Worries.
Perdita stirred in her bed...
"No...No! No! Please no!"
The Dalmatians head shot up. She looked around her...She was still in her bed...In her home. Her mate Pongo still snored steadily beside her.
She let out a sigh of relief. What a nightmare! And not one you feel silly about afterwards. This was one that had haunted her for months. One that almost became a reality...
"But still just a dream." She thought. But even still. She knew that getting back to sleep would be impossible, her mind was too wound up.
Fortunately. She knew just what to do to calm her nerves.
She gave her husband a quick lick on the cheek and headed up the stairs of their small London house. Up to Pongos pet Rogers music room.
At least, during the day it was a music room. At night it was the only room big enough to house the only thing that could put the dogs mind at ease.
She very carefully opened the door and was greeted by a chorus of tiny breathing.
She stepped in and smiled as she watch her most beloved possessions in the entire world sleep peacefully.
99 dalmatian puppies.
15 by blood. 84 by adoption.
All of them hers.
At first she just lied down and listened to them sleep. To a fretting mother, the sound of her children sleeping was like music.
As time passed and sleep still eluded her, she decided to do the only thing she could think to do...
Count them.
Oh sure. Her and Pongo always counted the pups before bed so there was no chance they weren't all here but counting all these puppies would make anyone tired...
Later...
"62. 63. 64-"
"Perdy?" Came a voice.
She turned around to find her husband sticking his head through the door.
"Are you all right darling?" He asked.
"I'm fine dear. I just, well-"
"Had another nightmare?" He finished.
"How'd you know?"
"Because." He said as came in. "Why else would you be up here?"
Perdy(her nickname.) just lowered her head. "I can't help it Pongo. If knew another way-"
"There there darling." He said as he nuzzled her cheek. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"But they seem so real to me Pongo." She said. "And it almost happens every week."
"I've noticed." Pongo said.
"I must sound silly." She continued. "Being afraid of a dream."
"Of course not." Pongo said. "Every parent has nightmares about their children...Especially with what almost happened to ours..."
"Please!" Perdita winced. "I can barely stand to think about that witch!" She looked back at her pups. The idea that anyone. Man or beast, would even think about doing to her darlings what that woman wanted to made her skin crawl.
"What kind of nightmare was it?" He asked.
"One I've been having a lot..." she said, lowering her head. "The one where we were too late..."
"Oh darling." Pongo said as he hugged her. "You don't have to worry about that."
"But it always feels so real." She said as her voice began breaking. "And that's the tame one. Some times I watch it happen..."
"Perdy..."
"They call out to me but..." Tears swelled up in the mother dogs eyes. "But I can't do anything...I-I can't help them..."
"Darling." Pongo said. "That never happened. You and me brought our children home safe and sound. You don't have to be afraid ever again."
"I know...But to think of what might have happened-"
"Don't." He said. "That doesn't do any good. The one thing you need to know is that we saved our puppies." He nudged her head towards them. "We both brought them and the others home. We saved them from that awful woman and we are going to live the rest of our lives happily. You've got to believe that."
Perdy closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I do Pongo...I really do. But how can I forget what happened?"
"We can't. We can only make sure it doesn't happen again." He said. "Trust me...I feel the same way."
She looked surprised.
"What do you mean?"
"You're not the only one who has nightmares." He said.
Perdy was a bit taken aback.
"Is that why you're up here?" She asked.
"Of course." He replied. "Mine aren't too different. We either were too late or never make home safely..."
Perdy was a bit surprised to hear this. Her husband was usually the least worrisome of the two. In fact. It made her feel a bit selfish. He was always so steadfast and determined. She never considered how such things effect a father.
"I guess mine are a little worse...At least in one respect." He said.
"How?"
He kissed her on her head.
"Sometimes...In my nightmares...She gets you too..."
Perdy was not expecting that.
"You think she...Oh Pongo. That's one thing you never have to worry about."
"I know. But that idea scares me more than anything. I-" Suddenly. A few of the puppies began making noises.
"We best go downstairs before we wake them." Pongo said.
...
The couple laid in bed...Perdita feeling a bit awkward to speak.
"Why did you never tell me you had nightmares?" She finally asked.
"I don't know. I guess I didn't want to worry you. You had enough to worry about with the new pups and finding them room, and now with the move happening...I just felt like...Like I could deal with it myself."
Perdy just looked sadly at her husband. Had she really made him feel like his feelings didn't matter?
"Pongo. Your feelings aren't worth any less then mine. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel that way."
"Oh no. It's nothing you've done...I just didn't want you to worry."
"I worry about everyone in my family." Perdy said. "And that includes you."
Pongo smiled..."I guess...We both have had to many things to worry about that, we forgot to worry about each other."
"Let's try to fix that." Perdy answered.
The two dalmatians laid in the dark, sleepy house.
"Though. I must say..." Perdy began. "I am bit disappointed in something."
"What?"
"You're actually afraid of Cruella taking me as well?"
"Well...The idea scares me..."
"Well I can guarantee that that is one thing you will never have to worry about." She said. "Besides. I'm not exactly helpless."
"No you are not." Pongo agreed. "You can be downright savage when you need to be."
"You better believe it. Though. I recall both of us giving those thugs a good thrashing." She remembered how her husband shook off a solid kick into a door.
"I hope I measured up to you. That ol fat man didn't even touch you."
"Mm hmm. So, if that witch wants to get her hands on me she'd better send someone tougher."
The two laughed a bit.
"And besides that. Even if she ever did." She gave him a quick nuzzle. "I know I have the bravest, smartest dog in the world to come rescue me."
Pongo returned the nuzzle.
"Listen to us." He said. "We must sound so silly. Talking about nightmares when we lived through every parents worst."
"And came out better off." Perdy added. "Maybe we're both tougher than we give ourselves credit for..."
They both laid their head down...Finding a bit of calm at last...
Until the unmistakable sound of four tiny paws pit-patted itself in to the kitchen.
"Mother? Dad?" Came a voice.
The youngest of the pups, a male named Lucky, was standing in front of them.
"What it is darling?" Perdy said.
"I had a bad dream...Can I sleep with you?"
The two shared a glance before smiling and nodding.
The little pup snuggled in between the two.
"Go to sleep now dear...There's nothing to be afraid of." Perdy said.
"Bad dreams can't hurt you." Pongo said.
Lucky let out a tiny yawn and curled up into what looked like a little, black and white bun in between them. Pongo and Perdy smiled at each other.
"You know, Pongo." Perdy said. "Suddenly... I feel a lot, less worried."
"Me too." Pongo said. "Funny how that works out."
The two, adult dalmatians settled down with their son in between them, the other 98 sleeping peacefully upstairs, and now, a lot less on their minds...
~Fin~
-AN-
This is the first fanfic I have ever written. After I saw the first trailer for 101 Dalmatian Street way back when, it reawakened my love of Disney's 101 Dalmatians (Which was always my favorite Disney movie) like some sort of sleeper agent. I've always loved the dynamic between Pongo and Perdita, and this is how I am interpreting that.
Any and all feedback is appreciated whether you liked or didn't.