Hi guys! It's me, Essansee, back with a new story! Exciting right? Welcome back, loyal followers, and welcome to you just starting out on the LAT series. This is the second installment of our tale, and it shall be placed directly after the first story. Be sure to check it out, its strongly advised to read this one AFTER the first one written.

Happy reading. :)

"How long do you think she can go?"

"No idea."

Annette and Collette, the two Cocker Spaniel mix pups, were watching their identical sister, Danielle, bounce happily around them in a wide circle in the living room. She was giggling loudly, obviously very happy.

It was nearly bath-time for the three pups. Or, not really pups anymore. The dogs were quickly growing up in the home they'd been born and raised in. They lived in the huge Victorian house with their parents, the beautiful Lady, and their legendary father Tramp. Not to mention their brother and his best friend, (or girlfriend when the triplets were in a teasing mood) Angel.

Speaking of their brother-here he came. Annette turned her head, silky ears swinging, to see him poke his scruffy gray head around the doorway. Collette was still focused on Danielle. She was more interested in watching her ever hyper sister bounding with joy.

"Hi Scamp." Annette called out in her soft voice. Some would say that the young dog sounded prissy, but she had no idea what they were talking about. She thought her voice sounded nice. Almost identical to Collette. This part she regretted slightly, though. She never admitted it, but sometimes it was a bother to have two identical sisters. The only thing telling the three apart in looks was their collars. Annette wore a blue collar, while Danielle's was white. Collette's collar was a bright and jolly red. Of course, there was always Danielle's voice as well. She was much louder than her sisters. She had a louder laugh, and her voice was a deeper in pitch.

Scamp jumped when he heard Annette speak to him. She tilted her head slightly. He was up to something. Or maybe he just didn't want a bath. Scamp hated baths, it was well known among the family. Annette's suspicions were confirmed when Danielle let out a loud, snorting laugh and bunny-hopped over to Scamp.

"Hiya Scamp! Ready for..." She paused dramatically for affect, then burst out loudly, emphasizing the last word. "Bathtime!"

The gray pup took off in a skittering run.

"Nope!" He called over his shoulder. Annette rolled her eyes. Collette had, at this time, turned her attention to her sister.

"Annette." She said matter of factly, but in a teasing manner. "If you do that too much, you're going to turn into Angel!"

Danielle crouched playfully, letting her tongue fall out the side of her mouth before she spoke.

"Ha! Ya! Then Scamp will take baths with us!"

Annette laughed briefly with her sisters. Currently, her brother and his close friend were the talk of the house, especially since they had recently saved the masters' young son from certain death. Only just days before, the toddler, Junior, had been kidnapped by Tramp and Scamp's old enemy, Buster. The big Doberman dog wanted revenge, even if it meant going so far as to eat a human child to get it. He and his accomplice, Harley, had been defeated by Tramp, Scamp, Angel and their friend Meelus. Buster was killed in the fight that ensued, but Harley had escaped, and was still roaming the streets.

Annette surpressed a shudder as her thoughts drifted. She hadn't seen the dog for herself, but she heard the stories from her family, who said that he was huge, white, and never uttered a sound, not even when he was fighting or killing. She hoped she never had to deal with such. Then again, she didn't even want to leave the yard, unless it was on a relaxing stroll with her masters, Jim Dear and Darling.

Another of Danielle's loud laughs snapped the daydreaming young dog out of her thoughts. She rand to greet Jim Dear, who was tromping into the room, swinging his head around as though searching for something. In his arms was Angel. The feisty little cream colored dog was soaked to the bone. Her long fur was sticking up in spikes from being toweled dry, and she looked for all the world like she wished she was anywhere but here. Jim dropped the mixed breed on the floor of the living room, where she shook herself and darted away as quickly as possible.

"Darling! Have you seen Scamp? I can't find that pup anywhere!" Jim Dear exclaimed. His call was immediatly followed by a muffled yipe, and he dissapeared from the room. He returned moments later with a wiggling Scamp gripped tightly with both hands. Angel pranced behind him, wearing a triumphant smile on her pretty face. Scamp glared down at her miserably.

"Snitch."

Annette secretly loved watching the pair. Even though they were always picking on each other, everyone knew that the two dogs were very much in love.

Jim Dear switched Scamp to the left arm and patted his side with the other hand.

"Here girls. Bath-time." He called to the identical spaniel-mix pups.

The three girls erupted into squeals of happiness as they bounded excitedly after the man. Danielle was in the lead, with Collette right behind her. The two were arguing about who was getting their bath after Scamp.

Annette was last, but she stayed out of the little spat between her sisters. She never won anyway. Danielle was usually pushy enough to end up at the front of the line, or Collette would act cute enough that Jim felt the need to pick her up. It didn't really bother the young dog. It had always been this way.

Jim Dear rounded the corner and instantly plunked Scamp into a tub of fresh bathwater, eager to get this job done as fast as possible. The girls jumped back in surprise when soapy water spilled out over the bath table.

Collette tsked and shook her head.

