. But they're some of the most protective breeds and more likely to be intimidating enough to deter people from attacking your 'just friend'." Rachel hadn't taken her eyes of the dogs yet, paying attention to their body language around the man. They still ignored him "Well, Mister...?"
"D'Ancanto." Logan said without thinking. Damn, didn't even think not to give Marie's last name. It's not like I know my own.
"Mr. D'Ancanto, which dogs do you feel drawn to?" Rachel was a big believer of instincts when it came to her furry friends. They knew and responded well to their human counterparts. The humans just had to let their instincts choose their perfect companion.
Logan looked over the dogs properly this time. There was a pitbull like dog tearing into a tire on the ground. A slim grey dog was running round the edge of the garden at a speed even Logan was impressed with. 2 longhaired dogs were playing tug, one with a ginger and black coat and one black and grey. A huge dog was lying under a tree, chewing a bone almost the size of Logan's hand. A large stocky dog with mostly black fur and with bits of tan was digging a hole and a spotted grey and black dog was attacking the tire swing as it swung past him. They were just dogs to him, he didn't know the breeds.
He turned to Rachel with a bit of a lost look. Rachel laughed. "So, the one over there digging is Rosco. He's 2 and half years old and a Rottweiler, fully trained. His breed is used in the police as they're highly intelligent. They're rather dominant dogs so you need to be careful about that." Logan nodded, but didn't say anything.
Rachel continued, "The one playing with the tire? She's called Lady and she's a pitbull mixed with boxer. Those two breeds are super loyal but gentle unless their owner is threatened. She's 3 years old and a bit playful like most boxers are, but she settles well and thinks she a lap dog. Slobber and all," Rachel laughed.
She pointed over to the cluster of trees to the two dogs over there. "The huge one lying down is a Great Dane. They're known as the gentle giants. They're more of a deterrent, what with their huge teeth and bigger bark. But they're so loyal and super sweet. She's called Macy and she's a half a year old so she still has some growing to do and needs some more training." Logan's eyes widened. She still had growing to do?! She was huge already!
Rachel laughed at Logan's face again and continued, "The one attacking the tire? Yeah, he's a spitfire. He's a bull mastiff called Spike and is 3 years old. Again, very loyal breed, fully trained and aggressive when threatened. Not a great choice around kids, I hope that won't be a problem?"
Logan was already shaking his head. "Not possible, she lives near loads of kids."
"Okay then! I'll keep that in mind then, Spike won't be a good fit. Hmm, maybe the German Shepherd then?" she said, directing his attention to the two dogs playing tug. "They're police dogs, just like the Rottweilers, so again, super intelligent and needs lots of training. They're active so walks are good, but be careful of their hips, cause they're prone to hip dysplasia. This one is called Ace and he's only in here because his owner passed away. He was so protective of her and cried for a week. They're very sensitive dogs." Rachel said, with a sad twist to her mouth. "The one playing with Ace is Memphis, a husky. Husky are stubborn and strong willed. And very very active! They working dogs and need to be walked and exercised. Some people still do sled races with them, but you'd need a whole pack for that. Memphis is a lady, a year old and, well, training is going as well as to be expected with a husky," Rachel murmured with a rueful twist to her mouth. Logan huffed out a laughed. Memphis sounded like Marie, in a way.
Rachel smiled at his laugh and bounced on her toes again, at the encouraging sign. "And last but not least is Ginger." She said, following the still running dog around with her eyes. "She is a retired racing greyhound, 2 years old, trained again. Loyal to a fault and only here 'cause her racing career is over because of her age, bless her. She's used to being in kennels so knows how to behave alone. She'll need lots of exercise, but do not let her off the lead out of enclosed spaces. She can reached 45 mile per hour and you will not catch her. Trust me, we tried once. It was not fun."
She turned to Mr. D'Ancanto. "So. What are thinking so far?"
"That you sure know lot about dogs."
Rachel laughed. "Well yeah, I work here! And my parents were obedience trainers, we had lots of dogs around the house."
