Chapter 10: Night stroll through memories

The pale crescent moon shone like a silvery claw in the night. The sky was black tranquility married to a poetry of stars, it was the softness that called mind and body to rest and let the heart go to its steady rhythm. Night came as a reward of sorts, a restfulness above to calm the soul. The fireflies flickered over the still warm short grass like a natural lantern, the crickets - mother nature's most precious night singers - kept up with their monotonous chirruping, carrying their chant across the city as the wind carries itself. Although everyone was asleep at this time, the nature's never-stopping engines were always up and running. She does not know rest.

"It is nice outside..." Lady thought as the cool waft swiftly caressed her coat. Her brown eyes slowly ran over her surroundings, astonished by the scenery they bathed in. For quite a while she didn't have the occasion to take a walk so late and admire what the night kept hidden under its veil. It reminded her of that bella notte when she enjoyed a plate of spaghetti at those funny humans' restaurant, when she walked by the riverside and watched the swans swimming, or when she fell asleep on that hill under the moon's protection. "I wish we could do all these things over again..." her inner spoke.

The sidewalk carried Lady forward, keeping her afloat, though her paws and subconscious were anything but synced; her mind kept on drifting away through memories. She almost forgot Tramp was walking right next to her, not realizing he just turned the corner a moment ago.

The scruffy dog kept advancing, noticing shortly his mate no longer followed along the same path as him. Few steps forward, Tramp paused himself. He turned his head around and observed Lady still walking that same way. A confused head tilt accompanied the gray animal as he called out for her. "Oh, Pidgeon?"

Lady abruptly put a stop to her march, widening her eyes as her mind got dragged back inside its cage by his voice. She rapidly turned her head in the way of the sound displaying visible surprise towards the absurd distance stretched between them.

Tramp, the moment he discovered Lady returned to reality, placed himself down, dressed his mug with a smile, and, along with a chuckle, followed, "Did a cat steal your eyes, Pidge?"

The spaniel gave no reply, not a voiced one, that is. She, instead, served him with a grin of her own and ran over where he was sitting.

"Forgive me,' said Lady softly the moment she caught up to him, 'I-I was just thinking of something."

"Don't need to talk so quietly, nobody's gonna hear you." said Tramp with the same whispery voice as her, resuming their walk.

"Oh, r-right." she spoke. "But- why are you doing it then?"

"Nevermind that." he responded, reverting to his normal voice. "Come on. It's not far from here."

"Not far...? Oh, where are we going?" Lady asked in interest.

Her mate threw a peek her way and questioned back, "You know what goes hand in hand with a late-night stroll?"

Lady shook her head in response, "Uh-uh... What does?"

"A late-night snack, Pidge." he clarified. "And it just so happens that a few streets away lay Alice's Little France. Felix loves those oeufs au plat Meyerbeer she makes!" (an early 20th century french dish)

"Felix?"

"Mm-hmm. Sure that's none other than me, Pidge." Tramp replied with a wink. "That place is, or used to be, his Friday halt."

"Oh!" said Lady, "It is one of your old families, is it? Do you think she still remembers you?"

"Of course!" he stated proudly. "No other mutt left her such good impression as Felix did."

The little cocker snickered at his words, then followed gallantly in the same way her springer spaniel friend once did, "Well then, let us enjoy ourselves, mister Felix."

"You know,' Tramp spoke as a faint titter mixed up with his voice, 'I'll never get used to that "mister" thing."

The pleasant darkness evolved more and more as the minutes passed, the luminous moon slowly gravitated towards the center of its canvas. Each street was already long been painted by the old and downcast lamps whose light circus attracted nothing more than a dozen moths hopelessly flying around the bright glass, driven closer by the warmth it emanated and projecting strange shadows across the pavement. No sign of human life was present outside, it almost gave the impression of a deserted town. Of course, the numerous carriages, wagons, and "latest model" electrics parked near the sidewalk would decline such assumption, not to mention the few remaining enlightened windows scattered down the boulevard.

