A/N: I have something to say to ht4eva: I'm so sorry! I know I told you that I was going to update yesterday, but I kind of fell asleep. =D - So this chapter is dedicated to Eva, my very first reviewer!

I love this chapter…

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that Eoin Colfer came up with.

I awoke to someone shaking me- no, shaking Artemis. I stood up to help Holly wake our exhausted friend, forgetting that Artemis and I were laying on each other. Naturally, Artemis fell into my seat as soon as I stood up.

He then woke up and grumbled something.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

He stood up and rubbed the top of his head, as if feeling for a bump. He looked confused for a moment, then the gears started turning inside his tired mind. "We are in Dublin?"

Holly nodded. "Yes. Butler is waiting for us in the same spot that he dropped us off in. We need to find the mutts' blood tonight, but for now, I am taking you two home to sleep."

"What time is it?" I asked.

Holly glanced at her weird watch-thing again. "Around midday."

I stretched, wishing that I could go back to sleep.

Holly walked towards the door. "Let's go. We don't want to keep Butler waiting."

--

I buckled my seat belt, Artemis mimicking the motion beside me. Butler looked in the rearview mirror to make sure that we were ready.

I nodded at him.

I glanced at Holly, who was sitting beside the retired bodyguard. She was so small compared to him.

"It is hot in here, Butler. Could you roll down the window?" Artemis asked. Of course, he wasn't really hot. Vampires didn't get hot, but Butler did not know that I'd bitten Artemis. I know, it seems cruel not to tell him, but we wanted no one to know.

I winked at Artemis, letting hi know that that was a well-delivered line. He had to act human, and that sounded perfectly human. They were always hot or cold, hungry or thirsty, tired or hyper, et cetera.

As soon as Butler did what Artemis asked, the car filled with a foul smell. I looked at Artemis. He looked like he was going to puke. He and I exchanged disgusted glances.

I looked at Holly and Butler. They seemed unmoved.

"I smell blood. Animal blood." I said.

Artemis tried to cover up his utter disgust by looking at me questioningly.

"Elaborate. How close is it?" He said.

I shrugged. "I don't know. My nose isn't that strong. But it is getting closer, so we haven't passed it."

"Maybe a dog got hit by a car," Holly suggested.

Something went off in my mind. "That's perfect! Wonderful!" I yelled.

Butler looked at me as if I were insane. "A dog getting hit by a car is 'wonderful' to you?"

"No," I rolled my eyes. "Maybe it is a mutt!"

Holly's eyes widened. "We could save it, and get the blood."

Artemis nodded, trying not to open his mouth. I was more used to the scent, so it was easier for me to handle.

"Stop the car!" I yelled. The scent was overwhelming.

Butler did as instructed and looked around. "Where is it?"

I opened the door and stepped out, my nose leading the way to the injured dog. I narrowed my eyes and searched.

Artemis got out behind me. He looked around.
"Over there," He pointed to the other side of the road, about twenty meters ahead.

I ran as fast as my legs could take me, feeling terrible for the dog. As I neared, I saw that it was just a puppy. It had floppy ears, and wiry black fur. I could see that he was bleeding around the face area.

I ran faster than I ever dreamed and finally reached the poor dog. I heard the car pull up behind me as I knelt down by the dog, checking for any major wounds. During my search, I noticed that it was a guy.

I checked his vitals. He was alive. The only visible wound was a rather large cut on the top of his head. What was wrong with this dog? He was unconscious.

Holly appeared in front of me and did exactly what I had done.

"What is wrong with it?" she asked.

"I am not a doctor!" I said, picking the dog up and putting him in the car. "Can you heal him? Maybe it will help."
Holly went to the other side of the car and opened the door. She jumped in beside the dog and muttered, "Heal."

I watched him for a moment, hoping for some response. Nothing. Maybe it was exhaustion?

I stood up, getting away from the dog and its stinking blood. I needed some air.

I turned around jumped. Artemis wan face was right there.

"Is he alright?" He asked.

"I don't know," I mumbled. "Nothing is happening when Holly heals him, and he only has one scratch on his head."

"Maybe he is dehydrated." Artemis looked deep in thought. "Let's take him home and find out."
Artemis seemed to actually care about the dog. Opal was a lying piece of-

"Butler, let us take the dog home, where it will be easier to find out what is wrong with it." Artemis had already gotten into the car.

I climbed in next to him and buckled once more, patting the dog. I know it was useless to try and comfort him, but it made me feel better.

The ride home was long and silent. The only sounds were the beating of three hearts, and the dog's heavy breathing.

--

A/N: Sorry to interrupt, but this section will be in the dog's POV. I know, it sounds weird. It will be like this until you see the two hyphens.

I opened my eyes and automatically noticed the pain in my throat. I was parched.

