Title: I wanna borrow your dog
Author: Dancing Star
Crossover: PSI Factor/ Sue Thomas FBEye
Pairing: Jack / Sue, Connor/ Lindsay
Category: AU, romance, humor
Rating: 12
What happens: Because he wants to meet women, Jack borrows the pug of his best friend.
Notes: I want a black pug, too! :-) By the I thought I have to write a Sue- and- Jack- story again
I wanna borrow your dog
A light on the answering machine of Jack Hudson pointed out that someone had left a new message. He pressed the PLAY button and heard the news of his girlfriend, who just broke up with him because she thought he was an immature and indecisive man. Maybe it was because she had hoped he would ask her to marry her when it was her birthday yesterday but he didn´t ask her. She then hadn´t talked to him for the rest of the evening. Judging by the sound of her voice on the answering machine after she had been crying, she probably had talked to her best friend. And Jack hated her best friend. He didn´t want to be heartless, but breaking up was just right. He congratulated himself he hadn´t left any of his belongings in her apartment, so the breaking up was accomplished with a quick call.
Jack went on his apartment door, where a newspaper was waiting for him like every Sunday morning. He picked up the paper and read while he tipped chocolate cornflakes and milk in a bowl and began eating. "Pugs are the most popular dogs for flirting", stood in the lifestyle section of the newspaper. He had an idea of how he might could find a new girlfriend. He found that women with dogs were more relaxed because of the four-legged friends in their lives they were sometimes already accustomed to enough mischief. And he knew someone who owned a pug. Jack decided he would ask his best friend and neighbor.
The spare key was on the door frame. He used it to open the door, even though Connor was at home for sure. Today was Sunday and as far as he knew, this was the day when Connor went nowhere, except for, of course, walking with his dog.
"What are you doing here?", Connor asked, who was sitting on his couch and once turned around to his best friend. Jack got a bottle of beer from the fridge.
"I've heard that dogs are a great way to meet women."
"Buying a pet because of that is a stupid idea," Connor said, "People like you are responsible for the fact that many animals are staying in the shelter."
"I don´t have to buy a dog."
"Why?", Connor said unimpressed and turned off the TV.
"I could borrow Sam for one day."
"You want to borrow my dog?", Connor wasn´t sure if he had heard correctly and even Sam, who was also on the couch, lifted his head confused and his collar clattered. Sam was Connors dog, a little black pug. Actually, Connor believed a pug was a dog for women, but when he had found a little puppy in front of his door on a cold December evening three years ago and after an announcement in a newspaper and a call at the shelter he had decided to keep the puppy.
"I'm not sure if I can do that..."
Jack sat down on the couch next to Connor and he would have almost sit on Sam if he wouldn´t have jumped of the furniture in the last second. "I've already taken care of Sam, do you remember? You were on vacation..."
"He ran away and came back three days after my return..."
"You could have a few days Sam-off… Come on! I have to spend New Year's Eve with the cast of How I met your mother."
Connor looked at his best friend in a little disbelief. "Well, first, New Year's Eve is in six month and it was a dream you had... It would be very irresponsible of me to leave my dog with you again."
"I promise I will take very good care of him," Jack raised his hand and was looking for a book. But he only found a health magazine, so he put his hand on this: "I swear I will protect Sam with my life and bring him back to you safe and sound."
Connor looked at Sam, who was now sitting in his basket and looked at him expectantly.
"Okay," Connor gave in, "A scratch and you pay the vet bill."
Jack didn´t hear this clause: He said they had a deal and was delighted to take Sam for a walk in the pedestrian zone later that day.
Jack arrived in the afternoon and picked up Sam. He was very surprised, because Connor had dressed him in a brown hoddie. "Connor, what are you doing?", Jack wanted to know from his best friend, "What is the dog wearing?"
"A sweater," said Connor and immediately understood what Jack wanted to say, "Today, it's cold outside... but if you want he can wear something else." With these words he put a box on the table and Jack looked inside. "Sam even has a winter coat," Jack said and picked up the small dark blue jacket with Norwegian pattern.
"He has very thin fur and freezes easily."
"My God, he also owns a rain jacket and shoes."