Lady and Tramp kept on with their little outing. The sound produced by their tiny claws hitting the concrete could be heard from quite a noticeable distance - that's how quiet it was in that neighborhood. Nonetheless, the two seemed happy. They were chattin', laughing, smiling at each other. At first glance, one couldn't even tell a two days long distancing happened between them. Moreso, Lady barely remembered the true reason behind this night walk she proposed. Tramp wasn't worrying his head about it either, he was just happy his mate talked to him again.

"By the way, Tramp,' she said, 'how was your visit to Doc yesterday? I... know I should be ashamed of my actions... I eavesdropped on the door when you and Jim Dear came home but I did not understand much."

"Tsk-tsk, there goes your good girl streak." Tramp teased her jokingly. "But it was fine, nothing worth putting on paper, mm-hmm." he followed.

Though Lady was on to something. She closely shifted to him and voiced mischievously, "Although I happened to overhear something about fleas...". The next thing she saw was her mate's eyes and their subtle reaction to her words, thus confirming what has been leaked. "You had fleas, Tramp?"

The schnauzer-terrier mix slightly backed aside, and not because her soft breath may have invaded his mug, no. "Fleas? Me? Pfft!" he faked a laugh as his eyes looked away, vainly defending himself from her claim.

But she saw through it, that clever pigeon. "Aw, Tramp, is that the reason you always scratch yourself in that manner? You fleabag..." the spaniel pronounced as she tenderly brushed her coat against his, slowly forcing him towards the wooden fence standing near them.

Tramp felt a pleasant inkling of surprise as he let himself be fondled by the cocker and her cat-like behavior. "You don't seem to... mind it much, do you?" the gray dog said, feeling how his fur flirted with the fluffy honey-colored Tsunami flooding him.

"Uh-uh,' she confirmed as her snout nuzzled his side gently, 'not at all..."

Seconds later, Tramp found himself sandwiched against the fence by Lady and her unusual gesture. He enjoyed the so-called massage, his side even began twitching. Though he couldn't hold it anymore and let out a chuckle, "You tickle me, Pidge!"

However, the playful spaniel wouldn't stop just yet. She pushed herself closer, her muzzle dove deeper inside his chilly fur. But too much is too much. Her mate's fluff, eventually, fought back her wet and frisky snout causing it to sneeze in defeat.

Tramp giggled at her jolt, watching as she regained herself. "Seems the little guys might've gotten to you as well!" he joked.

Lady sensed a drop of embarrassment slip inside her caused by the itchy nose that just happened to ruin her gesture earlier. She quickly ran her paw over the wiggly nostrils and observed Tramp gazing back and lolling his tongue to the side.

"Oh, dear, I-I might be catching a cold..." said the brown cocker forcing a fake tone of concern in her attempt to save herself.

"Pidgeon..." he sighed as he nudged her ear which jumped at his muzzle's touch. "I suppose... we could skip to dessert if you insist."

"Dessert...? A-and where would that be?" Lady asked, genuinely missing his point.

Tramp, in his attempt to get his message through, offered her a few licks on the cheek and said, "Trust me, it's closer than you'd expect."

"Oh..." Lady expressed in realization. "Tramp, we can't do such things here, it's improper...! What if someone sees us?" she, then, whispered, retrieving the lady-like manners she threw away earlier.

"Hey, do your naughty-doings somewhere else." suddenly, a voice rose above their ears giving them a good startle. Talk about that someone.

Utterly confused, the two dogs turned their heads in its direction, rapidly scouting their field of view. But they could not see anybody around. The only visible things were the pitch-black darkness of the sky, its sparkly stars, and the silhouette of a tree that got in their way. Who said that, then? Trees don't talk, do they? Well, trees don't talk but something, surely, was odd about this one. The silence of the night helped reveal a low, continuous, murmuring sound - a purr to be exact - emitting from its rind. Neither Lady nor Tramp could believe their ears; a tree that purrs. And to make matters even stranger, two emerald-like ellipses magically appeared on one of its branches.

