It wasn't Ren's fault. Not really, at least. Even if he hadn't been distracted by a blushing Kyoko on his back seat, there wouldn't have been much he could have done.

It was late, nearly 11 o'clock in the night, too late for Kyoko to go home on her own. They were on their way to drop off Yashiro first, if he had a choice he would always drop off Yashiro first. Alone-time with Kyoko was definitely preferable to alone-time with his migraine-causing, matchmaking manager. She had smiled that smile that always leaves him weak in the knees, when she and Yashiro shouted at him to watch out.

He only saw how something small ran out of a dark side street out of the corner of his eyes. He stepped on the brake as hard as he could and tried to steer the car in the opposite direction. But he heard and felt how something hit the car on the far right side, or better how the car hit something. Yashiro and Kyoko were already out of the car to take care of whatever or whoever he ran over. Oh my God, he killed somebody. What he had seen was small, a child?! He killed a child! What was a child doing outside so late in the night? He couldn't move. Gripping the steering wheel, his knuckles turn white. Everything starts to fade and the world slows down, as if he tries to swim in honey or quicksand. He hears Kyoko and Yashiro talking, but he can't understand what they are saying. It sounds as if he hears them through a thick layer of cotton from far away.

"Oh no! He is hurt! We need to get him to a doctor!"

"Kyoko watch out. Don't touch him. He could bite you."

"But we need to do something."

"It's ok. Let me do this. I take care of him. You look after Ren, ok?"

"Ok."

He doesn't notice when his door is opened or that the small actress stands next to him.

"Tsuruga-san? Are you ok? Are... are you hurt? Ren?"

He feels how her petit hand softly touch his cheek and neck. And he heard her calling him. He tries to reach the voice.

"Kyoko." When he turns his head, his eyes meet her worried ones.

"Are you hurt, Ren? Do you need an ambulance?" It calms him down to hear her saying his name. He shakes his head.

"Are you ok?" He still stares at her with wide eyes, but nods nevertheless. She worries her lips, as if she has to make an important decision.

"Are you sure? Can you drive? We need to get him to the vet. He is bleeding." Tears form in her big golden eyes.

"Vet?" It confuses him. You only bleed as long as you are alive. The kid isn't dead? But a vet? Why not a doctor or hospital?

"Yes, a veterinary. For the little dog. Are you sure you are ok? Did you hit your head? Maybe a confusion..." She takes his face in both of her hands and looks at him as if she is searching for something. His mind starts to clear up. He didn't hit a child. It was a dog and he is injured. And Kyoko worries about him. Softly he shakes his head.

"No, I'm fine. I was just a bit shocked. Don't worry. He needs to go to the vet? Let's go." His words had the desired effect and Kyoko seems smoothed. She nods and runs back to the other side of his car. He takes one more calming breath.

"Kyoko-chan, can you take him? I have to look up where we can take him and how to get there."

A moment later Yashiro got into his back seat and typed something into his smartphone. Kyoko sat herself in the passenger seat and held something grey in her arms, that whined pitifully. A second look told him that the grey was actual from Yashiros jacket, that was wrapped around it.

"Ok, we can go to the animal clinic, at this time of the night, we should be there in 20 minutes." Yashiro said from the back and gave his phone to the front. The GPS navigation was already running and Ren started the car.

X

15 minutes later they arrived at the clinic. He may have driven a little faster than allowed. But who cares. If this finds its way into the public, the story, that he has to get a little dog to the doctor, would probably only increase his popularity.

Kyoko had tried to smoother the small creature in her lap, that whined in pain. They got out of the car and rushed into the clinic, where they were greeted at the reception. After the nurse there took one look at the dog, they were led into a treatment room with the promise, that a doctor would be with them as soon as possible.

In less than five minutes a man between 50 and 60, with glasses entered the room and eminently started to examine the dog.

"Hello, I'm doctor Wakumo. It's this your dog?"

"No. He ran in front of my car and I couldn't break anymore."

"Hmm." He got a little electronic device and seemed to scan the dogs side. He didn't look pleased.

"No chip. Ssh little one."