"He needs this when there´s salt on the winter road," Connor took the shoes, "The salt burns on his paws and then I have to carry him... Did you ever have to carry around a fat pug?"
"You know an excuse for every argument, huh?", Jack wanted to know, "The dog is better equipped than you are." Jack was glad at least he was speared a pink leash. "I´m not leaving the house if Sam is dressed like this. The women all think I would be..."
"Think well, what you say!", Connor threatened, "Otherwise, I might think different."
Jack rolled his eyes, decided to keep his mouth shut and a little later he took Sam out of Connors apartment and went with him to his car. Sam sat in the passenger seat and looked curiously out of the window. If they had to stop at a red light, people looked out of their cars next to Sam and waving to the dog. The black pug then raised his little ears curiously and when the light turned green again, the people in the other cars forgot they had to drive on. Jack shook his head: He couldn´t understand why some people found this little yapper was so cute. Sam couldn´t even breathe, because he grunted like a little pig when he breathed. In addition, Sam's face was so flattened, that he believed the dog had spent the whole day trying to force it against the window pane of a dog food store.
Jack put his car in a parking lot near the pedestrian area, took the dog out of the vehicle and ran off with him. They were less than five minutes on the road when he was approached by a woman. Her name was Amber and Jack found her very pretty: She was blonde and had big blue eyes. Finally, Jack asked her what she was doing professionally and Amber replied she was in town for only one day because her husband bought a new company, she then should sell it. Jack smiled and decided he would go on fast with Sam. Of course he found Amber was great, but he had learned to avoid married women. He said goodbye and hurried to get away with Sam quickly.
They ran to a shop where Jack was going to buy a book. Both were stopped by a group of teenagers who wanted to pet Sam.
The seller at the bookstore reacted surprised when she saw Sam. She told dogs weren´t allowed in the store usually, but she made an exception for the cute, black pug. Then she bent down to pet Sam. The dog enjoyed the attention. Jack could even leave the dog with the woman, while he chose his book. "Come again soon," the seller cried after him when he and Sam left the store, "And bring your dog." He didn´t ask her if she might wanted to date him, because apparently she was more interest to Sam than him.
Back outside in the pedestrian zone Sam ran around a bit restless. "What´s wrong, Fatty?", Jack asked him, but of course Sam didn´t reply. "Maybe he needs to do a little business," a woman's voice said to him and Jack saw a pretty blonde woman who had stopped with her dog near him and Sam. Her golden retriever sniffed at a mailbox and then went on. "There´s no green grass in the pedestrian zone. Some dogs don´t dare then", she said and smiled.
"Well, I've heard it can be quite expensive," Jack said and she nodded.
"I'm Sue," she introduced, "This is Levi." The golden retriever at her side barked.
"Seems like he´s pretty talkative," Jack observed, "My name is Jack."
"And what´s your dog´s name?", Sue asked when the two dogs sniffed now. Levi was a very friendly dog and then he sat down next to her feet, ignoring the pug.
"This is Sam," Jack answered.
"Good. So, will you two come with me and Levi to the Dog Park? We were just on our way."
Jack nodded and so he set out with Sue to the park. Before he had met her, he had considered his trip to the pedestrian almost as a failure.
Jack and the dog were out with Sue and Levi until evening. It was dusk when Jack gave the pug back to his owner.
"Where have you been so long?", Connor asked, a little annoyed.
"We were in the dog park," Jack told, "Sam and I had fun, isn´t it?" He looked at Sam, who had lain down on his bed tired.
"That's enough. Now It´s my turn, "Connor said and sent out his friend," Come on Sam, we´ll have a walk." Like every dog Sam loved walks and so he and his owner walked down the road later. Sam sniffed curiously in the grass, when suddenly another pug passed him. Sam stopped and stared after the gray pug. Then the owner of the other pug was also alerted when her leash stretched. "Is that your dog?", she asked, Connor nodded. She noted that Connor pulled away his dog when the two dogs were sniffing. "Don´t worry, she´s sterilized", the woman told him, pointing to her dog.
"This is Sam... I´m Connor, by the way."