"It is impolite to stare, you two." it spoke again before resuming its silent thrumming. It sounded feminine, yet menacing. It could be said that a rather powerful spirit wore the voice.

In a twinkle, Tramp was the first to snap out of it. He took a few steps towards the fence where the tree was resting behind and addressed the being sitting on it, "Pardon me, friend, but you suppose you could make your way down here? It's a tad difficult seeing you in this darkness."

"Is that so? What guarantee do I have you won't eat me alive? This "nine lives" theory is nothing but a hoax." she replied.

Tramp put up laughter hearing the unknown entity's words. "Up for the gamble?"

"I'm just kidding!" it snickered, graciously climbing down with no trace of effort, landing front paws-first without making a sound. A moment later, a well-built and confident-looking cat showed itself in front of the pair. Its smooth and shiny fur was painted with the same absolute black as the sky, stretching from ears to toes, hence the difficulty of it being seen earlier - the perfect clothes for this domestic assassin.

"A cat...!" Lady pronounced in surprise.

"Expected something else?" the feline replied to the spaniel before shifting her eyes to the one next to her. "It has been a while since we have seen eye to eye, mamma's boy." she followed.

"Mamma's boy?" Lady repeated in her mind, instinctively pointing her eyes at Tramp as there was no other "boy", or any other dog really, around. However, Tramp displayed a whole different expression on his face. Although at first he was equally confused about the weird nickname the cat just spat out, his mug quickly filled with gleam and his mind felt overwhelmed by an odd sense of nostalgia dating back to his earlier days. It was that same cat back then that once refused to play with him.

"Haven't heard that in a long time!" Tramp chuckled, turning his head towards Lady. "Remember that grumpy cat I told you about in my tales? Looks like it grew up!"

"Oh!" exclaimed the cocker recalling his story, reproaching him after for his impoliteness. "Hey, don't be rude...!"

"And so did you, it seems, doggie." said the cat. "Feels like yesterday you were eating from your mother's nip."

"Good old days, huh?" he tittered. "By the way, you still owe me that game of tag, you know?"

"Get over yourself. Your sloppy legs wouldn't catch me in a thousand." she mocked him. "Besides, it appears to me your interests went other places." the feline added, peeking her green ellipses at Lady.

"You might be correct." the scruffy dog spoke.

"Speaking of which, miss, what might your name be?" asked the cat.

"Oh, where are my manners..." Lady excused herself. "My name is Lady. Pleased to meet such a polite cat as yourself."

"Well, thank you! Quite a nice thing of you to say." she meowed, catching the sight of the shiny jewel tied around her neck immediately after. "But what do we have here..." the sleek cat added, slinking her way to the brown dog and jingling her collar. "You live with nice humans, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." the spaniel nodded before peeking at her mate. "As it happens, we both do."

"You don't say! Color me surprised." said the feline. "No longer a mutt of the streets, are you?"

"Let's just say there might be better things out there than the dusty streets." Tramp snickered.

"Love tames even the wildest of lions, it seems. Now tell me,' she whispered to Lady, 'how did you get mixed up with a mongrel like him?"

"I can still hear you, mouser." said the gray dog on the same quiet tone.

"Shush yourself, doggie." the black cat hissed at him for interfering. "I'm not talking to you."

Lady giggled at their little fight then proceeded to answer the feline's question, "I wouldn't know where to begin, it is... quite a long story... But it's one I've been very happy to see unfolding,' then, she suddenly broke off, regarding her mate whom she approached and fondly brushed against. 'and, I want to say..., I heartily await its continuation."

"Yeah... hats-off to whoever wrote it." Tramp followed, leaning his head on top of hers, gently rubbing her crown with his chin, "He or she must've been on to something."

The cat watched them carefully and although, for the sake of old times, she wanted to poke a bit more fun at the said mongrel, she chose not to. Her green eyes could see there was, indeed, love tying them together. She thought that, at least once, it would be nice if she threw off an accolade.

"Seeing the expressions crawling on your mugs, it must've been quite the record-breaker of a story." she said. "You know, doggie,' the cat sighed, curling back into a clew, 'as much as I like making sport of you, it started losing its charm. I look at you and I lose the image of that snotty pup that once used to pester me to play with him."

