*~Chapter Seven ~*~Taking Puppy to Meet the Family~*

Ned had been calling Sabrina almost daily, asking her to stop by for a visit. Ned was staying at the Collinsport Hotel in a room where he had cared for Sabrina for months after her brutal attack. Eventually, he had to seek professional help for his sister, but for a long time, it had been Ned tending to all of Sabrina's needs.

Ned tended to be overprotective, overbearing, and easily irritated. He was Sabrina's only living relative and considering he was her older brother, he often thought he knew what was best for Sabrina and tried to enforce it, even if Sabrina did not agree.

Chris had always hated Ned and the feeling was mutual. Ned had always thought that Chris Jennings wasn't good enough for his little sister. When Chris disappeared with no explanation, Ned insisted that Chris had abandoned Sabrina. Since Sabrina had been attacked, it had been Ned who had picked up all the pieces when Sabrina's life fell apart. Ned had no love all for Chris and hoped he'd stay gone forever. He believed that Chris had been nothing bad news for his younger sister.

Sabrina had been working in the garden when the phone rang. She ran inside to answer, discovering it was Ned. "Sabrina, you haven't visited me in days. I keep calling, but you hardly EVER take my calls. I need you to come by and..." Ned kept jabbering on and on, but Sabrina was doing her best not to listen to his annoying, whining voice.

"Ned,, I've been busy-."

"With what?" Ned demanded. "Tending your rose garden? Pining away for what's his name who's never coming back? My God, Sabrina, you need to get a LIFE!"

"I have a life, Ned! And I am healing!" Sabrina argued.

Ned actually laughed. How terribly rude and unkind. Sabrina wanted to slap him, but she couldn't through the phone. Her brother could really be a jerk.

"I got a new pet," Sabrina said, because at that point that was the highlight of her life.

"Huh? A pet? A stupid pet is supposed to be make everything better?" Ned said in a crude gasp.

"Yes, he actually does," Sabrina stated. "You should meet him."

"Well, what the heck is he? A hedgehog? A potty-bellied pig? Don't tell me; you got a naked mall rat?!"

"NED!" Sabrina exclaimed. "I got a puppy. And he's sooo cute!"

"Ohhhh and does the little puppy make everything better?" Ned asked sarcastically.

"He's amazing," Sabrina gushed. "I'll bring him over... and you can meet him."

Sabrina hung up the phone. "Wait!" Ned said into the receiver. "Is he housebroken?"

But Sabrina did not reply. She had already ended the call. She walked over to her puppy and asked him cheerfully, "How would you like to go for a little drive into town?"

Nishoba raised his majestic head and looked up at Sabrina. He had been taking a nap on the rug. He stood up and started wagging his tail. He loved rides in Sabrina's car.

"Alright, I'll go get your leash and then we'll go," Sabrina told her puppy.

A bit later, Sabrina and her puppy arrived at Ned's room at the Collinsport motel. Sabrina knocked on the Ned's door as Nishoba remained on his leash. The puppy let out a sad little whine, as if for some reason he was no longer eager for their outing.

"It will be okay, Nishoba. We are just going to visit my brother Ned," Sabrina said gently to the little pup, but her words didn't seem to reassure her darling pet.

When Ned answered the door, it was obvious he had been drinking. His breath smelled of hard liquor. Sabrina remembered that odor well during all the days that Ned had cared for after she had been attacked. "Sis!" Ned said, eagerly hugging Sabrina and crushing her in his arms.

"Hi, Ned,' she said, feeling uneasy. She was certain that Ned would start going off on her at any moment. He was incredibly unstable.

"Can I come in?" Sabrina asked when her brother wouldn't stop embracing her. It always made her uncomfortable - how touchy, 'feely' her brother seemed to be.

"Come on in," Ned said enthusiastically.

It was at that moment when Ned noticed the little dog upon the leash. He was looking at Sabrina's new pet in disgust. "This is your new pet?" he said in disapproval. "It looks like a flea-bitten jackal! Bree, you have horrible taste in boyfriends... AND in animals."

Suddenly, Nishoba snarled at Ned in warning. He bared his tiny teeth to Ned as he pulled upon his leash, trying to get to Sabrina's jerk of a brother. "He's vicious. You should take it to the vet... and put that ugly thing out of it's misery," Ned sneered.

"Nishoba, behave yourself," Sabrina instructed the puppy, but at that moment, Ned raised his hand. He was actually going to strike Sabrina's puppy.

Sabrina was appalled. To protect her pup, she put herself between Ned and Nishoba. In that moment, Ned's hand slapped out. It struck Sabrina upon the thigh.

Sabrina stared at Ned in disbelief. "I can't believe you just did that," she said. "NED, how dare you hit an innocent, sweet, little pup?"

"Innocent my ass!" Ned growled and in that moment, the puppy nipped Ned upon the hand, drawing blood.

Then, the puppy promptly lifted his little leg, peeing all over Ned's pant leg. "What the hell?!" Ned whined as the warm urine ran down his leg and into his shoe.

Sabrina glared at her ass of a brother. "Come on, Nishoba," she said to her pup. "It's time to go home and take your bath."

Without a backward glance, she left Ned's hotel room. She'd had enough of him and his pompous ways. She had much better things to do with her time than putting up with a jackass like Ned.

Once they left the hotel, Sabrina placed her pet into her car. "I am so sorry about that, Nishoba. You'll never have to see my conceited brother again. I promise."

Sabrina gave her puppy kisses as he tenderly licked her face. "He's my brother and he's family... but that doesn't mean I have to spend my time around him. All he does is bring me down," Sabrina said as she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. As she drove back to the Rose cottage, the werewolf hunter was stealthily following her.