"Nice to meet you. This is my dog Rula... Uh, my name is Lindsay", she smiled," I have never seen a black pug." Her dog Rula had light hair and a black mask on her face, a typical pug.
"I often hear that... I've never seen you here before," Connor didn´t know many people who also owned a pug, so he would have noticed her.
"I've been living here since one week," she confessed, "I had to move here for professional reasons." Without realizing it, Lindsay walked back in the same direction from which she came.
"What are you doing for professional?", Connor asked.
"It's a great job. You would like it", she said," I´m with Harry's Ice cream. I´m an Ice Cream taster."
"You're right: this is a dream job... But I must admit I imagined ice cream taster differently."
She knew immediately what he wanted to say and thanked him for the compliment. "What about you? What are you doing for professional?"
"I'm relatively boring," he said while they were walking next to each other and she told him, smiling, she didn´t believe that, "I am a professor at the university." Then he realized that Rula liked Sam and trotted next to each other like an old couple. If one of them was sniffing on a blade of grass, the other was waiting.
"I fear our dogs have found each other," Connor said and he wondered if Lindsay perhaps had a boyfriend. She was new in town, but maybe she had a long distance relationship. So he decided to ask her: "I know this is very sudden, but do you have any plans for tomorrow night? We could... Well, I could show you the city, if you want ... Assuming you haven´t seen the city yet."
"No, that's a very good idea," she agreed, Connor was surprised, "Since I've moved here, I've just worked. It's almost a miracle that my apartment is furnished comfortable." She laughed and Connor had to admit it was a very nice laugh. The two agreed to meet tomorrow evening. She told Connor were to pick her up and he promised to take her and Rula because he would also bring Sam. Then they said goodbye for now. When Lindsay was out of sight, Connor couldn´t help but make a little leap of joy. His dog Sam was watching him critically.
The next morning, Connor was in a hurry before he went to work. He had overslept and in half an hour his lecture at the University began. That his best friend just now stopped in to talk to him was no good idea. He wondered why Jack was looking for Sam's leash and then led the dog to the door. "What are you doing?"
"I take care of Sam, while you're at work," Jack had one week off and was he was bored (Connor called this as "the demon of laziness"). But Connor found it strange his best friend was suddenly enthusiastic for dogs. In addition, Sam never had any problems with being alone in the apartment while Connor was at work.
"Whatever. Have a nice day… But tonight, I want Sam back."
"I can´t. I´m dating Sue tonight... and I need Sam."
"I also have a date with a very cute pug-owner. I also need Sam. Besides, he's my dog."
"And so you think you have a right to him?"
"Sure," Connor said, "I pay his food."
Then Jack knew no argument. He folded his arms across his chest. "I only know one way we can solve the problem: We have to share Sam."
Sue and Jack met this evening at La Parisienne, a fancy French restaurant for dinner. "Hi. Good to see you", Jack said and kissed her cheek.
"Hi. I´m glad you came, "she smiled and she looked as if she really was happy about this evening. But then she noticed he had forgotten something. "Where is Sam?"
"Who?"
"Your Dog."
"He's still in the car," Jack felt caught and nothing occurred to him, which he could justify. It was summer and although it was very cold in the last days, this evening was so warm that you couldn´t stuff an animal in a vehicle. She looked at him as if he had just killed someone. So he said: "No, he's not in the car. He's... uh, He´s with the waiter. Sam wanted to drink water", he explained, they sat down at their table and Jack wondered why she suddenly laughed. "How do you know your dog wants to drink water? He can´t talk."
"Well, if Sam is thirsty, he always has this special face... Something like this," Jack stuck his bottom lip over his upper lip, his chin thrust forward, his brow furrowed. Sue thought Sam´s "Please give me something to drink" - imitating face was funny.
Connor picked up Lindsay and her dog from home and she put the dog lady to Sam on the back seat. Then they went to a small cafe at the other end of town. She didn´t seem to be the type of woman who liked chic dining values and he was glad his guess was true: She was glad to see him and their conversation went very well. While sitting at the bar, they had ordered a coffee, she even put his hand on his once. "What are we doing later?", she asked. Thus, she reminded him that he wanted to show her the city.
