Authors Notes: As with the last chapter, Dutch translations are at the bottom. These stories are going to be individual snapshots and have no real timeline, so you can set this whenever you want within the first three seasons.


Protecting The Pack: Running Partner

I care deeply about Bediende, of course I do. He feeds me, plays with me and chats to me in that soothing tone of voice while he stares at the glowy box for hours on end. And of course, being a dog, it is in my nature to love my comrades wholeheartedly. But sometimes it is not enough. I understand, Bediende is lame and doesn't move so well. I don't begrudge him it, but I long for the days when Aanvoerder comes to see me and he is wearing his cozy clothes that means we are going for a run.

I can tell as he comes up the stairs that we are going for a run today. His shoes sound different, they're his running shoes. I feel a pang of sympathy at the thought. I had shoes in the desert to protect my feet from the hot sand and I hated them. Humans have to wear them all the time, except for at home. I know Aanvoerder likes to feel free like me, so I wonder how he can stand it. His feet must be really soft, which is strange because I know he is tough.

I leave Bediende to his glowy box and go to the gate at the stairs to wait for Aanvoerder, dancing back and forth with excitement at the prospect of a good run. I need this and I know he needs this too. It has been a long time since we've been running together, Aanvoerder hasn't been here much lately, and when he is he has been sad and tired. I think he might be sick, although he pretends he's not, and I know Bediende is worried about him too.

He unlocks the gate and crouches down to pet me, rubbing my ears in that way that I like and speaking to me softly. I don't understand the words, they're in that other language the humans use, but I know from the tone that he loves me wholeheartedly too. He's sad again today, but I give him a gentle 'wuff' and cock my head at him. Sometimes he needs reminding that running always makes him feel better. At least he's come dressed for it, in his soft shoes, thin black shorts and the cozy top with the hood that feels nice and soft when I nuzzle my head into it.

"Finch!" He calls through to Bediende as he stands and takes my leash. "I'm taking Bear for a run."

Bediende appears in the doorway and smiles at him softly. "Good. He's missed you, you know."

Aanvoerder looks down at me and gives me a wan smile, and I know it's the best smile he can manage today. "I know."

I wuff at him and wag my tail happily, showing him I appreciate the effort he's making, even though smiling is hard sometimes for humans, and promising him that this run will be good. It will make him feel better.

Together, we walk down to the street and then Aanvoerder pauses, letting me choose where I want to go. It's a long way but today I want to go to the Big Park, so I take off in that direction, making sure there's a gentle tug on my leash to motivate my human, but curbing the excitement that makes me want to pick up the pace and drag him down the street. There is no way Bediende could walk so far and I wouldn't dream of tugging on my leash when with him, for fear of hurting the fragile human, but Aanvoerder breaks into an easy jog and we navigate our way through the swarms of people and cars towards our destination.

When we hit the park, and we are free of the crowds, Aanvoerder breaks into a flat out run and I am only too happy to join him. The weather is chilly but the sun is warming and the air rippling through my fur is delightful. I glance back at my human, hoping he is experiencing the same joy, but though the wind is in the carefully maintained shock of fur he has on his head, his face is set with a grim determination. He's racing, I realise, not against me, he knows he'd never win that, but against himself, running as fast as he can, so I match his pace and run alongside him, willing him to win with my mere presence alone.

We run for a long time, even longer than usual, until eventually Aanvoerder stops and collapses on his back in the damp grass. I have a moment of panic, thinking that I've pushed him too far and perhaps killed him, so I double back and lick his face to rouse him.

He is breathing heavily and his skin tastes of sweat, but as I swipe my tongue over his cheek he smiles. A proper smile this time. He takes my head in his hands and places a kiss on my forehead. He wraps his arms around me and I lie down beside him with my paws on his heaving chest and enjoy the closeness. We don't do this often, Aanvoerder and I are both soldiers and sometimes that makes it hard to be affectionate, but he clearly needs it today and I decide I must make sure I give more snugs.

We stay that way until we both stop panting from our run. Then, Aanvoerder sits up, takes my leash off and pulls a ball from his pocket. I feel better from our hard run but still have more energy yet, so when he throws the ball, I'll happily chase after it and bring it back.

There are other dogs in the park and when he throws the ball a second time, a snowy white female malamute also gives chase. She's bigger than me, but I'm faster and get there first. She is there a moment later and playfully bats at me with her paw in an attempt to win the ball. I want to play with her, but Aanvoerder needs me more today so I take the ball back to him and wait for him to throw it again. He does and it becomes a series of races between me and the malamute until she gets called away and it is just me and Aanvoerder again.

I'm tiring by the time we're done, and I get a sense we've been there a long time. Aanvoerder looks cold and it's time I took him back. He puts the leash back on me and we jog steadily back, slower than before. As we come to the bottom of the park, Aanvoerder stops to look at the big metal dog that stands on a rock. The dog is a husky and I wish I knew why he was there, but he must have been very important because lots of humans stop to look at him and children like to pet him as though he was real. Aanvoerder contemplate the big metal dog and then pets me on the head and says something in his 'good boy' voice.

The light is fading, the sun has dipped beyond the big buildings and there are less people in the park now. Suddenly, I hear a shout I don't like the sound of and turn my head to see where it came from. Aanvoerder heard it too, he's also on alert, and together we go and investigate. We go through the tunnel by the big metal dog and into another area of the park. There are two boys, holding a third, smaller boy up against the trunk of a tree. One of the bigger boys is rummaging through the smaller boys pockets. The other, taller boy has a gun he's holding in a shaky hand.

"Let him go." Aanvoerder barks, and I don't even wait for the command before I race towards them, my leash trailing behind me as Aanvoerder let it go. I launch myself at the boy with the gun and sink my teeth into his gun holding paw, dragging it down. The gun goes off but I have it pointed harmlessly at the ground now and the bullet sinks into the grass. The bad boy is crying, but I don't let go, just hold him there and wait for my next command.

The other bad boy tries to run but Aanvoerder grabs him and holds him firmly to him to stop him escaping. The small boy starts crying and sinks to the floor against the tree. Aanvoerder growls at the bad boys but speaks in his 'good boy' voice to the small boy. Other humans have heard the gun shot and while most are screaming and running away, it is not long before police man and woman jog up.

"Bear, loslaten!" Aanvoerder commands and I hand my bad boy over to the policewoman who puts handcuffs on him.

A crowd starts forming and my bad boy is shouting and crying and the small boy is crying also, so it is easy in the commotion for Aanvoerder and I to slip away. We continue our jog home and as we do I watch my human's body language. The sadness is not gone, but it's less, his muscles are not so tense and when he looks at me and smiles I can see he means it this time. I wag my tail at him happily and know if he had one, he'd wag his back. It feels good to be tired and good to bite bad people and I know Aanvoerder thinks so too. When we get back, Bediende is still at the glowy box but looks up to greet up and I bark at him to let him know I've healed our Aanvoerder as best I can for today.

The end... until next time.


Aanvoerder - captain, leader, commander, chief, skipper, boss (Reese)

Bediende - clerk, servant, attendant, employee, steward, domestic (Finch)

Loslaten - release, let go

ADDITIONAL AUTHORS NOTE: because a guest asked and I have no way to respond, the statute is of Balto, a sled dog who brought life-saving medicine across the tundra to an Alaskan town in the grip of an epidemic. There's an animated movie for those who are interested. These stories are all about Bear being a kind of healer, so it felt appropriate for John to recognise this.