Author's Note: This story is dedicated to GloriaFan! Thank you for not giving up on this fic. Even after months of waiting. This is a little OOC, but bear with me. Being both angsty and in character is hard in these toddler's shows. This can be viewed as romantic, if you're into that, or platonic if you aren't. Remeber, if you have a little kid's show that you love, send me a PM or review and I'll write a fic about that show.

Blue whimpered, watching Steve pack his suitcase.

"What's the matter, Blue?" asked Steve, with his awful, happy, cheerful voice. He had no right to be so cheerful! He was abandoning her! Blue growled.

"Do you have a stomach ache, Blue?"

Blue stared at him. Did he really, could he really think that that was all that was wrong? He was in denial. He was, he was, he was!

Curse his hopscotch skills! Why, oh why couldn't he be lousy at hopscotch? Then he'd stay here, with her, forever. Why couldn't she come, too? Other people brought dogs with them to college. Why couldn't he?

She gave another small whimper.

"Aw, Blue, are you gonna miss me when I go away to college?"

Blue gave a small nod of her head.

"Don't worry, Blue. I'll come home and visit."

But would he? If he was willing to leave her, leave everyone, the second he was able to, why would he come back? Even for her?

He was abandoning her! Leaving her, when she would never ever leave him. Why couldn't he stay? Wouldn't he stay, if she cried and whined and made him?

But then he'd hate her. Secretly. He wouldn't act like he hated her, but oh he would! Underneath he'd always be thinking "why did I let this whiny mutt take away my chance to go to college?" She'd be far more miserable if he hated her. Even if he didn't love her, she loved him.

She jumped up and licked his face, trying to act happy for him. He smiled at her and went back to packing. "My brother Joe will take good care of you, Blue, don't you worry."

Joe! Why, why, why did he have to remind her? She hated Joe! He was so wrong. He wasn't Steve, only some little imposter.

This Joe liked squares. Squares! Stripes were better, so much better! And he didn't like green like Steve did. He liked orange. And he was just an ugly old copycat! He had a duck. Not a duck blanket, a toy duck!

Why didn't Steve love her? Why wouldn't he stay? Had she done something wrong?

Whatever it was, if he'd only just tell her, she'd try to do better! She'd be a much better dog, if only she knew what she'd done wrong.

Why couldn't Steve stay? Astronomy and Poetry didn't need him more than she did.

Why, why, why, why, why, why would be do this?

Maybe it was because she was bad. That was it!

She shouldn't whine. She wasn't as good as him. She didn't deserve him. He had every right to leave her filthy, disgusting, awfulness. He should be happy. She probably only made him miserable.

Oh, but she wanted to keep making him miserable, because she loved him so much! She wanted him here with her.

But he'd be happier alone, at college, without her. And if she really loved him, really cared, she had to let him go.

Let him... leave her.

And- and he'd visit, wouldn't he? He would. But... but what if he said he would, and did for a while, and then one day stopped coming? One day got bored with her mediocrity and left her, forever? Not just for a while, but for eternity?

And she'd be sitting by the door, waiting for him, forever. For days, weeks, until she realised that he didn't want her and that he was gone. For ever.

But she had to be brave. Had to smile for Steve. She loved him, after all. And when you love someone, that's what you do.