"I thought we could watch the TV tower. It looks very nice at night, "he replied and at that moment his phone rang. He saw Jack's number on the phone, apologized and answered the call. Jack asked when he could expect Sam. "Now?... I need at least 10 minutes until I'm there", Connor said and in Lindsay's face he saw she suspected the call was a so-called emergency call. At that moment, she thought she was terribly boring.
"You promised me," Jack reminded him and Connor rolled his eyes: "All right. I'm on my way." He turned off his cell phone and got up of his bar stool on which he sat. "I promise you, this wasn´t a rescue call," he assured Lindsay, "I have to help a friend and then I come back. I´m back in twenty minutes."
"Okay," she nodded but he could see Lindsay wasn´t happy with it. Connor grabbed Sam's leash and walked out of the café with him. While he was away, another man tried to sit down on the free stool next to her but she told him she already had a date for tonight and he was going to come back. Lindsay just hoped she wasn´t mistaken.
"Here he is," Connor said twelve minutes later, out of breath, to Jack while he met him at the parking lot in front of the La Parisienne and he gave him Sam's leash. On the ride here, he had caught a green wave and the remaining two minutes he had frittered away for finding a parking space.
"You bring him back to me!", Connor said threateningly to Jack, as he walked back to his car, "In one hour, I want my dog back. Bring Sam to television tower then." He hurried and quickly drove back to the café, where Lindsay was still waiting for him. He was lucky: She still sat at the bar and mixed the foam of her Cappuchino bored with her spoon. Rula lay at her feet and also looked very bored. "Here I am again," he told her and he could see she hadn´t expected he actually came back. "I told you I'll be back." He put a twenty dollar bill for the waiter on the counter and reached for her hand. "Let's go to the TV tower," he suggested, but she noticed something was missing: "Where is Sam?"
Connor thought about what he should say. Nothing occurred to him, so he fell back on the oldest excuse of all dog owners: "He ran away... Well, he jumped out of the car."
"You want to search for him?", she asked anxiously, when she got up and took Rulas leash.
"No. I'm sure he´ll run home alone."
They drove to the TV tower. On the way he kept looking uneasily at his swatch. He hoped the transfer time was coming soon, because he didn´t want to look like an unreliable dog owner.
After they arrived at the TV tower, Connor noted that the observation deck had been closed. "Doesn´t matter," Lindsay said to him, "It was a nice idea." She was willing to forgive him he had left her in the café for almost half an hour. So she suggested they could take the dogs for a walk. Lindsay grabbed Connor's arm and with Rula on her leash she strolled through the small park, which was in the vicinity of the TV tower. "Because you let me alone in that Café you must answer some questions," Lindsay began and Connor hesitated for a second. Then he decided to give in. Lindsay asked him where he was born, where he went to school, what he liked to eat and what authors he liked. "Who is your favorite actor?", she asked when they walked through an avenue of street lights and Rula comfortably walked in front of them.
"Dan Aykroyd," Connor replied immediately, "In his younger days."
Lindsay laughed. "In his younger days? What do you mean?"
"He was great in Ghostbusters," Connor replied, "But Skipping Christmas and 50 first dates is great, too... It's my turn: Who is your favorite actor?"
"Richard Gere", she said and Connor stopped walking, pretending he would writhe in pain. Lindsay then laughed even more. "What's so funny?", she wanted to know and at that moment his phone rang. "This is my best friend," he told her and Lindsay was hoping his best friend wasn´t in trouble again and asked for his help. "You found Sam?," Connor finally said, "Very nice. Where are you?... At the TV tower, okay. We are now... Um", he looked around to see exactly where they were, "We are now in the park. Do you know this little observation deck on the pond?... Yes, we are waiting for you. Thank you", he hung up, "Well, that was my best friend. He found Sam. "
They waited another five minutes when they met a dark-haired man. He led Sam on his leash and the black pug pulled the like crazy because he was glad to see Connor again. When Rula noticed her new friend, she also drew on her leash and both dogs only calmed down when they stood facing each other and sniffed. Connor thanked him and Jack left.
"Never mind. I have to thank you", he said, "It's good to know the reason for my stressful evening once", he remarked when he saw Lindsay. Then he apologized his date was waiting for him.
