Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI
Fun at the Store
Nick was at the store picking up last minute things for dinner because Jackie had forgotten to grab a couple of things when she was there.
He had Ryan and Boone with him.
"Alright boys, what do you think mommy would rather have, baked potatoes or mashed potatoes?" He asked the twins.
On the list all Jackie had written was potatoes.
"Chocolate cake." Ryan answered.
Nick laughed.
"I don't think so buddy." He told him.
Ryan frowned, it sounded like a good idea to him.
Nick decided that he'd buy a bag of frozen French fries instead, they were quick to bake in the oven and everyone in the house liked them so it was a win-win.
"Look dada, a puppy dog, can we pet him?" Boone asked suddenly.
Nick turned around, there was a small yellow lab puppy with a vest on, he was a service dog in training.
"Sorry kiddo, but that puppy is working." Nick told him with a smile.
"Him working?" Boone asked skeptically.
"Yep, he's learning how to help people who need help." Nick said, trying to explain it in a way that the boys would understand.
"Me need help." Boone replied.
"You do? With what?" Nick asked.
"Trying my shoes, I don't know how yet." The child answered.
Nick and an elderly man next to him in the aisle burst out laughing.
"Not that kind of help buddy." Nick told him as he playfully ruffled his hair.
Nick watched the puppy for a few moments, it seemed to Nick that the puppy was not doing a very good job with his training, he was pulling on his leash and not following any commands.
Nick returned his attention to his shopping, he was trying to decide what brand of frozen French fries to buy when both boys let out a happy squeal. Nick spun around, the puppy the boys had been longing to pet moments earlier was sniffing their shoes.
"Would you like to pet him?" the puppy's trainer asked.
Both boys looked at Nick with huge hopeful eyes the color of his.
"Since she says it's ok, go ahead." Nick told them.
The boys immediately got down on their haunches so they could pet him.
The puppy playfully wagged his tail, licked each boys' cheek and tried to crawl in their laps.
"Alfie, down." The lady told the puppy.
The puppy acted like he hadn't heard her and continued to do what he was doing, much to Boone and Ryan's absolute delight.
The woman sighed before turning her attention to Nick.
"I've been doing this job a long time, I've trained hundreds of puppies, some of them have what it takes to be a service dog and some don't. This little one is so sweet, I have a feeling that he will make some family a wonderful pet but he'll never be a service dog." She said as she looked down and noticed the puppy was happily untying Ryan's shoelace.
"Alfie, no." She scolded.
Ryan laughed, he didn't mind at all.
The woman let the boys play with the puppy for a few more minutes before she explained that she had to take the puppy back to their training facility so she could bring another puppy to the store to see how he did.
"Hopefully the next one will do better than Alfie." She told Nick.
Nick laughed.
"What do you tell her for letting you pet the puppy?" Nick prompted the boys.
"Thank you." Both of them said happily.
"You're welcome, thank you for being so gentle with him, he loved playing with you." She replied.
The boys beamed happily at the praise.
Before leaving, the puppy gave Ryan's shoelace another tug, which the woman had just very nicely retied for him.
Nick laughed.
"I'll tie it, no worries." He assured her.
The woman bent down and scooped up the puppy so she could carry him out of the store before he caused any more mischief.
"You are so naughty, Alfie." But even as she said it she was giving him loving pats on the head.
Nick and the twins finished their shopping and then happily went and got in the car to go home, the boys couldn't wait to tell Jackie and their siblings what they had gotten to do while at the store with their daddy!
The End!