The schnauzer-terrier mix slipped in a smile then voiced, "You know, I could sense the struggle you put up with to say that."

"Oh, Tramp,' said Lady with a frowny face, 'she offered you a compliment... you should appreciate it!"

The dark-chocolatey feline laughed a good few seconds at his words. "No, Lady, he's right! You mutt, I almost lost all my nine lives cooking that up." she joked. "Though... Tramp... is that your name? Quite an odd one, if I may."

"Yeah, guess it stuck on to me,' he confirmed, giving himself a few scratches, '...like those pests did."

However, just as Tramp finished his sentence, all of a sudden, from behind the fence and the gloomy tree, and from inside the yard that held it captive, a silvery, high-pitched "kitty-kitty" rose out in the air. It seemed as a woman's voice gave birth to it. Shortly followed a name call of sorts, "Whiskers, kitty, come here!". In an instant, it stole the three animals' attention, the quietness of that night made it impossible not to. Though Lady could not help but notice the cat's distinct body language. The feline's perked ears, shrunk pupils, and head motion made the spaniel believe that the human was summoning this one cat standing before her.

"Is it you she's calling out for?" asked Lady.

"Yes." she nodded. "Suppose I should take my leave."

"Whiskers?" Tramp snickered. "Talk about an odd name, alright."

The black feline facetiously rushed at the gray dog and said, "Don't make me scratch that grin off your face, doggie."

"Easy, panther!" responded Tramp as he backed away one step. "Better not keep your human waiting."

"Hmph." expressed Whiskers before climbing back up the fence, putting a few marks with her claws next to the already present ones she made throughout her time.

"Miss Whiskers, it has been a pleasure getting to know you. Though I wish we could converse a little longer." Lady addressed her.

"Makes the two of us, Lady. Good to know at least someone has some manners left." she replied glancing at Tramp.

"Well,' he tittered, 'can't teach an old dog new tricks, can you?"

"Yeah, right.' Whiskers said, 'Lady, keep an eye out on this mutt, will you?"

"Oh, do not worry, he is in good hands." Lady shook her head in agreement, sighting her mate with the corner of her eye. "Right, Tramp?"

"Lucky me!" he grinned.

Whiskers responded with a quick wink then jumped down inside the yard, making rustling sounds through the grass as she ran her way back to her owner. She had a presumably kind owner too as the human's voice could be heard a few moments later welcoming the cat back home with joy in her tone. Even so, oddly, Whiskers lacked a collar, so nobody really knows for certain if the woman was her true owner. It could be that she was a vagabond cat perhaps, like her doggie friend once was, and would hop around from family to family every once in a while. Heh, "Whiskers" might very well be one of the many names from her collection.

"Come on, Pidgeon." Tramp said. "We don't want to miss our banquet, do we?"

"Oh, correct!" replied Lady, rapidly catching up with her mate. "Though, I'm afraid it might be closed, Tramp. It is already quite late."

"No worries! I got everything sorted out." Tramp assured her. "You see, Felix is quite a special client."

"Special client?" she asked.

"You'll find out in a minute." he clarified. "Who knows, you might take over the role after our visit."

"Me?" the spaniel titled her head. "How so?"

"Eh, just a hunch." responded the gray dog.

And soon enough, after a few minutes, a couple turns, and no other sudden encounters, Tramp, guided more by the nose than his eyes, along with Lady, made it at the entrance of a modest street carefully placed in the near vicinity of the city's park. Quite a nice-looking place; one side occupied by various premises and the other filled with an abundant little forest of trees which, if traversed, would lead right inside that park. The said street appeared to be pretty well maintained compared to the ones prior to it, after all, it was quite a special one and it had to deliver. What made it special was the different foreign-themed restaurants scattered along its way, aimed around those who wanted a little more flavor in their meals and who, of course, had plenty of green to spare.