"What did he mean?", Lindsay asked. Their dogs were still sniffing at each other. "Nothing," Connor shook his head. They finished their walk with her two dogs. Then Connor took Lindsay home.
"Where's Sam?", Sue wanted to know from Jack when he came out of the park alone. He jogged and hurried to get to her, because Sue and her dog Levi waited in his car.
They were on their way to a beautiful tourist attraction that was a secret tip. Because Sue had never seen it, they wanted to take a trip. On the way he suddenly stopped at the entrance to the park at the TV tower, got Sam out of his car and rushed to the park. Sue called to him where he was going and Jack replied Sam had to do a business. "Levi and I can come with you," she suggested, Jack waved to her and she assumed it was a no. There was something else, what she had to tell him.
She waited about five minutes in his car then Jack came back without Sam.
"Sam has run away," he told her.
"Don´t you want to look for him?"
"No," he shook his head, "He´ll find the way back home alone." He turned the ignition key, so the engine started coughing. They drove down the road and suddenly Sue said: "I need to talk to you. It's important and I think you should know, before this all turns into something important."
"What do you mean?", he asked, "Are you married?... Or do you have children?"
"No," Sue said and looked at her hands, then back to him, "Would that be bad if I have kids?"
"Of course not. So, about what you need to talk to me?"
She looked out the window and wondered if she really should tell him. She took a breath and decided to say it: "I am deaf."
"What?", fortunately, he had to slow down his car at a red light, "But you..."
"I can read lips," Sue's voice was very quiet, "I'm deaf since childhood. My parents went with me to many doctors. No one knows why. Levi is my hearing dog", she looked at him," Sorry, I wanted you to know, before we both get involved in something important... Come Levi."
That he didn´t say anything more was answer enough. She opened the rear side door of the car for Levi, attached his leash on the collar and they ran down the sidewalk together.
"Sue!," called Jack after her. He saw how Levi jumped to get his owner's attention. But Sue didn´t respond: She just kept going.
Jack tried to find a parking space for the vehicle and then he parked his car illegally on the roadside. He wanted to run after her, but she had disappeared in the darkness long ago.
"How was your date?", Lindsay asked curiously when she met her new friend Sue the next morning at a coffee shop. Sue looked very unhappy, so Lindsay concluded it hadn´t gone very well. She knew Sue was deaf, but unlike Lindsay not many people showed so much understanding.
"It was a disaster," Sue said, "When I told him I am deaf, he didn´t say a single word."
Lindsay was really sorry, because Sue had told her dates were like this every time: As soon as she told a man on a date that she couldn´t hear, they got up and left her alone. Few were so gracious and promised her at the end of the evening, they would call again. But of course they never called again.
Sue sometimes asked why she was still doing this.
"What about you?", Sue wanted to know from Lindsay, "How was your date with the university professor you have met?"
"Very nice... until his dog Sam run away. But his best friend fortunately found him again", Lindsay invited Sue to pay for her coffee to go. Then they had to go to work.
"This is very strange," Sue murmured, when she walked out of the café with Levi, "Jack also has a dog named Sam."
Sue wondered who the visit which came in the evening two days later was and how she found out it was Jack. He came without his dog, but Levi was happy to see him. "I gotta tell you something," Jack began, "It's very important."
"What could that be?", she asked, but of course she didn´t really want to have an answer, "Will you tell me now a stupid excuse why you haven´t said anything two days ago when I told you, I'm deaf? Do you think there is an excuse, I don´t know?" He could see in her face how angry she was.
"I don´t want to present any stupid excuse," Jack told Sue, he looked at Levi, "The truth is, I have no dog. Sam is actually my best friend´s dog. I just borrowed him because I've read pugs are very popular dogs for dating women. But then I met you and..."
"You what?", she wasn´t sure whether to be shocked or even angrier.
"I admit I wasn´t always honest with you and I know that sounds pretty stupid but I want to change because..."
"Please don´t say it", she went to her apartment door and opened it Then she asked him out.
"I'm sorry," Jack said when he stood in front of her, "But all this isn´t worth it. You're breaking up because of a dog? "
"It's not because of the dog," Sue said, "The problem is you lied to me."