The doctor took a step back and looked at them for the first time.

"I'll be honest with you. The injuries are dangerous and need to be operated. This is going to be expensive and the clinic can't take the costs for it. I can put the little one to sleep for free."

"Money is no problem. I'll pay for everything. Do whatever is necessary, please doctor." Even without a teary Kyoko, next to him, his answer wouldn't have changed. The fact that she looked at him so grateful and adoring was just a bonus.

"The surgery will be really expensive and I can't promise that it will be successful." He looked at the young people sceptical. He had seen the way the young man looked at the girl next to him and was afraid, that he only talks big to impress her.

"Doesn't matter. I will pay either way." Seeing the sceptic on the doctors face, Ren added impatient, "Ok, you see. My name is Tsuruga Ren and this my manager Yashiro Yukihito, should I walk out of here without paying, you can sell the story to the media and they would pay you more than enough to cover everything."

He couldn't associate anything with either of the names, but he thought he could remember his youngest daughter said that one name in a kind of dreamy voice. He decided to take the risk and nodded. He went to the door and called out:

"Yuri-san, please prepare OP 2. And get me fast narcotics for a 7kg puppy." The nurse from the reception came in a short moment later and have the doctor an amplule.

"Please show them to the waiting area."

X

Once they were seated Kyoko started to nervously fumble with Yashiros suit jacket, that she still held tight. They were the only once in the waiting area. After some time she finally realized what had been the blanket for the small dog, puppy the doctor had said.

"Oh no! Your nice suit. It's ruined! I'm so sorry!" She was about to get up to fall on her knees to beg for forgiveness, but Yashiro intervened early and pushed her back in her seat.

"It's not your foul. I decided to use my jacket. It was my decision, ok? And it wasn't a very nice suit. It was a off-the-peg suit, I have a dozen of them."

Ren knew that the last part was a lie. It was one of Yukihitos favourite specially tailored suits, that had cost him nearly a 1000 dollar. But he was definitely not going to tell Kyoko that piece of information. 'I have to remember to pay him back.'

Kyoko seemed to calm down for the moment. After ten more minutes he noticed that she starts to shake and he was afraid that the stress had caught up to her and that she would go into shock. But then he heard her soft sniffs and realized that she was about to cry for the little dog she hasn't known for more than half an hour.

"Hey Mogami-san." He gently lifted her chin. "You're ok?" /Stupid question. She is crying, idiot./

"Sorry I don't want to disturb you." She said with a hiccup and tried to silence her tears.

"Hey, this ok to cry. You are not disturbing anyone." He put the arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his chest. The girl grabbed his shirt cried even harder.

"I know it's stupid to cry. My crying isn't going to change anything. But I'm so afraid."

"It's alright. Ssh, ssh. It's going to be alright again." He felt helpless, when he rubbed her back. He held the girl of his dreams in his arms, as she cried and was unable to do a thing.

"Do you think Prince is going to survive?" The innocent question broke his heart. He loves her for her caring, giving, loving nature. When she loves something she loves it with all her heart. And that the little creature in the next room had managed to steal her heart completely and truly was quite obvious. To make it even harder the fact, that she already gave the dog a name, means that she would be hurt even more should be not survive.

"I hope so, Kyoko, I hope so." He pulled her closer and whispered into her hair.

It didn't take long until she fell asleep against him. When she fell silent and her breathing slowed down, he pulled her on this lap to embrace her fully and to place a kiss on her forehead. He looked around. Yashiro sat a few seats away from them and had grabbed one of the magazines to give them a bit privacy. He noticed how the day took its toll on him too. He tightened his embrace and started to drift off.

A.N.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Skip Beat! and I don't earn money with this.

This is going to be a short story to the dog/cat/pet-challenge in memory of my late dog. This chapter was a bit sad, but I promise the next one is going to be more light hearted and with extra fluff. It's going to be a short story, maybe two or three chapters.

What do you think? I hope I managed to keep them in character and I know, Yashiro seems very serious here, but I think, that he is, when it matters.

Please leave a review, to help me to improve.