"Oh, brother, when will you learn?"

Danielle burst out with a gruff and happy, "Never!"

Annette nodded her agreement.

"Baths aren't bad at all! You just have to sit back and enjoy them."

Annette could never understand her brother's hatred of water. Or his uncanny ability to find trouble. That dog was always into something.

"Girls." Annette, Collette, and Danielle all turned to see their parents, side by side, coming towards them. Lady was walking slowly, matching the pace of her limping mate. His right front leg was splinted stiffly due to the break in it. He'd hurt his leg badly in the fight with Buster.

Lady was giving her pups a stern look. They all knew that picking on each other was not acceptable.

Collette ducked her head.

"Sorry mom."

Annette spoke in her sister's sheepish silence that followed.

"We didn't mean any harm!"

Lady and Tramp laughed.

Tramp nudged Annette's cheek affectionately.

"We know that. We just want you girls to be proper little ladies." He flipped Annette's silky brown ear up with his nose and muttered into it, "But I've got a stash of steak bones with your name on it if you can convince Scamp tha-"

"Tramp!" Lady laughed. Tramp ducked into a remorseful crouch.

"Sorry Pidge. We were only having a little chat about the weather, I swear it!"

The triplet spaniels doubled into peals of laughter.

Annette loved her family.

The three sisters were lying side by side on the front porch of the enourmous Victorian house. Collette had one of Danille's ears draped over her paws. She was licking it diligently, smoothing the fur until every inch was silky smooth. All of the girls were proud of their ears.

Annette was lying on Collette's opposite side with her chin resting between her paws on the wood of the porch. She was gazing past the porch, looking at the midday sky, and the white, fluffy clouds creeping across the sky.

A sudden foul smell drifted across Annette's muzzle. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. She wasn't alone. Her sisters had raised their heads and were looking in the direction the smell had come. Annette sighed softly. It was the garbage again. Someone, for more than a month now, had been dropping heavy bags of rubbish over the Darling's white picket fence, and leaving it on the pristine lawn to rot.

Jim Dear picked it up when he could, and had even contacted the police about the mess, but nothing had been done so far to stop the mess. It happened every day, sometime early in the morning when everyone was sound asleep.

Annette stood up. "Come on, I don't want to be near that stink." She said in disgust.

Danielle stuck her tongue out.

"It's gross!"

The dogs hopped down the white porch steps and trotted off into the grass.

Turning the corner of the big house, Annette spotted Angel and Scamp talking to their friend Meelus. The wide-set red dog towered over Angel and Scamp, but he wore a friendly look on his dopey, fluffy face. As he lowered his head to speak to his friends, a big ruff of fur fell down around his neck, giving him the appearance of a lion.

"Oooh! It's Meelus!" Collette whispered excitedly, ducking back around the corner of the house and out of sight. Danielle followed her, giggling and snickering. Annette tilted her head and watched them. She never could understand her sisters' obsession with the shaggy red dog. He was a sweetheart, but he spoke in circles. Annette found it hard to talk to him without getting confused.

Collette practically hissed in her frustration at Annette. "He's going to see you! And then us."

Annette sighed and reluctantly walked back around the wall with her lovestruck sisters, who were taking turns peeking at the big male. Collette eventually shoved Annette forward with her paw, probably thinking she was doing her a favor in giving her a turn. Annette stumbled forward, pretended to take a look, and then stepped quickly backwards until she was behind her sisters. The two weren't paying any attention to her now. She took her chance and tiptoed silently away.

Once she was out of sight and earshot, Annette quickened her pace and relaxed. She was free of her sisters for the moment. The Spaniel-mix felt a little lighter all of a sudden. There was a cool breeze in the air that rustled through her fur, letting her know that fall was creeping in on the quiet little town. Annette lifted her chin in the soft wind, letting it blow her long ears back a little.

The daydreaming dog wandered down the clean, well kept street. She was still in the neighborhood. The houses were enclosed in manicured bushes and flower gardens, iron gates, picket fences, and a very cozy hedge that blocked the private street from the world's view.

Annette hardly noticed that she was now close to Trusty's secret store of bones. Everyone knew where the poor old dog kept them. They stayed away simply out of respect for the aging Scottie.

Annette was jolted back into reality when she found herself tumbling head over heels with a mass of warm fur.

"Umph!" She grunted.

She and the mass wiggled and wrestled in their attempt to seperate from each other. She finally found her footing and stood, backing away slightly. She could now see with surprise that it was a dog, about her own age. His fur was white, for the most part. He was covered in patches of tannish-brown spots, and his ears perked forward. Each side of his face was seperated into the same coloring, over his ears and eyes.

He stood up in a very un-scary fighting stance, legs stiff.

"Hey! Those bones are mine, Bub. If you-" The dog cut himself off and stood straight, probably seeing that his attacker was hardly older than himself.

"Uh.." Annette looked up at the dog's face, realizing he was slightly taller than she was.

"Hi." He said, apparently still in shock.

Annette said nothing. She was suddenly feeling shy.