"I wouldn´t call it a lie...", he apologized. If he haven´t had Sam, they would have never met.
"Go now, please," she pointed again to her door and watched hows Jack left her apartment. She leaned against her door as soon as he was gone. Levi lay on the couch and looked at her sadly. "I know what you want to say," she told her dog, sat at her window and watched how Jack got into his car in front of the house.
Go ahead and say goodbye, I'll be alright
Go ahead and make me cry, I'll be alright
And when you need a place to run to
For better, for worse I got you (Leona Lewis, "I got you")
That same evening, Lindsay had invited Connor to dinner. They had met by chance in the last few days with the dogs and took walks together. Yesterday Lindsay had asked him if he wanted to come over for dinner. He didn´t say no, and promised he would also bring Sam. So it happened that Sam immediately rushed passed Lindsay when she opened the door, and sat next to Rula in her basket. "He feels quite at home," she smiled.
"Thank you for your invitation," Connor said and watched how she walked back to her kitchen. "I made lasagna. It's the best one in the world," she explained.
"Too bad, I actually thought you can get me a cup of Harry's ice cream."
Lindsay went to her fridge and opened the freezer. It was full of colorful cups of Harry's Ice Cream. "And you think you have problems," she told him, "I would be happy if I could store something different in my freezer, instead of Harry's Ice Cream. You can have as many cups as you want."
He noticed how pretty she looked: Her strapless, orange dress suited her very well. He found she always looked really pretty.
They sat down on the couch because they had to wait for the lasagna. "The two are really like an old married couple," Connor said, when they watched their dogs, which were still in Rulas basket. "Yes, they get along well," agreed Lindsay to him, "Let's hope that won´t change." She laughed.
"I have to make you a compliment: You look very nice tonight," he told her and stopped her laughter. "I, uh..."
"Sorry, I didn´t know you have a boyfriend."
"No," Lindsay said in a hurry and Connor tried to hide how relieved he was. But instead she asked, "Why are you grinning?"
Connor wondered if he should actually respond. "I admit I am very pleased."
"Why?," Lindsay was eager to hear his answer.
"As I said: You are a very pretty woman. I like you a lot, we have the same humor, we both like Harry's Ice Cream ", when he said this, she laughed out loud, "And we both like dogs."
"That´s true. I like you a lot, too. For the same reasons", Lindsay smiled.
"This is our fourth date," he reminded her.
"You call our walks with the dogs as dates?," she asked, putting her hand on his. She came a bit closer before they finally kissed. It was a loving kiss and Connor didn´t dare to move. She pulled him closer to him and then he fell back into the soft sofa cushions. Lindsay giggled as his hands slowly went on tour and when he asked her why she did this, she kissed him again. It was a wonderful way to silence someone.
At that moment, her cell phone rang. Lindsay knew it wasn´t polite to answer the call and she really didn´t want to, but she saw Sue's cell phone number on the display. So she apologized. "How are you?", she said into her cell phone, "He was just with you, and what did he say?... I see... Sue, wait a minute, I´ll ask him, okay? I'll call you back." She hung up. "That was my best friend Sue. She needs my help... Um, would it be bad, if I just go to her and look after her?"
"No, that's fine. Shall I go with you?", he asked and they got up.
"That would be very nice," she nodded, and together they set out on their way to the door. Before they finally left, Lindsay turned off her oven, in which the lasagna still scorched.
Sue lived two streets away, so they had reached the large house in which Lindsay's best friend lived within five minutes. Lindsay rang the bell and she knew she now had to wait a while until hearing dog Levi had responded.
"We´re back home soon", Lindsay promised Connor, "The guy she was dating, had just showed up at her apartment and confessed everything: Can you imagine he borrowed a dog just to meet women?"
Connor knew this story. "Really?... um. What´s the name of this guy?", he asked.
"I think his name is Jack... But what I know for sure is that he had a dog named Sam... It´s probably a popular dog name." She pressed the bell again and shortly afterwards the door was opened accompanied by a loud buzz.