I looked around. I was in a small room on a table, a male human leaning over me. He looked pale, like a ghost. His hair was as black as the darkest night. I couldn't tell what color his eyes were, but they were different colors. He was looking at me as if I were a smelly piece of trash. Wait- I probably was smelly. My owner had dropped me off on the side of the road a while back, leaving me with no food or water. I don't really know how long I was out there wandering the streets of Dublin, but it seemed like an eternity.

The male's eyes widened as he saw that I was awake. He rushed out of the room, leaving me alone. I suddenly felt sad and afraid at the same time. I whimpered weakly, sounding pathetic.

The door opened again and a female ran over to my side and looked over me urgently. She seemed excited for some reason.

"I think he is a mutt," she grinned.

I barked loudly. Who was she to be pointing out the flaws in me when her genus couldn't even catch a ball in their mouth! I snorted.

She giggled and patted my head. "I'm sorry, little one. I didn't mean to insult you."

I flinched as her hand touched the cut that I had gotten from a fight with another stray I had run into.

She lifted her hand immediately and licked the blood off of it. I stared in horror. What was wrong with this chick?

She swallowed and shrugged, her human friends looking at her as if this were normal behavior for a teenager. Well, I didn't really know much about humans, but I'm pretty sure that it wasn't.

"Not bad," she grinned at a tiny human girl.

The little girl rolled her eyes and walked over to me and put her hand over my head.

"Heal," she said, her eyes closed.

I watched in amazement as a blue sparked danced from her hand. My head suddenly felt much better. I jumped up and licked her hand, grateful that she had fixed me, but still a little freaked out. What kind of humans were these people? Why had the rescued me? I thought that humans were supposed to be heartless and cruel.

I looked at the blood-eater. She was staring at me, chewing her lip.

"Let's name him Fang," she suggested.

I barked my agreement. I like that. It made me sound mysterious.

"Why Fang?" asked the little girl.

"Because it sounds awesome," replied Blood-Eater after a few moments. "Don't you want him to have an awesome name, Holly?"

I noted that Blood-Eater had called the little girl 'Holly'.

Holly rolled her eyes.

"What do you think, Artemis?" asked Blood-Eater.

I looked around the room. There was only the boy and Holly. The boy must be Artemis, but wasn't that a goddess?

Artemis shrugged. "I don't care. Mother will never let us keep him. She will probably send him to a dog shelter."

Dog shelters- The bane of my reality. The words echoed in my mind over and over again. Dog shelter.

I whimpered and made a short prayer. I, Fang the brilliant, was not going to a dog shelter. Even if I did, I would find a way to escape.

"No!" yelled Blood-Eater. "We can't send Fang to a dog shelter! He is a mutt. They will put him to sleep after no one buys him."

I whimpered again. I wasn't cute. I had known that for a long time, but no one had ever said it to my face.

"Sam, if my parents do not approve of this dog, then we will have no other choice. The People do not allow pets." Artemis stared at 'Sam' with a look in his eyes that told me he was hiding something.

Who were the People? Why did they not allow pets? How had Holly healed my wound? Why had Sam licked up my blood? What was wrong with these people? I jumped off of the table I was on and backed into a corner. I was ready to fight these humans- or whatever they were. Aliens, maybe?

I growled at the aliens and bared my teeth, showing off the sharp tips that could tear through them in a heart beat.

They looked startled for a moment, and then Sam walked over to me calmly. She was humming a soothing lullaby.

My fear melted away, the urge to bite some ones head off disappeared. I stopped growling and sat down, letting Sam pet me on the chest.

--

"How the hell did you do that?" Holly asked me, staring in shock at the dog that was now curled up in my arms.

I shrugged.

Artemis walked over to me and put his hand on Fang's back. "I'm going to go get him some water. He must be desiccated."

I nodded and put Fang back on the table. After Artemis shut the door, I asked Holly when we would be taking the blood.

"As soon as Fang drinks something," she said, staring at the black dog.

--

Ten minutes later, Fang had drunk to his fill. Holly readied the supplies that we'd need to take a little blood.

Artemis and I watched from a distance, not wanting to involved with this dog's reeking blood.

I looked away as Holly stuck the needle into Fang. I couldn't watch this. I had already grown so attached to him. He was so… black. His eyes were beautiful. They were a dark, rich brown.

"Okay," Holly said. "I've gotten it."

I looked in her direction. Fang was lying on the table, pouting, Holly behind him, putting the blood into an air tight container.

I walked over to Fang and scratched his back.

"It's all over now," I muttered to him.

Holly put the container into her backpack and said, "We have to get to Police Plaza before you parents notice that you've stopped eating, Artemis."

He nodded and followed Holly out of the door.

A/N: This was the longest chapter yet. 2,009 words. Woot! I WILL update tomorrow. Bye, readers. Remember to review! Please?