He looked around the dogs again. Ginger has stopped running and was drinking some water. She kept looking at Macy as she drank. As he watched, Ginger darted forwards with her speed, grabbed Macy's ball and darted off again, this time with a lumbering Great Dane puppy behind her. Rachel laughed, enjoying the dog playing. She loved watching happy dogs. Ace had finally won the game of tug and Memphis had taken the lose like a champ and gone to grab a toy exactly the same. They were both lying side by side, occasionally nipping at the others toy just for fun. Rosco and Lady had join cahoots and were throwing up dirt like there was no tomorrow. A huge hole was forming and they didn't seem to be stopping.
"We'll fill the hole with some plastic lining when they're done and make it a doggy paddling pool for a while." said Rachel. "Pretty much all the dogs here love water." She was comfortable throwing out random bits of information, she had figured Mr. D'Ancanto for a strong and growls type and didn't really mind. He was here for his girl, he was polite and seemed to respect the dogs. That's all she cared about.
She heard the front door open and excused herself. Mr D'ancanto needs to spend time with the dogs away.
When Rachel wandered back half an hour later after helping a chihuahua with a tick in his ear, she found an adorable sight.
Mr D'Ancanto had sat under the tree and he had a small congregation of dogs around him. He'd gone and sat next to Macy and Lady, Memphis, Rosco and Ginger had all joined them. He was murmuring at them, stroking them with all of them showing submissive behavior towards him, belly up or heads down. It was such a nice sight, especially compared to their reactions to him in the kennels.
As she wandered up to them, she called out, "You've made some friends then! Who do think would be perfect for your friend?"
Logan looked up, and his face was more open than ever. Maybe this dog would be good for both of them, thought Rachel. "I'm liking Macy and Rosco. Memphis is too stubborn for her, Ace… just wouldn't work out. Lady and Ginger are too energetic. And with Spike, there are kids."
Rachel smiled. She was so happy he'd found some he liked. Now to narrow it down further. She sat on floor across from him, dogs in between them. "Why do you think Macy and Rosco would be good fits for her?" she asked, running her hands through Memphis' fur.
Logan settled further against the tree, thinking it through. This decision would change Marie's whole life. "Macy is big, loveable and loyal. She's got a good temperament. And… you'd never feel alone with her in the room." Rachel nodded, encouraging Mr. D'Ancanto to continue. "Rosco is exactly what I was looking for in a guard dog. But I also have to think about her comfort. Maybe Rosco wouldn't be able to give a sense of companionship."
She smiled at him worrying about his friends comfort. "You know rotties are some of the soppiest dogs. They'll protect you and everything, but they'll act as big lapdogs. And Rosco is in the soppy protective side of the scale."
Logan thought about. And thought. All the while, he scratching Roscos ears. Rachel already knew who he was going to take, but let him think it through. Taking on a living being to care for was a big responsibility. He'd make the decision himself.
"I'll take Rosco."
Rachel beamed.
On the drive back to the Manor, about 300 dollars lighter, dog is the seat next to him, dog stuff in the back and more than a few leaflets about service dogs and training, Logan hoped he was doing the right thing. You'll find out soon, bub.
The Professor felt Logan turn back up and paused in his writings. He wouldn't, he thought. And then blinked and checked again. He did. He sighed.
Meeting Logan by the entrance hall, Charles sighed again. Logan had a dog at his side and bedding, toys and everything under his arm and a look of sheer stubbornness.
"Now Logan, why did you think this was okay?" he asked, a bit perplexed. It wasn't even a small dog. It was a large dog. And it was against the rules.
The Wolverine growled and then clicked his tongue. Rosco sat at his side immediately, staring intently at the Professor. "He ain't for you."
The Professor saw a vivid image of Rogue sat in the lounge from Logan memories and the feeling of needing to do something and sighed.
"Just make sure, he doesn't do anything in the house. We will be discussing this later." he warned, as he rode off back to his office, shaking his head. He was in for a huge headache when the rest of the house found out.