One of those fancy-looking restaurants was, indeed, our pair's night destination. Situated right after Ronald's Scottish pastry - a place that also happens to host various gambling activities during nighttime despite it being illegal - lays Little France, a sophisticate beanery dedicated to french delicacies. It served everything from traditional dishes to desserts to even drinks on certain occasions, having added a drop of "America" in them to appeal more to the local client. Led by Alice, the owner and a skilled cook, along with Aleksei, a talented pianist and her spouse, this small slice of European cuisine attracted, perhaps, the larger portion of customers around that area, being pushed to second place by that scottish pastry for obvious reasons. Luckily for Tramp, both humans had a liking for animals, especially Aleksei who often based his songs on them and their way of life. Although they knew the scruffy stray visited them more for spare food over the petting he was given, the two still liked him quite a lot, thus naming him Felix - Alice's idea - after one of the characters from the books the woman used to read.

"Ah, there it is!" exclaimed Tramp the moment he spotted the restaurant's trademark.

A pleasant, delicious aroma coming from all around the place tickled Lady's senses. She took a good sniff of the surrounding air then followed, "Hmm... such lovely fragrance...!"

"Right? Makes you wish you could chew off the air." he chuckled. "You see, Pidge, this place is kind of a special one. Alice and her pal were the first humans to not shoo this mutt away. Now, you just wait here a second."

The schnauzer-terrier left his mate in front of its door and pattered a few yards along the sidewalk towards a nearby enlightened window. This one window belonged to those two humans' house which happened to be right next to their restaurant. Very practical.

Tramp leaned his front legs on the wall and took a peek through the thin white curtain covering the opening. Inside, a young woman, probably in her mid-twenties, was resting herself on the couch reading a book and listening to her mate composing on the nearby piano whose melody, most likely still in early development judging by the way it was being played, could be just barely heard from the outside.

"Chert (darn it), this is not good..." sighed Aleksei, resting his fingers on the noisy piano tiles which gave a strange sound as a response to his frustration.

Alice took her eyes away from her reading and asked, "Tu as des problèmes avec une autre chanson? De quel animal s'agit-il cette fois?" (Is another song giving you trouble? What animal is it about this time?)

"Alice, you know I like it when you speak to me in french but you also know I've no clue what you're saying." he replied, barely turning his head in her direction.

The woman laughed hearing Aleksei's words, then she put her book down and walked towards him, brushing his shoulders with her hands gently afterward. "I ask, what might be the problem?"

"Ah, quite a lot of words just for that." he snickered. "It's this new melody." the man then sighed, resuming with a drawly voice right after, "Can't seem to get the feel of it."

"What's it about? Another animal?" she questioned him.

"Mm-hmm." he nodded, glancing at the half-written score hanging by its stand. "During the last meeting. the violinist who's going to perform this along with me suggested something around a pampered dog that, uhh... lives with a refined, upper-middle-class family and... has yet to explore the world. And I struggle to come up with a good reason for that dog to do so."

"Oddly complex for a song, isn't it?" said Alice.

"Not quite." Aleksei denied. "But, this time, I'm stuck."

The woman rubbed her chin for a good few seconds, then she proposed an idea, "How about... the dog is forced outside by a conflict happening inside its small world that forces her to run away."

"Oh!" the man exclaimed, pleasantly surprised by her suggestion. "Interesting approach! Let's write that down..."

"Glad I could be of help, mon cher (my dear)!" she smiled, proceeding to walk away towards the kitchen. "Would you like some tea?"

"Tea, you say? Sure, a cup wouldn't hurt, spasibo (thanks)!" the pianist replied.

Back outside, Tramp watched happily. He couldn't make anything of what was being said between the two humans but, one thing's for sure, they were still awake and were just about to see some guests whether they like it or not.

The gray dog turned his head back in his mate's way and called her, "Come here, Pidge! We're in luck!".

In a heartbeat, Lady, still under the hypnosis of that mesmerizing scent from before, made her way next to him.

"How about you do the honors this time?" Tramp suggested.

"Honors?" she asked confused.

