Disclaimer: As always, nothing in this story belongs to me, so please don't sue! I can't cover the cost.

It was a beautiful morning on the farm. Most of the puppies were running toward the chow tower for a good breakfast, courtesy of Nanny. Patch, however, trudged along behind them, yawning. He had been unable to sleep well the night before. Images of Marie had kept running through his mind, keeping him awake. Thankfully, Patch hadn't woken anyone in the barn with his musings. He still wasn't sure what it all meant, but he was sure that he wanted to spend time with her, especially since she and her family would only be staying on the farm for a limited time. With this thought in his mind, Patch resolved to go see her right after breakfast. With that, he ran forward to join his siblings at the trough below the chow tower.

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Patch had no way of knowing, but Marie's sleep had been as restless as his own. For the life of her, she could not understand what had made her decide to nuzzle him that way last night. Sure, she liked him well enough, but they had only met a few days ago! That kind of gesture was a little too affectionate; at least she thought it was. Then again, had her Mama and Thomas – now her Daddy – done the same thing in less time? Oh, this was so confusing! One thing she knew for certain, she wanted to see him and spend time with him. With that thought, she stood up from her bed and began giving herself a good wash before breakfast.

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Patch walked with barely suppressed energy. Breakfast had done him a world of good. Now, he was on his way to the farmhouse to see Marie. Thankfully, he had not made plans with any other pups for today. As he came to the doggie door, he thought about what he would say to her. He was very nervous, as he had never felt this way before. Before he could think on this anymore, he heard a voice call out, "Patch!" It was Toulouse. "Good morning, Toulouse," Patch greeted. "How'd you like your breakfast?" Toulouse replied, "It was purrfect!" "Well, it's like I said, 'Everyone loves Nanny's cooking,'" Patch said. "You weren't kidding," said Thomas, padding into the room, followed by Duchess and Berlioz, who echoed the sentiment. "I'm glad you all think so," Patch said, "but where's Marie?" "Oh, she'll be along in a moment," Duchess replied, smiling. "She is just washing up after breakfast." Patch was actually a little relieved; this gave him a chance to speak to her parents about his plans. He didn't even mind all that much that her brothers would probably tease him; he already got plenty of that from his own, numerous siblings. So, after taking a deep breath, Patch stepped forward and said, "Say, Mr. O'Malley-" But Thomas interrupted, "Patch, I said this before – call me Thomas." "Okay…Thomas, I was wondering – would it be all right for me to show Marie a few other places around the farm today – just the two of us?" Patch could not believe he'd actually had the nerve to get all that out. Apparently, most of the cats weren't expecting it either – only Duchess did not have a shocked look on her face; instead, she was smiling rather knowingly at him. "Of course it will be all right, Patch," she said before her husband could say anything. Thomas shut his mouth and settled for raising an eyebrow at Patch. Before anyone could say anything else, a voice called, "I'm here!" Patch turned and saw Marie coming through the kitchen door. He could tell she had been grooming herself, because her fur shone in the early morning light. She looked even prettier than when he first saw her. Patch couldn't help the blush that itched at his skin under his hair. "Oh, hello, Patch," Marie greeted with a smile. Patch smiled back and said, "Good morning, Marie." "What brings you here so early?" Marie asked. Patch swallowed, suddenly nervous again, and said, "W-Well, I was wondering if you'd like to see some more of the area around the farm." "Oh, I'd love to!" Marie replied, realizing that now she could be around him for a while. "Is that all right, Mama?" "Of course, darling. Patch was just offering to take you before you came in," Duchess replied. Patch blushed again. Marie looked surprise for a moment, but then smiled and said, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Seeing her excitement, Patch managed to shake off his awkwardness. "All right, we'll be back in time for lunch," he said. Duchess waved her paw at them and said, "Go on, we will see you later." As Patch and Marie moved toward the doggie door, Patch chanced a look back. While Duchess was smiling – and so was Toulouse, Patch noticed – Berlioz was sticking his tongue out and Thomas looked somewhat annoyed. Patch realized that he may not quite approve of this, but before he could think too long on it, Marie called his name and he followed her out, determined to enjoy his time with her.

A/N: Well, I finally managed to get this done. It took me forever to work out how I wanted it. So, Patch has one parent and one brother on his side. Will the others follow? We'll see! As always, please review! I could definitely use more feedback.