Penny and Cruella fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. The woman never went anywhere without the dog, and in return Penny was the best guard dog anyone could have asked for. She growled whenever anyone approached her pet, and before they could so much as speak Cruella had to call her off. Even then she would barely tolerate them. The only people she didn't threaten were Roger and Anita, who they sometimes visited.

Afternoons were spent in or around the manor, playing fetch, swimming, or sometimes just relaxing by the fire. At night, after all the staff had gone to bed, and the manor was dead silent, Penny would hop off her own bed and pad into Cruella's room. She would sit just beside the bed and watch her sleep, as if to make sure she was all right. After she was satisfied, she would hop up the stairs that were there for just such a reason, (they were removed after she grew big enough to hop on and off the bed), curl up next to the woman, and slip back to sleep. Many a morning did she scare a servant who dared to enter and wake her pet.

She gradually grew bigger, becoming a gorgeous adult Dalmatian that many pleaded with Cruella to have their dogs mate with, but she always refused. For that Penny was grateful, as she didn't feel she would be a good mother, nor did she want children. She was perfectly content with life as it was, just her and her pet. She was perfectly happy, wanting for nothing. Life was wonderful.

Cruella, too, was happy. It was noticeable in her demeanor, and by the way her mood swings were less frequent. That's not to say her temper was never unleashed, it was, quite often, but rare were the days of uncontrollable rage. Not to mention the added security she felt having her dog with her every second of the day. Why, since Penny had gotten larger, PETA hadn't set one foot near her.

And Penny was such a sweet dog, and so well behaved. She always followed commands and even seemed to understand her. It was apparent she had made the right choice the day she paid a visit to Anita and her husband. It had certainly been worth it, that's for sure. She couldn't recall a time she had been happier.

22 Years Later

Penny was incredibly old for any dog, especially a Dalmatian. But then, she'd had excellent care. She was a grand old lady at twenty-two years and eight months, or 101 in dog years. She moved slowly, and her muzzle had grayed a bit, but she kept her sweet disposition for Cruella and every ounce of protectiveness she had had as a puppy. She was too old to play fetch or swim, or do anything really besides sleep and eat, but it didn't affect how much Cruella loved her.

Cruella herself wasn't doing very well, either. Actually, she was doing horribly. As Penny lay beside her, occasionally licking her hand, she recalled how and when it all started. Tuning out the beeping of the many machines surrounding the bed, she settled her head in the woman's lap and remembered.


Penny was too old to play fetch, at least, normal fetch. As she had aged, Cruella devised a different way to play so that she could remain as active as possible. Instead of throwing the ball, she would roll it across the floor and Penny would either catch it as it rolled by or go after it after it had stopped. One day they were playing like normal, but as Cruella reached to take the ball Penny had retrieved, a white-hot pain shot through her hand. She hissed and cradled it to her chest, massaging and hoping to make it ease off.

Penny, noticing her pet's distress, dropped the ball and went to her side, sniffing and looking up at her with concern in her eyes. She smiled down at her and stroked her head with her uninjured hand.

"It's all right, Penny. I just twisted it the wrong way."

Not completely convinced, the dog refused to let her be the rest of day. The pain in the woman's hand faded, and eventually went away entirely. The incident was forgotten, until the same thing happened with her other hand. Cruella waved it off as arthritis, though she was displeased. Penny suspected there was something more to it, but she knew nothing of human disease, so she couldn't exactly be certain.

A few months later they were playing the game again, and again a sharp pain stopped them. This time it was in her shoulder, and they didn't even try to continue playing. Cruella laid down immediately with a heat pack to soothe the pain, Penny by her side as always. She once again passed it off as a sign of encroaching age, but the dog was even more uneasy than before. She had seen arthritis in other humans, and this was not arthritis.

Then it became hard for her to breathe. Any deep breath she took caused pain or a coughing fit. The servants began to gossip behind her back, though a few were genuinely worried for their employer. Penny growled at all of them just the same. She didn't care if they loathed her, she was worried for her pet.

Months passed, and Cruella developed a cough. This was slightly less worrisome, because after all, she smoked, and as a result had developed a cough early in life. The pain had stopped, so Penny began to relax a bit in hope that things were beginning to return to normal. But then she began to experience chest pains. Nothing harsh, she explained, just like a fist squeezing her heart and letting go.

And then she began to get ill frequently. It seemed that each time she got sick the illness would hang on longer and longer each time. She never really seemed to get better before she got sick again, and by this point even she was beginning to suspect something was wrong. Cruella spent more time in her room than outside of it, and though she never felt well, she always made sure to give Penny attention. The dog's heart broke for her pet, and she wished fervently she could trade places with her.

She knew she was old by human and dog standards, and that Cruella still had many years to live. Finally, after many days filled with whimpering and nudging, Cruella called and scheduled an appointment with her doctor. He accepted her immediately and agreed to allow Penny inside the office. (Because come on, who can really refuse Cruella De Vil?) The dog was relieved.