"Uh-huh. You just climb yourself up here and scratch at the window." he explained. "Piece of cake!"

"Oh!" said Lady, "Okay, let me try..."

The little brown cocker rose on her rear legs and leaned herself against the wall in the same manner her mate did. Then, with the other paw holding by the sill, Lady scratched a few times at the window, awaiting something to happen.

Inside the house, Alice, from the doorstep, was the first to notice the odd noise coming from behind the curtain. "Aleksei, did you hear anything?"

"Huh? I don't know." he expressed cluelessly with muffled words due to the pencil he was holding between his lips.

With a little drop of dread, an ounce of uncertainty, and a spoon of curiosity, the woman, rather confidently, made her way towards the source of the sound. However, the moment her hand swept away the curtain, all her bad thoughts vanished in a blink of an eye.

With her eyes glittering in joy and her hands splat out on the transparent glass, breaking the quietness of the house, Alice screeched, "Felix! Où étais-tu pendant tout ce temps?!" (Where have you been all this time?!)

Aleksei, startled by the sudden rise in his mate's voice volume and confused by her indecipherable french, abruptly turned his head her way and asked concerned after letting go of the pencil, "Alice, what's the matter?!"

"Come here quickly, mon cher!" she said with a large smile.

At the other end of the window, Lady, the second she saw Alice appear from behind the curtain, out of shyness or fear perhaps, ducked her head under the sill leaving Tramp to deal with the woman and her husband who showed himself shortly after.

"Oh! Felix!" Aleksei expressed in excitement before rushing next room to unlock the front door. "Eto Felix!" (It's Felix!)

Tramp laughed at their joyful, yet expected, reaction and set off towards the door with Lady following behind.

"Way to go, Pidge,' he congratulated her, 'you got them both first try! Some born talent you are!"

The moment the two set paw on the "Welcome / Bienvenue" mat, the door behind it rapidly opened revealing two humans in nightwear subconsciously fighting over who should be the first to exit through. Seems they were worried about their fluffy special client after all.

"Comment vas-tu, Felix?" (How are you, Felix?) she asked the gray dog as her hands petted him all over.

"Where you been so long, boy?" added the man.

Alice noticed immediately that Felix didn't come alone on this visit. She left the gray dog at the hands of Aleksei, who took over the petting and rubbing in her absence, and approached Lady.

"Who are you, girl?" Alice then followed.

The spaniel slowly backed off a few steps unknowingly. Their lively, cheeriness nature was a bit overwhelming for her.

"Don't be scared!" said the woman softly as she slid her palms under the dog's armpits, lifting it to her chest. "Tu es très jolie!" (You're very pretty!) she exclaimed, squeezing it tightly in her embrace and smoothly rubbing its nose against her own.

Though Lady quickly gave Alice her trust as effect to the woman's act of kindness. In sign of response, the spaniel licked the tip of her nose and put on a big smile. Alice, overcame by the animal's cuteness, couldn't resist and tucked her face deep inside Lady's fur, making kissing sounds with her mouth.

"In the name of all that's holy, Alice, don't do that!" Aleksei scolded her. "You don't know where it went!"

"But she's so adorable! I can't help it!" Alice justified herself. "Look, she has a license, and she's tidy.". The woman turned her eyes back to Lady and asked, "Why are you here on the streets, girl...?"

"Maybe he took her out for a walk?" Aleksei chuckled. "Felix, ty brodyaga...!" (Felix, you vagabond...!)

"You should go back home..." Alice advised Lady, "...but before you do... Mon cher,' she addressed her mate, 'let's give them something to eat."

"Go see what's left in the icebox." he replied.

Alice put Lady down next to Aleksei then walked inside the house, in the storage room where the said icebox was installed. A few minutes later, she returned with two small porcelain plates, each holding a white-colored, creamy, and oddly shaped dish with yellow bits scattered all over.

"Here you go!" said the woman as she put the plates down in front of them.