"Maybe I should wait for you down here," Connor suggested, but Sam and Rula had already run up the stairs and Connor had to catch his dog before Sue saw him. Surely she knew Sam.
"Don´t be silly. Come with me", Lindsay said and Connor followed her through the dark staircase to the third floor. Sue had already opened the door and when she asked what Sam was doing here, Connor knew it was too late.
Lindsay reached Sue's door first. "Lindsay, what is Sam doing here?", Sue asked.
"This is Connor's dog," she pointed to the dark-haired man, who was in her company, "You know each other?"
"No… Actually I know Sam," Sue said and at that moment it occurred to Lindsay. "You," she murmured, looking at him, "You borrow your dog to your best friend, so he can meet women?", Lindsay asked incredulously.
"But I don´t take the responsibility for everything he does," Connor defended himself. He wasn´t Jack's nursery!
"That's true," interrupted Sue them, "He can´t help his best friend is an idiot." She asked them in and sat down on the couch.
They stayed longer than they actually wanted and when it was just before midnight, Lindsay and Connor were leaving Sues apartment. "Are you sure you're okay?", Lindsay asked concerned and Sue nodded. The time where she was crying for days because of a man was long gone. This was the same as in the past.
Lindsay was still very worried about her friend when she and Connor left the house with Sam and Rula.
"I'm sorry. Really", Connor said to her as she stood on the steps and when he looked at her, she suggested he was honest.
"I'm sorry, too," Lindsay suddenly said, "You know, Sue doesn´t have many friends. Probably that's why I feel responsible. But your best friend...", she pushed gently on his shoulder," It's a real idiot. How can he do such a thing to Sue?"
"I'll ask him if I see him next time," Connor promised and he vowed he would never give away Sam. He nearly jeopardized even Lindsay and he liked her a lot.
Connor didn´t understand why Jack suddenly stopped opening his door when he knocked the next day. "Come on, open the door. I know you're there", Connor could hear the TV was turned on inside the apartment. He suspected Jack actually had something like a bad conscience.
In the evening, Connor knocked again at Jack's apartment door and again no one responded. Jack didn´t want to talk to him. "If you ever want to say a word, you know where I live!", Connor called through the closed door and he was sure Jack had heard him.
Connor and Lindsay got married one year later, on a sunny day in May. Their friends and family came together for a beautiful ceremony and the two newlyweds danced the first dance together. Sue watched Lindsay and took a deep breath. She tried not to look too disappointed: Many of the present people were in groups and whispered to each other while some more couples were on the dance floor. She wouldn´t be able to dance, because she had no date for today.
Sue liked Connor. After she had forgiven him he had borrowed Sam to his best friend, she had noticed he was a good person. And her best friend had also noticed. It was nice to see him on Lindsay's side. "At least she's happy," Sue thought ruefully.
"Levi, I'm so glad you won´t leave me," she said to Levi and patted his head. Levi was next to Sam and Rula on the floor. The black pug Sam even wore a small dog- tuxedo and Rula a pink collar. Fortunately Rula hadn´t to wear bridal costume.
Suddenly, a person sat down next to Sue and Levi got up. She was amazed when she saw Jack.
"Hey. We haven´t seen each other for a long time", he said to her and she didn´t know what to answer, "I'm sorry about what happened one year ago. But now I've bought a dog... And I'm still single. I think I'm ready for a relationship, if the dog puts up with me." While he was talking, a mixed-breed dog put its head on his thigh. "This is Nicky."
"My goodness, she´s very beautiful," Sue said, beaming and petting the head of the bright half-breed.
"Thank you... And as you see, Nicky still looks very happy," he said, "Can you forgive me?"
She didn´t answer.
"I've really missed you..."
"Yes, I´ve missed you too," she admitted with a smile. She felt how he reached for her hand. Sue had no intention to evade him.
"Why don´t you dance?", he said and she shrugged her shoulders helplessly: "I can´t dance." Jack still held her hand, they got up and he took her to the dance floor. He wrapped both arms around her and began to move her back and forth slowly. They didn´t notice how Connor and Lindsay watched them and secretly rejoiced the two had finally found each other.
A place to crash, I got you
No need to ask, I got you.
Fin