Maybe now they could get some answers. Unfortunately, the answers weren't what anyone was hoping for. Cruella had been checked over, and the doctor had heard or found something he didn't like and sent her to x-ray. She was sitting and petting Penny when he returned looking grim. She froze mid-stroke, causing the dog to look up in worry.

She looked back and forth between her pet and the doctor, unease bubbling in her stomach. A piece of shiny black paper was removed from an envelope, momentarily distracting and confusing her. Why did he have black paper? That wasn't going to help. She soon understood when he placed it on the wall and flipped a switch, illuminating an x-ray of Cruella's lungs.

But something was wrong. The picture was blurry, what looked like a large mass covering the entirety of her chest. The woman sucked in a breath, understanding sinking in even before the doctor said a word.

"I'm sorry, Miss De Vil, but you have cancer. Lung cancer at that, and in a very aggressive form."

"How...how long do I have?" she whispered, and Penny realized she was crying.

She flipped around and growled at the doctor, one of the deepest and most threatening she could produce. She had never seen her pet cry, not once in the two decades she had lived with her. He visibly paled and took a step back. She started to advance, but was stopped by a firm grip on her collar and the sit command. She looked from her pet to the man, confusion, love, anger, and so many other emotions for which there were no name swirling and clearly visible in her eyes.

Cruella understood, which only made her cry harder as she knew there were some things even her loyal companion couldn't protect her from. Penny whimpered, torn between obeying and attacking the man that caused the pain.

"Sit, darling," Cruella choked out through her tears.

Penny sat, and began licking her hand. The doctor swallowed thickly, it having been years since he had seen a bond that strong between any two beings, especially human and animal.

"Unfortunately, you came in too late. The cancer has spread to other vital organs, and I'm afraid it's too far along to treat. You have at most a month. I advise getting your affairs in order and informing anyone who you believe needs to be aware."

"Will I have to be admitted to the hospital?"

"No, not if you don't want to be. I can arrange for all the necessary equipment to be delivered to your home as well as a arrange for a highly recommended nurse to stay with you."

"Thank you," Cruella said quietly as she stood and prepared to leave.

Penny stood too, and glanced back at the man before following her pet out the door. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn she understood everything that had transpired.


Penny sighed and lifted her head to look at the monitors. She had learned to read them over the past month, just so she could alert the nurse if something happened. They were steady, but each day they slowed a little more. She knew it wouldn't be long until her pet was no longer with them. She licked at the pale hand that lay motionless on the bed, as it had for the past week or so.

The horrible thing was, though the woman never moved, Penny knew she was awake. She had overheard the nurse talking about it to another servant, but even if she hadn't heard them she would have known. She could sense it somehow, but if that was all she could get as a way to know her pet was at least still alive then she would gladly take it. She lifted her head as a servant came in and began dusting the room. Recognizing the woman, she simply laid her head back down without making a sound.

That was how the servants knew something terrible was happening. The dog growled or barked at all of them, even the ones she had known since she was a puppy. The morning after they got home from the doctor she never made a sound. It startled the particular servant who had entered so badly that they dropped the breakfast tray. She growled at the woman for that, but it was a quiet growl, not the almost roar she usually produced.

They had learned soon enough what was wrong, and had been on their best behavior ever since. There were no more maids found gossiping in the halls, no more loud noises from the kitchen. It was as if Cruella was dead already. But she wasn't, not yet. Those monitors still beeped, still whooshed air, were still there.


Penny hadn't moved from Cruella's side since they came home from the doctor. She barely ate, barely slept, barely moved. It was hard to watch, even some of the servants who despised the dog would admit to that if asked. Penny could feel the effects of not moving for such a long period of time, but then, she had already realized she wouldn't live long after her pet passed. The separation would kill her.

Her ears pricked as she noticed a difference in one of the monitors. The heart rate had sped up just a little, unnoticeable to anyone except Penny. Then Cruella's hand began to twitch, just a little, but she moved nonetheless. The dog lifted her head, hoping and waiting.

The woman slowly lifted her hand and found Penny's side. From there she slid it upwards until it rested on her head. Penny looked up into her pet's face and saw that her eyes were just barely open. She heard the silent command issued, and lay back down. She felt weak scratching at her ears and one last stroke to her head before the hand stilled. When she looked back up Cruella's eyes were closed.

She whimpered quietly and nuzzled the woman's stomach, but got no response. All was peaceful for a few hours. Night had fallen, and the house was silent with the exception of the monitors. Yet again Penny lay awake, unable to sleep though she was exhausted. Her ears pricked as she once again noticed a change in the heart monitor.

The pace was changing again, but this time instead of speeding up it slowed down drastically. She sat up and stared at the line, watching and waiting for the next little spike to signify a heartbeat. It came, but not as soon as she would have liked. The next was even slower, and she knew it wouldn't be much longer. She put her head back in Cruella's lap and listened to the beeping of the monitor as she waited for the inevitable.

She didn't have to wait long before a shrill beep sounded. Her head shot up to look at the monitor screen, trying to see why it made that sound. The line was flat, and showed no sign of changing. She licked her pet's cheek one last time before howling loudly. The noise echoed through the manor, waking everyone inside.