The two dogs leaned their muzzles towards it, sniffing around the plate. Interestingly enough, the scent of fruit prevailed along with a faint, cold air emerging from within. Tramp had no clue what that thing was, it looked and smelled different from anything he had eaten before. Lady, however, had an idea of what she was about to taste. It was that chilly sensation coming from inside that awoke her senses. Ice cream - that's what it was - lemon-flavored, too.

"Dogs like ice cream?" Aleksei asked.

"Everybody likes it, mon cher." said Alice.

The little cocker hasn't tasted ice cream since that one incident at the vet, it used to be on the list of treats Jim Dear and Darling would give her. And no wonder the scruffy dog had no idea what ice cream is, it was too sophisticate of a delicacy for his former stray self to experience.

"Oh, I knew it smelled familiar!" Lady expressed in excitement.

"You know what this is?" asked Tramp.

"Uh-huh,' she nodded, 'it's called ice cream and it's just lovely! Darling used to give me some from time to time. Though it's unhealthy for us, I've heard."

"Unhealthy?" he repeated. "You must be joking. This looks like a luxury. Take a bite and live a century."

"Oh, but it's true! Well, I guess a bit doesn't hurt anybody. Just be careful not to chew it." she advised her mate.

"Why not?" he questioned it.

"It's very cold and your teeth will hurt if you do." she explained. "You have to lick around it."

"Oh,' said Tramp, 'thanks for the tip!"

The two then ended their chatter and dug in. Tramp took it slower at first as he was yet not accustomed to this meal of mysteries, he didn't know what to expect, whereas Lady sprung into it like a hungry wolf.

"Guess even dogs like ice cream." Aleksei tittered, watching their long, pinkish tongues digging through it. "I'll go take myself the robe, it started to get quite chilly outside..."

In a wink, Lady was the first to finish her plate. "Delightful!" the spaniel said to herself as she ran her tongue around her muzzle.

"It was good, was it?" Alice laughed. "Your nose liked it too, it seems!"

"My nose?" said Lady to herself, missing the bit of ice cream resting on her snout.

Tramp, still in the middle of wiping clean his dish, took his eyes off of it and pointed them at his mate.

He took a glimpse of her face and gave out a slight laugh, "Did the ice cream bite back?"

Lady turned around in his way hoping it might reveal the reason for their sniggering. Then, a second later, she noticed it. "Oh! How embarrassing of me...!" said the little cocker attempting to clean herself up. But Tramp took it upon himself and eased her struggle like the gentleman he is. With a quick lick, the gray dog cleaned the bit of that stubborn ice cream from the top of her snout giving her trouble, rendering her blushed at the unexpected, yet sweet, gesture.

"You're delicious, Pidge!" Tramp followed throwing her a blink.

"Aw, c'est si gentil!" (So sweet!) Alice cried out.

Aleksei, like probably most of that street really, heard the woman's high-volume voice and asked from inside the house, "Alice, did you say anything?"

"You missed it, mon cher!" she exclaimed.

"Missed? What did I miss?" he followed.

"Felix gave his friend a kiss!" explained Alice.

"Did he now?" Aleksei snickered. "Be serious, Alice."

Lady couldn't look her mate in the eyes for quite a few moments after. For a second, it felt like deja vu; it gave her the pleasure of recalling that other unforeseen event during their dinner at Tony's. What were the chances, right? Rather coincidental.

"No, no, Felix,' said Alice, 'you should finish your own first."

Sadly, midnight was closing in. Not a quarter of an hour passed, the two pairs had to present their goodbyes, each in their own ways, of course. Alice had to prepare herself for tomorrow's day at the restaurant and Aleksei, who had to help out on that matter, needed to get back on his song. What a nice start to a weekend, though.

However, Lady, despite the unavoidable arrival of the midnight and the tiredness that clung on by her coat, still wanted to keep going.

"Should we head back, Pidge? asked Tramp with his eyes half-opened.

"Can we-' followed Lady before a large yawn cut her off, 'perhaps, walk just a little longer?"

"Just, don't eat me up." he joked.

The night still retained its pleasant feel and Lady wanted to get as much of it as she could. She, perhaps, feared the fact that another occasion like this one wouldn't come up again very soon. But that wasn't it at all. In reality, Lady requested some extra time to tell her mate the true reason for this little night adventure they just had. She figured it was the very moment for that and it would serve as the perfect end chapter for their stroll.

Not far from that fancy street, the two dogs find themselves walking down shoulder to shoulder a long avenue, evenly lit on both sides, although with fewer trees and more residences occupying its edges. Regardless of her sleepiness, Lady continued to fly her eyes around her surroundings. Soon, she caught a glimpse of the starlit sky, following a glimmering star that signaled her to make her move.

The spaniel, then, paused her motions and addressed her mate, "Tramp, can we stop for a moment? I... want to tell you something."

"Something wrong, Pidge?" he asked.

She took a few seconds to gather her words, then, with a trace of hesitation lingering by her voice, she replied. "You see... there has been something troubling my heart those recent days..."

"Oh, then I'm all ears." he smiled. But in spite of that, it was, probably, the shortest smile he ever portrayed because, just as he finished his sentence, the scenery behind his mate completely turned his mood upside down. It was quite a worrying one.

Lady observed his change in expression and, instead of continuing speaking her dilemma, she questioned his concerned look. "Tramp, are you... a-alright?"

"Not to sound alarming, but don't turn around." he responded.

Of course, Lady did the exact opposite of that and what her eyes caught after, surely, terrified her. "Oh, dear!" she exclaimed. The two lamps across the street that stood in front of them perfectly shone over the accursed wagon of the dog catcher. It almost looked like those lamps were put there by intention to showcase that carriage of evil, like in an exposition of sorts. But, fortunately, its master was nowhere to be seen.

"Shhh! Be quiet, Pidge. We don't know that fella's whereabouts." said Tramp. "Though it seems he got himself quite the trophy." the scruffy dog followed soon as he caught eye of the silhouette captive inside, barely uncovered by the artificial lights.

"Poor soul..." Lady pitied the captured animal.

The scruffy dog didn't think twice. Right away, Tramp took the lead. His mind was set to free the being inside - as he'd always do back then. Sneaking under a nearby vehicle, Tramp scouted the area for traces of any kind that would reveal the dog catcher's location.

"Follow me." he whispered.

"W-wait, what do you intend?" Lady asked with uneasiness.

"We'll just take a peek inside." Tramp explained. "But, be careful not make any sudden movement. Those ponies are quite scaredy-cats."

Slowly but steadily, the two made their way behind the wagon, close enough to observe the canine that was unlucky to get captured that night. Its fur sparkled under the flickering light of the street lantern, it was a pitch-black dog. But they couldn't tell who it was, that is until it shifted its body closer to the door, thus allowing the light to uncover its countenance.

"No way!" Tramp chuckled in whispers. "We meet again, sister!" he spoke to himself.

"You know who it is?" Lady asked quietly.

"Yeah. And so do you." he responded. "That mutt that chased Pedro around a few weeks ago, remember?"

Suddenly, her pity towards that animal gradually decreased, slowly pushed away by a sense of indifference. It was that Great Dane that caused them so much trouble during their last walk and that almost ended her mate's life. "Oh! That wicked being!" she exclaimed softly. "She got what she deserved!"

Lady was right. After all, this dog presented itself to be quite vicious in the past. Tramp began questioning his decision of saving her. Setting it free right now could lead to a bad outcome. But at the same time, Tramp remembered he, too, was once fated to be sent to the pound until Lady, along with Jock and Trusty, offered him a second chance. Though time was running short and he had to make a quick decision; either save the Dane and risk their lives, or go home safely and let the imprisoned be prey at the hands of its fate.

Author's note: Hello, friends! Been a while, hasn't it? Thanks for the reviews of the last chapter and apologies for the wait. This one has proven itself to be, perhaps, the most difficult of the bunch, but it finally reached a version that I'm happy, for the time being at least, to post publicly. It went through quite a few rewrites. I hope you like what I put together even if it's not as large as the previous one. Enjoy! Feedback encouraged.