Everyone rushed to Cruella's room, automatically knowing the source of such a noise. As people began entering and lights were turned on, Penny's howls turned into whimpers and eventually died out all together. Her head was back in Cruella's lap as people rushed around trying to revive her. As the yelling increased and movement became more frantic, the world began to dull around the dog as she closed her eyes. Sound and light faded away to darkness and silence.

The last thing she heard was "She's not responding!" before blissful nothingness took over.


The day of the funeral was dark and overcast, contrary to most people's mood. Many were happy the she-devil was finally dead and gone. Thus, not many people showed up for the service. It began to rain just as the minister was finishing up. At the end of the service the attendees had the opportunity to go up and place a single pink rose on the lid of the casket, which was white.

One man waited until the last possible moment before rising as he reflected on all the years he spent under the woman's employ. He wondered if she and the dog could sense their separation. No matter, he reasoned as he neared the casket. It wouldn't be long before they were reunited. He laid the rose on top of the small pile that had accumulated before turning to face the dog lying miserably beside the casket.

He patted her head, as the others had done before him, before clipping her leash back onto her collar. She looked up at him with large sad eyes before standing. She turned, picked up a small teddy bear, and placed it on top of the roses before lying back down. It had been her favorite toy, and one they'd played with many times.

"Come on, girl," he said softly. She turned her head and looked at him before whimpering quietly. "I know, but she's not here anymore."

Slowly, the dog rose and followed as bid, looking over her shoulder at the casket constantly.

3 Months Later

Albert Sanders sighed as he shrugged into his coat. It was three in the morning, much too early to be awake, but he had grown used to it by now. Having been named Penny's handler after Cruella passed, this wasn't the first time he had to leave the manor in the wee hours of the morning. Sighing heavily, he locked the door behind him and began walking. There was no need to worry, he knew exactly where the dog was.

Not long after Cruella was entombed in the family mausoleum Penny began slipping out at night to go and lie outside the door. She knew in reality there was no reason for her to be there, but something compelled her to go. She felt closer to her pet when she was outside the door. The first time she had done it, an immediate sense of relief washed over her the instant her paw-pad hit the the first stair. It had been a long time before anyone had seen her, and then it was an officer who escorted her home after reading her tag.

As the months passed she began to visit the mausoleum more and more. She craved the closeness she felt to her pet when she was there. It wasn't long until Albert caught on to where she went, and he would calmly come retrieve her with a few spoken words. Each time she made the trip it got harder and harder on her to move, but she wasn't about to stop just because of something as trivial as a little pain. But what neither knew what that her current visit would be her last.

She had set out like she normally did, though she noticed it seemed to be taking longer than usual to reach the cemetery. Once there, she made her way to the mausoleum and laid outside the door. But instead of lying awake and staring at the door as she was prone to do, she felt a wave of fatigue wash over her. She gave in, unable to help it. She was asleep within minutes, feeling a calmness as she'd never felt before as she drifted off.


Albert entered the cemetery calmly, knowing the dog was there. He casually made his way to the mausoleum where, sure enough, he found Penny lying beside the door as he always did.

"Penny," he called softly. He grew worried when she didn't raise her head in response as she always did. He went a little closer, noticing she appeared to be asleep. "Penny," he called again. "Oh, no. No," he whispered as he saw she wasn't breathing.

He crouched down beside her to make sure, and found his assumption to be correct. He sighed sadly, lifting his head to look at the door.

"It's fitting," he said, "that she died here, with you."


He arranged to have Penny buried beside the mausoleum so that even in death she wouldn't be separated from Cruella. Her death was a international story, as she held the title of oldest dog in the the world at twenty-three years old. Some who did the math to find her actual age in dog years were astounded-she was 105. A little marker was erected that stated her name, her age, and her owner. Not long after she was buried, Albert wrote a book detailing Penny and Cruella's relationship entitled Through Time and Space, Love Will Always Find a Way.

It went in depth at how deep the love between owner and pet could go, and it also showed how owning a dog had changed Cruella for the better. It was a bestseller in no time. In this way, both Penny and Cruella lived on for many years, their story considered one of the greatest ever recorded.


Penny opened her eyes when she heard her pet calling. She was prepared to wake up to the darkness of her room, having by now dreamed the same scenario many times. To her shock, she didn't wake up in her room, but in a warm, sunny field filled with flowers. The sky was blue above, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Cruella called her again, and she turned her head in the direction the voice came from.

And there she was, looking the same as the day she had taken her home. Penny jumped up excitedly, and to her amazement found that she was once again a young dog.

"Come, darling," Cruella called.

And come Penny did. She jumped onto the woman hard enough to knock her over. For a moment, Penny worried she'd hurt her, before she began to laugh. When she realized she was okay, she began licking her face furiously.

"Down, Penny, down," Cruella laughed. "I missed you, too."

There, in a field, owner and dog were reunited. There they could play fetch, take long walks, or relax for as long as they wanted. After all, they had all of eternity to spend together.

"Come Penny, fetch!" Cruella called as she threw a ball that had appeared out of nowhere.

They had best get started, because after all, eternity is a very long time.